"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will." ~ Romans 12:1-2
This is a very challenging verse. Paul never fails to remind God's people that we are to keep our eyes on the goal of heaven. As he says in 2 Corinthians 4:18, "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." Romans 12:2 has a very similar message to 2 Corinthians 4:18: leave behind the ways of the world and follow Jesus so that you can gain eternal life through Him.
When we first turn to Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins, He sends His Holy Spirit to us to fill us and teach us His will. The Spirit guides us—guides our thinking and reasoning—so that we can do what God has set before us to do. And more often than not, His ways are not the ways of the world. As we grow in our faith, the Spirit urges us more and more to rely on God and allow Him to work in us and through us. In doing so, we set aside our earthly desires in favor of a godly life.
I apologize if it seems like I'm talking in circles; it seems that way to me, so I'll move on.
In Romans 12:1, we are told to give our bodies as "living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God." This does not mean that we should go commit suicide for the sake of sacrificing ourselves to God. That is not what Paul is saying here at all. What he means is that we should, as Jesus put it, deny ourselves and follow Him. We are to give ourselves wholly to the work of God.
Verse 2 expands on this. Not only are we to serve God with our entire being, we are also told to put aside the ways of the world: the ways many of our friends follow.
So where am I headed with all of this? To tell the truth, I don't exactly know. I had originally planned to only have one point to make in this message. Now it seems that I am still only making one point (not the one I had intended), but expanding on it more and more. Maybe I'm rambling because it's so late. So I guess I'd better hurry and wrap things up.
A couple days ago, I had the privilege of going to the Creation Museum in Cincinnati, Ohio. The speaker while I was there, Bodie Hodge, did a brief (one hour) presentation on the creation of the world and the conflict between evolution and the Bible. Although I felt like he was being a little imposing, forcing his ideas, he did have a point when he said this: "We so often try to force-fit evolution into the Bible. But which one always gets compromised when we do that: evolution or the Bible? The Bible." Sadly, he's right. When presented with the idea that the earth is billions of years old, rather than going to the Bible and calculating the earth's age to be about 6000 years, we accept the proposal that the earth is, in fact, billions of years old, and then we look for ways to fit those extra years into the Bible. Instead of accepting the Bible as fact and adjusting our scientific beliefs to fit the Bible, we accept science as fact and adjust the Bible to fit science.
Bodie commented on this tendency to force-fit evolution into the Bible, saying, "We take the Bible and say, 'God, I know what You've told me in Your word, but here's what I know.' (Speaking about evolution.) We take the word of God and try to force-fit evolution into it. We're telling God He's wrong and that science has proven it. Who are we to tell God He's wrong?"
Who are we...?
As a Christian who was unsure about what I believed when it came to the age of the earth, this struck me hard. For a while, I had been willing to accept that the world may be billions of years old if you can find a way to fit those billions of years into the Bible. But Bodie made several convincing points that disprove the theory that the earth is billions of years old. To give an example, scientists have found rocks (volcanic rocks, I think) that they have dated back millions of years through the method of carbon dating. One problem: inside the rocks is contained helium gas, which leaks out of the rocks at a rate that would have depleted the helium supply in the rocks several million years ago if the earth really was billions of years old. So the world couldn't be more than a few thousand years old, as shown in the Bible by adding up genealogies.
Science is not infallible. That's why scientists use variables and multiple trials when conducting experiments. And everyone knows that nobody's perfect. So could it be possible that radio-carbon dating is inaccurate? To a certain point, I believe carbon dating is very useful and accurate. But when you get past that point, I think it is more than likely that the accuracy of radio-carbon dating decays along with its mass.
So when faced with the decision between evolution and the Bible, what should we do? To sum up Bodie's message in just a few words, rather than trying to change the Bible to fit science, change science to fit the Bible. If a scientific conclusion doesn't fit the Bible, it doesn't belong there and needs to be rethought. And the same goes for anything in life. If it doesn't fit the Bible, it needs to be changed.
So to get back on track, the whole section about nonconformity at the beginning of this post has to do with the acceptance of evolutionary theories. We should not conform to the ideas of the world, but should stay true to God's word. When we do that, all things will fall into place.
Until next time, God bless!
Michael
—————————————————————
"I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing." ~ 1 Timothy 2:8
"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to live is Christ and to die is gain." ~ Philippians 1:20-21
Friday, June 11, 2010
Thursday, June 3, 2010
Christians: Working Hard or Hardly Working
I was at church a few days ago listening to the pastor when something he said hit me. He said, "Being a Christian is the hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life." And it's true; I definitely agree that being a Christian is not easy.
But how do so many people make it look so easy?
Well, I have two answers for that. 1) They love God and trust Him so much that He gives them joy all the time, even when the going gets tough. 2) They say they've accepted Christ as their Savior, but they really aren't doing anything to serve the Lord; they haven't really repented.
Being a Christian means that you have turned from your old life and given up everything to God. The apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" And what an amazing thing to hear coming from Paul himself, who went from being a devout Pharisee bent on destroying the Christian population to one of the most dedicated messengers of the Gospel!
But for most, unlike Paul, this becoming a new creation is a process, not an event. Although there is a point where we turn our lives over to God and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, the removal of sin from our lives is a gradual process. And that is what makes being a Christian so hard: we must continually strive to choose God rather than sin. And I'm sure you all know just how hard that can be when Satan has devoted his existence to making sin look as appealing as possible. "It's only one question. It's not like you're cheating on the entire test." "Come on, take a sip. Enjoy it! One glass of beer isn't going to hurt you." "Are you going to take that? How dare he talk to you like that? You deserve better than that! The Bible says that you should do to others as you want to be treated. Go give him what he asked for!" We have to fight Satan and our desires daily and refuse to give in to temptation. No wonder my pastor said being a Christian is so hard.
So now I've shown how hard Christianity can be. But why does it look so easy for many people?
Let's start with my second answer. One of the arguments many people have for not becoming a Christian is that so many of us seem like hypocrites. We talk about how God loves us and how Jesus saved us from death and that we should live our lives for Him because He gave His for us, and then we go on sinning like before. I have to confess that I find myself being a hypocrite too a lot of times. (Thank God that He forgives!) I'm sad to say that the people who make that argument do have a point. Why claim to be a Christian if you're not going to let it make a difference in your life? But on the other hand, if those people are so annoyed by all the hypocrites, I think they could become some of the most devoted followers of Christ because they hate hypocrisy so much.
But continuing with my original point, many people simply don't get what it means to be a Christian. They say, "Jesus, thank You for dying for my sins. Thank You for saving me from death. Amen," and then they're done. They go back out into the world of drugs, sex, and hatred. Some will argue that this is okay because God will forgive us. But Paul makes it clear in Romans 6 that this is not the case. And in 2 Corinthians 7:1, he says, "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."
And that leads us to my first answer. Because God gave us the ultimate gift of salvation through Christ, we thankfully and joyfully serve Him. When I receive a gift from someone on a random occasion (not my birthday or Christmas or any other time you'd expect a gift), I naturally feel the need and desire to give something back out of thanks. This is how we should feel toward God. After all, He sent His Son to die for us. I don't know about you, but if my brother gave his life for me, I'd want to live in a way that would honor him. And Matthew 12:48-50 says that we are Jesus' brothers and sisters.
The Christians who daily deny themselves and their earthly desires, those who take up the cross and follow Christ (Luke 9:23) — these men and women, boys and girls make Christianity look easy because they have their eyes set on the prize in heaven (Colossians 3:1-4). 2 Corinthians 4:18 explains these people's lives perfectly: "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." Eternal life with our Maker in heaven is so much more rewarding than a few momentary pleasures.
To sum things up, there are two types of Christians in my mind: those who are content to live in sin, and those who will settle for nothing less than Christ. The Bible says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." But it also says, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38) and "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). So will the unrepentant believers be saved? The way I see it, if a person makes no conscious effort to turn from his or her sinful ways, that person never really believed and did not truly accept Jesus as his or her Savior. But that question is for God alone to answer on Judgment Day. I hope that I will be proven wrong.
Christianity is as hard or as easy as you make it. We have a few choices. 1) Accept Christ as our Savior and go on sinning and refusing to repent, living as hypocrites seeking temporary earthly pleasures rather than the eternal joy of the kingdom of heaven. 2) Live for Christ reluctantly, as if under obligation. 3) Live for Christ joyfully and thankfully, filled with His Spirit and eager to serve, and chasing after the greatest prize in the universe. The first choice is easy. The second is hard. And the third is difficult, but more than worth it. It's your choice.
So what does a Christian look like? We strive to look like one thing. The answer is two short, simple, powerful words:
Jesus Christ.
Until next time, God bless!
Michael
—————————————————————
"I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing." ~ 1 Timothy 2:8
"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to live is Christ and to die is gain." ~ Philippians 1:20-21
But how do so many people make it look so easy?
Well, I have two answers for that. 1) They love God and trust Him so much that He gives them joy all the time, even when the going gets tough. 2) They say they've accepted Christ as their Savior, but they really aren't doing anything to serve the Lord; they haven't really repented.
Being a Christian means that you have turned from your old life and given up everything to God. The apostle Paul says in 2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" And what an amazing thing to hear coming from Paul himself, who went from being a devout Pharisee bent on destroying the Christian population to one of the most dedicated messengers of the Gospel!
But for most, unlike Paul, this becoming a new creation is a process, not an event. Although there is a point where we turn our lives over to God and accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, the removal of sin from our lives is a gradual process. And that is what makes being a Christian so hard: we must continually strive to choose God rather than sin. And I'm sure you all know just how hard that can be when Satan has devoted his existence to making sin look as appealing as possible. "It's only one question. It's not like you're cheating on the entire test." "Come on, take a sip. Enjoy it! One glass of beer isn't going to hurt you." "Are you going to take that? How dare he talk to you like that? You deserve better than that! The Bible says that you should do to others as you want to be treated. Go give him what he asked for!" We have to fight Satan and our desires daily and refuse to give in to temptation. No wonder my pastor said being a Christian is so hard.
So now I've shown how hard Christianity can be. But why does it look so easy for many people?
Let's start with my second answer. One of the arguments many people have for not becoming a Christian is that so many of us seem like hypocrites. We talk about how God loves us and how Jesus saved us from death and that we should live our lives for Him because He gave His for us, and then we go on sinning like before. I have to confess that I find myself being a hypocrite too a lot of times. (Thank God that He forgives!) I'm sad to say that the people who make that argument do have a point. Why claim to be a Christian if you're not going to let it make a difference in your life? But on the other hand, if those people are so annoyed by all the hypocrites, I think they could become some of the most devoted followers of Christ because they hate hypocrisy so much.
But continuing with my original point, many people simply don't get what it means to be a Christian. They say, "Jesus, thank You for dying for my sins. Thank You for saving me from death. Amen," and then they're done. They go back out into the world of drugs, sex, and hatred. Some will argue that this is okay because God will forgive us. But Paul makes it clear in Romans 6 that this is not the case. And in 2 Corinthians 7:1, he says, "Since we have these promises, dear friends, let us purify ourselves from everything that contaminates body and spirit, perfecting holiness out of reverence for God."
And that leads us to my first answer. Because God gave us the ultimate gift of salvation through Christ, we thankfully and joyfully serve Him. When I receive a gift from someone on a random occasion (not my birthday or Christmas or any other time you'd expect a gift), I naturally feel the need and desire to give something back out of thanks. This is how we should feel toward God. After all, He sent His Son to die for us. I don't know about you, but if my brother gave his life for me, I'd want to live in a way that would honor him. And Matthew 12:48-50 says that we are Jesus' brothers and sisters.
The Christians who daily deny themselves and their earthly desires, those who take up the cross and follow Christ (Luke 9:23) — these men and women, boys and girls make Christianity look easy because they have their eyes set on the prize in heaven (Colossians 3:1-4). 2 Corinthians 4:18 explains these people's lives perfectly: "So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal." Eternal life with our Maker in heaven is so much more rewarding than a few momentary pleasures.
To sum things up, there are two types of Christians in my mind: those who are content to live in sin, and those who will settle for nothing less than Christ. The Bible says in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His One and Only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." But it also says, "Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit" (Acts 2:38) and "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven" (Matthew 7:21). So will the unrepentant believers be saved? The way I see it, if a person makes no conscious effort to turn from his or her sinful ways, that person never really believed and did not truly accept Jesus as his or her Savior. But that question is for God alone to answer on Judgment Day. I hope that I will be proven wrong.
Christianity is as hard or as easy as you make it. We have a few choices. 1) Accept Christ as our Savior and go on sinning and refusing to repent, living as hypocrites seeking temporary earthly pleasures rather than the eternal joy of the kingdom of heaven. 2) Live for Christ reluctantly, as if under obligation. 3) Live for Christ joyfully and thankfully, filled with His Spirit and eager to serve, and chasing after the greatest prize in the universe. The first choice is easy. The second is hard. And the third is difficult, but more than worth it. It's your choice.
So what does a Christian look like? We strive to look like one thing. The answer is two short, simple, powerful words:
Jesus Christ.
Until next time, God bless!
Michael
—————————————————————
"I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing." ~ 1 Timothy 2:8
"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to live is Christ and to die is gain." ~ Philippians 1:20-21
The Message of the Gospel
So up until now, all of my posts have been about spreading God's love, whether through words or through actions. Everything has been primarily to build up my brothers and sisters in Christ. But now I have a special message. This one is for those who have not yet allowed the Holy Spirit to change their lives.
First off, Christianity is not just a message of condemnation and numerous rules and laws that must be obeyed in order to avoid that fate. If it were, then there would be no hope for humanity because nobody can obey all rules and laws perfectly all the time. Chances are, you've lied to your parents or stolen a piece of candy from the Halloween bowl when nobody was looking or yelled at your siblings. We all have. The truth is, we are sinful creatures. We cannot achieve perfection and, therefore, we cannot reach Heaven on our own. We need Someone to open the gate for us, to bridge the gap.
Thankfully, Christianity is not just a message of condemnation, but a message of love. It has been said that God is love, and this has been quoted by many people over and over again. In fact, it even says so in the Bible in 1 John 4:8, which is the source of the quote. Because of His great love, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay for our sins through the penalty of death.
The message of Christianity is a message of grace. Grace can be defined as an undeserved gift. And if the gift of salvation isn't grace, then I don't know what is. After all, we humans sin all the time, angering God. But God sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins, and through Him, He forgave us. We do not, in the least, deserve eternal life after all we have done to disappoint our Creator. But He allows us to live with Him forever anyway — as long as we let Him give us that great gift.
We are called to enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ, allowing Him to be like a brother and friend to us, while God becomes our Father, and the Holy Spirit replaces our conscience. We are no longer bound by sin but are now free to live pure, holy lives, pleasing to God, to ourselves, and to others. When we dedicate our lives to serving Christ, we dedicate our lives to the good of His people. This means that we do everything within our power to be loving toward others and demonstrate Jesus' love through our words and actions.
So to sum things up, believe that Jesus was and is the Son of God and trust in Him, be baptized with the Holy Spirit and with water as a display of your repentance, and live your life in such a way as to please God. This does not mean you have to follow a strict set of rules, but it does mean that we should strive to live as Jesus lived. And if you fall short, which we all do, then ask for forgiveness, repent, and move on. If you trust in Jesus, you will be saved, and if we live like Jesus, we can't help but improve the world.
Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Trust God, be good, and apologize when you make mistakes. So why not turn to Christ now? Ask Him for forgiveness of your sins and ask Him to come into your life so that you can live with Him forever in Heaven. Ask Him to help you to live like Him so that others will see the change inside of you and be moved to consider Christianity.
With such a simple process, you really having nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
Until next time, God bless!
Michael
—————————————————————
"I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing." ~ 1 Timothy 2:8
"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to live is Christ and to die is gain." ~ Philippians 1:20-21
First off, Christianity is not just a message of condemnation and numerous rules and laws that must be obeyed in order to avoid that fate. If it were, then there would be no hope for humanity because nobody can obey all rules and laws perfectly all the time. Chances are, you've lied to your parents or stolen a piece of candy from the Halloween bowl when nobody was looking or yelled at your siblings. We all have. The truth is, we are sinful creatures. We cannot achieve perfection and, therefore, we cannot reach Heaven on our own. We need Someone to open the gate for us, to bridge the gap.
Thankfully, Christianity is not just a message of condemnation, but a message of love. It has been said that God is love, and this has been quoted by many people over and over again. In fact, it even says so in the Bible in 1 John 4:8, which is the source of the quote. Because of His great love, He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay for our sins through the penalty of death.
The message of Christianity is a message of grace. Grace can be defined as an undeserved gift. And if the gift of salvation isn't grace, then I don't know what is. After all, we humans sin all the time, angering God. But God sent His Son Jesus to die for our sins, and through Him, He forgave us. We do not, in the least, deserve eternal life after all we have done to disappoint our Creator. But He allows us to live with Him forever anyway — as long as we let Him give us that great gift.
We are called to enter into a relationship with Jesus Christ, allowing Him to be like a brother and friend to us, while God becomes our Father, and the Holy Spirit replaces our conscience. We are no longer bound by sin but are now free to live pure, holy lives, pleasing to God, to ourselves, and to others. When we dedicate our lives to serving Christ, we dedicate our lives to the good of His people. This means that we do everything within our power to be loving toward others and demonstrate Jesus' love through our words and actions.
So to sum things up, believe that Jesus was and is the Son of God and trust in Him, be baptized with the Holy Spirit and with water as a display of your repentance, and live your life in such a way as to please God. This does not mean you have to follow a strict set of rules, but it does mean that we should strive to live as Jesus lived. And if you fall short, which we all do, then ask for forgiveness, repent, and move on. If you trust in Jesus, you will be saved, and if we live like Jesus, we can't help but improve the world.
Sounds simple enough, doesn't it? Trust God, be good, and apologize when you make mistakes. So why not turn to Christ now? Ask Him for forgiveness of your sins and ask Him to come into your life so that you can live with Him forever in Heaven. Ask Him to help you to live like Him so that others will see the change inside of you and be moved to consider Christianity.
With such a simple process, you really having nothing to lose, and everything to gain.
Until next time, God bless!
Michael
—————————————————————
"I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing." ~ 1 Timothy 2:8
"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to live is Christ and to die is gain." ~ Philippians 1:20-21
The World's Best Kept Secret
Skillet has a song called "Best Kept Secret" on their album Invincible. The lyrics include lines such as "And I can't pretend I don't know, and I can't leave it alone," and "And I can't live for myself; I can't keep this all to myself." And the chorus reveals exactly what Christianity is: the best-kept secret of all time.
This should not be. Jesus called us, as His followers, to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). And as I said last time, we are given the promise that God will bless us if we "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33). Why, then, do we so often fail to share the best news the world has ever known and will ever know?
For most of us, our stumbling block is the desire for immediate gratification. We would rather not give up our reputations or our friends for the sake of sharing the Gospel. We decide we'd rather live life our way and leave discipleship for the years immediately preceding death. After all, the reward for serving God doesn't come until we reach heaven, right?
Wrong. Look at King David, one of the most well-known people in the Bible. David was "a man after God's own heart." He was the youngest of eight brothers, a shepherd among warriors, the weakest and least valuable in the time of Israel's dispute with the Philistines. But because David served the Lord with all his heart, God sent His prophet Samuel to anoint the young boy to become king. It was not long after that the scrawny teen took down the Philistine giant, Goliath, with a sling and a single stone. David eventually took his place on the throne of Israel, and he prospered under God's hand. He became one of the wealthiest and most powerful men on the planet, all because he submitted himself to God's will. This psalmist-turned-conqueror is the ultimate example of the rewards we may possibly receive in this life by serving God; however, these rewards are not guaranteed. But one that is guaranteed is the promise that we will get to spend eternity in Heaven with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and escape the torture of hell.
Let's look at James 1:25 again. "But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it — he will be blessed in what he does." We see that even here God reveals the opportunity for reward in this life. When we want what the Father wants, why wouldn't He want to help us carry out His plans?
But still we make excuses in order to avoid spreading the Good News. We're worried about the impression we'll make. We don't want to be judged. But we know that those things shouldn't matter. But we refuse to witness anyway.
There are two particular stories, or parables, that I like that illustrate this situation well. Picture one of your non-believing friends in the middle of a street. Now imagine a semi-truck is barreling down a hill toward him or her and closing in fast. You have the chance to save him/her. But when you refuse to witness to that person, you leave him or her at the mercy of the truck driver. Or imagine that your friend is drowning in the ocean while you're sitting comfortably on the beach. You have a choice to make: a) relax and let him/her take care of him/herself, b) or go save the poor guy/girl. When we witness to non-believers, we are throwing them a life raft. The decision now lies with them to either grab the raft or ignore it and drown. It's your choice. But it's your friend's life you're betting. As James says in chapter 4, verse 17, "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." Don't let the "good he ought to do" be just that; make it the "good he has done."
We live in a drowning world. Jesus came to us to keep us afloat. Now it's up to us to be the lifeguards of humankind.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." ~ John 3:16
This gift is for all. Share it freely.
Until next time, God bless!
Michael
—————————————————————
"I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing." ~ 1 Timothy 2:8
"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to live is Christ and to die is gain." ~ Philippians 1:20-21
This should not be. Jesus called us, as His followers, to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20). And as I said last time, we are given the promise that God will bless us if we "seek first His kingdom and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33). Why, then, do we so often fail to share the best news the world has ever known and will ever know?
For most of us, our stumbling block is the desire for immediate gratification. We would rather not give up our reputations or our friends for the sake of sharing the Gospel. We decide we'd rather live life our way and leave discipleship for the years immediately preceding death. After all, the reward for serving God doesn't come until we reach heaven, right?
Wrong. Look at King David, one of the most well-known people in the Bible. David was "a man after God's own heart." He was the youngest of eight brothers, a shepherd among warriors, the weakest and least valuable in the time of Israel's dispute with the Philistines. But because David served the Lord with all his heart, God sent His prophet Samuel to anoint the young boy to become king. It was not long after that the scrawny teen took down the Philistine giant, Goliath, with a sling and a single stone. David eventually took his place on the throne of Israel, and he prospered under God's hand. He became one of the wealthiest and most powerful men on the planet, all because he submitted himself to God's will. This psalmist-turned-conqueror is the ultimate example of the rewards we may possibly receive in this life by serving God; however, these rewards are not guaranteed. But one that is guaranteed is the promise that we will get to spend eternity in Heaven with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit and escape the torture of hell.
Let's look at James 1:25 again. "But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it — he will be blessed in what he does." We see that even here God reveals the opportunity for reward in this life. When we want what the Father wants, why wouldn't He want to help us carry out His plans?
But still we make excuses in order to avoid spreading the Good News. We're worried about the impression we'll make. We don't want to be judged. But we know that those things shouldn't matter. But we refuse to witness anyway.
There are two particular stories, or parables, that I like that illustrate this situation well. Picture one of your non-believing friends in the middle of a street. Now imagine a semi-truck is barreling down a hill toward him or her and closing in fast. You have the chance to save him/her. But when you refuse to witness to that person, you leave him or her at the mercy of the truck driver. Or imagine that your friend is drowning in the ocean while you're sitting comfortably on the beach. You have a choice to make: a) relax and let him/her take care of him/herself, b) or go save the poor guy/girl. When we witness to non-believers, we are throwing them a life raft. The decision now lies with them to either grab the raft or ignore it and drown. It's your choice. But it's your friend's life you're betting. As James says in chapter 4, verse 17, "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins." Don't let the "good he ought to do" be just that; make it the "good he has done."
We live in a drowning world. Jesus came to us to keep us afloat. Now it's up to us to be the lifeguards of humankind.
"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life." ~ John 3:16
This gift is for all. Share it freely.
Until next time, God bless!
Michael
—————————————————————
"I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing." ~ 1 Timothy 2:8
"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to live is Christ and to die is gain." ~ Philippians 1:20-21
Christian Living
One of my favorite verses is Matthew 6:33:
"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
This verse sums up the ideal Christian life so well. "Seek first His Kingdom" — simply put, place God at the top of your priorities. Base all your decisions on His word and the life He lived and died for us — "and His righteousness" — live your life in a way you believe Jesus would live. Seek to be right with God. At church this morning, the guest youth pastor spoke about Matthew 25:31-46, the parable of the sheep and the goats: the sheep, the righteous, were on the Shepherd's right side, and the goats, everyone else, were on His left. Here in Matthew 6:33, the word righteousness means being right with God: as the pastor put it today, be right with God; don't be left out.
Finally, the last phrase assures us that, "all these things will be given to you as well." In context, Jesus was reprimanding the Jews for worrying about having clothing and sufficient food; so here, Jesus tells the Jews that by following Him and putting Him above everything else, their needs would be provided for.
This verse is much like James 1:23:
"But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it — he will be blessed in what he does." James, Jesus' own brother, writes to the Jews, who have been living in sin, claiming that they believe the Gospel but not taking any resultant action. The book of James focuses largely on faith and deeds, and in this verse, he shows the motivation for taking action. The one who studies the word and hides it in his heart then goes out and acts on it will be blessed by God. The Father will ensure that His will be carried out through that person because the person has submitted him- or herself to doing His will.
Again, in James 4:10, the apostle writes, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up." Still more motivation to take action. When we allow God's will to take priority over our own, He rewards us. That reward may not be in this life, but that is not what we live for anyway. We live for the reward we will receive in Heaven. We live for the Father. And we live for the Son, who died for us. How could anyone want to do anything but serve the One who did the ultimate service for humankind?
Many of us struggle with sharing God's word with non-believers. I know I do. Part of it is that I'm not a very vocal person; I prefer to share my thoughts through writing and typing. So that's why I felt like I had to share this. The message of these verses is not complicated. In fact, if you were to read the verses on your own, I can just about guarantee that you would have figured out on your own what I've been saying. But the problem is actually doing what the verses say. James 1:22 says, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." But even this does not convince many people. The world goes on even if we don't do anything, and God still loves us anyway. But James later says in chapter 2, verse 17, that faith alone, without accompanying action, is dead. If you won't let Christ's power work in you to change your life, don't even bother believing. There's a reason Peter said the steps to being saved are to 1) repent and 2) be baptized (Acts 2:38). To repent is to turn, to do a complete 180, and run away from sin and toward the loving arms of the Father. If we don't make a conscious effort to turn from our previous ways... well, then what good does believing do us?
So how do we share God's word with others? Honestly, I'm not the one to ask. I've never consciously witnessed to anyone successfully, as far as I know. But maybe that will change. All I can offer in terms of advice is this: Forget what everyone else thinks of you. Who cares if people judge you for being "religious"? After all, "what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). Look back at Matthew 6:33. Witness, and God will provide. He will give you the words to speak, the Scripture to refer back to, and the wisdom and love to know what to share and how to share it.
Even doing this is a little uncomfortable for me because, in his letter to the Jews, James warns against being too eager to become teachers because they will be judged more strictly. I know I'm not perfect, and I also struggle with this area of my walk with God, but I felt like I needed to share this because "all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
So I ask that you think about this. Consider the pros and cons of sharing God's word with others. I pray that God will move in someone in some way through this and that someone will come away changed. And always remember, when it comes to living for Christ, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
God bless!
Michael
—————————————————————
"I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing." ~ 1 Timothy 2:8
"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to live is Christ and to die is gain." ~ Philippians 1:20-21
"But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well."
This verse sums up the ideal Christian life so well. "Seek first His Kingdom" — simply put, place God at the top of your priorities. Base all your decisions on His word and the life He lived and died for us — "and His righteousness" — live your life in a way you believe Jesus would live. Seek to be right with God. At church this morning, the guest youth pastor spoke about Matthew 25:31-46, the parable of the sheep and the goats: the sheep, the righteous, were on the Shepherd's right side, and the goats, everyone else, were on His left. Here in Matthew 6:33, the word righteousness means being right with God: as the pastor put it today, be right with God; don't be left out.
Finally, the last phrase assures us that, "all these things will be given to you as well." In context, Jesus was reprimanding the Jews for worrying about having clothing and sufficient food; so here, Jesus tells the Jews that by following Him and putting Him above everything else, their needs would be provided for.
This verse is much like James 1:23:
"But the man who looks intently into the perfect law that gives freedom, and continues to do this, not forgetting what he has heard, but doing it — he will be blessed in what he does." James, Jesus' own brother, writes to the Jews, who have been living in sin, claiming that they believe the Gospel but not taking any resultant action. The book of James focuses largely on faith and deeds, and in this verse, he shows the motivation for taking action. The one who studies the word and hides it in his heart then goes out and acts on it will be blessed by God. The Father will ensure that His will be carried out through that person because the person has submitted him- or herself to doing His will.
Again, in James 4:10, the apostle writes, "Humble yourselves before the Lord, and He will lift you up." Still more motivation to take action. When we allow God's will to take priority over our own, He rewards us. That reward may not be in this life, but that is not what we live for anyway. We live for the reward we will receive in Heaven. We live for the Father. And we live for the Son, who died for us. How could anyone want to do anything but serve the One who did the ultimate service for humankind?
Many of us struggle with sharing God's word with non-believers. I know I do. Part of it is that I'm not a very vocal person; I prefer to share my thoughts through writing and typing. So that's why I felt like I had to share this. The message of these verses is not complicated. In fact, if you were to read the verses on your own, I can just about guarantee that you would have figured out on your own what I've been saying. But the problem is actually doing what the verses say. James 1:22 says, "Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says." But even this does not convince many people. The world goes on even if we don't do anything, and God still loves us anyway. But James later says in chapter 2, verse 17, that faith alone, without accompanying action, is dead. If you won't let Christ's power work in you to change your life, don't even bother believing. There's a reason Peter said the steps to being saved are to 1) repent and 2) be baptized (Acts 2:38). To repent is to turn, to do a complete 180, and run away from sin and toward the loving arms of the Father. If we don't make a conscious effort to turn from our previous ways... well, then what good does believing do us?
So how do we share God's word with others? Honestly, I'm not the one to ask. I've never consciously witnessed to anyone successfully, as far as I know. But maybe that will change. All I can offer in terms of advice is this: Forget what everyone else thinks of you. Who cares if people judge you for being "religious"? After all, "what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal" (2 Corinthians 4:18). Look back at Matthew 6:33. Witness, and God will provide. He will give you the words to speak, the Scripture to refer back to, and the wisdom and love to know what to share and how to share it.
Even doing this is a little uncomfortable for me because, in his letter to the Jews, James warns against being too eager to become teachers because they will be judged more strictly. I know I'm not perfect, and I also struggle with this area of my walk with God, but I felt like I needed to share this because "all Scripture is God-breathed and useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" (2 Timothy 3:16-17).
So I ask that you think about this. Consider the pros and cons of sharing God's word with others. I pray that God will move in someone in some way through this and that someone will come away changed. And always remember, when it comes to living for Christ, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain.
God bless!
Michael
—————————————————————
"I want men everywhere to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or disputing." ~ 1 Timothy 2:8
"I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to live is Christ and to die is gain." ~ Philippians 1:20-21
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