"We have this treasure in earthen vessels." Jesus Christ lives in us!(those of us who believe in Him) We are the vessel. He is the treasure. The treasure is everything. It is about Him, not us. We find out identity in Him(Col. 3:10,11). More than any other thing(father, daughter, Baptist, teacher, lawyer, Republican, American etc.) we are Christians. We contain Christ. Our faith is in the person of Jesus Christ. He is love (not has love or gives love) and He is my peace, my joy, my light, my strength, my salvation, and much more. I don't have to pray for peace if I have Jesus because He is my peace. If I have Him, I have peace.
I can love anyone because it is really Christ loving through me. It is Christ in me, as me.
He is in me and I am in Him. God is not out there somewhere. He resides in me and He will never leave me nor forsake me. "Nothing can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus." Even our sin cannot break that relationship! Don't let anyone tell you anything different! A believer is one with Him. We are not Jesus--He is the unique and eternal Son of God. But we do contain Him and nothing can change that. The promise of Romans 8:39 is great news! It is God's word. We can take Him at His Word. That's what faith is: believing what God says is true and living by that word.
Have faith in Christ.
Sunday, June 1, 2014
Saturday, May 24, 2014
Restoration to Sonship-the rest of the gospel.
Read Luke 15:11-32
In the beautiful and familiar story of the prodigal son we see how our relationship with God is meant to work. The young son rebels from his father, demands his inheritance(which could be done legally and was a strong slap in the face for the father. The Son took the money and ran as afar away as he could to the fartheresr place away from his Dad. So a reconciliation is needed. Whenever the relationship is broken like that the greater of the two must be the one to initiate the reconciliation so the Father goes looking for the son. "When he was a great way off his Father saw him". This action pictures the cross because, in Jewish society, it was humiliating for a Father(already humiliated by his son)to go searching for a wayward child. This picture is Christ seeking us: "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself"(II Cor. 5:21). Our sins never ultimately separate us from God. The only unpardonable sin is unbelief.(when we refuse to come to Him who calls us the Himself) God's work is to come for us.
Our work is to say "yes". The prodigal son comes to his senses and decides to go home. He has enough faith to think that at least his Dad will take him back as a servant. He rehearses a speech but when his Father sees him he does not give the son a chance to say it. The father gives robe, ring, and shoes to his son and throws a big party. The dynamic of faith at work here is this: When something is desirable and available we can make it actual by speaking a word of faith("He said...I will go to my father...") and it then becomes reliable as it actually happens("faith is the substance of things not seen" Heb. 11:1) So here is the son's faith: The abundant life of a son is desirable, available, becomes actual and reliable.
The older son is upset about this upstart getting the royal treatment. He thinks he has earned his Dad's favor(vs. 29). He doesn't understand grace. His Father says, "all that is mine is yours" but the older boy doesn't get. So he becomes another prodigal(wasting grace by doing trying to please the Father by works). All this time the older brother could have had and still can have the true life of a son--it is there any time he wants it!
The younger son just receives what he knows he doesn't deserve. The older son tries to earn what he thinks he deserves. God's abundant resurrection power is ours. We don't earn it to start and we don't try to finish it on our own. It is "grace upon grace"(John 1:16) which is God's work and "faith to faith"(Romans 1:17) which is our work(John 5:28,29). Grace is giving(from God). Faith is receiving(from God). Notice the story doesn't end. We don't know if the older brother ever came to the party. And we don't know if the younger one stayed. It is Christ's open invitation to us to rest in Him and enjoy his Life forever.
In the beautiful and familiar story of the prodigal son we see how our relationship with God is meant to work. The young son rebels from his father, demands his inheritance(which could be done legally and was a strong slap in the face for the father. The Son took the money and ran as afar away as he could to the fartheresr place away from his Dad. So a reconciliation is needed. Whenever the relationship is broken like that the greater of the two must be the one to initiate the reconciliation so the Father goes looking for the son. "When he was a great way off his Father saw him". This action pictures the cross because, in Jewish society, it was humiliating for a Father(already humiliated by his son)to go searching for a wayward child. This picture is Christ seeking us: "God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself"(II Cor. 5:21). Our sins never ultimately separate us from God. The only unpardonable sin is unbelief.(when we refuse to come to Him who calls us the Himself) God's work is to come for us.
Our work is to say "yes". The prodigal son comes to his senses and decides to go home. He has enough faith to think that at least his Dad will take him back as a servant. He rehearses a speech but when his Father sees him he does not give the son a chance to say it. The father gives robe, ring, and shoes to his son and throws a big party. The dynamic of faith at work here is this: When something is desirable and available we can make it actual by speaking a word of faith("He said...I will go to my father...") and it then becomes reliable as it actually happens("faith is the substance of things not seen" Heb. 11:1) So here is the son's faith: The abundant life of a son is desirable, available, becomes actual and reliable.
The older son is upset about this upstart getting the royal treatment. He thinks he has earned his Dad's favor(vs. 29). He doesn't understand grace. His Father says, "all that is mine is yours" but the older boy doesn't get. So he becomes another prodigal(wasting grace by doing trying to please the Father by works). All this time the older brother could have had and still can have the true life of a son--it is there any time he wants it!
The younger son just receives what he knows he doesn't deserve. The older son tries to earn what he thinks he deserves. God's abundant resurrection power is ours. We don't earn it to start and we don't try to finish it on our own. It is "grace upon grace"(John 1:16) which is God's work and "faith to faith"(Romans 1:17) which is our work(John 5:28,29). Grace is giving(from God). Faith is receiving(from God). Notice the story doesn't end. We don't know if the older brother ever came to the party. And we don't know if the younger one stayed. It is Christ's open invitation to us to rest in Him and enjoy his Life forever.
Sunday, May 18, 2014
Bearing Fruit--The Rest of the Gospel
Romans 7:1-6
The first command in the Bible is Genesis 1:28" Be fruitful and multiply". Non-life cannot produce life. Knowing good and evil cannot bring life(so don't eat of that tree; Genesis 2:17). It takes life to produce life (so eat of the tree of Life, which is Christ; Gen. 2:9). God's law is good and true but it cannot produce life. If we are to obey God's first command we must partake of Jesus Christ.
In the first part of Romans 7, Paul talks about a marriage. A woman is married to a perfect man. The only problem is that he expects her to be perfect too(which she cannot do). How can she love such a demanding man? She needs to get out of that relationship and marry another man but she cannot unless her husband dies(or she will be guilty of adultery). That perfect and demanding man is the Law(and he is not going to die!). Is she stuck? No. If a death must part them, then she can die. We are that woman and we can die. In fact, if we are believers in Christ, we already have. Through the cross of Christ we have died to the law(vs.4), to ourselves(Romans 6:6), and to sin (Rom. 6:11). So the woman, having died (that's all believers) is now free to marry another.
The other man is perfect also. And he expects perfection. But He does it for us. Jesus is the fulfillment of the law. It ends with Him! Such a man is very easy to love for all He wants from us is to love Him back and trust Him. Now, as He lives His life in and through us, we can and will bear fruit for God(vs. 4).
We cannot obey any command in our own strength--even the one to "be fruitful". But He can and will. Like women, we are receivers. No woman can get pregnant without the help of another man. The man gives or plants the seed. The woman receives the seed and life begins. Nine months later fruit is born. We are containers--"we have this treasure in earthen vessels". The way God planned physical birth is for it to issue out of a love relationship between a man and a woman. Spiritual fruit is born out of our love relationship with God in Christ, as we receive His life into us. And the fruit comes naturally and almost spontaneously.
A person in love wants to tell others of his or her love. As we allow Christ to live in us, others see Him in us and we share the same good news with them that we now enjoy. And "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of (or "about") Christ(who He is and what He has done and continues to do for us).
Our focus should be on God, not on ourselves. We should not dwell on our sins or our management of them. We certainly should not dwell on the law(rules, precepts, commands etc.). Our focus is on Jesus Christ through His Spirit(Colossians 3:1-3). The result will be life, not death(Romans 8:1-11). We will bear fruit for God. We will "be fruitful and multiply".
The first command in the Bible is Genesis 1:28" Be fruitful and multiply". Non-life cannot produce life. Knowing good and evil cannot bring life(so don't eat of that tree; Genesis 2:17). It takes life to produce life (so eat of the tree of Life, which is Christ; Gen. 2:9). God's law is good and true but it cannot produce life. If we are to obey God's first command we must partake of Jesus Christ.
In the first part of Romans 7, Paul talks about a marriage. A woman is married to a perfect man. The only problem is that he expects her to be perfect too(which she cannot do). How can she love such a demanding man? She needs to get out of that relationship and marry another man but she cannot unless her husband dies(or she will be guilty of adultery). That perfect and demanding man is the Law(and he is not going to die!). Is she stuck? No. If a death must part them, then she can die. We are that woman and we can die. In fact, if we are believers in Christ, we already have. Through the cross of Christ we have died to the law(vs.4), to ourselves(Romans 6:6), and to sin (Rom. 6:11). So the woman, having died (that's all believers) is now free to marry another.
The other man is perfect also. And he expects perfection. But He does it for us. Jesus is the fulfillment of the law. It ends with Him! Such a man is very easy to love for all He wants from us is to love Him back and trust Him. Now, as He lives His life in and through us, we can and will bear fruit for God(vs. 4).
We cannot obey any command in our own strength--even the one to "be fruitful". But He can and will. Like women, we are receivers. No woman can get pregnant without the help of another man. The man gives or plants the seed. The woman receives the seed and life begins. Nine months later fruit is born. We are containers--"we have this treasure in earthen vessels". The way God planned physical birth is for it to issue out of a love relationship between a man and a woman. Spiritual fruit is born out of our love relationship with God in Christ, as we receive His life into us. And the fruit comes naturally and almost spontaneously.
A person in love wants to tell others of his or her love. As we allow Christ to live in us, others see Him in us and we share the same good news with them that we now enjoy. And "faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of (or "about") Christ(who He is and what He has done and continues to do for us).
Our focus should be on God, not on ourselves. We should not dwell on our sins or our management of them. We certainly should not dwell on the law(rules, precepts, commands etc.). Our focus is on Jesus Christ through His Spirit(Colossians 3:1-3). The result will be life, not death(Romans 8:1-11). We will bear fruit for God. We will "be fruitful and multiply".
Friday, May 16, 2014
FROM HERE TO MATURITY. The rest of the gospel
Read I John 2:12-14
I hope almost all believers want to become mature Christians. In John's first letter he talks about three kinds of Christ-followers: children, young men and fathers. Children need rules. They need to know that they are loved and they need to be told what to do. Spiritual children are similar. They need to know what the rules are and they need to learn the consequences of disobeying. But they understand that they are loved and forgiven. The one basic thing they come to understand is God is on their side(Christ for me).
Young adults(I' making the term inclusive) are discovering who they are and they are realizing that they have power to do things. They can make most of their own decisions, drive a car, vote, solve their own problems, and many other things. Spiritual young adults are finding out that they have great power in prayer and in spiritual warfare. They can tell the devil to get lost! They are beginning to see that Jesus is not only for them, he is also in them. In the fullness of the Holy Spirit they can exercise His gifts. They realize that the power within them is God Himself(Christ in me).
Parents("fathers" and mothers) have a perspective on life that lets them know that there are times of difficulty but things usually turn out OK. Parents enjoy intimacy--an intimacy that can result in children. Spiritual parents have wonderful intimacy with God the Father. They know that, while life can have its problems, God is in charge and is working things out for our and His best. Parents have an eternal perspective. They have found that knowing God and producing more spiritual children is what life is all about. They also know that having children also involves rearing children. These parents are the mature Christians. They know that the Lord's purpose for them is to express Himself in and through them(Christ as me).
The only authentic life is the one that Jesus lives in and through us. Yes, I am forgiven. Praise the Lord! Yes I have great power available to me. Praise the Lord! But bearing fruit is the goal for all of us and that can only come as He lives and loves through me. Out of a wonderful intimacy with the Father I come to allow Christ(who dwells in me by the Holy Spirit) to be my life--in all of life.
I am meant to be a container of Christ. "We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the surpassing greatness of the power may of God and not of me." (II Cor. 4:7) He is my life! The expression of life is His life in me. ("I am the Life") He lives in me and desires to live through me. "I am crucified with Christ, never-the-less I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Gal. 2:20) That Life is maturity.
The gospel(good news) is that I can't live the Christian life. Only God can. And He wants to live it in and through me.
I hope almost all believers want to become mature Christians. In John's first letter he talks about three kinds of Christ-followers: children, young men and fathers. Children need rules. They need to know that they are loved and they need to be told what to do. Spiritual children are similar. They need to know what the rules are and they need to learn the consequences of disobeying. But they understand that they are loved and forgiven. The one basic thing they come to understand is God is on their side(Christ for me).
Young adults(I' making the term inclusive) are discovering who they are and they are realizing that they have power to do things. They can make most of their own decisions, drive a car, vote, solve their own problems, and many other things. Spiritual young adults are finding out that they have great power in prayer and in spiritual warfare. They can tell the devil to get lost! They are beginning to see that Jesus is not only for them, he is also in them. In the fullness of the Holy Spirit they can exercise His gifts. They realize that the power within them is God Himself(Christ in me).
Parents("fathers" and mothers) have a perspective on life that lets them know that there are times of difficulty but things usually turn out OK. Parents enjoy intimacy--an intimacy that can result in children. Spiritual parents have wonderful intimacy with God the Father. They know that, while life can have its problems, God is in charge and is working things out for our and His best. Parents have an eternal perspective. They have found that knowing God and producing more spiritual children is what life is all about. They also know that having children also involves rearing children. These parents are the mature Christians. They know that the Lord's purpose for them is to express Himself in and through them(Christ as me).
The only authentic life is the one that Jesus lives in and through us. Yes, I am forgiven. Praise the Lord! Yes I have great power available to me. Praise the Lord! But bearing fruit is the goal for all of us and that can only come as He lives and loves through me. Out of a wonderful intimacy with the Father I come to allow Christ(who dwells in me by the Holy Spirit) to be my life--in all of life.
I am meant to be a container of Christ. "We have this treasure in earthen vessels that the surpassing greatness of the power may of God and not of me." (II Cor. 4:7) He is my life! The expression of life is His life in me. ("I am the Life") He lives in me and desires to live through me. "I am crucified with Christ, never-the-less I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." (Gal. 2:20) That Life is maturity.
The gospel(good news) is that I can't live the Christian life. Only God can. And He wants to live it in and through me.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Noah and God
I have been off line for a while and I have a lot of catching up to do.
It is spring and Easter is coming. The theme of death, burial, and resurrection is powerful and can be seen everywhere. I recently attended two very good movies: The first one was Noah. As with most biblical films this one deviated from the truth. But the law of death, burial, and resurrection came through powerfully. Humans sinned (even Noah) and the penalty was death. The whole world was wiped out and (according to the screenwriter) Noah wanted his family to die out as well. And so the world was buried and through an Abraham offering up Issac type moment Noah's family almost died too. But the Noah family survived as a type of resurrection. The flood subsided, land appeared, and a beautiful rainbow completed the picture of new life and with it hope. As distorted as it was, Noah reminded me of God's ability to bring new life out of a very sinful situation.
The second film was God's Not Dead. It this movie several characters are dealing with extremely difficult problems, one life-threatening. All the various story-lines come together beautifully as despair, doubt, dejection, and defeat give way to victory demonstrating that God is indeed not dead, but very much alive. It was interesting to see people making free choices while God worked everything toward drawing them to Himself. The main character of the movie was pitted against an atheistic philosophy professor in trying to demonstrate that God is alive. The young man's arguments were good but the reality of God came through in His working in people's lives. The best proof for the resurrection is what this risen Christ does in individual lives.
It might be time for some of us to put some things in our lives to death, bury them, and then let God breath His resurrection life into our lives.
It is spring and Easter is coming. The theme of death, burial, and resurrection is powerful and can be seen everywhere. I recently attended two very good movies: The first one was Noah. As with most biblical films this one deviated from the truth. But the law of death, burial, and resurrection came through powerfully. Humans sinned (even Noah) and the penalty was death. The whole world was wiped out and (according to the screenwriter) Noah wanted his family to die out as well. And so the world was buried and through an Abraham offering up Issac type moment Noah's family almost died too. But the Noah family survived as a type of resurrection. The flood subsided, land appeared, and a beautiful rainbow completed the picture of new life and with it hope. As distorted as it was, Noah reminded me of God's ability to bring new life out of a very sinful situation.
The second film was God's Not Dead. It this movie several characters are dealing with extremely difficult problems, one life-threatening. All the various story-lines come together beautifully as despair, doubt, dejection, and defeat give way to victory demonstrating that God is indeed not dead, but very much alive. It was interesting to see people making free choices while God worked everything toward drawing them to Himself. The main character of the movie was pitted against an atheistic philosophy professor in trying to demonstrate that God is alive. The young man's arguments were good but the reality of God came through in His working in people's lives. The best proof for the resurrection is what this risen Christ does in individual lives.
It might be time for some of us to put some things in our lives to death, bury them, and then let God breath His resurrection life into our lives.
Tuesday, March 4, 2014
The Glorification of Being Gay
I have always thought of myself as a fair-minded, even liberal (in the classic sense) person. I agreed with the civil rights movement of the 50's and 60's. I supported much of the feminist movement. I believe that all people, regardless of race, creed, gender , or sexual orientation are entitled to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." I am for giving homosexuals all the same rights that I have.(marriage is another issue because there always have been and should be restrictions on marriage. ie: 11 year-olds cannot marry, nor can siblings. Also forbidden is marrying an animal, your mother, or more than one person).
Lets be fair to all people. As Christians lets even love all people. But what is happening in our country is the glorification of being Gay. It is not enough to be tolerant of homosexual behavior saying, "I don't agree with it, but consenting adults should be free to do what they want to do behind closed doors." It's not even enough to say "they should be allowed to marry each other."(which I do not say). What they seem to want, and what the media seems to want to give them is God-like status. In America, Gays have become hero's. Jason Collins, a gay athlete, was given a standing ovation when he first appeared in an NBA game. Football player Micheal Sam has been praised from the moment he "came out" as gay.
Give them their rights, but please don't deify them! Especially when a significant minority of Americans are highly offended by Homosexuality which is condemned in the Bible. The majority of these offended people are not homophobes or bigots. They simply believe the scriptures and want to be obedient to the God that they love(and the God who loves everyone).
Hollywood and the mainstream media seem to be on a campaign to make gods out of gays and cults out of Christians.Their excellent PR has apparently given them the high ground. But believers in Christ are grounded in the Bible and will always stand for truth-even when it hurts. Who we believe in and what we believe has stood the test of time and will last into eternity.
Here is a good question: Why does Paul (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) pick out homosexuality as the sin that serves as an example of the fall of humanity? Read Romans 1:16-32. Why is gay sexual activity chosen as proof that humanity has "worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator" and "exchanged the truth of God for a lie"?
Since all of us have sinned in some way, I am eternally thankful for the gospel "which is the power of God for salvation to the Jew first and also the Greek" And it's the power of God for salvation also for the gay.
Lets be fair to all people. As Christians lets even love all people. But what is happening in our country is the glorification of being Gay. It is not enough to be tolerant of homosexual behavior saying, "I don't agree with it, but consenting adults should be free to do what they want to do behind closed doors." It's not even enough to say "they should be allowed to marry each other."(which I do not say). What they seem to want, and what the media seems to want to give them is God-like status. In America, Gays have become hero's. Jason Collins, a gay athlete, was given a standing ovation when he first appeared in an NBA game. Football player Micheal Sam has been praised from the moment he "came out" as gay.
Give them their rights, but please don't deify them! Especially when a significant minority of Americans are highly offended by Homosexuality which is condemned in the Bible. The majority of these offended people are not homophobes or bigots. They simply believe the scriptures and want to be obedient to the God that they love(and the God who loves everyone).
Hollywood and the mainstream media seem to be on a campaign to make gods out of gays and cults out of Christians.Their excellent PR has apparently given them the high ground. But believers in Christ are grounded in the Bible and will always stand for truth-even when it hurts. Who we believe in and what we believe has stood the test of time and will last into eternity.
Here is a good question: Why does Paul (under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit) pick out homosexuality as the sin that serves as an example of the fall of humanity? Read Romans 1:16-32. Why is gay sexual activity chosen as proof that humanity has "worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator" and "exchanged the truth of God for a lie"?
Since all of us have sinned in some way, I am eternally thankful for the gospel "which is the power of God for salvation to the Jew first and also the Greek" And it's the power of God for salvation also for the gay.
Monday, January 13, 2014
From Here To Maturity
When you think of maturity, you think of being complete. Our goal and God's goal for us is Christ-like maturity. It helps if we understand that we can't pull this off on our own. We are not and never can be Christ. But we can(and believers do) contain Him. He lives in us. "We have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power might be from God and from ourselves."
One of Satan's lies in the garden was that we could be like God. He tempted Eve and Adam to live out of their own strength and thus be their own gods. Up until that point they weren't even human. To be human they had to make a choice. God allowed Satan to tempt them in order to help them become human. By offering them the opposite of God, he was making them aware of the possibilities and they had to make a choice. Unfortunately they chose the non-God way. but there is a sense which making the wrong choice make them even more human. Now they discovered first-hand the consequences of going against God. They experienced God's wrath which included pain, guilt, and separation. And Satan got a curse.
"Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all because all sinned." Rom. 5:12 So now all of humanity has made the fateful choice and is living with pain, guilt, and separation from God. Even for those of us who have been redeemed by accepting what Christ has done for us on the cross and receiving the risen Lord Jesus as our savior often make the mistake of being our own god by living by our own self-effort.
God's desire for Adam and for us is that we allow Christ is live His life in and through us. We are containers of Him. A container gets none of the glory, does none of the work, and has only one function--to contain the treasure. We now, as humans who have make many wrong choices now have the chance to choose life by choosing His life. And the amazing thing is that, when we do so, we actually become what we are meant to be--like God. Except that this time it is through union with Christ(the Tree of Life)as we allow Him to express His divinity through us.
The more we let Him be Himself in and through us the more fruit we bear and the more others see Him in us. And we become spiritual parents. We head toward maturity.
One of Satan's lies in the garden was that we could be like God. He tempted Eve and Adam to live out of their own strength and thus be their own gods. Up until that point they weren't even human. To be human they had to make a choice. God allowed Satan to tempt them in order to help them become human. By offering them the opposite of God, he was making them aware of the possibilities and they had to make a choice. Unfortunately they chose the non-God way. but there is a sense which making the wrong choice make them even more human. Now they discovered first-hand the consequences of going against God. They experienced God's wrath which included pain, guilt, and separation. And Satan got a curse.
"Just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all because all sinned." Rom. 5:12 So now all of humanity has made the fateful choice and is living with pain, guilt, and separation from God. Even for those of us who have been redeemed by accepting what Christ has done for us on the cross and receiving the risen Lord Jesus as our savior often make the mistake of being our own god by living by our own self-effort.
God's desire for Adam and for us is that we allow Christ is live His life in and through us. We are containers of Him. A container gets none of the glory, does none of the work, and has only one function--to contain the treasure. We now, as humans who have make many wrong choices now have the chance to choose life by choosing His life. And the amazing thing is that, when we do so, we actually become what we are meant to be--like God. Except that this time it is through union with Christ(the Tree of Life)as we allow Him to express His divinity through us.
The more we let Him be Himself in and through us the more fruit we bear and the more others see Him in us. And we become spiritual parents. We head toward maturity.
Friday, January 10, 2014
From Here To Maturity
Can there be little doubt that God wants Christians to be mature believers? "...until we all attain to the unity of the faith, and of the knowledge of the Son of god, to a mature person to stature that belongs to the fullness of Christ." Ephesians 4:12 Clearly this does not happen all at once. Just as physical maturity takes a while, so does spiritual maturity. But it is supposed to happen!
I John 2:12-14 lists three types of believers which can represent the major stages of Christian development:
Little children; young adults; and parents. Believers who are children understand that Christ died for them and has forgiven them of their sins. They know that Jesus is part of the Triune God but they tend to see Him as up in heaven or "out there". Sometimes He gets close to us and he does things for us when we pray but He is not really in me. Young Adults are beginning to see that they have the power of God in them through Christ and the Holy Spirit. They have some victory over sin and Satan and they know the power of prayer. They may even experience miracles. They are beginning to understand that Christ actually indwells them. Parents have found that Christ is their life and that He lives in them, as them. They have a deep relationship with God which leads to an eternal perspective. They are far less self-centered and more Christ-centerd.
They are called parents because of their maturity and because they reproduce other Christians. Their great love for God leads to babies and the process starts all over again.
And important verse in reaching maturity is Galatians 2:20: "I am crucified with Christ, never the less I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." We will be spending the next few weeks expanding on the truth and implications of this verse. Ultimately I hope you will grasp that it is impossible to live the Christian life but that Christ can and will live it through you. A mature believer lives by the life of God.
Here are some other examples of the three stages of growth:
Children Young Adults Parents
forgiveness spiritual power knowing God
Christ for me Christ in me Christ as me
Jesus Christ Lord
crucifixion resurrection ascension
sacrifice empowerment fruitfulness
Romans 3 Romans 6 Romans 8
Moses Joshua Melchizedek
I John 2:12-14 lists three types of believers which can represent the major stages of Christian development:
Little children; young adults; and parents. Believers who are children understand that Christ died for them and has forgiven them of their sins. They know that Jesus is part of the Triune God but they tend to see Him as up in heaven or "out there". Sometimes He gets close to us and he does things for us when we pray but He is not really in me. Young Adults are beginning to see that they have the power of God in them through Christ and the Holy Spirit. They have some victory over sin and Satan and they know the power of prayer. They may even experience miracles. They are beginning to understand that Christ actually indwells them. Parents have found that Christ is their life and that He lives in them, as them. They have a deep relationship with God which leads to an eternal perspective. They are far less self-centered and more Christ-centerd.
They are called parents because of their maturity and because they reproduce other Christians. Their great love for God leads to babies and the process starts all over again.
And important verse in reaching maturity is Galatians 2:20: "I am crucified with Christ, never the less I live, yet not I but Christ lives in me. And the life which I now live, I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." We will be spending the next few weeks expanding on the truth and implications of this verse. Ultimately I hope you will grasp that it is impossible to live the Christian life but that Christ can and will live it through you. A mature believer lives by the life of God.
Here are some other examples of the three stages of growth:
Children Young Adults Parents
forgiveness spiritual power knowing God
Christ for me Christ in me Christ as me
Jesus Christ Lord
crucifixion resurrection ascension
sacrifice empowerment fruitfulness
Romans 3 Romans 6 Romans 8
Moses Joshua Melchizedek
Wednesday, January 1, 2014
Wonderful things
In 1923 a team of archeologists entered into the passageway to King Tut's Tomb. They came to what they thought was the entrance. Gradually they removed the rubble that blocked the entrance into the main room. Howard Carter, the leader of the expedition held his lantern into the room. Standing behind him, Lord Caravan asked, "Can you see anything?" Carter's reply was, "Yes, wonderful things."
As I think about 2014, I see wonderful things. There are many things that could give us fear, but I choose hope. The circumstances of our world are not good. But we know that God is in charge. In the west, the time is right for revival. I am praying that it will come in 2014.
Think with me about fear and hope. Fear paralyzes hope excites. Fear keeps people from seeking and enjoying God's purposes for them. Hope encourages us to trust the Lord and to walk in His ways. "Fear Not." "Hope does not disappoint." Let's make 2014 the year of hope.
"May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy spirit you may abound in hope." Romans 15:13
Harry
Tuesday, December 31, 2013
A need for 2014
A letter I wrote to a pastor friend:
Dear _______________
You asked how we have arrived at the state of relativism, hedonism, and universalism. What brought America and the west to a point of believing and living as if there is no absolute truth. After some thought and prayer here is my answer:
In the early twentieth century there arose liberalism which came out of the progressive movement. Their goals were honorable and worthy. For example, the promoted a social gospel. Who could argue with helping the poor just as Jesus did? Who could question seeking the truth of the Bible? What was wrong with attempting to learn the nuances of right and wrong?
The problem is that the social gospel began to replace the personal gospel. Seeking the truth led to skepticism and doubt of the reliability of the scriptures. Seeking a less rigid and honest morality led to thinking that anything goes as long as you are sincere and don't hurt anyone.
A kind of new holy trinity has developed. The false gods of relativism, skepticism, and universalism have replaced the God of the Bible. Out of that comes what I call, "tolerationism"(which means you must accept what I do and believe but I don't accept what you do and believe).
I think that the problem of doubting the truthfulness of the scriptures will not go away. It is like letting the genie out of the bottle. Nothing short of a mighty move of God can overcome what we have become. And revival is possible! That event is my prayer for 2014.
Dear _______________
You asked how we have arrived at the state of relativism, hedonism, and universalism. What brought America and the west to a point of believing and living as if there is no absolute truth. After some thought and prayer here is my answer:
In the early twentieth century there arose liberalism which came out of the progressive movement. Their goals were honorable and worthy. For example, the promoted a social gospel. Who could argue with helping the poor just as Jesus did? Who could question seeking the truth of the Bible? What was wrong with attempting to learn the nuances of right and wrong?
The problem is that the social gospel began to replace the personal gospel. Seeking the truth led to skepticism and doubt of the reliability of the scriptures. Seeking a less rigid and honest morality led to thinking that anything goes as long as you are sincere and don't hurt anyone.
A kind of new holy trinity has developed. The false gods of relativism, skepticism, and universalism have replaced the God of the Bible. Out of that comes what I call, "tolerationism"(which means you must accept what I do and believe but I don't accept what you do and believe).
I think that the problem of doubting the truthfulness of the scriptures will not go away. It is like letting the genie out of the bottle. Nothing short of a mighty move of God can overcome what we have become. And revival is possible! That event is my prayer for 2014.
Tuesday, December 24, 2013
Christmas Day December 25
Read: Luke 2:15-20 Key verse: "And when they had seen Him, they told others what the angel had said about this child." vs. 17
If you are reading this on Christmas Day you probably have already opened your gifts, been to church, and had a big meal. It is still Christmas but Christmas is over. After all the anticipation and excitement of Advent and the arrival of December 24 and 25 it normal to have a let down. Feelings come and go--our joy is not based on them. The important thing is that we have experienced the celebration of Christ's birth once more and we have a story to tell.
When the shepherds had heard about the birth of the Savior they said, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem and see this child that the Lord has told us about!" It is important to not just hear about Christ but to meet Him as well. After their visit they went and told others about this amazing event. When you really encounter Christ you cannot hold it in--you want to share the good news that Son of God has come. "And all who heard wondered about what the shepherds had said." This end of the Christmas story is really the beginning. The rest of our life should be spent spreading this good news. We should feel that we have to do it, not because we are commanded to(although we are commanded to), but because we want to share it. The gospel is too great for us not to want others to know it!
The real end of the Christmas story is that "the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had seen and heard." All that God does for us brings Him great glory. Our lives should focus on honoring Jesus with our praises in worship and our telling/doing the good news in our service to others.
Of course the Christmas story really has no end. It is an eternal truth that the eternal One entered history and changed us for Him and forever. We can have the privilege to bring Christmas to the world every day of the rest of our lives and then in heaven we will glorify and praise Him into all eternity. Hallelujah!
Advent Devotion Dec. 24
Read: John 1:1-14 Key verses: "In Him was life and the life was the
light of men. And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness
did not overpower it." John 1:4,5
"And the glory of the Lord shone round about them." Luke 2:9b
On this Christmas Eve night many people will celebrate Christ's birth by going to a candlelight service. I love the symbolism of the candlelight service! The Bible tells us that this little baby that came into the world was (and still is) Life and that this Life was (and still is) the Light in a dark world. Even the smallest light can light up a large room. A single candle burning can give light to an entire worship center. The darkness just disappears in the presence of one small candle just as the baby Jesus dispels the gloom just by His coming. Where does the darkness go? It goes nowhere--it simply ceases to exist. This is a truth that I love to preach! But I must learn, as we all must, that it is a truth not only for the mind but for the heart. Can I honestly say that I have allowed the Life--this Light to be in my heart to the extent that I have no gloom? My desire is to let this night be for me a "silent night, holy night, darkness flies all is light...Son of God, loves pure light."
In the candlelight service we each receive light from each other, but all coming originally from the one light that represents the true Light. The room becomes even brighter because we have received the light, shared it with others and they have received it. We are meant to share the Light because HE is the Light of the world. He dispels the darkness, but incredibly , uses us to make it happen! I like for the congregation to sing "Joy to the World" at the end of the candlelight service and to raise their candles on the last verse if Jesus is their Lord. "He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love."
Wherever Christ is believed and proclaimed, His light--His glory shines!
"And the glory of the Lord shone round about them." Luke 2:9b
On this Christmas Eve night many people will celebrate Christ's birth by going to a candlelight service. I love the symbolism of the candlelight service! The Bible tells us that this little baby that came into the world was (and still is) Life and that this Life was (and still is) the Light in a dark world. Even the smallest light can light up a large room. A single candle burning can give light to an entire worship center. The darkness just disappears in the presence of one small candle just as the baby Jesus dispels the gloom just by His coming. Where does the darkness go? It goes nowhere--it simply ceases to exist. This is a truth that I love to preach! But I must learn, as we all must, that it is a truth not only for the mind but for the heart. Can I honestly say that I have allowed the Life--this Light to be in my heart to the extent that I have no gloom? My desire is to let this night be for me a "silent night, holy night, darkness flies all is light...Son of God, loves pure light."
In the candlelight service we each receive light from each other, but all coming originally from the one light that represents the true Light. The room becomes even brighter because we have received the light, shared it with others and they have received it. We are meant to share the Light because HE is the Light of the world. He dispels the darkness, but incredibly , uses us to make it happen! I like for the congregation to sing "Joy to the World" at the end of the candlelight service and to raise their candles on the last verse if Jesus is their Lord. "He rules the world with truth and grace and makes the nations prove the glories of His righteousness and wonders of His love."
Wherever Christ is believed and proclaimed, His light--His glory shines!
Monday, December 23, 2013
Dec. 23 4th Sunday in Advent
Read: Luke 2:1-7 Key verse: "The time came for the baby to be born." (vs. 6b)
"At just the right time God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law." (Galatians 4:4)
You've heard the expression, "timing is everything." Time is an ever present reality of life. We are told that in our culture that time is the most valuable commodity. We wear watches to tell what time it is. In most team sports the game is over when time runs out, But time and timing are too different things. In time, one moment is the same as another. In timing, there are moments that are much more important than others. The moment of Christ's birth is one of those crucial moments in history. God's timing is perfect!
"At just the right time God sent His Son." It is said that the time of Jesus' birth was the perfect moment for the gospel to happen and spread. It was a time of relative peace. Most of the known world spoke the same language. Roman roads were excellent for traveling to get the word out about God's love in Christ. The timing of Caesar's census allowed Jesus to be born where prophecy said it would happen. The timing of Christmas was no accident. God was orchestrating the whole process.
That Jesus was born in time is another fact about the incarnation. Jesus was born "under the law" and "of a woman." All that seems obvious to us now, but think about it: His birth from eternity into time, from total freedom into restrictions, and from glory into humanity causes us to again ask, "how can this be?" We can't fully understand it, but it is truly wonderful to realize its significance. God became one of us! He knows what it is like to struggle to be on time. He can identify with our struggle with the law of sin and death.(and all the laws of physics, nations, nature etc.) He got hungry, felt cold, knew sickness and when he stubbed his toe it hurt. He was tempted in every way we are tempted yet was without sin. Yet, He still knew and now knows what sin feels like because the Bible says He became sin for us.
When Jesus was baptized by John (another example of God's good timing) he was being baptized for the remission of sin. He was identifying totally with us in a way that would lead to a painful death on a rugged Roman cross. He would cry out, as we so often have, "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?" He knows our life because He has lived it. Because He has lived it, He can guide us through the rough times.
Let us enjoy this Christmas season and every season by trusting God's perfect timing. Things may not be going as you want them to, but God is right on top of it. He will work it out if you trust Him. He never says, "opps!" He never has to apologize for being late. You may be wondering why times are so bad. We can't understand it all, but we can place our faith in the One who does. He's got the whole wide world in His hands! It is time to trust the Savior of the world
Sunday, December 22, 2013
Advent Devotion: The Personal Savior
December 22
How can this be?
Let us not underestimate the importance of the angel's announcement to the shepherds that a Savior was born for them. He was a personal gift to them just as He is to us. Let the words ring in your heart, "unto you is born...a Savior." It can be because God is One who loves to give Himself to people and have a relationship with them.
What is it that you like most about Christmas? Is it the presents? Is it the food? Is it the music? Most of us would say that the best part of Christmas is being with family and friends. It is the personal part of the season that makes it so great. And, just think: We get it all with Jesus. We get a personal relationship with Christ, plus great time with others. And we also get a present--the gift of life. We get food--the Lord's Supper. We get music--the song God places in our hearts. So, a real Christmas with Jesus brings every good part of the season into our lives.
Shepherds were the lowest of the low on the totem pole of society. You were a shepherd if you could not do anything else. God Chose to reveal the birth of His Son first to these lowly men, at least in part, to show that He came for every one. It doesn't matter what your status is or what you think it is. Whoever you are or whatever you have done, Christ comes to you personally and wants to be a part of your life. He is a personal Savior who died on a cross for you and rose again that you may live by His life.
Friday, December 20, 2013
ADVENT 21
December 21
Read II Kings 4:8-37 Focus: vss. 32-37 Key verse: "And he went up and lay on the child, and put his mouth on his mouth and his eyes on his eyes and his hands on his hands, and stretched himself on him; and the flesh of the child became warm." (vs. 34)
How can this be?
God becoming human is a miracle but He has always been personal. He desired to have direct contact with humanity so He came. "Christ emptied Himself of His privileges as God, taking the form of a servant in the likeness of man, and appeared on earth as a man."(Phil. 2:7,8)
This coming into direct personal contact with humanity is pictured in an event in the life of the prophet, Elisha. Elisha had prayed for his friend, the Shunammite woman to have a child and she did. When the boy was grown, he was working in the fields with his father when the boy collapsed and died. When Elisha heard about it he sent his servant to run and place his staff on the boy's face. When Elisha arrived at the house the boy was still dead. The prophet went into the room where the son's body was laying and stretched himself out on top of him: eyes on eyes, mouth on mouth hands on hands and the young man came to life! In a similar way God has come to us. The life that we need is beyond long distance help. One of God's servants could not do the job! So He has come to get right down where we are--to get as close to us as He can. Laying on top of some one is very personal! Christmas is that gift of His life to and for us as He comes eye to eye, mouth to mouth, and hands to hands.
This beautiful reality of the Word becoming flesh and living among us changes everything! For it shows the lengths He will go to warm our lives and be personal with us. There are many ways we die. We die a little when some one we love dies, when we get a life-threatening illness, when we lose a friend, spouse, or job. On and on I could list the ways we go through the valley of the shadow of death. Christ will come to us. He longs for us to long for Him.(Isaiah 30:18) Make room for Him in the inn of your heart. He will stretch Himself out on you and fill you with life you did not know possible. He will give you Christmas
Thursday, December 19, 2013
Joyfully Serious
DEC. 20 ADVENT DEVOTION
h. 5:14b "You are standing on holy ground."(Josh. 5:15b)
How can this be?
Mary's question is answered in at least five ways: 1. God's love is the motivation. 2. His power is the agent. 3. His activity is the reason. His life is the gift. 4. His person is the result.
In another pre-incarnational visit by God, Joshua, about to lead an attack on Jericho, encounters a man with a drawn sword blocking his way. Joshua wants to know if the man is on his side. The man states that Joshua has asked the wrong question. He said that He was on neither side, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell at the man's feet and asked, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?" He answered, "Take off your shoes, for you are standing on holy ground!"
The LORD had made a personal visit to remind Joshua and us that being on God's side is more important than His being on our side. Joshua led Israel to a great victory because he was surrendered to the LORD. We have a personal God who often delivers messages through angels(messengers), prophets, priests, and even donkeys but at times prefers to do it Himself. It is part of God's character as Person to want to interact with His people on a face to face basis.
Ultimately He came as a new-born baby who grew up to be a great man and die on a cross for our sins. Mary understood the holy significance of this event. The song that she sang indicates that she had removed her shoes because she was standing on holy ground.(Lk. 1:46-55) "My soul magnifies the LORD and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior", started the song.
I love and enjoy all the trappings of Christmas. I enjoy Santa, Rudolf, Frosty, and the others. But Christmas is Jesus! When I think of the great event of the incarnation, I realize that I am standing on holy ground. Christmas is joyful, but Christmas is serious. God comes to us, not to take our side but to be by our side. We become victorious because we have surrendered into a loving relationship with the Person of God who is victorious. This is the message He has for us during Advent. We are standing on holy ground. Do not allow Christmas to become too secular or too casual. This whole magnificent celebration is joyfully serious. It is holy!
h. 5:14b "You are standing on holy ground."(Josh. 5:15b)
How can this be?
Mary's question is answered in at least five ways: 1. God's love is the motivation. 2. His power is the agent. 3. His activity is the reason. His life is the gift. 4. His person is the result.
In another pre-incarnational visit by God, Joshua, about to lead an attack on Jericho, encounters a man with a drawn sword blocking his way. Joshua wants to know if the man is on his side. The man states that Joshua has asked the wrong question. He said that He was on neither side, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell at the man's feet and asked, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?" He answered, "Take off your shoes, for you are standing on holy ground!"
The LORD had made a personal visit to remind Joshua and us that being on God's side is more important than His being on our side. Joshua led Israel to a great victory because he was surrendered to the LORD. We have a personal God who often delivers messages through angels(messengers), prophets, priests, and even donkeys but at times prefers to do it Himself. It is part of God's character as Person to want to interact with His people on a face to face basis.
Ultimately He came as a new-born baby who grew up to be a great man and die on a cross for our sins. Mary understood the holy significance of this event. The song that she sang indicates that she had removed her shoes because she was standing on holy ground.(Lk. 1:46-55) "My soul magnifies the LORD and my spirit has rejoiced in God my Savior", started the song.
I love and enjoy all the trappings of Christmas. I enjoy Santa, Rudolf, Frosty, and the others. But Christmas is Jesus! When I think of the great event of the incarnation, I realize that I am standing on holy ground. Christmas is joyful, but Christmas is serious. God comes to us, not to take our side but to be by our side. We become victorious because we have surrendered into a loving relationship with the Person of God who is victorious. This is the message He has for us during Advent. We are standing on holy ground. Do not allow Christmas to become too secular or too casual. This whole magnificent celebration is joyfully serious. It is holy!
Wednesday, December 18, 2013
Human and Personal
Dec. 19 Advent Devotion
How can this be?
We have seen the answer to Mary's question in the love of God, the power of God, the activity of God, and the life of God. Now we find the answer in the person of God. Even before God came to earth in His Son, He was(and always has been) personal. A good argument for the existence of a personal God is that we are personal(created in His image). How could the impersonal create the personal? Personal ones love relationships with others like themselves. God has lived in a great three way relationship within the Trinity since all eternity. In creating us He desired to develop new relationships. In a relationship one wants to identify with the other. That is what happened when the Son of God came to earth. This personal God became human so that he could experience our existence and take our place in death.
God made several pre-incarnational visits to earth before that first Christmas. One of those trips was to Jacob. It was not a fun visit for Jacob although it ended up great. He was afraid for his life as he was about to have an encounter with his twin bother, Esau whom he had cheated years ago. On the night before the encounter Jacob wrestled with a man all night. That man turned out to be the LORD. Jacob was blessed but he also was crippled. His weakness became the LORD's strength. When Jacob was willing to stop trying to control things and give them to God, he discovered the liberating blessing of the LORD. In meeting God face to face, Jacob had found that real life comes from knowing the LORD(Jn. 17:3).
Mary's surrender to the LORD (Lk. 1:38) led to the ultimate personal visit from God. "The Word became flesh and pitched His tent with us. And we have seen His glory, the glory of the One and Only...who explained God."(Jn. 1:14,18) The miracle of Christmas is that the Eternal God became a little baby. Forget the halo in the paintings, He was human in every way. Because He experienced humanity (yet without sin) we can have a relationship with Him. Like Jacob, we can see Him face to face and live. Sometimes it takes a wrestling match to really see Him, but when we surrender to Him and quit striving, the blessings of a wonderful relationship fall upon us.
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Advent Devotional Dec. 18
Read Luke 1:5-25,39-45 Key verse: "When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting, the baby leaped in her womb, and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit." (Lk. 1:41)
How can this be?
God is in the life-giving business. Mary wondered how God could work a miracle in her life even as she prepared to visit her cousin, Elizabeth, who herself was blessed with the miracle of a child. Elizabeth, like Hannah, had been barren but now was pregnant with a baby that would grow up to be John the Baptist, the forerunner of Christ. Even in his the womb John sensed he was in the presence of Divinity when Mary came to visit his mother.. He leaped for joy and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. God can become a man because He is a life-giver. That's what He does.
When we are carrying the Life of God in us, others can sense it. They may not be able to put their finger on what they are feeling, but it can cause them to jump for joy. They will want what we have. In my late twenties I made some friends that had the joy of the LORD. I did not understand all the theology or even agree with it, but they had something I wanted. They had life and I did not. My encounter with them ultimately caused me to ask for God's life in me through the Holy Spirit. I still cannot explain how it can be, but I know God has placed his life in my heart.
I have learned over the years that "God is light and in Him is no darkness at all." John the Apostle wrote this light is the life we all need and are looking for. Christmas is a time of life. A new life coming to a feeding trough in Bethlehem. And He changed the world! The leap of joy you will feel, will cause you to begin the wonderful experience of being filled with His Spirit.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Advent Daily Devotions Dec. 17
Read I Samuel 1:1-28 Key verse: "I prayed for this child, and
the LORD has granted me what I asked of Him. So now I give him to the
LORD" (vss. 27,28)
How can this be?
Mary gave no thought to having a child. Why should she? She was a virgin. Yet God wanted to implant in her the Light of Life. God's plan was to give her this Life that the world might have everlasting life. Hannah wanted nothing more than to have a child but she was barren. Her earnest prayer for a child was answered and she was so grateful that she pledged that child to the LORD. The child named Samuel became a great prophet, priest, and the one who anointed Israel's first king. Mary's child became the great Prophet, Priest, and King. No wonder Mary asked,
" How can this be?"
God is the great life-giver. You may have a major disappointment in your life that no amount of prayer seems to help. Hannah wanted a child more than anything else on earth. She would go to Shiloh every year to worship the LORD and beg Him for a child. She never gave up! Finally she conceived and had a child. Yuo can be sure that God's plan for you includes life. He wants to energize you with His life, power and love. It may not come in the exact form you would like but it will come.
I was in a group that is studying the prayer of Jabez(I Chron. 4:9,10). He prayed, "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my territory and that Your hand would be with me." Sometimes we do not know exactly what blessings God has for us but He does have them for us. He wants to expand our territory by using us to bring His life into dead and barren places. If we truly want His hand to be with us and we ask for it, we will have it. The asking is important. Prayer can really change things. The LORD is continually placing opportunities in our lives to bring life to others. Christmas is a great time to live out and speak out the truth of God's love in Christ.
When Hannah's prayer was answered she remembered her promise and gave Samuel back to the LORD. All our blessings are from Him and should be dedicated to Him. It is in giving back to God what He has given us that life comes forth to make a difference in the world.
A good way to live is to ask God and then to give to God. It is just one of the great and amazing ways God works
How can this be?
Mary gave no thought to having a child. Why should she? She was a virgin. Yet God wanted to implant in her the Light of Life. God's plan was to give her this Life that the world might have everlasting life. Hannah wanted nothing more than to have a child but she was barren. Her earnest prayer for a child was answered and she was so grateful that she pledged that child to the LORD. The child named Samuel became a great prophet, priest, and the one who anointed Israel's first king. Mary's child became the great Prophet, Priest, and King. No wonder Mary asked,
" How can this be?"
God is the great life-giver. You may have a major disappointment in your life that no amount of prayer seems to help. Hannah wanted a child more than anything else on earth. She would go to Shiloh every year to worship the LORD and beg Him for a child. She never gave up! Finally she conceived and had a child. Yuo can be sure that God's plan for you includes life. He wants to energize you with His life, power and love. It may not come in the exact form you would like but it will come.
I was in a group that is studying the prayer of Jabez(I Chron. 4:9,10). He prayed, "Oh that You would bless me indeed and enlarge my territory and that Your hand would be with me." Sometimes we do not know exactly what blessings God has for us but He does have them for us. He wants to expand our territory by using us to bring His life into dead and barren places. If we truly want His hand to be with us and we ask for it, we will have it. The asking is important. Prayer can really change things. The LORD is continually placing opportunities in our lives to bring life to others. Christmas is a great time to live out and speak out the truth of God's love in Christ.
When Hannah's prayer was answered she remembered her promise and gave Samuel back to the LORD. All our blessings are from Him and should be dedicated to Him. It is in giving back to God what He has given us that life comes forth to make a difference in the world.
A good way to live is to ask God and then to give to God. It is just one of the great and amazing ways God works
Sunday, December 15, 2013
Life and Laughter
Advent Dec. 16
Read Genesis 18:1-15 Key verse: "...your wife Sarah will have a son," (Gen. 18:10b)
"How can this be?"
Christmas can come because of God's love, power, activity and also His Life. He is the great life-giver. Although Mary's pregnancy was the most unusual, spectacular, and important in the history of the world, there were other times when God intervened to bring life into a woman supernaturally. We could talk about Rebekah(Gen. 25:21), Rachel(Gen.30:22,23), Hannah(I Sam. 1:19,20), and Elizabeth(Lk. 1:13). But today let us think about Sarah. She was about ninety years of age and had never had a child. Abraham was about one hundred years of age. The LORD made one of His pre-incarnational visits to Abraham and Sarah.(remember that God is active in His world and gets involved). He told them that they were to have a child who would carry on the promise which would eventually lead to the coming of Christ.(Gen. 17:19) Sarah actually laughed at this idea saying, "How could an old and barren woman like me have such pleasure, especially when my husband is even older?" and "Can an old woman like me have a baby?" Sounds a little like Mary's "How can this be?" God's answered clearly and emphatically, "Is anything too difficult for the LORD!
God's own name means eternal life(I AM Who I AM). The LORD not only is life, He gives life. He will come into the barrenness of your existence and produce life! Past failures and even successes mean nothing for you right now. We all need to know that we can have productive lives at any age. Your track record doesn't matter. "Nothing is impossible with God!"(Luke 1:37) His supernatural life can infuse you with purpose, peace, and emotional prosperity.
God told Abraham and Sarah to name their son Isaac which means "laughter". Humanly speaking it is a laugh that we might have effective and meaningful lives. Christmas is a reminder that God can and God will make a difference. The laughter that He brings into our lives is the sound of music in our hearts as we celebrate His coming into our hearts.
"How can this be?"
Christmas can come because of God's love, power, activity and also His Life. He is the great life-giver. Although Mary's pregnancy was the most unusual, spectacular, and important in the history of the world, there were other times when God intervened to bring life into a woman supernaturally. We could talk about Rebekah(Gen. 25:21), Rachel(Gen.30:22,23), Hannah(I Sam. 1:19,20), and Elizabeth(Lk. 1:13). But today let us think about Sarah. She was about ninety years of age and had never had a child. Abraham was about one hundred years of age. The LORD made one of His pre-incarnational visits to Abraham and Sarah.(remember that God is active in His world and gets involved). He told them that they were to have a child who would carry on the promise which would eventually lead to the coming of Christ.(Gen. 17:19) Sarah actually laughed at this idea saying, "How could an old and barren woman like me have such pleasure, especially when my husband is even older?" and "Can an old woman like me have a baby?" Sounds a little like Mary's "How can this be?" God's answered clearly and emphatically, "Is anything too difficult for the LORD!
God's own name means eternal life(I AM Who I AM). The LORD not only is life, He gives life. He will come into the barrenness of your existence and produce life! Past failures and even successes mean nothing for you right now. We all need to know that we can have productive lives at any age. Your track record doesn't matter. "Nothing is impossible with God!"(Luke 1:37) His supernatural life can infuse you with purpose, peace, and emotional prosperity.
God told Abraham and Sarah to name their son Isaac which means "laughter". Humanly speaking it is a laugh that we might have effective and meaningful lives. Christmas is a reminder that God can and God will make a difference. The laughter that He brings into our lives is the sound of music in our hearts as we celebrate His coming into our hearts.
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