April 19, 2017

"About noon the following day as they were on their journey and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray.  He became hungry and wanted something to eat, and while the meal was being prepared, he fell into a trance. He saw heaven opened and something like a large sheet being let down to earth by its four corners. It contained all kinds of four-footed animals, as well as reptiles and birds. Then a voice told him, “Get up, Peter. Kill and eat.”  “Surely not, Lord!” Peter replied. “I have never eaten anything impure or unclean.” The voice spoke to him a second time, “Do not call anything impure that God has made clean.” This happened three times, and immediately the sheet was taken back to heaven."  Acts 10:9-16

God was preparing Peter to help an entire new group of people belong to the Faith and particularly, the Church.

Belonging is a very important and necessary thing for everyone. It is essential to the human psyche and soul. The breakdown of the family over the past several generations has only intensified that need.

What is involved in belonging? What needs to happen in order to feel like you belong?

There is a "Me" aspect to belonging and there is a "We" aspect to it. Belonging involves acceptance but it also involves commitment. Here is how it works:

Obviously, you or I cannot belong to something unless we are accepted into that group by the members. Acceptance is a warm welcome. Acceptance is permission to enter the group. You can't really be part of a group until the group allows you to join it.

Of all the groups that are available for people to belong to, a local church should be among the most welcoming. Anyone who comes to worship at a local church should find an immediate and sincere acceptance from the members of that body. No one should ever leave a worship service with the feeling they were not accepted.

Acceptance is essential but it is not enough. No matter how accepting a group is and regardless of how warm the welcome, a person doesn't belong until he is willing to commit to belonging and submit to its ways.

If you were to read on to the "rest of the story" followings Peter's vision of the clean and unclean animals you will see that Peter did extend acceptance to Cornelius and his family as God commanded. That obedience and acceptance allowed God's Spirit to work in a powerful way. But, then it became incumbent on Cornelius and the other Gentiles to respond with a commitment. Acts records that they did! They believed and were baptized and as a result, truly belonged to the Faith and the Church!

Acceptance is the role of the "We" in belonging and that acceptance should be as sincere as possible. But in order to belong, there must be a commitment made to the "We" by the "Me".

In my considerable experience in local churches, those who struggle to belong struggle as a result of a "Me" problem rather than the "We" problem. If you are not willing to commit and to submit to the group you will have trouble belonging.

Does that make sense?

April 18, 2017

"Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die. Do you believe this?"  John 11:25-26

This is quite a claim made by Jesus! Very confident and quite comforting!

If you will live and believe in Jesus, and if you allow Him to live in you by faith, you will never die!

However, there ARE several things that WILL die when you die and I feel compelled to point those out.

When you die, suffering dies. The moment you slip away from your earthly body and into eternity with Jesus - your suffering is over! Forever!

When you die, sorrow dies. At your last breath in this life, you are done with sorrow! Once your spirit enters into the presence of God there will be only joy! Sadness has no place in Heaven! You will shed no more tears. You will know no more heartbreak!

When you die, sin dies. If you die in Christ and enter into His paradise you will enter a safe, secure, sin-free environment. Not only will you be free from sin but you will not have to deal with temptation either!

So, you see, death is final - final for the things that are not worthy of God or right for eternity!

As we wrap up the Easter season I just wanted to remind you of a few reasons why it is the pivotal event in all of human history! You will never die, but all the things that make your life difficult or painful will die!

He's alive! You will live! 

Your heart-ache and hardships won't! 

Your crises and crosses will become crowns!

April 17, 2017

"If Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins" 1 Corinthians 15:17

The Resurrection is reason for rejoicing because the fear of death is gone!

Also, the Resurrection is reason for rejoicing because the freedom of forgiveness is come!

When you wrong another person you make yourself indebted to them because you must right the wrong.  The more important the relationship the heavier will be the sense of indebtedness. That's why three of the most comforting words in the English language are "I forgive you". 

Jesus went to the cross on Good Friday to provide payment for a massive debt. But it wasn't a debt He owed it was a debt owed by you and me for our selfishness and disobedience against God! Your debt against a holy loving God resulted in feelings of guilt, shame, regret, and condemnation in your spirit. This debt was too great for you to ever pay and in fact, you continued running up the debt.

On the cross, Jesus paid a debt He didn't owe and a debt that only He could pay so you can be freed from the haunting feelings of shame and guilt and condemnation!

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit who gives life has set you free from the law of sin and death. For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the flesh but according to the Spirit."  Romans 8:1-3

"Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law." Romans 13:8

That is a reason enough for rejoicing, but it is not the only reason! It gets better!

Not only did Jesus die to pay the price and take the penalty for your sins, but He rose from the dead to prove His power and authority over sin and death! So not can you know His forgiveness you can know the Forgiver!

Rejoice that fear has gone!

Rejoice that forgiveness has come!

April 16, 2017

"The angel said to the women, "Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. "He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. "Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you."… Matthew 28:5-7

The glorious news of Easter is that Jesus is alive and that makes all the difference in the world!

A Muslim in Africa became a Christian which is extremely dangerous  and even fatal in Muslim countries. One of his friends asked him, “Why have you done such a thing?” He answered, “Well, its like this: Suppose you were going down the road and suddenly the road forked in two directions. You didn’t know which way to go; and there at the fork were two men—one dead, and one alive—which one would you ask to show you the way?”

The glorious news of Easter is that Jesus is alive! He arose from the dead and that makes all the difference in the world!

Max Lucado, in his book, “Six Hours One Friday,” tells the story of a missionary in Brazil who discovered a tribe of Indians in a remote part of the jungle. They lived near a large river. The tribe was in need of medical attention. A contagious disease was ravaging the population. People were dying daily. 

A hospital was not too terribly far away — across the river, but the Indians would not cross it because they believed the river was inhabited by evil spirits. And to enter its water would mean certain death. 

The missionary explained how he had crossed the river and; was unharmed. But they were not impressed. He then took them to the bank and; placed his hand in the water. They still wouldn't go in. He walked into the water up to his waist and; splashed water on his face. It didn't matter. They were still afraid to enter the river. 

Finally, he dove into the river, swam beneath the surface until he emerged on the other side. He raised a triumphant fist into the air. He had entered the water and; escaped. It was then that the Indians broke into a cheer and; followed him across.

Isn't that what Jesus did? He entered the river of death and; came out on the other side so that we might no longer fear death, but find eternal life in Him.

The glorious news of Easter is that Jesus died for our sins and arose on the third day! He is alive for ever more and that makes all the difference in the world!

On Feb. 27, 1991, it was the height of the Desert Storm War. A woman by the name of Ruth Dillow received the worst news that a mom could ever receive. Her son, Clayton Carpenter, Private, First Class, had stepped on a land mine in the Persian Gulf and he was . For the next three days she grieved the loss of her son, and although people tried to comfort her, there just isn’t any comfort that can comfort the grieving mom – no words that can be whispered. Three days after the notification of the of her son, the phone rang. She picked up the phone, and on the other end of the line there was a voice that said, “Mom, it’s me. I’m alive.” She didn’t believe it. She thought it was some kind of cruel joke and as he continued to speak, she recognized his voice. Her son was alive She said she laughed, cried, she rejoiced – what seemed like a hopeless situation was radically transformed into the greatest day of her life. That’s what news from a graveyard can do Today, I’d like you to know that there is still hope from an empty tomb.

He is alive! 

Rejoice in the hope Easter Sunday provides for you!

April 15, 2017

"Pilate was surprised to hear that he was already dead. Summoning the centurion, he asked him if Jesus had already died. When he learned from the centurion that it was so, he gave the body to Joseph. So Joseph bought some linen cloth, took down the body, wrapped it in the linen, and placed it in a tomb cut out of rock. Then he rolled a stone against the entrance of the tomb. Mary Magdalene and Mary the mother of Joseph saw where he was laid." Mark 15:44-47

We have commemorated Maundy Thursday and have remembered Good Friday while we prepare for a glorious Resurrection Sunday celebration.

But here we are at Saturday. We are suspended between the cross the crypt and the celebration.

So what about Saturday?

Thursday has a name and a story, as does Friday and Sunday is the greatest story ever told! But then there's Saturday.

I did some research and discovered some refer to it as "Holy Saturday" but I have never heard it called that.

But, the more I thought about Saturday the more I realize that far from being an insignificant day Saturday of Holy Week symbolizes every day.

How so?

That Saturday of Holy Week, "Holy Saturday"if you will, was spent between the hurt of the cross and the hope of the resurrection. Isn't that were you live much of your life? Aren't many of your days spent marked by the sting of disappointment, the pain of loss or the frustration of failure?

What is it that keeps you going on the Saturdays of your life? Is it not the hope that tomorrow will be better. Isn't it the hope that something good will happen, maybe even something good enough to compensate for the pain?

If you are a Christ-follower you know about Good Friday and Easter Sunday and you understand that because of Christ's Resurrection every Friday will have it's Sunday! Any loss or any death will be followed by a Resurrection!

But in between is Saturday, the period between the pain and the promise. Sometimes Saturday is twenty-four hours, sometimes it's twenty-four days, sometimes it's twenty-four weeks or twenty-four months or even twenty-four years. But however long Saturday is, the hope that there will be a resurrection carries you through the hurt of that Friday.

So, do you see the significant symbolism of the Saturday between Good Friday and Easter Sunday?

We dread those Fridays of loss and pain and death but oh how we love those Sundays of resurrected life and hope!

Most of your life will be lived on a Saturday! So remember the truth of the Easter Story, for every Friday there will be a Resurrection Sunday!

Happy Saturday!

Faith In Life Over Fear Of Death

“Do not let your hearts be troubled. You believe in God; believe also in me." John 14:1

The first thing I notice in this Scripture verse is the clear and simple statement that fear is a choice. "Do not let your hearts be troubled", He says. Why would Jesus make that statement if it were not possible for you to choose to not allow fear to dominate your emotions?

If you can choose not to fear, how does that happen?

You believe in God and you believe Jesus is the Son of God. You must believe that God is greater than what you fear! You must fear God more than you fear death. By believing that God is greater than what you fear and if what you fear most is death, then you must believe that God is bigger than death.

Doesn't that make sense?

Jesus admits as much when you understand the context of this portion of Scripture. He has just told his disciples that He is going to be dying on a cross to atone for the sins of the world, and THEN He will be going to Heaven to prepare a place for them to enjoy when they get there. Certainly, Jesus would not have promised His disciples that He was going to prepare a place for them if He believed that He would not arise from the dead. Jesus knew that God was bigger than death. He was confident that after His death on the cross He would again be alive and returning to Heaven.

Choose faith in Life over the fear of death and your heart will not be troubled! Jesus was not afraid to go to the cross because He knew Who His Father was and how powerful His Father was! Jesus feared being separated from His Father, as would necessarily happen when He took the sins of the world upon Himself. Dying as a sinner would cause Jesus to be separated from the Father. That is something He had never experienced and greatly dreaded - as you can imagine. 

You fear being separated from life and that is why death holds such fear for you. But what if you were to believe that being separated from this life means being united with God and with Jesus? What if you believed that the God you love and trust is bigger than death? What would it do for your level of fear if you dared to believe that God is bigger than life itself? And not only is He bigger than life - HE IS LIFE!  Death perishes in His presence!  It is in Him we "live and die and have our being" as Acts tells you.

Let not your heart be troubled! 

Choose to not be fearful over death! 

Believe in the God Who is bigger than death because He is bigger than life!

April 13, 2017

"Peter said to Jesus, “Lord, it is good for us to be here. If you wish, I will put up three shelters—one for you, one for Moses and one for Elijah.” While he was still speaking, a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased. Listen to him!” When the disciples heard this, they fell face down to the ground, terrified."  Matthew 17:4

I can relate to Peter. Perhaps you can too.

Just like him there is a part of me that wants to camp out a certain comfort level. When something good happens or especially when I experience a spiritual high, I want to linger there for awhile. I understand his desire to want to pitch a tent.

But God would have none of that. Before Peter could even finish his thoughts, he was interrupted by the voice of God. God doesn't let me get away with it either.

Why is that?

God loves us too much to allow us to level off. There too much growth that has to happen in you and in me to allow us to camp out in a comfort zone. There are too many other people to be reached to let us pitch a tent at a past event. God is too dynamic and has so much He wants to reveal to us about His nature and His will to allow us to live on yesterday's experience. God wants to stretch us and grow us so he can do greater things through us and show greater things to us!

Our relationship with God is often described as a walk or sometimes as a race or even as a journey - but never is it called a camp out! When we walk with God we must keep up with Him - stay in step with Him. The Bible urges us to "wait upon the Lord" but it doesn't say He should wait on us!

Some of the old hymns used to refer to the Christian walk as a march. Marchers move forward steadily and purposefully in step together with each other and with their leaders. You may remember this one:

Come, we that love the Lord,

And let our joys be known;

Join in a song with sweet accord,

Join in a song with sweet accord

And thus surround the throne,

And thus surround the throne

We’re marching to Zion,

Beautiful, beautiful Zion;

We’re marching upward to Zion,

The beautiful city of God.

Let those refuse to sing,

Who never knew our God;

But favorites of the heavenly King,

But favorites of the heavenly King

May speak their joys abroad,

May speak their joys abroad.

Notice the hymn-writer said we are "Marching" not camping! And we are marching forward as we march! And, we are marching upward!

So, following Jesus requires us to walk with, to stay in step with Him. As His disciples, what happens if you walk ahead of Him?  What might happen if you don't really keep up with Him? A distance can develop then, right?  And what happens if He wants to lead you to a higher place or share a newer revelation of His glory and you are still looking back?

As we head into this Holy Week finalizing preparations for a great celebration of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, intentionally order your schedule and your stuff so you can enjoy this journey with the King of Kings. Revel in His presence and praise Him for keeping in step with the will of God for you. Chase the Risen Savior with all your heart and never pitch a tent! Never get too comfortable or casual so as to lose the blessing, the significance, the hope, or the presence, or the peace of following Jesus who rose from the dead to set us free!

Comfort is over rated. God designed and wired us for challenges, not for camp outs!

What comfort zone might you be caught in?