Give Me Everything

No, this isn't a story about American Communism. Today's story is about the cost of discipleship. The cost of following Jesus in a world that refuses to even acknowledge His existence. A world that refuses to bend a knee in obedience to Someone it doesn't think it needs.

There is a tendency for people to forget about God when they are doing well. When life is wonderful and things are comfortable we all tend to ignore the commands of God and the things that He requires from His children.

A friend and I were having a discussion the other day about the twenty-something generation and it's unwillingness to "give up everything," even though Jesus demands that from ALL of His followers.

Jesus is quite clear in His teachings that we must be His and His alone. We are to be holy (set apart) and have nothing to do with the world which is controlled by Satan. We are to be IN the world, not OF it. Speaking to His disciples, Jesus said this:

"If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you." - John 15:19

Are we Jesus' disciples? Then why do we look so "worldly?"

Jesus often referred to Judah and Jerusalem as "harlots" who had prostituted themselves to other gods. Are we any different than they? What are the "other gods" in OUR lives? Our phones? Our schedules? Our ministries?

I used to be a youth leader in my church after I first became a born-again believer in Jesus. That was a great time, but it was also a dangerous time for my marriage. I was so caught up in my youth ministry that I ignored my wife. That was bad.

In the Book of Ephesians Paul wrote about the role of the bride (that's us) and our devotion to Jesus.

"Wives (that's us), submit yourselves to your own husbands (that's Jesus) as you do to the Lord. 23 For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. 24 Now as the church submits to Christ, so also wives should submit to their husbands in everything." - Ephesians 5:22-24

Everything!

The way we dress, the way be talk, the way we act. EVERYTHING should be with God in mind. That's where many fail in their "religion." They are unwilling to sacrifice everything. WE are unwilling.

Let us be willing to give up everything to Jesus. He gave up everything for us.

"And when they had brought their boats ashore, they left everything and followed Him." - Luke 5:11

Blind Guides

If you were taking a tour of the Grand Canyon, would you hire a blind guide to lead the way? Possibly. But what if you were blindfolded as well? Would you trust their guidance then?

Jesus had some interesting advice about "tour guides" in the Book of Matthew.

"Jesus called the crowd to him and said, “Listen and understand. 11What goes into someone’s mouth does not defile them, but what comes out of their mouth, that is what defiles them.”

"Then the disciples came to him and asked, “Do you know that the Pharisees were offended when they heard this?

"He replied, “Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots. 14Leave them; they are blind guides. If the blind lead the blind, both will fall into a pit.” - Matthew 15:13-14

That sounds a little harsh. Or does it? Go back and read verse 13.

“Every plant that my heavenly Father has not planted will be pulled up by the roots."

Maybe this is just me but, I don't want to be "spiritually blind." I want to have my eyes open in ALL things. But I am missing the point here. What Jesus is talking about are people who don't know Him, and never will. They are people that "my Father has not planted."

Have YOU been planted by God? All those who believe in Jesus HAVE been planted by God, and have hopefully bloomed and bore fruit!

So, should we even talk to others about Jesus then? It sounds like, from the verses we just read, that we are to leave "the blind" alone. I can answer that with one simple question.

How do you know that God doesn't want to use YOU to plant His seed?

I think what Jesus was trying to tell here is that people make their own decisions. They can choose to follow truthful teachers. Or, they can choose to follow false teachers. The choice is theirs. It's an eternal choice for each of us. And, to be honest, getting "pulled up by the roots" doesn't sound all that inviting.

We must not be afraid to tell someone about Jesus. He is our only hope. Do we love Jesus enough to step outside of our comfort zone? Jesus never walked in a "comfort zone." He walked willingly to His own death, carrying the very thing that killed Him.

Who will God place in our path today who needs to hear the good news? . . . The Gospel.

Critical Truth

There's been a lot of talk lately about Critical Race Theory (CRT). We see stories about it on the news. It is being taught to our children in our schools. CRT is wrong. Look at the title!

The word 'race' signifies that CRT is itself racist - separating people into groups based on race. That's a problem. The Nazi's in World War II had a "critical race theory" of their own. That didn't end well.

The second problem with CRT is that we are teaching theories to our children as if they are actual fact. That's another problem.

Darwin had a theory that we all evolved from a lower life form. That has been proven false, yet it is still being taught in our schools as if it were true.

Margaret Sanger, the founder of Planned Parenthood, had a theory. She thought there were too many people of color in certain neighborhoods so that's exactly where she placed her abortion clinics.

Everybody seems to have their own 'theory' about what is true and right. There is only ONE truth.

Well, I have a theory about gaining weight. Every time I open the refrigerator door, I gain weight. This is a systemic problem throughout the world. Look at all of the obese people out there! Studies have been conducted. There is actual proof to support my theory. Actual physical proof! I say we should ban all refrigerators and teach this practice in our schools! Am I wrong? 

Yes. Of course, I'm wrong!

Jesus often spoke against false teachers. Most of His time throughout the Gospels was spent railing against the Pharisees and Sadducees. Why? Because they had forgotten the TRUTH found in God's Word and started making laws of their own.

The minute we start creating laws based on race and sex we have become present-day Pharisees. Creators of our OWN laws. Ignorers of God's.

Here are three quotes. One could say the first quote was by an African-American. One could also say that the second quote was by a white slave owner. Both statements would be true but separating people by race is wrong. The quotes stand by themselves, without racial or sexual attachments. The quotes are from Americans!

"I look to a day when people will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character." - Martin Luther King Jr, The "I have a dream" speech

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness".- Thomas Jefferson, The United States Constitution

Here is one more quote about truth.

“I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really know me, you will know my Father as well. From now on, you do know him and have seen him.” - Jesus, John 14:6-7

Unexpected Love

There is a place between hope and certainty that is, quite often, filled with wonderfully unexpected things. For example, a young man might ask a young woman to go out for dinner. Before she says 'yes' or 'no' there is an air of uncertainty in the man's heart. "Will she say yes?" he wonders. He hopes.

From the woman's point of  view, she must make a choice. "Should I or shouldn't I?" It's that simple. There is a proposition and a response. A 'yes' will bring immediate joy. A 'no' will mean rejection and sadness.

Our response to the Gospel of Jesus Christ is much the same. He offers hope for the sinner by forgiving sins and offering eternal life. This is in exchange for our devotion and love.

When we make a choice and accept God's offer of love we receive grace. We enter into "God's rest." It's a wonderful place to be. My question today is, do we exhibit God's love in our earthly relationships? Do we extend grace to others when none is expected? Do we offer unexpected love to the people in our lives?

Jesus said, "Love one another AS I HAVE LOVED YOU."

"A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another." - John 13:34

How will we exhibit love today in the lives of the people we meet? What does 'love' look like to someone who is lonely or hurting? Perhaps it's a smile or a hug. Perhaps it's going out of our way to demonstrate our love.

Volunteering. Mentoring. Random acts of kindness.

God made an offer to us. We as Christians accepted that offer. The last part of the verse above reads, "so you must love one another." We are to love each other like Christ loved us. That's a command.

What will our love to 'one another' look like today?

You Can Have Me - Sidewalk Prophets

A Famine of Hearing

Have you ever read the book of Amos in the Bible? Not likely, unless you have read the entire Bible. It's not a book that is quoted often in church. Amos was one of the MINOR prophets so, you know. But God used Amos, and the other prophets to deliver messages to His people. He has a message for you and me.

God said that we could tell whether a prophet was from Him by whether or not their prophecies came true (Deuteronomy 18:22). Here is one of Amos's prophecies. Is it true?

“The days are coming,” declares the Sovereign Lord, when I will send a famine through the land - not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord." - Amos 8:11

Do you think that Amos's prophecy is true? I do! Oh, my goodness!! The news is filled with stories of people who need to hear God's Word!

So, how do you think they're going to hear it? I'm no expert on social issues but I'd be willing to bet that most criminals and murderers are not church goers. Most. SO how will they hear The Gospel?

Well, they're not going to learn about Him on television. Or in our public schools. They probably won't even learn about the one TRUE God in some of our churches these days. So how will people learn about Jesus?

Go look in a mirror.

After Jesus was raised from the dead, He came and spoke with the 11 remaining disciples (Judas was dead). He gave them a command to "make disciples of all nations." That command wasn't just for them. They too would soon be dead. God's command was, and is, for everyone to share the words of God with everyone they meet.

Who will God place before us today that needs to hear His words of hope and salvation?

Faith

What does faith look like to you? We might say we have faith in something, but do we live it? Do we REALLY have faith? Or just a religion?

I saw this picture the other day and had to share it. Now that kid's got faith! REAL faith! He has faith in his father, the motorcycle, the tires. Perhaps the thing he has least faith in is the grip on his dad. But he's hanging on anyway!

Doesn't this picture perfectly represent what our relationship with God should look like? We might find ourselves in precarious situations in life but if we don't hold onto God we will find ourselves in worse shape.

As I examine my own faith I see times when I have tried to do things on my own, in my own strength, rather than relying on God to guide me through. That never ends well.

I want my faith to resemble that of the kid in this picture. He's just holding onto his daddy. And so should WE be.

"Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen." - Hebrews 11:1

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life." - John 3:16

"For we walk by faith, not by sight." - 2 Corinthians 5:7

"For everyone who has been born of God overcomes the world. And this is the victory that has overcome the world - our faith." - 1 John 5:4

We must LIVE our faith, not with our eyes or with our mind, but with our very soul. When people look at us, do they see Jesus? They should. They should see our love and our compassion, but also our PASSION for Him. Hold onto Jesus like that kid in the picture is holding onto his dad. Your eternal life depends on it.

Who's Your Caddy?

When a golfer walks onto the tee he has already done several things. He has examined the length and layout of the hole he is about to play, tested the wind speed and direction, and selected a club to use. He already knows his strengths and weaknesses. Executing the shot is all that remains.

Life is a fairway. God designed the hole, He designed and created you, and you, my friends, are the ball.

Think about it. At the beginning of our lives we are on the tee. At the end of our lives we wind up in a hole in the ground. And in between those two things there are obstacles to navigate. Trees, bunkers, ponds, out-of-bounds areas for the golfer. "Life" is what we call those challenges for a human.

We humans might battle cancer or a disability, we might have other challenges that make our goal a struggle but it is how we meet those obstacles in life that really defines who we are.

All golfers get frustrated, some might break a club over their knee in their anger. It's not the club's fault, it's the wielder's fault and his lack of ability to use the club properly.

Do we face life's challenges correctly? Do we make good life decisions as we encounter obstacles or "sand traps" on a given day? We each take our best shot and live with the results, right?

I'm forgetting to mention one thing here. The caddy.

We've all seen golfers on television as they try to sink that long putt or make that perfect fairway drive. But have we noticed the caddy at all? He's the one who hands the golfer the right club. The caddy knows the course. He knows all the distances and pin placements.

The caddy offers experienced suggestions to the golfer. It's up to the golfer to heed them or ignore them.

Our walk with Jesus is much like playing golf. The course has been deigned for us. We have a set of rules we must follow. It's our job to navigate life's course, within the rules - obstacles and all. If we listen to our "caddy" (The Holy Spirit), use all the tools and gifts God has given us to use, we will do just fine.

And when we are done "playing" in this life we who listen to and follow our caddy's advice will enjoy a nice cold one in the clubhouse when it's all over. I'm just guessing on that one . . .

"In their hearts humans plan their course, but the Lord establishes their steps." - Proverbs 16:9

Our Disobedience

"I have spoken to you again and again and yet you have not listened to me." - Jeremiah 35:14

When you were a kid, how did your patents get your attention? How did they get you to do something you really didn't want to do?

Mine threatened to take away things. No tv, no allowance, no dessert. Want to borrow the car? Nope. Not until you've done your chores. Not until you've done your homework.

Do you think God is any different than our moms and dads? Well, of course He is! But the way He teaches us and incentivizes our behavior is very similar to that of our parents.

For the most parent parents teach us because they want us to be safe or to succeed in life. They teach us, and punish us, for our own benefit. God is no different in His teaching. However His punishments carry heavier weights. Like death, for example.

God commands us to do things. He wants us to be holy, but we all fall short. We fail to obey. So God is forced to discipline us, again and again. Because we fail Him again and again.

However, God provides us with the means to escape His just punishments. His Son, Jesus. Jesus took our punishment upon Himself. That sounds great for us, until we actually think a bout what Jesus did. He died a horrible, painful death just so we didn't have to die.

Yet still many people don't appreciate what Jesus did. They don't believe in Him. They don't accept God's gift of salvation. Here's a short list of words to describe those people.

Foolish, Deceived, and dead.

Please, don't be among those who rebel against God. It is OUR disobedience that brings punishment. WE have the choice. We must consider God and His commands carefully. God's justness demands punishment for sin. Jesus took that punishment for us. Don't let that incredible gift go unopened.

Smell Smoke Yet?

Anyone who has ever read the Bible has probably come across a thing or two that they question or wonder about. That's when we all have decisions to make. Do we believe what we just read or do we not? We make our decision and we move on. That can be a problem.

The Bible is filled with things that we should or shouldn't do. The Ten Commandments has a list. There's another list of "things that God hates" in Proverbs 6. Romans 1 has yet another list.

So why do we keep doing the things that are on these lists if God hates them so much? The biggest reason is probably that some don't believe in God. If we don't believe in God, why should we care?

Another reason is that we KNOW they are wrong but we just allow ourselves to do sinful things anyway. It's easy for us to do. When someone asks, "Do these clothes make me look fat," do we lie or do we tell the truth?

I think that the right course of action for us Christians to take is to simply follow God's commands. Simple to say, difficult to do.

June is gay pride month. [It used to be Dairy month. Whatever happened to that?] Do we celebrate gay pride, even though sexual immorality is clearly an abomination to God? Decision time! What will be our choice?

"Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them." - Romans 1:32

When we see a church that is embracing sinful practices, what should we do? The answer is simple.

RUN!

I refer you to the Book of Genesis and the story of Sodom and Gomorrah. Sound familiar? Both towns were corrupt and living in sexually immoral sin. God destroyed both cities with fire from heaven. Pretty dramatic but God made His point.

To sin is one thing. We all do that. But to take pride in our sin, that's something else entirely. Instead we should be repenting of our sins. The decision to repent of our sins is literally "life and death."

God loves us all, but He wants us to behave. When we disobey Him, we get punished. It's really that simple. It's a parent-child relationship. God wants us to honor and obey our parents and do the same for Him. It's simple, yet we are continually getting things wrong and disobeying.

God is "the loving parent." What do you think He will do to His disobedient children? We need to be obedient children, not demonstrating pride for our sins.

The Sin of Selfishness

I recently heard of a woman who had been beaten by her husband. It was the third such occurrence for her, at the hands of the same man. Why? Why did she stay with him? Why did he beat her? These are questions I don't have the answers too.

How does a marriage go from posing for wonderful wedding photos to physical and emotional beatings? Another difficult question to answer.

It seems to me that the cause of most situations of abuse comes from someone not getting their way. That's called selfishness.

Another factor in violent behavior is self-control. If any of us gets pushed beyond the breaking point we will lash out - our defense mechanism. But what we are talking about here is an offensive attack!, not self-defense.

The root cause of all this is our sinful nature. WE want things to go OUR way. And when we don't get what we want we become angry.

But God became angry several times in the Bible. What about that? Good question. There are many instances where God got tired of a people's sinfulness that He wiped them out. He killed them all.

That's all because of our unrepentant sin. We ALL sin. God is just and a wrathful death awaits us all. Unless . . .

Unless we place our faith in Jesus. That simple, yet sometimes difficult act, saves us from God's wrath. Jesus took our future punishment upon Himself when He died on the cross.

Eternal life awaits those of us who chose Christ. Even the abuser has hope in Christ, through faith and a repentant heart. We ALL need to repent of our sins today to have hope for tomorrow.

"He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds." -Psalm 147:3

"The righteous who walks in his integrity - blessed are his children after him!" - Proverbs 20:7

Sacrifice

Each day we make decisions. Some big, some small. But no matter what the size is, we still must make the best decisions or face consequences. What will guide YOUR decisions today?

This past weekend I had to make a decision. Our son was having a birthday party on Sunday. It was his 40th! Kind of a milestone birthday. However, it began at 11:00 - 45 minutes away. And I would be in church. I chose worship. I'm not bragging. It was a decision that came with sacrifice.

While I was listening to our pastor's sermon Sunday morning he said this: "Unless we have given our lives to God, we cannot worship." That's true. I thought of David being told to build an altar for worhip on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.

22Araunah said to David, “Let my lord the king take whatever he wishes and offer it up. Here are oxen for the burnt offering, and here are threshing sledges and ox yokes for the wood. 23Your Majesty, Araunah d gives all this to the king.” Araunah also said to him, “May the Lord your God accept you.”

24But the king replied to Araunah, “No, I insist on paying you for it. I will not sacrifice to the Lord my God burnt offerings that cost me nothing.” - 2 Samuel 24:22-24

That last sentence has stuck with me. We go to church to worship, but do we sacrifice. Maybe we drop some money in the offering plate when it passes by. Is that sacrifice sufficient? I think it's just a representation.

David didn't want to worship unless it cost him something. Does God really need our money? No. So what does God want then?

He wants you! He wants me! He wants our hearts. He wants all of us, not just cash.

True worship, I believe, is the way we live our lives and who we live our lives for. There are lots of people making daily decisions in this world. Do those decisions honor God? Do they cost us anything? They should.

May every decision from this day forward reflect our obedience to God Whatever He requires of us, let us give it freely and willingly, no matter what the cost.

God made a sacrifice by offering His one and only Son. Not as an act of service but as an act of love, compassion and justice. He gave His Son as a sacrifice for OUR sins. Let us give God OUR lives in reply. A sacrifice for a sacrifice. And may God receive our sacrifice in the spirit in which it was given. 100%.

The Wedding Invitation

There are few prophesies in the Bible that stand out more than Isaiah 53. I was written 700 years before it came to pass, but as we read it today, it clearly depicts our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

But today I'd like to write about the opening verse, which isn't really about Jesus. It's about us.

"Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?" - Isaiah 53:1

First, "Who has believed our message?" Good question. It seems fewer and fewer people in this country have received God's message these days. The evidence is all around us, the testimony of people's actions and words speaks volumes. Few receive God's message of salvation. It is rejected before it is even heard.

"Who has believed our message?"

When Jesus was relating the Parable of The Wedding Feast to His disciples in Mathew 22 he ended the parable by saying this:

“For many are invited, but few are chosen.” - Matthew 22:14

Think about that for a minute. Are you a believer in Jesus? How did you come to believe? Were you offered an invitation? Did God's Holy Spirit tap you on the shoulder and say, "Follow?" Here's another verse to consider:

"No one can come to me (Jesus) unless the Father who sent me draws them, and I will raise them up at the last day." - John 6:44

God sends out specific invitations through His Holy Spirit. If you have received God's invitation you may enter in to the wedding feast. That's huge!!

The "wedding feast" is the marriage between Jesus and His church. It is the gathering of God's people to Himself.

Do you have an invitation? It is stored in your heart. When the feast begins you won't even have to offer it as proof. It is already known. You will simply enter in. And won't that be glorious?

The Parable of The Wedding Feast

Describing God To A Kid

Here's a challenge for you. Describe God to a kid. What would you tell them? Ready? Go!

God made everybody and everything. He made you and me and everybody! He made the sun, the moon, and the stars. He even made the whole earth! God made the air that we breathe,

God is like your mom and your dad, all rolled into one. A giant super parent that you can't see!

He makes the food that we eat and the clothes that we wear. He protects us and teaches us things. But He will also punish us when we do bad things.

God loves us very much. SO much that He did something amazing for us. God lives in heaven and He has invited us to come live with Him. The only problem is that we can et into heaven unless we have done nothing wrong. Have you ever done anything wrong?

Well, don't worry. Remember, God loves you! He made a way for us to get into heaven, even though we have done bad things. His Son Jesus made it okay for us to get into heaven, even though we don't deserve it. How cool is that?!?

I guess it all comes down to the fact that God loves you. He wants the best for you, but He also wants the best FROM you. Does that make sense? He wants you to behave and if you do He will reward you!

Oh! I almost forgot! If you get sick and die, don't worry. God can bring people back to life! I know!! Unbelievable, but it's true. And all we have to do is believe in Him. He kind of like Santa Claus but His gifts are way cooler!

So, that's God. What do you think? Do you believe?

"Train up a child in the way he should go: and when he is old, he will not depart from it." - Proverbs 22:6