Christian Life

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TELL YOUR STORY

(Psalm 107:2&3) Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story – those he redeemed from the hand of the foe, those he gathered from the lands, from east and west, from north and south.

Psalm 107 goes on to share various scenarios of the struggles people experience on their quest to find the Lord and his salvation. All of God’s children have a story that tracks their journey to salvation in Jesus. The psalmist writes to encourage us to tell our story.

I personally wondered through the mire of pride and foolishness on my path to Jesus.  When I finally came to the end of myself, I sat down on a rock and surrendered my life to Jesus.  I have often shared the details of my trek through life that led to this wonderful moment.  How about you?  Have you shared how God brought you to himself?

Telling my story never ceases to stir a deep warmth in my soul, reminding me of that glorious moment when the Holy Spirit came into my life.  I am encouraged by reviewing my story, but the real value is in the person who is persuaded to seek the God of redemption.

Tell your story!  What God has done for you is a treasure of truth that someone needs to hear.

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GOD’S WRATH

(John 3:36) Whoever believes in the son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.

God is just. So, to think that there won’t be a reckoning for our sins is foolish.  Especially since he sent his Son to provide us with a way to avoid his judgment, and not only to avoid his judgement, but to be completely forgiven of our sins and become his children for all eternity.

Here in this life, we are all subject to the good and bad parts of life.  The difference is that God’s children, though they will die like everyone else, will go on to eternal life with their creator.  Those who reject what Jesus has offered will not see this eternal life, and they will be subject to God’s wrath.

All throughout the Old Testament, we have stories that tell of God’s wrath. For instance, the flood in which all but eight of the people on the earth were drowned, the destruction in Egypt when Pharaoh refused to let the Israelites leave, and Korah’s rebellion where the earth opened and swallowed up his whole clan (see Numbers chapter 16). Being under the wrath of God is a terrible thing.  This is God’s world, and he has the right to judge his created ones.  Aren’t we glad that he is long-suffering, gracious and full of love for us.

God has provided an easy way for us to avoid his wrath.  All we need to do is to accept the work of his Son who died for our sins.  Then we can begin a restored relationship with our God.  The only difficult part is that we must humbly acknowledge that we have sinned, and that we need forgiveness. We must repent.  If we refuse to acknowledge our need for Jesus, we will have to pay for our sins. The pride of mankind will lead us down a path of destruction. Wisdom says humble yourself and come join the children of God.  I can personally vouch that you will not be sorry.  It is the only logical choice.

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DO NOT FRET

(Psalm 37:7-11) Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes.  Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil.  For those who are evil will be destroyed, but those who hope in the Lord will inherit the land.  A little while, and the wicked will be no more; though you look for them, they will not be found.  But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity. 

 Have you ever been scammed?  What a horrible feeling when you realize someone has stolen your money, and that they fooled you into giving it to them.  Well, the words from Psalm 37 tell us not to fret; the wicked will lose in the end.    

We are also instructed to, “Refrain from anger and turn from wrath; do not fret – it leads only to evil.”  When the initial shock of our loss is over, we need to be careful.  The scammer can steal something much more valuable.  We can lose our joy, peace of mind, and even be plagued by unhealthy fear.  There is also the danger of falling into a time of hate and a desire for revenge.  To avoid these reactions, we need to turn to the Lord our God.

To fret means to worry, agonize, and struggle.  That means if we fret over our loss, evil wins a victory over us that can lead to all kinds of destruction in our lives.  But if we are, “…still before the Lord and wait patiently for him.” He will guide us into personal victory over evil.  Those who are evil and refuse to repent will be destroyed. “But the meek will inherit the land and enjoy peace and prosperity.”

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LOVE IS FOREVER

(1 Corinthians 13:13) And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love.

These words, from the Apostle Paul, are at the end of what has been called the love chapter.  If you think about it, of the three: faith, hope and love, only love will remain in eternity.  Faith is about believing in God.  When we are constantly in his presence faith will not be required.  Likewise, hope will be fulfilled when all of God’s plan is accomplished.  What will endlessly remain is love.

I often write about God’s love for us because love is the guiding factor in Jesus’ coming to earth to redeem us.  The Apostle John points this out with his statement 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.”  And again, in his first letter John writes, “Dear friends, Let us love one another, for love comes from God.  Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.  Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.” (1 John 4:7&8)

I wholly believe that God created the heavens and the earth because of his love; and in his love, he made his eternal plan for us.  When all is said and done, God’s pure and eternal love will be continually over his children.  Here in the world, we have just a taste of God’s love; but when we are with him in heaven, his love will be the atmosphere that surrounds us, and it will never end.

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 LOVE LIKE THAT

(Ephesians 5:1-2 MSG) Watch what God does, and then you do it, like children who learn proper behavior from their parents.  Mostly what God does is love you.  Keep company with him and learn a life of love.  Observe how Christ loved us.  His love was not cautious but extravagant.  He didn’t love in order to get something from us but to give everything of himself to us.  Love like that.

Loving like God loves presents a challenge that is difficult for us to meet and impossible for us without Jesus.  In Jesus, God gave us an example of his love.  He gave everything of himself for us.  Jesus’ death on the cross, where he took our sins upon himself, was an event in the history of our world; but his love for us has transcended history because it is eternal.  How can we love like that?

That is a hard mountain to climb.  The closer we get to God’s kind of love the rarer the air.  I mean in a world filled with hate, the more we try to love the less like the world we will become.  Loving like God loves is like common sense; it is not very common.  What are we to do?

I have found that the more I openly receive God’s love for me, the more capacity I have for loving others.  If I allow myself to experience God’s love, forgiveness, and grace, I am filled with Love, forgiveness, and grace. This grants me the confidence to pass them on to others.

 In Matthew chapter 11 verse 29 from the Message translation, we read these words of Jesus. “Walk with me and work with me – watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace.”  The unforced rhythms of grace contain peace, forgiveness, and love.  The closer we get to Jesus, and the more we learn how he does things, the more we will “love like that.”

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THE DANGER OF THE UNSAVED WORLD

(Ephesians 4:17-19) So I tell you this, and insist on it in the Lord, that you must no longer live as the Gentiles do, in the futility of their thinking.  They are darkened in their understanding and separated from the life of God because of the ignorance that is in them due to the hardening of their hearts.  Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, and they are full of greed.

Isn’t it interesting that the world around the Ephesian Christians sounds like the present-day world?  Think about the words “futility of their thinking”.  In our times there seems to be frequent opportunity to form the question, “what were they thinking”?  As you read through today’s scripture, I think you’ll find that the Apostle Paul clarifies why the thinking of the world of today is illogical. 

Paul wanted the Ephesians to be careful to not fall into the darkened understanding and separation from the life of God that was going on all around them.  The world has definitely not changed regarding its spiritual condition.  Therefore, Paul’s warning is as significant for God’s children today, as it was in his day.

The common statement, “we are in the world, but not of the world,”2 is relevant.  We are members of God’s eternal kingdom, and no longer of this fallen world.  We are the redeemed, so therefore, we need to allow the Holy Spirit to lead us into living as Jesus taught us.  Jesus said that we are salt and light to the world around us.  So not living as the unsaved world is paramount.  We cannot be salt and light for our neighbors, if we are living the same life as those who live in darkness.

2 see Jesus’ prayer in John Chapter 17

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 TO OBEY

(1 John 2:3-6) We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.  Who ever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.  But if anyone obeys his word, love for God is truly made complete in them.  This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did.

When you think about the word obey, what comes to mind?  Do you cringe or perhaps get defensive?  These are normal reactions from us humans.  We don’t like someone telling us what to do. In order for us to want to obey God’s commands, a relationship of love and trust must develop.  I found this truth to be very helpful while working with children.  First, build a relationship with them, and then classroom control will be much easier.   We are much more likely to obey God’s commands, if we first enter into a relationship with him.

John tells us that if a person says they know God, but they don’t do what he commands that person is a liar.  I had an exchange with a young man once that illustrates this truth.  I asked him how he was doing with the Lord.  His response was that he was doing great with the Lord.  I knew that he was intimidating others to gain what he wanted from them, and he was selling drugs.  I therefore knew that he was lying about his relationship with the Lord.  At least I knew how to pray for him.

What are God’s commands? Jesus gave us a simple answer to this question and that is to love God and to love others.  Obeying these simple commands is not that simple because it requires us to surrender our will to God.  We give God the center place in our lives, and he teaches us how to love others.  That is not easy, but it is the best way to navigate this life.

 When we let go and put our trust in God, life becomes so much sweeter.  That’s why the song says, “Trust and obey – for there’s no other way – to be happy in Jesus – than to trust and obey.” *

*Song: Trust and Obey – written by John Sammis

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 ULTIMATE POWER, GREAT HUMILITY

(Exodus 14:21&22) Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the Lord drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.  The waters were divided, and the Israelites went through the sea on dry ground, with a wall of water on their right and on their left.

(Matthew 8:23-26) Then he got into the boat and his disciples followed him.  Suddenly a furious storm came up on the lake, so that the waves swept over the boat.  But Jesus was sleeping.  The disciples went and woke him, saying, “Lord, save us! We’re going to drown!”  He replied, “you of little faith, why are you so afraid?”  Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm.

I enjoy the game of football.  I watch the NFL during football season, and I am always amazed at the abilities of professional athletes.  Those guys have developed phenomenal skills, but each one must deal with the pridefulness that tempts them.

 In our scriptures from Exodus and Matthew, we get a glimpse of God’s abilities, to which no mere human can aspire.  When we humans have talent that stands out, we are subject to being prideful and at times even arrogant.  We tend to love the attention and strut our stuff.  Just imagine what we would be like if we had God’s abilities.

Jesus, here on the earth in human for, displayed ultimate power with great humility.  He walked among us as a humble teacher who could raise the dead, heal the sick, command the powers of nature and many other supernatural displays of power, yet he humbly remained a servant and eventually gave his life for us.  What a wonderful example of how to handle great ability.

Humbleness is an attribute of God.  I believe that it is ultimately rooted in love.  John reminds us that God is love.1   He also tells us that God so loved the world that he sent his only son.2 Jesus came to earth as a humble baby, and all the years that he walked the earth, he remained humble.

Pridefulness is a trait of fallen humans, and it hinders us from loving each other. Nothing we see in God displays pridefulness.  His love is pure.  His display of power is always tempered by his love and eternal plan for us.  

(1John 2:15&16) Do not love the world or anything in the world.  If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.  For everything in the world – the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life – comes not from the Father but from the world.

1 John 4:8 1          John 3:16 2

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LOVE AND RIGHTEOUSNESS

(Romans 13:8-10) Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law.  The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “you shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.”  Love does no harm to a neighbor.  Therefor love is the fulfillment of the law.

In its simplest form the definition of righteousness is doing what is right.  These words from Paul’s letter to the Romans connect us to the relationship of love and righteousness.  If we love, we will be motivated to do the right thing toward others. If we don’t love, the desire to do right is overshadowed by the desire for self-indulgence.  Therefore, we can conclude that love is necessary in our quest to be righteous. 

When we love others, we please God because we are following his commands.  Jesus said that loving God and loving your neighbor covers all the commands of God.  In the familiar scripture from 1 Corinthians 13:4-7, Paul defines love.  This is a great passage to help us clarify what it means to love others.

To achieve righteousness, these scriptures give us all that we need.  The Holy Spirit will work God’s love into us.  The more we humble ourselves, and receive the work of the Holy Spirit, the more we will be filled with God’s love and be vessels of his love to others.

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THE FLOOD

(Genesis 6:5&6) The Lord saw how great the wickedness of the human race had become on the earth, and that every inclination of the thoughts of the human heart was only evil all the time.  The Lord regretted that he had made human beings on the earth, and his heart was deeply troubled.

God set in motion a plan to bring a worldwide flood on the earth that would reboot his creation.  The flood would eliminate all of mankind, sparing only eight people. Before the flood people lived 800 to 900 years, but after the flood, man would be allowed only 120 years of life.  Rain did not fall on the pre-flood world because water came from springs in the ground, but since the flood, rain has been the method for watering earth.  The sons of God no longer married the daughters of man as was done before the flood.  These are only a few of the changes that God made. I assume there were many.

I tried to figure out how long the preflood world lasted.  My best guess is somewhere in the range of 1,600 years. To get an idea of how long that is count back 1,600 years, and you’ll find yourself in the year AD 425.  That is around the time of the fall of the Roman Empire.  God was surely patient with those early humans.

I have heard people say, “I can’t believe that a loving God would wipe out all those people.”  Well perhaps he was simply showing them mercy.  They were living in a world where every heart was bent on evil, and their life span was hundreds of years. That sounds like the flood must have brought them relief.  I’m reminded that death is only part of the physical world.  When they died, their spirits went to the spirit realm.

 God never lost sight of them, and he didn’t annihilate them.  Peter tells us in his first letter: (1Peter 3:18-20) For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.  He was put to death in the body but made alive in the Spirit.  After being made alive, he went and made proclamation to the imprisoned spirits – to those who were disobedient long ago when God waited patiently in the days of Noah while the ark was being built…

God created this world, and he has always loved his created ones.  He is working out a plan that is way beyond our understanding.  Remember, “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28)