“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.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
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.”
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Crest Bible Church and Moving Company, Inc.
“Moreover I will appoint a place for my people Israel, and will plant them, that they may dwell in a place of their own, and move no more; neither shall the children of wickedness afflict them any more, as beforetime, And as since the time that I commanded judges to be over my people Israel, and have caused thee to rest from all thine enemies. Also the LORD telleth thee that he will make thee an house.” (II Samuel 7:10-11)
The title of this blog post is a joke we have thrown around a lot over the years. It seems we spent so much time moving members of the church that we coined that cute little “title”. Now it’s our turn. As the saga continues for Crest Bible Church, the process of moving in to our new location is now front and center. Most everyone has experienced at least one move in their lives, with all the accompanying issues that take place. It is impossible to move without breaking something. (Federal law requires it). You find all sorts of strange and interesting things you never knew you had, but the one thing you really need cannot be found even with a search team and bloodhounds. You stick boxes on shelves intending to get to them some day. But we all know that “some day” is the next time you move 15 years later. Moving is so frustrating because of the level of work required. Virtually every endeavor of life can be considered successful if you get most of it done. If you succeed only 30% in baseball, you make the Hall of Fame. If I can guess right in the stock market just 51% of the time I can be rich. “Two out of three ain’t bad” is good enough for most everything else. If you only get 95% in a move, you are a miserable failure.
The part of the move we are in now is setting up the new place. We had a leadership meeting a couple of days ago and began to identify the list of items we have on the radar right now. Just in a couple of hours, we have listed 67 items so far, and that is just the tip of the iceberg. As we tackle that list, it will only grow. The more we do, the longer the list will get.
As we seek to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in our daily Christian walk, the work is daunting just like it is in a move. There is always something else to do. As long as there are people who do not know the Saviour, we cannot rest. We constantly see another ministry or another activity that can be used to draw the lost to Christ or strengthen the bond of fellowship among the saved.
David was driven in II Samuel chapter 7 to tackle a very ambitious project of building a Temple for the Lord. He saw that the tabernacle was portable while he had his own house to live in, and it made him want to build a house for God’s presence. His project was much more ambitious than the remodel of an elementary school (although I don’t think he had to put a fire sprinkler system in the Temple!). As his heart was stirred to build for his Lord, God sent him a message through Nathan the prophet. The gist of the message was simple: the work is God’s first. We bought the school because we were “moved” to find a place to grow and reach more people for Christ. But the second verse of the Bible begins, “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters…” While we are “moved” to his service, God moved first. God expects us to work and build. I Corinthians 3:8-10 says we are to be “wise masterbuilders”, and that God will give to every man according to his own labour. But the work begins with the work of God in our hearts.
God told David that before he could build a house for him, that God would build David a house first. That is a direct reference to the “house of David”, namely the Lord Jesus Christ, the true “Son of David”. Any work we do must be based in God’s Son. Psalm 127:1 says, “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.” Our work begins with God moving in our hearts to accomplish his will. As we labour for him, we follow his lead and draw from his strength and his plans. If God truly builds the house for us first, we can be sure that our building for him will be blessed.
The title of this blog post is a joke we have thrown around a lot over the years. It seems we spent so much time moving members of the church that we coined that cute little “title”. Now it’s our turn. As the saga continues for Crest Bible Church, the process of moving in to our new location is now front and center. Most everyone has experienced at least one move in their lives, with all the accompanying issues that take place. It is impossible to move without breaking something. (Federal law requires it). You find all sorts of strange and interesting things you never knew you had, but the one thing you really need cannot be found even with a search team and bloodhounds. You stick boxes on shelves intending to get to them some day. But we all know that “some day” is the next time you move 15 years later. Moving is so frustrating because of the level of work required. Virtually every endeavor of life can be considered successful if you get most of it done. If you succeed only 30% in baseball, you make the Hall of Fame. If I can guess right in the stock market just 51% of the time I can be rich. “Two out of three ain’t bad” is good enough for most everything else. If you only get 95% in a move, you are a miserable failure.
The part of the move we are in now is setting up the new place. We had a leadership meeting a couple of days ago and began to identify the list of items we have on the radar right now. Just in a couple of hours, we have listed 67 items so far, and that is just the tip of the iceberg. As we tackle that list, it will only grow. The more we do, the longer the list will get.
As we seek to serve the Lord Jesus Christ in our daily Christian walk, the work is daunting just like it is in a move. There is always something else to do. As long as there are people who do not know the Saviour, we cannot rest. We constantly see another ministry or another activity that can be used to draw the lost to Christ or strengthen the bond of fellowship among the saved.
David was driven in II Samuel chapter 7 to tackle a very ambitious project of building a Temple for the Lord. He saw that the tabernacle was portable while he had his own house to live in, and it made him want to build a house for God’s presence. His project was much more ambitious than the remodel of an elementary school (although I don’t think he had to put a fire sprinkler system in the Temple!). As his heart was stirred to build for his Lord, God sent him a message through Nathan the prophet. The gist of the message was simple: the work is God’s first. We bought the school because we were “moved” to find a place to grow and reach more people for Christ. But the second verse of the Bible begins, “And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters…” While we are “moved” to his service, God moved first. God expects us to work and build. I Corinthians 3:8-10 says we are to be “wise masterbuilders”, and that God will give to every man according to his own labour. But the work begins with the work of God in our hearts.
God told David that before he could build a house for him, that God would build David a house first. That is a direct reference to the “house of David”, namely the Lord Jesus Christ, the true “Son of David”. Any work we do must be based in God’s Son. Psalm 127:1 says, “Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it.” Our work begins with God moving in our hearts to accomplish his will. As we labour for him, we follow his lead and draw from his strength and his plans. If God truly builds the house for us first, we can be sure that our building for him will be blessed.
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
My, How You Have Grown!
“But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. Amen.” (II Peter 3:18)
Last week, the two greatest grandchildren in the history of the human race were in Kansas City to visit with Grandma and Grandpa (that’s us if you haven’t figured it out yet). A couple of years ago, our daughter and son-in-law moved to Chicago, and now we only get to see the kids a few times a year. Lots of people have this same situation, so no need to feel sorry for us. But when we see the kids now, we get to use the line above that so many before us have made famous. Our granddaughter Alexit is 12, and our grandson Kelson just turned 10. They are at that age where you have to buy new clothes for them every other week. Alexit is now exactly 3/8 of an inch shorter than her grandma, and Kelson is just over a full inch shorter. Yes, we measured.
Alexit and Kelson are getting tall, and at the same time, they have developed some qualities that are reflective of their current ages. They can feed and dress themselves, and carry on nearly adult conversation. They can also find every reason under the sun to pick at each other and fight, proving that they are normal kids with more room to grow. Their physical growth is taking place in concert with the natural maturity that one day soon will turn them into full fledged adults.
The Bible says when we get saved, we are “born again”. The same growth process in young children is reflected also in the spiritual growth of the believer. Peter tells us to grow in grace and in knowledge. Both are necessary in harmony and balance to produce a mature Christian. But unfortunately, often a believer will grow in one area but not the other. If a 12 year old still needs diapers changed and has not mastered basic language skills, something is wrong. Likewise, if she is well adjusted emotionally and mentally but hasn’t cracked the 3 foot barrier, you would be at the doctor’s office finding out why. Some Christians grow in grace, but not knowledge. They never really get into the meat of the word and find out what the Bible really says. Their entire spiritual life is made up of “cutsie” homespun platitudes that may or may not be Biblical, and they really don’t care to find out. They have grace because they understand that Jesus died for them, but it stops there. They develop an imbalance between God’s love and his justice and righteousness. These people view God as the great big warm and fuzzy marshmallow in the sky who just tolerates everyone and everything regardless of the truth.
Then there are those who grow in knowledge, but not in grace. They can “rightly divide the word of truth” with the best theologians in the body. They can tell you all about the Antichrist and all ten of his toes, and even tell you which one of his little piggies goes to market or stays home. They know all the laws, rules and regulations of the Bible and of their particular religion, and will be the first to see that others submit to them. But there is a harsh outer shell and arrogance that does not allow for the grace of God toward us frail humans. Psalm 103:14 says, “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” God does not tolerate sin, but he knows us. I John 2:1 says, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” His standard is sinless perfection. At the same time, he gave us an advocate to allow his grace to cover our sins through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Both sides of that “equation” are necessary. The Christian who just tip-toes through the tulips of la-la land needs to open his Bible and actually read it. The one who thinks everyone ought to conform to his particular theology and live by his standards of morality needs to look in a mirror sometime and see who he really is. One who grows both in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is “of full age” (Hebrews 5:14) – mature and complete in Christ – as tall as grandma, and fashioned in the image of our Father in heaven.
Last week, the two greatest grandchildren in the history of the human race were in Kansas City to visit with Grandma and Grandpa (that’s us if you haven’t figured it out yet). A couple of years ago, our daughter and son-in-law moved to Chicago, and now we only get to see the kids a few times a year. Lots of people have this same situation, so no need to feel sorry for us. But when we see the kids now, we get to use the line above that so many before us have made famous. Our granddaughter Alexit is 12, and our grandson Kelson just turned 10. They are at that age where you have to buy new clothes for them every other week. Alexit is now exactly 3/8 of an inch shorter than her grandma, and Kelson is just over a full inch shorter. Yes, we measured.
Alexit and Kelson are getting tall, and at the same time, they have developed some qualities that are reflective of their current ages. They can feed and dress themselves, and carry on nearly adult conversation. They can also find every reason under the sun to pick at each other and fight, proving that they are normal kids with more room to grow. Their physical growth is taking place in concert with the natural maturity that one day soon will turn them into full fledged adults.
The Bible says when we get saved, we are “born again”. The same growth process in young children is reflected also in the spiritual growth of the believer. Peter tells us to grow in grace and in knowledge. Both are necessary in harmony and balance to produce a mature Christian. But unfortunately, often a believer will grow in one area but not the other. If a 12 year old still needs diapers changed and has not mastered basic language skills, something is wrong. Likewise, if she is well adjusted emotionally and mentally but hasn’t cracked the 3 foot barrier, you would be at the doctor’s office finding out why. Some Christians grow in grace, but not knowledge. They never really get into the meat of the word and find out what the Bible really says. Their entire spiritual life is made up of “cutsie” homespun platitudes that may or may not be Biblical, and they really don’t care to find out. They have grace because they understand that Jesus died for them, but it stops there. They develop an imbalance between God’s love and his justice and righteousness. These people view God as the great big warm and fuzzy marshmallow in the sky who just tolerates everyone and everything regardless of the truth.
Then there are those who grow in knowledge, but not in grace. They can “rightly divide the word of truth” with the best theologians in the body. They can tell you all about the Antichrist and all ten of his toes, and even tell you which one of his little piggies goes to market or stays home. They know all the laws, rules and regulations of the Bible and of their particular religion, and will be the first to see that others submit to them. But there is a harsh outer shell and arrogance that does not allow for the grace of God toward us frail humans. Psalm 103:14 says, “For he knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust.” God does not tolerate sin, but he knows us. I John 2:1 says, “My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” His standard is sinless perfection. At the same time, he gave us an advocate to allow his grace to cover our sins through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. Both sides of that “equation” are necessary. The Christian who just tip-toes through the tulips of la-la land needs to open his Bible and actually read it. The one who thinks everyone ought to conform to his particular theology and live by his standards of morality needs to look in a mirror sometime and see who he really is. One who grows both in the grace and the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ is “of full age” (Hebrews 5:14) – mature and complete in Christ – as tall as grandma, and fashioned in the image of our Father in heaven.
Tuesday, July 13, 2010
Horseshoes and Hand Grenades
“Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian.” (Acts 26:28)
I am sure you are familiar with the expression: “Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades”. Well, we almost got our occupancy permit this week. The saga of the relocation of Crest Bible Church has been a year and a half in the making. We first decided to pursue the acquisition of the South Park Elementary School at our annual meeting in January of 2009. On March 9, 2009, we submitted our bid to the School Board, and after several months of “due diligence” investigation, we took full and formal ownership on August 28, 2009. For the last 11 months, we have been in the remodel phase, updating the building to current codes and adapting it to church use. Last Thursday, we called for our final inspection. The city codes inspector found about 20 items that needed to be finished. They always find something – it is their mission in life. By the end of the day, we had knocked out 15 of them, and the other 5 were well on the way to being completed. So we called him back on Friday afternoon. Three items on the list were almost done. Even though we were at 98% compliance, almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, and we now know for sure it does not count in building inspections.
Paul witnessed of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to one of the nobles of his day, king Agrippa. Read the entire account sometime in Acts chapter 26, it is one of the most persuasive arguments ever for becoming a Christian. Agrippa gave the classic “excuse” to Paul that has been repeated hundreds of millions of times since then: “Almost…” I don’t know how many times I have heard it, “I’m just not quite ready yet.” “Maybe next week.” “What would my friends say?” Those who are waiting for some “engraved invitation” are going to wait a long time. Jesus gave you the invitation when he stretched out his arms on the cross. What more do you need?
On the other hand are those who think they are Christians because they attend a church that can in some way be identified with the name of Jesus Christ. Just the simple act of dragging your sorry carcass into a particular building does not make one a Christian. I heard it put this way recently: “Going to church does not make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.” Many people think they are saved simply because they believe in God – as if God is impressed with a man acknowledging his existence. Still others are “trying to be good” and striving to be accepted, hoping that when they get to the “pearly gates” that they have done enough good to outweigh their bad and gain entrance. They are “almost Christians”. I’m sorry, but no one is “almost” a Christian any more than a lady can be almost pregnant. You either are or you are not. There is no indication in the Bible that Agrippa ever got saved. If he never received Jesus as his Saviour, he is in hell still today. For the last 2,000 years, he has been crying out, “Almost!!!” Likewise, the overwhelming vast majority of those who are “almost Christians” will never actually get there by trusting Jesus Christ to save them from their sins.
Becoming a Christian means you have to recognize that you are a sinner who has fallen short of God’s standard for your life (Romans 3:23). “Close enough for government work” does not count. You must acknowledge that you cannot save yourself, and that only Jesus can. Then you must “call upon the name of the Lord” to save you (Romans 10:13). Just the best you know how, ask Jesus to save you from your sins. He died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins. He rose from the dead to guarantee the victory. Those of us who have placed our trust in the risen Saviour are given the privilege of sharing that news with everyone we can. It is not a message of hate, division, or exclusion. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) God loved you enough to “send the very best” – his Son. Anyone can come by faith. Will you?
I am sure you are familiar with the expression: “Almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades”. Well, we almost got our occupancy permit this week. The saga of the relocation of Crest Bible Church has been a year and a half in the making. We first decided to pursue the acquisition of the South Park Elementary School at our annual meeting in January of 2009. On March 9, 2009, we submitted our bid to the School Board, and after several months of “due diligence” investigation, we took full and formal ownership on August 28, 2009. For the last 11 months, we have been in the remodel phase, updating the building to current codes and adapting it to church use. Last Thursday, we called for our final inspection. The city codes inspector found about 20 items that needed to be finished. They always find something – it is their mission in life. By the end of the day, we had knocked out 15 of them, and the other 5 were well on the way to being completed. So we called him back on Friday afternoon. Three items on the list were almost done. Even though we were at 98% compliance, almost only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, and we now know for sure it does not count in building inspections.
Paul witnessed of the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ to one of the nobles of his day, king Agrippa. Read the entire account sometime in Acts chapter 26, it is one of the most persuasive arguments ever for becoming a Christian. Agrippa gave the classic “excuse” to Paul that has been repeated hundreds of millions of times since then: “Almost…” I don’t know how many times I have heard it, “I’m just not quite ready yet.” “Maybe next week.” “What would my friends say?” Those who are waiting for some “engraved invitation” are going to wait a long time. Jesus gave you the invitation when he stretched out his arms on the cross. What more do you need?
On the other hand are those who think they are Christians because they attend a church that can in some way be identified with the name of Jesus Christ. Just the simple act of dragging your sorry carcass into a particular building does not make one a Christian. I heard it put this way recently: “Going to church does not make you a Christian any more than standing in a garage makes you a car.” Many people think they are saved simply because they believe in God – as if God is impressed with a man acknowledging his existence. Still others are “trying to be good” and striving to be accepted, hoping that when they get to the “pearly gates” that they have done enough good to outweigh their bad and gain entrance. They are “almost Christians”. I’m sorry, but no one is “almost” a Christian any more than a lady can be almost pregnant. You either are or you are not. There is no indication in the Bible that Agrippa ever got saved. If he never received Jesus as his Saviour, he is in hell still today. For the last 2,000 years, he has been crying out, “Almost!!!” Likewise, the overwhelming vast majority of those who are “almost Christians” will never actually get there by trusting Jesus Christ to save them from their sins.
Becoming a Christian means you have to recognize that you are a sinner who has fallen short of God’s standard for your life (Romans 3:23). “Close enough for government work” does not count. You must acknowledge that you cannot save yourself, and that only Jesus can. Then you must “call upon the name of the Lord” to save you (Romans 10:13). Just the best you know how, ask Jesus to save you from your sins. He died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins. He rose from the dead to guarantee the victory. Those of us who have placed our trust in the risen Saviour are given the privilege of sharing that news with everyone we can. It is not a message of hate, division, or exclusion. “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16) God loved you enough to “send the very best” – his Son. Anyone can come by faith. Will you?
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
Great Expectations
“Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the LORD all the day long. For surely there is an end; and thine expectation shall not be cut off.” (Proverbs 23:17-18)
Every year on July 4th, we have an annual family tradition just like most people. Our set location is Vicki’s parents’ house in Lee’s Summit. We do the typical July 4th stuff like grilling outdoors, making home-made ice cream, and blowing stuff up just like every good American would do. One of the main reasons we always meet at my in-laws’ place is the show their neighbors put on with their fireworks. One of their close neighbors apparently has waaayyy too much money, and has always felt the need to spend a bunch of it on our great American holiday. For many years, we have bee treated to one of the best fireworks displays in the city. They shoot off the great big “commercial” stuff; a solid 30 minutes worth with an awesome “finale”. It is loud and bright and huge and right on top of us. It is so close that we almost get showered with the debris. The best part of the show is that it is FREE. We just set up our lawn chairs in the back yard and enjoy!
This year for the first time in 12 years there was no show. Either the economy finally caught up with them, or there was some other reason, but we got nothing. We were really disappointed. I mean, how dare they deprive us of our July 4th tradition? Don’t they know that I travel from “out of state” every year for this? (I live in Kansas, and the show is across the state line in Missouri). Maybe I should bill them for my travel expenses. Since they saved a lot of money on the show, they could afford to compensate me for my trouble and unmet expectations.
It’s funny how we get attached to things like this, and feel an “entitlement” to reap the rewards and benefits of other people’s bounty. It is just not fair that some have more than others. But before you think I am going to take off on some political rant, look at this from a broader and more important aspect. God gave each of us an eternal soul. The “value” of that soul is the same for all. Jesus said in Matthew 16:26, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Each single human soul is worth more than the combined assets of the world – in other words, priceless. Each person is given the choice by a loving God to direct that soul to heaven or hell by his faith in the risen Saviour. Our salvation is NOT based on whether we have enough money to shoot off commercial fireworks every year. It is also not dependent upon how “good” we are. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Jesus died on the cross to pay for those sins, and when I trust him, I gain more than the whole world.
Then once we trust the Lord as our Saviour, we get the privilege of living the rest of our lives for his glory and in his service. As the verse above says, we often get distracted by the “injustice” of the way the world operates. Serving Jesus Christ requires a sacrifice. It is not always easy, and quite often, our expectations do not get met. We expect that people will see the need to trust the Saviour, but despite our best and most sincere witness of his grace, they reject him. We expect that our commitment and dedication to God will be recognized and rewarded, but instead we are often hit with the exact opposite. But while our expectations from the world will always fall short, God will never let us down. Hebrews 6:10 says, “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” Some day, those who have trusted him and served him faithfully will “have praise of God” (I Corinthians 4:5). Our expectations will not be cut off. We can and will be disappointed often in this life. But serving Jesus Christ will be rewarded. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus. Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ. One glimpse of his dear face, all sorrows will erase. So bravely run the race, till we see Christ!
Every year on July 4th, we have an annual family tradition just like most people. Our set location is Vicki’s parents’ house in Lee’s Summit. We do the typical July 4th stuff like grilling outdoors, making home-made ice cream, and blowing stuff up just like every good American would do. One of the main reasons we always meet at my in-laws’ place is the show their neighbors put on with their fireworks. One of their close neighbors apparently has waaayyy too much money, and has always felt the need to spend a bunch of it on our great American holiday. For many years, we have bee treated to one of the best fireworks displays in the city. They shoot off the great big “commercial” stuff; a solid 30 minutes worth with an awesome “finale”. It is loud and bright and huge and right on top of us. It is so close that we almost get showered with the debris. The best part of the show is that it is FREE. We just set up our lawn chairs in the back yard and enjoy!
This year for the first time in 12 years there was no show. Either the economy finally caught up with them, or there was some other reason, but we got nothing. We were really disappointed. I mean, how dare they deprive us of our July 4th tradition? Don’t they know that I travel from “out of state” every year for this? (I live in Kansas, and the show is across the state line in Missouri). Maybe I should bill them for my travel expenses. Since they saved a lot of money on the show, they could afford to compensate me for my trouble and unmet expectations.
It’s funny how we get attached to things like this, and feel an “entitlement” to reap the rewards and benefits of other people’s bounty. It is just not fair that some have more than others. But before you think I am going to take off on some political rant, look at this from a broader and more important aspect. God gave each of us an eternal soul. The “value” of that soul is the same for all. Jesus said in Matthew 16:26, “For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Each single human soul is worth more than the combined assets of the world – in other words, priceless. Each person is given the choice by a loving God to direct that soul to heaven or hell by his faith in the risen Saviour. Our salvation is NOT based on whether we have enough money to shoot off commercial fireworks every year. It is also not dependent upon how “good” we are. “For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.” (Romans 3:23) Jesus died on the cross to pay for those sins, and when I trust him, I gain more than the whole world.
Then once we trust the Lord as our Saviour, we get the privilege of living the rest of our lives for his glory and in his service. As the verse above says, we often get distracted by the “injustice” of the way the world operates. Serving Jesus Christ requires a sacrifice. It is not always easy, and quite often, our expectations do not get met. We expect that people will see the need to trust the Saviour, but despite our best and most sincere witness of his grace, they reject him. We expect that our commitment and dedication to God will be recognized and rewarded, but instead we are often hit with the exact opposite. But while our expectations from the world will always fall short, God will never let us down. Hebrews 6:10 says, “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” Some day, those who have trusted him and served him faithfully will “have praise of God” (I Corinthians 4:5). Our expectations will not be cut off. We can and will be disappointed often in this life. But serving Jesus Christ will be rewarded. It will be worth it all when we see Jesus. Life’s trials will seem so small when we see Christ. One glimpse of his dear face, all sorrows will erase. So bravely run the race, till we see Christ!
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