The Mountain Song

O Lord, I thought the day would never come

When I could lay my burdens down and walk with you

Two lines that I’ve sung more times than I can remember.  Two lines that I thought I understood the meaning to a long time ago.  Two lines that brought a tear to my eye and took the stress off my shoulders.

There are very few places that I go repeatedly to re-center and re-focus myself.  One of those places is Elk Mountain outside Lawton, OK.  I remember first going there with my youth group growing up.  I remember the first time I went back as an adult.  It seems that as we grow, places and events that hold great memories from our childhood seem to fade in those “special areas” where we’ve built them up over the years.  On my first trip back up the mountain as an adult, I can remember thinking that it wouldn’t be anything more than a mountain.  And then I got almost half way to the top.

About half way up the mountain there is a point where I usually stop and take a moment to soak in the sunlight and enjoy the view of the wildlife refuge surrounding Elk Mountain.  It’s a beautiful sight…trees, hills, lakes, maybe even some animals.  After a brief pause there I continue hiking up the mountain.  The majority of the rest of the trip up is covered by trees.  The view may have changed, but the feeling hasn’t.  Once we get to the top the wind picks up.  It gives some of the best views I’ve ever seen…even from higher mountains.

On my last couple of trips up the mountain I’ve had the pleasure of being with two of my closest friends.  Each of them know the mountain very well, but one of them taught us something new.  On the top of Elk Mountain, towards the back of the mountain, there is a cave.  Did I mention I love caves almost as much as I love mountains?

As we climb down into the cave we start losing sunlight.  If we hadn’t brought our flashlights the cave could have been deadly.  There are slick rocks, deep holes and all kinds of hazards.  At one point in the cave, after the sun has left us and we enter the belly of the mountain, we stop for a moment.  We had brought several youth with us this time and the “room” we were in was big enough for all of us to be together.  We turned off our lights and it was nearly pitch black.  The first song we sang was, fittingly, the Mountain Song.  That’s when the song gained a whole new meaning and importance to me.

The greatest friend you’ll ever find is on a lonely mountain

The highest high you’ll ever reach is when you kneel to pray

The brightest light you’ll ever see is when you close your eyes

O Lord, You are my first love at last I realize

With nothing to distract from the words, the meaning finally hit me.  And it hit me hard.  What truly matters in this life?  God, family, friends.  Taking care of those 3 parts of life is all that matters…why stress about anything else?  Turn it over to God.  Let him deal with the rest.

“Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?  And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?”  (Matthew 6:25-27)

Father God, thank you.  Thank you for not making us worry about every little detail of life.  Thank you for caring for us like you do.  Please help us to not forget that.  Amen.

Man or God?

 

Paul presents an interesting point in Galatians 1.  He says, “For am I now seeking the approval of man, or of God?  Or am I trying to please man?  If I were still trying to please man, I would not be a servant of Christ” (v. 10).  Think about what Paul is saying here.  He is saying that it is not always possible to please man and God at the same time.  We will either make man happy and let God down, or we will make God happy and let man down.  So, let’s think about this in our own lives in 2013.  Who are we trying to please?  What are we doing with our lives?  There are a few other verses I want us to look at and consider in the light of this concept.

Firstly, let’s look at Romans 12:2.  Again we have Paul addressing a group of Christians and he says, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.”  Paul starts his big challenge here with the idea of not “conforming” to this world.  We’ve heard lessons or discussions or devotionals on this before, but it’s something that is so important that we need to think about it again.  We live in a time where we are told to be “politically correct.”  Do you know what this phrase means?  It’s more than just not offending someone.  The very definition of this phrase goes against the teaching of Romans 12:2.  The phrase is defined as, “conforming to a belief that language and practices which could offend political sensibilities (as in matters of sex or race) should be eliminated.”  The world we live in is calling us to conform to it’s way of thinking.  God, however, calls us to transform our lives to His way of thinking.  He says we need to test what is taught and see if it matches the will of God.  As a Christian living a transformed way of life, we cannot conform to this world.

Now let’s look at John 12:42-43.  To set the stage, we need to remember what has been happening.  John tells us that Jesus has been performing miracles and teaching the people.  The whole time, however, the Pharisees have been getting angrier and angrier.  John tells us that the unbelief of the Pharisees had been prophesied about by Isaiah.  Then, in verses 42 and 43, John gives us an insight into what some of the people were thinking.  He says, “Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in Him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God.”  How sad is that description!  Many of the authorities believed in Jesus but wouldn’t confess Him because they wanted the glory of man instead of God.  These people knew what they were missing out on, but chose the “good things” of this life over the truly great things of the life to come.  The saddest part, however, isn’t that these people passed on confessing and serving Christ, but that people are still making that choice today.  Our friends, maybe even some of our families, are choosing to accept the praise and glory of this world over the praise and glory of God.

There’s one other verse we need to look at though.  It’s something that Christ Himself said.  It’s something we are familiar with, but I want us to take a step back and look at it with the mindset that Paul brought out in Galatians.  When we are trying to please God instead of man it will be easier to follow the instruction of Christ when He tells us in Matthew 5:41 to go the extra mile.  By law, a Roman soldier could make a person carry their things for them for one mile.  The people were so upset about this law that they would mark off one mile and would not take another step further.  But Christ tells them to go two miles.  Go above and beyond what is required.  Don’t search for the minimum requirement, look for ways to excel.  This concept goes beyond the situation Christ was talking specifically about and should affect our entire life.  Do we want to show God in our lives?  Then we need to do more than the bare minimum.  Do we want to bring others to Christ?  Then we need to show Him in our lives.

How does this “extra mile” way of life work?  Well, take the not conforming to the world concept.  At face value, we would disregard the teachings of this world as a whole and only do the things that we know are right.  However, if we are truly going that “extra mile,” we would look at the concepts being taught and see if there is anything beneficial we can do.  When it comes to being “politically correct,” there are a lot of things that are spiritually incorrect.  However, we need to realize that Christ reached out to sinners while the Pharisees condemned them all.  As Christians, we must look past the sin in a person’s life and see the value that God gave them.  Don’t excuse the sin, but help the sinner.  This is not going to be something easy for us.  The world, and at times other Christians, may stand against us.  But, as Paul pointed out in Galatians, who are we trying to please?  Man or God?

What To Do With Anger

“Don’t make me angry.  You won’t like me when I’m angry.”

The quote made famous by Bruce Banner, usually right before he changes into the giant, bulky, green monster that we all know as the Incredible Hulk.  Anytime Bruce Banner loses control over his anger, he loses control of himself as well.  We love the idea of a “superhero” that is nearly unstoppable, and the fact that it’s the man’s anger that makes him that way is even better.  We see movies and television shows that glorify losing your temper.  It’s shown as a necessary response to overcoming whatever obstacle we are facing.  Whether it’s a situation at work, an occurrence on the road or even a bullying situation, losing our temper is what we are told we are suppose to do.  It always works out for the people in the shows, so why shouldn’t it work out for us too?

Here’s the side of the story that Hollywood never shows though.  When the Incredible Hulk goes on his rampage, he destroys everything in his path.  Then someone has to fix it.  If anyone is in his way, they have to heal.  When someone runs another person off the road in what we deem “justified road rage,” injuries and damages happen.  Jail time occasionally follows as well, or at least court time.  If you try to fight back when bullied, someone is going to get hurt.  Usually it’s both people.  And then there are the consequences with the authorities.  No, losing our temper “Hollywood style” is never the right option.

Don’t get me wrong, I am a firm believer in defending yourself and your loved ones in danger, but I don’t think the way Hollywood shows us to do it is right.  In fact, I’m completely against letting anger get the best of us and sinking us down to the level of those causing our anger.  Think about it, why would you want to act like the people or fit in with the situation that is making you angry?  Why not be the bigger person?  Why not see what is happening and then THINK before responding.  You can make just as big as statement, if not a bigger one, by standing up ethically for what you believe and what you know is right.

I know, it’s easy for me to sit behind a computer and say “don’t fight back” or “turn the other cheek,” but consider for a moment that I’m not the one saying it.  Christ says that when you are attacked (or persecuted or bullied or whatever word you feel fits your situation best), you should not return the violence.  In Matthew 5:39, Christ tells the crowd of listeners to “not resist the one who is evil.  But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also.”  Retaliation is never the answer.

So, what do we do with anger?  Paul tells us in Ephesians 4, “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.”  There is a balance that we have to find in life.  It’s not only understandable to get angry, but it’s approved to do so.  What we do with that anger is where the issue lies.  We cannot allow the anger inside us to take over.  We have to remain in control at all times.  It’s important that we not only keep control of ourselves, but that we also keep control of our anger.  We have to be able to let things go.  Holding a grudge does nothing but make the person holding it bitter and, according to Paul, gives the devil an opportunity.

What will you do with your anger?  Will you hold onto it and become bitter toward people, or will you let go and forgive?  The choice is ultimately up to each of us, but the safe and right way to handle it is to let go of the past and move on to our future.

Father God, help us to control our anger.  Help us follow the example of Your Son and not want vengeance.  Thank You for giving us a way to escape all sins.  Help us show love at all times, like You do for us.   Amen.

Against All Odds

Some things just seem impossible.  As my friend and I were driving down the highway, we came to a stretch of road that had been blasted out of a mountain.  On either side of us there was sheer rock.  It’s an incredible sight that I’ve seen many times, but this time something was different.  For the first time, I realized there was something strange about the rock.  Along the top there was the normal grass and trees, but here and there, growing straight out of the sheer side of the rock, were some trees!  They weren’t too tall, but they were growing.  And these weren’t just regular trees, they were evergreens.  These little trees had fought their way through the rocks until they could grow into the small trees and bushes that they were designed to be.  As we drove by, I couldn’t help but think of the way these plants had fought against the odds to live up to their destiny.  And then my thoughts started to wander…

In Luke 8, Jesus teaches His followers the Parable of the Sower.  In this parable, a sower goes out to sow his seed.  As he does, the seeds fall on the road, on some rocky soil, among thorns and in the good soil.  As you can imagine, not all the seeds produced fruit.  Some were choked out by the thorns, others were eaten by birds and still others withered from a lack of water.  Jesus uses this parable to teach that there will be some who hear the word of God, but it doesn’t change them completely.  The cares of the world, the lack of spiritual depth or even attacks from the devil cause some to wander away.  Many times today, we start looking for the “good soil” to spread the word of God too, and forget that there was some growth in those other soils.  If we were to do as Jesus taught here, we would sow the seed everywhere we can and not worry about whether the person is “good soil” or not.  We are not called to be experts on soil, but to be sowers.

In Mark 5, Jesus encounters a very strange man.  This man is an outcast of society.  This man is feared by many.  This man is demon-possessed.  This man is Legion.  If you know the story of Legion, you know that he lived in a cemetery and was often chained inside one of the tombs.  The chains wouldn’t last too long, however, because he was strong enough to rip them out of the wall.  His clothes were so tattered that he might as well have not been wearing any at all.  This man was written off by everyone around, except for Jesus.  As Jesus’ boat landed on the shore, He was met by Legion.  Jesus wasn’t afraid, even though His followers most certainly were.  Jesus took the time to ask the man his name.  He then cared for Legion, healed him from the demon-possession and clothed him.  Legion was in no way, shape or form what we would consider to be “good soil,” but that didn’t matter to Jesus.  He sowed the seed, and it produced fruit.

The Bible is full of stories where people were written off by the world, but cared for by God’s people.  It’s full of times where the challenge to serve God faithfully is incredibly daunting, but His people continue on.  No challenge is too difficult.  No person is “unworthy” of the gospel.  At what point did Christians turn from sowing the seed to analyzing the soil?  We need to remember the mission we have from Christ:

Mark 16:15 (ESV)
^{15} And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.

We’re even told that God knows our hearts:

Romans 8:27 (ESV)
^{27} And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God.

Remember the words of Paul to the church in Corinth:

1 Corinthians 3:6 (ESV)
^{6} I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth.

The growth is from God, and nothing is impossible for Him…no matter what the odds (Mark 10:27)!

Father God, thank you for giving us something so good that we must share it with everyone!  Please help us to always be watching for the opportunities that You send our way.  Thank you, Father!  Amen.

Lessons from Ducks

Most people I’m sure have already heard the story or seen the video clip of the mother duck leading her little ducklings across a multi-lane highway (for those who haven’t, it can be seen here). After many near misses, and several strong drafts from passing cars, they finally made it across to safety. As I watched, I couldn’t help but think of the amazing leadership of that mother duck. She kept her children as close to her as possible and led them to safety. The constant assault of cars seemed to not even phase her as she waited for just the right time to move to the next lane…sometimes mere seconds before a car passes right through where they were

There are some lessons we can learn from these ducks. First, when life blows you around it’s important to find your way back to your leader. As the cars and semis would pass by, occasionally the ducks would get blown around by the draft. They always seemed to find a way back to their mother, their leader. They knew that she would take care of them and get them across.

Another lesson we can learn comes from early in the trip. As they start out on the trip, there is some fear evident in the ducklings. The mother is walking, trying to lead them across and they have stopped. She has to come back and get them to follow her further. It’s almost as if she is comforting them, saying “Don’t worry. I’ll lead you through safely.”

The third lesson we can learn from these ducks is that we need to help each other out. As they are nearing the end of the dangerous trip, a semi’s draft separates them more than they were at any point. If you’ll notice what happens toward the bottom of the screen, you’ll see something interesting. Two little ducklings are taken further away than the others. As they scramble to get back to the group and to their mother, one hesitates a little longer. Seeing this, the other duckling out there circles this hesitating duckling as if to encourage him to keep on going.

Of course, this love is no better exemplified than in the love that God has for us. We find ourselves trying to navigate through dangerous situations where it seems like we are constantly under attack. The “speeding cars” of life won’t slow down for us. If we want to get from one side to the other safely, we need a leader we can trust. A leader who will take us under His wing and guide us to safety. We need the Shepherd of Psalm 23. We need the protector of Psalm 35. We need the Savior who offers to take us under his wing as a mother hen would gather her chicks (Matthew 23:37, Luke 13:34). We need to follow Him daily, no matter the challenges, struggles or fears we may have (Luke 9:23).

Father God, thank You for leading us through all kinds of trials. Thank You for protecting us as only You can and comforting us when we get discouraged. Help us to follow Your example and model our lives after You. Amen.

Debt Free

 

 

Have you ever been in debt?  Most of us have at some point.  Going to the mailbox and pulling out bills from credit card companies, or anyone else, can become a very depressing activity.  As Americans, we tend to spend more than we make.  But it is perfectly justified!  I mean, who doesn’t need the house with more rooms than people that live in it, or the cars with more features to distract us from the road and others on it, or more televisions than people to watch them?  Debt is a scary thing and it has ruined many lives.

I’m not condemning anyone for having any of those things, or for spending money in general.  I’m not condemning anyone period.  All I’m hoping to accomplish here is to get you thinking.  Thinking about the debt that you have and how you would feel about it being taken away. Think of the largest debt you have right now.  Try to get the amount in your head.  Start thinking about what sacrifices you could make to pay it off.  Think about the feeling after that debt is gone.  The relief, the lower stress level, would totally be worth the sacrifices it would take right?  What if I told you there was a way you could get that relief?  What if I told you there was a way to get rid of your biggest debt?  If you’re interested, pay attention…I’m about to fill you in!

God created all people to spend eternity in heaven with Him.  We are all born into a saved relationship with God.  But, at some point along the way, we start making decisions that we know aren’t right.  That’s a problem.

James 4:17 (ESV)
^{17} So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Sin is in our lives.  How does God feel about sin?  Habakkuk describes God as having “purer eyes than to see evil, and cannot look at wrong” (1:13).  He has absolute nothing to do with sin, and it grieves Him when we take part in sin of any kind (Genesis 6:6).  This sin separates us from our original destiny.  We owe God for this sin.  We don’t owe God money or good works, we owe Him our lives.  But there is hope!  This debt, the largest debt any of us have, can be taken away from us!

Romans 6:20-23 (ESV)
^{20} When you were slaves of sin, you were free in regard to righteousness. ^{21} But what fruit were you getting at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? The end of those things is death. ^{22} But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves of God, the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life. ^{23} For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Forgiveness is a gift we can receive from God at no cost to us.  To get close to understanding the magnitude of this gift, we have to look at it in human terms.  Think of Christmas morning growing up as a child.  You wake up and go look at the Christmas tree and there, behind all the other presents, is a much larger present wrapped in shining paper with a huge bow on it.  As you stop and look at this present you start to remember that you haven’t been the perfect child this past year.  You’ve disobeyed, talked back and not done all the chores you were suppose to have done.  But there it is, this present with your name on it.  All you have to do is unwrap it and it’s yours…at no cost to you.  That is the gift of salvation from God.  All we have to do is unwrap it and it’s ours…at no cost to us.

But who did pay for that present?  Surely it didn’t just magically appear under the Christmas tree.  Someone must have gone to the store to pick it out, pay for it, bring it home and wrap it.  Someone who loves you enough to overlook all the things you did wrong during the year.  The same questions can be raised about this free gift of salvation from God.  Someone had to pay for it and if it wasn’t us, then who was it?  According to 1 Peter 3, it was Christ who suffered and died for our sins so we wouldn’t have to (vs. 18).  That’s it!  The largest debt we could ever owe, the debt of our sin to God, has already been paid!  All we have to do is follow Christ’s commands (John 14:15) and this forgiveness and salvation is ours.  Now, we must live our lives in remembrance of the one that was sacrificed for us.

Father God, thank You for the sacrifice of Your Son!  We know that He gave up heaven to come down to earth and live as one of us and suffer and die on the cross so that we don’t have to worry about spiritual death in hell.  Help us to never forget that and always live our lives for Him who sacrificed His for us.  Amen.

Really? YOLO?

YOLO, a popular phrase thanks to the entertainment industry, is sweeping the nation.  The “You Only Live Once” trend is convincing people to do things based on the idea that life is too short to hesitate or “pass” on something that is intimidating.  It’s the idea that, if something seems fun or if everyone else is doing it, why shouldn’t you?  Sound familiar?  Finally someone has put a label on peer pressure.

The YOLO philosophy, if you can even call it that, is one that requires a person to not think about the consequences.  “Life is too short to follow the rules or worry about what will happen if” is the reasoning behind giving in to this type of thinking.  The world wants us to think “We are here, it is now, why shouldn’t we live it up while we can?  Live, and enjoy, life because you only get it once!”  The truth of the matter, however, is that YOLO is false.  In fact, You Can Live Twice!

YCLT is a way of thinking that is contrary to YOLO because instead of focusing on the here and now and convincing yourself there won’t be consequences worth worrying about, we start thinking about the life to come.  No, not reincarnation.  Eternity.  What happens after this life on earth is more important than we seem to think sometimes.  What happens after this life is depending on what we do with this life.  YCLT is more than just a catchphrase.  It’s a way of life.  It’s a conviction to make the most of this life, in light of the next life.

So, how do we get from the YOLO mentality to the YCLT way of living?  First off, we have to realize that to live again after this life we have to know where we are going.  The Bible says eternal life is to be found with Jesus Christ.  It is a free gift from God (Romans 6:23).  Whoever lives a righteous life here will gain eternal life (Matthew 25:46).  After we realize that righteousness and Christ are key to living again, we need to know what we must do.

How are we supposed to become righteous?  How do we access this free gift?  When we get a present it is wrapped or in a sack with tissue paper usually.  What do we do with it?  Do we wait until we are told what is inside and thank the person and leave the present wrapped?  Do we keep the tissue paper in the sack on top of the gift?  Of course not!  We have to open the package.  Most often, we tear into it!  We are eager to know what is inside and won’t let a little paper stop us from finding out.  There is something we must do before we can enjoy the gift.  The same goes with this free gift from God.  There are things that we must do before we can truly enjoy this gift of eternal life from God.  Christ tells us that we must do the will of the Father in heaven to enter the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 7:21).  John is told in his Revelation that only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life will enter the new Jerusalem, which is heaven (Revelation 21:27).  We have to follow ALL the commands and teachings of Christ and His apostles.

Then what?  Once we do the things that the Bible tells us are essential to gaining this eternal life (believing Christ is the Son of God – John 3:16; repent of our sins – Luke 13:3; confess Christ – Matthew 10:32-33; be baptized – 1 Peter 3:21), is that it?  Do we have this next life promised to us?  Yes, and no.  While we have gained it, we need to protect it.  We can lose it if we lose track of ourselves.  We are told that we must remain faithful to keep eternal life (John 14:15, James 4:17, Revelation 2:10).

YOLO is nice when it comes to building courage to do something fun, but when that mindset takes the place of the Christian mindset of living for eternity there is a problem.  All the facebook and twitter posts using YOLO to justify doing something that is immoral or wrong in some other way miss the point.  Yes, enjoy this life.  But never forget YCLT.

Psalm 15:1-5 (ESV)
^{1} A Psalm of David. O Lord, who shall sojourn in your tent? Who shall dwell on your holy hill? ^{2} He who walks blamelessly and does what is right and speaks truth in his heart; ^{3} who does not slander with his tongue and does no evil to his neighbor, nor takes up a reproach against his friend; ^{4} in whose eyes a vile person is despised, but who honors those who fear the Lord; who swears to his own hurt and does not change; ^{5} who does not put out his money at interest and does not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.

Lord, we know that there will be challenges in this life that will try to pull us from you and have us look to this world and the joy we can have here, but help us to look forward to heaven and the joy that is waiting for us there.  Thank you, Lord, for the promise of heaven if we follow You and Your teachings.  Thank You for being there for us always.  Amen.

Starting Over

John 3:1-3 (ESV)
^{1} Now there was a man of the Pharisees named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews. ^{2} This man came to Jesus by night and said to him, “Rabbi, we know that you are a teacher come from God, for no one can do these signs that you do unless God is with him.” ^{3} Jesus answered him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

The conversation continues, and Christ explains to Nicodemus how to be born again and what it means physically, but as I sat and listened to a few “experienced” preachers discuss this instance I began to think of it in a way I hadn’t really approached it before.  One of the men, who has been preaching for many years, pointed out that today we don’t truly understand what it means to be “born again.”  Spiritually, we are in the same place as Nicodemus.  We may acknowledge the deity of Christ, but we don’t really understand what He is commanding here.

What is the significance of being “born again” in our spiritual life?  Honestly, it is an even of incredible significance.  It’s more than just “getting wet” as some put it.  It’s more than just the scriptural act of baptism too.  Being “born again” is a way of life.  We are told several times by Christ how important and special little children are (Matthew 10:42, 18:6, 18:14; Mark 9:42).  Christ even says that unless we “become like children, [we] will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3).  What makes little children so special to God and what is it about them that we need to imitate?  It’s their innocence!  Little children do not understand right from wrong, they do not choose to willfully disobey.  Yes, they can be “stinkers” at times and try to do things they are told not to do, but there is no malicious intent behind it.  Their innocence is definitely what we need to have in our lives as adults!

If we are going to be “born again” spiritually, we need to realize that it is a “do over” on our spiritual life.  The physical consequences of our sins will still be there, but spiritually those sins are gone!  The Hebrew author puts it very plainly:  “I will remember their sins no more” (8:12).  When we gain salvation we lose our old, sinful life.  We must remember to put behind us all of our short comings.  We must start over and grow from there.  It’s not an easy thing to do, but it is something that we MUST do.  If we are truly going to know the power of Christ’s resurrection, we must let go of our past and look toward what lies ahead (Philippians 3).

Being “born again” is more than just changing a few things about your life.  Everything must change.  If we are truly “born again,” everything will change.  Old habits die hard, but it can be done.  But there is hope for overcoming those old habits.  Nothing is outside the power of God, and when we are “born again” we are inside His hand.  When we find ourselves there, we can truly understand the words of Paul, “I can do all things through Him who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13).

John 3:4-6 (ESV)
^{4} Nicodemus said to him, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?” ^{5} Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. ^{6} That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Thank you Lord for giving us another chance!  Help us to use it today, to be truly born again and let go of our past and cling to our future with You.  We know that it is only through the sacrifice of your Son that we can have any hope.  We thank You and praise You for sending Him for us!  Amen.

Blessings from the Cross

I was walking through a Christian bookstore and over the speakers they were playing some popular Contemporary Christian Music (which is itself a whole other topic of discussion for a later time).  One of the songs used the phrase “lead me to the cross.”  A perfectly valid request, not to mention one that every Christian should want to hear from someone.  It is a plea for help, for guidance, for God.  It is a way of saying “I know I need God, please help me find Him.”  It is the request that needs to be made by a major portion of the world today.  The cross provides so much of what the world needs, we would all (saved and lost alike) be amiss if we didn’t “head to the cross” as often as possible.

For starters, the cross provides rest.  The cross of Christ was used as an instrument of punishment, torture and death.  It was never meant to be a place where a person would want to go, yet now we find a surreal amount of relief in that cross.  The cares of the world, the burden of sin, the struggles of life are all gone when we come to the foot of the cross.  As we draw near to it (and specifically the man on the cross) we distance ourselves from the world.  As we draw closer to Christ and the cross and we put more and more distance between us and the world we find something that world tells us does not exist.  We find rest for our soul.  Yes, there are challenges and trials that come with living the Christian life, but Christ promised that along with is “yoke” and “burden” there is rest to be found as well (Matthew 11:29-30).

Not only does the cross provide a rest for those who seek it, but it also brings a comfort.  The positioning of the arms on the cross was done to wear the victim down.  Having to pull their entire weight up with only their upper body strength and having that strength minimized as much as possible was pure torture.  But, as we see the image of the cross and we see the portrayal of a man hanging there, it is almost as if the man is looking to comfort someone with a hug.  With no criminal would it be even thought of that the person on the cross would be thinking of someone else.  But that’s not the case with Christ.  As He hung there on the cross, He was constantly thinking of others.  The concept of comforting others was not foreign to the way Christ lived His life.  Still today we see our Savior extending those arms, waiting for us to run into them.

The cross provides the world with more than the people standing by it could ever imagine.  They saw it as an end to things.  They saw it as a tool.  We see it as more.  We see it as a bridge, from this world’s suffering to the eternity’s hope.  We see it as a testimony of the love, compassion, dedication and devotion of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  There is an old hymn that reminds us that “though millions have come, there’s still room for one.  There’s room at the cross for you.”  Can I help to lead you to the cross?

Thank you, Lord, for the cross.  The sacrifice that was made there and lessons that are learned from it mean more every day.  Help us to draw to the cross, and most importantly to your Son.  The rest and comfort, among so many more things, are needed to get through this life and keep us focused on the life to come.  Thank you, Lord, for eternity with you.  Amen.

I Must Decrease

 

Let’s be totally honest here, we spend A LOT of time focusing on ourselves.  We set our own goals, make our own plans and fulfill our own dreams.  We live life around others, but for ourselves a lot.  We look for ways to make ourselves happier…no matter the cost.  But what if that wasn’t right?  What if we were supposed to do something bigger and better with our lives than just finding (and trying to keep) our own happiness?  What if we don’t always have the best plan?  What if we haven’t thought of all the possible scenarios?  What if there is something bigger than us?  What if we aren’t really the “#1” in the phrase “looking out for #1?”

In the 55^th chapter of the Old Testament book Isaiah, the prophet tells of the compassion of the Lord.  The first part of the chapter calls for the poor and the hungry to come and be filled.  There is logic presented that, at first glance, doesn’t make sense.  Those without money are told to “come, buy and eat.”  How can someone without money “buy” anything?  A blessing is promised to those who listen to, and follow, God.  All we have to do is seek Him and He will be there.  We must follow God and then we will be blessed.  But, as we travel along we will not always understand everything.  We have two choices, think earthly or think Godly.  God tells us here that His thoughts and His ways are not the same as ours.  In fact, He goes on to say that His ways and thoughts are higher than ours.  There is a return on what He does.  There is a lasting benefit to the things that God does.  He thinks further ahead than we do.  He doesn’t just see the “big” picture, but the eternal picture.

We like to think that the plans we have for ourselves are as close to perfect as possible.  But sometimes, life throws a curve our way.  Sometimes tragedies (losing a family member or friend, losing a job, health issues) come out of nowhere and we don’t know what to do about them.  It’s time like this where the words of Jeremiah to the exiles in Babylon can really start to make sense.  “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you.  You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart.  I will be found by you, declares the Lord, and I will restore your fortunes and gather you from all the nations and all the places where I have driven you, declares the Lord, and I will bring you back to the place from which I sent you into exile” (Jeremiah 29:11-14).  There are a couple things that this passage can let us know about the trials we face in life.  Firstly, we may be facing trials because we wandered too far from God.  The people in exile had forgotten God.  They had left Him and looked to themselves too much.  They needed a reminder, so God gave it to them in the form of Babylonian captivity.  Secondly, the exile was temporary.  God had a timeframe in mind when He allowed Babylon to take His people captive.  Thirdly, God is never far from us.  He tells the people that He is easily found.  If they look for Him, they will find Him.  The same goes for us today, if we look for God we will find Him.  He is waiting for us to find Him.  There are many other lessons we can gain from this passage, but in times of trial it’s important for us to remember that there is a higher and better plan than what we may see.  God is near and involved.

The ways of God and the plans of God are higher than we will ever understand on our own.  If we want to focus on ourselves we will never understand all that He has in store for us.  If we keep making ourselves most important and the center of everything, we will never reach our full potential.  John the Baptist realized this.  Talking to his followers about Christ and which of the two of them were greater, John reminds them that he had always said he was sent before the Christ.  He goes on to say that Christ must increase, but he (John) must decrease (John 3:30).  What a mindset to have!  For Christ to succeed in our lives He must increase and we must decrease!  It is a hard thing to do, but we can and must put Christ before all else.  It seems as though it goes against human nature to put someone else before ourselves, yet we do it often with our spouses, our children and sometimes even our friends.  The people that we love can take a spot of priority higher than we give ourselves, so why is God any different?  As James points out in his letter, we must humble ourselves before the Lord.  When we do that, He will lift us up (James 4:10).

We think we have it all figured out.  We think we know the best things to do and the best ways to do them.  We think we can take care of ourselves.  So did the Titanic.  It was given multiple warnings about ice and dangers in their path, but they were too busy to listen.  They had more important personal matters to take care of than to worry about some silly ice.  After all, they were in the unsinkable ship.  Some of the best minds of the day had built it.  Don’t get stuck on your own Titanic.  Listen to the warning signs.  Let the example of the Israelites show you the need to turn to God.  He knows more than us.  He has compassion for us.  He wants us to succeed.  Let Him increase in your life by making yourself decrease.

Father God, we know that you are the Supreme and Holy God.  We thank you for watching over us and never leaving us.  Help us to seek You, knowing that You will be there.  We know Your plans are better than ours and better for us than ours.  Help us to turn to You more often.  Thank You for sending Your Son.  Thank you for making plans for us.  Amen.