“Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it.” Matthew 7:13

As you go through the world, you’ll notice that people are sort of going with the flow. Everyone has their own goals and agendas of course; but there seems to be an agreed upon reality that all people are living in, in which it is blatantly foreign to speak of Jesus Christ or his death and resurrection. 

People will talk about almost anything throughout the course of the day, but if you run across a person who wants to talk about Jesus, your brain usually goes into awkward mode. You have to fake a smile and laugh it off, or talk about where you went to church, or what religion your family traditionally claims, or in some way mitigate the pain of hearing about a topic that should be on everyone’s lips. Not just religion, but Jesus Christ himself.

Isn’t the death and resurrection of Christ the only way a person can know God and find everlasting peace? Don’t we know that there is a Heaven and a hell, and if we accept and rejoice in Christ, we will spend forever in Heaven. Don’t we remember that if we are ashamed of Jesus and his words, he will be ashamed of us, and we will spend eternity in hell? 

If all these things are true, why is it so awkward or painful when the topic of Jesus is brought up? Why is the first instinct to ostracize the Christian or make a joke when they attempt to reach out? Why does the very discussion of a real Savior feel so foreign and rare? It’s because we live in a fallen world that has systematically rejected Jesus.

 The general population of the world is not walking with God daily, and they’ve set up their own routines that allow them to work, eat, sleep, repeat, without ever being disturbed by the truth. It’s like when someone doesn’t want to wake up because the dream they are having is more engrossing then their real day will be. People, without knowing it, are casually walking the wide path, through the wide gate, taking the path of least resistance right into eternal damnation. It sounds harsh, but against what God offers (love and forgiveness), there is no way to sugarcoat the rejection we offer him.

After Jesus tells us how wide the path to destruction is, he says this: “For the gate is narrow and the way is constricted that leads to life, and there are few who find it.” (Matthew 7:14)

Why is the gate that leads to life so narrow, and the path so constricted? Because people will reject peace with Christ simply on the basis of what he might ask them to do! Or they reject the way because they don’t want to give up the habitual sins that comfort them. In a cold world, they’ve left the campfire that God provides, and have found a way to kindle their own fires to warm them, and they’re “just happy enough” with that, no matter how poorly the fire burns. 

C.S. Lewis describes living in sin like this: “We are half hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered to us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

The good news is that God offers not only salvation from our sins and escape from hell; he offers joy. He says that if he gave up his one and only son for us, how much more will he give us all other things? His love is a cosmic force that blasts away any and all forces that would try to drag us to hell or injure our souls.

Imagine having the God of the Universe to be your Father.

If you fear what God may ask you to do, remember that Jesus said “my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:30) God will not ask you to do anything he won’t give you the ability to endure. You will find as you do for God, he constantly gives you strength. If you fear giving up the paltry sins you now comfort yourself with, learn to believe with the Psalmist, “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy; at you right hand are pleasures forevermore.” (Psalm 16:11)  

God’s very presence will comfort and rejoice your heart. The path to life is narrow because it requires tough choices and the giving up of self. But upon so doing, Christ’s yoke becomes easy and his burden light, because the Father’s presence gives us joy in the hard choices, and peace through the storm. 

The Fruit of the Spirit: I’ve Accepted Christ; What Now?

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”  Galatians 5:22-23

So it’s just after Easter, you’ve streamed a service online due to social distancing, and for some of you a digital altar call was given. Meaning, you were invited to pray the prayer of salvation and accept Christ for the first time. For what I’m assuming is the majority of you though, you’re looking more towards rededicating your life to Christ, and you’re having trouble displaying the fruit of the Spirit in your day to day life. You fall into long patterns of this or that sin, you’re not sure if the Holy Spirit has left you, and you just can’t seem to get things right. “Do I have the Holy Spirit,” you might be asking yourself.

If you’ve believed sincerely in Jesus, and wish to walk in his ways, but can’t seem to get the fruit of the Spirit to just flow out of you like it seems to do for some, here is a key. In 1 Corinthians 14:32, the Apostle Paul says “the spirits of the prophets are subject to the control of the prophets.” Did you know that the gift of prophecy comes to some people as a spiritual gift? So it is given by the Holy Spirit. Paul asserts that the Spirit, or at least the fruit thereof, is under OUR control. I say this because some people wonder why they don’t display the fruit of the Spirit. Wish as they may, they keep doing fleshly things or responding with fleshly attitudes in situations. What I’m telling you is that if you don’t show fruit, question the control you use and the intentional production of fruit rather than ask if the Holy Spirit is present in your heart.

Think about it, you don’t just tell your employee the conduct you expect at work, what machines to use, what computers to use, without training her how to operate according to company standards. And if you sent her into the work area without first teaching her the basics, she’d feel pretty down about herself for not being an effective worker. So it is with the fruit of the Spirit.

Some people assert that the Holy Spirit is supernatural, so it sort of does the job and brings forth the fruit like magic. Voila! A person gets saved, receives the Spirit and starts producing all this wonderful fruit. SUCH patience, SUCH joy, SUCH kindness that Martha displays. And I’ll admit, some people just naturally gravitate to the Spirit and seem to have no trouble bringing forth all kinds of goodness and gentleness. Those people are the bane of my existence, because when I see them operate in their gifts I feel SO inadequate; left out, even. I just must be rotten inside because rottenness keeps coming out when I get into situations where some good fruit should be expected.

But a person’s natural temperament comes into play in the process. If that person already flourishes in certain settings, the fruit in their life will seem to come with such abundance and ease, and it can be deceiving. Because part of their fruit comes from the setting they choose to operate in. I drive a van for a delivery company, and forgive me for being an introvert, but my natural goodness and patience comes along much easier when I’m behind the wheel, by myself, with a Diet Coke in the cup holder and some good music playing on the radio. And when I deliver to a customer, they’re much more likely to get a smile from me than a frown, because I’m in a great mood!

Speaking on spiritual fruit, if you lack it you can practice it. I’m naturally a sit around and write or read or listen to music kind of guy, so let’s say that I struggle with laziness. (I do.) Laziness usually implies a lack of self control, which is one of the fruits of the Spirit. Let’s say that in my prayer list for that day, I can’t complete my list unless I also sweep and mop the kitchen floor. (Something I don’t usually do.) So I make a point to say l’m mopping this floor for Jesus today. I do it, I check it off my list, and yes, I have joy and peace because I know I’ve done something for God that day. Notice that in attempting to create one type of fruit, I created two extra fruits to go with it. Fruit IS magical, and yet unyieldingly practical in that sense.

Are you doubting your own salvation because you lack spiritual fruit? I’ve been saved 22 years and about 17 of those years were plagued with doubts of whether I was even a part of God’s family. Why? Merely a lack of church attendance and intentionally spawned spiritual fruit. Since I didn’t feel saved, I would go and drink alcohol to numb the pain, or use a drug. My commitment to God was so wishy-washy I couldn’t tell if I was a child of God or of Satan. “But wait,” you say, “ isn’t the Holy Spirit supposed to testify with my own spirit that I am His child? Shouldn’t God, the Spirit be comforting me with the knowledge?” It depends. Are you in broken fellowship with God? Are you carrying around a sin that haunts you and keeps you from praying, because you fear God’s reaction? When we sin, we break communion with God, and it’s a terrible feeling. And since the Holy Spirit is also God, it only makes sense we’d be in broken fellowship with Him, too. If you’re habitually using drugs, it’s hard for any real trustworthy frequency to come through your spiritual antennae, much less the Spirit of God.Whatever the sin, start new today and pray he breaks you of it. If you must, fast from that sin for a matter of weeks, or just days, or just one day, or just two hours. Make sure God knows you’re doing it for him. Eventually you’ll find yourself back in God’s good graces, and taking a few baby steps to produce fruit can give you joy, which will also give you peace. That peace could cause you to go out of your way and do another thing you normally don’t do. Like Paul said, the spirit of the prophet is under subjection...meaning it’s only going to do what you do and follow your lead. The Holy Spirit is not our slave, but a servant and counselor sent by God JUST for you and me. He will use your conscience to guide you, and then YOU commit the righteous act. Practice is hard, but if you’ve ever heard a great electric guitar player making lovely noise over a nice crunchy drum kit, you know practice makes perfect, or perfectly beautiful.

Some people ask, is the Holy Spirit a feeling? No, He is a person who has molded and shaped himself into a comforter and servant, sent by God JUST to assist you, and he is also God. Back in 1998, I received Christ after learning a lot about him from the internet and a hotel bible in Maui, at a five star resort. I was nervous about my plane ride home to Missouri, thinking “what if the plane crashes?” When we got home safely, I forgot all about the silly airplane superstition and Jesus, too. Until I opened a Christian music cassette given by an aunt. The songs weren’t even that terrific, but I was moved by them. Remembering my learning about Jesus in the hotel, I didn’t know a prayer to pray, and I simply said “yes,” out loud. In that instant I felt a wave of love come over me. I’d never felt anything like it and haven’t since. It lasted for hours, and I just laid there playing the Christian cassette and thanking God. When it came to forgiving sin, God had a lot of ground to cover with me. I had a sense of not only how much he was forgiving, but how completely he was forgiving it. On that day, the fruit of the Spirit would have been a breeze. Anywhere I went, I could've displayed love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness...well you get my point. (I was still lazy though.) For some, the Holy Spirit can be a sort of feeling, but not all the time. What I experienced was a feast for the senses unlike anything I’ve ever known, and though I sought to recover it by listening to the Christian tape over and over, it eventually faded. I’ve never had that volume of pure emotion and goodness, as a feeling, since those first few days as a Child of God. In fact, if you feasted on feelings that often and that exorbitantly, you would probably become impossible to deal with. “I’m in my feelings, leave me alone!!”

Just to recap, the Holy Spirit has been sent to be a comforter and counselor for you. The Spirit is the same as God the Father and Jesus the Son. That means the one who knew you inside and out since before you were even stitched together in your mother’s womb, the one who created every part of you and placed you in a unique position in time just to do wonderful things through him; the very God of existence is dwelling on the inside of your heart. Sometimes he will give you feelings, sometimes he won’t. But every little decision you make can be to bless him, in turn creating more fruit, or to grieve and quench him, which in turn keeps him from being your comforter in those extended times of disobedience. The fruit of the Spirit, more often than not, isn’t given...it is practiced.

Where Did All the Good People Go???

“Why do you call me good?” Jesus answered. “There is no one good—except God alone.” (Mark 10:18)


Are there good people in the world? Yes and no. There are great people everywhere. Kind, loyal, steady, reliable, compassionate, trustworthy people. But when it comes to the Spiritual aspect of life, they are only relatively good. The only human who ever walked the earth that was truly, wholly, Spiritually, and morally good was Jesus of Nazareth. We call him Jesus Christ. The word “Christ” in its original language translates to “Anointed One,” or “Messiah.”

The way we can tell if anyone is good, compared to Christ, is a simple test. The Bible is filled in the Old Testament with many laws, but you can use a short list: the Ten Commandments. When you think of the best person you know, ask if they have ever stolen. Have they ever taken God’s name in vain? Have they ever committed adultery? (And that one can be expanded on...Matthew 5:28 says that if they’ve ever looked at someone and fantasized about sex with them, they’ve committed adultery in their heart!) Have they ever looked upon or obsessed over someone else’s property and wished it was theirs? You don’t have to get too deep into just the Ten, before you find the flaw in a person. But the Bible teaches that Jesus fulfilled every bit of the Old Testament Law, in spirit and in practicality. He even allowed a man to baptize him, before baptism was a requirement for entry into the Church!

When Jesus answered in today’s scripture, “Why do you call me good? There is no one good—except God alone,” he wasn’t denying his own goodness. I suspect the person addressing him as “good” was throwing the term around lightly. Not only that, hidden in this statement is the fact Jesus knew he was God “in the flesh.” The Son of God, yet the embodiment of God in human form. Isaiah 7:14 says: “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin shall be with child, and his name shall be Immanuel.” Immanuel literally means “God with us.”

So compared  to the divine Jesus, every man falls short of goodness, relatively speaking. It doesn’t mean there aren’t “good” people. The Apostle Paul, who emphatically says salvation is not earned, even said “very rarely will anyone die for a righteous person, though for a good person someone might possibly dare to die.” (Romans 5:7)

As a personal illustration, my Grandmother is an excellent person. In my estimation she is the anchor of the family. She’s 93, she is full of wisdom, she rarely turns away people who bring a need to her, she gave up personal dreams and interests to raise a family and dedicate herself to her family’s business, and she believes in God. Yet she’ll be the first to say she deals with guilt, mistakes, and a healthy fear of the Lord. She will say openly that she could never make it to Heaven without  Jesus. She's one of the best people I know, and she's so aware of falling short she literally fears God.

So in the broad sense of goodness, there are good people. But in the Spiritual sense, there are none. We've all fallen short of faith and obedience to God, and every one of us has taken onto ourselves the full weight of sin and its punishment, which is eternal separation from God--in hell.

The good news? That same Jesus who lived so sinlessly he fulfilled God's law (the Bible says God's very word was made into flesh, so He was the Bible incarnated), was crucified and cursed and shed his blood to pay for our sins! On the third day, he rose from the grave, appearing before many witnesses, to show that God had accepted his sacrifice for us. The Bible teaches that his death was to atone for us, and his resurrection was to justify us. If you step into belief in these two elements of Christianity, and confess it with your mouth,  it doesn't matter how bad or good you are. You will be credited with the goodness of Christ himself, when God opens the ledgers to see the contents of each person's "goodness." You will be pronounced righteous, apart from any good work you could've done. You'd be insane not to make that exchange, yet many people don't. The reward for doing so is eternal life; the punishment for refusing is eternal hell. Won't you trade your "goodness" for his perfect righteousness today? Won't you seal your destiny, and have a place forever with Jesus in Heaven?

Waiting on God #strengthwillrise

"Wait on the Lord: Be of good courage, and He shall strengthen your heart: wait, I say, on the Lord." (Psalm 27:14)

I'm no exegetical scholar (or an English major), but the way the New King James Version words and punctuates this scripture is intriguing to me, and naturally begs to be broken down and studied. As I meditated on it, one of those moments came where God opened up another passage in my mind. More on that in a moment. But for now I'll break down what I know to be true about this and other scriptures on waiting, and tell you what it means and how to do it.

When David says "wait on the Lord" the NKJV follows the statement with a colon; the punctuation indicates that the following statement describes what the first statement includes. Waiting on the Lord doesn't mean to just sit and twiddle thumbs, or pray and hope something happens. I have a good friend who told me he was waiting on God to bring the right church family to him. "The ball's in your court," he said to God. That isn't how you wait on the Lord.

In context, the verse I'm dissecting is speaking of waiting on God in times of conflict, of struggle, when enemies surround, when family leaves you high and dry. I have my own personal struggle going on in which I need God's guidance and strength. I only breakdown this verse because it spoke to me about how to wait on God in the midst of the fight.

Since "wait on the Lord" is followed by a colon, "be of good courage, and he shall strengthen your heart:" is what it means to wait on God. It's not passive, according to scripture. The process is: you take what you know about God's word; you practice it; you obey it; and you do it all while employing good courage. What does "good courage" mean? The NASB translates it: "be strong and let your heart take courage." Other versions mention a stout heart. When soldiers go into war, they say "you do the thing that scares the hell outta you, then you get the courage." Waiting and obeying with good courage means putting away fear and replacing it with prayer and active obedience.

The next step in the waiting game is "he shall strengthen your heart." By obeying and praying and walking through the struggle, even if you have to do it dozens or hundreds of times, you become strong; you become a hulk! It's the process that makes you strong. Which brings me to that other passage of scripture I was going to mention. "Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God's love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us." (Romans 5:3-5) You can see the perseverance: the waiting on God actively, with courage; brings our character more in line with God's will; and when we see the results, we respond with hope in future times. And the one who gives us the power to obediently and actively wait, is the Holy Spirit: who we know lives in our hearts.

After "He shall strengthen your heart" comes another colon. This means the next statement is unpacking what it means when God strengthens your heart. It's another command to wait on God! Meaning, once you become strong from waiting, you'll have the courage to say again, that you will indeed wait on God. And the process repeats itself. Always waiting on the Lord is the theme of a Christian's life. It always produces results, in times of peace or struggle!

Kindness in the Face of Conflict

 

"And be you kind to one another, tender hearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake has forgiven you." (Ephesians 4:32)


Kindness is one of the most valuable, but perhaps, overlooked tools in a Christian's utility belt for dealing with conflict. In family, in church politics, in marriage, even at work, conflict will arise. No matter how well we conduct ourselves, no matter how well we behave with holiness and our faith in mind, no matter how spotless our work ethic or how gracious our treatment of family or spouse, at some point a conflict will come: somebody will have a problem with us. The initial response of a Believer should not be to throw off the gloves and prepare to defend ourselves. The initial response should be to consider how to deal with the conflict in a kind way.

The first issue of being kind is to recognize that most of us are not naturally that way. The human heart, according to scripture, is fallen because of sin. The result is that the heart is "deceitful above all things" (Jeremiah 17:9). We are new creations in Christ, but because of the sinful nature that still fights for dominance (called "the flesh"), we have the propensity to be envious, hateful, discordant, contentious, even in some cases murderous (Galatians 5:19-21). If we aren't continually feeding our Spiritual nature with God's Word and practically obeying it, our natural response to conflict or accusation (and even abuse), is to be defensive and strike back. We want to prove we are in the right, and we want those in conflict with us to acknowledge our rightness.

There is a biblical element to a Christian being shown to be without blame, and therefore putting his detractors to shame. But that is for God to do, and only our fruit in any given situation can allow Him to bring that rightness and shame to the detractor's attention. Putting our detractor to shame is a redemptive work, not with the object of mere shame for our detractors as an end. The shame they are to experience is redemptive, with the goal that they feel the presence of sin in their hearts, and hear  the Holy Spirit exclaiming to them that the sin can be washed and taken under control by the new nature, in Christ.

If we are to respond to conflict with kindness, then knowing our own wretchedness at heart and the forgiveness and cleansing of that wretchedness is of great importance. Had Jesus not given us a new nature, his Holy Spirit, and the instruction of His Word, we would be as angry and contentious as the one in conflict with us, and we would not just be defending ourselves from toxicity or abuse. We would be provoking and abusing and conflicting with others on a regular basis. I've learned this the hard way. But to be kind in conflict requires an acute understanding of our sinfulness, which diminishes through time and Godliness, but continues to rear its ugly head every day of our lives. Every time we sin, as we confess our sins (and even when we refuse to), God is continually overlooking, forgiving, and washing our sins from us. He does so for the sake of his Son, Jesus Christ, who died to put to death the conflict between ourselves and God.

If we are to react to conflict or abuse with kindness, we are to be constantly premeditated in our awareness that God is kind to us when we sin. "Remember, oh Lord, your tender mercies and your loving-kindness; for they have been ever of old. Remember not the sins of my youth, nor my transgressions: according to your mercy remember You me for your goodness' sake, oh Lord." (Psalm 25:6-7) Meditating on our own position of forgiveness for the sake of God's goodness will help us to react kindly in conflict, again, for the sake of His goodness, and to enhance our testimony that he has indeed saved us.

So when we come into conflict (which I find happens most often in marriage, work, and family), and especially when the conflict seems to be of the toxic or abusive kind--rather it seems to come from biased, unfair, or misconstrued perception of our own actions--in kindness, we should decide whether the criticism is warranted. We do this by being "swift to listen, slow to speak, and slow to become angry" (James 1:19). After, we should employ kindness in our response. If the criticism is warranted, we should acknowledge our faults, "with all lowliness and meekness, with long-suffering, forbearing one another in love; endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace" (Ephesians 4:2-3). If the criticism is unwarranted? As I see it, you cannot do anything with unwarranted criticism, as you cannot pretend to apologize, or simply say "I'm sorry you feel that way." My wife has many times reminded me that saying "I'm sorry you feel that way," is not a real apology. But in keeping with kindness, "a soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger" (Proverbs 15:1). Perhaps the kindest thing to do in a situation where conflict arises from false criticism or unfair assumptions about your actions, is to agree to disagree, and lovingly set boundaries between yourself and the person in question.

Kindness doesn't always resolve conflict. And a sort of false kindness in which one always capitulates and admits to wrongdoing not really done, can lead to resentment and bitterness on the part of the one admitting wrong. But keeping an attitude of kindness in response to conflict will most always, at best, diffuse an angry situation, and at worse set a Holy, loving boundary between the conflicting people. Both promote peace and growth in a Believer's life, and both are a God-honoring way to seek resolution.

Championship Mentality

Andy Reid and the KC Chiefs have inspired me and turned on a switch in my brain. I’ve started to develop a Championship Mentality. One that doesn’t get deflated by circumstances, mistakes, deadly distractions, addiction to substances, and pity parties. Gone is gossip, bitterness, laziness, apathy, and fear of structure. I’m welcoming mentoring, authority, discipline, accountability, and goals. Every day I am setting achievable goals, incremental steps toward realizing my Mission Statement: “Become the type of man you would look up to. Behave like a champion.”

God has based a solid foundation in my life, which is Jesus and his cross and resurrection. When I look and see that I’ve never been properly educated or given a strong foundation in my youth, I remember that God has given me a solid foundation to build on. Aside from that, he’s loaded all of us with so much potential and talent, and I’ve failed to fully tap and expose mine to the world. From today I’m sharing my gifts, mercy, love, talent, and time with anyone who might need it. The ultimate prize is waiting for anyone who believes in Jesus Christ. But there are other rewards to be had, which benefit in this life first...then result in the Champions’ Victory party in the end. 

If you enjoyed seeing the confetti fall and the Lombardi trophy being hoisted, reach out and grasp the ultimate prize of a life well lived, for yourself! Kingdom of God or just Chiefs Kingdom, let every day be practice, and let every Sunday be your game day.

if you’re on this journey already, I’d love to hear your story. If I can, let me know how I can help you in writing your story through your life and your faith. I’ve been to the bottom of the world, and I’m aiming to make it to the top. If we trust in each other, surround ourselves with giving people, and ask for help when we need it, we can accomplish the same level of victory our Chiefs have. We may not be able to perform physical feats of amazement, but we can find what we do best and maximize it, and realize our potential. The goal is being reputable, loyal, trustworthy, achieving people, and winning at life. All in the name of God or just for your family and friends. A life well lived is worth the sacrifice and the effort. GO CHIEFS!!!!

John 3:36 He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.

These were words spoken by John the Baptist when he was told that Jesus was baptizing in another place, and that more people were coming to Jesus than to John to be baptized. Remember, John's initial cause for baptizing people was so that they would confess their sins, and be prepared for the Messiah's arrival. His role in history will be remembered forever because he was “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight’” (Matthew 3:3, quoting Isaiah 40:3).

Jesus himself said that "among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist." John had a role that no other person born would ever be able to fulfill, as he ushered in the Kingdom of God and his Christ. So if Jesus's miracles and his own testimony wasn't enough for you to believe, consider the words of John. His role was predicted hundreds of years prior, and even Jesus said he was the greatest among men. And John said that if you believe, you will be saved.

Belief in Jesus is not just a mental assent, or an intellectual agreement that Jesus saves. A childlike faith in the truth of John's words is what makes for saving faith. If you have ever believed with all your heart the words of John, or the words of many other biblical figures, about Jesus, then you are going to Heaven and your many flaws and sins have been washed away...never to be remembered by God. Furthermore, any present and future sins are also washed away: thrown into the sea of God's forgetfulness.

Be of good cheer, especially you who have the worst sins. You have cause to love Jesus even more than those who sin little, and Jesus commended such people with a parable he told at the home of a very religious man. This man was a Pharisee, the strictest of the strict. Pharisees were known for constant prayer, giving very exact and well-planned gifts to God, and for following the bible even down to the uttermost letter. Or so they thought.

Jesus was dining with the Pharisee, and a woman of ill-repute (possibly a prostitute) came in and washed Jesus's feet with her tears. The Pharisee swore that if Jesus was really a prophet, he would know what kind of woman was touching him and he would shove her away. Jesus, being divine, knew what the Pharisee was thinking. And he said this to him: “Do you see this woman? I came into your house. You did not give me any water for my feet, but she wet my feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. You did not give me a kiss, but this woman, from the time I entered, has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not put oil on my head, but she has poured perfume on my feet. Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven—as her great love has shown. But whoever has been forgiven little loves little.”

A man said to me, "I am not religious." Good. This means it will be much easier for you to believe in Jesus and be saved. Religious people trust in their own works and righteousness to save them, and they are not saved because salvation is not to be earned. It's a free gift, given only to those who have childlike faith in the one who saves. So if you have many sins, remember that the Doctor comes to heal those who are sick, not those who are well.

 

If God Be For Us: Fighting the Shame of Past Sins

"What shall we say then to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?" (Romans 8:31)

If you're a believer who suffers from guilt or shame about your past, know that since you accepted Christ and believed in his death and resurrection for your sins, God is now for you. Though your conscience may hound you about a sin long after you've confessed it to God and forsaken it, when the accuser brings that sin before God, God is hearing nothing of it. It doesn't matter how wicked the action or thought was, if it is confessed and forsaken, you've found mercy, and no one in this world can lay that thought or action to your charge.


In Romans, Paul puts it this way: "Who shall lay anything to the charge of God's elect? It is God that justifies." (Romans 8:33) Since the bible says we are saved by grace through faith, it also says that  God is just, AND the justifier of the ungodly. The "ungodly" here is you and me. If God justifies you because of the finished work of the cross, then indeed "if God be for us, who can be against us?"


The bible says that the devil is the accuser of the brethren before God in Heaven. He comes to God and accuses believers of sins. He also comes to our minds and plants seeds of guilt and condemnation. "Did you do that? Who does that? How can you call yourself a Christian? God has rejected you. You've gone too far."


But thank God, Romans 8:34 says this: "Who is he that condemns? It is Christ that died, yes rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also makes intercession for us."


We have to understand that not only did Christ's death and burial erase the penalty of our sins, his rising from the dead did even more for us. Because he lives and has risen into Heaven, he stands before God as our mediator (imagine a lawyer before a judge) and never stops praying for us, that God will forgive us, bless us, cleanse us, make us holy, sanctify us, and finish the good work he began in us. Imagine the devil trying to get God's attention to make an accusation about us while Christ is standing before the throne interceding for us! Which person do you think God will pay attention to? The devil (who is a liar and the father of lies), or Christ the Righteous?


With good reason does the scripture ask "if God be for us, who can be against us?"

"For their hearts were hardend." The Disciples Reaction to a Miracle

"For they considered not the miracle of the loaves: for their hearts were hardened." Mark 6:52

The disciples of Jesus saw two astonishing miracles in one day. First, Jesus was able to feed 5000 people with a mere care package of two fish and five loaves of bread. He miraculously multiplied the food so much, afterward they collected 12 very large baskets of fragments, or leftovers. Second, they saw him walk on water.


Upon seeing this second miracle, the disciples were beside themselves with amazement. But the scripture implies they shouldn't have been. They should've understood from the miracle of the loaves the power of the one they served, but our verse says their hearts were hardened. They didn't even consider, or ponder, the miracle.


Speaking from experience, I know it is possible to see God do a powerful work in your life, but still be hardened in heart enough to be SURPRISED that he can do even greater works than before. What can harden your heart enough to make you forget what you've seen God do? What can make you not consider what he has clearly and miraculously done for you? Routine!


I suspect the disciples by now had gotten used to miracles. In Mark 6:12-13 it says this: "And they went out, and preached that men should repent. And they cast out many devils, and anointed with oil many that were sick, and healed them."


Perhaps they'd become fixated on their own powerful ministry and taken their eyes off Jesus, God in the Flesh. Perhaps the miracles had become business as usual, and they'd already forgotten the slimy nets they sat mending by the Sea of Galilee before Jesus called them. Whatever the case, from the time of the feeding of the loaves to the five thousand, to the moment Jesus walked on water, the disciples were "over" the first miracle. They didn't take time to consider, to ponder its meaning.


The life application for this verse is painfully obvious to me because I've seen God do great things, only to later question or disregard them. I am so concerned with seeking new things from God I don't stop to consider, to ponder, the things he's done. Like the disciples, I need an astonishing wake-up call in the form of a move of God.


But since God in Flesh is no longer here to "wow" us, we must do what the disciples failed to do. We must consider his miracles. Ponder them, meditate on them, exult in them. Only then will we, like the disciples at Jesus's miraculous approach on the water, be "sore amazed in [ourselves] beyond measure..." (Mark 6:51)

What's Your Cover? The covering of our shame for sin.

Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they realized they were naked; so they sewed fig leaves together and made coverings for themselves.

(Genesis 3:7)

You know the story. Adam and Eve lived in the Garden of Eden and walked in perfect peace with God. They had no concept of sin, because sin did not yet exist. They had no knowledge of right and wrong because they were like children before God. They perfectly trusted and walked with Him.

But Satan, in the form of the serpent, tricked them into eating of the one tree God had set off limits: The tree that contained the fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. After eating, their consciences came alive, they realized they'd disobeyed God, and they saw they were naked.

Upon finding they were naked, they sewed together fig leaves for cover and they hid from God among the trees of the garden. Metaphorically, the nakedness they were suddenly so aware of is the knowledge of sin. Likewise, all of us realize our shame is exposed before God and we are naked in our sin. We have no cloak to cover our condition.

So what is your cover? What kind of modern day fig leaves do you sew together to cover your shame and guilt? For some its drugs and alcohol. For others its a career or a pile of cash. For many its a lack of silence, a house full of loud music or blaring TVs. Anything to cover the fact that we know we are guilty.

I'm telling you that you no longer have to sew fig leaves together to cover your shame. Jesus Christ, who died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sins, also rose from the grave to prove his message was true. You can be covered from your nakedness by the blood of Christ, shed on the cross. The blood alone is what saves us from our guilt, the consequences of our sin, and eternal separation from God.

When it comes to our nakedness, Christ offers us freedom from a shameful and guilty conscience.  Isaiah 1:18 says this: "'Come now, let us settle the matter,' says the Lord. 'Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.'"

For those of you who have been using skimpy methods to cover your guilty conscience, today is the day you can fall into the loving hands of God and be freed from your sin and shame. Romans 3:23 says this: "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God;". That means none of us, no matter how good or bad, can escape the fact of of our sin. Romans 6:23 says "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Jesus Christ our Lord."

When you sin, you are earning condemnation from a Holy and righteous God. When you sin, you are earning wages that equal eternal death. God doesn't want that for you, but he cannot tolerate sin. So he made a way to cleanse you of it and accept you forever. "For God so loved the world, he gave his only son, that whosoever believes on him shall not perish, but have eternal life." (John 3:16)

Let Jesus be your cover. Pray this prayer: "Father, I know that I am a sinner. I've sinned and broken your law. I've fallen short of your glory, and I know the payment for my sins is death. I ask that rather, I receive the gift of God which is eternal life in Jesus Christ. I repent of my sin, believing in Jesus and what he did on the cross to justify me and make me perfect in Your sight. Thank you for saving me, and help me to walk in your ways. Amen."

Freedom from Old Testament Law: A Study in Galatians

You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other. (Galatians 5:13-15)

In his letter to the Galatians, Paul was writing to a church who began their journey through faith in Christ alone and in his Holy Spirit. They believed in his work on the cross and his resurrection, and upon believing they were filled with the Holy Spirit, which permanently sealed them as God's Property until the day of the Lord (which is the second coming of Christ). Unfortunately certain Jews came in to their fold and tricked them, saying that since they'd joined God's family, they now had to honor their "heritage" and become circumcised, obeying the whole Old Testament law. Someone was telling them their simple faith was not enough.

In one instance, the Apostle Paul calls them fools for believing these Jews, and he tells them they have been alienated from Christ if they really want to go backwards and obey the Law. The issue is that the Law was an accusation against us, pointing out our sins and our inability to shed them in our own strength. Every written word in the Old Testament law was written so that we would see our sin, and it would become to us utterly sinful, making us mindful of our need for a savior.

Jesus Christ is that savior, and the bible says the Law was nailed to the cross with Christ and taken away from us, that we could be justified not by our obedience and works but by simple faith in God's Son. "It is by grace you are saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves. It is not of works, lest any man should boast." (Ephesians 2:8-9). If you have believed in Jesus by faith, asking him to be your Lord and Savior, you are justified and free to live your life without a heavy burden of rules, laws, and ritual regulations.

I struggle with the flesh. I know the hurt and disappointment that comes when I indulge a fleshly or lustful impulse that is contrary to God. I have a feeling these Galatians knew that feeling all too well, and perhaps this is why they were susceptible to the lie of Satan, which is that they needed the Law to truly walk righteous. After all, the Old Testament law and the Ten Commandments are full of rules one could believe are helpful towards building a righteous man.

I suspect Paul knew their desire to avoid sin might've led them back into Old Testament bondage, which is why he spoke with them about walking in the Spirit. He had these words to say:  "So I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the flesh. They are in conflict with each other, so that you do not do what you want.  But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law." (Galatians 5:16-18)

Paul was letting the Galatians know that rather than obeying rules or laws (which were meant to condemn them and lead them to seek a savior), if they kept with the Savior and walked in his Spirit they would not do the things that made their consciences guilty towards God. He gave them a list of those evident works of the flesh (hatred, envy, impurity, sexual immorality, to name a few), and then he contrasted it with this list: "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law." (Galatians 5:22-23)

Notice that Paul said there was no law against the fruit of the Spirit. I believe this was to ease the conscience of the Galatian church and give them a defense and an answer for those who were holding the law over their heads. "You want me to obey the law? Watch me walk in the Spirit of freedom and do the things the law requires by GOD'S POWER. And when you see the fruit of the Spirit in my life, you will know that I am righteous because I simply believe in Jesus, not because I observe the law, like you."

Attaining to Christlikeness

When he had received the drink, Jesus said, “It is finished.” With that, he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (John 19:30)

When Jesus suffered on the cross, just as he was about to die he declared: "It is FINISHED." This meant that the penalty for the sins of ALL mankind had been paid for and anyone who would believe would be justified. "Justification" now is a legal word that means, roughly, "pronounced innocent." When you believed in the suffering and resurrection of Christ, you were taken before God's judgment seat and pronounced INNOCENT.


The innocence you received in Christ means that all your spiritual toil, all your religious efforts, and all your prayers and fasting gain you nothing when it comes to your standing as a righteous man in Jesus' sight. You're already righteous because of what he did for you, so you can literally add nothing to his work. Ephesians 2:8-9 says "It is by grace you are saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves. It is a gift, lest any man should boast." This is why you can disregard those super-spiritual people who look down their noses at you. They are bigots and have imagined they've added to the righteousness that Christ provided for them.


Does this mean you do nothing as a Christian? Just sit and thank God and live your life your own way? No. It means that all your spiritual disciplines, all your toil, and all your labor of love for the sake of the faith are to make you LIKE Christ. They make you LIKE Christ because the more you seek and pursue his face, the more you know him. When you know him, you can't help but become more like him. And being like him is the exact cause for him saving us, as is pronounced in 1 John 3:2: "Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is."


On the last day, when Christ returns to judge the dead and the living, we who are believers will be made exactly like Christ in his glorified state. That means we will have living bodies like his living body, able to function as he functions in his body; but it also means we will be perfectly like him in character, our choice to conform to him being made permanent and perfect.


So as you search out Christ in the scriptures, as you fast, as you worship and pray and serve the needy, don't suppose that you are adding to your standing as a Christian. Your position in God's eyes is "righteous," not because of anything but the "It is FINISHED" justification of Christ. You can do nothing to add to your positional standing of perfectness created by Christ. What you can do is seek his face with the hope that your mind will be renewed daily, no longer being conformed to the image of the world around you. When that happens, you get to KNOW Christ better, and when you KNOW him better you become more LIKE him in character. Since being conformed to the image and character of Christ is our ultimate prize for endurance in the faith, and our ultimate reward in Heaven, we should be pleased to attain to Christ-likeness here on this earth.

Set Your Mind on Things Above

Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. (Colossions 3:1)

As Christians, we have been made alive with Christ, set free from death and the penalty of our sins. Christ offers us eternal life, so it is only fitting we set our hearts on the things above, where Christ (our mediator and high priest) is seated at the right hand of God.


For me, this means avoiding vices I've had trouble with like smoking or drinking. It means no longer being conformed to the world's system, but being transformed by the renewing of my mind.


How do you renew your mind? By searching the scripture, by meditating on God's Word, and obeying what you find in God's Word.


When you wake up each day, the first thing you should start with is prayer, then the opening up of The Bible. And when you read the Bible you should pray that God opens your eyes to what it is saying to you. This should be done early in the day, because as the day progresses the business of life can cloud out your desire to give the day to God.


When you wake up, before you do anything, offer your day and your life up to God. Give him all that you are and all that you will be. Make sure He knows you are sanctified and Holy, ready to give your life in the service of the gospel of Christ.

Use What You Have (The Parable of the Rich Fool)

And he told them this parable: “The ground of a certain rich man yielded an abundant harvest. He thought to himself, ‘What shall I do? I have no place to store my crops.’ “Then he said, ‘This is what I’ll do. I will tear down my barns and build bigger ones, and there I will store my surplus grain.  And I’ll say to myself, “You have plenty of grain laid up for many years. Take life easy; eat, drink and be merry.”’ “But God said to him, ‘You fool! This very night your life will be demanded from you. Then who will get what you have prepared for yourself?’ “This is how it will be with whoever stores up things for themselves but is not rich toward God.”


-Jesus speaking (Luke 12:16-21)

People love the idea of being rich. They want excess cash so they can stop worrying, take it easy, and as Jesus says "eat, drink, and be merry." They believe having extra in their lives will allow them to do the last thing in the process: be merry (happy). But Jesus here is telling us that we have bigger concerns to worry about than our own temporal comfort, and our riches in this life should be used for eternal purposes. Whatever we have at the end of our lives, no matter how much, will all be useless and wasted if we haven't used it for God and his eternal purpose.


Jesus called the man in this parable a fool. He was foolish because he was apparently clueless about his own mortality and the legacy he would take into Eternity. We are all going to stand before God one day, and how we invest our earthly things (our time, our talents, and our money) will be taken into account. If you stay invested in God's Kingdom in all things, your efforts will never be in vain or wasted. Your riches used for blessing the poor, supporting the church, bringing comfort to the hopeless, and spreading the gospel will all be multiplied unto you when you die and stand before the Judgment Seat of Christ. The bible says of the righteous this: "their works do follow them." It means that everything you do in this life that matters will continue on for Eternity and be blessed forever.


But if you use all of your things for self-enrichment and temporal comfort, you will die in vain and those things will be taken from you and given to others. You only have this ONE life, and when it's gone it is not returning to you. Those who bet their chips on the next life are wise, but they must remember that their beloved treasures will be inventoried by the God of Heaven. Just because you have believed in the next life, doesn't mean it's okay to relax and wait for Jesus to come. You are to be using the talents he has given you to bless others and expand the Kingdom of God.


If you have money in this life, be wise in how you use it. Bless others with it, and don't spend it all on yourself. Be rich toward God, and avoid greed and the bitterness that comes with it. If you are constantly being strategic about your money, making sure that the better part of it is used with purpose and towards God's Kingdom, you will be storing up your riches in Heaven. You will be sure of your eternal rewards and that God will use your money to bless the people he so deeply loves.


If you have little money but many gifts, such as musical ability, make sure you are happily using them to bless the people of God and show your gratitude for what you have. Don't waste your talents or bury them and hope to use them in the next life. God gave them to you for a purpose, and just like the rich farmer wasted the blessing he was given, you will be held accountable if you take your gifts and spend them indulging yourself. You will be considered most foolish, and you will painfully regret the vanity with which you lived life.


Take some time to inventory the way you think. Consider that God has made you rich with gifts, whether it be your money or your talents. Think about the way you use those gifts and consider your mortality. You only have this one life, and the way you use your gifts will determine whether you keep them for eternity and also how you're rewarded for your work. If you are overwhelmed in where to start, take the quote from Arthur Ashe: "Start where you are, use what you have, do what you can."

Past, Present, Future (All Sins Forgiven in Christ

PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE (All Sins Forgiven In Christ)

If you have believed in Jesus Christ as your Savior, you are forgiven of all sins past present and future. There is nothing that you could've done or ever will do that will separate you from the love of Christ. It's imperative that you know that, so you won't be tricked by the devil into fearing hell or the wrath of God, which is already passed over you. If your heart's desire is peace, if your heart's desire is Heaven, and grace, and mercy, believe you will receive it. Rather, you already have received it. "He who hath the son hath life..." (1 John 2:12)

God's promises cannot be broken, and he's not a man that he should lie or change his mind. The day you came to Christ with genuineness and sincerity, asking him to be your Lord and Savior, your sins were washed clean and you will never be called to account for them. It sounds unjust, but it's not because Jesus was designated as the sacrificial lamb to be slain on your behalf. God is the author of justice, and this is how he designed it. It's so that justice and mercy have kissed.

For an example of God's grace, let me present to you the Corinthian church. They were the most unruly, rowdy church mentioned in the New Testament, yet Paul wrote to them about the grace they had received, and lovingly instructed them how to walk in it. He even chose in 1st Corinthians to reveal to them the nature of the rapture, when Christ will come and change us from corruptible to incorruptible. If anyone had reason to doubt their salvation, it would be the Corinthians, as even Paul said it was reported often that there was fornication (sex outside marriage) among them. But Paul writes to them as beloved children in need of discipline, and not foreigners to be judged.

1st John writes to all of us believers as "little children," and tells us that if we say we have no sin, we are liars. But if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us, and to cleanse us of all unrighteousness. Therefore, if you have sinned, even if you keep struggling with the same sin, there is hope for you yet. Confess your sins and you will be forgiven, and your Father in Heaven will deal with you as a beloved child, not as the object of his wrath.

God's Riches

God is rich in all ways, and he gives graciously to those who are faithful. Whether it's mercy, grace, material wealth, or health, he has it all for the asking. If you have these things it's your duty to share them and multiply them for the use of God's Kingdom. If you don't have them, ask and you shall receive, only be a good steward with the things you are given and now have. You cannot expect God to bless you financially if you squander your money on things that are not pleasing to him. You cannot expect God to bless you with good health if you do not take care of your body.

If you are guilty of these things it's never too late to change your ways and receive richly from God all that you need.

John the Baptist told the people in keeping with repentance, let every man that has two cloaks give the one to he who has need. I've seen that exemplified by my Pastor and his family, as we moved out to Liberty and they provided basic needs for our new home. A verse says "there is he that scatters and has more than enough, and there is he that withholds more than is necessary and has poverty." If you have riches of any kind, whether they be talents, money, health, spiritual gifts...see to it that you share them in every way you can, and you will receive more from God's hand.

Furthermore, temptation from the devil recedes when you know that your Heavenly Father is rich and has blessed you with all spiritual blessings in Christ Jesus. If you are tempted to take the fast track to receive wealth, an unethical way, know that you can have all you need by good stewardship and prayer. The devil's temptation becomes weak when you realize that all that is God's is yours, as an heir with Christ.

Rejection

Rejection is the scariest word in the bible. Did you know you can be rejected by God? We've all experienced rejection in some form or another, and it can be agonizing. Especially when you see others being accepted by the one who rejected you. Sometimes you're rejected because you did the wrong thing, such as being fired from a job. You have to live with the regret of losing your job while at the same time still being friends with the people you worked with, seeing them keep their jobs because they did the right thing.

Ladies and gentlemen, this is how it will be on the day of Judgment. Many will be rejected by God himself because their deeds were evil, and they refused to come into the light lest their deeds be made known. The bible says that in the lake of fire, those who don't know God will be tormented in the presence of Jesus and the Holy Angels. I don't know about you, but torment seems all the worse knowing I will be able to see Jesus and the Holy Angels enjoying righteousness and fellowship with God, while I suffer unimaginably. This is my motivation for becoming a Christian. I didn't want to pay for my sins, especially when Christ offers free salvation for those who simply believe.

Those who have accepted Christ will in no way be rejected, no matter how faulty they are. If they believe in the Lord and confess with their mouth, they will be saved. The next step is to pray and grow in faith, and to abstain from sin. But those who keep putting Jesus off have no hope to lean on, for tomorrow is promised to none of us. Get with Jesus while he can still be found, so you don't have to suffer rejection. The worst rejection is being told by Jesus "away from me you evil-doer, I never knew you," while hearing him say to others "well done, good and faithful servant." If you live in sin and refuse to open the door of your heart to Jesus, this certainly will be your reality.