But Joseph said to them, "Don't be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives." (Genesis 50:19-20 NIV)
This week in 5th grade Sunday School, we considered the life of Joseph, son of Jacob. His story spans 13 chapters in Genesis, and is quite difficult to cover in a thirty minute lesson. However, we did it; I simply asked the kids to share what they already knew about Joseph, and then we proceeded from that base of knowledge.
If you are at all familiar with Joseph's story, you know that he was a favored son of Jacob, Father of Israel. You know that Joseph wore a special coat-of-many-colors, signifying that he was favored by his father. His brothers sold Joseph into slavery, and Joseph became a slave of influential Potiphar in Egypt. Joseph was soon favored by Potiphar and became head of the official's household. After being falsely accused by Mrs. Potiphar, Joseph was throne into prison, only to again rise to the top as assistant to the prison guards. Many years later, Joseph was brought to the Pharoah to interpret his prophetic dream. Joseph's response was, "I cannot interpret your dream, but God will give Pharoah the answer that he desires." (Genesis 41:16)
Soon later, Joseph became second in charge of Egypt under the Pharoah's command. Joseph again rose to the top, filled with the favor of the LORD. We know the rest of the story, how that the nation of Israel was saved from the famine of that day by the brother that had years earlier been sold into slavery by his jealous brothers. The same brothers who hated Joseph were now indebted to him for their very lives. What they had meant for evil, God meant for good. That is how God's favor works sometimes. (Genesis 50:20)
The key is this: how do we live and walk in the favor of God? In Sunday School, I used a simple fishing bobber to illustrate the effect of God's favor. We submerged the bobber to the bottom of a tub of water, and lo and behold, the bobber "bobbed" to the top every time. Just like Joseph! Next I asked, "How does this bobber relate to the story of Joseph?" One young lady said, "Everytime something bad happened to Joseph, something much better happened to him." Exactly! Then a young fellow said, "Joseph must have been filled with God's holy righteousness!" We had learned earlier that righteousness is right-standing with God due to faith in God and His faithfulness. Joseph was a believer in God, and trusted that God would lift him up as he submitted to His will. Because of his right-standing with God, Joseph lived continually in the favor of God.
It is God's favor that brings the best from a bad situation. It is God's favor that turns evil to good. And, it is God's favor that allows us to venture out to make a difference in this world, because we may do so in confidence, knowing that we will always bob to the top, no matter how deep we find ourselves submerged. This is the amazing effect of the favor of God!
Allow the favor of God to follow you this week as you submit to His will and His instruction.
Wednesday, October 26, 2011
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Barometer of the Heart
Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. (Col. 3:1-3 NIV)
I have just completed a lengthy and one-sided conversation with my 15 year-old son concerning an electronic device which I have taken away from him for the umpteenth time. I have found this electronic device to be somewhat of a barometer revealing where my son is spiritually, as well as in his maturity. It has divulged his position regarding honesty, obedience, integrity, not to mention honor of his parents and others.
The truth is that we all have our own barometers which reveal where we really are in our walk with Christ. It may be a car, or a boat, or clothing. It could be a certain job, or a dream, or even a relationship which reveals how submissive we are to the will of God, or how stubborn we are in attaining our own will and not God's. Heaven forbid that God would actually say "no" to our having our heart's desires, asking us to defer to His will and timing. The "thing" is not the issue; the heart is!
Should that "thing" be taken away from you and me, what will our response be? Will we pine forever until it is replaced, or will we shrug and simply return to our Bible and prayer time. Should God allow us to have certain possessions or relationships, how will we react once these things or people are taken from us? Our first reaction tells us exactly where we are in our relationship with Christ Jesus. Are our hearts indeed set on things above, or on things of this earth? For the person who has his or her life in godly order, things are merely tools for living life, and people are to be loved and enjoyed for as long as God allows, as we give thanks to Him fully for each and every one.
As I told my son, I believe that everything we need--past, present and future--has been taken and hidden in Jesus Christ. If we need it, He has it for us as we seek Him, His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). For our own benefit, we know that anything that God provides is safe and suitable for our subsistence on this earth. Anything that we have to go and get for ourselves without God's approval will be harmful for us and our families. Thus, if all we ever did was to set our minds on things of heaven where Christ sits enthroned, then we know that our needs would be met according to "His glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). It is there, on Christ Jesus, where our minds and hearts should be set. In contrast with Him, everything else becomes impertinent and unimportant.
What are your possessions and relationships telling you? Let us each resolve to set our minds on things of heaven, and not on things of this earth.
I have just completed a lengthy and one-sided conversation with my 15 year-old son concerning an electronic device which I have taken away from him for the umpteenth time. I have found this electronic device to be somewhat of a barometer revealing where my son is spiritually, as well as in his maturity. It has divulged his position regarding honesty, obedience, integrity, not to mention honor of his parents and others.
The truth is that we all have our own barometers which reveal where we really are in our walk with Christ. It may be a car, or a boat, or clothing. It could be a certain job, or a dream, or even a relationship which reveals how submissive we are to the will of God, or how stubborn we are in attaining our own will and not God's. Heaven forbid that God would actually say "no" to our having our heart's desires, asking us to defer to His will and timing. The "thing" is not the issue; the heart is!
Should that "thing" be taken away from you and me, what will our response be? Will we pine forever until it is replaced, or will we shrug and simply return to our Bible and prayer time. Should God allow us to have certain possessions or relationships, how will we react once these things or people are taken from us? Our first reaction tells us exactly where we are in our relationship with Christ Jesus. Are our hearts indeed set on things above, or on things of this earth? For the person who has his or her life in godly order, things are merely tools for living life, and people are to be loved and enjoyed for as long as God allows, as we give thanks to Him fully for each and every one.
As I told my son, I believe that everything we need--past, present and future--has been taken and hidden in Jesus Christ. If we need it, He has it for us as we seek Him, His kingdom and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). For our own benefit, we know that anything that God provides is safe and suitable for our subsistence on this earth. Anything that we have to go and get for ourselves without God's approval will be harmful for us and our families. Thus, if all we ever did was to set our minds on things of heaven where Christ sits enthroned, then we know that our needs would be met according to "His glorious riches in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:19). It is there, on Christ Jesus, where our minds and hearts should be set. In contrast with Him, everything else becomes impertinent and unimportant.
What are your possessions and relationships telling you? Let us each resolve to set our minds on things of heaven, and not on things of this earth.
Thursday, August 18, 2011
Heaven's Love
After having lived in 7 different decades (I'm not quite as old as that sounds), I have found (shock) that there really are two different worlds.
The world that the Bible speaks of is basically the dimension that is built to run without God. This is the realm where people are taught that they must either rely on themselves or on the government to meet their every need. Republicans and Democrats? Anyway, this is the world where you are loved if you produce. It could be your company, it could be your family, or it could be your church. If they love you, you are probably producing something of value; otherwise, you would not be loved, and in the case of your company, you would probably be without a job. In our western world, the politician who gives the most (of our money) is the one who is loved so much that he or she is repeatedly re-elected, or eventually promoted to president. If you don't give your spouse what he or she needs, eventually you will be looking for a new spouse. That is just how it works in the world! You are loved for what you do!
Now in God's world, as in just about everything else, His ways are diametrically opposed to the ways of this world. God does not love us because of what we do! Our most righteous, holy moments cannot outweigh our sin. No, God loves us, period. He loves us so much to send His Son to die for us; those who receive Jesus as Lord are adopted into the family of God, and we are loved no matter what we do or do not do. Contrary to the ways of the world, we are first loved, and then we proceed to do good things as a result of the grace that has been given to us.
I have found a Psalm that may be the shortest, but may be one of the most profound. When little is said, that is in itself an exclamation point. Maybe nothing else needs to be said!
Psalm 117 (NIV): "Praise the LORD, all you nations; extol him, all you peoples. For great is his love toward us, and the faithfulness of the LORD endures forever. Praise the LORD."
The world loves us for what we produce. God loves us. And then we produce!
May we learn to live with Heaven's love here in the midst of this world. May we learn to love others with God's love, knowing it is this love that inspires others to produce good fruit as a result of God's love for them. Amen.
Friday, June 10, 2011
Beware the Rocks!!!
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." (Jeremiah 29:11-13 NIV)
In a time when we are literally deluged with troubles and adversity on one hand, and technology and luxurious living on the other, we are caught in a vice-grip of life in this world's system. The cacaphony of Sirens' songs is deafening, each enticement calling us to break apart upon a different rocky shore each day. The only voice that we can trust, the only invitation that we may safely heed is the voice of the LORD. All others will eventually end in ruin.
We live in a world that is led by the media. Whether it is television, where we must keep track of who is winning what "reality" contest, or the world of music, where we must keep up with the latest arrangement of recycled ideas, we are ignoring the one voice from Heaven that has our best interests at heart. We search the Internet for the answers to every question, while God awaits our questions which seek true direction and wisdom. While the Internet seems to be the shiny and miraculous medium that knows all things, there is only one God who truly knows all things. If we turn in desperation to the Internet for answers to life's deepest questions, we are in reality searching for gems in a massive garbage-strewn landfill, filled with the incestuous and polluted knowledge of the ignorant and of the deceptive.
There is one God whose plan is to prosper us and to not harm us. There is one LORD whose desire is to give us a hope and a future in His Kingdom. However, we will only find Him when we shun the Sirens of this world and turn our ships toward heaven. The truth is that a ship can only head in one direction at a time. We cannot seek the world and the Kingdom of God concurrently; no, we must choose in which direction we will sail. We will seek God and find Christ Jesus when we seek Him with all of our hearts. It is in the hand of Jesus where we will find Him holding our hope and future. He has safely hidden our every plan and every provision in the being of Jesus Christ. As we seek Him, His Kingdom, and His righteousness, we will find all that we will ever need and want, as we seek Him will all of our hearts (Matthew 6:33, Jeremiah 20:13).
Beware the rocks! Heed the voice of Heaven!
In a time when we are literally deluged with troubles and adversity on one hand, and technology and luxurious living on the other, we are caught in a vice-grip of life in this world's system. The cacaphony of Sirens' songs is deafening, each enticement calling us to break apart upon a different rocky shore each day. The only voice that we can trust, the only invitation that we may safely heed is the voice of the LORD. All others will eventually end in ruin.
We live in a world that is led by the media. Whether it is television, where we must keep track of who is winning what "reality" contest, or the world of music, where we must keep up with the latest arrangement of recycled ideas, we are ignoring the one voice from Heaven that has our best interests at heart. We search the Internet for the answers to every question, while God awaits our questions which seek true direction and wisdom. While the Internet seems to be the shiny and miraculous medium that knows all things, there is only one God who truly knows all things. If we turn in desperation to the Internet for answers to life's deepest questions, we are in reality searching for gems in a massive garbage-strewn landfill, filled with the incestuous and polluted knowledge of the ignorant and of the deceptive.
There is one God whose plan is to prosper us and to not harm us. There is one LORD whose desire is to give us a hope and a future in His Kingdom. However, we will only find Him when we shun the Sirens of this world and turn our ships toward heaven. The truth is that a ship can only head in one direction at a time. We cannot seek the world and the Kingdom of God concurrently; no, we must choose in which direction we will sail. We will seek God and find Christ Jesus when we seek Him with all of our hearts. It is in the hand of Jesus where we will find Him holding our hope and future. He has safely hidden our every plan and every provision in the being of Jesus Christ. As we seek Him, His Kingdom, and His righteousness, we will find all that we will ever need and want, as we seek Him will all of our hearts (Matthew 6:33, Jeremiah 20:13).
Beware the rocks! Heed the voice of Heaven!
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
Walk in His Way!
"So be careful to do what the LORD your God has commanded you: do not turn aside to the right or to the left. Walk in all the way that the LORD your God has commanded you, so that you may live and prosper and prolong your days in the land that your will possess." (Deuteronomy 5:32-33 NIV)
As a country that is relatively young (compared to the ancient societies of Greece, Rome, and Babylon), we find ourselves at a crossroads not unlike these empires of old. Each of them had times of extreme power and prosperity; however, these "blessings" turned out to be their downfall. Their leaders used their power to conquer and enslave, and they used their prosperity to corrupt and blaspheme. Times of plenty led to times of want, with the hedonistic desires of the ruling class serving as the proverbial millstones tied around the collective necks of the most prosperous.
What does that have to do with 21st Century America? Everything! We find men and women in power who are selling the soul of our country for a few sips from the fountain of power and pleasure. America is in danger of becoming a footnote in the history books as a once-massive empire that sowed the seeds of its own destruction, watered by the power and prosperity that once made it great. Is this fate sealed? Can we turn back from this road to distaster?
Our answer lies in the words that God Almighty spoke to the people of Israel. They had already eaten the bitter fruits of rebellion, and a new generation was ready to enter the Promised Land. All that God asked of them was simple allegiance and obedience. In Deuteronomy 6:5, Israel is exhorted: "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Then Moses continues, "These commandments that I give your today are to be upon your hearts."(verse 6). His promise is for us, as well as Israel, that we will enjoy prosperity and long life in our land if we serve and obey the God who created us (and our country). Greece, Rome, and Babylon did not serve and obey the God of the Universe; they served themselves and obeyed their selfish sinful desires. Unfortunately, there were times when Israel did the same. And here we are! America, are we serving and obeying our Creator, or are we serving ourselves while following our own selfish sinful desires?
From the White House to our house, from Wall Street to Main Street, we must each decide whether or not to love our Lord with all our heart, soul, and strength. And we must each decide whether or not we are going to follow His direction in following His commands. In reality, the only hope that exists for America to remain great is for her people to individually and collectively renew their love and allegiance to God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Any other scenario will result in the downfall of our great country. Any attempt to walk in any way other than God's is most certainly to follow the path to destruction. Walk in His Way, America!
God will bless America with the very same measure that we apply in seeking and obeying Him!
As a country that is relatively young (compared to the ancient societies of Greece, Rome, and Babylon), we find ourselves at a crossroads not unlike these empires of old. Each of them had times of extreme power and prosperity; however, these "blessings" turned out to be their downfall. Their leaders used their power to conquer and enslave, and they used their prosperity to corrupt and blaspheme. Times of plenty led to times of want, with the hedonistic desires of the ruling class serving as the proverbial millstones tied around the collective necks of the most prosperous.
What does that have to do with 21st Century America? Everything! We find men and women in power who are selling the soul of our country for a few sips from the fountain of power and pleasure. America is in danger of becoming a footnote in the history books as a once-massive empire that sowed the seeds of its own destruction, watered by the power and prosperity that once made it great. Is this fate sealed? Can we turn back from this road to distaster?
Our answer lies in the words that God Almighty spoke to the people of Israel. They had already eaten the bitter fruits of rebellion, and a new generation was ready to enter the Promised Land. All that God asked of them was simple allegiance and obedience. In Deuteronomy 6:5, Israel is exhorted: "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Then Moses continues, "These commandments that I give your today are to be upon your hearts."(verse 6). His promise is for us, as well as Israel, that we will enjoy prosperity and long life in our land if we serve and obey the God who created us (and our country). Greece, Rome, and Babylon did not serve and obey the God of the Universe; they served themselves and obeyed their selfish sinful desires. Unfortunately, there were times when Israel did the same. And here we are! America, are we serving and obeying our Creator, or are we serving ourselves while following our own selfish sinful desires?
From the White House to our house, from Wall Street to Main Street, we must each decide whether or not to love our Lord with all our heart, soul, and strength. And we must each decide whether or not we are going to follow His direction in following His commands. In reality, the only hope that exists for America to remain great is for her people to individually and collectively renew their love and allegiance to God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Any other scenario will result in the downfall of our great country. Any attempt to walk in any way other than God's is most certainly to follow the path to destruction. Walk in His Way, America!
God will bless America with the very same measure that we apply in seeking and obeying Him!
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Do You Believe This?
Jesus said to her, "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?" (John 11:25-26 NIV)
As Passion Week and the Day of Resurrection approach, it is good to remember that Jesus dealt in resurrection power before He went to the cross. Mankind has been in need of resurrection since the Day of Sin in the Garden of Eden. The first Adam brought death into the world through sin (Romans 5:12), and the Second Adam, Jesus Christ, brought life for all who will receive it (Romans 5:18). This life that came to us through Jesus is one of the basic characteristics of God and His kingdom. Jesus plainly said in these passages, "I am . . . the life." Lazarus was one of the first beneficiaries of the power of life that is in the Son of God.
This life that comes to us from heaven in the person of the Jesus Christ is more accurately explained in the Greek word zoe, pronounced zō-ā. For us, zoe-life is a life that is absolute and abundant, a life in which there is no death. We often call this eternal life, or everlasting life; a life that transcends the curse of death which came upon the human race as a result of Adam's sin. We know that this life flows through the Kingdom of Heaven, and its fruit is borne by the tree of life, which grows on both sides of the River of Life (Revelation 22:1-2). It is this life in which there is no death, this absolute life, which flowed through the human body of Jesus, for He is life. It is this absolute life that raised Jesus from the dead through the glory of the Father, and it is this life that is promised to everyone who confesses that Jesus is Lord and believes in his heart that God raised Jesus from the dead.
We may only participate in this absolute resurrection-life by believing that Jesus was raised from the dead. He said to the blind men, "According to your faith will it be done to you." (Matthew 9:29 NIV). We participate in zoe-life by believing in the One who gives it--the One who demonstrated the future that each of us has who believe that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10).
Do you believe this???
As Passion Week and the Day of Resurrection approach, it is good to remember that Jesus dealt in resurrection power before He went to the cross. Mankind has been in need of resurrection since the Day of Sin in the Garden of Eden. The first Adam brought death into the world through sin (Romans 5:12), and the Second Adam, Jesus Christ, brought life for all who will receive it (Romans 5:18). This life that came to us through Jesus is one of the basic characteristics of God and His kingdom. Jesus plainly said in these passages, "I am . . . the life." Lazarus was one of the first beneficiaries of the power of life that is in the Son of God.
This life that comes to us from heaven in the person of the Jesus Christ is more accurately explained in the Greek word zoe, pronounced zō-ā. For us, zoe-life is a life that is absolute and abundant, a life in which there is no death. We often call this eternal life, or everlasting life; a life that transcends the curse of death which came upon the human race as a result of Adam's sin. We know that this life flows through the Kingdom of Heaven, and its fruit is borne by the tree of life, which grows on both sides of the River of Life (Revelation 22:1-2). It is this life in which there is no death, this absolute life, which flowed through the human body of Jesus, for He is life. It is this absolute life that raised Jesus from the dead through the glory of the Father, and it is this life that is promised to everyone who confesses that Jesus is Lord and believes in his heart that God raised Jesus from the dead.
We may only participate in this absolute resurrection-life by believing that Jesus was raised from the dead. He said to the blind men, "According to your faith will it be done to you." (Matthew 9:29 NIV). We participate in zoe-life by believing in the One who gives it--the One who demonstrated the future that each of us has who believe that Jesus is Lord and that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9-10).
Do you believe this???
Monday, March 7, 2011
No Condemnation!!!
We have known the story since our days as young Sunday-Schoolers: The Story of Zacchaeus. Let me try to add a bit more insight to what we know about the "wee little man."
It was in the city of Jericho where Zacchaeus lived and worked. Oh, how he worked! He was the local tax-collector for the Roman Empire. Yes, the people of Jericho were accustomed to paying taxes--it was just part of life. However, Zacchaeus had an arrangement with the Roman government that he would collect what belonged to Caesar, and then he would take as his own whatever he could extort from the public, often taking much more than he should have. To be called a "tax-collector" put Zacchaeus in the league with con-artists and thieves, as far as the people of Jericho were concerned. To say that he was hated by the citizenry is to put it mildly.
In the city where Joshua had called down the walls with the shouts of the people of Israel and the blasts of trumpets, Zacchaeus was soon to experience a similar shaking in his own life. The man known as "Yeshua", the same name as Joshua from hundreds of years before, had come to town. We know Him as Jesus and His name means salvation. The crowds quickly enveloped Jesus as He passed through town on His way to another place in the Holy Land. In fact, the crowds were so intense that the diminutive, yet notorious, Zacchaeus had to climb a sycamore-fig tree to catch a glimpse of the now famous Son of Man. It was curiosity that brought Zacchaeus up the tree, but it was love that would bring him down.
As Jesus passed underneath the tree, He was fully aware that a lonely man needed redemption. He knew that the most-hated rich man in Jericho was seeking something that he had never experienced--compassion. And so Jesus looked up and called the tax-collector by name--the name that He had known since the foundation of the world:
"Zacchaeus!"
"Come down right away!"
"I must come to your house today!"
Something that traditional religion implies is missing in this account. Jesus did not ask anything of Zacchaeus, other than his acceptance. He didn't condemn Zacchaeus for his greed and thievery. He didn't demand repentance of the publican. Jesus didn't explain to the curious little man that He could not fellowship with sinners, that He couldn't embrace someone so ungodly. No, Jesus simply saw a "son of Abraham" who needed redemption, and He called his name. We know from the account in Luke 19:1-9 that Zacchaeus immediately descended from the tree, and he immediately repented of his sins and promised better restitution than the Law demanded from thieves. Again, Jesus did not demand these actions of Zacchaeus; Zacchaeus demanded them of himself in order to destroy anything that would separate him from the Savior of his soul. Somehow, Zacchaeus recognized that the Man who supernaturally knew his name was the One who could save his derelict soul. Jesus simply shouted "Zacchaeus!" and the walls that separated the sinner from the Savior fell in the time it took for a little man to climb down from a tree.
Unfortunately, even in this day of grace, we expect that Jesus will condemn us for our sins and expect complete repentance and rehabilitation before He will come to our house to break bread with us. The truth is this: until He comes to live in us by His Holy Spirit we will not and cannot rehabilitate ourselves. It is impossible! Only by the Spirit of holiness that Jesus places in His believers may the believers ever deny sin and turn away from it. We hear Him call our names, and then, with His help, we begin to tear down the walls that have separated us from His fellowship all these years. There is no condemnation! Just as with Zacchaeus 2000 years ago, Jesus does not see our sins--He only sees us. We are what He is after. Once we know Him, we will look for ways to make things right; once we have enjoyed His friendship, we will no longer look for ways to sin--we will look for ways not to sin.
Paul summed it up in Romans 8:1-2:
"Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."
It was in the city of Jericho where Zacchaeus lived and worked. Oh, how he worked! He was the local tax-collector for the Roman Empire. Yes, the people of Jericho were accustomed to paying taxes--it was just part of life. However, Zacchaeus had an arrangement with the Roman government that he would collect what belonged to Caesar, and then he would take as his own whatever he could extort from the public, often taking much more than he should have. To be called a "tax-collector" put Zacchaeus in the league with con-artists and thieves, as far as the people of Jericho were concerned. To say that he was hated by the citizenry is to put it mildly.
In the city where Joshua had called down the walls with the shouts of the people of Israel and the blasts of trumpets, Zacchaeus was soon to experience a similar shaking in his own life. The man known as "Yeshua", the same name as Joshua from hundreds of years before, had come to town. We know Him as Jesus and His name means salvation. The crowds quickly enveloped Jesus as He passed through town on His way to another place in the Holy Land. In fact, the crowds were so intense that the diminutive, yet notorious, Zacchaeus had to climb a sycamore-fig tree to catch a glimpse of the now famous Son of Man. It was curiosity that brought Zacchaeus up the tree, but it was love that would bring him down.
As Jesus passed underneath the tree, He was fully aware that a lonely man needed redemption. He knew that the most-hated rich man in Jericho was seeking something that he had never experienced--compassion. And so Jesus looked up and called the tax-collector by name--the name that He had known since the foundation of the world:
"Zacchaeus!"
"Come down right away!"
"I must come to your house today!"
Something that traditional religion implies is missing in this account. Jesus did not ask anything of Zacchaeus, other than his acceptance. He didn't condemn Zacchaeus for his greed and thievery. He didn't demand repentance of the publican. Jesus didn't explain to the curious little man that He could not fellowship with sinners, that He couldn't embrace someone so ungodly. No, Jesus simply saw a "son of Abraham" who needed redemption, and He called his name. We know from the account in Luke 19:1-9 that Zacchaeus immediately descended from the tree, and he immediately repented of his sins and promised better restitution than the Law demanded from thieves. Again, Jesus did not demand these actions of Zacchaeus; Zacchaeus demanded them of himself in order to destroy anything that would separate him from the Savior of his soul. Somehow, Zacchaeus recognized that the Man who supernaturally knew his name was the One who could save his derelict soul. Jesus simply shouted "Zacchaeus!" and the walls that separated the sinner from the Savior fell in the time it took for a little man to climb down from a tree.
Unfortunately, even in this day of grace, we expect that Jesus will condemn us for our sins and expect complete repentance and rehabilitation before He will come to our house to break bread with us. The truth is this: until He comes to live in us by His Holy Spirit we will not and cannot rehabilitate ourselves. It is impossible! Only by the Spirit of holiness that Jesus places in His believers may the believers ever deny sin and turn away from it. We hear Him call our names, and then, with His help, we begin to tear down the walls that have separated us from His fellowship all these years. There is no condemnation! Just as with Zacchaeus 2000 years ago, Jesus does not see our sins--He only sees us. We are what He is after. Once we know Him, we will look for ways to make things right; once we have enjoyed His friendship, we will no longer look for ways to sin--we will look for ways not to sin.
Paul summed it up in Romans 8:1-2:
"Therefore, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death."
Saturday, February 12, 2011
Spirit Prayer
In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. (Romans 8:26-27)
When will we lay aside the childish doctrine that the believer in Christ is stranded here on earth while God is millions of miles away, sitting aloof upon His throne and granting crumbs in answer to prayers for loaves of bread? When will we take Jesus at His word that the Spirit of God is with us and in us? When will we believe His promise that we will do what He has been doing, and greater things, because He has gone to the Father’s side and has sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within us? Those who are conformed to the image of Christ must live in the revelation and realization that through His Spirit God dwells within us to accomplish His work in this earth, carrying on the very ministry that Jesus Christ performed as He walked the hills and valleys of Israel.
As we learn to rely on the power, insight, knowledge and instruction of the Holy Spirit of God within each of us we will find that it is a much wiser and better way to live. We will find that one word from God can change a life; one idea from God can change a nation. The key to successful Christian living is facing the fact that our physical eyes can only see one part of the complete picture, and allowing the eternal eyes of God to give us the information we need to make a good decision. It is absolutely true that God works on a “need-to-know” basis, and many things of the Kingdom we do not need to know right now, but He will give us all information that we do need to minister and pray successfully in our time. This information is given to us through the Spirit of God; the Spirit knows the heart and mind of God and He knows our hearts as well.
As we pray, we must learn to pray in concert with the Holy Spirit. We must allow Him to bring to mind those for whom we should pray. We must allow Him to show us how to pray and what petitions to bring to the Father in the name of Jesus. It is possible that we may not have the words to express these petitions, and so we must allow the Holy Spirit to give word and voice to our petitions. We may find ourselves praying in the Spirit with groans that words cannot express (Romans 8:26). This is entirely scriptural. Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:18 that we should “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” We must learn to rely on the Holy Spirit to enable our prayers. As we do, we will become confident that our prayers will be answered because we know that the Spirit prays in unity with the will of the Father. The exercise of praying in the Spirit stimulates our minds and spirits to also come into line with God’s will, which is when we begin to manifest His image in our lives. We find that we listen less and less to the wisdom of man, and much more to the wisdom of God, because we find that God’s wisdom is real. Man’s wisdom is at best superficial and certainly artificial in comparison to the wisdom of God. Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15-16:
The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord
so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
We indeed have been given the mind of Christ through the person of the Holy Spirit. Let us spend our time studying and training in the truth of God, and much less time in the doctrines of the world system. We will find ourselves rapidly conforming to the image of Christ as we soak in His will and His ways.
When will we lay aside the childish doctrine that the believer in Christ is stranded here on earth while God is millions of miles away, sitting aloof upon His throne and granting crumbs in answer to prayers for loaves of bread? When will we take Jesus at His word that the Spirit of God is with us and in us? When will we believe His promise that we will do what He has been doing, and greater things, because He has gone to the Father’s side and has sent His Holy Spirit to dwell within us? Those who are conformed to the image of Christ must live in the revelation and realization that through His Spirit God dwells within us to accomplish His work in this earth, carrying on the very ministry that Jesus Christ performed as He walked the hills and valleys of Israel.
As we learn to rely on the power, insight, knowledge and instruction of the Holy Spirit of God within each of us we will find that it is a much wiser and better way to live. We will find that one word from God can change a life; one idea from God can change a nation. The key to successful Christian living is facing the fact that our physical eyes can only see one part of the complete picture, and allowing the eternal eyes of God to give us the information we need to make a good decision. It is absolutely true that God works on a “need-to-know” basis, and many things of the Kingdom we do not need to know right now, but He will give us all information that we do need to minister and pray successfully in our time. This information is given to us through the Spirit of God; the Spirit knows the heart and mind of God and He knows our hearts as well.
As we pray, we must learn to pray in concert with the Holy Spirit. We must allow Him to bring to mind those for whom we should pray. We must allow Him to show us how to pray and what petitions to bring to the Father in the name of Jesus. It is possible that we may not have the words to express these petitions, and so we must allow the Holy Spirit to give word and voice to our petitions. We may find ourselves praying in the Spirit with groans that words cannot express (Romans 8:26). This is entirely scriptural. Paul wrote in Ephesians 6:18 that we should “pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.” We must learn to rely on the Holy Spirit to enable our prayers. As we do, we will become confident that our prayers will be answered because we know that the Spirit prays in unity with the will of the Father. The exercise of praying in the Spirit stimulates our minds and spirits to also come into line with God’s will, which is when we begin to manifest His image in our lives. We find that we listen less and less to the wisdom of man, and much more to the wisdom of God, because we find that God’s wisdom is real. Man’s wisdom is at best superficial and certainly artificial in comparison to the wisdom of God. Paul states in 1 Corinthians 15-16:
The person with the Spirit makes judgments about all things, but such a person is not subject to merely human judgments, for, “Who has known the mind of the Lord
so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ.
We indeed have been given the mind of Christ through the person of the Holy Spirit. Let us spend our time studying and training in the truth of God, and much less time in the doctrines of the world system. We will find ourselves rapidly conforming to the image of Christ as we soak in His will and His ways.
Thursday, January 27, 2011
The Time is Now!
It appears that we are indeed in the times prophesied throughout the Scriptures. As the "powers that be" strain toward the formation of a one-world government, as a country we find that we stand on very thin economic and political ice. One day soon we will likely awaken to the news that our democratic experiment has failed, that we are in national bankruptcy and our "custodians" of the Constitution are ready to try another form of government. As students of democracy, we will cry out that they cannot scuttle our system of government without our consent; they will simply say by their actions, "Just watch us!"
Not since the days of the Tower of Babel has the world's society been closer to being united. We have English as language of business, and we have computers that will automatically translate into many languages. We have the Internet, allowing people on opposite sides of the earth to converse face-to-face in real time. We have a World Bank dealing in one currency. We have a world court with designs of imposing world law. We have the United Nations General Assembly wishing to redistribute the wealth created by the innovators and give it to those who are not. We have Islamic nations desiring to impose Shariah Law on every nation. Islamic extremists wish to move the earth toward conflagration, and thus ushering in their Twelfth Imam. A worldwide financial collapse will signal formation of a worldwide government. By definition, a worldwide government will naturally oppose anything which is of God, namely Judaism and Christianity, taking on the nature of antichrist. The tenets of the United Nations will be diametrically opposite to the principles and doctrines of the Kingdom of God.
The time is now, my friends, to place our reliance and hope in the One who is greater than the United States Government, and certainly greater than the United Nations of the World. As the world's politicians feather their own nests, caring not for the common people, we find that there is another who does indeed care for us. As the earth's upheaval begins, let us put our weight, our very lives in the hands of the God who calls everything and everyone to account. It is He who holds our future--not the earth's governments.
Jesus said one day, "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 10:27-30 NIV)
Not since the days of the Tower of Babel has the world's society been closer to being united. We have English as language of business, and we have computers that will automatically translate into many languages. We have the Internet, allowing people on opposite sides of the earth to converse face-to-face in real time. We have a World Bank dealing in one currency. We have a world court with designs of imposing world law. We have the United Nations General Assembly wishing to redistribute the wealth created by the innovators and give it to those who are not. We have Islamic nations desiring to impose Shariah Law on every nation. Islamic extremists wish to move the earth toward conflagration, and thus ushering in their Twelfth Imam. A worldwide financial collapse will signal formation of a worldwide government. By definition, a worldwide government will naturally oppose anything which is of God, namely Judaism and Christianity, taking on the nature of antichrist. The tenets of the United Nations will be diametrically opposite to the principles and doctrines of the Kingdom of God.
The time is now, my friends, to place our reliance and hope in the One who is greater than the United States Government, and certainly greater than the United Nations of the World. As the world's politicians feather their own nests, caring not for the common people, we find that there is another who does indeed care for us. As the earth's upheaval begins, let us put our weight, our very lives in the hands of the God who calls everything and everyone to account. It is He who holds our future--not the earth's governments.
Jesus said one day, "All things have been committed to me by my Father. No one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and those to whom the Son chooses to reveal him. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." (Matthew 10:27-30 NIV)
Monday, January 10, 2011
The True Sons of God
"The creation waits in eager expectation for the sons of God to be revealed." (Romans 8:19 NIV)
The true sons of the living God will no longer shrink in fear when commanded to stop preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:18-20).
The true sons of of the living God will preach the gospel to their oppressors, knowing that it could well cost them their very lives (Acts 6:8-7:60).
The true sons of the living God will pray and sing glorious hymns of praise to God while sitting in prison, without embarrassment or dismay, knowing there are people there who need to be rescued from the kingdom of darkness (Acts 16:25-36).
The true sons of the living God will confront those who deal in darkness, knowing that they are deceived by Satan and that they need deliverance as much as the sons once did (Acts 19:17-20).
The true sons of the living God will stand up to the authorities with respect and without fear, knowing that God’s living truth is greater than all the principalities and powers that the enemy can muster (Acts 22).
And the true sons of the living God, no matter the situation, will boldly and without hindrance preach the kingdom of God and teach about the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 28:31). This is the image of Christ into which we must desire to be formed!
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
The true sons of the living God will no longer shrink in fear when commanded to stop preaching the gospel of Jesus Christ (Acts 4:18-20).
The true sons of of the living God will preach the gospel to their oppressors, knowing that it could well cost them their very lives (Acts 6:8-7:60).
The true sons of the living God will pray and sing glorious hymns of praise to God while sitting in prison, without embarrassment or dismay, knowing there are people there who need to be rescued from the kingdom of darkness (Acts 16:25-36).
The true sons of the living God will confront those who deal in darkness, knowing that they are deceived by Satan and that they need deliverance as much as the sons once did (Acts 19:17-20).
The true sons of the living God will stand up to the authorities with respect and without fear, knowing that God’s living truth is greater than all the principalities and powers that the enemy can muster (Acts 22).
And the true sons of the living God, no matter the situation, will boldly and without hindrance preach the kingdom of God and teach about the Lord Jesus Christ (Acts 28:31). This is the image of Christ into which we must desire to be formed!
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
Sunday, August 22, 2010
God's Retirement Plan
In the previous post, we considered the eternal gold standard. Let's take a look at our western view of retirement savings and God's will in all of this. I will confess that a plump savings will give anyone, including myself, a sense of satisfaction and well-being. I will also confess that a sense of desperation will sieze the same person as he or she watches the balance of an IRA or 401-K crumble and disappear as the economy stumbles or fails. Never have I understood better than now the description that James used as he warned the rich man of the coming moth and rust that corrupt and steal the seemingly sure savings of the rich man's life (James 5:1-5).
We are now in the day of which Jesus spoke as he told of the man who kept building barns to store his wealth:
And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'
"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '
"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:16-21 NIV)
The problem with great savings is the flaw of human nature that says, "I have great wealth, so I will not worry about tomorrow!" or "My faith and well-being lie in the abundance of my bank account!" This pride is insidious enough; the despair that follows the corruption of this bank account will be overwhelming as we find that our faith has NOT been in the provision and wisdom of God, but in our own abilities and resourcefulness.
I have found during these last couple of years that our retirement accounts are merely false hope and misdirected objects of our faith. They may disappear in the blink of an eye. They may be confiscated by a totalitarian regime. We may find that inflation, like the moth, has eaten away the stores that we thought to be safe and secure. Or, we may find that God Himself will one day demand our life, and we will suddenly realize that our faith has been in only the temporal and corruptible, and not in the eternal and incorruptible.
With all of this in mind, let us seek a place where we are dependent on the provision of God every day, as the Israelites, who needed the daily allotment of manna for physical sustenance. With our faith in Him who supplies our every need, we will find ourselves keeping in-step with Him every moment of every day, knowing that our needs will be met directly or indirectly from and through our God, and not through our own efforts or the "largesse" of a nanny government. Are we not much more valuable than the birds of the air? God feeds and clothes them. Will He not much more feed and clothe us, who are made in His image? As Jesus so succinctly said, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33 NIV)
"Retirement" is not a biblical concept. Neither are luxury and comfort. Let us "retire" from the worldly view of self-sufficiency, or of dependency on the government's coffers. Let us renew our desire for the Most High God and His Kingdom and His righteousness. As we do, we will find much more than a bulging IRA could ever provide! We will find the bottomless and unending provision of a loving Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
We are now in the day of which Jesus spoke as he told of the man who kept building barns to store his wealth:
And he told them this parable: "The ground of a certain rich man produced a good crop. He thought to himself, 'What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.'
"Then he said, 'This is what I'll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I'll say to myself, "You have plenty of good things laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry." '
"But God said to him, 'You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?'
"This is how it will be with anyone who stores up things for himself but is not rich toward God." (Luke 12:16-21 NIV)
The problem with great savings is the flaw of human nature that says, "I have great wealth, so I will not worry about tomorrow!" or "My faith and well-being lie in the abundance of my bank account!" This pride is insidious enough; the despair that follows the corruption of this bank account will be overwhelming as we find that our faith has NOT been in the provision and wisdom of God, but in our own abilities and resourcefulness.
I have found during these last couple of years that our retirement accounts are merely false hope and misdirected objects of our faith. They may disappear in the blink of an eye. They may be confiscated by a totalitarian regime. We may find that inflation, like the moth, has eaten away the stores that we thought to be safe and secure. Or, we may find that God Himself will one day demand our life, and we will suddenly realize that our faith has been in only the temporal and corruptible, and not in the eternal and incorruptible.
With all of this in mind, let us seek a place where we are dependent on the provision of God every day, as the Israelites, who needed the daily allotment of manna for physical sustenance. With our faith in Him who supplies our every need, we will find ourselves keeping in-step with Him every moment of every day, knowing that our needs will be met directly or indirectly from and through our God, and not through our own efforts or the "largesse" of a nanny government. Are we not much more valuable than the birds of the air? God feeds and clothes them. Will He not much more feed and clothe us, who are made in His image? As Jesus so succinctly said, "Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." (Matthew 6:33 NIV)
"Retirement" is not a biblical concept. Neither are luxury and comfort. Let us "retire" from the worldly view of self-sufficiency, or of dependency on the government's coffers. Let us renew our desire for the Most High God and His Kingdom and His righteousness. As we do, we will find much more than a bulging IRA could ever provide! We will find the bottomless and unending provision of a loving Father and His Son Jesus Christ.
Monday, August 2, 2010
The Eternal Gold Standard
As I listen to the radio and watch TV, I can't help but notice the sharp increase in the promotion of gold as the last sure investment in times of uncertainty. On one hand, buying of gold coins, gold bullion, and gold mutual funds is strongly recommended, even though the price of gold has never been higher. For the person just now getting into gold, the downside is far greater than the upside. On the other hand, jewelry companies and gold-buyers are scrounging the dresser drawers of the desperate and the pockets of the unemployed for every last ounce of old gold rings, earrings and tie tacks. What they pay these desperate people for their tiny bit of gold is obviously low enough to assure them rich profit when they themselves take it to resell to a legitimate gold-buyer. I am being told to buy and sell gold every way I turn. What shall I do?
Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gains understanding,
for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold. (Proverbs 3:13-14 NIV)
This was written by the man who, when presented with the opportunity to ask anything of the LORD, asked for wisdom. This exhortation gets to the heart of our dilemma. When called on to buy or sell gold, our best financial counseling lies in the Book of Proverbs. Wisdom and understanding of the heavenly kind are our best investment. They are more profitable than silver and they yield better than gold. King Soloman had so much silver that he had to throw it away, and yet he thought his best investment was in heavenly wisdom!
Wisdom is supreme;
therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have,
get understanding. (Proverbs 4:7 NIV)
Soloman again extols heavenly wisdom as the supreme investment and godly understanding as the ageless and incorruptable substance worth more than any earthly material. In our day, heavenly wisdom is in great shortage, and godly understanding is seldom found. We are governed by a ruling class that covets gold and silver and shuns wisdom and understanding. The intellectual dishonesty of our leaders is breathtaking. King Soloman knew that only with the wisdom of God could he lead his people responsibly and successfully.
My son, keep my words
and store up my commands within you.
Keep my commands and you will live;
guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
Bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart. (Proverbs 7:1-3 NIV)
Finally, Soloman exhorts us to not only find wisdom and understanding found in God's words, but to actually store up those words within us. We are to write the commands of God and His words of wisdom on our hearts. We are to memorize and recite the eternal words of knowledge and wisdom, and to literally soak our minds and hearts in God's thoughts and desires, not our own. The man, woman, boy or girl who does this carries in his or her mind the very wisdom and understanding of God of the Universe.
In a day when gold is held in highest esteem and the words of the Bible are trodden under foot, we must set our minds and hearts on Heaven, where the words of the LORD are held in highest esteem and the saints walk on streets paved with the gold that we once held as the last sure investment.
Wisdom is supreme, therefore get wisdom!!!
Blessed is the man who finds wisdom,
the man who gains understanding,
for she is more profitable than silver
and yields better returns than gold. (Proverbs 3:13-14 NIV)
This was written by the man who, when presented with the opportunity to ask anything of the LORD, asked for wisdom. This exhortation gets to the heart of our dilemma. When called on to buy or sell gold, our best financial counseling lies in the Book of Proverbs. Wisdom and understanding of the heavenly kind are our best investment. They are more profitable than silver and they yield better than gold. King Soloman had so much silver that he had to throw it away, and yet he thought his best investment was in heavenly wisdom!
Wisdom is supreme;
therefore get wisdom.
Though it cost all you have,
get understanding. (Proverbs 4:7 NIV)
Soloman again extols heavenly wisdom as the supreme investment and godly understanding as the ageless and incorruptable substance worth more than any earthly material. In our day, heavenly wisdom is in great shortage, and godly understanding is seldom found. We are governed by a ruling class that covets gold and silver and shuns wisdom and understanding. The intellectual dishonesty of our leaders is breathtaking. King Soloman knew that only with the wisdom of God could he lead his people responsibly and successfully.
My son, keep my words
and store up my commands within you.
Keep my commands and you will live;
guard my teachings as the apple of your eye.
Bind them on your fingers;
write them on the tablet of your heart. (Proverbs 7:1-3 NIV)
Finally, Soloman exhorts us to not only find wisdom and understanding found in God's words, but to actually store up those words within us. We are to write the commands of God and His words of wisdom on our hearts. We are to memorize and recite the eternal words of knowledge and wisdom, and to literally soak our minds and hearts in God's thoughts and desires, not our own. The man, woman, boy or girl who does this carries in his or her mind the very wisdom and understanding of God of the Universe.
In a day when gold is held in highest esteem and the words of the Bible are trodden under foot, we must set our minds and hearts on Heaven, where the words of the LORD are held in highest esteem and the saints walk on streets paved with the gold that we once held as the last sure investment.
Wisdom is supreme, therefore get wisdom!!!
Thursday, July 22, 2010
Race Is Not The Issue!
In our ostensibly "post-racial" era, there exists a racial tension I have not seen since the 1960's. How can this be? As one who grew up in the South, and having seen the days of segregation and still retaining the painful memories thereof, I look around and wonder where this racial strife is coming from. As a country, we have made progress that one could only dream of in 1968. Why are we suddenly thrust back 40-50 years into a time when the cities were tinderboxes, simply waiting for the spark that would send them into flame.
I see two conditions that bring us to this moment of strife:
First, we have become a country led by human desires and ambitions, and not a country under God and His purposes. For the last century, there has been an insidious undercurrent slowly eroding the spiritual resolve that was present at the founding of America. Almost fifty years ago we were shocked when we were suddenly forbidden the right to pray in our classrooms; now we are complacent as the perverse lifestyles of Ancient Rome are promoted in the same classrooms. We flippantly ask God to bless America, while filling our homes with putrid refuse dumped abundantly through our televisions and computers into our living rooms and lives. We thus leave our communities exposed to the infiltration of hatred and discord by our selfish and near-sighted lifestyles, experiencing everything but the blessings of God.
Second, by wandering away from the good and the right way of godliness, we have left our country and our families open to the attack of the enemy of our souls. The prince of darkness sows seeds that come from his own stock: hatred, discord, and jealousy. Cries of "racism" abound, simply because of the difference of a person's color. Can we not see that this is not inspired by God, but by His adversary? God is the One who unites; Satan is the divider. Thus, if we are finding our country in the throes of divisiveness and discontent, then we must first examine and determine the distance that we have put between ourselves and God of the Universe.
Hell has declared open season on the hearts and minds of Americans; will we acquiesce, or will we rebel against the forces of evil that would steal our very heritage. Revolution is definitely called for: not in the flesh, but in the spirit. We must turn from the wicked ways of darkness, and turn back to the Kingdom of Light which consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth(Ephesians 5:9).
If we will in fact turn to the God who created us, then, and only then, will we find the unity that man has dreamed of since eternity began. Only in the Kingdom of God will racism, hatred, and discord be vanquished and forever put away. Apostle Paul wrote so eloquently of a people who are clothed, not with worldly fashion, but with the very person of Jesus Christ. As each person looks on another, he does not see race, color, gender or background, but simply a child of God clad in the robe of righteousness bought and paid for at the cross of Christ.
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus(Galatians 3:26-28 NIV).
May God Bless America as we find our way back to the cross and to the Savior who died and now lives forevermore.
I see two conditions that bring us to this moment of strife:
First, we have become a country led by human desires and ambitions, and not a country under God and His purposes. For the last century, there has been an insidious undercurrent slowly eroding the spiritual resolve that was present at the founding of America. Almost fifty years ago we were shocked when we were suddenly forbidden the right to pray in our classrooms; now we are complacent as the perverse lifestyles of Ancient Rome are promoted in the same classrooms. We flippantly ask God to bless America, while filling our homes with putrid refuse dumped abundantly through our televisions and computers into our living rooms and lives. We thus leave our communities exposed to the infiltration of hatred and discord by our selfish and near-sighted lifestyles, experiencing everything but the blessings of God.
Second, by wandering away from the good and the right way of godliness, we have left our country and our families open to the attack of the enemy of our souls. The prince of darkness sows seeds that come from his own stock: hatred, discord, and jealousy. Cries of "racism" abound, simply because of the difference of a person's color. Can we not see that this is not inspired by God, but by His adversary? God is the One who unites; Satan is the divider. Thus, if we are finding our country in the throes of divisiveness and discontent, then we must first examine and determine the distance that we have put between ourselves and God of the Universe.
Hell has declared open season on the hearts and minds of Americans; will we acquiesce, or will we rebel against the forces of evil that would steal our very heritage. Revolution is definitely called for: not in the flesh, but in the spirit. We must turn from the wicked ways of darkness, and turn back to the Kingdom of Light which consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth(Ephesians 5:9).
If we will in fact turn to the God who created us, then, and only then, will we find the unity that man has dreamed of since eternity began. Only in the Kingdom of God will racism, hatred, and discord be vanquished and forever put away. Apostle Paul wrote so eloquently of a people who are clothed, not with worldly fashion, but with the very person of Jesus Christ. As each person looks on another, he does not see race, color, gender or background, but simply a child of God clad in the robe of righteousness bought and paid for at the cross of Christ.
You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, slave nor free, male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus(Galatians 3:26-28 NIV).
May God Bless America as we find our way back to the cross and to the Savior who died and now lives forevermore.
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Change for the Better!
I cannot help but notice these days a restlessness that I have not seen in any of the 6 decades that I have been allowed to live on this earth. People are fearful of what they see happening in the USA; they are aware that the government is taking more and more control of their lives and they really are not comfortable with this “change.” What is more, we see that the dollars that we earned years ago and stashed away for retirement are not worth what they were when we placed them into savings those many years ago. As a result, people are angry at their leaders, at those around them and even at themselves for allowing all of this to happen.
The truth is this: Jesus has not promised us a firm and thriving economy, but He has promised that He would provide for those who would seek first God, His Kingdom, and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). As for peace, Scripture points us again to God. Hebrews 4:9 (NIV) says, “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God.” This rest is a state of ceasing to strive against God and of learning to rest in Him. Jesus told the masses that if the weary and heavy-laden would come to Him, then He would give them rest (Matthew 11:28).
As I look at the online news services I see anything but rest. I see a world full of people who are trying to make their own way in spite of God, not in concert with Him. I see a human race that fears that God will take away what they have, and that He will not give them what their selfish hearts desire. So, as a result, they are busy making their “living” while not really living--at least not the way that God designed them to. His design is for each of us to spend our waking moments talking with Him, to find out what He has in store for us each day, and then to walk step-by-step in His graces as He leads and prepares the way. It may sound very different to your ears, but I assure you that this is the most restful life that a person could possibly live. Why? Because God designed us to live in His rest, and His rest is only found as we seek Him first in all that we do. This, my friends, is “change” for the better!
Blessings on you as you seek Him this week!
The truth is this: Jesus has not promised us a firm and thriving economy, but He has promised that He would provide for those who would seek first God, His Kingdom, and His righteousness (Matthew 6:33). As for peace, Scripture points us again to God. Hebrews 4:9 (NIV) says, “There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God.” This rest is a state of ceasing to strive against God and of learning to rest in Him. Jesus told the masses that if the weary and heavy-laden would come to Him, then He would give them rest (Matthew 11:28).
As I look at the online news services I see anything but rest. I see a world full of people who are trying to make their own way in spite of God, not in concert with Him. I see a human race that fears that God will take away what they have, and that He will not give them what their selfish hearts desire. So, as a result, they are busy making their “living” while not really living--at least not the way that God designed them to. His design is for each of us to spend our waking moments talking with Him, to find out what He has in store for us each day, and then to walk step-by-step in His graces as He leads and prepares the way. It may sound very different to your ears, but I assure you that this is the most restful life that a person could possibly live. Why? Because God designed us to live in His rest, and His rest is only found as we seek Him first in all that we do. This, my friends, is “change” for the better!
Blessings on you as you seek Him this week!
Monday, April 26, 2010
The News Says It All!
I have been consistently amazed at the headlines these last few months. Countries going bankrupt, others attaining nuclear status, unabashed talk of global law and government. Bizarre behavior of the Hollywood and Washington elite, children murdering parents, unbridled disrespect of one human for one another. Scandalous behavior of priests and pastors, complete lack of self-control and moral direction of political leaders, and the dubious triumph of money over morals on Wall Street and Main Street.
Is this the world in which I grew up? What will it take for good to once again conquer evil? When will this slide toward destruction of humanity end? Or will it?
At the breakfast table this morning, my family discussed the following Scripture:
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NIV)
The answer to my questions above is most likely this: we are witnessing the beginning of the terrible times that Apostle Paul wrote of in his letter to Timothy. Indeed, there have been times in history when society was this out-of-control. At the very least we are in for a very rude awakening. But I believe there is more to it this time. The earth has never seen a time when one-world government was so close to reality. Prophecies in Daniel, Matthew, and Revelation all confirm the words of Paul as he warned of the end of time.
The symptom of human sickness that concerns me most is the last: having a form of godliness but denying its power (verse 5). We are indeed in a time when the gospel has gone to every corner of the earth, and yet it seems that the Church has less influence and power than ever before. How could this be? For one, we have turned away from our first love, Jesus Christ. We have allowed tradition and programs to become our God, while forsaking the power and leading of the Spirit of Christ.
The earth groans inwardly as it waits eagerly for the sons of God to be revealed (Romans 8:18-25). Who will be the first to say, "I desire to walk in the fullness of Christ, and I choose the Kingdom of God over the things of this world." Who will stand and say, "The Lord is my Helper, and I will not fear what man can do unto me!"(Hebrews 13:6). Who will agree with Jesus in His prayer to the Father, "thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven"?(Matthew 6:10).
Yes, the news says it all! We are on the verge of a new kingdom . . . not that of a one-world government run by selfish tyrants, but that of the coming King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Look up, friends, for our redemption is drawing nigh!!!
Is this the world in which I grew up? What will it take for good to once again conquer evil? When will this slide toward destruction of humanity end? Or will it?
At the breakfast table this morning, my family discussed the following Scripture:
But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them. (2 Timothy 3:1-5 NIV)
The answer to my questions above is most likely this: we are witnessing the beginning of the terrible times that Apostle Paul wrote of in his letter to Timothy. Indeed, there have been times in history when society was this out-of-control. At the very least we are in for a very rude awakening. But I believe there is more to it this time. The earth has never seen a time when one-world government was so close to reality. Prophecies in Daniel, Matthew, and Revelation all confirm the words of Paul as he warned of the end of time.
The symptom of human sickness that concerns me most is the last: having a form of godliness but denying its power (verse 5). We are indeed in a time when the gospel has gone to every corner of the earth, and yet it seems that the Church has less influence and power than ever before. How could this be? For one, we have turned away from our first love, Jesus Christ. We have allowed tradition and programs to become our God, while forsaking the power and leading of the Spirit of Christ.
The earth groans inwardly as it waits eagerly for the sons of God to be revealed (Romans 8:18-25). Who will be the first to say, "I desire to walk in the fullness of Christ, and I choose the Kingdom of God over the things of this world." Who will stand and say, "The Lord is my Helper, and I will not fear what man can do unto me!"(Hebrews 13:6). Who will agree with Jesus in His prayer to the Father, "thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven"?(Matthew 6:10).
Yes, the news says it all! We are on the verge of a new kingdom . . . not that of a one-world government run by selfish tyrants, but that of the coming King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Look up, friends, for our redemption is drawing nigh!!!
Monday, April 19, 2010
What's in a Name? (2) from Beyond the Veil
Let us remember here our understanding of salvation. Salvation is found in Jesus alone for that is His name. There is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved (Acts 4:12). Jesus has made available to all who will come to Him every blessing listed in the Scriptures. If we have even half the determination of the woman who fought herself through the crowd to touch the hem of His garment, then we will find Him, and He will bless us as well! As joint-heirs with Jesus Christ, we have also been given authority to speak His name in any and every situation; we must do the work that He did for us—taking salvation to every soul who needs it in the name of Jesus (John 14:11-14).
Let us also remember that Jesus, as the High Priest, has gone into the Holy of Holies before us, sprinkling His own blood on the Mercy Seat. Jesus has made open every door for us so that we may access the Father by His own blood. Jesus has gone before us behind the veil; He calls to us and desires for us to come there as well. For there His glory dwells in the Holy of Holies. No, we do not deserve such standing, but only the arrogant will turn down such an offer: “Come boldly unto the throne of grace that you may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Yes, the world will say that we are boastful and proud to be counted as people of God who come boldly to Him, expecting Him to meet our needs. No, a world of people who would rather meet their own needs and ignore their Creator is indeed most arrogant and proud. Many believe that God would not grant their greatest desires for this or for that, and they proceed to fill their own desires, by hook or by crook. May we determine that only those things that God is willing to provide for us are worth having—all else is vanity, or worse, destructive.
(from Beyond the Veil, to be released soon)
Let us also remember that Jesus, as the High Priest, has gone into the Holy of Holies before us, sprinkling His own blood on the Mercy Seat. Jesus has made open every door for us so that we may access the Father by His own blood. Jesus has gone before us behind the veil; He calls to us and desires for us to come there as well. For there His glory dwells in the Holy of Holies. No, we do not deserve such standing, but only the arrogant will turn down such an offer: “Come boldly unto the throne of grace that you may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Yes, the world will say that we are boastful and proud to be counted as people of God who come boldly to Him, expecting Him to meet our needs. No, a world of people who would rather meet their own needs and ignore their Creator is indeed most arrogant and proud. Many believe that God would not grant their greatest desires for this or for that, and they proceed to fill their own desires, by hook or by crook. May we determine that only those things that God is willing to provide for us are worth having—all else is vanity, or worse, destructive.
(from Beyond the Veil, to be released soon)
Monday, April 12, 2010
What's in a Name?
Contrary to the Shakespearian context in which this question was born, when it comes to the name of Jesus everything is in a name. On the surface, and as we as 21st century "superficialists" tend to think, a name is only a label, a trinket to be worn, testifying to the faddish era into which we were born. However, to God a name is everything. It actually tells the story of a person's life yet to be lived. The name describes generally the characteristics of the person and in many ways the vocation of the same person.
When it comes to the name of Jesus, there is even much more to a name. In the Hebrew language, "yeshua" means salvation. According to Strong's Lexicon, the facets of the word salvation include the following: freedom, wholeness(forgiveness, righteousness), rescue, deliverance, victory, healing, health, prosperity, provision, protection, aid, and eternal life. The people of Biblical times heard in the name of Yeshua, or Jesus, the answer to every need that they could possibly have. It is no wonder that people with needs for healing, deliverance, provision, and forgiveness would swarm to the walking and talking Provider of salvation. That was His name: Jesus, Yeshua, Salvation.
Two millenia later, the needs of mankind have not changed. We still are in need of healing, of daily needs for food and shelter, of deliverance from the demons that haunt the worldly marketplaces of cable television and the Internet. The good news is that the One who provides salvation from all of these areas of lack has not changed either. He calls to each of us, "Come unto me, all who are weary and weighed-down, I will give you rest!" (Matthew 11:28). To obtain whatever facet of salvation that you need today, whether it is forgiveness, healing, aid, guidance, protection, or eternal life, simply call on the name that is above every name--Jesus! What's in a name? Everything a human being could possibly need--past, present and future. Acts 4:12 says, "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved."
When it comes to the name of Jesus, there is even much more to a name. In the Hebrew language, "yeshua" means salvation. According to Strong's Lexicon, the facets of the word salvation include the following: freedom, wholeness(forgiveness, righteousness), rescue, deliverance, victory, healing, health, prosperity, provision, protection, aid, and eternal life. The people of Biblical times heard in the name of Yeshua, or Jesus, the answer to every need that they could possibly have. It is no wonder that people with needs for healing, deliverance, provision, and forgiveness would swarm to the walking and talking Provider of salvation. That was His name: Jesus, Yeshua, Salvation.
Two millenia later, the needs of mankind have not changed. We still are in need of healing, of daily needs for food and shelter, of deliverance from the demons that haunt the worldly marketplaces of cable television and the Internet. The good news is that the One who provides salvation from all of these areas of lack has not changed either. He calls to each of us, "Come unto me, all who are weary and weighed-down, I will give you rest!" (Matthew 11:28). To obtain whatever facet of salvation that you need today, whether it is forgiveness, healing, aid, guidance, protection, or eternal life, simply call on the name that is above every name--Jesus! What's in a name? Everything a human being could possibly need--past, present and future. Acts 4:12 says, "There is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven by which we must be saved."
Monday, April 5, 2010
Is Anything Too Hard for the LORD?
The LORD had just caught Sarah laughing. She denied it, but the LORD said, "No, but you did laugh!" We all know what she was laughing about, don't we? The LORD had promised that she would birth a son . . . a son who would be born to a woman almost 90 years old! We would laugh as well if we did not know the ending to this story.
As we go back to our earthly duties after a most amazing Holy Week, we need to take the power of the Resurrection with us. I am not speaking figuratively here; I am speaking in very literal terms. Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit, has promised us that we may ask anything in His name and He would do it (John 14:13-14). If we would but believe, we will be given what we ask in the name of Jesus (Matthew 21:22). John put it this way in 1 John 5:14-15 NKJV: "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."
We who believe that God could and would raise Jesus from the dead must remember that if He could do that, then He can certainly answer our prayers that we ask according to His will and in Jesus' name. If He can raise the dead, He can certainly find you and me a job if we need it. He can certainly heal our sicknesses and protect us from evil. He can certainly guide us through dangerous times.
The LORD heard Sarah laugh. His simple yet thunderous response was this: "Is anything to hard for the LORD?"(Genesis 18:14a NKJV). We who believe in the resurrection of Christ must remember each time we ask anything of the LORD that nothing is too hard for Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. Nothing!!!
God Bless You as you seek His will this week!
As we go back to our earthly duties after a most amazing Holy Week, we need to take the power of the Resurrection with us. I am not speaking figuratively here; I am speaking in very literal terms. Jesus Christ, who was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father and the power of the Holy Spirit, has promised us that we may ask anything in His name and He would do it (John 14:13-14). If we would but believe, we will be given what we ask in the name of Jesus (Matthew 21:22). John put it this way in 1 John 5:14-15 NKJV: "Now this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us, whatever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we have asked of Him."
We who believe that God could and would raise Jesus from the dead must remember that if He could do that, then He can certainly answer our prayers that we ask according to His will and in Jesus' name. If He can raise the dead, He can certainly find you and me a job if we need it. He can certainly heal our sicknesses and protect us from evil. He can certainly guide us through dangerous times.
The LORD heard Sarah laugh. His simple yet thunderous response was this: "Is anything to hard for the LORD?"(Genesis 18:14a NKJV). We who believe in the resurrection of Christ must remember each time we ask anything of the LORD that nothing is too hard for Him who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead. Nothing!!!
God Bless You as you seek His will this week!
Monday, March 29, 2010
Why the Resurrection?
As we enter this holy week leading up to Resurrection Sunday, let us remember how important the resurrection of Jesus Christ is to the Christian faith. Most Americans in one form or another celebrate the Christmas season, and yet only the professed Christian remembers and celebrates Christ's resurrection.
Not only does the Resurrection separate the nominal from the true believer, but it also empowers the true believer with hope beyond fleeting hope, life beyond earthly life, and power beyond human power. Those who have indeed believed that Father God raised His Son Jesus from the dead are counted as the righteous, not by anything we have done, but by the grace of God. It is belief in Christ's resurrection that allows us to participate in His resurrection; if we will count ourselves dead with Christ at the cross, then we will find ourselves raised to new life in Christ as well (Romans 6:1-14).
The most exciting news is this: When Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, He led all who believe in Him to a place, a status, where the sin and death that has haunted the earth since the Garden of Eden no longer has any power. Sin has no right to oppress the Christian, and death has no ability to keep the Christian in the grave. We are, in fact, raised to walk in a new life, free from sin's shackles and free from the fear of death! If Christ had not undone Satan's work by rising from the dead, we would have no hope. Instead, thanks be to God, we are filled with hope--powerful hope--because of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. May we celebrate our new life every day, not just on Easter.
God Bless you this Holy Week!
Not only does the Resurrection separate the nominal from the true believer, but it also empowers the true believer with hope beyond fleeting hope, life beyond earthly life, and power beyond human power. Those who have indeed believed that Father God raised His Son Jesus from the dead are counted as the righteous, not by anything we have done, but by the grace of God. It is belief in Christ's resurrection that allows us to participate in His resurrection; if we will count ourselves dead with Christ at the cross, then we will find ourselves raised to new life in Christ as well (Romans 6:1-14).
The most exciting news is this: When Jesus Christ was raised from the dead, He led all who believe in Him to a place, a status, where the sin and death that has haunted the earth since the Garden of Eden no longer has any power. Sin has no right to oppress the Christian, and death has no ability to keep the Christian in the grave. We are, in fact, raised to walk in a new life, free from sin's shackles and free from the fear of death! If Christ had not undone Satan's work by rising from the dead, we would have no hope. Instead, thanks be to God, we are filled with hope--powerful hope--because of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. May we celebrate our new life every day, not just on Easter.
God Bless you this Holy Week!
Tuesday, March 23, 2010
A New Era for the Christian American
All masks are now off! The disguise that liberalism has worn for years past has been dropped and we are now witnessing the "fundamental transformation" that was promised during the last presidential election. Regardless of your and my political stance, it is evident that the role of the Christian has not changed; however, it is now more important than ever for us to be who God has called us to be.
The most important thing that we can do right now is this: to make sure that we are in close contact with our God and to make sure that we are hearing clearly and accurately what He is saying to us. If we are indeed hearing from Him, then we will be well-equipped and well-informed for each and every situation in which we may find ourselves. Each believer in Jesus Christ has been indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and we must consult with the Spirit constantly--insuring that we are residing and walking in the will of God.
Our western way-of-life has kept us running in the fast lane, mindful of earthly duties and obligations, and yes, of earthly pleasures as well. It is time to realign our priorities and to "seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33). If we do not seek Him for every need, then we are seeking the blessings and not the Blesser; in the end we will find our needs un-met, because we have relied on ourselves and not on our Creator and Provider. In addition, the government is not our provider and never will be. God, and God alone, is able to meet our every need for health, food, and security. Let us seek Him! Do not worry about tomorrow, but seek God and His Son Jesus today!
God Bless!!!
The most important thing that we can do right now is this: to make sure that we are in close contact with our God and to make sure that we are hearing clearly and accurately what He is saying to us. If we are indeed hearing from Him, then we will be well-equipped and well-informed for each and every situation in which we may find ourselves. Each believer in Jesus Christ has been indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and we must consult with the Spirit constantly--insuring that we are residing and walking in the will of God.
Our western way-of-life has kept us running in the fast lane, mindful of earthly duties and obligations, and yes, of earthly pleasures as well. It is time to realign our priorities and to "seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33). If we do not seek Him for every need, then we are seeking the blessings and not the Blesser; in the end we will find our needs un-met, because we have relied on ourselves and not on our Creator and Provider. In addition, the government is not our provider and never will be. God, and God alone, is able to meet our every need for health, food, and security. Let us seek Him! Do not worry about tomorrow, but seek God and His Son Jesus today!
God Bless!!!
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