The Best Gift

What is your favorite Christmas passage from the Bible? Do you love the Luke account with the specific details? Or do you like how Matthew gives the shorter version? Perhaps it’s the amateur theologian in me but I love John’s account…“The Logos (Word) became flesh and dwelt among us.” There are so many amazing parts of all the stories, the prophecies fulfilled, the angels, the obedience of Mary, the star, etc. The story is amazing all throughout, but the theological implication is deeper still.

We can reminisce about the baby being born and the dirty stable, but dwell on it longer. Allow your heart, mind and soul to linger beyond just the immediate and see the eternal. The Creator of the Universe (Colossians 1:15-23) has elected to wrap himself in humanity and dwell among us.

Yeah, I don’t fully comprehend that at first glance either (or after much study for that matter). So we are talking about the Almighty God who is eternal, outside of space and time, holy, all-knowing, all-powerful, and completely other then us entering into our world. No box can contain Him. Our thoughts cannot come close to comprehending Him. Our natural eye cannot bear to look upon His glory and survive. Yet He lowered Himself into our world.

Everyday we turn on the news and hear about how awful humanity is to each other. We hear of rape, murder, suicide, racism, and all kinds of sin. You know what? Humanity hasn’t changed since the Fall. It’s always been that disgusting, and yet the perfect Son of God chose to identify Himself with us.

Forget for a second “all of humanity” and consider yourself; would you want your deepest and darkest moments, thoughts or actions known to the world? If right now I told you that your private thoughts and history were streaming on YouTube, how would you feel? You know your sins. You know the horrible thoughts you have had from anger, to greed, to lust, etc. You know the words you have said that you can never get back. You know the actions you have committed that will leave a permanent scare on your heart. You know the things that make you feel dirty, used, and worthless.

Jesus knows those things about you and me, about all of us. He chose to put on human flesh and move into our lives. He came, unstained from sin, undefiled by this world and set up camp in our yard. He looked past our sins and saw our need for a Savior and entered our space. When you and I cannot go a day without sinning, Jesus went a lifetime for us. When you and I have our moment of despair and give in to temptation, Jesus stood strong every time. When we feel like the world is against us and we use that as a reason to break God’s Law to escape for a moment, Jesus overcame in our place. He did this for us, not to condemn us, but to provide salvation for us.

Have you ever received a Christmas gift that caused you more work? It’s the gift you really didn’t want, at least not as a gift. The kitchen appliance, the shovel, or vacuum cleaner. It’s the gift that comes with the expectation of work that leads to drudgery.

Yet there is another kind of gift. The gift of luxury and not of necessity. The gift that brings joy from using it. The gift that you feel underserving to receive and produces an overwhelming sense of gratitude and love to the giver. That is the kind of gift Jesus came to give when He moved into our neighborhood. He doesn’t want begrudging servants, or slaves whose actions are drudgery. He moved in to give us something we could never get on our own. He gave us a gift of freedom, forgiveness and adoption.

When Jesus came to live in perfect fulfillment to God’s Law in order that He could provide the perfect sacrifice on our behalf. Every time we failed, He succeeded for us. He died so we don’t have to. He rose again, conquering sin and death to give us a choice. The choice is yours. The Christmas present He offers is Himself. “Come, deny yourself and follow me,” is His invitation.

He knew our sin and shame, wrapped Himself in human flesh and came moved into our neighborhood. Will you allow Him to move into your life? Will you truly celebrate the true Christmas gift: Jesus Himself? You will never be the same!

Scandalous Joy

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.  

Luke 2:10-11

The dichotomy of the first Christmas is that through struggle comes great joy. Pain comes first, but is followed by joy. It’s a story of a young virgin girl who chose to risk everything, the respect of her community, her parents and her fiancé, to be obedient to the Father’s call on her life. It’s a story of a young man trusting the child his fiancé is carrying is a miraculous gift from God. It’s a story of a journey from the comfort of their home to a dirty stable. It’s a story that is all too familiar to every mother who has given birth, the pain of child bearing. Yet this pain and struggle is soon lost in the joy of the newborn child’s cry.

Few things in life bring a greater joy to me then to hold a newborn baby! I love babies! They are a precious miracle, every one of them. I have 5 nieces and 4 nephews in my family, not to mention my church family and my many friends who have had kids. I’ve had the wonderful privilege for some to be at the hospital and greet the new little one on day one. Every time I hold a baby and I see the amazing handiwork of our God, I am mesmerized by the truth that God wrapped Himself in flesh to identify with us and came as a little baby.

Christmas is not just the story of the struggle and joy Mary and Joseph, it begins much earlier then that. We read in the Scriptures that since the Fall of man, all of creation groans for the redemption of all things. We see the struggle of sinful humanity in a lost and lonely world. We see a people called out by God, yet continue to fail Him. We see judges, kings, priests and prophets beg and plead with the people to seek the one true God, yet their message fell on deaf ears. The story we read is humanities labor pains building and hoping for joy.

That moment in time when the voice of a baby crying broke the divine silence brought the hope of joy once again into this dark world. The birth of Jesus Christ is the message of great joy to all people for He is the Savior of the World.

Yet that quiet night in the stable that brought a young virgin mother and her husband great joy, would also be the beginning of another kind of birth pains. The joy of that night would give way to the anguish and expectation of sacrifice. This perfect young baby would grow into a perfect man, completely sinless and impeccably obedient to the Law. Which makes the way in which he died all the more scandalous. Yet He chose to endure struggle, to suffer and die for our joy (Hebrews 12:2). He chose rejection and humiliation knowing that the pain of death would soon give birth to new life for all who believe in His resurrection.

As J.R.R. Tolkien said,

“The Birth of Christ is the eucatastrophe (good catastrophe) of Man’s history. The Resurrection is the eucatastrophe of the story of the Incarnation. This story begins and ends in joy.”

The Joy we celebrate on Christmas is not just a baby born more then 2000 years ago, but about a resurrected and living man, Jesus Christ! It is this living Savior who invites you into a relationship with Him. Knowing Jesus bring the greatest joy.

"You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at your right hand are pleasures forevermore" (Psalm 16:11).

 

So this Christmas season, don’t allow yourself to be discouraged, but hope in the joy of Christ. In Christ, your suffering is not wasted, but will one day come to a joyful end and He will redeem your pain. Jesus says, “So also you have sorrow now, but I will see you again, and your hearts will rejoice, and no one will take your joy from you” (John 16:22). One day sorrow will be done away with, sickness and dieses will be gone forever, tears will be wiped away and our joy will never end in the presence of Jesus.

A Peaceful Melody

I like music. I believe most people like some kind of music. I’ve always had an appreciation for violin music. I love the way it sounds and how it can carry such a wide array of emotions. What I can’t do is play a violin. Actually I can’t really play any instrument, but I can press play on any device and listen to really good music.

If you want an example of what it sounds like when I pick up a violin just watch this video below.

Almost anyone who first picks up an instrument will make awful sounds that can drive you insane. It’s part of the learning cure. Some will just give up before they gain any success. Some will eventually overcome and begin to arrange the screeches and noises into some form of music. Others will work hard and master the instrument.

The difference between a screeching noise that only a very patient mother could pretend to love and the captivating beauty of pitch perfect melodies is huge. Nobody would buy a cd of screeching noise, but cathedrals would fill to hear a master musician.

Why? When someone has learned the technique to harmonize bow and strings into a beautiful melody it inspires the heart and pleases the ears.

Our lives are not so different. We all come into this world out of tune, broken and making a mess of our lives. Some give up. Some work real hard and arrange their lives in some form of rhythm, but never can meet the potential they were made for. But no one can make their lives harmonize into a masterpiece on their own.

Ever since the Fall from Eden, the brokenness that sin has brought keeps us from playing the beautiful melody we were designed for. Our desperate attempts to disguise or mask the screeching noises out of lives will only leave us empty again.

Yet a long comes a promise:

“For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Isaiah 9:6

One would will come who will make things right. A Messiah, the anointed one of God will come to bring peace to all. This promise was fulfilled in the 1^st Coming of Jesus Christ, the Prince of Peace.

But what is peace? Some think it is a ceasing of war. Some think it is having a time to relax quietly after a busy day. Others find it when the baby finally falls asleep. Yet our understanding of peace often falls way short of the Biblical understanding of “Shalom,” the peace of God.

Shalom is the harmonizing of everything in our lives for the glory of God. Shalom peace is like a master violinist picking up a bow and playing a perfect song, where all the strings, all the notes and all the rhythms come together beautifully.

When we receive Jesus, the Prince of Peace, He begins a work in our lives to bring harmony to our physical, emotional, social and spiritual lives. These four strings have been given to us to make music on, but too many have grown accustom to screeching noise. As believers we often settle for mediocrity and do not strive for a beautiful symphony. We lose sight of the peace that God has promised and settle for what the world has to offer.

Let’s remember what the peace of God was given for:

Jesus is our peace who reconciles us to God and gives us access to the Father (Philippians 4:4-7). The Peace of God is to guard our heart from the lies and deceptions of this world (Colossians 3:12-17). The God of peace is the one who sanctifies us completely and keeps us blameless in His sight (1 Thessalonians 5:14-24). And the Peace of Go is to rule in our hearts and bind everything in perfect harmony (Ephesians 2:13-18).

In Christ we have everything we need for life and godliness. The Shalom of Christ should bring harmony to our relationships, our jobs, our families, and our lives. If we find ourselves out of sorts, unsettled and crazy, rely on the Prince of peace. What do you have to surrender today to allow the peace of God to rule in your heart?

There is a poem that I love that I believe captures this idea of peace in our lives. We forget the value and importance of our lives, but when Jesus does His work in our lives we become the masterpiece He intended (Ephesians 2:10).

The Touch of the Masters Hand

Twas battered and scarred, and the auctioneer
thought it scarcely worth his while to waste much time on the old violin,
but held it up with a smile; "What am I bidden, good folks," he cried,
"Who'll start the bidding for me?" "A dollar, a dollar"; then two!" "Only
two? Two dollars, and who'll make it three? Three dollars, once; three
dollars twice; going for three.." But no, from the room, far back, a
gray-haired man came forward and picked up the bow; Then, wiping the dust
from the old violin, and tightening the loose strings, he played a melody
pure and sweet as caroling angel sings.

The music ceased, and the auctioneer, with a voice that was quiet and low,
said; "What am I bid for the old violin?" And he held it up with the bow.
A thousand dollars, and who'll make it two? Two thousand! And who'll make
it three? Three thousand, once, three thousand, twice, and going and
gone," said he. The people cheered, but some of them cried, "We do not
quite understnad what changed its worth." Swift came the reply: "The touch
of a master's hand."

And many a man with life out of tune, and battered and scarred with sin,
Is auctioned cheap to the thoughtless crowd, much like the old violin, A
"mess of pottage," a glass of wine; a game - and he travels on. "He is
going" once, and "going twice, He's going and almost gone." But the Master
comes, and the foolish crowd never can quite understand the worth of a soul
and the change that's wrought by the touch of the Master's hand.

Myra 'Brooks' Welch

Unexpected Plans

“Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.” Isaiah 7:14

Read Luke 1:26-38

What are your expectations for your life? Where do you see yourself in 10 years? Don’t you love these kind of questions? I had to write a paper my senior year of High School on “Where I am going to be in 10 years.” I don’t know about you, but as a High Schooler I put a lot of thought in my future. Would you like to hear the highlights? Ok, but only if you promise not to laugh.

·      Marry my High School crush…name to be left unmentioned J

·      Enlist in the Marine Corp and pursue Engineering, Construction and Demolition.

·      After serving 4 years, finish college with a Civil Engineering degree

·      Start my own company

·      Somewhere in those years have 3 kids

My actual paper was pretty specific. Ironically, the unnamed girl did have 3 children within 10 years, but she married my friend instead of me. What I can tell you is that I believed my course was set, I had full expectation and anticipation to walk this course. Those of you who know me, realize that this is far from what my life has turned out to be, but I wouldn’t change a thing!

God’s ways are not my ways nor are His thoughts my thoughts (Isaiah 55:8-9). The Proverbs say it this way, “The heart of man plans his way, but the Lord establishes his steps” (Proverbs 16:9). It’s good to dream, to plan and to expect, but ultimately our life should be lived for God’s plan above our own. In my life, God’s plan has blessed me more than I could’ve ever imagined.

Unexpected Visitor

So my plans turned out far different then I could have imagined, but what about Mary? Imagine what it must have been like for her being in her mid teenage years and planning for a wedding. All her life she had been planning, preparing and anticipating finding the right boy and marrying him. Yet one fateful night her life and our world changed.

Something unpredictable, and unimaginable took place as the angel Gabriel appeared to her. “You are going to have a baby!” he declares. Whoa didn’t see that one coming! “The baby you are going to have is the Son of God and you will call Him Jesus.”

She was confused, frightened, and uncertain. How can this be? She was still a virgin and she was going to have a baby? “The Holy Spirit will work a miracle in you!” And Mary accepted the call to be the mother of the Messiah.

Expectations Change

Normal life was cast aside. Her engagement almost ended. Her future security was uncertain. Yet she was carrying the very Son of God who would take away the sins of the world.

You could imagine how her friends and family might have responded to her assertion that God miraculously impregnated her and she was till a virgin. In her culture, in that day and age, she would have gone through much persecution and shunning. Yet she was faithful to follow after God’s plan for her.

Though she could never have imagined this course, God worked a miracle in her life that has forever affected all of humanity. No embarrassment, no shunning, no risk was too great for her and the hope of holding that baby boy soon to come. That first Christmas when all the world around was going crazy and oblivious to what was happening in the little stable in Bethlehem, Mary and Joseph had front row seats to the King of kings entering this world.

The privilege and honor to raise the Son of God through his earthly life was above and beyond anything she could have anticipated. The joy of knowing the Son of God so intimately superseded any of her former plans before that encounter with Gabriel.

The Hope We Have

You may have hopes, anticipations and expectations for your life. There is nothing inherently wrong about that. Maybe God will allow you to follow the course you have considered, but maybe He will work something completely different.

The hope we have in Jesus Christ is far greater then anything we can imagine. In Christ we have the forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with the Father. In Christ we have the gift of the Holy Spirit and the power to overcome. In Christ we have the hope of living a full and abundant life.

So when God begins to do a work in your life plan that is different then what you expected, don’t fear it, embrace it. Look to see that even though it might be tough at times, God is working something in you for His glory and your good!

Expressions of Thanksgiving

We are only a week away from celebrating Thanksgiving Day! I love this time of year as the holiday season gears up. A day set aside as a nation to honor God for His many blessings. Yet sadly the commercialization of the holidays distract us from the true meaning of the holiday. The shopping malls used to give us some time for family, but now the stores are opening even on Thanksgiving day for pre-black Friday deals.

Let us not lose what Thanksgiving was intended for. Remember the good that God has done and celebrate our Creator. List the blessings, the acts of kindness and the gifts that God has given you throughout your life. Reflect on how God has moved and provided for you. Tell others of what He has done. Maybe for one day, when you kneel to pray, don’t ask God for anything just thank Him.

In youth group and church, we express our thanksgiving to God in a number of ways, but one primary through worship. Worship means to ascribe worth or value to someone or something. When we sing praise and worship songs, we should be singing prayers of worth and praise to God. It is our time to lift our voices together to the God who created us and sent His Son to redeem us. 

Have you ever received a gift from someone that you were super excited about? How did you respond to that person who gave you that gift? How did you talk about that gift to others? How long did you share the experience with others?

When we receive something we are really excited about we talk about it. We verbally thank the person who gave it to us. We talk highly of that person as often as we can. And how long we continue to speak of it demonstrates just how deeply we were affected by the gift.

King David resonated with this in his song of repentance in Psalm 51. He cried out to God to forgive his sin and restore the joy of salvation to him. Then he follows the request with “Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you…O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.”

If you are a Christian reading this, you have eternity to be thankful for. Jesus has rescued you from the kingdom of darkness and placed you in the His Kingdom of Light. You no longer stand condemned, but forgiven. How can you not speak of His glorious Name? How can you remain silent? Rejoice and express your thanksgiving to God!

Enemies of Gratitude

Do you have a hard time being thankful? I do. It is one of those commands that Jesus gave His followers that seems so easy, but can be very difficult. I can pause and think of many things I am thankful for, but the attitude of gratitude that should be a staple of being a Christian is hard.

In evaluating my own life according to the Scriptures it becomes clear that I have allowed enemies of gratitude to slip into my life. Yes there are enemies that do not want you to be thankful to God in all circumstances. These enemies are idols in our lives.

When we think of idols we often think back to Sunday School flannel graphs of some stone man-fish character, or the golden calf of the wandering Israelites. You may even be thinking of the statues of Budha or Krishna. I often think of Kali from the Indian Jones and the Temple of Doom movie. Our immediate instinct is to say, “Nope I don’t have one of those in my life.” But wait, is idol worship limited to a stone statue?

God clearly commands us to have “no other gods before Him” and “not to make any graven images” (see Exodus 20). So we think as long as I don’t have little idol statues lying around I am doing pretty good.

However we are worshiping idols in a different manner. Tim Keller defines an idol as “making a good thing an ultimate thing.” Yes some of the good things in our lives have become idols. When we value anything above God then we have created an idol. Any idol in our life is an enemy of gratefulness.

Your comfort, your security, your money, your job, your friends, your relationships, your grades, your hobbies, etc. could be an idol in your life. When you feel entitled to something, you lose your thankfulness. When something you are holding too firmly to becomes threatened, you lose your thankfulness.

We need to have hearts like Gideon who tore down the idols of his people (Judges 6). Anything that comes between you and Jesus needs to be destroyed and put in it’s proper place. When you tear down your idols and you fix your eyes on Jesus your heart will be overwhelmed with thanksgiving!

Are you thankful? What idols in your life are preventing you from having an attitude of gratitude?

Develop and Attitude of Gratitude

Read: 1 Thessalonians 5:14-18; Psalm 7:17; Hebrews 12:28

Do you consider yourself a happy or unhappy person? We all want to be happy. Isn’t that the American way, “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness?” But what really is happiness? What makes you happy?

Interesting enough, in people’s pursuit of happiness they end up unhappy. I just read an article about “22 Habits of Unhappy People” which listed complaining, worrying, grudges, and negative thinking along with some other habits. Compared to another article called “21 Habits of Happy People” that recorded appreciate life, forgive, gratitude, and optimism in it’s list. It makes sense that the opposite habits of unhappy people would lead to happiness.

One thing that stands out to me is the attitude of gratitude. Unhappy people are unthankful, complainers, who allow negative thoughts to rule their focus on life. Happy people are grateful for life and thankful people.

As it is now November and in just a few short weeks we will be celebrating Thanksgiving, I want to focus on the happy people’s habit of thankfulness. When Jesus Christ came he told us that we have an enemy who is seeking to destroy life, but He came to give us abundant life (John 10:10). One could say that he came to give us a happy life. Not a fleeting emotional reaction to a surprise or victory, but a deep sense of perspective on life.

The Good News of Jesus Christ is the ground for our happiness and our gratitude. As followers in Jesus Christ we should be the most grateful and happy people on the planet. As new creations (1 Corinthians 5:17) we should becoming creatures of gratitude. Thanksgiving should flow from our lips continually as we reflect on our God.

How do we develop a thankful heart? Remember who you are, where you came from and what God was willing to do for you. We need to gain perspective on our life. If you are a believer in Jesus Christ, then you have all you need to live a happy grateful life everyday, no matter the circumstances.

The Gospel is the key to thankfulness. Remember you were, or are, dead in your trespasses and sins. Unable to do anything to earn God’s favor and destined to a real place called hell.  There is no good thing we can do to earn God’s favor, there is no ritual that will make us pure, there is nowhere we can go to escape our condition. Yet God, in His great love for us, sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to live a perfect life as a human. Jesus lived in complete fulfillment of the Law of God, which we could not do, and He was willing to be a sacrifice for our sins. He went to the cross and shed His blood for you and me, was buried and three days later He rose again from the dead! In conquering death He has offered a free gift of salvation, forgiveness of sins and a relationship with God, to all those who trust in Him alone. He gave us the promised Holy Spirit to be with us and help us in life. With this promise is that all things are working together for our good.

As we focus on the Gospel, we should realize that we are undeserving people who have received the greatest gift we could ever imagine. How could we not be thankful? Everyday, every situation and every circumstance we are in is an opportunity to see how God is working the Gospel out in our lives. We should be thankful for His kindness and His goodness.

Check your attitude each day. Are you being thankful? Make a list of how God has displayed His kindness and goodness to you specifically. Praise the Lord for these things regularly. Keep God as your focus today and watch how your attitude changes. The commands God has given us are for our good and it doesn’t surprise me that many of the habits of the happy people are consistent with them. In reality, if you want to be happy and thankful, fix your eyes on Jesus!

More then a ghost story

Read Deuteronomy 18:9-12; 1 Samuel 28; Ephesians 6:10-20; 1 Peter 5:8

It’s Halloween Week! Once again our materialistic culture has capitalized greatly on this holiday stripping the roots of the day from the festivities. Sure there are symbols and pictures of what founded this holiday, yet most have no real understanding of it’s beginnings. Most people you encounter, and maybe even yourself, consider Halloween a harmless and fun holiday. And much of our modern practices are.

However there are deeper things to consider. And since many of you are already in the mood for a good ghost story, I’d like to consider one from the Bible. Although I do not believe in ghosts as in what the TV shows, movies and folklore portray, there is a spiritual realities that are active all around us. It may surprise you to know that the Bible has many such stories that pull back the veil on the spiritual realm and let us catch a glimpse of what is happening.

Endor without the Ewoks

Growing up I used to watch the movie “The Battle for Endor” and it had to do with the fuzzy stuffed animal looking Ewoks from “Return of the Jedi.” As a child, I was more familiar with the planet Endor then I was from the witch of Endor. No, this witch had not developed inter planetary travel in Old Testament times either, sorry for my Sci-Fi humor.

The setting of this ghost story begins in Israel at the end of king Saul’s reign. Saul was the people’s choice for king, yet demonstrated insecurities and fears all through out his reign. Saul would seek to obey God, but never followed through completely. He had often times taken things into his own hands and did things his own way, directly disobeying God. One such matter was how he had ordered to have the witches, mediums and sorcerers killed in compliance with God’s commands. Yet he never completed the task. His disobedience led to the prophecy that his kingdom would be removed from him and given to another.

King Saul was facing what was to be his final battle. He was scared. His friend, the prophet Samuel, had already died and was not there to give counsel. He sought the voice of God in the proper manner, but God was silent. Fearful Saul sought the witch of Endor to speak to Samuel’s ghost.

Now she was a medium, one who conjures up the dead…or what appears to be the dead. Good Biblical theology would understand what a medium is as one who speaks to demons pretending to be the dead person. Demons are created spiritual beings, or fallen angels. They are powerful and know a lot about humanity. Sorcerers, witches and mediums would have a familiar spirit, a demon, that they would draw power from or speak to.

When Samuel’s ghost appears, we see something peculiar when the witch is frightened!  This is what she does, but she is the one who is scared. Why? I think she saw a ghost! Literally! I think it is because she was used to a demonic presence acting like the dead, but this time God allowed Samuel’s ghost to appear and it freaked her out!

Samuel’s message to Saul was not good. Saul continued in his rebellion only to hear that God’s mind has been made up and he would lose his kingdom, his life and the lives of his sons.

From Endor to Akron

Stories like this in the Bible help us see that there is a spiritual reality that we often times overlook. We might think of witches and mediums as people from the fantasy stories, or some obscure cave in Old Testament Israel. Yet it is as real today as it was for king Saul. Today we call these activities the Occult and it involves astrology, witchcraft, mediums, séances, Ouija boards, horoscopes, palm-reading, psychic hotlines, etc.

Many of these things are made light of in movies and costumes. Yet they have influence and power over people because they are demonic. God forbids us to have anything to do with these things, but instead to be filled with the Holy Spirit of God.

We are in a battle every day and we often don’t think about it. It’s a spiritual battle, but a very real battle indeed. Like Saul, we are tempted to rebel and to turn to our own devices, which will lead us down a similar road as him. The apostle Paul tells us that God has given us spiritual armor to help us fight this battle. Peter tells us to be watchful because our enemy is seeking to destroy us.

Jesus came to destroy the work of the devil, why would we want anything to do with it? Instead of focusing on death and evil this Halloween, why not look to Jesus? Marvel at what He has accomplished and how He has overcome death and the devil! I recommend this article “When Jesus Haunts Your Halloween” to help reflect on Jesus this week.

Snapshots of Life

Did you ever have a moment, an event, happen in your life where “your life flashed before your eyes?” We read it in books or see it on TV, but it becomes something completely different when it happens to you. I can actually think of a couple of events in my life where snapshots of my life came flashing through my mind. One occasion was when I realized I was about to be in a car accident. It was as if time slowed down and the possibility of death was right before me.

Sometimes moments like that can transform a person’s life. They realize that they have not lived for much, or that they lived foolishly. Often they cry out to God, “if you let me live through this I will change.” Yet some never do. What do those snapshots tell you about yourself? How do they tell the story of your life?

We each only have one life to live. We are given so many days here on earth and then we will stand before our Creator. The Apostle Paul knew this to be true. His life was forever transformed on the road to Damascus when he first met Jesus Christ. That moment when he truly realized he was a sinner and lived for the wrong reasons, when Christ asked him “Saul, Saul why are you persecuting me?” With these words Saul, who later became Paul, eyes where opened spiritually to his desperate need for a Savior.

After seeing someone respond to a salvation message, did you ever wonder how sincere their conversion was? We can all be skeptics and cynics at times. Did they really believer or not? Paul’s life became a testimony to his sincerity of belief. From that moment on, Paul dedicated his life to becoming more like Christ and furthering the Gospel. His zealous walk with Christ led him to write two thirds of the New Testament, impacting generations for the glorious Gospel. Even to his death, Paul would not back down or deny his Savior.

How sincere is your faith in Jesus Christ? If you look at the snapshots of your life, do you see a clear time you were confronted with the truth that you too are a sinner in desperate need of a Savior? Sin is pervasive and enslaving. There is nothing you or I can do to overcome our own sinfulness. Do you have a snapshot that recounts the time you were rescued by Jesus from the condemnation of sin? It’s a moment when you begin to see Jesus for who He is, the Son of God and Savior of the world. It’s a moment that redefines your entire life.  Has the course of your life been forever changed, your decisions, your passions, your goals for the cause of Jesus Christ? Belief in Jesus is not just some simple prayer, but a surrendering of your entire life to the Lord Jesus.

Paul’s life took a dramatic course correction that was full of joys and trials and led to his martyrdom. Why do we think God is calling us to something different? Sure, Paul lived in a different time and faced a different type of persecution and was specially called to write part of the New Testament. However, we are called to follow Jesus as Paul followed Jesus. We are called to sacrifice the comforts of this life for the hope and joy of the next life. We are told to surrender every area of our life to Jesus and watch as He creates something completely new in us.

That’s what Paul meant when he penned the words, “for I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by the faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20). His entire life was found in the person of Jesus Christ and today we can read his words boasting in the Lord Jesus.

What do the snapshots of your life tell? What words describe your life and your passion? Paul’s writings resulted in books being added to the Bible and pointing generations to Jesus. What does your life and words point to? You may think you are not writing books or letters, but I’d bet you have written more then you realize. What does your Facebook posts reveal about you and your heart? How have your Tweets pointed someone to Jesus? How does your Instagram speak of what is most important to you? If I were to scan through the history of your posts, would I see Jesus as your God or something else? Does the peace of the Lord rule your life or is anger, bitterness, fear, depression, relationships, popularity ruling in His place?

At the end of your life, if someone compiled all your writings, would they see that you were a sold out, passionate follower of Jesus that could say “I too have been crucified with Christ and the life I live is only by my faith is Jesus Christ.” Even as I write these words, I am convicted of how I still so desperately need my Savior Jesus Christ and the continual refinement of His Holy Spirit. By His grace alone can we live a life that points others to Jesus Christ.

Keeping the Faith

Read 2 Timothy

Do you ever stop to marvel at how your perception changes as you grow older? Like when I was a kid mom would say we are leaving in 15 minutes and I thought it was going to take forever. Or as a child going some where with mom and dad five miles away seemed like a hundreds of miles. Now 15 minutes flies by too fast and everything I do seems like it is spaced out 5 miles away.

One perception that changes the older I get is the reality of the fragility of life. I used to think I was invincible and would live forever. I had to laugh at myself once when I took the youth group to Hinkley ledges, a wonderful park in Hinkley, Ohio. I used to be the one who would run up to the edge of the cliff, jump the spaces and be daring. This particular hike I kept cautioning the teens to “stay back,” “be careful” and “don’t do anything stupid.”

Upon hearing myself say these things, the thought popped into my head, “when did I start sounding like my father?” With age comes wisdom and sensitivity to the reality of life. We start to recognize that our time on earth is limited and short. Hours, days and years start going by faster and faster.

What if you were to find out that within a very short time your life was going to come to an end. Maybe within days or a few weeks, but it was a sure thing. What would you want to do? What would change? What if all you had was a pencil and some paper to write your last words, who would you write to and what would you say?

The Apostle Paul found himself in this very real situation. He was imprisoned in the Mamertine Prison in Rome with a pending death sentence. He knew that within a few short days his life was going to be taken from him. Instead of throwing a pity party for himself, he took pen to paper and wrote one final letter to his son in the faith, Timothy.

The book of 2 Timothy is a special book as it is written with the urgency of a man who has little time left. “Don’t waste your life Timothy” is the essence of Paul’s charge in this book. He writes with such passion and clarity that it speaks to us today, thousands of years later.

Paul’s last words where written from the foundation of the Gospel and build toward a fulfilled life of faith. Paul is not complaining or whining, but challenging and clear. He sees his own life as one that has been lived well for the cause of Christ and says he is ready to “poured out like a drink offering to God.”

Here, this man of God, does not give up but encourages one whom he loves to follow in his footsteps, even if means facing the same end as he does. How is your faith? Would you hold to your beliefs if it meant imprisonment and a beheading? If someone you know and love was facing the death penalty for their faith and told you to do what they did, would you?

There is nothing easy about what Paul says to Timothy and there is no promise of a easy Christian life. Paul doesn’t tell Timothy to just make sure he has all the proper doctrines in place, sit on the right counsels and earn the right degrees. He speaks to him as one who will have to live each day with intentionality. To work hard, focus and live out his faith in face of adversity.

The Christian life is one of patient and deliberate faithfulness each and everyday. It is remembering the cause of Jesus Christ and focusing on His promises. It is about rescuing souls from the fiery pit of hell and celebrating in the grace and mercy of God. It’s about fixing our eyes on the goal, Jesus Christ, and running hard to the finish line.

If I were to write a letter before I die, I’d imagine I would like to share some heartfelt memories with my family, tell my friends what they meant to me, say I love you to those who are close. I’d want to share some thoughts with my youth group and church about the joys of serving them. I would hope that facing that day would help me focus all the more on my Savior and that my letter would have the same urgency and intentionality of Paul’s letter to Timothy.

What adds to Paul’s written letter, something that really makes the words alive, is that Paul lived it out. His letter wasn’t empty prose or flattery. They were tried and proven through an obedient life that was willing to be sacrificed for the cause of which they speak. That’s what I want in that day. I want a life that didn’t just start right and have it’s moments, but that it is a life that is faithful to the very end.

The Road Less Traveled

At first look you may think I am referring to one of my favorite Robert Frost poems…”two roads diverged in a yellow wood and I, I chose the one less traveled by and that has made all of the difference.” At least that is how I remember it; I apologize if I messed it up but I typed from memory and am currently too lazy to Google the exact phrase. I love that poem because it is a great poem and because I won a “Robert Frost Sound alike” contest in 10^th grade English class and received a frosty from Wendy’s thanks to Mrs. King!

The Road less traveled I am referring to is the Narrow Road that Jesus speaks of in Matthew 7:13-14, the narrow road that leads to life. I love the illustration of a road, the way that leads to life. One of the many qualities I inherited from my father is a sense of direction. I find reading maps comes easy, of course nobody does that anymore because of the GPS apps on our smartphones.

A few years ago I had a great opportunity to visit the Holy Land and explore Jerusalem. We did not go with an organized tour and I loved the opportunity to figure out the best ways to get across the city and countryside. There was even a cab ride that my traveling companions laughed about how I, a first time visitor, was giving directions to the cab driver. Maps, roads and directions have always seemed to make sense to me.

The amazing thing about the Word of God is that it is the Divine GPS, the guidebook to abundant life. The Apostle Paul was directed by God to leave some significant signposts in the letter to the Romans that have now been called the Romans Road to salvation. These five verses are like road signs telling you how to arrive at a relationship with Jesus Christ.

The Plan

Every journey should begin with counting the cost. You need to know what to pack, how much gas, rental, hotels and food it is going to cost. Many times I have an idea of trip but upon counting the cost, I realize the bad news is I cannot afford this trip.

The Narrow Road begins with a cost, or better stated, a severe debt. All of us are sinners and cannot measure up to God (Romans 3:23). We are bankrupt and have no means to begin the journey. There is no gas in the tank, no money in the bank and no food in the cooler. We are stuck in our sin. Few will find the narrow road, because they are unwilling to face the harsh truth at the front of the path, but the narrow road leads to joy if you will just stick with it.

The next signpost only makes our desperate situation seem even worse. The paycheck we receive for our sins is separation from God (Romans 6:23a). Both physical and spiritual death is the point. We all are stuck in a place far away from God and we have no means to escape it on our own.

Yet a turn in the road brings a bright and glorious ray of sunlight to the path. Our Creator wanted to show us how much He loved us that, even while we were stuck in our sin and rebellion against Him, Jesus died for us (Romans 5:8). Jesus came to this earth and lived a sinless life, in complete fulfillment to God’s holy measure. He became the sacrifice for our sins. He was willing to make the payment and secure a way for us to travel the narrow road to life. And He offers the trip to eternal life as a free gift (Romans 6:23b).

What makes a gift a gift? Do you have to earn a gift? No that would be a reward or payment. A gift is free, there is nothing you can do to earn it.

Paul tells us the way to receive this awesome gift of life is by calling out to God (Romans 10:13). We talk to God and tell Him that we acknowledge our desperate sinful state and need of a Savior. The promise of redemption is tied to the heartfelt cry of “Jesus I need you!”

The final stretch of the path is two pronged. You must confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord; that He is who He has said He is. And you must believe with your whole person that God raised Jesus from the dead (Romans 10:9). Upon arriving at this point the promise of salvation is secured. God’s Word says “you will be saved!” It is a glorious statement. When you find yourself at the end of your own means, that you are in utter need of a Savior and you are willing to surrender it all to the one who showed you His love by dying for you, you will have life. Life with Jesus starts now and lasts forever!

The Mystery of the Way

Sometimes we can get so familiar with church language and Bible verses that we forget how powerful God’s Word really is. The Word of God brings life, it awakens dead hearts, opens the eyes of the blind and ears of the deaf. The Word of God is alive and powerful. When we speak it we can have confidence that God’s Word will accomplish what it has been sent out to do.

As a 19 year old I went on a missions trip to Trinidad. Trinidad is a former English colony and therefore they spoke English, which was very helpful. Hinduism was a major religion there. I had an opportunity to share Jesus with an 83 year old Hindu woman. Let me be honest, as a pastor for the last 11 years and now in my mid 30s I still would be intimated as to what to say to a woman who has been a Hindu her whole life.

I did not know much about Hinduism and I didn’t have a polish argument or even a smooth way of sharing the Gospel. What I had was directions, signposts through the book of Romans to share with her. I simply opened my Bible to Romans 3:23 and asked her to read it and tell me what she thought it meant. I asked clarifying questions like “what is sin?” “Who has sinned?” “What does it mean to fall short of God’s glory?” And then I moved to the next verse, and then the next.

At the end of the signposts I simply asked her, “Is this something you want to do?” She replied, “yes it is!” I was stunned! “Are you sure,” I asked. “I am,” she said. With tears in her eyes and joy in her heart she trusted Christ that day. All praise and glory goes to God.

The joy of this story is that there was nothing about the deliverer of the Good News, not the style, not the persuasiveness that stands out. The Word of God did a work. She read it, understood it and received it. For “it is the power of God to everyone who believes” (Romans 1:16).

Share the signposts and help others find the Road less traveled, the narrow road that leads to life.