Tag: Christian

Searches that have Lord, Christ, Calling, Evangelism, or Discipleship in the descriptor

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Joy

James 1:2, ” Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, “

A common question, “If I have a foundation in Christ, why is it that I have trouble finding joy?” Joy is a choice; much different than happiness, which is an experience. The lack of joy generally comes from a conscious decision. I don’t mean to be judgmental, it’s just an observation.

Happiness is a fleeting experience in a fallen world; it is unpredictable. It comes from strange places and hides from the obvious. An antagonist fails; we find happiness in the act. A promotion or a vacation leave us indifferent, why? If finding happiness in life is your thing, welcome to the world of sporadic, maddening, and inconsistent fulfillment.

James 4: 1-2, ”  What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. “

Joy is another issue. Joy can be created, at will, regardless of the situation. It is critical that we, as Christian, know the difference. We need to understand that there will always be challenges, but the challenges need not define us. What defines us is the way we react to the challenges. Do we lean into Christ, or do we separate from Him?

Romans 8:18, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us”

There are two main obstacles to creating joy; one is to avoid running after other gods, and the other is focusing on the right question.

Running after other gods.

Psalm 16:4, “The sorrows of those who run after another god shall multiply.”

One of my vices is that I do not always see other gods in my life as other gods. I have a passion for or dedication to something; I don’t recognize that it might slowly elevate itself to a god in my life. Most of the things I am talking about are good things, like family. The problem comes from me putting it before Christ. Do I derive my happiness from it, then allow my joy to be an extension of that happiness?

“You must have more joy in Christ than anything, or you are an idolater.” – John Piper

Our Children are important, we can sometime elevate them. You want them to be well rounded. You want them to have experiences that broaden their horizon. You’re in the car seven days a week taking them everywhere, sports practice, music lessons, dance lessons, tutoring, you are exhausted. Between the kids, housework and a job there is no time for sleep. Exhaustion brings on mistakes, mistakes create conflict, conflict can separate us from God. But you won’t give it up; it is your kids. You have a responsibility.

We can say the same thing about marriage, jobs, careers, school, vacations, hobbies, and even church (little c). The goal is admirable, the process sucks the life out of you, yet you continue.

Wrong Focus

Sheryl Crow “Soak Up the Sun, “It’s not having what you want; It’s wanting what you’ve got.”

It’s all about focus and perspective. I remember several years ago at a Champions for Life Weekend; I heard the testimony of Bruce Collie. Bruce won two Super Bowls with the San Francisco 49ers. Bruce was a hard-charging, live life to the fullest kind of guy. But after the Super Bowl wins, he was left empty. He spent his whole life wanting a ring; now, he had two. He talked about it not being the highlight of his life, but the low point. He questioned his whole existence. Luckily for Bruce, he went to the Philadelphia Eagles and ran into Reggie White. Reggie opened his eyes to the Gospel and turned his life around. Christ gave Bruce a real purpose that never disappoints.

John 15:9, “Jesus loves us with the same love that the Father loves him.”

How do I change my focus to eliminate the idols in my life? Here is the hard part. It should be the natural part, but it’s not. You have to believe in your heart of hearts that God cares about you. I mean, really cares about everything you do. He cares about your kids, your job, your education, your life. There is nothing about which he does not care. In everything He wants the best for you.

James 1:16–17, “Do not be deceived, my beloved brothers. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights.”

The massive things that I can’t handle alone, I give to God. Why not, it’s too big for me anyway. It is the small things, the things I want, and I think I can do by myself, that I hold to myself. These are the things that build up stress and anxiety and eventual disappointment. It is at this point I have a choice. I can pout because bad things happen to good people, or I can decide that God is in control of everything, and this will prove to be the best. It has always been about Him, not me.

To believe that God redeems even when I can’t see takes faith. It takes faith to believe that God really cares about me. It takes faith to believe that the small things in my life are just important to God as the big things. All things work for His glory (Romans 8:28).

Joy is a choice, but it is a big choice. Many times, it is a hard choice. It is counter-intuitive. The God that created the universe cares about my bad day. The fact that He can even see that I am having a bad day is mind-boggling. You would think He had better things to do. He doesn’t, He cares that much about you.

Psalm 37:4-6, “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun.”

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Being Our Best

These are historic times. We, as Christians, have an opportunity to lead by example. When others spread discord and rumors, we can spread calm and truth. When others feel anxiety and fear, we can spread hope and courage.

John 14:1, “Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me.”

As Christians, everything we do either draws others closer to Christ or drives them away. If Christ is Lord over your life, He must be Lord over your everyday relationships. It is at times like this that everyone is watching to see how we react. Do we believe what we believe or is it all a show?

1 John 3:18, “Little children, let us not love with words or with tongue, but with deed and truth.”

One of my challenges is to spend more time looking inward rather than outward. I need to focus on my footprint, not the footprint of others. God commands us to love with deeds. In this time of social distancing that may be more challenging, but not impossible.

Ephesians 4:30, “and do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. You must put away every kind of bitterness, anger, wrath, quarreling, and evil, slanderous talk. Instead be kind to one another, compassionate, forgiving one another, just as God in Christ also forgave you”

We are going to spend some time in close quarters. We are going to experience financial pressure from our livelihoods and from our supplier. Toilet paper is now worth more than gold and far scarcer. Hours have been shortened or eliminated altogether. All kids are being home schooled. We are adapting to new ways of communicating. All of this creates stress, stress creates friction, friction creates heat. Sooner or later everyone reaches a boiling point. We have a God that both understands and forgives.

Through His understanding He gives us an inner voice of calm. He constantly reminds us that He and He alone is in control of all things. He will not give us more than we can handle. He will not set us up for failure. Tough times are the exact crucible needed to test our beliefs. It is in tough times we either lean into God or push away. We have been given the perfect situation to prove what we believe and that we know we have a God that can deliver. The moment you are living right now is not a surprise to Him. Plus, He wrote the ending.

1 Corinthians 10:13, “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.”

But when we do falter, when we do not lean into God as hard as we should, what should we do? One Christian can have a profound negative impact on God’s Kingdom on earth. All of us can inadvertently do this in small ways almost every day. We can join in on the local gossip, or we can speak negatively about others. We do not do our best when given an assignment. We cannot turn our beliefs on and off like a light switch. Every time we do this, a non-believer is listening and watching. It may not even be someone directly involved. It might be someone casually observing from a distance. As professing Christians, we have accepted the obligation to be light and salt in the world.

Psalm 39: 1, “I said, “I will watch my ways and keep my tongue from sin; I will put a muzzle on my mouth while in the presence of the wicked.”

We cannot expect ourselves to be perfect; that would be insane. What we should expect of ourselves is to be mindful. When we transgress, recognize it and rectify it. Go back to those whom we harmed, make it right, if possible, and ask for forgiveness. Forgiveness is not to be back in the injured parties’ good graces; it is to be back into God’s good blessings. After all that God has done for us, should we not be sensitive to how we portray Him to others? We need to show remorse and humility when we do falter as a sign of repentance.

As professing Christians, we have shown a light on who we are and what we believe. Everything we do has an eternal impact on someone. Be mindful. When required, be remorseful and humble, knowing we, too, will meet God’s judgment. Not for our sin, but for what we have done for Christ since we met Him.

2 Timothy 2:15, “Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a worker who has no need to be ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.”

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Political Deception and the Enemy

I have had this on my mind for some time. At first, it was a mild annoyance, then a whining irritant, but it has crescendoed into a roaring beast that I can not ignore. It starts when friends of mine on the right or the left cherry-picking their facts, or ignore them altogether in support of their chosen political party. Most of my friends, but not all, are Christians. They are on the right and the left, even though each claims the other cannot be a Christian based on the party affiliation. To hear the animosity and caustic claims of these people have against each other is more than disheartening, it is worth crying over.

I’m frustrated and quite frankly angry that self-professing Christians are putting this front to the world. We are supposed to be the guiding light. Who would follow this claptrap of nonsense? The visceral hatred in some of the comments is alarming. Many of us seem to have lost sight of who is in control. It is not Wall Street or the Deep State.

2 Corinthians 11:14, “No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.”

The enemy (evil) is using this current state of affairs to spread fear and anxiety. The significant part of his plan is that he is using Christians to do it. He gives us something that resembles the truth. It supports the things we want. He tells us the other side is evil and wants to take it away from us. As good Christians, we should fight against that evil. But he is telling both sides the same story, but with different facts.

He stands back and watches us tear into each other. He points to the non-believer and says, “Do you see that? They go after each other like mad dogs fighting over a bone. Is that the God of the universe? Is that the God of love and compassion?”

2 Corinthians 11:3, “But I am afraid that, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, your minds will be led astray from the simplicity and purity of devotion to Christ.”

The enemy creates these invisible bogeymen with apparent superpowers that allow them to manipulate people at will. “The other side are all sheep; we are the only thinkers,” say both sides. We stop believing that God will watch over us. We stop believing God is in control. We stop understanding that our God is the God of the people, not the Democrats or the Republicans. In the end, He wins, no plan “B.”

We forget that we are the reflection on earth of our heavenly Father. We don’t get to pick and chose when to wear that coat. Once we decided to follow, it is ours to wear every day, all day long.

1 Timothy 3:7, “And he must have a good reputation with those outside the church so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil.”

I want to try to talk sense with these people, but they’re so angry and self-righteous. I’m exhausted and tired. I don’t want to deal with this ignorance anymore. I’m going to throw in the towel and let God do what He is going to do. I have neither the strength nor the ability to overcome this evil. I don’t know what I was thinking in the first place.

One Last Request

My email is clogged with rumors and theories concerning the COVID-19 virus. It is absolutely ridiculous. The “truths” that people will pass on without a second thought is mind-boggling. Just stop, no matter how important you think it is that everyone knows, just stop. Enough already.

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We Serve an Awesome God

Psalm 19:1, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands.”

We serve a awesome God – Creator of the universe – we should weep with joy seeing the beautiful things he has made. In a time of worry such as these, that is hard.

I am an engineer and programmer by training. I am a plan-your-work – work-your-plan type of guy. I believe that the God of the universe made all of creation and all of science. If we find a conflict between the two, it is because we do not understand something. I’m not smart enough to know what. But I am smart enough to know that I don’t know.

John 1:3, “Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.”

If we want to glorify ourselves, we don’t do something easy or bland; we stretch our creativity to the max to demonstrate the totality of our ability. We want to stand back, gaze at our creation, and say, “WOW, I did that.”

Hebrews 3:4, “For every house is built by someone, but God is the builder of everything.”

An artist does not paint a picture of a stick-man and put it on display. They paint a picture that stretches their imagination and talent. An image that causes people to look deep at the canvass to discover the complexity, the color, the movement, the depth of the imagery. The viewer not only sees all that the painter wanted them to see, but their imagination brings a deeper meaning to the imagery—each person taking away a fresh perspective of the painter’s work.

Psalm 33:6, “By the word of the Lord the heavens were made, their starry host by the breath of his mouth.”

Over my sofa, I have a large photograph of the milky way taken at Fiordland National Park in New Zealand, by Tom Hall; it is billions of specks of light on an immense canvass of blackness. We, as mere humans, cannot fathom the greatness of God’s creation. It not only overwhelms our senses with the vast, unimaginable majesty of the heavens, but it amazes us with the intricacy of new life. When I first set eyes on my newborn daughter, my life changed forever. She was the most perfect creature I had ever seen. She was so small and beautiful. To this day, that image, planted deep in my mind, brings me peace, joy, and, most of all, hope for humanity.

Job 33:4, “The Spirit of God hath made me, and the breath of the Almighty hath given me life.”

I love to hike. I love the quiet outdoors where God and I can have these long, intricate, astounding conversations uninterrupted by the world in which I must live. The beauty in nature is never-ending. Everything from the leaf’s brilliant colors in fall, to the delicate new sprouts popping up through the earth in the spring, to how deer stay looking so pristine while living in the woods speaks of God’s creation. Folks, that last part is amazing, we have a multi-trillion-dollar industry built around making us look good, and we pale in comparison. I love sunsets and sunrise and waterfalls, unique bends in the trail, and rock formations that remind me of Aunt Sally. My best moments are setting on a rocky crag jutting out of the forest canopy overlooking a river and listening to the wind and the sound of birds. It is the perfect moment. I am so close to God; it takes my breath away.

God has glorified Himself through His creation. He put everything into it. He wanted to demonstrate the breadth and depth of His abilities. He does set back and say, “WOW, I did that.”

In the greatness of His creation, there are human-made flaws. God gave us a choice that we might choose Him. Some do not choose wisely.

A friend, Ron Gastin, said it best when he described this scene: You imagine yourself on a vast and deserted beach. The beautiful white shoreline spreads out before you to the horizon, the aqua blue sea rhythmically splashing to the shore, the azure blue sky shining from above. There is a warm, slight breeze washing over your skin, and the sound of seabird are echoing in the distance: this is God’s macro view, and He loves it infinitely. However, if you kneel and pick up a small handful of sand, you can see the individual specks of sand. These specks are the individual acts of both goodness and sinfulness that, when taken together, make up that vast and beautiful beach. God hates the sinful and evil specks of sand but loves what it ultimately becomes.

So how does darkness fit into all of this?

We are in the throes of a viral pandemic. The media is stoking fear as a means to make money off of advertising, the old newspaper adage “If it bleeds, it leads.” It is easy to get sucked into the vortex of this fear. Is this the beginning of the tribulation, or is it just the next in a line of challenges facing a fallen world? We should live each day as if it was our last. In doing this, we do not need to know the exact day of His coming, for we will be prepared. Rather than spend our time fretting over the end, we should take the time to awe at His creation. When we soak in the beauty that God made around us, it is hard to live in fear.

Romans 1:20, “For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities – his eternal power and divine nature – have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.”

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The World of 1910

More than a year before the pandemic, I was thinking about what my life would look like if I were born in 1910. It was to give perspective of how blessed I truly am. I thought I would pass it on as a reminder in these troubled times.

Today we believe that our world is afflicted. It is not a wrong observation. The 2109-nCov pandemic is racing around the world. We are cautioned about meeting in groups of 10 or more; our churches have turned to video conferencing to spread the word. God is, and always has been, in control. God’s sovereignty will never change.

What would my life be like if I was born in Europe in 1910?

The population of the world in 1910 was about 1.5-1.7 billion compared to 7.2 today. This revelation puts the following numbers is perspective. To understand the impact of these events, if they happened today, you could see multiple everything by 3 or 4 to get the equivalent result.

When I was 12 years old, the Titanic sunk losing 1,500 passengers. But this was only a sign of what was to come. By the time I was in middle school, “The Great War” had started. It wasn’t called World War One until 1939 with the start of World War Two. Who thought there would be two of them? The Great War would claim 40 million military and civilian casualties, 6 million to war-related famine and disease. It left 23 million wounded. It was fought in my backyards with such weapons as mustard gas (a vomiting agent), tear gas (affected the eyes and lungs), and barbed wire.

The Great War ended at the end of my High Schools years (although I wasn’t in High School, I was in the army) just to be followed by The Spanish Flu epidemic in which millions died, approximately 5% of the world’s population. It targeted 20-35-year-old’s, my age group. Citizens wore masks to schools, theater, and other outside events. Businesses were shuttered, and bodies piled up in makeshift morgues before the virus ended its deadly global march in 1919. By the end of 1919, the average life expectancy plummeted by a dozen years. The first vaccine was created in 1940.

By the time I turn 39, the Second World War was starting. It would claim another 50 million lives, 20 million in Russia alone, another 12 million executed by the Germans. Five million in Poland, and 7 million in German. Again, it was fought in my back yard. Over 425,000 Allied and German troops were killed, wounded, or went missing during the Battle of Normandy alone.

When I was born, life expectancy was only 46 years. If I lived through all of this, I was lucky and had maybe another 10-15 years left. I would die in the middle of the greatest military arms buildup in history. By the time I turn 60, there are over 30,000 nuclear warheads ready for deployment.

During my lifetime, over 190 million people would die from war and flu alone, very unnatural causes. This death toll had to mold my view of life. Today we complain of political corruption, loosening of moral standards, self-centeredness, and the pandemic. We point to Revelations and say the end must be near. What would you say if you were a child of the early 20th century?

Don’t get me wrong; our problems and perceptions are real. Our world is slowly circling the drain. But God is still the God of love and compassion. He is not the author of evil; he is the vaccine. He and He alone has gotten us through a lot of worse situations.

Psalms 136:23-26, “He remembered us in our weakness. His faithful love endures forever. He saved us from our enemies. His faithful love endures forever. He gives food to every living thing. His faithful love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven. His faithful love endures forever. “

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Pandemic Peace

By Donna Beverly (International Mission Connection)

We are in the midst of a pandemic event. My hope is that one day we will look back on this as merely another story in a history book or a chronicle on the internet.  Maybe our grandchildren will tell the stories to their own children of a time when the whole world panicked at the thought that someone somewhere was spreading a disease we couldn’t quite understand.

Memories of this time will likely take on selective interpretations. Some will remember that politicians jumped in impulsively to blame and accuse when they had the opportunity to take a higher road. Some will recall the enemies of the White House clucking that our president had again missed the mark.  Some will remember those who downplayed the virus and continued to go about their business defying the advice from medical professionals to just stay home. Some will think of the ways that their communities of faith and friendship gathered round to help run errands, to make sure children were cared for, and to lovingly touch base with those at risk with a cup of compassion. Inevitably, no one will ever forget the empty grocery shelves as folks clamored for the last of the toilet paper.

Disney World has closed down. Maybe the biggest mark of all that this is indeed serious. Even Mickey Mouse wants a sabbatical from all of this hysteria.

Corporations are taking care of their own and mandating that employees work from home. Professionals at keyboards all over the country while their kids are at play in the den. Innocents believing that a day off from school just means more time to watch the latest version of Frozen.

Meanwhile, countless laborers who are not so fortunate to have union-protected jobs or company payrolls are scrambling to hold on to piecemeal business. Hoping that their week’s housecleaning schedule or security guard night shift will not be cancelled. Small business owners are left to wonder how they will ever totally bail out of the deep fall in which they find themselves. Help will surely come to some, but not likely to all, who are profoundly impacted by the pandemic panic.

In all of this helter skelter, we are tempted to ask, “What is God doing amidst all of this chaos?” To me, the answers are complex and, at the same time, awe-inspiring. The Bible talks of those who “never experience the path of peace” and “shut their eyes to the awe-inspiring God.” Throughout the ages, there have been plagues, destruction, disaster, and unpredictable and unforeseeable catastrophes. Through it all, there are stories of those who survived and passed through troubled waters in perfect peace. There are others who panicked and ran away from God rather than toward him. Folks who missed seeing God’s awe-inspiring presence even in the troubled times.

So can it be that the question we should be asking as we look through the lens of our own global and personal histories is not “What is God doing?”, but “What are we doing amidst all of this?”

How are we going to react and respond to this time that has not finished with us yet? How widespread will our peace be in a time of pandemonium? How infectious will our faith story be to onlookers? Could God be giving all of us well-intenders a time-out to disinfect our hearts, get rid of our scabs, and breathe the fresh pure air of his spirit even in the midst of a fallen and hurting world?

The airline flight attendants always caution passengers in their pre-flight instructions to get familiar with their own oxygen masks. In time of potential crash landing, passengers are always advised to put on their own mask first even before trying to help a small child or other passenger. No one does any ultimate good by rushing to restore the next guy if he has overlooked his own means of protection within his comfortable reach.

In times, like these, we need to examine our own spiritual oxygen masks. In times of seclusion, we have the beautiful and affordable moments to be still with the Lord. In our homes. In our communities. Around the dinner table where we are now spending more time with our immediate family rather than running through a McDonald’s drive-thru. What will our children and grandchildren see as we navigate these adjustments to our otherwise self-consumed lifestyles?

Will we take time to cancel some “appointments” that we once thought were so necessary to just make an appointment with God? Could we possibly substitute a walk outside for the aerobics class we just couldn’t miss two weeks ago? Can we forego a group Bible study and dare sit in the quiet early hours of our own homes immersing ourselves in the comfort of Psalms?  Will it kill us to postpone a mission trip to do Vacation Bible School in a village somewhere so we can just do Bible School here as we gather our loved ones close?

What is God doing amidst all of this chaos? What God has always done through the ages. He lovingly helps us to keep on planting seeds even when the land appears to be barren and eroded.  He promises that “good seeds of wisdom’s fruit will be planted with peaceful acts by those who cherish making peace.” James 3:18 (PT)

 What are we doing amidst all of this? Learning to put on our own oxygen masks? Thoughtfully considering how we genuinely worship within our homes without needing online streaming capabilities to pipe in more of conventional  rituals? Is it time to scramble back to the basics of what we truly believe in and how we can share our oxygen masks in times when people are fearful that, like Lysol and toilet paper, there won’t be enough air to go around?

This pandemic provides us a perfect time to experience peace and to share peace and to celebrate peace. God never assured us that there would be no pestilence in our imperfect gardens. He did, however, continue to memorialize his divine track record of being with us through it all. Psalm 121:3-8 (PT) reminds us “He will guard and guide me, never letting me stumble or fall. God is my keeper; he will never forget nor ignore me. He will never slumber nor sleep; he is the Guardian-God for his people…he’s protecting you from all danger both day and night… You will be safe when you leave your home and safely you will return. He will protect you now, and he’ll protect you forevermore!”

May we embrace that assurance of God’s protection and indescribable peace today as we prepare our own oxygen masks in his presence and for his purpose.

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Scars

Brevard water falls

There are Christians who see their salvation like they see their bodies. As they grow older, their bodies start to be a collection of scars. There are small scars that are hard to see that came from a cut or abrasion in early childhood.

There are more extensive scars from self-inflicted trauma like a knife cut while preparing food—symmetrical scars from surgery like an appendix, or knees, or shoulder surgery. There are disfigurements like playing with matches as a child. As we grow older, we collect them. Physical scars may make us less attractive but not less human.

Proverbs 6:16-19, “There are six things that the Lord hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that make haste to run to evil, a false witness who breathes out lies, and one who sows discord among brothers.”

As Christians, we look at our transgression as not something that pains God, but as a spiritual scar. We have small ones from white lies that didn’t hurt anyone. We have more obvious ones because we wanted to get out of a situation. Maybe a symmetrical scar or two from intentional deception to achieve the desired result. There are the prominent scars that result from not just a moral misstep, but maybe a legal misstep. In Christian life, these make us less attractive but not less saved.

Just like in life, some people are proud of their scars. They tell the story of their life and how they have overcome adversity. Some people try to hide their scars because they are ashamed or want to look more attractive. Each scar has a story, the small ones we forget, the big ones we can’t forget. Polite people do not ask about scars; they let you bring up the subject.

I have a lot of physical scars. When I fill out the intake form for the doctor’s office, I ask for a second page. Early in my life, my body was just a containment device for muscle and bone. I lived with abandon. Ruptured discs, torn cartilage, cuts, broken bones were all part of living life. I know a lot of them personally because they talk to me every day. They have come back to haunt me in my later years. So does sin.

James 2:10, “For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it.”

When we come to the point in life that we start taking God seriously, we remember the scars. We recognized the times when we grieved God. Each scar causes us pain. We cannot go back in time and have a “do-over”. Our transgressions are part of who we are. If we, and I include me in this, were wiser, we would have fewer scars to deal with, but we weren’t. Just like the scars in life, we are going to have to deal with them, face up to them, recognize their existence. With sin, we need to seek repentance and move on.

When we accepted Christ as our personal savior, it would have been nice to have an objective of a perfect life. No scars or transgression to mar our otherwise ideal salvation. But we didn’t.

Hebrews 10:17, “Then he adds, ‘I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.’”

Just as there are Plastic Surgeons that will remove the evidence of past physical trauma, we have a Lord that will erase the evidence of spiritual trauma. Unlike the Plastic Surgeon, Christ will not just cover the evidence of the injury, He will make us a new person, removing all evidence of our old self.

Hebrews 10:14 “For by one offering He has perfected for all time those who are sanctified.”

We have been made perfect in Him. Now, what do you want to do about it?

Colossians 4: 5-6, “Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech always be with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one”

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Whisper

Today I am dealing with a tsunami of bad news. I can get over a broken water pump or a pulled muscle, but I experience separation anxiety when it comes to people. I have received bad news concerning three people close to me; an old high school buddy, a family member, and a close personal friend. All of which reminds me that life is but a whisper, and then it’s gone.

James 4:14, “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”

There is so much I could say about this. I could extol the virtues of loving hard means hurting hard. I could rejoice in their heavenly freedom from pain and worry. I could wallow in my sadness. But none of these would begin to paint the picture of the depth and width of my despondency.

When morning their loss, I must face my future. The life they lived raises a mirror to my own life. I desperately want something more. I don’t necessarily want to be remembered, but I don’t want my time here forgotten.

“Give me a longing for a scent of a flower I have not found, the echo of a tune I have not heard, and a grace so powerful that it changes all the lives I touch.” – CS Lewis

I want people to weep over my passing because they want just one more day with me. I want to have an impact. I want Heaven to dance and Christ to sing. I want to be the man God made me.

Psalm 139:16, “Your eyes have seen my unformed substance; And in Your book were all written The days that were ordained for me, when as yet there was not one of them.”

Eternity is a very long time. My lifespan Is a blip on the screen. But it is all the time I have to gather those who need to hear the message. I am not an evangelist; we talked about that this last week in my Monday night group. I’m a life-on-life kind of guy; an empower other people type of guy. It is who God made me. Seeing those close to me and their impact on God’s kingdom makes me want to be a fireworks display. I want my life to explode into the night with sound and fury and light. I want to be unmistakable, intentional, and deliberate.

John 15: 13, “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.”

When the emotions of the moment ebb and flow away, I have to hold on to the reality that I will leave a legacy. The question is, what legacy? 

Proverbs 3:27, “Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due, when it is in your power to act.”

“When it is in your power to act,” This is a specific command to do. Not to think about, pray about it, and plan about it, but to do. Everything starts with prayer. When God opens the door, prayer without execution is dead. James 2:14-26, read it, and believe it. I must act according to God’s will.

In doing this, Heaven will dance, and Christ will sing. A rock dropped in a still pond send out ripples in every direction, so can I. I can be a light to a broken world regardless of the size of my actions. My task may be small, or it might be significant. It doesn’t matter to God. It matters that I am obedient and intentional.

Today I will do what others won’t so that tomorrow I can be what others can’t.

Ephesians 5:1, “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.”

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Truth

John 18:37, ” In fact, the reason I was born and came into the world is to testify to the truth.”

Those of a postmodern persuasion have come to question whether we can have an objective or accurate view of truth. We are falling deeper into a world in which reality is subjective. It is a world in which all people can feel vindicated by their version of the truth. This truth is in spite of its conflict with the view of truth from those around them. Each one of us creating our parallel universe independent of others.

2 Timothy 4:3-4 “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.”

They will all sit around a roaring campfire in peaceful harmony, eating smores and singing kumbaya until the cows come home: and truth will pass by them.

Colossians 2:8, “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ,”

I will be the first to acknowledge that finding the truth in our hyper-personal world is extremely hard. We are constantly bombarded with data-rich, personally targeted marketing designed to change our world view. Trying to find and then hold on to truth is exhausting. 

John 18:30, “‘ What is truth?’ Pilate asked. And having said this, he went out again to the Jews and told them, “I find no basis for a charge against Him.”

Over 2,00 years ago, we were struggling with the concept of truth. Pilate himself questioned it when Jesus stood before him. He, like many people today, did not seek an answer but was willing to leave the question unanswered. He washed his hands and moved on. 

James 5:2, “Every word of God is flawless; he is a shield to those who take refuge in him.”

We do have a source of truth. It is a foundation from which we can build all of our worldly interactions. It will not create peace among many because the truth requires a measure of accountability. Postmodern philosophy allows us to disagree without liability. I have my truth, and you have yours, they don’t have to agree. But real life doesn’t allow for that ambiguity. Real-life can sometimes be very diametric; just because you don’t believe in gravity doesn’t mean you can fly. 

John 8:32, “Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.”

Conversely, God doesn’t need our acknowledgment to exist. He does exist, with or without our consent. We will be faced with judgment, like it or not. Judgment is not a punishment from God, but a chance to avoid a fate destined for all who do not acknowledge the truth. This acknowledgment is incredibly important concerning how we spend eternity, but it is also vital to the understanding of why we need to pursue God’s plan for our life. 

God’s plan for us exists. It is real. It has meaning and impact. We can choose not to believe in it, but that does not make it go away. It does make it unfulfilled, and with that, us unfulfilled. 

Galatians 4:16, “So then, have I become your enemy by telling you the truth?”

We will and should struggle with contemporary definitions of current affairs. One man’s freedom fighter is another man’s terrorist. But we do have a foundation to build on; it is the foundation of the Gospel. Anything that swims upstream of the Gospel is not the truth, no matter how well it fits our narrative. 

You are going to be happy said God, but first, I will make you strong.

1 John 4:5, “We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the Spirit of falsehood.”

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Never let your fear decide your future

“Sometimes, you have to walk away from what you want to get what you deserve.”

I read this statement the other day. There is a half-truth in it. Sometimes we do have to walk away from what we want, but what we get is not what we deserve, it is what is best for us. None of us really wants what we deserve. 

This is not just about possessions in the physical sense

What are the idols in our lives? What are the things for which we compromise God’s goodness? Those that we genuinely love is typically on the top of the list. We believe God would never ask us to forsake them. There is truth in that. God would not have us abandon them, but He might want us to give Him a little room to work. Like us, they may have some rough edges that need sanding. 

Revelation 3:17, “For you say I am rich, I have prospered, and I need nothing, not realizing that you are wretched, pitiable, poor, blind, and naked.”

What about our jobs, our education, our home, our status, our track record of being a good person? What about our political affiliation? Our pets, or how about money in general? There is a good one. Do we think about money all the time? Do we worry about the cost of college education, weddings, retirement?

Ecclesiastes 5:10, “He who loves money will not be satisfied with money, nor he who loves wealth with his income; this also is vanity.”

You will never achieve what you are capable of if you’re too attached to things from which you’re supposed to walk away.

Luke 12:15, “And he said to them, ‘Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions.'”

I don’t think that God wants our worldly sacrifice. I don’t think He wants us to give up earthly things. I believe He wants us to realize they are just mortal, temporary, and in the long term, insignificant. As long as they have their rightful place, they are of little concern. The issue is not should you have them, but are you willing to walk away from them. The indication of your actual response was what you first thought after reading that sentence. Did you put qualifications on it? Did you start out saying “Only if”? 

Think about that for a minute. If God asks, it is unqualified. He would not ask you to give up something just to prove you would. Why? Because there are too many other things, He could ask you to give up, which are significant and much more challenging to answer. 

Hebrews 13:5, “Keep your life free from love of money, and be content with what you have, for he has said, “I will never leave you nor forsake you.”

Sometimes there are things in our lives that aren’t meant to stay. Sometimes the changes we don’t want are the changes we need to grow. It is not the “thing” God is worried about; it is the emotion behind the “thing.” If we feel insecure about not having it, what does that tell Him about our faith in Him? It is at that point that He might need to make a point. 

Giving up and moving on are two very different things. In God’s economy, giving up something is just an act of moving on to something better. It is not the loss of the former that is of concern; it is the gain of the future on which we should focus. 

Luke 9:62, “But Jesus said to him, “No one, after putting his hand to the plow and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.”

The Question of Stewardship

In the Story of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), Jesus uses the investment of money as a metaphor for the investment in others. Too many people I know believe that their stewardship is about worldly assets, both time and money. I think the issue of stewardship is about people. If we amass great possessions, we invest them wisely, and we help them multiply, but do not apply them to the aide of others, we are the third man in the parable. 

The Bible Cliff Notes, according to Tomme, reads like this. The first man took his resources and taught people to fish, thus multiplying their value. The second man took his resources and gave people fish, relieving their need. The last man, afraid he would be a bad steward by giving his wealth to someone who might be undeserving, did nothing. 

Don’t be that guy.

I can tell you from personal experience; you can give away everything and still have enough. Trust me, it’s true, I’ve lived it.

The Command

1 Timothy 6:17-19, “Command those who are rich in this world’s goods not to be haughty or to set their hope on riches, which are uncertain, but on God who richly provides us with all things for our enjoyment. Tell them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, to be generous givers, sharing with others. In this way they will save up a treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the future and so lay hold of what is truly life.

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