Different People, Same Need

One of the biggest hindrances a Christian faces in evangelism is himself.  We have a way of becoming self-focused when answering the call to reveal Jesus to the world through our lives.  A common extreme is to become so regimented on a process that we forget to show real love to the people Jesus died to save.  Another common issue is we are so concerned about our lack of knowledge or other perceived insufficiency we refuse to even try!

As I waited in a Starbucks to meet with a friend today, I was struck by the vast differences of the people inside.  There was a policeman with a holstered gun, a man working on his computer, a man with painted nails and a purple purse, a couple of ladies walked in fresh from a workout, and a job interview was being conducted in the corner.  I considered our different personalities, lifestyles, and occupations, and I wondered what I could possible have in common with all these people.  I looked again at the man with the purple bag with long nails:  what did we have in common besides being in Starbucks this particular morning?

Then the answer came:  everyone in this coffee shop has a real need for Jesus Christ. Your occupation, sexual orientation, your history is not relevant to answer this question.  The more I looked around and thought about it, it seemed we had much more in common than the sum of our differences.  We have all been created in the image of God by God for God.  He has breathed into all of us a living soul and we are separated by God by our sins.  If we desire to spend eternity with Christ in heaven and enjoy fellowship with God on earth and into eternity, we must repent and trust in Jesus as LORD and Savior.  Only selfishness would cause me to focus on our differences when our true needs and those of our fellow men are exactly the same.

Jesus came to seek and save those who are lost.  We all must see ourselves in truth as lost before we can be found.  We need not always use words to reveal the love of Jesus to this world, but often words will be required.  Actions motivated by love will always be required!  Instead of dwelling on differences, may we seek to meet that need that all people share in whatever means possible, that they too might experience the saving grace, love, and forgiveness of our Savior Jesus Christ!

Peace from Proximity?

Has someone ever asked you an unexpected question?  On Christmas Eve my great-grandma, affectionately known as "Mama Pachita," asked me such a question.  To this point, her question usually has been, "Mijo, why don't you speak Spanish?"  As I knelt by her chair to give her a hug she bluntly asked, "Why do you have to go so far?  What if you are gone when I die?"  She struggled to cope with the idea that I would be moving from San Diego to Sydney across the Pacific ocean about 8,500 miles away.  This is not a question I could answer.  I quipped that she had lived a long life until this point, and I didn't think that would soon change.  Though still in great health, the thought of me being gone when she passed away disturbed her.  As I lay down to pray and sleep that night, her question remained in my mind.

I suppose I don't consider the ramifications of my own death that often.  I have taken responsible steps to provide for my family through a Living Trust and life insurance, but I spend no time thinking about how the world would be different if I wasn't around.  The other night I watched the classic "It's a Wonderful Life." George Bailey played by James Stewart is given the opportunity to see what the world would be like if he had never been born.  The movie drove home the point that one person, no matter how insignificant he or she feels, makes a profound impact on the people they contact.  Their choices, character, and love actually make more of a difference than being financially secure.

In her practical wisdom, my great-grandmother's question made a profound impact upon me.  Her statement showed that where I am on the globe matters because I am important to her.  If she had died before asking that question, I never would have known how much I matter to her.  Lesson learned?  Take the time to let people know they make a difference in your life.  Also, never forget to thank God for the difference His presence makes in our lives.  I am limited to a tiny spot on the globe, but God is infinite and eternal.  Wherever we find ourselves in the world, God is near when we draw near to Him.

One of my favorite exhortations in 2 Timothy 2:3 reads, "You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ."  One of the hardships soldiers must endure is separation from family, friends, and what is familiar.  They are called to fight as a united unit to accomplish the directives given by commanding officers.  God has called our family to serve Him in Australia.  Separation is hard, but God through His gracious love meets all our needs.  He knows the desires of our hearts, our motivation, our struggles, and fulfills every promise made to us.  Romans 8:18 gives us confidence in God's plan for each one of us who labor for His name's sake:  "For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."  I believe this wholeheartedly!

Peace does not come from physical proximity, but only from the Prince of Peace Jesus Christ!  Praise Him, for He will never leave or forsake us!

Love Generously!

As I went to sleep last night, a very simple thought came to me.  Wouldn't it be great if now and always God's people were faithful to share the love of Jesus with everyone?  A lot of the time we think of evangelism as going to people we've never seen before we tracts or having an outreach at the beach.  How great it would be to actively walk in the love of Christ every day!  He gave Himself completely, the greatest gift of all!

Romans 10:13-15 reads, "For "whoever calls on the name of the LORD shall be saved. ¹⁴ 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? ¹⁵ And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: "How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!"  How will people know of the love of Jesus firsthand except God reveal it through His people?  We know love because of the sacrificial love of Christ, who died for us when we were sinners.  We ought to die to self every day for all people so they too might experience the love of Christ.  The love of God prepares the soil of people's hearts to be a willing recipient of His good Word.

A willing recipient is a captive audience!  People may not agree with what we believe or what we say initially, or perhaps will never agree.  But they will never be able to speak against love from a pure heart.  As God has generously offered His love to us always without intermission, may we give that love to others.  Let us give the gift of Christ's love this Christmas season and always!

True to His Word

"I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God; for He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, He has covered me with the robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom decks himself with ornaments, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. ¹¹ For as the earth brings forth its bud, as the garden causes the things that are sown in it to spring forth, so the Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations ."

Isaiah 61:10-11

 

What God has promised He is able to perform.  Our intellect can get in the way of trusting the Word of the LORD.  When my children were in preschool, they learned how plants grow from seeds.  They wrapped dried beans in a wet paper towel sealed in a Ziploc bag.  After placing the bag in a sunny spot, with childlike enthusiasm they couldn't wait until the first tender shoots peeked out from those seemingly dead, dry beans.  When we grow plants from seeds as adults, we carefully amend and prep the soil, plant certain seeds in certain seasons, properly space the seeds, regulate the depth, fertilize, and build a fence.  We have sprays for pests, various plant food, and consider all the work of weeding and irrigation.  Though the process of growing beans is the same for either children or adults, the knowledge we gain by adulthood makes things so difficult!

This is why God desires we have faith like a child.  A child does not look at all the hindrances of growing a plant because his mind is fixed on the surety of the process:  plant a seed in the ground, add a little water and sunlight - and he knows a plant will grow.  This is how we ought to be when God gives us His Word.  We ought not look at the obstacles which seem to contradict God's Word, but consider the character of God who speaks.  He will never lie, mislead, or be incorrect.  If God says He will make righteousness and praise spring forth to God before all the nations, He will do so!  Nothing is too hard for our God.

When God told me in 2002, "You shall preach, and you shall be sent," it seemed very unlikely.  I wondered how such a thing could come to pass.  God used a quote from Spurgeon's from Lectures to My Students to encouraged me to believe His word spoken to my heart:  "Neptune had long been shining before he was discovered and named; and you and I brethren, may remain unknown for years, and possible the world may never discover us; but I trust that our influence, like that of Neptune, will be felt and recognized, whether we are seen of men, or only shine in solitary splendour to the glory of God."  Soon after I received a call from my pastor who invited me to teach a home fellowship.  Then in 2005 I came on staff at Calvary Chapel El Cajon and was ordained as a minister in 2006!  I had preached, but I had not yet been sent.

It was in 2005 when God placed a desire in my heart to pray for the east side of Australia.  Every morning in my prayers I would turn my face towards Australia!  Little did I know at the time that He would not only open a door to visit the east side of Australia in 2009, but I would be offered a pastoral job at Calvary Chapel Sydney in 2010!  Yesterday my wife and I had a meeting with a pastor to discuss our vision for the fellowship in Sydney.  At the end of the meeting, he prayed for us.  As he prayed, I was blessed beyond measure by what was said, which was something to the effect of:  "Thank you Jesus for sending Ben and Laura to this church at this time."  My mind flashed back to words that God has impressed upon my heart more than once.  In front of the Castle Towers in Castle Hill, there is a large Australian flag.  As I waited at the light and watched the flag wave in the breeze, God encouraged me with the words, "I will establish you."  It is God who will establish, and it is God who has sent us.  His prayer only confirmed it was Jesus Christ Himself who had sent us!

If it was a church fellowship or a group of elders who sent our family to a foreign field, I could doubt their judgment.  But if it is God who has sent me, He can certainly fulfill His will concerning me.  If God says He will establish, He will do it!  He has already fulfilled His word spoken in 2002:  "You will preach and you will be sent."  Won't He establish us as well?  Because God's Word endures forever, it is like good seed that will never be without fruit.  It will never return to Him void, but always accomplish what He intends.  Isaiah 55:9-11: "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways, and My thoughts than your thoughts. ¹⁰ "For as the rain comes down, and the snow from heaven, and do not return there, but water the earth, and make it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to the eater, ¹¹ so shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it."

 

What God says He will do!  Let us purpose in our hearts to believe God no matter what.  Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to Him for righteousness.  Joshua 21:45 is as true today as it was then:  "Not a word failed of any good thing which the LORD had spoken to the house of Israel. All came to pass."  Do we live our lives like this is true?

The Righteous Rise

Sometimes in reading the Bible I come across verses that shatter my misconceptions I didn't know I had!  I read Proverbs 24:15-16 which states, "Do not lie in wait, O wicked man, against the dwelling of the righteous; do not plunder his resting place; ¹⁶ for a righteous man may fall seven times and rise again, but the wicked shall fall by calamity."  Both the wicked and the righteous will fall into sin, for they live in a body of flesh.  The difference between them is the righteous will rise again and again, while the wicked will fall and be unable to rise.  The wicked have no resting place under the oppressive weight of their guilt and sin before God, while the righteous are those who rest in the forgiveness offered through the cleansing blood of Jesus Christ.

We might think that a righteous person is one who no longer sins, while in actuality those who are righteous are those whose sins are forgiven.  There is none righteous, not one is righteous in his own strength save Jesus Christ.  The devil will use our faults against us, to condemn us by saying:  "You think you are righteous?  See what wicked thoughts you entertain!  Look at how you acted!  There's no hope for you now!"  The righteous can be duped to remain down when it is Christ who lifts us up!  David says in Psalm 32:1-2, "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. ² Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit."  A righteous man is he who has his sins forgiven by the blood of Christ.

Since God in His grace and justice has forgiven us of our sins, we are now free from sin and are given the responsibility to live righteously.  This righteousness is not according to the law, but according to the power of the Holy Spirit who indwells us in faith.  When we are disillusioned by our own faults we can know we have begun to think of ourselves more highly than we ought.  As long as we live in this flesh, we are sinners in need of cleansing and salvation.  We are called to work out our own salvation - not that we could earn our salvation through doing good - but that we would walk worthy of our high calling as children of God.

When you fall into sin, ask God to lift you up!  Let us reach out to Him.  As Jesus rose from the dead and defeated sin and death, we too can be raised up by the same power which works in us by His grace.  A righteous man will fall, but we will rise again!  Praise God for this incredible truth!

It's GO Time!

"Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. ⁹ And behold, an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. ¹⁰ Then the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. ¹¹ For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be the sign to you: you will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger." ¹³ And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: ¹⁴ "Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!" ¹⁵ So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us." ¹⁶ And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger."

Luke 2:8-16

Christmas is the celebration of the divine revelation of Jesus Christ, the Word who became flesh and dwelt among us.  On a quiet night in the countryside of Bethlehem, angels proclaimed the birth of the Son of God to shepherds who dwelt in the fields.  What I find fascinating about this interaction is the angel says,  "And this will be the sign to you: you will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger."  The shepherds were never told to go to Bethlehem.  They were not commanded to leave their flocks or seek the child Jesus.  But with great enthusiasm and desire the shepherds said to one another, "Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us."  God had revealed Himself from heaven as a child in a manger, and they desired to experience His presence firsthand.  Verse 16 reveals their zeal:  "And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger."

Funny isn't it, how these men did something they weren't even asked or commanded to do?  The angel simply said, "You will find...."  He might as well have said, "Get up right now and GO!" by their actions!  The shepherds responded to the revelation not by putting another bundle of sticks on the fire, leaning back with hands behind their heads saying, "Wonder how this will turn out!"  They went immediately to seek their LORD and Savior.  Later in the life of Christ, He spoke in Matthew 7:7-8: "Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.⁸ For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened."  Jesus extends to us an open invitation to ask, seek, and knock.  This is not an invitation for us to satisfy our own selfish desires, but to experience firsthand what God has revealed.  I must ask myself:  do I have that same enthusiastic response to seek God like those shepherds?  And if not, what is that thing which is so important that seeking God must be second?

These shepherds left all to seek their Savior.  No career, no relationship, no earthly goods, and no self-imposed responsibilities should keep me from seeking my LORD.  Sometimes we have this idea that God must command us to do something before we will do it.  The fact is, sometimes God will reveal something He wants us to act upon by simply taking Him at His word in obedience.  In this case, the men saw angels and were given a sign.  But it was a sign they had to seek, not for the sign itself but for who it pointed to:  the Son of God, born of a virgin in the City of David, our Savior Christ the LORD.  These men were not seeking revelation.  Their responsibility was to trust that revelation and live according to the truth of it.  My friends, this is the Christian existence summed up very well.  These shepherds made haste to find the Babe, widely proclaimed all they had seen and heard to everyone they met, and returned to their flocks glorifying and praising God.  May this kind of super-abundant joyful evangelism in the purest form mark my life and that of every believer!

What has God revealed to you, and what does He want you to do about it today?

My Responsibility to Remember

For all of those who envision God as a soft old man similar to a cross between Santa Claus and a benevolent Genie, I am here to set things straight.  There is no fitting comparison found on earth for God.  Yes, God is full of love, compassion, and mercy.  But that does not make Him soft or manipulated by the whims of men.  The God I serve, the God who shed His own blood for my sins, is more fierce in His love, justice, and grace than we could imagine.  The same God who says, "My peace I give unto you" is the same God who says this in Psalm 50:22-23:  "Now consider this, you who forget God, lest I tear you in pieces, and there be none to deliver: ²³ whoever offers praise glorifies Me; and to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God."  Now there's a verse we don't hear read too often!

As much as I appreciate and love every aspect of God's character (and perhaps because I am a man!) I really love to read of the awesome power and glorious might of my God.  Just like we love to see strongman competitions or watch someone perform a great physical feat, I relish passages that focus on the majestic strength of Jesus Christ.  Take Revelation 19:11-16 for instance:  "Now I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse. And He who sat on him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and makes war. ¹² His eyes were like a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name written that no one knew except Himself. ¹³ He was clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His name is called The Word of God. ¹⁴ And the armies in heaven, clothed in fine linen, white and clean, followed Him on white horses. ¹⁵ Now out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should strike the nations. And He Himself will rule them with a rod of iron. He Himself treads the winepress of the fierceness and wrath of Almighty God. ¹⁶ And He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS."  This is a God who can literally tear the universe in half with his word alone!

Those who would call Christ pallid and incompetent will bow the knee in reverence before Him!  This passage simply oozes of the power and majesty of the Son of God:  Jesus Christ, Immanuel, God with us.  It speaks of His truth and faithfulness, His royalty, His unsearchable mind and ways, His power to conquer, to kill and make alive, the Ultimate Ruler, a God of fierceness beyond compare, the KING of ALL!  Doesn't the ALL CAPS scream out His rightful place in the universe and in our lives?

Yet for all His strength and praiseworthiness, our feeble minds can forget Him.  We can be so caught up in the daily routine or the holidays that we take our eyes off of Jesus.  Since our family will be leaving in about two weeks for Australia, my son Abel received notes from his classmates who are sorry to see him go.  One note in particular was very touching.  The last part read, "I hope you never forget me."  How wretched it is to be forgotten!  We may forget God, but He will never forget us!  He is faithful and true!  Jesus told His followers to remember Him in the celebration of Communion.  The thief on the cross pleaded with his dying LORD, "Remember me when you come into your kingdom."  Jesus would not forget and said, "Assuredly I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise."

Our God will never leave us or forsake us, and He will certainly never forget us.  We have a responsibility to remember God now and always.  We find it amazing that no one could find a place for Mary and Joseph when they looked through Bethlehem.  We think it impossible and inhumane that people would leave them and the soon to be born baby Jesus in the cold.  With heavy hearts we must confess we are no better:  we do it all the time.  There was no room for Jesus then, and many of us have no room for Jesus now.  As the lovely carol "Joy to the World" exhorts, "Let every heart prepare Him room."  We can sing right along with heaven and nature if we will but remember Him.  "Joy to the world, the LORD is come!"  From a feeding trough to the heights of heaven, our LORD reigns!  Let us adore Him today and always!

The Little Drummer Boy

When I played piano as a youth, one of my favorite Christmas songs to play was "The Little Drummer Boy."  The last time I sang this song, my emotions were profoundly moved to a point I could hardly sing.  Perhaps for all those years the truth of the message was hidden among the multitude of "pa rum pum pum pums!"  It is a classic carol but also a timeless truth.  As ridiculous as it seems that a boy would be encouraged to play on his drum as a gift for baby Jesus, how much more ridiculous is it that the praises of our lips would be received by Him!  Are the words of my lips as pure as the love of the Little Drummer Boy, who gave all he had to give?  Here is the message of the carol written by Katherine K. Davis, Henry Onorati, and Harry Simeone  below:

Come they told me
A new born King to see,
Our finest gifts we bring
To lay before the King 
So to honor Him
When we come.

Little Baby
I am a poor boy too

I have no gift to bring
That's fit to give our King
Shall I play for you!
On my drum.

Mary nodded
The ox and lamb kept time
I played my drum for Him
I played my best for Him
Then He smiled at me
Me and my drum.

We are all like the Little Drummer Boy, without a gift fit to give a king, much less the King of Kings!  What a message of merciful, gracious acceptance!  What gift is greater than to be accepted by God in our poor state, that He would smile upon our pathetic gestures!  May our gifts be without pride as we offer ourselves freely to Jesus Christ.  If by God's grace you have a drum or have a voice to sing, won't you use it to praise and thank Him today and always?

Secure? True or False?

I have been mulling over a portion I read yesterday during my devotional time.  Judges 8:10-11 reads, "Now Zebah and Zalmunna were in Karkor, and their hosts with them, about fifteen thousand men, all that were left of all the hosts of the children of the east: for there fell an hundred and twenty thousand men that drew sword. ¹¹ And Gideon went up by the way of them that dwelt in tents on the east of Nobah and Jogbehah, and smote the host: for the host was secure."  To set the scene, God gave Gideon and his 300 men a miraculous victory over the Midianite army where 120,000 died.  The remaining 15,000 men and kings Zebah and Zalmunna fled with Gideon and the 300 in hot pursuit.  Though Gideon and the 300 were weary, they killed all who remained of the Midianite army and took captive their kings.

The part of the scripture which leapt off the page was the final statement:  Gideon "...smote the host:  for the host was secure."  These 15,000 felt secure because they had managed to escape the sword of the Lord and of Gideon.  They fled far away and thought the danger was past.  Perhaps they spent the evening drinking, took off all their armor, lay down to sleep without watchmen, or threw down their weapons in a pile.  The Bible does not specifically say.  But we do know they did not expect an attack and felt secure.  And because they did not figure on fighting they all ended up dying.  There is a strong warning in this passage for those with eyes to see and ears to hear.

There is no doubt of the shift in modern times in the presentation and teaching of the Gospel.  The preaching in churches during the centuries has gone though a perpetual cycle.  Man has always labored to present the Gospel with proper balance.  Some preach grace and ignore the necessity of works, while others preach works and cheapen grace.  We struggle to balance the sovereignty of God and the responsibility of man.  Church tradition, denominational lines, culture, and personal experience all weave together a worldview which defines belief.  Even in a "nondenominational" church, this is often the case.  If I grew up in a church that never preached from the Bible and saw the danger of that, I would be careful to emphasize true biblical doctrine.  I might even shy away from topical studies.  If your experience is one of casting off the yoke of oppressive legalism, you would naturally focus on the freedom we have in Christ instead of the need for good works.

One of the aspects focused upon today by many is the positional security we have in Christ.  People will regurgitate what have become common catchphrases:  "If you believe in Jesus, you're heaven-bound!  No one, not even the devil can snatch you out of His hand!  Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ!"  I used these phrases carefully, and every one has been taken out of context to prove a point.  As a person who has read the whole counsel of God and grown in maturity, I know that repentance is a requirement for salvation.  I know that there is such a thing as apostasy, and that we can refuse to receive the love Christ has for us.  But a new believer?  He does not understand these statements and they can be very dangerous because they bring with them a false sense of security.  He believes he is safe and secure.  He does not recognize he has an enemy who is constantly accusing, condemning, and plotting his overthrow.

If Satan can lull us to sleep as Delilah did to Samson on her knees, he can render us powerless, bind, blind, and enslave us.  The truth is, though we are positionally secure in Jesus Christ we can still be under attack!  That is why Christians are called to be sober and watchful, putting on the whole armor of God.  It is Jesus who says in Matthew 26:41:  "Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak."  The implication is that if we do not watch and pray, we will enter into temptation willingly!  Our flesh is weak.  Though we are born again by grace through faith and our salvation is secure in Christ, Satan would like nothing more than to paralyze us in sin, ruin our witness, bombard us with doubts and disillusionment, and make us an ally to draw others away from God!  As much as we emphasize our positional security in Christ Jesus, we need to make clear our responsibilities to honor God in daily living.

I would never have known I was in a spiritual battle unless God told me through His Word and raised my awareness through the Holy Spirit.  The natural man is blind to spiritual things.  Paul exhorts in Ephesians 6:10-11:  "Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. ¹¹ Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil ."  Unless we put on the whole armor of God, we will not be able to stand against the wiles of the devil!  He is as powerful as he is crafty, and he rages against God and His people with ferocity.  But as Samson ripped apart the lion which roared against him in the vineyard, God will help us to stand in the day of attack.  We are to flee from youthful lusts, but we never run from Satan!  Satan nor his demons should not frighten us, for love in Christ casts out all fear.  We have the authority in Christ to stand against him, and to that end we must be watchful and vigilant as we stand upon Christ and His promises.

If you knew there was a lion loose in your community, you would take caution to protect yourself and your children.  How much more deadly is temptation and sin which leads to eternal death?  Is it possible we are lax in our conduct and discipline because we do not see the need?  Since our security in Christ (though true!) is a note often harped upon, this has led to a level of complacency and apathy in the church never before seen. There is no security worse than a false security.  People went on the maiden voyage of the Titanic thinking it was an unsinkable ship.  We all know the tragedy that followed.  If a man is duped into thinking, "I'm saved, glad that's over - now I can get on with my life" God help us!  Sound the trumpet, for we are in a battle!  Instead of being entangled with things of this world, let us be watchful and pray.  Victory is promised to the obedient!

Update from Down Under

With less than 48 hours remaining in Australia this trip, I am amazed to think about all that has happened in that time.  My schedule has been fairly rigorous of late, and yesterday is a great example.  I visited a property and picked up a rental application in the morning, had lunch with some mates, went for caroling practice, then headed off to the Beecroft Nursing home to sing to folks, played gridiron at the park with guys from church, then went to the church building for a dinner gathering!  It was 11pm before I hitched a ride with Ian back to the Tookes and let's just say, Sunday morning came EARLY!  If you are keen to hear the message I preached today called "Dry Bone to New Life", follow this link!  (Right click and save to desktop - then play!)

Yesterday I was so happy to be able to sing carols with people from Calvary Epping and CC Sydney to the residents at the nursing home, a place I have jogged past for the last two months praying for an opportunity to serve there.  See, God does answer prayer!  I imagine it must be a lonely place to spend your days, in various stages of health and mental alertness.  I carefully observed our audience as we sang to them about Christmas and Jesus Christ.  One man in particular had my attention.  He was quiet, with large vacant eyes.  But when we began to sing, he clearly mouthed the words to nearly every song.  Every soul in that room was absolutely precious.  My heart longs to be of greater service to them in the future.  For the first time I sang the Australian version of Jingle Bells, which is hilarious.

People have been asking me if I am excited to go home to America.  Funny as it may seem, I don't see it as going home.  I am actually more excited about coming to Australia on January 3rd with our one-way-tickets than me heading back to the States.  Please don't misunderstand:  I am very excited to visit with family and friends and spend the holidays with them.  But I can't think about traveling to San Diego as heading home.  My real home is in heaven, and Australia is where I believe God will establish our family to stay for awhile.  When some people might be longing for their hometown, that is not my case.  Thinking of leaving now is very hard to imagine because it feels like we're just getting started at CC Sydney!

It's really interesting to me that I do not have a house to call my own on either side of the Pacific, and nearly all my earthy goods are at this moment on a ship on the ocean.  While my biological family is on the west coast of the United States, I truly have family in Christ on both sides of those expansive waters.  To be apart from any of them is so hard, and it will need to be that way for the rest of my days no matter where I live.  Only in heaven will we all be together!  I am reminded of one of my favorite verses in 2 Timothy 2:1-3:  "You therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus. ² And the things that you have heard from me among many witnesses, commit these to faithful men who will be able to teach others also. ³ You therefore must endure hardship as a good soldier of Jesus Christ ."  Praise the LORD, that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.  We can cast all our cares upon Him, because He cares for us!

Godly Leadership

A big problem with leadership in the church today are the perceptions of it either by leaders or congregants.  Since the formation of the church men have been drawn to follow men.  This is nothing new.  The children of Israel wanted a king so they could be like the other nations.  I have heard it said that a pastor cannot lead a man further than he has traveled himself in spiritual maturity.  I agree to a point.  A pastor's role is to lead a man to follow Christ, take heed to all the flock of God, and equip the saints for the work of the ministry.  IF you follow the pastor, you willingly limit yourself to your leader.  God has placed pastors within the Body of Christ that they might point to Christ the Messiah as John the Baptist did.  As a pastor, my role is to lead by example in following Christ, not by making myself the standard, but serving as a fellow-laborer still growing in maturity.  Even Paul said in Philippians 3:12:  "Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on, that I may lay hold of that for which Christ Jesus has also laid hold of me."  He continued to press on, seeing his need for greater maturity and submission to God.

There are few things more common than criticizing or judging those in leadership positions in the church by others.  But no matter how poor the leadership may be, it gives us no excuse not to grow in grace and faith in Christ.  If we are filled with complaints, it may be that we are seeking to follow a person rather than Christ.  In following a man or woman we will always become disillusioned with their leadership.  When we see people not walking in the authority God has given them as children of God, we can stand in judgment of them OR take the lead ourselves in following Jesus.  Should not all true leaders be the servants of all?  We do not need to have a ministerial title within the church to take the lead in loving others, prayer, growth in grace, and being strong in faith.  The pastor, elders, and congregation will all answer to God alone, and those who teach will be held under stricter judgment.

A pastor is always on duty.  It does not matter whether he drives on the motorway, stops for a coffee, or makes a visit to a hospital.  His life will be scrutinized and examined by both Christians and non-Christians to see if his actions affirms his words.  In the same way, all Christians are always on duty!  It is not only the pastor who is called to walk in faithful service to Jesus, but every person who is born again of the Holy Spirit's power.  Martin Luther desired only to be known as a Christian, because following Jesus is the highest calling and privilege of any human being.  Instead of confining our influence and service to Christ within a building on Sunday mornings, let us seek to live for God continually.  All Christians have equal responsibility to live as such!  Never forget Who lives in you, Who daily makes intercession for you, and Who loves the world enough to freely give His only begotten Son.

Let us make the words of the psalmist our prayer:  Psalm 139:23-24 says, "Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my anxieties; ²⁴ and see if there is any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."  If we are faithful to do this, we will never lack godly leadership!

Intervention!

"You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep going astray, and hide yourself from them; you shall certainly bring them back to your brother." 

Deuteronomy 22:1-2 

 

Our natural tendency is to avoid involving ourselves in other people's business.  Just like the story of the Good Samaritan, when we see trouble our instincts tell us to pass on the other side.  The Priest and Levite would have known Deuteronomy 22:4 which read, "You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fall down along the road, and hide yourself from them; you shall surely help him lift them up again."  While they obeyed the letter of the Law, they ignored the implications of the Law.  A man is certainly of more value than a donkey or ox!

 

There is this perception in many Christians that the role of correction or confrontation of sin falls only to the pastor.  This is not true!  As children of God, we all have the freedom and responsibility to seek to restore one who has fallen into sin with meekness.  I once had a situation in ministry when an adult called me on the phone after service and reported that two students of high school age were kissing on the playground.  I perceived from her tone she believed their conduct was inappropriate.  I asked, "Did you talk to them directly?"  She had not.  As a mature believer, the right thing to do would be to approach those who err personally, immediately, and privately as Jesus directed (Matt. 18:15).  This is a very common response in people today because confrontation makes us uncomfortable.  We have been conditioned by this world that we have no right to interfere with someone else's life.

God has made it plain that it is our right and duty to intervene in love when we see someone heading to their own destruction.  If we are to regard the life of our brother's ox or sheep, should we not also regard the life of our brother's teenage son?  It is easy to turn a blind eye to actual sin and justify our inaction by thinking, "Not my son, not my problem."  I'm so glad Jesus did not look at sinful man this way!  He could have remained in heavenly glory and said, "Gentiles?  Not my people, not my problem."  But He humbled Himself as a man, became a suffering servant, and gave His life for the sins of the whole world!  As children of God He has given us authority to seek and save the lost.  We are not called to "come down" on others, but seek to lift them up and exhort them with words of grace and love.

Your duty to lead and instruct young people or encouraging brothers and sisters in Christ does not end when you leave a church building.  That same power of love, grace, gentleness, and meekness rests upon you in the power of the Holy Spirit.  Galatians 6:1 reads, "Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted."  Our job is not to become the spiritual police of our churches, making sure no kids run in the sanctuary, that skirts extend beyond the knee, and absolutely forbidding all public displays of affection.  But as led by the Holy Spirit with a heart of love to restore, we ought to take action when overt sin comes to our attention.  Don't hide yourself when God commands to intervene!

Called to Teach Kids?

We have an amazing capacity to complicate what God has made simple.  Take the call of God, for instance.  There are certain things every believer is called to do without exception:  abide in the Vine, share the Gospel, to teach new believers, pray without ceasing, to love one another as Christ loves us, and to live for the glory of God to name a few.  What often trips people up is defining their personal role in the Body of Christ.  Because the clouds have not parted with a beam of light, no lightning has struck their path, or the risen LORD has not appeared to them in a vision, they waffle and remain uncertain concerning what they are to do.  And most often, unfortunately, use their freedom in Christ to do little or nothing.

One of the roles most neglected in the Body of Christ is the teaching of children.  I was told early in ministry that "10% of the people in church do 90% of the work," and there is much evidence to support this.  This may or not be the case, but it should never be the case!  Every single person is critical to make the Body of Christ function as intended by God.  Ephesians 4:15-16 says, "...But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head --Christ-- ¹⁶ from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love."  Every true believer has been born again of the same Spirit, and as a living member of the church serves a purpose and function. There is no escaping this reality.  God has freed us from sin and death but we are also to actively glorify Him by our lives.  The first qualification for teaching children is being born again through the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Perhaps you wonder if you have been called to teach children.  Let me put it very simply:  if God by his grace has given you children, you are called to teach children.  Period!  This does not eliminate anyone young or old, single or married from serving in formal ministry to children.  But if you have children, you are clearly called to teach children.  Deuteronomy 6:4-7 reads, "Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD one!  ⁵ You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. ⁶ And these words which I command you today shall be in your heart. ⁷ You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, when you walk by the way, when you lie down, and when you rise up."  Jesus allowed the little children to come unto Him, and He did nothing to dissuade them.  It was the disciples who were prone to think of ministry to children as insignificant.  Your age or single marital status is no disqualification to service, in fact unmarried and widowed people often have greater freedom to serve!

Some of the great ministers to children did not have a natural child, but many adopted and spiritual children through the love of Christ.  Gladys Aylward was an English missionary to China, where she bought and accepted many orphaned and abandoned children.  Though these children were not biologically hers, she was directed by God to provide for their bodies and save their souls.  Shouldn't that same love and desire for the souls of children be found in us as well?  But you don't understand, you might be thinking.  I have nothing in common with the children of today!  The first qualification for teaching Sunday School is being born again, and the second is having been a child.  If you have been a child, you have vast experience and wisdom to give children as they face the challenges of following Jesus in a fallen world.

Let us put aside all excuses and selfish reasons for not serving the children and youth of our fellowships, especially if your children are numbered among them!  You will make time in your life for whatever is a priority.  If we can schedule sporting events, family functions, and leisure activities, why can't we set aside time to nurture and train children in the admonition of the LORD?  May God make us fruitful in and outside of the four walls of a church building, that the name of Jesus be lifted up among all ages!

All for Good?

"And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose." 

Romans 8:28

There are few verses as loaded as this to blast our doubts concerning the sovereignty of God.  Countless books have been written on the subject, and more sermons preached besides.  Because of the prolific and often flippant use of this scripture, we can be numb to the reality of the promise contained within.  It is one thing to quote this verse:  do we actually believe it is true?

The Bible teaches us that we do not see things as God sees.  We are limited in sight.  We cannot see the good in a 20-year-old man who lost limbs in war and is now confined to a chair.  We mourn with those who suffer debilitating illness, and shake our heads over the pain of separation of parents as they bury their only child.  There are many things we can see no good in, and frankly there is no good in them.  Death and all causes of it are due to sin being in this world, and sin is pure evil.  But we know for certain that God makes all things work together for good, for that is a promise in God's Word.  It does not say "God is able to make things work for good:" the Bibles clearly states that "All things work together for good."

God rules above all things and graciously allows both good and evil to work for good.  We can struggle to believe this is true when painful events occur in our lives.  We are so caught up in our suffering that we cannot see any good.  This "good" is not like the "Pollyanna Glad Game" of trying to put a positive spin on everything.  It is a profound, purposed good that only God can do.  Man in his short-sighted wisdom makes disaster when he tries to make good.  He sets up a charity to help starvation and many take advantage of the situation to steal.  Years ago cane toads were imported from Hawaii to Australia to rid the cane fields of a devastating beetle.  This proved to be both ineffective and disastrous!  Without a natural predator, cane toads have increased exponentially and become a terrible pest and destroyer of native wildlife.  They have poisonous glands on their bodies which are dangerous to animals and people alike.   Only God can make good out of man's mistakes.  It is not like the cliche "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" but more like the tale of Rumpelstiltskin who made spun gold from straw.

"...We know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose."  Many people, believers in Christ or not, are quick to say, "I know that everything happens for a reason..."  This is a misunderstanding which sells scripture short.  Things do not just "happen."  God allows all things to fulfill His purposes.  He employs both good and bad things to work together for good.  The word "reason" has a much different meaning than "purpose."  A reason can be an excuse or an opinion.  But God has a purpose for all things.  The word in the Greek for "purpose" means "intention, proposal."  A proposal in today's use would be a contract drawn up for approval.  It is concrete, not abstract.  God's purposes always align with His righteous judgments, holiness, and perfect will.  We have been created by God for God that we might bring Him glory.

God uses all things to work together in my life for good.  When Job was smitten by Satan, God used that terrible circumstance and loss for great good and gain.  When Jesus died on the cross by the hands of sinful men, through His death all people can be born again through repentance and faith in Him and live forever.  If God can use the death of His only Son to bring life to others and greater glory for Himself, won't He also be faithful to use the circumstances of my life?  Even Pharaoh who hated God was used for God's supreme purposes.  King Nebuchadnezzar was called "my servant" by God before he even knew God!  With God there are no accidents.  Everything occurs according to His divine plan either by decreeing or allowing things to occur.

Some have found fault with God over this and in doing so fight against Him.  They cannot see the good so they deny good could exist.  There are also some who feel released from all responsibility to do good because God can make all things work for good.  These views are false and twisted.  Neither of these extremes are based upon faith in God and faithfulness to actively honor Him.  We must cling to what we know to be true no matter what, that God makes all things work together for good!  We might not be able to explain with our mouths the process start to finish, but we can rest in the character and holiness of our Savior.  Besides, who can know their life from start to end?  God has a purpose for each one of us.  He does not delight in the death of the wicked but is long-suffering towards us all, not willing that any should perish. 

Victory Contingency

^"So the LORD was with Judah. And they drove out the mountaineers, but they could not drive out the inhabitants of the lowland, because they had chariots of iron."

Judges 1:19

 

This verse is intriguing because it points to man's failure in spite of God's power, authority, and sovereignty.  Are chariots too hard for God to destroy?  The LORD was with Judah but they remained incapable of complete victory over their enemies.  God made the wheels of the Egyptian chariots fall off as their army pursued Israel through the Red. Sea.  God made Sisera's 900 chariots as nothing and killed every man of his army with the sword.  Joshua told the children of Joseph to drive out the Canaanites, but the people complained that their enemies had chariots of iron.  Joshua 17:18 reads, "...but the mountain country shall be yours. Although it is wooded, you shall cut it down, and its farthest extent shall be yours; for you shall drive out the Canaanites, though they have iron chariots and are strong."  The chariots were not the issue.  The issues were obedience, trust, and willingness.

Psalm 20:7 says, "Some trust in chariots, and some in horses; But we will remember the name of the LORD our God."  God commanded the Israelites to drive out the inhabitants of the land of Canaan He had promised to them and their fathers.  If they were obedient, they would be victorious.  God would give the victory, but they would be required to fight.  They did not walk in obedience to God, and therefore could not drive out the well-established people of the land.  Because they did not believe they could succeed they did not obey.  And because they did not obey, they did not succeed.

The disciples were faced with a demon they could not cast out of a child.  Though Jesus had given them all authority over evil spirits, they were unable to drive the demon out.  When the child was brought to Jesus, He rebuked the demon and it left.  The disciples approached Jesus in Matthew 17:19-21:  "Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, "Why could we not cast it out?" ²⁰ So Jesus said to them, "Because of your unbelief; for assuredly, I say to you, if you have faith as a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, 'Move from here to there,' and it will move; and nothing will be impossible for you. ²¹ However, this kind does not go out except by prayer and fasting." There must be faith coupled with works of obedience to walk in the victory Christ gives.  When we do not walk in obedience to God in prayer, we forfeit authoirty granted us by the grace of God.  Though God is able, we can remain unable.

 

Lack of faith and disobedience disables us from walking in victory.  Victory is contingent upon our obedience.  The more we are yielded to God, the greater capacity is available for God to work in and through us.  God will make the iron chariots of our enemies as stubble if we will be obedient, trust, and remain willing.  Isaiah 1:19-20 teaches us, "If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land; ²⁰ But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured by the sword"; for the mouth of the LORD has spoken."

 

Let us again bring to mind the truths of Isaiah 59:1-2 to bear upon us in times of spiritual and moral failure:  "Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. ² But your iniquities have separated you from your God; and your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear."  God is only and always victorious.  How wonderful to know that God is always strong and able to save.  We need not be slaves to the cruel master of sin, though he rides upon chariots of iron.  God is able to shut the mouth of the lion; He is able to keep the flames of the furnace from scorching us, though others fall by the thousands; He is able to part the Sea so we might walk upon dry ground.  He is able to save to the utmost all who come to Him in faith.  Thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through Jesus Christ!  May we be willing and obedient that we might glorify our LORD by walking in this victory!

Never Sleep with the Enemy

In Romans 7:13 Paul says that God's commands make sin appear "exceedingly sinful."  The law is not often emphasized today because Christ has instituted the New Covenant in His blood.  We can be insulated from the severity of sin as offense towards God because we do not have to physically pay for our sins with the blood of animals or our own.  It is important that we look at each sin specifically, not in generalities.  In this way we bring attention to specific sins and through God's power put each to death without mercy.  We cannot "deal" with our sins.  We might as well deal with axe murderers and serial rapists!

There are patterns we fall into when thinking of sin.  We compare ourselves with others and "grade" on a curve.  If we seem more upright than someone else, we do not see ourselves as being in sin.  In school we are happy with an "A" grade, even though the range is from 90 to 100%.  God's justice demands complete perfection, and God gives no letter grades:  we either pass with a perfect 100%, or we fail.  And according to His righteous demands, we can't even score a 1% on His test!  In reading Jerry Bridges book Respectable Sins, the sin he emphasizes as most basic is ungodliness.  In my own strength I cannot be godly for one second.  If I could be godly for one second, then I could be godly for two seconds.  If I could be godly for two seconds I could be godly for five seconds.  If I could be godly for seconds I could be godly for minutes, hours, days, and years.  But in my flesh no good things dwells!

Sin means to miss the mark.  My sons have a Wii gaming system, and one of the activities in Sport Resort is archery.  At the beginning you start very close to the target which has a tiny dot in the middle of the bull's eye.  After completion of the first shot, the target is moved farther away and the wind begins to blow.  Then the target begins to move from side to side with wind!  I do not think it is possible to hit all four targets exactly on the bull's eye in the game, and it is even more impossible to perfectly conform to God's laws.  It looks very easy to hit a target in the middle.  Because we can see the target there is not doubt in our minds where to aim.  But actually being perfectly accurate?  That is something we cannot do.  We can be deceived to think that because we agree with the arrangement of the target, we always hit it dead center.  We criticize from the couch!  But when we stand up and try it for ourselves, we find ourselves complete failures.

I was thinking this morning of how bad sin really is.  When I allow sin in my life it is worse than having sexual relations with Satan while being betrothed to Christ!  I hope that is a abominable, disgusting thought to you.  It makes me sick to think I would be joined to sin instead of Christ.  No sane person would ever marry a notorious serial killer, and sin is the worst killer of them all.  Sin kills every time!  Sin is so horrible the perfect Lamb of God was killed and His blood shed so we can be forgiven.  We must see ourselves as sinners in the present tense before we can be saved for eternity.  Before his death the writer of "Amazing Grace" John Newton said, "My memory is nearly gone; but I remember two things:  that I am a great sinner, and that Christ is a great Savior." (Respectable Sins, Bridges, pg. 31)  The truth remains we can never see ourselves as sinful as we really are.  Because of this, during our lives on earth we will never quite understand how great the grace of God towards us.  Praise God for the Good News, that we who are dead in sins can be made alive unto God by grace through faith!

Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for the blood of Jesus Christ shed for me.  I have sinned greatly against you and brought dishonor to your holy name.  I renounce all sin and desire to live a life pleasing unto you.  Please forgive me and present me faultless before your presence with exceeding joy.  Thank you for your love and your faithfulness to redeem, reconcile, and restore.  All praise and glory to your holy name!

Is This Sin?

I have been reading Jerry Bridge's classic, The Pursuit of Holiness.  It is a mix of education, edification, and exhortation bound together to encourage believers to fulfill our responsibility to walk in holiness before God and men.  The book contains a little formula which sums up my convictions very well in the way we define sin personally, sins not clearly described in scripture.  We have likely all struggled whether a certain attitude, thought, or action was sinful.  So often we find that even though something is not sinful in itself, that harmless thing for one person can be a enslaving idol to another.  Until we are convinced we are in sin we likely will not cease from sinning!  How can we tell right from wrong?  God does not leave us to our own philosophy or opinions, but clearly lays guidelines before us to follow as led by the Holy Spirit.

On page 91 of the book (which I recommend purchasing and reading entirely yourself!), four questions are posed to aid us when dealing with morally neutral activities or to reveal sin we justify.  I find my flesh is opposed to my spirit.  When there is a conflict within me, it is almost always the flesh warring against the Spirit of God for authority.  We like to have clear boundaries laid out and find some comfort in going back under the Law.  But now we are ruled by the Holy Spirit of God who dwells within us, and it is He who brings conviction of sin.  He holds us to a far higher standard than the Law of Moses ever could.  His rule is not only over actions, but the thoughts and attitudes of our hearts.

The first two questions we must ask ourselves are taken from 1 Corinthians 6:12:  "All things are lawful for me, but all things are not helpful. All things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any."  Question 1:  Is this activity helpful and beneficial for my physical, spiritual, mental, and emotional well-being?  Question 2:  Does this activity bring me under its power?  Paul refused to be brought under the power of anything but Jesus Christ.  The next question comes out of 1 Corinthians 8:13:  "Therefore, if food makes my brother stumble, I will never again eat meat, lest I make my brother stumble."  We must resolve to love others as Christ loves us, and give them greater consideration than our own flesh.  Question 3:  Does this activity or attitude have the potential to hurt others or cause them to stumble in faith?  The fourth question is derived from 1 Corinthians 10:31:  "Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."  Question 4:  Does this activity or thinking glorify God?  If we are willing to honestly ask the Holy Spirit to lead us in answering these questions, we will know the answer whether we like it or not.

Our intellect can be a great enemy of the convicting power of the Spirit.  When He puts His finger upon something wrong, we will think of many Christians or leaders in the church who do these same things and think, "Why must I be deprived?"  Our minds rush to judge others when God points out our sin.  We reluctantly and angrily obey God, gritting our teeth to hand over our sins.  We can be like Moses and Zipporah, who were negligent to obey God in circumcising one of their sons.  These are three very interesting verses of scripture not often spoken of.  Exodus 4:24-26 reads "And it came to pass on the way, at the encampment, that the LORD met him and sought to kill him. ²⁵ Then Zipporah took a sharp stone and cut off the foreskin of her son and cast it at Moses' feet, and said, "Surely you are a husband of blood to me!" ²⁶ So He let him go. Then she said, " You are a husband of blood!"--because of the circumcision."  God had told Moses to circumcise his son, but it seems because of his wife's negative attitude towards it he let it go.  Then God met him in the way to kill him!  God takes disobedience seriously!  Even then the circumcision was performed with much irritation and anger towards Moses.  Circumcision in this passage is not the point:  it is the simple matter of obedience.

There is no justification for us to willingly remain in sin because Christ's blood has been shed to atone and free us from slavery to sin.  We have been filled with the Spirit of God who convicts us of sin, righteousness, and judgment.  We are without excuse.  It is crucial that our lives reflect our desire to walk in holiness. Hebrews 12:14-16:  "Pursue peace with all people, and holiness, without which no one will see the Lord: ¹⁵ looking carefully lest anyone fall short of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up cause trouble, and by this many become defiled; ¹⁶ lest there be any fornicator or profane person like Esau, who for one morsel of food sold his birthright."  Sin has the power to defile, deceive, and destroy.  Let us heed God's Word and put sin far from us.  Sin doesn't affect just me.  We need not look further than Adam!  It is time to confess sin, forsake it, receive the forgiveness found only in Christ, and walk in this newness of life. 

Our Refuge and Strength

To the chief musician, by the sons of Korah "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. ² Therefore we will not fear, even though the earth be removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea; ³ though its waters roar and be troubled, though the mountains shake with its swelling. Selah"

Psalm 46:1-3

It is easy to lose proper perspective in this life when faced with troubling circumstances.  Like Peter who took his eyes off Jesus as he began to sink on the Sea of Galilee, we too can be overwhelmed by the difficulties which surround us.  Illness, depression, politics, relationships, anything and everything can cause us to lose heart.  But I love this passage in Psalm 46 because it brings us back to the right outlook.  God is our refuge no matter what!  Even if the earth is removed and the mountains cast into the sea, even if huge tsunamis devastate the coasts and earthquakes ravage the land, God remains our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble.

I find it ironic that the authors of this Psalm are the sons of Korah.  Do you recall in Numbers 16 when Korah, Dathan, and Abiram rebelled against Moses and God?  The composers of this Psalm were descendants of the same Korah.  He rebelled against the authority of Moses and God opened up the ground beneath these three, along with their possessions and families, and swallowed them up.  Yet God's grace is again revealed that not all of the children of Korah perished in His wrath.  God allowed a remnant even from a rebellious man to glorify Him with songs in the congregation.  The remaining sons of Korah were not prohibited from their roles serving God in the temple, and contributed beautiful words included in scripture inspired by God as seen in Psalm 46.  Even if the ground opened its mouth, even if the mountains were removed, God would be their refuge and help in trouble.

We all have to capacity to fear earthquakes, cataclysms, and unforeseen troubles.  Jesus tells us not to worry, for "Sufficient for the day is its own trouble" (Matt. 6:34).  It is amazing that even though the world be dissolved, we can remain unmoved upon the foundation of Jesus Christ.  The earth can shake, the waters can roar, and everything which seems secure in this can be ripped up and destroyed, and yet we can remain firm upon the promises of God.  It is for this reason Paul exhorts in 1 Corinthians 15:58:  "Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord."  Our world might be tearing apart at the seams, but we can remain steadfast and immovable in Jesus Christ.  That is good perspective!

When faced with trouble, our natural response is similar to Elijah's in 1 Kings 19:4:  "But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a broom tree. And he prayed that he might die, and said, "It is enough! Now, LORD, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!"  When faced with threats of defeat we allow ourselves to wallow in it.  We isolate ourselves, become self-focused, forget about God and His power to save as our Refuge, and ask to escape even if it means our death!  How true are those words:  we are no better than our fathers!  The disciples screamed at Christ when the waves were tempestuous, "Don't you care if we die?"  What was the issue?  Their faith!  The issues of this life will never end as long as we sojourn here, but Christ remains our Refuge, strength, and present help in trouble.  May we never forget this!  Instead of being caught up in fear when the world crashes down around us, let us look to Christ and take refuge in Him.

The Universal Everyday Holiday

I remember my dad reading from Norman Rockwell's Christmas Book when I was a kid.  One of the stories in the book is called "Christmas Every Day" by William Dean Howells.  A man tells his daughter a story about a little girl who wished every day was Christmas.  To her initial surprise and delight, her wish became true.  But it was not long before she was so tired of everything having to do with celebrating Christmas - the packages, food, and activities - that she wished it would never be Christmas again!  Everyone was sick from eating candy, turkeys were so scarce hummingbirds were being used as substitutes, people lost their tempers from the stress, and everyone was dirt poor.  The moral of the story is the conclusion that Christmas is very special because it is one day a year, and that is enough.  It is possible to have "too much a good thing."

As a believer and follower of Jesus Christ, it is possible to appreciate and thank God for Christ's coming to earth every day out of the year.  Real life does not have to be suspended for me to rejoice that Jesus came to mankind to seek and save the lost.  With how commercialized the holidays have become it would be unreasonable to "celebrate" them daily.  Today is "Thanksgiving" in the United States, and happy Thanksgiving to all my family and friends back home who will be gathering for a special meal, desserts, maybe some football, and prayers of thanksgiving to God for our country and all the blessings He has graciously bestowed upon us.  It is my personal favorite because it is a scriptural holiday that gives glory to God.  One of my pet-peeves is when people call Thanksgiving "Turkey Day."  Instead of focusing on giving God thanks, it places great value and emphasis on a stupid bird over the Creator of the universe.  That is something man excels at, worshiping the creature over the Creator.

Though the celebration of Thanksgiving in America is based upon the historical events of the Pilgrims and American Indian's first meal together and giving thanks to God, this is a holiday for all people for all time.  1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 reads, "Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray without ceasing, ¹⁸ in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."  When the cultural stuff is stripped away from  traditional celebration of Thanksgiving, the most basic elements are:  rejoicing, prayer, and thanksgiving.  This sums up Thanksgiving very well.  Psalm 118:1 says, "Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever." God always remains good, and His mercies are new every morning.  Whether we are poor or rich, whether Dallas beats the Saints, even if we have no one to share a meal with on Thanksgiving day, God deserves thanks.  When the Grinch stole all the Christmas presents from Who-ville Christmas came just the same.  We can have Thanksgiving without turkey, football, and pumpkin pie.  We should gave thanks to God for everything every day, every moment of the day.  That is the will of God for each of our lives.

Today and every day, may we give God thanks for His goodness and mercy toward us.  Take time to think over how wonderful God is and all He has done.  Let us rejoice with the Psalmist in Psalm 136:1-9, 23-26 (but read the whole passage if you can): "Oh, give thanks to the LORD, for He is good! For His mercy endures forever. ² Oh, give thanks to the God of gods! For His mercy endures forever. ³ Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords! For His mercy endures forever: ⁴ To Him who alone does great wonders, For His mercy endures forever; ⁵ To Him who by wisdom made the heavens, For His mercy endures forever; ⁶ To Him who laid out the earth above the waters, For His mercy endures forever; ⁷ To Him who made great lights, For His mercy endures forever--⁸ The sun to rule by day, For His mercy endures forever; ⁹ The moon and stars to rule by night, For His mercy endures forever...²³ Who remembered us in our lowly state, For His mercy endures forever; ²⁴ And rescued us from our enemies, For His mercy endures forever; ²⁵ Who gives food to all flesh, For His mercy endures forever. ²⁶ Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven! For His mercy endures forever."

The Big "If"

Small things can make a big difference.  When baking bread, cakes, or cookies, a small omission of salt or baking powder will make a tremendous impact on the outcome.  All the ingredients work together with the heat of the oven to rise properly and form the correct consistency.  One little teaspoon of salt missing from the batter can have disastrous results!

Little words in the English language have great power.  Take the word "all," for instance.  In three letters everything can be lumped together.  Every person in the world, every rock in the universe, every star in the heavens, every molecule and atom are included in "all" things.  Another huge word is "if" when used in a conditional sense.  Galatians 6:9 reads, "And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart."  The immediate context of the passage is teaching the principle of sowing and reaping:  if we sow to the flesh we will reap corruption, and if we sow to the Spirit we will reap life everlasting.  The passage above states that when we do good without growing weary we will reap IF we do not lose heart.  This reveals it is possible to do good and not reap benefits because we have given up.  The KJV version says, "...in due season we shall reap if we faint not."  Faint literally means "to relax."  When we stop laboring for God's glory and relax, we will backslide and lose ground.

How tragic to plant a big field of crops, tend the field, guard from pests and destructive animals, and lose heart before time to reap.  Much labor, time, and expense would be wasted if farmers relaxed during the reaping phase.  Farmers work from dark in the morning to dark in the evening to harvest their crops.  As we travel through this life following Jesus Christ, by His grace our lives will be transformed.  This is a process called sanctification in the Bible.  Every day we have the choice to sow to the flesh or sow to the Spirit.  We can invest ourselves in the temporal, perishing things of this life on earth or we can labor for the glory of God.  It is hard work to raise a field of crops, and it is also hard work to keep our lives clean from sinful influence.  Like leaves that continually blow into the pool, sinful thoughts and attitudes drift into our hearts and need constant removal.  Many people start the race, and far less people finish than begin.  Why?  Because they lose heart when faced with struggles, trials, and hard work.  They choose worldly relaxation instead of spiritual rest in Christ.

Instead of focusing on the negative - the big "if" in this passage - it would be fruitful for us to consider the positive.  When we do good and live for God, we will reap bountifully.  There is great reward for following Jesus Christ faithfully.  I know when I was little, I wanted instant results when I planted seeds in the ground.  Every day I would look at the bare earth where the seeds had been planted and wonder if they would ever grow!  After a few days or a week passed I wondered if it was really worth the effort of keeping the soil moist.  Maybe the seeds weren't growing!  Maybe it was all a waste of time!  But when good seed is planted in soft soil in the right conditions, it will grow and be fruitful.  Sometimes we labor to walk in obedience to God and wonder if the struggle is worth it.  God's Word is good seed, and though there may be little visible growth at times we can KNOW we will reap a great crop.  A lot of growth occurs unseen under the surface.  As we abide in the Vine Jesus Christ, we will be fruitful for His glory.

In this life we can grow weary, but we can be sustained by the power of the Holy Spirit so we will be strong to persevere.  Jonah 2:7 reads, "When my soul fainted within me, I remembered the LORD; And my prayer went up to You, into Your holy temple."  It took Jonah reaching his lowest point before he remembered the LORD and cried out to Him.  God delivered Jonah from the belly of the great fish, and God will deliver us from our apathy, foolishness, and vices when we seek Him.  Sometimes we can be lulled into thinking we are sufficient in ourselves.  We might see fruit forming in our field and think the time for hard work is over.  We must continue to wait on the LORD and sow to the Spirit so we will be able to reap for God's increase.  When our hearts are devoted to God and the performance of this will, our hearts are guarded from pride and sin.  We will reap, if we faint not!

From Dry Bones to New Life

"And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, "Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. ⁴ And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away." ⁵ Then He who sat on the throne said, "Behold, I make all things new." And He said to me, "Write, for these words are true and faithful."

Revelation 21:3-5

The context for this passage is a time when God will create new heavens and a new earth because the first passed away.  The Bible teaches us that a day is coming when He will dissolve this world and all the works and sin within it.  All who have rejected Christ will face eternal damnation, and all those who have repented of their sins will spend eternity with God in the new heavens and earth He creates.  Because of sin, no person is a stranger to pain, sorrow, crying, sickness, and death.  How wonderful it is to realize that God makes all things new!  He does not just remove pollution, sickness, or feelings.  He makes new, and in what is new is no trace of what was old.  Outside of the realm of time what is made new remains new, for it cannot grow old.

But is this promise of God only meant to be applied to life in heaven?  No!  But unfortunately, many Christians live as if that is the reality.  We have all been there.  A dog returning to his vomit may well describe our life at the moment.  We can be tricked to willingly drown in depression, disappointment, and disillusionment brought through belief of Satan's lies.  He would tell us such a promise does not apply to us, that we are too far gone for such a change to take place.  We have struggled with sin too long, our faith is too small, and we do not deserve such a blessing.  The fact is we have struggled with sin too long, our faith is small, and we do not deserve such a blessing.  But God has promised to give new life to all who repent and trust in Christ by His grace!  That is the wonder of the Gospel!  Completely unworthy of life, we can receive new life through Christ.  God will make us new from the inside today if we will ask Him believing in His promise.

Perhaps you cannot bring yourself to believe this.  There have been times when you were sure you were changed but before long you found yourself back in a pit dug dug with your own hands.  The only way to combat such deep-rooted doubt bred into us through sin is through confrontation with the truth of God's Word.  Are you familiar with the passage in Ezekiel 37 concerning the valley of dry bones?  God brings Ezekiel in the spirit to a valley full of dry bones and asks him, "Son of man, can these bones live?"  Ezekiel said something I would not have said.  I would have said, "Obviously not!"  He said to God, "O LORD God, you know."  There is no potential for life in such a thing as dry bones, at least from our human perspective.  But to God, the one who Creates from nothing, nothing is too hard for Him.

God tells Ezekiel to prophesy to the bones and they were covered with sinews, flesh, and skin.  God caused these bones to stand up resurrected and breathed life into them.  They stood on their feet and were an "exceeding great army."  The purpose of this vision was a sign of what God would later do:  Ezekiel 37:12-14 says, "Therefore prophesy and say to them, 'Thus says the Lord GOD: "Behold, O My people, I will open your graves and cause you to come up from your graves, and bring you into the land of Israel. ¹³ Then you shall know that I am the LORD, when I have opened your graves, O My people, and brought you up from your graves. ¹⁴ I will put My Spirit in you, and you shall live, and I will place you in your own land. Then you shall know that I, the LORD, have spoken it and performed it," says the LORD."  God's people would know He was the LORD when He opened their graves.  He would put His Spirit within His people, and He would bring them into their own land.

After Jesus died on the cross, His dead corpse was placed in a tomb carved out of stone guarded by Roman soldiers.  Three days after His death, Jesus would rise from the dead.  But did you know something wondrous happened at the moment when Jesus died on the cross?  The veil of the temple was torn top to bottom, there was an earthquake, and Matthew 27:52-53 confirms the word spoken in Ezekiel:  "...and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; ⁵³ and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many ."  Can these dry bones live?  Yes they can!  God has granted us access into His presence through the person of Jesus Christ.  After the resurrection of Christ, men and women long dead came out of their opened graves and appeared to many!  After Christ's ascension into heaven, He sent the Holy Spirit to fill His followers on the Day of Pentecost.  It was about 60 years ago when Israel was made a nation once again and were brought into their land.

Without Christ, we are dead bones:  dead spiritually and condemned to die eternally.  But God is not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance and be born again.  Just because you have made a commitment to follow Christ, it will not be easy to walk in this newness of life.  We can be tempted to go back to old habits, old ways of thinking, the ways we used as coping mechanisms before we were transformed through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Romans 6:3-6 reads, "Or do you not know that as many of us as were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death? ⁴ Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. ⁵ For if we have been united together in the likeness of His death, certainly we also shall be in the likeness of His resurrection, ⁶ knowing this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin."

Once God opened the tombs and raised those saints from the dead, they didn't remain in the graves but came forth as Lazarus.  Those who have been born again have now been raised from death to life.  Satan frantically works to deceive us to crawl back into our graves, isolate ourselves from God's help in self-pity, and roll the stone back over the opening to shroud us in darkness!  Many believers are in this pitiful state.  They have listened to and believed the lies of Satan rather than the truth of God's Word, condemning themselves when Christ has redeemed them!  Can these dry bones live?  YES!  Praise be to God, He makes all things new.  His mercies are new every morning, and He grants us perpetually the promise of new life in Him.

Are you sick of your life?  Are you weary of the stench of death when God has made you alive?  Only God can give you this victory.  Cry out to Him for new life for He has said, "I make all things new."  A man said at this week's conference, "Because of this conference, we will never be the same."  That's just the kind of talk that disillusions people, for the emotional feelings will fade over time.  It is because of Christ we have been made new.  We don't ever have to be without Him and the power of renewal again!  Conferences will come and go, songs of worship have a beginning and end on earth, but fellowship with our Savior is for eternity.  New life can only be found in Him!

The Word Conference

Last night me and two mates took the red-eye from Perth to Sydney following the weekend conference at Calvary Chapel Albany.  We all were blessed by messages and testimonies from pastors Raul Ries and Bill Welsh, as well as from Ryan Ries of The Whosoevers.  The common qualities between these men are a genuine love of God, compassion, and a contrite spirit.  Whether they shared passages from scripture or detailed events of their lives, the power of Jesus Christ to save and deliver was central.  Being grounded and obedient to the Word of God was another uniting point of every discussion.

I was not only able to spend quality time with my traveling buddies Ian and Paul, but also met a lot of great people like Russ, Bruce, Luke, Bryan, and many more.  The more I travel around Australia the more I am struck by the fact we serve the same God.  We come from different backgrounds with different accents and roles in the Body of Christ, but we love and honor the same LORD.  It's amazing how powerful the Gospel of Jesus Christ is, and how it has remained unchanged since the very beginning.  What was Good News then is STILL Good News now.  The message never grows old because this world is still full of sinners who need forgiveness and new life in Christ.  Because there are more people on the world than ever, the need for salvation grows bigger by the day.

There will likely be a string of posts borne out of this conference as I consider what God is showing me.  He still wants to completely change and revitalize my relationship with Him.  Am I willing to grow in faith, obedience, and prayer?  Am I willing to believe that what God has promised He is able to perform?  Because of Christ we are never destined to remain in a rut or repeat past mistakes.  Our God makes all things new.  This promise is not only for those who have just made a commitment to follow Christ.  God desires to bring a newness to the way you approach God, a freshness to His Word, and graft into our hearts a renewed desire to please Him and fall back into love with Him again.  He wants our dry eyes moistened with divine affections, and our hearts to be full of love for Him and the lost.  We are not doomed because of our past, not even by what you did yesterday or today.  Because of Christ, we now have a future.  Will we live for Him?

Bursting the "Christian" Bubble

No matter what our standards are, life will force upon us a barrage of choices.  We will be forced to decide if we will have that fifth cookie, what movie we will watch, whether we should pay extra on the mortgage this month, or if diet Dr. Pepper actually tastes like regular Dr. Pepper.  As parents we not only have to make decisions about our lifestyle, but we must set boundaries for our kids.  Some parents make well-defined boundaries, and others let their children live as they please.  Boundaries to some are no different than a bubble!  Due to hurts they may have experienced as children, many parents work hard to protect their children from every potential worldly influence.  Boundaries are important.  But it is possible to make boundaries so restrictive for the child to be stripped of the decision making process when it comes to morality.  When "obey" or "disobey" are the only decisions to be made, when real choices present themselves many teens and young adults are actually tested for the first time and are usually away from the instruction of a parent.  The results are often disastrous.

All healthy human bodies have an immune system.  This immune system is able to isolate and destroy potential threats to the health of the body.  From 1971 to 1984, a boy named David Vetter lived in Texas who was basically born without a functional immune system.  Any exposure to germs would be fatal.  So he basically lived inside of a bubble and wore special suits designed by NASA.  I was intrigued by this quote from an article:  "Even though David was only five, he recognized his difference and dreaded what the future held - limited choices, feelings of alienation and an increased need to be polite and compliant so as not to reveal his anger."  This struck me as similar to the feelings of many kids whose parents construct a "Christian" bubble around them.  Because all choice is taken away and compliance is demanded, their anger grows.  By the time David was a teen, the doctors had great concern.  "Doctors feared that as a teenager he would become even more unpredictable and uncontrollable."  They decided to operate, and in a few months David became ill with cancer and passed away.  Life had become unbearable in the bubble, and outside the bubble he could not survive.  I have such respect for this tough little guy who faced unimaginable struggles.  The emotional fight must have been as strong as his battle for physical health.

David's case is extreme, and another example is equally compelling.  When the Europeans arrived in the Americas, the Native Americans were absolutely devastated by the common cold.  Without having been exposed to the flu before, the antibodies in the native people were not able to combat the virus initially.  Because medicine was far from what we have available to us today, countless people died as a result.  I have seen the exact thing happen in "churched" kids.  All their lives they have been confined under strict rules and guidelines given for their own "protection."  Like the Native Americans who became deathly ill from the influence of foreign germs, churched kids are easily overcome by worldly influences and temptations.  "Churched" is not the same as "Christian!"  Their anger and resentment builds towards God and church life in general.  When they finally are free from parental authority, many run as far away as possible from a semblance of Christianity and are hardened in their rebellion.  Why?  They see being a Christian as having rules.  They rebel against the bubble and relish to make their own choices even if it kills them.

I read a parenting book which emphasized, "Let reality be the teacher."  As Christians we often fall into the trap of thinking our job is to insulate our kids from reality and even consequences.  I would rather my child be cured of his rebellion under my care than a vain attempt when he is 22 in college and far away or far gone!  It is wise to protect our kids from obvious dangers, like sexual predators, pornography, drugs, alcohol, and friends who are bad influences.  But whenever possible, we should allow our kids to make their own decisions followed up with an opportunity for instruction.  For example, my oldest son Zed wanted to play a video game at his friend's house that was a "Mature" rated game for violence.  I could go with the bubble method and immediately say, "No rated M games.  Period.  End of story."  That would only allow the potential resentment and bitterness to grow inside of him.  So I did something a little different, even for me.  I said, "Zed, you make the decision.  If there's a lot of blood or cursing or stuff you know is wrong, don't play the game.  Let the LORD show you what to do."  This gave Zed an opportunity to make his own decision concerning one of those "gray" areas that will challenge us all our lives.

So after Zed came home, we talked about what had happened.  "Dad," Zed began.  "I'm thinking I made a bad decision."  "What do you mean, son?"  "Well, I played the game...but after I played it I realized I probably shouldn't have."  And then we were able to have a wonderful conversation about the choice Zed made and how he could make better decisions in the future.  It built trust between us rather than resentment.  We were able to talk about what was actually wrong with the game for Zed and encouraged him to seek forgiveness if he was in sin.  He will actually trust our decisions as parents more because we let him make a choice.  In this case it was a controlled environment.  I would never have done this with something blatantly sinful or harmful.  Take every opportunity to reason with your children according to the scriptures.  Instead of throwing out their music CDs because "That's the Devil's music!" it would be better to look carefully over the lyrics.  Allow them to see how the message lines up with the message of scripture.  Then they will make an educated decision.  Either way, you're effectively teaching them the process.

Jesus never told parents to isolate their children from the world.  Instead we are to be light in a dark world, the salt of the earth coming into direct contact with the world's wisdom to turn people to Christ.  We are to teach our children and raise them in the admonition of the LORD, not insulate them from making real decisions.  Our children are like ships on a billowing ocean.  The world will woo them with tempting breezes, subversive currents, and the sway of satanic temptations.  Our job as parents is to guide and direct them, teaching them of Christ and demonstrating a life set apart for God.  Someday your children will take the helm full-time.  Wouldn't it be wise to hand them the wheel while they are still young?  No person would ever think to send their children out in a sailboat without training or guidance. That soul would not doubt face the real threat of shipwreck!  We would never even allow an adult to fly a plane without expert supervision!  Instead of spending all our energy trying to protect our children by environment control, let's seek God's control of their hearts from within.  Let us cultivate in them not a reliance upon their parents for guidance, but a complete trust upon God for His leading according to the truth of the scriptures.