I love The Church! (and the church too!)

the Church...

The importance of the Church should not be mistaken. Christ died for the Church. Does that place enough importance on the Church to garner our attention?

So deep is the reality of the Church, God uses many metaphors in the Scriptures to describe her. She is...

--the body of Christ
--the bride of Christ
--the house of God
--the family of God
--the temple of God
----built on the Chief Cornerstone, which is Christ
----built on the Firm Foundation, which is Christ
-----and made of living stones, which are believers

Bride, Building, Body...

The Church will be married to Jesus!
The Church is the building where the elect worship God!
The Church is the body in which God moves on the earth!

She is...

--the flock the Good Shepherd tends
--the royal priesthood that together approaches the Father in the Son
--the branch of the Vine, tended by the Vinedresser

There are even more!
She is the Called Out!
She is the Elect!
She is a Holy Nation!
She is the Remnant!

On and on... Bride, Building, Body, Flock, and Family...

It's all about RELATIONSHIP!

It is no wonder the Spirit would lead the writer of Hebrews to say, "Forsake not the assembling of yourselves..." It was no wonder those early Christians, filled with the Holy Spirit "...joined with the other believers in regular attendance at the apostles’ teaching sessions and at the Communion service and prayer meetings."

If the Church is so important, can a believer afford to...
--ignore Her?
--disdain Her?
--forsake Her?
--be apathetic towards Her?

Let the Church gather!

Let Her receive purpose!

Let Her rejoice before Her God!

Let Her live Her salvation for the life of the world!

Acts 20:28 ESVPay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood.

Ephesians 2:20-22 ESV Built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

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

Hope is fixed expectation that shapes present moment values and action.

Christian hope is the present tense expectation in the living and coming promises of God. For example, right now, I expect the return of Christ. Because that is my hope, it shapes my actions in the present and sets my expectations for the future.

Sovereignty takes away pride. God is in control; He is all powerful, ever-present, all-knowing, and nothing is impossible for Him. Because God is, and because God does, there is nothing for us to take pride in! God's sovereignty should drive out our pride!

God's love takes away fear. When we understand the holy and awesome lengths God has gone through to express His love, and the extent to which He has expressed His love, and we receive the great gift of His love, we know we don't have to fear His presence or His judgment.

Hope directed by sovereignty and love... no pride and no fear! We are not better than a single soul, nor are we afraid for our souls. We are waiting in and looking forward to the promises of God.

Not living in pride, we don't need to compete with everyone about everything. Not living in pride, we are open hearted to God speaking, leading, and sending. Not living in pride, we can worship up toward God without shame and alongside man without reservation.

Living in the love of God...
Living on the love of God...
Living out the love of God...

...well, that changes everything! To be accepted in the Righteous means we have access to the Father, peace with the Father, power from the Father, and fellowship with the Father. Being loved in the Beloved, we are sons and daughters in the household, not slaves in the vineyard. Because we are loved, we can love others.

I've got hope! He is Sovereign! I am loved!

Psalm 39:4–7 says, “O LORD, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let me know how fleeting I am! Behold, you have made my days a few handbreadths, and my lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely all mankind stands as a mere breath! Surely a man goes about as a shadow! Surely for nothing they are in turmoil; man heaps up wealth and does not know who will gather! And now, O Lord, for what do I wait? My hope is in you." (ESV)

I am coming to you in the name of the Lord!

Sometimes I look at this painting from Caravaggio...

I like to think of the Great Hero of the Bible. I like to think of God. I like to remember how all of the victories and victors of my favorite Bible stories are not the true heroes. God is the hero! He is the author of every victory and the power behind every victor.

How could a ruddy, sheep-keeping boy find such courage? How could an overlooked little brother strike down a giant of a warrior? How could the lunch delivery boy find the boldness to step forward in battle, deliver the lines of a conqueror and boldly face a nation's champion? Simple; if God be for us, no one can stand against us. Period.

I saved a picture of Caravaggio's painting to my computer and I look at it from time to time. 1 Samuel 17 floods to my mind. Here's my favorite part: "David shouted in reply, 'You come to me with a sword and a spear, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of the armies of heaven and of Israel—the very God whom you have defied. Today the Lord will conquer you, and I will kill you and cut off your head; and then I will give the dead bodies of your men to the birds and wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel! And Israel will learn that the Lord does not depend on weapons to fulfill his plans—he works without regard to human means! He will give you to us!'" (paraphrase of verses 45-47 from "The Living Bible")

Very often, I tell my problems these bold truths. Problem, you are coming to me with ___________, but I am looking you square in the face, and I'm coming at you in the name of the Lord! Today, Problem, God will conquer you!

Problem, the Lord does not depend on the weapons of this world to fulfill His plans; He works without regard to human means.

Thanks, David, for trusting God. I appreciate your example.

Thanks, Caravaggio, for giving the world this painting. I appreciate your talent.

Thank You, Father, for being the Warrior I need, the Father I crave and the Friend who sticks closer than a brother. I appreciate Your everything.

You're [not] it!

You're [not] it!

Do you remember those childhood games of tag? There are many variations of games in which, at some point, someone would tag you and you'd be "it". Boy howdy, I remember.

"It", by definition, is usually a subject or an object used in reference to some lifeless thing. "It" is "that one", as referencing an impersonal subject that is not the primary agent. "That one", as with a children's game, "the player in a game who performs the principal action of the game." (definitions thanks to Merriam-Webster)

We've played those games. We've been that person. We've been "it". The focus is on us; the pressure is on us. "You're it" transfers all of the responsible action over to us.

We've also heard of the "it factor", meaning someone that has something, though not exactly definable, that makes them a person of notice or importance. I think many of us want the "it factor" in our settings and situations.

We also think of "having it all" as a good thing. Someone has all the "it", meaning, they have everything they could possibly want or need. And, think about it, we say "it" in these cases usually from the outside looking in. We are usually saying, from our viewpoint, that someone has everything we'd like to be in the position of having.

Yes, this "it" thing can be a big word!

Whether in the issue of pressure, privilege or possession, "it" can be a big word. We often feel as if we are "it" or that we want "it" or that we don't have "it" -- whatever "it" is.

Much of "it", it seems, is focused on I. The pressure of being "it"; the pleasure of having "it"; the struggle of wanting "it"...these types of those put the focus on self.

For the believer, there has to be a shift. We're not it. Jesus is it. We don't have the it factor. The power and glory belong to God. We do not have it all, but we can have Him who does have it all. It's simply not about us.

The only superstar in Christendom is God. He's it!
No person is more important than another.
We share Him, and we share the calling.
God is it.

Paul gives us sound counsel: "Don't think you are better than you really are." (Romans 12:3b NLT)

Why? Number one, it's healthy. Number two, we're not it. We are a PART of something, but the whole is not about us and even being a part is not because of us. God is the superstar! Granted, it is a huge blessing to be a part of it ... er, HIM, and we ought to be excited and thankful, but, in and of ourselves, we're not it.

Paul goes on to say, "For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another." (Romans 12:4-5 ESV)

Every single part of the Body is important.
No ONE is it.
God is it.

For His fame, we are called in.
For His glory, we are transformed in.
For His purposes, we are given a place.

You're NOT it.
God is it.

Stay humble.
Yes, indeed, stay humble.

Know your role; be thankful you have a role, for it is by grace!

Consider one another.
Care for one another.
Compel one another to acts of love and good deeds.

Give God the glory. HE is it.

Results of revival.

I believe the result of a revival would immediately be four-fold...

(1) people would be preaching Jesus's death, burial, and resurrection, for it is ONLY by Him does one (a) come to have spiritual life and (b) is one called back to living spiritual life (revival).

(2) people would be giving their lives away to (a) God (b) one another (c) the world, and that would include (i) their heart, soul, mind and strength -- self, (ii) their time, (iii) their plans, and (iv) their resources.

(3) lives would be changed; strongholds of sin -- whether habits or attitudes -- would be broken and freedom, humility and love would consume the space those things once held.

(4) there would be a new discipline and devotion to the things of God that would be characterized by ordering one's life according to God's word.

Here's a case study: "And they devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers. And awe came upon every soul, and many wonders and signs were being done through the apostles. And all who believed were together and had all things in common. And they were selling their possessions and belongings and distributing the proceeds to all, as any had need. And day by day, attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they received their food with glad and generous hearts, praising God and having favor with all the people. And the Lord added to their number day by day those who were being saved." (Acts 2:42-47 ESV)

There will be no mistake when that happens. 

More than sentimental.

Follow, die, live and be healed...

Many times we think of the death of Jesus Christ with sentimentality alone. There was purpose in His dying; deep purpose with daily, lifelong and eternal consequences.

God desires us to live differently because we know Him. Jesus's death was meant to enable us to live as new creatures with new purposes and new objectives. Jesus's death was not meant for sentimental song singing alone, but to accomplish a work and enable us to live lives of righteousness.

Consider...

"For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps. He committed no sin, neither was deceit found in his mouth. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return; when he suffered, he did not threaten, but continued entrusting himself to him who judges justly. He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." (1 Peter 2:21-25 ESV)

Three things:

(1) "...because Christ also suffered for you..." -- that is, because He died on the cross -- He has left us "...an example, so that you might follow in His steps." He died so that we might know how to live! The purpose of His dying is that we might learn to live like Him...and DO IT!

(2) "He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness." See that? Like #1, this is plain and simple to understand and lifelong to live out. Jesus died on the cross that we might die with Him to our lives of sin and selfishness and then live with Him in His resurrection lives full of His purposes. He died so that we could die and He lives that we might live! This #2 is troublesome, right? We like this idea of living, but the idea of dying is tough; it's hard to think that God wants us to give up our entire life! But, that's exactly what He wants; give up who we are / were that we might take up who He is. That's true, eternal, worthy purpose! That's what Jesus died for!

(3) "By His wounds you have been healed." Jesus's death is meant for our healing! WOW! Praise God! Now, let me be painfully clear, that healing does not deal PRIMARILY with physical healing from ailments or disabilities, BUT --don't miss this "but"!-- that healing will happen in full and forever in the heavenlies (maybe some healing in this life, but all healing in heaven!). What is healed immediately when we believe on the name of Jesus and receive Him is our spiritual sickness; nay, spiritual DEATH. Peter goes on to say, "For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls." Jesus's dying heals our broken relationship with the Father. Yes, in the cross, through the cross and because of the cross, we are made right with God, and that WILL one day lead us to get new bodies that will be free from disease and pain, but that starts with spiritual life and restoration of relationship with "...the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."

God sent His Son to die on that cross that we might follow Him, die to sin, live to righteousness and be healed to walk with the Living God. When you see the cross, be grateful; be eternally grateful. Be glad. Be full of hope. Be full of joy. Yes, even be sentimental. ALSO / IN ADDITION... when you see that cross, see life and purpose; see who God wants you to be (just like JESUS!), what God wants you to do (die to self and sin and live in righteousness) and see all the great privileges of God's presence (healed!) that the cross delivers to us day by day.

See purpose! Don't see Jesus's death only; see YOUR life in that cross!

Help to see accurately.

My astigmatism...

I've worn mismatched socks. I've put on two different shoes. I've clothed myself in clashing colors. I've even worn horizontal stripes, and we know big boys shouldn't do that. I've made so many fashion gaffes that it would seem such lack of style is intentional.

It's not; I just have no fashion sense! I don't know what IS fashionable, so I have no judgment about such things.

One thing I've never done is put on the wrong glasses. I always get that right!

Even if I do put on someone else's glasses, I know it right away! My astigmatism is so severe that only the correct lens is correct.

When it comes to looking at ourselves, many times, we aren't in touch with how we ought to be viewing self. We need the right "glasses" on!

Here they are: "For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned." (Romans 12:3 ESV)

Both lenses are made of "...grace..." Paul looked at himself through the unmerited goodness of God (that's grace). Don't miss the key word: unmerited! Paul knew he should be separated from God, judged and cast into outer darkness. Paul stood in grace and because of grace. Paul knew it was not his own earned merit, but God's unmerited favor that gave him audience with God, cleansing before God and ministry for God.

One lens has as its bifocal "...sober judgment..." Another word could be used here, and that is "properly." Look at yourself as God looks at you, both in the difficult realities, which God is willing to grow, AND at your blessed position of favor with Him in Christ Jesus. Don't be afraid to be accurate! If we discover something foul, God will forgive and heal and renew. If we find something good, it is God's handiwork and reason to celebrate.

Finally, the second lens has as its bifocal "...the measure of faith..." That is, let us look to what degree and capacity God has given us to receive from Him and look at ourselves through that lens. What does God want to do? What are we willing to allow? How far will we let Him take us? Today?

Believer, like my astigmatism requires a very specific prescription, we can't look at ourselves the right way unless we look at ourselves through grace! It's the only prescription that works! We DESERVE hell and separation, but, in Christ, we are given the blessing of fellowship. It's not from our merit, but through HIS goodness.

Yes, that ought to shape how we look at ourselves, AND EVERYTHING! And, everyone... EVERY ONE!

ENCOURAGE one another!

No despising...

Romans 14:7-8 reminds us that our lives are not our own. As I said yesterday, this is not simply a Christian concept or ideology. It is true for everyone that each one is a creation of God and will stand before Him.

However, it’s the Christian that should fundamentally understand that his life is not his own. We have been bought with a price, the precious blood of Jesus. Whether in life or in death, we answer to God for how we are treating His amazing grace through Jesus Christ.

Those verses following (see below) remind us not to despise a weak believer for being weak and not to despise a strong believer for being strong. The weak believer will stand before God and so will the strong and each will have to give an account of themselves. Whew.

Though justification — being made right with God — is by faith alone through Christ alone, what Christians do with the fantastic gift of being made right with God will affect God’s judgment of their service to Him and the rewards they will receive.

Now, we ought to spur one another on in acts of love and good deeds. We ought to exalt Christ. We ought to encourage and edify. We ought to be in accountability relationships with believers who are pursuing abiding relationship with Jesus. We ought to do all of that — and more! — while at the same time not despising one another.

This seems very much like a tension we cannot hold without a lot of help from God.

Do we ignore fellow believers?
Do we encourage fellow believers?
Do we oppress fellow believers?
Do we love fellow believers?

Many spend their ministry energy constantly berating fellow believers. Flip the script; spend it praying for fellow believers.

It’s a humbling thing to be reminded, “...each of us will give an account of himself to God.”

10 Why do you pass judgment on your brother? Or you, why do you despise your brother? For we will all stand before the judgment seat of God;
11 for it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God."

12 So then each of us will give an account of himself to God. - Romans 14:10-12

Being neither coy nor brutal, I simply say what Jesus said, "Ye must be born again."

“Ye must be born again…”

We were designed to walk with God.
Sin ruined the fellowship, caused us to die spiritually.

Because of our spiritually dead state, God must generate new spiritual life in us. In Christ Jesus, the Father satisfied His own demand for justice, pouring out His wrath on Christ and accepting Jesus' payment for sin for all mankind.

The debt thus being paid, God's wrath thus being satisfied, God grants us access to Himself through Jesus, but we still must be regenerated with new life. The first work of the Spirit is to hover over the void in our spirit and cause us to see our own condition, realize our need for help, understand the work and person of Christ as our need and cry out to Him in gratitude and beg for God's mercy to be realized upon us in Christ.

If there is to be any spiritual life in us, God must begin it all, and we must respond! We must receive! We must surrender! If there be any divine spark, it is God who ignites it! It is God who fans the flame! It is God who makes the fire roar!

If fresh wind is to blow in us, it is God's breath that begins the breeze! It is God's power that brings the storm! We cannot simply become morally better.

We cannot simply join a church. We cannot simply go under some water. We cannot simply dress up our body and talk and actions. We MUST BE BORN AGAIN!

We must be re-birthed out of the womb of heaven. We must have Life from God; we cannot simply become a better version of our dead self. We cannot settle for being perfumed corpses. New life is not ours to grasp; it is only ours to receive.

We must humble ourselves before the Lord and beg for His life to come alive in our bones, for His heart to beat in our chest, for His breath to fill our lungs...for Jesus to spring up in us!

All this yearning in us for -------SOMETHING------ is the Spirit hovering over us and stirring us to look to the Father, stirring us to see the Son, stirring us to hear His voice, believe on Him and call on God for help. The yearning will not be satisfied by any other thing...

Friend, this burning thirst can only be quenched by Living Water. Submit to God in Christ Jesus. Run to Him who is The Fountain.

We are designed to walk with God... nothing else will satisfy...

“Jesus said to them, ‘I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.’” (John 6:35 ESV) “For he satisfies the longing soul, and the hungry soul he fills with good things.” (Psalm 107:9 ESV) “The afflicted shall eat and be satisfied; those who seek him shall praise the Lord! May your hearts live forever!” (Psalm 22:26 ESV) “In your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11 ESV)

Stay the course.

The best way to answer your critics...

I was never a great basketball player, but I was an above average defender. I would get handed difficult assignments and would work very hard to contain my opponents success.

As much as I talk, I didn’t jaw much while playing, unless it was in jest. The reason was simple, I was always struggling to catch my breath!

I’ll never forget a particular game when I was assigned a high scoring, dynamic player. He regularly scored in the middle to high 20s, which was phenomenal for our league. It was late in the game and stout defense had held him to single digits. He kept up a verbal barrage the whole game. I said nothing but grunt, sweat, and breathlessness.

It was very late in the game. We were winning. He was jawing. He said, “Ain’t you got nothing to say?”

In a bit of arrogance and frustration, I said, “Nope. The scoreboard is doing my talking.”

He elbowed me in the mouth and knocked out one of my teeth.

See, the scoreboard was indeed doing my talking. That comment wasn’t necessary. In the heat of the moment I’d forgotten my own values. I’d allowed a tough game to change my strategy.

Don’t misunderstand me, what the other player did was wrong, in bad taste and sportsmanship, and against the rules. He was thrown out of the game.

None of that changes that I allowed frustration to throw me off my game.

Let me put it simply, the best way to answer unjust critics is to keep living according to your high calling in Jesus. Let the scoreboard of righteous living speak for you.

Furthermore, let’s simply serve Master Jesus and let the Lord handle the critics.

Keep on doing right. Keep on walking with Jesus. Stay the course. Let the scoreboard do your talking.

Paul said, “We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;” (2 Corinthians 4:8-9 ESV)

Sweet words to savor: "No eternal doom awaiting those who trust Him..."

If all were judged justly, who would be left to live?

The Apostle Paul said, "...all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God," (Romans 3:23 ESV) King Solomon said, "...there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good, and sinneth not." (Ecclesiastes 7:20 KJV)

It is right that we would plead before God, saying, "Don't put your servant on trial, for no one is innocent before you." (Psalm 143:2 NLT)

Surely, if we stood on trial before holy God, we would be tried and condemned and it would be just. We know we sin and we know we have sinned and we know we are sinners. We know we often do the very things we know we ought not do and we know we often fail to do the very things we ought to do. No wonder Paul said and asked, "Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (Romans 7:24 ESV)

I love how The Message paraphrases the next verse in Romans 7: "The answer, thank God, is that Jesus Christ can and does. He acted to set things right in this life of contradictions where I want to serve God with all my heart and mind, but am pulled by the influence of sin to do something totally different." (vs. 25)

Who would live upon the earth if all were judged justly? The Apostle John answered that dilemma: "There is no eternal doom awaiting those who trust him to save them. But those who don’t trust him have already been tried and condemned for not believing in the only Son of God." (John 3:18 TLB)

As for me and my house, thank God for sending His one and only unique Son to live perfect, die willingly, rise powerfully, and ascend with full expectation that He shall come again.

Squabbling believers do not please the Lord.

In conflict and controversy...

One thing I am sure of is Jesus desires to minister, mediate and move in the midst of His squabbling disciples.

In Mark 9, there are two incredible accounts of Jesus's intervention. To one crowd, Jesus calls them "faithless." To the second debate, Jesus said, "If anyone would be first..." Lack of faith led to one controversy / argument and the desire for one disciple to be preeminent above another led to the other.

In the first, Jesus enters the fray while it was occurring: "And he asked them, 'What are you arguing about with them?'" (Mark 9:16 ESV) In the second, Jesus waited to a more private time: "And they came to Capernaum. And when he was in the house he asked them, 'What were you discussing on the way?'" (Mark 9:33 ESV)

In the first argument, Jesus proposed they have faith and pray. In the second issue, Jesus told them they choose to be last. In the first, there is an inner spiritual working that must occur. In the second episode, there is outer actions that must happen that are driven by inner humility.

Jesus does not ignore conflict and controversy among His followers. Rather, He confronts it and demands we transform, humble ourselves, grow and walk by spiritual principles and disciplines.

Believer, what other believer are you having issue with right now? Before demanding another bow to us, let us understand God is calling us to bow to Him. He is calling us to walk by faith. He is calling us to pray. He is calling us to put others before ourselves.

As you wrestle with these things, may you be blessed with sweet fellowship in the Spirit.

Life IS hard, AND God IS good.

Sufficient for the need is Jesus each day…

1 Timothy 6:6 says, “But godliness with contentment is great gain…” When we are content to have the Lord, and we trust that whatever we are missing is coming at His good pleasure and willingness, we have gained Him and through Him gained everything else.

“The fear of the LORD leads to life, and whoever has it rests satisfied; he will not be visited by harm.” (Proverbs 19:23 ESV)
Surely, this is not to say a believer will have no trouble in life; it means our troubles will not overwhelm us to the point that God cannot recover us. For the person who fears the Lord, even evil will be turned for their good (see Romans 8:28-29).

Proverbs 19:23 does not describe the sorrow free life; it describes a life which trusts God to overcome the sorrows. And, such a life rests; it does not struggle to find some other solution, but rests in Jesus as enough.

Watching the crowd become a huddle.

Do you believe in God? Many hands raised.

Do you believe in Jesus Christ? Less hands raised.

Do you believe in the necessity and sufficiency of the shed blood of Jesus? Even less hands raise.

Do you believe that salvation comes through Jesus alone and we can connect to Him by faith alone? Even fewer hands raised.

Do you believe the Holy Spirit regenerates a believer who believes on Jesus? Even less hands than last time.

Do you believe you must repent and believe on Jesus or face judgment and hell? Even a smaller number of hands raised.

Do you believe it's important for believers to live out their faith in pursuit of Kingdom building and Savior obeying? Almost every hand is down.

We could go on and on...

If we talk about God in general terms, there is a vast crowd. If we keep pushing into the Gospel, the crowd thins.

"Lord, I want to be in that number when the saints go marching in!"

In Matthew 7:13-14, Jesus said, "Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (ESV)

Praise God, He makes the unworthy worthy in Him.

"Sometimes, I don't feel like I'm good enough."

A plaguing thought, no doubt, and, in some sense, always true.

Can I save myself? No.
Can I make myself holy by my own power? No.
Does my goodness impress God? No.
Can I save others? No.
Even if I did die for my sin, would my death be good enough? No.
Can I make someone believe the gospel? No.
Am I God? No.

Wait! Before we get down on ourselves; before we start self-deprecating, let's stand in God's word.

The Apostle Paul SEEMED to be a genius, but he asked a probing question: "To those who are perishing, we are a dreadful smell of death and doom. But to those who are being saved, we are a life-giving perfume. And who is adequate for such a task as this?" (2 Corinthians 2:16 NLT) Isn't that a big question? "Who is adequate for such a task as this?" Wow!

"Who is equal to such a task?" (NIV)"Who is sufficient for these things?" (ESV)
"And who is competent for this?" (HCSB)
"Who is qualified for this?" (ISB)

It reminds me of another difficult question (from Romans 7:24b)...
"Who will rescue me from this body that is subject to death?" (NIV)
"Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death?" (NLT)
"Who will deliver me from this body of death?" (ESV)

"Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord." (Romans 7:25a NLT)

So, who is adequate? Who is competent? Who is qualified? Who is equal to the task? Who is sufficent?

Thank God, HE IS ABLE! He is exceedingly, abundantly, far more than able!

"Such is the confidence that we have through Christ toward God. Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God, who has made us sufficient to be ministers of a new covenant, not of the letter but of the Spirit. For the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life." (2 Corinthians 3:4-6 ESV)

Yes, God is able. We are not. In Him, we are able, but not alone. Any good that comes surely comes from Him. He is able. Let us seek Him, and yield. Let us know Him, and worship. Let us hear Him, and obey. Whatever He calls us to, He will see us through.

The Right Reasons for Anger and the Right Way to be Angry

Righteous anger gets mad the right way about the right things for the right length of time to achieve the right end.

There are a LOT of mad folk in the world. Those whose anger is truly righteous will achieve righteous ends through righteous means for righteous reasons.

Lots of things MAY be the voice of the unheard, but that voice may be unrighteous. The ends do not always justify the means. Anger CAN be productive, but there are many more cases where it is not than cases where it is. However, righteous anger met with righteous action yield amazing results.

How can we know whether we are mad in the right way about the right things?

• "Whoever is slow to anger has great understanding, but he who has a hasty temper exalts folly." (Proverbs 14:29 ESV) 
• "A hot-tempered man stirs up strife, but he who is slow to anger quiets contention." (Proverbs 15:18 ESV) 
• "Whoever is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit than he who takes a city." (Proverbs 16:32 ESV) 
• "Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense." (Proverbs 19:11 ESV) 
• "Make no friendship with a man given to anger, nor go with a wrathful man," (Proverbs 22:24 ESV) 
• "A man of wrath stirs up strife, and one given to anger causes much transgression." (Proverbs 29:22 ESV) 
• "Be not quick in your spirit to become angry, for anger lodges in the heart of fools." (Ecclesiastes 7:9 ESV)

The Bible does say "Be angry..." but it also says, "...and do not sin." (Ephesians 4:26a ESV) There is room to be angry and a time to be angry and things worth being angry about. Understand that! It CAN be a healthy, positive emotion, but when it is healthy and godly and righteous, it will not yield sin. We are told to "put away" anger (see Ephesians 4:31 and Colossians 3:8), so we can clearly see there is room to be angry, but there is not permission to be angry about everything, nor is there permission to be angry all the time. We ought to be "slow to anger" because the "anger of man does produce the righteousness of God." (see James 1:19-20)

AHHHHH! There it is! Be angry about the stuff God is angry about, but work it out the right way! We ought to be angry about injustice, but we ought not meet that anger with crime or violence or fear-mongering. We work and give and build and support and speak out and help others and so forth...we find righteous means to work out righteous anger.

Welcome PEOPLE, but NOT to QUARREL!

Major in majors...

The Apostle Paul said, "As for the one who is weak in faith, welcome him, but not to quarrel over opinions." (Romans 14:1 ESV)

Do you see it? The "major" here is welcoming the weak believer. Now, the one "weak in faith" is often that same one who is ready to "quarrel over opinions." Whew, that's tough, because, just see the logic here, the person quarreling over opinions is often divisive, offensive, and annoying.

It's certainly permissible to have an opinion. However, the best opinions come from those who have become educated on the subject for which they are issuing an opinion, and, if we're really honest, most of what we hear an opinion about comes from people who won't look at enough sides of an issue to become educated.

That being said, there is no provision for the flesh in Romans 14:1. The major issue of love we are to focus on here is to welcome weak believers, and welcome them for the opposite purpose of quarreling. That means the onus for not quarreling will be on the one (1) being welcoming on the basis of (2) not being weak. In case you miss what I mean, we are to welcome weak believers and do a lot of tongue biting while we are in the process of people loving.

Think about it, dear friends, we are actually commanded here to focus on the person and not the opinion. We are told to welcome people on the basis of what higher thing we hold together, which is Jesus, but not on the strength or depth of how we hold it.

Spend some time with this today; it's fairly deep, reaches far, and will cost much pride to deploy. One's sights will have to be set on eternity and on the higher law of love to embrace this teaching. Peace to all who read these words.

Some plain talk about talk...

"The Snake That Poisons Everything"

I found the following in a church bulletin from the 1980s...

"It topples governments, wrecks marriages, ruins careers, and destroys reputations; causes heartaches, nightmares, and indigestion; spawns suspicion, generates grief, and dispatches innocent people to sob and cry on their pillows. Even the name of the snake hisses. It's called gossip -- office gossip, party gossip, neighborhood gossip, [social media gossip], even church gossip.

"Before you repeat a story, ask yourself, Is it true? Is it fair? Is it necessary? If not, then let the story die with you."

Wow! That's just plain good.

I've said it before and bears repeating; Rev. Johnny Smith said the three basic rules for repeating something or saying anything are as follows:
--Is it true?
--Does it need to be said?
--Are YOU saying it to act in love?

Many things are true but not of truth; many things are fact, but don't need to be said. Many things need to be said, but, because they are not being said to act in love should not be said.

Proverbs 20:19 says "...do not associate with a simple babbler." Whew... that would knock out most conversation in our culture!

My daughter Rachel's favorite verse is Ephesians 4:29, which says, "Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear."

Here are some of my favorite verses about speech: 

• “For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases.” (Proverbs 26:20 ESV) 
• “To speak evil of no one, to avoid quarreling, to be gentle, and to show perfect courtesy toward all people.” (Titus 3:2 ESV) 
• “If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person's religion is worthless.” (James 1:26 ESV) 
• “Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking deceit.” (Psalm 34:13 ESV) 
• “You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.” (Exodus 23:1 ESV) 
• “You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.” (Leviticus 19:16 ESV)

We can't fix everyone else, but we can go to work on our words...

Onion or apple?

Confession with traction...

Upfront games are fun ways to start off group events. Sometimes they are competitions and sometimes a practical joke; sometimes both. One of our favorite upfront games is to cover an onion as one would cover a candy apple. We tell people the "contest" will be to see who can eat their raw onion the fastest. We cover the onion in caramel or some other such covering. People are prepared to munch it down and that first bite comes as quite a surprise. The funniest version is to get three participants and only give one an onion. In all the years of sharing this fun, practical joke, only one person discovered it was an onion and kept on eating!

The joke works on the premise that something is represented as one thing when in reality it's not that thing at all.

That's all fine in fun and games. In life, no; not so much.

It's just not funny, nor is it a game, to claim one is a follower of Jesus but not have evidence below the surface of such a confession. The writer of Proverbs 14:2 says people who fear the Lord show it in the way they actually ARE in their hearts and live in their lives. "Whoever walks in uprightness fears the LORD, but he who is devious in his ways despises him." (Proverbs 14:2 ESV)

The heart issue: "...he who is devious...despises [the Lord]."
The action issue: "Whoever walks in uprightness fears the LORD..."

Our confession of faith has to find traction in our concern for holiness. Let us be humble before the Lord, and seek His help to LIVE what we say we believe. Let's not have a sweet cover over a bitter reality. Instead, let us humble ourselves before the Lord, be led of the Spirit and allow God to change us on the inside in such a way that it changes how we live on the outside.

Christ and Him crucified...

"For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified"

I want to live this, preach this, know this in the fabric of my being. I don't want to be a slick talker. I don't want followers. I want to follow Jesus and preach Jesus and cheer others on to following Jesus. I don't need disciples. I am a disciple myself. I have a Master. I want to know Christ, and Him crucified, and to count everything else as trash.

Let my testimony be that I come to you proclaiming Christ.
Let my speech be simple.
Let me know Christ above all things!
Let my weakness show His strength.
Let a fear of God make my own bones rattle within me.

May the Spirit demonstrate Himself in power through the simplicity of preaching Christ.

Lord, help me, to only point people to Jesus. Father, I know I have no wisdom of my own. Use my mouth, my very life, to point others to faith in Christ.

"And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God." (1 Corinthians 2:1-5, ESV)

Ruling with or attempting to rule over Jesus?

Rich. Young. Ruler.

Stop for a moment and read Matthew 19:16-30.

Now, Luke 18:18 tells us this man is a ruler. Matthew 19:20 and 22 tells us he is young and rich. When Jesus told the man what in particular was stopping the young man from following Him, Matthew 19:22 says "he went away sorrowful."

Then, Peter notes that he and other followers have "...left everything and followed you." Then, Peter boldly asks, "What then will we have?" (see Matthew 19:27) Good question. It's worth noting that Jesus doesn't chastise Peter; rather, He simply answers the question. (more on that in a minute)

If my wife were typing this, she'd say, "That young man walked away, but we don't know what happened later on. Maybe we'll see him in heaven!" (She's an optimist, but she's also not wrong.)

Here's the thing... Jesus confronts people. That's what He does. He wants better for us than we have the sense to want for ourselves. When Jesus confronts us, it's always going to be to (1) get at our core issue -- or issues -- that (2) keep us from following Him, and (3) so that God can shape us into the image of His beloved Son.

When we turn away, it's often supremely shortsighted. Remember, this man was (a) rich, (b) young, and (c) a ruler. Don't miss those details. Now, go back and look at the passage -- particularly Matthew 19:28-30. Jesus answers Peter by saying they will rule with Him (ruler), have a great inheritance (rich), and have eternal life (which speaks to young).

Then, Master Teacher that He is, the Lord Jesus juxtaposes the reality of pursuit and reward verses the attitude and posture in said pursuit. Jesus said, "But many who are first will be last, and the last first." (Matthew 19:30 ESV)

Be humble. Be a servant. Be willing to put others first.

Don't consider what you will lose in the short term without thinking of Who you will gain immediately and all that He will give you in the long term.

Let us not miss the great stuff because we are gleefully making mud pies.

Even if you could take it with you...

Money won’t pay the debt on Judgment Day. 

“Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, but righteousness delivers from death.” (Proverbs 11:4 ESV)

Too often we think money is the solution to ours and others problems. Too often we concentrate on building our kingdoms, amassing wealth and supposing those things are our security. It’s the wrong focus and, in the end, it will be no good.

It is only Jesus that will help us. It is only Jesus who CAN help us. Only Jesus is sufficient.

It begs a few challenging questions. Do we know HIM today? Do we live for Him today?

Surely, we cannot expect one we’ve denied in life to receive us in death. Surely, we cannot expect to have a saving relationship with Jesus on the “day of wrath” if we haven’t known Him in these days.

Money is just a tool. Nothing more. But, that tool won’t fix the problem we’ll have on Judgment Day. Let us be wise, and seek Jesus; HIS righteousness will deliver us!

I won't lie, I want to know God sees me.

What would impress God?

My friend used to have an interesting picture in her office; it was a picture of about 15 different kinds of birds sitting on a wire. Two things about the picture immediately caught my attention: (1) there was a blue jay on the wire -- everyone knows they can't get along with anyone!-- and (2) all the birds were male birds.

Male birds are always more colorful. They HAVE to be colorful and gregarious to get the female birds to notice them! (Sometimes nature really does mirror life...)

Male birds are colorful, yes, and they have to prance around and make the right noises and do little dances and such to get the female to notice. It must take a lot to impress female birds! (Again, sometimes nature really does mirror life...)

What does it take for God to look upon us? What does it take for Him to take pleasing notice? What impresses God?

I think the prophet Isaiah is on to something: "Thus says the LORD: 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool; what is the house that you would build for me, and what is the place of my rest? All these things my hand has made, and so all these things came to be, declares the LORD. But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word." (Isaiah 66:1-2 ESV)

God says He will look on the person who is "...is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles..." at His word.

Lord, lead me to be humble.
Father, lead me to be contrite.
Holy Spirit, cause me to love God's word and tremble before His holy precepts.

a frightening and possibly wonderful truth

God knows your heart...

That can be the most frightening and the most terrifying of truths. When no one else knows your heart, God knows. When your sorrow is so deep that no one seems able to understand it or share it, God knows. When your joy wells up beyond delight, and it seems no one is celebrating with you, God knows. When our intentions are noble, and nothing goes right, God knows. When we are being selfish and no one can tell it, God knows.

"The heart knows its own bitterness, and no stranger shares its joy." (Proverbs 14:10 ESV) Someone has to be intimate with us to even begin to understand our hearts. Nothing is more intimate than the Sustaining Hand of our Creator God. He knew us in our mother's womb and He Himself knit us together there (ref. Jeremiah 1:5 and Psalm 139:13). Every fiber of our being is perfectly known by Him.

God knows your heart. If you are hurting, draw near to Him. God knows your heart. If you are out of fellowship, draw near to Him. God knows your heart. No matter what is going on in your life, draw near to God and He will draw near to you (ref. James 4:8).

He knows our hearts...and loves us anyway.
He knows our hearts...and He wants to comfort us.
He knows our hearts...and He wants to transform it.
When no one else knows our hearts, God knows.

Power, power, wonder-working power...

Someone, not something...

Acts 2:42 says, "And they continued steadfastly in the apostles' doctrine and fellowship, and in breaking of bread, and in prayers." (KJV)

First word: "And..." This is a clear indicator something happened before. What was it? The Holy Spirit came, empowered and added to the Church. Many were saved, praise God!

Now, look at the next part, "...they continued steadfastly..." That means they kept on living the dynamic life the Spirit delivered to them.

The ESV, NLT, NIV, CSB, HSCB all translate that same part of the phrase as "...they devoted themselves..." The NASB states it in the always active sense: "They were continually devoting themselves..."

Now, what's my point in all of this? Simple...

You can tell who has really gotten the Holy Ghost, not by some wild behavior that is temporary in its activity, nor by someone who has short lived, emotional excitement about an event, but by those ones who continue on in steadfast devotion to the things of God.

You see, dear hearts, some people love events. They love activities. They love to have their emotions stirred. Some folks love something; what happens when God really gets us is that we come to love Someone.

For example, I remember how hype some people were about a tent revival some time back. One of my friends remarked with some disdain and disbelief about the tent revival. I told him not to do that, but to wait and see who the Lord really got a-hold of, and that we'd know it months later when those people continued steadfastly in devotion to the Lord. IF they loved the event, then their devotion to the things of God will pass; IF they came to love God, they would continue steadfast in devotion to God.

We see this quite often in weekend retreats, conferences, mission trips, and other event based things. I'm glad we have those things; I've seen God move and work and ignite many wonderful believers through such spiritual activity. I'm going on a weekend retreat in May, and I can't wait! However, if we are really walking with God, we continually devote ourselves to the things of God. HE is in us, and HE sustains us, and HE fills and guides us when the event is long gone.

The early church got a huge blessing when the Holy Spirit came on so many at once. However, we know from the book of Hebrews that people who once had devotion do fall away. In other words, some didn't make it past the event. We know that. It stands to reason, and the evidence bears the reason out.

It may be a tough inventory for some to take, but I pray God will grant some bravery to some souls and they will ask themselves some tough questions. Do I actually love God? Am I devoted to Him? Does He lead me day by day? Do I need an event to be excited about the Lord?

Did I love something, or do I love Him? Did I get moved at an event, and am I still moving? Did my getting stirred translate to being devoted?