Evidence

This morning I woke up to the sound of a distant rumbling. Thunder perhaps? A jet flying high above? A tornado? Nope. I knew exact what it was as soon as I heard it. Then I waited. I was waiting for another sound. More evidence. And then, there it was.

The two sounds I heard early this morning are evidence. Evidence of things unseen. Based on things I knew to be true, I surmised that what I was hearing was a train was rolling down the tracks. The train engineer blew his whistle whenever he got to an intersection. How did I know that? Because that's what train engineers are supposed to do.

I also deduced that the train I heard was five miles away and to the north. How did I know that? Because that's where I knew there were train tracks. There are no other train tracks around here except for those.

I was also able to figure out the train was going from east to west. How? Over time the sound of the train whistle only came from the west. It was loud and then got more quiet. Thus the train was moving away from me.

All these things I have described are evidence that led me to the conclusion that there was a train (train whistle), it was moving down the tracks (I had seen them and knew where they were), And the diminishing sounds told me the train's direction of travel. All these things are true because I was a witness to them.

When my wife wakes up I can tell her that a train was traveling east to west at 6:00 AM. She will probably believe me. Why? Because she has heard the same sound before herself. If she believes me she will be placing her trust in my ears and their ability to hear. She will be relying on her own experience. and she will have faith in what I said is true. Why?

Well, why would I lie? She has come to know me over the course of the last 40 years or so that I don't lie. She trusts me. Therefore she believes me.

What about our faith in Christ? Is there enough evidence that He truly existed? Yes there is. The Bible, of course, is our main body of evidence but the are also extra-biblical writings that corroborate that evidence. The writings of Flavius Josephus for example, who referred to Jesus.

About this time there lived Jesus, a wise man, if indeed one ought to call him a man.  For he was one who performed surprising deeds and was a teacher of such people as accept the truth gladly. He won over many Jews and many of the Greeks. He was the Messiah. And when, upon the accusation of the principal men among us, Pilate had condemned him to a cross, those who had  first come to love him did not cease.  He appeared to them spending a third day restored to life, for the prophets of God had foretold these things and a thousand other marvels about him.  And the tribe of the Christians, so called after him, has still to this day not disappeared.

I can tell you that Jesus exists by the change His Holy Spirit has brought into my life but would you believe me? If you don't know me, why would you? Is there evidence in MY life that I have been changed by the teachings of Jesus? Is there evidence in YOUR life that Jesus exists?

We need to BE the evidence in a world that desperately needs the truth - Jesus. Be that evidence  today.

"13We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 18And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate a the Lord’s glory, are being transformed into his image with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." - 2 Corinthians 3:13-18

The Case For Christ - Lee Strobel

All In The Name

Yesterday morning, as I was driving in to work, a song came on the radio. It was one of those songs that kind of yanks you right out of a bad mood you're in and puts you right back where you should have been in the first place. The song reminded me of my reason for writing these stories and why I named this blog what I did.

The name of the song that morning was Lifesong by Casting Crowns. There's a link to it at the end of this story. The song's lyrics provide some soul-searching words that convicted me pretty deeply when I was just beginning in my walk with Jesus. They gratefully STILL cut deep - a good reminder for any wayward Christian.

Look at the opening verse. It is so true. There is a saying in many churches that 80% of the work is done by 20% of the people. See if this line doesn't address that.

"Empty hands held high - such small sacrifice. If not joined with my life. I sing in vain tonight."

What good is our worship on Sunday if we don't follow through on Monday? We should be living out our faith every day of the week! We're Christians! Not pagans.

^"17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." - James 2:17

The next part of the first verse encourages us to live a life pleasing to God - basically, to make "the song" that is our life, God-honoring.

"May the words I say, and the things I do, make my lifesong sing . . . bring a smile to you."

I could go on but you get the point. The entire song encourages us to live lives worthy of the calling we have received.

"4 As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received. 2 Be completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love. 3 Make every effort to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace." - Ephesians 4:1-3

As we walk through this place let us remember that we are not home yet. Those of us who have been called to be children of God have a mission - to love others as Christ first loved us. We are not called to judge. That's the job God gave His son, Jesus. We are to be obedient, we are to praise and worship our Lord and King, and we are to become less, making ourselves servants of the Most High God.

"5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage; 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death - even death on a cross!" - Philippians 2:5-8

"Let my Lifesong sing to you, let my lifesong sing to you. I want to sign your name to the end of this day, knowing that my heart was true. Let me lifesong sing to you."

Lifesong - Casting Crowns

Have You Been Changed?

I saw a video yesterday that made me stop and think for a moment. Pastor David Platt, in the short video I have placed at the end of this message, said that when we encounter Jesus, we become forever changed. If there is no evident change present after placing our faith in Christ we are deceived and . . . we . . . are . . . a . . . lair.

I believe David Platt's statement to be true. We MUST be changed! If we haven't truly repented, we truly haven't placed our faith in Christ. We are still . . . dead.

There are several professing Christians in my life, and yours too, who say all the right words with their lips but then return to their old ways as if nothing has changed. That's because nothing HAS. There MUST be change.

"20 For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world through the knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first. 21 For it would have been better for them never to have known the way of righteousness than after knowing it to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them. 22 What the true proverb says has happened to them: “The dog returns to its own vomit, and the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow in the mire.” - 2 Peter 2:20-22 we?

The word "holy" means "set apart." That should be us. We should appear different than everyone else who doesn't know Jesus. So why aren't we? Why do we return to our vomit? Why do we return to our eveil ways? Because we are sinners and , , , we love it.

There is a young lady on Facebook who sent me a Christmas card this year. She calls me her brother in Christ. That's nice. But she also rips her former boyfriends viciously, "F____ this, and F___ that." My young friend is deceiving herself. Nothing has changed in her. There has been no repentance. She is not saved. My friend will be going to hell if she does not change her evil ways, to quote Carlos Santana.

Paul writes in his letter to the Corinthians, admonishing those who had returned to THEIR evil ways, to repent, reminding them that "such were some of you." - 1 Corinthians 6:11

When God's Holy Spirit enters us we become changed. There is no going back. The same Holy Spirit that convicts us of sin is the same Holy Spirit that causes us not to deny our Lord, even though we might be killed for taking that stand.

Jesus speaking to Nicodemus said, "You must be born again" - (John 3:7). We must! We MUST be born again! No amount of going to church or doing good deeds will accomplish what Jesus already accomplished through His death and resurrection.

To my young friend, I beg you to repent and turn to Christ. He is the author and perfecter of our faith" -  (Hebrews 12:2) and He CAN save you, but you must first repent . . . and change. Oh, dear Lord, how I wish you would change.

Evil Ways - Santana @ Woodstock

Why Many Christians Are Deceived - David Platt

Cube

Most of the things that happen in our lives do so with us right in the middle of them. It's like we are the star of our own movie sometimes . . . and it's all about us. Our family, our friends, all interacting in OUR own personal "videos." We are at the center, the focal point. We are the stars! In actuality though, things couldn't be further from the truth.

In the grand scheme of things, we are actually just bit players, "extras" if you will, in a full-length feature film about God. I was reminded of that this week at work in a VERY impactful way.

I work as an architectural draftsman at and A/E firm in The Fox Valley. I draw plans for some of the buildings you might see if you traveled to our portion of God's creation. My "office" is a 9'x10' cubicle in a honeycomb of other cubicles - all a part of the larger "hive".

Late Wednesday morning I was down in our print room picking up a set of drawings when Terri, a friend of mine, and a sister in the faith, called out to me.

"Hey, Bob. I think this is for you," she said, handing me an unopened envelope. This is how it was addressed:

McMahon Group
Attn: "Christian" Architect

On the way back to my cube I thought, "Well, I am not an architect. But I AM a Christian. I'll open it and if it's for someone else I'll just deliver it. I wasn't really expecting what I was about to get hit with. But that is often how God works in our lives - in unexpected ways.

There was a letter inside the envelope. This is what it said.

To Whom it may Concern,

This letter is written to the architect in a cubicle that has Jesus magnified throughout. The architect that collects cans.I briefly worked for your cleaning service at which time I had really been dealing with a lot and enduring some very difficult times. I am inspired by the spirit to write this letter to you to let you know that your empty cubicle was a source of light on some very dark days. It testified even in your absence. It was, for me, a reminder that I was straying and a source of strength and contemplation. I just figured that if I didn't write this letter you would never know that the stand you are taking for Jesus Christ has impacted me. As I entered your cubicle to dust and clean my conscience began to ring out and because of you I was faced with the truth when at the time in and on a path where the truth wasn't present. Again, stand strong in Jesus. Our stand affects others in ways unimaginable.

Your brother,
"in Christ"

Travis

. . . wow.

I looked around at the contents of my cube. There on the floor was the collection of cans the guy wrote about (Diet Pepsi). There was a wooden cross from my daughter, a stringer of "Jesus fish" from my best friend and on my 60th birthday, a picture of me and my youth leader buddies taken at a Power of One concert. There was a picture of Essie and me, my Native American friend from a mission trip, a picture of Tara, my friend working for God in Australia. There were notes about God from kids I had taken to Lifest, another Christian music event.

This guy Travis had definitely been in my cube.

The last thing my eyes settled on was a box, made for me by my best friend Gayle. It was made out of an old cardboard record cover. The words on the album jacket read "The Works of God."

I stared at those words for a moment - "The Works of God." And as I scanned my eyes around my cube again I began to realize I was not the star of this movie I was in. God's Holy Spirit was the main player in THIS one.

All of the faith-based items were given to me - by others and by God. I had just chosen to display them. Or was it God's Holy Spirit wanting me to display them, saving them for the day Travis walked into my cube?

I felt very humble at that moment, and honored, that God would choose my cube to witness to someone else about who He is. It had nothing to do with me, really. And that was the lesson I learned in this. It's all about God and HIS glory, not mine.

I was listening to a message that afternoon by Ravi Zacharias. He was speaking about worshiping God and the sermons our pastors give to us in church. Dr. Zacharias said this . . .

"Our sermons are first worship to God. If there is anything in them that is self-aggrandizing, it must be removed. It is not serving anyone but ourselves."

The same can be said for each of us and the lives we lead. We are told in scripture to examine ourselves daily to see whether or not we are walking in the faith. If there is anything that diverts our focus from God during our service to Him is should be removed. And if there is any thought that WE are impacting other people's lives through our sermons or our witnessing or our daily lives, we should remove those thoughts as well. I learned that this week. It's all God. It's all Jesus. And it is all His Holy Spirit. The Trinity gets all the credit, not us. We just get to witness it. And what an honor that is!!

"4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life." - Titus 3:4-7