Is It God's Fault If I Am a Jerk?

The Bible says that God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy? Does that mean that God is responsible for every action that people take? After all, who can resist His will? Is it His will to send some people to hell? This is what this message is about.

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing

The angels are beings created by God just like we are. They have free will just like we do. What is the key to their worship that may or may not be the same as ours? The question is: Do you really want to worship like the angels or not?

O Come, All Ye Faithful

Simeon came to the Temple at the right time to see the Christ child. He had been promised that he would see Him before he died. Is this simply an anomaly or does God reveal things to people and have them walk in these things. My contention is that believing in something on you own with no proven external promise is superstition. Faith is believing God's revealed word which has been given to you.

Joy to the World! The Lord Is Come

Too often, Christians tell the world what they shouldn't be doing. That really isn't our job. We should live circumspectly in the world, yet our responsibility is to tell the good news of Jesus Christ. Then, He changes people through the Holy Spirit. We bring joy to the world when we bring Jesus as Jesus brought joy in His coming.

Good Christian Men, Rejoice!

The most revealing characteristic of people who truly walk and know the Lord is found in their joy. Their joy exceeds their circumstances. They don't just know Jesus. They interpret their live experiences through Him. So, when Christ was announced as coming as a baby, they looked forward to what He would bring them. It is the same things He brings to us.

The God of Mercy

The moment before you is the only moment you have. The grace that is before you is the only grace you need. People look for God's grace for tomorrow in today. That would be a wasted of His grace. You only need the grace for this moment. However, we should not count on Him giving us another chance to make the decision He has placed before us today. The moment before us is the only moment we have.

What Does It Mean to Be Loved by God?

God loves you. How much? More than you can imagine!

God Prepared You for This Time

God works out of His grace. That grace grows us into the person we are to be. That grace calls us to the work He has prepared us for. This is evident in the Parable of the Talents. Each person was given a task according to their abilities. So, when God calls us to share our faith, He is doing so because He has planned for us to do it, prepared for us to do it and grows us into more grace through it. You have been prepared for this time. Don't waste it.

Treasure in Jars of Clay

Many people like Christ but do not see any reason they should become His followers. Often, they look at people who call themselves Christians and decide that they don't want what these Christians have. It shouldn't be that way. This sermon addresses this.

Treasure in Jars of Clay

Many people like Christ but do not see any reason they should become His followers. Often, they look at people who call themselves Christians and decide that they don't want what these Christians have. It shouldn't be that way. This sermon addresses this.

Treasure in Jars of Clay

Too many times people like what they know of Christ but hate what they see in Christians. They believe that the Christians they know are pretenders who are worse because of their belief. Thus, they reject Christ. This message addresses this.

Not Ashamed of My Testimony

Someone in the office makes a joke about people who believe in Jesus. Do you laugh or are you quiet? When do you declare that you are a believer? This message points out that the problem isn't that we are afraid to share who we are as much as the fact that we don't have a good testimony that allows us to boldly stand up. A good testimony keeps us from being ashamed.

The Power to Be a Witness

Why is witnessing so anemic? Many believers are witnessing because they fell guilty if they don't. They go out on their own power and come back with nothing. Shouldn't it be different?

Seeing the Great Need

There are billions of people who have never heard the gospel story. Believers are around them every day. Why aren't these believers concerned about those who have never heard. Are they bored with stories of people coming to know the Lord? Or could it be more fundamental? Do they see them? Why not?

What Does "Chosen by God" Mean?

We live in a world that accepts what their peers say. Thus, we only challenge the things that are in the minority opinion. We sometimes accept things that our friends say without checking out what the Bible says. There are many things that God does and many things that He will not do. In fact, some of those things He cannot do. This has nothing to do with His power. It has to do with who God is. For example, God is all knowing and cannot make a decision without knowing the results. What does that mean when we speak of being chosen? That's what this message deals with.

You Can Lead a Horse to Water

Those who know Christ also know it is the best decision of their lives. It makes no sense to those who refuse to accept Him as Lord and Savior. Why is that? Is it because they lack education or the proper environment? No, they resist the Holy Spirit. There are strong forces keeping people from this eternal decision. This is the topic of this message.

The Heart That Longs for the Salvation of Others

Most Christians never share their faith because they are afraid. That fear does not come from God. Maybe that's why evangelism programs have been followed do "religiously." So often, they focus on the scriptures that have been memorized without recognizing the person who is listening to them. What if we didn't have a program but simply loved people into the kingdom of God? What if we were less mechanical and more personal? What if our hearts were broken each time someone rejected the gospel? What if our hearts were truly elated when someone accepting Christ? That's where this next series of messages is going. Don't just listen to this one. Let's win people to Christ by loving them into the kingdom.

Nothing Separates Us from the Love of God

How often do we need to hear that God loves us? Every day. How do we know He loves us? Paul was convinced that nothing could separate us from the love of God. How was he convinced? The same way you are. This is the message on this podcast.

Made More than Conquerors

We have been made more than conquerors but doesn't it seem like we have been conquered every now and then? This message teaches us that we never need to accept defeat. The fact that we win is never in question. How we get to the winning just might be.

God Is for Us

There will be many who will oppose us but they cannot overcome us because God is with us and for us. We should know this because God didn't spare His own Son to redeem us. That's what we are worth to God. He who has bought us will always be for us. Everyone needs to be reminded of this sometime. Maybe you need to hear it again.

God's Purpose, Our Glory

We don't know the specifics of the path that God has for us. We do know that the Holy Spirit prays for us because we don't know the specifics. We do know that God causes all things to work for our good. We do know that God wants to form us into the image of Christ. But for what purpose? So that we will be glorified. When will that truly happen? When we stand before the judgment seat of Christ. It is here that we will receive what we have done. God prepares us for that moment. It is good for us now and good for us then.

Becoming the Image of God

If you want to know the purpose of a creation, you should go to the creator. If we want to know what God created us for, we should look at what He said when He created humanity. And that's how we interpret what God is doing in our lives. He is giving us peace by leading us to walk in our purpose.

God Is Always Bringing Good to Us

Bad things happen to all people. Yet, there is a particular people that God causes those bad things to work for their good. God takes the good and the bad for these particular people and makes something greater. He is always doing this.

The Spirit Prays for Us

Does the trouble you are going through have a purpose? If so, what is that purpose? Should you pray that the trouble ends or that it completes what it can do? Is God making bad things happen so that you will get something better? These are the questions answered in this sermon.

A Father's Priority

God must be the central figure in a father's life. If not, he will get everything else out of order. The relationship with his wife will be our to order. The relationship with his children will be out of order. His finances will be out of order. Thus, if a father wants to be a successful father, he must make sure God is central to his life.

We Always Have Hope

Hope is the reason we wait for anything. I wait for the doctor because I hope he or she will be able to heal me. I wait in traffic because I hope to go home. Believers do not have their full glory yet. They hope they will see it when they are redeemed. They are assured they will see it when they are redeemed. But they still hope. We always have hope until we see what God has for us. That is redemption: to be all that God intended.

A Mother's Treasure

The Bible tells us to honor our mothers all the days of our lives. That's what this message is all about.

No Longer Slaves

We are not slaves to our God. We can choose to be His slaves but He doesn't treat us or call us slaves. He has adopted us so that we have a new Father, a new name and a new home.

When Fear Meets Great Joy

We can only imagine what the disciples went through after the death of Jesus. They had a crisis because there didn't seem to be any hope. Believing in the resurrection was so hard for them because they knew Jesus was dead. Then, He appears. The fear left them and joy invaded. That's what we are supposed to take away from Easter. Meeting the resurrected joy should make our fear disappear to be replaced with great joy.

The Priority of Christ

Have you ever noticed a driver texting while he or she is driving? Most of us have. Many of these texters know that it isn't safe but they are distracted by a text they have gotten and feel the need to give an immediate response. That's how many crashes happen. Have you ever noticed a believer not doing what he or she is supposed to do even though they know better. Most of us have. That's how a lot of life crashes happen. This message speaks of keeping our focus on the most important things. If we do, there will be a lot less crashes.

Led by the Spirit

God's great plans for each of us. We learn those plans by walking in the Spirit. We are led by the Holy Spirit to the plans that God has for us. But how does that happen? How does the Holy Spirit lead?

The Way of Abundant Life

The flesh can never give us abundant life though it promises to give us the best life now. The Spirit gives us abundant life though the world continues to give Him bad publicity. The flesh will always work against the Sprit will never satisfy the flesh. Isn't it amazing that people would rather have temporary happiness than eternal joy?

Do You Have the Spirit of Christ?

Lots of people are alive but they aren't living. They go through the trials in their lives and believe the hope of the devil. The devil hopes that we won't have any hope. They forget that God tells us through His Spirit that we belong to Him. That means a whole lot. He is with us all the time.

The Mind Set on the Spirit

I will never be perfect but I can be right with God. That rightness is realized by life and peace. This only comes when the mind is set on the Spirit. This message gives the Christian the means to do that.

In Christ Jesus

What does it mean to be in Christ Jesus? Why are we not condemned? There are several reasons.

I'm Trying

As hard as I try, I can't be the perfect husband. I try but I always seem to blow it. If I can't be perfect with one person who can't know my every thought, how will I ever be perfect with God? What's the point if perfection is the goal? Maybe perfection isn't the goal.

You before Me

This world teaches us that we need to look out for Number One. We need to strive to ride in first class, eat in fine restaurants and stay in five star hotels. We should get as many people to serve us as we can. But who is the greatest in God's kingdom? And who will be remembered forever? Eternal glory awaits those who put others before themselves.

Giving Myself in Love

Jesus said that there was no greater love than to lay down one's life for his friends. Who are those friends? Is that what is expected of us? What is this love?

Bear with Me for More Than a Little While

Christians have a responsibility for each other. They are to go and get those who once walked with them with their God. They are to do so in the fruit of the Spirit. They are bring them back with gentleness. It's a big responsibility that bears big rewards.

Watch Out If You Think You Are Humble

Most people do not think they have a problem with pride. In fact, many people think that pride is a good thing. They are right. Pride can be a good thing when it is a pride in what you have accomplished or in your children or even in your country or sports team or anything that you do not push upon others to gain advantage. Pride can be good until you expect some advantage, some compliment, some accolade for the thing you are proud of.

It is not enough to push away the compliments. Pride should not get in the way of the criticisms either. Pride does not accept the words of criticism. It not only rejects them, but because pride is so insidious, it surprises the proud with pain when it is attacked.

How do I know these things? It is through my pride that I have been hurt more than with any other sinful attitude. My pride does not see the advantage of any criticism. I even want to be praised for my humility.

Pride hides itself in many of the things we do. It may hide itself in godly things.

Luke 18:11-12 (ESV)
¹¹  The Pharisee, standing by himself, prayed thus: ‘God, I thank you that I am not like other men, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. ¹²  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I get.’

The Pharisee was doing godly things, but his motivation was pride. The godly actions hid the pride from the Pharisee. Sometimes people at church think they must be better than the people outside the church because they are doing godly things. Pride hides itself well.

Pride can originate in spiritual knowledge.

1 Corinthians 8:1-3 (ESV)
¹ Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that “all of us possess knowledge.” This “knowledge” puffs up, but love builds up. ²  If anyone imagines that he knows something, he does not yet know as he ought to know. ³  But if anyone loves God, he is known by God.

Paul was speaking of food offered to idols. He said that some of them had the spiritual knowledge of knowing what it meant to eat food offered to idols. Some thought of the idols as real. The spiritual knowledge recognized that the idols were not real. Therefore, the believer was neither better off nor less off by eating.  However, this knowledge could not be the source of pride that made the ones with spiritual knowledge think they were greater than those who didn't know. God knew their hearts. There was no reason to be "puffed up."

Pride hardens the person to realize the pride.

Daniel 5:20 (ESV)
²⁰  But when his heart was lifted up and his spirit was hardened so that he dealt proudly, he was brought down from his kingly throne, and his glory was taken from him.

The king was humbled by God when he thought of himself as the greatest of all. He saw himself as better than anyone who had lived. His heart was so hardened that he didn't see it coming.

Pride deceived Satan.

Isaiah 14:12-14 (ESV)
¹²  “How you are fallen from heaven, O Day Star, son of Dawn! How you are cut down to the ground, you who laid the nations low! 

¹³  You said in your heart, ‘I will ascend to heaven; above the stars of God I will set my throne on high; I will sit on the mount of assembly in the far reaches of the north; 

¹⁴  I will ascend above the heights of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.’

Satan was the greatest of the angels. He was closest to God. Yet, he became prideful. It would have seemed that someone so close to God would have seen his own pride, but it overwhelmed him. I am not giving Satan a pass on his sin; I am simply stating how deceptive it is.

What are we to do if we cannot recognize pride within ourselves? We humble ourselves before the Holy Spirit and ask that the pride be purged from us even when we will not acknowledge it in ourselves. We ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the pride when we are criticized. We ask the Holy Spirit to reveal the pride when we are praised. We ask the Holy Spirit to reveal pride throughout the day because we will not see it and we are prone to be prideful. No one cures the problem of pride.

Our church has an Alcoholics Anonymous group. No one in the group is allowed to say they are cured of their alcoholism. Pride is the same except that it is a part of us in different degrees. No one is finally through with pride.

I know I'm not. And yes, that too may be a prideful statement.

Forgiveness Is Godly - Not Easy

Why do we hold onto our hurts? Wouldn't it be better for us to forgive those who have wronged us and go on with our lives? What keeps us from doing so? Why should we forfeit peace for resentment?

What Do We Wrestle For?

Ephesians 6:12 (ESV)
12  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

I used to think this referred to our struggle to win souls for Christ. I thought that the wrestling was against everyone that opposed the spread of the gospel. I believe I was wrong. 

The demonic forces do not need to work against us in this way. They work as the thief has always worked. They seek to steal, kill and destroy. Jesus came to establish an eternal relationship with us.

That relationship included walking with Him, listening to Him and obeying Him. The demonic forces cannot take away our salvation. That union with God is held by God Himself. Therefore, they seek to take us away from the walk, the listening and the obedience. Each day we face temptations that cause us to fail in our walk, talk and obedience. We must get up each day with with confession and commitment all over again. The armor of God must be placed on us so that we hear and act on the truth, we live lives of righteousness. secure in our salvation, sharing the gospel, holding onto our faith and defeating the evil forces with the word of God.

This is why there is so much strife in churches. The members are fighting this same battle and losing much of the time. Their faith is stolen from them. They do not lose it all but they lose enough to make it practically impotent. Their lives are killed. Not their physical lives or their eternal life but certainly the life God had intended for them. Their witness is destroyed. The life that God had planned was one of a future and a hope but they live lives without a future and a hope. They act like the world because they have been conformed to it.

When I went into the ministry, I knew there would be persecution. I just didn't think it would come from members in the church. Now, I know that this is where it will often originate because the demons aren't opposing the actions of the people outside. It is the ones inside that they want to steal, kill and destroy.

This is why the church needs revival. When God's people humble themselves and pray, seek His face and turn from their wicked ways God hears from heaven to forgive and heal the land. Of course, the demonic forces are fighting against this too.

I cannot say that I am humble. Only God can pronounce that upon me. I am not a good judge. I believe I am seeking. I know I am trying for I seek to walk with Him, listen to Him and obey Him. I am not so arrogant as to say that others should join me. I may be far behind others. I want them to do this as if they are the only ones who are. 

We fight to become closer to our Lord. That is the prize at hand.

How Can I Do Good If There Is No Good in Me?

Every serious Christian has realized that he or she has been unable to live the perfect Christian life. So, what's the use of trying? Maybe the perfect Christian life wasn't the goal anyway.

Why Try Being a Good Christian If I Am Going to Fail Anyway?

Romans 7:18 (ESV)
18  For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out.

No one lives the perfect Christian life. No, you can't cite Jesus as one who does because He was God. Holiness is His nature. Holiness is not our nature. Paul says it well when he says, "nothing good dwells in me." Jesus had nothing but good.

So, if I can't be successful, why should I try? To answer this we must first define success.

We will have days that we walk with the Lord and days when we wonder if we will ever walk with the Lord. Recognizing our sinfulness is evidence that we have gotten close the Lord. Those who are far away may not recognize their sins at all while those who are close to Lord see their sins as large. Therefore, recognizing our sin reveals a closer walk with the Lord. But this is not success if your definition is living a perfect Christian life.

Those who are close to the Lord have communication with Him. They hear Him through His word and through their spirits. Sometimes God sends other godly messengers to deliver His message to those who are walking with Him. Solid communication reveals a close walk with the Lord. He reveals Himself to His friends. Communication is evidence of friendship. Friendship makes people close. God is close to those with whom He communicates. Still, this is not success if a perfect Christian life is your definition of success.

Then, we must change our definition. No one can life a perfect Christian life on their own. They would be taking on the character of God without the power of God. Thus, defining the perfect Christian life as success would be impossible. God gave us grace with continual forgiveness because He knew we would not be able to keep all that He wanted for us.

God didn't settle for imperfect Christians either. He sought people who fellowship with Him, not people who are perfect. He knows we will skin our knees and has the bacterial soap and bandages to make us better. He watches us grow rather than arrive.

So, I walk with God. I communicate. I call Him my friend. And I fail Him at times. And I confess and He doesn't hold what I have done against me. I live in grace.

Success is not accomplished by us. It has always been Him working in us to bring the success He accomplished.

All I can say is, "Praise, Jesus!"

I Know I Am Saved

Romans 8:16 (ESV)
16  The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God,

Many people believe that we are regenerated before we receive Christ as Savior. They believe that God's grace is irresistible  for those whom God has chosen. Yes, those who believe this know that salvation is all grace for they believe there isn't enough good within us to choose salvation if God did not put that good there. There was a time in my life that I believed this. Observing people resist the Holy Spirit convinced me that this couldn't be true. Realizing God's love for whoever  believed in Him made salvation available to everyone. Knowing God as a just God meant that those who could not be saved also could not be condemned.

Believing that it was my decision to receive Christ did not take away God's grace. I would be lost if not for God's grace. It was His grace to bring me to Himself. It was His grace to put people in my life to tell me the gospel. It was His grace to bring me to conviction. It was not my goodness that saved me. It was His grace. Realizing I needed Him wasn't a measure of goodness. It was something I did because I was convicted and chose not to resist.

I have heard many people tell me that they doubt their salvation. I don't know why. I suppose they expect a physical change from a spiritual decision. Maybe they expect an emotional change from a spiritual decision. I don't understand why they can't expect a spiritual change from a spiritual decision.

The spirit of the new believer comes alive when he or she trusts in Christ as Savior. This spirit is able to converse with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit identifies with God as God. The Spirit reveals to our spirits we belong to Jesus. He tells us that we are children of God. The Spirit could not converse with our spirits until we made the decision. He was like someone standing on the inside of a house beckoning us to come in where it was warm. We could not converse until we came inside. We had to make that decision on our own no matter how forceful or convincing the Spirit was. Once we were in the house conversation started. Identification grew. We were told we were adopted by God. We know we are His children because the highest authority is telling us that we are.

I suppose thinking I can come in a house by my own volition leads me to think I can leave the house of my own volition. That would never assure me of my salvation. It would make me doubt how much I really meant it when I made a commitment to Christ. It might make me think there are levels of commitment. Thus, I might get close but never truly trust in Christ. That would mean that I am really trusting in what I did for my salvation.

I don't know I am saved because I was forced to believe. I don't know I am saved because of what I did alone. I know I am saved because the Spirit tells me I am saved. I don't have to try to be saved. I am. I know it. God says so. That's enough for me.

He Rewards Those Who Seek Him

Sometimes you run out of stuff. You have needs for which you have no supply. You don’t know what to do. So, you pray but nothing happens. You can’t figure out what is wrong. So, you worry but nothing changes because of worry either. Maybe you just aren’t worrying hard enough.

It seems strange to seek God’s kingdom and righteousness at this point. Your first reaction is to claim that you have been good and God should favor you with all that He has. You promise Him that you will finally do that last thing if He will just come and meet your need. If it gets bad enough, you’ll even promise to tithe or witness to the guy that such a jerk at work.

The problem is that your focus isn’t on God’s kingdom or righteousness. The focus remains on the need. Thus, the need remains unfilled.

Matthew 6:33-34 (ESV)
33  But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34  “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

What’s the problem? Why can’t you focus on God’s kingdom and righteousness? It takes real faith to seek His kingdom and righteousness when there is a need. Too many times you believe that prayer will make God do something you need. That can become believing in the act of praying rather than God who answers prayer. Prayer by itself doesn’t change things. Prayer changes us. God changes things. Prayer that focuses on the need rather than His kingdom and righteousness is not a prayer of faith. It does not listen to God. It tells God what to do and when to do it.

No, faith believes what God says. It listens to hear what He says. It seeks after His kingdom and righteousness to get close to God. It accepts what He has said. It realizes the grace of God even when the need hasn’t been met. It finds His kingdom and righteousness.

Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)
1  Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.

So, we are without and go to God. We listen for His word through seeking His kingdom and righteousness. We believe and act upon that word. We pray that word in faith to God. And He rewards us.

Hebrews 11:6 (ESV)
6  And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.

Use Each Day Wisely

Ecclesiastes 11:9 (ESV)
9  Rejoice, O young man, in your youth, and let your heart cheer you in the days of your youth. Walk in the ways of your heart and the sight of your eyes. But know that for all these things God will bring you into judgment.

I wasn't looking for this scripture when I read it this morning. It stood out because it brought me back to reality. I thought of all the days that I have wasted. Each one of these days were a gift from God. I may have let my heart be cheerful but not always in the ways of the Lord. Those days are gone and can never be reproduced. There are no "Groundhog Day" moments. You don't get to live them until you get them right. Life is one and done.

So, I can lament over the missed opportunities that I had when I thought time was endless or I can make sure that the days ahead of me are full. I must make sure that I don't say that I will choose the latter while acting on the former. It will take an effort to know that each day is a gift that must be used wisely.

I don't want to judge those who neglect church when they could attend it. However, I don't think they are realizing the gift that is before them.

I don't want to judge those who neglect their children by working beyond any semblance of normal hours. However, I don't think they realize the gift of their children's age will not be repeated.

I don't want to judge those who drink or drug away their time. However, the thrill isn't worth the results

At the end of life, will we say, "I wish I had made more money," or, "I wish I had spent more time with my children when they were young?" Which one really matters?

I don't have to wait to take this realization live. Today is the gift given to me. I can and will use it wisely.

Tursting in Jesus is More than an Intellectural Decision

I had heard the gospel many times before I gave my heart to Jesus. I really don't know why I hadn't already done it. I wasn't rebelling. I just didn't see the need. When I finally gave my life to Christ I could only see the need.

People have told me that they gave their lives to Christ because it was better to give their lives to Him and be wrong than to refuse to give their lives to Him and be wrong. That's just not the way it works. Truly trusting in Christ is a commitment that you can't turn back on. The Lord inhabits you and He won't let go if you really trust in Him.

I believe that a lot of the people who say they have trusted in Jesus are just superstitious. Jesus is like a ritual that makes things better or He is like an insurance policy that isn't needed until death. The dictionary says that superstition is a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear of the unknown or trust in magic or chance. That sounds like the faith of a lot of people. They are afraid of death so they hedge their bets by saying a prayer that they really don't mean but believe the power of the words alone will save them.

So, you can't try Jesus any more than you can try jumping out of an airplane without a parachute. You are committed the moment you make the commitment. There is no going back.

God certainly uses the intellect but does not depend upon it for bringing you to Himself. Something deeper happens. Conviction comes upon the person that the gospel is the truth. This conviction leads you and others to believe. It is more than saying a prayer. It is more than being baptized. Salvation awakens the spirit of the new believer. He or she knows that He will never leave. Joy invades the person's life.

The conviction of the Holy Spirit cuts us to our hearts. Maybe no one can explain why he gives his life to Christ at the time that he does.

 I just know that I am glad that I did. I did this in April of 1973.

Acts 2:37-38 (ESV) ³⁷  Now when they heard this they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and the rest of the apostles, “Brothers, what shall we do?” ³⁸  And Peter said to them, “Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.

You Will Be Arrested in Twenty Minutes

How many calls have you gotten from someone claiming to be from the IRS who tells you that unless you clear up your back taxes, you will be arrested in twenty minutes? I have lost count.

I have especially liked watching the YouTube videos of people who keep these scammers on the line. One called them back over and over again pretending to warn them of a raid on their operation. Nothing seems to deter the scammers. No number of hangups or return harassments keeps them from plugging along. They know that they will eventually talk to someone who is afraid he or she has made a mistake on taxes and doesn't want any trouble from the IRS. I think it is amazing that we would fear our own government so much that we wouldn't demand proof of what is said that we owe.

Sure, the scammers get a reasonably high percentage people call them names and threatening them. Yet, they keep on. The temporary reward is worth the temporary persecution. Evidently, it is also worth prosecution and incarceration. I realize the odds are low that they will ever be caught.

What if these people were sharing the gospel instead of trying to scam people. What do you think would happen? Sure, the percentage of people who want to hear the gospel may be low. Sure, many of the people may call them names and threaten them. Is that any different than what they are getting with their scam?

Why is it that these scammers are willing to suffer for their ill gotten gains while most Christians are unwilling to tell their relatives, neighbors and business associates about the Lord? Why is it that the average Christian has never led anyone to Christ? The rewards are eternal. The Lord receives the glory. The Christian walks closely with the Lord.

Is it because most Christians don't think anyone will listen? Is it because they don't know what to say? Is it because they are afraid of being confronted with a question without the right answer? I don't know.

We have a lady in our church from another country who shares her faith all the time. She is so excited because God is rewarding her efforts. She is seeing people come to her for the gospel. There are people who are waiting to hear the good news of the gospel.

So, what do we need? We need more people who will share their faith. There are plenty of people who are ready. What should we do?

Luke 10:2 (ESV)
2  And he said to them, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

The Sin of the Meticulous

We can't compare ourselves to others when considering how closely we walk with the Lord. We need to compare ourselves with ourselves. We need to compare ourselves with where we were in our walk with the Lord yesterday and last week and last month and last year. We need to see that we are growing closer. How do we know if we are growing closer? The answer is in this message.

Are All Babies Precious?

Psalm 139:13-16 (ESV) ¹³  For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother’s womb.

¹⁴  I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well.

¹⁵  My frame was not hidden from you, when I was being made in secret, intricately woven in the depths of the earth.

¹⁶  Your eyes saw my unformed substance; in your book were written, every one of them, the days that were formed for me, when as yet there was none of them.

Two events have grabbed my heart. One is the birth of a new granddaughter. She just over a week old and her life on this earth is right before her. She already smiles and reveals when she isn't happy. She has captured her parents' and grandparents hearts. I don't  think there is a good thing that I wouldn't do for her.

The other event is reading a story about a lady who celebrated her first abortion. She shares this with a crowd that cheer her on. Maybe they yelled so they couldn't hear their own hearts weeping for their unborn, aborted children. The story made me so sad that I couldn't really think of anything else much of the day. I looked at my own granddaughter's picture and thought of all the pictures that were never taken. I thought of all the grandparents who wouldn't hold these children.

God forms the child from conception. It is a miracle all in itself. Given time, the natural process is a child being born. That is a person that God knows before the parents know. That is a child that He wants even if the parents don't. I am so glad that the God who takes care of them continues to take care of them.

I pray for those who have had abortions. They know the truth whether or not they admit it. They certainly need forgiveness. Of course, that won't really happen unless they realize what they have done. The women I have talked to who have had abortions have trouble believing they could be forgiven. I assure them that they can. God is a forgiving God. He provided the way to be forgiven. It was found on a Cross.

I also pray for those who are terrified of having a child. They may be afraid of their own parents or the society they are in or even what their church or other Christians will say. I know it takes more courage to face these people who may condemn them than it would to get an abortion. I know that raising a child is a life-long decision. I know that putting a child up for adoption could be just as painful. I pray they will let the child live. I pray there will be support for these women.

Yes, I believe all babies are precious. They are precious because they are God's handiwork. They are precious because God has great plans for each of them. I pray that they can be allowed to be precious.

And, yes, I am grateful for my own little granddaughter. She is so precious.

Is It as Bad as It's Going to Get?

2 Timothy 3:1-5 (ESV)
1  But understand this, that in the last days there will come times of difficulty. 2  For people will be lovers of self, lovers of money, proud, arrogant, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3  heartless, unappeasable, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not loving good, 4  treacherous, reckless, swollen with conceit, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5  having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people.

My whole church knows that I ride a bicycle to work. I have been hit with belts, had bottles thrown at me and had cars purposely act like they were going to hit me, then swerve at the last second. I have had people call me names, speed up to a ridiculous speed to miss me by inches and throw beer on me.  I have seen them treat their fellow motorists with contempt. Are things as bad as they can get? I don't think so.

Mankind still has people who are loving and will care for you with amazing love. I have had people offer to help me when my bike chain broke, give me the right of way when it wasn't mine to take and wave at me just to be friendly. There are a lot of good and godly people left.

My tendency is to focus on the bad people and say: "Look, it must be the last days." I point out the difficulty and the people being lovers of self and think that I might be the only holy person left. What a joke! There are so many others who sacrifice for the Lord more than me. There are so many others that have a closer walk with Him.

Yes, all the things that Paul mentioned exists today. People are all the bad things he said they would become. However, I think there were people just as bad in Paul's day. These people have always existed.Why else would Paul tell his readers to avoid such people.

We tend to remember the past fondly. We also think things are currently bad. Have you ever thought that Paul was telling us that we are already in the last days? Maybe this is just the nature of the people who don't know Jesus. Thus, we should always be prepared for Jesus to return. We don't have to wait for things to get worse.

On the other hand, things may be as bad as they will get because things will never improve for those who don't know the Lord. Some of them are good people but the tendency is to be selfish. Many of those who don't know the Lord will be like that. Many of the ones who do know the Lord will be so far away from Him that they will act selfishly.

Maybe things have never changed. Maybe the overall world never changes until Jesus returns. What do you think?

Preachers, Watch Out for Those Compliments

Acts 16:16-18 (ESV) 

16  As we were going to the place of prayer, we were met by a slave girl who had a spirit of divination and brought her owners much gain by fortune-telling. 17  She followed Paul and us, crying out, “These men are servants of the Most High God, who proclaim to you the way of salvation.” 18  And this she kept doing for many days. Paul, having become greatly annoyed, turned and said to the spirit, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And it came out that very hour. 

One of the dangers a preacher faces is found in those who complement him. I told my congregation that I have a problem with it. One of them said after complimenting me, "O, I'm sorry. I know you don't like that."

"No," I replied, "I like it too much!"

It is hard for a preacher to understand how compliments can get ungodly. Here are a few reasons I can see why Paul rebuked this girl. So, preachers pay attention.

Is the person giving you a compliment a believer? I have heard many non-believers compliment me for the "speech" I gave. They were not under conviction. They just thought it was interesting. They may even have thought that the message came from God but they were unaffected by what I had said. Therefore, the compliment needs to be ignored because it indicates that the message that you are giving isn't getting across.

Is the person distracting others from hearing what you are saying? A distraction is something that takes away from what you would like to focus on. if the person giving compliments is drawing attention to himself, then he needs to be rebuked. 

Is the person distracting you from what you would say? I personally like well-timed "amens" when I preach. I don't like emotion for emotions sake. Distractions are ubiquitous in church. There is always a baby crying or a cell phone ringing but there are also those who want to draw away your attention. A pastor I served with was greatly distracted by a guy who sat on the front row of the church and kept repeating, "Praise God" over and over. I went to him and asked that he sit on the back row. If he was praising God, God would still hear him on the back row. However, I don't believe that was his motivation because he quit coming to our church.

Are these compliments going to your head? I know there are plenty of people in every church who believe it is their ministry to make sure that their pastor is humble. It is so easy to gravitate toward those who will give you a compliment. However, pride gets int he way of God's grace. Every preacher needs God's grace to have the strength and wisdom to preach God's word. Sometimes the person doesn't need to be rebuked but asked not to give so many compliments because of how it affects you. I have heard people tell me that I was the best preacher they have heard. I respond with, "You need to get out more." That usually stops those type of compliments.

Listening to the compliments can cause a preacher to overlook whether or not the person is a believer. The assumption is that a person giving a compliment must know the Lord. That wasn't the case here. The compliment was that these men were servants of the most high God and that they proclaimed the way of salvation. I know I would be tempted to believe anyone who said this was a believer. Paul didn't.

Are you being annoyed by these words from this person. The words were not negative. They were int he way. That may be a great indication that this person needs to be confronted.

A good compliment is always appreciated. A sycophant isn't You need to discern between the two. Yes, Jesus had many compliments. He also had many who said He was full of demons. He was able to accept the compliments because He was always focused on His Father's will. As long as the compliments don't distract you are others from God's will, they should be welcomed.

Every preacher should approach his sermon with great wonder. It is a wonder that God would give such a worm such words of life. Then, his pride will be turned to gratefulness.

Why Did Satan Approach Eve?

Satan is not omniscient but he is very observant. He is more crafty than anything of anyone else that God created. He went to Eve rather than Adam because he knew how to entice her to disobey God.

God had only one rule.

Genesis 2:15-17 (ESV) 15 The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it. 16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17 but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Romans says
Romans 7:5 (ESV)
5  For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death.

 

Paul is telling us that while we are in the flesh (that part of us that responds to the temptations of the world) the law arouses our sinful passions. In other words, our flesh rebels against God and HIs standards.

Eve has been considering the one rule God has given. I don't know what she thought of it but she didn't understand why God would prohibit one of the trees. The tree of the knowledge of good and evil is on her mind. It may not have been all she was thinking of but she was thinking about that tree.

How do I know? Because that is the only one she mentions.

Satan comes to Eve:

Genesis 3:1 (ESV) 1  Now the serpent was more crafty than any other beast of the field that the LORD God had made. He said to the woman, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” 

Adam is right there with her but Satan talks to Eve. He knows something. He has watched her and, though he can't read her mind, he can discern what she is thinking about.

Genesis 3:2-3 (ESV) 2  And the woman said to the serpent, “We may eat of the fruit of the trees in the garden, 3  but God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’”

Note that Eve speaks of the tree of knowledge of good and evil as if it is the only special tree in the midst of the Garden. Is that true? No.

Genesis 2:9 (ESV) 9  And out of the ground the LORD God made to spring up every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food. The tree of life was in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.

There are two trees in the midst of the Garden but Eve speaks of the forbidden tree as if it is the only one. It is the only one she is thinking of.

 He provides an answer to her question of why the tree is prohibited. Eve then follows the pattern of the flesh.

1 John 2:16 (ESV) 16  For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life—is not from the Father but is from the world.

The flesh responds to the temptations of the world. 

It seeks the desires of the flesh (here flesh means our human bodies.) The desires of the flesh are for the flesh to have comfort beyond God's righteousness.

It seeks the desires of the eyes. This means want to possess things beyond God's righteousness.

It seeks the pride of life.

Let's see how Eve responded.

Genesis 3:6 (ESV) 6  So when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was to be desired to make one wise, she took of its fruit and ate, and she also gave some to her husband who was with her, and he ate.

She saw that it was good for food. She had plenty of food. This food was beyond God's righteousness.

She saw that it was a delight to the eyes. She wanted to possess it outside of God's righteousness.

She saw that it was to be desired to make one wise. She wanted to be as wise as God.

Satan had observed, gave Eve a reason to disobey God and enticed her to do so. He wasn't omniscient but he was watching very closely.

So, the things we watch on tv, the things we look at in magazines and ads and the way our eyes look at other people and things are all observed by Satan. His temptations come to distance us from God.

So, watch what you watch because someone is watching you.

God's Mercy Disguised

Genesis 3:22-24 (ESV)
22  Then the LORD God said, “Behold, the man has become like one of us in knowing good and evil. Now, lest he reach out his hand and take also of the tree of life and eat, and live forever—” 23  therefore the LORD God sent him out from the garden of Eden to work the ground from which he was taken. 24  He drove out the man, and at the east of the garden of Eden he placed the cherubim and a flaming sword that turned every way to guard the way to the tree of life.

There were two trees in the midst of the Garden of Eden. There was one whose fruit could be eaten. There was one that couldn't. Adam and Eve were prevented from eating of the Tree of Life after they had eaten the forbidden fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Being driven out of the Garden was an act of God's mercy when it didn't look like mercy.

Mankind would have been the eternal state of damnation if Adam and Eve were to have eaten from the Tree of Life after they had eaten from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil. Here is my reasoning for saying this:

Jesus became human to die for our sins. Humans that have eaten from the Tree of Life would never die. Jesus would not have been able to die when He took on human flesh. There could be no sacrifice to pay for our sins. The wages of sin is death. Therefore, man would have been in an eternal state of separation from God. Therefore, God drove them away from the Tree that would have made them live forever. It was an act of mercy for all of mankind.

It would not have seemed like an act of mercy at the time. It would have appeared as punishment. God loved His creation so much that He was willing to see man suffer to bring about eternal life. For God so loved the world began in the Book of Genesis. What He did then gave us salvation today.

God's mercy prevails even when it doesn't look like His mercy.

Speak, Lord, for Your Servant Is Listening

1 Samuel 3:10 (ESV)
10  And the LORD came and stood, calling as at other times, “Samuel! Samuel!” And Samuel said, “Speak, for your servant hears.”

Lots of people tell me that they have never heard a word from God. That seems so strange to me. I want to tell them that not everyone hears from God. Yet, I am reluctant to do so because believers have the Holy Spirit. Believers have a relationship with the Lord. It is odd that God would provide the means of communicating to those who know Him and not speak to them at times. I have to ask why God would be silent or I have to ask why they can't hear.

I have never heard God audibly. I have never seen a burning bush. I have never had an angel appear before me. I believe all these are possible but they have never happened to me. Yet, I can tell of times that God has told me of things that were going to happen, things that were happening and things that I needed to make happen. I have had His urgings reveal my sins and cause me to repent.

About forty-three years ago I was convicted by the Lord to repent of my sins. I was so far away from the Lord that no one would have known that I was a believer. I confessed for some time and stopped. I think it was because the Lord knew my heart by this time and didn't need to be reminded of all the things I had done. I suddenly got an impression, "Go downstairs and pour out all of your liquor." That was the furtherest thing from my mind.

I don't believe that drinking alcohol makes you a bad person. I do believe that drinking a lot of it is a sin. However, in my newly repented state I said, "Lord, you know that I don't like to waste anything. Why don't I just go downstairs and drink it all tonight?"

That's when I got nothing but silence. I knew somehow that alcohol would never be something I would drink again. It was symbolic of my relationship with the Lord. So, I went downstairs and poured it all down the sink. The only alcohol I have had since then is found in Nyquil. I assure you it isn't a social drink for me.

So, why do I get these urgings when others don't. I can't say. Maybe they expect God to speak audibly or through a burning bush or an angel. Maybe they have heard from Him but they haven't recognized it because we preachers act as if it is an audible conversation.

All I can say is that I know He has spoken to me and I don't believe that I am special. I wonder if it would help people just to say: "Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening."

New Life of the Spirit

God gave us the Law. It led us to understand that we can't keep the Law perfectly. It led us to realize that the sacrifices weren't adequate. It led us to realize that we need Jesus. Those who come to Jesus belong to Him. He leads them through the Spirit. He has communication and the relationship grows. It is a dynamic relationship.

What Is Your Hope?

I have noticed the dystopian novels that have been written for young adults. The Hunger Games, the Divergent Series and the Maze Runner series all present a bleak future where mankind is horribly cruel. The earth's resources are scarce, disease has decimated the population and/or mankind chases an elitist self-survival. The protagonists overcome impossible odds to find that the future isn't that much better than when they were being exploited. The victories don't appear to be so great.

I read the books and watched the movies. I wanted to know why so many people would buy these books and go to these movies. I still don't understand.

Are the people who follow these stories expecting the world to turn out this way? Are they that hopeless?

Truthfully, I don't know. I know that I wouldn't have much hope if I thought that my life depended the amount of money I could accumulate and the fame that I achieved. I have read that the young people of today say their goal in life is to be famous. That ranks higher than rich or many of the surveys taken. I wonder how famous they think they have to be. Most Americans can't name all the Presidents of the US. Surely, that qualifies as famous.

The young people are correct. This world will pass away with all that is in it. It probably won't be this generation or the next but the doom is sure. And man does seem to be pushing beyond what people would have called decency. Man is not decent to his fellow man. What is there to make him so?

This is not the best life that I will have. This life is not the longest life I will have. This life is not the only life I will have. My failures will not disappear at my death. They have already been forgiven. I have hope because I have Someone to have hope in. I know this Someone. I have met Him. I have heard Him. I know what He plans for me. He plans a future and a hope beyond this world.

This world will not be all sugarplums and lollipops. But, then, this world is not my forever home. 

I have hope.

Psalm 39:7 (ESV) 

7  “And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you. 

If This Was Your Last Day on Earth

Luke 12:16-21 (ESV)
16  And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17  and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18  And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19  And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ 20  But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21  So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.”

"How much time do I have?" This is a question I have heard asked many times. It is generally asked right after the doctor has said, "cancer." I have heard doctors give any number of days, months or even hours when someone asks this question. The doctors have been right a few times.

How long we have to live is unknown unless we take our own lives. Even those who are involved in disasters like plane crashes or sinking ships have very little time to prepare for their deaths. It has been said that death comes like a thief in the night and it does. It comes unexpectedly to take what the owner wants to keep.

Many people live their lives as if they will never face God. In fact, their hope might be that there is no God. His presence at death can be a terrible thing for those who live this life without Him.

Now, I wonder. Since we don't know when we are going to die, wouldn't it make sense to live as if this was the last day we have? That way we will be prepared.

I had a professor in seminary who was diagnosed with bone cancer. He told us that he gave his life to the Lord a long time ago and He could call him home any time He wanted. I thought that is the way to live. Give your life to the Lord so that when He comes for that life He doesn't have to snatch it away because it is already His.

I ride a bicycle to work. I should consider my last day like today carefully. There are a number of times that poor driving, negligent driving or even malevolent driving have put my life in peril.

So, the only way to be prepared to meet the Lord is to be prepared at all times. It's like keeping your house clean so that you aren't embarrassed when someone drops in on you.

Going Where Jesus Says

John 21:18-19 (ESV) ¹⁸  Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you used to dress yourself and walk wherever you wanted, but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will dress you and carry you where you do not want to go.” ¹⁹  (This he said to show by what kind of death he was to glorify God.) And after saying this he said to him, “Follow me.”

Business teaching says that people will follow you if they think you can take them where they want to go. Many preachers follow that model. They tell people that following their teaching will make them healthy, wealthy and possess the ability to affect their environments. They claim that they can heal sickness, make tooth fillings turn to gold and change the weather. Many people want to be superheroes. So, they believe these preachers can take them where they want to go. And the way they want to go is the way of the world.

Jesus didn't follow this model. He told people how hard it would be to follow Him. Yes, He told them that in the end they would be in heaven but the road to heaven was narrow and difficult. The above passage has Jesus telling Peter that because he follows Jesus, he will some day be martyred. This would be for the glory of God.

It takes very special people who are willing to give their lives for the glory of God. Giving your life is exactly what following Jesus means. Those are hard words to people who won't tithe, won't witness, come to church occasionally and refuse to go very far out of their way to serve the Lord. They are much happier with preaching that makes them superheroes.

Jesus essentially told Peter that he couldn't deny Him anymore and think he was following Him. Peter would not be perfect but he would be committed to his Lord all the way to death. Peter's focus would change from making himself look big and bullying his way around to making Jesus look big and being humble in the process. The expected change in Peter is a miracle all by itself.

So, Peter followed because he knew he wanted to go where Jesus was. He knew it the day he got out of the boat to walk to Jesus on the water but he wasn't willing to follow all the way to death at that time. Now, he is ready.

I preach the gospel and tell people they must do whatever, whenever the Lord calls them. There were times that I had to get out of my boat of comfort and walk by faith. Yet, while I hope I would give my life if necessary, I don't know what I would do if I am called to do so. I have gone to places and witnessed where I could be arrested but that's not the same as knowing my life may be forfeited for my faith.

So, I commit myself again today. I say that I love the Lord. That has to be the first step. Then, I simply walk with Him.

Yes, I will have to do this again tomorrow.

Lord, Please Send Another Revival

Judges 2:10 (ESV)
10  And all that generation also were gathered to their fathers. And there arose another generation after them who did not know the LORD or the work that he had done for Israel.

I have been reading "Revivals: Their Laws and Leaders" by James Burns. The book was originally published in 1909. The subject matter hasn't gone out of style for those of us who pray for God to send revival. The book is still relevant. 

Though there is a disagreement to the number of years, revivals tend to last through a generation. That generation teaches their children but the children, who make a commitment to Christ at an early age do not know the works of the Lord by experience. Their stories rely on their parents. They know of the works of the Lord but do not know them as first hand experiences. The next generation neither knows the Lord nor His works.

The generations that follow without the Lord know no bounds to immorality. The remnant who remain committed during these dark days are appalled to see how low a society can stoop. They keep thinking that it can't get any worse but it does. The extreme depravity brings many believers to their knees. Some think there is no hope.

It should be noted that the society itself sees all of this as progress. They claim that we have thrown off the wet blanket of religion that was placed upon us. We can now explore beyond the limits that have been keeping us down. The morality which protected human life and gave ti purpose is eroded. the purpose of the individual takes over where the society once mattered. 

Does the present generation know the Lord of the works of the Lord? Are things as bad as they can get? I know many of the generation who have been born in this century are open to what the Lord is doing. I know they are heavily influenced by the immorality of the previous generations. I know they are looking. I can't say if they will be the generation that leads us to revival. I do have my hopes.

God works through revivals. I have read of His works throughout history. He keeps a remnant praying until He brings His revival.

I am committed to being part of that remnant. I am and will continue to pray for God's revival to sweep through the world. I will continue to seek Him. He is my hope.

I know there are others of you who are doing the same as I. I want to encourage you to continue. God will send revival. Let's live fully committed life to our Lord. Let's pray for God to send revival. Let's look to see His works among us now.

In the Beginning

Genesis 1:1 (ESV) ¹  In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.

I recently read a book on the physics of time. It was incredibly interesting because it made me think  in ways that I have never thought before. For example: How do we know that the way we experience time is time's direction? Why do we call the past, the past? I appreciated the author's attempt to answer what seems more like philosophy that science.

It seems obvious to me that there has to be a beginning. We can't get to today if we don't have a place to start from. Yes, I know I am presuming that time travels in the direction we have traditionally said it travels. I suppose I would rely on Occum's razor. The simplest explanation is probably the best.

However, if there is to be a beginning there must be an action to start the action. Many scientists have called that the Big Bang. Again, we come to the same dilemma, what action caused the Big Bang?

Some, who don't want to claim there is a God, ask where God came from. They are using my own logic against me. You see, if I can say that there had to be a first action, caused by the first action giver, they had ask where the first action giver came from. They have a point if you think that time is something that occurs naturally without any intervention.

In the end, we have to choose. We have to accept by the faith we have put in science that there is no God and everything occurs naturally or we have to accept by the faith we have put in God's word to believe that God is the creator of everything. No one is without faith. We just have faith in different things or persons.

The people who don't believe as I do aren't any more evil than I am. Many of them, I'm sure, are very good people. They may be better than most of the people who believe in God. They choose to look at natural things for explanations. They ignore the times when things are unexplainable. They don't know what to do with the terminally ill person who is healed.

I, on the other hand, choose to believe that there is a supernatural God. I choose to ignore the terminally ill child who isn't healed. I don't know why. I explain it away with my finite mind. I claim that God has a purpose unknown to me. Mine is a belief of faith just as the atheist's is.

There is a bit of a difference, though. I claim I know this God who is the creator. How can anyone know the inanimate science he or she believes in. That either makes me as crazy as the person who expects his dog to answer in human speech or sane because I have a concrete explanation for the beginning.

I am at peace with my belief.

An Acceptable Offering

An Acceptable Offering

Hebrews 11:4 (ESV) ⁴  By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks.

Several years ago I got my wife a new cell phone for Christmas. She didn't especially like it. I thought that it was the best gift I could get her. I know I liked her new cell phone. However, she was unhappy with the gift. 

You might assume that my wife should have accepted the gift because that's just what you do when you get a Christmas present. You might assume that I didn't know any better than to give her a new cell phone. You might assume that she was in the wrong and I was in the right if you had to make a decision based on what you know right now. You would assume wrong.

My wife told me that she wanted a small camera (This was before cell phones took pictures.) for Christmas. She even told me what type of camera she wanted. I thought she needed a new cell phone more than she needed a camera. I had not gotten her what she asked for.

We know that God is just. We know that He indicates clearly what is acceptable. Thus, we know that Abel listened to the Lord as he prepared an offering for God. Maybe Cain thought that he would exceed what God asked for. Maybe he decided to give God something that costs him more than what God asked for. It didn't matter. It wasn't what God asked for.

Like my wife, God refused to regard the gift as acceptable. It wasn't what He asked for. It wasn't a sin offering. It was a fellowship offering. There is no fellowship without removing the barrier of sin. Cain's heart revealed his lack of fellowship with God when he kills his brother. Sin was crouching at Cain's door seeking an opportunity to capture him.

That year, my wife got two Christmas gifts. She got a cell phone that she didn't want and the camera that she did. I had a choice of having fellowship with her or disappointing her. I chose to have fellowship. Cain chose to further disappoint God. He killed his brother and tried to cover it up. That never works with God.

God may be telling you to give Him something that you don't want to give. Maybe you need to swallow your pride a forgive someone. Maybe God is asking for your heart rather than your money. You can reason out why you gave God something other than what He asked for. Cain chose to blame his brother for his own failure. Stubbornness often tries to blame someone else.

The acceptable gift is the one God seeks. The ball is in your court.

If You Really Want to Be His

I used to think that sanctification meant that I was becoming holy for holiness sake. I now know that sanctification means that I am getting closer to my Lord. The closer I get the more I hear from Him. The more I hear, the more I have faith. The more faith, the more life and peace I receive. The more life and peace brings me closer to Him. You get it, don't you?

It's Hard to Tell God "No"

It's Hard to Tell God "No"

Exodus 4:13 (ESV) 13  But he said, “Oh, my Lord, please send someone else.” 

When I became a Christian, I told God that I would not become a Baptist. When I became a Baptist, I told God I would not go into the ministry. When I went into the ministry, I told God that I never wanted to preach. When God called me to preach, I told Him anywhere but Houston. The first church where I was senior pastor was in Houston. I have resisted God's calling but I know better than to tell Him "no."

I became a Baptist because Baptists shared the gospel with me. I attended a Baptist church because they preached the gospel and loved the Book. I realized one day that I was a Baptist whether I wanted to be on not. I didn't resist when God told me to make it official. I walked down the aisle during an "invitation" and declared that I knew Jesus but needed believer's baptism.

I was sitting in church minding my own business when God called me into the ministry. Again, I didn't resist, but I wanted to make sure. I didn't immediately walk down the aisle during and invitation. I made an appointment with my pastor. The Holy Spirit called me, but it was his counseling that confirmed my call. I waited until my year of teaching finished and headed to seminary.

The church I was serving as a staff member lost its senior pastor and the rest of the staff was called on to preach. I had the same opportunity as the rest of the staff. I found that God used me in a new way through preaching. That doesn't mean that I was eloquent. It just meant that the Holy Spirit took my words and used them to accomplish His will. I didn't resist. I prayed that God would give me the opportunity to preach as a senior pastor.

A few churches talked to me about becoming their senior pastor. A church in Houston asked me to send a sermon that I preached so they could evaluate my preaching. I sent the last sermon I had preached. During the invitation that followed that sermon several people made spiritual decisions. One of those decisions was a little girl who professed Christ as her savior publicly. She actually attended the church in Houston. She was visiting her grandparents when she "walked the aisle." I didn't know she had any contact with the church in Houston until their search committee told me. Otherwise, I wasn't anything special. God used the decision of that little girl to get my attention and that search committee. I didn't resist. I just went to be their pastor.

What is the alternative? Jonah tried to refuse God. Things didn't work out so well for him. Many people left Jesus when He said some hard words. They no longer had any contact with Him. The result of telling God "no" is worse than being swallowed by a great fish. It means that my relationship with Him will never be what God has desired it to be.

I say "yes" to God because I love Him. I love Him because He loves me. That relationship is worth whatever He calls me to do. I know I could say "no" but it just isn't worth it. 

Some Will Leave Jesus

Some Will Leave Jesus

I just read an article saying that a group of former believers have formed a group. Many of these are former ministers who preached the gospel. They say that they no longer believe and are now atheists. I wondered why this is news. The group boasts a membership of 900. Let's do a little math. If there are around 5.5 million ministers (an unsubstantiated number because no one really knows)  in the world, then 0.016364% of the ministers have become apostates. The number is so small that it supports rather than denies the validity of the gospel. I guess the point was that not everyone stays with their faith.

Naturally, I wonder if all of them had any faith or if they were living off the faith of a relative or just needed something to believe in. For example, I used to be an avid pro football fan. I stopped watching in 1995. I don't know who is in the playoffs anymore. I still like Superbowl parties. I like the food. An argument could be made that I never really believed in pro football. At the time I watched, I would have argued that I did. However, now, I am not so sure. After all, I never really sold my soul to pro football.

What happened? Well, one day I just decided it wasn't worth it. Not one of those players ever even sent me a Christmas card. I followed them, knew their stats and hoped in their success. I missed sleep watching Monday night games into the night and sat through hot and cold conditions at the games when I could attend. I must admit my heart was never really there.

Of course, I know that a believer receives the Holy Spirit when he or she becomes a Christian. That is a whole lot more than being a pro football fan. I also know that God never lets go of those who are His. So, are these new atheists just confused and really His or were they never really believers. Right now I'll be they say that they used to believe but don't anymore. Maybe they were like me and my pro football. I thought I believed in it but now I know better.

Even Jesus had people who no longer believed after He made some hard statements. (John 6:66) The Christian life is full of hard statements. I know there was a time when I tried to get away from it. I just couldn't. I knew the truth. The Holy Spirit kept reminding me.

I can't deny what the new atheists say about their former and present lives. I wasn't there. I know that they must believe that they believed and no longer believe. I know what the Bible says. I know what I have experienced. I know that I can't leave Him.

Some will leave Jesus. I can't. He holds onto those who truly believe.

Ephesians 1:13 (ESV) ¹³  In him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit,

Beware of False Teachers

Beware of False Teachers

2 Peter 2:1-3 (ESV) 1  But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing upon themselves swift destruction. 2  And many will follow their sensuality, and because of them the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3  And in their greed they will exploit you with false words. Their condemnation from long ago is not idle, and their destruction is not asleep. 

Peter talked of false teachers during his time. I wonder if they were as bad as those today. Our false teachers are fabulously rich, have huge audiences and mix truth with heresy to woo their followers into believing they have the truth. I have watched them (on TV) deny the unique deity of Jesus, promise prosperity to everyone who sends them money and claim that God depends upon our faith to release His miracles.

False prophets deny the deity of Jesus. They will say that He is a son of God rather than the Son of God. They claim that everyone who knows God is God's son. They say that cats produce cats and dogs produce dogs and God produces gods. They bend scripture out of context as proof that they are biblical in this. 

False teachers appeal to the love of the world. They emphasize what can be gained on this earth rather than rewards reserved in heaven. The lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes and the pride of life that prove the lack of love for God is their bait. They say that you can have all the pleasures you could ever want here on earth. They promise healing for every disease, money for every desire and power to accomplish whatever their followers want. These are all of this world. (1 John 2:15-16)

False teachers are greedy. They live in enormous houses, drive outrageously expensive vehicles and are treated better than rock stars wherever they go. They ask for money to fund their own lifestyles while claiming it is all for the ministry of the gospel. They use the laws of large numbers knowing that their huge audiences will produce some people who will see prosperity simply because of the odds. They promote these successes as normal and ignore the large majority who never see any prosperity even though they have donated all that they have to these false prophets.

False prophets depend upon what they can get on this earth now because they are doomed when they face judgement day. God is already preparing His judgement for them.

But what does that mean for us? Stay away from these false prophets. Look to see if the person you listen to is being conformed into the image of Christ. Jesus got donation but never worked for money. He never claimed that giving would make a person financially rich. Reaping and sowing was largely about spiritual rather than monetary rewards. Faith depends upon a word from God, not a word from a preacher. Stay away from those who have gotten rich off of God. Look for those who believe our best lives will not be found now.

A mega-church does not guarantee that the preacher is ungodly any more than a small church pastor is godly. Test every word you hear or read against the whole word of God. God has godly preachers. You are either called to be one or  to find one. Be careful because anyone can fall into the false prophet trap.

Is Church Attendance Important?

Is Church Attendance Important?

Hebrews 10:24-25 (ESV) 24  And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works,
25  not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.

A few years ago I read a book from an author I admired who said that there were some very spiritual people who decided they didn't need to go to church. The books implied that the problem was with the church and not with the non-attenders. I was disappointed in the author. I asked then what I ask now when someone makes a statement that affects a person's spiritual walk: What does the Bible say about that?

The writer of Hebrews seems to have encountered similar people when he wrote that some were neglecting meeting together. He tells they are needed. Needed for what, you ask.

Church attendance is not all about what the attender needs. It is an opportunity to stir up one another for love and good works. Sometimes you are the one that needs to be stirred and sometimes you need to do the stirring.

Last year our church started something we call "Mega Sunday Fellowship." On the first Sunday of each month we serve a real, sit-down breakfast between our morning worship services. The goal was to make sure that everyone was contacted with an invitation the week before and fellowshipped together. At first, several people went to their Sunday School classes and waited for them to begin because they had already eaten breakfast at home. I chided them after a couple of months of their missing: Everything isn't about you! The breakfast is great but it is not the point. The most important thing done just might be a conversation around a table that stirs someone else to love and good works.

Your church attendance encourages others. "Who does it encourage?" you ask. It encourages your pastor for one. I know that I am amazed at everyone that shows up on Sunday.  Each person who attends is God's blessing to me.

Your attendance encourages others too. It encourages the persons who feels like he has come to the wrong place. An empty room can do that to a visitor. There is something that happens when people worship together that won't happen otherwise. Attendance brings the level of encouragement up a couple of notches.

Today is Wednesday. It is a great day for you to decide that you are going to church Sunday. You are needed there.

Can a Christian Be Successful at Being a Christian?

Can a Christian Be Successful at Being a Christian?

People often tell me how to make the church more successful. They tell me that it should be exciting and give examples of "stunts" they have seen at other churches. One of these suggestions included a church that rented a circus tent for their Easter services. The message was given by a tight rope walker who sat on a chair high above the crowd and gave his Christian testimony. I asked the person who suggested we try something like that about the man's testimony. "Honestly, " he said, "i don't remember the testimony. I was so scared he was going to fall!"

We have to examine what we are called to do to know if we are successful at doing it. Jesus told us to make disciples of Christ. They should know the Lord, be baptized and obey what He told us to do. It involves evangelism, teaching and modeling how a Christian should act. Each disciple is to make disciples.

Too often people think that the Christian life is one helps the church become like the rest of the world. Their vision of the church is to be an entity that attracts the largest crowds without regard to how they get them there. These are the people who want people in church whether or not they are ever changed. The goal is to get them there and nothing else. 

Wouldn't Jesus have worked on larger and larger crowds if that was all He cared about? People today would have Jesus telling His disciples to get a huge crowd together so that He could perform miracles. Jesus could conjure up a storm on the sea, calm the storm with His voice and walk out onto the water  to deliver His message. He might even invite a few of the crowd to take a chance at walking out on the water to Him. Now, wouldn't that have drawn a crowd?

The transforming power of making disciples is simply not spectacular. It can be done successfully by churches of any size. It can be done by believers in large and small settings. A single disciple maker may have only one disciple. A teacher may have a small or large class of disciples. 

I wonder if making disciples is like the parable of the talents. Maybe we are given our task of making disciples according to our abilities. The one who makes more disciples will have more disciples given to him.

The key is not found in the size of the discipleship group but in the obedience of the one making disciples. Obedience rather than worldly pride is the key to success. 

So, will you be making disciples in 2019? What do you think the Lord is telling you?

Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV) 

18  And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19  Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20  teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”