I will be gone

I wanted to let you know that I decided not to write here for the rest of the year. There are a few different reasons for this: 1. I am feeling overwhelmed trying to keep up with all the writing that I need to get done, 2. I will be busy with family and will be short on time, 3. I am not sure what the purpose of this blog is anymore, so I need to take some time and figure that out. I hope that you have a Merry Christmas and a wonderful start to 2009. Thanks for reading.

A Promise Kept

A Christmas Devotion

Christmas is a time of tradition. Each family, and sometimes,each individual has different traditions that they hold dear when it comes to Christmas. In the United States some of the common traditions that are shared between families are gift exchanges, brightly decorated trees (though more and more are artificial), parties with family and friends, Christmas programs at church.

For me, some of my cherished Christmas traditions are Dad reading the Christmas story from the Bible (I am partial to the account in John 1; In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…) before opening presents, oyster soup (though it is an ongoing debate whether it is soup or stew) on Christmas Eve before going to the Christmas Eve service, watching Christmas with the Joker with my nieces and nephews (nothing celebrates the birth of Jesus like a little Batman); and buying books for my nieces and nephews to help pass on my love for reading. I think one of the reasons we like Christmas is the security we have in our traditions.

We live in a time, especially in the Church, where tradition isn’t always appreciated. There is nothing wrong with traditions. Traditions can play a very important part in our lives, for they can help focus our attention when we are distracted. That is why God provided the Israelites with so many holy days and feast, to help them focus on what was important. God has even given the Church two important traditions to help us focus on what is important: baptism and communion. When used properly traditions play a very important part in our lives.

That is is the key: when used properly. We know that the Israelites fell into the trap of focusing on the tradition, rather than looking beyond the tradition to what the tradition was pointing towards. I think the same danger plagues Christians when it comes to Christmas. We get so caught up in the traditions of Christmas that we forget that ultimately Christmas is to remind us of the God who keeps His promises.

From Genesis 3:15 through the Old Testament we read of God’s promise to do what was necessary to make things right. Abraham, Moses, David, and all the prophets played significant roles in reminding the people of God’s promise. It was a long time in coming, but eventually, at just the right time, God kept His promise.

In Matthew 1:22 we read these great words: All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet. Christmas should point us to God, and the fact that He has been working through history to restore His creation. The birth of Jesus is evidence that God has kept His promise in the past, so we can trust Him to keep His promise in the future.

Don’t allow your Christmas traditions distract you from worshipping the promise keeping God to believe in. Take some time during the holiday rush and focus on God and the evidence of His promise kept: Christ Jesus our Lord.

Loving Other Christians

{Hebrews 6:10-12; NLT}

For God is not unfair. He will not forget how hard you have worked for him and how you have shown your love to him by caring for other Christians, as you still do. Our great desire is that you will keep right on loving others as long as life lasts, in order to make certain that what you hope for will come true. Then you will not become spiritually dull and indifferent. Instead, you will follow the example of those who are going to inherit God’s promises because of their faith and patience.

The central command of the Christian faith is love. Love is what sets us apart from the world and makes us beacons of light in the dark world. If we are going to be lights in the world we need to love.

In this passage we notice the writer of Hebrews encourages his readers to love their fellow Christians. It is through this love, he says, that we demonstrate our love for God. I find it very interesting that he states that we are to “care for other Christians”. After all shouldn’t we love everyone equally?

This is a valid question because we have been told that God loves everyone. I have no doubt that God loves everyone and He desires them all to be saved. The Bible tells us this much. The Bible is also very clear that we are to love other Christians first and foremost. Is this a contradiction?

Perhaps we should take a look at our lives. A teacher can love all the kids in her classroom, but the love she has for them pales in comparison to the love she has for her own children. A guy can love all his friends and buddies, but that love is nothing compared to the love he has for his wife. The fact that God loves the Church differently, and expects us to love other Christians differently, doesn’t mean that God doesn’t love the rest of the world, but simply points out the special relationship that the Church has with God.

Remember that Jesus didn’t die for just a person, but Jesus died for a people. Jesus died for the Church, and that makes us very special to Him. We are God’s Children and the Bride of Christ and that means that we have a special relationship with Him.

This might seem unfair, but in reality when Christ Followers love other Christians first it makes the Church a very attractive group to be a part of. The world is a hard place filled with rejection and heartache. Many people are searching for a place to belong and place to be loved, regardless of who they are or what they have done. By loving each other, rather than bickering and fighting with one another, the Church becomes a place of hope in a land of hopelessness.

It also appears from this passage that by loving each other we grow spiritually. The best way to grow in our faith is not through a study or listening to a sermon series, but through experiencing life with other Christians. When we are able to do things with other Christians because we enjoy their company and have their best interest at heart we begin to develop the heart of God. We desire the things God desires and we become spiritually sharp and full of passion.

It is by having this heart of God beating in our chests which moves us down the road of becoming the people God created us to be. When we care about the things He cares about we become a little more like Him. The people of faith of old were set apart because they had this heart. They were willing to sacrifice in order to do what God wanted them to do, because they wanted the same thing God wanted.

In our quest to become more like the people God wants us to be we have to start loving other people. First, we need to love the Christians who make up our Church family. This is helps us develop a heart like God’s which allows us to love the hurt and lonely people of the world.

• Point to Ponder: By loving other Christians we develop a God-like heart.
• Passage to Remember: Hebrews 6:10-12
• Prayer to Pray: Father in Heaven, help me to see past myself so I can love the people around me...

Do You See The Harvest?

{Matthew 9:36-38; ESV}

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.

I think one of the ways we can measure our spiritual growth is a more sincere compassion for hurting people. When I was younger it was easy for me to negatively judge people because of the bad circumstances in their lives. “After all,” I reasoned; “if they would make better choices they wouldn’t find themselves in those difficult circumstances.” Compassion was absent from my life. Now my heart breaks when I see people throw their lives away, because I know God has a life that is so much better than the one they are living.

I don’t want to diminish the responsibility each of us has for the choices that we make; I have come to realize that many choices are made because people just don’t know any better. They have had bad models for their lives and are unaware where to turn for help. They may want to change but don’t know what to do. We also need to remember many of the sin addictions people have are the result of their desire to cope with the tragic circumstances of their lives, but now they are in a cycle that they can’t break free from.

When we read the gospels it appears that when Jesus looked at a crowd of people He didn’t see dirty rotten sinners; instead He saw lost traveller. Rather than condemning people for their faults and sins, Jesus showed them compassion and acceptance. Jesus was the one person who could sit in judgment but He chose to extend help instead.
If we believe we have God’s of truth it is tempting to judge people, rather than to help them. That was one of the sins Jesus condemned the Pharisees for. Focusing solely on the truth can make us feel superior, and thus we think we are in the position to judge the lives of those around us. It also give us a sense that we are doing God’s work since we are standing up for God’s truth. Yet, in Revelation 2:1-7 Jesus told the church in Ephesus that they were in danger of being shut out of the Kingdom because they did not love. the Ephesians were known for standing up for the truth, but somewhere along the line they had lost their love.

Compassion, which is a form of love, must be mixed with truth. It is the mixture of the two which has the ability to change the life of the vilest sinner. The example of Jesus is that of compassion and truth. Jesus loved people, where they were at, and yet He always told them the truth. Truth is a lot easier to take when you know it comes from a person who care for you.

Jesus looked at the crowds of people and He saw people who were lost and who had no idea how to find their way home. What these people needed was a person who would show them compassion by pointing them in the right direction.

The legions of people who need help are more than we can help by ourselves, so what can we do? If we are going to show compassion to the world we have to pray. Prayer helps us gain a proper perspective on life and what is happening around us. It also helps us to align our hearts with God’s hearts. On top of that we are to ask God to provided what we need: workers for the harvest. There is a shortage of leaders able to show the lost the way home.

Compassion is not just reserved for our prayer life, but it is also about how we live. Jesus lived in such a way to show the people around Him that He knew the Way they were to travel. As Jesus’ Followers we have that same responsibility of living our lives in a way to show people that there is a better way to live.

Ultimately what we need is a change of perspective. Instead of seeing the people of the world as dirty rotten sinners we need to see them as lost travelers trying desperately to get home, or better yet, a field ready for harvest.

• Point to Ponder: Compassion for people is a sign of spiritual growth.
• Passage to Remember: Matthew 9:36-38
• Prayer to Pray: Lord God, open my eyes to see the harvest and soften my heart to the needs of people...

Faith Without Doubting

{James 1:5-8; ESV}

If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him. But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for the one who doubts is like a wave of the sea that is driven and tossed by the wind. For that person must not suppose that he will receive anything from the Lord; he is a double-minded man, unstable in all his ways.

What does it mean to have faith without doubting? It can be explained like this. There were two men who married their high school sweetheart. The first man had a wandering eye, and when trouble began to come in his marriage he was able to spot a better situation. It wasn’t long before the second marriage was just like the first, and once again the man left to find something better. He went from relationship to relationship without finding what he was looking for, and when it came time for him to face death he faced it terrified and alone.

The second man made an oath to himself and to God that he would love his wife no matter what happened. When trials and troubles came the man talked with his wife and worked things out. Time passed and their love grew. Soon their house was filled with children. The man made another vow to himself and to God that he would always love his children. When trouble and trials arose he talked with his children and taught them right from wrong. When it came time for the man to face death he faced it surrounded by people who loved him. He died happy and loved.

The first man never made a commitment to his high school sweetheart, and so when trouble began to surface in the relationship it was very easy for him to doubt. He doubted his love for her, her love for him, her faithfulness, her goodness, and their future. Doubts arose because he was not committed to the relationship.

The second man was able to enjoy a life long love affair with his high school sweetheart because he had committed his life and heart to her. When trouble arose he was confident about his love for her, her love for him, her goodness, and her faithfulness. His confidence was the product of his commitment.

Doubting, in context to our relationship with God, isn’t about feelings of uncertainty, but it is about a lack of commitment to God. Remember we are limited in our understanding of who God is and what He is doing. In other words we are going to have questions about how God is working in our lives, but when we are committed to God we will be confident that God will work out His good purposes in the end.

The person who is not committed to God will allow uncertainty to carry him away, and he will find other avenues to explain life for him. This is seen in the person who is always jumping on the latest fad. He has dabbled in Christianity, checked out Mormonism, flirted with New Age teachings, and tested the waters of atheism. His lack of commitment keeps pushing him from one philosophy to another, and he can never get a handle on what he truly believes.

What is important then is not that we remove all our questions and uncertainties, but that we are committed to God no matter what happens. That type of commitment inspires confidence because it allows us to experience God at work, not only in our lives, but also in the world around us. Our study of Scripture along with this personal experience shows us that God can be trusted, which, in turn, strengthens our confidence.

Don’t worry about the questions you may have when it comes to God, and don’t think you will be able to remove all uncertainty about how God is working in the world. Questions and uncertainty will be part of our lives in our present condition. The only way we can overcome these things is by commitment. When we are committed then we will stick with God no matter what happens, rather than being blown around by the winds of this world.

• Point to Ponder: Commitment is how we overcome doubt.
• Passage to Remember: James 1:5-8
• Prayer to Prayer: Father in Heaven, give me the wisdom I need to evaluate my commitment to You...

It Is Not Good to be Alone

{Ecclessiastes 4:9-12; ESV}

Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their toil. For if they fall, one will lift up his fellow. But woe to him who is alone when he falls and has not another to lift him up! Again, if two lie together, they keep warm, but how can one keep warm alone? And though a man might prevail against one who is alone, two will withstand him—a threefold cord is not quickly broken.

We are social beings by nature. God created us to have relationships with each other. When these relationships are absent from our lives then life isn’t what it should be. Many of us have experienced times of loneliness. Often this feeling of loneliness is most intense when we are among other people with whom we lack a real relationship. It is the lack of relationships, not people, that lead to loneliness.

Loneliness is the very first thing that God declares to be not good: The LORD God said, "It is not good for the man to be alone. I will make a companion for him who corresponds to him." (Genesis 2:18; NET). God just didn’t create another persons, but He created a companion for Adam. Companionship is the answer to loneliness and if we fail to have companions then we will fight loneliness the rest of our lives.

Do not equate loneliness with the absence of a romantic relationship in your life. Yes, to solve the problem of Adam’s loneliness God created Eve, but there is a bigger implication to God giving Adam Eve as his companion. That male and female romantic relationship guaranteed that never again did a person have to be alone. So while romance can provide us with companionship we can also find much needed companionship in great friendship as well. With this in mind I think there are two lies Satan tells us that we need recognize so we aren’t overcome by loneliness.

The first lie Satan wants us to believe is: Romance is essential for life. The world promotes romance and couples, and it is easy to feel like you are missing when you are single. Trust me, I have been there. As a life long bachelor I know the feeling of loneliness that comes with being a single in a couple’s world.

There are two dangers we face if we buy into this lie. The first danger is that we don’t appreciate the friendships that we do have. Rather than being an encouraging friend, we mope around and make ourselves depressed. The result is that we will either not want to do things with our friends, or they won’t want to do things with us, and the feelings of loneliness become even more intense.

The second danger is that we will stay in a bad relationship rather than face the reality of being alone. If we fear being alone then we will put up with a lot of frustration, abuse, and heartache caused by a bad romantic relationship. “After all,” we reason, “it isn’t as bad as being alone,” as the bad relationship robs us of the life God created us to live.

The second lie Satan wants us to believe is: If people REALLY knew me they wouldn’t like me. Sometimes we are reluctant in pursuing friendships because Satan whispers in our ear, “If they really knew you they would want nothing to do with.” The knowledge of our sins makes us feel unworthy to be with people we think have it more together than we do.

This has been a lie that I have had to deal with in my life. I have dealt with a some major sin issues in my life that have made me feel like I couldn’t be my real self, especially since I am a preacher and have preacher friends. Instead of opening up and asking for help, I have hid. It is hard to open up and being honest with people if you fear they will reject you. For followers of Christ I think this lie is so detrimental to our lives and keeps us from really having those real authentic relationships we need in our lives. This means we have to be understanding with those people who have trusted themselves to us, and we have work at building trusting relationships so we can feel confident about opening up to other Christians.

Relationships are crucial for life. We cannot really follow Jesus without the help and encouragement of other people or the opportunity to show compassion to those people we know who need help. These relationships are one of the tools God uses to shape us into the people that He created us to be. It is not good for any of us to be alone.

• Point to Ponder: Relationships are crucial for life.
• Passage to Remember: Ecclessiastes 4:9-12
  
• Prayer to Pray: Heavenly Father, provide me with opportunities to build relationships...

Why Celebrate Christmas?

A Christmas Devotion

As a Christian Christmas is both a wonderful and dreadful experience. It is wonderful because of the reality behind the celebration. It is dreadful because of the pressure to buy gifts, not because we want to, but because it is expected. Too often, as it has been said time and time again, the wonderful part of Christmas is overlooked and consumed by the dreadful part of Christmas.

The question I often ask myself is: Is it worth it? Is it worth dealing with the long lines at the mall? Is it worth worrying about the perfect present? Is it worth it wondering if you should buy a gift for this person or that one? Is it worth going to party after party?

Lets face it the things of Christmas often become the focus of Christmas, and when this happens I have admit that it isn’t worth it. Going into debt to buy presents isn’t worth it. Running ourselves to the point of exhaustion isn’t worth it. Standing in line after line isn’t worth. When we make the things of Christmas the point of Christmas, this holiday just is not worth celebrating. When Christmas becomes about decorations and gifts then the point of celebration is gone and we might as well forget about this wonderful holiday.

A part of me wouldn’t mind forgetting Christmas altogether. Jesus didn’t tell us to remember Him by celebrating His birth. For crying out loud we don’t even know what time of year Jesus was born. The reality is that Christmas is an example of Christians trying to redeem a pagan holiday for their own use.


Since there isn’t a Biblical mandate to celebrate the birth of Jesus means we don’t have to celebrate Christmas. So I want to give you permission not to feel guilty about not living up to expectations of the holiday. We don’t have to celebrate Christmas and we can be good Christian people even if we decided not to celebrate the holiday.

With that being said I do think Christmas is an important holiday to celebrate. One of the reasons I feel this way is because of the fuss that was made over Jesus when He was born. Let me give you three examples of what I am talking about.

The first example is found in Luke 2:8-20. There were some shepherds out in the fields watching the sheep, and then an angel shows up and tells them about the birth of a special baby in Bethlehem. Then, and here is when it gets interesting, the armies of heaven show up, praising God. This really is significant when we connect this event to Revelation 12 where John tells us about a woman giving birth and the dragon who tired to destroy her son as she gave birth, and that there was a war in heaven and Michael and his angels defeated Satan and his demons. A great spiritual war surrounded the birth of Jesus.

The shepherds, only aware of what the angel said, found the baby boy just as they were told. They worshipped Him and then told everyone they met what had happened. Since they were only shepherds they weren’t trusted (shepherds were considered to be untrustworthy). A fuss was made over Jesus when He was born.

The second example is found in the rest of chapter 2 of Luke. According to Jewish custom the baby Jesus needed to be presented at the Temple and be dedicated to the Lord. Joseph and Mary took Jesus to the Temple and they encountered an old man. This old man was named Simeon and he was a very righteous man. God had revealed to Simeon that he would not die until he saw the Messiah. When he saw baby Jesus he took Jesus from the arms of His parents and praised God, saying:

“Master, now you are allowing your servant to leave in peace according to your word. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you prepared for all people to see—a light that will reveal salvation to the Gentiles and bring glory to your people Israel.” (ISV)

Mary and Joseph were amazed at what was being said about their child, but if that wasn’t enough there was also an old lady named Anna. This lady was a prophet and she basically lived at the Temple. And while Simeon was praising God for Jesus Anna began telling people about Jesus and how He was the Messiah, the long awaited king of Israel. A fuss was made over Jesus at the Temple.

The last example is found in Matthew 2:1-18. Some wise men from the east saw a star. Because they had studied some Jewish teaching they connected this star with the birth of the Messiah. They began to travel west in search of the promised King. They could have been traveling up to two years in search of this special child. When they finally found this small family in Bethlehem they presented the tiny King of Kings with special gifts.

Angels, shepherds, special prophecies, a long journey by gentile scholars, and expensive gifts are but the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the fuss that has been made about Jesus. From the Biblical text it is apparent that a fuss was made over Jesus at His birth because people believed He was special. I believe that the same is true today. The only way we will cut through all the distractions of Christmas and focus on Jesus is if we truly believe He is worth the effort. If not, we will continue on with the traditional Christmas rush and wonder why we even bother.

The Words of Life

{John 6:66-69; ESV}

After this many of his disciples turned back and no longer walked with him. So Jesus said to the Twelve, “Do you want to go away as well?” Simon Peter answered him, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life, and we have believed, and have come to know, that you are the Holy One of God.”

Jesus has just finished giving the people a hard teaching. He told them that He was the bread from Heaven, and if they hoped to be part of God’s Kingdom and live forever. It was something that the people did not understand, and they left grumbling. They had hoped to make Jesus king, and now they left confused.

I think we can learn a very important lesson from the verses leading up to John 6:66. The lesson is this: we should never be afraid to tell people the truth. In terms of contemporary evaluation Jesus has just preached His worst sermon. He started with thousands of followers, and ends up with just a handful. This sermon drove off thousands of people, and Jesus let them go. Jesus demonstrates to us that faith is more important than numbers. We often get this the other way around. In our churches we will sacrifice faith for numbers. I have been part of church families where you have to walk on egg shells around certain people because they might get mad and leave the church, and so the rest of the people are left unchallenged by the truth. Sometimes the best thing that can happen to a church is the loss of certain people. It is not always a bad thing when people choose to walk way from Jesus.

As we begin to look at John 6:66-69, we notice that Jesus seems to invite His twelve disciples to leave as well. I would suggest that this question Jesus offers is an opportunity for the Twelve to evaluate why they remain with Jesus. These men had to come to grips with why they followed this Man who made such outrageous claims about Himself.

I think life often throws at us circumstances that provide us with opportunities to examine why we continue to follow Jesus. It could be when you husband/wife is diagnosised with cancer or when you have been unemployed for 6 months and God hasn’t answered your prayers for a new job. I would bet that you have had more than one crisis of belief that forced you to examine your faith. I know I have.

That is why Peter’s words ring through the centuries. The reason we remain faithful to Jesus is because we have discovered that He alone has the words of life. We have come to know that Jesus is indeed the Son of God, who has come to save us from sin and death.

One of the thoughts that I had which helped me through my last crisis of belief 3 years ago was: Jesus brings meaning and understanding to life. In other words, it wasn’t about evidences and arguments, but it was the difference that Jesus had already made in my life that convinced me that faith in Jesus was worth it. Isn’t that what Peter was saying? What they had already heard, seen, and experienced had caused them to put their faith in Jesus. They realized that only Jesus had the words of life that they needed. I pray that we all come to that realization.

• Point to Ponder: Only Jesus has the words of life that we need.
• Passage to Remember: John 6:66-69
• Prayer to Pray: Heavenly Father, Open my ears so I may hear the words of Jesus and soften my heart so I will apply those words to my life...

Kingdom Citizens

{Ephesians 2:19-22; ESV}

So then you are no longer strangers and aliens, but you are fellow citizens with the saints and members of the household of God, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Christ Jesus himself being the cornerstone, in whom the whole structure, being joined together, grows into a holy temple in the Lord. In him you also are being built together into a dwelling place for God by the Spirit.

The apostle Paul, in Ephesians 2:11-18, reminds his readers of their previous reality. They were excluded from God’s Kingdom, and therefore they had no hope. Yet, something happened to change their status. That something was Christ Jesus who broke down the wall (verse 14). Through Jesus they were given hope and they were reconciled to God.

Stop for a moment and remember the truth of your former life. Even those of us who have grown up in a Christian family can remember the time we realized that we were outside of God’s Kingdom. I vividly remember the night when I realized that I couldn’t rely on the faith of my family, but that I had to have my own faith. That was a scary night, but fortunately I knew the One I had to turn to in order to find forgiveness and hope.

That is what served as a lead in to what the apostle Paul wrote in verses 19-22 of Ephesians 2. What Paul wants us to understand is that we are part of a great community, a Kingdom. Before, while we were in our sin, we were outsiders, we didn’t belong to God’s Kingdom, but now we do. We were citizens of the world, and foreigners in the Kingdom of God, but now our citizenship has changed. The world is no longer our home, we are pilgrims in this land, because our citizenship is now in Heaven.

I want to point out two implications of being citizens of God’s Kingdom. The first implication is that we are not alone. We are not the only citizen of the Kingdom, and though it might feel like we are all alone at times, that is just a feeling and not reality. In this Kingdom are all the faithful who lived under the Old Covenant as well as all of the faithful who follow Christ Jesus. The writer of Hebrews writes of a “great cloud of witnesses” (Hebrews 12:1). It encourages me to think about all the people who have lived faithful lives, because it reminds me that I am not the only one to experience the struggles of faith.

The second implication I would like to point out is that there are certain expectations that come along with being a citizen of God’s Kingdom. One of the things that have horrified us, as U.S. citizens, has been the accusation of torture by some of our soldiers. We have an expectations that our military would be above things like that. There are expectations placed on being a citizen of Heaven that we need to live up to. One of those expectations is that we are to be servants. We need to be helping those people in need of help. A second expectation is that we live moral lives. The moral standard that we live by needs to be better than the rest of the world. People need to recognize that there is a difference in the way we live and the way they live.

What a word of hope that Paul shares with us in this passage. We are part of God’s Kingdom! You and I need to allow this reality to shape the way we live. Why? We are no representatives, ambassadors, of God’s Kingdom, and we need to play the part.

• Point to Ponder: We are citizens of God’s Kingdom!
• Passage to Remember: Ephesians 2:19-22
• Prayer to Pray: Lord God, give me the wisdom and understanding I need to be a good ambassador of Your Kingdom...

Changing Self

{Matthew 7:1-5; ESV}

“Judge not, that you be not judged. For with the judgment you pronounce you will be judged, and with the measure you use it will be measured to you. Why do you see the speck that is in your brother's eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, Let me take the speck out of your eye, when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother's eye.”

One of the lessons God has been teaching me this past week is that in order to help people I have first help myself. In other words I have to work on those areas of my life that God has pointed out to me that need work. Things like not getting angry at my dog when he chews up something, especially when I put it within his reach, or making sure that I fulfill my responsibilities. It is through this process of disciplined life change that prepares us to help other people make those difficult life changes.

Isn’t that one of the implications we can take away from this teaching of Jesus? The point Christ makes is that we are not to simply judge a person, but we are to seek to help them overcome their sin, and the first step in helping them is to work on the sins we have in our lives. It is the person who understands and struggles with his/her sin that is in the best position to help another person with their sin.

This means that we need to be constantly evaluating our lives. We will never reach a place where we have it all together, and so we have to be aware of those areas that are weaknesses, the temptations that haunt us, and the sin that we struggle with in order to focus our attention on what needs to be changed.

If we hope to make an impact in this world, then it will begin with the changes that we make in our lives. The people God chooses to use are not always the most talented or intelligent, but are people of character. Character is a product of making the necessary adjustments in our lives. If we are not going to change, then we are will be of little use to God.

There is one other truth I think we need to consider. When the people around us witness the commitment to follow Jesus in our lives it will give credence to the message of hope and forgiveness that God has given us. Make no mistake about it, people want to know the difference Christ Jesus can make in their lives, and if they can see the difference in your life, it will be a powerful illustration for the truth of the Gospel.

Take some time and examine your life. What are the temptations that constantly tempt you? What is an area of weakness that needs to be improved? What sin holds you back from truly following Jesus? These are important questions to ask as we evaluate our lives, but I think we need to ask at least one more question: What steps do I need to take in order to change my life? It is one thing to know what is wrong, but it is another do what is necessary to correct the problem.

There are many people in our lives that need a helping hand when it comes to changing. Remember the most important thing we can do right now is to model to them what it means to change by making adjustments in our lives. We need to take the log out of our eyes so we can help them with the speck in their eye.

• Point to Ponder: We need to change in order to help those around us to change.
• Passage to Remember: Matthew 7:1-5
• Prayer to Pray: Lord God, help me to see those areas in my life that need to be changed, and provide me with the wisdom I need to change...

A Slight Change

There will be a subtle change at Paul’s Ponderings. From now on the focus of Paul’s Ponderings will be short devotions. That means no more politics or other issues. As much as I enjoy discussing politics, it is a distraction for what I want this blog to be about. I started Paul’s Ponderings to provide devotions to the youth I ministered to when I was in youth ministry. Now that I am out of youth ministry I want to provide people with a resource which will provide them with a few thoughts about God’s Word. I hope that Paul’s Ponderings can encourage you as you strive to follow Jesus.

Paul's Top Books of 2008

This past year I have read around 36 books and I thought I would share with you the 10 books that I made a lasting impression on me this past year, because I know you are all dying to know. I do have two books I am reading right now, but I don’t think I will be done with them by the end of the year since they are both heavy reading: The Anti-Federalist Papers and Parables: Jewish Context and Christian Interpretation.

10. Wide Awake by Erwin McManus: Most of you know that Erwin McManus is a hero of mine, and so it probably shouldn’t come as a surprise that his newest book made the list. The book is about discovering God’s dreams for our lives, and how we can live out those dreams. What I appreciated was his discussion about the reality that most people are not able to live their dreams, because each day is a struggle to survive, but God has given us in this country an opportunity to live out those dreams. We need to take advantage of the freedom we have in the United States.

9. Caesar Against the Celts by Ramon Jimenez: This was actually the second time I read this book. It is a great book to give provide some context to what the Roman Empire was like around the time of Jesus. What I got of the book this reading was the loyalty of Caesar’s troops. They were more loyal to Caesar than they were to Rome, which explains why the went with Caesar across the Rubicon. That is the type of loyalty that Christ demands from us.

8. The Irrational Atheist by Vox Day: The last couple of years we have been hit by the “New Atheists,” atheists who are more vocal about their atheism. The New Atheists are men like Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens. Vox’s book is written to uncover the flaws in their arguments. The Irrational Atheist isn’t a book that gives a rational reason for theism, rather it is a book that breaks down the atheists arguments. While I was reading it I kept on thinking this is the way I would write a book about atheism. One word of caution about this book though, Vox Day does tend to be a little crude in the language that he uses, so it is not a book I would recommend if that type of language offends you (so I guess it isn’t exactly the book I would write).

7. The Revolution by Ron Paul: This was the second book that I read in one day. It is also the book that officially caused me to leave the Republican party and the reason I voted for Chuck Baldwin in November rather than for Senator McCain or Senator Obama. Not only does Congressman Paul point out the flaws in the government, but he also provide some common sense ways to restore our republic.

6. Rumors of Another World by Philip Yancey: This is only the second Yancey book that I have read, and it made me wonder why I haven’t read more. What this book did was help clarify my thinking about the spiritual world. By ignoring the spiritual we miss out on what God is doing and what He desires for our lives.

5. Walking with God by John Eldredge: I am so indebted to John Eldredge for where I am in life right now. This book is really a practical application of his book Waking the Dead, it shows how we can allow God to direct our lives everyday. It deserves another read soon.

4. Constitutional Chaos by Judge Andrew Napolitano: The book that got me thinking about leaving the Republican Party. It is scary to think about how much power the federal government now has and how it abuses that power. The bottom line is that we the people gave the government more power in exchange for a little security, and in the end we will discover we don’t even have that.

3. Following Jesus by N. T. Wright: A fabulous little book. N. T. Wright is a first rate theologian and helped clarify some of my thinking about the Kingdom of Heaven. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting a little more spiritual depth. It is short, sweet, and easy to understand. At the end you will come away with a little more knowledge.

2. How the Irish Saved Civilization by Thomas Cahill: A great history book. I loved Cahill’s style of relating history through telling stories. What I really liked about this book is that it showed how God worked through history to preserve Christianity. How God used Saint Patrick to turn a bunch of illiterate savages into literate scribes in a generation is amazing. I will be celebrating Saint Patrick’s Day this year.

1. Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey: Without a doubt this is the book that has impacted my life the most this year. Money has always been one of those things that brought fear to my heart, but within a few pages Dave Ramsey gave me hope that I could manage my money. If you are having money problems and debt is a big issue in your life I would recommend that you read this book. The thing is you have to go through his steps, but if you do I promise you will find financial freedom in shorter time than what you thought was possible.

Those are the best books that I read this year. I am sorry I didn’t put any fiction on the list, but none of the fiction I read this year I thought was good enough to be included. Though if you like westerns I would suggest West of Dodge by Louis L'Amour, a great short story collection. I would like to know what books you enjoyed this year.

I Will Be Back

I know that it has been a week since I have last posted. It has been one of those weeks where I haven't felt like writing. Check back on Monday and I will have a brand new post for you to read. Thanks for reading Paul's Ponderings.