What If There Were No Christmas

"Go your way. Eat the fat and drink sweet wine and send portions to anyone who has nothing ready, for this day is holy to our Lord." Neh. 8:10

With all the talk of "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings" instead of "Merry Christmas" it got me to thinking. What if there were no Christmas? Regardless of the reasons for the choice of dates to celebrate, ultimately Christmas is the birthday of Jesus Christ. It is the advent of Eternity taking on human flesh. So what if Jesus had never come?

What if God chose not to reveal Himself? What if the Bible ended with the book of Malachi?Allow yourself to take a few moments today in the midst of all the bustle of family and gifts and all that you do on this special day to think about what would be different in our world if Jesus Christ had never come into the world. If God had not chosen to enter into time by taking on human flesh and being born as a baby, then just consider the difference in the world.

Now as you realize how different the world would be, consider how different it is in some places where people have still not heard the Good News that the angels brought to the shepherds. Countless billion remain in the darkness of never having heard the message of Christmas.

I know that Nehemiah's words were about something entirely different, but do they not challenge us? Enjoy what Christmas means. Celebrate the coming of Christ. But consider also your responsibility to help to take the message of peace and hope and joy to those who have nothing prepared today. Merry Christmas, and God bless you.

The Heart of Worship

"This people draws near to me with their lips, but their heart is far from me." (Matt. 15:8)

Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah here to denote that true worship is a matter of the heart and not a matter of words. It is not how loud or enthusiastically we sing on Sunday in church that denotes truth in worship. It is our surrender in obedience on a daily basis.

In I Samuel 15 God tells King Saul to go and destroy King Agag and the Amalekites. The Amalekites had ruthlessly attacked the Israelites as they were wandering in the wilderness. So God had devoted them to destruction. But rather than kill the king and thoroughly destroy all they had, Saul took some trophies. One of his excuses was that he needed sheep to offer in worship. And through the prophet Samuel we have these words, "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams."

As Christmas day approaches, let me ask this question again. What will you offer as a gift to this baby born to be King of Kings and Lord of Lords. The magi brought gold, frankincense, and myrrh. God desires your gift of your heart. He desires you worship him in truth, which means in obedience. This Christmas give to Christ your heart in full surrender to Him. Purpose to obey Him in all things.

WOW! Defeat the Enemies Within.

"Now these are the nations that the Lord left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan." (Judges 3:1)

The book of Joshua was a book of Victories. Much of the book of Judges is a book about defeat. God instructed Israel as they entered Canaan to completely destroy their enemies. But they did not obey. In Judges 2:2 God tells Israel that what they were not willing to do in obedience to Him, He would not do for them.The enemies they failed to destroy absolutely became a constant thorn in their sides and continual snares to their living in Victory.

God has provided for those who are Christians everything that we need for living a Victorious life. Sin is our great enemy, and it conspires against us through the flesh. Whatever we fail to conquer by full surrender to Christ becomes the stronghold in our life from which Satan wages continual war on us. That is why Paul admonishes us in Eph. 4:27 not to give the devil any opportunity in our life.
That is why God has provided for us weapons that are mighty to pull down strongholds. (2 Cor. 10:4).

As we end the year 2009 let me challenge you to take inventory in your life. What enemies remain to be conquered and are thorns in your flesh? Sin addictions. Some little compromise here or there. It could be subtle in form, and we hold on to it. Like the Israelites we will discover those unconquered enemies lead us to spiritual adulteries.

Get alone with God and let Him lead you to deal with the areas of your life that are thorns in your flesh and keeping you from Victorious living. Determine that in 2010 you will live surrendered fully to Christ as Lord of all.

The Wile E Coyote Principle

"Whoever digs a pit will fall into it, and a stone will come back on him who starts it rolling." (Prov. 26:27)

As I consider this text, I cannot help but think of Wile E. Coyote. Do you remember him from the Road Runner cartoons, one of my favorites growing up. He was always trying to catch the Road Runner, and yet every evil plan he concocted backfired on him. That coyote was flattened by falling rocks, run over by trucks, and had more dynamite blow up on him that anyone could endure. He was one indestructible coyote, but everything failed.

God's Word says that when we plan for evil toward others, it always catches us instead. I was reading the book of Esther again this morning. A man by the name of Haman was angered because Mordecai the Jew did not show him the honor and respect that he wanted. So he concocted a plan to destroy all of the Jews. But in the providence of God, Esther whom Mordecai had raised had become Queen. She had gained the King's favor, and she brought about a reversal of fortune for Haman. The gallows that Haman had built to hang Mordecai became his own death instrument.

We need to remember to always do good and to please the Lord. God said, "Vengeance is mine." I think one of the reasons we are hesitant to leave things in God's hands is that we think God will treat those whom we are upset with the same way that He has treated us. We are afraid that He will show them mercy. Aren't you glad that God did not give you what you deserved?

Merry Christmas

"The people who walk in darkness will see a great light - a light that wil shine on all sho live in the land where death casts its shadow. " (Isaiah 9:2)

These words are spoken through Isaiah the prophet about 750 years before Jesus Christ would be born. It is a promise that God is going to bring light to people who have lived in the darkness of death because of sin. It is the promise that God is going to bring life and peace and hope where there has been none. And we discover in v. 6 that this light is going to come in the form of a "son" to be given.

The promise is that this "son" will establish the Kingdom of God and that there will ultimately be no end to His rule. It is an incredible promise. This one along with many others were prophecies that were fulfilled when a baby was born of a virgin named Mary in the city of Bethlehem, now nearly 2000 years ago.

It doesn't matter if they change the name to "Happy Holidays" or "Seasons Greetings". Ultimately Christmas is all about the Christ who came and dwellt among us, as John tells us in the first chapter of His Gospel. We don't have records in a courthouse of the exact date that Jesus was born, but we know that He came in the humblest of ways. He came to save us from our sins. He came to save us from death. He came to be our Savior. "And His name will be called Jesus."

The Invitation of Christmas

"Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act." (Ps. 37:5)

When we talk about the matter of faith, there are all kinds of words that we use. We talk about believing which is an act of the mind, I believe. (A little play on the words, lol.) This verse in psalms refers to making a commitment, which is an act of our will. It is a choice that we make. Indeed life is all about choices. We can make our choices, we are free to do so. What we cannot do is choose the consequences of those choices. The choice to commit to Christ, is an act of faith with eternal benefits.

"Trust in Him" is the language of the heart. It is deeper than the mind and intellect. We ultimately determine in our will because the truth has made its way into our heart, not the blood pumping organ, but the control center of our life. The writer of Proverbs challenges us to "Trust in the Lord" with all of our heart.

Christmas is all about God's incredible love. He chose to send His Son into the world to be born of the flesh, a little baby humbling entering the world in Bethlehem some 2000 years or so ago. God invites us to believe that story. But He also invites us to allow the truth of that story to get into our hearts and lead us to make a choice. A choice to trust in God through Jesus Christ with all of our being. Christmas is an invitation by God to faith. And listen to this awesome promise. "Whoever calls on the Lord, will be saved." (Rom. 10:13)

Overcoming Sin

"I have stored up Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against you." (Ps. 119:11)

The Bible calls us to live lives that are blameless. We are not ever sinless while we remain in our flesh, but we should sin less. God is at work in the life of every true believer to transform them into the image of Christ. Although Jesus Christ was tempted in every way that we are, He never sinned.

One of the disciplines of the life of a maturing believer that gives help in overcoming sin is "storing up" God's Word in our heart. The King James Version calls it "Hiding" God's Word in our hearts. How do we do that? We must memorize the scripture. We memorize it and we meditate on it. We study it and seek to comprehend its truth. As we have memorized it, the Holy Spirit will use it in our lives to overcome temptation. So when the psalmist asked, "How can a young man cleanse his ways?" in Ps. 119:9, he answers his own question in v. 11.
"I have stored up Your Word in my heart."

Heb. 4:12 tells us that God's Word is a living Word, sharper than even a two edged sword. The Word really comes to life in us when we have committed it to memory. Start with important verses to your life. Write them on 3 x 5 cards that you can carry everywhere you go. Review the verses on coffee breaks, or at red lights. Commit God's Word to Your heart today.

Is Heaven a Quiet Place?

"saying with a loud voice, 'Worthy is the Lamb'". (Rev. 5:12)

It is amazing to me that everyone says they want to go to heaven when they die. I haven't met anyone that genuinely said, "I prefer the alternative." But what is heaven really like? The old Christmas classic, "It's a Wonderful Life" says that every time we hear a bell ring, some angel has gotten their wings. The implication is that people who die and go to heaven eventually can become angels. But the Bible teaches that angels are created beings separate from humans, and that people never become gods or angels, or anything other than human.

Heaven must be a loud place. When John opened the windows of heaven in the Revelation and let us look in, he described the activity of heaven in Rev. 4 and 5. All around the throne of God are gathered the myriads of angels, which means huge numbers that are staggering. And all of the elders and saints, being the redeemed of all ages. So multitudes of angels and people, and they are all praising God. The sheer volume of people would create a loud chorus of praise, but our scripture above says they say with a "loud voice."

That is interesting to me because of what I sometimes hear in church. On one Sunday, one person came up and said the music was too loud today. And yet another asked, "Why have you turned the volume down, it seems we lost some energy." How can both be true on the same day? Have we forgotten it is not about us anyway? One person who complained of it being too loud one day was wearing hearing aids. Couldn't you just turn them down?

So if heaven is not a quiet place, are you going to put in for a transfer?

Give Him Your Heart

"present your bodies a living sacrifice,...which is your spiritual worship." (Rom 12:1-2)

The psalmist reminds us that "the earth is the Lord's and all it contains." (Ps. 24:1) We often speak of what to give someone who has everything. That is really true when it comes to God. We read that God loved us so much that He gave His one and only unique Son, Jesus Christ to be our Savior. When we sense the gratitude that comes from comprehending that, we want to give Him something as a love offering. But God owns the cattle on a thousand hills. Every inch of this ever expanding universe is all His. So what can we give to God?

For 11 chapters in the book of Romans, the apostle Paul has described the incredible mercies and grace that God has shown to us. He turns a corner, so to speak, in 12:1 with the word "therefore". And He emphatically declares, "present your bodies a living sacrifice." A modern way to say that would be, Give yourself completely to God, once for all. Would you examine your life this Christmas season? Have you surrendered yourself to God completely? If not, why not? If not before, how about right now? Give Him Your heart.

What Will You Give?

"Therefore, because of God's incredible mercy, I urge you to give to Him..."

These words mark the turning point in one of Paul's great writings in the New Testament. Some of you recognize them and know exactly where they are. The rest will have to wait until tomorrow. But have you considered what gift you will give to Jesus Christ this Christmas?

This Sunday I will preach the second message in our new series, "The Cradle that Rocked the World." The message is entitled, "Christmas is For-giving." The drummer boy raised the question in the song, what gift can I give that is fit for a king. The magi brought gold, frankincense and myrrh. But in reality, God owns everything in this universe, so what do you give someone who has everything? There really is one appropriate gift. Will you give it?

You Are Invited

"invite to the wedding feast as many as you can find." (Matt. 22:9)

Jesus came into the world that first Christmas when He took on human flesh and was born of the virgin Mary. We often speak of the Incarnation, which is a theological word for "clothed in flesh". Jesus Christ who is God became a man. Often the Bible speaks of Jesus as the bridegroom and the people of Christ, the church, as the Bride.

When Jesus comes again the second time and gathers His children home, Matt. 22 tells us that there is a great wedding feast. It is a great celebration; a party. Everyone is invited. In this story in Matt. 22, the groom walks through the wedding hall and finds one who is not properly clothed, and he has to leave. All are invited, but only those clothed in the righteousness of Jesus Christ will attend. Only those who have by faith received God's gift of eternal life.

Christmas is an invitation by God to the wedding feast. In order to go, however, you must have the proper wedding attire. As John wrote in his Gospel, "He came unto His own, but His own received Him not. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become the children of God." You have been invited. Have you received God's gift of the proper attire for the party by receiving Jesus Christ as Your Lord?

Must We Suffer?

"Perfect through suffering" (Heb. 2:10)

Austin Phelps wrote, "Suffering is a wonderful fertilizer to the roots of character. The great object of this life is character. This is the only thing we can carry with us into eternity...To gain the most of it and the best of it is the object of probation."

We are often reminded that God is far more concerned with our holiness than with our happiness. The moment that we said "Yes" to Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, God went to work through the Holy Spirit to transform us into His image. Just as diamonds are forged from coal by pressure, so also much of our transformation comes from the suffering that we encounter in this world which is hostile to God. So we are told in the Bible not to be surprised by the "fiery trials' that we encounter. We are told to rejoice when we face tests. God is up to something purposeful.

Today, why not seek His face, and allow Him to change you by determining to obey His Word. If we say "yes" each time God speaks to us, it is a much easier process.

Do you Seek great things?

"And do you seek great things for yourself? Seek them not, for behold I am bringing disaster upon all flesh, declares the Lord. But I will give you your life as a prize of war in all places to which you may go." (Jer. 5:25)

The Bible teaches that the closer we get to the end of time, the more difficult it will become to live the Christian life. There is no promise of safety and deliverance from trouble given with the call to follow Christ. So what is the promise that is given to Jeremiah when God says, "I will give you your life as a prize of war...?" It means, I believe, that God will deliver us from the destroyer. Nothing can happen in our lives that is not a part of the will of God. Sometimes God's will leads us into a lion's den. Sometimes it leads us through the valley of the shadow of death. Sometimes it leads us into a fiery furnace. Because of who are enemy is (the false god of this world, satan), we will always find ourselves in the presence of the enemy and of conflict in spiritual warfare.

When you study the heroes of the faith through the Bible, you discover that they dwellt in the presence of the enemy because they dwellt in the presence of God. As long as we seek to follow Christ, we will be going in the opposite direction from the enemy, which means we are going to run headlong into him. That is why the scripture says we should not be surprised at the fiery trial. All who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer, we are assured by God's Word. So do not seek great things for yourself. Seek God's Kingdom first and foremost in your life.

"ZERO" Tolerance

"Every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste, and a divided household falls." (Luke 11:17)

I suppose a significant portion of Americans would credit Abraham Lincoln with those words from his famous speech, but it is actually Jesus who said that. It was in response to the thought of some among the crowd who had seen Him cast out demons who suggested it was by the power of Beelzebub that He did those things. Jesus says, Even satan is smart enough to know better than to be divided against himself.

As nearly as I can tell, the church is the only group of people that will schedule a monthly meeting to fight with one another. Worse than those brawls are the critical, divisive, and unfruitful words spoken in the halls, in the parking lots, over the telephones, and along chat lines of Christian people and church congregations.

As Paul wrote to the Ephesians he said, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." (4:29). In fact, the failure to obey that opens the door to two problems for the church according to Paul. It grieves the Holy Spirit, so the church loses its source of power, and It gives the devil an
opportunity to work. It is time we recognize and PRACTICE a Zero tolerance of divisiveness among the people of God.

Come Ye Thankful People Come

"Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with prasie. Give thanks to Him, bless His name." (Ps. 100:4)

God is great, and God is good. He has all power and authority and He has good intentions toward us. Once we realize that, how can we do anything but give thanks? 'Nuff Said.

Give Thanks

"Giving thanks always and for everything to God the FAther in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ,"
(Eph. 5:20)

When Paul wrote to the Thessalonian believers, he said, "In everything give thanks." (I Thes. 5:18). But here, it seems he takes it a step farther when he says we are to be thankful FOR all things. There are many things in our daily lives for which we do not naturally want to give thanks. Heartaches, challenges, problems, difficulties, all types of disappointments come our way. How do we give thanks?

Paul gives this statement as a part of his description of the Spirit filled life. Apart from abiding in Christ, apart from full surrender to Him, apart from living with the Holy Spirit in control, it is impossible to do anything the New Testament tells us is descriptive of the believer's life. Our lives are not lived out by imitating Jesus, the "what would Jesus do" approach. Our lives are lived by surrendering to Him and allowing Him through the Holy Spirit to reproduce Himself in us.

As we look toward a day of Thanksgiving this week, let me challenge you to acknowledge God's sovereignty by not only giving thanks for all of your blessings, but for the difficulties and sorrows as well. I believe that by giving thanks in and for all things we release God's power to work more completely in our lives. Let's practice Thanksliving, not just a day of thanksgiving.

Consider it Joy

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness." (James 1:2)

Those are difficult and challenging words. We have to remember that God is not focused in this world on making us Happy, but is in the business of making us Holy. When Paul wrote to the Ephesian believers he said, "Even as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before Him." (Eph. 1:4) God's purpose is to transform us into Christ-likeness, once we have become believers, thus restoring the image of God with which we were originally created.

It is important to remember that James also said, "Let no one say when he is tempted, 'I am being tempted by God,' for God cannot be tempted with evil, and He Himself tempts no one." (1:13) God tests us to bring out the best in us. He expects His children to pass the test. He has equipped us to pass the test.

And even though we are tempted to evil by Satan to bring out the worst in us, God has promised to never allow us to be tempted beyond the point that we are able to say "No!" ( I Cor. 10:13). Another incredibly wonderful promise is in I John 2:2 that reminds us that when we stumble and sin, we have an Advocate before the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.

So how do you rejoice and throw a party when you face trials? You remember that God trusted you enough to allow this test. He believes you have what it takes. And you remember that God's purpose toward you is good. He is perfecting you in the image of Christ.

Wait

"Blessed is he who waits..." (Daniel 12:12a)

Perhaps nothing in our lives is as hard as waiting on God. But as Rick Warren reminded us in 40 Days of Purpose, God is not so much interested in our happiness as in our holiness. He is in the process of transforming us into Christ-likeness, restoring the image of God marred by the fall of sin. When you find yourself facing difficulties, bring your cares to God. Cry out to Him on the basis of the promises in His Word, and then wait. God will always be right on time. He doesn't operate on our schedule, but on His.

David said, "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him;" (Ps. 37:7). The answer to the need in your life does not lie in what you can figure out or work out on your own. It rests in God. He is Sovereign and He is in control. And as I wrote in the blog yesterday, He is Great and He is Good. That means He has all the power and He has good intentions toward you.

When you struggle with the present, rehearse in your mind what God has done for you in the past. If you have any doubts about God's intentions, remember that He loved you so much He let His only begotten Son die in your place on Calvary's cross and there bear the weight and burden of your sins.

So today, Wait on the Lord.

God is Great and God is Good

"Power belongs to God, and that to you, O Lord belongs steadfast love." (Ps. 62:11b-12a)

One of the very first prayers that I learned as a child was for meal time, and we prayed, "God is great, God is good." That is essentially what this passage of scripture says. "Power belongs to God," affirms the reality, God is indeed great. He is so great that one name does not describe Him. He is so great that the vast expanse of the universe cannot contain Him. He is without limit. And He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond anything we can conceive or think. (Eph. 3:20). God is Great. He is able to do anything that He desires. There is nothing too difficult for God.

If that was the end of the conversation, we might have a problem. Someone who has all power would be greatly dangerous if they did not have good intentions toward us. But the Psalmist says, not only is God great in that all power belongs to Him, He is also good, because steadfast love belongs to His nature as well. God's intentions toward us are good.

Jeremiah said it this way, "For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope." God is love according to the Bible. He loves because of who He is, not because we merit or deserve to be loved. God is not only great, He is good.

The book of Lamentations says, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (3:22-23)

God Loves You

"God is love." (I John 4:8)

All my life I have been told, "God loves you." Now I don't know about you, but I don't have much trouble believing that God loves you. My problem has been, how could God love me. I live with me. I know all the bad things that I have done in my life. How could God possibly love me? Maybe you have struggled with that from time to time as well.

God's love for us is not based on how lovable we are. If it was, we would all be in serious trouble. But the Bible says that God is love. It does not teach that He just loves. His very essence is love. He loves because of who He is, not because of who we are. His love is not dependent on our merit. It has nothing to do with what we deserve. It is all about who God is.

We cannot experience God's love apart from Jesus Christ. God loves everyone, and He desires that everyone experience His love. But I John also teaches that "God is light". That means that in His essence He is also holy and just. God's holy nature and His love intersect at the cross. One the cross, Jesus Christ paid the sin debt we owed and could not pay. By satisfying the justice of God, He is able to mediate love to us.

So yes God loves you and He loves me. We cannot do anything to make Him love us more, nor can we cause Him to love us less. We can experience God's love today, by coming to God through Jesus Christ.

WOW!

"An evildoer listens to wicked lips, and a liar gives ear to a mischievous tongue." (Prov. 17:4)

Wow. When I read a verse like that I get the distinct impression that God is as displeased with people listening to gossip, backbiting, tales and discouraging words as He is with those who are doing the talking. We sometimes think we are innocent if we are not the one spreading the story. But we are just as guilty for listening.

If I am only to speak words of praise to God, witness to the world, and encouragement to believers, then God must expect me to only listen to the same. When we participate in listening, we are joining in league with satan as he seeks to divide the body of Christ. Today, determine to repent of all the times you have listened to discouraging and degrading words about others. Determine that you are going to stop it. When someone calls, or writes, or stops you along the way to say things that are inappropriate, challenge them to stop and get it right with others.

Jesus said in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, that a kingdom divided against itself will not stand. How can we impact a lost and dying world unless our words are filled with kindness and grace? Today, ask yourself if you are a participant by listening. Let God change this about His people. Amen.

Is God Enough?

"My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." (2 Cor. 12:9)

Paul declares the sufficiency of God in his life when he notes that three times he prayed that God would remove the thorn in his flesh, and God chose not to answer what he had asked. Paul declares that he would boast in his wekaness because God would get the glory.

These are not sentimental words. He says, "For the sake of Christ, then I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." What do you say? Does everything have to go your way for you to praise the Lord, or can you rejoice in the difficult circumstances that come your way?

Consider Job. When life fell apart, he said, "The Lord gives, and the Lord takes away, blessed be the name of the Lord." Consider Jacob. It is the night before he anticipates a reunion with his brother Esau, and he was afraid. But in the difficulty of hard circumstances closing in on him, he was able to lay hold of God in a way that he never had before. Over and over in the Bible, we discover that it is in the difficulties of life that people discover God's sufficiency.

Is God enough in your life today? Can you give thanks for the difficulties that come, honestly? Are you content to know Him better? Can you say, no matter what, "Blessed be the name of the Lord?"

Can God Count On You

"For I have chosen him, that he may command his children and his household after him to keep the way of the Lord by doing righteousness and justice, so that the Lord may bring to Abraham what he has promised him." (Gen. 18:19)

The book of Lamentations reminds us, "The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness." (3:22-23) Because we know that God is faithful, and that He never changes, we can rely on Him, we can trust Him to do what He has said.

The question, however, is can God rely on us. He chose Abraham because He knew His heart was faithful. God knew that He could rely on Abraham to do what He called him to do. God tested him and tried him, but He found Abraham to be a faithful man. God could ultimately fulfill the promises that He made to Abraham, because Abraham proved faithful.

Can God rely on you? Can He rely on me? Will we be found faithful in all that He has entrusted to us so that He can fulfill His promises? Be faithful today.

There is Only One

There is..."One Lord." Eph. 4:5

Sometimes I hear people say, "My Jesus" does such and such, or "the Jesus I know" is this way or that way, as if there are many different Jesuses. However, there is only one unique Jesus Christ.Other times I hear people say, "I am going to make Jesus Lord". Listen, He is Lord, you and I don't make Him that.

Paul writes here in Eph. 4 that Jesus Christ is unique. Ultimately He is unique in His person. He is 100% God, and He is 100% man; He is the God-man, Christ Jesus. He is God, and in Bethlehem He takes on human flesh being born of the Virgin Mary. Hebrews 1:1-3 tells us that He is the final Word from God. There is no additional revelation of truth.

Jesus Christ is unique in relationship to His work. In order to pay the penaly of all the sins of all the people who would call on Him, it took an eternal person to die. Only God could fit the need. When Isaac asked his father Abraham, "Where is the lamb?" Abraham said, "God will provide Himself."
That is exactly what He did. He gave Himself to die in our place.

Finally, Jesus Christ is unique in His relationship to us. Those who come to Him as Savior also surrender to Him as Lord. He is Lord of all. He owns us because He bought us out of our sin debt. He brought us out of the Kingdom of darkness and qualified us to be citizens in a heavenly Kingdom.

Jesus Christ is unique. He alone is King of Kings, and Lord of Lords. Have you surrendered to His Lordship daily in your life?

Walking? Or just Talking.

"walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called..." (Eph.4:1)

Already I have suggested that in this chapter where Paul writes to the church at Ephesus, and thus God to all of us, he is telling us here that our life should match the name we wear. If we are going to take the name of Christian, which is ultimately the name of Jesus Christ, then we are to walk worthy of that name. In other words, we should be living so closely connected to Him that day by day we are growing in Christ-likeness.

Day to day living is often described as a "walk" in the Bible. So the question I want to raise is, are we just talking a good talk without seeking to live what we say, or are we day by day surrendering ourselves to Him and being transformed to live like Jesus. It is not a matter of imitating Christ. It is a matter of being so vitally connected to Him that He reproduces His life in us.

In Ephesians 4 that walk is directed by living in unity within the Body of Christ. As I look around, I see so many Christians out of fellowship with the Body of Christ and I wonder if Jesus is not saddened that we have neglected His bride. Why are we claiming to be part of the Body, and yet acting in isolation as though the members of the body don't need each other? Pray for God to ignite a fresh passion in the hearts of believers to come together in unity.

One Faith

"One Faith" (Eph. 4:5)

The heart of Jesus' prayer in John 17 is for the Unity of His Church. Paul in Ephesians 4 tells us this unity is produced by the Holy Spirit, but we are to be careful not to grieve the Spirit and to not give the devil any opportunity by maintaining the unity. He instructs us to do that by paying particularly close attention to what we say.

In Eph. 4:4-6 there are 7 different "Ones" that form the basis of our unity. We have already seen that there is only One Body, the corporate universal church, and there is One Holy Spirit that breathes life into that body. And we are united around our common hope of the incredible inheritance we have in Christ and which God has guaranteed in our lives by the Presence of the Holy Spirit. Yesterday we noted the fourth "One" which is the Lord Jesus Christ.

There is also one faith. That is the body of common belief that comprises orthodox doctrine. Yes, there are many things that we can debate and be divided over in interpretation, but the essence of the Scripture, particularly the Gospel is not debateable. There is only one way to become a follower of Jesus Christ. There is only one basic body of truth that comprises the core of faith.

One Lord

"One Lord, One Faith, One Baptism" (Eph. 4:5)

This is the second trilogy of the seven "ones" that Paul describes as constituting the basis of our unity in the Church. The first three focused on the ministry of the Holy Spirit, and these focus on the ministry of Jesus Christ.

As Peter stood on the day of Pentecost and delivered the first evangelistic message in Acts 2, he said, "Let all the house of Israel therefore know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ, this Jesus whom you crucified." (v. 36). The Bible tells us that one day every knee will bow and declare that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God the Father. The Word of God says, "There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby we must be saved."

Some suggest that it is absurd to think that there is only one way to gain eternal life as Christians claim. I heard David Jeremiah say, "The last time I check there is only one way to get into this world. If there is only one way to gain physical life, why are we surprised that there is only one way to gain eternal."

Maybe we should be less arrogant in the way we behave as Christians. Maybe we should be more loving. Maybe when we are acting in the unity of the Spirit. But the message of God is Good News for all peoples, and we do not need to be ashamed to declare there is "One Lord, One faith, and One baptism."

Too Hard for God?

"Is anything too hard for the Lord?" (Gen. 18:14)

When the messenger of God told Abraham that Sarai would have a child, even though biologically it was no longer possible for her to bear children at her age, she laughed. The messenger said, "Why did she laugh? Is anything too difficult for the Lord to do?"

A couple of weeks ago I sat in a counseling session with someone, and an observer said, 'Don't fool yourself. That person will never change." Not too long before that, I was explaining the cost of a mission trip to West Africa, and the person said, "I could never afford that." A pastor lamenting the hardness of the hearts of his church whined, "This church will never do anything for the Kingdom of God." Consider the times you may have expressed similar thoughts to the difficulty or the seeming impossibility of your situation. Ask yourself this question, and be sincerely honest in your thoughts. "Is anything too hard for the Lord?"

Has God changed? As the scriptures suggest, "Are His eyes dimmed that He cannot see, or His arms shortened that He can no longer reach into your situation? Or has God changed. Maybe He doesn't care." Satan will whisper anything in your ear that will cause you to doubt. But remember when these thoughts come, the enemy is a liar.

Paul reminds us in Eph. 3:20 that God can do exceeding abundantly beyond anything that we could ever imagine, or ask for in our prayers. How big is your God?

Hear Jesus' Voice

"My sheep hear My voice, I know them, and they follow me." (John 10:27)

Jesus says that one of the characteristics of those who are genuine Christians is they are able to hear and discern His voice. As you know, in the Bible to hear means more than to receive the audio in a way that it is transmitted to the brain as sound. It means to take it in and put it into practice. However, if there is any doubt of that, Jesus goes on to say that His sheep also follow Him. That statement clearly declares that it is characteristic of Christians to do what Jesus says to do.

One of the primary sources of the "Voice of Jesus" is His written Word. Whenever the Bible speaks, God speaks. Every single word of the Scripture is inspired of God. The Bible is not like any other book. It is not man's words about God. It is not the most noble literature ever written, although there is an element of truth in that comment. It is the very Word of God. We do not have the luxury of picking and choosing the passages we like. It is all written for our edification.

So let me ask you a hard question. Are you willing to do anything that God tells you to do? Are you seeking to bring your life into absolute obedience to the Voice of Christ? Keep in mind that when that little voice in your head is contradictory to the Bible, it is not the voice of Christ. God never contradicts Himself. We are to obey all of the Bible, the hard parts included.

No Hope to New Hope

"remember that you were at that time separated from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers to the covenants of promise, having no hope..." (Eph. 2:12)

Every genuine follower of Jesus Christ needs to daily remember there was a time that we were separated from God because of our sin, and lost for eternity, and deserving of a devil's hell. Paul describes that as a time in our life when we had no hope.

Ephesians describes in the first three chapters so many incredible things that God has done for us through Christ. He has reconciled us to Himself. He has redeemed us from our sins. He has made us to be partakers of all His covenant promises. He has also given to us the Holy Spirit who guarantees our transformation into Christlikeness, and who guarantees our eventual triumph in glory when we are eternally with God. So, now, we have incredible hope. Again, hope in the Bible is not wishful thinking, but a certain assurance of the glory of our future with Christ.

Whatever trials and difficulties you may face today, whatever tests of your faith come, rest in the incredible promises of God made accessible to us through what Jesus Christ has done for us on the cross. Thank God for blessing you with every spiritual blessing in heavenly places through Christ. (Eph. 1:3)

An Incredible Hope

"just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call." (Eph. 4:4b)

New Testament hope is not like a worldly hope which is little more than wishful thinking. NT hope is based on the promises of God and it is absolutely assured. It is hope because it is not yet fulfilled, not because there is any possibility that it will not occur. The "hope" that we have is described in all of chapters 1 to 3 as Paul lays out before us what God has done for us through Jesus Christ and what He is going to continue to do.

If you really want to make this hope come alive, take these first three chapters and place your name in the place of the "you" and "us" pronouns. If you are a Christian all of these statements are true of your life. For example, beginning in 1:3, 'Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed Brad in Christ before the foundation of the world, that Brad should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined Brad for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, etc.'

Go through and put your name in these verses and then pray these verses back to God. The more we cooperate with God's Spirit, the more quickly we are transformed into Christ-likeness by the renewal of our minds through the Holy Spirit's regenerating and transforming work.

The Body takes Orders from the Head

"Rather speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into Him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love." (Eph. 4:15-16)

Throughout Ephesians 4 we are called to unity in the body of Christ. But this is not an external unity that can be programmed. Vs. 3 reminds us that it is "The unity of the Holy Spirit." Much of the chapter is devoted to telling us how we as individual members of the body, the church, can maintain the unity of the Spirit. Even though it is a gift from the Holy Spirit, we learn in v. 30 that we can grieve the Holy Spirit and destroy the unity. When there is no unity, God will not manifest His Presence in power and the church will be rendered cripple.

In the verses here, we are told that Christ is the head of the body, and it is in submission to Him that the church functions properly. It occurs to me that the way to maintain unity, which is described in all of this chapter as dealing with our relationships to one another, is to be sure as individual members of the body we are in submission to the Lordship of Christ. If Christ directs moment by moment each of our lives we will not have a problem relating to each other in love. But when we push Christ aside, we become self centered and problems begin. If you are not getting along with someone, look and see if Christ is in charge in your own life first.

Someone said, "It is never all your fault, and it is always some your fault." That is a pretty good reminder of all of our sinful natures and the need to be humble and willing to make corrections to any wrong relationships. It is worth it. When the church body is one, it grows in grace and love. That is what this text promises.

The Unity

"Eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace." (Eph. 4:3)

It is important to notice in this passage of scripture that Paul writes about "the" unity and not "a" unity. The unity is produced by the Holy Spirit. It is a precious gift and it is a unity that happens inwardly among the members of the church, which Paul describes as the body of Christ. The responsibility that the individuals members of the body have is to "keep the unity" or maintain the unity. It is a word that means to guard diligently.

So how do we do that? Paul says in v. 1, "Walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called." In other words, he says, live up to the name that Christ has given you. Be who He has enabled you to be in the new life He has given to you. Two of the characteristics of that new life are given to us in v. 2, where he says we are to walk in humility and gentleness. Those qualities will equip us to do what he says in the rest of that verse; "making allowance for each other's faults because of your love." (NLT)

Then Paul begins a list of seven "ones" that unite us; "One body, one Spirit, one hope, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all." The mission statement of our church is "Believe, Belong, and Become." I think we do pretty good in comprehending the first and the last part of that. We are called to believe in Christ, and to become like Him. We are living in a time, however, where people spend a lot of time church hopping and church shopping. We have lost sight of the concept of membership. Romans 12, I Corinthians 12, and Ephesians 4 all speak of these same concepts. We are members one of another.

Another metaphor used by Paul is to describe the church as the "bride of Christ." When we fail to make a commitment to the Body of Christ, we spend our lives dating Christ instead of being married to Him. Get connected today. By the way, if you find a perfect church with a perfect pastor, and perfect membership, don't join that church. You will likely mess it up.

I'm Just Saying.

"Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear." (Eph. 4:29)

I find it hard to often quote Mark Twain because he could be such a profane man. Once, however, he said, 'It is not the parts of the Bible that I don't understand that bother me, but rather the parts I do understand." Certainly there are some difficult words in the Scriptures that challenge us in every dimension of our lives.

Perhaps we need to look again at the power of our words. The old adage, "Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me," just isn't true. Words bring a blessing or a curse to those who hear them. And notice this Word from God in Ephesians that only gives us permission to speak (or for that matter write) words that give grace. It seems to me then we should only speak words that bring glory to God, bring a witness to the lost, or build up another Christian in faith.

And we are instructed to be sure that they bring grace to everyone who hears, not just someone we would speak directly to or about. Satan must jump and dance for joy when God's children speak words that hurt and accuse. When we speak words other than words of grace, we do satan's work for him. God help us speak words that minister grace to everyone.

New Life

Read Colossians 3:1-17

Here is a question: Are you living up to the quality of life that Jesus Christ died on the cross to give you? Many Christians settle for the fact they are going to heaven when they die. But Jesus said, "I have come that you might have life abundantly." (John 10:10). The problem is our old nature, our flesh, and the sins that we have not dealt with. As the old puritan writer John Owens once said, 'You will either be killing sin, or sin will be killing you."

Paul makes a basic assumption at the beginning of this text. That assumption is that the reader is already a follower of Jesus Christ. Because that is true, a person is hidden in Christ, and therefore raised with Him to live a new kind of life.

So Paul says, "Set your hearts on things above." Then he says, "Set your minds on things above."
Your heart is your affection, and your mind is your attention. So set both on Christ. And he says, "Put to death the old patterns of behavior that were yours before Christ." In fact like a suit of clothes, take off the old dirty and ragged clothing for the new clothing in Christ.

Christ died to give you the kind of life that He lived. Are you living beneath your position?

Are You Kidding Me?

"But Annanias answered, 'Lord I have heard from many about this man, how much evil he has done to your saints in Jerusalem. And here he has authority from the chief priests to bind all who call on your name." Acts 9:13-14)

As I was growing up, there was a TV sitcom about a rich white man who adopted to African American children. The oldest was named "Willard" and the younger brother would look at him with a strange look sometimes and say, "What 'chu talkin bout Willard?" When God told Annanias to go and visit Saul who had just had an encounter with Jesus, I can imagine him saying, "What 'chu talkin' bout Lord?"

Saul had consented to Stephen's stoning and had been a part of persecuting the Christians in Jerusalem. Now he was on his way to Damascus to torment the believers there. His reputation had preceded him. Annanias said, "I have heard about him. I am afraid."

God is an incredible God and He delights in transforming some of the most unlikely people, like you and me. We need to see the power of God at work and say, "Praise the Lord" instead of "Are you kidding me?" Is there anything too difficult for God? Can you transform a murderer like Paul into a Missionary? Absolutely. And He can transform dirty sinners like us into delightful saints for His glory.

A Blinding Moment

"Now as he went on his way, he approached Damscus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him." (Acts 9:3)

Sometimes I hear people say, 'If I have an experience like Paul, if Jesus appears to me in a blinding light, then I will become a believer. I will follow Christ." That is an admission that there is something that could happen in their life that would produce faith. My challenge to people like that is, just pray. Ask God to make Himself known to you in a convincing manner.God is creative and it seems to me in the Bible He appears to each person in a way that is unique to them. To the woman at the well He spoke of living water; to Nicodemus He spoke of being born again; to Simon Peter, it was follow me and I will make you a fisher of men. Jesus may not appear to you in a blinding light, but if you are open to truth He will make Himself known.

Saul had witnessed the death of Stephen. He had seen the peace on his face as he was being stoned. He had heard Stephen declare God's glory. No doubt these thoughts stayed with him in the days to come. And it is not long after that Jesus appears. Amazingly God takes this murderous Pharisee and makes him an apostle of grace. What does God desire to do with you?

Who Does God Choose to Use?

"And Saul approved of his execution." (Acts 8:1)

In the last couple of weeks we have noticed God call and choose to use a man named Abram. He was a pagan in an idolatrous society, but his heart longed for the one true God. And yet we see him as a liar, an adulterer and a man that acts in his own flesh in spite of the promises of God. God uses a sinful broken man.

We have seen God call and use Jacob, who was a liar, a cheat. We see him as a man filled with fear and stubborn. And yet God uses Him as well. We read often about the "God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob."

Last week we saw God taken stubborn, hard-headed Simon and change him into Peter. He is a man we see constantly up and down and yet always growing. We come away from these and realize that God uses people just like us.

In Acts 1 we are introduced to the man who would be known to us as Paul. He is standing by watching and approving of the execution of Stephen, the first recorded martyr. It is on the road to Damascus to persecute and perhaps even murder christians that Paul comes into contact with the risen Christ. Again, we see God chooses and uses imperfect people like us.

He calls them out of their sin. He transforms them into trophies of grace, and He will do the same with us, if we will let Him. Praise God, He isn't finished with any of us yet.

Now You Are

"And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church." (Matt. 16:18)

There is a play on words in the original language here. The name Peter means "small rock", or pebble. It is a greater "rock" that Jesus speaks of building His church on. It is the recognition that He is the Christ. It is the element of faith that discovers, finally, the truth about Jesus. You recall, in John 1, Jesus had said, "You are Simon, you will be Peter."

That is how Jesus is in our lives. He sees us not so much for who we are, but for who He can make us. And that transformation becomes when we realize who He is and allow Him to be Lord in us. It is not instantaneous, but rather a journey. One of the incredible things is to trace Peter through the New Testament and watch His journey as God changes him. Much like the signs on the side of the road that say, "Under Construction". When we surrender to Christ, for the rest of our journey in this world, we are under construction.

Simon came to represent who he was in the old nature. Peter represents who He is becoming in Christ. And those two natures, the old and new surface from time to time in our observations of this man. He is so much like us. We can take great joy in the fact that if God could use a broken and flawed fisherman like Peter, He can also use us.

What's Your Name?

"'So you are Simon, the Son of John? You shall be called Cephas.'(which means Peter." (John 1:42)

Andrew was there when John the Baptist declared of Jesus, "Behold the Lamb of God." Andrew wanted to know more and followed Jesus. Once he was convinced that this was the Messiah, he went and found his brother Simon and brought him to Jesus. In fact, everytime we encounter Andrew in the NT, he is bringing someone to Jesus. When Simon met Jesus for the first time, the Lord declared his future potential.

Who were you as you first met Jesus? All of us are sinners separated from God. But if someone used one word to describe you before you followed Jesus, what would they name you? The amazing thing is that in a moment Jesus unlocked all the potential that God had created in this man Simon. He said, "You will be." I believe that is the Lord's way with every person He encounters. He sees us not so much for what we are, but for what we can become under His transforming power.

As you consider your life, how will you finish the course? If someone were to write a name on your tombstone if life ended today, what would they name you? What would you like for everyone to remember about you? Who has God designed you ultimately to be? Surrender to the potential in God's transforming power in your life today.

"What's Your Back-Up Plan?"

"...with him he took a present for his brother Esau." (Gen. 32:13)

Jacob was headed home, but he was afraid. He had a promise from God for his welfare and safety, but Jacob's men had said, 'Esau is coming and he has 400 men with him.' And the scripture had said, 'Jacob was greatly afraid.' Jacob had tricked his brother out of his birthright, and the Bible records that Esau had promised to kill Jacob.

Jacob had an incredible time of prayer in 32:9-12. But now, just in case God doesn't come through, he puts his own back-up plan in motion. Just in case God cannot handle the situation. So how often do we do the same thing? We come to God in prayer, turn it all over to Him, and then plan out what we will do, 'just in case'.

Are you trusting God with all of your heart? As Prov. 3:5-6 says, Are you doing that without leaning to your own understanding? How often do we affirm in a worship service or in our Quiet Times that we need to lean wholly on God only to turn right around and put our own plan in motion? Maybe we don't think God works fast enough? Maybe we think He is too busy to be bothered with our need?

Sometimes God tells us to make plans. But when He has promised to act and told us to wait on Him, it is simply a lack of faith on our part that we put our own plan in motion. The opposite of faith is most typically expressed as fear. Don't let your fears keep you from trusting God?

Do you need God again?

"God appeared to Jacob again." (Gen. 35:9)

Jacob had come to a time in his life when he needed his fire rekindled, his faith rejuvenated, and his family reclaimed for God. Every person's spiritual life is like a hinge. It can get rusty if you do not keep it well oiled. Oil in the Bible is often a symbol of the Holy Spirit. To keep our spiritual life well oiled, we need to be diligent to seek God's Presence.

In Genesis 35 God tells Jacob to return to Bethel, the place where he had first really encountered the God of his father Isaac and his grandfather Abraham. "Bethel" means "house of God." Geographically, the place that Jacob had named "Bethel" was a place of spiritual awakening for him. And God tells Jacob to dwell there. (35:1)

What was necessary for Jacob is necessary in our lives. We need to dwell in the place where God is. We need to be sure that every day we encounter God in our lives by taking time in devotion to seek His Presence. Sometimes because everything is going well in our lives, we ignore God. We don't get up one day and say, "I will walk away from God today." Instead, we get in a hurry one day and we skip our Quiet Time with God, and soon it becomes regular for us to miss. And gradually we drift away from God.

Could it be today you need God again? Do you need to rekindle the devotional fire? Do you long for the fresh oil of God's Spirit? Maybe it is time to return to "Bethel".

"What's in a Name? A Lot.

"And as her soul was departing (for she was dying), she called his name Ben-oni; but his father called him Benjamin." (Gen. 35:18)

Fast forward in Jacob's life to the death of his wife Rachel. There was no one on earth that Jacob loved more than Rachel. You remember when her father had tricked him by giving him her older sister Leah after seven years of servitude to him, he willingly worked seven more for Rachel. He dearly loved her. And her dying request was that their son be named "Ben-oni", but Jacob refused. What in the world would cause Jacob to deny his beloved's dying request?

Could it be that Jacob well understood the power of a name? He had probably fought often during his childhood as others made fun of his name. He was called "a cheat". Look at his life and notice how many times he had lived up to that name. Tricking his brother out of his birthright. Tricking his father to bless him instead of Esau.

Ben-oni means 'son of my sorrow' and Jacob well knew the power of the name and did not want his son growing up under that label. So instead he named him "Benjamin" which means 'son of the right hand," a far nobler name.

Sometimes we say, 'Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.' But that is simply not true. Words have in them the power of life and death the writer of Proverbs declared. So what is in a name? The power to determine a life. When a person takes the name Christian because they choose to follow Jesus, we should understand the power of that name. It is the name above every other name, the Bible says. If it is genuine and real faith, the power of the name Christian is the power of a transformed life.

What's in a Name?

"When her days to give birth were completed, behold, there were twins in her womb." (Gen. 25:24)

Isaac and Rebekah's first children were Esau and Jacob. As you remember, Esau was born first, but as he came out, his twin brother was holding onto his heel. They named the second born, Jacob, which means "he cheats". All through his early years Jacob struggled with his name, a cheater, a supplanter, a trickster. I wonder how many people live their lives under a label that shapes them to be what they become.

So what is in a name? Chances are you never considered naming your daughter, Jezebel, or your son, Judas. It is amazing how a name conjures up certain images. If I say, "Bill Gates" you think, money. If I say, "Mel Gibson" you think actor. If I say, "Adolph Hitler" you think, evil. If I say, "Albert Einstein" you think genius. Just a name, but it conjures up certain images.

The first encounter we see of Jacob and Esau is as young men, Esau comes in from hunting famished. Jacob is cooking a pot of stew, and he tricks his brother into selling his birthright. Living up to his name from the start. What is your name? What does it mean?

Do you bear the name "Christian"? What does that mean? As the people of the world around you see you, and know that you testify of knowing Christ, can they see the resemblance between Him and you?

"And Abram listened to the voice of Sarai." (Genesis 16:2)

Surely listening to your wife is a good thing. It is, unless her voice is contrary to God's Word. And in this case, Abram and Sarai were old and God had promised Abram a male heir that would make him the father and source of blessing to many nations (people groups). Abram was impatient and tired of waiting on God and so he and Sarai decided to help God out a little.

Is there anything harder than waiting on God? Maybe living with the consequences is harder. But it is certainly difficult to wait on God. Psalm 37:7a says, "Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him;" In other words come before God in the solitude of prayer and seek His will, and when you discover God's will wait on Him to act in your life in the way that He has promised. Be patient. God is always right on time.

No sooner does Hagar bear Abram a son than problems develop between the two wives. Go figure. And in Abram's life God is strangely silent and quiet for the next 13 years. Maybe God is waiting on Abram to die completely to self and to realize the sin of taking matters into his own hands.

Waiting on God does not mean inactivity. But it does mean not trying to do what only God can do.
What is God doing in your life today? Is He quiet? Does He seem to delay? Wait patiently for Him and place your trust and complete confidence in whatever He has promised. He will act right on time.

A Bad Choice

"Now there was a famine in the land. So Abram went down to Egypt to sojourn there, for the famine was severe in the land." (Gen. 12:10)

What is missing in this text is an instruction from God to go to Egypt. Abram took it upon himself to solve a problem he was facing, that of hunger. This is the man who had left everything to blindly follow God, and yet now when confronted with a test, he acts in the flesh.

We are free to make our choices. Everyday we are confronted with choices that test our Christian faith and character. But while we are free to make our choices, we are not free to determine the consequences of those choices. Abram and Sarai determine to lie when they arrive in Egypt, and at the very least it destroys their opportunity to witness to Pharaoh. In fact, this ungodly ruler of Egypt acts with more integrity than our couple of faith.

Later, when they go back to the place God had led them, Abram and his nephew Lot divide and go two directions because of their large resources of livestock and the need for abundant grazing land. Abram gives Lot a choice, and Lot pitches his tent toward Sodom. Sodom reminds Lot of Egypt, and the compromise of Abram now becomes the compromise of Lot, and soon it would have disastrous consequences in his life. Lot would eventually move into Sodom and become a leader in that wicked community. When God destroys Sodom, Lot escapes because of the prayers of his uncle, but he loses his wife in the process. And the day before he was willing to give his daughters to immoral people.

Be aware that every choice has a consequence. It is important that we trust in God with all of our hearts and make the right choices.

God's Call

"Now the Lord said to Abram, 'Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you." (Gen. 12:1)

When God called Abram to follow Him, He did not provide much information. He doesn't tell Him where He is going, or much about what He will do. God does promise to bless Him and make Him a blessing to the nations of the earth. But that is about it. The remarkable thing is that Abram responds the way he does. "So Abram went, as the Lord had told him." (Gen. 12:4).
Consider how much time we spend arguing with God. "Where are we going Lord? What are we going to do when we get there? Tell me your plan and I will get back to You on whether I want to do it or not?" And yet the call of Jesus on our lives is simply, "Come follow me." We can struggle with the decision of obedience everyday, or we can surrender fully once and for all. The first option creates a great deal of turmoil in our lives, and the second brings peace and joy.
This week we are going to focus on the life of Abraham, formerly Abram, until God changes his name. What's in a Name? Consider how often God changes a person's name as He changes the person's life. God is all about transformation. When you say "yes" to God, He sets in motion a lifetime of transformation as He recreates you in the image of His Son. It is the restoration of what was lost when sin came into the world.
God is about so much more than simply saving your soul from an eternity in hell. He is all about transforming you for His incredible glory.

Satan is Defeated

"And he said to them, 'I saw Satan fall like lightning from heaven." (Luke 10:18)

It is popular to talk about spiritual warfare today, but it is unfortunate that there are many misconceptions. The other day I heard a man say, "Satan is almost as powerful as God." While he is more powerful than you and me as natural men and women, he is no match for God. Satan is a created being, a fallen angel. God cast him out of heaven by simply speaking a word. Christ defeated Satan's power hold over us at the cross, and one day will cast him into the lake of fire. Satan is neither omnipotent, omnipresent, or omniscient, as is God.

In fact, Job 1 teaches us that God is sovereign and that Satan cannot get to us without God's permission. So the real question when we encounter spiritual warfare is not what is Satan trying to do, but why is God allowing this in my life at this time. What is it that God is doing? We know that Satan tempts us in order to bring out the worst in us, but God allows us to be tested in order to refine us and bring out the best.

James reminds us to "Submit to God and then resist the devil." The verb tense is continual action. Literally, keep on submitting to God, keep on resisting the devil, and then he will flee. God has provided every Christian all that they need to overcome the enemy. Be strong in the Lord and the strength of His might.

The Power of Words

"With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God." (James 3:1-12)

How powerful is the nature of the words we speak. The writer of Proverbs said that it is so powerful that life and death are both in the power of the tongue. James says that the one who can control their speech is able to master every other aspect of life as well.

Consider that when you speak to someone, you have the opportunity to bring a blessing in their life for a day, and you have the ability to bring disaster. Think of the harm done by parents in careless words to their children. Think of the blessing of someone who has encouraged you along the way.

Today consider the encouragement of the scripture to be quick to hear and slow to speak. And then when you speak, consider the privilege of encouragement to another person and the blessing of praise to God. My mom used to say, "If you cannot say anything nice, don't say anything at all."
That is probably good advice.

Good News for Bad Times

"...He is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond all that we might ask or think." (Eph. 3:20)

For many their Christian faith is reduced to platitudes and nice ways of thinking. But if you take your faith seriously and believe that the Word of God is absolutely true, God is described as a God who is able. What is He able to do? Actually, anything that He chooses to do. And Paul says to the Ephesians more than we are able to ask in prayer, and more than we can even imagine.

God provided for over a million of His people as they wandered in the wilderness for 40 years. They called in "manna" which literally means "what is it." But God provided for them daily, and only enough for each day so they would depend upon Him. God's economy is never in a recession. He is able to provide what we need daily, if we trust completely in Him.

Elijah, the prophet, in I Kings 17, was depending on God beside a brook where the ravens were feeding him. But the brook dried up. God took him to a widow lady who was down to her last bit of ingredients to prepare a meal for her son and herself. Elijah told her to feed him first, and she stepped out in faith. Because of her obedience, she discovered a never ending supply. God has not promised us everything we want, but when we fully surrender to Him in obedience, He has promised us everything that we need.

My hope is built on nothing less than..... How would you answer that? Is your hope in congress or the president? Is it in Republicans or democrats to save the economy? Is your hope in a 401 K plan that has decreased tremendously over the last months? Or is your hope in the God who is able to do exceeding abundantly beyond what you might ask or think?

In the Belly of the Ship

"This is how one should regard us, as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God."
(1 Cor. 4:1)

The church in Corinth was choosing sides over their favorite leader. One said, "I like Peter best, he was with Jesus." Another said, "I like Paul, he is a great church planter." And yet another said, "I prefer Apollos, he can really preach." So Paul writes to the church and says, all of us are simply servants and stewards. While he speaks in this case specifically of leaders, it is true of every Christian.

The word for "servant' here is unique. It was a word used to describe the person who was a slave in the belly of a Roman ship, rowing at the orders of a master. Paul says that we are simply "under-rowers" with Christ as our master. Our responsibility is to simply obey.

The word "steward" describes a person who does not own anything but manages the affairs of someone else. We are stewards of the "sacred secrets" of God that have been revealed through the ages, but are made clear in Jesus Christ.

So Paul says each one of us are given ministries from God that relate to communicating the truth of God through Jesus Christ to the people groups of the world. We are not compared to one another, but we are judged by God based on our faithfulness to obey Him. The question is, "have we done the very best we could with what God has given us to do and with the resources He has entrusted to us to do it?"

The Shout of Faith

"...all the people shall shout with a great shout, and the wall of the city will fall down flat..." Joshua 6:5

In this story it is not the marching around the walls of Jericho that bring them down. It is not the "shout of faith" that brings down the walls. The walls come down because of the might and power of the living God. However, if the people had not shouted with a great shout, the walls of the city would not have fallen. It is an act of obedience. It is the exercise of faith in the promise of God.

God had not said, "I will give you the city", but "I have given you the city." Faith is always built on God's Word. His promises are certain. But most of them are conditioned upon the exercise of our faith. So true is this that the writer of Hebrews recorded this incident this way, "By faith the walls of Jericho fell down, after they were compassed about seven days."

What promises are important to your life today? What is going on that leads you to the Word of God and calls on you to exercise faith and thus to shout in victory? God cannot lie, and He loves you with a never failing love. His promises are certain. All of the inheritance of the Christian life is ours through Jesus Christ. Ephesians 1:3 says that He has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in Christ Jesus.

Talk is Cheap

"This people honors me with their lips but their heart is far from me." (Matt. 15:8)

The incident that prompted these Words from Jesus was a concern by the Pharisees about men's tradition as opposed to God's desires. The disciples had not performed the ritualistic hand cleaning before eating. Jesus quotes the prophet Isaiah in this comment. He goes on to say, "in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men."

Stop for a moment and think about the reality of our worship. How often do we associate it with a place and a style of a service. In fact, too often we confuse the priorities of God. We substitute a worship service for worship in service. (Roman 12:1-2). How much of what we do is the traditions of men as opposed to what God desires.

When Saul acted very presumptuously to offer a sacrifice to God without a priest, the prophet delivered the message of God that obedience was more important than sacrifice. How often are we guilty of giving lip service to God instead of true worship? Isn't our ultimate act of worship found in obeying? I think so.

Got Vision?

"Where there is no vision, the people perish." (Prov. 29:18)

The Hebrew word is "chazown" and it occurs about 34 times in the Old Testament. It is not a matter of a personal dream that represents your "pet" project, or favorite aspect of ministry. This word for "vision" includes the concept of divine revelation. It is a "God-give" vision. It is being able to seek God to the point that He communicates His vision for your life, or for your ministry.

The word "perish" is the word "unbridled." Without divine revelation people stumble over themselves, or they go about without God's direction, without restraint. So the question is, have you had a divinely given vision that directs your life. I am not talking about something so mystical that it is abnormal or unusual. I am talking about prayerfully seeking God until He communicates clearly His vision to you.

Certainly it is going to be consistent with the Bible. Throughout the scripture our call is to glorify God by making Him supreme in every aspect of our lives, and then transferring that to every people of the world through mission and evangelism. Occasionally someone will say, "God hasn't called me". But I think if you double check, the Great Commission was given to every Christian, not to a select handful of professionals.

What You Look at Determines Outcome

"But my servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit and has followed me fully..." (Numbers 14:24)

All week long I have focused your attention in this blog on the story of the children of Israel coming to the edge of the Promised Land. God had promised to give it to them. But they had to exercise the faith to enter in. Ten spies saw giants. But Caleb saw God.

When you take your eyes off of God you develop a "grasshopper complex". Ten spies essentially called God a liar and doubted His ability to keep His promise. Caleb had a heart to obey and he obeyed fully. Partial obedience is the same as disobedience, and so is delayed obedience.

The promised land is a picture of the abundant Christian life. No doubt there are giants in your life. They may be financial giants. They may be health giants, or even relationship giants. Keep your eyes on God, because none of the giants you face are a match for Him. Trust the promises of His word and invest your life in obedience.

God Size It

"we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers." (Numbers 13:33)

One of the great failures of the people of God in the Old Testament comes when they arrive at the edge of the Promised Land. God tells Moses to send visionaries into the land to come back and report to the people. Leaders are people who can see God's future for His people and explain it to people living today. But the majority of these spies that went into the Promised Land came back and the Bible says they spread a bad report.

The people of Israel failed to understand that anything God asks us to do will require His help. One of the greatest problems in the American Church today is that we suffer from the same "grasshopper complex" that plagued Israel. We are adopting "man-size" programs. We are doing what we know that we can do with our resources and abilities rather than choosing to obey God and attempt "God-size" visions.

The apostle Paul warned the church in Corinth not to make the same mistake as these Israelites.
He says, "Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction..." (I Cor. 10:11). We do not have to repeat their mistakes. Yes, there are almost always giants occupying the land of Promise that God sets before us. That is because He wants us to trust Him so that in the end, He gets all the glory, not us. "Trust in the Lord, with all your heart, and do not lean to your own understanding." (Prov. 3:5-6)

Let's Go Back

"The whole congregatin said to them (Moses and Aaron), 'Would that we had died in the land of Egypt, would that we had died in this wilderness." (Numbers 14:2)

The people of God had seen Him do incredible miracles to deliver them from slavery in Egypt. They had witnessed the parting of the Red Sea, and the destruction of Pharoah's mighty army. They had come to the edge of the Promised Land. God had promised that He would give it to them. But ten of the spies came back and spread a bad report about the giants in the land.

Now God's people would rather go back into slavery and bondage. Now they would rather die under the cruel taskmasters of Egypt. Now they are grumbling and complaining against God's chosen leaders. When they were suffering in Egypt they had enough faith to let God lead them out. But now, they do not have enough faith to enter into God's promise.

Egypt represents the bondage of sin. The wilderness represents a carnal life, a life lived less than what God desires. Canaan represents the victorious abundant life, not heaven. How many Christians do not have enough faith to enter into God's promised Victory in their daily lives? How many would rather return to the bondage of sin and the cruelty of the satanic taskmasters? Will you trust God to not only bring you out of the sin of your past, but into the Victory He desires for your future?

Faith, Giants, and Opportunity

"we seemed to ourselves like grasshoppers..." (Numbers 13:33)

God had brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt and led them to the edge of the Promised Land.
He told Moses to send some visionaries into the land to see what He was preparing to give them. He promised them a wonderful life in Canaan. Twelve men, potential visionary leaders, were sent ahead to come back and tell the people about the promise of God.

Let me ask you a question. Have you ever noticed how many times something good that God has promised requires either overcoming giants or overtaking a mountain? God has said in His word, (Heb. 11:6) that we cannot please Him without faith. Faith requires attempting things that require us to depend on God. If it was easy, it wouldn't require faith. Faith is not blind presumption, but absolute dependence on God's promise.

The men sent to spy out Canaan and came back and said, "the land is everything that God has promised. But we discovered something God forgot to mention. There are giants there. And when we looked at them, in our own eyes we saw ourselves as grasshoppers." Faith is not trusting in what we can do. Faith does not depend on us being able to overcome the giants in our own strength. Faith requires us depending only on God. Faith understands the giants might be bigger than we are, but they are not bigger than God.

Promised land living requires that we trust God, no matter how great the obstacles in our way. Ten spies brought a bad report and brought shame to God's people. Two men were men of faith. The majority is often, maybe most often, wrong. God's people are never encouraged to live by voting a majority opinion in the Bible. They are always challenged to follow the Word of God. God is the only majority that matters.

Have a blessed day.

Transforming Weeping into Strength

"Blessed are those whose strength is in you, in whose heart are the highways to Zion. As they go through the Valley of Baca they make it a place of springs;" (Ps. 84:5-6)

The psalmist has declared, "How lovely is your dwelling place, O Lord of hosts." He has affirmed the declaration of his heart to be joy in the Lord. And in v. 5 he speaks of passing through the Valley of Baca, which means the valley of weeping. I f you have not passed through that valley lately, you will likely sometime soon. It is a valley we all walk through in this world from time to time. When you pass through those dark places of life, where do you draw your strength? Some folks have tried meditation, and others have turned to alcohol or drugs. Some seek solace in other people or in the business of their lives. But real strength is found in the Lord.

To build the highways to heaven in your heart requires the discipline of time spent with God during the days we are not in the valley. Habits that are formed in moments of light will care us through the dark times.That is why the psalmist is quick to note here that he would rather spend one day in the courts of God than a thousand anywhere else. He notes that the very thirsting of his soul is to be with God.

God desires that time with you. Sometimes if we ignore Him, He may allow the valleys of weeping in our lives to get our attention. Will you draw near to Him today? Will you seek Him with a whole heart?

Don't miss this. God desires that when we go through the valleys of weeping, that we transform them into springs of life for others that will pass that way. Your story will help someone else if you can share that you found victory in Christ.

The Magic Kingdom of Jesus

"No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." (Matt. 6:24)

Jesus does not say that it is difficult to serve the one true God and the god of money, He said it is impossible. and yet in the US we have equated material wealth with the blessing of God, and we have become so confused about what is actually the American dream and the Christian reality that most don't see any conflict of interest at all.

Jesus said, "It is only possible to be devoted to one god. So, which is it. God or money?" We love shiny things. New cars, new houses, bigger cars, bigger houses, new clothes. So true is this that the average American spends $1.20 for every $1.00 that they make. Proverbs says that the "borrower is the slave of the lender."

This summer my family and I visited the Magic Kingdom of Disney. There were big crowds, but no sense of community. There was a thrill available at every turn, but no commitment to significance. It was a fun time, but not a thing worthy of our devotion. But how like Disney World have we made our churches. Reggie McNeal says we have created "Six Flags Over Jesus". We have transformed churches into one stop worship malls where we can pick from a smorgas board of options and never really surrender our lives to Jesus. As surely as Jesus stood knocking at the door of the church in Ephesus, Rev. 3:20, He must desire that we let Him back into the churches of America. Would He be as angry as He was when He overturned the tables in the temple in Mark 11? Does He need to remind us, "My house shall be called a house of prayer for the nations."