Can others see Jesus in you?

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Chronicles 33:14–34:33 
Romans 16:10-27 
Psalm 26:1-12 
Proverbs 20:19

TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Romans 16:19 (CSB) "The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise about what is good, and yet innocent about what is evil."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

The biblical book of Romans was written to the first century Christians who lived in Rome. And some would say that this book, among the other New Testament books, is like the snow-capped peak of a mountain that rewards the one who climbs it with exhilarating views. There is so much to be enjoyed in this incredible letter to those early Christians.

Our Verse for Today reveals that as the Apostle Paul was ending his epistle to the Roman Christians, he bragged on them. He told them that not only had they been obedient to the things of God, it had also become public knowledge. People were taking note of the fact that they were devout Jesus-followers.

Certain things happen when a Christian is serious about following Jesus:

• It emboldens weak Christians.
• It provides an example for baby Christians.
• It creates unity and camaraderie with mature Christians.
• It demonstrates for the lost world that Jesus makes a visible difference in those who follow Him (and so it gives credibility to those who share the Gospel).
• Etc., etc., etc.

Friend, can others see Jesus in you? 

I didn't ask if they know you are saved. I asked if you are so serious about following Him that you are taking obedience to His Word seriously. 

Only then will believers around you take note and be encouraged. Only then will unbelievers around you take note and realize that there just might be something to Jesus and the Gospel.

Live in such a way that others might one day be able to say about you:

"The report of your obedience has reached everyone. Therefore I rejoice over you, but I want you to be wise about what is good, and yet innocent about what is evil." (Romans 16:19 - CSB)

The need of pursuing holiness

DAILY BIBLE READING:

1 Chronicles 16:37–18:17 
Romans 2:1-24 
Psalm 10:16-18 
Proverbs 19:8-9

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Romans 2:22-24 (CSB) "You who say, 'You must not commit adultery' ​— ​do you commit adultery? You who detest idols, do you rob their temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? For, as it is written: The name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles because of you."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Our Verses for Today are negative ... but necessary.

As Romans 2:22-24 states, too often our words are biblical but our actions don't follow suite. We talk like Christians but we act like people of the world.

For example, we say we should love our enemies but often simply ignore them and try to keep the animosity in our hearts from showing.

We say we should share the Gospel and yet an overwhelming majority of Christians will never ... ever ... share their faith.

We say Jesus has called Christians to purity ... and yet many Christians watch movies with filth or laugh at dirty jokes around the cooler at work.

What do our Verses for Today tell us the lost world thinks of this? They blaspheme the name of God. They see the hypocrisy and come to believe that God doesn't make a difference in people's lives and many unbelievers wonder if God even exists at all.

Friends, if we claim to follow Jesus, then we must do it. The lost world knows quite a bit about Christianity and they know many of the standards we are to live by. And they are watching us to see if we live according to those standards.

So, take your pursuit of holiness seriously. People are watching. And where they spend eternity hangs in the balance.

The priority of sharing the Good News

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Kings 17:1–18:12 
Acts 20:1-38 
Psalm 148:1-14 
Proverbs 18:6-7

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Acts 20:24 "But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

It's so easy to lose our focus in this life, isn't it? We begin our journey as followers of Jesus when we got saved. We had every intention of obeying Him and doing the things that He desires.

And then life happened.

We got distracted by the craziness of life. We settled into our routines. We began looking much more at what is going on around us than the God who reigns above us.

And we forgot what God desired for us.

So, what is our ultimate purpose? Why does God leave us here on earth after we are born again?

Matthew 6:33 tells us what our main priority is. "But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness..." We are to focus on the growth of the Kingdom of God and we are to pursue holiness / righteousness.

So, how does the Kingdom of God grow? 

It grows when people receive the message of Gospel and submit themselves to the authority of King Jesus over their life. When they do this, they enter the Kingdom and then pursue a life of holiness because that's what followers of Jesus do.

But folks can't get saved unless someone is telling them about Jesus and what He did for them on the cross. So, this is at the top of our list of priorities ... we've got to tell people about Jesus.

And this is what our Verse for Today is about. The Apostle Paul came to a point in his life where he was confronted with the fact that he was going to be imprisoned and possibly killed. Yet, he wouldn't stop sharing the Gospel. It was his primary goal in life. He knew the message of the Gospel could save people from a Christless eternity in Hell and he wouldn't stop sharing it even if he were killed for doing so. 

Acts 20:24 "But I consider my life of no value to myself; my purpose is to finish my course and the ministry I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify to the gospel of God’s grace."

Because of this commitment, Paul could approach his death with a clear conscience:

Acts 20:26-27 "Therefore I declare to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all of you, because I did not avoid declaring to you the whole plan of God."

Are you sharing the Gospel with others? 

Is there someone you know who needs to hear what Jesus did for them? 

Then ask God to prepare their hearts. Ask Him to give you an opportunity to share the Gospel. Then take advantage of that opportunity when it comes.

Where people will spend eternity is at stake. They need to be saved. Will you share the news with them that can save them?

Boldness to share the Gospel

DAILY BIBLE READING:

1 Kings 8:1-66 
Acts 7:51–8:13 
Psalm 129:1-8 
Proverbs 17:1

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Acts 8:4 (CSB) "So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the word."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

When we read the context in which our Verse for the Today is found, we realize that men and women who followed Jesus were being persecuted.

In Acts 7, we read that Stephen, one of the deacons at the first church (Acts 6:1-6), was taken into custody. He boldly proclaimed the Gospel and courageously pointed out the sin of his listeners. His Gospel efforts were met with a force that tried to silence his message - they threw rocks at him and stoned him to death.

In Acts 8:1-3, we read that men and women, boys and girls who followed Jesus were dragged out of their houses and put in jail for refusing to deny their allegiance to Jesus.

In Acts 8:4ff, we read that Philip (another of the original deacons) was unfazed. He refused to let jail time or death keep him from proclaiming the Gospel to those who so desperately needed it.

Acts 8:4 (CSB) "So those who were scattered went on their way preaching the word."

They were "scattered" because of persecution. They were looking for places that might prove safer. But, whether they stayed or left, they proclaimed the name of Jesus boldly.

In America, we are free to share the Gospel. There is virtually no repercussions for sharing the Gospel with those we encounter throughout the day. Yet, very few people who claim allegiance to Jesus ever share His Gospel with others. The early Christians shared the Gospel as they faced persecution while too many contemporary Christians rarely share the Gospel in the face of freedom.

Lord Jesus, please renew a fire within us to proclaim Your Name to those who desperately need to hear about how they can come into relationship with You. It is not Your will that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. But, in order to repent, they need someone to share the Good News of what Jesus has done for them. Please give us boldness today to be open to share the Good News with whomever we have an opportunity. Amen.

Jesus' last words

DAILY BIBLE READING:

2 Samuel 20:14–21:22 
Acts 1:1-26 
Psalm 121:1-8 
Proverbs 16:18 

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Acts 1:8 (CSB) "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Someone's last words are particularly meaningful. 

As a minister, there have been many times that I have gathered with family as a dear loved one was nearing death's door. On those occasions that the loved one knew that they were dying, the things they chose to tell their family and friends before passing away carried a lot of significance. Why? Because they were saying things that they perceived to be of utmost importance before the final goodbye was said.

When we get to our Verse for the Day, we read in Acts 1:8 Jesus' last words. It was after He said these words that He departed into Heaven where He has remained until this day.

Acts 1:8 (CSB) "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come on you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

Since these were Jesus' last words, that are extremely significant. If we got nothing else, these words are what He wants us to remember.

So, what was He saying? 

That we have a message. 

That message is the Gospel (Jesus' died as the substitute of everyone who will place their trust in Him. His death, burial, and resurrection are more than sufficient to wipe our sin debt clean and empower us to live a God-honoring life empowered by His Holy Spirit. He will be our eternal reward in Heaven when we die.). 

The world needs the Gospel but we would be ineffective if it were not for God's empowerment. 

That empowerment came when the Holy Spirit began filling every believer. 

As we are filled, we need to get the Gospel out in our local city ("Jerusalem"), our community/state ("Judea"), the region just beyond where people are different from us ("Samaria"), and the rest of the world ("to the end of the earth").

This isn't just a passing verse that can be brushed over. They are Jesus' last words. By saying them last, He intended to put extreme significance on them. So, we had better be about the business of doing what He told us to do.

How can God be more exalted?

TODAY'S BIBLE READING:

Numbers 21:1-22:20
Luke 1:26-56
Psalm 57:1-11
Proverbs 11:9-11

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Psalm 57:11 "Be exalted, O God, above the highest heavens. May your glory shine over all the earth."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

Quite often, in the book of Psalms, we hear the Psalmist saying things like "Be exalted, O God." 

If we aren't careful, we will come to an erroneous conclusion - that the Psalmist is praying that God could improve in some way. Nothing could be further from the truth.

To understand the meaning of phrases such as this, we simply need to realize that the Psalmist is speaking from a human point of view. He desires for God's infinite greatness to be recognized and praised by more people. God is already infinitely exalted. But, more people need to realize this and worship Him.

How do we help to fulfill the desire of this phrase?

Share the Gospel! It is through the gift of eternal life made possible by Jesus' death, burial and resurrection on our behalf that people come to know God and enjoy Him.

Do you want God to be more exalted today among the peoples? Then look for someone to tell about Jesus.

Why the American church struggles with evangelism

People who care

about people they don't even know

will warn them.

Yesterday, I was in a pastor-training seminar on evangelism. The speaker was well-prepared, passionate and had the credibility to lead the discussion. His lecture was saturated with helpful ideas on how to make and keep an evangelistic culture in our churches.

Yet, as we went into small groups, a discussion ensued regarding the fact that the biggest problem in the American church isn't a "how to" problem ... it's a "why to" problem. It isn't that we don't know how to tell people how to get saved - after all, we just need to share with them what we have already experienced. The problem is that many people simply don't want to share their faith.

It's not a pragmatic problem that creative ideas can fix. It's a heart problem that only repentance and personal revival can fix.

It's just like God to help drive things home to my heart. This morning, a day after the previously mentioned discussion, I was reading in "Fresh Encounter" by Henry Blackaby and came across this:

"The problem today is that churches are striving to win their world to Christ without having first been revived themselves. The result is spiritually comatose church members going door-to-door asking unbelievers if they would like to have what they have—spiritual anemia! Such an invitation is patently unappealing. It explains the high dropout rate in the church today. Newborn spiritual babes are being placed into churches filled with spiritually lethargic people. It is a recipe for disillusionment."

We absolutely MUST tell people about Jesus. Whether we feel like it or not, people must hear about how they can be made right in God's eyes before they breathe their last breath. Yet, our efforts will be apathetic at best if we are doing so with a heart that has grown indifferent ("lost our first love") and isn't enjoying sweet fellowship with our God.

Reflections on Luke 4:42-44

In my Bible reading this morning, I came across a passage that seemed to jump out at me. It's as if God were saying: "Slow down here. These verses have many powerful principles that can help you grow. See how many you can get out of them."

So, here goes...

Luke 4:42-44 (NLT)

"Early the next morning Jesus went out to an isolated place. The crowds searched everywhere for him, and when they finally found him, they begged him not to leave them. But he replied, 'I must preach the Good News of the Kingdom of God in other towns, too, because that is why I was sent.' So he continued to travel around, preaching in synagogues throughout Judea."

1. Jesus didn't stay in bed long after other people got their day started, at least on this morning. He rose early (possibly long before sunrise).
2. He recognized the benefit of solitude. He went to a place where he could be alone. Possibly He spent that time in reflection and prayer.
3. Often, what we need and what we get will be two different things. Jesus needed time alone but the people wouldn't give it to Him.
4. God does not often speak through the masses. The crowd "begged" Him to stay with them. Yet, Jesus' response makes it clear that He did not believe they were speaking for God.
5. If we were to speculate on the motives of the crowd, we may come to assume that they were selfishly motivated. They wanted Jesus to stay not because of who He was but because of what He could do for them. Humanity has not changed.
6. Jesus didn't mind telling the people that He could not meet their expectations. They wanted Him to stay but He had a mandate that wouldn't allow Him to comply with their wishes. So, His answer to them was "No."
7. Jesus was about the business of evangelism. He realized that the Gospel was Good News (that mankind can be forgiven and brought into relationship with God) and people needed to hear it. So, he was going to travel to where the people where to tell them about that news. This was why He came to earth.
8. He met the people in their places of worship and throughout the region. This means that He showed up to places of worship to explain how the folks got it wrong.

Where churches should focus their ministry efforts

When it comes to doing ministry in church life, folks don't usually disagree that we should be reaching the lost and being 'Jesus' to our culture. No, the disagreement typically happens when we talk about the 'where.'

Some well-intentioned folks think we should focus on our own communities. They say we aren't doing enough in our own neighborhoods. So, they want to focus on the home-front and let the folks 'out there' wait ... indefinitely.

Some well-intentioned folks think we should focus on people outside our communities. Their mantra might be: "Why should anyone hear the Gospel twice before everyone has heard it once?" In doing so, they may fail to adequately love and serve the communities in which they live.

The beauty of approaching ministry the way Jesus instructed us is that it's not an "either/or" scenario. It's a "both/and."

It is my conviction that Acts 1:8 gives us the four concentric circles of ministry that each church should engage. There are four areas where we should focus ... ministering in each area simultaneously.

Acts 1:8 (ESV)

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

So, for Westside Baptist Church, if Jesus spoke these words to us in our culture today, He might say:

"But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you (He already has! Read Acts 2.), and you will be my witnesses in Murray/Calloway County and in all Kentucky and in the other 49 states, and in countries outside the U.S."

So, we are working on a strategy that helps us minister in those four areas at the same time:

- Loving, serving and reaching Murray/Calloway County

- Loving, serving and reaching other parts of Kentucky

- Loving, serving and reaching other states

- Loving, serving and reaching other countries

What is the answer to the 'where' question at Westside? Simply put, our aim is that at any given point in the life of Westside Baptist, we will be doing ministry in everyone of the four areas mentioned.

Is this a large, overwhelming undertaking? Yes. But so was taking the Promised Land! It was ambitious. It required God's involvement. And it was an exciting adventure as the Israelites came to realize just how awesome their God was.

It is my conviction that too often, churches are under-challenged. When a church is willing to embrace a God-sized vision and prayerfully takes that 'Promised Land,' things get very, very exciting and God gets incredible glory (folks see Him to be even more wonderful than they imagined).

Leadership and sharing the Gospel

As the Gospel of Matthew comes to an end, Jesus commanded His followers to be leaders. These few verses are often called "The Great Commission" but they are also a call to be people of influence.

Matthew 28:18 (New Living Translation)

"Jesus came and told his disciples, 'I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.'"

Before Jesus gave some of His final instructions to His followers, He reminded them of His authority. He was not only an incredible leader - He had a position of supreme authority, too. God the Father gave Jesus the authority to lead in Heaven and on earth. He would, therefore, expect nothing but complete compliance.

If you will look carefully at Jesus' next few words, He calls each of His followers to be people of influence - leaders! He calls us to affect change in people. He wants us to share the truths of the Good News that through Jesus' crucifixion and resurrection, folks who repent and believe can be completely forgiven and made right with God.

Matthew 28:19-20 (New Living Translation)

"Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach these new disciples to obey all the commands I have given you. And be sure of this: I am with you always, even to the end of the age."

Look back at the action words in Jesus' instruction. Look at how we are to affect change in others:

"Make disciples" - Share the Gospel with others and call them to repent and believe in Jesus.

"baptize them" - Seal the deal of someone's break with their old life by this public profession of their faith.

"Teach these new disciples" - Continue to teach new converts the truths of God's Word so that they can live their life as followers of Jesus with greater effectiveness.

There is no room for passive Christianity. We are called to be leaders - people who influence others. Leaders point the way to something better and invite people to join them.

Is there someone who you need to "lead" to the Lord? Why not pray for an opportunity and take advantage of it when God sends it your way.

What Changed People's Minds About Abortion and Jesus in Mere Minutes

I saw a few minutes ago where John Piper tweeted: "Just watched the "180 Movie" again with my daughter. Lord, make us bold. If you haven't watched it: http://www.180movie.com."

Ray Comfort is the one behind the movie. God has used Ray Comfort (and his partner, Kirk Cameron) to do some incredible things in the Christian community specifically in the area of sharing the Gospel. Ray has spoken into the Christian culture and pointed out where much Gospel theology and many Gospel presentations have erred.

But, he isn't one to just sit back and criticize. He is a constructive critic. He has done an incredible job of creating "training" videos as he and Kirk take to the streets of California to share the Gospel with anyone who will listen.

The video below is called "180." In it, Ray shows that within just a few minutes, he is able to cause folks who do not profess to be Christians to see that they are mistaken in regard to their view of abortion and salvation. You'll enjoy watching this 33 minute video!

I'll give you a warning, though. This is real life stuff. It's people who have no room for Jesus, church or anything of the sort. While this video bleeps out words, it utilizes the "bleep" button quite a few times. It also shows plenty of horrendous, heart-wrenching footage of the victims of the Holocaust. Proceed with caution.

I have embedded the documentary below (in spite of the "Warning" in the first few seconds of the video) because their site, http://180movie.com/, gives permission to do so.

Calvinism, Civility and Conversions

Frank Page
SBC Executive Committee President

With all of the division in the Southern Baptist Convention over the issue of Calvinism, I was overwhelmed with joy this morning as I read an interesting article in the Florida Baptist Witness. It was titled: "Calvinism advisory team listens, learns at first meeting." 

The article recounted a recent meeting that was wisely called by the SBC Executive Committee President Frank Page. Around the table were various influential SBC leaders of the Calvinist and non-Calvinist persuasion.

The article quoted Page as saying of the August 29-30 meeting: "The goal for the meeting was not to argue theology or to try to change each other’s minds. ... I was greatly heartened by the civil tone that marked the meeting." With the division that has been taking place in the SBC over this issue, Page's actions to call this meeting were courageous and wise. I'm certain that he was relieved that it was characterized by civility.

The article went on to say that Page's purpose for this group was to create "a strategy whereby people of various theological persuasions can purposely work together in missions and evangelism." Again, wise leadership! The primary goal of the Southern Baptist Convention is to create a partnership among churches for the purpose of obeying all aspects of the Great Commission. With our varied theological paradigms, discussion needs to take place to see how we can work together to accomplish that primary objective.

I was so glad to read that discussions have started and that they were characterized by civility as we as Southern Baptists seek, with renewed vigor, to carry out the Great Commission. There is so much more kingdom work to accomplish and no time to "draw the line in the sand" among the Lord's servants. Most certainly, there is room for discussion and understanding as we strive for a biblical mindset on all matters of theology. However, in no way should  we allow Satan to divide us or hinder us from carrying out the Great Commission in partnership with each other. 

George Whitefield

I have read much about the greatest movement of God on American soil, an event called the First Great Awakening. As thousands upon thousands were saved, it literally changed the cultural landscape of our country. Whose preaching brought about this present day Pentecost? Calvinists? Non-Calvinists? The answer is ... both. It was led by Calvinists (George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, etc.) as well as non-Calvinists (John & Charles Wesley, etc.) alike. It was as they partnered together that more people came to faith in Christ in the period of a few years than we have experienced in that same time frame since then. Oh, that we could learn from Christian history!

To be sure, Whitefield was not indifferent to John Wesley's opposing views. He wrote a lengthy letter to point out what he believed was error in Wesley's theology. Yet, while that letter was confrontational, it was also characterized by compassion.

John Wesley

But, it is important to note that with this unreconciled difference, they were still used by God to win the lost. To show the mutual respect these two "sides" had for each other - at the end of his life, George Whitefield (Calvinist) asked John Wesley (non-Calvinist)  to preach his funeral. Wesley graciously did so. Talk about civility!

I am convinced that the best days are yet ahead of the SBC if we can get past the "line in the sand" mentality that we hold with so many of our brothers and sisters-in-Christ. If only we can find the common ground in the non-negotiables of the Gospel to proclaim a crucified and resurrected Christ to a lost and dying world. 

There will be time enough to speak to each other about where our beliefs differ ... and we must have those conversations. But if we can agree that Jesus Christ died, was buried and rose again to forgive any who will believe and surrender themselves to His lordship over their lives, then we must work together to share that message. There is little time to tell the lost about the Gospel. We must be about the Father's business.

The Basis for Mankind’s Value

To some, Genesis 9:5-6 seems unduly harsh (and most certainly politically incorrect). Yet, the deeper meaning of this text could warm the coldest heart.

The context: Noah and his family had just exited the boat after the world-wide flood. God gave Noah permission to add to his culinary repertoire. Adding to his vegetarian diet, he could now have meat and thus the animals around him would, from that point on, have one eye on what they were doing and one eye on Noah. But, while mankind was allowed to take the life of an animal for food, taking the life of another human was an act of murder that bore a serious consequence.

In Genesis 9:5-6, the New Living Translation quotes God as saying: “And I will require the blood of anyone who takes another person’s life. If a wild animal kills a person, it must die. And anyone who murders a fellow human must die. If anyone takes a human life, that person’s life will also be taken by human hands. For God made human beings in his own image.”

Capital punishment was prescribed if a murder took place. Capital punishment was not perceived as murder since the one demanding the life was God and not another human. But the basis for which God would require such a thing is fascinating – the reason God took murder so seriously was because of the value of each human life. “God made human beings in his own image.”

Did you know that this is true of you? You have infinite worth because God made you in His image. To some extent, limited as it may be, you and I bear the likeness of God and thus have great intrinsic value.

A couple of weeks ago, I went to a theme park with my son’s 4^th grade class. We hopped onto a ride that dramatically illustrated how a big explosion was the beginning of all that we now see. As we left, I commented to the adult chaperone I was spending the day with that the clear reference to evolution was troubling. He politely commented that he knew with my background that I would have been offended by its message.

Polite conversation ensued as I talked of the implication of an evolutionistic worldview. I mentioned that mankind has a longing, in fact a desperate need 1) to be valued and 2) to know that each individual life has purpose. These two cravings are the very substance from which “hope” springs. Without hope, mankind easily and quickly spirals into depression and meaninglessness.

Very clearly, evolution is completely silent on anything constructive regarding mankind's value or purpose. Concerning "value," with “survival of the fittest” as its motto, the men and women who have made something of themselves may have a reason for feeling personal value. But their value is solely based upon performance. Those who for one reason or another cannot perform have no basis upon which they are to be valued. In fact, evolution predicts that one way or another, they will cease to exist or be exterminated (remember "survival of the fittest"?). Regarding the second need for “purpose,” evolution leaves people with nothing but emptiness. We’re here by accident. A big bang created all we see and our very existence  is only by happenchance. There’s no rhyme or reason. No destination. We're just here for a little while and then we will cease to exist. How depressing is that?!?

But in Genesis 9:6-7, we see that God places a harsh punishment upon someone who took a human’s life because “God made human beings in his own image.” Does this passage say anything about human value? Of course it does! Just as you could look at one of my boys and see a striking resemblance to Kim or me, so too can we look at each other and see enough of God’s image. That's why God placed such a high value on human life and it's protection in Genesis 9. It's because He places high value upon you and me and He wants us to place the same value upon each other.

Further, because there is a God who has made us in His image, we can read in the Book He has written that we also have a purpose. Ultimately, we are to glorify him and to enjoy Him forever. If we have given our lives to Him, then we become His children with the task of pursuing personal holiness and encouraging others to come into relationship with Him. And all of this will culminate in the time in which we will spend eternity with Him (see Revelation 21-22).

Most certainly, in Genesis 9 alone, we can see that each individual (no matter the color of their skin, the content of their character, the competence of their abilities, etc.) has great worth. However, there's one more thought I'll leave you with concerning your potential worth:

My car is 11 years old and I know that eventually, I'm going to have to replace it. Just suppose that I go into a car dealership and spend some time going back and forth on a price with the saleperson. When we finally settle on the price I am willing to pay, something happens in that moment. At that moment, I have solidified my personal assessment of the car's value. Whatever the amount I settle upon is the value that I place upon that car. I wouldn't pay more than I think it's worth and the saleperson won't let me pay less. What I am willing to pay shows the value I place upon the car. Got it? Follow me on this next thought...

What price did God pay to cover your sin debt and adopt you into His family? He paid the price of Jesus. Listen to what 1 Peter 1:18-19 says: "For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And the ransom he paid was not mere gold or silver. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God." We've already agreed that something is worth what someone is willing to pay, right? Carrying that same line of logic into this truth in 1 Peter, we realize that you and I weren't worth anything to God until, by His own compassion and grace, He chose to place value upon us and sent His Only Son to pay your sin debt and mine. He was willing to pay "Jesus" for you and me. What does that say about the value of those who have the gift of eternal life?

If you've never received God's amazing gift of eternal life, go to http://www.wayofthemaster.com/about_kirk.shtml and click on "Listen to Kirk's Testimony." (It's only about 5 minutes long.) Feel free to contact me! I'd love to help you along in this decision.

Removed from Eden

This morning, as I have again recently started my yearly journey of reading through the entirety of Scripture, I came across Genesis 3:22-24. Here’s how the New Living Translation reads:

 

²² Then the Lord God said, “Look, the human beings have become like us, knowing both good and evil. What if they reach out, take fruit from the tree of life, and eat it? Then they will live forever!” ²³ So the Lord God banished them from the Garden of Eden, and he sent Adam out to cultivate the ground from which he had been made. ²⁴ After sending them out, the Lord God stationed mighty cherubim to the east of the Garden of Eden. And he placed a flaming sword that flashed back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life.

 

At first glance, it would seem that it was a God filled with anger that threw Adam and Eve out of the Garden. It would seem that he was furious when He placed a mighty angel with a fiery sword at its entrance to guard it against their intrusion. But this isn’t the case at all.

 

It was a gesture of utmost compassion. When Adam and Eve sinned by taking of the forbidden fruit, they brought death upon themselves and all living things. (They immediately died spiritually in their relationship with God and they began to die physically until the day when their bodies would eventually be laid to rest in the ground.) Further, they brought a curse upon all of creation so that none of it exists in its perfect form as it did in the beginning.

 

However, it wasn’t creation with which God was ultimately concerned. Compared to the vast expanse of God’s creation, He was primarily concerned with the two small specks on planet Earth called Adam and Eve. In the verses preceding our text, God killed an innocent animal, stripped off its skin and clothed Adam and Eve as an illustration of the death His own Son would one day die to clothe those who would believe in His righteousness.

 

Further, in our text, God banished Adam and Eve from the utopian Garden of Eden where they would eventually die after a life of pain and struggle. This, however, was an act of unspeakable compassion on God’s part.

 

Only Heaven knows how unbearable it would be to live forever in our present condition in a broken creation. Because of Adam and Eve’s sin, we live in a world were disease spreads, children go hungry, friends and loved ones die, natural disasters persist, thieves steal, murderers kill, governments oppress, etc. As good as this life can sometimes be, it has more than its share of pain. Wouldn’t it have been a curse to allow Adam and Eve to remain in the Garden and eat of the tree of life so that they could live forever … in our world as it presently exists?

 

No. God wouldn't allow such a thing. He removed Adam and Eve from the Garden to keep them from eating of the fruit that would enable them to live forever in this world … so that they could eventually die. If they were followers of Him, they would have something infinitely better waiting on them in a new place called Heaven that would remain forever perfect. And there is a tree there that they and we will be able to eat from freely … the Tree of Life (Revelation 2:7; 22:2, 14, 19).

 

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