Balance View....

Last week I went to have my tires rotated. I knew I had waited way to long…

A young man approached me and said the front tires have to be replaced, the tread had worn down too far. They were considered “unsafe” for the road and would need to be replaces. Well I was upset, more at my own stupidly, because I knew the front tires ware faster than the back tires.

I think about this simple illustration and apply to our view of God. See God is both “transcendent” and “intimate”. That is “God is Lord”, seated high on a throne “transcendent”, magnificent and mighty. At the same time he is as close as my skin, in my heart…knows my words before they leave my mouth, he is “intimate.”

For years prior generation concentrated on the transcendent nature of God and he became distant and judgmental, which was reflected in the church. A new generation came along and wanted Jesus who was my friend and buddy, they longed for intimacy.

So here we stand on the brink of balance…I think we need to understand and know the “whole” God if you will. We need to know and understand His majesty and at the same time know…he knows how many hairs are on your head.

Balance….

I think in the church today a call for balance to know and acknowledge both natures of God. To know He is Lord over all things, and all things belong to Him…To know he walked the earth, felt hunger and pain. He understand what it means to be “human’ and he loved us so much; he died for the forgiveness of our sin. So we could have a closer relationship with him…

If you concentrate on just one nature of God you will miss the “big picture”, you will never truly understand God. I think the church has to present both…in our personal lives we need to have a balanced view.

It is then when we will understand God is bigger than our problems and is close enough to comfort us.

-ps

Daily Reading: Exodus 22,23,24 Matthew 20:17-34

Rid the Earth of Him...

Acts 21 and the begining of chapter 22 shows Paul in Jerusalem, standing on the steps of the barracks. Paul turns to face the angry crowd. In silence the mob anxiously anticipates the words of this man they have accused of defiling the temple and spreading heresy about the Jewish faith. Paul tells them how he is one of their own. He was raised and trained by the very best teachers of the law. How on the road to Damascus this Jesus whom he was trying to destroy, changed his life. How he was commissioned by Christ himself to testify about Him, to the Gentiles. Up to this point the scripture says the mob listened, until this was said about the Gentiles. They shouted, “Rid the earth of Him! He’s not fit to live” Acts 22:22.

Looking at this verse has made me think about what made the Jewish followers so mad. It wasn’t the fact of Jesus miraculously converting Paul, or how Paul was now testifying about Him. It was the idea of God’s blessing being removed from them and given to the Gentiles. The blessing and the curse had come home to roost. The Israelites had missed the point of them being God’s people, of being a blessing to the nations. They looked at the blessing something to be held on to. Not to be shared with the rest of the world…it’s mine.

I can’t help but to see this same mentality manifesting itself in our church today. We have a tailor made gospel that only fits the “American” worldview. This gospel is aimed at the middle class, where I can build my beautiful temples to prosperity to shut out the one who the gospel would impact the most. I will control the time when I feed and care for the poor and the needy. When I’m moved by the television commercial of a pot-belly child in Africa, or when the Pastor asks me to drop off food at the church for the local food bank. I never have to get my hands dirty or look in the eyes of those who are suffering, for fear I might experience discomfort.

How long will it be before we too are faced with our own Paul? Someone who is commissioned by Christ to take the message of the Gospel to the people who need it the most, who will embrace the truth of freedom and peace of spirit. Who will truly appreciate what it means to be comforted in the turmoil of true suffering. My heart is braking for this great country of ours, I long for us to experience true repentance. As a nation we need to truly repent and turn to God, to follow him with our whole hearts. I believe we have been greatly blessed and I fear our time is coming, just as the Jewish nation. Johnny Cash sings in his last album “You can run on for a long time, but God’s going to cut you down.” The idea presented, we are going to have give an account for what we do. Reading this passage brought this thought home for me.

Acts ends with this verse, “Boldly and without hindrance he preached the kingdom of God and taught about the Lord Jesus Christ” Acts 28:31. What an epitaph for the Apostle Paul. He spent his life boldly preaching the gospel of Christ. Nothing would stop him from fulfilling his purpose to the gentiles. Beatings, ship wrecks, prison or stoning could not slow down this man of God. I look at Paul and I know he was selected for a special purpose, but he was so very human. I love the fact the Bible presents Paul as Saul first. Knowing this gives me great hope. Knowing Christ takes us and shapes us for his special purpose, for our generation. Paul’s character was chiseled and shaped by his suffering. So when we see him in the face of danger saying “grace” and eating because he believed God would keep His promises. He gives us the picture of an integrated Christian, who combines spiritually with sanity and faith with works. What an example for us to follow. We need to be like Paul’s and love people more than ourselves. We need to be like Paul and follow his boldness to proclaim the gospel to every person, everywhere without fear.

-ps

God’s Gonna Cut You Down…

Johnny Cash is an amazing song writer…I stumbled across this song and it blew me away. So I bought the album “American V: A Hundred Highways”, the album is haunting and truly a work of art. You can hear it in his voice, he knows his time has come to go home. The songs reflect a long life lived by someone who has seen a lot, and lived life. Tucked in the first part of the album is this song “God’s Gonna Cut You Down”. When I first heard it I got goosebumps…

My head's been wet with the midnight dew
I've been down on bended knee talkin' to the man from Galilee
He spoke to me in the voice so sweet
I thought I heard the shuffle of the angel's feet
He called my name and my heart stood still
When he said, "John go do My will!"

What a picture of a man seeking Christ…on bended knee, in the quiet moment a voice so sweet, he thought he heard the shuffling of angels feet…then the voice, the gentle whisper of Elijah, go do My will!...

Have you heard the voice before….

Christ calls us all, he wants you to hear his voice…but it will only happen when we have humbled ourselves in the quiet place of our hearts. Because you see our very nature will push us in a direction away from him. You can run on for a long time, but the day is coming when life will catch up. There is a time when we will have an answer. There is a time when God will drag all we have done into the light, for everyone to see.

Well you may throw your rock and hide your hand
Workin' in the dark against your fellow man
But as sure as God made black and white
What's done in the dark will be brought to the light

You can’t run from God, you can’t hide from sight. Along with the love of God, is the other side of God...jealously, righteousness and justice. What makes us think we can live our lives the way we want and not give an account for the gift.

Go tell that long tongue liar
Go and tell that midnight rider
Tell the rambler,The gambler,The back biter
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down
Tell 'em that God's gonna cut 'em down

Listening to this album, Johnny was at the end. He had a deep relationship with Christ and he is warning us. Hear it and take it to heart, from a voice who lived.

-ps

Daily Reading: Exod 19,20,21 Matt 20:1-16

He is so good…

Today is Sunday and I’m feeling very happy about being a Christian. I’m blessed beyond measure; God has provided for and taken care of me in ways I cannot express in mare words. He is greater than anything this world has to offer. Today I hope you’ll just stop for a minute and think about how God has looked out for you, loved you when there was no one around…When he has comforted you, or provided for you in some way. We serve a God who isn’t far away, but he’s closer than your skin…He know everything about you and loves you…even when you can’t love yourself. He wants the very best for you…he just wants you to love and trust in him.

Lord thank you for your love and your forgiveness, your grace and mercy. We love you and cherish you…thank you Lord!

Someone is Knocking at the Door...

Yesterday I had for the first time in my life a Jehovah Witness at my door. After about forty-five minutes he had to leave. But here is what struck me about the entire conversation.

First: Darren was a good man and he was with his son Josh. Darren believed in what he was doing, going door to door. I wish we as Christians had the same tenacity and drive about our faith. Darren truly believes what he is telling me is truth.

Second: He used my own knowledge against me. He kept things very focused and didn’t like going outside of what he was comfortable with, which I can understand.

Thirdly: He used the same terminology I used, he spoke the language. He used words and terms well know in Christendom.

After it was all said and done I think I held up fine and I got him thinking…as he did me. I keep the conversation around Christ and who Jesus was. We debated if Jesus was really God and Darren was very convincing in his arguments, but was surprised to see Jesus receiving worship and being called God, especially in the "New World Translation"…the Bible translated by and for the Watchtower Society…

Jesus appears to Thomas at the end of chapter 20 in the gospel of John. Jesus tells Thomas put your finger here, see my hands, put your hand in my side. Stop doubting and believe….

“Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God” John 20:28

“For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily Form” Colossians 2:9 (TNIV)

You see if Christ wasn’t God in flesh, and he was just a man (even the perfect man, as Darren explained to me) we would be lost in our sins. We would be doomed, without hope. It is only through the supreme sacrifice of Christ, who took all of the world’s sin…past, present and future…and nailed them to the cross.

“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:13-14 (TNIV)

Praise the Lord! I would be lost for ever without Jesus Christ…

The bottom line in my encounter (and Darren said he would be back) is to focus on Jesus and know your scriptures…read them, understand them, be as the be as the Bereans (Acts 17:10-15). Examine everything in the light of scriptures.

Darren has believed a lie, and the Watchtower Society has to twist scripture to make it fit into thier mold of religion. As I said before Darren is a good man...but he is lost in his sin. The jesus he peddles and beleives in is "weak". The Watchtower Society has a nutered christ, who is just a created being.

He is not the Jesus of the Bible, the Alpha and the Omega, The Lord of Lord and King of Kings!

God bless!

-ps


Today’s Reading: Exodus 7,8 Matthew 17

Worthy Life II

It's funny how I looked at a verse concerning living the "worthy life" (Eph 4:1). Well now this whole thought has held me captive. An I came across another verse along the same line. Philippians 1:27 Paul says "Whatever happens, conduct yourselves in a matter worthy of the gospel of Christ."

So here I am again being confronted by the plead from Paul to live a life worthy of your calling and to conduct yourselves in a worthy matter of the gospel. So this got me thinking, what was the way Christ lived his life? Because the gospel is the life-death-Resurrection of Jesus. I didn't have to look too far to find my answer. In the second chapter of Philippians you find some of the most powerful verses in the New Testament...So I'm going to let the Bible answer the question. Please read the following and just let the Holy Spirit move you....

Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:

Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing,

taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.

And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself

and became obedient to death—even death on a cross!

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him

the name that is above every name,

that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

After reading this the question come to mind....are you living a worthy life? Worthy to your family, friends, church....but most of all are you living the life worthy of Christ. The Christ who shed his blood for you, the Christ who humbled himself for you, the Christ who calls you and me...

-ps

Today's Reading: Exod 1,2,3 Matt 15:21-39

Worthy Life...

“I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received”
Ephesians 4:1 (TNIV)

Have you thought about your life as a calling? Here you working in place you don’t like and here Paul is saying “live life worthy”. Or maybe you’re in a marriage that seems to be going no where…or maybe you’re widowed and alone. Yet here is Paul telling you to “live life worthy of the calling”. You have one shot at life and I am convinced it isn’t how you start, but how you finish.

Today I received a phone call about one of my former members in my old church. Marie is an older lady who is a “shut-in” because of her health. She has a nurse who checks on her, along with a host of other people. I was told she was in the hospital and it sounded like she was going home to be with the Lord very soon. So Sharon and I paid a visit. In the hospital Marie was very happy to see us and informed me since retiring I had put on some weight! After about an hour I was convinced God wasn’t ready to take Marie home quite yet…you see I have seen Marie in the hospital for the last time at least three times in the last two years. In fact she proudly tells me how three different doctors thought she should have been gone years ago.

I enjoyed talking to her as she slurped down the chocolate shake we brought to her. As I was leaving she put in her next request of cheese and broccoli soup for tomorrow. Marie loves the Lord and you can tell it in the way she conducts herself. I know she longs to be home and away from the pain of this world, but until then she continues to radiate the Christ who has occupied her heart for so long. Thank you Lord for Marie….

-ps

Today's reading: Gen 44,45 Matt 14:1-21

Yoked Rest...

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for you souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matt 28:28-30

I have always found this verse interesting. Anytime I have struggled or I am just beat down by life, I have turned to this verse. After this weekend I found myself reading this verse again in my daily reading.

First Jesus promises to give rest. Rest can come in many forms, physical rest, mental rest…or spiritual rest. Spiritual rest involves more than just laying down somewhere peaceful and sleeping…or turning off the TV and just to enjoy the quite. The rest Jesus is offering goes to a place only He can go. It is a place where we can find true peace, true rest. It starts by taking the yoke of Christ or it starts by sticking your neck into a huge wooden beam of wood, to be shackled to Christ...Let's explore....Farm animals like Oxen could be “yoked” together by the neck. Together they would accomplish far more than they could ever do alone. If one Ox grew tired or was not pulling their share of the load the other Ox would pick up the slack. Together they could encourage and help each other. But Jesus was talking about something else? The Pharisees or the religious leaders of Jesus time shackled the people with tons of religious rules practices. The people would grow tired of trying to live up to the code of the Pharisees.

Jesus is saying follow me, I’m humble at heart and I will not burden you with religious rules that shackle you to dogma and regulations. This sounds like something we are going through in today’s church. Jesus says my burden is light, because he comes along side us and helps us. He carried the burden of our sin all the way to cross. If you want to experience peace and rest, yoke your self to Christ. Be obedient and follw His lead, then you will experience true rest for your soul.

-ps

Today's Reading:

Jan 15. GEN. 36,37 MATT. 12:1-21

Extremes

So he (Jesus) got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.

He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?"
Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand."
"
No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me."

"Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"

John 13:4-9

I love this story. Peter displays his personality beautifully. Jesus is washing the feet of the disciples. Peter is horrified by the thought of Christ washing his feet. Peter tells Jesus there is no way your going to wash my feet…

After Jesus tells Peter he must serve him or he has no part with him, Peter jumps to the other side...He goes to the other extreme, “wash my feet, my hands, and my head!”

I think a lot of time we are like Peter in approach to sin in our lives. We think well it’s all or nothing. We start to sin and we figure, well I started I might as well see it through. This trap we fall into many time has dire consequences, ones we pay for the rest of our lives. The theft only comes to kill, steal or destroy. Sin’s pleasure only last a moment and then robes us of our joy. Sin entices us only steal away our peace. Sin’s intoxicating effects ware off leaving behind destroyed relationships with our loved ones and with God.

We need to be careful of the extremes in our lives...

I will not be posting this weekend, because I will be in Pine Grove with my parents. Well actually Sharon (my wife) and me are celebrating our 19th Anniversary at a bed and breakfast and grandma is watching the children. I’ll post again Sunday night, Monday morning. God bless!

-ps

Today's Reading and the weekend:
Jan 11. GEN. 27,28 MATT. 9:18-38
Jan 12. GEN. 29,30 MATT. 10:1-23
Jan 13. GEN. 31,32 MATT. 10:24-42

Clear Conscience

So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and all people. Acts 24:16 (TNIV)

Many times in life I have to stop and think about what I am doing. Driving my car come to mind. How am I behaving? Are my actions speaking so loudly, that no one can hear the message? In others word are my actions and conduct lined up with what I believe.
Paul is echoing what all of should be striving for, a clear conscience before God and all people. He is saying this because without a clear conscience we cannot act or speak the gospel with assurance and boldness. Without a clear conscience the gospel loses it power and effectiveness, because it under mines our testimony.

The other point is without a clear conscience the enemy has a weapon to use against us. Satan will use a convicted conscience to silence us before the world. He will use it to bind our mouths shut and make us useless, before a world that so desperately need the gospel.
So how are you living, are you treating your kid’s right? Do you treat you your spouse with respect and the other members of your family? How you are at work, do leave earlier than you should…I think you understand.

As a Christian we have to live to a higher standard, we represent Christ himself. We are ambassadors, bought and paid for by the death-burial-resurrection of our Lord. So the next time you hear the little voice of your conscience in your head warning you…give thanks to the Lord and take heed.

-ps

Today's Reading: Genesis: 25,26 Matt 9:1-17

Dethroned By Grace

Since I started this blog I have been trying to come up with a name I would like. It has been difficult to find a name that best describes the way I think and feel about my relationship with Christ. In my life there are two battles I constantly have, self and grace. I battle self on many fronts and I love sitting on the throne of my life. I love to have all my energy directed towards my interest, it comes by naturally. So what do I do with the verses like “nobody should seek his own good?”-(1 Cor 10:24) In fact there are a bunch of these verses (Jn 8:50, 1Co 10:33, Rom 2:8, Php 1:17, Jas 3:14, Jas 3:16) all these verses express thoughts against doing things for yourself. I am to surrender my life to Christ; I am to allow him to sit upon the throne of my life. I am to submit to his authority and allow him to guide my interest, my life. Isn’t this taught in the four spiritual laws, by campus crusade? This looks great on paper, but reality is something else entirely. I find myself having to fight to keep Jesus on the throne of my life. It’s a daily struggle, sometimes its minute by minute, sometime it’s impossible.

So here comes the second battle, grace. I battle to accept God’s grace when I “dethrone” Christ and take over leadership of my life. After things start to go wrong, I realize what I have done and I repent, handing back over the “keys” to my kingdom, I beg for forgiveness. I beg God to take away the desire to dethrone the King…only to hear the words told to Paul echo in my ear “my grace is sufficient for you.” Accepting grace can be painful and at times very humbling. Perhaps this is what it’s all about, humility. Perhaps this is what God wanted from the very beginning…to humility give up the throne and to humbly accept grace I don’t deserve.

So here is the name to my blog, “Dethroned by Grace”…

-ps

Today's Reading: Genesis: 23,24 Matt 8

Abraham's guest...

What would you do if you knew God was coming to dinner? What if the door bell rang and there he was? Abraham faced a similar event in Genesis chapter 18. “The Lord appeared to Abraham”. Abraham provided a meal, he went around selecting the very best he had to offer. I love this story for one simple reason…it graphically shows the relationship between God and Abraham. Abraham wanted to serve and give God his very best (v 2, 6-8), God in turn involved Abraham in his plans (v 17). Finally, you have the verse 22 “The men turned away and went towards Sodom, but Abraham remained standing before the Lord.”

The picture here is one we have all seen, a group of people walking along a road talking together, the others walk on ahead and two remain and each turn to face each other. This is something we would expect between father and son, mother or daughter, friends…but this is the Lord and Abraham. The picture painted here is one of relationship. Abraham was God’s friend. Abraham had the opportunity and privilege to speak to the Lord directly.

We often think God as someone far away, who couldn’t possibly hear my prayers. But here we see Abraham “standing before” the Lord…As Christians we are called “God’s children” Romans 8:16, “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” 1 John 3:1.

Here is the closing thought, if Abraham was God’s friend...and God cared for and loved him. How would God treat His own children? So today celebrate the relationship and privilege of being a child of the King.

-ps

Today's Reading: Genesis: 18,19 , Matt 6

Rainbows and Initiative…

Initiative is an interesting word and it means “the first step in a process that, once taken, determines subsequent events”. In our reading of Genesis we see God taking the initiative. He starts with creation, creating Adam and Eve (you and me) in his image. After the fall, he again takes the initiative by saying to the man, “Where are you?”

Have you ever thought that God is seeking you? Have you ever thought God takes the initiative in having a relationship with you? Isn’t that an amazing thought, the God who created everything seeks a personal relationship with you and me. He is asking, “Where are you?”

After the flood God promised never again to destroy the earth by flood. As a sign of his promise, “He set my rainbow in the clouds.” Again God takes the initiative in making a promise to us.

He also took the initiative in sending his Son Jesus...Jesus came and took the first step, he took the initiative all the way to the cross. On the cross he took the initiative of providing you forgiveness of sin. Jesus did this for the purpose of restoring a relationship with him.

So the next time you see a rainbow remember God always take the first step, he is always asking, “Where are you?”

-ps

Purpose….

Have you ever thought “why am I here?” Last night as we opened class with Dr. Wilhelm (Marty) sharing these verses with us.

For when David had served God’s purpose in his own generation, he fell asleep. -Acts 13:36

The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me; your love, O LORD, endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands. –Psalm 138:8

Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be. –Psalm 139:16

To see these verses together opened my eyes to "purpose". Here are three simple thoughts from theses verses about YOUR life…

One: God has a purpose for you now, in this generation. You where meant to be born right now, right here. God placed you here to fulfill a purpose.

Second: God will fulfill His purpose for you. What is God going to do through you? Have you sought out your purpose? And are you doing what God intended for you to do. I’m going to ask you to seriously seek God for your purpose and I want you to keep one thought in the back of your mind….Judas had a purpose, what is your purpose….

Thirdly: God has known you before you where born. God has always known who you are and what you would do. He loves you and seeks a close relationship with you. He does this despite you and what you think about yourself. He loves you more than you could ever understand, and your worth isn’t in what you feel about yourself or what others think about you. Your worth is found in God and what God thinks about you, because you are made in His image, you are fearfully and wonderfully made….

So seek out your purpose in this generation, allow God to fulfill that purpose and know God has loved you from the beginning and will always love you.

-ps

Today's Reading: Genesis: 6-9, Pslam 3