Never Thirst Again

Image from Google Images

In the beginning of John 4, we're presented with one of the most beautiful passages in all of Scripture. Jesus, on his way to Galilee from Judea, wearied from his journey stopped at Jacob's well in the Samaritan town of Sychar around the sixth hour. As the disciples go into town to buy food, a Samaritan woman approached the well in order to draw water. What happens next is nearly unthinkable: Jesus speaks to her, "Give me a drink." 

Jews and Samaritans weren't exactly on friendly terms. The Jews viewed the Samaritans as half-breed subhumans (they were the result of the intermarriage between the Assyrians and the remnants of the Northern Kingdom of Israel after Assyria conquered them in 722 B.C.). The ensuing conversation is one of the most comforting in the Bible that culminates with Jesus saying, "Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." (John 4:13-14, ESV)

We all know the importance of water. The majority of the human body is water. According to the United States Geological Survey, 71% of the Earth is water. We drink water multiple times every single day and no matter how much we drink, one thing is certain: we will become thirsty again. What Jesus offers is an eternal quenching of our thirst. To those outside of Christ, there is a void that no material thing can fill. Only through Jesus Christ can we be truly complete. All humans need Jesus, regardless if they are wealthy or if they are a Samaritan woman.

That's Not How It Works!

Beatrice from the Esurance commercials.

 

You've probably all seen the E-surance Car Insurance commercial: three ladies in a living room, and you immediately notice there are an unusual amount of pictures on the wall.  Beatrice (pictured above) is proudly telling her friends how she has saved a ton of money on posted by posting all of her vacation photos to her wall (a reference to Facebook's wall).  She compares those savings to how she saved 15% in just 15 minutes on her car insurance (an obvious reference to GEICO, a competitor of E-surance). Her friend remarks, "I saved more than that in half the time!" Beatrice responds by saying, "I un-friend you!"  Her friend stands up and proclaims, "That's not how it works! That's not how ANY of this works!"

 E-surance is trying to communicate that they have set the new standard in insurance.  Poor Beatrice is portrayed as being behind the times and misunderstanding the new norm.  The chief priests, scribes, and elders at the crucifixion of Christ were a lot like Beatrice.  They didn't understand how things worked.  

"So also the chief priests, with the scribes and elders, mocked him, saying, 'He saved others; he cannot save himself.  He is the King of Israel; let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe in him." (Matthew 27:41-42)

It is at this time that Beatrice's friend shouting, "That's not how it works! That's not how any of this works!" would be appropriate.  The Jewish leaders of the day said that if only Jesus would save himself from the cross, they would believe.  But that is not how it works.  Jesus was meant to die that day.

"Indeed, under the law almost everything is purified with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins." (Hebrews 9:22)

The leaders of the day understood the connection between the shedding of blood and sins, but they had an incomplete view of it.  Their system up until that point had called for the shedding of blood of animals, not an actual human (despite God prophesying that the Messiah would come and shed his blood for the forgiveness of sins, cf. Isaiah 53).  It is the blood of Christ that cleanses the sin of those who are obedient to God, let us never forget that.

 

The Gift of Life

Do you enjoy getting presents?  Receiving an item that you've had your eye on for days, months, or maybe even years is always thrilling.  I believe everyone would say that is something they enjoy.  For the past two years, I have spent as much time as I possibly can learning things about Ford trucks.  I'm obsessed with them!  The probability that my next vehicle will feature a blue oval somewhere on the body is pretty high (by the way, I LOVE getting gifts, and if anyone wants to give me an F-150 you're more than welcome).  But the point of this article is not to discuss Ford trucks.  It's much more important than that.  I want to offer a new outlook on life that has helped me tremendously.

I'm not ashamed to say that throughout my life since I was about 13 I've had bouts with depression and anxiety.  I don't believe it's a stretch to assume that I'm not alone in that struggle.  As some of you probably know all too well, it can be hard to get out of bed and enjoy anything when your down in the dumps.  You, like me, have probably tried many things in a failed attempt to remedy the situation.  What I want to offer today is a new way to look at life that will, Lord willing, enrich your life as much as it has mine.

Back to my original question, I love getting gifts.  The only thing I love more than getting my favorite gift is getting more than one of it.  Two boxes of Little Debbie's are better than one.  Two F-150's are better than one (sorry, couldn't resist).  You get the picture.  What is my point?  My point is that today is a gift!  Today is the most precious and perfect gift from the Almighty God.

The average life expectancy in the United States is around 78.75 years of age (I rounded up to 79 for this illustration).  79 years of life equals 28,835 days.  That's 28,835 of the greatest gifts you could ever be given.  I would be in "hog heaven" if I had 28,835 Ford F-150s.  Something so simple as life is often overlooked.  But it gets even better.  For the majority of people, the majority of those days are filled with good health and happiness.  I get happy just thinking about it.

Psalm 118:24 reads, "This is the day the Lord has made; We will rejoice and be glad in it." We have an amazing blessing to enjoy today! Let's get to it!

Prescription Worship

If you have high blood pressure, your doctor may prescribe you Lisinopril.  That is your prescription.  Legally you are not able to get any other medicine at the pharmacy than the Lisinopril on your prescription.  If you like another blood pressure medicine better, too bad!  Your doctor prescribed Lisinopril and that is what you are to take.  You are to take the correct mg at the time he prescribed you to take it.  I think that is something we all understand fairly well.  We understand the importance of taking the prescribed medicine at the right time with the correct dose.  Why then do we feel so much liberty to change the prescribed worship of God? David Platt, in his book Radical, poses this question:

"What if we take away the cool music and the cushioned chairs?  What if the screens are gone and the stage is no longer decorated? What if the air conditioning is off and the comforts are removed?  Would his word still be enough for his people to come to worship?"

The answer is "YES!" to whether or not the Word is still enough in this day and time! Unfortunately, if you take away the entertainment value, most people would abandon the church.  As A.W. Tozer noted in the 1960's, "Church members want to be entertained while they are edified."

If you attend most "churches" today, you will see all kinds of things: drums, guitars, flashing lights, smoke machines, etc.  It's hard to distinguish a church from a rock concert in a lot of the places.  My question is simple: can you find the prescription for all of these things in the Bible?  I invite you to look through the New Testament to try and find this prescription for church worship. 

Since none of those contemporary man-made ideas can be found, what can? (1) Prayer - Acts 2:42, (2) Breaking of bread - Acts 2:42, (3) Singing - Ephesians 5:19, (4) Preaching Christ - 2 Timothy 4:2; Acts 20:7, and finally (5) Giving of our means 2 Corinthians 8:9.

We have the prescription -- why would we want to deviate from it?

3 Things About God

How often do you dwell on the God?  What I mean is his existence, character, and being.  The truth is, I don't think about God as much as I should.  I want to quickly discuss 3 truths in regards to our God.

1. God is Real

According to the latest Pew Research Poll on the demography of Religion in America, roughly 17% of the population either don't affiliate with any religion (atheist, agnostic, etc.) or don't know/refuse to identify.  Those numbers are disturbing.  What that says is that nearly 1 out of every 5 Americans have some kind of doubt about the existence of God. The good news is that we can use our logic to prove his existence.

 

Cause and Effect

Everything that happens must have a cause.  Simple enough, right? Science has all but proven that the universe has not existed forever. Dr. Robert Jastrow, a leading scientist at NASA, declared that "modern science denies an eternal existence to the universe."

If it is a fact that the universe has not always been here, then how did it come into being? We are left with 2 possibilities: (a) it created itself, or (b) it was created by something else not made of matter. Due to the Law of Conservation of Mass, we know that matter cannot be created or destroyed.  Option (a) is now off the table and we are left solely with option (b). 

 

Design

Take out your cell phone.  What are the chances, would you say, that your phone was assembled by random natural processes?  You're probably thinking, "that would be impossible, you big dummy," and you'd be right!  Our phones are based off of an intricate plan created by a designed, and then assembled by skilled workers who are familiar with the design.  Any modern luxury that we have works entirely the same way.  Why then do we try to force that illogical thinking on our universe?

 

 2. God Loves Us

For the sake of time, I will just quote one verse that says it all:

Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. (1 John 4:8, ESV)

 

3. God Has Communicated With Us

We've established that God is real, and that he loves us.  It is only logical with that being the case that he has communicated with us.  He has spoken to us in two ways: (a) through nature, and (b) through his word.

 

Through Nature

We can look around and see the beauty of our Lord.  The trees and grass so green, the blue of the skies.  His glory is everywhere throughout the natural world.  The Apostle Paul took note of this great fact in Romans 1:20,

For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.

 

Through His Word

Think about it: the Bible is composed of 66 books united in perfect harmony and was written over a span of some 1500-2000 years with several different authors.  It is truly amazing the evidence our God has given to us for his existence.

Misogyny in the Lord's Church

There is a misconception out there that we in the Lord's church believe, teach, and practice misogyny in our worship.  Not only does this greatly hurt me personally, it is totally false.  I believe that both women and men are completely equal in all ways and are both created in the image of the Almighty.  My grandmother was the most godly woman I have ever met.  She never led in public worship in any shape, form, or fashion in her nearly 85 years of life here on this earth; yet she was far better than I, as a preacher, could ever dream of being!  My fiance, Staci, is also a much better person and follower of Christ than I ever hope to be.  I am surrounded by so many godly and wonderful women. 

However, the Bible is clear on the role of men and women in worship:

¹¹ Let a woman learn quietly with all submissiveness. ¹² I do not permit a woman to teach or to exercise authority over a man; rather, she is to remain quiet. ¹³ For Adam was formed first, then Eve; ¹⁴ and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor. (1 Timothy 2:11-14, English Standard Version)

³³ For God is not a God of confusion but of peace. As in all the churches of the saints, ³⁴ the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. ³⁵ If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church. (1 Corinthians 14:33-35, English Standard Version)

With that being said, do I like what Scripture teaches in regards to this subject? No, I don't like it.  Would I have done it differently had I been in charge? Probably.  Could some women do better than some men if they were to preach? No doubt.  My grandmother could've done much more for the kingdom in a leadership position than I ever can.  My fiance Staci, would be a much better preacher and teacher than I am.  But, it does not matter what I like or don't like, or what I agree or disagree with.  God laid out his plan, gave his commands, and I'm going to do my best to be completely obedient regardless of my own personal feelings.  God's commands supercede my feelings.  Unfortunately, it seems like many people have forgotten this fact.

Further, my grandmother's life of love, kindness, and servitude to Christ was far more valuable than anything that will ever come from the pulpit.  She led in other ways: Ladies' Day, Ladies' Classes, etc.  Just because God assigned women a different role in worship does not mean they are inferior to men in any way whatsoever.  Children have a special bond with their mother in a way they will never have with their father because their mother carried them for nine months.  As a father, I'll never be able to have that maternal bond with my kids.  I would love to bond with my kids at that level.  Does the fact that God gave women the ability to bear children and not men mean that men are inferior to women? Not at all, he just assigned us different roles!

Finally, Paul elaborates in 1 Timothy 2 on the reason why God assigned different roles for men and women in the church:

¹³ For Adam was formed first, then Eve; ¹⁴ and Adam was not deceived, but the woman was deceived and became a transgressor.

It's not some ancient culture's misogynistic conception of deity that designed worship order in this way.  It is the simple fact that: (a) Adam was formed first (and then God saw that is was not good that he should be alone, and he formed Eve [Genesis 2:18]) and (b) Eve was deceived by the serpent to partake of the fruit from the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, whereas Adam was not.

Women and men are completely and unequivocally equal.  Women are of utmost importance and value. I hope I have cleared this matter up.  May God bless you all. 

For further reading on this subject, I highly recommend Wes McAdams' wonderful article over at RadicallyChristian.com: "I'm Tired of People Demeaning Women in the Church."

You Don't Know Your Bible

…And neither do I.  Webster’s Dictionary defines the word “know” in this manner: “to apprehend clearly and with certainty” (emp. mine). But don’t tell that to 17-year-old Jonathan.  He would’ve had you to believe he was a top-notch biblical scholar.  I look back at those times and I laugh.  I knew so little, yet I boasted so greatly.  School peers would discuss religion and I would interject in a matter-of-fact manner with a know-it-all attitude.  The thought of my arrogance disgusts me.  Fast forward nearly 8 years, a bachelor’s degree in Bible, 3 years of ministry experience later, and I still know very little about the Word of God.

However, I’m not alone.  You are all in the same boat as I am.  The English Bible has 1,189 chapters, 31,173 verses, and 807,361 words.¹  There is not a single person alive who knows (or can know) every single thing there is to know about the Bible.  Why do I bring this up? Simple: to believe you truly know the Bible is arrogant.  I’m sure everyone of you have encountered a preacher who thinks they have the final authority on biblical interpretation, and that anyone who disagrees with them is inferior. 

Am I arguing that all people have equal knowledge of the Bible? No, I am not meaning to imply that at all.  Am I arguing that it is impossible to be a student of the Word and have great familiarity with it? Absolutely not!  What I am arguing is that we must avoid having an arrogant and boastful attitude about how much we “know” the Bible, because then it becomes a matter of our personal ego.  What I am advocating is humility as we study the Word and grow as servants of Christ.  Both Testaments make frequent reference to an arrogant of proud spirit:

Talk no more so very proudly, let not arrogance come from your mouth; for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed. (1 Samuel 2:3)

As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. (James 4:16)

Let us all avoid boasting in our biblical knowledge, and with humility spend more time in the Scripture. There more I study and learn from the greatest of all books, the more I realize how little I know.

____________________________

¹  The Open Bible: New American Standard. Thomas Nelson Publishers, 1977. p. 1227.

Death Is The End

Ask the majority of scientists, scholars, and doctors and you will receive a resounding affirmation that death is the end and resurrection is impossible.  Human beings unfortunately have not changed much in 2,000 years.  Apparently this same false teaching was spreading through some in the Corinthian church.  The Apostle Paul devotes the entirety of 1 Corinthians 15 to this topic. 

He reminds his readers of the gospel that he had preached to them (and that we in the 21st century have heard as well).  It is by this gospel that we are being saved, and it is to this gospel that we are to stay true (v. 2).  The next argument employed appeals to human reason:

1.     If there is no such thing as resurrection of the dead, then Jesus Christ can’t have been raised (v. 13)

2.     If Jesus Christ hasn’t been raised, we are all (past, present, and future) wasting our time (v. 14)

3.     If Jesus Christ hasn’t been raised, we are all still just as dead in sin as before his crucifixion (v. 17)

4.     If Jesus Christ hasn’t been raised, then once you’re dead you’re dead, and we are to be pitied even more than the rest of mankind (vv. 18-19)

Fortunately, Christ has conquered the grave!  We’ve all lost loved ones in our lives.  I recently lost my grandmother.  Death takes us all for a time.  Think about that: you, your mother, your father, your siblings, your friends, everyone that you have ever known, will know or come into contact with at any point in your life will die at some point.  If Christ had not been resurrected, this would be a great cause of mourning. 

Paul reminds us that Christ indeed has been resurrected.  One of my favorite verses in all of scripture is when he loosely quotes Hosea 13:14 and personifies death:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.  O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?” (1 Corinthians 15:54-55, ESV)

Death may take us for a time, but thanks to the resurrection of Christ, one day all who are in Christ will rise up in victory.  Death has no power, no weapon against those in Christ.  If you are not in Christ, what are you waiting for?

If God Is Not Important

Image courtesy: Google Images

At times, it is difficult to prioritize our lives and focus on what is truly important amidst the chaos of our daily lives.  However, God has provided us with all of the information we need in His word to put our life in order. In 2 Corinthians 4:18 the Apostle Paul writes, “as we look not to things that are seen but to the things that are unseen.  For the things that are seen are transient, but the things that are unseen are eternal.”  We shouldn’t put temporary things ahead of eternal things.  

 

Fortunately, God tells his people what the eternal things are that should be at the top of their priorities.  The Hebrews writer states in Hebrews 12:1-2, 

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.”

We need to examine our priorities on a regular basis.  If sports, television, money, a job, school, or anything else takes precedence over the cross of Christ then we need to adjust what we place value on in this life. 

Happy Birthday Mamaw!

Today has always been a special day for me.  Today is my grandmother’s birthday.  She passed from this life on January 23, and so today is especially difficult.   As humans, there are so many things that we simply do not understand.  We do not understand why loved ones pass, little ones suffer, and terrorism exists, among many other things.  It is not uncommon for humankind to wonder why these things are so. 

Scholars and theologians have debated this for many, many years.  The prophet Isaiah writes in 55:8-9, 

“For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.”

That says it all.  We cannot ever fully understand God because he is so superior to ourselves.  Don’t get me wrong, there are many things that we can understand, but there are also things that we will never fully understand while here on earth.  It is for this reason that faith is so very important!

My faith has been challenged (and strengthened) this past month.  My grandmother was the most godly woman I've ever met and I hope to honor her today.

Nathan Tells It Like It Is

Painting of Nathan the Prophet confronting King David: Yahoo! Images

I'm currently working on a sermon about taking action as a follower of Christ.  Too often we sit idly by and do nothing.  Edmund Burke once said, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing."  We like to sugarcoat things if we speak up at all.  Nathan the prophet was not such a man.  He was a man of action, a man who "told it like it was."

Nathan was a prophet during the reigns of King David and Solomon.  His name is from the Hebrew meaning "God has given."  He certainly lived up to that name on several occasions.  I'm going to share my basic outline for this sermon as I believe that the life of Nathan is one worth studying!

• The Temple (2 Samuel 7; 1 Chronicles 17)
• King David announces that he has plans to build for God a temple.  This seems like the perfect idea, and Nathan agrees.
• That same night, however, God appeared to Nathan and told him that David was not to build Him a temple, that the building would be done during the time of his offspring (Solomon).  
• Once we give something the green light, it is an inconvenience (to say the least) to retract that support.  It would've been easier for Nathan to have done nothing.  I mean, David is the King, wouldn't this news anger/disappoint him? Possibly, but Nathan didn't sit idly by.  He relayed the news to the King and David humbly accepted God's instruction.

• That Whole Bathsheba Thing (2 Samuel 12:1-12)
• This is the story that Nathan is most famous for.
• King David saw Bathsheba, who was very beautiful, and arranged for her husband Uriah the Hittite to be killed in battle so that he could take her as his own wife.  David had murdered, lied, coveted, and committed adultery all in one.  
• Nathan could've just stood silent.  I mean, the world today would have you believe "what's done is done."  That's not what he does.  He confronts the King by presenting him with a story about a rich man with many lambs and a poor man with one tiny ewe lamb.  When a guest visited the rich man, instead of taking from his own flock, he took the one ewe lamb from the poor man and sacrificed it for his guest.  David was naturally furious, declaring in verse 5: "Any man who would do such a thing deserves to die!"
• Then Nathan, always honest, drops the bomb on David: "You are that man!" (v. 7)

• Adonijah's Rebellion (1 Kings 1)
• David, the mighty warrior-king, is facing yet another rebellion by yet another son.  Adonijah anoints himself the new of Israel instead of Solomon, the rightful heir. 
• Again, Nathan could've sat by and done nothing.  He could've even joined with Adonijah.  I mean, the Bible tells us that he was handsome, and he certainly looked like a king on the outside.  Yet again, Nathan sides with God and his chosen one of David.

May we learn from this wonderful man and always be honest people of action in this life as we strive daily to follow Christ!

The Race of Life

Image Courtesy: Yahoo! Images

If you have ever played any sports, you probably know that the big three (Baseball, Basketball, and Football) are team sports.  If the game is won or lost, it is due to the chemistry between the teammates.  Working together efficiently as a team (hence why we call them teams) is crucial for a team to do well in any of these sports.  Each person is accountable for the other members of the team.  One sport with which this does not apply is Track.  If you win a race, it is because you worked hard and finished the race.  If you lose a race, the fault lies with you alone.  Running track is an individual sport where each individual bears the responsibility for his or her performance.  

Running track is a lot like living the Christian life.  I think that is why the Bible so frequently uses the metaphor of running a race to describe how we should live.  The Apostle Paul writes in Philippians 3:14, “I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  Running a race is all about heading for the goal.  The goal in any race is the finish line.  Here the Apostle Paul reminds the Philippian church of this wonderful truth:  life, like a race, has a finish line.  There are going to be hills and level ground, peaks and valleys, but we can’t let that deter us.  We have to keep running, with our eyes on the prize of heaven and our Lord Jesus Christ.  

Preparing for a race takes a lot of self-control and discipline.  It is tough to get up early and run that extra mile.  It is tough to eat properly when all of your buddies are eating whatever they want; yet it must be done in order to win the race.  Again, the Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 9:24-27, 

“Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize?  So run that you may obtain it.  Every athlete exercises self-control in all things.  They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.  So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.  But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.”   

While it is important to keep your body physically fit and healthy for running track, it is far more important to stay fit spiritually.  My main goals are to serve God, get to Heaven, and bring others with me.  I can’t do that if I’m spiritually unfit.  So I must refrain from the sins of the world and seek to live for God as best as I can every single day!

In every race, there is only one direction to run.  You can’t run backwards and expect to finish.  Living life is the exact same way.  The only way to finish the race of life is to live for God.  There is no other way to run. When you run a race, it can become difficult and uncomfortable depending on the conditions.  Sometimes you may feel like quitting, sitting down, or getting something to eat or drink.  However, once you cross that finish line all of the worry, stress, and discomfort fade away and all you are left with is a feeling of accomplishment.  The race of life throws many curve balls, and it can be tempting to quit.  It can be tempting to stop training and start living just like everybody else.  We can’t do that.  We must stay discipline and self-controlled.  We must keep fighting and racing to the finish line.  Once we’ve crossed the finish line, there is no greater reward.  It will all be worth it.  The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Timothy 4:7-8, 

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.  Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that Day, and not only to me but also to all who have loved his appearing.”

We must all encourage one another to continue fighting the good fight, keep the faith, and bring as many others into the race of Christian life as we can.   

God, Brian Williams, and Lying

Brian Williams: Image from Yahoo! Images

The latest story stealing headlines is the debacle involving NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams.  He is one of the most recognizable faces on television.  Recently, questions have arisen regarding Williams' honesty and integrity in the events that he covers.  Most notably, he claimed that a helicopter that he was on in 2003 was hit by enemy fire when it was not. 

Sadly, in the era in which we live, events such as these are not too shocking.  News anchors are more polarized than ever.  Sensationalism abounds.  The truth is often distorted or forsaken in order to be entertaining.  Simply put: it is hard to trust anyone these days.

How are Christians supposed to conduct themselves in the midst of these things?  It is easy to stretch the truth in order to make something "more interesting."  In fact, I've been guilty of spicing up stories with less than true statements plenty of times in the past.  We have to be careful.  God expects us to be honest!

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight. (Proverbs 12:22)

Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have put off the old self with its practices. (Colossians 3:9)

When one makes the decision to become a Christian, they are making the decision to die to their old self and sin.  Lying is a part of the old life before a person becomes a child of God.  We must be careful each day to be honest in all that we do and say because lying is not a Christian practice. 

How To Figure Out Whether Or Not You Are In Jail

Courtesy: Google Images

According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics nearly 7 million people are a part of the correctional population in the United States.  Are you in jail?  Unfortunately, billions (yes—billions with a b) of people all over this planet are incarcerated and don’t even realize it. 

No, I’m not referring to a physical jail cell; I’m talking about a spiritual one.  Living life outside of Jesus Christ means living a life in jail, the jail of sin.  Paul writes in Romans 6:17, “But God be thanked that though you were slaves of sin, yet you obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine to which you were delivered.”

While it is devastating that there are billions of people on this planet in jail, perhaps even worse still are those who believe they have been freed when they really have not.  A lot of people who profess to be “Christians” and to be free from the bondage of sin have not obeyed from the heart the doctrine of the Word of God.

If you have not truly obeyed the Word of God, then you need to right away!  The Bible teaches that you must hear the good news (that the Word became flesh and bore the sins of the entire world so that we may have hope of heaven).  “So faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”  (Romans 10:17)

Once you have heard this wonderful news, you need to take action.  Turn away from the old life of sin that you have been living in.  This is called repentance. Jesus said in Luke 13:3, “I tell you, no; but unless you repent you will all likewise perish.” 

Then you need to confess that you believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah and the Son of God.  “That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9) Jesus said in Matthew 10:32, “Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.”

Finally, you must be buried with Christ in baptism.  “He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned.” (Mark 16:16) Baptism is a grave.  When you go down into the water, you are dying to sin.  When you go down into the water, your old self is being done away with.  When you rise up from the water, just as Christ was raised on the third day, you are a new person.  You are now in Christ.  You are now out of jail!

Angry with God

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The day was Wednesday, January 21, 2015.  It was my turn to deliver the Wednesday night devotional.  Inspired by Wes McAdam's wonderful article, "Why I Cringe When You Say God Is Good" I decided to talk about how loving, righteous, and holy our God is all of the time-- not just when things are pleasurable.  Little did I know that in 24 hours I would have to live out and put into practice the very message I was delivering.  In the early hours of Friday, January 23, 2015, my beloved grandmother passed away.  

I had a very close relationship with her-- we did everything together!  I loved her more than I love myself.  Not only was she a wonderful example and role model for me, but she was also the greatest person I have ever known.  She had been so sick for so long with Parkinson's and COPD.  I have seen taking a breath become a struggle for her on many occasions. 

Her death was very hard, yet not unbearable.  I never felt that I was over my head or overwhelmed with grief.  I am writing this, not seem insensitive, but to glorify God.  It was bearable because I did not have to bear the whole burden of it.  Like Wes noted in his article, people often make remarks like "I just got a raise, God is good!" while very rarely do we see, "I just lost my job, God is good!"  I am here to tell you right now: my grandmother passed away, God is good!

The harder things get, the more God should be praised.  God is good all the time, and all the time God is good.  A lot of people get angry with God when life throws them a curve ball, but I urge you all to cling even tighter to God.  God is always on your side, and he loves you more than I could ever explain.  

I will leave you today with a few words from King David concerning the time his son Absolam rebelled against him:

O Lord, how many are my foes! Many are rising against me; many are saying of my soul, there is no salvation for him in God. But you, O Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, and the lifter of my head. I cried aloud to the Lord, and he answered me from his holy hill. (Psalm 3:1-4, English Standard Version)

Because of David's sins of adultery and murder in regards to Bathsheba and Uriah, God told David that this type of rebellion would come.  When hope seemed bleak, David recognized that God is "the shield and lifter of our heads."  May we all do the same.  God bless!

Bad Checks

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If I wrote you a check for $1 million, the minute you took it to the bank, the check would bounce. If I wrote you a check for $1 million, I’d have given you something that I didn’t have. I’d have promised you something I didn’t have.
Let’s look at the book of 2 Peter. In chapter 2, Peter is discussing false prophets and false teachers doing this very same thing. These false teachers were writing checks they couldn’t cash.

“While they promise them liberty, they themselves are slaves of corruption; for by whom a person is overcome, by him also he is brought into bondage.” (2 Peter 2:19)

In today’s world, we see many things that aren’t good. We see people engaging in all kinds of sin. As Christians, we know that sin is wrong because we believe in God and His Word. The world would have us to believe that God is not real; that there are no restrictions on our lives. They would have us to believe that we are in complete control and can decide for ourselves whatever we want to do and how we want to live. They say that a world without God is a world with freedom.
Friends, I’m here to tell you, they are writing a check they can’t cash. They can’t offer you freedom. If you took their check to the bank, it would bounce right away. Freedom is not theirs to give. Only God can give you freedom, the freedom from sin.

In this life, we are all slaves. God has given us the choice of what we are slaves to. In this life, you can either be a slave of sin or a slave of Christ. What choice are you going to make?

God: Who Needs Him?

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A very close family member of mine suffered from Parkinson’s disease for the last decade. If you or anyone you care about has PD, then you know how debilitating this disease can be. For those of you fortunate enough to have never seen its devastating effects, let me sum it up for you: it is a neurological disorder where the brain does not produce enough dopamine. Over time you experience severe and uncontrollable tremors in your body. Your strength is slowly evaporated and eventually you are a mere vestige of your former self. However, there is a lot that this disease can teach us about life.

Michael J. Fox, known for his roles on Family Ties and the Back to the Future series, is the probably the most notable person with PD. In his 2010 book, A Funny Thing Happened On The Way To The Future, Fox offers some good advice that he learned from having PD:

Parkinson’s is a perfect metaphor for lack of control. Every unwanted movement in my hand or arm, every twitch that I cannot anticipate or arrest, is a reminder that even in the domain of my own being, I am not calling the shots. (p. 84, emp. mine)

While Fox is referring to the involuntary movements he faces due to his PD, his observation still holds true.  One of the hardest things to do is to admit that we are not calling the shots. There is nothing more enticing than control. We love it, crave it, and would do virtually anything to retain it. As human beings, we like to believe that we are in perfect control of everything in our lives.

If you’ve ever watched television, then you’ve seen this scenario play out a dozen times: a seemingly untouchable leader’s power slowly begins to erode and another person anxiously waits to snag it. The outgoing leader often loses touch with reality and commits atrocities in order to retain control. While that makes for a good Hollywood action film, we need to realize that is not reality.

King Saul had strayed from God. He began to think he was in complete control and abandoned God in the process. As a result, God begin preparing a young man by the name of David to take the throne. David, son of Jesse, had the “Midas touch” so to speak. Everything he did he was a success, because he was committed to God and God was with him! People gravitated towards this new and Godly man.

Saul DID NOT like this, and the erosion of his power caused his mental state to deteriorate rapidly. To list all of his grievances due to his jealousy towards David would take up a great deal of space. However, his depraved mind led him to make several attempts on David’s life. In 1 Samuel 22:18-19, Saul orders Doeg to kill the priests of God,

“Saul turned to Doeg, who was from Edom, and said, “Kill the priests!” On that same day, Doeg killed eighty-five priests. Then he attacked the town of Nob, where the priests had lived, and he killed everyone there—men, women, children, and babies. He even killed their cattle, donkeys, and sheep.”

What can we learn from all of this? Submit wholly to God and recognize his complete control. One can only imagine how great of a king Saul could’ve been had he stayed committed to the Lord. A wise professor of mine once said, “The key to having power is to freely give it away.” The secret to a successful life is to, as the saying goes, “Let go, and let God.”

Who's your King?

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If you are a parent, then you are probably all too familiar with phrases such as: “but mom/dad, everyone else has it!! Why can’t I?!” If you are honest, you have probably tried to use that argument yourself (I know I certainly have). What may surprise you is how often we still employ this reasoning in our lives without even being consciously aware of it.

The prophet Samuel was growing old, his time as a judge over Israel was ending, and his sons did not walk in the ways of their father. The Israelites demanded that they have a king to “judge us like all of the other nations” (1 Samuel 8:5). The sinful, pagan nations around them that they were supposed to drive out completely had already started influencing their lives.

This displeased Samuel, but more importantly, it displeased God.

⁷ And the Lord said to Samuel, “Heed the voice of the people in all that they say to you; for they have not rejected you, but they have rejected Me, that I should not reign over them. ⁸ According to all the works that they have done since the day that I brought them up out of Egypt, even to this day—with which they have forsaken Me and served other gods—so they are doing to you also. ⁹ Now therefore, heed their voice. However, you shall solemnly forewarn them, and show them the behavior of the king who will reign over them. (1 Samuel 8:7-9, emp. mine).

God told Samuel, “By demanding to be like everyone else, they have rejected me. By asking for an earthly king, they have rejected their true king, me.” To us, 21^st century readers, this seems like an appalling action on the part of the Hebrews. Unfortunately, we are guilty of the very same thing. When we behave just like the world, when we behave in such a way that it is impossible to differentiate between the world and ourselves then we are committing the same ugly sin that the nation of Israel committed. If we put sporting events, school functions, or social gatherings ahead of church or Christian things, then we are rejected God as king and exalting those things in his place.

It is imperative that God be number one in our lives in a day and age when we are constantly busy. Who is your King?