The Great Gift

A common criticism I have heard about telling others about Jesus, or sharing one’s faith, is that it seems too contrived.  The feeling is that the Spirit should lead a person and so they wait for the Spirit to tap them on the shoulder and scream into their ear before they take the bold step of inviting others to trust in Jesus.  You know the result, they never hear the scream and those around them never get the invite.

The incredible aspect of the Christmas account given in Luke 2 is that God modeled for us the important value of intentionally reaching out to invite others into a relationship with Him. God went out of His way to invite common, untaught shepherds to His great event. They were some of the first to be entrusted with the universal good news of Jesus’ birth. These shepherds heard the angelic messengers tell them, ‘for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord’ (Luke 2:11). Why did God do this? The answer is given in this verse as the shepherds were told that the Savior’s birth is ‘for you.’

Let us remember in this season that the Savior’s birth is for needy humanity and that there are still many who need to hear of God’s gift of a Savior who was sent for each of us. We who received this same message and have happily believed it now need to pass it on. We also see this in Luke’s account as we note that after these shepherds came and saw the baby they ‘went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them’ (Luke 2:20). They received and then shared it with others.

I pray that this Christmas Season we would each take the time to remember how great a gift we received from the Lord and then seek to pass it on.

Jehovah Jireh - God our Provider

Today it is my privilege to remind you that God can provide all your needs, even when He imposes those needs on you. He can provide another job in a bad economy. He can heal whatever is ailing you. He can enable you to get fixed that which you ‘cannot live without.’ He can provide friends in a new community. He can grant you favor with a grumpy new in-law. I know this because it is presented to us in Scripture.

In Matthew 17:24—27 Jesus demands that His disciples be subject to the laws of the land based on His being asked if He pays His taxes. After telling them that they should pay taxes Jesus performs a miracle (He commands a fish to carry the tax payment to His disciple) to provide them the means to meet these taxes. This miracle reveals and teaches some very important truths:

1. Wherever God leads you He will provide for you there.
2. Christ’s followers must be subject to the different authorities they find themselves under.
3. God’s knowledge is unlimited so don’t doubt His knowledge of your challenges, no matter how minor or major they seem to be.
4. God can accomplish anything. The key is not His ability but our trust in His ability.
5. Every situation you find yourself encountering is an opportunity God has placed you in so that His glory would be shown through your experience. So, you have the best seat in the house, remember to enjoy the privilege.

What we usually tend to do when we encounter challenges that are imposed on us is to get frustrated and angry. But can I encourage you to ask the Lord what He desires to do with you where He has you.

God Is Good

How do you keep life from taking you for a ride? The life of Joseph teaches us various principles and today we will look at a third principle.

        The third principle is God is Good. This is a core concept when considering God. The concept of God’s goodness is a summary concept that includes the fact that God is righteous, just, loving, holy, etc. To better grasp the importance of this concept let us look at an opposite—what if God was even sometimes BAD?

This is not farfetched for many cultures have gods that are bad. In Greek mythology there are gods that are bad, and even the good gods could not be trusted to always do that which was good. Can you imagine what it would feel like to get up in the morning and after experiencing a few bad events in your day realize that God had decided to be bad that day. My first thought would be to run back to bed and hide under the covers but He might set my house on fire! What if God threw a fit like we do when things aren’t going our way? What if He did this when we refuse to do His will? Even the worst pessimist could not even imagine things being this bad.

        But Joseph, and the Bible, has no such view of God. That is why Joseph chose to trust God in the midst of His challenges when God had seemingly been ‘bad’ to him (Choosing not to sin against God & acknowledging that God is the one who blesses him to interpret dreams—40:8) and later thanking God for being good to him through the very acts that his brothers meant to hurt him with—“ As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good” (50:20). The book of James tells us that we are never to think that God is out to get us or to set us up for bad to occur to us for He can never be that way—

Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, and He Himself does not tempt anyone. But each one is tempted when he is carried away and enticed by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished, it brings forth death. Do not be deceived, my beloved brethren. Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.  (James 1:13—17).

        So, the next time you’re tempted to view God as bad please remember that God is always good. May this great truth calmly guide you through even your most challenging day.

“For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.”    John 3:17 (KJV)

What is Your Passion?

Have you ever noticed that your passion for certain things, even for things you enjoy, can dip over time? The Bible tells us that this can occur in the life of a follower of Christ towards the things of God and cautions us to be careful. The caution is for us to not “faint.” Let’s be honest, that is a challenge we each face in our pursuit of God for we can struggle to keep our intensity high over time and through life’s various changes.  At times we may even have to fight through feelings of low self worth expressed in the thought that what we are doing doesn’t matter much. But we must never give in to these thoughts. Note the words of Mahatma Ghandi to his followers, who faced the overwhelming task of overcoming the English,

“Whatever you do is insignificant, but it is very important that you do it.”

Note Paul’s words in Galatians 6:9 to us who face the overwhelming task of overcoming ourselves and spiritual attacks to pursue God & His will,

“And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.”

So, don’t ever throw in the towel.  The key is not what you feel, but what God has promised to do through your obedience. Here are a few suggestions to keep the fires of your passion for God high:

1. Every weekend choose one promise that you will meditate on through the week to keep you persevering through the challenges of that week (Psalm 119:11).
2. Every day choose at least one event of that day to give God thanks for bringing into your life (1 Thessalonians 5:18).
3. Every week take a break from your typical actions of the week, or ministry, in order to fulfill the biblical concept of ‘sabbath’ (Exodus 20:8—11). It is true that ‘absence makes the heart grow fonder’ so give yourself the gift of some away time.

God Knows Better

Have you ever wondered, “God knows that I need _________, why then has He not given this to me?”  The problem that arises is that we then want to make excuses for God but our theology, our faith beliefs, gets in the way.  Theologians use the word omniscient to describe the fact that God is “all knowing,” or God knows everything.  So in light of Jesus’ statement, “for your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things,” why has He not responded?

        Jesus knows that not receiving what we desire would be an ongoing point of challenge for a believer’s faith so He gives us in this verse an important statement of assurance.  Jesus states that this is not just HIS heavenly Father, but OUR heavenly Father as well.  It is not just Jesus who has this deep connection to the Father. Our connection to God the Father is just as strong through our relationship to Jesus.

We then have to dig deep into God’s Word and believe (“stand” in Ephesians 6:11—14) Him who never lies when our desires & disappointments whisper doubts into our minds. In these times we must pray a prayer like this one,  “No! I will not give in to this lie.  MY heavenly Father knows that I need all these things.  Since He has not provided them for me I will still trust Him till He is ready to provide these for me. Or, until He has shown me that this is not really a need for my life.”

Sacrificial Gift

          Another gift suggestion for this season that we know Jesus is going to love is peace between His children. He made this request personally:

Little children, I am with you a little while longer You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, now I also say to you, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come.’ “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. “By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”  John 13:33—35

So, if you have any unresolved issues with a brother or sister that is keeping you apart this would be a great time to bring a smile to the Savior’s face through your sacrificial gift. Go on, make a call or send a note of reconciliation.

Give God the gift of a rested you

Remember to give a gift to God that we don’t normally think of in that way. Give God the gift of a rested you. Yes, taking time to pull back from your busy schedule, to take a Sabbath. In our society a person’s worth is measured by his or her driven pace. We have gotten to the point that we crave activity as a badge of our worth. Gordon MacDonald insightfully comments on this characteristic of driven people,

“They operate on the precept that a reputation for busyness is a sign of success and personal importance. Thus they attempt to impress people with the fullness of their schedules. They may even express a high level of self-pity, bemoaning the ‘trap’ of responsibility they claim to be in, wishing aloud that there was some possible release form all that they have to live with. But just try to suggest a way out!

The truth is that the very worst thing that could happen to them would be if someone provided them with a way out. They really wouldn’t know what to do with themselves if there were suddenly less to do. Busyness for the driven person becomes a habit, a way of life and thought. They find it enjoyable to complain and gather pity, and they would probably not want it any different. But tell a driven person that, and you’ll make him angry”

          I pray that the Lord will bless us as we get out of the fast lane this season in order to please Him.

Help us give our Lord a wonderful gift that I know He will love during this season:

INVEST (time, prayers, resources, etc.) in someone, then INVITE that person to church

The greatest gift is Jesus

During this time of the year you might hear that “The greatest gift is Jesus.”  But have you spent some time considering how great a gift He really is? Imagine that Jesus consented to come to earth as a totally dependent and helpless little baby. He who kept everything functioning by the word of His power (Hebrews 1:3) came to earth so helpless that He could not even speak a word! 

Paul was so amazed by this fact that he wrote, Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who, although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men. Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross (Philippians 2:5—11) 

          Take some time today to consider the great sacrifice of Jesus for us.  Afterwards spend some time thanking God for what He has done for you.  May the Lord bless you as you ENGAGE in and complete this task.

Our Vision/Destination:
A Church Family where the Triangle will see, hear, & touch the diversity of God’s grace.

The Center Of Christmas

A final gift suggestion is for us to desire, and to pray, for Jesus’ return. Our longing for Jesus’ return keeps our hearts longing for Him. In the same vein, to not look for Jesus’ return reveals that we are preoccupied elsewhere.

I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith: Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.  2 Timothy 4:7—8

For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to all men, instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live sensibly, righteously and godly in the present age, looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself for us to redeem us from every lawless deed, and to purify for Himself a people for His own possession, zealous for good deeds.  Titus 2:11—14

So, let’s put Christ back in the center of Christmas by making Him our greatest holiday gift wish.  “Please come back soon Lord Jesus.”

Our Vision/Destination:
A Church Family where the Triangle will see, hear, & touch the diversity of God’s grace.

“God’s Word—Filtering the Messages of the World”

One of the challenges of the Christian walk is keep the message of the Bible before the message of the world. If this is properly achieved then we use the Bible as a filter for the world’s message, but if the order is reversed then the world becomes a filter for the Bible’s message. One of the clearest examples of the importance of this order today is in respect to Gay & Lesbian issues.

The world tells us that homosexuality is a legitimate option to heterosexuality. Arguments have been based on history (homosexuality was a legitimate option to heterosexuality in many ancient societies), genetics (genes have been identified that are believed to predispose a person to homosexuality), political (homosexuals as full American citizens deserve all the human rights and freedom as any other American citizen), and sociology (homosexual couples have been shown to be just as capable as heterosexual couples to raise a child in a healthy home environment). Yet the greatest message that we are hearing is “This is who they are and they cannot change.” The volume of the world’s position is increasing and with it are the cries for the narrow minded position of Christians to be overlooked.

But the Bible has a different message. Scripture clearly tells us that the romantic-sexual desires & acts of homosexuals are not acceptable to God (Romans 1:24-28).  Yet at the same time God states that there is forgiveness, acceptance, and the power to change that can be found in the gospel of Jesus Christ if they will surrender to it:

“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘but the righteous shall live by faith’” (Romans 1:16-17).

“Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

So, in what order are you keeping the messages? The best indicator is if you are actively seeking to let the Word of God transform the lives of all those you have relationships with, regardless of their sexual orientation. Remember, ‘such were some of you.” Give the gospel, the power of God, opportunities to transform lives.

God’s Standards to Find & Experience Love

Like Samson there are a lot of people finding “love” in various faces and places, but many of these are where God never intended for love to be found. As creator & sustainer, God has a supreme right to dictate standards to His creation and we know that He has clearly set standards for acceptable and unacceptable places for us to find/experience love. Here are just a few of those standards that God has communicated to us:

Do not let your mind focus on lustful thoughts/fantasies, or images—Matthew 5:28ff; Galatians 5:19.
A Christian (a Christ follower) must not marry a non-Christian—1 Corinthians 6:14.
Do not have sex with someone you are not married to—Exodus 20:14; Hebrews 13:4.
Do not view romantically someone of the same gender— Romans 1:24—27.
Do not have sex with someone of the same gender—1 Corinthians 6:9; 1 Timothy 1:10.

Did you already know these standards & boundaries? Are you living them out in your own life? If you are struggling with any of these please remember that God loves you and wants you to get in line with His will so that you might experience the fullness of life as He intended it to be experienced. Remember that His forgiveness and mercy are available to you if you come to Him with a repentant heart (Lamentations 3:22-23), and that He can restore us (1 John 1:9; Joel 2:25).

God’s Design for Love Relationships and Marriages—Part 2

Today let’s speak with MEN. Ladies, you are welcome to listen in if you so choose as we look at Ephesians 5:22—28 ..

Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They’re really doing themselves a favor—since they’re already “one” in marriage. 

The best way to sum up Paul’s instruction to men is that they give of themselves, or more succinctly that they ’die.’ This is a big task, such a big task that it is reflected in the number of words Paul uses in the passage. In the Greek, the language Paul originally wrote in, the command for the woman is 47 words long, whereas the command for the man is 143 words long. Men, are you dying for her? Do you give up your time to truly listen to her with your undivided attention? Are you making it clear that meeting her needs in the marriage is your priority? For most men who are not seeking to reflect Christ’s example this can be a horrifying thought:

“Perhaps this is why the text talks about the man dying for the woman. This can be terrifying for a man. Committing to a woman for life is going to demand courage, fidelity, and strength he may not know he has. This is why some men take such pride in their sexual conquests. They’re desperately running from their fear that they don’t have what it takes to lay down their lives for a woman. Sleeping with lots of women gives them the feeling of being a man without actually having to be one” (Taken from Sex God by Rob Bell).

So men, have you been the main attraction at a funeral in your wife’s honor lately? If not, pray today that the Lord will give you the strength to die to self so that your wife will experience a Christ-like love through you.

God’s Design for Love Relationships and Marriages—Part 1

For the next 2 days I’d like to focus on a message for each gender when it comes to love as given in Ephesians 5:22—28 . Today let’s begin with WOMEN. Gents, you are welcome to listen in if you so choose.

Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.Ephesians 5: 22ff (The Message).

If you are not married, please note women that you are to make sure that you are giving yourself to a man who is committed to giving himself to you. The man is to be examined and inspected in his treatment of you so that you are sure that he gets the fact that you are worth dying for. I say this because the text is clear that although the woman is to submit, the man is to foster, and encourage this action. Like the rain nourishes a bulb to finally bloom to the fullness of that plant’s potential, so a man’s unselfish, agape (Godlike) love is to cause a woman to blossom to the fullness of her potential.

But if you are already married and you’ve found that your husband is a work in process when it comes to his understanding of his role in your life, please note that your actions play a key role in moving your husband to where God wants him to be. Remember that God loved us when we were still sinners (Romans 5:8), that Jesus taught His disciples that they did not choose Him but He chose them (John 15:16). Clearly, God loved us into becoming what He desires for us to be. Your key approach, then, is to love your husband into what God desires for him to be, or to love him into his Ephesians 5 role. That means treating him as if he already is what you desire him to be, even though he still may constantly disappoint you and still has all of his flaws. God will use your reflection of His agape love in the life of your husband to push him to be the person/husband/lover God desires for him to be, and that you long for him to be.

So ladies, if your desire is to enjoy God’s design for love relationships and marriages, take a moment to pray that He will empower and guide you to be the woman He desires you to be.

The Biblical Instruction for Marriage

Making love work is a hard job. But it is even harder when the Lord is not part of the process or when His instructions are not heeded during the process.

This was highlighted in the story of Bradley Gellert. Bradley was arrested last night wearing an “I ♥ My Marriage” T-shirt for allegedly choking his wife during an argument in their Tampa-area-home. If that was not bad enough, the T-shirt was a promotional item tied to the 2008 Christian movie “Fireproof” which centers on a fireman’s religious awakening and his subsequent attempt to save is failing marriage.

The biblical instruction for marriage is not that one person needs to submit to the will of the other person for the relationship to work, but that they both have to submit to God’s will. Note Paul’s instructions in Ephesians 5:22—28 (The Message):

Wives, understand and support your husbands in ways that show your support for Christ. The husband provides leadership to his wife the way Christ does to his church, not by domineering but by cherishing. So just as the church submits to Christ as he exercises such leadership, wives should likewise submit to their husbands.

Husbands, go all out in your love for your wives, exactly as Christ did for the church—a love marked by giving, not getting. Christ’s love makes the church whole. His words evoke her beauty. Everything he does and says is designed to bring the best out of her, dressing her in dazzling white silk, radiant with holiness. And that is how husbands ought to love their wives. They’re really doing themselves a favor—since they’re already “one” in marriage. 

Making love work is a hard job. To enjoy love to the fullest, listen to its manufacturer.

The Central Role of Love

Have you ever considered the central role love should have in our lives? One of the key pillars of the early Church (therefore known as a ‘Church Father’) Clement of Alexandria stated that the real Christian “practices being God” when he or she reflects love in his or her life.

Wow! There are a lot of people who practice being God by telling you what to do, seeking to control your life, and even trying to have you honor them more than anyone else. But to think that love is the best way to reflect God.
This is why John states in 1 John 4:12 (in The Message) the fact that an invisible God’s image is reflected in His children when they love each other—“ No one has seen God, ever. But if we love one another, God dwells deeply within us, and his love becomes complete in us—perfect love!”

So, listen to Clement and have a great day practicing being like God.

Have you invited a person who does not have a church home to Friends Sunday this Sunday?
You still have time.