A New Resource

Many of the resources which we have developed over the past years have hitherto unavailable, but now, through the magic of the internet, they are available!  The first resource we would like to highlight is a Bible Study for anyone wanting to know what it means to have confidence in Christ and how that translates into the confident life that the believer is meant to live, by the power of Jesus Christ:

The Lord Hates...

These six things the LORD hates,
Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:
A proud look,
A lying tongue,
Hands that shed innocent blood,
A heart that devises wicked plans,
Feet that are swift in running to evil,
A false witness who speaks lies,
And one who sows discord among brethren.
Proverbs 6:16-19

Part of any successful marriage involves finding out what your spouse hates and avoids that thing, action or behavior as much as possible.  When we look at the seven things which the Lord hates we find that they are not matters of preference but serious character issues that grow out of the sin nature of any person who is not in a right relationship with God.  Note also that it is not just actions, it is the very character of the sin nature controlling a person.  Stated in the positive we can conclude what the Lord loves – humility, honesty, the peacemaker, the heart that plans good, and one who speaks honestly and positively of others.  This special pattern of “six things…even seven…” in the Proverbs is a way of highlighting the last item on the list.  In this case the highlighted abomination before the Lord is the one who makes problems between people.  The busybody, the gossip, the one who inflames others to disagreement or conflict.  If what is on television is any indication we can say with all certainty that we has people find conflict intriguing, interesting, and even fun to watch.  The Spirit of God will always be leading the believer away from these negative things which the Lord hates to the positive attributes that bring greater peace and concord among the brethren.

Turning on the Lights

Then God said, "Let there be lights in the firmament of the heavens to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs and season and for days and years; and let them be for lights in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth"; and it was so.  Then God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night.  He made the stars also. God set them in the firmament of the heavens to give light on the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and  to divide the light from the darkness. And God saw that it was good.  So the evening and the morning were the fourth day.  Genesis 1:14-19

It is mind blowing to think that God created light before creating the light makers.  I remember being haunted as a child by the atheist eschatology. Sitting in class and being told that our star would one day burn down and die, long before that taking all life off of the planet earth without so much as a sound.  I found the very thought appalling that some future generation of people would be slowly burned, or frozen to death while all human existence fizzled off no more meaningless than a candle that had run our of wick.  Upon noticing that I was trouble the teacher asked me what was wrong.  I replied that I was sad that everyone would die.  She tried to assure me with the words, "You'll already be long dead by then.  So don't worry about it!"  So that is what it is to live in spiritual darkness.  The world understands their dependence upon the "light givers" but would rather resign themselves to absolute meaninglessness and loss than risk seeing the light Creator! It is amazing for us to look up at the stars.  The beautiful pictures of the stars that are so far beyond our ability to see with the natural eye is beyond breathtaking.  The Hubble Telescope shows some of the amazing and beautiful formations that have been tucked away since God created the world.  When He formed those beautiful structures and formations was He thinking of us?  Did He think how amazed and mystified we would be as we saw the distant star formations that are invisible to the naked eye?  Or were we not even apart of the thought, did He just make them because they reflect something of the beauty, creativity and order that flow forth from His being?  I don't know, but what I do know is this: all of that beauty and wonder merited a single statement in Scripture: "He made the stars also."  God then proceeded to reveal pages and pages about Himself and His love for mankind.  It is amazing to think that the angels of heaven could see those "star structures" up close, but they marvel at what God is doing in every person who has trusted Jesus Christ.

The Sky

Then God said, "Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters." Thus God made the firmament, and divided the waters which were under the firmament from the waters which were above the firmament; and it was so.  And God called the firmament heaven.  So the evening and the morning were the second day." Genesis 1:6-8

As a child I remember lying on my back and staring up at the sky.  Day or night this practice never failed to amaze me.  Whether looking out into a beautiful deep blue, clouds or out into an endless sea of stars there seems to be something amazing about that expanse that the Lord God spoke into place to divide the waters from the waters.  I wonder what an angel looking on at God's work in Creation week would think.  God had made this gigantic galaxy and in some corner of it He made this tiny ball that He had filled with water.  Then He made some space in between the waters to put things.  I wonder of the angels were curious as to what he would do with that little bit of space.  Could they have imagined that He was clearing a space for plants and birds, elephants and elk?  Could they have dared to think that He was creating an environment to place little creatures that would be both spirit and animal?  Would it be possible to even dream that He would imprint His very own image upon those creatures?  Yet more amazing that Jesus Christ, the Son of God would take on that form and die to restore them to Himself.  After that, that little space of sky that God created on the second day would be the medium through which Christ would be raised up into heaven to sit down at the right hand of God.  That very same sky will one day contain the returning King and hosts of His saints, saved by Grace.  All this is possible only because God cleared a little space between the waters.

The Way

Jesus said to him, "I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

John 14:6

Last week's devotion was about longing. Not for a thing, or for a possession, but for a Person. Longing for the Messiah. Longing for Jesus. In looking at this week's verse we see why. This monumental statement shows more than we may think. Very often this verse is referenced in the context of salvation. Truly, there is no other name by which we can be saved (Acts 4:12), there is no access to the Father, except through the person of Jesus Christ. He bought that privilege for all who receive it by faith in the Him, by His sacrifice on the cross. This verse perfectly identifies our need for Jesus in order to be saved. However, there is more to this verse.

The earliest title given to followers of Christ was "those of the Way."* This way was Jesus Christ. This is one of Jesus' amazing "I am" statements wherein He claims deity with his very grammar and word choice. However, this does lead us to a question: How can a person be a way? It is amazing that Jesus takes many titles for Himself which we may not expect. He tells us that He is the Door in John 10:9. Jesus is the Door by which we enter into a relationship with God. Jesus is the path we walk (the way). We walk this path because He has given us His history, because He empowers and guides us through His Holy Spirit, He leads us by His word, He has given us the fellowship of His body (the Church), and has placed us in an eternal relationship with God the Father. Jesus is the The Way.

In John 14:3 we find that, not only is Jesus the Door and the Way, He is also preparing a place for us. Jesus is the Door. Jesus is the Way. Jesus is the destination. He redeemed you for a love relationship that will last for all of eternity.

*(FYI - In modern times this title has been hijacked by a cult)

More on that Relationship...

"I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd gives His life for the sheep."

John 10:11

"Christianity is not a religion, it's a relationship." This week we look at a different description of the relationship that we have with Christ, by His grace. This is truly one of the most comforting descriptions for me, Christ calls Himself "the good shepherd." This makes us His sheep. He alluded to gentile believers in John 10:16 Jesus tells the Jews that He had sheep that are not of the fold of Israel. Did you hear His voice? Did you put your faith in the gospel? Then you are one of His sheep. This is a fantastic realization! David wrote Psalm 23 as a marvelous hymn of praise to what it is to be in the care of this Good Shepherd. While many observations could be made about this wonderful relationship we can only mention a few here:

Firstly, a shepherd is in a position of responsibility for the sheep. We can look back to Jacob as he tended Laban's flocks. Whenever Jacob lost one of Laban's sheep he was expected to pay for it. It is the shepherd's responsibility to protect the sheep from disease, famine, predators, and tension within the flock. If a sheep is lost it is by the failure of the shepherd. Fortunately we can say with all confidence, "the Lord is my shepherd!" And we need never even fear the possibility of His failing, because He cannot fail!

As sheep we will live the most healthy, productive possible by trusting in, and remaining near our Shepherd. We never need to worry, concern ourselves, or fear; we need only to fix our eyes on the Shepherd trusting Him for care, protection and provision. I believe it was this relationship that Peter was considering when he penned the words, "Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you." The idea is that the Lord has taken responsibility for us, we need only to look to Him. If you ever catch yourself wondering how much this Shepherd cares for you as His sheep remember that He would leave the 99 to find the lost one (Luke 15:4-6), remember He laid down His life for the sheep (John 10:11). Don't lose sight of the Shepherd.

Who We Were

Philip Yancey, in his book What's So Amazing About Grace, tells a story about a woman that he knew who was struggling with some major issues, including drug addiction and prostitution. When he asked her if she would like to come to church she replied, "Church? Why would I go there? They would just make me feel worse!" This quote probably reflects the attitude of more people then we know, and it is heart breaking. In the same book Yancey poses a powerful question which I will paraphrase, "Why were tax collectors, drunks, and prostitutes so comfortable around Jesus, yet now so uncomfortable around those who now claim to be His followers?"

Jesus was not sinful in any way, nor was he permissive of sin. Yet He embodied grace and compassion and displayed it freely to these hurting people. Paul wrote: "For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saves us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life."

May we never forget: Being a Christian is not about what we have done, but about what HE has done. When we see the lowest wretch in the saddest condition, totally by their own doing (or not), we must always remember, "...but for the grace of God, there go I." Other religions of this world may grow because of the greatness of it's adherents, but true Christianity can only grow because of the greatness of our God. There is not one person in human history at whom we can look down our nose and say, "I would never be that bad!" But only confess the greatness of our Lord who saves us at His own expense. We can only confess, that if it had not been for the Grace of Jesus Christ, His sacrifice for our sin and His resurrection from the dead, we would be no better off. We have a great message of love and grace for the lost! We can weep with them and say, with all honesty and humility, "I am no better than you, no stronger, no smarter, but I have placed my faith in Jesus Christ, and HE has saved me." We don't clean up to come to God, we come to God to be cleaned. Do you know someone who needs to hear this message?

Every Trial, Every Trial, Every Trial

"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance." James 1:2-3 (NASB)

The Passage

A couple of interesting little insights about this passage:

1) Consider - This word has two primary meanings. One is to lead, rule or dominate. The second is to consider, reckon, account or credit. Obviously the second is the meaning that is meant here. But the two are not totally unrelated are they? Both suggest a level of authority. This is one of those "impossible verses." We must be resting in Christ, but the fact that this is given to us as a command in scripture tells us that it is within the power of the believer who is resting in Christ to view his or her trials, difficulties, failures, annoyances and problems as joy.

2)All joy - Other teachers have brought this "all joy" as "perfect joy" or even "ultimate joy." Ultimate joys in our lives may be a wedding, the birth of a child, a graduation, the day we got a job we wanted, or got a raise because of how our performance was noticed. But none of these things are being discussed - trials are.

3)Trials of Many Kinds - Many here is the Greek word that we get the word polka dots from. Polka dots are a bunch of dots of various sizes. Big dots, little dots, medium dots and everything in between. Great stuff. These are the trials that James is talking about about here. The little trial when you stub your toe or your car doesn't start the first time, and the big trial when you lose a job, have a major health problem, or lose a loved one. All of those trials (shockingly) are reasons for pure joy.

Application

It would be a misapplication of this verse to say that you cannot be joyful and morn. You cannot be joyful and weep. That is confusing "joy" with happiness. True joy, God's joy, goes far deeper than circumstance and far deeper than emotion. It is rooted in neither of those things. So you are not violating the spirit of this verse when you mourn your loss at a funeral, when you are sad to lose a job you love, or when things don't go your way. What this is talking about is that we are never left to the complete darkness of it. When we step back from those emotions and the pain we are able to rejoice on the deeper level of knowing that we are being moved closer to our Lord, being cradled and held by our Savior, being watched over and conformed to the image of Jesus Christ.

Appropriation

Believe it or not I got a chance to see this one very much not in action tonight...by me! Our two kids are in the same room now. Cadence is on about a two week cycle of "I stay in bed and go to sleep when I'm put to bed" and then two weeks of "I get out of bed like my electric blanket is plugged into the toaster!" You can imagine this is frustrating. But Finn is also having trouble accepting the loving hand of Sleep when she comes to caress him with the sweet oblivion of careless infant rest. Thus, once he's down we get agitated by anything that may wake him...like a klutzy two year old plowing jumping off her bed and plowing across the room to swing the door open and run down the stairs for no reason whatsoever.

This all came to something of a head this evening when Cadence had been up 3 times and woke Finn on the 4th. Tempers were lost, punishments were given. I rocked Finn; April rocked Finn. Cadence got up again. Nobody slept. Tempers were lost. It is hard in retrospect not to see the humor in the situation. Two children, one of whom feels it is her personal mission to do ninja flips out of her bed each night and see if she can set a personal record for how many times she can be out of bed before absolute exhaustion takes her and causes her to drink her portion of calm and surrender to the demands of sleep. And another child of less than a year whom the God who created the universe also happened to install a secret button on the back of his head that causes his eyes to fly open whenever he is placed on his back to sleep. It is clear that the Lord and I will have a good laugh about this when I get to see Him face to face (sooner than later if the kids keep this up), yet my lack of perspective will not be the good part of the joke.

My prayer is to be able to hold the children, discipline as is necessary and glorifies the Lord, and dance through these trials that will only be remembered with fondness. I'm sure there will be a time when rocking my troubled children to sleep is far more complicated than simply holding them, swaying, and humming softly. I know I will wish for the time when hurts could be kissed away and hurt feelings can be mended by a nickel bag of gummy treats. But how can I hope to rest in Christ and consider those upcoming trials pure joy, if I can't consider these trials pure joy?

A Free Gift

Romans 6:23 tells us: "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." This verse gets used when explaining salvation to people all of the time. After this verse is brought out we follow the usual steps through how we have a choice to either put our faith in Jesus and recieve the full life which he gives (John 10:10) or we can reject Jesus and face the judgement of eternal separation from Him (Revelation 20:15). While this is true, it is not actually what Paul is thinking about when He wrote the verse. (Note: I am not saying it is wrong to use this verse when explaining salvation. I am merely saying that the context points to a more direct application.)

Romans 6 isn't addressing non-believers telling them why they should come to Christ, here the Holy Spirit is addressing people who have already put their faith in Jesus, been identified in him in His death, burial and ressurrection. So what is this death that can be reaped by someone who is already saved? Is our salvation in question? Is our hope of eternal life to be dimmed by the chance that we may be reaping death for our actions constantly? No.

This chapter is telling us about the Christian life in very exciting terms. We are given the piciture in Romans 6 that the believer has two choices. We have been freed from the power of the Sin Nature that ruled us, and now we can present ourselves to God or to Sin. What happens if we present ourselves to sin? Sin pays wages!

Wages are earned. If someone recieves wages it is because he worked for them. After a week of work the employee doesn't have to beg for his wages, and then thank the benevolence of His employer for paying him. He earned the money and it was payed to Him. So what are the wages that we recieve for living as slaves to sin? Death.

Death in scripture is a powerful and complicated word. Death doesn't just mean physical death in Scripture. Death means separation. When Adam and Eve at the apple they were told that they would die on the day that they ate of it...yet they didn't physically die on that day. On that day they did die spiritually: they were separated from God. This rings true with what Jesus would say later in the true Lord's Prayer: "Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent." (John 17:3) So, when the believer presents himself to his Sin Nature to obey it the results (wages) are separation from God. Though that believer is still saved by the work of God, because of His faith in Christ Jesus, He is out of fellowship. The thing that is needful in this situation is confession and repentance (1 John 1:9). This, however, is not the main thrust of what I hoped to address in this posting.

There is more great news yet here. The natural conclusion that we are bound to make from looking at, and understanding, Romans 6:23 in context is to say something to the effect of: "OK, I get it sin means death. So, I'm going to try super hard not to ever sin again and then I won't get death! Then I will earn life!" The trouble with this logic is that you can only earn one thing in this verse. If you want to earn something you have only death to choose from. If you want life (again, this is talking about the christian life, NOT salvation) we must accept it as a free gift from Jesus Christ. We must believe that real life only comes from him and recieve it! Trusting in Jesus fully is the way to be saved (we don't contribute even .0000001 percent of the process), living the Christian life successfully is trusting in what He has done and is doing (again, we don't contribute even .0000001 percent of the process). That's bad news for legalists, but GREAT news for Christians!