The initial stages of turning away from God are not volitional. I doubt that Solomon thought that he would be led away from his Lord by his wives. They were ways to enhance his borders. Many of them became his wives as an exchange from one ruler to a greater king. These lessor rulers gave their daughters in marriage as part of their commitment to Solomon. This was the way of signing contracts. It seemed to be the logical thing for a superior king to accept. Yet, Solomon, who had built the most magnificent temple that Israel would ever know, no longer served his Lord fully because of these foreign wives.
I am at home this morning because I have a plumber coming to fix a leak. You know how it goes; he will be here sometime between 8:00 AM and 1:00 PM. Normally I am in the office by 7:00 AM. The first thing I do in the office is have a time with the Lord. It structures the rest of my day. However, my first reaction today was not about spending that time. I could just get a few things done around the house before the plumber arrived. Then, I would spend my time with the Lord. Initially, I failed to see the danger in this.
Anything can become a ritual. Even spending time in the word and prayer can become a ritual. You always have to guard this. However, my time with the Lord each morning has not become a ritual. It is one of the few times during the day that I listen. It is a necessity.
I know what I do when I don't make my time with the Lord a priority. I either minimize it to get it out of the way, postpone it to a later time during the day or forget about it altogether. My past has proven that I can forget my time with the Lord for weeks. Those in my congregation who have a time with the Lord can tell when I have failed to make this time. Those who don't have a time with the Lord don't notice. However, I would know even if none of my congregation did.
It is very easy to forget this devotional time. No one holds me accountable to it. It would be easy to simply pick up the Bible, read the first verse that I see, say a short prayer (God, bless the missionaries!) and say I have had my time with the Lord. I would not have listened to Him. I would hardly have acknowledged Him. I cannot call that a special time with God.
I know that my devotional time with the Lord is the most significant thing I do to become like Christ. I know that it changes my heart and that changes me from the inside out. My devotional time with the Lord changes my reactions to the events in my life. It changes the way I make decisions. It even changes those decisions. I cannot go far from the Lord when I have had a serious time with Him each day.
Each day I have a crucifixion. I take up my own cross. I climb my Golgotha. I am crucified. Then, I truly live like I have never lived before. My Lord lives within me. I live a life in the flesh is done by faith. There is no more ritual. No one has to see me do so. I am His.
Road away from God has many slight deviations. Eventually it turns you around until you are going the wrong direction. You must guard your hearts. You must guard them daily or you who are serving the Lord fully today will wake up some day wondering how you could have hurt the One you said you loved so much. You will be far away from Him without recognizing the small compromises you made along the way. It isn't worth it.
The only life really worth living is one which is given to Him.
Galatians 2:20 (ESV)
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Where Will Doing What Is Right in Our Own Eyes Lead Us?
Does it seem like the world has lost its anchor and is adrift? The world thinks you can borrow yourself out of a financial crisis. The world thinks it is normal for homosexuals to want to get married while heterosexuals avoid it. The world thinks that photos of beauty contestants in their underwear is wholesome. The world thinks that prayer is no means of knowing what should be done. The world owns a Bible but doesn't know where it is.
People would have told you that you were crazy if you described what the world would be like today twenty to thirty years ago. How did we get in this condition? The Bible has a very succinct answer.
After things got relatively good for Israel (starting in the book of Judges) they started to deviate from their devotion to God. The generation who followed God devotedly did not pass that relationship to their children. They did what their parents did but did not have the relationship that their parents had. Therefore, their children saw no reason to continue in their parents footsteps. In fact, they believed that their own methods of doing things were better than their parents. They did not follow the Lord and did what was right in their own eyes. In other words, they threw out any standard which existed and substituted what seemed right at the time.
A microcosm of this might be seen in the person who stops for fast food rather than getting something healthy because his hunger can be satisfied faster. It seems right at the time. It will not be right over time. So, doing what is right in your own eyes is doing what seems right without any standard to measure against what is right.
The Bible also says that this pattern will lead to death. Is it any wonder that most Americans are overweight? Is it any wonder how many Americans in debt past their ears? Shouldn't we expect extremes for stimulation when there are no restraints? Of course!
It seems like we are on a boat which has lost its power so the crew cut the anchor in hopes that the ship would naturally sail to Hawaii. It seems that we have people who are claiming to be Moses who have led the people to the middle of Red Sea. Instead of depending upon God for a solution they have chartered a boat. However, the name of that boat is Titanic! "Yes," they say, "Its unsinkable!"
How do you tell crazy people that they are crazy? Maybe crazy people think that sane people are crazy. They are absolutely convinced that the right in their own eyes will lead to a new heaven. How long can this craziness be sustained? As long as people are satisfied with the status quo they will go this direction. It is what seems right in their own eyes and they will not adopt another standard. They will not look elsewhere as long as they believe the solution is in their own hands.
It is more important than ever that Christians live godly lives. We must become the Bible to the world that is adrift. We must live in the most loving way possible. We must address sinfulness within the church. We must call for holiness in those who are believers. We must become a rock which declare that Jesus is the Christ and there is no other. We must live lives of joy which will attract others. We must keep the standard of the Scripture carefully while remembering justice and mercy. We must pray like never before. We must not crawl under a rock but proclaim our Jesus in the most loving ways possible.
Don't be surprised that the world has gone crazy.
Judges 17:6 (ESV)
6 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Proverbs 14:12 (ESV)
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
People would have told you that you were crazy if you described what the world would be like today twenty to thirty years ago. How did we get in this condition? The Bible has a very succinct answer.
After things got relatively good for Israel (starting in the book of Judges) they started to deviate from their devotion to God. The generation who followed God devotedly did not pass that relationship to their children. They did what their parents did but did not have the relationship that their parents had. Therefore, their children saw no reason to continue in their parents footsteps. In fact, they believed that their own methods of doing things were better than their parents. They did not follow the Lord and did what was right in their own eyes. In other words, they threw out any standard which existed and substituted what seemed right at the time.
A microcosm of this might be seen in the person who stops for fast food rather than getting something healthy because his hunger can be satisfied faster. It seems right at the time. It will not be right over time. So, doing what is right in your own eyes is doing what seems right without any standard to measure against what is right.
The Bible also says that this pattern will lead to death. Is it any wonder that most Americans are overweight? Is it any wonder how many Americans in debt past their ears? Shouldn't we expect extremes for stimulation when there are no restraints? Of course!
It seems like we are on a boat which has lost its power so the crew cut the anchor in hopes that the ship would naturally sail to Hawaii. It seems that we have people who are claiming to be Moses who have led the people to the middle of Red Sea. Instead of depending upon God for a solution they have chartered a boat. However, the name of that boat is Titanic! "Yes," they say, "Its unsinkable!"
How do you tell crazy people that they are crazy? Maybe crazy people think that sane people are crazy. They are absolutely convinced that the right in their own eyes will lead to a new heaven. How long can this craziness be sustained? As long as people are satisfied with the status quo they will go this direction. It is what seems right in their own eyes and they will not adopt another standard. They will not look elsewhere as long as they believe the solution is in their own hands.
It is more important than ever that Christians live godly lives. We must become the Bible to the world that is adrift. We must live in the most loving way possible. We must address sinfulness within the church. We must call for holiness in those who are believers. We must become a rock which declare that Jesus is the Christ and there is no other. We must live lives of joy which will attract others. We must keep the standard of the Scripture carefully while remembering justice and mercy. We must pray like never before. We must not crawl under a rock but proclaim our Jesus in the most loving ways possible.
Don't be surprised that the world has gone crazy.
Judges 17:6 (ESV)
6 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.
Proverbs 14:12 (ESV)
12 There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Cleansed from Unrighteousness
I am forgiven by the blood of Jesus. His work on the cross granted me forgiveness for all time. So, do I still need to confess my sins if they are forgiven whether or not I have confessed?
There is a difference between being forgiven and knowing forgiveness. A parent can forgive his child after the child has run away from home. The child can live a life away from the parent without knowing that forgiveness. In fact, that child may even exclaim that the parent has never forgiven him. It won't be true but the child has never known that forgiveness.
Confession is not telling the parent what was done was wrong. It is not informing the parent of something that was wrong. Confession is an admission that it was wrong. It is heartfelt. It is remorseful. It is painful. It puts the wrong into the open so that it can be dealt with. John uses a conditional verb when speaking of this confession.
Confession is not merely a objective statement. It has the condition of really meaning it. The words of confession mean nothing by themselves. True confession is feeling the pain it caused to God (or whomever was hurt). It is more than admitting it was wrong. It is knowing it was wrong deeply.
John gives the results of such a confession with two other conditional verbs. These words forgive and cleanse. The forgiveness of sins is not conditional because of what Jesus has done on the cross. That is guaranteed. The condition is within the person who is being forgiven. It is tied together with cleanse.
Forgiveness means that the sin will no longer have its control over the one who committed it. This comes when the person has also been cleansed of that sin. Most people are sorry they were caught in sin. They believe that others are obligated to forgive them if they simply say the right words. These people who forgive them should do so again and again without fail. They are shocked when others decide they want nothing to do with them after they have committed the same sin for the umpteenth time. They claim that others are worse because of their failure to forgive. The truth is that the person was never cleansed from the sin because it still has a power over them to continue in that sin. This forgiveness is both a restoration of the relationship and the power over that sin.
I borrowed a friend's power washer to get the mold that was growing on the north side of my house. It did an excellent job of removing all of it. It soon grew back because I did nothing to prevent it from coming back. So often people confess in such a way that they know they are forgiven but do not know cleansing. They look clean at the moment but the same exact sin comes back. It still has a power over them.
Cleansing is very conditional. It is conditional on the confession. It is conditional on what is being done to prevent it from happening again. You don't take a bath in the middle of a pigpen. Why should you expect to be clean if you stay in the condition which caused the sin. There is no real confession that neglects prevention. The person may be sorry to be caught but will soon continue in the sin.
Forgiveness is an act of God. Cleansing is also an act of God. The one who is cleansed puts himself in the hands of God when he confesses. He accepts God's forgiveness and God's condition for continuing to be cleansed.
Otherwise, unrighteousness will continue to haunt us. It will make us feel like failures. It will cause us to say that we are rotten sinners for life rather than called out saints of God. It will diminish our forgiveness and raise our sin to a higher level. It will deny the power of God to change us.
This is not God's intention for us. He wants us to know forgiveness and cleansing. He wants us to live our lives in freedom. He wants us to have victory.
Have you truly confessed your sins? Do you know you are forgiven? Have you been cleansed from all your unrighteousness? You can if you will.
1 John 1:9 (ESV)
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
There is a difference between being forgiven and knowing forgiveness. A parent can forgive his child after the child has run away from home. The child can live a life away from the parent without knowing that forgiveness. In fact, that child may even exclaim that the parent has never forgiven him. It won't be true but the child has never known that forgiveness.
Confession is not telling the parent what was done was wrong. It is not informing the parent of something that was wrong. Confession is an admission that it was wrong. It is heartfelt. It is remorseful. It is painful. It puts the wrong into the open so that it can be dealt with. John uses a conditional verb when speaking of this confession.
Confession is not merely a objective statement. It has the condition of really meaning it. The words of confession mean nothing by themselves. True confession is feeling the pain it caused to God (or whomever was hurt). It is more than admitting it was wrong. It is knowing it was wrong deeply.
John gives the results of such a confession with two other conditional verbs. These words forgive and cleanse. The forgiveness of sins is not conditional because of what Jesus has done on the cross. That is guaranteed. The condition is within the person who is being forgiven. It is tied together with cleanse.
Forgiveness means that the sin will no longer have its control over the one who committed it. This comes when the person has also been cleansed of that sin. Most people are sorry they were caught in sin. They believe that others are obligated to forgive them if they simply say the right words. These people who forgive them should do so again and again without fail. They are shocked when others decide they want nothing to do with them after they have committed the same sin for the umpteenth time. They claim that others are worse because of their failure to forgive. The truth is that the person was never cleansed from the sin because it still has a power over them to continue in that sin. This forgiveness is both a restoration of the relationship and the power over that sin.
I borrowed a friend's power washer to get the mold that was growing on the north side of my house. It did an excellent job of removing all of it. It soon grew back because I did nothing to prevent it from coming back. So often people confess in such a way that they know they are forgiven but do not know cleansing. They look clean at the moment but the same exact sin comes back. It still has a power over them.
Cleansing is very conditional. It is conditional on the confession. It is conditional on what is being done to prevent it from happening again. You don't take a bath in the middle of a pigpen. Why should you expect to be clean if you stay in the condition which caused the sin. There is no real confession that neglects prevention. The person may be sorry to be caught but will soon continue in the sin.
Forgiveness is an act of God. Cleansing is also an act of God. The one who is cleansed puts himself in the hands of God when he confesses. He accepts God's forgiveness and God's condition for continuing to be cleansed.
Otherwise, unrighteousness will continue to haunt us. It will make us feel like failures. It will cause us to say that we are rotten sinners for life rather than called out saints of God. It will diminish our forgiveness and raise our sin to a higher level. It will deny the power of God to change us.
This is not God's intention for us. He wants us to know forgiveness and cleansing. He wants us to live our lives in freedom. He wants us to have victory.
Have you truly confessed your sins? Do you know you are forgiven? Have you been cleansed from all your unrighteousness? You can if you will.
1 John 1:9 (ESV)
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Monday, May 10, 2010
Rest for the Weary
Most people are very tired. They have struggled to get ahead. They have achieved some things. They are worried they will lose these things. They are working harder than ever to protect what they have earned. They worry while living one day at a time. It's wearing them out.
There are two extremes which must be avoided. No one should expect everyone else to come to their rescue nor should they expect others to bail them out when they get into trouble. No one should expect others to provide when they won't do anything to provide for themselves. Making excuses of why you can't do things is just as irresponsible. I have heard people tell me why they couldn't go to college or play sports or become actors, writers or musicians. Those reasons never seem to include "I didn't try" or "I wasn't good enough." They make excuses like ,"I had to go to work and couldn't go to college." Come on, lots of people went to work and to college at the same time. No, it wasn't as easy but they still did it. So, these people with excuses which they believe expect others to take care of them. People are dishonest with themselves and those around them when they expect others to take care of them.
The other extreme is thinking that the whole universe rests in your hands. This is believing that you must worry about these things and must work without any rest if you are going to provide and protect for yourself and your family. This will make you extremely tired.
The mother who worries about her children at school, on the bus, in sports and even spending overnighters with friends is always going to be tired. She decides to worry when she can't be with them constantly. It is actually more constant than the work she would do to provide and protect them in her presence.
The man who works incessantly due to his fears of losing his job, not getting ahead fast enough or making more money than he has before becomes very tired. He also believes his world is in his hands. He works even harder as the economy goes haywire. He believes he can change his world if he only knows the secrets to things that others are missing. This is why there are so many ads telling people how they can get ahead if they will follow a simple plan. "You, too, can make money like I did!" , the ad claims. An 800 number is given and many fall into the trap. The universe is not in your hands. Holding the world on your shoulders will only make you extremely tired. There are too many factors you cannot control.
The answer to this problem is found in doing what is reasonable. It is not reasonable to do nothing. If you do nothing, you should expect nothing. It is not reasonable to think you can do everything. There is always something else that can be done. You will never sleep and never rest if you try to do everything.
What is reasonable? Who determines what reasonable is? When do I know I have done what I should and need to leave what's left over alone? At some point you must believe that there is a God of the universe who will handle what you can't handle. You must turn it over to Him or you will find yourself surrendering to irresponsibility or trying to carry the world on your shoulders.
The first step is to admit that you can't do it all. That is a huge step for some people. They have carried the world for so long that they don't know how to put it down. They feel as if the world will stop if they quit trying to do everything.
Then, say it out loud, "I can't do it all." That verbal admission should give you peace when you know there is Someone who can do it all. You can't single-handedly manipulate the stock market. You can't make the economy better. You can't make the businesses which support your business make all the right decisions so that your business will flourish. You can't do it all.
Admit that He can and will do that which you can't. The God that loves you with an everlasting love is not trying to hurt you now. He may let your business fail because He has something better for you but He won't ultimately hurt you. So, it is reasonable to turn those worries over to Him.
Once you have done these things you are ready to know what your reasonable part is. It is not reasonable to work so much that you are not able to enjoy the things you have worked for. It is not reasonable to lose your family for the sake of success. It is reasonable to stop and go home when you have worked a full day. It is reasonable to commit that which you can't reasonably do to Him who loves you without measure.
And if you don't? You will eventually be dishonest or very, very tired.
Matthew 11:28 (ESV)
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
There are two extremes which must be avoided. No one should expect everyone else to come to their rescue nor should they expect others to bail them out when they get into trouble. No one should expect others to provide when they won't do anything to provide for themselves. Making excuses of why you can't do things is just as irresponsible. I have heard people tell me why they couldn't go to college or play sports or become actors, writers or musicians. Those reasons never seem to include "I didn't try" or "I wasn't good enough." They make excuses like ,"I had to go to work and couldn't go to college." Come on, lots of people went to work and to college at the same time. No, it wasn't as easy but they still did it. So, these people with excuses which they believe expect others to take care of them. People are dishonest with themselves and those around them when they expect others to take care of them.
The other extreme is thinking that the whole universe rests in your hands. This is believing that you must worry about these things and must work without any rest if you are going to provide and protect for yourself and your family. This will make you extremely tired.
The mother who worries about her children at school, on the bus, in sports and even spending overnighters with friends is always going to be tired. She decides to worry when she can't be with them constantly. It is actually more constant than the work she would do to provide and protect them in her presence.
The man who works incessantly due to his fears of losing his job, not getting ahead fast enough or making more money than he has before becomes very tired. He also believes his world is in his hands. He works even harder as the economy goes haywire. He believes he can change his world if he only knows the secrets to things that others are missing. This is why there are so many ads telling people how they can get ahead if they will follow a simple plan. "You, too, can make money like I did!" , the ad claims. An 800 number is given and many fall into the trap. The universe is not in your hands. Holding the world on your shoulders will only make you extremely tired. There are too many factors you cannot control.
The answer to this problem is found in doing what is reasonable. It is not reasonable to do nothing. If you do nothing, you should expect nothing. It is not reasonable to think you can do everything. There is always something else that can be done. You will never sleep and never rest if you try to do everything.
What is reasonable? Who determines what reasonable is? When do I know I have done what I should and need to leave what's left over alone? At some point you must believe that there is a God of the universe who will handle what you can't handle. You must turn it over to Him or you will find yourself surrendering to irresponsibility or trying to carry the world on your shoulders.
The first step is to admit that you can't do it all. That is a huge step for some people. They have carried the world for so long that they don't know how to put it down. They feel as if the world will stop if they quit trying to do everything.
Then, say it out loud, "I can't do it all." That verbal admission should give you peace when you know there is Someone who can do it all. You can't single-handedly manipulate the stock market. You can't make the economy better. You can't make the businesses which support your business make all the right decisions so that your business will flourish. You can't do it all.
Admit that He can and will do that which you can't. The God that loves you with an everlasting love is not trying to hurt you now. He may let your business fail because He has something better for you but He won't ultimately hurt you. So, it is reasonable to turn those worries over to Him.
Once you have done these things you are ready to know what your reasonable part is. It is not reasonable to work so much that you are not able to enjoy the things you have worked for. It is not reasonable to lose your family for the sake of success. It is reasonable to stop and go home when you have worked a full day. It is reasonable to commit that which you can't reasonably do to Him who loves you without measure.
And if you don't? You will eventually be dishonest or very, very tired.
Matthew 11:28 (ESV)
Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
Sunday, May 9, 2010
Why Don't Christians Grow?
You have people give their lives to Christ. They are baptized and they go to church every week. They study the Bible and become quite knowledgeable of its contents. They can be seen at Christian concerts, they travel great distances to hear Christian teacher and they even serve in the church. Yet, these people fail miserably when their integrity is measured.
These same Christian people will be found meaner than snakes at a church business meeting. They will gossip, hold grudges and outright hate other people as if they don't know the Lord at all. People are often shocked if they learn of these Christians personal lives. They may have pornography, excessive drinking or rampant gambling hidden from the public. Their marriages are horrible, their children know the truth about them and they are constantly worrying about how people perceive them.
What is wrong? They went to all the right places to learn of Jesus. They even have some knowledge of who He is. Yet, how can they continue to act like they don't know Him? Simple, they have failed to make the basic commitment to Christian growth. They have failed to take up their crosses.
The cross is an instrument of death. The condemned person was placed on the cross to slowly die. It took time before death set in. The person who takes up his or her spiritual cross will find death to self come slowly but surely. The cross is putting everything that self wants aside so that Christ may reign in you. It is dying to your love of anything or anyone in this world which will keep you from Christ's sovereignty in your life.
It is a struggle to stay on the cross. Some times the old self raises its head to claim you once more. It says that the cross is unnecessary. It says that you are doing more than most Christians anyway. It claims an allegiance to family or work or anything which the world says should be put before the Lord. It yells at you to get off the cross and live a good life.
However, the life is not good. The Christian who tries to live a good life is never satisfied in it. This good Christian will simply never grow much because he or she cannot be Jesus' disciple.
A disciple abides in His word. A disciple follows His commands. A disciple accomplishes much because the Lord is His strength. A disciple knows Him. A disciple loves like Him. A disciple becomes like Him. You can't be a disciple and grow into His likeness unless you take up your own cross.
A disciple doesn't seek pain. The only pain the cross brings is that of self denial. It doesn't mean that the person will hurt himself physically. Jesus gave no example of this. There are no stories of Him cutting, piercing or burning Himself to prove His devotion to His Father. His example is one of self denial; not self depreciation; not self flagellation. His pain came from His own self denial.
A disciple's cross may cause pain. It is brought upon him by his commitment to the Lord. It may mean that he will live in a mission where the comforts of America do not exist. It may mean that he will fast so that he might know his Lord's will. It may mean that he will give in such a way that he will miss comforts that he could have otherwise afforded.
The lack of a cross guarantees that the Christian will not become a disciple of Jesus. It guarantees the hindrance of Christian growth. It guarantees the Christian will continue to act like those who do not know the Lord.
The lack of taking up your own cross is the crucial failure for the Christian. It is the reason our churches are full of people who are empty.
Luke 14:26-27 (NIV)
26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
These same Christian people will be found meaner than snakes at a church business meeting. They will gossip, hold grudges and outright hate other people as if they don't know the Lord at all. People are often shocked if they learn of these Christians personal lives. They may have pornography, excessive drinking or rampant gambling hidden from the public. Their marriages are horrible, their children know the truth about them and they are constantly worrying about how people perceive them.
What is wrong? They went to all the right places to learn of Jesus. They even have some knowledge of who He is. Yet, how can they continue to act like they don't know Him? Simple, they have failed to make the basic commitment to Christian growth. They have failed to take up their crosses.
The cross is an instrument of death. The condemned person was placed on the cross to slowly die. It took time before death set in. The person who takes up his or her spiritual cross will find death to self come slowly but surely. The cross is putting everything that self wants aside so that Christ may reign in you. It is dying to your love of anything or anyone in this world which will keep you from Christ's sovereignty in your life.
It is a struggle to stay on the cross. Some times the old self raises its head to claim you once more. It says that the cross is unnecessary. It says that you are doing more than most Christians anyway. It claims an allegiance to family or work or anything which the world says should be put before the Lord. It yells at you to get off the cross and live a good life.
However, the life is not good. The Christian who tries to live a good life is never satisfied in it. This good Christian will simply never grow much because he or she cannot be Jesus' disciple.
A disciple abides in His word. A disciple follows His commands. A disciple accomplishes much because the Lord is His strength. A disciple knows Him. A disciple loves like Him. A disciple becomes like Him. You can't be a disciple and grow into His likeness unless you take up your own cross.
A disciple doesn't seek pain. The only pain the cross brings is that of self denial. It doesn't mean that the person will hurt himself physically. Jesus gave no example of this. There are no stories of Him cutting, piercing or burning Himself to prove His devotion to His Father. His example is one of self denial; not self depreciation; not self flagellation. His pain came from His own self denial.
A disciple's cross may cause pain. It is brought upon him by his commitment to the Lord. It may mean that he will live in a mission where the comforts of America do not exist. It may mean that he will fast so that he might know his Lord's will. It may mean that he will give in such a way that he will miss comforts that he could have otherwise afforded.
The lack of a cross guarantees that the Christian will not become a disciple of Jesus. It guarantees the hindrance of Christian growth. It guarantees the Christian will continue to act like those who do not know the Lord.
The lack of taking up your own cross is the crucial failure for the Christian. It is the reason our churches are full of people who are empty.
Luke 14:26-27 (NIV)
26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters--yes, even his own life--he cannot be my disciple. 27 And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple.
Saturday, May 8, 2010
Life Has Meaning But Most People Don't Know What Their Meaning Is
I go to Home Depot all the time and look at the tools. I know what some of them do. Most of these tools are a mystery to me. I don't know what they are called and I don't know what they do. I want one anyway.
Every created tool has a purpose. It is hard to imagine a tool which had no purpose. Why would someone create a tool without a purpose? Why would it be called a tool if it didn't have a purpose? Creation has a purpose.
I sometimes look at paintings and wonder what the artist was thinking. Some paintings are beautiful to me. Some are ridiculous. I still think the artist has a purpose even if I don't understand it. Some art is offensive. It is the purpose of that art that offends me the most. Yet, it is still a purpose. Creation has a purpose.
There are only two real possibilities for our lives. We are either created or we are merely the results of random acts. The later is a strange conclusion because our bodies do not have random parts. The body is put together so that each part has a purpose. Why would I assume that a body of purpose was put together without any purpose?
A watch has a purpose. Even the pretty parts have a purpose. They are there to be pretty. The presence of purpose reveals the presence of a creator. It was someone's purpose to make a watch. No one when looking at a watch exclaims how remarkable it is that these parts have formed themselves together to make a watch which accurately records time. In fact, most watches (if not all) have their creators' names placed on the front.
I am sitting on my deck typing this blog. My Jack Russell Terrier, Jackie, is lying under a bench near me. I suspect (though I am unsure because she is a Jack Russell) she has no idea of her purpose. She has been placed in our lives for our enjoyment. We have fed her, taken her to many vets and played with her. She has caused us many days of laughter and some days of rage for what she has done. Overall, as much as it has been her capacity, she has pleased us. We got her for this purpose. It is not creation but it is purposeful.
I don't know that I can measure the difference between a dog and a human. I don't know that I can compare a human to God as I would a dog to a human. Yet, I know that this purposeful universe would would be without any order if purpose did not exist. We all have a purpose.
Still, most people are allowing their lives to be influenced by their circumstances rather than by their purpose. They are like my dog who reacts to the stimuli without any real purpose in her life. These people have purpose but neither know nor do they work toward their purpose. They are born, grow, go to school, get married, have kids, work, retire and die without knowing why they have been placed on the earth. We will never know them because they never knew themselves.
Every person has one general purpose though they are permitted and called to express it in different ways. We were created to give God glory. The very definition of sin reveals our failure. It also reveals our glory. It reveals our purpose.
God created us and stamped His Name on us. He gave us a general and a specific purpose. Some are being artists for His glory while others are being lawyers, teachers or construction workers. Each follows his or her calling to give Him glory. It is both puncticular and continuing. God doesn't seem to measure the glory we give Him by comparison. He praise the one who gives a great deal and have disdain for the widow who gave only two cents. He sees both our physical acts and our hearts at the same time.
Nothing seems to be right when we fail in our purpose. My little dog hangs her head and doesn't like being around me when she has done something she shouldn't. (So, maybe she does understand her purpose afterall.) The universe is out of order when we continue to fail in our purpose. Yet, we have all failed in our purpose at some time.
So, give God glory today. It is what you were created for.
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
(This definition of sin is the most succinct verse which reveals our purpose. It is falling short of His glory that defines sin. Therefore, our purpose must be to give Him glory. Please don't take this as a negative because that is not the intent. It is a challenge to return to our purpose of giving God glory.)
Every created tool has a purpose. It is hard to imagine a tool which had no purpose. Why would someone create a tool without a purpose? Why would it be called a tool if it didn't have a purpose? Creation has a purpose.
I sometimes look at paintings and wonder what the artist was thinking. Some paintings are beautiful to me. Some are ridiculous. I still think the artist has a purpose even if I don't understand it. Some art is offensive. It is the purpose of that art that offends me the most. Yet, it is still a purpose. Creation has a purpose.
There are only two real possibilities for our lives. We are either created or we are merely the results of random acts. The later is a strange conclusion because our bodies do not have random parts. The body is put together so that each part has a purpose. Why would I assume that a body of purpose was put together without any purpose?
A watch has a purpose. Even the pretty parts have a purpose. They are there to be pretty. The presence of purpose reveals the presence of a creator. It was someone's purpose to make a watch. No one when looking at a watch exclaims how remarkable it is that these parts have formed themselves together to make a watch which accurately records time. In fact, most watches (if not all) have their creators' names placed on the front.
I am sitting on my deck typing this blog. My Jack Russell Terrier, Jackie, is lying under a bench near me. I suspect (though I am unsure because she is a Jack Russell) she has no idea of her purpose. She has been placed in our lives for our enjoyment. We have fed her, taken her to many vets and played with her. She has caused us many days of laughter and some days of rage for what she has done. Overall, as much as it has been her capacity, she has pleased us. We got her for this purpose. It is not creation but it is purposeful.
I don't know that I can measure the difference between a dog and a human. I don't know that I can compare a human to God as I would a dog to a human. Yet, I know that this purposeful universe would would be without any order if purpose did not exist. We all have a purpose.
Still, most people are allowing their lives to be influenced by their circumstances rather than by their purpose. They are like my dog who reacts to the stimuli without any real purpose in her life. These people have purpose but neither know nor do they work toward their purpose. They are born, grow, go to school, get married, have kids, work, retire and die without knowing why they have been placed on the earth. We will never know them because they never knew themselves.
Every person has one general purpose though they are permitted and called to express it in different ways. We were created to give God glory. The very definition of sin reveals our failure. It also reveals our glory. It reveals our purpose.
God created us and stamped His Name on us. He gave us a general and a specific purpose. Some are being artists for His glory while others are being lawyers, teachers or construction workers. Each follows his or her calling to give Him glory. It is both puncticular and continuing. God doesn't seem to measure the glory we give Him by comparison. He praise the one who gives a great deal and have disdain for the widow who gave only two cents. He sees both our physical acts and our hearts at the same time.
Nothing seems to be right when we fail in our purpose. My little dog hangs her head and doesn't like being around me when she has done something she shouldn't. (So, maybe she does understand her purpose afterall.) The universe is out of order when we continue to fail in our purpose. Yet, we have all failed in our purpose at some time.
So, give God glory today. It is what you were created for.
Romans 3:23
For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.
(This definition of sin is the most succinct verse which reveals our purpose. It is falling short of His glory that defines sin. Therefore, our purpose must be to give Him glory. Please don't take this as a negative because that is not the intent. It is a challenge to return to our purpose of giving God glory.)
Friday, May 7, 2010
You Are Always on His Mind
Love causes us to do some remarkable things. For the sake of love we will give our last cent. We will dwell on the picture of someone as if that picture could fill our hearts. We will work like we have never worked for an employer. We will give our last breath.
Yet, our love is imperfect. It is not totally unconditional. It is limited if it only exists within our own power. Thus, we can have great friends which we would call closer than brothers yet, not call them for months. We can close out those whom we said we would love with our last dying breath. We can get divorced from those whom we said we would live forever. Our love is tainted with selfishness.
Such is not the case of God's love. His love is unconditional. His love is everlasting. His love causes Him to keep you on His mind.
Think of it: He knows and thinks of the birds of the air all the time. Yes, birds! He cares for them continually and makes a point of saying that you are immeasurably more important than they. It is a profound reality to know that God is always thinking of you.
I suppose that may scare you. You may have thought that you were on your own today. You may have thought that no one was watching but you already know better. God was watching you as you slept. He watched you wake up, stumble to the bathroom, clean up and get dressed. He was with you as you walked, rode and drove to your first destination of the day. He is with you now.
You are not a casual thought to Him. He doesn't respond with, "O yeah, I know her." He can honestly say, "I am thinking of her right now." His thoughts allow Him to know all there is about you. He knows your every need, your every struggle and your every joy.
He was there when you committed that sin for which you can't seem to forgive yourself. He had already taken care of the forgiveness through His Son but for some reason you won't accept it. He knows and continually works around and within you to get you see that you are forgiven.
He was there when that person did evil to you. He wept when you were hurt. He wants you to know that you are not alone. He wants you to know that He is a God of justice too.
He was there when you did that act of kindness. He wants you to know that it will never be forgotten because He will always remember it.
And He will always be there. No matter what you do. No matter what happens, whether good or bad, God is there. You are always on His mind.
Luke 12:6-7 (NIV)
6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
Yet, our love is imperfect. It is not totally unconditional. It is limited if it only exists within our own power. Thus, we can have great friends which we would call closer than brothers yet, not call them for months. We can close out those whom we said we would love with our last dying breath. We can get divorced from those whom we said we would live forever. Our love is tainted with selfishness.
Such is not the case of God's love. His love is unconditional. His love is everlasting. His love causes Him to keep you on His mind.
Think of it: He knows and thinks of the birds of the air all the time. Yes, birds! He cares for them continually and makes a point of saying that you are immeasurably more important than they. It is a profound reality to know that God is always thinking of you.
I suppose that may scare you. You may have thought that you were on your own today. You may have thought that no one was watching but you already know better. God was watching you as you slept. He watched you wake up, stumble to the bathroom, clean up and get dressed. He was with you as you walked, rode and drove to your first destination of the day. He is with you now.
You are not a casual thought to Him. He doesn't respond with, "O yeah, I know her." He can honestly say, "I am thinking of her right now." His thoughts allow Him to know all there is about you. He knows your every need, your every struggle and your every joy.
He was there when you committed that sin for which you can't seem to forgive yourself. He had already taken care of the forgiveness through His Son but for some reason you won't accept it. He knows and continually works around and within you to get you see that you are forgiven.
He was there when that person did evil to you. He wept when you were hurt. He wants you to know that you are not alone. He wants you to know that He is a God of justice too.
He was there when you did that act of kindness. He wants you to know that it will never be forgotten because He will always remember it.
And He will always be there. No matter what you do. No matter what happens, whether good or bad, God is there. You are always on His mind.
Luke 12:6-7 (NIV)
6 Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. 7 Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.
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