“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love.” (I John 4:18)
President Roosevelt made famous the saying, “The only thing we have to fear is fear itself…” during a time in our history when there was plenty to be afraid of. FDR’s statement was a good motivational rallying cry to get people to rise to the challenges they faced instead of cowering in the corner and doing nothing. That would have led to defeat and disaster. But in reality, there are a lot of things we can (and sometimes even should) be afraid of in this world. You know I am afraid of heights. It is because I am not a fan of the results of “whump…” or “splat…” You should fear standing in the middle of an Interstate Highway with an 18-wheeler bearing down on you. Only fools never fear. The issue is how to use those fears to protect yourself and your family and to accomplish something for the Lord Jesus Christ and his glory.
Most people think that the opposite of fear is courage. But the most courageous people on earth do not eliminate their fears; they use fear to spur them to action. They have the same fears as anyone else; they just react to them differently. Instead of running and hiding, their courage is driven by their fear. But in many people, fear has a paralyzing and devastating effect.
The opposite of fear is love. If I really understood how much God loved me, I would not fear heights as I do. But I have had enough fearful experiences on ladders and roofs and mountain roads with no guard rails that the natural reaction takes over and clouds my spiritual vision. I don’t want to fear heights, but at this point, my humanity won’t allow otherwise. I guess God knows us pretty well. That is why the number one command in the Bible is “Fear not…” or some variation of that. It appears well over 60 times in the word of God.
David was the “man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). When he was being hunted by Saul, his fears took over and made him do some pretty odd things. Read I Samuel chapter 21 for an example. His fear made him irrational. He took on Goliath, and ran from Saul. He passed his fear to the priest Ahimelech and others, and his fear caused him to lie about why he was there. His fears caused him to place his trust in the weapons of the world (Goliath’s sword) rather than in the word of God, the “sword of the Spirit”. David’s fear drove him to flee to Achish the king of Gath for refuge. Remember that it was Gath where Goliath was from! Didn’t he think that they would remember that and want their revenge? Fear made David act like a mad man and “scrabble on the gate” of Gath so that they would think he had lost his mind. It kept them from carrying out their vengeance because they felt sorry for this once courageous warrior who had been reduced to a spineless blob of Jell-O because of his fears.
But in all these things, God’s testimony of the life of David is given in I Kings 15:5: “Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.” In spite of David’s human frailty in this story, God never criticized him once for it. It was the right thing to do to run from Saul. He could not be expected to casually stroll into the royal palace where Saul lived any more than you would be expected to “fear not” to stand in the middle of I-70. David was not criticized for his fears because of his love for God and God’s word. Psalm 119 is one of the greatest chapters in the Bible. It is 176 verses describing the love David had for his Lord and the precious words of God. He wrote, “What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.” (Psalm 56:3) When the times of fear descend on us, as they surely will, remember how much God loves you as his child. Despite the dangers, “he will never leave thee nor forsake thee.” (Hebrews 13:5). Trust in his love, not in your courage. His love trumps your fears.
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Leaving A Mark
“His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.” Matthew 25:21)
Evelyn Johnson, wife of Tom Johnson, missionaries to Bolivia for 44 years, passed away Sunday night September 20, 2010. Funeral services will be held at Walnut Grove Bible Church in Bonner Springs, KS on Thursday September 23, 2010 at 5:00pm.
This week’s blog is devoted to the life of this incredible servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. I first had the honor of meeting Tom and Evelyn on a missions trip to Bolivia in 1996. I got to stay in their home and experience a level of hospitality that many talk about, but few get to see. I saw a couple completely devoted to God and each other. Both of them left the comforts of home at an early age to minister the word of God in the third world nation of Bolivia. Their children were born and raised on the mission field, and all came back to the US when they were grown. Tom and Evelyn had to say goodbye to them while they continued their ministry to the children of Bolivia with a national outreach ministry called “OANSA”. Those of you in the US would recognize that as “AWANA” – the English acronym for OANSA in Spanish. Tom and Evelyn travelled tirelessly throughout Bolivia establishing this ministry and overseeing it in over 800 churches in the country. Keep in mind that travelling in Bolivia is quite a bit different than in the US with our interstate highways. “Quite a bit different” is the understatement of the ages. Only those who have experienced third world roads could appreciate the rigors and hardships of this type of ministry. Yet they ministered with “joy unspeakable and full of glory” (I Pet 1:8). After 44 years of faithful and dedicated service to the Lord and the people of Bolivia, Tom and Evelyn “retired” (ha ha) and moved to southern Arizona. For the last 10 years or so, they have continued ministering the word of God to the Spanish speaking community near Tucson.
Tom and Evelyn were never the type to receive recognition for their service. They are some of the most humble people I have ever met. But when they retired, we hosted a “Tom and Evelyn Johnson Day” at Crest Bible Church. Tom is the son of our founding pastor, and was sent out as a missionary from here when I was 6 months old. On that special day, we commemorated a life of service to Jesus Christ in Bolivia. Tom and Evelyn sang and gave testimony of their lives in Bolivia, and it was one of the most moving experiences I have had. All they talked about were the people they had impacted for the gospel. They said nothing of themselves or their trials. The entire testimony was simply a litany of person after person who had come to know Christ and been established in the faith who was continuing to carry on the vision of reaching others for Christ. Someone once coined a cute little acronym that joy is living life in the following priority: Jesus, Others, Yourself. That is a perfect description of the life of this dear lady and her first class gentleman of a husband in their service to their Lord.
The Bible says there is “rejoicing in heaven” when someone gets saved. Tom and Evelyn have set of quite a few parties in their days. Now Evelyn has had the honor of being the life of the party herself. Psalm 116:15 says, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” That seems odd, but God’s ways are not ours. While we grieve the loss, heaven welcomes a true saint of the faith. Her works have followed her, and she is at rest from a life of labor for her Lord and Saviour (Rev 14:13). She ran the race of life in a full sprint to the end, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of her faith.” (Heb 12:2). She will need several boxcars to haul away her rewards. May all who read this strive to be half the servant Evelyn Johnson was for her Lord.
Evelyn Johnson, wife of Tom Johnson, missionaries to Bolivia for 44 years, passed away Sunday night September 20, 2010. Funeral services will be held at Walnut Grove Bible Church in Bonner Springs, KS on Thursday September 23, 2010 at 5:00pm.
This week’s blog is devoted to the life of this incredible servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. I first had the honor of meeting Tom and Evelyn on a missions trip to Bolivia in 1996. I got to stay in their home and experience a level of hospitality that many talk about, but few get to see. I saw a couple completely devoted to God and each other. Both of them left the comforts of home at an early age to minister the word of God in the third world nation of Bolivia. Their children were born and raised on the mission field, and all came back to the US when they were grown. Tom and Evelyn had to say goodbye to them while they continued their ministry to the children of Bolivia with a national outreach ministry called “OANSA”. Those of you in the US would recognize that as “AWANA” – the English acronym for OANSA in Spanish. Tom and Evelyn travelled tirelessly throughout Bolivia establishing this ministry and overseeing it in over 800 churches in the country. Keep in mind that travelling in Bolivia is quite a bit different than in the US with our interstate highways. “Quite a bit different” is the understatement of the ages. Only those who have experienced third world roads could appreciate the rigors and hardships of this type of ministry. Yet they ministered with “joy unspeakable and full of glory” (I Pet 1:8). After 44 years of faithful and dedicated service to the Lord and the people of Bolivia, Tom and Evelyn “retired” (ha ha) and moved to southern Arizona. For the last 10 years or so, they have continued ministering the word of God to the Spanish speaking community near Tucson.
Tom and Evelyn were never the type to receive recognition for their service. They are some of the most humble people I have ever met. But when they retired, we hosted a “Tom and Evelyn Johnson Day” at Crest Bible Church. Tom is the son of our founding pastor, and was sent out as a missionary from here when I was 6 months old. On that special day, we commemorated a life of service to Jesus Christ in Bolivia. Tom and Evelyn sang and gave testimony of their lives in Bolivia, and it was one of the most moving experiences I have had. All they talked about were the people they had impacted for the gospel. They said nothing of themselves or their trials. The entire testimony was simply a litany of person after person who had come to know Christ and been established in the faith who was continuing to carry on the vision of reaching others for Christ. Someone once coined a cute little acronym that joy is living life in the following priority: Jesus, Others, Yourself. That is a perfect description of the life of this dear lady and her first class gentleman of a husband in their service to their Lord.
The Bible says there is “rejoicing in heaven” when someone gets saved. Tom and Evelyn have set of quite a few parties in their days. Now Evelyn has had the honor of being the life of the party herself. Psalm 116:15 says, “Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints.” That seems odd, but God’s ways are not ours. While we grieve the loss, heaven welcomes a true saint of the faith. Her works have followed her, and she is at rest from a life of labor for her Lord and Saviour (Rev 14:13). She ran the race of life in a full sprint to the end, “looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of her faith.” (Heb 12:2). She will need several boxcars to haul away her rewards. May all who read this strive to be half the servant Evelyn Johnson was for her Lord.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Be A Fanatic
“For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel, and with the trump of God: and the dead in Christ shall rise first: Then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air: and so shall we ever be with the Lord.” (I Thessalonians 4:16-17)
I am watching the Chiefs game on Monday Night Football. Arrowhead Stadium is absolutely electric. It is really good to see our beloved home of the Chiefs be the screaming raving nut house it was in the days of Martyball when Kansas City was universally recognized as the loudest outdoor stadium and the hardest place for visiting teams to win as a result. There is no doubt that the “12th man” contributed much to the success of the Chiefs on this night. Chiefs win 21-14 and for at least the next week, can lay claim to sole possession of first place in their division!
It’s good to have passion in life, even when it is for something like football. Many people who are not sports fans think it is just nonsense with a bunch of overpaid brutes playing a boy’s game without actually producing anything. There’s some truth to that. No one will get to heaven just by winning a major sports championship. But sports is a great teacher of character and principles of life. Also, major sports provides a lot of great things for a community. There are a lot of jobs through sports, and a city with a major sports team has a better quality of life as a result. It brings together a community around a common purpose. Just consider what the last Super Bowl has done for the city of New Orleans.
It always strikes me odd when I see 80,000 raving lunatics screaming for 3 hours for a football team, and then see how they react when they are invited to church. These people will pay good money, brave severe elements, and spend over 3 hours standing on their feet yelling until they can’t speak. But ask them to sit in padded chairs for 45 minutes to hear the word of God and you would think they were being tortured. They can’t say amen to the message because they blew their voice out over a touchdown. You can get 80,000 people to a ball game, but try getting 80 of them to show up to church for a work day or to canvass the neighborhood to pass out tracts.
Having a passion in life for your favorite sports team or for your hobby or your work is fine. But why not have it for the Lord Jesus Christ as well? I would not expect people to paint their faces and wear goofy outfits to church. I would hope they could contain themselves enough during the message so as not to distract everyone around them. I am not asking for cheerleaders at the front of the auditorium waving their pom-poms to energize the crowd. The venues of a football game and church are different, and the behavior should be as well. But the passion for the things of God should be just as real as the “thrill of victory” at Arrowhead.
One of these days very soon, Jesus will descend from heaven and call us home to be with him. Notice the verse I quoted above says he will do it with a shout! I don’t imagine he will whisper. I can’t see him saying, “Psst… Hey guys… If it’s not too much of an inconvenience, do you suppose it would be OK if you would come up hither?” After all, this day is called in the Bible “The Day of Christ”. It is his special day. The Bible likens it to a bridegroom getting his bride. That is a pretty special day! Some of his people who have been too dignified to let a little passion be shown will get turned loose on that day. I am old enough to remember the city wide ticker tape parades for the Chiefs in 1970 and the Royals in 1985. Imagine the celebration when the King of kings and Lord of lords walks down the streets of the city of Jerusalem to usher in the glory of his millennial kingdom. I really enjoyed the game last night. If you can get more out of something like that than you can the return of the Lord, check your spiritual temperature. Let us continually be about his business until that day comes.
I am watching the Chiefs game on Monday Night Football. Arrowhead Stadium is absolutely electric. It is really good to see our beloved home of the Chiefs be the screaming raving nut house it was in the days of Martyball when Kansas City was universally recognized as the loudest outdoor stadium and the hardest place for visiting teams to win as a result. There is no doubt that the “12th man” contributed much to the success of the Chiefs on this night. Chiefs win 21-14 and for at least the next week, can lay claim to sole possession of first place in their division!
It’s good to have passion in life, even when it is for something like football. Many people who are not sports fans think it is just nonsense with a bunch of overpaid brutes playing a boy’s game without actually producing anything. There’s some truth to that. No one will get to heaven just by winning a major sports championship. But sports is a great teacher of character and principles of life. Also, major sports provides a lot of great things for a community. There are a lot of jobs through sports, and a city with a major sports team has a better quality of life as a result. It brings together a community around a common purpose. Just consider what the last Super Bowl has done for the city of New Orleans.
It always strikes me odd when I see 80,000 raving lunatics screaming for 3 hours for a football team, and then see how they react when they are invited to church. These people will pay good money, brave severe elements, and spend over 3 hours standing on their feet yelling until they can’t speak. But ask them to sit in padded chairs for 45 minutes to hear the word of God and you would think they were being tortured. They can’t say amen to the message because they blew their voice out over a touchdown. You can get 80,000 people to a ball game, but try getting 80 of them to show up to church for a work day or to canvass the neighborhood to pass out tracts.
Having a passion in life for your favorite sports team or for your hobby or your work is fine. But why not have it for the Lord Jesus Christ as well? I would not expect people to paint their faces and wear goofy outfits to church. I would hope they could contain themselves enough during the message so as not to distract everyone around them. I am not asking for cheerleaders at the front of the auditorium waving their pom-poms to energize the crowd. The venues of a football game and church are different, and the behavior should be as well. But the passion for the things of God should be just as real as the “thrill of victory” at Arrowhead.
One of these days very soon, Jesus will descend from heaven and call us home to be with him. Notice the verse I quoted above says he will do it with a shout! I don’t imagine he will whisper. I can’t see him saying, “Psst… Hey guys… If it’s not too much of an inconvenience, do you suppose it would be OK if you would come up hither?” After all, this day is called in the Bible “The Day of Christ”. It is his special day. The Bible likens it to a bridegroom getting his bride. That is a pretty special day! Some of his people who have been too dignified to let a little passion be shown will get turned loose on that day. I am old enough to remember the city wide ticker tape parades for the Chiefs in 1970 and the Royals in 1985. Imagine the celebration when the King of kings and Lord of lords walks down the streets of the city of Jerusalem to usher in the glory of his millennial kingdom. I really enjoyed the game last night. If you can get more out of something like that than you can the return of the Lord, check your spiritual temperature. Let us continually be about his business until that day comes.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Why Is Labor Day So Much Work?
“But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31)
Man, I am really worn out! I can’t believe how sore and tired I am. Have you ever been so tired that you can’t sleep? That is tired! I went to bed last night about 10:30, but I just laid there until about 4:00 in the morning with aches and pains in body parts I didn’t even know I had. We had our annual Labor Day Picnic yesterday, the 17th annual blowout we put on every year on the first Monday of September. Standing in front of a couple of hot BBQ grills for 2 hours is bad enough, then I played baseball for another couple of hours after stuffing myself full of the best pork ribs on earth. It was our best picnic ever (we say that every year), with well over 200 people in attendance, many of them experiencing one of Crest Bible Church’s premier events for the very first time. We do this every year to celebrate a number of things like kids back in school, the end of summer, and just because we want to have a party (who needs a reason?). But the Labor Day Picnic is really my celebration. It was 32 years ago on Labor Day weekend that I received Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour (September 4, 1978). So I celebrate my spiritual birthday with a BBQ feast for a couple hundred of my closest friends. Someone said we should do a picnic for everyone’s spiritual birthday. Fine. You cook the ribs.
We all know what it means to be tired. Everyone on earth has experienced those times when it seems that you just can’t go another step without a couple of “trainers” – one under each arm to carry you to the bench so you can collapse. For those who know Jesus as their Saviour and are actively involved in his work, those times can hit even more severe. Not only do we get worn out physically, we also get spiritually tired. We face an enemy in an unseen realm who is so sly that he knows our every weakness and how to exploit them for his purposes. Despite what the atheist and naturalist would say, man is a spiritual being also, and everything we face in the physical world has its counterpart in the spiritual as well. That is why a Christian can experience some very serious setbacks in his life, many times even more severe than those without Christ. We think as believers that life is always about the wonderful and the positive, at least that is what the pop psychologist TV preachers tell us. The when the reality of “tired” hits us, we think there is something wrong with us and we have somehow sinned against God.
Isaiah tells us that we have a spiritual power source unknown to the physical world. We treat our “tired” with Red Bull and Five Hour Energy. I ran around the bases a few times yesterday. I was five for five and scored a couple of runs, thank you. I got really weary doing that. It is a good thing they put bases out there so I can stop every once in a while to keep from falling over. But the Bible tells us we can run and not be weary. In fact, the more we run, the more strength we get. It comes when we “wait upon the Lord”. That means to serve him as a “waiter” does in a restaurant. When we stand at his table with the towel draped on our arm attending to his needs, he gives us more strength for the task. Sometimes his “orders” include taking a break and resting for a while. But his power source never runs down, because his “electric bill” was paid in full on the cross of Calvary. We can certainly get tired in the Lord’s work, but a believer should never be tired of the Lord’s work. I sometimes read my Bible and my eyes get so heavy I cannot go on, even in the middle of the day. But I never get tired of reading the Bible. Serving Jesus is hard work and takes its toll on us in many ways. Sunday afternoons are usually “crash time” for me. At the same time, we get energized in his work in ways unexplained by natural means.
Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” It is natural to be tired. But with our eyes on the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, let us continue to run the race until we cross the finish line in his strength.
Man, I am really worn out! I can’t believe how sore and tired I am. Have you ever been so tired that you can’t sleep? That is tired! I went to bed last night about 10:30, but I just laid there until about 4:00 in the morning with aches and pains in body parts I didn’t even know I had. We had our annual Labor Day Picnic yesterday, the 17th annual blowout we put on every year on the first Monday of September. Standing in front of a couple of hot BBQ grills for 2 hours is bad enough, then I played baseball for another couple of hours after stuffing myself full of the best pork ribs on earth. It was our best picnic ever (we say that every year), with well over 200 people in attendance, many of them experiencing one of Crest Bible Church’s premier events for the very first time. We do this every year to celebrate a number of things like kids back in school, the end of summer, and just because we want to have a party (who needs a reason?). But the Labor Day Picnic is really my celebration. It was 32 years ago on Labor Day weekend that I received Jesus Christ as my personal Saviour (September 4, 1978). So I celebrate my spiritual birthday with a BBQ feast for a couple hundred of my closest friends. Someone said we should do a picnic for everyone’s spiritual birthday. Fine. You cook the ribs.
We all know what it means to be tired. Everyone on earth has experienced those times when it seems that you just can’t go another step without a couple of “trainers” – one under each arm to carry you to the bench so you can collapse. For those who know Jesus as their Saviour and are actively involved in his work, those times can hit even more severe. Not only do we get worn out physically, we also get spiritually tired. We face an enemy in an unseen realm who is so sly that he knows our every weakness and how to exploit them for his purposes. Despite what the atheist and naturalist would say, man is a spiritual being also, and everything we face in the physical world has its counterpart in the spiritual as well. That is why a Christian can experience some very serious setbacks in his life, many times even more severe than those without Christ. We think as believers that life is always about the wonderful and the positive, at least that is what the pop psychologist TV preachers tell us. The when the reality of “tired” hits us, we think there is something wrong with us and we have somehow sinned against God.
Isaiah tells us that we have a spiritual power source unknown to the physical world. We treat our “tired” with Red Bull and Five Hour Energy. I ran around the bases a few times yesterday. I was five for five and scored a couple of runs, thank you. I got really weary doing that. It is a good thing they put bases out there so I can stop every once in a while to keep from falling over. But the Bible tells us we can run and not be weary. In fact, the more we run, the more strength we get. It comes when we “wait upon the Lord”. That means to serve him as a “waiter” does in a restaurant. When we stand at his table with the towel draped on our arm attending to his needs, he gives us more strength for the task. Sometimes his “orders” include taking a break and resting for a while. But his power source never runs down, because his “electric bill” was paid in full on the cross of Calvary. We can certainly get tired in the Lord’s work, but a believer should never be tired of the Lord’s work. I sometimes read my Bible and my eyes get so heavy I cannot go on, even in the middle of the day. But I never get tired of reading the Bible. Serving Jesus is hard work and takes its toll on us in many ways. Sunday afternoons are usually “crash time” for me. At the same time, we get energized in his work in ways unexplained by natural means.
Galatians 6:9 says, “Let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.” It is natural to be tired. But with our eyes on the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus, let us continue to run the race until we cross the finish line in his strength.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
Redeem the Time
“See then that ye walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.” (Ephesians 5:15-16)
Did you miss me last week? For the first time since I started posting a weekly devotional on our website, I missed a week. That’s OK, because I missed me also. Right at the end of camp a few weeks back, I caught a bug and it kind of put me down just a little bit. I was able to hit it with some Zicam and other stuff and hold it back for a while, but eventually it caught up with me. Last Monday the freight train ran over me, and I lost a full day. I was “amongst the living” just long enough to get a quick bite to eat, but I spent at least 20 of the 24 hours curled up in the sack praying for the rapture. Monday is usually the day I work on this blog, and with a lost day, some things in my schedule had to be sacrificed.
When we lose a day like that, it throws us behind for a while, but eventually we can catch up with life through the normal flow. There are a few things we can double up on, and some others that just sort of take care of themselves and fade off the never ending “to-do list”, and life gets back to a normal dull roar. But in reality, a lost day like last Monday will never be recovered. We are bound to the constraints of time and space, and try as we might, no one has the ability to grant us more than 24 hours per day. As much as we would love to be able to stop the world so we can catch up, it is not possible. Everyone gets the same amount of time.
When a person trust Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, the Bible says they are “born again”. It is the only true “restart” in life. We now have a spiritual nature and a relationship with God that we did not have before, and God gives us the opportunity to go back and fix some things we messed up before. Titus 3:5 says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” That verse uses another Bible term for salvation: “regeneration”. To generate means to bring forth anew, and when we add a “re-“ to a word, it means to do it over again. I cannot go back and recapture last Monday. But I have a new nature in Christ Jesus that is not subject to the physical laws of the Universe. Ephesians 2:6 tells me that I am seated in heavenly places in Christ. My new nature is already there; not bound by the same “space-time continuum” that the physical world is subject to. How’s that for a little science fiction? (More like a science fact.)
I lost last Monday. But I did not trust Jesus Christ as my Saviour until I was 25 years old. Even though I was alive and did some good things, I lost the first 25 years of my life because I was “dead in trespasses and sins, and alone in the world without hope and without God” according to Ephesians chapter 2. Once I got saved, I could actually go back and redeem that time. We think of redeeming the time as just simply not wasting it anymore. But the concept is much deeper. To redeem means “to buy back”. Last Monday is lost and despite our greatest desires, I can never go back and get any of those 24 hours back. My first 25 years are in the history books, and nothing I can do can change one second of it. But since they are “dead” years, I do have the ability to redeem them. By investing in the word of God and the souls of men, the past can be bought back. So many of God’s people live their lives in utter frustration and despair because of the things they did in the past. They live a life of defeat instead of victory because they are under so much conviction for things they can never change. Instead of living in the natural world, why not enter a “time warp” and begin focusing on the new man in Christ? You actually have the ability to build a huge spiritual portfolio of transformed lives by sharing the gospel and investing the word in other people. No one knows the name of the altar worker who led Billy Graham to Christ in a revival meeting years ago. But his investment of the word of God in another life still bears fruit today. Tap into the new man. You will be amazed at what God can do.
Did you miss me last week? For the first time since I started posting a weekly devotional on our website, I missed a week. That’s OK, because I missed me also. Right at the end of camp a few weeks back, I caught a bug and it kind of put me down just a little bit. I was able to hit it with some Zicam and other stuff and hold it back for a while, but eventually it caught up with me. Last Monday the freight train ran over me, and I lost a full day. I was “amongst the living” just long enough to get a quick bite to eat, but I spent at least 20 of the 24 hours curled up in the sack praying for the rapture. Monday is usually the day I work on this blog, and with a lost day, some things in my schedule had to be sacrificed.
When we lose a day like that, it throws us behind for a while, but eventually we can catch up with life through the normal flow. There are a few things we can double up on, and some others that just sort of take care of themselves and fade off the never ending “to-do list”, and life gets back to a normal dull roar. But in reality, a lost day like last Monday will never be recovered. We are bound to the constraints of time and space, and try as we might, no one has the ability to grant us more than 24 hours per day. As much as we would love to be able to stop the world so we can catch up, it is not possible. Everyone gets the same amount of time.
When a person trust Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour, the Bible says they are “born again”. It is the only true “restart” in life. We now have a spiritual nature and a relationship with God that we did not have before, and God gives us the opportunity to go back and fix some things we messed up before. Titus 3:5 says, “Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to his mercy he saved us, by the washing of regeneration, and renewing of the Holy Ghost.” That verse uses another Bible term for salvation: “regeneration”. To generate means to bring forth anew, and when we add a “re-“ to a word, it means to do it over again. I cannot go back and recapture last Monday. But I have a new nature in Christ Jesus that is not subject to the physical laws of the Universe. Ephesians 2:6 tells me that I am seated in heavenly places in Christ. My new nature is already there; not bound by the same “space-time continuum” that the physical world is subject to. How’s that for a little science fiction? (More like a science fact.)
I lost last Monday. But I did not trust Jesus Christ as my Saviour until I was 25 years old. Even though I was alive and did some good things, I lost the first 25 years of my life because I was “dead in trespasses and sins, and alone in the world without hope and without God” according to Ephesians chapter 2. Once I got saved, I could actually go back and redeem that time. We think of redeeming the time as just simply not wasting it anymore. But the concept is much deeper. To redeem means “to buy back”. Last Monday is lost and despite our greatest desires, I can never go back and get any of those 24 hours back. My first 25 years are in the history books, and nothing I can do can change one second of it. But since they are “dead” years, I do have the ability to redeem them. By investing in the word of God and the souls of men, the past can be bought back. So many of God’s people live their lives in utter frustration and despair because of the things they did in the past. They live a life of defeat instead of victory because they are under so much conviction for things they can never change. Instead of living in the natural world, why not enter a “time warp” and begin focusing on the new man in Christ? You actually have the ability to build a huge spiritual portfolio of transformed lives by sharing the gospel and investing the word in other people. No one knows the name of the altar worker who led Billy Graham to Christ in a revival meeting years ago. But his investment of the word of God in another life still bears fruit today. Tap into the new man. You will be amazed at what God can do.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
Much Fruit
“Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.” (John 12:24)
We are back from another very wonderful and successful camp. Many lives were touched by the Lord Jesus Christ and by the power and grace of his word during the 5 days last week. This was our 14th annual camp, and as we say every year, “It was the best camp ever.” (We will say it again next year.) Every time we do something like this, I come back moved and blessed, and at the same time a little closer to the grave! These events wear me out. Trying to keep up with 50 teenagers and their boundless energy and enthusiasm is tough on an old man like myself. But I would not miss camp for the world. I will do it in a walker someday, but I will still be there.
Jesus told us that life and ministry would be like this. Anything worthwhile in life carries a level of sacrifice, dedication, and commitment with it. I am not complaining, just stating a fact of life that when something is fraught with adversity during the development of it, God is often at work. In the verse above, Jesus was referring to himself and alluding to his coming death on the cross. He could have just stayed in heaven and condemned us all to an eternity apart from him in hell. But instead, he willingly gave his life as a sacrifice for our sins when he did not have to do it. When we trust him as Saviour and give our lives to him, we should expect some of the same type of hardship and adversity. Obviously we will never experience what he did, and I am not in any way suggesting that we can even “touch the hem of his garment” in this or any other area. But a “Christian” is a “little Christ”. We are called to “follow his steps” (I Peter 2:21), and that context deals with suffering and adversity. Paul told us to, “…endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” (II Timothy 2:3) A soldier does not curl up with his “Snuggie” warmly wrapped around him with a good book and cup of hot cocoa (with marshmallows). He is in training constantly, and always in action, ready to discharge his duties with the utmost bravery and dedication. His work is vital, and the fruit of that labor pays dividends for himself and for those he defends.
Romans 6:5 says, “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” Jesus was the “corn (kernel) of wheat” that fell into the ground and died to bring forth the church. A saved person is supposed to be like him. We bring forth fruit only when we willingly give of ourselves and lay down our lives and wishes for the work of the Lord and the benefit of others. Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5) Our purpose in life is to bear fruit for the Lord. But you cannot bear fruit until you are planted in his likeness, and die to your own wishes and desires.
But God has promised us that the rewards will be worth it. We are made “conformable unto his death” (Philippians 3:10) – so that we can also be conformed to his resurrection. When we give our lives to his service, the work is often hard, but the fruit is incredibly rich. Nine young people came to know Jesus Christ as their Saviour last week. Fifty more committed their lives to honor him in their dating relationships and trust him to bring them the right person at the right time. The work was hard. We experienced all sorts of adversity the few weeks before camp, and wore ourselves out during it. But in heaven, it will be worth it all. One soul is worth the world (Matthew 16:26); nine of them are worth a lot more. Whatever the adversity, stay with it. Let God “plant” you so you can bring forth fruit. There is no greater thrill in life.
We are back from another very wonderful and successful camp. Many lives were touched by the Lord Jesus Christ and by the power and grace of his word during the 5 days last week. This was our 14th annual camp, and as we say every year, “It was the best camp ever.” (We will say it again next year.) Every time we do something like this, I come back moved and blessed, and at the same time a little closer to the grave! These events wear me out. Trying to keep up with 50 teenagers and their boundless energy and enthusiasm is tough on an old man like myself. But I would not miss camp for the world. I will do it in a walker someday, but I will still be there.
Jesus told us that life and ministry would be like this. Anything worthwhile in life carries a level of sacrifice, dedication, and commitment with it. I am not complaining, just stating a fact of life that when something is fraught with adversity during the development of it, God is often at work. In the verse above, Jesus was referring to himself and alluding to his coming death on the cross. He could have just stayed in heaven and condemned us all to an eternity apart from him in hell. But instead, he willingly gave his life as a sacrifice for our sins when he did not have to do it. When we trust him as Saviour and give our lives to him, we should expect some of the same type of hardship and adversity. Obviously we will never experience what he did, and I am not in any way suggesting that we can even “touch the hem of his garment” in this or any other area. But a “Christian” is a “little Christ”. We are called to “follow his steps” (I Peter 2:21), and that context deals with suffering and adversity. Paul told us to, “…endure hardness as a good soldier of Jesus Christ.” (II Timothy 2:3) A soldier does not curl up with his “Snuggie” warmly wrapped around him with a good book and cup of hot cocoa (with marshmallows). He is in training constantly, and always in action, ready to discharge his duties with the utmost bravery and dedication. His work is vital, and the fruit of that labor pays dividends for himself and for those he defends.
Romans 6:5 says, “For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection.” Jesus was the “corn (kernel) of wheat” that fell into the ground and died to bring forth the church. A saved person is supposed to be like him. We bring forth fruit only when we willingly give of ourselves and lay down our lives and wishes for the work of the Lord and the benefit of others. Jesus said, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5) Our purpose in life is to bear fruit for the Lord. But you cannot bear fruit until you are planted in his likeness, and die to your own wishes and desires.
But God has promised us that the rewards will be worth it. We are made “conformable unto his death” (Philippians 3:10) – so that we can also be conformed to his resurrection. When we give our lives to his service, the work is often hard, but the fruit is incredibly rich. Nine young people came to know Jesus Christ as their Saviour last week. Fifty more committed their lives to honor him in their dating relationships and trust him to bring them the right person at the right time. The work was hard. We experienced all sorts of adversity the few weeks before camp, and wore ourselves out during it. But in heaven, it will be worth it all. One soul is worth the world (Matthew 16:26); nine of them are worth a lot more. Whatever the adversity, stay with it. Let God “plant” you so you can bring forth fruit. There is no greater thrill in life.
Thursday, August 5, 2010
Youth Camp
“And the apostles gathered themselves together unto Jesus, and told him all things, both what they had done, and what they had taught. And he said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat. And they departed into a desert place by ship privately.” (Mark 6:30-32)
Well, here we are at youth camp again. This is an annual event for kids ages 12-18 that we host along with our friends in churches of like faith. I actually wrote this blog entry last week because I knew I would not have time to do it while at camp. This year we have over 50 youth at camp along with over 20 adults to try to keep track of them. It is a daunting task, but youth camp is always one of the highlights of our year. Lives are changed at events like this in ways that are not possible during the “normal” flow of life. Statistics tell us that about 80% of all people who get saved do so before their 18th birthday. I got saved when I was 25, so I am abnormal (but you already knew that). Many of the “under 18 crowd” whose lives are permanently impacted by the Lord Jesus Christ point to a youth camp as the source of that transformation. There is something very special about having a concentrated time away from the “hustle and bustle” to focus on God and his word. These are “landmark events” in our lives that must be encouraged and maintained.
God designed man to require times of recreation. He set the pattern himself in Genesis chapter 1 when he rested on the seventh day. Vacations are very important times, not just so the family can see USA in their Chevrolet while the kids argue in the back seat. (“Mom…! Johnny is thinking about touching me…!”) In fact, recreation means “re-creation”. It is a time to restore the basic foundations of our lives. Getting away and doing something different and special recharges the batteries and energizes us to accomplish our daily tasks in a more effective way. Jesus knew that and called his disciples more than once to “come apart” and rest. Lester Roloff was an old time preacher from a generation ago who picked up on that verse and said, “If you don’t make time to come apart, you are going to come apart.” (Think about it for a minute…)
A closer look at the verses above shows a deeper aspect of the need to “come apart” than just a time of rest and relaxation. The disciples had “no leisure to eat”. Life and ministry had become so busy that they were skipping meals. But the Bible tells us, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) The bread of life is even more vital to our well being than physical bread. Job said, “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” (Job 23:12) Man needs to feed spiritually from the word of God as much as he needs to eat to keep the body healthy. Some of us could stand to skip a meal at times (Amen!), but none of us are strong enough to quit feeding from the precious manna of the Bible that sustains our soul. Times like camp refocus our lives around the word of God. Not only will the 75 of us have a great time of fun and games, but there will be about 15-20 hours of concentrated time in the word of God without distractions – no cell phones, video games, facebook, or newspapers to worry about. I won’t be able to track my retirement portfolio or follow the latest news in Washington D.C. (thank God). I won’t know how the Royals are doing (they will drop at least 3 of 5). And unless there is some sort of earth-moving international event, when I return after 5 days of camp, nothing will really be any different. But 75 campers will be.
In a country where obesity is a serious issue, we are starving to death spiritually. The “cares of this life” have kept our Bibles on the shelf. We need to fight to make time for the word of God during the normal flow of life. But you can also fight to carve out a time to “come apart”. It will keep your spiritual life glued together, and you will not “come apart.”
Well, here we are at youth camp again. This is an annual event for kids ages 12-18 that we host along with our friends in churches of like faith. I actually wrote this blog entry last week because I knew I would not have time to do it while at camp. This year we have over 50 youth at camp along with over 20 adults to try to keep track of them. It is a daunting task, but youth camp is always one of the highlights of our year. Lives are changed at events like this in ways that are not possible during the “normal” flow of life. Statistics tell us that about 80% of all people who get saved do so before their 18th birthday. I got saved when I was 25, so I am abnormal (but you already knew that). Many of the “under 18 crowd” whose lives are permanently impacted by the Lord Jesus Christ point to a youth camp as the source of that transformation. There is something very special about having a concentrated time away from the “hustle and bustle” to focus on God and his word. These are “landmark events” in our lives that must be encouraged and maintained.
God designed man to require times of recreation. He set the pattern himself in Genesis chapter 1 when he rested on the seventh day. Vacations are very important times, not just so the family can see USA in their Chevrolet while the kids argue in the back seat. (“Mom…! Johnny is thinking about touching me…!”) In fact, recreation means “re-creation”. It is a time to restore the basic foundations of our lives. Getting away and doing something different and special recharges the batteries and energizes us to accomplish our daily tasks in a more effective way. Jesus knew that and called his disciples more than once to “come apart” and rest. Lester Roloff was an old time preacher from a generation ago who picked up on that verse and said, “If you don’t make time to come apart, you are going to come apart.” (Think about it for a minute…)
A closer look at the verses above shows a deeper aspect of the need to “come apart” than just a time of rest and relaxation. The disciples had “no leisure to eat”. Life and ministry had become so busy that they were skipping meals. But the Bible tells us, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.” (Matthew 4:4) The bread of life is even more vital to our well being than physical bread. Job said, “I have esteemed the words of his mouth more than my necessary food.” (Job 23:12) Man needs to feed spiritually from the word of God as much as he needs to eat to keep the body healthy. Some of us could stand to skip a meal at times (Amen!), but none of us are strong enough to quit feeding from the precious manna of the Bible that sustains our soul. Times like camp refocus our lives around the word of God. Not only will the 75 of us have a great time of fun and games, but there will be about 15-20 hours of concentrated time in the word of God without distractions – no cell phones, video games, facebook, or newspapers to worry about. I won’t be able to track my retirement portfolio or follow the latest news in Washington D.C. (thank God). I won’t know how the Royals are doing (they will drop at least 3 of 5). And unless there is some sort of earth-moving international event, when I return after 5 days of camp, nothing will really be any different. But 75 campers will be.
In a country where obesity is a serious issue, we are starving to death spiritually. The “cares of this life” have kept our Bibles on the shelf. We need to fight to make time for the word of God during the normal flow of life. But you can also fight to carve out a time to “come apart”. It will keep your spiritual life glued together, and you will not “come apart.”
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