Rejected by the World; Accepted by Christ

 November 6, 2024

Wednesday

We are among people who conform with others. Those who go against the flow are considered outsiders very often. When it comes to our faith, this is exactly who Jesus calls us to be. We are to be a distinct people who live our lives set apart for Him. We just can't go with the flow.

This is where it gets extremely hard for people who receive value from those around them. Fear arises in the prospect of loneliness. Ridicule comes from the crowd. It may seem that we have been erased from the world we once knew. The truth is that the world wants to have nothing to do with us. We will never satisfy what the world wants. We are of no use. 

Going against the flow makes us testaments of a different reality. If we can live our contrarian life joyfully, the world might question itself. It might wonder if it is right. Therefore, the world will seek to right itself before it is capsized. It excludes even the mention of lives changed by Christ when it can no longer attack that possibility. Many Christians return to the world. They may have even liked the attention when they were attacked but they can't stand being ignored.

To set out on your own without the world beside you is very scary at first. You push your rowboat into the ocean waters. You see the shore slowly disappear. It seems that you are all alone. Of course, you aren't but that is the way it seems.

I guess we thought it was like they told us at church. Give your life to Christ and you'll never have to make another gift again. They didn't say it that way but it sure sounds like they did. No one told us that walking with Christ would be this hard. 

Maybe we just wanted to go to heaven and continue to live the way we always lived. A little Jesus can go a long way, right? Too much of Him makes us weird. In fact, we are weird to the Christian community too. Christian people are bothered by a fully committed Christian, too.

What happens when you make that commitment to the Lord that says that you are holding nothing back. At least, you're not holding anything "known" back. You will enter into the closest of relationships with Jesus that He has reserved for those who hold nothing back. You will hear from Him. You will see Him work. You will be empowered by Him. You will know the joy of the Lord. You will sacrifice and suffer and call yourself blessed. You will be what the Apostle Paul longed for:

Philippians 3:8–11 (NASB 2020)⁸ More than that, I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them mere rubbish, so that I may gain Christ, ⁹ and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, ¹⁰ that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death; ¹¹ if somehow I may attain to the resurrection from the dead.

Sometimes, You Need to Sweat the Small Stuff

 November 5, 2024

Tuesday

Small mistakes can make a big difference. In 1631, a Bible was printed that altered the seventh commandment. It read, "Thou shalt commit adultery." It left out one small word and was deemed the "wicked" Bible from that point on. The Challenger disaster was due to O rings They may have been among the smallest parts of the launch vehicle but they were the cause of the deaths of the entire shuttle crew.

Adam being quiet while Eve talked with Satan seems like a small thing. He just didn't object. He just didn't defend her. He let things go until they got out of hand. He took the easy road. This is the biggest disaster in all of human history.

I commonly hear people say, "Don't sweat the small stuff." However, first, everyone needs to be able to discern what the small stuff is. The printers of the 1631 Bible would say that ignoring the small stuff was disastrous. The people who went ahead with the launch of the Challenger would have said that ignoring the small stuff was disastrous. Adam must have said that too at some point. I think that we who have inherited a sin nature would agree that the small stuff sometimes makes huge differences.

Satan is subtle. He is not so "in your face" as he is depicted in movies. He maneuvers us to greater sins by getting us to make small concessions. Too many pastors have fallen into sin because they didn't notice the small stuff. They didn't notice that the counseling sessions were going toward personal sin. They didn't notice that they needed to flee temptation. They were convinced that they were impervious to the sin they would eventually cave into.

So, we confront Satan and flee temptation. We ask the Holy Spirit to open our eyes to the small stuff so that we can act before it acts on us. There comes a point when it is very difficult to say no. Most will not if they don't notice the small stuff before it becomes a disaster.

Genesis 3:1–6 (NASB 2020)¹ Now the serpent was more cunning than any animal of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Has God really said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” ² The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; ³ but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” ⁴ The serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die! ⁵ For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will become like God, knowing good and evil.” ⁶ 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 desirable to make one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate; and she also gave some to her husband with her, and he ate.

Live Like You Were Dying

 November 4, 2024

Monday

Life does not always give you what you expect. We make plans and have them destroyed almost every day. Yet, we remain a people who depend on predictions. We listen daily to the weather report even though it is often wrong. We read economic predictions from economists who hardly ever get it right. We learn that both of these professions depend upon making multiple predictions so that one of those predictions is right.

It is better to have safeguards than rely on predictions. It is better to have insurance than to depend on nothing happening. It is better to have more gas in the tank than is absolutely necessary to arrive at the destination. It is better to have a contingency fund for the unexpected expenses that can’t be predicted. The lack of these safeguards will eventually cause crises in our lives.

Jesus told a parable of a man who had a great harvest. He decided to build bigger barns and take it easy for the rest of his life. Jesus said that the man would die right away and wouldn’t get anything out of that harvest. The man did not prepare for his ultimate future. He could only see what was immediately in front of him.

People generally don’t prepare to meet Jesus face-to-face. They prepare for retirement. They prepare for their finances. They prepare for good health when they may not have one day of it left. Many people think that trusting in Christ is all they need to do to go to heaven. They are right. But will Jesus find them faithful when they go to meet Him face-to-face? What will happen when they stand before the judgement seat of Christ?

I cannot predict what will happen in anyone’s life. I can tell people to always be prepared. Be known as someone who is always reaching others for Christ. Then, when the time comes, you’ll have something to show your faithfulness.

Luke 12:16–21 (NASB 2020)¹⁶ And He told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man was very productive. ¹⁷ And he began thinking to himself, saying, ‘What shall I do, since I have no place to store my crops?’ ¹⁸ And he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and I will store all my grain and my goods there. ¹⁹ And I will say to myself, “You have many goods stored up for many years to come; relax, eat, drink, and enjoy yourself!” ’ ²⁰ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your soul is demanded of you; and as for all that you have prepared, who will own it now?’ ²¹ Such is the one who stores up treasure for himself, and is not rich in relation to God.”

A Serious Commitment to the Lord

 November 3, 2024

Sunday

I remember the night I stopped drinking alcohol. I had been far away from the Lord, being more sinful than I was before I was saved. I realized that I was missing the relationship I had with the Lord. I got on my knees and made a serious commitment to do whatever the Lord told me to do. Immediately, as if audible (but not audible) the Lord told me to go downstairs and pour out all of my alcohol. I suppose this was a test of my freshly stated commitment to the Lord. I poured it down the sink and have not had alcohol as a beverage since that night. (I have been surprised by alcoholic wine when observing the Lord's Supper in Israel. I have had Nyquil when I have been sick.)

I supposed that my commitment must be everyone's commitment. I preached against drinking. I chastised those who did. I have learned that the Bible does not prohibit drinking. However, that doesn't change my commitment. My commitment stands. It represents setting myself aside for the Lord's use. It is holy though I am not always acting holy. Holiness is being set aside for the Lord. It isn't about being perfect. The point is that abstaining from alcohol is not everyone's commitment.

Yet, there are some who do need to make that commitment. Their relationship with alcohol is getting in the way of their relationship with the Lord. Their testimony has been damaged by their drinking. Their families have been damaged, too. They need to make that commitment because it would be best for them and those around them. 

These people may not be what some call alcoholics. Some think that an alcoholic can't stay away from alcohol. Though that may be true in some cases, I have seen many more people go without alcohol for periods of time. They may still be alcoholics but still able to abstain for short periods. Alcohol lingers in their thoughts, though. They plan for the moment they will be able to drink again.

On the other hand, there are people who are able to drink in moderation nearly all of the time. They may have "one too many" but those occasions are somewhat rare. Alcohol isn't affecting their lives. It is something they do like overeat at Thanksgiving. They normally don't overeat either. These people can be committed Christians without abstaining from alcohol.

I went to the movies with a bunch of men to watch "The Forge." In that movie, the main protagonist is told that coming to Christ means he will need to sacrifice something. The young man gave up video games. It was controlling him. He needed to give it up. But the truth is that people will go to heaven just as easily without giving up anything. They are changed by the Lord but not so committed that they will do without anything. They will never be true disciples of the Lord but they will go to heaven. The only reason to give up something is because the Lord has led you to give it up. It is getting in the way of your relationship with Him.

We all, probably, have something that was getting in the way of our relationship with the Lord when we made a serious commitment to Him. We just need to listen to the Lord with our eyes open. He will lead us to give up that which gets in the way. He will lead us to make a serious commitment if we choose to do so.

Do you want to make a serious commitment to the Lord? Is there anything that you know right now that is getting in the way of your relationship with Him?

1 Corinthians 10:23 (NASB 2020) ²³ All things are permitted, but not all things are of benefit. All things are permitted, but not all things build people up.

Living Life to the End

 November 2, 2024

Saturday

Some people have trouble finishing. They are great starters but they come to a point when they think they have done enough. I have seen that with people in their marriages. They come to a point when they think they have done enough so they quit working on it. Their marriages may not end in divorce but they do end in nothingness.

Of course, that is true when people consider their Christian life. They think that they needed to do some things at the church while they were younger but now that they are older they need to turn this over to the "young people." This is not found in the Bible, but it is found in our society. Retirement seems to be what many people want to talk about after they reach fifty or so. Somehow, that translates into their service to the Lord. I want to travel and not be tied down. I want to do what I want to do. This is the sentiment of the world creeping into our relationship with the Lord.

On the other hand, many Christians never made a commitment to Christ that required their own sacrifice. They give out of abundance, when they want to see a cause forwarded, when they are seen as givers and when they feel guilty. Some make what they would call sacrifices to the Lord when they want Him to do something for them. These aren't really sacrifices. They are investments.

Do they miss anything when they never answer God's call to be a living sacrifice to the Lord? Yes! They miss that intimate relationship. They miss the purpose that God has for them. They miss the joy of walking with the Lord. They miss seeing God perform miracles. They miss the assurance of their faith. They miss the strength of the Lord. They miss the confidence that comes from believing.

There were a couple of diving platforms over the pool of my college. I watched many people climb the stairs and walk up to the edge, only to walk back down the stairs. They were afraid of making the commitment of diving or jumping off of that platform into the pool. They missed the absolute thrill of making a dive from that height.

So, whether you have done a lot for the Lord in the past or never made the commitment of sacrifice to the Lord in the first place, there is still a lot of relationship left. We can finish the race or quit before we finish. We can run to win or just conserve our resources and come in last.

How do you want your life to be when this life is over?

Philippians 1:21–25 (NASB 2020) ²¹ For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain. ²² But if I am to live on in the flesh, this will mean fruitful labor for me; and I do not know which to choose. ²³ But I am hard-pressed from both directions, having the desire to depart and be with Christ, for that is very much better; ²⁴ yet to remain on in the flesh is more necessary for your sakes. ²⁵ Convinced of this, I know that I will remain and continue with you all for your progress and joy in the faith,

Some People Just Don't Want to Believe

 November 1, 2024

Friday

I just listened to a YouTube post that featured people who attempt to dissuade people from a belief in God. The first speaker was a young man who has been claimed to be a philosopher. I found it hard to believe that he was. He used erroneous arguments which I didn't find logical. First, he attacked how some Christians act. While it is true that some Christians act terribly, that in no way says anything about the existence of God. He also reasoned that the world would be a drastically different place if God is the benevolent God that Christians claim that He is. I suppose this young man doesn't give mankind any credit for the way we have made the world. Romans 5 tells us that sin entered into the world through Adam. God did not create the world in its present state. We, not He, messed up the world. He spoke of the evils done by religious people who didn't believe as others did. They executed those they considered heretics. In this case, he argues that it wasn't because they didn't believe but that they believed something different. He gave the testimony of a well-known atheist who had become a Christian as only saying that it was her experience, not her proof that God existed that made her change her belief. Again, that has nothing to do with whether God exists, one way or the other. It means that a woman who clung to the doubts whether God existed had come to the conclusion that not only did He exist but that He loved her and gave Himself up for her. He makes other claims that are simply false. He believes that all great discoveries were done by atheists. Of course, we all know this isn't true.

One speaker said that he was eloquent. I thought he hadn't really thought out his arguments. His arguments followed fallacies that he should have known were fallacies if he is truly a philosopher. They sounded a lot like something that guys would say in a bar to convince each other rather than giving compelling reasons to cause others believe as they do. While this may be common for politicians, it should be far from the lips of a philosopher.

The real reason that he doesn't believe is something he doesn't want to admit. He simply does not want to believe. He will not bring himself to the point where he must know that he doesn't know. (He did call himself an agnostic. I could see that he has fallen into that trap. An agnostic doesn't know because he cannot say that he has made a thorough search. No one can say they have made a thorough search when they can't find the existence of God. They simply haven't looked in every place. He calls himself an agnostic to avoid being pulled into that hole.) He is conclusive. He appears very sure of himself.

He ignores the fact that time must have a beginning for time to exist. He ignores that life must have a beginning and has no idea how it came about. (He cited the survival of the fittest. I am not sure many evolutionists would make that argument any more. Gradual mutations make an organism weaker.) He ignores that the conscience has no logical place in a purely evolutionary world order.

No, the existence of God is plain to him but he refuses to see Him.

Romans 1:19–20 (NASB 2020) ¹⁹ because that which is known about God is evident within them; for God made it evident to them. ²⁰ For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes, that is, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, being understood by what has been made, so that they are without excuse.

Are Evil Spirits Real?

 October 31, 2024

Thursday

For the most part, Halloween is benign. It is a fun time for children to dress up and get candy. Some parents may object to the candy part. Candy is just one of the things we must do in moderation. The same goes for Halloween. Going too far can be dangerous.

Most people do not believe in evil spirits. The Bible says they are real. There are many testimonies in the Bible of those who have been possessed by evil spirits. Jesus speaks to the evil spirits. He cast them out. He sends them into pigs. He doesn't truly destroy them even though they may cast themselves into the sea. That time is reserved for the end when they shall go into the Lake of Fire. I really don't know what happens after that.

(I had surgery today and am on something called oxycodone. I really don't know what that stuff is but I understand a little more why the Greek word for sorcery is "pharmakea." Sounds a lot like pharmacy, right? It isn't evil in itself but it could easily become evil.)

So, do we still need to be concerned about evil spirits? There is no evidence that they have been removed from the world as of yet. Their possession of others is much more subtle than it was in the New Testament. Yet, some of the things we have called psychosis may indeed be evil spirits. Evil spirits cannot inhabit believers in Jesus for the Holy Spirit moved in when we became believers. We have no reason to worry about ourselves. We do have reason to be concerned for others. Jesus said it was to our advantage that He went away and the Holy Spirit would come.

I have only seen one person throw themselves on the ground and make growling sounds. I don't think this is the way evil spirits normally act unless they are confronted. After all, Judas had an evil spirit enter him to betray Jesus (Luke 22:3). Evil did not cause him to growl or throw himself on the ground but it might have been argued that it cause him to hang himself. Evil can surely have an affect on us without us being possessed by evil.

What do we do about it? If we are serious about attacking the areas Satan has claimed (even though he can only do what he has permission to do) we will come across  evil spirits. A lot has been made of casting out these spirits and I can't say that won't be what happens but movies have made it into magical incantations rather than battles in spiritual realms. There is more power in whom we are in Jesus than the words that we say to cast out demons.

Acts 19:13–16 (NASB 2020)¹³ But also some of the Jewish exorcists, who went from place to place, attempted to use the name of the Lord Jesus over those who had the evil spirits, saying, “I order you in the name of Jesus whom Paul preaches!” ¹⁴ Now there were seven sons of Sceva, a Jewish chief priest, doing this. ¹⁵ But the evil spirit responded and said to them, “I recognize Jesus, and I know of Paul, but who are you?” ¹⁶ And the man in whom was the evil spirit, pounced on them and subdued all of them and overpowered them, so that they fled out of that house naked and wounded.

So, as the oxycodone I took about forty minutes ago takes real effect, remember that evil spirits are real but you have nothing to fear because greater is the one in you than he who is in the world.