How We Got Our Bible (Part 3)

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Taking God's Word to the Nations

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On the news recently we have seen a high-profile athlete’s infidelity exposed and his subsequent public apology. I pray that this man finds forgiveness from his family, but most importantly, from God.

There is a prayer that always, without exception, reaches the ear and heart of God. It consists of seven simple words: “Lord, be merciful to me, the sinner!” These words immediately attract God’s attention.

In Luke 18:13 Jesus addressed some high-profile people of His day—the Pharisees. They were self-righteous and arrogant, and they looked down on others with contempt. Jesus told them a parable about two men. One was a Pharisee who prayed a sophisticated prayer in which he elaborated about his “righteous” deeds like fasting and tithing, He thanked God that he was not like other people, especially a tax collector who was standing nearby.

The tax collector prayed differently. He knew he was a sinner, and he was unwilling even to lift his eyes to heaven. The Bible says this man beat upon his breast in earnest repentance. He confessed his sin, asked for mercy, and God graciously answered.

It doesn’t matter if the whole world has heard about your sin, or if it’s just between you and God. You need to go to Him like the tax collector did and ask for forgiveness. God resists the proud, but He gives grace to the humble (James 4:6). Do you need God’s mercy today? Ask for it and He will certainly answer!

How We Got Our Bible (Part 2)

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11:11 Service

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What a moment it is when an Olympic winner stands before a global television audience to be awarded a gold medal for accomplishing an ultimate goal!

The Apostle Paul was familiar with the Olympic games of his day, and he often used athletic imagery to teach about self-discipline and endurance. But his goal outshone any gold medal. Paul’s goal was to finish well for the glory of Jesus Christ.

Paul’s last words recorded in the Bible were written to his favorite young preacher, Timothy. In 2 Timothy 4:7 (New Living Translation) he summarized his life with three phrases.

“I have fought the good fight.” Paul said, “I have done my best. I’ve left the field knowing that I’ve left all of my mental and physical and spiritual energies on the field of Christian battle.”

“I have finished the course.” That is, “I have completed the task that God put me on this earth to do. I’ve fulfilled the calling God gave me after I was saved. I have crossed the finish line.”

“I have kept the faith.” Paul was telling Timothy, “I have remained faithful to the Lord Jesus Christ. I have not watered down the message of the Gospel, nor have I been disqualified. I have stayed faithful to the end.”

Are you running the race for the Lord Jesus? Will you cross life’s finish line with joy? Are you reading and memorizing the Word of God? Are you training for the battle through prayer? To finish well you must discipline your mental, physical, and spiritual appetites. You must continually confess and forsake your sins. Share Christ with others. Be faithful to God’s Church, and worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.

If you were faithful at one time, but have stumbled and fallen, it’s time to get up and get back in the race. Declare war on that temptation that brought you down. Ask the Lord to forgive you, and get back in the fight today! A great crowd of witnesses is cheering you on (Hebrews 12:1-3). Like Paul, you can have victory if you set your eyes on Jesus, the Author and Finisher of your faith.

How We Got Our Bible (Part 1)

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11:11 Service

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Second only to my salvation in Christ, the greatest gift God has ever given me is my wife Donna. We met as college students at Union University. I remember the first time I looked into her eyes. We were in the library, and she was wearing a tan sweater with a loose turtleneck collar. When she removed her glasses and looked at me, it felt like my heart stopped. We soon went on our first date, and within a month we were in love. Four-and-a-half months later we were engaged. This year we will celebrate 30 years of marriage!

True love is strengthening. Since we met Donna and I have faced many trials. Yet, just like King Solomon wrote in Song of Solomon 8:7, the threatening floods of life have not quenched the fire of our love. Despite the difficulties a married couple may endure, love can see them through.

True love is indestructible. Song of Solomon is the story of romance between two young married lovers who were openly intimate and affectionate. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 13:7-8a, “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails.”

True love is not for sale. Solomon said, “If a man were to give all the riches of his house for love, it would be utterly despised.” Lovers must give to one another mutually and freely.

You can’t buy this kind of love; it is a gift from God. If God has blessed you with romantic love that leads to a lifelong marriage, guard and cherish that gift. It is the most precious treasure you own!

Lord, I Surrender My Money

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By Steve Gaines, Ph. D.

Heart-shaped candy boxes line the store aisles, and greeting card racks overflow with Valentines. That tells me it must be February! In a few days many of us will give special tokens of love to those closest to us.

God is the author of true love. Jeremiah 31:3 says that He loves us with an everlasting love. That love is unconditional; we don’t deserve it and we can’t earn it. Yet God loves us graciously and mercifully.

God’s Love is Sovereign. Before we chose to love God, He loved us first. First John 4:10 says that He initiates the love relationship. True love cannot be coerced, however, so we must respond willingly.

God’s Love is Everlasting. There has never been a time when God did not love you. Before you were saved, while you were still in your sin, God loved you and proved it through Christ’s atoning sacrifice (Romans 5:8). Regardless of what you do, or what happens in your life, God will love you forever.

God’s Love is Gentle. Jeremiah 31:3 says that God draws us with loving kindness, like a mother holding her baby gently to her chest. God loves us tenderly. He knows our inherent limitations and our tendency toward sin. Though we deserve eternal punishment in hell, God deals with us affectionately and kindly.

Won’t you thank God today for loving you in spite of your sin and selfishness? Just think—He loved you first! He wants to have intimate fellowship with you. No Valentine card can deliver the kind of unfailing love God has promised to you. And no gift can compare with what He gave for you—His Son’s life on the Cross. God is love!

Seven Godly Disciplines for 2010

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