Set Apart

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.”

(1 Peter 2:9 ESV)

            One of the struggles faced by Christians in America is the desire to fit in with those around us.  As we look at the teaching of God’s Word, and as we strive to live out our faith in this world, we can’t help seeing that we’re different.  And, because we don’t like to feel different, because we don’t like to stand out, we do all that we can to fit in.

            This means that, instead of carrying out the call Christ has placed on our life, we keep our mouth shut.  It often means compromising in areas of right and wrong, and following the world down a sinful path.  It often means struggling with guilt as we desire to live for the Lord but are unwilling to lay aside this desire for worldly approval.

            However, what we see in Scripture is that, as Christians, we’re supposed to stand out.  So the reason we feel different is because we are different.  We are different because God has made us distinct from other people.

            In the above verse, Peter says that those who believe are a chosen race.  They are a people chosen by God.  He says that they are a royal priesthood.  They are a people who offer spiritual sacrifices that are acceptable to God, who live a life devoted to the service of the Lord.  They are a holy nation.  They are a people who’ve been set apart by God to do his will.  They are a people for his own possession.  They are a people set apart by God to be his own.

They’re set apart by God for a very important purpose.  They’ve been set apart by God that they might declare the excellencies of the one who saved them.  They’ve been set apart to share with others the wonders of the God who delivered them from darkness.  He’s set them apart from the world that they might reach out to the world.

            Most of us are familiar with the call Jesus has placed upon his followers.  He’s called us to proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.  He’s called us to make disciples of all nations.  And we’re able to do this only as we accept the distinction God has placed upon us.

            Because this is true, our striving to fit in with the world hinders our ability to reach the world for Christ.  When we try to fit in with darkness, we’re unable to testify of the light.  The fact that we’re distinct is a testimony to those around us that we’ve been saved from sin and death. 

            So, as believers in Jesus, let us not seek to fit in with the world.  Let us, instead, live as the people we were made to be.  Let us live as a chosen people, a royal priesthood, and a holy nation.  And may we testify of the goodness of God that others might also be delivered from darkness into the light of the Lord.

           

Give Thanks in Everything

“…give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

(1Thessalonians 5:18 ESV)

            As October comes to a close and November begins, thoughts of Thanksgiving enter the mind.  This is a holiday that we all enjoy and that that most of us find very meaningful.  We enjoy the time with family and friends.  Without question, we enjoy the food.  And we recognize the importance of offering thanks to God, who has given us all that we have.

            It’s often frustrating to look at our society and to see the sense of entitlement that fills the hearts of many.  They feel that they’re deserving of the blessings they’ve received and those they desire.  So, instead of giving thanks, they’re continually looking for more.  Instead of expressing gratefulness for the provision of God, they grumble and complain about the things they lack.

            This is an attitude with which we all struggle to some degree.  We find it hard to give thanks in all circumstances, as directed by Paul.  We find it hard to give thanks in all circumstances, even if it is the will of God.  We find this difficult because not all of our circumstances are pleasant.

            When confronted with situations that are challenging, when confronted with hardship, our first reaction is to ask God why he would allow such a thing in our life.  In the moment, we don’t see a reason to be grateful.  In fact, we often find in it cause to accuse God.

            We accuse God of being unloving.  We accuse him of injustice.  We accuse him because we don’t think ourselves worthy of such experiences.

            We fail to remember that we’re not deserving of any of the blessings God has bestowed upon us or those that he has to offer.  Because of our sin, the only thing of which we’re deserving is death and condemnation.  Yet, in spite of this, God has done everything necessary to provide for us the forgiveness of sins and eternity in a place where the evils of this life are no more.

            We also fail to realize that, even in our bad experiences, God is working for our blessing.  In Romans 8:28 Paul says: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” It doesn’t say that everything that happens to us is good.  But, in all things, God is able to work for our good.

            Sometimes, in hindsight, we may come to understand how God was using a hardship for our blessing.  In other cases, we may never fully understand.  But, as believers, we have this confidence and hope.

            In Romans 5, Paul tells us that we can rejoice in our sufferings.  We can do so knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.  God works through our sufferings to strengthen us.  He works through our sufferings to transform us.  He uses suffering to build within us a confident expectation that everything he’s promised will come to pass.

            So as we approach Thanksgiving, and as we celebrate this meaningful holiday, let us give thanks in all circumstances.  Let us give thanks knowing the great blessing that God has in store for us.  Let us give thanks knowing that, no matter how things may seem, he’s working for our good.  And let us give thanks knowing that God will use even our struggles to draw us closer to himself.

Sunday, at Prince of Peace, we talked about Biblical Marriage. We saw, from a Biblical perspective, that marriage was created by God to be the union of a man and a woman. To listen to this message, click on the link.

Good Grief

“For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.”

(2Corinthians 7:10 ESV)

            One of the statements I’ve heard repeated by church attenders over the years is that they don’t want to be made to feel guilty.  What they’re saying is that they get uncomfortable when God’s Word steps on their toes, and they don’t like this feeling.  They want to leave church each week feeling good about themselves.

            However, one of the things we learn in Scripture is that the Law of God convicts.  Paul tells us in Romans 3:20 that through the law comes the knowledge of sin.  In other words, as we encounter God’s law, it reveals to us the ways in which we’ve fallen short.

            Unless a pastor or a church avoids God’s Law, unless they avoid addressing issues that might make people uncomfortable, it’s only natural that we’ll at times feel guilty.  We’ll encounter a passage of Scripture that addresses a struggle we’re experiencing.  We’ll encounter a passage that addresses a pet sin from which we don’t want to turn. 

            This is true for all of us.  As a pastor, God’s Word strikes my heart first and foremost as I prepare my messages and Bible studies.  It convicts me before I even bring the message to the church.  And it should be this way, I believe.  It should be this way because, if God hasn’t spoken to me through a passage of Scripture, it’s impossible for me to share it with my congregation.

            It’s also a good thing that we, at times, feel guilty.  It’s good because, unless we understand our sin and realize our guilt, we’ll never see our need for a Savior.  We’ll never place our faith in him, and we’ll never receive his salvation.

            The question, then, becomes this: What do we do with our guilt when we experience it?  What do we do when we’re confronted with our sin and we’re made to feel guilty?  Does our sorrow produce in us the effect intended by God?

As we see in the above passage, everything depends on the type of sorrow we’re experiencing.  Paul is speaking, in this passage, about the first letter he’d written to the Corinthians.  In this letter, he’d corrected them in several areas.  He’d spoken to them very directly as he addressed the sin in their church.  And he’d done this in hope that they might change course.

He acknowledges that, in his letter, he’d caused them to grieve.  But even though he'd caused them to grieve, it had accomplished its intended purpose.  This caused him to rejoice. 

He rejoiced not because he’d grieved them, but because they were grieved into repenting.  He rejoiced because the feelings they experienced led them to turn to the Lord and away from their sinful practices.

            Here’s where he brings out the different types of grief we can experience and the effect they have on us.  He says that godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation.  What he means by this is that, if we receive correction in a godly way, it leads us to turn from our sin and to receive the forgiveness and salvation God has provided for us.

            Worldly grief, on the other hand, produces death.  It leaves us feeling hopeless, and fills us with despair.  So, instead of turning from our sin, we give up.  We resign ourselves to our fate.  In many cases, it leads us to turn away from the Lord.  And, because of this, we miss out on the salvation he’s provided.

            We must understand that God doesn’t point out our sin because he enjoys making us squirm.  He points out our sin because he desires our salvation.  He brings our sin to our attention that we might understand our guilt and our need of a Savior.  He helps us to recognize our wrongdoing that we might receive the salvation provided by Jesus and offered to all who look to him in faith.

Selfless Service

“Do all things without grumbling or questioning, that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation…”

(Philippians 2:14-15 ESV)

            Paul talks to us in this chapter about possessing the mind of Christ.  He calls us to look not only to our own interests, but to those of others.  He calls us to count others as more significant than ourselves.  And he uses Jesus and his sacrifice, he uses the fact that Jesus laid down his life for our benefit, as our example.

            Because we’re selfish, because we tend to look primarily to our own interests, it’s hard for us to do this.  It’s hard for us to lay aside our interests for those of others.  It’s hard for us to humble ourselves and to count others as more important than ourselves.

            The above verses make this even more challenging.  They’re more challenging because they address not only our actions, but our attitude.  We’re called to do all things without grumbling or questioning.

If you’re like me, you find this to be very convicting.  It’s convicting because, even when we know the right thing to do, we tend to grumble and complain.  Even if we do the right thing, it’s often done with moans and objections under our breath.

How often does our spouse ask for help and, even though we respond to their request, we grumble and complain as we do so.  How often does a friend ask for help and yet, even though we don’t deny their request, we look for any and every excuse to say no.  We question whether we’re truly obligated to serve them.

This attitude is a reflection of our heart.  It reveals our sinful and selfish tendencies.  It reveals the lack of love and humility found within us.  And it leaves us guilty, it makes us liable, before God.

Even though this may seem minor in our eyes, it’s a sin that we must confess.  We must ask God to change the attitude of our heart that it might better reflect that of Christ.  And, with his help, we must resist this desire to complain when we’re presented with opportunities to serve.

And not only are we called to display an attitude that’s contrary to our natural tendencies.  We’re called to display an attitude that’s in stark contrast to that of the world around us.   We’re called to shine as lights in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation.

The world around us exhibits the same traits that we find within.  It promotes a self-serving attitude and a glorification of the self.  It displays a perverse and a warped approach to life.

Because we’re reflecting the mind of Christ, our selflessness will then shine forth as a testimony to the world around us.  It will be clear to the world that there’s something different about us.  It will point them to Christ who made the ultimate sacrifice on our behalf.  And it may very well give us the opportunity to share the hope that we have within.

May we, then, live as the children of God we were created to be.  May we display a love that leaves us blameless.  And may we seek Christ for the strength we need to do just that. 

The Love Passage

“Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never ends.” 

(1 Corinthians 13:4-8 ESV)

            The above passage is very well known, and is frequently read at wedding ceremonies.  The reason for this is clear. It describes for us the love to which God has called us.

            That being said, the context of this passage speaks to the church.  We’re told that we should desire the spiritual gifts that God gives to us. However, if we have the greatest gifts imaginable, but not love, they amount to nothing.

            As we consider the description of love given to us in these verses, there are two things for us to consider.  There are two ways that we can make use of this teaching.  And both of these uses will enable us to grow in our walk of faith and to bless others.

A mentor of mine once said that this passage can easily be used as a confessional.  It can be used in this way because, as we read its words, it becomes clear that we’ve fallen short of it in every way possible.  Even though we believe ourselves to be loving, these words force us to face the fact that our love in no way measures up to God’s standard.  And this is a thought that really struck me.

            We can look at this passage and confess that we are not patient and that we are not kind.  We can look at it and confess that we are often envious and boastful, that we are frequently arrogant and rude.  You get the idea.  And as we confess our shortcomings, we can then ask God to forgive us for the many ways we’ve fallen short.

            We can also look at this passage and aspire to love in the way it’s described.  Recognizing our inability to do so, we can ask God to create within us the love for others we read about in these words.  Seeing our selfishness, we can make a conscious effort to resist those impulses, to lay aside the emotions that often hinder our love, and to sacrificially give ourselves to those around us. 

We can seek to love others in a way that is not selfish in any way.  We can seek to love in a way that seeks not our own welfare, but that of others.  And we can do this in our marriage, in the church, and among those who have not yet placed their faith in Jesus. We can seek to use the gifts given to us by God not for our own benefit, but for the blessing of others.

We’ll never master this love on this side of eternity.  But, as we seek God’s forgiveness, and as we seek to love others with the compassion he places in our heart, we will grow in this love day by day.  We’ll grow in our ability to lay aside our self-love and to serve one another.

True Love

“Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her, that he might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, so that he might present the church to himself in splendor, without spot or wrinkle or any such thing, that she might be holy and without blemish.” 

(Ephesians 5:25-27 ESV)

            One of the things I’ve noticed, as a pastor, is that the true definition of love has been lost. It’s been replaced with something far inferior to the love described in Scripture. It’s a far cry from the love we’re called to possess for our spouse and to give them.

            We understand love to be the emotion that we feel for our spouse. We understand it to be the butterflies in the tummy and the nervousness we feel in their presence.  And this is why so many couples split up, citing the fact that they’ve fallen out of love.

            We all know that, after we’re together for a time, the butterflies and the nervousness go away.  We realize that, once we’re comfortable with one another, our annoying and sinful habits become visible.   And what we once thought cute or endearing now grates on our last nerve.

We also realize that our feelings sometimes waver.  We might feel more love for our spouse at one time and less at another.  We may feel more loved by our spouse at one time and less at another.  And sometimes, we become so angry or frustrated that we feel no love at all.

            We must realize that, because of our sinful nature, our feelings can deceive us.  We cannot trust our feelings to determine if love is present in our relationship.  We must instead seek to give love to our spouse as God has commanded.

            I think it’s safe to say that we all want to feel love in our marriage.  However, the love to which we’re called is so much more.  We can see this in the love husbands are called to give to their wives in the above passage.

            The standard of our love is none other than Christ himself.  Men, we’re called to love our wife as Christ loved church.  We’re called to love her like Jesus, who gave up his life for our sanctification.  We’re called upon to sacrifice ourselves for our wife’s blessing.

            Like Christ, we must seek first and foremost to present our spouse to the Lord without spot or blemish.  What this means is that we must seek our spouse’s eternal blessing above all else.  We must love them in such a way that we encourage them in their faith, and that we encourage them to grow in their faith.

            One of the mistakes we often make is to withhold our love.  We give love only if we feel it’s something of which they’re deserving.  But we must realize that our spouse will never be deserving of our love.  Because they’re sinful, they’ll continually fall short.  And just as Christ gives to us his love as an act of grace, we must do the same with our spouse.

            This definition of love is repeated throughout Scripture.  For example, we’re called in John 13 to love one another as Christ has loved us.  Again, this is a sacrificial love.  And we know this because Christ loved us by giving his life for us.

            It’s for this reason that this word is translated in the King James Version as “charity.” It’s not primarily an emotion, but a gift of grace.  It’s providing for the needs of another even when they have nothing to give in return.

            Recognizing this truth, it’s not possible for us to fall out of love with our spouse.  We may stop loving them.  And, if this is true, we must repent. We must ask God for his mercy. And we must ask him to implant his love in our heart.  We must ask him for the strength and the ability to love our spouse as he’s commanded.

           

            

As believers, we continue to struggle with sin.  And this struggle often makes us feel like failures in the life of faith.  So how do we deal with sin?  How can we resist the temptations that plague us?  To hear this message, click on the following link:
http://princeofpeacebeulah.org/messages/09-27-2015-dealing-with-sin/

Made to Stand Out

"You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.”

(Matthew 5:14-15 ESV)

            I’ve never had a desire to stand out.  I’ve never desired to be the focus of attention.  I prefer, instead, to blend in.  I desire to go unnoticed.  And this desire has reflected itself in many ways. 

            It’s reflected in the way that I dress.  I’ve never cared for bright colors.  I’ve never cared for flashy clothing or accessories.  I don’t like wearing things that will make me stand out or draw attention to myself.

            Even though I’m a pastor, I tend to be more quiet and soft-spoken.  I don’t like to speak loudly, drawing attention to myself.  And I certainly don’t like to shout.  I tend to speak few words and, when I do speak, to say them in a normal tone of voice.

            Even though my position requires me to be up front in the church, this isn’t the position I normally choose.  If attending a worship service that I’m not leading, or when attending a conference, I tend to sit somewhere in the middle.  I prefer to simply blend in with the crowd. 

            And even though I do what I can to fulfill my calling, I have no desire to be a well-known figure.  I have no desire for fame.  I prefer to live the quiet life. 

            I’m not alone in this preference to go unnoticed.  Many people feel the same way.  And, so often, this mindset finds its way into our life of faith.

            We know that Jesus has called us to be his witnesses.  We know that he’s called us to proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.  And, quite frankly, we’re hesitant to do this.  We’re hesitant because we don’t want to be the focus of everyone’s attention.  We prefer, instead, to keep our mouth shut and blend in with the world around us.

            In the past, this is something that’s hindered my witness.  It’s kept me from reaching out to those around me.  My desire to blend in caused me to shove any concern for the lost to the back of my mind as a desire for conformity took hold.

            However, as we see in the above passage, we’re called to stand out.  We are the light of the world.  And a light is not something that is hidden.

            As the people of God, we’re distinct from the world around us.  But we’re distinct not to draw attention to ourselves. We shine forth to draw the world’s attention to Christ.

We’re called to be distinct as a testimony to those in our midst.  We’re called to let our light shine that God might be glorified.  We’re called to be his witnesses that others might receive the salvation Jesus provided for all men.

            This doesn’t mean we have to be a loud mouth.  It doesn’t mean that we must be obnoxious.  But we must not hide our light in order to fit in.  Doing so means abandoning a lost world to sin and eternal condemnation.

Graceful Speech

“Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.”

(Ephesians 4:29 ESV)

            When my wife and I were married, we received a large embroidery as a wedding gift from an older member of my church.  This embroidery consisted of the words of the above verse.   And when we received it, it was framed and ready to hang on the wall.

            I don’t know if I realized it at the time, but what a fitting gift this is for marriage.  It’s fitting because it’s easy for us to be critical of our spouse.  It’s easy for us to speak words that are destructive to their soul.  And even though logic seems to indicate that we’d save our kindest words for those we love most, the opposite is typically the case.

            We’re often more harsh with our spouse than anyone else.  Those who are closest to us often bear the brunt of our negativity.  We often speak to them in a way that we wouldn’t speak to anyone else.  We’re often rude and insulting.  We often speak to them in a way that is ill-mannered and condescending.

            This verse serves as a reminder that, by our words, we’re to seek the building up of one another.   We’re to seek, with our words, to bless one another.  And we’re to use every opportunity for this purpose.

            Now, this verse isn’t speaking directly to marriage.  It speaks to all of life, which includes marriage and so much more.  It speaks to every relationship in which we find ourselves.

            We’re to refrain from corrupting talk.  The word translated “corrupting” means decayed or unusable.  It refers to talk that is evil and unwholesome.  In essence, we’re being told to refrain from talk that isn’t beneficial to others. 

            On the positive end, we’re to speak words that lead to the building up of others.  We’re to speak words that encourage, instruct, and bless others.  And I realize this is easier said than done.

            I say this because we often feel that others aren’t deserving of kind words.  And this leads us to speak to them in a way that is hurtful.  At the very least, it leads us to say nothing to them at all.

            We must bear in mind that Paul tells us to speak words that give grace to those who hear.  And you may remember that grace is an undeserved gift.  This tells us that we shouldn’t speak kind and encouraging words only to those who are deserving.  That doesn’t fit the definition of grace.  We’re to speak in this way to those who are undeserving.

            So, no matter how others may be treating us, and no matter how they may speak to us, we’re to refrain from tearing them down.  We’re to refrain from unwholesome talk.  Even if we feel they’re undeserving, we’re to speak to them in a way that will bless them.

            This is an area in which we all struggle.  Even though I fail regularly, it’s an area that I’ve made an effort to keep in the forefront of my mind.  I’ve tried to remain conscious of what I say and how I say it.

            It’s also an area that I’ve asked God to keep under control.  Because I’m unable to do so on my own, I need his love to take control of both my heart and my tongue.  And, by his grace, I pray that I’ll grow in this area.

            Let us all offer to God our mouth.  Let us offer to him our speech.  Let us ask him to forgive us for our failure.  And let’s ask him to use our words in a way that will be a blessing to all of those around us, to all of those who hear the words that we speak.

This week at Prince of Peace, we talked about sins of the tongue in a message titled: Sticks and Stones. We saw that, even though these are sins that we consider minor when compared to others, they're something that the Lord takes very seriously.  To hear this message, click on the link.

This week at Prince of Peace, we talked about the fact that we often view Scripture as An Evolving Document.  We believe that the Bible is out of date and irrelevant to our time.  However, we're warned repeatedly in Scripture against adding to or taking from God's Word.  And we see that this is something God doesn't take lightly.  We must, therefore, receive God's Word as given, without seeking to change it in any way. To hear this message, click on the link.

Will We Endure?

“But the one who endures to the end will be saved.”

(Matthew 10:22 ESV)

            In Matthew 10, Jesus speaks of the persecution of his faithful.  He tells us that we will be delivered over to the courts.  He tells us that we will be flogged.  He tells us that we will be dragged before kings and governors.  He tells us that we will be delivered over to death by those we love most.  And he tells us that we will be hated by all for his name’s sake.

            But then, he adds the statement we read above.  He tells us that the one who endures until the end will be saved.  This tells us that we must not waver in the face of this suffering.  It tells us that we must stand strong.  And it tells us that, when we do so, we will receive the salvation he’s provided for us.

            Although we’ve had the freedom to live our faith in this nation for many years, we’ve seen this type of persecution happening to believers around the world.  They’ve suffered in terrible ways for their faith in Jesus.  Their faith is something that has cost them dearly.

            Up to this point, our faith has not cost us much.  We’ve been able to live out our faith and enjoy the affluence of our society.  We’ve been able to express our faith freely and maintain our reputation and safety.  But now things are beginning to change.

            We’re now being told by government leaders and the courts that we cannot live out our faith.  We are told that we cannot express our faith in our place of business, and that we cannot express our faith in government office.  We’re told that we must abide by the morals and values they’ve placed upon us.

            The worst part is that, already, we hear voices telling us to succumb to these pressures.  And these voices are coming not only from those outside of the church, but from within.  There are some, who profess faith in Jesus, who are telling us to do our job and keep our faith out of it.  They are telling us to abide by the standards laid down for us by the courts.  They tell us to do this even though it would mean violating the direct command of the Lord.

            They would have us forsake the Lord who saved us.  They would have us abandon the call that he’s placed on our life.  They would have us safeguard our life in this world at the expense of the eternal judgment of those who will not hear the gospel message.

            We must not listen to these voices.  We must instead listen to the voice of Christ.  We must heed his call to endure.

            As the church of Christ in America, we are entering into an age never seen in the history of our nation.  We’re entering into an age when our constitutionally afforded freedom of religion will be revoked.  We are entering into an age when we will have to either turn from the faith to which we’ve held or pay the price.

            What will we do?  What matters most to us?  This is the question we are left to ponder.  Will we endure and receive the salvation of Christ?  Or will we sacrifice eternity for the blessing of those among whom we live?

Our Primary Allegiance

“But Peter and the apostles answered, "We must obey God rather than men.””

(Acts 5:29 ESV)

            After Jesus ascended into heaven, and after the Holy Spirit empowered the apostles, they faithfully proclaimed the gospel.  But, just as the ministry of Jesus brought the ire of Jewish leadership, so too did their ministry.  The activity of the apostles was seen as something to be stopped.

            After Peter and John healed the lame beggar in Acts 3, and after Peter preached to the crowd that assembled, they were arrested.  We’re told that the captain of the temple and the Sadducees came upon them, greatly annoyed because they were teaching the people and proclaiming in Jesus the resurrection of the dead. 

            The next day, they stood before the high priest along with the rulers, scribes, and the elders.  Fearing that word of this miracle, and the message of the apostles, would spread among the people, they commanded the apostles to no longer speak or teach in the name of Jesus.  Peter and John replied to them, saying (Acts:19-20) : “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.”

            In Acts 5, we see that the apostles were once again arrested.  And they were reminded of the order that had been given them.  The high priest said to them (Acts 5:28): “We strictly charged you not to teach in this name, yet here you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching, and you intend to bring this man's blood upon us.” Peter and the apostles then answered him, as we see in the above verse, by saying they must obey God rather than men.

            For many years in this nation, the church has had freedom.  When it came to obedience to the Lord and the state, the two have not been mutually exclusive.  Obeying the Lord did not mean disobeying men.  It did not mean acting in disobedience to our government leaders.  And obeying the government did not mean violating the will of God. But it seems this is now changing. 

            The freedom experienced by congregations hasn’t changed…yet. However, we are seeing changes when it comes to individual believers.  We are told that we must lay aside our faith and act according to the conscience and the morals of American society.

            Christian bakers have been told that they must bake cakes for homosexual weddings.  One such couple was forced to close their business after being fined $135,000 and issued a gag order when it came to speaking about their views regarding gay marriage.  A similar case is also taking place in Colorado.

            We’ve also seen Christian business owners being required to provide abortion services and birth control in their health insurance even when it violates their faith.  We’re being told that the freedom of religion doesn’t apply to individuals in our nation, but only to churches.

            I expect that we’ll see more and more of this as time goes on.  The American people no longer seem able to stomach Biblical teaching and values.  And it seems that our government and courts will stop at nothing to force Christians to adopt their judgments and values.

            Like the apostles, we may be forced to make a choice.  We may have to choose whether we’ll obey the government and disobey God, or to obey God and disobey the government.  And, like the apostles, I pray we’ll make the right choice. 

            That being said, if it comes to this, we must be prepared to face the consequences of our disobedience.  We may face harassment by our neighbors.  We may face fines. We may face the loss of our businesses and homes.  We may face arrest and imprisonment.  But these things in no way compare with the blessing God has in store for his faithful.  And what an opportunity it provides for the people of God to share Jesus and the hope we have in him.

This week at Prince of Peace, we saw that we don't accept what the Bible says about us.  We like to think that we're good people.  We like to think that our intentions are good.  We like to think that we're deserving of salvation.  However, this isn't the case.  In reality, our heart is filthy.  It defiles us in the eyes of God.  The only thing that can cleanse us from The Filth Within is Jesus.  To listen to this message, click on the link.

For those of you who haven't seen it, I have a brand new publication available.  It's titled Reflections on Faith.  Here's the description:

Faith is essential in the life of the Christian. But what is faith, and what does it mean to have faith? These questions are explored as we look at the teaching of Jesus, relating to faith, in the gospel of Matthew.

If you're interested in checking it out, click on the link.

“…you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."

(Acts 1:8 ESV)

            As school is resuming here in Beulah, and as my own children are back in school, this verse has often come to mind in recent days.  It comes to mind because it reminds me, and hopefully them as well, of the calling God has placed on their lives.  Like the apostles, and like you and me, they have been called to be Jesus’ witnesses.  And school provides them with a great outlet for this calling.

            It’s a great outlet because there are many in the schools who do not know the Lord.  Students and teachers alike, there are many who do not have faith in him.  And they are able to share the gospel in this mission field.

            As most of you know, a witness is someone who testifies to what he’s seen and heard.  He testifies about something he’s experienced first-hand.  And this is what young people can do in the schools.  They can testify before others about the wonderful things God has done in their life.  They can testify concerning Jesus, how he’s saved them, and how he’s given them the hope of eternal life.

            I’ve run into many Christians over the years who’ve told me that children are not capable of carrying out this call.  They’ve told me that they’re too young.  They’ve told me that, instead of being a witness, they’re in the position of being corrupted by unbelievers.

            We can’t deny that it’s possible for our children to be corrupted.  It’s possible for us to be corrupted as adults as well.  However, Jesus gave this call to all of his followers.  As I search the Scriptures, I don’t see any age limit put on it.

            And not only is this true, we see also how God used young people to do great things.  We see that, when he was only a child, God spoke to Samuel and he became a great prophet.  We see that, when David was quite young, God used him to slay Goliath.  We aren’t given Mary’s age, but most scholars believe she was young when she was told that she would bear the Son of God. 

            God can use young people because they don’t fulfill this call by their own abilities.  And neither do we.  It’s not our wisdom that enables us to carry out this call.  Nor is it our maturity or strength. 

Jesus told his followers that, when his Spirit came upon them, they would be his witnesses.  It was the Holy Spirit who enabled them to carry out this call.  And, in the same way, it’s by the Holy Spirit that our children, that young people, can carry out this great work.

            I was a believer throughout most of my childhood.  And as I think about school, I see mostly my failure to reach out to my teachers and classmates.  I was so desperate to fit in that I kept my mouth shut.  I hope and pray that my own children, as well as yours, will not fail in this way.  I pray that they’ll fulfill this calling.  I pray that they will be the start of a revival here in Beulah.  I pray that, through their witness, many will come to know the Lord and his salvation.

This past Sunday at Prince of Peace, we concluded our series on failure.  As we did so, we looked at the apostle Paul.  Once again, we see his sin and that he's no better than us.  But we find that we are guilty of the same sin, and just in need of God's mercy.  And we see the grace of God given him in spite of his sin.  To hear this message, click on the link!

Do We Love God's Word?

“Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all the day.”

(Psalm 119:97 ESV)

“Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.”

(Psalm 119:105 ESV)

            As we read through Psalm 119, one thing is plain.  The author of this Psalm loved the Word of the Lord.  His thoughts were focused on God’s Word throughout the day, and they guided the actions he took.  But, reflecting on this, I’m forced to ask: Is this our attitude today, when it comes to God’s Word?

            So often today, even in the church, a different attitude is prevalent.  Even though we will say that we love God’s Word, we never take the time to read it or study it.  It’s not something on which we focus during our day to day life.  More often than not, we have no idea what the Bible even says. 

            Quite often, reading God’s Word and reflecting upon it is seen as more of a chore than a joy.  If we do it at all, it isn’t done out of our desire to know the Lord or the words he’s spoken.  It’s done out of a sense of duty.

            God’s Word is also not what guides our steps.  Instead of looking to Scripture when making decisions, we look to our own wisdom.  Instead of looking to Scripture to determine the right course of action, we look to our feelings and to popular opinion. 

            When we do look to God’s Word, we often find that it makes us uncomfortable.  It makes us uncomfortable because it contradicts what we tend to think and believe.  And this forces us to make a choice.  What do we believe is correct, our feelings or the written Word of God?

            Quite often, we look to Scripture and think that its teachings are outdated.  We believe that we’ve evolved past these doctrines of old.  We believe that if the authors of the Bible knew what we know now, it would read much different.

            When confronted with the uncomfortable aspects of Scripture, I’ve often heard people say something to the effect of: “My god would never say such a thing…My god would never do such a thing.” We often act as if we speak for God.  We act as though we’re a better judge of his character than he is himself.  We act as though we know him better than those who walked with him and who were inspired by the Spirit of God to pen the words preserved in the Bible.

            In closing, I want to leave you with a few statements, made by Jesus, regarding his Word:

"Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it."

(Matthew 7:24-27 ESV)

“Truly, truly, I say to you, if anyone keeps my word, he will never see death."

(John 8:51 ESV)

“The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day. For I have not spoken on my own authority, but the Father who sent me has himself given me a commandment-- what to say and what to speak. And I know that his commandment is eternal life. What I say, therefore, I say as the Father has told me."

(John 12:48 ESV)

"If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father's who sent me.”

(John 14:23-24 ESV)

Honoring the Aged

“Honor widows who are truly widows. But if a widow has children or grandchildren, let them first learn to show godliness to their own household and to make some return to their parents, for this is pleasing in the sight of God.”

(1Timothy 5:3-4 ESV)

            When I served my first congregation, I lived in a parsonage in inner-city San Diego.  Around me lived people from many different cultures and ethnic groups.  And something always struck me about these people. It was impossible to miss the fact that they are very family oriented. 

I had a Vietnamese family living on one side.  And in their home lived the grandparents, the parents, and the children.  On the other side of my home was an apartment complex where several Mexican families lived.  And they also maintained strong intergenerational connections. 

            I learned from a friend that, when a Vietnamese couple married, they moved in with the bride’s parents.  Her parents would help with the children and the housework.  And, as they aged, they were cared for by their children and grandchildren.

            This struck me because, in American culture, our goal is to get out of our parents’ house.  We want to get out on our own and take care of ourselves.  We have little, if any, desire to stay and to care for our parents.

            And this mentality is seen not only in the young.  As adults, we want to get our children out of the house so we can enjoy the quiet of our golden years.  Among older adults, it’s viewed as strange to have adult children living with you.  It signifies that your children have not succeeded and are not able to take care of themselves.

            As they age, many older adults are unwilling to live with their children.  They say that they don’t want to be a burden.  And, for this reason, they choose to move into a nursing home.

            It seems to me that we’ve lost sight of the call of God to take care of our family.  Paul, in the above passage, was talking about the care of widows.  And he encouraged the church to care for widows who were truly widows.  What he meant by this is that, not only have they lost their spouse, but that they have no family left to care for them.

            However, if a widow had family, if they had children or grandchildren, it was expected that they would provide care.  He refers to this as showing godliness to their own household.  He says that, in this way, they’re making some return to their parents.  And he tells us that this is pleasing in the eyes of God.

            We often fail to remember that, by serving our parents, by caring for them, we are serving God.  After all, it’s he who called us to honor our father and mother.  As Jesus points out, in Mark 7:9-13, by providing for our parents, by caring for them, we fulfill this command.

            In verse 8 of 1 Timothy 5, Paul makes a very strong statement, one that we’d do well to consider.  He says: “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Even unbelievers understand that it’s right and proper to care for their family.  So, if we fail to provide for our family, and this is especially true if we’ve failed to provide for those of our own household, we’ve denied the faith.  We cannot sincerely profess faith in Jesus if we’re unwilling to care for our family.

            Considering this, I think that it’s good for us to be counter-cultural here in America.  As the church, let us not fall into the mindset that’s so prevalent in our nation today.  Let us not ignore our parents as they age.  Let us not seek independence from our parents to the point where we no longer honor them.  And let us, as we age, willingly receive the care and provision of our children.