Mission or Me?

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Why am I here?  Have you ever caught yourself asking this question?  I have caught myself asking this question at work,  dance recitals, beauty pageants, and sometimes at church.  I find myself in places that at times I wish I could be anywhere else.  Do you ever feel this way? Maybe you feel that where you are  is just a temporary place until something bigger and better comes along; something that will truly make you happy.  A better job, better school, better house, better neighborhood, better city,  better circumstances, or even a better relationship.

This type of thinking comes from our world view. Most of us have been conditioned to believe that the world revolves around us and that everything here is for our happiness. It’s about me, or as I told my youngest son once, “it’s your world and the rest of us are just paying rent.”  So when we find that perfect parking spot or when we find that outfit we wanted on sale; we thank God for  his favor and we share with everyone how blessed we are. But what happens when we don’t find that perfect parking spot? Does God love us any less? Have we fallen out of favor with him? If your world view has you at the center of it you might feel this way. 

In Acts chapter 16 Luke tells the story of Paul and Silas when they were in jail in Philippi. They had just been arrested, stripped, and then beaten. The jailer was told to chain them together and put them in the inner cell. Now I don’t know about you, but this would not have been one of those moments I would have felt God’s favor. I think most of us would question God and have our own little pitty party. Not Paul and Silas. The scripture says that around midnight they were praying and singing hymns to God. Did you hear that?  They were worshipping!  How can someone worship when they were wrongfully charged with a crime, beaten then thrown into prison. After a day like that I would probably be sleeping at midnight. But Paul and Silas were having church while the other prisoners listened and as the jailer watched.

All of the sudden during their singing there was a violent earthquake that shook the foundation of the prison.  The chains fell, the prison doors flew open; Paul and Silas were free. What happens next defies all logic. The prison guard reaches for his sword ready to take his own life because he was certain all the prisoners had escaped. As he drew his sword Paul shouted “Don’t harm yourself! We are all here! (Acts 16:28)”  

What would you have done? I think most of us would have run praising God for his favor and blessings for setting us free. Why did Paul stay? I think it was because of his world view. He was not focused on himself, he was focused on the mission. I don’t think Paul and Silas had any idea how God would use them in the place they were in, but I do know they believed that God had them in that prison for a reason.

The guard came to Paul and Silas and  wanted to know how he could be saved. He heard them praying and he heard them singing, but what made the greatest impact on his life was what they did after they worshipped. It was their action. So the jailer and his entire family came to know Jesus that night.  Everyday we see people at work, at our schools, in the grocery stores, at our favorite restaurants. Could it be that God wants to do something amazing in the life of a co-worker, cashier, waitress, our boss, or that hard to love student that demands so much attention?

Never underestimate what God can and will do through you when you surrender your life to Him and to His mission.

Get Real!

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When I was 16 years old I was invited to have dinner with my girlfriend’s family. I can still remember the anxiety I felt over the idea of sitting at the dinner table with her father staring through me looking for all my flaws. I think the part that scared me the most was the thought that he might be able to read my mind ( I later learned this is an ability most fathers have). 

The main course that night was fried chicken. We all approached the dinner table and I made sure I watched how they did everything, from how they sat down, to how they placed their napkins in their laps. I did not want to seem like I didn’t belong.  When it came time to eat I noticed the entire family was eating their chicken with a fork. Now this was something I had never seen before, eating fried chicken with a fork. I  picked up my fork and clumsily began trying to dissect the chicken with my fork.  My girlfriends older brother who was watching me destroy my chicken laughed and said; ” you don’t have to eat your chicken the way we do it.” I was so glad he said what he did because I probably would have left hungry that night.  So I picked up my chicken with my hands and ate it how I had always eaten chicken, and when I finished I licked all my fingers.

My dinner experience was not that different from my early experiences in church.  Trips to church were usually filled with anxiety because I was afraid of not doing something right. I would carefully watch others and copied what they did.  Even after I became a christian I was scared that I might not say the “right” things or pray the “right” way. This made my early experiences as a christian superficial and based on others opinions. I was trying to impress others by living for Christ rather than just simply being myself and living in Christ.

When I realized that Jesus simply wanted me to live in him it liberated me to truly live for him. We sometimes get this backwards. We try to live for God without first living in him. This will sometimes get you approval from others but It will not bring about lasting change. Jesus said that if we first live in him our lives will become “fruitful.”

I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.- John 14:5

Living for God without first living in him brings about religion. Living in him brings a relationship. When we live in him he makes the necessary changes from within us that leads to the very life we want  to live. Jesus called those who externally try to live for God” hypocrites”  (see Matthew chapter 6). The greek word used in the original text for hypocrite means to play act, or live your life on a stage. It means to act like someone who you are not.  If you are trying to live for God without first being changed on the inside, then you are being hypocritical. Being hypocritical is not about making mistakes or doing the wrong things, it is about the outside not matching the inside. 

We can choose to play act the life of a christian, or we can choose to live in Christ and allow him to give us the ability to live a life that is “Christ like.”  

It is time to get real.

Because He Lives, I can…

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One of the greatest women that ever lived was my grandmother, or as I would affectionately call her “mammy.”  Mammy stood about four foot nine and was one of the sweetest people you wold ever meet.  She raised two boys (my uncles) and my mother practically on her own.  I was mammy’s favorite grandchild, if you don’t believe me you can ask my cousins. I could do no wrong in her eyes. My dad wasn’t even allowed to spank me in front of her. Mammy always got her way,  I guess that’s why I liked being around mammy. The only time I ever remember her being mad at me was when I would utter the words “I can’t.”  That was one phrase that made her blood boil. She would always yell back at me that ” can’t never did anything!” 

I have tried to remind myself daily of those words spoken by my grandmother. Too often we are quick to say I can’t without even giving something a try. Now there are a lot of things that I can’t do no matter how hard I try. I can’t  sing, I can’t dunk a basketball, I can’t wear large shirts anymore, and I can’t get to heaven by my own merit. But there are so many things I can do because of what Jesus did for me. The Apostle Paul said there wasn’t anything he could not do through the one who gives him strength. 

“I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.”- Philippians 4:11-13

Paul lived with confidence. It did not matter whether he was hungry, in prison, on the run, or well fed and with plenty, he was content in every situation. His plight in life did not change who he was or who he belonged to. He could overcome because he possessed a strength from within. Wouldn’t it be nice to live this way? What if I told you it is possible to live this way? When Jesus died on the cross he paid the debt for our sin. When he rose from the grave he gave us the ability to truly live.

  And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit, who lives in you.- Romans 8:11

Did you catch that? The same spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is the same spirit that can live in you. Do you realize what this means? The God who created everything from nothing  and holds the world in his hands, who raised his son from the dead, is the God who can live in you by his spirit. I was once dead in my sins separated from God, but by his amazing grace he chose to save me. When I placed my faith and trust in Jesus his spirit took up residence in my heart. I went from dead to alive! I went from dying to really living. 

Because he lives I can! I can face tomorrow, I can overcome addiction, I can be free from sin, I can be a light in a darkened world, I can have hope for the future, I can make a difference, I can live forever!  So where are you today? Are you sleeping in  a lifeless grave with no hope? Or,  have you been awakened from your sleep and given a new life of hope and purpose? For those of us who have been  given life, why do we choose to sleep?

It is time for the Church to awake. It is time for the Church to be the place of “we can” and not the place of “we can’t.” It is time for us to start living by faith and not by sight. It is time for us to start taking our lead from Jesus himself (who is the head of the Church)  and not from our bank accounts, our own abilities, and our man-made traditions. It is time for the church to rise up and be that city on a hill that can be seen by a world in distress. It is time to live.

Remember, can’t never did anything.

The Rest of the Story…

A little over 2,000 years ago a man called Jesus of Nazareth walked the regions of Judea and Galilee in the area we know as Israel today. He was known as a teacher and rabbi to those who followed him. His message was one of love, forgiveness and repentance.  He befriended tax collectors, ate with the so-called “sinners” of that day,  and was comfortable in the presence of thieves and  prostitutes. He met each one with the same compassion, but was quick to remind them that while he did not condemn them that they needed to leave behind their life of sin.

The religious leaders of that day found Jesus to be a threat to their power and way of life. Jesus confronted the pharisees on more than one occasion and challenged their attitudes of sin. He called them hypocrites and son’s of hell, and accused them of blocking people from entering the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 23:13-15).  When those who followed him began to refer to him as the Christ (Messiah), this became more than the religious establishment could handle. Something had to be done.

All the while Jesus began rising in popularity as he healed the sick, made the lame to walk again, and helped the blind to see.  Jesus became the “rock star” of his day drawing large crowds. Those who believed him to be the promised Messiah were looking forward to his overthrow of the Roman government and the return of Israel as a mighty nation. The religious leaders continued their pursuit to show Jesus to be a fraud. Jesus then began to give his disciples a clearer picture of his purpose.  He reminded them that his kingdom was not of this world. It was an eternal Kingdom that begins in the heart (Luke 17:21). Then Jesus lowered the boom.  For this kingdom to exist he would have to die.

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”- Mark 10:45 

Jesus entered Jerusalem for the last time with shouts of jubilation as the people shouted ”Hosanna! ” “Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!” (Mark 11:9).  These shouts of Joy and praise would change to shouts of hate a few days later as many of the same people shouted “crucify him!” The teachers of the law and Priest began their plot to turn the tide against Jesus.  They found false witnesses, and paid one of his very own disciples to betray him. Jesus was tried and convicted  and sentenced to death.

So Jesus of Nazareth was executed on a cross between two thieves for crimes he did not commit.  Around 750 years earlier the prophet Isaiah would write the following words.

  But he was pierced for our transgressions,
       he was crushed for our iniquities;
       the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
       and by his wounds we are healed.- Isaiah 53:5

Jesus died for us. He paid the debt for our sin. But the story does not end at the cross.  This would be a tragedy of epic proportions if Jesus died and that was it. You see if Jesus was still dead he would be no different from any other religious leader that has come along.  If Jesus were still dead then our faith would be nothing more than another religion attempting to connect people to an unknown distant god. 

And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ are lost. If only for this life we have hope in Christ, we are to be pitied more than all men.- 1 Corinthians 15:17-19

Jesus rose from the dead. He is alive! This is good news for us because we now can have life in him. Without the resurrection we would still be lost in our sins. But because Jesus lives we can have hope. Not only in this life, but in the life to come.  But the story does not even end there. Jesus told his disciples that he was going to prepare a place for them  and that he was coming again (John 14:1-4).

We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord’s own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first.- 1 Thessalonians 4:14-16

Jesus is coming again. This is not the end. This life is not all there is. Isn’t that good news? We can have hope in this life because we know that one day death, pain, and sorrow will be defeated along with its author Satan. We can have hope in this life because death is not the end.

 And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”- Revelation 21:3-4

Stealing a line from the great Paul Harvey, Now you know the rest of the story! 

I Will Rise (Live)

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Behind Enemy Lines

When I was 10 I lived behind a local Baptist church in my town. My backyard and the church parking lot was separated by a chain linked fence. Often on Sunday mornings I wandered out to play in my back yard. I would watch as cars entered the lot to park.  I watched the people young and old dressed in their Sunday best carrying their Bibles enter the large brick structure with beautiful stained glass windows. I remember thinking it must be a really cool place to be because so many people were going.  

I wasn’t totally foreign to what was going on inside because I  had attended a church when I was younger in Franklin Ohio. Dad was Catholic and Mom was Baptist but they let me choose were I would go. I decided the Baptist church looked like more fun, even though the Catholics seemed to have more fun away from church.  I remember  the church bus picking me up at times when Mom or Dad didn’t go. I was exposed early to the gospel message. I knew about Jesus and I knew that he loved me. My parents divorced when I was 9 years old and mom moved us kids back to Arkansas. We lived with my Grandmother for a while and later moved into the house next door.

I remember thinking that I would like to visit the church behind my house. What I know now, but did not know then, was that God was pulling on my heart-strings.  The irony (if you believe in irony) was that my mom was a member of this church when she was younger. My great Uncle was the custodian at the church and I would wander over to the church to look around when he was cleaning during the week.  When Sunday’s came I would stay in the safety of my backyard.  I thought about going from time to time, but I decided that I did not belong there on Sunday’s. I only had two pairs of jeans and one pair of sneakers. Mom was a single parent now and she worked hard to provide for us. Now I wasn’t poor, we always had plenty to eat and a roof over our head, and mom always made sure I had nice jeans and nice shoes. Looking back I was really blessed in spite of everything we went through.

I had convinced myself with a little help from the enemy that I did not belong, nor would I be accepted if I went to church.  There was an imaginary line drawn between my back yard and the church property. I felt I could not cross it. Now on the other side of the line was a gathering of believers who met faithfully each Sunday and Wednesday night.  I’m sure in their hearts they wanted to reach people for Christ. I know now  if I would have crossed the line most of them would have accepted me with open arms. But I didn’t cross, nor did anyone cross over the line to meet me. You see the line works both ways. The enemy convinces those in our churches that they will not be accepted if they cross over into cultures and neighborhoods that are not like their own.  Believers begin to think that they will not be able to relate to those on the other side of the line. So they wait for someone who can do a better job. The problem is that sometimes no one ever comes.

Jesus found himself in a similar situation in John chapter 4 when he crossed into Samaria on his way to Galilee.  If you aren’t familiar with the story, Jesus left Judea (southern Israel) his way to Galilee (northern Israel). Located between Judea and Galilee was the region of Samaria. Jews and Samaritans did not associate with one another. The Samaritans were  descendants of  Jews who had intermarried with Gentiles during the time of Babylonian captivity. Because they were not considered pure Jews they were viewed as corrupt and sinful by the Jewish religious leaders. It was common for a traveling Jew to bypass the area of Samaria when traveling north. Most took an alternate route by crossing the Jordan river. Samaria became the hood that no Jewish man wanted to find himself in. Jesus broke the rules by crossing the no-no line into Samaria.

Jesus tired  and thirsty from his journey stops at Jacobs well for a drink of water. At the well he encounters a Samaritan woman. This woman was surprised that Jesus not only stopped at the well for a drink but engaged her in conversation. Talking to a Samaritan was one thing, but a Jewish man talking to a Samaritan woman was even a larger offense. This conversation led to the womans conversion.  Jesus reminds us in this encounter that his grace is for all people, not just a select group.

The church today needs to realize that the world (the people) is not the enemy. Worldliness (becoming like the world) is an enemy of the church, but the people of the world is why the church exist.  We are to love the sinner but hate the sin. Too often we find ourselves hating the sinner because of self-righteousness.  So the enemy (Satan, if you don’t have that figured out by now) convinces us to draw a line  between us and the world. So we have beautiful buildings and programs that benefit ourselves with the hopes of building a community that is not stained by the sin of the world. The problem is that not fulfilling the great commission is the greatest sin of all.

The enemy wants to cause separation, God desires reconciliation. It was the serpent in the garden that convinced man to sin against God causing a separation between himself and his creator. It was God who sent his son to the cross so that the relationship could be restored. Satan’s tactics have not changed much since that day in the garden. He does what he can to divide and separate. He destroys marriages, families, and even churches. He builds walls and draws imaginary lines and convinces us that this is best for us.

I never attended the church behind my house in my youth.They later moved to a different location. I was saved at the age of 15 after a group of  Christians began building a relationship with me.  The pastor even drove to my part of town to pick me up when I needed a ride to church. I was later called into the ministry. 

 I am now a youth pastor at the church that was once located behind my house.  The very church I thought would not accept me ordained me into the ministry.

Take that Satan!

Do They Know?

What is Love?

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I love you. The three words everyone needs to hear. For some it is a hard phrase to get out, for others it flows naturally. On one hand some say it too often without much meaning, on the other there are those who have a hard time saying it at all.  Whether we say it or not (and we should say it), it is more important that we show it. Too often we are quick to say ”I love you”, but slow to show it.  The Bible reminds us that true love requires action.

If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.- 1 John 3:17-18

For too many people love is nothing more than emotion. Love is so much more than an emotion. If love was an emotion it would be based solely on how one feels. I think this is why we see so  many broken relationships in our society today. There is a total misunderstanding of what love really is. We have become a people who fall in and out of love.  Since 1970 the divorce rate in the United States has tripled. Along with a high divorce rate the suicide rate among teens has tripled during the same time frame. Prescriptions for drugs to battle depression rises each year. We are becoming a society of people  who are lonely and depressed that turn to medication because we have no one to talk to.

We have gotten things backwards. We wait for an emotion then we take the lead from our feelings and we try to show individuals love. Love is a motion not an emotion. Love is what we do.  The idea is to love others and the emotions will follow.  C.S. Lewis wrote in his book “Mere Christianity” that if we will act is if we love someone the feelings will follow.

“Do not waste your time bothering whether you ‘love’ your neighbor, act as if you did. As soon as we do this , we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more.”- C.S. Lewis

What Lewis says makes a lot of sense when you consider Jesus saying we should love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. You see, when you begin to love your enemy you will cease to view them as an enemy. The idea of repaying evil with good is how God begins to work in the life of those who are in need of his love. This is exactly what Jesus did for us. 

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly. Very rarely will anyone die for a righteous man, though for a good man someone might possibly dare to die. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.- Romans 5:6-8

Let that sink in for a minute. Christ died for the ungodly, the unworthy, those who have turned their backs on him. He basically died for his enemies. Why? Because he loved us.  Paul called this act a demonstration of his love. God did not just say “I love you”, he showed us by stepping into our world and making the supreme sacrifice so we could really experience true love. God’s love is and will always be about action.

This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.- 1 John 3:16

Jesus set the example of how we are to love. True love is selfless. It is not about having common interest with people, which leads to a relationship of give and take. On the contrary, agape love is about taking an interest ’in’ people, which leads to a relationship of sacrifice. It means we will love irregardless of how we feel or what benefits we might receive.  

Think about those in your life. Have you told them you love them lately? If not, you should.  Now for the tough question. Do you show them that you love them? Lastly, and the most important question of all; do they know you love them?  Without action our words are empty and meaningless.  Knowing your loved can make all the difference.

R.E.S.P.E.C.T.

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these ar Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” - Declaration of Independence

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“Before I formed you in the womb, I knew you”- Jeremiah 1:5

When does life begin? This question has been debated over and over again since the 1973 landmark Roe vs. Wade decision that legalized abortion in the United States.  Some say at conception, others say at birth. Most scientist would actually agree with pro-life supporters that life begins at conception. Others argue that while life does begin at conception that a fetus is not human until it is viable outside the mothers womb. So what does the scriptures say about life? Looking closely at Jeremiah 1:5 we see that even before our conception God knew us. If I am to believe God’s word, then life begins even before conception.

“Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”- Psalm 139:16

If you take time to read the entire chapter of Psalm 139 you will find that life is precious. It is a gift that God gives to us.  Psalm 139:14 says we are “fearfully and wonderfully made.”  There are no accidents when it comes to human life. God knows us and has plans for us. This makes all human life sacred and worthy of respect.

Since the fall of man there has been a continuing effort by the enemy to de-value human life. Throughout history you will find those who killed because they thought certain individuals or people groups did not measure up to a standard. Just last week we celebrated the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. and his message that people should not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. Our history books remind us of the holocaust, when over 6 million Jews were exterminated because someone thought their lives had no value. Today terrorist strap bombs to themselves and kill innocent life because they believe people to be evil and unworthy of life.  Since 1973 there have been over 50 million recorded abortions in the United States alone. It has been estimated that around 42 million abortions are preformed each year world wide.  What does this say about humanity and our view of human life?

I don’t think it is possible to thank God enough for the grace and mercy that he shows mankind. He created us in his own image (Gen 1:27). Later Jesus would die for our sins and give us the right to become his own children (John 1:12).  He takes a special interest in the weak, the overlooked, and the mistreated in our society. God shows no favortism when it comes to the value of life. Jesus reminds us that  ”God so loved the world , that he gave his one and only son (John 3:16) “  I guess you could say that God places a high value on human life.

Jesus is “________”

There are so many words I could use to fill in the blank. Jesus is so many things to me it is really hard to come up with just one word. He is my savior, He is life, He is truth, He is loving, He is forgiving, He is awesome.  How would you fill in the blank?  How we fill in the blank may tell us a little about our relationship with Christ. Often in scripture we find names for God based on the experiences of his people. Abraham called him “Jehova Jireh” (Yahweh provides) when God provided a ram to sacrifice in place of his son Isaac. In Exodus God is referred to as “Jehova Rophe ”( The Lord heals), and when the Israelites would march into battle they would call God “Jehova Nissi “(The Lord our banner). Who is Jesus to you?

There is one word that naturally fits in the blank and should fit the blank for all of us. It is really not his name even though we treat it as just a name. It is his rightful title. The word I am talking about is “Lord.” Jesus is Lord. Can you call Jesus your Lord?

The english word Lord is translated from the Greek word “Kurios.” It means master, owner, possessor, the absolute authority. Does this describe your relationship with Christ? Many of us know him as savior, but do we know him as Lord?  Jesus is referred to as Lord  747 times in the New Testament. In the book of Acts alone he is referred to as Lord 92 times. Ironically Jesus is only called savior twice in the book of Acts. It is clear that the early church understood the concept of “Lordship.”

When I was in college I was a part of a small group campus Bible study. I remember the leader talking about how some of us had accepted Jesus as our savior, but we needed to make him Lord of our lives. At the time it made perfect sense. As I grew in my faith and looked more closely at the word of God I found that we can not accept Jesus as savior unless we are willing to make him Lord. Romans 10:9 says ” if you confess with your mouth, Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. ”  Notice the confession or agreement that “Jesus is Lord.” Jesus cannot be your savior unless he is your Lord. You cannot take one and leave the other.  He is your savior because he is your Lord.

For some “Lord” is just another name for Jesus. As I stated earlier Lord is his rightful place in our lives. Look at what Jesus said to his disciples about some who would call him Lord.

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 7:21)

At first glance what Jesus said may seem to conflict with what Paul wrote in Romans. Paul said if we confess Jesus as Lord we will be saved. Jesus said not everyone who calls him Lord will be saved.  The key is in the second part of Matthew 7:21. If Jesus is truly our Lord then we are going to do the will of the Father. Doing God’s will is sometimes confused with religious activity. If we act religious and sound religious and do religious things certainly we are doing God’s will.  Maybe, maybe not.

Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’  Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’ (Matthew 7:22-23)

If Jesus is truly our Lord then there will be evidence. Jesus said “By their fruit you will recognize them(Matthew 7:16). ” In other words, If Jesus is my Lord I will obey him. When I obey him, lives around me are going to be impacted.  God uses my life to make a difference. Because he is my Lord I am always where he wants me to be doing exactly what he wants me to do. If Jesus is our Lord, we will follow him.

Can you call him Lord?

“Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”  (Jesus in Luke 6:46)

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No Regrets?

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Wouldn’t it be nice if we could live a life with no regrets. I have actually met people who said they have no regrets. That if they had it to do all over again they would change nothing about their lives. Maybe I’m just being skeptical, but I find that hard to believe. It would be very hard to live a life with no regrets. Maybe it was something they said. Maybe it was something they did. Maybe it was something they didn’t say or didn’t do.  If we are honest with ourselves I think we all would say we  have done or said things we regret.  Now, don’t get me wrong. I wouldn’t change anything that has happened to me.  The trials in my life have actually served me well. God has used the difficult situations in my life to mold be into the person I am today. I don’t regret these things. What I regret are the things said and done that may have hurt others. I regret things I have said to my wife in anger, I regret not sharing my faith when led to do so, I regret spending too much time in front of the T.V. and less time with my children. I regret wasting time and money on things that are not going to matter a hill of beans when I die.  Sound familiar?

So how do we deal with regret? For some regret turns into guilt. Guilt becomes a huge weight that keeps us from living this life the way God intends for us to live it.  So first we need forgiveness. Secondly we need restoration and healing.  Only God can offer forgiveness. Jesus has provided the way to forgiveness by his death on the cross. The restoration and healing takes place after we let Him in our lives to begin cleaning house and repairing the damage that has been done. I like the way David puts it in his Psalm.

He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. (Psalm 40:2)

Even when we find ourselves up to our neck in sin, God is able to pull us out if we are willing to reach for Him. When he sets our feet on the rock, there is only one thing left to do… Move on.

The night before Jesus was crucified he was with his disciples observing what we now call the “Lord’s Supper”. He told his followers that many of them would forsake him.  Peter spoke up and said that he would never betray his lord, even if it meant dying. Jesus looked straight at Peter and told him before the rooster crowed that he (Peter) would deny him not just once, but three times (Matthew 26:17-35). If you are familiar with the rest of they story you know that Peter did just that. Not just once but three times just as Jesus predicted. The scripture says that Peter wept bitterly after he heard the rooster crow (Luke 22:54-60). Sounds like regret to me.

This was the lowest point of Peter’s life. I believe that Peter believed that he would never deny Jesus. What Peter did not understand was his human condition. You see Peter was acting out of his flesh.  After Jesus rose from the grave he told his disciples that they would receive a helper. This helper is the Holy Spirit. In the opening chapters of Acts  we find that when the disciples received the Holy Spirit they received power. Peter stood up that day and preached to a large crowd that had gathered. Over 3,000 were saved that day. Peter, the man who denied Christ three times was now boldly proclaiming the gospel. What was the difference? He was no longer acting out of his flesh, but rather by  the Spirit.

When we act out of our human flesh, there will be regrets. When we allow God to live through us by His Spirit amazing things happen.    

Regret Today
By Catherine Pulsifer, © 2007

How many times do we say something that we immediately realized was not the right thing to say?
How many times do we look back on an event and think, if only I had….
How many times do we do something that we wish hadn’t done?

You can’t change what has been said.
You can’t change a past event.
You can’t change what has been done.

//

Do you call it regret, sorrow, repentance?
Do you think about what might have been?
Do you relive an event the way it should have been?

Forget about regret, and focus.
Focus on today, not on the past.
Focus on what you can do, not what you didn’t do.

The only thing to regret is living in the past
The only thing to feel sorrow for is not living each day to the fullest.
The only thing to do to repent is to sincerely say, I’m sorry.

Don’t live your life regretting yesterday.
Live your life so tomorrow you won’t regret today.

Shine!

Christmas is over and a new year has begun. Most of us have already boxed up and put away our Christmas decorations. All the gifts have been opened and some are already getting old.  No more lights, no more nativity scenes, and no more fat men in red suites hanging out in the mall. No more charities to give to, and no more families in need to worry about .  Most of our checks have cleared by now, and for some it is time to start paying off their debt.  The kids have returned to school and it is back to ”business as usual” until next December when we will unpack everything and do it all again.  Time to get on with our lives. 

For a  few weeks in November and December we flip our light switches on. We talk about how Jesus is the reason for the season and how we need to be more conscious of the needs of others. We visit with family and friends and we send them cards to let them know how much they mean to us. It is the one time of the year when we  focus less on ourselves and more on others. Then something strange happens. January approaches and we box it up and  turn our light switches off. 

I know this is not true for everyone. There are some who let their light shine all year-long.  You see, they can’t help it.  The light that burns in them is an eternal flame that can never be extinguished.  This is the light Jesus was talking about when he spoke to his disciples about being the light of the world.

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden.  Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)

What Jesus was saying to his disciples was simple. They were to live their lives in such away that it would draw people to the Father.  The prophet Isaiah declared hundreds of years before the birth of Christ that the people walking in darkness would see a great light (Isaiah 9:2).  Our world is stumbling around in darkness and needs a great light.  Jesus said He was the way, the truth, and the life.  There is a way but in the darkness it is very hard to find. It is our job to be the light. Not the way, but the light. When we live our lives the way God intends for us to live  by yielding to His Spirit we illuminate the road that leads to life.

It is our time to shine!