Pour out your heart to God

TODAY'S BIBLE READING:

Numbers 28:16-29:40
Luke 3:23-38
Psalm 62:1-12
Proverbs 11:18-19

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Psalm 62:8 (CSB) "Trust in him at all times, you people; pour out your hearts before him. God is our refuge."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

As a young Christian, I believed a lie about my prayer life. I thought that 'mature' prayers focused on others. It was the prayer of an immature Christian that focused on themselves. 

Or, so I thought.

When I went off to college, I spiraled into a serious time of discouragement - depression, really. And as I tried to work my way through that difficult time, I wanted desperately to feel loved and accepted by God. 

Yet, He felt a million miles away. When God's Word told me that Jesus called me His friend (John 15:15), it felt like that truth applied to everyone else except me.

... and then I re-read the book of Psalms!

The book of Psalms provided a powerful paradigm shift for me. I saw the Psalmist being completely real about his questions. I saw him opening up his heart to the Lord and not holding anything back. I realized that the Psalmist said things that I wouldn't have dared say in my own prayers because they sounded too harsh or even disrespectful.

... and yet He basked in God's love for Him.

And then it hit me! God knows my heart anyway. So, why not tell Him everything! Why not follow the Psalmist's example and be completely open and honest about what's going on in the privacy of my heart. Tell Him of my fears, my questions, my concerns, my doubts.

Or, as the Psalmist said in today's verse: "pour out your hearts before him."

One reason we are rarely completely honest with our family and friends is because we fear that we will be rejected. They will hear what is going on inside of us and then pull away from us.

So, we don't pour out our hearts. We keep it private and hidden wishing we could be accepted in light of who we truly are, struggles and all.

But, in prayer, God WANTS us to "pour out (our) hearts." He won't pull away. In fact, as we "pour out (our) hearts," we realize that He will forever remain "our refuge." 

Be honest with the Lord. Tell Him everything that is going on inside of you. Realize that He knows it already ... and still loves you more than you could ever possibly imagine. If you are His child, there is absolutely nothing you can do that would cause Him to love you any less.

So, be honest with Him in your prayers - as honest as the Psalmist was. And then bask in the fact that as you are becoming more like Jesus as the years pass by, you are dearly loved by your Heavenly Father through it all.

On dying and angels

TODAY'S BIBLE READING:

Numbers 8:1-9:23
Mark 13:14-37
Psalm 50:1-23
Proverbs 10:29-30

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Mark 13:26-27 "Then everyone will see the Son of Man coming on the clouds with great power and glory. And he will send out his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the world - from the farthest ends of the earth and heaven."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

The verses for today are exciting! They tell us of the time when Jesus come back - the temporal ends and the eternal begins.

But, there is something else I want you to notice ...

As a pastor, I have been with many folks as they walked through death's door. Those moments are filled with great sadness. What once was a life is reduced to a lifeless body. Relationships are suspended. A new chapter has begun.

But, there is something that happens in that moment that many Christians may not realize - angels were in the room!

Now, I realize that many people make up their own theology. They fabricate all sorts of things (not found in Scripture) to comfort the hurting.

As a Christian, we should commit to never make up our own theology. We should always have the question on the tip of our tongues: "What does the Bible say about it?"

When we look at the verses for today, we realize that the Lord "will send out his angels to gather his chosen ones from all over the world..." Clearly, angels are present when the Lord's chosen ones are taken from earth to Heaven.

This verse tells us that angels will perform this act at a future time ... when eternity officially begins. But, what about now? What about when our loved ones pass away? Are angels in the room to escort them to their Heavenly home?

All we need do is read the story that Jesus told of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31). Listen to what Jesus said when Lazarus, a follower of the Lord, died.

Luke 16:22 "Finally, the poor man died and was carried by the angels to be with Abraham..."

Did you get that? Jesus said that angels came to get Lazarus! They were in the room!

Friend, I believe that the Bible presents this as normative. It's the way things happen. When a follower of the Lord dies, if you are in the room, then you are in the presence of angels. They have been instructed by Almighty God to safely escort His loved ones to their Heavenly home.

What a wonderful, loving God we serve!

Reflecting on how much God loves you

TODAY'S BIBLE READING:

Numbers 4:1–5:31 
Mark 12:18-37 
Psalm 48:1-14 
Proverbs 10:26

BIBLE VERSE(S) FOR TODAY:

Psalm 48:9 "O God, we meditate on your unfailing love as we worship in your Temple."

REFLECTIONS ON TODAY'S BIBLE VERSE(S):

I've said it before and I'll continue to say it again because it is a theme in Scripture - God doesn't want our mindless acts of worship. He wants our heart!

Whether we are worshiping on a Sunday morning with our church family or whether we are worshiping in our car on the way to work, God wants that adoration to flow from our inner being.

Well, if you are like me, you sometimes just don't feel like worshiping. You know you should. You want to. But, you just don't feel like it. 

So, how do you get your heart into a right attitude? Do what the Psalmist said: "Meditate on (His) unfailing love." Simply think deeply about how much God loves you. Think about how He demonstrated that love for you on the cross. Think about how He demonstrates that love for you each day by giving you your next breath of air, provides you with family and friends, and so much more.

When we come to realize how much God loves us, we will find it easy to worship Him from our hearts.

Must I love everyone?!

Last night in our Wednesday Bible study, I focused on the four women mentioned in Jesus' genealogy in Matthew 1. (We know the guys are sinners so we focused on the ladies.) I showed that God's love and grace is so vast and powerful that there is no place that someone can go where God's love and grace cannot find them.

But, I also noted that anytime we learn something about our God, it always requires a response on our part. One obvious application was that since we are so dearly loved by our Heavenly Father, we must also show that love to others.

We love our enemies (Matthew 5:44).

We love our Christian brothers and sisters (John 13:35).

In fact, we love every single person we come into contact with, especially those in need (Luke 10:25-37).

In my Bible reading this morning, the Lord reminded me that loving others is extremely powerful. It shows that I'm His child. Specifically, if we don't love everyone who is a Jesus-follower ... then we're not saved. It's as simple as that!

1 John 3:14-15 (New Living Translation)

"If we love our Christian brothers and sisters, it proves that we have passed from death to life. But a person who has no love is still dead. Anyone who hates another brother or sister is really a murderer at heart. And you know that murderers don’t have eternal life within them."

Are you holding onto any grudges or do you have any animosity toward a Christian brother or sister? You really need to resolve it very soon.

Praying to avert God's judgment

In my Bible reading this morning, I came across a principle that exposes every human heart. This reflection can be 'positive' but only if we allow God's Word to show us what our hearts are really like so that we are motivated and empowered to make the necessary adjustments.

Second Kings 20 begins with the prophetic word that King Hezekiah was going to die. Upon hearing this news, the king wept and prayed. In response, the Lord added 15 more years to his life.

Sometime later, an envoy from Babylon (not yet recognized as a threatening powerhouse by Israel) came to visit Hezekiah. He showed them everything he had. Based upon the prophet Isaiah's response, they were spies who were gaining information.

Listen to Isaiah's prophecy:

2 Kings 20:16-18 (New Living Translation)

"Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, 'Listen to this message from the LORD: The time is coming when everything in your palace - all the treasures stored up by your ancestors until now - will be carried off to Babylon. Nothing will be left, says the LORD. Some of your very own sons will be taken away into exile. They will become eunuchs who will serve in the palace of Babylon’s king.'"

So, essentially, in this one chapter Hezekiah has been told of two horrible tragedies - his own death and the death of Israel's present way of life. Their wealth and many of there people (including his own children!) were going to be taken off into captivity.

In response to the prophecy about his death, we read in 2 Kings 20:2-3 that Hezekiah prayed passionately that he would not die. But, unfortunately, Hezekiah had no such reaction when he heard that his own children would go into captivity.

Listen to how he responded:

2 Kings 20:19 (New Living Translation)

"Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, 'This message you have given me from the LORD is good.' For the king was thinking, 'At least there will be peace and security during my lifetime.'"

He wasn't moved to pray for the people of his kingdom (his own children!) who had such a calamitous future. Why? Because it wouldn't affect him. He wouldn't experience any discomfort so he didn't care what happened to others.

How insanely self-centered!

Yet (and this isn't going to be a warm and fuzzy application), when we look at the state of our churches (most of them are plateaued or dying) and the state of our country (the moral, financial, social, etc. decline is obvious), where are the people who are praying? Where are the followers of Jesus who see the obvious direction we are taking and crying out to God to spare us?

Is it because we, like Hezekiah, pray passionately about only those things that affect us? Is it because we are unmoved by the tragedy that others will experience so long as we are left untouched? Is it because we think things will eventually fall apart but not on our watch? Is that why we are not motivated to cry out to the Lord?

Lord help us if we are that self-centered. May we recognize this tendency before it is too late and join together to pray for our churches and country ... and world!

"There has never been a spiritual awakening in any country or locality that did not begin in united prayer." - A.T. Pierson

2 Chronicles 7:14 (New Living Translation)

"Then if my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land."

#OncCry

"The God of the OT" vs "The God of the NT"

There are some folks who think "the God of the Old Testament" is different than "the God of the New Testament." They think that in the New Testament, God appears loving and compassionate while in the Old, He appears angry and vengeful.

Well, nothing could be further from the truth! God is the same in both. He has always been angry at sin but has also always been compassionate and willing to forgive an offense.

One such instance is found in the Old Testament book of Jonah. God told that reluctant prophet to go to Nineveh and warn the people in that city of the divine consequences of their sin.

After God made it clear that Jonah's only response would be obedience, Jonah went. Yet, Jonah hoped that the citizens of Nineveh would not repent. He didn't want them to experience God's mercy. He wanted God to destroy them!

Why? Probably because he predicted that God would use those people to bring consequences upon his own rebellious people ... the Israelites.

So, when Jonah warned the citizens of Nineveh of God's impending judgment they repented, as Jonah feared. And, as Jonah expected, God compassionately relented of what He had threatened to do to them and did not bring devastating, divine consequences (Jonah 3:6-10).

How did Jonah respond? Was he overjoyed at a people who turned back to God? Was he as compassionate as "the God of the Old Testament"?

Jonah 4:1-3 (New Living Translation)

"This change of plans greatly upset Jonah, and he became very angry. So he complained to the LORD about it: 'Didn’t I say before I left home that you would do this, LORD? That is why I ran away to Tarshish! I knew that you are a merciful and compassionate God, slow to get angry and filled with unfailing love. You are eager to turn back from destroying people. Just kill me now, LORD! I’d rather be dead than alive if what I predicted will not happen.'"

Anyone who thinks that "the God of the Old Testament" was a mean tyrant with a hard heart has obviously never read the Bible! God is infinitely more compassionate and forgiving than we are. Just look at the Cross!

Mary was crying and Jesus got angry! Why?

Some folks think that the only time Jesus got angry was when He cleansed the temple. That is not true. There was at least one other time that He was incensed.

In John 11, Jesus learned that his dear friend, Lazarus, had died. As with any death, there was unspeakable sorrow. There were tear-filled eyes and sorrow-filled hearts. Groans came from somewhere deep down in the souls of those who loved him most.

Try to imagine the following scene as Jesus met the sister of Lazarus, Mary. Imagine her quivering, contorted, tear-stained face as she was still trying to understand that her brother really had died and was never coming back. The deep ache in her heart cannot be described. It can only be experienced by those who have suffered such a deep loss.

John 11:32-36 (New Living Translation)
32 When Mary arrived and saw Jesus, she fell at his feet and said, “Lord, if only you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
33 When Jesus saw her weeping and saw the other people wailing with her, a deep anger welled up within him, and he was deeply troubled.
34 “Where have you put him?” he asked them.
They told him, “Lord, come and see.”
35 Then Jesus wept.
36 The people who were standing nearby said, “See how much he loved him!”

In the New Living Translation, it says in verse 33 that "a deep anger welled up within him." In other translations, it says that He was "deeply moved" or some other such thing. The words in the original language (Greek) speak of a strong emotion that could be labeled "indignation."

So, why did Jesus get mad? He's in the presence of people who are hurting deeply. Anger seems completely out of place … until we reflect on WHY He was angry.

Jesus wasn't indifferent to the suffering around Him. In fact, John 11:35 tells us plainly that "Jesus wept." His heart went out to those people. He wasn't grieving for Himself or Lazarus. He knew that Lazarus was in Heaven and having the time of his life! Why did Jesus weep? Because He saw the hurt all around Him. He was moved to grieve by seeing and hearing the heart cries of those around Him.

So, we see that He grieved. That's extremely appropriate when spending time with a family who has just lost a loved one. But, why did He get angry?

The reason that makes the most sense to me is that He was angered at sin and death. In that moment, He saw his friend, Mary, experiencing unspeakable grief and it was because she lived in a sin-sick world. She was experiencing such sorrow because she lived in a world that was so far below the joy of the Garden of Eden. There was no death and no sorrow before Adam sinned. But, when Adam sinned, death and unspeakable grief were the result.

Romans 5:12 (New Living Translation)
"When Adam sinned, sin entered the world. Adam’s sin brought death, so death spread to everyone, for everyone sinned."

So, the dear people that surrounded Jesus were weeping because the world in which they lived was broken. It was sin saturated and death was the result. Jesus was looking at the result of a broken Creation and He was angered.

If I could be so bold as to try to identify what Jesus was thinking, I imagine He would have thought something like this: "This wasn't how things could have been! They could have enjoyed My presence in the utopia that I called the Garden of Eden. They could have eaten of the Tree of Life and never experienced death. But Adam sinned and blew it for everyone! And as I look around me and see what sin did to my perfect Creation, I'm furious!"

Jesus didn't come into our world to experience frustration, though. He didn't come to throw His hands up in despair at how badly sin had wrecked His Creation. He came as a conqueror on a mission that He would accomplish, even if it meant His death ... and it did.

He came to conquer sin and death! When He died on the cross and rose again, He administered the death blow to sin and death! As we place our faith in Jesus, we can be completely forgiven of our sin. Sin will lose is its stranglehold over us. And one day, we'll live forever with our God.

1 Corinthians 15:57 (New Living Translation)
"But thank God! He gives us victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ."

This is the Good News that we celebrate even as we reflect this day on Jesus' Crucifixion.

How do we know how powerful God is?

There are three characteristics of God that we cannot possibly fully understand: His infinite knowledge, His infinite presence, and His infinite power.

These are often labeled by the following three words: God's omniscience (He completely knows all things), His omnipresence (He is completely everywhere at all times), and His omnipotence (He can do absolutely anything He desires to do).

In Psalm 139, the writer describes each of these three. He gets caught up in wonder at his amazing God and describes:

* God's omniscience (Psalm 139:1-6)

* God's omnipresence (Psalm 139:7-12)

* God's omnipotence (Psalm 139:13-16)

Well, if you were the writer, how would you illustrate God's power (omnipotence)? I know how I would. I love looking into a clear night sky and trying to imagine the size of space. I love getting lost in how BIG it is out there. And, then I think about the fact that my Father in Heaven spoke everything into existence in 6 days.

But, that's not how God moved the Psalmist to describe His omnipotence (His infinite power). He had the Psalmist describe his power this way ... our formation in our mother's womb. It's as if God is saying:

"Hey, look at the stars in the night's skies. That's pretty incredible, but I can do something even better. In fact, while I spoke the stars into existence, there was a part of Creation where I actually got my hands dirty. Remember how I scooped up some dirt and personally crafted Adam? And, then I did surgery on Adam and personally created Eve? Well, my personal, powerful involvement in the creation of mankind didn't stop there. I continue to express My infinite power by actively being involved in the formation of every single baby in its mother's womb."

Psalm 139:13-18 (New Living Translation)

13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body

and knit me together in my mother’s womb.

14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!

Your workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it.

15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion,

as I was woven together in the dark of the womb.

16 You saw me before I was born.

Every day of my life was recorded in your book.

Every moment was laid out

before a single day had passed.

17 How precious are your thoughts about me, O God.

They cannot be numbered!

18 I can’t even count them;

they outnumber the grains of sand!

And when I wake up,

you are still with me!

And, then God sent His ultimate expression of power and love when Jesus died on the cross for us and rose again on the third day.

What should be our response to such power and love from our God? The most natural response is simply to love Him back.

Matthew 22:37-38 (New Living Translation)

"Jesus replied, 'You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment."

When we think of how powerfully God has moved on our behalf from the moment we were formed in our mother's womb until today and when we come to a greater understanding of just how much He loves us, loving Him back is the most natural response imaginable.

Will that be your response today?

Sermon (video): When God Gives a Nation What It Wants (Romans 1:18-32)

Click here to view the sermon.

So what happens when a nation rejects God? Romans 1:18-32 gives us a general model of
how a nation will decline and what the four specific steps are. It almost seems that this chapter was written with America in mind.

Was God angry at Jesus as He died on the cross?

Recently, Dr. Bob Terry, the editor of "The Alabama Baptist" newsletter wrote an article that has stirred up some controversy. Probably more accurately, he has created a degree of shock among those who held him and his theological paradigm in high regard.

Before I respond, I want to be clear that in no way is this blog post throwing stones at Dr. Terry. As the world around us erodes, Christians must find ways in which we can work together and quit all of the unnecessary infighting. Yet, I believe that what Dr. Terry was quoted as saying demands some responses from those who hold very different views of God's attitude and role in the atonement. Here are my thoughts...

The title of the online article is "Why Disagree About the Words of a Hymn?" (access full article here.) He begins with the Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.)'s decision not to include the modern hymn "In Christ Alone" in their updated hymnal. The committee wanted to replace the lyrics of the second verse from "'till on that cross as Jesus died the wrath of God was satisfied" to "'till on that cross as Jesus died the love of God was magnified." The Gettys, the authors of the song, refused to allow the change and the song was therefore dropped from inclusion in the hymnal.

After his introduction, Dr. Bob Terry wrote: "The Bible speaks clearly about the wrath of God and warns that it is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of an angry God (Ps. 90:11). Yet there remains a question about whether God was an angry God at Golgotha whose wrath had to be appeased by the suffering of the innocent Jesus. Sometimes Christians carelessly make God out to be some kind of ogre whose angry wrath overflowed until the innocent Jesus suffered enough to calm Him down. It is the ultimate "good cop/bad cop" routine where God is against us but Jesus is for us. Some popular theologies do hold that Jesus' suffering appeased God's wrath. That is not how I understand the Bible and that is why I do not sing the phrase "the wrath of God was satisfied" even though I love the song "In Christ Alone."

Who did God pay off to purchase us?

I suppose that one of the biggest questions that comes to my mind after reading that is: "Who did God pay off to purchase us?" Because, very clearly in Scripture, we understand that a price had to be paid to save us.

"Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) 

"You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men." (1 Corinthians 7:23)

"knowing that you were ransomed (bought out of slavery) from the futile ways inherited from your forefathers, not with perishable things such as silver or gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, like that of a lamb without blemish or spot. (1 Peter 1:18-19)

"...the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Matthew 20:28)

"Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree'—" (Galatians 3:13)

I could keep going but you get the idea. God purchased us. But, from whom? Did he pay the Devil off? Did God buy us from Satan?

Absolutely not! God has never owed Satan anything! The last reference I gave in Galatians 3:13 lets us know. "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law", specifically God's law. God, the lawgiver is the One who judicially expected complete compliance. He expected nothing short of complete holiness.

It was in His court that we stood guilty of breaking His laws. His justice demanded that payment be made for offenses committed. So, the payment to erase our sin debt was made to God's holy justice.

"Redeemed us from the curse of the law" (Gal. 3:13)

But, notice the language used in Galatians 3:13. It says "the CURSE of the law." Hardly tolerant, compassionate language. Cursed means to be condemned and experience the resultant consequences.

Who placed the curse on us before we were redeemed by Christ? In fact, who made Jesus a curse as He hung on the cross? Read Galatians 3:13 again and see that Jesus had a curse put upon Him as He hung on the cross. "Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, 'Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree'—".

All you need to do to see who placed the curse is to look at Deuteronomy 21:22-23 where Moses recounted the law that God gave to the people of Israel: "And if a man has committed a crime punishable by death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, his body shall not remain all night on the tree, but you shall bury him the same day, for a hanged man is cursed by God..."
  Did you catch those last few words? "Cursed by God." When Jesus hung on the cross, He became a curse for us. To use the vernacular of Galatians 3:13 and Deuteronomy 21:22-23, He was cursed by God. He wasn't just paying our sin debt as a loving God watched. He was bearing our sin as He became our curse.

It's hard to understand how anyone could say that God was only expressing His love while Jesus died on that cross because on that cross, Jesus was bearing the curse of God. Of course God the Father loved His Son. Yet, He sent His Son so that His wrath could be poured out on Him and not us so that we could come into God's family. (The truth is, God expressed BOTH while Jesus was on the cross: anger AND love.)

Anger and Love Side-by-side

To show how these two attitudes (anger and love) were equally expressed by our incomprehensible God, I'll end with one final passage of Scripture. It shows very clearly how God, who was and is incensed at unbelievers is also a loving God who appeased His wrath and satisfied His justice by sending His Son to die as our substitute. (The beauty of the cross is that God sent Jesus to take the punishment we were due so that we could be completely forgiven and brought into His family.) Here's Ephesians 2:1-10 - 

God's wrath directed at us while we were unbelievers

1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins
2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—
3 among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.

God's love directed at us to draw us to Himself

4 But God (I LOVE those two words!), being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,
5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,
7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,
9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.

Sermon (video): The Healing Power of God's Forgiveness (Psalm 51:7-12)

(To view the sermon, click here.)

So many followers of Jesus allow themselves to be bound by sin. They engage in some activity (or thought, or attitude, etc.) that robs them of their fellowship with God and they get stuck there.

This sermon elaborates on the truths found in Psalm 51:7-12 that show how acknowledging our sin and making it right with God (and others, if necessary) can be one of the most liberating things we can do. The fellowship with God that we are free to enjoy is worth whatever the cost we must pay to get it back.

God, sin and consequences

In my "Read Through the Bible Plan", I'm once again going through the first few books of the Bible. In them, God makes it clear that sin is to be dealt with harshly.

At first glance, it may seem that God is unspeakably mean in His instruction concerning sin. Yet, when we realize that the Bible also warns that "the wages of sin is death", we realize why God wants us to stay away from sin. Among other things, it's for our own good.

A good parent understands this. If a parent of a young child saw them playing in a road with a lot of traffic, their love for their child would demand that they threaten serious consequences if they played in the road again. Failing to provide serious consequences for a child who could potentially die from their poor choices would call into question the parent's love for their child.

Since God loves us, he threatens serious consequences when we sin. Any good parent would.

Sermon (video): Jesus, Our Prince of Peace (Isaiah 9:6)

The bad news makes the good news, great news!

I hope you enjoy this sermon that presents Jesus as our Prince of Peace. Our God desires to bring us into a mutually enjoyable relationship with Himself. Yet, as a just God, He must punish us eternally for our sin. How does He solve this "problem?" How is is even possible that we can be brought into relationship with Him? He sent the Prince of Peace! 

To view the sermon, click here.

Sermon (video): A Powerful Illustration of God's Love for You (Matthew 3:1-17)

You've read through Matthew 4 before. You're familiar with the story of Jesus' baptism. But unless you really dug deep in your study, you may have missed some absolutely incredible principles ... especially the fact that Jesus' baptism was a powerful illustration of God's love for you.

To view the sermon, simply click here.

Repentance and Judgment

I enjoy using the "One Year Bible" reading plan each day. Today's reading included Psalm 7 which contained an interesting and very true principle.

It's found in Psalm 7:12-13.

"If anyone does not repent, God will sharpen His sword; He has strung His bow and made it ready. He has prepared His deadly weapons; He tips His arrows with fire."

To be sure, this view of God isn't common or popular among the masses. Many, including some who proclaim themselves "Christian," want to believe in a god that is love ... and ONLY love.

While God certainly is loving (more than a few passages in Scripture make this clear), it is also true that He is holy and just.

The same Bible that tells us that God loves the world (see John 3:16; 1 John 4:8, 16; etc.) also tells us that He is incensed at those who engage in sin (see Ephesians 2:3; Romans 9:22; etc.). As sin is a violation of His holy law, He MUST exercise justice (Exodus 34:7; Numbers 14:18; Nahum 1:3; etc.)

Thus, we come to understand passages like Psalm 7:12-13. God is pictured as a warrior "preparing His deadly weapons."

Specifically, in this text we see who He is against. We see who He is out to get. We see who He will certainly overthrow. It's given at the beginning of verse 12: "anyone (who) does not repent."

The one who has sinned and refuses to make it right sets himself/herself at odds against God.

But the very clear implication in this text (and what is proclaimed in the rest of Scripture) is that when we repent, God is no longer against us. He is more than willing to cover the offense with the blood of Christ. He is more than willing to allow Jesus to take our punishment for us. (That's exactly what He did on the cross.)

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John 1:9)

That leaves each of us with a choice, doesn't it?

Does God have a temper?

So what about all of those "pesky" verses that talk about God's anger? 

 

We're hearing that people these days want to believe in a God that is love and ... well, pretty much, that's it. They just want a God that loves them. 

 

But the same Bible that tells us that God loves us also tells us that He is a God of anger and wrath. How can an "angry" God also be a loving God? And is His wrath a necessary component of His character? Can we simply overlook it to make God more "palatable" to the world around us?

 

Well, I'm glad you asked. First, let's look briefly at a few verses that plainly state that wrath is a part of who God is. Then let's look at why a loving God MUST be a God of wrath. Yes, if He is loving, He MUST get angry.

 

Ephesians 2:3 "We too all previously lived among them in our fleshly desires, carrying out the inclinations of our flesh and thoughts, and by nature we were children under wrath, as the others were also."

 

Romans 2:5 "But because of your hardness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath, when God’s righteous judgment is revealed. "

 

Romans 5:8-9 "But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us! Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath."

 

Revelation 6:15-17 "Then the kings of the earth, the nobles, the military commanders, the rich, the powerful, and every slave and free person hid in the caves and among the rocks of the mountains. And they said to the mountains and to the rocks, 'Fall on us and hide us from the face of the One seated on the throne and from the wrath of the Lamb, because the great day of Their wrath has come! And who is able to stand?'"

 

Now, to clarify. God's wrath isn't like our bouts of anger. When we get angry, it's usually an emotional reaction. It's a response to a wrong done against us. It has at least a small desire to exercise some form of revenge upon the one who wronged us. These are just a few of the ugly characteristics that surround our sinful angry moments.

 

God's anger isn't that way at all. It seems that God's anger is a response that is always directed at sin and sinners. It isn't an emotional outburst. In fact, it is held at bay by God's mercy and grace so that it is not always exercised when it would have been appropriate. (I could put some proof texts by many of the the previous statements but will assume that I'm writing to folks who already know and believe what I'm talking about.)

 

However, the issue is how a loving God can also be a God who is filled with anger/wrath. How can God get angry at sin and sinners and still be loving?

 

Well, God's love isn't just directed at you and me. Sure, "God so loved the world..." He loves the world in general and He loves you and me in particular. Yet, we aren't the only objects of God's affection. He loves us ... but He also loves holiness and justice. And a love for justice DEMANDS that He get angry.

Imagine that you are sitting in a court room. There is a murder trial taking place. A child has been killed and the murderer is sitting in that very courtroom. The child that was killed ... was your child. You sit there grieving over your unspeakable loss as you look across the room to see the murder weapon resting peacefully on a table. It is a knife.

As you look at that knife, you are fully cognizant of the fact that it was what the murderer used to plunge into your helpless child's body. It stole your child's life from you.

Now, let me ask you a question. As you look at that weapon, would you think: "Hey, I wonder what they're going to do with that knife after the trial. I wonder if they'll let me take it home, put it in a nice glass case and put it in a prominent place in my living room."?

Let me tell you that if you felt this way, I would immediately question your sanity or your love for your child. You simply could not remain so indifferent to the very thing that took something so precious from you.

So, how would you react as you looked upon it? Your pulse would rise. Tears would come into your eyes. You would become angry as you looked at that weapon that was used in such a senseless, painful tragedy, wouldn't you? You would love to think that the weapon would be destroyed and the sooner the better. That knife took the life of your child and it carries those memories.

You know, it's the same way with God.

Sin is the weapon that came into God's creation and destroyed it.
It caused mankind to be cast out of the Garden of Eden to live in a world where difficulty and tragedy would become the norm.
It severed the divine relationship that God enjoyed with mankind.
It also took the life of His own Son on the cross.

As God looks upon sin, He sees what brought such destruction to all that He held dear and He cannot help but become angry. If He never became angry at what caused and still causes such great destruction, we would question His sanity or His love for all of what the Bible says that He holds dear, right?

His love for us DEMANDS that He get angry at what brought such great harm to us. If he could tolerate sin and it never caused His nostrils to flare, could he really say that He loves us and mean it?

This discussion is so much deeper than what I have spoken. Maybe a later post will elaborate a little more.

If there is a God, why do tsunamis happen?

As I watch video footage of the devastating tsunami waves coming ashore in Japan, my heart is breaking. In one scene, I watched men and women in what proved to be a futile attempt to get away from the wall of water. They frantically drove their vehicles away from the death that would overtake them. To my horror, I continued to watch what happened moments later. I pray that their families will be able to recover their bodies for the funeral. 

As some watch these horrific scenes, knowing that there will be thousands of lives lost, they will ask, “Why?! If there is a God in Heaven and He is a God of love, why would this happen?!”

Can I share just a few, brief thoughts?

First, God didn't create our world like this. In Genesis 1, after He separated the oceans from land (Genesis 1:9-10), He looked at the finished product and said that it was good. No hurricanes. No flooding. No tsunamis. Everything was perfect.

Second, when Adam and Eve sinned, as the original stewards of creation, their actions brought death and destruction. Because of their actions, God's creation became cursed (Genesis 3:17). It didn't operate as smoothly as it first did. Now, there are hurricanes, tornadoes, droughts, wildfires, and yes, tsunamis.


Third, God will do nothing to salvage this present creation. Instead, one day He will completely destroy it with fire (2 Peter 3:5-7) and create a brand new earth for believers to live on forever (Revelation 21-22). Only those who have received the gift of eternal life will be allowed to enter that Heavenly place. At that time, we will be made incapable of sin and so the creation will never, ever be cursed again. That is the Heaven we long for.


Lastly, how can you know for sure that this world will one day be a distant memory for you as you enjoy God's new earth for eternity? Go to http://www.wayofthemaster.com/about_kirk.shtml and click on "Listen to Kirk's Testimony." If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me. I'd LOVE to help you with this decision!

Are we Christians or just nice people?

Dani working in the Love Kitchen in Knoxville, TN

I watched Secret Millionaire on Sunday and loved it! I commend Dani Johnson for doing the show and the testimony she gave in a recent Christianity Today article. However, there is a troubling thought that I was left with after I watched the show. Let me give one more illustration before I elaborate on it.

A few of us from First Baptist experienced the joy of serving as we went to Ecuador last summer and worked in an orphanage. Some of the children in that orphanage were neglected, diseased, etc. and virtually all of them were pitiful. Our team focused on building them a new facility, teaching them art, and generally finding tangible ways to care for them. They were fortunate enough to have Casa de Fe in the city of Shell, Ecuador that would take them in and not only care for them but love them to Jesus. However, I had a troubling thought as I left that mission trip, too.

The troubling thought? Regarding the Secret Millionaire, it is that one week after Dani Johnson lovingly provided for the needs of some deserving recipients and doing it in the name of Jesus, someone else will do the same thing for their own purposes. They may not be a Christian at all and yet they will do exactly what Dani did. The question? What makes Dani's act of kindness in Jesus’ name distinctly “Christian” if the next guy will do the same thing?

Regarding our ministry trip to Ecuador, I struggled with the fact that while we were serving the Lord by working at the construction site, we were surrounded by men and women who were lost and had spent the same amount of money as us to go to Ecuador and do the same thing. What made our acts of ministry distinctly “Christian” if it was being mimicked by those who had rejected Christ?

Now, let me backtrack and clarify a bit. Dani's actions on Secret Millionaire were inspiring and in my estimation “Christian,” especially when you read Christianity Today’s article and come to understand what ABC edited out. I also believe the ministry project our church has in Ecuador is distinctly "Christian" in that we are doing what God has called us to do and are being His hands and feet. My point is that Christians must be intentional in our acts of service. They must not focus simply on temporal needs but on Kingdom objectives. If not, we will find ourselves doing the same thing alongside those who are lost and fail to show them how Jesus makes us different from them.

This is my problem with much of what has encompassed the Christian culture today. We’re doing service projects that meet needs like the Lord would have us but we are failing to make our actions distinctly "Christian." This is simply a repackaging of the “social gospel” that strives to meet the physical and legitimate needs of the hurting and oppressed while failing to do so for a greater purpose … the furtherance of the Kingdom of God. If an act of service is not done for this purpose, it is simply not “Christian.” A kind act? Yes. A necessary act? Yes. A Christian act? No.

Jesus was not indifferent to this matter. He continually called His followers away from the world so that they would be distinctly different. A follower of Christ should be fairly easy to detect even in a lost world that is going through a phase of service-oriented projects that leave tears in your eyes as the hour program comes to a close. I’ll conclude with one such reference:

Luke 6:27-36  "But I say to you who hear, Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you. To one who strikes you on the cheek, offer the other also, and from one who takes away your cloak do not withhold your tunic either. Give to everyone who begs from you, and from one who takes away your goods do not demand them back. And as you wish that others would do to you, do so to them. If you love those who love you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. And if you do good to those who do good to you, what benefit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. And if you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, to get back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return, and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, for he is kind to the ungrateful and the evil. Be merciful, even as your Father is merciful.”

Should we continue to engage in acts of kindness? Of course! But be intentional about how it can be done in a way that makes it “Christian.”