A couple of weeks ago at work I was loading a truck with a coworker and we got onto the subject of salvation. He told me that he is an agnostic (believes that God/His will is unknowable, not that there is no God). As we talked he began to share a little of his story with me and ask questions allowing me to share some of what I believe and why.
The question that he asked that has stood out to me the most was, "Why is it so important that I ask Jesus to forgive me?" It's a very good question, and honestly I think it's the first time I've ever been asked that. He brought up the idea of simply living a good life, doing the right thing, and all of that, to which I talked about not being able to be good enough, but at the end he asked that question, and in that moment, with boxes pouring down on us, I didn't have a good answer.
I thought about it the rest of the day and that night, because it wouldn't leave my mind, and that night I came up with an answer. Here is what I thought of.
Imagine your child is outside playing and gets completely covered in mud. When it comes time for them to come inside you aren't going to let them until they are clean. You know that they can't clean up by on their own, and so you offer to hose them off, even offering to use warm water so that they can come inside.
It's like that. If we are going to enter God's house, we have to be clean, and the mud of sin has covered us from head to toe. There is nothing that we can do to clean ourselves off, but God sent Jesus so that we could be cleansed. He's offering to hose us off, and He's even warmed up the water for us. But until we allow Him to clean us up, we can never enter His house.
Forgiveness is so important, because without it we're still covered in mud, and we can never enjoy everything that God has for us inside His house if we're muddy. We must be cleansed by the forgiveness of Jesus if we want to be welcomed inside of God's house.
I shared that with him the next morning at work, and he told me that he understands. I'm praying for him and that God will continue to open doors for conversations and ultimately, whether through me or someone else, help him come to faith in Christ.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Showing posts with label Forgiveness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Forgiveness. Show all posts
Friday, October 31, 2014
Monday, June 30, 2014
The Worst Part About Hell
Yesterday began a three week class at Church called "Your New Life". Week one focuses on what new life is and how to receive it. Week two looks at assurance of new life, how to know that you do have it. Week three looks at growing in new life and sharing your story. As I sat with three people yesterday and began working through the material this thought came to me, "The worst part about Hell is..."
If you stop and think about it, the question almost seems redundant. Hell is a place of darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth. It is the place reserved for the Devil, his angles, and those who reject Jesus. It's a place of eternal death and suffering. But the worst part about Hell is that it is eternal separation from God.
Think about it. We were made for the sole purpose of glorifying God, and existing in relationship with Him. We were made to have communion and fellowship with Him. That perfect relationship was broken when sin entered the world through disobedience, but because of Jesus it can be restored. Here on earth God still speaks. He still reaches out to us and pursues our hearts. Until the moment we die, God is longing for us and reaching out to us for the relationship we were made for.
In Hell all of that goes away. In Hell God's presence is completely absent. God does not speak, and God no longer reaches out for relationship. It is a place where sin goes to die forever, and where God is not. The worst part about Hell is that God is absent from it. It is there that the souls of those who rejected Him in life, will be sent for eternity. Those who wanted nothing to do with God in life, will spend eternity completely separated from Him. In Hell the soul is completely cut off from the One it was created to exist with.
Hell does not have to be your eternal destiny. You can enjoy an eternal, and perfect, relationship with God simply by accepting the new life that He offers through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. Dying Jesus paid for sin, and rising again He defeated it along with death and Hell. Jesus made it possible for us to have a relationship with God again. If we accept the free gift of grace that He offers to us, we will never know Hell. Instead we will enjoy unity with God forever, just as we were created to.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
If you stop and think about it, the question almost seems redundant. Hell is a place of darkness, weeping and gnashing of teeth. It is the place reserved for the Devil, his angles, and those who reject Jesus. It's a place of eternal death and suffering. But the worst part about Hell is that it is eternal separation from God.
Think about it. We were made for the sole purpose of glorifying God, and existing in relationship with Him. We were made to have communion and fellowship with Him. That perfect relationship was broken when sin entered the world through disobedience, but because of Jesus it can be restored. Here on earth God still speaks. He still reaches out to us and pursues our hearts. Until the moment we die, God is longing for us and reaching out to us for the relationship we were made for.
In Hell all of that goes away. In Hell God's presence is completely absent. God does not speak, and God no longer reaches out for relationship. It is a place where sin goes to die forever, and where God is not. The worst part about Hell is that God is absent from it. It is there that the souls of those who rejected Him in life, will be sent for eternity. Those who wanted nothing to do with God in life, will spend eternity completely separated from Him. In Hell the soul is completely cut off from the One it was created to exist with.
Hell does not have to be your eternal destiny. You can enjoy an eternal, and perfect, relationship with God simply by accepting the new life that He offers through the death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus. Dying Jesus paid for sin, and rising again He defeated it along with death and Hell. Jesus made it possible for us to have a relationship with God again. If we accept the free gift of grace that He offers to us, we will never know Hell. Instead we will enjoy unity with God forever, just as we were created to.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Tuesday, January 21, 2014
Redeemable
Genesis is full of interesting stories, and they involve people God has blessed. Yet in them we see some atrocious behavior. Last week was a bit hectic for me, so today you get the insight I had last week.
In Genesis 19 Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed, but God rescues Lot, Abraham's nephew. He escapes with his wife and two daughters, but the wife looks back and is turned to a pillar of salt. The go to a near by town, Zoar, but leave because we are told Lot was afraid to stay there. The end up living in a cave in the mountains.
What follows is a story of his two daughters, knowing they won't find husbands in the mountains, seeking a way to preserve their family line. They get their father drunk and sleep with him. For a long time I've wondered why we are told this story, what was the point of all of it. But in my most recent read through I noticed this, "The firstborn bore a son, and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day" (verse 37).
Moad was east of the Jordan, and during a time of famine Elimelech of Bethlehem, took his wife and two sons to Moab. The sons married, but the father and sons all died in the land. A grieving wife and mother returns home, accompanied by one of her daughter-in-laws, a young woman named Ruth. And now the connection is made.
Ruth married Boaz, they had a son named Obed. Obed became the father of Jesse, who had a son named David. David became King of Israel, and God promised that one of his descendants would sit on the throne forever. A few centuries later, Jesus is born.
God can take any act and redeem it. If you think about it, that is what God does. He sees something that isn't good, and He makes it good. Now this doesn't excuse sin. It doesn't permit us the attitude of "I can go do whatever I want, God will forgive me for it later." Paul wrote in Romans 6.1-2, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?"
When we come to new life in Christ, God has redeemed us from the old life of sin. We cease living in sin, and live as Christ. But don't be discouraged by the past. Your past doesn't disqualify you from the love of God. God can take anything and redeem it.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
In Genesis 19 Sodom and Gomorrah are destroyed, but God rescues Lot, Abraham's nephew. He escapes with his wife and two daughters, but the wife looks back and is turned to a pillar of salt. The go to a near by town, Zoar, but leave because we are told Lot was afraid to stay there. The end up living in a cave in the mountains.
What follows is a story of his two daughters, knowing they won't find husbands in the mountains, seeking a way to preserve their family line. They get their father drunk and sleep with him. For a long time I've wondered why we are told this story, what was the point of all of it. But in my most recent read through I noticed this, "The firstborn bore a son, and called his name Moab; he is the father of the Moabites to this day" (verse 37).
Moad was east of the Jordan, and during a time of famine Elimelech of Bethlehem, took his wife and two sons to Moab. The sons married, but the father and sons all died in the land. A grieving wife and mother returns home, accompanied by one of her daughter-in-laws, a young woman named Ruth. And now the connection is made.
Ruth married Boaz, they had a son named Obed. Obed became the father of Jesse, who had a son named David. David became King of Israel, and God promised that one of his descendants would sit on the throne forever. A few centuries later, Jesus is born.
God can take any act and redeem it. If you think about it, that is what God does. He sees something that isn't good, and He makes it good. Now this doesn't excuse sin. It doesn't permit us the attitude of "I can go do whatever I want, God will forgive me for it later." Paul wrote in Romans 6.1-2, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?"
When we come to new life in Christ, God has redeemed us from the old life of sin. We cease living in sin, and live as Christ. But don't be discouraged by the past. Your past doesn't disqualify you from the love of God. God can take anything and redeem it.
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have not seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Confession
What I'm about to say is going to challenge a few hundred years of thinking and tradition. And so with that said, I am not stating this as final fact, more offering a thought based on the Bible. Sunday at Church the pastor reminded me that my job is to preach the Word, not tradition, but the Word. And so with that, let's look at this thought.
A few months ago a pastor friend posed a question on Facebook about the Bible saying we needed to confess our sins and ask God to forgive us from them in order to be saved. I didn't give it much thought at the time because it was something different than what I had been taught, and there was a lot of other stuff going on so I didn't dive into the Bible to look at it much. And then I forgot about it until a few weeks ago.
My wife and I were at a Jason Gray and Andrew Peterson concert, and as Andrew introduced one of his songs he shared his story of being saved by Jesus. His dad was a pastor and at the end of every service would ask if anyone wanted to enter into a relationship with Jesus. When a person would come froward He would lead them in a confession and then baptize them then and there. He shared about the time he went forward, was lead in confession. His dad lead him in a personalized form of Peter's words from Matthew 16.16, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
"I believe He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. My Lord and my Savior."
What if that is all it takes? In Romans 10.9-10 we are told, "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."
As I look at the Gospels, I don't see people coming to Jesus seeking forgiveness of sins. I see people coming to Him for healing, believing that He was sent from God, and Jesus declaring that their sins were forgiven and that their faith had healed them. I see people who believed, came to Him, and were given more than they asked for. Their faith in Jesus' power to heal brought them forgiveness of sin.
The Bible says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved. Confess and believe. Acknowledge who Jesus is, and declare Him as the Lord and Savior of your life. According to the Bible this is all you have to do in order to be saved.
Now this does come with some stipulations, after making this confession you can't continue to live life as you did before. By declaring Jesus as your Lord, you have given Him ownership of your life, you have committed to live according to His standards. This declaration is a pledge of loyalty and allegiance. It is a declaration of surrender and submission.
"I believe He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. My Lord and my Savior." What if that statement is all that it takes? Does it change our thought process? How does it affect how perception of repentance? Does it change anything? Honestly, I think it simplifies a lot. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Declare Him as the Lord and ruler of your life. Acknowledge Him as the one who saves you.
I don't think God complicates something as crucial as Salvation. I believe it is as simple as a heart felt statement, "I believe He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. My Lord and my Savior."
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
A few months ago a pastor friend posed a question on Facebook about the Bible saying we needed to confess our sins and ask God to forgive us from them in order to be saved. I didn't give it much thought at the time because it was something different than what I had been taught, and there was a lot of other stuff going on so I didn't dive into the Bible to look at it much. And then I forgot about it until a few weeks ago.
My wife and I were at a Jason Gray and Andrew Peterson concert, and as Andrew introduced one of his songs he shared his story of being saved by Jesus. His dad was a pastor and at the end of every service would ask if anyone wanted to enter into a relationship with Jesus. When a person would come froward He would lead them in a confession and then baptize them then and there. He shared about the time he went forward, was lead in confession. His dad lead him in a personalized form of Peter's words from Matthew 16.16, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."
"I believe He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. My Lord and my Savior."
What if that is all it takes? In Romans 10.9-10 we are told, "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."
As I look at the Gospels, I don't see people coming to Jesus seeking forgiveness of sins. I see people coming to Him for healing, believing that He was sent from God, and Jesus declaring that their sins were forgiven and that their faith had healed them. I see people who believed, came to Him, and were given more than they asked for. Their faith in Jesus' power to heal brought them forgiveness of sin.
The Bible says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved. Confess and believe. Acknowledge who Jesus is, and declare Him as the Lord and Savior of your life. According to the Bible this is all you have to do in order to be saved.
Now this does come with some stipulations, after making this confession you can't continue to live life as you did before. By declaring Jesus as your Lord, you have given Him ownership of your life, you have committed to live according to His standards. This declaration is a pledge of loyalty and allegiance. It is a declaration of surrender and submission.
"I believe He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. My Lord and my Savior." What if that statement is all that it takes? Does it change our thought process? How does it affect how perception of repentance? Does it change anything? Honestly, I think it simplifies a lot. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Declare Him as the Lord and ruler of your life. Acknowledge Him as the one who saves you.
I don't think God complicates something as crucial as Salvation. I believe it is as simple as a heart felt statement, "I believe He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. My Lord and my Savior."
"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Thursday, July 5, 2012
...Not of Judgment
As I've thought about my post yesterday I feel like I need to talk a little bit more about it. I realized it could be taken as we ignore sin, we welcome everyone regardless of choices and lifestyle. Talking simply about salvation could possibly come across as ignoring sin completely, in a sense making it ok to sin because grace is readily and freely available. But that is not the point.
Paul said in Romans 6.1-2, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?" Salvation doesn't mean that we ignore sin, but that we deal with it. Not passing judgment doesn't mean we say a sinful lifestyle is ok, but that we show that grace and forgiveness are possible and available rather than condemning.
We must not excuse sin, we must call it what it is. But rather then going on the offensive and attacking with condemnation, let us instead defend the truth with love. Paul also said in 1 Timothy 3.14-15, "I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth."
I've said before that when the Church goes on the attack we end up with the Crusades. When we are quick to judge and condemn sin, and those living in it, we kill any hope of them ever coming to Jesus. But when we stand firmly in defense of the truth, a pillar that displays it and a support that upholds it, we are able to present the truth in love.
Truth is a beautiful thing in which there is freedom. But when truth is given with judgment and condemnation it heaps on guilt and shame causing people to flee from it. When the Church hands out judgment, it drives people away from the one source of hope that is available. That is why Jesus said over and over, "I do not judge, I do not condemn. I am here to save."
Jesus said, "I came to save" but He didn't ignore sin. He called it what it was, and while offering forgiveness He warned about the coming judgment. If people listened to and believed what He said, He forgave them, and welcomed them into His fellowship. And if people refused to listen, if they rejected the truth He spoke, He let them go. He didn't force them to believe, and He didn't judge them for their unbelief. He presented His offer, and told them that the time to accept it is short.
John 3.16-17 says, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him."
The verses I shared yesterday, John 12.47-48, "If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day."
Judgment is coming, but not yet. And so the Church must not judge and condemn, but love and through love address sin as sin and invite all to experience the forgiveness that is found in the salvation that is ours through the love of Christ. Let us love, and in love share the truth that now is the hour of salvation. Let us proclaim the truth that Jesus came to save and salvation is available for all. Let us leave judgment up to the only one who is worthy to judge.
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Paul said in Romans 6.1-2, "What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin so that grace may increase? May it never be! How shall we who died to sin still live in it?" Salvation doesn't mean that we ignore sin, but that we deal with it. Not passing judgment doesn't mean we say a sinful lifestyle is ok, but that we show that grace and forgiveness are possible and available rather than condemning.
We must not excuse sin, we must call it what it is. But rather then going on the offensive and attacking with condemnation, let us instead defend the truth with love. Paul also said in 1 Timothy 3.14-15, "I am writing these things to you, hoping to come to you before long; but in case I am delayed, I write so that you will know how one ought to conduct himself in the household of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and support of the truth."
I've said before that when the Church goes on the attack we end up with the Crusades. When we are quick to judge and condemn sin, and those living in it, we kill any hope of them ever coming to Jesus. But when we stand firmly in defense of the truth, a pillar that displays it and a support that upholds it, we are able to present the truth in love.
Truth is a beautiful thing in which there is freedom. But when truth is given with judgment and condemnation it heaps on guilt and shame causing people to flee from it. When the Church hands out judgment, it drives people away from the one source of hope that is available. That is why Jesus said over and over, "I do not judge, I do not condemn. I am here to save."
Jesus said, "I came to save" but He didn't ignore sin. He called it what it was, and while offering forgiveness He warned about the coming judgment. If people listened to and believed what He said, He forgave them, and welcomed them into His fellowship. And if people refused to listen, if they rejected the truth He spoke, He let them go. He didn't force them to believe, and He didn't judge them for their unbelief. He presented His offer, and told them that the time to accept it is short.
John 3.16-17 says, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him."
The verses I shared yesterday, John 12.47-48, "If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day."
Judgment is coming, but not yet. And so the Church must not judge and condemn, but love and through love address sin as sin and invite all to experience the forgiveness that is found in the salvation that is ours through the love of Christ. Let us love, and in love share the truth that now is the hour of salvation. Let us proclaim the truth that Jesus came to save and salvation is available for all. Let us leave judgment up to the only one who is worthy to judge.
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Wednesday, July 4, 2012
The Time of Salvation...
This week I'm preparing to finish preaching out of John 12, and as I've been studying the chapter I've started to understand something for the first time. John 12.47-48, "If anyone hears My sayings and does not keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world, but to save the world. He who rejects Me and does not receive My sayings, has one who judges him; the word I spoke is what will judge him at the last day."
Jesus says "I do not judge. If people reject me, if people ignore me, I do not judge them. I came to save, not to judge." Jesus came to save, not to judge. All can come to Jesus without fear of rejection, without fear of being condemned, because Jesus is not here to judge, but to offer salvation.
Now is not the time for judgement, but for salvation. Jesus is not here to condemn, but to forgive. If people ignore Him and reject Him, He does not pass judgment yet. He says that judgment is coming, but it is not yet. Now is the time for salvation.
But if we ignore Jesus, we will face judgment on the last day. And the basis for our judgment is our response to the words that Jesus spoke. Our response to Jesus is the grounds that we will be judged upon. If we accept Him, and believe His words then our judgment will result in being welcomed into the presence of God for all eternity. But if we reject Him, if we ignore His words over and over, then our judgment is based on ignoring the truth, rejecting the truth, and we face eternal condemnation, separated from God forever.
But judgment is not now. Now is not the time of judgment, but of salvation. Jesus gives us opportunity after opportunity to come to Him, to accept and receive Him. There is no fear in coming to Jesus fearing that He will reject anyone. But judgment is coming, so we must accept Jesus now. Now is the time for salvation, not for judgment, but when the time of judgment comes, it will be too late for salvation.
Now is the time for salvation. Let that be the message we share. If Jesus doesn't pass judgment what right does the church have? Let us not drive people from Jesus by condemning others. Let us draw them to Him by offering the same attitude of love, forgiveness, and salvation that He does. Let our lives overflow with the love of Christ as we share the message of His Salvation, that the time for salvation is now.
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Jesus says "I do not judge. If people reject me, if people ignore me, I do not judge them. I came to save, not to judge." Jesus came to save, not to judge. All can come to Jesus without fear of rejection, without fear of being condemned, because Jesus is not here to judge, but to offer salvation.
Now is not the time for judgement, but for salvation. Jesus is not here to condemn, but to forgive. If people ignore Him and reject Him, He does not pass judgment yet. He says that judgment is coming, but it is not yet. Now is the time for salvation.
But if we ignore Jesus, we will face judgment on the last day. And the basis for our judgment is our response to the words that Jesus spoke. Our response to Jesus is the grounds that we will be judged upon. If we accept Him, and believe His words then our judgment will result in being welcomed into the presence of God for all eternity. But if we reject Him, if we ignore His words over and over, then our judgment is based on ignoring the truth, rejecting the truth, and we face eternal condemnation, separated from God forever.
But judgment is not now. Now is not the time of judgment, but of salvation. Jesus gives us opportunity after opportunity to come to Him, to accept and receive Him. There is no fear in coming to Jesus fearing that He will reject anyone. But judgment is coming, so we must accept Jesus now. Now is the time for salvation, not for judgment, but when the time of judgment comes, it will be too late for salvation.
Now is the time for salvation. Let that be the message we share. If Jesus doesn't pass judgment what right does the church have? Let us not drive people from Jesus by condemning others. Let us draw them to Him by offering the same attitude of love, forgiveness, and salvation that He does. Let our lives overflow with the love of Christ as we share the message of His Salvation, that the time for salvation is now.
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Gift Not Taken
This morning I noticed something interesting in the book of Joshua. The last few chapters haven't reveled much new information about the character of God, but I have seen a lot about man's reaction to what God says and does. Today I want to focus on the does part of that, and in the next day or two on the says part.
Joshua 18.2-3, "There remained among the sons of Israel seven tribes who had not divided their inheritance. So Joshua said to the sons of Israel, 'How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?'"
At this point the people have been in the Promised Land for about five years. In chapter 14 Caleb, the other faithful spy from Numbers 13, says, "I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought word back to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt with fear; but I followed the Lord my God fully. So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden will be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God fully.’ Now behold, the Lord has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today." (verses 7-10).
After five years of fighting many of the nations that were in the land have been defeated and destroyed. Many but not all (more here later). But the people still have not taken possession of the Land God promised to give them. They have moved through it fighting enemies for half a decade, but at the end of chapter 14 it says, "Then the land had rest from war." Chapters 15-17 have three of the tribes taking possession of their share, and back before the people crossed the Jordan River, Moses gave land to two other tribes. Five of twelve have their share, but the rest have not yet taken their promised inheritance.
God has given them a great gift. He's given them rich land, flowing with milk and honey (abundant in plants and animals), at the crossroads of the known world. He's given them victory in battle over the inhabitants of the land. He's given them the cities and houses that those inhabitants built and lived in. And yet they aren't claiming the gift that is already theirs. Why?
I don't have an answer, and I don't know that anyone does, because the same thing still happens today. God has offered every member of the human race eternal life, salvation, freedom from sin, a gift that simply has to be received, and yet so many don't take it. Why?
All of the work has been done for us, all of the preparation has been taken care of. God holds it in His hands, freely offering it to us, and yet so many say, "No thanks, I'm not interested." God has done a great thing, and our part in it is the simple one of receiving a completely free blessing we didn't earn or deserve at all, and yet we refuse it?
Israel had to be persuaded by their leader to take the land God had promised and given them. And today its as if people need to be persuaded to take salvation from His hands. People, let's take what God is freely offering us. It will transform your life. It doesn't promise to solve your problems and guarantee you happiness and success, but it brings peace, and fullness of life. It brings freedom from guilt and shame, forgiveness from the past, and the presence of God for the resent and future. It offers the life we were created to live, and perfection and full restoration to come. And it's yours, take it!
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Joshua 18.2-3, "There remained among the sons of Israel seven tribes who had not divided their inheritance. So Joshua said to the sons of Israel, 'How long will you put off entering to take possession of the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, has given you?'"
At this point the people have been in the Promised Land for about five years. In chapter 14 Caleb, the other faithful spy from Numbers 13, says, "I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the Lord sent me from Kadesh-barnea to spy out the land, and I brought word back to him as it was in my heart. Nevertheless my brethren who went up with me made the heart of the people melt with fear; but I followed the Lord my God fully. So Moses swore on that day, saying, ‘Surely the land on which your foot has trodden will be an inheritance to you and to your children forever, because you have followed the Lord my God fully.’ Now behold, the Lord has let me live, just as He spoke, these forty-five years, from the time that the Lord spoke this word to Moses, when Israel walked in the wilderness; and now behold, I am eighty-five years old today." (verses 7-10).
After five years of fighting many of the nations that were in the land have been defeated and destroyed. Many but not all (more here later). But the people still have not taken possession of the Land God promised to give them. They have moved through it fighting enemies for half a decade, but at the end of chapter 14 it says, "Then the land had rest from war." Chapters 15-17 have three of the tribes taking possession of their share, and back before the people crossed the Jordan River, Moses gave land to two other tribes. Five of twelve have their share, but the rest have not yet taken their promised inheritance.
God has given them a great gift. He's given them rich land, flowing with milk and honey (abundant in plants and animals), at the crossroads of the known world. He's given them victory in battle over the inhabitants of the land. He's given them the cities and houses that those inhabitants built and lived in. And yet they aren't claiming the gift that is already theirs. Why?
I don't have an answer, and I don't know that anyone does, because the same thing still happens today. God has offered every member of the human race eternal life, salvation, freedom from sin, a gift that simply has to be received, and yet so many don't take it. Why?
All of the work has been done for us, all of the preparation has been taken care of. God holds it in His hands, freely offering it to us, and yet so many say, "No thanks, I'm not interested." God has done a great thing, and our part in it is the simple one of receiving a completely free blessing we didn't earn or deserve at all, and yet we refuse it?
Israel had to be persuaded by their leader to take the land God had promised and given them. And today its as if people need to be persuaded to take salvation from His hands. People, let's take what God is freely offering us. It will transform your life. It doesn't promise to solve your problems and guarantee you happiness and success, but it brings peace, and fullness of life. It brings freedom from guilt and shame, forgiveness from the past, and the presence of God for the resent and future. It offers the life we were created to live, and perfection and full restoration to come. And it's yours, take it!
To God alone be the Glory!
Peace be with you
Monday, April 9, 2012
Reality
Early in the evening this past Friday my dad called me and told me his uncle died. He was my great uncle, and I knew him, but not as well as my dad did. My dad is the oldest child, and his mom was I believe the second child. His uncle, her brother was the youngest. My dad said he was more like a big brother than an uncle. My interaction with him was family reunions, Thanksgiving when I was younger, the two weeks I spent down there helping bail hay, and hunting trips on his farm.
I was surprised by his death, my dad found out within an hour and let me know. He had been in the hospital but I hadn't known that. I've wondered a lot over the last few days if he had a relationship with Jesus. I honestly don't know. And for the last few days the reality of Hell has been at the forefront of my mind.
Heaven really came into full reality for me in December/January when I was ministering to a man dying from Lou Gehrig's disease. As I sat and talked about death, dying, and Heaven, with a man who was getting ready to stand before God and be welcomed into His eternal presence my heart was full of joy for him, and honestly a little jealousy towards him. As I shared the promises of hope from Scripture with him, part of me longed to see Jesus is a way that I never have before. There are some pictures of the senior fellowship group hanging in the hall way of the church and I walk by his picture daily. I'm reminded every day that he is in the presence of Jesus.
But while Heaven is the presence of God, Hell is the opposite, separation from God. Hell was created for Satan and his angels (Matthew 25.41). Humans were made to exist in a relationship with God. We were created for the presence of God. But when sin entered the world we were separated from God. Because God is Holy and Righteous, He cannot be around sin. Sin cannot enter the presence of God. Romans 3.23 says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,".
Sin is a serious thing, it demands life as payment. And as Romans 6.23a states, "For the wages of sin is death,". Sin in our lives means that we cannot enter the presence of Holy God. And for the last few days the reality of Hell has been on my mind. We live in a world where people die. "Roughly 56,597,034 people leaving us every year. That's about a 155,000 a day." (http://ask.yahoo.com/20051128.html, [from 2005]) How many of those people have a relationship with Jesus?
Hell is a reality. But Heaven is also a reality. Just as sin brings death, God brings life. The end of Romans 6.23 declares, "but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." God's desire is for all to be saved (2 Peter 3.9). The Bible says that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be save (Romans 10.13) and that if you simply confess with your mouth that Christ is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved (Romans 10.9-10).
Christ died on the cross to pay the price for sin. He died in our place. Remember sin demands life as payment, and Christ made that payment. But it wasn't enough for Him just to die. He rose from the dead, conquering sin, death, and Hell forever. Because Christ lives, we also can live. Paul said if Jesus didn't rise again then our faith is worthless, and we are to be pitied above all other men (1 Corinthians 15.12-19).
A pastor friend told me about a month ago about a sermon he had once heard. When Jesus died He paid the price for all sin (1 Peter 3.18). All sin has been paid for, but not all sin has been confessed. He said that in the sermon he heard the preacher pointed out that all people who go to Hell go forgiven, they just never received the free gift that God offers. People go to Hell needlessly. God offers the free gift of life and salvation in Christ. All we have to do is receive it from Him. And yet people still die in sin.
I want to be intentional about sharing the message of salvation. Yesterday I preached it, I write about it on here a lot, but I want to be more intentional about it. The reality is that this world is full of people who are dying and going to Hell because they don't have a relationship with Jesus. The Bible says that Jesus is the only way to God (John 14.6). I want to share Jesus, and the message of hope and life that is in Him. God desires that none should perish, and so He made it possible for us to have eternal life.
To God alone be the glory!
Peace be with you
I was surprised by his death, my dad found out within an hour and let me know. He had been in the hospital but I hadn't known that. I've wondered a lot over the last few days if he had a relationship with Jesus. I honestly don't know. And for the last few days the reality of Hell has been at the forefront of my mind.
Heaven really came into full reality for me in December/January when I was ministering to a man dying from Lou Gehrig's disease. As I sat and talked about death, dying, and Heaven, with a man who was getting ready to stand before God and be welcomed into His eternal presence my heart was full of joy for him, and honestly a little jealousy towards him. As I shared the promises of hope from Scripture with him, part of me longed to see Jesus is a way that I never have before. There are some pictures of the senior fellowship group hanging in the hall way of the church and I walk by his picture daily. I'm reminded every day that he is in the presence of Jesus.
But while Heaven is the presence of God, Hell is the opposite, separation from God. Hell was created for Satan and his angels (Matthew 25.41). Humans were made to exist in a relationship with God. We were created for the presence of God. But when sin entered the world we were separated from God. Because God is Holy and Righteous, He cannot be around sin. Sin cannot enter the presence of God. Romans 3.23 says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,".
Sin is a serious thing, it demands life as payment. And as Romans 6.23a states, "For the wages of sin is death,". Sin in our lives means that we cannot enter the presence of Holy God. And for the last few days the reality of Hell has been on my mind. We live in a world where people die. "Roughly 56,597,034 people leaving us every year. That's about a 155,000 a day." (http://ask.yahoo.com/20051128.html, [from 2005]) How many of those people have a relationship with Jesus?
Hell is a reality. But Heaven is also a reality. Just as sin brings death, God brings life. The end of Romans 6.23 declares, "but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." God's desire is for all to be saved (2 Peter 3.9). The Bible says that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be save (Romans 10.13) and that if you simply confess with your mouth that Christ is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved (Romans 10.9-10).
Christ died on the cross to pay the price for sin. He died in our place. Remember sin demands life as payment, and Christ made that payment. But it wasn't enough for Him just to die. He rose from the dead, conquering sin, death, and Hell forever. Because Christ lives, we also can live. Paul said if Jesus didn't rise again then our faith is worthless, and we are to be pitied above all other men (1 Corinthians 15.12-19).
A pastor friend told me about a month ago about a sermon he had once heard. When Jesus died He paid the price for all sin (1 Peter 3.18). All sin has been paid for, but not all sin has been confessed. He said that in the sermon he heard the preacher pointed out that all people who go to Hell go forgiven, they just never received the free gift that God offers. People go to Hell needlessly. God offers the free gift of life and salvation in Christ. All we have to do is receive it from Him. And yet people still die in sin.
I want to be intentional about sharing the message of salvation. Yesterday I preached it, I write about it on here a lot, but I want to be more intentional about it. The reality is that this world is full of people who are dying and going to Hell because they don't have a relationship with Jesus. The Bible says that Jesus is the only way to God (John 14.6). I want to share Jesus, and the message of hope and life that is in Him. God desires that none should perish, and so He made it possible for us to have eternal life.
To God alone be the glory!
Peace be with you
Friday, April 6, 2012
Good Friday
Every year Good Friday in the Philippines is marked by people recreating the crucifixion of Christ, literally. This ritual is one that I heard about in high school. People walk through the streets and beat themselves with bamboo, before being nailed to a cross. They put themselves through what Jesus went through.
"Many of the mostly impoverished penitents undergo the ritual to atone for sins, pray for the sick or a better life, or give thanks for what they believe were God-given miracles." (http://news.yahoo.com/filipino-good-friday-devotees-nailed-crosses-094124305.html)
I've read somewhere that people do it out of appreciation. And that it isn't a onetime thing for the participants. If you survive it's expected of you to do it every year. The article link I've given above talks about a 51 year old man who has done it twenty-six times.
This is one of those things I wonder how it got started. Who thought that it was necessary to go through what Jesus went through by voluntarily being nailed to a cross? Who thought that this would make atonement for their sins? How do Christians feel the need to go through this?
I've been to Jerusalem; I've touched the floor where Jesus' blood fell as He was beaten. I've walked the streets of the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and knelt under the altar where they say Christ was crucified. I was overwhelmed by appreciation, and humbled with gratitude. All I could say as I knelt was "Thank you."
1 Peter 2.24 says, "and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed." Jesus went to the cross; Jesus was crucified, so that I wouldn't have to be.
Romans 3.23 says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," and Romans 6.23 tells us, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
John 3.16-17 states, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." Romans 5.8 declares, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
We are all sinners, and the penalty for that sin is death. But God offers us life freely through Christ. There is no need for us to do anything to atone for our sins, because God out of His great love sent Jesus to die in our place. I don't need to beat myself and be nailed to a cross to receive salvation, all I have to do according to Romans 10 is "for 'WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED'" (verse 13), and "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." (verses 9-10).
God does not demand that I go through the pain and agony that Christ did on the first Good Friday. Jesus did that so I wouldn't have to. God's desire is for all of us to be saved from sin through the blood Jesus shed on the cross. His desire is for us to become like Christ, and live as Christ lived. Philippians 1 tells us that we will suffer for Christ sake. Jesus said in the Gospel of John that we would have trouble in this world because of Him. Hardship will come from the world because we have been forgiven by Christ, not for us to gain forgiveness from God.
As I've written the last few sentences, Micah 6.6-8 has been on my mind. "With what shall I come to the LORD and bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, with yearling calves? Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
God does not demand physical punishment of us. Because of Jesus He no longer requires animal sacrifices. As Psalm 51.16-17 says, "For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." God wants us simply to come to Him, and ask for forgiveness. God doesn’t ask for, or even want, the ritual of self-inflicted pain or animal sacrifice. God simply wants us to come to Him in our brokenness and allow Him to heal us.
God Himself paid the price for sin so that we wouldn't have to. God Himself endured the pain and death of sin so that we wouldn't have to. That is Good Friday.
To God alone be the glory!
Peace be with you
"Many of the mostly impoverished penitents undergo the ritual to atone for sins, pray for the sick or a better life, or give thanks for what they believe were God-given miracles." (http://news.yahoo.com/filipino-good-friday-devotees-nailed-crosses-094124305.html)
I've read somewhere that people do it out of appreciation. And that it isn't a onetime thing for the participants. If you survive it's expected of you to do it every year. The article link I've given above talks about a 51 year old man who has done it twenty-six times.
This is one of those things I wonder how it got started. Who thought that it was necessary to go through what Jesus went through by voluntarily being nailed to a cross? Who thought that this would make atonement for their sins? How do Christians feel the need to go through this?
I've been to Jerusalem; I've touched the floor where Jesus' blood fell as He was beaten. I've walked the streets of the Via Dolorosa to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, and knelt under the altar where they say Christ was crucified. I was overwhelmed by appreciation, and humbled with gratitude. All I could say as I knelt was "Thank you."
1 Peter 2.24 says, "and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed." Jesus went to the cross; Jesus was crucified, so that I wouldn't have to be.
Romans 3.23 says, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," and Romans 6.23 tells us, "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
John 3.16-17 states, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life. For God did not send the Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world might be saved through Him." Romans 5.8 declares, "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
We are all sinners, and the penalty for that sin is death. But God offers us life freely through Christ. There is no need for us to do anything to atone for our sins, because God out of His great love sent Jesus to die in our place. I don't need to beat myself and be nailed to a cross to receive salvation, all I have to do according to Romans 10 is "for 'WHOEVER WILL CALL ON THE NAME OF THE LORD WILL BE SAVED'" (verse 13), and "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation." (verses 9-10).
God does not demand that I go through the pain and agony that Christ did on the first Good Friday. Jesus did that so I wouldn't have to. God's desire is for all of us to be saved from sin through the blood Jesus shed on the cross. His desire is for us to become like Christ, and live as Christ lived. Philippians 1 tells us that we will suffer for Christ sake. Jesus said in the Gospel of John that we would have trouble in this world because of Him. Hardship will come from the world because we have been forgiven by Christ, not for us to gain forgiveness from God.
As I've written the last few sentences, Micah 6.6-8 has been on my mind. "With what shall I come to the LORD and bow myself before the God on high? Shall I come to Him with burnt offerings, with yearling calves? Does the LORD take delight in thousands of rams, in ten thousand rivers of oil? Shall I present my firstborn for my rebellious acts, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul? He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?"
God does not demand physical punishment of us. Because of Jesus He no longer requires animal sacrifices. As Psalm 51.16-17 says, "For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it;
You are not pleased with burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise." God wants us simply to come to Him, and ask for forgiveness. God doesn’t ask for, or even want, the ritual of self-inflicted pain or animal sacrifice. God simply wants us to come to Him in our brokenness and allow Him to heal us.
God Himself paid the price for sin so that we wouldn't have to. God Himself endured the pain and death of sin so that we wouldn't have to. That is Good Friday.
To God alone be the glory!
Peace be with you
Monday, December 12, 2011
Two Men
As I've talked about the weapons of the enemy we've seen two Biblical examples of their usage. One in the beginning with the first humans, and they failed. With that failure came sin and death. But the second man came to make all things right. He came to pick up the battle where it left off and win the war. He faced the same weapons, and the same enemy, but He was victorious.
Romans 5 says, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Verses 12-21).
Jesus came and faced the same test as Adam and Eve. He faced the same weapons, but He was victorious. As in any fight there are hits that we take. Adam and Eve took them, were knocked down, and defeated. Jesus took the hits as well. His were worse because of Adam's loss. His involved a beating, a crucifixion, and a tomb. But Jesus got back up.
I think of a line for the movie Rocky Balboa, "But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you're worth then go out and get what you're worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain't you!"
I think of the line from the movie Robin Hood , "Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions."
Two men faced the same weapons wielded by the same deadly enemy. One man fell and didn't get back up, and because of that defeat the world is in the state that it is. Another man came to fight the same battle. It looked like He had been defeated, but what appeared to be a loss was really the ultimate victory. And it's a victory that He offers to us.
Jesus has showed us how to fight the battle against Satan; and it's a battle He has already won. He invites us to share that victory. The whole reason He came to earth was to win this victory, the prize is ultimate glory, and the redemption of the universe. And Jesus calls us to share in the victory, the redemption, and the glory.
We face the same enemy and the same weapons that Jesus faced. We will be knocked down, but we don't have to be defeated. There is a song by Chris Tomlin that I've written about before. It tells us that Jesus has overcome, that through His victory we have peace, and that in Him we can take the hits, rise and move forward victorious.
There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say "It is well"
Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise
There's a day that's drawing near
When this darkness breaks to light
And the shadows disappear
And my faith shall be my eyes
Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise
And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise
"Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions." The Lamb of God was humbly slain, the Lion of Judah rose in power. He calls us to rise with Him.
Peace be with you
Romans 5 says, "Therefore, just as through one man sin entered into the world, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men, because all sinned— for until the Law sin was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no law. Nevertheless death reigned from Adam until Moses, even over those who had not sinned in the likeness of the offense of Adam, who is a type of Him who was to come. But the free gift is not like the transgression. For if by the transgression of the one the many died, much more did the grace of God and the gift by the grace of the one Man, Jesus Christ, abound to the many. The gift is not like that which came through the one who sinned; for on the one hand the judgment arose from one transgression resulting in condemnation, but on the other hand the free gift arose from many transgressions resulting in justification. For if by the transgression of the one, death reigned through the one, much more those who receive the abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness will reign in life through the One, Jesus Christ. So then as through one transgression there resulted condemnation to all men, even so through one act of righteousness there resulted justification of life to all men. For as through the one man’s disobedience the many were made sinners, even so through the obedience of the One the many will be made righteous. The Law came in so that the transgression would increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more, so that, as sin reigned in death, even so grace would reign through righteousness to eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." (Verses 12-21).
Jesus came and faced the same test as Adam and Eve. He faced the same weapons, but He was victorious. As in any fight there are hits that we take. Adam and Eve took them, were knocked down, and defeated. Jesus took the hits as well. His were worse because of Adam's loss. His involved a beating, a crucifixion, and a tomb. But Jesus got back up.
I think of a line for the movie Rocky Balboa, "But it ain't about how hard ya hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward. How much you can take and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done! Now if you know what you're worth then go out and get what you're worth. But ya gotta be willing to take the hits, and not pointing fingers saying you ain't where you wanna be because of him, or her, or anybody! Cowards do that and that ain't you!"
I think of the line from the movie Robin Hood , "Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions."
Two men faced the same weapons wielded by the same deadly enemy. One man fell and didn't get back up, and because of that defeat the world is in the state that it is. Another man came to fight the same battle. It looked like He had been defeated, but what appeared to be a loss was really the ultimate victory. And it's a victory that He offers to us.
Jesus has showed us how to fight the battle against Satan; and it's a battle He has already won. He invites us to share that victory. The whole reason He came to earth was to win this victory, the prize is ultimate glory, and the redemption of the universe. And Jesus calls us to share in the victory, the redemption, and the glory.
We face the same enemy and the same weapons that Jesus faced. We will be knocked down, but we don't have to be defeated. There is a song by Chris Tomlin that I've written about before. It tells us that Jesus has overcome, that through His victory we have peace, and that in Him we can take the hits, rise and move forward victorious.
There's a peace I've come to know
Though my heart and flesh may fail
There's an anchor for my soul
I can say "It is well"
Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise
There's a day that's drawing near
When this darkness breaks to light
And the shadows disappear
And my faith shall be my eyes
Jesus has overcome
And the grave is overwhelmed
The victory is won
He is risen from the dead
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise
And I hear the voice of many angels sing,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I hear the cry of every longing heart,
"Worthy is the Lamb"
And I will rise when He calls my name
No more sorrow, no more pain
I will rise on eagles' wings
Before my God fall on my knees
And rise
I will rise
"Rise and rise again, until lambs become lions." The Lamb of God was humbly slain, the Lion of Judah rose in power. He calls us to rise with Him.
Peace be with you
Monday, August 15, 2011
Broken Glass
One of my hobbies I discovered by accident. In Mount Vernon where I went to college there is a river that flows past the edge of campus. At the beginning of my senior year I asked one of my brothers if he wanted to go wading with me on Saturday morning. It became an event we would do every couple weekends just to escape for a while.
On one trip we got to a small island in the middle of the river and I noticed a large chunk of green glass. I don't know how it forms or what it comes from, but I refer to it as kryptonite. I found a few pieces like it, and then began to notice other pieces of glass, most of them green and brown from old beer bottles, but there are clear pieces and different shades of blue as well. Some are old bleach bottles, others are old medicine and tonic bottles. Sometimes you find an intact bottle, other times, pieces that have some how been compressed and shaped into incredible shapes. Other times it's just fragments with no special shape at all.
Over the years I've gotten good at finding the pieces. Sometimes you can be fooled by leaves on the bottom of the river or algae growing on rocks. I still get fooled on the occasion, but it happens a lot less then when I first began. I love wading for glass. The pieces have been carried by the river and the edges are now smooth so you don't have to worry about cutting yourself. I never realized I'd still be doing this two years later, I thought I'd collect some, and put it in a jar. I've now got five jars.
Two weeks ago I took Janette. It was nice to get away and just have some time completely away from everything. She got pretty good at finding the pieces. And I noticed that she picks up the pieces I intentionally leave behind. The old dishes that are solid white or solid blueish green. I don't want them because the light doesn't shine through them, but she loves them, so they get placed in the jar. I love that I have a girl who loves wading with me.
On this last trip I took I began to really think about the glass. Though the edges aren't sharp they are at times rough and jagged. Sometimes they are half buried and covered in dirt and mud. Occasionally you find the mouth piece of a bottle and it has a crayfish living in it, or a few rocks that have gotten wedged in. The pieces of glass are just like us.
There are different colors, different shapes, different sizes, each one is unique. But all of them have something in common. They are all pieces of broken glass that have ended up in a river. Glass doesn't belong in the river. It shouldn't be dirty and buried in the dirt. It should be clear so that light can shine through it. It should be collected and displayed.
Our lives have been broken by sin. The river of sin has dragged us far from where we should be. It has covered us and buried us in the mud so that we can't escape. That's not how we were made to live. God comes, and he picks us up out of the river. He cleans us up, and then He displays us so that His light can shine through us into the darkness of the world.
When I first started collecting glass I had thoughts of polishing each piece until it shined. That proved to be a harder task than I imagined, so each piece gets cleaned of the dirt, but a lot of the time there is stuff on there that won't come off. There is evidence that it's been in the river. Sin scars us. I've written about scars. They tell where we've come from, they tell where God has rescued us from. Scars are important, and scars are beautiful.
We are all like broken glass buried in the river of sin. But God is wading through the river pulling out the pieces that call out to Him. He takes them, and cleans them up, and then they display Him to the world. They display His love, His forgiveness, His grace and His mercy. Each of us is a piece of broken glass. But each one of us is beautiful and desirable to God. He wants every piece in the river.
Peace be with you
On one trip we got to a small island in the middle of the river and I noticed a large chunk of green glass. I don't know how it forms or what it comes from, but I refer to it as kryptonite. I found a few pieces like it, and then began to notice other pieces of glass, most of them green and brown from old beer bottles, but there are clear pieces and different shades of blue as well. Some are old bleach bottles, others are old medicine and tonic bottles. Sometimes you find an intact bottle, other times, pieces that have some how been compressed and shaped into incredible shapes. Other times it's just fragments with no special shape at all.
Over the years I've gotten good at finding the pieces. Sometimes you can be fooled by leaves on the bottom of the river or algae growing on rocks. I still get fooled on the occasion, but it happens a lot less then when I first began. I love wading for glass. The pieces have been carried by the river and the edges are now smooth so you don't have to worry about cutting yourself. I never realized I'd still be doing this two years later, I thought I'd collect some, and put it in a jar. I've now got five jars.
Two weeks ago I took Janette. It was nice to get away and just have some time completely away from everything. She got pretty good at finding the pieces. And I noticed that she picks up the pieces I intentionally leave behind. The old dishes that are solid white or solid blueish green. I don't want them because the light doesn't shine through them, but she loves them, so they get placed in the jar. I love that I have a girl who loves wading with me.
On this last trip I took I began to really think about the glass. Though the edges aren't sharp they are at times rough and jagged. Sometimes they are half buried and covered in dirt and mud. Occasionally you find the mouth piece of a bottle and it has a crayfish living in it, or a few rocks that have gotten wedged in. The pieces of glass are just like us.
There are different colors, different shapes, different sizes, each one is unique. But all of them have something in common. They are all pieces of broken glass that have ended up in a river. Glass doesn't belong in the river. It shouldn't be dirty and buried in the dirt. It should be clear so that light can shine through it. It should be collected and displayed.
Our lives have been broken by sin. The river of sin has dragged us far from where we should be. It has covered us and buried us in the mud so that we can't escape. That's not how we were made to live. God comes, and he picks us up out of the river. He cleans us up, and then He displays us so that His light can shine through us into the darkness of the world.
When I first started collecting glass I had thoughts of polishing each piece until it shined. That proved to be a harder task than I imagined, so each piece gets cleaned of the dirt, but a lot of the time there is stuff on there that won't come off. There is evidence that it's been in the river. Sin scars us. I've written about scars. They tell where we've come from, they tell where God has rescued us from. Scars are important, and scars are beautiful.
We are all like broken glass buried in the river of sin. But God is wading through the river pulling out the pieces that call out to Him. He takes them, and cleans them up, and then they display Him to the world. They display His love, His forgiveness, His grace and His mercy. Each of us is a piece of broken glass. But each one of us is beautiful and desirable to God. He wants every piece in the river.
Peace be with you
Saturday, July 30, 2011
Scars
Thursday I got a phone call from one of the ladies at church. She was asking me about a situation that someone had been talking to her about. She had been asked why we remember the past events of our life even after we've prayed to God about them.
This has been something I've been working through recently. As humans we haven't been gifted with the ability to erase our memories of past failures and hurts. God can, and does, Hebrews 8.12, "For I will be merciful to their iniquities,and I will remember their sins no more.", and Hebrews 10.17, "And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” God forgets our sins when He forgives us. He doesn't remember them and never holds them against us. If we have confessed to Him we need to accept His forgiveness, and we need to in turn forgive ourselves.
But why can't we forget? I don't think we should. If we forget the things of the past, how do we keep from doing them again? The issue isn't in the forgetting, but in the failure to receive forgiveness, in the failure to realize that God has forgiven us.
Think of it as a wound. Every time we sin it's as if we get a cut. We can try to cover it with a band aid as we try to just pretend it's not there, but it isn't until we go to God for some stitches that the wound is really to the point where it can heal.
I need to say this to avoid confusion and heresy, the moment we ask for forgiveness, God instantaneously gives it, in His mind it is taken care of and dealt with, He forgets about it. A doctor stitches up a wound and then moves on to the next patient. The issue comes when we keep staring at the stitches, we keep playing with them and the wound never heals, it never becomes a scar.
When a wound heals it leaves a scar, and we carry the scars for the rest of our lives. Some people think they are ugly, but honestly, scars are an incredibly beautiful thing. Scars are a sign of healing. It shows where a wound was, it's a reminder of that wound, but it is a wound no more. The wound used to hurt, but a scar doesn't. It serves as a reminder of pain, but the pain is gone.
The scar means the wound is healed, it means the pain is gone, but the scar is still there. Here's the point, scars come with a story. Find any seven year old boy and look at his arms and legs, I guarantee there are some scars. I can almost promise, that if you point to one and say, "How'd you get that?" you'll hear the story. Sometimes you don't even have to ask, you'll just get it. My eight year old cousin loves to tell me about his bike accidents. Scars have a story.
We remember the wound and the pain, that should make us wiser so we don't do that thing again, or we learn how to do it properly. This is why we don't forget for our benefit. But again, scars come with a story, and the story is what God uses to help others.
In church we're working through the Gospel of John, I've been reading about John the Baptist and am hoping to do some in depth study this week. But I said last week how God has a job for each of us, and that our lives are preparation for that job. There are no wasted experiences in life. Some of them are horrible, and God doesn't desire some of them to happen, but because we live in a fallen world they do. But none of them are wasted if God has stitched up the wound. Once it scars there is a story, we call it a testimony, and a testimony needs to be shared.
This is a side note, I think we put too much emphasis on the guy who God saved from drugs. It seems we all want that testimony. We all seem to wish we had been crack addicts who God rescued from that destructive lifestyle. God is incredible and He saves them all the time. Their stories tell of how great the grace and mercy of God are, but what about the person who never went through that? What about the person who gave their life to Jesus as a five year old, and faithfully served Him for seventy years? Why don't we say, "I wish that was my testimony!" That's the testimony God wants for all of us. He doesn't love you less if you were the crack addict, and His grace yearns to be given to you, God loves you.
Scars remind us of the wound, but they are a sign that it has been healed. Scars remind us of the pain, but they don't hurt anymore. Scars have a story, tell it. Don't be ashamed, and don't be afraid to show off your beautiful scars. The healing has occurred. Glorify God who brought the healing, and tell others that healing is possible. God will stitch it up and leave you the reminder. Don't forget, and don't hide it. Show it off, they are beautiful.
Peace be with you.
This has been something I've been working through recently. As humans we haven't been gifted with the ability to erase our memories of past failures and hurts. God can, and does, Hebrews 8.12, "For I will be merciful to their iniquities,and I will remember their sins no more.", and Hebrews 10.17, "And their sins and their lawless deeds I will remember no more.” God forgets our sins when He forgives us. He doesn't remember them and never holds them against us. If we have confessed to Him we need to accept His forgiveness, and we need to in turn forgive ourselves.
But why can't we forget? I don't think we should. If we forget the things of the past, how do we keep from doing them again? The issue isn't in the forgetting, but in the failure to receive forgiveness, in the failure to realize that God has forgiven us.
Think of it as a wound. Every time we sin it's as if we get a cut. We can try to cover it with a band aid as we try to just pretend it's not there, but it isn't until we go to God for some stitches that the wound is really to the point where it can heal.
I need to say this to avoid confusion and heresy, the moment we ask for forgiveness, God instantaneously gives it, in His mind it is taken care of and dealt with, He forgets about it. A doctor stitches up a wound and then moves on to the next patient. The issue comes when we keep staring at the stitches, we keep playing with them and the wound never heals, it never becomes a scar.
When a wound heals it leaves a scar, and we carry the scars for the rest of our lives. Some people think they are ugly, but honestly, scars are an incredibly beautiful thing. Scars are a sign of healing. It shows where a wound was, it's a reminder of that wound, but it is a wound no more. The wound used to hurt, but a scar doesn't. It serves as a reminder of pain, but the pain is gone.
The scar means the wound is healed, it means the pain is gone, but the scar is still there. Here's the point, scars come with a story. Find any seven year old boy and look at his arms and legs, I guarantee there are some scars. I can almost promise, that if you point to one and say, "How'd you get that?" you'll hear the story. Sometimes you don't even have to ask, you'll just get it. My eight year old cousin loves to tell me about his bike accidents. Scars have a story.
We remember the wound and the pain, that should make us wiser so we don't do that thing again, or we learn how to do it properly. This is why we don't forget for our benefit. But again, scars come with a story, and the story is what God uses to help others.
In church we're working through the Gospel of John, I've been reading about John the Baptist and am hoping to do some in depth study this week. But I said last week how God has a job for each of us, and that our lives are preparation for that job. There are no wasted experiences in life. Some of them are horrible, and God doesn't desire some of them to happen, but because we live in a fallen world they do. But none of them are wasted if God has stitched up the wound. Once it scars there is a story, we call it a testimony, and a testimony needs to be shared.
This is a side note, I think we put too much emphasis on the guy who God saved from drugs. It seems we all want that testimony. We all seem to wish we had been crack addicts who God rescued from that destructive lifestyle. God is incredible and He saves them all the time. Their stories tell of how great the grace and mercy of God are, but what about the person who never went through that? What about the person who gave their life to Jesus as a five year old, and faithfully served Him for seventy years? Why don't we say, "I wish that was my testimony!" That's the testimony God wants for all of us. He doesn't love you less if you were the crack addict, and His grace yearns to be given to you, God loves you.
Scars remind us of the wound, but they are a sign that it has been healed. Scars remind us of the pain, but they don't hurt anymore. Scars have a story, tell it. Don't be ashamed, and don't be afraid to show off your beautiful scars. The healing has occurred. Glorify God who brought the healing, and tell others that healing is possible. God will stitch it up and leave you the reminder. Don't forget, and don't hide it. Show it off, they are beautiful.
Peace be with you.
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