November 12, 2012

“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?” Luke 9:20

Do you find it curious that Jesus is asking them if they know Who He is after they have walked with Him and worked with Him for almost three years now?

 

Further, consider when He asked this probing question. They had recently went out on a mission in His name healing people and driving out demons! The day before they had miraculously fed thousands of people with one simple lunch!

 

Is it possible to do all those amazing feats and still not know Who Jesus is?

 

Apparently.

 

Consider what Jesus said on another occasion:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ Matthew 7:21-23

 

Chilling isn't it? Jesus makes it plain that you can do amazing things in His name but not necessarily know Him.

 

Could it be that discipleship is not so much about what you do are as what you are? Could it be that discipleship is about intimately understanding Who Jesus is? It makes sense that there is a difference between knowing Jesus and knowing about Him.

 

That is a HUGE difference! That is THE difference - relationship vs. religion. Religion is based on the belief that you can "do" and "not do" yourself into believing. But Jesus pokes a whole through that notion! He wants to live in relationship with you and desires to live His life out through you. Your doing for Christ results from being in Christ.

 

If your focus is on what you do or don't do for Christ, you are not a disciple. Even if you are doing miracles and deliverences. It is about "being" not "doing". True discipleship is knowing Jesus and living in intimate relationship with Him.

 

Are you in Christ today? Do you know Him? Don't settle for doing.

November 11, 2012

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but 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." Romans 12:1-2

 

D. L. Moody is a great example of what can happen when a man commits to partner with God. One plus one may equal two in the realm of mathematics. But when one man with His God it doesn’t double, it multiplies. And not only does it multiply but it compounds!

Moody was born in a very poor New England family in 1837. They were already poor when his father died at the age of 41 their creditors came and took all they had except the clothes on their backs. They even took the fire wood stacked behind the house. When their mother took them to church and S.S., they were so poor she didn’t want to wear out their shoes and socks so she would have them go barefoot and carry their shoes and socks until they got within sight of the church when they would put them on and go into church.

 

When he was old enough, Moody landed a job as a shoe salesman and became one of the top shoe salesman on the East Coast. He became friends with a fellow shoe salesman by the name of Edward Kimball. Kimball was a Christian who often witnessed to Moody. One day, Kimball led Moody to the Lord in a back room of the shoe store.

 

Soon after becoming converted, Moody came across a quote by Henry Varley that challenged him and profoundly changed his life. The quote was, “The world is yet to see what God will do with, for, through, in and by a man fully consecrated to Him.” Moody decided he wanted to be that man, so after being denied membership in his local church who considered him too unpolished, he recruited 18 rowdies off the street and began teaching a Bible class with them. Two years later that class had grown to 1,500!

 

During his lifetime this rough, raw and unpolished man shared the gospel with 100,000,000 people!

 

In the case of D.L. Moody ONE + one equaled 100 million when he partnered with God. But that was not the full extent of the partnership with God. What began with a shoe salesman who dared to partner with God and share his faith with a co-worker in the back of a shoe store didn't end there:

 

·         Sunday School teacher Edward Kimball lead Dwight L. Moody to Christ;

·         J. Wilbur Chapman was converted at a D. L. Moody evangelistic meeting;re

·         Billy Sunday was converted at a Chapman meeting;

·         Mordecai Ham was converted at Billy Sunday meeting;

·         and Billy Graham was converted at a Ham meeting.

 

On December 22, 1899, the evangelist D. L. Moody lay dying. His first job had been as a shoe clerk in Boston, gathering eighteen ragged boys off the street to organize a Sunday school class. In two years the class had grown to fifteen hundred. In his lifetime Moody was to take two continents in his hands and shake them for God. As he died, he left this epitaph written on the flyleaf of his Bible, “If God be your partner, make your plans big."

 

What big thing could you partner with God  for if you were fully consecrated to Him?

 

 

 

November 10, 2012

“Be strong and very courageous. Be careful to obey all the law my servant Moses gave you; do not turn from it to the right or to the left, that you may be successful wherever you go. Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  Joshua 1:7-9

 

Years ago, Joshua had been one of the dozen spies who Moses had sent into Canaan to survey the land. But there was only him and Caleb who brought back good reports. There were great risks to be faced in the form of giants the abundant rewards would be worth those risks.

 

But now he was older and was actually in charge now. No longer was it a matter of just proclaiming, “We can do this!” Now it was a matter of, “Let’s go do this! Follow me!” His life and his reputation were on the line now!

 

The first big obstacle would be the fortress of Jericho. Could he do this? Should he even try? What if he failed?

 

Those must have been some of the thoughts racing through his mind on the eve of the long awaited day. Why else did God keep urging him to have courage?

 

As we know, Joshua stepped up with great courage and led God’s people well!

 

This is a day for some “Joshuas”! We stand on the verge of some unknown territory!

 

One thing that was obvious from the recent election is that many of the things we value and hold dear are not valued or held dear by at least half of our nation. So what happens when we are the only ones left who believe what we believe and love what we love?

 

What will you do when you are one of the few who believes the Bible is God’s Word and the only authoritative source of truth?

 

Have courage to keep believing!

 

What will you do when you are one of the few who believes that trusting Jesus Christ as Savior is the exclusive way to salvation and to eternal life and you are ridiculed for that belief?

 

Have courage to keep believing!

 

What will you do when you are one of the few who believes that gay marriage is immoral and wrong?  What if you are despised and called intolerant for that view?

 

Have courage to keep believing!

 

What will you do when you are the only person where you work who refuses to cheat or lie when the boss demands it?

 

Have courage to keep refusing!

 

 

This is the culture in which we live. These are some of the pressures we are and will increasingly face. The election made that clear.

 

Will you change with your culture and compromise your beliefs? Or, will you be a Joshua and be confident in your beliefs while standing courageously for them? Will you continue teaching them to your children?

 

By the way, Joshua WAS courageous, God strengthened him, he stood and Jericho fell!   

 

November 9, 2012

"And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus." Philippians 4:19
 

Notice this great promise does not say, "And my government will meet all your needs....." I suspect there were tens of millions of voters last Tuesday who were not aware of the truth promised in this text.

As the experts research the post-election data one of the things that seems to be apparent is a lot of people voted for the candidate they thought would give them the most stuff. We may have arrived at a point in our country where more people look to government for their needs than those who look to God.

It will be a sad day for our nation if government takes the place of God because the Epistle to the Philippians clearly proclaims God's promise to supply our needs.
 

Here's some ways God wants to supply all my needs:

Supplication

 

By supplication I mean I trust God to provide what I need and so, I pray and He provides a job. Then I trust Him for strength and health to do the job He provides.

Sacrifice

I have a need and I trust my Christian friends at my church to sacrifice and help meet my need. And when others have a need I sacrifice to help them.

Supernatural 

Sometimes when there is not a job to be had or when my health prevents me from working and my church family can't meet my need then God does a miracle to provide a way to meet my need.

 

You can trust government for your needs, I choose to trust God to meet mine. He can meet needs in a lot of different ways - supplication, sacrifice, or supernaturally!

 

Do you have a need you can trust Him for?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 8, 2012

 

So, how do you respond in the wake of a national election that just repudiated your beliefs and values?

 

The Apostle wrote the challenge below to a Church that was engaging a pagan culture and ruled by a hostile government. He understood that the public practice of their Christian faith could be hazardous to their health. Afterall, remember that Paul was writing this 12th Chapter of Romans from prison for the crime of preaching Christ.

 

While times were a bit more extreme than our times but the truths still apply. What the great Apostle counsels them to do is sound advice for you today. Here are three things you should do to engage this rapidly changing culture you find yourself surrounded with.

 

SURRENDER

 

You have two choices that face you today. You can surrender to your Christ or surrender to your culture.

 

Paul urges the former - "Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is true worship. ² Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind."

 

You must decrease so Christ can increase. You must die to your selfishness and come alive in His holiness.

 

Have you surrendered to Christ?

 

SERVICE

 

You need to conquer your culture in the same way Christ did and the same way the Early Christians did - by serving it. Surrendered people serve.

 

You may be asking, "How should I serve?"

 

Paul provides specific answers - "For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you.  For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others. We have different gifts, according to the grace given to each of us. If your gift is prophesying, then prophesy in accordance with your faith; if it is serving, then serve; if it is teaching, then teach; if it is to encourage, then give encouragement; if it is giving, then give generously; if it is to lead, do it diligently; if it is to show mercy, do it cheerfully."

 

You may be asking, "Who do I serve?"

 

Primarily you serve your family and the faith community where God has placed you and you do it with joy!

 

Are you using your spiritual gifts and talents to serve your brothers and sisters?

 

SINCERITY

 

Again, you have a choice! You can respond to your culture with cynicism or sincerity.

 

When you serve your fellowship and your community you must do it with the motive of giving not getting. You don't calculate or qualify friends or enemies, when you see a need you simply meet it. When you find a hurt you help to heal it. You give God's truth a chance to shine through your sincerity -  ^"Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good.¹⁰ Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves.¹¹ Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. ¹² Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.¹³ Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. ¹⁴ Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. ¹⁵ Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn.¹⁶ Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not think you are superior.¹⁷ Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone.¹⁸ If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.¹⁹ Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. ²⁰ On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head. 21Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good."

 

Do you believe the power of goodness is stronger than the power of government?  Will you live in sincerity or give into evil?

 

Be surrendered. Be a servant. Se sincere.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

November 7, 2012

"The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever." Psalm 23

 

I stood in line longer than I ever have waited to vote this morning. It was exciting to see so many Americans coming to the polls, regardless how they voted.

Voting is still going on hot and heavy as I write this post as the polls don't close for another three hours. So, the outcome of this crucial National Presidential Election is still in doubt.

 

In case you are worried about the outcome of the election let me share with you one thing that is not in doubt and will not be in doubt regardless how the election results turn out. IF THE LORD IS YOUR SHEPHERD - THE FUTURE WILL BE YOUR FRIEND!

 

There is a good reason this beloved Psalm is beloved! It offers enduring hope in an uncertain world!

 

However the election turns out, you will have the Good Shepherd's provision!

 

Regardless who the next President is, you will have the Good Shepherd's presence!

 

Whoever wins the Presidency you will enjoy the Good Shepherd's protection!

 

Regardless how the election turns out you will have the Good Shepherd's peace!
 

No matter who the next President is, you will have the Good Shepherd's promise

Which ever political party prevails you will have the Good Shepherd's power!

 

Regardless who wins the most electoral votes, you will someday enjoy the Good Shepherd's paradise!

As important as this election is (and it IS important) it is not nearly as significant as your choice to choose God as your Good Shepherd because when the Lord is your Shepherd the future is your friend!

Have you confessed your sinfulness, repented of your sin and accepted Jesus as your Savior? That's when He becomes your Shepherd and when He becomes your Shepherd your future is your friend!

 

 

 

November 6, 2012

"The thief does not come except to steal, and to kill, and to destroy. I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly." John 10:10

Those who have not yet cast their vote will do so today. It is Election Day in America!
 

 Like you, after voting I will be tuned into the radio, internet and TV all day receiving updates on the voting trends and tallies.Perhaps by late in the night or in the morning hours of Wednesday we will know who the 45th President of the United States will be.

As usual, American voters will decide between two candidates who each claim their vision for America's future will make life better for the American people. Each voter will decide if he prefers more government, higher taxes, and less freedom or smaller government, lower tax rates and more individual freedom. And, in addition, he must decide which candidate is more believable and most capable of delivering on his promises.
 

 Well, I have formed my opinion and have made my decision how I will cast my ballot. I feel good about my choice.
 

I hope my guy wins. But regardless of the outcome of the election, I am confident about my life and my future! My confidence is not grounded in what a President Obama would do or what a President Romney will do, my confidence rests on what Jesus already HAS done!

Jesus, the Son of God, born of a virgin and the Word become flesh came promising a better life to those who would believe in Him. And not just a better life but an ABUNDANT life - a life that is fulfilling and forever - the life of faith!

As an American and someone who takes citizenship seriously, I will rest my hopes on a candidate I believe will be most likely to improve life in America. But I will vest my faith in Jesus for this current life and in the life to come!