Love or Justice

I recently attended a funeral and had a few minutes before hand to talk to the minister who was performing it and asked him this question what do you do if you do not know the condition of the person that is being laid to rest. He explained you do no harm. We cannot know the condition of a person’s heart or their individual walk with Christ. He went on to say that people will tell you to look at the fruits of one’s life; however, we often remember people to be better than they really were. So always work towards uplifting the family and offering the hope found in a relationship with Christ Jesus. This has had me awake for a while this morning and I have been praying about it. I don’t want to inflict harm on anyone but have you ever listened at a funeral and heard someone say we commend so-and-so to the hands of a just God or we commend so-and so to the hands of a loving God. I guess my question is do we recognize the difference. Between a God of justice and a God of love not that there are two God’s but that in truth he views every person in a different manner based on their relationship with Jesus Christ. Justice dictates we get what we deserve as human beings born under the curse of sin we deserve death. However, In God’s love for us he has made a way for each of us to be forgiven and redeemed if we will only trust in Jesus Christ. Paul when writing to the Corinthians makes a simple point about love that I woke up thinking about;

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 (ESV)

 

Paul for the most part touches on every gift we can receive from God and tells us that without love it all means nothing. We fall right back into the place of justice were what we have been given to bless others is used to tear one another down and bring harm to the body of Christ. Not to mention the impact it has on those who are watching that do not know Christ and already have a view of Christians; that as a Christian, we should be ashamed of. I want to close with this thought do we show love to one another with in the church universal or do we seek to invoke our own brand of justice to advance our own selfish interests. I once heard a man say if it was not for the love that God had shown him in sending His son he would not be able to show love to others. Do you remember the love you have received and are you showing it to others both inside and outside of the church? Have a Blessed day as you walk in the Light of God’s Word.

Making Plans

How often have you decided that you just had to do or have something only to realize after you have done it or bought it that you made a mistake and that if you had taken just a little while longer and maybe listened to those around you who had already tried it or owned it you could have saved yourself a lot of time, money or suffering. I was reading this week in the book of Isaiah when I came across this passage that has been on my mind ever since. It is found in Isaiah 30:1;

1 “Ah, stubborn children,” declares the Lord, “who carry out a plan, but not mine, and who make an alliance, but not of my Spirit, that they may add sin to sin; (ESV) 

When I first read it I began to think about all the choices I have made personally that have ended with if not bad results questionable ones at the least. I have looked at them thinking what could I have done differently that would have added benefit to my life and the lives of those around me and now I can tell you I was consulting the wrong source for guidance in my decision making process. In Luke 14:28 the words of Jesus are recorded: 

28 For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? (ESV) 

We often think about what it will cost us when we are making plans. It's vacation time and everyone I know is preparing to go and do something this summer. One of the key issues that they will be thinking about is how much money do they have to do it with. It is for most people the deciding factor for what they will do and where they will go. However, I have a question what if there was a better source available to us by which to make decisions and it allowed us to enquire of the creator what he desired for us. Luckily we have such a resource as this.We read in John 14 about a promise from Jesus that we all need to look at and understand. 

¹⁵ “If you love me, you will keep my commandments. ¹⁶ And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, John 14:15-16 (ESV)

When Jesus ascended into heaven he provided us with a Helper, and it is not just any helper. He has all the wisdom, power, understanding and glory of God and dwells within every believer in Christ Jesus. The real question is are we listening to Him when we make our plans and I mean not just long term but even this morning have you asked God what He desires for you to do today or have you already established your plan. It’s easy to get up and think over all that we might have to get done today but is any of it really what God has created you for. You see that is one of the reasons so many people are unhappy in their lives they are pursuing their plans and not God’s not to say that were you are and what you’re doing is not part of His plan for your life but are you doing it in a fashion that brings Him glory or is it all about you?  

One last point as you are planning the future Jesus provided a warning in Luke 12:13-21: 

16 And he told them a parable, saying, “The land of a rich man produced plentifully, 17 and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ 18 And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. 19 And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.’ 20 But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ 21 So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (ESV) 

Not to say that having possessions is bad; trust me I have more than I will ever use. However the making of plans that are self-centered and without consultation from the Holy Spirit will leave us wondering why in the end. I pray that as you start today you take a few minutes to ask the Helper for guidance about your day. Pick up your bible and dust it off; get to know the Creator better so you can see His will for your life and begin walking in the Light of His Word.

Building Something the Right Way

In my normal routine I drive around a lot; recently I have been listening to a copy of The Bible Experience and if you are like me and trying to find time to fit more of God’s word into your day I would strongly recommend it or some other audio book of the Bible it can make a life changing impact on you and your family.

I shared that this morning because while I was listening yesterday I heard this passage of scripture and my mind has not stopped since and I just needed to share it with someone.

In Ephesians 2:10 Paul tells us,

 “10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago. (NLT)”

Each of our lives is lived in one of two ways following the plan of God or doing it ourselves. Ever put something together and had pieces left over only to realize that you did not put them were they were supposed to go and the item you put together breaks or has to be taken apart and put back together following the instructions. Our lives are like that too sometimes God has to break us to bring us back onto the plan he has for us.

We read in Hebrews 3:4-6,

“4 For every house has a builder, but the one who built everything is God.5 Moses was certainly faithful in God’s house as a servant. His work was an illustration of the truths God would reveal later.6 But Christ, as the Son, is in charge of God’s entire house. And we are God’s house, if we keep our courage and remain confident in our hope in Christ. (NLT)”

If you have never built anything or been involved with the construction of a home this might not make a lot of sense but there is a certain level of pride the builder feels when they complete the house. Often it is something that they have personally invested a lot of time and energy into. In some cases if the builder has more than one house under construction he has a foreman that runs each jobsite. Most good home builders want everything to be perfect for the person who will be living in it. To do this they follow a particular set of drawings or blueprints ensuring that the doors and windows are all in the right place that the electrical outlets and lights are where they should be. As Christians our walk is a lot like that; God has laid out a plan for each of us the master builder is Jesus Christ and the foreman on the jobsite is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit works in us to ensure we are following the plan laid out by God so that we can be made perfect under the careful instruction of the master builder. Having to help build my own home and having worked on several others I promise you it can be painful and it requires a lot of hard work. However, it is so rewarding to know that you have completed it and that it has been done right. So the question you need to ask yourself is who is building your house? Are you doing all the work following your own plan or are you allowing the site foreman control of the job just following the instructions he is providing? In the end what you allow the master builder (Jesus) and the foreman (Holy Spirit) to build will be far better than anything you ever imagined in the first place. I pray God moves in your life today and helps to show you were changes need to be made to put your life under his plan for it. Have a blessed day as you walk in the light of His Word.

Easter is Over; What's Next

Easter has come and gone and today as a Christian what has changed in your life. Were you part of a great service; where God was honored and glorified? Do you have a new desire to be on mission for Jesus and following after His will for you or are you in the 80% of those who sat on the pew this past week and nothing has changed. Maybe it’s because to many of us are hearers only. We come to church seeking the entertainment value of the musical performances and just enough of the word to make us feel good about ourselves. I know that might seem a little harsh; but if you look around its time we stop playing Christian and understand what our real mission is. Jesus did not die on the cross and go to the grave so we could dress up on Sunday’s and be entertained by a speaker and minstrels. Jesus commissioned His followers with a job to do. However, do we really know or understand what that Job looks like or even is.

In Matthew 28:16-20 we read these words from Christ to the eleven disciples who had walked with him after the resurrection;

16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” (ESV)

And in Mark we read:

14 Afterward he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were reclining at table, and he rebuked them for their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. 15 And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.” Mark 16:14-18 (ESV)

In Luke we read;

45 Then he opened their minds to understand the Scriptures, 46 and said to them, “Thus it is written, that the Christ should suffer and on the third day rise from the dead, 47 and that repentance and forgiveness of sins should be proclaimed in his name to all nations, beginning from Jerusalem. 48 You are witnesses of these things. 49 And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”

Luke 24:45-49 (ESV)

John also shares what Jesus instructs and it is found in Acts;

6 So when they had come together, they asked him, “Lord, will you at this time restore the kingdom to Israel?” 7 He said to them, “It is not for you to know times or seasons that the Father has fixed by his own authority. 8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:6-8 (ESV)

In each account we are provided direction for what we should be doing as Christians even today some 2000 years after the accession of Jesus and the out pouring of the Holy Spirit at Pentecost. The first one is we are to be witnesses to the nature and resurrection of Jesus. We may not have personally seen Jesus walking and talking after the three days in the tomb. However if Jesus has a true place in your heart you know and understand we serve a risen King. The second instruction is for us to make disciples those we witness to need to grow in faith and relationship with the Jesus through the Power of the Holy Spirit. When individuals begin to grow and allow the Holy Spirit to guide, direct and empower them as promised by Jesus they will be able to go and create disciples themselves. This is the tricky part and is when more preachers and teachers get confused. We are not called to shape people to be like us but instead to be like Jesus. We should not seek to have disciples but we should be teaching and preaching so that people are transformed into a likeness of Christ that others will see and desire to know for themselves.

The last part of the instruction is simple we are to start were we are. Those we interact with and are already ministering to must be reached for Christ. Not just saved and sanctified but taught and trained just as Jesus taught and trained the disciples. As the Holy Spirit begins to replace the desires of the flesh individuals will begin to move out from their Jerusalem and begin to spread the Gospel outside the walls of your church. We create who we are. It is a simple fact of nature and as a man I can only create other men; as a Disciple of Christ living under the authority of the word and power and instruction of the Holy Spirit I am empowered to lead guide and direct others to a saving knowledge of Christ and an empowering of the Holy Spirit and so is every believer who knows and understands the true mission of the Christian and church today. I challenge you today to examine yourself are you a witness and disciple of Christ, are you prepared to move outside your Jerusalem and reach into the Samaria that waits outside the walls of your church. Be blessed today as you walk in the light of His Word.