Born to Die

It's hard to believe, but Christmas is only 28 days away. By now most of us have started decorating our houses and have put up the Christmas tree.

In our house we like to decorate early.  We usually put the tree up and decorate the inside of the house the Saturday after Halloween, but with being sick and then trying to get ready for family coming we never got around to it until last night.

As we got out the big box that holds our tree, the girls started separating the branches by size so that we could put the tree together. As my middle daughter would pick up a branch to bring it to me she would wave it in the air and say, "Hosanna, Hosanna". She did this with every single branch.

Now of course we recognize waving palm branches and shouting "Hosanna" as part of the Palm Sunday/Easter Celebration. But as I thought about what she was doing I had this thought:

The reason for Christmas is irrevocably linked to the redemption of our sins. Bethlehem’s baby only makes sense in light of Calvary’s crucified Savior. 

The Apostle Paul captured the essence of the Incarnation when he wrote in 1 Timothy 1:15: “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners-of whom I am the worst.”

So as you enjoy this Christmas season with all the lights and decorations. Remember that the birth we celebrate is the birth of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ.

He was born to die!

God Is Still God

Well, we have elected a president and here are some of the things I have been reading on FaceBook today.

"I am sick today..I am so disappointed that we do not have a new President"

"It's a sad day for America"

"We will mourn for America tonight"

"So sad and disappointing"

In light of all this I would like to consider the following verse:

Psalms 42:11 - Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why have you become disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall yet praise Him, The help of my countenance and my God.

Here is what I know to be true and will always be true regardless of your political views.

1. God will still be on His throne

Psalms 47:8 - God reigns over the nations, God sits on His holy throne.

  

2. The Bible will still have all the answers to every problem.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work.

2 Peter 1:3 - His divine power has granted to us everything pertaining to life and godliness, through the true knowledge of Him who called us by His own glory and excellence.

  

3. Prayer will still make a difference and God will still answer prayer.

1 John 5:14-15 - This is the confidence which we have before Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us in whatever we ask, we know that we have the requests which we have asked from Him.

Jeremiah 33:3 - Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.

4. The cross, not the government, will still be our salvation.

Psalms 62:1-2 - My soul waits in silence for God only; From Him is my salvation. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be greatly shaken.

Psalms 62:5-11 - My soul, wait in silence for God only, For my hope is from Him. He only is my rock and my salvation, My stronghold; I shall not be shaken. On God my salvation and my glory rest; The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people; Pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. Men of low degree are only vanity and men of rank are a lie; In the balances they go up; They are together lighter than breath. Do not trust in oppression And do not vainly hope in robbery; If riches increase, do not set your heart upon them. Once God has spoken; Twice I have heard this: That power belongs to God.

  

5. God will still be with us always - He will never leave us or forsake us.

Joshua 1:9 - Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous! Do not tremble or be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go.

Hebrews 13:5-6 - Make sure that your character is free from the love of money, being content with what you have; for He Himself has said, "I will never desert you, nor will I ever forsake you," so that we confidently say, "the Lord is my helper, I will not be afraid. What will man do to me?"

Again I remind you of Psalms 20:7 - Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the LORD our God.

Where do you place your trust, in government or in God?

You think about that.

Vote Your Values

Over the past few months we have been bombarded with political ads telling us way we should or should not vote for a certain candidate. Usually these ads tell us very little about what the candidate stands for it only tells us why they think we should not vote for the other candidate.

Then there is the debates. We have had three opportunities to see the two presidential candidates debate the issues with one another, but this usually turns into just another political ad telling us why they think we should not vote for the other candidate.

There are so many issues out there that people are concerned. The economy, health insurance, jobs, these are just a few. And though I believe  they are important issues, I do not trust any man or woman with my future. I chose rather to trust God with my future.

As a Christian I chose to vote my values. I chose to stand on the principles and standard found in the Word of God and cast my vote for the candidate that most closely aligns with those values. Now I understand that no one is perfect and no matter who I vote for they will probably make mistakes along the way. But I would rather vote based on my values as a Christian and leave the economy to God. After all He knows best anyway and He has never let me down.

Maybe some of you have already participated in early voting, I did just this morning. If you haven't voted yet, watch this video and VOTE YOUR VALUES!

A Hunger and Thirst for God

Since I have started training for my marathon, I have really enjoyed running. I wake up most mornings looking forward to my run. My running schedule this week should have been as follows:

Monday - 5 miles
Tuesday - 8 miles
Wednesday - 5 miles
Friday - 16 miles

But since I was unable to run on Monday it left me to run 5 miles on Tuesday. I then came down sick Tuesday night and Wednesday and therefore did not run on Wednesday. I also did not run make it up on Thursday as I was still recovering from being sick.

All of that said I was not looking forward to running this morning, but I knew it was the right thing to do. I knew that if I put it off I might not get back to it again.

Was it easy to get up and run this morning? Certainly not! Were there times during the run that I wanted to turn around and go home before I had finished the 16 miles? Absolutely. But I did not quit! I finished the 16 miles and I am glad I did.

This got me to thinking how many times our walk with God might be the same way.

We miss a few days with God in His Word or communicating with Him through prayer and even though we know it is the right thing to do and we will be better off for it, it's hard to get back in the habit again. The longer we go the less hunger for God's Word we become.

I want to be like the person described in Psalms 42:1-2 As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God?

Stay hungry and thirsty for God. And if it's been a few days, don't quit. Get back in the Word!

Reaffirming your commitment

This year a couple in our church celebrated 15 years of marriage and tomorrow they will reaffirm their commitment to each other by renewing their wedding vows. 

This got me thinking about the commitments we make to God. How many times have we said, "God I promise..." or "God I am committed to..." only to find that those commitments fade and we forget about about the promises made.

Maybe it's time to reaffirm your commitment to God today.

Psalms 37:4-6 says, Delight yourself in the Lord; and He will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He will do it. He will bring forth your righteousness as the light and your judgment as the noonday.

Proverbs 3:5-6 says, Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight.

Commit all your ways to God and trust Him to do what is best. He always will!

What are you Expecting?

Disappointment – we all know the feeling of frustrated expectations. We want life to unfold in a certain way, but circumstances refuse to cooperate. God doesn't do what we hoped He would do. He could open a door; instead he sends a detour. What will we do? 

Maybe we begin to play church, pretending to follow God and His ways. Our love for the Lord may grow cold. We may drift, finding faith irrelevant to daily living. 

Whatever the cause and whichever path we follow, part of the solution is to consider how God’s detours lead us to places more glorious than we ever imagined. 

Consider how the people responded when they were finally introduced to the long waited Messiah.

In John 1:29 John see Jesus coming and says, "Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world." In essence John is saying, “You have been looking for the Messiah, well here He is.” 

But as we read through the gospels we see that Jesus, the Messiah,  was rejected time and time again.

The people wanted a Messiah. But a Lamb was not what they expected. They wanted a savior for their success, not a Savior from their sins.

God did not provide what the Jews expected and they rejected the Messiah. 

What doors are you expecting God to open? How will you respond when He sends a detour?

The Easy Yoke

Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.  (Matthew 11:28-30  NASB)

The yoke was apart of the plow that two oxen put their heads in to pull the plow.

How many of you feel like you are pulling the plow by yourself? Maybe you are.

If you feel tired in your walk with the Lord, maybe you need to be yoked together with Jesus. When you are yoked together with Jesus, He does most of the pulling and you will find rest.

Jesus says, " Take My yoke upon you and...YOU WILL FIND REST FOR YOUR SOULS ."

Don't bear the burdens you were never meant to bear alone. Let Jesus bear your burdens and receive the rest He offers.

Endurance for Running

Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.

Hebrews 12:1-2

These verses were running through my mind this morning during my 9 mile run. Some of you know that I am training to run a marathon. As I thought of these verses this morning, I couldn't help but think of the many comparisons between physical running and spiritual running.

1. We must run unhindered.

"...let us also lay aside every encumbrance and the sin which so easily entangles us..."

When I decided I was going to run again, I went out and bought some really nice, light weight running shoes, some light weight running shorts and shirts. I didn't want any extra weight to slow me down while I was running. 

In our spiritual race we must make sure that we get rid of the things that slow is down and keep us from running the way God intended. That certainly involves getting rid of the sin in our lives, but it also means that anything, even "good things", which distract us from being all that God wants us to be.

2. We must have endurance.

"...let us run with endurance the race that is set before us..."

A marathon is 26.2 miles. The longest I have run in my training is 9 miles, but  if I go out and sprint the first mile, I will never be able to finish the race, not the best I can anyway. I need to slow my pace down and run to finish well.

In our spiritual race it is not about starting the race well, but finishing well. Often times when we first come to Christ we are very excited, but if we are not careful, we lose the excitement and do not finish the race well.

3. We must keep our eyes on Jesus.

"...fixing our eyes on Jesus..."

While I run, I wear a GPS watch. This helps me to know how far I have run, how long I have been running, and what pace I am running. This goes back to the endurance aspect. I am able to run and run well if I can stay on pace.

In John chapter 1 Jesus is referred to as "The Word" and in Psalms 119:105 it tells us that the Word is a "lamp" and a "light". Keeping our eyes on Jesus helps us to stay on the right path and run the right pace. 


It is important to me to run well, both physically and spiritually. 

How are you running your race?

A Party in Heaven

This past Saturday I took all three of my girls to Chick-fil-a. It was a daddy daughter date for lunch. After they ate they all three got a balloon. On the way out to the car I said to them, "Hold on tight to your balloon's, if you let them go I  can't get it back." One of my daughters quickly spoke up and said, "That's ok, they'll just go up to heaven for the party."

I thought about that for a while, a party in heaven!

You know, there are so many things about heaven that are a mystery, but there are some things that the Bible does tell us about heaven. Here are just a few.

There will be no more crying, pain, or death. (Revelation 21:4)
There will be a great wedding feast (Revelation 19:9)
There will be great rejoicing (Revelation 19:1-7)
Heaven is so great we can't even imagine all that it will be. (1 Corinthians 2:9)

Luke 15:10 tells us that "there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents"

If the angels get excited over one sinner repenting, imagine the joy and excitement went we get to heaven.

Will there be a party in heaven? Absolutely!

And I look forward to being a part of that party! Don't you?

God's Abundant Resources

Most people never take advantage of God’s abundant resources. Ephesians 3:20 says that God is ...able to do far more abundantly beyond all that we ask or think...

The problem is we don't always tap into the tremendous resources that God has made available to us.

The verses just before this is one of Paul's prayers for the church.

Ephesians 3:14-19 says, For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth derives its name, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power through His Spirit in the inner man, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; and that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled up to all the fullness of God.

1st - Paul prays that we would be strengthened ...in the inner man. When we get up in the morning we usually shower, shave, get dressed for the day, make sure our hair is fixed. We spend a lot of time on the "outer man", but oh how our inner man needs that same attention.

2nd - Paul prays that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. This is really how we gain our strength. The word dwell literally means "to make Himself at home". In other words, Paul is praying that Jesus would feel at ease and comfortable in your life. In reality this has to do with Christ being Lord of your life, He must have full control.

3rd - Paul prays that we would be able to comprehend ...and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge. Paul prays that we would understand something we aren’t able to understand.That our understanding would go beyond the mere religious grasp to a personal, growing, overwhelming experience! It's like Paul taking us out on a dark night and looking up at the stars in the sky and vastness of the universe and saying, "God's love for you is bigger than all that." It’s absolutely crazy that He loves me that way! I don’t deserve His love, but He loves me and you anyway!

4th - Paul prays that we would be filled up to all the fullness of God. The following story may help to understand this. A little girl came home from Sunday School and asked her mom, "If God is bigger than we are and if we have God living in us, then wouldn't He show through? And that's the point. We should be so full of God that He shows through.

This prayer that Paul prays for the church is my prayer for my own life, for those in the church where I serve, and for you!

St. Patrick's Day

Who was St. Patrick?
Little is known of Patrick's early life, though it is known that he was born in Roman Britain in the 4th century. 

At the age of sixteen, he was kidnapped by Irish pirates and taken captive to Ireland as a slave.

After six years of slavery he escaped to the Irish coast and fled home to Britain. Upon returning, he studied to be a priest. In 432, he was called back to Ireland, as a missionary, to share the Gospel with the people in Ireland.

Irish folklore tells that one of his teaching methods included using the shamrock to explain the doctrine of the Trinity to the Irish people. 

After nearly thirty years of evangelism, he died on March 17, 461. 

Although there were already some Christians living in Ireland, St. Patrick was able to bring upon a massive religious shift to Christianity. 

Maybe you have worn green on St. Patrick's day and have celebrated for years, but never knew the real story about who St. Patrick was. Now you know. 

So if you are celebrating St. Patrick's day today, remember it's all about a man who answered the call of God to go and tell others about Jesus!

God Is Good!

Have you ever been asked to describe God? What would you tell a person if you were asked to tell what God is like? Would you tell the person that God is love, powerful, infinite, sovereign, and the creator of the world? Would you ever think to say that God is good?

In Psalms 119:68 we find these words about God, “You are good and do good…” (NASB) 

God is good! It is His nature to be good. He can’t be anything but good. All of His actions are good. Everything that God is involved in is good. Even in those times when we don’t understand why something has happened, we can be sure that it will ultimately turn out for good because God is good. 

5 different verses in the Psalms all say the same thing. “Oh give thanks to the LORD, for He is good; For His lovingkindness is everlasting.” (Psalms 106:1; 107:1; 118:1; 118:29; 136:1 NASB) 

4 times in Psalm 107 we find these words about the goodness of God expressed toward us, "Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for His wonderful works to the children of men!" (Psalms 107:8, 15, 21, 31 NKJV)

God is so good to give us wisdom, direction, provision, and life itself. You and I receive the goodness of God every day of our life.

Here are just a couple of things you and I receive because of God's goodness.

1. Forgiveness of sin. Psalms 86:5 - For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You. (NASB) 

2. Help in times of need. Hebrews 4:16 - Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (NASB)

Take time to thank God for His goodness toward you today!

Psalms 34:8 - O taste and see that the LORD is good; How blessed is the man who takes refuge in Him! (NASB)

What do you delight in?

According to Webster's Dictionary, to delight in something is to take great pleasure in something.

People seem to delight in many different things: sports, fishing, hunting, shopping, reading, etc.

You might put it this way. It is what happens when there is excitement inside, a tingle, a spark. When we are doing what we really love to do, or when we are with someone we really love.

Psalms 37:4 says, Delight yourself in the LORD; And He will give you the desires of your heart.

What does it mean to "delight yourself in the Lord"? I means to take great pleasure in Him. Not in what He has done or in what He can do, but in Him alone. When was the last time you took great pleasure in simply having fellowship with God?

Some people read this verse and think, If I delight in God, He will give me what I want! 

Well that is true in this sense, if we truly delight in the Lord, then the desire of our heart will be to know Him better so we can delight in Him even more, and the Lord will satisfy that desire! This is not a promise for people who want "things," but for those who want more of God in their lives.

So, in what or whom do you delight?

God's Instruction Book

Have you ever bought a new electronic devise (i.e., DVD player, Cell phone, Computer)  and after a period of time is stops working properly? What should you do? You should read the instruction book.

I remember a time when I bought a TVGuardian for our television. It's a small box that filters out bad language from television shows and movies. 

Now before I go on, you need to know something about me. I have a tendency to think I know how things work without ever reading the instructions, especially when it comes to putting things together.

So I hooked everything up and thought I had hooked it up correctly, only to find that it wasn't working properly. So I unplugged the wires are reconnected them a different way. It still did not work.

Finally I had to admit that I needed the instruction book.

Well, the Bible is God’s instruction book for our lives.

2 Timothy 3:16-17 - All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.  (NASB)

And so, when something is going wrong in our lives, why is it that the last thing we think of is to read the Bible? When, in fact, the Bible contains the instruction we need to live righteous lives.

I remember when our children were little babies, and my youngest is just 17 months, so for her it wasn’t that long ago.

I was always amazed at the listening abilities of my wife. Night after night, child after child, when one of them cried, my wife would be up in a flash. I, on the other hand, never heard a thing. I would often ask my wife, “Where are you going?” and then inevitably, I would hear the baby crying.

And I would always wonder, How does she do that? I didn't hear a thing.

Are you a good listener?


We need to be attentive to the Word of God. We need to read it, listen to it, and apply it to our lives.

The Holy Spirit - Your Divine Gatekeeper

I have been enjoying my study through the book of Nehemiah and have been learning so much. This week as I was studying Nehemiah chapter 7 I was reminded of something I think we all know, but don't often think about.

Nehemiah 7:1 tells us that the walls of Jerusalem have been completed and the doors to the gates have been put in place. Then is says that Nehemiah appointed gatekeepers.

As I thought about the importance of the gatekeepers to the city of Jerusalem, I was reminded that God has given every Christian a gatekeeper to their heart, the Holy Spirit.

1 Corinthians 3:16 says, Do you not know that you are a temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?

Isn't that amazing! When you got saved a Divine Gatekeeper took up residence in your heart - the Holy Spirit! This means you don't have to fight temptation in your own power.

When asked about how he responds when the devil tempts him, Martin Luther said, "When the devil comes knocking upon the door of my heart and asks, 'who lives here?' the dear Lord Jesus goes to the door and says, 'Martin Luther used to live here, but he has moved out, now I live here.' The devil, upon seeing the pierced hands takes flight."

I love the picture that brings to my mind.

1 John 4:4b says, …greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

The next time the devil comes knocking, let the Holy Spirit take on the devil for you!

Don't Just tell me, show Me!

Today is Valentine's Day. A day to tell our friends and family how much we love them. Often times we do this with a card, flowers, a special dinner, or some small gift. 

When I go to choose a card for my wife, I take a long time looking at all the cards and I usually go to several stores before I find the right one. You see, I want to make sure it says, exactly how I feel about her.

I make sure I tell my wife "I love you" often, but I know that she appreciates it more when I show her that I love her. Things like: spending time with her, taking her out for a special dinner occasionally, and helping her around the house. These are some of the things I can do to show my wife how much I love her.

You know, God not only tells us how much He loves us in His Word, but He also showed us how much He loves us.


Romans 5:8 says, But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. 

Isn't it amazing that God would die in our place and offer us forgiveness and eternal life!


God likes it when we tell Him that we love Him, but He likes it more when we show Him.


John 14:15 says, If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.


How can you show God that you love Him today?

Faith that overcomes discouragement

Last night I had the privilege of screening a new movie that will be released in theaters on April 8th. The movie is called Soul Surfer. 


It is a true story of teen surfer Bethany Hamilton, who lost her arm in a shark attack and through her faith in God overcame discouragement and defeat to become a champion surfer once again.

As I watched the movie I couldn't help but think of  the "sharks" in my own life that would try to steal my joy. It is all too easy to become discouraged when my plans don't go my way. But it is during those times that I have to remember that God's ways are not my ways.

God has a wonderful plan for your life. Jeremiah 29:11 says, For I know the plans that I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.


So do you have enough faith to trust that God knows what He is doing, even when things don't make sense?

To see the trailer for Soul Surfer, click HERE

To meet the real Bethany Hamilton, click HERE

What Part of the Body are you?

I've been preaching through Nehemiah and this last Sunday we were in Nehemiah 3. Now if you read through that chapter you will find that it is filled with a lot of difficult names to pronounce. But you will also notice that with every name there is a description of the job that person did as they rebuilt the wall together.

This reminds me of what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 12:12 - For even as the body is one and yet has many members, and all the members of the body, though they are many, are one body, so also is Christ.

You can read the whole passage here.

Basically what Paul is saying and what Nehemiah understood, is that we are all different and all have a job to do. 

Just like our physical body has ears that hear, eyes that see, and feet that walk. The body of Christ has different parts that perform different functions. 

When was the last time you said, "Boy I wish I could see with my feet, or smell with my ears." Nor do we say, "I wish I was one large foot, or one large eye."

Diversity isn't just an accidental attribute of the human body, it's all part of God design. And the same is true when it comes to the body of Christ. We are all different and have different jobs to do. God designed it that way!

So the question has to be, "What role will you play?", "What member of the body are you?", How will you help to make the body what it ought to be?"

Are You Successful?

How do you define success?

Webster's Dictionary defines success this way: (1) Favorable or desired outcome; (2) The attainment of wealth, favor, or a position of prominence or superiority.

I believe a better definition and a biblical definition would be: Finding and doing the will of God for your life, for the glory of God.


How often we look at others around us who have more money then we do, are more popular that we are, or who have reached a certain level of prominence and we think, "if only I could be like them or have the things they have, then I would be successful".

I guess it all depends on your perspective. Do you want to be considered successful in the eyes of the world? Then yes you need to have money, friends, and prominence. But if you want to be considered successful in the eyes of God, all you need to do if follow His plan for your life and do it for His glory.

Are you ready to be successful in God's eyes? Seek Him and His plan for your life, then do it with all your heart for the glory of God.

Waiting on the Lord

I remember as a child singing the song "Have Patience".

Have patience, have patience
Don't be in such a hurry
When you get impatient
You only start to worry
Remember, remember that God is patient, too
Just think of all the times when others
Have to wait for you.

This song immediately came to my mind this week as I was studying Nehemiah 2. 

If you read my blog last week, you will remember that Nehemiah received some bad news in chapter 1 and as a result he was burdened for the people of Jerusalem and began to pray and seek the Lord as to what he could do.

Now as chapter 2 opens, it has been four months of waiting on the Lord and finally God gives Nehemiah the ok to proceed with the plans.

How about you? Have you been seeking God about a problem or a concern, only to have God say, "wait"?

We need to learn to have enough faith to wait on the Lord. Perhaps God is preparing you for something big or perhaps He is preparing someone else to join you in the plans He has for you. Either way it is better to wait on the Lord and His timing then to do things on our own.

Psalms 27:14 - Wait for the LORD; Be strong and let your heart take courage; Yes, wait for the LORD.  (NASB)