Radically Advancing

To Experience His Blessings!

2009-02-17T10:56:00.004-06:00

Last Sunday I made a comment that has continued to percolate in my soul. I said, “God blesses those who have committed their lives to Him; He does not bless and then hope for commitment.”

One of the most pressing sources of struggle for most believers is that they do not see God working in their lives. They feel alone, abandoned, lost in their journey. They know that they are saved, they know that Christ has redeemed them, but they feel like they are merely waiting for heaven without enjoying the blessings of God today. Could it be that the reason that so many people feel this way is because we have lost sight of the truth of the statement that “God blesses those who have committed their lives to Him; He does not bless and then hope for commitment?”

Let me give you some scriptures:

Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed—not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence—continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.

1 Corinthians 15:10 (NIV)
10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace to me was not without effect. No, I worked harder than all of them—yet not I, but the grace of God that was with me.

Do you see what is happening in each of these texts? In each case Paul is talking about the work of God in his life; but he is acutely aware of the fact that he is experiencing God working in his life because he is committed to following hard after God.

You see I think that God is always working in our lives, but it is those who have committed themselves to following hard after Him who are aware that He is working in their lives – and that is the source of real joy and blessing!

Oh to be connected to our creator, to the lover of our souls. Oh to know what it is to walk intimately with Him and to lay our head on His chest and hear Him speak words of love over us!

He is always ready for such an encounter, in fact we are always in His lap - Acts 17:27-28a 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being…’

But to experience His presence we must begin the work that He is empowering us to do. We must commit ourselves to Him. Begin to walk in obedience to God, commit your life to Him – and discover the blessings of intimacy with the Almighty that are right at hand – He is already doing the work in you!

The Battle for "Justification by Faith!" - Part 4

2009-02-12T11:37:00.001-06:00

Okay what is faith? The scriptures do the best job of defining faith - Hebrews 11:1(NIV) Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. So, faith is certainty in something that we do not see and have not experienced. But where does that kind of faith come from as it regards our trust in God? I mean isn’t the scripture clear that I will never place my trust in God because before Christ I only want to flee from God?:

Romans 3:11-12 (NIV)
11 there is no one who understands,
no one who seeks God.
12 All have turned away,
they have together become worthless;
there is no one who does good,
not even one.”

John 1:1-5 (NIV)
In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of men. 5 The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. (emphasis mine)

And here is maybe the most definitive passage for me:

John 3:18-21 (NIV)
18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.”

Okay let’s break this down so that we have a clearer understanding of faith:
1. If you believe (have faith) in Christ you are saved
2. If you do not believe (have faith) in Christ then you are condemned
3. We are all in darkness (see the Romans 3 passage above)
4. Darkness flees from light
5. So, we see that we are all without faith and therefore condemned

Okay let’s stop right there for a moment – from this passage (up until verse 20) we see that we are all without faith and therefore condemned – the verdict has been issued! So, how are any of us saved?

Well look again at verse 21: 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God.

We only come into the light to prove that what has been done in us has been done through God. In other words the only reason that I no longer flee from the light is because God has reached into my darkness and washed me with His light! Therefore my darkness has been driven out by God’s light! I did not choose to have that happen (remember the darkness always flees from the light) – no God decided to cast light into my heart and once He did I delighted to show what He had done in me because I am now redeemed!

So faith is not my gift to God in salvation as though I had partnered with Him in the redemption of my soul. No, faith is God’s gift to me as the vehicle that He uses to connect me with His righteousness so that I might be declared “Not Guilt!”

With this in mind let’s look at a passage that we studied before:

Ephesians 2:8-9 (NIV)
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

Why is boasting impossible, because it is God would saved me and it is God who gave me the faith to trust Him! My salvation is totally His gift, I only enjoy the gift I do not earn it!!!

Today let us rejoice in the fact that we are justified by God, that He has done the work and that we are merely the recipients of the greatest gift that has even been poured out on humanity! Let us be a people of worship!!!

The Battle for "Justification by Faith!" - Part 3

2009-02-05T16:14:00.001-06:00

Okay, let’s get back to our verse that we have been studying:

Romans 4:5 (NIV)
5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

Yesterday we established that all of us are wicked, and were wicked when Christ revealed Himself to us and saved us. Today we are going to look at the important topic of works. In other words, “What part do I play in my justification?”

Notice that the passage says that our justification is by no work of our own - to the man who does not work. This statement is the follow-up to the point that Paul has just made in the preceding passage - Romans 4:4 (NIV) 4 Now when a man works, his wages are not credited to him as a gift, but as an obligation. It is clear that for justification to be a gift then we can have no part in its presence in our lives.

This truth is corroborated in Romans 6:23 23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Here we see that all that we can earn through our own efforts is death (eternal separation from the love of God). But that eternal life is a gift of God. (At this point we must remember our study from yesterday – all of us are wicked, in rebellion against God – therefore we are in sin and sin earns us death).

Paul will also tell us that - Ephesians 2:8-9 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. Here again we are told that our salvation is not brought about by any works of our own.

This truth is why there can be no boasting about our salvation – because we have no part in it. We are merely recipients, not partners in our salvation.

But doesn’t the passage say that we must trust God – isn’t that a work? Isn’t our trusting a result of our faith that we have placed in God so that I am a partner with Him in my salvation? Wouldn’t it be true that salvation must be a partnership – Christ giving Himself as the payment for my sin, and my trusting in that payment so that salvation is bestowed on my soul? The only problem with this statement is that it is a violation of the first parts of the verse – 1) We are wicked; 2) Our work would merely make our salvation an obligation, not a gift.

So, we must examine our understanding of faith to make sure that we have a proper view of the topic if we are to rightly understand this important doctrine. We will undertake this topic tomorrow.

Today delight in the fact that God did not require your partnership to save you, but is majestic and powerful enough to assure your salvation through the strength of His own hands – alone!

The Battle for "Justification by Faith!" - Part 2

2009-02-04T16:11:00.001-06:00

Okay let’s spend a little time looking at some of the passages from scripture that deal with the issue of justification by faith.

The verse that is probably the most comprehensive in all of scripture comes from Paul’s theological treatise to the Romans:

Romans 4:5 (NIV)
5 However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness.

Let’s start with the obvious issue of the one being justified. The verse tells us that God justifies the wicked. Notice that it does not say that God justifies the righteous, or the morally good, or even the one who has sought after God. No, He justifies the wicked. The one in rebellion. The one who has spent his/her entire life hating God. The one who openly flees from the light of God (John 3:19-20 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.) No God is justifying those who do not want to be a part of the light.

Do, you know who these wicked people are? They are me and you. They are all of us! The scriptures are clear that all of us were wicked people before Christ invaded our lives (Ps 42:1-2; Romans 5:6-11; Colossians 1:21).

So for us to understand the doctrine of Justification by Faith we must understand that the ones being declared “Not Guilty” are absolutely worthy to be called “Guilty” and be condemned to an eternity of God’s wrath. Not only that, but we must acknowledge that we had no righteousness of our own that we could add to the equation to help bring about our pardon. In other words, we had no ability to say, “Though I might be guilty on some points at least I was righteous when I did this or that, so shouldn’t that count for something?” No we stand before God as absolutely guilty with no excuse or payment!

Tomorrow we will look further at this doctrine, but today let it wash over you that without Christ we would all stand before the sure judgment of God as guilty! Let this simple truth allow praise to spring from your lips as you contemplate the wonder of our salvation!

The Battle for "Justification by Faith!" - Part 1

2009-02-03T09:25:00.001-06:00

As you look over the landscape of Christian history there is one doctrine that has created more debate, more controversy, and more revolution than any other – it is the doctrine of “Justification by Faith.” This one little doctrine was the starting point of the Reformation. It was the central doctrine of Luther, Calvin, Edwards, and Spurgeon. It is on this little doctrine that we see the major fault-lines of debate in almost all Christian circles.

Martin Luther will describe its importance this way: “This doctrine is the head and cornerstone. It alone begets, nourishes, builds, preserves, and defends the church of God; and without it the church of God cannot exist for one hour.”

John Calvin has this to say on the topic: “Wherever the knowledge of it (justification by faith) is taken away, the glory of Christ is extinguished, religion abolished, the Church destroyed, and the hope of salvation utterly overthrown.”

So, what does this simple doctrine mean? Justification means that we are justified before God through the vehicle of faith.

So, I would like to take a minute and break down the aspects of this doctrine:

First we need to understand the word Justification. Justification is a verdict delivered by God in a moment in which He declares that we are “NOT GUILTY” before Him! Justification is the theological term that declares that we are saved and will spend an eternity in heaven.

As orthodox Christians we believe that we are justified (declared not guilty) through faith in Jesus Christ and what He did for us on the cross. But, from where does that faith come? Is faith my gift to God in salvation? Or is faith God’s gift to me in salvation? How strong does my faith have to be before it is strong enough to be saving (or justifying) faith? Does faith have to be focused on Christ alone or can I be saved by faith in some other savior as long as I am absolutely sincere in my faith in that savior? These are all questions that must be tackled if we are to embrace fully this simple yet powerful doctrine.

I am fearful of this becoming an academic exercise, but I do not want to avoid it merely because it is difficult and requires deep thinking. Over the next several days we are going to take a longer view of the doctrine of Justification by Faith and we are going to attempt to embrace it as the central doctrine of the journey of faith with Jesus Christ. We are going to head down some winding roads, but I believe that both the journey and the destination are glorious! See you back here tomorrow!

The Totality of Sin - Part 2

2008-12-15T09:02:00.000-06:00

After my last post there was one question that dominated the follow-up discussion, and I would like to touch on it this morning. I was asked, “If everything that we do before coming to Christ is sin, then does that mean that there are no righteous actions performed by those without Christ?” People rightly pointed to those times that God may be directing a non-believer to do some action and they proposed that this made it a righteous action.

My short response to this line of reasoning is that they are correct. It is correct to assume that an action directed by God can be righteous even if preformed by a non-believer. But where we get off-track is when we assume that these righteous acts are devoid of sin.

Let me illustrate my position with a story from the Old Testament. When Joseph was sold into slavery by his brothers it was a sin on their part. But later we will see that God was directing their actions so that Joseph would be strategically placed in Egypt for the preservation of the Israelite people. Joseph will acknowledge the divine hand of God behind their actions when he proclaims, Genesis 50:20 (NIV) ²⁰You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.

Was the work of the brothers righteous? Well if we believe that the direction of God makes an action righteous then we would have to say “yes.” But was it also sin? Absolutely! You see the action itself does not determine whether something is sin as much as the attitude of the heart. We can do things for the wrong reasons and have them be sin.

I come back to Paul’s incredible criteria for sin Romans 3:23 (NIV) ²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Anything short of God’s glory is sin. This brings me back to my original point. I contend that only God works for His glory therefore only those who have Christ in their lives can work for God’s glory. I may be obedient to God yet not do it for His glory. I may do right things, but not for His glory. I may accomplish morally right outcomes, yet they were not attempted for His glory. As long as something was not done for the glory of God then it is sin, and it is impossible for those without Christ to be motivated by God’s glory so all actions before Christ are tainted by sin.

I do not say this to minimize the good that those without Christ can do in the world. But to assume that in some way they have escaped the reaches of sin with their goodness would be faulty.

So, why would we even want to contemplate the depth of sin? Because it thrusts us back into the discussion of the depth of God’s grace and power to transform us! When we see how completely sinful we were we are that much more thankful for the cleansing He brings! This truth above all others should drive us to worship, so let us be a people of worship today!

The Totality of Sin

2008-12-04T12:13:00.001-06:00

At our weekly Elder meetings we have a time where we discuss a theological issue. Last night during the course of our conversation I made the following claim, “EVERYTHING we do before we accept Christ is sin!” This statement brought about many thoughtful looks as the men considered the all-encompassing nature of the statement. So today I would like to take just a minute to detail why I believe this statement to be true.

In the book of Romans chapter 3 the Apostle Paul defines the parameters for sin: Romans 3:23 (NIV) 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. In other words, everything that does not measure up to God’s glory is sin. So no matter how good my intentions or morally right my actions it is impossible for me to reach the level of God’s glory without God.

The Old Testament prophet Isaiah will describe our attempts at righteousness this way - Isaiah 64:6a (NIV) 6 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags… The Hebrew word that he uses for filthy is literally translated menstrual. In other words even our most righteous actions are disgusting when held against the backdrop of God’s glory.

Sin is the essence of our lives from the moment of our conception. The Psalmist will say it this way: Psalm 51:5 (NIV) 5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

The Apostle Paul will summarize the absolute totality of sin and the inescapable hold that it had on his life before he accepted Christ in the often misinterpreted passage from Romans 7 (many have applied this passage to the way that believers continue to struggle with sin after salvation, but that is not the point that Paul is making in this text – he has been developing, throughout the book of Romans, that all of humanity is in sin – the Gentiles, the Jews, and even Paul was a slave to sin before Christ. It is while making this point regarding his life before surrendering to the Lord that Paul utters the following confession):
Romans 7:14-24 (NIV)
14 We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin. 15 I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. 16 And if I do what I do not want to do, I agree that the law is good. 17 As it is, it is no longer I myself who do it, but it is sin living in me. 18 I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature. For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19 For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. 20 Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it.
21 So I find this law at work: When I want to do good, evil is right there with me. 22 For in my inner being I delight in God’s law; 23 but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members. 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?

Paul is confessing that before he came to accept Christ as his Savior that no matter what he did, no matter his intentions, it was always sin. This is why he will end the passage with the mournful exclamation, “Who will rescue me from this body of death?”

Jesus will boil the entire argument down to its most simple element when He says, John 8:34 (NIV) 34 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin. In these simple yet powerful words of Christ that we find the inescapable truth that before we surrender our lives to Him we are slaves to sin doing only that which sin prescribes.

But in the middle of this depravity, in the middle of our absolute rebellion against God we have an incredible hope – Jesus Christ! Let’s go back to the passage from Romans 7. Paul has just confessed that he was absolutely sinful and he asks the simple yet tragic question, Who will rescue me from this body of death? In the very next verse he gives us the answer - Romans 7:24-25a (NIV) 24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! It is only Jesus who can rescue us from the totality of our sin; it is only Jesus who can bring ANY righteousness or sinlessness to our lives.

And the outcome of Jesus’ work is that I am freed from my slavery to sin and made a slave to righteousness - Romans 6:18 (NIV) 18 You have been set free from sin and have become slaves to righteousness. Here Paul tells us that in the same way I was incapable of righteousness before my salvation; after Christ the default actions of my life are righteousness.

Our Worship Pastor, Wayne Bartley, is constantly making the statement that “Everything that we do in life, other than willful sin, is worship!” This sentiment is echoed in the words of the New Testament when Paul writes to the church in Corinth - 1 Corinthians 10:31 (NIV) 31 So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Where before Christ I was unable to do anything that was not sin, after Christ even my eating and drinking is for His glory and is an act of worship! So complete is the transformation that Christ brings, so absolute is our conversion that we are now able to bring Him glory in even the most mundane of tasks!

Before Christ we were incapable of any good thing, any act that was not saturated in sin. But praise be to God that after Christ we are unleashed through His power and righteousness at work in us to bring Him glory at all times and in all ways. Let these truths well up in us as a foundation for worship!!!

There Are No Accidents!

2008-11-12T15:40:00.000-06:00

Two nights ago my family watched “Kung Fu Panda.” If you have not seen this movie, go rent it, pop some popcorn and sit down as a family – it is GREAT! In the movie there is a wise old turtle, who keeps repeating throughout the movie, “There are no accidents.” This is a powerful thought, and one that I am agreeing with more and more as I continue to study scripture.

My understanding of the concept of “there are no accidents” stems from my deep belief in the sovereignty of God. The sovereignty of God is simply defined as God’s supreme authority of rule; complete independence and self-government. In other words, God is absolutely in control and has the right to do whatever He wants to whomever He wants whenever He wants. God is in control, and we are not!

When I first started contemplating sovereignty it was bitter in my mouth. It made me feel out of control and helpless. The more that I have studied sovereignty the more that I have realized that I am indeed out of control and helpless; but that it is good! It is good because it means that there are no accidents. It means that everything that happens in my life happens for a reason – because God allowed it!! It means that I do not have to fret that the disappointments and pain that I have experienced (that we have all experienced) are just happenstance of a broken world. No, they are a part of the divine plan of a sovereign God!

Now here is where faith comes in – the only way that God’s sovereignty does not lead to my bitterness is when I trust that His plan is good! There is nothing that I can do to resist or thwart His plan – For who resists His will (Romans 9:19b). But why would I want to resist something that I know is good, that I know is the best, that I know will bring me the greatest delight? You see if I have faith that His plan is always the best and that it is always for my good then His sovereignty becomes a refreshing breeze over my soul. If I have faith in His goodness and love for me then His sovereignty is the hand of a loving father who guides me with wisdom and grace along the path that He has marked out for me!

Lord please help me to delight in your sovereignty today! Help me to remember that no matter the difficulties of my life they are according to your plan and that your plan is good! Thank you my Lord for not allowing me to be in control of my life!

How Did You Pray Today?

2008-11-05T14:46:00.001-06:00

How did you pray today?

Last night was an amazing night for America. I do not say that because I agree with the outcome of the election but because it did represent a dramatic shift for our country. On the positive it offered one more step in the removal of racial barriers; and it engaged the country in mass more than any other election. On the negative it seems to be one more step from America’s roots as a country based upon the principles of the scriptures and a morality that was defined by God.

As disappointed as I was personally last night this morning I woke with deep conviction in my heart born from a powerful passage of scripture:

Romans 13:1-2 (NIV)

Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. ²Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

I trust in the sovereignty of God. I trust that He is in control and that even this is according to His plan. So when I woke this morning I prayed for our President-Elect Barack Obama. I pray wisdom and strength for him. I pray that God would focus his heart and guide his hands.

How did you pray today? Did you delight in the revelation of God’s plan or did you question whether He had lost control? Did you pray for your President-Elect or did you wish him ill? Did you purpose in your heart to submit to him or did harbor thoughts of rebellion.

We must trust the truth of scripture and the power and plan of God. Last night was not an accident and it did not represent the loss of control on the part of God. He continues to reveal His will and plan for humanity and the end is unchanging:

1 Corinthians 15:50-58 (NIV)

⁵⁰I declare to you, brothers, that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. ⁵¹Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— ⁵²in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. ⁵³For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality. ⁵⁴When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: “Death has been swallowed up in victory.”

⁵⁵ “Where, O death, is your victory?

Where, O death, is your sting?”

⁵⁶The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. ⁵⁷But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

⁵⁸Therefore, my dear brothers, stand firm. Let nothing move you. Always give yourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because you know that your labor in the Lord is not in vain.

How did you pray today?

Think About These Things - Part 2 (with challenge)

2008-11-04T11:04:00.004-06:00

I know that I am tardy with this post – I promise that I am going to do better on my frequency! But let’s get back to our discussion on the things that we think about.

Last week we looked at the sheer magnitude of the amount of time that we spend in front of the television. The reason that I even started to look at these statistics is because God has really been laying a specific passage of scripture on my heart. Here it is:

Philippians 4:8 (NIV)

⁸Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.

The Greek word that is translated think about such things is the word logizomai which means more than just entertaining thoughts about something. In fact the word is a command in the Greek. It means that we are commanded to calculate, or evaluate, or meditate on the things from this list. In fact the verb form of the word calls for the “habitual discipline of the mind to set all thoughts on these spiritual virtues.” ( John MacArthur. The MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Philippians. Chicago, IL: Moody Press, 2001, pg 285.) In other words we are to so meditate on whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent and praiseworthy that it alters our lives. In fact the scriptures will tell us that it is the thoughts in our heads that will define our lives:

Proverbs 23:7 (NASB)

⁷ For as he thinks within himself, so he is.

When we come to understand the power of the command of this text then we are driven to consider the things that we let in our head every single day. If the statistics regarding television are true in our lives then there is no way that we can say that we are fulfilling the command of this verse - there is too much junk; there is too much sin; there is too much that does not meet the criteria set forth in Philippians 4:8! But maybe you do not watch television, so ask yourself if the conversations that you have throughout your day, the jokes that you tell, the emails that you read, the web pages you surf – do they meet the criteria of this passage?

The bottom line is that I have a long way to go! There are too many other things that I allow to take root in my heart and if I am not careful they will begin to define me! I can tell you from experience that when I get intentional about testing the things that I am letting in my head that my walk with Christ rockets to new heights! I find that I covet less, I deal with anger less, I am less critical – all because I get serious about the commands in scripture!

So here is my challenge – for the next week test every television program that you watch by the simple standard in Philippians 4:8 and if it does not pass that test then turn the channel. For one week try to think about only those things prescribed in this passage. Then come back on this blog and leave a comment detailing what you have experienced – I believe we could be in store for some amazing stories!

Lord Jesus, help us to think about those things that bring you glory. Help us to not just do it for one hour or one day, but help us to create a practice in our lives of testing the things that we let define our thoughts! We praise you Lord for the way that guide our lives!!

Think About These Things - Part 1

2008-10-29T09:59:00.001-05:00

Okay this is not a rant against television because believe me I love to watch television. But God has really been dealing with me about this topic. Let me give you some statistics that I found that have just really rocked my soul:

Amount of time the average American watches TV a day

4 hours (or 28 hours/week, or 2 months of nonstop TV-watching per year).

Amount of time the average American will watch TV by the time they are 65

9 years

Number of hours of TV watched annually by Americans

250 billion

Value of that time watching TV annually by Americans assuming an average wage of S5/hour

S1.25 trillion

Number of minutes per week that parents spend in meaningful conversation with their children

3.5

Number of minutes per week that the average child watches television

1,680

Percentage of 4-6 year-olds who, when asked to choose between watching TV and spending time with their fathers, preferred television

Hours per year the average American youth spends in school

900 hours

Hours per year the average American youth watches television

1500

Number of murders seen on TV by the time an average child finishes elementary school

8,000

Number of violent acts seen on TV by age 18

200,000

Tomorrow we will take a look at a passage of scripture that has really challenged me regarding my own TV watching habits. Today I just want you to let these statistics flow over you.

Statistics were compiled by:

TV-Free America

1322 18th Street, NW

Washington, DC 20036

(202) 887-4036

What's that Smell?!

2008-10-23T10:23:00.002-05:00

What’s that Smell?!

Okay, this post is not about what you think it is about!! I want to look at a passage of scripture that I find SO compelling. Look at what it says:

2 Corinthians 2:14-16 (NIV)
14 But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumphal procession in Christ and through us spreads everywhere the fragrance of the knowledge of him. 15 For we are to God the aroma of Christ among those who are being saved and those who are perishing. 16 To the one we are the smell of death; to the other, the fragrance of life. And who is equal to such a task?

What is Paul talking about in these verses? When he speaks of a triumphal procession he is using the Greek word which described the Roman general returning home from battle victorious. During these victory parades incense would be burned as an act of worship to the gods. For those in the victorious Roman army, and for the spectators in Rome this smell of incense would have brought great joy and recognition of victory as the smell wafted over the crowd. But for the enemy soldier who was paraded through town only to be killed at the final ceremony the smell would have signaled death for them. For the Romans the smell was the smell of life and for their enemies it was the smell of impending death.

It is with this metaphor that Paul describes how God uses us to spread the knowledge of him. You see once we have accepted Christ we are not to shrink to the sidelines as though we have been defeated in battle. No, we are now alive, we are victorious! That victory in our lives should spread out throughout the world. We should take the knowledge of Him to all people of all nations. We have the aroma of Christ on us and we should act like it! Now to those who will reject Him that aroma will only signal their doom, but to those who accept the message of grace that we spread will delight in His aroma on us because it signals their eternal life!!

So let me ask you a question, can people smell Christ on you? Does the smell of Christ waft over your neighborhood or your workplace? Can others smell the close proximity of Christ in your life? We are being paraded by God through the world, let us march in the triumphal procession and allow the aroma of Christ to flow from us!

Lord, let others be able to tell that I have been close to you today. Please help me to take my place in the triumphal procession so that the knowledge of you might spread to all people of all nations. I praise you my victorious King!

MAN LAW

2008-10-21T13:07:00.002-05:00

Man Law #348: You mess with the youngest of 3 boys at your own peril!

My son Koleman learned an important lesson in Man Law on Saturday. You can read a mother’s perspective of the event on my wife’s blog, but let me tell you my side!

Koleman and his friend were playing and wrestling on the field near where the team Kensey cheers for were playing their game. Koleman was dishing it out as well as he was receiving it. But ultimately he learned Man Law #348: You mess with the youngest of 3 boys at your own peril!

Koleman has two sisters at home. They like to dress him up and laugh at him! They like to make him play barbies and house. But his friend is the youngest of 3 boys. He is used to being a tackling dummy and wrestle partner. It goes without saying that one is much more experienced in rough-housing than the other! Well when the boys started rough-housing Koleman gave his friend his best move – and it was NOT good enough!!! Needless to say we learned two important lessons: 1) mommy is not allowed to rescue you just because you picked on the wrong guy; and 2) if you are going to dish out the punishment then you can’t cry when they give it back!!

Growing up as a boy is not an easy thing in a world that demands the feminization of men. But I am determined that Koleman will not shy away from difficulties just because they are a little painful! I am determined that he will be a Godly man without being feminine! I am determined that he will have a sensitive heart and a strong back! And, I am so thankful that he has other boys who are growing up in Christian homes to help him learn these lessons!

Crowns - Part 3 - GLORIOUS!!

2008-10-17T09:26:00.001-05:00

Okay one last thought about crowns.

The passage of scripture that really grabbed my attention when I started thinking about this topic is from the book of Revelation. It reads:

Revelation 4:9-11 (NIV)
9 Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10 the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say:
11 “You are worthy, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they were created
and have their being.”

The elders in this passage are the representatives for the church of God. In other words they represent each of us who have had the crowns of righteousness and life placed upon our heads.

This passage tells us that when the elders are in the presence of God they take off their crowns and lay them before the Lord. This is the point that really captured me as I considered the crowns. Think about it – as much as the crown of righteousness means to us because it represents the work and sacrifice of Christ on the cross that covers our sin and allows God to declare us as justified before Him; and as much as the crown of life is cherished because it represents our willingness to persevere in our faith in the midst of a world that will hate us; neither means anything compared to the surpassing greatness of just being in His presence!

God is so incredible and so glorious that everything else pales in comparison! The work of Christ on the cross, my own perseverance in faith all pale when compared to Him when He displays His glory!

We do not serve a mundane God. We do not worship a stale God. We do not bow before a God who is beige. We serve, worship and commit our lives to Him who lives in unapproachable light; the one whose glory is indescribable and whose might stretches beyond my own ability to imagine. We are children of the King, purchased with the cost of His own blood – but none of that compares to the sheer delight that we will experience at just being in His presence!! He truly is worthy to be praised and nothing that I might gain in this life or the life to come can compare to Him! Let us bow before Him and present our crowns!

Philippians 3:7-8 (NIV)
7 But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. 8 What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ…

Crowns - Part 2

2008-10-15T17:12:00.002-05:00

Okay, let’s keep talking about “crowns.” Yesterday we looked at the “crown of righteousness.” Today I want us to look at the most familiar crown in the New Testament, the “crown of life.” What I found as I studied this crown has absolutely blown me away!!!

The “crown of righteousness” is a crown that points to the efforts of Christ on the cross that allowed for our justification even though we are rebellious and not righteous (see yesterday’s post for a more full explanation). But the “crown of life” points to our own perseverance once Christ captures us in salvation. Let me try to show you what I mean – the key text for the “crown of life” is found in the book of Revelation:

Revelation 2:10 (NIV)

¹⁰Do not be afraid of what you are about to suffer. I tell you, the devil will put some of you in prison to test you, and you will suffer persecution for ten days. Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you the crown of life.

The word for “crown” that is used here is the Greek word stephanos it was used to denote the crown that was given to the victor of a competition. And the word “life” here is clearly talking about eternal life in God’s love and grace.

So think about what the Apostle John is saying in this passage. He is saying that if we will stand strong in our faith even to the point of death that God will place on our heads the victor’s crown of eternal life in His love! So, the “crown of righteousness” was earned by Christ on the cross. It assures us of eternal life as we are justified before the Righteous Judge. But the “crown of life” is placed on our heads when live in that gift and persevere no matter the difficulties.

Now I am not saying that we earn eternal life, but I do believe that what this passage teaches us is that we show that the righteousness of Christ really lives in us if we persevere in our faith when it is difficult. I do not believe that the scriptures allow for the wishy-washy believer. We have either been radically transformed or we haven’t, but there is no in-between. And if we have been transformed then we will show it with how we live our lives, not just when things are easy, but when they get hard (even to the point of death). This is what makes the following statement from Christ so profound:

Matthew 10:22 (NIV)

²²All men will hate you because of me, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Again Jesus is not saying that our perseverance is what saves us, but He is saying that if we have been captured by Christ then we will persevere!

So, are you living the victorious life? Are you standing firm even though it is hard? Is God preparing the “crown of life” to be placed on your head? I pray that it is true!

Lord, please help us to persevere in our faith. Please help us to live out our love for you even when life is hard and we want to give up or follow our own course. We praise you that we prove our salvation every day when we live in obedience to you!

Crowns - Part 1

2008-10-14T13:36:00.005-05:00

Have you ever thought about the crowns that are mentioned throughout scripture? Probably not, I had never really thought about them until a couple of weeks ago when several of the songs that we sang in worship mentioned “crowns.” It got me thinking about their obvious importance in the scriptures and what they mean to us. So I did a little study! Over the next couple of days I would like to look at this interesting topic.

Crowns are mentioned throughout the New Testament. There is the crown that athletes receive as a result of winning the race (1 Corinthians 9:25). There is the crown of thorns that Christ wore on the cross; and Paul will mention those that he has led to Christ as his own earthly crown (Philippians 4:1). But the crowns that interest me the most are the eternal crowns.

2 Timothy 4:8 gives mention to one of the eternal crowns:

2 Timothy 4:8 (NIV)
8 Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day—and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.

Now the Greek of the phrase crown of righteousness is interesting. It seems, on the surface, that this phrase means that God will place on our heads a crown that has the word “righteousness” written on it. In fact what is meant here is that God will place righteousness on our head as though it is a crown.

So the only way for us to fully understand the crown of righteousness is to understand the word “righteousness”:

Righteousness means “the state of being right” (Harper’s Bible Dictionary). In other words to be righteous means that we have never been wrong. The only problem with any of us possessing the title of “righteous” is that, clearly, we have all done wrong.

So for us to understand our ability to be righteous we have to understand the concept of justification.

Justification: it is the judicial act of God, by which he pardons all the sins of those who believe in Christ, and accounts, accepts, and treats them as righteous in the eye of the law, i.e., as conformed to all its demands. In addition to the pardon (q.v.) of sin, justification declares that all the claims of the law are satisfied in respect of the justified. It is the act of a judge and not of a sovereign. The law is not relaxed or set aside, but is declared to be fulfilled in the strictest sense; and so the person justified is declared to be entitled to all the advantages and rewards arising from perfect obedience to the law (Easton’s Bible Dictionary).

In other words, we are righteous because God considers the righteousness of Christ and His willingness to receive our punishment on the cross; and pardon’s all of our sin so that we are considered as absolutely without sin before Him!

Think about that for a second; even though I am absolutely sinful and rebellious against God, because of the sacrifice of Christ God declares me to be absolutely right when I stand in front of Him!

So, what Paul is saying in this verse is that if I (and you) will place our faith in Christ then God will place righteousness on our head as though it were a crown! And, I can have full confidence in the receipt of that crown because it has been purchased with the blood of Christ and promised by God!

Let us delight today in the crown of righteousness that awaits any of us who have placed our faith in Christ to purchase our sin and grant us eternal life in heaven. Let us be a people who freely share this gift that awaits any who believe!

Lord I praise you for my righteousness. I know that my sin reveals my need for judgment, but your love and sacrifice has purchased grace for me! Lord please help me to live in the righteousness that cost you so much today! I praise you!

A Child's Challenge!

2008-10-07T11:38:00.002-05:00

Today’s blog is not really a devotional as much as it is a challenge.

Over the weekend my oldest daughter Kensey (9 years old) was telling us about a friend in her class who is Muslim. Kensey said that she really wanted to share Christ with her. In Kensey’s Sunday School class they had learned how to use an Evangecube so Valinda gave her one and we prayed together yesterday morning that God would give her the right words and that God would soften the heart of her friend.

I cannot tell you how excited I was to see Kensey’s passion to share the Gospel. I loved that Valinda and I did not have to spur her on, she took the initiative to share and went boldly forward!

Well yesterday when she finished school my first question was, “How did it go?” She told me that her friend said, “It is not that I do not believe in your God, I just believe in my god more.” Kensey then blew me away by saying that she was going to keep looking for opportunities to share with her friend. I love that she did not get discouraged or give up, she was just determined to keep right on sharing!

But then something happened that touched my heart even further – Karis, my middle child (7 years old), started weeping! She said, “But I want everyone to believe in the One True God!” Her heart was broken that Kensey’s friend had not accepted Christ! I was humbled by the depth of pain that she felt over anyone who would not accept Christ.

I don’t know if you are like me, but I wish that I was as driven by the gospel as those two girls! The passage of scripture that sounds in my heart is in the book of Psalms:

Psalm 8:2a (NIV)
2 From the lips of children and infants
you have ordained praise…

So, what is stopping you from sharing your faith? Is it fear, lack of knowledge, or some other excuse that we all tend to use when it comes to participating in the radical advancement of the Kingdom of God? The reality is that each and every one of us should be broken over those who do not know Christ as their savior. Lostness should keep us up at night and drive us forward during the day. We should take our cue from two schoolgirls and we should boldly proclaim the grace of Christ because our love for our fellow man compels us into action! We must no longer sit on the sidelines but we should grasp this day, this moment for His glory! We have been deeply loved; let us love others by sharing the truth of His grace!

Romans 1:16a (NIV)
16 I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes…

Lord Jesus, help my heart to break for those who do not know you as Savior! Please help me to never forget the certainty of judgment and the depth of your love! Let me push aside my fear and apathy and help me to press forward unashamedly with your Gospel on my lips! I praise you my Savior.

Temptation - Part 3

2008-10-06T15:35:00.003-05:00

Okay I promised this last post about temptation last week, but the offer to stay out on the deer lease for one more day won out over my desire to post on the blog! I know, I know, I am weak! Anyway, back to the topic of temptation.

The last temptation of Christ during His time in the wilderness is as interesting one. I have to admit that when I first started this topic I thought that I had it figured out, but the more I look at it the more that I think that I had it wrong. So, let’s look at the passage for today:

Luke 4:9-12 (NIV)
9 The devil led him to Jerusalem and had him stand on the highest point of the temple. “If you are the Son of God,” he said, “throw yourself down from here. 10 For it is written:
“ ‘He will command his angels concerning you
to guard you carefully;
11 they will lift you up in their hands,
so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.’”
12 Jesus answered, “It says: ‘Do not put the Lord your God to the test.’”

When I first read this passage I thought that the temptation was about pride. I thought that Satan was challenging Christ over whether or not He was really the Son of God. I thought that he was trying to get Jesus to prove Himself.

But when I kept reading the passage I could not get away from Christ’s response to Satan. He does not respond with, “I have no need to prove myself.” Or, “I know who I am; I do not need to prove it to you!” No, He responds simply with, “Do not put the Lord your God to the test.” And then I realized, Satan is not trying to get Jesus to prove Himself, He is challenging Jesus to prove how much He really trusts His Father. This is not a challenge to the abilities of Christ; this is a challenge to the abilities of the Father. So, the temptation is most clearly, “Do you really trust your Father the way that you say that you do? If so prove it!” This is a challenge to the faith of Christ!

Can you imagine that Christ would have been tempted to not trust His Father? But think about it, has there ever been a more trusting moment than when Christ took on flesh? Before taking on flesh Jesus was omnipresent (everywhere at once); omniscient (all knowing); omnipotent (all powerful) – He was GOD!! But then when He became flesh each of these attributes was veiled. He could no longer be everywhere at once; He did not know everything (He confesses that He does not know the day or hour of His return – Matthew 24:36); and He was not all-powerful (He can only do that which the Father tells Him to do – John 5:19). He went from being absolutely in control of all creation to having to trust His Father to lead, guide and protect Him! Can you imagine the level of faith that it took for Him to step into flesh?

With this reality in mind let this passage from Philippians 2 wash over you:

Philippians 2:5-8 (NIV)
5 Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
6 Who, being in very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped (better translated as "held onto"),
7 but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

So, when the enemy challenges Christ to throw Himself from the Temple He is challenging Christ to test the trustworthiness of His Father to do what He had promised – to protect His Son. You see Satan knows that if he can convince Christ that His Father is not trustworthy then the downfall of Christ is all but assured. Satan understood that the entirety of Christ’s life and ministry was built upon the faith that He had in His Father! But Jesus will not be drawn into the challenge; He has no need to test His Father because His Father had never failed to be trustworthy.

So let me ask you, do you trust God the way that Christ did? Is your attitude the same as that of Christ Jesus as it is commanded to be in Philippians 2:5?

Well maybe these questions are unfair, so let me start with one that is a little more clear-cut – “Has God ever let you down?” The response must be an unequivocal and absolute, “NO!” Of course He has not let you down because it is impossible for God to let you down:

2 Timothy 2:13 (NIV)
13 if we are faithless,
he will remain faithful,
for he cannot disown himself.

And if it is impossible for God to let us down then there is no need to ever doubt Him! So, whatever you might be dealing with today (stock market worries, marriage issues, parenting problems) you can trust Him. Now, that does not mean that God will remove every struggle, but it does mean that we can trust that no matter how difficult a situation may be, no matter how much it may hurt, God will ALWAYS work it out for that which is absolutely the best!

Romans 8:28 (NIV)
28 And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.

Lord, help us to trust you with our entire lives! Please remind us that you are absolutely trustworthy and when the enemy tries to convince us to do things under our own power or in our own wisdom remind us that you and you alone are really trustworthy. We praise you our Lord and our God!

Temptation - Part 2

2008-10-01T10:47:00.001-05:00

Okay let’s go back to our discussion on temptation. Yesterday we looked at the first temptation – to take control of our own lives and to provide for ourselves. We saw that the way that we combat this temptation is to delight ourselves in God above all others and trust that our greatest blessings flow from Him. This same theme will flow into the next temptation. Look at what happens:

Luke 4:5-8 (NIV)
5 The devil led him up to a high place and showed him in an instant all the kingdoms of the world. 6 And he said to him, “I will give you all their authority and splendor, for it has been given to me, and I can give it to anyone I want to. 7 So if you worship me, it will all be yours.”
8 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.’”

So, what is the Enemy tempting Christ with here? Materialism! He is trying to convince Christ that all of the stuff that the world has to offer, wealth and fame, is of higher value than God. You see if wealth and fame is of highest value then it does not matter if Christ worships Satan because by worshipping Satan Christ will receive that which is most valuable.

And this temptation is exactly what ensnares so many of us. We fall into the trap of believing that the path to happiness is found in material things. So we chase after these things as though they were God. Maybe you don’t believe me that we chase after the things of this world as though they were God. So let me ask you a question, “Already, today, have you spent more time earning your paycheck or seeking after the Lord?” You see the path to materialism is a slippery slope!

Now I am not implying that we should all quit our jobs and just read our Bibles all day. But I am saying that our lives should prove whom we truly serve. Because we cannot serve our pursuit of money and God at the same time. This is how Christ will say it:

Matthew 6:24 (NIV)
24 “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.

So, how do we know if we are serving God or money? How do we make sure that we look at life the same way that Christ looked at it, “Worship the Lord your God and serve him only.” I think the answer is found in how we use our money. This is where things get deep, so hang with me!

You see the end result of the life of Christ is that all authority and splendor would be given to Him:

Philippians 2:8-11 (NIV)
8 And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death—
even death on a cross!
9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

But notice why Christ is given all authority and splendor – vs. 11b, to the glory of God the Father. Christ suffered died and was exalted for the glory of God. But Satan tries to convince him to take the glory for Himself. He says, “You can have everything that you are shooting for anyway, just do it for your own glory!”

Well it is the same with us. You see, there is nothing wrong with seeking after blessings. There is nothing wrong with working hard and making a good living. But the question that we each have to wrestle with is, “Why I am working so hard? Is it for my own comfort and my own fame? Do I work so that I can hoard my wealth and use it only for my own benefit? Or, am I completely submitted to God’s will for my life? Do I enjoy the blessings that He allows me to have, but do I enjoy them with an open hand? Am I always willing to release any blessing in my life so that it might be a blessing to someone else for the glory of God?”

You see Christ was not going to be sucked into a materialistic mindset. He knew that God planned to bless Him and provide for Him if He would but serve the Father. So He had no need to take it for Himself. In the same way we can rest in the absolute assurance that if we will serve God and not money that He will bless us and prosper us. We can trust that if we will serve and worship Him that we will know hope and a bright future.

Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.

In this time of economic uncertainty the temptation will be more real than maybe ever before in our lives. Determine now that you will live your life with an open hand. Determine now that you will trust that God is the giver of blessing and that you ultimately serve Him alone.

Oh Lord I trust you and praise you. I admit that I am tempted to grab my own blessings. I admit that I want to seek the things of this world more than I seek my relationship with you. I admit that material things dominate the desires of my heart. Lord, please help me to worship only you, not my bank account or the toys that I purchase. Lord you alone give me hope and a future and I trust you!

Temptation - Part 1

2008-09-30T16:39:00.002-05:00

Well in my last post I talked about repentance. But today I want to look at the starting point of repentance – temptation. You see unless we are tempted we do not sin and if we do not sin then there is no need to repent.

So I would like for us to look at this topic of temptation by exploring the most powerful moment of temptation that the world has ever known – the temptation of Christ. In this story from Matthew 4; Mark 1; and Luke 4 we see Jesus having to endure the all-out assault of Satan. The Enemy tempts Christ in three different ways during this encounter.

Now what I think is important to note is that Satan believed that he could get Jesus to sin through these temptations; and if there was the possibility that Christ would sin then it seems obvious that we are almost certain to fail under the same scenario. In fact, I believe that the three temptations of Christ remain the greatest temptations for all of humanity. I believe that it is these three sins that we must guard against above all others. So over the next few days (today, tomorrow, and Friday – I will not be posting on Thursday – I have the chance to go hunting) we will explore these temptations in more detail and see what we must do to avoid falling into the pit that they offer us.

So, let’s start by looking at the beginning of the passage:

Luke 4:1-4 (NIV)
Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in the desert, 2 where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry.
3 The devil said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell this stone to become bread.”
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone.’”

The first temptation does not seem to be all that applicable to us, I mean doesn’t the simple solution seem to be – DON’T GET THAT HUNGRY! This is an avenue to success that I willingly embrace! But the temptation to make bread and eat is not really the point of Satan’s offer. No, what he is saying is, “You must become the determiner of your own life; you must provide for your own well-being; you can only really trust yourself; you must be the boss of you!” This temptation screams for Christ to not trust His Father, but lean on his own abilities to get through life.

Now this is a temptation that strikes at the core of each of us. Let’s face it, if we really trusted God completely then we would have no fear of sharing the Gospel in our workplaces; tithing would be a simple and delightful act of obedience; and we would never be willing to sacrifice any part of our integrity for the sake of political correctness! No, trust is hard! And the temptation in our hearts screams for us to not do it His way, but to carve out our own path and do it our own way!

You can bet that Christ wanted those rocks to be bread; that He wanted to not be so hungry. But He also knew deep down that the only thing that could really sustain Him; the only thing that would really satisfy was (and is) the Word of God. In fact the Apostle Matthew will record the rest of the words of Christ in this moment when He says this:

Matthew 4:4 (NIV)
4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

I think that when this temptation really takes root in our heart is when we think that something can satisfy us more than the blessings of God. You see if I think that only God can really satisfy then I am only concerned with having more of God (which I know comes only through obedience). But if I convince myself that there is something out there worth more than Him then I am willing to try and sidestep Him to get it. This is exactly the issue that confronts Christ and He overcomes it by coming back to the delightfulness of the Word of God. God and God alone satisfies and blesses our lives – so place your hope in Him!

Psalm 130:5 (NIV)
5 I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
and in his word I put my hope.

Oh Lord I praise you! You and you alone satisfy! Forgive me when I seek to control my own life thinking that I can bring greater blessings than what flows from your loving hand. I place my trust in you. In you alone I put my hope!

Ecuador Praises!!!

2008-09-30T16:38:00.002-05:00

I am so excited about our Ecuador Mission Team!!! Yesterday they had the opportunity to lead 300 people to Christ! I cannot wait to hear the stories and see the power of the flame of the Gospel that they will bring back with them! Please join with me in continuing to pray for them!

If you would like to follow their blog you can access it here: http://fbcprospermissions.blogspot.com

3 Forms of Repentance

2008-09-25T16:42:00.001-05:00

I have been thinking of the concept of repentance lately. Did you know that there are three different words in the New Testament Greek that are translated as “repentance?”

The first word (metamelomai) speaks to a change of mind regarding sin. It can even mean that you feel a certain remorse about sin, but it does not mean that you have experienced true Godly repentance. In fact this is the same word that was used to describe Judas’ emotion towards his betrayal of Christ (Matt 27:3). You can dislike your sin, but not be willing to turn from it.

There is another word for repentance (metanoeo). It means that you change your mind about sin as a result of the consequences of the sin. In other words this is the kind of repentance that says, “I wish that I would not have done this or that because it sure did cost me a lot!” This type of repentance is also not true God honoring repentance because it focuses more on the consequence of sin than our passion for our relationship with the Lord. It is the child who hates getting the spanking for stealing the lollipop but refuses to acknowledge that the stealing revealed something of his character.

Finally we have the word for repentance that means that there has been a change of heart, mind and action (metanoia). In this instance we do not just dislike the sin, or the consequence of sin, we are willing to turn from our sin and never return. Then as we acknowledge our own guilt we are apprehended (I love this word when it is used in the context of God’s taking hold of us – let it soak over you for a moment) by the divine mercy of our God!

So here is the question, how are you dealing with your sin today? Do you just hate your sin, but keep right on doing it? Do you hate the consequence of your sin, but repentance is entirely selfish? Or, do you turn from your sin and never return because you have learned that a right relationship with God is to be desired above all other things? If we will turn from our sin we are always APPREHENDED by His love!

I think that too often we settle for one of the first two forms of repentance without going all the way to the third form. We must understand that the first two do not open us to the mercy of God. So what are the steps to repentance? Here is a quick guide: 1) Acknowledge guilt; 2) Begin to hate your sin; 3) Turn from your sin; 4) Condition yourself to never return to your sin; 5) Experience grace!!!

My prayer is that you would experience grace this week as you turn from anything that might hinder your walk with the Lord and enjoy the depth of His grace!

Lord, please help me to notice the sin that hinders my relationship with you; give me the strength to turn from that sin; and help me to enjoy the depth of your grace! You are my treasure my Lord and my God!

One of the Those Days

2008-09-24T14:57:00.002-05:00

Every day I try to take some time to write down some thoughts about what the Lord is revealing to me that day, but I have to tell you that I am just out of time today!! I am sorry that I did not have the time to put together a full post - I will do better tomorrow.

My prayer is that each of you would drink deeply of our Lord's goodness today - even if your day is as crazy as mine!!!

DON'T SERVE GOD!!!

2008-09-23T11:16:00.002-05:00

Let me ask you a question, “Did you know that God does not want us to serve Him?”

I know what you are thinking, “Yes He does I am supposed to be a servant of Jesus Christ! I mean doesn’t Paul call himself a servant of Christ in Romans 1:1, Philemon 1:1, and Titus 1:1?” Well the answer is, yes he does call himself a servant of Christ. But how do we understand this title of Paul against this statement from Paul:
Acts 17:24-25 (NIV)
24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else.

How can Paul call himself a servant of Christ and then turn around and say that God is not served by human hands? I think that it all comes down to empowerment:

You see God does not need anything from us. He is not needy or in want. He does not need us to accomplish His will – He is all-powerful. He does not need us to inform Him of anything – He is all knowing. He does not need us for fellowship – He is complete within Himself (He was not lonely for the eternity before He created us). No, God does not NEED us for anything. To think that in some way God needs us to serve Him as though He lacked anything is to place ourselves in a position of power that is not allowed in the scriptures. Remember: he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything…

On the other hand it is clear that we are all called to be servants of God. But I am a servant not because of what I bring to the endeavor, but because of what God has done in me and what He wants to do through me. In my own power I am incapable of serving God (or really participating in anything of eternal value). But because of Christ in me I am empowered to do anything that my Lord might command of me.

So it is not as though I serve my Lord the way that I sometimes serve my family – with a shout of exasperation, “I have to do EVERYTHING around here” (which, if you know my incredible wife, you know that I am COMPLETELY overstating the situation). No, I serve as one who has been empowered by the creator God to participate in endeavors that would be completely out of my reach if left to my own strength. I serve as one who GETS to say, “I cannot believe that I have been given the incredible opportunity to participate in something so divine!” In this scenario God, and God alone, receives all glory because God and God alone has created, empowered, and brought to completion the task!

So today I challenge you to look for how you might participate in the divine; how you might be empowered by our loving Lord to do be involved in the miraculous. Our Lord stands ready to do the miraculous in you and through you – do not miss your chance!!

Lord, thank you that you allow me to participate in your will not because you need me to, but because you love me so much that you give me the gift of involvement. I pray Lord that I would not miss out on the incredible opportunities that you will set in my path today so that I might bring you glory and my heart might be enthralled!!

That's What I am Talkin' 'Bout!!!

2008-09-23T06:00:00.001-05:00

Last night I WON a bet with Valinda which has allowed me to put the following on my blog - "I was RIGHT and Valinda was WRONG!!" AHHHHHH... Sweet Victory!!

To reference her contrite admission of defeat see her blog at http://valindak.blogspot.com

WOW!!!

2008-09-22T18:13:00.002-05:00

Okay - I know that these are not deep thoughts, but I just wanted to take minute to acknowledge the incredible things that God is doing at FBCP right now. The time together yesterday in worship was AMAZING!! I just love gathering with our church in worship.

Also we had 10, count them 10, families go through our very first Connect First membership class! So many new faces who are so excited about what God is doing at FBCP.

There are times where things are really difficult and I know that God is refining me in the fire. And I want to learn to not dispise those moments but view them as a gift from the Lord as He creates His character in me. But I have to tell you I REALLY love these mountaintop moments!!! I know that He is great and loving when things are hard, but it is REALLY easy to see his greatness and love in times like this!!!

I pray that if you are in the valley that our Lord would strengthen you; and if you are on the mountaintop that you would not fail to recognize HIS majesty as you take in the scenery!

Comments Welcome!

2008-09-17T18:30:00.002-05:00

Hey I just noticed that I was not allowing comments on the blog - I have solved the problem, if you would like to add your voice to the discussion the floor is now your's!!

Discovering God's Will - Part 3

2008-09-17T16:16:00.000-05:00

Okay, one last time with Romans 12:1-2. I hope I don’t lose you with my ramblings, because this is good stuff, I am just not sure that I can explain it well!!!

Over the last two days we have seen that future revelation begins with obedience to past revelation. Obedience to past revelation changes the way that we live in a broken world. A change in the way that we live in a broken world leads to a change in how we think about life that God has given us. This leads us to the last part of the passage:

Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Did you see what Paul just told us? If we will become obedient to past revelation then it will change the way that we think about the commands of God and THEN we will be able to test His will. But how do we know if it passes the test? Because it will seem good, pleasing and perfect to us! In other words, if you are obedient to the revelation of God’s will then your perspective of the world will be so conformed to God’s standard that living in His will is instinctive because we are doing what just seems best and most pleasing to us.

This point is driven home in Psalm 37:4 (NIV)
4 Delight yourself in the Lord
and he will give you the desires of your heart.

Paul and the Psalmist have just said the same thing! The Psalmist says that if we will delight ourselves in God above all things (exemplified in our obedience to Him) then He will give us the desires of our heart. The reason that this statement is always true is that if I am delighting in God above all others then HIS desires BECOME my desires and God always does what He most desires!

So take it back to Romans. If I am obedient to past revelation (this is delighting myself in the Lord) then I am transformed in my thinking so that I think like He thinks and see the world the way He sees it. So now I want what He wants and I despise what He despises and it seems like doing that which is most holy and righteous is just the no-brainer thing to do. In fact it seems like the only good, pleasing and perfect thing to do!!

So could it be that if I am unsure of what to do it is because of disobedience? Could it be that the desires of my heart prove the condition of my heart? Could it be that I do not need to worry about whether I am capable of being obedient tomorrow because my obedience today assures me of God’s provision? Could it be that the key to worry free living and good pleasing and perfect lives all begins with a simple commitment to become obedient to the will of God that has already been revealed to me?

Lord, I want to delight myself in you by obeying you! I want to be transformed in every area of my life so that to walk in your will is just instinctive and pleasant! Lord you alone satisfy the deep desires of my heart!

Discovering God's Will - Part 2

2008-09-16T08:56:00.000-05:00

Okay let’s return again to our discussion from yesterday. We discovered that the first step in discovering God’s will is not to seek His will but to become obedient to the will that He has already revealed to us. In other words the first step to future revelation is obedience to past revelation. If there is any area of our lives that is currently being lived in disobedience to God then we should abandon our hope for more revelation until we have dealt with that issue in repentance and illustrated that repentance through a changed life.

Now let’s return to our passage from yesterday:

Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Did you notice the next step of discovering God’s will? It is found at the beginning of verse 2: 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Now this verse is not meant to be understood apart from verse 1. They are intrinsically tied to one another. So, the first step is to become obedient to the past revelation of God’s will; which will lead to a changed life; which leads to a transformed mind.

In other words, as we walk in obedience to the revelation of God it changes the way that we live in the midst of a broken world. No longer do we embrace the things that the world embraces (selfishness, materialism, gluttony, self-advancement, gossip, slander, flattery, or pride – just to name a few). No, now we live for His glory and the advancement of His Kingdom. But here is the key – as we live differently we begin to think differently. This truth is a radical shift from what the world tells us.

The world says that we should change our way of thinking and that will change our way of living. In fact many of the self-help books that litter our shelves are built around this premise – if you think good things then you will live good things. But what Paul has just revealed to us in Romans is that the opposite is actually true when it comes to the will of God. The scriptures tell us that if we will change our way of living then it will change our way of thinking. If you want to become more bold in sharing your faith then start sharing your faith. If you to understand the depth of scripture better, start studying scripture. If you want to find delight in obedience to the command to tithe, then start tithing. If you want to have more love for your spouse, then start showing them more love. Thinking follows living!!!

So here is what we know so far: Future revelation begins with obedience to past revelation. Obedience to past revelation changes the way that we live in a broken world. A change in the way that we live in a broken world leads to a change in how we think about life that God has given us.

Okay we will come back to this passage one more time tomorrow but for today let me encourage you to not wait for your mind or feelings to change about something before you start walking in obedience. Trust the Lord that if you will start walking in obedience that He will change how you feel about things. Today step out in faith, obey the Lord, and experience the change that only God can bring.

Lord, I give you praise for the way in which you order my life. I praise you that your will is not based on my obedience, but my understanding of your will is based on my obedience! Lord, help me to be obedient today! Help me to feel the delight and embrace the reasons that you lead me into uncharted waters as I walk in obedience to your commands! You are the great lover of my soul!

Discovering God’s Will - Part 1

2008-09-15T15:06:00.000-05:00

Okay, I know this one is late getting out today – I am sorry – the tyranny of the urgent!!

Have you ever sat and thought about how we can know God’s will? Well over the last few days I have spent A LOT of time wondering how we can know for sure that we are in His will! This morning as I was studying I discovered something that I have never seen before. Now I have read this passage literally hundreds of times and I have never noticed what I want to show you today; but today I feel like God threw back the curtain of understanding.

Let me also add that I was so struck by these truths today that I am probably going to preach on this someday, so please act real surprised and interested when I do!!!

Before we jump into the passage let me point out the process that I think that most of us go through when we are trying to walk in God’s will. First we encounter a problem; second we seek God; and third we head out into action. But look at what this familiar passage from scripture says:

Romans 12:1-2 (NIV)
Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. 2 Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

Did you see the progression in the verses? Let me see if I can break this down quickly:

First Paul tells us to offer our bodies as living sacrifices – what in the world does this mean? Simple, it means to be obedient to the will of God that has ALREADY been revealed to you. In other words the best way to begin to understand the will of God is to do that which He has already commanded. He will not reveal more of His will until you have displayed that you are willing to be obedient to what He has already revealed.

Could it be that the reason we cannot hear from Him about some matter that seems to be pressing in the moment is because we are still disobedient towards something that He has revealed to us in the past? Are we unable to hear today because we have still not shared our faith with that coworker that we know He has laid on our hearts? Are we walking in a fog of confusion because we still refuse to be obedient with our material blessings through the tithe? Are we lost in the chaos of our situation because we want direction for tomorrow without obedience to the direction of yesterday?

You see this passage tells us that obedience to Him is an act of worship. Why is it worship because by obeying God we are communicating that He is the one in control of our lives. It is saying, “You are God, and I am not!” This attitude of the heart is the essence of worship!

So the first step in discovering the will of God is to get active in our obedience to what He has already revealed. It is to not worry about tomorrow until we have first submitted today!

Tomorrow we will continue our search through this passage!

Lord, forgive me for my disobedience to your revealed will. Forgive me that I constantly look for more without submission to what I already have! Please help me to submit to what you have already revealed to me today, and trust that you will reveal more tomorrow!

A SHOUT!

2008-09-11T10:34:00.002-05:00

I want to spend a minute looking at the last part of the passage that we explored yesterday from the book of Job. Job has been talking about the greatness of God’s creation and how He upholds that creation with His might. And then he makes this incredible statement:

Job 26:14 (NIV)
14 And these are but the outer fringe of his works;
how faint the whisper we hear of him!
Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”
(emphasis mine)

As I contemplated this verse throughout the day I was struck with the fact that everything that I know, everything that I think is magnificent; from the vastness of space, to the majesty of the mountains, to the depth of the ocean is but the fringe of what God is capable of doing. That all that I have ever experienced is just God’s whisper to me! Then my mind went to the book of 1 Thessalonians where Paul is describing what it will be like when the Lord returns and we are united with Him forever. Look at what it says:

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 (NIV)
16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.
(emphasis mine)

Did you see what just happened? Where all of creation was just God’s whisper to us, when He returns to get us it will no longer be a whisper but it will be A LOUD COMMAND! No longer will our Savior speak in a whisper, then He will speak full voice! No longer will we see dimly, then we will see clearly and His beauty will sustain us forever!

Oh Lord that we might hear your beautiful powerful voice that shakes the mountains and delights the soul! Oh that we might join in the great roar of the multitude as we shout of your greatness!

Revelation 19:6-7 (NIV)
6 Then I heard what sounded like a great multitude, like the roar of rushing waters and like loud peals of thunder, shouting:
“Hallelujah!
For our Lord God Almighty reigns.
7 Let us rejoice and be glad
and give him glory!
For the wedding of the Lamb has come,
and his bride has made herself ready.

Lessons from Crutches - Part 2

2008-09-10T11:12:00.006-05:00

Use it or Lose It!

Since I have been on crutches a remarkable thing has happened to my surgically repaired leg – it has wasted away to nothing. I mean my leg looks like a pencil (well except of course for the knee it is still nicely swollen and looks like a canned ham taped to a straw)!! I cannot believe how fast this has happened. I used to have a big leg. I used to be able to lift hundreds of pounds with my leg and now I find it difficult to press the brake hard enough to bring my truck to a complete stop (anyone want to go driving with me)!

The atrophy in my leg got me thinking, “How many other things in life are wasting away because I am not putting them to good use?” This thought process has been very humbling for me. I must confess that I think one of the areas where this really gets me is with my mind. I know that I am too often content to rest on things that I learned while I was in college or seminary. I am prone to just fall back on old discoveries about God instead of constantly discovering new and more amazing truths about our infinite Savior.

Listen to the words of Job:
Job 26:5-14 (NIV)
5 “The dead are in deep anguish,
those beneath the waters and all that live in them.
6 Death is naked before God;
Destruction lies uncovered.
7 He spreads out the northern skies over empty space;
he suspends the earth over nothing.
8 He wraps up the waters in his clouds,
yet the clouds do not burst under their weight.
9 He covers the face of the full moon,
spreading his clouds over it.
10 He marks out the horizon on the face of the waters
for a boundary between light and darkness.
11 The pillars of the heavens quake,
aghast at his rebuke.
12 By his power he churned up the sea;
by his wisdom he cut Rahab to pieces.
13 By his breath the skies became fair;
his hand pierced the gliding serpent.
14 And these are but the outer fringe of his works;
how faint the whisper we hear of him!
Who then can understand the thunder of his power?”

All of the most majestic and miraculous things in creation are but the outer fringe of his works!!! How can I ever be satisfied with old revelation, with stale discovery? Every day I am given the incredible opportunity to discover Him anew, to be confronted with His greatness in a fresh way. Lord forbid that I should forfeit such an opportunity!

Have you discovered something new of the Lord today? Have you been confronted with a fresh measure of His grace; have you delighted in His character and majesty? Have you found yourself more submerged in Him today than you were yesterday? If not, what are you waiting on? There is nothing that satisfies like Him; nothing that is as valuable as Him; and no endeavor that has as much meaning as the pursuit of His depth.

What are you waiting for? Use It or Lost It!

Lord, might I discover you in some new and life-changing way today so that your glory might be displayed in me!

AMAZING!!

2008-09-09T14:10:00.002-05:00

Last night I had the opportunity to sit down with a man who has been attending our church for the last few months. He was raised in a Catholic background and agreed to come to FBC because his wife wanted to try it out. He told me that he never really expected to like or agree with us. But he said that over the last few months he has learned more about God than he ever had. He said that he finds himself reading and studying his Bible, something that he never did before.

So last night we talked about the major differences in the Catholic and Protestant faith. We talked about how a personal relationship with Christ is not about what he can do for his salvation, but about what Christ has already done for him on the cross and the GIFT of grace that Christ is offering. You could tell that the Holy Spirit was confirming everything that we were talking about in his heart.

When he left he told me that he just needed to think about everything. I encouraged him that the enemy would try to convince him to hold off for one more day, and then one more month, and then eventually it would just not seem that important to him anymore. He called me today to say that when he got home last night and was trying to spend some time in the Bible that it got really crazy around his house and his first thought was that he would just think about all of this more tomorrow. He said, “At that moment it hit me that it was happening just like you said it would, and I knew that I needed to accept Christ.” So he asked Christ into his life last night. He asked Christ to save him from his sins and be the Lord of his life!

There is nothing finer than knowing that you were allowed the opportunity to participate in the work of the Holy Spirit as He shines a light on the truth of the Gospel in someone’s heart.

Thank you Lord Jesus that you give us this incredible gift of being able to share your Gospel – there is nothing that delights me like you!!!

I Am In Need!

2008-09-09T08:58:00.002-05:00

This morning I spent time contemplating these simple words of Christ “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35). Now I usually approach this text as to what my attitude should be towards my fellow humanity. But if it is true that “it is more blessed to give than to receive” then that means that it goes for God as well as for us.

Now let that sink in… It means that God is most glorified when He is giving to us. This is why Jesus will say, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). Why is God most glorified when He is giving to us instead of receiving what we give to Him? Because in constantly and consistently being the giver He reveals that He needs nothing and we need everything; that He is sufficient within Himself and we constantly want more. It reveals that we are absolutely dependant on Him!

But we tend to think that it is the duty of our life to give to God, but the scriptures are clear that we do not give God anything, “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything, because he himself gives all men life and breath and everything else” (Acts 17:24-25, emphasis mine). No we receive all things from Him even the breath that we breathe.

What an awesome thought that God just wants me to enjoy Him! In fact that it is my highest act of worship for me to just enjoy Him; and to stop thinking that in some way I must repay Him for my neediness.

Lord this day let me rest in my absolute neediness and your ability and delight in meeting every one of my needs!

Lessons From Crutches - Part 1

2008-09-08T10:24:00.002-05:00

As many of you know I have been on crutches after knee surgery for the last 5 ½ weeks. When I thought about having the surgery I thought that the most difficult part would be the pain, but after going through this entire ordeal I can tell you that the worst part is the crutches. The big-time pain went away after about 10 days but the crutches have gone on and on and on and (well you get the drift).

My stent on crutches, however, has not been entirely devoid of blessings. One of the biggest things that I have learned is that it is much harder to be taken care of than it is to take care of someone. I cannot tell you how helpless I feel sometimes. When you are on crutches all you are is mobile. You can’t carry a cup of coffee or a book across the room. Unless it fits in your pockets you can’t carry it! I can’t tell you how much it bugs me to have to ask someone in our office to get me coffee every time that I need one!!

And I have noticed that laziness just brings on more laziness. I have found that the more that I lay around the more that I WANT to lay around! I find that I am less and less motivated to do even the small things that I can do just so that I can lay around more. Yesterday in worship I was confronted with this truth head on. Our worship services were PACKED, our Worship Pastor had done an incredible job of creating a time of introspective yet celebrative worship; our Student Pastor has done an incredible job of building our Student Ministry and leading them to get involved in worship; our Executive Pastor had led our people through a successful reorganization of worship and Bible study times (and the seats were full because of it); and I just felt like a slug! I know that I have not worked as hard as they have worked over the last several weeks – and I HATE it!!! Yesterday the Lord pounded on my heart that it is time to get back in the game! My vow this morning is that the times of lying around are over – it is time for me to work and move for HIS glory and to completely fulfill the task that He has set before me.

If you have the chance to pray for me this week ask that the Lord would not let me slip back into those lazy ways and that I would be diligent for His glory!

Taking the Plunge

2008-09-05T22:24:00.000-05:00

Okay I have to admit that I have been reluctant to join the blogging community because I was afraid that I would start off with a bang and then get busy and my last post would be 3 years old. But I feel like I am being taught so much by the Holy Spirit right now that I felt that it was probably appropriate for me to invite others to take this journey with me.

My intention is for this blog to be intensely personal because I hope for it to detail my own journey. Lets face it, long journeys are messy endeavors - the car is trashed, you have bed head from sleeping in the car, bad breath and everyone is ready to just get there; but the destination makes it all worth it! I think that this picture accurately represents my own journey of faith - it is messy and hard, but I would not trade the destination for anything in creation - to ultimately hear my Savior say, "Well done!"

So my commitment is to let you share in my messiness. It might not always be pleasant, but the end will always be worth it! Thanks for loving me and our Savior enough to take this journey with me!