Quickly, Tell Others

 December 31, 2024

Tuesday

Matthew 28:7 (ESV) ⁷ Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.”

Christians for the most part have become consumers looking what what Christianity will do for them. They have become complacent with the gospel. There is no urgency to quickly tell others of the saving power of a faith in Christ. Much of that may have come from an easy "believism" that has infected their faith. 

They believe that by acknowledging Jesus as God's Son, they are saved. That is not the same as having faith. Faith involves repenting from a trust in the world and its desires to trusting in Jesus as their life. It is more than believing that there is a heaven or hell. It is more than going to church. It is more than looking to find a place that is comfortable or good for your family. It involves the infusion of the Holy Spirit into the life of the new believer. It involves being changed from someone who looks like those who do not believe.

I acknowledge that Putin is the president of Russia but it has no effect on me. If asked, I will respond with him being the president of Russia. I do not consider Russia as my home or even retirement home because I believe he is the president of Russia. Yet, this appears to be the faith of many people who call themselves Christians. They think by calling Jesus Lord they are Christians. Why? Because we told them that they don't have to do anything to be a Christian. So, they don't.

There is no reason for a person who doesn't truly believe in the salvation that Jesus brings to tell others of the life changing reality that Jesus brings. They aren't urgent with the message because they don't have a message to tell. 

What are you doing to bring the reality of Jesus into the lives of others? Are you serving them? Are you showing them love? Are you forgiving  so that they understand forgiveness? Are you praying for them to come to Christ?

The people who found an empty tomb were told to quickly tell others. Time matters. Quickly, tell someone who Jesus is to you today. Start with someone who is already a believer. You might find that they have only acknowledged Jesus as Lord.

The Superior Christian

 December 30, 2024

Monday

1 Corinthians 3:4 (ESV) ⁴ For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not being merely human?

There has always been a desire to be superior to others. Two of Jesus disciples asked to sit on His right and left side when He came into His kingdom. They sought status. The rest of the disciples weren't so happy with their request. That maybe because they also wanted those positions.

Things aren't any different now. People will join a certain church because of the status of that church. They will brag about the size, the theology, or any other thing that gives them a leg up on other churches. They will state who the pastor is based on his fame. They will claim that they are the only ones doing the Lord's work. They are acting in a very immature way. They are acting like people who don't know Jesus.

People who know Jesus may love their pastors, their churches and even the ministries their churches provide. This is only natural. However, they should never see that they are more pure or of a greater status because they are part of their churches. 

Some church growth models teach that a church should market what makes them different from other churches. So, churches spend untold hours trying to come of with a mission statement and motto that will draw people in. There is only one mission statement and motto for all churches. It is found in the Great Commission. We make disciples.

Some churches say they are seeking to be a multi-generational or multi-ethnic church but that can't be the center of the mission. Any church that doesn't have discipleship as its main goal misses the point of the Great Commission. This doesn't mean that a certain area can't be focuses on. Surely, making disciples must be done locally. This will not divide church but can unite them when each one is trying to make disciples. 

Not so long ago, a church of the same ilk as ours tried to plant a church across the street. They had asked a faction of the denomination where to plant a church and that was the best place because, they were told, that a good church is needed there. Of course, this is marketing and human understanding. It is immaturity at the highest levels of leadership. I cannot believe God will bless such immaturity. In the end, the planting church withdrew because, I believe, they realized the  ungodliness and wanted to be godly. They had no desire to "put us out of business." Praise God for them and their pastor.

Yet, when the flesh prevails, there will be jealousy and strife. 

Therefore, we all need to admit that we are not the most righteous, the most loved by God nor the most coveted by others in our position with God. We are bond-servants rather than lords. We are followers of Jesus Christ rather than the idols of others. 

We must watch ourselves. The flesh has a way of sneaking up on us and declaring that we are superior.

Will Your Relationship with Jesus Grow Next Year?

 December 29, 2024

Sunday

1 Corinthians 9:27 (ESV) ²⁷ But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

For too many, coming to Christ is the end of the road rather than the beginning. They come to church with no expectation of purpose. To many church is like a buffet line. They pick up what they like and leave the rest. One serious act of service is enough to live off of for years. They will point out that the painted the Family Life Center or Sanctuary, they will speak with pride of the class they led at one point, they will remark on their own faithfulness to give. Meanwhile, they are unchanged.

Too many Christians think that being a Christian is going to church and taking studies. Thus, they are full of knowledge with notebooks lining their bookshelves. But do they understand that it isn't knowledge that Jesus is looking for? The real question is whether people obeyed the Lord. The real question is if they know Jesus. The real question is if they have walked with Him. And when they are asked, they have no definitive answer. So, they point back to the things they did years ago.

A Christian testimony must be kept current. It should not be what you did last year or ten years ago. It should be an encounter you had with the Lord and His word yesterday or today. Beyond that, it is ancient history for a testimony. While constant introspection can be unhealthy, no evaluation where you are with the Lord can be disastrous. 

It is as simple as this: Are you growing closer to the Lord at this minute or not? Do you know what it means to grow closer? Are you having encounters with the Lord in prayer, in God's word and with other people who stimulate those encounters? The answer to these questions tell us where we are.

Many Christians don't think of spiritual things until they must. They are forced into them by an encounter with someone who demands a spiritual answer. It may be one of their children or someone who calls them a Christian and looks to them for advice. Unfortunately, spiritual strength comes from practice rather than knowledge. And wisdom comes from the Lord, not what happened years ago.

Will this next year be different? Only if they decided to walk with the Lord. It will start with confession, commitment and lead to constant communion. It isn't easy since the world is doing its best to draw you closer to itself.

And then, will you stand next year saying, "I meant to change this past year but I fell into my old patterns?" Be determined. Every serious Christian must be.

The Greatest Praise You Can Ever Have

 December 28, 2024

Saturday

John 13:16 (ESV) ¹⁶ Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him.

I bake. Lots of people say I am a great cook. The truth is that I just follow recipe's. I suppose those people who are not great cooks don't want to follow recipe's. I am just copying what another did before me. I consider it a success if I can imitate something good that another person did.

Being a follower of Jesus should never be trying to get ahead of Him. It should never be trying to do something that He hasn't modeled. It must be what He did. It is truly being compliant to His will. It receives His power as the follower is simply an instrument of His will.

With everything that has been done by humans, there is a desire to do it better than the best. Races are run trying to beat the best time ever. Yet, when it comes to Jesus, our best hope is to fully do what He has done. We can preach but not better than Him. We can encourage but not better than Him. We can draw crowds bigger than His but we cannot do anything more than He has done with a crowd. No matter how pure in heart we attempt to be we do not approach His purity.

If not careful, we can think we are greater than Jesus without the nerve to actually say it. We can sin with the excuse of being greater than Jesus. We can even criticize what Jesus said once we think we are greater than Him. It is here that we must be very careful. Arrogance can sneak up on us. We may say that we are not greater than Jesus but act like it in every way.

John the Baptist was the prevailing preacher before Jesus. When John's disciples pointed out Jesus, John knew who Jesus was. He knew who he was too. He knew that he wasn't worthy to tie up Jesus sandals. He said that Jesus must increase while he decreased. 

So, when anyone says that you have done something great you might say, "I just followed the recipe'." Or, I just did what my master did. That will be the greatest praise you can ever have.

Only One Master

 December 27, 2024

Friday

Matthew 6:24 (ESV) ²⁴ “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.

While money is the prevailing example of serving two masters, this principle applies to everything. This is why Jesus said that you must hate father and mother, wife and children and even your own life to be His disciple. There can be no list of bosses. Making God the primary master will defeat the principle. He is not the primary in the list of other masters.

Preachers are often evaluated in how they produce. So, they preach and wait for people to flood the aisles with decisions. Preachers check on Monday to see if the attendance is up or down. By Tuesday the preacher is checking to see how the offering went for the week. The preacher might say that he is not serving two masters because his own personal gain is not a consideration but he is serving all who are trying to evaluate him. He has another boss even if he doesn't notice who that is. It could be his elders, deacons or even himself. (It will be himself if he has a huge ego.) He can say that he is not trying to serve two masters but when any other master is considered, there are at least two masters.

What about an employee? There is a difference between trying to please the boss and pleasing the Lord. The Lord wants us to work as if we are always working for Him. That goes way beyond if the earthly boss notices the work. Working for the Lord encompasses working for an employer. It still means the follower of Christ has only one master.

Now, of course we can say the same thing about our spouses, children and ourselves. Even a hobby can become a master. This just can't happen. God is not first in our list of masters. He is the only one so there is no list.

Every time we choose to follow one of our masters, we despise the one(s) we choose not to serve. Just about anyone will tell you that you can't please everyone. However, the truth is that you only have One to please. So, please Him.

Pray to the Lord of the Harvest

 December 26, 2024

Thursday

Matthew 9:36–38 (NASB 2020) ³⁶ Seeing the crowds, He felt compassion for them, because they were distressed and downcast, like sheep without a shepherd. ³⁷ Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. ³⁸ Therefore, plead with the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into His harvest.”

Has another year gone by without seeing another soul come to Christ? 

The problem isn't with people not coming to Christ. The problem is that we are not sharing our faith. We hide in our houses hoping that we will not be disturbed. We encase ourselves in our vehicles without noticing the people on the outside. If we do notice, we criticize them for not being like us. Our problem is that we have no compassion for the crowds. Most of the time we don't even see them.

O, we have excuses. We claim we don't know how to tell people about Christ. That's like saying, "I don't know how to warn people that the bridge is out." Do you really care how you do it if it will save their lives? You do what you can. You do what you know you can do. You act because not acting means that you have made a decision for them. They won't hear the gospel if you don't tell them. You made their decision for them by not telling them.

As time progresses and we seem to take up causes for just about everything and everybody, we appear to becoming more callous toward each other too. We don't need to engage with others because we have all the people we need to engage with. We are spammed so much that we have learned to be rude. We protect our space and don't let others in. We have no compassion for others. While we may pledge $100 for what we consider a good cause, we won't cross the street to tell our neighbors the gospel. The $100 is such a short term fix when considering the eternity of the gospel.

Those who are laborers will see the people who need the gospel. They will be the ones praying to the Lord of the harvest to send laborers. They will be the ones who will see the fields ripe for harvest.

One news article after another comes out saying that people are attending church in lower numbers. Of course they are! The older generations continue to die out and the gospel is not being shared among the younger. Attendance will continue to drop unless the Lord of the harvest sends more laborers.

However, the gospel will not die. It will continue to shine in the darkness whether we participate or not. Yet, it is to our advantage to participate. We will participate with God in birthing new souls into His kingdom. We, therefore, can live today but touch eternity.

An Alternate Version of the Christmas Story

 December 25, 2024

Wednesday

Luke 2:10–12 (NASB 2020) ¹⁰ And so the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; ¹¹ for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. ¹² And this will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”

Was the story of Christ's birth really like nearly all of the Christmas plays we have seen this year? I really don't think so. The story told by these Christmas plays resemble fairy tales. They tell the story of the humble hero being honored. This is true. But they also make the story a bit inconceivable.

There is no record of people needing to go to their family origin for a census. However, there is a case for being there to see that property taxes are paid. A census could do both of these. This would mean that Joseph might have had property in Bethlehem which he needed to affirm a claim to by paying taxes. 

Joseph was not so dim-witted that he would take his nine-month pregnant wife across the treacherous terrain from Nazareth to Bethlehem. He probably would have taken off a couple of months before and stayed with relatives when he arrived. (The middle eastern people have no bounds to their hospitality. I personally have been invited to stay in a middle eastern home for a couple of months.) Naturally, other relatives would come to pay their taxes and stay in the same relative's house. It was probably packed.

Was there really a mean, ole, innkeeper who didn't make a place for a woman who was about to have a child? The word for "inn" is not the word used for a place rented for lodging. (That word is "pandoxeion." That is where the Good Samaritan took the man beaten up and robbed to recover. Luke 10:34) The word used is "kataluma." (Luke 2:7) It means spare room. So, the time came to give birth and the room where all the relatives were staying had no privacy to birth a child. They took to the stable because it was considered a part of the house and, though very humble, was suitable for a child to be born.

The shepherds would have come that very evening for they found the child in a manger. The Magi would have come much later because they found Jesus' family in a house (Matthew 2:11) One last thing, we have no idea how many Magi came. There were three mentioned gifts but that doesn't mean there were three Magi. Plural words are used to describe them so that we know that there were at least two. But three gifts doesn't necessarily mean three Magi. 

Since Herod ordered the babies two and younger to be murdered, Jesus was somewhere between birth and two. My estimation is that He is one or so. Since Herod died in 4 BC, Jesus would have been born sometime between 6 BC-4BC.

Does this change the majesty of His birth? I certainly hope not! 

Reading the Christmas Story

 December 24, 2024

Tuesday

Philippians 2:5 (ESV) ⁵  Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,

When we read the story of someone, we may feel like we know that person but we don't. We only know what was written in the story. That is all that many people know of Jesus. They don't know Him. They don't know His characteristics. They have never spoken to Him and they have never had Him speak to them. He is more of an imaginary friend that a real friend. He doesn't appear to exist for those who do not know Jesus. He disappears as soon as the book is closed.

The goal of reading the Christmas story in the Bible is not so that we can make a tradition that our children will remember. It is to help them understand that Jesus is a real person that they can personally know. They can know Him through experience beyond the times they have read about Him in the Bible. If we continue to speak to Him, obey Him, act like He acted with the humility that He had and listen for Him for wisdom, we will have a mind like His. We will know Him as well as we know anyone.

These words will scare many people. They do not believe that Jesus exists outside of the stories recorded in the Bible. They know Him in His literature but they do not know Him personally. Theirs is a religion full of rituals but without encounters. 

Of course, there are also those who make up their stories of encounters with Jesus. They tell stories of Jesus coming to them which are more than fantastic. They can't be refuted because no one else is there. And your own experience may be different from theirs. So, they may or may not have had these experiences. but we won't know for sure. We simply accept them until we hear otherwise.

So, go beyond the Christmas story when you read it this year. Ask the question: Do you know Jesus? He came so that we would know Him and have an eternal life with Him. It goes beyond knowing about Him. So, go beyond knowing about Him. 

Finding a New Church

 December 23, 2024

Monday

Romans 12:6 (ESV)⁶ Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them

Are you looking for a new church? First, let's check out good reasons for leaving your present one.

1. You have moved too far away from the church building to reasonably attend regularly. You will need a new church. You might think you are going to continue the drive but it will get so hard that you will be spending time you could be doing something more productively at a closer church building. Also, you will start getting infrequent with the things you used to attend.

2. Your present church started preaching heresy. If you have gone to the elders and they are fine with it, you will need a new church. You do not need to stay and tear the church apart.  Heresy will do the job of making that church ineffective.

3. Your ministry there has ended. There comes a time when you know that your ministry has ended and there is no opportunity to get into a different ministry within your spiritual gifts. God moves ministers who are employed by the church. He also moves ministers who aren't employed by the church. Everyone should be a minister.

Now let's look at some bad reasons for leaving the church you are in.

1. It's not exciting. Honestly, that shouldn't ever be the reason for coming to or leaving a church. It may be the number one reason why immature Christians choose the church they attend. Surely, you know that some preachers can bring volumes of solid Biblical teaching and never crack a smile. While on the other hand some preachers can say "dictionary" and make everyone cry. Delivery is a fairly superficial reason for leaving or joining a church.

2. All my friends are at another church. So, you will be drifting from church to church. Good luck with that!

3. The church voted down my great idea. That's still not a reason to leave. Maybe you did have a great idea, but aren't you supposed to consider others greater than yourself? This sounds more like you didn't put it in God's hands.

4. I'm not being fed. This generally goes along with the first two bad reasons for leaving the church.

5. I need to go where my family is best suited. Didn't Jesus say something about following Him meant "hating" your family?

Finally, Let' address the good reasons for finding a new church.

1. Your ministry ended at your last church and you are searching for a new ministry.

2. You have an opportunity to start a new ministry in this location.

3. You know that God is calling you to this new church. This isn't only for paid ministers.

In a nutshell, God gifted you with a spiritual gift(s). He expects you to use them. If you are still effective in your present church, you should not leave unless you have a definite word from God to do so. Otherwise, you are just a consumer shopping for a new church.

The Convenience Bible

 December 22, 2024

Sunday

Matthew 7:13–14 (NASB 2020)¹³ “Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. ¹⁴ For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.

Nowadays, you can find a Bible for just about anyone. There are Bible for people who are fans of preachers: The Criswell Bible, John McArthur Bible. There are Bibles that emphasize a certain topic: The Experiencing God Bible. There are Bibles for people who don't want to read the Bible: The Passion Bible. So, I have an idea. How about the "Convenience" Bible?

This Bible will come with explanations of hard passages that allow the reader to conveniently excuse himself from doing anything difficult. It will have excuses like: "Family is more important than what Jesus really wants you to do," and "You never need to forgive anyone who doesn't ask for forgiveness." This way the Bible reader will never need to feel guilty when he does what he wants to do. He'll have his excuses built into the commentary.

I suppose some of the translations of certain scriptures will need to be changed to. That one about hating mother and father, wife and children and even your own life could use some work. Maybe it should say, "Love your family with all your heart and soul. Always love those who love you." This Bible needs a few things added too. "Leave when things get difficult." "Stop giving when it is inconvenient." "Give to God after you have given to yourself."

Of course, that saying of Jesus when He claimed He came to give an abundant life has got to go. Surely, the real abundant life can be found without Him. Right?

Okay, let's admit it. The Bible is true. It will open our understanding of real life. It will challenge us beyond anything else in this world. And it is worth it.

Those who live in a convenient world stay on the road to destruction. This road is smooth. It is easy to travel because it is so wide. Most of our friends will be there. In the short run, it seems best. But those who choose the road the Bible describes find life. This is something those on the broad road dream of but never really find.

Honestly, would you buy "The Convenience Bible?" I guess it depends on what road you are on.

Don't Blame the Devil for Everything

 December 21, 2024

Saturday

James 1:14–15 (NASB 2020) ¹⁴ But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. ¹⁵ Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it has run its course, brings forth death.

The devil gets blamed for some things that he didn't do. He has no power to make us sin. He is not irresistible. The lust for sin is present before we are ever tempted. It will carry us away if it is not arrested before it gains momentum.

I helped a friend load a train car with grain while I was in high school. We had a simple system of using a stationary auger to load a car, then move the next car under the auger to fill it. I cannot imagine how much a train car full of grain weighs. Moving the cars seemed easy. We simply took a tractor, hooked up and chain to the cars and moved them one space. We had measured the space and placed a large log on the tracks to stop the cars. We didn't notice that the train cars were on a slight decline. My friend hooked up the tractor and I released the brakes on the last car. Everything was going fine until the cars quickly started going faster than the tractor. The log was split as if it were a toothpick. We had runaway train cars with no possibility of unhooking the chain from the tractor. So, I ran until I caught the last car and turned the brake until it stopped everything.

Our lust is like a heavy load on a decline. The first problem is that we can't understand how it could ever get out of hand. The second problem is that we don't notice it is out of hand when it is. It is conceived and gives birth. It takes us away from a close relationship with the Lord. It doesn't eliminate the relationship but there is no intimacy. It is like a estranged marriage. The couple remain married but there is no intimacy. Death is the lack of that relationship. 

Jesus said that He came to give abundant life. That life is one of a close relationship with the Lord. The lack of that life is a type of death.

We cannot blame the devil for all of this. We are the ones who should have evaluated the load and the decline. We should never try to resist temptation. We must flee from it. That is our responsibility. We must keep our eyes open and our ears tuned to hear the Lord tell us that we are on a slippery slope. 

Sin is no more of an accident than breaking through the barriers that warn that the bridge is out. 

Christ, the Head

 December 20, 2024

Friday

Colossians 1:18 (NASB 2020)¹⁸ He is also the head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything.

Some time back, people asked, "What would Jesus do?" It became very popular but it often missed the point. When considering the sick, Jesus would have healed them. When considering the mentally unstable, Jesus would have cast out the demons. When considering how to get from point A to point B, Jesus might have started walking on the water. As close as we would like to be to Jesus, we will never be Him. There are many things that He would do that He doesn't expect us to do. He wants us to be disciples of Christ, not Christ Himself.

That means that He must truly be at the center of our lives. This is when we understand what it means to abide in Him. This is when we understand what it means to call Him Lord. He is the head. The rest of the body should respond to the head. 

After having back surgery a couple of years ago, I couldn't lift my foot when I walked. I would try my best to raise it, but it would not obey. After physical therapy, I could again move the foot but it took a lot of work. Even today, there is some resistance. Unfortunately, that is how we appear to Him at times. He commands and we refuse.

Jesus is the beginning- He takes priority in time. He is the first-born from the dead- He takes priority over death. He is first in all things in the sense that there is no one above Him. He is not kept first by us, He is first no matter what we do.

That means that the question of what we should do in any situation is not to ask what Jesus would do but what I should do to remain in Him. What will keep Him the head of my own life? What will keep Him the head of the church? Obviously, it is not simply following a marketing plan that draws people in. It is following Jesus individually and corporately.

Constant introspection is not healthy. It takes our eyes off of Jesus and places them on ourselves. But inspection is healthy. Here, we ask Jesus what our standing with Him is like. Are we going the right direction? He must be the one who inspects. He speaks to those who are His friends.

Jesus is the head of the church. The believers are the church. If believers don't recognize Him as the head, how will the church ever do so? He is the head.

Being Somebody

 December 19, 2024

Thursday

Luke 19:2-6 (ESV) ²  And behold, there was a man named Zacchaeus. He was a chief tax collector and was rich. ³  And he was seeking to see who Jesus was, but on account of the crowd he could not, because he was small in stature. ⁴  So he ran on ahead and climbed up into a sycamore tree to see him, for he was about to pass that way. ⁵  And when Jesus came to the place, he looked up and said to him, “Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” ⁶  So he hurried and came down and received him joyfully.

My wife and I went to a concert in Washington D.C. recently. The musical director of this concert also played keyboards and acoustic guitar in the band. We had known him almost thirty years prior at another church. So, we decided to say "hi" and to really see if he even remembered us. Well, he didn't recognize us by out looks. (Thirty years will do that for you.) But as soon as we said our names, he smiled broadly and said "Wow, I'll have to tell everyone I saw you when I get back." 

I guess all of us want to be somebody. We may not want to be famous but we want to be recognized. We want to hear that we are valuable to someone. So, can you imagine what Zacchaeus felt when Jesus called his name. He had merely climbed a tree so that he could see Jesus passing by, but the Lord Himself called him by name.

Never believe that you called on Jesus before He called on you. He made the invitation for you to know Him. He came to stay at your house. You just had to climb down out of your tree and welcome Him.

There is something else I realized. The musical director in that concert (and tour) lifted me up rather than dismissing me. I have greeted several people I knew in the past who knew me but made it very clear that they were too famous to greet me back. I know I am not famous but I still do not ever want to make people believe that they aren't important. They were all important enough for Jesus to die on the cross. How can I dismiss them?

Make sure you make people as important as you are to the Lord.

Rewards in Heaven

 December 18, 2024

Wednesday

Matthew 19:27-29 (ESV) ²⁷  Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” ²⁸  Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. ²⁹  And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life.

Somehow we have come to believe that while we are living on earth, we should expect to be paid what we are worth. Then, we expect that when we get to heaven everyone will be paid the same. Thus, many people ask, as Peter asked, when do we get our reward because our reward must come while we are on earth. 

Though this may be what we are taught, it is not what the Bible teaches. Jesus, Himself, said there would be great rewards for those who have followed Him. This is not merely for salvation which was given to us. It is after salvation as we are being sanctified by the Holy Spirit. The work of the Spirit within us requires that we walk in the Spirit. Though the reward is not here on earth, it is not egalitarian in heaven either. There are rewards waiting for those who have truly followed Christ.

It is often said of the dead, "They are going to their reward." While they may be going to heaven, they may not have any rewards. They have been as selfish as those who do not know the Lord. They have essentially denied  knowing Jesus by the way they have lived. They will receive heaven from the faith they received, but they did nothing with that faith afterwards. Thus, when they stand in front of the judgement seat of Christ they will receive nothing.

Many Christians who hear this think that they are being selfish by following the Lord with the expectation that there will be rewards in heaven. Of course, they can be. If they have done this for themselves rather than following Jesus they are no better than the Pharisees who expected to be rewarded for keeping the law. However, that does not negate what the Bible says about those rewards in heaven. The rewards that are placed in heaven cannot expire but they can be lost. 

The rewards in heaven are greater than our imaginations. It seems ridiculous to put a monetary value for a place where money means nothing. Obviously, Jesus wasn't telling the Peter that the rewards in heaven would be a hundred mothers and fathers along with land and houses. It is more than we can grasp so Jesus put it in some terms we could.

So, make sure that you do everything with the Lord in His name. Yet, know that there are rewards waiting on you.

"Gut" Decisions

 December 17, 2024

Tuesday

Genesis 25:29-34 (ESV) ²⁹  Once when Jacob was cooking stew, Esau came in from the field, and he was exhausted. ³⁰  And Esau said to Jacob, “Let me eat some of that red stew, for I am exhausted!” (Therefore his name was called Edom.) ³¹  Jacob said, “Sell me your birthright now.” ³²  Esau said, “I am about to die; of what use is a birthright to me?” ³³  Jacob said, “Swear to me now.” So he swore to him and sold his birthright to Jacob. ³⁴  Then Jacob gave Esau bread and lentil stew, and he ate and drank and rose and went his way. Thus Esau despised his birthright.

There is something to be said for "gut" reactions:

The "science of gut reactions," often referred to as the "gut-brain connection," explains how signals from the gastrointestinal tract, via the vagus nerve, can directly influence our brain function, impacting emotions, mood, and even decision-making, essentially allowing us to experience "gut feelings" when processing information or facing situations; this connection is facilitated by a complex network of neurons in the gut, sometimes called the "second brain," which communicates with the central nervous system through neurotransmitters produced by gut bacteria.  (from an AI on the internet)

It appears that Esau had a gut reaction. He was hungry, possibly extremely hungry. He was willing to sell something that was his for his lifetime for something that would only satisfy him until the next meal. He let his "feeling" overrule any rational thought. Thus, he lost something much more valuable than a meal.

Isn't that true for a lot of things? People will trade their health for drugs. They will trade their future education for a new car. They will trade their children for a nice house (they work too long and never see their children). They will decide against salvation to continue a hedonistic lifestyle. 

Life is always about trades. You are always deciding to do one thing over another. You are always asking whether something is worth it. "Gut" reactions can lead you to emptiness. All things need to be evaluated at the moment of decision and good decisions involve the future.

If Esau had truly considered what he was giving up, he would have gone hungry a little longer. Was there no place he could get something to eat? Weren't Isaac's servants likely to give him something if he asked? It seems that he overreacted to his starving to death.

Jacob took advantage of the situation. He asked for something great that he could not get any other way. He asked for the older son's birthright. And he got it for a single meal. Later, Esau will say that Jacob cheated him out of his birthright. It appears that Jacob knew his brother all to well. He knew when to ask and what to ask for.

How many people will fill their lives with regrets because they traded off something valuable for something so temporary that it won't hardly be remembered later? 

Press On toward the Goal

 December 16, 2024

Monday

Philippians 3:14 (ESV) ¹⁴ I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

There is a lot of talk of people being distracted. They are distracted by their cell phones while they drive. People pick up their cell phones the moment they are stopped at a light to check their messages. People try to text as they drive. They browse the internet while at work. They miss their children's ball games to win the approval of those at work. Are they simply distracted by their cell phones, computers and work? I don't think they are distracted so much as they lack focus.

Once you have lost your focus, anything else will take your attention. Those who forgot that their focus should be arriving at their destination safely can text all the way where they are going. Those who forget why they are at work, can use any unsupervised moment for personal reasons.

The Christian life should be focused on being a disciple of Jesus and making disciples for Jesus. It can't focus on entertaining the members of the church. It can't focus on pleasing the members of the church. It can't focus on feeding the members of the church. It can't focus on anything but discipleship.

One of the problems with this is churches will spend an untold amount of money to advertise and make themselves look attractive without making any disciples. Many pastors would be content to have ten thousand in attendance but not make even one disciple. They have lost their focus.

On the other hand, many Christians don't know what a disciple is. They think that a disciple is simply someone who claims Jesus as Savior and attends church more than others. They can't imagine taking up their crosses daily because they have no idea what that is. The same is true for loving others, forgiving, knowing God's word and obeying God's word. They are scared of those who say that God speaks to them for they have never had that experience. They come to church to hear an uplifting message. They love to be with people who are just like them.

We all must focus on the Lord. We must all focus on obeying Him. We must all focus on what it is to be a disciple. We must all focus on making disciples for Him. We should do this with such force that we "press on. toward the goal of the prize of the upward call of God."

We All Have a Shelf Life

 December 15, 2024

Sunday

2 Timothy 4:6 (NASB 2020) ⁶ For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.

We all have a shelf life. Some have a longer time than others. We try not to think about it. Some of us are forced to recognize it. Whether it is our age or a catastrophic illness, we know the time of our departure is around the corner.

Some people work so that they can retire. They want to retire when they can do whatever they want for the rest of their lives. There is no retirement from the Lord. There may be a time that whatever you have done for Him can't be done anymore. For instance, there will come a time when you will no longer be able to dig wells for people who do not have an adequate water supply. You will be unable to make trips around the world to preach. You may come to a time when you aren't able to preach. This should be an impetus to buy every moment to do what you can for as long as you can.

The question you must ask yourself is: Am I being faithful in doing what the Lord has told me to do as soon as the Lord told me to do it? You can't put anything off until tomorrow because tomorrow isn't promised to you.

God gave us warning signs to help remind us that we have a limited amount of time. We see the lines in the mirror. Our hair turns grey or turns loose. Our joints make noises. Our energy level drops.

Being poured out as a drink offering represents a life that is totally used for God's glory. It is more than anticipating death. It is running to the very end.

And yet it is always knowing that the end might just be around the corner.

Do You Hear Me, Now?

 December 14, 2024

Saturday

Mark 4:9 (ESV) ⁹ And he said, “He who has ears to hear, let him hear.”

A cell phone company advertised with the question, "Can you hear me, now?" They were saying that you could be heard on their network and not on others. Essentially, Jesus is saying the same thing.

Nearly all of the people who were around Jesus' teaching had ears and could hear. If they were deaf, Jesus healed them. They could hear, but did they? As a preacher I am bombarded by people who will repeat the truisms of the world after I have preached the word of God that refutes that truism. Their past understandings drown out the word of God. So, they may have physically heard me but hearing is more than a physical response to sound waves. The hearing that Jesus speaks of involves the heart.

Jesus made this statement at least twice. We do not know how many times He may have said it without it being recorded in the gospels. He said it when speaking of John the Baptist. (Matthew 11:15) He told them that John was Elijah that had come. Most of the people evidently didn't hear Him because Jesus was plainly saying that made Him the Messiah.

The other time He said it was after the parable of the soils. He spoke of the seed being distributed on the path, on the rocks, in the weeds and on good soil. These were two times that people really needed to get what He was talking about. Too many times, someone will say, "That was a great sermon, preacher, " when they didn't understand a word of it. They interpreted it in their own way which may not have been the message that was intended.

People assume they will understand or that they won't understand. They do not recognize the effort that may be needed to really hear the message. If the message isn't understood, they will ignore it, explain it in their own terms or think it is about someone else and, therefore, doesn't concern them. I wonder how many times Jesus heard, "Too bad the people who really needed to hear your message today weren't here!" The people who need to hear the message are always here. They just don't always hear the message.

Sometimes the immaturity of people keeps them from receiving a message. Paul certainly addressed that when he told the Corinthians that they weren't able to handle the deeper teaching he would love to give them. In other words, Paul could teach it but they wouldn't hear it.

People who don't hear the message but attend worship leave the church building the same way as they walked in. Their main goals were to sing the songs that are familiar and see the people who are just as familiar. They think this is what the Christian life is all about. They gossip, backbite and hate in the name of Jesus. Thus, they prove they haven't heard the message.

"Your preaching to the choir, preacher!" Yes, I know. Those who have taken the time to read this blog are tuning their ears to hear. But think about this for just one moment: Is there more that you haven't heard and would hear if you stop and contemplated what was said? 

You just might find that you'll hear better, too.

What Is That to You?

 December 13, 2024

Friday

John 21:20-22 (NIV) ²⁰  Peter turned and saw that the disciple whom Jesus loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against Jesus at the supper and had said, "Lord, who is going to betray you?") ²¹  When Peter saw him, he asked, "Lord, what about him?" ²²  Jesus answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me."

It is common to point out what others are doing wrong and how they are privileged because we want to be told that we are better than them. People fill the internet with each error made by preachers but do not tell how these error finders are making disciples. They leave out the part of how they are following Christ. Yes, the Bible says there are false prophets but it spends most of the time telling people how they can follow Christ. The Bible urges us to follow Christ beyond taking on false prophets.

Maybe there is a Youtube channel that says, "Here are the preachers and churches that have it right," but I haven't found it. It seems that anyone who has any notoriety will get on one of these negative channels as having gotten it wrong. It seems that preachers that I admire sometimes are a part of castigating other preachers. Those of us without these channels need to say, "What is that to me? I just need to follow Christ!" 

I can find no place where that Bible encourages people to criticize others as part of being a disciple. I find that being a disciple is a full-time effort. Hating mother, father, wife, children and your own life doesn't really leave room for criticizing others. Giving all that you have to the Lord and going wherever He leads takes a focus on the Lord that few others have. Pointing out the errors of others intensely must cause us to take our eyes off of the Lord. And without Him we can do nothing.

We aren't known to be followers of Christ because we are better than others or are better at pointing out the errors of others. We have been given a "new commandment." It is one of love for each other. I find none of that in these criticisms.

I hope this blog is not a criticism of those who criticize. I hope that it is urging all who read it to pay attention to how they follow the Lord. I pray that we will focus on the truth so well that the lies are evident. That is really the problem, isn't it? People have flocked to those who are teaching errors because they haven't adequately heard the truth. How will they know the truth if we don't teach and preach it? How will they hear the truth if the Holy Spirit doesn't bring conviction? How will they see the truth if we aren't living it?

So, there are preachers and churches and attenders of these churches who aren't doing what they should. What is that to you? Just follow Jesus.

The World's Peace vs. Jesus' Peace

 December 12, 2024

Thursday

John 14:27 (NIV) ²⁷  Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

People don't think of peace unless they have lost it. Therefore, peace is no problems or, at least, unaware of problems. This peace is fleeting. It is not theirs to possess. It belongs to circumstances. This is the peace the world gives.

Jesus gives a different kind of peace. It comes from Him rather than from circumstances. This peace will not come if it is simply put in a storeroom to be retrieved when needed. At that moment, the stored peace can't be found. 

No, this peace is one that comes when fully engaged with Christ. It is a peace for the disciple of Christ. The average Christian who calls Jesus Lord but cannot demonstrate Jesus' lordship does not know this peace. This is the peace of abiding in Him. This is the peace of hating father and mother and wife and children and even your own life. This is the peace of taking up the cross daily. This is the peace of owning nothing because it all belongs to the Lord. This is the peace of being a slave to all.

This peace is rare only because those who truly follow Christ are rare. This Christian has both feet in God's kingdom. The world cannot take anything that this Christian values because it all belongs to Christ. This Christian has all of his or her treasures stored in heaven. This Christian has received Jesus' peace.

Of course, those who look at the cost of this peace sometimes say that it is too expensive. It is like anything else that you choose to buy. Are you willing to pay the price? If not, it is, indeed, too expensive. 

Thus, trouble and fear frequently remain with those who depend upon the world's peace.