The Space in Between

Have you ever been in the middle of a fight?  Not that you were fighting, but two people that you knew were fighting about something are you were caught in the middle trying to make peace.  That is a difficult place to be, isn’t it?  How do you help without taking sides?  What if no one is “wrong” or “right”, how do you help?  What do you do if you know one person is completely in the right and the other is in the wrong?  We are enemies with God.  We are in the wrong.  He is in the right.  Who can come between us both and solve this problem?  In the Old Testament book of Job that same question is asked, let’s look at that passage together.  Here are parts of chapter 9 from the book of Job.

¹Then Job answered and said:

²"Truly I know that it is so:
But how can a man be in the right before God?
³If one wished to contend with him,
one could not answer him once in a thousand times.
⁴He is wise in heart and mighty in strength
—who has hardened himself against him, and succeeded?—

¹³"God will not turn back his anger;
beneath him bowed the helpers of Rahab.
¹⁴ How then can I answer him,
choosing my words with him?
¹⁵ Though I am in the right, I cannot answer him;
I must appeal for mercy to my accuser.
¹⁶If I summoned him and he answered me,
I would not believe that he was listening to my voice.
¹⁷For he crushes me with a tempest
and multiplies my wounds without cause;
¹⁸he will not let me get my breath,
but fills me with bitterness.
¹⁹If it is a contest of strength, behold, he is mighty!
If it is a matter of justice, who can summon him?
²⁰Though I am in the right, my own mouth would condemn me;

²⁹I shall be condemned;
why then do I labor in vain?
³⁰If I wash myself with snow
and cleanse my hands with lye,
³¹yet you will plunge me into a pit,
and my own clothes will abhor me.
³²For he is not a man, as I am, that I might answer him,
that we should come to trial together.
³³ There is no arbiter between us,
who might lay his hand on us both.
³⁴ Let him take his rod away from me,
and let not dread of him terrify me.
³⁵Then I would speak without fear of him,
for I am not so in myself.

Things to think about:
o     Remember that Job is in a rough place right now in life.  He has lost everything and his family and friends are blaming him for it!  They are saying, “it is because of your sin that God is judging you…”  Job does not believe that he has done anything wrong that would deserve all of this.  So when it says he is blameless, don’t think he is claiming to be perfect, but rather that he is claiming to be a good person and the amount of suffering he is going through is unjust.
o     Job recognized the power of God and the wisdom of God and at least gave God the respect that He was due.  In our times of trial do we do the same?
o     Job was looking for someone to be an arbiter?  What is an arbiter?  If I used the word arbitration, does that help? 
o     I love the picture of someone laying a hand on God and laying a hand on me and bringing us together, once enemies and now made whole.  Job looked for that person and could not find Him.  I look for that person and find Jesus Christ! 
o     Jesus stands between me and my sins and God and His justified wrath and bring peace.  How?  Through the cross.  Thank you Jesus for being the arbiter that we have all been looking for.

The Justice of God and the Repentance of Man

            God is just.  We can say that and many of us believe it, until we see the wicked prosper and the good person get cancer.  We look to heaven and say, “unfair.”  This is not right, this is not good.  In the Bible there are a number of occasions when people cry out to God with similar feelings of injustice and doubt.  I would say rightly so, because many times on the surface things seem like God does it backwards, like He is a crazy person or has no idea what He wants.  But, the key is that is only on the surface and not the truth that lies beneath.  The truth is that God is always just, he is always right, and he is always good, whether we see it or not.  It is our eyes that need adjustment, not God’s ways.  The people of Israel had been destroyed and carried off as slaves by the Babylonians and the remaining survivors were crying out to God…”this is not fair.”  God speaks through the prophet Ezekiel and has a message for those that would claim moral superiority over God.

Ezekiel 33:10-20

¹⁰ “Son of man, say to the Israelites, ‘This is what you are saying: “Our offenses and sins weigh us down, and we are wasting away because of them. How then can we live?”’ ¹¹ Say to them, ‘As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign LORD, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, people of Israel?’

¹² “Therefore, son of man, say to your people, ‘If someone who is righteous disobeys, that person’s former righteousness will count for nothing. And if someone who is wicked repents, that person’s former wickedness will not bring condemnation. The righteous person who sins will not be allowed to live even though they were formerly righteous.’ ¹³ If I tell a righteous person that they will surely live, but then they trust in their righteousness and do evil, none of the righteous things that person has done will be remembered; they will die for the evil they have done. ¹⁴ And if I say to a wicked person, ‘You will surely die,’ but they then turn away from their sin and do what is just and right— ¹⁵ if they give back what they took in pledge for a loan, return what they have stolen, follow the decrees that give life, and do no evil—that person will surely live; they will not die. ¹⁶ None of the sins that person has committed will be remembered against them. They have done what is just and right; they will surely live.

¹⁷ “Yet your people say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But it is their way that is not just. ¹⁸ If a righteous person turns from their righteousness and does evil, they will die for it. ¹⁹ And if a wicked person turns away from their wickedness and does what is just and right, they will live by doing so. ²⁰ Yet you Israelites say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ But I will judge each of you according to your own ways.”

Things to think about:

·         I love verse eleven in this passage.  We can sometimes think that God enjoys punishing people or judging people for their sins.  This clearly shows that he doe not enjoy it, and would rather have them repent.  Now is your chance, repent so that God does not have to be grieved when he judges you.
·         Can you see the pattern of forgiveness that is even evident in the Old Testament?  God knows that we will make horrible mistakes and sin in our lives, but what he is longing for is our repentance and us asking for forgiveness.  He is willing to give it!
·         If the righteous person makes one mistake all of those good deeds are remembered no more?  Why?  What hope do any of us have?  Thank you Jesus that all my sins have been paid for and His righteousness is now credited to me!  There is no other way, no other hope!  Even for the people of Israel.

Nowhere to run, nowhere to hide

           Last night I watched part of a documentary about Siberian Tigers with my kids.  The biggest cat in the world, and one of the most endangered cats as well.  The Siberian Tiger is a fierce and powerful hunter.  Once it decides that you are good for food, there is not much you can do about it.  In the documentary it showed the tiger chasing down a bunny, just a snack.  The bunny had no chance.  The tiger pounced and that was it, goodbye Peter Cottontail.  The contrast in power between the tiger and the bunny made me think about a story from the Old Testament. 

The Israelites have been freed by God from Egypt and had traveled for 40 years learning to obey God’s directions.  Moses is dead now and Joshua is the leader of the people and the leader of the armies.  Joshua leads the people in a victory over Jericho where God breaks down the walls and delivers the people over to the Israelites.  Then Joshua fails to consult God on an important decision and the Israelites make a treaty with the Gibeonites.  We are going to look at the story of what happed when the now allies of Israel, the Gibeonites, are attacked. 

Joshua 10:1-15

¹As soon as Adoni-zedek, king of Jerusalem, heard how Joshua had captured Ai and had devoted it to destruction, doing to Ai and its king as he had done to Jericho and its king, and how the inhabitants of Gibeon had made peace with Israel and were among them, ² he feared greatly, because Gibeon was a great city, like one of the royal cities, and because it was greater than Ai, and all its men were warriors. ³So Adoni-zedek king of Jerusalem sent to Hoham king of Hebron, to Piram king of Jarmuth, to Japhia king of Lachish, and to Debir king of Eglon, saying, ⁴"Come up to me and help me, and let us strike Gibeon. For it has made peace with Joshua and with the people of Israel." ⁵Then the five kings of the Amorites, the king of Jerusalem, the king of Hebron, the king of Jarmuth, the king of Lachish, and the king of Eglon, gathered their forces and went up with all their armies and encamped against Gibeon and made war against it.

⁶And the men of Gibeon sent to Joshua at the camp in Gilgal, saying, "Do not relax your hand from your servants. Come up to us quickly and save us and help us, for all the kings of the Amorites who dwell in the hill country are gathered against us." ⁷So Joshua went up from Gilgal, he and all the people of war with him, and all the mighty men of valor. ⁸And the LORD said to Joshua, "Do not fear them, for I have given them into your hands. Not a man of them shall stand before you." ⁹So Joshua came upon them suddenly, having marched up all night from Gilgal. ¹⁰ And the LORD threw them into a panic before Israel, who struck them with a great blow at Gibeon and chased them by the way of the ascent of Beth-horon and struck them as far as Azekah and Makkedah. ¹¹And as they fled before Israel, while they were going down the ascent of Beth-horon, the LORD threw down large stones from heaven on them as far as Azekah, and they died. There were more who died because of the hailstones than the sons of Israel killed with the sword.

¹²At that time Joshua spoke to the LORD in the day when the LORD gave the Amorites over to the sons of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel,

 "Sun, stand still at Gibeon,
and moon, in the Valley of Aijalon."
¹³And the sun stood still, and the moon stopped,
until the nation took vengeance on their enemies.

Is this not written in the Book of Jashar? The sun stopped in the midst of heaven and did not hurry to set for about a whole day. ¹⁴ There has been no day like it before or since, when the LORD heeded the voice of a man, for the LORD fought for Israel.

¹⁵So Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to the camp at Gilgal.

Things to think about:

       o     Notice that God fought in more than one way; he held the sun in the sky so they could have daylight to fight, and he threw giant stones from the sky.

o     Could you image what those armies must have been thinking?  Where are these rocks coming from?  Where can I hide?  What is with the sun?  What is going on here?  I want my mommy!

o     I have heard people that argue about how the sun could not have stood still and this must have been an eclipse or some other natural occurance, blah, blah, blah.  Hello!  Did God create the Universe with the words out of his mouth?  Does He have absolute power over all things?  Can He creates rocks out of nothing and throw them at people?  Can he keep all the laws of physics working while at the same time hold the sun in place for a full day?  The answer is yes, because He is God!  He can do that kind of stuff…

o     It almost feels like the tiger and the bunny in this story doesn’t it?  Except the enemies of God have even less of a chance to get away.  There truly is no place to run, and no place to hide when God is after you.

o     What do we do?  We make sure we are not enemies of God!  Jesus Christ has made a way through His death and resurrection for you to receive forgiveness and to be changed forever from an enemy of God into a child of God.  Talk about a miracle, that is cooler than the sun staying in the sky for a year!  What a gift!  What a transformation!  What a God!

Liar, Liar, Your on Fire

            I had an interesting discussion last night about the topic of lying and lies that we believe.  What lies do you currently believe as true?  If you knew the answer to that question you would know they were lies and you wouldn’t believe them, so obviously you don’t think you believe any lies…but, you must think there are some things you believe that are not true, right?  How important is it to know the truth about God? 

            Here is my big question for the day, “Would you rather believe a lie about God that made you feel comfortable, or the truth about God that made you feel uncomfortable?”  Think about that question as you read our passage for today.

 
Ephesians 4:17-25

¹⁷Now this I say and testify in the Lord, that you must no longer walk as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their minds. ¹⁸They are darkened in their understanding, alienated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them, due to their hardness of heart. ¹⁹They have become callous and have given themselves up to sensuality, greedy to practice every kind of impurity. ²⁰But that is not the way you learned Christ!— ²¹assuming that you have heard about him and were taught in him, as the truth is in Jesus, ²²to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, ²³and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, ²⁴and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness.

²⁵Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.

Things to think about:

o     Notice the relationship between right thinking and right living…how does what you believe about God, the Bible, life, effect the way you live?
o     According to verse 18 what in us causes ignorance?  Do you find this to be true in your life?  Have you ever been presented with the truth, but stubbornly refused to believe it?
o     The truth about Jesus will set us free from our old selves and from sin…so the question is – How desperately do you pursue the truth of Jesus? 
o     Read verse 25 again…when you discover the truth about Jesus what are you supposed to do with that truth?  Why?  If you believed a lie, wouldn’t you want your friend to tell you the truth?  Shouldn’t we be so kind to our friends?

The Water Bear Makes Me Feel Small

           Today I learned about an amazing animal; the Water Bear.  Sounds like a big furry animal that lives near rivers in Montana or something.  Is it related to the Polar Bear?  Not really…the Water Bear is a microscopic insect-like animal that is so unique it is in its own phylum.  (For those not in biology class that is a big classification of many types of living things like; scorpions, spiders, insects, and shrimp are in one phylum)  Basically, this Water Bear is a really cool animal that is incredibly unique and incredibly durable.  They are 0.06 inches across (smaller that the thickness of a quarter) and they live almost anywhere.  When I say they live almost anywhere I mean anywhere from Antarctica in the freezing temperatures, to the jungles, to the deepest parts of the ocean to the top of the Himalayan Mountains!  Seriously, they find these things everywhere!  They are so durable they can withstand pressure 6 times stronger than the deepest ocean trench.  You could smash it with a hammer and it would survive, you could crush it with a building and it would live, it is the incredible Hulk on Steroids!  They have frozen them to way below any temperature naturally possible and it lived, they even put it out in space for a while and then brought it back to earth and it lived!  No oxygen, no problem!  You can even boil them for hours and they live through it.  They dehydrated one for 10 years, then added a little water and wamo it was back living like nothing had happened.  Needless to say I was impressed by this awesome little creature. 

            Whenever I learn about something cool like this it reminds me how awesome God is!  How creative He is!  How small I am.  Who am I to think that I can tell God what to do?  Who am I to say that God is unwise, unaware, or has a poor plan for the world?  Who am I?  Jesus called me dust that is blown from here to there, and I think I agree with Him.  Listen to what God says to Job when Job questioned God’s motives and behavior.  God brings up another animal as an example for Job…

 Job 40-1-9 and 41:1-11

¹And the LORD said to Job:
²"Shall a faultfinder contend with the Almighty?
He who argues with God, let him answer it."
³Then Job answered the LORD and said:
⁴"Behold, I am of small account; what shall I answer you?
 I lay my hand on my mouth.
⁵I have spoken once, and I will not answer;
twice, but I will proceed no further."
⁶Then the LORD answered Job out of the whirlwind and said:
⁷ "Dress for action like a man;
 I will question you, and you make it known to me.
⁸Will you even put me in the wrong?
Will you condemn me that you may be in the right?
⁹Have you an arm like God,
and can you thunder with a voice like his?

¹ "Can you draw out Leviathan with a fishhook
or press down his tongue with a cord?
²Can you put a rope in his nose
or pierce his jaw with a hook?
³Will he make many pleas to you?
Will he speak to you soft words?
⁴Will he make a covenant with you
to take him for your servant forever?
⁵Will you play with him as with a bird,
or will you put him on a leash for your girls?
⁶Will traders bargain over him?
Will they divide him up among the merchants?
⁷Can you fill his skin with harpoons
or his head with fishing spears?
⁸Lay your hands on him;
remember the battle—you will not do it again!
⁹ Behold, the hope of a man is false;
he is laid low even at the sight of him.
¹⁰No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up.
Who then is he who can stand before me?
¹ Who has first given to me, that I should repay him?
Whatever is under the whole heaven is mine.

 Things to think about:

¨    If God came to question you, how big of a defense do you think you could make?

¨    Job just went silent because He saw how small he was compared to God.  Do you?

¨    God asks the question in 41:10 “No one is so fierce that he dares to stir him up.  Who then is he who can stand before me?”  The Water Bear is so tough, so resilient, so durable, that it can hardly be killed and we know so little about it…God created the Water Bear and He created you.  Do you really have the right to stand up and question God?  Doubt His plan?  Argue with His ways?  He is God!  You are Not!  It would do us all well to remember that!

What?! He Did Not Just Say That...

I am currently working on a research paper for class where I have to study the hard sayings of Jesus and think about how he used these hard sayings and shocking statements to teach the people.  Needless to say it is pretty interesting, and a little shocking.  I am not yet done, but I wanted to share one chapter from the book of Luke where a bunch of these statements appear all in sequence.  If you have time read the entire chapter for context, but for our purposes I have place the main points of each little section together.  Remember, this all happened at the same time, or at least, one after the other in the same place with the same people.

Luke 12:1-10
¹ Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: “Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. ² There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. ³ What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.

⁴ “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. ⁵ But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. ⁶ Are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. ⁷ Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don’t be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows.

⁸ “I tell you, whoever publicly acknowledges me before others, the Son of Man will also acknowledge before the angels of God. ⁹ But whoever disowns me before others will be disowned before the angels of God. ¹⁰ And everyone who speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but anyone who blasphemes against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven.

Things to think about:

·         Notice that Jesus is speaking to thousands of people.  He is currently so popular that there is a mob trying to get close to him, trying to see his miracles, trying to hear his teaching…so, the first thing out of his mouth is, “watch out for the religious leaders that you all look up to, they are hypocrites!”  Interesting way to win over a crowd…
·         If there was ever a more serious statement than verses 4 and 5 I don’t know what it is…stop and read those again, in fact memorize them!  If you worry about your death here on earth, you should definitely be worried about eternal death!
·         I don’t have space to go into all of what verse 10 means, but just take it at face value and know that Jesus is serious about denying and speaking badly against the Holy Spirit!  This is not a joke, God is not to be mocked…

Luke 12:32-34 (After a section on not loving money, but trusting in the Lord to supply)
 ³² “Do not be afraid, little flock, for your Father has been pleased to give you the kingdom. ³³ Sell your possessions and give to the poor. Provide purses for yourselves that will not wear out, a treasure in heaven that will never fail, where no thief comes near and no moth destroys. ³⁴ For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Things to think about:
·         When you read verse 33 how do you twist it to say what it doesn’t say?  I know I can do some Bible back bending Yoga and make it say to donate a few dollars each week in the offering plate and that would make God happy, but seriously…what does Jesus say?  Sell it!  Give to the poor!  Make your treasure a heavenly treasure where things matter for eternity.  Stuff is just stuff, but people are people.  What do you care about most, stuff or people?  Are you sure?

Luke 12:46-53 (This occurs in the middle of a parable that Jesus is telling to make the point of doing what your master has asked you to do.  He is about to share what happens to the servant that was disobedient and abused the masters servants and generosity.)

⁴⁶ The master of that servant will come on a day when he does not expect him and at an hour he is not aware of. He will cut him to pieces and assign him a place with the unbelievers.

⁴⁷ “The servant who knows the master’s will and does not get ready or does not do what the master wants will be beaten with many blows. ⁴⁸ But the one who does not know and does things deserving punishment will be beaten with few blows. From everyone who has been given much, much will be demanded; and from the one who has been entrusted with much, much more will be asked.

Not Peace but Division

⁴⁹ “I have come to bring fire on the earth, and how I wish it were already kindled! ⁵⁰ But I have a baptism to undergo, and what constraint I am under until it is completed! ⁵¹ Do you think I came to bring peace on earth? No, I tell you, but division. ⁵² From now on there will be five in one family divided against each other, three against two and two against three. ⁵³ They will be divided, father against son and son against father, mother against daughter and daughter against mother, mother-in-law against daughter-in-law and daughter-in-law against mother-in-law.”
Things to think about:
·         Jesus, wait just a minute…I thought you were the prince of peace and love itself?  How can you talk like this?  Will you really cut people to pieces?  Did you really come to bring fire, judgment, wrath, division?  Wow!  Jesus you do not mess around, this is not a game, we either follow you or don’t…
·         If things and people are going to be divided may I (and you) be on the right side.  That is my prayer today, that we choose Jesus for the consequences of not choosing him are great.  If you need to fear somebody, fear Jesus, then fall in love with Him for He is the Prince of Peace and the great Giver, the great Lover, the Merciful, Graceful, All Consuming Fire!  May we never forget it.

No Room to Grow

After working on a message for a youth lesson I just can’t seem to get an idea out of my mind.  Have you ever thought about space?  Not the space filled with junk in the corner, the space that is up, out there, beyond our atmosphere.  How big is space?  I am no scientist and to be honest I am not sure I believe everything they say about the measurements of space, but needless to say space is big!  I heard somewhere that the Milky Way Galaxy is 100,000 light-years across.  So, it takes 100,000 years for LIGHT to travel from one end to another!  I am pretty sure light goes really fast so if it takes that long the Milky Way must be REALLY Big!  That is just one of Billions of Galaxies separated by enormous distances of nothingness.  We have no idea how big our Universe really is.  Every time we invent a new way of looking into space to see further than we did before all we find is more stars, more galaxies, and more space.  Where does it end?  Now listen to this passage from Psalm 103...

 Psalm 103:8-18

⁸The LORD is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
⁹ He will not always chide,
nor will he keep his anger forever.
¹⁰He does not deal with us according to our sins,
nor repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
¹²as far as the east is from the west,
so far does he remove our transgressions from us.
¹³As a father shows compassion to his children,
so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him.
¹⁴For he knows our frame;
he remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵As for man, his days are like grass;
he flourishes like a flower of the field;
¹⁶for the wind passes over it, and it is gone,
and its place knows it no more.
¹⁷But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him,
and his righteousness to children’s children,
¹⁸to those who keep his covenant
and remember to do his commandments.

Things to think about:

¨    This is a great Psalm about how much God has given us and how great His love for us really is.  Look at verse 11 again.  How high are the heavens (space, stars, galaxies) above the earth?  The galaxy we are in is so big we can hardly see the edges of it and there are even more beyond, further and further away…so how far away are they?  That is how great the love of God is for YOU! 
¨    His love is so big light-years are too small a measurement to use when describing it.
¨    Compared to God how are people described in this passage?  Do you see the contrast between you and God as that big?  Is He really that much bigger, wiser, better than you?
¨    In verse 17 the love of God is described again.  This time instead of distance it talks about time.  God’s love for you stretches from before there was time in eternity past into the future and will last for eternity.  His love for you is bigger than time!
¨    How would I summarize this passage?  God loves you so much it is bigger than the Universe you live in and is longer than time itself.  Basically, His love for you has no room to grow.  Rest in the knowledge of God’s love today.

Holy, Holy, Sinful?

Day after day the angels in Heaven never stop singing:

"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,

who was and is and is to come!"

What does it mean to be Holy?  Well, a quick look at a Bible Dictionary will tell you simply that to be “holy” is to be “set apart” or “reserved for a special purpose…” or you could even define it as “pure”…

 I think it would do us well to remember that God is pure, set apart, special, and Holy.  In today’s culture the temptation is to make God understandable, imperfect, limited, and just slightly better than us as humans.  Just watch some T.V. or the latest movies and the way they portray God often is like a child with too much power, like a guy that is trying to figure things out as he goes, and who really is clueless when it comes to our lives here on earth.  That is NOT the God I worship, and NOT the God who reigns from Heaven above.  Have you ever thought about this though: If God is Holy, how can I come to Him?  How dare I pray, how dare I assume that He will just invite me into His presence?  How can I stand before Him with all this sin in my life?  There are a lot of passages that give us hope when thinking about this idea, here is one of them from the book of 1 Peter.

 1 Peter 1:3-9, 13-23

 

³ Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, ⁴to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, ⁵who by God’s power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. ⁶In this you rejoice, though now for a little while, if necessary, you have been grieved by various trials, ⁷so that the tested genuineness of your faith—more precious than gold that perishes though it is tested by⁾ fire—may be found to result in praise and glory and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ⁸ Though you have not seen him, you love him. Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory, ⁹obtaining the outcome of your faith, the salvation of your souls…

Called to Be Holy

¹³Therefore, preparing your minds for action, and being sober-minded, set your hope fully on the grace that will be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ. ¹⁴As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, ¹⁵but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, ¹⁶since it is written, "You shall be holy, for I am holy." ¹⁷And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile, ¹⁸knowing that you were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, ¹⁹but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. ²⁰He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you ²¹ who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.

²²Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, ²³ since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;

Things to think about:

¨    According to this passage how are we “holy” before God?

¨    Are you going through a hard time?  What hope does this passage give you?

¨    Is verse 13 real in your life?  Do you “prepare your mind for action?”

¨    What price was paid to make you holy?  If that was the price how should we live, as holy or like we used to live when we were lost in the world?  How offensive would it be to God for him to make such a sacrifice only for us to squander it and continue to live in our sin unaware or even not caring that we have been set free and have a new hope in Christ, a new way to live, a new life to enjoy…?

Hey, Where Did The Wrath Go?

Thinking about the wrath of God is never a fun subject.  In fact many people I know never think about the wrath of God and if they do, they think that God never gets angry, he never judges people and his wrath is not scary.  Unfortunately, just because you don’t believe something or never think about it doesn’t mean that it isn’t real.  God’s wrath against sin and sinners is real and should be the scariest thing in all of existence.  Jesus said once in Luke 12, “I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more.  But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after your body has been killed, has authority to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him.”

            Am I suggesting that you cower in the corner afraid of God and all of his wrath?  Well, yes and no.  Yes, if you have all of that wrath building up against you for each and every sin.  At any moment his grace will end and you will face his judgment and if it is just you and God’s wrath, that is a scary place to be.  But, if there is another person in the picture that could possibly take that wrath upon himself, well that is another story all together. 

 Romans 3:21-26

²¹But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— ²²the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: ²³for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, ²⁴ and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, ²⁵whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. ²⁶It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.

 Things to think about:

¨    Many of us know Romans 3:23 that all have sinned, but why is Paul bringing it up in this passage?

¨    Because everyone is a sinner what needs to happen?  Because everyone is a sinner how is it possible that some are saved by Jesus Christ?  Doesn’t that make God a liar?  He said he would punish all sinners and we are all sinners…

¨    It is possible because of the bold word in verse 25…propitiation…which in my own words is defined as God’s diverted wrath upon Jesus instead of on me.  God still had wrath, he still had judgment, but instead of being applied to me, it was diverted to Jesus on the cross. 

¨    Jesus not only died for me, but experienced all the wrath and judgment of God; an eternities worth of Hell, for me…for you…wow! Think about that one for a while and rejoice if you have faith that Jesus would do such a thing for a sinner like you and I.

Does God Hear Jesus Pray?

Have you ever prayed something and thought, “That won’t happen…God will never answer that prayer.”  Or maybe you have thought that since something you prayed for didn’t happen God wasn’t listening.  I once heard a story about a young lady that was physically and sexually abused by relatives for five years.  She was undergoing Christian counseling and had a lot of questions for God.  The counselor didn’t know how to answer so they sent her to a pastor.  Once the pastor heard the sad story of this girls life the question came up, “where was God when I was being raped?”  Huge question!  The answer from the pastor was less than helpful, but I understand why he struggled to find an easy answer to that question.  The answer he gave was, “Well, maybe he was on vacation and didn’t see you or hear you during those times…he was busy elsewhere…”  What!?!  God on vacation from being God!  From that time on this girl struggled to know if God would ever return from vacation to be with her…The point of this story is to get you to think, why doesn’t God hear my prayers?  You know, Jesus could ask the same thing…

Look at the following passages and thoughts:

 Luke 22:31-32

³¹ “Simon, Simon, Satan has asked to sift all of you as wheat. ³² But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned back, strengthen your brothers.”

¨    Huh, Jesus prays for Peter that his faith will not fail and yet we see Peter deny him three times…to me that looks like a failed faith…

¨    …but Jesus in the next few verses tells Peter he will deny him…so Jesus already knows his prayer will not be answered, or at least answered in the way I would think it should be answered.

¨    Maybe we should be open to the idea that God could answer our prayers in a way that seems like he ignores the request.  But, God knows better than we do so we might ask for something and God changes the request so that we get something better…he knows what our hearts need more than we do.  There is a bigger picture at stake…

John 17:20-23

²⁰ “My prayer is not for them alone. I pray also for those who will believe in me through their message, ²¹ that all of them may be one, Father, just as you are in me and I am in you. May they also be in us so that the world may believe that you have sent me. ²² I have given them the glory that you gave me, that they may be one as we are one— ²³ I in them and you in me—so that they may be brought to complete unity. Then the world will know that you sent me and have loved them even as you have loved me.

¨    Jesus prays for all of us that believe through the message of the gospel.  He prays that we would be one.  How many denominations are there?  How segregated are we when it comes to age, race, social status?  Are we one?  Are we united?  That is a prayer we are still praying so it hasn’t been answered yet.

¨    Jesus prayed for something and 2,000 years later it has yet to be answered…maybe we should have more patience for God to answer our prayers…

Hello, Is Anyone Listening

          Have you ever had a conversation with someone where you knew they were not listening to a word you were saying? Their eyes were glossed over and they just kept nodding and saying, “uh huh, hmm” but you knew they had no idea what you were talking about.  Sometimes we listen to God like that.  We read the Bible or listen to a sermon or maybe even in our prayers we sense God talking with us and we say, “huh, interesting, hmm…” but then five minutes later we have no idea what we were even listening to.  We are not alone in this difficulty of listening to God.  The Israelites many years ago also struggled with paying attention, even when their very lives depended on it.  Today we are going to look at a short passage from the book of Ezekiel. 

            Ezekiel was a prophet to the people of Israel and they seemed to like him, even though he prophesied destruction and pain…a lot of destruction and pain.  People would listen, but not do anything about it, sounds familiar…Ezekiel has just finished preaching about all the horrible things the people of Israel are doing and how God is going to destroy them in judgment when God give Ezekiel a prediction…here is what God says…

 Ezekiel 33:30-33

³⁰ “As for you, son of man, your people are talking together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, saying to each other, ‘Come and hear the message that has come from the LORD.’ ³¹ My people come to you, as they usually do, and sit before you to hear your words, but they do not put them into practice. Their mouths speak of love, but their hearts are greedy for unjust gain. ³² Indeed, to them you are nothing more than one who sings love songs with a beautiful voice and plays an instrument well, for they hear your words but do not put them into practice.

³³ “When all this comes true—and it surely will—then they will know that a prophet has been among them.”

Things to think about:

¨    Notice that the people were eager to hear the message.  It wasn’t that they ignored Ezekiel completely or didn’t show up for church…oh, I mean, didn’t show up to the gate to listen.

¨    They even invited their friends to come!  Awesome witness right?  Doesn’t that count for something, having friends here the message of God?

¨    God makes a striking contrast between the words of the people and the desires of their heart.  How is that contrast in your life?  Do your desires match your words?

¨    I love the part about singing with a beautiful voice because I can’t sing at all, but on occasion people have commented that I teach well…is it about how well I or anyone else preaches/teaches or is it about how much you actually DO what God is telling you to DO?

¨    When the end comes – and it surely will – will you know that a message has been in your ears that you should have been listening to and obeying?  It was too late for them, don’t let it be too late for you!

To Follow or Not to Follow, That Is The Question...

As I was preparing for a youth lesson this past week I heard a really interesting quote that got me thinking.  Here is the quote by Francis Chan, a pastor and speaker, "You really can't follow God and fit in."  Hmm...think about that one for a minute.  Do you think that is true?  Do you think it is ALWAYS true?  Why or why not?  If I call myself a follower of Christ does that automatically mean I do not fit in with the world?  Look at the following passage and think about how Jesus would have answered that question.

John 15:18-21
¹⁸ “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. ¹⁹ If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. ²⁰ Remember what I told you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. ²¹ They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the one who sent me.

Things to think about:

• Why did the world hate Jesus?  Does the world feel the same way about you?  Why or why not?
• What does it mean that we do not belong to the world?  Where do we belong?  Do you live as if you do not belong here?  How do we do that?
• Verse 21 is a great clarification verse for me...why does the world treat us poorly and persecute us as followers of Christ?  Answer: Jesus' Name!  The world rarely persecutes people for being nice, for being kind to strangers, for helping the homeless, for building shelters, for smiling and looking good.  The world persecutes people that profess the name of Jesus regularly and in all they do.  Test this theory - talk about Jesus in every conversation you have throughout the day and see what happens, you will quickly become an outsider. 
• If you are just trying to live a good life and never mention the name Jesus are you really following Him or are you just using Him as an example of how to be happy and satisfied with life?

Absolute Power, Absolute Grace

I am sure many of you have heard the phrase, "absolute power corrupts absolutely."  I understand why that phrase has become popular; it seems true doesn't it.  The more power a person seems to attain the more corrupt and sinful they seem to become.  They start cheating, stealing, lying, all to maintain or grow that power.  Look at all of the dictators around the world and you can see how this saying is played out in front of our eyes.  But, here is my problem, those dictarors don't have absolute power.  They may have a lot of power, they may have almost all of the power in their country, but not absolute power.  The only person that has absolute power is God, and He is certainly not corrupt!  So really the saying should read, "With much relative power corruption is unnavoidable, but with absolute power comes absolute Grace."  I don't think it will be as catchy, but you get the idea.

Psalm 33 is a great example of God's absolute power and absolute Grace...

¹ Sing joyfully to the LORD, you righteous;
it is fitting for the upright to praise him.
² Praise the LORD with the harp;
make music to him on the ten-stringed lyre.
³ Sing to him a new song;
play skillfully, and shout for joy.
⁴ For the word of the LORD is right and true;
he is faithful in all he does.
⁵ The LORD loves righteousness and justice;
the earth is full of his unfailing love.
⁶ By the word of the LORD the heavens were made,
their starry host by the breath of his mouth.
⁷ He gathers the waters of the sea into jars^[a];
he puts the deep into storehouses.
⁸ Let all the earth fear the LORD;
let all the people of the world revere him.
⁹ For he spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
¹⁰ The LORD foils the plans of the nations;
he thwarts the purposes of the peoples.
¹¹ But the plans of the LORD stand firm forever,
the purposes of his heart through all generations.
¹² Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD,
the people he chose for his inheritance.
¹³ From heaven the LORD looks down
and sees all mankind;
¹⁴ from his dwelling place he watches
all who live on earth—
¹⁵ he who forms the hearts of all,
who considers everything they do.
¹⁶ No king is saved by the size of his army;
no warrior escapes by his great strength.
¹⁷ A horse is a vain hope for deliverance;
despite all its great strength it cannot save.
¹⁸ But the eyes of the LORD are on those who fear him,
on those whose hope is in his unfailing love,
¹⁹ to deliver them from death
and keep them alive in famine.
²⁰ We wait in hope for the LORD;
he is our help and our shield.
²¹ In him our hearts rejoice,
for we trust in his holy name.
²² May your unfailing love be with us, LORD,
even as we put our hope in you.

Things to think about:

• What reasons does the Psalmist give for praising the Lord?  Do you find yourself praising God for these same reasons?
• Read vs. 6 again...how was everything made?  Does that blow your mind?  Do you know how big the Universe is?  How much stuff did God make with just his words?  It is as if He didn't even need to try hard...
• If God is for you, what could possibly stand against you?  If God is agains't you, what could possibly stand for you to save you?
• Huge thought for the day, It is the Lord that Judges and Lord that Saves...Fear of the Lord should turn to Grace from the Lord, which turns to Praise for the Lord.
• Pray that God's greatest gift of Grace, his son Jesus Christ, would pay your debt and stand in your place, facing the judgment that was designed for you, so that you can have forgiveness of sins and eternal life praising the Lord and free from any danger, any enemy, any disease, any sin, forever, and ever...AMEN!

Proud to be Humble

What does it mean to be humble?  Is humility something that comes naturally to us as humans or is it something we need to work on?  For me, it is definitly something I need to work on and I often catch myself being the opposite of humble, proud.  Proud about a performance, proud about life, proud about an accomplishement or decision I have made, proud about my faith, and much more.  I remember once having a conversation with a guy that claimed he was a really humble guy, so I said something like, "you are only humble until you take pride in your humility..." which at the time I thought was clever and it cut him down, but really all I was showing was my own pride.  Today in our Bible Time I want to look at who the Bible claims is the most humble man that ever lived...and then discuss why I think it was true.

Numbers 12:1-8
¹ Miriam and Aaron began to talk against Moses because of his Cushite wife, for he had married a Cushite. ² “Has the LORD spoken only through Moses?” they asked. “Hasn’t he also spoken through us?” And the LORD heard this.
³ (Now Moses was a very humble man, more humble than anyone else on the face of the earth.)
⁴ At once the LORD said to Moses, Aaron and Miriam, “Come out to the tent of meeting, all three of you.” So the three of them went out. ⁵ Then the LORD came down in a pillar of cloud; he stood at the entrance to the tent and summoned Aaron and Miriam. When the two of them stepped forward, ⁶ he said, “Listen to my words:
“When there is a prophet among you,
I, the LORD, reveal myself to them in visions,
I speak to them in dreams.
⁷ But this is not true of my servant Moses;
he is faithful in all my house.
⁸ With him I speak face to face,
clearly and not in riddles;
he sees the form of the LORD.
Why then were you not afraid
to speak against my servant Moses?”

Things to think about:

• Interesting that Moses the author of the book of Numbers would write that he was the most humble man alive...how is that statement humble? 
• What was God's main response to Miriam and Aaron when they spoke against Moses? 
• God had set Moses apart even from His other prophets...why?  God would meet face to face with Moses, clearly and not in riddles...wow!  What an honor to talk to God like that, and yet Moses knew his place, he knew that he didn't deserve it, he knew he was the chief of sinners, he knew that he needed God ever moment of every day.  That is humility, seeing our place before the Lord of Heaven and earth! 
• How cool would it be to let God defend you, instead of you getting upset and defending yourself?  that is a sign of great humility, when you know you are right, but you choose to be silent because God is the judge, God is the only one you need to worry about obeying and He knows the truth...many of us are so consumed with defending our honor, keeping up appearances, and presenting a "front" to the world.  That is pride.  Instead let me invite you to be humble and let the Lord defend you.  Look at 1 Peter 5 for a little more on this topic.

1 Peter 5:1- 6
¹ To the elders among you, I appeal as a fellow elder and a witness of Christ’s sufferings who also will share in the glory to be revealed: ² Be shepherds of God’s flock that is under your care, watching over them—not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not pursuing dishonest gain, but eager to serve; ³ not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock. ⁴ And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away.
⁵ In the same way, you who are younger, submit yourselves to your elders. All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because,
“God opposes the proud
but shows favor to the humble.”
⁶ Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.

No matter who we are or where we come from we all need to stand humbly before the Lord.  Let Him be your judge, and let Him defend your honor.  Those who are first shall be last and those that are last shall be first...(Jesus said that, so i think it is worth paying attention to...)