How many of us have ever wanted a second chance at something? Maybe you would like to take back something that you said in anger or in haste. Or, perhaps, you would like another shot at getting something right the first time, instead of learning by trial and error. It is safe to say that we have all been in that position. There are those in this world who look for a “do-over” and most golfers (like me) ask for a mulligan, or a chance to play the ball over again after a particularly bad shot. No matter what, the second chance gives us the opportunity to take something that was done wrong and make it right.
In human terms, the wrong things that we do are called sin. These sins cause us to be alienated from God and only by turning our back on that sin can we find our way to Him. This is where we need that second chance. The Bible tells us about the way that God offers it to each of us. In the book of Isaiah (55:6-7 NIV) we see: “Seek the Lord while he may be found; call on him while he is near. Let the wicked forsake his way and the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn to the Lord, and he will have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will freely pardon.”
There is probably no better example, in our time, of God giving someone a second chance, than in the life of Chuck Colson. Mr. Colson recently departed this life, but for the last 35 years, Mr. Colson was the head of an organization he founded called Prison Fellowship. Prior to that, he had been Special Counsel to President Nixon and had been involved in the Watergate scandal, for which he spent time in prison. In prison, he heard the call of God to turn away from his sin. God gave him a second chance and enabled Mr. Colson to serve and lead in a way that has touched thousands of lives.
Do you need a second chance today? Have you been aware of something in your life that is holding you back? Hear these words from Acts 3:19 (NIV): “Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord.” Let God, the creator of the second chance, give you the opportunity to find that time of refreshing and a new and eternal relationship with him.
]]>This took place to fulfill what was spoken through the prophet:
“Say to Daughter Zion, ‘See, your king comes to you, gentle and riding on a donkey, and on a colt, the foal of a donkey.’”
The disciples went and did as Jesus had instructed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and placed their cloaks on them for Jesus to sit on. A very large crowd spread their cloaks on the road, while others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. The crowds that went ahead of him and those that followed shouted,
“Hosanna to the Son of David!”
“Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!”
“Hosanna in the highest heaven!”
When Jesus entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred and asked, “Who is this?”
The crowds answered, “This is Jesus, the prophet from Nazareth in Galilee.”Matthew 21:1-11
Today we celebrate Palm Sunday, a holiday celebrated by billions, who honor Jesus’ triumphal entry into Jerusalem, a week before his crucifixion.
Christians are all familiar with the story, have you ever thought about the donkey and the colt that are mentioned? It was prophesied by Zechariah that our King would ride into Jerusalem on a donkey:
Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!
Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!
See, your king comes to you,
righteous and victorious,
lowly and riding on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a donkey.Zechariah 9:9
Many of the little things we do in life, we believe go unnoticed. My wife and I recently had dinner with my best friend’s parents and we were discussing her upcoming candidacy for a local election. She told us that she first got into politics four years ago, when I suggested she ought to run for a vacated State House seat that had no contenders at the time.
I actually did remember telling her that, but I never imagined how empowering what I told her would be for her on a personal level. I still do believe she can and will be State Representative in her district.
The point is, we never know what impact our lives will have on others. On the first Palm Sunday, there was probably a caretaker for that donkey who woke up not thinking his job was very special. He probably would have thought nothing of it to lend that donkey to the followers of Christ. However, that donkey fulfilled a prophecy.
]]>Before I continue, let just say boldly: none of these things are bad or contrary to Christianity in any way. These are, however, things that often manifest themselves in superficial ways that are counterproductive to God’s plan for our lives as believers. So, there is a distinction here:
Let’s take a look at the first group of people. They are desperately seeking the Holy Spirit to work within their lives. They are dedicated believers in the Gospel, go to church but are looking for God to help in every aspect of their life. So, when these people forcibly try to interject their faith in their life, through the things mentioned above, they are not allowing the Holy Spirit to work through them. The Bible tells us, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith” (Galatians 5:22). As believers, we have the Holy Spirit to guide is in our lives and the Holy Spirit will bear the fruits of faith in Christ in our lives – we cannot force it to.
The second group of people are users of church and much more concerned with appearance. They may or may not actually be devoted servants of Christ, but there is one thing that’s for sure: they want attention for going to church and are desperate for moral superiority. It may be the case that they’ve come to church for every reason other than radical abandonment to Jesus Christ, but it still is not a bad thing they are going, ideally being exposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
This group of people reminds me of 1 Samuel 16:7 :
But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things people look at. People look at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
God is concerned with real commitment to His Word, not on His followers’ appearance to others. Living your life the way you did before you came to know Him, but just adding a few extra “rules” to your conduct, is not true commitment to Christ. Paul wrote to his Christian brother and sisters in Rome, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”
What we all need to be asking ourselves is what have we really given up to serve Christ?
]]>“If therefore the Son shall make you free, you shall be free indeed.”
- John 8:36
“there is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”
-Romans 8:1
We are all guilty over something. After all, we are all sinners and Christians in particular are more aware of our inherently sinful nature. In my day to day life I often find myself feeling guilty for not being able to do more for Christ or I feel guilty over not having done enough.
Guilt can especially be a burden if you are worried about your image as a Christian. I don’t mean this in the sense of ego, but if you earnestly want to share the Gospel with others, you likely already understand that actions speak louder than words. Guilt in this sense can slow your life to a crawl, because you’re constantly second guessing everything you do, wondering if it has damaged your ability to carry out the Great Commission.
The reality is that we can never live up to the majesty of Christ. There is nothing you can do to be worthy of Him. Thankfully, he took care of that for all of us on the cross.
With that in mind, how do we deal with the psychological toll guilt takes on us?
As fallible human beings, we are all prone to sin and therefore guilt. As Christians, we seek to honor God through our faith and the actions that our faith predicates by allowing the Holy Spirit to work through our lives. The only real way to move on from our guilt and honor Him the way He deserves is to ask for forgiveness and repent. Through His Grace we achieve salvation and forgiveness, but only by repenting, by turning away from the actions that lead to our guilt in the first place, can we truly move on and honor Him.
So, if there is something in your life that you feel guilty about – smoking, drinking, swearing, watching pornography – whatever it may be, the guilt will not disappear from unless you turn away from the sin.The verse from Romans above says that we will no longer be condemned if we are in Christ Jesus. This doesn’t mean simply agreeing to the premise of John 3:16 and living our lives the way we did before. It means moving forward in our lives in the opposite direction of sin.
]]>Why do you complain, Jacob?
Why do you say, Israel,
“My way is hidden from the LORD;
my cause is disregarded by my God”?
Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom.
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but those who hope in the LORD
will renew their strength.
They will soar on wings like eagles;
they will run and not grow weary,
they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:27-31
We are living in a day in which there seems to be no rest for the weary. Most people have to work several jobs to be able to pay their debts. I was recently in Naples, Florida and some friends of mine were chiding one of their friends for only having one job.
There is a condition called “chronic fatigue syndrome.” Everyone suffers from it from one degree or another. There is one who can give us rest. His name is Jesus Christ.
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”
Mat. 11:28-30
A. We are all tired from something. Fatigue occasionally overtakes even the strongest among us.
1. We are tired physically and mentally from the everyday struggle to make ends meet.
2. We are tired emotionally from wrestling with dysfunctional relationships, unrealized dreams, and heartbreaking loss.
3. Ironically, we are tired spiritually from trying to live up to our faith.
B. Fatigue can do strange things to us.
1. Vince Lombardi, the great football coach, once said, “Fatigue makes cowards of us all.”
2. It can even affect an entire generation, like Israel in the wilderness, breaking our resolve to go on.
A. If just anyone made this promise, we might find it empty. If a politician or even a physician made this promise, we would take it with a grain of salt. There are some things other people just can’t do for us.
B. But when Jesus makes a promise, we stop and listen.
1. His promises are anything but empty. He has both the integrity and power to deliver on His word.
2. We stake our eternal destinies on the reliability of his promises. We must take this one seriously as well.
A. Jesus’ next words are surprising.
1. We seek rest by escaping, getting away, relieving ourselves of responsibility.
2. Instead Jesus calls us to a new task. While we are looking for a hammock, Jesus calls us to a yoke! He calls us to find rest by voluntarily placing ourselves under a new burden.
B. Jesus’ words teach us the real cause of fatigue and the nature of true rest.
1. The problem with our lives is not that we must work, that we must serve some master, perform some task. The problem is really what “work” we choose to do and whom we choose to serve.
2. The kind of rest Jesus offers is not relief from the tasks necessary to sustain us or even freedom from all of life’s trials. Those early disciples who took Him up on this promise still had to labor for bread and face life’s difficulties.
3. The kind of rest Jesus offers is a peace of mind, a calmness of spirit that comes from knowing our lives are being lived within His will. It is the kind of rest that accompanies a life that is rescued from self-made anxieties and stresses. Even the unavoidable work of meeting basic needs is made less tiring by the reassurance that the Savior is looking after us.
People wear all kinds of “yokes.” Some are slaves to ambition, to greed, to materialism, to lust, to alcohol, to pride and all of its evils. These are the things that truly exhaust us. By placing ourselves under the yoke of the gentle, humble Savior our lives are liberated from the exhaustion of all these things and set free to work purposefully unto true satisfaction and fulfillment.
]]>It wasn’t until the last two decades that we’ve seen an aggressive rise of the casino in many corners of country, after a long held understanding that these institutions created decay in our society, often destroying families and really turning people into anti-social zombies. However, with ever declining tax revenue, state governments have allowed more and more casinos to operate within their borders – effectively allowing their own citizens to be fleeced in lieu of actually solving their fiscal problems.
Casinos are now marketed as tourist destinations – they have hotels, theaters, restaurants – even places to leave your kids while you go empty your pockets. But what about the social cost of casinos? Destroyed marriages, financial distress, and even suicide all go hand in hand with glamour and glitz offered by casinos.
The Bible does not specifically condemn gambling, but it often condemns the love of money, which is indeed the subtext of any visit to a casino. First Timothy 6:10 tells us,
“For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.”
Who could forget Matthew 6:24, which says,
“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.”
In spite of the hardships our country is going through right now, we are in desperate need for fiscal responsibility and prudence, we are in need of a resurgence in the Protestant work ethic which lead to the rise of America and the West in general. The next generation of Americans, is desperately in need of an example in that exemplifies these things. What we have is a casino culture that provides an example of quick, easy money – ever chasing a jackpot that will likely never come.
]]>“Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds.”
Hebrews 12:1-3
A. Eph. 6:11 – 13 “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.”
B. Not Popular
C. Don’t Remain Silent
A. Keep Moving Forward
B. Don’t Stop
C. Don’t Quit Serving God
A. Keep Your Eyes On The Finish Line
B. Don’t Take Your Eyes Off Of Jesus
C. Remember What He Has Done For You
A. Go To Church
B. Get Busy Serving
C. You Have To Use Up Some Fuel To Get More
]]>“Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.”
Psalms 23:5, 6
It’s been almost four years since I first read the post “Ever feel like giving up?” over at Chris Guillebeau’s blog. Here are the four tips he gave:
Chris was talking more about his travels and living an unconventional life in general, but I think what he had to say applies directly to the path toward self employment.
You may think this, but you must believe it. Regardless of the problems you may experience in the beginning, self employment will be worth it.
One of the most important confidence builders is to make your first $100. The first check I cashed from pay per click earnings pushed me into a whole new mentality about self employment and what would eventually become my company, Yorkshire Media Holdings, LLC.
Making your first $100 may be easier than you think. But the key is to not waste your time or money doing things that people will tell you to do. Here’s a handful of things that won’t help you in your journey:
I’ve done all of these things – after making a profit.
Believing you can do it is directly related to outcomes, otherwise you’ll eventually burn yourself out hoping and not doing.
What makes you stand out is that you want to be self employed. You want to break away from the shackles of 9-5 no matter what it takes - there is no other alternative.
If you didn’t, you would be totally resigned to working for someone else – being an indentured servant isn’t an option.
What I want to help people with isn’t career advancement, it’s expanding control over your own life. You could always give up and let other people tell you where and what to do five days a week. That’s what most people do. But you’re different.
If you are as passionate about self employment and self-determinism as I am, you’ll probably often find yourself disenchanted in your journey. Say you’re working at Wal-Mart and all you can think about is getting away. There seems like no way it’s going to happen. Just remember:
It’s an extreme position, but seriously think this: I will never give up. Never.
I remember having a conversation with my dad about this. “What if you’re never self-employed the way you want to be?” he asked.
“I’ll die happy knowing that I tried and actually had a chance because, after all, if was going to happen anywhere it’d happen in America.”
That was a few years ago. Now my company largely profits from passive, residual income simply because I refused to give up.
]]>“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”
1 John 3:16
When God said he loved us, it was for a lifetime or eternity. We are loved with an everlasting love the Bible says in Jer. 31:3.
I. Sacrificial Love – Romans 12:1 “I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. 2And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.”
A. Agape Love
B. Giving Love
C. Benevolent
D. Hebrew 13:15,16 “By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name. 16But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.”
II. Submissive Love – James 4:7,8 “Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8Draw nigh to God, and he will draw nigh to you. Cleanse your hands, ye sinners; and purify your hearts, ye double minded.”
A. to obey:—be under obedience (obedient), be in subjection
B. Live A Christ Centered Life
C. Live For Christ
III. Separated Love – 2 Cor. 6:4-17 “4Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. 17Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you, 18And will be a Father unto you, and ye shall be my sons and daughters, saith the Lord Almighty.
A. Biblical Separation
B. Our Love For God
How much do you love God? How much are you willing to give up?
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