July 16, 2014

"Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John his brother, led them up on a high mountain by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and His clothes became as white as the light. And behold, Moses and Elijah appeared to them, talking with Him. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here; if You wish, let us make here three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.”  Matthew 17:1-4

Don't you love mountain-top experiences? Those are the times when God seems so real and faith seems so easy. 

The Bible has several significant mountain-top experiences:

1) Abraham took Isaac up the mountain to offer him as an obedient sacrifice.

2) Moses received the Ten Commandments from God on Mt. Sinai.

3) Elijah defeated the prophets of baal on Mt. Carmel.

4) Jesus was crucified on Mt. Calvary.

5) Jesus ascended into heaven from the Mount of Olives.

But the transfiguration of Jesus was the mountain-top experience that Peter, James and John got to witness first hand. What a moment that was when they got to see the two most honored Prophets, Elijah and Moses, in addition to the glorified Jesus! 

Having seen this amazing divine manifestation, Peter was so blessed that He suggested to Jesus that all of them should just build a shrine up there and never come down the mountain. This new revelation of Jesus was spiritually filling and emotionally thrilling and they didn't want it to end!

What would you have wanted to do?

But Jesus wouldn't allow them to stay on that mountain and led them back down to ground level. As soon as they reached sea level they were immediately confronted with ministry needs once again. There were diseases to heal and demons to defeat and messages to deliver and those couldn't happen on the mountain-top.

What is the take away from this experience? How can you benefit from a mountain-top experience?

Jesus takes you up the mountain to give you a fresh vision of Himself so He can prepare you for fresh victories!

Jesus takes you up the mountain and glorifies Himself so you can come down the mountain and glorify Him!

Jesus takes you up the mountain to remind you Who He is so you can remember Him in the valley. Jesus is exactly the same at the bottom of the mountain as He is at the top!

Jesus won't let you live on the mountain-top but He will lift you there!

July 15, 2014

As you know, Psalm 51 is one of the most honest, intense and heart-felt chapters any where in the Bible. It is also a text book example of how repentence should happen.

 

Meditating on this Scripture recently I wondered while I read and re-read his confession, "Why didn't he think about these things BEFORE he did the awful deeds? If he had bothered to think with his head instead of his lustful heart, this Psalm would have been unnecessary."

 

That is when I came up with the phrase "pre-pentance" - or confessing the moment the sinful thoughts took shape in his mind. Had he taken each of those THOUGHTS captive by confessing them to God it would have kept him from committing those sins that ruined his life and ended Uriah's.

 

You and I can certainly learn from David's failure and make a promise to God and ourselves that we will defend against destructive sin in our lives by learning "pre-pentance".

 

Here's what I mean:

 

The story begins in 2 Samuel 11:1-4

Let's break it down!

1"Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem."

MISTAKE #1 – Wrong Place!     

Go To Right  Place - "Pre-pentance would have sent David to war with his army.

2 "Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance."

MISTAKE #2 – Another Wrong Place!    

The Lustful Look and Thought - "Pre-pentance" would have had David look away after he first spied Bathsheba.

3 "So David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”

MISTAKE #3 – First Look Was Free – Second One Was Costly

David Gave Into Lustful Thoughts And Acted Them Out - "Pre-pentance would have resisted the second look and come quickly off the roof.

4 "David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house."

MISTAKE #4 – Totally Out of Control Now – He Abused His Power To Use This Woman AND Betray Her Husband, Who Was One of  His Loyal Soldiers - Pre – Pentance – TOO LATE NOW!

Repentance is the only way to be freed from the guilt and bondage of your sin. True repentance to God allows Him to come in mercy and power to cleanse your sin and restore your spirit.

But you could render repentance a rarity in your life if you would train yourself to "pre-pent".

July 14, 2014

"Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example in speech, in conduct, in love, in faith, in purity." I Timothy 4:12

I was blessed by the teens this morning as they shared the joys of their camp experiences this past week. The friendships forged, the memories made and the spiritual decisions nailed down in the evening rallies.

As I listened to their enthusiasm over their recently strengthened faith, I prayed that they would follow through on the commitments made last week.

I wonder how many of the people in the congregation believe there will be long lasting results in the lives of these young people.

It certainly can happen!

It was fifty years ago that I went forward during a camp service and made a total surrender of my life to God and prayed for the filling of the Holy Spirit. Four years after that I went off to Indiana Wesleyan University to study for the ministry and four years beyond that I became the Pastor at Princeton Wesleyan Church in Princeton, Illinois. Two years after that, again at a camp service, I was ordained as an Elder in The Wesleyan Church of America,

So, fifty years ago at a camp service I made Jesus my Lord and forty years ago Elders of the Illinois District laid hands on me a prayed for me as I was ordained.

If it can happen for me it can happen for each of our teens! I pray it will! I pray that this fresh taste of God's goodness will inspire them to hunger for more of His presence in their lives.

One of the major factors that contributed to maintaining my spiritual commitments made at camp those Summers was a strong healthy local church where I was taught, loved, encouraged prayed for, prayed over and developed in my faith. I could not have become what I am today if it had not been for those faithful folks at Silver Lake Wesleyan Church in Silver Lake, Indiana.

I have a challenge for you. Will you be that sort of people for our teens?

Will you encourage them?

Will you believe in them?

Will you pray for them?

Will you set the example for them?

Will you work together with me continuing to build a strong church that e there for them as they grow and mature in their faith?

July 13, 2014

"God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."  Psalm 27:1-3

Trouble is all around us. Maybe it has you surrounded and you don't know where to turn.

The Psalmist was well acquainted with trouble and out of his troubles came most of the beautiful thoughts and words that have inspired so many for so long! You could sum up the 27th Psalm in this way - "Trouble? No Trouble!"

Why is that true?

Because you have a God Who is a refuge! What does that mean? How does that help?

First, it means that God is a personal refuge - "God is OUR refuge and strength....."

A refuge is a place to flee trouble. A refuge is a place of safety. A refuge is a place to hide. For the believer, God is that refuge! You can flee to Him and hide in Him in the day of trouble and be safe!

Furthermore, God is strong and His strength can become your strength because His IS a personal God!

Second, it means God is a present refuge - "an everpresent help in trouble."

Troubles come and go, but when God comes to you and when you flee to Him, He NEVER leaves! He will remain with you after the trouble has subsided. Where ever trouble might find you, God is already there! In fact, trouble has to get through Him in order to get to you and so if it gets to you He has allowed it because He knows that with His present strength you can handle it!

Third, it means God is a powerful refuge - "Therefore we will not fear, though the earth give way and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea, though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging."

Your God is not only a personal God and a present God but He is also a POWERFUL GOD! When you flee to Him and hide in Him and there is nothing that can trouble you that will be more powerful than Him!

"Though the earth give way" - your powerful God CREATED the earth! So even if your trouble seems bigger than the world and though it seems your world has crumbled - He made the world and He can protect yours! If necessary He can put yours back together!

"and the mountains fall into the heart of the sea" - your powerful God CREATED the mountains AND the seas! Your powerful God can move and mountain and walk on the sea! So why should you be troubled by your troubles when you have such a powerful God?!

"though its waters roar and foam and the mountains quake with their surging." - trouble can rock your world and overwhelm you like an earthquake and a tsunami! But your powerful God will shelter you while He calms the storm! You may be wet and you may be shaken but you won't be harmed because your Personal, Present and Powerful God is your Refuge and your Strength!

Trouble? No trouble!

July 12, 2014

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled" Matthew 5:6

One of the proofs of God's existence is every person's inner craving for God and for goodness. 

Where else would the sense of "rightness" come from?

Where else would that inner longing for something more come from?

Doesn't it make sense that if God created us for Himself that He would wire each of us with a craving or a hunger to know Him?

Jesus is acknowledging that your cravings will control you if you don't get your cravings under His control.

In this statement of Jesus of the fourth Beatitude, Jesus is acknowledging that people have an inner craving to get life right and to make their world a more righteousness place.

Let's examine that statement with you.

I believe an atheist has a desire to create a more righteous world. That is an impossible task if you don't believe in God, but they have strong ideas of what is right, and moral and they have a craving to create a world in that image of "rightness". But attempts to satisfy the craving in their soul by their own efforts always leaves them disappointed , dissatisfied and more disillusioned.

I believe a Muslim is driven by a sincere craving to create a righteous world according to his understanding of what is right. Killing an infidel Christian or Jew who won't convert to Islam is an act of righteousness in the mind of a militant Muslim. They are trusting in their form of "righteousness" to please Allah and earn them a place in Heaven.

A liberal progressive has a vision of what would make the world more "right". That vision usually involves creating a strong and powerful central government with the power to make things more fair and more even. In their vision of rightness wealth will be taken from those who have it and given to those who don't have it. In their morality, whatever empowers and enlarges the State is righteous and whatever opposes or undermines the power of the State is evil. Therefore, to trust in Christ and the righteousness revealed in God's Word constitutes a direct threat to liberalism.

Jesus said that you must have a righteousness that exceeds that of the Pharisees. Their idea of righteousness consisted of rituals, rules and religious observances. Their craving to find God's approval degenerated into a self-righteousness that led them to gross hypocrisy and left them empty. The had a form of religion but no relationship with God.

It really can't be denied that God has placed a craving for righteousness deep in the heart of every person. And the truth that Jesus declares must be taken seriously, you will get what you crave the most and cravings that are out of His control will end in emptiness.

The only was to be blessed by God is to put your cravings under His control so He can become what you crave the most. When you crave Him the most you will come into right relationship with Him and THAT is THE BLESSING!

July 11, 2014

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6

The dominant theme of the Sermon on the Mount is the righteousness that is the Kingdom of God. That righteousness is the food that His children feed on and the water that sustains and refreshes them.

So what IS that Kingdom righteousness?

It is being poor in spirit and broken over your sinfulness. It is submitting to God's control over your life and being filled with His presence. It is extending mercy from a pure heart and being a peace-maker rather than a trouble-maker. It is being willing to face persecution rather than compromise righteousness.

A truly righteous life will shine light a beacon in a dark world and will make others hungry and thirsty for God.

Righteousness is a result of living in a right relationship with God through Christ. As a relationship it is dynamic not static and must be kept up to date on a moment by moment, day by day basis. 

Jesus made it clear He was raising the bar on righteousness when He stated in Matthew 5:20 - "For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, there is no way you will enter the Kingdom of God."

What was the righteousness of the Pharisees? Their righteousness largely consisted of pride, pretense and performance based behavior. But Jesus said if you harbor anger or lust in your heart you are guilty of murder and adultery. Righteousness demands taking your marriage vows seriously. If you want to be righteous keep your word so no one will doubt what you say. God's righteousness loves enemies and responds to them with grace and kindness.

The righteousness that God requires the right priorities. In Matthew 6 demands that we value His righteousness above material concerns. We are told to trust our Heavenly Father to care for us and provide our needs as He feeds the birds. Righteousness trusts in God and isn't overcome by worry.

In chapter 7 Jesus defines righteousness as a personal relationship rather than religious practices and it is expressed in a life built on obedience.

The Kingdom of God is a kingdom of righteousness and that is the clear message of the Sermon on the Mount. To punctuate the point, Jesus draws the sermon to a conclusion with this sober warning:

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he 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 perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

When it comes to hungering and thirsting for righteousness, you'd better get it right - a right relationship with Christ!

July 10, 2014

"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled." Matthew 5:6

A small boy was sent to bed by his father.

Five minutes later.... "Da-a-a=d...." 

"What?"

"I'm thirsty. Can you bring drink of water?"

"No. You had your chance. Lights out."

Five minutes later: "Da-a-a-a-a-d.....""

WHAT?"

"I'm THIRSTY. Can I have a drink of water??"

"I told you NO!" If you ask again, I'll have to spank you!!"

Five minutes later."Da-a-a-a-a-a-a-a-d....."

"WHAT!"

"When you come in to spank me, can you bring a drink of water?" 

This poor boy was craving water! His craving for water was so great that he was willing to take a spanking in order to get a drink!

Do you have that sort of craving for God's righteousness?

When Jesus equated our spiritual craving for His righteousness to our physical craving for water, He knew exactly how strong that comparison is!

It is the water in our body that determines the vitality, strength, and energy associated with daily living. Think about these facts associated with our body and water:

• The human body is ⅔ water.
• The body absorbs cold water faster than hot water.
• By the time you are 70-years-old, you will have required 1½ million gallons of water
• Studies show that increasing water consumption can decrease fat deposits. Water is a natural appetite suppressant.f you lose 2% of your body’s water supply, your energy will decrease by 20%. 
• A 10% decrease in water, you will be unable to walk, and a 20% decrease – you’re dead

Your hunger for food and your thirst for water is your natural warning system that you need to nourish the life within you lest it perish. The more you care about sustaining your life the more you will crave a bite of food or a drink of water.

If you are to live under the approval of God and be satisfied by Him, you must crave His righteousness more than a starving man craves food and a dying man craves water.

Does that describe your craving for God?

Prayerfully search your heart for anything you might crave more than you crave His righteousness.