In my safe box at home there are some documents that are of considerable valuable, but I never look at them, read them, or consider their worth. They are insurance policies! In the event of my death, Bev would present them to the companies that back them and collect funds that would insure her financial security. I am glad that I have the policies, but I do not really treasure them. Many Believers regard Christianity much the same way as I regard my life insurance, valued but not treasured! They are glad to know that they can pray when times get tough, glad to have the assurance that Heaven awaits when this journey is over - but meanwhile - they are chasing other dreams, spending their time and money to own trinkets of temporal value.
The Gospel message is frequently cheapened in our time. Jesus is reduced to Heavenly Buddy, instead of Lord of Glory. From some presentations of the "gospel" a person could conclude that knowing Jesus is accomplished by saying a little prayer that expresses regret for past misdeeds (we don't even use the word 'sin' since it is so judgmental) and inviting "Jesus to come into my heart." After that, the only thing to do is to show up in church sort of regularly and put some money in the offering plate. And that's being a Christian! Jesus says otherwise! In a couple of short parables He declares that knowing Him and experiencing the life of the Kingdom requires sacrifice, effort, and commitment.
Read it for yourself. Jesus said, "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field. "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant looking for fine pearls. When he found one of great value, he went away and sold everything he had and bought it." (Matthew 13:44-46, NIV)
I can hear you asking, "So, Jerry, are you saying that we 'earn' our salvation? Are you suggesting that the what Jesus did for us on the Cross is not sufficient to save us?" Not for a moment. We can do nothing to add to our salvation, which is fully and freely provided by God through Jesus Christ. But, the life that has the goal of intimately knowing Christ, being a valuable citizen of the Kingdom, is one that requires difficult choices, self-denial, and a focus on a different treasure than fame or wealth. When a person is pursuing the Kingdom as his treasure, every decision is made in the light of serving Him and of seeking His will. It does not allow us to 'do what we want to do' in any given situation. Rather, we do what He wants done - forgiving those who wrong us, loving those who do not love in return, giving away our resources without calculating benefit to ourselves, taking on responsibilities we would rather leave to another, and so on.
Jesus again makes it clear that grace is free, but not cheap, when He says, " One day when large groups of people were walking along with him, Jesus turned and told them, "Anyone who comes to me but refuses to let go of father, mother, spouse, children, brothers, sisters—yes, even one’s own self!—can’t be my disciple. Anyone who won’t shoulder his own cross and follow behind me can’t be my disciple. " (Luke 14:25-27, The Message) "Simply put, if you’re not willing to take what is dearest to you, whether plans or people, and kiss it good-bye, you can’t be my disciple." (Luke 14:33, The Message)
Believer, ask the Holy Spirit to help you evaluate your life today.
Honestly ask yourself -
"Is knowing Jesus a matter of having insurance or is He my Treasure? Am I keeping Him handy for times of crisis, or loving Him with my whole soul, mind, heart, and strength?"
And, then choose to own the Pearl of Great Price, for there is nothing and no one to compare with Him!
________________________
All I once held dear, built my life upon,
All this world reveres, and wars to own,
All I once thought gain I have counted loss;
Spent and worthless now, compared to this.
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You,
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best,
You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love You, Lord.
Now my heart's desire is to know You more,
To be found in You, and known as Yours,
To possess by faith what I could not earn;
All surpassing gift of righteousness.
Oh to know the power of Your risen life,
And to know You in Your sufferings,
To become like You in Your death, my Lord;
So with You to live, and never die.
Knowing You, Jesus, knowing You,
There is no greater thing.
You're my all, You're the best,
You're my joy, my righteousness,
And I love You, Lord.
Knowing You© 1993 Make Way Music (Admin. by Music Services)Graham Kendrick CCLI License No. 810055
Friday, August 24, 2007
Thursday, August 23, 2007
Tie a knot and hang on!
Days come when I wake up, survey the choices that face me about some situation, and say, "There are no good choices in this!" How does one choose from options that range from unpleasant, to bad, and worse? Thankfully, I don't face that kind of dilemma all that often, but they do come my way - and certainly yours too. When I feel boxed in like that, I think of an old phrase - 'When you're at the end of your rope, tie a knot and hang on.' And, truthfully, it works. God requires patience of us while He works out the details of our lives.
I remember a time when I accepted a call that led me to a place of ministry where there was no money, a pile of bills, little confidence in my leadership, and a demoralized core of people. For a while, I thrashed around like a miserable animal with one paw caught in a trap. I awoke each morning dreading another day. The temptation to walk away was always lurking. But, in my heart I knew that God had called me to that place, so I dug in and waited, and waited, and waited. He worked in me and around me creating new opportunities, bringing new resources, and teaching me yet another lesson of faith.
In the Gospel of Mark, there is a story of a young son who suffered terribly with convulsions and seizures which the text attributed to a demon that afflicted him. The boy's father brought him to Jesus' disciples but because of their inexperience and faithlessness they were unable to help. When Jesus came on the scene, He reveals an unusual flash of anger with His followers and then says, "Bring the boy to me!" Listen to the desperation of the father- "Since he was a little boy. The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can." (Mark 9:21-22, NLT) Jesus answered the man with a challenge. "What do you mean, ‘If I can’?" Jesus asked. "Anything is possible if a person believes." (Mark 9:23, NLT) Why didn't Jesus just heal the boy? Why does He draw this thing out? The text does not tell us. But don't you identify with that boy's father? I sure do. He might have been thinking - "Just do something NOW!" As Jesus challenges him the man faces a choice. Will he turn away offended or will he hold on? His reply is a model for us when we are faced with situations that try our faith! The father cried, "Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!" (Mark 9:24, The Message)
I've borrowed his prayer many times, crying out: "Lord, help me to hang on, enduring the storms, overcoming my fears, standing steady despite the doubts that sweep over me." Believer, remember faith is not the absence of doubt! Faith is a response of trust that chooses to wait on God. Even Abraham, the 'father of the faithful,' wavered! More than once he made a short-sighted choice when faith weakened. But, the overall course of his life reveals a man committed to the purposes of God. Listen to the mixture of anticipation and realization in this statement about his life - "It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God." (Hebrews 11:8-10, NLT) He left his ancestral home, without knowing his destination! Do you think that was tough? I do! He got to a land where he lived in tents, temporary dwellings, while he waited for God's promise to make a great nation from his son- a son not yet born as Abraham reached old age! Do you think that he ever wondered if it would happen? He sure did, the Bible tells us so. So, how can we call him 'faithful?' Because, in the middle of his doubts, he tied a knot in the rope he had, and hung on for dear life.
If you're struggling today, hang on. Here's a word from the Word. Ponder it and trust Him - even as you pray, "Lord, I believe! Help me with my doubts!"
"So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. "For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away." (Hebrews 10:35-38, NLT)
I remember a time when I accepted a call that led me to a place of ministry where there was no money, a pile of bills, little confidence in my leadership, and a demoralized core of people. For a while, I thrashed around like a miserable animal with one paw caught in a trap. I awoke each morning dreading another day. The temptation to walk away was always lurking. But, in my heart I knew that God had called me to that place, so I dug in and waited, and waited, and waited. He worked in me and around me creating new opportunities, bringing new resources, and teaching me yet another lesson of faith.
In the Gospel of Mark, there is a story of a young son who suffered terribly with convulsions and seizures which the text attributed to a demon that afflicted him. The boy's father brought him to Jesus' disciples but because of their inexperience and faithlessness they were unable to help. When Jesus came on the scene, He reveals an unusual flash of anger with His followers and then says, "Bring the boy to me!" Listen to the desperation of the father- "Since he was a little boy. The spirit often throws him into the fire or into water, trying to kill him. Have mercy on us and help us, if you can." (Mark 9:21-22, NLT) Jesus answered the man with a challenge. "What do you mean, ‘If I can’?" Jesus asked. "Anything is possible if a person believes." (Mark 9:23, NLT) Why didn't Jesus just heal the boy? Why does He draw this thing out? The text does not tell us. But don't you identify with that boy's father? I sure do. He might have been thinking - "Just do something NOW!" As Jesus challenges him the man faces a choice. Will he turn away offended or will he hold on? His reply is a model for us when we are faced with situations that try our faith! The father cried, "Then I believe. Help me with my doubts!" (Mark 9:24, The Message)
I've borrowed his prayer many times, crying out: "Lord, help me to hang on, enduring the storms, overcoming my fears, standing steady despite the doubts that sweep over me." Believer, remember faith is not the absence of doubt! Faith is a response of trust that chooses to wait on God. Even Abraham, the 'father of the faithful,' wavered! More than once he made a short-sighted choice when faith weakened. But, the overall course of his life reveals a man committed to the purposes of God. Listen to the mixture of anticipation and realization in this statement about his life - "It was by faith that Abraham obeyed when God called him to leave home and go to another land that God would give him as his inheritance. He went without knowing where he was going. And even when he reached the land God promised him, he lived there by faith—for he was like a foreigner, living in tents. And so did Isaac and Jacob, who inherited the same promise. Abraham was confidently looking forward to a city with eternal foundations, a city designed and built by God." (Hebrews 11:8-10, NLT) He left his ancestral home, without knowing his destination! Do you think that was tough? I do! He got to a land where he lived in tents, temporary dwellings, while he waited for God's promise to make a great nation from his son- a son not yet born as Abraham reached old age! Do you think that he ever wondered if it would happen? He sure did, the Bible tells us so. So, how can we call him 'faithful?' Because, in the middle of his doubts, he tied a knot in the rope he had, and hung on for dear life.
If you're struggling today, hang on. Here's a word from the Word. Ponder it and trust Him - even as you pray, "Lord, I believe! Help me with my doubts!"
"So do not throw away this confident trust in the Lord. Remember the great reward it brings you! Patient endurance is what you need now, so that you will continue to do God’s will. Then you will receive all that he has promised. "For in just a little while, the Coming One will come and not delay. And my righteous ones will live by faith. But I will take no pleasure in anyone who turns away." (Hebrews 10:35-38, NLT)
Wednesday, August 22, 2007
I'm Yours, Lord
They were "Verizon" men! Their folders were emblazoned with the company's logo. Their dark suits were conservative, their white shirts starched, their ties knotted perfectly. When they spoke, it was with a practiced courtesy. The two young men in the church office were company representatives who set aside their individualism, their personal preferences - to do the work of their employer. They were commissioned to check our phone records and to talk with us to determine if there were any ways that Verizon could improve the way our communications needs were being met. And all this, they did for a salary!
I am a "Jesus" man! I represent Him to my world- hopefully with even more dedication than those two Verizon guys who visited our offices a couple of weeks ago. He has called me to set aside my convenience, my comfort, to give my life for His cause. Many Believers do not understand the Christian life in that way, at all. The message is inverted in this culture so that many come to Christ Jesus with the idea that He will make their lives easier. Many of our complaints before God are related to that upside down concept. We demand that God serve us, coddle us, and take away the things in our lives that we find inconvenient; growing angry when He asks us to give up our money, our time, or our preferences to serve Him. Have we forgotten the Word's instruction?
Jesus "came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage." (Matthew 20:28, The Message)
"Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—... Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever." (Philippians 2:4-9, The Message)
Such commitment is costly, no question about it. It requires that everything - family, reputation, money, freedom of expression - be put on the line for God. And, truthfully, few Believers are ready to do that! A couple of weeks ago, I was part of a commissioning service for missionaries who were being sent out by the Assemblies of God to represent the Lord and to take His Good News to the far corners of the earth. There were dozens of young couples, many with small children, preparing themselves to serve in foreign countries, often under adverse conditions, far from family and friends. For nearly the entire service, I was choking on a huge lump in my throat and wiping away tears in my eyes. My prayers that evening was for them and for me, that I would be willing to lay down my life for Him, without complaint! How quickly I pray for blessings. How easily the words that ask for greater amounts of goods come to my lips. "Lord, bless me," is a prayer that needs no practice. I do not so quickly pray, "Lord, use me! Send me anywhere, ask anything. My answer will be a ready yes, for my delight and desire is to serve You."
We must never forget that this present world is not our home. We can try to settle in, to build our mansion and our fortune, but all too quickly it will pass away - or we will! We are God's own, "Jesus' people." To the extent that we understand that and abandon ourselves to His cause, we are promised a rich reward. Believer, consider carefully His call to service and embrace it, knowing that in faithful obedience, in selfless surrender, there is a different kind of delight -a joy that surpasses the joys of self-expression and self-fulfillment.
Here is a word from the Word to meditate on today.
"Peter said to him, "We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?" Jesus replied, "I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then." (Matthew 19:27-30, NLT)
I am a "Jesus" man! I represent Him to my world- hopefully with even more dedication than those two Verizon guys who visited our offices a couple of weeks ago. He has called me to set aside my convenience, my comfort, to give my life for His cause. Many Believers do not understand the Christian life in that way, at all. The message is inverted in this culture so that many come to Christ Jesus with the idea that He will make their lives easier. Many of our complaints before God are related to that upside down concept. We demand that God serve us, coddle us, and take away the things in our lives that we find inconvenient; growing angry when He asks us to give up our money, our time, or our preferences to serve Him. Have we forgotten the Word's instruction?
Jesus "came to serve, not be served—and then to give away his life in exchange for the many who are held hostage." (Matthew 20:28, The Message)
"Think of yourselves the way Christ Jesus thought of himself. He had equal status with God but didn’t think so much of himself that he had to cling to the advantages of that status no matter what. Not at all. When the time came, he set aside the privileges of deity and took on the status of a slave, became human! Having become human, he stayed human. It was an incredibly humbling process. He didn’t claim special privileges. Instead, he lived a selfless, obedient life and then died a selfless, obedient death—... Because of that obedience, God lifted him high and honored him far beyond anyone or anything, ever." (Philippians 2:4-9, The Message)
Such commitment is costly, no question about it. It requires that everything - family, reputation, money, freedom of expression - be put on the line for God. And, truthfully, few Believers are ready to do that! A couple of weeks ago, I was part of a commissioning service for missionaries who were being sent out by the Assemblies of God to represent the Lord and to take His Good News to the far corners of the earth. There were dozens of young couples, many with small children, preparing themselves to serve in foreign countries, often under adverse conditions, far from family and friends. For nearly the entire service, I was choking on a huge lump in my throat and wiping away tears in my eyes. My prayers that evening was for them and for me, that I would be willing to lay down my life for Him, without complaint! How quickly I pray for blessings. How easily the words that ask for greater amounts of goods come to my lips. "Lord, bless me," is a prayer that needs no practice. I do not so quickly pray, "Lord, use me! Send me anywhere, ask anything. My answer will be a ready yes, for my delight and desire is to serve You."
We must never forget that this present world is not our home. We can try to settle in, to build our mansion and our fortune, but all too quickly it will pass away - or we will! We are God's own, "Jesus' people." To the extent that we understand that and abandon ourselves to His cause, we are promised a rich reward. Believer, consider carefully His call to service and embrace it, knowing that in faithful obedience, in selfless surrender, there is a different kind of delight -a joy that surpasses the joys of self-expression and self-fulfillment.
Here is a word from the Word to meditate on today.
"Peter said to him, "We’ve given up everything to follow you. What will we get?" Jesus replied, "I assure you that when the world is made new and the Son of Man sits upon his glorious throne, you who have been my followers will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or property, for my sake, will receive a hundred times as much in return and will inherit eternal life. But many who are the greatest now will be least important then, and those who seem least important now will be the greatest then." (Matthew 19:27-30, NLT)
Tuesday, August 21, 2007
"Buying God?"
"God if You will get me out of this mess, I promise I'll give You ..." Have you ever prayed like that? Every person alive, at one time or another, has attempted to bargain with God! The more desperate the situation, the more likely we are to try to 'buy' His favor. But, such an approach to God reveals a basic misunderstanding of Who He is. He is not a Potentate who waits for us to bribe Him for His favor; He is our Father who invites us to ask for what we need. What makes us think we can make a debtor of God anyway? Paul asks, "Who has ever given to God, that God should repay him?" (Romans 11:35, NIV)
In the book of Judges, a book of history from the time of the birth of ancient Israel, comes this tragic story - which should be a lesson to us about attempting to make a deal with God. It's a story of unintended consequences!
"At that time the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he went throughout the land of Gilead and Manasseh, including Mizpah in Gilead, and from there he led an army against the Ammonites. And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord. He said, "If you give me victory over the Ammonites, I will give to the Lord whatever comes out of my house to meet me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering." So Jephthah led his army against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave him victory. ...When Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, his daughter came out to meet him, playing on a tambourine and dancing for joy. She was his one and only child; he had no other sons or daughters. When he saw her, he tore his clothes in anguish. "Oh, my daughter!" he cried out. "You have completely destroyed me! You’ve brought disaster on me! For I have made a vow to the Lord, and I cannot take it back."
And she said, "Father, if you have made a vow to the Lord, you must do to me what you have vowed, for the Lord has given you a great victory over your enemies, the Ammonites. But first let me do this one thing: Let me go up and roam in the hills and weep with my friends for two months, because I will die a virgin."
... She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never have children. When she returned home, her father kept the vow he had made, and she died a virgin." (Judges 11:26-40, NLT) Since human sacrifice was forbidden, it is likely that Jephthah did not actually kill his daughter, but rather put her in seclusion for the remainder of her life! That is still a horrific fate for a beautiful young woman.
Jesus taught us that when we come to the Lord - even in those moments of terrible stress - we come praying, "Our Father, ... give us today our daily bread.... forgive us... lead us." He explains that human fathers, though marred by sin and selfishness, desire to provide for their children. That being true, how much more does it stand to reason that a perfect Father will provide for us? There is this caveat: He acts in accordance with His will and purposes. That fact requires great faith, for sometimes He says, "No," to our request, but not because we have not earned a "Yes," but because His plans are different from ours.
So, are you tempted to try to strike a deal with God?
Don't insult His grace! Vows made in desperation may have terrible consequences. Promises made to anyone, including God, are to be kept. Better not to make hasty vows than to live with regret. Religion leads us to try to bargain with God. Understanding His grace leads us to love Him and to receive full provision, for every need, from His hand.Here's a better way to understand your relationship with Him. Read this word from the Word.
" So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." (Hebrews 4:14-16, NLT) "And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him." (Hebrews 10:19-22, NLT)
In the book of Judges, a book of history from the time of the birth of ancient Israel, comes this tragic story - which should be a lesson to us about attempting to make a deal with God. It's a story of unintended consequences!
"At that time the Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah, and he went throughout the land of Gilead and Manasseh, including Mizpah in Gilead, and from there he led an army against the Ammonites. And Jephthah made a vow to the Lord. He said, "If you give me victory over the Ammonites, I will give to the Lord whatever comes out of my house to meet me when I return in triumph. I will sacrifice it as a burnt offering." So Jephthah led his army against the Ammonites, and the Lord gave him victory. ...When Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, his daughter came out to meet him, playing on a tambourine and dancing for joy. She was his one and only child; he had no other sons or daughters. When he saw her, he tore his clothes in anguish. "Oh, my daughter!" he cried out. "You have completely destroyed me! You’ve brought disaster on me! For I have made a vow to the Lord, and I cannot take it back."
And she said, "Father, if you have made a vow to the Lord, you must do to me what you have vowed, for the Lord has given you a great victory over your enemies, the Ammonites. But first let me do this one thing: Let me go up and roam in the hills and weep with my friends for two months, because I will die a virgin."
... She and her friends went into the hills and wept because she would never have children. When she returned home, her father kept the vow he had made, and she died a virgin." (Judges 11:26-40, NLT) Since human sacrifice was forbidden, it is likely that Jephthah did not actually kill his daughter, but rather put her in seclusion for the remainder of her life! That is still a horrific fate for a beautiful young woman.
Jesus taught us that when we come to the Lord - even in those moments of terrible stress - we come praying, "Our Father, ... give us today our daily bread.... forgive us... lead us." He explains that human fathers, though marred by sin and selfishness, desire to provide for their children. That being true, how much more does it stand to reason that a perfect Father will provide for us? There is this caveat: He acts in accordance with His will and purposes. That fact requires great faith, for sometimes He says, "No," to our request, but not because we have not earned a "Yes," but because His plans are different from ours.
So, are you tempted to try to strike a deal with God?
Don't insult His grace! Vows made in desperation may have terrible consequences. Promises made to anyone, including God, are to be kept. Better not to make hasty vows than to live with regret. Religion leads us to try to bargain with God. Understanding His grace leads us to love Him and to receive full provision, for every need, from His hand.Here's a better way to understand your relationship with Him. Read this word from the Word.
" So then, since we have a great High Priest who has entered heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to what we believe. This High Priest of ours understands our weaknesses, for he faced all of the same testings we do, yet he did not sin. So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most." (Hebrews 4:14-16, NLT) "And so, dear brothers and sisters, we can boldly enter heaven’s Most Holy Place because of the blood of Jesus. By his death, Jesus opened a new and life-giving way through the curtain into the Most Holy Place. And since we have a great High Priest who rules over God’s house, let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him." (Hebrews 10:19-22, NLT)
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