Awareness

I find it interesting how unaware we can be as a people.  I realize there is much going on and it is hard to keep up with everything.  But it feels like there are really important things about which people have no idea while they know everything about insignificant things.

For example, I saw a man on the street segment with university students who could name celebrities for current reality shows and song contests but could not identify well known world leaders.  They know much about the cultural trappings but very little about the people and events that are shaping the world around them. It can be a very limiting view of life.

Throughout Scripture we are reminded that it is important for us to be aware of what is going on around us.  God is speaking and giving us signs about world events and many will be unaware of them.  Not because they cannot know but because they are not looking.  Daniel was told:

9 He replied, “Go your way, Daniel, because the words are rolled up and sealed until the time of the end. 10 Many will be purified, made spotless and refined, but the wicked will continue to be wicked. None of the wicked will understand, but those who are wise will understand. Daniel 12:9-10

Wise people will be aware and understand when they see things happening.  Jesus indicated the same thing when He said to the Pharisees in Matthew 16:

The Pharisees and Sadducees came to Jesus and tested him by asking him to show them a sign from heaven.2 He replied, “When evening comes, you say, ‘It will be fair weather, for the sky is red,’ 3 and in the morning, ‘Today it will be stormy, for the sky is red and overcast.’ You know how to interpret the appearance of the sky, but you cannot interpret the signs of the times.

He goes on to say that it is a wicked generation that can tell weather and other related things but cannot discern the signs of the times. So what does all of this have to do with us today?Last night the first of four blood moons that will occur on Jewish high holy days over the next year appeared. John Hagee has written a book about them and what has happened over the past five hundred years when such a rare event occurred. I believe they are a sign of the times. Russia has made an alliance with Iran, which is ancient Persia. In the past they have been enemies. Ezekiel 38 indicates that there will be an army come against Israel, including troops from modern day Russia, Iran and several African nations, including Sudan. It is interesting that Iran also has formed a relationship with a former enemy, Sudan. I believe it is a sign of the times. Birth rates in the largest countries in Europe are trending in such a way that they will be predominately Muslim within the next 20-30 years. This will make the European Union, if it survives until then, pre-disposed against Israel. I believe this is a sign of the times.

All of these things are macro in nature. There are many other observations that could cause us to conclude that world events are hastening toward the coming of Christ and the end of this world as the Bible describes it. I am not seeking to instill fear of any kind here nor am I trying to encourage an unhealthy interest in making predictions about who the Antichrist is or about a date when Jesus will return. I am just saying that we have to be wise and aware and living with a sense of urgency about our mission as we long for and hasten the day when Jesus will return. We must live looking forward to that day, not in fear. And we must be found prepared and ready when He comes. Here is Jesus' reminder for us in Luke 12:35-40:
35 “Be dressed ready for service and keep your lamps burning, 36 like servants waiting for their master to return from a wedding banquet, so that when he comes and knocks they can immediately open the door for him. 37 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them watching when he comes. Truly I tell you, he will dress himself to serve, will have them recline at the table and will come and wait on them. 38 It will be good for those servants whose master finds them ready, even if he comes in the middle of the night or toward daybreak. 39 But understand this: If the owner of the house had known at what hour the thief was coming, he would not have let his house be broken into. 40 You also must be ready,because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.”

A Hard Week

Judah Ray Jones

This past week has been one of the hardest weeks I have ever experienced in my life.  Over the past month, I've preached about how our backgrounds may not be great, but God has a greater destiny for us.  I've spoken about how we may not know everything but we should act on what we know to bring glory to the Lord.  Just last Sunday we explored how we feel like if we do right we will get right.  So if our circumstances aren't happening the way we thought or planned, we can feel God is not there working.  But that is not the truth.  This week we experienced the birth of our grandson Judah and all this truth has served as the foundation on which we have stood.

Since his conception, we have prayed for the Lord's hand to be on this little boy.  We didn't know his name yet.  But we believed (and still do) that God had (and has) a destiny for him that will honor the Lord.  In his first hour or two of life, there were moments of question whether that destiny was going to come to fruition, but God........

I had never heard some of the medical terms used to discuss the lung issues affecting Judah.   As they described what they were doing and the potential possibilities of what could happen, it was hard.   In the most critical moments, when we were watching the anguish of our son, Justin, as he was torn between deep concern for his wife and wondering if his son would survive, we didn't know what to do.  I have never felt such deep pain.  Never.  As a man you want to protect your family and alleviate the pain.  I had no power to do that.  So I acted on what I did know, that we have a Sovereign, loving Heavenly Father.  So I knelt on the floor in front of our son, pulled Pam and Jalonna around as well, and prayed through my tears with pain pulsing through my chest.  I boldly reminded myself and the Lord of His promises and asked for His will to be done in the life of this little boy and for our son and daughter-in-law.  And God........

Justin and Janelle had visions of how Judah's birth would take place and what those first moments of bonding would be like just like all parents.  None of it happened the way they pictured it.  In fact, everything was the exact opposite.  We have spent most moments the past few days weeping at the drop of a word.  But it is the most fascinating experience.  While some of the tears are flowing because of the shattered dream or struggles Judah has experienced in the first couple days of his life, most have come because of the overwhelming grace of God.  People have risen up to intercede from PA and WNY, from Africa (where his Aunt Sherrill is a missionary) to Israel (where a friend put a prayer in the Western Wall); from California to Michigan to Tennessee to Indiana and Ohio; from multiple denominations and churches.  And testimonies have suddenly surfaced of the early struggles of others with their children and these have been an encouragement.  Its God.......

This Pappy wanted to affirm today that God is trustworthy, His Word is true, and He is a present help in times of trouble.  Its not always easy but He is God. And we will always praise Him.

Salvation: Our Action or God's?

Assurance of our salvation is an issue for some.  Can I know for sure that I have done enough to be acceptable to the Lord?  In a similar vein, when we have conversations with people about a relationship with Christ, many believe they can do enough good to be acceptable to God.

So how much of our salvation depends on our actions and how much is God's action?

Here is what the Scriptures say:

2 Timothy 1:  8 So do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord or of me his prisoner. Rather, join with me in suffering for the gospel, by the power of God. 9 He has saved us and called us to a holy life—not because of anything we have done but because of his own purpose and grace. This grace was given us in Christ Jesus before the beginning of time, 10 but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel.

Titus 3:  3 At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. 4 But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that, having been justified by his grace, we might become heirs having the hope of eternal life.

Ephesians 2:  8 For it is by grace you have been saved,through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.

Colossians 2:  13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross.

Isaiah 64:  4 All of us have become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous acts are like filthy rags; we all shrivel up like a leaf,  and like the wind our sins sweep us away.

God is amazing.  We are not deserving of anything because of our sin.  And nothing "good" we do is acceptable to pay the debt of our sin against the holiness and righteousness of God because it is all like filthy rags in comparison.  Yet God's grace "makes us alive" and gives us the opportunity to respond to Him by faith.  He forgives our sins based on Christ's death on the cross.

So our salvation is a work of the love, grace and mercy of Almighty God toward and in us.  And if it were not for His grace, we couldn't even respond to Him because we are dead in our sin.  Our salvation does not rest on us being acceptable to God by doing good.  That way none of us can boast about anything except the gift of God we have been given.  And any good that flows out of us after that is God carrying out His workmanship through us.

If you have received Him, thank Him.  If you have friends who are trying to earn their way to God and wonder if they have done enough, tell them.  Its all about God's amazing grace.

Its Time

1 Peter 4: 12 Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you. 13 But rejoice inasmuch as you participate in the sufferings of Christ, so that you may be overjoyed when his glory is revealed. 14 If you are insulted because of the name of Christ, you are blessed, for the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. 15 If you suffer, it should not be as a murderer or thief or any other kind of criminal, or even as a meddler.16 However, if you suffer as a Christian, do not be ashamed, but praise God that you bear that name. 17 For it is time for judgment to begin with God’s household; and if it begins with us, what will the outcome be for those who do not obey the gospel of God? 18 And,

“If it is hard for the righteous to be saved,
what will become of the ungodly and the sinner?”[a]

19 So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good.

Its time. Judgment has begun. In fact, it has been going on for some time. But as we edge nearer to the end of time, it will increase. Just as those in Peter's day were facing "fiery ordeals," we face some today. Believers like our pastor friend Cedric are boldly preaching Christ in increasingly dangerous environments. We can pray for them.

We also will and do face some testings of various kinds. And what words of encouragement do we find here?

1. We get to share in the sufferings of Christ. And as we do that He reveals His glory in it. Notice what is said: When we are insulted for the sake of Christ, His Spirit of glory and of God rests on us.

2. We get to praise God for the opportunity to bear His name.

3. We get to understand the concept of eternal rewards. In quoting Proverbs 11:31, Peter is underscoring that the righteous will receive some of their rewards while here on the earth. This is in keeping with Jesus' teaching that the meek will inherit the earth. So while we receive some blessings now, the rewards that await us later are far greater. In the same way, the consequences the wicked receive now are only a taste and will be far greater for them in eternity.

This is why we are encouraged in the face of suffering to commit ourselves to our faithful Creator and keep doing good. Ever wonder where the phrase "whole hog" comes from? I believe it came from a conversation a chicken and pig had one time about a ham and eggs breakfast. The pig reminded the chicken that for the chicken that breakfast involved a contribution but for the pig it meant whole hog.

Let's not grow tired or discouraged but rather rejoice that we can be whole hog for our Savior, keeping eternity in view. Its time.

Consider This

One day unplugged and my inbox is jammed with over 100 emails.  I'm talking really important stuff, like 3 invitations to Farmville from my Facebook account; 7 spam messages claiming I have won millions; advertisements I never asked to receive.  I have texts, tweets, voice messages and Instagrams to either view or listen to.

I stopped to look at my calendar to try to find time to have coffee with someone and can't seem to carve out an hour slot for the next two weeks.  What is wrong with this picture?

We live in a culture of over-communication.  We are so connected that we are disconnected and distracted.  We exchange words without exchanging meaningful dialog.  Some people have forgotten (or never learned) how to have a meaningful conversation face to face with someone.  We are exposed to an estimated 500 to 2000 messages a day.  And we aren't geared to process all that.

We also live in a culture of over-commitment.  Too many "yeses" and not enough "no's."  So much to do and not enough time.  We look for moments to cram more into and miss decades.  We refuse the discipline of limiting ourselves and our children to less options.  The story I usually hear from families involves traveling leagues; musicals; tutoring; camps; overtime; community involvements.  Important things and relationships are sacrificed on the altar of "just a little bit more."

We also live in a culture of confusion.  As one writer put it:

Cultural confusion results from a growing lack of consensus about what is proper or appropriate in given circumstances. If people get the idea that there are no society-wide or community-wide standards of behavior and comportment that one really ought to follow, not because one might otherwise be punished but because it is simply the right thing to do, cultural confusion can result: There seems to be no answer to many of life’s daily questions of manners, etiquette, and propriety. People might come to conclude that more or less anything goes in the service of people’s individual preferences—as a former professor of mine put it, “you should do whatever you can get away with.” Although this kind of freedom may gratify and serve the individual in the moment, it threatens social order in the long run.

  In such a culture, Jesus said we are to come to Him and He will "give us rest."  But how?  The essence of it is this:  He will simplify our lives around His purposes.  We can turn off all streams of communication that don't keep us connected or informed about His mission and those we are engaging.  Second, He gives us the ability to sift through the infinite possibilities of commitments to those He has outlined for us.  Again, simplification, the ability to say "no" to over-commitment.  And finally, He clarifies life for us and gives us a consistent standard to live by.

Jesus brings rest.  Satan brings rush.  Jesus teaches with clarity.  Satan desires to keep us in confusion.  Jesus loves us eternally.  Satan leads us to exhaustion and frustration and ultimately, death.

I encourage us to unplug from the over the top life and plug into the real life found in Jesus Christ.

Ebb and Flow

   Ever notice the ebb and flow of life.  High times and low times.  Times of great success and times of set back.  Times where we take giant steps forward to times where it feels like we are stuck or losing ground.  It is funny how in the upswing times we feel invincible and in the other times we feel like we are abandoned by God or missing His blessing.  But the work of God is demonstrated over time.

Haggai was a prophet during the time after the Israelites had returned to the land following their captivity in Babylon. (Set back)  They were trying to recover and the first job was to rebuild the temple.   They got discouraged in the endeavor and started to back off, allowing their energies and attention to be diverted to other things.  They were remembering happier days, days of glory in their past.  When we are in ebb times, we tend to lament back to our past rather than focus on the fulfillment of God's promises now and in the future.

Haggai asked the old folks among them, those who had been taken 70 years earlier as young people, if they remembered the former glory?  They did.  And this place looked nothing like the glorious place they once knew.  He then reminded them of the covenant God made when they came out of Egypt.  Did they remember that?  It should be their motivation to work because all that God said in that covenant was true.  He then spoke God's word of encouragement to them:

6 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In a little while I will once more shake the heavens and the earth, the sea and the dry land. 7 I will shake all nations, and what is desired by all nations will come, and I will fill this house with glory,’ says the Lord Almighty. 8 ‘The silver is mine and the gold is mine,’ declares the LordAlmighty. 9 ‘The glory of this present house will be greater than the glory of the former house,’ says the Lord Almighty. ‘And in this place I will grant peace,’ declares the Lord Almighty.”

EVERYTHING is His.  And He will bring His glory back to this place.  So when we are in ebb times of life, we must avoid becoming paralyzed by lamenting the glories of days past.  We must hold firm to the promises of God and work in light of the coming glory.  And His glory and peace will abide there.

God says, "I am with you and my Spirit remains among you."  Therefore we don't have to fear.

So let's get up, work and watch in anticipation as the glory of the Lord is revealed.

Life Lines

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:⁶ Who, being in very nature^[a] God,    did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;⁷ rather, he made himself nothing    by taking the very nature^[b] of a servant,
    being made in human likeness.⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,    he humbled himself    by becoming obedient to death—        even death on a cross!   Philippians 4:5-8

Life is all about relationships.  Our relationships enhance our lives.  There are some people that use relationships to draw out things for themselves.  Their lives are all about them.  Their conversations revolve around themselves and their experiences.  And they hardly ever show real  interest in the other person.

All this description goes against what God says about relationships.  We are to have the same mindset as Christ Jesus.  He showed what it is to have true desire for relationship with others, even for others who are estranged from us.  What does this mindset involve?

It begins with not thinking about ourselves but rather emptying ourselves of self.  Then we are free to pour into others.

It takes humility.  This is reflected more in how we relate to others.  Rather than looking to get something from others we look to serve others for their good.  And that good is found in obedience to God's will, no matter what it takes.  For Him, it was obedience to the point of dying on the cross for us.

The amazing thing about having this mindset is that we find all our relationships more fulfilling because they are valued by what we do for others rather than what we get out of them for us.  I am blessed everyday by the relationship opportunities God gives me.  I pray that I may be found faithful for these special gifts from God.  They are the essence of life.