Tag Archives: Christ

Sep 20 2010

OUT OF THIS WORLD PEACE


“If I just didn’t have all these trials and tribulations in my life I could have peace.”

I have either thought or said something very much like this have you? I mean, how do you have peace of mind when things aren’t going well? Around some breakfast table a conversation goes like this.

Dad says,“They have told me at work we might have a lay off, or we will all have to take a reduced salary if we keep our jobs.” And mom says, “The dentist bill came for Jill’s braces it was $800.00! And the transmission in my car is doing funny stuff, the mortgage company called again…and…what on earth are we gonna do?”

Is it even remotely possible to have troubles like this and peace at the same time. Many people this week will leave a doctor’s office after having heard the words, “You have 3 to 6 months with treatment..”. What about that person? The answer is an emphatic YES! God’s brand of peace doesn’t depend one tiny bit on circumstances. People, places, and things are in a different category altogether.

You and I, as faith followers of Jesus, can have his peace right in the middle of the darkest night of our difficulty and the face of every disappointment people, places, and things send our way.

In the Bible in John 16 Jesus had been telling his followers that they should expect hatred from the world they will minister in. He then spoke to them about the Comforter who would come to walk along side them to comfort and guide. And he spoke of the time when their sorrow would be turned to joy at His return. Then at the end of this teaching He said these simple words.

“I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace.
In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

A simple, but powerful promise for those who are in Christ. Take a look at what He promised.

  1. “In” the world you will have tribulation. About this there is no debate. Christians and non-Christians alike share in all sorts of difficulties as long as we are on this planet alive. No person, no matter how good, how kind, how generous, is immune to problems. The sooner we accept this fact of life the better we will function.
  2. “In” Jesus you may have peace. There is no lasting peace outside of Jesus. Outside of Him circumstances rule the day and you are at the mercy of the fickle hand of fate. When people, places and things are good, you are good. And when they are not, you are not. However, when you are “in Jesus” circumstances and the adverse effects of people, places, and things can’t touch you in a peace stealing way. Why?
  3. Jesus has overcome the world! Satan is described in the Bible as the “god” of this world. Our war as Christians is against principalities and powers and spiritual wickedness in high places. But, Jesus has overcome all of that! Remember when Jesus gave the great commission to his disciples? He began by saying “I have all power in heaven and in earth, therefore go…” There is no safer place to be than in the earth and “in” Jesus. Being in Him is the place of calm and peace.

Jesus said this two chapters earlier in John 14. As in the 16th chapter, after teaching about the coming of the Holy Spirit and describing the Spirit’s ministry he said these words.

“Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you.
Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Real, divine peace is a grace gift from Jesus to those who are His faith followers. It is not dependent on anything but His sure promise.

Next time, when things seem to be falling apart, when a loved one is dying, when business has failed, when people at church are fighting, find a solitary place and read these wonderful promises and by simple faith make them yours. Just take God at His word. To simple? Yes simple, but not to simple.

God gives you and I the right to say to a world that seems to be imploding, “Do what you will, I have chosen peace!” Jesus has overcome the world!

Agape’

Royce

Sep 18 2010

Crushing the Myth – “I am a victim…”


“I was just fine until he said that, and I unloaded on him!”

“She made me so angry I couldn’t sleep!”

“What do you mean by that look? You are making me mad!”

“I don’t love you any more, you make me unhappy.”

“That stupid clerk made me curse…”

“When you leave your things on the floor it makes me furious!”

“They made me hate them. It was not my fault. I didn’t do anything wrong.”

Have you ever heard any of these statements? Ever said them? These and tens of thousands more are as common as the morning sun. And, there is no marked difference between people who are not people of faith and those who are regarding this type of excuse. If you question that statement, talk to a minister who counsels couples with marriage difficulties, or a Christian psychologist, you will find that they hear this sort of victim mentality routinely.

One of the earliest tactics children learn is to blame someone or something for their mistakes or wrongful acts. Every person who reads this knows without having to be convinced that this is true. Even the sweetest child will often blame a sibling for spilling cereal on the floor, or writing on the wall with an ink pen. My grandsons often exclaim when I correct one for hitting the other, “He made me do it!” or “It’s not my fault…bla bla bla…”

The preferred methodology of psychologists is to delve into the past of people who behave terribly to try to learn what external stimuli shaped them into such rotten characters. Surely culture, family atmosphere, religious training (or the lack of it), and many other things contribute to making us the people we become as adults. That fact is not in question. However, those things are not the end of the story.

So, almost all counselors, psychiatrists, and psychologists dig into the client’s past with a view of providing information and new stimuli with a view of correcting destructive, disruptive, and sometimes criminal behavior. This is the solution humanism offers even if couched in “Christian” terms or offered by a “Christian” professional.

It might shock you to learn that Jesus had a different view of human failings. This is what He said.

And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:20-23)

Jesus was certainly not alone in his appraisal of the human condition. Consider these passages. They speak the same truth.

And when the LORD smelled the pleasing aroma, the LORD said in his heart, “I will never again curse the ground because of man, for the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth.
(Genesis 8:21)

“The heart is deceitful above all things,
and desperately sick;
who can understand it?” (Jeremiah 17:9)

SIN is original equipment.

Today I saw a young woman on TV who had taken a plea deal offered by the D.A.’s office to two counts of 2nd degree murder to avoid the possibility of the death penalty. This calm, innocent appearing young woman killed her two small children intentionally and on purpose. I am positive that when she was a toddler her parents never thought that their baby girl had the potential to be a murderer of their grand babies and be sentenced to two consecutive life sentences. According to Jesus “murder” is one of those sins that resides deep in the innermost depths (heart) of a human being.

In another place, a mother whose daughter committed the same crime could only use as an excuse for her daughters crime “she was distraught”.

The Proverbs passage quoted above says in part “the intention of man’s heart is evil from his youth”. Most of my friends do not believe this and they will tell you quickly they don’t. But, it is true without regard for who believes it. Ugly but true!

That our problems are SIN is really good news!

Much of our Christian ministry is humanism wrapped up in “church terms”. What we desperately seek is to permanently modify the behavior of husbands who have fits of anger and slap their wives around, meth heads who will do almost anything to fuel their addiction, and bitter house wives who are miserable with their marriages and life in general. Most of what we do is no more effective than treating cancer with a band aid. Even if the symptoms are negated, the problem still lurks in the darkness and is very likely to rear it’s ugly head in the future. SIN is not cured by humanistic methodology.

SIN is our problem and Jesus came to cure sin. What is needed is to drastically change the condition of the human heart, that part of a man that stores up ungodliness and contempt for the things of God.

The Bible is so wonderfully simplistic on difficult problems that we often overlook life saving truths. Christians need not tolerate SIN.

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)

This is a tremendous promise for the believer. If we will only agree with God about our SINS, see them as He sees them, He will forgive and cleanse. Many will protest, “That is just too simple!” It is not too simple.

Let’s think through this. Jesus died for “all” of our sins. The fact is that when He died the death you and I deserved “all” of our sins were future. “All” of our sins were put on Him, He became sin “for us” so that we could be “made righteous” through Him. So, we who are faith followers of Jesus have been saved from the penalty of sin. It is a done deal!

Now it is God’s intention to sanctify us, that is to set us apart for him by a process of shaping us into people who more closely resemble Jesus in thoughts, intentions, attitudes, and daily living. A way we participate in this theological process called “sanctification” is “walking in the Spirit”. The one who is “walking in the Spirit” quickly repents when he becomes aware of SIN in his life and claims God’s forgiveness. He moves on listening carefully to that still small voice that continually points him towards God’s best for him.

Modify or Mortify?

Husband “A” has a violent temper. Without warning, his wife and children are the objects of his anger. A word, a radio that is too loud, a wife a few minutes late, etc. are triggers for unbridled rage. His dad was very much the same and so was his grandfather.

Humanism says lets learn some ways to “modify” the behavior. After all, isn’t how he acts the problem? If the professional, or the minister, or the caring friend can help Mr. “A” change his actions everything will be OK. Or will it? This method is often labeled, “Anger Management”.

The Bible says lets call SIN SIN and deal with it the Scriptural way. Husband “A” recognizes his simmering anger as SIN. He agrees with God that it is SIN and accepts God’s forgiveness. (Of course he seeks the forgiveness of those he has hurt as well). Not only does God forgive, but also cleanses him from “all unrighteousness”. (1 John 1:9) Now, he might find himself guilty of this sin again and when he does he repeats the process and as he is empowered by the Holy Spirit who lives in him, eventually he will experience mastery over the sin that is in him. By the power of the Holy Spirit we are to rule over sin, not the reverse.

I know some who read this will protest saying “This will not work!” Have you tried it God’s way? Unless the Bible is not true it will absolutely work.

You see SIN is the root of your problems. Your neighbor didn’t “make you angry”. Your ugly neighbor only exposed what was already in you. It is what comes out of you that defiles you. You had SIN in you before the neighbor ever came into view.

Once more, just so we don’t forget.

And he said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness.All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.” (Mark 7:20-23)

And, Paul wrote,

“Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these.”
(Galatians 5:19-21a)

“…but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members (flesh)” (Romans 7:23)

Paul, like Jesus, understood the nature and deceitfulness of sin. The pressing question then is this. Will we be satisfied with temporarily modifying unproductive behavior, which at best is a remedy, or do we want God’s cure? Only in the person and work of Jesus for you is there a cure.

Agape’

Royce

Sep 14 2010

Boldly Going Where Only God’s Grace Can Take Me


Today is September 14, 2010. My journey with God began in the spring of 1960 when I was a sophomore in high school. These 50 years have been marked by mountain tops and dark valleys, tears of joy and tears of sorrow, disappointment, rejection, and personal failure. In every place along the way, God has been with me. I can see His loving hand, even at my darkest, lowest times, even when I sinned against Him, a future was mapped out. I can say without even the hint of a question, since the day that I as a teenage boy, the best I knew how, put my trust in Jesus, God has been for me and not against me. His love for me has been over-the-top, His grace and mercy lavish to the point of almost being absurd, and today as an old man with aches and pains and a head of gray hair, joy wells up in my heart and I can say boldly God’s grace is enough.

Had my standing with God depended on me I would have stood condemned a thousand times. If the only righteousness God saw in me arose from my own performance I would be rejected as unrighteous and ungodly by almost any standard. But,…my standing with God is based on the person and work of Jesus Christ for me, and my righteousness is His righteousness, and I am a child of God by God’s initiative and kept by His mighty power. I am indeed a work of the grace of God.

God’s grace is His unconditional love expressed by what Jesus has accomplished for sinners and keeps on doing for saints.

God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense

For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ. (Romans 5:17)

Upon this declaration I rest as I wait for the blessed hope Who is a blessed certainty. What God demands grace affords. The battle belongs to the Lord and every weapon we use to fight the evil powers of this world are weapons of grace. It is grace that leads to salvation, it is grace that teaches us to say no to ungodliness, and it is grace that will see us safely home.

Every good in me is His good, every act of love is His love, and my only hope of immortality and a place at His table is afforded by His marvelous grace.

My hope is built on nothing less
Than Jesus’ blood and righteousness.
I dare not trust the sweetest frame,
But wholly trust in Jesus’ Name.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When darkness seems to hide His face,
I rest on His unchanging grace.
In every high and stormy gale,
My anchor holds within the veil.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

His oath, His covenant, His blood,
Support me in the whelming flood.
When all around my soul gives way,
He then is all my Hope and Stay.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

When He shall come with trumpet sound,
Oh may I then in Him be found.
Dressed in His righteousness alone,
Faultless to stand before the throne.

On Christ the solid Rock I stand,
All other ground is sinking sand;
All other ground is sinking sand.

Agape’

Royce


Sep 13 2010

Can you help raise the dead?


What is your/my church doing in the community, or around the world, that could not be done just as well by a good civic club made up of non-Christians?

I was first challenged by such a question perhaps 30 years ago by the late Dr. J. Vernon McGee, a pastor and radio preacher. The question he asked was something like this. “What is your church doing that could not be done if God was dead?”

Wow! What a question! Questions like those make me a bit uncomfortable, how about you? I believe that for far to many churches the answer would be “Not much”.

For about 14 1/2 years I lived in a small north Texas town. There was one place in town to eat breakfast on Saturday morning, a post office, hardware store, grocery store, police office, and a couple of gas stations. It was one of those little communities where you knew the mayor and the chief of police and most everyone else on a first name basis. Our little town also had Baptist churches, a church of Christ, a Methodist church, a Catholic church, and a Pentecostal church. (There might have been others but I remember those)

We also had an American Legion Post and a VFW club. To be fair, some of the members of those churches were also active in either the VFW or the American Legion. The truth is that those beer guzzling old veterans and their wives did far more benevolent works in our community than all the churches combined. That was true for at least the first 10 years I lived there.

If someone’s house burned it was them, not the church folks who would show up to pitch in and help rebuild and give money for new appliances, furniture and bedding. Those two clubs simply put the churches to shame when it came to actually doing something tangible in the community. Thankfully, because one new pastor came to town who actually loved the people, that changed quickly, first in his church and then it spread to the others.

There is great value in giving a cup of water to a thirsty man in Jesus’ stead. We must do those sorts of things to be right and on track with God. His command is that we remember the down trodden, widows, orphans, and prisoners. Those acts of love are not options.

What then can the church do that a civic club can’t?

Christians, as God’s agents in the world, can offer dead men life!

You see, those men and women who are not Christians have one great need and that need is LIFE! A person who does not have a relationship with God through Jesus Christ does not need better morals, or even to become a regular attender at church on Sunday. No, his needs are far greater than improvement, he a problem only the gospel of Christ can solve.

Non-Christians are spiritually dead.

There is only one remedy for death and that is life. The Apostle Paul in his letter to the Ephesians said this of those Christians before they trusted Christ and were saved.

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins. (Ephesians 2:1)

But God, being rich in mercy,because of the great love with which he loved us,even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ. (Ephesians 2:4,5)

And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him. (Colossians 2:13)

In response to the gospel God makes the dead live.

God’s greatest work is not to make bad men good enough for heaven but to make dead men live. Ephesians 2 above says “God…made us alive together with Christ“. There is no other cure for death. Just as certainly as Jesus called Lazareth from the tomb he calls ungodly men to life today. Jesus said of himself, “I am the resurrection and the life..” and “I am the way, the truth, and the life”.

Jesus himself is eternal life.

Eternal life is not something Jesus gives to repentant sinners outside of himself. There is no spiritual (eternal) life outside of Him. What He gives is Himself. He is LIFE!

And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true; and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. He is the true God and eternal life. (1 John 5:20)

For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, now that we are reconciled, shall we be saved by his life. (Romans 5:10)

To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. (Colossians 1:27

Feed the poor? YES! Care for the needy? YES! Visit and care for widows, orphans, and prisoners? YES! But we must also be saying to the dead in our communities “LIVE!”.

The gospel of Christ is good news because it announces that Christ has died for you, that God’s righteousness can be yours, and that your body will be changed from mortal to immortality, and you will forever be God’s own dear child. No civic club can do this work. It is reserved for those who by relationship and sonship have become ambassadors for a heavenly kingdom whose orders is to herald the good news “Jesus Saves, Jesus Saves, come and live forever with Him”.

Royce