Friday, September 30, 2011

Why We Believe a Lie?  

Remember, Jack Nicholson’s famous line in the movie, A Few Good Men, “YOU CAN’T HANDLE THE TRUTH!”   Is it the comfortable lie that saves us from a cruel pain truth creates?  If we embrace the lie, does it help us cope with the reality that we aren’t self sufficient?   If we’re not careful it can perpetuate the myth that we have no need for others, and most of all God.   

So what makes the lie so easy to swallow?  Is the truth really so much harder to grasp?

In John 8:32 and 33, we find Jesus talking to his disciples about truth and freedom.  He tells them, “You will know the truth and the truth will set you free,”(NLT).  At first, they didn’t get it saying, “But we are descendants of Abraham, we have never been slaves to anyone.   What do you mean, you will be set free?”
Later, in John 14:6, Jesus declares that He (Jesus) is the way the truth and the life.  He goes on to say that no one can come to Father God except through Him.  Jesus is the only way we can have a relationship with God, (our Father).   Jesus is the Living Word of God.  In John 17:17 he prays, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth.”
As Christ followers, we need to be on guard to the lies Satan will use to distract us from the truth found in God’s Word.  Too often, we forget the subtle ways in which a lie can be presented.  Jesus gives us some great news in John 16:12-14.  He says that the truth Jesus had to share with us is more than we can bear so the Holy Spirit will guide us into all truth.   Isn’t that incredible? We don’t have to hook everyone we meet up to a lie detector machine to see if they are telling us the truth.  Holy Spirit promises to guide us into truth, all of it.  Don’t believe a lie?  Connect with Holy Spirit and see what fascinating truths He is willing to disclose to you.

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

EXPECTANT ?  

            It’s a hotter than average afternoon and you’re soaked with sweat.   Although pleased with the workout, every muscle in your body aches.   It’s then that the unforgettable phrase pops into your mind.  “Things go better with Coke.”   In the distance you see a Coke machine next to that parking garage.   You trudge toward it with the little bit of energy you have left.   Unraveling the scrunched up dollar bill in your shorts you insert it and wait for your bottle of thirst quenching soda to drop.   Nothing.  You wait five whole seconds longer.  Still nothing.  No one’s looking so you give the machine a fist bump and then a kick.   Then that aggravating still small voice inside reminds you you’re a Christian. 

            How many times have we played out this same scenario where people are concerned?    We have a need and come to that person knowing they can meet the need and they don’t.  If the truth be told, we’d love to hit, kick, and scream at that person in much the same way we’d take out our frustrations on a busted coke machine.  Yet, we hold back and seethe.   Sometimes the machine is unplugged.  Maybe empty?   However, most times it’s broken and completely incapable of giving.   

            So what is our sweaty irritated friend to do?  The temperature outside and inside our friend is getting hotter?   Of course he could look for another Coke machine, but wouldn’t it have been easier to have thought ahead and ended the run at a convenience store?   How many times have we placed what seemed a simple expectation on others only to be disappointed?

            All of a sudden, we can choose to remember we have another helper.  Almost hidden in the background we can remember God.  In the Amplified version of Isaiah 30:18 we read: “The Lord earnestly waits expecting, looking, and longing to be gracious to you; and therefore He lifts Himself up, that He may have mercy on you and show loving-kindness to you. For the Lord is a God of justice.  Blessed are all those who earnestly wait for Him, who expect and look and long for Him for His victory, His favor, His love, His peace, His joy, and His matchless, unbroken companionship!”

            If one person can’t help you God can help you find others who can meet your need.  Remember in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount he says, “Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow.  God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes.” Matt. 6:34 (NLT).   In Hebrews 4:16 the scripture reminds us that we can come boldly before the throne of our gracious God to find help when we need it the most. 

            The Message Bible provides a beautiful paraphrase of Romans 8:26.  “God's Spirit is right alongside helping us along.  If we don't know how or what to pray, it doesn't matter.  He does our praying in and for us, making prayer out of our wordless sighs, our aching groans.  He knows us far better than we know ourselves, knows our pregnant condition, and keeps us present before God.  That's why we can be so sure that every detail in our lives of love for God is worked into something good.”

            “Lord, please help each of us today to lower our expectations of others and increase our anticipation of Your help.  Amen.”

            (The Coke Machine illustration was first used by Stephen Artherburn, of New Life Ministries.)   

Thursday, September 15, 2011

'WHY IS JESUS THE ONLY WAY TO HEAVEN?

            With all the emphasis on being world citizens these days, Christians are often seen as being bigots for believing Jesus is the singular way to heaven.   Yet, as Christians we can see from the Bible that God the Father has always longed for a personal relationship with mankind.  Because of His very nature of being holy He could not relate to us in an individual way because of our sin problem.   Sin has always separated mankind from God. 

            To take care of our sin problem, God tried to make covenants with man.  In the book of Genesis, we see God stepping in and making a covenant with Adam.  The Adamic Covenant required that Adam and Eve not eat from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, but they sinned and broke the agreement.  God made another covenant with Noah and then a different one with Abraham.  These agreements were also broken  because of sin.   In time, God made a covenant with Moses and gave him the Ten Commandments.   Right, we haven’t been able to keep those either.  Then King David who was said to have a heart after God’s own heart, entered into a covenant with the Father, but sinned too spoiling the covenant.  

            Even from a cursory review of the Old Testament, we see that sin always had to be satisfied with a blood sacrifice.   Countless animals were forfeited and great care was taken for how they should be presented to God as compensation for sin.  Since man could never keep up his part of the covenant, one day God the Father set into motion the ultimate solution for man’s sin problem.   With the agreement before the world was ever created, He and Jesus knew of a New and Everlasting covenant they would make with mankind.   God the Father’s son Jesus would come to the earth as a human himself, live a perfect life, and then as an innocent man be humiliated, tortured, and murdered on a cross as ultimate payment for the sins everyone.    That’s why in Matthew 26:28 we hear Jesus say, “For this is my blood, which confirms the covenant between God and his people.  It is poured out as a sacrifice to forgive the sins of many,” (NLT)

            These days most people are repulsed by the sight or thought of blood.  “Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins. For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood,” (Romans 3:24,25, NLT).  

             As Christians this is what makes us unique.   We don’t have to follow a list of rules to get to heaven.  Hebrews 9 describes the grueling process mankind use to have to go through to have relationship with God.   Instead, because of Christ we can simply accept the precious gift of Jesus’ sacrifice for our sins and turn away from them with the strength of his Holy Spirit living inside us.   Hebrews 10:22 tells us that we can, “go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting in him.   For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christ’s blood to make us clean and our bodies have been washed with pure water,” (NLT).

            No other religion offer’s a path to heaven without a set of unobtainable good works.   This is why we call the gospel of Jesus Christ the good news.   It’s something worth shouting about!   I hope we can all say with R.A. Torrey:

            “I am ready to meet God face to face tonight and look into those eyes of infinite holiness, for all my sins are covered by the atoning blood.”

                       

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

“Do You Have Rocks In Your Head?”

            Throughout the book of Genesis we find godly men building altars.  Remember Abraham erecting one on which he prepared to sacrifice his only son?   What about, Joshua instructing the children of Israel to gather 12 stones from the river Jordan?   You know that river God had just parted so they could walk through to get to the promise land.  Joel 1:3 tells of how altars were used as continual reminders to God’s people of his grace and love for generations to come. 

            I’ve been blessed to have been walking with God now for well over forty years. God has done some incredible things in my life.  Many of these miracles and events still stand out, but many have been forgotten.  When these marvelous things were happening my emotions and gratitude were high, yet over time too many of these memories have faded. 

            Why not erect a few altars in your head?  Establish markers of special things God has done in your life.  If you think you’re too old to remember events clearly why not record them in a journal or use the Internet and set up a blog.  In this information age, God may be calling you to take advantage of this new medium to assemble contemporary altars to share with others. With so many of our friends and family members are scattered throughout the world, why not use this powerful resource to declare the wonderful works of God?  Why die with these inspiring thoughts and words of praise buried inside your brain?   You could record these in a letter, email, blog or website, and pass the ALTAR along.