The Beast Within

Sometimes I feel like a queasy messed up combination of the wolf-man and the Incredible Hulk. There I am going along just fine and then something happens and this beast within me rages to get out. First my blood starts pumping, my eyes begin to narrow, everything starts looking red, my skin turns green, I grow twice my normal size, then comes the beastly grow from somewhere deep within that I can't explain, and then I since the fear of my pray.

Well OK, that might be a bit of an exaggeration but I think we can all relate. In one form or another we can sympathize with Bruce Banner when he says, "You won't like me when I'm angry."

Today was one of those days. Everything was going well and then... (The clouds cleared from over the full moon) I was ready to break someone or something. I wanted to yell and scream and let the rage have it's way. At this moment I wanted to let people know exactly what I thought and how I felt and I didn't care what anyone thought about it, but I didn't.

Why? Why not just let the beast out? Isn't it better to deal with those feelings rather than hold them in?

One of my favorite books in the Bible is James. James is blunt a straight to the point, so as we look at the subject of anger I want to start there. In James 1:19-21 it says, "My dear brothers, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, for man’s anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires. Therefore, get rid of all moral filth and the evil that is so prevalent and humbly accept the word planted in you, which can save you."

Though the Bible never calls anger a sin it does give some strong warnings about controlling our anger. One reason is because controlled anger can bring about some very positive changes in the world around us while uncontrolled anger can be very destructive. James says that a man's anger does not bring about the righteous life God desires. I believe that this is because our anger is usually rooted in selfishness.

Today I could have let my anger burn and created a nasty argument, point fingers, and tore down someone because of a mistake they made or I could remain calm and set a precedence of dealing with conflicts in the future as well as setting an example for my children and anyone else that might be watching.

In Ephesians 4 Paul tells us, "In your anger do not sin" (vs. 26) Even though it would be great if we could purge our lives of anger, Paul acknowledges that anger is an emotion that we are going to have to deal with at points in our life. What Paul really cares about is what out reaction is when we are angry. Why must we control our anger? Because if we don't we give the Devil a foothold in our lives. (vs 27)

The Devil would like nothing more then to have you blow your top and destroy the opportunities that you have to show others the love, mercy, grace, and peace that can only be found in Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit is instructing us through the pages of scripture to be people of self-control not controlled by the whims of some emotional response.

In Proverbs 29:11 we are told, "A fool gives full vent to his anger, but a wise man keeps himself under control." The fact is that no matter what we are facing or feeling at the moment we will accomplish much more with a calm, cool, and collected discussion than we will by yelling and screaming at someone. (Though it doesn't always seem this way. We are looking at a bigger picture here) In the end we will earn far more respect by remaining level headed then by raging out with our feelings.

Remember the advice from Proverbs 15:1, "A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

What is the end result that we are looking for? Do we desire to make the situation better or worse?

I have a friend that constantly fights to control his anger. He will blow his top and then quickly apologize. I remember one day hearing him tell someone that he was sorry for the way he responded and told them that would be praying for them. On this day I remember him being asked, "If your God is so great where was he when you were mad?" My friend just hung his head in shame.

Lord God, please give me the ability to have self-control when I am angry. Help me to be quick to listen, slow to speak, slow to anger and quick to forgive so that your righteousness may reign in me. I know I am weak and I can't do this alone. Forgive me and guild me, in Jesus Name.
Amen!

Hell is Real (But I Hate to Admit It)

This is my first time writing a review of a book. The reason I chose this book to be my first is because the author Brian Jones was my very first mentor on my journey to serve God in the ministry.

Brain begins the book by sharing about his past. He shares about a time when he, as a pastor, didn't believe in hell. This is a story I haven't just heard but I also remember. I remember when Brian came before our church and asked for forgiveness and asked if we would allow him to remain as our pastor. This moment shaped me forever as a man of God. This moment taught me that God's word must be absolute for me as a pastor.

As the book continues Brian digs into what the Bible teaches about hell and why it is so important for Christians to believe what the Bible says. He goes into the reasons why we don't believe and the reasons why people don't believe in hell and looks at the reasons why those who do believe in hell don't respond it the apocalyptic urgency the a biblical understanding of God and hell should produce in us.

This book spoke deep into my heart, convicting me of my lack of urgency in leading people to Christ. I already had to repent 3 or 4 times before I got to the place in the book that Brian suggests that we repent.

What really makes this book a must read is the fact that Brian doesn't leave his readers with great knowledge and no application. Brian spends time helping his readers become effective at leading their unsaved friends to Christ. His advice is insightful and based on his real life experiences.

I highly recommend getting this book. It will challenge you to draw closer to God and encourage you to be able to share your faith with confidence knowing that God is in control.

One more step

I must say I enjoy running (most of the time). The fact is that I am slow, overweight, and often lack the self motivation to get out and do it. But when I do, I find this rhythm in my step, this peace in my soul, though this usually doesn't kick in until after my legs and lungs stop burning.

As I am running, my mind is drawn towards my creator, towards the intricate way that He put my body together. I am often amazed to find that my body is far more capable than my mind would like to believe. This is a lesson I first learned while at boot camp. I was in the delayed entry program for a year where we trained to run a mile and a half in 13 minutes. (I know this is slow for you big time runners out there. But for someone who was never a runner this was pushing it.

Our first day of PT (Physical Training) at Paris Island we had to run 1.5 in 13 minutes. I had myself so trained to do this that I ran it in 12 minutes 49 seconds. I had this down. On our second day of PT they told us we were going to do a formation run of 2 miles in 13 minutes and 30 second. Now if your mind works like mine (which may not be a good thing) you are thinking how in the world can you expect to run a half mile in 30 seconds. The real kicker is that this is the difference between 8 minute 40 second mile and a 6 minute and 45 second mile. Not only is this a faster running speed but we had to maintain this speed for a greater distance.

The amazing thing is I made it. (of course I was in much better shape the, and I can't reach that time now) The reason I share all of this is because God formed our bodies to do so much more than we think we can do. He has granted us the ability to push further, and work harder to accomplish thing we can only imagine.

So the real question is, what if we exercised our spiritual muscles this way. What do we do when our mind tells our faith we can't take another step?

In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 Paul writes, " ²⁴ Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last; but we do it to get a crown that will last forever. ²⁶ Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly; I do not fight like a man beating the air. ²⁷ No, I beat my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize. "

As I have learned while running the next step may seem like the hardest but it may be the one that teaches you that you can go one more still. I hope your faith can teach your mind that "with God all things are Possible and that I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength.

???FREE???

Throughout my life there have been a few statements that I have heard over and over again. One of those statements is, "nothing in life is free." It is amazing how this statement has affected the world in which we live and serve.

Yesterday (Saturday, August 20, 2011) LifePoint Community Church
had its first outreach as a new church. All we did was simply give out popsicles (so named, "Project Popsicle"), for free.



It's amazing how many people don't know how to receive something for free. One man asked me three times if it was really free. We didn't even require that people learn about LifePoint, though when asked, we did share with them.

This outreach was about getting out into our community, meeting and serving the people.

We provided a cold refreshment on a warm summer evening. That was it, no strings attached. And as a result, we got to meet 100+ people right in our own community.

You may be wondering why we would chose to do our first outreach in a way that didn't draw everyones attention to our church. The reasons are simple. In the grand scheme of things, it isn't about our church. It is about God and His love as displayed through Christ Jesus. Jesus came into the world to give a free gift. He laid down His life that we may experience the blessing of a saving relationship with God the Father.

As we simply give out a cold treat...

...hearts will begin to be prepared to accept the greatest gift of all: eternal life through Jesus Christ.

In Ephesians 2:8-9 it says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast." There is nothing we can do to draw closer to God. Our salvation is a free gift of grace through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. It is the work of the cross that sets us free from sins penalty.


May we learn to accept that the best thing in life is free, because it cost so much.

"I AM"

Sometimes in my quiet time with God I like to reflect on a passage that I think I understand and I will ask God to move me into a deeper understanding of that passage. The other morning I woke up thinking about Moses and the burning bush. I was really drawn to Exodus 3:14.

God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”

As I thought over this line again and again another verse came to mind. John 8:58 states, "“I tell you the truth,” Jesus answered, “before Abraham was born, I am!”

With these two passages on mind I thought back to Bible college where I was taught that God's introduction of Himself as "I AM" was a simple statement of God's eternal nature. The name "I AM" means the existing one. The one that lives from everlasting to everlasting. In college I learned that this statement was what separated the infinite from the finite.

As I was meditating on these passages I asked God what it means for Him to be the "I Am" feeling in my spirit that the simplistic view I had been taught in school was just that: too simplistic. (Though how simplistic is the concept of eternal?) As I was driving to work I began to feel a stirring in my soul. It was then that the Holy Spirit began to speak.

"I Am"

I Am goes so much deeper that just supplying an attribute of God. I Am defines who God is, in contrast to who we are. God is: our everything. He is our creator, our life, our breath, the food we need to live (the bread of life), our hopes, our dreams, our aspirations. He is the source of light, and rest. He is our comfort, our joy, our love (agape), our patience, our endurance, our strength, and our peace. God is all of this and much more.

He is a doctor for the sick, a Father for the fatherless, peace for the troubled hearted, assurance for the scared, courage for the fearful, justice for the downtrodden.

As I began to ponder the extent of who God is. (Knowing that I will never come close to rapping my mind around the depths of who God is.) I found myself in awe!

Then the Spirit spoke again and said, "but who are you?"

The fact is that the beauty of the "I Am" is who we are and can be in Him.





The truth is separated from God through sin we are nothing. We are dead. We are wicked and evil. But through the sacrifice that Jesus made on that cross we can become the very children of God, "children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God. John 1:13t us embrace all we can

Let us embrace all we can be in God!

Shifting Perspective

I am often amazed by the self righteousness of people in general, especially by self-proclaimed followers of Jesus Christ. (I know that this might come across as offensive, but it is something we are all guilty of from time to time - myself included.)

The reason I wanted to write this is to share what God has been showing me and breaking my heart over in the church. God first began to open my eyes as I was around a large number of Christians (I won't mention where, out of respect for my fellow sinners). What God started showing me was how often we as Christians put on a show of great spiritual maturity followed by our ramblings of our sinful life while constantly condemning others for their ungodly behavior.

I recently was told that a group of people would put on a front and say how they were Christians though they didn't live it. (These are generally the type of comments I ignore.) The reason I share this is because two days later I heard this same person talking about the male stripper at the party she was recently at.

I have also recently overheard one lady condemning another lady for sleeping around, then had her talk to me about her boyfriend that lives with her. I have heard many Christians verbally attack homosexuality, yet they think it is just natural for men to lust after women and see nothing wrong with pornography.

As I think about this I am drawn to 1 John 1:5-10, "This is the message we have heard from Him and announce to you, that God is Light, and in Him there is no darkness at all. If we say that we have fellowship with Him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not practice the truth; but if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us."

So often we like to come across like we somehow have got it all together. We want to spend our time looking at what other people are doing rather than looking at ourselves. I know that it sounds like I am doing that very thing right now, but just today I found myself getting upset because someone made a mistake and I just wouldn't let it go. I was letting it boil inside, I was angry and in my anger I was sinning because I wasn't forgiving the lady who made me mad even though she apologized. (Forgive me, Lord.)

Very few of us would ever "claim" to be without sin in our words, our attitudes say it clearly. We start looking at others as if our thoughts, our actions, our calling, our social class, our educational level, our moral fiber... is the standard that other people can't live up to. When the truth is that it is God's character that we can't live up to.

Everyday, in some way I fail to live up to God's perfect standard. Everyday, I fail to live by God's design and I sin in thought and deed. And trust me I would love to say it happens only once per day, but that would be a lie. All to often I feel like Paul as he in Romans 7:19, "For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want."

It is for this reason that Jesus taught in Matthew 7:1-5, "Do not judge so that you will not be judged. For in the way you judge, you will be judged; and by your standard of measure, it will be measured to you. Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye."

Jesus wanted us to focus on the sin in our own life before we start pointing the finger at others. When we do this we will be more honest, more transparent, more accepting, more loving, and more humble in our interaction with other people. We will also experience a greater dependency on Jesus. Our eyes will be on the cross not on other people's struggles. Maybe it is time that we shift our perspective.

It is on the cross that Jesus paid the price for our sins. The ones we committed before accepting Him as our savior, the ones we will still commit, and even the ones we are committing now. Jesus died for them all and conquered the grave that you and I might have a new life through Him.

"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come." 2 Corinthians 5:17

God's Apology - Are You Serious?

This past Sunday we were on our way to look at an apartment when we passed a church with marquee sign that said, "May is God's Apology for January" which is just a cute saying about being happy about spring.

Maybe I am too analytical but this sign really got me thinking about what that sign said about God. My first thought was why would God apologize about January? Was January a mistake? If so, has God continued to make the same mistake every year since 45BC when January was created as a month? Or what if, like my friend Dan and my dad, you live in Florida and January is a nicer month than May, does that mean that God is apologizing for giving you a nicer month and then giving you something worse? Or what does it mean if we get record rain fall in May?

Yes I know, right now you're thinking, "Brad you thought way too much about that sign!" However, let's take it a little further. What if we took a serious look at what we as Christians credit God for saying. Does God hate some people because of the sin issue in their lives? Would God not allow anyone to go to hell because of His love? Are the death of soldiers God's judgment?

These are all statements that people have given credit to God for. The question we need to ask is, do these statements that are accredited to God match what God says in His word? In Acts 17:11 the Bible says, "Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true."

I love this passage. It tells us not to just accept what we are told is true by our pastors, teachers, priests, rabbis, or religious friends and family members, but to examine what we are taught. To study the scripture, to see if it is true. Not our thoughts, not our beliefs, our ideas, our hopes, but to examine the scriptures. Sometimes, this requires setting aside ourselves and taking up our cross and following Jesus even when we don't like what we find.

Let us be like the Bereans and be people of more noble character, studying the word of God, letting it shape our beliefs rather than letting our beliefs shape how we interpret the Bible.

When Words Are Not Enough

Believe it or not there are times when I find myself speechless. Times when words "seem" so empty and meaningless even when you mean them with all your heart. It is at these times that I want to say something that will bring healing, comfort, encouragement, the kind of words that will take the pain away. It is at these moments that words are never enough.

Today is one of those days.

I have thought and prayed and cried as I searched for the words to bring comfort to others. Words to bring strength to others who are feeling so weak. Words that will bring hope in the midst of despair. Yet, the words do not come.

Suddenly I was reminded of a verse in scripture. The shortest of all the verses in the Bible. Just two simple words, "Jesus wept." (John 11:35) These words so profound, so deep, so moving. Jesus, the God-man, the creator and savior of the world, wept.

Sometimes, words are not enough, and it is okay. There is nothing wrong with not speaking at that moment and mourning too.

You see when Jesus wept with Mary and Martha, what everyone understood was that Jesus loved Lazarus. That was more important than any words of comfort. He loved so much that His heart broke too.

For those who are mourning the loss of a loved one, know that Jesus is mourning with you.

In Memory of Bette Haag, 10-6-63 ~ 5-14-11
Survived by her husband Allen Haag, Sons Jeremy and Erik Haag, sister Lisa Black, and countless other people who's lives were made better because they had a chance to know her.

Worship: The Hymnal Wars?

Warning! This blog post may (unintentionally) offend some people.

Ok, now that I have that out of the way, I want to just start out by saying, "I am a Christian - unashamed, and unrestrained, a Christian." I believe that the Bible is the word of God. I believe that Jesus is the only way for salvation and that apart from Jesus' death, burial and resurrection we are lost and trapped in our sins. I also believe that the world tends to view Christians as a joke.

Yes, I said it. The question is "why?" Why would I say that the world views Christians as a joke?

As I start this answer, I want to preface my answer by saying, I love being a Southern Baptist Pastor. I love the fellowship I have within my denomination. I also love my brothers and sisters in Christ that are in other denominations.

With that being said, it is time we wake up and look at what we are doing.

In John 13:35 Jesus said, "By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." Yet around our country and around the world, the church is so fractured, so split apart, that the world is laughing at us. We argue about doctrines, we argue about music, we argue about Bible translations, we argue about how to dress, what is ok to read, what we can watch, what we can or can't say, and on and on... Churches have split over the meaning and mode of Baptism and churches have split over the color of the carpet in the sanctuary.

The fact is we are called to love each other, but the divisions in the church have become so wide that we even have denominational hymnals. You can get: The Presbyterian Hymnal, Baptist Hymnal, The New National Baptist Hymnal, The Companion to the United Methodist Hymnal, The Pentecostal Hymnal, The Lutheran Hymnals in America, The 21st Century Universal Denominational Hymnal, The Psalms & Hymns Of Reformed Worship. We can even get The African American Heritage Hymnal if we would like to have our worship songs based on race.

Really? What if we were to put Pentecostal hymnals in a Baptist Church? Or we could put Lutheran Hymnals in a Methodist Church while putting their song books in a Presbyterian Church. Is one Hymnal somehow more holy or more sacred than another?

Wait! That makes me want to ask other questions: Do we even need a hymnal? Do we need music to worship God? Do the instruments used in worship determine the holiness of a song? If so, what about the rhythm or beat of the music?

Or maybe, the worship that God really desires is a worship that results in lives being changed for the good. Maybe God wants our very lives to be worship, our thoughts, our actions, our relationships, our jobs, our words, our deeds, our creativity, our play, our relaxation....

Maybe worship, true worship, won't build walls of separation but instead will tear them down. Maybe we can embrace our brothers and sisters rather than bash them. Maybe we can encourage, strengthen, and inspire one another.

Mark 7:6-8 says, "He replied, “Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you hypocrites; as it is written: “‘These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.’ You have let go of the commands of God and are holding on to the traditions of men."

Wow! Can you imagine what it would be like if we thought of these words as applying to us rather than "those guys". We read these words and think, "Way to go Jesus! Stick it to those Pharisees!" Yet, what if these words, that God put in the Bible for us today, were intended to open our eyes to our own flawed worship?

What if we began to worship God in spirit and in truth (John 4:24)and truly embraced the words of Paul in Romans 12:1, "Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship."

When we offer our bodies as a living sacrifice we won't be caught up in having to be right all the time, and we might just start reaching out to others no matter where they are in their spiritual journey and show them the type of love that stretched His arms from one nail to the other.

Jesus paid the price! Let us honor Him in all our ways!

final words part 5 / ?Christian?

When you hear the word "Christian" what pops into your mind? I find it crazy how broad of a range of thoughts come to mind from this word. To some we think of Ned Flanders from the Simpsons and his great quotes such as, "Ok, boys, when you meet Jesus, be sure to call Him Mr. Christ." or "Now let us upload the holy Tweet of the Lord." or "No one comes back as anything, except for Jesus as bread, and that's it." Others might think of the guy on the corner of every event that requires a stadium with a sign that says "Turn or Burn" or of the people protesting soldiers funerals. Or we might take a completely different approach and think about christian books, christian movies, christian t.v., christian music or christian bumper stickers.

It amazes me what some people define as "christian" or what is even more amazing is what people call "not christian"

This makes me wonder, does putting the word "christian" in front of something automatically make it good? Does calling something christian make it godly? Does it make something evil if the most vocal christians are against it?

Let's think about this... In Isaiah 1:18 God says, "Come now, let us reason together..." You mean God wants us to reason, to think things through, to come to conclusions that make sense?

What is it that makes one thing secular and something else sanctified? As I think about this from a stand point of reason, it must have something to do with how it is used. For example, if I listen to a "christian" CD I am drawn to God, but when I listen to a "secular" CD I'm not. Right? So what happens if I am listening to a song by Simple Plan such as...



What happens if I'm listening to that song and find myself being drawn to God? What if, instead of being so focused on removing ourselves from the world, we were to start meeting God in the world we are in?

"Do you ever feel like breaking down?
Do you ever feel out of place?
Like somehow you just don't belong
And no one understands you
Do you ever wanna runaway?
Do you lock yourself in your room?
With the radio on turned up so loud
That no one hears you screaming"

Then I remember Jesus, who knows what it is like to feel so utterly alone. To feel rejected, mistreated, abused, hated, mocked, beaten down, spit upon, broken hearted, abandoned, betrayed, despised, etc.. Who was in that Garden the night He was arrested "overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death" (Matthew 16:36-46) He asked His closest friends to watch over Him and they slept. He pleaded with the Father, "if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me. Yet not as I will, but as you will."

Jesus understands our pain, our suffering, and our heart aches, yet He goes on knowing that it will only get worse. This is a Jesus that can relate with me. Who is my strength. Yes there are times when I am drawn to great spiritual songs that inspire me to sing praise of victory to my God but there are other times that I am drawn to great spiritual songs (though not labeled "Christian") that draw me to a God who has experienced every temptation I battle with yet was without sin. Sometimes I need the Jesus who taught in the temple and sometimes I need the Jesus who ate with the tax collectors and sinners.

While Jesus was on that cross He cried out in a Loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."

Father take it all! I don't want it anymore. My sins, my lust, my filth, my pride, my arrogance, my selfishness, my anger, my pain, my brokenness, my depression, my addiction, my loneliness...and the list goes on and on. And He took it all on that cross.

God is at work all around us, we just get so caught up in our idea of spirituality that we miss what He is doing. Jesus, while praying in John 17, said this, " My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth. 18 As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world."

Christians, Jesus paid the price, and He chose not to take us out of the world but to send us into the world so that people can see Jesus in us!

Final Words part 4

War, pain, suffering, hatred, political unrest, and natural disasters are the news of the day. It seems everywhere we look there is more bad news. IF you're like me you'd like to here some good news for a change.

Today, I want to examine three statements that Jesus made from the cross. These statements are so closely related that I wanted to share them together. These statements all come together to deliver some powerful good news for you and I.

These three statements are as follows:
And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Mark 15:34

Later, knowing that all was now completed, and so that the Scripture would be fulfilled, Jesus said, “I am thirsty.” John 19:28

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. John 19:30

When we look at these three statements from Jesus we at first may ask what they have to do with each other. How do these words of Jesus bring hope and good news to the pain and suffering that I face?

To understand this we must first understand what is going on in this moment on the cross.
"At the sixth hour darkness came over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani?”—which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

The sixth hour, noon, the brightest and hottest part of the day, the Bible tells us that darkness came over the whole land. It is believed that it is at this moment that the sins of all people where put upon Jesus. For the first time in His life Jesus felt the pain, agony, guilt and grief of sin. In this moment Jesus cried out, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?" These words, to those reading them in English, show us the depth of pain and longing that we feel in our deepest moments of sorrow.

However, to those in ancient Israel it said much more. During this time, rabbis would use a teaching method to draw the attention of the people to a passage of scripture. They would simply quote a verse. When this verse was quoted the people where drawn to the passage. Then they would teach or illustrate the passage, and then quote the end of the passage.

As we study this statement from Jesus we need to allow ourselves, like the people who were there, to be drawn to the scriptures. Look with me at the 22nd Psalm which starts with this verse, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning?" As we study this Psalm we will find the events of Jesus' death opened up for all people 1,000 years before Christ's death on the cross.

Jesus wanted everyone to know that God's plan of redemption for mankind was being fulfilled before their eyes. That this moment wasn't just a tragic event in human history but a moment that would forever shape human history.

As we continue looking through this Psalm we find ourselves coming face to face with verses 14 and 15 which say, "I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint. My heart has turned to wax; it has melted away within me. My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death."

Jesus was stretched out on that cross, His bones out of joint, His heart broken for the people, His strength draining away and He cries out, “I am thirsty.” Thirsty! The need for a drink. The living water experienced a thirst that goes beyond just a need for water but also a spiritual thirst, a thirst that comes from the sins of the world driving a wedge of separation between the Son and the Father.

As we continue through Psalm 22 we arrive to verse 31 that ends, "for he has done it." What is really amazing about this line is what happens if you were to translate the Hebrew to Greek and then to English. It would then translate, "It is Finished by Him." And Jesus cried out, “It is finished.”

These words are the best news for you and I. These word declare the finished work of salvation through the sacrificial atoning death of Jesus Christ. Jesus wasn't crying out for mercy. He wasn't crying out for pity. He was crying out "look at the salvation of God." Look at God's desire to sacrifice it all for our brokenness, our sinfulness, our pain, our filth.

It is finished! Thank you Jesus for taking the cross for me.

Final Words part 3

I am often amazed by the lessons God teaches me in life. For example, God taught me a great lesson today that pulled my attention to the next words of Jesus from the cross that I want to look at. Let me explain...

So for the last few weeks at work they keep changing our bonus system. It seems that every time it gets changed it means that we get less money. Yesterday, when we received our bonus reports and learned that we are now making a quarter less per sale I was not happy. Okay, that might be an understatement. I was ticked off. While on break my supervisor asked me what was wrong. I vented my frustration and I must admit it wasn't very nice to see.

Today on my way to work I felt God press upon me the need to apologize for my poor attitude and for taking out my frustrations on my supervisors - afterall, they just have the job of bringing the bad news. After asking for their forgiveness they had the pleasure of telling a room of workers that not only were we now getting less for bonuses but some of the sales that counted toward bonuses before will no longer count.

This time I was able to remain calm, yet most the other people in the room did not. As I listened to this group of people venting their anger and frustration I thought of the scene at the cross where the people, who a short time before had welcomed Jesus into the city as a king, are now taunting and mocking Him.

In Luke 23:35-43 we read about the people mocking Jesus after He calls for a God to forgive them. 35 The people stood watching, and the rulers even sneered at him. They said, “He saved others; let him save himself if he is the Christ of God, the Chosen One.”

36 The soldiers also came up and mocked him. They offered him wine vinegar 37 and said, “If you are the king of the Jews, save yourself.”

38 There was a written notice above him, which read: THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.

39 One of the criminals who hung there hurled insults at him: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!” It was so bad that even one of the guys crucified next to Jesus even joined in on mocking Him.

It is so easy to respond in these situations. It is so easy to join in with the crowd. But this story lets us see something else. 40 But the other criminal rebuked him. “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence? 41 We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”
42 Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

We see this other criminal go against the crowd and stand up for the innocent man. A man who at the end of his life realizes that Jesus came into the world to show us a better way of living. A way that doesn't kick a man while he is down. That doesn't join in the crowd in mocking, ridicule and put downs. He recognizes His need for Jesus before it is too late and Jesus responds, “I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise.”

Wow! Isn't it amazing that Jesus doesn't focus on all the negativity of the moment but focuses on the one man who has a need that only Jesus can meet?!

The question we need to ask is this, "Where would we be in this story?"

Final Words: Part 2

I will be the first to admit that forgiveness isn't always the easiest thing to grant to those who are hurting us. Whether it is physical or emotional pain we are suffering, our natural reaction isn't to forgive the person who is inflicting torment on us. The natural reaction is to inflict pain back or curl in on ourselves and bottle up our pain or seek to run and hide.

For years I struggled with forgiving others, I held grudges, bottled my resentment, and retaliated with force. I was angry and resentful. Despite my unforgiving attitude the only one who continually suffered was me.

When I read Jesus' words in Luke 23:34 I am amazed by the depth of His forgiveness to those who put Him through so much pain. (By the way this includes you and me.) In Luke 23:34a we read, Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” This sounds like such a simple statement, but look deeper at what it took for Jesus to make this plea for forgiveness.

The true depth of suffering in a Roman Crucifixion is the fact that death came as a result of asphyxiation. When the person on the cross had their weight on the nails in their hands they hung in such a way that closed off their lungs so they couldn't breath. In order to take a breath they had to push up with their leg putting all the weight of their body in the nail driven through their feet.

Jesus felt such a desire to call on the Father for our forgiveness that He added to His suffering, pushing up on the nail in His feet, just to say these words, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

How often do we get angry and bent out of shape, desiring to get even with people who don't even know they hurt us? I remember a while back, I gave people the opportunity to let me know if I had hurt them so that I could apologize and ask for forgiveness. This was a humbling moment for me.

Most people didn't respond but I did have a couple people who where willing to share with me. I recall one person who had been hurt by something I said. I never even realized I had hurt her and her family. She shared how my words, that I thought of as words of direction and encouragement, had been received as words of ridicule. I didn't even realize the pain caused by my words or my actions. I need forgiveness for all the ways I hurt people and don't even know it.

I need forgiveness for all the things I know I do. (Now that is tough to admit.) Even after years of becoming more like Jesus I still mess up a lot. I need forgiveness everyday. If you are like me, the list of things you need forgiveness for is so long that if you focus on it you won't have time to hold a grudge against someone else.

As we think on Jesus' words of forgiveness we need to extend that same forgiveness to others. After all, their sins are not truly against us but against the God who created us in His image.

Luke 6:36-38 Jesus encourages us with these words, "Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful. “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven. Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.”

Final Words part 1

When we are hurting physically, emotionally or spiritually we tend to become very self focused. We tend to focus on the start of our pain and discomfort. We tend to be more abrasive, rude and selfish. We lash out and point fingers, we place blame and make accusations. Well, at least I know I can be this way. I'm not justifying it but just stating a fact about my failings.

I know on days when I have a bad headache or when my back is really hurting I am not the easiest person to be around. Knowing this about my self makes a study of Jesus' final words before His death that much tougher to look at. They challenge me to look beyond my natural reaction, that fight or flight response to the situation I find myself in and find a deeper more meaningful response that can forever shape the lives of other people for the positive.

In this study we will be looking at the seven statements that Jesus made from the cross. We will begin today looking at the words spoken by Jesus in John 19:26-27.
When Jesus saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, “Dear woman, here is your son,” and to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that time on, this disciple took her into his home.

Here we find Jesus after being beaten, mocked, spit upon and crucified not looking after his own self interest or filled with self loathing in His anguished state but looking to the best interest of others.

As the oldest son, Jesus was responsible for the care of His widowed mother. With His death Jesus knew that someone would have to care for Mary in His absence. This task would normally fall upon the next oldest son however Jesus could assign this task to another.

Jesus also looks deeper than the surface need of just making sure His mother was cared for. He knew that with His death there would be a whole in the hearts of both John and Mary. Mary would be devastated with the loss of her first born child. John, the disciple, who refers to himself as simply, "the disciple whom he loved" would have a huge hole in His heart with the death of his Lord.

So Jesus calls them to be there for one another. For Mary, He provided a new son to care for her. A son who was hand taught and trained to be like Jesus. For John, Jesus provide a mother to care for who would be able to tell him the stories of Jesus that he wouldn't have known before.

Jesus looked after the interest others over His own pain and His own suffering. His example here should motivate us to look beyond the situation we are in and seek to make others lives better. As I study this statement of Jesus from the cross I am challenged to live a life of encouragement to others despite the circumstances I am in though I remind everyone I am just a work in progress.

Mr. Cellophane

I remember when I first saw the movie "Chicago" I was struck by the powerful performance of John C. Reilly as he played Amos Hart. In this song "Mr. Cellophane" he captured the depth and pain of the loneliness that so many of us have felt in one period of our life or another. To some of us this song could become the embodiment of our childhood where we just couldn't find the love we desired. For others this song radiates with our high school years when we felt that no one truly knew "the real me." For some it is their marriage or dating relationships where they sought after love and acceptance. For others this is the present reality. It is a life that feels empty and without purpose.

As I write this blog, I am reminded of all the people I know that have been hurt and scarred because no one was willing to take the time to notice. I think of an 8 year old boy that was addicted to drugs because that was all he really knew. I think of a teenage girl who was raped at home nearly every night and was told that this is what love is. I think of a teenage boy who lied, stole and fought because he wanted attention from his parents. I think about a single mom working two jobs and trying to raise her three children. I think of a woman who would go to the bar every night hoping to get picked-up by a man so that she could feel important for just one night. I can think of a man who is drinking himself to death because the drunkenness helps him escape the emptiness he feels inside. And these are all people I knew growing up. Some of them were friends, some were people who knew my parents, but I knew them. I can still see their faces, yet over the years I have lost contact with each of them.

Like them, I too know what it is like to be Mr. Cellophane.

Often times Christians hear about these people and we think, "if they would just get right with Jesus, they wouldn't have those problems," or "they just need God in their lives." And in a deep, powerful, and spiritual way we are right, but we are missing something!

The fact is a relationship with God Almighty through Jesus Christ is the answer. So what are we doing about it? Most Christians wouldn't be caught dead in a bar or a prison or a rehab center. Many Christians are so afraid that others will look down on them if they are seen hanging out with the town drunk. Many of us are more content to sit back and put down that poor mother's wild children than dare to step out and offer her some help.

As I was thinking about these people and so many more in the world that are struggling, hurting, weary, tired, and lonely I was drawn to Matthew 9:9-13 where we find Jesus at Matthew's house:

As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collector’s booth. “Follow me,” he told him, and Matthew got up and followed him.
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and ‘sinners’?”

On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

In this passage we don't find Jesus sitting outside pointing fingers at these tax collectors and "sinners" (aka. this is referring to prostitutes). No, we find Jesus inside eating with them. If we understood their culture we might understand just how important that is.

In the time and culture that Jesus lived, dining with someone was considered one of the greatest forms of intimacy. You only did this with people you cared deeply for. They would recline around the table leaning on each other as they ate. It is here that we find Jesus. In the midst of the hurting, the hated, the rejected and the lonely. And when questioned about it He replies, "It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice."

This is the kind of God I serve. One that desires to bring healing into the lives of the hurting, love to the lonely, wholeness to the broken, the great surgeon of the heart.

In Romans 10:14 it says, "How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them?"

The next time we see someone and think, "they need Jesus," maybe God is telling us it is time to introduce them to the Jesus who wants to eat with them.

Revelation 3:20, "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me.

A Cross and A Splinter

I love the way God uses little things to open our eyes. Take for example in Proverbs 6:6-8 we find these words, "Go to the ant, you sluggard; consider its ways and be wise! It has no commander, no overseer or ruler, yet it stores its provisions in summer and gathers its food at harvest."

Go to the Ant. Have you ever seen a lazy ant? Me either.

Well, this week God used a little thing to give me a perspective check. Let me explain.

First Baptist Church in Miamisburg is preparing for it's Easter drama called, "One Voice." I was asked to play the role of Jesus, a most humbling role to play. Think about it - How I portray Jesus could forever shape how some people think about Jesus. (God, I apologize now.)

So during practice this week, we were rehearsing the part where Jesus is carrying the cross. At one point in this scene, I collapse under the weight of the cross. When I did this I had a splinter from the cross stab into my thumb. It was about a 1/4 inch long and completely under my skin. (Yes, it hurt. No, I didn't cry or yell out.) As soon as that scene ends I have to get ready for my next scene. On my way to the right position I was complaining about the splinter. (Did I mention that it hurt and I was trying to get it out?)

It was at this moment that God, the Holy Spirit, spoke to me. I just stopped and looked at the girl next to me and said, "Am I really complaining about a splinter? After Jesus carried the cross He had nails put through both hands and feet." Wow! What a moment of humility. But that isn't all.

As I thought about this, I was reminded of the fact that the cross I was carrying was much smoother than the cross that Jesus carried. Not only that but part of the torture of of crucifixion was the fact that Jesus had been scourged before being nailed to that cross. His back had the flesh ripped apart as pieces of metal and bone dug into His skin and tore away strips of skin. Then, while on that cross, Jesus would have had to push Himself up on the nail in His feet in order to take a breath or speak. Then when the pain in His feet and legs was too much he would drop all His weight onto the nails in His hands, and when He does that, He can't breath. Then I looked at the splinter in my thumb and thought of all the splinters that filled the wounds on Jesus' back when He cried out, "Father, forgive them they know not what they do."

Thank you God for this reminder of how much you suffered for a wretch like me.

Question...Answer #1

Back in my January 12th blog I gave each of you the opportunity to enter into the discussions for my blog. I thought I would get some questions right away but for a while none came. Now, here we are in March, and I finally got a question. Thanks Rachel!

Rachel said...

"John 14:6 "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"

What happens to children who die as infants or were stillborn or aborted? Or those people who have truly never had the opportunity to hear the Jesus died to save us from our sins? Are they condemned to hell?"

These are great questions! I will do my best to answer them to the best of my ability. As we look at these questions, we have to answer some very basic questions and then look at the two situations presented here. 1. What happens to children who die as infants or were stillborn or aborted? 2. What about those people who have truly never had the opportunity to hear about the Messiah, Jesus, who died to save us from our sins?

Before we dig into these questions I want to look at a couple of biblical principles. These principles will help us understand the questions a little better.

A. The first thing that we need to ask is why do people go to hell? This question above all is foundational when it comes to answering these questions.

As we read the Bible we will quickly learn that every person, apart from Jesus Christ, is guilty of sin. Romans 3:23, "for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We also know that the wages of sin is death. (Romans 6:23, "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.") This death is eternal separation from God in hell. Revelation 21:8 says, "But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all liars—their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death."

While we are reading the Bible we will also read passages like these:
Romans 5:6 "You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly."
Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us."
John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."
Romans 10:13 "for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
These verses, as well as many others, talk about the simplicity of the salvation that we have through Christ Jesus. Jesus died for the sins of the world. He paid the price for every sin - past, present and future. As John the Baptist proclaimed, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!"

So, why do people go to hell? As I study the scriptures and draw ever closer to God I find that God doesn't send people to hell, people choose hell by rejecting God's free gift of salvation. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast."

B. The next thing we need to consider is the nature and person of God. We often want to limit God by our own standards. We want an all loving God of mercy and grace but we want to leave out that He is holy, righteous, just, and perfect. We want to ignore the fact that God will accept no place in our lives but 1st place.

To expand on this, lets examine the person and nature of God. (This is by no means an in-depth study. I am making this as simple as I can.) God is Holy. Because He is Holy, He is righteous in all He does. In His righteousness God is without sin and perfect. In His perfection He will not associate with sin or allow sin in His presence. Because God is perfect, His standards is perfect and we as fallen people continually miss the mark. Because God is just, there must be a penalty for our unrighteousness. The only penalty that is acceptable to His Holiness is physical and spiritual death which is eternal separation from God.

This is where God's love comes into play. God doesn't just love us but He is the very essence of love. 1 John 4:8, "Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." Because of God's great love, He paid the penalty to satisfy His own justice by sending Jesus to the cross on our behalf. Through the atoning sacrifice of Christ Jesus God gives us mercy and grace. Mercy is not giving us what we deserve (We deserve hell). Grace is giving us what we don't deserve (We don't deserve heaven).

C. The last thing I want to look at is the "Will" of God. We must quickly look at the three wills of God: His sovereign will, His perfect will, and His permissive will.

God's sovereign will (sometimes known as His Ultimate Will) is how God achieves His ends, given man’s choices, be they good or bad. He works all things together for the good of those He called, who love Him [Rom. 8:28]. This means He can ultimately get His good in spite of man’s bad.

God's perfect will (or intentional will) is the desires of God's heart. This is the ideal plan flowing out of His goodness. 1 Timothy 2:3-4, "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth."

God's permissive will (or allowed will) is when God allows things to happen that isn't what He truly desires. For example God didn't desire for David to cheat with Bathsheba but He didn't stop it from happening.

Now lets look at your questions.

1. What happens to children who die as infants or were stillborn or aborted?
What makes this a great question is the fact that the Bible never deals with this question directly. So to answer this question we have to look at how it applies to the the three things (a, b, and c) that we looked at above.

The first thing we must look at is the sinful nature. The Bible says in Romans 5:12, "Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned" A lot of people use this passage to say that babies and young children are guilty and therefore deserving of death and hell, however I'd like to look at this passage a little closer.

Romans 5:12-19 Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned— for before the law was given, sin was in the world. But sin is not taken into account when there is no law. Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who was a pattern of the one to come.
But the gift is not like the trespass. For if the many died by the trespass of the one man, how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many! Again, the gift of God is not like the result of the one man’s sin: The judgment followed one sin and brought condemnation, but the gift followed many trespasses and brought justification. For if, by the trespass of the one man, death reigned through that one man, how much more will those who receive God’s abundant provision of grace and of the gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man, Jesus Christ.
Consequently, just as the result of one trespass was condemnation for all men, so also the result of one act of righteousness was justification that brings life for all men. For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, so also through the obedience of the one man the many will be made righteous.

A few things we need to notice in this passage.
1. From the time of Adam to Moses, death reigned. This is referring to the cursed state of man. That from the moment of birth we are in constant movement towards our death. Yet we know of some great patriarchs of the faith that lived in fellowship with God and were redeemed through God. The easiest examples to look at would be Abraham and Joseph. The key to this passage is "sin is not taken into account when there is no law" These men and woman will be judged on what the did with God's general revelation (we will look at this a little more later).
2. With Moses, God gave His law. The purpose of the law is to teach man of his sinful nature. (see Romans 3:19-20) The law cannot save anyone - it's purpose is to make us see our need for a savior.
3."how much more did God’s grace and the gift that came by the grace of the one man, Jesus Christ, overflow to the many!" Christ's sacrifice on the cross is greater than death, greater than the law and satisfied God's wrath.

When we look at children who die as infants or were stillborn or aborted we must ask are they deserving of hell? My answer is no. Here is why: 1. They never rejected God through the personal choice to disobey God. They could not know the law, so they can't be judged by the law. They only know their needs at a very basic level. 2. As we looked at earlier God is just. Would justice condemn a small or unborn child for being born? (Or, in the case of abortion, for being conceived?) No this is not the child's choice or action. God is also a God of love and who needs that love more than a helpless baby. 3. God's perfect will is that all people will come to salvation.
1 Timothy 2:3-5, "This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth. For there is one God and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus"

The last thing that I want to point out is the words of Jesus when referring to the salvation of adults in Matthew 18:3, "And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." We must become like children to enter the kingdom of heaven!

Based on these things and many more I think we can see that these children will be with God in His kingdom.

Question 2: What about the people who have truly never had the opportunity to hear the Jesus died to save us from our sins?

This is a great question, this is where we will look at the general revelation of God. And we must look at the judgment that they must face before God.

The general revelation of God is what God has shown us about Himself through His creation. Romans 1:20-21, "For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that people are without excuse.
For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened."

God has made it possible for all men to know Him and worship Him without a complete knowledge of Him. The Bible also teaches us that, outside of Christ, all men will be judged according to there actions. Revelation 20:13, "The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done."

It is not my place to assign judgment to people, it is for God alone. Each person will give an account for their actions to God almighty and the only guarantee of salvation comes through Jesus Christ. For those who have never herd of Jesus Christ, I pray they will. I also know that God's judgment will be the right one.

I do want to share this quick story. When I was in Bible College a missionary shared a story of when he was in Africa and he saw a man looking at the ocean. He asked the man if he knew God. The man told the missionary "I know there is a mighty and powerful God who is bigger than all creation. A God of love, mercy and hope. I know this God has a son because of my own love for my children." The missionary asked the man if he would like to know about God's son, and told him about Jesus.

This story shows that it is possible for people to know about God through what God has created. Psalm 19:1-3 says, "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard."

The fact is Jesus said that the road to heaven is a narrow one. Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."
Again Jesus says, (John 14:6) "Jesus answered, 'I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.'"

We must remember it isn't our job to judge where someone spends eternity. I'll leave that up to our perfect, holy, righteous, loving God. Our job is to be the hands, feet, and mouth of Jesus to a world that is as messed up as we are, yet doesn't know the forgiveness that is available through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord.

2 Corinthians 5:20-21, "We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."

We need have a sense of urgency in our daily lives as we realize that we may be the only opportunity that people have to meet Jesus.

Super Hero!

Right now there are 19 tentative superhero movies in the process of being made. These movies range from the start of another spider-man series, a reboot of the x-man series, as well as a few sequels such as Wolverine 2, Superman: The Man of Steel, another Ghost Rider movie, Ironman 3, and the third Batman in the Dark Knight Series. We will also see a few new heroes on the big screen such as Thor, Captain America, Deadpool and Green Lantern to name a few.

What is it about these movies that draw us to these characters? What is it about these heroes that speak to us?

Everyday we struggle with problems. We face moral and ethical decisions. We face choices about responsibility, belief, and basic struggles with knowing what is right or wrong. Superheroes face these same problems and choices, just in a bigger and more action packed way.

The big reason I feel we are really drawn to superheroes is that each one of us has a desire to make a difference in the world. We want our lives to have purpose and meaning. We long for a life of significance.

Ephesians 2:8-10 says, 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Did you catch that? You are God's workmanship! The New Living Translation says "we are God's masterpiece". However, this verse goes on to say more. You were created in Christ Jesus with a purpose, a mission. You were created to make a difference because God has prepared good things for us to do.

So often we get so caught up in what other people think about us. We start believing the lies that we will never make a difference in the world. We think things like, "I'm just one person, what can I do?"
The answer: "You can do more, and make a difference in the lives of people, more than you can imagine."

You and I are image bearers of God Almighty, we are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14). Like the superheroes we are drawn to, we have opportunities all around us; opportunities to bring about positive life change in the lives of the people we meet everyday.

May you remember that God doesn't make junk. He created you with purpose and when we live in His purpose for our lives we just may become the superhero that someone needs to come and rescue them from the pains and heartaches of this life.

Sermon Notes

I always love it when God works through a message. This morning at First Baptist Church in Miamisburg, Pastor Steve was preaching his second message on Ecclesiology. (Ecclesiology is Greek and simply translates as the study of the church.) We looked at three things about the church: 1-When the Church Began; 2-Who is Part of the Church; and 3-How Does a Person Become Part of the Church.

During the section on Who is Part of the Church, Pastor Steve had 12 quick points about the people who make up the church. Jessica (my loving, beautiful wife) was taking some notes beyond just filling in the blanks. Once I noticed the notes I pointed out that a message was forming. Now, Pastor Steve's notes were all in this format: The Church is made up of _________________ people. The blanks were filled in with the following words:
purchased
purified
predestined
placed
partnered
persistent
productive
persecuted
persevering
provisioned
promised
preserved

All of these points had scripture references and it was a great message. Jess' extra notes (mini-message within the message) came out as a paragraph, as follows:

I am not my own. I am called to be holy, chosen by Him, to be in Him. Joined together with brothers and sisters, constant in their walk with Christ. Bearing fruit under pressure by an unrepentant world, yet, standing firm. Given all we need by the One who made all, hope for our guaranteed salvation.

"Grenade"

On the current (Week 8, 2011) Billboard list is the song "Grenade" by Bruno Mars. This song is about a man in love with a woman who doesn't love him back. Check out the lyrics:
Easy come, easy go
That's just how you live, oh
Take, take, take it all,
But you never give
Should of known you was trouble from the first kiss,
Why were they open?
Gave you all I had
And you tossed it in the trash
You tossed it in the trash, you did
To give me all your love is all I ever asked,
Cause what you don't understand is
I’d catch a grenade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Throw my hand on a blade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I’d jump in front of a train for ya (yeah, yeah , yeah)
You know I'd do anything for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Oh, oh
I would go through all this pain,
Take a bullet straight through my brain,
Yes, I would die for ya baby;
But you won't do the same

No, no, no, no
Black, black, black and blue beat me till I'm numb
Tell the devil I said “hey” when you get back to where you're from
Mad woman, bad woman,
That's just what you are, yeah,
You’ll smile in my face then rip the breaks out my car
Gave you all I had
And you tossed it in the trash

You tossed it in the trash, yes you did
To give me all your love is all I ever asked
Cause what you don't understand is
I’d catch a grenade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Throw my hand on a blade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I’d jump in front of a train for ya (yeah, yeah , yeah)
You know I'd do anything for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Oh, oh
I would go through all this pain,
Take a bullet straight through my brain,
Yes, I would die for ya baby;
But you won't do the same

If my body was on fire, ooh
You’ d watch me burn down in flames
You said you loved me you're a liar
Cause you never, ever, ever did baby...
But darling I’ll still catch a grenade for ya
Throw my hand on a blade for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
I’d jump in front of a train for ya (yeah, yeah , yeah)
You know I'd do anything for ya (yeah, yeah, yeah)
Oh, oh
I would go through all this pain,
Take a bullet straight through my brain,
Yes, I would die for ya baby;
But you won't do the same.
No, you won’t do the same,
You wouldn’t do the same,
Ooh, you’ll never do the same,
No, no, no, no

As I read these lyrics I was reminded of how often we talk to people who are hurting. We are surrounded by men and women who feel the pain of rejection, break-up, divorce, unfaithfulness, and all the countless other things that rip our hearts apart.

We see single moms that are working hard and barely able to pay the bills, struggling to raise her kids feeling that she is out of control and wondering when life will get easier.

We see a man who is working a job he hates that doesn't pay enough to provide for his family in the way he was taught he should. He is struggling day in and day out wanting to do more but doors keep slamming in his face.

We see a couple who appear to have it all but it is all an act. They don't want anyone to know that their marriage is falling apart. They constantly argue and fight. He drowns his pain in his favorite drink while she cries herself to sleep every night. They both are asking the same questions, "What did I do to deserve this?"

We may see a girl who never felt the love of a father desperately seeking the love of any man who will give her attention. Or the boy who was taught that real men are tough, so he bottles everything inside until he explodes in a act of aggression and rage.

We encounter people like this every day, we might even be these people. Like Bruno Mars we are looking for the love that is willing to risk it all for us. A love that isn't here today and gone tomorrow, an enduring love.

The fact is, people will always let us down. Sometimes in big ways, sometimes in small ways, but we will be let down. I remember when a friend and mentor of mine (someone who was helping train me for the ministry) fell in an adulterous affair. I was mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually crushed. I was ready to walk away. At first I tried to talk to him but he told me to never speak with him again. I just wanted to understand what happened.

During this time God began to show me that I had put my trust in the wrong place. I was looking to people as my source of security when God wanted to be my security. In Deuteronomy 31 we find Moses giving his farewell speech. He is telling the nation of Israel that he will no longer be leading them as they go into the Holy Land. It will be Joshua who will lead them as they cross the Jordan River. In this passage Moses encourages the people with these words, "the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

These words are still a comfort for us today. As we go through the trials of this life we can rest assured in the one who will never leave us or forsake us. Jesus said it like this in Matthew 28, "And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."

May we remember that we never have to face anything alone; that we have a friend who is closer than a brother that loves us more than we can understand. Jesus wasn't only willing to lay down His life for you but He did it! He paid it all for you and for each and every person who is willing to let Him in their life.

NO Perfect People Allowed

Earlier today I was thinking about the church. (I know this could come as a surprise to many, that a pastor and church planter would think about the church!) As I was thinking, I was reminded of a pastor who once said it always bugged him to drive past a church that had a sign that read, "New Testament Church", pointing out that most of the New Testament is made up of letters written to churches that are messed up. The Apostles were writing to straighten them out.

I have thought about this from time to time over the years, and I have a question that I would love to ask that pastor. "What kind of church do you want to be?" I kind of wonder if he wants his church to be the one that is not messed up? A church where everyone has it all figured out. This church wouldn't have people getting their feelings hurt, they wouldn't disagree on doctrine, everyone would be of one mind and one accord, generous, loving, giving, faithful, honest, and trustworthy. Sounds great, doesn't it?!

As much as I love the sound of this church, I see a problem in this church too - Where are the imperfect people? They can't be there!

A friend and mentor of mine has a sign in the entryway of the church he pastors at that reads, "NO Perfect People Allowed." This pastor understands that the church will not be perfect until Christ returns and removes our sinful nature. He realized that the church isn't about perfection but about the imperfect living life together, resting in the arms of a merciful God.

As I was thinking about this I began to think about the first three verses of
1 Corinthians.
1 Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God, and our brother Sosthenes, 2 To the church of God in Corinth, to those sanctified in Christ Jesus and called to be holy, together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours:
3 Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

I know this isn't a passage that many people focus on but it works for the purpose of this blog.

First a little background:
Corinth (Julia Corinthus - the true name of the city) was a center of trade and commerce on the Mediterranean Sea. It was populated by around 400,000 people and as a city of commerce it was also a religious center for many Roman deities. The main deity worshiped in Corinth was Aphrodite (Venus). The great temple of Venus was a place of ritual prostitution. At any given time there were approximately 1,000 priestesses who prostituted themselves for their faith.

Paul is writing to the church in Corinth because these Christians were participating in both Christianity and the worship of Aphrodite. As worshipers of Aphrodite they had to participate in the ritual of prostitution. One day a year every follower of Aphrodite had to become a temple prostitute for any amount offered that day. For this day women where required to shave their heads, men were to grow out their hair and beards and wear make-up. These are the people Paul is writing to.

Let's look at haw Paul addresses this letter.

1. First he introduces himself. (Keep in mind he started the church in Corinth) Paul, called to be an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God

He is simply Paul (means "small") The little guy called to be something, an apostle of Jesus. Paul says this isn't by my design. It was Jesus who brought me to you so that God, the Father, would be glorified in Corinth (by the will of God)

And brother Sosthenes is with me. (Chief of the synagogue at Corinth). Paul is writing this with a guy they know well.

2. Who is he writing to and what does he have to say about them.
To the church.. (Greek the word "ekklesia" meant "an assembly of citizens summoned by the crier, the legislative assembly.) The purpose of an "ekklesia" was to peacefully overthrow a corrupt government.
...of God... Paul stresses the ownership of the church. It doesn't belong to Paul or Sosthenes or to the elders of the church or even to the city. The church belongs to God and God alone. It exists for His purpose and His glory and His honor, not for anything else. This Group just happens to be in Corinth.
...to those sanctified in Christ Jesus... (Sanctification - The usually gradual or uncompleted process by which a Christian believer is made holy through the action of the Holy Spirit) Paul begins this letter by referring to them as they will be when Christ's work in them is complete. They are the ones, and called to be holy.
...together with all those everywhere who call on the name of our Lord Jesus Christ—their Lord and ours: ... Paul then reminds them that they are part of something bigger. They a connected to believers everywhere.

3. Paul then finishes his introduction by calling for God's blessing to come upon them. "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ." This is a great reminder of what they can have by living life God's way and not the way of the people living around them.

Paul doesn't come out and slam this messed up church. He reminds them how important they are and then takes the opportunity to encourage, strengthen, teach, and guide them in the ways of God.

I don't know about you but I enjoy being with people who are willing to show me who Jesus is by loving me despite myself. On my own, I am unlovable, broken, beaten, battered and bruised, but in Jesus I am a work in progress and I will be clean, healed, strong. I will be Sanctified (made Holy).

If, like me, you don't have it all together or have it all figured out, let's join together trusting that Jesus isn't finished yet and help each other in this journey of life and faith.

The words we use

More and more my eyes are being opened to the words that many Christians use in our day to day conversations. We speak a language that is as foreign to people as the languages of the ancient world. No, this isn't to make anyone feel bad or to put anyone down (I'm just as guilty as anyone else!)

For example, we often use words like "fellowship" yet before I was a Christ follower I never once said to my friends, "Hey, you guys want to come over and fellowship?" My friends would have just looked at me with a blank expression and then asked what drugs I was on. If you ask many Christians how they are doing they will respond with great spiritual words and phrases such as, "I am blessed" or "blessed and highly favored" or, in the case that things are rough at the moment, they may respond by saying things like, "I am under attack" or "I am in need of refreshing".

It's not that there is anything wrong with using these phrases and words, but I often wonder how often we speak this Christianese to make ourselves seem more spiritual than we are? Yet as a result we push away people who are in desperate need of "Sanctifying, regenerative begotten one." (Translation: The life changing son of God.)

Let us look at the words of Paul in 1 Corinthians 14:19
But in a church meeting I would rather speak five understandable words to help others than ten thousand words in an unknown language. (New Living)

Paul expresses the importance of using words that people will be able to follow and understand. Words that will help people to understand the hope that we have in Jesus. A hope that draw others into the conversation rather than push them away.

May we use words that will invite people to talk with us. May we choose our words with care so others will see us as real people and not someone putting on a show. May we speak the words of the culture that we are in to be a voice for Christ.

Suffering

One of the questions that I have been asked the most goes something like this, "If God is so good why is there so much suffering in the world?"

This is a great question that allows us to explore the depths of of the human condition. We must first remember that the suffering in our world isn't a result of God but the result of human decision.

In the beginning God created everything "good" - see Genesis 1. There was perfect balance and harmony in the universe. There wasn't suffering, pain, disease, heartache, or any of the countless other things that cause suffering in our lives. Suffering began as a result of man's rebellious attitude toward God.

God created man to be in relationship with God and in order to have this relationship, God gave man the free will to chose God or to reject God. The choice was simple. God provided everything man needed to live and the Bible even tells us that God walked in the garden with man. So that man could be free to choose God put a tree in the garden called the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and told man that they could eat from any tree but that one.

Then the day came when the serpent (in Hebrew, the shinning one) came to Eve and tempted her to eat from the forbidden tree. Eve ate and then gave the fruit to Adam to eat also. This is the moment that suffering entered the world. By choosing to be disobedient to God, man brought the curse of sin into the universe. Part of that sin is suffering, pain, death, and disharmony.

As a result, all of the human existence is marred with sin, it is part of our very nature. We are consumed with selfishness, violence, anger and pride. We have brought devastation to the planet, upon people and upon ourselves.

God, however, in His great love, mercy, and wisdom uses this suffering to strengthen, motivate and inspire us to new heights and greater good. He gives us the opportunity to bring others a piece of God's kingdom by reaching out to those who are hurting. He sent Jesus to pay the price for our sins that by trusting in Him our sin debt would be paid in full.

2 Corinthians 5:18-21
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation. We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

May we remember that God loves each and everyone of us and we have the opportunity through Christ Jesus to alleviate some of the suffering in the world.

??? Questions ???

One of the greatest joys and challenges we can face as Christians is when we are having deep meaningful discussions with our people who want to learn more about what we believe or new believers. It is during this discussions that we are asked questions that challenge us to look deeper into our faith. We must look beyond what we believe and ask why we believe it.

In 1 Peter 3:15 the Bible says, "but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence;"

This simple verse challenges us to to move deeper into the meat of what we believe rather than being content with the milk. To do this we must study and learn. We must spend time with God and God's people.

Over the years, I have had many people ask me questions about my faith and many of those people have been drawn to Christ Jesus as a result of those questions. Now I will say that when you are willing to answer people's questions you will come across the people who just want to see you fail and will ask questions in order to try and trap you so that they can mock you. That is the reason that we need gentleness and reverence in our approach.

What questions have you heard being asked? How did you respond?

Over the next couple of weeks I want to look at some of the questions that I have had to answer and I want to help you answer the questions you have or that people are asking you.

If you would like to join me in this journey please leave your questions in the comments of this blog and we will study and grow together.

True Power

With the never ending fascination with superheros it is amazing how many thoughts people have about the power we would like to have. Power is an interesting concept to me. What it looks like and how someone gets it is as varied as the people who crave it.

Take for example a two year old who wants to exercise power of authority. They will throw themselves on the ground screaming in hope that they will get their way. One the other side of things we can look at a business executive that runs his business as a dictator and his word is law, and no one better dare to question what he says. I have seen people throw their education up as a symbol of power. "I am right because I have a Masters degree." I even once had a Dr. say I was faking my illness because I refused to take narcotics and he couldn't figure out what was causing my problem. And yes I have known pastors who feel that they are greater than other Christians because they are "PASTOR"

The fact is that many people crave power of one form or another. As I was studying the scriptures I was drawn to Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

True Power comes in living in the fullness of the Holy Spirit of God. This type of power is different than the typical power that we crave in our sinful nature. We want power for selfish reasons but true power comes through selfless obedience to God the Father. When we surrender ourselves to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit we will find ourselves with the power to change the world. We will touch lives in a way that has meaning not just for this life but for the life to come.

This kind of power isn't controlled by circumstances, emotion, physical limitations. We will be able to endure more than we think possible and effectively change the world around us one life at a time.

I love the fact that this power was first given in a prayer meeting(see Acts 2)yet in churches across the country prayer meetings are the least attended services.

God began the church in a prayer meeting. He gave the gift of the Holy Spirit in a prayer meeting. So why do Christians avoid prayer meetings?

James 5:13-18 says Is anyone among you in trouble? Let them pray. Is anyone happy? Let them sing songs of praise. Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise them up. If they have sinned, they will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective.

Elijah was a human being, even as we are. He prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the land for three and a half years. Again he prayed, and the heavens gave rain, and the earth produced its crops.

May we embrace God's plan for power in our lives and submit to the control of the Holy Spirit of God. And may we join together in prayer as the source of God's out pouring of power.