One Thing

Curly, played by Jack Palance in the movie "City Slickers," said "the secret to life is this."  Then he held up one finger. The secret was found in one thing.  When asked what the one thing was, he said, "That's for you to find out."

A young man came to Jesus and he asked what he needed to do to inherit eternal life and Jesus said to him, "You know the commandments." To which he replied, "I have kept them since a child."  Then Jesus said, “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me" (Mark 10:21).

There was this one thing that this young man held on to that prevented him from accepting the one thing he really needed.  In his case it was wealth. Wealth is a head turner. It turned his head away from being a disciple who would have been a part is Jesus' earthly ministry.  This one thing kept him from the company of men such Peter, James and John.

What is the one thing in your life for which you would pass on being a follower of Jesus?  What is that one thing, if asked to give up, would cause you to walk away sadly?  For some it is wealth, for others fame, it might family, perhaps a position, maybe it is pride.  What is the one thing that you just couldn't leave behind in order to follow Jesus?

We all struggle with this question - that is our humanity. But our goal, our aim in life must be to put Jesus first. And, when a line is drawn in the sand between Jesus and anything or anyone else, it is important, it is essential, that we choose Jesus. Even when your family draws the line, you must choose him. If you don't, how can you lead them to the Savior?  Even when big money is on the line. If you don't choose him, how can he bless you with true fortune?

This one thing is the real path of the disciple, like the young man, "In the same way, those of you who do not give up everything you have cannot be my disciples" (Luke 14:33).

Jus' Sayn.

Getting It Right

When I was young and cocky and dumb, I used to say, "I don't get mad, I get even!"  The truth of the matter was that I didn't get it at all. Carrying a grudge is equivalent to letting someone occupy your mind - rent free. You bear the entire burden while they go on about their business. To act out on your anger brings you down to their level and mires you in the same muck. Neither way ends well.

More importantly, neither way honors God or advances your purpose as a child of the King. Consider the words of the apostle Paul, "God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors" (Cor 5:19, 20).

As His ambassadors, we must be about His business of reconciliation not be about holding people at arms length or breaking down relationships in anger. Relationship is the hallmark of our personal relationship with God. In fact people "will know you are [Jesus'] disciples by your love for one another" (John 13:35).

Establishing, enriching and restoring relationships can be quite difficult. Walking away or lobbing verbal grenades can even feel right at the moment. But the work of God is clear and taking the easy path or personal comfort have little to do with accomplishing that work - we are to be reconcilers not wreckers.

How can you be actively engage in the eternal work of God while you are engaging in internal squabbles within the body of Christ. Or, how does one draw another to Christ while pushing him away from self?  When we won't forgive or won't try to reconcile, we stand in opposition to God's will. We must choose between God's will and our won't.

Jus' Sayn.

Judging The Righteous

It's called the Bema Seat Judgment.  It is said to be a judgment of those who are righteous, not to determine salvation, which is already sealed, but to expose failed opportunities in life and to determine the degree of glory one is to receive.   I have been shown 2 Cor 5:10 as a proof text for this doctrine. This passage reads, "For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so that each of us may receive what is due us for the things done while in the body, whether good or bad."

There are three things I have to say about this doctrine: 1) I am always suspicious of a teaching that comes from a single verse.  God wrote an entire Bible, which sets a context to guide our understanding of truth. 2) The passage says that "we must all" not we as Christians must appear before the judgment seat and it says "to receive what is due" not determine one's rank or amount of glory. And, 3) the passage concludes with "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" (v. 17) and "God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God" (v. 21).

If the old is gone and the new has come, upon what is the judgment made - the old or the new?  It would have to be the new. And what is the new?  The new, upon which we are judged, is "the righteousness of God," which is ours because "God made him [Jesus] who had no sin to be sin for us."  We, who are disciples of Christ, are judged in accordance with His sacrifice. The question to be answered in judgment is regarding whether or not Jesus is your Lord and Savior.

I am not suggesting that what we do as Christian has no bearing on our judgment - what we do reveals who our Lord really is. If I accept His gift and follow in His steps as a disciple would do, my life will be changed. Otherwise, if I keep doing what I've always done, I prove I reject His offer of a new life and his sacrifice. In that case, I must stand before God on my own merits. And, as "all sin falling short of the glory of God" (Rom 3:23), I will not enter into His glory after judgment.

Jus' Sayn.

Open Doors and Obstacles

Everyone looks for open doors of opportunity. As Christians, we believe that God opens such doors for his children, especially for ministry opportunities.  But just exactly how do we know when a door has been opened?  It would seem that when access is is available and the obstacles are removed would be a pretty good bet. That would make sense, right?  You may have guessed that my using right probably means wrong and you would be right,

The fact is that easy access may well be the work of Satan, who wants to trick you into making the wrong choice (cf. 2 Cor 2:11).  Remember the two paths of Matthew 7:13, 14?  Which path leads to destruction?  The easy one, which many choose.  Think of all the "shortcuts" and "get rich quick schemes" people have fallen for.  Isn't it much more in ticking to take a pill rather than change your lifestyle in order to get in shape?  Can you truly get in shape without reshaping your lifestyle?  Can you say "no way?"

The truth is, real growth usually is accomplished by overcoming obstacles.  Muscle is gained by the resistance of weights being lifted. Weight is lost by resisting tasty calories. It is in the hard work of plowing through resistant soil that a new harvest is achieved. When there seems to be no resistance, you may be falling for something.

Paul's ministry choices are good examples of this principle. Paul was arguably the most effective evangelist of his generation and one of the greatest of all time. Did he have an easy time of?  Did he choose ministry paths of least resistance?  Not at all.  Listen to Paul, in his own words, "a great door for effective work has opened to me, and there are many who oppose me" (1 Cor 16:9).  Opposition or resistance did not deter him. It may have, rather, signaled a stronghold of Satan, which further inticed him to accept the challenge.

I'm not saying we should look for difficult ground to plow or pass on fertile fields.  I am saying that we need to be seeking God's direction and not worry ourselves with how many or how difficult the barriers may or may not be. We should concern ourselves with one thing only: What would the Lord have me do?  Relative ease or difficulty should not determine the Christian's path, God's will should.

Listen for His will in your quiet times of prayer and Bible study. Listen to the opinions expressed by trustworthy Christian friends and leaders. Pay attention to the Holy Spirit's nudges. Take notice of your life's circumstances and current events. Weigh all these factors out and seek God's will with all your heart - you will find it and you will be successful in God's sight. The world, however, may think you are crazy - many thought Jesus was, even his own family (see Mark 3:21).

Jus' Sayn.

Humility Rising

Getting noticed. Getting respect. Getting cred. Getting a prominent place at the table, so to speak, is a real concern for most people. We want to be the rising star, the person to know or the on the "A List."  We want the place of honor and we'll do what we have to trying to secure it. We're not above just inserting ourselves in a place of prominence or taking a better seat at the table, as it were.

Punk gang members who have never accomplished one truly productive thing in their lives will demand respect with the threat of violence. College students not having the character, grit or perhaps even the brain power will cheat to get high marks. In the workplace, some are not above taking credit for another's work in order to get praise or secure a promotion.

The problem is that personal promotion or stolen recognition is not built on a secure foundation. It is not substantive or even real. The truth will eventually come to light, your assumptive honor will be exposed and you will be assigned a lower place at the table - you will be humbled. You will "reap what you have sown" (Gal 6:7).

Jesus spoke of the foolishness of self-promotion using a table scene where a man assumes a high place at the table but is directed by the host to give it up to one more deserving and the humility he faced as he was sent to the least spot. Better, Jesus said, to humbly take the least spot and then let the host insist that you move up (cf. Luke 14:7-11).

The universal truth of the matter is that, "God opposes the proud but will lift up the humble in due time" (1 Pet 5:5, 6).   We don't need to elevate ourselves, God will take care of that at the right time. And, we can't truly assume a place at the table for God will humble us in due time as well.

It really boils down to a faith thing: Do you trust in God to honor you at the right time and in the proper way or, not trusting Him, do you insist on taking matters into your own hands now?

Jus' Askn.

Redeeming The Time

We live in a hectic age.  In the words of Tim Kimmel, the Little House on the Pearie has been replaced with the Little House on the Freeway.  There are so many activities constantly biding for our time. It is so easy to become too busy for God. We can even get side tracked from His will by religious activity. Say what?

Truth.  Not taking the time or expending the energy to listen for and discern God's will, we can flit from one program to another, latching on to the next popular religious program. Listen to Paul's warning, "Be very careful, then, how you live —not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord’s will is. …" (Eph 5:15-17).

The wise are careful to make the most of life's opportunities because they strive to understand what the Lord's will is, not just follow along with the crowd. What is God doing around you that He is inviting you to join in with Him?  What are your life's circumstances equipping you to accomplish?  What is your daily Bile study pointing you toward?  What is the Spirit nudging you toward?  What are faithful Christians encouraging you to do?  The wise are weighing all these voices together to seek a clear word from the Lord - the foolish just allow the next thing to occupy their time, possibly using the.time God was calling them to something else.

Sometimes it is the good that stands in way of the better or best. It may be a family activity, a church program, a civic opportunity or any number of good things that take up the time which was needed to accomplish God's task for you. That new job may edge out a call to missions. Driving the kids to every extra curricular activity possible may make it impossible to drive down to the local mission house to donate time. Agreeing to that next church committee assignment may keep you tied up when God's assignment is revealed.

I'm not saying we shouldn't commit to things, but I am saying that we should not commit to so much that there is no time left for divine appointments. And, I am saying that we should be actively seeking God's will daily.

Jus' Sayn.

The Good Life

Despite the economic downturns we have faced as a nation, most have not given up on the dream of the "Good Life," especially for our children. We want them to get a good education, land a good job, buy a good house and have a good retirement program. It all sounds so...good, doesn't it?

And, it is even what Jesus wants for us as well, right?  He said, "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" (John 10:10) - that seems plain enough, doesn't it?  It is clear that Jesus wants us to have an abundant life, but is abundant life to be equated with a comfortable life?  In other words, if you get the education, job, house and retirement of your dreams, would Christ say, "We'll done, my good and faithful servant"(Matt 25:21), you have achieved the good I I have desired desired for you?

To put it yet another way, if you struggle with finances all your ice, if you never have an abundance of money, never own a house, never get a degree and find you have to work during your retirement years, would Christ be disappointed with your life?  If so, wouldn't he have been disappointed with the lives of the prophets, the apostles, with John the Baptist and even with his own life?  Hmmm.

Abraham was very wealthy and is regarded as our model of faithfulness.  John the Baptist lived on locust and wild honey but was regarded as unparalleled among men. The common denominator of what God views as abundance does not appear to be wealth or comfort. In fact, Jesus said, "it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God" (Matt 19:24).

The common denominator of the abundant or good life Jesus had in mind is not found in possessions but rather in purpose. The size of your bank account and the location of your house has nothing to do with feeling your life has meaning and that it is worthwhile. You can be rich or poor and have a full life or it can be terribly empty. The difference is found in fulfilling God's purpose, that must be your primary concern.  In point of fact, if you "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well" (Matt 6:33).

Jus' Sayn.