John 5:39 …45 2/18/2025

^“39You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; it is these that testify about Me”

^“45But do not think I will accuse you before the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom your hopes are set.” 

Jesus is telling the religious leaders of the day that they can’t see the forest for the trees… They’re searching scripture that has been written about Him, yet they don’t listen to Him.

What has deceived them?  It’s simply old-fashioned Pride. Pride is the original sin.  And no matter how often we indisputably prove it… we just can’t accept the fact that we are not innately good.  We are willing to jump through hoops, sacrifice, work… do almost anything to be counted as righteous…. Except admitting that we are not.

We judge the Pharisees for this then do the same thing. We ignore scripture because our itching ears want to hear how we can earn salvation…how we can be elevated… how that original sin of pride can be satisfied. If I can follow the law better than you, then I can reprimand you, sit at the head of the table, and have others admire my holiness… The problem is – I don’t have any holiness.

But the wakeup call in this passage is in the next comment Jesus makes …  He says don’t think it will be me that accuses you… What you have pinned your hopes on will be your judge … You have chosen self-righteousness as your hope for salvation, but since you’re not righteous…the very law you preach - will convict you.

Jesus is dismantling “works salvation”.  The Pharisees are stumbling over the stone that was rejected… insisting they are doing enough good to be saved… when the only reason any of us can do good, is because we have been saved.  Small detail – but it changes everything.

Jesus is in essence saying the plane is going down, and you need to make a choice. Either grab a parachute called “grace”,  or pridefully grab “papier-mâché” wings called “works”…

The wings look good, but they don’t fly…
The parachute, is awkward, you just hang on to it, but it will save you…

The dilemma is that you can’t grab both…  It’s your call.

“The greatest enemy to human souls is the self-righteous spirit which makes men look to themselves for salvation.” - Charles Spurgeon

 

Genesis 14:13…16 2/11/2025

“When Abram heard that his relative had been taken captive, he led out his trained men, born in his house, numbering 318, and went in pursuit” …”He brought back all the possessions, and also brought back his relative Lot with his possessions, and also the women, and the other people.”

In chapter 12, Abram pathetically lied to Pharaoh, telling him that his wife was instead, his sister. Abram placed his own safety above the safety and integrity of his wife. So, as I read this passage about his nephew being kidnapped by powerful kings, I found myself waiting to see how Abram would again spinelessly try to avoid trouble.  

But what I saw was Abram’s brave liberation of Lot.  He courageously led his men in a dangerous rescue against great odds. That is not what I expected since he had been such a coward earlier. Then it dawned on me… 

Abram is not defined by his worst mistake.  Thankfully, neither are we. 

What if you and I were labeled by our most humiliating failures? Unfortunately, too many of us believe that is the case. We get stuck in the shame of our past, thinking what we’ve done is too big to forgive. But God does more than forgive His children.  He obliterates our sin and remembers it no more.  No matter how egregious your sin is, the blood of Christ eradicates it … Never doubt the power of His blood. It alone sets you free. 

Make no mistake, Abram won’t be flawless on this side of Heaven. In fact, he will struggle again with the same temptations. But God still loves him, still delivers him, and will even give him a new name. Each day Abram obediently grows stronger and is used to do amazing things for God’s Kingdom. 

You are not disqualified.  Christ’s resurrection does more than clean you… it allows you to start over.  God sees only the perfection of His Son when He looks at you. 

Abandon your shame… it is a lie.  You are a new creation free from your past… Your future is empowered by the Cross. God’s mercy is new each morning, you have been reborn, no longer bearing the stain of your sin. 

Forget what lies behind and persist in becoming the brave, honorable man God created you to be.

“Who you’ve been, ain’t who you got to be.” – Tim McGraw

Genesis 11: 8- 9 2/4/2025

“So the Lord scattered them abroad from there over the face of all the earth; and they stopped building the city.  Therefore, it was named Babel, because there the Lord confused the language of all the earth...”

I remember in high school reading about the Tower of Babel and wondering why God would not want us all to live together, communicating with each other.  I questioned His decision to split us up.

A few years later the internet opened my eyes. We are an ugly species, when offered the opportunity to exalt ourselves.  Our sins gain momentum when we have a platform.  Nowadays, the more people who comment online,  the more evil, stupid, and arrogant the conversation becomes.... no wonder God scattered us. 

It concerns me that we are working so hard to get back to the city of Babel… desperate to “make a name for ourselves” by becoming “influencers”, reaching more and more “followers”… Looking for answers among ourselves and getting more addicted to the dopamine with every click. 

It is the same as when He divided the city of Babel… They too, were building a tower to elevate themselves. They were making a name for themselves not worshipping the name of the Lord. So, God not only ended construction and confused their language… He scattered them out of the city.

There are a few cities that need scattering today – Our megacities have demonstrated that the more connectivity we have,  the more we validate God’s reasoning for dispersing the city of Babel.  

Are you using your ever-expanding audience to exalt the name of the Lord, or are you building a monument to yourself?  If you are elevating yourself and others like you,  you will soon discover that we don’t have the answers, because we are the problem…  look in the mirror, and you will see that the Cross is the only solution.  

There is nothing good in man… until the Spirit of God enters him. God loves you not because of what you have done, but in spite of it.  Tear down the tower you have built … Die to yourself… be born again in Christ and elevate God as He forms you into who you were created to be. 

"The depravity of man is at once the most empirically verifiable reality but at the same time the most intellectually resisted fact."
- Malcolm Muggeridge

John 18:28 1/28/2025

“Then the Jewish leaders took Jesus from Caiaphas to the palace of the Roman governor. By now it was early morning, and to avoid ceremonial uncleanness they did not enter the palace, because they wanted to be able to eat the Passover.”

This is a snapshot of religious hypocrisy.  These synagogue leaders conspired to murder The Messiah; a clear violation of a commandment contained in the law on which they claim to base their lives… While violating this command they insist on practicing ceremonial “cleanness”, refusing to enter the palace so they can eat their Passover meal… If their duplicity wasn’t so lethal, it would be laughable. 

This illustrates what Jesus meant when He accused them of straining out a gnat while swallowing a camel, or called them whitewashed tombs, clean on the outside but contaminated on the inside. This hypocrisy draws severe reprimands from the Son of God, and it is rampant in our culture today.

As Christians, when we read about these Jewish leaders or see them depicted in movies, we feel contempt for them. But if we just glance in the mirror, we’ll see disturbing similarities.

Do we embrace commands we agree with, demanding others do the same, yet disregard any command we find inconvenient?  How many times do we sit in church and judge people for judging people, or gossip about people gossiping, or refuse to love those who refuse to love others?… The quicksand of hypocrisy consistently proves disastrous, yet we continually “cherry pick” commands that fit our preferences and ignore those that don’t.

This morning’s message is not to drug dealers and prostitutes but to the church.  Don’t pick and choose the commands of God that suit you… If you’re a Believer, act like one- all of the time.  Ignoring scripture and rationalization is not an acceptable reaction to what God calls sin.  The only response that is biblical is “Confession and repentance”.

Because He loves you, God has offered amazing grace. If you have accepted that gift, then be holy… not so you will be saved, but because you have been.  

If you don’t think you need His grace – then reject God’s offer and make your own way.  Be hot or cold, but don’t be two-faced.  Choose this day whom you will serve… and then dive in.

“Godliness is more easily feigned in words than in actions” - Jonathan Edwards

John 4:25-26 1/21/2025

“The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”  Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you — I am he.”

Jesus is talking to a woman at a water well who is so low on the social ladder that she gets water in the heat of the day. She prefers to come when no one else is there, as to not endure the judgement of “religious” folks who live nearby. 

The clarity and compassion of Jesus’ answer is noteworthy.  By studying His conversations with high-ranking officials, we see that Jesus answers questions in a complex manner if your motive for asking is your own advancement, or to argue a point.  But here, He plainly responds to the true heart of a broken sinner seeking to know Him.  

It is interesting to compare the world’s opinion of this wayward woman to the lofty reputation of Herod and Pilate… and see the difference in the way Jesus responded to each.  God’s ways are not only different than ours, they’re often completely opposite. When God says the first will be last, and the servant will be the master… He actually means it. 

Do I believe that?  If I do, then why do I focus on powerful wealthy people and disregard those who have little worldly influence? Even in the church, there is a tendency to fawn over those high on the societal scale, which contrasts with Jesus’ actions in this passage.

Think about your last interaction with what the world calls a successful person and compare it to the last time you spoke to someone who was homeless.  Even if you said the right words, examine your heart in those two conversations…. Do you and Jesus agree on the importance of these individuals, or do you have it backwards?  Are you seeking “first the Kingdom of God” … or has that fallen to second place, behind networking with those who can help you build your own little kingdom?

Decide today to view people through Jesus’ eyes. Otherwise, you may find yourself investing your time in people who care only for themselves and missing great relationships with those who will be first in the Kingdom of God.  

“You can easily judge the character of a man by how he treats those who can do nothing for him.” -  Malcolm Forbes

Psalm 43:5 1/14/2025

“Why, my soul, are you downcast? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise him, my Savior and my God.”

Psalm 43 was written by king David, a man who suffered greatly.  

Like most of us, his suffering resulted from both the actions of evil men in a broken world, and his own sinful deeds …So, this prayer can be seen as a templet for most of the difficult situations we find ourselves in. It calls on us to make a decision… are we going to focus on the circumstances, or are we going to place our hope and  trust in God?

I don’t ask that question flippantly.  Life can be incredibly hard.  In this verse David’s family and friends were trying to Kill him.  David’s heart was breaking. Yet he makes a choice.  He chooses to reject his anxiety and place his hope in God… David makes and executive decision to stop being downcast and instead Praise his Savior, and trust that God is still in the business of delivering His children.  

What about you?  What will you do when your heart is breaking?… No problem is big until it is yours, and the world can be dark and threatening… but we must decide whether or not we think God is still in control.

Sometimes we look for worry, we scan the web looking for reasons to be upset… But sometimes trouble kicks the door in, and feels insurmountable, dark, and unescapable… Even then, we must decide.  Even when our world hangs in the balance, we must choose what determines our actions and attitude. 

Will I trust Him?  Is He God, or not?  Will I, when under pressure, take the situation out of His hands and try to anxiously handle it myself?  

Like David, ask yourself why you’re downcast... If the problem is bigger than God, then continue in your despair … but if not, make the difficult resolution to praise Him in the midst of the battle. You can’t really claim to have faith in a chair until you’re sitting in it. So have a seat. There is only one God and He has proven His love for you. Draw close to Him and rest in His shadow.

“Faith is deliberate confidence in the character of God whose ways you may not understand at the time.” -Oswald Chambers

Jude 1:11-14 1/7/25

“Woe to them! For they have gone the way of Cain, and for pay they have given themselves up to the error of Balaam, and perished in the rebellion of Korah. These are the ones who are hidden reefs in your love feasts when they feast with you without fear, like shepherds caring only for themselves; clouds without water, carried along by winds; autumn trees without fruit, doubly dead, uprooted;  wild waves of the sea, churning up their own shameful deeds like dirty foam; …”

Jesus’ little brother isn’t being very “seeker sensitive” with this reprimand. He’s warning hypocritical teachers who use church to advance themselves, not others, and certainly not God.  Jude describes their actions precisely so there will be no question about what they’re doing:

- The way of Cain was envy. Cain’s sacrifice wasn’t accepted so he murdered his brother out of resentment. 

- The error of Balaam was covetousness, he loved money and adulterous idolatry.

- Korah stood against Moses. Pursued self-advancement and rejected admonishment from godly leaders. 

James says these “pretenders” are collecting dire consequences for themselves. They cater to the rich and mistreat the poor…  not fearing God, and even taking communion in a blasphemous manner. Their envy, covetousness, and pride are making them detrimental to the Kingdom.

As a group, they’re disappointing, like clouds without water.  If the church had been in Texas Jude might have said they were “all hat, and no cattle”.  This duplicity is displeasing to God and carries severe consequences.

Jude doesn’t beat around the bush; this is what we call a good old fashioned “butt chewing”.  The people he is speaking to know exactly who they are, and their response will dictate their future.

What about us…. What will our response be when our own hypocrisy is openly pointed out?  Will we deflect blame and choose the way of Cain, Balaam, or Korah?  Or will we “own it”, confess it, and change it?   

If you want the new year to be different than the past, begin by owning your garbage… and commit to cleaning it up.  …You can’t change what you don’t acknowledge. So, honestly examine your life, accept responsibility, reject sin, and pursue holiness. Start by drawing a circle around yourself and working on everything inside that circle. 

“Sincerity makes the very least person to be of more value than the most talented hypocrite.” -Spurgeon

John 3:20-21 12/31/2024

“For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light, so that his deeds will not be exposed. But the one who practices the truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds will be revealed as having been performed in God.”

If you’re sensitive you might want to skip this one, because it is impossible to soften the message this passage delivers. It basically says we are either moths, or cockroaches… We either fly to the light or hide in the dark.  

Our reaction to light does not make us Christian, but it reveals what we worship.  Do we sit on the throne and design our own kingdom, or as servants of Christ, do we follow scripture?

Do I shine God’s light into every area of my life, or do I keep some dark corners for myself?  What about that one area that I know God’s word says is unacceptable, yet I continually take verses out of context and look for interpretations that dim the severity of the warning, allowing me to continue living in what God clearly calls sin? 

In our culture it is easy to find “cheerleaders” for various immoral activity.  There are “churches” who will block the light in any area you desire.  They offer a scriptural buffet, so you can pick and choose what commands of God you want to obey.  They shine the light on areas they agree with and allow complete darkness in areas they don’t want exposed. 

That has never been God’s offer.  His holiness is all encompassing and requires obedience.  If your conduct is determined only by scripture you agree with, you are not worshiping God, you are worshiping you. And therein lies the problem. Every human knows there is a God, but some have declared themselves for the job. 

The choice has been the same since the garden… Do you seek His will, or yours?  Do you ignore uncomfortable verses and dim the light in areas you want left undisturbed, or do you shine God’s word into every part of your life to insure it is what He designed it to be?  

Jesus is the light of the world, follow His word completely and it will lead you out of the darkness.

A moth, or a cockroach… you can’t be both.

“Christian liberty is freedom from sin, not freedom to sin.” – A.W. Tozer

Luke 2:10-11 12/24/2024

“But the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid. I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.  Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is the Messiah, the Lord.”

How long will we continue to obsess over decorated trees, food, and gifts to the exclusion of the “good news” of Christmas? The food will just make you fat and tired, the gifts will be forgotten, but the good news is what brings GREAT JOY.   

Did you have joy last Christmas?... If not, then this year, read this passage again and change your focus.  You have a Savior who invaded this world of evil to redeem you and radically change your life. Don’t minimize that miracle with reindeer and candy canes.  

Christmas is the most important occurrence in the history of humanity, yet all we think about  are trinkets and decorations… Have you considered what you’re celebrating?  Do you realize that God launched a mission to save your soul two thousand years ago?  

If this is not your emphasis, change your focal point  … Make this your first real Christmas by letting the freedom purchased for you be a new beginning. His birth means you never have to live a meaningless, defeated life again. 

I am certainly no angel, but I have great news that will blow the lid off of your mundane life.  A Savior has been born behind enemy lines. Christmas was a tactical assault,  launched to free you from the chains of sin… God paid your debt.  You have been liberated and offered citizenship in Heaven with your Father who loves you.  That is the staggering  “good news” that changes everything.

Enjoy the family time, eat the pecan pie, have fun giving and getting gifts… But remember that is all just peripheral stuff we do to celebrate the birth of God’s Son, who came to earth so that whoever believes in Him will not perish but have everlasting life!

So, don’t be distracted by the lights, and presents …  The gift you are looking for isn’t under a tree … It was crucified on one.  Jesus is the gift that provides freedom, redemption,  and Great Joy! Open that gift this Christmas and your life will never be the same.

"Christmas is the day that holds all time together." - Alexander Smith

John 13:4-5 12/17/2024

“...so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist.  After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples’ feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.”

I always think of my buddy Bruce when I read this passage.  Every day in whatever role he found himself, Bruce lived out what Jesus taught here…  He understood that Christ’s example in this passage eliminates our ability to avoid tasks we think are beneath us or inconvenient. 

My problem in this area is that I love the concept of washing feet a lot more than I love washing feet.  It is even more convicting when I noticed that Jesus was eating dinner at the time and got up to serve His disciples… So now I must be willing to do menial tasks even when they interrupt my plans. It is difficult for me to mesh my perception of “greatness” with a towel wrapped around my waste wiping off smelly appendages… But that just means I don’t get it… It means I don’t have the faintest idea of what greatness is.  

Make no mistake, I am happy to participate in service projects scheduled for appropriate times – where people can admire my selflessness. But unlike the King of Kings, I am seldom excited about interrupting my meal to help my friends… If you have a need, let’s check my calendar and see if it’s convenient for me.

The problem is that my viewpoint constantly has me in the center… Even if I feel convicted for not being enough of a servant - I am soon proud of myself for my conviction… ugh.  I think that’s why Jesus didn’t just talk about serving… He got up and did it.  I think He expects the same from us.

So, what’s your plan? Are you willing to pray for interruptions that allow you to serve others?  Will your lofty position stop you from getting your hands dirty?  What will happen this afternoon when you must choose between finishing your meal, or washing someone’s feet?

It’s pretty simple really, you can elevate yourself today by speaking eloquently about the needs of your neighbor, or you can grab a towel and start meeting them.

“What will you do today, Pick up your Title… or pick up a towel?”
– Bruce Hayes