Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Fully Equipped


To be effective in sports a player needs to have all the necessary equipment. I can’t imagine any coach that would send his quarterback onto the field if the player didn’t have a helmet. What about a 1st baseman leaving his glove in the dugout? Neither player would be able to help his team.

The same is true in the professional world. A construction worker needs steel-toes and a hard hat; a chef needs knives, and a cab driver needs, well, a cab. If they are not fully equipped then they are not able to properly perform their tasks.

As believers we also need equipment to help us live life properly. 2 Timothy 3:16-17 sum it up rather nicely: “All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”

Scripture—all Scripture—is important. Recorded on its pages are the answers to what we face in life, but you won’t find them if you aren’t looking. Whether you are grieving, doubting, questioning, or curious, God’s Word has information that can help.

Especially if you are tempted with sin. When Jesus was tempted by Satan He didn’t quote Dr. Phil or Freud, but His Father. That’s what led the psalmist to say, “Thy word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against Thee (Psalm 119:11).”

Are you fully equipped to live a life of godliness? Don’t leave it in the dugout; grab your Bible dig into God’s Word.  

Wednesday, February 20, 2013

Unfaithful




The word unfaithful has a negative connotation in our society, and for good reason. When I hear the word unfaithful I think of an unfaithful spouse that broke a marriage vow; I also think of an unfaithful parent that continually breaks promises to children. The word also brings to mind the unfaithfulness of a friend, the ones who stab us in the back and betray our trust.

Wives unfaithful to their husbands.
Fathers unfaithful to the children.
Friends unfaithful to friends.

How many times does a person have to be unfaithful to us before we stop trusting them? Usually just once.

If you have been let down by someone’s unfaithfulness, then you will probably like the first three words of 1 Corinthians 1:9—“God is faithful.”

God is faithful. He will never cheat, make excuses, or stab in the back. He will faithfully be who He has promised to be, and He will not go back on His word. He has promised to forgive us as often as we repent, and He will be faithful to do so. He promises an unconditional love, and He will faithfully love us. He has promised a home in heaven to all who call Him Lord, and He will not let us down.

God is faithful. But that verse continues: “who has called us into fellowship with His Son Jesus Christ our Lord.” He is faithful and He has invited us into a relationship with Himself.

Maybe you once had a relationship with God but you are not as close as you once were. Guess which one of you was unfaithful.

For many of us, if someone lets us down we are not too quick to welcome them back. If you have walked away from God then He has felt the sting of your unfaithfulness, but He will gladly welcome you back the second you call out to Him in repentance.

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us of our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”
1 John 1:9

Thursday, February 14, 2013

Building an Image



When people think of you, what do they think?

Many of us work on building a reputation, and many of us actually succeed in doing so. Do people know you as the one who can throw the perfect spiral or fastball? Are you the one with the best voice? Maybe you are the brainiac or the class clown. Perhaps people know you as the hardest worker or the rising star.

Those things are usually fine, but let me ask you another question: if you are succeeding in being known for what you want to be known for, is it worth it? Are you striving for the best possible reputation?

I have always been into sports, and in my younger days I wanted to be known as an athlete. As happy as I was to be named MVP of the basketball team when I was in 6th grade, do you think that will come up at my funeral? If that’s the focus, then there clearly wasn’t much to my life.

Proverbs 20:11 says, “Even a child is known by what he does, whether his conduct is pure and upright.” More than being known for things like talents and hobbies, I want to be known and remembered for how I act.

The word “even” in that proverb shows that everyone—from adult down to toddler—is known by his actions. What do people think of you? Don’t get too invested in being known for the things mentioned above; rather, work towards being known as a person whose conduct is pure and upright.

When we live life this way people see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. It is what Jesus had in mind when He said “by this all men will know that you are my disciples: if you have love one for another.” 

Thursday, February 7, 2013

Two Women of Faith




In the Gospels there are two stories of women who found healing, one for herself, and one for her daughter.

The first woman had a blood disorder that left her ceremonially unclean and an outcast from society. Her health also drove her to bankruptcy as she turned from one doctor to the next in a hopeless search of a cure. But that was all before Jesus passed by.

This unmanned woman fought through the crowd and was able to touch just one of the tassels on his outer garment. In that instant healing power flowed from Jesus to this woman as she immediately became well. And in Luke 8:48 we see what Jesus credited for this healing: “Your faith has made you well.”

The second woman was a Syrophoenician, a Gentile. In the presence of Jewish men, who would view her as the equivalent of a stray dog, she asked Jesus to heal her daughter. Jesus initially ignored the woman, testing her faith. But as she persisted Jesus healed her daughter, declaring, “Oh woman! Great is your faith! (Matthew 15:28)”

In both situations Jesus commented on the faith of these women, and that faith is what led to their healings. These women were similar in that they had nothing they could boast of aside from their faith. The first woman had spent at least twelve years away from the synagogue and probably knew little of the Scriptures or Jesus. The second woman never presented Jesus with a list of her or her daughter’s accomplishments.

They just had faith.

And faith is all that is required of us. You don’t need a PhD to come to Jesus; you don’t need to be an MVP or CEO. You just need faith. It matters none how much or little you know of the Bible or the church; just put your faith in Jesus. The longer you serve Him the more you will learn, but the first thing you need is faith.

We can learn a major lesson from these unnamed women. No matter who you are or what you have done, if you put your faith in Jesus then you too can be made well.  

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Go



Many of us are familiar with the event in which Jesus cast demons out of man and sent them into a herd of pigs. The details are recorded in Matthew, and if you use a red-letter edition of the Bible, then you will see two little red letters stand out among the black letters. Jesus simply says, “Go.” And with that imperative a host of demons flee into a host of swine.

Demons obey Jesus.

This event reminds us that Satan and his minions are subject to God. We also see in Scripture that the wind and waves, fish, the dead, and even donkeys obey the voice of their Creator.

If these demons immediately obey Jesus at His command to go, then shouldn’t we? This command in Matthew 8 reminds me of another command in Matthew 28. At this point Jesus has already died, risen again, and spent 40 days teaching His disciples, and then He leaves them with a final commission: “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations…”

Unfortunately, the demons obey Jesus’ command to go better than most Christians do.

To be fair, the word used for go in Matthew 28:18 isn’t a “drop what you’re doing and go” kind of command; it could better be translated “as you are going.” Since you are going to be going anyway, teach all nations as you go.

As you are going to work, tell your coworkers about me.
As you are going to school, tell your classmates about me.
As you are going to lunch, tell your waitress about me.

So as believers in Jesus, let’s not let the demons out-obey us. As you are going today, tell people about Jesus.  

Thursday, January 17, 2013

Bribery


Although it is hopefully something we do not practice, we are probably all familiar with how bribery works. It has been well reported how some people will try to slip some money to someone else in an attempt to gain preferential treatment. And while bribery may work sometimes, it is not something we should be doing.

Just imagine trying to bribe your teacher to get a better grade. “My friend Mr. Washington thinks I deserve an A.” No self-respecting teacher would change your grade (at least not for a dollar!); instead, the teacher wants you to work harder, study, and earn the A yourself.

Some of us may have been guilty of bribing our parents. You may have never offered them money, but perhaps you did extra chores without being asked. Instead of being motivated by love or appreciation for all your parents did for you, you were thinking, “They will remember this next time I ask for something.” That is a selfish motivation; it is deception disguised as love.

What is even worse than that is when we try to bribe God. I like to ask people why God should let them into heaven, and I usually hear a list of things they do, haven’t done, stopped doing, or do better than other people.

“I go to church every week.”
“I’ve never killed anybody.”
“I quit cussing.”
“I’m not as bad as she is.”

In essence they are bribing God. They are saying, “When I stand before God in judgment, He will remember that I…” But that isn’t how God works.

Ephesians 2:8-9 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.”

If you are making a list of all the things you do, haven’t done, stopped doing, or do better than other people, then you are boasting in your own good works, which are not sufficient to save you. The only way to be saved is by God’s grace (which He extended 2,000 years ago) and your total faith in Jesus, and Jesus alone.

If you already have been saved, then remember that we still can’t bribe God for a better life. Health, promotions, obedient children, and retirement accounts aren’t the result of our good works. Our good works should be out of love and appreciation for what God has already done, not for what we hope He will do.