It seems to me that sometimes we forget that God knows better than we do. It is much easier to thank God for the "good" times than it is for the "bad" times. But even when we don't recognize God's blessings, they are still there. So, whether you are at the peak of a mountain top experience in your life or in the depths of a valley of overwhelming challenges, whether you are relishing in the joys of celebration or being tossed about by stormy waves of chaos, realize that God is at work in your life and how you respond to the situation is up to you. A response of thankfulness would be appropriate.
I thought it would be good to send this reminder to you (and me) to give thanks to God in all things at all times because He loves us all more than we can possibly imagine and wants the best for us even when things don't appear that way.
God Bless.
18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.
1 Thessalonians 5:18 (New International Version)
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Sunday, September 6, 2009
Identity
Years ago, Nichole Nordeman released her debut self-titled recording. In advertising the release on our on hold message we mistakenly referred to a song title on the recording as, "Who Are You?" rather than the correct title."Who You Are."
The question: Who are you?
What is your identity?
We are all sinners who can only be redeemed by the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. He paid the price for our sin.
The simple message of the Gospel is that Christ died for our sins, was buried and was raised again the third day according to the Scriptures. Believing the message leads to relationship with God, repentance and baptism, followed by growth.
Once an individual has gone through this conversion process, scripture tells us that the person is now a “new creation” in Christ.
What does this mean? You were put to “death” in Christ and to the laws of sin.
Romans 6 – The Message
When Death Becomes Life
1-3So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we've left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn't you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land!
3-5That's what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus. Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can see where we're going in our new grace-sovereign country.
6-11Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin's every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ's sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That's what Jesus did.
12-14That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don't give it the time of day. Don't even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember, you've been raised from the dead!—into God's way of doing things. Sin can't tell you how to live. After all, you're not living under that old tyranny any longer. You're living in the freedom of God.
The past is who you were.
The struggle of the Spirit vs. the flesh
Romans 8:9-13
9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And 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.
12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,
When you surrender your life to Christ you discover who you are.
This is your true identity.
If we are in Christ, we are new creations, we all need to:
Embrace who Jesus has created us to be and live that way!
The problem is that we tend to approach God from a prespective of “works”. The truth is we cannot earn God’s favor. We must learn to identify with our new identity in Christ. Once we learn to embrace that identity, our actions will flow from the perspective of a redeemed person re-created in the image of God. Our thoughts, words and attitudes will flow from that place.
Sometimes it seems that we focus more on our struggle with our tendancy to sin than we do on the grace, forgiveness and transformation we receive through our Savior. Why?
Again, remember that you are not who you were.
A transformation process in which the believer becomes more like Christ is called sanctification.
Sanctification –
“That ongoing work of God’s grace in us to make us holy, to deliver us from the acts of sinning.”
Romans 12:2
2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Do not conform – this version of the greek word for conform also appears in 1 Peter 1:14
Be Holy
13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."[a]
1 Peter 2:24 (NASB)
24and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
We do not need to continue to re-earn our salvation. We need to live as the redeemed souls that we are. The sacrifice has been completed for us in Christ. We need to live in it.
We are in relationship with Jesus.
From Brennan Manning’s, “The Furious Longing Of God”:
“The gospel is absurd and the life of Jesus meaningless unless we believe that He lived, died, and rose again with but one purpose in mind: to make brand-new creations. Not to make people with better morals, but to create a community of prophets and professional lovers, men and women who would surrender to the mystery of the fire of the Spirit that burns within, who would live in ever greater fidelity to the omnipresent Word of God, who would enter into the center of it all, the very heart and mystery of Christ, into the center of the flame that consumes, purifies, and sets everything aglow with peace, joy boldness, and extravagant, furious love. This, my friends is what it really means to be a Christian. *** Our religion never begins with what we do for God. It always starts with what God has done for us, the great and wondrous things that God dreamed of and achieved for us in Christ Jesus.”
John 8:1-11
Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives,2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them.3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
4 "Teacher," they said to Jesus, "this woman was caught in the act of adultery.5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?"
6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger.7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, "All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!"8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, "Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?"
11 "No, Lord," she said.
And Jesus said, "Neither do I. Go and sin no more."
Isn’t this what He is telling us? We are no longer slaves to sin. Let’s begin to live like it.
So, it is no longer the question, Who are you? Or the struggle of Who you were? But it is now living in the assurance of Who You Are.
The question: Who are you?
What is your identity?
We are all sinners who can only be redeemed by the sacrifice that Jesus made for us. He paid the price for our sin.
The simple message of the Gospel is that Christ died for our sins, was buried and was raised again the third day according to the Scriptures. Believing the message leads to relationship with God, repentance and baptism, followed by growth.
Once an individual has gone through this conversion process, scripture tells us that the person is now a “new creation” in Christ.
What does this mean? You were put to “death” in Christ and to the laws of sin.
Romans 6 – The Message
When Death Becomes Life
1-3So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we've left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn't you realize we packed up and left there for good? That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind; when we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land!
3-5That's what baptism into the life of Jesus means. When we are lowered into the water, it is like the burial of Jesus; when we are raised up out of the water, it is like the resurrection of Jesus. Each of us is raised into a light-filled world by our Father so that we can see where we're going in our new grace-sovereign country.
6-11Could it be any clearer? Our old way of life was nailed to the cross with Christ, a decisive end to that sin-miserable life—no longer at sin's every beck and call! What we believe is this: If we get included in Christ's sin-conquering death, we also get included in his life-saving resurrection. We know that when Jesus was raised from the dead it was a signal of the end of death-as-the-end. Never again will death have the last word. When Jesus died, he took sin down with him, but alive he brings God down to us. From now on, think of it this way: Sin speaks a dead language that means nothing to you; God speaks your mother tongue, and you hang on every word. You are dead to sin and alive to God. That's what Jesus did.
12-14That means you must not give sin a vote in the way you conduct your lives. Don't give it the time of day. Don't even run little errands that are connected with that old way of life. Throw yourselves wholeheartedly and full-time—remember, you've been raised from the dead!—into God's way of doing things. Sin can't tell you how to live. After all, you're not living under that old tyranny any longer. You're living in the freedom of God.
The past is who you were.
The struggle of the Spirit vs. the flesh
Romans 8:9-13
9You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit, if the Spirit of God lives in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ. 10But if Christ is in you, your body is dead because of sin, yet your spirit is alive because of righteousness. 11And 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.
12Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. 13For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live,
When you surrender your life to Christ you discover who you are.
This is your true identity.
If we are in Christ, we are new creations, we all need to:
Embrace who Jesus has created us to be and live that way!
The problem is that we tend to approach God from a prespective of “works”. The truth is we cannot earn God’s favor. We must learn to identify with our new identity in Christ. Once we learn to embrace that identity, our actions will flow from the perspective of a redeemed person re-created in the image of God. Our thoughts, words and attitudes will flow from that place.
Sometimes it seems that we focus more on our struggle with our tendancy to sin than we do on the grace, forgiveness and transformation we receive through our Savior. Why?
Again, remember that you are not who you were.
A transformation process in which the believer becomes more like Christ is called sanctification.
Sanctification –
“That ongoing work of God’s grace in us to make us holy, to deliver us from the acts of sinning.”
Romans 12:2
2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.
Do not conform – this version of the greek word for conform also appears in 1 Peter 1:14
Be Holy
13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."[a]
1 Peter 2:24 (NASB)
24and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.
We do not need to continue to re-earn our salvation. We need to live as the redeemed souls that we are. The sacrifice has been completed for us in Christ. We need to live in it.
We are in relationship with Jesus.
From Brennan Manning’s, “The Furious Longing Of God”:
“The gospel is absurd and the life of Jesus meaningless unless we believe that He lived, died, and rose again with but one purpose in mind: to make brand-new creations. Not to make people with better morals, but to create a community of prophets and professional lovers, men and women who would surrender to the mystery of the fire of the Spirit that burns within, who would live in ever greater fidelity to the omnipresent Word of God, who would enter into the center of it all, the very heart and mystery of Christ, into the center of the flame that consumes, purifies, and sets everything aglow with peace, joy boldness, and extravagant, furious love. This, my friends is what it really means to be a Christian. *** Our religion never begins with what we do for God. It always starts with what God has done for us, the great and wondrous things that God dreamed of and achieved for us in Christ Jesus.”
John 8:1-11
Jesus returned to the Mount of Olives,2 but early the next morning he was back again at the Temple. A crowd soon gathered, and he sat down and taught them.3 As he was speaking, the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in the act of adultery. They put her in front of the crowd.
4 "Teacher," they said to Jesus, "this woman was caught in the act of adultery.5 The law of Moses says to stone her. What do you say?"
6 They were trying to trap him into saying something they could use against him, but Jesus stooped down and wrote in the dust with his finger.7 They kept demanding an answer, so he stood up again and said, "All right, but let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone!"8 Then he stooped down again and wrote in the dust.
9 When the accusers heard this, they slipped away one by one, beginning with the oldest, until only Jesus was left in the middle of the crowd with the woman.10 Then Jesus stood up again and said to the woman, "Where are your accusers? Didn't even one of them condemn you?"
11 "No, Lord," she said.
And Jesus said, "Neither do I. Go and sin no more."
Isn’t this what He is telling us? We are no longer slaves to sin. Let’s begin to live like it.
So, it is no longer the question, Who are you? Or the struggle of Who you were? But it is now living in the assurance of Who You Are.
Sunday, July 12, 2009
Each And Every Moment Counts
This week 55 people from our church had the privilege of traveling to Panama City, FL for the BigStuf Conference . From Sunday thru Wednesday we participated in times of worship, teaching, sharing, devotions and recreation.
The theme for this year was, "Time". If you were to tell the story of your life, would it be a compelling one? Are you merely existing? Are you caught up in past negative thoughts that are discouraging you from enjoying the present and preventing you from moving, in a healthy way, into the future. Are you too busy? Are there time-stealing activities preventing you from having adequate times of rest.
As human beings with free will, God has given each one of us a choice as to whether or not we follow Him or deny Him. If we have chosen to follow Him, it is important for each one of us to make the most of each and every moment. Instead of dwelling on issues from the past or dreaming about an idyllic future, it is important to make the most of today. It is my hope and prayer that each one of us chooses to thank God for today and uses it to bless others and give glory to Him. We need to be sensitive to opportunities He provides that sometimes go unnoticed. One amazing thing to remember about God is that He loves you more than you can possibly imagine. He cares about every detail of your life. In return you (we) should use each and every moment for Him.
This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).
The theme for this year was, "Time". If you were to tell the story of your life, would it be a compelling one? Are you merely existing? Are you caught up in past negative thoughts that are discouraging you from enjoying the present and preventing you from moving, in a healthy way, into the future. Are you too busy? Are there time-stealing activities preventing you from having adequate times of rest.
As human beings with free will, God has given each one of us a choice as to whether or not we follow Him or deny Him. If we have chosen to follow Him, it is important for each one of us to make the most of each and every moment. Instead of dwelling on issues from the past or dreaming about an idyllic future, it is important to make the most of today. It is my hope and prayer that each one of us chooses to thank God for today and uses it to bless others and give glory to Him. We need to be sensitive to opportunities He provides that sometimes go unnoticed. One amazing thing to remember about God is that He loves you more than you can possibly imagine. He cares about every detail of your life. In return you (we) should use each and every moment for Him.
This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it (Psalm 118:24).
Monday, June 8, 2009
Eternity
The grass withers and the flowers fade, but the Word Of God stands forever... Forever we will stand with Him. Forever is the time frame that matters. If we really believe in the Christ of eternity, why is it that we spend so much time and effort concerned about today?
I had two conversations this week that emphasized the need for us to focus on "eternal things". I heard it put this way, "100 years from now will it matter?" If the answer is, "No" then don't waste time on it now. If we would only live that way what an amazing amount of time we would not waste on unimportant things. How much of what we worry about or waste energy on is worthless in the eyes of God?
So, what is important? God and family and telling people about God in hopes that they can become a part of His family. God and family...the family of God. It makes sense to me. I hope it does to you as well.
God Bless
I had two conversations this week that emphasized the need for us to focus on "eternal things". I heard it put this way, "100 years from now will it matter?" If the answer is, "No" then don't waste time on it now. If we would only live that way what an amazing amount of time we would not waste on unimportant things. How much of what we worry about or waste energy on is worthless in the eyes of God?
So, what is important? God and family and telling people about God in hopes that they can become a part of His family. God and family...the family of God. It makes sense to me. I hope it does to you as well.
God Bless
Tuesday, May 19, 2009
Growing up...not too fast.
I remember the day she was born. I remember the cute things she would say as a little girl. I remember the first time she took ballet. I remember the rehearsals and recitals over the next eight years. I remember how graceful she has always been (I'm biased). Dancing looked easy for her, although I knew it wasn't. She had a good sense of rhythm, maybe because both of her parents are musicians (though her mom has much better rhythm than I do). As I write this I am listening to her play the piano...gracefully, I might add, just like her dancing. She "feels" music like she feels dancing. I remember the day she and her mother left for a mission trip to Jamaica and left her brother and sister and me to fend for ourselves for a week. She matured a lot that week. Actually, I think we all did.
I remember how fearful we were to begin homeschooling her. We thought we would try it through the third grade and see how it went. Over the years some people questioned our decision. But it went well. God allowed us to continue homeschooling way beyond the third grade. God was with us through all of her schooling.
Well, our little girl, Hannah graduated from High School last Saturday. She was a part of a Home School Graduation that featured fifteen students. It was a very moving ceremony. Parents presented diplomas to their children, each expressing words of respect, appreciation and love for one another. It was amazing to witness the bond that had developed between these graduates and their parents. Tears were flowing.
So what's next? Many people, upon the knowledge that Hannah would be graduating, have asked her, "So, have you figured out where you are going to go to college?" To most people, it seems that college is the expected next step. Hannah, though, is not so sure. We've visited impressive schools and spoken to some nice people. But nothing seemed obvious as far as direction for her. Hannah is seeking God's will for her future. At the present time, she is not feeling God's specific promptings and leading for her. As her parents, we are fine with that. My point is, her future should not be based on my or my wife's opinion. She does not need to fit into our mold for her. We will support whatever she chooses to do. We want to help her make the best decision possible for her. She does not want to waste time and money pursuing what may be the wrong direction for her. Ours (and Hannah's) main desire is for her to glorify God with her life wherever He chooses to place her. She is passionate about the arts (i.e. music, dance, etc.). For now, she will continue to work and lead worship with us at Mt Carmel as she seeks His plan for her life. We are proud of our little girl who is growing up and, thankfully, not too fast.
So, as Hannah enters the next season of her life, we will continue to trust God and His plan for our daughter. We love the baby girl who has grown up and become a beautiful woman right before our eyes. Our Heavenly Father, though, loves her even more than we do. He knows what is in store for her and, when all of us are ready, He will reveal His will to us for Hannah's future. So for now, we wait on The Lord and trust in Him.
But those who wait on the LORD
Shall renew their strength;
They shall mount up with wings like eagles,
They shall run and not be weary,
They shall walk and not faint.
Isaiah 40:31 NKJV
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
A man of influence in many lives says goodbye....
When he was young, he was given the nickname, "Mutt" because he was like a pesky dog who wouldn't go away. This young man grew to be an amazing man of influence in many lives. He knew God...very well. He introduced many people to God. He spoke as a man of deep faith and wisdom. He reflected God. He was my wife, Barb's, "Uncle Mutt". After years of working for the Lord, he went home to be with Him last Thursday morning. Carl Ely (his non-canine name) was one of the most kind, loving and Christ-like people I have ever known.
Last year I was preparing to preach (which as a worship minister is not something I do very often). I spoke with Uncle Mutt and asked him how I should approach the sermon for Father's Day. He said that the Christian life comes down to two things, "Love God and Love each other..."
Yesterday at his funeral, the minister was talking about Carl. He said that Carl was great at many things but that what he was best at was "loving God and loving people..." That was a concept I had heard before. Carl lived what he shared.
We can choose to make the world better or worse by how we live. The world is better for having had Carl Ely, the faithful man of God, as a part of it. Carl was faithful...just like man's best friend.
Last year I was preparing to preach (which as a worship minister is not something I do very often). I spoke with Uncle Mutt and asked him how I should approach the sermon for Father's Day. He said that the Christian life comes down to two things, "Love God and Love each other..."
Yesterday at his funeral, the minister was talking about Carl. He said that Carl was great at many things but that what he was best at was "loving God and loving people..." That was a concept I had heard before. Carl lived what he shared.
We can choose to make the world better or worse by how we live. The world is better for having had Carl Ely, the faithful man of God, as a part of it. Carl was faithful...just like man's best friend.
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