"God- His way is perfect; the word of the Lord is pure. His is a shield to all who take refuge in Him. For who is God besides Yahweh" HCSB Psalm 18:30-31
Life has many ups and downs and at times it can get over whelming. I love the Psalms for this very reason, because it gives me a place to go and find inspiration for hope. These verses are a perfect example. First thought I get when I read this is, God, He is the first thought. He is the reason for everything, God. His ways are perfect. Not our ways, not the way of a political leader, pastor or anyone else, God's way is perfect. How do we know this? God has revealed it to us in His word, which He says is pure. It can be trusted, because God can be trusted. It is a foundation of truth for us to stand on, to build our lives one.
Through the revealed word we know God is a shield and a safe place for us to take refuge in. We know that no matter what happens in this life, we know God is in control. He wants us to trust Him. He wants us to take refuge in Him. When we do we quickly find out God does exactly what He says. We will never fully understand everything that happens to us or to those around us, but we know we can trust God. I take comfort in this, knowing God is God and I am not Him.
Lord thank you for being God. Thank you for your word, that is pure. Lord—You are my shield and my refuge, help me take shelter in you first. Help me seek you first in my life, to trust you with everything. Amen
Daily Reading: Mark 13-16 and Psalm 20
Pastor Steve
Monday, January 24, 2011
Thursday, December 9, 2010
Sermon: Prepare for Battle: The Enemy (Eph 6:10-12)
We are at War!
The very first thing as Christians we have to understand is we are at war. There has been an uprising in the heavens and we have landed in the middle of it. In fact you could say we are in enemy occupied territory. We live like we are on a playground many times when we should live like we are on a battleground. In the letter to the Ephesians Paul outlines this most clearly at the end of the letter in chapter 6. For the last few chapters of the letter Paul tells us 'to live a life worthy of our calling" (Eph 4:1). He tells us to be 'imitators' of God (Eph 5:1), to 'walk in Love' (Eph 5:2), to 'walk as children of the light' (Eph 5:8), and finally to 'walk not as unwise people but as wise' (Eph 5:15). Next Paul outlines how we are to live this new life out in Christ with others, our church, home and work. He finishes the letter with dealing with the enemy. He knows if you are to live the Christian life in the world there will be opposition.
"Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens." Ephesians 6:10-12 HCSB
Reading Paul's word we soon realize we have been enlisted into the army of the Lord. He starts by saying "finally", the word would better translated "henceforth" or "for the time remaining". In others words we are going to struggle with this until Christ returns.
Christ has Overcome
It's easy to think we are in a losing battle. But we must not lose heart and we must always remember Christ has overcome. In John 16:38 Jesus tells the disciples "but take heart I have overcome the world". He has also overcome the flesh (Gal 2:20) and over Satan himself (Eph 1:19-23). We know who has won, we know the score of the game before it's finished. In the end Christ wins and Satan loses. So in reality we do not fight for victory—we fight from victory! And when you really think about it we don't fight all, God fights for us.
The Enemy
So who is this enemy, what comes to mind when you think about him? When I posed this question on Facebook I got a variety of answers and they could be boiled down as "lair, cheater, murderer, divider, and thief. We have to know our enemy! Intelligence is vital to any battle and this battle isn't any different. We have to know our enemy to defeat him and also not to be caught off guard. He has many names, he is known as the Devil which means "accuser". He is called this because he stands before God accusing the saints (Rev 12:7-11). He is also known as Satan, which means the "adversary". He is known as the tempter, murderer and liar (John 8:44), compared to a lion (1Peter 5:8), a serpent in Genesis, and can disguised himself as an angel of light. (2 Cor. 11:13-15) He is also known as the 'god of this age'. (2 Cor 4:4)
You look through the list of names and realize the enemy is very powerful, but we have to realize he was created. Many have debated how Satan fell from heaven and the Bible as passages that allude to it, but many scholars are divided. But I would encourage you to read Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:11-17, I tend to believe these passages are referencing the rise and fall of Satan, but I will leave that for another time. What we do know is he is limited in knowledge and activity. He is not all knowing, all powerful or everywhere like God. So the question quickly become how does he do so much? The answer is he has help, a lot of help.
The Bible tells us he took one-third of the angels with him (Rev 12:4), no one knows the exact number but that has to be a lot of angels. Secondly he has people in place, rulers and authorities. Daniel 10:13-20 tells us he battles in the heavens and interferes with the nations.
Don't Underestimate Him
Taking all of this into account we do not want to underestimate him. He has been around from the very beginning and we cannot defeat him on our own. And the worst mistake of all is to ignore or make him a myth. Jesus tells us in John 10:10 "A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy." I believe Satan wants to steal your peace, that is get you to believe that God doesn't love you. He wants to disrupt the peace you have with God through Christ. If he can get you to say you're not good enough, he can kill your joy. Losing your joy, takes away your hope and if we lose hope we will certainly doubt our faith. Once faith is gone there will be little talk from you about Jesus to others! This is why we must always remember the cross and the victory won there! It is at the cross where our sins were forgiven by the shedding of Christ blood. It is where God's wrath is settled and by putting our faith in Jesus we have salvation. It is on the cross we find peace with God. In the end Satan and his army with be thrown into the lake of fire, until then we stand and resist. But only through Christ can we have the victory!
I heard an old, old story,
How a Savior came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me;
I heard about His groaning,
Of His precious blood's atoning,
Then I repented of my sins
And won the victory.
Chorus
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.
The very first thing as Christians we have to understand is we are at war. There has been an uprising in the heavens and we have landed in the middle of it. In fact you could say we are in enemy occupied territory. We live like we are on a playground many times when we should live like we are on a battleground. In the letter to the Ephesians Paul outlines this most clearly at the end of the letter in chapter 6. For the last few chapters of the letter Paul tells us 'to live a life worthy of our calling" (Eph 4:1). He tells us to be 'imitators' of God (Eph 5:1), to 'walk in Love' (Eph 5:2), to 'walk as children of the light' (Eph 5:8), and finally to 'walk not as unwise people but as wise' (Eph 5:15). Next Paul outlines how we are to live this new life out in Christ with others, our church, home and work. He finishes the letter with dealing with the enemy. He knows if you are to live the Christian life in the world there will be opposition.
"Finally, be strengthened by the Lord and by His vast strength. Put on the full armor of God so that you can stand against the tactics of the Devil. For our battle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world powers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens." Ephesians 6:10-12 HCSB
Reading Paul's word we soon realize we have been enlisted into the army of the Lord. He starts by saying "finally", the word would better translated "henceforth" or "for the time remaining". In others words we are going to struggle with this until Christ returns.
Christ has Overcome
It's easy to think we are in a losing battle. But we must not lose heart and we must always remember Christ has overcome. In John 16:38 Jesus tells the disciples "but take heart I have overcome the world". He has also overcome the flesh (Gal 2:20) and over Satan himself (Eph 1:19-23). We know who has won, we know the score of the game before it's finished. In the end Christ wins and Satan loses. So in reality we do not fight for victory—we fight from victory! And when you really think about it we don't fight all, God fights for us.
The Enemy
So who is this enemy, what comes to mind when you think about him? When I posed this question on Facebook I got a variety of answers and they could be boiled down as "lair, cheater, murderer, divider, and thief. We have to know our enemy! Intelligence is vital to any battle and this battle isn't any different. We have to know our enemy to defeat him and also not to be caught off guard. He has many names, he is known as the Devil which means "accuser". He is called this because he stands before God accusing the saints (Rev 12:7-11). He is also known as Satan, which means the "adversary". He is known as the tempter, murderer and liar (John 8:44), compared to a lion (1Peter 5:8), a serpent in Genesis, and can disguised himself as an angel of light. (2 Cor. 11:13-15) He is also known as the 'god of this age'. (2 Cor 4:4)
You look through the list of names and realize the enemy is very powerful, but we have to realize he was created. Many have debated how Satan fell from heaven and the Bible as passages that allude to it, but many scholars are divided. But I would encourage you to read Isaiah 14:12-15 and Ezekiel 28:11-17, I tend to believe these passages are referencing the rise and fall of Satan, but I will leave that for another time. What we do know is he is limited in knowledge and activity. He is not all knowing, all powerful or everywhere like God. So the question quickly become how does he do so much? The answer is he has help, a lot of help.
The Bible tells us he took one-third of the angels with him (Rev 12:4), no one knows the exact number but that has to be a lot of angels. Secondly he has people in place, rulers and authorities. Daniel 10:13-20 tells us he battles in the heavens and interferes with the nations.
Don't Underestimate Him
Taking all of this into account we do not want to underestimate him. He has been around from the very beginning and we cannot defeat him on our own. And the worst mistake of all is to ignore or make him a myth. Jesus tells us in John 10:10 "A thief comes only to steal and to kill and to destroy." I believe Satan wants to steal your peace, that is get you to believe that God doesn't love you. He wants to disrupt the peace you have with God through Christ. If he can get you to say you're not good enough, he can kill your joy. Losing your joy, takes away your hope and if we lose hope we will certainly doubt our faith. Once faith is gone there will be little talk from you about Jesus to others! This is why we must always remember the cross and the victory won there! It is at the cross where our sins were forgiven by the shedding of Christ blood. It is where God's wrath is settled and by putting our faith in Jesus we have salvation. It is on the cross we find peace with God. In the end Satan and his army with be thrown into the lake of fire, until then we stand and resist. But only through Christ can we have the victory!
I heard an old, old story,
How a Savior came from glory,
How He gave His life on Calvary
To save a wretch like me;
I heard about His groaning,
Of His precious blood's atoning,
Then I repented of my sins
And won the victory.
Chorus
O victory in Jesus,
My Savior, forever.
He sought me and bought me
With His redeeming blood;
He loved me ere I knew Him
And all my love is due Him,
He plunged me to victory,
Beneath the cleansing flood.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Conflict
Ok I got a secret, I really do. I want to share something startling and downright scary, conflict! Many of us hear this word and we are terrified. I have to tell you I have gone to great lengths to avoid this beast and many times I have had to settle it with a greater cost. Think about how many times things went horribly wrong when you sat on something and hoped it would go away. The longer you waited the bigger the thing got and before long you got Godzilla marching through your life.
So how do you handle conflict, firstly you have to realize conflict is going to happen especially in a church. Wait you mean there are conflicts in church, but everyone is so nice and friendly. I have learned church people can be very unfriendly if you mess with things they love. Add in ages differences, no generational differences, cultures, gender, not to mention sin and a host of other factors and you have a potentially biohazard on your hands. So you have to realize conflict is going to happen and it's ok. Yup, it's ok. In fact if you don't have conflict I think there is something wrong with the church. It's like when your three year gets quiet, when that happens I'm scared! So conflict is going to happen and it's ok, so how do I handle it?
As soon as a conflict starts the person who is offended needs to go to the offender. As soon as humanly possible the person in question needs to be gentle and respectfully confront. Keep this in mind, 97% of what people say and do are done with the best intentions at heart. I know you think I'm naïve, but I truly believe that, they simply don't have the skills or the ability to get it right. I can't tell you how many times people say things to me that I could easily take offense to, but I know they have my best interest at heart. They just said it wrongly, or they didn't know all the facts involved. If you do this you will solve almost all of your conflict issues, even if it is just agreeing to disagree.
In the end you will learn the other person better, they will learn something about you and everyone will benefit. So next time someone hurts you, offends you or whatever you want to call it, deal with the person directly. Don't talk about them for months to everyone else, or let it build up inside you until you burst. Deal with it and accept the outcome. We must always remember what is at stake. It's the gospel of Christ. Jesus said, "By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35) We don't want to do anything that would tarnish, take away from or harm the gospel of Christ. The world is watching and many people will turn away from or embrace Christ by the way we treat each other, think about it!
-ps
So how do you handle conflict, firstly you have to realize conflict is going to happen especially in a church. Wait you mean there are conflicts in church, but everyone is so nice and friendly. I have learned church people can be very unfriendly if you mess with things they love. Add in ages differences, no generational differences, cultures, gender, not to mention sin and a host of other factors and you have a potentially biohazard on your hands. So you have to realize conflict is going to happen and it's ok. Yup, it's ok. In fact if you don't have conflict I think there is something wrong with the church. It's like when your three year gets quiet, when that happens I'm scared! So conflict is going to happen and it's ok, so how do I handle it?
As soon as a conflict starts the person who is offended needs to go to the offender. As soon as humanly possible the person in question needs to be gentle and respectfully confront. Keep this in mind, 97% of what people say and do are done with the best intentions at heart. I know you think I'm naïve, but I truly believe that, they simply don't have the skills or the ability to get it right. I can't tell you how many times people say things to me that I could easily take offense to, but I know they have my best interest at heart. They just said it wrongly, or they didn't know all the facts involved. If you do this you will solve almost all of your conflict issues, even if it is just agreeing to disagree.
In the end you will learn the other person better, they will learn something about you and everyone will benefit. So next time someone hurts you, offends you or whatever you want to call it, deal with the person directly. Don't talk about them for months to everyone else, or let it build up inside you until you burst. Deal with it and accept the outcome. We must always remember what is at stake. It's the gospel of Christ. Jesus said, "By this all people will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another." (John 13:35) We don't want to do anything that would tarnish, take away from or harm the gospel of Christ. The world is watching and many people will turn away from or embrace Christ by the way we treat each other, think about it!
-ps
Friday, January 8, 2010
The Power of the Cross
This continues the discussion from the entry "The Person of the Cross". We talked about how Paul's life was forever changed by his encounter with Christ. Paul turned from being the chief persecutor of the early church, to being one of its leaders. How could this radical change take place in a person? Yet this is what we see in Paul. As Paul deals with the many theological issues and questions about life in general, he always comes back to Jesus on the cross. Paul knew the person of the cross and he knew the power of the cross. The cross in Paul's time was an object of shame. It was a place of weakness. No one would have worn a cross around their neck. If you were to have had a family members crucified, you would never mention it to anyone. Yet we see Paul boast in the cross, because for Paul it was a place of liberty. Paul saw the cross as the source of freedom, freedom from self, freedom from the flesh, freedom from the world around him.
In the cross Paul recognized the source of its power rested in the humility of Jesus. Jesus who was God, humbled himself to the point where being God wasn't something to be grasped. He humbled himself to the point of becoming human servant. As a servant he was obedient to death, death on a cross. Paul saw this and was greatly humbled. When we see Jesus on the cross we should hear him saying, "I am here because of you, it is your sin I am bearing, your curse I am suffering, your debt I am paying, your death I am dying!" In light of this, the cross is the ultimate source of humility. At the foot of the cross we all shrink. In doing so we are freed from the burden of self, flesh and the world. How can we live our lives selfishly knowing what Jesus did for us on the cross?
The power of the cross that changed Paul, it is also what drove Paul. In the letter to the Galatians he said this, "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 NIV) If we want to live the life God has called us to live, we must be crucified with Christ, and he must live through us. The way we allow that to happen is to understand what he did on the cross. Jesus loved you and gave himself for you, that is the power of the cross. In this we find the ability to live out our lives to the glory of the Father, which will bring us to the next point in this line of thought, "The Purpose of the Cross".
-ps
In the cross Paul recognized the source of its power rested in the humility of Jesus. Jesus who was God, humbled himself to the point where being God wasn't something to be grasped. He humbled himself to the point of becoming human servant. As a servant he was obedient to death, death on a cross. Paul saw this and was greatly humbled. When we see Jesus on the cross we should hear him saying, "I am here because of you, it is your sin I am bearing, your curse I am suffering, your debt I am paying, your death I am dying!" In light of this, the cross is the ultimate source of humility. At the foot of the cross we all shrink. In doing so we are freed from the burden of self, flesh and the world. How can we live our lives selfishly knowing what Jesus did for us on the cross?
The power of the cross that changed Paul, it is also what drove Paul. In the letter to the Galatians he said this, "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 NIV) If we want to live the life God has called us to live, we must be crucified with Christ, and he must live through us. The way we allow that to happen is to understand what he did on the cross. Jesus loved you and gave himself for you, that is the power of the cross. In this we find the ability to live out our lives to the glory of the Father, which will bring us to the next point in this line of thought, "The Purpose of the Cross".
-ps
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Lot Hesitated
The story of Sodom and Gomorrah is found in Genesis 19. In it we find Lot and his family living in the wicked city. Angels appear to sleep in the square and Lot is concerned. He begs them to come in and sleep in his house. The Angels agree. Men both young and old start to assemble outside his door. They want the two visitors brought out so that they can have sexual relations with them. Lot begs them not to carry out this wicked deed and even offers his daughters to the mob!
The Angels see what is happening and rescues Lot and blind the crowd. They tell Lot to get his family out of the city imminently. He contacts his two future son-laws and they think he is joking. The Angeles start to insist on Lot to leave the city now, but Lot "hesitates".
Lot is in the middle of a terribly sinful place and yet he hesitates to leave. The Angeles have to take Lot and family by the hands to get them out of the city! Several thoughts go through my mind. First Lot had lived so long in the city that he was more like the people than a person of God. Secondly, Lot must have liked what he had in Sodom. He like his house his wealth, the people knew him. Lot was no longer shaping his environment, but was being shaped by it. Lot was no longer a witness of God!
Can you see where I am going? I think there is a lesson for us here in America. We have everything and we like what we have, so much so that we are willing to give up our witness to keep it. I see it all around us. We turn a blind eye to sin so that we don't 'rock' the boat. We keep quiet because someone might label us hateful or a bigot. So we hesitate, so we keep quiet, so we are silent.
There is only one problem with this and it's the Word of God. Jesus said, "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." (Mark 8:38 NIV) We are not to be ashamed of our Lord. We are to live our lives in such a way that we shape our environment around us not vice versa. Lot was rescued despite his hesitation. God rescues us from the world around us. He has placed his Holy Spirit in us. Peter says, His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. (2 Peter 1:3 NIV) God gives us the ability to stand up for his name sake. He helps us when we hesitate. We just need to let him lead us by the hand!
-ps
The Angels see what is happening and rescues Lot and blind the crowd. They tell Lot to get his family out of the city imminently. He contacts his two future son-laws and they think he is joking. The Angeles start to insist on Lot to leave the city now, but Lot "hesitates".
Lot is in the middle of a terribly sinful place and yet he hesitates to leave. The Angeles have to take Lot and family by the hands to get them out of the city! Several thoughts go through my mind. First Lot had lived so long in the city that he was more like the people than a person of God. Secondly, Lot must have liked what he had in Sodom. He like his house his wealth, the people knew him. Lot was no longer shaping his environment, but was being shaped by it. Lot was no longer a witness of God!
Can you see where I am going? I think there is a lesson for us here in America. We have everything and we like what we have, so much so that we are willing to give up our witness to keep it. I see it all around us. We turn a blind eye to sin so that we don't 'rock' the boat. We keep quiet because someone might label us hateful or a bigot. So we hesitate, so we keep quiet, so we are silent.
There is only one problem with this and it's the Word of God. Jesus said, "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words in this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his Father's glory with the holy angels." (Mark 8:38 NIV) We are not to be ashamed of our Lord. We are to live our lives in such a way that we shape our environment around us not vice versa. Lot was rescued despite his hesitation. God rescues us from the world around us. He has placed his Holy Spirit in us. Peter says, His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. (2 Peter 1:3 NIV) God gives us the ability to stand up for his name sake. He helps us when we hesitate. We just need to let him lead us by the hand!
-ps
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
2009 Review
Here it is 2010. As I look back over the last year, it was most likely the greatest year of spiritual growth I have ever had! It all started with a phone call from a doctor in April and the word cancer. Doctors had discovered growths on my neck and after a battery of test I got a call from Dr. Cushard himself. I can still remember the conversation like it was yesterday. He said I had tumors and they needed to come out immediately. He then proceeded to tell me I was being refereed to a surgeon at the Sacramento Cancer Center. Which prompted me to ask the question, "Do I have cancer?", to which he responded, "yes". The weight of that moment was incredible, I paused and said, "ok, I'll do whatever I have to do". At the end of the conversation I walked out back and sat down and opened my Bible, I was speechless. Right about then I read this verse "He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that does not return" (Psalms 78:39 NIV).
This verse opened my eyes to reality, life is short and what are you doing with it? From that moment on I gave everything to God. It was the most freeing moment of my life. Over the next few months life slowed way down and I had to learn to lean of God everyday. I graduated from college on May 16th and the following week had surgery. Everything went great, better than expected. In the months afterward God had been strengthen me in ways I never knew. He lifted me out of the pit and put a new song in my mouth and praise song to my Lord. Is everything perfect not at all, but my out look is totally different. I see every day as a gift and I can't wait to proclaim Christ in my life and to the world around me.
So as I look back 2009, it was challenging to me in ways I never imagined and Christ carried all the way. As I look ahead to the coming year I can't wait to see what happens next, already things are happening. I have seen Christ at work in our church, people's lives are being changed and it's all because of Him.
Thank you Lord!
~ps
This verse opened my eyes to reality, life is short and what are you doing with it? From that moment on I gave everything to God. It was the most freeing moment of my life. Over the next few months life slowed way down and I had to learn to lean of God everyday. I graduated from college on May 16th and the following week had surgery. Everything went great, better than expected. In the months afterward God had been strengthen me in ways I never knew. He lifted me out of the pit and put a new song in my mouth and praise song to my Lord. Is everything perfect not at all, but my out look is totally different. I see every day as a gift and I can't wait to proclaim Christ in my life and to the world around me.
So as I look back 2009, it was challenging to me in ways I never imagined and Christ carried all the way. As I look ahead to the coming year I can't wait to see what happens next, already things are happening. I have seen Christ at work in our church, people's lives are being changed and it's all because of Him.
Thank you Lord!
~ps
Monday, January 4, 2010
The Person of the Cross
As I study the Bible and especially the writings of Paul, I notice something. Paul's answer to any question is always Christ, especially Christ on the cross. In our lives we are always looking for answers. We want answers about our families, about life. Why is there such evil in the world? Why are people the way they are? Why am I the way I am? The list goes on and on and we are no different from people of the past. From the very beginning we have struggled to find these answers and more. In Paul's day it wasn't any different and Paul's answer was always the same, Christ. Christ is the answer to all of our questions. He is either answer or the solution. Evil and sin are in the world, there is no denying it. Christ is the answer! Relationships are broken, Christ is the answer. We are selfish and greedy with our time, money and everything else, Christ is the answer. We are out of touch with our Father in heaven, lost and astray, Christ is the answer!
Paul also glorified the cross. The cross was the ultimate place of shame in Paul's time. No one would have ever worn a cross around their neck. The cross was a place of scorn and ridicule, yet Paul boasted in the cross, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Galatians 6:14 NIV). The reason Paul could make such a claim is because Paul knew the person of the cross.
Paul had spent his life dedicated to becoming a Pharisees. He went to the finniest schools, he was up and coming. He prided himself in being the most knowledgeable, the most loyal, and the most 'religious'. If anyone could boast in his own righteousness it was Paul, in which he said he was 'faultless'. But on the road to Damascus all of that changed. In meeting Christ Paul's whole life was changed forever. He was never the same again, in fact in Philippians he would say this, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:7-8 NIV). Paul looked back and considered everything he had learned, everything he had accomplished rubbish, trash, garbage! Compared to knowing Christ, nothing else mattered for Paul.
In my own life the closer I draw to Christ the more my life changes. I start to see people the way Christ sees them. In the battle with sin, I see my sin more like Christ sees my sin and I am disgusted and humbled. The person of the cross changed my life forever. I have never been the same and I can't live without him. Paul knew this and thus boasted in the cross and preached the gospel with boldness. In your life remember the person of the cross, Christ and boast to the world in knowing him.
~ps
Next we'll look at the "Power of the Cross"
Paul also glorified the cross. The cross was the ultimate place of shame in Paul's time. No one would have ever worn a cross around their neck. The cross was a place of scorn and ridicule, yet Paul boasted in the cross, "May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world" (Galatians 6:14 NIV). The reason Paul could make such a claim is because Paul knew the person of the cross.
Paul had spent his life dedicated to becoming a Pharisees. He went to the finniest schools, he was up and coming. He prided himself in being the most knowledgeable, the most loyal, and the most 'religious'. If anyone could boast in his own righteousness it was Paul, in which he said he was 'faultless'. But on the road to Damascus all of that changed. In meeting Christ Paul's whole life was changed forever. He was never the same again, in fact in Philippians he would say this, "But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ" (Philippians 3:7-8 NIV). Paul looked back and considered everything he had learned, everything he had accomplished rubbish, trash, garbage! Compared to knowing Christ, nothing else mattered for Paul.
In my own life the closer I draw to Christ the more my life changes. I start to see people the way Christ sees them. In the battle with sin, I see my sin more like Christ sees my sin and I am disgusted and humbled. The person of the cross changed my life forever. I have never been the same and I can't live without him. Paul knew this and thus boasted in the cross and preached the gospel with boldness. In your life remember the person of the cross, Christ and boast to the world in knowing him.
~ps
Next we'll look at the "Power of the Cross"
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
December Newsletter
Humility is an interesting word. The dictionary defines it as “the quality or condition of being humble; modest opinion or estimate of one's own importance.” I look around me and there seems to be a lack of humility in our culture. Everyone seems to have an inflated view of their self importance. As we come into the Christmas season, you will experience long lines filled with people more important than you. As I look at the Christmas story there is one word that jumps out at me more than anything else, and that is humility.
Jesus was born, the King of kings, the Lord of lords. He is praised and worshiped by all the heavenly bodies and yet came to us as a defenseless child. He wasn’t born in large mansion, surrounded by the luxuries. He was born in a manger surrounded by livestock and straw. He should have been wrapped in the finniest linen, but he was wrapped in simple blanket. The Word became flesh in the humblest of ways. All of the world leaders should have been there and worshiped him, but it was the shepherds who were invited.
Not only was Jesus humble in his birth but he lived his short life in deep humility. Jesus, God in flesh emptied himself and made himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant, in the likeness of a human being. As a man he humbled himself and became obedient to death, the death of a common criminal, nailed to a cross!
So this Christmas season as you start to get caught up in the season, remember the humility of Christ. Reflect on Him and what He means to your life. It is through Him Christmas has its meaning and purpose. It is through Him we have the greatest gift of all and that is forgiveness of sin and promise of everlasting life. With Him we receive in abundance all the joy, peace, love we all long for. The greatest gift given at Christmas isn’t something bought in a store, it is Jesus. So as you gather with friends and family, take time to share the Christmas story. Tell them of our great King who was born in manger and how he gave his life for you and I. Share the greatest gift ever given, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Amen.
-ps
Jesus was born, the King of kings, the Lord of lords. He is praised and worshiped by all the heavenly bodies and yet came to us as a defenseless child. He wasn’t born in large mansion, surrounded by the luxuries. He was born in a manger surrounded by livestock and straw. He should have been wrapped in the finniest linen, but he was wrapped in simple blanket. The Word became flesh in the humblest of ways. All of the world leaders should have been there and worshiped him, but it was the shepherds who were invited.
Not only was Jesus humble in his birth but he lived his short life in deep humility. Jesus, God in flesh emptied himself and made himself nothing, taking on the very nature of a servant, in the likeness of a human being. As a man he humbled himself and became obedient to death, the death of a common criminal, nailed to a cross!
So this Christmas season as you start to get caught up in the season, remember the humility of Christ. Reflect on Him and what He means to your life. It is through Him Christmas has its meaning and purpose. It is through Him we have the greatest gift of all and that is forgiveness of sin and promise of everlasting life. With Him we receive in abundance all the joy, peace, love we all long for. The greatest gift given at Christmas isn’t something bought in a store, it is Jesus. So as you gather with friends and family, take time to share the Christmas story. Tell them of our great King who was born in manger and how he gave his life for you and I. Share the greatest gift ever given, “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. And he will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” Amen.
-ps
Sunday, January 25, 2009
Sermon: Glimpse of Heaven Mark 12:18-27
Have you ever had anything that was heavenly? I think of things I might consider heavenly. Smoking a brisket or a rack of ribs, in my smoker is heavenly. The smell of coffee brewing early on a chilly morning is heavenly. Sinking into my bed at the end of a long day can also be heavenly. But really those things are nice, I really enjoy them. What about the ‘heaven’ moments in life? Where you catch a glimpse of something magical, supernatural, something so special you cannot express it in words. Like the birth of a child and the first time you look down at them, lying there and they grab your finger…the moment you connect. The first time you fell in love, when you looked at her and you knew she was the one. Stepping out on a mountain top and seeing beauty overwhelming. Seeing someone you love and have prayed for truly given their lives to Christ.
But these moments are only fleeting, they are like a mist on a summers day. You always remember the feeling, the moment. In the Bible I think we also see ‘glimpses’ of heaven. Jesus is again confronted by another group of teachers called the Sadducees. In answering their question Jesus gives us a glimpse of heaven. Mark 12:18-27:
Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?" Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Now about the dead rising--have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!" (Mar 12:18-27 NIV)
Here the teachers who don’t believe in the resurrection asking a question about the resurrection! In the Old Testament, if a brother died another brother would merry the widow and to produce children to care for her and keep the family line alive. The Sadducees only followed the first five books of the Bible and nothing else. So they didn’t believe in the resurrection or any life after death. So Jesus answers their question, he rebukes them for not knowing Scripture and for underestimating God.
Don’t we still underestimate God? We place him in boxes; we think he is like us. But nothing is impossible for God, nothing. He is all powerful! That is important because in the next line he says, “When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven”. First we have to recognize God has the power to raise the dead. He defeated death through Jesus Christ, the Bible says, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1Co 15:26 NIV), Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1Co 15:54-57 NIV).
The second part I have given a lot of thought too. “neither marry nor be given in marriage” Firstly marriage is the strongest bond of love we can experience here on earth. All through the Bible marriage is used as an illustration of the relationship between God and man. But here the bond is marred by sin, it is not perfect, it is broken because we are broken. In heaven we will recognize our spouses but the bond will be overshadowed by a new order. We will no longer be broken; we will be made whole again. We will be in the presence of God, we will live with God. There is nothing that can compare to that. It is this thought that should give us hope, it should drive us to live for Christ and to make him known to others. Let me further illustrate this thought.
Yellow is not my favorite color. But Vincent van Gogh saw yellow differently. This famous Dutch painter, sadly, abandoned his faith he had grown up with in a Christian home and sank into depression and destruction. By the grace of God, as he later began to embrace his faith again, his life took on hope, and he gave that hope color.
The best-kept secret of van Gogh's life is that the truth he was discovering is seen in the gradual increase of the presence of the color yellow in his paintings. Yellow evoked (for him) the hope and warmth of the truth of God's love. In one of his depressive periods, seen in his famous The Starry Night, you finds a yellow sun and yellow swirling stars, because van Gogh thought truth was present only in nature. Tragically, the church, which stands tall in this painting and should be the house of truth, is about the only item in the painting showing no traces of yellow.
But by the time he painted The Raising of Lazarus, his life was on the mend as he began to face the truth about himself. The entire picture is blindingly bathed in yellow. In fact, van Gogh put his own face on Lazarus to express his own hope in the Resurrection. It was this glimpse of heaven that changed van Gogh, it gave him hope. That no matter what happens here, there is going to be a day when everything will be made right. It is this thought that we can start painting yellow into our own lives, knowing we have a fresh hope and the hope of new beginnings.
Listen to how Jesus finishes this question: Now about the dead rising--have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!" Jesus is telling us the key to all of this, it is what van Gogh grasped, God is not the God of the dead, but of the living…he is the living God, he is about life! We will raise again with him in heaven.
And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Rev 21:3-4 NIV)
The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. (Rev 21:23 NIV)
It is the glimpse of heaven in our lives that are there to remind us of things to come. They are there to give us hope in a dark world. In answering the question of the Sadducees, Jesus gives us a glimpse of heaven. He gives us a peek of things to come. But we will only see it if we are in relationship with Him, if we know Jesus.
But these moments are only fleeting, they are like a mist on a summers day. You always remember the feeling, the moment. In the Bible I think we also see ‘glimpses’ of heaven. Jesus is again confronted by another group of teachers called the Sadducees. In answering their question Jesus gives us a glimpse of heaven. Mark 12:18-27:
Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?" Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. Now about the dead rising--have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!" (Mar 12:18-27 NIV)
Here the teachers who don’t believe in the resurrection asking a question about the resurrection! In the Old Testament, if a brother died another brother would merry the widow and to produce children to care for her and keep the family line alive. The Sadducees only followed the first five books of the Bible and nothing else. So they didn’t believe in the resurrection or any life after death. So Jesus answers their question, he rebukes them for not knowing Scripture and for underestimating God.
Don’t we still underestimate God? We place him in boxes; we think he is like us. But nothing is impossible for God, nothing. He is all powerful! That is important because in the next line he says, “When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven”. First we have to recognize God has the power to raise the dead. He defeated death through Jesus Christ, the Bible says, “The last enemy to be destroyed is death. (1Co 15:26 NIV), Death has been swallowed up in victory." "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ." (1Co 15:54-57 NIV).
The second part I have given a lot of thought too. “neither marry nor be given in marriage” Firstly marriage is the strongest bond of love we can experience here on earth. All through the Bible marriage is used as an illustration of the relationship between God and man. But here the bond is marred by sin, it is not perfect, it is broken because we are broken. In heaven we will recognize our spouses but the bond will be overshadowed by a new order. We will no longer be broken; we will be made whole again. We will be in the presence of God, we will live with God. There is nothing that can compare to that. It is this thought that should give us hope, it should drive us to live for Christ and to make him known to others. Let me further illustrate this thought.
Yellow is not my favorite color. But Vincent van Gogh saw yellow differently. This famous Dutch painter, sadly, abandoned his faith he had grown up with in a Christian home and sank into depression and destruction. By the grace of God, as he later began to embrace his faith again, his life took on hope, and he gave that hope color.The best-kept secret of van Gogh's life is that the truth he was discovering is seen in the gradual increase of the presence of the color yellow in his paintings. Yellow evoked (for him) the hope and warmth of the truth of God's love. In one of his depressive periods, seen in his famous The Starry Night, you finds a yellow sun and yellow swirling stars, because van Gogh thought truth was present only in nature. Tragically, the church, which stands tall in this painting and should be the house of truth, is about the only item in the painting showing no traces of yellow.
But by the time he painted The Raising of Lazarus, his life was on the mend as he began to face the truth about himself. The entire picture is blindingly bathed in yellow. In fact, van Gogh put his own face on Lazarus to express his own hope in the Resurrection. It was this glimpse of heaven that changed van Gogh, it gave him hope. That no matter what happens here, there is going to be a day when everything will be made right. It is this thought that we can start painting yellow into our own lives, knowing we have a fresh hope and the hope of new beginnings.
Listen to how Jesus finishes this question: Now about the dead rising--have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!" Jesus is telling us the key to all of this, it is what van Gogh grasped, God is not the God of the dead, but of the living…he is the living God, he is about life! We will raise again with him in heaven.And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away." (Rev 21:3-4 NIV)
The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp. (Rev 21:23 NIV)
It is the glimpse of heaven in our lives that are there to remind us of things to come. They are there to give us hope in a dark world. In answering the question of the Sadducees, Jesus gives us a glimpse of heaven. He gives us a peek of things to come. But we will only see it if we are in relationship with Him, if we know Jesus.
Sunday, August 10, 2008
DISCLAIMER……
I’m a bit on the angry side today, so everything that I say is purely of my own free will. My comments and feelings do not represent the Dethroned by Grace web site.
Preparing for church today I was excited, excited to teach people about Christ, excited about seeing fellow believers, excited to worship a loving God who has saved me, but all that quickly dissipated shortly after I walked into the door and was confronted with the human element of THE church.
People, all of us sinful, are so selfish. When did it become ok in the church to say, “It’s all about me? What are you going to do for me?”
A church is not a fast food restaurant where you walk up to the counter and say, “I want a cheeseburger, please hold the tomato and mustard.” In church we do not reserve the right to say, “I want a class for my 8 year old and make sure he’s saved before he’s 9 years old.”
What is wrong with saying, “I have an 8 year old, how can I help in getting him saved before he is 9?” How can I be involved? How can I SERVE!?
And when did Jesus say, “Hey, its ok, go ahead and quit! When things get tough, when people make you mad or when you get your feelings hurt, go ahead and turn your back on your family, (the church….the bride) and walk away.” ??
You know…… I don’t like church politics, I don’t like money issues and I don’t like when Christians don’t act like Christians…….if you confess to love Christ, then you must strive to ACT like Christ, LOVE like Christ, and ultimately LIVE like Christ.
Ok, my rant is over…..sorry about being so blunt! In the end of it, I love Christ and I know that he loves me. I won’t quit! I expect others to stick with me……like the bible say’s…..
Hebrews 12:1
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 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.
Yes, we each have a race marked out for US, if we quit we won’t finish OUR race and we will fail for Christ!
I have some wonderful people in my church, people that I love and would walk on broken glass for, people that want what I want, to save souls for Christ, but we must always keep our eyes on the prize…………..TO BE LIKE CHRIST!
Be humble, be loving, be giving, be like Christ!
May God bless you! Please don’t let my words offend you, but inspire you to be more like Christ, view your brothers and sisters in Christ as family and in that thought, work it out………don’t quit!
I’m a bit on the angry side today, so everything that I say is purely of my own free will. My comments and feelings do not represent the Dethroned by Grace web site.
Preparing for church today I was excited, excited to teach people about Christ, excited about seeing fellow believers, excited to worship a loving God who has saved me, but all that quickly dissipated shortly after I walked into the door and was confronted with the human element of THE church.
People, all of us sinful, are so selfish. When did it become ok in the church to say, “It’s all about me? What are you going to do for me?”
A church is not a fast food restaurant where you walk up to the counter and say, “I want a cheeseburger, please hold the tomato and mustard.” In church we do not reserve the right to say, “I want a class for my 8 year old and make sure he’s saved before he’s 9 years old.”
What is wrong with saying, “I have an 8 year old, how can I help in getting him saved before he is 9?” How can I be involved? How can I SERVE!?
And when did Jesus say, “Hey, its ok, go ahead and quit! When things get tough, when people make you mad or when you get your feelings hurt, go ahead and turn your back on your family, (the church….the bride) and walk away.” ??
You know…… I don’t like church politics, I don’t like money issues and I don’t like when Christians don’t act like Christians…….if you confess to love Christ, then you must strive to ACT like Christ, LOVE like Christ, and ultimately LIVE like Christ.
Ok, my rant is over…..sorry about being so blunt! In the end of it, I love Christ and I know that he loves me. I won’t quit! I expect others to stick with me……like the bible say’s…..
Hebrews 12:1
1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, 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.
Yes, we each have a race marked out for US, if we quit we won’t finish OUR race and we will fail for Christ!
I have some wonderful people in my church, people that I love and would walk on broken glass for, people that want what I want, to save souls for Christ, but we must always keep our eyes on the prize…………..TO BE LIKE CHRIST!
Be humble, be loving, be giving, be like Christ!
May God bless you! Please don’t let my words offend you, but inspire you to be more like Christ, view your brothers and sisters in Christ as family and in that thought, work it out………don’t quit!
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