Update and Prep for 2011

If you are a regular reader of our blog you know we have taken a bit of a vacation over the holiday months. I would like to take a few moments to share a few thoughts and give everyone an idea of what to expect from our little devotional site in 2011.

Kim and I are very thankful for many blessings in 2010 but none could possibly compare to the blessing of our new baby! The little one is scheduled to appear on the world stage in June of 2011. God has richly blessed us! Many of our friends know we experienced a miscarriage during the summer and had to let go of the hopes and dreams we had for one of our children as God called him/her to Heaven before we got the chance to meet him (or her) on earth. We are thankful God has given us another child to know and enjoy here on earth!

We are both thankful for our family, friends and other readers we have not had the pleasure to meet. I apologize for not giving all of you advanced notice of our little sabbatical from writing. I hope the devotional articles will be useful as you seek to follow Christ in 2011. I will return to writing regularly on Monday, January, 3rd. I will write Monday-Thursday and Kim will occasionally fill in on Friday. On those days when I don't have something to publish, or have no time to write, I will link other devotional sites or articles which have been meaningful to me.

We are looking forward to a productive, fun and exciting 2011. We are very thankful for everyone who will choose to walk the year with us through our blog/devotional site!

James

Hope For The Holidays

"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." -- Jeremiah 29:11

The above verse begs the question, "Do you believe God?" Do you really believe God intends to give you hope (an expectation of good) and a future? Many people read a verse like this one and give mental ascent to the idea of what it says without ever embracing the truth of it into their heart. God genuinely has a good future in store for each of us and this future begins on earth not Heaven!

God tells us in Psalm 100:5, "God is good and His love endures forever." Jesus speaks of God's goodness in Matthew 7:11 and teaches us that it is God's goodness which leads Him to give good gifts to His children. Regardless of how our current circumstances look, we can always be assured of God's goodness and good intentions for us; God has a future planned for each of His children and it includes good things. This, of course, does not mean life will always be a bed of roses. But it does mean we can always have hope for a light at the end of any dark tunnel in which we are currently walking. After all, Jesus did tell us in John 16:33, "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

The Christmas season is a hard time of the year for many people. Some of you guys may have lost loved ones in the past year, lost a job or experienced some other kind of heartache and the pain of your current circumstances may be amplified by the holidays. If you are one of the hurting this Christmas season, I hope you will take God's Word to heart and be encouraged during the difficult month ahead. Look to God's Word, believe it and take it deep into your heart. Although you may be experiencing temporary trials and troubles this is not the end! Jesus has hope and a future for you! God is good, loves you and has many good things with which to bless your life! Hold on! Life will get better!

James

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving! Today we celebrate all of the many blessings God has given us. God has been so very good! We are blessed! He is faithful! Have you taken time to count the ways God has blessed you? In what ways has God been faithful to you in the past year? Last Sunday I asked a class I teach to break up into groups and list 100 things for which they are thankful to God and to do it in 7 minutes! You should try it! When we brainstorm we see things we often take for granted. It was amazing how many different things, great and small, which made the list of the various groups. One of the "small" things on one of the lists included enchiladas...I concur!

I hope you won't let Thanksgiving pass you by this year. Don't miss the opportunity to stop, smell the roses and give thanks for the many things, great and small, God has given you this year.

Thankful for you!
James

What Are You Believing God For Today?

"The just shall live by faith" -- Romans 1:17

What does it mean to have faith? If you want my "hillbilly" definition it would be a "belief that becomes a conviction which results in trust and a new way of living." In short, faith is belief plus trust which equals change. As believers in Christ we are called to live our entire existence by faith in God. Faith is to be the driving force by which we make our decisions, take action and live out an abundant kind of life. If we are not living our life by faith in Jesus, who loved us and gave Himself up for us, we are missing out on the abundant life Jesus came to give us.

Abundant living is a kind of life which surpasses the natural and moves into the supernatural things of God. Paul told the Corinthian church unbelievers could not understand the things of God because they were living in the natural and did not have the mind of Christ. Occasionally Jesus went to villages and was limited in the number of miracles He could do because of the limited faith of those living there. Those who choose to live in the natural miss out on the supernatural activity and wisdom of God.

Where are you choosing to live your life today? Are you living in the natural or supernatural? Are you living the limited existence of what you can know and do or are you living by faith in God and the unlimited knowledge and power of Him? Can you name something in your life for which you are having faith in God right now? If not, take a moment this week to ask God to help you break free from a mind chained to the natural so you may have faith in God's supernatural, Holy Spirit power!

How Do We Know We Are Right?

"But you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you have all knowledge."
-- 1 John 2:20

Naturally, John did not mean to say believers are omniscient! None of us know everything there is to know! However, when we look at the context of this verse a very significant teaching emerges. First, believers are anointed with the Holy Spirit! We have God's Spirit inside of us, joined together with our spirit. We are in constant fellowship with God because His Spirit is upon us! Second, God's Spirit reveals truth to us so we can know God and stay in fellowship with Him.

There are many heretical teachings circulating the world, many of which are found inside churches. How can we be sure of the Gospel in which we believe? How can we know we have THE truth? How can we have confidence in our salvation when there are so many competing views and religious ideas out there? The Answer: Our confidence is found in the Holy Spirit of God! We are not responsible for discovering the truth concerning God and His Gospel. God has chosen to reveal the truth to us through His Holy Spirit. We are not dependent upon our own fallible self! We are not dependent on what we can discover to be true! It is God's Spirit which leads us to Himself, convicts our heart of the truth concerning Him and enables us to accept Him as our Savior and Lord. We can have confidence in the truth we believe because we know this truth wasn't something we discovered or "figured out" for ourself! God's Spirit made His truth known to our heart. We are convicted, assured, and confident in the truth God's Spirit continually confirms and teaches to us.

We may be at different points in our understanding of some of the finer points of our faith but all true believers in Christ have genuine faith because of the Holy Spirit which keeps us in the truth concerning God. I know the truth because God has chosen to reveal the truth to me and keep me firmly planted in it. John wants believers to remain confident in the faith they profess; such confidence is found when we depend upon the Spirit of God for what is true!

James

I Would Enjoy Shopping If This Happened More Often!

On Saturday, October 30, 2010, the Opera Company of Philadelphia brought together over 650 choristers from 28 participating organizations to perform one of the Knight Foundation's "Random Acts of Culture" at Macy's in Center City Philadelphia. Accompanied by the Wanamaker Organ - the world's largest pipe organ - the OCP Chorus and throngs of singers from the community infiltrated the store as shoppers, and burst into a pop-up rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel's "Messiah" at 12 noon, to the delight of surprised shoppers.

An Amazing Story

The story of Jonah from Corinth Baptist Church on Vimeo.

What Does "Forever" Mean?

"the man who does the will of God lives forever."

--1 John 2:17b

Have you spent much time considering what the word "forever" actually means? The truth of the matter is we have little or no concept what "forever" or "eternity" actually mean. After all, how can we truly understand the ramifications of something for which we have no frame of reference to actually measure? Everything in our current life has an end: television shows have their series finale, bowls of ice cream end when the last bite is eaten, snow ceases when the last flake falls, relationships end through divorce, break up or death and life itself (at least physically) ends when the last breath is taken. Everything in our world has a beginning and an end so how can we ever really understand John's words? What does it mean to live forever?

I believe the best way to understand the "forever" of this passage is to consider "time" as God does. What if there was no beginning or end to anything but instead everything simply existed at the same time. Stay with me! Consider time from God's perspective for just a moment and I think you will understand where I am going with this line of thinking. God is outside of time so in His perspective all of time, from beginning to end, is like a shoe box full of activity. God sees the beginning of time at one end of the shoe box and the end of time at the other end of the shoebox but everything is happening simultaneously. If God is truly omniscient then this certainly would be the way He sees history as well as the future of the human race. The place from which God views this "shoebox" of activity is "forever" or eternity and only those who know Christ as Savior will enjoy life there with Him someday.

I believe "forever" is as much a place as a reference to unending limits of existence. Of course, we are going to live without end but more importantly we will live with our God who exists outside of time. The greatest truth we can take from John's words is simply this: The man or woman who has a relationship with God (only those in relationship with Him could ever be obedient to Him) will enjoy life with Him in a place where time will be no more. Time will be like an old shoebox which has been put away in the recesses of some far away closet. Puts things into perspective doesn't it? Do you know Jesus? Will you leave the "shoebox" someday to live in forever with Him?

James

Don't Think You Can Get Away With It!

"The world and its desires pass away, but the one who does the will of God lives forever."

- 1 John 2:17

Sin is a lot of fun in the moment. Scripture itself teaches sin is pleasurable while one actually commits the sin (Hebrews 11:25). However, sin and the pleasure it brings, quickly pass from the scene leaving long lasting consequences. Sin separates from God and leads to spiritual death. As the old adage goes, "Sin will take you farther than you want to go, cost you more than you want to pay and keep you longer than you want to stay." The cost of sin is high.

Often our enemy will tempt us to sin by shielding our eyes from the consequences of our sin. When Satan tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden he told her she would become like God if she ate of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil not die as God had told her she would. Satan held up the pleasure of the sin before Eve's eyes while denying the consequences of her indulgence. In our passage John reminds us the consequences of sin and the reward of obedience to God. There really is accountability for how we live our life and if we come to think otherwise we have fallen prey to the same tactics the enemy used on Eve. Those who obey God (and obedience can only happen through a faith relationship with Christ) live while those who disobey pass away into hell.

Salvation comes to those who place faith in Christ but even those who have such faith should carefully consider the words of John. There are consequences to sin, the greatest of which for the believer in Christ, is the loss of intimacy with God. Don't allow the enemy to fool you into believing you can enjoy the passing pleasures of sin without the consequences soon to follow!

James

Are You Ever on God's Mind?

I went to the doctor with my wife on Tuesday and saw the beating heart of my child for the first time on a sonogram. What an amazing, overwhelming experience to see the heart of a child beating; a heart only weeks old! Even now it leaves me speechless to consider what I was looking at on the sonogram screen!

God told the prophet Jeremiah, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." What? When was Jeremiah appointed as a prophet to the nations? When he was inside of his mother's womb! Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:10, "We are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which He prepared in advance for us to do." God prepares in advance? How far in advance? Well, if we look to Jeremiah as our example, it would seem God prepares for our life and its impact long before we draw our first breath. If we believe in God's omniscience, and I do, then God prepared for our life in eternity past...a long, long time ago!

Amazed,

James

How Can I Love Those Who Hurt Me?

"Whoever loves his brother lives in the Light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble." -- 1 John 2:10

The mark of the Christian is love. This means a believer in Christ is capable of loving others in ways non-believers cannot. A believer in Christ is in the "Light" of Christ. The "Light" is the revelation of God in the person of Jesus Christ. So John is teaching that a believer "walks" or "lives" his or her life in relationship with Christ. Because I live life with Christ, His Spirit is always in me working His power and ability out into my life. I can love, even in difficult circumstances, because the Spirit of Christ is within me, demonstrating His power through me.

A good friend of mine once taught me something that has helped me greatly in my walk with God. He said,"sometimes we must go to God with the simple prayer, "Lord, make me willing to be willing to do the right thing."" Sometimes our will is that of a three year old child who has been denied something he wants. We can be very stubborn and even throw "spiritual fits," demanding our plans when God has other intentions for us. Sometimes, when called to love someone who is difficult to love, we can find ourselves in the midst of one of these "spiritual tantrums." In those moments, when we don't "feel like" loving, we do best to be honest with God and pray the prayer my friend taught me several years ago. God is good and desires His will to be done in our life. When we come to Christ seeking His ability to change our will and produce right actions in our life, He will always be faithful to do so.

If you are struggling to love someone why not go to God with the simple prayer, "God make me willing to be willing to do the right thing." God has told us in Philippians 2:13 He "works in us to will and to act according to His good purpose." Take God at His Word and ask Him to change your will where it needs some "help" today! You can love anyone if you are willing to find the strength to do so "in Christ."

James

Can You Really Love Your Enemy?

"Anyone who claims to be in the Light but hates his brother is still in the darkness." -- 1 John 2:9

Francis Schaeffer, the great Christian apologist, once said, "Love is the final apologetic. It is the defense for which there is no defense." I think these words go with our verse for today quite well! The "birthmark" or "mark of identity" for the believer in Christ is love. If a person can hold on to grudges, hate or anger something is seriously lacking in their faith. It could just be they do not have genuine faith in Christ at all and are lost! A believer in Christ cannot feel peace when holding a grudge or hate in his heart!

Love is not an easy thing to extend to those who have hurt or offended us. This week we will look at just how one might love the "unloveable." To kick the week off, I want you to think with me about something in your time with God today; Jesus knew Judas would betray Him when He chose him to be one of the 12 disciples. Jesus was fond of Judas, served him (even washed his feet) and genuinely loved the one who would betray Him with a kiss! Have you loved with such fierce devotion? The natural man could never extend such love to an enemy but for the believer in Christ "all things are possible through Him who gives us strength!"

James

No Compromise

"Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did." -- 1 John 2:6

What a tall order? How can we possibly live as Jesus did? Jesus was perfect, without sin and God! What does John mean by such a statement?

It is surprising how much of a "break" many give themselves in their walk with Christ. Many read a verse like 1 John 2:6 and, because of its apparent unattainability, dismiss it completely. We may not always be perfect but we can desire it, pursue it and make it the goal of our life. A believer in Christ, someone who has experienced Jesus, will be radically changed. One part of this radical change is the desire and intent to live as Jesus did; live perfectly obedient to God. Just because we occasionally fail to live this ideal does not mean we should abandon the idea of it!

We have been set free from the power of sin and have the choice to sin or not sin. Sin is not overwhelming nor is it a master or lord over us. Believers in Christ have the Holy Spirit and subsequently the ability to be obedient to God. To dismiss the ever present possibility of obedience to Christ is to dismiss a significant part of what the Cross of Jesus offers to the one who places faith in Christ.

Are you allowing compromise into your life? Are you living by God's Word or simple experience? Never allow a temporary circumstance to define your theology or self-image! Jesus came to make us more than conquerors and temporary setbacks will never change this fact!

James

What It Means to "Know" Jesus

"The man who says, "I know Him," but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him." -- 1 John 2:4

If a person says he knows Jesus but does not obey Jesus he is a liar. John has a way with words doesn't he? There is no sugarcoating the truth here! The Apostle puts it in the most blunt of terms, you are a liar!

The word "know" in 1 John 2:4 indicates more than a mere understanding of facts. John indicates something deeper in the Greek than the English language communicates in translation. To actually "know Him" is to "experientially" know Him. To actually "know" Jesus is to experience Him in relationship. Unfortunately, a lot of people define "knowing" Jesus in academic terms, as if ascent to certain intellectual truth is actual saving "knowledge" of Christ.

To be a Christian one must know Jesus relationally not simply know facts about His life. Do you know Him? This kind of "experiential knowledge" of Jesus will radically change your life and John makes this fact clear in our verse. If you genuinely know Jesus, your thoughts, speech and actions will be radically changed by the experience. If you have not experienced life change on account of your relationship with Christ you must ask the hard question, "Do I really know Christ?"

James

The Power Of The Cross is Real: Do Not Be Deceived!

"If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." -- 1 John 1:8

The worst kind of deception is self-deception. There is no one to blame for self-deception other than you, yourself! What a tragedy to be so delusional that you deceive yourself! But in today's passage John is addressing a group of heretics in the early church who were just that, self-deceived. These people had been members of the church but left to pursue ideas and religion outside of Christianity. They were claiming to be sinless while telling others it was necessary to be sinless in order to have a relationship with God. This first part of the heretic's message is true! All heresy has an element of truth in it or it would be easily dismissed. But the heretics also taught their perfection was within themselves and not due to the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. John speaks the truth pretty bluntly when he says such people are delusional!

We all need perfection in order to have fellowship with a holy and perfect God, but this perfection comes only through our faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for our sins on the cross. In Christ, we are justified and made perfect in the eyes of God. Unfortunately for the heretics, they believed their perfection to be a product of themselves, not Jesus. Anyone who denies the need for Christ and His sacrifice for sin is completely and utterly lost!

We may think we (Christians) could never be so delusional as to deceive ourselves concerning sin and the sacrifice of Christ. But, if we tolerate sin in our life we do just that, deceive ourselves concerning the Cross of Christ. The sacrifice of Christ destroyed the power of ALL sin over the believer and we are free to obey God as a result. Do not be deceived into thinking there is some allowance for sin in the Christian life! Christ said, "Be perfect, as your heavenly father is perfect." The standard for the Christian life is Christ and we deceive ourselves if we accept any lesser standard than Jesus. Christ came to make us perfect so we could actually live perfect. Christ did not come to simply cover our sins but to eradicate sin and its power over us! Do not be deceived into believing anything less than God's full intention for your life in Christ!

While we may never actually act completely perfect this side of heaven, our weakness is never an excuse for the dismissal of God's power or standard for our life. We should never be deceived, excuse sin or accept imperfection where God intends perfection. In Christ, we can choose not to sin and instead be obedient to God.

Perfection is available to us through our faith in Christ. But, if we do sin, we have an advocate in Jesus who is the atoning sacrifice for our sins...more on that subject tomorrow!

James

How Deep The Father's Love For Us

"If we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us of all unrighteousness." -- 1 John 1:9

Confession involves an open conversation between ourselves and God. We must freely admit our sin and concur with God's assessment of it if we are to obtain forgiveness. Open conversations about our weakness and failures are never easy but God loves us perfectly and wants nothing more than our success in the Christian life. Speaking openly with God in prayer puts our heart in the place where we can receive God's provision. We all need forgiveness and cleansing from time to time and what a blessing to know it is available!

God is faithful which means He is absolutely trustworthy to do what He says he will do. When we go to God and confess our sin He always forgives and cleanses us. God is always ready to lift us up, dust us off and make us brand new! There will never be hesitation on His part in this process! God is the good Father who waits in hopeful expectation for His prodigal children to come home. When His children do turn from their wayward path and head home He runs to welcome us.

I would like to encourage the hurting and "sin-sick among" us today with these words: God loves you lavishly and desires to make you brand new. This offer of forgiveness and cleansing is always available no matter what you have done.

James

If Eating Cake Was Sin

I like chocolate cake with chocolate icing. Put a piece of this particular cake in front of me, with a nice scoop of ice cream beside it of course, and I am pretty content for the next 15 minutes. But what if eating chocolate cake was sin? I don't know about you but if eating cake was sin I would be in real trouble. Such a powerful temptation would be difficult to bear! But just for the sake of argument let's consider for a moment my alternatives if eating cake was sin.

I could of course choose to sin and eat all the cake I want! If I chose this road I would find great pleasure in eating the cake. After all, sin is pleasurable for the moment ( Hebrews 11:25). However, the pleasure of sin is a fleeting one and the results of my disobedience to God would be very unpleasant. If I am really a believer in Christ such capitulation would leave me with Godly sorry, a deep grief at having offended the heart of God. This sorrow would produce confession and repentance on my part and forgiveness from God. The choice to give in to the temptation is never a good one.

A second option is to fight the urge to eat chocolate cake with all of the willpower I could muster. I could muster my strength, give myself reasons for not eating cake and do all I could to convince myself eating cake is a bad thing. There is a major problem with this option in that it keeps my mind focused on the sin! This option keeps me focused on the temptation and the "law" of right and wrong. The entire time I am mustering and utilizing my willpower I am committing two critical mistakes: trusting in my own strength for victory over sin and remaining in the occasion of the temptation. As long as I keep cake on the kitchen table and consider why I am not supposed to eat it, I create a situation in which I am certain to fail. In the face of such circumstances I will eventually succumb to temptation and eat cake!

There is one other alternative in my battle against chocolate cake; I can actually take the way of escape and die to the sin itself. Scripture teaches there is always a way of escape when temptation calls our name. The Apostle Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 10:13, "No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and He will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation He will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it." "Escape" implies a removal of oneself from the circumstance of temptation. The apostle Paul refers to this removal as "dying to sin" in Romans 6:2. The "kicker" is that we must continually choose death to sin in order for sin to be powerless in our life. Sin is alive and has great power to hurt our life if we do not choose to die to it when it appears in our life.

Dying to sin means removing oneself from the occasion of sin and putting one's mind on Christ instead of the temptation to sin. For instance, dying to chocolate cake means not baking cake, not buying cake, removing cake from my house and not thinking about cake. Dying to cake means when the thought of cake enters my mind I immediately pray, ask God to keep my mind off cake and intentionally put my mind on Christ so He can put my mind on the way of "escape." If I linger on the thought of cake I have chosen to give sin "life" and fight it in my own willpower again. Death to cake means total removal of cake from my thoughts (I don't fantasize about how good cake tastes) ,words (I don't talk about how good cake tastes) and deeds (I don't even nibble on cake!). But death to cake means life to something else, my relationship with Christ. Instead of being controlled by cake I am controlled by Christ and the life of freedom He gives me.

This little analogy may seem silly but consider for a moment the people in your life who are controlled by sin instead of Christ. How many people do you know who are continually defeated by sin because they fight against it using their own strength of character and willpower? Many people in our life need the message of the "chocolate cake!" Maybe you yourself are controlled by sin. Christ gives freedom to those who choose death to sin and life in Him. If you are controlled by sin be encouraged! You don't have to fight against sin and win the battle over it using your own willpower anymore! Die to sin and choose life in Christ. The power of Christ is all you need but you must choose life in Him!

James

Can You Fall Out of Love???

What does it really mean to love someone? We say we love our wife, mom, dad, brothers and sisters but what does the word really mean? What about God? How do we love God? A book came out a few years ago called "The Five Love languages" in which the authors outlined five different methods for loving your spouse and others: words, deeds, gifts, physical touch and quality time. While the book is encouraging and does give a lot of "pointers" on how to make your relationships stronger it begs the question, "Is love a matter of finding what someone likes and doing "that" repeatedly?"

Paul gives a very nice, although not inclusive, list of actions which represent an attempt at defining love in 1 Corinthians 13. The apostle says love is: patient, kind, does not envy, is not arrogant, is not rude, does not insist on its own way, is not irritable or resentful, does to rejoice in wrongdoing, rejoices with the truth, bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things and never fails. Paul's definition draws our attention to the fact love is much more than a feeling or a few categories of action; love is an attitude of heart and a choice we make.

Jesus ultimately defines love in His sacrifice on the Cross for our sins. But before going to the Cross He demonstrates love by washing the feet of the disciples in John 13. Through this act of humility and service He demonstrated what it means to love. This act of humility, coupled with the Cross which soon followed, gives us a clear picture of how we are to live a life of perfect love. Paul writes in Romans 5:8, "God shows His love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us." The love of Jesus was not something extended because of emotional attachments. Jesus demonstrated His love by choosing to give Himself for the sake of others...period. Jesus made a choice of attitude and action and in so doing shows us the definitive definition of love.

Obviously, our choice of attitude and action will affect how we feel emotionally. We know love has a real emotional aspect! The feeling of love is one of the most powerful and wonderful feelings we experience as human beings! We know Jesus felt the emotion of love because He was completely human when He walked the earth! But to simply define love as an emotion leaves a person vulnerable and in danger of missing out on genuine love at all. Infatuation and circumstantial emotional highs are a poor substitute for genuine love.

Often we hear people say they have fallen "out of love" with their spouse but the reality is something altogether different than the random accident or helpless tragedy to which they attribute the failure of their relationship. No person falls in or out of love! Love is not an accident or mysterious, allusive power upon which we stumble. Those who draw such conclusions have stripped love of what makes it such an emotional and powerful part of our lives; the choice of attitudes and actions which lead to feelings of emotion. If you take away this all important choice and reduce love to an accident or random chance, which is here today and gone tomorrow, you strip yourself of one of the most valuable gifts of your humanity...the CHOICE to love!

Choose to follow Christ, ask Him to help you love and let genuine love be a part of your life!

James

Do Atheists Know More About Christianity and Religion Than Christians Do?

"But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope you have." -- 1 Peter 3:15a

How well do you know your faith, world religions or the rights you have to practice your faith as an American? A recent survey done by the Pew Forum on Religion and Public Life found less than half of Americans surveyed know answers to basic questions about Christianity, world religions and religious freedoms afforded in the Constitution. See Article About The Study Here Guess which group scored the lowest on the quiz given by the research group...Bible-belt southerners! The group who should know better than anyone else what the Bible says and what the world without Christ believes, apparently know the least about either. Perhaps most surprising is the identity of the group who scored highest on the survey, agnostics and atheists! Apparently non-believers and the confused know more about the truth than most who profess belief in it!

As believers we are charged to know our God and the Word he has given us. Are you ready to give an answer for the hope you profess in Christ?

UPDATE

From time to time I am reminded why it is not a good idea to trust CNN as your sole source on anything news related. The article I cited in my blog post today is misleading. I am going to link an article from the New York Times which gives a much better and broader view of the results in the above cited article READ NY TIMES ARTICLE HERE I must say, for perhaps the first time in my life, the New York Times has made me feel a twinge better about the world in which I live! Nevertheless, be ready to give the reason for your hope!

James

Genuine Change: Walking in The Light

"This is the message we have heard from Him and declare to you: God is Light; in Him there is no darkness at all. If we claim to have fellowship with Him yet walk in darkness we lie and do not live by the truth. But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin." -- 1 John 1:5-7

"Light " in this passage is a metaphor which refers to the life we have in God as well as God's revelation of Himself to mankind. God has been kind and merciful to reveal Himself to us so we might participate in the life found in Him. Take a moment this morning to consider how dark and hopeless your life would be without the light and life found in Christ! John's use of "light" is an incredibly appropriate metaphor to use in reference to our God!

"Light" in this passage also indicates the kind of life we receive when we place faith in Christ. John contrasts light and darkness thereby indicating that the life we receive in Christ is completely perfect and holy. John wrote 1 John in part to confront those who were teaching a person could have life in Christ and yet not be changed morally. The Apostle begins his defense against such heresy with a statement concerning the character of God; God is perfectly holy. John's message is simply this, God has revealed Himself to mankind and all who receive Life found in God will be holy as God is holy. He is not teaching that Christians will always be sinless but rather that true believers in Christ would never be able to reconcile sin to their life as they had before coming to the Light of Christ.

God has revealed Himself so we might have a genuinely changed life in Him. If you have not experienced real transformation in your life come to the "Light" and have faith in Christ for a new life in Him today!

James

The Icing On The Cake

"We write this to make our joy complete." -- 1 John 1:4

The Apostle John wrote the above words in the context of a defense concerning the nature of Jesus. John had just written three verses of introduction in which he adamantly defended the truth concerning the humanity and deity of Jesus Christ. He wrote these words so others might believe and join the fellowship Christians enjoy with God and other believers through faith in Christ. John's joy would be complete when others joined the family of God by receiving Jesus Christ as their Savior.

As believers in Christ we are blessed with great joy because of the relationship we have with God. There are no words to describe the fellowship we have in Jesus! He is our life, love and hope! Nothing can compare to the life one receives when he or she places faith in Christ as Savior and Lord. But our joy in Christ becomes even greater when we see others believe and join the family of God with us. The joy of seeing one born from death to life in Christ is the "icing on the cake" when it comes to living and enjoying our faith!

Have you experienced the icing on the cake lately? Have you shared faith with someone and seen them accept Christ as Savior? Are you intentionally creating opportunities by which you might have the privilege of sharing your faith? Don't miss out on the added joy God intends for you to have! You and I are a part of God's plan for saving the world; each of us are called to be ministers of reconciliation (2 Corinthians 5:18). Pray for opportunities, be intentional and share your faith so your joy may be complete!

James

The Spirit is Thicker Than Blood

"And our fellowship is with the Father and with His Son, Jesus Christ." -- 1 John 1:3b

The word in our verse today which is translated into English as "fellowship" comes from the Greek word "koinonia" which means, "fellowship, association, community, communion, joint participation or intercourse." Christians are united in "koinonia" or "Christian fellowship." Our individual faith in Christ has made us part of a great communion of believers, connecting us to the Body of Christ eternal. We are not alone!

The church is a fellowship of far greater significance than a mere civic organization or non-profit charity. We have the Holy Spirit, salvation, God's Word and the message of hope for the whole world! Unfortunately Christians often forget or overlook the One who unites us to our fellow believers, Jesus Christ! We are not united on the basis of mutual likes or dislikes. We are not united on the basis of personalities or preferences. Each of us have placed faith in Christ for salvation and in so doing have become part of the family of God, the great "koinonia." Christians are related to one another more intimately than any familial relationship they could ever enjoy here on earth. The Holy spirit is much thicker than blood! We are united in Christ!

Our personal fellowship with Christ is an amazing blessing for which we can never give enough thanks to God. Our corporate fellowship with other believers in Christ is a great blessing for which we should be thankful as well. Many people miss the blessing of Christian fellowship because of quarrels or conflict they have experienced with other believers inside the church. Much of the time these quarrels are over the silliest of things! I once heard of a church whose fellowship split over the question of whether or not Adam and Eve had a belly button! Don't allow Satan to drive a wedge between you and those for whom Christ died! Don't miss out on the "koinonia" God intends for you! We cannot be the person God intends for us to be apart from the Christian fellowship Christ died to create!

"Beloved, let us love one another,"

James

The Truth About Jesus

"That which was from the beginning, which we have heard, which we have seen with our eyes, which we have looked at and our hands have touched -- this we proclaim concerning the Word of Life." -- 1 John 1:1

One of the purposes for writing 1 John was to confirm the church's teaching concerning the incarnation of Christ. John was writing in response to a group of people who left the church and were teaching that the Christ was not really the human being Jesus, but was instead a spirit which came upon the body of Jesus at His baptism and left Him when He was on the Cross. This group of people, called Gnostics, were doing all they could to convince the church that Jesus was a man used by the Christ but that Jesus Himself was not God or the Christ. John wanted to assure believers Jesus was actually a human being and God our Savior. John was emphatic in his writing that Jesus was 100% human flesh and 100% God when He walked this earth!

John knew the importance of "getting it right" when it comes to Jesus. If you misunderstand the truth concerning Jesus, you miss the salvation He offers mankind. Muslims believe Jesus was just a prophet, a man and good teacher. Mormons believe Jesus was the brother of Lucifer and that his plan of salvation was chosen over Lucifer's plan for saving the world. Jehovah Witnesses believe Jesus was Michael the Archangel who came to earth in order to save the world. In each of these instances the followers of these various groups have misunderstood or denied the truth concerning Jesus. The result of this misunderstanding or denial is separation from God!

Each and every person who walks the earth must decide for themselves the answer to the question, "Who is Jesus?" Your answer to this very important question will determine whether you participate in the salvation Jesus brings through His death, burial and resurrection. What do you believe about Jesus? What do your neighbors believe about Jesus? What does your family believe about Jesus? The answer to this question really does matter! John wanted everyone in his day to know the truth about Jesus so he "proclaimed" his personal experience with Jesus. In order for everyone to "get it right" concerning the truth of Jesus in our day, we too must proclaim our experience with Him! Be not afraid!

James

Confess and Be Blessed!

"If we confess our sins He is faithful and just to forgive our sins and cleanse us of unrighteousness." -- 1 John 1:9

What does it mean to "confess our sins"? The word confess is defined in the English dictionary, "to declare or acknowledge one's sins." In a culture full of "blamers" it is often difficult to find true "confessors!" To genuinely confess means to declare what God says about our wrong thoughts, words or deeds is true; His standard of judgment is right. To confess means an admission of guilt and our need of forgiveness from God.

It seems today that most people play the "blame game" when it comes to sin. There appears to always be someone handy to blame for the wrong decisions, actions or deficiencies of one's life. People blame their parents, schools, government, churches and a myriad of other institutions or people for their mistakes. The hard fact, which John so plainly states at the beginning of his letter, is that there is no forgiveness or cleansing from guilt until one owns up to his or her sins. Until you come to a place where you agree with God about the things you have done wrong, you will have no forgiveness. Until you admit your sin you remain in the filth and guilt of your mistakes.

You can attempt to blame others for your failures or choose to take ownership of the wrong decisions you have made. Choose to agree with God's standard of right and wrong! Choose to admit your sin, be forgiven and cleansed! Get a fresh, clean start today!

James

What is Worth More To You Than Anything?

"Dear children, keep yourselves from idols." -- 1 John 5:21

What a curious conclusion to the book of 1 John! John has spent five chapters writing of love, obedience and what it means to be a true follower of Christ only to conclude his book admonishing his readers to abstain from idolatry. Weren't his readers Christians??? Didn't his readers already have faith in the true God of Heaven and His Son Jesus? Why warn such people of the dangers of idolatry?

We don't often think ourselves susceptible to the sin of idolatry. We are quite secure in our monotheism; the belief in only one God. However, our actions are much more an indicator of what we believe than the profession of our mouths. Do our thoughts and actions indicate a bent toward polytheism (belief in multiple gods)? The answer to such a question is found in what it means to worship and whether we are worshipping anything or anyone other than the one true God.

To worship means to "ascribe worth" or "reverence" something. Naturally we find worth and value in a myriad of people and things. We value our family, friends and even institutions like our alma mater and the company for which we work. But, if we ascribe as much (or greater) worth to these people or things as we do to God we become polytheistic and idolators. If we are to be true to the one and only God, Jehovah, we must give no thing or person equal or greater worth than that which we ascribe to Him.

Often, it is good to value some person or institution in our life, but to worship anyone or anything other than God is not good! Worship is the lifting up of God to a place of primacy, honor and value above all else.

"You shall have no other gods before me." -- Exodus 20:3

Take some time this morning to pray and ask God if there is anything or anyone in your life whom you have put on equal footing with God. Let there be no idols, no other gods, in your life! There is only one God and His name is Jehovah! "Keep yourselves from idols."

James

Oh, The Deep, Deep Love of Jesus

I would like to follow up yesterday's post with a more detailed discussion of God's love. Of course we will never really wrap our mind around God's great love! In Ephesians 3:17-18 Paul prays that the church at Ephesus would have a greater comprehension of the incomprehensible love of God. What an incredible and comforting thought to consider during your day today; God's love for you is so big it is incomprehensible!

God never intended sin to be a part of our existence on earth. God never intended for mankind to suffer illness, terror, sorrow or death. We were created to enjoy intimate fellowship with God in a perfect creation that was created with us in mind. In the Garden of Eden there was no death; lions did not attack lambs and bears had no need of salmon. There was no death in the Garden of Eden for Adam, Eve and all of the animals ate the fruit of the field and suffered no defect or decay of body in any way. Death, destruction, decay and evil did not enter the equation until sin entered the creation.

Sin corrupted perfection and spoiled the intended order of the universe in which we live. Paul writes in Romans 8:20, "For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it." We live in a broken world in which broken people do corrupt things to one another. We live in a broken world in which cells do not always divide as they should, arteries become clogged with plaque and bodies just wear out and die. We live in a world of confusing philosophies, endless religions and painful separation from God. The world we live in is not "working as intended."

God looked down upon the corruption of the world and had compassion on all of us. The reason Jesus came to earth and died on the Cross was to deliver us from the power and corruption sin birthed when man welcomed it into the Garden of Eden. God loves us so much that He gave His one and only Son to die on the Cross so all who have faith in Him might have eternal life. This world may not be "working as intended" but through Jesus it is being redeemed and remade into the perfection it was meant to always be. Someday the creation itself will be redeemed from the corruption of sin and there will be a new heaven and a new earth upon which all believers in Christ will live.

What a wonderful and loving God we serve!

James

Is God Always Good?

Lately, I have been spending some of my devotional time in the book of Joshua. This morning I read chapter 10 of this wonderful little history of Israel and found myself greatly troubled. How can a holy, loving, generous God call for the complete destruction of whole cities of people? How can God utterly destroy men, women and children by the sword of the army of Israel? Does this annihilation contradict the God of love, compassion and grace which we see in the person of Jesus?

Right about the moment my meditation on this passage started to get the best of me I felt the Holy Spirit bring to mind several thoughts in response to my questions:

1. God is holy and just. God cannot stand sin and will one day completely wipe it from existence. Those who practice sin will suffer spiritual death in what the Bible calls the "second death." God takes sin seriously and will never tolerate it (nor should it be by His followers). It should not surprise us to see sin and unrepentant sinners utterly destroyed.
2. Many of God's actions throughout the history of mankind are lost to recorded history. Joshua refers to a "Book of Jashar" in Joshua 10:13 of which there are no known copies. God may have dealt with the Canaanites in a myriad of redemptive acts before His act of judgement against them through the Children of Israel.
3. God extends grace and mercy in ways He Himself determines. In Romans 9:15, which is a quote from Exodus 33:19, God says, "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." God's ways are higher than our own (Isaiah 55:9) and we won't always understand His decisions or methods...but that's ok! After all, if we always understood God we would be His equal!

I may not understand everything but I have a dependable God who absolutely knows everything and in every way acts absolutely just. God is always kind, loving, full of grace and merciful. We can depend on the God who knows everything, to be absolutely good, continually loving and perfectly just in all His ways.

James

God is Real: Faith for Real Change

Christians who are living less committed to Christ than they should often refer to themselves as, "Not living as I should." This little four word phrase usually means the person doesn't go to church regularly, spends little time with God in prayer or His Word and is involved in at least a few sins on a regular basis. I am mystified how so many Christians attempt to justify a lukewarm or cold relationship with Christ. I am often amazed at the lackadaisical attitude these folks have toward God and the salvation His Son purchased for them with His blood. Does God want more from His children? Did Christ die so we could live a half hearted, half committed, relationship with God? Did Jesus die so we wouldn't "sin as much" or did He die to give us victory over and freedom from sin?

I believe one of the great tragedies of the 21st century (and much of the 20th) is the failure of the church to demonstrate the reality of God. The result has been the failure of many, even those in church, to see God as a present reality. If a person fails to truly believe God is a real and persistent part of his life, he will fail to see the importance of a relationship with God. Once a person devalues any relationship in his or her life the priority and attention once paid to that relationship fades and disappears. Why pray, spend time in God's Word or do anything else to "relate" to God if you fail to see and believe the real existence of God in your life? Scripture tells us in Hebrews 11:6, "Without faith it is impossible to please God, for anyone who comes to Him must believe he exists and that He rewards those who diligently seek Him." Our relationship with God happens through the vehicle of our faith in God and the most integral part of that faith is actual belief in His existence!

I am reminded of an old sermon illustration in which a church prayed for God to close down and remove the saloon from their town. A few weeks after they began praying a thunderstorm came through and lighting struck the saloon, burning it to the ground. The proprietor of the saloon subsequently sued the church! In the courtroom, the owner of the saloon argued the church prayed for the destruction of his establishment and he wanted restitution. The church countered they had nothing to do with the destruction of the saloon. After listening to both sides the judge spoke, "It seems to me this saloon owner has faith and believes in the power of prayer whereas you church members do not!" Unfortunately, there are many in the church who suffer from the same lack of faith and belief in God as the church in this story. Too many Christians are in bondage to a life God never intended for them because they have failed to believe God exists and is at work in the world around them. God is real and He really does want to be a real part of your day to day life!

God really does exist and He is ready to make a difference in your life. Believe God exists, seek Him and ask Him to be real to you today.

James

Changing Direction: You Can Have Your Own Gilgal!

"The Lord said to Joshua, "Today I have rolled away the reproach of Egypt from you.""

-- Joshua 5:9a

Are you a radically committed believer in Christ? Do you love the Lord your God with all of your heart, soul, mind and strength? Are you living your life as an obedient servant of the Most High God? Are any of these really possible? This week's series of blog entries will look to an answer to this last question.

Some Christians have failed so consistently in their walk with God that they no longer believe consistent obedience to Christ is even possible! Seriously! I have talked to some who simply do not believe they can have freedom from sin and a consistent passion for Christ. If you are one of these people, living life in mediocre or lukewarm commitment to Christ, there is good news for you; you do not have to remain where you are! The Word of God says real change is possible!

When Joshua led the children of Israel across the Jordan into Canaan (Joshua 4-5) he and the people experienced a genuine "turning point" in their relationship with God. The people of Israel had wandered in the desert while the older, faithless generation among them (those of military age when the people did not believe God would give them the land of Canaan) died off. During this period of wandering, the children born to the Israelites were not circumcised; the Israelites were suffering from a severe case of lukewarm/cold faith in God and disobedient as a result. So at a place called Gibeath Haaraloth Joshua led the Israelites to be circumcised and rededicate themselves to God. After this step of obedience and recommitment the place at which they performed the circumcisions was called "Gilgal" or "place of rolling." The land was called Gilgal because after their recommitment, God told Joshua He had "rolled away" the reproach of Egypt from the Israelites. God had removed the stain of sin and unbelief from the Israelites when they renewed commitment to Him.

If you see yourself as less than a "10" in your walk with God why not make today a "Gilgal" in your own life? Why not choose to believe God can roll away the taint and damage sin has caused in your life? Your past failure does not negate God's power and ability to change your life. Turn your life over to Christ and watch what He can do in and through you today! Your part in this process is to actually believe and trust God can and will do what He says He can and desires to do! If you don't take God at His Word you will never see His "rolling action" in your life! He desires to roll away sin and the stain it has caused on your life...and He really can do it!

God is in the business of changing lives and He desires to do for you what He did for Joshua and the Israelites thousands of years ago. Real change is possible for our God is the same yesterday, today and forever! Believe it!

Pastor James

It's More Than Who You Know...Who Knows You?

"Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; for the Lord knows the way of the righteous but the way of the wicked will perish." -- Psalm 1:5-6

I am thankful to be counted among the righteous of God. I don't consider myself righteous because of my merit or good morals but because of my faith in the sacrifice of Jesus Christ for my sins on the Cross. I now stand righteous before the Lord God Almighty and on the Day of Judgement will be found holy, spotless and perfect. The blood of Jesus has cleansed me from my sin and changed me so that I am now God's kind of person (righteous).

What a tragedy to be among those who are void of God and found wicked on the Day of Judgement. There really will be a day of accounting at the end of time and those who have never placed faith in Jesus for the salvation of their soul will be declared for what they are, wicked. The wicked will have no place in the assembly of the righteous. Scripture teaches in Revelation 20 the wicked will be cast into a lake of fire for all of eternity. Hell is a real place and those who choose rebellion against God will go there.

God tells us in our passage today that He "knows the way" of the righteous. God is actually omniscient and knows everything so what do these words really mean for the believer? I believe Psalm 1 is teaching us something of the intimacy we have with God as believers in Christ. Those who have submitted their life to God now enjoy fellowship, ongoing fellowship, with God. God is interested in us, and because of our faith in Him, He now has the opportunity to demonstrate this interest in a myriad of ways. God's is not a dispassionate onlooker when it comes to our life. God knows us, loves us and is intimately involved in everything about us. God intends to be exactly what we have asked Him to be, our Savior and Lord!

James

Good and Evil: As Simple as Light and Darkness

"Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgement, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous." -- Psalm 1:4-5

Did you know darkness cannot be created? If you light a candle or flip on a light switch you create light but there is no switch to flip or item to use by which you can create darkness. Darkness is simply the absence of something; the absence of light.

Wickedness and evil are like darkness in that they cannot be created. Wickedness and evil are simply the absence of something; the absence of God. All of the terrible things that have ever been perpetrated in our world find their ultimate motivation and cause in the absence of God. God never intended for evil to be a part of our existence but when man kicked God out of his life in the Garden of Eden the mere absence of God's presence created a void where God's goodness once resided in the heart of man. This void, created by man's rebellion against God, was filled by evil just as darkness fills a room absent of light.

Jesus fills this void in our heart with Himself when we place our faith in His Cross for the forgiveness of our sins and give our life to Him. The moment we place faith in Jesus we begin to enjoy relationship with and the presence of God. At the moment of salvation we begin to experience God's goodness in our life! Our thoughts, words and actions become more and more affected by God's goodness as our relationship with Him grows stronger. One way in which we relate to God and grow in our relationship with Him is through the reading, study and meditation upon His Word. Thus, we have David's encouragement for the believer in Psalm 1.

A wicked man does not have a relationship with God and pays no attention to His Word. The wicked man has no hope of a truly prosperous life (as we defined it yesterday) nor any hope of eternal life. His life might look good today but there is no real nourishment in his soul, no real life, no genuine goodness. What a sad existence to live a life apart from the goodness of God and all of the prosperity a union with Him can bring. What a sad existence to never know your creator nor give Him the praise and worship which is due His name.

No matter how moral a man may be, only a relationship with God can make him good!

James