Give Thanks

This is the time of the year that we focus on giving thanks. There are several reasons and things that one has to be thankful.  For most of us that list includes God, family, friends, food, possessions, etc.  I realized as I was preparing to speak on the subject of thanksgiving that I always seem to start with people.  This relational thanks seems to be rooted in what I see when I read Paul’s letters. He tells the people that when he prays for them, he gives thanks for them for their faith in Christ, their love for others, and their sharing the gospel (Eph 1:15, Col 1:3-5).  I cannot help but notice the more I pray for people, the more I feel thankful for the fact that they are saved and loving others. I see that we are connected. I also find that as I continue to pray for my friends, those who I am close with, the bonds seems to grow stronger. We share in joy, in sorrow, in good and bad. It is all about the relationship rooted strongly in our faith in Christ. I also find that I am thankful for those who do not know Christ because that allows purpose in my life. That purpose to be a light and to share the gospel.  

I ask you to join me in giving thanks for the relationships in our lives. I ask that you pray for those in your life in your church. Pray for those around you who don’t know Christ that you may be a light in their world.  Most of all, give thanks to the God who gave all for us. 

Be Still

Last night, I was able to go out hunting for the first time. It was a beautiful evening, cold, crisp, and clear. While I did not see any deer, I was able to spend the time with my pastor discussing not only nature but also church issues. Sitting out there surrounded by all that nature it gave me lots of time to think and reflect. This is perhaps one of the reasons I love hiking and fishing so much. It is a time for me to get away from the world and spend time surrounded by God’s creation.


I find that the time I can spend being alone, away from my computer, television, and other distractions the more I can focus on praising God. This time of the year it seems really easy to focus on God. In a couple of weeks we celebrate Thanksgiving then throughout December we focus on Christmas. But what about the rest of the year? How do we take time to praise him?


Psalm 46:10 tells us to “Be still and know that I am God.” That simple task is such an important one. So often that we allow ourselves to be wrapped up in the events and day to day distractions that we often stop to pause to be still. I know for myself, when I sat there last night, watching the sunset, seeing the colors in the sky. I knew that there was a God, who created all things. In that time, I spent in awe as I was still and knew that God was God.


I would urge everyone to take time to be still. Find a way to see God in world. He is consistently showing himself to us. Let us marvel at his awesomeness as we take time to “Be still.”

Bible reading

Recently I had the “privilege” to be able to sit down and take a four hour written exam. I spent several hours preparing for it, sweating over it, trying to recall and relearn a wide variety of subjects, some of which I have not really examined since discussing them in a class. Through this I realized that I like so many others have really picked certain parts of Scripture and really focused on them. Now not all people pick the same part. I am fond Old Testament history because it is full of stories and people that we can relate to. We can read about their lives and we see connections within ourselves. I find that to be wonderful. It also shows me how God has worked through out the ages. For some, I know they prefer gospels, they want the words of Jesus and they dedicate their lives to researching those books. In my fellowship, several people focus only on Paul and only study and teach his letters. This habit of limiting ourselves to one area over another is a weakness. If I only look at the Old Testament, how do I find what God wants me to do today? I am certain that if you thing about it, you find that you also have favorite sections or topics that you study over and over. But when we do that are we letting Scripture really influence our life? We are told that, “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and the training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim 3:16-17). That is how Scripture is supposed to be in our lives. It is supposed to equip us by teaching, correcting and training us. But also it is supposed to be “All Scripture” that means the entire Bible is useful. A favorite line of mine is, Scripture was not written to all of us, but was for all of to use. I ask if you have not been taking time to read the Bible daily, start now. Read a chapter of each testament a day. Allow yourself to be in the Word everyday and watch how your time with the Lord grows.

Bold and Courageous

Praise the Lord

Praise the Lord. That is seems to be one of the primary functions of worship. We praise the Lord for who he is, Creator, Savior, and Provider. We praise the Lord for what he has done, creation, atonement, redemption.  We praise the Lord the for all the wonders that he has done. Psalm 150 is all about praise:

Praise the LORD!

Praise God in his sanctuary;

praise him in his mighty heavens!

Praise him for his mighty deeds;

praise him according to his excellent greatness!

Praise him with trumpet sound;

praise him with lute and harp!

Praise him with tambourine and dance;

praise him with strings and pipe!

Praise him with sounding cymbals;

praise him with loud clashing cymbals!

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!

Praise the LORD!

(Psalm 150 ESV)

Sometimes I know that is it not always easy to praise the Lord. There are situations when we just do not feel like praising. We hurt, we are upset, we are questioning why God, why? But I encourage you to praise the Lord. Often times, when we change our own attitudes from anger to praise, it becomes easier to see all that God has done and is doing. So please join in and praise the Lord.

Word of Truth

Recently, I have been involved in several discussions involving Scripture and its take on practical aspects of living. Perhaps the biggest of these discussions have been about marriage. Primarily, what marries people, a covenant or sex. Most of us involved agreed that it is a covenant, however there was some dissension, as someone used Deuteronomy 22:28 as reason that sex makes people married. Now if you are looking that passage up, in most versions/translations of Scripture you find that it deals with rape. However, in the Living translations it simply says intercourse which completely changes the context of the passage and what it means.  Which is what led to all of these discussions. Now I mention all of this, because I find that it is important to be as accurate to Scripture as possible. 

In 2 Timothy 2:15 we are told to “correctly handle the word of truth” or as KJV reads, “rightly dividing the word of truth.”  I found that this seems to be more difficult when as Bible believing Christians, reading scripture, we can find major variances within the English text. I am aware that there are some variations due to variants found within the Greek text. However, that does not explain the above example. The issue with the above example really falls into what is called a method of translation. Christianity Today, September 2011, had an article call “Battle for the Bible Translation.” In it they discussed two major methods, formal equivalence and functional equivalence. Formal is about being as much of literal word to word translation while functional is about trying to get the main thought of a passage out. I think that both of these need to be found in a good translation for readers to understand. However, many translations choose one over the other which means we must work ourselves to understand what scripture is saying.  

So what does that mean for us, those who are reading Scripture daily? First, I would encourage all to continue reading Scripture. Next I would ask that as you read, you read a variety of translations. This will help move you from being just a reader of the Word to a student of the Word. This will enrich your Bible reading, as well as help you better understand your positions on issues and theology. We are commanded to “correctly hand the word of truth” let us do that with an understanding that we do so, to glorify God, and proclaim his truth to others. 

Passing Breeze

I like to eat, anyone who knows me knows that. Lately though I have been following in my wife’s style of cravings. Sweet followed by salty or vice versa. It seems a really little deal, but I can for an hour just debating with myself which one I want more for first.  This led to me to start thinking about how I am with other areas. Like somedays I really love to watch comedies, other days action, and thats all I want on those days. There are other times, where I have grown to like things that I did not like earlier in my life (can anyone say peas?). There are also things that I used to like but no longer like such as Simpsons, great when I was a child, not so great now. I changed.  

I found this funny when I think that I am only on the younger side of my 30’s and I have changed my mind that much. It makes me thankful that I serve a God who is slow to act. He is steadfast and strong. He is faithful. Today, I found a verse that spoke to how we are compared to God. “He remembered that they were but flesh, a passing breeze that do not return.” Psalm 78:39.  Our whims and desires can change in a minute. How great is it that we have a God who does not change? Could you imagine a God who changed? If he promised peace one minute and cried for war the next? It almost sound like the myths of old. Yet, we know our Lord is merciful, and is faithful to us. Please take time today to think of how the Lord has be faithful in your life, and praise him for his faithfulness.

Law and Grace

On of my favorite stories, in just about any form, is Les Miserables.  Recently, I was watching the 25^th Anniversary Concert on DVD with my wife. As I was watching it and telling my wife what was happening during some of the songs, I noticed a major theme emerge among the two starting characters. That theme was law and grace.

One character represented The Law and was unrelenting, punishing without mercy. That is the problem with the Law, no one can keep all parts of the Law all the time. We may keep away from violating the major laws, Not killing, not committing adultery, but what about the other ones? How many of us have wanted what a neighbor had? How many times we desire a better car, bigger house? How about telling that little white lie? Isn’t that bearing false witness? What about the fact that the Law should be deeper into our hearts, if we follow Jesus’ logic? He points out that it is not just do not murder, but do not be angry.  See, it is impossible to follow the Law perfectly, therefore, the Law condemns without mercy. Paul tells us that in Galatians 3:10 “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.”

On the other hand, another character represented Grace and offered protection, hope, mercy. Throughout the story, this character grew from being an outcast who hated a world that hated him to becoming one cared. Grace refused opportunity to become selfish, seek revenge, or break his promise. I know that given the two choices, I would rather have grace on my side than Law. Luckily, I know that we live in an age of Grace. Paul also tells us further on in Galatians 3, “Christ redeemed us in order that the blessing given to Abraham might come to the Gentiles through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the Spirit.” Funny isn’t that Grace, looks a lot like love according the Scriptures? 

The best part about this is that everyday we have a choice of what kind of people we are going to be. Are we going to live pushing the Law, saying that all must obey? Understandably, there are certain things we should not let slide, but must we have the attitude that is unrelenting, without mercy, and full of judgment? Or, do we act like a person full of Grace? Understanding what is going one, giving mercy as needed, and not always seeking revenge? I used we because all of us collectively make these choices, but most important is what choice do you make.

Relativity

We live in a culture of relativity. We want to be so tolerant to everyone else’s beliefs that as a society we crossed out absolutes. We find ourselves in a society where history is being revised to meet current expectations.  The biggest example of this, at least from my perspective, is the eradicating of the origin of “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Today that has turned into this concept “separation of Church and State” and is used to remove religion from society. Just take time and Google “removal of 10 Commandments” for examples of how this is happening.

So why is that important, to us. To understand the problem with relativity? Well, the biggest problem with relativity is that it falls to man’s understanding. Scripture tells us that “Cursed is the man who trusts in man and makes flesh his strength, and whose heart turns away from the LORD. He is like a shrub in the desert, and shall not see any good come.” (Jer. 17:5-6a.) You see, that when one follows man’s own understanding there is a curse. No good comes out of it, just like mans wisdom when it comes to saying we have to be tolerant of all beliefs and cultures, This tolerance will eventually lead to ruin, for no good can come from destroying the absolutes. 

But there is hope. God tells us more in his word,“Blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose trust is the LORD. He is like a tree planted by water,that sends out its roots by the stream, and does not fear when heat comes, for its leaves remain green,
and is not anxious in the year of drought, for it does not cease to bear fruit.” (Jer. 17:7-8) 

I urge and pray that as a Christians we can remember that we need to trust in the Lord. We don’t need to follow the worlds wisdom. However, we must trust the Lord and let our roots grow. That means teaching our children, grandchildren, and everyone else that we can. 

With this in mind, I have three questions for you.

What are your putting your trust in? 

Who is it in your life that you can reach with the gospel?

How can you help change the world?

Praying

Pray without ceasing. You know the times I find that I do the most constant prayer is during my commute to the office. It is usually a frustrating drive, with people constantly forgetting about things like turn signals or randomly hitting their brakes on the highway. I have found that I get by easier when I am constantly praying. I pray for things like safety, protection, praise that no one is getting hurt. Some times, I even pray for justice, or prevention, when I see someone speeding, weaving in and out of traffic. But the point is that it seems so easy to pray while I am driving because of the stress. 

It also seems so easy to pray when I am in times of trouble. When jobs are lost, families are broken, arguments occur. I find that is when I hit the floor on my knees and pray. But  what about when things are well. When nothing is going on? I have found that to be when I have to force myself to pray. I actually set aside specific time just for prayer. Why is it so much harder to just praise God for all the good things? I cannot help but think that it is because when things are going good in our life, we start to forget how much we need him. 

Paul teaches that: “Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17).

I ask that we remember that we need to pray not just when we need something from God, but also to remember that he is our Lord and deserves our praises for all things. 

What is Love?

Love is a wonderful word. It is permeated in our society. The vast majority of music, poetry, stories, and art are based in the theme of love. In pop music we find all types of love situations. One can be “all out of love” or for some “all you need is love.” Love can even be “more than a feeling.” It is something that we all crave. We all desire to be loved. That is why little girls dream of princes and princesses, there is a simple theme of love overcoming in those fairytales. Yet, when you listen to most of the songs and read the stories, this love is very shallow. There is no depth to it. Even Christians today, seem to turn love into a simple slogan “love wins” which is popular to see on the backs of cars where I live. 

But is this really all love is, a simple feeling, that can be changed depending on the day? I don’t think so. Love seems to be something deeper. Something that endures, that last.  After all, scripture says, “ Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud.  It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs.  Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres (1 Corinthians 13:4-7).

So than what is love? The Bible says this about a man without love in 1 Corinthians 13:1-3: If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don't love, I'm nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate. If I speak God's Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, "Jump," and it jumps, but I don't love, I'm nothing. If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don't love, I've gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I'm bankrupt without love. (Message)

Earlier this year, I was able to celebrate an important milestone in my life. I was able to celebrate ten years of marriage with my wife. We marked this wonderful time by renewing our vows. I realized during this time just how lucky of a man I was. I was able to declare twice to my friends and family, that I love my wife. From my marriage, I have realize that love is not just this grand feeling. It is not a slogan. Sometimes love hurts, yet it endures. In ten years, my marriage has been great, soaring among the clouds, and at other times, not so much. Just like life, sometimes the ride is fun, and other times the ride is work. Even so, when I looked into my wife’s eyes during our renewal, I knew I loved her more than I could ever describe. It was at this moment, I realized that I am richer than I could ever guess. Yes, love is wonderful. 

So I ask you, where are you at. Have you been living a life that is rich, full of love? Or, are you living a life where you seem to be doing everything, yet  seem empty?

Who am I,

One of the best broadway shows out there is Les Miserables (yes I know, it is also a really good book). The star of this show is Jean Valjean who is an ex-convict during the mid-1800 in France. It chronicles his struggles of being “saved” on the run while trying to live a life doing the most good to others. The co-star is Javert. He is a policeman who grew up inside a jail. His parents were convicts, and he lived a life that put all the rewards on the things that he did. He lived to the letter of the law thinking that made him better than others. Javert eventually has a confrontation with Valjean over the care of another person (well several but this is the last one of the story). At this point Javert see that this convict cared more about others and life, and was more Godly, than Javert was. This sent Javert into a state of shock that he could not escape. 

This story often comes to my mind when I read Philippians 3:2-11. Paul talks about those who hold the Law above salvation. Paul speaks that there are those who will boast about what they have done, and how well they have kept the law. Paul tells them in verses 4-6 Paul talks about all of his accomplishments, showing how much he could boast. If one wanted to compare merits alone, Paul shows that he wins. Paul was so much a zealot that he murdered Christians prior to his conversion. Paul kept the Law. But, that is not the whole story. Paul goes on in the rest of this section to talk about how it was all nothing. To Paul all of his works were rubbish compared to the salvation of Grace that is found in Christ. Paul understood the key, it is not what one does, but why one does it that matters. It all came down the heart. That is the key. 

Today there are many schools of thought when it comes to how one works out their faith. But the question is are you doing things because you feel you should because it looks good for you. Or, are you doing things out of a loving heart in response to your salvation with Christ. To put it another way, two people each give a homeless family 1000 dollars. The first does it so they can write it off on taxes, and it makes them feel good. The second one may still write it off on taxes, but they do it because the see the family in need as precious to Christ. Both families did a good deed, but only one did it out of a proper response to God’s love. I ask you today, are you living for self, doing things to say I did this, living the letter of the law? Or, are you living for Christ, counting nothing for gain, but eager to serve? This is a hard way to live, but I know that for myself, I would rather have nothing and have Christ call me a good and faithful servant, than be adored by others and have it all, only to have Christ be ashamed of me in the end. 

Advancing the Gospel

When I tell others my testimony, I love to watch their reactions. Most people who know who I am after Christ, are shocked to hear about who I was preChrist. Perhaps you have a story like that where the change is drastic. Or perhaps you are like some of my friends who have always known Christ and can share with the hardships they faced for being in Christ. For some of you the hardship and trials of life is occurring now. The common thread in all of these situations is that we all have stories about our lives and how God has worked in them. 

I find it interesting when I look at the life of Paul. Paul was a Pharisee, a Jew among Jews, who knew scripture (Galatians 1:14). However, Paul was called to suffer for God, and to be a light to the Gentiles (Acts 9:15-16). I find this remarkable, that God knew that Paul would suffer. Perhaps there is a lesson here, that sometimes we need to suffer, or have heartaches, that there is a purpose, we are to learn something. Paul demonstrates to us a great principle in Philippians 1:12-18. In these six verses we find that Paul gives credit for all that has happened to him was to advance the gospel and because of what has happened to him many are coming to Christ. That is so important for us to remember. 

I had a friend who said after she lost her leg to illness, “why not me.” Her attitude greatly helped those who were struggling with issues with illness, and why would God allow that suffering. By hearing her perspective, it made people realize who they are in relation to who God is.  God has brought each of us from somewhere to be a blessing to others. So rejoice that God will use what ever situation we are in to help the gospel advance. God is faithful. He will stay true to his purpose, and guidance.  May the God who guides, protects, calms, and encourages, continue to encourage and give us peace as we realize that what has happened to us, serves to advance the gospel. 

Dealing with Disappointment

Sermon for 09/18/2011

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Be Angry Do not Sin

Recently, I have been talking more and more about not letting things build up inside. Do not let the devil get a foothold in our lives by dwelling on grudges or things that keep us angry.   Paul reminds us that we are “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil (Ephesians 4:26-27 ESV). There is some great wisdom in this. It is okay to be angry. Lets be honest, there are thing out there that upset us. Sometimes it is people who are rude, or have offended us. Sometimes people who hurt us or anger us, have no realization that they are doing it. 

So how does one be angry without sinning? First, one must make sure that they put their anger in context, is it with cause or without? If someone has caused the issue, confront them, but do not seek retaliation. Confront them calmly, and clearly. Tell them what hurt and why. Sometimes, one need to realize that the anger, is more imagined then needed. I have been married for a while now, and there are times where I can get so upset over the littlest thing. I have learned that most of the time, it is not what my spouse did that made me angry, but how I dwelt on it that made me angry. I am often reminded of what John Eldredge talked about in Wild at Heart, there are times when I go from angry to wanting a divorce, and realize that the devil is at work.

I find it sad, when I hear about brothers who have not spoken in years because of an offense that occurred in the past. I find it even more unsettling when I talked to one of brothers, and they said they cannot even remember what the original cause was. They have just been holding on to the grudge. My own family has that, my aunts and uncles are divided almost like two separate families because they took sides on a grudge that started twenty years ago. 

I know that I could easily fall into the trap of letting issues build up to where I sin. I know that I must keep myself rooted in God’s word, and prayer. I ask you though, are you in sin because of a grudge, do you need to let go of something. Perhaps you have wronged someone and need to make amends. I earnestly urge you to remember to be angry but do not sin. Do not let the devil get a foothold in your life.

Innocent Bystander

I have been a huge M.A.S.H. fan since I was young boy. I watched the reruns on TV everyday. It was one of the few programs I looked forward to. Even as an adult now, I still love to sit down and watch the episodes over again. Recently, I was able to get the entire series on DVD. One of the episodes,War is Hell, had an interesting discussion on war and hell. It was between a Catholic priest (Father Mulcahy) and a Doctor (Capt. Hawkeye).

Hawkeye: War isn't Hell. War is war, and Hell is Hell. And of the two, war is a lot worse. 

Father Mulcahy: How do you figure, Hawkeye? 

Hawkeye: Easy, Father. Tell me, who goes to Hell? 

Father Mulcahy: Sinners, I believe. 

Hawkeye: Exactly. There are no innocent bystanders in Hell. War is chock full of them - little kids, cripples, old ladies. In fact, except for some of the brass, almost everybody involved is an innocent bystander. 

As I was thinking about this quote, I realized that Hawkeye, was close to something, but not quite right. In war many innocent people are casualties. But what about his view of Hell. Yes it is true that sinners go to Hell, but how many of those sinners are people who never heard the gospel? Innocent children, teens, and adults, who have never been reached out to?  How many people do we have in our lives that could be considered innocent bystanders? Do we have those in our lives that we don’t know for sure if they are going to Heaven or Hell? Are we sharing the gospel with them?  After all, there is a spiritual war going on, and we, God’s people are called to share with those who don’t know the gospel. “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as thogh God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God” (2 Corinthians 5:20). It is up to us to make sure that Hawkeye’s statement is true, “There are no bystanders in Hell.”

Envy

Let not your heart envy sinners,

but continue in the fear of the LORD all the day.

Surely there is a future,

and your hope will not be cut off.

(Proverbs 23:17-18 ESV)

Envy is a powerful thing. We can often find ourselves wanting others job’s, possessions, and family. A person can become so focused on what others have that it becomes their motivation for existing. They work, save, and channel all of their energy and resources into getting what they feel someone else has. Two phrases come to mind about this subject, “keeping up with the Jones” and “the grass is always greener on the other side.” Most of the time, envy produces one to want to keep up with current trends, or what others around them have. However, no matter how nice something looks, or feels, there are still problems. One can look another’s family, and say, I wish my wife was like her, not knowing the she is a shopaholic. Or perhaps, they look at the new car in the neighbors drive, not realizing that it has several little recalls and issues that will cost the neighbor time and money to fix. When someone looks and covets what he sees like that it can lead to envy, and eventually to a point where keeping up appearances becomes priority number one.

The Christian life can also be that way. Often people can get so wrapped up in doing things, because they want to keep up their hearts become burdened. Some even look at the carefree lifestyles of nonbelievers. They see nonbelievers, drinking, partying, living for self, so easily, that it can lead believers astray. Christians can start believing that they have put themselves under a yoke. When they do this they want to rebel, so that they can have the fun they feel the unbelievers are having. This is not a new concept. Ancient Israelites had to deal with envy. That is why is says continue in the LORD. It is tempting to just want to give up on God, and live life for self. However, since we know Christ, and know how the story ends; Christ wins. We should remember, that we do not work to earn our future, but because we know that the future will be so much better than the present. No matter what hardships, frustrations, and heartaches one can suffer in this life, we know that there will be a time, when we are with Christ, and there will be no more tears or suffering. So, if you are a believer in Christ, carry Proverbs 23:17-18 in your hearts, it is a reminder that there is a future, with Christ.   

Warnings from Paul.

Those Corinthians, they seem to be so foolish, needing Paul to come to them three times, with charges of open sin. Now we are not talking little white lie sin, we are talking,  worshiping pagan gods, sexual immorality, and lawsuits. The Corinthians never seemed to get the picture. Paul came to them twice and gave warning, and punishment. He gives fair warning that he is coming again in 1 Corinthians 13:2. Yet Paul was not trying to punish the Corinthians out of anger, or revenge. No, he wanted them to grow, in Christ and faith. His warnings are serving to let people know, examine yourself before I come. Now the letters to Corinth end at this point, but looking at past history, it could be easy to say they didn’t change.  It is also real easy to sit back and point fingers and say that they were so foolish, they had Paul to teach them. 

It would be easy to read Paul’s warning, and just continue on. After all, we live in the time of Grace. In Christ there is no condemnation. However, if that is the case, if there is no need for warning, then why did Paul give a warning? What was the purpose. Perhaps it is because we were created and saved for a reason. Paul tells, us that we were in darkness and therefore useless to the Lord (Eph 5:1-11). That is why in Colossians 3 we are to to take off the old self, and put on the new self. We are to act as Christ would have us to act. The reason for this is simple, we are no longer in sin, flesh, or world. But instead we are a new creation, paid for, by the blood of Christ. We shame him, when we live a life for self, and yet try to claim it for him. Now, it does not mean that we get extra blessings or punishment based on behavior. Instead it means that when we do what God want to us to do, we know that he is there with us in all things and we can trust and rely on him. However, if we know we are walking in darkness than God is not with us, and trouble will eventually find us. 

That is why Paul is giving us warnings. We know the truth but often want go our own way.  But we have been warned. We can choose what we do in our lives, and what kind of witness we produce. But there are always consequences to our actions. It is time now fur us to be like the Corinthians and examine ourselves. Who are we living for? Can others see Christ in us, or have we jumped on the sin wagon and enjoying the ride? Only you can answer that question.

Inadequate--who me?

Today I while reading, Our Daily Journey, the verses were 1 Corinthians 12:12-31. The author pointed out that in verse 14 Paul addresses two major problems within the church; insignificance and an independent spirit. However in the brief space he had, he did not explore those terms, which got me to thinking. 

Several of us in church have a tendency to feel insignificant when we think of ourselves in light of all of creation. Even the psalmist wrote:

“When I look at your heavens, the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars, which you have set in place,
what is man that you are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you care for him?” 

Psalm 8:2-4

 Feeling insignificant has been around since the fall, rightly so. God lets us know that we are individually are insignificant in the book of Job. 

         With the above in mind, perhaps the better word to describe the problem of insignificance would be “inadequate”. Too often it seems we judge ourselves based on what others are doing in the church. We find people who seem to be able to do it all, great musicians, speakers, prayers, etc. We look at them and say “I can’t do that” and give up, or don’t even try at all. This is the problem. We ( and I am including myself in this) struggle with the notion that God wants perfection, he wants those who are best. However, that is not the case. We need to remember that God calls us where we are at, to serve where we are at. I am reminded of Paul in 1 Timothy 1:15, he tells us that he is the greatest sinner, yet God chose him. That is all of us, we are all sinners, yet God chooses us. Each of us for different reasons and with different opportunities. We are one body, and each of us has a part. Some of us may become great evangelist, some are teachers. Perhaps God has called someone to be the next musical praise leader. Those are all great callings. However, perhaps, you were called to simply be a mother or a father and raise your children in the knowledge and love of Christ. Perhaps you calling is lead a small group. Perhaps your calling is to pray in secret. We need to remember, that God chose us because he loves us. 

There are also some out there who are independent spirits. You know who you are. Paul reminds us that we are ALL part of one body, in spirit baptized to one body (1 Corinthians 12:13). That is why he says that the eye cannot get rid of the hand. We need each other. Common wisdom says no man is an island, and that is true. We affect, and are affected by one another. Think of how a simple smile from someone can brighten your day. 

Perhaps the best example of a group working together, can be found among the Amish. Watch how they raise a barn, or work on a house. Many people, with a single purpose. That is what the Body of Christ was called to be. Imagine what the world would look like, if we could all start working together, using our talents, instead of hiding in the woodwork feeling inadequate, or thinking we can we can do it all on our own.

What About Love?

Recently, I watched a documentary about the Church and the Culture wars of America, called Lord Save Us From Your Followers. One of the things I found interesting was the idea of having a civilized conversation about Jesus and faith. All to often our conversations are anything but civilized. In America, faith almost seems to be denominationally driven.  We seem so focused on making sure that we are right and any other Christian is wrong. We often reduce complex issues down to a simple bumper sticker slogan. Is it any wonder then that non believers look at the Church they no longer see Christ? 

Is this Church that the Bible envisioned? What should the church look like? Paul tells that we are to be ambassadors of Christ in 2 Corinthians 5:19. So what does that mean. Webster defines it  either an official envoy or representative for diplomatic purposes. This means that we are to reach out peacefully to non-christians and to each other. That is the message that has been lost in America. It is time we realize that God created all people. He loves his creation. He sent his son for “WHOEVER” believes.

 So how do we show this love? It is time we welcome people as they are. Do they drink? Welcome them. Are they homeless? Welcome them. Are they Divorced?Welcome them. If you are a Baptist, welcome the Methodist. Are you a Protestant welcome the Catholic. We are all part of the Body of Christ, each a vital and important part. We all look to Christ as the head. If the church today would do that, just imagine How the Spirit could work.

Instead, We seem to focus only on the hate, the differences. That needs to stop. How can we judge a world that does not know Christ by the same standard we judge ourselves? How can we judge our brothers and sisters in Christ? We may seek the spirit of Church, but when did we become the judges? I ask that you join myself and countless others who are trying to welcome all with love that Christ gave us.