Grace Authority

I cannot help but be somewhat concerned when I hear grace teachers speak as if there should never be any measurable behavioral accountability expected within the churches and among believers.

It is as if they think that grace means a believer can do nothing wrong or displeasing to God.

I must say here that such a notion is not true at all.  There are too many passages that address behavior and consequences for such in the New Testament letters to the churches for us to conclude that grace means never addressing such things or expressing expectations for behavior.

Here’s a great example of what I am talking about.  Paul is writing to the church in Thessalonica.

1Thessalonians 4:1 Finally then, brethren, we urge and exhort in the Lord Jesus that you should abound more and more, just as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God; 2 for you know what commandments we gave you through the Lord Jesus.  3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you should abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each of you should know how to possess his own vessel in sanctification and honor, 5 not in passion of lust, like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one should take advantage of and defraud his brother in this matter, because the Lord is the avenger of all such, as we also forewarned you and testified. 7 For God did not call us to uncleanness, but in holiness. 8 Therefore, he who rejects this does not reject man, but God, who has also given us His Holy Spirit.

Notice how Paul is speaking of how they should walk to please God.  The walk involves what one does. He goes on to speak of how they commanded them.  This is an uncomfortable language for some grace teachers who think leadership can never provide direction or firm and clear directives.  No, I am not saying leaders have permission to control the lives of others, but they do have a command to care for the souls of those they have been called to lead.

Paul goes on to make sure they understand he is speaking in terms of the will of God for them.  The will of God is their sanctification.  He then goes on to speak about things they should avoid.  He talks about possessing one’s vessel in sanctification and honor.

Then, Paul goes on to speak of how the Lord is an avenger of certain behaviors.  He says he had forwarned them of such and testified to its validity. The idea of the Lord being an avenger of such behavior is an especially uncomfortable language for some grace teachers.  But here it is in the Bible for all to read.

How did God call us?  Not into uncleanness, but in holiness as is revealed here for us.  But here’s the real kicker in all of this.  Paul uses some very strong language in verse 8 when he says that whoever rejects what he is saying here is not rejecting a man but rather is rejecting God because it was God who gave Paul His Holy Spirit.  In other words, Paul is speaking expressly by the Holy Spirit in saying this.

There are times when leaders who minister with integrity must speak regarding behavior and the consequences that can follow wrong behavior. It should not be the lion’s share of what they speak about, as the gospel should always be a main focus.  But there will be times when it is justified that believers be reminded that pleasing God involves how we walk, and sanctification that involves letting go of dishonoring and destructive behaviors is right before God.  This is grace authority.

Donate

Free Or Not Free

Imagine coming upon an animal in a trap, in pain and anguish, and very afraid.  Then, imagine you set that animal free and move it to a safer place where there is more than enough good food for it.  Then imagine that you come back and find that animal in the same trap because it went after the same food as before.

Was it your desire that the animal do such a thing?  There is a spiritual lesson in this example.

Colossians 3:1 If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. 2 Set your mind on things above, not on things on the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is our life appears, then you also will appear with Him in glory.

We were in darkness and slaves to sin and death.  But Jesus came and set us free from the snare of sin and death and translated us into His kingdom of light and life.  He gave us life, made heavenly things accessible to us, and set a table for us with good things to eat.  He did away with that old nature that was drawn to destructive things and the sin that brings death and destruction.  We are no longer slaves to sin and death.  We are no longer prisoners to the dictates of the fleshly appetites that once did us such harm and brought destruction and misery into our lives.  We get to choose how we will show up and what we will be adorned with when we do.  That is why the Scripture goes on to say,

Colossians 3:5 Therefore put to death your members which are on the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these things the wrath of God is coming upon the sons of disobedience, 7 in which you yourselves once walked when you lived in them.

8 But now you yourselves are to put off all these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy language out of your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all. 12 Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and beloved, put on tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; 13 bearing with one another, and forgiving one another, if anyone has a complaint against another; even as Christ forgave you, so you also must do. 14 But above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.

The way to show up rightly clothed with a proper attitude and readiness for the occasion is described here in these passages.  If I were once dressed in jeans that had become filthy and tattered due to what I had put them through, and I removed them and put on new ones that were clean and fresh, I would not want to do to the new ones the same things that made the others filthy and tattered.  That’s kind of the idea conveyed here.  I’ve received something very precious and valuable. It’s worth looking after.

We were at one time okay with living in ways that were not good for us or others.  We stripped that way of living off when we accepted the new life Christ offered us.  It makes no sense to go right back to that old way of living now.  I was set free from it, and I do not want to go back to it.  The reality of free or not free is really this simple. Sin and death no longer have power over us. We have to choose to go back to the things we’ve been set free from.  So, we choose whether to live “Free Or Not Free.”

Donate

Complete

Surely, we all remember doing homework assignments in school and being told whether or not they were complete.  In the verb sense, this idea of complete means the work is done, and all involved with it is finished.

As a kid, I enjoyed building model cars and model planes.  One of my favorites was an F15 Eagle.  Man, did that model have many parts to it?!

I remember the satisfaction I felt when I was done building it, and there were no leftover parts in the box.

You know Jesus completed a work as it pertains to us.  It says as much in the Bible.  But some people desire to tell us this is not true.

They speak to believers as if Jesus left some of the pieces needed for completion in the box, and now it is up to us to find those pieces and complete the build.

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.

Have you ever taken time to think about what is being said here?

Should a beware like this be taken seriously?

I wonder how many believers have ever felt cheated in this way?  Constantly being told they do not measure up and need to step it up and then given self-improvement ideas rooted in the Law in order to bring to completion what Jesus began.

Pointing to things that draw on the strength of the flesh and turn our attention to ourselves distracts our attention and trust toward Christ and leads us to forget what He accomplished on our behalf.  That is what it means to say, and not according to Christ.

Should we take the next verse seriously?

Colossians 2:9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

The fullness of the Godhead bodily is not spoken of as a reality rooted in what we do to attain something.  It is not spoken about our merited condition rooted in having made ourselves attain righteousness on some level.  The fullness, the completeness we seek, is only found in Jesus, and when we rest in Him, we get to enjoy the fullness of God.

The finished work of who we truly are is only found in Him.  The place where the devil cannot get to us is where we’ve been hidden in God with Christ, who is the Head of all principality and power!

Colossians 3:3 For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God.

There’s no greater authority and power than Jesus! The false accusations of an enemy should hold no sway over us anymore.  We are complete in Jesus!  Don’t let the devil trick you into arguing on the basis of what you’ve accomplished.  Make the focus on the One who made you complete in Himself.

Donate

Harmful Mixture

Have you ever had an experience where you bought fuel for a vehicle and there was water in it, which caused problems with your car’s performance?

Gas and water do not mix, and if ever you try to do so, the purpose for which you use the gas is profoundly affected.

This is the result of a wrong mixture.

Another example is the danger of mixing cleaners, which can result in noxious and dangerous fumes.

For instance, if you mix bleach with vinegar, it creates chlorine gas that causes breathing and eye problems. Your body will react negatively to the gas produced from such a mixture, just as your car will react negatively to water in the gas tank.

This can be true spiritually, too!  There is a mixture that is dangerous to you spiritually, and many engage in it without realizing it.

I would like to consider several passages as we think about the danger of mixture this morning.

Romans 7:6 But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.

Romans 8:2 For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death.  3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, 4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Galatians 3:2 This only I want to learn from you: Did you receive the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?

2Corinthians 3:14 But their minds were blinded. For until this day the same veil remains unlifted in the reading of the Old Testament, because the veil is taken away in Christ. 15 But even to this day, when Moses is read, a veil lies on their heart. 16 Nevertheless when one turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away. 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit; and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty.

When we mix things that we shouldn’t, our spiritual eyes are affected, and our understanding is hindered when we seek to grow through a mixture.  Law and grace do not mix.

The law always appeals to the flesh and calls on the strength of the flesh. It always promotes self-righteousness in a person because it demands it. But we can live according to the Spirit and free of condemnation that comes to us through the Law.

I will wrap up this thought today with two final passages.

Romans 3:21  But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets,

Romans 3:28 Therefore, we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law.

I want the right kind of righteousness, one that is free of harmful mixture and full of the fire of the Holy Spirit. Only God’s righteousness can do that, and it can be mine only by faith in Christ, not through my observance of the Law.  Beware the harmful mixture that is promoted as a viable spiritual cleaner.  It will dim your spiritual eyes and hinder your spiritual breath.  It is a veil that hides His glory from your view and experience.

Donate

On These Hang?

I find it interesting how often I encounter someone who mistakenly believes they have figured out all that is needed to know when it comes to righteousness by quoting the following verses of Scripture.

They quote them as if it is a badge of honor to do so and as if they are observing them with perfection.

Matthew 22:36 “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”  37 Jesus said to him, “ ‘You shall love the LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like it: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”

Jesus said that on these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets. In other words, everything communicated in the Old Covenant as the conditions for being right with God owes its existence to these two primary and greatest commands.

So, a person will sometimes quote this and then say Jesus simplified the Law down to just two things. They will then say He paid for the sin of breaking the Law and now expects us to just focus on these two commandments because if we get these down, we will fulfill the whole Law.

This is spoken as though they or others might actually perfectly observe these two greatest commandments. But such things are spoken without truly thinking about it. Jesus wasn’t trying to reduce our focus on the Law so that we might be able to keep it. He is demonstrating that even if it were made even more simple than it already was, no one would have truly kept it in its purity with perfection.

I am always amazed at those who claim they love the Law and how little respect they truly have for it by thinking anyone other than Jesus has ever perfectly kept it.  Thinking it could be kept in the flesh is to blemish its perfection and reduce it to something less than what it really is as a standard.

It presses me this morning to ask the question that should always be visited when this comes up.

Have you or anyone you know ever perfectly without fail loved God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength and loved your neighbor as you love yourself?

The only human being I know of who fulfilled this was Jesus himself.  The idea of quoting these Scriptures and thinking that observing them will be how I will maintain the righteousness of God freely given to me through Jesus is fleshly.  It is putting my hope in my ability as opposed to what Jesus did already on my behalf.

By emphasizing this point, I am not saying we should not love God or our neighbors. I am simply saying that the source of our confidence should not be in ourselves and what we do but in Jesus and what He did.  By saying this, I am pointing attention to the Jesus who brought life and immortality to light and obliterated sin and death at the cross.

Jesus makes the righteousness of God available to anyone who will believe in Him and receive His free gift of grace.  That is the only righteousness that God will accept. All other attempts at righteousness in order to merit from God are rejected.  Looking unto Jesus, the author and the finisher of our faith, is not just a good saying; it is a matter of life and death.  The One who fulfilled the whole Law and satisfied its righteous requirements has redeemed my life, and I am now hidden with God in Christ.  There is now no condemnation!

Galatians 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

To Jesus be all the glory, all the praise, and all the honor. I am thankful to Him and for Him and the life He has given me. Now, on Him hangs the matter of real righteousness and glory, and I am in Him, have been given His life and His righteousness, and am now a joint heir with Him. Hallelujah!

Donate

Works?

It is said that you can tell a lot about a person by watching what they do.

My father-in-law, who has gone on to be with the Lord, had a saying.  People will do what they really want to do.

Our choices and actions are the direct result of our beliefs and imagination, serving as the tangible fruit of our faith.

Therefore, in the context of faith, works hold significant importance.

There are many today who preach in such a way as to say works mean nothing, but this would be a contradiction to Scripture and even to what Jesus, after He was raised from the dead and ascended to heaven, spoke.

Now, in saying this, I am not looking to make believers work-focused; I merely desire to make the point that works follow the faith and that we will give an account for them.

Revelation 20:12 And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. 13 The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works.

Some today believe there will not be any judgment, which defies the fact that judgment is written about in the New Testament Scriptures.

Revelation 22:12 “And behold, I am coming quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to everyone according to his work.

To the ministers of the seven churches of Asia, Jesus said, “I know your works.”  To the Minister at the church of Sardis, Jesus said, “I have not found your works perfect before God.”

Our works tell the truth about what we really believe strongly.  However, having said this, I must say that work is not our focus.  Believing right is the focus.  When we get our believing right the works will follow naturally.

Judgment will always be with regard to works, for they always prove the right belief or unbelief.  So, in that sense, works do matter.

Donate

Gospel Reality

Jesus, who is the author and originator of the New Covenant and the One who establishes the Kingdom of God, said the following,

Mark 16:14 Later He appeared to the eleven as they sat at the table; and He rebuked their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they did not believe those who had seen Him after He had risen. 15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. 16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved; but he who does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will follow those who believe: In My name they will cast out demons; they will speak with new tongues; 18 they will take up serpents; and if they drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt them; they will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” 19 So then, after the Lord had spoken to them, He was received up into heaven, and sat down at the right hand of God. 20 And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs. Amen.

Some reject the idea of rebuking for any reason or of anyone being condemned. Others struggle with the idea of the supernatural’s work and its role in spreading the gospel.

No matter what anyone may think with regard to these matters, there is no way to deny what Jesus so clearly said in these passages.

When we get the gospel right, we allow it into our hearts, where it produces fruit for His kingdom, and it produces in us a desire to engage in sharing it with others.

There’s no way to deny the fact that the fruit of believing in Him is indicated here by the Lord.  Jesus says these signs will follow those who believe.

When we truly believe and act in His name to promote the gospel, He backs us up with His power.

I also note that it says, “They went out and preached everywhere.”  They didn’t wait for people to seek them out. They went out.

The more real the gospel is to us, the more fruitful we become in it. The more we believe the good news, the more excited we become about it. We rejoice in its truth, and it affects our hearts as a result.

This is why the gospel needs to be preached often, even to the church. Being reminded of His great grace, mercy, and love ignites a passion in our hearts and excites us with possibility and opportunity for others.

When we share it with others outside the church, amazing things happen, and we get to go on an adventure with Jesus! It is Gospel Reality!  It is what makes being a believer exciting and adventurous!

Donate

Conflicting Messages

Sometimes what we say and do can send conflicting messages to others.

For instance, declaring I am happy while sporting an angry look sends a conflicting message to others.

If I were to say I am very sad while smiling would send a conflicting message.

I was in Puerto Rico with a mentor many years ago, meeting with pastors to help resolve a conflict. I began to share something of great importance and seriousness, and I was smiling the whole time. Afterward, when my mentor and I were alone, he informed me that what I had to say was of great importance and needed to be taken seriously, but then he went on to tell me my facial expression failed to match the communication.

He wasn’t asking me to look angry or mean; he just wanted me to have a facial expression that matched the nature of the communication and expressed my embodiment of it.  He didn’t want me to send a conflicting message, especially when it was of such great importance.

Today, there are many conflicting messages, not just because facial expressions fail to match what is being said but also because reactions fail to match what is being said.

There’s an example of this in Scripture from the time when Israel was brought out of Egypt after 400 years of cruel bondage in slavery.  They had watched their greatest enemy’s army drown in the Red Sea so as to no longer be a threat to them.  But later in their journey, we find them conducting themselves as though they are still slaves in some way or another.  They lack proper gratitude and instead adopt an attitude of complaining.  They miss opportunities for praise because they are too caught up in a momentary inconvenience.

When believers spend more time complaining than praising, it sends a conflicting message to the lost. The gospel tells them they can have life more abundantly and experience joy unspeakable and full of glory in the Holy Spirit after receiving eternal life in Jesus, but then they watch as Christians complain about one thing after another, as though they are being cheated and robbed.

Such a conflicting message says that what is being promoted isn’t accurate since it does not appear to work for the ones who are promoting it.  Conflicting messages do not come across as being sincere and authentic.

Believers in Jesus are not victims any longer. They are set free in Him to flourish in life regardless of circumstances.  As believers, we are meant to walk in the fullness of joy that is ours in Christ Jesus, fully aware of the amazing power it took for Him to redeem us to Himself so we could be loved by the Father and welcomed into fellowship with God.  We are meant to operate from a place of overflow so great that we have joy and peace when the world around us is in total chaos.  We are meant to be at rest in the midst of trial and difficulty because we are living in the power of the Holy Spirit, who dwells in us as a gift based on faith.  This should produce praise, thanksgiving, joy, and peace when truly believed and received.  It should put a smile on the face of anyone who knows it is theirs to enjoy.

I do not want to send conflicting messages to others, especially when it comes to the gospel.  So I think by His grace at work in me, I will enjoy Him and manifest His joy today while I go about my business. I invite you to join me.

Donate

Proactive Or Reactive?

Many people in the United States are asking how we arrived at this pivotal moment in America’s history.

I’ve witnessed preachers pointing their fingers at the church and saying it’s all her fault that things are the way they are.  Despite the blame game, I see the church as a beacon of hope, a place where positive change can start.

Why is it that when something goes wrong, we look for someone or something to blame?

Why do so many wait until something goes wrong to get motivated to do something about it?

Too often, when we wait until something is wrong to do something about it, the reaction to it is generally out of balance or out of proportion to the problem.

I personally believe that being proactive is a much better approach. Proactive action involves doing the right thing well before the problem can overwhelm the situation.  It is not about complaining once things have diminished to a certain point.

Case and point.

Jesus came to seek and save the lost.

Luke 19:10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

His last command to the disciples was to preach the gospel.

Mark 16:15 And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.

A proactive posture for the church would be to engage in this process eagerly and faithfully. By seeking out the lost rather than waiting for them to seek us out, we might witness a shift in the culture.

Could it be possible that a post-Christian America could become flipped again if the great commission of Jesus were to be taken seriously?

For me, proactive involves getting the gospel right, getting the gospel into our hearts firmly rooted and grounded, and then getting the gospel out. Reactive is when things have to get so bad that there is no longer an option left but to do the thing that should have been done all along.

The sad thing is, when it is done from a reactive position, it usually comes across as being hateful and more of a turn-off than a beautiful invitation to something wonderful.  The invitation to know who Jesus is, what He accomplished, and how He is offering eternal life to any who would believe in Him is meant to be the greatest news ever brought to this fallen planet.  It is meant to be proactive, but it can only be proactive when it is believed and exported as the wonderful truth that it really is.

I wonder what would happen before the end of 2024 if every professing believer in Jesus won just one person to Christ by faithfully and continually promoting the good news of Jesus to those they come in contact with. Now that would be proactive!  I think it would be a much happier and more enjoyable way to go about it, don’t you?  Complaining all the time is reactive and comes across as being a victim.

There is beauty in being proactive, hope in being proactive, and something attractive about being proactive! The gospel has always been proactive. Jesus did not come as a reaction to sin; He was the plan before sin ever happened. The Trinity was proactive before creation!  Who can you share Jesus with today?

Donate

Faith Without Thanksgiving or Praise?

My daughter and her husband recently planted a young tree in their yard to replace one that they lost. Currently, this young tree is braced by ropes tethered in different directions to help it withstand winds from storms until its roots are well established.  Without these tethers to help it initially, it might be blown over by strong winds.  It needs an opportunity to grow its roots strong in order to withstand all the storms that may come at it.

Those tethers are symbolic of a faith that produces thanksgiving and praise.

In the Bible, this idea is conveyed by Paul when he writes to the Colossians.

Colossians 2:6 As you, therefore, have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving.

Over a year ago, a newly made friend and brother in Christ promised me a motorcycle. He lived in Mississippi at the time, and we had met at a conference. On a Sunday morning, he texted me pictures of a motorcycle and told me it was mine and that he was going to bring it to me on a trailer all the way from Mississippi. It would take some time before it would arrive, but I believed him and thanked him.

I began showing the pictures to others and telling them I owned a motorcycle.  I was giving God praise because I had spoken with Him about this before it had ever happened, and He answered me clearly.  My faith, made possible by His word to me, resulted in thanksgiving and praise even before that motorcycle was delivered.

Now, all this is very important because of what is at stake when it comes to faith or the lack thereof.

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; 10 and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.

Our completeness, righteousness, and ability to please God are realized in Christ and are ours by faith in Christ.  Many will come along and attempt to tell us we must do something to earn our standing, but according to the real gospel our standing is grounded in Christ and is ours according to faith.  Real faith celebrates this sure promise of hope with thanksgiving and praise.  This is why Paul began His letter with these words.

Colossians 2:4 Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. 5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

God is always pleased with our steadfast faith in Christ! I trust in Christ alone, and I stand fast on the promise of His word of redemption and life! I thank Him for His great love and mercy and for the life I have now in Him!  All praise to Jesus for the life which He has so abundantly supplied!  An abundant life is mine in Him, and it is yours in Him as well.  The more this is believed, the more thankful you become, and you will be energized and empowered to give Him all the praise!

Donate

Help!

It’s a common human struggle, isn’t it? The desire to be self-sufficient, to not need anyone’s help. But let’s pause and ask ourselves, is it truly possible to navigate this journey of life without ever needing help?

I think in Christianity, this idea has hurt many saints.  The idea is that we needed Jesus to get saved, but then He set us up to not need Him so desperately any longer.

How often has someone looked at another person who is in a bad way and going through really difficult challenges and thought, “Man, I don’t want to be in their shoes?”  How many like myself before have thought, “I don’t want to need Jesus like that?”  “I want to be strong and have it all together.”  “I want to be able to stand before others and boast of my deep level of strong devotion and my strong self-discipline.”

How many of us have found ourselves in the trap of comparison? Looking at others who seem to have it all together and feel inadequate in comparison, If this resonates with you, know that you’re not alone in this struggle.

But also know that’s a life of running on a gerbil wheel, always striving but never seeming to get anywhere. The more a person tries not to need Jesus, the deeper in trouble they find themselves.  It is like falling into quicksand; the more you struggle, the deeper into it you go.

The truth is, I find myself needing Jesus more now than I did when I first came to Him. Salvation didn’t shield me from the challenges of the world, nor did it guarantee that everyone in my life would treat me as I hoped. But in these moments, I find comfort in knowing that I can still turn to Jesus for help.

When I got saved, I did not arrive home to find a brand new car, a brand new wardrobe, and the house of my dreams. Life was still going to unfold in all its many facets for me, and it still does. There are still things that come up in my life for which I need Jesus’ help.

Jesus did not save me and then say to me, “Okay, there you go. Now go handle it and make Me proud of what you can do.”  Jesus saved me to bring me into a real relationship with the Father and have access to help as needed.  This was why the Holy Spirit was given to me as such a precious gift!

If I think I have it all together, then I also lose sight of my need for Jesus and His strength.

2Corinthians 12:9 And He said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

I am not a super Christian. I am a human being like all others who need Jesus all the time. I need Him like an addict needs Him, like a homeless person needs Him, and like a criminal needs Him. I need Jesus! I need my relationship with Him to be alive and on fire. I need Him to be so real to me that I find myself talking with Him and hearing Him talk to me.  I never want to lose my sense of needing Him.  I never want to have it so together that I forget how much I need Him.  I want others to see me as someone who needed Jesus, and Jesus showed Himself faithful to me so that they, too, can find life, hope, joy, and peace in Him!  Help!  It’s not a dirty word.

Donate

Silence

It is said that silence is golden.  But is that true when it comes to valued relationships?

I recently asked a group of men how long they would be willing to endure their wives’ silence before they thought something might be wrong. Unanimously, they felt it wouldn’t be long before they wanted to find out what was going on.

The reason the feeling was unanimous was because we all know that prolonged silence in a valued relationship is a sign that something is off.

Now we know that in our earthly relationships involving two human beings, the problem can lie at both doorsteps.  But when it comes to our relationship with God, the problem can only lie at one doorstep, and that is our own. This personal responsibility empowers us to take an active role in our relationship with God.

God is perfect; He has never done us wrong, He has never sinned against us, He cannot lie to us, and He does not mistreat us.  God has gone out of His way to make it possible for us to have a beautiful and rewarding relationship with Him.

Jesus spoke something profound,

John 10:27 My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.

He is referring to anyone and everyone who has been born again.   Jesus is speaking, but if I am not hearing, it has something to do with me, not Him.  Jesus also gave us this advice,

John 15:5  “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Our relationship with Jesus is the single most significant relationship in our lives. It merits our attention and focus. To be effective fruit bearers, we must abide in Him and allow His words to abide in us.

John 15:7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

A fruitful relationship involves effective communication. Jesus makes it clear how much He desires for us to be connected with Him and prioritize His words for our lives.  This is a case where silence is not golden.  Hearing His voice and loving His words are golden.

Jesus is speaking to anyone who belongs to Him; if there seems to be silence, it is because of an issue with one’s hearing.  It is not that Jesus is refusing to speak.  This is a matter of the heart.  When we refuse to soften our hearts and wash our souls with the water of His word, we set up a hearing issue in our walk with Him.  It’s never too late to see this get fixed.  It’s as simple as softening one’s heart and desiring once again to hear Him speak whatever He wishes to say without trying to filter through our own preferences according to the flesh.  By being wide open to hear from Him with a desire to do His will, His voice becomes clearer and more frequently recognized.  His love for us is unveiled and the possibilities of adventuring with Him in this life are opened to us.  So I encourage you never to let yourself be comfortable with silence.

Donate

The Deep Things

There are things about me that my wife knows that no other person on this planet knows. These things are reserved only for her because she loves me, and I love her. Our trust bond is very strong. We have each other’s backs.

There are things that God has done and is up to that only the Spirit of God knows about, and He reveals them to those who love God.

Understanding these deep things, which involve the things God has prepared for those who Love Him, is only possible with the aid of the Holy Spirit.  They are not known to those who have not come to Christ.

1 Corinthians 2:9 But as it is written: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him.” 10 But God has revealed them to us through His Spirit. For the Spirit searches all things, yes, the deep things of God. 11 For what man knows the things of a man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so, no one knows the things of God except the Spirit of God. 12 Now we have received, not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might know the things that have been freely given to us by God.

We should be excited about the Holy Spirit because, without Him, the things of God we are meant to know cannot be known. He is the executor of the will, so to speak. He is most willing to make us aware of all that is now available to us as a result of Christ’s obedience to the Father.

But more than this, the Holy Spirit’s work is to make Christ known to us. He takes all that Jesus spoke and did and reminds us of it, not just in a literal way but in a heart-of-the-matter way.

I am not talking about some coded language that, with enough time, a natural man who understands Hebrew, Greek, and English can unearth.  I am speaking about spiritual things just as the word is speaking about the spiritual.

1 Corinthians 2:13 These things we also speak, not in words which man’s wisdom teaches but which the Holy Spirit teaches, comparing spiritual things with spiritual. 14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them because they are spiritually discerned.

Even though any man can read the Bible for himself and feel he has understood its communication, if he is reading it naturally as he would any other book, he has missed the nuance of truth and deeper things it has to communicate.  Many people read the Bible, but they do not necessarily grasp what can be understood spiritually from it.  It requires the help of the Holy Spirit to get what God wants you to get truly.

This is why I ask the Holy Spirit to reveal to me what He knows I need to see and understand.  I do not casually read the word.  I read it with purpose and intention.  I want His help in understanding what it is I need to know spiritually so that I can grow into Christ even more and walk in what is truly mine to walk in.  For me, a transformation from seeing Jesus revealed more clearly is my desire.  Jesus and all there is about Him are the deep things of the Spirit as they open up all the opportunities that belong to me as a son of God through faith in Christ.

I encourage you today to ask the Holy Spirit to show you the deep things, which are truly spiritual things that pertain to you specifically, and what God has in store for you specifically based on the finished work of Christ.  There’s a lot more to this than just getting the promise of going to heaven when we die.

Donate

Disappointment

Disappointment, a shared human experience, often arises from unmet expectations.

For instance, you go to a store expecting customer service that is friendly, smiling, and eager to help you and will listen to your needs and work hard to resolve any issues that arise. Instead, you encounter a person having a bad morning and not really desiring to be at work on that day for whatever reason.

That results in a disappointing experience.  You had an expectation based on an idea of customer service, and that expectation was not met.

Another example is when someone you desire to trust gives you their word on something but then fails to come through on it.

Another example is experiencing a dramatic change for the worse in a person you’ve come to rely on.

These are just a few examples of ordinary roots of disappointment. But unmet unrealistic expectations also fuel disappointment.

We can have expectations that are out of step with what is true about a person or situation.

When Jesus died, the disciples fled and hid and were gravely saddened and disappointed.  Even though Jesus had told them several times that He must go to Jerusalem and die, they still clung to the idea that He would lead a revolt to free Israel and establish His own kingdom.

In their minds at the time, Jesus did not fulfill their expectations, and this affected their souls for the moment. They were greatly disappointed and even disillusioned. However, Jesus did exactly what He said He would do, and things happened exactly as He said they would happen.

It might be possible that, more often than not, we are disappointed by unrealistic expectations in life rather than real ones.

When we fail to meditate on His word and listen for His still small voice in our lives, we can build our expectations, which may be based on unrealistic ideas after the flesh.  Then, when they are unfulfilled, we get in a huff about it as though God somehow let us down.  We can do the same to the people we claim to love in this life.  We can put unrealistic expectations on them, and when they fail to meet them, we claim they have wronged us somehow. It can lead to needless offenses and damaged relationships.

Jesus said something of great importance.

John 15:5   “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

The “ask what you will” flows from a place of abiding in both Christ and His word.  A lack of meditation on His word and listening for Him to speak leads to a life of unrealistic expectations that go unmet and result in needless offense.  I encourage you to get in His word and listen for His voice today.

Donate

A Well Soul

What is a well soul to you?

Is it when everything goes as you planned it?

Is it when the people you want affirmation from the most affirm you no matter what?

Is the soul the same as your spirit?

Scripture communicates the importance of the soul and its distinction between Spirit and body.

1 Thessalonians 5:23  Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I believe the soul incorporates the mind, where our thoughts and imaginations occur. It also involves the heart, where we feel things deeply and remember them easily. Yes, the heart has a memory, too.  From this place, our will is activated.

If we look to the wrong sources for the health and well-being of our souls, we are only asking for trouble, and we will end up blaming others for our lack of well-being.

Think about this for just a moment.  Jesus was misunderstood, mistreated, and persecuted by the very people He came to save, betrayed, falsely accused, and put to death on the cross.  He went through all this without suffering the loss of a well soul.

Heroes of the faith have also managed to endure difficult situations and emerge from them with well souls.

There are some very sobering words spoken in Scripture.

Romans 2:5 But in accordance with your hardness and your impenitent heart you are treasuring up for yourself wrath in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, 6 who “will render to each one according to his deeds”: 7 eternal life to those who by patient continuance in doing good seek for glory, honor, and immortality; 8 but to those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness—indignation and wrath, 9 tribulation and anguish, on every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek; 10 but glory, honor, and peace to everyone who works what is good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 11 For there is no partiality with God.

When Christ is not the source of a soul’s well-being, then that soul is playing the lottery, so to speak, with regard to any hope of a consistent sense of well-being.

Disappointments will come, and they will even come through people we love and hold dear.  Jesus is the only one who does not disappoint when we see Him correctly as He is and welcome His love into our lives.  If we put our trust in a Jesus we make up ourselves, we will be disappointed, but the true Christ will never disappoint.

Romans 10:11 For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.”

I want my affirmation, consolation, and sense of well-being to come from my being in Christ and knowing Him and His love for me. I meditate on Him for this reason. I have experienced a lot of drama in my life, including losses of loved ones, betrayals, and people not turning out to be who they presented themselves to be.  Through all of this, the only thing that has kept my soul is Jesus.  He is faithful even when we are faithless.  I encourage you to let Him be the source of your soul’s well-being today and always.

Donate

Mighty Ministry

It’s undeniable that the Apostle Paul was a heavyweight in the ministry. His commitment and passion have elevated him to one of the most revered apostles of Scripture.

It is interesting to note his testimony to the Corinthians regarding the validity of the ministry he and his companies were engaged in.

2Corinthians 6:3 We give no offense in anything, that our ministry may not be blamed. 4 But in all things we commend ourselves as ministers of God: in much patience, in tribulations, in needs, in distresses, 5 in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labors, in sleeplessness, in fastings; 6 by purity, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Spirit, by sincere love, 7 by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armor of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, 8 by honor and dishonor, by evil report and good report; as deceivers, and yet true; 9 as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and behold we live; as chastened, and yet not killed; 10 as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things.

Many of these descriptions might be discounted in our modern expressions of what qualifies someone as a valid minister of the gospel.  If nothing else, they definitely would not be sought after.

Can most ministers declare that in all things, they commend themselves as ministers of God?

What is there in this list that would cause shame or embarrassment to you as a minister or someone else who is a minister?  Why should a minister of the gospel ever be ashamed or embarrassed for going through anything on this list?

When we get the gospel right and then get the gospel in, we are enabled by the power of the Spirit to get the gospel out under any circumstance.

Mighty men and women of faith were getting the gospel out while being burned at stake, beheaded, imprisoned, and living in abject impoverish circumstances due to rejections and persecutions.  The gospel was not stopped because their circumstances did not align themselves with a particular idea of what it should look like in the natural regarding socioeconomic realities, geographic placements, ethnic hindrances, religious or political oppositions, or any other excuse that has now become common.

Paul preached the gospel in and from prison and was used by the Holy Spirit to write most of the New Testament.

2Corinthians 11:23 Are they ministers of Christ?—I speak as a fool—I am more: in labors more abundant, in stripes above measure, in prisons more frequently, in deaths often. 24 From the Jews five times I received forty stripes minus one. 25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness— 28 besides the other things, what comes upon me daily: my deep concern for all the churches. 29 Who is weak, and I am not weak? Who is made to stumble, and I do not burn with indignation?

Maybe you are a minister having a rough time. I hope you will take some encouragement from this posting. Maybe you know a minister going through a rough time. I hope you will go out of your way to appreciate them and encourage them today.  Circumstances do not determine the might of a ministry.

Donate

Surrender

It seems this word is becoming more and more of a buzzword within the Christian community.

The idea is that the problem with the church is a lack of surrender. Usually, that implies a list of do’s and don’ts ministers carry in their thinking that are not being met.

However, this prevailing notion of surrender often leads to a culture of accusation and condemnation within the church, which is a concern.

From my perspective, the real issue lies in the lack of surrender to the correct understanding of righteousness.

The Bible very clearly speaks about this.

Romans 10:1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they may be saved. 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

What these passages reveal to me is that a person can be very zealous for God and yet way off the mark in terms of true surrender to God.

In the minds of the ones spoken of here, surrender was a way of life. If you were to ask the Israelites Paul is speaking of whether or not they were surrendered to God, they would likely have emphatically responded absolutely.

They were engaged in a misplaced zeal! Today, many suffer the same dilemma. They try their best to surrender all the points of moral behavior only to find that they still feel something isn’t quite right.

Being ignorant of God’s righteousness leads to self-effort that is often disguised as zeal-fueled devotion.  But anytime anyone seeks to establish their own righteousness with God or maintain it with Him in a way other than what He has deemed to be the ay, they are in no place of surrender at all.

If we fail to conclude that Christ is the end of the law for righteousness and are not firmly convinced that we are the very righteousness of God now because of Christ, we have not surrendered anything to God as we ought. If we refuse to submit to God’s righteousness, it means automatically that we are trying to establish our own righteousness.

Righteousness comes to us by way of faith in Christ.  We are made righteous by faith in Christ alone.

Christ is the end of the law for righteousness for everyone who believes.  Merely agreeing without believing it will not make it so.  Someone might hear this and agree but not truly believe it.  They just know it would be difficult to argue against it, seeing it is stated so clearly in Scripture.  But the real work of it, the ability to embody it, comes when it is truly believed.   For me, this is the real place of surrender to which God is inviting all of us.

Donate

Embracing

When we see a word such as this, we can automatically assume we already know what is being communicated based on our current understanding of the word and the particular context in which it is being used.  We may have an image of two people hugging, or we might have an image of someone accepting an idea or a challenge of some kind.

In the Bible, when this word is used in Hebrews concerning heroes of the faith, it has a little more depth to it than the descriptions we just read.

Hebrews 11:13 These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.

When I read this passage, I cannot help but notice the fact that these heroes of the faith died not having received but having seen promises afar off (on their way, if you will). Despite not seeing them manifest in the natural present tense, they still believed and embraced them as though they were real.

How do we know that they embraced them?

Because they took ownership of them as possessing them, they confessed them as having them, and it produced a certain result among others when they did so.

They were misunderstood for their seemingly unrealistic approach to something promised but not yet manifested.

The result was that they became strangers and pilgrims on this earth.  In other words, they were misunderstood and rejected by what their current culture would have deemed normal.

The dictionary defines Embrace in the verb tense this way: accept or support (a belief, theory, or change) willingly and enthusiastically.  The people described to us as heroes of the faith in Hebrews did this very thing.

Hebrews reveals this factual reality to us and then goes through a list of examples of faith in action on the part of many of the heroes who have names in Scripture and demonstrated what embracing a promise really looks like.  Then, it closes out the chapter with something amazing.

Hebrews 11:38 of whom the world was not worthy. They wandered in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth. 39 And all these, having obtained a good testimony through faith, did not receive the promise, 40 God having provided something better for us, that they should not be made perfect apart from us.

Of whom the world was not worthy!  That just runs against the grain of reasoning in the natural, don’t you think?  It is when someone embraces what God spoke as a promise, even when it cannot be seen in the natural world, and confesses it as though they already have it that it manifests a person the world is not worthy of.  Someone willing to be misunderstood for their faith in Jesus and what He accomplished and how the promises of God are yes and amen in Him is someone this world is not worthy of.

Embracing what God has spoken and is still speaking to you is the separating work of God in your life. When we are set apart by faith, this is the hallmark of holiness, and it is strange to both the religious and worldly-minded. What we embrace matters. What are you embracing?  Embracing begins with believing.  Believing begins with the truth God has declared through His Son Jesus, who is the way, the truth, and the life.  If you do not know what you’ve been promised by God through Jesus, how will you embrace the promise that is meant to be yours?  If you believe it and embrace it, you will confess it and you will be thought of as being weird or strange.  But you will be someone this world isn’t worthy of.

Donate

Embody

Understanding the word ‘embody’ is crucial as it carries a significant meaning in our communication.

As a verb, it means to be an expression of or give a tangible or visible form to (an idea, quality, or feeling), or it can mean to provide (a spirit) with a physical form.   

In the Thesaurus as a verb, it is defined as personify, incorporate, give human form/shape to, realize, manifest, express, concretize, symbolize, represent, epitomize, stand for, encapsulate, typify, exemplify; formal reify; rare incarnate, image.

Representation with accuracy and integrity is an embodiment of a declared truth by means of a lifestyle.

In the Bible, a highly esteemed leader of the apostles was rebuked for failing to embody the gospel.

Galatians 2:11 Now when Peter had come to Antioch, I withstood him to his face, because he was to be blamed; 12 for before certain men came from James, he would eat with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the rest of the Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.  14 But when I saw that they were not straightforward about the truth of the gospel, I said to Peter before them all, “If you, being a Jew, live in the manner of Gentiles and not as the Jews, why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?

Peter distanced himself from uncircumcised Gentiles he had once befriended and led others to do the same because he cared a little too much for the opinion of some men who had come up to Antioch from Jerusalem. In that moment, Peter failed to embody the gospel in his behavior and instead embodied the fear of man.

Paul asked Peter, “Why do you compel Gentiles to live as Jews?”

Peter was not preaching circumcision, but his actions may as well have been. What we align with affects our choices and decisions, which in turn inform others.  When a person caves in to fit in, they embody whatever it is they are trying to fit in with.

Romans 1:16 For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.

I never want to be found abandoning the gospel in my words or in my behavior.  The gospel is for everyone, not just a select few who have achieved some sense of higher-level morality.

I intend to embody the gospel with a smile, loving others who are different from me, and proclaiming the truth concerning Jesus and what He did to set free anyone and everyone who comes to Him in faith.  I make it a practice to ask myself if I am living according to the gospel or slipping into a deceptive means of righteousness maintenance based on another source other than Jesus.  I want to embody the gospel!

Donate

Christ Is Enough

As a kid growing up in South Florida, I enjoyed riding bikes. I had several bikes, but none were brand-new. My bikes were reconditioned, but I was more than thrilled to have them and to ride them. They did not have to be new to delight me. I had friends who had new bikes and were proud of their new bikes. I was happy with my older bikes that had been reconditioned.  I did not pine away for a new one.

Come to think of it, I have never owned a brand-new car in the same year as the year I was living in. All my cars have been used, but I have been fine just the same.

I realize some prefer brand-new things, and that is okay. I personally do not want to live thinking that brand-new and top-of-the-line are required for me to be happy.  I would much rather live with an attitude of contentment, having learned how to be happy in every circumstance.

It appears there was a very well-known apostle who also felt this way about life.

Philippians 4:10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly that now at last your care for me has flourished again; though you surely did care, but you lacked opportunity. 11 Not that I speak in regard to need, for I have learned in whatever state I am, to be content: 12 I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound. Everywhere and in all things I have learned both to be full and to be hungry, both to abound and to suffer need. 13 I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

The ability to be content in Christ is of far greater value than attaining things thought to be necessary to one’s happiness.   Paul had learned to be content in whatever state he found himself.  No, he wasn’t settling as though he had given up.  He learned that one of the secrets to reigning in life involves the ability to be content.

I’ve observed often times bad decisions being made from a place of disconentment in the hopes that they would bring happiness and fulfillemnt to the person making them.  In the end, they only added to the sense of discontentment and disappointment.

When I have reached the end of myself and the many demands my flesh wishes to make in order to be pleased, I find Christ is enough.  The truth is that my flesh can never truly be satisfied.  The emotions of life are like a roller coaster ride.  If I am to journey in this life with any real consistency, I need to discover that Christ is enough.

Too many times, I have witnessed someone getting in over their heads financially or otherwise trying to scratch an itch that they have labeled a need.  An itch becomes a need when Christ is not enough.

The joy of the Lord is my strength.  If I am growing in Him as I should be, I am walking in joy in the Holy Spirit.  That joy is mine regardless of the circumstances surrounding my existence at any point and time.  It is a powerful reality of life that cannot be bought.  There is something so liberating and powerful to Christ being enough.  It can heal marriages, wounded hearts, identities of victimization, and so many other ailments that have resulted from the disappointments that life will bring our way.

Christ my King, my Savior, my Lord, my High Priest, my friend that sticks closer than a brother and so much more!  Christ is enough!  I want to be in such fellowship with HIm that all the things that would otherwise cause me grief fade into the background as I rest in the knowledge of His goodness towards me and His ability to care for me.  Christ is enough!

Donate