Your Future Hope

We've talked about hope all week.

What hope is, hope as our anchor, hope as God's plan, and where hope comes from. None of that matters if you don't believe it, accept, claim it as your own. If you don't have hope, you are hope-less.

And let's face it--that's how a lot of us feel. Not every day maybe, but more often than we'd like. Some days it seems like hope is a long ways off, if it's there at all. I've even wondered, when the gloom is especially thick, if my hope's been cut off completely.

It hasn't.

That's not how God's brand of hope works, and that's what we're talking about here. God's hope. True hope. Confident expectation and assurance, remember?

In regards to that brand of hope, I like what Solomon says in Proverbs 23:18. There is surely a future hope for you, and your hope will not be cut off. 

I like that. I really like that.

Here's why.

First, I like the word surely. There's that confidence, that assurance which is an important part of the definition of hope. When Solomon wrote There is surely . . . he wanted to convey that whatever came next was guaranteed. He was saying, in effect, be assured that this is true.

Secondly, I like the idea of future hope. No matter where you are in life, there is a future hope for you. No matter how little or how much you've done or you have, no matter how close to God or how far, there is a future hope. You're not where God wants you to be, plans for you to be. There's something better ahead. That's awesome!

Lastly, God promises through Solomon that our hope will not be cut off. Isn't that something? No matter what we, or anyone else does, our hope in God remains constant. That plan He has for us, that something better, is always there. No matter what.

Maybe this speaks to you, maybe it doesn't. 

It sure speaks to me. Hope is important. Without hope, life isn't worth living. Since God is hope, that makes  a lot of sense.

Final word . . .

Last week we talked about faith. This week hope. Any guesses what next week's blogs are going to be about?

What Gives You Hope?

What would you write in Lamentations 3:22?

The author of Lamentations wrote about a lot of grief and pain. Everything was against him, seemingly even God. Despite the odds, though, he still had hope. The source of that hope is recorded in Lamentations 3:22.

What gives you hope in desperate times? When everything is crumbling around you, what do you hold to, look to, in order to keep going?

Would your next verse be the same as what we read in Lamentations? Take a minute and write down what you look to when you need hope in the face of hopelessness. If you know these passages by heart, fine. But if you were writing them, would your response be the same as the author's?

Here's what he said.

Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.

That's Lamentations 3:22, but the author doesn't stop there. In verse 23 he goes on to say, They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

Because of God's love we are not consumed. His compassions never fail, but are new every morning. Great is God's faithfulness.

Beautiful in its simplicity.

Did you write something similar?

When life goes sour, what do you call to mind to give you hope? Your family? Your job? Your possessions? Yourself? Was your answer something other than God's love and faithfulness?

If so, I ask only one question: Can you depend on your answer to save you from the fires of this life or the next? Will your answer be there no matter what, without fail? Is your answer an everyday, faithful provider of security?

No. Not if you answered something other than God.

God, and God alone, gives us hope.

Do not forget what hope is--confident expectation. The only thing we can truly be confident about for eternity is God. Everything else will fail, fade, and pass away. Only hope in God is permanent, eternal, fail-safe.

I don't want temporary hope. I don't want hope that depends on chance. I want assurance. I want security. I want a sure thing.

Nothing in this world can give me that.

Yet this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

That gives me hope!

 

 

God's Plan is Hope

Ever feel like everyone is against you?

I mean everyone. From the guy in the car in front of you driving 20 when you're running late, to the disc jockey who's stuck in melancholy-ville when all you want is one--just one-- uplifting song. Some days, your employer, your spouse, even your kids seem to be against you.

There are days when I'm pretty sure even the dog has it in for me.

On a day like that, there doesn't seem to be much hope.

I just want to crawl back in bed, pull the blankets over my head, and try again tomorrow. Or not. What difference does it make? I can't win. Not with the odds stacked against me. Not when it's me against the world.

Why even try?

Because God has a plan.

That's true. It may seem that everyone is against you. It may seem the world has a plan to ruin your day, your week, your life. In fact, that's true. The world's plan for the Christian is to make you miserable, to take from you the only hope you have.

That hope is God.

You see, God has a plan. He's on your side. His plan is your future, and it's filled with hope.

It doesn't matter who stands against you.

As long as you stand with God, nothing else matters. The whole world can be your enemy and still you can be victorious. Still you can, and do, have hope.

That's God's plan. To stand with you against the world. To be your ally when you feel all alone.

To give you hope.

Never despair.

No matter how dark the night, no matter how deep the hole, no matter how alone you feel, never despair. Never give up. Never, ever doubt your future, for that is in God's hands. He's not figuring things out as He goes; He knows exactly what He's doing.

Whatever it is you face, He's planned for it. He has the answer already. The path prepared for you included this, and on the other side is the future, bright and full of hope.

We're all in God's hands.

Take comfort in that. He knows the plans He has for us, plans to give us hope, and a future.

Tomorrow will come, and God will still be in control.

What more could we hope for?

Hope Is My Anchor

Hope is confident expectation.

So what is it that Christians are so hopeful about? What is it that we confidently expect from God? What is it, really, that is the anchor for our souls, firm and secure?

The most obvious, and most important, answer is Jesus Christ.

He is our hope.

As Christians, followers of Christ, the foundation of everything we believe exists in Him. If He is not who the Bible says He is, then we have no hope. If Christ is not the Son of God, if He is not the Savior of our souls, if He is not our blessed hope, then we have no hope at all.

But He is.

How do I know this? Well, last week we spent several days talking about faith, and I guess that's what it comes down to. Simple faith. Believing in something that I cannot necessarily see, or touch, or measure, but know it exists nonetheless. If you believe, you know what I mean.

I hope in Christ.

I don't mean that in the same way I might say I hope I win the lottery, or I hope no one crosses me today because I'm having one of those days. Those are fancies, wishes, empty desires. There is no confidence in those statements, no expectant desire.

When I say I hope in Christ I mean I believe, I confidently expect His promises to come true. I'm not grasping for one chance in a million. I'm resting secure in my faith. I'm holding on to that anchor, knowing it will hold.

My hope in Christ is the foundation of my life.

 

What is Hope?

We believe in the God of hope. 

What, then, is hope? According to the dictionary, hope is a feeling of expectation and desire for a certain thing to happen. An archaic, or older, definition of hope is a feeling of trust.

I like both of those definitions. Especially when applied to the God to whom I've dedicated my life. My God is the God of expectation and desire, the God of trust. That sounds pretty good to me.

Hope doesn't stop there.

The above are the definitions of hope as a noun. When used as a verb, hope means to expect with confidence. So not only is our God the God of expectation, desire, and trust, He is also the God of confidence.

That's important. I don't want a God who is like the lottery, where I might desire to win, but know I have a better chance of getting struck by lightning. When I say my God is the God of hope, I mean He is the God not only of what I desire, but of what I confidently expect and trust to happen.

In other words . . . 

Hope isn't about wanting something you don't really believe you'll ever get. That's dreams and fantasy. Hope is about desire and confidence. It's about wanting, and expecting that you'll get what you desire. Hope isn't a last ditch effort. Hope is where everything starts.

That's exactly who my God is.

Got Faith? No Fear.

A good question.

Especially since Jesus asked this of His disciples right after He calmed the storm which moments before threatened to swamp their boat on the Sea of Galilee.

His point was they had nothing to fear. He was with them. If they truly had faith in who He was, they would know they had nothing to fear at all. No storm, no sea, no depth, no darkness could touch them.

When in the company of Jesus, there is nothing to fear.

Why are we so afraid?

We do fear, don't we? I don't mean a healthy fear of the Lord, or a Biblical fear of God.  I mean fear of storms, of waves crashing over our little boats and sweeping us out into the vast sea of the world where we'll be lost forever. The smallest waves make us tremble. True storms fill us with terror.

Why?

Why are we so afraid? Is Jesus in our boat? If you belong to Him, then yes, He is. We might think He is sleeping, just as the disciples thought in Mark Chapter 4. We might think He doesn't care if we drown, just like they did.

We're wrong.  Absolutely, completely wrong.

The problem isn't His lack of care. It's our lack of faith.

Even the winds and the waves obey Him.

The disciples, hardy men they were, went from terror of the storm right into terror of the One who had saved them. Read the last verse of Mark 4. They were terrified. They asked each other, "Who is this?"

Didn't they know? After all they'd heard, all they'd seen, didn't they believe?

Not with all their hearts. They believed in the calm, but when the storm came, doubt crept in.

Just like us.

It's easy to believe, to have faith, to be confident when all is well. In the storm, though, that's a different matter. That's when the truth shows.

Do we have faith, or fear?

According to Jesus, if we have one, we won't have the other.

Think about it.

I've Fallen; How Do I Get Up?

Have you ever fallen?

You're walking along, doing your own thing, and then Wham! You tripped, you slipped, you stepped in a hole. However it happened, it happened. You're on the ground. Smooth move, Grace.

Don't feel bad. It happens. The most coordinated, graceful, and balanced people in the world fall sometimes. From professional athletes and dancers to the guy walking down the street. Everybody's at risk. It can happen anywhere, any time.

You were probably able to get back up.

We've all seen the commercial with the elderly lady who laments, "I've fallen, and I can't get up!" That's a classic commercial right up there with, "Where's the Beef?" and "Can you hear me now?" It's been laughed at, parodied, and mocked. But it's not funny. Not really. For some people, that's a reality.

When you fell, you probably looked around to see if anyone saw you, then scrambled up, brushed off the dust, the mud, the snow, and kept going. Maybe a little slower. Maybe with a couple of bumps and bruises. Maybe a little wiser, or even a little more humble.

But what if you couldn't get up?

What if you were stuck there with a broken ankle, a fractured hip, or any number of injuries? Do you know what you would do, who you would call?

Sure. You'd dial 911. That's the right thing to do. They're the experts, the ones trained to deal with that kind of thing. They've got the knowledge and the resources to get you the help you need.

Eventually, they'll get you back up on your feet.

We fall spiritually, too.

Just like everybody can fall physically, anybody can fall spiritually as well. In fact, according to Paul in Romans 3:23, every single one of us has fallen short of the glory of God. We've sinned.  The chance that we will fall short of what God expects is even greater than our chance of slipping on the ice or falling down some stairs.

It's no chance at all. It is a certainty. You, and I, are going to fall. Repeatedly.

Hopefully, we don't fall far. Maybe we look at something we know we shouldn't have, or tell a lie, or some similar "little slip." I'm not condoning or belittling such behavior--sin is sin. We all know, however, some falls are worse than others.

What will you do?

If you can, you'll get yourself up off the ground (out of sin), and back on your feet (on God's path).  Let's call that repentance. That's the first step.

We have to understand, though, that we can't get all the way to our feet on our own. We need help.

That's were God comes in. He's our Spiritual 911. God the Father, The Holy Spirit, and Christ. They are all there, waiting for us to call on them. No matter how far we fall, they can pick up the pieces and set us upright again. Without them, we'll never get up.

So there you have it.

Kind of a long way to go to simply say when you fall, call on God. You've never fallen so far that He cannot hear or help.

And remember, even a cancelled cell phone can call 911. Anybody can call on God.

Even lying flat on our back.

When I Am Weak, Then I Am Strong

I don't think of Paul as having been a weak man.

I think of him more as a man's-man. In my mind I don't see soft hands and paunchy middle. I picture calluses and scars, muscle and sinew, weathered skin and piercing eyes.

After being stoned nearly to death and dragged out of the city to die, he woke up and walked right back into the city in which he had been stoned. When shipwrecked, it was Paul who gathered wood for the fire (and shook off the venomous snake that bit him). When confronted, he pushed back. When beaten, he took it like a man. When threatened, he forged ahead.

The last verse of the book of Acts sums up Paul's life like this: Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul was tough, hard-core. In his words, and his actions.

Paul did, however, have weaknesses. He said so himself.

In his second letter to the church in Corinth, chapter 12, Paul talks about the thorn in his side which he asked God to take away. God chose not to, instead replying, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." 

Paul then tells the Corinthians that is why he boasts not about his strengths, but rather his weaknesses. He understood the message the Lord gave him, and he passed it down to us.

When I am weak, then I am strong.

We all have weaknesses.

It may be money, booze, or women. Or the less obvious personal insecurities, fears, hangups. Physical, mental, spiritual. Lack of strength, abundance of pride, or need of a swift kick in the butt.

Weaknesses. We've all got 'em.

It is in our weaknesses, according to God's very Word, that His strength is made perfect.

Say what?

Wouldn't God be better served by having nothing but the very best, the most nearly perfect, the strongest and fittest, smartest and wisest, most handsome and beautiful people working for Him?

Nope.

For one, there's nobody out there that meets those criteria. And two, if there were, they'd get hung up on their own pride, and then . . . well, I guess we're back where we started. Everybody's got weaknesses.

That's where God comes in.

God does what we cannot.

I don't know what Paul's weaknesses were, but he did. Instead of denying them, trying to cover them up, he gave them over to God. He said, "Hey God, I can't do this because of my . . . you know . . . thorn in the side thing. You're going to have to do it for me."

And God did.

He will also do the same for us. When we admit our weaknesses, God steps in and fills the gap. He provides the strength we lack, the courage we desire. The brains, the brawn, the words, the whatever--He's got it when we do not. More than that, He's willing to give it to us when we need it most.

That's what Paul understood. That's what I need to understand.

When I am weak, then I am strong.

In Christ, through Christ, for Christ.

Flawed, Not Useless

Some things are known for their flaws.

Like the Liberty Bell, pictured above. While there is disagreement as to exactly how it came to be, there is no denying the large, zig-zag crack which has rendered the Bell toneless and dumb since 1846. It can no longer serve its intended purpose, to ring loud and clear for all to hear.

It is by no means, however, useless.

Instead of being melted down and recast, it has, flaws and all, played a role in not only the American Revolution, but also the the Anti-Slavery movement and Women's Suffrage (voting). Still to this day, people flock to the broken old bell as a symbol of freedom and unity.

Because of its flaw, it speaks differently than first intended, but it speaks louder than ever.

God uses flawed things too.

Namely us.

Moses was a poor speaker, but God used him to deliver His Law to His People. David was an adulterer and murderer; God used him to found a kingdom for eternity. Paul was a persecutor seeking to wipe out an entire set of people, until God used him to deliver the message of salvation to the Gentiles.  

Jonah. Samson. Rahab. Peter.

All flawed. Every one of them used by God.

God can use you, flaws and all.

C. S. Lewis was an avowed atheist before finding God and becoming one of the most influential Christian voices of the 20th century. Chuck Colson was indicted and found guilty in the Watergate scandal before coming to Christ and founding a world-wide ministry. Dave Ramsey, the Christian financial guru, was once bankrupt.

God used, or is still using, every one of them. They were flawed, not useless.

So are you. I don't know your flaws, but likely you do. Maybe you feel that you cannot serve God because of what you know about yourself. Maybe you think because of what you have done, your chance of doing anything good is over.

Bull and bunk.

Are you worse than an adulterous murderer, a prostitute, an avowed atheist, or a fanatic persecutor dead-set on genocide? Is your situation worse than absolute bankruptcy, financial or otherwise?

Probably not. And even if so, God can, and will, use you.

If you let Him.

We may be cracked bells, you and I, but we are not useless. If we are willing, God can accomplish things through us greater than we could have ever imagined.

Are you willing?

It's Easy to Envy

First, a clarification.

Just because you or someone else can afford to drive a Lamborghini or otherwise live well beyond my means doesn't make you or them a sinner any more than I am. Wealth isn't a sin.

Just wanted to be clear.

That being said . . . 

 It's hard not to envy, isn't it? Especially those who, as I speak like a fool, don't seem to deserve what they have. You know what I mean. Those people out there who, from the outside, seem to have everything but you know on the inside they're as dead as dirt. Why do they have the blessings and I have the bills?

I know, I know . . . They have bills, too. Bills that would scare me. And I also know God sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous (that comes from Matthew 5:45). I know envy is a sin. A big one. Made God's Top Ten List.


It's still hard.

It's not only their stuff.

These people--let's just call them sinners as the verse above does, but in fact mean unforgiven sinners, for we all sin--seem happy and free. They don't look dead. They don't act dead. At least not through human eyes. They seem happy, unrestrained, free.

Their freedom. That's what I probably envy more than anything sometimes. They seem so free. Their ignorance is temporary bliss. They don't know any better, so they don't care. They do what they want. I know there's a price to pay, but they don't. They play through life like children. I envy that sometimes.

They don't know fear.

Not real fear, at least. Fear of God. If they did, they'd change soon enough. They will, some day, one way or the other. Everyone fears God at some point. Fear Him now, repent, and be saved or fear Him later, regret, and be burned. That's how it works.

When I keep that in mind, that fear of the Lord, I don't envy them so much. Just as I don't envy the drunkard at the party who I know will dread morning. Or the unrepentant adulterer who I know will never enjoy trust, or faith, or honesty.

I don't envy the sinner when I remember heaven, or hell. I feel no envy when I consider my treasure, my reward, my party is being prepared by God.

I don't envy when I fear God.

I don't envy because I know, despite how it looks, they are slaves to their sin.

But I, I have been set free!

What About The Jerks?

They're out there.

From the obnoxious upper classmen bullying my freshman son to the ignorant social "progressives" flaunting their sinful lifestyles all around. The devil-may-care back-stabbers who never matured beyond Jr High and the arrogant power mongers who never will.

You may think "jerk" is too harsh a word for a Christian blog, and well it may be. Jesus called the Pharisees "white-washed tombs," "hypocrites," "snakes," and sons of Satan. Use those terms if you wish.

Whatever you call them, they're out there.

What do we do about them?

We're all fighting a hard battle (so be nice to everyone, as the ancient saying goes). How much harder the battle for the ungodly and the sinner? That was Peter's take of Proverbs 11:31 which in the NIV reads, "If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner!"

How much more indeed!

Because, you see, it is not ours to decide what to do about them. In fact, we are to do nothing at all about them, at least not in response or retaliation to wrongs against us. It's not ours to avenge. That's God's work (Deuteronomy 32:35). 

The righteous will receive their due. So will the ungodly and the sinner.

Leave them be. 

Or better yet . . . 

Yep, here it comes. Love your enemies. Those hard words of Jesus in Matthew 5:44. The parallel passage in Luke 6:27, 28 goes on to say not only love your enemies, but do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you."

Come on, God! Really?

I'd rather take a Sharpie to those particular passages of the Bible than a highlighter.

I'm fine leaving the revenge to you (if I must). But doing good to those who hate me? Blessing those who curse me? Praying for the good of those who mistreat me and mine?  

That's too much to ask!

Until I remember . . . 

The nails in the hands of Jesus put there because of my sin. The crown of thorns. His forgiveness. Of me.

Then, maybe . . .

Maybe it isn't too much to ask.

Maybe, if it's this hard for me, how much harder for the ungodly and unforgiven?  

Finding Peace

How?

How can we be holy--set apart, pure, distinct-- and still yet live in peace with an unholy world? How are we supposed to be different, to stand up for what is right, and yet strive to remain at peace with all men?

How do I live in peace with a friend I know to be living in sin? How do I remain peaceful towards the one who insults me, taunts me, dares me to stand up for what I believe?

How can I be at peace in a world with whom I am at war?

How?

Peace came from above.

Notice the past-tense verb. I'm not saying peace comes from above. I am saying peace is already here. In us.

In John 14:27 Jesus says this, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."

Jesus left His peace behind. He left it in the care of the ones He loves. Us!

If you go up one verse, you see that Jesus is talking about the Holy Spirit. He is the peace Jesus left with us. He is the peace given to us. Not as the world gives, but as only God can give.

Freely. Permanently. Irrevocably.

We already have peace. He is inside us.

All we have to do is live it.

How do we remain pure in a world that is not and yet remain at peace? We hold on to the peace inside us, the Holy Spirit. How do we peacefully resist sin? We allow the Spirit to speak to us and through us. How do I find peace in times of trial? I look to what God has already given me.

The peace of Christ. The Holy Spirit. Living in me.

Ah . . . Peace.

Make every effort.

That means try. Try to be at peace with all men. It's not going to happen all the time. There will be conflict. There will be unrest. The peace Jesus left with us is the same peace He had when He cleansed the temple, or when He called the Pharisees blasphemers. He made every effort to be at peace, but holiness trumps all.

What He left us with is also the same peace He had when He asked His Father to forgive the ones who drove the nails into His wrists. The same peace He has when He forgives our sins today.

Peace has a lot to do with forgiveness. In fact, when it comes to living in peace with all men, I'm not sure the two can be separated. How else could God be at peace with us?

Be at peace. Be holy. Like Jesus.

Our peace came from Him.


 

I'm In This World, But I'm Not Of It!

What does that mean, really?

Can I be in the world, but not of the world? At first glance, it sounds a little sketchy. Like jumping into a pool without getting wet. Not likely.

Jesus was in this world in human form, but he was not of the world. He came from heaven. What about us, though? We're from here. Doesn't that mean we are of this world?

What does "of the world" really mean?

When Jesus said He, and we, are not of this world, He meant we do not belong to this world. Like visitors in a foreign land (a description the Bible uses), we are here, but only temporarily.

That's how I interpret this verse. I live in this world, but I don't live for this world. My true hopes, dreams, and ambitions extend far beyond this round rock. Yes, I strive for success just like everyone else. My purpose, however, is not driven by merely earthly goals.

I am storing my treasure in heaven. I work in all things for Christ, no earthly master. I keep my mind on things above, not on earthly things.

Or at least I'm supposed to.

The hard part is, I live here. I am in the world! It's hard to not fall into the trap of being of the world and for the world. It's easy to be worldly. It's hard to be different.

I'm not above it. None of us are. When immersed in the world every single day, it is so tempting to just join the crowd and do what everyone else is doing. It's hard to stay focused.

That's one reason we need Christian fellowship.

A church family. Small groups for learning and socialization. An accountability partner or two. These are all so important to our walk with Christ. I believe it is extremely difficult--almost impossible--to remain in the world but not of it without help.

Yes, Christ helps us. Yes, the Holy Spirit helps us. Yes, God is always with us. God also set up the church for a reason and a purpose. To reach the lost, yes; but also to strengthen and uphold the believers.

If you only live among the worldly, you will most likely become worldly. The old adage of what goes in, comes out.

Be in the world, but not of it.

We're going to live here until Christ calls us home. It's important to realize, though, that this is not our home. I'm an alien, a foreigner, a mere sojourner walking this earth on my way to heaven.

As long as I remember that, I can be in this world, but not of it.

Be Different

You don't have to fit in.

In fact, we, as Christians, are not supposed to fit in with the rest of the world. We are supposed to be different.

As Paul told the Romans, we are not to conform to the pattern of this world. What pattern? The pattern of sin. Immorality, idolatry, greed, envy, arrogance . . . It's a long list, and yes, it is a pattern. A well established, oft-repeating pattern.

One we are not to be part of.

We are supposed to be differnt.

For some, that's easy. Some people like to stand out, be different, get noticed. Others want to blend in with the scenery. Neither is inherently wrong--or right. What matters is doing the right thing for the right reason.

The Pharisees liked to be noticed. They went out of their way to be different with their clothes, their  mannerisms, their speech and even their prayers. The problem was their motivations. Arrogance. Greed. Idolatry.

They were different all right. For all the wrong reasons.

Then we have Peter who, usually, was the guy who stood out in a crowd. Loud, opinionated, and often impulsive, he didn't seem to mind being in the spotlight. Until it mattered. When it came time to stand up for what he believed at the trial of Jesus, Peter did everything he could to blend in. Even denying knowing Christ.

He gave in. He conformed. He tried not to be different.

Both of those are examples of the pattern of the world.

Be different like Paul was different.

In Acts 14, Paul healed a crippled man. The crowds saw what happened, decided Paul was a god, and tried to offer sacrifices to him. Now a guy could go far in a town who thought he was a god, but Paul didn't want to be different in that way, so he told them the truth. It wasn't him, but God who had performed the miracles.

Know what happened? The town turned on Paul and stoned him, then dragged him out of the city presumed dead. When Paul woke up, guess what he did--walked right back into the city.

That's different.

Another time, Paul was in jail for his faith. All he had to do to get out was to offer the official a bribe (Acts 24:26), a common practice. The pattern of the world.

Paul didn't. He remained in prison for two years, not because he didn't have access to a bribe, but because he chose not to conform.

Paul was different.

The pattern of the world is sin.

Don't follow it. We cannot and should not avoid being in the world, but we can certainly resist becoming like the world.

That's going to be our topic for the week. How to live in a sinful world without conforming to its sinful patterns.

May God bless us all this week, and give us the strength to resist the temptations we face every day.

Amen.

It's Time To Start Living

God is life.

Being a Christian isn't about giving up everything that makes life fun. It's not about following a bunch of rules, doing this and not doing that. That's government. That's not God.

Being a Christian, truly following Christ, is living life to it's fullest.

It's about finding hope in times of despair, strength in times of weakness, endurance in times of struggle.

God keeps His promises.

It's time to start believing what God has promised. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13). God is my refuge and strength, my ever-present help in trouble (Psalm 46:10). God does love me; I shall not perish, but have eternal life (John 3:16).

The promises of God go on and on. He wants us to live those promises.

That is true life.

It's time.

 It's time to let go of the boundaries of this world and live as the new creations we have become. It's time to look beyond this life and realize there is oh-so-much-more to living than merely existing.

It's time to be alive. To hope in the Lord and renew our strength. To soar on wings like eagles. To run and not be weary. To walk and not be faint.

It's time to forfeit the old spirit of timidity, and accept the new spirit of power, love, and self-discipline given to us by God
 (2 Timothy 1:7).

It's time to start living.

Start By Doing

Faith without deeds is dead.

That's another quote from the straight-to-the-point book of James (James 2:26). The author's point in those two sections of Scripture is that just knowing is not enough. You have to do something about it.

In illustration, James paints the picture of someone who is cold and hungry. He then asks, "If one of you says to him, 'Go, I wish you well; keep warm and well fed,' but does nothing about his physical needs, what good is it? In the same way, faith by itself, if not accompanied by action, is dead" (James 1:16, 17).

His point is, recognizing a need and knowing what to do is worthless unless you actually do something.

Want to truly follow Christ?

Start by doing what He says. Going to church and reading the Bible are good things, but that doesn't make you a follower of Christ. Knowing about God doesn't make you a Christian. James had something to say about that, too (James 2:18, 19).

In Matthew 7:24-27, Christ says that anyone who hears His words and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. Conversely, anyone who hears His words but does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand.

You can guess which house stood firm when the storms came.

Start by doing.

Don't think you should wait until you know the whole Bible before you begin to do what it says. You'll never get there. Start by doing what you know. Christ said the two commandments upon which everything else hinge are to love God and to love your neighbor as yourself (Matthew 22:37-40).

That's simple enough. Sure, there's a whole lot more depth to look into, but that's certainly a good place to start.

Understand everything begins with Christ. Follow Him. Learn about Him. Then do what you have learned.

You are well on your way to a new life.

Start Following By Learning

Some times it pays to read the directions.

Did you know some people actually read a car manual before they need to figure out where those infernal engineers hid the jack and tire-iron?

There are other people who, believe it or not, follow the step-by-step directions provided with pre-fab furniture.

The pay-off? They're not trying to page through their manual by flashlight in the pouring rain when they get a flat tire. They don't have to pry Part C from Part D after they glued them together upside down.

Sometimes it pays to read the directions.

 Like God's Word.

If we are going to start following Christ, we have to learn about Him. One of the primary ways to do that is to read the Bible.

In my last blog, I said the Bible is like a blueprint for our lives. Let's say an architect draws up a set of plans for a house, but the builder never looks at them. Sure, the guy might be able to build a house. It might even be sturdy and beautiful. But is it going to be what the buyer wanted? Probably not.


You might be able to succeed in life and even be a good person all on your own. That's not all that God wants. He doesn't just want what's good for you; He wants what is best. To get that, you have to follow His blueprint.

That means knowing what it looks like.

It's time to start learning.

You don't have to be a Biblical scholar to be a follower of Christ. At least I hope not, because I'm sure not. You do, however, need to know what the Bible says.

Take 10, 20, 30 minutes a day and start reading. Or get an audio version of the Bible and listen to it in your car, or on your Ipod as you work out. If the only time you get any privacy is when you are in the bathroom, then read there!

It doesn't matter when or where . . .

Just get started.

Open the Bible and read. If you don't know where to begin, look in the Table of Contents and find the book of Matthew, the first book of the New Testament, and start there. The Book of Proverbs is full of everyday useful guidance. The Book of Psalms is full of encouragement.

The whole Bible is chock-full of stuff you need to know to get what God wants for you: The best.  The sooner you start, the less back-tracking you'll have to do later.


The next step is applying what you read. That's what we'll talk about tomorrow!

Start By Following

Jesus wants us to follow Him.

It really is that simple.  Do you know how He recruited His first disciples? He said, "Come, follow me."

That's how He called to two fishermen brothers, Andrew and Simon (who is also called Peter), in Matthew 4:19. Verses 21 and 22 tell of the calling of two other brothers, John and James. Though how Jesus called them is not recorded, what the text does say is that they dropped everything and, you guessed it, followed Him. In Matthew 9:9, Jesus recruits Matthew with the same message.

 I bet Jesus called every one of His disciples with the same simple phrase: Follow me. 

That's the same way He calls to us.

We're not any different from those first disciples. They didn't know who Jesus was, or what He expected from them. They had to learn, and the best way for Jesus to teach them was to show them. He didn't expect them to be perfect before they joined Him, or even after. They were just a bunch of guys, like you and me, out there doing the best they could, making mistakes along the way.

When Jesus calls us to follow Him, He doesn't expect us to be perfect. He knows we're not. What He wants is for us to follow the example He left for us. 

How?

It's pretty simple, really. Kind of like following a blueprint to build a house. The architect isn't right there telling you what to do. He leaves instructions for you to follow that are clear enough to get the job done. He's not there to tell you what exact board to use, or which exact brick to place in the wall. He trusts you to make those decisions, and as long as they fall within the guidelines he provided, everything will work out just fine.


The same is true when we follow Christ. The Bible isn't a step-by-step guide for anything. It's a blueprint of how we are supposed to live our lives. We get, and have to make a lot of the choices on our own. A follower of Jesus makes those decisions based on whether or not they fit into the blueprint God left us.

That means you have to know the blueprints.

And that's where we'll pick up tomorrow.

It All Starts With Christ

Anything new is stressful.

The idea of new can be intimidating. Whether it's a new job, a new home, a new school, a new relationship, or anything else, new means different. Different means change. Change means stress. I don't like stress, so I don't like change. I think most people are like that.

Even relatively minor ventures, like visiting a new destination, arouses some degree of unease within me. I don't know exactly where I'm going, how to get there, or what I'll find when I arrive. The farther away I travel from what I know, the more anxious I become.

The bigger the change, the higher the stress.

Going someplace new causes me some degree of angst, but I can usually take that in stride. Bigger changes, however, are another matter. Some of the biggest changes in my life involved getting married, moving to a new home, starting a new job, and having children. Each of those involved a lot of new, a lot of different, a lot of change.

If you remember, to me change means stress. Bigger changes bring more stress. My natural defense, and I believe it is a common one, is to avoid change, especially big ones. That's not always wrong, but it certainly isn't always right, either. Life would be pretty dull without change. In fact, change is inherent to the definition of life. It's not only unavoidable, it's absolutely essential.

So what do we do about it?

For me, one of the hardest parts of change is getting started. When faced with the choice of going someplace new, the first, and often hardest, choice I have to make is whether or not to go. I have to decide whether the pay off when I get there will be worth the stress of enduring the unknown. Once I make that single decision, every one that follows is minor in comparison. Choosing a route to get to Branson was nothing compared to deciding whether or not to go in the first place. Agree?

My point is, the way to deal with the stress of something new is to make a decision. Whatever it is, either you are, or you are not. You're going to go to that new place, or you're not. Take that new job, or don't. Color your hair purple, or leave it alone. Whatever choice you face, the hardest part of new is making the decision to do it or not.

The same is true with faith.

Some people are intimidated by the idea of accepting faith in Jesus Christ, or truly changing their lives and following Him, for the same reason we all fear change. It's new. It's different. We don't know exactly how to get there, or what we'll find when we do. As with all things new, the hardest part is getting started, or even knowing where to start.

It all starts with Christ.

The verse at the top of this post is from the last chapter of the last book of the Bible, but it's a good place to start. Jesus is the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End of all things. That is certainly true of our Christian faith. It all starts with Him.

 In the first book of the New Testament, Matthew 22:37, 38 we read these words of Jesus, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment."

That's where you start.

 Love God. Not just a little, but fully. Sure, there's a lot to that, but once you make the decision to do it, everything else will come. That first step is the hardest, but you'll never regret it.

As the week goes on, we'll talk more about taking those first steps with God, but right now you know how to get started.

What are you waiting for?

The Old Has Gone, The New Has Come!

A new year.

Another year has passed, quickly for some, painfully slow for others. Whatever the past year held, both joys and sorrows, it is done. Never can it be reclaimed, nor should we try. What's done is done. The old year has gone, a new one has come.

So it is can be with us.

We can be made new.

I want to speak to those of you who have not yet accepted Jesus Christ as your Savior. If you already have, read on to be reminded of the fantastic changes Christ has made in your life.

If you have not accepted Christ, have not believed that He is the only way to get to heaven, let me ask you this: Is there anything about yourself you'd like to change? Are there any mistakes you've made that you wish could just go away, be forgotten forever? Do you ever wish you could simply start over?

You can.

With God, nothing is impossible.

This thought is found throughout the Bible, but I want to point you to the book of Matthew, chapter 19. If you start reading in verse 16, you see the story of a rich young man who came to Jesus, asking how to be saved. The problem is, he was in love with money. After their conversation, the man walks away, disheartened by Jesus' words, because he didn't want to give up what he had.

That's the lesson most often pointed out in church, but that's not the whole story.

After the man leaves, Jesus explains to His followers how hard it is for a rich man to get into heaven. Now the disciples were pretty dense sometimes (like us), but they understood that rich is a relative term, and started to panic. If it is harder for a rich man to get to heaven than it is for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, they ask, "Who then can be saved."

Christ's answer speaks to us all. He says, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."

We can all start over.

You see, the point is more than just, it's hard for the rich to get to heaven. The point is it is impossible for anyone to get to heaven on their own, through the ways of man. But with God, all things are possible. For the rich and the poor, the good and the bad, you, me, and everyone else.

Everybody can start over. Everybody can be given a clean slate and made into a new creation.

Today could be your day.

If we go back to the book of 2 Corinthians and go down a few verses from the one on the picture above, we come to Chapter 6 verse 2 which says:  I tell you, now is the time of God's favor, now is the day of salvation.

You see, this could be your day.

The old could all pass away, and the new come for you. Today.

Are you ready to be made new?