Last Saturday I was on my way to a prayer meeting in Shorewood with a group of my fellow pastors. I had been there before and knew how to get there. As I left my house I noticed that I needed some gas in my car so I made a little trip down to the gas station in Yorkville. I was doing some serious worshipping of the Lord with a CD that I had inserted in my car. I was worshipping the Lord. I was preparing myself to pray with my brothers and fellow pastors. My heart was right. My attitude was in the right frame of mind, but something was wrong. As I was making my way down the road I noticed that I was a few miles from Morris and that I was on the wrong road. I made a U-turn but realized that I would be too late to join in the prayer meeting and made my way back home. Even though my heart was right, I was on the wrong road.
In the same way, there are many people today on the wrong road. Many of them are sincere in what they believe. Many of them believe they are walking the right path. Unfortunately they do not know they are on a road that leads nowhere. Proverbs 14:12 states “There is a way that seems right to a man, but in the end it leads to death.” Elsewhere Jesus said “wide is the gate and broad the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.”
The good news is that those on the wrong road can make a U-turn. They can get on the right track if they will follow the road map that has been laid out for them in God’s Word. Specifically Paul gave us a great road map to help others find the right path in the book of Romans.
In Romans 3:10 Paul wrote "As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one." Perhaps we do not understand this concept of righteous. Righteous means measuring up to God's standard. In essence Paul is saying that none of us are perfect. We might be a good person, but none of us would dare say that we are perfect. I know this may come as bad news to some of you, but you are just not as great as you thought.
In Romans 3:23 Paul takes it one more step when he writes "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Not only does Paul say that we are not perfect, but we also choose to do things that are not pleasing to God. We choose to go against what he teaches is right to do. For instance when we lie, cheat, steal, cheat on our spouses, fudge on our taxes, have bad thoughts, we are not living up to the standards that God requires. The Bible calls this sin and us sinners. Maybe we don't like that term so lets just say that we are crooked and have a tendency to do crooked things. If you think you are are exempt from this rule, read it again "all have sinned." This is the one rule for which there is no exception.
Paul reveals the consequences of our choices in Romans 6:23 when he writes "the wages of sin is death but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." All of us like to receive wages for what we do. I do not know of anyone who does not like to get paid. In other words it is all about the economy. In God's economy, if we choose to sin we must pay the price. The price is not physical death as we are all going to die. The price is eternal separation from God after our physical death. Perhaps you don't believe that there is life after death. Okay, are you willing to stake eternity on it? What if I am right? Are you willing to live with the consequences of your choice? The good news is that God loves us so much that he made a way for us to be with Him in eternity. We cannot earn it. We do not deserve it. And we cannot buy it. It is simply a gift that God wants to give us through Jesus Christ our Lord. All we can do is accept it or reject it.
Paul explains how we can accept this gift in Romans 10:9-10 "If you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved." The Bible states that we are to believe and confess that Jesus is Lord. Also we are to believe that He was raised from the dead. This belief is pivotal to our relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Without the resurrection Christianity is nothing more than a good set of ethical standards, but there is no hope. The fact that Jesus died on the cross, and was raised from the dead, makes Christianity different from all other religions. We have a living God who did what was necessary to establish a relationship with us. What we must do is believe and confess this truth.
However, notice that Paul said we are to confess Jesus is Lord. Paul means that it is more than just saying save me from eternal death, but come and be my Lord now in this life. We want to live our lives in a such a way that we surrender our will to God's will. Paul concludes this idea in Romans 10:13 with these words "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." The key phrase is "everyone who calls." Previously Paul said there is no one righteous, not even one. He also said "all have sinned." Since Paul's clear teaching is that all people without exception have sinned and are not righteous, it is only consistent that God's salvation be available to everyone.
But not everyone will be saved. There is a qualifier in this verse, which is everyone who calls on the name of the Lord." If you call on the name of Jesus to save you, you will be saved. Calling out means placing all your hope of eternal life in Jesus Christ alone. It means that if you are going to make it to heaven and miss eternal separation from God then it is going to be through Jesus Christ alone.
Whatever road or path you find yourself on, the good news is that you can turn around and choose a different road. Why not do so today? Pray this simple prayer "Lord I admit that I am a sinner and fall short of your plans for my life. I believe that Jesus died for my sins and that He rose from the dead and is alive today. I confess my sins and commit my life to Jesus as Lord and savior of my life. Amen,"
If you honestly prayed that prayer then you are a child of God. Now you need to involve yourself in a Bible teaching church and become all that God intends for you to be. I know a really good church in my area if you would like to know. I look forward to hearing from you.
Friday, March 19, 2010
Wednesday, March 10, 2010
Sam Adams Churches
I saw an interesting advertisement today. It was a delivery truck advertising Sam Adams Beer. I don't drink beer, but I still thought it was a pretty good ad. The statement on the side of the truck was "beer drinkers to do list" then underneath the title were pictures of all the different Sam Adams beers. There was pale beer, and light beer, and dark beer and cherry wheat beer and all kinds of other beers that the brewers at Sam Adams places on the market. I remember years ago when there were only a handful of beers that a person could buy. Now the market is saturated with all kinds of beers for everyone's taste.
Anyway, underneath the pictures of the various beers was a box that a person could check once he has tasted that particular beer. Sam Adams was doing a good job of marketing their product. However, sometimes outward appearances can be deceiving. As I watched the beer truck come to a stop at the local store I expected to see the driver unload several different cases of Sam Adams beer. After all the truck was advertising Sam Adams beer.
Much to my surprise the driver began loading on to his cart various other beers that were not the Sam Adams label. I am not an expert on beers, but I can read labels. I saw Miller light beer, I saw Busch beer, and I saw Budweiser beer being loaded from the Sam Adams truck. Did the owner of this truck know about this sabatoge of their product? Why would a company want to advertise one beer and then sell a completely different beer? I was confused until I realized that the truck was not really a Sam Adams delivery truck but the delivery truck of a local bottling company. In other words they delivered whatever was needed and Sam Adams paid to put their information on the truck.
However, as I thought of the truck I began to wonder how many Sam Adams Churches there are in the world. I know my mind often works in warped ways, but it made me think of how the church advertises or markets. I wonder if on the outside we advertise ourselves as one thing, but when we open ourselves up we reveal something other than what we say we are.
We advertise ourselves as a loving church, but when people attend they do not feel loved. We advertise ourselves as a caring church but we do not show much care or concern for others. We advertise ourselves as an exciting fellowship, but there is no excitement in the fellowship. We advertise ourselves as a mission minded church, but we have little to do with missions. I think you get the point. We advertise one thing, but we actually reveal something else.
The truth is what is said about the local church could also be said about individual Christians as well. Think about the church where you attend. Think about your own life. Are you a Sam Adams Church or a Sam Adams Christian?
Anyway, underneath the pictures of the various beers was a box that a person could check once he has tasted that particular beer. Sam Adams was doing a good job of marketing their product. However, sometimes outward appearances can be deceiving. As I watched the beer truck come to a stop at the local store I expected to see the driver unload several different cases of Sam Adams beer. After all the truck was advertising Sam Adams beer.
Much to my surprise the driver began loading on to his cart various other beers that were not the Sam Adams label. I am not an expert on beers, but I can read labels. I saw Miller light beer, I saw Busch beer, and I saw Budweiser beer being loaded from the Sam Adams truck. Did the owner of this truck know about this sabatoge of their product? Why would a company want to advertise one beer and then sell a completely different beer? I was confused until I realized that the truck was not really a Sam Adams delivery truck but the delivery truck of a local bottling company. In other words they delivered whatever was needed and Sam Adams paid to put their information on the truck.
However, as I thought of the truck I began to wonder how many Sam Adams Churches there are in the world. I know my mind often works in warped ways, but it made me think of how the church advertises or markets. I wonder if on the outside we advertise ourselves as one thing, but when we open ourselves up we reveal something other than what we say we are.
We advertise ourselves as a loving church, but when people attend they do not feel loved. We advertise ourselves as a caring church but we do not show much care or concern for others. We advertise ourselves as an exciting fellowship, but there is no excitement in the fellowship. We advertise ourselves as a mission minded church, but we have little to do with missions. I think you get the point. We advertise one thing, but we actually reveal something else.
The truth is what is said about the local church could also be said about individual Christians as well. Think about the church where you attend. Think about your own life. Are you a Sam Adams Church or a Sam Adams Christian?
Monday, March 8, 2010
The Church a refuge for the world
The title of this post might catch you by surprise, because many consider the church a refuge from the world. It is a place where Christians can come and escape the realities of the world around us. It is a place where we can be safe from everything that the world hurls at us. It is a safe haven for our children. It is a safe haven for our marriages. It protects us from the evil that is all around us. It is the one place where we can come and find protection from the world around us.
It is not difficult to understand why people consider the church as a refuge from the world. The world can be scary place. If we can be protected from the world then the temptation will not be as great. If we can find refuge from the world, we may not become tarnished by the corruption of the world. The church is the one place where the unbelieving world cannot get to us. Too often the church becomes our secure place, our haven from the outside world. As a result we have turned our churches into monasteries, places that become a spiritual refuge for us, focusing on our spiritual life, caring for our spiritual needs and nurturing our spiritual health. In other words the church is all about us.
But the problem is that the church was never intended to be a monastery. In fact, God intends that there be no place that we can hide, except in His presence. When we use the church as our shelter from the world we fail to turn to God and make Him our refuge.
In the words of one writer, instead of the church being a monastery, we are to be a place of refuge for an unbelieving world. The church is to be a place where seekers finally find the God they have been searching for. The church becomes a place where the broken find restoration, the weary find rest, and the hurting find rejuvenation. It is a place where the lonely and the outcast are finally embraced and loved by the community of Christ. I heard of one lady who said the church was the first place that she ever felt the love of God.
When the church becomes a refuge for the world and not from the world, guess what, it might not look like the church you remember. There will be worldly people in the church. They will have worldly values and their attitudes and actions will not be the same as yours. In other words the problems of the world will be brought into the church. But the good news is that the church will be there to provide Christlike love and godly wisdom to the problems that people face. Perhaps we need to be reminded that Jesus told us that it is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick. Jesus has called us out of the world, but we often forget that He sent us back into the world to transform the very culture in which we exist.
It is not difficult to understand why people consider the church as a refuge from the world. The world can be scary place. If we can be protected from the world then the temptation will not be as great. If we can find refuge from the world, we may not become tarnished by the corruption of the world. The church is the one place where the unbelieving world cannot get to us. Too often the church becomes our secure place, our haven from the outside world. As a result we have turned our churches into monasteries, places that become a spiritual refuge for us, focusing on our spiritual life, caring for our spiritual needs and nurturing our spiritual health. In other words the church is all about us.
But the problem is that the church was never intended to be a monastery. In fact, God intends that there be no place that we can hide, except in His presence. When we use the church as our shelter from the world we fail to turn to God and make Him our refuge.
In the words of one writer, instead of the church being a monastery, we are to be a place of refuge for an unbelieving world. The church is to be a place where seekers finally find the God they have been searching for. The church becomes a place where the broken find restoration, the weary find rest, and the hurting find rejuvenation. It is a place where the lonely and the outcast are finally embraced and loved by the community of Christ. I heard of one lady who said the church was the first place that she ever felt the love of God.
When the church becomes a refuge for the world and not from the world, guess what, it might not look like the church you remember. There will be worldly people in the church. They will have worldly values and their attitudes and actions will not be the same as yours. In other words the problems of the world will be brought into the church. But the good news is that the church will be there to provide Christlike love and godly wisdom to the problems that people face. Perhaps we need to be reminded that Jesus told us that it is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick. Jesus has called us out of the world, but we often forget that He sent us back into the world to transform the very culture in which we exist.
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Passing of a friend
Yesterday my wife and I received word that one of our dear friends lost her battle with cancer and passed away. Lisa was a dear friend, but we have not been in contact in several years. She leaves behind a husband and two children and will be missed.
This family were good friends of ours and we hung out together quite often when we were younger. We attended the same church and would spend time at their house and they would spend time at our house. We would play games such as Rook and Win, Lose or Draw and just have a good time together. Their two children were the same age as our oldest girls and so it made our friendship even more special. We once took a vacation to Puerta Vallarta, Mexico with them and it was her husband Doug that was my parasailing buddy while we were on the vacation.
We also worked together in the youth department of our church. Doug and Lisa taught the 7th and 8th grade class, our other friends taught the 9th and 10th grade and then Gabbie and I taught the 11th and 12th grade. Along with the Youth Minister Mark we called ourselves the four horsemen of the Youth department. It was a great time of growing, serving and loving on teens together. We made an impact on a lot of young lives in those years.
It was with Doug and the rest of the guys that we comprised our first rap song. Yes you heard that right, we did a rap song. The intention was to get the attention of the youth group during that time. Can you imagine what went through their minds as the 20 something guys began to rap. We had the sun glasses and started rapping you better believe that we had their attention. I still remember my part: "God made Adam, God made Eve, then He told them never to leave." I had more, but that was the part I remember the most.
The point is that we shared history with this couple and they were dear friends. We began to drift over the years after I accepted my first pastorate and moved away. We would occasionally talk and see them, but over time we lost contact accept through mutual friends. However, they are still a part of our life and she will be missed.
But I am encouraged that she is in a much better place now and that she is healed of all her sickness. She is no longer suffering any pain and there are no longer tears. The reason I can have such encouragement is because Lisa was not just a friend, but she was my sister in Christ. Because of her relationship with Jesus Christ I know exactly where she is this very day. She is safe in the arms of her loving heavenly father because she had placed her hope of heaven through faith in Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior.
For this reason I do not greive like other people, because I know where she is at this very moment. Paul told the Thessalonians "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep." He later goes on to say that we will be with them forever someday.
Even though my heart is sad and I wish I could offer some comfort to my friend Doug, I am encouraged that someday we will see Lisa again. We have our hope in Christ Jesus who gives us victory over death. Michael W. Smith sang years ago "Friends are friends forever if the Lord's the Lord of them." Lisa will be our friend forever.
Let me encourage you two ways today. First, pick up the phone and reconnect with old friends. Do not wait until it is too late to tell them you love them. Second, make sure that you know where your hope lies beyond this life. Place your faith in Jesus Christ as Lord of your life and experience victory over death. If you would like to know more about a relationship with Jesus Christ drop me a note and I will get back with you.
Lisa we love you and though I know you are in a far better place we will miss you. But we look forward to the time when we can see you again.
This family were good friends of ours and we hung out together quite often when we were younger. We attended the same church and would spend time at their house and they would spend time at our house. We would play games such as Rook and Win, Lose or Draw and just have a good time together. Their two children were the same age as our oldest girls and so it made our friendship even more special. We once took a vacation to Puerta Vallarta, Mexico with them and it was her husband Doug that was my parasailing buddy while we were on the vacation.
We also worked together in the youth department of our church. Doug and Lisa taught the 7th and 8th grade class, our other friends taught the 9th and 10th grade and then Gabbie and I taught the 11th and 12th grade. Along with the Youth Minister Mark we called ourselves the four horsemen of the Youth department. It was a great time of growing, serving and loving on teens together. We made an impact on a lot of young lives in those years.
It was with Doug and the rest of the guys that we comprised our first rap song. Yes you heard that right, we did a rap song. The intention was to get the attention of the youth group during that time. Can you imagine what went through their minds as the 20 something guys began to rap. We had the sun glasses and started rapping you better believe that we had their attention. I still remember my part: "God made Adam, God made Eve, then He told them never to leave." I had more, but that was the part I remember the most.
The point is that we shared history with this couple and they were dear friends. We began to drift over the years after I accepted my first pastorate and moved away. We would occasionally talk and see them, but over time we lost contact accept through mutual friends. However, they are still a part of our life and she will be missed.
But I am encouraged that she is in a much better place now and that she is healed of all her sickness. She is no longer suffering any pain and there are no longer tears. The reason I can have such encouragement is because Lisa was not just a friend, but she was my sister in Christ. Because of her relationship with Jesus Christ I know exactly where she is this very day. She is safe in the arms of her loving heavenly father because she had placed her hope of heaven through faith in Jesus Christ as her personal Lord and Savior.
For this reason I do not greive like other people, because I know where she is at this very moment. Paul told the Thessalonians "Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep." He later goes on to say that we will be with them forever someday.
Even though my heart is sad and I wish I could offer some comfort to my friend Doug, I am encouraged that someday we will see Lisa again. We have our hope in Christ Jesus who gives us victory over death. Michael W. Smith sang years ago "Friends are friends forever if the Lord's the Lord of them." Lisa will be our friend forever.
Let me encourage you two ways today. First, pick up the phone and reconnect with old friends. Do not wait until it is too late to tell them you love them. Second, make sure that you know where your hope lies beyond this life. Place your faith in Jesus Christ as Lord of your life and experience victory over death. If you would like to know more about a relationship with Jesus Christ drop me a note and I will get back with you.
Lisa we love you and though I know you are in a far better place we will miss you. But we look forward to the time when we can see you again.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
Am I a citizen?
Yesterday I took off from work and thought I would take care of a couple of things which I have been putting off for some time. One of them was to get my son Jameson his driver's license. The other things I needed to do were to get my cars registered and to get a driver's license myself. Getting a driver's license for my son was easy, the other two were difficult. In fact I was not able to get a license or register my vehicles.
Supposedly I do not have the right documentation to receive a driver's license in the state of Illinois. I ran into the same problem when I went to Arizona and back to Texas. It seems that you need to have several types of documentation to prove you are a citizen of this country. I know there is no way that those who are undocumented aliens, illegal aliens, or non registered immigrants, however you want to look at it are driving cars legally here. How do they get anything without the proper documentation, but that is another post.
It seems that I have to prove that I am indeed a citizen of the United States and of Illinois before they will give me a license. So I went armed with my social security card, which does not have a photo ID on it. I had some recent mail delivered to my house. I had my Texas Driver's license. My car registrations and several other documents that pretty much prove who I am. However, I did not have a birth certificate to prove I was legal. Okay, I have a birth certificate, but I did not have it with me. And of course they will not take a copy of a birth certificate, it has to be a birth certificate with a raised seal, so that they can make a copy of the birth certificate. Did they even have raised seals when I was born?
The thing that gets me about all of this is that I did the same thing in Texas. In other words they issued me a license because I proved I was a citizen of the United States, but now Illinois does not believe I am a citizen of the United States. As far as registering my car, I have to provide the name of the banks that hold the title to my car. I understand that they need to issue an Illinois title to the loan company, but still I think we sometimes go overboard. The lady said that having my Texas registration was not enough, because I might have sold the car in Texas. Of course my little pea brain said "why would I want to register a car that I do not own or am not paying for?" Sometimes I think our government makes things harder than they need to be.
Needless to say I will need to go back with all the documentation at a later date and go through the whole process again. I will have to locate an official birth certificate so that I can prove that I am actually a citizen of the United States.
Which brings me to another topic. The Bible says that my citizenship is actually in heaven. The question I must consider is "how do people know that I am a citizen of heaven?" I mean after all I don't have a birth certificate that has a raised seal stating that I am a citizen. How do I prove to others that I am indeed a citizen of heaven? Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 1:22 that God "set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." And then again in Ephesians 1:13-14 Paul writes "having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. . ." So we actually do have a seal placed upon us that proves we are children of heaven. Later Paul will say that God's Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are indeed the children of God.
I like the idea of the Holy Spirit being a seal on my life that affirms me as a citizen in the kingdom of God. However, how do others know for sure that I am a citizen of the kingdom of God? The teachings of Jesus might help us with this question. Jesus said the way that others will know that we are his disciples and therefore citizens of heaven is by the way we love one another. Check it out in John 13:34-35 if you do not believe me. John will later write in 1 John 3:15 that if we do not love one another then we are not really citizens of the kingdom.
So the question you must ask yourself is "How do others know that I am a citizen of heaven?" How are you doing in demonstrating love toward others might help to answer that question. I hope I can eventually validate that I am a citizen of the United States, but to be honest I am more concerned that I validate that I am a citizen of heaven. Once I prove to Illinois I am a legal citizen, I want have to worry about it any more. But proving I am a citizen of heaven is something I must demonstrate everyday. I am glad my citizenship is in heaven, now I just want to live my life as proof of that fact.
Supposedly I do not have the right documentation to receive a driver's license in the state of Illinois. I ran into the same problem when I went to Arizona and back to Texas. It seems that you need to have several types of documentation to prove you are a citizen of this country. I know there is no way that those who are undocumented aliens, illegal aliens, or non registered immigrants, however you want to look at it are driving cars legally here. How do they get anything without the proper documentation, but that is another post.
It seems that I have to prove that I am indeed a citizen of the United States and of Illinois before they will give me a license. So I went armed with my social security card, which does not have a photo ID on it. I had some recent mail delivered to my house. I had my Texas Driver's license. My car registrations and several other documents that pretty much prove who I am. However, I did not have a birth certificate to prove I was legal. Okay, I have a birth certificate, but I did not have it with me. And of course they will not take a copy of a birth certificate, it has to be a birth certificate with a raised seal, so that they can make a copy of the birth certificate. Did they even have raised seals when I was born?
The thing that gets me about all of this is that I did the same thing in Texas. In other words they issued me a license because I proved I was a citizen of the United States, but now Illinois does not believe I am a citizen of the United States. As far as registering my car, I have to provide the name of the banks that hold the title to my car. I understand that they need to issue an Illinois title to the loan company, but still I think we sometimes go overboard. The lady said that having my Texas registration was not enough, because I might have sold the car in Texas. Of course my little pea brain said "why would I want to register a car that I do not own or am not paying for?" Sometimes I think our government makes things harder than they need to be.
Needless to say I will need to go back with all the documentation at a later date and go through the whole process again. I will have to locate an official birth certificate so that I can prove that I am actually a citizen of the United States.
Which brings me to another topic. The Bible says that my citizenship is actually in heaven. The question I must consider is "how do people know that I am a citizen of heaven?" I mean after all I don't have a birth certificate that has a raised seal stating that I am a citizen. How do I prove to others that I am indeed a citizen of heaven? Paul stated in 2 Corinthians 1:22 that God "set his seal of ownership on us, and put his Spirit in our hearts as a deposit, guaranteeing what is to come." And then again in Ephesians 1:13-14 Paul writes "having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance. . ." So we actually do have a seal placed upon us that proves we are children of heaven. Later Paul will say that God's Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are indeed the children of God.
I like the idea of the Holy Spirit being a seal on my life that affirms me as a citizen in the kingdom of God. However, how do others know for sure that I am a citizen of the kingdom of God? The teachings of Jesus might help us with this question. Jesus said the way that others will know that we are his disciples and therefore citizens of heaven is by the way we love one another. Check it out in John 13:34-35 if you do not believe me. John will later write in 1 John 3:15 that if we do not love one another then we are not really citizens of the kingdom.
So the question you must ask yourself is "How do others know that I am a citizen of heaven?" How are you doing in demonstrating love toward others might help to answer that question. I hope I can eventually validate that I am a citizen of the United States, but to be honest I am more concerned that I validate that I am a citizen of heaven. Once I prove to Illinois I am a legal citizen, I want have to worry about it any more. But proving I am a citizen of heaven is something I must demonstrate everyday. I am glad my citizenship is in heaven, now I just want to live my life as proof of that fact.
Monday, February 8, 2010
I will understand later
Many times things happen in life that I have no idea why they happened or even how they happened. It is not until much later that things become clear and I begin to have a better understanding of why and how they happened. This truth is one that we need to grasp as it will make things a little easier as we go through life. There is no way we can understand everything that is going on around us.
This truth is revealed in Scripture as well. I was reading in John 12:1-19 and saw this truth revealed three times. The first mention of this truth is revealed when Mary anoints the feet of Jesus with precious perfume and wipes His feet with her hair. Judas complains that the perfume could have been sold and used to help the poor, but Jesus states that she was simply preparing His body for his death. At the time the disciples did not grasp the significance of the event or the teaching. In about 6 days they would understand the truth.
Another episode is revealed with John's comments about Judas. John states that Judas did not care about helping the poor, because He was a thief and was always taking money out of the money bag for his personal use. John is writing about one of his fellow disciples. Why would he make such a statement? If I were writing the story, I would have sprung all of this on my readers at a later date. Yet, John writing in retrospect of the event was able to explain the motives behind Judas' statement. He was able to look back at this event and realized that Judas showed signs early on of not really being a follower of Jesus.
I remember a story from my past about a good friend of mine from Seminary. He was probably my best friend at the time. We carpooled to seminary together and had some great conversations together. We talked about the Bible, about church, about our families and about things in general. Before we graduated from Seminary he accepted a pastorate in New Mexico and he asked me what I thought about the decision. I told him to wait and graduate first before he moved to New Mexico. I told him he would be all alone in the area with no support system and he would need that later. He did not heed my advice and moved to New Mexico with his family. In a very short time, my friend called me and told me he was having an affair and thought he was in love. He eventually resigned his church, divorced his wife and married this woman.
However, in retrospect, I saw some warning signs before this event occurred, but I was not able to be as discerning as I needed to be. I saw some struggles in his marriage early on and the move to New Mexico only brought more struggles to his marriage. I understood things much clearer at a later date. The same scenario played out with John as he looked back at this event with Judas.
One other episode is revealed in John 12 that highlights this fact. As Jesus is making his way into Jerusalem the people are praising him and celebrating his triumphal entry and John states that the disciples did not understand the significance of the event until after Jesus had been glorified. They looked back over this event and they began to understand it clearly.
Why do I tell you all of these things? There are times that things happen in our lives that we do not understand. These may be times of difficulties and struggles in our lives. I have been through some that I still do not understand and I am going through some now that are difficult as well. Perhaps it is happening to you also. Maybe you have lost a job and you cannot make sense of what is happening. Maybe you are struggling to pay your bills and it is causing other problems in your life. Perhaps changes are happening around you and you cannot understand what is happening. My word of advice to you is to not lose hope or lose your faith in God. There will come a time when you will understand everything better. You may never fully grasp why something happened, but you will understand it better by and by. Do not let the circumstances of your life determine your future. Do not throw your hands up in the air and give up just because you do not understand what is happening in your life.
Use these times to draw closer to God and trust in Him more. God did not wake up one morning and realize that you were in a struggle and there was nothing He could do about it. He is always in control and He is always able to do more than you can even imagine. You keep being faithful and you keep trusting in God to work all things out for the good. The things happening to you can make you bitter or better, but only you can make that decision.
Years ago one of my professors said "It is not what happens to you that determines what happens to you. It is what happens to what happens to you that determines what happens to you." Think about that and decide today that even though you may not understand what is happening, you are determined to come out better because of it.
This truth is revealed in Scripture as well. I was reading in John 12:1-19 and saw this truth revealed three times. The first mention of this truth is revealed when Mary anoints the feet of Jesus with precious perfume and wipes His feet with her hair. Judas complains that the perfume could have been sold and used to help the poor, but Jesus states that she was simply preparing His body for his death. At the time the disciples did not grasp the significance of the event or the teaching. In about 6 days they would understand the truth.
Another episode is revealed with John's comments about Judas. John states that Judas did not care about helping the poor, because He was a thief and was always taking money out of the money bag for his personal use. John is writing about one of his fellow disciples. Why would he make such a statement? If I were writing the story, I would have sprung all of this on my readers at a later date. Yet, John writing in retrospect of the event was able to explain the motives behind Judas' statement. He was able to look back at this event and realized that Judas showed signs early on of not really being a follower of Jesus.
I remember a story from my past about a good friend of mine from Seminary. He was probably my best friend at the time. We carpooled to seminary together and had some great conversations together. We talked about the Bible, about church, about our families and about things in general. Before we graduated from Seminary he accepted a pastorate in New Mexico and he asked me what I thought about the decision. I told him to wait and graduate first before he moved to New Mexico. I told him he would be all alone in the area with no support system and he would need that later. He did not heed my advice and moved to New Mexico with his family. In a very short time, my friend called me and told me he was having an affair and thought he was in love. He eventually resigned his church, divorced his wife and married this woman.
However, in retrospect, I saw some warning signs before this event occurred, but I was not able to be as discerning as I needed to be. I saw some struggles in his marriage early on and the move to New Mexico only brought more struggles to his marriage. I understood things much clearer at a later date. The same scenario played out with John as he looked back at this event with Judas.
One other episode is revealed in John 12 that highlights this fact. As Jesus is making his way into Jerusalem the people are praising him and celebrating his triumphal entry and John states that the disciples did not understand the significance of the event until after Jesus had been glorified. They looked back over this event and they began to understand it clearly.
Why do I tell you all of these things? There are times that things happen in our lives that we do not understand. These may be times of difficulties and struggles in our lives. I have been through some that I still do not understand and I am going through some now that are difficult as well. Perhaps it is happening to you also. Maybe you have lost a job and you cannot make sense of what is happening. Maybe you are struggling to pay your bills and it is causing other problems in your life. Perhaps changes are happening around you and you cannot understand what is happening. My word of advice to you is to not lose hope or lose your faith in God. There will come a time when you will understand everything better. You may never fully grasp why something happened, but you will understand it better by and by. Do not let the circumstances of your life determine your future. Do not throw your hands up in the air and give up just because you do not understand what is happening in your life.
Use these times to draw closer to God and trust in Him more. God did not wake up one morning and realize that you were in a struggle and there was nothing He could do about it. He is always in control and He is always able to do more than you can even imagine. You keep being faithful and you keep trusting in God to work all things out for the good. The things happening to you can make you bitter or better, but only you can make that decision.
Years ago one of my professors said "It is not what happens to you that determines what happens to you. It is what happens to what happens to you that determines what happens to you." Think about that and decide today that even though you may not understand what is happening, you are determined to come out better because of it.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
Facebook Friends
A few months ago I joined the facebook crowd. I was hesitant to join the crowd because I was afraid that I would be disappointed when I joined. My wife was a facebook member and had hundreds and hundreds of facebook friends. I was afraid that if I joined that I would have maybe six friends. Five of those would be family and the other one would be a telemarketer. What a disappointment that would be if I had no one that wanted to be my friend.
Then I found out that I could invite people to be my friend. Oh great just what I need to start looking desperate and ask someone to be my friend. I had visions of the pretty girl or the popular guy in school looking at the scrawny guy and laughing. What if they rejected my request? How would I respond? What would I do? Rejection can be so hard when you think about it.
My wife helped me out of my situation as she told others that I was on facebook and they requested to be my friend. Of course I thought they were only doing it because my wife asked them to, but hey at least I had someone that would be my friend. I mean what is the point of being on facebook if you are the only one that is going to look at your wall? It is kind of like writing a blog that no one reads. What is the point? Yet, slowly but surely people began being my friend and I was able to connect with some old and new friends.
I have still been hesitant to request to be someone's friend, but recently I have changed my attitude. I told myself it was stupid not to invite someone to be my friend. I thought I was showing humility, but instead it was probably pride. After all if you never take a risk you will never get hurt or disappointed. Now I have decided that I will try to invite more people to be my facebook friends.
You know the parallels with inviting people to church are obvious. As a matter of fact I will probably submit that the majority of us find it easier to invite someone to be a facebook friend than inviting them to attend church, much less be a friend to Jesus. How often do you invite people to come to church? Is it hard? Are you afraid that they might turn you down? Are you afraid that you might be disappointed? Or perhaps you are afraid they might embarrass you.
You know sometimes we get friends on facebook that might not post things that we want others to see. They might not have the same values or the same ideas that we have and may actually cause us to be embarrassed by what they write. And the truth is that when we invite people to come to church, they might not be exactly like us. They might dress differently. They might act differently. They may not be look like us. I say that is a good thing because it would be pretty boring if we were all the same.
So what is the point of all of this endless babble? We need to get over our fears of inviting people to attend church. Everyone we see we need to invite them to worship with us. It does not matter who they are, or what they do, we should extend an invitation for them to be our pew buddy. You know invite them to come to church and then sit with them in church. Wouldn't it be great if when you went to Walmart or Target, or some other store and invited the cashier to church, that two other people before you had already beaten you to the punch. What a wonderful testimony about your church. Surely that cashier will be saying in her head "what is it about that church? This is the third person today to invite me to attend?" She might not attend, but at least her mind is wondering.
Don't be afraid to invite people to be your friend and attend church with you. As a matter of fact, why not invite all of your facebook friends to church? Wouldn't that be cool if they alll showed up at the same time? Hey by the way you want to be my facebook friend? I will be looking for you in cyberspace.
Then I found out that I could invite people to be my friend. Oh great just what I need to start looking desperate and ask someone to be my friend. I had visions of the pretty girl or the popular guy in school looking at the scrawny guy and laughing. What if they rejected my request? How would I respond? What would I do? Rejection can be so hard when you think about it.
My wife helped me out of my situation as she told others that I was on facebook and they requested to be my friend. Of course I thought they were only doing it because my wife asked them to, but hey at least I had someone that would be my friend. I mean what is the point of being on facebook if you are the only one that is going to look at your wall? It is kind of like writing a blog that no one reads. What is the point? Yet, slowly but surely people began being my friend and I was able to connect with some old and new friends.
I have still been hesitant to request to be someone's friend, but recently I have changed my attitude. I told myself it was stupid not to invite someone to be my friend. I thought I was showing humility, but instead it was probably pride. After all if you never take a risk you will never get hurt or disappointed. Now I have decided that I will try to invite more people to be my facebook friends.
You know the parallels with inviting people to church are obvious. As a matter of fact I will probably submit that the majority of us find it easier to invite someone to be a facebook friend than inviting them to attend church, much less be a friend to Jesus. How often do you invite people to come to church? Is it hard? Are you afraid that they might turn you down? Are you afraid that you might be disappointed? Or perhaps you are afraid they might embarrass you.
You know sometimes we get friends on facebook that might not post things that we want others to see. They might not have the same values or the same ideas that we have and may actually cause us to be embarrassed by what they write. And the truth is that when we invite people to come to church, they might not be exactly like us. They might dress differently. They might act differently. They may not be look like us. I say that is a good thing because it would be pretty boring if we were all the same.
So what is the point of all of this endless babble? We need to get over our fears of inviting people to attend church. Everyone we see we need to invite them to worship with us. It does not matter who they are, or what they do, we should extend an invitation for them to be our pew buddy. You know invite them to come to church and then sit with them in church. Wouldn't it be great if when you went to Walmart or Target, or some other store and invited the cashier to church, that two other people before you had already beaten you to the punch. What a wonderful testimony about your church. Surely that cashier will be saying in her head "what is it about that church? This is the third person today to invite me to attend?" She might not attend, but at least her mind is wondering.
Don't be afraid to invite people to be your friend and attend church with you. As a matter of fact, why not invite all of your facebook friends to church? Wouldn't that be cool if they alll showed up at the same time? Hey by the way you want to be my facebook friend? I will be looking for you in cyberspace.
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)