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Stop! Save a Precious Life…Yours!

For February 13, 2019
Chapter nine of Mark’s gospel narrative has fascinated me over the years. It contains two heart-wrenching stories that evoke poignant visual images that yet resonate with me.

First is the account of the man who asked Jesus to heal his son, whose violent seizures and muted condition threatened his life. When the man asked the Lord to heal his son, the Lord told him that faith would make it possible.

Instantly, the man was overcome with tremendous fear and anxiety because he realized if healing was to occur, he could no longer trust his senses. Instead, he had to rely upon a spiritual reality that could not be proven scientifically or explained logically. This was a state of being totally unfamiliar to him at that moment.

In other words, the man had to put his faith in what he could not see, feel, touch, taste, or smell. But like any loving parent, he wanted his child restored to perfect health. In tearful reverence, he cries, “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” (Mark 9:24 KJV) That day Jesus healed the son’s body…and the father’s faith.

The second story contains some striking visual images concerning the destructive outcome of sin. Here Jesus teaches:

If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’

And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be cast into hell, into the fire that shall never be quenched—where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’

And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast into hell fire—where ‘Their worm does not die And the fire is not quenched.’ (Mark 9:43-48 NKJV)

Jesus is not advocating self-mutilation. He is teaching that sin is a natural consequence of our fallen condition, which produces a lifestyle of self-gratification, rebellion, and death.

As Ephesians 2:1-3 describes, we are content to boldly and shamelessly live out our sinful practices 1; serving our master, the Devil as we follow the lustful yearnings of our sin-tarnished nature. In this condition, and by default, we are subject to God’s wrath—forever.

Jesus cites Isaiah 66:24 in His warning of an actual place called Hell. He uses the word gehenna, (or the Valley of Hinnom); located just outside Jerusalem where the wicked ruler, King Ahaz sacrificed his son in the fiery worship ritual to the pagan god Moloch some seven-hundred years earlier.2 This heinous act was prohibited and condemned by Leviticus 18:21.

Although this valley was used as trash heap during the time of Christ, this graphic metaphor presents a somber warning to those who continue to reject God and practice sin.

Because whether the term is Gehenna as used here, the Lake of Fire (Revelation 19:20, or the Second Death (Revelation 20:14), the outcome is the same: eternal separation from God is the final state of all those who practice sin, and there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” forever. (Matthew 22:13)

Although the warning here is most serious, Jesus provides comfort as well. We can have the power to resist sin’s dominance—if we turn to Him completely. Because He was victorious over sin, He supplies us with the power to resist whatever is causing us to sin (as if it were “cut off”).

Thank God for His patience. He is not willing that we should perish; but that we come to repentance as 2 Peter 3:9 promises. As Romans 5:8 assures us, God demonstrated His wonderful, all-encompassing love for us in this single defining moment in human history:

While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us!

The Lord performed on our behalf what we were unwilling and incapable of doing ourselves. He paid the price of sin by His death on the cross. As a result, the power of sin and Satan, the cares of this world, and our own inadequate strength no longer debilitate us as we operate under His unfaltering might.

We grow to be more like Christ and honor him in everything we say, think, and do. Our new Spirit-driven life is born out of a sincere faith that transforms us while providing us with the clean hands and pure hearts that God requires.

Are we perfect? Absolutely not—but He is!

The Lord provides us with the spiritual strength we need to live nobly for Him daily as holy, acceptable, living sacrifices. Thus, there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ; who walk not in the flesh, but in His Spirit. 3

We can represent Him in a manner that reflects His noble character. Like airplanes on a runway before takeoff, we will not achieve flight without our Eternal Pilot at the controls. With humble, reverent, and sincere faith in Christ, we are assured to reach our glorious final destination—eternal life—safely. What a wonderful Savior!

 

 

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The Son Makes Us Free—Indeed

For February 9, 2019
The Christian faith has been described as a rigid system of do’s and don’ts; a dull and boring life that does not allow people to experience life at its fullest. To the casual observer, this position may seem to be reinforced by sacred Scriptures that appear to show how Christians are “strangers and pilgrims” on a mission:

♦ We are to be perfect even as our Father in Heaven is perfect (Matthew 5:48)
♦ We are in the world but not of the world (John 17:16), and
♦ We are bought with a price; no longer our own exclusively (1 Corinthians 6:19-20)
♦ We are to abstain from sinful desires that war against the soul (1 Peter 2:11)

Christianity may appear rigid, dull, and boring to some casual observers. But it is not! Jesus Christ promises an abundant life of absolute, all-encompassing, and eternal freedom saying: “So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed!” John 8:36 (NLT)

Here are five freedoms we have in Christ that make the Christian life both exciting and fulfilling:

Free from sin’s bondage and dominion:
Sin’s corruption on everyone living on earth since the time of our ancestors Adam and Eve is most apparent when people attempt to acquire meaning, fulfillment, and satisfaction through sex, drugs, sports, power, wealth, prestige, work and religion.

And with each occurrence, we witness the tragic outcome of Jeremiah 2:13 with full and unmistakable clarity; we forsake God, who is the Fountain of Living Waters, and we replace Him with broken cisterns that can hold no water!

Ultimately, the fleeting pleasures of sin can never satisfy our deepest emotional, physical, and spiritual longings as does a intimate, personal and  authentic relationship with Jesus Christ.

His Spirit not only transforms us, but He also supplies us with the strength to resist those lusts of the flesh, eyes, and the pride of life that imperil others and us. In addition, He makes His abode within us so that we can be “free” to live each moment to its fullest as we emulate His impeccable lifestyle consistently and follow His incomparable teachings willingly–for His glory and our collective benefit!

Free from past condemnation, guilt, and shame:
Jesus Christ secured our forgiveness though His death at Calvary. He now having been raised from the dead, we can enjoy true peace with God since our past misdeeds are no longer considered. In other words, although sin has consequences, it can no longer be used against us to condemn us before God.

We can “freely” function at full capacity with a clear conscience because God no longer views us from the context of our sinful past. Instead, He views us from the standpoint Jesus’ righteousness. Now He can love, accept, and value us as though we never sinned, and we are empowered to reflect His grace and love through lives that show everyone how grateful we truly are.

Free from all doubt and uncertainty regarding God’s acceptance:
Love from the world’s point of view is self-centered and exploitative. Its ultimate goal is to function in ways that secure the best interest of the giver–never the recipient–at all times. On the other hand, God’s brand of unselfish love will always function in a manner that secures the best interest of the recipient in every situation.

Through God’s unfailing love, we can experience true “freedom” from insecurity; because we have an eternal, fulfilling, satisfying love relationship with God, which the world can neither understand nor offer. While His love and acceptance costs us our faith and obedience. It cost Him His life at Calvary’s cross.

Free to share noble human characteristics that make life worth living:
Through Christ, we can “freely” feature many compelling examples of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, truth, righteousness, helping, giving, wisdom and other Holy Spirit-empowered attributes our world desperately needs to see reflected today.

In this way, we Christians can be the visible examples of Heaven’s glorious and eternal character, which the Lord is perfecting in us now and preparing for us later.

Because of the freedom we have in Christ alone, the Christian life is never rigid, dull, or boring. It’s truly abundant, fulfilling, and exciting. What a wonderful Savior!

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Jesus Christ: The Son of God

For February 3, 2019
The level of crowd noise increased to a deafening roar as the frustration level of the angry mob heightened with every passing moment. They were infuriated by the audacity of a relatively young man—not quite 30 year old—claiming Abraham rejoiced to see Him.

They shouted at the Lord Jesus Christ: “You are not even fifty years old!” As they wondered how He could claim to have seen a person who lived about 2000 years before His birth.

Then the Lord stared intently into the faces of His critics, and without even batting an eye, He declares:

 

“I tell you the truth, before Abraham was even born, I Am!”    John 8:58 (NLT)

Stunned, offended, and outraged, the crowd collected stones to hurl at the young blasphemer who claimed to be God in light of the Old Testament Scriptures that declare Yahweh (or Jehovah) is God alone. Three familiar passages are:

• God replied to Moses, “I Am Who I Am.” Exodus 3:14 (NLT)
• Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Deuteronomy 6:4 (NIV)
• This is what the Lord says—Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies: “I am the First and the Last; there is no other God.” Isaiah 44:6 (NLT)

Jesus did not deceive His critics then…or us today. He was in fact 100 percent God in human flesh as He demonstrated an imposing mastery over His creation by walking on the turbulent sea; later calming it, turning water into wine, feeding the multitudes, healing the sick, raising the dead, and then by being raised from the dead Himself.

In addition, He ascended into Heaven, where He now intercedes for us. Moreover, He sent His Spirit to inhabit and comfort us while we await the fulfillment of His imminent return. Then He will establish His glorious, eternal Kingdom with us as His grateful subjects.

Jesus being God in human flesh is one of the greatest mysteries ever, because as such, He lived a perfectly balanced life of moral and spiritual excellence. And as the perfect human being, He chose not to yield to the lusts of the flesh or to selfish motives when He was tempted.

Instead, He humbled Himself so that He could satisfy all the requirements of the Old Testament Law on our behalf lovingly, willingly, and completely as Philippians 2:5-11 (NLT) teaches:

You must have the same attitude that Christ Jesus had. Though he was God, he did not think of equality with God as something to cling to. Instead, he gave up his divine privileges; he took the humble position of a slave and was born as a human being. When he appeared in human form, he humbled himself in obedience to God and died a criminal’s death on a cross. Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Today we can have the forgiveness of sin because a sinless Jesus Christ paid for them with His precious blood at Calvary. Now, we can confidently approach Him by faith with broken and contrite hearts, ask for His forgiveness, and experience a complete spiritual transformation that restores our fellowship with God and leads to an abundant, eternal life.

Let us take comfort in knowing that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.

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Are We There Yet?

For January 22, 2019
While driving recently, I heard a question that brought back precious memories of a bygone era in my life. I was reminded of the times when I drove our children to church and school events and our family vacations when they were young. Weather the trip was one-half hour or several hours in duration. Invariably they always seemed to ask: Are we there yet? Apparently, they wanted to arrive at their destination much faster than I was driving at the moment.

We’ve all grown up since then. But now I find myself asking that same question when I look at my contemporaries, our nation, and the world around me today. Where is our sense of civility? Where’s our respect for human dignity and worth? What about expressing tolerance for the opinions of others—for the sake of the common good? Are we there yet?

The wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon makes this observation in Proverbs 14:34 (NLT):

Godliness makes a nation great, but sin is a disgrace to any people.

I am grateful to the Lord to live in this country, which He has greatly blessed with many opportunities we often take for granted: to freely worship, to express opinions without censorship, to elect our representation, and to travel where we want when we want. We also benefit from a capitalistic system that supplies us with goods and services that enhance our standard of living and improve our overall quality of life.

However, sometimes I feel embarrassed when I see adults acting like children having temper tantrums. I wonder if these men and women understand the gravity of setting such poor examples before their own children; whether natural or communal. Nobody wins when we sow seeds that produce proud, self-centered, morally reprehensible fruit that will affect us all in time.

I am also saddened by the heightening racial hostility in the US where civility and understanding should be expressed. All of us should understand and be willing to accept that one particular race did not “corner the market” on victimization, and that ours is not a perfect world. Exploitation and victimization happen everywhere around the globe, leaving us with the realization there is much work to be done…everywhere.

We can start by acknowledging God created us to help and support each other. Otherwise, our alternative is more victimization, repression, anarchy, hostility, and senseless violence.

None of us are “perfect” enough to encumber another person (or race) with the debt of hostility or unforgiveness because all of us are offenders by default. Our human propensity to sin ensures global injustice as long as we live on earth. In other words, all of us have committed sinful acts against God or each other, either directly by commission or indirectly by omission.

Daily we watch the tragic futility of those who seek fulfillment through wealth, sports notoriety, political power, corporate achievement, social status, academia, technology, and medicine. Our failures remind us that, although we are unfit for a glorious Heaven morally and spiritually, we are well suited for a tormenting Hell; because God has a “no riffraff” policy that remains in force today.

As Romans 3:23 teaches, all people everywhere have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. For with all the technology, self-help, and other resources we have at our disposal, we can do nothing to correct our spiritual condition without God’s intervention. In fact, He must change us from the inside out as John observes in John 1:12-13 (NLT):

But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. They are reborn—not with a physical birth resulting from human passion or plan, but a birth that comes from God.

Through Jesus Christ, we can  experience a complete, internal, spiritual transformation, have our sins forgiven, and we can have an intimate, eternal fellowship with God and each other as well.

Thus as forgiven followers of Jesus Christ, we can begin to exhibit a higher level of spiritual and moral acumen; one that accepts and embraces others so that we can enhance and preserve a civil society. Are we there yet? Unfortunately we are not!

But human lives can change drastically in the presence of the Living Christ, and drastically changed (Christ-centered and Spirit-controlled) human lives think, speak, and act in ways that are not detrimental to the health, welfare, or safety of others regardless of race, gender, culture, wealth, social status, or political affiliation.

We may not be there yet, but it is possible to change the world nevertheless—one person at a time—starting with you and me.

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Can These Bones Live?

For January 22, 2019
Some five-hundred years before the birth of Christ–while Jerusalem lay in ruins with the great Temple King Solomon built a smoldering heap–God gave Ezekiel a message of encouragement and renewal for the Jewish captives in Babylonian exile. Chapter 37:1-3 (NIV) sets forth this amazing event along with its unforgettable message:

The hand of the Lord was on me, and he brought me out by the Spirit of the Lord and set me in the middle of a valley; it was full of bones. He led me back and forth among them, and I saw a great many bones on the floor of the valley, bones that were very dry. He asked me, “Son of man, can these bones live?” I said, “Sovereign Lord, you alone know.”

In this life, we are certain to experience many harrowing events that test our faith and may lead us to doubt God. Even our Lord Jesus Christ teaches that rain will fall on the just and unjust alike in Matthew 5:45. Our hardships serve as constant reminders of the presence of sin in our fallen world.

Often the Enemy uses our hardships to trigger the onset of spiritual, emotional, and psychological baggage to perpetuate the lie that we are broken beyond repair; worthless and cannot be forgiven. People who struggle to forgive themselves often insist: “God can’t/won’t forgive me…You don’t know what I’ve done!”

We cannot change our past with its hurts. What’s been done has been done. Nevertheless, God created us, and He knows us better than we know ourselves. Moreover, He is fully aware of our hurts, the “secret” sins, and the humiliating circumstances we carry that no one else knows about.

And if He is willing to love, accept, treasure, value, and forgive us through Christ, we should be more than willing to love, accept, treasure, value, and forgive ourselves. Shouldn’t we?

Hardships do not negate God’s love, grace, and mercy, nor do they reveal His desertion. Because nothing can separate us from His love, and in the final analysis, all the things we experience will work together for our good as Romans 8:28; 35-39 teach us.

Hebrew 2:1 tells us: Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip. To “give the more earnest heed” (Greek: prosecho), implies being “concerned about” or “paying attention to” something. In this context, it summons our vigilance to: “be [especially] careful,” or to “be on guard.” 4

Such introspection helps to free us from the emotional and psychological scars associated with a tragic past. Over time, we can affirm there is no condemnation for those who are in Christ. Then we can grow in His grace by walking according to the Spirit; ever-yearning for more of the Abundant Life He freely extends to all of us who trust in Him. 5

The New Living Translation of 2 Corinthians 5:17 reminds us that: “Anyone who belongs to Christ has become a new person. The old life is gone; a new life has begun!” Here, we can experience the Lord’s Abundant Life now and His glorious Heaven later. At that time, all our hardships and toils will be forgotten instantly the moment we see Jesus Christ in his full majestic splendor. Amen!

Can these bones live? Can shattered, broken lives be repaired and restored? As Ezekiel 37:10 offered assurance to ancient Israel that dry bones can live and become “an exceeding great army.” It offers hope today that decimated lives can be fully restored by the ever-renewing, omnipotent Spirit of God.

What a wonderful Savior!

 

 

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