A few years ago the idea of learning to dance with my wife formed in my head. I thought it would be romantic and fun to be able to move together to the rhythms of a waltz. Really, I did! So we joined about 10 other couples in a class at the local fitness center. Our teachers opened the first session by putting on a song and showing us the end result they hoped to teach us to achieve.; two people, moving as one, gracefully across the floor. I'm not exactly sure why that appealed to me but it did and it does! I still don't know how to dance with my wife! After two frustrating hours, I gave up and became a swing dance class drop-out.
The idea died until a couple of years ago when Bev and I were at MusicFest and listening to one of the big bands. A couple we were sitting with there got up and started to dance together... and wow; could they dance! Terry and Lisa became like one person, beautiful to watch, and having a great time together, moving under the influence of the music coming from the stage.
There are two primary reasons I still can't dance. First, I am too self-conscious and won't just 'let myself go.' Second, I am too analytic, trying to break down each movement into tiny parts rather than just moving into the music. To become a dancer, I have to give up control and come under the influence of the music as well as becoming more responsive to the movement of my partner. It isn't happening, yet!
Living as a Spirit-filled Christian has more than a few parallels to the idea of a couple in a beautiful dance! The Bible says, {Galatians 5:25} Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. Some Believers struggle and fight, moving through life in fits and starts, with great effort. Others move gracefully, led by the Spirit's music. Both types of Believers live in the same broken world and deal with the same tough stuff - disappointment, difficult bosses, financial challenges, hurricanes and snow storms, traffic jams, temptation, and all those kinds of things. Yet, some are full of grace while others are a frightful mess.
There is an explanation illustrated by the life of Simon Peter who was called by Jesus to become a disciple. For three years, he didn't get it right, time after time. Oh, he tried, mightily! But most of the time it came out wrong, turned out badly. The low point was the night of Jesus' arrest and trial. First when warned of impending failure by the Lord, Peter insisted that even if the other disciples failed, "I never will!" "Ah," Jesus said sadly, "but you will, Peter. Before the rooster announces the dawn, you will deny me three times." Then, a few hours later as Jesus was being arrested, Peter pulled out his sword and made an attempt at defending his Friend, succeeding only in cutting off a man's ear, which Jesus promptly healed, as He told Peter, "Put that thing away!" And, a little later, in the grip of panic, we can over hear Peter cursing and swearing as he says, "I tell you, I never knew him!"
Flip the calendar ahead 50 days to the opening chapters of the book of Acts. A man with the same name but a new manner of living appears. Peter leads the disciples, teaches them the Scripture, preaches on the street, and boldly stands up to those who are trying to crush the Jesus movement. With grace and beauty he moves through those chapters. How does the Bible account for the difference? Acts 4:8 sums it up, saying "Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, . . ."
The life and music of the Spirit filled him up and he began to dance gracefully under the Spirit's influence, moving to the rhythms of Heaven. When he came to the end of himself, when he was crushed beyond hope by his failure, God came with the outpouring of His Spirit. And Peter was never again a bumbling goof-up. Yes, he made mistakes now and again, but he was a man of grace and power, who spread the message of Jesus and life across the world!
Are you 'keeping step with the Spirit,' or are you stumbling and bumbling, from fall to failure?
Listen to the music of the Spirit. Give yourself over to His lead. Be filled! And start to dance!
________________________
Lord-willing, this Sunday, I will continue the theme, "Living a Break Through Life" at the Assembly.
I'll be exploring this concept of keeping step with the Spirit. Come and worship with us at 10:15 AM!
Friday, January 27, 2006
Thursday, January 26, 2006
Privileged and Responsible
"I'm an American citizen." As such, I enjoy the protection of the Constitution of these United States and the Bill of Rights. I have a right to the benefits provided by our government- justice under law and basic political freedoms. Yes, then too, I have a responsibility to obey the laws of the governmental authority - local, state, and Federal. I spent time on Monday fulfilling a basic obligation of a citizen of this country; doing an annual tax return. Being a citizen is not just a legal definition. Both privilege and responsibility are part of my citizenship.
"I am a citizen of the Kingdom of Christ." This is not a statement of some future reality or a figurative expression without present implications. This is statement of a fact that carries, like my American citizenship, both privilege and responsibility. No one is a citizen of Christ's kingdom by natural birth. We are invited by the King and accept His invitation through faith! In Ephesians 2:12-13 Paul explains this saying, "remember that at that time (that is, before you received Christ Jesus as Savior and King) you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ." What then? We begin to live, really live! Or so we should.
In Matthew, chapters 5, 6, and 7, Jesus explains the ways of the Kingdom. He speaks of love, a real and practical love, as a basic principle that should guide us in our daily interactions. He teaches us of trust in God that privileges us with a life without anxiety lived among circumstances that cause 'non-citizens' great worry and fear. He tells us of a profound change in our relationship with God, our Father, that comes from a heart deep desire to please Him. The God we once feared from a distance, we now love and serve with joy. Once early in these chapters and again near the end, Jesus reminds us that entering into the Kingdom, that is, living under the protection of the King and enjoying the privileges of His kingdom, is connected to our choices. "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." {Matthew 5:20} And again, “Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but they still won’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven." {Matthew 7:21} True kingdom citizens live profoundly changed lives, from the very core of their beings.
Is Jesus talking about 'getting to go to Heaven when we die' when he speaks of 'entering the Kingdom?' No, He is telling us about getting to bring Heaven to earth while we live! In a discussion about how we live - whether simply to satisfy our basic physical desires and needs, or for something more lasting - Paul says, {Phil. 3:18-20} "I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. Their future is eternal destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and all they think about is this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives."
Are you 'in the Kingdom?' Are you embracing the privileges and the responsibilities?
_________________
Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV)
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
”‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed (holy, reverenced) be your name,
10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Amen.
"I am a citizen of the Kingdom of Christ." This is not a statement of some future reality or a figurative expression without present implications. This is statement of a fact that carries, like my American citizenship, both privilege and responsibility. No one is a citizen of Christ's kingdom by natural birth. We are invited by the King and accept His invitation through faith! In Ephesians 2:12-13 Paul explains this saying, "remember that at that time (that is, before you received Christ Jesus as Savior and King) you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ." What then? We begin to live, really live! Or so we should.
In Matthew, chapters 5, 6, and 7, Jesus explains the ways of the Kingdom. He speaks of love, a real and practical love, as a basic principle that should guide us in our daily interactions. He teaches us of trust in God that privileges us with a life without anxiety lived among circumstances that cause 'non-citizens' great worry and fear. He tells us of a profound change in our relationship with God, our Father, that comes from a heart deep desire to please Him. The God we once feared from a distance, we now love and serve with joy. Once early in these chapters and again near the end, Jesus reminds us that entering into the Kingdom, that is, living under the protection of the King and enjoying the privileges of His kingdom, is connected to our choices. "For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." {Matthew 5:20} And again, “Not all people who sound religious are really godly. They may refer to me as ‘Lord,’ but they still won’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven. The decisive issue is whether they obey my Father in heaven." {Matthew 7:21} True kingdom citizens live profoundly changed lives, from the very core of their beings.
Is Jesus talking about 'getting to go to Heaven when we die' when he speaks of 'entering the Kingdom?' No, He is telling us about getting to bring Heaven to earth while we live! In a discussion about how we live - whether simply to satisfy our basic physical desires and needs, or for something more lasting - Paul says, {Phil. 3:18-20} "I say it again with tears in my eyes, that there are many whose conduct shows they are really enemies of the cross of Christ. Their future is eternal destruction. Their god is their appetite, they brag about shameful things, and all they think about is this life here on earth. But we are citizens of heaven, where the Lord Jesus Christ lives."
Are you 'in the Kingdom?' Are you embracing the privileges and the responsibilities?
_________________
Matthew 6:9-13 (NIV)
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
”‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed (holy, reverenced) be your name,
10 your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. Amen.
Wednesday, January 25, 2006
Am I a good Christian?
OK, just writing that question makes me shudder because the whole quest to be a 'good' Christian has, in many places and times, quickly become an exercise in rule-making, judging, and finger-pointing, and descend into legalism, that is, thinking salvation is earned by keeping religious rules! And yet, as James asks, "What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith but has no deeds? Can such faith save him?" (James 2:14, NIV) Paul, too, pleads with us to "live a life worthy of the calling you have received." (Eph. 4.1, NIV)
What we believe about God, about Jesus Christ's death and Resurrection, about the life of the Holy Spirit must show a a clear connection to our decisions made in the day to day world. If our faith in Jesus Christ is not showing in obvious ways, then we must conclude that our experience with God is flawed. We must go back to study the Scripture to learn of His commands, and fall down on our knees to ask Him to make us who we ought to be. Just be wise about the 'transformational' markers you choose to look for in yourself as a gauge of spiritual growth. In my youth, many of the markers that came to me were not particularly Biblical. I was taught that a 'good' Christian didn't use tobacco products, did not drink alcohol, did not go to the movies, did not use vulgar words. Those rules may have some merit for clean living - but they do not have much to do with being a 'good' Christian. Why? Because they weren't really about loving God and/or loving other people.
Jesus spoke frequently about caring for the poor and the weak. Naturally, people don't care about the poor. The privileged ignore the poor, or worse, abuse and exploit them. So a question about being a good Christian would involve ways in which we really show a concern for the poor. Caution! Don't just write a check to the Red Cross and then put a little mark in the column under - Compassion shown. That's religion! Instead, ask yourself, "Am I engaged with those who are in need, those that are invisible or neglected by the privileged? Do I really love them or just pity them? What am I doing to ease their suffering in the name of Jesus?"
Jesus was very direct about the importance of loving those who mistreat us. His instructions are unmistakable. "Turn the other cheek! If they grab for your shirt off your back, hand them your coat, too!" Naturally, if someone starts stepping on our toes, we quickly rise to defend ourselves, our reputation, our position, our stuff. "Hey, Jerry, come on now. Ease up. I haven't killed anybody!" Great! What about your words that 'kill?' What about that concealed hatred that makes you think, "I wish he'd move to Seattle so I never had to see him again?" So a question to ask, if we're serious about being a good Christian is, "Am I loving those people who are not loving towards me? What is my first inclination: to get even, or to reach out in gentleness?" Start at home! If you're not willing to let God teach you to love your spouse, with whom you have a 'one-ness' covenant, what makes you think you're ready to love anybody else?
Jesus was painfully to the point about the meaning of life, too. He said, “No one can serve two masters. ... You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24, NLT) Americans define life in terms of having stuff. We are a 'consumer' culture. We work, we earn, we buy! If we're serious about being a good Christian, we must be willing to let God re-shape our value system so that love people, not things. Naturally, we crave more. If we're growing in Christ, we will find that the new cars, the fashionable clothes, the trinkets that help us to announce, "I've made it" to our friends and family, mean less and less to us in terms of life's meaning. Careful here, too. It's too easy of an answer to jump onto a sliding scale that says, "Well, I don't spend $'s on ......, therefore I am a good Christian." Or we might point to the fact that we give a tithe to the church (10% of our income) as evidence of our devotion to God. That's all good, but Jesus' true standard about materialism is that we love Him with everything we own and put it all at His disposal! (And don't judge somebody for what they buy! Tend to your own checkbook!)
Are you starting to feel like a really bad Christian? Me, too! If we're real honest, we realize that there's no way any of us will consistently meet His mark --- on our own or by our own determination. That's why a moral reformation is not what we seek. Instead, we seek a Spiritual transformation. He promises that if I confess my sinfulness: "Lord, I don't want to love the poor. I want to be cool, hip, and hang out with those who are upscale. Jesus, I see how I am quick to defend myself, and I admit that thoughts about my reputation and pride are never far from my conscious mind. I covet the stuff that I see on the billboards, crave the easy life of the rich, and seek to give the minimal gift too readily." - He will forgive me and He will work to defeat the power of the sinful nature in me! Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Our world needs to see some good Christians. Let Jesus Christ turn you into one, so that "your unbelieving neighbors... will see your honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to God when he comes to judge the world." (1 Peter 2:12, NLT)
_________________
Investigate my life, O God,
find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me,
get a clear picture of what I’m about;
See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—
then guide me on the road to eternal life.
Psalm 139:23-24 (The Message)
What we believe about God, about Jesus Christ's death and Resurrection, about the life of the Holy Spirit must show a a clear connection to our decisions made in the day to day world. If our faith in Jesus Christ is not showing in obvious ways, then we must conclude that our experience with God is flawed. We must go back to study the Scripture to learn of His commands, and fall down on our knees to ask Him to make us who we ought to be. Just be wise about the 'transformational' markers you choose to look for in yourself as a gauge of spiritual growth. In my youth, many of the markers that came to me were not particularly Biblical. I was taught that a 'good' Christian didn't use tobacco products, did not drink alcohol, did not go to the movies, did not use vulgar words. Those rules may have some merit for clean living - but they do not have much to do with being a 'good' Christian. Why? Because they weren't really about loving God and/or loving other people.
Jesus spoke frequently about caring for the poor and the weak. Naturally, people don't care about the poor. The privileged ignore the poor, or worse, abuse and exploit them. So a question about being a good Christian would involve ways in which we really show a concern for the poor. Caution! Don't just write a check to the Red Cross and then put a little mark in the column under - Compassion shown. That's religion! Instead, ask yourself, "Am I engaged with those who are in need, those that are invisible or neglected by the privileged? Do I really love them or just pity them? What am I doing to ease their suffering in the name of Jesus?"
Jesus was very direct about the importance of loving those who mistreat us. His instructions are unmistakable. "Turn the other cheek! If they grab for your shirt off your back, hand them your coat, too!" Naturally, if someone starts stepping on our toes, we quickly rise to defend ourselves, our reputation, our position, our stuff. "Hey, Jerry, come on now. Ease up. I haven't killed anybody!" Great! What about your words that 'kill?' What about that concealed hatred that makes you think, "I wish he'd move to Seattle so I never had to see him again?" So a question to ask, if we're serious about being a good Christian is, "Am I loving those people who are not loving towards me? What is my first inclination: to get even, or to reach out in gentleness?" Start at home! If you're not willing to let God teach you to love your spouse, with whom you have a 'one-ness' covenant, what makes you think you're ready to love anybody else?
Jesus was painfully to the point about the meaning of life, too. He said, “No one can serve two masters. ... You cannot serve both God and money." (Matthew 6:24, NLT) Americans define life in terms of having stuff. We are a 'consumer' culture. We work, we earn, we buy! If we're serious about being a good Christian, we must be willing to let God re-shape our value system so that love people, not things. Naturally, we crave more. If we're growing in Christ, we will find that the new cars, the fashionable clothes, the trinkets that help us to announce, "I've made it" to our friends and family, mean less and less to us in terms of life's meaning. Careful here, too. It's too easy of an answer to jump onto a sliding scale that says, "Well, I don't spend $'s on ......, therefore I am a good Christian." Or we might point to the fact that we give a tithe to the church (10% of our income) as evidence of our devotion to God. That's all good, but Jesus' true standard about materialism is that we love Him with everything we own and put it all at His disposal! (And don't judge somebody for what they buy! Tend to your own checkbook!)
Are you starting to feel like a really bad Christian? Me, too! If we're real honest, we realize that there's no way any of us will consistently meet His mark --- on our own or by our own determination. That's why a moral reformation is not what we seek. Instead, we seek a Spiritual transformation. He promises that if I confess my sinfulness: "Lord, I don't want to love the poor. I want to be cool, hip, and hang out with those who are upscale. Jesus, I see how I am quick to defend myself, and I admit that thoughts about my reputation and pride are never far from my conscious mind. I covet the stuff that I see on the billboards, crave the easy life of the rich, and seek to give the minimal gift too readily." - He will forgive me and He will work to defeat the power of the sinful nature in me! Hallelujah, what a Savior!
Our world needs to see some good Christians. Let Jesus Christ turn you into one, so that "your unbelieving neighbors... will see your honorable behavior, and they will believe and give honor to God when he comes to judge the world." (1 Peter 2:12, NLT)
_________________
Investigate my life, O God,
find out everything about me;
Cross-examine and test me,
get a clear picture of what I’m about;
See for yourself whether I’ve done anything wrong—
then guide me on the road to eternal life.
Psalm 139:23-24 (The Message)
Tuesday, January 24, 2006
Eyes on the prize?
Christianity Today (Feb., 2006) reports a story about Bruce Wilkinson's departure from Africa. The well-known author of The Prayer of Jabez, suddenly left the ministry, Dream For Africa, that he founded with great public fanfare two years ago. According to the article, his designs to create a home in Swaziland for 10,000 AIDS orphans were frustrated by local government inaction. In addition, he was severely criticized by African press, accused of being more interested in controlling land than helping orphans, a baseless charge. After 18 months, Wilkinson, despite having American support and plentiful resources, quit Africa to return to his home in Georgia. A source is quoted as saying, "Bruce was broken at this time. Dream for Africa had physically, emotionally, spiritually, and financially taken a serious toll."
Days come to us all when we've 'had enough!' We quit; or, at least, we think we want to. We are tempted to just get in our car and drive away, leaving 'the problem' in our rearview mirror. The reason I was so interested in the Wilkinson story is that I could identify with the kinds of emotions that he must have felt when he was accused of ulterior motives and frustrated by inaction. When I've experienced those things, I have thought that it was just because I didn't have enough money, or staff, or time ... or something ... to implement my dreams. Yet, here is a man with all those things- money, staff, resources- who, to all reports, got fed up and went home! I am sad for him and sad for those in Africa with such huge needs that he left behind. (Please read what follows as personal, not as relating to Wilkinson, since I don't know his heart.)
When I am tempted to quit my calling, to look for an easier place to serve, the one important thing I know is this - "Do nothing!"
The worst time to make a decision for the future is when I am discouraged, frustrated, or angry! The pithy wisdom of Proverbs reminds me, "There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death." (Proverbs 16:25, NLT) The course of action that 'makes so much sense' now, may look quite foolish a month from now when the pressure has let up. I have lived long enough to be very thankful that I didn't resign or move under pressure on more than one occasion. To be sure, there are times when a strategic retreat is in order. When we're up against an unyielding foe, when nothing is going right, when everything thing we try to do meets with opposition- there's not a thing wrong with saying, "I need to take a break!" We step away, for a day or take a week's vacation, and try to regain perspective. A prayer retreat, where we get alone with our thoughts and God, letting it all out with a flood of words (and maybe some tears, too), can help to restore us to effectiveness. God has taught me this, too - at the end of myself, He's able to step in and do amazingly wonderful things. It's true! When I give up, when I throw my hands up in frustration saying, "I don't know what to do," God finds an opening!
Don't misunderstand what that means. When "God steps in" that doesn't mean we get to feel better, that we enjoy vindication, or that everyone around falls in line with our program. It means that we give away the need to be right, the desire to have it done our way, and/or the need for recognition. Ego must die (again and again!) so that the Spirit-life can emerge. Letting God take over is a costly, deathly choice, that provides a way for His plan to take root and grow bringing new life. Often those who have opposed us even rejoice thinking that they have prevailed against us! "God knows!" is what I tell myself in those moments. He knows what I've done, why I've done it, and His approval is what matters most!
Are you ready to quit today? Can you find a way to do a strategic retreat? Is there an honest counselor (no, not someone who will just tell you that you're right!) who will help you unravel the knots? James teaches us - "let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." (James 1:4, KJV)
Here's the complete thought. Take this word from the Word with you today. "So let endurance grow, for when it is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." (James 1:4-6, NLT)
Steady on - for God's glory.
Days come to us all when we've 'had enough!' We quit; or, at least, we think we want to. We are tempted to just get in our car and drive away, leaving 'the problem' in our rearview mirror. The reason I was so interested in the Wilkinson story is that I could identify with the kinds of emotions that he must have felt when he was accused of ulterior motives and frustrated by inaction. When I've experienced those things, I have thought that it was just because I didn't have enough money, or staff, or time ... or something ... to implement my dreams. Yet, here is a man with all those things- money, staff, resources- who, to all reports, got fed up and went home! I am sad for him and sad for those in Africa with such huge needs that he left behind. (Please read what follows as personal, not as relating to Wilkinson, since I don't know his heart.)
When I am tempted to quit my calling, to look for an easier place to serve, the one important thing I know is this - "Do nothing!"
The worst time to make a decision for the future is when I am discouraged, frustrated, or angry! The pithy wisdom of Proverbs reminds me, "There is a path before each person that seems right, but it ends in death." (Proverbs 16:25, NLT) The course of action that 'makes so much sense' now, may look quite foolish a month from now when the pressure has let up. I have lived long enough to be very thankful that I didn't resign or move under pressure on more than one occasion. To be sure, there are times when a strategic retreat is in order. When we're up against an unyielding foe, when nothing is going right, when everything thing we try to do meets with opposition- there's not a thing wrong with saying, "I need to take a break!" We step away, for a day or take a week's vacation, and try to regain perspective. A prayer retreat, where we get alone with our thoughts and God, letting it all out with a flood of words (and maybe some tears, too), can help to restore us to effectiveness. God has taught me this, too - at the end of myself, He's able to step in and do amazingly wonderful things. It's true! When I give up, when I throw my hands up in frustration saying, "I don't know what to do," God finds an opening!
Don't misunderstand what that means. When "God steps in" that doesn't mean we get to feel better, that we enjoy vindication, or that everyone around falls in line with our program. It means that we give away the need to be right, the desire to have it done our way, and/or the need for recognition. Ego must die (again and again!) so that the Spirit-life can emerge. Letting God take over is a costly, deathly choice, that provides a way for His plan to take root and grow bringing new life. Often those who have opposed us even rejoice thinking that they have prevailed against us! "God knows!" is what I tell myself in those moments. He knows what I've done, why I've done it, and His approval is what matters most!
Are you ready to quit today? Can you find a way to do a strategic retreat? Is there an honest counselor (no, not someone who will just tell you that you're right!) who will help you unravel the knots? James teaches us - "let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing." (James 1:4, KJV)
Here's the complete thought. Take this word from the Word with you today. "So let endurance grow, for when it is fully developed, you will be strong in character and ready for anything. If you need wisdom—if you want to know what God wants you to do—ask him, and he will gladly tell you. He will not resent your asking. But when you ask him, be sure that you really expect him to answer, for a doubtful mind is as unsettled as a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind." (James 1:4-6, NLT)
Steady on - for God's glory.
Monday, January 23, 2006
A sure thing?
When the NFL play-offs started, the guys in the box were talking about the destiny of the Patriots, about Brady's mystique in winning post-season games. Despite a disappointing season, as it looked like NE was ' a sure thing' until they met the Broncos in Mile High Stadium a week ago. With that loss, the Pats dropped off the radar. (For all you Steeler fans, I've got to admit that they looked great yesterday against those same Broncos. What an offense!) Life is full of 'sure things' that don't turn out to be so sure, isn't it? Enron was a the company of the future, a sure place to put your money, in 2001. Today, the stock certificates are worthless, except as souvenirs! Remember the Democratic primary a couple of years ago? Howard Dean looked like the sure thing to take the nomination until the wheels fell off his campaign bus in Iowa! Who can forget the 'Dean scream' that filled the news for 24 hours in January, 2004?
Sports, politics, investments... there are no sure things, no inevitable results. Ben Franklin advised that there were only two things in this life we can count on; death and taxes! True enough. Had he read what God promises about one of those certainties? The Bible says, "Everyone has to die once, then face the consequences." Grim news? Could be, but there is an additional promise attached to that line: "Christ’s death was also a one-time event, but it was a sacrifice that took care of sins forever. And so, when he next appears, the outcome for those eager to greet him is, precisely, salvation." (Hebrews 9:27-28, The Message)
Barbara Walters spoke with Ted Haggard, Pastor of New Life Church and President of the National Association of Evangelicals, on a special aired recently called, "Heaven." She pressed him about whether a person had to be a Christian to go to Heaven. I loved his response. "If you want a sure reservation; if you want to know that you know, then the way is Christ!" She tried to get him to say that adherents of other religions were not going to be in heaven, but he stuck with that declaration. Do you want to know that you know that you will spend Eternity with God? Then, trust Christ, love Him, and begin to live eternally - NOW! It's the one sure thing in a world marked by uncertainties.
The hope of Heaven is not just 'pie in the sky, by and by,' nor it is an escapist fantasy for dealing with life's disappointment. Having Heaven as our eternal home will powerfully effect the way we live right now. John says, "Yes, dear friends, we are already God’s children, and we can’t even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who believe this will keep themselves pure, just as Christ is pure." (1 John 3:2-3, NLT)
Thank God for the sure thing of your home in Heaven, through Christ Jesus. Let that promise soak into your mind and heart, changing your perspective on life today. And, live through the disappointments of life, steady in faith, full of hope, and consequently - filled with the character and courage of Jesus Christ who because He "never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God— could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God." (Hebrews 12:2, The Message)
___________________
"Father God, I am looking over the week that lies ahead,
planning, scheduling.
Fix in my mind and my heart that promise of Heaven.
Help me to live, today, as a citizen of your forever Kingdom!
Keep me from pettiness, from short-sighted choices that are not worthy of your high calling.
When the disappointments of a uncertain world threaten to make me depressed,
or to turn me into a cynic, let me see Heaven that waits.
Jesus, let us keep company with You today,
so that when our appointment with You comes, be it sooner or later,
we can walk confidently from time into eternity.
Amen."
Sports, politics, investments... there are no sure things, no inevitable results. Ben Franklin advised that there were only two things in this life we can count on; death and taxes! True enough. Had he read what God promises about one of those certainties? The Bible says, "Everyone has to die once, then face the consequences." Grim news? Could be, but there is an additional promise attached to that line: "Christ’s death was also a one-time event, but it was a sacrifice that took care of sins forever. And so, when he next appears, the outcome for those eager to greet him is, precisely, salvation." (Hebrews 9:27-28, The Message)
Barbara Walters spoke with Ted Haggard, Pastor of New Life Church and President of the National Association of Evangelicals, on a special aired recently called, "Heaven." She pressed him about whether a person had to be a Christian to go to Heaven. I loved his response. "If you want a sure reservation; if you want to know that you know, then the way is Christ!" She tried to get him to say that adherents of other religions were not going to be in heaven, but he stuck with that declaration. Do you want to know that you know that you will spend Eternity with God? Then, trust Christ, love Him, and begin to live eternally - NOW! It's the one sure thing in a world marked by uncertainties.
The hope of Heaven is not just 'pie in the sky, by and by,' nor it is an escapist fantasy for dealing with life's disappointment. Having Heaven as our eternal home will powerfully effect the way we live right now. John says, "Yes, dear friends, we are already God’s children, and we can’t even imagine what we will be like when Christ returns. But we do know that when he comes we will be like him, for we will see him as he really is. And all who believe this will keep themselves pure, just as Christ is pure." (1 John 3:2-3, NLT)
Thank God for the sure thing of your home in Heaven, through Christ Jesus. Let that promise soak into your mind and heart, changing your perspective on life today. And, live through the disappointments of life, steady in faith, full of hope, and consequently - filled with the character and courage of Jesus Christ who because He "never lost sight of where he was headed—that exhilarating finish in and with God— could put up with anything along the way: cross, shame, whatever. And now he’s there, in the place of honor, right alongside God." (Hebrews 12:2, The Message)
___________________
"Father God, I am looking over the week that lies ahead,
planning, scheduling.
Fix in my mind and my heart that promise of Heaven.
Help me to live, today, as a citizen of your forever Kingdom!
Keep me from pettiness, from short-sighted choices that are not worthy of your high calling.
When the disappointments of a uncertain world threaten to make me depressed,
or to turn me into a cynic, let me see Heaven that waits.
Jesus, let us keep company with You today,
so that when our appointment with You comes, be it sooner or later,
we can walk confidently from time into eternity.
Amen."
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