Are you ready for a ground-breaking revelation? Life can be burdensome! Yeah, that's right, life isn't always pleasant and sometimes downright unbearable. Are you shocked? Probably not. You've, no doubt already heard the news and likely have had it delivered personally.
For those who embrace the Christian faith, however, it seems there isn't a however. Life is tough for us too. There is a however, however (cute play on words, huh?), that being many bearing the name of Christ face the troubles with grace and even a song of praise on their lips and joy in their hearts.
How is that possible? And why is it only some, not all who bear His name? First, let me affirm that it is possible to "rejoice always...in any and all circumstances" (Phil 4:4-12). And the power is found in the presence of Christ (v. 13). The specific promise is found in Matthew 11:28-29, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you...and you will find rest for your souls."
OK, so tell us how putting on a yoke (burden) helps to relieve our burden? You are burdened by yourself, Jesus invites you to be yoked or to burden-share with him. He invites you to throw off your single yoke and join him in a double yoke. Jesus, then, will help you pull the load you found to be an over-burden, which is now lightened enough that you can make it. He does not get you out or over but through the difficult time.
Some don't have this help because they have simply taken up a religion, which leaves them pulling alone still, instead of entering into a relationship with Jesus that allows his Spirit to be a sure and present help in times of need. The yoke is on you but which one?
Jus' Askn.
I was just reading in Matthew 24:32, which warns, "Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come." Keep watch of what? Watch the skies? Watch the signs of the times? What exactly are we to watch?
With all the books written on the signs of the end and the many warnings given by various religious leaders and groups of "the gathering storm" and "signs of the end," it appears that many, if not most, have decided it is the signs of the times or end that we are to watch.
Against the tide of religious and popular thought, I would like to challenge that notion for a couple of reasons: 1) if you were to see enough signs to suggest that His coming was imminent, just what would you do? What would you change? What about you or your circumstances would need to change in that event? And, knowing that there are things that you would need to change to prepare for Christ's return, why wouldn't you go ahead and do that now, regardless of when He will return?
2) Verses 33, 34 are a synonymous parallelism with verse 32, which clearly state, "If the owner of the house had known at what time of night the thief was coming, he would have kept watch and would not have let his house be broken into. So you also must be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him."
Get the picture? Since we do not know just when He will return, we need to keep watch of our own house, of our own life so that we will be ready whenever He may come. Don't waste time watching the sky or the signs of the times or listening to the latest "prophetic warning," instead watch your life and what you are doing - be ready now - today. Tomorrow might not come or you might not be here.
Jus' Sayn
As a rule, "everyone looks out for their own interests" (Phil 2:21). However, there are some people who really get it that the way of Christ or true discipleship is to show genuine concern for the welfare of others (v. 20).
This mindset of Christ Jesus is what propelled him to relinquish his divine porogative and empty himself, taking on human form and accepting the way of the cross on our behalf (vv. 5-8).
It is a rare quality, which comes as a gift of grace from above that allows one to set aside all personal interests and focus on the need of the other. When we see it in action, we are moved within. Sometimes we call these people heroes, sometimes we call them mothers, sometimes we call them true friends, but we always are encouraged by their selfless acts on our or other's behalf.
There was one disciple in the New Testament, "Joseph, a Levite from Cyprus, whom the apostles called Barnabas (which means 'son of encouragement')" (Acts 4:6), that so personified this trait, he could only be rightly called by it. Sort of like those people, who light a room just by walking in and we feel compelled to call them Sunshine.
This trait, this Barnabas Factor, if you will, that compels people to sacrifice self is what made this country great and what keeps it safe. God blessed America by giving us an abundance of Barnabas types. This blessed nation is the Land of the free by the hand of the brave - the brave who are willing to die that others might be free.
Wouldn't you say that this very Barnabas Factor from the Spirit of Christ is the very reason we ought to gives thanks to God in this country today and every day?
Just' Askn.
Writing of a time when "Jerusalem will be called the Faithful City" (Zechariah 8:3), the prophet proclaimed, “In those days ten people from all languages and nations will take firm hold of one Jew by the hem of his robe and say, ‘Let us go with you, because we have heard that God is with you '” (v 23).
The implication being that when God's people live faithfully before him, they are also living befor others, who take note of that walk with God and be drawn to it. The faithful disciple, therefore, does not have to button-hole someone to share his/her faith because others will be holding on to your words, wanting to know what it is that you have, which is so clearly different.
Paul later wrote, "Be wise in the way you act toward outsiders; make the most of every opportunity. Let your conversation be always full of grace, seasoned with salt, so that you may know how to answer everyone" (Col 4:6,7).
Peter echoed this sentiment in saying, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have" (1 Pet 3:15).
The disciple's life, because of the faith and hope which lie within and radiate outward, is drawing and compelling others to find out more about this life and the power, which makes it possible. The calm in times of difficulty and the grace in times of blessing are so attractive to a world saturated in self that that is angry in trials and greedy in prosperity.
The disciple's life is to shine like a beacon in the darkness (Matt 5:14-16). Does yours?
Jus' Askn.
The quip, "Take it like a man - blame it on a woman," goes back to The Garden of Eden, where Adam tried to lay the blame for his sin on Eve: “The woman you put here with me —she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it.” (Gen 3:12). Better yet, he was implicating God as he charged, "you [God] put her here with me."
Sorry gals, I'd like to let you off the hook but the woman didn't stand up any better than the man, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate" (vs. 13). I don't know that the snake tried to pass the blame on anyone, he may have said, "Hey, I'm a snake! What did you expect?"
What I do know is that blaming others instead of taking responsibility for one's sin or woeful state of being has not lost any momentum over the millenniums. We blame our parents for our bad attitudes, poverty for our anger, victims for our abusive behavior, our bosses for our poor performance - you name the sinful nature or act and we'll name someone to blame, someone else, that is.
The problem with that, however, apart from not being true as we are free moral beings vested with the personal power to choose regardless of pressure to one side or another, is that forward progress or healing comes from confession (see James 5:16).
Denial keeps us under the power of our sin as we affirm our helplessness to change due to the influence of others. Conversely, confession affirms our God-given power to choose other and better. "I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength" (Phil 4:13).
Jus' Sayn.
God is sovereign, meaning that he acts independently of outside forces and that his will cannot not be resisted. But, in his sovereignty, God has determined that man is allowed free will as seen in John 1:11, "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him."
This means that God allows man the right and the ability to actually "quench the Spirit" (1Thess 5:19). Not to say that man can stop the spirit from acting in the worldly or accomplishing His ends, but man can quench or resist the Spirit from working on and in his own heart. As Revelation 3:20 reveals, the Spirit of The Lord "knocks on the door," not knocks it down.
God's sovereignty allows him to force his will upon us but his love offers us a choice. The right to accept or reject his will in our lives is both a great privilege and a grave responsibility. We can choose to accept the grace that allows us to become new creations (2 Cor 5:17) or we can choose to remain "without hope and without God in the world" (Eph 2:12).
The choice is yours. The Bible pleads with you, "do not quench the Spirit" (1 Thess 5:19), but God allows you to decide on life in the spirit or death in the flesh. What are you doing with that choice?
Jus' Askn.
When one says, "You can't judge me," the truth is that they aren't willing to accept their judgment. Or, at least, they say they are not accepting it. The anger heard so often in those disclaimers reminds me of Shakespeare 's famous words, "thou protesteth too much," suggesting that they really do accept the judgment, which is why they are so upset.
The other side of not accepting another's judgment is the inward rejecting of one's right or ability to judge. That inward resistance reflects an assessment of another's right or power to judge as well as your right and power to reject it. Listen to the apostle Paul's disclaimer, "I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself" (1 Cor 4:3).
Paul didn't go around being offended by the judgments of others, he simply didn't care what they thought or had to say. He knew who he was and what he was about to a degree that the opinions of others had no real bearing on his life. That is with one notable exception.
He cared very much what God thought. He accepted the judgment of God as right and good - as the only judgment that did matter and one that mattered always. It is the one you and I should care about above and to the exclusion of all others. Again, the words of the apostle Paul ring clear, "My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me" (1 Cor 4:4).
So, worrying about what others think or leaning on what you think are both a colossal waste of time and energy, in and of themselves. Taking into account what others say and reflecting on what you believe, however, have merit when corrected and/or adjusted by the Word of God. God is the Judge - others are only counsel.
Jus' Sayn.
Sibling rivalry began at The Beginning. Cain's offering of "some of the fruits of the soil" was rejected by The Lord while Able's "fat portions of some of the firstborn of his flock" was accepted (See Gen 4:3-4).
Instead of feeling guilt for his offer of mediocrity to The Lord, Cain felt shamed by his brother's offering of the best of his flock. Because he did not check his feelings or examine his actions, "sin was crouching at his door" (Gen 4:7) like "a lion looking for someone to devour" (1 Pet 5:8).
Contrary to Flip Wilson's once famous character, Geraldine, the devil didn't make him do it. Instead "[he was] tempted when [he was] dragged away by [his] own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it [gave] birth to sin; and sin, when it [was] full-grown, [gave] birth to death …" (Jas 1:14-15).
However, to be sure, the devil was there crouching like a lion, waiting for the moment of weakness to pounce, taking advantage of Cain's lack of self-reflection and control. And, in the end, death came as the result of his unbridled sin. Death came to Able as he was separated from this life at his brother's hand and death came to Cain as God sent him away from his life with his family to wander the earth alone.
When we say, "I just couldn't help myself," the truth is "we just didn't help ourselves or seek help for ourselves. With God's help, we can "resist the devil and he will flee from [us]" (Jas 4:7). We are not and cannot be perfect (see Rom 3:10, 23), but, with God's help, we "can stand against the devil's schemes" (Eph 6:11), taking the teeth out of the lion crouching at our door.
Jus' Sayn.
When I was growing up, no one was cooler than the Lone Ranger, no monicker was more hip than Lone Wolf and no belief could have been more wrong than it is better to be alone. The universal truth from the beginning of time was, is and ever will be, "It is not good for man to be alone" (Gen 2:18).
Being self-sufficient sounds admirable, grown up and even classically American. But it is non-sense. We are not designed to operate alone, we are made for community. God himself is our model for community from the beginning: "Let us make man in our image" (Gen 1:26).
Solomon laid out a simple, yet profound argument for community in Ecclesiates 4:9-10, "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up."
Encouragement, assistance, support, direction, balance, collaboration, second sight, resources - all these and so much more are gained in friendship. In marriage, this community is taken to another level where you can share and stand together in everything. Eve, the "helpmeet" of Adam in Genesis, was not his valet, she was his completor - the one who filled in his gaps and vice-versa.
Having good friends makes life more doable and more enjoyable. Finding a good wife/husband makes life more complete. But the greatest power for life, the greatest joy in life and the zenith of a complete life - now and forever - is only found in the fellowship of The Lord. We are made for community and fellowship with God and cannot be whole until we are found whole in Him.
Jus' Sayn.
Upon returning from yet another successful campaign against the Philistines, the Israelites greeted David with singing, praising him for his military victories: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.” (1 Sam 17:7).
David had been King Saul's champion, now he was his enemy. From this point forward, Saul sought to destroy David for the sin of being successful in battle and therefore honored by the people. The Green-Eyed Monster of jealousy had raised it's ugly head in Saul's heart.
Saul was a victorious military commander in his own right, but as king, he chose to send David to lead his troops into battle. David's success reflected on Saul's sound choice of leadership for the armies and any victories were his - but his ego would have none of it - he could not rejoice in the success and subsequent praise of another.
Aren't you glad we're not like Saul? Isn't it good to know that we have set our petty pride aside and rejoice with the success of others, even when we're not getting the recognition were think deserved or desired? Oh, I'm sorry, was I speaking out of turn? Is that Green-Eyed Monster still among us? Do you find it difficult to join in the praise for others around you or those working for you? Do you think that you are more deserving but less acknowledged?
Would you be surprised to know that you really don't deserve the praise and that neither does the other guy/gal? Would you be surprised to know that everything you have, including your abilities and opportunities are gifts from above - that "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights" (Jas 1:17)? What if we gave all the glory to God and just lived together in gratitude? Jus' Askn.
There were times, when I was a youth that I thought my parents lay awake at night thinking up new ways to make me miserable. They were constantly telling me what I couldn't do aor must do instead of just letting me do whatever I wanted. Did you have parents like that?
They didn't allow me to climb on top of the house or barn or the church building (I'm not saying I didn't, but they didn't allow it). They didn't allow me to smoke, even though the Marlboro Man showed how cool it was. Why, they wouldn't even allow me to chew tobacco (although my Grandpa gave me a chew of his once - not a pleasant memory).
They insisted I go to school. My Dad wouldn't even let me drop out when I was a senior to join the military - he refused to sign the waiver - can you imagine? They insisted that I go to church with them. They made me do chores - lots of them! My Dad was insistent on forcing a work ethic upon me. Can you imagine parents trying to mold your mind, body and spirit?
You know, God is just like that. He has things that He insists ought to be done and things He tells us we ought not to do. The Bible is full of stuff we are to avoid and things we are to engage in. God, like so many parents, wants to mold and develop us. He wants to direct and warn us. He wants to parent us.
And do know why? All because He wants us to have the good life - not the life we would have when do just what we want and neglect anything that doesn't seem appealing - but the life that truly blesses us. Just as Moses proclaimed to Israel, "All these blessings will come on you and accompany you if you obey the Lord your God" (Deut 28:2.
Jus' Sayn.
In Luke 17:11-19, the story is told of ten men with leprosy, who cried out to Jesus for healing. He told them to present themselves to the priest. As they were going, they were healed. "One of them came back, ...praising God...and he was a Samaritan" (vv. 15, 16).
Luke stresses the fact that the one who came back to thank Jesus was a Samaritan, a non-Jew, someone who would have felt his distance from God and have no expectation of healing, only profound thanks for this grace. The other nine, by contrast, Children of Abraham, who would expect favor from God, did not have the same level of gratitude.
Individuals who grow up attending church, studying their Bibles and generally living decent lives, often do not have a profound conversion experience. Having lived a life of faith, they are not surprised that God would save them and may not feel much has changed in their lives, having simply taken the next logical step, expecting God's acceptance.
The non-church going individual, especially one who has lived contrary to biblical moors and decency, perhaps even criminally, will typically have a life-altering conversion experience, for which he is both surprised and extremely thankful. Having no expectation of grace or mercy or forgiveness, his level of gratitude is often "off the chain."
The truth is, however, none of us deserves forgiveness for "all sin and fall short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23) and "no one is righteous, not even one" (Rom 3:10). God's grace is, for everyone who embraces it, always and only a gift that has not been and cannot be earned - it "...is not from yourselves...not by works...[it is] God’s handiwork" ( Eph 2:8-10).
Jus' Sayn.
In Luke 10:38-42, Martha, having been busied with all the necessary preparations for entertaining a guest such as Jesus, comes to him, complaining about her sister Mary, who has been sitting at his feet the entire time, listening to he Master speak, instead of helping with the chores.
Martha saw a need and was filling it, while it appeared Mary was just relaxing and leaving all the work up to her. The truth was, Mary also saw a need and was filling it, the need to hear he Master speak the need to spend time with the Lord.
Both of the women were right, both were filling needs, but Mary was filling a higher need, or a true need, which Jesus noted in saying, "Mary has chosen what is better" (Luke 10:42b). In comparing what Martha was doing to Mary, Jesus went on to say that "there are few needs, indeed, only one" (Luke 10:42a).
Jesus' words are not meant to suggest that Martha shouldn't have been concerned with the necessary preparations. The Bible clearly teaches that we are to "work with our hands" (1 Tim 4:11) but what the "Martha's" of the world or the "Martha" in each of us needs to know is that there comes a time when the good must be set aside for the better.
Have you not hears or said, "I just don't have time to read my Bible"? Or, "I'm just too busy to have a daily quiet time." Or, "I have too much on my plate to make it to church." The truth is, we allow our lower physical needs to squeeze out our higher spiritual ones. We let the the temporal rule over the eternal.
Since both are needed, shouldn't we insist on time for each?
Jus' Askn.
I was reading from 1 Thessalonians 5 this morning, which warns about "the day of The Lord" (v. 2). This warning, as is true most of the time it is found whether Old Testament or New, is directed to believers rather than others.
It is important to note why that is. Why are God's children primarily the ones told to be ready? I believe the reason is that the world depends on us to share that message and encourage them to get ready for that day - we are to "go to the roads and country lanes to invite them" (Luke 14:23).
For us, the day of The Lord is not only the final day of judgment for biblically there have been many days of The Lord, days of judgment (Isa 13:6) or salvation (Mal 3:2). The day of The Lord is whenever he interacts with man in a special way.
Today may be the day The Lord provides you a divine intersection with someone who needs salvation or encouragement or help in some way. Today may be the day The Lord has a divine appointment to allow you to come to a fuller understanding of revelation. Today The Lord may have a divine opportunity for you make a difference in the world around you. Are you watching, are you praying, are you ready?
When Jesus was asked about that day in Matt 24, he told them about two days and warned his disciple, "Therefore keep watch" (v.32) and "be ready" (v. 34). In Colossians 4, Paul tells us to prayerfully watch for every opportunity to serve God by reaching out to others (vv. 2-6).
Today may be the day of The Lord for you, whether the last or just the next, you are called to be ready.
Jus' Sayn.
So often, people who are obvious adulterers, liars, drug users, thieves or some other moral cipher, state defensively and emphatically, "You don't know me! You can't judge me!" Some will even reference the Bible, for which they have little other use, "Do not judge or you will be judged."
Well, they are absolutely as right as they are indefensibly wrong. The Bible does say we are not to judge (Luke 6:37). But it also says, in the rest of that verse, "Forgive and you will be forgiven." How can we forgive if we have not first identified a wrong?
In fact, the very point of the biblical imperative to not stand in judgment has to do with choosing to forgive over punishment. Reconciliation is the mission of God's children - punishment falls into God's domain: "'It is mine to avenge, I will repay', says the Lord" (Rom 12:19).
However, in order to forgive, we must first discern the wrong, which needs to be addressed. We are to inspect and discern the difference between "good and bad fruit" (Luke 6:43-45). And, we are even challenged to "remove the speck from your brother's eye" (Luke 6:42b). But, only after we "take the plank out of our own eye" (Luke 6:46a).
Discernment is necessary in order to make forgiveness possible. It is also necessary in protecting against those who are not willing to be forgiven or repent from their hurtful ways - the wolves in sheep's skins" warned about in Matthew 7:15.
Judge - not. Discern - yes. Forgive - always. Reconcile when and if possible.
Jus' Sayn.
Yesterday, I noticed a Burger King marquee, which proclaimed: The Angry Whopper is back! Not having dined at a BK restaurant in years, I was not aware it had gone missing. Was there an Amber Burger alert I missed?
I may have been unaware because there was another angry whopper that was present in BK's Angry Whopper's absence: The whopper of a lie that it is ok for Christians to be angry. Now that's an angry whopper that should be exposed on a marquee.
As anger is an emotion, it is said that we can't help being angry, that the Bible says it's ok to be angry (cf. Eph 4:26) and that even Jesus got angry when he drove the money changers out of the temple (John 2:15).
To begin with,while we may not be able to stop becoming angry, we can control our anger and mitigate it or even supplant it altogether. Uncontrolled anger turns to bitterness and rage while controlled anger diffuses.
Ephesians 4:26 doesn't say it's ok to be angry, it commands us not allow sin to rise out of it by letting the sun go down on it or giving it the opportunity to morph into an uncontrolled emotion in which we injure others and/or our own self.
And just where does the Bible record Jesus being angry when he drove out the money changers? Oh, that's right - it doesn't. He didn't act out of anger or rage, he acted out of a sense of justice and devotion to the Father. He didn't lose control, he maintained it.
So what does Ephesians 4 actually teach about anger? 1) Keep it under control, 2) Refuse to let it simmer and 3) Send it packing ASAP (cf. Eph 4:26-31). Jus' Sayn.
In 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18, we read a part of the high-calling of Christians (there's actually more in the surrounding verses): "...encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else. Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus."
Wow! Really? I am to be all that and more? I'm not sure I'm up for all that, especially the parts, which contain modifiers such as everyone, always, continually and all. I know me. I can be moody at times. I can be selfish on occasion. I reach my limit with people some days. I don't always even want to pray, be thankful and forget about rejoice when my blood pressure is up, my energy level is down and my want-to is busted.
The simple fact is that I don't think I have it in me to rise to this level of discipleship. Contrary to the Nike* imperative! I just can't do it! True, but God can. And, if we are willing to yield to His will and rest on the power of His Spirit within, "The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it" (1 Thess 5:24).
God doesn't just release the power to save us from the consequences of our sins, He releases the power to sanctify (make holy or set apart) our lives of sin. He not only can help us live up to the high-calling above, He "is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us..." (Eph 3:20).
As a Christian, you may think you do not have the personal power to live up to such a high-calling but you would be wrong for you have the personal indwelling of God's Holy Spirit. You have more power than can be imagined. So, paraphrasing the Nike* ad, "Just Use It!"
Jus ' Sayn.
We live in a time when a growing number of people are accepting dependence on the federal government as a natural part of their existence. For many, it no longer a temporary setback, which causes some embarrassment and a strong desire to get back on one's feet - it is rather a benefit they have come to expect as both a right and something that is right.
From the viewpoint of those who want to provide more opportunity for individuals to receive federal assistance, it is seen as a matter of compassion as we share the corporate abundance with those who have less. And I agree that we need to provide for those unable to provide for themselves, but there is a line where we keep people from rising out of this dependency and deny them the full life God intends - a life of giving as well as receiving.
Jesus tells us to "bear each other's burdens" (Gal 6:2), but at the same time he says, "each one should carry their own load" (Gal 6:5). The message is that we should live independent lives until and unless someone is overloaded with burdens requiring help that we freely offer. This help, however, is not meant to be forever and always, only for as long as truly needed - to bridge the gap, so to speak. For some, the need will be forever due to special needs but for most, it should help them back onto their own feet.
Listen to what The Lord calls us to: "You should mind your own business and work with your hands, just as we told you, so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody" (1 Thess 4:11, 12).
We would be better and the federal government more helpful if we were looking for ways to create more opportunities instead of more handouts.
Jus' Sayn.
When God appeared to Moses, he introduced himself as "the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob" (Ex 3:6). The significance of being the God of Moses' fathers is that God was not appearing just then or for that moment, God had been involved in the national life of Israel for generations.
Therefore, the call of Moses was not not done in the moment for the moment but rather a continuation of God's work among His people down through history. Moses' part in this work would not be the beginning or the end of what God was accomplishing, but rather a part of a greater work or piece of a larger puzzle.
In our culture, we tend to see things from a single view lens, pointed at today. We don't know much or care too much about history and don't reflect much on how our actions today impact tomorrow. We are a "here and now" kind of people who live for the moment.
God however, is not the "here and now" God, but rather God is "from everlasting to everlasting" (Neh 9:5). His work, unto which He calls us didn't start with us and does not end with us. We may not live to see the results of our labor - we may not enjoy that fruit until glory unless we trust God to bring it about and rejoice in faith not waiting for confirmation by sight.
Hmmm, seems like I read somewhere that our confidence as Christians comes "by faith and not by sight" (2 Cor 5:7).
My point is: Do not get too wrapped up in or concerned with results of ministry efforts, instead concern yourself with serving God in your generation, leaving the results, which may be for another generation, up to God. Simply put - live by faith in what God is continuing to do and not by what little you can see today.
Jus ' Sayn.
We are fast becoming a nation obsessed with rights but unpulsed by responsibilities. JFK's famous charge of "Ask not what your country can do for you but what you can do for your country," is being turned on its head. More and more, Americans are demanding public aid as a personal right while they contribute nothing to the national good.
Sadly, far too many Christians and a growing number of churches are following this lead with a prosperity Gospel instead of the personal investment of one's life Jesus calls us to. Listen to what our Lord has to say about personal gain vs personal giving: "For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will find it" (Matt 16:25).
A disciple's call is to follow in the steps of his Master, not use his name or influence for personal gain. In that following, there will be gain, the gain of becoming like the Master and enjoining him in his life. Our Master, Jesus Christ, gave his life for others and is now at His Father's side. This is our calling, to give this life in service for other and later to enjoy the Life with our Father.
That doesn't mean we are not to enjoy this life. To the contrary, when we learn to give rather than take, our life is enriched and we are blessed in the giving. As our Lord said, "it is more blessed to give than receive" (Acts 20:25).
We have rights and we can insist on them but the power in setting aside personal rights and taking up responsibility for others is what brought Jesus into this world to save a lost humanity, it is the power that creates true heroes, it is the power that made this nation great, it is the model for and the making of authentic personhood.
Jus' Sayn.
There are so many things, which hold us back in life: How we were raised, where we were raised, our educational opportunities, the social/economic class we came from and the list of negatives that hold us back goes on and on. But the solution begins with but one answer - letting go.
As long as we hold on to the perceptions of the past, we will continue to see ourselves and our potential from that perspective and we will be shackled to a reality or a lie from the past that does not have to determine our future but can as long as we hold on to it.
Paul said, "Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has calked me …" (Phil 3:13, 14). While we normally and rightly interpret this in light of future reward in Heaven, it's application is also found in the here and now.
Refuse to focus on all the reasons from your past that say you can't have a better, brighter future. Lean into the future you want and press toward that goal. Stop focusing on the problems from the past and laser lock on the potential for the future.
The bottom line is that whether we are talking about our reward in Heaven or our rewards on earth, we must let our past go in order to take hold of our future. Letting it go, whatever "it" may be is the key to being released to embrace something new.
It is certainly most important that we let go our godless past and embrace the God-filled future Christ has made possible through his sacrifice an the cross, but it is also important to let go of the patterns, prejudices and problems of the past in order to move forward in this life.
Jus' Sayn.
In Luke 9:51, we read that "Jesus set his face towards Jerusalem." The backdrop for that statement was the nearing of his time to face the cross and complete his mission on earth. He knew that the nearer it came, the more distractions would come his way, the opportunities and temptations to sidestep or delay would increase.
Haven't you been there - not facing a cross but called to an opportunity to serve or partake in a ministry and immediately the demands on your time are increased; opportunities or temptations to do something else, anything else just seem to crop up before your very eyes?
You didn't know you had so many options. You had no idea how many opportunities lay before you. You were surprised how many people suddenly needed you for one thing or another. Your head is turned, you are faced with so many tempting opportunities.
Where did they all come from? Where indeed! As SNL's Church Lady would ask, "Could it be Satan?" The apostle Paul warns that the Temptor seeks to insure our labors are in vain (cf. 1 Thess 3:5). He often tries to dissuade us, not by a direct challenge but by highlighting so many other choices.
Satan tries to turn our head, therefore we must, as Jesus did, set our faces toward the calling of God, when He calls to where He calls.
Stay tuned to God. Keep constant in prayer. Make Bible study a daily part of your life. Set aside quiet time with Him regularly. Insure that God's voice is the most distinct one in your ear so that nothing turns your head away from His will.
Jus' Sayn.
In Revelation 22:3, we read, "No longer will there be any curse." The curse, which came into the world when Adam and Eve broke faith with God in the Garden of Eden. The result of that curse was evidenced when the couple "hid from the Lord God" (Gen 3:3). We have been trying to hide ever since - not just from God, we hide or mask ourselves from everyone.
Knowing we are sinners, aware of our failures and flaws, we mask our true selves for fear of rejection. Because of the curse, we hide the naked truth about ourselves, we doubt that anyone, even God, could truly love us if we revealed every dark thought, every bad choice, every ugly fact of our lives.
What makes the curse so grievous is that the one thing we want the most is the one thing we fear we can never have: Someone to love us just as we truly are, warts and all.
What we do not fully understand, what we have never seen clearly is that "Christ redeemed us from the curse" (Gal 3:3), the Cure has already been provided for mankind. Those who see this truth at all only do so as "a poor reflection" (1 Cor 13:12).
Our goal ought to be to remove as much of the mask and allow others to be as open as is possible until that day when everything about us will be revealed, including how loved we are and how cleansed from every stain we have become in Christ. On that day, there will be no more curse.
Jus' Sayn.
While King Saul was seeking his life, David had an opportunity to kill him, put an end to his trouble and gain his anointed place as king. David refused saying, "As surely as the Lord lives, the Lord himself will strike him, or his time will come and he will die, or he will go into battle and perish. But the Lord forbid that I should lay a hand on the Lord ’s anointed" (1 Sam 26:10, 11).
David had been anointed by Samuel as King over Israel, he knew that Saul must die before he could ascend to the throne, but he chose to wait on the Lord to open that door. It was't good enough to be in the right, he knew he must be in the right time, a time that God would reveal - God would open that door when it was right for David to enter.
It was the same message Jesus gave his mother when she pressed him to turn water into wine, "my hour has not yet come" ( John 2:4). Jesus could have announced who he was at any point, he could have backed it up with unanswerable power, but the time and the manner was surrendered to God's sovereignty.
We are tempted, now and again, to manipulate or force someone's hand to get what we believe is due us. It may be a promotion, a slot in a program, a ministry opportunity, a position on a team or a board appointment. Whatever it is, we feel we're owed or due, we want to hurry it along or grease the wheels, but honoring God and waiting on His timing is the real and lasting answer.
Solomon put it this way, "Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. The Lord works out everything to its proper end …" (Prov 16:3, 4). God is faithful - do your best in all you do and trust in Him to bless your life in His good time, which is the perfect timing, by the way.
Jus' Sayn.
In Luke 14:13-21, we read where Jesus takes the fives loaves and two fish his disciples have and feeds 5,000 men as well as an unnumbered amount of women and children.
What The Lord did was beyond amazing and should serve to elevate our faith in His power to provide. But what the disciples did, although often overlooked, is important to note as well.
The disciples gave what they had, not what they wanted or what would have been expected to meet such a need, they gave what they had. Jesus accepted what little they had and accomplished something incredible.
So often we hold back giving or serving or being involved because we feel we have so little to offer. "What difference will my contribution make?" "No one will miss my help." "Surely others can do better or give more." All that may be true, but what does God want from you and what can God do with what you have to offer?
The woman in Mark 14:1-9, who broke the alabaster jar and poured perfume on Jesus, was to be remembered because "she did what she could" (v. 8). The woman's "two small copper coins" was a greater gift than all the large silver offerings because it "was all she had" (Mark 1/:41-44).
What you have or what you can do may not seem like much but God can multiply it to bless and it is all he wants from you. Listen carefully to the apostle Paul, "The gift is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what one does not have" (2 Cor 8:12). What you have is enough.
Jus' Sayn.
There is a very interesting revelation in Luke 7:35, "But wisdom is proved right by all her children.” It was given by Jesus in response to those who criticized John the Baptist for not eating bread or drinking wine, and Jesus for doing both. What was true about Jesus, John and their critics would be revealed by wisdom's children.
In other words, time would tell. As the results of John's ministry and Jesus' life and the actions of their critics unfolded with the passing of time, the truth about each would be revealed.
John's ministry, which included this self-denial, drew people from all over Judea, who accepted his teaching and permitting him to deflect from himself in order to point them to the Messiah. Jesus' life, including eating and drinking with "sinners," resulted in the redemption of a lost humanity. Their critics, the Pharisees and legal experts, were proven to be self-interested hypocrites.
My son-in-law has begun a path similar to one I took 33 years ago. He left a secure job with benefits to enter full-time ministry with no promise of success or guarantee of a place to preach - how crazy is that? According to most, pretty looney. But wisdom's children reveal the truth.
My son-in-law now has a place to preach, a congregation to support him and a promising future in ministry. Three decades later, I'm still in full-time ministry - it doesn't look exactly like it did in the beginning but I am still touching people's lives with the love of Christ, proclaiming the Truth and sharing my faith on a daily basis.
On the surface, as the world judges such matters, Jason and I both were wack, but time has born out, wisdom's children have testified, that following the call of God is good.
Jus' Sayn.
Timothy was a gifted evangelist, not just that he had a flair for words or a charismatic personality, but that he was ordained by God through prophecy and set apart by the laying on of the elders' hands - his spiritual gift was evangelism.
That would seem to have settled the matter within the church and in his community but there was one more thing that stood out about Timothy that caused others to doubt his calling and/or his ability: Timothy was a bit young to be regarded as a leader.
I remember the days when older members would tell me, "You'll make a good little preacher one day." And I remember leaning on Paul's exhortation to Timothy when that would happen, "Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young..." (1 Tim 4:12a).
Timothy's calling and my calling came from God, not man. Therefore condescending voices were to be pushed back, not yielded to. You may feel called to ministry, whether preaching, teaching, outreach, benevolence, missions, church leadership, etc., but feel too young, too old, not educated enough, not socially or financially positioned, whatever not enough or too much. But, if God is calling you, it to Him you answer, not to others or your own self-doubt. Do not let anyone, not even you, look down His call.
There is more to what Paul said to Timothy than normally quoted, there was a strategy Paul instructed Timothy to use to quiet the naysayers that he employed and so must you: "...set an example for the believers in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith and in purity" (1 Tim 4:12b). Don't just assert your calling to ministry, live in such a way that others are assured of your authenticity and maturity in the faith, regardless of age or education or experience or such.
Jus' Sayn.
A common response when the challenge to engage in ministry, whether outreach, Bible class teaching, worship leading, mission effort, whatever, is to say, "I'm not qualified" or "I've never done that before" or "I don't have that skill set." The response, wrapped in uncertainty or fear or disinterest, is based on self not God.
What if you weren't qualified or never tried that before or it wasn't your cup of tea, but it was God's desire for you at this moment? What if you were the very worst person on the planet for the job? What if there was no way you could pull it off short of divine intervention? But God was calling you to that very ministry, what then?
Saul of Tarsus, persecuter of Christians, champion of Judaism, enforcer of the Law, could not have been more unqualified to be the apostle to the Gentiles, representing the Christian faith and proclaiming the message of grace over law, but he was God's choice: "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has given me strength, that he considered me trustworthy, appointing me to his service" (1 Tim 1:12).
Do you think most preachers were qualified for ministry when they received their call? I certainly wasn't - far from it! Do you suppose that most Bible class teachers were experienced when they first felt a burden to lead a class? Do you believe that only trained people share their faith, serve in missions, volunteer at a shelter, show up for work day at the church, etc.? If you're searching for an answer, let me suggest "no".
When we get our place before the Sovereign God of the Universe correct, it is He not me who decides to what ministry I am called and He, not me, will qualify, equip and empower. If God calls you to it, God will get you through it.
Jus' Sayn.
When you believe God wants you to help someone or go somewhere or do something and you tell yourself, "I know God wants me to...and I want to, but it's just not right for me now, I'll do it when I have more time, more money or more opportunity. What is that? Is it indecision or procrastination or good intentions?
Or, is it sin? To know God's will and to decide to put it off until some other time is to decide not to obey Him for the time being. As James puts it, "If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them" (James 4:17).
Hearing God's will, in whatever way it comes to you, and then deciding you aren't ready or able is to reject God's right to direct you or His ability to decide what you should do when. Your job is to try to obey, God's job is to open a way for you to accomplish what He has called you to do. A professor at Harding University once told me "If God tells me to run through a wall, it's my job to run at the wall and God's job to open a whole in it."
What God directs you to do may, at times, be difficult, it may even seem impossible for you to accomplish but, even so, even if it were impossible for you, it is not for God, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible" (Matt 19:20). And God "can do more than you can ask or imagine according to His power at work within you" (Eph 3:29).
So, when you are sure God wants you to do something, help someone or go somewhere, just do it.
Jus' sayn.
Do your thoughts ever wander to the magnitude of your sin? Not necessarily that you are or were a criminal or a terrible person but that you've accumulated so many sins and you keep on slipping, keep on failing, keep on flopping around in your faith walk. Do you wonder, sometimes, "Will God really save someone like me?" Do you ever wonder if you're really righteous enough?
Well, I can tell you - no and yes. No, you're not righteous enough and yes, God really will save someone like you. Jesus said plainly, "I did not come to call the righteous but sinners" (Matt 9:13). The apostle Paul amplified this truth in saying, "Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners —of whom I am the worst"(1 Tim 1:15).
He went on to explain that, "I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life" (1 Tim 1:16).
If you are a frequent flyer on Repeat Mistakes Airline, if failing again is the one way you've truly been consistent, if your "straight and narrow path" looks more like an Etch A Sketch screen produced by a four year old, then I have Good News: God "is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance" (2 Pet 3:9).
I'm not wanting to excuse bad choices or poor performance, I'm trying to explain God's response to man's sinful nature - it's called "GRACE." The truth is, none of us are good enough, none of us merit salvation: "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith —and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— …" (Eph 2:8). Keep reaching out to Him when you fall, when you fail, when you flop for He is faithful and grace abounds.
Jus' Sayn.
