I Love You This Much!

John 10:16-18
New International Version (NIV)
16 I have other sheep that are not of this sheep pen. I must bring them also. They too will listen to my voice, and there shall be one flock and one shepherd. 17 The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my life—only to take it up again. 18 No one takes it from me, but I lay it down of my own accord. I have authority to lay it down and authority to take it up again. This command I received from my Father.”

"I love you this much." There is nothing like having your little one look at you, hold their arms open, and say those words to you. To that small child, holding their arms out symbolizes the biggest thing in the world, because to a child the world is only as big as what they can see, what they can touch, where they can reach. To hold their arms out as wide as they can and to say I love you this much, well that means they love you with all that they are, with all of their world.

As we grow older we realize that the world is so much bigger than what we can wrap our arms, and our minds, around. The world becomes this big, and sometimes scary, place that demands too much from us and pulls us in a million different directions. No one knew this better than Jesus. He had people coming to him for healing, for advice, for blessings. He had the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Herodians all trying to trip him up at every turn. He had his own disciples constantly misunderstanding what he was saying, bickering among themselves about who was the greatest, and struggling to wrap their minds around who it really was that they were calling rabbi. Add to all of this that throughout his entire ministry Jesus knew that the end awaiting him was a painful, torturous death.... I think that we can confidently say that Jesus knew what it was like have his plate full, to see the world as a giant, ominous place.

As Easter quickly approaches we are reminded to reflect on the Passion week, the events leading up to the crucifixion and the resurrection. We are asked to remember how Jesus entered Jerusalem celebrated in the manner of kings with cries of Hosanna and the laying of palm leaves at his feet. We are reminded of how he cleared the temple and taught bravely in the face of those who were already plotting his death. We remember how much he wished that you and I could be saved without the need for his suffering, "If it is possible, let this cup pass from me." We can see anguish as he prayed so hard that he bled, but above all we see that when the Father said, "there is only one way, one atonement for the sins of man." that Jesus walked that lonely path, spread his arms wide and told both you and I, "I love you this much" as they nailed him to the cross!

Thank you Jesus that you chose the nails, that you took the punishment that I deserve, that you loved me that much then, and that you still love me that much today! I ask your forgiveness of my short comings and your guidance on my life. Please take me and use me to your glory, to further your kingdom. Hosanna in the heighest, my Lord and my King, I love you this much!

Matthew 28:16-20 (NIV)

The Great Commission

¹⁶ Then the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. ¹⁷ When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. ¹⁸ Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. ¹⁹ Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, ²⁰ and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” 

Mark 8:37-38 (NIV)

³⁷ Or what can anyone give in exchange for their soul? ³⁸ If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of them when he comes in his Father’s glory with the holy angels.”

I feel convicted.  As a matter of fact, I'm going to let you in on a little secret.  Most of the posts and lessons that I have on this site are results of God dealing with me or prompting me to study more in a new area.  You see I am a teacher by trade.  I make a living by taking information and translating it into understandable and digestible bits of information.  Over the years, I have found that in preparation for lessons I often end up learning more myself than I am ever able to pass along to my pupils.  In short, God knows that my best learning style is teaching others.


So why do I feel convicted?  I have to admit to you, and to God, that I fall short when I read Matthew 28.  Yes I have this website, which I also must admit has been neglected for far too long.  Yes I study God's word and try to create devotionals that my readers will find meaningful and worthwhile.  It is, admittedly,  much easier to be bold and outspoken for Christ on the other side of the screen than it is in real life.  


Why?  Why is it so hard to step out and be a bold disciple of Christ?  In a word Consequences.  We live in a world that does not love us, that does not love God.  Oh, the world tries to tell us that it loves us.  It will even tell us that it loves god (notice the little g) but the world loves the god that they have created;  the god that tolerates all things, the god that not only loves the sinner but embraces the sin.  Turn on the television, the radio, your computer and we are flooded with "everything is okay, everything is permissible, don't be so close minded, what is right for you is not right for everyone, god would never tell me no....."


Taking a stand for Christ means to split from the world, to be different, to be set apart.  Anyone over the age of 6 knows that being different is like painting a bulls eye on your back.  Being different and vocal about how we are different is like passing out arrows and shouting, "you can't hit me at the world."  So why do we do it?  Because Jesus told us to.  We don't serve a God who tells us that being different is good enough.  We serve a God who tells us to be different and to help others find their way into the light, into His love.  


I don't think anyone who has lived in the last 2,000 years has done this perfectly.  We all mess up, we all find that sometimes we look a little too much like the world.   We make concession after concession until we no longer stand out like a target, but are camouflaged and indistinguishable from those we have been sent out to reach.  I feel today like I have blended in.  


Perhaps you too are reading this and, if you stop and are honest with yourself, you find that you look more like the world than a candle on a hill.  Work, money, stress, worry I have let them all close in and place a basket over my joy, over my light, over my testimony.  It's time to go to God and admit my short comings, to ask for forgiveness, to ask him to recharge my batteries and to make me bold.  I need to remember that if people reject the word I bring, they are not rejecting me, they are rejecting God.  


Yes, it is easier said than done.  But I am taking the first step, going to the altar of God, kneeling before his glory, repenting and asking for the only thing that can ever truly fulfill me, more of Him.  I invite you to join me, we serve a great big God, his altar is large enough for all of us!


Prayer:  Father God, I love you.  You are an amazing God, a God who has the power to create our world, the universe, heaven and earth.  You stir the cosmos while listening to the cries of each person, coming close to us and holding us in your embrace.  We praise you, we love you, and we thank you for hearing us. 

We know, Father, that we are an imperfect people.  We humble ourselves before you now admitting that only through the blood of Christ are we clean and able to come into your presence.  We ask your forgiveness for our short comings and for your guidance and strength in not repeating our mistakes.  


Lord, we pray that you would be with us, with us this moment, with us in the time to come.  We pray that when we are faced with choices, choices that look like the world or to shine the light of your love, that we would choose to look like you.  That we would act in such a way that even without words, the world would know that there is a difference in who we are, a difference that would point them to you.  Father you can accomplish your will in anyway you choose, if it is pleasing to you to use me, I pray that I would be a willing vessel, pleasing in your sight.  For all you are, and all you do, we thank you God.  We love you!  In Jesus' name we pray, Amen.

Joy Versus Happiness Romans Chapter 12: 10-21

10 Be devoted to one another in love. Honor one another above yourselves. 11 Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervor, serving the Lord. 12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer. 13 Share with the Lord’s people who are in need. Practice hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be proud, but be willing to associate with people of low position. Do not be conceited. 17 Do not repay anyone evil for evil. Be careful to do what is right in the eyes of everyone. 18 If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone. 19 Do not take revenge, my dear friends, but leave room for God’s wrath, for it is written: “It is mine to avenge; I will repay,” says the Lord. 20 On the contrary: “If your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink. In doing this, you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

 It is Sunday, and by all accounts it has been a very nice day. I have spent time with my family, been able to lounge around a bit and unwind, and the weather has been nice. Yes I can say without any reservations that right now I am happy. Does that mean that I have joy?

 Many of you may read this and find that a funny question, after all in our everyday speech there is little difference in the usage between these two words. Some might even say that they are synonymous. However, happiness and joy are not the same. What's the difference? Happiness is a momentary feeling, an emotion that is dependent on the circumstances of your life. If it is your birthday and your friend takes you out for a nice dinner and buys you a fine gift, then you are happy. But, if that same day on the calendar rolls by and all of your friends forget you, will you still have a smile on your face? Probably not.

 The fact is happiness is not something that we have any control over. We like to think that we do, but if you stop and think about it I think you'll see we don't. We can put ourselves in a position to be happy more often by making good decisions: Hanging out with the type of people we enjoy being around, having a job that allows us to feel fulfilled and lets us use our talents, and making time for hobbies and leisure activities we enjoy can all help us to be happy. But what happens when that job that you really enjoy experiences cut backs, or your best friend has to relocate half way across the country, or a routine visit to the doctor reveals that you can no longer enjoy your favorite past time.

We live in a society that is hung up on being happy. The commercials flashing across our TV screens say that if we have enough money, buy enough stuff, look the right way, or have enough sex that we will be perpetually happy. In reality there's never enough money, you can only have so much stuff, plastic surgery can only go so far and if you rely on physical gratification, you'll never fully quench that thirst. So if you will concede to me that happiness is fleeting, then you might logically ask what is joy and how is it different.

 Joy is not dependent on the circumstances in your life. Joy is an attitude, a gift given to us by God. That does not mean that if you accept Jesus as Lord that you will never know hardship, pain, or trials. It also does not mean that life will be easy or that you will always feel wonderful. Joy is not floating on cloud nine 24/7. What Joy is, is the ability to look past the circumstance. When bad things happen, we keep perspective. We look at the world and know that this is temporary. Being a Christian is not a fix all for your life. Saying the sinner's prayer, and meaning it, won't instantly make all of your past mistakes disappear. Although God forgives and forgets when we sincerely repent, we still may have to deal with the consequences of our past actions.

 Being Christian does allow us to look at our problems and know that no matter how we have messed up in the past, no matter how many people we have isolated ourselves from that we are loved. Not only are we loved, but we are loved by the one who created us. Being saved is knowing that when we speak to God, he is there, he listens, and he cares. That is the essence of Joy, understanding that we matter and will spend eternity with the one who called us out of the dust. So when we lose our job, we're not alone. When our spouse walks out the door and tells us to drop dead, we're not alone. When the doctor says we have only a few months to live, we're not alone.

God offers us Joy, the ability to stop and look at things through his eyes for a moment and realize that we already have the greatest gift anyone could give us, His love. When we understand that, really grasp it, we might be unhappy sometimes, but we still have our joy. Now doesn't that make you happy?

The Full Armor of God--Part II

Part On of the Series is Listed Below
Picture Reference: http://www.romancoins.info/MilitaryEquipment-cingulum.html


In the Roman army a sword belt was made of leather overlaid with many metal plates. This allowed the belt to show the soldier's rank in addition to acting in it's more practical role. In the first century A.D., Roman soldiers normally carried two weapons which were stored on their belt. The first was a sword 18-24 inches long called a "gladius". The second weapon was a small dagger called a "pugio" The belt itslef was commonly called a "Cingulum" or "Balteus". Also common during this time was a groin guard, or "sporran", which hung from the belt.

A starting question for us might be why did Paul begin his list of spiritual armorments with the belt of truth? I believe that there are two main reasons that Paul began with the belt. The first reason is that the belt was an item that was worn at all times by members of the Roman Army. In my research I found that even when other elements of the armor were not being worn, the belt stayed.

The belt not only was practical for keeping your tunic on tight, but it was necessary for keeping military protacol such as chain of command. The same is true of the truth. Truth is practical. If you always tell the truth you never have to worry about having to remember a lie. The truth is also necessary for Christians to keeep our chain of command. All things that come from God are truth. If we stray from the truth, then we stray from God. In ancient times anyone who lived in Roman occupied lands could look at a Roman soldier's belt and know instantly that he belonged to the army. As Christians, people should be able to look directly at our lives and be able to know that we belong to God.

The second reason I believe that Paul began with the belt of truth is that the belt is the starting place of the entire outfit. It binds the tunic close to the body, holds the weapons for easy access, and marks the rank of the man wearing it. This was an essential piece of equipment for anyone in the Roman Army.

The truth is an essential piece of equipment for anyone in the Lord's Army. All of Christian doctrine relates back to the truth. To believe in Jesus you must believe that every single time he said, "I tell you the truth.." he was doing just that telling the truth. (By the way click on the online Bible and enter in "I tell you the Truth in the Keyword search, you'll be astounded to see how many times he said that very phrase.)

Not only, do you have to believe that Jesus was always telling the truth, but as a Christian we are called to live in the truth. Here are only a few lines of scripture that relate how important the truth is to the life of a Christian:


Psalm 31:5
Into your hands I commit my spirit; redeem me, O LORD, the God of truth.

Psalm 40:11
Do not withhold your mercy from me, O LORD; may your love and your truth always protect me.

Psalm 43:3
Send forth your light and your truth, let them guide me; let them bring me to your holy mountain, to the place where you dwell.

Psalm 51:6
Surely you desire truth in the inner parts ; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.

Proverbs 16:13
Kings take pleasure in honest lips; they value a man who speaks the truth.

Isaiah 45:19
I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness; I have not said to Jacob's descendants, 'Seek me in vain.' I, the LORD, speak the truth; I declare what is right.

John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the One and Only, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.

John 14:6
Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

John 14:16-17

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.


The truth marks us as different. The truth says that we have made our stand. The truth declares that we have enlisted in the Lord's Army and we take our marching orders from the Creator himself. So, as you are preparing to go out into the world each day. Slide that belt through it's loops and cinch it tight, reminding yourself that God has called us as Christians to live in truth.


Works Cited:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_army#Roman_Soldier.27s_Main_Armor
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Balteus_%28sword_belt%29

The Full Armor of God--Part I

Ephesians 6:10-18

The Armor of God

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. 11 Put on the full armor of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. 12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. 13 Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. 14 Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, 15 and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. 16 In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. 17 Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God. 18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.


I hope you will join me over the next few weeks as we dissect this scripture and study why God calls us to put on "The full armor of God." We will take an in depth look at how God calls us to spiritually clothe ourselves,  and the importance of each article we are told to wear.

Today, our focus is going to be on why armor? When I hear someone say armor I instantly conjure up images of medieval knights perched majestically on top of noble horses. I think about fairy tales and lofty castles. I think of lances and King Arthur.

At the time Paul wrote Ephesians (around the year 60 A.D.) the major fighting force in the biblical world was the Romans. In those days when you thought of armor you would conjure up images of a Roman Infantryman, not some European in a tin can.. The basic parts of a Roman's armor would be a shield, the Caligae (special marching sandals), a tunic, a belt, one of several flexible and form fitting armor plates (breastplates), a metal apron and a helmet.

It would seem to be a safe assumption, based on the dress described by Paul and the actual armor worn by Romans, that the mental image Paul was painting was of a Roman soldier. Okay so we know what kind of armor, but that still begs the question, "why armor?"  Why didn't Paul say put on the comfy sweatsuit of God or the pajamas or even the bathing suit?

Paul answers this question for us in verses 10-13 where he tells us that we must prepare for an enemy. How does an army prepare for battle? They drill, they equip, and they plan. Paul tells us that the enemy is not a physical presence coming to destroy our bodies. Instead he warns of the, "authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil." Paul uses an armor metaphor to show God's people how to prepare themselves for a spiritual battle.

You see there is a spiritual battle going on all around us.  Satan knows that he cannot win against the Lord. However, the devil is a vindictive loser. He wants to hurt God as much as he can, he wants to lash out at the power that tossed him from Heaven. How can Satan hurt God? By hurting us, by stealing us, by allowing us to be damned!  Satan knows the great love that God has for his creation, so to attack us is to lash out at God.

God tells us, "look there is an attack coming." He hands us our equipment and tells us to put it on so that we can be safe. The only catch, if you can call it that,  is that God passes out what we need, but whether you put on what he has handed you or not is your choice. The enemy is deceitful, he might tell you what you want to hear. He might even help make life easier for you if you follow his deceitful path instead of God's narrow way.

In the end though God's narrow path leads to an eternity with him in Heaven, God knows this. The wide and easy street that Satan offers leads to hell and damnation, the devil knows this as well. So the only choice left is which path to follow. I choose the narrow one with ambushes waiting around every corner. While I know there is a hard trek before me I am secure knowing that I have God-brand Kevlar waiting for me if I will only accept it.

The Worst of it....

I imagine that there was a chill in the air, though I can't be sure because scripture doesn't say.  Yet even if the temperature didn't fall I have to believe that there was a prevailing feeling of cold, you know the kind that makes the hair on the back of your neck stand up.  A few hours before there had been laughter, cruel and cold itself, jeering  out the name of Jesus.  "King of the Jews, " I can hear one guard saying to another, "that would be the kind of sorry king these Hebrews would have."

He finally had trudged his was to Galgotha.  Could there be a more fitting name than this, place of the skull.  Those that crawled up this hill with their last measure of strength were only carried out, there was no return, no reprieve, no last minute call from Pilot.  Jesus was spent, poured out, used up by the time he made it to the top.  This once strong carpenter was reduced to stumbling about, unable to hold his own body weight courtesy of the abuse he had suffered.

I hate to imagine the scene that must have unfolded as he was laid on the cross, the metal on metal sound of the nails, the squishing sound as the nails tore through flesh.   Then the cross rises, the body weight pulls, the jolt as it slides in to place.  No, no, no, I just want to scream at the thought.  Leave him alone.....

As time drug by, I would like to say it got better, easier.  But that is not how crucifiction worked.  No, You would have to pull against the nails to take the weight off your chest to push breath in and out.  You would pull, anguish each time, growing weaker and weaker.  The trauma of the beating and whipping that Jesus had already endured had weakened his body......Yet none of this was the worst of it.

Look at the gospels and look at the moments right before Jesus died.  In Mark we are told Jesus cries out in Aramaic, "My God, My God, why have you forsaken me?"  Can you imagine?  No, I don't think any of us really can.  Jesus against all human emotion and inclination had lived an entirely blameless life.  He was the Son of God, God incarnate, yet the father head turned away from him.  Why?  For you and me.

Jesus was a substitution for us.  He literally took on every sin that the world had or ever would commit onto himself.  In that moment the blameless life that Christ had led was smeared with every sin in my life, your life, all of us.  He was for the first time separated from God by sin.  Imagine, he had always been there, always answered, always directed.  Now in this moment, when Jesus knew he was about to perish, there was no answer, there was no reassurance.

See Jesus did take it all for us.  To be without God, to be separated from him is what we deserve.  But because Jesus chose to experience that for us, even though he didn't deserve it, we are covered by his blood.  When God looks at those of us who believe in him through Christ, he sees Jesus.  Jesus' blood is the ultimate magic eraser taking the stain of our deeds away and leaving only his perfect shining image.

Bring Me A Worm...

"Bring me a worm that can understand a man and I will bring you a man that can understand the triune God."--John Wesley

Over the years I have encountered many people who struggle with their belief in God because they cannot figure out why something happened, or didn't happen.  In college, I had a philosophy professor who revealed that his family had experienced a terrible tragedy.  He told us about his brother and the way that cancer had destroyed his body.

My professor went on to tell the class that his family had been a Bible believing group who spent hours, upon hours praying for healing for his brother.  In the end, his brother succumbed to cancer and the professor reasoned that there could be no God.  He ranted that a loving God would have healed his brother and answered his family's prayers.

At one time or another, to one degree, we have all been there.  We have prayed earnest prayers and asked out of all the right reasons to no avail.  It is not a good feeling.  We begin to say God why didn't you......

There is a flaw in this thinking, however.  When we assume that God has to answer our prayers we get our perspective backwards.  Because we serve a good God he often does provide us with our wants, but we exist to please God, not the other way around.  When a potter forms clay into a vase, the purpose of the vase is to bring pleasure to the artist that formed it.  It is not the place of the creator to spend time trying to please the vase.

Those that dismiss God because they say science disproves his existence, or that believe he cannot be real because he chose not to do something for them fail to reason about God from the right point of view.  If we begin with an open mind and admit that God could exist then we have to also say that  He  would be the originator, the creator.

If He is the creator, then He has the ability to do things that science cannot explain (creating matter, breathing life into a life-less object, etc.).  You see science does not say that God cannot exist, science says that if God exists he has to be able to do things that we can't do, can't understand, and can't explain.  Man has simply become so self absorbed and so self important that he believes he must be able to figure out everything. If a God who is capable of breaking our scientific "laws" is real, then all the things we are certain about are no longer absolutes.

Those that believe God has to answer when they call, suffer from a closely related delusion.  They believe that they must be the center of God's universe.  If there is a more powerful being then He must exist to make us happy, to wait breathlessly at our beck-and-call.  God could not possibly see a bigger picture than we can through our limited perspective, and what we want always must be what is best.  In reality, sometimes what we want, even with good intentions is not what is best, even if we think it is.

We are but worms, and we cannot understand.....

Our Amazing, Everyday God

God.  Even just writing the name seems like I should blow it up, put it in italics, and make it bold.   

GOD!
Yes, much better.  

In a way, this is exactly how it should be.  If we thought about God's name this way all the time imagine how things would change.  If we put this much emphasis on making sure that we held everything to do with God as holy, then we might not hear His name used in vain so much.   Would we feel a little more special when we bowed our heads and called out, "God, my God..."?

I think sometimes we forget who we have the privilege of calling on, and serving, and calling Father.  I think we forget the awe that should come by communicating to the One who called out into the darkness and created everything.  When we speak it's not just God that listens.  It's  God that listens.  It's the hands that split the Red Sea, the voice that shattered the walls at Jerricho, The God that tilted the earth to the perfect angle.  A half degree one way we freeze, a half degree the other way we fry.  God is amazing!

It would be so easy for us to get caught up in this greatness and believe that we couldn't access a God like that.  It would be easy to reason that a God who deals in such gigantic absolutes doesn't have time for little ole' me.  Then we remember Jesus.  As much as God calls for caps and magnitude, Jesus calls for a breathless gasp of awe, a whisper of almost unbelief, that unspoken, "it's really him" tone in our voice.

Why?  Because he could have done anything.  God incarnate!  With a word, "Angels", and winged creatures would have swooped down with a ferocity that no Sci-Fi flick could duplicate, no CGI could mimic.  With a whisper, He could have laid waist to the Romans.  He could have flung the nails that pierced his hands past the edge of eternity.  He could have done all this, but he didn't, that's why the all but silent awe.  That's why God is not unreachable.  He put on skin, he dwelled with us.  He cried when his friend died, he laughed when his friends acted stupid by a midnight fire by the Sea.  

The greatest mystery of our faith is not creation, or the flood, or the miracles of Jesus.  The greatest mystery of our faith is why Jesus?  Why such a good man, a perfect man, had to die for us.  There are a lot of theological answers that can be proven by study of the Old Testament and New Testament fulfillment.  But today, today I submit that wrapped inside these other complicated reasons, is a simple one.  We needed a way to make God reachable.  That way is through the very welcoming and reachable Jesus.


Matthew 7:7-8

Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you. ⁸For everyone who asks receives; he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, the door will be opened. 


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Blessed are the...who?

James 2

1My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don't show favoritism. 2Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. 3If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, "Here's a good seat for you," but say to the poor man, "You stand there" or "Sit on the floor by my feet," 4have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts?

How applicable is this today.  We live in a society where bigger is better and giant is best.  People are judged by the clothes they wear, the car they drive, the house they live in, etc.  We like to say that as Christians we are above this, but in all honesty most of us have experiences that tell us that is not true. 

Let me ask a couple of questions:

1)  How would folks react if someone walked into your church service with a torn pair of jeans and a messy, wrinkled t-shirt?  Would they accept them and welcome them, or would they scoot away?

2)  If the homeless shelter brought in a group of 15 men to your church service, would they be left alone or warmly greeted?

Now replace how the "church would react" with "how would you react"?  How willing are we to step out of our comfort zone, to be the first to step out and offer a hand to those who need it the most?  Remember who Jesus chose to hang out with, hint:  it wasn't the Israeli Donald Trumps.

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Testimony

In every life there are moments that define us, that change who we are, or that remind us of who we want to be.  I think that it is important in our Christian lives that we take note of the times that God has worked in our lives and either affirmed what we know is true or, as in my case, redirect us back to the right path.

I was eighteen and on the cusp of leaving home for college.  Like most 18 year old kids, I thought I had all the answers.  When I was very young my mom had taken me and my brother to church regularly.  Once she started working outside of the home, that began to wain until it died out all together. 

An elementary school friend of mine had offered to take me with him to his church on Wednesday night for their youth program.  His name was Daniel, and as it turned out what was an offer to take me to church one Wednesday, turned out to be every Wednesday night for several years.  Every week I would hear stories from the Bible, sing songs, and spend time with friends that believed in Jesus and God.  I owe a lot to Daniel and his family!

I continued attending Wednesday night all the way through my high school years.  The teen program incorporated sports each night, especially basketball.  Now, when it comes to basketball I don't match the stereotypical player's body build.  In fact, I resemble the ball more than I do most players, but I loved to play.

It's important to the story to understand that during my teens I lost three people who were close to me.  The first of these was an uncle who had been bed ridden for years.  He would lay in his bed and tell me stories from when he was a young man in the war.  His passing was hardly unexpected, but the first time you lose someone you actually knew, that you really cared for, it's always hard.

Next was the loss of my younger cousin.  His death was a shock that came out of right field.  One moment he was a normal kid, and the next moment he was gone....

Finally came my Uncle David.  David was the cool uncle that every kid wants.  He had been a rodeo cowboy in his younger days and I can still remember riding in his truck to go watch him.  One day he left for work, and the phone call came....

As I've already admitted, I was a bit of a know it all (some might say I still am).  I had been taught the Bible, I had heard the stories, but somewhere in my mind I couldn't shake this feeling that if God loved me, all of this shouldn't be happening.  Slowly, I went from believing, to being unsure.  I wanted to believe in God, I just wasn't sure that I still did.

I still made Wednesday Night programs every week.  I wasn't going to miss basketball with the guys, and that meant still going to the lessons too. 

It was one of those hot, muggy North Carolina nights when it has rained just enough to make the asphalt steam.  My best friend and I had been to town and were riding home in his little pick-up truck.  We hadn't a care in the world.  We were heading for my house that night, talking and joking about the first thing that popped in our minds.

As the truck pitched to the right we began heading down a long, down hill turn.  I had my arm hung out the truck window, letting the warm night air rush into the cab.  There was no warning.  One moment we were flying down the hill, the next moment the truck was sliding on the passenger's side throwing sparks and debris into the open window. 

With a jerk, the truck lurched onto it's roof, still sliding down the steep hill.  We hung upside down, suspended by our seat belts, things tumbling around the cab all around us.  The roof that was now below us creaked and erupted in sparks as the asphalt ate away the sheet metal that had once covered our heads. 

I remember thinking, "Okay Lord, if you're really there this would be a good time to show it."  The truck slid to a stop and began to spin in long, slow circles.  My friend and I looked at each other a moment and in unison undid our seat belts.  We fell to the floor with a jarring thud and quickly began to army crawl our way out the window. 

Adrenaline was pumping through my veins and for the moment I thought I had escaped without much damage.  One look at Dave's pale face and drooping jaw told me a different story.  "I'm so sorry Dano," then as though talking to an invisible crowd he said, "Oh my God I've killed Dano."  Dave ran down the rest of the hill toward the nearest house still yelling and screaming that he would get help.

A bright light from the top of the hill began to pour down and I could hear the sound of tires on the wet asphalt getting closer.  For the first time I noticed the blood that was soaking my shirt and jeans, and I began to shake.

I could see the outline of people running toward me through the headlights. As they got close enough to identify, I knew my prayer had been answered.  Driving down that street, this night happened to be the youth sponsors from my Wednesday Night Church program.  They called 911, they even sent someone to go get my parents and bring them to the scene, and they stood beside me holding me and telling me that everything would be alright. 

That night they operated to clean out the debris from the accident.  They closed the gap in my arm up as well as they could.  It took stitches on the inside and outside of the arm to get the job done, though I remember them debating about a skin graph before the medicine put me under.  The scar left behind, now 13 years old, still runs from my wrist to my elbow, a constant reminder of that night.

Some may say that it was a coincidence that my youth sponsors were traveling down that road, at that time, on that night.  I know better.  I know that God was telling a confused and hurt young man that he wasn't alone, that I am never alone. I've faced many trials and hardships since that day back in 1996, but never again have I wondered if there was a God. 

I know my wife will get a kick out of this final statement.  For some people God works in gentle whispers and nudges in the right direction, for me it took running me over with a pick-up truck.  Thank God for pick-up trucks!

Now that Christmas is over, what do I do with the Christ Child?

       During the Christmas Season, we celebrated the coming of the Messiah.  The birth of Jesus symbolizes the arrival of hope into a lost world.  Sometimes it is hard for us to wrap our heads around the grace that has been afforded us by God.  People often, incorrectly, say that if there is a God, he doesn't care about the trials and tribulations that we mortals face on a daily basis.  I say that the Christmas story proves exactly the opposite.

      If God did not care about our daily struggles, then he surely would not have sent his Son into this corrupt world to be beaten, mutilated and put to death in order to create a path for our salvation.  No, often times when we face hardships that do not seem fair to us, in our desperation and despair, we begin to question God.  We pray earnest prayers and when we do not see the desired results we pout like spoiled children who received full stockings, but not the toy they most coveted.  Too often we live blessed lives, full of God's gifts, yet we focus too much on what we are lacking.

    Christmas has brought us a season of hope, a season of love, and above all a season of rejoicing that our God is Immanuel, God with us.  What should we carry with us as we prepare for the New Year?  We should carry with us the  knowledge that we are not just an after thought of God.  He cares and he hears each and every one of our prayers.  As with any father, when your children ask for things sometimes the answer is "yes", sometimes the answer is "no", and sometimes the answer is "not right now."  Just as our earthly children don't always understand our reasoning for the answers we give, sometimes we don't understand the "no" and "not now" answers we get from God.

  Rest assured,  just as a good parent has the best interest of their child in mind, so God has the best interest of his people in mind when he answers.  We may not be able to see it now, we may not even agree with it , but we didn't form the universe and we can't comprehend the power of a God who did.  Isn't it cool that a God who can create all things cares enough for us to put on skin and not only dwell with us, but die for us.

What should you take into the New Year?

1.  You are loved by the one and only God.

2.  God is not a distant dictator waiting to crush us when we do wrong.  Instead he is a loving father who gave up his own blameless Son just to be able to spend eternity with us sinners.

3.  Even when we feel alone because what we want is not what we get, God is still with us and still loves us.

May you have a blessed New Year filled with the love of Christ!

     See more devotional thoughts and lessons at http://cszdevotion.blogspot.com/.


Chris Tomlin--Amazing Grace

Narrowing Down the Field

Some have suggested that the fact Jesus fulfills so many prophecies can be canceled out because he was trying to fulfill them.  Now, we could argue the numerical improbability of this occurring, even if someone tried to act out each prophecy, but that is not what I want to look at tonight.  No, tonight I would like to look at a few prophecies that Jesus could not have possibly "worked on" himself.

In Genesis 12:3, " I will bless those who bless you,
       and whoever curses you I will curse;
       and all peoples on earth
       will be blessed through you."

God promises Abram, later renamed Abraham, that he will bless the entire world through his lineage.  The Messiah will come from Abraham.

Then in Genesis 17:19  we are told, "Then God said, 'Yes, but your wife Sarah will bear you a son, and you will call him Isaac.  I will establish my covenant with him as an everlasting covenant for his descendants after him.'"

God narrows down the Messiah's ancestors to the line of Isaac.

In Genesis 28:14 God establishes the line with Jacob, "¹⁴ Your descendants will be like the dust of the earth, and you will spread out to the west and to the east, to the north and to the south. All peoples on earth will be blessed through you and your offspring."

In Genesis 49:10 Jacob, called Israel by God,  has his line further focused to the house of Judah, "The scepter will not depart from Judah,
       nor the ruler's staff from between his feet,
       until he comes to whom it belongs 
       and the obedience of the nations is his.

In 2 Samuel 7:12-13  David is promised through the prophet Nathan to be the ancestor of the Messiah.
      "When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom.  He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever."

Why is all of this important?  A quick look at the opening of Matthew answers that question.

Matthew Chapter 1

 ¹A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:
    ²Abraham was the father of Isaac,
         Isaac the father of Jacob,
         Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
       ³Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
         Perez the father of Hezron,
         Hezron the father of Ram,
       ⁴Ram the father of Amminadab,
         Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
         Nahshon the father of Salmon,
       ⁵Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
         Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
         Obed the father of Jesse,
       ⁶and Jesse the father of King David.
      David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife,
    ⁷Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
         Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
         Abijah the father of Asa,
       ⁸Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,
         Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,
         Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
       ⁹Uzziah the father of Jotham,
         Jotham the father of Ahaz,
         Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
       ¹⁰Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,
         Manasseh the father of Amon,
         Amon the father of Josiah,
       ¹¹and Josiah the father of Jeconiah^[a] and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
    ¹²After the exile to Babylon:
         Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
         Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
       ¹³Zerubbabel the father of Abiud,
         Abiud the father of Eliakim,
         Eliakim the father of Azor,
       ¹⁴Azor the father of Zadok,
         Zadok the father of Akim,
         Akim the father of Eliud,
       ¹⁵Eliud the father of Eleazar,
         Eleazar the father of Matthan,
         Matthan the father of Jacob,
       ¹⁶and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.

Jesus would have had no way of controlling these facts, if he wasn't God.  Isn't it kind of amazing that he fits into each one of these categories, categories that were written down hundreds and even thousands of years before his birth.

We Three Kings (Even though there were probably a lot more than that, just three types of gifts.)

Psalm 72:9-12

 ⁹ The desert tribes will bow before him
       and his enemies will lick the dust.
 ¹⁰ The kings of Tarshish and of distant shores
       will bring tribute to him;
       the kings of Sheba and Seba
       will present him gifts.
 ¹¹ All kings will bow down to him
       and all nations will serve him.
 ¹² For he will deliver the needy who cry out,
       the afflicted who have no one to help.

Matthew 2:1-11

¹After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem ²and asked, "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him."  ³When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵"In Bethlehem in Judea," they replied, "for this is what the prophet has written:
 ⁶" 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,
      are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;
   for out of you will come a ruler
      who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'"
 ⁷Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. ⁸He sent them to Bethlehem and said, "Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him."
 ⁹After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. ¹⁰When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. ¹¹On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.


Isn't it cool that the arrival of the Son of God was such an event that it brought men of different faiths from afar because even they could recognize the signs.  They found Jesus, not in the nativity, but when he was bout 2 or 3 years old.  Isn't it also amazing that the gifts that these magi brought were probably used to finance Jesus' family moving to Egypt to escape the fury of Herod.  God works in great ways, and the coolest thing is he told us hundreds of years in advance, "Hey I'm going to do something cool.  Watch this." Then he did it!

Messianic Prophecy Part 3--One Sacrificial Lamb to Another

Genesis 22: 9-19

 ⁹ When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. ¹⁰ Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. ¹¹ But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!"
      "Here I am," he replied.
 ¹² "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."
 ¹³ Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son. ¹⁴ So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide. And to this day it is said, "On the mountain of the LORD it will be provided."
 ¹⁵ The angel of the LORD called to Abraham from heaven a second time ¹⁶ and said, "I swear by myself, declares the LORD, that because you have done this and have not withheld your son, your only son, ¹⁷ I will surely bless you and make your descendants as numerous as the stars in the sky and as the sand on the seashore. Your descendants will take possession of the cities of their enemies, ¹⁸ and through your offspring  all nations on earth will be blessed, because you have obeyed me."
 ¹⁹ Then Abraham returned to his servants, and they set off together for Beersheba. And Abraham stayed in Beersheba.

 --bold and italics added for prophetic emphasis.

Matthew 1: 1-17

 ¹A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:
    ²Abraham was the father of Isaac,
         Isaac the father of Jacob,
         Jacob the father of Judah and his brothers,
       ³Judah the father of Perez and Zerah, whose mother was Tamar,
         Perez the father of Hezron,
         Hezron the father of Ram,
       ⁴Ram the father of Amminadab,
         Amminadab the father of Nahshon,
         Nahshon the father of Salmon,
       ⁵Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab,
         Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth,
         Obed the father of Jesse,
       ⁶and Jesse the father of King David.
      David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah's wife,
    ⁷Solomon the father of Rehoboam,
         Rehoboam the father of Abijah,
         Abijah the father of Asa,
       ⁸Asa the father of Jehoshaphat,
         Jehoshaphat the father of Jehoram,
         Jehoram the father of Uzziah,
       ⁹Uzziah the father of Jotham,
         Jotham the father of Ahaz,
         Ahaz the father of Hezekiah,
       ¹⁰Hezekiah the father of Manasseh,
         Manasseh the father of Amon,
         Amon the father of Josiah,
       ¹¹and Josiah the father of Jeconiah^[a] and his brothers at the time of the exile to Babylon.
    ¹²After the exile to Babylon:
         Jeconiah was the father of Shealtiel,
         Shealtiel the father of Zerubbabel,
       ¹³Zerubbabel the father of Abiud,
         Abiud the father of Eliakim,
         Eliakim the father of Azor,
       ¹⁴Azor the father of Zadok,
         Zadok the father of Akim,
         Akim the father of Eliud,
       ¹⁵Eliud the father of Eleazar,
         Eleazar the father of Matthan,
         Matthan the father of Jacob,
       ¹⁶and Jacob the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.  ¹⁷Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Christ.


      Forty-two generations from Abraham to Jesus.  Abraham was a man of extraordinary faith.  He left his home to follow God without knowing where he was going.  He believed that God would bring him a child even when he and his wife were so old that her eggs had pretty much petrified.  When he was blessed with a child he was ready to sacrifice him because he thought that was God's will.  Don't get me wrong, Abraham was a flawed man as well.  He did a lot of things wrong along the way, but it's easy to see why God would want to show favor to Abraham.
   
      It is hard to miss the symbolism, or possibly the irony, shown here by God.  In order to spare Abraham's son, Isaac, God provided a ram to be sacrificed.   Later, to provide the blessing to all nations that he speaks of in Genesis 22:18, God provides a lamb to cover the sins of all men--Jesus.  Just another way that the promises of God are fulfilled in the person and deity of Jesus the Christ.

Messianic Prophecy-- Isaiah 7:13-14

Isaiah 7:13-14

13 Then Isaiah said, "Hear now, you house of David! Is it not enough to try the patience of men? Will you try the patience of my God also? 14 Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel.



Matthew 1: 18-25

18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"—which means, "God with us."

24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.



This seems hard for us to wrap our minds around. We have been taught from the time we were young that 1 + 1 = 2. But the math in this equation just doesn't add up. It seems that we are missing a crucial addend. Then again that's just like God. God works through improbable people and through impossible situations. While Jesus was very much a man he was also the Immanuel--God in man's skin. So how else would he enter the world, born as a human but in a supernatural way.

There are millions of people that will scoff at the idea of immaculate conception. They will say that those of us who believe in the Nativity and the Messiah are simpletons. This is nothing new, it is nothing we haven't been told by Jesus to expect. For a moment though, pause and consider. If you are open to the idea of divine creation. If you can look at the world, the universe, and say there had to be some kind of intelligent design. If all of these little perfections seem to be too much to be a coincidence of chaos and chance, then why could the hand that set the world in motion not come to earth in an unusual way?

What makes this even more amazing, it was told it was coming, and come it did! Hallelujah.

The Prophecies that Point to Jesus

(Old Testament)
Genesis 3:15 (New International Version)

15 And I will put enmity
between you and the woman,
and between your offspring [a] and hers;
he will crush [b] your head,
and you will strike his heel."


(New Testament)
Galatians 4:3-6

3So also, when we were children, we were in slavery under the basic principles of the world. 4But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, 5to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. 6Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, "Abba, Father."


As we now enter into the Christmas Season I thought it would be a nice change of pace for us to begin looking at some of the indicators from the prophets of old as to who the Messiah would be. The Old Testament is full of indicators, beginning in Genesis, that tell us things about the coming Lord.

Today, we will examine the verses from Genesis and Galatians that lay down a basic principle about Jesus. In Genesis, after the fall of Adam and Eve, God says that the defeat of the serpent, Satan, would come from the seed of a woman. He also foretold that while the serpent would be destroyed, he would also wound the seed of the woman.

Take this and parallel it with what we know of the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus defeated death and sin by being resurrected. He crushed Satan's head (see the book of Revelation for more information on how that will play out) but not before Satan struck his heal.

This is only the first of many prophecies from the Old Testament that we will examine showing how Jesus fulfilled Messianic Prophecy. I hope you will join us again soon as we dig into the fulfillment of Messianic Prophecy.

In it, not of it.

(companion worksheet)
Many of you will be familiar with the phrase, “In the world, not of it”. This is one of those phrases that many people believe is in the Bible, and are surprised to find that it is not. The idea, however, is one that is founded in biblical principle and is going to be at the heart of what we discuss today. To examine the biblical basis for this idea we are going to look at excerpts from three different books of the New Testament. As we read each of the passages I want us to pause, discuss the text, and pull out the most important ideas and the underlying meaning.

John 15: 18-21

18"If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. 19If 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. 20Remember the words I spoke to you: 'No servant is greater than his master.'[a] If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. 21They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me.


John 17: 14-18

14I have given them your word and the world has hated them, for they are not of the world any more than I am of the world. 15My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one. 16They are not of the world, even as I am not of it. 17Sanctify[a] them by the truth; your word is truth. 18As you sent me into the world, I have sent them into the world.

Romans 12:1-3

1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual[a] act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.

3For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the measure of faith God has given you.



1 John 2 :15 - 17

15Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. 17The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.


I think after examining these verses, we can safely say that being in the world, but not of it is a biblical principle. Which begs us to take the next logical step. If we know that we are called to do this, we need to hold the mirror up and assess where we stand.
If we really want to examine what it means to be in the world but not be of it, we need to first understand that how we prioritize our life is ultimately what will determine if we are living in the world or of the world. Those who fail to examine what they do and why they do it, soon find themselves being steered by their whims and desires rather than plotting the course that Jesus has mapped out for them.
As we examine Jesus’ call for us to be set apart we must be careful of a few things. Many times when we get to comparing ourselves to the unsaved world we make one fatal error. Instead of examining the state of the church today, we look at the church with rose colored glasses. We sometimes tend to see the church as we would like it to be and not how it actually is (Sometimes we do this with ourselves as well). We often begin speaking in generalities like "Christians don’t do that", or " Christians wouldn’t go there", when in fact there are Christians that will "do that" and will "go there". If we are honest we can say that there are three sub groups that we need to consider when evaluating where we fit:

1) Non-Christians or Christians in name only
2) Your Everyday, Average Christian
3) A Faithful, Bible-based Christian


Why is it important for us to look at Non-Christians? Well, If Jesus is telling us to be different from the world, we first need to understand what the world looks like. How else would we know we are different?
Once we establish what we should not be, I think we need to determine who we should try to look like. Especially in America, there are a lot of professing Christians. For some, being “Christian” is enough. For this group, Christianity is about Fireproofing their life. It is these Christians that look at one another and say I’m doing what everyone else is, I must be doing alright.
For others, Christianity is who they are. WWJD (What Would Jesus Do) is not just a bracelet or a song, it’s the question that drives their decision making.
Let’s stop for a moment and examine the way these three groups prioritize their time, energy, and money. In the book The Love Dare, from the movie Fireproof, the author points out, “Whatever you put your time, energy, and money into will become more important to you. It’s hard to care for something you are not investing in.”
The Bible makes this same point in Matthew 6: 21 saying, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

********
On a sheet of paper, write down Non-Christians, Average Christians, and Bible-based Christians. Write down the five biggest motivators for how people in each group live. What drives them each day to do what they do, say what they say, treat people the way they do.

Do you notice any trends when looking at the lists you have compiled.

Where would safety, security, wealth, self, others, and God fit on your list?
*******
The following article contains a Christian that most of you have probably never heard of before. Write the name of the person this article is about down. In a sentence or two tell what happens in your article. Finally, consider what you have read along with our discussion about being in the world and not of it. How does considering the life of these Christians and the lives of others like them impact your understanding of in the world not of it?
******* (Click on the pages and you will be able to enlarge them for easy reading)


The point of discussing these persecuted Christians is not to persuade you to go martyr yourself . It is to focus us on the fact that we have a very Americanized view of Christianity and a very Americanized view of what it means when we say to be in this world and not of it.
When we hear these stories of torture and malice we cringe. When we hear stories of heroism to bring the word of God to unreached people we applaud. Yet in our own lives, here in our own country (U.S.) where it is so much easier to “be a Christian” do we actually go the full measure, do we actually live out the command?

Consider:
The Ten Commandments have to be torn off the walls of our Courts and Public Buildings
Smut Websites and Magazines are produced and distributed within easy reach of our kids because it’s free speech and press
Marriage doesn’t have to mean man and wife
A dog has more rights than an unborn child
The Leader of our country has proclaimed within the last year that we “are not a christian nation”
There are movements to ban the pledge of allegiance from public schools for saying “One Nation, under God” ,
Likewise there are Petitions to change our money to omit, “ In God we trust.”
Some Local governments have been forced to take down Christmas decorations

Every year, more and more we allow our country to truly become a non-Christian nation.
Why are we not yelling and screaming? Why are there not a billion letters of outrage flooding the Washington Post Office? Why are we so concerned about being politically correct that we refuse to speak out and say this is wrong?

In China, India, Laos, Iraq, Indonesia, Iran and hundreds of other places Christians die and endure endless hardships for Christ. These people choose to speak even when the gun is in their face, even though they know they will die. Compared to that what do we face when we speak up? People will call us names, say we are closed minded, tell us we’re wrong?

Why are we like this? I fear the answer is that the American church, the average American Christian has become content being of the world and not simply in it. We place conformity, safety, security, popularity, comfort and being accepted over speaking out for Jesus. We place more value on not stepping on toes than we do on speaking Truth. Did Jesus pull punches? No. Jesus understood there was too much at stake to pull punches, that's why he was viewed as such a threat.

We live in a culture where most of us have never known what it is like to have to choose Jesus over life. When we think of the extent that persecution affects most kids in the U.S. it simply means that those who are faithful through the developmental stages of life might not be in the in crowd. As adults, sometimes we look at it as a sacrifice when we decide not to join in conversations about the latest gossip, or if we share the gospel with someone who totally blows us off and rings us up as just another idiot.

Sometimes I think we lose sight of the actual Jesus who walked the earth. We see instead the Americanized version that shows up in the movies we grew up with. We trivialize the sacrifices that he made and forget that he told us that we too would face adversity. We rationalize in our own minds that its okay for us not to step out of the shadows when we’re called because it makes us uncomfortable, and after all God loves us he wouldn’t want that, right? Wrong.

Jesus is not a comfort zone God. He rocked the boat a lot more than he ever coasted. The world that he faced was as dangerous as those we looked at in small groups. Those that dared to speak out against the religions of the day skated on thin ice. Jesus drove the bus out on the lake. Not only did Jesus and his followers face persecution, rejection, and heart ache for being different, ultimately they faced death. Jesus told us if the world hates you they hated me first, he told us to step out of the boat and follow him, he tells us still to stand tall for what is right and despise what is wrong. In this world we live in, if our boat is not rocking it’s not because we are in calm waters, it’s because we’re afraid to get wet.

I want to challenge you today to do one more thing before we leave. I want each person to examine their lives, this is not with your spouse, not to share with your friends, this is between you and God. What are the priorities in your life? What motivates your every day actions? Where in your life are you conforming, where are you choosing to be like the world instead of stepping out in faith and daring to be different. Where are you remaining silent, is there some place where you don’t conform to the world but you choose to remain silent, appear nuetral to avoid conflict? Finally, where have you taken a stand and said, the world is wrong and I choose to be different because that’s what My Lord wants.

Our God is mighty, he wants to accomplish mighty tasks and he wants to use us to accomplish them. If we refuse to step out in faith and be different for Jesus, he will choose someone else who will listen to fulfill his will, and ultimately it will be those of us hiding in the shadows who will miss out on the blessing of being his instrument. If we want to be able to look at our list and honestly say that Jesus is the top priority, then we should be able to look at our actions and see Jesus shining through us.