Connecting Points

Monday, July 16, 2012

Today’s Topic: A Parent’s Privilege

Today’s Text:  Proverbs 1:8 (NIV) Listen, my son, to your father’s instruction and do not forsake your mother’s teaching.

We all had them. Many of us were them. Some of you are planning to be one.

The first recorded words of God to people were His blessing and commanded to become parents. Chronologically of course God had spoken to Adam prior to the creation of Eve, but in Scripture chronology takes a lesser role of priority to the revelation of God’s heart to man. His heart is for multiplication, and it is through the marriage of one man and one woman that His heart is to be expressed.

As parents and grandparents, our role is significant before the Lord. In his opening statements of wisdom, Solomon addresses his son and challenges him with the importance of listening to his father and mother. Inherent in that discussion is the reality that a parent’s instruction and teaching must be worthy of hearing and applying to a child’s life.

What are we teaching our kids? That question must burn deeply in our minds every day as we consider the awesome and eternal responsibility God has given us to instruct, teach, and train the next generation of Christ-followers.

A quick study of the two Hebrew words used in this verse is valuable for us. Dad is responsible for instruction and Mom brings teaching. Now I must say that this is not the only verse about parents in Proverbs, and it certainly cannot be taken as the whole counsel of God concerning the unique roles of mom and dad. But in this first reference to a parent’s responsibility, the literal meaning of the Hebrew words tells us that Dad is the enforcer of God’s law that mom has taught.

The word translated “instruction” means “chastisement”, and is translated as discipline, correction, and instruction. Dad, your role with your kids is to correct them when they are outside the boundaries of God’s will and to do so with the intent of training them to stay inside those boundaries.

Mom’s, your word “teach” is the Hebrew word for “law”. You will recognize it because it is the word “torah”. To moms God has given the responsibility of teaching the law of God to her children. That is not to say that dad doesn’t also have that responsibility. What it says is that between mom and dad there is a mutual understanding of and agreement with the law of God and they work together to train their children to know and serve the Almighty.

It is our privilege as parents to represent the Lord Jesus Christ to our children. It is our responsibility to teach them and train them through instruction and discipline to recognize the Lordship of Jesus Christ over their lives. We will fail at that if He is not Lord of our lives. Verbal instruction and teaching must be validated with visible activity.

Our kids are being taught whether we are saying anything to them or not. They learn mainly by observing.

So what are we teaching our kids?

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Friday, July 13, 2012

Today’s Topic: Healthy Fear

Today’s Text:  Proverbs 1:7 (ESV)  The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge; fools despise wisdom and instruction.

Friday the 13^th. Black cats crossing your path. Broken mirrors. Walking under ladders. These superstitions invoke fear in the hearts and minds of many people. Desperate people. Foolish people who are literally despising wisdom and instruction.

Fear is beneficial for us if properly acknowledged. Fear of being burned usually keeps us from touching fire yet the fire itself is beneficial to us as a source of heat, cooking, and more. Fear of falling and breaking bones keeps us from walking too close to the edge of a cliff – or at least it should, right Dennis? Every day in a variety of ways fear produces wisdom for decision-making.

It is this kind of fear that the Bible says is the beginning of knowledge and the key to wisdom. Proverbs 9:10 says, “The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and the knowledge of the Holy One is insight.” But we have changed the meaning of the word fear from what God intended us to understand. Our modern Christianity has simply defined the fear of the Lord as “wonder and awe.” I do not believe that is a complete and sufficient definition. Yes, God is awe-inspiring. He is to be revered. But He is also to be literally feared.

Let’s look at the words of Jesus concerning the type of fear we are to have of God. In Matthew 10:28 Jesus said,  And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. That’s more than just reverential awe, isn’t it? One of the thieves on the cross understood this when he turned to the other thief and said, “But the other rebuked him, saying, ‘Do you not fear God, since you are under the same sentence of condemnation?’” (Luke 23:40) The beginning of all wisdom, especially the wisdom of God that comes through His grace to bring us to salvation, starts with a very real fear of God’s justice and judgment. Those who are not saved by the blood of Jesus Christ which was shed as the payment for our sins on Calvary have never faced their fear of God in a healthy way. Rather than embracing it and seeking the grace of God, they have rejected God and His wisdom, thereby making themselves out to be fools.

For those who are saved, the wisdom that comes from a true fear of the Almighty Judge transforms our fear of judgment into a reverential awe of the One who saved us from all judgment by judging His Son Jesus on the cross in our place. But both parts of fear must remain.

In the book of Acts, as the early church was getting organized, a man named Barnabas sold some land and gave the proceeds to the Elders of the church. Seeing the recognition he got, Ananias and Saphira decided to sell some land and give the money to the Lord as well. Their intention was not to help the church, but to help themselves, so they gave only part of what they earned but claimed they had given it all. This lie to the Holy Spirit of God brought instant death to both of them – the judgment of God on sin in the church. As a result, Acts 5:11 says, “Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.”

The Greek word translated into English as “fear” in this verse is the word “phobos”, from which we get our English word phobia. It is literal fear, and it must continue to be a part of a healthy understanding of God even though now we have been saved from eternal judgment. He is our heavenly Father, and in His eternal love for us He is working to bring out His best in us. That requires discipline and training, and the fear of the Lord is the beginning of that training in wisdom. The fear of discipline is a Godly motivator.

So my challenge from Proverbs for today is this – restore a properly acknowledged and healthy fear of God based on His judgment and His grace, and embrace both as the wisdom that brings obedience.

Here’s what a friend said about this verse as he accepted the Proverbs challenge: We have lost our fear of the Lord.  Fear of the Lord should be a respectful, genuine fear of failing to please Him while also being aware of the consequences of disobeying Him.  If we listen (follow, obey) to the Lord, we will live in safety.  The ESV says we will live at ease, without dread of disaster.  Does that mean we will never experience disaster or harm? No.  It means we will not live in fear of it.  Rather, we will be at ease because we know our Lord will never leave us, nor forsake us.  He will faithfully supply ALL our needs.  Therefore, we need not be anxious about anything!  What an AWESOME GOD.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Today’s Topic: Proverbs Challenge

Today’s Text:  Proverbs 1:1-4 (NIV) ¹ The proverbs of Solomon son of David, king of Israel: ² for attaining wisdom and discipline; for understanding words of insight; ³ for acquiring a disciplined and prudent life, doing what is right and just and fair; ⁴ for giving prudence to the simple, knowledge and discretion to the young—

Twenty-one days ago I issued a challenge to you – to read one chapter of Proverbs every day for thirty-one days and write down one or two things in a daily journal that the Lord uses to renew and refresh you in your faith. I hope you accepted the challenge. Several of you are sending me your thoughts on a daily basis and I am being encouraged and blessed by what God is teaching you.

Beginning today, I want to share some of the things God is teaching me, and also share, with their permission, what others are writing as well. I am excited to see how God is going to use this study of Proverbs to deepen our faith and enrich our wisdom.

We begin at the beginning, which is always a good place to begin. I am the type of person that likes to know the goal before I start out on any adventure. God’s call of Abraham to simply go east would really be a test for me. I am thankful that Solomon sets forth the goal of Proverbs right at the beginning. He says that these proverbs have five primary purposes:

1. They are the learning center of wisdom and discipline;
2. They teach us how to think clearly;
3. They produce a God-honoring lifestyle;
4. They enhance one’s common sense;
5. And they help even the young to make good decisions.

WOW! Just think, by reading, studying, and applying these Proverbs to our lives we will tap into the eternal Source of all wisdom with the result being that our lives will become more disciplined; we will be able to think clearly about every circumstance in our lives; we will be transformed into people who obey God and love doing His will because we now understand our eternal purpose; we will no longer be simple-minded but be blessed with an abundance of common sense; and we will be confident in our ability to make good decisions no matter what the choice may be.

That sounds like the kind of person I want to be. How about you?

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Monday, July 09, 2012

Today’s Topic: Sawdust

Today’s Text:  Matthew 7:1-5 (NIV) ¹ “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. ² For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you. ³ “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? ⁴ How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? ⁵ You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

What a week. It may seem like a strange way to spend the Fourth of July week, but it was very fulfilling for me to be able to help my daughter and son-in-law begin the remodeling of the entire lower level of their home. From Monday afternoon until Saturday afternoon Brad and I spent every day, including the holiday, framing in the family room, den, office, bathroom, and storage areas in their 1400 square foot basement. Then we did all the plumbing for the bathroom, followed by the electrical wiring. We are very close to having it ready for sheetrock. What a great time we had together, and it was especially rewarding to be able to see immediate results for one’s labor.

During the week, there were numerous times while cutting or nailing boards that sawdust would end up in my eye. I immediately knew it was there. My finger would instinctively rise to the task of removing it. Not once did Brad have to tell me that I had something in my eye. I’m not sure I will ever need anyone to tell me that there is something in my eye. I may need help occasionally to remove it, but the knowledge of its presence is undeniable and un-ignorable. And when I do need help, I want someone with clear vision to assist me, because I treasure my eyes.

Yesterday I preached on this passage of Scripture from the Sermon on the Mount. But in all of my preparation and study I had not thought of this point until this morning as I reviewed these words of Jesus. People who have sin in their lives know it’s there; I don’t need to tell them it’s there. I know I have sin in my life, as do you, and until we deal with it we are not able to see clearly enough to help someone else with theirs. And when we do help them, because we can see clearly through eyes that have been cleansed by Christ, we will help them from a platform of love that motivates service rather than a position of pride that generates judgment.

Let me illustrate with this story:

Pastor Jud Wilhite shares the story of a church member named Cody Huff. Before Cody became a member at Central Christian Church in Las Vegas, he was sleeping in an open field next to the church. But at one time Cody was making loads of money as a famous bass pro fisherman who had even been featured on ESPN. Yet he couldn’t overcome his problem with drugs. He began a crack addiction that led him to smoke up $600,000 worth of savings, his house, his Harley, his new boat. He smoked away everything he had and ended up homeless. A man who had eaten at fine restaurants and interacted with celebrities had bottomed out and was now homeless.

But God would turn his life around—and it all started with the kindness of a church volunteer. Some people from the church’s homeless ministry were handing out sandwiches in the park where Cody slept, and they told him he could get a shower at Central Christian Church. The last place Cody wanted to go was a church, but he hadn’t bathed in so long that even other homeless men couldn’t stand his smell anymore. Cody explained what happened next:

I walked into the church, and this lady named Michelle, who knew me from the homeless ministry, said, “Good morning, Cody. How are you?” Then she looked at me, and she said, “Cody, you need a hug.” And I said, “Honey, you don’t want to touch me because I haven’t had a shower in 3 months.” If Michelle heard me, she didn’t seem to care. She walked up, and she looked in my eyes, and she gave me a big hug and told me that Jesus loved me. In that split second, I was somebody. She even remembered my name. That was the point where I knew that God was alive in this world.

Over the next several weeks, Cody’s life began to be restored. He gave his life to Christ. He started leading a Bible study in the park for other homeless people. “That was over 3 years ago,” Jud says. “Now he’s married, and he and his wife serve faithfully in our homeless ministry every weekend. He has his own business. From ashes, God has raised him up to use him as an instrument.” But his involvement in ministry all started with the warm embrace from one of the church’s greeters.

That’s what you do with sawdust – remove it from your own eyes, and trust that others are doing the same. And when they need help, shower them with love not criticism. That’s the Body of Christ at work – seeing the world through the eyes of a doctor not a judge.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Monday, July 02, 2012

 I am so thankful for the people who are participating in the Proverbs Challenge to read one chapter every day for 31 days and write down one key principle God teaches you from what your read each day. I am being richly blessed by reading what God is doing in your hearts and lives. Thank you for studying the Wisdom of God’s Word.

It’s not too late for you to get started, as this young lady did just yesterday. I share this with you as an encouragement to come away with Jesus every day and let the Holy Spirit teach you. She writes:

The verse I chose today is Proverbs 1:19

“Such are the ways of everyone who is greedy for unjust gain; it takes away the life of its possessors.”

I am a prideful person. I struggle with it. This verse struck me because of the words “unjust gain.” The past three weeks God has been refining me, breaking down me in order to build me up in Him. It has been great! I have been praying for months for Him to do something like this in me. But be careful what you pray for because God knows how much you can take and He’s not going to hold back to get you to where He wants you to be. It’s been difficult. I cried, I got mad, I self-pitied, and I tried to rationalize it out of my mind. But God held tight, sat me down like you do with a stubborn, misbehaving child, and told me to get off His pedestal.

 A definition of pedestal is “an architectural support for a column, statue, vase, or the like.” That is what I was trying to be for my life. I knew I was saved. I believed in what Christ has done for me, I was growing in Him, and I was learning so much about Him and what it looked like to live out the Christian life. But somewhere along the way I decided I was independent enough to support my own life. I became greedy. I was the person in the proverb who “is greedy for unjust gain.” I went so far as to take my salvation for granted and thought God was fortunate to save me. Haha! Well played Satan, but God always wins. Yes, I became prideful, but through all my sin, God still shown through! He was able to witness to the lost, build-up his children, and grow the people I was meeting with in His name, despite my selfish greed! GOD IS SO GOOD! I am absolutely BLOWN AWAY by His sovereignty, and power that exceeds all sin. He’s won me over again and again. He is my Savior! And I am saved by the grace that comes directly from Him, “founded solely on the work of the cross, totally apart from anything whatsoever in or from (me)” (Green Letters by Stanford). I am weak. I’ve always been weak, but now I’m listening. As a result, He’s on His pedestal again and I am on my knees in humble worship of His overwhelming grace and mercy.

In closing I have to chuckle at the verse of the day. You’ll see why… Romans 12:3

“For by the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think with sober judgment, each according to the measure of faith that God has assigned.”

Connecting Points

Tuesday, June 19, 2012

Today’s Topic: Vacation

Today’s Text:  Matthew 13:1-2 (NIV) ¹ That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat by the lake.
² Such large crowds gathered around him that he got into a boat and sat in it, while all the people stood on the shore.

There are some fabulous stories of ministry from the life of Jesus that took place at or on a lake. I love the introduction to this one, because it appears that Jesus was attempting to be solitary. The crowds didn’t permit it, but he left the house and went down to sit by the lake.

I have no major or even minor connecting points to make for you today. Only this: I’m going away for a while to sit by a lake. I will sit in a boat on the lake. I will not be surrounded by crowds of people, for they typically do not follow me. I will be surrounded by family…and a close friend. We will hopefully surround ourselves with fish.

While I am gone, I have an assignment for you. For the next 31 days (no, I won’t be gone that long) please read one chapter of Proverbs a day and choose one verse from each chapter that the Holy Spirit can use to have deeper access to your heart.

Then write down each day what God did and email it to me at pastorjohn@calvaryeauclaire.org

It will be our way of staying connected during the times I am gone, and you will be encouraging my heart as I see God at work in your life. I will be praying for you, and I promise that if only one of you actually does this that I will let God keep me focused on what He is doing in that one life rather than be discouraged by the number of people not doing it. Pray for me, as that won’t be easy.

When I get back, I will start sharing with you the verses God used to get deeper into my heart.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Monday, June 18, 2012

Today’s Topic: A Gruesome Reminder

Today’s Text:  Isaiah 66:22-24 (NIV) ²² “As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,” declares the LORD, “so will your name and descendants endure. ²³ From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,” says the LORD. ²⁴ “And they will go out and look upon the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; their worm will not die, nor will their fire be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”

Most of us would rather forget the painful experiences of our lives. We would rather not remember the things or the people that hurt us.  We prefer to be comfortable, and never go back to the darkness of death.

But as Isaiah closes out his book of prophecy, he declares the word of the LORD about the political and physical status of the earth during the millennial reign of Christ. All the enemies of Jesus have been conquered and put to death. The King of eternity has descended to the earth and taken His rightful place on the throne of Israel. All the people of the earth, from every tribe and nation, will come and bow down before Him. And as a part of their worship, they will go out and look upon death as a reminder to be faithful and obedient to God.

This is hard for us to accept. Why would Jesus allow the view of Hell to be open to all the people of His temporal Kingdom on earth? I do not presume in the slightest way to know the full answer to that question, but I do know this – the view of consequences is a great motivator and deterrent.

During the Millennial reign of Christ, the earth will be filled with finite human beings. You and I will be in our eternal bodies, not subject to the physical laws and limitations of creation. We will have already seen Christ in His eternal glory and so we will be like Him. 1 John 3:2 says, Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when he appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is. We who are in Christ in this present age will be raptured prior to the beginning of the next age – the great and glorious reign of Jesus Christ on the earth. Satan will be bound in the bottomless pit for a thousand years, and the earth will be at peace.

However, those people who are alive in the flesh during this time will still be subject to their free will, and will have the right to choose to obey the King or reject Him. The consequences of disobedience must be understood, and God requires everyone to see them. The gruesome reminder of rebellion against God will be constantly visible to all the people of the world.

We live in a time where consequences of rebellion against God are minimized rather than memorized. We intentionally choose to consider them inconsequential. We maximize the pleasure of the present while minimizing the probabilities of penalties. We succumb to the same temptation as Eve in the Garden of Eden – we choose to reject God’s truth that He alone is sufficient to satisfy every need of our lives and we choose to believe that such rejection will not result in death.

We have become very adept at eliminating the view of consequences of our sin. We are enamored with the pleasures and have erased the pain that has most certainly resulted from previous choices.

But God would have us constantly look at the consequences of sin. Yes, it is true that our love for God is what compels us to love and serve Him, but true love for God requires a complete view of who He is, and He has shown us that there is justice and condemnation for all who disobey Him. This is the constant fear that is healthy for all His followers. Such fear elevates grace to the highest place of praise, for without God’s love for us we too would be subject to condemnation and death. It is by keeping the consequences of sin ever before us that we appreciate the grace of God more and more.

My friends, do not forget the reality of Hell. Do not refuse to believe in the finality and eternity of punishment for sin. Do not think that because you are saved by His blood that you are not subject to His loving hand of discipline (Hebrews 12:4-13 see footnote). The visible consequences of sin are a gift of God’s grace. Embrace the view of them, for in them is found the love of God.

Pastor John

Hebrews 12:4-13 (NIV)
⁴ In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood.
⁵ And you have forgotten that word of encouragement that addresses you as sons: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
⁶ because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son.”
⁷ Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?
⁸ If you are not disciplined (and everyone undergoes discipline), then you are illegitimate children and not true sons.
⁹ Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of our spirits and live!
¹⁰ Our fathers disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness.
¹¹ No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.
¹² Therefore, strengthen your feeble arms and weak knees.
¹³ “Make level paths for your feet,” so that the lame may not be disabled, but rather healed.

Connecting Points

Friday, June 15, 2012

Today’s Topic: The Most Test

Today’s Text:  Isaiah 66:13 (NIV)  As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you; and you will be comforted over Jerusalem.

The Internet is amazing. Literally billions of people networked together on an information superhighway. In fact, just this morning, I spoke by video using Skype to Dudley and Inge Donaldson in Swaziland, Africa. That was the first time they were able to get it to work, and it was such a blessing. For any of you that have Skype, the best time to communicate with them will be between 2 and 3 PM Central Daylight Time.

But the Internet cannot be compared to the network of life that was created by and is managed by Almighty God. The last 36 hours have testified to God’s amazing network in my own life. Here is a summary of events that actually started four weeks ago, although in reality it has been in place in the heart of God since before the foundations of the world.

• I attended the Moody Pastor’s Conference
• I was led in worship by a music group called This Hope
• I heard a song they sang

Now fast forward to yesterday morning at 1:45 AM. I received a phone call from a scared new daddy. His son had been born six hours earlier, but a serious issue with the baby’s lungs was resulting in a helicopter flight to Mayo Hospital in Rochester. He called for prayer. I prayed with him.

Now, if you remember Tuesday’s devotional about doing the least or the most, you will know that at that moment I had a choice. The least I could do was pray for him. But is that what God was calling me to do? Of course not! So I spent the next hour in prayer and Scripture for this precious baby and for his parents. I asked the Lord to inform me when His perfect timing was right for me to leave for Rochester to be with the dad and the baby. Here is the summary of what took place next:

• I left my house at 3:30 AM, driving to Kwik Trip for coffee. On the way I stopped by the Great Harvest Bread store to tell my son to be praying. He wasn’t there yet, but the two early morning bakers were, and I informed them of what was going on. God is already using that to minister to their hearts.
• As I drove, I played the CD of This Hope I had purchased at Moody. I did not know what was wrong with the baby yet, and was seeking God’s comfort for my own heart as my mind replayed previous experiences I have had like this. I replayed song #9 over and over again and tried to keep my eyes dry of tears so I could see the road and any deer. Three times they ran across the road in front of me and the Lord protected me each time. Song #9 is entitled God of the Storm, and the lyrics go like this:

Like thunder in my day it comes / The doctor’s words just leave me numb / With pounding heart I wonder what I’ll do /  Doubts begin to cloud the way / Will I ever be the same / Father I’m scared and I need you / Though I’m weak and the storm rages on / I know my God is strong / When the thundering trials shake me / When troubles crash and rage / I will trust the Master of the rain/ He’s God of the storm / Lord of the rain / Though I may fear / His refuge remains / He’s God of the storm / His power displayed / Trials will come / I will trust Him the same / He’s God of the storm.

• God had put that song in my heart four weeks earlier knowing that I would need it for this day. Like I said, His network of life is AWESOME!
• I arrived at the hospital at 5:30 AM, and no one was at the welcome desk. As I picked up the phone to call the operator for information, the baby’s dad and grandma walked around the corner into the lobby. God’s perfect timing. He is God of the storm, and of every other time in our lives as well.
• On the way home I put in the other CD I had purchased at Moody. I came to song #9 on this one, and was again overwhelmed with the lyrics God had prepared in the song Rest My Child:.

A newborn babies cry / A mother’s heart is asking why / As worried doctors rush to help her son / What will the future hold / How will this challenged life unfold / Now all that she can see are dream undone / And as her spirit quakes / She hears the One who can calm all fears / Rest my child / I am here to hold you / I am what you need for life’s dark hour / Rest my child / Lay your cares upon me / I am always by your side / So rest my child.

• I prayed for the baby’s mom. Last night I got this word from the daddy – “Emmett had a little rough patch this afternoon with his breathing, but as soon as mommy showed up they cuddled and he did beautifully. Praise the Lord!”
• As I read that I could hear mommy whispering to the baby, Rest my child, I am here to hold you; I am what you need for life’s dark hour…

“As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you,” says the Lord. He is here to hold you in life’s darkest hour. He has networked all of life together to be a display of His love for you and His power on your behalf. You can trust Him!

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Tuesday, June 12, 2012

Today’s Topic: The Most I Can Do

Today’s Text:  Isaiah 66:12a (NIV)  For this is what the LORD says: “I will extend peace to her like a river, and the wealth of nations like a flooding stream;

Oh the joys of grandparenting. Last night we had the privilege of having two of our grandsons for a sleepover. Their arrival at our home was an instant boost. Their eyes gush with love and admiration, and it melts my heart. Their playfulness re-energizes me, even though I’m already old enough to be outrun by a three-year old…almost.

They arrived late, so it was off to bed right away. They were both tired and fast asleep within minutes. The oldest one rose at 6:40 am and we took some time to talk on the couch while grandma and his brother slept a little longer. When grandma got up and got dressed, it was my turn to go shower and shave and prepare for a day of ministry. I was a little sad that I wouldn’t be there to spend more time with them, but grandma has a great plan for their day.

When I finished dressing I started to make the bed, knowing that grandma was busy with the boys in the kitchen. There was an instant flash of the flesh that said I was too busy to make the bed and I should get going to work. I quelled that thought immediately, and continued to get the bedroom in order. Then another thought came to my mind – This is the least I could do for her. I was overwhelmed at that moment with a total distaste for that statement. Why do we say it, and what makes us think that it’s a good thing to only do the least that we could for someone?

I started to think about that statement in relationship to what God does for me. What if He only did the least He could do? As I thought about it I found myself doing a little bit extra straightening of the comforter and pillows on the bed. I looked around the room for anything else that needed to be picked up or put away. As I left the house and move the car seats from my vehicle to my wife’s, I did so with extra care and precision, buckling them firmly in place to protect those precious lives.

I started thinking about what God promises to do for His people in Isaiah 66, and how He would never do the least He could do, but will go beyond what is expected or even deserved. As I read verses 12 through 21 again I saw so much more than the least God could do. I saw Him granting peace and wealth. I saw the people flourishing not just surviving. I saw God extending Himself beyond anything He had ever done before to bring people who had never heard of Him to the place of eternal worship. I saw Him extending grace to “newbies” in the Kingdom by promoting them to positions of priesthood. He did far more than the least He could do.

Then I was reminded of one of my favorite words from the Bible – a word used in 1 John 3:1, where it says, How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him. When God loved us it was not with the least love He could give – He LAVISHED His love on us. He could have extended just enough love to forgive us so we could have access to eternal life. But instead He lavished His love on us so that we could be called His children, with full rights of inheritance of all things with His Son Jesus.

I choose to live my life that way. Never again will I intentionally do the least I could do for someone. Never again will I allow my selfish desires to influence the expression of the love of God to others. From this day forward, I want my life to be lived lavishly – not in the materialistic way many choose to bring honor to themselves, but with the heart of a servant Savior who lavished His love on me. I will not settle for doing the least I could do. I will serve them to the full extent of God’s love that was lavished on me.

Pastor John

Connecting Points

Monday, June 11, 2012

Today’s Topic: Danger of Compromise

Today’s Text:  Isaiah 66:17 (NIV) “Those who consecrate and purify themselves to go into the gardens, following the one in the midst of those who eat the flesh of pigs and rats and other abominable things–they will meet their end together,” declares the LORD.

It’s not just because this is Monday. I know it’s not the Monday morning blues. It goes much deeper than that. It goes to the very core of my being as I stand before my awesome and holy God. My soul continues to be overwhelmed with a burden for the souls of people who are lost in their sin and are moving rapidly towards eternal death.

Again this morning I read the entire sixty-sixth chapter of Isaiah. In this concluding chapter God is explaining the final separation of the righteous from the unrighteous – the righteous into His presence on the new earth that will endure forever (66:22), and the unrighteous into eternal punishment (66:24). The judgment of God on the unrighteous will be severe, beginning with the harsh treatment of verse 4, to His fury of verse 14, and His fire and sword of verse 16.

But what I am most burdened with is God’s statement in verse 17. I am burdened because it describes good-willed people with religious inclinations and spiritual values who are included in God’s judgment. These are people who have put on an outward appearance of spiritual life, and who participate in religious traditions and sacraments, but on the inside are still lost in their sin.

Every day I am confronted with connections to people who are trusting in the wrong things for their security. They trust their goodness, reminding others that they are a good person. They trust their success, displaying their abilities to the world around them. They trust their wealth, building bigger and bigger kingdoms to their own credit. They even trust their churches, seeking to find spiritual security in their obedience to the sacred duties declared by their leaders to be necessary to earn the approval of God.

But their hearts are unchanged from their conceived condition of sin. As a result, in one of the most painful and heart-wrenching statements God ever makes, they will meet their end in the same way as those who absolutely rejected anything to do with God and His Son Jesus. The one who did their spiritual duty will be condemned right alongside of the one who did abominable things. Oh how that breaks my heart!

But it goes even deeper. I wonder how many there are in my own church, and in my own family, who are trusting in a man-made, man-honoring religious exterior when in reality their heart has never been transformed by the power of the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord? I am concerned that there are people sitting under my preaching every week who are going through the spiritual motions of faith but are walking through life following those who are doing abominable things.

My friends, the Scriptures are very clear – there is only One Way to eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. His death and resurrection are the only qualifier for eternal life. And those who have repented of their sin and been forgiven by faith in the work of Jesus Christ on the cross not only must not, but in reality cannot go back to a life of sin and compromise with the world. The warnings of the Apostle John are clear:

1 John 2:15-17 (NIV)
¹⁵ Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. ¹⁶ For everything in the world–the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does–comes not from the Father but from the world. ¹⁷ The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

And again the Holy Spirit speaks through John and says:

1 John 3:9 (NIV)
⁹ No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God’s seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God.

Oh dear people, we must declare boldly whom we will serve. Will we serve ourselves and seek acceptance with the world, or will we serve the Savior and forfeit the world of today for the eternal world that is coming? There can be no compromise. You cannot serve both because you cannot love both. Make your choice carefully. It is the product of what you choose to love. Make your choice carefully. It has eternal consequence.