Denying Christ or Denying Self?

We read the account of Peter's denial of Christ during the time of His trial and we shake our heads.

How could he do that? How could this man who had been so close to Jesus deny that he even knew Him? (John 18).

Yet, how easily do we deny Christ every day?

And does it even bother us?

When we have an opportunity to witness about how He has given us salvation, but we say nothing, we have denied Christ.

When we attempt to solve our problems in our own strength, we deny Christ.

When we give in to our temptations, rather than calling to Him for help, we deny Christ.

When we become complacent in our spiritual growth, we deny Christ.

When we become careless in our attitudes, lazy in our spiritual lives, adamant about preferences, we deny Christ.

Christ knew that Peter would deny Him. The Savior even told Peter that it would happen.

Christ also was compassionate and gracious in forgiving Peter.

And He didn't give up on Peter (John 21).

Look at the might preacher that Peter became in Acts.

He'll do the same with us. He knows that we will deny Him more easily than we will deny ourselves. Yet He will forgive us and use us - over and over again!

What a gracious, loving and forgiving Savior we have!

Crippled by Fear?

Some thoughts from Sunday evening's sermon by Pastor Dan Fields at First Baptist in Creston, Iowa. These aren't his sermon notes, but some thoughts that have been going through my mind today.

What are you afraid of?

The dark? Heights? Blood?

Have you ever been in a situation where fear has caused you to react?

You know, like someone jumping out from behind a tree and you scream.

Or maybe your fear of heights has kept you from climbing ladders and towers, or flying in airplanes.

Sometimes fear can keep us from doing dangerous things. Fear of falling into the Grand Canyon would keep you from getting too close to the edge. Fear of fire would keep you away from a burning house. Fear of moving vehicles keeps you from walking down the middle of the interstate.

Fear is not a bad thing. It can keep you from doing dangerous things.

Fear can be a bad thing when it keeps you from doing what you know needs to be done.

So how can we distinguish the two? How do we know when fear is good and when it is bad?

We have to consider the object of our fear and the result of our fear.

If we are afraid of danger, so we stay in bed all day, we are being foolish and lazy (Prov 22:13).

But, if we fear God, that will motivate us to the right things.

"The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge..." (Prov 1:7). "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom..." (Prov 9:10). When we fear the LORD, we will be at the source of knowledge.

"...fear the LORD and turn away from evil" (Prov 3:7). "The fear of the LORD is hatred of evil..." (Prov 8:13). When we fear the LORD, we will run away from sin.

When we are crippled by fear, we can do nothing. We no longer have control of our bodies, our reactions or our words.

Likewise, we should be crippled by the fear of God. We can do nothing. We have surrendered control of our bodies, our resources, our words and our thoughts to Him.

When we are crippled by the fear of God, it is a good thing.

We will seek His wisdom and we will flee sin.

Call me "Bitter"

A famine in Israel made him consider the welfare of his family, so Elimelech took his family to Moab. He was their provider. He couldn't let them starve to death. And it didn't look like things were going to get any better in Israel.

It looked like a very logical solution.

Head to greener pastures.

The two sons found wives. Moabites.

What was a father to do?

His boys had to have wives. It was time for them to move out on their own. Start their own families.

There weren't any Israelite girls in their area.

It seemed like a very logical solution.

Elimelech dies. And his two sons die.

Apparently the sons died soon after marrying, because no children are mentioned.

Elimelech's wife, Naomi, heard in the fields of Moab that the famine in Israel was over. She heads back home.

One daughter-in-law stays with her, the other returns to her parents.

As Naomi and Ruth near the village of Bethlehem, someone recognizes Naomi.

"Isn't that Naomi?"

"Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went away full, and the LORD has brought me back empty. Why call me Naomi, when the LORD has testified against me and the Almighty has brought calamity upon me?" (Ruth 1:20-21)

A father's decisions, which seemed logical to him, brought calamity to his family. His death and the death of his two sons were the direct result of his disobedience.

The law of Moses clearly stated that if the children of Israel were disobedient, the LORD would bring famine. Instead of running away from the LORD to Moab, Elimelech should have repented of his sins and sought to bring about restoration in Israel.

But it was easier to pack up and move to Moab.

Taking the easy way out ended up in death and bitterness.

Times of difficulty should lead us to repentance, turning back to God rather than running from Him.

Running may seem like the logical solution, but the only running we should be doing is toward God and righteousness.

Become a Repenter by Jack Klem

I read this blog post today from Jack Klem at http://jackklem.com/ and thought it helpful in my study of repentance. I trust it will be helpful to you as well.

Become a Repenter 

Posted: 26 Apr 2013 11:21 AM PDT

I reformatted some material from Tim Keller, “All Life is Repentance” for a chapel presentation that I wanted to share with you. I was encouraged, challenged, and focused as I worked with it. I hope it serves you in some way.

Luther’s first thesis nailed to the door of the Wittenberg Cathedral acknowledged that the Lord willed the entire life of the believer to be one of repentance.

Why? This is the way that we make progress in the Christian Life.

So, how do I repent?

Religious Repentance – How not to repent.

You admit that you are wrong because you want to keep God happy and continue to get things from God.

You admit that you are wrong because you want to avoid the consequences of an action.

You admit that you are wrong, that you are so bad and that you deserve to be forgiven.

You suffer consequences to merit forgiveness.

You admit that you are wrong because you are hoping to live a life that is good enough for God to bless.

Gospel-Driven Repentance – How to repent.

You admit that you are wrong because you know that even though your sin can’t separate you from God, you know that God hates your sin and that your sin disgraces and dishonors Him.

You admit that you are wrong because you know that this is the pathway to deepen your joy in Christ.

You admit that you are wrong because this is how you receive the forgiveness earned for you by Christ (Jn 1:8-9).

You admit that you are wrong because your hope is in the righteousness of Christ.

Now we believe! Oh, really?

In the last hours before His crucifixion, Jesus is giving His disciples final instructions. He's going to leave, but will send the Holy Spirit. They shouldn't be surprised when they are persecuted. Loving one another is the way to show the world that they are His disciples. He's going to His Father, but He will come back.

At the end of John 16, the disciples have an "Aha!" moment. Now they get it! He's speaking plainly. Now they believe (vs 29-30).

Jesus challenges them, knowing what is coming and what their hearts are like. "Do you now believe? Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come, when you will be scattered, each to his own home, and will leave Me alone" (v 32).

Jesus knew that they would abandon Him when the pressure was on. He knew they would return to their old lives. They were excited and claimed that they believed in that moment.

But true belief is not evidenced in words, but in actions.

So what do your actions say about what you believe?

Most of us will never be put in a life-and-death situation, where we will run for our lives.

We say that we believe in heaven and hell, sin and salvation, but we don't open our mouths to tell our friends.

We say that we believe that Jesus can give victory over sin, but we struggle with the same temptations for decades.

We say that Jesus can help us solve our problems, but we abandon our family when we can't take it any more.

We say...but we do...

Our actions reveal what we truly believe.

What do your actions reveal about your beliefs today?

Better than the Magic Kingdom

Everyone in the Disney World commercials has great big smiles. Kids are laughing and oohing and aahing. It looks like everyone is really happy.

There's certainly nothing wrong with having a fun time and building family memories.

But is that all there is?

Do we go from one event to the next, hoping to be happier?

A day in the Magic Kingdom may be great fun, but what about the next day?

Maybe a weekend at the Magic Kingdom will be better.

Maybe if you got a job at the Magic Kingdom you'd always be happy!

Nothing against the Magic Kingdom. You could plug in any place, any activity, any group of people, any food and come to the same conclusion: Is this all there is? Where's the promised happiness?

Jesus promised to give us joy.

"These things I have spoken to you that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full" (John 15:11).

He has a plan to fill us with His joy. Do you want to know what that is?

What are "these things" that He spoke?

Abiding in Him. John 15 begins with the picture of the vine and the branches. Jesus is the vine, His Father is the keeper of the vines and we are the branches. we can do nothing apart from Him. He wants us to bear fruit by abiding in Him. As we abide in Him and bear fruit, we will find joy (vs 1-6).

Praying. As we are abiding in Him, maintaining fellowship with Him, we will be praying to Him. Communicating with Him about our needs and desires. And He promises to answer our prayers. Wow! The Creator of the universe will answer our prayers! And answered prayers leads to greater joy (v 7).

Obedience. If we obey, we will abide in His love. Our obedience shows our love to Him. And as we love Him, He loves us in return. We don't have to earn His love, but the love can become intensified as we abide and obey. Greater love leads to more joy (vs 8-11).

Go ahead and have fun. But don't try to find joy at the Magic Kingdom.

You'll only find that by abiding in, praying to and obeying Jesus, the only One who can give you joy.

Dedicated Idols

Does this statement make sense to you?

"I dedicate the silver to the LORD from my hand for my son, to make a carved image and a metal image" (Judges 17:3).

The son had stolen the silver from his mother, but he returned it to her. That is when she made the above statement.

But doesn't that contradict Exodus 20:4? "You shall not make for yourself a carved image."

It does.

The mother commissioned the making of the idol with some of the silver and gave the rest of it back to her son. The whole story is just wrong.

And there is no sign of God's blessing, God's leading or God at all in the story. It's near the end of Judges and demonstrates the principle that is repeated in these last chapters, "Every man did what was right in his own eyes."

The son stole the silver from his mother. The mother rewarded the son for stealing. They ended up with a silver idol in their home.

But don't we do the same things?

We dedicate our children to the Lord when they are born. We talk about raising them up in obedience to Scriptures. We take them to church. We help them learn memory verses.\

But when it comes time to confront them about their sin, we avoid it. We don't want the conflict.

We pick up after them. We do their chores. We let them sulk. We'd rather keep things calm and quiet than face conflict.

Our children have become our idols. We do what they want us to do, rather than what God wants us to do.

Or when we hear juicy gossip. We know it's not right, but why bother stopping that person?

She'll just gossip about me. I better stay on her good side.

Our friends have become our idols. We do what they want us to do, not what God wants us to do.

So what good things have you dedicated to the Lord only to turn them into idols?

Would you just listen?

How often have you heard those words? How often have you said them?

And we need to hear it frequently. Sometimes in a discussion we are so concerned about ourselves that we spend our time talking about ourselves, our wants and our desires that we aren't even listening to the other person.

God said the same words to His people: "Oh, Israel if you would but listen to me!" (Ps 81:8).

As you look at the whole Psalm, can't you just imagine this as an order of service on a Sunday morning?

"Sing aloud to God our strength; shout for joy to the God of Jacob! Raise a song, sound the tambourine, the sweet lyre with the harp. Blow the trumpet at the new moon, at the full moon, on our feast day" (vs 1-3).

Voices are singing. Instruments are accompanying. Everything is running smoothly for the first part of the service.

Someone comes to the front and shares a testimony of what God had done. Remembering the good ol' days of God's might and strength (vs 4-7).

Everyone is singing about God. Everyone is talking about God.

But nobody is listening to God.

"Hear, O my people, while I admonish you! O Israel, if you would but listen to me!" (v 8).

And listening is not just tearing on your hearing aid. It's listening followed by obedience that God desires.

"There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god" (v 9).

God is calling them to obedience, to undivided allegiance, to true worship.

And he promises a blessing for obedience: "Open your mouth wide and I will fill it" (v 10b).

When they refused to listen, He let them go their stubborn way. Their stubbornness was followed by hardship.

If they would listen, God promised to subdue their enemies, to feed them with the finest wheat and the sweetest honey.

Are you listening to God today? Not just a warm, fuzzy feeling. Not just an encouraging reminder of the past.  Not a mystical hearing the voice of God.

But listening that leads to obedience?

God made it clear: Listen and obey and you'll be blessed. Ignore and disobey and you'll be cursed.

Stop today and listen to God. Do what He says.

Foolishness is foolish

"Nevertheless, many even of the authorities believed in Him, but for fear of the Pharisees they did not confess it, so that they would not be put out of the synagogue" (John 12:42).

How could they be so foolish?

How could I be so foolish?

God gives me opportunities to witness, sometimes just dropping them in my lap. Yet, I choose to keep my mouth closed. I don't want people to think I'm some Jesus freak. I don't want to ruin a friendship. There will be other times. Just not now.

God gives me opportunities to talk with other believers about what He has been teaching me. What should be more natural conversation on Sundays in the foyer at church? But I think that they don't really care. Or that I'll sound hyper-spiritual. Or that I'd rather just listen to them talk about their week on the farm.

God gives me opportunities to do what is right. A good deed. Flee temptation. Help someone. But I choose to keep on going. Someone else will take care of it. No one will know if I give in this one time...again.

How about a paraphrase of John 12:42: "Nevertheless, I say that I believe in Him, but for fear of what others might think of me, I don't say anything to anyone. I don't want them to cut me out of their circles."

Look at the next verse:

"...for they loved the glory that comes from man more than the glory that comes from God" (v 43).

Let's see, I'm trading the praise of God for friendships that will only last a few years.  I'm trading the blessings of God for an evening of meaningless conversations around the table. I'm trading a few minutes of pleasantries for the opportunity to lead someone to Christ, to disciple them and to see them change and grow.

How could I be so foolish?

Freedom is Possible

Have you seen the commercials to get people to stop smoking?

A lady gives tips about how to get dressed for the day. A man gives the tip to shower facing away from the water so you don't get water down the hole in your chest. A woman suggests recording your voice, singing a lullaby or reading a children's book, so that your grandchildren will know what your voice used to sound like. Another man tells how his smoking took his wife.

I have no doubt of the earnestness of these people's pleas.

But do scare tactics break us from addictions?

I remember in elementary school the American Lung Association came to our school with a trailer. In the trailer was a display of lungs. The healthy ones and the ones that had been affected by cigarette smoke.

Now maybe that did keep a few people away from smoking. But not all. If it had been effective, the tobacco  companies would have gone out of business by now.

And if it's not cigarette smoking, there's a long list of addictions.

Drugs. Porn. Work. Food. Fashion. Violence. Attention. Hobbies. Money. Power. Sex. Vacations.

Why is that? Why are we so easily addicted? Why do we accept them? Why do we laugh at some of them? Why do we turn our noses up at some of them, yet follow our own?

The addiction is not the problem. The addiction is just the symptom.

We want something. We know that something is missing. We are hoping to find it in one of those avenues.

And if you look closely enough, it's all about me. I want something and I want this substance, or these people, or this job, to give me what I want.

It's a vicious cycle, because those things will not satisfy. A drug addict is never satisfied. A workaholic works more. Violence becomes more intense and graphic. More money is spent on the hunting gear.

And yet it's not satisfying. It's still empty. It's not even really fun anymore. 

"I don't get no satisfaction."

But maybe next time. Maybe this trip. Maybe this job. Maybe this partner.

Is there a solution?

"So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed" (John 8:36).

True freedom comes only through the Son, Jesus Christ.

And it's not some magic spell that Jesus says to remove your desires. It's not a series of prayers or beatings or exorcisms that will drive the addictions out.

It's satisfaction. 

Jesus sets you free by replacing those desires with desires to please Him, not yourself. Jesus sets you free by satisfying your needs. Jesus sets you free by turning your selfishness into generosity.

The Marching Band vs. the Mighty Army

Israel was essentially in hiding in their own land. They hid themselves, their grain and their livestock in caves. Marauding bands swooped through and took everything they could find.

But things were going to change and God was going to use the chicken to lead to victory.

When God commanded Gideon to tear down the Baal and Asherah, he did it under the cloak of darkness. When the men of the city asked who did it, Gideon didn't march out and say, "I did it! We need to start a revival in the land and turn from Baal to God!"

No, he stayed in hiding and his father came to his defense (Judges 6:25-32).

When God called him to fight against the Midianites, Gideon put out the fleece - two times. Maybe he wasn't sure that he had really understood God. Maybe he was looking for a loophole.

But then we know the rest of the story. At the time of the battle God whittled down the Israelite attackers to just 300 men. Armed with pitchers, torches and trumpets this little band routed the Midianite army. A marching band beats a powerful army.

But wait. Was it really Gideon and his army?

No. God fought the battle.

God said several times through His preparation of Gideon that He would fight the battle. He would get the glory. Not Gideon and not his army.

God kept His word. When Israel cried out to Him, He delivered them.

That's how God gets the glory. When we see that He has done the work and kept His word, we realize that it's all about God and not about us.

And that's even in our little skirmishes throughout the day.

Take it away!

Often in our struggle against temptation, we wish God would just take away the triggers.

If God would just clean up the programming on TV, then I wouldn't struggle with lust.

If God would take me out of this job, then I wouldn't be around these gossiping people.

If God would make alcohol illegal, then I wouldn't be able to stop in at the bar.

If we follow that reasoning too far, it can get so bad that we just give up. We might conclude that if God doesn't take away the triggers, it must be okay. Dwell in the land of lust a bit. Try not to gossip as much as the others. Social drinking is okay.

Then begins the slippery slope of defeat.

God leaves those triggers around us for a reason. But that reason is not so that we will give up and give in.

"...Because this people have transgressed my covenant that I commanded their fathers and have not obeyed my voice, I will no longer drive out before them any of the nations that Joshua left when he died, in order to test Israel by them, whether they will take care to walk in the way of the LORD as their fathers did or not...Now these are the nations that the LORD left, to test Israel by them, that is, all in Israel who had not experienced all the wars in Canaan. It was only in order that the generations of the people of Israel might know war, to teach war to those who had not known it before" (Judges 2:20-3:2).

God left the nations in and around Canaan to help the Israelites. He wanted to help them with two things.

First, He wanted to help them in obedience. He wanted those triggers there, the people who would tempt them to follow after other gods, so that they would be tested. He desired their obedience, but to know whether or not they would be obedient, they had to have temptations. He had given them the law so that they would know what was right. He had given them a history so that they would experience what God did for those who were obedient. He wanted them to choose obedience.

Second, He wanted to help them know how to fight. He wanted them to know what battle was like. He wanted to give them the opportunity to struggle and have victory.

Those triggers in your life aren't there as a permission slip, allowing you to dive into sin. They are there to test your obedience. The obstacles are there so that you can experience God giving you victory over them. They are there to give you opportunity to fight against temptation.

And it is a fight.

Don't give in.

When God seems far away...remember

Does it sometimes seem like God is far away? Like He doesn't notice your concerns? Maybe He's not answering your prayers?

What kinds of thoughts go through your mind at those times?

Has God's mercy run out?

Has He decided not to keep His promises anymore?

Has He used up all His grace?

Has He forgotten me?

Has He chosen to be angry with me?

Those are not unfamiliar questions. In fact, the Psalmist asks the same questions in Psalm 77.

But the writer shows his change of heart came through remembering. He stopped to think about it and remembered what God had done in the past.

He reflected on what God had done and that reminded him of who God is.

Sometimes we can't think of anything good that God has done in our lives. That's the time when we need to pick up our Bibles and read.

We'll be reminded that God's ways are holy. He ALWAYS does what is right.

We'll be reminded that God is the God of miracles. He created the universe. He parted the Red Sea. He knocked down the walls of Jericho. He resurrected Jesus from the dead. He forgives all of our sins. And on and on and on.

We'll be reminded that there is no God like Jehovah.

When it seems that God is far away, turn to the Bible and remember.

When it seems that God is not answering prayers, turn to the Bible and remember.

The God of the Bible is still active.

Don't forget!

Pretty much obedient

Often we think that we're doing enough. We go to church. We say our prayers. We read our Bible. We put money in the offering.

Sure, sins pop up in our lives, but we're not as bad as that other guy. We haven't robbed a bank or killed anyone.

Compared to others, we look pretty good. God will surely weigh out the good and the bad and we should come out pretty well.

After all, we've been pretty much obedient.

The first two chapters of Judges introduce and summarize the entire book and show that that was Israel's understanding, too.

They were pretty much obedient.

The first chapter is an account of victory and defeat. The LORD was with them and they defeated inhabitants. But they didn't defeat them all. They didn't drive out all the people.

They were pretty much obedient.

I'm sure they had good excuses.

"They've got iron chariots. We can't defeat them" (v 19).

"We don't really like the city anyway. We'll just stay in the country and let them have the city" (v 21).

"We really could use some slaves. We'll let them live, but put them to forced labor. We deserve a break" (v 28).

"You know, it's not quite so bad to live in this part of the land. They can have the valleys. We'll take the hills. It's pretty up here anyway" (v 34).

The problem was that Israel was pretty much obedient. Not completely obedient.

These peoples led the Israelites away from God. They enticed them to worship their gods. And that led to repeated defeats through the book of Judges - and the rest of the Old Testament.

We're just as bad. We're pretty much obedient, too. Rather than defeating the temptations in our lives, we let them dwell with us. We make excuses. We wish they were gone, but we don't really fight them.

A cycle of defeat throughout the rest of our lives.

Paul calls us to action to fight against those temptations in Romans 6. It's a battle in which we have to engage ourselves. Yielding ourselves to obedience and not to sin.

How's your battle going?

When Life is Hard

Some thoughts from this morning's sermon from Ecclesiastes 7:13-29 by Pastor Dave Tebbenkamp:

When life is hard, wisdom says, "Reflect" (v 13-14).

We can't change God's plans for our lives. And we can't know what His plans are for us.

When we prosper, we should rejoice. God has showered us with His blessing.  When we suffer, we should reflect.

Life is not all prosperity. Nor is it all adversity. And we don't know from one hour to the next which it will be. But in either case, life gives us opportunity to trust God.

When life is hard, wisdom says, "Reverence" (v 15-18).

The righteous perish and the wicked live longer in their wickedness. That doesn't make sense to us.

Do not be overly righteous, in trying to earn favor or blessings from God (v 16).

Do not be overly wicked and bring your life to an early end (v 17).

Instead, fear God. The one who fears God will prosper.

When life is hard, wisdom says, "Realize" (v 19-29).

When someone has sinned against you, realize that you also have sinned (v 20).

When someone speaks against you, realize that you have spoken evil against others (v 21-22).

When someone does something stupid, realize that you have done stupid things (v 23-26).

When someone schemes to your hurt or downfall, realize that you also are a schemer (v 27-29).

We can never blame God when someone does something against us. He created Adam and Eve without sin, but they chose sin. And ever since then, man has been choosing sin over righteousness.

When life is hard, trust God, fear God and never blame God.

Too big for God

As Joshua divides up the land for the tribes, the tribe of Joseph comes to him. Because God had blessed them, they claimed that their allotment was too small. They were asking for a double-portion. At the same time they complained that the Canaanites of the plain had iron chariots.

Joshua gave them more land and that they would be able to drive out the Canaanites. Even though the Canaanites were strong and powerful, the tribe of Joseph was also strong and numerous (Joshua 17:14-18).

It's interesting that Joshua didn't refer to God at all in this conversation. Gone are the comments from the early days of the conquest: "Don't be afraid! The LORD your God will fight for you! He'll drive out the peoples before you!"

Now the victory is secure because the tribe of Joseph was strong and numerous.

God hadn't abandoned them.

God hadn't said, "Okay, I got you started. You can clean up what's left on your own."

But had Joshua and the people become so confident in themselves that they didn't need God anymore?

That's a dangerous place to be. Not only for Joshua and the tribe of Joseph, but also for us.

As we grow in grace, we should see more and more how much we need God's help. Not just for the big problems. Not just for the early days of the battle.

But every day and for the little battles.

You're never too big for God.

In fact, the more mature you get, the more you need God.

Celestial Vending Machine

As a kid at camp, the vending machines were great. We would save our money all Spring to have spending money for camp. We could get pop, or Funyuns, or chips - and some even got pork rinds, whatever those are!

I think we liked them because we could get whatever we wanted, whenever we wanted. Mom wasn't there. The counselor wasn't with us all the time. It was our money and we could satisfy our desires any time we wanted.

It was great!

Remember the feeding of the 5000 in John 6?

Jesus fed 5000 men, probably with women and children tagging along, with just a small lunch. Everyone was satisfied and there were leftovers. At the end, the people said, "This is indeed the Prophet who is come into the world" (John 6:14).

During the night, the disciples and Jesus cross the Sea of Galilee and the crowd looks for Him in the morning.  They had seen the disciples leave in a boat, but Jesus wasn't with them. There weren't any fewer boats, but Jesus was gone. A conundrum.

Somehow they heard that Jesus was on the other side of the sea and went after him. (Wouldn't that have been a great day to have a ferry across the Sea of Galilee!)

They came to Jesus and asked, "Rabbi, wen did you come here?" (v 25). They were still perplexed about how He got across the sea without a boat.

Jesus didn't answer their question, but revealed their hearts. "Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves (v 26).

It was the next day and they were hungry again. They didn't want to gather more information about the possibility that this man might be the Messiah. They just wanted some of that good bread.

Where's the vending machine?

How often are we like that?

We pray for protection for our children. We pray for healing for someone who has cancer. We pray for comfort for a grieving family. We pray for a new job. We pray for...

When we do that we are treating God like a celestial vending machine.

We want something and want God to meet our needs on our time schedule and the way we want it done.

But what does God want?

He wants a relationship. He wants fellowship. He wants praise. He wants thanksgiving. He wants obedience.

We just want our desires met.

We need to change our prayers and our lives.

Wishing for more

How easily do we envy wealthy people? We see their homes and wish we had one like that. We see a BMW drive by and wonder how much it would take to get one. Maybe we observe all the free time that they have to spend in good causes and wish we had a job like that.

Envy is not a new problem.

Asaph wrote about envy in Psalm 73.

He begins the psalm with a statement about God's goodness and provision, but then he contemplates the rich: They have a good life. No problems. Plenty to eat. Lots of fun. No one accuses them of wrong-doing.

Then he looks at his life: My life is miserable. I work hard. I've wasted my life by being good.

But in the midst of the good things he lists about the rich, he lists their sins: arrogance, wickedness, pride, violent, gluttons, scoffers, malevolent, oppressive, God-haters.

How can this be right?

The rich are wicked, but blessed. I'm struggling to do right and have nothing.

Asaph turned to God in His sanctuary to contemplate this.

He realizes that god was against the arrogant rich. They will be swept away in an instant. They are despised by God. There is no hope for them

He realizes that his eternal reward, his relationship with God and God's protection and provision are much better than the wealth of the wicked.

"But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled, my steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked...But for me it is good to be near God; I have made the Lord God my refuge, that I may tell of all your works" (Psalm 73:2 and 28).

Cheating is Easy

Snitch a cookie.

Change a number.

Ignore a phone call.

Drive 5 miles per hour over the limit.

Cut and paste from Wikipedia.

Lying to your accountability partner.

We might call those little sins. They don't really have a great effect on anyone. It's not so bad to cheat just a little. Everyone does it.

Selling drugs.

Hiring a prostitute.

Holding up a bank.

Those might move to the list of bigger sins. They're a little harder to cover up. Others are involved and might find out.

But really, there isn't any difference. Sin is sin.

And then we come to church to worship. We sing praises. Our face is joyous. Maybe we even shed a tear.

"But the hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for the Father is seeking such people to worship Him. God is spirit, and those who worship Him must worship in spirit and truth" (John 4:23-24).

Can we live a lie and worship in truth?

Can a cheater worship in truth?

We can make it look like we are fleeing temptation. "Victory in Jesus!"

We can say that we have peace and blessed rest, leaning on the everlasting arms.

And everyone might be fooled.

But God knows. And God is seeking people who worship Him in spirit and truth.

We need to stop cheating. God wants us to worship in spirit and truth.

From Wrath to Life

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him" (John 3:36).

One of the most powerful verses in the Bible, this verse clearly explains what it means to get eternal life.

Let's start at the end of the verse: "...but the wrath of God remains on him."

That statement explains our condition. The wrath of God is already upon us. We are born as enemies of God. God is already angry at us. He has already judged us. And if we do nothing about it, we will stay in that position forever.

No one wants to stay there. We don't even like it when our friends are angry with us for a little while. We certainly don't want the creator of the universe to be angry with us for all of eternity.

So how do we change that?

"Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life..." To move from wrath to life, we have to believe in the Son. What does that mean?

The Son is Jesus Christ, the Son of God. So what do we have to believe about the Son of God to move from wrath to life?

"For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3:16).

Believing in Jesus has to do with God giving His Son for us. God sent His Son to the world to die for us. We are under the wrath of God, but God doesn't want us to stay there. To make it possible for God to look upon us, a sacrifice had to be made. A perfect, holy sacrifice. The only perfect, holy sacrifice that was sufficient was His only Son, Jesus.

Believing that Jesus died for our sins, paying the penalty in complete, satisfying the wrath of God completely, is what it means to believe in the Son.

Does merely saying, "I believe that Jesus died for my sins" remove the wrath of God from us?

Look at the middle phrase of John 3:36: "... whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life..." If you don't obey, you will not see life. Or to put it positively, if you do obey, you will see life.

Obedience to Christ is not the way to heaven, but the evidence that you believe. If you've been following these posts, you'll see that recurring theme throughout the Bible.

If you believe that Jesus died for your sins, you're going to do what He says to get eternal life. Then you will follow that up by doing what He says is best for you. You'll study the Bible and determine what God wants you to do and do it. Not as a way to earn eternal life, but out of obedience and thankfulness.

Trust and obey.

The Consequences of Sin

He thought it would be a nice treasure. Maybe a special gift for his wife. A retirement investment. Small enough that he could carry it himself. But valuable enough that it was worth it.

He knew it was wrong, but as long as no one else found out about it, he should be okay. Besides, he was certain that others were doing the same thing.

It was a beautiful robe and some silver and gold. It would come in handy when the war was over and he needed to provide for his family. He'd be able to build a nice house and get rid of the tent that they had been living in.

Achan had likely justified his actions in a similar way when he took those items from the city of Jericho. He kept it secret and didn't think that it would be a problem.

But sin won't stay secret. Sin will cause problems. And the sin of Achan drew in much greater problems than he ever imagined.

The first consequence was the defeat of Israel at Ai. The people had been guaranteed victory by God. He was going to fight for them. He was going to drive the enemies out. And they had just seen that happen to the city of Jericho.

But they lost. 36 men lost their lives. The army returned to the camp humiliated. Joshua and the elders began to question God's leading. It was a miserable day for the entire nation.

God uniquely revealed the sin that was in the camp. Perhaps He was giving Achan time to come forward and repent.

When it was revealed that Achan was the guilty party, everything that he owned and his entire family was destroyed. Stoned, burned and buried under a pile of rocks.

That was not how Achan had planned it. He thought he was getting ahead in life. But his sinful choices cost him, and others around him.

His family was affected by his sin. The families of the 36 soldiers were affected by his sin. Joshua and the Elders were affected by his sin. The entire nation was affected by his sin.

All for a brief moment of pleasure.

We don't think of the consequences of our sin when we are in the throes of temptation. We think of the pleasure. We think of the cover-up.

But we don't think of the consequences until it's too late.

Sin will take you further than you want to go and cost you more than you want to pay.

Resist temptation. Repent and turn from sin. God is gracious and loving.

Wet Feet

Sometimes we have to get our feet wet.

We say that when we're trying to motivate someone, or ourselves into a new venture. A job might require us stepping out of our comfort zone and trying something new. Getting started in a new school might challenge us to work hard at finding new friends.

Did you know that this idiom actually comes from the Bible?

As the children of Israel are on the west side of the Jordan, ready to go into the Promised Land under Joshua's command, the banks of the Jordan are overflowing. A raging river is probably extra scary to people who have lived in a desert for forty years!

God gives instructions to Joshua to command the Levites who are carrying the ark,"When you come to the brink of the waters of the Jordan, you shall stand still in the Jordan" (Joshua 3:8).

God was going to perform a miracle. "And when the soles of the feet of the priests bearing the ark of the LORD, the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of the Jordan, the waters of the Jordan shall be cut off from flowing, and the waters coming down from above shall stand in one heap" (v 13).

Some of these men were teenagers when God parted the Red Sea. They had experienced God doing this type of a miracle. And they have heard it recounted over and over during the last 40 years.

But this is different. This time, they have to step into the water, the raging river.

God was expecting obedience before the blessing.

The Levites had to get their feet wet before they would see God work.

Does God expect that of us, too?

Over and over.

But it's not easy. It can be scary when we see the raging river and God commands us to step into it.

Obedience is an act of trust. If I step in the water, the Lord will do what He said He will do. I have to trust God. Trust that He is really who He says He is.

What if...?

Yesterday I heard a song on the radio that asked the question: "What if we lived today like God were real?"

That's been going through my mind for the last 24 hours.

What if I lived today as if God were real?

My first reaction was, "Of course, He's real! That's what the Bible teaches. I don't doubt that God exists."

But that wasn't the question. What if I lived today as if God were real?

What difference would it make in my life?

If I really believe that God is real and holy, I would abhor sin. I wouldn't delight in watching it on TV, in hearing others talk about it, on dwelling on it in my mind, or practicing it (1 Peter 1:15-16).

If I really believe that God is real and just, I would tell others about Christ dying for their sins. Sin will be punished, but Jesus took that penalty upon Himself (2 Corinthians 5:21).

If I really believe that God is real and forgiving, I would forgive others. I have been forgiven such a great debt that I can forgive the sins of others against me (Ephesians 4:32).

If I really believe that God is real and patient, I wouldn't get upset when things don't go my way. I would have a listening ear when others need to talk. I would not expect them to do everything right all the time (Galatians 5:22-23).

If I really believe that God is real and sovereign, I would submit to His will each day. I wouldn't complain about unfair treatment. I wouldn't get upset about a change in plans (Genesis 50:21-22).

So what would your day look like if you really believed that God were real?

God is a Crutch

Be your own man! Stand on your own two feet!

That's what the world screams around us.

Look how that's working out.

Teens rebel against their parents.

Long-time married couples divorce.

Churches split.

The Bible teaches just the opposite of this selfish lifestyle.

We can't stand on our own. When we do, we're bound to fall.


"Blessed be the Lord, who daily bears us up,
God is our salvation. Selah.
Our God is a God of salvation,
And to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death."

Psalm 68:19-20

God bears us up daily. He sustains us. He holds us up. He supports us like crutches support a lame man.

And this is a very good thing!

Think of it this way:

God is the creator of the universe. He has all the power, all the resources, all the energy of the universe at His disposal.

God is the lover of your soul. He desires the best for you. He wants you to reach His goal.

God is sovereign. He can control that energy of the universe and His desire for your life to orchestrate the perfect plan.

So what's the point in standing on your own two feet? What's the purpose of going your own way?

You're not going to make it in life on your own.

And you certainly aren't going to make it into eternity on your own.

"Our God is a God of salvation, and to God, the Lord, belong deliverances from death" (v 20). Only God is able to save your soul and bring you into His eternal loving presence.

Stop trying to do it on your own!

What are you thinking?

Think back over the last hour, or the last day.

What thoughts have been filling your mind?

Finances? Job? Children? Marriage? Parents?

Or maybe it's been more like this list:

Lust? Adultery? Greed? Envy? Bitterness? Hate?

Really, there's not much difference between the two lists. Either list could be leading you into sinful thoughts, words or actions.

Paul reminds us in Colossians 3:1-3

"If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, no on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God."

If we are children of God, then we should think like children of God. We should be thinking about God. We should be thinking about Christ. We should be thinking with an eternal perspective.

Finances? "But my God shall supply all your needs according to His riches in glory" (Phil 4:19).

Hatred? Bitterness? Greed? "Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you" (Eph 4:31-32).

For every thought listed above, and many others, there is a holy thought with which it can be replaced.

Think on those things!

Treasuring Sin - Loving Father

"If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the LORD would not have listened.
But truly God has listened; He has attended to the voice of my prayer.
Blessed be God, because He has not rejected my prayer.
Or removed His steadfast love from me!" (Psalm 66:18-20)

Cherishing iniquity. Loving sin. Holding onto sin.

That just doesn't fit with a holy life, does it?

It doesn't. And one of the consequences of cherishing sin is unanswered prayer.

Sin breaks the fellowship with God. It separates us from Him.

Holding onto sin keeps us from holding on to the throne of grace.

But there is hope. Not because of what we can do, but because God doesn't change.

You see, God doesn't abandon us when we sin. His love is steadfast. His grace is greater than our sin.

He doesn't just drift away from us when we sin. We drift from Him. He's there like the father of the prodigal son, waiting for our return.

And when we confess our sins, agreeing with God that what we have done is opposing His holiness, He is ready to listen.

He will not reject our prayers.

He will not remove His steadfast love from us.

Fellowship can be restored. Communication can be resumed. Joy can be found.

Blessed be God for He has heard my prayers!

Jesus is Coming!

A light dusting of snow will likely disappear quickly when the sun starts shining. It's been warm for a week, reaching almost 60 degrees the last couple of days. A little bit of rain on Saturday. Perhaps by the end of the week the grass will start turning green. Spring has arrived and Summer is coming!

Jesus used the same observation as a lesson about watching for His return.

Just like observing the new leaves on the trees builds anticipation for Summer, the signs that He had explained to His disciples would give hints about His return (Luke 21:28-32).

The previous verses tell us that persecution, natural disasters, and phenomena in the heavens will precede Christ's return. But we don't need to be afraid of them.

The times preceding His return will be difficult, but we look for it with it in anticipation of joy. Like a bride waiting for her wedding day. Lots of stress. Lots of uncertainties. Lots of surprises. But she looks beyond those days in anticipation of being united with her beloved.

The coming days, months or years may get more intense. We have no promise for a life of ease. But if we are anticipating His return, we can look beyond those days to the day of being united with our beloved Savior for all of eternity.

Why did Jesus give us these signs?

So that we can be ready.

While the return of Christ will be a joyous celebration for many, for many others it will not be joyful. Those who know that Christ is their beloved Savior, who died for their sins, giving them full pardon, will anticipate it with joy.

Those who do not know this, those who are trying to earn the love and favor of God through their good deeds and church attendance, should live in fear of His return. There is no certainty that they've done enough to be ready.

Are you ready?