Sunday, February 24, 2013
Indicators of what hold value to us
Time and money are both indicators of what is important to us. Without words people gauge what is important to you by what you spend your time and money on. We can say we care but until we actually take time out of a busy schedule just how much we care will always be questioned by others. If a relationship is important to you then you take time to develop that relationship and the things that are important to that individual are important to you. These principles are also true with you relationship with God. Do you tithe? What about ministry – do you volunteer at church? Do you help the needy and those who are struggling? Do you do these things in spite of your circumstances or schedule? Did you know an indicator of our spiritual condition is our checkbook? Our family was invited to a Bar Mitzvah this past Saturday and as we sat through the three parts of the morning service, Shachartit, the Torah reading, and Musaf I was reminded of the Old Testament when God told Israel to do certain things and specifically how and when to do them. It had less to do with what they felt like and more to do with doing it because it was important to them. Today, like Israel, we have been given direction from God through His Word, the leading of His Holy Spirit, our life of worship, prayer, and study. We don’t do these things because we feel like it. Don’t misunderstand many, many times I love to do these things because it brings me closer to God but what about when I don’t feel like doing them do I simply stop? What kind of life would that be? My son spends a lot of time working out and training, regardless of being hit by a car almost a year ago he is one of the most physically fit people I know. Ask him where he would be if he only trained when he felt like it. The same is true of the spiritual life, you see feeding and exercising your spirit are just as important as feeding and exercising your physical body, no even more so because one day this physical being, in spite of all we do to remain healthy, will pass away but God has made our spirit man to be eternal – to be with Him in glory. The Bible has much to say about money and the time Jesus spent with His disciples was hard to understand from the time He called Peter and Andrew out of their boat to be fishers of men until He returned to His Father. By reading about Jesus’ ministry and then seeing His departure into Heaven we know the things that were important to Jesus became important to those He spent time with. Like money our time is limited so we choose carefully where it goes. I have friends that are important to me but those relationships are not as important as my relationship with my wife but that doesn’t mean I don’t make time to develop those friendships. Often my friends are those I come in contact with on a regular basis and have the same interests as I do but even then there has to be an understanding between us. My obligations as Christian, husband, and father come first and they must respect my choices but if I offer more excuses than time at some point the expectation of importance at the level of friendship falls below the threshold of value and they fall away.
Friday, February 22, 2013
A God-filled life is a balanced one
Romans 2
How do you warn people they are on the wrong path without sounding like you are condemning them? Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. It would be much easier to avoid issues that are so sensitive but by avoiding them or going out of the way to accept a corrupt life style you maybe judged as harshly as the self-righteous one who condemns. For neither one has loved with God’s love. By avoiding a confrontation you hide the truth, the truth that one day all men will stand before a righteous God, who sits on the throne of judgment and it is this moment that we have been given to come to Him through His Son Jesus Christ by our own choosing, as His Holy Spirit leads us. For if not this day, then a day will come when every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord but if you wait until then it will be too late. Tell the truth in love and share your story about how you, like them are helplessly lost without God in your life. It was because of God’s great mercy that all people are offered salvation no matter what they have done but you cannot follow Jesus and still hold onto a life of sin. Jesus said this (Matthew 6:24) “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” The same is true for righteousness and unrighteousness you cannot serve them both; you cannot walk the fence line reaping the best of both worlds. If you want eternal life then Jesus must be your only choice. With me this is true when I choose self-righteousness it is because I want to be in control. No doubt it is difficult following the unseen and it is humbling stepping in the footstep before me. Self wants to see what is down the road a mile or two, not a single foot print but that is not what God has planned. Hebrews 11:6 (NLT) “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.” It is through faith that we learn of God’s great love for us and it is faith that tells God we love and trust Him. So the next time you see someone walking a tight rope high above the ground and someone says I wish I could do that tell them, “you can”.
How do you warn people they are on the wrong path without sounding like you are condemning them? Love God with all your heart, soul, and mind. It would be much easier to avoid issues that are so sensitive but by avoiding them or going out of the way to accept a corrupt life style you maybe judged as harshly as the self-righteous one who condemns. For neither one has loved with God’s love. By avoiding a confrontation you hide the truth, the truth that one day all men will stand before a righteous God, who sits on the throne of judgment and it is this moment that we have been given to come to Him through His Son Jesus Christ by our own choosing, as His Holy Spirit leads us. For if not this day, then a day will come when every tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord but if you wait until then it will be too late. Tell the truth in love and share your story about how you, like them are helplessly lost without God in your life. It was because of God’s great mercy that all people are offered salvation no matter what they have done but you cannot follow Jesus and still hold onto a life of sin. Jesus said this (Matthew 6:24) “No one can serve two masters. For you will hate one and love the other; you will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” The same is true for righteousness and unrighteousness you cannot serve them both; you cannot walk the fence line reaping the best of both worlds. If you want eternal life then Jesus must be your only choice. With me this is true when I choose self-righteousness it is because I want to be in control. No doubt it is difficult following the unseen and it is humbling stepping in the footstep before me. Self wants to see what is down the road a mile or two, not a single foot print but that is not what God has planned. Hebrews 11:6 (NLT) “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to Him must believe that God exists and that He rewards those who sincerely seek Him.” It is through faith that we learn of God’s great love for us and it is faith that tells God we love and trust Him. So the next time you see someone walking a tight rope high above the ground and someone says I wish I could do that tell them, “you can”.
Thursday, February 21, 2013
Gay Rights?
(Romans 1:26-32 NLT) That is why God abandoned them to their shameful desires. Even the women turned against the natural way to have sex and instead indulged in sex with each other. And the men, instead of having normal sexual relations with women, burned with lust for each other. Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved. Since they thought it foolish to acknowledge God, He abandoned them to their foolish thinking and let them do things that should never be done. Their lives became full of every kind of wickedness, sin, greed, hate, envy, murder, quarreling, deception, malicious behavior, and gossip. They are backstabbers, haters of God, insolent, proud, and boastful. They invent new ways of sinning, and they disobey their parents. They refuse to understand, break their promises, are heartless, and have no mercy. They know God's justice requires that those who do these things deserve to die, yet they do them anyway. Worse yet, they encourage others to do them, too.
To say you were born to be gay and have lustful desires for the same sex is to call God a liar. Paul clearly points out these desires come from a heart that has set itself against God, denying the Creator the worship that belongs to Him alone in spite of the evidence God has placed before them that He alone is God. Society today is struggling even to know right from wrong and America is paying the price. It’s not just a matter of live and let live but as Congress continues to bend so all groups might have equal rights those who fear God are paying taxes to a government that uses those funds to support sin. I’ve seen gay “pastors” leading gay churches with the idea that God loves all equally therefore because they are born this way and it’s no longer a choice of sin but something the Creator bestowed upon them they have no choice but to “serve” God as they are, no even rejoice in their perversion. God does not call men or women to service He calls us to repentance, only those who are His children are called to serve Him. Paul said, “Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.” Does this not sound like sickness and disease? All because of a reprobate mind that would not acknowledge God or His plan for their lives. Sin is sin therefore telling a “little white lie” or lusting after someone of the same sex both separate us from God. Romans 3:23 “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (NLT). We are all in need of a Savior because we cannot save ourselves and God planned it this way and that is good but we must acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior and when we do we must turn from our bad decisions admitting that He knows better than us how we might live. They only difference between what we would label a little sin and a big sin is the condition of our hearts. While we start out sinning “little” God’s voice can still be heard, the more we sin the harder our hearts become which means the less we are able to hear Him calling us from the darkness. Once it is clear we can no longer hear Him that is when He allows us to do as we wish but even then all is not lost because once we hit bottom we have one last chance to take His hand. So gays and lesbians continue to fight for equal rights for there will be those who stand for what is right and true but know this the further you press the harder it is to turn to God, not because God has changed His mind about you but because you have seared your own hearts with the hot iron of willful sin. I do not condemn you, you condemn yourselves so again I remind you, we all sin and no sin is too big for God, the Bible tells us His grace is sufficient for all and even Paul referred to himself as the chief sinner (1 Timothy 1:15) which I can relate. Maybe even worse than lusting after the same sex is self-righteousness, how ugly that must be in God’s eyes. It is not which sin that separates us from God but the fact we are separate from God. Hear this, we have but one choice for salvation and to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior means we must abandon our ways for His for by no other way may we come to the Father.
To say you were born to be gay and have lustful desires for the same sex is to call God a liar. Paul clearly points out these desires come from a heart that has set itself against God, denying the Creator the worship that belongs to Him alone in spite of the evidence God has placed before them that He alone is God. Society today is struggling even to know right from wrong and America is paying the price. It’s not just a matter of live and let live but as Congress continues to bend so all groups might have equal rights those who fear God are paying taxes to a government that uses those funds to support sin. I’ve seen gay “pastors” leading gay churches with the idea that God loves all equally therefore because they are born this way and it’s no longer a choice of sin but something the Creator bestowed upon them they have no choice but to “serve” God as they are, no even rejoice in their perversion. God does not call men or women to service He calls us to repentance, only those who are His children are called to serve Him. Paul said, “Men did shameful things with other men, and as a result of this sin, they suffered within themselves the penalty they deserved.” Does this not sound like sickness and disease? All because of a reprobate mind that would not acknowledge God or His plan for their lives. Sin is sin therefore telling a “little white lie” or lusting after someone of the same sex both separate us from God. Romans 3:23 “For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.” (NLT). We are all in need of a Savior because we cannot save ourselves and God planned it this way and that is good but we must acknowledge Him as Lord and Savior and when we do we must turn from our bad decisions admitting that He knows better than us how we might live. They only difference between what we would label a little sin and a big sin is the condition of our hearts. While we start out sinning “little” God’s voice can still be heard, the more we sin the harder our hearts become which means the less we are able to hear Him calling us from the darkness. Once it is clear we can no longer hear Him that is when He allows us to do as we wish but even then all is not lost because once we hit bottom we have one last chance to take His hand. So gays and lesbians continue to fight for equal rights for there will be those who stand for what is right and true but know this the further you press the harder it is to turn to God, not because God has changed His mind about you but because you have seared your own hearts with the hot iron of willful sin. I do not condemn you, you condemn yourselves so again I remind you, we all sin and no sin is too big for God, the Bible tells us His grace is sufficient for all and even Paul referred to himself as the chief sinner (1 Timothy 1:15) which I can relate. Maybe even worse than lusting after the same sex is self-righteousness, how ugly that must be in God’s eyes. It is not which sin that separates us from God but the fact we are separate from God. Hear this, we have but one choice for salvation and to accept Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior means we must abandon our ways for His for by no other way may we come to the Father.
Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Predetermined
(Acts 17:26 NLT) From one man He created all the nations throughout the whole earth. He decided beforehand when they should rise and fall, and He determined their boundaries.
Paul taught those who did not know of Jesus, Paul taught them of the things Jesus did, where He came from, and what His purpose was but Paul also taught just how fragile we are and how we do not belong to ourselves anymore. Now that Jesus completed His work here on earth the time of accountability has come. Paul was not the enemy so many saw him as but rather a watchman telling others of the choice that has come before them because they could not see for themselves. In that he served God by serving people, even to the point of being stoned. However, God knows each one intimately and He knows how much we can handle. Some will break on the Rock of Jesus Christ like waves breaking on a rocky shore, while others will drift aimlessly, yet others will build their house upon this Rock and their foundation will be sure. What happens to us if we come face to face with ultimate Truth yet choose the lie we have told ourselves? Will our soul not perish? What hope can we hope upon if we deny the Living God! As hard as it is for us to hear God has decided beforehand when and who shall rise and fall and He knows what will make us stronger or cause us to turn from Him. Some will not accept this but it is only because they cannot come to terms with the ideal that we are as babes trying to understand the mathematical theories of Albert Einstein. Who is man that he should think the ways of God are within our reach to understand and if that be the case how do we justify arguing with God about what is right? Even after the Jews leaders killed Jesus, even after He rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven, even after Jesus’ disciples received the Holy Spirit and began healing others as their teacher did these same leaders still wanted to kill those who opposed them. Yes it would have been difficult to accept that they wrongfully killed God’s Son but by not doing this they condemned themselves throughout all eternity and there are those today that do the same.
Paul taught those who did not know of Jesus, Paul taught them of the things Jesus did, where He came from, and what His purpose was but Paul also taught just how fragile we are and how we do not belong to ourselves anymore. Now that Jesus completed His work here on earth the time of accountability has come. Paul was not the enemy so many saw him as but rather a watchman telling others of the choice that has come before them because they could not see for themselves. In that he served God by serving people, even to the point of being stoned. However, God knows each one intimately and He knows how much we can handle. Some will break on the Rock of Jesus Christ like waves breaking on a rocky shore, while others will drift aimlessly, yet others will build their house upon this Rock and their foundation will be sure. What happens to us if we come face to face with ultimate Truth yet choose the lie we have told ourselves? Will our soul not perish? What hope can we hope upon if we deny the Living God! As hard as it is for us to hear God has decided beforehand when and who shall rise and fall and He knows what will make us stronger or cause us to turn from Him. Some will not accept this but it is only because they cannot come to terms with the ideal that we are as babes trying to understand the mathematical theories of Albert Einstein. Who is man that he should think the ways of God are within our reach to understand and if that be the case how do we justify arguing with God about what is right? Even after the Jews leaders killed Jesus, even after He rose from the dead and ascended into Heaven, even after Jesus’ disciples received the Holy Spirit and began healing others as their teacher did these same leaders still wanted to kill those who opposed them. Yes it would have been difficult to accept that they wrongfully killed God’s Son but by not doing this they condemned themselves throughout all eternity and there are those today that do the same.
Tuesday, February 12, 2013
Isaac’s Trial, A Father’s Test
Everything can change has been my theme since the criminal trial was set for the person who made the mistake of falling asleep at the wheel and hit Isaac while he was training for a bicycle race before school on March 20th. God has quietly been asking, “Will you part with your treasure?” What will I give up to hold on to my dreams? Instead of hesitating I should throw it all away and run to my Heavenly Father! For I was saved so that I may be set free, free from leaning on myself, free from the chains of sin that have seemingly latched on. Am I afraid of my state of being if I give all to God? I thought I did give all to God, it’s funny how as we give of ourselves more is required as if we are being led somewhere. Does God call me to hoard or feed the poor? Will I come into the light with joyful obedience or will I reserve pieces of my heart for my own purposes and remain hidden behind this fig leaf? Like Abraham with Isaac I too am hoping God will provide as He did that day with a ram caught in the thicket. The overwhelming sense inside is telling me to just let go. Lord, lead me this day. I know to hear you clearly I must come into Your presence with open hands, leaving my pile of trinkets, knowingly sacrificing my stuff for real treasure. You sent your Son to die so that I may have communion with You; my life is in You alone. Meet me Lord as I step out in faith and show my boys that You are the hero we all are looking for. My God is a strong tower and to Him will I run!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)