Loving the Brethren

I love our family and the members God has put in it. I love our church and the joy that exudes from the families that call it home. I love seeing the smiles on children's faces as they play with their friends. I love it when brothers dwell together in unity. I love the brethren though I do not always show it in my thoughts, words and deeds. So on this, the last day of 2011, in the waning hours of a too-short year, I hereby resolve to spend and be spent for the souls of others, for the glory of God, for the sake of Christ.

Magnifying the Lord Jesus

According to God it is good to magnify Him. See Ps. 34 and Luke 1:46-47 for prime examples. When you magnify something you either exaggerate it's size (like using a microscope) or you see it more like it really is (like using a telescope). The latter is my heart's desire with God. You cannot over exaggerate God's true identity. I want to see Jesus as He truly is.

Colossians 1, Hebrews 1 and a host of other places give us a God's eye view of Christ. But daily living with its temptations and my sinful choices equates to a downsizing of Jesus in my life. When do I magnify the Lord?

1. I magnify the Lord when I expose myself to His Word, receive it, internalize it, practice it, speak it and let it have it's way in my heart, mind, soul and relationships.

2. I magnify the Lord when I trust and obey Him, setting aside my self-will for His perfect will. When I say no to the inclination to accuse, curse and condemn and yes to His desire to forgive, bless and free. When I walk in wisdom not foolishness. When I resist the urge to jump to conclusions and lash out, or if I do, to quickly confess and repent of it.

3. I magnify the Lord when I rest, abide, dwell, and rejoice in Him. When I pray, sing, speak, live to Him. When I do all things in the name of my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, joyously giving thanks through Him to God the Father.

May Jesus Christ be praised. May the Lord be magnified.

Seeing Christmas in its True Light

The spiritually blind see Christmas in pagan, materialistic , secular ways. The spiritually shortsighted see Christmas in stunted ways. Often the believing will mistakenly slice and dice God's redemption program into seasonal occasions to be remembered annually and taken almost as separate entities. At Christmas we celebrate the birth of Christ. At Easter we remember the death, burial and resurrection. It is only fitting and proper they say. Any deviation from the norm is seen as almost sacrilege. Says who?

Let's do some Scripture searching. Where in Scripture are we instructed to celebrate the birth of Christ annually or ever? What truths are we to commemorate, remember and proclaim not just once a year but on a regular basis?

Seeing the Light at Christmas and Beyond

Jesus opens blind eyes. He illumines darkness. He is the light of the world. What kind of light? One that reveals, cleanses and strengthens all He chooses to shine upon. He reveals the truth about Himself and us. He cleanses us from sin's defiling effects. He grows His Church as He sees fit.

It is interesting to me that Jesus, the light, makes lights of His chosen ones. "Let your light so shine", He says, so that others may glorify your Father in heaven when they see your good works. As the prophet Isaiah spoke, "Arise, shine, for your light has come". We are lesser lights, reflecting the glory of "the true light coming into the world that enlightens every man". So, as God illumines us, we "shine like stars in the universe", one among many reflecting the glory of the true Light.

Often, because we are weak and burdened by sin's effects, we are tempted to set the dimmer switch on low, hiding from the world and obscuring the light of the gospel. When we do that we hinder the work, we get in the way, and make it difficult for others to see the "light of the gospel seen in the face of Christ.

Forgiveness, Home Repair and 1 Peter 4:8

I noticed an interesting phenomena as I applied joint compound (aka "mud") on several walls in our home as I got it ready for paint. As I would cover over a bad spot, restoring it ts usefulness and asctetic beauty, I would notice other flaws and cover over them as well. I was not looking as a critic but a compassionate restorer. I had the best interests of my home and household in mind.

God wants His family, Christ's Church to operate in a similar fashion.

1 Peter 4:8 says "Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins."

What it Takes to Find Your Deepest Joy in Jesus

Finding your deepest joy in Jesus means not finding your deepest joy in anything else. Not finding your deepest joy in anything else is painfully hard work that only Jesus can accomplish in you.

Find your deepest joy in something or someone other than Jesus and you will have your heart broken by false suitors that pretend to have your best interests at heart but really want to destroy you. Stand your ground against all attacks of the enemy of your soul. Let the fool's gold wash down the drain with the other refuse of a thousand idolatries. Love Jesus and cling to Him. Find your deepest joy in Jesus and live.

What it takes is a resolve to do what God wills and does in you.

What God wants

God wants us to...seek and find true wisdom and understanding in Christ and let nothing stand between us and Him.

Heavenly Home, Eternal Joy

No earthly home compares to our heavenly home prepared by Almighty God, no earthly joy rivals our eternal joy in Christ.  

Adopted by Grace...a great Plan A

Ephesians 1:5 says believers were predestined for adoption as sons - legal, legitimate, initiated by the Father. He did not choose the pick of the litter. He did not choose cute and cuddly. He chose wretched, poor, blind, destitute, needy sinners and made them holy and blameless in His sight. We didn't go up to Him and beg Him to adopt us, He chose us before creation. This was Plan A, settled before the world began.

Glorious Truths

Ephesians 1:3-14 highlights God's blessings in Christ for believers. These blessings are gifts of God's grace and the catalyst that inspires us to live to the praise of God's glory. They are the best possible 'family secrets' revealed to and known by only the elect. Those without Christ cannot know or understand because they are blinded by Satan and cannot see the light of the gospel. Those in Christ see by faith, though as through a clouded window or mirror, this side of heaven. One day we shall fully see these glorious truths in all their glory.

Jonah and Jesus

Jonah spent three days in the belly of a big fish because of his many sins. Jesus spent three days in the heart of the earth because of our many sins. Jonah was mercifully delivered and preached repentance to those far from God. Jesus rose from the dead and preached peace to us who were far off. His kindness leads us to repentance, His mercy saves our lives. 

Pomp, Circumstance and Jesus

You can dress a person in the fanciest clothes and give them the grandest titles, but at the end of the day they are simply a sinner in desperate need of God's grace in Christ.

You can prop yourself up with houses and cars and lands and friends, and you still are nothing and have nothing without Jesus.

We need Jesus more than air or food or water or shelter. Nothing will ever change that fact.

See the end of Romans 11 and all of John 15.

In Christ is life.

Go to Jesus when you sin

You will sin. Go to Jesus when you sin. Do not hide in shame. He restores, revives and heals what ails you. He puts you back on the high road to glory. There is forgiveness with Him.

God's Grace Alone

Christ on His own initiative, with no help from us, chooses to act for good on our behalf, so that we would receive His blessings and be satisfied.

He feels compassion...Ps.68:19-20.
He provides for our need...Phil.4:19
He satisfies us...Is.58:11, Ps.103:5

We were not worthy.
We are undeserving.
We deserve death.
We get life.
We are blessed by Christ.
Our souls are satisfied in Christ.

Jesus initiates.
Jesus blesses.
Jesus satisfies.
Jesus meets our needs.

Glory to God!

Ps.68:19-20 "Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears our burden, the God of our salvation. God is to us a God of deliverances; and to God the Lord belong escapes from death."

True of all who believe, who are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for God's glory alone: Jesus took the burden of our sin and went through death for us, so we could be delivered from evil and escape the second death.

All praise and glory and honor and thanksgiving to the Lord Jesus Christ!

Praise Jesus

Praise Jesus and self-sufficiency, self-focus, self-condemnation and self-agrandizement fades. Praise Jesus and everything falls into place.

Overflowing with Praise to God

When someone is food deprived for long enough, their stomach actually shrinks in size and their appetite is suppressed. When someone continually gorges himself, their appetite grows.

When we are consistently hungry for the Word we are satisfied and our hunger builds and grows. When we continually praise God we obviously find we praise Him more frequently.

The day after we read through the gospel of Matthew together as a church someone who was there wrote me these words: "I'm experiencing a hunger for God's word that I haven't had for a while. Thanks for (Bring the Book), the Lord is using it in my life."

So it is with the needy, broken, sinful crowd of born-again, redeemed, forgiven people who belong to God by grace through faith in Christ. We overflow with praise to God.

Solidarity

When one member suffers all the members suffer.

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep.

When one is sorrowful, all are. When one is overjoyed all share in the joy. When one grows deep the others grow a bit deeper. When one strays all weep. When one succeeds all celebrate.When one is caught up in sin, everyone is affected.

It's like my front lawn, and my next door neighbor's front lawn, right next to mine. If one lawn has weeds the other will soon. We share the same weeds and grass. Our lawns are affected by the other's because of their close proximity.

It is like those in the Body of Christ. We belong to one another, we are interdependent and called to walk together in unity and solidarity.

Pray About Everything

I believe that nothing of value will happen in my life, household and Christ's Church unless God does it. Therefore, I go to Him dependently, expectantly and frequently in prayer. It is something I can do as I walk and talk and go about my day, carrying on a secret, unseen conversation with the One True God. Part of abiding in Christ is pouring out my soul to Him.

Christ Alone: Relationships over Rules

To be right with God we need to focus on an inward heart-level relationship with Jesus, not an outward heartless keeping of rules.

1. The heart is the problem.

Sin ruins relationships with God and man.

Keeping rules fails to pay sin’s penalty.

2. Jesus is the solution.

Christ alone paid sins penalty.

Christ transforms hearts and reconciles relationships.

Therefore,
1. Avoid Pharisaical attitudes and actions.

2. Adhere/Cling to Christ, not traditions, opinions or rules.

3. Adopt the attitude of Christ.

Pure Joy No Matter What

God is gracious and good. He gives us fresh perspective when our spiritual eyesight grows dim or clouded. Psalm 30:5 says “Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning.” I do not know what burden may be on your soul today, or what may have caused weeping or discouragement for you. It could be any number of things or maybe nothing at the moment. But I do know this: We are often in need of a fresh touch from God, where we find assurance from Him that He has acted on our behalf for good. He often does so through others we love. God graciously gives us renewed perspective, and often via one another...by His Spirit, through His Word, using His people. The result is pure joy no matter what the circumstance.

How it Works

God's Word is our ultimate authority. It sets captives free. Man's opinions merely enslave. So we need to remember how it works: we are to worship God and teach His truth. Hold forth the Word of life to the spiritually dead and watch God bring them to life. Here's what you do: Go out, preach the gospel, and bring them with you when the church gather.

Redeeming the Time

Many of us live in a fantasy world. It overtook the real world we used to live in at some time in the semi-recent past and most of us aren't even aware of it or its full implications. We are caught up in fantasy leagues and faceless relationships. Collecting "friends" we've never met and "connecting" the dots in meaningless chatter is driving us on down a road to only God knows where. In this world of make-believe, significance seems to be measured now by how many people "like" us or our latest thought or activity, not by what God says of us or does in and through us. We settle for being "liked" by our constituency when we could be reveling in being loved far more by the unseen Maker and Sustainer of all things.

I don't know when the shift took place, but as we seek greater impact with less face-to-face interaction with real people with real issues, one thing becomes painfully apparent to me: besides the obvious legal and medical differences, how are we any different from the junkie who seeks his next fix? Just because it is legal and not immediately dangerous to our physical well-being, how is this way of life good for the soul? "Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." (Eph. 5:15-17)

I am not saying that being technologically connected is bad and being unconnected is good. You can live in as much of a fantasy world without a television, computer or a cell phone. I just somehow feel the pull dragging at my heart more in these days for some reason and want to guard against slippage. As Paul told his young apprentice Timothy, "pay close attention to yourself and your teaching" (1 Tim. 4:16) Watch your life and doctrine closely.

Learning by Grace

The rest of God by faith in Christ is a gift of God. The finished  work of Christ fulfills all biblical imagery marred by sin and doesn't take us back to the sins of the sinfully unfaithful but forward to the future hope of those who follow the Crucified, based solely on His sinless faithfulness. It shows us we do not have to do what they did, ala 1 Cor.10, but learn from their negative example as we abide in Christ and look to our blessed hope.

Your Labor is Not in Vain

To labor in vain means to work to no effect, for nothing, for hollow and empty results. What kind of labor is not in vain? Labor done by believers that glorifies God. When you love His church and love His people, when you pray for them, when you work for other's salvation, for other's good, that others may know Jesus and want to make Him known. You labor effectively when you spend yourself for others, when you pray fervently, without ceasing. When you willingly do spiritual battle for Christ's church.

Christ is worthy of all our praise. He is worthy of our work. Our full engagement in hard work for His kingdom causes. Do you want to show Christ as worthy above all else. Then declare Him to be worthy by giving your time, talents and treasure to Him. Give your attention to gospel-centered work. You spend your time and focus your attention on the Lord's work. Where does your mind go when you have free time? Do you dream about preaching the gospel or sinking a 40 foot putt? How do you spend your time? I would not feel bad if you lost sleep over this. It is so easy to be entertained and crave more of it rather than craving the Lord and His work.

You can be busy with so many things. Frantic family syndrome is rampant. People are stressed out because they are so stressesd out with too many things. Even good things. People will tell you to take it easy. According to 1 Cor. 15:58 God says to get to work. So do it. Who are you going to talk to about it? Go find your pastor or an elder at your church and tell them you are ready, willing and able to fully engage in the work of the Lord.

God reigns. Give Him glory. You do so when you engage in work that honors Him. God is not unjust, so as to forget your work, in having ministered and in still ministering to the saints. People need Christ. It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the Living God and not be saved. It is the most soul satisfying thing and joyful, to fall into the welcoming arms of Jesus your Savior.

Always Abounding

Believers are instructed in 1 Corinthians 15:58 to be "always abounding in the work of the Lord". We too often take that to mean always doing something we think is productive. But consider the following: First that means to desperately trust the Lord to will and do what only He can. Always engaged in trusting God in everything. This will lead to action, but will not be driven by it. His power at work in you drives action. We make choices to act based on truth. His does His work through us. Our error lies in our mistaken ideas of sufficiency and independent autonomy. We are always dependently desperate for God to act on our behalf, while simultaneously taking action. As 14-year-old Mattie Ross wrote to her mother in the movie True Grit, "The Author of all things watches over me, and I have a fine horse". Trust God and make a wise, godly, Christ-honoring move.

The Cross is the Thing

The apostle Paul rightly made a big deal of the cross of Christ. In 1 Cor.1:18 he said "the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God." He said in v.23 "we preach Christ crucified". The Lord Jesus Christ Himself is the power and wisdom of God (1 Cor.1:24). He is the crucified, risen and returning One whom we are to adore and depend on for everything. Believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and you will be saved (Acts 16:31). Glorify Him and enjoy Him today!

Plate Spinning or People Equipping?

Do you ever feel like you are just "spinning plates", trying to keep things going, overloaded with expectations and responsibilities? Ever feel like you are on auto-pilot, just going through the motions, punching the clock, phoning it in? Do you ever resent good things God has enabled you to be a part of because you are just plain worn out by trying to do everything on your own? Do you avoid asking others to help because you don't want to burden them? Do you long to be a fruitful people equipper rather than a lonely plate spinner? If so, I have good news for you. Instead of always being burdened, you could be learning, growing and passing on your expertise to those in need. But in order to do this you need a vision of what could be in the realm of equipping people for ministry.

1. It Starts with a Mindset.
Do you see your ministry responsibilities as a burden or a blessing? Do you "have to" or "get to"? What is the central focus, you or others? Can you stop your plate spinning cycle long enough to think through another way of living? Like Peter walking on water you need to focus on Jesus, not your circumstances. Many of us sink because we over think and tell ourselves untruths. Trust Jesus. Tell yourself the truth. Set your mind on Him. Ask Him to help you clear out the clutter and refocus you.

2. Identify Triggers.
What causes things to narrow and tighten the focus to myopically see only what we are doing rather than what God wants to do in and through us? What causes you to go astray in your thoughts, words and actions? A lack of vision is one suspect. So is exhaustion, lack of exercise and a poor diet. So is not having any viable candidates on the horizon to pass things on to. Overload generates the emergency mode many operate in on a daily basis. Overload generates undo stress and tweaks perspectives. When you find yourself slipping into overload mode, stop and reload.

3. Don't Go Alone.
Bring someone else into your labors. Moses had to learn that the hard way. God had to remind Elijah he wasn't the only one. Plate spinners often have a martyr complex. They think they are the Lone Ranger. I should know. I've slipped into that mode too often to count. That's why you need others around you who will speak truth to you. God is good. He is faithful. He brings encouragement and fresh troops at just the right time. He will supply all your need according to His riches in Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19). He will give you like-minded co-workers in Christ. Ask Him.

4. Making the Shift.
The only way to change is to change. Think long and hard about what God has to say about equipping others and sharing the load. Read 2 Timothy 2:2; Ephesians 4:12-16; Acts 6:1-6. In order for things to change you must decide to take humble, bold, prayerful, decisive action. Ask a trusted friend for help. Admit your tendency to spin plates and then resent it. Take a step back from your daily grind, give yourself permission to take a day away to think and pray and search the Scriptures. Allow God to renew your mind and your vision. Jesus restores what sin destroys.

Galatians 6:2 says we are to "bear one another's burdens". Galatians 6:5 says "each will have to bear his own load". Are these in tension? No. A "load" is your normal cargo. A "burden" is an overload. Plate spinners tend to go on overload. Equippers recognize the warning signs and share the load, so that others may know the joy of ministry rather than the lonely pressure of plate spinning. You can become a joyful, fruitful people equipper for Jesus Christ rather than a lonely, frustrated plate spinner!

Soli Deo Gloria.

No Fruit and then one day...Wow!

No fruit and then one day...wow! Sometimes its easy to write someone or a group off as useless and unfruitful. We run the risk of pulling the plug too early. You may say this is all good and well but I am out of gas, been on empty for too long. You may even have all kinds of excuses...er "reasons" why it won't work. The disciples had a very practical reason for doubting, they simply didn't have the resources.

Jesus is not limited by our limitations. In fact, sometimes He chooses to do a miracle and leave no indication as to why, and no instructions for repeating it. Like feeding of 5000. I've had a dwarf lime tree for about 10 years that has given no limes. First year two limes, a glimmer of hope. I love limes and my kids gave it to me for fathers day one year. Ever since that first year no fruit. I almost cut it down several times. Green but fruitless. But I kept hoping, albeit weakly. Then I went out there this past Wednesday, and the tree is full of limes!!! God can make fruit grow when there has been none.

I've seen the crash and burns, but I've also seen new growth and fruit appear where once there was none, I've seen it happen in so many lives, families and churches. And we are left with no explanation why except that He is great and does as He pleases with what is His. God is full of mercy and grace. Jesus Christ is Lord of all.

Responding to Human Need

The only one of Christ's miracles recorded in all 4 Gospels? Jesus feeds 5000. What a headline. Including women and children it was probably 10, 15, 20, maybe 25,000. The point is this: Jesus responds to human need with compassionate action, while we often respond with demanding indifference. Like the disciples told Jesus, "you send them away...so they can buy food for themselves." Let them fend for themselves! Wow. Telling God what to do? I've done it, said it, thought it too many times to count.

Here's another amazing thing Jesus does: He uses gospel-changed people to distribute the provision, primarily the Gospel, the only thing that can meet mankind's spiritual need. The Gospel drives selfishness away and makes us more like Jesus.

Responding to Injustice

It's been nearly ten years since the twin towers were brought down in a focused act of hatred and hostility, when terrorists planned and executed a horrific slaughter of innocent citizens on U.S. soil. We still recoil at the thought. We are still shocked. Back then the immediate response was outrage, anger, hatred, an outcry for retribution, judgment on the guilty. With one accord we called for swift and sudden justice. Our desire for revenge mixed with our grief over such great loss. September 11, 2001 stands as the singular example of injustice in our generation. With it we come face to face with our own sinfulness, fear and lack of justice; and all the things we struggle with in our lives amidst our desire for justice to be served.

How we respond to injustice is a good barometer of our spiritual health (and maturity as well). How we respond to little injustices is a good gauge of how we will respond to bigger ones. Our first inclination is always to fight back with every weapon in our arsenal. Insulted? We grab for a ground-leveling comeback. Cheated? We wait begrudgingly for the score to be tied. Injured? We demand restitution. We want to inflict pain, retaliate. Our knee-jerk reaction is to hate. Many still hold hostage certain ethnicities or types and classes of peole, hating them for what someone who looks like, acts like or speaks like them did. Even now, our country is riddled with ethnic and caste-like inequities.

Matthew 14:1-12 gives us a peek into what depths of depravity sinful man can go and in it we see how to respond in a godly way to injustice. It may be hard for us to take but it is here for us to learn from. Herod the tetrarch, the Roman ruler who happened to be reigning over the territory Jesus ministered in, a ruler over one fourth of his father Herod the Great's kingdom, was guilty of committing great injustice against many: most notably his former wife, half brother, current wife, step-daughter and John the Baptist. He is superstitiously fearful that John, whom he had killed, had come back to life in the person of Jesus Christ. He has heard of Jesus' works and wrongly concludes that Jesus is in fact John risen from the dead. What follows is a flashback account of Herod's fearful, fallen actions in killing John.

Blatantly absent in the biblical record is any word of John's followers retaliating. Missing is any account of them fighting for their fallen comrade's honor. They quietly bury him and then go on with their lives. This speaks volumes to me. I want to even the score on infinitely less. It tells me that the correct response to injustice dovetails with Jesus' Sermon on the Mount teaching of turning the other cheek and non-retaliation. This runs contrary to human nature. Pride makes us cowards and just as guilty as our oppressors. Faith makes us friends of God who do what honors Him most.

Here are a few ideas I have gleaned relating to responding to injustices, both great and small. Instead of desiring revenge,

1. Desire above all to experience God's glory in your life. Force yourself to focus on God's glory rather than the blinding rage that leads to further injustice. When injustice strikes God's mercy flows. He has compassion for the harassed and helpless. He has compassion for the human condition. He empathizes and understands. A clear view of our wretchedness highlights the breathtaking vistas of God's glory, that overshadows the misery brought on by sin. (See Isaiah 6 and Exodus 33:12-33 for examples of Isaiah's and Moses' experience with this. See 2 Corinthians 3 for the gospel tie-in).

2. Desire purity of life. The murder of John the Baptist could have become for his followers an occasion of stumbling in sin, letting unbelief, fear, anxiety, doubt and discouragement rule. But this was not the case. Their silence indicates they kept focused on truth. Herod was bold-faced and hardened to God and proudly proclaimed his guilt in John's murder. True believers tender-heartedly and humbly confess their guilt in Christ's death and thankfully proclaim their faith in His shed blood on their behalf. Because He died we can live. Because He lives, by the Holy Spirit's enabling we can live lives that are pleasing to Him. (See 1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 for encouragement to live a life pleasing to God.)

3. Desire for others to enter into life. Stay focused on your mission. Keep doing what God has called you to do. For John the Baptist it was speaking the truth unafraid, in hopes that the lost would repent of their sin and believe. (See Colossians 1:28-29 for Paul's passion in
preaching the gospel so that others might know Christ.)

These things are not new to those of faith. They point to the ancient path of trust in God. The prophet Micah prophesied around 700 B.C. of God's coming judgment on those who perpetrated injustice. In a time of prosperity, the wealthy were oppressing the poor. The prophet spoke God's message of warning mingled with hope. While there is no hope for any apart from God's salvation, there would be a day of peace, brought on by the Prince of Peace, the royal deliverer that would be born in Bethlehem. He would shepherd His people. Protecting them, He Himself would be their peace. All human injustice pales in comparison to our cosmic treason against God. By faith, instead of justice we receive mercy (see Ephesians 2). Micah 6:8 shows what God requires. "He has told you, O man, what is good; and what does the Lord require of you but to do justice, and to love kindness (mercy), and to walk humbly with your God?" We know we cannot do this. We are unable. We pronounce woe upon ourselves when we realize our true condition. But there is mercy and forgiveness with Him. (See Micah 7:1-20)

Do we who demand justice really know what we are asking for in light of our own sins? Jesus took all the wrath our sins deserved. The cup He drank, the hour He endured, was not just the pain and agony of crucifixion, but the horrible weight of anti-glory, the burden of all sins ever committed or to be committed. At the cross the bowl full of the wrath of God was poured out unmercifully on Jesus, so that the elect could escapee wrath and experience God's mercy. Because Jesus responded to injustice we can receive His mercy.

Enough

I hear my Savior say to me "Am I enough for you?"
Or do you need something else to prop you up
Do you need applause, do you need to succeed
To feel like you are somebody?

Blood was spilled so that I would not run to false gods
The veil was torn so I would know His love
The fury went on him so I could come to Him
The cost was covered so I could live

My identity is anchored in the crucified One
I've been bought with a price, I'm owned by the Son

But how often I cling to anything but the cross
How frequent are my wanderings
How awful was His passion
How tremendous was His sacrifice

To depths of love I'd never known
Nor could ever know apart from Him
He brings me, His adequacy covers all
The all sufficient Savior is enough

My identity is anchored in the crucified One
I've been bought with a price, I'm owned by the Son

A Story to Tell

Little white cross by the side of the road
Tells a story
Of grief observed
Of woe absorbed
Of life lived short
There they met great pain and loss
There they paid unspeakable cost
Little white cross.

Blood-stained Cross on a faraway hill
Tells a bigger story
Eternal Word made flesh who dwelt
Sovereign Savior in time and space
Suffering grief, woe, pain and loss
Taking wrath that spelled my death
Sinless sentenced in my place
Blood-stained Cross.

They choose a cross to mark great loss
He chose the Cross to mark great gain
Holiness, mercy, grace on display
Evil, enemy, imposter put on notice
Numbered days
He will return
As He said He would
The Cross His glory and my good.

The Soul's Repose

Social networking encourages and emboldens people to express themselves. It's an electronic shout out to whoever may be tuned in: "Hey, I exist and I have something to say. Listen up and acknowlegde my existence." Whose nod are we angling for and craving? Too often I'm seeking yours.

We need God, His Word, and interaction with people, but no approval but God's (2 Tim. 2:15). Question for my soul: Are you enough with Jesus and no other props?

That question leads to others: On whom do I set my hopes? Is my soul at rest in Jesus? Where does my soul find its sweetest repose? My soul finds rest in God alone, my Rock and my Salvation.

Saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, revealed in God's Word alone, for God's glory alone.

Justice Served

God is just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Christ. At the cross Jesus Christ took the punishment my sins deserved. His substitutionary death appeased God's just wrath. His mercy alleviates the misery brought on by sin. His grace gives undeserved blessings. God pronounces sin's former prisoners righteous, on the basis of faith in Christ's finished work. Justice served.

Preaching my Sermon, Part 2...Monday's Take on Sunday

As I have been processing what I preached yesterday morning and applying it in my life today, I've been thinking through to clarity on the ideas of responding to unbelief in ways that honor Jesus most. It helps me to think through the main points. Matthew 13:53-58 shows how unbelief responds to Jesus and how Jesus responds to unbelief.

Unbelief rejects God's ways, confuses God's identity, refuses God's rule and forfeits Gid's blessings. Jesus' response was to keep preaching and teaching God's Word; He listened and refocused on truth; He answered gently and humbly; and excercised compassion. In Christ's response we find our marching orders for similar engagement as we interact with people everyday.

With those who reject God's ways we must persistently preach and teach God's Word, keeping the gospel central. When Jesus is central, the gospel is central. With those who confuse God's identity, claiming untrue things about Him, we must intently listen and refocus them on biblical truth. With those who refuse God's rule we must lovingly answer gently and humbly, putting a life yielded to Christ's lordship on display. And with those who are forfeiting God's blessings, we must uncondemningly respond compassionately in hopes that they would experience God's mercy and enter into the joy of life in Christ.

My Prayer

To preach the Word with power and glory,
To speak boldly and tell the story,
To be on fire with God's own flame,
Freely honoring His holy Name.

Have You Been There?

So I get into this elevator, and there is a mom in there with her screaming son. He is screaming at the top of his lungs. He's about 5 years old and he's lost his other shoe or something like that. And it is echoing. Shrill. Ear-piercing screams. This elderly man gets on the elevator. The frazzled mom and crazed son exit. I stay. Elderly man turns to me and says, "been there, done that", and I figure he means he has been through similar situations with his kids long ago. But my mind can't resist the image of him screaming bloody murder in an elevator while his mom frantically tries to calm him down.

What I think he really meant was to be gracious, to say I understand her predicament, I've been through similar situations and lived to tell of it. I feel for her, I empathize, I have sympathy. In a word: compassion. That is Jesus-like.

I think this can be applied to many life situations. Especially appropriate to our response to those who are actively kicking and screaming in resisting surrendering their lives to Jesus, those who need a firm and loving compassion from those who are in their right minds so to speak.

Equipped and Fully Engaged

The gospel saves, equips and engages us in a universe-altering mission of mercy. The benefits of someone in a position of influence showing and telling God's truth in Christ are amazing and life-changing. God's Word applied by God's Spirit in and through the lives of God's people produces dramatic results. Who knows what may transpire today by God's sovereign grace and His children's cooperation?

God will use His chosen instruments for His glory. He will send them and situate them for maximm effectiveness. He will change and rearrange things as they unfold. He will be honored. He sends and His servants serve Him, a counter-culture for the common good. And they go to places like Bali, Stockholm, Vladimir, Mulia, Cudahy and Orange, in the name of the Lord Jesus. With the high praises of God in their mouths and a two-edged sword in their hands they go, singing and savoring the goodness of God above all rivals to His throne, the greatness of God above all earthly powers, and the preeminence of Christ above all lesser pursuits.

God uses the small and the great. He puts up kings and tears down thrones. God's hand of providence must be our guide and stay. The firm foundation of our inheritance. The bedrock of our supplication and interaction. "Sovereign Lord Jesus, my Savior, You alone are impeccable and immeasurable. May You be praised above all."

My Gospel Manifesto

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, "The righteous shall live by faith." Romans 1:16-17.

I have been saved by Jesus Christ and entrusted with the gospel, responsible to care for others, sharing what I have been given, aware that it did not originate with me, grateful to have the opportunity, considering no cost too great, for God's glory and other's good.

Therefore I will live humbly, speak boldly, and do mercy, going about my daily tasks with a holy calling, knowing God is Sovereign and I am His instrument for good in the world. I will pray in faith, walk in love and introduce others to the glorious freedom of the children of God in Christ.

So be it. And may it be so.

Friend or Foe?

Mindful of me are You O God
Such mercy beyond measure
The cross my friend and sin my foe
I seek You as my treasure

The Beginning, the End, Suspense and the Sword of the Spirit

I don't like suspense. I need to know. Tell me how it turns out, then I can watch the movie, read the book, follow the game. I want to know the conclusion, the bottom line, the final score. I skip to the end of the book to see how it turns out. Why watch a prerecorded sporting event? It's the way I am 'wired' (Yes, you can also spell 'weird' with the same letters).

Most people are confused and polarized regarding spiritual things. Debates rage on Facebook, Twitter, texting, over the phone and face to face. Stones are thrown, literally and figuratively, over God, the origin of the universe, and heaven and hell. Why are origins and destinations such hot topics? If you can convince people of your version, those two bookends define everything else. They hold things in place.

God is not keeping us in suspense. He has revealed the plan and it is unfolding as He has decreed. This is what we see in Matthew 13:47-50. It’s about the fate and final destination of those who reject Jesus Christ. It speaks of the reality of hell, and the destiny of those who refuse to believe and be saved.

Heaven and Hell are hotly debated. Rob Bell’s recent book “Love Wins” suggested that the church has had it wrong for 2000+ years. Two upcoming books attempt to answer Bell’s errors. Mark Galli’s “God Wins: Heaven, Hell and why the Good News is better than Love Wins” and Francis Chan’s “Erasing Hell: What God said about Eternity and the Things We’ve Made Up” will hopefully be scripturally-sound answers to Bell's slippery "posing questions without declaring Biblical truth" approach.

We live in a culture that portrays believing the Bible as outdated craziness, but nonetheless objective truth must be given greater credence than subjective opinion. Nothing but the Bible, the Word of God will suffice. Do we believe God’s Word or not? The Bible will weather the test of time. It will last (Is. 40:8). The Sword of the Spirit, the Word of God, slices and dices everything. It defines reality. It all points to the Lord Jesus Christ, the Alpha and Omega, the Beginning and the End.

Fulfill Your Ministry

Fulfill your ministry not by focusing a microscope on your earthly activities but by training a faith-driven magnifying glass on Jesus. Peripheral details will fall into place because you got the One Big Detail right.

Saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, revealed in God's Word alone, for God's glory alone.

Before and After the Cross

You need a Savior. Always.

Before the cross God sent His prophets to tell people that Jesus was coming. The message was fact whether they believed it or not. These prophets said they had better get ready. They needed to respond in faith, which is a gift from God. These prophets didn't use the name Jesus, but names like Emmanuel, the Lord's Anointed, and other identifiers of God providing a way of salvation by grace through faith. Dripping with mercy and bounded by love, this salvation to be given would radically change one's relationship to and standing with God. It will make the dead live, the blind see, the deaf hear and the lame walk. A humanly impossible transaction would take place. God would do what man could not. Some responded in faith and others stood condemned by their unbelief.

After the Cross God sends His Church to proclaim a message of a coming Savior who will return to judge the world in righteousness. All who will believe will be accepted into the fellowship of the King. Their destiny drastically changed from hell-bent sinners to heaven-bound holy ones, whom God frees to love and serve Him as His representatives to a lost and dying world.

Before a person comes to faith in Christ they need the only Savior. Afterwards they need the only Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. For in Him we live and move and have our being. He is the Author and Perfector of our faith. He is the Leader and Sustainer of our faith. He is the Beginning and the End of our faith. He starts us on the road to heaven, and takes us there and is our sole sufficiency forever. Before the Cross the gospel was preached, and after the Cross the gospel is preached. It is an eternal gospel of the grace of God in Christ.You always need a Savior and that Savior is always the Lord Jesus Christ.The window of opportunity is only open while you live, but its effects are lasting. To say it is eternal means it has eternal ramifications, eternal sufficiency, eternal worth, eternal power as it works forever in those who are saved. Getting them saved, keeping them saved, bringing them into the glorious freedom and joy of the kingdom of God.

Misguided people continually look for functional saviors apart from Christ that actually bring death. Only Jesus gives life. He will not be mixed with anything to become more effective. He stands alone as all-sufficient Savior. The message is true whether you believe it or not. Reality has been revealed to the believing. The Cross is always our glory and our hope. Jesus is our only hope, our Savior, Lord and Friend forever. May God alone be praised.

Saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, revealed in God's Word alone, for God's glory alone.

By Grace We Are Saved

Man's original identity was firmly rooted in being made by God in His image, enabled to think, feel, reason and decide; enabled by God to be and do what He desires. Man's original purpose was to do something in response, to glorify God His Maker and Sustainer. As he did what he was made for he would reflect the glory of God while working for the good of others. But that image and purpose was marred in the Fall. Man tried to go independent and in the process lost what God had given him. Rejecting God and deceived by the enemy, mankind's bent turned from seeking God to self, replacing God with the many idols the human heart now had a propensity to cling to. Seeking God became a counterintuitive impossible pursuit rather than a natural one. Man's lifelong passion due to sinful rebellion against God became obsession with self. No one seeks God, all have gone to their own ways. But God did not leave man without hope, He had promised a savior back in the garden (Gen. 3:15) and from then on, as the creation groaned under the burden of sin, people waited for this savior, who would deliver them from bondage to decay to the glorious liberty of the children of God. Along the way God sent many to call people to turn from sin to God, to leave their selfish ways and live by faith, but most persisted in unbelief. And when He arrived in God's perfect time they rejected Him too. Man's love affair with sin continued. Unable to pull himself out of the mire man only sunk lower. Only by grace, God's undeserved kindness, could men go free. Jesus took the wrath our sins deserved. When God awakens us to that reality, making the dead live, we see. Until then we are blind, deaf and dumb. Dead. Unable due to sin to make a move towards God. But God, being rich in mercy, with great love, makes us alive together with Christ. By grace we are saved.

Christlike Manhood

God is good. His grace is amazing. Jesus is Lord. And Sunday is Father's Day. My heart goes to men saved by grace through faith in Christ who seek to imitate Christ.

I am well aware that the trend is to comfort the ladies on Mother's Day and hammer the men on Father's day. I wanted to refrain from that line of reasoning this year but God's Word got a hold of my heart coupled with the manhood wasteland so evident today. All I can say men is man up. Stand up and take it like a man. We were made for challenge, hardship, courage and battle. And we were called to follow the crucified, risen and coming One.

There is role confusion on the part of many men, due in part to concepts of manhood that have gained prominence in recent years. It is like there are three portraits set up before us; one from the world (foolishness), one from fellow believers (well-meaning but often misguided), and one from God in His Word (100% accurate). By His Spirit and through His Word God enables us to cut through the brush, so to speak, to get a clear vision of what Christlike manhood is, and how to foster it in daily life.

The world says..."be weak, you are weak, you're a fool, be womanly if you want, make up your own rules of what it means to be a man. You can be metro sexual, passive, angry, confused, or a bumbling fool. Whatever you want." There is just as much confusion amongst believers regarding what manhood should look like. With fellow believers it is a toss up as to what you will get. Traditionalists have a certain kind of man in view...strong, stoic, non-emotional, a man's man ala John Wayne, or Russell Crowe's Gladiator. Non-traditionalists have come up with their own versions of manhood, from the promise keeper, to the rugged individualist to the courageous, humble, quiet man; all well-meaning but often lacking the substance of the Crucified. Many will say "keep your promises, do your duty, don't be weak. Be rugged, be strong, be a warrior, you were made for adventure". While at the same time coddling the cult of extended adolescence and saying "don't be too hard on yourself".

There has been a recent resurgence of Biblically based manhood coming from the church at large. It is a good thing. The world says look to yourself, the church says man up, God says look to Jesus, the Author and Perfector of faith. Look to Jesus, the real Man.

Jesus, Real Man

Widespread confusion abounds today regarding what it means to be a man. There are a lot of boys walking around in men's bodies, unsure of themselves or what it means to be masculine. The world says men are losers. The world says "men, you can be a woman if you want". Role confusion runs rampant. The church fares little better with most of her men, putting unrealistic expectations on them. Keep your promises. Reach for great adventure. But God has something to say regarding manhood, and Jesus is His definitive speech.

No one would deny that in Jesus we have the perfect model man, the epitome of manhood. But is there a definitive model put forth in Scripture? One that we can point to and say, now there is a man. One that transcends cultures and generations, one that fits every man? Yes there is. It is found in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, the One who said "I am gentle and humble in heart", I have come to "seek and save the lost", the One who "came not to be served but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many".

Beauty and Joy all Around

The oceans are His. As are the cattle on a thousand hills. Let everything that has breath praise the Lord. O for that day. Until then, life under the sun. People working, playing, interacting, investing, reacting. In everything give thanks the good Book says. Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, joyously giving thanks through Him to the Father. Every good and perfect gift is from God above. We are made in His image, to reflect His glory. Joy follows.

I was on a BIG boat today on an immensely bigger ocean, no land in sight in any direction, when the thought hit me like a big object lesson, how immense the sea is. And immediately after, like a rolling wave, the next thought, how Awesome and Amazing God, the Maker of the sea, is. With beauty all around, and an awareness of the Maker of that beauty, all I can say is God is great, good and holy. He blesses us with life, and the capacity to engage and enjoy His gifts. What a God. What amazing joy He gives. In all things. All because of Jesus.

The Glory Question

Glory is weighty. Glory is significant. Glory is strong. When referring to God it is life altering, transforming, earth shattering. Quite literally. "He raised His voice, the earth melted" (Ps. 46:6). Glory is the story of the Bible from first to last. God's glory in Christ redeeming a people for His own possession. Jesus is the glory of God in full bloom. We beheld His glory. John 1:14 says "And the Word became flesh, and  dwelt among us, and we saw His glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth."

What does glory mean when referring to God? What is God's glory? Simply put, it is Jesus Christ and Him crucified. By God's grace I will boast in nothing else (1 Cor. 1:31). He is the crucified Lord of glory (1 Cor. 2:8). "He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and  upholds all things by the word of His power" (Heb. 1:3). Jesus Christ is where glory is at. Crucified, risen and coming again, He is the glory of God. Mankind boasts in many things, I will boast in Christ my King. Forever. To God alone be glory.

Sweet Reunion

Our family joined the Hughes family and a big group of friends at the airport tonight to welcome Sara home from almost a year serving the Lord in Italy. it was a sweet reunion. One we have been waiting eagerly for. A touching sight seeing mother and daughter embrace, then father and daughter, and brother and sister, followed by many friendly greetings and embraces. Safe and sound. Home at long last. One reunion among many we experience here on earth.

We waited eagerly for the slightly delayed flight to land, then a bit more as one by one people disembarked. No Sara. Finally she appeared and we rejoiced. Makes me think of another reunion to come. One that every true believer longs for. That coming day when, at long last and perfectly timed, the Lord Jesus Christ will appear.1 John 3:2-3 says that when He appears we shall be like Him and we shall see Him as He is. Only God knows the day and hour. It fast approaches. We await our sweet reunion. Come Lord Jesus.

Amusing ourselves to Death: Brave New World or 1984?

Neil Postman was right, in part. We are amusing ourselves to death. We are living in Huxley's Brave New World more than Orwell's 1984. In the former, people medicate themselves into bliss, voluntarily setting aside what they were made and meant to do for trivial pursuits; in the latter, totalitarian regimes take things away from the helpless masses. This alternative 'world' of our own making we now live in is neither brave nor new. Just a recycled version of what the God of the Bible highlighted centuries ago in the language of Psalm 49, "man in his pomp yet without understanding is like the beasts that perish" and Psalm 14:1 "the fool says in his heart 'there is no God'". "Do not be deceived, God cannot be mocked, a man reaps what he sows" (Gal. 6:7) and "do not be misled, bad company corrupts good morals" (1 Cor. 15:33). We are either firmly planted in the fields of truth or not. God sees through lip service. Functional atheists and agnostics abound, even in Christian circles. We toss out God-talk like it was an offering to appease the gods for a time, then we go back to our 'diversions'. We'd rather play than engage the enemy. The heart is laid bare.

What am I getting at? The propensity of professing Christians to play the game but not buy in to the game plan. We do it so well. Say all the right things at all the right times and the rest of the time just do whatever you jolly well please. Like the gifted player who hangs out on the sidelines while the rest of the team practices. And he wonders why he isn't starting and why his skills are diminished. We all put the time in somewhere. Many insulate themselves
from reality by multiple diversions, thinking somehow that in losing themselves in the momentary they might escape the inevitable reality. Like little children running around a playground we have bought into the extended, perpetual adolescence that says we don't need to think about or grapple with weightier subjects. Just pretend they don't exist.

This is no playground, its a battleground. Souls are at stake. You'll be tempted to say "don't be so hard on yourself, or me". With all due respect, you don't have to read this. You can back to your diversionary tactics or get in the game. The choice really is yours. I for one want to focus on the gospel with the likeminded. Not being ashamed (Rom. 1:16) means not being embarrassed of, disgraced by, hiding from the realities of, the gospel. Too often where the rubber meets the road in life we are all three. Bonhoeffer said that when God calls a man he bids him come and die. Jesus said "deny yourself, take up your cross, and follow Me." Deny yourself, repudiate self, be sick of your Christ-contrary ways, die to selfish ambition, and follow the path of the crucified. We are either running from or to the gospel and all it's glory.

The heart is laid bare. I am left lying in the dust at the foot of the cross. Maybe I woke up on the wrong side of the bed, or just maybe God is sensitizing my soul, once again, to the glorious realities of the gospel of the grace of God in Christ. OGK (Only God Knows) and He, in His Sovereign grace, restores what locusts have eaten. He redeems, enabling us to redeem the time. May the Lord Jesus Christ be praised. A mentor of mine, Wayne Anderson, taught me "As I'm saved by grace, so I live by grace and lead by grace and serve by grace". As yesterday's post alluded to, if I love Jesus above all I won't be bending or twisting grace into something it's not.

Love God and Do as You Please

We really know how to twist a phrase don't we? We are expert at finding a way to turn something meant for the glory of God into an opportunity for the flesh. Love God...love Jesus over everything, supremely, in first place in everything. And do as you please...you will want to please Him. Your desires will be in line with His (Ps. 37:4). We spin it like this...like God, give Him a quick nod, and then do whatever, whenever, with whomever, you please.

We all walk this tightrope between legalism and license. Like tiptoeing on the steep ridge of a roof with sharp slopes on either side, the delicate balance of grace-based living can only be balanced by God Himself. It's Proverbs 3:5-6 once again, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight." Truly love God, and you will do what pleases Him without fear, stress or regret.

The Beauty of Roles, Goals and Desires Meshing

Roles, goals and desires. We all have them.

We all have roles we fulfill in life. What you get, and need, and hopefully want, to do. In mine, primary are being a Christian (I love Jesus! I am saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, as revealed in Scripture alone, for God's glory alone), husband (I love my wife of twenty years!), father (I love our five kids!), pastor (I love the people of Grace Church!), and so on, including son, brother, friend, citizen and others. There is a priority to those roles that needs to be in place so that things don't get too out of balance. Jesus Christ has, and must be given, preeminence over and in everything.

Then there are the goals we have in life, what we are working towards. What we are trusting God for as we live in light of our roles. Christ's disciples must be sure they hold biblical and Christ-exalting aims. If our goals are off-base we run the risk of disobeying God and harming ourselves and others. A goal achieved, even the most Jesus-focused, can become a cause of boasting in ourselves rather than the cross of Christ. Praising God over milestones achieved and remembering His faithfulness is sweet to the soul.

Also in the mix are our desires, what we really want. There are times that these can clash and collide, and times when they mesh and converge beautifully. It is a tough and delicate challenge that can only be won in the trenches and slugged out in the grind of daily, seemingly mundane, living. God is good. He gives grace to withstand the onslaught of sin and mercy to deal gently with the need to realign ourselves around biblical truth and away from self-serving ends. It is amazing how God will at times bless us with a measurably greater awareness of His presence and His working in our lives, especially when our roles, goals and desires blend.

Psalm 37:3-5 speaks of trusting in, delighting in, and committing ourselves to the Lord. I'll address it more in detail in another post but let me just say that when we trust in, and commit our ways to, the Lord, delighting in Him is a glad surrender that takes us to before unknown depths of the grace of God in Christ.

Do You Need to Follow One Set Pattern or Formula of Preaching the Gospel for Someone to Be Saved?

NO! One size doesn't fit all. Try anything and everything to reach people for Christ! Be willing to spend and be spent for the souls of others. I think it is only superstition and fear of man that keeps us from wholehearted, joyous, bold, outrageous redemptive interaction with others for the sake of the gospel. Here's some ways to start taking steps to get the message out cross-culturally and within your sub-culture. Others have done these and more, there's nothing new here. Feel free to add to the list...

1. Pray. Ask God where He wants you to go today and who He wants you to engage for the gospel. Ask the Lord of the harvest to send you into His harvest. Pray for those who do not know Christ. Pray that your interactions would be significant, real, sincere, honest and engaging; and that God would keep you from inadvertently doing something to pull the rug out from under your witness to the grace of God in Christ.

2. Adopt. Adopt an ethnic people group living in your area. Frequent their neighborhoods, businesses, and stores and restaurants. Build friendships that cross continents, while not having to go further than the nearest subculture residing nearby. Most people have only a few miles to travel to be in "another world" these days. "The nations" live right next door.

3. Remember where you came from. Don't neglect your own. Don't leapfrog over your own people. Go where God leads but don't stipulate too much based on your preferences. For example, I love ethnic foods and have a selfish tendency to not want to eat American food. So I frequent many ethnic spots and get to know many people in different cultures, but I need to be mindful not to neglect my own culture, whatever that is!

4. Ask. Take time to ask good, leading, engaging, honest, appropriate questions. How long have you lived here? Did you know the language when you arrived? How many languages do you speak? Tell me about your family. What was the weirdest thing for you in this new culture? The toughest thing to get used to? What do you miss most (and least) about your homeland? What do you do for fun? What are your future plans?

5. Choose the harder way. Go somewhere you don't necessarily "want" to go. Find a place of service that isn't your first choice. If you have two options before you, choose the harder of the two ways, just to mix it up. We often gravitate to our comfort zones, get out of yours and see what God does. We profile way to often even within our own cities, towns and neighborhoods. There are places we just won't go and people we just won't talk to. Break out of that limiting trap and explore.

6. Be inviting. It is one thing to engage and then walk away. It is another to invite others into your life. Invite others to family gatherings and everyday activities. Be with people where they live and where you do. Yes, it costs, it is an investment in people. Two things last forever: God's Word and people. Invest heavily in both, especially at the same time.

7. Get collectively creative. I don't know how many people have told me they aren't creative or they have no imagination. Then you get talking and they are a wealth of both! They just need the confidence and assurance that they have something to offer that is uniquely them and they need to exercise that option. Don't always go alone. Get together with a few likeminded souls and talk amongst yourselves. Then go out with the gospel. We are the packaging the gospel comes in. God uses many different ways and people to lead others to Him who is the only Way of salvation.

8. Don't profile. You know what I mean. Everyone does it. The nations live next door and so do people from your own culture that for one reason or another you may not like. Ask God to change your attitude towards them and reveal your hidden (or not so hidden) biases, breaking them down and shattering them for the sake of the gospel.

The gospel of Jesus Christ and Him crucified is "the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes" (Rom. 1:16). Take it, boldly, unashamed and without fear, to the streets. Because Jesus is coming soon to a city near you.

These ideas barely scratch the surface, I know. What are some of yours?

Do You Need (to Hear of and Believe in) Jesus to be Saved?

YES! Let the Word of God speak and take great care not to refute it purposely or inadvertently. Acts 4:12 says "there is salvation in no one else, for there is other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved". Jesus said "no one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6). He is called "savior" many times in Scripture, the "one mediator between God and man", His name itself declaring to us the saving acts of God and our need to believe in Him. John 3:17-18 say that whoever does not believe in Jesus is condemned already. People reject Jesus because their deeds are evil. In Christ alone our hope is found. There is no other way to be saved but through faith in Christ. Romans 10 says that "faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ". Acts 16:31 says "believe in the Lord Jeaus, and you will be saved..."

Hundreds more scriptures can be cited, upon which thousands of observations can be and have been made. All who have ever been saved and all who ever will believe are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for God's glory alone, according to Scripture alone. Everything points to the Lord Jesus Christ and Him crucified as our sole reason for boasting and the only basis by which any sinner who repents receives forgiveness of sins, is declared righteous, and is eternally secure. God, Philippians 2 tells us, bestowed on Jesus the name that is "above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee would bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father".

Don't let anyone tell you that the Jesus of the Bible isn't necessary or needed for a person to be saved. Stand firm on the gospel of the grace of God in Christ. Preach (in any and every way imaginable to any and every person available) the absolute necessity and sufficiency of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

God Speaks, We Listen

Psalm 46:6 says that God "utters His voice" and "the earth melts". Sheer power. In Isaiah 55:8-13 God declares that His thoughts and ways are as high above ours as the heavens are from the earth. That means there is no comparison between our puny thoughts and God's. His Word reveals His thoughts and ways. So why is it we have the audacity to raise our thoughts and ways above His by saying things like "I would never believe in a God who would do such and such" or "I'd never be a part of a church that does this or that"? When did our preferences and opinions get promoted to such an exalted position? What arrogance to assume that just because we think it or feel it it must be gospel truth. We had better make sure that the things we encourage, discourage, cling to, or stay away from, are things the Bible encourages, discourages, says to cling to or stay away from. We do not want to be found opposing God with our blanket declarations. If scripture truly is your only rule for faith and practice, if you truly believe it is the all-sufficient authoritative Word of God, then make sure the definitive statements you make are found there. Here's the way it is supposed to be: God speaks and decrees, we listen and respond.

What Does it Mean to be Saved?

What Does it Mean to be Saved? In the general sense it means to be rescued from danger. In the biblical sense it means to be rescued from the wrath of God that our sins deserve. It signifies rescue from sin, death and hell and the power and penalty of sin. Romans 3 and Titus 3 speak of God's work of saving. We cannot save ourselves because we are dead in sin apart from Jesus Christ (Ephesians 2). Only God can make dead people alive. When a person comes to saving faith in Christ they are rescued from the power and penalty of sin. One day they will be rescued from the presence of sin.

Hidden Treasure, Costly Pearl

Knowing Jesus is a gift of grace from God. Following Jesus is a process dependant on the grace of God. In Matthew 13:44-46 we find the parables of the hidden treasure and costly pearl. They are about costliness, commitment and more. Several questions come to mind: What am I most motivated by? What drives my life? To whose agenda am I most committed? As I follow Jesus am I driven by guilt and obligation or by joy and grace?

Listen to the Prophet

An interesting thing happens at the end of Matthew chapter 13. Jesus went to His hometown and taught in their synagogue. Amazing homecoming right? Wrong. They were astonished but not in a good way. They questioned His true identity. They wondered about His authenticity. They took offense at Him. They stumbled on the stone of stumbling and rock of offense. They were not blessed. Jesus' reply? He likened Himself to a prophet who speaks forth the very words of God, revealing things long hidden and undisclosed. One who speaks boldly and pays the consequences. It is not surprising that they rejected Him. He came for the cross.

We live in a time, not unlike the days of the prophets of old and not unlike the dusty streets of first century Palestine that Jesus walked, where people speak bold-faced against God and think nothing of it. They are ignorant, deceived, lost and blinded by Satan (2 Cor. 4:4). We do not hate them as enemies, we pity them, pray for them and seek their rescue. We who believe were not long ago just like that. As Micah 4:12 says, they do not know the thoughts of the Lord, nor do they understand His plan. Jesus graciously reveals both to the believing. So listen to the Prophet. He is speaking today through His Word. Pick up your copy and read.

Back to What?

When it comes to life in the Body of Christ, be that in our households or the local assembly of believers, people are often tempted to say we need to get back to what the early church said and did, or what the Reformers said and did, or what so and so said and did. While that is not necessarily a bad thing, it is easy in the process to make some of the mistakes they did.

I often benefit from the views of some of my favorite authors, pastors and friends, living and dead, using their views almost as a sort of compass as I navigate life, cultivate a biblical worldview and preach the gospel of Jesus Christ. They can be helpful but certainly have their human limitations. The word of man about the Word of God is not inerrent or infallible. I am influenced by others I respect. But that must never be allowed to take precedence when handling Scripture. We must trust God more than man. To make an obvious point, it doesn't matter what era you choose from, human examples are not Jesus nor did they write Scripture. They merely commented on It. Often they pointed people back to Jesus and Scripture but we ought not to point people to people, but back to Jesus and the Scriptures.

We must take great care who we follow and why. Beware of the pitfalls inherent in any human viewpoint or opinion or system of thought, while benefitting from it's strong points. The only inerrent, infallible source we have is God and the only inerrrent, infallible document we have is Holy Scripture spoken by God Himself (2 Tim. 3:16). The Living Word of God and the written Word of God are our true north. We must always point people back to Jesus and Scripture, trusting the Spirit of God to apply the Word of God in the lives of the people of God.

Baring My Soul...on where to live

We live in the city of Irvine, Ca. The church I am privileged to pastor is in Orange, Ca. 8 miles away. Nothing to some, an eternity to others. Depends on where you live and how far you are from the center of your primary activities. Orange, especially the edge of Orange our church is located is not a long way off but two cities away. I've never lived so far from the people and the place where I serve. The church is not a building, but we gather somewhere and it is where our family spends a lot of our time. So we started thinking quite a while ago, that we need to be closer. We'd like to be closer. Of course monetary considerations are present, a higher property tax bill being one of them if we move. But I have other considerations and motivations swimming in my mind. My desire to be near the people is mixed with other desires. A bigger yard, a better house, a pool, more elbow room than Irvine affords. And yes, I do have a tendency to overspiritualize a practical concern. I also have a tendency to be really self-centered. Does God care where we live? I think only as far as I am redemptively interacting with those with whom and near whom I live. I guess I sense the need for a readjustment of my priorities as it relates to housing, where we hang our proverbial hat. I need to start praying like this: Lord, where geographically can I live to best serve Your purposes in this generation, where can I be best used for Your kingdom? Lord, give me grace to move there. Maybe I am already there. Maybe I will be moving residences. Maybe God is more concerned with the attitude of my heart and my very real actions towards people created in His image and for His glory. May the gospel transform my thinking and my actions in every sphere of life, including where I live.

Wheat, Weeds and Micro to Mega

In the parable of the Wheat and the Weeds in Matthew 13, Jesus gave His followers assurance so that they would know how to live in the world until His return. Believer's and unbelievers would coexist in the world, living in the same neighborhoods, frequenting the same stores and restaurants, and even being in the same local Christian assemblies until the end. Therefore we are to be wise, by God's Spirit, discerning in all our interactions; we are to be working, by God's grace, appropriately engaged in what God calls us to do; and we are to be waiting, by God's will, for Christ's imminent return. Solemn truths for solemn times.

Next up is Matthew 13:31-33 and the parables of the mustard seed and the leaven which show us the "micro to mega" nature of the kingdom of God, how God's kingdom grows. Once again God gives us some seeds and tells us how things in His kingdom grow. From relative obscurity comes extensive growth beyond all comprehension. From that growth comes pervasive influence for people's good and Gid's glory, leading to intensive transformation that only God can bring about. God intends for a growing body to experience transformation and that is what He brings about in His church.

I am glad to be a part of things in God's kingdom along with my fellow-workers and fellow-servants of the King.

How do We Know the Bible is the Word of God?

How do We Know the Bible is the Word of God? "We" is born again believers in Jesus, saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, for God's glory alone.

Keep in mind that this list is for believers. Unbelievers will not come to saving faith on the basis of our eloquence or solid arguments. We will never argue anyone into the kingdom of God. Only God raises the dead and every person is dead in sin unless God does a work of regeneration in their hearts.

The reasons listed below are assurance for Christians.

We know the Bible is the Word of God because...

1. God says it is. Over and over again in Scripture God makes this assertion. I am well aware that circular reasoning and arguments from authority don't hold much water with many, but the fact remains that God is the ultimate Authority and the Author of Scripture. John 17:17; 2 Tim. 3:16.

2. It has come true. What God says will happen has happened. Fulfilled prophesies.

3. It agrees with and lends credence to scientific discoveries.

4. It is historically accurate. It is a historical document.

5. It's structure is amazing. God used over 40 writers over 1500 years to write down His 66 books.

6. It's unique effects. It changes us. 1 Thess. 2:13.

7. It exists! The fact that it still exists is testimony to God's supernatural preservation of His Word. Is. 40:8.

What God does when Christians gather around the Word of God

God does something amazing when Christians gather around His Word. We never really know when we gather where others have been, what they have done, what has been done to them, what they have seen, or heard or experienced. Some have been immersed in a culture that is hostile to God. Some immersed in the Word of God in the midst of an atmosphere hostile or indifferent to God. Some have not thought of Him at all. Others have been thinking and dwelling on God since the last time they gathered. Whatever your condition and level of investment in the cause of Christ, I do know that God has something to say to all of us through His Word And by His Spirit whenever we meet.

I am thankful because we all need to hear a word from God. We need to have our souls defrosted and sensitized once again to the things of God, with others who are sympathetic to the cause of Christ rather than opposed to it. I am amazed at what God does among believers when we gather to worship Him. When you put all our different backgrounds, personalities, preferences and challenges together in one place, the God who made the universe and everything in it including us, is pleased to speak to us. As a group, as members of households, as individuals who are personally accountable to Him.

Overcoming the Jonah Syndrome

It is so easy to get angry at the state of affairs in the world, or our own condition, or what we think is not fair. Jonah sure did and God had to open his eyes to some stark realities. You'll remember that Jonah was called to preach but didn't deem the objects of God's compassion worthy. The Word of the Lord came to him and he ran from the presence of the Lord. As if he could.

It is also easy to start wondering how the Church of Jesus Christ is going to survive and thrive in the midst of such seemingly insurmountable odds, how victory can be assured amidst so much hostility and unbelief. We see the winds and waves of evil, indifference and deception and discouragement sets in. Even after repeatedly hearing and reading the end of the story!

That Jesus should have first place in everything (Col.1:18) means that I should lovingly obey Him and my interacting in the world ought to be characterized by mercifully preaching the gospel rather than judging or shunning either my brothers or unbelievers. We who believe are to wait patiently for God to do what He says He will do, trusting His perfect will and plan. His timing is perfect and we should not demand either justice or blessing.

Christ's preeminence calls for loving obedience. Like Jonah we run, while God wants us to engage. God brought him to his senses and He will do the same for His own. Hello! God calls His own to own their responsibility while believing He will do His. Trust Him to do His job and give you grace to do yours.

Jesus, Preeminent

Colossians 1:18 is a statement of fact. A statement of the preeminence of the Lord Jesus Christ. A statement of truth that isn't always realized in my life. It tells me that God decrees, demands and delights in my worshipping Him above all lesser things. It reminds me that all that is not God must be secondary to Him that is primary.

Social, yet Impersonal

We are social people. And there are more ways to get in touch with people than ever before. Yet it amazes me that so many can be "socially connected" and yet be so relationally disconnected. We are more socially connected yet we can spend less time in person with people, and that is sad because that is where the true connection takes place.

I've taken a brief hiatus from blogging but now I'm back. Sometimes you need a little break from the routine to be better at it and appreciate it more. I love to write but the thing I love most is knowing that people may be impacted by my words, especially my communicating of God's Word, the Bible, the perfect, innerant, infallible Word of God.

I think one of the reasons 1 Thessalonians 2:7-8 are some of my favorite life and ministry verses is because it shows, as God uses mothers to make the point, the perfect combination, the perfect marriage of God's Word and people, the two things that last forever.

That's why, even though I love to write, and know that God might use my words for His glory in other's lives, I'd rather be face to face with a person and God's Word any day. May we redeem the time and may our social connections be personally encouraging and edifying to the glory of God in Christ.

The Transformed Life

The Resurrection of Jesus Christ ought to transform our conduct, our actions, our observable lives. Christianity is not what some people think it is. It is not a rigid set of moral rules to live by. Nor is it a set of beliefs that you merely need to give mental agreement to, things you can agree to in principle but stay unmoved and unchanged in practice. It is a life-changing, God-inspired, God-focused, God-dependent movement of God among people He has chosen who believe, trust and subsequently obey what He says. They do what He says and go where He leads. They look to Him to lead, guide, provide, protect, direct, correct and inspire them until He comes again or they go to be with Him, whichever comes first. Christianity is life transforming. It transforms who you are and how you live.

Those in the Corinthian church who were denying the resurrection were saying "let us eat and drink for tomorrow we die". They were deluded, like those today who say "It doesn't matter how I live, I have fire insurance". Yes it does. It is not justification by faithfulness, it is only by faith, all who are saved are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, as revealed in God's Word alone, for God's glory alone. But all who are truly saved will show faithfulness to God and scripture, they will persevere, or be shown to be false. Those who continue with Jesus show they belong to Him.

Real, True, Eternal

Today we celebrate THE most important event in all of history. Planned before the foundation of the world, hinted at in the Garden, spoken of by the prophets, recognized in the Incarnation, seen in the life of Christ, secured at the Cross of Christ; God accomplishing eternal redemption; through the Resurrection of Christ from the dead.

Rescue the Perishing

"Rescue attempt" is an interesting term. It describes either a failed or future try. At best a possibility. Many have tried and failed. But you don't call a successful rescue an attempt. You call it victory. In the past year one of the most dramatic, visible and successful rescues was of the 33 Chilean miners last October. It was an amazing display of teamwork and determination. But the most purposeful, dramatic, perfectly timed rescue ever was initiated before time began, secured at the cross, realized at the resurrection, and is experienced every time someone truly repents and believes in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Lamb slain before the foundation of the world. It was determined long ago by the Father, secured by the Son, and carried out by the Holy Spirit.

Of First Importance: Christ Died For Our Sins

Paul, in 15:3, reminded the Corinthians of what he had given them "as of first importance": that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures. This foundational truth forms the bedrock of our faith.

The cross revealed God's glory through all His attributes, most notably His love, mercy, grace, justice and righteousness.

The cross accomplished God's merciful redemption of the spiritually dead. We were unable to help ourselves. Rom. 5:6 While we were still weak, at the right time, Christ died for the ungodly.

At the cross Jesus...
1. Paid for sin.
2. Purchased a people lost in sin.
3. Secured the forgiveness of sin.
John Piper said "The death of Christ is the wisdom of God by which the love of God saves sinners from the wrath of God, and all the while upholds and demonstrates the righteousness of God."

The cross requires Death to self. In Isaac Watts words, "When I survey the wondrous cross, On which the Prince of Glory died, My richest gain I count but loss, And pour contempt on all my pride." The sinless Son of God died selflessly for our sins, so that we would die to our sinful selves and live to God.

To the end that we could freely Praise God for His matchless grace, engage others with the gospel, and trust God to do whatever He wants.

Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures.

Regeneration: God's Doing

We preach Christ crucified. We preach the death of Christ for sinners and the necessity of repentance and faith. Many times we preach like this: you need to repent and believe so that you can be born again. The truth is, you must be born again in order to repent and believe.

The reason why? The new birth cannot be controlled by man. A person repents and believes because the Spirit makes it happen. The Spirit makes it possible for sinners to be saved by giving them a new heart through regeneration. The new birth is always the work of God. Repentance is what we do (Acts 26:20) and it too is a gift of God (2 Tim. 2:25).

Jesus said "you must be born again". So it is easy to think that is a command we are supposed to obey. "Be born" is a passive verb, not active. "Repent" and "believe" are actions. But we receive the new birth. It is done for and to us. A birth happens. You don't choose to be born, it happens to you. You don't birth yourself. We are born again by the will of God (James 1:18; John 1:12-13).

What difference does it make to anyone? You maybe tempted to ask, "as long as we are born again what does it matter?" The one who is receiving it won't even notice but to the one who is doing the work of an evangelist it can makes a huge difference in terms of trust, talking to God and telling the gospel. Knowing it is God's work and not ours gives abundant assurance and confidence.

We are preaching to dead people who can do nothing for themselves unless God first does a work of regeneration in their hearts. We depend on God to raise the dead!

Why Isn't Everyone Saved?

Why don't all people believe in Jesus?
Why is universalism a lie?
Why will some people spend eternity in the torments of hell?

1. Because all people are not chosen.
Only the elect will be saved. Ephesians 1:3-6; 1 Peter 1:1-5; 2 Peter 3:9.

2. Because all people do not believe.
Whoever will not believe will not be saved. John 3:13-18; 1 John 5:10-12.

3. Because all roads do not lead to heaven.
Jesus is the only way to be saved. John 14:6; Acts 4:12; 2 Tim. 2:10-13.

We can be confidently assured that what ultimately happens is what will most glorify God.

Do Not Judge Lest You be Judged

I am so judgmental. I come to conclusions before knowing the whole story. I rush to judgment. I hide it well. Sometimes not so well and sarcastic comments or full-fledged put downs come out. I am wretched, miserable, poor and sorry for my arrogant attitudes that seem to be more plentiful these days. One look at myself leads to despair. One look at the Lord Jesus Christ lifts me up out of self-condemnation to thankfulness and praise to Him who had mercy on my sinning, guilty, unworthy soul.

I am the last one who deserves to be judgmental. I should know. And yet I forget so quickly. I am sorrowful over my sin and selfishness. I want to be well. I want to praise God instead of complaining. I want to encourage others instead of being negative. I want to lift up Jesus rather than myself. I do things for the most selfsih reasons. Knowing that my sin was judged at the cross of Christ is what keeps me grounded and tethered to the truth, especially when lies attack. Jesus told us that we would know the truth and the truth would set us free (John 8:32) and I am so grateful. I cling to the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Actually, the truth is that He is holding onto me.

Parables, Part 3: The Sower Explained

Jesus' explanation is found in Matthew 13:18-23.

In 13:19 there is the Empty/Dead Heart. A person who never understands. Jesus is saying that some people hear the message about the kingdom, but like hardened paths, do not let the truth sink in, and before they understand it the devil takes it away. Verdict: Not a true believer, not real faith.

In 13:20-21 there is the Temporary/Shallow Heart. The person who receives the word in a thoughtless way might show immediate signs of life, but they are false, no root, no fruit. External presurres reveal the shallowness of the soil. Verdict: Not a true believer, not real faith. Interested only up to a point.

In 13:22 there is the Unfruitful/Conflicted Heart. This person simply never allows the word to contol him. The word is one of many competing allegiances and not as important to him as others so it is choked out of his life. Verdict: Not a true believer, not real faith. Superficial commitment, no repentance.

In 13:23 there is the Receptive/Reborn Heart. This person hears the Word, understands it, and bears fruit. Bears a crop, produces. Every believer does not have the same fruitfulness, but every believer will be fruitful. Word heard, understood and received—spiritual fruit in human life. Verdict: Genuine, a true believer, real faith. Being reborn is key. Jesus said you must be born again.

What can we glean from this passage?
1. Be careful how you hear the word. This parable Is about hearing the Word. Hearing vs ignoring. Put yourself in a good position to receive it well.

2. Realize the danger of hearing the Word and remaining unchanged. To understand means to put it all together, the Word being united with faith in those who hear. Test yourself to see if you are in the faith. 2 Cor. 13:5.

Do you know and love Jesus?
Is there evidence of God at work in your life? Gal. 5:22-23.
Do you desire to worship God and know Him more? 2 Peter 3:18.
Do you love God's people? John 13:34-35.
Do you stick around through tough times? 1 Peter 1:6-7.
Do you actively avoid idolatry? 1 John 2:15-17.
Do you consistently seek God's will? James 4:15.
Do you desire to know, understand, & obey God's word? 1 Pet. 2:2.
Are you becoming more like Christ? Romans 8:28-30.

3. Let the word affect everything. God wants us to hear and understand the Word so that we produce good works in keeping with saving faith.
Soli Deo Gloria

The Glory of God in Providing Salvation

Romans 3:21-26 tells us that there is no difference between anyone with regard to the guilt of sin, that all who believe have sinned and fall short of God's glory, "being justified freely by God's grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." God glorifies Himself in providing salvation to all who believe, elect before the foundation of the world. All who are saved live to the praise of the glory of God's grace for the remainder of their time on earth and for all eternity. They exist for God's glory, as do all things. "For of Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to whom by glory forever. Amen."

Justification by Faith Alone

There was a debt to be paid. We were sentenced to death due to sin. Jesus Christ provided the sacrifice to satisfy the wrath of God by enduring as our substitute the punishment our sins deserved. Jesus Christ provided what God required. That is why we can say with full assurance of faith, that salvation depends on what Jesus Christ has provided and accomplished. Our inadequate works have absolutely no bearing on our salvation. All who believe are saved by grace alone, through faith alone, in the finished work of Christ alone, for the glory of God alone. These truths are found in God's Word alone.

Our God is Greater

Our God is greater
Than anyone or anything
Giving mercy beyond measure
Making us more than conquerors

With ability to forgive
Eyes off self
Idolatry exposed
Worship reinstated

Apply the Word
The salve for every wound,
the calm for every storm,
the answer to every question

Look to Jesus He is stronger
Sin is broken
True repentance
Jesus reigns

Saved by grace alone
through faith alone
in Christ alone
for God's glory alone.

Parables, Part 2: The Reason Why

Sandwiched between Jesus' parable of the Sower and the explanation to His followers is the reason He spoke in parables in Matt. 13:10-17. The reason? God reveals and conceals His truth, so that believers are blessed and unbelievers get what they want and deserve. A popular idea is that Jesus spoke parables so everyone could get the point. No. He clearly says He used them to reveal truth to those who accept Him and veil it to those who reject Him.

The secrets of the kingdom are unknowable apart from God’s choice to reveal them. Jesus has complete authority regarding who will know the Father (11:27), and to determine who will know the secrets of His kingdom. The mysteries are things only God knows and reveals when He wants, which man cannot know apart from the Spirit of God. Things once hidden but now revealed. Great glorious gospel truths (Rom. 16:25-27; Eph. 3:3–9; Col. 1:27, 2:2). They got truth previous people of faith longed for (1 Pet. 1:10-12).

Sounds kind of strange that unbelievers get what they want and deserve but it is what happens in the realm of salvation. "Not given" was the reason in terms of God’s electing grace. Humanly speaking, they are condemned by their willful rejection of the only Savior, Christ Jesus. They considered the most valuable treasure worthless. Like if someone gave you a 500 lb. chunk of pure gold & you insist it is fake & throw it away. What is taken away is their presumed standing as a member of the kingdom. Jesus quoted Is. 6:9-10. Isaiah’s message was God’s tool to hide the truth from an unbelieving generation; Jesus’ parables did the same. He wasn't going to cast His pearls before swine. Judgment on Jesus rejecters began with Jesus’ withholding insight by parables.

What can we learn from Matthew 13:10-17?
1. Each person is foolish apart from God. We are so lost without Jesus. They saw but didn't see and heard but didn't hear. The light shined on them as never light shone before; they had Jesus right there but they shut their eyes. He spoke as no man ever spoke; but they took nothing in, didn’t get the heart-piercing, soul-transforming, life-giving words of Jesus.

2. All choices have consequences from God. John Piper says no one who understands wants hell. Yes, and those who do not understand do not realize the autonomy from God they crave will lead them there. When I was a kid I really wanted a pocket knife and to live on a ranch with horses. I understand we don't always get what we want. But in the arena of eternal life, in God's salvation economy, we get exactly what we want. We either want eternal life with God or not and that’s what we’ll get.

3. Every good thing we have is undeserved and comes from God. God is the Creator and absolute Sovereign of the universe. Nothing exists or occurs without His provision or permission. No one will or can choose right unless God intervenes, breaks through hardened hearts and regenerates the soul. Only then can a person respond with the faith that eludes them. We don't create faith; we receive it as an undeserved gift from God. God is the Giver of every good and perfect gift. He is behind every positive move we make towards Him.

These truths ought to increase both our gratitude for all we have in Christ and our desire to preach the gospel to all, especially those who are not in Christ.

Soli Deo Gloria

A Spiritual Battle of Huge Proportions

If you think preaching the gospel isn't a spiritual battle then think again. Anytime the Word is sown in human hearts, a battle ensues. It is either the world, the flesh, or the devil that assaults the Word. God's Word is not bound by man's sin and it will not return to God void without accomplishing the task for which God sends it out. There is power in the Word, which does it's work in those who believe (1 Thess. 2:13). So, where does the battle come in? When Satan tries to steal away God's Word from people.

Not buying it? See Matthew 13:19 for proof. The evil one snatches away the seed that is sown. He gets His elbows on the table and chows down, so to speak, on what is meant to transform lives, renew minds and set the prisoners free. What can we do about it? Make sure that when we hear the Word we obey it. That we are able to put everything together and incorporate it into our lives appropriately. That we hear and understand the Word so that we bear good works in keeping with saving faith.

Believer, Know what is Yours in Christ!

It has been given to all who are in Christ to know the things freely given to them by God. If you belong to Jesus, you have all the riches of God in Christ; therefore, find your identity in Him.
-In Him we live and move and exist Acts 17:28; -God richly supplies us with all things to enjoy 1 Tim. 6:17; -His work is perfect, all His ways are just, a God of faithfulness without injustice, righteous and upright is He Deut. 32:4; -He is worthy to receive glory and honor and power, for He created all things, and because of His will they existed and were created; Rev. 4:11, -In His presence is fullness of joy, in His right hand are pleasures forever; Ps. 16:11 -For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things, to Him be the glory forever, amen Rom. 11:36; -We rebelled and did not honor Him, we sinned, thinking ourselves wise, we foolishly exalted ourselves above Him… -but God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, made us alive together with Christ...while we were still helpless, Christ died for the ungodly Rom. 5:6; -Christ died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, in order that He might bring us to God, 1 Pet. 3:18; -God demonstrated His love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us, Rom. 5:8 -Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.
God has intervened and initiated and engaged and we know the reason why. How can we not be moved to love God, love one another and love those who do not believe?

Sinful, yet Dependent on God

Believers get burned by the deceptive nature of sin. We prop ourselves up with worthless things. We reach for fool's gold & when we come to our senses we feel like fools. Sin blinds us to reality. But God's kindness leads us to repentance. As we confess sin and turn from it, God clears our vision, focuses us on what is true. In Christ we are freed from the power and penalty of sin. 1 day we’ll be free from its presence, but until then we are burdened, sometimes seemingly bent on sinning. Christ paid the penalty for our sin, but many of its effects & consequences are still present. Misery is not yet abolished for believers. We live, redeemed by Christ's blood, in a fallen world. While we are at times contributors to the common bad, we are blessed in Christ, saved by grace, through faith. Our position in Christ and our persevering is dependent on Jesus, the Author and Perfector of our faith.

Complementary: Sovereignty and Accountability

That God reveals & conceals His truth, so that believers are blessed & unbelievers get what they want/deserve highlights 2 complementary realities seen in scripture: God's sovereign electing grace, blessing the undeserving with salvation; & our accountability to God, God giving what unbelief deserves, letting the consequences of rejecting Christ play out.

An Open Letter to Fools

I love Jesus, the Bible, and people; so I write these words to you.

Psalm 14:1 and Psalm 53:1 both say, “The fool says in his heart, ‘There is no God.’” The Hebrew word for “fool" is nabal. It doesn't mean lack of intellect. It refers to one who makes a moral choice to reject God. Not “you are stupid if you do not believe in God” but “you are immoral if you do not believe in God.” It is always a moral choice that leads a person to reject God.

That is not a put down, just a biblical statement of fact. We all act foolishly at times, but this is describing an abiding state that does not lead us to a good place. Drifting is dangerous. Spiritually speaking it's the untethered life than is in most peril. You have to have something to keep you centered. You have to pick some god around which to build your life. That is the nature of life.

So what happens when you reject the one true God? If He is not the center who or what is? Behold your god. It may be something in your life. It may be a person. It may be you. You won't not pick one. Yes, I used a double-negative, purposefully, because spurning God is one. It leads to a crash and burn somewhere down the line. I have never seen it lead to peace. It may lead to short-term prosperity, success and advancement in temporal things. But it can never, and will never, lead to a place of soul rest. The calm is false and momentary and the churning will never stop until you bow at the feet of Jesus.

And yes, unless you bow in the here and now, your bowing in the hereafter will be regretful, agonizing and painfully aware of your former error and the blindness that led to your alienation. It will get worse. Unless, and here is where the self-directed autonomous ones just shriek in disagreement, unless God intervenes, breaks through, and regenerates your soul. Then you can respond with the faith that has eluded you. And yes, a person can become hardened to the point of no return here on earth, before they die.

You were never in control. From the moment of your birth until today. But you say you chose not to follow Jesus? Yes, you have that freedom. In the salvation, eternal life realm, God will give you what you want. But realize this, you are not in control. There are spiritual forces at work and you are under one of them. The Spirit of God or the spirit of error. God Almighty or Satan, the one the Pharisees chose. You are playing for one of two teams. There isn't a third option. You can't sit this one out. Call it for what it is, or stay deceived, but know that ultimately, the gospel wins, Jesus reigns, God rules. The final outcome is assured.

Jesus said, and I quote, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me." (John 14:6) The fool says in his heart there is no God. Jesus is God. All who reject Jesus are fools, morally speaking. Jesus is the wisdom of God that you need. You need to make a choice and decide.