Over two thousand years ago the most influential man in human history gave his life for the most important cause of all time. The person I am talking about is Jesus Christ, and the cause was his church. The church is defined as the people of God. Jesus purchased his church by shedding his blood on the cross, he established the church through his apostles, and now he builds it with his people. Jesus is passionately in love with his church, and is determined to see it become great and radiant (Ephesians 5:25-27).
So, why do I love the church? I love the church because I love Jesus. In order to love somebody, you have to value what is important to them. The Bible describes the love relationship between Jesus and his church like that of a husband and wife (Revelation 19:7 and Ephesians 5:22-33). In fact, Jesus is so connected to the church it is referred to as his body in chapter 12 in the book of Corinthians.
I know many people are discouraged and disillusioned with the church, and rightfully so in some cases. Unfortunately, too many pastors have fallen from grace, too many churches have split over petty issues, and too many churches have not been compassionate to those who are lost and hurting. None of these are God’s intention for the church. We have to deal with the reality that people are human and make mistakes. I know it is very disappointing to witness a Christian not act like one. For all who have been let down by the church, I deeply apologize as a minister of Jesus.
Even though the church has let people down in recent years, it still has a divine purpose on planet earth, and it is still the best place to meet great people. The church is God’s household, the pillar and foundation of truth in our society (1 Timothy 3:15). The church is also the institution that is designed by God to defeat all the spiritual forces of darkness in our world (Matthew 16:18-19 and Ephesians 3:10-11).
Because the church has such an important mission it is constantly under attack. Secular humanists who want to live immoral lifestyles are trying to pass legislation to eradicate the churches influence in our country. And the devil is constantly waging warfare against the church by trying to deceive, tempt and accuse God’s people. It is regrettable that many Christian’s have succumbed to his wrongdoing. That is why we need to put on the full armor of God to stand against the devil’s schemes (Ephesians 6:11).
The good news is that the Bible tells us the end of the story. The church is destined to be more than a conqueror (Romans 8:37-39). It will triumph over the devil and all his dark forces (Matthew 16:18-19). And the church will be presented to Jesus like a bride on her wedding day, without spot, wrinkle or blemish (Ephesians 5:27).
I love the church because it is Jesus’ body and his bride. I love the church because it has been entrusted with the greatest mission on planet earth. That mission is to destroy the devil and his works of darkness. I love the church because it possesses the power of God to bring transformation to a lost world. I love the church because it still contains the greatest people I have ever met.
If you love Jesus and appreciate all he has done for you, then you should prove your love by getting involved in a local church. The bottom line is that your love for Jesus will be reflected in your devotion to and service in Jesus’ church.
Sunday, July 29, 2007
Monday, July 23, 2007
Two Types of Sorrow
After watching “To Catch a Predator” on MSNBC Dateline, a feature about people who prey on children for sex by making initial contact with them on the internet, I started thinking about the two types of sorrow Apostle Paul wrote about in the Bible to the church at Corinth.
It was quite shocking to witness the reality of what people will do when they are addicted to their sin. First, these predators seek out children for sex on the internet by engaging in salacious conversations and sending pornographic pictures of themselves. Then, once they make contact, they drive to the house and audaciously enter the house of the child. They usually bring some type of alcohol or drug with them, and sometimes they take off their clothes before entering the house. There is no doubt they have every intention on acting out their sick fantasy. Many of the predators are previous sex offenders.
As they walk into the house they are greeted by a gentleman who works for MSNBC Dateline. He begins to question them about their motive and intent for appearing at the residence. At this moment, it is interesting to listen to what they have to communicate about their reason for being in the house, and sad to watch how they respond.
Initially, they all seem to be remorseful for their lascivious behavior. However, as they continue to sit through the interrogation and answer questions, it becomes painfully obvious that their sorrow is worldly and not godly.
2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorry brings death.”
Worldly sorrow is when a person is more upset about being caught for the crime than committing the crime. It does not produce a change in human behavior. A person with this type of sorrow is not willing to fully acknowledge the wrong they have done. In fact, this person feels they are the victim because they have to go through the inconvenience of being caught in the act. This type of sorrow always leads to death.
Godly sorrow produces a deep regret in a person’s heart for their sinful lifestyle. This sorrow is so sincere that it causes the person to change behavior, accept any punishment for what they did wrong, and make amends where necessary. This type of sorrow always leads to new life.
2 Corinthians 7:11 says, “See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.”
Remember, these predators sought out children on the internet, drove in their car to their house, walked in the house, brought alcohol, condoms and drugs, and still pleaded their innocence when caught on video. All but one of the men in the feature pleaded not guilty in their court case. These men are the personification of worldly sorrow.
“To Catch a Predator” is a great reminder to all of us that our sin will eventually lead to death. It is also a reminder that the only sorrow that will produce eternal change in the human heart is godly sorrow.
Do you have godly sorrow or worldly sorrow for your sin?
I am sure it was a simple lustful thought that led to the wanton behavior of these internet predators. Maybe you are not a sex offender, but your sin will eventually bring a similar undoing and humiliation to you and those in your sphere of influence. After watching “To Catch a Predator”, it is undeniable that America needs more godly sorrow in its citizens.
It was quite shocking to witness the reality of what people will do when they are addicted to their sin. First, these predators seek out children for sex on the internet by engaging in salacious conversations and sending pornographic pictures of themselves. Then, once they make contact, they drive to the house and audaciously enter the house of the child. They usually bring some type of alcohol or drug with them, and sometimes they take off their clothes before entering the house. There is no doubt they have every intention on acting out their sick fantasy. Many of the predators are previous sex offenders.
As they walk into the house they are greeted by a gentleman who works for MSNBC Dateline. He begins to question them about their motive and intent for appearing at the residence. At this moment, it is interesting to listen to what they have to communicate about their reason for being in the house, and sad to watch how they respond.
Initially, they all seem to be remorseful for their lascivious behavior. However, as they continue to sit through the interrogation and answer questions, it becomes painfully obvious that their sorrow is worldly and not godly.
2 Corinthians 7:10 says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorry brings death.”
Worldly sorrow is when a person is more upset about being caught for the crime than committing the crime. It does not produce a change in human behavior. A person with this type of sorrow is not willing to fully acknowledge the wrong they have done. In fact, this person feels they are the victim because they have to go through the inconvenience of being caught in the act. This type of sorrow always leads to death.
Godly sorrow produces a deep regret in a person’s heart for their sinful lifestyle. This sorrow is so sincere that it causes the person to change behavior, accept any punishment for what they did wrong, and make amends where necessary. This type of sorrow always leads to new life.
2 Corinthians 7:11 says, “See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done.”
Remember, these predators sought out children on the internet, drove in their car to their house, walked in the house, brought alcohol, condoms and drugs, and still pleaded their innocence when caught on video. All but one of the men in the feature pleaded not guilty in their court case. These men are the personification of worldly sorrow.
“To Catch a Predator” is a great reminder to all of us that our sin will eventually lead to death. It is also a reminder that the only sorrow that will produce eternal change in the human heart is godly sorrow.
Do you have godly sorrow or worldly sorrow for your sin?
I am sure it was a simple lustful thought that led to the wanton behavior of these internet predators. Maybe you are not a sex offender, but your sin will eventually bring a similar undoing and humiliation to you and those in your sphere of influence. After watching “To Catch a Predator”, it is undeniable that America needs more godly sorrow in its citizens.
Sunday, July 15, 2007
Do Good Works Make Us Good? (Part 2)
It's amazing to me who the world exalts as a role model in our society today. The standard for righteousness is being reduced, if not lost, as our nation continues to ignore the truth contained in the Bible.
What makes the Bible unique is it teaches that no one is good without Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Romans 3:10, 12 says, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who does good, not even one.” It is this teaching about humanity that offends so many people. Apostle Paul reminded the church at Ephesus that there was no amount of good works they could do to ever earn their salvation. He writes in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God—(9) not by works, so that no one can boast.”
So, what am I writing? Am I saying that people should never do good works? Not at all! The Bible teaches us that people are saved to do good works. Christians should do more good works than anybody else on the planet. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” The difference is that our good works don’t make us good. It is the new nature that Christ gives us, and it is the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts that makes us good.
The key to doing good works is the right motive. Without Christ, I believe our motive for good works is more about feeling good than actually helping people. In other words, it is selfish.
What is Angelina’s motive? Newsweek reports, “When I was famous for being just an actress, my life felt very shallow,” she says. “You’ve done nothing of any social relevance, and yet you have all these people interviewing you. You don’t even know what you’re talking about. You’re just trying to find yourself.” She pauses. “Traveling really did save me. I was just...happier. It was feeling that I was doing the right things with my life.” Could her motive be more about being happy than helping people?
Good works can make you feel good but they don’t make you good. I know what I am writing is controversial and not well-received in our humanistic culture where people put more trust in man than God. The simple fact is that truth has a tendency to be offensive. My simple goal is to teach truth even if it means being unpopular.
One final thought about good works. The main way you can determine the motive behind a person’s good works is by watching who gets the praise. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” The good works that really count are those that give praise to God and not to people.
Hey, I know good works almost always impact people in a positive manner. And yes, I know good works are much better than bad works. I am aware that many people have been helped by Jolie’s humanitarian efforts. Her work around the world is a good thing, but it does not make her righteous. The truth is that her sin makes her immoral.
If she was righteous, her good works would bring praise to God. After reading the article, all the praise for Angelina’s good works went to her and not to the Father in heaven. Without Christ, our good works may get us favor with humans, but it will never get us favor with God. Without Godly motives, our righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). There is only one standard by which we can judge and determine righteousness, and that standard is the Lord Jesus Christ.
My hope is that Angelina would receive Jesus as her Lord and Savior by repenting for her sins and asking God to forgive her. If so, maybe her efforts would do more than make her happy and do good things for people. What if her labor actually led people to Christ and transformed them for eternity? What if her work actually taught people how to live like Jesus so they could obey His commandments and experience personal prosperity instead of poverty?
If so, our Father in heaven would get the praise through her good works.
What makes the Bible unique is it teaches that no one is good without Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior. Romans 3:10, 12 says, “There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who does good, not even one.” It is this teaching about humanity that offends so many people. Apostle Paul reminded the church at Ephesus that there was no amount of good works they could do to ever earn their salvation. He writes in Ephesians 2:8-9, “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is a gift of God—(9) not by works, so that no one can boast.”
So, what am I writing? Am I saying that people should never do good works? Not at all! The Bible teaches us that people are saved to do good works. Christians should do more good works than anybody else on the planet. Ephesians 2:10 says, “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” The difference is that our good works don’t make us good. It is the new nature that Christ gives us, and it is the transforming work of the Holy Spirit in our hearts that makes us good.
The key to doing good works is the right motive. Without Christ, I believe our motive for good works is more about feeling good than actually helping people. In other words, it is selfish.
What is Angelina’s motive? Newsweek reports, “When I was famous for being just an actress, my life felt very shallow,” she says. “You’ve done nothing of any social relevance, and yet you have all these people interviewing you. You don’t even know what you’re talking about. You’re just trying to find yourself.” She pauses. “Traveling really did save me. I was just...happier. It was feeling that I was doing the right things with my life.” Could her motive be more about being happy than helping people?
Good works can make you feel good but they don’t make you good. I know what I am writing is controversial and not well-received in our humanistic culture where people put more trust in man than God. The simple fact is that truth has a tendency to be offensive. My simple goal is to teach truth even if it means being unpopular.
One final thought about good works. The main way you can determine the motive behind a person’s good works is by watching who gets the praise. Matthew 5:16 says, “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” The good works that really count are those that give praise to God and not to people.
Hey, I know good works almost always impact people in a positive manner. And yes, I know good works are much better than bad works. I am aware that many people have been helped by Jolie’s humanitarian efforts. Her work around the world is a good thing, but it does not make her righteous. The truth is that her sin makes her immoral.
If she was righteous, her good works would bring praise to God. After reading the article, all the praise for Angelina’s good works went to her and not to the Father in heaven. Without Christ, our good works may get us favor with humans, but it will never get us favor with God. Without Godly motives, our righteous acts are like filthy rags (Isaiah 64:6). There is only one standard by which we can judge and determine righteousness, and that standard is the Lord Jesus Christ.
My hope is that Angelina would receive Jesus as her Lord and Savior by repenting for her sins and asking God to forgive her. If so, maybe her efforts would do more than make her happy and do good things for people. What if her labor actually led people to Christ and transformed them for eternity? What if her work actually taught people how to live like Jesus so they could obey His commandments and experience personal prosperity instead of poverty?
If so, our Father in heaven would get the praise through her good works.
Saturday, July 07, 2007
Do Good Works Make Us Good?
Jesus told his followers to let their light shine in such a way that people would see their good deeds and give praise to the Father in heaven. Over the next four weeks at Every Nation Tallahassee we will be teaching people how to "Get Lit" and shine like Jesus in our world of ever-increasing darkness. I hope to see you there.
Most people want to see the world changed, and many desire to be saviors. Can anybody shine brighter than Jesus Christ and replace him as the light of the world?
While reading the June 25, 2007 edition of Newsweek, I came across an article titled “Angelina Wants to Save the World”. The story is about Angelina Jolie’s humanitarian work. According to Newsweek, since 2001, she has evolved from a carnal libertine into a 32-year-old mother of four and good-will ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, visiting populations in crisis in Sierra Leone, Darfur, Thailand, Ecuador, Pakistan and elsewhere. She attends the World Economic Forum. She donates one third of her salary to charity.
Is Angelina Jolie our savior? Does all of her “good work” make her a good person? Well, that depends on how you obtain your worldview on goodness.
If good works made us good, then everybody on the planet would be good after one good work. Even killers like Charles Manson, Ted Bundy and Adolf Hitler did at least one good work in their lifetime, and that did not make them good. Their sin made them wicked and evil.
Life teaches us and history has proven that humans are not good. All we have to do is watch one night of evening news to be reminded of the evil that exists in people. In fact, most if not all, world religions and cults have some type of “good works” system by which they try to obtain their righteousness in vain.
For example, Mormons believe they are saved by doing good works, like missions and tithing, and by following the beliefs of the LDS Church. Muslims believe they can tip the judgment scale in their favor by doing good deeds that are compatible with the teachings of the Qur’an and the Hadith. Chief among those are the Five Pillars of Faith that each Muslim must perform. They include reciting the Shahadah, praying, giving alms, fasting and making a pilgrimage to Mecca. Oh, and killing people for Allah will get you a special place in paradise with fine virgin women.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of "Do Good Works Make Us Good?"
Most people want to see the world changed, and many desire to be saviors. Can anybody shine brighter than Jesus Christ and replace him as the light of the world?
While reading the June 25, 2007 edition of Newsweek, I came across an article titled “Angelina Wants to Save the World”. The story is about Angelina Jolie’s humanitarian work. According to Newsweek, since 2001, she has evolved from a carnal libertine into a 32-year-old mother of four and good-will ambassador for the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, visiting populations in crisis in Sierra Leone, Darfur, Thailand, Ecuador, Pakistan and elsewhere. She attends the World Economic Forum. She donates one third of her salary to charity.
Is Angelina Jolie our savior? Does all of her “good work” make her a good person? Well, that depends on how you obtain your worldview on goodness.
If good works made us good, then everybody on the planet would be good after one good work. Even killers like Charles Manson, Ted Bundy and Adolf Hitler did at least one good work in their lifetime, and that did not make them good. Their sin made them wicked and evil.
Life teaches us and history has proven that humans are not good. All we have to do is watch one night of evening news to be reminded of the evil that exists in people. In fact, most if not all, world religions and cults have some type of “good works” system by which they try to obtain their righteousness in vain.
For example, Mormons believe they are saved by doing good works, like missions and tithing, and by following the beliefs of the LDS Church. Muslims believe they can tip the judgment scale in their favor by doing good deeds that are compatible with the teachings of the Qur’an and the Hadith. Chief among those are the Five Pillars of Faith that each Muslim must perform. They include reciting the Shahadah, praying, giving alms, fasting and making a pilgrimage to Mecca. Oh, and killing people for Allah will get you a special place in paradise with fine virgin women.
Stay tuned for Part 2 of "Do Good Works Make Us Good?"
Monday, July 02, 2007
What Are Humans That God is Mindful of Us?
(1) O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth! (3) When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, (4) what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? (5) You have made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. (6) You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet: (7) all flocks and herds, and the beasts of the field, (8) the birds of the air, and the fish of the sea, all that swim the paths of the seas. (9) O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Imagine this! You are sitting on a boat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in Alaska and there is hardly a ripple on the water. Surrounding you, as far as you can see, are snow capped mountain ranges with rolling vast forests on the side of them. Sitting perched on top of the trees and soaring through the air are several bald eagles. Looking to the left you see seals playfully swimming in the cool water. Looking to the right you see the whales spouting as they role through the water. And in the boat, a good friend has a 135 lb Halibut hooked on his fishing line with a grimace and a smile on his face. The temperature outside is about 70 degrees with a cool breeze blowing through your hair. There is not a cloud in the beautiful blue sky.
I just got back from a four day fishing trip in Alaska. What I described to you in the paragraph above was my day on Wednesday. It was one of the most beautiful days I have ever experienced in my life. That morning, during my devotional time, the Lord led me to Psalm 8. It’s funny how He has a way of doing that to me. O Lord, our Lord how majestic is your name in all the earth! When you find yourself in the middle of God’s awesome creation, you truly have to be a fool to deny His existence (Psalm 14:1).
While sitting on the boat that day admiring the handiwork of God, I had two encouraging thoughts after reading Psalm 8.
The first one was the fact that the Almighty God is mindful of me. In fact, He created me to have a relationship with Him. No one knows me better than my Creator. Because He is mindful of me, this means he will provide for me, protect me and guide me through life. While observing His amazing creation and thinking about the brilliance of His mind, it was quite comforting to know that He is mindful of me.
The second thought was the fact that human beings are the crown jewel of His creation. We were in awe every time we saw an eagle soar, a whale spout or a seal glide through the water. But, I began to wonder if an eagle, whale or seal could reason, what would they think about us? I bet they would be envious that we were created to rule over the work of God’s hands. An eagle can soar in the wind, but it will never be able to fly a plane. A whale and seal can swim in the ocean, but it will never be able to sail a boat.
And more importantly, the eagle, whale and seal can never know the mind of their Creator. We, as God’s people, are designed to have a relationship with the Majestic One. I pray that we would make the most of this wonderful privilege, and fully understand what it means to be crowned with God’s glory and honor.
O Lord, our Lord how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Imagine this! You are sitting on a boat in the middle of the Pacific Ocean in Alaska and there is hardly a ripple on the water. Surrounding you, as far as you can see, are snow capped mountain ranges with rolling vast forests on the side of them. Sitting perched on top of the trees and soaring through the air are several bald eagles. Looking to the left you see seals playfully swimming in the cool water. Looking to the right you see the whales spouting as they role through the water. And in the boat, a good friend has a 135 lb Halibut hooked on his fishing line with a grimace and a smile on his face. The temperature outside is about 70 degrees with a cool breeze blowing through your hair. There is not a cloud in the beautiful blue sky.
I just got back from a four day fishing trip in Alaska. What I described to you in the paragraph above was my day on Wednesday. It was one of the most beautiful days I have ever experienced in my life. That morning, during my devotional time, the Lord led me to Psalm 8. It’s funny how He has a way of doing that to me. O Lord, our Lord how majestic is your name in all the earth! When you find yourself in the middle of God’s awesome creation, you truly have to be a fool to deny His existence (Psalm 14:1).
While sitting on the boat that day admiring the handiwork of God, I had two encouraging thoughts after reading Psalm 8.
The first one was the fact that the Almighty God is mindful of me. In fact, He created me to have a relationship with Him. No one knows me better than my Creator. Because He is mindful of me, this means he will provide for me, protect me and guide me through life. While observing His amazing creation and thinking about the brilliance of His mind, it was quite comforting to know that He is mindful of me.
The second thought was the fact that human beings are the crown jewel of His creation. We were in awe every time we saw an eagle soar, a whale spout or a seal glide through the water. But, I began to wonder if an eagle, whale or seal could reason, what would they think about us? I bet they would be envious that we were created to rule over the work of God’s hands. An eagle can soar in the wind, but it will never be able to fly a plane. A whale and seal can swim in the ocean, but it will never be able to sail a boat.
And more importantly, the eagle, whale and seal can never know the mind of their Creator. We, as God’s people, are designed to have a relationship with the Majestic One. I pray that we would make the most of this wonderful privilege, and fully understand what it means to be crowned with God’s glory and honor.
O Lord, our Lord how majestic is your name in all the earth!
Monday, June 25, 2007
The Perfect Father (Part 2)
Whether you know it or not, your relationship with your father is significant because it influences your thoughts and feelings about God. Since God is our Eternal Father, nothing is more important than knowing Him. So, as a father, what is God like? How does He desire to relate to us? Is he the type of father who will abandon us? Is he the type of father who is distant? Is he the type of father that is around but not engaged in our lives? Or, is he the Perfect Father that never changes in his unconditional love for his children?
To understand what the perfect Father is like, first we must understand what we are like without Christ. Romans 3:10-11 and 23 says, “There is no one righteous, not even one; (11) there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. (23) For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 6:23a says, “For the wages of sin is death.” Because of our sin, all we deserve, and yes this includes every single one of us, is hell. This is important to comprehend, because without this understanding, we can not appreciate what God has done for us as the Perfect Father.
James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (18) He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first-fruits of all he created.” One of the characteristics of a perfect Father is that he is a giver. Remember, the wages of sin is death. That is the bad news. However, the gospel is more about good news than bad news. The second part of Romans 6:23 says, “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The greatest gift ever given in the history of humanity is Jesus Christ. Without this gift we would all burn in eternity forever. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Another characteristic of the perfect Father is that he loves unconditionally. The gift of his son Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of the Father’s love. Romans 5:6-8 says, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. (7) Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. (8) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Finally, our Perfect Father is compassionate and gracious. Psalm 103:8-13 says, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. (9) He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; (10) he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. (11) For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; (12) as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (13) As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.”
God's grace is described with four characteristics in Psalm 103:8-13. Verse 8: God has a long fuse. Verse 9: God has a short memory. Verse 10: God has thick skin. Verses 1112: God has a big heart.
The Perfect Father’s heart, like the distance between east and west, cannot be measured. On a globe, if you go north, you'll eventually reach the North Pole, and if you keep walking in a straight line, you'll start heading south. Eventually, north meets south. Not so east and west. If you go east around the globe, you never reach west.
To understand what the perfect Father is like, first we must understand what we are like without Christ. Romans 3:10-11 and 23 says, “There is no one righteous, not even one; (11) there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God. (23) For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Romans 6:23a says, “For the wages of sin is death.” Because of our sin, all we deserve, and yes this includes every single one of us, is hell. This is important to comprehend, because without this understanding, we can not appreciate what God has done for us as the Perfect Father.
James 1:17 says, “Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (18) He chose to give us birth through the word of truth, that we might be a kind of first-fruits of all he created.” One of the characteristics of a perfect Father is that he is a giver. Remember, the wages of sin is death. That is the bad news. However, the gospel is more about good news than bad news. The second part of Romans 6:23 says, “But the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
The greatest gift ever given in the history of humanity is Jesus Christ. Without this gift we would all burn in eternity forever. John 3:16 says, “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
Another characteristic of the perfect Father is that he loves unconditionally. The gift of his son Jesus Christ is the ultimate expression of the Father’s love. Romans 5:6-8 says, “You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. (7) Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. (8) But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Finally, our Perfect Father is compassionate and gracious. Psalm 103:8-13 says, “The Lord is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in love. (9) He will not always accuse, nor will he harbor his anger forever; (10) he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities. (11) For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; (12) as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (13) As a father has compassion on his children, so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.”
God's grace is described with four characteristics in Psalm 103:8-13. Verse 8: God has a long fuse. Verse 9: God has a short memory. Verse 10: God has thick skin. Verses 1112: God has a big heart.
The Perfect Father’s heart, like the distance between east and west, cannot be measured. On a globe, if you go north, you'll eventually reach the North Pole, and if you keep walking in a straight line, you'll start heading south. Eventually, north meets south. Not so east and west. If you go east around the globe, you never reach west.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
The Perfect Father
As I lay in bed wishing I had more time to sleep, the first sounds I hear in the morning are the words of my one year old Noah over the monitor. As you can imagine, these sounds are much more heart-warming than the buzzing sound of an alarm clock. My soul is filled with anticipation and excitement as I rush to his room, desiring to be the first one to see him, and open the door and say, “Good morning Noah.” As the smile from his face causes him to drop the pacifier from his mouth, he looks up at me and says, “Da Da”. Noah will then reach down and hand me his teddy bear that he sleeps with as a morning offering, as I quickly pick him up and begin kissing his face.
As I enter the kitchen my two other boys, Josiah (6) and Ethan (4), are usually eating their breakfast. As soon as they see me, they get down out of their chairs and run toward me shouting with delight the words, “Daddy”. I pick them both up in my arms and squeeze them tight while kissing their face and saying the words, “I love you.” What a great way to start my day. There are two great joys in my life. It is a joy to be a husband and it is a joy to be a father.
One of the reasons I have been able to be a good father is because I have a father who loves and cares for me. My father worked hard to always provide for me and my brother. He was our coach and our biggest fan at the same time. He was affectionate and verbally affirming by constantly communicating his love for us. His involvement in my life produced a deep security in my soul and helped shape my identity as a man. No, he was not perfect, but he gave me his best, and for that I am eternally thankful.
Unfortunately, my story of fathering and being fathered is more of an exception today than a norm. One hundred, fifty, or even thirty years ago the premise that a child should live with a father in a nuclear family was universally held. Father absence was considered a tragedy, and a father who left his children was considered unmistakably deviant. Not so today. Divorce when children are involved is well-accepted by more than three quarters of the (American) population. And there is a growing acceptance of childbirth without a father in the home, especially among the young.
Dr. Wade Horn said, “If we stay on the current course, one day the United States will be known as the country of the founding fathers…with no fathers to be found.”
God hates divorce because it breaks something up that He doesn’t want broken up: the family. God hates divorce because it devastates women when their husbands abandon them for other women, and vice versa. God hates divorce because it kills kids. It crushes kids. It extinguishes the life in their little emotional hearts. God hates divorce because He loves children. Children need fathers. God hates divorce because it sets in motion a destructive pattern for future generations. Adult children from divorced homes divorce at a rate four times greater than kids from homes where there was no divorce. When divorce enters into a family chain, it tends to stay there – unless Jesus Christ intervenes (Malachi 2:10-16).
Malachi 4:5-6 says, “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. (6) He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
Today, I believe we live under a curse as a nation because so many fathers have abandoned their children and abdicated their responsibilities as a Dad. The men of this nation need an encounter with their heavenly Father, and as a result, our land will be blessed because the father’s hearts have been turned back to their children.
Happy Father's Day to all the Dads and stay tuned for Part 2 on "The Perfect Father."
As I enter the kitchen my two other boys, Josiah (6) and Ethan (4), are usually eating their breakfast. As soon as they see me, they get down out of their chairs and run toward me shouting with delight the words, “Daddy”. I pick them both up in my arms and squeeze them tight while kissing their face and saying the words, “I love you.” What a great way to start my day. There are two great joys in my life. It is a joy to be a husband and it is a joy to be a father.
One of the reasons I have been able to be a good father is because I have a father who loves and cares for me. My father worked hard to always provide for me and my brother. He was our coach and our biggest fan at the same time. He was affectionate and verbally affirming by constantly communicating his love for us. His involvement in my life produced a deep security in my soul and helped shape my identity as a man. No, he was not perfect, but he gave me his best, and for that I am eternally thankful.
Unfortunately, my story of fathering and being fathered is more of an exception today than a norm. One hundred, fifty, or even thirty years ago the premise that a child should live with a father in a nuclear family was universally held. Father absence was considered a tragedy, and a father who left his children was considered unmistakably deviant. Not so today. Divorce when children are involved is well-accepted by more than three quarters of the (American) population. And there is a growing acceptance of childbirth without a father in the home, especially among the young.
Dr. Wade Horn said, “If we stay on the current course, one day the United States will be known as the country of the founding fathers…with no fathers to be found.”
God hates divorce because it breaks something up that He doesn’t want broken up: the family. God hates divorce because it devastates women when their husbands abandon them for other women, and vice versa. God hates divorce because it kills kids. It crushes kids. It extinguishes the life in their little emotional hearts. God hates divorce because He loves children. Children need fathers. God hates divorce because it sets in motion a destructive pattern for future generations. Adult children from divorced homes divorce at a rate four times greater than kids from homes where there was no divorce. When divorce enters into a family chain, it tends to stay there – unless Jesus Christ intervenes (Malachi 2:10-16).
Malachi 4:5-6 says, “See, I will send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes. (6) He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers; or else I will come and strike the land with a curse.”
Today, I believe we live under a curse as a nation because so many fathers have abandoned their children and abdicated their responsibilities as a Dad. The men of this nation need an encounter with their heavenly Father, and as a result, our land will be blessed because the father’s hearts have been turned back to their children.
Happy Father's Day to all the Dads and stay tuned for Part 2 on "The Perfect Father."
Monday, June 11, 2007
Getting Out of My Box (es)
For those of you who don’t know, the Miller’s have moved into a new home location. I hate moving! However, I am happy to say, “It is finished.” These were the last words of Jesus during his crucifixion, and yes, moving is an excruciatingly painful experience. I am sure it is not as bad as dying on a cross, but probably close.
For one straight week, there was nothing fun about lifting heavy awkward boxes and furniture through narrow spaces with a stressed out Puerto Rican lady (my wife Cindy) taking out all of her moving frustrations on me in two different languages. For all those who have ever moved with a family of five or more, I am sure you understand what I am talking about. All I can say after moving is, “Thank God we don’t take any of our stuff with us to heaven.”
As I began the process of unpacking, I found myself thinking about how so many people stay stuck in their religious boxes. Instead of having a vibrant living relationship with God, so many people reduce God down to a bunch of “thou shall not’s”. To these people, God is a belief system instead of an omnipotent Spirit who has revealed Himself to the world through his Son Jesus Christ. The fact that God sent his Son in flesh and blood is very important because this means we can now know him personally by being filled with His Spirit.
How do we keep from putting our religion into a box? Hebrews 12:1b says, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” I would love to share with you the new revelation I received while unpacking my boxes.
First, you have to be willing to go through the process of change. If you are going to walk with a living God, you have to be willing to go where he is leading you. This could mean leaving a certain sinful lifestyle, cutting out unproductive or distracting activities in your life, changing current routines and habits, attending a new Spirit-filled church, finding a different peer/support group, etc. It is impossible to be close to God and demand He stay in your box of preferences or conveniences.
Second, you have to be willing to examine everything in your life and throw out the unnecessary baggage. The good thing about moving is that is forces you to go through all of your stuff. How in the world do we collect so much junk? Cindy and I threw away or gave away boxes and boxes of stuff and a collection of furniture. They were simply things in our life we did not need. If you want to have a living relationship with God, you have to be willing to examine your life and throw out all the rubbish that is hindering you from being close to Him.
Lastly, you need to persevere in your new environment once you have unpacked your box (es). Change always makes us feel uncomfortable because we are going into something new and unfamiliar. However, if God is leading us into something new, we can be confident that it will ultimately be better for us. God knows this even before we make the move, it just takes time for us to adjust emotionally, physically, socially and mentally.
Cindy and I know that God led us to move and now that we have settled and unpacked all of our boxes, we are thanking God for the new things he is doing in our lives. To get to this moment was incredibly inconvenient, but it was well worth it.
Remember, as God begins to shout from the box you put him in by nudging you into something new, wherever he is leading you and whatever He is changing in you will end up being a blessing in your life.
And, don’t worry; your wife will eventually apologize for wanting (or trying) to kill you during the process of change.
For one straight week, there was nothing fun about lifting heavy awkward boxes and furniture through narrow spaces with a stressed out Puerto Rican lady (my wife Cindy) taking out all of her moving frustrations on me in two different languages. For all those who have ever moved with a family of five or more, I am sure you understand what I am talking about. All I can say after moving is, “Thank God we don’t take any of our stuff with us to heaven.”
As I began the process of unpacking, I found myself thinking about how so many people stay stuck in their religious boxes. Instead of having a vibrant living relationship with God, so many people reduce God down to a bunch of “thou shall not’s”. To these people, God is a belief system instead of an omnipotent Spirit who has revealed Himself to the world through his Son Jesus Christ. The fact that God sent his Son in flesh and blood is very important because this means we can now know him personally by being filled with His Spirit.
How do we keep from putting our religion into a box? Hebrews 12:1b says, “Let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.” I would love to share with you the new revelation I received while unpacking my boxes.
First, you have to be willing to go through the process of change. If you are going to walk with a living God, you have to be willing to go where he is leading you. This could mean leaving a certain sinful lifestyle, cutting out unproductive or distracting activities in your life, changing current routines and habits, attending a new Spirit-filled church, finding a different peer/support group, etc. It is impossible to be close to God and demand He stay in your box of preferences or conveniences.
Second, you have to be willing to examine everything in your life and throw out the unnecessary baggage. The good thing about moving is that is forces you to go through all of your stuff. How in the world do we collect so much junk? Cindy and I threw away or gave away boxes and boxes of stuff and a collection of furniture. They were simply things in our life we did not need. If you want to have a living relationship with God, you have to be willing to examine your life and throw out all the rubbish that is hindering you from being close to Him.
Lastly, you need to persevere in your new environment once you have unpacked your box (es). Change always makes us feel uncomfortable because we are going into something new and unfamiliar. However, if God is leading us into something new, we can be confident that it will ultimately be better for us. God knows this even before we make the move, it just takes time for us to adjust emotionally, physically, socially and mentally.
Cindy and I know that God led us to move and now that we have settled and unpacked all of our boxes, we are thanking God for the new things he is doing in our lives. To get to this moment was incredibly inconvenient, but it was well worth it.
Remember, as God begins to shout from the box you put him in by nudging you into something new, wherever he is leading you and whatever He is changing in you will end up being a blessing in your life.
And, don’t worry; your wife will eventually apologize for wanting (or trying) to kill you during the process of change.
Monday, June 04, 2007
Aim for Perfection
(11) Finally, brothers, good-by. Aim for perfection, listen to my appeal, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you. 2 Corinthians 13:11 (Apostle Paul to the saints at Corinth)
After running around the track at Premier Health and Fitness Center, with one of my life-long friends, we began to talk about one of our baseball coaches we had when we were teenagers. While we were huffing and puffing during our cool down, we discussed our coach’s hard-nosed disciplinarian style.
To give you an idea of what this coach was like, I will tell you how he introduced himself to me. At my first practice under his tutelage, as he was watching me throw, he commented on how I was throwing the baseball like a girl. Then, he asked me a question and I answered with a “yea” instead of “yes sir”. Next thing I know, I was running a lap around the baseball field for not responding to him properly. This discipline is just what I needed because I was a cocky thirteen year old teenager.
This coach’s specialty was working with outfielders. He demanded perfection as he would take us through our different drills. For every mess up or error, he made us run a lap around the baseball field. Without exception, every player who participated in his outfielder drills ended up running laps. Sometimes, many of us would run up to fifteen laps after our outfield sessions.
Through hard work, I won a starting spot on the team as a centerfielder, which was the most important position to my coach. Because this coach demanded perfection from his centerfielder, I would go on to play the best baseball of my life under his leadership. He demanded perfection and we became the best fifteen year old Babe Ruth baseball team in the world. He saw destiny in us and knew what it took for us to become great. Our success was no accident.
In Matthew 5:48 Jesus said, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This passage means to be complete and mature in your faith. I wonder how many Christians aim for perfection. Unfortunately, I have met so many Christians who settle for mediocrity and failure in their faith. Because of this attitude, these Christians live well below God’s standards for their lives. At best, they are barely hanging on hoping to slip into heaven when it is all said and done. They are making no impact for Jesus in this world.
Jesus did not die a brutal death and offer his life as a sacrifice on the cross for us so we would live in sin and defeat. No, he expects us and empowers us to be like God, who is our Father is heaven. God commands and demands that his people obey. 1 John 2:5-6 says, “(5) But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. (6) Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”
My fifteen year old Babe Ruth baseball coach demanded perfection and he got it. I played three years at centerfield without making an error. I was complete and mature as a centerfielder. He also instilled in us a work ethic and mindset that enabled us to become World Champions. I have a permanent love in my heart for this great coach who would settle for nothing but our best.
Just like my coach, Jesus requires our absolute best and knows what it takes for us to attain greatness. Hebrews 12:2a says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” As we embrace God’s discipline, we too can be mature and complete in our faith, and become champions who change the world for Jesus. Go on...be a Champion for Christ!
(10) Our fathers (and coaches) disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good so that we may share in his holiness. (11) “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:10b-11
After running around the track at Premier Health and Fitness Center, with one of my life-long friends, we began to talk about one of our baseball coaches we had when we were teenagers. While we were huffing and puffing during our cool down, we discussed our coach’s hard-nosed disciplinarian style.
To give you an idea of what this coach was like, I will tell you how he introduced himself to me. At my first practice under his tutelage, as he was watching me throw, he commented on how I was throwing the baseball like a girl. Then, he asked me a question and I answered with a “yea” instead of “yes sir”. Next thing I know, I was running a lap around the baseball field for not responding to him properly. This discipline is just what I needed because I was a cocky thirteen year old teenager.
This coach’s specialty was working with outfielders. He demanded perfection as he would take us through our different drills. For every mess up or error, he made us run a lap around the baseball field. Without exception, every player who participated in his outfielder drills ended up running laps. Sometimes, many of us would run up to fifteen laps after our outfield sessions.
Through hard work, I won a starting spot on the team as a centerfielder, which was the most important position to my coach. Because this coach demanded perfection from his centerfielder, I would go on to play the best baseball of my life under his leadership. He demanded perfection and we became the best fifteen year old Babe Ruth baseball team in the world. He saw destiny in us and knew what it took for us to become great. Our success was no accident.
In Matthew 5:48 Jesus said, “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” This passage means to be complete and mature in your faith. I wonder how many Christians aim for perfection. Unfortunately, I have met so many Christians who settle for mediocrity and failure in their faith. Because of this attitude, these Christians live well below God’s standards for their lives. At best, they are barely hanging on hoping to slip into heaven when it is all said and done. They are making no impact for Jesus in this world.
Jesus did not die a brutal death and offer his life as a sacrifice on the cross for us so we would live in sin and defeat. No, he expects us and empowers us to be like God, who is our Father is heaven. God commands and demands that his people obey. 1 John 2:5-6 says, “(5) But if anyone obeys his word, God’s love is truly made complete in him. (6) Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did.”
My fifteen year old Babe Ruth baseball coach demanded perfection and he got it. I played three years at centerfield without making an error. I was complete and mature as a centerfielder. He also instilled in us a work ethic and mindset that enabled us to become World Champions. I have a permanent love in my heart for this great coach who would settle for nothing but our best.
Just like my coach, Jesus requires our absolute best and knows what it takes for us to attain greatness. Hebrews 12:2a says, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith.” As we embrace God’s discipline, we too can be mature and complete in our faith, and become champions who change the world for Jesus. Go on...be a Champion for Christ!
(10) Our fathers (and coaches) disciplined us for a little while as they thought best; but God disciplines us for our good so that we may share in his holiness. (11) “No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.” Hebrews 12:10b-11
Monday, May 21, 2007
Jesus and Starbucks—A Better Way to Start Your Day (Part 2)
There are four major ways I maintain my rest, energy, joy and encouragement.
First, I make sure I obey God’s commandment by taking a Sabbath day during the week. Exodus 20:8-11 says, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. (9) Six days you shall labor and do all your work, (10) but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, (11) For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
If God needed a rest after creating the world, how much more do we need rest from our weekly work? I use the Sabbath to rest and draw close to God. Sunday is a great day to do this for most people. That is why you should guard this day from activities that would cause you to miss your weekly Sabbath and church attendance.
Second, I ask God to fill me with his Spirit every day. Acts 1:8 says, “We will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on us.” Also, the second fruit of God’s spirit mentioned in the Bible is joy (Galatians 5:22). Joy is an external manifestation of living life by the Spirit of God.
Third, I edify myself by praying with my spirit and mind (1 Corinthians 14:4, 15) and reading the Bible. Psalm 1:2-3 says, “Blessed is the person who delights in the law of the Lord (the Bible), and on his law he meditates day and night. (3) He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”
Fourth, I feed on the abundant life, living water and food that Jesus offers. In John 10:10 Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” While his disciples are tired and taking a food break from a long day of ministry, Jesus continues ministering to a dysfunctional woman. His disciples plead with Him to eat something, and Jesus tells them he ingests the food that comes from God the Father. This food empowered him with supernatural endurance to finish his mission (John 4).
Hey, don’t get me wrong. There is nothing sinful about drinking a cup of coffee. Coffee is a refreshing and stimulating drink for many Americans when sipped with savvy. The danger is when we rely on it to vitalize us instead of God. Why not make your first cup in the morning a drink of God’s Spirit?
Try it—I guarantee people will look at you and wonder what you have been drinking!
First, I make sure I obey God’s commandment by taking a Sabbath day during the week. Exodus 20:8-11 says, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. (9) Six days you shall labor and do all your work, (10) but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, (11) For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
If God needed a rest after creating the world, how much more do we need rest from our weekly work? I use the Sabbath to rest and draw close to God. Sunday is a great day to do this for most people. That is why you should guard this day from activities that would cause you to miss your weekly Sabbath and church attendance.
Second, I ask God to fill me with his Spirit every day. Acts 1:8 says, “We will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on us.” Also, the second fruit of God’s spirit mentioned in the Bible is joy (Galatians 5:22). Joy is an external manifestation of living life by the Spirit of God.
Third, I edify myself by praying with my spirit and mind (1 Corinthians 14:4, 15) and reading the Bible. Psalm 1:2-3 says, “Blessed is the person who delights in the law of the Lord (the Bible), and on his law he meditates day and night. (3) He is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.”
Fourth, I feed on the abundant life, living water and food that Jesus offers. In John 10:10 Jesus said, “I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.” While his disciples are tired and taking a food break from a long day of ministry, Jesus continues ministering to a dysfunctional woman. His disciples plead with Him to eat something, and Jesus tells them he ingests the food that comes from God the Father. This food empowered him with supernatural endurance to finish his mission (John 4).
Hey, don’t get me wrong. There is nothing sinful about drinking a cup of coffee. Coffee is a refreshing and stimulating drink for many Americans when sipped with savvy. The danger is when we rely on it to vitalize us instead of God. Why not make your first cup in the morning a drink of God’s Spirit?
Try it—I guarantee people will look at you and wonder what you have been drinking!
Monday, May 14, 2007
Jesus and Starbucks—A Better Way to Start Your Day
From triple-shot lattes to Red Bull to Ritalin, Americans are more wired than ever according to a recent U.S. News and World Report cover story titled “Over the Limit.” Americans are catching a buzz and taking a risk with their health. According to the article by Nancy Shute, overworked and sleep-deprived Americans are increasingly wired, as they turn to coffee, colas, energy drinks, and other stimulants to fuel their frazzled lifestyle. The health effects, especially among the young, have doctors worried.
After finishing my cardio workout the other day in the gym, which includes 30 minutes of Bible reading and prayer, I walked up to a gentlemen I frequently see working out and began to say some encouraging words to him as he exercised. He looked at me with a surprising look, shocked by my good mood early in the morning, and said, “Wow, you must have had a big cup of coffee this morning.” Why would he associate my high energy, joyful greeting and words of encouragement with a cup of coffee?
Yes it is true that I possess high energy, a joyful disposition and a desire to encourage people I come in contact with throughout the week. Remember, I pastor a church with over 400 attendees, father three young boys and serve as the Vice President of Champions for Christ while traveling frequently with ministry responsibilities. So, it is not like I sit around twiddling my thumbs with nothing to do, and sprint to the gym like my kids on the playground finally relieved to burn up all my pent up vigor. In fact, right now, I am typing this sentence of the blog you are reading at 11:56pm at night.
What is not true is that my energy, joy and encouragement are produced from any substance that contains caffeine. Where do I get these distinctive attributes? They come from the Spirit of God. I don’t rely on the coffee bean to stimulate me. Instead, I rely on the Maker of the coffee bean to fill me with His presence.
Stay tuned for part 2 of Jesus and Starbucks—A Better Way to Start Your Day.
After finishing my cardio workout the other day in the gym, which includes 30 minutes of Bible reading and prayer, I walked up to a gentlemen I frequently see working out and began to say some encouraging words to him as he exercised. He looked at me with a surprising look, shocked by my good mood early in the morning, and said, “Wow, you must have had a big cup of coffee this morning.” Why would he associate my high energy, joyful greeting and words of encouragement with a cup of coffee?
Yes it is true that I possess high energy, a joyful disposition and a desire to encourage people I come in contact with throughout the week. Remember, I pastor a church with over 400 attendees, father three young boys and serve as the Vice President of Champions for Christ while traveling frequently with ministry responsibilities. So, it is not like I sit around twiddling my thumbs with nothing to do, and sprint to the gym like my kids on the playground finally relieved to burn up all my pent up vigor. In fact, right now, I am typing this sentence of the blog you are reading at 11:56pm at night.
What is not true is that my energy, joy and encouragement are produced from any substance that contains caffeine. Where do I get these distinctive attributes? They come from the Spirit of God. I don’t rely on the coffee bean to stimulate me. Instead, I rely on the Maker of the coffee bean to fill me with His presence.
Stay tuned for part 2 of Jesus and Starbucks—A Better Way to Start Your Day.
Monday, May 07, 2007
The Miller High Life
Everybody has a story to tell and now it’s Miller Time. I want to explain to you how I have learned to live the real Miller High Life. This “high life” comes from knowing the One True Living God. In John 10:10 Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.”
My first life was lived on earth for twenty-one years as a sinner. I have been living my second life for seventeen years as a Christian. My life before and after Christ can best be summed up by the scriptures in 1st Timothy 1:15-16. It says, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. (16) But for that reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”
In case you are wondering, I never thought about being in full time ministry growing up in Tallahassee. In fact, as a younger man, I would not have been able to define the word pastor. If my high school would have had a selection in the 1987 yearbook for the “least likely to get saved”, my picture would have filled the space. The majority of my college years would confirm the reality that I was destined for anything but a place behind the pulpit.
Everything in my life changed when somebody finally witnessed to me about Jesus Christ. Today, I possess a great confidence to minister because I know for certain that I did not choose my profession. God’s mercy and grace put me in my position. Every time I preach, I witness a miracle: it is Christ Jesus’ unlimited patience allowing me to be an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.
I love the life I live serving Jesus and ministering to people. It is truly rewarding going to bed every night satisfied in my soul, because I know I am pleasing God and doing what he has called me to do. Like Apostle Paul, I want to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me. In Acts 20:24 Paul says, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”
If you are a Christian, God has saved you to be a witness. God has a story for you to tell and he wants you to share it with everyone in your sphere of influence. Isaiah 43:10-1310 says, "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. 11 I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. 12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God.”
Who knows, you might just reach the next “least likely to be saved” person and turn him into a full-time minister.
This Sunday at ENT we start our family series called "Heroes". My wife Cindy will be speaking on Mother’s Day. She always has such a great message to share with everyone. I just hope she does not preach me out of a job. All of my coaching and fitness certifications are expired and I have nothing else to do with my life. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday. God bless!
My first life was lived on earth for twenty-one years as a sinner. I have been living my second life for seventeen years as a Christian. My life before and after Christ can best be summed up by the scriptures in 1st Timothy 1:15-16. It says, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the worst. (16) But for that reason I was shown mercy so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.”
In case you are wondering, I never thought about being in full time ministry growing up in Tallahassee. In fact, as a younger man, I would not have been able to define the word pastor. If my high school would have had a selection in the 1987 yearbook for the “least likely to get saved”, my picture would have filled the space. The majority of my college years would confirm the reality that I was destined for anything but a place behind the pulpit.
Everything in my life changed when somebody finally witnessed to me about Jesus Christ. Today, I possess a great confidence to minister because I know for certain that I did not choose my profession. God’s mercy and grace put me in my position. Every time I preach, I witness a miracle: it is Christ Jesus’ unlimited patience allowing me to be an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.
I love the life I live serving Jesus and ministering to people. It is truly rewarding going to bed every night satisfied in my soul, because I know I am pleasing God and doing what he has called me to do. Like Apostle Paul, I want to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me. In Acts 20:24 Paul says, “I consider my life worth nothing to me, if only I may finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the gospel of God’s grace.”
If you are a Christian, God has saved you to be a witness. God has a story for you to tell and he wants you to share it with everyone in your sphere of influence. Isaiah 43:10-1310 says, "You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. 11 I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior. 12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses," declares the LORD, "that I am God.”
Who knows, you might just reach the next “least likely to be saved” person and turn him into a full-time minister.
This Sunday at ENT we start our family series called "Heroes". My wife Cindy will be speaking on Mother’s Day. She always has such a great message to share with everyone. I just hope she does not preach me out of a job. All of my coaching and fitness certifications are expired and I have nothing else to do with my life. I look forward to seeing you this Sunday. God bless!
Monday, April 30, 2007
The Reason I Do What I Do!
I will sing of the Lord's great love forever; with my mouth I will make your faithfulness known through all generations. Psalm 89:1
Graduation weekend in Tallahassee is a great reminder to me of why I do what I do as a pastor. In ministry, I live to tell the next generation about God's love and faithfulness. I always have two emotions stirring inside of me during this time. I am happy to celebrate with the students who have graduated, but I am also sad to see many of them leave our wonderful city.
On Sunday, I received a letter from one of our former students who graduated from FSU. Her name is Lisa Johnston and she is a wonderful person. I thought I would share with you her letter in this week's blog because so many people at Every Nation Tallahassee were instrumental in demonstrating God's love to Lisa.
Congratulations Lisa and the rest of our students who graduated, and kudos to Every Nation Tallahassee for making God's faithfulness known through all generations.
Dear Pastor Ron,
I am Lisa Johnston and I have been a member of Every Nation Tallahassee for three years. I have gone on the South Africa mission trip in 2005, I have been baptized in Jesus and in the Holy Spirit. I have seen people in my church follow God like I never have before!
This church was the best thing that happened to me in college. I have a religious background, and even though I went to church every Sunday growing up, I had no idea what was waiting for me at Every Nation! God showed me how to break away from dead religious traditions and follow Him. I have never looked back since.
I am now leaving on Wednesday, May 2nd, for an internship in speech therapy in my graduate program. I am a little scared and nervous since I am going to Knoxville, Tennessee to try to live on my own away from my hometown Tallahassee! I will carry with me the tools I have learned from Every Nation Leadership Institute to Financial Peace University to Foundations and Family class.
I want to thank you, so much, for being a pastor of power, authority, honesty, and God's work for Tallahassee. You have taught me so much, along with the others on the pastoral staff.
Pastor Ron--thank you! I always enjoy shaking your hand before or after service. You are continually joyful, which I strive to be. Your family is the product of your praise. Also, thanks for speaking at the Launch (young adults) meeting last Sunday. It meant so much for a pastor to show himself as any other "normal" human being.
So, as I leave Every Nation Tallahassee and move on to my internship and a future job, hopefully in North Carolina, I pray that I'll keep remembering all God has shown me while at Every Nation Tallahassee.
Thank you once again, Pastor Ron, for your leadership and Godly characteristics enabling me to see God through others. Every Nation Tallahassee is the product of your faithfulness.
Take care and keep fighting the good fight,
Lisa Johnston
Remember--Everybody has a story to tell...what's yours?
It's Miller Time this Sunday at ENT...c ya there!
Graduation weekend in Tallahassee is a great reminder to me of why I do what I do as a pastor. In ministry, I live to tell the next generation about God's love and faithfulness. I always have two emotions stirring inside of me during this time. I am happy to celebrate with the students who have graduated, but I am also sad to see many of them leave our wonderful city.
On Sunday, I received a letter from one of our former students who graduated from FSU. Her name is Lisa Johnston and she is a wonderful person. I thought I would share with you her letter in this week's blog because so many people at Every Nation Tallahassee were instrumental in demonstrating God's love to Lisa.
Congratulations Lisa and the rest of our students who graduated, and kudos to Every Nation Tallahassee for making God's faithfulness known through all generations.
Dear Pastor Ron,
I am Lisa Johnston and I have been a member of Every Nation Tallahassee for three years. I have gone on the South Africa mission trip in 2005, I have been baptized in Jesus and in the Holy Spirit. I have seen people in my church follow God like I never have before!
This church was the best thing that happened to me in college. I have a religious background, and even though I went to church every Sunday growing up, I had no idea what was waiting for me at Every Nation! God showed me how to break away from dead religious traditions and follow Him. I have never looked back since.
I am now leaving on Wednesday, May 2nd, for an internship in speech therapy in my graduate program. I am a little scared and nervous since I am going to Knoxville, Tennessee to try to live on my own away from my hometown Tallahassee! I will carry with me the tools I have learned from Every Nation Leadership Institute to Financial Peace University to Foundations and Family class.
I want to thank you, so much, for being a pastor of power, authority, honesty, and God's work for Tallahassee. You have taught me so much, along with the others on the pastoral staff.
Pastor Ron--thank you! I always enjoy shaking your hand before or after service. You are continually joyful, which I strive to be. Your family is the product of your praise. Also, thanks for speaking at the Launch (young adults) meeting last Sunday. It meant so much for a pastor to show himself as any other "normal" human being.
So, as I leave Every Nation Tallahassee and move on to my internship and a future job, hopefully in North Carolina, I pray that I'll keep remembering all God has shown me while at Every Nation Tallahassee.
Thank you once again, Pastor Ron, for your leadership and Godly characteristics enabling me to see God through others. Every Nation Tallahassee is the product of your faithfulness.
Take care and keep fighting the good fight,
Lisa Johnston
Remember--Everybody has a story to tell...what's yours?
It's Miller Time this Sunday at ENT...c ya there!
Monday, April 23, 2007
Getting Right by Admitting Wrong (Part 2)
I was inspired to write this blog after reading an essay in Time Magazine entitled, “The Age of U-Turns”. Bruce Grierson is the author of U-Turn: What If You Woke Up One Morning and Realized You Were Living the Wrong Life? Over the past three years while researching a book on what he calls “secular epiphanies” he found people who had pulled a big U-turn in their lives. He writes, “There was a slaughterhouse worker who became an animal-right activist, a venture capitalist who quit to found a high-minded nonprofit, a death-penalty advocate who became a leading death-penalty opponent. Often the insight came in a forehead-smiting moment in the middle of the night: I’ve got it all wrong.”
The world would be a better place if we would all wake up and recognize we are all wrong.
The biggest U-turn a person can make in their life is called repentance. 2 Corinthians 7:10a says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret.” In regards to our relationship with God, we have all missed the mark and sinned against Him. This ultimately means we need to repent by admitting this fact and changing to be more like Christ. According to Grierson, “There are circumstances in which not to reverse course seems almost pathological.” Amen! The fool who does not repent will perish is the folly of their pride, sin and deception.
We become better people when we humble ourselves and admit we are wrong. Some call this moment a u-turn, others call it a flip-flop, but God calls it repentance. The Greek word for repentance is “metanoia.” It means a 180-degree return; you are walking one way, living for yourself and in sin, and you turn and begin to live for Jesus and His desires. Repentance is a complete change of mind, heart, and will. It is commanded of God and involves the turning of one’s entire being away from sin and unto God. Genuine repentance is one of the first steps we take to enter into a right relationship with God.
Finally, Grierson discovered a pattern that emerged in each of the individuals who made a u-turn. He writes, “What these personal turns had in common was the apprehension that, well, we’re all connected. Everything leans on something and is propped up by something.” This “something” is God.
Acts 17:28 says, “In God we live and move and have our being.” Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, we all lean on God and we are all connected to Him. Also, our decisions in life are not lived out in a vacuum. Every decision we make affects people in a positive or negative way. Remember, we can make a favorable impression on the world by admitting when we are wrong.
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near (Matthew 4:17). Get right by admitting your wrong!
The world would be a better place if we would all wake up and recognize we are all wrong.
The biggest U-turn a person can make in their life is called repentance. 2 Corinthians 7:10a says, “Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret.” In regards to our relationship with God, we have all missed the mark and sinned against Him. This ultimately means we need to repent by admitting this fact and changing to be more like Christ. According to Grierson, “There are circumstances in which not to reverse course seems almost pathological.” Amen! The fool who does not repent will perish is the folly of their pride, sin and deception.
We become better people when we humble ourselves and admit we are wrong. Some call this moment a u-turn, others call it a flip-flop, but God calls it repentance. The Greek word for repentance is “metanoia.” It means a 180-degree return; you are walking one way, living for yourself and in sin, and you turn and begin to live for Jesus and His desires. Repentance is a complete change of mind, heart, and will. It is commanded of God and involves the turning of one’s entire being away from sin and unto God. Genuine repentance is one of the first steps we take to enter into a right relationship with God.
Finally, Grierson discovered a pattern that emerged in each of the individuals who made a u-turn. He writes, “What these personal turns had in common was the apprehension that, well, we’re all connected. Everything leans on something and is propped up by something.” This “something” is God.
Acts 17:28 says, “In God we live and move and have our being.” Whether we want to acknowledge it or not, we all lean on God and we are all connected to Him. Also, our decisions in life are not lived out in a vacuum. Every decision we make affects people in a positive or negative way. Remember, we can make a favorable impression on the world by admitting when we are wrong.
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near (Matthew 4:17). Get right by admitting your wrong!
Monday, April 16, 2007
Getting Right by Admitting Wrong
Ten years ago, like most newly married couples, Cindy and I had many blissful thoughts about what life would be like married to one another. We knew we were the right ones for each other, and therefore, reasoned that married life would be one without contention and conflict. Three years into my marriage, I found myself still getting into major arguments with my wife. Like my six year old Josiah’s shoe laces after he has attempted to tie his sneakers, we would get ourselves stuck in strife unable to untie ourselves from the knots created by our disputes.
Our frustrations with one another grew to a point where we would even argue in front of our friends. One day, a sagacious older friend of mine, who had been married for over twenty years, was listening to us as we were quarreling. Cindy was in the kitchen and my friend and I were sitting in my living room on the couch. After a couple minutes of listening to our dispute, he leaned over to me while looking directly into my eyes and said with all the wisdom in the world, “Just say—‘I’m sorry’.”
Instantly, like a divine revelation from heaven, I knew he was right. I looked at him like a young child looks at their parents when they discover something new and lifted my voice and said, “Honey, I’m sorry”. Immediately, there was a peace in my house that had not been there five minutes earlier.
A few months later, on December 31st, I made a New Years Eve commitment to not always have to be right in my discussions with Cindy. As I examined myself, I realized that in my pride, I was more concerned with being right than changing to be a better husband. My marriage improved as soon as I began to acknowledge the occasions when I was wrong.
Stay tuned for part two of Getting Right by Admitting Wrong.
Our frustrations with one another grew to a point where we would even argue in front of our friends. One day, a sagacious older friend of mine, who had been married for over twenty years, was listening to us as we were quarreling. Cindy was in the kitchen and my friend and I were sitting in my living room on the couch. After a couple minutes of listening to our dispute, he leaned over to me while looking directly into my eyes and said with all the wisdom in the world, “Just say—‘I’m sorry’.”
Instantly, like a divine revelation from heaven, I knew he was right. I looked at him like a young child looks at their parents when they discover something new and lifted my voice and said, “Honey, I’m sorry”. Immediately, there was a peace in my house that had not been there five minutes earlier.
A few months later, on December 31st, I made a New Years Eve commitment to not always have to be right in my discussions with Cindy. As I examined myself, I realized that in my pride, I was more concerned with being right than changing to be a better husband. My marriage improved as soon as I began to acknowledge the occasions when I was wrong.
Stay tuned for part two of Getting Right by Admitting Wrong.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
The Reason I Attend Church
Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another--and all the more as you see the Day approaching. Hebrews 10:25
When I was a young boy, going to church was anything but my favorite activity. In fact, going to church was a cruel form of torture. Sitting still for one hour seemed liked an eternity to a boy filled with a ton of energy. I used to sit through the service and daydream about playing sports while wiggling in my seat. My mom would pinch me and whisper intensely in my ear, “Sit still!” Every once in a while I would try to pay attention, but I would quickly become distracted because I had no idea what the man in the robe was saying. I couldn’t wait until communion because it was a chance to get out of my seat if I hadn’t sinned too badly during the week.
I was convinced that my parents would make us go just to lord their authority over us, or get even with us for some bad behavior during the week. Every Sunday morning, my brother and I, would make it as inconvenient as possible to get us to church. Knowing my mom is a very punctual person, we figured making us late would be our only hope of not having to go to church. My mom would literally have to drag us or beat us out of bed. Locking ourselves in the bathroom, we would take forever to get ourselves ready. I would eat my cereal one cheerio at a time as a last futile attempt to do anything to delay the inevitable.
Church became less of a priority in my life once I got confirmed in the eighth grade and started having ball games on the weekends. I would spend the next seven years of life never attending church except on Christmas and Easter.
As I reflect back on my feelings about going to church as a young boy, I am amazed at how I could go to church and miss the reason for attending—Jesus. Church for me was nothing more than a bunch of dead traditions and empty rituals. I would find pleasure in finding out about those once faithful church members who were no longer attending because of a divorce or some other reason. To me, it reaffirmed my belief that going to church was a senseless duty that most people participated in to somehow try to feel better about their life.
Today, you could not pay me all the money in the world to miss a church service. Boy, how things have changed! In fact, since the age of twenty-one, my whole life has been centered on my faith in Christ and my participation in church. What has made the difference? Why is attending church such an important activity to me now? The answer is I have had an encounter with the reason for going to church—Jesus Christ?
Now, every song I sing in the service has deep significance because I know the One we are singing about. The word of God is powerful to me because it is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I consider giving my tithes and offerings a privilege because Christ sacrificed his life for me. And, I am always excited to see such a diverse group of people united together by the Spirit of Christ for the greatest purpose on the planet.
This Sunday at Every Nation Tallahassee we kick off our new sermon series titled "Witness". For the next four weeks, attendees will hear real people testify about their life changing encounter with God. Everybody has a story to tell! I hope to see you at ENT if you are in town.
Remember, Jesus is the reason we attend church.
When I was a young boy, going to church was anything but my favorite activity. In fact, going to church was a cruel form of torture. Sitting still for one hour seemed liked an eternity to a boy filled with a ton of energy. I used to sit through the service and daydream about playing sports while wiggling in my seat. My mom would pinch me and whisper intensely in my ear, “Sit still!” Every once in a while I would try to pay attention, but I would quickly become distracted because I had no idea what the man in the robe was saying. I couldn’t wait until communion because it was a chance to get out of my seat if I hadn’t sinned too badly during the week.
I was convinced that my parents would make us go just to lord their authority over us, or get even with us for some bad behavior during the week. Every Sunday morning, my brother and I, would make it as inconvenient as possible to get us to church. Knowing my mom is a very punctual person, we figured making us late would be our only hope of not having to go to church. My mom would literally have to drag us or beat us out of bed. Locking ourselves in the bathroom, we would take forever to get ourselves ready. I would eat my cereal one cheerio at a time as a last futile attempt to do anything to delay the inevitable.
Church became less of a priority in my life once I got confirmed in the eighth grade and started having ball games on the weekends. I would spend the next seven years of life never attending church except on Christmas and Easter.
As I reflect back on my feelings about going to church as a young boy, I am amazed at how I could go to church and miss the reason for attending—Jesus. Church for me was nothing more than a bunch of dead traditions and empty rituals. I would find pleasure in finding out about those once faithful church members who were no longer attending because of a divorce or some other reason. To me, it reaffirmed my belief that going to church was a senseless duty that most people participated in to somehow try to feel better about their life.
Today, you could not pay me all the money in the world to miss a church service. Boy, how things have changed! In fact, since the age of twenty-one, my whole life has been centered on my faith in Christ and my participation in church. What has made the difference? Why is attending church such an important activity to me now? The answer is I have had an encounter with the reason for going to church—Jesus Christ?
Now, every song I sing in the service has deep significance because I know the One we are singing about. The word of God is powerful to me because it is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path. I consider giving my tithes and offerings a privilege because Christ sacrificed his life for me. And, I am always excited to see such a diverse group of people united together by the Spirit of Christ for the greatest purpose on the planet.
This Sunday at Every Nation Tallahassee we kick off our new sermon series titled "Witness". For the next four weeks, attendees will hear real people testify about their life changing encounter with God. Everybody has a story to tell! I hope to see you at ENT if you are in town.
Remember, Jesus is the reason we attend church.
Sunday, April 08, 2007
Easter Thoughts About Jesus
JESUS
IN CHEMISTRY, HE TURNED WATER TO WINE.
IN BIOLOGY, HE WAS BORN WITHOUT THE NORMAL CONCEPTION.
IN PHYSICS, HE DISPROVED THE LAW OF GRAVITY WHEN HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN.
IN ECONOMICS, HE DISPROVED THE LAW OF DIMINISHING RETURN BY FEEDING 5,000 MEN WITH TWO FISHES & FIVE LOAVES OF BREAD.
IN MEDICINE, HE CURED THE SICK AND THE BLIND, WITHOUT ADMINISTERING A SINGLE DOSE OF DRUGS.
IN HISTORY, HE IS THE BEGINNING AND THE END.
IN GOVERNMENT, HE SAID THAT HE SHALL BE CALLED WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, PRINCE OF PEACE.
IN RELIGION, HE SAID NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH HIM.
JESUS HAD NO SERVANTS, YET THEY CALLED HIM MASTER.
HE HAD NO DEGREE, YET THEY CALLED HIM TEACHER.
HE HAD NO MEDICINES, YET THEY CALLED HIM HEALER.
HE HAD NO ARMIES, YET RULERS FEARED HIM.
HE WON NO MILITARY BATTLES, YET HE CONQUERED THE WORLD.
HE COMMITTED NO CRIME, YET THEY CRUCIFIED HIM.
HE WAS BURIED IN A TOMB, YET HE LIVES TODAY.
I FEEL HONORED TO SERVE SUCH A LEADER WHO LOVES US!
LET'S CELEBRATE HIM; HE IS WORTHY.
REMAIN IN GOD AND SEEK HIS FACE ALWAYS. AMEN!!
"Live this Easter Sunday to the fullest in Jesus Christ ....
because Today is the beginning of the rest of your life!!"
IN CHEMISTRY, HE TURNED WATER TO WINE.
IN BIOLOGY, HE WAS BORN WITHOUT THE NORMAL CONCEPTION.
IN PHYSICS, HE DISPROVED THE LAW OF GRAVITY WHEN HE ASCENDED INTO HEAVEN.
IN ECONOMICS, HE DISPROVED THE LAW OF DIMINISHING RETURN BY FEEDING 5,000 MEN WITH TWO FISHES & FIVE LOAVES OF BREAD.
IN MEDICINE, HE CURED THE SICK AND THE BLIND, WITHOUT ADMINISTERING A SINGLE DOSE OF DRUGS.
IN HISTORY, HE IS THE BEGINNING AND THE END.
IN GOVERNMENT, HE SAID THAT HE SHALL BE CALLED WONDERFUL COUNSELOR, PRINCE OF PEACE.
IN RELIGION, HE SAID NO ONE COMES TO THE FATHER EXCEPT THROUGH HIM.
JESUS HAD NO SERVANTS, YET THEY CALLED HIM MASTER.
HE HAD NO DEGREE, YET THEY CALLED HIM TEACHER.
HE HAD NO MEDICINES, YET THEY CALLED HIM HEALER.
HE HAD NO ARMIES, YET RULERS FEARED HIM.
HE WON NO MILITARY BATTLES, YET HE CONQUERED THE WORLD.
HE COMMITTED NO CRIME, YET THEY CRUCIFIED HIM.
HE WAS BURIED IN A TOMB, YET HE LIVES TODAY.
I FEEL HONORED TO SERVE SUCH A LEADER WHO LOVES US!
LET'S CELEBRATE HIM; HE IS WORTHY.
REMAIN IN GOD AND SEEK HIS FACE ALWAYS. AMEN!!
"Live this Easter Sunday to the fullest in Jesus Christ ....
because Today is the beginning of the rest of your life!!"
Friday, April 06, 2007
I Killed Jesus
In the movie, “The Passion of the Christ, the greatest man who ever lived is brutally executed on a cross. In fact, it was literally beyond words to describe; they had to invent a new word: excruciating. Literally, excruciating means ‘out of the cross.’ Think of that: they needed to create a new word because there was nothing in the language that could describe the intense anguish caused during the crucifixion.
In shock and disbelief, repelled by the brutality and suffering, we witness the gruesome crucifixion of Jesus—and our instinct for justice is stirred. We want to shout, “Who did this?” “Who’s to blame for this atrocity?” The endless flogging, the swollen eye, the shredded flesh—all of the horrific violence compels us to demand, “Who is responsible? Surely the guilty party must pay for this!”
Is Satan behind it all? The betrayer Judas? Pilate? The religious leaders? The Roman soldiers? The screaming mob? For that matter, why didn’t the disciples step in and try to stop the madness? A lot of people were involved, and yet the world still debates about who is primarily responsible.
As we examine the list of characters, where do we point our finger of blame? Suspicion and sensitivity run high as we explore the list of potential perpetrators.
Of course, the depiction of Jesus’ death has always created controversy, whether it is told through medieval passion plays or the latest filmmaker’s interpretation. Amazingly, newspapers and television news stations carried stories about the debate over “The Passion of the Christ” months before the film was released. One concern was that the movie—even unintentionally—would focus blame on Jews collectively, vilifying them and encouraging anti-Semitism.
What is the truth behind the death of Jesus? Who are the real culprits? Our sense of justice requires a verdict. Maybe if we expose who is really to blame, we’ll begin to make some sense out of the apparently senseless horror. (Experiencing the Passion of Jesus by Lee Strobel and Garry Poole)
In Acts 2:36, as a multitude of people listen to his sermon, Peter tells the crowd who crucified Jesus. He says, “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
The most important moment in a person’s life is when they realize it was their sin that crucified Jesus Christ. This moment happened to me in 1989 when I was twenty-one years old at a FCA meeting on the campus of Florida State University. On my knees in tears, I cried out to God in repentance for my sins. For the first time in my life, I understood the significance of Christ on the cross—His blood purchased my salvation (Revelation 5:9).
On this Good Friday, I am asking you to focus on the significance of Christ on the cross. Remember, your sins crucified the Son of God. My prayer is that this thought would stir in you a passionate commitment to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength (Matthew 22:36-40).
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
See you Easter Sunday!
In shock and disbelief, repelled by the brutality and suffering, we witness the gruesome crucifixion of Jesus—and our instinct for justice is stirred. We want to shout, “Who did this?” “Who’s to blame for this atrocity?” The endless flogging, the swollen eye, the shredded flesh—all of the horrific violence compels us to demand, “Who is responsible? Surely the guilty party must pay for this!”
Is Satan behind it all? The betrayer Judas? Pilate? The religious leaders? The Roman soldiers? The screaming mob? For that matter, why didn’t the disciples step in and try to stop the madness? A lot of people were involved, and yet the world still debates about who is primarily responsible.
As we examine the list of characters, where do we point our finger of blame? Suspicion and sensitivity run high as we explore the list of potential perpetrators.
Of course, the depiction of Jesus’ death has always created controversy, whether it is told through medieval passion plays or the latest filmmaker’s interpretation. Amazingly, newspapers and television news stations carried stories about the debate over “The Passion of the Christ” months before the film was released. One concern was that the movie—even unintentionally—would focus blame on Jews collectively, vilifying them and encouraging anti-Semitism.
What is the truth behind the death of Jesus? Who are the real culprits? Our sense of justice requires a verdict. Maybe if we expose who is really to blame, we’ll begin to make some sense out of the apparently senseless horror. (Experiencing the Passion of Jesus by Lee Strobel and Garry Poole)
In Acts 2:36, as a multitude of people listen to his sermon, Peter tells the crowd who crucified Jesus. He says, “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”
The most important moment in a person’s life is when they realize it was their sin that crucified Jesus Christ. This moment happened to me in 1989 when I was twenty-one years old at a FCA meeting on the campus of Florida State University. On my knees in tears, I cried out to God in repentance for my sins. For the first time in my life, I understood the significance of Christ on the cross—His blood purchased my salvation (Revelation 5:9).
On this Good Friday, I am asking you to focus on the significance of Christ on the cross. Remember, your sins crucified the Son of God. My prayer is that this thought would stir in you a passionate commitment to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind and strength (Matthew 22:36-40).
I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. Galatians 2:20
See you Easter Sunday!
Sunday, April 01, 2007
Live as Light in the Lord
Light exposes that which is hidden.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible. Ephesians 5:8-13
The following story is a great illustration of how light exposes things hidden in the darkness.
In our family carpet cleaning business we offered a special service for removing pet urine odors. To show potential customers their need for the service, I would darken the room and then turn on a powerful black light. The black light caused urine crystals to glow brightly.
To the horror of the homeowner every drop and dribble could be seen, not only on the carpet, but usually on walls, drapes, furniture, and even on lamp shades. One homeowner begged me to shut off the light: "I can't bear to see anymore. I don't care what it costs. Please clean it up!" Another woman said, "I'll never be comfortable in my home again."
The offense was there all the time, but it was invisible until the right light exposed it. It would have been cruel to show customers the extent of their problem and then say, "Too bad for you" and walk away. I brought the light so that they might desperately want my cleaning services.
In the same way, God shines the light of his commandments not just to make us feel guilty and leave us that way. After His light exposes our sin, Jesus has a cleaning service to offer—salvation through Jesus Christ.
This Sunday, April 8th, we will be concluding our Vintage Jesus series on Easter Sunday. I will speaking about what it means for Jesus to refer to himself as the "resurrection and the life." I look forward to seeing you at Every Nation Tallahassee.
For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of light 9(for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) 10and find out what pleases the Lord. 11Have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them. 12For it is shameful even to mention what the disobedient do in secret. 13But everything exposed by the light becomes visible. Ephesians 5:8-13
The following story is a great illustration of how light exposes things hidden in the darkness.
In our family carpet cleaning business we offered a special service for removing pet urine odors. To show potential customers their need for the service, I would darken the room and then turn on a powerful black light. The black light caused urine crystals to glow brightly.
To the horror of the homeowner every drop and dribble could be seen, not only on the carpet, but usually on walls, drapes, furniture, and even on lamp shades. One homeowner begged me to shut off the light: "I can't bear to see anymore. I don't care what it costs. Please clean it up!" Another woman said, "I'll never be comfortable in my home again."
The offense was there all the time, but it was invisible until the right light exposed it. It would have been cruel to show customers the extent of their problem and then say, "Too bad for you" and walk away. I brought the light so that they might desperately want my cleaning services.
In the same way, God shines the light of his commandments not just to make us feel guilty and leave us that way. After His light exposes our sin, Jesus has a cleaning service to offer—salvation through Jesus Christ.
This Sunday, April 8th, we will be concluding our Vintage Jesus series on Easter Sunday. I will speaking about what it means for Jesus to refer to himself as the "resurrection and the life." I look forward to seeing you at Every Nation Tallahassee.
Sunday, March 25, 2007
Make Illuminated Decisions
Light brings clarity to our lives.
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"[a]made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6
Unhappy fans voiced their displeasure when Scott Hoch refused to hit his 9-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole of the 2003 Ford Championship at Doral in Miami, Florida. As darkness fell, Hoch was unsure about the lay of the green. So the tournament's sudden-death finish was delayed until the next morning, when many fans could not attend.
Hoch, 47, sank his putt the next morning and then birdied a third playoff hole to win $900,000. Had Hoch tried to finish the tournament on Sunday, he probably would have lost. In the dwindling light, Hoch, who has had five eye operations, thought the putt would move left. His caddie saw it the other direction. The morning light proved the caddie right. Based on information from an Associated Press article by Doug Ferguson (3-11-03); submitted by Rick Kauffman
In the same way, Christ shines his light in our hearts to give us the knowledge of Him, and help us understand how we are suppose to live to please God. Even more valuable than a tournament winning putt is the game of life. Because life is so important, we should not guess as we make decisions about our future. Without Christ’s light, we walk around in the darkness of deception and sin.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path (Psalm 119:105).
Do you allow God’s word, the Bible, to direct your decision making? If not, what guides you in your decision making? I look forward to hearing from you.
This Sunday, April 1st, Jim Laffoon will be speaking at Every Nation Tallahassee about Jesus' proclamation that He is "the way, the truth and the life", which is our fifth message in our Vintage Jesus series. He will also be doing some prophetic ministry after his message.
See you this Sunday at ENT...it's dynamite!
For God, who said, "Let light shine out of darkness,"[a]made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ. 2 Corinthians 4:6
Unhappy fans voiced their displeasure when Scott Hoch refused to hit his 9-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole of the 2003 Ford Championship at Doral in Miami, Florida. As darkness fell, Hoch was unsure about the lay of the green. So the tournament's sudden-death finish was delayed until the next morning, when many fans could not attend.
Hoch, 47, sank his putt the next morning and then birdied a third playoff hole to win $900,000. Had Hoch tried to finish the tournament on Sunday, he probably would have lost. In the dwindling light, Hoch, who has had five eye operations, thought the putt would move left. His caddie saw it the other direction. The morning light proved the caddie right. Based on information from an Associated Press article by Doug Ferguson (3-11-03); submitted by Rick Kauffman
In the same way, Christ shines his light in our hearts to give us the knowledge of Him, and help us understand how we are suppose to live to please God. Even more valuable than a tournament winning putt is the game of life. Because life is so important, we should not guess as we make decisions about our future. Without Christ’s light, we walk around in the darkness of deception and sin.
Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path (Psalm 119:105).
Do you allow God’s word, the Bible, to direct your decision making? If not, what guides you in your decision making? I look forward to hearing from you.
This Sunday, April 1st, Jim Laffoon will be speaking at Every Nation Tallahassee about Jesus' proclamation that He is "the way, the truth and the life", which is our fifth message in our Vintage Jesus series. He will also be doing some prophetic ministry after his message.
See you this Sunday at ENT...it's dynamite!
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