Jesus Christ commanded us to preach the good news to the ends of the earth; to spread His message of salvation and hope to the lost and the broken. When we are at church, or hanging out with our Christian friends it seems so natural, so easy to preach the gospel. However, what happens to the sharing of our beloved gospel outside of our Christian bubble? What happens when God calls us to step out of our comfort zone and present the gospel to a complete stranger?
"The word of the Lord came to Jonah son of Amittai. Go to the great city of Nineveh and preach against it, because its wickedness has come up before me. But Jonah ran away from the Lord and headed for Tarshish. He went down to Joppa, where he found a ship bound for that port. After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord" Jonah 1:1-3
In this well known biblical event, we see that Jonah does not want to preach in a strange city. He does not want to step out of his comfort zone. Nineveh was nearly 500 miles from Jonah's hometown and was a place of great sin. Instead, he literally flees in the opposite direction and completely disobeys Gods command to him.
This story really speaks to the modern day Christian. What is our Nineveh? What are we afraid of? Have we become so comfortable in God's grace that we are too reluctant to step out of our comfort zones?
There is a big difference between "rejoicing" in our salvation and "resting" in our salvation. Personally, I am so very grateful for my salvation but shouldn't that be all the more reason to step over that line and truly present Jesus to a complete stranger. I feel selfish knowing that maybe I'm just "resting" in Gods grace and enjoying the fruits of His sacrifice while there are lost souls who need to hear the gospel. There have been times when a moment arises when I've heard Gods voice telling me to speak up, but yet I have remained silent. What is my Nineveh?
"I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes: first for the Jew, then for the Gentile." Romans 1:16
Paul states that he is not ashamed of the gospel and I believe that the vast majority of Christians aren't ashamed of the gospel either, but each one of us has a "Nineveh" in our hearts. There may be many different reasons why one can't seem to break through and truly start preaching to those broken souls.
"So do not be ashamed to testify about our Lord, or ashamed of me his prisoner. But join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God" 2Timothy 1-8
Paul wrote 2Timothy while he was chained up in a dudgeon. He likely knew that his life was coming to an end soon, but yet he still was exhorting his brethren to preach the gospel. He calls upon them to join in "suffering" for God.
So, the next time we are faced with our personal "Ninevehs", lets consider the sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ and all those early followers. Let us be inspired to share what was freely given to us. And let us realize that our fears of rejection or suffering can hardly be mentioned in the same breath in comparison to the suffering of those who came before us.
My prayer is that the Holy Spirit of God would minster to our hearts and ignite a flame of passion for our beloved gospel; that we would boldly preach the word of God to those in need; that we would be able to overcome our own personal "Ninevehs" and become true soldiers for the gospel of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Thursday, July 16, 2009
A Little Girl's Gratitude
Several weeks ago I was teaching the children in the youth ministry and I asked them to tell me if they had ever prayed to God to help them with something. Some of the children nervously shuffled there feet or twiddled there thumbs and looked about anxiously as they waited for the awkward moment when I would be calling on them. Before I called on any of them, one of the nine year old girls raised her hand. Her big brown eyes were so beautiful. She had this innocent look of a young girl with so much hope. She hadn't been contaminated by the world. Her pure heart was akin to the pure agape love that we all have received in grace from God. Then, in a seemingly angelic voice, she said, "I asked God to help me be successful on my school test, and I did really good on that test, and I thanked God because God is good".
"O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good: for his mercy endureth forever" Psalm 107:1 (KJV)
I was overwhelmed, not only by her faith and gratitude, but also by her uncanny recognition that God is our provision. When we had finished our lesson plan, I asked the children if they were excited about school being out and if they were ready to have some fun!! Surprisingly, the little girl looked directly into my eyes and said, "I don't want to have fun, I want to help my parents at the restaurant. They work so hard for me and I want to help them". Her parents work long hours at their restaurant and rarely make it to church.
"But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant......." Philippians 2:7 (KJV)
I could feel the tears welling up. I was struggling to keep my emotions in check. I couldn't believe that a nine year old could possibly have the heart of a grateful servant. I contemplated how a child could be so obedient to God's Word. I thought about all of the "comfortable" Christians I know. I thought about how much more I could be doing for the kingdom of God. I wondered, is our gratitude genuine, or is it just lip service. Are we really serving Jesus or are we really just serving our own egos. This precious child was the reason I had to look in the mirror when I got home. And when I looked, I wondered if I was seeing the face of a self-righteous sinner or that of a grateful little girl.
Children of God.......I ask you........what do you see?
"O give thanks unto the Lord for He is good: for his mercy endureth forever" Psalm 107:1 (KJV)
I was overwhelmed, not only by her faith and gratitude, but also by her uncanny recognition that God is our provision. When we had finished our lesson plan, I asked the children if they were excited about school being out and if they were ready to have some fun!! Surprisingly, the little girl looked directly into my eyes and said, "I don't want to have fun, I want to help my parents at the restaurant. They work so hard for me and I want to help them". Her parents work long hours at their restaurant and rarely make it to church.
"But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant......." Philippians 2:7 (KJV)
I could feel the tears welling up. I was struggling to keep my emotions in check. I couldn't believe that a nine year old could possibly have the heart of a grateful servant. I contemplated how a child could be so obedient to God's Word. I thought about all of the "comfortable" Christians I know. I thought about how much more I could be doing for the kingdom of God. I wondered, is our gratitude genuine, or is it just lip service. Are we really serving Jesus or are we really just serving our own egos. This precious child was the reason I had to look in the mirror when I got home. And when I looked, I wondered if I was seeing the face of a self-righteous sinner or that of a grateful little girl.
Children of God.......I ask you........what do you see?
Friday, July 10, 2009
The Soothing Voice of Encouragement
As Christians we are called to build one another up in faith, to consider others as better than ourselves, to love one another as Christ loved us.
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves" Philippians 2:3 (NIV)
How many times do you see in the secular world, people tearing each other down, hurling insults at one another, criticizing each other, or taking delight in seeing someone else fail. Sadly, many times, we are also witness to this same type of behavior within the church.
Don't you think the revival of the church and the Christian community at large starts in the hearts of men and women? Don't we suffer through enough strife in the secular world already? Isn't the example of God's grace and mercy in our own personal lives good enough? As followers of Christ, shouldn't we be the voice of encouragement?
In one form or another, the word "encourage" appears in the bible roughly 70 times. It goes against everything we stood for when we lived in darkness, but God has shone His graceful light upon us and now we have been called to shine that light upon others. We, as the body of Christ, must encourage one another in love. We must be the selfless givers of encouragement to those who have stumbled, to those who are in need, to those who just need to hear the caressing voice of someone who loves them.
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" Eph. 4:29(NIV)
The body of Christ has many different parts and when one of those parts breaks down, who among us will come to help put that part back together. After all, aren't we all part of the same body?
"There is one body, and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all in all" Eph. 4:4-6 (NIV)
There are times when many of us are weakened in our faith; when we feel somewhat separated from God; when we can't seem to feel His presence, or hear His voice. It is in those times that the oneness of love that we all share in Christ Jesus, must be given graciously to the brethren in need.
My hope and prayer is that we, as the body of Christ, would build one another up; would sacrifice our own needs for the needs of others; would be the soothing voice of encouragement to those who have stumbled. Father give us the heart of a humble servant. Help us to be more compassionate; to be the soldiers that stand as an example of the new revival within the church. May God strengthen us in our commitment to the well being of His body so that we can boldly bring His message of Truth to the world. Amen.
"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves" Philippians 2:3 (NIV)
How many times do you see in the secular world, people tearing each other down, hurling insults at one another, criticizing each other, or taking delight in seeing someone else fail. Sadly, many times, we are also witness to this same type of behavior within the church.
Don't you think the revival of the church and the Christian community at large starts in the hearts of men and women? Don't we suffer through enough strife in the secular world already? Isn't the example of God's grace and mercy in our own personal lives good enough? As followers of Christ, shouldn't we be the voice of encouragement?
In one form or another, the word "encourage" appears in the bible roughly 70 times. It goes against everything we stood for when we lived in darkness, but God has shone His graceful light upon us and now we have been called to shine that light upon others. We, as the body of Christ, must encourage one another in love. We must be the selfless givers of encouragement to those who have stumbled, to those who are in need, to those who just need to hear the caressing voice of someone who loves them.
"Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" Eph. 4:29(NIV)
The body of Christ has many different parts and when one of those parts breaks down, who among us will come to help put that part back together. After all, aren't we all part of the same body?
"There is one body, and one Spirit, just as you were called to one hope when you were called, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all in all" Eph. 4:4-6 (NIV)
There are times when many of us are weakened in our faith; when we feel somewhat separated from God; when we can't seem to feel His presence, or hear His voice. It is in those times that the oneness of love that we all share in Christ Jesus, must be given graciously to the brethren in need.
My hope and prayer is that we, as the body of Christ, would build one another up; would sacrifice our own needs for the needs of others; would be the soothing voice of encouragement to those who have stumbled. Father give us the heart of a humble servant. Help us to be more compassionate; to be the soldiers that stand as an example of the new revival within the church. May God strengthen us in our commitment to the well being of His body so that we can boldly bring His message of Truth to the world. Amen.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Paul: Humble Servant or Superman
I can't help but think about the complete metamorphosis that the apostle Paul underwent. He went from persecuting Christians to the fullest, to becoming one of the most well known martyrs of all time. This was a man who truly rejoiced in his sufferings.
"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them". Acts 16:25 (NIV)
However, it is not Paul's martyrdom that intrigues me. It is his utter disregard for his own personal safety. It is his faith. It is his four missionary trips. It is his concern and love for all of the churches. But above all else, it is his humility that not only intrigues me, but also convicts and inspires me.
"For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God". 1Corinthians 15:9 (NIV)
Wow!! Did he actually say that? (of course he did its the word of God) Are you kidding me? Doesn't deserve to be called an apostle? Ok....to start the early churches, this man went on four missionary trips, travelled literally thousands of miles over the course of years, risking his life, going through hostile nations, and suffered in prisons. By today's standards (especially in the West), we would be calling him Superman. But, by Paul's own standard, he wasn't worthy enough to be called an apostle. If I could only be so humble.
Just in case you have never seen a map of Paul's missionary journeys, just click on the following link. I find it quite impressive to say the least. http://scriptures.lds.org/en/biblemaps/13
My hope is that we who call ourselves Christians would consider Paul's humility; that as we serve in our own churches, that we would do so with a humble heart. I hope that we would consider our service to God a privilege and an honor instead of an obligation or an inconvenience.
Personally, I spent most of my life as an enemy of God. Now, it is my privilege to be nothing so that He can be everything. Thank you Jesus for showing us what it is to be a humble servant.
"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them". Acts 16:25 (NIV)
However, it is not Paul's martyrdom that intrigues me. It is his utter disregard for his own personal safety. It is his faith. It is his four missionary trips. It is his concern and love for all of the churches. But above all else, it is his humility that not only intrigues me, but also convicts and inspires me.
"For I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God". 1Corinthians 15:9 (NIV)
Wow!! Did he actually say that? (of course he did its the word of God) Are you kidding me? Doesn't deserve to be called an apostle? Ok....to start the early churches, this man went on four missionary trips, travelled literally thousands of miles over the course of years, risking his life, going through hostile nations, and suffered in prisons. By today's standards (especially in the West), we would be calling him Superman. But, by Paul's own standard, he wasn't worthy enough to be called an apostle. If I could only be so humble.
Just in case you have never seen a map of Paul's missionary journeys, just click on the following link. I find it quite impressive to say the least. http://scriptures.lds.org/en/biblemaps/13
My hope is that we who call ourselves Christians would consider Paul's humility; that as we serve in our own churches, that we would do so with a humble heart. I hope that we would consider our service to God a privilege and an honor instead of an obligation or an inconvenience.
Personally, I spent most of my life as an enemy of God. Now, it is my privilege to be nothing so that He can be everything. Thank you Jesus for showing us what it is to be a humble servant.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Taming the Tongue
Everywhere I go, I can't escape the vile garbage that people are spewing out of their mouths. I am not casting judgment upon them. I am just extremely concerned about the complete acceptance of this type of language in our society and the effect it will have on the generations to come. I have even been told within certain church communities that I am too legalistic; that cursing or swearing really only counts if your using God's name. I couldn't disagree more!!
"All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea are being tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil full of poison". James 3:7-8(NIV)
James paints a vivid picture for us and I couldn't agree more. After all, how can you disagree with God's word if you call yourself a genuine Christian. The so-called "lesser" swear words that many consider harmless are just the seeds of something more poisonous.
I exhort all who read this post to really consider what it means to be Christian. If we truly want to be like Christ, and to shine His light upon the rest of the world, then we better consider Him before we open our mouths. One seemingly harmless swear word is like a tiny germ that eventually becomes a festering infection.
My prayer is that we as Christians would lead the way in changing what language is deemed as acceptable in our society by truly being a reflection of Jesus for all the world to see. May God cleanse our mouths with His soap so that our children won't be infected by our poisonous tongues. Let us stand firm in the midst of a contaminated world. Amen.
"All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles, and creatures of the sea are being tamed by man, but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil full of poison". James 3:7-8(NIV)
James paints a vivid picture for us and I couldn't agree more. After all, how can you disagree with God's word if you call yourself a genuine Christian. The so-called "lesser" swear words that many consider harmless are just the seeds of something more poisonous.
I exhort all who read this post to really consider what it means to be Christian. If we truly want to be like Christ, and to shine His light upon the rest of the world, then we better consider Him before we open our mouths. One seemingly harmless swear word is like a tiny germ that eventually becomes a festering infection.
My prayer is that we as Christians would lead the way in changing what language is deemed as acceptable in our society by truly being a reflection of Jesus for all the world to see. May God cleanse our mouths with His soap so that our children won't be infected by our poisonous tongues. Let us stand firm in the midst of a contaminated world. Amen.
Sunday, July 5, 2009
A Simple Prayer of Thankgiving
As we wind down a weekend of celebration here in the United States, I would like to share a prayer with all of you. How blessed we are to live in freedom; to be able to worship Jesus without any restrictions or fear of persecution. God has certainly spoiled us in this part of the world.
Father in heaven, we come to you in the name of Jesus. Father, we give you thanks for the freedom that you have given us; for the gift of your son Jesus Christ. We ask that you forgive us for our disobedience; that you would cleanse us with the blood of the Lamb. We call upon your Holy Spirit to guide us in our daily walk with Jesus; to show us your will and to help us be obedient to your Word. Show us how to love our enemies as you loved us, and help us be more like Jesus. Lord, it is our humble privilege to fall down before you and to serve you for all the days of our lives. We are not worthy, but we are so very thankful that you called us and delivered us from our own wretchedness. With tears in our eyes, we declare that you are worthy of our praise; that your name is above all. We pray in one accord, in the precious name of Jesus, Amen.
Father in heaven, we come to you in the name of Jesus. Father, we give you thanks for the freedom that you have given us; for the gift of your son Jesus Christ. We ask that you forgive us for our disobedience; that you would cleanse us with the blood of the Lamb. We call upon your Holy Spirit to guide us in our daily walk with Jesus; to show us your will and to help us be obedient to your Word. Show us how to love our enemies as you loved us, and help us be more like Jesus. Lord, it is our humble privilege to fall down before you and to serve you for all the days of our lives. We are not worthy, but we are so very thankful that you called us and delivered us from our own wretchedness. With tears in our eyes, we declare that you are worthy of our praise; that your name is above all. We pray in one accord, in the precious name of Jesus, Amen.
Saturday, July 4, 2009
The Effect of Obedience
In the book of Daniel, we see a compelling story of three faithful Jews. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon had an image of gold built and expected all people of all languages to fall down and worship this image when they heard the sound of all the musical instruments playing. He declared that all who did not obey this command would be thrown into a blazing furnace. Upon hearing that there were three Jews (Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego) who refused to obey this command, he became furious and sent for them.
When the three faithful Jews arrived, the King demanded that they fall down at the onset of the music and worship the image. This was their response. "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up". Daniel 3:17,18 (NIV)
The King was outraged and had the furnace heated up to seven times hotter than normal and had the three men thrown into the furnace. The King looked into the furnace and saw that an angel of the Lord had rescued the three Jews. They were completely unharmed by the blazing fire. King Nebuchadnezzar was so impressed that he verbally praised God, he decreed that anyone who spoke evil of God would be killed, and promoted the three Jews within the province of Babylon.
Point #1: FAITH The three Jewish men state that God is "able to save" us. They confess and believe that God can save them.
Point #2: RECOGNITION AND ACCEPTANCE OF GOD'S WILL They say "but even if he does not save us, we will not serve your gods". They recognize that it may not be God's will to rescue you them from the fire, but they clearly state that they are willing to accept the consequences.
Point #3: OBEDIENCE They stay true to their faith and accept God's will and refuse to worship the gold image. They are in total obedience to God and are thrown into the fire.
The Message: The King may have been impressed by the faith of these three Jewish men. He also may have been even more impressed by their willingness to accept whatever God's will was for them. However, without their total obedience, this incident never would have come to full fruition and as a result the King became a witness to the power of God. In turn, this witness had a profound effect on the King's attitude towards the God of Israel.
In closing, I pray that as Christians we would find strength and courage through the Holy Spirit to remain obedient to God in the face of the most challenging circumstances; that through our obedience we would bring recognition and glory to Jesus Christ; that the words we profess would be validated by our actions. It is my hope that many hearts would be softened by being a witness to the faith and obedience of the true followers of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
When the three faithful Jews arrived, the King demanded that they fall down at the onset of the music and worship the image. This was their response. "If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to save us from it, and he will rescue us from your hand, O king. But even if he does not, we want you to know, O king, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of gold you have set up". Daniel 3:17,18 (NIV)
The King was outraged and had the furnace heated up to seven times hotter than normal and had the three men thrown into the furnace. The King looked into the furnace and saw that an angel of the Lord had rescued the three Jews. They were completely unharmed by the blazing fire. King Nebuchadnezzar was so impressed that he verbally praised God, he decreed that anyone who spoke evil of God would be killed, and promoted the three Jews within the province of Babylon.
Point #1: FAITH The three Jewish men state that God is "able to save" us. They confess and believe that God can save them.
Point #2: RECOGNITION AND ACCEPTANCE OF GOD'S WILL They say "but even if he does not save us, we will not serve your gods". They recognize that it may not be God's will to rescue you them from the fire, but they clearly state that they are willing to accept the consequences.
Point #3: OBEDIENCE They stay true to their faith and accept God's will and refuse to worship the gold image. They are in total obedience to God and are thrown into the fire.
The Message: The King may have been impressed by the faith of these three Jewish men. He also may have been even more impressed by their willingness to accept whatever God's will was for them. However, without their total obedience, this incident never would have come to full fruition and as a result the King became a witness to the power of God. In turn, this witness had a profound effect on the King's attitude towards the God of Israel.
In closing, I pray that as Christians we would find strength and courage through the Holy Spirit to remain obedient to God in the face of the most challenging circumstances; that through our obedience we would bring recognition and glory to Jesus Christ; that the words we profess would be validated by our actions. It is my hope that many hearts would be softened by being a witness to the faith and obedience of the true followers of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
Thursday, July 2, 2009
Looking in the Mirror
As Christians, we are called to be the radiant light of Jesus Christ in everything we do. Hypocrasy is confessing to the world that you are a follower of Jesus Christ and then not living your life in a manner that is in obedience to His Word. Living the Word is surely very different than being "puffed" up by our knowledge of the Word.
James 1:22-24 Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.(NIV)
The most common excuse that I hear as to why people reject God and the church in general, is the perceived hypocrasy of the so-called Christians acting like pagans.
Jesus Christ fullfilled all of the promises of His Word. He walked the walk. His obedience to the Word was absolute and perfect as He died on the cross for all to be saved.
I exhort all of my brethren to be "doers" of the Word and not just "readers" of the Word.
My prayer is that as we look into the daily mirror of self-examination, that the Holy Spirit would reveal the truth to us; that we would be in a state of continual transformation; and that our lives would be an example of the radiant light of Jesus Christ for all the world to see.
James 1:22-24 Do not merely listen to the Word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the Word but does not do what it says is like a man who looks at his face in the mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.(NIV)
The most common excuse that I hear as to why people reject God and the church in general, is the perceived hypocrasy of the so-called Christians acting like pagans.
Jesus Christ fullfilled all of the promises of His Word. He walked the walk. His obedience to the Word was absolute and perfect as He died on the cross for all to be saved.
I exhort all of my brethren to be "doers" of the Word and not just "readers" of the Word.
My prayer is that as we look into the daily mirror of self-examination, that the Holy Spirit would reveal the truth to us; that we would be in a state of continual transformation; and that our lives would be an example of the radiant light of Jesus Christ for all the world to see.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
What Would Peter Do?
Peter is such an overlooked character in the bible.
We tend to focus on Paul more often then not as he wrote many of the books in the New Testament. Not only that, his miraculous conversion resonates freshly in our minds.
However, by taking a look at a few biblical events involving Peter, we can learn not only a lot about him, but also a lot about ourselves.
EVENT #1: Jesus confronts the original twelve disciples shortly after many of the other disciples had decided to stop following Jesus because of a "hard" teaching that they couldn't understand.
John 6:67-69 "You do not want to leave me too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy one of God." (NIV)
We can see clearly here that faithful Peter not only confesses his belief in Jesus, but he is also the first one to answer Jesus.
EVENT #2: Jesus walking on the water. After seeing Jesus coming towards the boat, the disciples were terrified until Jesus reassured them that it was He.
Matthew 14:29 "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. (NIV)
Again, we see that it is Peter who acts first. As we know he eventaully cries out to Jesus when he starts sinking but that doesnt take away from his original act of faith.
EVENT #3: Jesus and the miraculous catch of fish. After the resurrection, the disciples were fishing but didnt catch any fish. Jesus appeared to them and told them to throw the net to the right side of the boat and they caught a huge number of fish.
John 21:7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. (NIV)
Once again, we see that it is Peter who is the first to act. The KJV translation says that he "cast" himself into the sea. It almost sounds like he got so excited when he saw Jesus that he just flung himself into the water.
EVENT #4: Jesus arrested and being led to appear before the Sanhedrin.
Matthew 26:58 But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome. (NIV)
Now, when the situation gets a little messy, a little uncertain, a little scary, we see that faithful Peter is now following Jesus "at a distance."
THE QUESTION: When the trials and tribulations begin, do we follow Jesus at a distance?
Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (NIV)
God didnt call us to love and follow him only on Sunday, or only when our wallets are full, or only when our kids are behaving, or only when we need something.
My prayer for all Christians who struggle in their daily walk with Christ, is that we would seek and accept His will for our lives; that we would fully consecrate every fiber of our being to Him who has called us to bear witness to His name; that when the trials begin, we would fling ourselves overboard in faith and follow Jesus in the midst of the raging storm. All the praise and glory be to Jesus for He will never let us sink. Amen.
We tend to focus on Paul more often then not as he wrote many of the books in the New Testament. Not only that, his miraculous conversion resonates freshly in our minds.
However, by taking a look at a few biblical events involving Peter, we can learn not only a lot about him, but also a lot about ourselves.
EVENT #1: Jesus confronts the original twelve disciples shortly after many of the other disciples had decided to stop following Jesus because of a "hard" teaching that they couldn't understand.
John 6:67-69 "You do not want to leave me too, do you?" Jesus asked the Twelve. Simon Peter answered him, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We believe and know that you are the Holy one of God." (NIV)
We can see clearly here that faithful Peter not only confesses his belief in Jesus, but he is also the first one to answer Jesus.
EVENT #2: Jesus walking on the water. After seeing Jesus coming towards the boat, the disciples were terrified until Jesus reassured them that it was He.
Matthew 14:29 "Come," he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. (NIV)
Again, we see that it is Peter who acts first. As we know he eventaully cries out to Jesus when he starts sinking but that doesnt take away from his original act of faith.
EVENT #3: Jesus and the miraculous catch of fish. After the resurrection, the disciples were fishing but didnt catch any fish. Jesus appeared to them and told them to throw the net to the right side of the boat and they caught a huge number of fish.
John 21:7 Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, "It is the Lord!" As soon as Simon Peter heard him say, "It is the Lord," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. (NIV)
Once again, we see that it is Peter who is the first to act. The KJV translation says that he "cast" himself into the sea. It almost sounds like he got so excited when he saw Jesus that he just flung himself into the water.
EVENT #4: Jesus arrested and being led to appear before the Sanhedrin.
Matthew 26:58 But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome. (NIV)
Now, when the situation gets a little messy, a little uncertain, a little scary, we see that faithful Peter is now following Jesus "at a distance."
THE QUESTION: When the trials and tribulations begin, do we follow Jesus at a distance?
Deuteronomy 6:5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. (NIV)
God didnt call us to love and follow him only on Sunday, or only when our wallets are full, or only when our kids are behaving, or only when we need something.
My prayer for all Christians who struggle in their daily walk with Christ, is that we would seek and accept His will for our lives; that we would fully consecrate every fiber of our being to Him who has called us to bear witness to His name; that when the trials begin, we would fling ourselves overboard in faith and follow Jesus in the midst of the raging storm. All the praise and glory be to Jesus for He will never let us sink. Amen.
Monday, June 29, 2009
Lost at Sea
Our faith in many ways is like being on a tiny row boat stranded with no oars in a sea of enormous waves. We are constantly being tossed about like a rag doll. The imminent threat of sinking is lurking in the back of our minds. Our little boat springs leaks on a regular basis continually threatening our existence. We are thirsty yet we cannot drink of the salty water. Our fate is dependent on the wind. Where will it take us? After being battered and bruised for days on end, when all hope seems lost, we see in the distance, land!! As the wind blows us towards the shore we are filled with the hope of being saved but suddenly we are terror-stricken as we see the huge waves crashing onto the shoreline. There are jagged rocks everywhere. All we can do is cling to our little row boat for dear life and hope that we will be saved. After being thrashed about relentlessly, seemingly for hours , we realize that we are alive. It's a miracle!!
Everything seems still as we lay motionless on the beach in quiet contemplation of what has just happened. There is a peace about this place. A feeling of gratitude and relief is in our hearts. The ocean waves which once threatened our very existence are now harmlessly dissipating around us.
Aren't the waves of the sea just the trials of our lives?
And don't the leaks in our row boats just symbolize our human flaws?
And isn't the salty water just the contaminating sin of our lives?
And doesn't the wind just represent the guiding spirit of God and the His plan for our lives?
In this story we can see that the row boat without oars represents our Jesus. If we separate ourselves from the row boat, we would surely be lost at sea and die. Our faith is in our row boat . We cling to our row boat. We our completely dependent on our row boat.
And as the trials of our lives come crashing down upon us like waves in the sea, our human weaknesses get exposed and as a result our faith sometimes develops little cracks. We start doubting our little rowboat. Let us not forget that when our rowboat springs a leak, surely God is the glue that seals up those leaks and keeps our row boat afloat.
And let us always be grateful for the purifying blood sacrifice of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Let us always repent from our wicked ways and ask Jesus to remove the salty sin from our lives so that we can be spiritually hydrated with His purifying living water.
And let us also accept and recognize that we are not in control. The row boat has no oars. The oars represent our will. If we had oars on our row boat, we would certainly be rowing in the wrong direction. Let the spiritual wind of God take us where He intends us to be. Let His will be done.
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God". (KJV)
And let us never abandon our faith in Jesus Christ. Cling onto your row boat and know that you will be divinely delivered onto that spiritual beach; that you shall never thirst and shall live eternally in heaven. Rejoice in your salvation and know that His mercy and grace are sufficient and that His plan for your life is perfect because He is perfect.
Everything seems still as we lay motionless on the beach in quiet contemplation of what has just happened. There is a peace about this place. A feeling of gratitude and relief is in our hearts. The ocean waves which once threatened our very existence are now harmlessly dissipating around us.
Aren't the waves of the sea just the trials of our lives?
And don't the leaks in our row boats just symbolize our human flaws?
And isn't the salty water just the contaminating sin of our lives?
And doesn't the wind just represent the guiding spirit of God and the His plan for our lives?
In this story we can see that the row boat without oars represents our Jesus. If we separate ourselves from the row boat, we would surely be lost at sea and die. Our faith is in our row boat . We cling to our row boat. We our completely dependent on our row boat.
And as the trials of our lives come crashing down upon us like waves in the sea, our human weaknesses get exposed and as a result our faith sometimes develops little cracks. We start doubting our little rowboat. Let us not forget that when our rowboat springs a leak, surely God is the glue that seals up those leaks and keeps our row boat afloat.
And let us always be grateful for the purifying blood sacrifice of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Let us always repent from our wicked ways and ask Jesus to remove the salty sin from our lives so that we can be spiritually hydrated with His purifying living water.
And let us also accept and recognize that we are not in control. The row boat has no oars. The oars represent our will. If we had oars on our row boat, we would certainly be rowing in the wrong direction. Let the spiritual wind of God take us where He intends us to be. Let His will be done.
Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God". (KJV)
And let us never abandon our faith in Jesus Christ. Cling onto your row boat and know that you will be divinely delivered onto that spiritual beach; that you shall never thirst and shall live eternally in heaven. Rejoice in your salvation and know that His mercy and grace are sufficient and that His plan for your life is perfect because He is perfect.
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Inspired by the Godman
I am continually inspired by the life that Jesus Christ led. He is so many things to so many people. He is God manifested in the flesh of man. He is....the "Godman".
In today's carnal world where it seems so easy to serve our selfish desires, we need only look to God's word for inspiration. God's word is something far beyond just mere ink on a page, it is the spiritual gateway in getting to know Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart".
For several weeks now my spirit has been continually touched by one verse which speaks to the power of God's word and how it supernaturally ministers to your heart.
Philippians 2:6 "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God".
Jesus Christ is God. Through the Holy Spirit, Paul is teaching us that even though Jesus Christ was divinity and man at the same time, he did not take advantage of the privileges that are associated with being God. Instead, he relinquished his privilege and humbled himself as a man.
Philippians 2:8 "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross".
Jesus Christ was the greatest servant of all time. He chose to die on the cross as a man, and through his resurrection and ascension, he provided us with a life of freedom. He allowed himself nothing and in doing so gave us everything. He is my inspiration. He is my salvation. He is....the "Godman".
In today's carnal world where it seems so easy to serve our selfish desires, we need only look to God's word for inspiration. God's word is something far beyond just mere ink on a page, it is the spiritual gateway in getting to know Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 4:12 "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of thoughts and intents of the heart".
For several weeks now my spirit has been continually touched by one verse which speaks to the power of God's word and how it supernaturally ministers to your heart.
Philippians 2:6 "Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God".
Jesus Christ is God. Through the Holy Spirit, Paul is teaching us that even though Jesus Christ was divinity and man at the same time, he did not take advantage of the privileges that are associated with being God. Instead, he relinquished his privilege and humbled himself as a man.
Philippians 2:8 "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross".
Jesus Christ was the greatest servant of all time. He chose to die on the cross as a man, and through his resurrection and ascension, he provided us with a life of freedom. He allowed himself nothing and in doing so gave us everything. He is my inspiration. He is my salvation. He is....the "Godman".
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
I HAVE A DREAM
Everytime I see the old video footage of Martin Luther King giving his, "I have a dream speech", it gives me goosebumps. It is inspiring to see a man with such great conviction.
I also have a dream. My dream is that everyone on this beautiful planet will one day know the true love of Jesus Christ; that they may feel his presence in every facet of their lives.
My dream came true when God called my name and pulled me out of the mud and cleansed me of the filth of my wretched existence.
It is now my priviliege and honor to write the words of my heart given to me through the Holy Spirit to encourage and inspire those who are in need of grace.
It is my intention to serve any and all who come upon this site and to freely give love as has been given to me from my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ "broke the yokes" of my life and freed me from the bondage of addiction and slavery of the flesh. It is only by God's grace that I am alive today and now in humble gratitude my intention is to serve all of you.
Please feel free to comment and leave any questions you have about the teachings of Jesus Christ or any other biblical questions you might have.
Furthermore, I would love to pray for you, so dont hesistate to leave your prayer requests as well. As I said, I am here to serve you!!
God's Word has the answer to all of our questions. His promises are true. His grace is sufficient. His love is beyond our understanding.
In closing, I give thanksgiving and all of the glory to God as I call upon his Spirit to lead us in humble obedience to His Word. Amen.
I also have a dream. My dream is that everyone on this beautiful planet will one day know the true love of Jesus Christ; that they may feel his presence in every facet of their lives.
My dream came true when God called my name and pulled me out of the mud and cleansed me of the filth of my wretched existence.
It is now my priviliege and honor to write the words of my heart given to me through the Holy Spirit to encourage and inspire those who are in need of grace.
It is my intention to serve any and all who come upon this site and to freely give love as has been given to me from my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ "broke the yokes" of my life and freed me from the bondage of addiction and slavery of the flesh. It is only by God's grace that I am alive today and now in humble gratitude my intention is to serve all of you.
Please feel free to comment and leave any questions you have about the teachings of Jesus Christ or any other biblical questions you might have.
Furthermore, I would love to pray for you, so dont hesistate to leave your prayer requests as well. As I said, I am here to serve you!!
God's Word has the answer to all of our questions. His promises are true. His grace is sufficient. His love is beyond our understanding.
In closing, I give thanksgiving and all of the glory to God as I call upon his Spirit to lead us in humble obedience to His Word. Amen.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Matthew 15:11 "The Power of Silence"
Are you appalled at what is coming out of our childrens mouths? Powerful lobbyists for the television industry have succeeded in their promotion of vulgar language being acceptable at certain hours of the night. It is simply horrifying to hear the vile garbage that is being spewed forth on basic cable channels fairly early in the evening.
In Matthew 15:11, Jesus states, "What goes into a mans mouth does not make him unclean, but what comes out of his mouth makes him unclean".
Although this scripture is taken in a different context, it still speaks to my heart. It is very clear that the blatant vulgarity of our society is becoming acceptable, almost commonplace.
I challenge all who have stumbled across this blog to remain silent more often than not; to think before you speak.
We have all heard the saying "what would Jesus do?" I ask you another question, "what would Jesus say?"
A dirty mouth is like a cancer growing in your soul. Rid yourself of this uncleanliness and allow your spirit to be free from this type of contamination. Let the Spirit of Jesus Christ and his Truth be the Words on your lips.
Peace and blessings to all of my brothers and sisters who are facing the struggles of modern society with vigilance and faith in Christ Jesus.
In Matthew 15:11, Jesus states, "What goes into a mans mouth does not make him unclean, but what comes out of his mouth makes him unclean".
Although this scripture is taken in a different context, it still speaks to my heart. It is very clear that the blatant vulgarity of our society is becoming acceptable, almost commonplace.
I challenge all who have stumbled across this blog to remain silent more often than not; to think before you speak.
We have all heard the saying "what would Jesus do?" I ask you another question, "what would Jesus say?"
A dirty mouth is like a cancer growing in your soul. Rid yourself of this uncleanliness and allow your spirit to be free from this type of contamination. Let the Spirit of Jesus Christ and his Truth be the Words on your lips.
Peace and blessings to all of my brothers and sisters who are facing the struggles of modern society with vigilance and faith in Christ Jesus.
Got milk? Got faith?
Why do you suppose that America has decided to reject God. We are in the midst of global instability both politically and economically and yet we continue to put our faith in people, places, and things. Sadly, it is not enough that we reject God, but now we have taken it one step further and are removing Him from our society in as many ways as possible. The American family is crumbling. Our children our being poisoned by drugs; their minds contaminated by video games and television. Our collective health is continuing in a downward spiral as obesity and depression are on the rise. Ironically, we claim to be a free nation, when in reality we live our lives as slaves and our yoked by our need for wordly possesions. We claim to be righteous and humane, but in all honesty we live as an empty people who are blinded by vanity. We have rejected the one reality of all; the reality and Truth of the teachings of Jesus Christ. My hope and prayer for all who read this is that they will open their hearts and repent from their sins and receive Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour and experience the freedom and joy of being in communion with Our Father in heaven. Amen.
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