10 16 07 In the Beginning III
(A New Beginning)
“Where were you
when I laid the foundation of the earth? Tell me, if you possess understanding. Who set its measurements – if you know –or who stretched a measuring line across it?
On what were its bases set, or who laid its cornerstone –” (Job 38:4-6)
No matter whom we are, how wise we are, or what our reputation may be, at times we all need a little conversation with the Lord to remind us of our beginnings and Who was there! At times we get a little too comfortable with ourselves, thinking we have it all together, and we begin to blame God and everyone for things that go wrong, or even the simple misfortunes. We forget we are sinners, living among sinners, living in a sin-damaged world. We come face to face with Holy God (spiritually speaking) and as Job found out, all we can do is listen and be humbled! God has to bring us back to His reality at times. We all need A NEW BEGINNING from time to time. We must brace ourselves indeed!
“Jesus answered, ‘Are you the teacher of Israel and yet you don’t understand these things?’” (John 3:10)
Again, here in John this time, a respected leader of the society is at a crossroads with the Lord. This time Jesus addresses Nicodemus; a Pharisee, a teacher of the Law, a member of the Jewish ruling counsel (the Sanhedrin) and a moral, religious man. Though he knew of God and about God and all His attributes and all He had done, he did not really know God! He had one of those face to face encounters and faced with A NEW BEGINNING.
“Jesus answered, ‘I tell you the solemn truth, unless a person is born of water and spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. What is born of the flesh is flesh, and what is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, You must all be born from above’.” (John 3:5-7)
Here’s the reality we al face today: though we may not come face to face with God in direct conversation (like Job) or converse with Jesus as Nicodemus did, we all have an initial decision to make. Are we born-again? Have we confessed our sinful nature before God, accepted the blood sacrifice of the Savior on the cross to wipe away our sin and allowed the Spirit of God into our hearts to change us? To truly know God, we must be washed clean and Spirit –filled! It takes A NEW BEGINNING!
Though we are once forgiven, once saved, once given the Holy Spirit of God, at times we all need to revisit the NEW BEGINNING. We won’t see the Lord until the day we are called home, but we will experience Him often in life. We’ll feel His embrace in a summer breeze. We’ll sense His power in the waves of the ocean. We’ll observe His splendor in a sunset. We receive His grace as we accept His forgiveness. All this comes as we seek His face daily. The more we run from God, the more we risk an encounter with Him (like Job and Nicodemus)!
Here’s some good and Godly advice we all need to follow daily: Never think too highly of ourselves. Keep others’ needs above our personal wishes. Always put God’s will first. Spiritually speaking, it’s good to have A NEW BEGINNING every morning!
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Monday, October 15, 2007
10 15 07 In the Beginning II
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
He spoke things into existence. “God said….”
He must be IN THE BEGINNING of all our thoughts, our activities, our future plans. We must also believe He has always been, is always here today, and will be there in the end and beyond as well. We must go back to IN THE BEGINNING at times to regain our focus and to bring others to an elementary understanding of the Gospel. It’s the basic building block of our faith. Since THE beginning, way before my beginning, God was!
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)
Oh yes, THE WORD was there too! The Word was and is Jesus. He is the spoken Word of God who became flesh to sacrifice Himself upon the cross and overcome death and the grave for our sin, so that we might once again enjoy a full relationship with God the Father.
“God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17)
“And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2)
THE SPIRIT of God was IN THE BEGINNING too; it says that in Genesis as well. Jesus gives His Spirit to each and every believer the moment we are born-again, into eternal life with God the Father through Jesus, His Son. Remember, no one can come to the Father but through Christ!
Jesus is the difference. He separates Christianity from all the other belief systems and cults of the world. If the Bible is true, than Jesus is the difference; IN THE BEGINNING, now, and in the end! Yeah, THE WORD comes as a roaring lion, the Lord of the Armies to accomplish the Father’s will in the end.
“He is dressed in clothing dipped in blood, and he is called the Word of God. The armies that are in heaven, dressed in white, clean, fine linen, were following him on white horses. From his mouth extends a sharp sword, so that with it he can strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod, and he stomps the winepress of the furious wrath of God, the All-Powerful. He has a name written on his clothing and on his thigh: ‘King of kings and Lord of lords.’” (Revelation 19:13-16)
Jesus is THE WORD. He is THE LORD. He is THE KING. He is GOD! This has to be the primary motivation is our lives as believers. Before we do anything, IN THE BEGINNING of all things we consider, we must consider Jesus. What would He have us do? What would He think of our plans? What would He have us say?
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1)
He spoke things into existence. “God said….”
He must be IN THE BEGINNING of all our thoughts, our activities, our future plans. We must also believe He has always been, is always here today, and will be there in the end and beyond as well. We must go back to IN THE BEGINNING at times to regain our focus and to bring others to an elementary understanding of the Gospel. It’s the basic building block of our faith. Since THE beginning, way before my beginning, God was!
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” (John 1:1)
Oh yes, THE WORD was there too! The Word was and is Jesus. He is the spoken Word of God who became flesh to sacrifice Himself upon the cross and overcome death and the grave for our sin, so that we might once again enjoy a full relationship with God the Father.
“God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world should be saved through him.” (John 3:16-17)
“And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the waters.” (Genesis 1:2)
THE SPIRIT of God was IN THE BEGINNING too; it says that in Genesis as well. Jesus gives His Spirit to each and every believer the moment we are born-again, into eternal life with God the Father through Jesus, His Son. Remember, no one can come to the Father but through Christ!
Jesus is the difference. He separates Christianity from all the other belief systems and cults of the world. If the Bible is true, than Jesus is the difference; IN THE BEGINNING, now, and in the end! Yeah, THE WORD comes as a roaring lion, the Lord of the Armies to accomplish the Father’s will in the end.
“He is dressed in clothing dipped in blood, and he is called the Word of God. The armies that are in heaven, dressed in white, clean, fine linen, were following him on white horses. From his mouth extends a sharp sword, so that with it he can strike the nations. He will rule them with an iron rod, and he stomps the winepress of the furious wrath of God, the All-Powerful. He has a name written on his clothing and on his thigh: ‘King of kings and Lord of lords.’” (Revelation 19:13-16)
Jesus is THE WORD. He is THE LORD. He is THE KING. He is GOD! This has to be the primary motivation is our lives as believers. Before we do anything, IN THE BEGINNING of all things we consider, we must consider Jesus. What would He have us do? What would He think of our plans? What would He have us say?
Friday, October 12, 2007
10 12 07 Generous or Greedy
“Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything; you may have an abundance for every good deed;” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)
Covetousness is the illicit desire to have what belongs to another. Generosity is the godly desire for others in need to have what I possess. One cannot be covetous and generous at the same time. And so Paul turns our attention to those guiding principles concerning generosity which counter covetousness in the closing verses of chapter 9.
The first governing principle of sowing and reaping can be stated very simply: The way you sow is the way you reap. There is a sense in which we should “give away” our excess material possessions to the poor and expect nothing from them in return. It is also true that when we do so, we know we will be rewarded by our Lord for our generosity in heaven:
God loves cheerful or a hilarious (hilaros) giver. A cheerful giver gives willingly on time. He doesn’t wait until he has extra or delay due to circumstance. He gives as promised and trusts the Lord to do His part. GENEROUS giving is a matter of faith. The faithful one gives as he is required, as promised, or when a need arises. The one who would rather hold on to what is actually God’s, the GREEDY giver (giving less than promised or required) is therefore demonstrating a lack of faith!
How do we give? How to we take? Checked the ledgers in the checking account or debit card lately? Who is getting His money? Yeah that’s right, HIS MONEY! The more we believe it’s ours the less we’ll have to use. Money is simply a tool of life. We use it to eat, keep a home, drive a car, and spread the Gospel. God provides for us as we are faithful to Him. Does He not give us more than enough? In God we trust or in money we trust…? Trust ME or just me…? Are we robbing God and depriving those in need?
GENEROUS or GREEDY; which word describes how we invest our Master’s resources?
“Now this I say, he who sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; and he who sows bountifully shall also reap bountifully. Let each one do just as he has purposed in his heart; not grudgingly or under compulsion; for God loves a cheerful giver. And God is able to make all grace abound to you, that always having all sufficiency in everything; you may have an abundance for every good deed;” (2 Corinthians 9:6-8)
Covetousness is the illicit desire to have what belongs to another. Generosity is the godly desire for others in need to have what I possess. One cannot be covetous and generous at the same time. And so Paul turns our attention to those guiding principles concerning generosity which counter covetousness in the closing verses of chapter 9.
The first governing principle of sowing and reaping can be stated very simply: The way you sow is the way you reap. There is a sense in which we should “give away” our excess material possessions to the poor and expect nothing from them in return. It is also true that when we do so, we know we will be rewarded by our Lord for our generosity in heaven:
God loves cheerful or a hilarious (hilaros) giver. A cheerful giver gives willingly on time. He doesn’t wait until he has extra or delay due to circumstance. He gives as promised and trusts the Lord to do His part. GENEROUS giving is a matter of faith. The faithful one gives as he is required, as promised, or when a need arises. The one who would rather hold on to what is actually God’s, the GREEDY giver (giving less than promised or required) is therefore demonstrating a lack of faith!
How do we give? How to we take? Checked the ledgers in the checking account or debit card lately? Who is getting His money? Yeah that’s right, HIS MONEY! The more we believe it’s ours the less we’ll have to use. Money is simply a tool of life. We use it to eat, keep a home, drive a car, and spread the Gospel. God provides for us as we are faithful to Him. Does He not give us more than enough? In God we trust or in money we trust…? Trust ME or just me…? Are we robbing God and depriving those in need?
GENEROUS or GREEDY; which word describes how we invest our Master’s resources?
Thursday, October 11, 2007
10 11 07 Knowledge vs. Wisdom: Wise Men
“Having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
because this is the whole duty of man.”
(Ecclesiastes 12:13)
The Preacher, David’s son Solomon gives us one final conclusion on life: After all has been heard in the book, his conclusion is that the whole duty of man is to obey God because God will bring all acts into judgment, including all that is hidden, whether good or bad. As we age, reality sets in. We realize a lot of what we did as a youth was worthless and simply a waste of time. We want to make something of our life as we mature and begin to think about leaving a legacy.
Some see a legacy as a large retirement account. Some want to be sure their children and grandchildren have money, real estate, or some sort of endowment to tap into as they grow. The Preacher tells us here that the most basic thing we can do in life is to fear God and obey Him. I pray that is what others, especially my wife, children, and grandchildren will say about me! I want that to be my legacy. If I leave mo money, no homes, or no investments behind, at least I can leave a legacy of integrity and honor to the Creator and Master.
Knowledge is defined (Oxford English Dictionary) variously as facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education. Wisdom, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is defined as the accumulated philosophic or scientific learning-knowledge. Solomon was wise. We can have all the knowledge (facts and information) in the world, but without the wisdom of how to apply it, we are lost. Many of us have so much knowledge, so much talent, and so much education, but it goes untapped. Having all the wisdom God had granted Him, Solomon still concluded that knowing God, honoring Him, and obeying Him was the smartest thing to do in life! He learned this the hard way, after hundreds of wives, millions of dollars in investment deals, and eventually a loss of Godly character. In his heart, as he grew older, he realized the basic duty of all men: “fear God and keep His commandments”.
Let’s learn from the wise man. Let’s not waste years and years of labor for nothing. Gold and silver will rust. Homes can be destroyed in an instant. Real estate is dependent upon the banks. Bank accounts can go belly up. The stock market is a bad week away from crashing. Vacations last a week or two. Our families are with us every day, but even those years are fading daily. So what are we doing with all the knowledge we have accrued? Are we being wise, investing in things for eternity, leaving a Godly legacy behind for generations to come? What conclusion will others reach when they examine our lives? Did we fear God? Did we keep His commandments? Were we WISE MEN (and women)?
“Having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion:
Fear God and keep his commandments,
because this is the whole duty of man.”
(Ecclesiastes 12:13)
The Preacher, David’s son Solomon gives us one final conclusion on life: After all has been heard in the book, his conclusion is that the whole duty of man is to obey God because God will bring all acts into judgment, including all that is hidden, whether good or bad. As we age, reality sets in. We realize a lot of what we did as a youth was worthless and simply a waste of time. We want to make something of our life as we mature and begin to think about leaving a legacy.
Some see a legacy as a large retirement account. Some want to be sure their children and grandchildren have money, real estate, or some sort of endowment to tap into as they grow. The Preacher tells us here that the most basic thing we can do in life is to fear God and obey Him. I pray that is what others, especially my wife, children, and grandchildren will say about me! I want that to be my legacy. If I leave mo money, no homes, or no investments behind, at least I can leave a legacy of integrity and honor to the Creator and Master.
Knowledge is defined (Oxford English Dictionary) variously as facts, information, and skills acquired by a person through experience or education. Wisdom, according to the Merriam-Webster dictionary, is defined as the accumulated philosophic or scientific learning-knowledge. Solomon was wise. We can have all the knowledge (facts and information) in the world, but without the wisdom of how to apply it, we are lost. Many of us have so much knowledge, so much talent, and so much education, but it goes untapped. Having all the wisdom God had granted Him, Solomon still concluded that knowing God, honoring Him, and obeying Him was the smartest thing to do in life! He learned this the hard way, after hundreds of wives, millions of dollars in investment deals, and eventually a loss of Godly character. In his heart, as he grew older, he realized the basic duty of all men: “fear God and keep His commandments”.
Let’s learn from the wise man. Let’s not waste years and years of labor for nothing. Gold and silver will rust. Homes can be destroyed in an instant. Real estate is dependent upon the banks. Bank accounts can go belly up. The stock market is a bad week away from crashing. Vacations last a week or two. Our families are with us every day, but even those years are fading daily. So what are we doing with all the knowledge we have accrued? Are we being wise, investing in things for eternity, leaving a Godly legacy behind for generations to come? What conclusion will others reach when they examine our lives? Did we fear God? Did we keep His commandments? Were we WISE MEN (and women)?
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
10 10 07 Blessed to Bless Others
“Dear friend, you demonstrate faithfulness by whatever you do for the brothers (even though they are strangers). They have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone forth on behalf of “The Name,” accepting nothing from the pagans. Therefore we ought to support such people, so that we become coworkers in cooperation with the truth.” (3 John 1:5-8 NET)
John gives clear instruction in his epistle to Gaius and others at this church to support the travelling missionaries in whatever way they can. He also applauds Gaius for his actions of hospitality and support, as he has a testimony from others to what he has done. We too then are encouraged and challenged to support the work of the missionary and other Christian workers as we become co-workers with the Truth of the Gospel
“She extends her hand to the poor, yes; she reaches out her hands to the needy.” (Proverbs 31:20 NET)
The woman Solomon describes here in Proverbs not only describes a godly woman, but my wife in particular. Tamara has taught me through her sacrificial attitude of giving to give from what we have, even though it may be the last of what we have. She realizes (and I have come to realize through her) that we are BLESSED TO BLESS OTHERS, not just to enjoy the blessing. As in the parallel expressions in Proverbs 31:20, underscored is her care for the needy. The first part uses “she spreads her palm” and the second “she thrusts out her hand,” repeating some of the vocabulary introduced in the last verse. It’s not simply a giving of a small gift, but the opening of her palms and full extension of her arms. To me this demonstrates an attitude of what I have is yours; come in and rest, take what you need!
“Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:” (Proverbs 31:28 NET)
I know our children are so very grateful for all Tamara has done to provide for them. They may not realize it just yet. I, however, realize day after day the blessing I have in my bride! She is not just the beauty of our family, but the brains and backbone of our life’s work for the Lord as well. She is my encourager, my shoulder, my love, my heart, and my best and closest friend. She makes up for many of my shortcomings much like a touch-up artist does for a painting or photo. What you see is a result of the Lord’s and my wife’s work on and in me! She has been BLESSED by God and teaches all of us TO BLESS OTHERS in return!
Like Gaius, her testimony goes before her and speaks well of her partnership in the spreading of the Gospel. Though not gifted in evangelism, she spreads the Gospel through hospitality, administration, and faith! Whether it’s a visiting ministry from New Orleans, a fellow mission worker from New Hampshire, college students from Connecticut, a mission Pastor from St.Vincent, or and infant or child in need she opens her home. If someone needs help organizing business papers, food for the family, or clothing or school supplies for the kids, Tamara is there to assist. My wife is co-worker in the Truth indeed! She is BLESSED TO BLESS OTHERS. I am truly blessed and humbled to be her husband, friend, partner in ministry and lifelong soul-mate in marriage. Bless God for how He has allowed His blessings to cover me!
“Dear friend, you demonstrate faithfulness by whatever you do for the brothers (even though they are strangers). They have testified to your love before the church. You will do well to send them on their way in a manner worthy of God. For they have gone forth on behalf of “The Name,” accepting nothing from the pagans. Therefore we ought to support such people, so that we become coworkers in cooperation with the truth.” (3 John 1:5-8 NET)
John gives clear instruction in his epistle to Gaius and others at this church to support the travelling missionaries in whatever way they can. He also applauds Gaius for his actions of hospitality and support, as he has a testimony from others to what he has done. We too then are encouraged and challenged to support the work of the missionary and other Christian workers as we become co-workers with the Truth of the Gospel
“She extends her hand to the poor, yes; she reaches out her hands to the needy.” (Proverbs 31:20 NET)
The woman Solomon describes here in Proverbs not only describes a godly woman, but my wife in particular. Tamara has taught me through her sacrificial attitude of giving to give from what we have, even though it may be the last of what we have. She realizes (and I have come to realize through her) that we are BLESSED TO BLESS OTHERS, not just to enjoy the blessing. As in the parallel expressions in Proverbs 31:20, underscored is her care for the needy. The first part uses “she spreads her palm” and the second “she thrusts out her hand,” repeating some of the vocabulary introduced in the last verse. It’s not simply a giving of a small gift, but the opening of her palms and full extension of her arms. To me this demonstrates an attitude of what I have is yours; come in and rest, take what you need!
“Her children rise up and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her:” (Proverbs 31:28 NET)
I know our children are so very grateful for all Tamara has done to provide for them. They may not realize it just yet. I, however, realize day after day the blessing I have in my bride! She is not just the beauty of our family, but the brains and backbone of our life’s work for the Lord as well. She is my encourager, my shoulder, my love, my heart, and my best and closest friend. She makes up for many of my shortcomings much like a touch-up artist does for a painting or photo. What you see is a result of the Lord’s and my wife’s work on and in me! She has been BLESSED by God and teaches all of us TO BLESS OTHERS in return!
Like Gaius, her testimony goes before her and speaks well of her partnership in the spreading of the Gospel. Though not gifted in evangelism, she spreads the Gospel through hospitality, administration, and faith! Whether it’s a visiting ministry from New Orleans, a fellow mission worker from New Hampshire, college students from Connecticut, a mission Pastor from St.Vincent, or and infant or child in need she opens her home. If someone needs help organizing business papers, food for the family, or clothing or school supplies for the kids, Tamara is there to assist. My wife is co-worker in the Truth indeed! She is BLESSED TO BLESS OTHERS. I am truly blessed and humbled to be her husband, friend, partner in ministry and lifelong soul-mate in marriage. Bless God for how He has allowed His blessings to cover me!
Monday, October 8, 2007
10-09-07 Not As Dangerous as it Looks
“Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in Me.” (John 14:1)
We face an unknown world nearly every day. What will today bring? What circumstances will I face? What challenges will I meet? How will I handle all the tests? Many times, things aren’t as bad as they seem, if we would only trust God at His word.
The disciples faced much uncertainty as they faced the probability of life without Jesus. Where was He to go? Why and how would He die? Who will possibly betray our Jesus? Even Peter, the bold one, had been rebuked buy Jesus! What next? Jesus attempted to calm His followers by saying the very simple: If you believe in God then believe in Me.
Imagine the emotions early discoverers had as they ventured out to unknown lands, unchartered waters, and places they weren’t sure even existed! Dark waters, raging storms, even shipwreck at times, yet they persevered and pressed onward! Many times, dangers of the unknown seem more dangerous because they are unknown! With Jesus however, we know we have victories already won, so our dangers are really not what they seem to be! It is NOT AS DANGEROUS AS IT LOOKS!
God has set things out from Genesis 1. World history, geology, astrology, physics…all explained in His Word. Creation of mankind, the making of heavenly bodies, the fossil record and how the remains made their way over the entire earth, mountain formations, the seasons, etc. God was there from the foundation of the world and His Word is still the foundation we must stand upon for answers.
So don’t be troubled. If we believe in the God of the Bible, Genesis to Revelation, then we have the confidence to face tomorrow, and answer the questions of today! Oh what we can discover in the Bible. It not only proves history, it is HIStory! The world is NOT AS DANGEROUS AS IT LOOKS and neither is our circumstance. Believe in God, believe also in Me; Jesus want to help…….trust Him!
“Let not your heart be troubled; ye believe in God, believe also in Me.” (John 14:1)
We face an unknown world nearly every day. What will today bring? What circumstances will I face? What challenges will I meet? How will I handle all the tests? Many times, things aren’t as bad as they seem, if we would only trust God at His word.
The disciples faced much uncertainty as they faced the probability of life without Jesus. Where was He to go? Why and how would He die? Who will possibly betray our Jesus? Even Peter, the bold one, had been rebuked buy Jesus! What next? Jesus attempted to calm His followers by saying the very simple: If you believe in God then believe in Me.
Imagine the emotions early discoverers had as they ventured out to unknown lands, unchartered waters, and places they weren’t sure even existed! Dark waters, raging storms, even shipwreck at times, yet they persevered and pressed onward! Many times, dangers of the unknown seem more dangerous because they are unknown! With Jesus however, we know we have victories already won, so our dangers are really not what they seem to be! It is NOT AS DANGEROUS AS IT LOOKS!
God has set things out from Genesis 1. World history, geology, astrology, physics…all explained in His Word. Creation of mankind, the making of heavenly bodies, the fossil record and how the remains made their way over the entire earth, mountain formations, the seasons, etc. God was there from the foundation of the world and His Word is still the foundation we must stand upon for answers.
So don’t be troubled. If we believe in the God of the Bible, Genesis to Revelation, then we have the confidence to face tomorrow, and answer the questions of today! Oh what we can discover in the Bible. It not only proves history, it is HIStory! The world is NOT AS DANGEROUS AS IT LOOKS and neither is our circumstance. Believe in God, believe also in Me; Jesus want to help…….trust Him!
Thursday, October 4, 2007
10 05 07 Prepared to Stand?
"Now may the God of peace himself make you completely holy and may your spirit and soul and body be kept entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is trustworthy, and he will in fact do this.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 NET)
At the National Mall on October 6, 2007, men from all over the nation (if not the world) will once again gather to commemorate an event held 10 years ago in the exact location. I remember 10 years ago, because I had to stay home from Washington, DC and watch on TV, and care for my bride who had become ill. I had a real challenge that day, whether to stand in public or stand for my marriage and my love and commitment to my wife. Needless to say, I took my stand as God would have me do in the home, at my wife’s side.
Lord willing, I’ll be in DC Saturday with several brothers from my church and a few thousand of my brothers from all around the globe and from various denominations with various hues of skin color and various preferences of worship and prayer. All this variety, yet ONE God, ONE Spirit, ONE faith! What a joyous sight and experience it will be!
As we will Stand in the Gap for men and families everywhere, pleading with God to forgive us, heal us, and strengthen us; I can’t help but wonder how far we’ve come in 10 years. I know I have grown in many areas, yet I can easily count the times I have failed my wife, neglected my duties as a father, and sold myself and my church short by not doing all I could have done. I know I have disappointed my DADDY many times, but He is still faithful to me! As a Nation, we have definitely taken the downward slope!
My challenge personally is to rededicate myself to be more PREPARED TO STAND when my wife needs me, when my children and grandchildren need me, and when my church needs me. I desire to be prepared to say “Here I am Lord, use me” when He ask “who is willing to ‘stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land’ (Ezekiel 22:30)”
But to do that, I need to be a clean vessel, lifting holy hands before a holy God day by day. It doesn’t happen overnight. It requires determination, discipline, and dependency upon God’s Spirit and a few other grounded believers.
Our families need us to STAND. Our pastors and churches need us to STAND. Our Nation needs us to STAND. God asks us to STAND! Are we PREPARED TO STAND and carry out our assigned duties?
"Now may the God of peace himself make you completely holy and may your spirit and soul and body be kept entirely blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. He who calls you is trustworthy, and he will in fact do this.”
(1 Thessalonians 5:23-24 NET)
At the National Mall on October 6, 2007, men from all over the nation (if not the world) will once again gather to commemorate an event held 10 years ago in the exact location. I remember 10 years ago, because I had to stay home from Washington, DC and watch on TV, and care for my bride who had become ill. I had a real challenge that day, whether to stand in public or stand for my marriage and my love and commitment to my wife. Needless to say, I took my stand as God would have me do in the home, at my wife’s side.
Lord willing, I’ll be in DC Saturday with several brothers from my church and a few thousand of my brothers from all around the globe and from various denominations with various hues of skin color and various preferences of worship and prayer. All this variety, yet ONE God, ONE Spirit, ONE faith! What a joyous sight and experience it will be!
As we will Stand in the Gap for men and families everywhere, pleading with God to forgive us, heal us, and strengthen us; I can’t help but wonder how far we’ve come in 10 years. I know I have grown in many areas, yet I can easily count the times I have failed my wife, neglected my duties as a father, and sold myself and my church short by not doing all I could have done. I know I have disappointed my DADDY many times, but He is still faithful to me! As a Nation, we have definitely taken the downward slope!
My challenge personally is to rededicate myself to be more PREPARED TO STAND when my wife needs me, when my children and grandchildren need me, and when my church needs me. I desire to be prepared to say “Here I am Lord, use me” when He ask “who is willing to ‘stand in the gap before me on behalf of the land’ (Ezekiel 22:30)”
But to do that, I need to be a clean vessel, lifting holy hands before a holy God day by day. It doesn’t happen overnight. It requires determination, discipline, and dependency upon God’s Spirit and a few other grounded believers.
Our families need us to STAND. Our pastors and churches need us to STAND. Our Nation needs us to STAND. God asks us to STAND! Are we PREPARED TO STAND and carry out our assigned duties?
10 04 07 Not the Old Way, but the Bold Way
“When Daniel realized that a written decree had been issued, he entered his home, where the windows in his upper room opened toward Jerusalem.
Three times daily he was kneeling and offering prayers and thanks to his God just as he had been accustomed to do previously.
Then those officials who had gone to the king came by collusion
and found Daniel praying and asking for help before his God.”
(Daniel 6:10-11 NET)
Most of you who know me well, know I am prone to do the unusual, the non-typical, the rather risky things in life. I am not very fond of the politically correct way and my wife needs to constantly remind me of when it is appropriate to stay in line, in protocol. Put me in a suit and in a formal program and I get really nervous. I am most comfortable out in the elements, in sweat pants and a t-shirt, rubbing shoulders and working in the trenches.
I guess the Lord just wired me this way and with the gifts He’s given me and the experiences He has allowed in my life, I prefer the bold rather than the old! Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy lengthy and animated sermons that are straight from the Word of God. I need strong disciplined discipleship. I cherish the old-fashioned family times and Holyday get-togethers and traditions.
But I also appreciate the modern ways of teaching the believers, reaching the lost, if it is biblical! Many modern preachers and so-called teachers are just motivational speakers who make us feel good about ourselves and God and they get rewarded financially for doing just that! However, there are also some very biblically sound rap artists, poets, and new-style preachers who are right-on (oops, that’s an old saying!)
What I am saying here is that like Daniel and his friends, we need to first be grounded in the Word, so when we are faced with new challenges, we can be bold for Christ. Daniel didn’t flinch when faced with a new and challenging situation. We can’t rely upon tradition (our mamma or grandma’s ways) or modern-day peer pressure to keep us from an intimate relationship with our Father or sharing Him with others. We need to follow the Spirit’s timing and the time-tested Truth of the Word.
Door-to-door evangelism is not as effective as it once was, for many reasons, but it still might work at the right time. Old-time revivals may be played out, but we do need to be revived as a church body at times today. Home Bible Study and family time is a topic we run and hide from today due to horrible experiences, yet our families need this basic building block to foster unity, self-worth, and mutual respect. What worked for me may not work for the 11-year-old kids on the playground that I pass by every day. I understood the way I dress reflects upon my family and my God, but today a teen will ask, “How do my clothes or my music effect you? Where does it say that in the Bible?”
On top of these issues, we have the government, our employers, and even our schools saying we can’t speak concerning God or the Bible. This is where boldness comes in. We have to seek the Lord to not only guide us as to when to act, but even how to act. “Do I need a new approach? How can I combine some old trusted methods with new, bold and unique messages? How can I be biblical if the Bible is rejected? Do I have to risk breaking the rules?”
No doubt the apostles faced these decisions just after Christ went back to heaven. When questioned by the Sanhedrin concerning their public teaching of Christ, we read the following concerning Peter and the apostles:
“But Peter and the apostles replied, ‘We must obey God rather than people’”.
(Acts 5:29 NET)
Here is the bottom line: We need to obey God and follow His lead. His way has never been THE OLD WAY, but always THE BOLD WAY!
“When Daniel realized that a written decree had been issued, he entered his home, where the windows in his upper room opened toward Jerusalem.
Three times daily he was kneeling and offering prayers and thanks to his God just as he had been accustomed to do previously.
Then those officials who had gone to the king came by collusion
and found Daniel praying and asking for help before his God.”
(Daniel 6:10-11 NET)
Most of you who know me well, know I am prone to do the unusual, the non-typical, the rather risky things in life. I am not very fond of the politically correct way and my wife needs to constantly remind me of when it is appropriate to stay in line, in protocol. Put me in a suit and in a formal program and I get really nervous. I am most comfortable out in the elements, in sweat pants and a t-shirt, rubbing shoulders and working in the trenches.
I guess the Lord just wired me this way and with the gifts He’s given me and the experiences He has allowed in my life, I prefer the bold rather than the old! Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy lengthy and animated sermons that are straight from the Word of God. I need strong disciplined discipleship. I cherish the old-fashioned family times and Holyday get-togethers and traditions.
But I also appreciate the modern ways of teaching the believers, reaching the lost, if it is biblical! Many modern preachers and so-called teachers are just motivational speakers who make us feel good about ourselves and God and they get rewarded financially for doing just that! However, there are also some very biblically sound rap artists, poets, and new-style preachers who are right-on (oops, that’s an old saying!)
What I am saying here is that like Daniel and his friends, we need to first be grounded in the Word, so when we are faced with new challenges, we can be bold for Christ. Daniel didn’t flinch when faced with a new and challenging situation. We can’t rely upon tradition (our mamma or grandma’s ways) or modern-day peer pressure to keep us from an intimate relationship with our Father or sharing Him with others. We need to follow the Spirit’s timing and the time-tested Truth of the Word.
Door-to-door evangelism is not as effective as it once was, for many reasons, but it still might work at the right time. Old-time revivals may be played out, but we do need to be revived as a church body at times today. Home Bible Study and family time is a topic we run and hide from today due to horrible experiences, yet our families need this basic building block to foster unity, self-worth, and mutual respect. What worked for me may not work for the 11-year-old kids on the playground that I pass by every day. I understood the way I dress reflects upon my family and my God, but today a teen will ask, “How do my clothes or my music effect you? Where does it say that in the Bible?”
On top of these issues, we have the government, our employers, and even our schools saying we can’t speak concerning God or the Bible. This is where boldness comes in. We have to seek the Lord to not only guide us as to when to act, but even how to act. “Do I need a new approach? How can I combine some old trusted methods with new, bold and unique messages? How can I be biblical if the Bible is rejected? Do I have to risk breaking the rules?”
No doubt the apostles faced these decisions just after Christ went back to heaven. When questioned by the Sanhedrin concerning their public teaching of Christ, we read the following concerning Peter and the apostles:
“But Peter and the apostles replied, ‘We must obey God rather than people’”.
(Acts 5:29 NET)
Here is the bottom line: We need to obey God and follow His lead. His way has never been THE OLD WAY, but always THE BOLD WAY!
Wednesday, October 3, 2007
10 03 07 The Protection of His Peace
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7 NIV)
Yes, the peace of God; knowing I am His child and He is my Father, my Savior, my Redeemer, my Rock, my Fortress, my Friend and my God.
When I am rejected, He sticks closer than a brother. When others abandon me, He will never leave me nor forsake me. When the load is too heavy to bear, He asks me to lay my burdens at the cross and allow Him to shoulder the weight. When I am down-trodden from the weight of guilt and failure, His Cross looms every so large in my vision, as He says “Forgiven”. When the work seems hard and fruitless, he tells me to come to Him and He’ll give me rest. When others call me crazy and foolish for following my God, He reassures me that His ways are not man’s ways. Even if I am faced with death, I can rest assured that there is nothing man can do to me, He who is within me is greater than any foe I may face, and He goes through the dark and shadowy valleys with me. There is calmness even in the roughest storms, because He is right there in the midst of it all with me!
If you lived in a frontier town constantly harassed by raiding parties from an enemy, one option for your military would be to send troops to actually live beside you. These troops would be ‘garrisoned’ to your town, and their presence would not only provide protection during an attack; they, hopefully, would dissuade the enemy from even launching any more attacks. This is the implication of Paul’s language in this passage; that the peace of God will be garrisoned within your heart and mind, providing an ever-present protection from within as opposed to the need to stressfully search the horizon for the Calvary to arrive just in the nick of time.*
THE PROTECTION OF HIS PEACE goes beyond any alarm system, weapon, or military presence. Even in death, there is victory. What other peace can guarantee that? No cease-fire, no peace treaty, no handshake brings that much assurance.
THE PROTECTION OF HIS PEACE brings along the entire arsenal of the Lord of Hosts, the Commander of all the forces of Almighty God, the Creator of all that is and was and will be. What more could we ask for?
We need not look any further than our hearts. If we know Him, we know peace. If we don’t know Him there will be no peace.
As the line in the movie once said, “who you gonna’ call?”
* Jon Walker, The Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotional, October 3, 2007, PurposeDrivenLife.com
“And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 4:7 NIV)
Yes, the peace of God; knowing I am His child and He is my Father, my Savior, my Redeemer, my Rock, my Fortress, my Friend and my God.
When I am rejected, He sticks closer than a brother. When others abandon me, He will never leave me nor forsake me. When the load is too heavy to bear, He asks me to lay my burdens at the cross and allow Him to shoulder the weight. When I am down-trodden from the weight of guilt and failure, His Cross looms every so large in my vision, as He says “Forgiven”. When the work seems hard and fruitless, he tells me to come to Him and He’ll give me rest. When others call me crazy and foolish for following my God, He reassures me that His ways are not man’s ways. Even if I am faced with death, I can rest assured that there is nothing man can do to me, He who is within me is greater than any foe I may face, and He goes through the dark and shadowy valleys with me. There is calmness even in the roughest storms, because He is right there in the midst of it all with me!
If you lived in a frontier town constantly harassed by raiding parties from an enemy, one option for your military would be to send troops to actually live beside you. These troops would be ‘garrisoned’ to your town, and their presence would not only provide protection during an attack; they, hopefully, would dissuade the enemy from even launching any more attacks. This is the implication of Paul’s language in this passage; that the peace of God will be garrisoned within your heart and mind, providing an ever-present protection from within as opposed to the need to stressfully search the horizon for the Calvary to arrive just in the nick of time.*
THE PROTECTION OF HIS PEACE goes beyond any alarm system, weapon, or military presence. Even in death, there is victory. What other peace can guarantee that? No cease-fire, no peace treaty, no handshake brings that much assurance.
THE PROTECTION OF HIS PEACE brings along the entire arsenal of the Lord of Hosts, the Commander of all the forces of Almighty God, the Creator of all that is and was and will be. What more could we ask for?
We need not look any further than our hearts. If we know Him, we know peace. If we don’t know Him there will be no peace.
As the line in the movie once said, “who you gonna’ call?”
* Jon Walker, The Purpose Driven Life Daily Devotional, October 3, 2007, PurposeDrivenLife.com
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
10 02 07 No One to Show the Way?
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely,
and run with endurance the race set out for us….”
(Hebrews 12:1 NET)
Check out THE MESSAGE version: “Do you see what this means--all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running--and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.” This is pretty straight forward, isn’t it?
The word witness, or martus, (Greek) refers to those who after his example have proved the strength and genuineness of their faith in Christ by undergoing a violent death. We get the word martyr today. While many of us may say we have never really had someone around to set the proper Christian example for us, today we are really without excuse. Once saved, even before in many cases, we have seen and experienced a relative, a friend, a neighbor, or someone who lives out the Bible in its true sense, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The problem is we have labeled them weird or, crazy, or politically incorrect and decided we just can’t live that way! You know what; that example just may be our Mom or even our Dad, yet we just don’t want to follow their example. We say, “We had NO ONE TO SHOW THE WAY!”
Paul went through a list of previous saints who had gone as far as given their lives for the cause of Christ. They weren’t looking for friends or a promotion. They weren’t pressured by a new law set forth by local governments. They weren’t afraid to say “Yes” when God said “Go”! They weren’t waiting for someone else to start a small group or organize a mission trip. Read Hebrews 11: are there enough witnesses, examples there for us to follow? “That was then”, we might say. Well, what makes then different than today? Was there not more pressure on the saints of old? Did they not face more adversity than we do today? Are we not close to the Lord’s return in 2007 than they were in AD 60-70? Still NO ONE TO SHOW THE WAY?
I believe we need to stop searching for excuses as to why we aren’t doing what God requires of us and start doing it! It’s not Mom’s fault, Dad’s fault or even our job that is holding us back. It’s our selfishness and lack of faith. I only know of one thing that can quicken us to follow Christ more closely: we must repent and do just that, follow Him!
How?
“…keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Hebrews 12:2 NET)
More than all the examples we have ignored along the way, He is THE ONE TO SHOW THE WAY!
“Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, we must get rid of every weight and the sin that clings so closely,
and run with endurance the race set out for us….”
(Hebrews 12:1 NET)
Check out THE MESSAGE version: “Do you see what this means--all these pioneers who blazed the way, all these veterans cheering us on? It means we'd better get on with it. Strip down, start running--and never quit! No extra spiritual fat, no parasitic sins.” This is pretty straight forward, isn’t it?
The word witness, or martus, (Greek) refers to those who after his example have proved the strength and genuineness of their faith in Christ by undergoing a violent death. We get the word martyr today. While many of us may say we have never really had someone around to set the proper Christian example for us, today we are really without excuse. Once saved, even before in many cases, we have seen and experienced a relative, a friend, a neighbor, or someone who lives out the Bible in its true sense, by the guidance of the Holy Spirit. The problem is we have labeled them weird or, crazy, or politically incorrect and decided we just can’t live that way! You know what; that example just may be our Mom or even our Dad, yet we just don’t want to follow their example. We say, “We had NO ONE TO SHOW THE WAY!”
Paul went through a list of previous saints who had gone as far as given their lives for the cause of Christ. They weren’t looking for friends or a promotion. They weren’t pressured by a new law set forth by local governments. They weren’t afraid to say “Yes” when God said “Go”! They weren’t waiting for someone else to start a small group or organize a mission trip. Read Hebrews 11: are there enough witnesses, examples there for us to follow? “That was then”, we might say. Well, what makes then different than today? Was there not more pressure on the saints of old? Did they not face more adversity than we do today? Are we not close to the Lord’s return in 2007 than they were in AD 60-70? Still NO ONE TO SHOW THE WAY?
I believe we need to stop searching for excuses as to why we aren’t doing what God requires of us and start doing it! It’s not Mom’s fault, Dad’s fault or even our job that is holding us back. It’s our selfishness and lack of faith. I only know of one thing that can quicken us to follow Christ more closely: we must repent and do just that, follow Him!
How?
“…keeping our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Hebrews 12:2 NET)
More than all the examples we have ignored along the way, He is THE ONE TO SHOW THE WAY!
Monday, October 1, 2007
10 01 07 Living Faith
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—
and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…”
(Ephesians 2:8 NIV)
Faith, or pistis, in Greek, refers to a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God; an assurance, belief, fidelity; from peitho (Greek) to listen to, obey, yield to, and comply with.
Martin Luther argued that it was faith alone (sola fide) that saved a man from his sin, based upon the Holy Scriptures. Salvation did not come from an organized denomination, an elected (or non-elected) official, or a certain price one could pay. In his day, this started a revolution, or should I say Reformation.
In fact, Luther stressed the following: Sola Scriptura - Scripture Alone; Solus Christus - Christ Alone; Sola Gratia - Grace Alone; Sola Fide - Faith Alone; Soli Deo Gloria - The Glory of God Alone.
He left no doubt as to his point of view concerning faith in Christ. Luther was not ashamed to let others know where he stood. In fact he posted them on the church doors form all to see and since the early form of the printing press had just been put into use in Germany, he was able to spread the news much quicker than before. Luther was not ashamed.
“Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back,
My soul has no pleasure in him."
(Hebrews 10:38 NKJV)
Paul was not one to be ashamed either. Once saved by faith, he now lived out his life on the line nearly every day for the sake of his faith. I sense he was absolutely appalled at those who professed faith in Christ, yet were hesitant to let it show. If we are to live by our faith, we are to be obedient to the things laid out in His Word. We are to be assured that what God says He will do. Living by faith requires obedience and loyalty in our everyday living, not just in words of a prayer or church attendance. Paul says he has no pleasure in a believer who timidity hesitates to avow what they believe or is unwilling to speak from fear. I may go further to ask the question, “How can you have faith if you live by it?” Faith in itself begs the definition of living it out!
This is our challenge: we must live out our faith with boldness and conviction. Faith in the living Savior is a LIVING FAITH! Five hundred years later, we’re still challenged to live by faith alone!
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—
and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God…”
(Ephesians 2:8 NIV)
Faith, or pistis, in Greek, refers to a strong and welcome conviction or belief that Jesus is the Messiah, through whom we obtain eternal salvation in the kingdom of God; an assurance, belief, fidelity; from peitho (Greek) to listen to, obey, yield to, and comply with.
Martin Luther argued that it was faith alone (sola fide) that saved a man from his sin, based upon the Holy Scriptures. Salvation did not come from an organized denomination, an elected (or non-elected) official, or a certain price one could pay. In his day, this started a revolution, or should I say Reformation.
In fact, Luther stressed the following: Sola Scriptura - Scripture Alone; Solus Christus - Christ Alone; Sola Gratia - Grace Alone; Sola Fide - Faith Alone; Soli Deo Gloria - The Glory of God Alone.
He left no doubt as to his point of view concerning faith in Christ. Luther was not ashamed to let others know where he stood. In fact he posted them on the church doors form all to see and since the early form of the printing press had just been put into use in Germany, he was able to spread the news much quicker than before. Luther was not ashamed.
“Now the just shall live by faith; But if anyone draws back,
My soul has no pleasure in him."
(Hebrews 10:38 NKJV)
Paul was not one to be ashamed either. Once saved by faith, he now lived out his life on the line nearly every day for the sake of his faith. I sense he was absolutely appalled at those who professed faith in Christ, yet were hesitant to let it show. If we are to live by our faith, we are to be obedient to the things laid out in His Word. We are to be assured that what God says He will do. Living by faith requires obedience and loyalty in our everyday living, not just in words of a prayer or church attendance. Paul says he has no pleasure in a believer who timidity hesitates to avow what they believe or is unwilling to speak from fear. I may go further to ask the question, “How can you have faith if you live by it?” Faith in itself begs the definition of living it out!
This is our challenge: we must live out our faith with boldness and conviction. Faith in the living Savior is a LIVING FAITH! Five hundred years later, we’re still challenged to live by faith alone!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
-
Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only ONE receives the prize? Run in such a way that you might obtain it. . . Ther...
-
Honor where honor is due . . . respect given and/or respect earned . . . life has its challenges! Do not withhold good from those to who...