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