Make a Difference with Jesus

Our family is enjoying the privilege of hosting my parents who are visiting us from the United States.  It has been great to chat at length, share delicious food, and show them around our area.  Though we have been able to stay in touch via phone calls, skype, and email over the past year we've been in Australia, there's nothing like spending time in person.  Even while I type this, I can hear my folks singing praise songs to the LORD.  That's something I haven't heard in a while!

Today I went to wash my hands in the upstairs sink, the same place where my sons brush their teeth morning and night.  The sink was clean and sparkling.  I thought to myself, no doubt my mom has been here.  My boys are not slobs, but they are boys.  They still at times need to be told when sinks, toilets, and even their bodies need some attention with soap and scrubbing!  After they clean the sink, it is not long before it needs to be cleaned again of the ever-present toothpaste residue.  Seeing that sink my mom left cleaner than she found it was a good object lesson of how Christians ought to impact this dirty world through the influence of Christ.

Christians are called by Jesus Christ to go the extra mile, not just doing the bare minimum.  If our job is to put away the knives and forks and we notice the container is a bit grubby, we can wipe it clean before we put them away.  In a spiritual sense, we should seek to bless others with a joyful countenance and a good attitude.  If the conversation begins to drop into the gutter, let us speak wholesome words.  When we are treated unfairly or with animosity, we can respond with meekness, humility, and love.  If someone feels left out, we can greet them with a smile and engage them in meaningful conversation.  Christ is the reason why we serve and we rejoice in following His example of giving and giving some more - even doing menial, thankless tasks like washing feet or removing toothpaste residue.

No matter our situation, through Christ we can perform good deeds to bring glory and honour to God.  When my kids forget to clean their toilet I can grit my teeth and mutter in frustration:  "Those lazy kids!  When will they ever learn?"  Or I can use it as a moment to demonstrate the love and patience of God and use it as a teaching opportunity.  People think serving the LORD is when you volunteer at church, preach sermons, or hand out tracts.  Serving God is doing all things unto Him right where you are, meeting even the smallest needs around you as God leads.  There is nothing more fun or satisfying than labouring for the glory of God!  God wants to make a difference with His positive influence through you today!

Christ: Giver and Gift

My first Christmas in Australia was memorable.  I can't remember the last time I had a fever on Christmas Eve and Christmas!  I am now feeling better after a bout of "gastro," which involved chills, fever, nausea, and overall feeling lousy.  At a point I was wondering if I would be able to deliver the Sunday message.  But I figured God had given me a message to deliver, and He wouldn't have given me the message without the strength to deliver it.  Preaching was very much an act of faith on a different level, and that's how I ought to live every day!

This morning in prayer I was struck by the truth of Psalm 23:6:  "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."  God does not grant goodness and mercy to men because some are more deserving than others.  It is all through the riches of His grace.  Goodness and mercy were granted me both on a sickbed and in health.  Not only do born-again Christians have this promise in life, but also lay hold of the ultimate promise of living forever in the presence of God.  Wherever a person goes, the goodness and mercy of God follows them.  Christians are simply the ones who receive this goodness and mercy through repentance and faith in Jesus Christ.  It is Jesus who opens our eyes to see.

Christ is both Giver and Gift.  He is life for all who trust in Him.  In the days following Christmas, millions of people will return unwanted gifts back to retailers for money or store credit.  For many, Jesus is tragically one of the most often returned, unopened gifts.  Yet there is no gift more valuable!  The story of Christ's birth, death, and resurrection is more than a curious legend we tolerate for one day of the year:  it is the miracle of love come down from heaven so all sinners could be saved.  God has given the greatest gift in Christ.  To think that some people keep their trinkets, games, and digital devices but return unopened the love, redemption, and reconciliation with God afforded man through Jesus!

Let us celebrate the joy of Jesus every day, regardless of the season.  Every day is the season of celebrating our Saviour!

Way of pain - Way of Life!

With our boys enjoying holidays from both school and sport, over the last week we have spent much more time together as a family.  One of the things we did was watch The Lord of the Rings and eat popcorn made from a old-fashioned machine Laura picked up at the Salvos.  In Tolkien's classic Sauron, the dark lord and maker of the ring, threatened to take shape and cast the world into shadow.  Gandalf went to seek counsel from the leader of his order, Saruman.  Having been corrupted by Sauron, in the movie Saruman tried to convince Gandalf it would be wise to ally himself with the evil lord Sauron.  Gandalf refused.  After a brief wizard's duel, Saruman proved more powerful than Gandalf.  As he lifted him in the air Saruman shouts, "You have elected the way of pain!"  When Gandalf eventually escaped with the aid of a giant eagle, Saruman says almost to himself:  "So you have chosen death."

Saruman's sentiment was ironic, seeing that it was he who later died and Gandalf lived.  With Christmas right around the corner, I have been thinking about the miracle that God became flesh and dwelt among us as a man on earth.  Instead of coming in angelic splendour or on the wings of giant eagles, Jesus was born as a fragile baby, wrapped in swaddling cloths, and placed in a feeding trough because there was no room for Him in the inn.  He elected for Himself the way of pain.  He chose to endure life as a human being complete with emotions, bodily functions, weakness, fatigue, and need of food, water, and sleep.  Jesus was sent to His own and they did not receive Him.  He experienced grief, sorrow, and heartache like none on earth can know.

The life of Christ is described by more than simply the experience of pain.  He lived a flawless existence according to the Law.  Unspoiled by a sin nature, Jesus demonstrated the love the world could not and still does not fathom.  He taught people the wisdom of God, fed the hungry, healed the blind and deaf, cleansed the lepers, cast out demons, raised the dead, and called men from all walks of life to follow Him.  Jesus did not only choose a life of pain but embraced His own death.  It was through His sacrifice on Calvary that all who repent and trust in Him as Saviour find eternal life by grace.  It is by His stripes - painful lacerations - that we are healed (1 Pet. 2:24).  Jesus died to Himself daily before He was nailed to a Roman cross died in the sight of many witnesses.  Three days later He rose from the dead, proving His power over Satan, sin, and death.

Hebrews 4:14-16 reads, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. ¹⁵ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. ¹⁶ Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  No matter what pain we face in this life on earth, Jesus can empathize with our weakness, temptations, and hurts.  We are entreated therefore to boldly come before His throne of grace in prayer that we may "obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need."  In this time of year which often emphasises what we receive, God grants us grace so we might help.  God is our Helper, and we are to help others.  How awesome is our God and King, full of mercy and grace!

The life of a Christian is one who chooses the way of pain and death so we might experience abundant life through our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  It is a life of sacrifice, but it is not bitter.  Jesus invites us in Matthew 11:28-29:  "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. ²⁹ Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls."  All people experience pain, but Christians have hope, help, and healing found only in Jesus.  These are gifts already given:  have you received them?  Rejoice in the One who has brought peace, joy, and salvation to men!

Seeking and Saving

Have you ever misplaced something in your home?  You look in all the usual places and scratch your head.  "Hmm.  Where could I have put it?"  So you check the same usual places again with greater care.  Not finding the item, you now expand your search to very unlikely places.  Finally, sheer desperation causes you to search everywhere, thoroughly examining places you know the item should not or cannot be.  It is the value placed upon the item that drives us to drop everything and search until the thing is found.

Yesterday my wife and I had such a moment.  Of all things, we were looking for an important receipt.  At first Laura was the only one searching.  Before too long, I was knee-deep in the file cabinet searching carefully.  The search expanded through the office, bedrooms, closets, even the bathroom!  Finally, after looking for over thirty minutes, our search was rewarded with success.  Note to self:  avoid stashing receipts in shoe boxes.  That's a lesson I didn't think I needed to learn.  What was really funny is I was struck by how few places there were to look, and Laura was troubled by how much stuff we have!

Had it been a receipt from Hungry Jacks or Spotlight, our search would have concluded in mere minutes.  We would have shrugged our shoulders, resolved to put the receipts in the proper place next time, and moved on.  In this case, finding the lost receipt was critical because of specific information written on it, in addition to proving the cost and retail value of our purchase.  It reminded me of a parable Jesus told in Luke 15:8-10:  "Or what woman, having ten silver coins, if she loses one coin, does not light a lamp, sweep the house, and search carefully until she finds it?⁹ And when she has found it, she calls her friends and neighbors together, saying, 'Rejoice with me, for I have found the piece which I lost!' ¹⁰ Likewise, I say to you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents."

When the woman in the story misplaced one of her 10 silver coins, she did not wait for the light of morning to aid her.  When she first recognized her loss, the woman lit a lamp and searched carefully.  She swept the floor again and again.  She retraced her steps and checked pockets, looked in vessels, even examined under the furniture!  Her persistence paid off and she found the lost coin.  She rejoiced to find what was lost, and desired that all would rejoice with her.  Jesus summed up His point:  just like a woman searches for a lost coin and rejoices when it is found, so God and the angels rejoice over one sinner who repents.  The woman is not angry at the coin for rolling under the table.  She did not yell or threaten the coin with a time-out.  She was relieved and rejoiced because what was precious to her had been safely restored.

Our search for that dumb receipt yesterday has prompted the question:  how much value do I put on lost sinners?  I am willing to drop what I am doing to look for a receipt I feel is important, but how much effort do I put into seeking and saving the lost through sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ?  Is it possible that Christians could value misplaced items over lost souls of sinners?  If we value people lost in sin like Jesus does, we will expend much effort in seeking to have them reconciled to God through repentance and faith in Christ.  God used this receipt episode to show me I need to value people more like He values them.  When we value others, we will invest time, love, and grace in them.

I thank God that He rejoices over those who are found, and with those who are part of His restorative process of justification and sanctification.  Luke 19:1-10 relates a compelling story:  "Then Jesus entered and passed through Jericho. ² Now behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus who was a chief tax collector, and he was rich. ³ And he sought to see who Jesus was, but could not because of the crowd, for he was of short stature. ⁴ So he ran ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see Him, for He was going to pass that way. ⁵ And when Jesus came to the place, He looked up and saw him, and said to him, "Zacchaeus, make haste and come down, for today I must stay at your house." ⁶ So he made haste and came down, and received Him joyfully. ⁷ But when they saw it, they all complained, saying, "He has gone to be a guest with a man who is a sinner." ⁸ Then Zacchaeus stood and said to the Lord, "Look, Lord, I give half of my goods to the poor; and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." ⁹ And Jesus said to him, "Today salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham; ¹⁰ for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost."  What more can be said?  I want to be like Zacchaeus and Jesus, not like all the complainers who despised God's grace.  Today is the day of salvation!

Silly Season?

In Australia the term "silly season" is often used as a reference to the Christmas season, where Christmas is associated with sun-soaked beaches, family barbies (BBQ), seafood, mangoes, and drunken revelry.  With kids and adults on holiday the potential for silliness reaches new highs or lows, depending on your perspective!  It is silly to go into debt for the whole year to purchase gifts.  But I think to gloss Christmas as "silly" goes way too far.  The commercialism of Christmas should not stunt our wonder or dull the glory of Christ's coming.  There's nothing silly about my Saviour.

Christmas is celebrated in different ways and for widely different reasons across the world.  Some may celebrate Christmas merely from family or cultural tradition.  It is an opportunity to gather with friends and family over special food and give gifts.  Others see it as a huge waste of time.  There are some who see it as a Christianization of a pagan holiday.  I see Christmas as an opportunity to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ, the Messiah sent to seek and save the lost.  As far as I can see, Jesus is the reason for the Christmas season and all others.  Jesus is the Giver, and He has given Himself as the Gift:  providing forgiveness, righteousness, and eternal life for all who repent and trust in Him.

The Bible describes a future event when the world will rejoice over the death of the two witnesses sent by God.  After their testimony is complete, Satan will slay them.  Their dead bodies will lie in the streets of Jerusalem and everyone will rejoice, refusing to bury them.  Revelation 11:10-13 reads, "And those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them, make merry, and send gifts to one another, because these two prophets tormented those who dwell on the earth. ¹¹ Now after the three-and-a-half days the breath of life from God entered them, and they stood on their feet, and great fear fell on those who saw them. ¹² And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them, "Come up here." And they ascended to heaven in a cloud, and their enemies saw them. ¹³ In the same hour there was a great earthquake, and a tenth of the city fell. In the earthquake seven thousand people were killed, and the rest were afraid and gave glory to the God of heaven."

When the people on earth saw God's witnesses were dead, what was their response?  They rejoiced, made merry, and sent gifts to each other.  After three days, however, God will raise the dead men to life and ascend to heaven.  When Jesus came to earth, wise men brought gifts in worship.  If even heathen people rejoice over death by giving gifts, it is certainly not silly to rejoice and worship Christ - the Giver of Life to all who will believe - through giving gifts to one another.  It is not silly to give!  The end result?  May our celebration begin and end with giving glory to the God of heaven.

However you celebrate Christmas, may you do it as unto the LORD.  Romans 14:5-9 says, "One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. ⁶ He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks. ⁷ For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. ⁸ For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord's. ⁹ For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living."  As long as we live, let us live as children of the Most High God!  Jesus is not dead, but alive!  He came to set the captives free, open the eyes of the blind, and deliver mankind from sin and death.  Sound it from the mountains, spread the Good News in the valleys:  "Joy to the world, the LORD is come!  Let earth receive her King."

Reign this Christmas, LORD Jesus.  Reign now and always!

Blessings of God

When we talk about blessings from God, many times we think in temporal terms.  The material things we receive by God's grace are certainly blessings, but they cannot compare with the priceless gifts God has given all who repent and trust in Him.  Our homes, cars, food, and jobs are blessings from God.  But all of these things will pass away.  Psalm 32:1 reveals King David's perspective concerning blessings from God:  "Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered."

What a blessing it is to be free from the condemnation, guilt, shame, and damnation due to our sin!  No amount of silver or gold is enough to post bail to escape the eternal destruction that sin demands.  But God, who is rich in mercy, has sent Jesus Christ to be the Saviour of the world.  We are not forgiven because we are sorry, but because Jesus has satisfied the righteous requirements of God's justice through His shed blood.  2 Corinthians 5:17-21:  "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. ¹⁸ Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, ¹⁹ that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. ²⁰ Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ's behalf, be reconciled to God. ²¹ For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."

Not only have Christians received the blessing of forgiveness of sins, but of reconciliation with God.  Because of sin, every human being is estranged from God.  Our sin makes us active enemies of God.  But God revealed His love to us that while we were sinners, Christ died for us.  God the Father made Jesus Christ the Son, who knew no sin, to be sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.  All who repent and rely upon Jesus are forgiven and have His righteousness imputed to us.  We are made co-heirs with Christ and made ambassadors on His behalf to those still in sin so they might hear and receive the word of reconciliation.

All the temporal "blessings" the world can provide cannot give us the peace, joy, and satisfaction of knowing God.  Jesus gives love which swallows all our fears, and we are given exceedingly great and precious promises out of the goodness of His grace.  What does it profit a man to gain the entire world and lose his own soul?  What a blessing it is to have assurance through God's Word and the testimony of the Holy Spirit that our souls are safe in Jesus Christ.  The entire world will pass away, but the Word of the LORD will endure forever.  Build on Christ, a foundation which cannot be moved!

Risk Worth Taking

I recently read John Piper's book Don't Waste Your Life and was challenged.  It is easy to go through life being busy but not necessarily with things that count for eternity.  As a Christian, I know that I am called to walk by faith.  Faith is demonstrated through obedience to God without understanding the particulars of His plan from start to finish.  Abraham was called to leave his family and country and go to the land God would show him.  Without being able to tell anyone his goal destination on this side of heaven, Abraham trusted God and went.  Because God is worthy of trust and capable to act beyond the imaginations of my limited intellect, I am called to take the next step as God directs.  It is a conscious act of relying upon the character and ability of God to do what I cannot predict.  His ways are higher than my ways, and faith releases God to do His wonders.

Since Christians are called to walk by faith and absolute trust in God, the denying of the flesh to obey God will make my flesh uncomfortable.  The flesh is conditioned to walk by sight, not by faith.  The path of following Jesus Christ does not always appear to the eyes to be safe or even desirable.  But since Christ is both the means and the substance of my life, He is always to be treasured above all.  In his book, Piper voiced some excellent observations concerning the aspect of risk in following Christ.  He writes:  "Why is there such a thing as risk?  Because there is such a thing as ignorance.  If there were no ignorance there would be no risk.  Risk is possible because we don't know how things will turn out.  This means that God can take no risks." (Piper, Kindle edition, pg. 100)  God can take no risks, and any apparent "risk" from a worldly perspective a Christian takes by faith in God is simply a mirage.  The fact that I see risk is proof of my ignorance.  I embrace the fact of my ignorance that I might rest in God's wisdom!

You've probably seen the ads on television for investment firms who provide historical data and statistics to aid people in selling and trading stocks.  Based upon evidence, people invest money where there is the probability of lowest risk and highest yield.  Often the higher the risk, the higher the potential yield or loss.  When setting up investments, financial advisers recommend that investors diversify so all the money is not committed to a single fund.  The theory is while one fund may lose money another will remain stable, and the conservative funds will slowly build.  But Jesus tells us we cannot diversify our faith in this way.  We cannot put some of our faith in our business, a little in our savings and properties, and invest our faith in Him when it is time to pay the bills and taxes.  No, we must put all our faith in Him alone.  The following quote is often attributed to Jim Elliot:  "He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose."  Jim Elliot risked his life to share the Gospel to unreached people in Ecuador and he was killed in the mission field by Waodani warriors.  But it was not a risk to follow Jesus on that path of the cross.  In dying a Christian gains what he cannot lose:  a glorious entry into eternal life with Christ, where we shall worship, glorify, and serve Him forever.

When we follow Christ in faith, inevitably we will be faced with what appears to be risk.  If there is no risk in our Christian experience, then we must seriously consider if we have experienced Christ!  God cannot risk because He knows all things.  This is not an invitation to be foolhardy or cavalier, assuming God will come to our rescue when we make foolish decisions because of pride.  But if God directs you to take a step of faith, there is no risk in obedience.  So take that step, believer!  God is able to accomplish all that concerns you today!  

Your Daddy Matters

On Saturday my club baseball team played after a three-week hiatus.  When I slid into second base ahead of the throw, I bent my right wrist back.  I never used to be sore after playing baseball as a young person.  The only thing which experienced soreness was my throwing arm after pitching.  Now I have all sorts of lingering injuries:  knee, calf, hamstring, wrist, AND shoulder.  Getting older makes a person long for heaven!

As I grimaced and moved the wrist around, the second baseman said, "Injury?"  "Just aggravated an old one," I said.  Then she said something I did not expect:  "That's because you came from apes."  While I was sorting out whether it was intended as a personal insult based upon my appearance or sharing her views of the origin of the human race, the ball was hit and I was off to third.  I found the comment disturbing because I do not believe that any human being is a descendant of apes.  I believe that Adam was the first human being, formed by a loving God in His own image.

Her comment prompted me to ask the question:  how would my life be different if I truly believed my family tree branched off from apes in the distant past.  If an ape is my distant relative, than I was not created in the image of God.  Human beings then are no different than any other animal.  Ethics and morality become empty philosophies with no grounding in absolute truth.  As animals are driven by instinct without free will, so my highest purpose in life is to exercise my glands to feed the desires of my flesh.  There is no heaven, and certainly no hell.  There is no absolute right and wrong.  There is o future judgment but no future hope.  The only thing I could be certain of is disappointment, misery, and death.  Life is pointless, and the sooner it is over the better.

I don't believe in God because it is convenient for me to do so.  I believe and trust in Him because I am convinced the Bible is the Word of God.  Jesus came to earth, lived a perfect life in fulfillment of scripture, and rose from the dead proving the validity of His claims.  God created the order we see in the universe, established all natural laws, and created all plant, animal, and human life according to each kind.  The more the scientists investigate into the cell, DNA, and even blood clotting, instead of mastery the mysteries expand.  There has been an information explosion in the past 100 years.  What the increase of knowledge has done is enlighten us to more things we do not know!

Your family tree makes a difference in how you live.  If your great-great-grandpappy was an ape, you are no better than one yourself.  God has created man to glorify Him and to make Himself known to all people.  Sin has separated man from God.  God is not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance and be saved from eternal punishment in hell - the just punishment for a single sin.  Jesus gave His life so all might be reconciled to God and experience the forgiveness, peace, and love only God provides.  I pray knowing personally the One to whom I speak when I say, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name!"  I know the One who designed apes, human beings, wrists, and knees.  God is my Father, and if you were to trace back my family line it would reach all the way back to Adam - not to some beast.  Jesus is the One who introduced me to real love, and that's the absolute truth.

Don't Fly from God!

During the conference at Manly, we bought fish and chips and ate on the Corso.  The sea gulls in that region are amazingly well trained.  When the birds notice people carrying the white bags, they congregate with squawks in great numbers.  If someday you decide to sit on the concrete steps facing the surf, be warned that these birds will come up behind you and hover close over your shoulder until the second you lift the delicious chip to your mouth.  Swiftly they will swoop and snatch the chip from the hand.  I discovered that sitting at picnic tables with a person facing each other afforded protection from such thievery.  I'm sure there's a sermon in there somewhere.  True accountability is when we "have each other's backs" by remaining face to face with open communication, looking out for one another motivated by love.  But I digress!

While a group of us carefully ate our dinner, I noticed a sea gull whose legs were tangled with a length of black thread.  The bird was able to stand on one foot and fly, but was clearly hobbled.  The lack of the use of his bound leg would no doubt lead to atrophy or potential infection.  Someone suggested we attempt to catch the bird to free it from the cord which bound its legs together.  Being a wild bird, however, there was no way this bird could ignore its instincts to flee and trust that our intentions were simply to free it.  Whenever we came within six feet, it would fly away.  It was sad to see the bird in that condition, and harder still not to be able to do anything about it.

When people are hurt by life experiences, they can respond in a similar manner to the bird.  Perhaps they had once in their pain trusted well-meaning people to help them and were only injured more deeply.  That bird relied on its wings for safety, but they were powerless to free and heal.  As human beings we can build walls to insulate and protect ourselves from future hurt emotionally.  But in doing so we can deny loving people and even the healing power of God from restoring our joy, strength, and trust.  It is very sad when hurting people withdraw from the saving power of God because they don't trust Him.  Afraid that they will only be hurt worse or humiliated for their trouble they flit away, legs still bound with that dark thread.

Much more than we wanted to help that hurting bird, God desires to heal the hurting, hopeless, and helpless.  God allowed His only begotten Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for the sins of the world who knew no sin, and made Him to be sin for us.  God's heart of compassion yearned to free Jesus from the weight of the sin of the world on the cross, but He knew the salvation that would be wrought by grace through faith in Christ's shed blood.  John 1:12 reads, "But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name...".  Jesus was willing to be bound to that cross, pierced with nails and thorns, being the perfect Lamb of God without blemish or spot.  What comfort we have in knowing Jesus has risen from the dead, the Good Shepherd, who anoints and heals us by His grace.  We must choose to submit to His healing touch.

I close with words which were not intended to be limited to memorial services, the words of David in Psalm 23:1-6:  "The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. ² He makes me to lie down in green pastures; He leads me beside the still waters. ³ He restores my soul; He leads me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake. ⁴ Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. ⁵ You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over. ⁶ Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life; and I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever."  Trust God and never fly from His goodness and mercy!

Envision Conference

This afternoon I returned from a four-day Calvary Chapel "Envision" conference in Manly hosted at St. Matthew's Anglican Church.  It was wonderful to meet with pastors and friends from all over the world, hailing from Australia, United States, the UK, South Africa, Scotland, the Philippines, France, and no doubt other places.  As we worshiped God through songs of praise, the teaching of His Word, the fellowship of the saints, and serving one another, it was a spectacle of God's grace and love.  How good it is to see brethren dwelling together in unity!

As we sang together, it occurred to me how wonderful it would be if we could stay together in Manly, day after day, night after night, praising God and ministering to all the people who wandered in.  When we lifted praise to Jesus people stopped, stared, and walked through the doors asking, "What's going on in here?"  There is no shortage of people who need Jesus Christ who walk past the open doors of St. Matt's sanctuary every day.  But as much as I have a heart to see salvation come to the people in Australia through faith in Christ, I caught myself.  It is good to gather together in one accord to seek God with all our hearts.  Yet it is God's design that His people would go out into all the world, preaching the Gospel and making disciples of all people!  God's power is revealed tangibly through His people in whom the Holy Spirit dwells.  If all the Christians at the conference stayed in Manly, God would do great things.  But how much greater a work will He do through us when we walk with Christ out of the sanctuary and take Him into our homes, families, workplaces, cities, and nations, with the express purpose to introduce others to Jesus as LORD and Saviour!

The time spent at the conference was sweet, but sweeter days are yet to come.  God has a global vision for evangelism, salvation, and discipleship that would blow us away if we were to catch even a small glimpse of it.  There are times for joining hands in prayer and voices in song, and there are times to depart riding trains and planes.  All these seasons exist for the glory of God, so Jesus Christ may be lifted up and draw all people to Himself.  It's not the size of your church that matters.  One person walking in step with Christ is more effective in ministry than a thousand who lift their hands in unison and sing a song.  Whatever you do, do it with all your might for the glory of God.

God in Your Thoughts?

If we read the Bible honestly, it will confront and shock us.  God uses the truth of scripture to correct our incorrect understanding or assumptions.  Today I experienced such a moment as I opened the Word for my morning reading of a few Psalms.  David begins Psalm 10 by a vivid description of the attitudes, acts, and even the thoughts of the wicked.  There was one verse in particular which God used to correct my understanding of what wickedness looks like.  The Holy Spirit brought conviction of sin, shedding light where there was once darkness in my conscience.

In the KJV Psalm 10:4 reads, "The wicked, through the pride of his countenance, will not seek after God: God is not in all his thoughts."  When I think of wickedness, I tend to think of deeds.  The works of the flesh are evident and obvious sin.  The Bible teaches that sin perverts and pollutes a man from within, and evil deeds are the result.  God is righteous, and those who are in Christ through faith receive His righteousness.  This verse illustrates the importance of our thoughts.  A wicked man does not seek after God.  In fact, the fact that God is not in all his thoughts is wickedness.  This is a strong statement.  We would all agree it would be good if God was in all our thoughts.  It would be right for all our thoughts to dwell upon God.

A sampling of other translations show us other facets of the importance of our thoughts in relation to God.  Psalm 10:4 in the NKJV states, "The wicked in his proud countenance does not seek God; God is in none of his thoughts."  The NIV rendering of Psalm 10:4 is as follows:  "In his pride the wicked does not seek him; in all his thoughts there is no room for God."  The wicked is marked by three variants of the same theme concerning thoughts:  God is not in all his thoughts, God is in none of his thoughts, and in all his thoughts there is no room for God.  How important then is our necessity to meditate upon God, His flawless attributes and character, His commands, goodness, love, mercy, and grace!  There is a reason why God commanded fathers to instruct their children concerning God from when they rose in the morning until the time they lay down again at night.  The thoughts of a righteous man could be described in this way:  God is in all his thoughts.

Though the translations of the same verse are different, they are all true.  Common denominators of the wicked include pride, the fact he does not seek after God, and that God is not in all his thoughts.  What a different picture of wickedness this reveals from what we might have thought!  I resolve to make room for God in my thoughts, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.  By God's grace, may we humble ourselves and seek Him.  God desires to be found by us.  Praise Him for that!

Does Your Saviour Support You?

I was a youth when I first saw the comedy starring James Garner called "Support Your Local Sheriff."  Garner becomes the sheriff in a rowdy western boom town and employs some unorthodox tactics to maintain order.  It wasn't long before he arrested a lawbreaker.  He had a major problem though:  the new jail still did not yet have bars or doors installed in the cells.  The quick-thinking sheriff painted a black line on the ground to delineate the boundary of the cell, and dripped a copious amount of red paint on the outside of the line.  The sheriff convinced the ruffian that if he valued his life, he'd stay in that cell without bars or a door - or he'd be like the fictitious previous prisoner who tried to cross the line and was shot for his trouble.

When the family of the ruffian came to break him out, they were surprised to see the effectiveness of the cell without doors and bars.  It wasn't too long before the bars and doors arrived and were installed - with the help of the willing prisoner.  This is a good object lesson to illustrate a spiritual truth.  The Bible says that all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.  People can be taken captive by the devil to do his will.  Both Christians and unbelievers face this risk.  The main difference is that when a Christian is taken captive, those bars and doors are not yet installed.  He has the power to walk out through the shed blood of Jesus Christ.  But people can be tricked to think there is no escape possible for them.  A unbeliever is destined for eternal damnation because of sin.

But no matter the fortifications of the prison of sin man or Satan builds, the power of Jesus Christ is able to completely overcome by God's grace.  Ephesians 2:13-15 reads, "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace..."  We don't have the strength, courage, or willpower to overcome sin.  But the blood of Jesus is able to do for all what no one is able to do himself.  Even if we were to stop sinning, we could not cleanse ourselves of our guilt.  We also are incapable of making ourselves righteous.  That is what makes the Gospel so wonderful:  when we repent and trust in Jesus Christ we receive forgiveness, are made pure, are born again through the Holy Spirit, and are reconciled to God through the righteousness of Christ.  That's Good News indeed!

Sleep In Peace

We have enjoyed uncharacteristically wet weather in Sydney for the past several days.  Sydney has been shrouded with thick grey clouds and a steady, light drizzle, a complete shift from the last weeks of warm temperatures and rising humidity.  The seasons seem a little confused.

When I opened the Word this morning, I read Psalm 4:8:  "I will both lie down in peace, and sleep; for You alone, O LORD, make me dwell in safety."  In the United States, Thanksgiving is being celebrated across the country.  How many things do we take for granted God has given us, even something like peaceful sleep!  Did you ever thank God for a restful night of sleep?  It is God who enables us to sleep soundly and wake up refreshed.

There have been well-documented cases of celebrities whose deaths have been linked to desperate attempts to simply sleep in peace.  Marylin Monroe, Heath Ledger, and Michael Jackson are tragic cases numbered among them.  I suppose there are an infinite amount of reasons people struggle to sleep.  But good sleep, like all other wholesome things we need and enjoy, is a gift from God.  Psalm 127:1-2 reads, "Unless the LORD builds the house, they labor in vain who build it; unless the LORD guards the city, the watchman stays awake in vain. ² It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows; for so He gives His beloved sleep."

Sleep in humans is an interesting study.  From articles I've read over the years, even experts can't explain why we need to sleep.  The brain can be more active during sleep than when we are awake!  But it is no secret that human function is greatly impaired when the body is deprived of sleep.  Just like everyone needs sleep, we all need the love of God.  God gives us love, grace, and sleep - not to mention everything that pertains to life and godliness.  Sometimes we fall asleep unwittingly, but God's love must be consciously received.  When we repent and trust in Jesus Christ as our Saviour, we are born again and ushered into God's beloved.

You don't need to be a Christian to enjoy a wonderful night's rest, but Christians ought to recognize that even the gift of sleep is received by the grace and goodness of God.  He allows the rain to fall on the just and the unjust.  He gives all benefits and blessings that people might recognize His goodness and trust in Him (Rom. 2:4).  Thank God for the rest He graciously gives! 

My Inheritance Request

"I will declare the decree: the LORD has said to Me, 'You are My Son, today I have begotten You. ⁸ Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession. ⁹ You shall break them with a rod of iron; You shall dash them to pieces like a potter's vessel.' "

Psalm 2:7-9

The heading in my Bible for Psalm 2 is, "The reign of God's anointed."  The term "anointed" is a reference to the Jewish Messiah, who has been revealed as Jesus the Christ.  He was not only the Messiah to the Jews, but to all who repent and trust in Him.  Previously when I read Psalm 2, I looked at it only in this context.  Jesus is the only begotten of the Father (John 3:16) who died for the sins of the world, rose again, and will someday return to set up His rule upon earth.  There is a prophetic glimpse of Christ returning in power and glory in Revelation 19:11-16.  Revelation 19:15 reads, "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."

God chose the children of Israel out of all the nations to be His inheritance.  Deuteronomy 4:20 states, "But the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, an inheritance, as you are this day."  How interesting and enlightening that God says through King David to the Messiah, "Ask of Me, and I will give You the nations (or the "heathen") for Your inheritance."  God is not willing that any person or nation should perish, but that all would come to repentance and faith in Him and be saved.  God offers Jew or Gentile, slave or free, the opportunity to be numbered among His children by His grace through the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross.

For the first time in my life, yesterday I saw that the entreaty of verse 8 is not only relevant to the person of Jesus Christ the Messiah, but to all who have been born again into the family of God.  God challenges all Christians to say, "Give me the heathen for my inheritance."  As children of God by faith, we have become Christ's inheritance, and He is ours.  Our relationship with God through faith has granted us access by the blood of Christ, the Holy Spirit, and His grace that even the Priests and Levites under the Mosaic Law did not possess.  I was once estranged from God because of my sin, but I have been brought near to God through Christ.  Ephesians 2:13-18 reads, "But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. ¹⁴ For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, ¹⁵ having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, ¹⁶ and that He might reconcile them both to God in one body through the cross, thereby putting to death the enmity. ¹⁷ And He came and preached peace to you who were afar off and to those who were near. ¹⁸ For through Him we both have access by one Spirit to the Father."

If Christ dwells in me and I in Him, I have not only a right but an obligation to pray thus:  "LORD, you have said in your Word, "Ask of Me, and I will give You the heathen for Your inheritance, and the ends of the earth for Your possession."  It is not gold and silver than I desire, or crowns or mansions, nor honour among men or angels.  I do not deserve to eat the crumbs from your table, but you have adopted and numbered me among your precious children, even making me a co-heir with Jesus Christ!  I ask that you give me the heathen for my inheritance, that many would come to the knowledge of the truth and be saved.  May you receive the reward of your suffering through my testimony.  Grant me saved souls by your grace!  May you anoint me to go forth weeping, continually bearing seed for sowing that I may doubtless come again rejoining, bringing my sheaves with me." (Psalm 126:6)

When you see enemies of the Gospel or those tragically heading to eternal destruction, never see them as your enemies:  they are your inheritance!  Treasure their souls!  Allow yourself to consider their condition and weep for their lack.  Then supply the good seed of God's Word which will not return void.  Sowing to the Spirit brings life everlasting.

God Gives More Grace

The church will only be the loving, vibrant, fruitful body God designed after we have laid hold of His grace.  If we think that the work of God depends on us, our talents, gifts, or aspirations, we will be impotent to step out in faith and obedience.  A common trap which ensnares Christians is to look at ourselves, consider what our gifts are, and then only seek to use those gifts.  Consequently our actions and lifestyle will only reflect what we perceive in ourselves.  This kind of insular thinking has the potential to paralyze us and limit what we are willing to do for God - consciously limiting what we consider to be a reasonable scope of work - and therefore limit His effectiveness to work in and through us.  But there is much beyond our perception that God wants to do!

If we agree that all gifts we have been given us by God's grace, let us consider another view.  Instead of looking at my gifts, deeming them worthy, and then offering them, how about I look to God?  Once my eyes are fixed upon Jesus Christ, I can ask God to open my eyes to see the needs all around me.  After He reveals the need, I ask God to grant me grace so God might meet that need through me for His glory.  If my focus is on my gifts, I will be forever waiting for the perfect opportunity to trust God to use them, rather than trusting God to give me in that instant the gifts in the moment of need.  All I have is from God anyway:  can't He do more in my life today than yesterday?  Or am I going to chain myself to the past, limit my faith, and deny the fact God can do exceedingly, abundantly beyond what I could ever ask or think?

We all know there are grave needs in the world.  There is no shortage of needs in our own neighborhoods.  But I will never know the needs of people until I get to know the people themselves.  What kind of doctor could make a correct prognosis and administer medication without knowing the patient, examining their medical history and symptoms, and communicating with them?  If you want to know the needs of your community, it starts with creating relationships one person at a time.  Pastors Matthew Barnett and Bill Wilson are perfect examples of men who immersed themselves in the lives of people and God has used them mightily to reach lost souls for Christ.  The church, made entirely of Christians, is hamstrung if all Christians only have relationships with Christians.  We must seek to interact with all people so the love of Christ might be revealed through tangible means.  That's what Jesus did and what He wants us to do.

Not every fellowship will grow to be as numerically large as the Dream Center in Los Angeles or Metro Ministries in New York, but the love of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Spirit enables each church fellowship to be fruitful, effective, and a place where the miraculous is common.  After all, no church will ever be judged by God on account of the square footage of buildings, number of parishioners ministries, or buses, or how talented their musicians or singers are.  God is seeking people to love and trust Him.  He is looking for people to obey His leading and desires we would use all He has graciously given to bring souls to salvation, make disciples of all nations, and faithfully feed the flock of God.  God's eyes do not light up at our volume of service or sacrifice, but He rejoices over two mites thrown into His treasury out of a heart rejoicing in faith.  How we give matters most to Him.

Don't wait for someone else to lead.  Let us look to Christ and purpose in our hearts to follow Him and trust that He will supply all our needs.  He is able to accomplish what concerns us today.  Will God deprive us of what we need when we are about Christ's business?

Don't Eat What You Should Chuck

The other night we had an interesting occurrence at the dinner table.  Everyone in our family had nectarines with dinner.  It's not an oddity to eat fruit in our house, but what happened next was a first for me.  I was assured that the nectarines had been washed just after being purchased.  But being the avid fruit and vegetable washer that I am, I still examined it carefully.  Where the stem used to be there was a little grey fuzz, nothing scary.  I poked a knife into the hole and suddenly a tiny stick poked out a couple centimeters away.  I removed the knife and held it up in the light to see better.  Funny, I couldn't see the stick.  Again, I cut into the nectarine and suddenly the stick appeared again.  Wait a second, I thought.  Something weird is going on...it was one of those strange moments when the brain is a little slow to process.

Upon further examination, I could see the stick bending ever so slightly.  I stabbed right into it.  As you may have already guessed, I was disgusted and surprised to see my nectarine was inhabited by a small worm!  Before too long I had cut the worm on my plate, proudly displayed for all to see.  Then I cut out the small bad spot and washed the nectarine again.  And yes, I ate the rest.  Apart from that soft, blackened pinhole the fruit was fine.  I did notice, however, that the rest of Laura's nectarine remained uneaten.  It takes more than a tiny worm to ruin my appetite.

So much of life is like that nectarine.  Much of the programming on TV is fit for family viewing:  sports, cartoons, nature shows, even some movies and shows.  But there is a lot of programming that is pure garbage for the eyes and mind.  Even in good shows there can be bad spots.  It's a lot easier to cut the bruise out of a nectarine than to trim out a word or a mental image from a show.  That's where discernment comes in.  Even too much of a good thing can have a negative effect.  It's good to have fun but not at the expense of responsibility and morality.

Sometimes for the sake of that one black spot a whole show or movie must go.  But there are times when it is alright to skip a scene and keep a movie.  What if we were as careful with what we watched on TV or the internet as what we put in our mouths to eat?  No one in their right mind would eat that peach which suddenly went very wrong on my bench yesterday.  In the matter of a day it was an oozing, green haired, foul piece of fruit so rotten it could not be eaten (word to the wise - don't leave fruit too near your electric kettle).  The funny thing is, we can watch stuff that's just as bad spiritually and pollutes our minds - without giving it a single thought.

So the next time you find a worm in your fruit, are you going to eat it?  Or will you cut it out?  Same thing with what we put before our eyes.  Sometimes that thing needs to be thrown in the bin.  It's no good for you, and it will make you sick.  A worm may not eat much, but a little sin can consume your life!  By the time you recognize the symptoms, it may be too late for an easy cure.  Take it to the LORD.  He will grant the wisdom you need to make the righteous decision. 

Tawny Frogmouth!

One blessing about living in Australia is the benefit of living in close proximity to natural wildlife.  When the boys arrived home from school today they shouted in excitement, "We found a tawny frogmouth!"  My favorite bird is the tawny frogmouth, followed very closely by the kookaburra.  Tawny's have very expressive faces and have an amazing defense behaviour that imitates a tree branch (very convincing!).  They also can be quite tame and allow you to pet them as they flash their bright yellow eyes.  The boys led Laura and me down the street and showed us a juvenile bird.

When we first approached the bird, he acted like he didn't see us.  But when we came nearer, he opened his eyes and showed us his very large, red mouth.  He almost looked like a fuzzy bird version of a triceratops when he puffed himself up!

Many people in Australia volunteer to look after injured native wildlife and lost birds like this one.  If you find one of these birds and it's making hungry croaking noises, raw mince (ground meat) is a good thing to feed them. 

After dinner we saw some people congregating around the bird and a man was holding it.  The boys ran over to investigate and discovered the man is a volunteer who looks after lost or injured animals.  With the bird resting comfortably in capable hands, the story has a happy ending.

What a treasure life is!  Thank God for all the beautiful wonders He has created and allows us to enjoy - sometimes right outside your door!

My Baseball Story

Because this blog is open to the public, it is possible people may read this blog without knowing me personally.  This blog serves several functions:  to glorify God, as a vehicle to express truths God impresses upon me, to communicate thoughts, and to bless others.  As a pastor I am always looking to relate and apply biblical truth through common things.  Though I am called to be a pastor, I also have the privilege to be a Christian, husband, dad, brother, teammate, and gaming enthusiast.  I am a regular human being, not some self-proclaimed spiritual master.  Sometimes a story is a descriptive way to introduce people to yourself.  Well, here goes.

As a kid, I played baseball for about six seasons.  My best years playing ball stretched from age 12 to 14.  Pretty depressing that my best days were over by 14!  I was known around the league for my pitching, relying heavily upon a devastating overhand curve that gave people fits.  I hit for a decent average but never with much power.  My dad would yell, "Down and hard!"  My swing was built for contact, and I never swung for the fence.  In the snack bar there was a board that listed all the players who had hit home runs during the season.  Some guys hit 10 or more, but I was fortunate to bounce one off the top of the fence.  Hitting the fence didn't put your name on the board.

Me and my brother would play home run derby for hours in the back yard.  We would choose our three favorite players and see who could hit more homers.  A telephone line ran high through the air in the center of the yard.  Over the line was a home run but over the fence was an out.  My brother would be Andre Dawson and Don Mattingly while I was partial to Fred McGriff and Chet Lemon.  The funny thing is, Chet Lemon wasn't really a power hitter and I never saw him play because he was in the American League.  But I had a baseball card of him with a picture of his amazing swing.  Like most kids, I always fantasized about what it would feel like to hit a home run.  In practice I had hit some, but it wasn't the same as in a game.  When I was 15 I tried out for JV and was cut.  It was in the tryout that I felt something go wrong in my shoulder when throwing from the outfield.  My pride and shoulder were hurt, and I was glad to put an end to my baseball career - or so I thought!

I worked construction for a large part of my adult life and shoulder pain was a constant companion.  It would hurt worse some days than others, but I did my best to ignore it.  Most of the time I was successful.  Last year about this time was when the pain was at the worst.  I was so weakened by the pain that I could not do a single push up!  For years I had done 40 - 50 push ups in a row right before bed.  But the pain was so overwhelming that push ups were impossible.  I prayed, "God, please heal this shoulder.  I know it's your will to heal.  Please be merciful to me."  A couple months after this our family moved to Australia.

Slowly, very slowly, the shoulder began to feel better.  Five months ago I bought a barbell and 70 kilos of weight and started working out with low weight and high reps.  The shoulder still hurt, but I was able to do what I had not done for over a year.  It wasn't long after I started exercising that a brother from church suggested that we play in a seniors baseball league.  I was intrigued at the thought.  But what about the shoulder?  Would I be able to play with any amount of proficiency?  After Laura and I discussed the opportunity, it was settled:  the Grisez boys and dad would all play baseball.  Of all the sports available in Australia baseball was the sport we had all played most.

Now what were my honest expectations?  I needed to remind myself I am 36 years old, not 14!  22 years had elapsed since I put a ball off the top of the fence.  I would have to be patient, build arm strength, work out my mechanics at the plate, have fun and do my best.  Pitching was out of the question - well, maybe I could pitch if I limited myself to one inning.  My goal was to hit a home run.  Laura and I were talking one day and I mused out loud, "You know what, Laura?  I've got this giant gorilla on my back.  To this day I have still never hit a home run over the fence in a real game.  I've had in-the-park homers and some messing around with friends, but never in a real game.  But I know I've got it in me.  I know I have the power - I just have to execute!"  She said without hesitation, "Well if you've never done it before when you were young and fit, what makes you think you can do it now?"  I feigned insult, of course.  "Are you saying that I'm old and fat?"  We both laughed hysterically.  And then I proceeded to tell everyone what a tactful wife I have! :)

The first game I pitched one inning.  The second game I pitched two innings.  My shoulder was pretty sore, but surprisingly I was still able to pitch and started to improve.  My velocity was nothing special but my accuracy was improving.  Fast forward to the seventh game of the season.  We were playing the Castle Hill Knights, the team that thumped us hard the first game of the season.  I started the game, pitched almost 5 full innings, and earned the win.  But that's not the reason why I'm still smiling about it right now:  I hit a home run!  It was a no-doubter to left field, easily clearing the six-foot fence.  I absolutely smashed it on the screws, perfect trajectory, and saw the ball fly into the bush of Fred Catterson Reserve.  I haven't felt that much adrenalin in a long time as I circled the bases, probably acting like I had never hit a home run in my life.  Oh wait, that's right - I hadn't!  It was amazing and I'm still praising God for that moment.

As our family drove home from church the next day I told Laura, "You know, I think I might go back to the field to see if I can find that home run ball."  After lunch the boys and I hopped in the car and headed back to the field where dreams became reality to a 36 year-old washed-up ballplayer.  I stood at the plate and envisioned where we saw it go into the bush.  Did I expect to find the ball?  I figured we had little chance but it would be worth it.  A bunch of kids had looked for it without success.  Zed, Abel, and I walked to the spot and started our search.  Within a minute, we found the ball!  Since I was pitching I knew the kind of balls we were using and the ball had a fresh grass stain on it.  I put the ball in my pocket and then we decided to keep on looking - maybe we could find a few other souvenirs.  It turns out we found 9 baseballs in total (quality ranging from good to very poor!) and a golf ball.

It struck me that we came to the ballpark hoping to find a single ball and we found 9!  I started the season thinking that I would have to limit myself to one inning maximum (if I pitched at all) and I pitched almost 5 innings in a single game!  There was a day when I could not do a single push up, and months later I hit a home run over the fence in a real game.  I thought my baseball career was over at 15 because of a shoulder injury and now my career has seen an unfathomable resurgence!  Ephesians 3:20-21 reads, "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, ²¹ to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen."  That is the God I serve, the Creator and Sustainer of all things, the One who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think!  You know what?  My shoulder still hurts - and so does my left hamstring, calf, and ankle, and my right wrist!  But glory to God!  He's given me the great blessing and privilege to be a teammate and fulfill a silly childhood dream of hitting a home run in a country where I never dreamt I'd live and love as my own.

The application?  Give God the glory and never place limits on what He can or will do.  He does exceedingly, abundantly above all that we ask or think according to the same power which raised Christ from the dead and has regenerated us by grace.  Taste and see!  Isn't grace the sweetest thing you've ever tasted?

Pressed Sawdust

What passes for preaching these days can be easily confused with modern motivational speakers.  I watched for a minute or two this morning before heading off to church.  What I saw was a highlight reel of well-known preachers camping on the theme of self-empowerment.  Every sound bite was uttered to bolster my self-worth.  There was never even an attempt to reference scripture.  The highlight reel was designed to stir my emotions as various preachers delivered messages with sensational gravity and profound pauses.  One of the pastors informed me and many others that the devil is scared out of his wits because of my power.  The problem is, there was no theology and little truth in anything I heard.  This humanistic distortion has permeated much of the preaching people are exposed to on television.  A tiny shred of truth is a whole lie.

The primary danger the modern church faces is one of the most ancient:  the departure from preaching God's Word.  When the foundation is no longer Jesus Christ and Him crucified; if sin, law, grace, love, future judgment, and the blood of Jesus are strangely absent from sermon after sermon, then it would be better not to preach at all.  Though we live in a day when many people daily have an abundance of food on their tables, the words of Amos 8:11 have been fulfilled before our eyes:  "Behold, the days are coming," says the Lord GOD, "that I will send a famine on the land, not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD."  Turn on the television any Sunday morning and preaching likely will be found.  Drive down main roads in many cities and it is not hard to find a church.  But will you be treated to the pure meat and milk of the Word - or humanism distilled with Christian jargon and maybe a token paraphrased verse from the Bible?

I appreciate the different styles of preaching even as hungry people enjoy different styles of cooking.  But we're all after the same thing no matter the presentation:  fresh ingredients, delicious fruit and vegetables, quality cuts of meat, savory, sweet, or spicy sauces, tender pasta, decadent desserts.  If you were to substitute sawdust for the meat, people would instantly know something was dreadfully wrong.  But spiritually speaking, pressed sawdust with the sauce of positive thinking passes for meat all the time.  People don't know the difference because they've never had the real thing.  They have never been taught to read and study their Bibles outside of a Sunday morning.  Showy emotionalism has become a substitute for spiritual vitality, and church is an opportunity to rev up to get through another week.  This kind of church is no better than a drug that pumps you up until you hit the wall.  It leaves you empty and craving a fix - a fix that more and more isn't getting the job done.

Back to that preacher's claim:  is the devil really scared of me?  Not at all.  He could pop me in his mouth like chewing gum and blow a bubble.  But the devil understands the authority of Jesus Christ as the Messiah, God made flesh.  And when Jesus Christ saves a man through His shed blood by grace through faith, the Holy Spirit regenerates and resides inside that man.  Jesus therefore gives authority to born again Christians over all the powers of darkness.  But the preacher on TV said that I frighten the devil!  I wonder where that is written in the Bible.  James 4:6-7 reads, "But He gives more grace. Therefore He says: "God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." ⁷ Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you."  The Bible tells me Satan is as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour (1 Pet. 5:8-9).  There is no being more proud than Satan, though man tries very hard.  All are exhorted to submit to God in humility.  Only those who are in Christ can resist the devil by God's grace, and then the devil will flee.  Satan likes nothing more than fools strutting around full of themselves rather than being filled with the Holy Spirit.  Last time I checked, lions aren't afraid of sheep.  But they are afraid of the Good Shepherd.  When He throws a blow, He doesn't miss. 

Never stray from expository Bible preaching.  Even more important, never be fooled into thinking that preaching is a substitute for your own study of the Bible.  When we open God's Word in faith, seeking His face in humility, that is the primary way God will speak to us through the power of the Holy Spirit.  Hosea 10:12 is a fitting exhortation for us all:  "Sow for yourselves righteousness; reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground, for it is time to seek the LORD, till He comes and rains righteousness on you."  God's Word is like good seed.  If we will repent and prepare our hearts to seek the LORD, His good Word will take root in our hearts and produce much fruit.  Plant all the pressed sawdust you want, but it will never grow.  It's hardly fit for the fire.  Let's choose to eat quality meat instead!

The Stubborn Domino

I have always had a deep interest and appreciation for science.  Scientific discovery has led to improvements in nearly every facet of daily life.  Technology, medicine, media, agriculture, manufacturing, and recreation have all benefited greatly from scientific study.  But science, even in its modern glory, is not able to adequately answer all the questions we pose as curious human beings.  Science often proves up to the task of answering "how," but rarely answers "why?"  Science is unable to answer definitively the question of how the world came into being.  No one today can make that claim scientifically.  It is not able to answer the deeper questions either, like "Why did the world come into being?"

When I went to university, I remember a lecture given by my geology professor that went something like this:  "Just imagine:  billions of years ago, there was an incredible amount of energy and matter.  At some point the 'big bang' occurred and the stars and planets were formed.  Through evolutionary process over billions of years, chemicals and amino acids developed into the first living cell.  Over many more years, through random natural process, cells evolved through natural selection to produce the rich varieties of life forms we see today."  I thought the first words of the lecture were the most compelling:  "Just imagine."  It was evident my professor truly believed what she taught based upon the evidence presented to her.  Because she relied upon diagrams, textbooks, and papers written by others, realizing her own research had a potential degree for error, was not alive billions of years ago, nor can perfectly prove scientifically the exact conditions which existed at that time, there is a degree of faith in her depiction.  This is true for everyone, me included.

From our modern vantage point, looking back as we follow the evolutionary model presented by the majority of scientists today, the steps to our evolution could be compared to a line of dominoes which diverged from a single row into many rows.  Single cells became more complex and adapted different abilities which gave rise to new kinds of plants, animals, and people.  Science seeks to describe through evidence how the dominoes fell, how one species produced another.  But let us stand all the dominoes up again and go back to the very beginning of the imaginative, elegant tale.  Where did the energy, matter, and information come from represented in that first domino?  How did the first domino fall?  Why would it fall?  The Law of the Conservation of Energy tells us that energy is neither created or destroyed but can be converted from one form to another.  The Law of the Conservation of Momentum reminds us that unlike the dominoes which only fall in a single predictable direction, mass and energy can go in any direction!  If that is the case, it is difficult for me to imagine that a domino able to go in any direction in a three-dimensional environment could possibly hit the next one to continue the process.

But back to that stubborn first domino!  Without describing what substances of which it was comprised, without trying to imagine where the mass, energy, and information originated from, without discussing why it appeared at all, let us consider how it first moved.  Dominoes stand until they are pushed.  If the table on which they are set it kicked or accidentally bumped by a knee, random dominoes out of sequence fall and the process must be restarted.  But to follow the evolutionary model, a domino cannot fall until necessary conditions have been met.  So how did the first domino fall?  No one knows, and no one will ever know exactly - by the scientific method, that is.

The reason why I find the biblical account of creation by God so compelling is not because it tells us how God made things.  Who but God can know the science behind what it takes to speak things into existence from nothing!  Nor does the Bible specifically say when the galaxies, stars, and planets were created.  But the Bible tells us about Who created things, the intelligence behind the order we see in the world.  And the Bible even explains why God created all living things and man in His image:  Colossians 1:16-17 reads, "For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him. ¹⁷ And He is before all things, and in Him all things consist."  God created all things because it pleased Him to do so.  Revelation 4:11 contains the proper response of man for all God has done:  "You are worthy, O Lord, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and by Your will they exist and were created."

I am filled with wonder when I consider the works of God's hands both in heaven and on earth.  I am amazed both by astronomy and the complexity of cells.  I am struck by the beauty and vibrancy in nature:  the plumage of a bird, the symmetry of a flower, the clear blue of the sea, the white puffy clouds morphing in the sky.  I don't presume to know how God imagines or works His wonders, but I rejoice in the revelation of God through nature and scripture.  Psalm 19:1-3 reads, "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament shows His handiwork. ² Day unto day utters speech, and night unto night reveals knowledge. ³ There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard."  Knowing God makes me want to dig deeper into science so I might marvel more intelligently concerning His wisdom and wonders!

The Problem of Sin Solved

The Bible starts with the sentence, "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."  As amazing as that is, I am still amazed that three pages later sin entered into the world through Adam's rebellion, and death through sin.  One only needs to turn to page 6 in my Bible before we read this horrible indictment against man:  Genesis 6:5, 11-12 reads, "Then the LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intent of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually...¹¹ The earth also was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. ¹² So God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth."  The corruption of mankind through sin is a self-imposed tragedy.

More than anything, man desires to be in control.  He naturally clutches for power, authority, money, privilege, and seniority.  Right from the start, Eve was tempted to be like God by eating the fruit God deemed forbidden.  Even before her fall, Satan was lifted up with pride saying, "I will be like the Most High" (Is. 14:14).  There is one True God and all others are nothing.  Only God is truly in control.  Give a man authority over a nation, but he remains without power to make the sun shine or rain fall.  Even if he could control aspects of weather, he cannot prevent death from seizing him like any other man.  All the propaganda, statues, songs, and slogans will not make people trust him.  When we look around the world today, we see men out of control.  Who is in control?  The book of Job chapters 38-40 should make the answer abundantly clear:  God!

Man wants to say he is in control.  Years ago I had a friend who admitted he was casually using street drugs.  "But I'm not hooked," he told me.  "I can stop any time I want to."  Apparently he didn't want to stop for many years, lost everything, and even spent time in jail.  I'm sure that was all part of the plan, right?  Wink, wink.  He bought into the lying illusion that he was in control when actually the drugs were calling the shots.  But drugs are just a symptom of the problem.  Countless memorial services have played the Frank Sinatra song, "I Did it My Way."  If we could interview each one, their story might mirror the story Jesus told of the rich man and Lazarus.  The rich man lived for himself and ended up in torment.  Proverbs 16:25 reveals the truth from God's perspective:  "There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death."  Why do people die?  Because sin entered the world and death came through sin. 

For years people have made a living from performing with exotic, powerful animals like elephants, tigers, lions, and bears.  But even after a relationship has been formed with an animal, disaster can strike when an animal lashes out.  The performer who at one time seemed in control suddenly is revealed as vulnerable when the teeth sink in.  Some people have trained powerful animals for years without severe or moderate injury.  But this cannot be said concerning sin.  Sin is a beast which destroys the bodies and souls of all who toy with it.  God graciously has given us the Law so we might discern sin from God's righteous standard.  God's Law is like a schoolmaster who leads us by the hand to the truth of the Gospel.  Ezekiel 18:4 reads, "Behold, all souls are Mine; the soul of the father as well as the soul of the son is Mine; the soul who sins shall die."  God reveals something that mere science cannot.  Man is a living soul housed in a body of flesh.  Jesus says in Mark 8:36, "For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?"  Because the souls of men are eternal, the value of the body is peanuts in comparison.

I am a sinner.  I have sinned against God in ignorance, against my conscience, even maliciously; I have committed both sins of commission and omission.  But praise be to God that He has provided a Saviour in Jesus Christ!  God loves people and desires that none should perish but that all would repent and trust in Him. Jesus speaks of Himself in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."  We have assurance of forgiveness if we will repent and trust in Christ, seeking salvation through Him alone.  1 John 1:9 affirms, "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."  As a sinner, I deserve death.  Yet God has offered to all people eternal life through Jesus.

Maybe you recognize the sin which easily besets you, or perhaps you disagree with the premise that even sin exists!  It is appointed for all men to die because of their sin, and then be judged before God by His righteous standard.  This is a daunting and terrifying scenario.  I am thankful that God is in control, and that is no illusion!  One of my favorite descriptions of Jesus Christ, the Alpha and the Omega, is found in Revelation 1:12-18:  "Then I turned to see the voice that spoke with me. And having turned I saw seven golden lampstands, ¹³ and in the midst of the seven lampstands One like the Son of Man, clothed with a garment down to the feet and girded about the chest with a golden band. ¹⁴ His head and hair were white like wool, as white as snow, and His eyes like a flame of fire; ¹⁵ His feet were like fine brass, as if refined in a furnace, and His voice as the sound of many waters; ¹⁶ He had in His right hand seven stars, out of His mouth went a sharp two-edged sword, and His countenance was like the sun shining in its strength. ¹⁷ And when I saw Him, I fell at His feet as dead. But He laid His right hand on me, saying to me, "Do not be afraid; I am the First and the Last. ¹⁸ I am He who lives, and was dead, and behold, I am alive forevermore. Amen. And I have the keys of Hades and of Death."

Every man has a choice to either believe that he or God is ultimately in control.  O foolish man who cannot even keep himself alive, can you ascend to heaven through your own strength?  Rise from the dead and live again, if you are able!  Are you capable of breaking the teeth of Satan who is as a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour?  Can you by your strength cast aside the bonds of depression, despair, fear, and confusion which weigh down your soul?  Your manifestos and worldly philosophies will perish with you.  How long will you hope for annihilation, reincarnation, or desire to simply cease to exist because your sin gnaws as a parasite upon your soul?  Trust in Jesus Christ while you still can.  Not one who comes to Him will He cast out.  He is the only One who provides the solution for your sin!

Why Go to Church?

Last night our family enjoyed the special treat of eating out at a local restaurant.  Our server was polite and had an American accent, always a good conversation starter!  It turns out he came over from the United States to go to Bible college at a local church.  In the midst of the discussion he said something I found interesting.  He invited us to visit his church and said, "Sunday nights are some of the best services.  It is always very creative - if anything creative is going to happen, that's the service for it."

I realize I have led a sheltered life in many respects, having worshiped the LORD for a majority of my life at one Bible-teaching church.  Never, in all that time, have I heard "creativity" as a draw card for someone to attend.  There is nothing wrong with creativity.  But I can't say that I would prefer one service over another because one seemed more "creative."  It left me with the question which all Christians must answer:  what is the primary reason that I attend a particular church over another?  What reason would I give to a seeker to come to my church?  Is it the creativity?  The incredible music?  The Bible teaching?  The love of the people who attend the fellowship?  Free doughnuts and air conditioning?  I actually heard that one before.  Years ago I had a conversation with a lady who said she comes to church because her house is so hot and the church has air conditioning.  Shouldn't the worship of God be the reason?

Perhaps I'm crazy, but it's clear that people come to church for all sorts of reasons.  Maybe they come to church to keep up the appearance of piety - though they would lose face to say so.  Some come for the social aspects, and others religiously attend because they believe it is a good influence on their kids.  But what reason does the Bible give for going to church to worship God corporately through church fellowship?  Hebrews 10:23-25 reads, "Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, ²⁵ not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching."  As long as Jesus Christ tarries before His certain return, we are exhorted not to forsake our assembling together.  And what should our fellowship with one another entail?  We should hold each other to Christ's standard of righteousness.  We must submit to and consider one another above ourselves for the purpose of stirring up love and good works.  Previous verses say that we should draw near to God with hearts full of assurance of faith in Him.

God has given every Christian spiritual gifts to edify the Body of Christ, lead non-believers to salvation through faith in Jesus, and the glory of God.  Regular church fellowship - drawing near to Jesus through faith and to each other as members of His Body - fosters unity, support, and growth.  If you attend a church because of what you hope to receive, there is a better and higher way modeled by Jesus:  He came as the servant of all.  There is no one more creative than God, for He is the Creator of all things.  But creativity in itself is not a viable substitute for the presence of God and Spirit-led preaching from God's Word.

There's no shortage of churches in the world but there is only one universal Body of Christ.  Make sure that where you attend Jesus Christ is being glorified and the Word of God is being taught faithfully.  But let me say this:  if you do not see the true purpose for gathering at your fellowship being lived out, it doesn't necessarily mean you should leave!  By the grace of God, you should seek to meet that lack.  You be the encourager.  You be the servant.  Allow Jesus Christ to live His life through you as you look for His return and be about your Heavenly Father's business.  Only through the power of the Holy Spirit can the work of the ministry be done.  As the words of King David the psalmist say in Psalm 133:1:  "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is For brethren to dwell together in unity!"  When it is Christ who unites us, none can separate us!

A Shameless Addict

Most mornings after breakfast our family reads "Keys for Kids," a daily devotional by CBH Ministries.  Today's story was about a girl who was tasked with a class project studying addictions.  She discovered that not only there are addictions which enslave and destroy, but also wholesome and beneficial addictions.  The dad in the story suggested a verse which I have always found thought provoking.  The KJV of 1 Corinthians 16:15-16 reads, "I beseech you, brethren, (ye know the house of Stephanas, that it is the firstfruits of Achaia, and that they have addicted themselves to the ministry of the saints,) ¹⁶ that ye submit yourselves unto such, and to every one that helpeth with us, and laboureth."  In the NKJV, instead of "addicted" the word "devoted" is used to translate from the original Greek.

In modern culture, the term "addiction" often has a negative connotation.  Addiction carries with it an aspect of compulsion and lack of control.  Many people refuse to admit their addictions because in doing so they confess that their life is ruled by an outside activity or thing - perhaps admitting weakness.  From a biblical perspective, the only good addictions are those which bring honour and glory to God.  It would be a very good thing to be addicted to prayer, Bible study, evangelism, giving, and helping others - as long as necessary responsibilities are not made to suffer.  It would be a poor excuse for a man to quit work and cease to provide for his family because he wants to pray more.  1 Timothy 5:8 teaches us, "But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever."

A wonderful aspect of ministry unto the LORD is it does not require the abandonment of all earthy duties and responsibilities.  When we are addicted to honouring God, we will in fact become more skilled in all areas of our lives because our attitudes and perspective changes for the better.  For instance, we are commanded to "in everything give thanks."  It is not necessary for me to enter into seclusion or quit my job to do this.  I can continually seek to cultivate a heart of thanksgiving in all circumstances.  The Bible also commands us to "pray without ceasing."  When I rise in the morning as I prepare for work, I can pray.  While I am driving to a jobsite, I can pray.  Throughout the day, continually I can devote myself to prayer.  How good it would be to become addicted to the obedience and glory of God!

Stephanas and his household are a good example of people who were consecrated for the service of God continually.  They were addicted to ministering unto God and serving one another in love.  It is possible that we could be deceived to think we are serving God when we are actually serving our own interests.  But this could not be said of Stephanas.  He was numbered among those who ministered to the saints, who helped and laboured alongside the apostle Paul.  It is a high honour to serve the LORD.  How much more honourable it is to be addicted to glorifying God!  Instead of being second nature, I desire that the honour of God would be instinctual, my initial and sole response to all life throws at me.  May I be weak to resist such an addiction that God might reveal Himself in strength through me.

Are you addicted?  It's what you are addicted to that matters!

Wisdom From Above

This morning I read Job 28 and was greatly blessed by the practical insight.  Job describes how veins of gold, silver, iron, and precious stones are found through mining.  Then he makes a spiritual contrast in Job 28:12-15:  "But where can wisdom be found? And where is the place of understanding? ¹³ Man does not know its value, nor is it found in the land of the living. ¹⁴ The deep says, ' It is not in me'; and the sea says, 'It is not with me.' ¹⁵ It cannot be purchased for gold, nor can silver be weighed for its price."  True wisdom is not found by digging in the ground, space exploration, deep-sea diving, nor is it for sale.  The wisdom of God is not obtained through any effort of man, but by the grace of God.

Some believe that wisdom is obtained through life experience or by acquiring degrees as prestigious universities.  There is a kind of wisdom that is found on earth, but it is a false substitute for what God calls wisdom.  James 3:15 describes the wisdom of the world in simple, straightforward terms:  "This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic."  No doubt this sounds unreasonably harsh to those who define wisdom from a worldly perspective.  Yet see how God's wisdom is described in James 3:17:  "But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy."  We see this description personified in God Himself.  He demonstrates all these qualities in His love, mercy, and grace towards men.

Consider the catch-phrases of modern philosophy and worldly wisdom:  "Might makes right," "Survival of the fittest," "Look out for number one," "If it feels good do it," "God is dead," and much more.  Dig as deep you can for wisdom in tradition, religion, technology, scientific advancement, and philosophies composed by men and you will come up empty.  Drown yourself in music, art, sex, parties, alcohol, drugs, and your search for wisdom will be fruitless.  Visit trance mediums, chant, meditate, and religiously follow your horoscope - yet instead of wisdom you will find fear, bondage, and confusion.  Fill your library with all the self-help books written and you will still lack.  Live to be 120 years old without faith in God and true wisdom will still prove elusive.  The wisdom of God will never be within you unless you are first within Him.  Concerning wisdom and God Job 28:27-28 states:  "Then He saw wisdom and declared it; He prepared it, indeed, He searched it out. ²⁸ And to man He said, 'Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to depart from evil is understanding."  This kind of wisdom is not simply a means to aid survival, but the path to life eternal.

Still not convinced?  My words cannot convince any who refuse to consider without prejudice that God does exist, and the Bible is His word written so man might know Him.  In fact, it is only the power of the Holy Spirit who can reveal this truth to you.  Jesus Christ is the personification of wisdom and more still as it is written in 1 Corinthians 1:30-31:  "But of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became for us wisdom from God--and righteousness and sanctification and redemption-- ³¹ that, as it is written, "He who glories, let him glory in the LORD."  Broad is the path which leads to destruction, and narrow is the path which leads to eternal life.  Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life.  No one can be truly wise or obtain eternal life except through Him.