(Beverly is my ghost-writer today. Thanks, honey!)
There once was a little boy named Adam who had no home. Adam’s parents had died, and he had no relatives to take him in, so he was put into a foster home. After a year or two, Adam was adopted by a couple who had deeply longed for a child. They were so thrilled to finally have a son, and it was with great joy that they welcomed him into their family.
On that first day, they brought him home and showed him the room they had prepared for him. His eyes got as big as saucers when he saw the wonderful room that was there for him. He had his very own big bed, with a bedspread that had his favorite cartoon figures on it. Curtains to match. There was a TV set with all sorts of DVDs. He looked over by the closet and there was a box of sports equipment balls, bats, helmets, roller blades, and an assortment of other things as well.
His parents had bought every kind of toy imaginable, and there were shelves and shelves of books, puzzles, and games. In the closet he discovered brand new clothes, just his size! He couldn’t remember ever having brand new clothes before! Adam’s parents had thought of everything, that was apparent! This was a bedroom that some kids only dream about!
Adam’s dad told him, "Son, this is all for you. All you have to do is take care of these things, and you’ll be able to enjoy them for a long time."
Adam began to settle into his new home, and in the next few weeks he enjoyed reading the books and playing with the toys he had. He played with them carefully, and always made sure to put them back in their proper place, so as not to lose any of them.
Sadly, eventually, Adam got careless with his belongings. He got into the practice of not putting things away, which brought disastrous results. Game pieces got lost. Puzzle pieces too. Toys were left out, leaving them in someone’s pathway to be tripped over and broken. The sports equipment was all gone, because he had left the things outside where they had been lost or taken by a passer-by. Adam’s parents kept reminding him to take care of his things properly, but he did not heed their warnings.
In a relatively short amount of time, what had been every kid’s dream room became a disaster. There was not one book that wasn’t torn or scribbled in. There wasn’t a game or puzzle with all the pieces. Not one toy still worked as it was designed to work. All because of one boy’s disobedience of the only rule his parents had given him: Take care of these things.
Adam starting whining and complaining that he had nothing to do. He started throwing tantrums and demanding that his parents buy him new toys and books and puzzles. He wanted new sports equipment.
He begged and pleaded and cried for his parents to replace what had been lost or ruined. When his parents didn’t do that and they reminded him that the reason he had no toys to play with was because of his carelessness, that is when things really got ugly. Do you know what he did? He began to blame his parents for the losses, saying that if they would have bought him better things they would have lasted. In other words, this situation was not Adam’s fault. It was his parent’s fault.
This story reminds me a bit of how we blame God for all that is wrong in the world. If God is so good, why are there so many bad things that happen in the world?
God created the world and all that is in it, and pronounced it GOOD. God only gave one rule to Adam and Eve, and all was well until they chose to disobey. When that happened, sin entered the world and all the consequences of sin. Is that God’s fault? Can we blame God for all the bad things in the world?
What do you think?
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Sunday, October 18, 2009
The God Questions (Part III) "Do All Roads Lead to Heaven?"
On Sunday we did a whirlwind tour, examining the top ten religions in the world.
It is my hope that what emerged for you was an awareness of the ways in which Christianity stands alone, distinct from every other religion or philosophy.
1) The other religions are "me centered." They are about being dependent upon myself to do the right thing, think the right thing and change myself. As Christians, our dependence is upon Christ and His shed blood which saves us from our helpless condition of sin.
2) Some religions offer no eternal reward. Others offer a reward of paradise or nirvana. Those are very "me centered" as well. As Christians, our eternal reward is a continuation of our relationship with Christ, with joy, love, and peace being full and complete.
3) Some religions have many gods. Some have no gods. Some religions make us gods. As Christians, we serve a God who is Three in One, and who is bigger than all things created. I would have a real problem worshipping a God who manifests as a leaf or a snail or a volcano. While all of those things have life or power, our God's power is bigger than all created things combined.
4) Other religions are work centered. Christianity is Jesus-centered. He is the beginning and the end, and our salvation is totally dependent upon He who died to buy our ransom from sin.
I feel grateful to have come into the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. How about you?
It is my hope that what emerged for you was an awareness of the ways in which Christianity stands alone, distinct from every other religion or philosophy.
1) The other religions are "me centered." They are about being dependent upon myself to do the right thing, think the right thing and change myself. As Christians, our dependence is upon Christ and His shed blood which saves us from our helpless condition of sin.
2) Some religions offer no eternal reward. Others offer a reward of paradise or nirvana. Those are very "me centered" as well. As Christians, our eternal reward is a continuation of our relationship with Christ, with joy, love, and peace being full and complete.
3) Some religions have many gods. Some have no gods. Some religions make us gods. As Christians, we serve a God who is Three in One, and who is bigger than all things created. I would have a real problem worshipping a God who manifests as a leaf or a snail or a volcano. While all of those things have life or power, our God's power is bigger than all created things combined.
4) Other religions are work centered. Christianity is Jesus-centered. He is the beginning and the end, and our salvation is totally dependent upon He who died to buy our ransom from sin.
I feel grateful to have come into the grace and mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ. How about you?
Monday, October 12, 2009
The God Questions (Part II) "Is the Bible True?"
On Sunday, we talked about the Bible and some "facts" about the Bible that some of you may have been surprised about.I won't take the time to reiterate what was said, but I do want to add one more thing to yesterday's message.
The fact that the Bible has been preserved with integrity is something that, in my mind, can only be a God thing. It seems to me that God wanted His words preserved in a way that they would hold the same meaning to us as they did way back when they were first written. That tells us that His word is important and we should pay attention!
It is so easy for all of us to take the Bible for granted! There are probably only a few bookstores in the United States where you can not pick up a copy of the Bible. If you can't find one in a given bookstore, it is probably because that bookstore is dedicated to a certain philosophy that doesn't value the Bible or it is some kind of bookstore that is focused on technology or science or medicine or some other area of study or expertise. Most every bookstore that sells "general" books would have a Bible, and usually in more than one version (NIV, KJV, etc.).
Because the Bible is so readily available to us, we do take it for granted. I probably own at least two dozen Bibles in various forms and versions.
When Beverly and I took a trip a few years ago, we went to the New Holy Land center in Arkansas. While there, we viewed a documentary about how the Bible came to be translated into English. I did not realize that it wasn't until people like John Wycliffe and William Tyndale came along that the Bible was translated for the common people in the language that they could read and understand.
Many people were persecuted for bringing the Bible to the common people, and some people (like Tyndale) were actually martyred for it.
So this book that we so take for granted is a book that was brought to us by great sacrifice by scores of people.
So the next time you read your Bible, say a prayer of thanks for all those who came before you who sacrificed so that you could hold that book in your hands!
Sunday, October 4, 2009
The God Questions (Part I) "Is God Real?"
Remember the example of the Pepsi can this morning? What do we know about Pepsi?
- Someone had an idea for a sweet drink, and created it.
- Someone had an idea for a container, in this case a can, that holds the perfect amount.
- Someone got an idea for a pop top that would eliminate the need for a can opener.
- Someone came up with a logo and the graphic design for the outside of the can.
What are some of the arguments that they might use?
- You can't possibly know it was created, because you weren't there.
- You don't know that the human that created it really exists because you've never seen him or her.
In the case of the second argument, while it may be true that I've never met the person who invented Pepsi, when I drink from that can I am pretty sure that I am enjoying the fruits of the person's labor. The product he created is proof that he existed.
Psalm 19:1-2 "The heavens proclaim the glory of God. The skies
display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known."
display his craftsmanship. Day after day they continue to speak;
night after night they make him known."
This verse is the crux of what we talked about on Sunday. Look around you. What do you see? You might see things in your home such as a kitchen faucet, a can opener, a lamp, a clock, a piano or guitar, or a thermostat to run your central air and heating. You might see things outside in your yard such as a gas grill, a lawn mower, sprinklers, a patio cover, flower pots, or gardening tools. Go out further, out into nature, and you see tall redwoods, magnificent mountains, and awesome waterfalls.
What all of those things have in common is that they are created things. Some were created by people. Some were not created by people.
We don't have to actually meet the people who created those things in order to know that those people exist. Their inventions testify of their existence on this earth.
It's the same way with God and the things He created. His creations testify of His existence. Just like it is illogical to believe that the Pepsi came into being all by itself, it is even more illogical to believe that the vast universe with the clockwork precision that it runs with was something that just happened by accident.
Faith is not about logic, but the verse in Psalms suggests to me that it is illogical to look around this beautiful world and not see the hand of a Creator God.
Sunday, September 20, 2009
Focus, Focus, Focus!
"Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith." Hebrews 12:2
On Sunday, we talked about keeping our eyes on Jesus and we likened it to a game of wiffle ball. What can we learn from wiffle ball that will help us with our faith? Here is the short version:
1) Keep your eyes on the ball. (Keep your eyes on Jesus.)
2) We must go after the ball. (Pursue Jesus.)
3) We must meet the ball. (Come to Jesus.)
4) Be sure to keep on swinging. (Don't give up.)
What are the distractions in your life that keep you from focusing on Jesus? Work? Recreation? Hobbies? Sports? Activities? When it comes to things like that, we must keep in mind our human nature that draws us away from pursuing God and His will. If we keep our eyes on Jesus, on His will, His word, His voice, we will find ourselves living a more abundant life and one that is more pleasing to Him.
If I am focused on God, I am less likely to sin, because Jesus conquered sin. (Romans 6)
If I am focused on God, I am less likely to be fearful, because Jesus is with me. (Matthew 28)
If I am focused on God, I am more likely to do His will, knowing He is in me. (Romans 8)
If I am focused on God, I am more likely to have peace, because Jesus is peace. (Ephesians 2:14)
If I am focused on God, I am less likely to be depressed. because Jesus is hope. (I Timothy 1:1)
What are the distractions in your life? What do you need to do in order to focus on Jesus more? Talk to me!
On Sunday, we talked about keeping our eyes on Jesus and we likened it to a game of wiffle ball. What can we learn from wiffle ball that will help us with our faith? Here is the short version:
1) Keep your eyes on the ball. (Keep your eyes on Jesus.)
2) We must go after the ball. (Pursue Jesus.)
3) We must meet the ball. (Come to Jesus.)
4) Be sure to keep on swinging. (Don't give up.)
What are the distractions in your life that keep you from focusing on Jesus? Work? Recreation? Hobbies? Sports? Activities? When it comes to things like that, we must keep in mind our human nature that draws us away from pursuing God and His will. If we keep our eyes on Jesus, on His will, His word, His voice, we will find ourselves living a more abundant life and one that is more pleasing to Him.
If I am focused on God, I am less likely to sin, because Jesus conquered sin. (Romans 6)
If I am focused on God, I am less likely to be fearful, because Jesus is with me. (Matthew 28)
If I am focused on God, I am more likely to do His will, knowing He is in me. (Romans 8)
If I am focused on God, I am more likely to have peace, because Jesus is peace. (Ephesians 2:14)
If I am focused on God, I am less likely to be depressed. because Jesus is hope. (I Timothy 1:1)
What are the distractions in your life? What do you need to do in order to focus on Jesus more? Talk to me!
Sunday, September 13, 2009
What to Wear
Colossians 3:12 "Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience."
In Sunday's service, we talked about Paul's instructions to the church at Colossae in regards to holy living. It is important that he (in the passage right before verse 12) has been talking about "setting our hearts on things above" and putting to death the old things that come out of our human nature (impurity, lust, greed, rage, slander, and malice, to name a few). Then he goes from that into how we should clothe ourselves.
He tells us to clothe ourselves in a certain way because we are God's chosen people, and not only chosen but holy and dearly loved. So, he tells the Colossians, "dress the part!" Clothe yourselves with things that clearly come from the Holy Spirit within you. The Holy Spirit in on the INSIDE, so wear Him on the outside as well! So now we have the Holy Spirit inside and outside. Be who you are, or better yet, be who God sees you to be.
So let's review the character traits from this verse briefly:
Compassion - Compassion is love in action. You see a need and feel moved to help.
Kindness - Kindness is love that is sometimes undeserved. You are loving no matter what.
Humility - Humility is thinking of others as better than or above you. You love others more than yourself.
Gentleness - Gentleness is softness, kindness, or mildness. Whether it is correction or comfort that is needed, it is expressed in a kind and soft way.
Patience - Patience is being willing to wait. Love cannot be in a hurry!
Interesting that Paul goes on to say what binds it all together:
Colossians 3:14 "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
Love is what keeps it together. When I think about that, I think in practical terms. We can act in a compassionate way with a heart that feels resentment about helping. We can show kindness to a person while feeling angry on the inside. We can show humility while having a lot of pride in our hearts. We can act in a gentle way and at the same time feel frustrated and have a hard heart. We can be patient and be screaming "hurry up" on the inside.
When our good behavior isn't matched in our hearts, then at best we are demonstrating self-control. Not a bad thing, by the way. But how long can I really keep that up? If compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience are not coming out of a loving heart, eventually the facade is going to crack and the "real deal" is going to come out.
So, yes, we must work on our behavior, but our real prayer should be that God fills us with love for Him that spills out into love for others. Our prayer should be that we are filled with the Holy Spirit so that the "clothes" of Colossians 3, are honest fruits of our relationship with God. Our desire should be that our love for others is so deep, that our clothing is an outcome of that love.
So what are you wearing this week? Talk to me!
In Sunday's service, we talked about Paul's instructions to the church at Colossae in regards to holy living. It is important that he (in the passage right before verse 12) has been talking about "setting our hearts on things above" and putting to death the old things that come out of our human nature (impurity, lust, greed, rage, slander, and malice, to name a few). Then he goes from that into how we should clothe ourselves.
He tells us to clothe ourselves in a certain way because we are God's chosen people, and not only chosen but holy and dearly loved. So, he tells the Colossians, "dress the part!" Clothe yourselves with things that clearly come from the Holy Spirit within you. The Holy Spirit in on the INSIDE, so wear Him on the outside as well! So now we have the Holy Spirit inside and outside. Be who you are, or better yet, be who God sees you to be.
So let's review the character traits from this verse briefly:
Compassion - Compassion is love in action. You see a need and feel moved to help.
Kindness - Kindness is love that is sometimes undeserved. You are loving no matter what.
Humility - Humility is thinking of others as better than or above you. You love others more than yourself.
Gentleness - Gentleness is softness, kindness, or mildness. Whether it is correction or comfort that is needed, it is expressed in a kind and soft way.
Patience - Patience is being willing to wait. Love cannot be in a hurry!
Interesting that Paul goes on to say what binds it all together:
Colossians 3:14 "And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity."
Love is what keeps it together. When I think about that, I think in practical terms. We can act in a compassionate way with a heart that feels resentment about helping. We can show kindness to a person while feeling angry on the inside. We can show humility while having a lot of pride in our hearts. We can act in a gentle way and at the same time feel frustrated and have a hard heart. We can be patient and be screaming "hurry up" on the inside.
When our good behavior isn't matched in our hearts, then at best we are demonstrating self-control. Not a bad thing, by the way. But how long can I really keep that up? If compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience are not coming out of a loving heart, eventually the facade is going to crack and the "real deal" is going to come out.
So, yes, we must work on our behavior, but our real prayer should be that God fills us with love for Him that spills out into love for others. Our prayer should be that we are filled with the Holy Spirit so that the "clothes" of Colossians 3, are honest fruits of our relationship with God. Our desire should be that our love for others is so deep, that our clothing is an outcome of that love.
So what are you wearing this week? Talk to me!
Monday, September 7, 2009
Just Do It!
Sunday we talked about obedience. Our verse for the day was "I will hasten and not delay to obey Your commands." (Psalm 119:60)
We briefly looked at the story of Jonah's disobedience. God told him to go to Nineveh, and Jonah had a "better" idea, or so he thought, and ended up running away on a ship going the opposite direction. God didn't stop him from going. He let him buy the ticket. He let him board the ship. He let him get part of the way, until he was in the middle of the sea with no possible chance of escape. Then God did what He does with all of us when we disobey--He disciplined Jonah.
We used three assertions that I want to remind you of as you go through this week and meditate on what you learned. Meditate and apply it as you "hasten to obey!" The first one is, "Delayed obedience is disobedience." The second is, "Obedience demonstrates our love." The third one is, "Just do it!"
Delayed obedience is disobedience. - This is a pretty practical assertion. Think about Jonah and what he did. After God gives him clear instructions of what to do and where to go, Jonah turns and runs the opposite direction of what God told him to do. He was walking in total disobedience to God. After landing in the belly of a big fish, he ends up doing what he absolutely should have done all along. So I suppose it could be said that after some period of time (we don't know how long, except we know he was in the big fish's belly for three days) he decides to obey God. But he kind of got backed into a corner, didn't he?
Now I don't know how God looks at it, but if I were God, I would have not counted that as obedience, but instead repentance. I would have said, "Hey man, this hardly puts a star in your crown. I gave you no choice on this one." Thankfully for Jonah, I'm not God. After the word of the Lord came to Jonah (again), "Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh." (Jonah 3:3) So apparently God did what He does, and gave Jonah a second chance and Jonah got that counted as obedience.
Obedience demonstrates our love. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey my commandments." (John 14:15) We are demonstrating our love in choosing who we obey. If we give into our own will instead of doing what God says, we are demonstrating love of self more than love of God. If we give into the pressure of others who want us to do opposite of what God tells us to do, we are choosing love for others over love for God.
God wants us to obey Him, and if we love Him we will. Deuteronomy 6:5 says, "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Jesus even went so far as to call that commandment "the greatest commandment." It is kind of interesting that not only does obeying God's commands demonstrate our love for Him, but also that by loving our God we are obeying His command. It is kind of a "what came first, the chicken or the egg" question. By obeying, we love God, and by loving God, we are obeying. I'm gonna have to think about that one!
Just do it! - When God tells you to do something or when you know of a command in the Bible, don't hesitate! Just do it! When you hear God's command (or read His command), don't take the time to decide if you want to, or if you will, or if it "feels" like the best thing for you and your plans and your will. Just do it!
Remember God never tells you to do anything that is not for your good. Just do it! God always provide the strength to do what He says. Just do it! When you obey God, you are avoiding unpleasant discipline. Just do it! When God commands you to do something it is because it fits with a larger plan that you might totally miss if you disobey. Just do it! If He tells you to do something, remember that He is asking you to demonstrate your love for Him. Just do it!
So what is it that causes you to hesitate to obey His commands? What are your thoughts about demonstrating your love for God by obeying Him? How would your life be different if you were to decide to obey God quickly and without delay?
Talk to me! I look forward to hearing what you think!
We briefly looked at the story of Jonah's disobedience. God told him to go to Nineveh, and Jonah had a "better" idea, or so he thought, and ended up running away on a ship going the opposite direction. God didn't stop him from going. He let him buy the ticket. He let him board the ship. He let him get part of the way, until he was in the middle of the sea with no possible chance of escape. Then God did what He does with all of us when we disobey--He disciplined Jonah.
We used three assertions that I want to remind you of as you go through this week and meditate on what you learned. Meditate and apply it as you "hasten to obey!" The first one is, "Delayed obedience is disobedience." The second is, "Obedience demonstrates our love." The third one is, "Just do it!"
Delayed obedience is disobedience. - This is a pretty practical assertion. Think about Jonah and what he did. After God gives him clear instructions of what to do and where to go, Jonah turns and runs the opposite direction of what God told him to do. He was walking in total disobedience to God. After landing in the belly of a big fish, he ends up doing what he absolutely should have done all along. So I suppose it could be said that after some period of time (we don't know how long, except we know he was in the big fish's belly for three days) he decides to obey God. But he kind of got backed into a corner, didn't he?
Now I don't know how God looks at it, but if I were God, I would have not counted that as obedience, but instead repentance. I would have said, "Hey man, this hardly puts a star in your crown. I gave you no choice on this one." Thankfully for Jonah, I'm not God. After the word of the Lord came to Jonah (again), "Jonah obeyed the word of the Lord and went to Nineveh." (Jonah 3:3) So apparently God did what He does, and gave Jonah a second chance and Jonah got that counted as obedience.
Obedience demonstrates our love. Jesus said, "If you love me, you will obey my commandments." (John 14:15) We are demonstrating our love in choosing who we obey. If we give into our own will instead of doing what God says, we are demonstrating love of self more than love of God. If we give into the pressure of others who want us to do opposite of what God tells us to do, we are choosing love for others over love for God.
God wants us to obey Him, and if we love Him we will. Deuteronomy 6:5 says, "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength." Jesus even went so far as to call that commandment "the greatest commandment." It is kind of interesting that not only does obeying God's commands demonstrate our love for Him, but also that by loving our God we are obeying His command. It is kind of a "what came first, the chicken or the egg" question. By obeying, we love God, and by loving God, we are obeying. I'm gonna have to think about that one!
Just do it! - When God tells you to do something or when you know of a command in the Bible, don't hesitate! Just do it! When you hear God's command (or read His command), don't take the time to decide if you want to, or if you will, or if it "feels" like the best thing for you and your plans and your will. Just do it!
Remember God never tells you to do anything that is not for your good. Just do it! God always provide the strength to do what He says. Just do it! When you obey God, you are avoiding unpleasant discipline. Just do it! When God commands you to do something it is because it fits with a larger plan that you might totally miss if you disobey. Just do it! If He tells you to do something, remember that He is asking you to demonstrate your love for Him. Just do it!
So what is it that causes you to hesitate to obey His commands? What are your thoughts about demonstrating your love for God by obeying Him? How would your life be different if you were to decide to obey God quickly and without delay?
Talk to me! I look forward to hearing what you think!
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