Born to be King

Matthew begins his gospel with a genealogy which probably isn't the best way to start a bestseller, so why does Matthew do it? Matthew 1:1 tells us why. It says, "This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham." This genealogy establishes the fact that Jesus was a descendant of David and was therefore eligible to be the Messiah. 

Messiah is a Hebrew word that simply means “anointed one.” You may remember that David was anointed as king many years before he actually became king. In the same way, when God revealed that one of David's descendants would reign forever over a kingdom that would extend to the ends of the earth, God’s people began to think of this descendant as having already been anointed king. They were just waiting for him to take the throne.

When we read the Christmas story we find this emphasized over and over again. Jesus was born to be king. This is overwhelmingly clear in Luke's birth account as well, but for the sake of space let's stick with Matthew's gospel. 

Matthew 2:1-2 says that "Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews?'" The wise men came looking for a king! And in the rest of chapter 2 Herod set out to kill not just any baby but a king. 

If we fast-forward through the gospel, we find the same emphasis many years later at Jesus’ death. Matthew 27:37 says that as Jesus was crucified, “above his head they placed the written charge against him: this is Jesus, the King of the Jews.” So, that phrase, the "King of the Jews" hangs over both Jesus’ birth and His death in the gospel of Matthew. It was the king of the Jews that the Magi came searching for at His birth, and it was the king of the Jews that the Romans crucified at His death.

And yet somehow, today Jesus has been robbed of his kingship. Churches present Him as a Savior and a friend but never as a king. Certainly Jesus is the only Savior and He is our closest friend, but not until He is first our King! So, this Christmas let’s not just kneel before the manger in wonder at the baby. Let’s not just kneel before the cross in awe of the Savior. This Christmas, let’s also kneel before the throne and swear allegiance to the King.

Christmas Obedience

...an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, “Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins...” When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

Matthew 1:20-21 & 24

Joseph was a devout Jew. He had it in his mind to follow the law and quietly divorce his fiancée that had turned up pregnant; but the Lord had other plans. So, God sent an angel to tell Joseph not only that he was to take Mary as his wife but also that the child who would be born of her had been sent to "save his people from their sins."

In other words, Jesus' birth, Christmas itself, is about people being saved from their sin. That includes not only people coming to place their faith in Jesus for forgiveness of their sin, but also people turning from their sins to obedience to God. And even though Joseph wasn't turning away from sin, we do see him turning toward obedience in the next verses. Verse 24 tells us that after his divine dream, Joseph woke up and obeyed God. In this way, he sets an example for all of us to follow. 

Purely by coincidence I happened to read Romans 16 right before I read Matthew 1 tonight. And a certain phrase at the end of Romans 16 caught my attention. "so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from faith" (Romans 16:26). It is probably the reason I noticed this minor theme of obedience in Matthew 1. Having that phrase stuck in my mind helped me realize that a lot of emphasis is placed on faith at Christmastime and very little on obedience. But there's something wrong with that, because there is an obedience that comes from faith. And I have no doubt in my mind that the kind of faith that God desires is the kind that leads to life change and obedience. 

So, this Christmas don't just place your faith in the baby in the manger...obey Him. Wake up on Christmas morning and do what He has told you to do. And then, even after Christmas is over, try to make it your daily practice to wake up and obey just like Joseph did.

Jesus Always Lives to Pray for You (W.o.W. Rewind)

 Now there have been many of those priests, since death prevented them from continuing in office; but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.

Hebrews 7:23-25

 

When we find ourselves at a truly low point in life- perhaps at death's door or losing someone we can't bear to lose- we often turn to others for prayer. When our own strength fails, we want as many people praying for us as is possible. However we all know certain people whom we sense are nearer to God. We want these people praying for us most of all during our time of need. We somehow feel that if God will hear anyone's prayer, He will hear theirs. Knowing that they are lifting our needs up to the Lord gives us extra strength to press on. Who could this be truer of than Jesus Himself!?

Hebrews 7:23-25 presents the precious truth that Jesus is interceding for all those who have come to God through Him. How encouraging it is to know that if you are a believer then right now Jesus is sitting at the right hand of God the Father in heaven praying for you! Jesus is pulling for you! Jesus Himself is pleading with God on your behalf! Now, the word 'intercede' is one of those churchy words that we use a lot, but many people don’t really know what it means. To intercede for someone is to plead or advocate on their behalf. It is usually used in reference to prayer (as it is here). We intercede for someone when we lift up their requests to God on their behalf. So this passage tells us that Jesus is always praying for you and pleading for you to God. What a blessing! What a privilege! What an encouragement!

  

Not only is this true, but Jesus lives forever. He isn’t going to get tired and fall asleep while He’s praying for you. He isn’t going to give up. He isn’t going to die and leave you trying to convince someone else to plead your case to God. “He always lives to intercede for” you.

 

I believe that Jesus is pleading with God for both your ultimate salvation- that you would persevere in the faith and be proven to be one of the true children of God in the end- and that God would provide you with all you need to beat the power of sin in your life and become more and more like Christ.

What could make this better? Only one thing: if this Jesus who prays for you could actually understand your human weakness, the flesh that you have to battle against, the temptation that you face. If He could understand that, then He could better plead for you. Good news! Hebrews 4:15 says, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin.”

 

Jesus has walked in your shoes. He knows what it’s like to be tired, to be hungry, to be sick. He knows what it’s like to be discouraged. He even knows what it’s like to be tempted. And He sits at the right hand of God the Father in Heaven living forever to lift up your requests and your needs to the Father on your behalf. Praise God! So lift up your requests to God in Jesus’ name today and trust that He is praying for you and that the Father surely hears His prayers.

 

For further reading...

• John 17:6-26- This passage probably gives us a pretty good idea of what Jesus is praying for us, because it is the prayer He prayed for us before He was crucified.
• Hebrews 4:14-16- Check out Hebrews 4:15 in context.

Live for the Lord. Die for the Lord.

If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord. So, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord.

Romans 14:8

This simple truth is often neglected. Some Christians don't want to live for the Lord. They want to live for themselves, gratifying the desires of their flesh. Others are more than willing to live for the Lord as long as it means they will be able to avoid suffering, struggle, and death. They live God-honoring lives but expect God to keep them untouched by sickness and death in return. They wouldn't claim to believe they should live forever, but when sickness or death does come, no matter how old they are, they feel betrayed by their God. 

I would like to be a third and rarer type of Christian, a Romans 14:8 Christian. I would like to be the kind of Christian who is more than willing to live every day of my life for the Lord while being willing to die for Him as well. 

In Romans 14, the concept of dying for the Lord has nothing to do with martyrdom. It is simply dying for the Lord or as unto the Lord. As Christians, we are called to do whatever we do for the glory of God (1 Corinthians 10:31). Romans 14:8 reminds us that this includes dying. When you die, you should do it in such a way as to bring glory to God. You should die for the Lord just like you lived for the Lord. And every single one of us will one day be called on to die (unless we live until Jesus comes back). And I can tell you firsthand how powerful a witness it can be when a Christian dies well, when they die for the Lord. Sadly, I can also tell you that it doesn't always happen. 

So, take a moment and ask yourself if you are really living for the Lord. And then take another moment ask yourself if you are really ready to die for Him. Jesus said, “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it" (Luke 9:23-24). I am convinced that if we obey this command, if we take up our cross every day and live for Jesus, then we will be ready to die for Him when the time comes. Live for the Lord and His glory. And when the time comes, die for Him and His glory too.

Heavenly Father, 

Help me to live for you and Your glory. And when the time comes, help me to die for you and your glory as well. In Jesus' name...Amen.

Talking about God's Faithfulness

I will sing of the Lord’s great love forever;

with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known

through all generations.

Psalm 89:1

We don’t talk about God’s goodness nearly enough! This verse is a great reminder that we should make His faithfulness known! Don’t keep it to yourself. Somebody needs to know what God has done for you. Chances are you know someone whose is struggling in their faith right now and your story about God's faithfulness in your life may be just what they need to hear to give them the encouragement to keep on believing.

Verse 1 goes a little beyond that though. The psalmist doesn’t just want to tell those who live in his day about God’s faithfulness. He wants to make it “known through all generations.” Amazingly, God did just that. This song was inspired by God and preserved in Scripture so that even now, over 2,500 years later, this psalmist's words remind us of God’s faithfulness.

Think about this. How will your children and grandchildren know about all God has done for you if you don’t tell them? How will they know about all the times God provided for you when you didn’t know how you were gonna pay the bills or put food on the table? How are they gonna know about how God healed you when it looked like you might die? How are they gonna know about how God forgave you and showed you mercy when you deserved judgment? They can’t know if you never tell them! 

Make time to tell the next generation about God’s faithfulness in your life. Tell them what God has done for you. Because if you don’t, a generation will rise up and is rising up that doesn’t know the Lord. Don’t you realize that we are locked in a battle for the souls of our children and grandchildren? The world is telling them that the Bible isn’t true, that the stuff we believe is outdated and unnecessary and maybe even oppressive. They’re hearing lie after lie after lie about God. There are plenty of people telling them that God isn’t good. Who is going to tell them that He is good! Who is going to stand up and make God’s faithfulness known to the next generation? No one is better suited to do it than you. You tell them.

A Formula for Repentance

Just as it is written in the Law of Moses, all this disaster has come on us, yet we have not sought the favor of the Lord our God by turning from our sins and giving attention to your truth.

Daniel 9:13

There is great power in the simple formula of turning from your sin and giving attention to God's truth. In this passage, Daniel is repenting on behalf of his people. God has allowed them to be conquered and sent into captivity in Babylon because of their sin. God is punishing His people, yet they don't respond how they should. The right response would be for them to repent or turn from their sin and turn back to God's teachings to see what He would have them do. But Israel doesn't do that.

We are often no better. Although we think God may be punishing us for our sin and we readily admit that we do things we should not, we do nothing about it! We never quite get around to following Daniel's simple but powerful formula for life change. You want to get right with God? Turn from your sin and give attention to His truth. You want to avoid judgment? Turn from your sin and give attention to His truth. You want to grow closer to God, live a life more pleasing to Him, and be more like Jesus? You can accomplish all of these things by turning from your sin and giving attention to His truth. 

Put this into practice today. Don't plan on it. Don't think on it. Don't strategize how you are going to do it. Simply do it. Turn from the sin in your life and give attention to God's truth as revealed in His Word and see if He won't bless you. 

Water from the Temple (W.o.W. Rewind)

 I saw water coming out from under the threshold of the temple...The water was coming down from under the south side of the temple, south of the altar...He said to me, “This water flows toward the...Dead Sea. When it empties into the sea, the salty water there becomes fresh. Swarms of living creatures will live wherever the river flows. There will be large numbers of fish, because this water flows there and makes the salt water fresh; so where the river flows everything will live. 

Ezekiel 47:1, 8-9

Did you know that the Dead Sea is nearly ten times saltier than the ocean? It's so salty that only microscopic bacteria and microbial fungi can live in it. No fish or aquatic plants live in the Dead Sea at all. This, of course, is how it got its name. It is a dead sea, a harsh environment in which nothing can live.

I don't know about you but there were times in my life when my soul felt just this dead and inhospitable. Scripture assures us that this is true of all who are apart from Christ. Until Christ enters our lives we are completely and utterly dead in our trespasses and sins. But just like the Dead Sea, we are not beyond God's reviving touch.

In Ezekiel 47 we read in the prophet's vision that one day a river will flow from God's temple into the old Dead Sea and bring a revival of new life! This sea that is so famously inhospitable to life will one day teem with fish. The shores will bustle with activity as fisherman stand along the shores. And fruit trees will grow there on its shores year round without fail (v. 9-12). What a beautiful image of God's ability to breathe fresh life into dead people and things!

Whether this passage is metaphorical or whether we should look for a literal fulfillment in the future, I don't know. Either way the prophet's point has been made. We serve a God who can breathe new life and spiritual vitality into the most dead of places and human hearts. 

But how can we gain access to this living water? Only through Jesus! Notice that this river originates from the temple. This temple was where heaven and earth overlapped. It was where God dwelt on earth. But when Jesus took on flesh that changed. Now it's in Jesus that we find heaven and earth intersecting, and it is only through His atoning blood that we access this reviving, living water. Consider Jesus' words in John 7:37-38: "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them."

No matter how dead, parched, or soul-thirsty you may feel today, God can revive you. Look to Jesus! Even believers can begin to feel a bit thirsty for God, especially during periods in which we are neglecting our relationship with the Savior. Jesus is the spiritual rejuvenation you need! So spend time with Him today. Read His Word, pray to Him. Seek hard after Him and be revived!

Disciple: True or False?

To the Jews who had believed him, Jesus said, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples."

John 8:31

Jesus is speaking to a group of Jews who had believed His message, and what He says to them reveals several important truths. First, Jesus reveals that there are true disciples and false disciples. You and I know the same is true today. Not everyone who claims to follow Jesus really does. Not everyone who calls themselves a Christian, is actually saved. So how can we tell a true disciple of Jesus from a false one?

Jesus tells us that true disciples hold to His teaching. A more literal translation would read, "If you continue/remain/abide in my word, you are really my disciples." False disciples have a bad habit of getting bored with Jesus' message and moving on. They may be drawn to it for a little while or even believe it for a period of time, but eventually they fall away from Jesus' teaching. True disciples don't do that. True disciples never grow tired of Jesus' teaching. They settle into it and make a home for themselves, abiding in His word. 

So, if you want to be a real, true disciple of Jesus you must continue in His teaching. How have you been doing with that lately? Are you remaining in His word? Be a true disciple. Settle in and nourish yourself with a steady diet of Jesus' message from His Word. You won't regret it. 

Love People Not Money

Delilah is only mentioned 7 times in all of Scripture. And in fact all 7 of those come in only one chapter. She isn’t mentioned anywhere else in Scripture, yet her name is universally known. She is introduced in the text in this way…

Some time later, [Samson] fell in love with a woman in the Valley of Sorek whose name was Delilah. (Judges 16:4)

It says that Samson loved her. It doesn’t say she loved him. In fact, nowhere in the entire story does it say that Delilah loved Samson or had any feelings for him at all. This begs the question, who or what did Delilah love?

In the next verse, five Philistine rulers come to Delilah with an offer, a bribe. They promise to give her 5,500 shekels of silver (about 28 pounds) if she will seduce the secret of Samson's great strength out of him and tell them his secret. What did Delilah do? Without hesitation, the very next verse, vs 6, says, 

So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.” (Judges 16:6)

There is no hint that Delilah was conflicted about this. There is no hint that it was a difficult decision for her. She immediately went to work trying to earn that money.

So who or what did Delilah love? She certainly didn’t love Samson. She loved money. 1 Timothy 6:10 says, “For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.” That is certainly how it played out in Delilah’s life. Her greed made her more than willing to deliver Samson over to captivity, humiliation, slavery, even death. It didn’t matter to her as long as she got her money. You may think. “I would never be like that!” Don’t be so sure. The love of money is a slippery thing.

We used to live next door to a young family with three girls. We were great friends with this family and would spend time together often. One day when our families were hanging out one of their little girls got upset because she didn’t want to share a toy with her sisters. I watched her father walk over and lovingly ask her this question. “Do we love things or do we love people?" Then he said, "We love people. Not things.” That cut me to my heart! This father was teaching a lesson to his young child that I hadn’t learned and applied to my own heart yet. 

As Christians we are called to love people and use things. Anytime we allow ourselves to begin loving things, we will find ourselves using people. Be careful that you don’t allow love for money and things to creep into your life, because it will cause you to do terrible things. You will hurt people. You will lie to people. You will neglect people and betray them. And all for what? For just a little more money. And you will end up like Delilah. You will have a nice fat bank account, but you will be empty and alone, isolated by your greed and awaiting God’s judgment. Take this lesson from Delilah’s life. Love people not money.

Prayer Incense

And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.

Revelation 5:8

In Revelation chapters 4 and 5 we are caught up in a vision with the Apostle John and are taken up into Heaven where we are given a glimpse inside the throne room. We see lots of interesting things there. We see God on His throne surrounded by four living creatures and by 24 elders on smaller thrones. These creatures and these elders praise God and declare His glory day and night without ceasing. 

But in Revelation 5:8 we are given this interesting little detail that the incense of heaven is the prayers of the saints. You remember what incense are don't you? The sweet smelling stuff you burn. Just as the aroma of incense wafts upward and gives off a pleasing aroma as it burns, so too your prayers waft upward to heaven and are pleasing to God. Our prayers are treasured up in Heaven to be used to bring God glory!

If your prayers were replayed and poured out in Heaven, would they bring glory to God? If not, then you should change the way you pray. Don't just pray "give me, give me, give me" all the time. Sometimes you should pray "forgive me." Take the time to confess specific sins. Often you should pray "thank you." Take the time to consider how much God has blessed you and thank Him for it. And specifically in light of this passage of Scripture, you should make every effort to pray prayers of praise and adoration. You should pray "I love you" prayers and "You are awesome" prayers. Prayer should be a form of worship not just requests. So take time to worship God in prayer. Tell Him how great He is. Tell Him how much you love Him. Glorify God in prayer!

Cain's Sinful Heart

For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander.

Matthew 15:19

Sin doesn't originate outside of you (with temptation) but from within your own wicked heart (compare James 1:13-15). So, you can't blame everyone or everything else when you sin because the battlefield on which you win or lose the battle against sin is inside yourself.

In Greek the word for 'heart' in Matthew 15:19 doesn't just mean the emotional part of yourself, but your passions, desires, and thoughts as well. It could be translated as 'soul.' That means that when you lose the battle against sinful thoughts, attitudes, and feelings long before you lose the battle against sinful acts.

 

I believe we find this illustrated in the first murder. Genesis 4:8 says, "Now Cain said to his brother Abel, 'Let’s go out to the field.' While they were in the field, Cain attacked his brother Abel and killed him." The text doesn't explicitly say that Cain's act was pre-meditated, but that seems to be the clear implication. It certainly reads like Cain intentionally lured his brother out to a remote place with the intention of killing him and hiding his body. 

Who knows how many times Cain thought about killing his brother before he did it? Who knows how many different ways of murdering Abel he considered before landing on a specific method? Or who know how many times Cain played the murder out in his head before he acted on it? We don't know. But unless we're to believe that Cain spontaneously killed his brother after inviting him out to the field for no particular reason, we have to assume that Cain thought this through. If this is true, then Cain gave in to sin and indulged in sinful and murderous thoughts and attitudes towards his brother long before he ever raised his hand against him. 

What a powerful example of the truth Jesus teaches. When you are angry, be very careful what you allow yourself to think on or fantasize about. Be careful what thoughts you fill your mind with. Be careful what feelings you indulge or dwell on. Because sin begins in your heart and in your mind. If you lose the fight against sinful thoughts, desires and feelings, then you will never win the battle against sinful actions.

Dust to Dust (W.o.W. Rewind)

 Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being.

Genesis 2:7

History has proven that men are often more prone to arrogance than to humility. Thus, almost immediately after our Lord tells us of our role in creation (see Genesis 1:26-30 and last week's post), how being made in His image we are to rule over the world as His vice-regents, He humbles us by reminding us what we are truly made of... dust. We have been chosen by God to rule over this world not because of any inherent goodness or regal quality in us, but rather by an extra dispensation of His grace to us.

 

Psalm 103:13-16 makes the point this way,

As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him; for he knows how we are formed, he remembers that we are dust. The life of mortals is like grass, they flourish like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. 

Reading that passage you get the idea that David is saying that we are but dust. One breath of the Lord's nostrils and we would disperse to the ends of the earth. Thus, our loving Father is gentle in correcting us for He (better than anyone else) knows how fragile we are.

Again Ecclesiastes 3:18-20 frames the point slightly differently saying,

I also said to myself, “As for humans, God tests them so that they may see that they are like the animals. Surely the fate of human beings is like that of the animals; the same fate awaits them both: As one dies, so dies the other. All have the same breath; humans have no advantage over animals. Everything is meaningless. All go to the same place; all come from dust, and to dust all return.

We are no better than the animals that God has set us over. We are both made from the dust and when we die we return to the dust the same as they do.

What does all this mean? Well...it means this: Humble yourself before the Lord and remember that you are but dust. All that you have, He has given you. You haven't earned any of it. He has freely given it all. So when you enter His presence in prayer or worship do so with a humble spirit. But in your humility never forget our great hope.

The first man was of the dust of the earth; the second man is of heaven. As was the earthly man, so are those who are of the earth; and as is the heavenly man, so also are those who are of heaven. And just as we have borne the image of the earthly man, so shall we bear the image of the heavenly man (I Corinthians 15:47-49).

One day the Christian will be made like Christ. We are dust now, but one day we will have heavenly bodies. We will be made like Christ. That is our hope and to that end we strive to be increasingly conformed into His image day by day.

For further reading...

• II Chronicles 33:1-20: Check out how Manasseh humbled himself before God and how seriously the Lord took his humility.
• Ecclesiastes 5:1-2: Let your words be few.
• I Corinthians 15: Check out what our heavenly bodies will be like.
• Romans 8:29: Destined to be conformed into the image of Christ.

The Importance of Awe

Your wickedness will punish you;

your backsliding will rebuke you.

Consider then and realize

how evil and bitter it is for you

when you forsake the Lord your God

and have no awe of me,”

declares the Lord, the Lord Almighty.

Jeremiah 2:19

In Jeremiah chapter two God confronts His people with their sin. They have acted like an adulterous wife and turned their backs on God to run after idols. In verse 19 God connects Israel's sin with a complete loss of awe or fear. And before I read this verse the other day, I never understood how important worship is in the life of a believer. 

Worship is simply thinking about who God is and then responding to His excellency. All forms of worship have this in common. When we worship God in song, we sing of His holiness, His grace, His power, His wonderful actions in history, and so much more. When we worship Him in prayer, we bow down in humble adoration of who He is. When we speak words of praise about Him, what do we speak about but His faithful deeds? All these forms of worship are essentially the same. We think about how great God is and then responding to it. 

This is why true worship always gives rise to an awe or a holy fear in our hearts. When we grasp even a glimpse of who God really is we are in awe. And what I never understood before is the role that this awe or fear plays in our lives. I never realized what a beneficial side effect worship could have on us. 

The awe or holy fear of God that worship stirs up in our hearts helps keep us away from sin. True worship helps prevent sin in our lives, because it gives birth to awe and fear in our heart and these naturally fight against willful sin. 

So take some time today to attack the sin in your life by cultivating worship. Think about who He really is, how big He is, how powerful He is, how good is. Grasp just how far beyond your comprehension He is. Sit in awe of Him. Fear Him. And then run toward Him and away from your sin.

Are You Alive?

To the angel of the church in Sardis write:

These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.

Revelation 3:1

The church at Sardis had a reputation of being spiritually alive, but their reputation didn't match their reality. Jesus saw past their false reputation and pronounced them dead!

I can’t help but wonder how many churches that have a great reputation are actually dead?! How many churches whose pews may be full of people, whose worship services may be the envy of many smaller churches around them, are really spiritually dead?

And I can’t help but wonder how many of the people in our churches who have a reputation for being spiritually alive are actually dead? How many people enter your church week after week just to play a part. They can dress for church with the best of them. They can sing hymns and praise choruses with the best of them. They can pray and read their Bible in Sunday School with the best of them. But on the inside, in their heart of hearts…they are DEAD! There is no spiritual fire, no obedience, no faith, no Holy Spirit, no salvation.

And I can’t help but wonder, are you one of those people? Are you dead? You may have a reputation for being spiritually alive. But are you really dead? You may have been able to fool many people into thinking you’re a Christian. You may have even fooled yourself into thinking you are saved. But you haven’t fooled God. And right now in your spirit you hear Him saying, you are dead!

Stop playing the part. Stop trying to fool everyone else. Stop fooling yourself and you can experience real spiritual life today. Ask Jesus right now to forgive of your sins. By praying something like this in your heart… 

Dear Heavenly Father, I know I am dead inside. I have sinned against You and I need Your forgiveness. I believe that Jesus took the punishment for my sin on the cross. I believe He rose from the grave to give me new life. I confess Him as Lord of my life right now. Forgive me. Save me. Change me. Fill me up with your Spirit right now. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Carrying Your Deliverance

Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low; their idols are borne by beasts of burden. The images that are carried about are burdensome, a burden for the weary. They stoop and bow down together; unable to rescue the burden, they themselves go off into captivity. 

“Listen to me, you descendants of Jacob, all the remnant of the people of Israel, you whom I have upheld since your birth, and have carried since you were born. Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.

Isaiah 46:1-4

Lately, I have fallen into some bad habits. I'm spending too much time on my phone and too much time watching TV. Now, I am not watching anything particularly sinful, but the effect it has had on my spiritual life has been devastating, nonetheless. I get stressed, so I consume more entertainment to "unwind." It never fully recharges me like I think it will, so I have to stay up later to watch more TV and scroll further on social media. This causes me to go to bed later. Which means I don't get up and have a quiet time in the morning. Since I haven't spent time with the Lord, I am far more easily stressed and overwhelmed the next day. My problems seem so much bigger when I haven't recently been reminded of how big God is. So, I come home the next night stressed, and I turn once again to entertainment to recharge my batteries. And the cycle repeats. 

I am like a castaway at sea, drinking saltwater to quench my thirst. It sounds like a good idea in the moment, but in the end it only makes my situation more desperate and myself thirstier. 

God speaks to a similar situation in Isaiah 46. He calls two of the primary Babylonian gods, Bel and Nebo, by name. These were false gods, idols, that men looked to for deliverance. God points out just how useless and utterly unable to deliver anyone these idols are. They are so far from delivering anyone in fact, that they are a burden! They have to be moved from one place to another by beasts of burden. They are unable to help themselves, unable to move on their own. Why would anyone look to them for deliverance?!

In sharp contrast to these false gods, is the one true God. He doesn't need His people to carry Him. No! God carries His people. He isn't a burden to them. He has been carrying them since their birth, like a good father, and He will continue to sustain and carry His people.

When you compare God to the false idols that men look to for deliverance there really is no comparison. God can carry you and deliver you and idols only weigh you down and make matters worse! 

 

Is there something or someone in your life that you are looking to for deliverance but is actually only weighing you down? If so, quit burdening yourself with extra problems! What little appearance of help these false idols give you is far outweighed by the trouble they cause you. 

There is a better way! God has carried you since you were born. He says to you today, "I am He who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you. I will sustain you and I will rescue you." Make sure you are turning to the right place...to the right Person for help, for deliverance, for rescue. Cast your burdens on Him (Matthew 11:28-30). Don't take up additional ones.

Your Church Needs You

In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, “It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. We will turn this responsibility over to them and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.”

Acts 6:1-4

Up to this point the apostles had done it all, but now the church had grown possibly to number as many as 10,000 including women and children. There weren’t enough apostles to go around. They needed help. If the church didn't raise up more leaders, its growth would be stunted.

There’s a lesson here for the modern church. A church can have a do-it-all pastor if they want, but they’ll never reach a lot of people. The church with the do-it-all pastor grows only to the point that his abilities are maxed out, then he becomes the bottleneck. Once the pastor is maxed out the church can’t grow anymore because people’s needs stop being met. 

What the early church needed and what the church today needs is for other faithful Christians to rise up and use their gifts to serve. How did they handle it? The church as a whole selected seven men who were full of the Spirit to serve the church. Many believe these men were the first deacons in church history. 

Verse 7 tells us the outcome. It says... "So the word of God spread. The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith." Two things resulted from the apostles empowering the people of God to use their gifts for ministry. First, the word of God spread. Second, the number of disciples increased rapidly. When the bottleneck was removed, the church grew rapidly. People got saved. When God’s people are empowered to do God’s work, the church grows! 

God has gifted you to serve His church as well. You may not be a deacon or a Sunday school teacher, but you can do something. And your church won't reach as many people as it can if you don’t use your gifts. It's time for you to step out of your pew and step into your gifting and serve the church. Find your place and serve!

Stuck Between Terror and Trust (W.o.W. Rewind)

 I remember my dad using a pocketknife to remove a splinter from my hand when I was a kid. I trusted him, but I wasn't so sure that I should trust him when he was pressing a blade up against my hand to pick a splinter out. I remember feeling this odd mixture of terror and trust. I felt the same thing when my mom would use a safety pin to remove a splinter or when one of my parents would pull my loose tooth. In fact, I think I felt this way a lot as a small child. Anytime my parents needed to do something that would be painful to me in the short run, even though I knew it was good for me in the long run, it created this tug of war in my heart between terror and trust.

I think the disciples experienced a similar mix of terror and trust in the hours leading up to Jesus' crucifixion. Jesus had been hinting at His impending death for days or even weeks (one example can be found in John 12:27-33). Then came the night of the last supper. After He had washed their feet, Jesus told the disciples that one of their own would betray Him (John 13:21-30). Then at the same meal Jesus revealed that one of their greatest leaders, Simon Peter, would fall away and deny Him three times before the next morning (John 13:36-38). Taken together in short succession, the predictions that Jesus would be murdered, that one of them would betray Him and that even Peter would fall away must have been the most painful news the disciples would ever hear. You can imagine how filled with terror and confusion their hearts must have been. And as they reeled, struggling to make sense of it all, Jesus comforts them with these words.

Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me. (John 14:1)

He tells them not to be anxious or distressed, but to simply believe in God and in Him. In essence, Jesus tells them to wait, to be still, and to trust. The same things my parents told me when they needed to do something that was ultimately for my good but might cause a little bit of pain in the short run.

I don't know what you are going through right now. I don't know what is troubling you or causing anxiety or distress in your life, but I believe God is trustworthy. So, if you find yourself stuck between terror and trust, choose to trust God. Submit yourself to Him, even when He puts you under the knife to perform surgery on your life. Wait. Be still. Trust. He has a plan. He is in control. And it will work out for your good, believer.

Thinking About Truth During a Pandemic (W.o.W. Rewind)

The following post was written in March of 2020. It felt relevant to me today as we face another wave of COVID, I hope it encourages you. 

****

My family has spent the last eight days quarantined in our home awaiting test results that would tell us if our four month old little girl has COVID-19. The night before all this began our four month old threw up. Then we noticed she was running a fever and coughing. The next morning we called her pediatrician. I was certain the doctor would not want us to bring our baby in during this pandemic and would simply tell us what to watch for instead. She called us in. When the doctor came into our room she was wearing a protective gown, gloves, a mask and a face shield. Nurses spoke to the doctor and slipped testing items to her through a crack in the door instead of coming into the room. These were all necessary precautions. My anxiety increased. They decided to test my daughter. I thought we would know in three to four hours max. They said it would be three to four days. That was eight days ago.

Understandably the lab has been overloaded with tests. We just found out this morning that our daughter's test came back negative. She does not have COVID-19. Over the course of this past eight days there were many times when I was sure the test would come back negative, but there were also times when I thought about the potential danger of it being positive and of this virus killing our sweet little girl. A few times during the week as I held her in my arms and sang to comfort her an intrusive thought slipped into my mind. What if I have to hold my baby in my arms just like this and sing to try to comfort her in vain while she dies?

Now, if I had indulged that thought I could have lived in fear of it all week and the enemy could’ve gained some power over my mind. But instead, I thought on what was true. Yes, this virus is dangerous, that’s true. Yes, my daughter could have had it. And yes, I could not guarantee that she wouldn't die from it. All of these were true, but they were only half truths because I didn't even know yet if she did have it. So I chose to think on the greater truths of God. I reminded myself that God is good, that God is in control, that He has a plan, and that nothing will come to pass without His say so. I chose to fix my minds on these truths.
In God's good providence I was preaching on Philippians 4:8 this past Sunday which has to do with just this topic. "Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."

It's hard to know what’s true in our world today. Scripture tells us that Satan is a liar. In fact, he is the father of lies and half-truths. He has deceived the whole world. He holds power over the people of this world through his misinformation. You and I cannot afford to let him into our heads. How do we keep his lies out? By thinking on what's true. Fix your thoughts on what you know to be true, that is on God and His Word, including His gospel. Think on the things that have been proven true by these.

Be careful to filter your thoughts through the Truth during this difficult season of anxiety.

Why?

And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” that is, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

Matthew 27:46

On the cross Jesus cried out in pain. Physical pain? Yes. But emotional and spiritual pain as well. When we suffer, it isn't just the physical pain that is difficult to bear. It's also the pain of feeling that God has abandoned us in those moments. It is painful to come to the reality that a good and loving God has allowed our suffering. And even when we don't put words to that feeling, we often cry out from the depths of our souls in anguish over it. 

Jesus, however, did put words to this pain when He cried out from the cross, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" In Jesus' case there is an irrefutable answer to that question. Why did God forsake Him? For us! It was for us! He was given over to suffer the shame and torture of the cross for you, so that you might be forgiven of your sins. He was rejected so that you might be accepted. He was abandoned that you might be adopted. He was forsaken that you might be brought near. His punishment brought you peace.

I am convinced that it is often the same with our suffering, that our suffering is often (at least in part) for the benefit of others. So, the next time you cry out to God asking why He has forsaken you, try looking around yourself to see who is about. Who knows who God might be blessing through your suffering today? Who knows what amazing change of heart and mind He might be working in someone else because they are seeing your faith in the face of struggle. Thankfully, Jesus shows us that it is still okay to cry out in the anguish of our souls in these moments, but like Jesus we can trust that God does have a reason...even if we don't know it yet.

Simple Faith

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.

Galatians 5:13-14

There is much about Christian faith and doctrine that can seem complicated to understand and difficult to put into action. This isn't one of those things.

In these verses Paul reminds the Galatian believers that they have been set free from slavery to the Old Testament law which had only the power to condemn them for their inability to meet its standard. Now that they are free from the law they shouldn't use that freedom to indulge their sinful desires. Instead, they should use their freedom to serve one another. They should use their freedom to keep the spirit of the law that they are now enabled to keep only by the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit- that is to love their neighbor as themselves. 

In the dog-eat-dog world that we live in, it is all too easy for us to begin focusing only on ourselves. There are days when it is difficult for me to find extra the energy or compassion to serve even my closest family members. When was the last time you served someone else and humbly met their needs at the expense of your own? When did you last love your neighbor as yourself?

Make it a point today to serve someone. Make it a point to show someone else the same love you would show yourself. It's just that simple.

When You Can't Be At Church

I, John, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in Jesus, was on the island of Patmos because of the word of God and the testimony of Jesus. On the Lord’s Day I was in the Spirit, and I heard behind me a loud voice like a trumpet...

Revelation 1:9-10

The first thing we find is that this letter is written by John. This is, of course, the Apostle John. One of Jesus’ disciples and the author of the Gospel of John as well as books of the Bible known as I,II, and III John. Church history tells us that the wicked Roman Emperor Domitian had tried to kill John by boiling him alive, but John had survived. So Domitian exiled John to the island of Patmos to put him out of the way. It was on this island around the year 95 AD when John received this vision and wrote his book of Revelation.

What I want you to notice is this…look what John is doing. John was cut off from the people of God. He couldn’t gather with them on the Lord’s Day. He couldn’t go to church, but he didn’t let that stop him from communing with God. If you look again at vs 9 and 10 you will see that John was exiled on the island of Patmos but He was “in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day.” 

Over the past year and a half it has been more difficult to attend church than at any other point in my lifetime. Even as I write the numbers of COVID cases are on the rise again and church attendance is plummeting as many believers feel that it is unsafe for them to attend. My point isn’t to make you feel guilty about that. Sure, I had hoped that all of this was over, but it obviously isn’t. And now I am hoping that it will end soon and we will be able to get back to normal but what if it doesn’t? What if there are more Sundays that we can’t gather together Or what if your age or preexisting medical conditions put you at a high risk for COVID and you don't feel comfortable gathering in large groups? What should you do then? 

You should follow John’s example. When John couldn’t gather with other believers for worship, he worshipped alone. He wasn’t going to let little things like not having a song leader, or a choir, or pews, or a church building, or even someone to preach to him stop him from worshipping God. John just went right on worshipping God alone. He preached to himself. I imagine he sang songs and prayed prayers by Himself. He drew near to the Lord.

I hope our churches do everything they can to preserve our ability to gather in person, but if for some reason you can’t be with other believers right now, then don’t let that prevent you from being with God. We have technology now that John didn’t have. If you can’t be at church in person, then be there via livestream. And if at some point in the future you can’t even gather with your church by livestream then worship God alone, but don’t let a single Sunday pass without worshipping your God.

The Worth of His Name (W.o.W. Rewind)

 Your name, Lord, endures forever, your renown, Lord, through all generations.

Psalm 135:13

Psalm 135 opens with two lines that are both an invitation and a command. "Praise the LORD! Praise the name of the LORD." Scripture has a lot to say about God's name. We are encouraged to praise His name (Ps. 30:4), to exalt it (Ps. 34:3), to fear it (Ps. 86:11), to love it (Ps. 69:35-36), to call on God's name (Ps 116:13), to ascribe the glory due His name (Ps. 29:2) and much more. 

Why so much emphasis on a name? A person's name carries their character around from conversation to conversation. You can sense it in the way a person's name is spoken. When someone is loved or even revered their name is spoken in sweet tones. When someone is reviled or hated then their name can sound like a curse coming across your lips (Psalm 102:8) (Sadly, many today so revile our God that they do use His precious name as a curse). In this way a person's name is like a shorthand for their reputation. When you drag a person's reputation through the mud, you give them a bad name. In the same way, when you praise someone, when you lift them up and glorify them, you praise not only them but also their name. 

This is why God's name will be remembered forever, because it is treasured. It is treasured because He is worthy of such honor. This is especially true of the name of Jesus. Countless believers throughout the centuries have laid down their lives for the name of Jesus. Had they been willing to revile Him, to curse His name, then they would have been spared, but they considered His name worth more than their very lives. Why? Because "salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved” (Acts 4:12).

When all the kingdoms of men have faded into obscurity, when no one remembers the names of great generals or great football players anymore, a thousand years into eternity in heaven, still the name of Jesus will be treasured. As Philippians 2:9-11 says,

"God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

You might consider obeying Scripture's command today by singing praises to His name using this praise chorus written by Gloria and Bill Gaither.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

   There's just something about that name

Master, Savior, Jesus

   Like a fragrance after the rain

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus

   Let all heaven and earth proclaim

Kings and kingdoms may all pass away

   But there's something about that name

For further reading, consider this selection of what Scripture has to say about God's name:

• Our trust is in His name. "Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God." Psalm 20:7
• Jesus instructs us to pray "Hallowed be your name." Matthew 6:9
• We are to baptize disciples in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19
• Jesus prayed, "Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name, the name you gave me, so that they may be one as we are one." John 17:11
• The Apostle Peter healed by the name of Jesus. "Then Peter said, 'Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk.'” Acts 3:6
• The Apostle Paul cast out demons by the name. "'In the name of Jesus Christ I command you to come out of her!' At that moment the spirit left her." Acts 16:18
• The Apostle Paul was prepared to die for the name. "Then Paul answered, 'Why are you weeping and breaking my heart? I am ready not only to be bound, but also to die in Jerusalem for the name of the Lord Jesus.'” Acts 21:13
• One of the descriptions of Heaven in the last chapter of the Bible is as follows. "[God's servants] will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads." Revelation 22:4

A Eulogy for Joshua

As the Lord commanded his servant Moses, so Moses commanded Joshua, and Joshua did it; he left nothing undone of all that the Lord commanded Moses...So Joshua took the entire land, just as the Lord had directed Moses, and he gave it as an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal divisions. Then the land had rest from war.

Joshua 11:15

I think you would struggle to find a eulogy that better sums up Joshua’s life and legacy than these two words: Obedience and Success. Joshua obeyed God in everything. He left nothing undone of all he had been commanded to do, and God gave him success.

Consider what God did with Joshua’s obedience. God took this man who was born a slave in Egypt and used him to lead Israel to victory over six nations and 31 kings (Joshua 12:7-24). Joshua conquered six nations and 31 kings! And He did it simply by being strong enough and courageous enough to obey God fully.

Are you obeying God fully or are you leaving something that He has commanded you to do undone? Let me encourage you not to go halfway in your commitment to follow God! Don’t leave anything undone that God has commanded you to do. Obey God fully!

Putting the Word to Work

And we also thank God continually because, when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as a human word, but as it actually is, the word of God, which is indeed at work in you who believe.

I Thessalonians 2:13

This verse tells us why reading God's word is important. It tells us why Christians have been willing to live and die for this book. It even tells us why we shouldn't be too concerned at the statistics that say most people can't tell me what my sermon was about two hours after they leave church.

It does all that and more when it says that the word of God is at work in those who believe. When you read God's word or when you hear a good sermon explaining the word, it doesn't just increase your knowledge. If you believe, then the word goes to work on you and begins to change you.

It may sound a little odd for me to say that I don't care (too much) if my congregation can't remember what I preached last Sunday, but I really don't. Sure, I want my sermons to make an impact, and I would love for them to remember what I say, but I know that my people can't remember every sermon I preach. So, I strive to preach biblical sermons full of God's word because if I succeed at that I know that even if they don't remember the sermon, they will be changed by it! If I am faithful to preach the word, then God is faithful to make the word work on those who believe. 

This is why so many have been willing to live and die for God's word, because it was far more than just a book for them. It was the source of their spiritual life change. It can be the same for you. I want to challenge you to read your Bible every day...even when you don't feel like it... even when it seems like it isn't accomplishing anything. Read the Bible. Listen to the Bible. Sing the Bible. And believe the Bible. As you do these things, you can trust that God's powerful word, the same word that spoke creation into being, is at work in you transforming your heart and mind by its truth. Let God's word work on you today. 

Storing Up for Winter

But because of your stubbornness and your unrepentant heart, you are storing up wrath against yourself for the day of God’s wrath, when his righteous judgment will be revealed.

Romans 2:5

But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal.

Matthew 6:20

I live in a parsonage that's owned by the church that I work for. One of the previous pastors planted a nice Rose of Sharon tree next to the house with a Hosta on either side. Underneath one of these Hostas lives a little brown chipmunk. My wife and children are quite taken with him. So much so that they have taken to feeding him by placing piles of birdseed next to the Hosta that conceals the entrance to his burrow. Over the course of several days the little seed pile will dwindle and when it is all gone, they will feed him again. Undoubtedly as autumn arrives their little friend will start going through their seed piles much faster as he begins storing up food for the winter.

I started thinking about our little chipmunk tonight, because I realized in my Bible reading time this morning that every one of us is like him in this way. We are all storing something up for the future. I don't mean in an earthly sense, though we very well may be doing that also, but in a heavenly sense. Scripture reveals to us that every human being is storing something up for eternity. Either we are storing up treasures for ourselves in Heaven (Matthew 6:20) or we are storing up wrath for ourselves in Hell (Romans 2:5). The day of judgment will reveal what you have accumulated. 

Stubbornness and unrepentance, along with every kind of evil act that men engage in, store up wrath. Faith in Jesus and submission to His leadership in your life, along with every good and righteous act that Christians engage in, store up treasure. Be careful that you don't lose yourself in all the activity of life and begin to think that one kind of store is as good as the other. It is easy to argue now that your lifestyle is as good as any other, but the day of judgment will reveal it for what it was. 

So, evaluate your life. Evaluate your stores. How prepared are you for the coming Winter of God's Judgment? 

Creation Puts Us To Shame

Who shut up the sea behind doors

when it burst forth from the womb,

when I made the clouds its garment

and wrapped it in thick darkness,

when I fixed limits for it

and set its doors and bars in place,

when I said, ‘This far you may come and no farther;

here is where your proud waves halt’?

Job 38:8-11

A few weeks ago, I went to the beach on vacation. I love to watch the waves crash into the shore. It's almost like the hit a barrier that they cannot pass. In fact, this is basically what the passage above saves is true. At creation God told the seas, "You can go this far and no further," and they continue to obey Him perfectly. They never go beyond the boundaries He set for them except at His command. The same is true of the stars and celestial bodies. God set them in their course, and they keep to it, never deviating from it except at His command. In fact, Psalm 74:17 says of God, "It was You who set all the boundaries of the earth..." God placed boundaries on all His creation, and the whole of creation obeys His command to this very day, never transgressing the boundaries He has put in place... except for man.

You see, God has placed boundaries on mankind as well. Particularly on our behavior. He has told us, "You may go this far and no further." But we transgress His command, don't we? Ever since Adam and Eve transgressed that first boundary our hearts have been unruly and untamable. In this way, creation puts us to shame. It is perfect in obedience, where we are anything but. 

That is why Christianity must be about more than just forgiveness of sins. It must also be about lordship. Becoming a Christian is more than just asking for forgiveness for all the times you've transgressed God's boundaries. It is also about submitting yourself to His boundaries and ordering your life by His authority again. Romans 10:9 says, "That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."

So, let all of us who have confessed Jesus as Lord, take a lesson from the rest of creation, and submit ourselves to the limits God has placed on us. He created us, and He has the right to tell us "You can go this far and no further." 

Have you been coloring outside the lines? Is there a boundary you have been crossing? If so, it isn't a trivial thing. Ask forgiveness and submit yourself to God. 

Go in Peace (W.o.W. Rewind)

 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace...Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.

Ephesians 4:3, 29-32

 

 

It is an unfortunate truth that in American culture peace is more often associated with hippie or anti-war gatherings than it is with Christian gatherings. And yet, the Christian who searches the New Testament Scriptures for the word 'peace' will be astounded at not only how often peace is mentioned in the New Testament but also how vital it is to the Christian faith. For example, every one of Paul's letters in the New Testament begins with a greeting that bestows grace and peace on his readers (see Rom. 1:7, I Cor. 1:3, II Cor. 1:2, Gal. 1:3, Eph. 1:2, Phil. 1:2, Col. 1:2, I Thess. 1:1, II Thess. 1:2, I Tim. 1:2, II Tim. 1:2, Titus 1:4, Philemon 1:3). Grace is discussed often in our churches and in our homes, but what about peace? Other New Testament writers also picked up this emphasis on peace in their greetings (see I Pet. 1:2, II Pet. 1:2, II John 1:3, Jude 2, Rev. 1:4). In fact, all in all two-thirds of the 27 New Testament books begin by bestowing peace on their readers. 

 

While this very well may have been a common greeting of their day, it is clear that it was far from a formality for the biblical writers. They saw peace as such an essential mark of the Christian community and lifestyle that they could refer to God Himself as the "God of peace" (Rom. 15:33, 16:20, II Cor. 13:11, Phil. 4:9, I Thess. 5:23, Heb. 13:20). Indeed, peace was at the very heart of their understanding of the gospel (Acts 10:36). Through Jesus' death on the cross the just wrath of God against our sin was extinguished. By His sacrifice we now enjoy peace with God (Romans 5:1). This peace with God should permeate our relationships with others. In the New Testament it had profound implications for the relationship between Jews and other ethnicities (Ephesians 2:14). But as today's passage of Scripture points out, this great peace that we enjoy corporately should filter its way down into our individual lives as well. As Christians we are called to be at peace with one another.

 

Is your life marked by peace? Are your relationships? If Jesus' death on the cross was enough to cover over the many ways that you and I had offended God, then isn't it enough to cover over the offenses you have received at the hands of your family members in Christ? It most certainly is! Today, choose to restore peace. Forgive those who have wronged you. Sure, they don't deserve it...that's what makes it forgiveness! You and I didn't deserve it either. And we have no right to withhold what we have been given so freely and liberally. Also, choose to maintain peace. "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."

 

Jesus often spoke this refrain to people whom he had healed, "Your faith has made you whole, go in peace." My prayer is that today, your faith would drive you to forgive and that through that forgiveness, which is made possible only through Jesus, you might go in peace.

 

For further reading...

• Galatians 5:22-23- The fruit of the Spirit.
• John 14:27 & 16:33- My peace I give you.
• Ephesians 2:14-17- He is our peace!

Knowing Jesus

After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them.

Mark 9:2

During Jesus' earthly ministry there were only a few people who saw Him for what He really was. Jesus fully revealed Himself to Peter, James, and John alone. They alone saw Him transfigured, His clothes shining white, standing on the mountaintop talking to Moses and Elijah. They alone heard the voice of God saying, "This is my Son, whom I love, Listen to Him!"

This special revelation wasn't for all of Jesus' followers. It wasn't for Jesus' family (though they certainly received their own special revelation). It wasn't even for the twelve disciples. It was reserved for these three alone. 

Everyone else who knew Jesus, knew Him imperfectly. In fact, any fair reading of the gospels would have to admit that even these three- who received perhaps the greatest revelation of Jesus' nature- still didn't know Jesus perfectly. They received the revelation, but they didn't fully understand it. Verses nine and ten records that as they were coming down the mountain Jesus warned them not to tell anyone what they had seen until He was raised from the dead. But they questioned among themselves what Jesus could possibly mean by "rising from the dead." Their understanding of Jesus and His mission was still imperfect even after the transfiguration.

Yet, it seems to me, that most Christians today assume they have fully comprehended who Jesus is, what He accomplished, and what His will for their life is. Christians today don't see Jesus' nature, His divinity, His life, His death, or His teaching as a great mystery to be unlocked. No! We arrogantly assume that we already know all there is to know about Jesus. We think we learned it all in Sunday School songs as children. 

I am convinced that many Christians will be ashamed to realize how little they understood their Savior when they get to Heaven. Peter, James, and John walked with Jesus in the flesh for three years. He was transfigured in their presence. His identity was proclaimed to them by the very voice of God coming from a cloud, and still they did not fully grasp the greatness of who Jesus was. So, don't you think it's possible that you still have more to learn about Christ as well? 

We will never exhaust the glorious mysteries found in knowing Jesus throughout all of eternity. So, I feel confident in saying that neither you nor I have exhausted them here on earth. You still have more to learn about Jesus! Don't fall for the lie that you already know Him perfectly. Press in and press on to get to know Him better for there is greater joy and a deeper sense of awe with each fresh revelation of His character.

God of Hope (W.o.W. Rewind)

 May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 15:13

Baal was worshiped as a god of fertility. Asherah was worshiped as a goddess of love and war. Judaism and Christianity have always held that God is the God not only of a few things but of all things. Yet, occasionally in Scripture, He is designated as the God of something in particular. Romans 15:13, for example, designates Him as the God of hope. This should not be understood in exclusion to other things as though God being the God of hope means that He is not the God of the Highest Heaven, but rather should be understood as a literary device used to give special emphasis to this certain thing that is unique to God.

But why hope? Many elements of the Christian faith trace their origin back 2,000 years to the time of Christ. This is impressive in itself, but the Christian heritage of hope extends much farther back in history. Hope has been a cornerstone of our faith since God first promised that "the seed of the woman would crush the head of the serpent" (Gen 3:15) as He cast Adam and Eve out of the garden.  This hope of a future Messiah always pointed forward to the great Cornerstone of our faith who would fulfill it: Christ. Now that He has come, now that our debt has been paid and our salvation is sure, how could any believer lose hope? In any situation, no matter how grim, Christians ought never lose hope! 

Provided that our hope has been placed in the right person, we have a supernatural supply of hope. One that is never ending and fueled by the power of the Holy Spirit. We bring it to remembrance by reading God's Word (Romans 15:4). So, no matter what your circumstances are today, make sure you are placing your hope in Jesus and never in the things of this world. Remind yourself of the precious promises of God found in His Word and of the examples who have gone before us. And place your hope in Christ once more. We ought to be the most hopeful of all people for we alone have a sure hope that can never prove untrue.