Year: 2015

Breakdown 

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Galatians 2:18
“For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.”

Many different metaphors are used in the Bible to describe what happens when a person receives Jesus Christ. We are born again, adopted, redeemed, forgiven, made alive, and much more. Each of these is designed to reveal different aspects of salvation. Being born again speaks of our new lease on life, being forgiven asserts that nothing from our past will ever be held against us, and being made alive points out the fact that salvation is a supernatural work of God, which cannot take place without the Holy Spirit.

There is another very important aspect of Salvation that Paul alludes to in this verse. When we believe in Christ, we are set free from the sin that once held us captive. Like Israel, under the Egyptian yoke, we were held captive by sin until Christ set us free. What our resolve could never accomplish, Christ did through the cross. The moment we believed, there was a freeing from many of the sins that gripped and held us captive. Paul now warns of the danger of becoming bound again to the very sins we escaped.

Galatians 2:18 “For if I build again those things which I destroyed, I make myself a transgressor.”

One of the great mistakes many Christians make, is to think they can outgrow the temptation of sin. We only need to scan the pages of Scripture to find that great, godly, and mature men, fell into sin when they built again that which had been destroyed. Let’s be careful not to open doors in our lives that should be closed up tight, or to walk down paths that will cause us to fall.

Pastor Jim

 

You Can’t Take It With You

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Ecclesiastes 5:15
“As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return, to go as he came; And he shall take nothing from his labor Which he may carry away in his hand.”

Back in the eighties, it was common to see bumper stickers on expensive cars that read, “He who dies with the most toys wins.” The sentiment was simple, life is about acquiring more, and happiness is found in the abundance of wealth. That might be a catchy saying, but the reality is, the only thing we win by accumulating more, is more. The Bible declares, there is much more to

life than the things we acquire. Solomon declared,

“As he came from his mother’s womb, naked shall he return”

Years ago, a nearby museum was displaying the remains of King Tut. People everywhere, traveled to see the great wealth buried with this dead ruler. He was buried along with much wealth in order that he would have plenty when he stepped from time into eternity. The folly of such thinking should have been settled forever by the fact that his tomb was still filled with all that loot. The simple fact is, no matter how much wealth we attain in this life, we cannot take it with us. It would be utter folly to see a hearse pulling a trailer full of goods. While we cannot take earthly riches with us, we certainly can send spiritual treasures on ahead. Jesus encourages us to “store up treasures in heaven” (Matthew 6:20).

Instead of living only to provide for needs while on earth, we should be living to prepare for our time in eternity. First step, receive Christ as Savior. Next step, seek to live for the things that matter most to Him.

Pastor Jim

 

The World 

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Galatians 1:4
“Who gave Himself for our sins, that He might deliver us from this present evil age, according to the will of our God and Father”

We spend a lot of time, effort, and energy, seeking to determine the will of God for our lives. Right now, many of us are facing circumstances where we are not exactly sure what God wants us to do. Should I go ahead with Plan A or is it time to implement Plan B? Should I take the new job, or wait this one out a little longer? Should we let the kids do this, or is it best to wait till they are a little older? Needless to say, we are plagued with questions that we need the will of God to answer. While this text does not address those questions specifically, it does give us some keen insight into the will of God for our lives. Paul associates the will of God to the giving of His Son and delivering us from evil.

The Bible has much to say regarding God’s relationship to the world. We are told, because of sin, the inhabitants of the world live separated from God and will die separated from Him. We also read, the love of God moved Him to send His Son to redeem us from the curse of sin, making it possible for us to have eternal life. As we walk through the Gospel stories, we find that Jesus was the friend of sinners. It is common to find Him talking, walking and eating with sinners in order to draw them out of sin and into relationship with God. We can conclude, whatever the will of God is for our lives right now, it is wrapped up in a desire to use us to declare the Gospel message to the lost. Your current circumstances are divinely ordained to reach others for the Kingdom of Heaven.

The Bible also has much to say about our relationship with the world. This verse reminds us, it is the will of God that we be delivered from this present evil age. The word delivered means to be rescued. Jesus died to set us free from sin. It is always sad when we see a brother or sister in Christ tangled in sin. Paul had a friend named Demas, who once served Christ along-side him, but later left because he fell in love with the world again. Sadly, Demas is not an isolated case. Many who begin to follow Christ, stumble along the way, getting tangled up in sin. Paul reminds us that it is the will of God for us to be set free from sin. Sometimes, we are drawn away from the Lord because of perspective. We look at sin as something harmless and enjoyable, while God declares that it is evil. Rather than looking at sin the way it is portrayed on the TV screen, we should look at it as it is described in the Word of God.

As you seek to determine what God wants you to do today, remember that He loves the world and hates sin. He desires to keep you from sin and use you to lead others to Christ.

Pastor Jim

 

Unbreakable 

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Ecclesiastes 4:9-12
“Two are better than one, because they have a good reward for their labor. For if they fall, one will lift up his companion. But woe to him who is alone when he falls, for he has no one to help him up. Again, if two lie down together, they will keep warm; but how can one be warm alone? Though one may be overpowered by another, two can withstand him. And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

Solomon’s search for life has led him to the conclusion that life is better when we do not have to walk it alone. He gives four examples to illustrate his conclusion. These examples are more practical than they are poetic. First, he suggests that having a companion is better because we can get more work done. Second, if we fall down, we have someone to help us get back up. Third, we can warm one another, and finally, if attacked, we have a better chance of survival.

This passage has application for all relationships, but especially in marriage. We will find success when we view our spouse as a helpmate, and we seek to assist, support, comfort and protect each other. However, the real beauty of this passage,  and what makes it so very practical, is the final line.

“And a threefold cord is not quickly broken.”

The true strength of any relationship is when it is built around a relationship with Christ. If you are married, and want to have a healthy, blessed and growing relationship with your spouse, the key is to place Christ at the center of your marriage. This can be done by seeking to please Him in the way you treat your spouse. Often, marriages collapse because we fail to treat our spouse with the same dignity that we treat a stranger or co-worker. Peter encouraged wives to seek to win their husbands. I think that advice can be applied to husband and wife.

If you are not married, but are seeking to be, it is important to keep Christ at the center of your current relationships. Too often, we make compromises and concessions before marriage, because we have not sought to live pleasing to the Lord. Christ will be a stabilizing element in those relationships, where He is allowed to influence the way we behave. Too often, we want Jesus to bless us, but we are unwilling to live the kind of life He can bless.

Whatever your current state, it is not too late to put Christ at the center. If you are misbehaving in your relationship, stop, turn to Jesus, ask for forgiveness and help to change. When He becomes the center, you will experience the blessings He intends.

Pastor Jim

 

Like Animals

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Ecclesiastes 3:18
“I said in my heart, ‘Concerning the condition of the sons of men, God tests them, that they may see that they themselves are like animals.’”

Webster’s dictionary defines science as, “the accumulation of knowledge; particularly the knowledge gathered through the scientific method, which involves observation and experimentation.” In that regard, Solomon was a scientist of the highest quality. He spent much of his life in the pursuit of knowledge, through both observation and experimentation. He was a student of many fields of science, but perhaps, more than anything else, he studied human behavior. Watching the way fallen men and women behaved, caused him to come to the conclusion that humans are nothing more than highly evolved animals. Solomon’s conclusions were impacted by the lab he used for his experiments. Over and over he used the phrase, “under the sun”, which meant he was looking at things through the eyes of the natural, without any regard to the person, work, or Word, of God.

When we remove God and His ways from the equation, it is probable, we will consider man to be little different from other mammals. Men who give no regard to the ways of God, are driven by their appetites: when hungry they eat, tired they sleep, thirsty they drink, angry they fight, and on and on the list goes. It include any emotional drive that wells up within us. Jesus declared, when a person believes in Him, he becomes born again, and is given an entirely new nature. Instead of being driven by his natural impulses, he can be controlled by the Spirit of God.

The German philosopher, Immanuel Kant, suggested true freedom is found when an individual chooses not to be controlled by his natural impulses, but voluntarily places himself under a system of ethics outside of himself. Without saying it, he was echoing the words of Paul the Apostle, who said, “if we walk in the Spirit we will not fulfill the lusts of the flesh.” Galatian 5:16

The Bible declares, God created man in His image, but through sin, we have taken a downward fall, resulting in our becoming more and more animalistic in our behaviors. Fortunately, God provides a cure for the fall. When any person trusts Christ for salvation, the Bible declares he is born again, with a brand new nature, which reveals itself by a desire to do that which is pleasing to God.

Pastor Jim

 

Exams 

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2 Corinthians 13:5
“Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?”

This verse carries two vital commands. First, we are told to examine ourselves, then we are told to test ourselves. Both carry the idea of looking at our lives in the light of the Word of God, to determine whether or not we are truly saved. Not all exams are of equal importance, but this is a test we must not avoid, or fail. What is at stake is not a low-grade in class, or the possibility of summer school, but where we will spend eternity.

“Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?”

The first question on the test is whether or not you have received Christ. John wrote, “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, . . .” (John 1 :12). He went on to explain that we receive Him when we believe. It is vital to ask yourself: have you recognized you are a sinner, that your sins have eternally separated you from God, and there is no effort that can be made on your part to remove those sins? Then we must realize, Jesus Christ went to the cross in order to provide a way for sin to be forgiven and removed. If you will look to the cross, confess your sin, and believe Jesus died for you, then Christ is in you.

“You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe—and tremble!” James 2:19

Paul wrote to people who believed they were saved. Perhaps many of them went forward, responding to an altar call, or prayed with a prayer-team member after hearing a message of salvation. Some of those who prayed may have gone out the doors and right back into the sin-filled lifestyles in which they had been living. They may have placed their confidence for eternity in a raised hand or a walk forward. James reminds us, there is a faith that saves and a faith that does not save. Paul put it like this,

“ . . .that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Romans 10:9

Believing with the heart is more than making a one time confession; it involves the surrender of a life to Jesus. Heart believing is ‘trust in and reliance upon’. The person who has truly believed on Jesus, is the person who is walking after Him, and being changed by Him. “By this we know that we are in Him. He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” 1John 2:5b-6

Another important part of this exam is to look at your life before and after you made a decision to follow Jesus. How has it changed? John spoke of two very important changes that will take place in a person who is truly saved. First, he spoke of us “walking in the light.” Darkness and light are often used in the Bible to speak of sin and holiness. We are told to cast off the works of darkness or to have no fellowship with the fruits of darkness, while at the same time, being told to walk in the light. Since receiving Christ, what sins have you cast off? Are you still looking at the same things, going to the same places, drinking the same stuff? Or have you begun to exam your life in light of the cross? The best way to cast off the works of darkness is to look at the life of Christ, and to live for the things that are pleasing to Him.

“Now by this we know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments.” 1 John 2:3

John mentions another vital question on our exam. He writes, the way to discern we know Him, is that we are doing what His Word says. As you read your Bible (which you should do daily) it is important, not only that you mark it, but that it marks you. You should allow the Bible to write on your life. How has your private life, family life, public life, and church life been changed by the daily reading of the Bible? Are you loving your spouse, raising your children in the things of the Lord, seeking to influence your neighbors, co-workers, and friends to follow Christ? Are you attending and serving at your local church? Simply put, are you letting God’s Word redirect your living? These are not things to take lightly. This is not an exam that you can afford to fail. It is critical that you honestly evaluate your life, not in light of what you think, but in light of what the Bible says, and ask yourself “Am I ready to face eternity?”

Pastor Jim

 

Where Are You Headed? 

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Ecclesiastes 2:24
“Nothing is better for a man than that he should eat and drink, and that his soul should enjoy good in his labor. This also, I saw, was from the hand of God.”

A few years ago, I stumbled across a pretty cool website designed to help create photo albums. In a few minutes, I was able to design a picture book capturing a recent family trip. Ecclesiastes is a bit like a photo album, capturing the travels of Solomon, in pursuit of the meaning of life. Solomon had the unique combination of great wealth and intellect. As a result, nothing was beyond his reach as he searched for the meaning of life, in the midst of living. His journeys took him down many different roads. Sadly, he found no matter what road he traveled, he seemed to end at the same destination. A place he called “Vanity of Vanities.”

Ecclesiastes 1:13 “I set my heart to seek and search out by wisdom concerning all that is done under heaven…”

His first pursuit was to acquire knowledge. He thought if he studied more, he would understand more, and that would make him happy. Solomon became a student of life. His pursuits gained him great knowledge and prestige. People traveled great distances to hear him speak on a variety of subjects, including botany, biology, zoology, philosophy and astronomy. While knowledge is a good thing, and education has great value, Solomon discovered the meaning of life was not found in being the smartest guy in the room. He learned knowledge could not satisfy the craving of the heart; and the more he knew, the more it hurt.

Ecclesiastes 2:1 “I said in my heart, ‘Come now, I will test you with mirth; therefore enjoy pleasure’; but surely, this also was vanity.”

When knowledge didn’t satisfy him, Solomon chose to pursue pleasure. Because of his great wealth, he denied himself nothing he thought might make him happy. He had any woman he wanted, threw lavish parties with the most exotic themes, drank, partied, and sought to have as much pleasure as money could buy. Sadly, at the end of that road, he found life was empty, and in his wake, he left a trail of devastated lives.

Ecclesiastes 2:4 “I made my works great…”

If wisdom and pleasure could not make him happy, certainly stuff would. He decided to live by the motto of “He who dies with the most toys wins.” Solomon built palaces and stables throughout the land to house all the stuff he had acquired. The more he got, the more he wanted, and the less he was satisfied. He took a long hard road that ended in the realization, “life is not found in the abundance of things that one possesses.” (Luke 12:15)

Ecclesiastes 2:17 “Therefore I hated life because the work that was done under the sun was distressing to me, for all is vanity and grasping for the wind.”

Poor Solomon. All his wealth, intellect, parties, and possessions could not satisfy; and he was left hating life. Solomon is not alone. History is filled with men and women who spent all they had in pursuit of life, only to come up short. Even today, with all the modern advances, people are coming to realize, there must be more to life.

1 John 5:12 “He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life.”

Since we were created to know God, the true meaning of life will only be found when we are in a relationship with God, through Christ. Instead of spending your life in pursuit of something you will never find, come to Christ and experience abundant life.

Pastor Jim

 

How I See It

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Ecclesiastes 1:2
“Vanity of vanities,” says the Preacher; “Vanity of vanities, all is vanity.”

Most of us have heard the description of optimism verses pessimism, where we look at the glass as either half full or half empty. Reading the words of Solomon, he seems to have become a guy who believes the glass is not only empty, but is broken and shards of glass are protruding into his skin. His assessment of life is that it is empty and nothing can make it better. He has come to this conclusion by observing nature and his own personal experiences. Looking at nature, he found, no matter what happens, the sun still rises, and though the rivers run into the sea, it never overflows. His personal experience showed him that no matter how much he looks, his eyes still desire to see more. I can’t really fault Solomon. I think, looking at what is happening in the world today would bum most people out, and even create in us a rather cynical view of life.

The cause of Solomon’s depressing view of life was his failure to look at things in light of eternity. If I see my life as only having importance here, I too, will become quite pessimistic. However, if I see what I am doing in light of the ultimate plan of God, life becomes exciting. I am not sure what effect the next encounter, conversation or opportunity might have on eternity. I don’t know what kind of eternal rewards might be gained by faithfully doing the task that is set before me today.

Instead of having a defeatist attitude of life, why not begin to see each day as another opportunity to love, follow, and serve Christ. Why not take time to look for ways to impact others for eternity. The reality is, this life is passing, but eternity is forever. All we really have are the treasures we will store in heaven, and the example we will leave for others.

Pastor Jim

 

Visions Of Grace 

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2 Corinthians 12:9
“ My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

Every few years someone writes a book about how they died, went to heaven, and returned to tell about their experiences. The story usually includes something about radiant light, warm feelings, and the awareness of all their loved ones awaiting their arrival. The authors are heralded as experts on the subject of the after-life and their books often become best sellers. Two thousand years ago Paul had an experience where he was “caught up” into heaven. As he reluctantly relates his story, two things stand out to me.

2 Corinthians 12:4 “. . . how he was caught up into Paradise and heard inexpressible words, which it is not lawful for a man to utter.”

Rather than giving a detailed description of heaven, Paul explains that it would be unlawful to attempt to express even the sounds that he heard. Imagine your favorite song, let the sweetness of the singer’s voice enter your mind, then imagine what that song sounds like if we had church Karaoke night, and I was singing. You might say “he is murdering that song, that should be against the law.” Any attempt by Paul to relate heaven to earth would not do it justice.

Scarcely any of Heaven’s glories can be compared to earthly experiences. However, we do find a few. We read of streets of gold, gates of pearl, glorious thrones and a glassy sea. We are also told, heaven will be a place without sorrow, pain, death, sin, or the need of a sun, because the glory of God will be enough to illuminate the skies. Additionally, Scripture describes the inhabitants of heaven. The saints will be in their glorified bodies, and angelic beings, beyond any earthly comparison, will be there, and the central focus of eternity is a throne where God sits as King and Judge. It interests me, when people write of their supposed experiences of visiting heaven, they never seem to mention that God is sitting on a throne as judge. Perhaps what validates Paul’s vision more than anything else, is his unwillingness to talk about it.

2 Corinthians 12:7 “And lest I should be exalted above measure by the abundance of the revelations, a thorn in the flesh was given to me, a messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I be exalted above measure.”

When the revelation ended, Paul found he was afflicted with some sort of physical infirmity. What exactly it was he does not say. For two thousand years Bible students have been trying to piece together the puzzle and uncover to what he referred. While I do not pretend to know what he did not tell us, it is clear he is speaking of a physical infirmity that made life difficult for him. The suffering he experienced was so great he pleaded with the Lord to remove it, and he pleaded with persistence. Imagine the apostle on his knees crying out to the Lord to remove the infirmity which slowed down his progress in sharing the Gospel with a dying world. Then imagine as the silence of heaven is broken as God says,

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.”

Instead of receiving healing, Paul was given grace. He went on to describe how, in suffering, Jesus shows up to provide strength. For Paul, it became a common experience to be weaker than the task required, and to experience the grace of God, which would give him more than was necessary to accomplish what he was called to do. He uses two words that we do not usually associate with suffering. The first is boasting and the second is pleasure. It was not that Paul was a masochist who loved suffering, but he had found that in his weakness, he would experience God’s strength.

Perhaps it is not a vision of heaven that we need, but a realization that in our weakness God wants to show His strength.

Pastor Jim

 

Poison 

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Job 42:10
“And the Lord restored Job’s losses when he prayed for his friends. Indeed the Lord gave Job twice as much as he had before.”

Job lost his health, wealth, family and friends, yet he “Did not sin nor charge God with wrong” (Job 1:22),No matter what the devil threw at him, he remained faithful to the Lord. When his wife told him he should curse God and die, he responded, “Shall we indeed accept good from God, and shall we not accept adversity?”(Job 2:10)  We are told “In all this Job did not sin with his lips.” However, by the end of the book, Job, in fact, sinned and charged God with doing wrong. It wasn’t his circumstances or the attacks of the devil that led Job to sin, but the treatment he received from his friends. What Satan was unable to do, his friends did. Their treatment led him to sin with his mouth. It is no wonder Job declared,

Job 16:2 “I have heard many such things; Miserable comforters are you all!”

Job seems to have had every reason to hold a grudge against those who tore him down instead of building him up, but he chose to forgive. We read “The LORD restored Job’s losses WHEN he prayed for his friends. Indeed the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.” The blessings of God flowed into Job’s life when he chose to forgive those who had wronged him. No matter how we have been wronged, forgiveness is always the road to take. Failing to forgive will slow your progress and keep you from experiencing the blessings of God in your own life. One man put it like this, “Harboring bitterness is like drinking poison and expecting someone else will die.”

Sadly, Job is not alone in this experience. It is common, in our times of greatest need, to find those who we thought were our closest friends and allies are no where to be found. I have met many people who wandered from the Lord and are currently backslidden. They once had a vibrant relationship with the Lord, but that bond is in the distant past. Now, they find themselves far from the Lord and missing out on His blessings. Frequently, their fall from the Lord can be traced to a time when they were hurt by another Christian, or let down by their church. Instead of forgiving and moving forward, they harbored bitterness; and it has eaten away at their relationship with the Lord.

Let’s learn a lesson from the closing verses of Job. No matter how we have been wronged, lets choose the road of forgiveness and allow the Lord to pour forth His blessings on our life.

Pastor Jim