Life

YOLO? 

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Job 14:1-2
“Man who is born of woman is of few days and full of trouble. He comes forth like a flower and fades away…”

In the midst of his struggles, Job came to the realization that life is short. He compares life to a wild flower that blooms one day and seems to be gone the next. While it is important to realize the brevity of life, how we interpret that truth, will radically affect our viewpoint on life.

Some, like Job seem to develop a fatalistic approach to living. They look around, see the rich and poor, young and old, good and bad, all experience suffering, and all die. They soon become disillusioned, and begin to wonder what the point of life really is. Sadly, this usually leads to destructive behavior. It is not uncommon for a fatalist to become isolated from others, or develop a dependency on substances like alcohol or prescription medication. Certainly, the biblical teaching of the brevity of life is not designed to promote such thinking or behavior.

Another response to the shortness of life, is the attitude expressed by the backslidden believers in Isaiah’s day. They declared, he should “eat, drink and be merry for tomorrow we die” (Isaiah 22:13b). Sadly, it seems this attitude is almost epidemic today. One of the most popular hashtags (short messages on microblogging and social networking services) on social media sites is YOLO, meaning “you only live once.” Most pictures connected with this are of people doing particularly foolish things. It’s as if they are saying “you only live once, so live wild and free.” A viewpoint on life giving no regard to eternity, is anything but intelligent. The Bible declares a person is given one opportunity to live and then we will face judgment for this life (Hebrews 9:27). Rather than living recklessly against the ways of God, why not live recklessly for Him.

The proper response to understanding the shortness of this life, is to live for eternal things. As far as I know, there are only three things which will outlast this life: God, His Word, and the souls of men and women. We should get to know God through the pages of the Bible, seek to put into practice the things that matter to Him, and seek to express His love to others in every way possible. When the journey of life reaches the finish line, I want to be able to look back and see that I have left a mark upon the world for the kingdom of heaven, and to look forward to treasures that have been stored up by living for the things that matter to God.

Time is running out, it cannot be stopped. How will you choose to use it today?

Pastor Jim

 

In His Hands

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Job 12:10
“In whose hand is the life of every living thing, And the breath of all mankind?”

There are certain truths that, if we took hold of them, and allowed ourselves to be taken hold by them, would transform the way we live, and as a result, the world we live in. This is one of those truths. If we really believe that the breath of all living things is in the hand of God, our lives will show it.

Believing this should transform your view of God. A God who holds the breath of all living things is both powerful and personal. Perhaps rather than viewing Him as one who at any moment might take our life, we should consider Him as a surgeon, whose hand is actually keeping our hearts beating, so we can know Him and uncover His purposes for our lives. A life surrendered to this God is safe in the center of God’s will. Maybe it was this view which drove men and women to be able to give all, and risk all, for the cause of Christ.

Believing this should also transform your view of yourself. Instead of thinking of ourselves as the captain of our own ship, or the ruler of a kingdom of one, we should consider that God is the one putting breath in our lungs. We are dependent upon Him. He is our resource for all things. He is the one that keeps providing all that we need in order to walk with Him and fulfill His purposes.

Finally, this should transform our view of others. If we see the loving care with which God holds the breath of others, we will begin to see the high value He places upon them. This should drive us, not to exalt ourselves above others, but also to put the highest value upon the human soul. One of our greatest drives is for self survival. No matter how weak, sad, lonely or even depressed an individual is, he will fight and scratch for the surface when drowning. The basic nature of man is to survive. When we see that God holds the breath of others, perhaps it will put in us a new sort of drive. A drive that finds itself willing to give all to bring others the good news of salvation found in Christ.

The whole world needs Jesus, and we need to see how precious souls are to Him.

Pastor Jim

 

The Innocent 

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Job 4:7
“Remember now, who ever perished being innocent? Or where were the upright ever cut off?”

While Job was suffering the physical and emotion pain brought on from his trials, three friends arrived to offer their condolences, and seek to bring him answers. Eliphaz was first to speak. It seems he could not comprehend a situation where people did not deserve the suffering they were experiencing. This causes him to ask a very important question, has anyone ever died who was truly innocent?

The Bible teaches that there are none who are completely righteous, each and every person is a sinner and has practiced sin. It is humorous how some people take offense to that. They become upset when they are told they are sinners, even though all the evidence supports the Bible’s claim. A few years ago I was in West Africa on a short term mission trip. I, and another man, began to witness to a group of young men. When the conversation turned to talk about their need for a Savior, one of the young men declared that he was not a sinner. Surprised a bit by his statement, I paused to think about how to respond, while the gentlemen with me simply turned to one of his friends and asked if they thought their friend was a sinner. They all broke out in laughter. Apparently, in their minds he was the biggest sinner of them all.

The reality is, no one is innocent. We are born sinners, and we prove it everyday of our lives by the way we treat others, and ignore the ways of God. Because of our sinful nature, we find ourselves under the judgment of God, facing eternity apart from Him. It is here, where Eliphaz’ question finds its answer. There is One who perished being innocent. That One, is the sinless Son of God, who died on behalf of the guilty. Jesus lived a life without sin, in order to die a death that would pay the price for sin. At His death, even His accusers admitted He had done nothing wrong. His death was in our place, the innocent for the guilty, that He may offer us eternal life.
The solution to our sin problem is found in receiving Jesus Christ. If you want your sins forgiven, and the free gift of eternal life, then invite Jesus to forgive you of sin, to become your Savior and Lord. Take a moment to pray:

“Jesus, I confess that I am a sinner, I ask you to forgive me of my sin, and become my Lord. I pray you would help me leave my old ways behind, and follow after You.”

If you prayed that prayer, let us know so we can help you follow Jesus.

Pastor Jim

 

Time To Wake Up

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Romans 13:11
“And do this, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than when we first believed.”

I can remember times, as a child, when I had to wake up very early for an event I was looking forward to. I would set my alarm, and a backup, then wake up over and over again through the night to check the time. I did not want to sleep in and miss out. I recall, one morning, hearing the alarm go off, getting out of bed, getting dressed and walking out to the living room, where I put on my shoes. After a few moments, I heard my mom’s voice asking me what I was doing. As I began to answer, I noticed all the lights were on and my parents were watching television. It was eleven p.m., I had only been asleep for about an hour, and had dreamt I heard the sound of my alarm clock.

Paul is writing about the most important of all events, encouraging us not to sleep in and miss out. He writes concerning Salvation, reminding us, we are nearer to the return of Christ than any other time in human history. Just as there are signs that morning is approaching, so there are signs that Christ is coming. It is foolish to ignore the warnings and continue on in our spiritual slumber. Instead, we must live life prepared to face eternity. Paul tells us three necessary things to do in order to be prepared when the trumpet sounds and Christ calls us home.

First, we are to cast off the works of darkness. After Lazarus was resurrected, Jesus commanded that his burial clothes be removed. Those clothes were fitting for a dead man, but not for the living. They would stink of death and restrict life. In the same way, there are behaviors that might have ‘fit’ us before we came to Christ, but we must be cast aside. Paul mentions partying, drinking, sexual sin, lust, envy and strife. These things should remain in our past.

Second, we are to put on Christ. Christianity is not all about what we don’t do. Instead, it is about living for Jesus and becoming like Him. As we focus on growing in Him, we find His character traits become a part of us. We become more loving, merciful, kind, giving, compassionate and selfless. Paul referred to these as the fruit of the Spirit. It is important, at times, to do a Spiritual checkup to see if those traits are developing in our lives.

Finally, we are told not to make provision for the flesh. In other words, we must be careful not to make it easy to sin. If you are on a diet, it is probably not a great idea to watch “Cup Cake Wars”, or hang out at a bakery. In the same way, we all know the temptations we face and must remove ourselves as far from them as possible. Christians who live near the fence are the ones who are constantly falling in and out of sin.

Jesus is coming back! Let’s be ready when He comes. Let’s live so that we hear Him say, “Well Done!”

Pastor Jim

 

Life In Christ 

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Romans 7:4 “Therefore, my brethren, you also have become dead to the law through the body of Christ, that you may be married to another—to Him who was raised from the dead, that we should bear fruit to God.”

Much of what the Bible says is revolutionary. There are statements, not just shocking to us, but to every generation that ever lived. Jesus spoke to his disciples saying, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.” Matthew 16:24

Perhaps the strongest drive within the human body is the drive for survival. Yet we hear Jesus say, if we try to save our lives we will lose them. Life, according to Jesus, is found in death. On another occasion He said, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain.” ( John 12:24) The death Jesus is speaking of is the death that takes place when we come to Christ. Elsewhere, Paul speaks of us being crucified with Christ (Galatians 2:20). The old life, lived for self and sinful pleasure, is laid down when we come to Christ and we begin to live with a new-found desire to please God. I spent 18 years of my life without Christ, during that time I never once considered if my behavior was pleasing to the Lord. Since the time of meeting Christ, pleasing Him has been my first priority. My old life died the day I met Christ. The benefits of that death are what Paul is speaking of here. He declares,

Romans 7:6 “But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter.”

Three amazing things happen when we die to the self life and live to please the Lord. First, we are released from the power sin holds over us. We were held captive by it because we saw sin as a means to a happy and full life. When we came to Christ, we realized the destructive nature of sin. When this happened, we began to be repulsed by the very things we once lived for. Solomon wrote, ” . . . the fear of the Lord is to hate evil . . .” (Proverbs 8:13), meaning, when we seek to please God, we will begin to despise sin. Second, death to the self-life will result in bearing fruit to God. The height of life is described by Paul as the fruit of the Spirit. This fruit is born when we leave behind the desire to put ourselves first, and we seek to live for the glory of God. Finally, Paul speaks of our serving in the Spirit. The one who leaves the ‘me first,’ sinful life behind, replacing it with seeking to live well pleasing to Jesus, will find a an enabling from the Lord to serve Him.

Pastor Jim

 

Striving Against Sin

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Romans 6:1
“What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?”

Paul boldly declares, because of the manifold grace of God, it is unreasonable for a Christian to continue living in sin. He explains why we should put our old lives behind us, and also gives practical steps on how that is to be accomplished. Notice, he explains what happened to us when we received Jesus Christ. Declaring, we were buried with Him through baptism into death.

We have seen, over and over, as we journey through the Bible, the result of receiving Christ is life. We become the partakers of eternal life as we follow Christ; we begin to experience abundant life. Here, Paul speaks of another truth. In addition to being made alive, he explains that coming to Christ also involves dying. The life lived for self, in pursuit of sin, and driven by fleshly desires, is crucified when we receive Christ. Paul declares, since we died to sin, it is unreasonable for us to live in sin. After laying down the doctrinal aspect of this truth, Paul gives some practical insights in how to lay sin aside, and live a righteous life.

He writes, “Reckon yourself dead Indeed to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:11).  The word reckon is a thinking word, meaning to consider. Since you are dead to sin, consider yourself dead to sin. Treat sin the way a dead man treats food. It is no long driving him. Dieting is difficult, it seems the moment we decide not to eat something, it is the moment we find ourselves surrounded by it. Our senses step into hyper mode, and we can smell sweets from a mile away. The battle rages within us, like a soldier fighting off an enemy invasion. We battle against the sights, smells, and memories of the delicacies we are trying to avoid. But truth be told, the moment we die, that battle will be over. Dead men don’t diet, they don’t need to, because the cravings of the flesh are gone. In the same way, if we consider that we are dead to sin, it is something of the past life, then we have taken the first step toward overcoming it’s hold on our lives.

Next Paul writes, “don’t let sin reign in your life.” Reign means to rule. Sin has a way of getting a hold of us and forcing us to do its bidding. When we first begin to toy with sin, we think we are the master, and it serves our desire. But it does not take long before the roles are reversed, and we realize we are under the control of sin. Paul is warning of that danger, but also instructing us on how to overcome sin’s hold on us.

He goes on to say, “do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but as instruments of righteousness (Romans 6:13).” Our members are our body parts. Before coming to Christ, we used them to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin. We used our minds to think of clever ways to sin and avoid getting in trouble for it. We used our eyes to look at sin, our ears to listen to it, our feet to lead us into it, and our hands to accomplish it. Now that we have come to Christ, we should use our members as instruments for righteousness. How have you been using yours? In what way have you used your mind, eyes, ears, feet and hands for the Kingdom of God?

Practically speaking, there is only so much time in the day. If we are giving ourselves over to the service of the Lord, we are going to have less time to give to sinful folly. In addition, we will find, the grip sin’s hold on us begins to weaken, and we, like Paul, will be able to speak of many of our struggles as victories.

Pastor Jim

 

Set That Aside 

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2 Chronicles 34:31
“Then the king stood in his place and made a covenant before the Lord, to follow the Lord, and to keep His commandments and His testimonies and His statutes with all his heart and all his soul, to perform the words of the covenant that were written in this book.”

Josiah’s story is a common one. While few have ever been king of a country, everyone who has responded to the Lord has walked a similar path as he did. First, Josiah made a decision to follow the Lord. This decision soon led him to a discovery of the Word of God, which in turn led him to make dramatic changes in his personal life, and his sphere of influence. We read that after he made a stand for the Lord, he called others to stand with him and,

“Josiah removed all the abominations from all the country that belonged to the children of Israel, and made all who were present in Israel diligently serve the Lord their God. All his days they did not depart from following the Lord God of their fathers.”  2 Chronicles 34:33

A true commitment to Christ will always result in a change of lifestyle.

This was true of Asa,
2 Chronicles 14:2-3 “Asa did what was good and right in the eyes of the Lord his God, for he removed the altars of the foreign gods and the high places, and broke down the sacred pillars and cut down the wooden images.”

It was true of Jehoshaphat,
2 Chronicles 17:6 “And his heart took delight in the ways of the Lord; moreover he removed the high places and wooden images from Judah.”

And it must be true of us. When Jesus called people to follow Him, it was necessary for them to leave their past lives behind. He made abundantly clear that following Him meant denying self, taking up our cross, and going in a new direction in life. During his short ministry, he encountered many who took Him up on this offer and left all to follow. Tragically however, He also encountered many who refused to follow, because they refused to give up certain lifestyles, beliefs, or practices. Most of us are familiar with the Rich, Young Ruler, who, although he recognized who Jesus was, refused to give up what was necessary, in order to follow Him.

Paul made it clear that laying aside past behaviors continues to be a requirement for following Christ. He wrote, Romans 6:1 ” What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin that grace may abound?”

Romans 6:12-14 “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace.”

One of the evidences of true conversion, is that we are willing to lay down our old life to follow Christ. Are you clinging to anything that Christ is calling you to lay aside? The solution to finding freedom begins with confession. If we confess our sin He will both forgive us and cleanse us (1 John 1:9)

Pastor Jim

 

The Gospel

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Romans 1:1
“Paul, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated to the gospel of God . . .”

The Gospel was the favorite subject of the Apostle Paul. He used the term four times in the first chapter of Romans, 15 times in the book, and a total of 71 times in his writings. It was the subject of every letter he wrote, and every message he preached.

When writing to the Corinthian church he declared, “For I determined not to know anything among you accept Jesus Christ and Him crucified.” 1 Corinthians 2:2

Here, he refers to himself as being “set apart to the Gospel.” The picture he paints is that of an Old Testament Priest, who was set apart to the service of God around the Temple. The priest’s whole life was consumed with the service of the Lord. His daily activities, lifestyle, even his clothing, were ordered by the fact that he was set apart unto the Lord. It is clear, declaring the Gospel was not a random act, a hobby, or even a job for Paul, but rather it was his way of life. He saw every day as an opportunity to share the love of Christ with others, and every encounter as an open door to declare the message of eternal life found in Christ. As this chapter unfolds, Paul gives us at least three reasons why the Gospel message was so important to him.

First, in verses 14 and 15, Paul declares that because of what Jesus has done for him, he sees himself as one who owes a debt to the world. The only way he can repay this great debt is by declaring the hope of eternal life, found in Christ alone. Paul would endure personal suffering, mockery, lack, imprisonment, and ultimately death, in order to ensure that all might hear the message of the cross.

Second, he declares the reason he would risk all for the gospel is because of what the gospel can do. He says it is the power of God to save. The latter half of Romans, Chapter One, declares the condition of man apart from God. This condition would be hopeless if It were not for the Gospel message. God sent His Son to rescue man from the power and penalty of sin.

Finally, when a person puts their trust in Christ, they are redeemed from bondage and restored to a right relationship with God. The gospel alone has the power to accomplish that, and it takes place within a person, as soon as he puts simple faith in Christ. Paul explains, it is then that the righteousness of God is revealed. In other words, when we trust Christ, our sins are taken away, and His righteousness is given to us. This is a transformation that takes place in every person who trusts in Christ. Oh that we would be separated to the gospel!

Pastor Jim

 

Oh, Gravity! 

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2 Chronicles 24:20
“Thus says God: ‘Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper? Because you have forsaken the Lord, He also has forsaken you. ’”

Isaac Newton is credited with discovering certain laws governing the natural world. These laws cannot be broken. The law of gravity simply states, what goes up must come down. We prove that to be true each time we toss something into the air and watch as it lands back on the ground. Just as there are natural laws determining the course of nature, so there are spiritual laws that will determine the course of our lives. One of those laws is expressed here.

“Why do you transgress the commandments of the Lord, so that you cannot prosper?”

To prosper means succeed, flourish or get ahead. Zechariah essentially declares, it is impossible to ignore or trample over the commands of God, and succeed in life. You might be able to gain much in life apart from God, but in the end, the only thing which will truly matter is what has been laid up for you in heaven. Jesus told a story of a man who acquired great wealth in this life, only to find torment in the next. All of his luxury was of no benefit to him when he stepped into eternity.

Some, who have trusted Christ for salvation and been freed from eternal punishment, still live in disobedience. They transgress many of the commands of God, and wonder why their lives seem to be filled with so much turmoil and confusion. Keep in mind, if we break the laws of God, there are always consequences. If you choose to ignore Him and do things your own way, you cannot prosper. If you choose to look into the pages of His Word and live obediently, you cannot fail.

Pastor Jim

 

Unraveling 

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2 Chronicles 9:6
“However I did not believe their words until I came and saw with my own eyes; and indeed the half of the greatness of your wisdom was not told me. You exceed the fame of which I heard.”

A person, standing at a distance and looking in at Solomon’s kingdom, would be struck by the enormous wealth and prosperity. We read of merchants traveling the world and returning with treasures of gold and precious stones, as well as exotic spices and animals. We are told, the landscape was marked with elaborate building projects, fine arts, and gourmet foods. Beyond question, the nation looked to be at its apex, and was envied by the world around them. In fact, we are told that delegations, including kings and queens, would make their way to Israel just to see its highly developed society and vast wealth. All the world wanted to be like Israel. Sadly, things were not really as they appeared. Underneath the surface was a cancer that was eating away at the fabric of the nation, and in a few short years would cause its collapse.

1 Kings 11:6-7

“Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and did not fully follow the Lord, as did his father David. Then Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab, on the hill that is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the abomination of the people of Ammon.”

The real strength of Israel was not their military, their economy, their foreign policy, or the wisdom of their leaders. The real strength was their commitment to the Lord and His Word. They were a nation founded on the principles of God’s Word, which gave them a foundation that could support their vast growth and success. When they departed from the Lord, it was only a matter of time before the nation imploded.

Today, across our nation, we are celebrating freedom. Flags, fireworks, and family cookouts remind us that we are part of the greatest nation in the world. Our freedom has resulted in vast wealth, and has made us the envy of the world. People from all over the globe dream of making their way to America to find a better life. Unfortunately, some view freedom as a license to behave without law. They believe that freedom means that no one, especially not God, has the right to tell them their behaviors are wrong. They want to celebrate being free with licentiousness. Sadly, this will ultimately lead not only to greater bondage, but will destroy the fabric that holds our nation together.

If we want true freedom, it will never be found in breaking away from the laws of God, but in living in step with the One who designed us, loves us and desires the best for us.

Pastor Jim