10/31/18 - Heb 12

Oct 31, 2018

God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness.   Heb 12:10

We avoid or delay discipline when actually it is the tool that grows us stronger and more righteous.

This is the day many in America (and other countries), celebrate a strange holiday called “Halloween” (or All Hallow’s Eve).  It comes from a pagan tradition about playing tricks and engaging in indulgences on the night prior to “All Saints Day” (when people were supposed to be holy).  We turned it into a fun event called “Trick or Treat”, and made it into a festival as part of the end of harvest. 

There’s much that can be said about that celebration, and most people have an opinion about it.  I’m not going to argue what your family should do about that day, or any holiday, for that matter.  People have the ability to turn good things into evil, and God has the ability to rescue good things out of evil.  My point in bringing it up is the word “holiday”.  It’s a conjunction from the two words: Holy and Day. 

Holy Days are days we ‘set apart’ for a special purpose.  Easter is a Holy Day, because we stop our lives and take time to celebrate the resurrection of Jesus.  On July 4^th, we celebrate the freedom and independence our country gained from England.  On Christmas, we celebrate the gift of Jesus’ birth to save us.  Every Holy Day was started because of a unique purpose that transcended our own lives.  Celebrating them appropriately is the way to honor that purpose.

Hebrews 12, along with hundreds of other Scriptures, tells us that God gives us life to set us apart.  He is not interested in us celebrating a few Holy Days throughout the year, God wants us to be set apart EVERY DAY.  His expectation for us is to BE Holy, just like His Son Jesus.  And in fact, God disciplines us for the sake of developing our Holiness.

That’s an easy concept to understand if you have ever been disciplined by a parent.  Loving parents correct their kids and call them to be better than their sin nature desires to be.  They take the time to invest in their kids, so that they can “behave” properly.  That’s what Holiness is all about – Behaving like Jesus, (Having the BE of Jesus). 

Whatever you think about Halloween, consider what God thinks regarding holiness.  Be wise with the activities you participate in, and avoid those that are un-holy.  Train your kids to recognize the difference. 

And as you head into the end of the year, and the annual Holy Day season, consider how you can celebrate those days in a Holy way.  You might actually be surprised by the sense of joy that comes from celebrating in “holy” ways on the HoliDays!

10/30/18 - Heb 11

Oct 30, 2018

Faith that pleases God is the person who comes to him believing that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.  Heb 11:6

Faith isn't just what we believe about God, it is our effort in pursuing Him and pleasing Him.

Words are powerful – and we lose their power when we misuse them.

I’m not talking about using foul language (although it applies to that topic, along will sarcasm, backbiting, and more).  What I’m talking about is ‘bad’ language – misusing words to satisfy our desires.  Misuse happens with exaggerations, misleading statements, and even with a lack of words.  But maybe the greatest misuse comes when we change the word from one type to another, like making a noun out of a verb or an adjective out of a noun.

Take the word: Christian.  Over centuries, we have taking a word that labeled action, and turned it into an adjective.  Now we have Christian t-shirts, Christian music, Christian books and more.  But Christian was not a word designed to be an adjective.  It came from people calling others “little Christs”.  It was supposed to be a noun.  We are not supposed to have Christian descriptions in our life.  We are supposed to BE Christian.  The word has lost its power.

Maybe one of the biggest misuses is with the word Faith.  Somewhere along the way, faith switched from being an action verb to being a personal noun.  The Bible talks about faith as action – a belief that is displayed in our activity.  Even James says that faith without action is dead (aka.  It’s really not faith.)

But over time, we’ve changed faith into a noun, or sometimes even an adjective.  People use the word to describe personal beliefs that change with circumstances.  We hear people talk about ‘their faith’ as an inactive thought – ie. “I have my faith” ;  “I believe in Jesus, but just don’t see the need for church (or studying the Bible, or serving others, or giving …)” ; “You have your faith, and I have mine.”

Let’s be real --- faith that changes with circumstances is not FAITH at all.  It’s just like that rudderless boat that moves back and forth with the waves of the sea.  Using the word to describe your personal beliefs is powerless, unless of course your beliefs never change and always get displayed.

God is not impressed with our claims to have faith, He goes by what He SEES us doing.  To God, faith is ongoing action based on a belief, even when the evidence or circumstances would have you act differently.  Hebrews 11 is a catalog of people whose faith was a VERB – it lists their actions!

What does God think about your faith and my faith?  Is it an ongoing action, or just an occasionally professed thought?  Are you faithful … or do you just talk about ‘having a faith’?  Don’t waste the power of the word!  Faith is BEING --- it’s living out daily in action what you believe about God. 

Where do you need to BE FAITHFUL with God today?

10/29/18 - Heb 10

Oct 29, 2018

We do not belong to those who shrink back and are destroyed, but to those who have faith and are saved.  Heb 10:39

Don't join those retreating by sin for themselves, join those overcoming by faith in Jesus.

Salmon are an interesting breed off fish.  While most fish travel with the current, they are one of the few species that swims against the current.  During various seasons of their life, they will move upstream to spawn, not only going against the flow of the current, but against the flow of most other species of fish.  Scientists are discovering that this not only helps them maintain the population, but supports the other fish and wildlife along the stream.

Sin has many facets, but one common aspect of all sin is the flow.  It always moves downstream.  There is always a pressure to settle, to compromise, to go with the flow, and to be like everyone else.  That doesn’t mean being unique is less sinful, but you won’t find freedom from sin by following the world’s current.  Instead, to overcome sin we must choose to fight up the current.  It requires constant strength and endurance, effort and commitment. 

For most today, we are in ‘shrink back’ mode.  While the world adapts to support the sin behaviors of people, we’re constantly challenged to be accepting and inviting.  Somehow, we have believed that flowing WITH the current will help us reach people.  But what we see is a church that is losing it’s moral integrity and witness, while we become filled with the same sin we are trying to change.  It’s not that Christians are better, it’s that we’re called to keep swimming upstream!

I write this out of conviction, knowing the personal wrestling match that comes with trying to relate to people while reject the attractions of sin.  Looking in the mirror, we all can see a person who has flowed with the current too often, and is regularly failing.  It’s pretty easy to justify the sins we flow with, while condemning those that others traverse.  Swimming upstream takes a LOT of energy, and often we feel we deserve a little break.

But just like salmon, our best reproductive activity is to fight the current, to jump the flow, and to make it upstream.  Jesus demonstrated that to all of us.  He was the ultimate overcomer, and spawned a ministry that has saved billions of people and is still at work today.  He is calling us to follow Him upstream, and spawn great number of ‘salmon’ with Him! 

Most likely, your life is surrounded by many options to flow with the current.  Don’t be attracted to those.  Choose the lifestyle that goes against the current of sin.  Fight and grow stronger, moving up the stream to leave a legacy of strong salmon.  Not only will it help you find purpose and life, but it will actually encourage many others to fight the current as well. 

Don’t retreat any longer … overcome by faith in the best current buster of all.  His Name is Jesus!

10/26/18 - Heb 9

Oct 26, 2018

Christ will appear a second time, not to bear sin, but to bring salvation to those who are waiting for him.  Heb 9:28

His death was for everyone but His second coming is only for those who faithfully believe---so surrender to Him now!

Imagine the world’s surprise at Jesus’ first arrival.  He is prophesied for thousands of years as the coming Messiah, who would re-establish God’s Kingdom on earth.  Everyone knew where He would arrive, yet his birth remained relatively hidden from the world.  People expected Jesus to come in the lineage of David, but did not expect Him to have poor and unassuming parents.  Then Jesus shows up on the scene, teaches and heals for three years while gathering a small posse, and ends up dieing a gruesome death as a criminal.  But as shocking as all that was, you can’t top what happened three days later when that same unknown teacher rose from the grave.

Until the next time Jesus shows up…

The next time it won’t be as a baby in a cattle manger.  It won’t be for the purpose of walking the earth to teach and heal.  Jesus won’t come to gather a posse of followers.  When He comes the next time, Jesus will be a visible image on the clouds.  His purpose won’t be to save sinners but to rescue believers.  Jesus won’t be opening the door of salvation, He will be closing it.  He won’t face a cross, we will.

This is our chance to choose.  We either die to sin now and live later, or live for ourselves now and die later.  God’s deal is beyond belief – offering us a swap of our sin for His Son.  But it does come with a cost: surrender. 

Sin appears to offer company, but delivers bondage.   It starts with the promise of pleasure, but turns to pain.  Sin is the hope of eternal happiness that leads to eternal hell.

And surrender is seen as lonely but delivers companionship.  It starts with discipline but turns into freedom.  While it sacrifices temporary happiness, it grows holiness that brings joy.

You and I were given a great deal.  We live in the age of Grace.  Take the deal!  You’ll struggle with surrender for a little while, but then find the results far better than the sin plan.  And when Jesus comes again, you won’t be surprised or disappointed.  You’ll be saved.

10/25/18 - Heb 8

Oct 25, 2018

This is the new covenant I will establish: I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people.  Heb 8:10

Salvation through Jesus is based on relationship over religion and conscience over rules.

Every person has religion.

Many would dismiss that statement, some even get defensive.  But the fact is, we all have a standard of behavior based on our beliefs.  Religion is not just tied to the common faith systems, it is tied to behavior.  Some people’s religion involves a diety, others involves a favorite activity or sports team, many base their religion on themselves.  Your behavior reveals your religion.

But God isn’t interested in being a “system”.  He is a relational God.  Behavior is not God’s standard for us, God sees behavior as a reflection of our relationship with Him.  Religion doesn’t get us into heaven, it is at best a sign that we may get in.  Jesus said it clearly:  “I will tell them, I never knew you.”

Instead, God did something radically different than any other religious system would do.   Instead of rules, God put His expectations on our conscience (our soul).  And instead of religion, He based our salvation on how much we pursued a relationship.  The outcome is something completely different than a religion, even though people still call it one.  God set up an ‘anti-system’ called Grace, that gives us mercy, forgiveness and freedom so that our consciences demand far more than just following a rule-set or living by a code of behavior.  Grace calls us to a relationship of total love for God and total obedience to His ways.  Grace puts the focus on God instead of on the rules.

It’s so important to God, that He made it a covenant (a promise between three parties), where we promise God we will live for Jesus, and Jesus promises God He will live for us.  The outcomes is something different than any other ‘religion’ in the world, because it’s a spiritual marriage relationship.

So what is your true religion?  Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate it. Because if we think our eternity is based on our good behaviors, or our good intentions, or how we compare to other ‘bad’ people, we’ll be sadly mistaken.  And if we’re living with the hope that a loving God would never send us to hell, we’ll condemn ourselves by the lack of relationship we never pursued. 

Everyone likes to reject religion, until it means rejecting the religion we prefer.  God rejects them all.  He made salvation based on covenant relationship.

So maybe it’s time to start working on that relationship today!

10/24/18 - Heb 7

Oct 24, 2018

Jesus is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.  Heb 7:25

Don't put hope in things that perish, put hope in a person that rules forever.

What do you put your hope in?

Some put their hope in their jobs.  They work hard, often very long hours, hoping that it leads to success and wealth. 

Others put their hope in family.  They expect that the relationship investment will lead to long term happiness and satisfaction.

Some consider money their hope.  By making more and managing it better, they expect to retire and enjoy it during the golden years of their life.

Many put their hope in themselves.  They expect to be able to control, manipulate, or manufacture the outcomes of their lives using their own skills, abilities, or intellect.

But then comes a downsizing, or the loss of a family member, or a bad doctor’s report, or an injury, and all of the things they hoped in are challenged by life’s circumstances.  Anything on earth you put your hope in will eventually be taken from you!  (You may need to read that over and over again until it sinks in!!!)

Logically, we are silly to put hope in anything that has a lifespan.  After all, who drives a Model-T car for daily life activities?  What job position is permanently secure for a lifetime?  Who’s kids remain as a child?  Or for that matter, how many families stay conflict free and living in community for generations?  Everything with a lifespan ends.  Putting our hope in the perishable is bound to make our hope perish.

But there is one thing we CAN put our hope in.   It’s not a perishable, it’s a person who overcame the perishable.  The same Jesus who took on our sin and died in our place is the one who is imperishable.  He has already overcome death, and cannot die again, making Him the only thing we can reliably put our hope in. Now He rules heaven and earth forever, and is ready to rule over our lives as well.

Jesus is able to save us, because He can never perish.  He stands at the right hand (the place of power), to intercede for us, speaking to the Father on our behalf and reminding God of the “swap” He did for us to live forever with them.  Your job cannot do that, your works cannot do that, your family cannot do that, your health or skills or money can’t do that either.  Only Jesus has the authority and longevity to save us.

Stop relying on things with a lifespan to satisfy you, and trust the person that never perishes.  He is the only thing worth having hope in.

10/23/18 - Heb 6

Oct 23, 2018

Don't become lazy, but imitate those whose faith and patience led to inheriting what God promised.  Heb 6:12

Faith doesn't just say it believes, it lives out the belief daily.

In 1950, Zenith released a product called Lazy Bones, a cumbersome device tethered to the TV by a long cord. Zenith's founder demanded something better. So in 1955 Mr. Polley produced an innovation called the Flash-Matic, a ray-gun remote control sold just as TV sets were making their way into every American home. "Absolutely harmless to humans!" the Flash-Matic ads promised. Within decades, a television could be found in practically every American home, and nearly every TV set had a remote to go with it.

If you have been navigating through this devotional, by now you have felt the constant calling to the deeper life.  It’s not written to be a theology of comfort, but challenging us to go deeper into the calling of Christ as His followers.  It is a calling that is neither remote nor control.

Today’s text from Hebrews is a chapter warning about the risks of leaving the faith, as well as challenging us to live out our beliefs every day.   Some see this section as simply hyperbole, and others are more literal in their interpretation.  But either way, it again reminds us that having faith in Christ is not for the faint-hearted.  You cannot be a believer of Jesus and also be a “Lazy Bones”.  There is no remote control living in the Christian faith, you have to get up and do something.

These days, many comment about how Americans have become so lazy they expect everything to be remotely controlled.  We watch movies from our laptops, manage our homes from the smartphone, and bark out commands to audio devices for them to follow.  Even in churches, you see many people sitting while a few on stage seem to do the work.  Many would rather send than serve.  The Christian faith has become increasingly lazy.  Then we wonder why our bodies grow fat and our faith grows cold, or why miracles seem to decline and church closures seem to rise.  The remote control lifestyle has not just made daily chores more convenient, it has made our lives more compromised.

Make a decision to get up off your seat and take a stand.  Choose to not be known by your laziness, but by your faithfulness.  Imitate the great heroes of the Bible --- because they were neither lazy nor compromised.  Take on the enemies of God like David did.  Stand for the truth like Moses did.  Serve Jesus with all your heart like Mary Magdelene did.   Hunger for Jesus like Mary did.  Don’t just say you believe in Jesus, show it.

I encourage you to live your life as an example of what Godly people are like.  Work to be diligent, committed, faithful, patient, and worthy of the inheritance God has given us.  Because living a remote control life is Absolutely Harmful to Humans!!!

10/22/18 - Heb 5

Oct 22, 2018

Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. Heb 5:13

Continuing to sin is a sign of infancy... don’t stay childish.  Grow up and hunger for the meat of God.

One summer, my parents took us on a very long trip from central Ohio to Virginia to spend time with my Uncle Tom & Aunt Elaine’s family.  Bits and pieces of the trip come back to me from time to time, but there is one memory I clearly recall ALL the time.  It was the night Uncle Tom took us all out for dinner at the Country Club they were members of.  We didn’t get to order a hamburger that night.  It wasn’t on the menu.  My parents had my brother and I split a steak.  I remember clearly how much different steak was from hamburger --- WOW !!!  It was like an explosion of taste in my mouth!  Hamburgers were no longer the favored meat after that meal… steak was now king!  Even today, I love a good steak.

There is a dividing line in life called puberty.  It’s a point in life when everything starts to change drastically.  The body starts maturing into an adult, voices change pitch, hair starts growing, our minds embrace abstract thought, and morality gets tested.   Throughout the ages, it is the time when children are turned into adults, and take on new responsibilities.  It’s like moving from hamburger to steak.

While our bodies are programmed to “kick in” at a certain age, our spirits depend on us to flip the switch.  Even though thinking might change from concrete to abstract thoughts, our behaviors can stay locked into the 1^st gear of childhood.  (Certainly, all of us have seen 40-year-olds still act like they are still 18, or at least TRY to act 18 again.)  And if we are honest, there are probably seasons in our own life where we wanted to throw out the responsibilities of adulthood, and live like a teenager.

The Hebrew preacher uses that picture to describe the deadly impact living as spiritual infants can have.  It’s okay to be an infant when we are first born (or even first born again), but to STAY that way is unhealthy and inappropriate.  Just as awkward as having a teenager be nursed by his mother is having a Christian still living like an infant in obedience.   Spiritual infancy is a SHORT SEASON… we must all grow up into righteousness and faithfulness.

You can’t understand the true depths of sin, grace, mercy, forgiveness and other great lessons without growing up in your faith.  But many people prefer to be given the milk of salvation and stay an infant, expecting God to bless them and take care of feeding them from the bottle while they keep living in ignorance.  Jesus didn’t die on the cross to give us a free license, He died to give us access to holiness. 

Hebrews instructs us to stop living like infants and grow up.  To Grow is to better Know …  so dig into the rich doctrines of the Scriptures, and discover how amazing God’s Word really is.  You will find amazing pictures of God’s Sovereignty and Love, see His signs of Mercy and His patience with people, and even get a bigger picture of how GREAT His Love for you and I really is.  Don’t be satisfied with the baby bottle, discover the tasty pleasure of the steak of His Word.

10/19/18 - Heb 4

Oct 19, 2018

For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword,... it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.  Heb 4:12

God’s Word will either direct our hearts or judge our hearts---don't just root for Jesus, follow Him.

Van Morris tells the story of a woman sitting in the waiting room for her first appointment with a new dentist. She noticed his DDS diploma, which bore his full name. Suddenly, she remembered that a tall, handsome, dark-haired boy with the same name had been in her high school class so many years ago. Could this be the same guy? she wondered.  But the thought was quickly dismissed when she met the balding, gray-haired man with the deeply lined face. He's way too old to have been my classmate, she thought to herself.

Still, after he examined her teeth, she had to ask, "Did you happen to attend Morgan Park High School?"

"Yes! I'm a Mustang," he gleamed with pride.

"When did you graduate?" she asked.

"1959," he replied. "Why do you ask?"

"You were in my class!" she exclaimed.

"Really?" he said, looking at her closely. "What did you teach?"

(Oops!)

That lady faced a rude awakening.  We all have those at moments in our lives.  But as rude as that wake-up call was about her aging appearance, there is a far greater awakening coming to all of us when we face God one day.  Many will discover that Jesus was 100% accurate when He warned us He was the only way to eternity.  More will suffer eternal disappointment when they find out that they were NOT good enough to get into heaven.  People will weep when they see the destruction of their disobedience, both on their own lives AND the lives of their loved ones.  Jesus warned us it will not be pretty, because ONLY those who Believe In Him will live with the Father.  That belief calls for total obedience of Jesus, not just rooting for Him.

We can’t obey what we never learn, and we can’t learn what we never hear.  If your Bible is collecting more dust than it is notes, you’re not really BELIEVING in Him, you’re at best believing about Him.  If you’re relying on His forgiveness to be your license to sin, you’re not really following Jesus, you’re following another god called ‘self’.  The Word of God is not given to be a good idea for our lives, it is given to be the Lord of our lives.  Because the Word of God is Jesus!  It is His essence and His character.

Don’t let that rude awakening happen to you.  Before you face God for judgment, face His Word today for direction.  Make His Word your friend, and let it do the work on your heart it needs to.  Obey what it says --- because it’s the only way to avoid an eternal rude awakening.

Start today!  It’s the only thing that can save you a terrible embarrassment later.

10/18/18 - Heb 3

Oct 18, 2018

But encourage one another daily, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness. Heb 3:13

Surround yourself with faithful people, so that sin doesn't take control.

It’s an old adage that still carries weight:  You are what you eat.

Not that we turn into an orange if we eat oranges, but if we eat vitamin-based products, we’ll have that in our bodies.  If we eat fats, we’ll have that too.  More importantly, if we constantly take in anger, we’ll become more angry.  If we surround ourselves with sin, we’ll sin more.   So if that’s the case, when we surround ourselves with faithful people, we’ll tend to become more faithful.  It’s also true that being among encouragers gives us more courage. 

In every letter Paul wrote, he called the churches to get rid of sin in their lives.  And in this book, the writer of Hebrews tells the church the same thing, but with one helpful instruction: we stand against sin when we stand together with faithful people!  So often, when we are surrounded by people who don’t believe in Jesus, we’ll find ourselves questioning our faith.  Doubts will creep in, behaviors become compromised, sin becomes accepted, and faith gets lost.  However, when we are surrounded by people of faith, then challenge turns to change and behaviors become beliefs.  You will be more successful by connecting to a body of believers than you ever will on your own!  (Yes – that flies in the face of our independent mindsets, but it’s still true today!)

Sin is just like a terrorist, he is an unfair fighter.  It preys on people who live alone.  It attacks when we are at our weakest.  And it knows how to defeat us when our defenses are down.  Sin knows how to form a majority party when we are voting alone!  Don’t let sin control your life.  Surround yourself with a much larger party of faithful people, and allow the positive encouragement of the crowd to fight off that terrorist called sin.

And yes… faithful people make mistakes.  They sometimes set up stricter rules than necessary.  They too fight pride and arrogance.  They fail to defeat sin every time.  That’s why YOU are there!  You’re supposed to help others as well fight off sin, by sharing in fellowship and serving each other together.  If you have been hurt or disappointed by believers, don’t let Terrorist Sin separate you from the group.  Kick out sin and help the group to grow.  Both you and the group will be FAR BETTER OFF together with Jesus than you ever will be alone.

Listen to the wise writing of the Hebrew preacher.  Encourage each other daily!  We all need help fighting off sin, so encourage those around you to be faithful, and surround yourself daily with faithful people.  And remember, in addition to those in your church, family and small group, you also have the faithful witnesses of Scripture to add to your party!  Bring them all into your life, so that you can fight off the deceitfulness of sin. 

After all: You are what you eat!

10/17/18 - Heb 2

Oct 17, 2018

Because Jesus himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted. Heb 2:18

Temptation doesn’t lead us to sin, we sin by not seeking Jesus in the temptation.

You may not know this, or want to hear it, but you’re not strong enough to defeat temptation.  

Decades ago, a comedian by the name of Flip Wilson coined a phrase: “The devil made me do it.”  People laughed and he used it for incredible parodies to show how we tend to excuse ourselves for sinful behaviors.  Unfortunately, it was both true and terrifying.  The devil is excellent at tempting us, and we let him dictate our actions way too much.

The challenge of temptation is not having the strength or discipline to overcome it ourselves, but having the humility and dependence to seek Jesus in the midst of temptation.  Jesus is the only one who gives us the power to overcome temptation – whether that’s through His intervention, or His instruction, or His discipline.  Sometimes He works through the help of others, and sometimes He does the work Himself, but you and I don’t overcome temptation without Him.

By the same token, we also can’t blame the devil for our failures.  It’s our choice whether we pursue the help of Jesus or not.  We have the ability to call on Jesus to help us.  We can pursue His Word to teach us, and follow His example to lead us.  It’s still our choice whether temptation is permitted to rule over us, or whether Jesus is.  Jesus is ready to help, but we must make the choice.  Jesus knows how to win!

Best of all, Jesus endured temptation just like we do, so He knows how we feel.  That’s as important as anything else about Jesus.  He understands our struggles, because He faced them.  Jesus knows our pain and loneliness, because He endured it like us.  That makes seeking Jesus much easier, because we don’t just pursue a far-away God who is disconnected from our situation, we call on a friend who understands our situation.  Getting Jesus to help is like calling a sponsor or phoning a friend.  We get help (not a lecture). 

Get it clear.  We can’t overcome temptation on our own.  We are just as susceptible to sin as every other person around us.  Our only answer is to call on Jesus, and get His help.  He has the power to overcome it with us, or take it from us, but we must choose to pursue His help.

So what are you waiting for?  Seek the help of Jesus, and you’ll have a friend who can help you win!

10/16/18 - Heb 1

Oct 16, 2018

The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. Heb 1:3

Jesus shows us the image, character & will of God---imitating Jesus honors God.

When we read about Jesus, we think of Him as a man.  Our understanding of Jesus is based on the people we are used to living around.  We read His miracles and His teaching, and recognize His Lordship by the Scriptures, but still imagine Jesus as a divine man.  That’s understandable, since we only have direct physical experience with human beings.

But Jesus was far more than that.  Jesus was “the Word in flesh”.  He wasn’t just a Divine Man, He is humanized God.  Out of love for us, Jesus chose to take on the limitations of flesh and live among us in the limitations of earth, so that He could be sacrificed in our place.  Just because He took on the limitation doesn’t reduce His divinity.

That means Jesus was still the image of God, He still had the full character of God, and He lived out the will of God – because HE IS GOD!  Don’t miss that!  He wasn’t just a man with godly qualities, He is God living inside the flesh of a man.  That makes Jesus far more important than just a great teacher or leader, it makes Him fully qualified to be Lord of our lives. 

I encourage you to spend today THINKING ABOUT THAT!  Jesus is the complete Godhead, taking on the limitation of human beings out of love for you and I.  How amazing!  His love for you and I is SO GREAT that He was willing to limit Himself in a bodily form.  So if you want to know what God’s will is for your life, look to Jesus.  If you want to know what character qualities to develop, match to Jesus.  If you want to be a success in life, imitate Jesus.  That may not require a physical crucifixion, but it will likely require taking on limitations.  It definitely will call us to follow Jesus and imitate His lifestyle.

It also speaks to the power of Jesus’ words.  Everything He said was Divine!  That makes His words SO IMPORANT and so vital to understand, because they carry the weight of both authority and power.  Just as God’s Word had the power to create everything in the universe, Jesus’ words have the power to change our lives forever.  Learning His Words should be the top priority in our life, because they define the structure and essence of how life is created.

We have been given an amazing gift!  Unlike those in the Old Testament, we don’t have to try and figure out God’s will by following rules.  We get to learn how to follow God by imitating Jesus.  Instead of an outline to live by, we have an image to follow. 

10/15/18 - Philemon

Oct 15, 2018

In Christ I could order you to do what you ought to do, yet I prefer to appeal to you on the basis of love. Philemon 1:8-9

God doesn't want obligational obedience, He wants passionate pursuit --- make it your passion to obey.

A boy was unhappy that his mother called him in for dinner, and continued to stand in defiance.  Mom realized this was a battle of the wills that she needed to win, and insisted he sit at the table with the family.  Eventually her authority (and maybe her size), won the argument, and the boy sat at the table.  But as he sat, he exclaimed in pride:  “I may be sitting on the outside, but I am standing on the inside!”

Sometimes people treat God the same way.  We don’t like His principles, and don’t want His instructions.  In our own arrogance, we’d rather go out and play instead of do what He asks.  Maybe we actually know He is right, but prefer to live out our own ways instead.   And when things go bad, we “sit” because we HAVE to, but not because we WANT to.  It might not be stated, but we’re still “standing on the inside”.

God is the best parent, and He’s not interested in us obeying out of obligation or coercion.  God is interested in us knowing and understanding His will.  He wants our passion to obey, out of love for Him instead of trying to get something from Him.  Forced obedience does nothing to help us know Him better. 

Here’s what God does when we have passion to obey:

-          It saves time & energy – just ask the Israelites who turned an 11-day journey into a 40 year trip.

-          It protects our families – learn from David, who damaged his family from one night of disobedience

-          It saves people, and often saves us – just look at Jonah.

-          It releases miraculous power – see what happened to Paul when He obeyed God’s whispers.

All of us have authorities in life, and it brings glory to God when we obey them wholeheartedly.  Obedience out of obligation may accomplish the task, but it doesn’t breed unity.  DESIRING to obey is what brings glory and breeds unity.  Make it your DESIRE to obey.  Don’t be “standing on the inside” … be “sitting” even before you’re asked to J. 

10/12/18 - Titus 3

Oct 12, 2018

Remind the people to be subject to authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, Titus 3:1

Living in faith instead of selfishness is not natural, so we need to remind each other to do it.

Someone once said that men don’t need to be taught, they need to be reminded.  Maybe that’s why our mothers repeated themselves so often!

It must be true, because we look for reminders all the time.  We want the alarm to remind us when to get up, and set up calendar entries for us to know when appointments start.  We write down tasks and checklists so that we don’t forget to do things.  Many people use reading plans to remind themselves what to read next.  Signs remind us what laws need to be followed while we drive, and commercials are rerun regularly so we ‘remember’ to buy the products they sell.  The truth is, we need reminded a LOT!

That just shows how quickly our behavior declines without having reminders.  God knew that about us, and even wrote the Bible so that we would be reminded constantly (if we would read it).  He also commissioned prophets and teachers to keep reminding us regularly.

Paul caught onto this truth, and instructed Titus to make that his pattern.  Titus didn’t need to be original or innovative, he just needed to be disciplined and continuing reminding people of what to do.  Being the reminder for people is not always pleasant.  Often, people know they need reminded, but don’t always like the reminders.  Jesus is a good example of that --- they crucified Him for His message.  Yet the message Paul & Titus were given was worthy of being restated often.  In fact, the Gospel is a message we need to hear DAILY (even more often than that at times). 

Jesus also recognized our need for reminders.  So He instituted the practice of communion (The Lord’s Supper), so that we would never forget the Gospel message.  Every time we gather, Jesus encouraged us to remember His death and resurrection, so that we would be encouraged to live for Him.  We need that reminder, so Jesus used the common elements of food and drink to help us keep remembering.

Don’t be so negative about reminders.  REMEMBER, they are gifts to help us grow and improve, avoiding the natural decline our behavior tends to go.  Be submissive, be obedient, and be ready to act.  (Those are reminders worth hearing regularly!)

And maybe it’s a good time to thank your mom (or other caring persons) for giving you reminders.

10/11/18 - Titus 2

Oct 11, 2018

Jesus gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good. Titus 2:14

Jesus didn't die just to forgive our history, He died to change our destiny.

How does poisoned water become pure again? 

The common approaches are evaporation or dilution.  While both can make the water useable, they are seldom complete in purifying the water.  Toxins are still evident after a filtration process, and dilution never completely removes them.  The only answer is replacement.

That’s what made God’s challenge of turning sin-filled people into holy children so difficult.  He could try to filter or purify people with His law, but there was still the seed of sin left in us.  And since sin cannot enter the presence of true Holiness, we were destined for hell.  So Jesus made Himself into a human to be a replacement for us.  By sacrificing Himself as payment for our sin, He turned us into Holy Children.  His purity replaced our impurity.  His Holiness replaced our sinfulness.  God didn’t dilute or divide our sin, He replaced it.

But that’s not the best part.  When Jesus took on the cross, He replaced our destiny as well.  Not only was our past forgiven, our future was replaced as well.  Not only do we have access to God, we have fellowship with Him.  That means we are NOW able to live differently, to have authority over sin, to be victorious against temptation, and to produce great results in THIS life!   Jesus didn’t just die to forgive our past, but to change our future.

So often, people look for Jesus to be a toxin remover.  We keep seeing the scars of sin and the temptations of life to draw us back into sin, and don’t recognize the full healing we have received.  But Jesus doesn’t want us living in the past, He wants us to focus on the future.  Why would we let our new purity be corrupted again by sin?  Our freedom from sin permits us to live eagerly for Him!

Don’t go back to sin, choose to live for Him.  Live in the purity that Jesus paid so much to give us.  Be pure water again.

10/10/18 - Titus 1

Oct 10, 2018

To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure. Titus 1:15

Humans tend to see others the way they see themselves---looking for failure or corruption in others comes from knowing our own corruption.

Jesus made a statement in several places of his ministry that our words reveal our hearts.  If you’re like me, the power of that observation continues to grow stronger the longer I live.  For example:

-          A man was constantly talking to me about the financial practices of others.  It seemed like every conversation led to some discussion about money.  Can you guess what his focus was on?

-          Similarly, I had a female friend in college that was constantly critical of the appearance of others, especially other females.  I didn’t put it together at the time, but my guess was that she was very self-conscious about her own appearance (which would have explained the high volume of makeup she wore).

That’s two revealing examples, but there are hundreds of simpler ones:  people who love a sport tend to talk about it all the time, those living with a sin tend to notice the sins of others, many who suffered traumatic pain become advocates for those dealing with pain. 

What gets to me is how often I critique what another person is doing, and later find it in myself.   For instance, I noticed a person who dripped with sarcasm in their comments, and as I thought about it, God revealed to me my own recent sarcastic behavior.  Even in bringing up someone who struggled with finances or another person only interested in their looks makes me recognize my own struggles with those two issues. 

Paul tells Titus not to get distracted by the comments of others.  Often it just reveals where their heart is.  Many times it will say more about where they are than where you are.  But also be aware of what you are thinking about others!  It may be revealing something going on in your own heart.

So before we start making observations about the poor behavior of others, we may want to look in the mirror and see it in ourselves first.  And when someone makes a judgment about our behavior, realize it might just be coming from experience in their own lives.

10/09/18 - 2Tim 4

Oct 9, 2018

But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do your job, fulfill your ministry. 2Tim 4:5

Don't let your life be controlled by feelings or circumstances, let it be controlled by God's purposes.

There is a difference between passions and feelings.  Passions are a calling toward something, feelings are a desire for something.  Both can be good things, but they don’t always make for healthy choices.

Golf carts, along with other vehicles, often have something called a “governor” built in to regulate how fast they go.  This device allows the engine to run as fast as the driver wants up to a limit, and then regulates the speed from going higher.  It is a safety feature so that the engine’s speed doesn’t exceed the safety level of the vehicle.  Some people remove this special device so that they can go faster, but by doing so create the risk of a crash.

Passions are a calling in your soul.  They were given to you by God and are as unique as you are.  Every person has at least one passion that serves as a marker to show we matter and we have a purpose.  But passions have a “governor” called character.  When our passions exceed our character, we tend to find breakdowns in ethics, which eventually slow down the passion.

Feelings operate a little differently.  Instead of being a calling to fulfill a purpose, they tend to propel our hearts toward a desire.  Feelings are not bad in themselves, but they can often cloud over the “governor” built into us called “our mind”.  When feelings exceed logic, they tend to create breakdowns in morality, which crash us into the wall of failure.

Paul warns young Timothy to handle both passions & feelings by staying true to character and logic.  Continue to pursue passions, but keep your head.  Pay attention to your feelings, but let logic endure over fears & frustrations.  Don’t dump your passion when things get hard, fulfill your ministry by being a man of character. 

Passions and feelings have great value in helping us along the course God planned for us, but they often need the “governors” of character and logic to keep them in line.   Keep those governors installed in your life, and your journey will continue forward on the road God has laid out for you.

10/08/18 - 2Tim 3

Oct 8, 2018

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2Tim 3:16-17

Only God's ways create lasting positive results --- become a student of His Word.

The Bible is an incredible book.  It is the oldest, most analyzed text of history.   It is more studied and tested than any document you have ever read, and has been quoted more than any text.  The resulting book of books is not only webbed together better than most single-author books, it applies to cultures for thousands of years better than any other book as well.

According to this passage, Paul believed every verse was more than just a story from history or a philosophy of the writer.  Paul recognized the hand of God orchestrating the entire work.  God not only dictated some of the writings, He coordinated the timing, led in the retelling, and protected it from destruction.  Paul fully believed that the end result we call the Bible was planned out and delivered by the breath of God, and is not just for mankind’s understanding of history, but for you and I to understand God’s heart so that we could change our lives!  Knowing that the text is compiled over 1000s of years for us today makes it the most impressive book of all time.

If you believe all this is true – that the Bible was orchestrated by God, created for each of us, and still applies today – why in the world are we so dispassionate in studying it?  If we believed the Bible is God’s Word and His whispers to us, we should value it like we value water, oxygen and sunlight.  Yet many Christians today put little discipline or effort into fully studying the Bible, and many even discount the instruction given from it by skipping church or bible studies.

So that must mean many people are not really believers of the Scriptures – they either feel like it’s not really from God’s heart, or mismanaged by men.  If you’re That Guy/Girl, then maybe it’s time to reconsider:

-          How come we continue to see Scripture’s stories be proved out in archeology?

-          How did all 400+ prophecies of Jesus come true after being written hundreds of years prior?

-          How is it that you can hear a good teaching from a few short verses, and it feels like the speaker had cameras in your house watching your life?

-          How is it that billions of people continue to seek the wisdom of the Scriptures, and have their lives changed, marriages rescued, and relationships reconciled by its words?

Before throwing out the Scriptures, take time to read them.  You might just discover like Paul that every Scripture has a point worth knowing.

10/05/18 - 2Tim 2

Oct 5, 2018

Flee the evil desires of youth and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace. 2Tim 2:22

Human desires and Godly desires don't mix-- we have to flee one to find the other, so choose wisely.

Someone once said, youth is wasted on the young.  Maybe there’s a connection between that saying and this verse.

Many of our worst mistakes happened when we are young.  Insurance companies know that driving errors tend to happen more with young drivers than as they get older.  Certainly people are more prone to poor decisions in relationships, finances and lifestyle choices.  That’s not to say we don’t sin when we get older – there are many examples of “youthful thinking” in older people.  It just seems like the young are more prone to sin’s temptations. 

Paul says it’s because of our desires.   Being young means much less experience and exposure.   The young see life as a long road ahead instead of a fast-approaching dead end.  Many times, the desire to be autonomous and self-sufficient lead us into hurried choices.  Sometimes our physical desires and emotional passions exceed the level of maturity in our thinking, taking us away from wisdom.  Then there are the negative experiences that seem so devastating in our youth, which look much less formidable to people who have lived five or six decades.  If you want to see where our mistakes start, go back to the desires that drive our decisions.

Paul gives Timothy a simple secret to help fight off sin’s temptations.  Here’s his formula:

Ask a question before pursuing any desire:  will this solution bring me closer to righteousness, faith, love and peace, or send me farther away?

Look at those four factors:

Righteousness – the root of that word means to act with justice.  Would the method of answering your desire be the right answer (the just answer to God)?  This question deals with Truth from Scripture.

Faith – pursuing the answer of faith is about Time.  Is it the right timing for this decision, or is waiting a wiser option?  If you aren’t sure the answer is from God and is His timing, then Faith says to wait.

Love – love is about Others.  Does this decision solve my selfishness or help others’ needs?  Is this a decision that love people (or myself) the way God would love them (or me)?  Love does no evil.

Peace – sometimes the best way to know a decision was wrong is by the peace we have with God afterwards.  Most people know what guilt feels like.  Many come to recognize this as a lack of peace, and others use this to push out God.  But looking at a decision for the after-affects in our relationship with God will help us discern the right choice.  If a choice will rob us of peace, it’s not the right choice.

Age has little to do with sin, but age limits our exposure.  So when looking at our decisions, run them through the 2:22 Test.  Will this choice pass for righteousness, faith, love & peace?  If not, show some wisdom and change the youthful thinking into wise thinking.