Life Happens

Life is never easy. Life on this earth will introduce you to a myriad of emotions. In the course of one day, we can experience boredom and excitement, elation and desolation, life and death. Whether your outlook on life is positive or negative, life is filled with diversity. Just when we think we have it figured out and know what to expect, life happens. The past few days in my life is a good example of the range of emotions life will throw your way. Tuesday found me conducting the funeral of a young Christian woman who died of cancer; Thursday dawned with the birth of a daughter to a good friend and fellow gospel preacher; Saturday ended with joining a young couple in holy matrimony. Contemplating this whirlwind of events, I could not help but think that there must be a learning opportunity here.
A humanist would simply say that I had just witnessed the "circle of life." One life ends while another begins with some living in between. This "circle" idea may seem all neat and orderly, it may fit perfectly into the secular world, yet it fails to address the needs of man who is created "in the image of God." The essence of being created in the image of God is that we have an eternal soul. Instead of the "circle of life," we more aptly resemble an infinite line. Sure, we have a definite point of origin but when it comes to our soul, there is no end.
How we live while on earth and our response to the cross of Christ will determine where we spend the majority of our existence. Job summed up human existence by saying, "Man born of woman is of few days and full of trouble" ( Job 14:1). Job was beginning to understand that life on this earth is insignificant when viewed in light of eternity. This life we are experiencing is only a tiny portion of our whole existence. Job seemed to understand this as he said, "If a man dies, will he live again ... I will wait for my renewal to come. You will call and I will answer you; you will long for the creature your hands have made" ( Job 14:14,15).
Let us not get so caught up in the happenings of life that we forget why we are here. We are the only ones who can let life get in the way of salvation. God has promised that no matter what happens in your life it will not stand in the way of your salvation unless you allow it. "For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord" ( Romans 8:38,39).

Where Are Your Priorities?

The inspired writer of Hebrews spends a great deal of time in chapter ten explaining the blessings of the new covenant of Christ. "He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all" (Hebrews 10:9b-10). Because of the forgiveness of sins found in the blood of Christ, Christians can approach God with all boldness and confidence./1 It is in response to this new status that the Christian has certain obligations.
Christians are encouraged to "hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful" ( Hebrews 10:23). We can trust in, know, and anticipate eternal life based simply on the fact of God's promise. "Christ is faithful as a son over God's house. And we are his house, if we hold on to our courage and the hope of which we boast" ( Hebrews 3:6). This confidence does not come from our own merit or achievement; it rests in the faithfulness of God. "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith -- and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God -- not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do" ( Ephesians 2:8-10).
Christians are also commanded to "consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds" ( Hebrews 10:24). The Hebrew writer's emphasis is not on what a believer gets from the church, but rather on what he contributes to the church. He emphasizes this with an appeal toward faithful attendance at all functions of the congregation. "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another" ( Hebrews 10:25). When we miss an assembly of the church, we are willingly ignoring God's commands. We are giving up meeting together. We are discouraging our brothers and sisters rather than encouraging and spurring one another on to love and good deeds. The proper attitude toward worship is found in the words of the psalmist, "I rejoiced with those who said to me, Let us go to the house of the LORD" ( Psalm 122:1).
Besides the fact that faithful attendance is commanded and encouraged by God, there are also some practical reasons why we should be committed to the assemblies of the saints. One study shows that if both Mom and Dad attend church regularly, 72% of their children remain faithful in attendance. If only Dad attends regularly, 55% remain faithful. If only Mom attends regularly, 15% remain faithful. If neither attends regularly, only 6% remain faithful./2 Most parents would never do anything detrimental to the life of their children, yet many parents do take chances with their children's spiritual lives.
It is time that God's family takes a serious look at their commitment to Christ and his church. Ask yourself this question and answer yourself honestly, "Would the same excuses you use to justify missing church services Sunday work on your boss Monday?" We spend too much time trying to figure out whether or not Bible Class, Sunday Night Worship or Wednesday Bible Study are mandatory or optional. It all boils down to priorities!
Where are your priorities?

1 Hebrews 10:19-22
2 Home Life Magazine August 2004

Proclaimers of His Majesty

"For we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty" ( 2 Peter 1:16).

Today I heard someone use the phrase "too close for comfort"; it was just after I had been contemplating the above verse penned by the Apostle Peter. As he continued, I began to ponder if it was not also true that we could get too comfortable because we are so close.

I live in the fabulous hills of Tennessee, snuggled between the legendary Civil War battlefield of Shiloh and the fabled Natchez Trace Parkway. About ten miles from my home is a naturally made land bridge and about thirty miles from my home is the birthplace of David Crockett, yet it has been years since I have visited any of these places. People travel for miles around to enjoy the beauty and history that surrounds me yet I am seemingly oblivious to it all.

A certain blindness comes from knowledge and familiarity. Unless we take the time to focus on something, it will never become a part of our life. Just because I own a beautiful flower garden does not mean that I have ever stopped to ponder the grandeur of the single rose.

As Christians, there is the danger of becoming comfortable with God.

As Christians we can get in a rut, we go to church, sing the songs, hear the sermons, read our Bibles, and pray our prayers, but none of it really makes a difference in our lives. Jesus told the Christians as Ephesus that this, basically, was their situation. They were doing all the things they were supposed to be doing yet Jesus says, "Nevertheless I have this against you, that you have left your first love" ( Revelation 2:4).

As Christians, we have something about which to be excited!

We need to let people know about the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. While we are not in the position of Peter, where we can be eyewitnesses of his majesty, we certainly can be proclaimers of his majesty. We have a message worth sharing and that message is Christ's message.

We do not have to use "cunningly devised fables" or any other "heroic measures" when it comes to spreading the gospel. We have the power of God unto salvation if we will but use it to save those who are lost ( Romans 1:16). This power is the Bible and it is God's inspired word. "No prophecy of Scripture is of any private interpretation, for prophecy never came by the will of man, but holy men of God spoke as they were moved by the Holy Spirit ( 2 Peter 1:20,21).

There is nothing more precious, more glorious, more majestic than the word of God that can save mankind.

A proclaimer of the gospel, God wants you to be one; your neighbor is dying for you to be one.

Is that a Hook in your Mouth?

Have you ever noticed how easy being mad at someone is when they are not in your presence and how hard it is to stay mad at them once you come face to face? How many of us have spent countless minutes even hours rehearsing the perfect line that expresses our anger, only to toss is into the “scrap pile” when we finally get the opportunity to deliver?

Perhaps this is why the Hebrew writer encourages us not to “give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another” (Heb. 10:25). Even more, he gives us the charge to “consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds” (Heb. 10:24). Staying mad at someone is hard as you are simultaneously trying to encourage them. When we practice true fellowship with our brothers and sisters in Christ, we also begin to learn more about them. During this learning process we gain valuable knowledge about their conduct and moods. In essence, “We know where they’re coming from.” We are not often too critical of people for irrational or abnormal behavior when they have good reason to act in such a manner.

Imagine a group of fish swimming together in a school. All of them are moving in the same direction with comparable style when suddenly one of them starts destroying the unity. He begins to twist and swerve from side to side with precarious moves. The older fish are annoyed with the nonconformity of this immature adolescent. They show their disapproval while voicing disgust, “We don’t swim like that around here.” Turning to their offspring, they declare, “That type of behavior is totally unacceptable.” Before they can take action against the renegade fish, his thrashing tail disappears at the surface of the lake. A hook in his mouth rather than rebellion in his heart was the cause of all his distasteful activity.1

Sometimes it is hard to accept the actions of another person especially when what they are doing “just isn’t done.” If we follow the advice of the Hebrew writer then we will not have to question the persons’ motives, we will already know about the hook in their mouth.

1 Illustration from “And God Wants People,” Mary Lou Lacy, 1962, p. 35

Coated with Gooey Goop

This afternoon I spent some time at the Fellowship Center cleaning a popcorn popper in preperation fo CSI: Waynesboro tomorrow. This thing was coated with gooey residue from past use. It amazes me how dirty an item such as this can get if you neglect cleaning it, even after just a few uses. The product we put in the popper is clean, just vegetable oil and popping corn, but the risidual builds up fast.

It reminds me of the way we as Christians can neglect our need for daily cleansing. The bible says we start the Christian life a new creation, forgiven of our sins, cleansed of all the "gooey goop" sin had left behind. Paul says, "you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God." (1 Corinthians 6:11) We start our Christian walk clean but then life happens. We are bombarded on every side by temptation, old habits, and new seductions. Soon, like the popcorn popper, through neglect we start to notice a residue. At first we might think it's not that bad and we even justify our slight coating of goop by comparing ourselves with other people. We think, "Hey, I'm not that bad just look at that guy, even his goop has goop."

The problem with thinking like this is that even if our observations are correct and the other guy does have more "build up" than me, I'm still dirty and no excuse in the world is going to cover it up or make it go away. There is only one way to deal with sin in our life and that is to walk daily with Jesus Christ. The apostle John puts it this way, "If we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." (1 John 1:7)

The old saying, "Confession is good for the soul," is true.

Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective. James 5:16

Fight for Faith

I'm not one to complain, but the past few months have taken a toll on me, physically and mentally. Since about February I have been loosing weight, about thirty pounds total, with no known cause. Three different doctors have made an effort to diagnose the problem but as of today not one of them has been able to pinpoint the cause. I have had more blood drawn than you see spilled in one of those old slasher films. I have had scans, x-rays, and too many probes to even mention (not that you would want me to). With the exception of a few minor deficiencies, everything the doctors have checked have been normal. So why am I not happy?

To some extent the doctors with their myriad of tests have brought me some great relief. The obvious culprits that cause the symptoms I've been suffering aren't the kind of things you want to find in your body, things like cancer, Crohn's disease, or ulcerative colitis. The very fact that I don't have any of these diseases is indeed an answered prayer. Yet, I still remain undiagnosed and suffering from the same symptoms.

Frustration is the key word, I am frustrated with the unknown, frustrated at the prospect of continued illness, and frustrated with the lack of answers. In the grand scheme of things and compared with the alternatives, I should be happy. But such is the state of man, we are an impatient and fickle group. One only needs to read the bible for a few pages to see an example of someone whose life is far worse than your own, yet whose faith remains unshaken.

Consider Job, his whole life was literally taken from him yet he refused to blame God. Paul speaks of all the trouble in his life as if they are badges of honor. Beaten with a rod? It only made me stronger. Stoned and left for dead? It only made me want to preach Christ with more urgency. A thorn in the flesh that God refuses to remove? His grace is sufficient. Thrown in prison? Great! It gives me more time to write.

It was from prison that Paul wrote the following:

"Yes and I will continue to rejoice, for I know that through your prayers and the help given by the Spirit of Jesus Christ, what has happened to me will turn out for my deliverance. I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain." ( Philippians 1:18b-21)

Compared to Paul, the struggles I face are mere bumps in the road. Do I ignore my problems? No, we shouldn't ignore our problems based on the fact that there is always someone who is worse off than you. We face our problems and Soldier On!

The problems of this life are miniscule when viewed in light of eternity. So let's "fight the good fight of faith (and) take hold of the eternal life" to which we have been called. (1 Timothy 6:12)

Freezing Tired

Well, the holiday is allmost over, but for me and my family there remains a little more work. The fireworks tent we operate as a family project was a huge success this year, .(See Faith, Family, and Fireworks) however the cleanup still looms on the horizon. Needless to say, we are all tired. The constant days in the heat coupled with loss of sleep has took its toll from all of us. Tired or not the job must be completed. The product left unsold must be boxed up and stored along with all the tables, the tent, etc. If we didn't follow through on this aspect just because we are tired then next year we would start in an insurmountable hole.

While wonderfully wallowing in self pity over the extreme fatige, I thought of two bible characters who really know the definition of tired. The first is Eleazar, one of David's "mighty men," who stood his ground against the Philistines even when all his men had retreated. The bible says "he stood his ground and struck down the Philistines till his hand grew tired and froze to the sword. The Lord brought about a great victory that day." (2 Samuel 23:10) Wow, I've never known hand freezing tired!

The second tired man was Moses. Moses sent Joshua out to fight the Amalekites while he would stay behind with his arms raised toward Heaven. Whenever Moses' arms were up, the Israelites would be successful, but when he let his arms down the tide would turn against them. Instead of giving up, when he became too tired to continue, Moses sat on a rock while Aaron and Hur each held up an arm. (See Exodus 17) We all need a little help from time to time.

Life in general will present us with many trying times and the Christian life is no exception. We often will be tempted to just throw up our hands and give up at those times when we are tired and frustrated. But, it is precisely these times when we must either summon the will of Eleazar or call upon our Christian brethren to help us stand. We must never let a temporary rest stand between us and our eternal rest.

"You need to persevere so that when you have done the will of God, you will receive what he has promised." (Hebrews 10:36)

Let's all get a good nights sleep, we just might need it