“How sweet are thy words unto my taste! yea, sweeter than honey to my mouth!” (Ps 119:103)
I make my own spaghetti sauce. Actually, it is not “my own”, but my dad’s recipe that he passed on to me, and we are not even Italian. He has “tinkered” with it over the years, and come up with a great blend of ingredients that works very nicely on my taste buds. It has fennel, parsley, anise, red pepper, and lots of sugar, along with the other standard “spaghetti sauce” spices. It definitely has a different taste. The first time someone tries it, they usually don’t like it. They are expecting a traditional marinara flavor, and my dad’s sauce hits you from a distinctly different angle. It takes some getting used to. You have to let it “grow on you”, to which some have replied, “Yeah, so do warts.” I absolutely love it, but not everyone does. Some people just have no taste.
The word of God is a lot like my dad’s spaghetti sauce. (I’ll bet you never heard an analogy like that before!) First of all, even though I have my own Bible with my own notes in the margins, it is not really “mine”. My Father in heaven passed it on to me. I didn’t write it. Many skeptics of the Bible complain when we quote the word of God that we are being “judgmental” or harsh. It is not my “recipe”. If you don’t like my Father’s formula, take it up with him. One of the biggest reasons why people do not like the Bible is that they are expecting something else. Lost man has an inbred pre-disposition to the word of God. The world thinks it is just “the good book”, filled with all sorts of wonderful praise for religion, “spirituality”, and the works of mankind. While there is plenty of positive encouragement in the Bible, it is also very honest about who we really are. Psalm 39:5 says, “…every man at his best state is altogether vanity.” Vanity in the Bible is nothing. When we are at our best, we are nothing. Jesus said, “Without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5) Mankind as a fallen race is described in Romans 3:10-12: “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one: There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God. They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” It says together, we are unprofitable. We are like “fractions”. None of us are “whole”, because “…all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) When fractions are multiplied, the resulting number gets smaller. Every time another one of us jumps into the pile of humanity to try to help us along in our quest to “make the world a better place” we actually make it worse because we bring our sin into the mix. The “fractions” of individuals keeps getting us farther from the mark.
Those things are not palatable to the natural man. The first time he “tastes” those truths, it hits him the wrong way because he is expecting something else. I mentioned that my dad’s sauce has lots of sugar. It is sweet when people don’t expect it to be. The Bible says, “The full soul loatheth an honeycomb; but to the hungry soul every bitter thing is sweet.” (Proverbs 27:7) Lost man thinks he is “full”. Therefore, when he first tastes of the sweetness of the word of God, he does not like it because it tells him that he is a filthy sinner who needs the Saviour. But I like the sweetness of my dad’s spaghetti sauce, and I have grown very accustomed to the sweetness of the word of God. I appreciate God telling me that my best is a big fat zero. It shows me that even though I am a sinner, God loved me enough to “send the very best” – his Son to die for my sins.
Once you learn to appreciate the Bible for what it really is – God’s revelation to man – it is sweet. Even the bitter parts are sweet because they reveal to us that our God in heaven loves us and wants us to come the saving knowledge of his Son. If you have not “tasted” this wonderful news, why not come to Jesus today? Give it another taste. Don’t let your pre-conceived ideas keep you from a relationship with God and a home in heaven. “O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” (Psalm 34:8)
Tuesday, June 22, 2010
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Real Freedom
“Now the Lord is that Spirit: and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.”
(II Corinthians 3:17)
This Monday was Flag Day, where we honor our country and our way of life by flying the flag of the United States of America. Coming soon, we will celebrate Independence Day (July 4th) with hot dogs, motherhood, apple pie, and Chevrolet, and by blowing up stuff in honor of our freedom as Americans. Both Shawnee and Merriam will recognize the 4th by a prominent display of flags. There will be literally thousands of United States flags lining the major streets of both suburban cities. Our church has been invited to help with this project with other civic members of our community. It is always a moving display of pride and patriotism.
We live in the greatest nation on earth, the “land of the free and the home of the brave”, and the beacon of liberty for the oppressed of the world. Much has been “cussed and discussed” lately about our immigration issues, but at its heart is the desire of the human heart for liberty. That is why everyone floods our borders to come here. But as much as we trumpet the cause of liberty in our land, are we really free? (No need to answer that from your personal political beliefs).
Jesus addressed this issue with the Pharisees, the religious and political leaders of his day. He said, “…ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32) They responded in the next verse just like the typical American would, “We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?” What do you mean, Jesus? We are Jews, God’s chosen people. We are the beacon of liberty! We have never been subject to anyone! At the time they said that, they were a lowly possession of the Roman Empire. They had just spent over 600 years being passed from one Gentile power to another, from Babylon, to Assyria, to Persia, to Greece, and then to Rome. The Nation of Israel – the mighty seed of Abraham – was held in captivity for 400 years in Egypt before their exodus under Moses. Yet they claimed they were free just like average American does. Someone needs to smell the coffee.
Jesus was ready with an answer. He said in verse 34, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” The type of freedom Jesus gives has nothing to do with governments or empires. When we place our trust in him as our personal Saviour, he frees us from the penalty of sin. We are still human, of course, and sin is still a part of our lives, but God no longer holds it to our account. Jesus paid for my sins on the cross – all of them – past, present, and future. I am truly free!
That does not give us the license to “whoop it up” in sin. Paul tells us, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” (Romans 6:12) Once we are saved, God calls us to forsake sin. In the same chapter, the Bible tells us that if we serve sin, we will be held in its grip of bondage. Proverbs 5:22 says, “His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.” The more we give in to sin, the stronger it holds us. Even though Jesus has paid the penalty, sin can still grab us, and when it does, it does not like to let go. Real freedom comes when we trust Jesus as our Saviour to deliver us from the bondage of hell, then live in accordance to his word to deliver us from sin’s power and grip in our daily lives.
Jesus completed his dialogue with the Pharisees with this famous statement: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36) I am “proud to be an American”, but it matters not where we live. It matters whose we are. Those who think they are “free”, but without Christ need him. Those of us who have him need to tell them.
(II Corinthians 3:17)
This Monday was Flag Day, where we honor our country and our way of life by flying the flag of the United States of America. Coming soon, we will celebrate Independence Day (July 4th) with hot dogs, motherhood, apple pie, and Chevrolet, and by blowing up stuff in honor of our freedom as Americans. Both Shawnee and Merriam will recognize the 4th by a prominent display of flags. There will be literally thousands of United States flags lining the major streets of both suburban cities. Our church has been invited to help with this project with other civic members of our community. It is always a moving display of pride and patriotism.
We live in the greatest nation on earth, the “land of the free and the home of the brave”, and the beacon of liberty for the oppressed of the world. Much has been “cussed and discussed” lately about our immigration issues, but at its heart is the desire of the human heart for liberty. That is why everyone floods our borders to come here. But as much as we trumpet the cause of liberty in our land, are we really free? (No need to answer that from your personal political beliefs).
Jesus addressed this issue with the Pharisees, the religious and political leaders of his day. He said, “…ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.” (John 8:32) They responded in the next verse just like the typical American would, “We be Abraham's seed, and were never in bondage to any man: how sayest thou, Ye shall be made free?” What do you mean, Jesus? We are Jews, God’s chosen people. We are the beacon of liberty! We have never been subject to anyone! At the time they said that, they were a lowly possession of the Roman Empire. They had just spent over 600 years being passed from one Gentile power to another, from Babylon, to Assyria, to Persia, to Greece, and then to Rome. The Nation of Israel – the mighty seed of Abraham – was held in captivity for 400 years in Egypt before their exodus under Moses. Yet they claimed they were free just like average American does. Someone needs to smell the coffee.
Jesus was ready with an answer. He said in verse 34, “Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin.” The type of freedom Jesus gives has nothing to do with governments or empires. When we place our trust in him as our personal Saviour, he frees us from the penalty of sin. We are still human, of course, and sin is still a part of our lives, but God no longer holds it to our account. Jesus paid for my sins on the cross – all of them – past, present, and future. I am truly free!
That does not give us the license to “whoop it up” in sin. Paul tells us, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, that ye should obey it in the lusts thereof.” (Romans 6:12) Once we are saved, God calls us to forsake sin. In the same chapter, the Bible tells us that if we serve sin, we will be held in its grip of bondage. Proverbs 5:22 says, “His own iniquities shall take the wicked himself, and he shall be holden with the cords of his sins.” The more we give in to sin, the stronger it holds us. Even though Jesus has paid the penalty, sin can still grab us, and when it does, it does not like to let go. Real freedom comes when we trust Jesus as our Saviour to deliver us from the bondage of hell, then live in accordance to his word to deliver us from sin’s power and grip in our daily lives.
Jesus completed his dialogue with the Pharisees with this famous statement: “If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.” (John 8:36) I am “proud to be an American”, but it matters not where we live. It matters whose we are. Those who think they are “free”, but without Christ need him. Those of us who have him need to tell them.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010
Amazing Grace
“Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.” (Psalm 119:18)
I remember an episode of MASH where Alan Alda’s character Hawkeye Pierce was temporarily blinded by an accident in the camp. He went through the rest of the episode staged over about a week with a wrap on his eyes. The other characters had to lead him around to various functions, and obviously he could not perform his duties. By the end of the episode, the treatment worked and he could see again. He had initially been very cranky and gloomy due to his infirmity, but by the end he had developed some interesting perspectives on the miracle of sight. His other senses had been heightened due to his blindness. One part of the show had a little slow steady rain, and he said it sounded like bacon frying in a skillet. Most of us who take our sight for granted would never think of making such a connection, but to this day when it rains, I remember that.
In John chapter 9, Jesus encountered a man who had been blind from his birth. Jesus healed his infirmity, and the man began to testify to the miracle worked in his life. Of course, the Scribes and Pharisees had a hissy fit about that, largely because they knew they were powerless to work such miracles, and their power base was threatened by this Jesus dude who was upstaging them. So they launched an offensive against him (typical) to get him to deny the power of Jesus in his life and to confess that Jesus was just any old ordinary sinner like the rest of us. He answered them, “Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.” (John 9:25) The classic gospel hymn “Amazing Grace” is based on this verse and story. A man blind from birth would have some interesting perspectives on life that the rest of us would not see. He would be much more thankful and appreciative of the simple blessings of life. But most importantly, he would be impossible to shut up about the glory of his Lord Jesus Christ.
Over 30 years ago, my life was permanently and radically changed by the Saviour. Before, I could not see the reality of life. If God did exist, he was just the big blob in the sky that no one could know. The Bible was just a collection of fables written by men and full of contradictions. The meaning of life was to get a job and make money just so I could party on the weekends. Life after death was a myth at best, and life before death had no real purpose. But then Jesus touched my blind eyes by his sacrifice on the cross for my sins. I once was lost, but now I am found; was blind, but now I see. Ephesians 1:18 is now very real: “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.” Jesus makes all the difference to those who know him.
Most all of us know someone who is blind. But far more importantly, we all know many hundreds of people who are spiritually blind because they have never met the Saviour. They were born that way as a member of the fallen race of Adam (Romans 5:12). They need a new birth in order to be able to see with the eye of faith to the reality of life in Christ. They are filled with misconceptions about life just as I was long ago. Some of them are downright belligerent about it just like the Pharisees were, because Jesus threatens their “power base”. They think their life is their own, when God made us to fellowship with him. We have the “eye-salve” for their blindness (Revelation 3:18). The Lord Jesus Christ came to, “…preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” (Luke 4:18) Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father, and he has left us here to preach his truth until he comes.
If you have truly been touched by the Master, how can you keep your mouth shut about it?
I remember an episode of MASH where Alan Alda’s character Hawkeye Pierce was temporarily blinded by an accident in the camp. He went through the rest of the episode staged over about a week with a wrap on his eyes. The other characters had to lead him around to various functions, and obviously he could not perform his duties. By the end of the episode, the treatment worked and he could see again. He had initially been very cranky and gloomy due to his infirmity, but by the end he had developed some interesting perspectives on the miracle of sight. His other senses had been heightened due to his blindness. One part of the show had a little slow steady rain, and he said it sounded like bacon frying in a skillet. Most of us who take our sight for granted would never think of making such a connection, but to this day when it rains, I remember that.
In John chapter 9, Jesus encountered a man who had been blind from his birth. Jesus healed his infirmity, and the man began to testify to the miracle worked in his life. Of course, the Scribes and Pharisees had a hissy fit about that, largely because they knew they were powerless to work such miracles, and their power base was threatened by this Jesus dude who was upstaging them. So they launched an offensive against him (typical) to get him to deny the power of Jesus in his life and to confess that Jesus was just any old ordinary sinner like the rest of us. He answered them, “Whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see.” (John 9:25) The classic gospel hymn “Amazing Grace” is based on this verse and story. A man blind from birth would have some interesting perspectives on life that the rest of us would not see. He would be much more thankful and appreciative of the simple blessings of life. But most importantly, he would be impossible to shut up about the glory of his Lord Jesus Christ.
Over 30 years ago, my life was permanently and radically changed by the Saviour. Before, I could not see the reality of life. If God did exist, he was just the big blob in the sky that no one could know. The Bible was just a collection of fables written by men and full of contradictions. The meaning of life was to get a job and make money just so I could party on the weekends. Life after death was a myth at best, and life before death had no real purpose. But then Jesus touched my blind eyes by his sacrifice on the cross for my sins. I once was lost, but now I am found; was blind, but now I see. Ephesians 1:18 is now very real: “The eyes of your understanding being enlightened; that ye may know what is the hope of his calling, and what the riches of the glory of his inheritance in the saints.” Jesus makes all the difference to those who know him.
Most all of us know someone who is blind. But far more importantly, we all know many hundreds of people who are spiritually blind because they have never met the Saviour. They were born that way as a member of the fallen race of Adam (Romans 5:12). They need a new birth in order to be able to see with the eye of faith to the reality of life in Christ. They are filled with misconceptions about life just as I was long ago. Some of them are downright belligerent about it just like the Pharisees were, because Jesus threatens their “power base”. They think their life is their own, when God made us to fellowship with him. We have the “eye-salve” for their blindness (Revelation 3:18). The Lord Jesus Christ came to, “…preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” (Luke 4:18) Jesus is now seated at the right hand of the Father, and he has left us here to preach his truth until he comes.
If you have truly been touched by the Master, how can you keep your mouth shut about it?
Tuesday, June 1, 2010
A Personal Saviour
“Now at that feast the governor was wont to release unto the people a prisoner, whom they would. And they had then a notable prisoner, called Barabbas. Therefore when they were gathered together, Pilate said unto them, Whom will ye that I release unto you? Barabbas, or Jesus which is called Christ?” (Matthew 27:15-17)
Anyone familiar with the story of Jesus Christ is also familiar with many of the “bit players” in the drama. One of them is this man named Barabbas, who was released according to Jewish and Roman custom at the feast of the Passover. The Bible says this was done as a courtesy to the Jews because of their religious customs, probably to represent the release of the children of Israel from the bondage of Egyptian slavery, which is what the Passover is all about. But as the New Testament tells us, the Passover was fulfilled by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)
Well over 80% of all people in the United States identify themselves as “Christians”. But that is such a broad label that it really does not clearly identify those who have truly trusted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. If 80% of the citizens of this country were truly born again believers living in fellowship with the Saviour, we would not have any of the problems we face today with drugs, crime, pornography, economic collapse, societal breakdown, divorce and family abuse, etc. and ad infinitum. The overwhelming vast majority of those 80% are Christians “in name only”. They have never made their faith personal. To them, Christianity is a religion that they belong to because of their affiliation with a group that labels themselves “Christian”. In reality, they are no more saved than Barabbas was.
Barabbas is a fascinating character. His name (Bar-Abbas) means “son of the father”. Of course, all of us are the son of a father (duh…), but Barabbas pictures the entire human race. We are all sons of our first father Adam, and as such, we are all guilty of the sin he brought on humanity in his fall. We may not have done what Barabbas did (sedition, robbery, and murder), but, “…all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) As a result, we are sentenced to die, just as this man was. If you will remember, there were two thieves crucified with Jesus on that day. Barabbas was a robber, and most likely, the third cross was slated for him. But he was freed, and Jesus took his place. No man on earth ever had a clearer personal witness of the gospel than Barabbas. A guilty man was in bonds and sentenced to die. An innocent man took his place, and the guilty man went free. Barabbas had zero merit. There was no reason to free him other than someone taking his place. That is the gospel. But there is no indication that Barabbas ever got saved. If you saw the movie “The Passion of the Christ” (by the way, not live footage, but a fairly accurate representation of the story), Mel Gibson did a very good job of capturing this scene. As he was being released, Barabbas paused for a brief moment and looked at Jesus. Their eyes met, and time seemed to stand still for just a couple of seconds. You could clearly see that Barabbas was pondering the significance of his release. He knew first hand what it meant for Jesus to take his place in judgment. Then after a brief pause, he grinned, let out a yell, and ran out into the crowd a free man, and disappeared from the annals of history, never to be seen or heard from again. He is just like so many who profess to be a Christian. They have seen with the eye of faith what Jesus did to take away sin. They acknowledge the historical accuracy of the gospel record. But they have never made it personal. I Timothy 4:10 says Jesus is, “…the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.” Jesus took away the sin of the world on the cross. In that regard, he is the Saviour of all men. But only those who have personally asked him to be their Saviour are genuinely saved. Jesus died for “Barabbas”, all the sons of the father Adam who are held in the bondage of sin. But specially, he is the Saviour of those that believe. If you have never personally asked Jesus to save you, do so today by faith.
Anyone familiar with the story of Jesus Christ is also familiar with many of the “bit players” in the drama. One of them is this man named Barabbas, who was released according to Jewish and Roman custom at the feast of the Passover. The Bible says this was done as a courtesy to the Jews because of their religious customs, probably to represent the release of the children of Israel from the bondage of Egyptian slavery, which is what the Passover is all about. But as the New Testament tells us, the Passover was fulfilled by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as the “Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29)
Well over 80% of all people in the United States identify themselves as “Christians”. But that is such a broad label that it really does not clearly identify those who have truly trusted Jesus Christ as their personal Saviour. If 80% of the citizens of this country were truly born again believers living in fellowship with the Saviour, we would not have any of the problems we face today with drugs, crime, pornography, economic collapse, societal breakdown, divorce and family abuse, etc. and ad infinitum. The overwhelming vast majority of those 80% are Christians “in name only”. They have never made their faith personal. To them, Christianity is a religion that they belong to because of their affiliation with a group that labels themselves “Christian”. In reality, they are no more saved than Barabbas was.
Barabbas is a fascinating character. His name (Bar-Abbas) means “son of the father”. Of course, all of us are the son of a father (duh…), but Barabbas pictures the entire human race. We are all sons of our first father Adam, and as such, we are all guilty of the sin he brought on humanity in his fall. We may not have done what Barabbas did (sedition, robbery, and murder), but, “…all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) As a result, we are sentenced to die, just as this man was. If you will remember, there were two thieves crucified with Jesus on that day. Barabbas was a robber, and most likely, the third cross was slated for him. But he was freed, and Jesus took his place. No man on earth ever had a clearer personal witness of the gospel than Barabbas. A guilty man was in bonds and sentenced to die. An innocent man took his place, and the guilty man went free. Barabbas had zero merit. There was no reason to free him other than someone taking his place. That is the gospel. But there is no indication that Barabbas ever got saved. If you saw the movie “The Passion of the Christ” (by the way, not live footage, but a fairly accurate representation of the story), Mel Gibson did a very good job of capturing this scene. As he was being released, Barabbas paused for a brief moment and looked at Jesus. Their eyes met, and time seemed to stand still for just a couple of seconds. You could clearly see that Barabbas was pondering the significance of his release. He knew first hand what it meant for Jesus to take his place in judgment. Then after a brief pause, he grinned, let out a yell, and ran out into the crowd a free man, and disappeared from the annals of history, never to be seen or heard from again. He is just like so many who profess to be a Christian. They have seen with the eye of faith what Jesus did to take away sin. They acknowledge the historical accuracy of the gospel record. But they have never made it personal. I Timothy 4:10 says Jesus is, “…the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.” Jesus took away the sin of the world on the cross. In that regard, he is the Saviour of all men. But only those who have personally asked him to be their Saviour are genuinely saved. Jesus died for “Barabbas”, all the sons of the father Adam who are held in the bondage of sin. But specially, he is the Saviour of those that believe. If you have never personally asked Jesus to save you, do so today by faith.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Sprint To The Finish
“Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” (Hebrews 10:25)
Our building renovation project is on its last legs (not that it is “dying” as that expression is used) but it is almost done. We are hoping to get our temporary occupancy permit by June 13, which is only a couple weeks away. We first decided to pursue this facility at our annual leadership retreat in January of 2009. We presented it to the congregation the next month, and on March 9, 2009 we placed a bid with the school board to purchase the building. After investigating all the issues and securing the bank financing, we took legal ownership on August 28, 2009. Since then, we have been involved with code issues and various remodeling projects to get the building “church ready”, and we are on the home stretch. So this process is a year and a half in the making so far, and the end is in sight. Of course, getting in to the building is not the “end”, but the beginning of more challenges with the logistics of a facility like this, and more blessings in the opportunities God will give us to minister the word as we use this place for his glory.
The above verse is often used by preachers to beat their people over the head about their church attendance. They focus on the first half of the verse about assembling together, and of course that means that everyone must be in their pew every Sunday morning, every Sunday night, and for mid week service so the pastor can count you and tell all his pastor buddies how many people fogged a mirror in his building last week. Obviously, we need to assemble on Sunday to worship and hear the word. Even more obviously, believers who forsake this will not grow in their faith, no matter how much mental wrangling and justification they come up with. But the purpose of our assembling is not to count heads for the glory of the pastor. It is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry and the glory of the Lord. Church does not exist for the benefit of its leaders and its presence in the community. It exists for the perfecting of its members so they can “run the race with patience” (Heb 12:1-2). Too many churches consume the lives of their members with activities and ministries. With all good intentions and plans, the ministry becomes the end rather than the means. These things are good to do, but every individual believer has a personal job to do for the Lord. Church is supposed to facilitate that and support us in the process. When the burden of activity gets in the way of the effectiveness of life and service to the Saviour, it gets God’s people out of balance, and ultimately does more harm than good. That does not mean we shut down church for all but Sunday morning. But finding that balance is often difficult, and always an ongoing process of adjustment and creative planning.
The last half our verse today focuses on the “end in sight”. The purpose of our gathering is to “present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Col 1:28). The day is rapidly approaching when that event will be upon us. Paul said in Romans 13:11, “…for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” That does not mean we are “growing into a believer”, but as our life and journey unfolds, we continue to get closer to the time when our ultimate redemption will be realized on the day God takes us home to be with him. When a runner is in a race, he “picks it up” when the tape comes into sight. The Christian life is like a race. It is a marathon because it involves our entire lives. It is a sprint because the urgency of escaping the condemnation of hell is real for those around us without Christ. It is a relay because many have preceded us in the gospel service, and we will someday pass the baton to others. It involves hurdles because our enemy continually throws @#$%& in our path. But most importantly, as the time draws near to attain our rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ, it is an all out dash to the tape. We are almost there. The end of the church age is rapidly approaching. Even if it doesn’t come in our lifetime, someday soon before we know it, we will stand before our Saviour to give an account of our lives and our service for his glory. Pick it up!!! Double time!!! The day is approaching.
Our building renovation project is on its last legs (not that it is “dying” as that expression is used) but it is almost done. We are hoping to get our temporary occupancy permit by June 13, which is only a couple weeks away. We first decided to pursue this facility at our annual leadership retreat in January of 2009. We presented it to the congregation the next month, and on March 9, 2009 we placed a bid with the school board to purchase the building. After investigating all the issues and securing the bank financing, we took legal ownership on August 28, 2009. Since then, we have been involved with code issues and various remodeling projects to get the building “church ready”, and we are on the home stretch. So this process is a year and a half in the making so far, and the end is in sight. Of course, getting in to the building is not the “end”, but the beginning of more challenges with the logistics of a facility like this, and more blessings in the opportunities God will give us to minister the word as we use this place for his glory.
The above verse is often used by preachers to beat their people over the head about their church attendance. They focus on the first half of the verse about assembling together, and of course that means that everyone must be in their pew every Sunday morning, every Sunday night, and for mid week service so the pastor can count you and tell all his pastor buddies how many people fogged a mirror in his building last week. Obviously, we need to assemble on Sunday to worship and hear the word. Even more obviously, believers who forsake this will not grow in their faith, no matter how much mental wrangling and justification they come up with. But the purpose of our assembling is not to count heads for the glory of the pastor. It is to equip the saints for the work of the ministry and the glory of the Lord. Church does not exist for the benefit of its leaders and its presence in the community. It exists for the perfecting of its members so they can “run the race with patience” (Heb 12:1-2). Too many churches consume the lives of their members with activities and ministries. With all good intentions and plans, the ministry becomes the end rather than the means. These things are good to do, but every individual believer has a personal job to do for the Lord. Church is supposed to facilitate that and support us in the process. When the burden of activity gets in the way of the effectiveness of life and service to the Saviour, it gets God’s people out of balance, and ultimately does more harm than good. That does not mean we shut down church for all but Sunday morning. But finding that balance is often difficult, and always an ongoing process of adjustment and creative planning.
The last half our verse today focuses on the “end in sight”. The purpose of our gathering is to “present every man perfect in Christ Jesus” (Col 1:28). The day is rapidly approaching when that event will be upon us. Paul said in Romans 13:11, “…for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.” That does not mean we are “growing into a believer”, but as our life and journey unfolds, we continue to get closer to the time when our ultimate redemption will be realized on the day God takes us home to be with him. When a runner is in a race, he “picks it up” when the tape comes into sight. The Christian life is like a race. It is a marathon because it involves our entire lives. It is a sprint because the urgency of escaping the condemnation of hell is real for those around us without Christ. It is a relay because many have preceded us in the gospel service, and we will someday pass the baton to others. It involves hurdles because our enemy continually throws @#$%& in our path. But most importantly, as the time draws near to attain our rewards at the Judgment Seat of Christ, it is an all out dash to the tape. We are almost there. The end of the church age is rapidly approaching. Even if it doesn’t come in our lifetime, someday soon before we know it, we will stand before our Saviour to give an account of our lives and our service for his glory. Pick it up!!! Double time!!! The day is approaching.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
A Shelter In The Time Of Storm
“The floods have lifted up, O LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice; the floods lift up their waves. The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.” (Psalm 93:3-4)
I hate water issues. Yeah, I know, hate is a strong word, and a Christian is supposed to “tiptoe through the tulips” like Jesus and be all full of love and nice warm fuzzies all around. Sorry. I hate water leaks. There is nothing you can do about them. Water is the universal solvent; it has the power to erode anything it comes in contact with. Just check out the Grand Canyon sometime for an example. Water always seeks the lowest level. If there is a crack or gap anywhere in your house, water will find it, and once it does, fixing it is like trying to solve the national debt or the Middle East conflict. Only Jesus will be able to fix those things.
Last week, we had some torrential rainfall in Kansas City. Over a couple of day’s time, about 4 inches of rain fell in our neck of the woods. We are in the final stages of finishing our remodel project on our new building, so in a sense, the heavy rain was welcome in that it manifested a couple of places in the building that needed attention. A normal everyday rain would not have brought these out, but that gully washer did. It was good to find that out before we put down new carpets. Now we can address those problems and hopefully get them resolved.
Life deals everyone fits. In some cases, the problems we face are like the “mighty waves of the sea” that come crashing down in full fury like the Christmas Day Tsunami a few years back. Financial ruin, serious crime, divorce and other family crises, life threatening illnesses, and even untimely death unfortunately befall some of God’s people. But most of our problems are like the dripping faucet or the leaky window. They are just little annoying nuisances that are frustrating and seem to keep re-occurring despite our best efforts to resolve them. We live in a sinful world, and the results always “seek the lowest level” and find the cracks in our lives. Left untreated, they can become very serious. That is why a little storm is an occasional blessing in our lives. It points out areas of weakness in our spiritual foundation that need a little extra attention. The Bible says, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (I Thessalonians 5:18) It seems odd to thank God for the storms of life. Those are the times when we are the most bitter, angry, and frustrated at God and our “unfair” lot in life. When the water leak is evident, my emotions get all tied up in knots because I know it is not going to be easy to fix it, and life will be uncomfortable until it is.
Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…” Those little nagging sins that “doth so easily beset us” are like the leaky faucets and foundation cracks that keep recurring. Our enemy likes to taunt us with them. They frustrate the fire out of us, but they will only get worse unless we deal with them. Get out a little “caulk” of the word of God and seal up the areas in your life that give you problems. You will never fix all of them until you are home in glory, but that is no excuse for ignoring them. When the torrential storms of life hit, lean hard into the shelter of your Saviour. Though the floods lift themselves up, the Lord is mightier than the noise of many waters. As much as we hate to deal with things like this, the only way to fix them is to “lean on the everlasting arms” of Jesus.
I hate water issues. Yeah, I know, hate is a strong word, and a Christian is supposed to “tiptoe through the tulips” like Jesus and be all full of love and nice warm fuzzies all around. Sorry. I hate water leaks. There is nothing you can do about them. Water is the universal solvent; it has the power to erode anything it comes in contact with. Just check out the Grand Canyon sometime for an example. Water always seeks the lowest level. If there is a crack or gap anywhere in your house, water will find it, and once it does, fixing it is like trying to solve the national debt or the Middle East conflict. Only Jesus will be able to fix those things.
Last week, we had some torrential rainfall in Kansas City. Over a couple of day’s time, about 4 inches of rain fell in our neck of the woods. We are in the final stages of finishing our remodel project on our new building, so in a sense, the heavy rain was welcome in that it manifested a couple of places in the building that needed attention. A normal everyday rain would not have brought these out, but that gully washer did. It was good to find that out before we put down new carpets. Now we can address those problems and hopefully get them resolved.
Life deals everyone fits. In some cases, the problems we face are like the “mighty waves of the sea” that come crashing down in full fury like the Christmas Day Tsunami a few years back. Financial ruin, serious crime, divorce and other family crises, life threatening illnesses, and even untimely death unfortunately befall some of God’s people. But most of our problems are like the dripping faucet or the leaky window. They are just little annoying nuisances that are frustrating and seem to keep re-occurring despite our best efforts to resolve them. We live in a sinful world, and the results always “seek the lowest level” and find the cracks in our lives. Left untreated, they can become very serious. That is why a little storm is an occasional blessing in our lives. It points out areas of weakness in our spiritual foundation that need a little extra attention. The Bible says, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (I Thessalonians 5:18) It seems odd to thank God for the storms of life. Those are the times when we are the most bitter, angry, and frustrated at God and our “unfair” lot in life. When the water leak is evident, my emotions get all tied up in knots because I know it is not going to be easy to fix it, and life will be uncomfortable until it is.
Hebrews 12:1-2 says, “…let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith…” Those little nagging sins that “doth so easily beset us” are like the leaky faucets and foundation cracks that keep recurring. Our enemy likes to taunt us with them. They frustrate the fire out of us, but they will only get worse unless we deal with them. Get out a little “caulk” of the word of God and seal up the areas in your life that give you problems. You will never fix all of them until you are home in glory, but that is no excuse for ignoring them. When the torrential storms of life hit, lean hard into the shelter of your Saviour. Though the floods lift themselves up, the Lord is mightier than the noise of many waters. As much as we hate to deal with things like this, the only way to fix them is to “lean on the everlasting arms” of Jesus.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Keys
“I am he that liveth, and was dead; and, behold, I am alive for evermore, Amen; and have the keys of hell and of death.” (Revelation 1:18)
So, the other day I was at the office in the new building after everyone else had left. When it was time to go, I shut down the computer, picked up my briefcase, and headed out the door. When the door closed behind me, the building was all comfy, cozy and secure. Then when I got to the car, I reached in my pocket for the keys. I am sure you can guess where they were. I had to call one of the guys to come up and let me back in.
A little while back, I got a new flash drive for my documents that attaches to my key ring. I was forever forgetting my flash drive in the computer either at home or the office, which made for a special trip to retrieve it. I thought, “Hey, if I put it on my key ring, I won’t be able to leave without it, because I can’t start the car unless I have my flash drive.” Brilliant! Except the fact that there is no way to assure that a scatterbrain like me won’t figure out another way around the system. We all do things like this. Most guys run out of gas once in every car they own just learning how far they can push it (the ladies never do that – it’s a guy thing). Now that I have locked myself out of the building once, I will be sure to check for the keys and flash drive, and that will not happen again. Some other “dufus” moment will befall me, but not that one.
Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that the gates of hell would not prevail against his church. Speaking of “dufus” moments, there has been enough abuse and downright blatant ignorance over that verse to fill the universe. Untold millions have met eternity without Christ resting on the false promise and misinterpretation of that verse. The common thought is that Satan and his hordes will not be able to overcome the church by any means of attack. Helloooo… Earth to Bible Scholar… You don’t attack with GATES! Gates are designed to keep someone in or out. If you live in a “gated community”, it is to keep the low life riff-raff out of your neighborhood. Prison gates are designed to keep the prisoners from roaming free in society and wreaking their havoc. When Jesus died on the cross, the Bible says, “…thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” (Acts 2:27) Satan had him for three days. But the gates of his prison could not hold him. In the same context in Acts 2:24, it says of Jesus, “Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” When Jesus referred to the gates of hell not prevailing against his church, he was not talking about any ecclesiastical organization on earth, he was referring to his own resurrection from the dead. The church is not a man made institution. It is a living organism comprised of individual born again believers from every kindred, people, and tongue; and it crosses any denominational barrier. It was bought and paid for with his precious blood on the cross of Calvary. It was secured when he took out his key ring and found the one labeled “hell and death” and did what no man has ever done, he opened the gates.
If you have placed your faith in the risen Saviour, his resurrection has secured forever your home in heaven. It matters not what organization you belong to here. The Lord Jesus Christ has the keys to hell and death. And unlike us, Jesus will never lose his keys or lock himself out of his home or office or car. Unshackle your heart from the fear and bondage of uncertainty. Jesus has the keys. Hebrews 2:14-15 says, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Go tell others about that wonderful news. Time is short, the world is spinning out of control, and his coming is soon.
So, the other day I was at the office in the new building after everyone else had left. When it was time to go, I shut down the computer, picked up my briefcase, and headed out the door. When the door closed behind me, the building was all comfy, cozy and secure. Then when I got to the car, I reached in my pocket for the keys. I am sure you can guess where they were. I had to call one of the guys to come up and let me back in.
A little while back, I got a new flash drive for my documents that attaches to my key ring. I was forever forgetting my flash drive in the computer either at home or the office, which made for a special trip to retrieve it. I thought, “Hey, if I put it on my key ring, I won’t be able to leave without it, because I can’t start the car unless I have my flash drive.” Brilliant! Except the fact that there is no way to assure that a scatterbrain like me won’t figure out another way around the system. We all do things like this. Most guys run out of gas once in every car they own just learning how far they can push it (the ladies never do that – it’s a guy thing). Now that I have locked myself out of the building once, I will be sure to check for the keys and flash drive, and that will not happen again. Some other “dufus” moment will befall me, but not that one.
Jesus said in Matthew 16:18 that the gates of hell would not prevail against his church. Speaking of “dufus” moments, there has been enough abuse and downright blatant ignorance over that verse to fill the universe. Untold millions have met eternity without Christ resting on the false promise and misinterpretation of that verse. The common thought is that Satan and his hordes will not be able to overcome the church by any means of attack. Helloooo… Earth to Bible Scholar… You don’t attack with GATES! Gates are designed to keep someone in or out. If you live in a “gated community”, it is to keep the low life riff-raff out of your neighborhood. Prison gates are designed to keep the prisoners from roaming free in society and wreaking their havoc. When Jesus died on the cross, the Bible says, “…thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.” (Acts 2:27) Satan had him for three days. But the gates of his prison could not hold him. In the same context in Acts 2:24, it says of Jesus, “Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.” When Jesus referred to the gates of hell not prevailing against his church, he was not talking about any ecclesiastical organization on earth, he was referring to his own resurrection from the dead. The church is not a man made institution. It is a living organism comprised of individual born again believers from every kindred, people, and tongue; and it crosses any denominational barrier. It was bought and paid for with his precious blood on the cross of Calvary. It was secured when he took out his key ring and found the one labeled “hell and death” and did what no man has ever done, he opened the gates.
If you have placed your faith in the risen Saviour, his resurrection has secured forever your home in heaven. It matters not what organization you belong to here. The Lord Jesus Christ has the keys to hell and death. And unlike us, Jesus will never lose his keys or lock himself out of his home or office or car. Unshackle your heart from the fear and bondage of uncertainty. Jesus has the keys. Hebrews 2:14-15 says, “Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.” Go tell others about that wonderful news. Time is short, the world is spinning out of control, and his coming is soon.
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