Category Archives: The Gospel

Unlikely but Certain

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Shepherds near here live in rustic, tiny wagons with rounded tops.  Pretty shabby accomodations but then shepherds are on the bottom of the food chain; they don’t command per diem expense accounts in fancy hotels.  Same thing was true in biblical days: shepherds were considered to be a pretty low and sleazy lot. 

Kings, on the other hand, jet around the world in private, posh comfort and command the highest respect and fanciest privileges.  As they have for thousands of years.  (Ok, they didn’t have Lear Jets back in the Bible days, but you get the idea…)

These days, the nations surrounding Israel want to wipe her off the map and take her land for themselves.  As was also the case a few hundred years before Christ.  And, just as they were about to conquer Israel, God made this astonishing promise:

“Now muster your troops, O daughter of troops; siege is laid against us;
with a rod they strike the judge of Israel
on the cheek. But you, O Bethlehem Ephrathah, who are too little to be among the clans of Judah, from you shall come forth for me one who is to be ruler in Israel, whose coming forth is from of old,
from ancient days. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when she who is in labor has given birth; then the rest of his brothers shall return to the people of Israel. And he shall stand and shepherd his flock in the strength of the Lord, in the majesty of the name of the Lord his God.
And they shall dwell secure, for now he shall be great to the ends of the earth.
And he shall be their peace.  (Micah 5:1-5a)

Quick paraphrase.  God said, You, Israel, are about to get wiped out by your pagan neighbors.  But after you have been destroyed and things look hopeless, I will send you a King Who will be a Shepherd to His people.  His mother will give birth to Him in Bethlehem, the least likely of places.  But eventually, His reign will be accomplished by My unlimited power.  He will incorporate people from every nation into His flock and His reign will be supreme even to the ends of the earth.  He will bring peace because He will be peace. This may seem unlikely, but it is going to happen, because I planned and ordained His coming from ancient days past.

His birth was extremely unlikely.  But it happened, just as God said it would.

His dual role as Shepherd/King seemed like a ridiculous oxymoron.  And yet He affirmed both.

Perhaps least likely of all, that anyone one man could reign supreme to the ends of the earth and bring peace.  But His reign is already being established, growing and spreading around the globe.   Unlikely, but certain. 

Getting Through

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How freaked out would you be if God sent you a messenger to tell you, “I heard you when you prayed about…. (fill in the blank with some private prayer)?  I was thinking about that when I read about the angel telling Zechariah,

…“Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been heard, and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. ( Luke 1:13b)

Would you pray any differently if you were sure God was listening?  When you send an email you might question if it will be received and read.  But when you pick up the phone and actually speak to someone you can be more sure they are hearing what you say.  Better yet with Skype when you can tell they are actually paying attention.  But how can you know God is listening?

If we want to be heard by God, Jesus taught us to pray privately, simply and sincerely.

But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.  And when you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words.  –  ( Mat 6:6-7)

He also taught His disciples to pray directly to God because their prayers would get though without any intercession on His part.  He said:

“In that day you will ask in my name, and I do not say to you that I will ask the Father on your behalf; for the Father himself loves you, because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.  (John 16:26-27)

Jesus assured us of a direct line to the Father Who loves us.  Next time you pause to pray, remember:  “your prayers have been heard!”

To Lie Down in Peace

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Next year I’m going to be selling a line of Black Friday helmets and protective gear, along with a self-test concussion assessment. Good idea? I think so and I hope your BF bruises are beginning to heal. Ah, yes: each year our anticipation of Christmas gets more and more exciting!

Before the birth of Christ, there was also great anticipation of His coming but for slightly different reasons. One of them was they knew this promise from God, written by the prophet, Ezekiel:

I myself will be the shepherd of my sheep, and I myself will make them lie down, declares the Lord God. I will seek the lost, and I will bring back the strayed, and I will bind up the injured, and I will strengthen the weak, and the fat and the strong I will destroy. I will feed them in justice. – (Ezekiel 34:15-16)

Perhaps you can relate to the sheep. When sheep lie down, it is because they are at peace – no threats, real or imagined to stir them up. No pacing about with anxious bleating. How would you like to find peace like that this Christmas? Maybe you understand what it feels like to be lost. Or to have strayed and not know how to find your way back. Perhaps you’ve been injured in life, or feel weak or oppressed. The promise of God was to be a shepherd for His people. He said “I myself will make them lie down…” No wonder there was such a yearning for His coming, such anticipation for the One Whose Name would be “God with Us.”

Regardless of how you spent Black Friday and Cyber Monday, my prayer is that this season you will find the One Who called Himself the “Good Shepherd,” the One in Whom we can truly lie down in peace.

And if you want to get in on the helmet thing, let me know…

The Flip Side

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Norman Rockwell never painted a Thanksgiving like the one I had this year.  I spent the day in bed with a bad case of bronchitis, missing my wife, who died six months ago.  I also mostly missed my shots to the wastebasket and scattered snotty tissues on the floor.  But, Ironically, during this less than perfect Thanksgiving day, I had a new insight about the importance of being thankful.

It was from the flip side of this familiar verse:

For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened.  (Romans 1:21)

I have always read that verse as an explanation for how people become twisted and darkened in their thinking.  But if failing to honor and give thanks to God results in a darkened heart and mind, the converse, the flip side, must also be true.  In circumstances that seem crummy and depressing, there is a way to brighten our outlook, a way to wash the mud off our spiritual windshield.  Spend some time and mental energy in those circumstances reflecting on how amazing and holy God is, how perfect, loving, patient, gracious, all-knowing, all-powerful and eternal.  And then in those same circumstances, focus on what He has done and given for which you are thankful.

I will be honest: it took some effort to overcome feeling sorry for myself.  And when I began to get the hang of it, I was not magically transported into a Norman Rockwell version of Thanksgiving.  No satisfying blobs of turkey stuffing, drenched in gravy.  No candlelit, happy faces sharing a toast.  But something better, more long lasting happened.  My thinking became clear and my heart enlightened.  My spirits were lifted and filled with joy.  And I watched some guilt-free football.

When you are struggling, remember the flip side.  If failing to honor God and give Him thanks leads to a futile, darkened heart and mind, the reverse is also true.  It was good to discover and practice that lesson for. 

Now if I can work on my Kleenex bank shot…

Running the Rapids with Jesus

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Before you even get in the raft, the white water guide begins to establish his or her authority and control.  In the early stages of the float trip they work hard to make sure everyone knows what to do, practicing the commands over and over.  “Back-paddle!”  “Right turn!”  “Let’s do it again!”  Why?  White water!  There’s rapids downstream and, when they get to them, it’s too late to begin figuring out what to do.  The idea is for everyone to be alert, trained and ready to respond quickly, without panic.  Even if the raft seems about to flip.

Jesus told the folks in His raft they would eventually confront dangerous rapids.  When they asked how they could know the end of the age was approaching, He didn’t mince words.  Instead, He prepared them (and us).   You can read what He told them in the 24th Chapter of Matthew, but here are some excepts of what He said:

Jesus answered: “Watch out that no one deceives you.  For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am the Christ,’ and will deceive many.

In other words, “When things get dicey, make sure you listen to my commands and not anyone else.”

“You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. 

In other words, “When you hear the roar of the rapids, don’t freak out;  I have told you this trip winds up in white water so keep your heads.”

“Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.   –  (Matthew 24:4–13 Excerpts – NIV84)

In other words, “Don’t be surprised at how violent the rapids will seem.  You may even get tossed out of the raft.  But remember to trust me.  Do what I say and you will come through just fine.”

Human history is filled with failed attempts to make our world better as we strive for utopia.  People even held the hope that World War I would serve to end all future wars.  No matter how or what we try, we have not succeeded in eradicating evil.  As we see the rise of ISIS, Russia’s alliances with wicked dictators and nations who pledge the destruction of Israel, it might seem discouraging and frightening.

But these kinds of events have been foretold in Scripture.  Jesus never whitewashed the truth: wickedness will increase as the age continues toward the end.  But He also said,  “see to it you are not alarmed.”  And, “don’t listen to others who will lead you astray.”  And, “stand firm in your faith and you will be saved.”

Peace

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Our hearts and tears go out for our sisters and brothers of Paris.  We are shocked, dismayed by the wanton brutality.  We pray for them, asking that they might find real peace in their hearts, healing from the terror, comfort in sorrow.  And safety.  I pray that many will hear and respond to these words of Jesus:

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  –  (Matthew 11:28–30 NIV84)

“If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.   –  (Jn 14:23b ESV)

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.  –  (John 14:27  NIV84)

 

Your Spiritual Gift

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Look it up:  “Paper Towel Sniffer” is a paying job.  Somebody has to check paper towels are odor-free before they leave the factory.  You probably haven’t seen that job on a list of career choices.  Or “Dog Surfing Instructor.”  Lists of possible careers are not exhaustive; they can’t possibly include becoming a “Water Slide Tester.”  The same principle applies to lists in Scripture of “spiritual gifts.”  Perhaps you have been asked what your spiritual gift is and are confused.  Some say there are only 7 gifts listed in the Bible, so yours must be one of those 7.  Others count 12.  But when you understand what a spiritual gift really is, it is misguided to limit the possibilities by those few examples.

Here is the clearest definition of spiritual gifts:

Now to each one the manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common good. (1 Corinthians 12:7 (NIV84))

As the Holy Spirit’s life in a believer grows, He brings about basic changes in their attitude and character.  Eventually, these changes are seen externally as “fruit of the Spirit” – love, joy, peace, patience, etc. (See “Recognizing the Holy Spirit in You”).  As this process continues, the Spirit manifests or reveals His invisible presence in a more tangible and practical way.  He “gifts” each believer with the ability to do something that will contribute to the common good of the community of believers.  For example, the Spirit might empower a person to preach.  Another person might discover a new aptitude for empathy and use it to counsel those who are hurting.  Someone else might come alive with a newly found passion for generosity.  I know a man who was gifted by the Spirit with a knack for knowing when a hinge needed oiling or a screw needed tightening.

It is important to understand these gifts are not simply natural talents.  The energy and ability involved in using these gifts is derived from the Spirit.  Sometimes the Spirit will manifest Himself in a way that enhances an existing natural talent – say, playing the piano – filling this talent with new power and purpose.  Other times, His manifestation will enable a person in a completely new way.  But the end result is not personally beneficial, but rather, building up the gathered body of believers.

Also notice, from the definition above, the Holy Spirit manifests Himself in “each one.”  That means every follower of Jesus eventually is empowered to bless the others.  Each gift is essential for the body of a church, no matter how insignificant it may seem to be, just as is true for a human body.  If your ankle itches in the night, you really need the giftedness of your toenail, eh?  There is no such thing as an unimportant spiritual gift.

If you have trusted Jesus, you have, or will receive, a spiritual gift.  What is it?  Look for an ability that seems to be powered up beyond your own personal resources, one that is consistent with the character and commands of God, and which contributes to the common good of your church.  See if it energizes you and blesses the rest of your church.  If so, likely it is your spiritual gift.

Recognizing the Holy Spirit in You

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Late one night, at the Apple warehouse, a box of new iPhones were engaged in a casual competition to see which one of them was the best.  Unexpectedly, one of the phones was connected to a cell phone signal and then to the WiFi.  The other phones sensed something was amiss and asked him, “What’s that goofy look on your face; what’s going on?”  “I don’t know how to explain what I’m experiencing, but it is almost as though I came to life for the first time.”  The other phones considered him weird and ostracized him.

Okay, maybe that didn’t really happen, but it illustrates the problem of answering the question we posed last time (See: Who is in Control?): “How do I know when I have received the Holy Spirit?”  If you have received Him, you probably agree it’s pretty hard to find words to describe the experience.  But a pretty good start is to say it feels a bit like coming to life in a new way and for the first time.

Some will tell you that receiving the Holy Spirit is always accompanied by speaking in unknown languages, or by falling down and twitching, by hysterical laughter or even barking like a dog.  Perhaps all of these things have occurred to some as they received this mysterious and powerful new life, but it is nonsense to insist that everyone will respond in the same way.  Paul made that point in an extended argument you can read in 1 Corinthians 12 through 14.

Let me suggest a couple of telltale signs  of new life in God’s Spirit.  The first one is that you will begin to notice basic changes in how you think, what you see, what kinds of things are most important, etc.  You may think to yourself, “Well, that wasn’t like me…”  One of the changes I noticed pretty quickly was a desire to read the Bible, when I formerly had found it incredibly dull.  That wasn’t like me.  The changes might be very subtle, and even more noticeable to others.  The night I crossed the line of faith and received the Spirit, when I walked in the front door, my wife looked up and said, “Something is different about you; what’s going on?”   I don’t know what she saw or sensed.

Secondly, these changes will not fade over time but, instead, will grow.  They are not simply temporary emotional responses, such as what you might experience if you get a promotion, but living and growing changes, as you gradually become more attuned to the life of God’s Spirit within you.

Eventually, the life of the Holy Spirit will produce fruit.  Jesus spoke of the difference between a superficial religious experience and one that was genuine.  He said, those who genuinely come to new life in Him don’t wither away when trouble comes but continue to grow and produce fruit (see: Matthew 13:1-23).  What does this fruit look like?  Paul says it looks like this:

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control…”  –  Galatians 5:22–23 (NIV84)

And you think, “Whoa…  that’s not like me!” Notice that these “fruit” changes are external, they impact others around us.  The changes and then the fruit grow as the Spirit changes our character and attitudes to more closely resemble God’s.

Eventually, the Spirit gives us new aptitudes and abilities –  gifts of the Spirit.  And we’ll take that up next time.

P.S.  –  If you are concerned about your situation and need to run some questions past someone, I strongly encourage you to seek out a local pastor, one who is comfortable with the concept of what it means to be born again.

Who is in Control?

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We pesky humans try to control things.  Even  things that are way beyond our control.  You thought I was going to go off on global warming, right?  Nope, I’m thinking about coming to faith in Jesus.  We can’t control that, especially when it concerns others coming to faith.  Nevertheless, we try.

When I was a kid, my church baptized infants, declaring them saved – at least temporarily.  Then as we approached puberty, they decided we needed a booster shot of salvation.  They called it “confirmation.”  We snored our way through classes, learned how to say the Apostles’ Creed, and we all stood together in church to say “I do” to Jesus.  Bingo, we were saved, they said.  To prove it, they gave us a certificate and allowed us to take communion.  It was not until I was 38 that I discovered that all that carefully planned procedure and ritual hadn’t changed anything in my soul.

On the other side of things are those who encourage others to “walk the aisle” or “pray the sinner’s prayer.”  They have the prayer conveniently laid out in a numbered sequence in the back of their tract.  Good intentions, good motives, but again, a futile attempt to regulate what really is in the control of the Holy Spirit.

Don’t get me wrong!  I am sure that many people have genuinely crossed the line of faith during confirmation classes or by praying the sinner’s prayer.  I know the Holy Spirit can use even those experiences.  And I am not denying that part of the process depends upon our own genuine faith and surrender.  My point is this: we cannot make spiritual transformation happen with our little tricks and rituals.

Peter discovered that early on, as he was telling a group of people about Jesus at the home of a Roman Centurion.

While Peter was still speaking these words, the Holy Spirit came on all who heard the message.  –  (Acts 10:44 NIV)

I picture Peter thinking, “Rats! I didn’t get a chance to give them the invitation or ask them to come down front.  They haven’t said the prayer or repeated the creed.”   Of course, he didn’t think those things.  Instead he had his mind blown as he witnessed the people receiving the Holy Spirit.  Which is the mark of genuine spiritual change.  Jesus called it being born again and said:

Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.   (John 3:6  New Living Translation)

Paul wrote to his friends, saying:

For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you,  because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction. …  –  (Thessalonians 1:4–5a (NIV84)

God uses believers to tell others about Jesus but the work of making them new is in His control.

Perhaps you are wondering how you can know if you have received the Holy Spirit.  Chew on this and we’ll take that up in a couple of days…

Water Power

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The water bubbles up continuously, constantly filling and refreshing the pool and then flows out through a hand-crafted, wooden trough, dropping onto a water wheel.  The wheel powers the steady turn of an antique flour mill at the Heritage Homestead in Waco, Recirculating Mill PondTexas.

Tail-Water Dumps into Pond

On a recent visit, I was struck by this nearly silent, steady source of power and reminded of Jesus’ words:

“If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”  By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive.  (Jn 7:37b–39a).

When a person recognizes the Identity of Jesus, the Son of God, and responds in surrender and complete trust, an amazing transformation occurs as His Holy Spirit is given to live forever in his or her soul.  That Spirit becomes a Spring of “living water” flowing up from within.  He refreshes and cleanses, informs and guides us.  He restores our living connection with Almighty God.  But this Flow of living water also empowers us to do what we are intended to do.  He does so in a silent, steady way.  It may not seem like much at first – no screaming machinery or belching smoke – but we can learn to rely on this Source of power, day by day.

Quotes: The Holy Bible: New International Version. (1984). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan.