Call it What it is

We all appreciate honesty. We want our doctor to be honest with us, even if we don’t like the diagnosis. We want our teachers to tell us if we are wrong so that we can improve our method. We want our spouse to tell us something they don’t like before it grows into a bigger problem.

People that appreciate history do not want to see the facts misrepresented. We wouldn’t stand for someone trying to say that Lincoln was the first President, or that we were on the losing side of the World Wars.

Christians should appreciate efforts to protect the integrity of the Bible. We would argue with anyone who said the lie of Ananias and Sapphira was of no consequence, or that the sin of Achan was no big deal. We would object to a claim that Judas Iscariot was a devoted disciple or that Caiaphas was a follower of Jesus.

If we appreciate honesty and factual integrity, especially as it relates to the things of God, then why would we sit idly by when someone preaches a false gospel? You do not have to try hard to find a preacher who claims God’s chief goal is your happiness, or that you are just fine as you are (before salvation), or that material blessings are the proof of your obedience.

Sadly, instead of hearing a host of believers call out these false prophets, we are more likely to hear them call out the ones who call out the false prophets. We should have a burning in our soul when someone perverts the gospel, but instead many are drawn to them because they scratch their itching ears.

If you think calling out heresy is wrong, judgmental, or mean, remember that Peter, Paul, and Jesus Himself called it out. We need to call it what it is so that by it others are not led astray. Paul called out individuals by name because they shipwrecked the faith of other people. He was not out looking for a fight, but Paul would always fight for the purity of the Gospel.

“But shun profane and idle babblings, for they will increase to more ungodliness. And their message will spread like cancer. Hymenaeus and Philetus are of this sort, who have strayed concerning the truth, saying that the resurrection is already past; and they overthrow the faith of some.”

2 Timothy 2:16-18

Resolved to Give All

As 2017 draws to a close many of you have made resolutions for the coming year. If you’re honest, some of those same resolutions appear on the list year after year, but this time you mean it. I’ve never been big on making resolutions, but I am making one this year. Maybe you will consider making this resolution with me.

This time of year always makes me think about an old choir anthem we used to sing in Florida called Firmly Committed. Here is the chorus:

I am firmly committed to the cause of Christ,

Determined to serve Him for the rest of my life

Resolved to give all, no matter the price

I am firmly committed to the cause of Christ.

If you are looking for a New Year’s resolution, will you consider resolving to give all for Christ? While that is an all-encompassing resolution, I want to give you four specific areas in which we can resolve to give all this year.

First, in study. 2 Timothy 2:15 says we should study in order to rightly interpret the Word of truth. Psalm 1:2 says the blessed man will meditate on God’s word day and night. In this new year we should determine to study God’s word more so that we can be better equipped for life.

Next, in service. At the end of Paul’s life he was able to confidently write that he had run the race well and finished his course; he knew that rewards awaited him because of his life’s ministry (2 Timothy 4:5-7). We often speak of the end of a Christian’s life in terms of God calling that person home. My goal is to give away so much of myself in service that there isn’t much left for God to take when that time comes.

Third, in soul-winning. While there are many important things in life, none trumps telling someone about Jesus. In 1 Corinthians 2:2 Paul reminded the church that his resolution was to focus on the things of Christ when he was with them. We need to determine to share the gospel with more people in 2018.

Finally, in sanctification. Sanctification is the process of becoming more like Jesus every day. It involves purging old sin and abstaining from it (2 Timothy 2:21, 1 Thessalonians 4:3). Are you more like Christ at the end of 2017 than you were at the beginning of it? You should be, and you should determine to be more like Him at the end of 2018.

If you will join me in resolving to give all in 2018, I believe this world will be a much better place this time next year.

Preach the Gospel

I love what Paul said in 1 Corinthians 9:16: “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!”

Paul had been called by God in a very special way to preach the gospel, and he did so faithfully for the remainder of his life. He preached, knowing it would send him to prison, and then he preached while he was in prison to anyone that would listen.

But he didn’t preach about things that didn’t matter—his focus was always on Jesus. Paul said he could have given expositions on other topics, but instead he chose to preach nothing except “Jesus Christ, and Him crucified (1 Corinthians 2:2).”

Paul preached the gospel because he recognized it to be “the power of God unto salvation, to everyone who believes (Romans 1:16).” He understood that the Word of God is “living and powerful, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit (Hebrews 4:12).”

Paul even encouraged young Timothy to "preach the word (2 Timothy 4:2)!"

You might not have had a Damascus Road conversion like Paul, but if the Lord has saved you, He has called you to preach the gospel. You might not be a pastor, but all believers are preachers.

If you understand the weight of the gospel message and what hangs in the balance for unbelievers, then you can say with Paul, “Woe is me if I do not preach the gospel!”

Make it your aim today to share the gospel with someone. 

Roller Coaster

This week of Vacation Bible School has had an emphasis on roller coasters. The theme is Colossal Coaster World, and we were able to have roller coaster tracks going across our stage.

All this talk about roller coasters made me think about how they can be a microcosm of life. Sometimes we are upside down. Humans are meant to stand on our feet, and when we go upside down on a roller coaster it is a foreign feeling to us.

We go through times in life where we feel upside down—when nothing makes sense and we feel disoriented.

But there are also parts of the ride where everything is downhill. After hitting a high point the roller coaster begins to accelerate back down, causing a major rush.

Life is full of ups and downs. After being upside down for a while we end up going downhill again and life calms down.

But the thing about roller coasters that stands out to me the most is the unknown. My favorite ride was always Space Mountain at Disney. This is such a fun ride because it is totally dark and no one can see what is going to happen next. There is nothing to do except hold on and enjoy the ride.

And that is the best way to live life. We don’t know what is up ahead, but instead of being afraid of it, we can hold on and trust God. On a roller coaster nothing happens that wasn’t thought out by the designer, and in life nothing happens that wasn’t planned by our Designer.

So instead of spending (or wasting) your life being afraid, just hold on and trust God. Remember, that fear didn’t come from God, but from our enemy. Let me leave you with our VBS theme verse, 2 Timothy 1:7:

“For God has not given us a spirit of fearfulness, but of power and of love and of a sound mind.”

Firm Foundation

I have done very little construction in my lifetime, but one thing I know is this: a firm foundation is essential to the success of any structure.

Whether you are working with toy blocks or building a skyscraper the same concept is true. We all know the result of an unbalanced, weak, or cracked foundation. When the storms come the structure will be destroyed, even if the walls, windows, and roof were all strong. A firm foundation is vital to the vitality of any building.

Paul compared the truth of Christ’s message to a firm foundation. II Timothy 2:19 says, “But God's firm foundation stands, bearing this seal: ‘The Lord knows those who are His,’ and, ‘Let everyone who names the name of the Lord depart from iniquity.’”

To better understand Paul’s point we need to keep the context in mind. In the preceding verses the apostle mentioned two men by name—Hymenaeus and Philetus—who he called “gangrene” because they had “swerved from the truth.” Understanding that context would allow us to restate verse 19 this way: “God’s truth stands as a firm foundation…”

The truth of God’s message is the strong structure upon which we can build our faith, theology, even our very lives. When the storms of life come the building (us) will stand strong because we have a firm foundation.

There are loud voices today saying things like there is no hell, Jesus affirmed homosexuality, the Bible has flaws, and God used evolution to create the world, among other things. Those voices are gangrene, swerving from the truth. If they continue on that path then eventually they will crumble apart because their foundation is based upon wishful thinking or manmade theology.

Make sure that your foundation is firm. Keep building on the whole counsel of God’s inerrant Word