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This year I am going to focus on studying God's word more. I started this blog with the intention of reading the Bible more, and posting my thoughts as I did so. That hasn't really worked out the way I planned it. The problem is that I have never really found a Bible reading plan that I liked.
I found one that walks through the bible in chronological order. So, this year I am reading the entire Bible, chronologically.
The entire plan is here:
http://bibleplan.org/ch/niv/
And so I'm off...
Monday, January 05, 2009
Saturday, November 22, 2008
Lost Generation
I listened to a powerful message at Church tonight. Watch this video:
So which generation are you?
Our society has become a reflection of the first half of the video. And many are worried about the current state of our country and economy. So who is going to fix it? And who do we place our hope in? The government?
Regardless of your political affiliation, it should be apparent that if we place our hope in the government, we're bound to be disappointed. So then where do we find hope in times like this.
Our hope is to be in Jesus, and with that hope, we know that no matter how 'bad' our economy gets, He will provide for us.
If we pick our head up and look around the world, we realize how good we really have it. While things are down right now, and people are losing jobs and houses, we still have a better standard of living than most of the world.
The message centered around Matthew 26:6-19, where Mary anoints Jesus with a bottle of expensive perfume. The apostles were "indignant", in other words, ticked, that Mary 'wasted' the expensive bottle of perfume on Jesus. They simply grumbled and complained about how much good that money could have done. But Mary understood something that the apostles don't seem to grasp at this point: Jesus was about to die. Mary understood this and was showing her devotion to Jesus by anointing Him, part of the Jewish custom preparing Him for burial. But I think she understood more than His impending death. She understood that He was the Messiah.
Judas, on the other hand, was so ticked, that he goes out and sells Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver.
So many Christians sit behind their pews and complain about how other churches operate, and others complain about their own church, or complain about all of the injustices in the world, but never do anything about it. Instead of complaining about our church, we need to understand that it's not about us. If you don't like the music, or the message, or the ministries, then who are you focusing on. There's no doubt that we need to have our souls fed while we gather as the church, but the point of the church isn't for our gratification. It's for worshiping God. So instead of complaining, go out and do something. Go out and find a lost soul within your line of site, and help them. Love them where they're at, just as they are. No preaching, or evangelizing. Who wants to be evangelized? Just do something to better their situation. Love them like Jesus did. Jesus never "evangelized" anyone. He always loved them where they are at, just as they were. And through that love he convinced them to turn from their sins and to them.
We are a great nation. We're arguably the most blessed nation on earth right now. But to whom much is given, much is required. And instead of just watching the world go by and complain about how bad it is, and ask "Why does God allow bad things to happen?", we need to do something about it. God gave us clear instructions for our responsibilities, when he described those who will get into heaven, those who will not. And for those who profess to be christian, we have been given some responsibilities:
"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'
"Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?
'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?
'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'
"The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'
Matthew 25:34-40
It's up to each one of us to make a difference. It's up to us to no longer look the other way when we see the homeless, the hungry, the naked, widows, or those in prison. God had given us the gifts, blessings, abilities and resources. It's up to us to go and use them to bless people. It's time for us to stop asking why God isn't acting, and for us to start acting. God acts through us. So when we feel God isn't acting, it's because we are not acting.
So which generation are we going to be? The Generation that doesn't care about anyone but themselves, but really likes to complain about everyone else, or the generation that's going to reverse the trend, and start making a difference in people's lives by being the hands and feet of Jesus?
As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.
And we do that by serving others.
So which generation are you?
Our society has become a reflection of the first half of the video. And many are worried about the current state of our country and economy. So who is going to fix it? And who do we place our hope in? The government?
Regardless of your political affiliation, it should be apparent that if we place our hope in the government, we're bound to be disappointed. So then where do we find hope in times like this.
Our hope is to be in Jesus, and with that hope, we know that no matter how 'bad' our economy gets, He will provide for us.
If we pick our head up and look around the world, we realize how good we really have it. While things are down right now, and people are losing jobs and houses, we still have a better standard of living than most of the world.
The message centered around Matthew 26:6-19, where Mary anoints Jesus with a bottle of expensive perfume. The apostles were "indignant", in other words, ticked, that Mary 'wasted' the expensive bottle of perfume on Jesus. They simply grumbled and complained about how much good that money could have done. But Mary understood something that the apostles don't seem to grasp at this point: Jesus was about to die. Mary understood this and was showing her devotion to Jesus by anointing Him, part of the Jewish custom preparing Him for burial. But I think she understood more than His impending death. She understood that He was the Messiah.
Judas, on the other hand, was so ticked, that he goes out and sells Jesus out for 30 pieces of silver.
So many Christians sit behind their pews and complain about how other churches operate, and others complain about their own church, or complain about all of the injustices in the world, but never do anything about it. Instead of complaining about our church, we need to understand that it's not about us. If you don't like the music, or the message, or the ministries, then who are you focusing on. There's no doubt that we need to have our souls fed while we gather as the church, but the point of the church isn't for our gratification. It's for worshiping God. So instead of complaining, go out and do something. Go out and find a lost soul within your line of site, and help them. Love them where they're at, just as they are. No preaching, or evangelizing. Who wants to be evangelized? Just do something to better their situation. Love them like Jesus did. Jesus never "evangelized" anyone. He always loved them where they are at, just as they were. And through that love he convinced them to turn from their sins and to them.
We are a great nation. We're arguably the most blessed nation on earth right now. But to whom much is given, much is required. And instead of just watching the world go by and complain about how bad it is, and ask "Why does God allow bad things to happen?", we need to do something about it. God gave us clear instructions for our responsibilities, when he described those who will get into heaven, those who will not. And for those who profess to be christian, we have been given some responsibilities:
"Then the King will say to those on His right, 'Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.
'For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in;
naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.'
"Then the righteous will answer Him, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink?
'And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You?
'When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'
"The King will answer and say to them, 'Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.'
Matthew 25:34-40
It's up to each one of us to make a difference. It's up to us to no longer look the other way when we see the homeless, the hungry, the naked, widows, or those in prison. God had given us the gifts, blessings, abilities and resources. It's up to us to go and use them to bless people. It's time for us to stop asking why God isn't acting, and for us to start acting. God acts through us. So when we feel God isn't acting, it's because we are not acting.
So which generation are we going to be? The Generation that doesn't care about anyone but themselves, but really likes to complain about everyone else, or the generation that's going to reverse the trend, and start making a difference in people's lives by being the hands and feet of Jesus?
As for me and my household, we will serve the Lord.
And we do that by serving others.
Thursday, April 12, 2007
Faith is a Verb
Building on my post from yesterday, it's apparent that faith is more than just a belief.
This is addressed specificly in James:
"What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? "
(Jas 2:14 NLT)
So faith is more than belief, it must be shown through our actions. Recent church history has worked very hard to remove the belief of salvation through works. This is a good thing, becuase it is clear that we cannot work our way into heaven. But I'm afraid that in the process, the church has eliminated our obligation to works. This is not supported by the New Testament of the Bible. While we receive antonement for our sin as a free gift, meaning there is nothing that we can do in order to earn this atonement, that gift comes with responsibilty. God expects us to accept this gift, understanding that we did not deserve it, but now that we have it, we are to use it to His glory, so that the world may see Him through us.
The problem, as I see it, is in focusing too narrowly on Ephesians 2:8-9:
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. "
(Eph 2:8-9 NASB)
This makes it clear, that our salvation is a gift, that we accept through our Faith in Jesus. This is an awesome passage in scripture, and provides us with great comfort that God is so good that He chose to give His only Son to pay our debt. The problem is that while this verse is quoted as proof of salvation through grace, leaving out the following verse creates a problem. If you only look at this passage, you get the impression that this is a one-way transaction. This is a gift with no expectation for us to do anything in return. But the following verse clearly shows we do have an obligation once we receive the gift:
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. "
(Eph 2:10 NASB)
Notice, I didn't say that we had an obligation to fulfill in order to receive the gift. The obligation is in response to the gift. If we look at the transaction that took place on the cross, this becomes clear. We owed a debt, due to our sin. We are unable to pay that debt. Christ stepped in and chose to pay the debt for us. When we accept His gift (payment of our debt), we become His bond servant. He then becomes our master and Lord. We must follow Him and obey everything He asks of us.
So Faith is an action. We put our Faith in Jesus and prove we are His children by obeying his commands. James 2 addresses this issue specificly:
"Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works." You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; "
(Jas 2:17-22 NASB)
James makes it clear here that faith requires works. It is not just beleif. As James states, even the demons believe in Jesus. But their actions/works prove that they are not His followers. Therefore, Faith requires action on our part, or that faith is useless.
This is addressed specificly in James:
"What good is it, dear brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but don't show it by your actions? Can that kind of faith save anyone? "
(Jas 2:14 NLT)
So faith is more than belief, it must be shown through our actions. Recent church history has worked very hard to remove the belief of salvation through works. This is a good thing, becuase it is clear that we cannot work our way into heaven. But I'm afraid that in the process, the church has eliminated our obligation to works. This is not supported by the New Testament of the Bible. While we receive antonement for our sin as a free gift, meaning there is nothing that we can do in order to earn this atonement, that gift comes with responsibilty. God expects us to accept this gift, understanding that we did not deserve it, but now that we have it, we are to use it to His glory, so that the world may see Him through us.
The problem, as I see it, is in focusing too narrowly on Ephesians 2:8-9:
"For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast. "
(Eph 2:8-9 NASB)
This makes it clear, that our salvation is a gift, that we accept through our Faith in Jesus. This is an awesome passage in scripture, and provides us with great comfort that God is so good that He chose to give His only Son to pay our debt. The problem is that while this verse is quoted as proof of salvation through grace, leaving out the following verse creates a problem. If you only look at this passage, you get the impression that this is a one-way transaction. This is a gift with no expectation for us to do anything in return. But the following verse clearly shows we do have an obligation once we receive the gift:
"For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them. "
(Eph 2:10 NASB)
Notice, I didn't say that we had an obligation to fulfill in order to receive the gift. The obligation is in response to the gift. If we look at the transaction that took place on the cross, this becomes clear. We owed a debt, due to our sin. We are unable to pay that debt. Christ stepped in and chose to pay the debt for us. When we accept His gift (payment of our debt), we become His bond servant. He then becomes our master and Lord. We must follow Him and obey everything He asks of us.
So Faith is an action. We put our Faith in Jesus and prove we are His children by obeying his commands. James 2 addresses this issue specificly:
"Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself. But someone may well say, "You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works." You believe that God is one. You do well; the demons also believe, and shudder. But are you willing to recognize, you foolish fellow, that faith without works is useless? Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered up Isaac his son on the altar? You see that faith was working with his works, and as a result of the works, faith was perfected; "
(Jas 2:17-22 NASB)
James makes it clear here that faith requires works. It is not just beleif. As James states, even the demons believe in Jesus. But their actions/works prove that they are not His followers. Therefore, Faith requires action on our part, or that faith is useless.
Wednesday, April 11, 2007
Matthew 7:21 - Only those who do the will of the Father will enter the Kingdom
Today I'm exploring what Jesus meant in Matthew 7:21 - 27:
"Not everyone who calls out to Me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of My Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to Me, 'Lord! Lord! We prophesied in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name.' But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from Me, you who break God's laws.' "Anyone who listens to My teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears My teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash." (Mat 7:21-27 NLT)
So, who are these that call out to Him "Lord! Lord!"?
How do we know that we're not one of them?
Jesus says that "only those who actually do the will of My Father in heaven will enter." So how were those who "prophesied in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name" not doing the will of the Father? Jesus says they were breaking God's laws.
It comes down to obedience. If we do things in the name of Christ, but are not acting in obedience to Him, then we are dis-obeying Him, we are breaking God's laws. He compares the person who hears and obeys His teachings to a house built on bedrock. That bedrock is His word. We must believe His word and build our life upon it, through obedience to it. This means there is more to salvation than simply believing that Christ is Lord and died on the cross for our sins. James 2:19 says:
"You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can't you see that faith without good deeds is useless?" (Jas 2:19-20 NLT)
But, these good deeds must be done out of obedience and not our own selfish ambition. If we are simply doing the good deeds as a way to impress the world with our righteoness, or to try to prove in some way to God that we're worthy, then we are not acting in obedience.
Obedience is a true expression of love. We obey because we love and respect Christ. It is our love for Him that drives us to obey Him. And through our obedience to Him, we can know that we will enter the Kingdom. This does not, in any way, mean that we are saved by works, but is an outward sign of our relationship with Christ. For if we truly believe that He is Lord of our lives, then we will obey, and that obedience will be apparent to others. So, salvation comes through our belief in Christ as Lord, and then through acting out our belief by following His commands. Just as James said:
"So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." But I say, "How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds." You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. " (Jas 2:17-19 NLT)
This is a very important point: Even the demons believe in Christ. But they do not obey or love Him. Faith and Obedience are inseparable. You cannot enter the Kingdom without both.
To sum it up, those who Jesus said will call Him "Lord, Lord", and He says He never knew, believed in Him, but never obeyed Him. That is why they will not enter the Kingdom.
"Not everyone who calls out to Me, 'Lord! Lord!' will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of My Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to Me, 'Lord! Lord! We prophesied in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name.' But I will reply, 'I never knew you. Get away from Me, you who break God's laws.' "Anyone who listens to My teaching and follows it is wise, like a person who builds a house on solid rock. Though the rain comes in torrents and the floodwaters rise and the winds beat against that house, it won't collapse because it is built on bedrock. But anyone who hears My teaching and doesn't obey it is foolish, like a person who builds a house on sand. When the rains and floods come and the winds beat against that house, it will collapse with a mighty crash." (Mat 7:21-27 NLT)
So, who are these that call out to Him "Lord! Lord!"?
How do we know that we're not one of them?
Jesus says that "only those who actually do the will of My Father in heaven will enter." So how were those who "prophesied in Your name and cast out demons in Your name and performed many miracles in Your name" not doing the will of the Father? Jesus says they were breaking God's laws.
It comes down to obedience. If we do things in the name of Christ, but are not acting in obedience to Him, then we are dis-obeying Him, we are breaking God's laws. He compares the person who hears and obeys His teachings to a house built on bedrock. That bedrock is His word. We must believe His word and build our life upon it, through obedience to it. This means there is more to salvation than simply believing that Christ is Lord and died on the cross for our sins. James 2:19 says:
"You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. How foolish! Can't you see that faith without good deeds is useless?" (Jas 2:19-20 NLT)
But, these good deeds must be done out of obedience and not our own selfish ambition. If we are simply doing the good deeds as a way to impress the world with our righteoness, or to try to prove in some way to God that we're worthy, then we are not acting in obedience.
Obedience is a true expression of love. We obey because we love and respect Christ. It is our love for Him that drives us to obey Him. And through our obedience to Him, we can know that we will enter the Kingdom. This does not, in any way, mean that we are saved by works, but is an outward sign of our relationship with Christ. For if we truly believe that He is Lord of our lives, then we will obey, and that obedience will be apparent to others. So, salvation comes through our belief in Christ as Lord, and then through acting out our belief by following His commands. Just as James said:
"So you see, faith by itself isn't enough. Unless it produces good deeds, it is dead and useless. Now someone may argue, "Some people have faith; others have good deeds." But I say, "How can you show me your faith if you don't have good deeds? I will show you my faith by my good deeds." You say you have faith, for you believe that there is one God. Good for you! Even the demons believe this, and they tremble in terror. " (Jas 2:17-19 NLT)
This is a very important point: Even the demons believe in Christ. But they do not obey or love Him. Faith and Obedience are inseparable. You cannot enter the Kingdom without both.
To sum it up, those who Jesus said will call Him "Lord, Lord", and He says He never knew, believed in Him, but never obeyed Him. That is why they will not enter the Kingdom.
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