Pastor's Pen

Xbox

2012-02-06T23:59:00.001-06:00

Many people are playing X-Box. Come on admit it some of you are really wanting to play. I remember the days when pong was the big craze. You could wire it up this controller to your TV and then you had two paddles (actually rectangles) and a ball on the screen. The object was to turn the knob on your controller and get the ball to go past your opponent. People loved the game.

My how things have changed today, now you don’t have one little knob to turn. Instead you have four buttons, two control sticks two triggers and two bumpers and some other things I cannot even phantom. And everyone plays. I have no problem with certain games; I even talk my kids into letting me play. I think they enjoy watching their dad make some classic mistakes and that is all in the name of fun.

But then there is a scary side to this. Allow me to illustrate using the X-Box and then I want to make a broader application. I recently went to a video game store at midnight to get some new game. I’m ok with that and it was kind of interesting. But it was the people around me that brought it to my attention that we can waste a lot of time. People are losing their focus on life. I don’t lay it all on gamers; it is our sin nature that compels us to lose our life. It is sin that leads us away from God. Now before I get e-mails from gamers I’m not saying X-Box is the root of all evil nor am I saying all gamers are godless.

I’m saying that I stood in the midst of men and women whose only life goal is to attain the next game or to beat the next level. I heard a conversation about which gun to use on a particular level but the conversation sounded like two navy seals giving the merits of weaponry. These people live in a world of virtual reality and the real world is just some place they have to be. Their life is wrapped up in a box by their TV and this is what they live and breathe. Life is the game and the game has become life.

Now let me broaden the scope. X-Box is not the devil, neither is professional sports, or money or sex. But we can sin and fail by letting any of these become the essence of our life. In Wisconsin we can become so enamored by the Packers we lose sight of the rest of the world or worse we worship them more then God. Try going to Lambeau field where the Packers are treated like gods and you speak in hushed tones of Curly, Vince, Aaron and others.

We need to make money we need to save for our future. We need to be good stewards but people become obsessed. Think of the professional ball player who says I need the extra 9 million on my contract for the next two years because I got to provide for my family and he already is receiving 2 million a year. Money is not bad but when it becomes central to my life I have lost focus.

Sex in marriage is good. God created it to be the most intimate act between one man and one woman. It is showing forth Jesus relationship to His church. But when a person becomes obsessed with sex even in a marriage then it becomes another idol to be worshiped.

Our problem is that we lose sight of God and become mesmerized by all the other things of this world. Christ is life and without Christ we can do nothing. Go ahead play x box but before you raise your controller how about thinking, dwelling on committing yourself full time to Christ and what he has for your life.

Crime and Punishment

2012-01-21T15:53:00.000-06:00

I am a chaplain for the Ozaukee Jail and I must admit after being in this for fourteen years I have been able to talk with over seventy men about their lives, crime and sins. Occasionally I am called to stand before a judge and make a statement on behalf of a person who is about to be sentenced. I was in court recently for such an occasion and I listened as the judge rendered a verdict. The young man who was sentenced was obviously guilty. He was guilty and admitted that to the judge. The judge sentenced him to several years in prison. I sat there and watched his family weep and struggle to hold it together as the bailiff handcuffed him and led him off to jail and eventually prison.

I went home to my nice quite house with a loving family and all night the haunting words of that sentence replayed in my head. A young man will now spend several years in prison for a crime he committed. The man was young and foolish. He listened to the wrong people and did the wrong thing. And now he is separated from his family for several years of his life. His time is gone and he will not get it back. All because he thought he was unstoppable, immune, and had plenty of time. Today he sits in prison while his family grieves.

I couldn’t get the thought out of my head that people today are going through life saying I’ve got time, I’m invincible nothing is going to happen to me. But God says it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: you have one life and then judgment. (Hebrews 9:27) You only have so long and then time is up! There are no do overs. We are all vulnerable to attack to disease to sinfulness. We need to wake up and realize that each move we make will have repercussions. This young man participated in crime with others and they thought it was all good. But now punishment has come. We are doing things and we think it is all good but the day is coming when we shall all be judged. Don’t be like the young man I have told you about. Wake up draw night to God and he will draw nigh to you.

The New Year

2012-01-06T01:22:00.003-06:00

It is 2012. Welcome to the New Year. What will this year hold? The truth is none of us know for sure. We have a presidential election, trouble and strife in the Middle East, our troops coming home and all the local news too. We truly do not know what the New Year will bring. But we can plan and that is our subject of discussion.

With this New Year, first and foremost we want to consider repenting of our sins. How about we start off the New Year by admitting to God that we have fallen into some habits some problems that we need to confess and get right before Him. Let’s make sure we are in a good relationship with God as we take the challenge of new goals. 1 John 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

Second after we have confessed our faults why don’t we give ourselves over to God to be used by Him? Why not let God work in us as we abide in Him to do the work of the ministry. I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Aide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. Jesus said to abide in Him and He will abide in us because without Him we are not capable of doing anything. So before we take on our goals why not let Christ take the wheel. Let God take over and guide you every stretch of the way.

But wait before we consider our goals we have to ask are the goals we are setting forth God’s goals. Did you ever think in those terms? What are your goals for the New Year and do they agree with what God would want for your life?

Our goal as a church is to refocus our evening service. We want to make our evening service a time of reflection on the morning message. We want to ask questions like how did this message convict you? If you were convicted what will you do now? How will you flesh out what you have learned? How will this change the way you pray? How can we pray right now? Sunday nights we want to bring our message into our day to day living.

Another goal is to go back to making prayer a priority. We have a Prayer Team in place. But we want to see if more people would be willing to come and pray before Sunday School or the Morning Worship service. We want people to come on Wednesday and do some serious praying at the beginning of each Wednesday night prayer meeting.

We want to challenge everyone in our church to read through their bible at least once this year. As a Pastor I’m looking for some Bible reading partners to read through the Bible in four months. I believe these are all goals that God would agree with and that is what we need to consider. What is God’s plan for me this year? And it all starts with confession and possession.

Leadership from the Front

2011-12-04T21:55:00.000-06:00

Do you want to be a leader? I had better change that statement. You need to be a leader. Especially men we need you to be leaders. Men need to start leading in churches, in their homes and on the job. But how are you going to lead? You’re going to have lead from the front. Men have to step up and lead at the front of the pack.

Ephesians 5:23 For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church: and he is the savior of the body. The husband is the head the leader in the home. He is to direct his family not by being a dictator but being a loving husband. In Genesis the man Adam was created first and his job was to lead. Eve was created to be his help meet and he was to lead her. But because he failed to lead when they were tempted he was cursed. He was to lead Eve to nourish his wife and protect her. But you can’t protect and nourish by being at the back. Adam was there at the temptation but instead of stepping up he took of the fruit just like Eve. We are still doing that today. Men are failing to step up and lead.

Noah led from the front. He was told to build and ark and he did. Noah did not stand around debating the issue. God said do it and he did. He was there building right alongside his sons. And as he built he preached God’s message to a lost and soon to be dying world around him. 2 Peter 2:5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth person, a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly; After the flood he led in sacrifice. He was not sitting in the background he was out front leading.

Take a moment to look at David the great king of Israel he was a leader. Even as a young man he led Israel by taking on Goliath. He led his men in the wilderness when Saul chased after him. He was the leader who snuck into Saul’s camp and took Saul’s water container. He led his men in battle many times. When the civil war between David and Absalom was going on David wanted to lead. His men told him to stay behind. …And the king said unto the people, I will surely go forth with you myself also. But the people answered, Thou shalt not go forth: for if we flee away, they will not care for us: neither if half of us die, will they care for us. 2 Samuel 8:2-3 True leaders lead from the front.

How about modern leaders? Stonewall Jackson led the Confederate army from the front. So did Robert E. Lee. Both men were such frontline leaders that their men had to restrain them from too much frontline activity. Stonewall Jackson suffered fatal wounds because he was up front. A good leader is not afraid to go to the battle.

But today we don’t want to lead up front. Instead we want to set in an office and tell people to go and do and make sacrifice while we hold down the fort. We tell people to get dirty and suffer hardship and yet we won’t do it ourselves. We also forsake responsibility. We don’t want to be in charge we want to let someone else do it whether that is our wives or someone else just don’t ask me to lead.

Men it is time to take the lead. Be the leader you were meant to be. Take the front and get the job done.

Thanksgiving

2011-11-18T12:40:00.002-06:00

Thank you Jesus for saving a sinner like me!
Thank you Lord God for your overwhelming Grace!
Thank you God for loving the unloving!
Thank you Jesus Christ for being the Atonement for our sins!
Thank you Jesus for dying for your enemies!
Lord Jesus thank you for your precious blood that was shed for the sins of the whole world!
Thank you Lord for my family!
Thank you God for our wonderful people at Faith!
Thank you Lord for a home to live in!
Praise the Father for his daily provision!
As we approach thanksgiving is there some things you are thankful for? Why not send us an e-mail to praise God along with us.
faithport@yahoo.com

Why?

2011-11-13T19:25:00.001-06:00

Are you presently going through a trial and you’re asking why? Why would God do this to me? Why do I have to endure this struggle? Today we want to try to answer these questions. I believe the Bible tells us that we go through trials for basically three reasons.

The first reason we go through trials is sin and its consequences. David and Bathsheba is a prime example of sin and consequences. Read 2 Samuel 11-13 David committed adultery with Bathsheba and then to hide his sin and her pregnancy he had her husband killed. God brought judgment on David for his sin and the consequence was his baby’s death, a daughter raped and another son murdered in battle. The sword was on David’s house for the rest of his life because of the consequence of his sin. He paid a steep price for one night of desire. So the trial was there as a consequence for sin. An example for today is the person who trusts in Christ for salvation but because of his life style he has contracted AIDS. AIDS is the consequence of the sin. His sins are forgiven by God but the physical consequence is still there. So we sometimes go through trials because of the sins which we have committed.

Second trials come to perfect us James 1:2-4My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. The trial spoken of here is not a sinful temptation to lead us into sin but it is a trial to build us to make us a more complete Christian. Romans 8:28-29 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren. Read this passage carefully. God is taking us through a trial for our good. God is using a trying time to help us learn a good lesson and be conformed to his image. When we approach the trial correctly we become more like him and the trial is actually beneficial.

A third and closely associated with trial mentioned above is testing. Job went through a major test in his life to prove a point and give glory to God. I don’t believe Job ever understood what had occurred but he did comprehend that God is sovereign. In Job chapter 1-2 God pointed out to Satan that Job was a righteous man and Satan challenged God that if trials came on Job he would curse God. So God let the trials come and the rest of the book is about Job and his friends trying to work through what happened. In the end Job admits he should never question God and that God’s plan is far superior to his own. Job was tested to show his trust in God and to give God glory for who he is. What God plans and thinks is beyond us so the test is either curse God, get bitter or trust him wholly.

So which trial are you enduring? What is God teaching you today? Trials come and go but God will remain forever how are you going to handle your next trial?

Not the End

2011-10-20T20:07:00.002-05:00

I am writing this blog today because the prediction that the world would end Friday October 21st has been proved false. Mr. Harold Camping has missed his end of the world prediction for the third time in a row. Deuteronomy 18:22 reads, “When a prophet speaketh in the name of the LORD, if the thing follow not, nor come to pass, that is the thing which the LORD hath not spoken,but the prophet hath spoken it presumptuously: thou shalt not be afraid of him.” The Bible clearly indicates that if a man prophecies an event in the name of God and the prophecy does not come true, then he is a false prophet. You cannot trust him.

I realize that most of you that are reading this blog probably did not believe Harold Camping anyway. But my main concern is for us to understand that there are people following his teaching that, unfortunately, may not be saved or may let people die and go to hell because of his words. I want to address some comments from their web site:

“But the same thing became true this past May 21, even though no one was raptured. No one who had not become saved by that date can ever become saved. God tells us in Revelation 22:10-12 “And he saith unto me, Seal not the sayings of the prophecy of this book: For the time is at hand. He that is unjust, let him be unjust still: and he that is filthy, let him be filthy still: and he that is righteous, let him be righteous still. And behold, I come quickly; and my reward is with Me, to give every man according as his work shall be.”

My comment: The passage quoted in Revelation means that if the tribulation has come and passed then nothing is left to be done. If you are not saved when Jesus returns there is no repenting; you have already chosen whom you will serve. This passage has nothing to do with Mr. Campings claim of a great earthquake to usher in the rapture on May 21st.

From their web site “Thus we have learned that except for a somewhat different understanding of the words “earthquake” and “rapture” or “catching up” no other past teachings of Judgment Day or the end of the world have been changed. The time line, the certainty of it, the proofs, and the signs are all precisely the same. No other past teachings have been changed or modified. Indeed, on May 21 Christ did come spiritually to put all of the unsaved throughout the world into judgment. But that universal judgment will not be physically seen until the last day of the five month judgment period, on October 21, 2011.”

My comment: What signs is he referring to? I would have you note that according to Daniel 9:27 there is a seven year period of tribulation. There is absolutely no mention in Scripture of a five month judgment.

Harold Campings website: “We have also learned that God is still teaching that God has no pleasure in the death of the wicked and will not punish the wicked beyond what is called for in Deuteronomy 25. That is, there is a distinct limit to God’s wrath. Thus we can be sure that the whole world, with the exception of those who are presently saved (the elect), are under the judgment of God, and will be annihilated together with the whole physical world on October 21, 2011, on the last day of the present five months period. On that day the true believers (the elect) will be raptured. We must remember that only God knows who His elect are that He saved prior to May 21.”

I find this a very disturbing paragraph. According to Harold Camping, hell does not exist. Instead, those who are judged by Christ are simply annihilated. This statement contradicts Christ’s teaching in Mark 9:43-46 that there is literal place called hell: “And if thy hand offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter into life maimed, than having two hands to go into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched. And if thy foot offend thee, cut it off: it is better for thee to enter halt into life, than having two feet to be cast into hell, into the fire that never shall be quenched: Where their worm dieth not, and the fire is not quenched.”

See also Revelation 20:10-15: “And the devil that deceived them was cast into the lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet are, and shall be tormented day and night for ever and ever. And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away; and there was found no place for them. And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works. And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works. And death and hell were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death And whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire.” Clearly, there is a eternal punishment for the lost. By teaching annihilation, Mr. Camping is undermining the urgency of the gospel and the need for true believers to share the message of reconciliation with the lost. We need to warn people of this heretical teaching and steer them to the truth.

My effort here has not been to destroy Harold Camping but rather warn of the dangers of his organization’s teaching.

Pet Sins, Part 2

2011-10-06T08:51:00.002-05:00

So maybe you have admitted you have a pet sin or maybe you have been caught with your pet sin. The first step is to admit you have one. God, of course, already knew of his sin, but David writes in Psalm’s 51:3-4 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.

David realized that he had sinned against God. Right now you need to go to God and admit that your pet is a sin against him. You have offended a holy God with unholy practices in your life and now you need to admit that and seek his forgiveness.
Husbands you had better tell your wife and wives you had better tell your husbands about that pet sin that has come between you. Children, tell Mom and Dad about your hidden sin because it has been handicapping your relationship with them and with God. There is nothing more refreshing than for a Christian to take their dark, hidden sin and confess it before God and others that may have been offended. Sin kept secret withers the soul. Guilt held back will eat away at you as sure as cancer will take over a body if it is not dealt with. So get it out in the open where you can deal with it. Kill your pet before it kills you.

After confessing your sin before God and man (whoever has been affected), the next step is to let God take over. Colossians 3:5,10 Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry… and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator. You must put to death the old man and the old sin and put on the new self which is completely controlled by God. John 15:4-5 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. You need to let Christ be in you and work through you to bring about the victory and the fruit that goes along with it.

You may be saying, “Pastor I already did that.” Have you really? Are you sure you did not give your pet sin to God and then take it back immediately? Are you sure that you did not just dangle your sin in front of God and then snatch it away saying “I cannot get the victory, I can really handle this, I don’t want to admit this to anybody, including God?” When we say give it to God, we mean leave it behind like the person who takes up the cross. Leave it behind because you are dead and dead men do not react to pet sins because they are dead. Take up the cross. Don’t look back. Just die to it.

Pet sins must be given over to God completely along with your life. If I want to get rid of a pet sin then I have to die along with my sin so God has full control. I’m no longer alive to do my sin. Jesus is alive in me I am not my own. Let Christ take over your mind. Stop thinking and let him do it for you. Don’t ever let the slightest thought come in. Give it immediately back to God. Keep all pets at arm’s length while concentrating on having the mind of Christ.

Develop a system of checks to keep the pet away. Rely on God by first giving your mind totally over to his control, keeping out of weak places and recruiting loving people to hold you responsible. Be open and honest about your sin and tell them you’re struggling.

And then my friend, when you feel secure, take heed lest ye fall. Never, ever, ever open the door to the pet and say “one time won’t hurt; one moment of thought isn’t bad.” STOP! Don’t ever let your sinful nature slip into the driver’s seat. Paul in Romans 6 tells us that we don’t have to serve sin. We can have victory. Don’t let the sin nature tell you any different. We are praying for you to go with Christ.

The Pet

2011-09-14T12:45:00.002-05:00

Most everybody has a pet. We have two pets in our house. We have a yellow lab named Buddy and a hamster named Trevor. They share the house with us and are considered part of the family. We feed them, play with them, wash them and dutifully clean up after them. Pets are, for the most part, nice to have. They bring a certain enjoyment and character to the family.

But there are other kinds of pets and many people have them, but these pets are of a more sinister variety. They are pet sins. They also exist in your house; they also are there with your family, and sometimes you have to clean up after them, too. Most of these pet sins are secret pets. They are not shown to the public or even the family. No, they are your private pets.

This sinful pet is your secret sin or sins which you feed and nourish and take care of and right now nobody knows about your little pet. You love your sin and it is your favorite. It takes the place of your wife, your children and God. It’s your little sin pet. At church you appear good and righteous, you say all the good spiritual things, you sing the songs and maybe you shed a tear. At times you talk to the Pastor and go to retreats and God moves you and you may give up one thing or another but your little pet stays nicely snuggled in your mind unchanged, growing and becoming more dominating in your life.

There are times when you would like someone to find out about your pet sin. You would like to admit it and pour your heart out before God and your family but then you convince yourself, “It doesn’t control me. I can control this pet”, or maybe you just love it too much so you convince yourself to keep it. And the little pet sin grows and wraps you in its loving embrace until one day your little pet sin has become the beast of sin that holds you in its grasp strangling all that you want to do, ruining your marriage and relationships with God and God’s people. You want out but it is overpowering and it controls you.

What is the name of your pet sin, pornography? Many men will not admit that they have this pet in their backyard. It is too vile to admit that it is there and it is too addictive to give up. Is the name of your pet sin drugs or drinking? I have met many a man from jail that cannot get along without these little pets to help them manage the cares of life. See, you can have any number of little pets to sneak around with for a while but eventually they will grow to very large proportions and show up somewhere. Your pet sin is going to keep growing and it is going to turn on you and destroy you. You do not control the pet—it controls you.

You’re going to have to kill it and you will have to start today. The first step is to admit you have it and admit to God that your pet is a sin against him. In our next blog we will discuss where we go from there.

The Puzzle of Faith Baptist Church, Continued

2011-08-31T00:32:00.001-05:00

I want to continue from my last post. I guess in one sense we are not really a puzzle for those who have been to our church. We are easy to understand because our goal is simply to declare the Gospel of Jesus Christ and live out that Gospel in our lives. You may ask, “What is the Gospel?” It is the good news of Jesus Christ, his sacrificial death for our sins and his resurrection to deliver us once and for all from sin. We want to tell the Gospel to all who will hear. We want to see people giving themselves to Jesus Christ and letting him become their life.

The other aspect of the Gospel is living the good news on a daily basis. Members at Faith want to live out a Christ-like life for the world around us to see. We do that by studying God’s Word, praying and letting the Holy Spirit guide us in our daily activities. Before anyone starts getting wrong ideas about the Spirit leading let me explain. We are not talking some kind of mysticism where you burn candles and chant or empty your mind, or recite things over and over until it becomes gibberish.

What we mean is as you study the Word of God and pray about decisions, God’s Holy Spirit will give you discernment and guidance. We are working to have a Biblical perspective which will change the way we think and do things. I become more in tune to living like Christ and being an image bearer of him by the leading of the Holy Spirit. So Holy Spirit living is not about acting strange but is about communicating with God.

It would be nice to say that we are the perfect church, but we are not. We are still growing and still learning to be more like the Master. The key is not that we are perfect but that we are trying by God’s grace and leading to operate the church in such a manner that God is glorified. It is not what you look like or how you conform to our image that matters, but it is your relationship with Jesus that we are concerned about.

So if you are looking for a church home that reaches out with the Gospel and tries to live the Gospel or if you want a church where you can be engaged in friendships and feel a part of a family then Faith is the place you want to be. We love people and we care for one another. If you found us on the web and you are in our area come home to Faith. If you are not from around Wisconsin you can pray for us and keep up with us on this web site. We always appreciate the prayers. Drop by some time we will be glad to see you.

The Puzzle of Faith Baptist Church

2011-08-08T23:11:00.001-05:00

Who are we? You may have wandered onto this website and are just browsing around. Maybe you have seen some things you like and maybe some things that you are curious about. You may ask who and what is Faith Baptist Church. Well, Faith consists of young and old. We are a small, independent community of believers living on the edge of the suburbs. We have a number of young children and yet our oldest member is ninety two years young. We are made up of every age category and character. An interesting observation is the elderly and the youthful all working together, relating to one another and sharing a common goal. Our goal is to glorify our Lord Jesus Christ and honor him by seeing people saved and sanctified. Some have said that when they came to Faith it was like coming home. That’s the way we want people to feel, like they are part of our family.

Our church family is involved in a variety of ministries. We have the In Pursuit Ministry which is our own ministry to the Ozaukee County Jail. Our classes in jail have been ongoing on for six years. I have personally been involved in the jail ministry since arriving here in 1998. One of the big encouragements for our people is to minister to these folks who are so hungry for answers to their life problems.

We have a counseling ministry which we are currently expanding. My wife and I have been attending counseling classes and seminars to meet the needs of our folks as well as people in the community. Our new ministry starting this fall is Faith Biblical Counseling which is aimed at meeting people’s needs through the Bible. We are glad to sit down with couples or individuals to deal with the issues of their lives.

Another great pleasure for my wife and me has been our ministry to college students from Maranatha Baptist Bible College. Every week during the school year we open our home up to five students. They come over and help us with our work here and we in turn help them to have a variety of ministry opportunities. These students that attend our church during their four years of schooling become a part of our family. Over the years we have had the pleasure of having several members of our extended family coming back and visit us because of our close friendships.

I hope that this brief overview of our church and our service involvement is helpful to you in evaluating our purpose and how we go about achieving it.

Too Many Hypocrites

2011-06-28T09:19:00.001-05:00

How many times have people given you the excuse that they won’t go to church because there are too many hypocrites? Yes, I will admit, as a Pastor, I have seen a few hypocrites in my time. And here is something else I have realized: at one at one time or another I, too, have been a hypocrite.

Let’s define our terms. According to Merriam Webster’s dictionary, a hypo-crite is a person who puts on a false appearance of virtue or religion, a person who acts in contradiction to his or her stated beliefs or feelings. An easier definition would be a fake, a pretender. Do you suppose there really are such people in churches? Yes, but let me ask you: are there pretenders at your place of employ-ment? Do you have someone in your bowling league or on your softball team that is a fake? Do you find that irritating? And if you have hypocrites at work, why don’t you quit your job? After all, if you can’t attend church because of them, why do you stay at work with them? You might say, “But at my job I have to put up with it; I have to stay employed.” Okay, I’ll grant you that, but what about recrea-tion? Why don’t you quit the team or the league, or drop out of that ladies’ exercise group?

May I offer a suggestion? The reason we will put up with it in dealing with activities other than church is that we enjoy doing those other things, and if we find hypocrites in our midst we will tolerate them so we can participate and have our fun. But when it comes to church, well, that’s another story; all of a sudden we can’t abide those people and we are not willing to have anyone stand in the way of a perfect church.

Well, first, I agree that Christians in a church should be better behaved than the unsaved world. Philippians 2:14, 15 “Do all things without murmurings and disputings: That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world;” We as Christians should try to live as unblemished as we can. And we do that by living in the Holy Spirit. We can try to be Christ-like but we cannot be in His image if we refuse His possession of our lives.

Paul said in Philippians 3:12-14 “Not as though I had already attained, either were already perfect: but I follow after, if that I may apprehend that for which also I am apprehended of Christ Jesus. Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,” Paul admitted he had not arrived, he was not complete, but he was pressing onward, striving in Christ to reach that goal.

None of us at Faith would claim we have arrived. We are more likely to tell you that we are sinners, saved by grace, and we are attempting to finish our race well. Will we make mistakes? Do you know anyone who hasn’t? We will fail but we want to press on, and so should you. You will, no doubt, encounter hypocrites, because we still have a sinful nature, but don’t throw all of us in the church out just because there are a few with problems. Why don’t you go to church to learn about God and glorify Him? Since I am God’s and He has paid for my sins, my job is to glorify Him. 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 “What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.” Our job is not to compare others with ourselves, but to bring glory to God, so forget the hypocrites and bring the glory!

The World Did Not End!

2011-05-31T09:28:00.002-05:00

The world did not end on May 21st but that is not the point of this blog. The reason I am writing this blog is the fact that I am deeply disturbed by Harold Camping’s ministry and his proclamations of prophecy. Neither did the world end in 1994 as he predicted and it did not end on May 21st.

Deuteronomy 18:22 says, When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him. God’s prophets have always been one hundred percent accu-rate. Mr. Camping has missed his prophecy at least twice and if the Lord tarries till October he will be proven false again. He is not a prophet of God; he is a man who has made an error. We cannot support a person who misquotes the Word of God.

We are also very familiar with the passage, Mark 13:32, But of that day and that hour knoweth no man, no, not the angels which are in heaven, neither the Son, but the Father. Christ did not know the day nor the hour so how could Harold Camping know? The Bible tells us that Jesus will come like a thief in the night. How many thieves do you know that send an email and tell you the exact time of their arrival? The evidence is that Mr. Camping completely ignored the book of Revelation which gives a complete detail of the Tribulation. And now he returns to TV and rather than say I’m sorry I have failed. I obviously need to study my Bible diligently and learn from this blunder, instead he proclaims another date.

But more disturbing is the reproach upon God, the Savior and his Word. What occurred around the 21st reminds me of 2 Peter 3:4, Where is the promise of his coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of the creation. Now the world has another reason to mock and scorn God and his Word. Jesus will come, but not on my timetable or Mr. Camping or yours. Our life’s goal is to glorify God and to bring him praise. Unfortunately, this kind of ridiculous prophetic utterance only brings God and his Word down to the level of a bad joke. The ungodly of this world now have greater ammunition to mock Christians and Christianity and that disturbs me.

I also am disturbed about the blindness in people. These followers of his should be able to distinguish truth and error if they would just read the Bible for themselves. It is disturbing to see people so easily lead astray. But once again we see in scripture, the time will come when people will not listen to the true teaching, But people will find more and more teachers who please them. They will find teachers who say what they want to hear. People will stop listening to the truth. They will begin to follow the teaching in false stories.2 Timothy 4:3-4. The people are flocking to false preachers because they give them some-thing they want to hear. They are stopping their ears to the truth because the Word is too hard. Churches are full of hypocrites. (Have you ever been anywhere where there is not at least one fake? But that is another blog.) “I was hurt in a church…”, and the list goes on. Yes, I am disturbed and, I admit, a bit angry.

But the good news is that God controls all things. Nothing happens without his knowledge. And I know from scrip-ture that God is ultimately in control. God, we need your wis-dom now. We need to use this moment in time for the furtherance of the Gospel instead of spending a lot of time attacking Harold Camping—point out his error and move on. Then we should ask our neighbor to open the Word with us and learn of Him (God). Tell our neighbors that what is really at stake here is one’s eternal destiny, one’s relationship with God. We, as Christians, should start pouring our hearts and souls into the Word and let Jesus work in us and through us so we will be God glorifiers.

And as for our community let’s start praying, start Bible studies, start reaching people for Christ. No man knoweth the hour, but He is coming. Work till the day is done.

If You Had a Bad Day

2011-04-21T13:52:00.001-05:00

Have you had a bad day? I was having one of those days recently. You know the kind of day I’m talking about. It seems you have a million things that need to be done and your morning is flying. The next thing you know you’re running late and nothing is going right. You drop your keys, your cell phone and anything else you try to hold in your hands. You’re late for appointments and if you’re on time the people you are supposed to see are late. In the middle of this frustrating activity you mutter, “This is a bad day!”

But let’s stop a moment and ask ourselves “Is it really a bad day? Can we have a bad day? Obviously things happen that are not exactly happy occurrences. The car gets a flat tire or, worse, it breaks down. The dog or cat dies; you get sick. Those are not fun things. But is it a bad day? Do we believe Romans 8:28 “And we know all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose?” I admit I don’t see much good in a flat tire, but God says, “I’m working for your good. I have a purpose for you this day and every day.”

Think about it. God put the stars in their places and God cares for you and the sparrows. “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthing, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows (Luke 12:6-7).” Then God has got to know the day I am having and he must have some purpose in it. He has to be leading me somewhere.

So my only conclusion is this: that every day has its challenges. Every day has something in it, and that something can be very good for my life. I just have to see it. So what if I drop my keys? Life will go on. I lock myself out of my office (I have done this) it is OK. It is not earth shattering to God and it should not be that traumatic to me. So if you think you’re having a bad day, take a deep breath and say, “God has it all under control, so why don’t I let him take care of it?” 1 Peter 5:7 - “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.”

More to Life

2011-04-04T16:40:00.002-05:00

We have been using the book Don’t Waste Your Life by John Piper for our
Sunday school class. I really think that it speaks to Christianity today and how we
often waste our lives even while we think we are living what we presuppose
Christianity is. If this book has done nothing for anyone else it has spoken to me.
In my mind I keep going back to the idea that there has got to be more to life then
birth, school, college, a good job, retirement and then death. Is that it? Is that all
there is to this life?

As Christians, we say there is more, so we throw God in there because that
is what a good Christian family is supposed to do. So you are born and maybe your
family has a baby dedication service. Then you attend Sunday school because that
is what church people do. And as you grow older you participate in church youth
activities because, well, that’s what good Christian young people do. Now it is
time to graduate so you go to a Bible college because that’s where good Christian
kids go. They go where their friends go and they probably will meet that special
someone and get married and graduate with a degree and a wife or husband.

Now go and get a good job somewhere because we have been taught that a
good job and money provide the best of life. And, of course, you go to church and
send your kids to Sunday school and tell them they should be in church because
you are. Involve yourself in what things you can in the church and maybe even
become a Sunday school teacher. And, since we are living the American dream,
take the kids to baseball and soccer practice. Invite someone to church once in a
while, attend church functions and get old. Finally you retire and go to that happy
place you have always dreamed about. Go to church but don’t be too active—after
all, let those young folks do it; you have already put in your time. Take walks in
the woods, visit people and eventually end up dying. We will have a nice service
for you and then that’s it?

Paul said to the Philippians, “For me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”
There has to be more then what we just described. All that we have written here is
not bad but it isn’t life. Life is CHRIST. “For me to live is Christ” means my life
is not my life it is Jesus’ life. It is about being born, but born for a purpose—to live

each breath for Him. When you are saved your life changes. You can still attend
ball games and school functions but those are not top priority. The priority is
delighting God. His delight is your delight. You are going to games to be a witness
for Him, to praise Him with your friends, to glorify God in all that you say and do.
Maybe you’re at the game and you get to teach valuable life lessons to your
children. You strive to be the best at everything because God gave you talents and
abilities and you use them to magnify God.

It means you are in a church youth group not because that’s what people do.
No—it is because you really want to grow. You want to enjoy fellowship with
brothers and sisters in Christ. You want to encourage people and pray with them.
You serve because it delights your Lord. You pray about college, and you go
where God leads you, not where all your friends are going. You study for more
than a degree; you study because you want the Lord to be pleased with what you
do. You want to be satisfied in Him and He in you. You graduate and you look for
a job where you can glorify Christ the most and serve him—in church, on the job
and in your leisure time. You marry that special someone so you can delight in
God together—so your marriage can be a reflection of Christ and the church. It is
about CHRISTian living!

We have children and we teach them the value of a life for Christ. Sure, go
play on the school team, but son, it is all about delighting God with your life and
not that your life is worthy if you get the state trophy. Take out kids and teach
them that the most valuable place they can be is in service to God. The church is a
good place to worship and to serve; it is not just another mark on our calendar.
Work for Jesus— serve him on the job and off the job. Live for ministry, not vacation.
When you retire, if you’re physically fit delight Him by doing all you used to do,
and pass your godly wisdom on to others. You never retire from serving your Lord
and King.

And when you cannot move anymore, pray and lift up the weary and love
people and delight in the Lord. Look back on your life and be satisfied, and
say, “Lord, for me to be here is living for you, but to die is gaining.” And then you
die and we say nice things about you. But the foundation you have built is, in turn,
built upon by other people—people who delight in God because they saw your
example, and they will not just be born, go to school, get a job, retire and die.

Do You Love Me Enough?

2011-03-10T17:34:00.001-06:00

Jesus asked that question of Peter: “Do you love me?” You and I are a lot like Peter. We immediately say, “Yes, Lord, I love you. I really love you. I’m here for you, Lord.” And then Jesus says, ”If you love me keep my commandments.” We say, “OK, I guess I can do that. I think I can obey, but there may be a few things, Lord, that you may have to skip over. I mean, it doesn’t have to apply to me, does it? Can we just ignore that commandment?”

Then God says, “Obey me.” “OK, Lord, I’m ready,” and then God says, “Go tell this person about Christ,” or “Go grant forgiveness to that person,” and we begin to balk. We say, “But Lord, you didn’t say I would have to do that. Can I do something else instead?” I was reminded of this scenario while downloading some video devotions for my family. One devotional skit was called The Stool.

In the video this girl comes to Jesus and says, “Here, I give you this stool.” The stool represents God’s total control over our lives. The one who sits on the stool gets to make the decisions. She puts Christ there but then, when the regular temptations of life begin to occur, the girl cannot stay off the stool. She keeps moving Jesus off the stool and taking over. She will not relinquish control to God.

We say we love Jesus, but who is on the stool? Do we love Him enough to say, “I will obey all of your commands— even the hard ones”? Do we love Him enough to say, “I’ll obey, no matter what Jesus asks?” Are you willing to give up the stool?

What Do We Expect?

2011-01-18T13:37:00.003-06:00

What do we expect in life? We try to live the American dream. We want to own a house, have a dog or cat and a nice car. We want a patio fully furnished and a fire pit to enjoy warm, comfortable evenings. Maybe we want a big house with lots of rooms. This is what we expect. We expect life to go our way. Our team always wins and we never should have fears or doubts; our bodies should never get sick or fail. That would be wonderful, but the unfortunate reality is life does not always go our way. Matter of fact, life will lead to death.

Romans 6:23 says, “For the wages of sin is death but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” Sin will kill us. Death will come to all men and women. “Whereas ye know not what shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away.” (James 4:14 ) We are told life is a vapor. It is here today and gone tomorrow. So what do we expect? We expect that people will get sick they will die. We will have illness and trouble.

“Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour.” (1 Peter 5:8) Satan is out there and he is seeking to destroy you, so what do expect? Expect opposition. People will not always love you for being a Christian. Satan certainly will not make life easy for you.

Life is going to end, life moves rather quickly, and Satan will oppose us. So don’t expect that it will be all sunshine and roses and that you will never be touched by trials or temptations. “Whom resist steadfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world.” (1 Peter 5:9) We are to resist Satan and know that our brethren in the other parts of the world are enduring the same trials. We will have problems, we will have heartaches, and we will see death. It is going to happen.

But unless I send you into depression there is a good note here. If we live for Christ our life will be blessed and we will see good. And when time is over “this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 15:53-57) Sure we will suffer and die at some point. We were never promised that life would be one great celebration after another. And yet one day we will be changed; the wrong will be made right, death will be conquered and we will live forever. Amen! And until that time stand for the Lord, live for him everyday, and make it count for God. Live with the attitude of “this is a day that the Lord hath made I will rejoice and be glad in it!” I’ll serve today expecting tomorrow with the Lord Jesus.

Focus

2011-01-06T15:36:00.003-06:00

Ask yourself, are you out of focus? In this New Year are you focused on Jesus Christ or something else? Did you lose your focus? I will be the first to admit my vision has gotten a little hazy these last few months. Now I and my family are attempting to refocus our energy and life around Christ. We are working to rethink what we are doing and asking, are we glorifying God in all that we do?

How does one get out of focus? It is easy to do. The holidays will get you out of focus. We get busy planning Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Years and in our quest to make it nice for friends and family we get our minds off Christ and the true meaning of Christmas. We can even be serving and loving people but we may forget who loved us so much to die for us. We may have programs and New Year’s goals that are very good but Jesus has to be a part of that thought process. Bowl games are fun to watch but they may get in the way of the Lord and serving him and if that happens they are not worth it.

We can lose our focus with our devotions if we just try to get through them quickly rather than stop and really think and meditate on God. Attending church services is great but why are you there? Are you there because that’s just what you do? Maybe you are going to get the latest gossip or to see that special someone. It is easy to lose focus and as you can see none of these things mentioned are bad in themselves. But it is our focus that needs to be Godward and not all wrapped up here on earth. Next time I write maybe I’ll talk about sin that causes us to lose our focus but for now let’s set aside things that are not sinful but still may be shifting our focus. Let’s refocus on the one who loves us, Jesus Christ.

Christmas

2010-12-21T16:22:00.000-06:00

Christmas is here and everyone is busy running here and there buying last minute gifts, putting up the tree and preparing for their family. People for the most part seem very friendly and helpful this time of year, which brings me to my question. Why is it that around Christmas we can be so friendly and jolly and then January 2nd comes and everyone goes back to being Grinch-like? Why is it that we can have the “holiday spirit” only from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day? Do we believe in Santa and so we are trying to be good boys and girls? Or do we just grow reflective this time of year and so it changes our perspective for a short time?

Habakkuk said, “Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation. The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds' feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places.” Habakkuk rejoiced in the Lord—he saw the joy in God. He saw that God would raise him up. He was not looking at the Christmas season; he was looking beyond to God. We have a tendency to take a few weeks a year to remember the Christ child the gift of God sent to man. Then its over and on with the New Year. But what we must do is see as Habakkuk did—see God today and everyday. God is not just the God of Christmas but the God of all creation for all time. God is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow, so you should serve him every day regardless of the season.

1 Corinthians 10:31 “Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God.” We give glory to God at all times: Christmas, New Year’s or any other time.

Don't Miss the Blessing

2010-11-29T08:18:00.000-06:00

Recently God has been noticeably blessing our ministry. It is always exciting to see God working. It often amazes me how God brings things together and pours out His blessings. Sometimes you just stand in awe and say that God is incredibly good. But even in the midst of God’s blessings you can get your eyes off the good and stop seeing Him. A perceived offense can sidetrack you. Something may strike you as wrong and there go God’s blessings. Not because He stopped blessing, but because you stopped praising Him and became preoccupied by something else. We can lose sight of God so easily!

What about you? Have you ever gotten sidetracked? Has there been a time in your life when God was blessing you and for some reason you stopped seeing the blessing to concentrate on that which was not good or what you perceived as a problem. It may well have been a problem and an offense, but we cannot get sidetracked. Let it go! Do not let things creep into your life and steal your joy. Hebrews 12:15, “Looking diligently lest any man fail of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled”. God’s grace is sufficient; look to it rather than getting caught up in something and losing your joy. Our joy is not based on our circumstances, but from God and living for Him. His blessing is there to be enjoyed, but we spend too much time looking the other way.

We all can get so focused on minor issues that we forget what is really important. It is like the old saying — do you see the glass half empty or half full? There are people who can see only the half empty glass and refuse to see what God may be doing in their life to make it full. Friends, let us see God in all the trials and temptations of life. Let us see Him in both the good and bad times. Look to Him and not to your own petty, selfish world. See the good; see the blessings God has bestowed. 1 Thessalonians 5:18, “In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you."

Wait Upon the Lord

2010-10-29T13:07:00.001-05:00

We read in 2 Corinthians 12:7-9 “And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure. For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me. And he said unto me, ‘My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.”

Paul had just finished speaking about some marvelous things that had occurred in his life. In our minds, Paul would be considered a saint above all saints — a great man of God. He had seen, and been privy to, many revelations of God. The Apostle Paul could have been prideful, but God sent him a thorn in the flesh. We do not know what this thorn in the flesh was, but we do know that it hindered Paul. It bothered him so much that he asked God to take it away from him on three separate occasions, but God told Paul, “My grace, my favor to you, is sufficient.”

Most of us go through hard times in our lives — illnesses, operations and an occasional broken foot, arm or leg, but usually we recover. However, there are those who suffer a physical ailment and their suffering continues instead of just going away. People suffer injuries that will affect them for years; there are strokes and diseases, all of which become long, drawn out affairs. God, in his sovereignty, lets it unfold, and there is nothing we can do that will change it.

So, when these things come up, what are we to do? Well, basically, there are two options. Option one is to get mad at God, forsake Him and run as far away as possible, living your life dedicated to hating and berating God and everyone else. That is bitterness. You can be miserable in your sorrow, always focusing on death and pain at every turn, and die unhappy and unfulfilled.

Or, the second option is to take God at His word and say, “God’s grace is sufficient for me.” You can face the day-after-day routines by giving God the suffering, the pain and the sorrow. You can say, “God, I don’t understand why, but I will rely on You and Your mercy and grace to go on.” Dealing with your day-to-day problems is a heart issue. You need to have a heart dedicated to God and live for Him. When you get your inward self focused on God and His abilities and not your own, then you will change the way you think.

Paul realized that God wasn’t going to take his suffering away, so he changed his thinking and said, “When I am weak in the flesh, God is strong.” In his weakness, he magnified God and was blessed with a tremendous ministry to many people. Paul became one of the greatest saints recorded and it was because he had the right mind-set: “Even if I’m weak, even if I am physically hampered, when I am weak, I can see God being strong.” Is that your approach? Are you waiting on the Lord for everything?

Psalms 27:14 “Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD.” Wait for Him; have patience, dear saint. God is at work, to mold us and make us His beautiful masterpiece.

Be a Body Builder for Christ

2010-10-08T11:27:00.004-05:00

What happens when God take us through the trials of life? What is He trying to do? What’s His motive? I believe there is a glimmer of understanding in Romans 8:28-29, “And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the first-born among many brethren.”

God’s good purpose in the trials of life is to make us more like His son. He wants us to go through trials so we can see the good things we can learn, that we may be conformed to His image. As you enter your next trial, ask yourself what is the good? What good thing does God want me to learn? What is the good thing God wants me to take away from this trial that will make me more like Him? Recently a good, older, godly saint of ours passed away. It was a sad occasion, and yet, when we remembered our beloved Clem we remembered the fact that he always saw the good. He looked at life and saw the good that the Lord was doing. He never said it was bad; he always saw God in his life. He saw God working for his good, godly purpose.

You need to understand that God is building you up and making you better through the things that are occurring in your life. He is strengthening your spiritual muscles. Romans 5:3-5, “And not only so, but we glory in tribulations also: knowing that tribulation worketh patience; And patience, experience; and experience, hope: And hope maketh not ashamed; because the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us.” We glory in tribulations; we glorify God when we are under pressure because pressure brings endurance (patience). God is building you endurance, your strength. Patience builds experience, which is trust in the Lord. I build up my endurance, which helps me trust more in God, which leads to hope, or we could say we have a confident anticipation. As I go through my trials, I see God in it and I anticipate what good thing He will do. God is building you spiritually to make you a strong, spiritual body builder.

God wants you to glorify him by seeing the good in your trials so you realize He is giving you much more spiritual muscle so you can be just like His son. So how is the workout going for you? You can either build up or give up; what will you choose?

Good Intentions

2010-09-16T22:06:00.003-05:00

The old saying was that the road to hell is paved with good intentions. I was thinking about that recently, after talking to several people who had good intentions. I have spoken with people who promised they would be in church, or turn out for an activity. Others say they really want to live for the Lord and they promise they will. They have good intentions. They planned to come to church or they were going to do a project, but they didn’t. They had good intentions. In my own life, I want to call people back when they leave me voice mail. I want to do it within a reasonable amount of time, and I truly have good intentions, but the bottom line is that good intentions don’t get it done. Doing what they say they will becomes a chore for many. They have good intentions, but they never get it done.

Being a good person and coming to church is nice, but it won’t save your soul no matter how good your intentions. Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.” We are not saved by good intentions. We are saved by the grace of, and the trust in, the Lord Jesus Christ. I can have all the good intentions, and all the good works, but that won’t gain me entrance into heaven. The point is, only Jesus can save a sinner, and only when the sinner trusts in Him and makes Jesus the Lord of his life.

We have a jail ministry. I meet men who profess salvation in Christ and I believe some of these men are saved, but not all. They have good intentions of living for Christ, but when they get out of jail, the cares of this world overwhelm them and they fail. It is a shame to see it happen. But before we get too hard on them, how about you? Do you have good intentions? You say you’re going to pray more, attend church more, love more and reach your neighbor. Good for you, but now do it! We had a guest speaker at our church that challenged us to give out gospel tracts. I believe several people accepted them, and it amounted to almost 1,200 tracts. How many do you think will be passed out? We have good intentions but we have to do better.

We have to start getting wrapped up in living for the Lord and doing what He wants for our lives, and then we will leave the realm of good intentions and become true servants of God. We need to live the Christian life 24/7, not just on Sunday and Wednesday and when we feel like it. Forget good intentions; just do it Jesus’ way, all the way.

Perspective, Part Two

2010-08-02T17:23:00.000-05:00

In Part One, we spoke of Joseph and his perspective. He had been sold into Egypt and served God there. Then he was enticed to have an affair, but because he realized that whatever he did would be a sin against God, he refused, which got him thrown into prison. Joseph keeps doing the right thing, and soon he meets Pharaoh’s baker and butler. They both are experiencing dreams, and Joseph interprets them. Three days later, as Joseph predicted, the dreams come to pass: the baker is put to death and the butler is restored to his position. But the butler forgets about Joseph, who stays in prison for two more years. How can this be a good thing? Well, it isn’t unless you see God’s perspective.

After two years, Pharaoh repeatedly has a troubling dream and no one can interpret it. The butler then remembers that Joseph could interpret dreams and Joseph is called before Pharaoh. In a very short time, Joseph goes from being a prisoner to being in charge of almost everything, second only to Pharaoh. Joseph kept his perspective right by focusing on what was right by God and not by man’s thinking. We have to think bigger. Look around your room. Life is more than what is contained there. What you do is affecting someone who, in turn. Is affecting someone else. There is a bigger picture out there and Joseph understood it.

The end of the story is his reunion with his brothers and a final statement that shows Joseph had the perspective that you and I need. His Dad has died, and Joseph’s brothers are worried that he may seek revenge. But Joseph looks them in the eye and says, “Fear not: for am I in the place of God? But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Now therefore, fear ye not: I will nourish you and your little ones.” And he comforted them, and spoke kindly unto them.

Joseph had the right perspective through each turn in the road; he saw God, he saw the plan unfold before him, and he adjusted accordingly. Joseph pressed on because he trusted in God’s plan. He did not know all that God had planned, but he did know his God was in control.

What about you? What is your perspective? Do you look to God and his plan or are you frustrated and overwhelmed? As Christians, we must constantly be confident that God is in control, and you and I ― we have to keep our perspective.

Perspective, Part One

2010-07-17T13:48:00.000-05:00

I am sure that most of you are familiar with the story of Joseph in the Old Testament. He was a young man highly favored by his Dad ― so much so that his Dad made him a coat of beautiful colors. His brothers did not take this well and hated him for being the favorite, and when Joseph told them his dreams, which pointed out that some day they would submit to him, that was the last straw. There came a day when they had him all alone and sold him to some traders headed to Egypt.
Now I want you to think about this ― Joseph was a young man in his late teens, maybe early twenties, and he is in a foreign land far from home. He is a slave. What would you do? Joseph promptly sets to work and does what he is told. Matter of fact, he is so good at running things that the master of the house, Potiphar, turns his duties over to Joseph. All is well and good for Joseph till his master’s wife decides she wants to have an affair with him.
Keep in mind ― Joseph is all alone in Egypt, he is young, and he has an older woman desiring him, and who is going to know if he has this affair? Temptation is staring him in the face, but Joseph has a bigger perspective. When Potiphar’s wife begins to badger him to have an affair, Joseph declares, “How can I do this great sin against God?” Joseph had it figured out this way: life ― my life and yours ― is all about God. Joseph knew he could sleep with her, but he also knew God would be there with him. He understood that to give in to temptation would be a sin against God, and this was the one person he did not want to fail. So he ran. Potipahr’s wife then decided that if she could not have Joseph, she would get even with him, so she claims attempted rape, which gets Joseph thrown into prison.
Now things are really bad, but what does Joseph do? Does he get all sad and fearful? No. Instead, Joseph starts working hard in prison. He just works where God places him. Joseph has perspective. He looks on things as God looks on things. Joseph works hard in prison and before long he is running things. He never loses his perspective. You and I need to get the big picture ― see things from God’s view and adjust accordingly.
So how is your perspective? Is it a godly perspective?