Created to Crave: Part 12

We Want to Matter

You and I have this craving in our heart that compels us to have some sort of significance in our lives.  We want our lives to matter!  In the movie Gladiator Maximus inspires the men following him: "What we do in life echoes in eternity."  That is the sentiment echoes in our hearts as well.

In the Gospels we meet a man who had been blessed by God, who was a leader in his community, and who had dedicated himself to moral living;  yet deep in his heart he craved for something more.  The young man came to Jesus with the question: "What must I do for eternal life."  He wanted his life to matter.

Created to Crave: Part 11

Trashed Significance 

Our souls crave.  We crave things like intimacy, truth, and significance.  In the Gospels we read about a man in search of significance.  Even though none of the three Gospels which record this encounter with Jesus give the man this title we have come to know him as the rich young ruler.  He came to Jesus with a question: "Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?"

Jesus had finished teaching His followers about faith.  He told them that these children, who love and trust their parents, are the type of people who will inherit God’s Kingdom.  God’s Kingdom doesn’t belong to the rich and powerful or the moral and the religious, but those who live by love and trust in their heavenly Father.

God is Pro-Life

Jesus calls us to live a life of unimaginable adventure.  It begins the moment we choose to follow Him.  It is not less than to pass from existence to life.  

Erwin McManus; Seizing Your Divine Moment

God told the Israelites:

“Today I have given you the choice between life and death, between blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would choose life, so that you and your descendants might live!" (Deuteronomy 30:19; NLT).  

There is no greater desire God has for us than that of life.  To give us life is the very reason Jesus came; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10b; NASB).  God cherishes life.

God is Pro-Choice

God created people with the ability to choose.  In Genesis we discover that God gave Adam and Eve a choice, but He did not dictate their actions.  Even with so much at stake God allowed Adam and Eve to make the choice on whether or not they would obey Him.

When we examine our lives we recognize that God has given us the liberty to pursue whatever we think will make us happy.  Our choices will, at times, limit our freedom.  Addictions and bad relationships, which are the result of our choices, can hold us in chains which are difficult to toss aside.

God's desire is that we will surrender our lives to Him and follow Jesus.  This is the best way to live and it is the way to usher God's Kingdom into this world.  Even though God is the sovereign Lord of the universe He is not a tyrant.  Instead God allows us the freedom to choice our own path, even when that path is destructive to the world He created. God has given us the freedom to love Him or reject Him.

Created to Crave: Part 4

More than Self-Control

We have noticed that every person has cravings.  Some of these desires are purely physical in nature and some of these craving come from deep inside of us.  These are the desires of our hearts.  As we seek to satisfy these desires we will choose one of three responses.  The first response is that we will indulge the craving.  Our hope is that as we give in to the craving that eventually we will be filled up and the craving will disappear.  The problem is that it usually doesn't happen.  What usually happens is that the more we give in the more control the desire has on us.

That leads to the second response which is self-control.  I think most people fall some where within this stage.  They have realized that total indulgence doesn't work and they hope if they could somehow manage to monitor their cravings then those craving won't grow out of control and they will have some satisfaction to them. 

Jesus exhibited self-control when He was tempted by Satan.  Remember after his baptism Jesus was led into the desert by the Holy Spirit. There he fasted for 40 days as he was tempted and harassed by Satan. At the end of those 40 days Satan came with three temptations to get Jesus to ignore God’s provision for His life.  The first temptation was to turn stones into bread: something a hungry man would be tempted to do. 

Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.
For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry. 

During that time the devil came and said to him, "If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread." 

But Jesus told him, "No! The Scriptures say, 

'People do not live by bread alone,  but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.'" (Matthew 4:1-4; NLT)

Once people realize that indulging their every craving is futile they will begin to try to reign in those cravings through some form of self-control.  In order to do this they will turn to rules and regulations that will provide guides and limits to their lives.

This is certainly a step in the right direction. After all self-control is on of the qualities God desires people to have. For that reason it is not surprising to discover that people who seek to live by self-control will construct rules and guidelines that are rooted in Scripture, even if they do not realize it. We discover the results of self-control when we see wealthy people who begin to care for others, donate money, and set up charities to make this world a better place.  A mother who sets aside her desires to serve her children and family is another example of living with self-control.  They may not be intentionally following God’s law, but they are.  And what they discover is that some of these longings, these soul cravings, that they have will begin to diminish.  The more intentionally we give our lives away to living out God’s law the more enjoyment we begin to have in this life.

There is a problem though.  Yes, this is a step in the right direction, but it falls short.  Listen to what the apostle Paul writes:

 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, "Don't handle! Don't taste! Don't touch!"? Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person's evil desires. (Colossians 2:20-23; NLT)

It isn't that self-control is evil or of no use, it never was to intended to bring satisfaction to our hearts.  Self-control can manage evil desires, but it cannot destroy our evil desires.  Self-control can reign in the cravings of our hearts, but it cannot bring lasting satisfaction to our lives. 

If we are going to experience lasting satisfaction for the desires of our hearts then we need more than just self-control.  Yes, we need self-control, but we need something more.  We need Christ.

Bring in the Harvest, Show Compassion

The longer I follow Jesus the greater my sadness becomes for the world we live in. I am sadden because so many people are unaware that there is a better way to live their lives. Pain and sin dominate their lives and they don't even know that there is a problem. So many people in the world believe that this is just the way life is supposed to be and so they cope the best they know how with the life they have been dealt.

Jesus did not turn a blind eye to the needs of people:

Jesus traveled through all the towns and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them because they were confused and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, "The harvest is great, but the workers are few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send more workers into his fields." (Matthew 9:35-38; NLT).

No matter how many advances in technology we make people continue to have needs.  These needs have changed little since the time of the New Testament. People still want their lives to have a purpose and to have meaning for their pain. The needs may be a little different, but people are still uncertain where to turn to for help. Casual sex, drug use, and pornography are just some indications that people are in search of some remedy to dull the pain of their hearts.

How should we as followers of Jesus respond to this reality?

It would seem to me that if we are truly interested in following Jesus' example then we first must develop compassion for the lost.  I think that we tend to judge rather than extend mercy.  Many people sin, not because they want to do evil, but because they are addicted to a certain way of life. Peter wrote; "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver" (1 Peter 1:18; NLT).  People living in the world have inherited an empty way of living, and more than being told that they are sinners, they need to see that there is a better way to live.  They need to experience the abundant life Jesus promised His followers.  Rather than treating them as insolent rebels we need to see them as helpless victims of the evil one.

The second thing we must do in order to influence these people is to be active in their lives. In this passage we notice that Jesus took time to heal people of their sicknesses and to teach them God's truth. Quoting God's Law to people who don't accept God's authority does little good. If they don't recognize Him as having authority they certainly won't obey His Law. The way we bring God's truth into the lives of other people is through our relationship with them. We show them that we love them, and over the road of compassion God's truth travels smoothly.

Finally, if we are going to follow Jesus' example of influence we must pray for workers. We can only do so much and influence so many people. In John 17 Jesus prayed for those people, throughout the centuries, who would carry on His work. We too must pray for people to go before us and to come after us so the harvest is always looked after. Through our prayers we make sure that God's compassion and truth still influences people, even though we may not be directly responsible for it.

Donn Leach in What the Bible Says About Jesus wrote:

“Jesus knows that many are ready to repent if only some messenger bring the good news of the kingdom to them (Matt. 9:37, 38). But more messengers are needed. God can supply more messengers if His people will pray.” 

Prayer is one of the most important things we can do as we seek to influence the world and thus bring about change. People are not changed by our wise words or arguments but the power of God. The power of God is best seen in our love for other people.

The first step in all of this is having compassion for the people of the world, seeing them as Jesus saw them. Jesus not only saw people’s sin, but He also saw their need. He knew that their only hope was love and truth not judgment and law. As we seek to influence the world for Jesus we have to ask ourselves the question: What am I offering people? Truth and love or law and judgment?

Inadequate Messengers

God uses human instruments to bring to men the message of his truth and love; but it is he alone who wakes the hearts of men to new life.  As he alone created the heart, so he alone can re-create it.

William Barclay, DSB: The Letters to the Corinthians, p. 31

Followers of Jesus are called to be be ambassadors and missionaries to the world.  We cannot escape from that responsibility, it is woven into the fabric of what it means to be a Christian.  It is a huge and important calling to be sure and most of the time we feel inadequate for the task.  After all we lack the resources and the talents that we think are necessary in carrying God's message of love and truth to the world.

First I want to pause for a moment and say that is true.  The mere presence of sin my life makes me inadequate, not to mention the lack of knowledge we have about the way the world works, the Bible, and the circumstances of other people's lives.  So let us hang out here and confess that we are inadequate for the job at hand.

Now there are two pieces that I want to add to this.  There is the piece that being a citizen of God's Kingdom begins with being "poor in Spirit." Jesus began the Sermon on the Mount with; "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 5:3; ESV).  Part of being a follower of Jesus is having the realization that we don't have what it takes and that we must depend on God to provide us with everything that we need; whether that is our daily bread, patience to deal with difficult people, or the words to share with those who are searching for truth.  

The second piece is the importance of being true to who God created us to be. The apostle Paul reminds us of this truth when he wrote:

3 For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned. 4 For as in one body we have many members, and the members do not all have the same function, 5 so we, though many, are one body in Christ, and individually members one of another. 6 Having gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us use them: if prophecy, in proportion to our faith; 7 if service, in our serving; the one who teaches, in his teaching; 8 the one who exhorts, in his exhortation; the one who contributes, in generosity; the one who leads, with zeal; the one who does acts of mercy, with cheerfulness (Romans 12:3-8, ESV). 

This isn't just about having a certain talent set, but about figuring out how to use those talents God has blessed us with for His Kingdom.  It is through using our unique set of talents for God's Kingdom which enables us to find our purpose in life.

With that being said we need to remember that the only person that we have any control over is ourself.  While God has given us the responsibility to take His message of love and truth to the world He has not given us responsibility to change the hearts of other people.  That responsibility lies with God Himself, and therefore we do not need to worry about how people will respond we just need to focus on the best and most effective ways to use our gifts and talents for God's Kingdom.  What a sense of relief that reality should give us.

Jesus Betrayed

This is the written version of the communion meditation I shared at the Good Friday Service tonight at Bethlehem Free Methodist Church here in Austin, MN.


The starting point for the events we reflect on tonight is betrayal. It was the choice of Judas to betray Jesus that sent in motion these final hours of Jesus' life.

Why did Judas make this choice? We cannot know for sure, but like humankind's first betrayal of God, Satan twisted his thoughts and desires, so that what he did seemed to be the logical thing to do.  He probably thought he was setting in motion the means for Jesus to declare himself as King and rebelling against Rome. Things didn't turn out as planned.

Yet Judas wasn't the only one to betray Jesus that night.  When push came to shove, when Jesus clearly revealed that there would be no fight to prevent his capture the disciples scattered.  Two follow from a distance, but one of those disciples, Peter, ended up denying Jesus.

Before we judge these first disciples too harshly let us remember we to have betrayed Jesus, and we too have denied Jesus.  We are not that much different.

How have we betrayed Jesus? Sure there is the presence of sin, but there is also more subtle ways we betray and deny Jesus.  We, like the disciples, often look to politics to usher God's Kingdom into the world. We adopt ways of living that is conformed to the ways of the world rather than following Jesus. We pursue a life that is filled with busy-ness that eats up our resources so we cannot be generous and use up all our time so we have very little to use for service and worship.  Remember in Romans 5:8 says: But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners (NLT).  Being sinners, the breakers of God's law,  made us  God's  enemies, traitors of His Kingdom.

With this background of betrayal and treachery, how did Jesus respond? Matthew 26:26-29 reads:

Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body.  And he took a cup, and when he had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, Drink of it, all of you, for this is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father's kingdom (NLT). 

In the face of betrayal and treachery of his creation, his disciples, and his friends Jesus stopped and declared that he was making a new covenant.  That he was not abandoning them to Satan, sin, and death.  Jesus was making a promise, sealed with his  blood and death, that we can be numbered among God's people and be citizens of His Kingdom.

As we reflect on the darkness, the sin, the treachery, the agony, and the death associated with this day we begin with communion.  Not only does communion remind us of Jesus' commitment, but it also provides us with an opportunity to declare our loyalty to him.

Take a few minutes and consider the ways you have betrayed Jesus. Ask him for forgiveness, declare your commitment to him, and seal your promise to him through taking the Lord's Supper, remembering His promise to us.

Seeing 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 the greater compassion we have for people in tragic situations. 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, but 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 and now they are in a cycle that they can’t break.

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 travellers. 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 truth it is tempting to judge people, rather than to help them. That was one of the sins Jesus condemned the Pharisees for having.  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 gives 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 provides us with the ability to influence the people in our lives.  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 cares 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.

Entering into a Covenant Relationship

"All the great blessings of God are finished and complete, but they are not mine until I enter into relationship with Him on the basis of His covenant." ~ Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest, p. 341

On Sunday as worship was beginning I was asked if I would read 1 Corinthians 11:23-26 before Communion.  I agreed to do read, but I also decided to take the opportunity to talk about Communion as Covenant Renewal.  Afterwards, including last night at small group, I was not only thanked for my words, but was also told, "I had never heard that about communion."

I think we have tended to overlook Covenant when it comes to our relationship with God. This means that we have talked about "getting saved" or "having a personal relationship with God," but have missed out on why we can be secure in those things.  Our security comes from the commitment that is founded on God's New Covenant that was ushered in through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

So if the security of our salvation as well as the promises and blessings that God has for us is found in a Covenantal relationship, then it is very important for us to ask: "How do I enter into a covenant relationship with God?"  The fact that many people haven't heard that communion is a time of covenant relationship renewal means that many people have never heard how to enter into a covenant relationship with God.

Some time in the next week I want to write a post devoted to Covenant, but right now I want to throw out that it is through baptism that we enter into a Covenant Relationship.  I will make the case for this later on, but for now I want to point out two very important passages.

The first is Matthew 28:18-20:

And Jesus came and said to them, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age" (ESV).

Regardless of your feelings on baptism we discover that according to Jesus baptism is part of the disciple making process.  Jesus establishes baptism as the moment when people are set apart from the world in order that they may follow Jesus.

The second is Romans 6:1-4:

What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?  We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life (ESV).

According to the apostle Paul it is through baptism that we are united with Jesus.  It is the moment that we declare ourselves dead to sin and to the patterns of this world and discover that we now possess the life of Christ in our lives.

What I would invite you to do is to take some time and look at all the references to baptism in the New Testament, read the context of the passages, and identify the things of which baptism is a part.  Things like being set apart as a disciple and being united with Christ.  Perhaps that will lay the foundation of why I say that baptism is the way in which we enter into this great Covenant God has established with humankind.

To go along with my initial thoughts on baptism here is an essay by Greg Boyd that further explains my views on baptism: The Case for Believer's Baptism.

More Than Life Voyeurs

It is so easy in our culture to live our lives through the adventures of other people. So we spend our time watching reality TV, keeping up on the latest Hollywood gossip, following our favorite sports teams, and playing action adventure video games. These things keep us distracted from the life God has given us to live.

Let's face it, watching another person live their life is a lot safer than actually living our own life. We don't have to worry about the hurt of rejection or the pain of failure. Being life voyeurs is a relative safe thing to be.

Think about what Jesus said to his disciples before he ascended into heaven:

Jesus came and told his disciples, "I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth. Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, a baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (Matthew 28:18-20, NLT).

There are two truths that I want to point out. First, Jesus makes it clear that he has the authority, and in that authority he is sending us out. We have the authority of God behind us! That should give us the courage and the resolve to live boldly!

Second, is the command to go. Jesus expects his disciples to go into the world. As we go we are to proclaim the Gospel, in both word and deed, to those around us. We cannot follow Jesus and remain on the sidelines.

It is easy to watch other people live life, but that is not the type of life God created us to experience. He created us so that we can join Him in bringing redemption to the world. Now that is a life worth living!

Purifying Our Hearts

Part of my Bible reading this morning was James 4:7-10:

7 So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. 9 Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor (NLT).

The part that stood out to me was the exhortation by James to purify our hearts. The question that immediately arose in my heart was; "How can I purify my heart?"  In my mind this purification is only something that God can do.

Almost as soon as I thought the question the answer appeared before: we must be loyal to God.  James implies that the reason our hearts need to be purified is because our loyalty is divided.  We are not totally loyal to God, instead our hearts also chase after the things of this world.  For us to purify our hearts requires us be exclusively loyal to God.

This dovetails with what I read in Not a Fan this morning.  Kyle Idleman focused on the phrase "come after me" that is found in Luke 9:23.  He pointed out that the best way to understand that phrase is to observe the way a person pursues a romantic relationship.  True romance requires a person whose heart is not divided, but is solely focused on his/her love.

He points out that this passion is seen in the parable of the pearl of great price:

 “Again, the Kingdom of Heaven is like a merchant on the lookout for choice pearls. When he discovered a pearl of great value, he sold everything he owned and bought it!" (Matthew 13:45-46, NLT).

Once the man discovered the great pearl his heart was set on pursuing it, there is nothing that would distract him for obtaining it.  Kyle goes on to write:

"When we discover the life that we can have in Jesus we are to come after him like this man pursued this pearl of great price.  Fans will be careful not to get carried away.  Followers understand that following Jesus is a pursuit that may cost them everything, but it is the best investment they could ever make.  Followers will do some crazy things for love, but fans want to play it safe" (p. 133).

In order to purify hour hearts then we need to have such a focus on following Jesus that we will not be distracted by the things of this world. This intense focus will cause us to do things that will appear crazy, but in the end will be the best way to live.  When we are so loyal to Jesus then our hearts cease to be divided, and thus they are able to be healed. To passionately pursue Jesus is what we can do so that our hearts can be purified.

Transforming Our Choices

Henry Blackaby in his book Created to be God's Friend wrote; "We are free to make the choice, but not free from the consequences of the choice." Think about that statement.  One the one hand it is wonderful because it means we have the freedom to live the way we want to live, but on the other hand it is terrible because it means we are responsible for our choices.

We have the wonderful freedom to make our own decisions. God has not programmed us to respond to certain stimuli in a certain way. Instead He created us with a free will, the ability to choose. We can choose between McDonalds and Burger King, the Iowa Hawkeyes and the Wisconsin Badgers, and even between what is right and what is wrong. We have free will to make these types of decisions.

This is a wonderful freedom God has granted to us, but as wonderful as it is free will is also full of danger. If we make our own choices that means we are responsible for what happens because of those choices. We will benefit from good choices and be hindered by bad choices. The path we are on in life is ultimately a path of our own design.


No wonder the apostle Paul is concerned with the way we think.  In Romans 12:2 Paul wrote; Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (ESV).  If we are conformed to the world's way of choosing and deciding then we will continue to fall short of God's will.  It is only when our minds are transformed that we are able to make the right choices which enable us to be the people God created us to be.

To aid us in the transformation of our minds God has provided us with Truth.  This Truth provides us with the solid foundation from which we are able to make correct decisions. If we are willing to obey God and follow the path that He has laid out for us we will have to learn to rely on the wisdom that we discover on the pages of the Bible, and thus discover that our lives are built on a solid foundation. If we insist on doing our own thing and making choices determined by what we think is best we will find that the foundation of our lives is no better than sand.

Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount with this teaching:

Anyone who listens to my teaching and obeys me is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse, because it is built on rock. But anyone who hears my teaching and ignores it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will fall with a mighty crash (Matthew 7:24-27; NLT).

This is not a promise that Christians will not experience hardship in their lives, but it is a promise that during the hardships of life they will be able to stand strong. Why? A Christian is able to remain strong amidst the tragedies of life because they have the hope which comes from doing God's will and the hope that waits on God's promise to make everything new.  We discover these twin hopes on the pages of Scripture.

Poor and sinful choices led to bad and negative consequences. Think about the tragedy and hardship we could avoid in our lives if we would just be willing to follow Jesus. Women wouldn't have to worry about who are the fathers of their children, parents wouldn't have to suffer they loss of a child from a drug overdose, children wouldn't be put through the pain of a divorce, and diseases like AIDS would be virtually unheard of. Yet when we insist on building our lives on the sand of conformity to the world and refusing to follow Jesus we ensure that our lives will not stand the test of tragedies.


It is also important to point out that when we follow the wisdom we discover in the Bible our lives will turn out for the better.  We will be able to experience good relationships with friends and family.  We will have the opportunity to hear people tell us thank you for the difference we have made in their lives.  We will not have to worry about the past catching up to us.  We will be able to live a life of purpose and hope.  Following Jesus creates a better life than following the ways of the world.

We have freewill, but that also means we are responsible for the consequences of our actions. Part of the Gospel is that God has not abandoned us to the hopelessness of this world. God has revealed Truth to us so we can have a solid foundation to build our lives upon and have the knowledge we need to transform our minds.  In the end it is possible for us to live lives that honor our Creator and Savior.

Trusting God With Our Lives

{James 1:1-4; ESV}

James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ,

To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings.

Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.

It is no secret that life is filled with heartbreak, disappointment, tragedy, and all sorts of different trials.  We understand that God has not promised us an easy life, and that He is able to use the junk that happens to us to mature our faith and transform us into the people He created us to be.  That is why we should find joy in our suffering, because God is redeeming our pain to make us new creations.

Yet, we also know that this is easier said than done.  When our lives are going smoothly, or at least manageable, we can say, "I trust God no matter what happens."  Then the clouds descend and the storm hits and before long we are questioning God's heart.  Some times we will even begin to question His existence.

How do we make the rubber meet the road here without sounding like a cheerleader?  You know the person who says, "Just try a little harder.  You can do it.  Hang in there."  That type of encouragement is worthless.  It is like trying to encourage a guy with a compound leg facture to get up and run a marathon, "You can do it.  I am in your corner.  I will pray for you."  We would recognize such behavior as cruel, and rightly so, because the problem isn't a lack of effort but a broken leg.  Spiritual growth often isn't about a lack of effort, but it is about a wounded heart.  A heart that doesn't trust that God is good.

So how can we use the tragedy and trials in our lives to mature our faith?  I think first we have to lay a solid foundation.  This has to be done before the storms hit, because once the rain starts to fall it is going to be awfully difficult to make any progress.

Jesus said:

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it" (Matthew 7:24-27; ESV)

The reason it is so important to do the listening and the obey before the storm hits is because that gives us the experience we need to remind ourselves that God is good.  He can be trusted to bring us life, even if at the moment the flood waters seem to be winning.  Yet, even in the midst of the storm this is where we need to begin.  We will not survive, we will not find healing and life, if we do not have the firm foundation of Jesus.  So even if it is pouring down rain and the flood is rising we need to spend our time trying to find the rock that will keep us from being swept away.

Second I think we need to daily surrender our lives to God.  Read what the apostle Paul wrote in Romans:

I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect (Romans 12:1-2; ESV)

In other words we have to give up control of our lives.  The only way we will be changed is to allow God to change us.  If we are going to insist on doing things our way we will never experience the life that God wants us to have.  We won't be transformed. We won't be the salt of the earth or light of the world because we will be conformed to the world around us.  This is scary because we our handing over the reins of our lives to God, giving Him control, and trusting Him for the results.

That is where the rubber meets the road: trust.  Spiritual maturity isn't about trying harder, but it is about trusting more.  We learn to trust through experience and so prayer and obedience become the route through which our faith is grown as we come to know that God is one we can trust with our lives.

Being Salt and Light

{Matthew 5:13-16; NLT}

“You are the salt of the earth. But what good is salt if it has lost its flavor? Can you make it salty again? It will be thrown out and trampled underfoot as worthless.

“You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden.  No one lights a lamp and then puts it under a basket. Instead, a lamp is placed on a stand, where it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father."

Followers of Jesus are called to be "the salt of the earth" and "the light of the world".  What did Jesus mean when he used these two metaphors? What did he hope that his listeners would take away?

We can spend time analyzing the uses of salt and light, not only in the ancient world, but also in our world in hopes of better understanding what Jesus said and how they can translate over to a Christian's life.  To be honest I think this text is pretty straight forward, and while doing some analytical work would be profitable, it isn't necessary.  You see in the end both salt and light are agents of change and influencers of their surroundings.

In other words, Jesus wants his disciples to be people of influence in this world.  We are to help people discover God's truth for their lives.  So how do we go about doing that?  I think in the United States we have tended to try to influence the world, to halt the moral decay, and to shine a light in the darkness by taking the "right" moral stands and by proclaiming the "truth".

If we stopped for a moment and reflected on how that methodology has worked the last 30 years we will notice that the Church has less influence now in our country then it ever has before.  We will notice that on the important issue of abortion, with all our talk about the preciousness of life, there are more abortions happening all the time.  The really sad reality is that many of these women come from a Christian background.

There is also the issue of marriage.  The Church has opposed gay marriage, and rightly so, and we have talked about the sanctity of marriage in the process.  Not only do we have more and more states making gay marriage legal, but we also have to contend with a high number of divorces.  One of the scandals of the evangelical church is that that Evangelicals lead the way in the numbers of divorce.  We can take the right stands and proclaim the right truth, but we lose creditability when it isn't lived out in our lives.

What this world really needs are not people who go on and on about morality or talk endlessly about sin and hell, but people who live in a radically different way.  The world needs to see that there is a better way to live life.  I like what the apostle Peter wrote; But you are not like that, for you are a chosen people. You are royal priests,​  a holy nation, God’s very own possession. As a result, you can show others the goodness of God, for he called you out of the darkness into his wonderful light (1 Peter 2:9; NLT, emphasis added). We have been chosen and set apart for the purpose of showing the world the love and forgiveness of God.  The transforming power of God's grace should be seen in the way we live our lives.

The bottom line is this: In order to be salt and light we need to stand apart form the world.  We need to be different.  Too often we are compromising with world in the choices we make about life, and then we condemn them for living as the unredeemed people they are.  The problem is not them, but it is us.  If we are going to influence this world for Jesus then we need to change the way we live.  Only then can we truly become "salt of the earth" and "light of the world".

Too Distracted to Mourn

{Matthew 5:4; ESV}

“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.”

I think many Americans live in a fantasy world. Because we have enjoyed such a high standard of living in the United States we have been able to be free from many of the world’s troubles. We don’t know what it is like to live in extreme poverty and to hungry most of the time.

Not only are we insulated from many of the harsh realities that many other people deal with on a constant basis, many of us are consumed with another life. Not the true eternal life that we receive from Jesus, but the fantasy life of sports, TV shows, video games, and even politics. These things blind us from the reality of the world around us and therefore we are clueless about what life in a fallen sinful world is really like.

I am currently doing a sermon series through the Sermon on the Mount. Last week I preached part 1 on the beatitudes, a sermon I entitled “Proper Citizens” as we looked at the 8 virtues that need to be present in the life of a citizen of God’s Kingdom.

Right now I am in the process of preparing for part 2, a sermon I have entitled “Kingdom Blessings” as we will look at the eight blessings promised to the citizens of Heaven. As I was doing my study today I read this passage from Leon Morris’ commentary on Matthew:

Perhaps we should bear in mind that typically the worldly take a lighthearted attitude to the serious issues of life, a fact that is very evident in our pleasure-loving generation. In there seeking after self-gratification and pleasure they do not grieve over sin or evil. Because they do not grieve over what is wrong in themselves, they do not repent; and because they do not grieve over the wrong they share with others in the communities in which they live, they take few steps to set things right. (The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel According to Matthew; p. 97)

It is so easy to allow these pleasures to consume our lives and to distract us from the reality of life, and in the end we are not people who are mourning over the sin in our lives, the sin in our communities, or the evil that is rampant in the world. We push from our minds the images of starving children, the disfigured bodies of those people in war zones, or the faces of drug addicts right around the corner. As a result we are not crying out to God in repentance for mercy, healing, and help. We are doing nothing except sitting on the couch catching the next episode of American Idol and talking about who is going to win The Super Bowl.

If we are going to be people who are citizens of the Kingdom of Heaven then we need to be people who mourn, who cry over the sin and evil this world. This isn’t about being sad and depressed all the time, rather it is about living a life of repentance and joining God in bringing His Kingdom rule into this world. It is about taking time to pray about the issues that are on your heart, it is about being generous with the blessings God has given to you, and it is about becoming active in this world.

We live in a world that is messed up and where a lot of people are hurting. We may not be able to change the world, but we can do something that will bring a little light and love into the life of another person. May we be people who mourn over the broken nature of this world and who are confident that one day God will make everything right.

Celebrate Jesus

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.  Part of what Christmas is is an example of Christians redeeming a pagan holiday to worship Jesus. 

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 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.  Though because they were 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 was a very righteous man.  God had revealed to him that he would not die until he was able to see the Messiah.  When he saw baby Jesus he took Jesus from the arms of His parents and praised God, saying:

29 “Master, now you are allowing your servant to leave in peace
according to your word.
30 For my eyes have seen your salvation,
31 which you prepared for all people to see—
32 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 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 study 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 of the fuss that have been made about Jesus.  From the Biblical text it is apparent that a fuss was made about 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 believe He is worth the effort.  If not we will continue on with the traditional Christmas rush and wonder why we even bother.

Law and Change

"Law is always external. It is always imposed from outside. It can never make man good. It can only make him wish he had been good." ~ W. Carl Ketcherside; The Death of the Custodian

Law is incapable of changing people. Sure it could stop people from doing certain behaviors because they are afraid of the punishment, but those people wouldn't hesitant to do evil deeds if there were no consquences. So while outward appearance the appear to be good it is another story concerning their heart.

"You have heard that the law of Moses says, "'Do not murder. If you commit murder, you are subject to judgment.' But I say, if you are angry with someone, you are subject to judgment! If you call someone an idiot, you are in danger of being brought before the high council. And if you curse someone, you are in danger of the fires of hell" (Matthew 5:21-22; NLT).

"You have heard that the law of Moses says, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I say, anyone who even looks at a woman with lust in his eye has already committed adultery with her in his heart" (Matthew 5:27-28; NLT).

"You have heard that the law of Moses says, 'Love your neighbor and hate you enemy.' But I say, love your enemies! Pray for those who persecute you!" (Matthew 5:43-44; NLT).

Jesus tells us that what is just as important as our obedience to the Law is the condition of our heart. The Law cannot fix a heart twisted by sin, only the blood of Jesus Christ and the presence of the Holy Spirit can correct that problem. No amount of law keeping take away the consquences of sin in our lives.

What does that mean? It means that everyone is in the same boat, no matter how "good" the might appear. Without Jesus Christ in our lives there is nothing we can do to make up for the sin in our lives or restore our sinful heart to purity. What the Church has to offer to a world plagued with sin is not law, but grace. Change will only occur as people give their lives to Jesus Christ. We need to be people of grace rather than being people of law.

See the Harvest

 {Matthew 9:36-38; NLT}

He (Jesus) felt great pity for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they didn't know where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, "The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest; ask him to send out more workers for his fields."

I think one of the indications that I have matured in my faith has been my increased compassion for people. When I was younger it was easy for me to negatively judge people because of the bad circumstances in their lives. After all if they would make better choices they wouldn't find themselves in those positions.

While it is true that each of us is responsible for our own actions 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. Many of the sin addictions are the result of people wanting to cope with the circumstances of their lives but not know what is the best course of action.

From reading the gospels it appears that when Jesus looked at a crowd He didn't see dirty rotten sinners but lost travelers. Rather than judging people for the mistakes in their lives Jesus showed compassion. He was the one person who could sit in judgment but He chose to extend help instead.

When you believe you have an understanding of truth it is tempting to judge people based on their bad circumstances. It makes us feel superior as we turn the focus off our struggles to the dark sins of the world. It also give us a sense that we are doing God's work since we are standing up for God's truth.

The example we have from Jesus is to have compassion on the world because they don't know where to turn. They are lost and have no idea how to find their way home. Jesus knew their predicament much better than we do; even though it is has also been the story of our lives.

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. Jesus tells us that we are to pray and ask God to send workers to go into the fields ripe for 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 what we need is a change of perspective. Instead of seeing 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.

Offering Truth and Love

{Matthew 9:35-38; NLT}

Jesus traveled through all the cities and villages of that area, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And wherever he went, he healed people of every sort of disease and illness. He felt great pity for the crowds that came, because their problems were so great and they didn’t know where to go for help. They were like sheep without a shepherd. He said to his disciples, "The harvest is so great, but the workers are so few. So pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest, ask him to send out more workers for his fields."

While we may have made advances in technology since the time of Jesus the human need remains the same. Not only are people’s need the same, but also the majority of people are still unaware of where to turn to for help. Casual sex, drug use, and pornography are just some indications that people are in search of some how filling the need they have in their hearts.

How should the Church, the community of Jesus’ followers, respond to this reality?

If we are truly following the example of Jesus the first thing we are to do is to have compassion on the “sin-ners” we find all around us. Within the Church we tend to judge before we have compassion. We find some sort of sick satisfaction in telling people that they are sinning. Perhaps it would help to remember that the homosexual, the pornographer, and the drug user are not necessarily evil people, but they are looking for something to fill the need they find in their empty hearts or to heal the spiritual wounds that have been af-flicted on them over the years. While it is true that these people are living outside of God’s will they too are being deceived and manipulated by Satan. No matter how awful their lives may seem to be we have to remember that their lives are being stolen away by Satan and they don’t know where to turn to for help.

Not only did Jesus have compassion for these people, but He also spent time healing them and teaching them in order to help them understand the Good News of God’s love and forgiveness. For us this means we need to be active in the lives of other people. We need to be loving influences in the lives of our family and friends who do not know the love God that is found in Christ Jesus. Please remember that part of what being a follower of Jesus is all about is to engage the lives of other people.

Finally we are to pray for more workers. There are more people who are lost than there are people who saved. Many of us who are saved do very little to help those in need and focus our attention on ourselves and the management of our own sin. It is only through the conviction God’s calling that we begin to move out of our comfort zone and into the places of great need.

Donn Leach in What the Bible Says About Jesus commenting on this passage wrote; "Jesus knows that many are ready to repent if only some messenger bring the good news of the kingdom to them (Matt. 9:37, 38). But more messengers are needed. God can supply more messengers if His people will pray." Prayer is one of the most important things we can do as we seek to change the world. People are not changed by our wise words or logical arguments about the power of God. Rather it is our love for others that reveals to them just how much God loves them.

The first step in all of this is having compassion for the people of the world and seeing people as Jesus saw them. Jesus not only saw people’s sin, but He also saw their need. He knew that their only hope was love and truth not judgment and law. What are we offering to people?