The Goal

"Now the goal of our instruction is love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a sincere faith." (1 Timothy 1:5 CSB)

Paul is writing to the young pastor named Timothy.  He is young and for the most part inexperienced and Paul writes  these two letters to him (1 Timothy and 2 Timothy) to help him out.  In the first chapter of 1 Timothy Paul lays out the goal.  Love that comes from a pure heart, a good conscience and a sincere faith.

The goal is love, but that loves comes from somewhere out side of Timothy.  It comes from having a pure heart and a heart that has been changed.  A heart that has been cleansed and changed by Jesus Christ.  Jesus said, "blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God." (Matthew 5:8) These are the ones who have recognized their brokenness and their need for God and his grace and mercy.  They have mourned their sin and have humbly turned to Jesus Christ to change theirs hearts and make them a new creation in him. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has passed away, and see, the new has come!" (2 Corinthians 5:17)  In being a new creation Timothy's conscience has been scrubbed clean by the blood of Jesus Christ and he is able to forget the sins of the past with all of its guilt and live with a clear and good conscience.  This results in a sincere faith, faith that is rooted, built up and established in Jesus Christ who makes all of this possible.   

  

Do you want to love with a pure heart, good conscience and a sincere faith?  Imagine what that would look like!  Imagine how that would impact your relationships, your friends, family, co-workers, community, neighbors!  It starts with knowing Jesus Christ and placing your faith in what he DID on the cross and not in what you DO.  It's placing your complete trust in the finished work of Jesus, his life, death, burial and resurrection.  It trusting him to take away your sin, to give you a new heart and to make you a new creation.  Jesus changes everything and makes loving God and loving other possible.  Place your trust in him! 

~Pastor Steve

Teach Us To Number Our Days

"Teach us to number our days carefully so that we may develop wisdom in our hearts."     ~Psalm 90:12 CSB

Can you believe it is already May?  Every year seems to go by faster and doesn't look to slow down anytime soon.  The Psalmist realized this thousands of years ago.  He says, "All of our years ebb away—they pass quickly and we fly away" (Psalm 90:9-10).  This thought causes the Psalmist to ask God to "teach us to number our days carefully".  Have you ever thought about counting your days?   Another way to see this would be to ask God to help us understand our days here on earth are short and help us not to waste them. 

One of the things I have encountered in my life as a pastor is the reality we are all going to die.  Not one of us makes it out of here alive.  Another thing I have learned none of us like to think about death and many of us carry on like death doesn't exist.  But all that changes when someone close to us dies.  But death is a part of life and I think it's true we should live like we are dying.  When someone knows they are going to die, spending time with loved ones is more important that working or being entertained.  Life takes on a new importance—there is an urgency to make the most of the time you have. 

I believe that is the point the Psalmist is making, live your life with urgency—making the most of everyday.  In doing so we will develop wisdom in our hearts because our focus will be on others and especially our Lord as we prepare to be with him.  As the years go by I have realized this reality and it has changed the way I view the world around me.  Everything here is temporary and we are being prepared for eternity.  The beauty of this reality is God doesn't let us get too comfortable here and reminds us with a body that is slowly giving out.  My eyes don't quite work the way they use too.  I can't hear, my joints hurt, I can feel my body changing everyday. 

The apostle Paul realized this also when he wrote "Therefore we do not give up.  Even though our outer person is being destroyed, our inner person is being renewed day by day." (2 Corinthians 4:16) I want to challenge you to think about this and to pray for God to help you to number your days.  I pray you will live with a new sense of urgency and focus on what is really important, loving God and loving others.  Seek to take time for your family and friends and most of all make the most of the time you have to be kingdom builders—knowing Christ and making Christ known.  On my office door at the church is this saying, "Only one life twill soon be past, only what is done for Christ will last".  Pray for God to help you count your days!  

Foolish Cross

"For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but it is the power of God to us who are being saved" (1 Corinthians 1:18 CSB)

I have had many conversation with people who hear the message of the cross and dismiss it immediately.  To them the idea of needing to be rescued from themselves and from sin seems silly.  Even the idea of God sending his Son to die on the cross seems crazy, especially to die for a stranger.  It’s easier for them to dismiss the whole story as a fairy tale--made up to appease people than to admit their need.  The cross is foolishness to them.  The sad reality such people have been blinded to the gospel, they cannot see the glory of Christ for their minds have been blinded. (2 Cor. 4:4) They are being kept from seeing truth, they are blind and cannot see. 

As a result of their blindness they are perishing, the “wages of sin is death”.   (Rom. 6:23) Those who are in the bondage to sin are blinded by the effects of sin.  They are blind slaves to the desires of their heart and the ways of the world.  The reason the cross is the power of God to those who are being saved is because God has shined a light into the darkness of their hearts and has shone the light of the knowledge of God’s glory in the face of Jesus Christ.  (2 Cor. 4:6) The veil has been lifted from our hearts and they can now see and understand their need for the cross.  They can see their sinfulness and can see their need for a savior. 

They also realize they’re powerless to save themselves and need to be rescued. The person on the roof of his house during a flood doesn’t need to be reminded of the rising water, he needs to be rescued. He will forever be thankful for the power of the pilot and crew who were able to pull him from flood.  The one being saved understands his need for salvation and recognizes the one who does the saving.  This morning give thanks for the cross and its ability to save you through Jesus Christ, who gave his life so that you could have life.               

Blessing and Curses

I'm reading through Deuteronomy 28 and I'm overwhelmed by the weight of blessings and curses.  Moses is encouraging and warning the people.  He is telling them if they faithfully obey the Lord and carefully follow all of his commands, God would place them far above all the nations of the earth (Deu. 28:1).  He goes on to list all the blessings they would receive.  Their land would be blessed and produce an abundance of food.  Their offspring would be many and they would not be in need.  God would give them peace from all of their enemies.  God would establish them as a holy people if they obey the commands of the Lord and walk in his ways (Deu. 28:9).  In verse 10 he says, "Then all the people of the earth will see that you bear the Lord's name, and they will stand in awe of you."  

Moses then turns to what will happen to them if they do not obey the Lord.  All the blessings will turn to curses.  The land would reject them and they would be plagued by disease.  They would lose everything and their enemies would overtake them and they would be scattered as a people. Reading the list of things that would happen to them is long and detailed and its overwhelming to read.  The sad reality is as you read the rest of the story you know Israel would in fact turn from God and would suffer greatly.   

I cannot help reading this to be overwhelmed by my own sin and how I fall short of God's standard.  I have failed on many levels and I am at God's mercy.  Which makes me all the more thankful for Jesus Christ.  Because God knows our condition and he knows our hearts are hard and we can't and we don't want to follow God.  But there is hope, though we are dead in our trespasses and sin, God who is rich in mercy and because of his great love for us made us alive in Jesus Christ (Eph. 2:4).  In his grace, he makes us a new creation (2 Cor. 5:17) and he replaces our heart of stone and gives us a heart of flesh.  He has put his Spirit within us that moves us to follow his statues and to observe his ordinances (Ezekiel 36:26-27).   

God has had mercy on us, he saw our helpless condition and has had pity on us. "For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life" (John 3:16).  You have before you a blessing and a curse, believe and live!    

I will Praise You!

I will Praise you!

"I will praise you, Lord, among the peoples; I will sing the praises to you among the nations. For your faithful love is as high as heaven; your faithfulness reaches the clouds. God, be exalted above the heavens; let your glory be over the whole earth" Psalm 57: 9-11 CSB

The Psalmist is asking for God's gracious protection, I call to God Most High, to God who fulfills his purpose for me.  He reaches down from heaven and saves me, challenging to the one who tramples me.  God sends his faithful love and truth. (Ps. 57:2-3) I read this and my heart soars! I'm in trouble I have an enemy who want to see me destroyed.  In my own strength, I am powerless against this enemy who want to keep me in chains of sin.  Reading this I am reminded it is God who fulfills his purpose in me.  He is the wind beneath my wings.  He has reached down from heaven and he challenges the one who would imprison me.  He defeated him by sending his faithful love and truth.  "The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.  We observed his glory, the glory of the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." (John 1:14)

God reached down!  He descended and dwelt among us!  He rescued us from our sin, he rescued us from our enemy.  We are free in Christ and God has been gracious to us!  Oh, I will praise my Lord, I tell people of his glory.  I will praise him from the roof top of my life and nations will hear!  I will tell of his faithful love that is higher than the heavens.  He is exalted and his glory fills the earth!   

I don't know where you are this morning. Maybe you feel defeated and worn down.  This morning I just want to encourage you in the Lord.  Realize the extraordinary lengths the Lord endured to secure your salvation.  How he has crushed the enemy and he no longer has anything to hold over you.  Jesus paid it all and we can take refuge in Him.  Praise him today! 

Rebellion!

"You have gone too far! Everyone in the entire community is holy, and the Lord is among them.  Why then do you exalt yourself above the Lord's assembly" Numbers 16:3b CSB

When Moses and Aaron heard these words from Korah, a Levite who wasn't happy with his limited role in the function of the tabernacle, they fell face down.  Korah was leading a rebelling again Moses and against God's established order.  Seeing Moses and Aaron fall on their faces should have been an indication this wasn't a good thing to do. 

The next day Moses has the 250 men in rebellion stand before the tent of meeting with firepans containing incense to be an offering to the Lord.  He did this to prove to the people who God accepts as leaders.  God tells Moses and Aaron to step away from all the people because he is going to consume them instantly. (Num. 16:21) But Moses intercedes for the people and request that only the leaders and those who joined them in the rebellion be punished. God tells Moses to have the people move away from the tents and all the belongings of Korah, Dathan and Abiram. 

In front of the people Moses says if these men die naturally then you know I am not sent by God.  But if the ground opens up and swallows them and all that they own including their families, you will know these men are guilty of despising the Lord. (Num. 16:30) As the last word left Moses' mouth the ground opened up and swallowed them and their household!  (Num. 16:31) At the same time the 250 men who joined the rebelled and were standing in front of the tent of meeting, were instantly consumed by fire. 

Reading this story is shocking and at the same time invokes a sense of awe of a holy God.  God doesn't allow for sin to go unpunished. Those who rebel against him and his leaders are quickly removed without mercy.  God is teaching his people unyielding obedience. Reading this I realize I wouldn't stand a chance in the desert. I would have been one of those who died in the widerness. 

Which makes me extremely thankful for Jesus Christ.  Isaiah 53:12 says, "Therefore I will give him the many as a portion, and he will receive the mighty as spoil, because he was willingly submitted to death, and was counted among the rebels; yet he bore the sin of the many and interceded for the rebels." 

2 Corinthians 5:21 says, "He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us so that in him we might become the righteousness of God." Jesus paid the price of my rebellion.  Jesus died for my sin and God poured out his wrath upon him satisfying his righteousness. Christ paid it all and I am forgiven.  I can stand before a holy and righteous God justified by faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God.  The rebellion of my heart has been vanquished and I now live in peace with God. 

We Need Meat!!

"You will eat, not for one day, or two days, or five days, or ten days, or twenty days, but you will eat for a whole month--until it comes out of your nostrils and becomes nauseating to you--because you have rejected the Lord who is among you, and wept before him: "Why did we ever leave Egypt" Numbers 11:19-20 CSB

The people of Israel are out in the wilderness and there is 1.5 million of them.  God is with them and he is providing for them in a place where there is nothing!  He feeds them with manna which falls every morning with the dew.  The people pick up what they need and grind it, boil it and form it into cakes.  "It taste like a pastry cooked with the finest oil." (Num. 11:8) But the people are not happy, they want meat!  They long for the time when they were in Egypt and had free fish, cucumbers, melons, leeks, onions and garlic. (Num. 11:4) Somehow, they forgot while they were in Egypt they were slaves, in bondage!

They people had rejected God and longed to go back to their former life.  Families stand outside their tents and weeping and crying out.  Moses their leader and their advocate to God, can't take it anymore and wishes God would just kill him (Num. 11:15).  As a result, God's anger burns against the people--he is very angry.  God tells the people they are going to get meat.  He gives them exactly what they want in abundance. He blows quail into the camp and the people gather them all day and night.  "Even while the meat was between their teeth, before it was chewed, the Lord's anger burned against the people, and the Lord struck them with a very severe plague." (Num. 11:33)

It's a terrible thing when God hands you over to your desires!  God gave the people what they wanted as punishment.  But this chapter also has Moses complaining about leading.  What is the difference between the people's complaining and Moses complaining?  The people rejected God and wanted to go back to slavery.  Moses was trying to follow God and was overwhelmed leading the people.  Moses was in over his head and needed help and God had compassion on him.  He gave him 70 leaders to help him lead.  He gave the people quail, a lot of quail.

The real story I see in this chapter is God building Moses' faith.  He provides Moses help by giving him leaders.  But even after that Moses questions his ability to provide meat for the people.  God answers Moses, "Is the Lord's arm weak?" Now you will see whether or not what I have promised will happen to you."  (Num. 11:23) God provided Moses all he needed and at the same built Moses' confidence in God's faithfulness to answering his promises.

What situation in your life has overwhelmed you and you find yourself in time of need.  Turn to God and ask him for help and expect God to answer you.  The answer may not come back as you wanted, but I promise it will build your faith in God's faithfulness!

Observations from Leviticus Part I

“You are to practice my ordinances and you are to keep my statues by following them; I am the Lord your God.  Keep my statues and ordinances; a person will live if he does, I am the Lord” ~Leviticus 18:4

Reading through Leviticus can be daunting because God is handing down the Law to Moses.  He gives detailed instructions about the different offerings dealing with sin and how the people are to interact with each other.  In reading I cannot help but to be overwhelmed with the seriousness of sin.  Sin being rebellion against God and his established order.  The first few chapters in and I can sense God not wanting the people to take sin lightly.  The painful reality with all the sacrifices for various sins, intentional or unintentional, is death.  Something dies when we sin and in Leviticus it is either the person committing the sin or an animal to atone for the offense.

This process is brutal and bloody and though I am at first repulsed by the actions being described—then a profound thought suddenly settles on my heart.  My savior suffered. I start to think about the prophet Isaiah who wrote “But He was pierced because of our transgressions, crushed because of our iniquities; punishment for our peace was on Him, and we are healed by His wounds. We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the LORD has punished Him for the iniquity of us all. (Isaiah 53:5-6 HCSB)

Jesus was crushed because of my sin, because of my rebellion and we read “Yet the LORD was pleased to crush Him severely” (Isaiah 53:10a) God was pleased to crush him, why?  “For the wages of sin is death”, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23 HCSB) It was by the crushing of Jesus I am forgiven and my sin is erased. This had nothing to do with me being a good person or any form of merit, but was by the grace of God through faith in Jesus Christ.  In reading Leviticus I am seeing God laying down the requirements for dealing with the seriousness of sin.  I am witness the process for which he would use to free his people once and for all through his Son Jesus Christ.  He is laying down the framework for freedom.    

In reading this I hope you will consider the seriousness of your sin and grasp the great lengths God went to in demonstrating his love for you through the cross.           

Deserted

“As a deer longs for flowing streams, so I long for you God.  I thirst for God, the living God.  When can I come and appear before God?” Psalm 42:1-2

Have you ever felt deserted?  Where you felt like God has abandoned you? Here the psalmist longs for the day when he can be in the presence of God.  He is in a desert and he longs for flowing streams.  Tears have been his food and he feels totally alone.  There are times in our walk with God when it will feel like he has left us.  I am reminded of Deuteronomy 8:2 when Moses reminded the people: “Remember that the LORD your God led you on the entire journey these 40 years in the wilderness, so that He might humble you and test you to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep His commands.”

The reality is God is more concerned with your faith than your comfort.  This Psalm reminds us of this truth and wedged between the psalmist struggles is his declarations of faith. “Deep calls to deep in the roar of your waterfalls; all your breakers and your billows have swept over me.” (Psalm 42:7) Here the writer feels like he has lost his footing on the cliff and the waves are pounding him!  Have you ever felt that way?  Yet listen to his response to his situation: “The Lord will send his faithful love by day; his song will be with me in the night—a prayer to the God of my life.” (Psalm 42:8)   

I don’t know where you are today in your life.  I know we all go through periods where we feel deserted by God.  But what I love about my God is these moments are temporary and I trust they serve a purpose to build my faith.  Nothing in life is wasted by God, he will take every opportunity to grow our faith in his faithfulness.  At the end of the day I can declare “Why, my soul, are you so dejected?  Why are you in such turmoil?  Put your hope in God, for I will still praise him, my Savior and my God.” (Psalm 42:11) 

Number Our Days

 “Lord, make me aware of my end and the number of my days so that I will know how short-lived I am” (Psalm 39:4)

I am constantly reminded at the shortness of life.  We come into this world and we have so many years ahead of us we give very little thought of it being over.  As I get older I now am painfully aware that one day this life will end.  Along the way, I am given reminders when others I know and love die.  I am reminded of the finality of life and how there are no restarts.  When life on this earth is finished, it is finished.  There are no more chances to go back and fix things.  There are no more chances to say I’m sorry or I love you one last time.  There are no more chances at mending fences.

Yesterday I was again reminded of this reality when someone I knew pasted away.  I can’t say we had the best of relationships but I was hopeful one day it would have worked out.  That day sadly didn’t come and now I have to live with a level of regret.  The Psalmist ask God to help him number his days, so he would know how short-lived he was.  He wanted to make his day’s count and not waste them on what could have been.  Eight years ago, I was diagnosed with thyroid cancer.  On the day I received the call I read Psalm 78:39, “He remembered that they are only flesh, a wind that passes and does not return” At that moment I was hit by the reality of my own mortality. 

This reality of our limited time should inspire us to live our lives with a sense of urgency.  It should cause us to make the most of the relationships we have now.  As Christians, we have hope, we know death is not the end for the those who place their faith Jesus Christ.  Scripture promises “if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, the he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through his Spirit who lives in you”.  (Romans 8:11) Our lives are short and I want to encourage you make the most of today. Keeping your eyes on Christ and trusting him.