One Day.....

“He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.” (Revelation 21:4, ESV)”

I’ve been working on several posts the last couple of days, but tonight as I sit at my desk working on several different projects I can’t help but think of that coming day when death will be extinguished forever, never to be seen again. In that day sorrow will never be felt again. The scriptures say that death no longer has power over us, but in Revelations 20 we see where death itself is destroyed, “Then Death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire...” (Revelation 20:14, ESV).

“But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.” (2 Peter 3:13, ESV)

While I understand that these scriptures communicate a heartbreaking message of judgment and destruction it also communicates a hope that we all hold to as followers of Christ. That the work of Christ on the cross and in the resurrection not only went to redeem man, but to redeem creation itself. The scriptures say that the streams will flow in the desert, and that the lion and the lamb will lie together.

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God. ” (Romans 8:18-19, ESV)

Do you see what Paul says there? That the pain we feel and trouble we experience now is not even worth comparing with what we will experience in the age to come. I know that is not easy to say but we don’t understand the glory we will live in.

“For behold, I create new heavens

and a new earth,

and the former things shall not be remembered

or come into mind.” (Isaiah 65:17, ESV)

My consolation to hurting hearts in Christ is this. Look ahead of you and to the promise of Christ, to the day of salvation in its fullness. It’s ok to cry, grieve, hurt, but not as those who do not have hope (1 Thessalonians 4:13), because in Christ we have a hope of a better day. A day absent of hurt, sorrow, and pain, friends what a day that will be when righteousness reigns and evil is never to be remembered. Until then His Spirit is here comforting us and encouraging us to press on. So press on my brothers and sisters with that day in mind.

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Holy Spirit

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“And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.” (1 Corinthians 2:1-5, ESV)

This passage of scripture came to me the other night as I visited a family. I was asked to come speak and pray with a lady who was on her death bed. Upon arriving I found a very weak woman in an impossible situation, naturally speaking. It was very heartbreaking to see this lady. I had a dear friend go along with me to pray for this lady, as we were praying I felt the feebleness of my own words, I knew that there was nothing in and of myself that could save this lady. I couldn’t say a good enough prayer to save her or heal her. It was truly going to have to be the power of God that saved this precious lady.

I mean I can do a lot of things in my own strength. I can encourage people, lead people, I could even preach a half decent sermon apart from Holy Spirit. But as I stood above this lady I knew that there was nothing I could muster up to save her. I could craft a really nice sounding prayer and it would not save her.

Paul tries to relate some of the same ideas in the passage above. He says that when he came to the Corinthians he didn’t even attempt to persuade them with eloquent words but rather he trusted only the power of the Spirit.

This experience here left me in a place of desperation for the Spirit’s power. I need to be utterly dependent on the Spirit everyday for his power because it is only through him that we will see people truly set free and healed.

I can’t preach a good enough sermon to save anyone; I truly need the power of the Spirit to change hearts and minds.

Think about these things the next time you are praying. The temptation is to craft a really good spiritual prayer but what matters most is what you are trusting in. Your elaborate prayer does not move God, the volume of your prayer does not move God. Rather what moves Him is faith. Faith in the Spirit's power, not your words. 

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Puzzled?

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This morning my Pastor spoke about finding your place and used puzzle pieces as an analogy to explain the Body of Christ. It reminded me of a similar analogy I used in something I wrote five years ago this week. I found it amazing that the Lord would use it again as he spoke to my Pastor about it this last week. So on that subject I hope this blesses you.

August 19, 2008 

The Body of Christ is like a puzzle and when put together looks like Christ. Now every puzzle piece looks different. Some are big and some are small. Some are bright and some are dark. Then some are just a mixture of everything. Now the thing about almost every puzzle piece is that they have two distinct characteristics, the connectors. One part sticks out and one part caves in. The only way for the picture to be seen in its fullness and with clarity is to assemble the whole puzzle into one picture so the only thing that is seen is the picture and not the pieces.

Now in regards to Christ and his believers is just that. Each believer is a different piece of the puzzle meaning that they have connectors which are strengths and weaknesses. In order for Christ to be seen in his fullness, just like the puzzle we too must come together and unite. We must allow someone else's strengths to overlap and fill in our weakness. Allow our vision to contribute to someone else's. We must really see ourselves as pieces to something bigger. That each of us has been given something to contribute to the bigger picture. That even though some pieces may look bigger, they still need the smaller ones to complete the job.

The problem though arises when we believe that we have the whole picture and that there is nothing to add to it. That one puzzle piece believes he's the picture. He becomes a one man show; In essence becoming God.

Our goal and ultimate destiny is to reveal Jesus. In order to do that, we must unite every piece into one picture to show the fullness of Jesus. God made each of us distinctively different not so we would stand out, but so we could each come together in humility to share our differences in order to reveal our similarity which is Christ.

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The Forbidden Fruit and Adam's Response

“And they heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. But the Lord God called to the man and said to him, “Where are you?” And he said, “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself.” He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten of the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?” The man said, “The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.” Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this that you have done?” The woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.” Genesis 3:8-13

At the moment I am attending Liberty University, a Christian college, and I’m working on my degree online. Very often our course work requires us to incorporate scripture into our assignments as we work to integrate faith and the world of psychology.

Last night I was working on an assignment and I chose to use the above text depicting the Fall of Man in the garden. As I was working on my assignment and looking closely at the text I found it interesting that when Adam and Eve hid, they hid because of their nakedness, not because they had broken a command. Adam said “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was afraid, BECAUSE I WAS NAKED, and I hid myself". He did not even mention eating the fruit. Now maybe it is implied that is why he hid, I don’t know. I just found it interesting the reason Adam gave was that he hid because of his nakedness.

I have my own ideas, I was wondering what some other thinkers might think.

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Burnt Out

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Ok let’s admit it. It happens to us all; we all get stale in our faith, bored, worn out, stagnant. In today’s modern evangelical world it is easy to get lost in so many well-meaning things and totally lose sight of what we are really doing.

It happens to me from time to time. I can tell when it is happening because I lose the satisfaction of serving, giving, studying, and even praying.  Everything then becomes an obligation.

Why does this happen? This should not be our attitude as believers right? I mean do we not remember who it is we’re serving? Well that may be the problem at times, and I dare say most of the time.

Whenever we find ourselves in this place it is mostly because we have lost the awe and wonder of who Christ is. Our eyes have lost sight of His majesty and have instead embarked on some other spiritual journey instead of seeking to know Christ.

This is how we end up in this place of dissatisfaction; when programs, leadership status, titles, and so on take the place of the wonder and awe of Christ. Now all those things are good in their place but everything out of its place, though good, can become bad.

I just posted on Facebook the other day “Being a preacher is like framing a picture, you're just trying to make Christ the focal point.” The problem so many times is that we have moved the frame from centering on Christ and have made the focal point other things and have diminished Christ to a footnote.

The book of Colossians has always been able to stir my heart for the Lord. I can’t explain it fully but I think it has something to do with how it frames Christ. Here read it for yourself;

 “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent.” (Colossians 1:15-18, ESV)

That in all things He might be preeminent, first, top, of greatest importance. That everything was created by Him, the universe was formed by HIS HANDS. Not only did he create it but HE HOLDS IT TOGETHER. All matter is being held together by HIS power! Your chair is a chair right now by HIS COMMAND.

Maybe that doesn’t stir you but I challenge you one night to go outside under the night sky, away from the city lights, look at the stars and recite those passages to yourself. Remind yourself of how big he is, how powerful he is.

The old hymn was correct when it said “And the things of Earth will grow strangely dim in the light of His glory and grace.”

Nothing seems to matter a lot when you are blinded by the majesty of Christ. Tribulations become just as the scriptures say, “a light momentary affliction” 2 Corthinians 4:17. No other endeavor is as attractive. Nothing else holds power over us. When we gaze into His awesomeness we experience freedom to the utmost.

So are you burnt out? Do you feel worn out? Tired? Lost in your faith? Lacking excitement and zeal?

Step back from every pursuit you have. Leave every frustration behind. Adjust your eyes to once again gaze upon the beauty of Christ and watch the Spirit renew you and fill you with fresh strength and vision. That is my prayer for you today my friends.

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What Is Love?

I think a horrible fantasy to live in is where Love is thought of as this eternal bubbly feeling that never leaves. I find that sometimes people are under this impression that love hits you and it never leaves.  I think love is something that must be maintained. I found this out several weeks after I got married.

Now many of you reading may disagree with me and that’s because you are not married or you have some abnormally great marriage where nothing goes wrong. I think love is like any other emotion. It must be maintained in order for it to be present. See, I stay mad when I continually remind myself of something that was done to me, the same thing can be said about depression. When I choose to not dwell on those things I’m not mad or depressed.

Galatians 5:22 “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,..”

Galatians says that love is a fruit of the Spirit, meaning that love is something that the Holy Spirit produces in us. Now as humans we have love, but it is mostly shallow, self-serving, and short lived, but the love the Spirit produces in us is described in 1 Corinthians 13: 4-7:

“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.”

This type of love is sacrificial, unconditional, and durable.

For me to love my wife as I should, or better yet love people the way Jesus calls me to, requires an intentional and deep relationship with the Holy Spirit.

Going into a marriage or relationship without this revelation can lead to a failed marriage, or worse stuck in a relationship that lacks love and is filled with bondage. We must go into a marriage understanding that the Holy Spirit is the one that breathes life. I have learned that a successful marriage requires two people seeking Christ, two people drinking from the fountain of life.

“ I therefore, a prisoner for the Lord, urge you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling to which you have been called, with all humility and gentleness, with patience, bearing with one another in love, eager to maintain the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.” Ephesians 4:1-3

The foundation of my marriage must be a relationship with the Holy Spirit or else everything else is bound to fail or be unfruitful and void of life. 

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Faithfulness of Christ

 

“If we are faithless, he remains faithful…” 2 Timothy 2:13

After my last post, I laid my head on my pillow and this scripture came to my mind. It has been the only thing I’ve been able to think about since we last spoke. I don’t think we can give a great picture of faithfulness without looking at the faithfulness of Christ towards us as His bride.

At my wedding, and most any other wedding, I’ve heard these words;

“I, (Bride/Groom), take you (Groom/Bride), to be my (wife/husband), to have and to hold from this day forward, for better or for worse, for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish; from this day forward until death do us part.”

It is a pledge a man and a woman make to each other on their wedding day to say to each other, “I don’t care what happens I’m committed to you until the end.” It’s saying that you aren’t waiting for something better to come along but that you are choosing to love them and care for them no matter the circumstances.  Even if for some reason the other chooses to be unfaithful we are committing to remain faithful.

That last sentence perfectly describes 2 Timothy 2:13 (“If we are faithless, he remains faithful”). When God saves us, He promises to be faithful to us. That at times we may be unfaithful to him, but he is continually at work in us being faithful to what he said he would do. Continually calling us, convicting us, drawing us, changing us, LOVING US!

Meditating on the faithfulness of Christ towards me is what motivates me to strive to be faithful in my marriage to the utmost. Now at the moment you may automatically claim to have a handle on faithfulness, but let me contend with you that we are all prone to wander. If we will wander from the one who is ultimately faithful (Christ), we will wander from those in our lives who are not perfect.

I have no advice to give you except the example of Christ. Be marveled at His faithfulness towards you and pray for his Spirit to strengthen you to continue in faithfulness towards Him and others.

Deuteronomy  7:9 “Know therefore that the Lord your God is God, the faithful God who keeps covenant and steadfast love with those who love him and keep his commandments, to a thousand generations,”

1 Corinthians 1:9 “God is faithful, by whom you were called into the fellowship of his Son, Jesus Christ our Lord.”

2 Corinthians 1:18 “As surely as God is faithful…”

1 Thessalonians 5:24 “He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

2 Thessalonians 3:3 “But the Lord is faithful. He will establish you and guard you against the evil one.”

Hebrews 3:6 “…Christ is faithful over God's house as a son.”

Revelation 19:11 “Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war.”

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Faithful

Today I want to continue sharing what I have learned in my marriage. I’m not saying I’m a marriage expert, because I still have lots to learn, but maybe my insights can encourage or help others in their journey with their spouse or show young people who are looking to get married what this life looks like.

One word that has struck me in the last couple of months is the word “faithful”. The depth to which I am to be faithful to my wife is so much more than just the outward appearances but stretches down to my affections and thoughts (my inner man/being). Jesus says this in Matthew 5:28 “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (ESV)

Wow, that is pretty intense. Most people do their best not to physically commit adultery with another person, but this calls us to a level of faithfulness that is unheard of. I think that we tend to forget that not only have we pledged to love our spouse with our physical members(our body), but also with our mind(thoughts), and our heart(affections).This is so important married men, adultery starts in the heart, if you can win the battle in the heart you will win it in the flesh. That is why James says in James 1:13-15,

”Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one. But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.”(ESV)

It is so important to keep your heart guarded so that you can stay faithful in your marriage. Because it all starts in your heart. This is very applicable in your relationship with Christ.

There are several warnings against idolatry in scripture. Idolatry is not you carving a wooden figure and you worship it, but it is anything you place above Christ and find satisfaction in. Television can easily become an idol, so can cell phones, relationships, even FACEBOOK!

As believers we too have to guard our hearts and not allow ourselves to worship anything else but 

Christ. “Little children, guard yourselves from idols.” 1 John 5:21. The Bible says in Matthew 22:37, “And he[Jesus] said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind”.

We should seek to honor God with every aspect of our life. Not just our external actions but also the activities of our heart. I constantly must be vigilant to keep watch and make sure I do not exalt anything above Christ because nothing else is worth the worship that is due His name.

My wife is a very jealous person, as she should be. If at any time she feels that something or someone is taking the attention that is due her name, she sees fit to intervene. The same is true about our Lord. He is jealous for us and if anything seems to come between us and Him he will see fit to intervene.

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God…” Exodus 20:4-5.

So how do we guard ourselves in our marriage? Here are three things I have learned to do in my first year of marriage.

1. Don’t keep secrets. It is always in the dark places that the enemy is at work. Secrets have a habit of making you keep a secret life.
2. Be careful of how “close” you allow people to come. No one should get into the secret places of your heart except your spouse.
3. No one should know more than your spouse. This is a very practical thing that means a lot to your spouse.

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What Marriage Has Taught Me

For the next couple of posts I want to talk about what I've learned from my marriage. I have been thinking about writing this since the week after my marriage. See just in the first week I learned how different marriage is and how it clarifies what my relationship with Christ should look like. It has been amazing to see with clarity what it means to be united with Christ and to see what Christ is doing for me.

Paul says this in Ephesians 5:31-32 “Therefore a man shall leave his father and mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.” This mystery is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church.”  Daily I learn this mystery and marvel at the love and mercy of Christ.

I have now been married to my beautiful wife for a year this past March. It has been a great adventure, but it has not been without its tough times. See marriage has this habit of showing you who you really are. See, when I lived alone it was easy to believe that I was perfect, but when you live with someone you are able to see how imperfect you are. Marriage for me has truly been a sanctifying process to make me more like Christ.

In the first week of my marriage I learned how selfless my wife is. I also learned how selfish I was and still am. I learned how much I demand my life to be about me instead of others.  The Lord convicted me of this and continually calls me to lay myself down for my wife in every way possible.

In Ephesians 5:25-26 we are given a picture of marriage. “Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself up for her, so that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word...”(ESV)

I learn the gravity of this scripture daily, knowing that I have been given to my wife so that I can love her and guide her into Christ. Daily I worship God by laying down my desires, goals and ambitions to love, protect and care for my wife. I look at the example of Christ and follow it knowing that this is what pleases God. I remind myself daily that my first ministry is to her and that I am to let nothing come between us.

The same is true with Christ, He laid his life down for us to redeem us and cleanse us. We often like to hear that Christ died to save us but we never look at ourselves as possessions. See if I go out and buy something, I use it for whatever I need it for. Why? Because I bought it, and just as Christ has bought us, we are to live for His purposes and plans and not our own.

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20, ESV)

“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)

And because of that I must also see myself as a possession of my wife, given to her to be utilized for her good.  “For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does.” (1 Corinthians 7:4). Even though this passage speaks of conjugal rights, how much more should it mean everything else, my time, affections, gifts, talents and resources? 

If you are married, look at the example of Christ and endeavor to be selfless and purpose to do everything for the benefit of your spouse. Encourage them, pray for them, lead them to Christ daily and you will come to a greater understanding of how Christ is serving you.

If you are single, endeavor to be a possession of the Lord. Practice now denying yourself so that you can come to an understanding of what marriage is supposed to look like.

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