Yesterday the shock death of cricket batsman Phil Hughes rocked Australia and the cricketing world. Hit on the pitch by a bouncer whilst batting on the pitch at the Sydney Cricket Ground, Hughes passed out and never regained consciousness. He was only 25 years old. He will be remembered as a rising star whose massive potential was never fully realised, his life tragically cut short playing a game he loved. My thoughts and prayers have been with his family, friends, and folks in his hometown of Macksville.
Tragedies strike every day which are not reported in detail on the news or websites. Countless, nameless people across the world die on a day and perhaps in a way they could not possibly have expected. Such a shock occurrence rightly causes a young person to be introspective and consider his own mortality. In our world, the bowlers keep bowling, the batsman keep swinging, and the international test matches keep coming. Some people won't be able to shrug off the tragic passing of Phil, but many will. They too will have their days come to an unexpected halt. My hope is that Phil's passing would be redemptive for all people, that they would daily live life to the full, and find their hope in Jesus Christ.
I understand that most people in the world were likely fine with what I have written until the last phrase. But without apology I simply must write it, for I have found no other hope in the world concerning death than through faith in Christ. There is no peace, no joy, no hope for a glorious future apart from Him. People have been playing sport at a professional level for years, but their accomplishments fade and are forgotten. Great warriors and athletic legends of the ancient world are virtually unknown. In a mere century - in a world some believe to be billions of years old - grand final winners are all who celebrated them are gone and forgotten. Yet the name of Jesus Christ is still on my lips as the Champion of eternal life. He is the only One who rose from the dead, and He gives forgiveness, life, and freedom to all who trust in Him.
In this world there is not a shred of hope or comfort for those who face the grim spectre of death. Time does not heal, and lives are like flowers which bloom one day and wilt the next. It gives me no joy to think of a man becoming a star, or looking down at me from some heavenly perch. How does that touch my grief? When a cousin of mine died suddenly from a bee sting, I cried and cried. I visited him in hospital, but what could I do? My tears couldn't change anything for him. After he passed, the outpouring of support at the viewing and memorial couldn't undo what had been done. The gracious words and heartwarming memories could not raise him from the tomb. His tragedy remains a tragedy. Yet the kind words spoken, the tears, hugs, gatherings, and quiet moments alone thinking have the power to forever alter a man's thinking by a desperate search for life, comfort, and redemption found only in Jesus. Tragedy can be the path to self-examination, re-evaluation of priorities, and to consider our longing for love, life, and a joyful future which extends beyond our graves.
All this, my friends, is what a relationship Jesus Christ does for a person. Jesus gives hope to the hopeless, life to the lifeless, and a future for the doomed. He will give us beauty for our ashes, and those who repent and trust in Him are assured of His presence forever. You need never be alone in grief, sorrow, fear, and loss. When women faced the shock death of their brother, Jesus assured Mary and Martha that their brother would rise again. John 11:25-26 says, "Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
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And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?" All who do believe this experience peace, joy, and hope the world cannot provide nor know. Do you know the peace of God, even though the tears may fall? No matter how deep our suffering or how great our loss, we can cry out to God for comfort and help in time of need. Psalm 130:1-2 reads, "Out of the depths I have cried to You, O LORD;
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Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications." Shall not the God who created ears hear? Weeping may endure for a night, but joy comes in the morning (Ps. 30:5)
27 November 2014
25 November 2014
Be Somebody!
Have you ever left a dish in the sink thinking, "Somebody will wash that?" Sometimes we notice a chore hasn't been done for a while and say out loud, "When is somebody going to...?" When those thoughts are running through our minds, it's easy for us to overlook the most qualified candidate: ourselves! Doesn't God clean up your messes sometimes even without you asking? We are aware of the need, are convinced it should be done, and our observation reveals desire to see the task completed. So what stops us from being "somebody?"
Years ago, I was taught a great life lesson by my pastor. Along with a group of people from church, my pastor and I helped a family in need move house. I found it exciting to help meet a person's need in a practical way. After completing the move I said, "You know, what a great opportunity for ministry. Somebody should start a helps ministry to aid people in practical ways." With a twinkle in his eye, my pastor turned to me and said something basically like, "If you think someone should do it, why don't you do it yourself?" I did think somebody should do it, and in that moment a "Helps Ministry" was birthed at our church which continued for many years. I began coordinating a group of us from church who helped countless people move, we roofed houses, did basic handyman repairs, and even odd jobs like removing dead opossums from under a trailer! It wasn't glamorous work, but we used our gifts and even our trucks to help others for the glory of God.
So when you think somebody ought to be doing something, why can't that somebody be you? Every day you have the opportunity to be somebody who goes the extra mile, does a little extra to bless others, and is governed by God's grace and love - without even keeping track. If we are serving others as unto the LORD, affirmation from others is never the fuel we require. The strength, peace, and comfort from the Holy Spirit is the only "Well done!" we need! That's the wonderful thing about being that special somebody: in seeking to bless others we are the ones who are blessed most. How about it? If you are willing, today and every day you can be somebody!
Years ago, I was taught a great life lesson by my pastor. Along with a group of people from church, my pastor and I helped a family in need move house. I found it exciting to help meet a person's need in a practical way. After completing the move I said, "You know, what a great opportunity for ministry. Somebody should start a helps ministry to aid people in practical ways." With a twinkle in his eye, my pastor turned to me and said something basically like, "If you think someone should do it, why don't you do it yourself?" I did think somebody should do it, and in that moment a "Helps Ministry" was birthed at our church which continued for many years. I began coordinating a group of us from church who helped countless people move, we roofed houses, did basic handyman repairs, and even odd jobs like removing dead opossums from under a trailer! It wasn't glamorous work, but we used our gifts and even our trucks to help others for the glory of God.
So when you think somebody ought to be doing something, why can't that somebody be you? Every day you have the opportunity to be somebody who goes the extra mile, does a little extra to bless others, and is governed by God's grace and love - without even keeping track. If we are serving others as unto the LORD, affirmation from others is never the fuel we require. The strength, peace, and comfort from the Holy Spirit is the only "Well done!" we need! That's the wonderful thing about being that special somebody: in seeking to bless others we are the ones who are blessed most. How about it? If you are willing, today and every day you can be somebody!
23 November 2014
God is Consistent
The God revealed in both the Old and New Testaments are one and the same God. To claim otherwise is to ignore the ample evidence of God's holiness, righteousness, goodness, grace, justice, love, and vengeance portrayed consistently throughout scripture. One aspect of God's character is He does not change. He says plainly to His people in Malachi 3:5-6, "And I will come near you for judgment; I will be a swift witness against sorcerers, against adulterers, against perjurers, against those who exploit wage earners and widows and orphans, and against those who turn away an alien -- because they do not fear Me," says the LORD of hosts.
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"For I am the LORD, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob." Men change, but God does not change.
God had made a covenant with His people to which He remained true, despite their departure from Him. They were disobedient, unholy, and filled with unbelief. God's people demanded to have a king established over them in his place, and He granted their request. The majority of these kings were wicked, idolatrous, and did not fear the LORD. God chastened His people to test them, to move them repentance, so they might return and be restored. In both the Old and New Testament, people are very much the same. God reached out to them with open arms, inviting them to trust in Him alone, but they were not willing! Though they rebelled and broke their promise made with God, He still looked upon them favourably. Even when wicked Johoahaz sat on the throne, God remembered and kept His promise to them - though not entirely for their sakes. 2 Kings 13:22-23 reads, "And Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23 But the LORD was gracious to them, had compassion on them, and regarded them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not yet destroy them or cast them from His presence."
What would you give to receive God's grace, compassion, that He would regard you, neither destroy you or cast you from His presence? These are blessings and benefits we could never earn. Yet Jesus has freely offered all who will repent and trust in Him a new covenant sealed with His own shed blood on the cross: He will be our God and Saviour if we will repent, trust Him, deny ourselves, and follow Him. Even as God ministered grace to the children of Israel who had forsaken Him for the sake of His covenant, so God expresses love and favour to us because of the new covenant He has established through Jesus Christ. If you believe God is a make-believe entity contrived by man, this promise means nothing to you. But realise Jesus was not a mere man. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin in fulfillment of scripture, lived a sinless life according to the Law, performed signs and wonders confirmed in the sight of multitudes, died on a cross, and rose from the dead in glory three days later. The facts have not been changed, and there has been no revision of history. None of these things were done in a shadowy corner. The vast historical and biblical evidence is staggering. If Jesus indeed came to earth with His claim of divinity, said the things He said, did the things He did, rose from the grave, and ascended to the Father, then Jesus is truly the Son of God. And if Jesus is the Son of God, He has a Father who has made Him the judge of all living and the dead.
This was Paul's conclusion as he held forth the reality of the one true God in Acts 17:24-31. God has appointed as Judge the same one through whom we receive eternal life. "God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.' 29 Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising. 30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."
God has not changed. He still holds out an invitation to forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus Christ. He is gracious towards you, has compassion on you, and regards you - even if you have suffered oppression from your foolish wanderings and unbelief. Turn your eyes and heart to Christ, for it is through Him alone we receive of God's everlasting covenant.
God had made a covenant with His people to which He remained true, despite their departure from Him. They were disobedient, unholy, and filled with unbelief. God's people demanded to have a king established over them in his place, and He granted their request. The majority of these kings were wicked, idolatrous, and did not fear the LORD. God chastened His people to test them, to move them repentance, so they might return and be restored. In both the Old and New Testament, people are very much the same. God reached out to them with open arms, inviting them to trust in Him alone, but they were not willing! Though they rebelled and broke their promise made with God, He still looked upon them favourably. Even when wicked Johoahaz sat on the throne, God remembered and kept His promise to them - though not entirely for their sakes. 2 Kings 13:22-23 reads, "And Hazael king of Syria oppressed Israel all the days of Jehoahaz. 23 But the LORD was gracious to them, had compassion on them, and regarded them, because of His covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not yet destroy them or cast them from His presence."
What would you give to receive God's grace, compassion, that He would regard you, neither destroy you or cast you from His presence? These are blessings and benefits we could never earn. Yet Jesus has freely offered all who will repent and trust in Him a new covenant sealed with His own shed blood on the cross: He will be our God and Saviour if we will repent, trust Him, deny ourselves, and follow Him. Even as God ministered grace to the children of Israel who had forsaken Him for the sake of His covenant, so God expresses love and favour to us because of the new covenant He has established through Jesus Christ. If you believe God is a make-believe entity contrived by man, this promise means nothing to you. But realise Jesus was not a mere man. He was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of a virgin in fulfillment of scripture, lived a sinless life according to the Law, performed signs and wonders confirmed in the sight of multitudes, died on a cross, and rose from the dead in glory three days later. The facts have not been changed, and there has been no revision of history. None of these things were done in a shadowy corner. The vast historical and biblical evidence is staggering. If Jesus indeed came to earth with His claim of divinity, said the things He said, did the things He did, rose from the grave, and ascended to the Father, then Jesus is truly the Son of God. And if Jesus is the Son of God, He has a Father who has made Him the judge of all living and the dead.
This was Paul's conclusion as he held forth the reality of the one true God in Acts 17:24-31. God has appointed as Judge the same one through whom we receive eternal life. "God, who made the world and everything in it, since He is Lord of heaven and earth, does not dwell in temples made with hands. 25 Nor is He worshiped with men's hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things. 26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings, 27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us; 28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.' 29 Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man's devising. 30 Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent, 31 because He has appointed a day on which He will judge the world in righteousness by the Man whom He has ordained. He has given assurance of this to all by raising Him from the dead."
God has not changed. He still holds out an invitation to forgiveness and eternal life through Jesus Christ. He is gracious towards you, has compassion on you, and regards you - even if you have suffered oppression from your foolish wanderings and unbelief. Turn your eyes and heart to Christ, for it is through Him alone we receive of God's everlasting covenant.
20 November 2014
The Static Quo
When I was in high school, I ran cross country. For hours a week, our small team gathered and trained for upcoming races. I remember my first junior-varsity race, an invitational hosted by El Capitan which weaved around Lindo Lake in Lakeside, California. My memories of that race are not good because it is the only race I didn't finish. About halfway through I turned my ankle, and after failing to keep pace I gave up and quit. The ankle was no doubt sore, but my pride was hurt even more. I would love to say that day I was an admirable picture of perseverance, finishing despite pain and the resulting poor time. I suppose my mind set was not on finishing at all costs, but doing well. If I couldn't do well in my mind, it was better to quit than press on. Ouch.
One lesson I learned that day is despite making the team, training daily, intense preparation, wearing the right gear, warming up, and doing my best didn't guarantee a finish in the race. Starting the race with absolute commitment to finishing the race in spite of any difficulty was something I needed to determine for me to have any chance of finishing. Jesus was wise to tell people to count the cost before they followed Him. All who follow Christ will face tribulation and trials. But even counting the cost beforehand does not guarantee a finish. As Jesus walked, some after hearing His words departed and never followed Jesus again. Jesus taught that endurance to the end is key in Matthew 10:22: "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved."
Human beings grow comfortable with the familiar. The irony of this is no human being is static but in a constant state of growth, development, or atrophy. "Static" is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as, "showing little or no change, action, or progress." The world is changing, society is changing, and we are changing, but somehow we assume people stay the same. We can be quite thrown when it is revealed someone is not who we thought they were. But this is nothing new. When Saul became the first king of Israel, he was a perfect picture of humility. It only took a few years before power, wealth, fame, and pride corrupted Saul and God rejected him from being king. How many Christian musicians are not as "Christian" as when they began? How many politicians, pastors, and Christians change their tune concerning social issues or biblical truth because of pressure to conform? It is our nature to forget the pit God brought us from and start judging others critically. Paraphrasing Gene Edwards in his masterpiece A Tale of Three Kings, "The ability to see problems is a cheap gift indeed." (pg. 88)
We are either advancing in holiness or becoming increasingly weak, spiritually senseless, and blinded by sin. We are shocked when we hear of Christians falling into sin or leaving the faith, whether it is a well-known pastor, mentor, family member, or a person out of the public eye. God is certainly able to reconcile even such to Himself, for His love, acceptance, and grace is not only granted to the unregenerate but to all who repent. Don't assume you will make it to the end of your race as a faithful follower of Jesus because you have made it this far. You still need Jesus. You need to seek and hear His voice. You still need to be led by the Holy Spirit. His Word must still be applied to your life and decisions daily. Your works, gifts, or reputation among men will offer no benefit as you stand before God at the end of your days. Are you growing in knowledge of God? Hebrews 12:1-2 says, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
God forbid our lives lack the sheer desperation we once had to know, follow, and obey Jesus to the end! Refuse to be pleased with the status quo of your walk with God, for nothing about man is static. If we are not taking intentional steps to grow closer to Jesus change is still happening, but not for the better. God gives us complete assurance He will do His part to save all who come to Him by faith, yet that is not a guarantee we will agree to meet His conditions! Praise the LORD it is He who works in us both to will and do of His good pleasure. Our salvation obtained by grace through faith should not give us confidence in our works or increase reliance upon self, but upon God alone. May all who call Christ Saviour and LORD find contentment in the relentless, intentional pursuit of Him!
One lesson I learned that day is despite making the team, training daily, intense preparation, wearing the right gear, warming up, and doing my best didn't guarantee a finish in the race. Starting the race with absolute commitment to finishing the race in spite of any difficulty was something I needed to determine for me to have any chance of finishing. Jesus was wise to tell people to count the cost before they followed Him. All who follow Christ will face tribulation and trials. But even counting the cost beforehand does not guarantee a finish. As Jesus walked, some after hearing His words departed and never followed Jesus again. Jesus taught that endurance to the end is key in Matthew 10:22: "And you will be hated by all for My name's sake. But he who endures to the end will be saved."
Human beings grow comfortable with the familiar. The irony of this is no human being is static but in a constant state of growth, development, or atrophy. "Static" is defined by the Merriam-Webster dictionary as, "showing little or no change, action, or progress." The world is changing, society is changing, and we are changing, but somehow we assume people stay the same. We can be quite thrown when it is revealed someone is not who we thought they were. But this is nothing new. When Saul became the first king of Israel, he was a perfect picture of humility. It only took a few years before power, wealth, fame, and pride corrupted Saul and God rejected him from being king. How many Christian musicians are not as "Christian" as when they began? How many politicians, pastors, and Christians change their tune concerning social issues or biblical truth because of pressure to conform? It is our nature to forget the pit God brought us from and start judging others critically. Paraphrasing Gene Edwards in his masterpiece A Tale of Three Kings, "The ability to see problems is a cheap gift indeed." (pg. 88)
We are either advancing in holiness or becoming increasingly weak, spiritually senseless, and blinded by sin. We are shocked when we hear of Christians falling into sin or leaving the faith, whether it is a well-known pastor, mentor, family member, or a person out of the public eye. God is certainly able to reconcile even such to Himself, for His love, acceptance, and grace is not only granted to the unregenerate but to all who repent. Don't assume you will make it to the end of your race as a faithful follower of Jesus because you have made it this far. You still need Jesus. You need to seek and hear His voice. You still need to be led by the Holy Spirit. His Word must still be applied to your life and decisions daily. Your works, gifts, or reputation among men will offer no benefit as you stand before God at the end of your days. Are you growing in knowledge of God? Hebrews 12:1-2 says, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, 2 looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God."
God forbid our lives lack the sheer desperation we once had to know, follow, and obey Jesus to the end! Refuse to be pleased with the status quo of your walk with God, for nothing about man is static. If we are not taking intentional steps to grow closer to Jesus change is still happening, but not for the better. God gives us complete assurance He will do His part to save all who come to Him by faith, yet that is not a guarantee we will agree to meet His conditions! Praise the LORD it is He who works in us both to will and do of His good pleasure. Our salvation obtained by grace through faith should not give us confidence in our works or increase reliance upon self, but upon God alone. May all who call Christ Saviour and LORD find contentment in the relentless, intentional pursuit of Him!
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