Christmas Is About Salvation

Christmas is right around the corner. Now is the time to get down to the crux of the matter.

Christmas is about salvation.

The Christmas story is about the birth of Christ, and it is truly only the beginning. God did not take the form of man simply to have a good story to tell, or a reason to celebrate. God was not trying to connect with His people by appearing in lesser form. The purpose of that first Christmas was for Christ to die on a cross.

Chapters 1 and 2 of Matthew, which tell the story of the birth of Jesus, would hold no hope for us without Chapters 27 and 28, which tell of His crucifixion, death, and resurrection. Luke Chapter 2 has no power over sin without Chapters 23 and 24. That babe born in a manger had to die on cross so that we may have life.

Maybe this isn't the uplifting Christmas story you want to hear, but there is no story, no truth more full of hope, joy, and love. The story of Christmas is the story of God giving us the gift of life through the death of His Son. If Christ were only born, that would not have been enough. He had to be born, live, and then give up His life to give us ours.

I want you to know this truth. To live, you must accept Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. You, like I, are a sinner. You cannot do anything about that. Even if you never sinned again (and we all will!), your sins have earned you death. Not the death of the body, but the death of the soul. Eternal death. Not annihilation, but eternal suffering and punishment in hell. That's not pretty. That's reality.

The Christmas story is about being saved from that. When we as Christians talk about salvation and being saved, we mean being saved from the punishment our sins deserve. The wages of sin is indeed death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:23). God is offering you that gift.

All you have to do is accept it. Accept the truth that you are a sinner, that the cost of your sins is hell, and that you don't want that. Accept that the only way to be saved from what you deserve is through the gift of God--Jesus Christ. Believe that Jesus is God, that He died in your place so that God would forgive your sins through His blood. Talk to God, telling Him you believe this to be true, and accept it as true in your innermost being. That's called faith. That's called salvation.

Do this, and you accept the gift. The greatest gift ever known.

Christmas is about the gift of life. To us. From God.

Merry Christmas indeed!

Christmas Is About Grace And Mercy

Christmas is a celebration of the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. No matter what the world has tried to make it, that is what it is. A celebration of God's incredible gift to us: His Son. As John 3:16 says, God so loved the world that He gave up His only Son so that whoever believes in Him will never have to die a spiritual death, but instead will have eternal life. Jesus was born in the flesh so that He could die in the flesh. That's the only way we could be saved from our sins.

What does this have to do with grace and mercy? Everything!

In our Christian faith, grace is the unmerited favor of God. Another way to define grace is an undeserved gift. When God sent His Son to live among us, we received an undeserved gift. God did not send Jesus because we deserved Him, or because we had earned such an incredible prize. God sent Jesus because He loves us. Our sins earned us death; God bestowed His grace, His unmerited favor, upon us in the form of His Son, our Savior.

Likewise, mercy is compassion or forgiveness shown toward someone whom it is within one's power and right to punish. Mercy is the withholding of deserved punishment. God, because of His love for us, chose not to punish us as we deserved. He has shown us compassion, and offered us forgiveness in the name of His Son. Jesus came to save us as an act of mercy on the part of God the Father.

To prepare for Christmas is to recognize the grace and mercy of our God. He is under no obligation to forgive us for our sins. Only because of His love, His mercy, His grace has He offered His Son in place of our punishment. Without Christ, there would be no forgiveness of sin. Without God's mercy and grace, there would be no Christ, no Christmas.

As we get ready for Christmas, we must remember grace and mercy. As God has given us unmerited favor, undeserved gifts, so should we be gracious towards those around us. We have not earned Christmas; it is God's gift to us. Maybe you know someone who has not earned your favor; give it to them anyway. Grace isn't about giving to someone what they deserve--that's justice. Grace is giving what isn't deserved. That's what God did for us.

Mercy is the other side of the coin. God has given us Christ to stand in our place of punishment. He has withheld the punishment we deserve that is within His power and right to deliver. Without mercy, there would be no Christmas. As you remember that, perhaps there is someone in your life, or perhaps you will encounter someone in the next few days, who doesn't deserve mercy. Just remember, you didn't deserve it either.

Grace is unmerited favor. Mercy is the withholding of deserved punishment. Christ is God's response to both. Christmas is our celebration of Christ. Therefore, Christmas is about grace and mercy.

Remember that as you get ready for Christmas this week.

Christms Is About Hope, Joy, And Love

The four week period prior to Christmas is known as Advent. Churches and families often have an Advent wreath with five candles. One candle is lit on each Sunday leading up to Christmas, and the final candle, which represents Christ, is lit on Christmas Day. The four candles leading up to the Christ candle represent Hope, Preparation, Joy, and Love.

These four ideas are much of what Christmas is about.

Christmas is about hope.


What is hope? Hope is about expectation and desire. To have hope is to have confident expectation something is going to happen. Christian hope is about confidence and faith. When we say our hope is in Christ, we are not only saying we want something to happen, we confidently expect something to happen. We have faith that something will happen. What is our hope in Christ? What is that something? Salvation and eternal life.

We celebrate Christmas because with the birth of Christ we were given hope. The hope of eternal life. The hope of reconciliation with God. The hope of salvation.Without the birth of our Savior, we would have very little hope indeed. We would be lost in our sins, and spiritually dead. With Christ, we have the hope of life eternal.

This is how Paul presented this idea to the Christians in Rome.  “And again, Isaiah says, ‘The Root of Jesse will spring up, one who will arise to rule over the nations; the Gentiles will hope in him.’  May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”  Romans 15:12-13.

Christmas is about preparation.

This is our third week talking about preparing for Christmas. We talked about how Joseph and Mary prepared for that first Christmas, and what that means for us. Christmas is not to be taken lightly. It is not something to go into blindly. Christmas is serious, and serious matters deserve serious preparation.

God prepared the world for that first Christmas with a series of events and people. One of those people was John the Baptist. As Luke wrote about him, “As is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet:  ‘A voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.  Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low.  The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth.  And all mankind will see God’s salvation.‘  Luke 3:4-6.

 Prepare the way for the Lord. All mankind will see God's salvation. That's what preparing for Christmas is all about.

Christmas is about joy.

This is the message an angel of God brought to some shepherds keeping watch outside Bethlehem that night long ago. And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night.  An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified.  But the angel said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:8-11.

News of great joy for all the people. A Savior has been born. Our Savior! What greater joy could there be? Christmas is to be celebrated! Celebrated with great joy and elation. Salvation has come! Our Rescuer has arrived! We should receive Christmas like a drowning man receives a lifeline. With overflowing joy!

Christmas is about love.

For God so loved the world, He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life. John 3:16

Christ came because of God's love. God gave of His Son, of Himself, because He loves us. That baby in a manger was there because of love. Not the love of Mary, nor Joseph, but God. God's love for us. For me. For you. God loves you.

That is what Christmas is about. God's love for you and for me.

As you get ready for Christmas this week, remember that we are celebrating our Savior come as a babe in the flesh. Our hope, our joy, and the love of God wrapped up in swaddling cloths and laid in a manger.

That's what Christmas is about.

Getting Ready For Christmas--Mary Had Faith

Mary, mother of our Lord, Jesus Christ.

In our first post of the week, we saw how Mary was willing to be used of God, no matter the cost. In our second, we recognized how she remained humble even when she realized she was to play a part in the most important birth in the history of everything. The third characteristic Mary demonstrated in preparing for that first Christmas is perhaps the most important one of all.

Faith.

As I read the story of the birth of Christ in Matthew and Mark, I am struck by Mary's faith. When told she was to be pregnant by the Holy Spirit, she replied, "May it be to me as you have said." She didn't question whether God could do this thing He had never done before. When told her cousin Elizabeth, who had been declared barren, was to have a child, she did not doubt.

Mary didn't question if God could, or if God would. She accepted that God is. He is capable. He is willing. He is true to His word. In the face of the impossible, she gave everything over to God.

That's faith.

According to Hebrews 11:1, faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. Mary hoped in God, and was certain that, even though she could not see Him or His work, He would do what He said.

To travel to Bethlehem 9 months pregnant, Mary had to have faith that God would care for her. To flee with her young son to Egypt, she had to believe God was with them, even when they could not see Him. When told to return to their home, she had to hope in God that He would not lead them astray.

Mary gave her life over to God. His plan was not her plan, but she made her plan God's plan. She trusted that He knew best. She put her hope, her trust, her everything, in Him.

That's faith.

Christmas is about faith. It's about believing a humanly impossible story. It's about accepting spiritual things we cannot fully comprehend. It's about a promise hoped for that we cannot see or otherwise measure. It's about God, and our faith in Him.

To truly prepare for Christmas, we, like Mary, have to have faith. Yes, we can celebrate Christmas without faith--millions around the world do. But without faith in God, what are they celebrating?

Without faith, Christmas is meaningless. It's just another day. Worse than that, without faith in Christ, it becomes something else entirely. It becomes a celebration of the world and materialism. It becomes idolatry.

If faith is not central to your preparations for Christmas, then you're not getting ready for what Christmas really is.

Getting Ready For Christmas--Mary Was Humble

When Mary learned from the angel Gabriel that she was to give birth to the Son of the Most High, the Messiah, she did what ladies often do--she went to tell someone she trusted. This happened to be her older cousin, Elizabeth, who herself was also miraculously pregnant (Luke 1:36).

That conversation could have taken many paths, and most probably did as Mary spent three months with her trusted friend. We don't know the full extent of what Mary and Elizabeth discussed, but what we do know is how Mary initially responded to Elizabeth identifying her as the mother of my Lord (Luke 1:43).

It is hard for us to imagine the importance of that title, the mother of my Lord. Mary was carrying the Messiah, the Savior of the World, in her womb. The One foretold by the prophets of old. The answer to God's long-standing promise of a Deliverer. Israel's awaited King. Immanuel. God with us.

Elizabeth's recognition of this world-changing truth gushes out in Luke 1:41-45. Add this to the visit from God's Messenger, Gabriel, put yourself in Mary's place, and ask yourself how you would respond. Would you be excited? Of course. Would you be fearful and intimidated? Probably. Now, ask yourself this question: Would you have been proud?

Would you have thought more of yourself than you should have? Would you have thought that perhaps God had chosen you because you were so good, so right, so everything? Would you be tempted to place yourself on a pedestal? Consider that for a moment. Be honest with yourself.

I think most of us would. Pride is ubiquitous. It is the seed from which all sin originates, that which led to the fall of Lucifer (Satan) and the fall of man. If being told that I was to have a most important part in the answer to all of Man's problems, would I be able to resist the call of pride? Man, I hope so, but honestly, I doubt it.

Now, back to Mary.

How did she respond? The answer is found in Luke 1:46-55. Read that passage, and note how Mary refers to herself. Do you see it? In verse 48 . . . humble. Not only humble, but a humble servant. That's it. That's all she says about herself. Everything else she says is about God. No reference to herself as being deserving, or important, or really anything. She is just a humble servant of God.

That's humility. That's getting ready for Christmas.

Christmas isn't about us. Christmas is about God. It's about Him sending His Son as our Savior for His glory, not ours. We're not so good that we deserved Jesus. We're so bad that we required Jesus. Christmas should not be a celebration of ourselves, our children, our families, or anything else but rather a celebration of God. Mary got that. Do we?

Think about that as you get ready to celebrate the birth of our Savior.

Mary Was Willing

Last week, we talked about what Joseph had to do to prepare himself for that first Christmas, the birth of Christ. This week, I want to talk about Mary.

Mary was a young girl, pledged to be married to Joseph. Not yet married, she was still a virgin. We could say that her preparation started there and be correct. Were she not a virgin, she could not have been the mother of Jesus.

Where I want to pick up Mary's story, however, is in Luke 1:26, when Gabriel appears to her with the incredible announcement that she is to give birth to a son, the Son of the Most High. Mary, of course, questioned how this could come to be, as she was, as we mentioned, a virgin. Gabriel explains that the Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you (Luke 1:35).

Now, Mary was young, but she wasn't dumb. She knew what it meant to be a virgin, and she knew what it meant to be pregnant, and how the two were related. She also knew what it meant to be pregnant before being married. At best, she risked being ostracized. At worst, stoned to death. Joseph, nor any other respectable man, would want her as his wife.

And who would believe some story about an angel appearing to her, and that the Most High had come upon her and overshadowed her? God had been silent for a long time, and even when He had been speaking and interacting with His People before His silence, He had never done anything like this. Very few, if any would believe her.

Mary, then, was faced with a decision. Now, I don't know if she could have refused God's will in this matter or not, but she certainly could have argued. She could have presented her case and her concerns. She could have begged for mercy, asked God to wait until she was married, to allow her to remain a respectable woman.

She didn't.

Mary's response, in Luke 1:38, sums up her response. "I am the Lord's servant," Mary answered. "May it be to me as you have said."

I am the Lord's servant. God knows more than I do. I am willing. That's what Mary said there. I am willing. To be used as God wants me to be used. To do what God wants me to do. To risk losing what I have, or might have in the future, to be obedient to God's will.

That took courage. That took guts. That took faith.

Being willing to be used of, by, and for God isn't an easy thing. He often calls us to step outside our comfort zone, to do things which seem, and are to us alone, impossible. He asks us to take risks, and sometimes to make sacrifices. God never said that doing His will would be easy. What God says is that He knows best, and our efforts and sacrifices will never go to waste or unnoticed (by Him).

As you are preparing for Christmas, I urge you to consider your willingness to be God's servant. Not just when it's easy and comfortable, but when it's hard and uncomfortable. I urge you to be like Mary, to offer yourself as His servant, and to do whatever He asks.

Getting Ready For Christmas--Joseph Loved

In our first two blogs of this series, we explored how to prepare for that first Christmas, Joseph had to have faith, and then had to act on that faith by being obedient. Those are important and even essential elements for us as well in this season of Advent. They are not, however, what I think are most important. What I think is most important is something the Bible does not say directly, but certainly implies.

Joseph loved.

Joseph loved Mary. When he found out she was pregnant before they had been together, he did not want to disgrace her. Why? Because he loved her. When the angel told him in a dream to trust Mary and take her as his wife, he believed. Why? Certainly because he was a God-fearing man, but also, I believe, because of love.

Because he loved, Joseph took Mary with him as he went to register in Bethlehem. He had to register, not her. She, however, was due any day, and Joseph wanted to be part of that experience with the woman he loved. He endured the gossip, the outrage, the snickers and the ridicule because he loved.

Joseph loved Jesus. He desperately sought a place for the child to be born, and did the best he could to provide shelter. When Jesus was born, Joseph was there. When it came time for the child to be dedicated in the temple, Joseph went, claiming Him as his own. When righteous Simeon praised God as he recognized Jesus as the Messiah, Joseph marveled.

When told that his son was threatened, Joseph left the life he knew and fled to Egypt. When told it was safe to return, he avoided further danger and forsook the land of his fathers to live in Galilee. When Jesus went missing at 12 years old in Jerusalem, Joseph ran back to find Him.

Joseph loved, and he showed his love by what he did.

As we prepare for Christmas, we also must love. We must love one another, and we must love Jesus Christ our Lord. In I Corinthians 13:13, Paul says, "And now these three remain: Faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love."

I John 4:16 says, "God is love." John was not led to write, "God is faith," or "God is hope," but rather, "God is love." In heaven, I don't believe we will need faith--God will be visible and with us always. Nor do I believe we will need hope, for we will have received our inheritance. What will always remain, though, is love.

If we observe Christmas as a celebration of Christ, and believe that Christ is God, then we must embrace that Christmas is about love. Christmas is about 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." Christ was born for this reason: God so loved the world.

The origin of Christmas is love. Let us not fail to remember that as we get ready for Christmas this year.

Getting Ready For Christmas--Joseph, Part Two

In part one of this series on Joseph, I said the first thing Joseph had to do to prepare for Christmas, the arrival of Christ, was to accept the fact of the miracle of the child Mary carried. He had to accept the illogical and seemingly impossible reality that this child they were to name Jesus was truly the Son of God.

Now what?

Put yourself in Joseph's sandals. You've accepted that your wife to be is pregnant, and yet a virgin, based on her word and the word of an angel in a dream. That is a great testimony of faith. But now you have to face the world, and let's be real, who else is going to believe a story like that?

Joseph's next step in getting ready for Christmas is to be obedient to what he believes. You see, it's one thing to say you believe something, it's something else all together to act like it. Especially when times get tough, and you can bet that times got tough for Joseph.

People in his day weren't stupid. They knew how long a baby took to come along, and even if Joseph moved the wedding up, which no doubt caused some raised eyebrows, the timing still wasn't going to work out. They lived in a small community where everybody knew everything. They knew something was up, and I doubt they graciously accepted a story about the Holy Spirit and an angel. Nothing like that had ever happened, and it was just too convenient. People are people, and they will assume the worst, and act accordingly.

Joseph had a couple of options. He could have had Mary stoned, or sent her away, but he didn't. He could have moved away and made a living somewhere else, but he didn't. He could have done a lot of things, but what he decided to do was the right thing. He was obedient to what he believed, even if it was hard.

That meant obeying a decree of the Romans to go register in his ancestral home, Bethlehem. God's word says it is right and good to obey man's laws, even if you don't agree with them. I'm sure Joseph didn't want to take his very pregnant wife on a multi-day journey. I'm sure that wasn't the easiest choice he could have made, but it was the right one, and Joseph was a righteous man.

Since everyone had to make a similar journey, you can be the rumor train went ahead of and right along with Joseph and Mary. You know how it works--if there's a rumor about you, no matter where you go, it's going to beat you there. He was headed to his ancestral home, where his relatives lived. You can bet they knew he was coming, and his "predicament."

Besides the pressure of caring for his due-any-day wife, the gossip, the whispers behind the back, Joseph had the pressure of watching over the yet to be born Son of God. Since he believed, he accepted the responsibility. I doubt he fully understand the ramifications of being the stand-in dad for the Messiah, but I bet he understood he was a part of something much bigger than his simple life as a carpenter. That's a lot of pressure for a simple man. One like you and me.

What matters, though, is that he did it. When times got tough, Joseph did what he was supposed to do. He didn't take the easy path or the easy way out. He clung to his faith, squared his shoulders, gritted his teeth, and faced life. Joseph made the hard choice of being obedient, and doing the right thing. Come what may, Joseph decided to act on his faith.

We associate Christmas with faith, hope, joy, and love. But obedience? Perseverance? Those two are just as much a part of getting ready for Christmas as the former. Sometimes it's little things, like saying "Merry Christmas" instead of happy holidays, or speaking up when a school district changes the Christmas program to the Winter program. Making Christmas about Christ and not about presents. It's not easy when no one else is doing it, but that's not what matters. What matters is what is right.

What do you believe? If you believe Christmas is about Christ, then part of getting ready for Christmas is acting like it.

Getting Ready For Christmas--Joseph, Part One

Getting ready for Christmas is a big deal. For some, it takes weeks, or even months, to complete the decorating, the shopping, the writing of Christmas cards, practicing for plays and choirs, arranging to visit or be visited by family, planning and preparing meals . . . The list goes on and on. Big things take a lot of work, and for many, few things are bigger than Christmas.

For the next three weeks, I am going to be getting ready for Christmas. Not just the busyness of presents and meals and family, but truly preparing to celebrate the most important birth in the history of everything. As part of doing so, I want to take a look at that first Christmas through the eyes of Joseph and Mary. I think, once I understand a little better how they prepared for that most important day, it will hep me to truly get ready for Christmas. I hope you will join me.

Our journey begins with Joseph. Maybe--probably--you know his story. He was betrothed (engaged) to Mary. A Jewish betrothal was different than a modern engagement. It was a legal and binding agreement. They were, you could say, half married. They were committed to one another, but not yet united as husband and wife, and therefore could not live together or engage in marital intimacy.

You can imagine his reaction, then, when he found out Mary was pregnant. I imagine Joseph responded at first as any man would--hurt, angry, jealous, shamed . . . you get the picture. According to Jewish custom and law, he had every right to have Mary taken before the officials and, were she truly found to be pregnant, to have her stoned to death, and that might have crossed his mind. At first.

Joseph, however, is identified in Matthew 1:19 as a righteous man, one who did not want to expose the love of his life, even if she had been unfaithful to him, to public disgrace. His plan, then, once the white hot emotions calmed somewhat, was to quietly divorce Mary. This would possibly allow her to have a future. He still loved her, and while it was his right to seek revenge under law and custom, his righteousness prevailed over his anger.

As he was still considering his options, no doubt tossing and turning, finding sleep hard to come by, he had a dream. An angel appeared to him and said, "Do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit."

Now, I don't know what kind of dream this was, but it must have been a powerful one, because it changed Joseph's mind. Instead of having her stoned, instead of quietly divorcing her, Joseph believed what she no doubt told him, and what an angel in a dream repeated to him: The child in Mary's womb was no ordinary child.

This, then, was what Joseph had to accept to get ready for that first Christmas: The child to be was no ordinary child. Joseph had to accept, believe, and embrace the illogical and seemingly impossible reality that his wife to be was truly a virgin, and yet pregnant. He had to accept a miracle.

For us to truly be ready for Christmas, we must do the same. We celebrate a child in a manger, but we must, if we are to really embrace Christmas for what it is, accept the same miracle as Joseph. We must wrap our minds around, and fully believe, that this child was of, and from, God. More than that, that He was, and is, the Son of God, and in fact God Himself.

If that's not what Christmas is about, then Christmas is about nothing. It's just another reason to get a day off work, put up some pretty decorations, and get together with family and friends. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but it's not special. It's not unique. It's not enough.

To truly be ready to celebrate Christmas, we have to start with the miracle of Christ's birth. He is the Son of God, come to earth by supernatural means, in the most humble of ways. For Christmas to have any meaning, we must, as did Joseph, accept the illogical and seemingly impossible. If we don't, or won't, start there, then nothing else about December 25 really matters. 

The Simple Truth

This is an excerpt from the eulogy/message I gave at my Uncle's funeral over the weekend. There is powerful truth here, because it comes from God. It speaks to me; I pray it may speak to you as well.

There is nothing wrong with being simple. In fact, God's Word tells us in Psalm 25:9, He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way. God calls us to be simple. In fact, he tells us that we must come to him with simple faith, like that of a child, if we are to inherit the kingdom of God.

This is an area where so many struggle. All too often those of us who are workers and fixers, who are providers and doers, who see our role as taking care of things and others, struggle to see and accept that there is someone who is willing to take care of us.

We struggle to believe that there is a place prepared for us that was not prepared by our hands, by our efforts. We struggle to grasp that we have a Father who waits to welcome us to a place more magnificent than any we can imagine. A place where there will be forevermore no more suffering, no more pain. A place where God Himself will wipe every tear from our eye and wrap us in His loving, comforting arms. We struggle to accept that there is a way for even me to know eternal peace.

That way, and the only way, is through Jesus Christ. Jesus said this so simply in John 14:6 where we read His words: I am the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father, but by me. This simple truth, that there is a way to God, a way to eternal life without fear, or pain, or suffering, is not easy for all to accept, but it is of utmost importance and eternal consequence that we do.

It is sometimes in the later part of our journey, that part that can be so hard, that these matters of God become more obvious. Thanks be to God that He is patient, that He waits for us, to meet us wherever we are. Thanks be to God for this simple, but vitally important reality: Jesus is our Good Shepherd.

It is sometimes in his last months, weeks, or even days that a man comes to peace with his Maker. In the face of a struggle he cannot overcome, a mess he cannot clean up, a time when he needs to be taken care of instead of taking care of others that he comes to God and God comes to him.

I believe a simple man can accept Christ with the simple faith of a child. We who live as or among farmers understand the role of the shepherd, and that gives us some greater clarity as to the role of God. The role of a father who is willing to take time to care.

This is the God of Psalm 23. Listen with me to a comforting word which is so familiar to many of us

The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want;

he makes me lie down in green pastures

He leads me beside still waters;

he restores my soul.

He leads me in paths of righteousness

for his name's sake.

Even though I walk through the valley

of the shadow of death,

I fear no evil;

for thou art with me;

thy rod and thy staff,

they comfort me.

Thou preparest a table before me

in the presence of my enemies;

thou anointest my head with oil,

my cup overflows.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me

all the days of my life;

and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord

for ever.

This is the word of a God who cares, who takes the time to care. Who's willing to work, 'til the darkest hour if needed, until the work is done.

Give Me What I Deserve?

Here's the attitude of the world:

I've earned it, now give it to me.

I've put in the work, the hours, the effort. I've shed blood, sweat, and tears. I've got the title, the position, the name. I deserve it because of who I am, or who I know, or whatever.

Give me what I deserve.

Here's the reality of God.

Psalm 103:10  

He (God) does not treat us as our sins deserve 
 or repay us according to our iniquities.

Do you really want what you deserve?

Do you really want to live in a truly "fair" reality?

Do you really want God to be only "fair?"

Let me show you what that looks like.

No more grace.

Grace is unearned favor. In a purely "fair" world, there would be no unearned anything. Everyone would get exactly what they deserve, and nothing more.

That means no more Ephesians 2:8, which reads, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God."

In your "fair" world, the second half of Romans 6:23, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord, would not exist. There would be no gifts. No grace. No unearned favor.

We can't earn eternal life. It's given to us freely. Do you want God to start being "fair?"

No more mercy.

Mercy is the withholding of deserved punishment. In a "fair" world, everyone would get exactly what they deserve, and nothing less.

That means your sins, every single one of them, would count. And since Romans 3:23 tells us all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God, and Romans 6:23 tells us the wages of sin is (eternal) death, that's what we'd all get.

Game over.

God isn't fair.

I don't want Him to be. I don't want what I deserve. I want Him to be gracious. I need Him to be merciful. If He were fair apart from His mercy and His grace, I'd be doomed and damned. And so would you.

God isn't fair. He gives us more than we've earned, and punishes far less than we deserve.

Life isn't fair either.

Accept it, and be careful what you ask for.

If you start shouting for fairness, you just might get it.

 

Who Is Going To Save You?

Everybody needs saving.

Maybe you know this, maybe you don't. Or maybe you know it, but don't want to accept it. I know from the Bible that everyone needs salvation, and I believe from observation that everyone knows it. How can I say this? Because I see people every day looking for salvation. Sadly, too many are looking in all the wrong places.

The recent political upheaval is a good example. The way some people talk about the two political candidates, you'd think one was Christ incarnate and the other the Anti-Christ. The identities of each change depending on who you talk to.

Now I don't think either candidate is the Anti-Christ. I can say with absolute confidence, however, that neither is the Christ. There has only been one Christ, and He came over 2,000 years ago. When He returns, there will be no question of who He is.

The point is, people grab on to something--sometimes anything--to give them security. They know they need saving, even if they don't know what they need saved from. There is an insecurity within all of us causing a craving, a desire, a need for salvation. I call it the God-Sized Hole.

We all have it.

This God-Sized Hole is that desire within us to be safe and secure, to know without doubt that whatever happens, we are safe. It is the desire to be saved.

Since the beginning, people have tried to stuff this God-Sized Hole with everything but God. Money, power, sex, drugs--you name it. If those don't work, they try to shove another person in there to plug the dam. Father, mother, preacher, politician, children, spouse, or themselves. The problem is, none of them fit. Nothing will plug that hole but God. It's simply too big.

When that hole remains unfilled, the need to be saved remains. To find security, people run here and there, grabbing this and hoarding that, shoving more and more stuff into the seemingly bottomless pit deep in their gut. All to no avail. That hole isn't going anywhere, and it's not going to get filled up until you put the perfectly round peg in the perfectly round hole.

Only God can fill that hole, and save you.

Jesus Christ said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to the Father except through me."  What He is talking about is the hole we all have. Only He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. Only He is salvation. Only He can grant access to eternity with the Father. That is what it means to be saved. That is the hole we all have deep within us. That's what we desperately want to fill.

Only God, through Jesus Christ, can do that.

Do you want saved? Do you want to be eternally safe and secure? Do you want that nagging, gnawing craving that makes you always want more and more to go away? Of course you do. We all do.

The only way to get there is through The Way. Jesus.

Here's what to do.

Talk to God. Yes, it really is that simple. Talk to God. Tell Him you want Him to fill that emptiness inside you. Tell Him you know that you need saved, that there are things in your life you need saved from. Confess or admit that Jesus is the only way for this to happen.

If you do this, and mean it. . . If you really believe that you are lost without Him, and you ask Him to save you, He will. It doesn't matter what you've done, who you are, or how many times you've rejected Him. All you have to do is accept Him now. Today.

Do you feel that hole inside you even now? Then fill it once and for all.

You need saved, and there's only One who can do it.

His name is Jesus. 

It's God's Breath In Our Lungs

I'm not a big singer.

When driving, I usually listen to talk radio. When I do listen to music, I rarely sing along. At birthday parties, I'm the guy mouthing the words. Even when working out I don't listen to music--I have an audio Bible I listen to, or I suffer in silence. I can't say that I don't like music; it just doesn't usually move me like it does other people.

There are days, however, when that's not true.  Yesterday happened to be one of those days.

In church we sang the song, Great Are You Lord.  I had to research the song in writing this to even find out who wrote it and found that it seems to have been originally written by a group called All Sons and Daughters. If that's in error, I apologize. My point isn't the song. My point comes from one line in the song that really grabbed me.

It's your breath in our lungs.

This isn't a new song for our church. I've heard it over and over, and yes, I realized what it was saying. This time, though, it really jumped out at me just how dependent we are on God. Our very breath comes from Him (Acts 17:25). That got me thinking about how we should act in response.

As the song goes, It's your breath in our lungs, so we pour out our praise.  Because we recognize that the breath in our lungs comes from and belongs to God, our response should be to pour out our praise to Him.

But do we?

Do we really recognize and acknowledge that our very breath is a gift from God? Do we take that understanding, accept it, and respond the only way we should--by pouring out our thanks and praise?

Not often enough.

God gives us everything we need.

Starting with that breath you just took. The food we eat, the water we drink, the clothes on our back, the roof over our heads and everything else. Some have these things in greater quantity or quality than others, but all comes from God. Whatever you have, even if it is no more than the breath in your lungs, comes from God.

That's enough to be thankful for.

But we get caught up in what else we want from God. We want warmer air to breathe, so we ask God to give us a vacation home down South. Or we want it cooler, so we ask God for a break in the weather. We don't want to share our air with anyone else, so we ask God for solitude, or we're lonely so we ask God for someone to share it with.

It's not wrong to ask God, but it is wrong to fail to recognize what we already have and to thank Him for it. He already gave us the breath of life, and each breath we take. That's everything. That's life! He's also given us life eternal through His Son Jesus Christ. We have life because Jesus sacrificed His breath for our sake.

What more can we ask for?

It's time we poured out a little praise.

Today, recognize that without the breath God gives us, we wouldn't be here. Recognize that whatever else you want, God has already given you that. Realize your next breath depends on Him as well. If He gives us nothing else (but He does!), that alone deserves all our praise and adoration.

As you take a breath today, thank God for it.

The change in our perspective will be good for us.

To A Veteran

Let me begin by saying thank you.

As I reflect on that eleventh hour, of the eleventh day, of the eleventh month, I am humbled. You don't know me, nor I you, and yet here I sit, in freedom and liberty, because of you. Thank you.

Your courage and strength, your determination and grit, your blood, sweat, and tears are not only the purchase price of my freedom and that of this great nation, but also beacons of hope and inspiration. If any person can reflect on what you have given and not draw near to tears with thankfulness, I care not to meet them.

I don't know what you've been through. I cannot pretend to understand either the heights nor the depths you've experienced and explored as you have served. The losses you may have suffered, the sacrifices you have made, the turmoil you knew, and perhaps know even today, are beyond my comprehension. I cannot relate. I can only extend my sincerest gratitude that you, my brother or sister in this great republic, have been willing to do so for me.

That Old Glory still flies, I owe to you. Though that mighty banner has been attacked and reviled, tattered and torn, you stood guard before our most precious symbol with resolve and purpose, and prevailed. That Lady Liberty stands tall, and that for which she stands, is because you rose and answered an honorable call. I can choose how to live because you chose to give your life.

Thank you.

Though it is unlikely that we will ever meet in this life, it is an honor for me to imagine that I may, one day, shake your hand, look you squarely in the eye, and tell you those two little words face to face. I mean them. I want you to know, whatever your role, that your service is so greatly appreciated. We, and I mean me, don't say that enough.

Wherever you are, and wherever you may have been, I pray Godspeed for the rest of your journey, and that His grace and mercy may follow you, wherever your path may lead.

With the deepest thanks and appreciation,

Bill Severt




 

Remind The People . . . (Titus 3:1)

My life isn't about politics.

 Neither should yours be. I'm not saying we should not be involved in the political process--we are indeed to use our voice and our vote according to how God directs us. What I mean is that politics should not, must not take the place of God. That means we should not, cannot look to politics or a particular politician for our deliverance or salvation. There is only one Deliverer, one Savior, and He is Jesus Christ.

That's what my life is about. Jesus. Doing what He says.

So does Jesus talk about politics?

You bet.

There are many verses in the Bible I could pull in here. I choose these because of the divisiveness, anger, and outright hatred I've seen and heard. Read these, and then act accordingly. Not because I say so. I have no authority. Do so because this is the word of God.

Titus 3:1 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.

Romans 13:1, 2 Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves.

I Timothy 2:1, 2 I urge, then, first of all, that requests, prayers, intercession and thanksgiving be made for everyone--for kings and all those in authority, that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. This is good, and pleases God our Savior, who wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth.

My life isn't about politics, but politics is part of life. As with all things, the Bible tells us how to deal with it. 

Why?

Why did Paul tell Titus to remind the people to be subject to rulers and so on? Because, in Titus 3:3-8, he explains that our old way of life was to be foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved but through Jesus Christ all that changed so that those who have trusted in God may be careful to devote themselves to doing what is good. These things are excellent and profitable to everyone. If we're focused on hate and division, we cannot do what is good. And that's what matters.

Paul tells the Romans to submit to the authorities because God put them there. Period, enough said.

And he urges Timothy to pray for those in authority that we may live peaceful and quiet lives in all godliness and holiness. Because this is good, and pleases God. I want to please God. Do you?

God knows a house divided cannot stand.

Mark 3:24 and 25. If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. If a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.

God knows that unless we submit to the authorities He has placed over us, we will divide and go our separate ways. If we as a nation are divided, we cannot stand. We cannot do what is good. We cannot live peaceful, quiet lives in all godliness and holiness.

Therefore, this bears repeating:

 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to be peaceable and considerate, and to show true humility toward all men.

Who Is God?

We had a good discussion in our Sunday School class yesterday.

We were discussing the different names of God, and how we have experienced God by His different names. For example, many of us have experienced God as Provider, Comforter, our Strong Fortress, Prince of Peace, and Savior.

Some people have many gods. To them, their Provider is not the same as their Comforter, and their Strong Fortress is not their Prince of Peace. As in the times of Paul, these people have so many Gods they do not even know who they all are, or what they do. When Paul was in Athens, he commented on their tribute to AN UNKNOWN GOD (Acts 17:23).

For me as a Christian, there is only one God. He presents in three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, but He remains one God. This reality of the Trinity is difficult to understand, but I believe it to be true. I also believe it to be true that my God is the only God I need, and, in fact, is the only God there is.

But who is He?

Moses asked this question.

At the burning bush, when God told Moses to go to the Israelites with a message, Moses asked how he should respond when the people asked him what God's name was, God responded, "I AM WHO I AM" (Exodus 3:13, 14). That pretty much sums it up, doesn't it. Who is God? He is Who He Is.

So if God is I AM WHO I AM, what does that mean?

There are many titles for God in the Bible, and He is all of them. He is God Almighty; God Most High; Lord; God Everlasting; Father; Savior; Counselor; Provider . . . the list goes on and on. What sets God apart from idols is that He truly is who He says He is. God truly is our Father. He truly is our Provider. He truly is  Savior, and Prince of Peace.

We don't need anyone else. He is our All in All.

Who is God to you?

This is an important question, and one that only you can answer. What do you know about God's role in your life? Is He your Strong and Mighty Fortress, a place of rest in times of trouble? Is He your Lord of Provision, who gives all things? Is He your Master, your Lord?

It is one thing to say God is everything to you. It's quite another to live it.

Who God is to you is evident by how you live. If you say God is your Provider, but you really look to the world (money) for provision, who is your god? If you say God is your Strong Tower, but in times of trouble you count on yourself for protection, who do you trust in? If you say God is your Comforter, but in times of pain you turn to a substance, where is your trust?

All of this is to say God is the great I AM. He is all we need Him to be, and more.

My Pledge Will Stand

I pledge allegiance to the flag,
Of the United States of America,
And to the Republic for which it stands,
One Nation under God,
Indivisible,
With liberty and justice for all.

I don't know how many times I've repeated that pledge, but it's a lot. Sadly, not as many times in the last half of my life as the first. I do, however, consider that pledge to be binding. I have pledged my allegiance, my loyalty, to this flag and the nation represented.

This election will not change that. Nor will the next. I am an American. I may not like all that is going on in her right now, but America is my country. She is my homeland, the piece of earth God has granted me to enjoy. I am invested in her, and united with her. 'Til God calls me to my true home, or directs that I should move elsewhere, this is where I stand firm.

I made a promise. A pledge. And I intend to keep it.

You don't bail out when life gets hard.

Do we have our problems? Absolutely. Our nation is not perfect. It cannot be. It is ruled and inhabited by us, meaning failed and fallen men and women. We are not perfect (refer to Romans 3:23 if you doubt that), and therefore the nation we make up cannot be perfect. We've made some bad decisions, committed some horrendous errors, and done some stupid things.

That pretty much sums up my life, too. If you only want to look at the dark side. On the other hand, we as a nation have done some incredibly wonderful things, made the right decisions in hard times, and shown wisdom in many ways. That's why we are worth standing with, fighting for, and believing in.

You see, you don't give up when life gets hard. Frighteningly, that is the all-too-common attitude anymore. If my job gets hard, I quit. If church gets uncomfortable, I walk away. If marriage isn't one long honeymoon, I bail out. If this country isn't what I think it should be, I bash it and break my pledge.

Here's the reality folks: The grass isn't any greener on the other side of the fence. A whole bunch of people have learned that lesson the hard way.

I choose a different path.

I choose to stand firm. That's what God says over and over in His Word. Stand firm. Keep your word. Honor your pledge and your oath. You can disagree, and that's OK--I've disagreed with people before--but that's how I see it. I've given my word; now it's time to prove it.

Whatever comes of this election, I will remain loyal to this country. My first allegiance is to my God. I am pledged to my wife. And I am bound by my word to the United States of America. Men and women may turn her in a direction she was never meant to go, but that will not change my pledge to stand with this One Nation under God. I may have to distance myself from her leaders, but I will not abandon her.

Because America is bigger than a president. She's bigger than Congress. She's even more than the consensus of her constituents in any given generation. She's a nation founded on a belief in God and deference to His rule, and it is to that ideal to which I pledge my allegiance.

As I've said in other vows I've taken,
For better or for worse,
For richer or for poorer,
In sickness and in health:

I pledge allegiance to the flag,
Of the United States of America,
And to the Republic for which it stands,
One Nation under God,
Indivisible,
With liberty and justice for all. 
  

Here Is The Answer

There is so much going on in the world. 

I don't just mean the usual, busyness of life type of stuff. I mean big things. Life-altering, world changing events. Paradigm shifts. Decisions are being made that will affect the lives, and deaths, of millions--perhaps even billions--of individuals for years and even decades to come.

Take our upcoming presidential election. Hanging in the balance of this process is the direction of our nation not only on fiscal matters, but matters of morals and ethics, faith and freedom, security and survival. This is being called by some as the most important election in our lifetimes. That's a big responsibility.

We are also a nation at war. We've been at war for so long, many don't even realize it anymore. That reality slapped me in the face this past week when I received news of a young man from our church being killed while serving our country in Afghanistan. Please pray for his wife, two young children, and family.

Disease and famine. Global terrorism. International internet hackers taking out huge sections of the net. Earthquakes and cataclysmic storms. Uprisings and rebellions. Nations ripped apart by divisions and dissensions.

It would be easy to lose hope. It would be easy to think there is no answer.

But there is.

God.

God is the answer. I say that neither casually nor flippantly. It is not a pat answer just thrown out there to satisfy my title as a Christian. I say that with all seriousness and gravity. God is not an answer, He is the answer.

Whether the question be about our nation, our families, our individual decisions and struggles, it is to God that we should look. Need strength? God is the answer. Comfort? He is there. Provision? All comes from God. Courage. Perseverance. Patience. Hope.

God. God. God, and God.

Him. Only Him.

He is the answer.

Always and forever.

God Will Decide--He Always Has

In 20 days, God will decide.

Just as He did in 1788, and 1860. No different than 1960, or 1984. As it was in 2000 and 2012, so shall it be in 2016. 56 times God has decided our president. This one will be no different.

God has a plan. It has not changed. It is not subject to interference or subterfuge. From before the beginning, God has known the answer. Whoever wins will be whom God intended to win, as said in Daniel 2:21.

God will not react to the results of this election. He has planned this, and whatever is to come next. He is never caught off guard. He guides. He directs. He causes. He acts, but He has no need to react. As this part of His plan is completed, He will follow through til the end.

There is nothing new here. This is God at work. As He was yesterday, so He is tomorrow. In control. Sovereign. Holy. Just. Right.

In 20 days, God will still be God.

Kings and rulers come and go--presidents, congressmen, judges, and their appointees included. Some are good, other are not. They succeed, or they fail. They may be righteous or they may be evil, but what they all have in common is that they rule only until replaced, and live only until they die.

Not God. He is. Forevermore. He never fails. His will never fails. Ever. We may not--do not--understand His plan, but it will come to fruition. God is eternal. His rule is forever.

In 20 days, 20 weeks, 20 years, and 20 millennia, God will be God. The Almighty. His Son will be King of Kings and Lord of Lords. They have not been replaced, nor will they ever. They stand, firmly enthroned.

In 20 days, we will be in God's hands.

We were yesterday, we are today, and we will be tomorrow in the care of our loving, providing Father. It is He who cares for us, protects us, provides for us. It is to no man nor woman to whom we should look for our answers, but to God, and God alone.

He alone numbers the hairs on our head. He alone knows all things. He alone created. He alone sustains. Only God. Why would we look anywhere else?

To say, "It is in God's hands," is to speak nothing but truth. All things are in God's hands. Including our elections. Including our lives. Including our next breath. No person can change that, for they, also, are in His hands.

There is not, nor will there ever be, a greater comfort than to know, believe, and trust that we are in the hands of the Master. Strong and secure, they will never fail. Steady and sure, they will never falter. Faithful and willing, they will never let go.

In 20 days, what will be will be.

 According to His will and purpose, what is to happen will happen. For all we know, Christ may call any one of us, or even all of us who believe, home to Him before that day comes.

And all the saints say, "Amen. Come, Lord Jesus!" 

 

Where Am I In God's Plan?

I wonder, from time to time . . .

Just where am I in God's plan? I don't mean to say that I feel left out, or that I wonder where God is in my life (those are musings for another time). What I mean is, am I where God wants me to be? How do I know? If I'm not content, is that God calling me, or the Enemy?

Contentment is a tricky thing. There is a fine line between contentment and complacency. We are to learn to be content whatever our circumstances, as Paul says in Philippians 4:11, and are to realize there is great gain in contentment, as he told Timothy in I Timothy 6:6. On the other hand, he wrote in I Corinthians chapter 9 about how life is like running a race, or a boxing match (with ourselves), a contest in which we strive for a prize. That's anything but complacency.

So if I'm not sure I'm where God wants me to be, if I don't know if I'm doing what God wants me to do, am I to be content with that? I don't think so. Hebrews 3:7 says, "Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts." In other words, if God's talking to you, LISTEN!  

How do I know God's plan for me?

I don't. Jeremiah 29:11 reads, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." God knows His plan. We don't.

Romans 12:2 says that we are to be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is--His good, pleasing, and perfect will. So somewhere in there is the key. Paul doesn't tell the Romans that they will be able to know God's plan, but he does tell them they will be able to test and approve God's will. In other words, if we have our heads on straight, we'll be able to know if we're doing what God wants us to do.

How do we do that? How do we get our heads on straight? If we go up to Romans 12:1, we see that we offer ourselves as living sacrifices to God. We do everything, and give everything, as an offering to Him. Verse 2 says that we should not conform any longer to the pattern of this world . . . but be transformed by the renewing of our minds. Give everything to God. Don't do what the world says you should do. Listen to the One who matters.

At that point, we test and approve where we are and what we are doing against the idea of offering our entire life as a sacrifice to God. If they match, we've got a winner! If not, we better start listening, and stop hardening our hearts.

I wonder how the 12 Apostles felt.
 
James and John had an apparently successful fishing business (successful enough to have at least two hired men), and they walked away from it to follow Jesus. Matthew (Levi) was doing well as a tax collector (even if people hated him), and he left it all to follow Christ. We don't know what all of the disciples did for a living, but we do know they all left their former lives behind and followed what mattered.

What was it, other than the voice of Jesus, that convinced them? Honestly, I think that was it. Jesus, and the Holy Spirit. How many did Jesus call to who didn't listen? That number is still growing today.

I don't want my name added to that list. I want to be like James and John who, though they were good and successful at what they were doing, knew when something better came along. Not something better only in this world, but for eternity.

Whatever God's plan is for me, I know this: It has a lot more to do with eternity than it does with tomorrow.

The Church Must Serve--Or Else

The Church exists to serve Christ.

Whether you take your cue from the Great Commission or the first and second Greatest Commandments, the duty of the Church is to serve. We are to make disciples, love God, and love our neighbors. All of those are action words, words of service.

We as individuals, and the church body as a whole are not simply called, but commanded to serve. You can reference I John 4:10, Romans 12:4-8, James 1:22 and many others to see this. Serving is not optional. It's not a matter of choice or convenience. It is our duty. We are servants, and our Master expects us to serve.

What happens to a servant who fails to serve their master?

They are punished. Our God is no different. This is a side of God the modern Church doesn't like to talk about, but it is as undeniable as His mercy and His grace. God expects obedience, and while He is patient and merciful, His patience does have limits.

Do you not want to believe that our God has limited patience? Read Revelation 2:20-23. The woman Jezebel was given time to repent, and she refused. God's patience ran out, and she was punished. No endless warnings, no more red lines in the sand. She had her chance to repent, and missed it. Her punishment was exact, and brutal.

As for the rest of her church in Thyatira? They faced the same penalty if they failed to turn themselves around. Repent, or suffer the same fate as that adulterous false prophet. Christ said they must serve Him, or pay the price.

All churches face the same danger.

In the second and third chapters of the book of Revelation, Christ dictated 7 letters to 7 seven churches. In 5 of those letters He repeated this phrase:  "I know your deeds." In 4 of them, that was not a good thing. Only the church in Philadelphia was told to keep doing what they were doing. Only their deeds, their service, was sufficient in the eyes of Christ, and then only if they continued on.

As for the other four? Ephesus was warned unless their service once again reflected their first love (what is the Greatest Commandment?--love God), He would come and remove their lampstand from its place. Thyatira, we already said, was threatened with severe punishment if they did not repent. Sardis was told to "wake up," or else Christ would come to them like a thief in the night. And Laodicea was warned they were about to be vomited out of the mouth of Christ.

If Christ comes to your church like a thief in the night, removes your lampstand from its place, or vomits you out of His mouth, its over. That it. A church that doesn't serve Christ is of no use to Him, and He will not tolerate it. That's a lesson we learn from the seven churches in Revelation.

To him who overcomes, there is a reward. To him who doesn't . . . 

Whether it be to eat from the tree of life, to be free from fear of the second death, to be written in the Book of Life, or any of the other promises made in those seven letters, he who overcomes by serving faithfully will be rewarded. He who doesn't, on the other hand . . . I don't want to know what happens.

What I do know is that, according to what we've seen above, if a church as a whole isn't serving Christ faithfully, the outcome is boarded up windows and weeds overgrowing the parking lot. It's done. Empty. Lights out forevermore.

I don't want to see that happen to my church. Not to my local church, or the larger Church of my country. That second, I am afraid, may indeed be in danger. We need to do something. Now.

Christ is patient.

He gave those churches a warning, a chance to repent. I believe we have the same.

I pray we respond to His warnings quickly enough.  

All For The Glory Of God

My salvation isn't about me.

Nor is your salvation about you. Have you ever asked why God saved us? Yes, yes--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. So it's all about me, right?

Wrong.

Paul speaks to this in Ephesians 1:11-14. This is a long passage, so I'm going to highlight the main points. Paul says, "In him we were also chosen . . . in order that we . . . might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal . . . a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance . . . to the praise of his glory.

Asaph, one of the authors of the Psalms, understood this. Psalm 79:9 reads: Help us, O God our Savior, for the glory of your name; deliver us and forgive our sins for your name's sake.

We are here for the glory of God.

Our purpose to exist is to make known the glory of God. In fact, that's the purpose of all creation. Psalm 19:1 says, The heavens declare the glory of God. Romans 11:36 reads, For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be the glory forever! Amen. John heard this testified to in heaven in Revelation 5:13, Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing: "To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!"

Whoever you are, wherever you are, you do not exist for your own glory. You exist to make known the glory of God Almighty. The fact that you exist brings Him glory, whether you admit that or not. Who else could have made you? No one. Who else could have created all that is created, sustained all that is sustained? No one. Refer to Romans 11:36 again. From him, through him, and to (or for) him are all things.

It's not about us. It's about Him.

We are saved to demonstrate God's glory.

 Everything that is, and was, and will be--including our immortal souls--was created and is sustained to, through, and for God's glory. By saving pitiful sinners--those who were created for His glory but fell short (Romans 3:23)--God demonstrates His glory even more. Our salvation reflects that glory, just as the heavens themselves reflect the glory of the Creator.

For His glory. For His name's sake. To His praise and honor. That is why we are saved.

This life, and our eternal lives to come, are not about you and me. It's all about God.

Let's start living that way.

Does America Need God?

In a word, yes.

Despite all the talk of how America was not intended to be a Christian nation, and how the Founding Fathers were not Christian, all one has to do is read the founding documents of our great country to see that those men understood just how much we need God. Read the Declaration of Independence. If not God, then who is referred to as Nature's God, the Creator, Supreme Judge of the world, and Divine Providence in that incredible document?

They called upon God as the authority which entitled them (and us) to a separate and equal station and endowed upon us certain unalienable rights. They appealed to Him for the rectitude (morality) of their intentions, and relied upon His protection for their endeavor.

Did they think they needed God? It sure sounds like it to me.

That was then . . . do we need God today?

 Here's what John Adams, our second president and one of the authors of our Constitution, said on the matter: "Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other." 

One of the guys who wrote the law of the land said it would only work for a moral and religious people. That is a statement for all ages. He who wrote the rules, and I would argue understood more than anyone today the intention behind those rules, definitively stated that America would always need God.

Why?

Because America is founded on the principles of liberty and freedom. An immoral people cannot function under such principles. Without morality, without that inner compass guiding the vast majority of the people, freedom fails. An immoral people operating under the principles of liberty will result in anarchy. Every man for himself.


Where does morality come from? Adams declared, as did many other of the Founding Fathers and  great people throughout our nation's history, that morality comes from belief in and obedience to God. If not from God, then from where does morality come?

For America to function as America, the Land of the Free, morality must reign over our thoughts and actions. If not, then rules must be put in place to maintain order. The less morality, the more rules are needed until such a point that when morality ceases to exist every aspect of our lives must be guided by distinct rules. It is then that freedom and liberty die.

America needs God.

Not only because He sustains all things. Not only because He is the Supreme Ruler of all. America needs God because without Him, we cannot be who we are. If we do not answer, as a people, to God, then we must, as a necessity, be ruled by government in all that we do. If that day comes, we will no longer be the United States of America of the Declaration of Independence. We will no longer be the United States of America of our grandfathers. We will no longer be America.

We need God to be who we are. The Founding Fathers knew that, and tried desperately to convey that to future generations--to us. The only question is, will we heed their warning?

 

What If We Prayed As Much As We Play?

I like to have fun.

To me, having fun means doing something. I'm an active person, and most of my recreations involve getting out and moving. I like soccer and softball, cycling and camping, hunting and fishing, among other things. They all require work and effort, and I love it. When I'm doing one of these things, I'm all-in.

Each of these take a considerable amount of precious time, as well. I play soccer pretty regularly twice a week for 2-3 hours. Softball in the summer takes as least one evening. Hunting and fishing are at least half-day affairs. A bike ride for me is at least an hour and a half, camping a full weekend.

Most of these activities are done with at least part of my family, so I could say I do them to spend time with those I love, and that's part of the reason. The main reason for these activities, though, is because I enjoy them. I like to have fun.

The thing is . . .

I'm supposed to be a grown up. That doesn't mean I can't have fun anymore, but it does mean I have to have priorities in life. Not only am I supposed to be grown up, I'm a Christian. That means my priority should be God.

How do we know what our priorities are? It's not that hard. Where do you spend your time, your money, and your attention? Those are your priorities. Stop and think about that. Where do your resources go? Those are your priorities.

So I have a question.

What if spent as much time praying as we do other things?

How much closer would we be to God? A lot, I should think. Praying is about communicating and communing with God. Those people I am closest to are the ones I spend the most time with. I make them a priority, and sacrifice other things in my life to spend time with them.

What if we cut out some of our play time--whether it be sports, television, games or whatever--and spent that time with God? Do you think, perhaps, our priorities would change? I do. I most certainly do.

I know from experience that where I spend my time is where my mind is. When I work extra hours, I think about work more. When I play an extra game of whatever, I spend more time thinking about that game. When I spend more time with God, more of my thoughts are about Him.

It's common sense, really.

So how would our lives change if we spent more time in prayer? For starters, I think we'd be a lot less selfish. When you are more focused on God, you are less focused on yourself. We'd be more in tune to not only what God wants, but what other people need. Why? Because knowing God is knowing that what He wants is for us to love Him, and to love other people. The more time you spend with God, the more you will love those around you--including those you find hard to love.

In many ways, we are what we do. If we spend time with God, we are God-followers. If we neglect time with God and invest ourselves elsewhere, then we are followers of whatever has our attention at the time. The Bible says, Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21). And I'm here to tell you, one of my greatest treasures is my time.

What if we prayed as much as we play? We'd be a different people.

Look around the world today. Do you think that would be a bad thing?