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Decisions Decision. What Should I Do?

6/30/2024

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In 2 Samuel 7 we find the account of King David enjoying his lovely cedar palace.  While he is doing so, he remembers that the Ark of the Covenant was sitting in a tent.  The tent was no place for the Ark of the Covenant because the Ark was not simply some piece of furniture, it was God’s dwelling place.  Where the Ark was, God was.
 
King David goes to Nathan the prophet (the same prophet who would later in life boldly reveal to David the depth of David’s sin, in both adultery and murder).  This is the first time we hear about Nathan.  David explains to Nathan the situation and Nathan responds, “whatever you have in mind, go ahead and do it, for the Lord is with you.” (vs 3).  Nathan has given David the green light.  Nathan was quick to approve whatever David had in mind.
 
That night Nathan had a vision. God spoke to Nathan and gave him some instructions. The basic word that came to David, through Nathan, was “No… don’t tell David to go ahead with his intention to build a temple for the Ark”.  That’s not a good idea. The Lord goes on to explain that one day David’s son would be the one to build a temple – but it wouldn’t be David himself.
 
With that revelation, Nathan had to go back to David and verse 17 simply says “Nathan reported to David all the words of this entire revelation”.  This was completely the opposite direction that Nathan had given the day before.
 
Making major decisions is seldom easy.  We get an idea and we want to pursue it, but we’re not sure.  How do we make important decisions?  What do we do?  And how do we treat others who are making (sometimes wrong) decisions?
 
There are some important takeaways for us from David and Nathan’s experience.
 
1. God is patient
We are not aware of any consequences on Nathan because of his initial hasty words. God could have withdrawn his support for Nathan.  God could have done any number of things with Nathan because Nathan had spoken before actually hearing from God.  God could have “fired” Nathan.  Be he didn’t.  We know this because later in life, God used Nathan to expose David’s sin.  If anything, this shows us that God is patient, even when we mess up, giving us room to grow.
 
I think for us, it would be important for us to be patient with young(er) or less experienced leaders.  Or even younger people in general – no matter what their role in life is.  Sometimes us (slightly) older people expect the younger people to get it right… but some things are only learned from experience – sometimes painful experience. God was patient… we would do well to be patient (with others) ourselves.  We (the slightly older folks) were once there ourselves – and the truth is, we still make mistakes.
 
2. People make mistakes
Initially, Nathan got it wrong.  You can’t assume someone is always right just because of their title. I’m not suggesting that you should never take what someone says as truth – but there should always be room for asking questions. Nobody should be above being asked questions.  Likewise, we ourselves should not feel threatened by the questions of others.  If anything, we need to cultivate an atmosphere where people feel comfortable asking questions.  Nobody likes to admit it, but sometimes we are wrong.  We can’t assume someone is right, just because of their title (or how loud they are).
 
3. Don’t rush a decision
I remember my mother giving me a piece of advice when it came to major decisions… always sleep on it.  If you are under pressure to respond right away … don’t … it is best to walk away.  It is better to lose an opportunity than to suffer the consequences of a rushed decision.  Wait. Waiting gives God an opportunity to speak to us.
 
Waiting overnight is particularly beneficial because it is at night when we quiet our hearts and minds, which will then enable us to hear from God.  Notice it was overnight, that God spoke to Nathan.
 
Waiting also gives an opportunity for common sense to kick in.  Take your time.  Sleep on it.  Don’t rush into making a quick decision.  If the pressure is on, it probably isn’t a good idea.
 
4. Watch out for itching ears
We should all value the opinion of trusted friends, but we must be careful that we don’t develop itching ear syndrome – listening only to the people who will tell us what we want to hear.
 
2 Timothy 4:3-4 says “For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine. Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear. They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.”
 
It is far too easy to listen only to what we want to hear – and tune out everything else.  We would do well to intentionally go to someone who has an opposite opinion to what we want and ask them why they are the way they are.  We might learn something.  Better to be corrected before a poor decision than suffer the consequences of a poor one.
 
5. Know the scriptures
The scriptures are there to guide us.  Acts 17:11 talks about the Berean Jews who “were of more noble character than those in Thessalonica, for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures every day to see if what Paul said was true.”
 
Here are some people who hear from a trusted source (Paul) but they still want to verify that what Paul is saying lines up with the scripture.  Because in the end, if something doesn’t line up with scripture, it simply is not right.
 
Truth is, we can find all kinds of reasons to justify what we want.  We can always find someone who will tell us what we want to hear.  But if it doesn’t line up with scripture, we simply can’t embrace it.
 
If the scriptures don’t speak directly about a topic or decision you need to make, surely there are principles from God’s Word that will guide us in knowing which direction to take.  Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.”  We absolutely believe God’s Word is here to guide us.  Know the scriptures and don’t deviate from them.
 
6. Don’t panic
When everything is said and done, and you find you have made a poor decision, don’t panic.  God has a way of setting things straight.
 
I really appreciate the events in Jonah’s life when it comes to this. Jonah got it wrong.  He made a poor decision.  But that wasn’t the end of the story.  God had a way of straightening things out.
 
This doesn’t mean we should be careless.  Not at all. There are consequences for getting it wrong. But in the end, God will set things right.  In other words, if you make a mistake (not that we want to, but if we do), God has a way of working things out.
 
 
If you are facing any major decision or seeking advice on something; I hope that the experience of David and Nathan will serve as a reminder: to be patient, search the scriptures, understand that people make mistakes, and know that God is also patient – sometimes he has us wait before giving us the direction we need. Our responsibility is to wait upon the Lord in prayer; and to search the scriptures, believing, that God will guide us in the direction we should go.


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This is Love

2/11/2024

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If you ever wondered what true love is?  If you have, I have good news for you!  Recently Northwestel sent out an email with the following as the “subject”.  It said this: “True love is unlimited Northwestel Internet and TV”!
 
You know the old song, “All You Need is Love”.  Well, apparently we need to have that modified to “All you need is love… and Northwestel Internet!”
 
Love, of course, is a key part of our lives and is a huge theme in our Bible.  I don’t think it is a coincidence that “love” is the first fruit of the Spirit – mentioned in Galatians 5:22.
 
1 Corinthians 13 clearly lays it out, that “love” is of utmost importance.  I could sound like an angel; I could have the gift of prophecy, I could have the most superior wisdom and knowledge, I could even have faith that moves mountains.  Even if I gave everything away and went as far as forfeiting my own life… if I didn’t have love in my heart, I’m getting nowhere, I am nothing.  That’s a very strong statement, but it shows just how important love is.
 
Love is more important than being right.  Love is more important than insisting on rights.  That’s why Paul wrote 1 Corinthians 13 to the church.  It wasn’t written to a young couple who had fallen in love, it was written to a church that had forgotten how to love.  Paul was telling them how important love is for the church to function well together.
 
As beautiful as (and as clear as) 1 Corinthians 13 is, we still get confused about love.  Maybe it’s because of the world we’re living in.  Many people wonder what love is – maybe because they’ve been hurt. And to make confusing matters worse, at this time of year, with Valentine’s Day just around the corner, many people mistake romance with love.  There is a big difference between the two.
 
Let me tell you: Love is not flowers and chocolates; it isn’t about cards; and it certainly isn’t sexy outfits. Now, there is a place for flowers and chocolates – they are a good thing; and if you are married, go ahead and get into whatever outfit you like in the privacy of your home… but flowers, chocolates, cards, even dinner dates, are not love.  They are acts of romance (which may or may not be coming from a heart of love). Romantic gestures and love are two different things.
 
Romance comes and goes.  Sometimes it is way up there on “cloud nine” and you are enamored with one another, and at other times romance takes a back seat to other things that come up in life that seem to drown it out (like bills, and diapers, and what not…).
 
In the old film, Fiddler on the Roof, Tevye has six daughters, and one by one they are getting married off. But as each one gets married, they break further and further away from tradition. The girls, it seems, don’t want the matchmaker to find them a match with some random person. They want to get married because of “love”. This creates all kinds of conflict because it goes against tradition; so much so that the father finds it impossible to bless his third daughter’s marriage.  The daughter insists on marrying the man anyway… why… because they love each another.
 
This gets Tevye thinking about his own relationship with his wife. They were married 25 years, and the first time they even met each other was on their wedding day.  They didn’t marry because of “love”.
 
Tevye, after seeing his daughters pursue love, he asks his wife of 25 years: “do you love me”. She thinks that’s a ridiculous question.  But he persists “do you love me?” Finally, she states her case: For twenty-five years I've washed your clothes, Cooked your meals, cleaned your house, given you children, milked the cow, After twenty-five years, why talk about love right now?
 
That’s not good enough, so Tevye asks again: “But do you love me?”  Golde reminisces: For twenty-five years I've lived with him, Fought him, starved with him, twenty-five years my bed is his, If that's not love, what is?
 
Tevye then gets his answer: “then you do love me!”  Golde comes to realize, “I suppose I do”.
 
Two people, working together through the ups and downs of life – that is love!
 
This morning, I’d like to present a different picture of love.  Skip the cards, chocolates and overly priced flowers. Wait a week and you’ll be able to buy two dozen flowers for the price of one dozen this week. :)
 
These are the pictures of what love looks like:
  • A man with calloused hands
  • A woman exhausted in the chair
  • A man praying for his children
  • A woman tending to her sick children
  • A man or a woman fleeing sexual temptation
  • A couple, staying together well into their old age
 
Those are all wonderful expressions of love.  But there is an even better picture of love: Jesus on a cross.
 
Above anything else, love is a sacrifice.  Love is putting someone else ahead of yourself. We see that no better than in the love of God through Jesus who loved us, even while we didn’t love him.  That’s what makes God’s love for us so special.  It is easy to love those who love you.
 
Love is tough. Think of it this way. Relationships require two people to cooperate. Two people need to mutually agree to care for one another. You can’t have a relationship with someone who is not interested in having one with you.
 
But love is different.  It might not be ideal, but you can love even if the other person does not love you back.
 
Here’s the point: You don’t need someone to cooperate with you in order for you to love them… which is exactly why love is tough … because sometimes you are not loved back – and that makes it hard. But love, in its truest form, (and of course, this is hard) is not tied to how someone responds to you.
 
We see that in Jesus.  He loved us, long before we ever loved him.
 
 
Romans 5:8, “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”.  Why did he die for us?  Because he loves us.
 
John 3:16, “for God so loved the world that he gave…”
 
God didn’t wait until we entered into a relationship with him before he loved us. He didn’t wait until we got our act together before he decided to take up the cross on our behalf.
 
The Bible speaks so much about God’s amazing love for us… but what is truly remarkable is that God’s love for us was there even while we were turning our backs to him.  THAT is love!
 
And if you want to take this up one more level… it’s not just that someone showed us what love is when he took our sin and became an atoning sacrifice in our place… what is truly remarkable is that the One who did this was completely innocent himself. Jesus knew no sin.  He was tempted, for sure, but he rejected sin.  He was perfect.
 
The last person who should have paid for our sins became the only one whoever could or whoever did. That is love!

Jesus loved us, even when we had no relationship with him.  But of course, he does seek a relationship.  Jesus doesn’t want anyone to perish.  He wants you no matter where you’ve been, what you’ve done, who you have been with… he doesn’t look at your stature, your bank account, or anything outward. He wants you… he wants to be your Lord… and he wants you to be his son or daughter.
 
Jesus is the good shepherd.  When one of his sheep gets lost, he goes out looking for it.  That’s love.
 
This is why nothing can ever separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus; not trouble or hardship or persecution, neither life nor death, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth nor anything else in all creation will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus!  Wow.  (Romans 8:38-39).
 
This is why Jesus promises to never leave us nor forsake us. This is why Jesus invites us to come to him, whether we are weary or broken hearted. This is why God is a god of comfort who comforts us in our affliction.
 
This is the love that God freely extends to us and then calls us to extend to one another.
 

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Heaven is my Home

6/5/2016

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​An elderly couple passed away and found themselves at the pearly gates. Peter was there to welcome them. First he showed them their mansion. The man overwhelmed by the sheer luxury of it all.  Being accustomed to business on earth he asked, "How much does this place cost per night?" Peter replied, "Sir, this is Heaven, it doesn’t cost anything." Then Peter took them to the dining room where table upon table was piled high with the most delicious foods you could imagine. Again overwhelmed by the glory of it all the man asked, "How much for the meals?" Peter said, "You forget, this is Heaven, it’s free." Peter then took them out back where they saw a fantastically beautiful golf course. As the man stood there open-mouthed Peter said, "Now before you ask, there are no fees, this is Heaven, everything is free." The man looked at his wife; "You and your confounded bran muffins.  If it wasn’t for them I could have been here 10 years ago!"
 
A great room, an amazing all-you-can-eat buffet, and even the greenest golf courses – as much as they are all nice – are not what heaven is about.  The best thing about heaven is who we are with.
 
“Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. 2 I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 4 ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away” (Revelation 21:1-4).
 
Most of the time, when we talk about heaven, we tend to focus our “what” heaven is like. Will it be “up there” somewhere?  Where exactly will it be? Will there be fishing streams?  Will my cat be in heaven.  [Ugh… I hope not]. Then there are the streets of gold.  Just what kind of gold are we talking about anyway?
 
There’s the story of the rich man who, on his deathbed, negotiated with God to allow him to bring his earthly treasures with him when he came to heaven. God thought this was a little strange, but being the benevolent God that he is decided to grant the man’s request.  Sure enough the man died and he showed up at the pearly gates with a suitcase.  St. Peter, being in charge of the front door and all, needed to take a look (I guess even heaven has security screening).  Peter took the suitcase, opened it, saw all the gold that the man had brought, and asked with disbelief, “Pavement? You brought PAVEMENT?"
 
Gold streets are nice, I’m sure – but that’s not what heaven is about.
 
The most important questions about heaven are not “what” questions; they are “who” questions. Namely; who will be there? And of course, the most important “who” in “who will be there” is Jesus. The glory of heaven is not in the beautiful descriptions and all the wonderful comforts.
 
For example, we know that in heaven there will be no sorrow or crying or pain.  Now, that sounds good! There is a lot of pain in this world.  Some of you have been through so much already. I don’t understand it all.  But I do know that all of that will be a thing of the past in heaven. That’s sounds good.  And it is good.  But even that isn’t the best part about heaven.
 
The glory of heaven will be the presence of God. Remember, John 14, when Jesus is comforting his disciples, “That where I am, you will be also….”  And in Revelation: “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them”  (Rev. 21:4).
 
Now, don’t get me wrong….. I like my friends and my congregation. You are an amazing people.  You’ve been patient with me, you’ve supported me, you’ve been there for me when I’ve gone through difficult times – you guys are awesome – and I very sincerely hope that all of us will be in heaven together some day.  That would be awesome for sure.  But [are you ready for this – brace yourself – this might come as a shock] I’m not looking forward to heaven because I’ll see you there.      Crazy, isn’t it? And I’m not even looking forward to heaven because I’ll see my grandparents there. I know that sounds awful, like I don’t care.  That’s not true at all.  I do care. But heaven isn’t about me and my buddies or even my family – it’s about God.  Heaven is about being in the presence of the eternal God of all creation, and being able to know him, worship him, and love him free from all hindrances and limitations.
 
Let’s take a look at 1 Corinthians 13:12, “For now we see only a reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.”
 
Right now, we see God with our human lens, but we don’t see him clearly. Right now, we love God with our human heart, but there are also other things that compete. Right now, we worship Him – and yet even our worship is limited. In heaven, we will see him face to face, we will know him fully and we will worship him without hindrance. In heaven, we will be able to have that full and complete, unhindered relationship with our Lord and Saviour.  We will see him, we will understand him, we will be able to worship him – fully and freely. All our imperfections will be gone.  All our misunderstandings will be gone.
 
Going back to Rev. 21:7; “He who overcomes will inherit all this, and I will be his God and he will be my son.”  Sounds pretty good.  That’s what heaven is. Our relationship with, our communion and our understanding of God – fully restored.
 
But there’s one other thing that needs to be said about heaven – and that is that it’s not the eternal home for everyone.
 
We have this concept in our mind – and I think it starts in grade school now – where everyone is a winner. You win, I win, we all win.  No one loses. And that concept has passed into the spiritual realm. God loves us all.   We are all his children. We’re all going to end up in heaven one way or another. Sounds very modern – but it’s not at all biblical.
 
Take a look at Rev. 21:8, “But the cowardly, the unbelieving, the vile, the murderers, the sexually immoral, those who practice magic arts, the idolaters and all the liars – their place will be in the fiery lake of burning sulfur.  This is the second death.”   Whoa…. Where did that come from?  Yes, right after all that other nice talk about what heaven will be like.
 
Not everyone is in heaven now. Some people won't make it. The Bible speaks of the saved and the lost. The saved are those who trust Jesus Christ as their eternal Savior. The lost are those who do not trust Christ as Savior. This is the great dividing line of humanity-you are either saved or you are lost. And there is no middle category. You will either spend eternity in heaven or eternity in hell.
 
Way back in Deuteronomy 30:15-20, God made it clear to the people that there were two choices, two ways, two outcomes as they entered the promised land.
 
See, I set before you today life and prosperity, death and destruction. 16 For I command you today to love the Lord your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the Lord your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.  17 But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, 18 I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to enter and possess. 19 This day I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live 20 and that you may love the Lord your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the Lord is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.
 
The same is true for us as we face the prospect of eternity.  There is an eternal life and there is a second death.  And the sad part is that no one needs to face the reality of hell. That’s why Jesus died for our sins – he took our sin upon himself – so that we can find life. We have a choice – life or death; blessings or curses.  Eternity with God – knowing him fully – or rejecting Him and facing the consequences.
 
In his book "Growing Strong in the Seasons of Life", the author Charles Swindoll tells a story about the 19th Century agnostic Thomas Huxley. Huxley was in Dublin and was rushing to catch a train. He climbed aboard one of Dublin’s famous horse drawn taxis and said to the driver "Hurry, I’m almost late, drive fast". Off they went at a furious pace and Huxley sat back in his seat and closed his eyes. After a while Huxley opened his eyes and glanced out the window to notice that they were going in the wrong direction. Realizing that he hadn’t told the driver where to take him he called out ‘do you know where you’re going?’ The driver replied "No, your honour, but I am driving very fast’.
 
Far too many people are racing along in life but they haven’t given much thought to where they are going. The question for us is, where are you headed? I don’t ask you that, with a figurative gavel in my hand and a long finger pointing at you; I ask you that as a friend.   “There is a way that seems right but in the end it leads to death.”  Prov. 14:12.
 
There are two ways; two destinies; two choices.  We don’t end up in heaven because we were lucky, or because we kept our nose relatively clean.  We can only come into heaven through Christ.
 
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No Fear in Death

5/29/2016

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​Benjamin Franklin, in a 1789 letter to Jean-Baptiste Leroy made the comment, "'In this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes."
 
Of course, we could probably add a whole lot to that list if we really wanted to. But one thing we know, we know that one day we will die. James 4:14 puts it rather bluntly…. “What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes.”
 
The most common reaction to discussions about death is fear.  We fear death.  But why?  Why are we so afraid of death?  Or, to put it another way…. why do we fight so hard to extend life as far as humanly (and as scientifically) as possible?  Why do we fear death so much and treat it like an enemy that has to be conquered at all costs, especially when we know that we will all submit to it in the final battle?
 
I think part of the reason why we resist death so much is because we were never meant to die.  Death was not part of God’s plan for us when he created us.  We were not designed to die – and frankly, I think that’s one of the reasons why we have such a hard time with it.  In a way, death is unnatural – even though it has become very natural.
 
So why do we die?  We know that death came as a result of sin.  Of course, the warning was there.  When God placed Adam in the garden and told him about the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, God warned him, “for when you eat of it, you will surely die” (Genesis 2:17). And in that sense, death reminds us of our own sinful nature.  “All have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God” (Romans 3:23).   And “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23).  But there is also more. The very next statement is that the gift of God is eternal life.
 
While death is a forgone conclusion… there is also more.
 
In 1 Corinthians 15:54b-57, Paul was writing to a church that was concerned about death.  And in reference to the work of God he said “’Death has been swallowed up in victory.’  ‘Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?’  The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”
 
“The sting of death is sin” (1 Corinthians 15:56).  That agrees to what we already read in Genesis. If there were no sin, there would have been no death.  But now there is death.  It can’t be avoided. But the power of death has been broken because the power of sin has also been broken. We still die, physically, but death has no power over us – it merely becomes a transition to eternal life. In essence, for the believer at least, death becomes the passageway to victory. Which takes me back to the question I started with earlier… why then are we so afraid of death?
 
When a runner is running a marathon… I don’t know how many miles that is, but it’s a lot.  Does the runner see the finishing line and say, “Oh great…. now my race will be over” and pout across the line? Of course not!  He or she sees that end and gets excited. We see the end and we tremble, moan, groan, etc.  Why?
 
Instead of seeing death as a defeat, or even a symbol of our sinful nature, we need to see death as one who crosses the finishing line into victory; where the power of sin no longer has any dominion over us.
 
Paul even used that imagery in his second letter to Timothy, in 4:7-8.  “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will aware to me on that day…” That doesn’t sound like someone who is facing death kicking and screaming – resisting it to the very bitter end?  No.  He knows his work on earth is done and he’s ready to cross the line.  No fear.
 
Listen to how he expresses it to the Philippians.  He wrote: “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21).  That’s amazing!  It’s not a loss…. It’s a gain!
 
Going back to the Corinthians in a second letter, we see why Paul is so confident. “We are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord…”  And then he goes on to say he “would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”  (2 Corinthians 5:6-8). To die is gain because he will be with the Lord!  What could possibly be better than that?
 
There was the time when Lazarus was sick and his sisters (Mary and Martha) had called for Jesus to come.  Remember what Jesus did?  He intentionally delayed before he went to see Lazarus – who was only 2 miles away.  What’s two miles?  A 40 minute walk?  Maybe 45 minutes? Jesus waited even though he knew Lazarus was dying.
 
Sure enough, by the time Jesus came, Lazarus had been dead four days! Do you remember what Jesus said, when he was comforting Martha?  “Jesus said to her, I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die” (John 11:25). Even though a person dies physically, they will live on spiritually, with a new body – eternal life.
 
That is why death is a non-issue.  Death has no power.  It has no sting. 
 
Yes, I know we will miss people – of course we will – we’re attached to them.  And yes, we will grieve and mourn – I understand that.  I have no problem with that. But in the overall scheme of things, death is a transition into eternal life – it’s a day of victory. It’s a day when there will be no more mourning or crying or pain. It’s a day when we will be free from the burdens of this world – and the temptations of this world. It’s a day when we will be with the Lord – forever.  That’s the best part of it all!
 
But it didn’t happen that way by itself.  Remember, “the wages of sin is death”.  What happened to that? Hebrews 2:14-15, “he [Jesus] shared in their humanity so that by his death he might break the power of him who holds the power of death - that is, the devil - and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death.”
 
Jesus broke the power of sin.  Jesus sets us free from the fear and despair of death.  Our hope is in Him. The Bible is very clear – that whoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. It’s not a matter of being a “good person”, whatever that means.  It’s not a matter of our works, even though they are important.  We are saved by grace through faith in Jesus Christ.
 
The question becomes; have you put your faith in Jesus?  If you have, then death has absolutely no power over you.  If it means anything, it means victory!  You’ve simply crossed a finish line. If you haven’t put your faith in Jesus, you need to. It is the only way to cross over from death to life.
 
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The Will of God

5/26/2016

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​Yes, it is out in the open.
 
It is God’s will that I love the Lord with all my heart. (Deuteronomy 6:5).
It is God’s will that I love my neighbor as myself.  (Matthew 22:39).
It is God’s will that I do not lie, kill, cheat or steal.  (Exodus 20:13-16).
It is God’s will that I remain sexually pure.  (1 Thessalonians 4:3).
It is God's will that I remain patient in affliction and faithful in prayer.  (Romans 12:12).
It is God’s will that I bring the whole tithe into the storehouse.  (Malachi 3:10).
It is God’s will that I act justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with thy God.  (Micah 6:8).
It is God’s will that I should be sanctified; set apart for Him - holy.  (1 Timothy 6:11).
It is God’s will that I embrace all people regardless of their lifestyle.  (Deuteronomy 10:19)
It is God’s will that I speak the truth in love.  (Ephesians 4:15).
It is God’s will that I make disciples of all nations.  (Matthew 28:19).
It is God's will that I am gentle with a brother or sister who is caught in sin.  (Galatians 6:1).
It is God’s will that I reflect Him in my life, attitude, decisions and actions.  (Philippians 2:5).
It is God’s will that I turn from my sins and put my faith in Jesus.  (1 Timothy 6:11).
It is God’s will that I am no longer mastered by sin.  (Romans 6:14).
It is God’s will that I care for the needs of the people around me (1 John 3:17). 
It is God’s will that I invest in the lives of my children.  (Deuteronomy 6:6-9).
It is God’s will that I remain faithful to the person I am married to.  (Genesis 2:24).
It is God's will that I look after orphans and widows.  (James 1:27).
It is God’s will that I trust in Him, not needing to worry about my life.  (Matthew 6:25).
 
 
God is not in the business of hiding his will from us.  It’s right there in his Word.
 
If, by God’s grace, I can focus on these things, which I clearly know are God’s will, I won’t have the time to wonder about all the other things that are not so clear.
 
But what about the things that are not so clear.  In those areas, does it mean that we can do whatever we want?  Of course not.  We still seek the Lord.  We still pray.  We still look for godly advice. – but we don’t worry that we’re going to go way off course – not unless it is very intentional (a good example of this was Jonah – he clearly knew God’s specific will for him and tried to run from it – and even then, he wasn’t successful).  You are not going to mess up God’s eternal plan – the plan that he had from before the creation of the world.
 
I wonder; and please don’t take this as a criticism, but I wonder if sometimes when we say we are struggling with God’s will, if the truth is we are struggling with trying to bend God’s will to our own will.
 
​What do you think?


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John Wesley's Self Examination Questions

5/5/2016

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​In 1729, while John Wesley was a student at Oxford, he started a club with his brother Charles. It was soon mockingly dubbed “The Holy Club” by some of his fellow collegians. The club members rigorously self-examined themselves everyday by asking the following 22 questions:
  1. Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?
  2. Am I honest in all my acts and words, or do I exaggerate?
  3. Do I confidentially pass on to others what has been said to me in confidence?
  4. Can I be trusted?
  5. Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?
  6. Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?
  7. Did the Bible live in me today?
  8. Do I give the Bible time to speak to me every day?
  9. Am I enjoying prayer?
  10. When did I last speak to someone else of my faith?
  11. Do I pray about the money I spend?
  12. Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?
  13. Do I disobey God in anything?
  14. Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?
  15. Am I defeated in any part of my life?
  16. Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?
  17. How do I spend my spare time?
  18. Am I proud?
  19. Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?
  20. Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?
  21. Do I grumble or complain constantly?
  22. Is Christ real to me?
​​“Encourage one another daily . . . so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.” Hebrews 3:13
​The first list appeared about 1729 or 1730 in the preface to Wesley’s second Oxford Diary. Similar questions appeared in his 1733 A Collection of Forms of Prayer for Every Day in the Week. As late as 1781, Wesley published a list of questions like this in the Arminian Magazine.

Wesley died on Wednesday March 2, 1791, in his eighty-eighth year. As he lay dying, his friends gathered around him, Wesley grasped their hands and said repeatedly, “Farewell, farewell.” At the end, summoning all his remaining strength, he cried out, “The best of all is, God is with us,” lifted his arms and raised his feeble voice again, repeating the words, “The best of all is, God is with us.”

The Holy Club never exceeded twenty-five members, but many of those made significant contributions, in addition to those of Charles and John Wesley. John Gambold later became a Moravian bishop. John Clayton became a distinguished Anglican churchman. James Hervey became a noted religious writer. Benjamin Ignham became a Yorkshire evangelist. Thomas Brougham became secretary of the SPCK. George Whitefield, who joined the club just before the Wesleys departed for Georgia, was associated both with the Great Awakening in America and the Evangelical Revival in England. Looking back from 1781 John Wesley saw in the Holy Club the “first rise” of Methodism. The “second rise” was in Georgia in 1736, when he met with selected members of his congregation on Sunday afternoons. From these grew the idea for “Methodist societies” which became the backbone of the Methodist organization. (http://www.ctlibrary.com/)
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Personal Growth - No Coincidence

5/17/2012

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There is no doubt about it in my mind.  None.  Absolutely zero.

Those who are growing in the Lord are the ones who are making the time for prayer and the study of God's Word.  I can almost guarantee it; in fact, I'm sure that I can.

I'm not writing to chastise anyone; I'm writing to encourage you. I would love to see each and every person growing in their faith; experiencing a deeper more meaningful prayer life; encountering the Living God through God's Living Word.  God has more for us than we can even imagine.  But are we experiencing it?

I am sure you are aware that we have been encouraging prayer and bible study a lot in the past year.  I am convinced that this is why we are seeing such wonderful blessings poured out into lives. It is not a coincidence.

If you haven't already been doing so; I encourage you, I even plead with you (if Paul could do it in Philippians 4:2, I'm sure I can too), get involved in a prayer group.  Get involved in a Bible Study group.  And of course, make prayer and Bible study a part of your personal life at home too.  We are all busy.  We have so much on our plates.  Believe me, I thoroughly understand the challenges of fulfilling our various responsibilities and taking time for God's Word and Prayer - but it must be done; otherwise we become like stagnant water; going nowhere.

There are many ways we can do this.  Below are just some ways that we, as the Body of Christ, can come together and encourage one another in prayer and Bible Study.
  • Tuesday night prayer; weekly at 8:45 pm.
  • Sunday night prayer; third Sunday each month at 7:00 pm.
  • Sunday Adult Bible Study; weekly at 9:45 am.
  • Wednesday Bible Study; weekly at 1:15 pm and again at 7:15 pm.

For those who might be interested, I have updated our web site with tons of information regarding our latest study we just begun (we had our introduction day yesterday) called Spiritual Disciplines for Ordinary People.  What a great opportunity to dive deep into God's Word and allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us.  At this web site, you will find chapters from a highly recommended book (you can read it online) as well as my review/notes for each chapter.  You can also listen to a previously given sermon based on the same weekly theme.  It is a hard-hitting but greatly helpful study.

We also have our Sunday morning Adult Bible Study - a steady stream of God's Word.  The materials used for this study include weekly lessons and commentary.  The adults that participate learn together.

Proverbs 27:17 says "As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another."  That's what happens when we study and pray together.

Will you join us?  I encourage you to put it on your calendar.
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    Pastor's Perspective

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