Thanksgiving Dangers

I think that sometimes there are dangers that come with things that we do on a regular basis.  Most of us are making plans, or plan to make plans for the Thanksgiving Holiday.  We know that this comes with the idea of being thankful.  But so often we associate our joy with our ability to be thankful.  What I mean by this is that we assume that joy is the result of happy circumstances.  So we try to find some happy circumstances in our lives and we label those as things for which we are thankful.  We get an unexpected gift and we give thanks.  We receive a promotion at work and so we give thanks.  We give thanks for our good health, our loving families and our general well-being.  But what happens when these things go away.  After all, most of us know someone who is is having a hard time finding work.  We know people who have experienced the loss of family and cant celebrate with them this season.  We know people who are struggling to make ends meet and have not received any recent blessings. 

So are we freed from the biblical mandate to give thanks simply because things are not presently going as well as we would hope they would?  Or are we called to give thanks for all circumstances? 

Thanksgiving should not be based solely on the good things we experience this side of eternity.  Our minds need to be set on things above and all of the good that God has given to us in the person and work of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  These things do not ever go away, they are always present with us and are a means of constant thanksgiving.  So this holiday season focus on the things you have to be thankful that cannot be taken away and you will find that joy is a lot easier to come by!

Book Review - "Thoughts for Young Men" by J.C. Ryle

I picked this book up as the result of the recommendation at a pastor's conference I attended.  I am glad that I did.  This book was an excellent reminder of the need for holiness in our lives and the constant watch-care and toil that is required to allow God to grow us in holiness.

Although the book is address to young men I would say that most of the points within are applicable to people of all ages and to both genders.  I think that anyone with a desire to grow in Christ would read this and be benefited.  Essentially, he calls people into awareness.  The recognition that holiness does not just appear, but that it is a coordinated effort on our part to work to allow God to work.  It is a call to remember our own sinfulness and tendencies and fight to replace them with God-given tendencies. 

This process involves both the internal and the external. There are certainly things that we must do - such as understand our sin and grow in our desire to avoid it.  But there are also things external - like binding ourselves to a group of believers.  Or making sure that our friends have our same goals in mind.  There are clear things that can be done to help our growth. 

The one downside to the book is that it is written (as an older book) in an older English and can be difficult to work through at times.  The work is however immensely worth the toil!

I highly recommend the book to anyone desiring to pursue God, and particularly those who have young men!

Praise the Lord

There are certain people in life who have an indelible impact upon you and whose absence will be meaningful.  Sometimes those people would not want to be mentioned by name and would not want to distract anyone from the glory that rightfully belongs to God.  In such a case I think it fitting to write in memory of the legacy that they leave behind. 

"Praise the Lord." 

I learned recently just how critical it is to say this on a daily - moment by moment- basis.  We are never guaranteed tomorrow.  You could be sitting and watching TV in one moment and in the next slumped over as a result of some medical incident. 

I have known a lady whose first response to any greeting was "Praise the Lord."  As I attempt to recall any moment in which she was not smiling it amazes me that I cannot think of a single moment.  I have tried to remember a single complaint registered.  I have tried to remember a single moment when the cares of life outweighed the response of "Praise the Lord."  I cannot remember a single one.  In fact, although I know that at times prayers and concerns weighed heavily, the unshakable commitment to the ongoing work of God in her life always overcame any other concern. 

Amazingly, the consistency of her trust in God was an ongoing and daily commitment.  In the midst of health struggles it stayed.  In the midst of difficulty, it stayed.  In fact, as this lady crossed the pearly gates I know (as close to for a fact as one can get) that she said to whomever she met, "Praise the Lord."

In honor of this dear nameless saint, I wish to call us all to a daily reminder, "Praise the Lord."

God's Desire for My Well-being

When we come to a passage like Psalm 121 it is easy to read that God will protect me and think that it means that God will do whatever he can to make sure that my good is his highest goal.  When we combine this with Romans 8:28 we become convinced that God is all about making sure that I am happy and all my needs are met.  This is the foundation of the prosperity gospel.  So what biblical truths make this position untenable? 

1. God is not about my good but His glory.  From the opening pages of Genesis where we are made in His image, to the conclusion where it is all about what God is accomplishing, the whole of Scripture makes it very clear that my life is not about me, but about serving the God who made me.  In other words, I am here for God and not God here for me! 

2. God does promise me good, but with the long view in mind.  In other words, the good that God promises me, the protection and even the freedom from harm is not a promise in each and every moment, but a promise for what God WILL provide.  This is consistent with how he handles His prophets, His people, and even His Son.  The promise of good does not mean good continually, but the eventual good!

3. The future promise of good things includes the ultimate good!  Here we see that the temporal does not compare to the eternal.  If I promised you that if you sacrificed 10 thousand dollars today for guaranteed millions in 10 years, would you cry about losing 10 thousand dollars?  When we have the eternal perspective of what we know is coming, the suffering we might face this side of Glory is so worth it!

4. The promise of good does not negate the truth that sometimes harm comes to those that follow God and sometimes blessing comes to those who do not - in the present, but not for eternity!

Our hope is that we are not bound to this moment only, but to a God who sees from beginning to end.  The question becomes are we willing to trust when the moment does not look like the end that He has promised?

Psalm 119 - I Love the Law of God

As I spoke on Sunday, Psalm 119 is a wonderful expression of the love that one individual has for the Word of God.  We were able to get through the first 11 verses of this in the time that we had, but I wanted to highlight a few others in the psalm that make me think.

Verse 13 - Do we take the time to actually talk to other people about the Word of God?  Have we made it such a "personal" and "devotional" experience that we forget that it is to be shared?  We need to talk about God's Word!

verse 23 - Even when people are against us, is the Word of God more important to us than what they are saying about us?  This is especially challenging as a pastor sometimes!

Verse 28 - Do we allow the Scriptures to be a source of help in our grief?  Do we turn to all others places that we think might help and then go to God's Word or do we go to God's Word first?

Verse 34 - I am here reminded that the purpose of the Word of God is again to change my behavior.  Do I ask God to help me understand that I might change?  I think that far too often it is too easy to use God's Word as a bully to change the behavior of others, but how often do I look into my own behavior and see what God wants me to change?

And there is more.  This psalm is a treasure trove of material for giving me a better appreciation for the written Word of God! 

The Start of Another School Year

This one goes out to all of the students out there.  Be you in elementary or Junior High, High School or college, I hope that this will encourage you today.  You have a purpose in life.  Right now.  Your purpose is right now.  I think that often we are bad as adults, and as churches, by making it seem as though life begins in your twenties.  It is true that you should probably wait at least that long to consider yourself an adult.  It is true that your maturity level is such that for the most part adulthood brings growth in a way that you may not be able to see yet.  But that does not mean that we should all just sit back and watch you become an adult.  You have a purpose.  God has put you in your family, in your school, in your job (if you have one) on purpose.  You have the responsibility of bearing His name wherever you go and so your purpose is simple - represent Christ well. 

This is something that is given to you at the moment of salvation.  When Christ redeems you - you are literally bought at the price of His blood.  And at that moment, no matter what your age, your life has a purpose renewed.  The purpose for which you were created - to glorify God - is once again enabled in you.  No longer do you live for self, you live for God.  You do not live to please others, you live to God.  And in this newness of life you have one restored purpose - to glorify God. 

It is interesting that God does not put very many limits on this purpose.  He does not tell us that we must achieve a level of obedience before we start glorifying God.  Nor does he call us to do this once we have attained maturity in Christ.  Nor does he say that we only have to do this if all the others around are doing the same.  We are called to live for Christ.  So if you are in Second Grade, or this is your final year of High School - if you belong to Christ - your purpose is to glorify God.  Glorify God in your speech, in your homework, in your test taking, in your interactions with teachers, in your interactions with your parents and siblings, in your work, in your play, in your thoughts.  In whatever you do, do it all to the glory of God.  (Col 3:17)

The Meaning of Work

So often we get to Labor Day and we celebrate because we do not have to work!  Many of us view work with a little bit (or perhaps a lot) of disdain.  If we could have it our way, we might do away with work altogether.  After all the "non-work" fun that we can have seems to be more enjoyable than the paycheck we are attempting to earn.  And were it not for the paycheck, most of us might not work at all!

It might surprise you that the Scriptures have a rather unique and different view of work.  I will not go into the full detail as it would take far too long, but let us suffice to say that it was challenging to me when I started to think about the subject and study it. 

Take for instance the beginning when things were perfect and man walked and talked in perfect harmony with God and creation.  Have you considered that in this Edenic state, Adam had work to do.  There is the command to be fruitful and multiply.  There is the command to subdue the earth.  There was to be a demonstrated rule over the birds of the air and over every living thing that moved along the ground. Admittedly, this work was unhindered by the difficulty of sin, but it was work none-the-less.  There was still the work of picking the ripened fruit to eat and of the harvest.  There was the God-given work of naming the animals.  There was work to do!

Fast forward a bit to the book of Exodus and the giving of the ten commands at the base of Mount Sinai.  Notice verse 9 of chapter 20 of the book of Exodus and realize that part of the law was to do your work within the 6 days of the week and leave the 7th day for rest - the Sabbath Day.  Work was a commanded part of the will of God and then the rest was to be all the more meaningful because of the work that was being done.

Consider the command of Paul in the book of 2 Thessalonians to those who were simply waiting for Jesus to come back by sitting at home and being totally passive.  In verse 10-13 he commands them to work in a quiet fashion and to provide for their own bread. 

I could also talk about the Proverbs, the Gospels and many more, but I will end with the end.  After the consummation of all things, in Revelation 22 we are free from the curse, free from sin, and God will be on the throne and it says that "His bond-servants will serve Him."  Even in the newly created heaven and earth we will have work to do.

The Scriptures are clear that being human involves doing the work that humans are created to do.  Namely this is to bring honor and glory to God.  It is to provide for oneself and ones family.  We must not make work divided into secular work and sacred work.  The missionary and the garbage man are called to the same purpose - to do what they do to the glory of God. 

So when you go to work next, remember you are there not for man, but to bring honor and glory to God in that which He has given you to do!

The Lord Reigns

"The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice; let the many islands be glad."  

Psalm 97:1 (NASB)

These are the opening words to Psalm 97 and a consistent theme throughout the Scriptures.  We talk about the reign of God, but I wonder how much we really think about the reign of God.

We have a disadvantage because of most of our political background.  I live in the United States of America.  We elect a new leader every 4 years and our new leader is in very few senses "in charge".  In fact, in terms of reign and rule, we implement a system of checks and balances.  We reject the power of totalitarian rulers.  We look down upon dictators and have little understanding of monarchy.  In fact, in most cases we even misunderstand our own system of government and think we are democratic and have rule by the people.  (What we actually have is a representative republic, but this is not a civics class.)  At the end of the day we have a hard time understanding a system in which we have but one choice - obey or rebel.  

Such is the Theocracy with which God rules.  God is in charge.  I am not in charge.  I do not even get an equal say in the decision making process.  What God says will happen is what is going to happen.  I do not get to dialogue with God in the process of Him making His will.  God reigns.  God is in control.  God is in charge.  

At the core, most of our theology  is deficient and  ascribes God reign and rule when things are going well and then when things go poorly we defend God by claiming human free will.  So God gets credit for all of things that go well but at the end of the days that go poorly we act as though he was not in control of those things.  Or we beg God to show His control in precisely the way we think He ought to.  And when He does not choose our way, we despair.  God reigns.  God is King.  God is Lord.  He is the one to whom our only response is obedience and worship.  

What is surprising is that the reign of God in the Scriptures is reason for gladness and joy!  When we serve a King who is seeking His own glory and honor first we can trust in the character and nature that He has revealed to us.  We can trust that He will do nothing to harm His own glory and therefore we can rely on Him.  Even in the difficulty we know the promises that He has made and that He, as ruler, will never default on.  

So God reigns - let the people be glad!

Do you think about what you sing?

Visiting with my parents this weekend we were having a conversation about theology as it is taught through song and how often there are errors in the songs that we sing that we do not even think about.  Or perhaps "errors" is the wrong word.  I don't know that I can tell if an author has written the theology purposefully, or if they have erred by simply not putting thought into what is being taught. 

In this discussion I am looking past things like "We Three Kings" that is based on tradition instead of biblical data.  I am instead concerned with songs that teach at best incomplete theology. 

Please understand that in drawing attention to this theme, I am not in any way intending disrespect to those that authored these songs, or those that might hold them dear.  I am simply asking if we really have thought about what we are singing.

For example - a song like "Softly and Tenderly" encourages us to remember that Jesus is standing at the portal and watching for poor sinners to come home.  This song downplays sin and makes Jesus completely dependent upon our action.  God does not view sinners as poor souls - he views them as dead in their trespasses and sin.  And apart from His quickening of their Spirit, they will remain dead.  A similar theme is found in "Jesus is Calling".  The truth is that Jesus does not wait for us.  God acts upon our hearts and when He does, we respond.

And then there is a whole other category of missed theology when we sing words that have great theology, but we don't really think about them at all and go on living life as though we are in charge.  "Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus" has a line that states that we will cease from sin and self.  And then we sing it and complain that the worship was not what it should be.  Or that the church is not meeting my needs.  Or that someone ignored me at church.  And we forget that we sang we would cease from self. 

In all of these things I simply point out that we sing without thinking about the truth that we are saying to music.  We need to stop and think about what we say, and about what we sing.  And in so doing we will find our hearts drawn into God and His Word!

Teach Me Your Way

"Teach me your way O Lord; I will walk in your truth; unite my heart to fear your name." 

Psalm 86:11 (NASB)

I think that often times we get things backward.  Prayer is one that sometimes reveals more about our theology than we would even care to think about.  For instance.  If we were to ask the question of who comes first, God or you, how would you answer.  Most of us would of course answer that God and His desires and commands come first and that I am secondary.  We know that this answer is good theologically.  And then we pray.  

I want to run a simple test.  Pick a time that you plan on praying and just do a few basic mathematical calculations.  Every time you say something about God and His character and His nature add 10 points.  When you give God praise for things He has done that do not directly involve you or someone close to you add 10 points.  Then make a second column.  In this column, add 10 points every time you ask God for something.  In the second column, add 10 points every time you request something from God on behalf of someone that is close to you.  Add 10 points every time you tell God the best thing that he should do.  Add 10 points every time you wonder what God has not done what you have been praying for.  Now compare the two columns.  An even score would mean that your prayer is 50/50 focused on you and God.  I am not sure that is even a good number, but so often my prayers are not even.  My prayers tend to be out of balance on the side of focusing on me and my needs.  I need the AC to come back on at work.  I need the struggle I am having to be resolved.  I need my friends' illnesses to be cured.  I need my acquaintances' family members needs to be met.  I need provision.  I need compassion in a difficult problem.  I need, I need, I need, I want.  And at the Amen, I have spent far more time talking about me than about God.

All of this is not to say that asking God for the cares of our hearts is a bad thing, it is not.  It is a very good thing and is even commanded in Scripture.  But I think when the psalmist prays that God would teach him His ways, this is a much needed element of our prayers that is often missing.  We focus so much on what we want God to do that we miss the work He needs to do in us.  

Teach me God to walk in your way.  I want to do the things that please you instead of demanding that you do the things that please me.  Make my heart to desire to serve and obey you in all that I do and use my prayer life to enable and accomplish this.  Amen.

Family

This last week my in-laws came for a visit.  What kind of blog do you anticipate will follow?  I think that so often we lose the value of the impact of family in our lives.  We often focus so much on difficulty and differences that we miss opportunities for impact.  I am reminded of the exhortations to Titus to allow the older men to strengthen younger men and older women teaching younger women.  What a blessing when this can happen in the context of a family as well. 

I for one am so grateful to see the impact that my in-laws (and my parents as well) have on my kids. The way that they are so spoiled is a small price to pay for the investment their grandparents are making in their lives.  If there is no other impact other than to let my kids know that time with them is valued, I believe it is worth the investment.  My kids know that their grandparents want to spend time with them.  This in turn supports the value that my wife and I consistently remind them they are created with.  But there is the joy of knowing that my parents and in-laws share the same values that we do.  We serve the same God together.  This is incredible. 

I could go on and on, but I simply want to give a public thank you.  I want to remind all of us of the incredible value of pouring into and investing in the life of someone else.  Perhaps you cannot do this with your own family for whatever reason.  In this case, find someone younger than you and work to pour into their life.  Listen to them.  Spend time with them.  And in so doing you will be accomplishing something far deeper than you may ever know.  Your investment will have long-lasting rewards!

Arise O God and Plead Your Own Cause

This is almost an excerpt from the sermon that I preached on Sunday, but I think it bears repeating, and I am trusting that some who are not able to hear my preach each week are reading this blog.  Psalm 74:22 says, "Arise, O God, and plead your own cause. .  ."  (NASB)  I believe that this is so fitting for us to remember.  Sometimes I think that as Christians we forget just how powerful that God is.  Like the psalmist, we see the apparent inaction of God and we immediately rush to His aid as if we could actually assist Him in any meaningful way.  We see the agenda of those around us winning and we rush to legislate and complain and cry out.  Many times, in the midst of our attempts to defend God we fail in our love for the world around us and actually do more harm than good.  This is not to say that we should not stand for truth, we should.  This is not to say that we should not speak truth in love - we should.  This is to say that when the name of God is maligned it is not our role to defend God.  He simply does not need it.  A rapper named Propaganda once said that defending God is like defending a lion - it does not need your help, just let it out of its cage. 

This frees us a great deal.  We do not have to prove God exists.  We do not have to defend God and make him logically palatable to the lost and dying world around us.  Instead our role should be to call for God to arise and plead His own cause.  God can do better work than I can.  So why not let God do the work and watch the work that He chooses to do.  I think that when we approach life in this way we benefit.  After all, when I begin to look for the work of God instead of looking for how much of the work of God looks like what I want to accomplish, it changes my priorities.  It also is encouraging because it allows me to see a broader scope of what God is doing.  God is active and His Word is active.  And His Spirit is active.  And through their power God is moving in hearts and lives even in the midst of my church.  And when I stop telling God what He should do and trust that He knows how to plead His own cause, I can actually see much of what He is already doing!  I just have to open my eyes!

True Independence

We are coming upon the holiday where our nation celebrates its freedom from those that would have wanted to have control.  Often times we determine that freedom is the freedom from anything or anyone controlling us.  But this is not the case.  In our nation's independence we did not overthrow the idea of being governed, but we changed it to be governed by self-appointed individuals.  Now many might like to replace those that govern us presently.  Freedom is often like that.  We are not truly free in the sense that we can do anything we want.  We cannot fly to the moon, gravity holds us down.  We cannot teleport to China, our molecules don't break apart like that.  When we hold on to the idea that we need to be free, we actually fail to realize how enslaved we really are.  We tend to do this when it comes to our relationship with God as well. 

We think that we are free apart from God because we don't want God to be in control.  However when we are thinking we are free, we are really enslaved to our own lusts, our own desires, and the sin that so easily entangles us.  In the illusion of freedom we serve a master whose only goal is our destruction.  John 8 talks about this.  In verse 34 Jesus reminds those listening that, ". . .everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin."  We think we are free apart from God but that could not be farther from the truth.  This is why earlier in the chapter he said we should know truth because truth leads to freedom.

When we know the truth about who is really enslaving us we have our path to freedom.  But not in the sense that we get total freedom, we simply replace our master with another.  The good news of teh gospel is that when God is our master He does not treat us as a slave, but as an adopted child.  We get the rights and privileges of being an heir.  And in this there is real freedom.  A freedom that we should readily surrender to the God who gave it because of all that He has done for us!

Teachable Moments

I learned a lesson at VBS today.  It was in talking with one of the teachers who was talking about taking teachable moments.  The kind of moments that are outside of the lesson that is being taught to teach a valuable life principle.  Taking the time to show someone that you care enough to talk to them about how they should behave and how they can do better next time.  As the teacher addressed the VBS student they had their total attention for a few brief moments.  The challenge is to use those moments to teach something that will benefit them for a lifetime.

As I thought about this, I thought about how God does this with us.  He uses the trials and difficulties in our lives to get our attention.  He uses the good times and the bad to get our attention.  And all that He does is to draw us to himself and give us a better chance of listening to His Word.  He tells us in James 1:2-4 that we are to allow the hard times to mold us into the person that God wants us to be - the person who is lacking nothing. 

So often we don't stop and take the time to listen to the corrective voice of God.  We instead complain about the difficulty and focus more on ourselves instead of on God.  When we do this we are not allowing ourselves the joy of the teachable moment - that moment when God has our attention and can direct us with His Truth. 

So if you are going through something that has your attention - listen.

Learning from History

We have much to learn from history.  For this reason each year I try to read a biography.  This year our local library had a free book giveaway and I picked up a copy of 41: A Portrait of My Father by George W Bush.   This book tells the life story of George H W Bush, the 41st president of the United States.  This book is admittedly biased - as the author is telling the story of his father whom he admires, but it was still a good read.  One of the things that was interesting is how the author wove in lessons he had learned from his father's example.  These lessons he used in order to make fewer mistakes (by his interpretation) in his own life.

Politics aside and regardless of your views on the person or work of the Bush family, what I find interesting is that we are often as people so selective in the things that we learn from history.  The example of the people of Israel are a fine example of this.  No matter how many of their past mistakes we have recorded for them, it seems that history was indeed doomed to repeat itself. 

How often is this the case with our lives as well.  We refuse to look back at examples who have gone before us, or even the example of our own lives.  When we fail to learn from our previous mistakes or the examples that God has given us, we are missing a key component to the world that God has given us.  This is not to say that we live in the past, but that we use the past as an example to allow our present to avoid mistakes that will have a catastrophic effect on our future. 

So use all of the examples available to you - your own experience, the experiences of others in the body of Christ (though this requires sharing with one another), and the experiences recorded for us in Word of God most of all!  Use these examples and learn from them.  And in so doing you will avoid making some of the same mistakes that others have who have gone before.

Don't Stop Growing

Sometimes I think that Christians arrive.  What I mean by this is that we get to a point in our development and we think we have got it down.  After all, we are going to church, we are giving, we are praying, we are teaching our kids, we are serving.  And so we think we are pretty great and we stop. 

I believe that this comes from an improper system of goals.  We set the goals for ourselves to be a little better than ourselves and a little better than our neighbors in the pew and we find ourselves having arrived at that spot and we are not really sure where to go from there.

The problem with this is that being a little better than our former selves or a little better than the guy next to us is not the goal.  "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children;" (Ephesians 5:1, NASB).  We are to be like God and specifically like His Son Jesus Christ.  And this task is not concluded until we are changed by Him in glory.  So in the mean time, I am to never stop striving.  I should never stop growing.  I should never stop being remade in the image of the Lord Jesus Christ.

If I make my goal to be like Christ than I have not only the proper goal in mind, but also a difficult one.  If I am to be like Christ, I must recognize my continual dependence upon the Spirit of God and the Word of God to accomplish the task.  It will also be a lifelong process, but I must never stop growing!

In Honor of a Marriage

This blog will be a little bit early.  Normally I write on Tuesdays, but next Tuesday we are going on a vacation whose main purpose is to celebrate with my parents.  On June 2 of this year they will have been married for 40 years.  In a culture and world that has increasingly become welcoming of the "you better make me happy" mentality that allows and encourages divorce for any reason, this kind of longevity in a marriage is to be honored and commended.  And so I want to take this moment to commend my parents on many of the admirable things that have helped my own marriage last for the nearly 13 years my wife and I have been married.  Here are 10 things that I have learned from my parents.

1. Your marriage will last when you build it on the foundation of God first.
2.  Your marriage will last if you worry about your spouse's happiness above your own. 
3. You marriage will last if you admit you are not perfect.
4. Your marriage will last if you admit your spouse is not perfect and accept him/her anyways!
5. Your marriage will last if you put your spouse before your kids.
6. Your marriage will last if you are committed to stay, even in hard times.
7. Your marriage will last if you tell your spouse you are committed to stay, even in hard times.
8. Your marriage will last if you communicate - even if you are communicating how much you dislike the other person at the moment.
9. Your marriage will last if you have accountability before other people.
10.  Your marriage will last if you both work to make it last.

I think all of this could probably be summarized in a few words:  God, talk, stay.  No matter what.  And for this example I am eternally grateful to my parents. 

The Volcano Effect - Eruption

Sin has consequences.  Apart from Christ the primary consequence is death.  This death involves separation from God.  The problem is that often sin, like a volcano lies dormant.  It seems harmless and we continue to live in close proximity to it.  In fact, there is almost a sense of pride that develops because we can live in such proximity to such danger and not get burned. And then the mountain erupts.  Lava flows and destroys all in its path without concern for those harmed.  This is the true nature of sin.  No matter how much we live with it, no matter how much control we think we have, the eruption will eventually come, and when it does it brings with it total devastation. 

Are you living with a sense of proximity to sin that you have grown comfortable with?   Perhaps it is the sin of pride, or the sin of lust, or the sin of ________________ (fill in your own here).  Do you know the eminent danger of the sin or have you begun to trust it as harmless?  Beware of the coming eruption!

The Volcano Effect - Living in the Danger of Familiarity

Every time there is some kind of disaster it amazes me that there are people who had proper warning, people who knew harm was coming to them, and yet they choose to stay.  I have seen this most recently related to the volcano happening on Hawaii.  I have seen this during floods and typhoons and hurricanes.  I have seen this during wildfires.  It seems that though there is often plenty of warning, and plenty of knowledge of the devastating effects of an event, there are still people who want to "ride it out."

I think that this too is a reflection of our own hearts, particularly as it relates to sin.  Even as believers in the Lord Jesus Christ we tend to get comfortable and stop worrying about the dangers of the sin that we are so accustomed to.  We stop thinking about its effects.  We stop thinking about its harm and we think that we of all people will be ok.  After all, we are natives to this area.  We have weathered this storm before. But most of all, we are firmly convinced in our own minds that we cannot be affected by something because we have too much control.  There is too much time left, and if things get really bad we will still have time to get out.

Unfortunately, as with the storms, sin overtakes people faster than they will think it does.  It may lay dormant for a while, but eventually it will explode, and when it does, the harm you could previously outrun if you wanted to will overtake you.  Or you will find that because you are so familiar you may not even want to run.  You might stare into the fiery lava of sin and simply let it overtake you. 

There is another way - accepting the help that Jesus offers and doing the things that he recommends- don't trust yourself!  Certainly don't trust the sin.  Trust no one or nothing but Jesus and flee the sin and run to Him.  Perhaps you need to do this today for the first time, or perhaps as a believer you need to be reminded of the danger of familiarity with sin.

The Volcano Effect - the devastating nature of sin

I saw a video this week of lava from a recent volcano in Hawaii coming toward a car parked along the side of the road.  The video was mesmerizing.  It went like this. . .

This huge mass of molten ash moves toward the vehicle. It seems so harmless and almost beautiful.  After all, it is not a mass of flames, just a dark mass of what looks like ash with just a hint of red underneath.  It looks like you could almost walk up to it.  There is a general sense of sadness as you realize the car is about to get dirty, but you are almost confident that it will not do any real damage.

Sin lies to us.  It pretends that it is harmless and really does not do any damage.  It pretends it is just a dark mass of harmless material that we can get as close to as possible.  We almost want to because of how harmless it seems.  It looks beautiful and desirable and it draws us in.  And the effects of sin were evident in the video as well.

As the mass of lava moves toward the vehicle, before it even touches it, the car bursts into flame and the dormant lava suddenly springs to life and in a matter of seconds the car is a fireball that then almost as quickly is devoured by the seemingly harmless ash moving toward it.  The car is gone.  All that is left is the mass of ash now completely covering the car, or at least what is left of the car.  The car is totally destroyed.  Gone.  Dead.  Of no use to anyone.  This is the result of sin - death.  Even if you think you get away with it, you die. Apart from the work of Christ we are all dead in our sin, consumed by the fires of hell within us.  Christ changes us. 

So don't allow yourself to be swallowed by sin, fight it by fleeing from it and running to Jesus.

Don't Get Comfortable

I preached on Psalm 23 this past Sunday.  As I prepared for this a lot of my prayer was that God would not allow our familiarity with the psalm to create a condition where we felt as though we need not listen to the Word of God.  Sometimes our view of ourselves changes (if it was evercorrect to begin with) and we lose sight of who we truly are.  Some of this is caused by familiarity.  When we know something, we want to move on to something new.  But the most familiar psalm points out a basic truth, we are sheep that need constant attention and care. 

I can imagine a sheep walking along a familiar path and saying to the shepherd, "I'm good, I don't really need your help on this path."  "And while we are talking about it, you treat me to much like I am below you, I want to lead myself, so don't tell me where to go or what to do anymore.  I will care for myself thank you."

We read our Bible and wait for some revelation from God but we don't read in submission to God's Word, instead we read as though we are the master's of it.  And in the most familiar psalm we find the truth that we cannot read the most familiar psalm with this kind of familiarity.  We cannot ignore it.  We cannot skip the truth in it because we know it so well, we must to submit to the simple truth that we are sheep and need the constant care of our Shepherd.  This means we are not independent.  We are not self-sufficient.  We are not all knowing and cannot properly care for ourselves.  The sooner we place our trust completely in the Good Shepherd, the better off we will be.  I am going to try and avoid being a stubborn sheep!

"Baaaaaaa" (that is sheep for "Glory be to God."

So glad for our children's play

I want to use this opportunity to give a "shout-out" to all those who help make the children's plays each year so beneficial to our church.  I will not name people in this post, but you all know who you are and know that I am grateful for you.

To the author of the plays I want you to know you have a great gift to be able to communicate the truth of the gospel in a medium that involves many people and reaches many people.  This gift is from God and I am so grateful that you use it in the context of our local church.

To the people who help backstage I am grateful for your tireless dedication to be at practices and to learn the movements required to be able to change the scenery and the costumes so that things roll along seamlessly.  You will not likely get the credit that you deserve but you are a big part of the success.  This is also true for those who help make treats for the practices and work alongside the author/director to assist.

To the people who work to make the sound the best it can possibly be I admire how hard you work to do a job for which you get paid nothing (which is far less than what is deserved!)  I heard that this play was the easiest to hear out of all of the plays that have been done.  Well done!

To the kids who memorize their lines and take the instructions given - you did a really good job!  You clearly communicated the most important message people will ever hear in a way that has the potential to impact people for years to come. 

Our church is tremendously blessed to have such a gift twice a year and I am so thankful to be able to be involved and support this ministry in whatever ways God allows. 

"I establish my covenant with you"

I was reading the story of Noah this morning and noticed the number of times that God points out that it is He that is making this covenant with Noah.  We know that Noah was a righteous man, but God does not say that He makes this covenant because of Noah.  We notice that it is God who promises that He will not judge the earth via a flood again.  God initiates the action of redemption and salvation. 

This theme is consistent through the rest of Scripture.  Some of the covenants that are made will be conditional in that they will require action on the part of man, but many of these covenants made with humanity are not.  We as New Testament believers are under a covenant - the New Covenant. 

Luke 22:20 reminds us that "This cup which is poured out for you is the new covenant in My blood."  The work of Christ on the cross initiates a new covenant.  This is all accomplished by the work of Christ and not by any work of our own.  Ours is to simply act in faith to respond to the gift freely offered.  Notice that this covenant was sealed with the very blood of Christ.  We are purchased, bought, redeemed, cleansed, made holy, made righteous, forgiven, adopted, and much more by this precious blood.   God has made a faithful promise that all those who come under the blood of Christ are bonded to the Father by the sacrifice of the Son.  The Spirit of God reminds of this reality from the core of who we are. 

What a blessing to have the Triune God testifying to our salvation!  God has given us so much, how can we not, having truly been saved by the blood, respond in worship and obedience?

The Judgment of God

The title of today's blog is not a popular thought.  Most would want the 2nd word replaced with love.  After all, we argue, does not God love all of us?  The answer of course is Yes.  But that does not negate the judgment of God.  Easter is a reminder that God sent His Son to be judged on our behalf.  But if we choose to ignore this, we do so to our peril.

"How much severer punishment do you think he will deserve who has trampled under foot the Son of God and has regarded as unclean the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified and has insulted the Spirit of grace."  Hebrews 10:29(NASB)

If we ignore the work that Christ has done for us, and specifically if we ignore it to the point that we know it and understand our need for it and then go on sinning willfully (See verse 26), we are stomping upon God's gracious gift.

Can you imagine the feelings of someone who loved you enough to give you a thoughtful gift?  Imagine their horror when you take that gift and without truly even opening it, you place it upon the ground and stomp it to bits.  Imagine if that gift is the salvation offered in Christ.  What is God to do when you openly reject His offer of salvation.  But we forget, or willfully ignore these passages of Scripture that remind us just how serious the offer of salvation is.  Life and death offers contain life and refusing to accept them leads to death.  The author of Hebrews reminds us of this truth that is contained in the pages of Scripture.  We want a God who is cuddly and soft and warm and cute.  And Hebrews reminds us that this is not the God whom we serve.

"It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God."  Hebrews 10:31 (NASB)

Perhaps those of us reading this who have not surrendered our lives to God would do well to remember the terror of God!  And those of us who are surrendered to Christ would do well to remember that we have a crucial gospel message that must be proclaimed to save sinners from the hands of an angry God. (my thanks to Jonathan Edwards for this line)

He is Risen! He is Risen Indeed!

This week in churches all across the world we will celebrate together the resurrection of our Lord.  Let that sink in for a moment.  People of different ethnicity, economic backgrounds, political preferences will all celebrate together the resurrection of our Savior. 

In our world we look for things that will unite.  We want unity in our churches, we want unity in our country, we want unity in our homes.  Broken unity dominates the news cycle and our lives.  We seem to be drawn like flies to the false light of our televisions and think about the world in terms of the disunity that is everywhere to be found.  And yet, on this one Sunday we have so much in common with so many.

Perhaps we need to consider the greater truth that unity comes not from agreement in all areas, but in agreement as to which area is most important.  And there is no more important truth than the truth that He is Alive!  In fact, this truth permeates every aspect of our faith.  We do not pray to a dead Savior, but a Savior who is alive and interceding.  Our hope is based upon our living Lord.  The promise of an eternal future hinges on the risen Christ. 

None of this minimizes the importance of discussions on other areas, nor does it minimize any other aspect of Christian living.  But what matters more than my opinion on denomination, more than my opinion on music in the church, more than who I vote for, is the fact that I serve a Risen Savior who is in the world today!

Thank God for Church

I am occasionally reminded of the importance of church.  The bottom line is that we need each other.  On our own we will often wallow in self-pity, pride and just about anything in between.  On our own we will be lonely and tend toward despair. 

Being in a church does not automatically fix any of these things.  But it gives us weekly opportunity to help others avoid such things, and most of all, it reminds us that we are not alone.  We all are in the struggle together until Christ returns to make it all right.  It allows us to be encouraged to know that we ask the same questions as others, or that someone has gone before us and asked the question and may have an answer that helps us in our time of need. 

Since it is March Madness, I wonder if a basketball team treated church like we treat church.

"I don't think I will go to practice today, I feel a little tired.  I will just go next week."
"I can't believe that last week Bob made that mistake.  I am not going to the game cause he might make it again."
"I was really hurt when someone in the crowd laughed when I missed the shot.  I think I might just stop playing basketball."
"Someone on my own team fouled me.  Can you believe it.  All basketball players are hypocrites."
"I am too awesome to need practice.  I am just going to show up at games and prove how awesome I can be without any help."
"I have nothing I need to work on, why would I go to the same practice as everyone else.  There needs to be something for my level."
"I don't really want the basics.  They seem beneath me.  I want some complex strategies to challenge me.  I don't really care where the rest of the team is, they need to cater to me."
"Who needs a coach, we can really lead ourselves right.  We know what is best for the whole church."
"They had the audacity to ask me to stretch.  Me.  I am the loosest player I know.  I don't need to stretch."
"The coach actually asked me to help pick up the balls after practice.  The young guys should really be doing that."

And we would laugh at any player who talked like this and they would not be on the team for very long.  And yet I have heard all of these things from various people over the years said in some way shape or form about church. 

So be reminded today that church is not about you.  Church is about you coming to offer yourself in service to Christ for the benefit of a body that includes you.  There will be a benefit.  There will be people who serve and help you.  But it is not about you - it is about Christ and therefore it may be the most important thing you do this week!

Encouragement from God

So, this morning I got to work eventually, but only after going to the dentist for a root canal.  No worries, I survived.  I will spare you the details, but needless to say it was not something I want to do again and in fact, there were some rough spots in there.  So I was a little down when coming into work.

God has a way of knowing just when we need to be picked up.  This weekend my wife had an activity at the church for the ladies of the church related to artistic use of Scripture.  And one of those pieces was laying on my table in my office as I came in, so the first thing I saw while down from the procedure on my mouth was:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding."  Prov. 3:5

I found this almost comical as I was really struggling with not only the pain of a near tortuous experience, but I was struggling with the worry of if it happened again.  I was dealing the other stresses of course as well and all of it was adding up and I was leaning on my own understanding.  And there sat this simple word art reminding me that I am not to lean on my own understanding. 

I am so grateful for a God who loves us enough to remind us now and again that He still loves us and has given us His Word to tell us how we should live.  Thank you Lord for your grace to me and the loving reminder that I should not rely on myself, but place my trust wholly in you who made me!

Disappointment and Anxiety

I think that when we are tempted to be anxious a lot of times it is because of disappointment in our lives.  This morning I went to the dentist hoping to simply file down a tooth I thought was too sharp.  Instead I find out that I have an abscess that requires a root canal.  In that moment, in the disappointment of not having a quick fix I found myself anxious.  Anxious about the pain, but more anxious about the cost. 

As I sat back and observed myself begin to wander down the path of anxiety, I noticed that what was dragging me down the path of uncertainty was not rationality or reason, but disappointment.  Nothing had fundamentally changed.  God was still in charge.  God still sent His Son to die for me.  God has provided the finances so that the extra cost will not put me in a terrible position, and even if I could not afford it, I have no reason to believe that God would not provide for me as He has many times in the past.  In fact, the only thing that was not what I thought it was is my expectations.  I had expected one thing and now it was another.  I can change my expectations.  And in doing so, I can avoid the path of anxiety. 

I wonder how many times this exchange has occurred in my life.  I wonder how many of my anxieties have been based solely on disappointment.  I wonder how much time I could have spent in joy and peace rather than worry if I could only recognize the truth behind the anxiety I was feeling.  Perhaps in order to avoid this in the future I need to think less about what I am expecting and spend more time focusing on the promises of my God. 

"Do not worry about tomorrow; for tomorrow will take care of itself."  Matthew 6:34

How to Engage an Argument - a Theological Perspective

I have noticed that very few people know how to argue and debate well.  Most "discussions" on volatile topics simply become screaming matches where each side continually repeats the same points and mocks the opposing view point.  At some point the character of both sides are questioned by the other and a whole lot of red herrings and non-sequitur statements seem to follow.  So I thought it would be fitting to consider the concept of a reasoned logical argument from a theological perspective.  Now I want to be clear that I am not just speaking of theological arguments (though those are certainly included), but of any argument on any position.  Common in today's news would include political arguments, gun control, arguments on human sexuality, etc.

Step 1 - determine the importance of the argument. 

There are some issues that are worth arguing to the death.  For instance, Christ is the only way to God the Father.  This is a worthwhile discussion and argument.  Issues of morality should always trump political preference.  The best way that I know to determine what your priorities in this matter should be is to look to the Word of God and the example of Jesus.  There were some things that He stood firm upon. And then there were things like political issues - taxation, that he did not argue so vehemently against.  There are things in Scripture that we are to hold very tightly, and a lot of things that we are to be free to have an educated opinion on but the freedom to disagree, even as believers.  We must be discerning enough to know that the value of human life is more critical in an argument than a personal opinion, which brings us to step 2 - maybe the most important step.

Step 2 - remember we are interacting with fellow Image Bearers.

We are not arguing against a computer (though if you do your arguments online it may feel like it) - we are arguing with people.  This means that their understanding of who they are as a creation in God's image is far more important than us proving we are right at the expense of their feelings and dignity.  We should not ever attempt to make people feel or look stupid as a means of invalidating their argument.  If you have to do this, you have not truly understood the Scriptures as God has given them to us.  We are to serve others, love others, put others first, forgive them, speak pure words to them, encourage them etc. These clear commands of Scripture are far more critical than being right. 

Step 3 - remember your own character.

We need to remember in our discussion that we are representing Christ to this world.  Therefore in what we say and more importantly how we say it, people are going to see us representing Christ.  What will they think of Christ if they base it off of are discussions with them on hot-topic issues?  Will they think that Christ's number one priority was the right to bear arms?  Will they think that Christ only voted for a particular party?  Or will they see that no matter the issue they are thinking about that Christ loved them with an everlasting love that is calling them into relationship with God through the blood of Christ?

These are just a few things to think about the next time you talk to someone about something you are passionate about, or as you are about to post a snarky remark online.  Remember that there is more at stake for us as believers than winning an argument and that we need to engage our world, and our argumentation theologically!

Theology - the only cure for anxiety

Some people tend to worry more than others.  Some of us pick a few select things that we worry about and then we can leave the rest alone.  However you choose to worry, the Scriptures have much to say about anxiety and worry.  The majority of what Scripture says is to avoid it.  We are told not to worry about tomorrow.  We are told we can cast our anxieties on Jesus because of His care for us.  We are in other words to avoid worry. 

For most of us the command to avoid something is essentially meaningless.  After all, how do you get rid of something that seems so internal.  We have this idea that if it happens in our head or hearts we can do nothing about it.  And yet the Bible says in Romans 12 that we are to renew and transform our minds.  There has to be something that we can do.  And the good news is that we can.  We can change our theology - the way that we think about God. 

Proper theology tells us that God is caring for us.  That God will provide for us.  That God is good and all He does is good.  Proper theology tells us who we are and that what we need more than the things that we worry about is that we need God and to be in a right relationship with Him.  Proper thinking about God is the cure for anxiety.  Only when we think rightly of God will we be able to think rightly about our world and about ourselves and about the circumstances we find ourselves in!

So if you are worried today, instead of thinking about it, think about God!

A Little Levity

I am reminded in life that sometimes being really serious leads to an improper view of our world and the God who created it.  I am reminded that while truth is deeply serious to contend for, that the God of truth created the platypus.  It is even fun to say.  God created laughter for mankind to enjoy.  I have never seen a squirrel laugh.  And so every so often I read some good clean jokes. 

I asked my daughter if she’d seen my newspaper. She told me that newspapers are old school. She said that people use tablets nowadays and handed me her iPad. The fly didn’t stand a chance. 

After making coffee for 20 years of marriage, a man asks his wife, "Darling, why don’t you brew us some coffee?"
Wife looks confused: "But that's your task, honey."
“What? Why?”
"It’s all over the Bible, dearest."
"The Bible says nothing about who’s supposed to be brewing coffee!" 
The wife grabs hold of a copy and starts flipping pages at random: "See? Everywhere: Hebrews, Hebrews, Hebrews."

Hopefully this brought you a laugh or two.  Have a blessed day!

A summary of the book of Acts

Whenever I conclude a sermon series there is a sense of sadness.  The text of Scripture that you study when you are preparing to preach becomes a kind of friend to you.  It becomes close and you begin to feel the main emphasis that the author is trying to get across.  For so long I have simply thought about Acts as a recounting of the early days and the formation of the church.  But I am no longer convinced that Acts is simply a recounting of history.  Acts has this as one of its main components, but I believe the reason that it was inspired and preserved for you and I today has to do with the lessons it teaches about how a church can and should grow. 

There are so many books written on church growth and experts in the field far beyond my skill or ability, but I note a few things from the book of Acts:

1. Church growth must be based upon two primary things - the preaching of the Word of God and the movement of the Spirit of God. 

There is a repeated expression in the early chapters "And the Lord added to their number . . . ".  Salvation is the work of God and God alone.  So often we try to make church growth about what we do, and this is a good thing so long as the things we are focusing on is the preaching of the word of God and the movement of the Spirit of God.  We will not properly grow a church by sacrificing truth for people in the pew.  We will not properly grow a church by seeking the most relevant method.  Being relevant is fine so long as it does not replace the preaching of the Word of God as the primary goal.

2.  Personal testimony seems to be critical in the proclamation of the gospel. 

Going through the book of Acts you realize just how often the ministers of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ speak their own testimony as they proclaim the gospel.  This testimony comes in the form of telling the story of Israel as well as individuals encounters with Christ.  But we cannot escape the fact that the gospel impacts our story and I think that we should remember this in our own attempts to share the gospel with a lost and dying world. 

3. People seem to preach wherever they go.

So often we make our ministries about missions and the idea of reaching people that are unreached.  Again, there is nothing fundamentally flawed about this, but Paul simply preaches wherever he is.  In the synagogue he preaches to Jews, in Athens he preaches to those he is talking to, in Jerusalem he preaches multiple times to anyone who will listen.  The issues seems to be not in the going, but in the making of disciples wherever we go.  This means none of us have the excuse that we do not need to make disciples.  Disciple-making is not the job of the Pastor and missionaries alone.  It is the responsibility of the church.  We need to preach wherever we are sent and as we go on the journey to our final destination of eternity, we proclaim the living Christ until He returns! 

I think that if we can focus on these three things, we may find that our church grows organically.  Maybe not by adding thousands overnight (though it could happen) but more likely by the faithful growth of one or two people at a time as we are faithful to preach the gospel!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=90&v=Tty5Npur-Vc

This week I mentioned a quote from John Piper's book Let the Nations Be Glad  a fabulous book on the missional work of the church.  The above link takes you to a short video by John Piper that explains this in a little more detail.

I post this for a few reasons.
     1. I think that it is critical that we as Christians seek out Godly Christian authors and teachers to help us grow in our faith during the week.  What pastors can do in 30 minutes is simply whet the appetite for more.  I hope to provide avenues for how you can get more during the week
     2. I think that the book I quoted may be the best book I have read on missions.  I commend it to you highly.

I hope that you will take the time to listen to the short video and perhaps even read the book. 

Soli Deo Gloria

In the Beginning God. . .

Are you the center of your universe?  In the morning, who is your first thought of?   At the end of the day, of whom are you thinking?  Whose opinion matters the most?  Who deserves the majority of your resources?  Are you the center of your universe?

I think that for most of us who are honest enough with ourselves, this is where our thinking tends to be.  We tend to think of ourselves first, last, and most of the time in between.  Our world seems to be defined by how it relates to us. 

I find it fascinating that the opening words of Scripture debunk the myth that our world is all about us.  We are not the center of the story.  We are not the major players and in fact when it comes right down to how we are described in Scripture we are utterly dependent and totally formed from the image of the one about whom the story is really written. 

This fundamental truth is so very hard for us to comprehend.  So great is the lie that we are told and tell ourselves that we genuinely see God as the actor moving to benefit us instead of the way that the Scriptures clearly organize our lives.  We are here for God.  We belong to God.  We owe ourselves to God and we are to surrender ourselves to the God who created us for His purposes. 

Do not engage life today as though you are the master of your own destiny.  Remember the truth the next time you are tempted to demand your own way.  Choose to focus on God the next time you are chosen to suffer.  But most of all, remember that this day is not here simply for your benefit, but that you are here to impact the world for the image of God in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ. 

Let There Be

As we were working through our study of Genesis chapter 1 I found myself teaching and reflecting at the same time.  I was teaching on the phrase "And God said, and there was"  and in the midst of my thoughts I realized that the first words of God were "Let there be light".  Imagine the sheer power and majesty required to bring forth light out of nothingness. 

Our God is not a God against.  He has no equal and there is no other power that can truly oppose Him.  It is clear from Scripture that Satan certainly tries to oppose His plans, but it is equally as clear that Satan himself recognizes that he is accountable to this God who speaks light into the void.  In fact, it seems to be only man that creates open war against this God and God in his infinite wisdom and mercy allows it. 

Who are we to question a God who simply says "Let there be" and there is?  Who are we to question His perfect judgment.  I have a hard time making things out of existing materials.  Who am I to question the God who makes such beauty and majesty out of void. 

Creation seems to have this effect of placing us in a perpetual state of awe of the God who made it.  I trust that you will acknowledge and praise God today and thank Him not only for light, but for the Light of the World through whom we are made whole.

Unexpected Blessings

Sometimes being a pastor is interesting.  Indulge me a moment as a share a short story and what I learned from it.

I am generally not a very techie person.  And so when I came across a video I thought was awesome I knew I wanted to use it in a sermon.  I checked it with my wife to see if she liked it and she did and so I was ready to use it.  I emailed it to our media desk and double checked Sunday morning to make sure they had it and even had the sound guy make sure he could hear the sound.  I had thought about this moment for at least a week and was so excited about what people would think on the first Sunday of a new year about my new media-savvy sermon. 

I think at some point I became hopeful that the media instead of the Word of God would do some good.  After all, it was Piper speaking and He and His ministry always do such a good job.  And then I built up to the video in the sermon and sat down to watch. 

The video played and you could hear the music, but you could not hear the words of John Piper to save your life.  The sound was terrible.  And the point of it all was lost because you could not hear the voice behind it!  And that was the conclusion of the sermon.  And so the conclusion became lost in a failed attempt at media-savvy. 

As I dwelt on this later I realized that I had lost myself in the attempt.  I had lost sight of the truth that the power is in the Word of God, not in our attempts to make it relevant or snappy.  I had grown fascinated by my own attempt at personal growth and development and forgotten that if something is going to change the hearts of the people to whom I preach it is going to be the Spirit of God and His Word. 

I share this lesson because I think that all of us at some point lose sight of what is really important and trust in something less than the perfect work of God.  Be encouraged by the fact you are not alone and let us work together to trust the hand of God that much more.

The passage of time

As Christians it is important that we see ourselves and the world around us in the way that God intended.  One of the areas that I think many Christians miss the mark in this way is in our understanding of time.  Now some of this may seem a little silly but bear with me as I think in the end it will be clear how critical it is to think of time as God intended.

Have you ever said, "There is not enough hours in the day?"  I know what we all mean by this, but have you considered how insulting to the God who created us this could be!  If God created all things perfect and good and one of the things He created was the passage of time as marked by the rising of the sun and the moon, it would seem that if there are not enough hours in the day it is because He made a mistake.  I don't think we would want to say that. 

As we count the passing days, and months and years, it is easy to get lost in time.  It goes by so quickly after all and when it passes faster than we would like, we tend to worry about getting it all done and so we complain that there are not enough hours in the day.  But what if time was not created for us?  What if time itself was created to mark the beginning and the end (which is really the beginning of a timeless eternity)?  What if time was simply created as a way for us to mark the fulfillment of God's plan for humankind for all eternity?  After all, God created time and space so that He could interact with us and accomplish His purposes. 

As evidence for this fact I simply draw your attention to the fact that five days passed before God created mankind.  If God created time for mankind, would he not worry about time until mankind was created?  Instead he demarcates day 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 before morning begins on day 6 - the day in which He creates mankind in His own Image.  Time itself is a creation of God for the glory of God. 

This is why the New Testament tells us not to worry about tomorrow because time, as with all creation, is designed not for mankind, but ultimately for the God who created it - to bring glory to Him.  And what a glorious thought that God has given us the exact number of minutes in our lives to accomplish that glory! 

For some of us, that time might be shorter than others, but it is never too short to bring glory to God.  Which means that for many, we need to re-prioritize our time so that we are more aware of the fact that we need to use our time for His glory!  We need to re-focus our time and other resources so that we think first and foremost of the glory of God.  God has given us these first few days of a new year to praise Him.  We do not know if we are guaranteed tomorrow, much less next Jan 1.  So let us use the time that God gives us this year for the purpose that God has given it.  To Him be the glory!