Checking the Obituaries

Checking the Obituaries

We’ve all heard the jokes and comments – maybe even made a few of them ourselves. “The first thing I do when I wake up in the morning is to check the obituaries. As long as I’m not listed, I know it’s going to be a good day,” or, “Any day above ground is a good one,” or some other, similar comment which is often heard to emanate from the lips of a Christian. But is such really the case? Do we as Christians truly believe that a day spent within the reach of sin, evil, sickness, death, and the devil, is ultimately better than one spent with and amongst the saints in paradise (Lk. 16:22-25); or even face to face with, and around the throne of the God who promised to wipe away every tear from our eyes in a place where death, sorrow, pain and crying have ceased to exist (Revelation 21:4)? The apostle Paul certainly didn’t think so (Philippians 1:21-23).

Where do you want to spend eternity?

Where do you want to spend eternity?

You see, the fact is that none of us ever know exactly when that final day is going to arrive in which we won’t wake up to experience another. We never know when the doctor is going to deliver the devastating news that, “There’s nothing we can do,” or, when some totally unexpected and instantaneous death stroke may suddenly strike us during some earthly accident we never saw coming. And so, what each new day actually is, is another God-given and grace-laden chance to better prepare for our last day here, and the inescapable meeting with the Lord God almighty which we all – young and old, rich and poor, healthy and sick – will eventually, inevitably, and individually then be forced to face. What each new day is, is a divine gift and loving investment in you and your eternity, by the grace and mercy of the Lord God almighty. It is yet another much-needed (and hopefully enough appreciated) opportunity for each of us who is blessed enough to receive one, to use it wisely by getting to know the Lord and His word better; to draw ever closer to and become ever more like Him; and to serve Him and His cause even more deeply and sacrificially than we did the day before.

Conversely, it is a complete and total waste of God’s incredible investment of providing us with another day to thus prepare for the time when we won’t be given another one here, to spend it totally in pursuit of those worldly things which will mean absolutely nothing to us when our final day does arrive. Someone once said something akin to: “Yesterday is gone. Tomorrow may never be. Today is a gift. That’s why they call it ‘the present.’” If and whenever, you may be blessed enough by God, to be given the gift of another day from now on, don’t waste it – ever (Hebrews 3:1-4:16)! It just possibly might be the last one you ever receive…

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The Reason Why the World Does not Know Us

The Reason Why the World Does Not Know Us

See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.

1 John 3:1

The ways of God seem foreign to the world.

The ways of God seem foreign to the world.

 

I would like to comment on the second part of this verse first because of something that happened to me last week.  As I’m sure you’re aware, there is much furor in our country over same-sex marriage, its acceptance by some, and whether not accepting it is a form of hateful bigotry.  Businesses owned by Christians who declined to work for same-sex weddings on the fear of condoning an event which they consider to be immoral are being successfully sued and fined, which has led to the debate of whether Christians in the United States of America have the freedom to follow the dictates of their religion and conscience.  Last week I found myself in a conversation with an individual who obviously was not a Christian and was very much a proponent of same-sex marriage and homosexual rights.  When I pointed out that my rights as a Christian to follow the dictates of my religion were in danger of being ignored and that I could even be punished for following my religion, he responded with nothing but disdain.

So I understand when John tells me, “The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him.”  Our society is becoming more and more godless.  Less young people now than ever before identify themselves as religious, much less as Christian.  My fellow Americans who are trying hard to be faithful Christians and have been used to living in a society where more people than not identified with Christianity, we must recognize that we are coming closer and closer to living in a culture in which people will not know (understand) us as faithful Christians…and the reason for this is because they do not know (understand) our God.

Yet…we are still God’s children.  “See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are…”  We are still children of the Most High God.  Jehovah has still saved us by his love and grace.  We still have the undeserved, highest honor of wearing the name “Christian” (1 Pet. 4:16).  We are still heaven-bound.  We still serve a greater Cause, in fact the greatest Cause.  Whatever persecution comes our way, let us rejoice and be glad for it, because it comes because we are servants of Jesus Christ (Matt. 5:10-12; James 1:2-4).

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Direct Intervention on the Heart

The Gospel’s Two-Part Invitation

I have been told that the Spirit’s direct intervention on the heart of the lost is an integral part of the God’s plea to save them. Often, the idea is drawn from an understanding of Acts 16:14: “One who heard us was a woman named Lydia, from the city of Thyatira, a seller of purple goods, who was a worshiper of God. The Lord opened her heart to pay attention to what was said by Paul.” The phrase “[T]he Lord opened her heart” is attributed to the work of the Spirit upon the heart of Lydia to help her understand and obey the word.

How does the Spirit work on the heart?

How does the Spirit work on the heart?

What I have heard stated is that the Spirit works “in conjunction with,” “beyond the influence of”, or “directly, but in support of,” the word. Regardless of the preferred semantics, the idea that the Spirit works in some way to support directly the preached gospel is integral to the newest variants of teaching regarding the Holy Spirit in the church.

The problem is not just a matter of words. It is a fundamental problem of doctrine. The most significant issue is that the Bible has already established, by direct statement, the Spirit’s method of “convicting the world concerning sin” (John 16:8). That method is neither ambiguous, nor mystical. It is objective, knowable, discernable, and, by present standards, boring.  The Holy Spirit appeals to the lost through the avenue of His word.  The Bible states: “The Spirit and the Bride say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who hears say, ‘Come.’ And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price” (Revelation 22:17).  Two actors are present in the preceding verse: 1) The Spirit; and 2) The Bride.  The most common understanding of identifying these actors is that the “Spirit” refers to the Holy Spirit and the “bride” refers to the church.  If we take that approach to be the correct one then the gospel’s invitation is sent out from two actors:  The Holy Spirit, and people in the Lord’s church.  However, both actors are using the same approach in providing that offer.  The verse states that both actors are “saying” the invitation of obey the Gospel.  Both are “saying” the gospel to the lost.  Both are using words to appeal to the heart of those needing to find the “new Jerusalem.” The Spirit is doing so through the words He inspired. The Bride is doing so through the proclamation of those same words now inscripturated. There is the manner of the Holy Spirit’s offer of salvation to the lost.

The Holy Spirit appeals to the lost through His word. No other means of approach to the human heart can be sustained from scripture. There is no ambiguity or mysticism in the way the Spirit appeals to humanity.  He does it through the living and active word He inspired and infused with His power.

What must be remembered is that His appeal works, not in conjunction with His word, but together with the appeal of the Bride.  If the church (meaning the individual efforts of the members of His body) fails to offer its part of the invitation, the Spirit’s influence on the lost is muted.  God has chosen the “foolishness of preaching” to save the world.  The Spirit provided a powerful message but relies on each of us to ensure the lost have an opportunity to be saved.  Are you doing your part to connect people to the power of the Holy Spirit?

 

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God’s Expectations vs. Man’s Expectations

God’s Expectations vs. Man’s Expectations

There are major differences between our expectations and God’s expectations. God’s expectations are objective and real. Our expectations are subjective and can be mistaken.

God's expectations are different than mans.

God’s expectations are different than mans.

An expectation is a personal desire or belief relative to future events. God’s expectations can never be disappointed because He has full knowledge of the future. Our expectations, however, may be disappointed because we have no knowledge of the future.

When we have expectations, specifically in regard to other people’s behavior, we risk becoming an unrighteous judge(James 4:11-12). If others fail to meet our expectations, and we become unhappy about it,we risk disappointment, which can have an impact on our joy (Philippians 4:4). Expecting other people to behave in certain ways (even if God does expect such behavior) risks putting us in the position of making our subjective beliefs the standard of others’ behavior.

It isn’t the case that others must meet our expectations. They must meet God’s expectations.  (We are not co-standards with God!)  Let God be true! (Romans 3:4). So, it is best to generally avoid forming expectations about others’ behavior, and let God’s expectations stand on their own. My task is to love my neighbor (Matthew 22: regardless of how he behaves toward me–to be gracious to him even as Jesus was gracious to those who killed him (1 Peter 2:18-25).

Having said that, there are some situations that call for us to form expectations. As a father, I let my children know what are my expectations for their behavior. I also let them know that these expectations come from God, not me, and that God has empowered me to train them (Ephesians 6:1-2). Even so, my expectations must be holy (separate from sinful desires and especially envy and pride) or they will produce unholiness in my life.

God bless you, and I love you.

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Light to Influence the Darkness of the World

The Light of the World

Jesus wanted His followers to influence the world.

“You are the salt of the earth,” He told them. (Matthew 5:13) He then added, “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” (Matthew 15:14-16; NKJV)

This theme of light in relationship to God’s people is one that is expounded upon throughout the New Testament. God is, tellingly, the Father of lights. (James 1:17) The Lord’s saints are to walk as “children of light,” (Ephesians 5:8; cf. 1 Thessalonians 5:5) receiving and manifesting the light of Christ in themselves. (Ephesians 5:13-14) In reminding Christians of the difference between those in Christ and those in the world, Paul asks, “what relationship does light have with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14) Christians should remember that they have been called out of darkness and into the light of God. (1 Peter 2:9)

Over and over again, the image of light, shining into darkness, is used to convey the sense of what God wants from His people. They are to be a lamp He has lit, and placed on a stand in order to give light to all. They are to be the shining city of lights set on a hill where all can see it. They are to have a light that cannot be hidden.

Stream a light that cannot be hidden.

Stream a light that cannot be hidden.

This light is to be manifested in the doing of good works (Matthew 5:16), through heeding the word of God (2 Peter 1:19), through living according to the pattern God provides (1 John 1:7; Philippians 2:16), through loving-kindness shown to our brethren (1 John 2:10), through sobriety and being ready for Christ (1 Thessalonians 5:6-10), through patient cheerfulness in the face of trials and labors (Philippians 2:15) and by exposing the unprofitable works of sin and darkness (Ephesians 5:8-13).

Unfortunately, men frequently want to hide the light that God has lit.

Unbelievers have historically sought to suppress the teaching of the truth of the Gospel. In extreme cases, persecution, execution and banishment have all been used to try and keep Christians from shining the light of Christ. Nor should we think that such behavior is a relic of the distant past. Those who take the time to measure such things estimate that more Christians are persecuted for their religion in the modern age than were ever persecuted in the days of those Roman Emperors who gladly burned Christians at the stake and threw them to the lions.

In less extreme cases, Christians are told to be quite about their faith; to stop trying and convert other people. Some countries have even made such attempts to convert non-believers a crime.

While such attempts to quash Christianity are unfortunate, they are not unexpected and they have never been successful. Today, the word of God is available in more languages than ever before, and is more readily accessible than ever. With each passing year it is only more so.

As Christ implied, God did not give light to the world in Christ in order for men to hide it. Men are unable to suppress the light of Christ for long, and always that light will continue to shine through the true followers of Christ.

More unfortunate then, than the world seeking to extinguish the light of Christ is when Christians themselves work to cover up, or hide, that same light in their own lives. The world cannot extinguish the light, but believers can suppress the light God has given them. They can suppress it and hide it by refusing to do good works. Or through living as the rest of the world lives, without distinction. Or through failing to show the love of Christ, and instead acting hateful and crass. Or through constant complaining and grumbling. Or through refusing to share the Gospel message with those around them.

The light of Christ cannot be hidden. If a man let’s Christ shine through Him, there is nothing the world can do to quench that light. It will burn eternally.

But if those who have been given the light work to remove it from their own lives; we have free will. God will let us. We can successfully fail to let the light shine within us. But Christians should ask themselves: if the light of Christ does not shine in their lives, does not the removal of light allow darkness to come back in? And when the darkness returns to the soul, what does it bring with it?

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