Matthew 19: 25-26 5/29/2018*13*

"When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Jesus had just finished telling the disciples that it was harder for a wealthy man to be saved than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Astonished, they asked the logical question…” who then can be saved?”

Jesus simply tells them that they are looking at the wrong transformative power in the equation.  It is not man’s ability that matters here. It is God’s.

The power of God is not restricted by the laws of the world He created. There are no limits on the love of a limitless God, and His ability to save us is based on His power not ours.

We tend to do the same thing as the disciples.  We think we need to be at a certain level before God can “help” us clear the hurdle to salvation. The enemy will use this to convince you that you are the one person God can’t change … that you have been so sinful that God won’t help you.

                                               

You are right…He won’t help you…He won’t make you better…but He will make you new.  His love will allow you to start over. His grace will allow you to be born again.

Stop listening to the lies of the enemy…. Stop believing that God can redeem others, but not you.

Your realization that you are not good enough, is a huge step toward your salvation. 

Take Him at His word… Drop to your knees and ask God to change the unchangeable, to forgive the unforgivable, and to make new that which was broken beyond repair. 

The fact that all of this is impossible, means that when it happens you will know God did it, and you will never again doubt the power of His amazing grace.

The invitation is open, your new life can start now… get out of the way of your own salvation and let God make you a new creation. 

“Since no man is excluded from calling upon God the gate of salvation is open to all. There is nothing else to hinder us from entering, but our own unbelief.” - John Calvin

2 Samuel 12: 5 -7 &13 5/22/2018*

"David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, 'As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.' Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man!"
.... Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

How do you respond when your sin is exposed?

These verses record the meeting between Nathan the Prophet, and David when he was confronted with his sin of adultery with Bathsheba.

David could have responded in anger at the accusation. As King, he had the power to have Nathan executed.

David also could have deflected the blame. He had a tough history.  He had been the youngest child, neglected and bullied. Later he had been pursued for no reason and tormented by Saul his king and mentor…he could have said his actions were a result of his environment.

But David did not respond in anger or self-pity.  He took the blame. He accepted the fact that his choices caused the pain in his life and acknowledged his sin.

David’s response was confession, remorse, and repentance.

How about you? How did you respond the last time you were confronted?

David makes lots of mistakes, but the title of “man after God’s own heart” is connected to one trait. David’s life is not self-centered, it is God-centered and when he fails God, it breaks David’s heart and leads him to repentance.  Does that describe you? 

Examine your life today…are there things you need to own?  Have you been dodging blame, and making excuses?

Sin grows when it is in the dark…drag it into the light….Confess it and accept responsibility and let God heal your soul.  Make His joy the most important thing in your life. That will put you on the path to becoming a man after God’s own heart.  

“A man can fail many times, but he doesn't become a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.”  John Burroughs

Romans 7: 24-25 5/15/2018*

“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Christianity is not a “self-help” program. It is not a “help” program at all.  It is a reconstruction project.  

God is not taking what is good in us and improving upon it.  He is replacing our depravity with His holiness.

The only answer to our sin is Jesus.  If someone is preaching about self-help, they have missed the point. You cannot repair yourself.  The sin you were born in has produced an unsalvageable body of death. Therefor you must be “reborn” a new creation in Christ.

Our society has tried to “market” Christianity by minimizing the offensiveness of our sin. You don’t find many church web sites today that refer to your wretchedness and need of redemption.

But our “wretchedness” is the only reason for the Cross… and that is central point of the gospel. It is our death and rebirth through the cross that sets us free.

It is misguided to think you can find a way to be good enough to be saved.  The opposite is true.  You are bad enough to need saving.

When you accept Christ’s death and resurrection as your own, you can rest in the fact that the old is passed away and you have been reborn in the righteousness of Jesus.

Rejoice in your new life of freedom and offer others the same redeeming love and forgiveness you have been freely given.

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

Jeremiah 17:7-8 5/8/2018*8*

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

What is the basis of your confidence? Does your source of assurance have the ability to endure difficult seasons?

This passage doesn’t say that trusting God eliminates problems. It says it provides sustenance to get through them. Storms will come, it will get hot, and there will difficult periods of drought.  

The location of your roots will not only determine your survival, but according to this verse, will determine the level of fear, and anxiety you experience.

There are bodies of water that appear with the rain but disappear in the heat of summer.  Those who depend on these temporary superficial sources of hope will struggle with fear and worry and will eventually perish.

But if you place your confidence in God.  If you plant yourselves next to His flowing stream of love and value, you will never lack the life-giving nourishment of His holiness.

Examine your source of confidence today. 

Make sure it not a shallow momentary source that will dry up when things get difficult.  Sink your roots next to God’s eternal spring of hope which will endure all seasons. It alone, can provide you with peace and assurance, and ensure that you produce the fruit you were created to produce.

“I abound not because I have a good store of money in the bank, nor because I have skill and wit with which to win my bread, but because the Lord is my shepherd.”
– Charles Spurgeon

Proverbs 16:24 5/1/2018*21*

“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones”

Pleasant words are rare in this day of rudeness and sarcasm.

Our culture views being abrupt and impolite as intelligent and self-assured, when in truth it is the opposite. Rudeness is usually a defense mechanism used by those who cannot intellectually defend their position.

Like children at recess, an argument seldom remains about the topic and usually morphs into an attempt to build yourself up by tearing down your opponent.

What if we refused to do that? What if we believed this proverb and set out to build others up with our words?

I want to challenge you to speak three compliments at work, and three with friends and family today.  Put some thought into what you are saying and make them accurate and meaningful. Not just superficial statements but appreciative encouragements tailored to the person receiving them.

Don’t tell anyone what you are doing and watch the impact these words have on others.  My hope is you will see the healing power of this and decide it is a habit worth intentionally continuing.

The world is full of people willing to reprimand and correct, but there is a shortage in the “building up” department. Fill that vacancy today and watch the truth of this proverb be demonstrated in those around you.

 “It is in your power to increase the world's happiness by giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them for a lifetime.”
- Dale Carnegie

Philippians 4:8 4/24/2018*10*

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

The word “Brainwashing” is a negative term that means the opposite of what it seems. It actually means the polluting of your brain with untruths in an effort to confuse you…  And that is what the world does on a minute by minute basis.

You cannot turn on the television, listen to the radio, or read the news without pollution being inserted into your conciseness by those who have an agenda.

There is an ongoing assault on your mind in an effort to drag you into untruth, and mental sickness. This verse gives you the antidote for that disease.

If you want to be physically healthy, you monitor what goes into your mouth. If you want to be spiritually and mentally healthy you monitor what goes into your mind.

If you live long enough in this fallen world, your brain will need washing.  Like changing an oil filter on your car, you must find a way to remove the filth that contaminates your life. 

This verse says you must choose to meditate on the opposite of what the world constantly pushes on you. Think about the things of God… goodness, purity, truth, excellence.

That is the filter.  Overcoming evil with good.  Put so many cleansing truths and purifying thoughts into your mind that they overpower the garbage of this world. 

You cannot overestimate how import it is to watch your mental diet …” think on these things”.  It’s a choice … and it produces results.

“The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.”
― Marcus Aurelius

Romans 6:13 4/17/2018*15*

“and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God.”

When dealing with sin you can’t just play defense.

When temptation comes you not only have to abstain…but you also must replace.

This verse not only tells us to stop presenting ourselves to sin…but to likewise start presenting ourselves to righteousness.

If you have a song stuck in your head and you spend the day thinking about how much you don’t like it, it will just become more entrenched.  Instead find a song you love…hum it, whistle it, think about it…and before you know it the other song is gone.

When the enemy attacks with temptation we must not only resist, but we must hit back with righteousness. We don’t just play defense, but like Christ did in the desert, we quote scripture and focus on God’s righteousness. 

The bible says to resist the devil and he will flee from you (James 4:7) …so if there is a sin that seems to defeat you, memorize verses that deal with it. Have a counter attack ready.  When tempted quote those verses and meditate on what they mean.

That is what the enemy fears…that is what will make him flee…the power of God through His Word.

So, the next time you are tempted don’t just block, but counter punch.  

If every time you are tempted it drives you to the Word, maybe the enemy will learn it is counterproductive to attack you in the first place.

“The aim of the gospel is the creation of people who are passionate for doing good rather than settling for the passionless avoidance of evil.”
― John Piper

Mark 1:35 4/10/2018*17*

"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed."

Sometimes we forget that our relationship with God is more important than our ministry.  We get so busy serving God that we fail to remember that we were created to fellowship with Him.  Viewing Him like a mascot that we cheer for, rather than a Loving God we spend time with.  If we aren’t careful, what was designed as a comforting Father child relationship can become a regimented, legalistic, and structured responsibility. 

Instead of pursuing Christian accomplishments maybe we should be pursuing time with God.  Instead of fighting for the cause of God, let’s fight the temptation to be too busy to spend time with Him. If we don’t, we will find ourselves trying to do the Lord’s work with our own power… and that is a recipe for disaster.  You cannot give what you don’t have.  You must fill your heart with the love of the Father before you can give that love to His children.

According to this verse, Jesus made it a practice to tune the instrument before the concert.  He prepared for the day by getting up early, leaving his bed,  and going off to be alone with God.  Jesus, the God/Man found it important to charge His batteries by connecting to the power of God. Is there any way of avoiding the clear message that we should do the same?

Don’t forget that before sin entered the world, we took long walks in the garden with our loving Father. That is what the cross reestablished, and the restoration of that fellowship is what the gospel is about.

We all have a long list of things to do today, and people who need a portion of our time.  But like Jesus did, we must make time to get up in the morning,  go to a solitary place, and connect with our Father… on purpose, and often.

Commit to intentionally setting aside time to spend alone with God. Church work and ministry accomplishments will never happen without the strength found in stopping the race for a while, being still, and knowing that He is God.

“… no large growth in holiness was ever gained by one who did not take time to be often long alone with God.” - Austin Phelps

1 Timothy 6:20 4/3/2018*22*

“Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge.”

Do you actively defend the integrity of God’s word? According to this verse we have been entrusted with that mission.  We are to stand guard against the forces that would water down truth to make it more palatable.  That will not make us popular, and just like the world hated Jesus, they will often hate His disciples as well.  But that is not our concern, because pleasing God must be our exclusive goal.

 

The gospel is pure truth, and Paul instructs Timothy to keep it that way. We must not bend the truth to fit our lives, we must bend our lives to fit the truth.  Truth is not defined by comfort, inclusion, happiness, or contentment.  Living in truth often produces those things, but truth is a static component that reflects the righteousness and the power of God. 

It has been said that we must all find “our own truth”. That kind of nonsense is what Paul calls “godless chatter” and is what is falsely called knowledge today by those who seek teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  The mantra is to eliminate “hate speech”, the problem is that those who hate truth, call truth hate, and our culture is quick to attempt to cancel it. There is only one truth… and it does not belong to us, it belongs to God. What belongs to us is the charge to defend it against such mind-numbing conversations.

This verse gives us the responsibility of guarding the purity of God’s word. If you do this, you may be called unloving… but the opposite is actually the case. If I see symptoms of an illness in you but say nothing because I do not want to offend you, that is the opposite of love.  Love points out danger and offers deliverance. That is the gospel and that is our job.

Speak the truth in love.  Never water down the Word, and never let others pollute what God has made clear. Pure gold has been given to us… let us make sure it is gold that we pass on.

“A dog barks when his master is attacked. I would be a coward if I saw that God's truth is attacked and yet would remain silent.” - John Calvin

Romans 5:3-4 3/27/2018*8/5*

"Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope"

It is odd to think about being able to glory in our suffering.

But in other areas of life we readily accept the concept.  In athletics, education, and our occupation, we know that to improve we must be challenged. We must push ourselves and face problems in order to grow and become better.

Scripture tells us to apply that same awareness to our spiritual lives.  Not to look for suffering, but when it comes find the benefit…and the benefit is perseverance.

Perseverance is uncommon today because we see challenges as offensive. We don’t like to be pushed, we like to be comfortable… and until you are challenged you cannot learn to persevere.

No one can claim to be a wonderful husband on their honeymoon. You can’t say you’re a great parent when your child is a toddler…You have to earn it.

When you’ve been married for years and you’re still working hard at it, when your kids are teenagers and you’ve struggled and endured – then you have achieved something.

At that point, perseverance has produced character, and character has produced hope… Not a hope that says, “maybe it will happen”, but a confident assurance… not only in what God will do, but in who God is … a hope that has been proven by years of following Him through valleys and over mountains. That is biblical hope ...and that is the only way to peace.

So, choose to glory in your suffering.  Knowing that perseverance develops character, and character will allow you to rest in a hope that cannot be shaken.

 “Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, vision cleared, ambition inspired, and success achieved.”
― Helen Keller