Grace And Peace

Merry Christmas! Part 2

2011-12-25T07:20:00.000-08:00

"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him. He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God." (John 3:16-18)

And that's the real meaning of Christmas, Charlie Brown.

Merry Christmas Day!

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-24T22:32:00.000-08:00

Merry Christmas! Have a blessed day tomorrow with family and friends. I'm writing this early in the AM Christmas morning. I'm about to head to bed myself. Tomorrow looks to be a nice day. We'll have our annual Christmas celebration with breakfast and opening of presents in the morning. and then at some point we'll get together with Mom and Dad and my brothers and sister. I'm truly blessed to have such a cohesive tight-knit family. Wish my twin brother Jim could be with us, but he'll be out in California with his family.

As I write this Chet Atkins is playing "Deck the Halls" on the turntable. Chester was truly something else on the guitar. The halls are decked, and the presents are wrapped. As usual it seemed like the month just flew by. It has been a nice month, but a busy one. Christmas is a wonderful time of year, but it sometimes seems it is hard to slow down and enjoy it. This week should be pretty slow though. I'm looking forward to it.

Chester is finishing side B with "Silent Night." That's where we are now. The house is silent, and I'm about to go to bed, but I would be remiss to head on without this last thought. I've been thinking today on thankfulness and the goodness of God. We human beings are so easily swept up into the negative. Sometimes it is hard to even slow down and enjoy days like this. If we're not careful, we can turn times of rest into times of worry. It's too easy when we find ourselves less busy to let our minds wander toward the future. That's when the care of the world can creep in and keep us from seizing the joys that this day holds. In Matthew 6:34 Jesus told us, "So do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will care for itself."

I think thankfulness is a good antidote to worry. Thankfulness turns our focus back on the Lord and on to His goodness. It reminds us of His care and provision. Be thankful tomorrow as you go about your day. Take some time throughout the day to thank the Lord for all He has done in your life. I sure will.

God bless and have a wonderful Christmas Day!

Joy

2011-10-25T07:27:00.000-07:00

We're beginning a series on joy at the church that I am really excited about. Interesting enough the primary Greek word used for joy in the New Testament, chara and the word we translate as grace, charis, both come from the root word chairo. This word, as with many Greek words, has a number of meanings. It was used as a salutation or greeting. It also means to rejoice or be glad, but it also means to be well or thrive.

Too many times we live a life of trying to get by when God has so much more for us. In John 10:10 Jesus even said that He came that we would have life and have it more abundantly. That doesn't mean we'll never go through stress or hard times or trouble. It does mean we should be living a life of meaning and purpose.

In Romans 14:17 Paul wrote that "the kingdom of God is not eating and drinking, but righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit." If you read earlier in the chapter you see that Paul was responding to a controversy over food and observances of ritual. He was trying to get them off of focusing on things that don't matter and on what is real. Righteousness, peace, and joy come though Jesus. We so easily get our priorities out of whack and wonder why we are stressed out and overwhelmed.

Joy is a fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22) and is an outworking of our fellowship with the Lord. Joy sets us free to be who God would have us to be. It changes us and transforms us. It helps us to lay down our defensiveness and insecurity and helps us to get outside of ourselves and focus on others. Joy is powerful and ever so necessary in this life. Joy will help us to thrive and to live life well.

Submit to the Righteousness of God!

2011-08-20T09:13:00.000-07:00

"For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God." (Romans 10:3)

The Bible clearly lays the case against trying to establish our own righteousness by our own works. Well meaning believers fall into the trap of trying to relate to God based on their own deeds. Unbelievers who acknowledge that they do believe in some sort of "god" fall prey to believing that God will accept them because they are a good person. The problem lies in the concept of righteousness. Romans 3:10 tells us that "There is none righteous, no, not one." Good deeds can't cover unrighteousness. If they could we wouldn't need a savior. 99 percent righteousness is still unrighteousness. The line is formed hard and fast.

Bur thanks be to God our Savior has made a way for us! Through Him we have the righteousness of God imparted to us by faith (Romans 3:22, Philippians 3:9). But what do we see in the human condition? We see such pride, arrogance and conceit formed in an unfounded and historically inaccurate view of the goodness of man. A view that manifests itself in people who believe that God must accept them because they are good. They refuse to submit to the righteousness of God. From the perspective of one who has been saved by the grace of God that is mind-boggling. Jesus has lovingly laid down His life and paid the price for us, but we refuse to accept the free gift He so willingly offers.

Christians who don't get this will live a Christian walk with a certain level of frustration, but thankfully it's not an eternal life and death decision for them. The grace of God is willingly extended to those who receive it by faith. We are saved by what we believe, and we're not disqualified by error in doctrine or belief in other matters. The grace of God is powerful. The true tragedy lies with those people who believe there is a God, but refuse to submit to what God has said. Those are the people who will try to pass muster by holding up their good works and will be tragically disappointed when told "I never knew you." In some ways those cases will be sadder than atheists who willfully argue against and reject God, but simply believing there is a God is just not enough. Even demons believe that.

An Abundant Heart

2011-05-28T14:09:00.000-07:00

"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks." (Luke 6:45)

We've all been around people who are cynical and negative. I don't know about you, but a little of that goes a long way. I've had co-workers, friends and relatives who, because of that particular trait, I could only do in short doses. That kind of conversation tears at our souls and brings us down. It readily leads to sin as it frequently involves gossip and hard judgments against others.

Hebrews 4:12 tells us that "the Word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." The Bible has much to say about our mouths and how they ought to be used, but in Luke 6 Jesus brings it all into sharp focus by targeting the real culprit -- our hearts. The original word for heart in Luke 6:45 and Hebrews 4:12 is the Greek word kardia. In this context it refers to the soul. The soul is the seat of our mind, will, and emotions.

People are sometimes good fakers, but given enough time hearts are exposed. I've met folks, who at the start, seemed to be really great people, but as time went on their heart issues began to show. People can fake it in the short term, but given enough time what is really in their hearts will come out. The abundance of their heart, or lack thereof, will be revealed. You really can't maintain what you don't have to give out. This is actually a good thing because it reveals needs and wounds and can open up real opportunities for healing and growth.

I love the statement in Hebrews 4:12 that the Word of God is "a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." The Word of God is like a mirror we can hold our lives up against to see how we line up. Maybe I have been holding onto unforgiveness against someone and in reading the Bible I discover that Jesus commanded us to forgive (Mark 11:25). At that point my heart has been revealed and I have a choice -- I can either continue to do things my way or submit to what the Lord has said.

The car and feeding of our souls is critically important. If you desire an abundant heart it matters what you are reading, watching, talking about and thinking on. God's Word is vitally important in this process. Reading and meditating on it and applying it to your life will transform you. Of course, that has to take place in the context of our relationship and fellowship with the Lord or we can turn it into dry religion, in which case, it will avail us little.

Intrinsically Organic

2011-02-21T07:45:00.000-08:00

Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know how ye ought to answer every man. (Colossians 4:6).

Jesus was an awesome conversationalist. He was able to speak the truth in love without feeling the need to make sure everyone always agreed with Him. He was never fearful or intimidated. He spoke out of the reality of who He is. It is so easy for us to get intimidated in sharing our faith because we have fallen into the traps of thinking we have to give someone the formula for salvation or of being afraid that we are going to offend. We are robbed of being able to share incredibly good news!

In Christ we have entered into this awesome wonderful love relationship with the Lord. He has become the biggest person in our lives. In normal conversation we talk about the things and people that are most important to us, but somehow in our current climate of political correctness, we are expected to keep quiet about our relationship with Jesus. That is a trap of the enemy that we have allowed ourselves to fall into. We get intimidated into not sharing the thing that people most need to hear. Will some people be made to feel uncomfortable? Obviously. That's just part of it. People don't like things that challenge what they believe, and yet, there are people dying to hear what we have to say.

I think that one issue we have is that we have made "witnessing" so formulaic. We've turned it more into winning a debate or presenting a sales pitch than something that is intrinsically organic to who we now are. In doing so we have taken something that should come naturally and made it something artificial. How many times have you argued with someone that the outcome was them changing their position and agreeing with you? Pretty rare I suspect. We like to win and hate to be proven wrong. How many of us really like to be sold? Do you really like when someone pops into your life with some plan or thing that you weren't interested in and proceeds to try to get you make a commitment to it? Most of us find those kind of encounters unpleasant.

There is a better way though, and that is to take Jesus from a sales presentation to the very real, living person that He is. He is "King of kings and Lord of lords" and yet He is also "the friend who is closer than a brother." His love for us is beyond belief. If He is the biggest person in our lives He ought to be a big part of our conversation. The reality of that relationship is something that should challenge the people around you. As we cultivate our relationship with Him and grow in His grace then there will be an outworking of that in our lives. It really does change us and transform us. Because He is love our actions and attitudes begin to reflect that love more and more. Our conversation will reflect that love more and more too!

Dwelling In The Shelter

2011-01-16T06:48:00.000-08:00

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." (Psalm 91:1)

The Hebrew word for dwell in this passage is yashab. Yashab means to sit down, to remain or stay or to make that place your abode. It is where you live. Psalm 91 is a wonderful picture of God's protection and care. The outcome of sitting down is rest in his presence. Rest is a real good thing. I read an article today by Greg Laurie that talked about how 50% of Americans are constant worriers, but only about 8% of the things they worry about are actually legitimate.

Life can be stressful. but we have a place of refuge in the Lord. It is a place of rest and peace. We access it by our fellowship with Him. We do that by time in the Word, prayer, worship and a heart attitude that cultivates His presence. What do I mean by that? We learn to live in an awareness of His presence. In 1st Thessalonians 5:17 Paul tells us to "pray without ceasing." If we think of prayer as a religious exercise that would be impossible, but if we think of prayer as communication (communion) with the Lord then it can become a reality.

There are times when how we pray will be more intense than others. Sometimes we will withdraw to a quiet place, just as Jesus did. Sometimes though, we will find ourselves in a place where we just can't do that. Does that mean that God won't hear us or we can't receive His wisdom and help? Absolutely not. He is always near, but we need to sharpen our awareness and understanding of that. It really starts with a mindset that God is with me wherever I and we are having a constant conversation.

There is rest in this constant conversation with him. Stop striving and chasing. Psalm 91 is a wonderful place to start.

Hallelujah Chorus Flash Mob

2010-12-02T12:56:00.000-08:00

This is worth watching-- pretty awesome!

God With Us

2010-11-30T07:20:00.000-08:00

"Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14)

"Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel," which is translated, "God with us." (Matthew 1:23)

I read recently where some atheist organization had put up a billboard in New Jersey claiming that the nativity is a myth and appealing to "reason." It is truly sad how insecure someone must be to attack a cherished celebration in that way, but then, as Psalm 14:1 says, "The fool has said in his heart, there is no God."

Atheists firmly believe that if they can just appeal to reason we'll lay this God foolishness down. They can't see the reality of "God with us." Jesus didn't come and die to make us religious but to bring us into a relationship. Relationship with God is an awesome wonderful thing. By faith, we lay hold of the reality of that relationship. By faith, we walk and talk with Him and hear His voice. By faith we receive what He has for us. By faith, we live in this wonderful fellowship with Him.

We are in an age where access to information has exploded exponentially. The internet is a wide open opportunity for argument. People who, face to face, would have kept quiet now have a vehicle to broadcast any ignorant opinion they like. You can search online and find a million arguments for or against God. People can argue with your theology and mock your beliefs, but they cannot take away your relationship with God. I see Christians online trying to argue with unbelievers. It rarely works.

But something different happens when you live in relationship with God. Sadly, many believers rarely grasp the fullness of that walk. There is nothing like it. His very presence now dwells within us. God is truly with us! That is the only antidote to an age of skepticism. If we truly desire to walk with Him and know Him He will oblige. The man or woman that knows the Lord is never at the mercy of an unbeliever with a bunch of arguments.

God is with us! As we enter into this Christmas season I pray that the reality of that will be manifest more and more in each of our lives. Jesus came to bring us into fellowship with God. Let's grab hold of what He has provided for us.

No Other Name

2010-11-15T08:13:00.000-08:00

"Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12)

Jesus Christ is still "the way, the truth, and the life" and no one comes to the Father except by Him (John 14:6). Salvation is by no other. It was only Jesus Christ who made a way for each of us when we could not make a way for ourselves. He paid my blood debt and bought me eternal relationship with God. It's not cool to believe that anymore. We like to believe that all paths lead to God, but that's just not the truth according to God's Word. Jesus Himself said that the person who doesn't believe is "condemned already" (John 3:18). No amount of monkeying around with scripture can change that. As His follower it's not my job to change the message to make it palatable -- if I were to do that it would, in fact, prove that I am not much of a follower of His. I live according to what He has said, not according to what I think or want to believe.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

This salvation comes by faith, in other words, we receive it by believing God. In Romans Paul writes that we must confess with our mouths that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe in our hearts that God has raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9). God has purchased our salvation for each of us, but we must receive it by faith. In Galatians 3:22 we read that "the scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith of Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe." Hebrews 10:39 says that "But we are not of those who draw back to perdition, but of those who believe to the saving of the soul." Perdition means destruction.

Judgment is not a popular topic anymore, but the Bible is clear that judgment awaits those who reject Jesus. 2nd Thessalonians 1:8-10 makes that abundantly clear: "in flaming fire taking vengeance on those who do not know God, and on those who do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ. These shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord and from the glory of His power, when He comes, in that Day, to be glorified in His saints and to be admired among all those who believe, because our testimony among you was believed." There's that belief again.

In Matthew 28 and Mark 16 we read where Jesus commanded us to go into the world as His witnesses. We carry the most wonderful news in the history of mankind. The word gospel, literally means "good news." We carry the good news because there is bad news for those who reject the Jesus. We are salt and light in a messed up world.

Salvation is by no other.

Above and Beyond

2010-10-27T14:16:00.000-07:00

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)

God is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think! What an awesome passage of scripture. I think we sometimes get so caught up in thinking that if we don't do everything just right then God won't come through for us. There are tons of books on how to pray. Pray this way. Pray these scriptures. Pray my way.

I don't really mean to demean the work and sincerity of those authors or their readers. many wonderful books on prayer have been written that the Lord has used to encourage and grow believers. What I do fear is that sometimes we can, inadvertently, implement something good in a harmful way. We can easily begin to think that something I must do is the key in all of this. I must say the exact right prayer in exactly the right way. We can create a real burden for ourselves in doing this.

Ultimately, prayer is less about our imperfect linguistic ability, and much more about faith. God really does see our hearts. While I do believe that what we speak and pray does matter, (we want to always agree with God's Word) I don't believe that we are going to get hung on a technicality. He does above and beyond what we can ask or think according to the power that works in us. What we believe is far more important than the words that come out of mouths. Like it or not, faith does make a difference. There is very little theological wiggle room there.

God looks at the heart. We think because someone says a long eloquent prayer they must have some kind of real great thing going on with the Lord. They might. They might not. They might just be good at saying long eloquent prayers. What matters is the heart. I'd rather have someone who believed God, but stumbles over their words, agreeing with me in prayer than someone who prays a beautiful prayer with the wrong heart.

He does above and beyond. Our faith is not in our faith. Our faith is not in our words. Our faith is in Him. He is the object of our faith. Faith matters because Jesus is alive and at work in our lives.

Is the Bible Reliable as a Historical Document?

2010-10-25T06:48:00.000-07:00

Here is an intersting conversation between Lee Strobel and Jerry Johnston. The primary impetus for this is Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code, but the conversation on the reliability of the Bible is interesting and informative.

Beware the Tale Bearer

2010-10-19T05:59:00.000-07:00

"The first one to plead his cause seems right, Until his neighbor comes and examines him." (Proverbs 18:17)

Ever been in a situation where someone came and laid out some story about someone else only to find out later that the story was terribly distorted? Most of us have, at some point, probably found ourselves in this kind of situation. The Bible has much to say about this kind of destructive gossip and what it says is not good.

"The words of a talebearer are like tasty trifles, And they go down into the inmost body." (Proverbs 18:8)

"A man who bears false witness against his neighbor Is like a club, a sword, and a sharp arrow." (Proverbs 25:18)

"You shall not circulate a false report. Do not put your hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness." (Exodus 23:1)

In proverbs 6:19 a false witness is listed as one of the things the Lord hates. He considers it to be an abomination.

Why do people do it? Frequently it is done out of anger or frustration, but sometimes the people who do it just seem to enjoy the drama of it all. It is done with the intention of hurting someone's reputation. It is a repugnant thing since the person who is being victimized usually has no idea what is going on unless someone clues them in. They then find themselves in a situation where somebody might be treating them differently based on falsehoods. This kind of tale bearing is truly nasty.

When someone comes to me with a story about someone else I always take it with a grain of salt. That doesn't mean I don't believe them. There is a balance here. Sometimes people are truly wronged and it does help to allow them to tell their story, but there is a different kind of spirit at work in this kind of gossip. There's a nastiness involved. If you have any discernment at all you can pick it up. The stories usually have no purpose other than hurting someone's reputation or bringing division into a relationship. Sometimes it's to gain leverage or to spin a situation. Sometimes it's an extreme form of self-justification. In a work or family situation the tale bearer may be trying to get some kind of upper hand by ruining the credibility of the other person.

Be wise. Be wary of people who seem to intentionally sow strife. Be careful of people who are too quick to talk about someone else. In my counseling role as a pastor I hear all sorts of things and that comes with the territory, but outside of that role I am very leery of people who just want to tell me about the wrongs of others. Let the Holy Spirit speak to your discernment. Don't allow yourself to be an instrument of the talebearer's manipulation.

Speaking the Truth

2010-10-02T07:11:00.000-07:00

"How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!" (Romans 10:14-15)

The gospel literally means good news. We have the greatest news in the world, but we are often afraid to share. We have seen a radical shift in the culture of the United States to the point that Christianity is so odious and offensive to some people that they have gone to great lengths to shut Christians up. They try to control the language and terms of debate. They have pretty much created an atmosphere of fear and contempt for Christianity in government and other public institutions. Even personally, we have been indoctrinated to believe that anything to do with Christianity is pretty much offensive to unbelievers.

It's not really true. Most people are out there living and struggling and and trying to make the best of life. People get involved in all sorts of "spiritual pursuits" in the hope of finding some sort of meaning to life. Even atheism is an attempt to make sense of it all.

We have the best news around. In the big picture it is the only message that really matters. Everything outside of that is like painting tombstones to make them look better. In the context of that message the other aspects of life fill with hope and meaning.

I think we've been too programmed to see sharing the gospel as some sort of religious duty. That takes all the fun out of it. Do you feel like it's some kind of chore to tell your co-workers about how your kid did at the ball game? Probably not. We've taken what should be the consuming passion of our life (knowing God) and religonized it to death. That effects how we share the good news.

The good news ought to be an integral part of our lives, playing out in every area. Ministry is out there -- all around us. People are hurting and looking for more. God is so good. He sent His very son to bring us into relationship with Him forever and ever.

How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

The Wandering Heart

2010-09-25T06:12:00.000-07:00

Then He said: "A certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the portion of goods that falls to me.' So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living. But when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land, and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country, and he sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. But when he came to himself, he said, 'How many of my father's hired servants have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger! 'I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, "Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants."' And he arose and came to his father. But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, 'Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.' But the father said to his servants, 'Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf here and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for this my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.' And they began to be merry. (Luke 15:11-24)

This is a wonderful story about our wandering hearts and God's great compassion. The world beckons with a siren's song that calls people away from the Lord. It is so easy (and I'm talking about believers here) for us to become like this young man and stray from our Father's estate.

Here we had a young man, living in the security and safety of his father's house. The father was obviously well off enough to go ahead and give the young man his portion of his inheritance in advance. He had servants, and owned livestock and fields that were apparently pretty substantial. Despite the affluence of his father's house this young man was discontented. He wasn't happy at his father's table. He wanted more. He wanted different, so he packs up and heads to a far country and blows his inheritance.

It is easy to look at the story and think how foolish and rebellious this young man was, but we often suffer from the same wandering heart. We have been brought into the family of God. We are now joint-heirs with Jesus Christ (Romans 8:17). We have a heavenly Father who promises to meet all of our needs (Philippians 4:19). He won't leave or forsake us (Hebrews 13:5-6). Psalm 103:2 tells us not to forget all the benefits we have in Him. I could go on and on.

Somehow, though, we still seem to be prone to wander. We are probably the most distracted and entertained people in the history of mankind. These distractions draw our hearts away. It doesn't mean that we are participating in things that are wrong or evil. Sometimes we can get drawn away doing good things.

One question we can ask ourselves is , "Where is the Lord in the priorities of my life?" We all will say He gets first place, but what is the reality of how your time is spent? How often does God come into your thoughts? How does your relationship with Him play out in your every day life?

Our lives are an ongoing interaction of relationships and experiences. Our lives are constantly in a state of flux. We go through good times and bad times. We have seasons of great joy and seasons of great pain. The only thing that doesn't change is the Lord and His love for us. The son went out and spent his inheritance, but when the son returned the father didn't react the way we we might have expected. He didn't yell or scream or kick him off his property. He didn't disown him or make him a servant -- which is the best the young man seemed to hope for. When he saw his son he ran to him. He called for the best robe to be be brought and put on his son. He had his servants bring a ring for his hand ( a symbol that this is still my son) and sandals for his feet. He ordered the fatted calf to be killed and a party in celebration. His son was home.

The enemy uses the attractions and distractions of the world to draw our hearts from the Lord, but it really is all a lie. The best part of life is found in knowing him and walking with Him. Thankfully, He is a God of restoration and compassion. Too often (and what a testimony to our ignorance) we have viewed our walk with the Lord as a series of things we must do to curry favor. Time with Him and in the Word seems like an obligation to fulfill, instead of a love relationship to thrive in.

We don't get favor with Him because of our works. Jesus gained that for us, but think on that for a minute. Think on it in the context of a relationship. Think of it in the context of people who view pretty much everything about the Christian life as some sort of work. Our love relationship with Him has become some kind of chore we have to do? Ouch.

Maybe this young man began to view living at his father's place as some kind of burden? Only when he was almost destroyed did he really appreciate how great life was at his father's house. I know he was glad to be home. Our home is in the Lord and it really is the best place to be.

Building Together

2010-07-05T07:11:00.000-07:00

"For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, "Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, "Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body," is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be?" (1st Corinthians 12:14-19)

In the third chapter of Nehemiah we find an account of the rebuilding of the city walls around Jerusalem. Jerusalem had been destroyed in 586 BC by the Babylonians and the people carried away to Babylon. In 445 BC Nehemiah led a third group of exiles back from the captivity to rebuild the city walls. The Temple had been rebuilt around 516 BC, but the walls and gates remained broken, which left Jerusalem vulnerable to attack. In a culture based upon honor, broken walls were also a blight on the city's reputation. Nehemiah was led by the Lord to see that the walls were restored.

Nehemiah completed the restoration of the walls in under two months. In Nehemiah, chapter three, he records the various people who worked the wall. It was true team effort. Instead of having a select group of wall-builders who did all the work, different groups of people worked on sections of the wall. Nehemiah chronicles the work counter-clockwise around the wall.

Eliashab, the High priest, and some fellow priests rebuilt the sheep gate.
Men of Jericho worked next to them to rebuild their section of the wall.
The sons of Hassenaah rebuilt the fish gate.
Further down, Jehoiada the son of Paseah, and Meshullam the son of Besodeiah, repaired the old gate.
Malchijah the son of Harim, and Hashub the son of Pahathmoab, repaired part of the wall and the tower of the furnaces.
Shallum and his daughters worked on a portion of the wall. His father, Halohesh, ruled half of Jerusalem. While some nobles refused to work, they pitched right in to help.
On the south side of the city we find Shallun, the son Colhehez, the ruler of Mizpah, repairing the fountain gate.
A group of priests lived near the horse gate and each repaired the section near his home.
A group of goldsmiths and merchants fixed the walls from the northwest corner to the sheep gate.

I haven't included everyone listed by Nehemiah but I'm sure you get the point. The wall was a collective effort. People from all walks of life worked on it -- men, women, priests, Levites, merchants and goldsmiths. Sons of rulers worked alongside regular folk.

It took everyone to get the job done. In First Corinthians, chapter 12, Paul compares the church to the human body. He makes the point that every part much do its part for the body to function correctly. Everyone doesn't have the same purpose. It's when everybody is fulfilling their individual part that the whole works the way God would have it to work. We all have something to give and a part to play in what God is doing. Don't sell yourself short. Don't look at your own limitations but at the greatness of God!

The Simple Word

2010-05-17T07:59:00.000-07:00

In Matthew, chapter 8, we read the story where a Roman centurion came to Jesus with a request to heal his servant. Jesus' responded, "I will come and heal him." The centurion then said something that Jesus was really impressed with.

He said, "Lord, I am not worthy that You should come under my roof. But only speak a word, and my servant will be healed."

The centurion then goes on to explain his understanding of authority.

I think what I really like about this story is the simplicity of the centurion. He wasn't looking for magic acts and thunder and lightning. He just knew that if Jesus spoke the word it would be done. He had a very simple but very rooted faith.

There's a lesson there for us. While I do believe that certain people and ministries are anointed and gifted to certain tasks, I also believe that we can make a mistake chasing after people instead of simply believing what God has said in His Word. The Word of God is true for you today!

Jesus marveled (Matthew 8:10) at this man's faith. He simply believed. The enemy wants to complicate and obfuscate faith. He works on our fear, anger and disappointment. He uses bad theology and intellectual straw men against us. He reminds us of our mistakes and sins. He uses any weapon at his disposal to propagate doubt and unbelief, but we're not stuck.

God's Word is true for you today. Stand on it. Don't war against it and don't let the devil rob you of the promises found in it.

The Grace In Which We Stand

2010-04-17T16:57:00.000-07:00

"Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom also we have access by faith into this grace in which we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God." (Romans 5:1-2)

We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand. The eternal theological struggle seems to be the ongoing attempt to answer the questions, "What does God do? What do we do?" In this blog we've looked at different aspects of this relationship between God and man and what I think, personally, is a fruitless attempt to gather all of our theology in a neat little box with a bow on top. We want all the answers. God is just way too big for that. We only really know what He has revealed to us. Thankfully He has revealed a lot to us!

We have access by faith into this grace in which we stand. Grace is what He has done for us. Faith is our response to His grace. Access means that we gain entry to something. In this case we gain entry to God's grace by faith. Paul could hardly make it any clearer. By grace, through the finished work of Jesus Christ, God has made a way for us to enter into relationship with Him. Jesus paid for the sins of the whole world -- everyone. No sin was left out.

And yet, we have to receive this wonderful gift by faith. A gift that is not received does the recipient no good. We stand in this grace by faith. Grace without faith is like an unopened present. Faith without grace has no leg to stand on. Thanks be to God for the wonderful provision He has made for us in Jesus Christ!

"But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10:8-10)

An Amazing Rescue

2010-04-14T13:52:00.000-07:00

This story is pretty darned incredible and what a great testimony to the Lord and the leading of the Holy Spirit! It's about the little girl who disappeared last week in Florida and how she was found. be sure to watch the video.

The Rescue of Nadia Bloom

They Didn't Believe

2010-04-09T19:50:00.000-07:00

"When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works? Is this not the carpenter's son? Is not His mother called Mary? And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And His sisters, are they not all with us? Where then did this Man get all these things?" So they were offended at Him. But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house." Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief." (Matthew 13:54-58)

These verses open up a conundrum for a lot of believers. Here we have Jesus, back at home, and the outcome of going home is that "He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief." There's nothing here about His will or His timing. His will is, pretty obviously from scripture, that people would believe Him. His will is that we would put our faith in Him. What happens when we don't? Now that's a big question with scary ramifications.

Mark 6:5 described the situation this way --"Now He could do no mighty work there, except that He laid His hands on a few sick people and healed them." Mark is pretty definitive.

Here's the conundrum. If God is sovereign why could he do no mighty works there? We have the answer -- because of their unbelief.

In Christianity we have a whole host of beliefs about God and what He actually does. They range from God does everything -- He ordains, arranges, and pulls the string on everything to a tacit deism -- He's out there but He doesn't actually do anything anymore. Most Christian's beliefs fall somewhere on a continuum between these two extremes.

We desperately want to figure out how things work. That includes God. There's nothing particularly wrong with that unless we come to a wrong conclusion and think we have all the answers. Thinking you are right when you are not can have some pretty serious ramifications.

What do we know from the Word? We know that God is sovereign, if the definition is correctly applied. He is in charge. He has plans that will ultimately come to fruition. We also know that faith and unbelief do matter in our individual lives. In His hometown Jesus didn't do much because of their unbelief. People argue this a few ways. Some will say that his power depends on our faith but I think, more likely, the correct answer is that we receive from Him by faith. His power was not the issue. Their unbelief was the issue. We see this all the time. We ask angry questions of God and why he let's things happen the way they do. That's another big theological wringer but the short answer is that we live in a fallen world that we surrendered to Satan. God gave Adam authority and he turned around and gave it away. In Christ we get His authority but we have to exercise it. The responsibility is placed on us. That's a hard truth for us to deal with. It is easier to just blame God.

One of my favorite stories in the Bible is found in Matthew 17. The disciples tried to cast a demon out of a young man and could not. This is an interesting story because of the way it connects illness with the demonic, but what is more interesting (to me anyhow) is how this story plays out. The disciples try to help this boy and fail.

This is where we are so much of the time. We throw a prayer up and see what happens. If something good comes of it we assume God said yes, if not, we assume God said no. But what happened here?

The disciples couldn't help the boy. That's where we invariably say that it must not have been God's will. But what happened when God came down the road?

The boy was healed and delivered.

The disciples asked, "How come we couldn't cast it out?" Jesus did not say that it wasn't His will or it wasn't His timing. He simply said that it was because of their unbelief.

Ouch.

That puts a little pressure on me. In his home country we read in Matthew 13 how "they were offended at Him." They knew Jesus back in the day. It wasn't an easy leap to recognize Him for who He really was. But that's just one of many excuses we can come with.

It doesn't really matter what causes unbelief. What matters is that unbelief will keep you from receiving from God. It will render you powerless and ineffective. God will still love you, That won't change at all. You'll just miss out on so many of the good things He has for you.

"Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." (Mark 11:24)

Trust

2010-03-19T09:03:00.000-07:00

"But without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6)

"Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them." (Mark 11:24)

What does it mean to simply believe? Belief operates under different paradigms. There's belief that is a mental assent. I believe there is a president of the United States. I've never met him or seen him personally but I'm pretty confident that he exists. I give a mental assent to his existence.

Then there's the concept of believing in someone or something. That concept is closely connected to faith. You can only truly trust someone you know well.

Our calling in the Christian life is to know God. Romans 10:17 tells us that, "Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." Jesus is the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:14). Hearing is a relationship word. We grow in the Lord and in our walk with Him as we give place to the Word of God in our lives.

As we grow in our walk with Him we grow in trust of Him! As we grow in trust our faith increases. Sometimes, I think that we have tried to teach faith without the concept of relationship. We've tried to teach it as a belief apart from the context that causes it to thrive. Faith doesn't exist in a vacuum.

How do we simply believe? We simply get to know God. The more we know; the more we learn to trust and to rest. How do we get to know God? We spend time in His Word and in prayer and with other believers. It's pretty simple. We just have to do it.

We grow up in a world that would rob our faith (after all Satan is called the god of this world and he comes to steal, kill and destroy) and keep us from the very relationship we were created for but God, in His wonderful goodness, has made abundant provision for us in Jesus Christ!

First Things first

2010-03-15T07:16:00.000-07:00

"But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you." (Matthew 6:33)

This is such a powerful picture of sowing and reaping. To put it simply, what Jesus is saying here is that when we really put God first in our lives then He will take care of the rest. I think the problem comes in that we have a very low bar for what we consider seeking first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.

Let's make one thing clear. This is not about legalism in the Christian life. It is about reaping the benefits of a love relationship with God. This is not about being saved or going to heaven or how much God loves you. It is about you making yourself available to all the wonderful promises that God has for you.

This kind of relationship is more than about going to Church or reading our Bibles. Those are pieces of the whole but they are not the totality. And maybe that's a big part of the point.

Our walk with God is not found in some single aspect of Christianity and the things we should do. Relationships are multifaceted. They involve give and take. They involve talking and listening. They cost you. A good relationship will cost you some time and some effort.

It has been said that things that are worth doing are worth doing well. That is certainly true of our walk with God. Getting saved and going to Church is a start, but the true joy in the journey comes as we grow in Him. We learn to hear His voice. We become vessels for His glory. Life becomes less and less about us and more and more about Him.

Take a good, honest look at your life. Does God really get first place in your life? Are you truly seeking first His kingdom and His righteousness? What adjustments do you need to make? What can you do differently?

A life truly given over to God will be a life lived well.

The Things Not Seen

2010-02-25T08:27:00.000-08:00

"While we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal." (2nd Co. 4:18)

It's important to have spiritual eyes. To keep our eyes on the eternal and not on the temporal. I think that's one of the reasons why faith is such a struggle for people. Believing what God has said is not always easy when compared to the mountain of physical evidence in front of us. What we see and how we feel wars against the truth of God's Word.

Romans 10:17 tells us that "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God." We tend to synthesize this down to faith comes from hearing God's Word but it's a little more than that. Faith comes by hearing ... hearing comes by God's Word. The Jewish concept of hearing was a little different than ours. Hearing was equated with doing or believing -- not just the physical import of information.

When we submit ourselves to God's Word we begin the process of receiving what He has said. As we receive it faith arises in our hearts. Not a passive faith, but an active, life-changing faith. A faith that changes us -- that changes our lives. As we hear God's voice (in all the wonderful ways that He speaks to us) we grow in relationship. As we grow in relationship, we grow in trust. As we trust, we walk by faith and not by sight. When we do that we take our eyes off the temporal stuff and fix our gaze on the eternal. The view looks a whole lot better from there.

The Fellowship

2010-02-24T06:46:00.000-08:00

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now, being confident of this very thing, that He who has begun a good work in you will complete it until the day of Jesus Christ; just as it is right for me to think this of you all, because I have you in my heart, inasmuch as both in my chains and in the defense and confirmation of the gospel, you all are partakers with me of grace." (Philippians 1:3-7)

Fellowship is a funny word in the church. We have "Fellowship Halls" and "Fellowship Dinners" and "Fellowship Activities" but do we really have fellowship? I think some churches probably do a better job of achieving fellowship than others but it really is a part of the Christian life we all need. True fellowship is not going to church and shaking hands five minutes before and five minutes after. The Greek word that we translate fellowship is kononia. It is a powerful word. We get communion from this same word. It implies a joining together of our lives. One meaning of the word is actually intercourse.

In J.R.R. Tolkien's "Lord of the Rings" trilogy the first book is called The Fellowship of the Ring. It's about nine characters who commit themselves to a quest to help Frodo destroy Sauron's ring. In doing so they endure hardship, loss, fear, hunger and separation. Their commitment to one another endures. Natural enemies become close friends and the companions of the Fellowship achieve things they had never dreamed they could do.

In church it is all too common for us to cluster among people who are like us. But a big part of the joy in the journey is to stretch and to love those who don't look like me or act like me --to find fellowship with someone that I have absolutely nothing in common with except a love for Jesus. Real love is proven when it is tested. Real love will make you stretch. Real love is sometimes messy and inconvenient.

We all have people we admire and want to be around. Typically we gravitate toward people who encourage us and make us feel better. That's okay. But in doing that never forget that maybe, just maybe, you can be that person for someone else. Take a chance. Stretch a little. Reach out to that person at church who always seems to be alone. God will use you in doing so. Be an encourager for someone else.

We need one another. I believe in healing. I believe that Jesus paid for our healing at the cross according to God's Word. I have seen lots and lots of people healed. And yet, when I get sick or have a physical problem I have rarely seen a dramatic healing in my own life from one on one times with the Lord or by standing on the Word. I have seen some -- once when I had kidney stones and another time when I had a stomach virus, come to mind. But those times have been the exception. The dramatic healings in my life have occurred when I went to the church and had people lay hands on me and pray. I think this kind of thing speaks to our need for one another.

True fellowship happens in the ongoing interaction and intersection of our lives. One of my wife Gloria's favorite sayings is that church should be a place where we can "share our deepest joys but also our greatest pain." This can only happen in an environment of intimacy and trust and through the process of relationship. This kind of fellowship encourages a natural real ministry to one another. Sometimes you're on the receiving end and sometimes you're on the giving end. One of the weaknesses of church celebrity is that we put people on pedestals that can remove them from the safety and protection of this kind of fellowship. We all need real friends and real relationships that are healthy. We all need people in our lives who want to see God's best for us.

Rumors and Gossip

2010-02-22T08:09:00.000-08:00

"Now the children of Israel heard someone say, 'Behold, the children of Reuben, the children of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh have built an altar on the frontier of the land of Canaan, in the region of the Jordan--on the children of Israel's side.'" (Joshua 22:11)

The tribes of Reuben and Gad, along with the half tribe of Manasseh, had returned to their allotted land after helping the other Israelites enter into the promised land. In doing so they decided to build a memorial to the Lord -- a reminder to generations to come of what God had done. Unfortunately, a rumor had spread that they were building an altar to offer sacrifices that were only to be offered in the Tabernacle. The other tribes of Israel gathered for war. Thankfully, they had enough sense to talk before attacking and sent Phineas and some other leaders to meet with the offending tribes. War was averted as the Israelites learned what these tribes had really done.

How easy it is for us to assume the worst in a situation. Notice the verse above. The children of Israel heard someone say. They heard a rumor. They listened to gossip. We need to be rally careful with our words and actions. Have you ever ended up in an argument with someone because you assumed things that were not true? It can happen to the best of us. Rumors and gossip are tools the devil uses to stir strife and division in the body of Christ. He is called the "accuser of the brethen" in Revelation 12:10. That is one his primary "ministries." That's one we don't want to participate in.

Saturday or Sunday?

2010-02-03T06:50:00.000-08:00

"So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ." (Colossians 2:16-17)

I read an interesting article today about the "controversy" about the Sabbath. The article was kind of funny because it said that Christians were "at war' over the Sabbath. One gentleman quoted said the Christians meeting on Sunday is "the biggest hoax the world has ever seen." Another said it is "the most flagrant error of mainstream Christianity." The argument in question is what day is the Sabbath? Saturday or Sunday? Saturday was the traditional Sabbath of Israel. Sunday was the first day of the new week. What facilitated the change? There are multiple possible explanations. Jesus was raised between sundown and dawn. Pagan influences caused the change. Maybe it was because of prejudice towards Jews?

While reading the article I was struck by a couple of things. First, 99% of Christians don't care. This is a "war" in the mind of a few. Second, we have an amazing ability to focus on things that don't matter. I know this is a big issue to a few but what a colossal waste of time.

Paul nails the issue. In Colossians 2:23 he comments, "These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."

I guess the irony here is how we miss the point despite God's wonderful generosity to us. We no longer keep a day for the Lord. Every day is the Lord's day. We don't go to church. We are the church. The house of God is not a place where we go but now we have, literally, each one become, houses of God.

Paul writes extensively about the grace of God. And you can see why. The ever present need to create rules resides within our hearts. Rules are easier than relationship. Rules are much cleaner. Figure out what they are and keep them as best you can.

Relationship is much more difficult. It's messy and time consuming. It is an imperfect process, one that we have to wrestle with, but relationship is the greatest joy. Knowing God and walking with Him is the real calling of our lives. Jesus did not die so that we would keep one day a week to honor God but that we would come into fellowship with God and live lives every day that honor Him!

He Came As One Of Us

2009-12-12T15:36:00.000-08:00

"And she brought forth her firstborn Son, and wrapped Him in swaddling cloths, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." (Luke 2:7)

Now there's a mystery. God coming to earth and fully taking on humanity, experiencing the full gamut of the human existence, including the indignity of being born. He had to be changed and cleaned up like any other baby. When it was hot He sweated. When it was cold He shivered. He knew hunger and thirst. Thus "we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin" (Hebrews 4:15).

"Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, [and] coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to [the point of] death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:5-8)

Abundant Grace

2009-12-11T16:13:00.000-08:00

"And the grace of our Lord was exceeding abundant with faith and love which is in Christ Jesus."
(1st Timothy 1:14)

Yes it was. And Christmas is such a wonderful time to remember that. In giving gifts we reflect the nature of God who gave such a wonderful gift to us in Christ Jesus. It boggles the imagination. Jesus Christ was given to us with one condition. The same condition that goes with any gift ever given -- it must be received. Imagine giving a gift on Christmas morning to someone only to be told, "I won't take it. I don't want it." You'd be pretty hurt wouldn't you?

God's grace is such a marvelous concept. God rescues us. He save us. He gives us Himself. He does this in spite of our sin and shortcomings. He does this, not because we are good, but because of His great love for us. Let's remember that this Christmas. We really do have so much to celebrate!

"How silently, how silently,
The wondrous gift is given
So God imparts to human hearts
The blessings of his heaven.
No ear may hear his coming,
But in this world of sin,
Where meek souls will receive him, still
The dear Christ enters in."

(O Little Town of Bethlehem by Phillips Brooks)

Thanks Giving

2009-11-21T07:57:00.000-08:00

"And when you offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving to the LORD, offer it of your own free will." (Leviticus 22:29)

My wife has been posting daily notifications on Facebook about things that she is thankful for. I've noticed some others doing this too. Thankfulness is such a great heart attitude to cultivate. It keeps us, at the least, somewhat focused in the right direction.

As we approach Thanksgiving it is a wonderful attitude to hone in on. Look at the word. Thanksgiving is a combination of "thanks" and "giving." Thankfulness is a wonderful healthy heart attitude but it can only truly be done with a sense of giving -- it can't be done grudgingly or forced. It really has to come from within BUT it can be cultivated.

Cultivate it in the small things. Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of life we forget that. Be appreciative of the small things that others do for you. Let them know how grateful you are. Count the blessings that God has given you today. Take some time to express it to Him!

Not of this World

2009-11-20T07:41:00.000-08:00

"I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world." (John 17:14).

This is tough for us to grasp sometimes. Most people want to be liked. Christians are no exception. Usually believers are actually pretty nice folk. Unfortunately, needing to be liked can be a trap. Jesus was never in bondage to making sure people liked him or accepted him. He went around speaking the truth without ever being in bondage by the need to convince. He spoke the truth and moved on. We can learn a lesson.

"Not of this world." That's a phrase that we struggle with sometimes. It seems (I leave room here that I could be wrong) to me that it' a phrase that doesn't seem to resonate as sharply among believers as it did 20 or 30 years ago. We want to reach out but I'm afraid that in our efforts to be "seeker friendly" we've found an excuse to comfort our need to be liked.

Jesus said that we would be hated. Isn't it interesting that you can talk about God as long as you keep it generic but the name of Jesus is offensive. Peter wrote (1st Peter 2:8) that Jesus is "a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense" to unbelievers.

The challenge for us is to not cave in out of our need to be accepted or to become hateful ourselves when we are hated. We are not of this world. We are pilgrims passing through but pilgrims with a very important assignment -- to share the love of Jesus in a lost and dying world.

The Fruit Test

2009-11-08T08:03:00.000-08:00

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23)

The fruit of the Spirit is outward evidence of our walk with God. When the conditions are right a tree produces fruit naturally. It doesn't have to strain and make fruit occur. If the soil is good and it gets the proper amount of rain and sunlight it will produce fruit. A healthy tree produces good fruit.

Likewise, when our walk with the Lord is healthy fruit is produced! The list in Galatians 5:22-23 provides a wonderful checklist for our lives. If something is missing what is the problem? It won't be God, it will be me. If I don't have peace or joy, why not? I can then talk to the Lord and see where I'm missing Him or if the problem is some kind of external stress He can help me deal with that also! We have an awesome Heavenly Father.

F.E.A.R.

2009-10-28T07:32:00.000-07:00

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind." (2nd Timothy 1:7)

One of my favorite acronyms is for the word fear --False Evidence Appearing Real. Fear is one of the most powerful weapons the enemy can use against us. As believers we are called to only fear God. The fear in that context is a reverential awe not a stark raving terror. Fear works against in terrible ways. It makes us sick in body and soul. Fear is based in our belief of a bad outcome in a certain situation. The situation can involve pretty much anything but health, finances, job, and family seem to be the ones that really hit home. When developed to an extreme fear can lead to crippling phobias. Fear can also be an extremely tough thing to battle.

But "The weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" (2nd Corinthians 4-5). The weapons of our warfare are not carnal (natural) but they are MIGHTY! Take a close look at this passage and discern the argument Paul is making. Pulling down strongholds; casting down arguments; and everything that exalts itself against the knowledge of God and bringing thoughts (all of them) into captivity to the obedience of Christ. The battlefield here is the mind. Satan doesn't show up with his pitchfork, rather, he whispers in your head.

Meditating on a dread outcome is giving in to fear -- believing that "false evidence appearing real." Taking those thoughts captive changes the picture! To do that though we have to something else to stand on. To cast down an argument we have to have something to counter that argument with. How about the Word of God! The Word of God is full of wonderful promises for God's children but you won't know too many of them unless you get in there and dig them out!

How does this work? Let's say you are given a difficult task at work. You might start having negative thoughts like, "There's no way I can do this" or "This is just way too hard. I can't believe I got stuck with this." If you know the the Word that says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me" (Philippians 4:13) then you can cast down those thoughts and bring them into captivity to the obedience of Christ. It is pretty simple but it does takes little discipline and perseverance. You can do it.

Don't let F.E.A.R. have its way in your life!

The 23rd Psalm

2009-10-26T08:49:00.000-07:00

"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me All the days of my life; And I will dwell in the house of the LORD Forever." (Psalm 23:6)

"Follow me on Facebook or Twitter." Social networking that combines the internet, cellphones and PDAs is really, really popular these days. Initially considered the domain of the young, people of all ages are now using technology to keep up with one another's activities in real time. With the right technology (and motivation to keep it up) people can literally stay connected and follow one another (in a virtual sense) around the world.

Long before Twitter and Facebook though there was a precious promise that David grasped. That was a promise that the goodness and mercy of God would follow him all the days of his life. The 23rd Psalm is truly a wonderful little psalm but I fear that sometimes we've heard it so much it loses its impact. It has been put on plaques and paintings and clocks (I have one myself) and needlepoint and hundreds of other things beside.

The reality, though, is that this psalm is an awesome revelation of the goodness of God. It has wonderful promises for His children and portrays His love and care in such a marvelous manner. Take some time to meditate on it today. Don't say "I've read it a thousand times, I already know it." Read it again. Let God speak to your heart. It'll encourage and bless you! God will once again reveal His goodness and mercy to you in new fresh ways!

Rejoice Today!

2009-10-25T07:31:00.000-07:00

"This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)

Sometimes the challenges of the day can seem overwhelming. That's when we need to change our focus from the challenges to the possibilities. We need to change our focus from our circumstances to an expectation that our wonderful Heavenly Father is there for us today. We have his Spirit dwelling within and so many wonderful promises from God's Word. If we look for Him in the midst of the day we will find Him! He doesn't leave us or forsake us. He is a very present help in time of need. He has made this day! Rejoice and be glad in it!

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in time of trouble." (Psalm 46:1)

Come Apart Before You Come Apart

2009-10-24T07:22:00.000-07:00

"For our boasting is this: the testimony of our conscience that we conducted ourselves in the world in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom but by the grace of God, and more abundantly toward you." (2nd Corinthians 1:12)

Simplicity is a good thing. In a culture that strives to find happiness in the acquisition of material things simplicity is almost a foreign concept. Stress seems to be a present reality for most folks. Fear about the economy and the world situation compounds our anxiety.

There really is something to be said for a peaceful and quiet life. We really need to take some time to unplug. You can't be of much help to others if you are overwhelmed yourself. A friend of mine used to say, "Come apart or you will come apart." It's something you really have to be intentional about. It is amazing how voids in our schedules can quickly get filled up. My oldest son is working two part-time jobs and going to school. A few weeks ago he had a situation where he got the inevitable text from a coworker-- "What are you doing Friday evening?" This person wanted him to work for her. He didn't actually have anything going on that evening. That didn't mean he was obligated to work her shift. He declined the opportunity.

Take some time to come apart. Spend time with the Lord. Take a walk. Go sit by a lake and watch the water. Do what it takes to recharge your batteries. Take a look at your life and see what's not working. Take a look at what is working and what is not. Ask the Lord to direct your steps!

"You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore." (Psalm 16:11)

Praise The Lord!

2009-10-20T07:36:00.000-07:00

"Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens; Praise Him in the heights! Praise Him, all His angels; Praise Him, all His hosts! Praise Him, sun and moon; Praise Him, all you stars of light! Praise Him, you heavens of heavens, And you waters above the heavens! Let them praise the name of the LORD, For He commanded and they were created." (Psalm 148:1-5)

It is easy to get caught up in the stress of life where all out prayers and thoughts seem to get focused on dealing with our issues and struggles. Sometimes we just need to step back, take our gaze off of our circumstances and place it squarely on the Lord. Praising Him is a wonderful way to do that. If you don't know what to say open up the book of Psalms. The Psalms are filled with wonderful declarations of praise and worship.

Here is the rest of Psalm 148 for your enjoyment.

"He also established them forever and ever; He made a decree which shall not pass away. Praise the LORD from the earth, You great sea creatures and all the depths; Fire and hail, snow and clouds; Stormy wind, fulfilling His word; Mountains and all hills; Fruitful trees and all cedars; Beasts and all cattle; Creeping things and flying fowl; Kings of the earth and all peoples; Princes and all judges of the earth; Both young men and maidens; Old men and children. Let them praise the name of the LORD, For His name alone is exalted; His glory [is] above the earth and heaven. And He has exalted the horn of His people, The praise of all His saints-- Of the children of Israel, A people near to Him. Praise the LORD!" (Psalm 148:6-14)

He Will Deliver Me!

2009-10-17T07:19:00.000-07:00

"Then David said to the Philistine, "You come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the LORD of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied." (1st Samuel 17:45)

David's confidence was in the Lord. The quote above is David's response to a threat from Goliath that "I will give your flesh to the birds of the air and the beasts of the field." Goliath was insulted that the Israelites would send such a young man out to challenge him. We know how it ended and there wasn't much to it. David pulled out his sling, slipped in a rock, whirled it around, let it fly and took Goliath down with one shot.

When David volunteered to fight Goliath no one believed he could beat the giant. Saul had tried to talk him out of it but David's response was, "The LORD, who delivered me from the paw of the lion and from the paw of the bear, He will deliver me from the hand of this Philistine" (1st Samuel 17:370). David had experienced God's help before and was confident in it again. David had developed the habit of spending time with God and getting to know Him. In knowing God David learned to trust Him through what would be, for most of us, some pretty trying adventures.

Learning to trust God is a wonderful adventure. God is with you and will be there for you in whatever you are going though. He is your help and your deliverer! Look to Him!

"The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer; my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower." (Psalm 18:2)

What a Wonderful Gift!

2009-10-15T07:54:00.000-07:00

"As God has said: "I will dwell in them And walk among them. I will be their God, And they shall be My people." (2nd Corinthians 6:16)

What a precious promise from the Word of God! What a wonderful fulfillment we have in Christ. "I will be their God and they shall be my people." I believe that in this verse we really see the heart of God. Adam walked with God in the cool of the day. Abraham was called the "friend of God." David had a heart after "God's own heart." We were created for fellowship with God.

I believe that this verse expresses the heart of God. He loves humanity. He paid the greatest price that we could be pardoned. He really couldn't have made it any simpler. But, someone might ask, why not just accept everyone regardless? I could write a really long response to that but here's a question to ponder -- is it the fault of the gift giver if someone refuses to accept their gift?

"But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe." (Galatians 3:22)

Living Continually with God!

2009-10-13T06:57:00.000-07:00

"Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory. (Psalm 73:3-4)

We have such a loving heavenly Father. In Hebrews 13:5 we are told that "I will never leave you nor forsake you." The promises we have as His children are wonderful. People will fail us. They will hurt us and let us down. But God is not like the people in our lives. He is faithful and true. He is full of mercy and compassion. He loves us with a love so wonderful that it is really hard to wrap our brains around it. It is a love that we catch glimpses of in our love for one another but it is so much more. His love manifests in action. His love was manifest when Christ went to the cross and will be manifested in our day to day walk with Him.

"You hold me by your right hand." We can see in that a picture of a parent and child holding hands but when we understand that in Hebrew thought the right hand represented power and strength the picture enlarges. His power and strength is more than enough for what you are going through today. He will never leave you or forsake you!

"To know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:19)

Pray for One Another

2009-10-12T07:53:00.000-07:00

"I thank my God upon every remembrance of you, always in every prayer of mine making request for you all with joy." (Philippians 1:3-4)

Sometimes in the hustle and bustle of life we forget just how important it can be to pray for one another. It is such a blessing when you have been going through a rough time and someone comes to you and says, "I've been praying for you."

Often we are well intentioned but forget. We tell someone at church that we will really be praying for them and then life comes along and we forget. Be like Paul was with the church at Philippi. Be intentional. When you sit down to read the Word or fellowship with the Lord take some time to remember situations that have been brought to your attention. Most churches have a prayer list of some kind. Sometimes just taking a moment to think about it will give the Holy Spirit a chance to jog your memory and remind you of some needs.

Prayer is more than just some psychological exercise. Prayers prayed in faith have power. Prayer is a wonderful ministry that you can do for others in your life!

"Pray without ceasing." (1st Thess. 5:17)

Rich in Mercy

2009-10-09T07:09:00.000-07:00

"But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us." (Ephesians 2:4)

What a picture of the goodness and love of God. He is rich in mercy. He has an abundance of mercy. When we look at Jesus we see such a wonderful manifestation of God's love for each us. The same God, that sent His son to die for us, is not sitting up there waiting to smack you as soon as you make a mistake. We need a savior because of our inability to live up to God's standard. Instead of changing the standard, He makes a way for us that we could never make on our own, ultimately, changing us. Sometimes people think they've just been too bad to be born again or they think that God has had it with them. But He is rich in mercy. He has more than enough and it is freely available to those who will humble themselves before Him.

"For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin." (Hebrews 4:15)

My Rock and My Salvation

2009-10-08T06:51:00.000-07:00

"He alone is my rock and my salvation; he is my fortress, I will not be shaken." (Psalm 62:6)

I am so thankful that we have a heavenly Father who loves and cares for us so much! Hebrews 4;16 says that we can "come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need." I have seen the goodness of God manifested in my life over and over again. Not just in emotional help to deal with problems but in real tangible "God episodes" where His provision and help came to bear. God still works in His people just as he always has. When you are in a hard place look to Him. Run into Him.

I love the picture in Hebrews 4:16. We run boldly to the throne of grace. When we do that we find mercy and grace when we most need it -- not when everything is just right and we have it all together but when things are hard and we've made mistakes. That's a verse we can can grasp in the midst of our brokenness and pain. In the throes of our fallen nature we can run boldly into Him because of what Jesus has done for us!

Psalm 46:1 says that "God is is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble." Look to Him first. Don't try to fix everything in your own strength and when that doesn't work try God. Run into Him first. Ask Him for wisdom and help. Trust that He is at work in your life. We serve a wonderful God.

"Whosoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock: and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall, for it was founded on the rock" (Matthew 7:24-25).

New Wineskins

2009-10-07T09:43:00.000-07:00

"Nor do they put new wine into old wineskins, or else the wineskins break, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But they put new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved." (Matthew 9:17)

Wineskins, in Palestine, were usually made of tanned goatskins. New wine would be stored in new wineskins. The weight of the wine and the process of fermentation would stretch the skin to its maximum elasticity. The collagen in the wineskin would break down during this process. As the wine and wineskin aged together the wineskin became stiffer and stiffer. Putting new wine in an old wineskin would risk the loss of the new wine as the old wineskin would break.

In a way we are like those wineskins. We need to remain pliable before God. When you think you've figured it all out where God is concerned you have become an old wineskin. The Christian life is an ongoing process of growth and change that should continue until we die. Don't become an old stiff wineskin. When you read something in God's Word that challenges you don't try to explain it away. Be willing to submit to what God has said! When you are tested with something from the Bible that seems out of synch with your particular group don't fall back on the group and say "we don't believe that." I know ministers that will only teach passages of the Bible that line up with their beliefs. They refuse to even deal with passages that will cause them difficulty.

Let the Word of God challenge you! Let it test you! Dare to wrestle with it instead of trying to neatly package it in some palatable form. In doing so you will remain anew wineskin that God can pour into!

Humble Before God

2009-10-06T11:55:00.000-07:00

"The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way." (Psalm 25:9)

As we humble ourselves before God we allow the process of transformation to work in our lives. As fallen human beings we are prone to be self-centered and prideful. We want our own way. We want to do our own thing. James 4:6 tells us that "God resists the proud, But gives grace to the humble."

God calls us to submit our lives to Him. It's easy to say but sometimes hard to do. Of course, most of us (Christians anyway) say we do. We don't find out of if we really do until we are tested. Change and growth is a process. We all have areas we need some help in.

I have a son who works in a Christian Bookstore and he has related a lot of disturbing stories about Christians who behaved badly. Almost every story he has shared relates to people not getting their way. People wanting to use expired coupons or wanting discounts but then getting angry when they couldn't get them. He even had someone tell him he wasn't very Christian when he wouldn't take back a CD. This person had opened it up and wanted to return it. It's against state law to allow returns on opened music because of potential copyright violations.

I always wonder -- do they read the Bible? Have they been taught at all? That old self- centered behavior exhibits our ugly side for sure! The only solution for it is to humbles ourselves and submit our ways to God in everything we do. Then you begin to understand that you live for Him and not for yourself.

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the [life] which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Galatians 5:20)

Bring Those Thoughts Captive!

2009-10-05T09:37:00.000-07:00

"For the weapons of our warfare are not carnal but mighty in God for pulling down strongholds, casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ." (2nd Corinthians 10:4-5)

So many of the battles that we face in life occur between our ears. Our minds can really be a battleground. That's why it is so important to submit even our thoughts to God. Sin doesn't happen in a vacuum. Wrong attitudes and beliefs don't magically spring up. They sometimes happen because of bad teaching or no teaching but, many times, they simply happen because we don't submit our thoughts to the Word of God.

For example -- somebody hurts your feeling. What is your response? Do you walk in humility, love and forgiveness? Or do you think about it and stew over it until it becomes a real resentment issue in your life? If you're living you are going to have problems. It's critical that we respond as God would have us respond. A key in doing that is to bring those thoughts that are contrary to God's Word captive. Bring them into obedience. How do you do that? By making a decision to change what you are thinking about. Replace the angry or fearful thoughts with some scripture. Talk to the Lord about it. Pray for the person who wronged you. Don't take a thought and make it sin by dwelling on it!

A Good Word

2009-10-03T09:08:00.000-07:00

"The Lord GOD has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary." (Isaiah 50:4)

Proverbs 18:21 tells us that "death and life are in the power of the tongue." Ever notice how much quicker some folks seem to criticize instead of encourage? And yet, you can, by the words of your mouth be an incredible blessing and encouragement to someone else. Jesus told us that "out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks."

If you only criticize and tear down it's time to examine your heart. We can use words to hurt or to heal -- to harm or to help. Satan is called the accuser of the brethren and we sure don't want to participate in that ministry.

Some folks say they're just speaking the "truth in love" (Ephesians 4:15) when in reality they are using that verse to excuse their behavior. I've seen a lot of truth spoken among Christians that was not handled in love.

Be a blessing. Be an encourager. God is simply looking for those who are available.

"Let no corrupt word proceed out of your mouth, but what is good for necessary edification, that it may impart grace to the hearers." (Ephesians 4:29)

Our Help in Time of Need

2009-10-02T07:12:00.000-07:00

"Look!" he answered, "I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire; and they are not hurt, and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God." (Daniel 3:25)

Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego had refused to bow before the idols of Nebuchadnezzar. For this offense they were thrown in a fiery furnace. The fire was so hot it killed the men who threw them in. But then an awesome thing happened. God showed up. Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-Nego walked out of the fire.

We serve an awesome God. When you are going through the fire turn to Him. He will be there for you. Don't just believe for comfort but believe for help. We serve a real God who works in real ways for His children. God is greater than your struggle and difficulty!

"Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him [be] glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen." (Ephesians 3:20-21)

The Hearing of Faith

2009-10-01T06:36:00.000-07:00

"Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?" (Galatians 3:5)

Paul is asking a rhetorical question here. The obvious answer is by the the "hearing of faith." The hearing of faith is, in a nutshell, hearing what God has said and believing and applying it to our lives. Paul is addressing the trap that Christians easily succumb to as fallen human beings -- thinking that God's work in our lives is based on our goodness. In reality it is based on His goodness.

That's not to say that there is not a price for sin and disobedience. There is. Sin hurts us. One of the ways it hurts is that it gnaws at our conscience and gives the enemy a place to speak into our lives with thoughts like, "God doesn't listen to your prayers. Look how you sinned." It plays out in our lives by creating a paradigm for God's work in our lives that is based on our ability. We think that God helps us when we're good and abandons us when we're not so good. We've made ourselves the standard.

Paul nails that with this question. God supplies His Spirit and works in our lives by the "hearing of faith." He doesn't do this because we keep the rules and live a really good life. He doesn't do this because we are good but because He is good.

Growing Up

2009-09-30T07:15:00.000-07:00

"But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever." (2nd Peter 3:18)

Just as we grow and change physically we ought to be growing and changing in our walk with the Lord. It is sad to see people who have sat in church for years and years who are still immature in Christ. A common saying is "people don't change." Well, thankfully, God is in the change and transformation business but it does require some response from us.

Too many people blame God for their issues. I once had a guy complain to me about his struggles with lust. He said he had prayed about it and couldn't understand why God had not taken it away from him. Like a lot of folks he was blaming God for his sin but Jesus already paid for it! I talked to him about renewing his mind and bringing every thought to the captivity of Christ (2nd Co. 10:5). The problem we have is that that path requires a little work and discipline on our part. I'd rather just pray a quick prayer and have the Lord remove the feeling.

Growing in the Lord requires some pressing in. We need to spend some time in the Word and in fellowship with the Lord -- hopefully each day. We need to be doers of the Word and not hearers only. We need to make good decisions about what we watch and listen to. Growth requires something of us. It doesn't just happen magically. The Lord is there for us and walks with us through the process. It takes time but it will happen.

"Brethren, do not be children in understanding; however, in malice be babes, but in understanding be mature." (1st Co. 14:20)

A Whole Hearted Walk

2009-09-29T06:43:00.000-07:00

"I will praise You, O Lord my God, with all my heart, And I will glorify Your name forevermore." (Psalm 86:12)

I love the phrasing here -- "I will praise You... with all my heart." It is so easy to approach life and even our walk with the Lord in a half hearted manner. We're told in Colossians 3:23, "And whatever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord and not to men." Life is full of distractions that draw our hearts away from what is good. This relationship we have with the Lord is a 24 hour a day, seven day a week relationship. He is always with us. The problem is that we often approach the relationship in a half hearted manner.

We do that, for the most part, because we are distracted by life. Life is busy and stressful. That's why we need some alone time with Him even more. Yes, He is with you wherever you go but there need to be some times when you give Him your full attention. Not for His sake, but for yours.

Doing this really requires you to be intentional. It won't happen by accident or happenstance. Like any other worthy goal in life such as losing weight or trying to exercise it requires some discipline and pressing in. If you don't make it priority it won't be. It's also not about some legalistic quiet time that God requires of you. Please don't approach your fellowship with God as some kind of painful obligation. Walking with Him is the most wonderful thing there is!

"He has shown you, O man, what [is] good; And what does the LORD require of you But to do justly, To love mercy, And to walk humbly with your God?" (Micah 6:8)

Rest for the Soul

2009-09-28T06:49:00.000-07:00

"Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." (Matthew 11:29)

Rest. We all need it. We understand that from a physical perspective but what about rest for our souls. The Greek word for soul here is psyche. It literally means the breath which animates the body. The soul is generally considered to be the seat of our mind, will and emotion. Soul and heart were used interchangeably in Hebrew and Greek usage.

The connection between mental stress and our physical health has been heavily correlated. The problem is that we live in a stressed out world. We live in a broken fallen world. We can't insulate ourselves from that. We have to have a way of dealing with the troubles in our lives.

In Jesus we find the answer. He calls us to Him. To cast our burden on him because He cares for us (1st Peter 5:7). We do that through worship, prayer, humility and time in the Word. We can really have a peace that passes all understanding. Peace and rest are good things. Spend some time with Him each day. Give your burdens and worries and struggles to Him. He can handle them a whole lot better than you can.

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7)

Rejoice Today

2009-09-27T08:03:00.000-07:00

"This is the day the LORD has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." (Psalm 118:24)

In troubled times and economic uncertainty it is easy to look down the road and be fearful of the future. That kind of fear will rob you of the joys of today. Embrace this day as a gift from God. Live it to His honor and glory. Jesus told us to not worry (be fearful) about tomorrow. Today is a blessing! Take some time to be thankful for all the wonderful things the Lord has done. Run the race today with an expectation that you will see God's hand in your day.

Have a wonderful day in Jesus!

In Need of a Savior

2009-09-25T06:59:00.000-07:00

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." (John 3:16-19)

John 3:16 is possibly the most well known Bible passage but you really need to see it in context to get the full impact. God sent His son to rescue us -- that we might be saved. He who does not believe is condemned already. That's powerful. We are born in sin. We are born into darkness. That's a little unpalatable. We like to think that children are sweetness and light and little blank slates full of goodness. The truth is somewhat different. The Word of God places a heavy responsibility on parents to raise and train their children. Why? Because humans don't have to be taught to do wrong. They have to be taught to do right.

Folks love to whine about the transgressions of Christianity. They'll point to the inquisition, the Crusades, witch hunts or religious wars as proof. That's a game they don't want to play. Yes, some terrible things have been done in the name of Jesus by people who, for the most part, were probably not believers. And yet,the evil that so-called Christians have done is a pittance when compared to those who have rejected God. This last century witnessed the rise of some of history's biggest mass murderers at the head of atheist regimes. I know a few deluded souls who actually claim that Hitler was a Christian but he rejected Jesus Christ for a bizarre blend of mysticism and Norse-Germanic mythology. Hitler was no more a follower of Jesus Christ than was Mohammed.

Man apart from God is pretty nasty. We were created to know Him and outside of that fulfillment are angry, searching and selfish. The heart of man is rebellion. The heart of man is to rule and dominate his fellow man. Look at history. Look at the world today. Western intellectuals are scared to death of Christians while refusing to take a look at the rest of the world. It's not such a wonderful place is it? That's why we needed to be rescued. We need a savior because we are completely unable to save ourselves. But men love darkness, rather than light.

Full of Compassion

2009-09-24T07:12:00.000-07:00

"But You, O Lord, are a God full of compassion, and gracious, longsuffering and abundant in mercy and truth." (Psalm 86:15)

There was a song back in the Nineties called "God is Good." It was pretty popular and had a really good message. Sometimes in our human efforts to "figure out" God we come to faulty conclusions. We have trouble reconciling the God of the Old Testament with the God of the New. But that is usually because we have a superficial view of God and when we read the Word we go looking for Him with major preconceptions and misconceptions. One of these days I'll delve further into that when I have a little more time.

The truth is that God frequently gets a bad rap. We blame Him for our sin, our mistakes, our hurts, our pain, our disappointment or anywhere we've felt let down. We blame God for all the circumstances of life that mostly we cause ourselves. Not all. Sometimes life will deal you a bad hand. We live in a fallen world. Humanity is broken and creation is sundered. Humanity, outside of Jesus, is in a state of rebellion God. God is not the problem. We are.

But there is good news. When we look past our preconceived notions about God and we look a little deeper at the Word one of the common themes that comes out again and again is the Goodness of God. He is merciful and compassionate. Psalm 34:19 tell us that "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD deliverers him out of them all." God is not our problem. He is the solution for it. He is our rescuer. The history of God dealings with humanity is a story of God's drawing us to Him. He loves us with such a wonderful love. Jesus laid down His life for that love.

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love." (1st John 4:7-8)

Receive the Word

2009-09-23T07:51:00.000-07:00

"But these are the ones sown on good ground, those who hear the word, accept [it], and bear fruit: some thirtyfold, some sixty, and some a hundred." (Mark 4:20)

In Mark 4 Jesus told a story about a farmer who went out and sowed seed. Some of the seed was eaten by birds, some fell on hard ground and some was choked out by thorns. But some of the seed fell on good ground and produced a good crop for the farmer. When Jesus explained the story to his disciples he told them that the seed was the Word of God and that the good ground was those people who hear the word, accept it and bear good fruit. The difference in how God's work plays out in our lives often hinges on whether we receive what He has said. Too often we are interested in making the Bible say what we want it to say. We try to bend the scripture to our theology instead of submitting our theology to the scripture.

Sometimes the Word of God does test us. It may say things we don't understand or have trouble accepting. We tend to judge the Bible by our experience instead of judging our experience by the scripture. When you run across scripture that challenges you how do you handle it? Maybe it's something about belief? Or faith? Do you let the Word challenge your heart or do you try to explain it away. For example, the Bible is clear that if we will listen God will talk to us. Does that challenge you to want to learn to hear His voice or do you just fall back on your theology that says God doesn't do that anymore? Your answer to that question has very real ramifications for your life and walk with God.

Don't fight against the Word of God. Take Him at His Word and begin to submit your life to it. You will be glad you did.

"But without faith it is impossible to please [Him], for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him." (Hebrews 11:6)

A Better Covenant

2009-09-22T06:56:00.000-07:00

"But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, inasmuch as He is also Mediator of a better covenant, which was established on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, then no place would have been sought for a second." (Hebrews 8:6-7)

Hebrews, along with Galatians and Romans, is absolutely critical to our understanding of God's Word -- particularly the relationship between the Old and New Covenants. Trying to mix the two gives us a confusing schizophrenic blend of law and grace. Hebrews 8 talks about Jesus as the mediator of a better covenant that was established on better promises. The comparison here is between the Old Covenant, given through Moses, and the New, established in Jesus Christ. Let's be clear here -- the New is better than the Old and established on better promises. The first covenant was faulty. It sounds almost blasphemous to say that but it's okay -- God said it first.

Why was it faulty? If we keep reading in Hebrews 8 we find that "they did not continue in My covenant." Man couldn't keep his end of the covenant. The covenant was continually being broken. Reading on in Hebrews 8:10 we find that God says, "I will put My laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God, and they shall be My people." The Old Covenant was an external law to be followed but it didn't change the heart. The New is written on our hearts. The Old was based in keeping rules, the New is based in relationship.

In Hebrews 9 we read that Christ came as High priest with the greater and more perfect Tabernacle and not of this creation (9: 11). The elements of the priestly service in the Old Covenant consisted of things made with wordly things. Every element, from the wood and gold to the goats and calves, was part of this creation. But Jesus came from outside of this creation as the perfect sacrificial lamb with the shedding of His own blood. This is critical. The Old Covenant was cut between God and man, who as we have seen, always failed to keep his part. The New Covenant was cut between God and Jesus. God came from outside and entered His creation to bring us redemption. God, literally, cut covenant with Himself. God upholds both ends of the covenant so it cannot be broken. We are partakers of this covenant by faith.

Now that is good news!

"And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance." (Hebrews 9:15)

Tested Love, Proven Love

2009-09-21T07:37:00.000-07:00

"But when you give a feast, invite the poor, the maimed, the lame, the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you; for you shall be repaid at the resurrection of the just." (Luke 14:13-14)

The poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind? Wow! What a powerful point Jesus is making here! One that really tests our hearts too. Give to people who can't give back. Help people who really can't repay. I think, as Christians, we kind of get that in some ways but miss it in others. I think the real challenge comes when we have to deal with people on a personal level. Donating money to an orphanage or a project overseas is wonderful but we're often disconnected from the reality of people's actual lives.

Sometimes the poor, the maimed, the lame and the blind don't come with physical wounds that you can see. Sometimes they come with wounds of the soul that make them tough to deal with. We've all known people like that. We may have seen them at church. We avoid them. We rationalize with excuses like , "I just don't have anything in common with someone like that." We're polite but we keep them at a distance.

I think one of the wonders of this thing we call church is when we really do become a body and people begin to find a place in it. They find a home -- they find a family. It is not always easy. There are inherent challenges in relationships under the best of circumstances. We tend to gravitate to people who are like us. Church provides an opportunity for us to grow (when we allow it) by putting us in a position to love people who are not like us at all.

Love is only proven where it is tested. It's easy for me to say I love you when I never have to deal with you. "Church" ought to shake that tree a little bit. Knock off some of the selfishness and the unrealistic expectations of others. We often want a lot more grace than we are willing to give out. I think one of the most wonderful things about the body of Christ is when the walls are torn down and true relationships form between people of widely divergent backgrounds and experiences. For that to happen though I have to be willing to step out. To give. To help those who don't look like me or act like me.

"But if you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them." (Luke 6:32)

The Truth

2009-09-20T07:44:00.000-07:00

"Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day". (Psalm 25:5)

In John 18 we read the account where Jesus stood before Pilate and made the statement, "Everyone that is of the truth hears my voice." Pilate answers, "What is truth?"

In some ways that is the eternal question but also the eternal excuse. Jesus said, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). Jesus makes a pretty bold claim concerning himself here. This is the kind of claim that troubles people in a post-modern world. Relativism is everywhere. Everything is shade and nuance. That's why Christianity is so offensive to some people. Christianity makes some bold and definite claims. Jesus made some bold and definite claims. They test the heart. They divide and separate. They can be tough.

God is holy and supreme. In Christ God did an awesome thing. He revealed Himself to us by becoming one of us. He humbled himself to let His very creation kill Him. In doing so He paid for our pardon. He then rose from the dead, showing His power and authority. God went above and beyond to draw us to Him. But He is still God. He's the one who sets the terms. We must conform to Him. He is God and we are not, although we would like to be. God deals in truth. Truth is a funny thing. It is sometimes uncomfortable and inconvenient. But it's what is real.

God is. Jesus Christ is Lord of all. Our belief doesn't change that. Our belief only changes how we relate to Him. As Keith Green wrote in Altar Call, "You're gonna find out He's the way, no matter which way you choose but i pray you fin out by His love for you."

Jeremiah 29:13 "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart".

Delight Yourself in the Lord

2009-09-19T07:24:00.000-07:00

"Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart". (Psalm 37:4)

What a great promise. But what does it meant to delight ourselves in the Lord? The Hebrew word for delight here is anag which means "to be soft and dainty." It also means "to be happy about" or "to make merry over" something. Those concepts flow out of the primary definition of being soft and dainty. Have I lost you yet? The etymology comes out of the concept of a woman (in Hebrew culture) becoming what a man might want in order to attract him.

Don't worry guys -- the verse doesn't meant we have to be soft and dainty. It does mean that we should be willing to become who God would have us to but also to "make merry over" and "be happy" about Him! When you are young and in love that other person becomes the biggest thing in you life! You want to please them. You want to make them happy. And you are happy to be in that relationship. How many of us enjoy relationships with morose people? Take delight in the Lord. God is good!

"For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure." (Philippians 2:13)

The Only Way

2009-09-18T17:12:00.000-07:00

Our Spiritual Barometer

2009-09-18T07:05:00.000-07:00

"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control." (Galatians 5:22-23)

The fruit of the Spirit listed here is a great spiritual barometer. If these characteristics are not being manifested in my life, why not? They are called the fruit of the Spirit for a reason. They are a direct outworking of our walk with the Lord. When we're spending time with the Lord and in the Word of God and doing things that encourage and build us up we will see the outworking of that fellowship in our lives. When we're not we'll see an outworking there too but it won't be exactly what we want. Our first and foremost calling is to know God. When that relationship is healthy then other things seem to better fall into line. That doesn't mean we'll have a perfect stress free life -- there's no such thing -- it does mean we'll be better equipped to deal with what comes along.

"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing." (John 15:5)

Love One Another

2009-09-17T06:13:00.000-07:00

"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another. (John 13:34-35)

Love one another -- sometimes easier said than done but that's what Jesus told us to do. He said that the world would know we are his by our love for one another -- not by our big buildings or programs or ad campaigns or but by our love for one another. A biblical understanding of love involves a paradigm shift in our thinking. Biblically, love is not so much about what I feel but about what I do. When I understand that it becomes easier to love others.

Understanding that love is an action changes my reaction. If my ability to love is based on how I feel then when someone hurts me or makes me angry I will withdraw or even try to get back at them. G.K. Chesterton wrote that "Love means to love that which is unlovable; or it is no virtue at all." Loved that is based solely in emotion can never do that. Other people then determine our love for us. As believers we are to be led by God's Spirit and be doers of His Word. That puts responsibility squarely back on us but that's a good thing. Then you are in charge of your love, not someone else.

"And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour." (Ephesians 5:2)

Right With God

2009-09-16T06:44:00.000-07:00

"I do not set aside the grace of God; for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain."" (Galatians 2:21)

Paul makes a very powerful statement here using a negative comparison. If righteousness comes through the law then Christ died in vain. The obvious implication is that righteousness doesn't come through the law, in other words, we are not made right with God by keeping rules. And yet, that's what so many believers base their whole walk and concept of God upon -- keeping rules. God wants me to do this or He doesn't want me to do that. The problem is that there is truth in that belief, it's just misplaced.

Sin is very real and still hurts us. There are very definitely things that God would have us do and things we are not to do. The issue is why. Motivation does matter. I cannot earn my salvation by good works. In Galatians 3:11 Paul goes on to say that "no one is justified by the law in the sight of God."

Jesus didn't die so that we could keep a bunch of rules. He died to bring us into fellowship with God. Using the marriage relationship as a comparison -- there's a very real difference between the man who doesn't cheat on his wife because he's afraid of getting caught and the man who would never do such a thing because he loves his wife. Neither man is cheating on his wife but the first man's attitude is wrong. The law may constrain sin but it doesn't fix the heart. Grace can fix the heart.

God calls us to a love relationship. Ticking off our checklist of do's and don'ts is a poor substitute for the real thing.

"For by grace you have been saved through faith,and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God, not of works, that no man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9)

My Sheep Hear My Voice

2009-09-15T05:41:00.000-07:00

My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. (John 10:27)

What a precious promise from the Word of God! And yet, I think it's something we struggle with. We're so afraid of hearing amiss, making a mistake, or hearing the wrong voice that we can become afraid. The truth is that the Holy Spirit dwells in the people of God. We should be able to hear God's voice. We're not going to hear perfectly. We'll make some mistakes. I don't always hear everything my wife tries to tell me either but that doesn't negate the fact that she does talk to me.

Jesus said "My sheep hear my voice." Take Him at His word. Fear of not hearing or hearing amiss is a huge hindrance. If you are unsure that it is God speaking you will stay paralyzed. God can deal better with you when you are willing to try, even if you fail. What good does it do God to speak to you if you will never act on it? Believe today, by faith, that you can hear His voice! Jesus said we do!

Renew Your Mind

2009-09-14T05:55:00.000-07:00

Many years ago when I worked in a lab we had something called an eyewash station. Its purpose is pretty obvious -- if you splashed something toxic in your eyes you could run to the eyewash station and wash out your eyes.

We live in a pretty toxic world these days. We take in a lot of input that is poisonous to our minds. Television, radio, the internet, books and magazines, and the people around us will all throw ideas and opinions our way that are contrary to the Word of God. While we can be careful about what we watch, read or listen to it is impossible to be completely insulated. Nor do we need to be.

"And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God." (Romans 12:2)

The Word of God is like our eyewash station. The more we feed on it the more it changes us and renews our minds as we meditate on it and do it. The Word of God washes out the poison that the world lays on us. We will frequently face attitudes and actions that are contrary to what God has said. From the local gossip who works to get you to participate with them to your favorite TV show that tells you to look out for number one we are constantly presented with ideas and attitudes that the enemy will use to poison our thinking.

The antidote is God's Word. A few years ago I leaned a pretty cool trick about latex paint spills on carpet. It then really helped me when I turned over a gallon of paint on my own carpet. First you use some cardboard to scrape up as much paint as possible and put it back in the can but then comes the key part. Don't let the paint dry out. It helps if you have a wet vac. Keep pouring water and vacuuming it up. Keep on washing it. It takes a little time but it works. You cannot tell where I spilled the paint.

That's what we should do with God's Word. We must keep on washing our minds. It's not a one time thing. It's a life long necessity.

Come Together Right Now Over Me

2009-09-13T07:34:00.000-07:00

"I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go into the house of the LORD." (Psalm 122:1)

Church ought to be something we look forward to -- not a religious rite we have to fulfill. The author of Hebrews (10:25) exhorts believers to not forsake assembling together. It is such a joy to come together with the body of Christ to worship and share the word and minister to one another. It is such a precious privilege that we can freely exercise in this country. So many believers around the world must meet in secret.

The Beatles had a hit called "Come together". One key line in that song is "Come together right now over me." That's what God calls us to in assembling together. Come together over Him. We come together to worship Him and to encourage one another. Everything we do and say should be to His glory.

This ought to be a place where we can lay down our agendas. Sadly, in dealing with fallen humanity it is often not but we just have to play through it. There are no perfect churches -- only assemblies of imperfect people who are seeking after God to varying degrees.

The assembly ought to be a place where we can freely give and share our lives with one other. The strong can help the weak. The healed can help the sick. The uplifted can help the discouraged. The prosperous can help the poverty stricken. Those who are full of the Word can help those who need understanding and wisdom.

What a marvelous opportunity!

See you there.

Abundance

2009-09-12T08:21:00.000-07:00

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have [it] more abundantly." (John 10:10)

There is plenty of stress out there to go around but, thankfully, there are plenty of wonderful promises from the Word of God to go around too. What is abundant life? Too often, I think we tend to think about this in terms of money but there is so much more. Money won't buy you peace. An awful lot of rich people have lived and died in abject misery. That doesn't make money bad either -- it's the love of money that becomes the problem. Money is just a tool.

I think true abundance is really found in our relationship with Him. In knowing, walking and trusting. True abundance is found in a heart that is at peace and able to rest. Hebrews 4:9 tells us that "There remains therefore a rest for the people of God." Peace is listed as a fruit of the Holy Spirit in Galatians 5. Life is too short to spend it stressed out and yet, that's what so many of us do.

"He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will rest in the shadow of the Almighty." (Psalm 91:1) NIV

By Him and for Him

2009-08-19T09:42:00.000-07:00

"For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him."
(Colossians 1:16)

At times in my life I've run into folks who didn't believe in the trinity and didn't believe that Jesus Christ was God incarnate come in the flesh. Usually using specious logic they try to convince me of the rightness of their position. Invariably I show them the first chapter of John and then bring them to the first chapter of Colossians. It's usually at Colossians that they give up the argument and (I guess) move on to someone else.

This is actually one of my favorite verses. It gives us a glimpse into the pre-incarnate Christ and His connection with creation. Jesus existed with God eternally before He ever came as a baby in a manger. The act of humility in coming to earth and laying His life down for us and bearing the sin of all mankind was an incredible act of love.

What kind of God does such a thing?

Not the capricious gods of Greece and Rome or Germanic mythology.

Not an accounting Allah who would always watch the scales.

Not pagan tribal gods who demanded human sacrifice to be appeased.

Just the real one. The one who loves His creation so much that He would personally redeem them.

It's amazing to me how He has done so much for us and yet our hearts are hardened to the point where people actually hate the notion of Jesus. People are surely blinded by the god of this world (2nd Co. 4:4).

Blessed Assurance

2009-07-12T08:34:00.001-07:00

Music-wise I'm more of a praise and worship/contemporary/rock kind of guy but I do love the words to some old standards. Fanny Crosby's "Blessed Assurance" is a song that touches my heart. As I was sitting here on the computer I just got through listening to a version on a Vineyard CD. Good stuff.

Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine!
O what a foretaste of glory divine!
Heir of salvation, purchase of God,
I'm born of his Spirit, washed in his blood.

Refrain:
This is my story, this is my song,
Praising my Savior all the day long;
This is my story, this is my song,
It's praising my Savior all the day long.

Perfect submission, perfect delight,
Visions of rapture now burst on my sight;
Angels descending bring from above
Echoes of mercy, whispers of love.
(Refrain)

Perfect submission, all is at rest;
I in my Savior am happy and blest,
Watching and waiting, looking above,
I'm filled with God's goodness, I'm lost in His love.
(Refrain)

Fanny Crosby was blinded as an infant after developing a cold and subsequent eye infection and then receiving poor treatment. She never let her blindness get in her way. She was a prolific songwriter, wrote poetry and was a preacher and speaker.

Her writing often reminds me of the goal of this life in Christ. "I'm filled with God's goodness, I'm lost in His love." Lost in His love. What a concept.I enjoy the study of theology and the Word of God but it can be sometimes a problem where we think that's what God wants of us when what He really wants is our hearts and lives. Studying theology and the Word is awesome but not the end. The outworking of the process is to know God. To walk with Him. To live in Him and live a life for His glory.

If we were truly lost in His love we would sure look a lot different.

I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the [life] which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me. (Galatians 2:20)

Happy 4th of July!

2009-07-04T09:25:00.000-07:00

Independence day is a great time to remember how blessed we are to live in the United States of America. America, with all its flaws and issues, is still a light to the world. Without the United States the world would have sunk into totalitarianism a long time ago. We too easily forget that freedom isn't free and that there are real bad guys out there in the world who would conquer us if they could.

Regardless of revisionist history this great nation was founded by men who believed in the God of the Bible. This belief gave them an understanding of human nature that most people just do not have today. Jeremiah 17:9 tells us that the human heart is wicked and deceitful. Jesus came to change that but we are deceived if we think that mankind's nature, apart from God, is to do good. The history of humanity, including today, leads us to inevitably conclude that the heart of man is to rule over and subjugate his fellow man. The United States has been an instrument for good in a dark world.

As a nation we have struggled to live up to our ideals but it was the wisdom of the Founders that created a platform for us to wrestle with our faults and change where needed. I believe that wisdom came from God.

Have a great 4th!

God bless America.

May America bless God!

Can A Scientist also be a Creationist?

2009-06-21T12:12:00.000-07:00

Following is an exchange between Bodie Hodge and an emailer challenging the fact that someone can be a scientist and have a Biblical view of creation. The exchange is worth reading, as an example of a typical ad hominem attack against Christians and for Mr.Hodge's excellent response. An ad hominem argument is where you attack the person instead of arguing the point.

The original article can be found at http://www.answersingenesis.org/articles/2009/06/19/feedback-a-good-day-ruined

Feedback: A Good Day Ruined
by Bodie Hodge, AiG–U.S.
June 19, 2009
Wow... Just when I got that really happy feeling because I’m done with work ... I saw you website and [got sick]. The fact that you would call someone a creation scientist is ridiculous to say the least. What science are you doing? Where do you publish your works? How often are your results put up against an unbiased peer-review board? And how in, dare i say, “god’s name” do you get off at brainwashing children to believe your superstitious, astrological, irrational, primitive belief systems? Just when I thought I was having a good day. Get educated and EVOLVE!
—K., U.S.
Thank you for contacting Answers in Genesis. I was saddened to read your email, as there is really no argument, but merely attacks to degrade. I pray this response will help you realize that such an attack has no merit, and that these types of questions can easily be answered. My hope is that you will take them to heart and realize the error of the humanistic worldview. This response is intended with sincerity and kindness.

Wow... Just when I got that really happy feeling because I’m done with work ... I saw you website and [got sick]. The fact that you would call someone a creation scientist is ridiculous to say the least.
Why is it ridiculous? Most fields of science were developed by creation-believing scientists of the past, such as Isaac Newton, Gregor Mendel, Louis Pasteur, and many others. They realized that an orderly God would create an orderly universe that made repeatable scientific testing possible. In fact, Francis Bacon, a creationist, developed the scientific method based on the idea of a God-made universe. But why, in a big bang, no-God, universe, would things be orderly?

What science are you doing?
Real science, unlike molecules-to-man evolution, which cannot be repeated or observed; for example, friends of ours have invented the MRI (Dr Raymond Damadian) and the Gene Gun (Dr John Sanford). Evolution, on the other hand, is far from scientific:

No one has been able to make life from non-life (matter giving rise to life, which is foundational to molecules-to-man evolution).
No one has been able to change a single-celled life-form like an ameba into a cow or goat.
No one has been able to repeat the big bang (which is foundational to molecules-to-man evolution).
We haven’t observed billions of new information-gaining mutations required to build the DNA strand and give rise to new kinds of life-forms.
Matter has never been observed to give rise to new information.
No one has observed millions of years of time progressing.
No one has found the billions of transitional fossils needed to help show the changes of one kind into another.
This isn’t to say that non-Christians can’t do science, but they are assuming the truthfulness of the Bible, perhaps even inadvertently, to do science. And of course, it’s silly to assume that all science is hinged to evolution. Data collection and analysis have nothing to do with origins and the inherent presuppositions of origins science.

Where do you publish your works?
With kindness, apparently you did not spend much time researching before asking such a question. We publish peer-reviewed, technical papers (ARJ), peer-reviewed, semi-technical articles (AiD), and, naturally, peer-reviewed, lay articles in Answers magazine and the website.

But beyond AiG, there are other places for technical discussion, such as the International Conference on Creationism and the CRS Quarterly, and many others. But many creation scientists have also published in secular journals—even I have.

How often are your results put up against an unbiased peer-review board?
If there were such a thing as unbiased, this would surely be an option. However, if you possibly think Science, Nature, and so on are unbiased, you have not done your research. These journals are obviously pushing for the religion of humanism. All review boards are biased because all review boards are made up of human beings. All the papers in ARJ, for example, go through a gauntlet of reviewers, most of whom are biased by their belief in the God of the Bible. We certainly don’t hide that. And many creation scientists have published in secular journals on non-origins related topics. But secular journals refuse to allow any research that does not affirm naturalistic explanations. It is common to find articles supporting tenants of the Humanist Manifestos and authors and editors who have signed the Humanist Manifestos within their pages. Since biblical creationists do not accept naturalistic explanations, it seems absurd to think that they would write as if they did—just to be published.

And how in, dare i say, “god’s name”
By saying this, it is fascinating and confirms two things. First, Romans 2:15 reveals that everyone has the Law written on their hearts. One part of the Law is that it is sinful to use the Lord’s name in vain. Your hesitation here is a good confirmation that the Bible is true. Why not in the name of Darwin, evolution, or mother nature, etc.?

Why is this important? Because man realizes that deep down, there is a God, and He is the highest authority. In light of this, I want to ask you to reconsider the evolutionary ideas that you may not have realized have been forced on you from a very early age. Note J. Dunphy’s words in the early 1980s:

I am convinced that the battle for humankind’s future must be waged and won in the public school classroom by teachers who correctly perceive their role as the proselytizers of a new faith: a religion of humanity that recognizes and respects the spark of what theologians call divinity in every human being. These teachers must embody the same selfless dedication as the most rabid fundamentalist preachers, for they will be ministers of another sort, utilizing a classroom instead of a pulpit to convey humanist values in whatever subject they teach, regardless of the educational level—preschool day care or large state university. The classroom must and will become an arena of conflict between the old and the new—the rotting corpse of Christianity, together with all its adjacent evils and misery, and the new faith of humanism.1
Please consider this and reevaluate the atheistic ideas that were forced on you by humanists who still hold you captive to their false philosophy.

do you get off at brainwashing children to believe your superstitious,
This is called projection—ironic, when humanists have been teaching their superstitions, such as asserting that single-celled organisms became dinosaurs and then chickens over millions of years, that truth doesn’t exist, that people are animals, etc. I doubt you’ve questioned their dogma. We do not want anyone who reads our materials to be brainwashed or to unquestioningly accept what we say. God doesn’t really need our help or for people to be brainwashed to believe in Him. It’s the opposite: one has to be brainwashed to not believe (Romans 1:20–25). We simply point to what the Bible teaches and do our best to understand the world in light of the what God says in His Word. Beyond that, children and adults should search the Scripture (which the Creator, Himself, is responsible for) for themselves to see if what we say lines up.

astrological,
Perhaps there is some confusion here; we are not astrologers and would join in arguing against this religion. Astrology is the belief that stars and other heavenly bodies can reveal the future. The Bible condemns such practice.

irrational,
How are we irrational? Besides, rationality comes from a biblical worldview. How can the materialistic evolutionist have a basis for the immaterial, such as logic and truth in the first place? In fact, they borrow from a biblical worldview when they even try to use logic.

primitive belief systems?
What do you mean by “primitive”? The Christian worldview has a basis for logic, truth, happiness, love, arts, science. It also explains how death and suffering are an intrusion into God’s originally perfect creation due to sin in Adam, and, mercifully, that God offers salvation and restoration through Christ. But what does an evolutionary worldview have to offer? The humanist religion teaches that you are rearranged pond scum, that lying and murder are neither right nor wrong, that we are likely headed for extinction, that life has no real meaning, and gives a flawed basis for logic, truth, happiness, science, etc.

Just when I thought I was having a good day.
What do you mean by “good”? This is a Christian concept where God sets what is good. In an evolutionary worldview, there is no such thing as “good.” But since you really seem to want goodness and happiness to exist (and I encourage this), then I suggest you find out more about God.

Get educated and EVOLVE!
Well, the use of “evolve” here is actually correct, but I would like to return this statement back to you in kindness. You have made several unresearched and incorrect statements and assume that we are ignorant simply because we do not share your presuppositions and beliefs about how the world came to be and the origin of life. Most of those working at AiG have college degrees—and many have advanced ones and from secular institutions. But true education starts with the right foundation—Jesus Christ (Colossians 2:3).

As a person made in the image of God, you can do so much better than simply believing you are an animal who has nothing to offer but ridicule. In fact, Jesus Christ, the Son of God, cared enough to step into history to die on a cross for people like you and me—who deserve the death He died for us. So, please take this to heart and reconsider the work of Christ, starting in Genesis.

Bodie

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Footnotes
J. Dunphy, “A Religion for a New Age,” The Humanist, January–February 1983, p. 23, 26. Back

Quotes on Christianuty and the Bible

2009-06-18T08:16:00.000-07:00

It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.
George Washington

Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other.
John Adams

"It cannot be emphasized too strongly or too often that this great nation was founded, not by religionists, but by Christians; not on religions, but on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. For this very reason peoples of other faiths have been afforded asylum, prosperity, and freedom of worship here."
Patrick Henry

"In regard to this Great Book, I have but to say, it is the best gift God has given to man. All the good the Savior gave to the world was communicated through this book."
Abraham Lincoln

I do not believe there is a problem in this country or the world today which could not be settled if approached through the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount.
Harry S. Truman

The highest glory of the American Revolution was this: it connected in one indissoluble bond the principles of civil government with the principles of Christianity.
John Quincy Adams

The secret of my success? It is simple. It is found in the Bible.
George Washington Carver

The Bible is the cornerstone of liberty...students' perusal of the sacred volume will make us better citizens, better fathers, and better husbands."
Thomas Jefferson

My advice to Sunday Schools no matter what their denomination is: Hold fast to the Bible as the sheet anchor of your liberties; write its precepts in your heart, and practice them in your lives. To the influence of this Book we are indebted for the progress made in true civilization and to this we must look as our guide in the future. 'Righteousness exalteth a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people’ (Proverbs 14:34).
Ulysses S. Grant

It's Good to Laugh

2009-06-15T05:06:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 17:22 says that a "Merry heart does good like medicine". These are typos and mistakes taken from church bulletins. I'm sure most of us have seen these but they're still good for a chuckle! Enjoy.

Please remember in prayer the many who are sick of our church and community.
This being Easter Sunday, we will ask Mrs Jones to come forward and lay an egg on the altar.
The beautiful flowers on the altar this morning are to celebrate the birth of David Alan Belzer, the sin of Rev and Mrs. Julius Belzer.
If any of the congregation have children and don''t know it, there is a nursery downstairs.
Everyone is welcome this Tuesday at 4 PM for an ice cream social. All ladies giving milk will please come early.
At the Ladies Liturgy Society this Thursday, Mrs Smith will sing "Put Me In My Little Bed" accompanied by the pastor.
This Friday at 5 PM there will be a meeting of the Little Mothers Club. All wishing to become Little Mothers, please see the minister in his private study.
This week we invite any member of the congregation who enjoys sinning to join the choir.
The ladies of the church have cast off clothing of every kind and they may be seen in the church basement Friday.
This Monday we will be holding a ''Bean Supper'' in the church hall. Music will follow.
The topic for our sermon next week will be "What is Hell?". Come early and listen to our choir practice.
This evening there will be a meeting in the south and north ends of the church. Children will be baptized at both ends.
The 2003 Church Retreat will be hell May 10 and 11.
''Weight Watchers'' will meet at 7 PM in the church hall. Please use large double door at the side entrance.
There will be a special collection today to pay for eight new choir robes. These are needed due to the addition of several new members and to the deterioration of some older ones.
Next Sunday, a special collection will be taken to defray the cost of the new carpet. All those wishing to do something on the new carpet will come forward and get a piece of paper.
This week our Pastor is on vacation. Massages can be given to church secretary.
Please join us as we show our support for Amy and Alan, who are preparing for the girth of their first child.
The Scouts are saving aluminum cans, bottles, and other items to be recycled. Proceeds will be used to cripple children.

What's It mean to be a Christian?

2009-06-12T07:36:00.000-07:00

If you are one that shouldn't be a hard question. I've been reading George Barna's book "The Seven Faith Tribes" in which he divides adults in the United States into seven different groups, depending on their worldview. The two largest groups are those he terms "Casual Christians" and "Captive Christians". Barna defines Casuals as those who "profess to be Christians but are notably lax in their beliefs and practices." Barna defines Captives as "those whose consistently biblical beliefs and Christlike behavior validate their commitment to being followers of Christ." Casual Christians make up about 150 million of the roughly 225 million adults in the United States. Captive Christians make up around 36 million. The other groups are defined as American Jews, Mormons, Pantheists, Muslims and Spiritual Skeptics (atheists and agnostics).

I found the research on the Casuals to be particularly interesting and it begs the question what is a Christian? If you go on the internet you can find all kinds of interesting things about what a Christian is -- people try to pin Hitler as a Christian. People claim to be Christians who also believe in new age and other cultic beliefs. There was even a situation in the Episcopal Church where a priest became a Muslim and now claims she is both. Confusion is rampant.

Some of the statistics on casuals are interesting.

89% said they prayed in the last week.
52% said that their faith had transformed them.
71% said their faith is important in their lives.
74% said they had made a personal commitment to Christ.
72% said that God is the all-knowing, all-powerful Creator of the universe and still rules it today.
67% said that their primary purpose is to love God with all their heart, mind, strength and soul.
85% are concerned about the moral condition of the United States.

Those are pretty good numbers so far but the we also find some less comforting trends.

Only 25% believe the Bible is the Word of God.
Only 35% believe in absolute truth.
Only 34% had read the Bible in the last week.
Only 67% believe that Jesus is alive today.
Only 18% belive that commitment to a body of believers is important.
Only 18% of Casuals say they attend church, pray and read the Bible in a typical week.
Casuals give, on average $151.00 a year to the church they attend.
Only 2% have a biblical worldview.

Some other issues that Barna brings out in his book but doesn't supply statistics for are that the majority of Casuals don't believe in Satan or the Holy Spirit and that Jesus sinned while on earth.

In Matthew 28:19 Jesus told His disciples to go and make disciples of all nations. The King James versions says to teach all nations but the literal translation of the Greek is disciple. A disciple is one who believes their teacher and follows their example. While the Bible does use the term Christian in a couple of places other terms are used for more frequently for followers of Christ like disciple or believer. The real impact of faith in Jesus should result in relationship (fellowship) with the Lord. One of the points Barna makes in his book is that Casuals "have an arm's-length relationship" with the Lord. Apparently God is distant and there is little impact or reality in their daily lives. The wonderful truth is that Jesus died to bring us into an awesome daily relationship with God. We can and should live in that reality.

It's not surprising that we see such spiritual confusion among this group when their beliefs about God's Word are so tenuous. I've always found that to be an interesting issue. People who pick and choose the parts of the Word they believe. My question is always if you rejects certain parts as being untrue why do you believe the parts you trust? Jesus said "whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock." The Word of God is a rock we can build our lives on!

In the coming weeks I'm going to be looking at particular issues concerning God's Word and why you can trust it!

This Life

2009-05-29T06:21:00.000-07:00

Life is such a precious gift from God but all too often we spend so much of our lives just trying to get by. Jesus said in John 10:10 that "I have come that they may have life, and that they may have [it] more abundantly." What does an abundant life look like? It is too easy to boil it down to material possessions but the sad reality is that the pursuit of stuff won't bring the abundant life. Don't misunderstand me -- having material wealth is not in and of itself a bad thing -- we just have to own our stuff and not let our stuff own us. God uses faithful people who are wealthy to finance a whole lot of ministry. Jesus asked the wealthy ruler in Luke 18 to sell all he had and give it to the poor but, as far as we know, never asked Lazarus or Joseph of Arimathaea to do the same thing.

So what does an abundant life look like? Maybe it's not so much in what you have but what you do. Obviously the place to start is to seek first the Kingdom of God (Matthew 6:33). Since Jesus came for us to have an abundant life the absolute first plac eof abundance is in our walk with God. We are called to an abundant fellowship with Him! Nothing else can ever supplant what is really the key principle of the the life in Christ. Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, prayed "this is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent" (John 17:3).

I have a friend who likes to say "nothing satisfies like ministry." We have made the term ministry out to be a really spiritual or religious word when in fact it is a very practical word. The Greek word diakonia, where our word deacon comes from, simply means service or care. Ministry is about serving and caring for others. It is so much more than preaching a sermon or singing in church. It is so much bigger than that! Real ministry may be something as big as helping someone through a crisis in their life or as little as helping someone change a tire. It's sometimes messy and sometimes inconvenient. Ministry opportunities don't always pop up when we have free time and are looking for something to do. They sometimes involve some sacrifice.

But there truly is nothing like it. Jesus said "I am among you as one who serves" (Luke 2:27). Serve here is the same Greek word Diakonia but with a different tense. It could just as well be translated I am among you as one who ministers." 1st John 4:17 tells us that "as He is, so are we in this world."

Ministry doesn't just come by happenstance. Don't wait on a church program to create a ministry opportunity for you. We run into them every day but aren't always paying attention. Be bold. Dare to ask the Lord, "What can I do today?" They don't always have to be a big deal. It may be something you do for your spouse or your parents. It may involve helping a friend or a stranger.

It's better to make life happen than to let it pass you by!

Financial Hope -- 3/9/09

2009-03-10T07:59:00.000-07:00

Last night's class was an encouraging and uplifting time. We had a great discussion and wonderful time of prayer and ministry to one another. Here are the notes from the class--

ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT

Sometimes the toughest issue we deal with in implementing and sticking to life changes is our own attitude. It’s not always as much about information as it is what I do with that information. Fear, discouragement, hopelessness and regret are just some of the attitudes that give us trouble.

There are some very practical things that we can do that will help us through to a new attitude.

1) Resist fear – fear is debilitating – both to your health and to your decision making. “For God has not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.” (2nd Timothy 1:7)

2) Lay down the past. Focusing on your mistakes and regrets will not help or encourage you and will definitely not fix the problem. The past is done. You can’t change it and in real life you don’t get a do over. Everybody makes mistakes. “Fear not, for I [am] with you; Be not dismayed, for I [am] your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand.” (Isaiah 41:10) Sometimes we think we've messed up so badly that God won't help us. That's a lie. We didn't deserve salvation and yet Jesus died for us.

3) Don’t compare yourself to others. Comparison is a form of judgment that you speak on others and on yourself. “For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. “But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise. (2nd Corinthians 10:12)

4) Stop making excuses. “That may work for others but…” kind of thinking will keep you in bondage. “ God is no respecter of persons.” (Acts 10:34) What He has done for others He will do for you.

5) Get with people who will encourage you. As much as you are able cut off the flow of negative information. It will drag you down emotionally. “Now Judas and Silas, themselves being prophets also, exhorted and strengthened the brethren with many words.” (Acts 15:32)

6) Hang on to joy. “Count it all joy when you fall into various trials.”(James 1:2) You can count it all joy when you know that God is helping you!

7) Walk in God’s love. That’s not just about loving others but gaining understanding about how much your Heavenly Father loves you. “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love. (Galatians 5:6)

8) Watch your words. “Death and life [are] in the power of the tongue, And those who love it will eat its fruit.” (Proverbs 18:21) This is not superstition or name it claim it theology. Your words have power. Negative talk and saying things that are contrary to God’s Word does affect you.

9) Use your faith. I use that phraseology on purpose. Faith is not a passive hoping that God will do something. Your prayers have power. James 5:16 says, “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” God’s Word is still true today. “So Jesus answered and said to them, "Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, 'Be removed and be cast into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. (Mark 11:22-23)

Financial Hope 3/2/09

2009-03-05T06:53:00.000-08:00

Monday’s Financial Hope Class was spent on cash flow planning or to use a simpler term, budgeting.

The point of a budget is not to punish you but to insure that you are in charge of where your money goes.

A really simple but effective budget is Dave Ramsey’s zero based budget.

Here are the links to two forms from Dave Ramsey—

http://www.daveramsey.com/media/pdf/fpu_qbudget.pdf

http://www.daveramsey.com/media/pdf/fpu_monthly_cash_flow_plan_forms.pdf

The first link is to a quick budget plan you can work on when you are just starting out. The second link is to a more involved plan.

As an aside – Financial Peace University is a 13 week course that will change your life. If you ever have opportunity to go through the course take advantage of it. We are looking at running the course again at Grace Restoration Church in the near future.

Some keys to a zero based budget—

Income minus expenses each month should equal zero. That means that if you do your budget and have money left over give it a name somewhere. for example, you could put it in the savings or blow category or add it to your giving.

Budgeting is a process. It’s not something you do once and forget about. You will make mistakes. You may leave something out. That’s okay. Pick yourself up and keep going. Budgeting is a dynamic, ongoing process.

For yearly expenses, like Christmas, decide how much you want to spend and average it out each month. If you pay your car insurance quarterly the amount by three to come up with a monthly amount.

One tip when you are starting out is to save receipts and start writing down how much you are spending on things like groceries and entertainment. Keep track and see where your money is going. You may be surprised and a little shocked.

Lon Purvis also talked about how to do a yearly budget. It’s a great plan that can simplify the process for some folks. I’ll blog more details about it later.

A Couple of Videos

2009-03-01T09:09:00.000-08:00

Here are a couple of videos from Hillsong United-- enjoy a blessing.

Financial Hope February 23, 2009

2009-02-25T07:50:00.000-08:00

We had our second Financial Hope class and it was great. My wife, Gloria, led the class and did an awesome job. She talked about how to save money on food -- which is a pretty variable and controllable expense for most folks.

The following is her notes--

Celebrate God’s Bounty
Come To The Table

I know that no thing is better for them than to rejoice, and to do good in their lives, and also that every man should eat and drink and enjoy the good of all his labor—it is the gift of God.. Ecclesiastes 3:12-13
You shall eat in plenty and be satisfied, and praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; and My people shall never be put to shame. Joel 2:26
How precious is Your lovingkindness O God! Therefore, the children of men who put their trust under the shadow of Your wings, They are abundantly satisfied with the fullness of Your house. And You give them drink from the river of your pleasures. For with You is the fountain of life; In your light we see light. Psalm 36:7:9
I was young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or their children begging bread. Psalms 37:25
Then Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty. John 6:35
If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me. Revelation 3:20

Eating Well on A Budget
Key Concept: Food is a variable and controllable expense in a family’s budget.
1. Plan your menus for a week or two in advance.
2. Before shopping, take inventory of what you have on hand. Type in ingredients you have on hand and find creative recipe ideas at:
AllRecipes.com
3. Buy one or two Sunday papers and clip the coupons Ask friends to give you coupons from their papers. Pay attention to the mail coupons you receive in the mail. Be alert to coupons as you walk through the grocery store. Sign up for coupons to be delivered to you by registering at:
http://www.eversave.com/
http://www.coolsavings.com/
Ask at your favorite grocery stores if they double coupons or allow you to use a store coupon plus a manufacturer’s coupon.
4. Pay attention to the sale items and plan menus around them.
5. Stock up on sale items and have a well-stocked pantry with staple items.
6. To save time, prepare cubes of chicken breasts, brown ground beef, or marinade meats and keep them in the freezer. These FROZEN ASSETS will save you money and time.
7. Plan one or two meatless or meat as a garnish meals per week (e.g. baked potato bar, macaroni and cheese, fettucine alfredo, red beans and rice, vegetable soup, pizza, and spaghetti and meatballs)
8. Buy food at the drugstore with CVS Extra Bucks and Walgreens Easy Saver Programs. Spices are a steal at CVS!
9. To make meal-planning easier, have a weekly dinner pattern. Some people plan two weeks ahead….but HAVE A PLAN and the food on hand. For example:
Monday: Italian or Cajun
Tuesday: Grill Out
Wednesday: American
Thursday: Slow Cooker
Friday: Seafood or Chicken
Saturday: Try Something New
Sunday: Anything goes or dine out
10) Angel Food Ministries sells boxes of food for 35.00 but are worth much more. There are no income requirements. Also, they have prepared meals for seniors. In Augusta, they are available once a month at Whole Life Ministries. You have to order in advance.

Useful links:
http://www.moneysavingmom.com/
http://frugaldad.com/
http://simplemom.net/menu-planning-resources/
http://biblicalwomanhoodblog.blogspot.com/2009/01/frugal-friday-how-i-plan-our-menus-part.html
http://www.recipezaar.com
http://www.5dollardinners.com/
http://www.cookinglight.com/

The Love of God

2009-02-23T06:44:00.000-08:00

For this reason I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named,that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man,that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height-- to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.
Ephesians 3:14-21

Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think of anything as being from ourselves, but our sufficiency is from God,who also made us sufficient as ministers of the new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.
2nd Corinthians 3:5-6

Our sufficiency is from God. Not from our own works, our own righteousness, or our own goodness. In writing to the Ephesians Paul makes a direct connection between the love of Christ and being filled with all the fullness of God. The fullness of God is a wonderful, awesome concept. In John 10:10 Jesus said He came that we would "have life and have it more abundantly". He is our abundance, our source, our hope, our help, our healer. He literally is everything we need.

And yet most of us struggle to grasp just how much God loves us because we are natural legalists. What do I mean by that? Look around. Life teaches us over and over again that you get what you deserve. If you work hard you get rewarded. If you do what is right people commend you. If you do wrong people frown upon you. Life pretty much operates on sowing and reaping. And yes, we do need to understand that, or life will bite us pretty hard.

The problem we have is that God's love doesn't work that way. God's love caused Him to pour out His grace and now we receive what He has done for us by faith. Ephesians 2:4-6 says, "But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us,even when we were dead in trespasses, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved),and raised us up together, and made us sit together in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,that in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us in Christ Jesus."

We can't approach God based on what we have done or not done. My relationship with Him is not based on my goodness but His goodness. We fall short. We mess up. We do dumb things. We make mistakes and yes, we sometimes sin. Because we do not grasp the love of God we open the door for guilt and condemnation.

The letter kills. We are called to a love relationship. Love cannot thrive in an environment of fear. 1st John 4:17-18 says, "Love has been perfected among us in this: that we may have boldness in the day of judgment; because as He is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love."

The abundance, the fullness we have in Him, only comes in grasping His love. The prayer Paul prayed in Ephesians is so critical for us. Note that Paul was writing this to believers. Hebrews 11:6 tells us that "Without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him".

We thing of faith in terms of believing for things we are praying about but what if we began to think in terms of actually believing what the Word of God says about how much He loves His children?

As we gain confidence in His love we gain confidence in His good work and help for our lives.

Interesting Article from CNN

2009-02-22T10:27:00.000-08:00

The original link is http://www.cnn.com/2009/LIVING/personal/02/20/faith.finances.courses/index.html

HEADING TO CHURCH FOR MONEY ADVICE

By Lisa Respers France
CNN

(CNN) -- Jennifer Pedley had very little interest when her husband, Ken, suggested three years ago that they enroll in the Financial Peace University program their church in Brighton, Michigan, was offering.
Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, is seeing an increased need for financial programs.

Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, is seeing an increased need for financial programs.

The couple signed up to learn how to reduce their debt and get on a budget. Partway through the course, a light came on for her, Pedley said.

"I started to see the changes it was making not only in our money but in our relationship," she recalled.

"It was unbelievable, but 80 percent of personal finance is personal. There is so much related to communicating about money and communicating about life."

Now Pedley is facilitating the course at 2/42 Community Church, where many in the area depend on the auto industry for their livelihood and are struggling with a deepening recession.

Throughout the country, places of worship are not just offering prayers for the improvement of their members' finances. They are offering help in the form of classes, seminars and workshops. Tell us how you're surviving tough economy

Programs that teach debt elimination, financial literacy and money management are gaining popularity among the faithful who are seeking some stability in the midst of uncertain times.

Lynnette Khalfani-Cox is a personal finance expert and author who has launched the Zero Debt Tour, a financial literacy initiative designed to teach people how to better budget, manage credit and debt wisely, and save money.
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Khalfani-Cox, who provides the program free for churches, said she is hearing from places of worship, both big and small, nationwide who want to offer resources to their members.

"In faith-based communities, if you ask pastors across the country, many will tell you that attendance is up; however donations are down," said Khalfani-Cox, who is known as the Money Coach. "People are turning to the church for help, whether it's help making their mortgage payment, putting in a prayer request, assistance in finding a job or just getting practical, day-to-day strategies for managing debt."

Jeff Foy, manager of training and evaluation for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Employment Resource Services, said traffic has increased to the church's Providentliving Web site, which offers resources on family finances and employment assistance.

It's very difficult to reach someone spiritually if they are struggling temporally, Foy said, and some have had to sacrifice time with family and church to pay the bills.

"We see a lot of our members perhaps that wouldn't ordinarily be working on a Sunday that are working on a Sunday instead of attending some of their meetings," he said.

The Rev. Steve O'Dell of 2/42 Community Church said he believes that people have a desire to give more of their time and money but just don't have the means.

That's why programs that help get them on track financially are beneficial, he said.

"A lot of people are imprisoned by debt," said O'Dell, whose church has expanded the number of Financial Peace University sessions to meet the growing need.

"If people are in place where they are not going further and further into debt and all of their money isn't going into paying off debt, then financially they are freed up to give to things they would like to give to," he added. "Whether that's the church or charitable organizations or places that reach out to people in times of need."

Joel Schwartz is director of the Moving from Debt to Assets program, which was founded in 2005 by the Greater Boston Interfaith Organization. It offers sessions on finances, a peer support group and private sessions with a financial counselor.

Schwartz said that since its inception, Moving from Debt to Assets has graduated more than 400 participants and now has half of its groups run in languages other than English.

What makes his program and others like it so effective is that they are offered through organizations that have a relationship with those participating, Schwartz said.

"It's embedded in institutions that are part of the fabric of people's lives," he said. "This creates a lot of opportunity for reinforcement. People who see each other every Sunday can say, 'How are you doing paying down those credit card debts? I know you are working hard on that.' "

Programs like Financial Peace University and Crown Financial Ministries, which have components that speak directly to biblical principles about money, have been seen as integral to the ministry.

At Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta, Georgia, a stewardship workshop series based on Crown Financial Ministries "Road to Financial Freedom offers topics like "Who's in Control?" which covers God's responsibilities versus those of the believer, and "A Slave to the Lender," about living debt-free.

Kevin Stacia teaches stewardship at Ebenezer and said that with everyone from the wealthy to the disadvantaged being affected by the economy, it makes sense for churches to offer such programs.

"We always want members of the church and our community to be grounded in how God wants us to manage the things he has entrusted us with," Stacia said. "We want to give people an avenue to get knowledge and understanding."

Cheryl Spiva has attended the series and said education is the key.

Spiva retired at 45 from her position as senior vice president of sales for the southeast division of the investment group Charles Schwab and said financial education programs can be empowering.

"Often, people don't really know what to do with their money," she said. "If you give them tools, they become more confident and they make better choices."

Jennifer Pedley said she and her husband have benefited from learning how to manage their money more effectively.

They have paid off a car and their credit cards and are well on their way to being debt-free.

Pedley said they are also much better off in the current economy than had they not taken the course.

'When we took [the course], people had questions like, 'How do I budget vacations and going out to dinner?' " she said. "Now it's, 'How can I pay my mortgage and save my house?' "

And despite her initial resistance, Pedley said, she views it as a learning and growing experience.

"I never realized how practical the Bible is about money," she said. "It just makes so much sense."

FINANCIAL HOPE

2009-02-18T09:21:00.000-08:00

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2009

We had our first Financial Hope class this past Monday and what a great time we had. This class is going to be a time of encouragement and equipping people to make life-changing decisions in small ways and big. We want to see people get God’s vision for their finances. We are going to be dealing with both practical and spiritual issues. For the first class we primarily spent our time of God’s goodness and things that people would like to see covered.

We had a list prepared of topics we will be covering in the class. We also asked the class what things they would like to see us talk about. We came up with the following-- budgets, agreement in marriage over finances, tithing and giving, insurance, living in God’s economy, how and where to find bargains, lowering your food bill, health and its relation to finances, investing wisely, taxes, dealing with fear and worry, emotional shopping, real estate, couponing, getting out of debt, balancing your checkbook, being in control of your money, help for college, jobs and careers, and being a blessing to others. There are so many issues and angles to hit.

We also had a wonderful time of prayer and ministry to one another. We have agreed to keep one another in prayer during the week.

Why deal with God’s goodness in a financial class? He is our source and the real hope and help for our lives.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NKJV) says, “For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the LORD, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.”

When we’re looking at finances we can easily grow discouraged because of our own poor decisions or by the doom and gloom from the media and the present state of the economy or just a general sense of hopelessness. Proverbs 13:12 tells us that, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, But [when] the desire comes, [it is] a tree of life.” Losing hope and becoming discouraged is a hard place. Thankfully, God is not limited by the economy. He’s not afraid, fearful or worried. He calls us to radically put our trust in Him and not in man. We gave the following handout to the class and encouraged them to take it home, put it some place prominent in the house, and read over it every day. The enemy is a master of discouragement and fear. By meditating on the Word of God we are renewing our minds and robbing the devil of the opportunity to sow fear and doubt into our hearts.

FOUNDATIONAL FINANCIAL SCRIPTURES

Hebrews 11:6
But without faith [it is] impossible to please [Him], for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and [that] He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.

Psalm 31:24
Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart, All you who hope in the LORD.

John 10:10
The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.

Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct [fn] your paths.

Hebrews 4:16
Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.

Matthew 18:19
"Again I say to you that if two of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven.

Psalm 37:3-7
Trust in the LORD, and do good; Dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness. Delight yourself also in the LORD, And He shall give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD, Trust also in Him, And He shall bring [it] to pass. He shall bring forth your righteousness as the light, And your justice as the noonday. Rest in the LORD, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way, Because of the man who brings wicked schemes to pass.

Mark 11:24
Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive [them], and you will have [them].

3rd John 2
Beloved, I pray that you may prosper in all things and be in health, just as your soul prospers.

The Word of God

2009-02-12T08:58:00.000-08:00

God's Word is so good! In the information age there are a lot of lies and speculation floating around. How do you know what to trust? In a topsy-turvy world God's Word is the level against which we judge. God's Word is true. He is faithful and does not lie!

Following is a selection of Bible verses concerning God's Word. Enjoy! Let them speak to your heart.

Every word of God [is] pure; He [is] a shield to those who put their trust in Him.
Proverbs 30:5

Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven.
Psalm 119:89

Your word [is] a lamp to my feet And a light to my path.
Psalm 119:105

For the word of God [is] living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Hebrews 4:12

But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man observing his natural face in a mirror; for he observes himself, goes away, and immediately forgets what kind of man he was.
James 1:22-24

But the word of the LORD endures forever.
1st Peter 1:25

Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.
John 17:17

For the word of the LORD [is] right, And all His work [is done] in truth.
Psalm 33:4

For they [are] life to those who find them, And health to all their flesh.
Proverbs 4:22

Establish Your word to Your servant, Who [is devoted] to fearing You.
Psalm 119:38

So shall I have an answer for him who reproaches me, For I trust in Your word.
Psalm 119:42

I have given them Your word; and the world has hated them because they are not of the world, just as I am not of the world.
John 17:14

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.
Colossians 3:16

Some of My Favorite Bible Verses

2009-02-09T12:56:00.000-08:00

While the whole Bible is the Word of God some verses affect us in a more profound way than others. An example would be John 13:34 and 35 verses John 4:4. Both are the Word of God given to us but understanding, meditating on and doing the command to love one another in John 13:34 - 35 is far more profound and life changing than the fact that Jesus traveled through Samaria as found in John 4:4. Proverbs 23:7 tells us that as a man thinks in his heart, so is he. In Philippians 4:8 Paul writes, Finally brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy meditate on these things. While there are many life changing verses in the Bible I have found the following twelve to be particularly maningful to me. Read over them. Meditate on them. Memorize them. They will become part of who you are and change who you are!

"Death and Life are in the power of the tongue, and those who love it will eat its fruit."
Proverbs 18:21

"Judge not, that you be not judged. For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you."
Matthew 7:1-2

"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap."
Galatians 6:7

"For we dare not class ourselves or compare ourselves with those who commend themselves. But they, measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise."
2 Corinthians 10:12

"For without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him."
Hebrew 11:6

"Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in our time of need."
Hebrews 5:16

"Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus."
Philippians 4:6-7

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly."
John 10:10

"Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.”
Romans 10:17

"If you abide in Me, and my words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.”
John 15:7

“Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says. Therefore I say to you, whatever things you ask when you pray, believe that you receive them, and you will have them.”
Mark 11:22-24

"Assuredly, I say to you, whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven. Again I say to you that if two or more of you agree on earth concerning anything that they ask, it will be done for them by My Father in heaven."
Matthew 18:18-19

Koinonia

2009-01-17T07:13:00.000-08:00

"And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayers."
Acts 2:42

Acts 2:42 gives us an interesting glimpse into early church life. Here we find four things emphasized.

They continued steadfastly in:

The apostles' doctrine (teaching, receiving and doing)
Fellowship
Breaking of bread (eating together)
Prayers

What we really have here is a picture of community at work. People who were together a lot! Acts 2:46 indicates they were together daily. It is easy to compartmentalize our lives: church, work, home life, friends, etc and all too often that's where things stay and we miss much that God has for us.

One of the greatest joys of the Christian life for me is relationships. We eat together a lot at our church. Some of the eating is done at church while some is done in other places. This last Thursday we were part of group that got together at Cracker Barrel. Those times are precious. It is in those times that we really get to know one another. It is our involvement in each others lives that really begins to bring meaning and purpose to what we do at church.

We've never been called to walk this journey alone. God calls us sheep. Part of the reason for that is that we have a need for community. We have a need for other people. We need one another in the body of Christ.

In Philippians 1:3-5 Paul wrote, "I thank my God upon every remembrance of you,always in every prayer of mine for you all making request with joy, for your fellowship in the gospel from the first day until now." Fellowship is the Greek word koinonia and it means so much more than just getting together for the occasional church supper. It's the same word we get communion from. It is a word that really points to the enmeshment of our lives together in the body of Christ. Paul had a special bond with the church at Philippi.

And maybe that's the point. We need people in our lives who we can share our hurts and struggles, as well as our joys and victories, with. We need friends who will laugh with us and cry with us and give us real help when we need it.

Ultimately, so much of life comes down to relationships. Relationships seed the opportunity to bless when we have the ability to do so and receive when we need help.

God loves you so much! Ask the Lord to get you hooked into folks who live the love of God!

New Wineskins

2009-01-13T09:47:00.000-08:00

And no one puts new wine into old wineskins; or else the new wine bursts the wineskins, the wine is spilled, and the wineskins are ruined. But new wine must be put into new wineskins." (Mark 9:22)

In Biblical times wineskins were made from whole tanned goat skins with the head, legs and tails removed. New wineskins were used because the skin was still flexible. Wine put in an old stiff wineskin would cause it to burst as carbon dioxide was given off in the fermentation process. Think of a balloon. If you keep blowing on a balloon eventually it will burst. New wineskins were flexible enough to expand and strong enough not to burst.

The example Jesus gives us here is a poignant one concerning our need for humility and a teachable heart. One of the worst places we can be is when we think we already know everything --when we judge the sermon we just heard or the Bible verse we just read through our own lens. If the pastor agrees with me it was a good sermon. If he doesn’t it was obviously a bad sermon. If the Bible verse doesn't line up with my theology there must be a way to explain it away.

That’s one of the things I love about the Word of God. The Word of God will keep you humble if you let it. Years ago I made up my mind that I was not going to argue against God’s Word or try to make it line up with what I believe. That was one of the best decisions of my life.

Receiving the Word with joy will help you to be a new wineskin. Some people look at passages that Jesus said about prayer, or the Holy Spirit, or the power of God and then go into tortured logic to try to explain why they’re not for today. I want to read those verses and be challenged. I want to be inspired in my personal walk with the Lord. If Jesus said we would do greater works than He did then I want to embrace that – not fight against it.

When you read Bible passages that challenge your belief system does your heart leap with joy and expectation or do you quickly run to try to find a way around it?

Maintain a humble and teachable heart. Living the Christian life with wonder and excitement makes it a precious and rewarding journey. Don't try to submit the Word of God to your beliefs and circumstances. Submit your beliefs and circumstances to the Word of God. You'll be glad you did.

Laughter Does the Heart Good

2009-01-08T09:59:00.000-08:00

I got these from a friend of mine by email. They're supposedly taken from real court transcriptions. Enjoy. They'll make you laugh!

Q: What is your date of birth?

A: July fifteenth.

Q: What year?

A: Every year.

Q: What gear were you in at the moment of the accident?

A: Gucci sweatshirt and Reeboks.

Q: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?

A: Yes.

Q: And what were you doing at that time?

Q: She had three children, right?

A: Yes.

Q: How many were boys?

A: None.

Q: Were there any girls?

Q: How was your first marriage terminated?

A: By death.

Q: By whose death was it terminated?

Q: Can you describe the individual?

A: He was about medium height and had a beard.

Q: Was this a male, or a female?

Q: Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people?

A: All my autopsies are performed on dead people.

Q: All your responses must be oral, OK? What school did you go to?

A: Oral.

Q: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?

A: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.

Q: And Mr. Dennington was dead at the time?

A: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy on him.

Q: What was the first thing your husband said to you when he woke up that morning?

A: He said, "Where am I, Cathy?"

Q: And why did that upset you?

A: My name is Susan.

Q: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?

A: No.

Q: Did you check for blood pressure?

A: No.

Q: Did you check for breathing?

A: No.

Q: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?

A: No.

Q: How can you be so sure, Doctor?

A: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.

Q: But could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?

A: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law somewhere

Unto Us a Child Is Born

2008-12-24T08:26:00.000-08:00

For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. Of the increase of His government and peace there will be no end, Upon the throne of David and over His kingdom, to order it and establish it with judgment and justice from that time forward, even forever. The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform this. (Is.9:6-7)

God's goodness to us expressed in the incarnation of Jesus Christ is truly marvelous! In Him we find the fulfillment of the deepest needs of our hearts.

I pray that this Christmas will be a time for each of us where we are reminded of the goodness of God and our hearts will be drawn to want to know Him and walk with Him in a deeper way!

Celebrate Him. Love the people you find yourself with! Embrace the day with joy!

You Can't Steal the Real Jesus!

2008-12-22T07:06:00.000-08:00

Here's a great article for you by Chuck Norris. It was posted on WordNetDaily.

Jacking Jesus

'Tis the season to be Jesus stealing? Away in a manger, no Christ for the bed? It has become a new Christmas fetish – neutering nativities by jacking the Jesus. Just over the past week, dozens of mini-messiahs have been nabbed from nativities across the country.

For example, a church in Andover, N.Y., had its baby Jesus stolen from the nativity.

Another Jesus figurine was robbed from a downtown nativity in Paw Paw, Mich.

A marble baby Jesus was ripped off from the nativity scene of a private resident in Omaha, Neb.

The entire holy family was missing from a nativity in New Albany, Ind.

In Palm Beach, Fla., for two consecutive years, robbers have made off with the baby Jesus.

In Athens, Tenn., a nativity was fleeced of its savior for the second time too.

Setting an unwanted record, a baby Jesus was criminally lifted for the third time from a nativity in Moberly, Mo., and also from the front yard of a Chicago, Ill., home.

And such criminal acts are not restricted to America, as a baby Jesus was smashed then stolen at the 12th century St. John's Church in Cardiff, England, and a beer was blasphemously left in its place.

To prevent further sacred thefts, thousands of churches and private residents are turning to technology to help them "save Jesus." But when GPS devices have to be planted in the skulls of the savior, and security cameras have to guard the path of the three wise men, can't we see that society is a bit off-center?

Back here in the state of Texas, when the Jesus statuette was heisted from the nativity of the Herrera family of North Richland Hills, Gloria Herrera, 48, a Catholic, passionately conveyed what we are all wondering, "They took the family Jesus. How can anybody do that?" What type of world do we live in when hoodlums (young and old) commit sacrilege for entertainment?

These religious heists beg the question: Is stealing baby Jesus figurines harmless juvenile fun or intentional hate crimes? Whatever the answer to each, there's absolutely nothing funny about vandalism. Skeptics might mock these defacements as negligible crimes, but stealing the soul of nativities is one more dismal sign of a culture gone awry. Religious Grinches who steal these symbolic Christs are pathetic piles of yuletide trash.

So here's the hope. Not that these distressing religious crimes will decrease over the years. But no matter how often Christmas thugs try to pilfer nativities, they can never take away the real Jesus of history.

Sure, cases have been made. Some can hope he never existed, as 70 percent of Britons who recently doubted the biblical story of the birth of Jesus. But, rebutting such uncertainty as naïve, Simon Gathercole, a scholar at Cambridge University, explained that people today are cynical because they don't realize the origins of Christianity are entrenched in real history. Gathercole admonished, "Jesus was born while Augustus was emperor of Rome just before Herod died. … [W]e're talking about events that are anchored in real history not in ancient Greek

myths."

Another British scholar, N.T. Wright, wrote that most opposing views of Jesus (often posted even on the Internet by skeptics) are simply pseudo-historical evaluations: "My argument from this point onward … will be that they have offered us a Jesus of their own imagination, which the church, and anyone else who may be interested ought to resist in the name of serious history."

Dr. Edwin Yamauchi, professor of history at the Miami University

in Oxford, Ohio, said: "The fact is that we have better historical documentation for Jesus than for the founder of any other ancient religion."

That is why F.F. Bruce, late professor at the University of Manchester, concluded: "Some writers may toy with the fancy of a 'Christ-myth,' but they do not do so on the ground of historical evidence. The historicity of Christ is as axiomatic [a universal statement of fact] for an unbiased historian as the historicity of Julius Caesar. It is not historians who propagate the 'Christ-myth' theories."

The question is not whether Jesus lived, but who he was, and is. It's a question we all will answer, consciously or not, especially this Christmas week. It's a question even Jesus asked the people of his day, "Who do people say that I am?"

As for me and my house, He is the Son of God and Savior of the world. That's what we celebrate most on Christmas Day. At very least, any unbiased previewer of history cannot deny that time and civilizations have pivoted on his unique and "One Solitary Life":

He was born in an obscure village, the child of a peasant woman. He grew up in still another village, where he worked in a carpenter shop until he was thirty. Then for three years he was an itinerant preacher.
He never wrote a book.
He never held an office.
He never had a family or owned a house.
He didn't go to college.
He never traveled 200 miles from the place where he was born. He did none of these things one usually associates with greatness.
He had no credentials but himself.
He was only 33 when public opinion turned against him. His friends ran away. He was turned over to his enemies and went through the mockery of a trial. He was nailed to a cross between two thieves.
When he was dying, his executioners gambled for his clothing, the only property he had on earth. When he was dead, he was laid in a borrowed grave through the pity of a friend.
Nineteen centuries have come and gone, and today he is the central figure of the human race, the leader of mankind's progress.
All the armies that ever marched, all the navies that ever sailed, all the parliaments that ever say, all the kings that ever reigned, put together, have not affected the life of man on earth as much as that One Solitary Life.

The fact is, wise men still seek him. And if you genuinely follow his star, you'll find a stable, not a fable.

For those who seek, I recommend you check out the scholarly works: N.T. Wright's "Who was Jesus?"; F.F. Bruce's "Are the New Testament documents reliable?"; Lee Strobel's "The case for Christ" or check out his resource-full website or Ravi Zacharias' "Jesus among other gods." And, of course, the Bible, which makes the best of Christmas gifts.

(Note: In December, Chuck is giving away a free chapter from his New York Times best-seller, "Black Belt Patriotism." To get yours, go to ChuckNorrisNewBook.com. "Black Belt Patriotism" makes a great Christmas gift!)

Forgiveness and the Love of Jesus

2008-12-18T07:40:00.000-08:00

This is from an article on Worldnetdaily by Chelsae Schelling. The full story is here.
http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=83778

She was terribly mutilated in an attack by Hindu extremists.

Her response is detailed at the end of the article--

Nonetheless, Nayak urges India's Christians to forgive their Hindu attackers.

"[W]e forgive the Hindu radicals who attacked us, who burned our homes," she told Asia News. "They were out of their minds, they do not know the love of Jesus. For this reason, I now want to study so that when I am older I can tell everyone how much Jesus loves us. This is my future."

Nayak said her life plan is to share the message of God's love.

"The world has seen my face destroyed by the fire, now it must come to know my smile full of love and peace," she said. "I want to dedicate my life to spreading the Gospel."

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Can We Trust The Bible

2008-12-16T06:48:00.000-08:00

Here's an excellent article by Dave Welch. Copy the link into your browser.

http://worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=83707

He laid Down His Glory

2008-12-13T10:02:00.000-08:00

"Being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross."

Phil. 2:6-8

Christmas is a good time to remember the sacrifice that God made for us. Christ laid down His glory and willingly submitted Himself to His creation. We understand, somewhat, the agony of the cross but we sometimes gloss over the sacrifice for the eternal Word to live like us and among us. He endured the trauma of childbirth. He was thirsty and cold and sweaty. He was even tempted with sin just as we are (Heb. 4:15). He submitted to the point of allowing His very creation to execute Him. Hebrews 12:2 tells us that He endured the cross for the joy that was set before him. That joy was for those who would receive Him.

He laid down so much and we struggle to lay down so little. The declaration that "Jesus is Lord" (Romans 10:9) is so much more than just about fire insurance. It involves a submission of our wills to His. That means we do what He would have us do, regardless of how we feel. One of the real traps of our culture is the whole concept of judging right and wrong according to our feelings. I'll do something (or maybe not) depending on how it makes me feel. In doing so we allow ourselves to be trapped into self-serving narcissism.

We hold onto attitudes that are contrary to the Word of God. We do things that are contrary to the Word. We curse instead of blessing. We criticize instead of helping. We judge instead of loving. We avert our eyes and go our way where we can help. We tell ourselves that it is not our problem.

Colossians 3:17 tells us "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him." That's a pretty comprehensive prescription.

We get the so-called big sins but what about the other stuff? What about gossip or envy? What about stirring strife? Maybe I'm holding onto anger and unforgiveness? What about pride or selfishness?

He laid down His glory for you. What, in your life, is it time to let go of? You'll be glad you did.

Open Eyes and Loving Noses

2008-12-04T08:07:00.000-08:00

A friend of mine likes to say that we are to have "loving noses". What she means is that as Christians we ought to be concerned about one another and the issues of our lives. We have so often been taught that we're to mind our own business and stay out of other people's stuff. At some level that's true. We don't need to poke around in other people lives to just to gratify our curiosity and need to gossip. We should, however, be aware of what is going on around us in the lives of people in need and be willing to help.

This week a friend of mine and I had the opportunity to help a lady in her 80's who is in a pretty tough situation. We found out that she had been living without a toilet for sometime so we were able to put in a new tank for her toilet and get it up and running. We also fixed a broken shower head and started repairing some problems with the kitchen sink. We have more to do that we'll be getting to in the coming days.

I'm thankful to the Lord for revealing this situation to us. Like a lot of people, our senior friend would not have asked for help, even though she desperately needed it. We're taught not to ask others for help in our culture and unfortunately, this attitude can be propagated in our churches too. Like many folks this dear lady doesn't want to bother people with her problems.

It didn't bother me to help her. I love doing that kind of thing. It bothered me that she had been living like this and I didn't know.

Don't ignore the warning signs around you. It may not be physical labor that someone needs. It may be a smile or encouraging word. If the Holy Spirit lays someone on your heart there's a reason for that.

Love is all about action. We emphasize that at our church. Love is about relationship and interaction. It's easy to love one another when all we do is shake hands before and after church but Biblically we are called to so much more. Galatians 6:2 tells us to "bear one another's burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ." The law of Christ is love. In John 13:34-35 Jesus said, "A new commandment I give you that you love one another. Even as I have loved you that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples if you have love for one another."

Jesus didn't say the world would know that we are his by our big buildings, programs, wealth or even power but by our LOVE! Biblical love is not about how we feel but about what we do.

Ministry opportunities are all around. Let's open our eyes and maybe even be a little nosy if that's what it takes. Don't miss an opportunity to help. You'll be blessed.

Slipping Ladders

2008-11-26T07:42:00.000-08:00

Ever have a ladder slip out from under you? I have. God is good. I only ended up with skinned shins, a sore foot and a bum elbow. Which brings me to today's post.

Ever try to do something with a body part out of whack. You never realize how much you need your elbow until you hurt it. Even something as simple as tying shoes becomes a slower process. I like to be doing things so having am elbow slowing me down is not in the game plan.

Reminds me of Paul's words in 1st Corinthians 12:12-27.

For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many. If the foot should say, “Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? And if the ear should say, “Because I am not an eye, I am not of the body,” is it therefore not of the body? If the whole body were an eye, where would be the hearing? If the whole were hearing, where would be the smelling? But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body just as He pleased. And if they were all one member, where would the body be? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body.And the eye cannot say to the hand, “I have no need of you”; nor again the head to the feet, “I have no need of you.” No, much rather, those members of the body which seem to be weaker are necessary. And those members of the body which we think to be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable parts have greater modesty, but our presentable parts have no need. But God composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have the same care for one another. And if one member suffers, all the members suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with it. Now you are the body of Christ, and members individually.

The body of Christ is awesome when we are all doing our part! Our experience, in this walk with God, should be so much more than just sitting in Church. While that is good and necessary there is so much more. In the analogy of a body we find a picture of action. Christianity is not to be lived as some kind of passive, minimal effect on my life, existence. Our walk with Jesus ought to intertwine and impact every area of our lives.

Going back to the body. My wife has done a lot of work helping people who have lost their hearing. We take our hearing for granted until we lose it. But lose it and you will miss it.

When a member of the Body of Christ doesn't function according to God's calling for their lives we all suffer. The Body is weakened.

What's your calling? What does God have for you to do? The Body of Christ needs you! A lost and dying world needs you. Don't let anything rob you of your special place in the Body of Christ.

Meteor Over Edmonton

2008-11-22T08:11:00.000-08:00

A police camera in Edmonton caught a meteor falling to the earth. This is a pretty impressive video. Enjoy.

And the stars of heaven fell unto the earth, even as a fig tree casteth her untimely figs, when she is shaken of a mighty wind.
Rev. 6:13

Revelation Song

2008-11-19T15:50:00.000-08:00

Just heard this the other day. What a powerful worship song. Enjoy and be blessed.

Producing Fruit

2008-11-17T14:16:00.000-08:00

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.
Galatians 5:22-23

Fruit occurs when the conditions are right. Have you ever seen an apple tree straining to produce fruit? When a healthy tree gets enough sun and water and when the soil conditions are good the tree will produce apples.

In our own walk with the Lord there are times when we just have to do the right thing. Paul admonishes us in to put on Christ (Romans 13:14), to put on the new man (Ephesians 4:34), and to put on a host of attitudes ranging from mercy to love (Colossians 3:12-14). The exhortation in all these passages is about doing what the Lord would have us do regardless of how we feel.

But the fruit of the Spirit is different. The fruit of the Spirit is not produced by a specific decision to do a specific thing. The fruit of the Spirit is produced out of relationship. Out of who we are and who we are becoming in our walk with the Lord. When the conditions in our relationship are right fruit will be produced.

I've always found the fruit of the Spirit to be a good check on my heart. Am I walkng in peace? Do I have joy? Am I patient? When there's a break there I ask myself where am I missing it. You see, I've never found God to be the one who moves or changes.

It's always me.

Watching The Rain

2008-11-14T07:48:00.000-08:00

We've had one of the biggest stretches of hard rain that we have had in quite some time. Working at my computer this morning, sipping a cup of coffee, and seeing the rain come down (this computer sits right under a window facing out) I'm reminded of the story Jesus told about the two house builders in Matthew chapter 7. The first man built his house upon the rock. The rains and wind came and the house stood. The second man built his house upon the sand. The rain and winds came and his house collapsed.

We often refer to Jesus as the rock and the Word compares Him to one in places like 1st Corinthians 10:4 but in this passage when Jesus talks about the two men, one who built his house on the rock and one who didn't, let's look closely at what he says.

Jesus said in Matthew 7:24, "Therefore whoever hears these sayings of Mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock." and in 7:26, "But everyone who hears these sayings of Mine, and does not do them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand."

The dividing line in these two lives is not what they hear but what they do. It's the response to the Word of God (Jesus is the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us). James tells us that if we hear the Word and don't do it we can actually become deceived.

What does it mean to be a doer of the Word? A good place to start is in our attitudes when we read it.

What happens when the Word of God challenges some aspect of your life? Maybe you have a really nasty temper. What happens when you read that as believers we should be patient and self-controlled or that we are to cease from anger? What's your response? Are you going to set your heart to be a doer of the Word or make excuses like "I can't help myself" or "it's just the way my family is"?

Become a doer of the Word. Build your life upon the rock!

Thankfulness

2008-11-10T14:34:00.000-08:00

I love this passage for the promises and comfort found within -- confidence as we pray and peace as we wait. In everything (there is no issue too big or too small for the Lord) we bring our requests to the Lord with thanksgiving.

Being thankful is powerful. Thankfulness fuels faith. Grumbling and whining have the opposite effect. Thankfulness adjusts our perspective, particularly when we are going through a rough time. Thankfulness keeps the enemy from getting a foothold and running us down with doubt and depression and fear.

We have so much to be thankful for. If Jesus had done nothing more than die for us and made a way for us to have eternal life we have eternity to be eternally and fully grateful but we have so many other things to be thankful for too. He's given us His presence, His Word, His body, His love, His care and provision. We can pray in faith and see answered prayer. We can lay hands on the sick and see them recover. He transforms us and never lets us go. We can live a life, filled with His joy and peace, participating in His plans and purposes. We can be instruments of His glory and honor.

Be thankful today. All things work together for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purposes! Take some time to count your blessings today. God is so good!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever. (Psalm 107:1)

The Goodness of God

2008-11-09T08:16:00.000-08:00

As I write this I can look out my window and see the incredibly gorgeous leaves of our big Elm (at least that's what I've been told) that overlooks the side of our property. The cellphone picture doesn't do it justice. The leaves turn to a pretty spectacular golden color in the fall. Nature has always been a reminder to me of the wonder and awe of the mighty God that we serve. Whether standing on the seashore and looking out over the ocean or admiring the foliage in the fall or looking at the stars on a dark clear night creation has spoken to my heart since I was young. The heavens truly do declare the glory of God (Psalm 19:1).

Don't forget to thank the Lord for His goodness to you today. It is so easy to get caught up in the stress and worry of life and forget what really matters.

Jesus said that we are to seek first the Kingdom of God. Life, stress, busyness and our very real enemy conspire to reorder our priorities -- to get them out of line with what God has for us.

Make some time for the Lord. You'll be glad you did.