Daily Devotions

Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Current Study: A to Z         

Today’s Topic: Nachos

Today’s Scripture:  2 Chronicles 20:15 “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s. 

This is going to sound very weird, but it is the truth. When I woke up this morning and began to contemplate my devotional, I knew I was looking for a word that started with the letter “n”. The very first word that instantaneously popped into my head was “nachos”. I chuckled under my breath so I wouldn’t wake Denise. Why in the world would the Lord put that word into my head. I got an immediate answer. Without offending anyone’s culture or how they speak, God seemed to be saying to me, “Just think about all the things that are not yo’s.” I warned you this would sound weird.

So I started thinking about the things that are no longer mine because I am in Christ. I know my list is going to fall far short of being complete, but it will be a starting point of a day of praise and further contemplation. Here’s my list:

§         Punishment for sin is not yo’s anymore – Romans 5:9 says, Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him! Then again in 1 Thessalonians 5:9-10 we read, For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ. He died for us so that, whether we are awake or asleep, we may live together with him. 

§         Your body is not yo’s anymore – 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 says, Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body.

§         Your life is not yo’s anymore – Galatians 2:20 says, I have been crucified with Christ. I myself no longer live, but Christ lives in me. So I live my life in this earthly body by trusting in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. 

§         The hardships of life are not yo’s anymore – 2 Chronicles 20:15 “Listen, King Jehoshaphat and all who live in Judah and Jerusalem! This is what the LORD says to you: ‘Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army. For the battle is not yours, but God’s.’”

I want to stop there and spend a moment on that last point. Yesterday, as I was driving to Marshfield to spend the day at the hospital with the parents of a 3 year old boy who was having major surgery, I was thinking about how to help this couple understand the sufferings of this life. Once again Jesus was right there to give me direction. I started thinking about the passages in Scripture that talk about suffering, and the Holy Spirit directed my thoughts to Philippians 3:10, which says, I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death… Immediately two words jumped out at me as I quoted the verse in my mind. Those words are His sufferings. WOW! None of the hardships and sufferings of this life are exclusively or uniquely mine. They are His sufferings. They are not mine. As I am going through any tough time, He is experiencing it with me.

But not only is He experiencing it, His unending love for me causes Him to comfort me during the hardship, and to give me peace that He is conquering it. There is no battle that we fight that is ours. Come on, say it with me – It’s nachos. What a relief it is to know that any trial that comes our way is nachos. And what do we do with nachos? Well, if you like them, you eat them up and grow fat. That’s what God wants us to do with our trials – eat them up and use them to grow fat in our faith. That’s why God permits the trial in the first place according to James – Consider it pure joy, my brothers, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance. Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.

If you don’t like nachos, you discard them as insignificant and meaningless to you. Some of our trials are self-imposed. We have made mountains out of molehills. This is what the author of Hebrews meant when he said, Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles,(they’re nachos) and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.  

Your trials are nachos. They are God’s, and He’s using them to grow you and complete you. Don’t be afraid or discouraged. The battle is not yours, but God’s. Surrender to the work He is doing in your life.

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Current Study: A to Z         

Today’s Topic: The Marvel of Mercy

Today’s Scripture:  Titus 3:4-5   But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.

                                        Hebrews 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Since starting a study on reconciliation at the beginning of this year, I have been overwhelmed with a new and powerful understanding of the spectacular gift of salvation. I feel like every day I’m on a treasure hunt, and that daily I’m going to uncover another chest full of gold coins and jewels. The deeper I dig, the more I discover. The simple truths take on greater significance with every discovery. The biggest problem is deciding what gem to share first. Imagine being up to your knees in a cave of treasure and then having to choose which piece to show first to an onlooker. That’s how I feel.

One starting place for me has always been the book of Nehemiah in the Bible. It’s the story of the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem by a remnant of people while most of the nation of Israel is being held in captivity in Persia. For me it is the spiritual allegory of rebuilding lives that are being held in captivity of sin. In the story we find all the elements of personal salvation depicted by national restoration. There’s confession of sin and repentance from sin. There’s forgiveness. There’s reconciliation. There’s restoration. But for me the most powerful and meaningful elements of the book show up after the walls are completed and the celebration of their salvation begins. The history of God’s people is reviewed, and in that time of reflection there is a huge emphasis placed on the mercy and grace of God. These two intertwined gifts of God to us are spectacular.

Very simply stated, mercy is “not enforcing deserved justice.”  Grace is “giving undeserved favor.” In other words, God’s mercy is expressed to us by not giving us the punishment that we deserve for our sins, and God’s grace grants us the underserved gift of eternal life. Mercy forgives. Grace fills.

When Nehemiah gathered the people to celebrate the completion of the walls of the city, they had quite a worship service. We’re told in chapter 9 that they read from God’s Word for a fourth of the day. That’s three hours of Scripture reading. Then they spent three more hours in confession of sin and in worship. It was a six hour worship service. Don’t worry, I won’t use that as my time pattern for Sunday. But what I will use is the pattern of God’s Word being the foundation of worship, and the celebration of God’s mercy and grace as the basis for our worship. As the history of the people is reviewed, there came to them a sudden and fearful realization of their guilt before a holy and righteous God. They became deeply aware of their hopeless condition of sin. They even remembered the judgments God had brought down upon them in the past because of their sin. Then we read these words of mercy –

But you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love. Therefore you did not desert them…

Four times in this chapter the mercy and grace of God are celebrated, culminating with this statement –

You are a gracious and merciful God.

I am at a loss to explain this any further. My mind is captivated by the glory of God’s mercy and grace. Because of His mercy He has saved me. Because of His grace He has filled me with life. His life. Eternal life. I am His child forever. I can come to Him boldly. When I come to Him I find constant mercy that overwhelms my sin with forgiveness. From Him I receive unending grace to carry me through any and all times of need.  Mercy withholds God’s judgment that I deserved. Grace grants God’s gift of eternal life that I could not earn. My dear friends, please don’t pass this over lightly. Let the marvel of mercy and the grandeur of grace overwhelm you with worship. Let us celebrate the splendor of our salvation. There is no greater treasure.

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Tuesday, March 10, 2009

Current Study: A to Z         

Today’s Topic: Loaded with Love

Today’s Scripture:  Romans 5:8   But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.

But for the love of God, we would be lost forever in the consequences of our sin. But for the love of God His justice would demand our separation from Him for all eternity. But for the love of God expressed in the giving of His Son as the sacrifice for our sin, we would suffer the wrath of God against who and what we are in our sin nature. For me, it is the fearful realization of my sin in light of God’s holiness that makes His love most glorious.

We tend to not trust true love. We doubt that anyone’s love can bring us back from the depths of our depravity and restore us to intimacy. We question the ability of people to truly forgive us if we are seen by them at our worst. We claim a level of humility, but it is measured carefully based on our expectations of acceptance. Because of that we refuse to take full responsibility for our actions of sin, and if that is true, then we certainly have not taken full responsibility for our nature of sin. The result is a shallow understanding of the love of God.

We miss out on two huge blessings of faith when we fail to try to fully comprehend the holiness of God, His hatred of sin, and the love He has for those deserving of His wrath. First, we miss the blessing of unconditional forgiveness which allows us to experience the fullness of His love for us. If we place acceptance limits on confession, only admitting sin to the level of our perceived acceptance, then we miss the incredible gift of unconditional forgiveness and the full expression of God’s love to us. How many of us can truly say that we are experiencing the love of God to the degree that Paul describes in Ephesians when he says, And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge—that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God. We will only know the fullness of God’s love if we first experience the awesomeness of His holiness and the fullness of our own sin.

Second, we miss out on the blessing of fully loving Him. Jesus taught this principle to a Pharisee named Simon. Here’s the story:

Now one of the Pharisees invited Jesus to have dinner with him, so he went to the Pharisee’s house and reclined at the table. When a woman who had lived a sinful life in that town learned that Jesus was eating at the Pharisee’s house, she brought an alabaster jar of perfume, and as she stood behind him at his feet weeping, she began to wet his feet with her tears. Then she wiped them with her hair, kissed them and poured perfume on them.

When the Pharisee who had invited him saw this, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is—that she is a sinner.”

Jesus answered him, “Simon, I have something to tell you.”

 “Tell me, teacher,” he said.
“Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he canceled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?”

Simon replied, “I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled.”

“You have judged correctly,” Jesus said. Then he turned toward the woman and said to Simon, “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—for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little.”

As I consider the love of God, it helps me to begin to understand its fullness when I start with a proper view of God’s holiness and my sinfulness. I praise God for the faith He gave me to trust that at my very worst He would, forgive me, accept me, and save me. Nothing needs to be hidden from Him. No measure of self-worth needs to be protected. My nature of sin has already qualified me to be the object of His wrath. The activities of sin are only the product of the nature that was mine from conception in my mother’s womb. Yet we attempt to defend our activities in an effort to maintain some level of self-respect and self-worth, striving for acceptance. Let it be known by all of us that the acceptance we are looking for is found only in absolute abject abasement before an awesome God who forgives completely because He loves unconditionally. Once we reach that level of brokenness before Him, we will not only experience His great love for us, but we will be overwhelmed with overflowing love for Him.

Don’t be the one who seeks to be forgiven only a little, for you will be the one who loves only a little. Let us grow to be filled with the love of God that surpasses knowledge, filled with love to the measure of the fullness of the Father. Let’s get loaded with love.

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Monday, March 09, 2009

Current Study: A to Z         

Today’s Topic: Kindness

Today’s Scripture:  Titus 3:4-7  But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Yesterday as I drove home from south Dakota, I was listening to a Christian radio station out of the Twin cities. In between two of the songs the voice of a phone caller to the station was heard. She told a story of kindness. She had been praying for days that God would reveal Himself to her in a meaningful and undeniable way. That day, one her way to work, she noticed a tire on her car going flat. She stopped by the auto shop to have it repaired. When the mechanic came back with her keys he told her that there would be no charge. He said that he had gotten in her car to drive it into the shop and noticed that she was listening to a Christian radio station. He felt the Lord saying to him to pay for the tire repair himself, which he did. She was overwhelmed. God had revealed Himself to her at a time when she was starting to doubt Him even more. Just when she thought things were getting worse, God showed up.

As Paul writes to his pastoral trainee named Titus, he tells him how bad things are for all of us. He says, At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. In another place, writing to the people at Colossae he says, Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of  your evil behavior. Can it get any worse than that. Our sin made us the enemy of God and completely alienated us from Him. Our sin put us in a position of deserving the wrath of God. But instead of revealing Himself to us in wrath, God chose to reveal Himself to us through kindness.

Here is the central theme of Christianity. When we were in a place of hopelessness because we were unable to do anything to change our condition, God determined to change our condition for us. When everything we were stood opposed to the holy nature of God, and we were by nature the objects of His wrath (Eph. 2:3), His mercy took over. He poured out His love on us through the gift of His Son Jesus Christ and has given us eternal life. We could do nothing to earn it. It was totally His kindness that conquered our condition.

A couple of weeks ago I made a huge blunder in one of my sermons. It happens to all pastors occasionally. This time it caused quite an uproar. I made a statement, that while theologically correct, had very little foundation in the context of that sermon from which to be made. It appeared, from the statement, that I was negating the love of God. It appeared that I was directing people to approach witnessing from a standpoint condemnation and judgment, rather than from the mercy and grace of God. I am doing neither. I made a huge mistake by including that particular theological truth into a sermon without providing proper time to unpack it for our understanding. If you were one of the people offended by my statement, I sincerely apologize and ask for your forgiveness. It is the kindness and love of God that provides us with the opportunity for salvation. It is His mercy that saves us.

It is the example of God in His treatment of His enemies that becomes the foundation for our treatment of people. The wisest man ever to live – King Solomon – knew well how to win people, especially enemies. He said, If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat; if he is thirsty, give him water to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head, and the LORD will reward you. Centuries later, in his letter to the church at Rome, after quoting this saying of Solomon, said, Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. In these words, and in the example of Christ, we find the foundation for the sharing of our faith – kindness. Acts of kindness to people will open their hearts to Christ. Our enemies need to see the love and kindness of God. It is His kindness that draws people to Himself, and His kindness has only one dispenser – YOU!

We have a strong tendency to be judgmental. We seem to take some kind of pleasure or find some kind of personal fulfillment in condemning the activities, behaviors, and even appearances of others. If God, who alone is holy and has every right to condemn, chooses to be kind, then shouldn’t we? Read carefully these words from Paul in Romans 2. You, therefore, have no excuse, you who pass judgment on someone else, for at whatever point you judge the other, you are condemning yourself, because you who pass judgment do the same things. Now we know that God’s judgment against those who do such things is based on truth. So when you, a mere man, pass judgment on them and yet do the same things, do you think you will escape God’s judgment? Or do you show contempt for the riches of his kindness, tolerance and patience, not realizing that God’s kindness leads you toward repentance?

Do you see it? It’s right there at the end. God’s kindness leads us to repentance. That is to be the basis for our ministry to others who need Christ. We are to be kind. I can’t wait to hear some of your stories of how that has worked for you. I can’t wait to hear how this truth changes some of your lives. Let the kindness and love of God show up in your life. People will get saved.

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Thursday, March 05, 2009

Current Study: A to Z         

Today’s Topic: Inexpressible Joy

Today’s Scripture:  1 Peter 1:6-9  So be truly glad! There is wonderful joy ahead, even though it is necessary for you to endure many trials for a while. These trials are only to test your faith, to show that it is strong and pure. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—and your faith is far more precious to God than mere gold. So if your faith remains strong after being tried by fiery trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world. You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him, you trust him; and even now you are filled with a glorious, inexpressible joy. Your reward for trusting him will be the salvation of your souls.

Yesterday my wife and I, along with many others, attended a very special birthday party. It was the first birthday of a little girl named Geneva. She is a dream. If you’ve never heard about her, you’ve got to read her story. Go to http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/genevajoyselvig and check it out. Many of you already know that she is the daughter of our worship minister at church.

This little girl has had a huge impact on literally hundreds or even thousands of people around the world. Her birth defect has been the instrument God has used to touch many people’s lives with the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She has taught us many lessons about faith. Her life has been used to show us all the reality of what Peter says in today’s Scripture passage. I wonder if her parents knew the significance of the middle name they chose for her, and how the truth of that word would be revealed in their lives? Her middle name is Joy.

If the only reality of joy was the cultural and circumstantial reality of happiness, we would all be extremely depressed. Happiness is not joy. Happiness is an emotion that responds to positive input. When things go right, we are happy. When things go bad, we are sad. But joy isn’t an emotion. Joy is capable of producing emotion, but joy is not emotion. Joy is the product of our relationship with God through Jesus Christ our Savior. Joy is the fruit of the Holy Spirit’s work in our lives. Our relationship with Christ is eternal, being kept secure by the power of God (see 1 Peter 1:5).  Therefore, joy is permanent, not contingent upon circumstances. But I wonder how many times we have really experienced the inexpressible joy spoken of in Scripture?

It actually happens to me quite often. You can tell when I’m experiencing it by the uncontrollable tears streaming down my face. It happens most often when I thinking, speaking, or looking at the subject of salvation. Several weeks ago I broke down during a worship service while we were singing the song, “My Jesus, I love Thee.” I was overwhelmed with an inexpressible joy that caused my mouth to stop working and my eyes to start pumping. I was filled with the joy of my salvation.

Just recently Geneva’s dad graduated from the leadership training program we have at our church. He sat in that weekly class for two-and-a-half years. I watched him grow in his faith through the last year of the class as we processed Little G’s life and circumstances. We shed tears. But those tears came from a different motivation as the year went by. I watched her dad cry when the discussion turned to the wonder of God’s grace. I cried with him as we considered the people who had come to salvation – people who had seen the faith of two parents go through seemingly insurmountable circumstances with the joy of the Lord as their strength. I watched as the inexpressible joy of salvation overwhelmed their heartache. They were not always happy, but the joy of the Lord was evident.

This devotional today will get far too long if I try to share with you all the ways that the first nine verses Peter’s first letter have impacted my life. I simply want to challenge you to consider this. Life is tough. Most of the time it just plain stinks. The economy is going down the tubes. Our jobs are threatened. Our families are stressed. Friends have forsaken us. Words we have said have been used against us. Our cars and boats break down. Our retirement funds are being wiped out. Where do we turn to find any relief from the heartache?

Let me remind you that your relief is not found in happiness. If you are unhappy it is probably because your focus is on the condition of your circumstances and not the condition of your heart. It’s necessary to go through these trials, so that God can test and strengthen our faith. The trials are tests of trust. The tough times are portals to praise. And the joy that you will experience when you begin to praise Him for your salvation is not even the fullness of joy. Peter says there is more wonderful joy ahead. Every trial brings greater joy, until one day all trials will be gone, and we will experience the fullness of joy in the presence of our Lord.

So the next time a circumstance robs you of happiness, remember that in Christ nothing can steal your joy. It just takes a change of perspective. Rise above your clouds, and be thrilled with the glory of the Son. He has saved you, and you are His forever. Culture can change but it can’t change that. Circumstances can change but they can’t change that. Christ is unchangeable, and you can’t change that. Christ is your constant. Rejoice – and let the joy of your salvation become inexpressible.

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Wednesday, March 04, 2009

Current Study: A to Z         

Today’s Topic: What Will You Inherit?

Today’s Scripture:  1 Peter 1:3-5 All honor to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for it is by his boundless mercy that God has given us the privilege of being born again. Now we live with a wonderful expectation because Jesus Christ rose again from the dead. For God has reserved a priceless inheritance for his children. It is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And God, in his mighty power, will protect you until you receive this salvation, because you are trusting him.

I wonder what we’ll find when we get there? On Friday morning I will be picking my brother up at the Minneapolis airport and travelling by car to my dad’s house in South Dakota. My youngest brother will already have been there done his part. We were hoping to all be there together but his schedule changed. Our reason for going is simple, yet hard. We have to help dad go through everything in his house and prepare for a sale. He’s selling his house and going to be moving into a more manageable apartment. We’re going to help him sort through everything so we know what items will stay in the family and not get sold. It will be a work-filled weekend, but it will be great to review the heritage that we have been given by being a part of a family that loves and serves the Lord.

When the weekend is over, we’ll have some idea of what we are going to inherit one day. An inheritance can be pretty exciting. A couple of weeks ago I was told a story about an inheritance that completely refreshed my trust in God’s provision. My wife and I were talking to a former pastor’s wife who has been a widow for 18 years now. She was telling us that when her husband died, she was left with only $2000 in the bank after his funeral. Her social security income would not cover all of her expenses. Then she received a phone call from a lawyer. One of her uncles had died, and he had not left a will. After going through all of probate, it was determined that she and several other relatives would receive equal shares of the estate. It was a large estate. She now lives in a beautiful assisted living facility in the Twin Cities. She is quite comfortable. God gave her an inheritance that supplied all of her needs and more. Her faithful service in the ministry where very little was assigned to retirement benefits was rewarded.

Our faithful service in ministry to the King will also be rewarded with an incredible inheritance some day. We don’t have the privilege of travelling there early to get a glimpse of what we will receive, but we can believe it will be magnificent. We have been made joint heirs with Jesus of all that is in eternity for all of eternity. Imagine how much that is. If the city in which we will live has streets of gold, imagine what our mansions will be like. If the homes built for us to live in are paid for completely from the resources of glory, and we get an equal share of all of those resources, imagine how much that is. Now before we get too carried away, we are bordering on self-centered theology here. Our hope of reward is not to be our primary motivation for ministry. However, the knowledge of a reward is certainly a part of the gift of salvation that does motivate us. We have an inheritance coming, and it’s far more than any rich uncle could ever give us.

It’s not wrong to look ahead to the hope of glory and the priceless inheritance God has reserved for His children. In fact, it’s wrong not to. When we stop looking ahead we begin looking around. I love to look around when I’m driving. It drives my wife nuts. She knows that you usually end up going where you’re looking. How many times has she had to verbally correct a steering error because the car is moving in the direction of my eyes? The same is true of our spiritual lives. The more we look ahead, and keep our eyes fixed on the finish line of glory and the inheritance waiting for us there, the less time we will spend looking around at what the world offers as alternatives. Looking ahead keeps us fixed on our goal. Looking at the dead deer in the ditch just might lead to us becoming his decomposition buddy. It certainly puts us at risk.

No earthly substitute can be found for the inheritance that awaits us in glory. No retirement fund beats the eternal one. No earthly purchase can match your heavenly purpose. The prophet Isaiah says, “Come, all you who are thirsty, come to the waters; and you who have no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without cost. Why spend money on what is not bread, and your labor on what does not satisfy? Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good, and your soul will delight in the richest of fare.”  The risk of taking our eyes off of the final inheritance in heaven is that we will settle for mediocrity now. That’s what happened to the church at Laodicea.  Look at what Jesus says to them. “I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich.”  They were ineffective in ministry because they were invested in what the world could offer them.

The same will happen to us if we don’t keep investing in the eternal kingdom. Where your treasure is, that’s where your heart will be. It’s time we started building bigger investments into our eternal inheritance. The stock we buy in the God’s Kingdom will never crash.

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Tuesday, March 03, 2009

Current Study: A to Z         

Today’s Topic: Heart Healthy

Today’s Scripture:  2 Corinthians 4:16  Therefore we do not lose heart…

My heart is heavy, but it remains healthy. The heaviness is being caused by a disease. It’s not a new disease, but just a new form of an old one. I am trying to fight it off, and because my heart is healthy I believe I am succeeding, but my heart is heavy because of the vast numbers of people  the disease is affecting. It is highly contagious, especially to those who have weakened immune systems. Unfortunately, there are huge numbers of people with those weakened immune systems and they are not only susceptible to the disease, but are already suffering from it. That’s what makes my heart so heavy.

The disease has taken on many forms through the years, so it has become increasingly difficult to diagnose. In its early stages it was generally diagnosed as liberalism. As the disease progressed and mutated it became identifiable by symptoms like legalism and permissiveness. I know those sound like conflicting symptoms, but that’s exactly why this disease has been so hard to specifically diagnose. Other symptoms developed as time passed. The disease affected people’s ability to understand and accept truth as truth. It “opened their minds” to new definitions of what everyone used to call sin. In the church, it produced an overwhelming need for social acceptance. That has resulted in symptoms of emotionalism and secularism. In an attempt to appear to have healthy hearts, those affected by the disease have united with others in so-called “faith communities” based on socially accepted similarities. In order to do so, they have had to deny that there is any real need for distinguishing truth from error.  In its most recent stages the disease has progressed by giving rise to social conscience at the expense of sound doctrine. The very truths of God’s nature and character have been rewritten to become acceptable and understandable to modern man. Only the characteristics of God that result in temporal benefit to mankind are emphasized. The disease has succeeded in its evil purpose – the destruction of the truth of God and the hardening of the heart of man.

So what is this terrible disease? It is so simple yet so profound. It is the same disease that split the angels of heaven. It is the same disease that separated man from God in the first place. It is the same disease that destroys the hearts of people today. It is pride. Its single most recognizable symptom is self-centered living. It is deadly when left untreated. It is destroying churches who think that they exist to please people. It is destroying people who think that God exists to satisfy them. But there is a cure. And it is possible to restore one’s immune system to fight it off in the future. The cure is Jesus Christ, and the correction of the immune system is accomplished through a commitment to the truth.  While the disease has progressed to a point of deep infiltration into the church, and can be labeled as pandemic, I believe it is possible to save individuals from its infectious consequences. It will require us to take a stand that will not be popular, but we are not seeking popularity. We recognize that as one of the symptoms of the disease. We will be persecuted for our stand, but our stand is based on truth that results in healthy hearts.

The Apostle Paul wrote about this disease way back in the first century when he sent a letter to his friends at the church in Corinth. These words have helped me to resolve to stand strong with a healthy heart. I know they have strengthened my immune system so I can fight off the disease. I hope they do the same for you.

Therefore, since through God’s mercy we have this ministry, we do not lose heart. Rather, we have renounced secret and shameful ways; we do not use deception, nor do we distort the word of God. On the contrary, by setting forth the truth plainly we commend ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God. For we do not preach ourselves, but Jesus Christ as Lord, and ourselves as your servants for Jesus’ sake. For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.

It is written: “I believed; therefore I have spoken.” With that same spirit of faith we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you in his presence. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.

Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Monday, March 02, 2009

Current Study: A to Z         

Today’s Topic: Grappling with Giants

Today’s Scripture:  1 Samuel 17:4   Then Goliath, a Philistine champion from Gath, came out of the Philistine ranks to face the forces of Israel. He was a giant of a man, measuring over nine feet tall! 

I met an inspirational family yesterday. They visited our church for the very first time. I first saw them after they had already carried their son into the church in his specially designed wheel chair. It reminded me again of the URGENT need we have to get out of the building we are in and into a ministry center that is fully accessible to all people seeking to connect to God. It renewed my passion to pray for God’s resources to pour in on us and for our current building to sell. But that’s not what inspired me about this family.

I only know a short version of the story as told to me by their friends who invited them to church. When he was 22 months old, their son had a heart attack from a birth defect, and he nearly died. His brain was starved for oxygen and has been permanently damaged. He will never grow intellectually. He has almost no physical function. He will never run and play like other boys. He will never reach out and initiate a hug with his parents. He will never really know anything about love or relationship with others. Yet to watch these parents was inspirational. He is their son, and they love him unconditionally. And now they are searching for a place to connect with others who through faith understand that God is in control and can help them face their difficulties head on and come out shining with His glory.

What inspired me most about them was their attitudes. They were not pouting in self-pity. They were not cowering in the corner of fear and doubt. They were being courageous. They were facing this giant of a problem head on. Yet in the few moments I spent with them it was obvious that they were searching for spiritual meaning to it all. They needed hope that surpassed their abilities. They knew there was still something missing in their lives, and their previous spiritual backgrounds had not offered them any real answers. They were looking for the truth that would help them conquer their giants. That truth is found only by faith in Jesus Christ and in the absolute control of God to bring about His good and His glory for those who love Him.

Giants are constantly stepping out of the ranks of life and challenging us. They appear at the most inopportune times. They come from the most unsuspecting places. It’s a fact of life that nothing stays the same for very long. It’s also true that life moves in the direction of disaster and destruction, and unless we look at life with spiritual eyes we will only see giants to big to overcome. That’s what the nation of Israel saw when they saw Goliath. This giant of a man stepped out of the ranks of ordinary army life and challenged the Israelite army. Their first and biggest mistake was to let the giant set the rules for combat. They let the giant control them. They were scared when they should have been strategizing for success. For forty days they would go out and line up to fight only to fall back in fearful retreat at the sight of the giant. They knew what they wanted to do, but they gave the giant permission to stand in their way. Giants do that to us all the time.

Then one day a young man named David comes to the battle front. He has experience with giants. He has faith in God that conquers the fear of giants. He has fought hand-to-hand combat with bears and lions and been victorious. He wonders how one man can stand in the way of God’s army. He lays aside all of man’s armor that had been given to him, and he steps out with nothing but a sling and five smooth stones. Nothing, that is, but his faith in his great and mighty God. When the giant stands over him and verbally reduces him to nothing, David responds with the words of faith, not fear. He says, “You come to me with sword, spear, and javelin, but I come to you in the name of the LORD Almighty—the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.”  Goliath moves forward. David runs to meet him. He slings a stone and slays the giant. There is no giant that can stand in defiance of God. They will all fall just as Goliath did.

We all have giants in our lives. They may not look like giants to others, but they are to us. Every giant is a test. You have two possible responses – fear or faith. You’re going to battle some violent opposition; you might be tempted to retreat. But keep in mind, God is with you. You’ll face overwhelming odds; you’ll be incredibly outnumbered. Fear would be your natural inclination. But keep in mind, God is with you. This fight may not be over in ten minutes or ten weeks; there may be no quick solution. If you think it’s taking too long, keep in mind, God is with you. In the words of Moses who challenged Joshua to lead the people in to the land of giants, “Be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid of them! The LORD your God will go ahead of you. He will neither fail you nor forsake you.” (Deut. 31:6)

The choice of how you respond to the giants in your life is yours. You can let the giant dictate the rules of engagement and hold power over you; or you can stand against the giant and overcome him with the word of the Lord. Grappling with giants doesn’t sound like fun, nor is it easy when done in our own strength. But we never have to fight in our own strength. Don’t let the giant convince you that he is greater than God. Don’t give in to the giant’s demands. Be strong and courageous, for the Lord your God is with you! We are more than conqueror’s through Him – Jesus Christ – who loves us!

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Current Study: A to Z         

Today’s Topic: Friends Forever

Today’s Scripture:  John 15:13-15  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.   

Jesus continually challenged the world’s perspective on life. After thousands of years of misdirection, it needed to be challenged. Jesus literally turned the world upside down with his principles. “Thou shalt not murder” became “Don’t even hate.” “Don’t commit adultery” became “Don’t even look longingly.” “Get ahead and be first” became “Help others get ahead by serving them.” Jesus was constantly challenging us to think from the perspective of His kingdom and not ours.

One of the ways he shakes up the status quo of today is to invite His followers into upper management. The business world in which we live is structured for advancement and status. Start at the bottom and work your way up. Put in your time at the lower levels and prove yourself faithful and you may earn a promotion. Follow orders well enough and maybe you’ll make sergeant. But all the time you’re working hard, you’re doing so rather blindly, without any real knowledge of the inner workings of the company. You may know the corporate mission statement to help you have a minimal understanding of what you’re trying to accomplish, but you certainly aren’t invited to the CEO’s office for consultation on important decisions. You are labeled as labor, and you are dispensable if you don’t like it.

Then along comes Jesus, who chooses 12 men and grants them full rights of leadership from the beginning. Even the one He knew would be unfaithful was granted the privilege of being the corporate treasurer. Sure they had to go through a training program, but they were placed in their positions long before they completed it. The business model of the Kingdom was totally opposite of the world’s. Jesus knew that turning laborers into partners was the best way to do business. No one in the Kingdom of God starts at the bottom. Everyone who applies for a position is immediately hired and granted a management position. There is never a need for promotion. But be careful – demotion is possible. It is possible through unfaithfulness and disobedience to be deemed unfit for service. But that’s for another day.

I am fascinated by the statement of Jesus when He says, “You are my friends.”  The model of business relationships that I worked under and which I managed others under for so many years was that management and labor were to remain separate. Labor would receive rewards for their work, but they were not respected or considered qualified to give input into corporate decisions. They were simply oxen yoked together to provide power for pulling the big shots around, who used them for their undisclosed purposes. But Jesus has totally redefined corporate structure. Unfortunately, in most cases, the church is the only place applying these principles. At least the church better be.

When anyone, no matter who they are, walks into the Kingdom of God through faith in Jesus Christ and is forgiven for their sins, they are immediately granted full access to everything the Father has to offer them. God’s faithful forgiveness makes them the friend of Jesus forever, with equal status to anyone who is already in the Kingdom. Need proof? Read on. Jesus said, And I appoint unto you a kingdom, as my Father hath appointed unto me; That ye may eat and drink at my table in my kingdom, and sit on thrones… (Luke 22:29-30) The Apostle Paul says, Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. (Ephesians 1:3) He made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure… (Ephesians 1:9) And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus… (Ephesians 2:6) So then they which be of faith are blessed with faithful Abraham. (Galatians 3:9)

We are not simply servants of the Master. We are not mere laborers in the Kingdom. We are joint heirs with Jesus Christ. We are children of God with full rights of sonship. Everything the Father wills for His Kingdom has been revealed to us so that we are partners with Christ in accomplishing His purpose. We do not simply obey orders to receive a reward. We cooperate with Christ in ministry as friends. We are not motivated to serve so that we might earn a promotion. We serve and obey because of the joy of our present promoted position. We are the friends of God, and He has intimately shared with us every detail of His Kingdom so that we might know Him and thereby serve Him faithfully. By faith we have been forgiven, and the Father makes us His friends. FASCINATING. We are the forever friends of God.

Pastor John

Daily Devotions

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

Current Study: A to Z         

Today’s Topic: Endurance

Today’s Scripture:  Colossians 1:10-12   And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light.  

For the last couple of days I have been at my brother’s house in Chicago. He invited me there to do some consulting work with his church. While I was there I got to see the queen. No, not the Queen of England, but the queen of endurance. Now anyone that has been around my family for very long knows that my wife thinks she is the queen of everything. But even she will admit that in this category the real queen is our niece. Her name is Elantra.

Yesterday morning at seven a.m. I attended a special breakfast for her at her school. She was receiving an award which recognized her as one of her high school’s students of the month. The teacher that nominated her did so because of her determination and endurance. It’s not so much the fact that she’s one of the top students of the school, or that she excels at competitive sports like soccer and track. What makes her the queen is that she is legally blind. She has Stargardt’s disease. It is the most common form of inherited juvenile macular degeneration. As a result, she has no central field of vision and only limited peripheral vision. But that doesn’t stop the queen.

When I left Chicago yesterday morning she was loaded up with all of her stuff for school. The night before she had helped her mother bake a king’s cake for French class. I helped her carry it to her classroom. She also had her laptop computer equipped with special magnification programs to help her do her school work. She had her small duffel bag with her track clothes, because she had a track meet that afternoon. She had her book bag filled with homework. She carried everything but the cake, and led me through the halls of a crowded Chicago suburb high school without any assistance. She is the queen.

I called her last night to see how she did in the meet. She took first place in two sprint events – the 55 meter dash and the 200 meter dash – and she was on two relay teams that took second place. Imagine a legally blind girl running around a track, staying in her lane, while receiving and handing off a baton to teammates. She is the queen. It was even more fun hearing about her soccer exploits as she was one of her team’s leading scorers.

Nothing has ever stopped my niece from pursuing her goals and dreams. In her mind she has no disability. That’s because she knows that her physical abilities and disabilities are not what define her. Her inner spirit is what defines her. She has decided to endure any and all obstacles to be her best. She is the queen of endurance.

In spite of her visual challenges, she sees far better than most of us. I know that there are worse things than Stargardt’s that can happen to people. But when anything debilitating happens to us, we think it’s the worst thing that could happen, and endurance isn’t the first word that pops into our heads when it does. Anger happens. Blame happens. Depression happens. Quitting happens. All of those things happen because our eyes are fixed on the immediate. We are so near-sighted. Yet the queen of endurance, who is the most physically near-sighted person I’ve ever known, has the best vision of anyone I’ve ever known. She sees the joy that is coming at the end of the race.

In Hebrews 12 we read these encouraging words. Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Are you weary? Have you lost heart? Is your vision excessively near-sighted so that all you can see are the disabilities of life? Then refocus your eyes on the finish line. Someone who ran a much more difficult race is standing there waiting for you.  Start running your race of life with endurance. Jesus did. The queen does. You can.

Pastor John