Our church is currently going through the book of Romans on Sunday mornings. I have read this book in the Bible, I don't know, countless times. I love that I am learning each Sunday, that God is speaking to me on a personal level, applying truths to my life. That's what is so wonderful about God's Word. It is living. It applies to your life where you are now. You can read the same scripture a 1,000 times and you can get something from it 1,000 times. I could have read a verse a few years ago, reread it now that I'm in a totally different place in life, and the passage can mean so much more. I love how that works.
Last Sunday Jake spoke from the last part of Romans chapter 4. He spoke on guarantees. As a believer I have a guarantee of grace, I have a guarantee of a promise and I have a guarantee of justification through Christ. I want to expound on the guarantee of a promise.
Jake said something Sunday morning that really stuck out to me. "Physical evidence doesn't always line up with God's promises." Romans 4:18-21 says, "18 He believed, hoping against hope, so that he became the father of many nations[a] according to what had been spoken: So will your descendants be.[b] 19 He considered[c] his own body to be already dead (since he was about 100 years old) and also considered the deadness of Sarah’s womb, without weakening in the faith. 20 He did not waver in unbelief at God’s promise but was strengthened in his faith and gave glory to God, 21 because he was fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform."
God had promised Abraham descendants too numerous to count. The physical evidence seemed to prove otherwise. Abraham was old-- about 100--and his wife Sarah was 90. By all physical proof it would seem impossible for them to have children this late in the game. God's promise outweighed the physical evidence.
Look at Job. Without quoting the entire book, let me give you a rundown. Satan thinks that the only reason Job worships God is because God has blessed him so abundantly. God grants Satan permission to attack all of Job's possessions, leaving him destitute. He lost everything, including his children. When this wasn't enough to cause him to stop worshiping God Satan asked to strike his health. At this point Job is unrecognizable...and we're only into chapter 2! The last verses of the chapter brings his friends into the picture. It says, "12 When they looked from a distance, they could barely recognize him. They wept aloud, and each man tore his robe and threw dust into the air and on his head. 13 Then they sat on the ground with him seven days and nights, but no one spoke a word to him because they saw that his suffering was very intense."
Saying that Job was at an all-time low would be the understatement of the year. He lost everything, every physical possession, his children and now his health. His body was so mangled with boils and disease his friends couldn't even recognize him. They were so distraught none of them could even speak for a week! Every inch of this physical evidence would point to a curse from God. It would seem God had turned His back on Job. We would ask, "How could a loving God allow this?" Physical evidence isn't always accurate.
Job is depressed, to say the least. He is questioning why God even allowed him to be born. However, even through all this He won't curse God. His wife even came to him and said, "Do you still retain your integrity? Curse God and die!” He responded to her,“You speak as a foolish woman speaks. Should we accept only good from God and not adversity?” Throughout all this Job did not sin in what he said.
However, he is bitter and quite frankly having himself a grand ol' pitty party. (But who could blame him, though, right?) The end of the book shows God speaking to Job and Job finally coming to his senses again, realizing how much God truly loved him and asking God to forgive his pettiness. Chapter 43:10 says, "the Lord restored his prosperity and doubled his previous possessions."
All physical evidence during that time of Job's life pointed towards God turning His back on him. Physical evidence doesn't always line up with God's promises.
There may be something you are going through right now. You may not understand why it is happening, how God could allow it. You may question what the outcome will be, how you are going to get through it. I promise you this, if you turn your face towards the Savior, He will get you through. It may not turn out the way you had planned. Your life may not look like what you expected, but you will end up exactly where He wants you. You cannot do it on your own, however. You need Jesus. He will never leave you or forsake you, even if everyone and everything in your life does. Call out to Him. His promises are true.
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Sunday, February 10, 2013
Today is February 10th
February 10th is a reflection day for me... Well, it has been for the last several years. February 10 is forever marked as the worst day of my life. February 10 changed my life forever. I don't really like February 10.
February 10 was the day my daddy left this world and entered into eternity. It's been 6 years now. 6 years. As I type that I have to stop and look and count backwards. Has it really been that long? Yes. It has. 6 years worth of wanting to pick up the phone and call him. 6 years worth of dates I miss him taking me on. 6 years worth of wishing he was here to see his grandkids, and now great-grandkids, grow. 6 years of an emptiness and ache words cannot possibly come close to describing. 6 years.
The carnal side of me thinks he left this world way too soon. You're not supposed to lose a parent that young. There isn't a single day that goes by that I don't think about him, dream about him, wish I had him here.
I understand why he's gone--most of the time. He suffered terribly. His life was consumed with more physical pain than most people could endure. The last 17 months of his life we had to watch him literally die. We had to watch as his body slowly gave up. It wasn't easy.
I remember the last night he was here. JD and Cora and I had been over visiting him, as we had been every other night that week. His birthday would be approaching soon, February 26, and Cora began to discuss what she wanted for Grandaddy's birthday. My little 4 year old spoke from the backseat, "Do you know what I want for Grandaddy's birthday? I want God to heal him, and if God can't heal him here I want Him to take him to Heaven so he will be healed there." He died less than 6 hours later. The faith and prayer of a child.
Everyone who knew Doug Haynie was blessed. There was no one like my daddy. Whether he was Daddy (even my brother called him that), Grandaddy, Uncle Doug, a husband, a brother, a nephew, your friend, your pharmacist... He left a permanent and unmistakable mark on your life.
He was the man who got a call at 2AM from a sick client who needed his medicine right away--and would go. He was the man who, when his brothers or sister needed help, would go, no questions asked. He was the man who took every Wednesday off from work to spend with his baby daughter. He was the man who endured bands like Marky Mark, Warrant, Trixter and Firehouse, and many others, just to spend time with me. He was the man who let his 1st granddaughter, Brittnee, run through his pharmacy full-speed, knocking everything she could touch off the shelves, making his employees run after her picking up. He was the man who, when their parents told them they couldn't go swimming, pushed his granddaughters, Haleigh and Alyssa, into the pool, fully clothed. He liked bending those rules just a bit.
Friday, out of the blue, Cora asked me if I thought Grandaddy could look down on her from heaven. She's asked this before in the past. I told her I wasn't for sure, but the Bible says all of Heaven rejoices when one comes to Christ. I know for sure he was ecstatic and celebrating when she and JD gave their lives to the LORD and he is waiting for the day when we join him.
I look forward to that day too.
Knowing he was going to die, my dad had the opportunity to plan what he wanted for his funeral. He chose several verses, like Psalm 121, speaking of God's love and faithfulness. He also wanted to be sure the Gospel was presented clearly. He didn't want anyone to question where he was going, or how they could get there too.
He was ready to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
Knowing that brings me peace. Knowing he was ready, that he knew Who his Savior was, knowing he is no longer suffering and I will one day get to see him again brings me comfort. Without that I would be completely consumed with grief, even now.
For the time being I am resigned to being here, completing the work God has for me on this earth. My daddy had completed his.
February 10 was the day my daddy left this world and entered into eternity. It's been 6 years now. 6 years. As I type that I have to stop and look and count backwards. Has it really been that long? Yes. It has. 6 years worth of wanting to pick up the phone and call him. 6 years worth of dates I miss him taking me on. 6 years worth of wishing he was here to see his grandkids, and now great-grandkids, grow. 6 years of an emptiness and ache words cannot possibly come close to describing. 6 years.
The carnal side of me thinks he left this world way too soon. You're not supposed to lose a parent that young. There isn't a single day that goes by that I don't think about him, dream about him, wish I had him here.
I understand why he's gone--most of the time. He suffered terribly. His life was consumed with more physical pain than most people could endure. The last 17 months of his life we had to watch him literally die. We had to watch as his body slowly gave up. It wasn't easy.
I remember the last night he was here. JD and Cora and I had been over visiting him, as we had been every other night that week. His birthday would be approaching soon, February 26, and Cora began to discuss what she wanted for Grandaddy's birthday. My little 4 year old spoke from the backseat, "Do you know what I want for Grandaddy's birthday? I want God to heal him, and if God can't heal him here I want Him to take him to Heaven so he will be healed there." He died less than 6 hours later. The faith and prayer of a child.
Everyone who knew Doug Haynie was blessed. There was no one like my daddy. Whether he was Daddy (even my brother called him that), Grandaddy, Uncle Doug, a husband, a brother, a nephew, your friend, your pharmacist... He left a permanent and unmistakable mark on your life.
He was the man who got a call at 2AM from a sick client who needed his medicine right away--and would go. He was the man who, when his brothers or sister needed help, would go, no questions asked. He was the man who took every Wednesday off from work to spend with his baby daughter. He was the man who endured bands like Marky Mark, Warrant, Trixter and Firehouse, and many others, just to spend time with me. He was the man who let his 1st granddaughter, Brittnee, run through his pharmacy full-speed, knocking everything she could touch off the shelves, making his employees run after her picking up. He was the man who, when their parents told them they couldn't go swimming, pushed his granddaughters, Haleigh and Alyssa, into the pool, fully clothed. He liked bending those rules just a bit.
Friday, out of the blue, Cora asked me if I thought Grandaddy could look down on her from heaven. She's asked this before in the past. I told her I wasn't for sure, but the Bible says all of Heaven rejoices when one comes to Christ. I know for sure he was ecstatic and celebrating when she and JD gave their lives to the LORD and he is waiting for the day when we join him.
I look forward to that day too.
Knowing he was going to die, my dad had the opportunity to plan what he wanted for his funeral. He chose several verses, like Psalm 121, speaking of God's love and faithfulness. He also wanted to be sure the Gospel was presented clearly. He didn't want anyone to question where he was going, or how they could get there too.
He was ready to hear, "Well done, good and faithful servant."
Knowing that brings me peace. Knowing he was ready, that he knew Who his Savior was, knowing he is no longer suffering and I will one day get to see him again brings me comfort. Without that I would be completely consumed with grief, even now.
For the time being I am resigned to being here, completing the work God has for me on this earth. My daddy had completed his.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Not Because of Faith
"Faith is not the cause of our salvation, it is the means to our salvation." Read that again. "Faith is not the cause of our salvation, it is the means to our salvation."
Now stay with me here. Let me dig into this a bit.
Jake made that quote on Sunday during his sermon. Fortunately he repeated it and I wrote it down so I could let it sink in. The 1st time I heard him say it I immediately thought, "Wait a second, our faith in Jesus is exactly what saves us!" But when I heard it again and reread it I got what he was saying. If our salvation is based on our faith, then we can boast in ourselves..."Oh, my faith is so great--I have such a deep faith," etc. etc. etc. But we can't boast in ourselves. It's not about us. It's not about me and it's not about you. It's about God.
God's grace and mercy are the cause of our salvation. Nothing else.
The means He uses to give us that grace and mercy is through our faith in Jesus. HE loved us so much He chose to die for our sins.
He didn't die for us because we were worthy, we are worthy because He died for us. We get that backwards sometimes.
Ephesians 2: 8-9 says, "For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast."
That's exactly what I'm talking about here. We are saved by grace THROUGH our faith, not BECAUSE of our faith.
If our salvation depends on our faith, then we are hopeless because our faith wavers. If our salvation depends on something-anything- we have done or could do then His death on the cross was pointless. We would have to earn our way to Heaven---something we could never do.
Fortunately, that's not the case. God loves us so much He wants to give us the free gift of life. The cause of this gift is His unwavering, incomprehensible love and mercy for an undeserving people.
It's not about me. It's all about Him.
Now stay with me here. Let me dig into this a bit.
Jake made that quote on Sunday during his sermon. Fortunately he repeated it and I wrote it down so I could let it sink in. The 1st time I heard him say it I immediately thought, "Wait a second, our faith in Jesus is exactly what saves us!" But when I heard it again and reread it I got what he was saying. If our salvation is based on our faith, then we can boast in ourselves..."Oh, my faith is so great--I have such a deep faith," etc. etc. etc. But we can't boast in ourselves. It's not about us. It's not about me and it's not about you. It's about God.
God's grace and mercy are the cause of our salvation. Nothing else.
The means He uses to give us that grace and mercy is through our faith in Jesus. HE loved us so much He chose to die for our sins.
He didn't die for us because we were worthy, we are worthy because He died for us. We get that backwards sometimes.
Ephesians 2: 8-9 says, "For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—not from works, so that no one can boast."
That's exactly what I'm talking about here. We are saved by grace THROUGH our faith, not BECAUSE of our faith.
If our salvation depends on our faith, then we are hopeless because our faith wavers. If our salvation depends on something-anything- we have done or could do then His death on the cross was pointless. We would have to earn our way to Heaven---something we could never do.
Fortunately, that's not the case. God loves us so much He wants to give us the free gift of life. The cause of this gift is His unwavering, incomprehensible love and mercy for an undeserving people.
It's not about me. It's all about Him.
Monday, December 17, 2012
How do we get through this?
In the wake of last Friday's murders many people have been posing all sorts of questions, comments and concerns about the state of our nation. How could these brutal attacks happen? What was the cause? Should we have a discussion on gun control? How can I let my kids go back to school? Where was God? How could He let this happen? Is there anywhere we are safe? ...The questions, the fear, the anger and confusion go on and on.
Here is my take on this unthinkable and comprehensible tragedy.
Let me first just get the political issue out of the way so I can get to what is really important. There are already plenty of laws on the books about gun control. Adding more gun control--or even taking away our right to own guns--is not the answer. People with intent to harm others will find a way to do so, laws or not. This would not restrict access to thieves and murderers, it would restrict access to law-abiding citizens, making it impossible for them to defend themselves.
Now that I have that out of the way, let me get on the the "meat and potatoes" of the issue.
We cannot go about our lives living in fear because of these tragedies occurring. If we do that we'll never go anywhere, do anything. There isn't a single place in this world that you can be 100% physically safe. The reason is because this world is full of sin. It is a fallen world. When Satan chose to try and become like God and was thrown out of Heaven he wanted to bring everyone he could down with him. He tricked Adam and Eve in the Garden. When Eve ate that fruit, it not only brought sin upon her, it not only brought sin upon her offspring, it brought sin into the very earth itself. The earth was created as a perfect place, sin is what has brought it to the state it is in today. The earth is groaning now, knowing the end is coming closer and closer.
Our only hope is to put our faith in Jesus. We can't turn to "religion", to politics, to another person for answers, for hope... We won't find it there. There are not many ways of getting to God. There is one way. We aren't all working our way to the same destiny. That's a lie Satan has brought about to fool people into believing that they can earn their way to good by doing good. It's a lie.
There's an image I've seen of a god--maybe the God--standing at the top of a mountain. There are people all around it going up it in various ways. The point of this image is that we all use various ways to get to God but they all work. Not so.
The amazing thing is that we don't have to work our way up that mountain! God came down to us. We have a debt to pay. "For the wages of sin is death." Our debt for the sin we commit is death--spiritual death--complete separation from God, our Creator. There is no way we can ever pay that debt off. Ever. But God loved us SO much He chose to take our place. "But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our LORD."
Jesus came to this earth, leaving His throne, to pay our debt for us. He lived a sinless life--the only one ever to do so on this earth--and because it was a sinless life, He had no debt to pay. Instead, He went to the cross, taking on every sin ever committed and ever to be committed. When He cried out on the cross, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" It was because every sin had been poured into Him. God, being perfect, cannot look upon sin. He turned His face from Jesus. What pain that must have been. The God-head, the trinity, separated for the first time in eternity...All because the love for a dying and sinful humanity was so great.
We were created for a purpose. We are the only creation to be made in the image of God. Why? Because our purpose is to fellowship with God. The dogs, birds, fish, trees...they weren't created in His image. We were. Out of all creation God chose humans. What an awesome and humbling privilege.
God hasn't destroyed those on the earth who do evil yet because He wants no one to perish. He desires that everyone come to Him in saving faith. God doesn't delight in evil, but He is patient, wanting everyone to choose Him. He will not force Himself upon someone. It is a choice every person has to make. You can choose not to believe in Him. You can choose to believe there is no God at all, that there are many gods, that there is no Heaven or Hell--that is your right. Your choice will have an eternal consequence. During this life we have a choice. After we die there is no choice, no second chance.
And as we saw on Friday, there is no telling when our life will end. Now is the time. You can't live your life thinking you'll wait until you're old to "find God". You can't simply coast through life thinking you have all the time in the world. You can't simply say your good enough. You're not. None of us are. And none of us are promised tomorrow, or our even next breath. It is my earnest prayer that if you are reading this and have not called out on the name of God you will do so right now. "The Lord is near to all you call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth." There isn't some magical prayer to pray. He knows your heart. He is right there waiting.
I had no fear taking my children to school today. Not because I'm living in some fantasy world where I think no harm could ever come to them, not because I think we live in a safe neighborhood and they are in good schools. None of that matters. I had no fear taking my kids to school today because I know if something were to happen to them they would be in Heaven. I know this because I was there when they each asked Jesus to come into their hearts and save them. I have seen them grow in their faith and knowledge of God. I have seen their desires moving from just their own salvation to the salvation of their friends and family. I have seen the change that takes place in a person's life when s/he truly accepts Jesus as his/her savior. I know that if something were to happen to my two beautiful children I would see them again one day in Heaven, because I have done the same thing.
If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior and LORD this doesn't mean there won't be heartache, there won't be troubles and pain and sorrow and confusion and questions that don't seem to have a reasonable answer. He didn't die for our problems, He died for our sins. That may seem harsh, I'm not trying to seem that way, it's just truth. Going back to what I said before, there is pain and sorrow on the earth because of sin. Unfortunately our sins don't just effect us, they cause others pain and sorrow as well.
But, there is wonderful hope for those who have chosen Christ!
"There will be trouble in this world, but take heart, I have overcome the world!"--Jesus
Here is my take on this unthinkable and comprehensible tragedy.
Let me first just get the political issue out of the way so I can get to what is really important. There are already plenty of laws on the books about gun control. Adding more gun control--or even taking away our right to own guns--is not the answer. People with intent to harm others will find a way to do so, laws or not. This would not restrict access to thieves and murderers, it would restrict access to law-abiding citizens, making it impossible for them to defend themselves.
Now that I have that out of the way, let me get on the the "meat and potatoes" of the issue.
We cannot go about our lives living in fear because of these tragedies occurring. If we do that we'll never go anywhere, do anything. There isn't a single place in this world that you can be 100% physically safe. The reason is because this world is full of sin. It is a fallen world. When Satan chose to try and become like God and was thrown out of Heaven he wanted to bring everyone he could down with him. He tricked Adam and Eve in the Garden. When Eve ate that fruit, it not only brought sin upon her, it not only brought sin upon her offspring, it brought sin into the very earth itself. The earth was created as a perfect place, sin is what has brought it to the state it is in today. The earth is groaning now, knowing the end is coming closer and closer.
Our only hope is to put our faith in Jesus. We can't turn to "religion", to politics, to another person for answers, for hope... We won't find it there. There are not many ways of getting to God. There is one way. We aren't all working our way to the same destiny. That's a lie Satan has brought about to fool people into believing that they can earn their way to good by doing good. It's a lie.
There's an image I've seen of a god--maybe the God--standing at the top of a mountain. There are people all around it going up it in various ways. The point of this image is that we all use various ways to get to God but they all work. Not so.
The amazing thing is that we don't have to work our way up that mountain! God came down to us. We have a debt to pay. "For the wages of sin is death." Our debt for the sin we commit is death--spiritual death--complete separation from God, our Creator. There is no way we can ever pay that debt off. Ever. But God loved us SO much He chose to take our place. "But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our LORD."
Jesus came to this earth, leaving His throne, to pay our debt for us. He lived a sinless life--the only one ever to do so on this earth--and because it was a sinless life, He had no debt to pay. Instead, He went to the cross, taking on every sin ever committed and ever to be committed. When He cried out on the cross, "My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?" It was because every sin had been poured into Him. God, being perfect, cannot look upon sin. He turned His face from Jesus. What pain that must have been. The God-head, the trinity, separated for the first time in eternity...All because the love for a dying and sinful humanity was so great.
We were created for a purpose. We are the only creation to be made in the image of God. Why? Because our purpose is to fellowship with God. The dogs, birds, fish, trees...they weren't created in His image. We were. Out of all creation God chose humans. What an awesome and humbling privilege.
God hasn't destroyed those on the earth who do evil yet because He wants no one to perish. He desires that everyone come to Him in saving faith. God doesn't delight in evil, but He is patient, wanting everyone to choose Him. He will not force Himself upon someone. It is a choice every person has to make. You can choose not to believe in Him. You can choose to believe there is no God at all, that there are many gods, that there is no Heaven or Hell--that is your right. Your choice will have an eternal consequence. During this life we have a choice. After we die there is no choice, no second chance.
And as we saw on Friday, there is no telling when our life will end. Now is the time. You can't live your life thinking you'll wait until you're old to "find God". You can't simply coast through life thinking you have all the time in the world. You can't simply say your good enough. You're not. None of us are. And none of us are promised tomorrow, or our even next breath. It is my earnest prayer that if you are reading this and have not called out on the name of God you will do so right now. "The Lord is near to all you call on Him, to all who call on Him in truth." There isn't some magical prayer to pray. He knows your heart. He is right there waiting.
I had no fear taking my children to school today. Not because I'm living in some fantasy world where I think no harm could ever come to them, not because I think we live in a safe neighborhood and they are in good schools. None of that matters. I had no fear taking my kids to school today because I know if something were to happen to them they would be in Heaven. I know this because I was there when they each asked Jesus to come into their hearts and save them. I have seen them grow in their faith and knowledge of God. I have seen their desires moving from just their own salvation to the salvation of their friends and family. I have seen the change that takes place in a person's life when s/he truly accepts Jesus as his/her savior. I know that if something were to happen to my two beautiful children I would see them again one day in Heaven, because I have done the same thing.
If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior and LORD this doesn't mean there won't be heartache, there won't be troubles and pain and sorrow and confusion and questions that don't seem to have a reasonable answer. He didn't die for our problems, He died for our sins. That may seem harsh, I'm not trying to seem that way, it's just truth. Going back to what I said before, there is pain and sorrow on the earth because of sin. Unfortunately our sins don't just effect us, they cause others pain and sorrow as well.
But, there is wonderful hope for those who have chosen Christ!
"There will be trouble in this world, but take heart, I have overcome the world!"--Jesus
Tuesday, August 28, 2012
Some tough teachings
My quiet time today found me reading John 6. I've read this chapter countless times, but some things stuck out at me today that I don't remember before. The Bible works that way. You can read the same verse time and time again, and each time it can apply to your life differently, or mean so much more, depending on what is going on in your life at the time.
Today as I read I had in my head the grumblings I've been hearing more and more lately. People of my generation and the generations coming after mine are grumbling about the church. I even hear people who I know to be believers grumbling and questioning. Maybe not questioning their faith, though some are, but questioning the tactics of the church, the bible and other believers. This has really got me thinking. I know in the end times many "false Christs" will rise up, deceiving the nations. To some extent that is what is happening. The cross is hard and people are finding other "prettier" ways to get around it. People are offended at the Bible, even those who grew up loving and trusting it.
As I read John 6 today a few verses stuck out at me. Let me set the scene. Jesus had just fed the 5,000. The next day people came back to Him, wanting more physical fulfillment. They weren't seeking anything spiritual from Jesus. They weren't trying to discover how to get to heaven, how to be a better person, they were simply hungry and wanted more. This was the easy part. He had fed them. They were willing to accept that miracle. This day was different, however. He started teaching on things that weren't so easy to accept. He stepped on a few toes. He laid it all down. People didn't like this Jesus as much as the one the day before. See, this Jesus was telling them the truth about themselves, the truth about life, the truth about God. It was easy to be fed, not so easy to hear what they really needed.
John 6:60 says, "On hearing this, many of the disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"" --Even some followers of Jesus were having trouble with His message.
Following Christ isn't easy. It definitely isn't popular. But it is worth it. You can't pick and choose what you do and don't want to believe about Christ, about God, about the Bible. This is a package deal. We can't just omit things because they are not politically correct or because they are socially unacceptable. That's not how it works. There are going to be times when you have to stand up for things that go against this world. There are going to be times you have to walk away from things because they go against the Word of God. But you can't just merely back away when the going gets tough. Thanks be to God that Jesus didn't. He could have walked away from the cross, but instead He chose the will of the Father.
John 6:61 says, "Jesus, knowing in Himself that His disciples were complaining about this, asked them, “Does this offend you?”"
Jesus knew His message was hard. He had told them that He was the one and only way to heaven. God isn't just some god on a mountain that we're all working our way up to and eventually all get there, no matter what path we take. No. He is GOD. The Almighty. The One and Only. He doesn't require that we work our way to Him, instead, He came down to us. This is Jesus. This is offensive. This sounds close-minded and judgmental. After all, isn't God love? Absolutely! But God is also just. He demands perfection, something none of us can give. But, because He is love, He allows us to come to Him through His Son, Jesus. Jesus IS perfect. When we place our trust in Him God no longer looks at our imperfections, He chooses to see Jesus.
The end of chapter 6 hit me pretty hard. Verse 66, "From that moment many of His disciples turned back and no longer accompanied Him." The going got too tough. His teachings got to be too much. He was no longer simply being the "loving" God, He was sharing the whole truth, the cold, hard facts. And they turned away.
See, Peter got it. Yes, the teachings are hard. They are socially and politically incorrect. You may have to give up things, turn away from things, make a stand when no one else will. You may lose friends, even family, because of these beliefs... But to whom else would you turn? Jesus is the only one Who has the words of eternal life. Period.
Today as I read I had in my head the grumblings I've been hearing more and more lately. People of my generation and the generations coming after mine are grumbling about the church. I even hear people who I know to be believers grumbling and questioning. Maybe not questioning their faith, though some are, but questioning the tactics of the church, the bible and other believers. This has really got me thinking. I know in the end times many "false Christs" will rise up, deceiving the nations. To some extent that is what is happening. The cross is hard and people are finding other "prettier" ways to get around it. People are offended at the Bible, even those who grew up loving and trusting it.
As I read John 6 today a few verses stuck out at me. Let me set the scene. Jesus had just fed the 5,000. The next day people came back to Him, wanting more physical fulfillment. They weren't seeking anything spiritual from Jesus. They weren't trying to discover how to get to heaven, how to be a better person, they were simply hungry and wanted more. This was the easy part. He had fed them. They were willing to accept that miracle. This day was different, however. He started teaching on things that weren't so easy to accept. He stepped on a few toes. He laid it all down. People didn't like this Jesus as much as the one the day before. See, this Jesus was telling them the truth about themselves, the truth about life, the truth about God. It was easy to be fed, not so easy to hear what they really needed.
John 6:60 says, "On hearing this, many of the disciples said, "This is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?"" --Even some followers of Jesus were having trouble with His message.
Following Christ isn't easy. It definitely isn't popular. But it is worth it. You can't pick and choose what you do and don't want to believe about Christ, about God, about the Bible. This is a package deal. We can't just omit things because they are not politically correct or because they are socially unacceptable. That's not how it works. There are going to be times when you have to stand up for things that go against this world. There are going to be times you have to walk away from things because they go against the Word of God. But you can't just merely back away when the going gets tough. Thanks be to God that Jesus didn't. He could have walked away from the cross, but instead He chose the will of the Father.
John 6:61 says, "Jesus, knowing in Himself that His disciples were complaining about this, asked them, “Does this offend you?”"
Jesus knew His message was hard. He had told them that He was the one and only way to heaven. God isn't just some god on a mountain that we're all working our way up to and eventually all get there, no matter what path we take. No. He is GOD. The Almighty. The One and Only. He doesn't require that we work our way to Him, instead, He came down to us. This is Jesus. This is offensive. This sounds close-minded and judgmental. After all, isn't God love? Absolutely! But God is also just. He demands perfection, something none of us can give. But, because He is love, He allows us to come to Him through His Son, Jesus. Jesus IS perfect. When we place our trust in Him God no longer looks at our imperfections, He chooses to see Jesus.
The end of chapter 6 hit me pretty hard. Verse 66, "From that moment many of His disciples turned back and no longer accompanied Him." The going got too tough. His teachings got to be too much. He was no longer simply being the "loving" God, He was sharing the whole truth, the cold, hard facts. And they turned away.
There were a few, however, who didn't turn away. John 6:67, "Therefore Jesus said to the Twelve, “You don’t want to go away too, do you?”" In 68 Simon Peter responds to Him, "Lord, who will we go to? You have the words of eternal life."
See, Peter got it. Yes, the teachings are hard. They are socially and politically incorrect. You may have to give up things, turn away from things, make a stand when no one else will. You may lose friends, even family, because of these beliefs... But to whom else would you turn? Jesus is the only one Who has the words of eternal life. Period.
Friday, August 3, 2012
truth in love
All the comments, posts, pics, blogs, etc about Chick-fil-a CEO, Dan Cathy, this past couple of weeks has spurred on this blog.
Let me start by saying, just in case you don't know, that I am a born again believer in Christ. He is my LORD, my boss, my everything.
This week I have seen post after post, comment after comment, about how, because I am a Christian, I am a hypocrite, a bigot, and that I hate gays. I will readily, and humbly, admit that I have acted in hypocritical ways on several occasions. Everyone has. We're human. It's in our nature. It's not something I am proud of nor intentionally do. Ever.
I do not, nor have I ever, hated gays, or any other person. Not only do I have friends who are gay, my brother-in-law is as well. I love them all dearly and completely.
The only thing I hate is sin. I hate my sin, because I sin on a regular basis. I hate all sin. I have to because sin is in opposition to God and if I love God I have to hate all things against Him.
I am no better than anyone else. Jake often says, "there are 2 types of people in this world-sinners and sinners- the only difference is one has been forgiven of those sins." That's the only difference. Every single person on this planet has sinned. If you're breathing, then you've sinned. Young, old and in between. All of us.
And Christ died for everyone, but not everyone accepts it.
So often I hear quoted, "Let he who has no sin cast the 1st stone." However, people neglect to go on with 'the rest of the story' (as Paul Harvey would say). After the religious leaders dropped their stones and walked away Jesus turned to the prostitute and said, "Go, and sin no more." He loved her in-spite of her sin, but He didn't say, "continue on with the way you're living..it's all good." No, He told her to walk away from her life of sin.
Jesus did hang out with "sinners", because He wanted to change them. In every single encounter with Jesus, people walked away changed. Prostitutes walked away from prostitution, tax collectors paid back what they had stolen, adulterers left that life. That's what happens when you have an encounter with Jesus. You will never be the same again. You may choose to walk away from Him, but the choice is all yours, as are the consequences. Either way, once you've truly met Jesus, your life will be different.
Something that has rung in my head all week is that we, as followers of Christ, are so afraid of offending people--so afraid that if we speak out against sin, that people are going to call us haters, bigots, close-minded hypocrites--that we are going to wind up "not offending" and "loving" people right into hell.
The thing is, if I truly believe there is a real hell, full of unimaginable torture, if I truly believe that people who haven't turned their lives over to Christ and accepted Him as their Lord and Savior are going to die and spend eternity there, and I don't tell them how to change their destiny, then maybe I don't truly believe it.
Because if I really believe it, I would be shouting it from the rooftops. I would be telling every person I came across what I believe.
If I believed I had found the cure to cancer but chose not to share it with anyone I would be wrong. If I saw a multitude of people blinding walking toward a huge cliff and said nothing, I would be wrong.
How much more so should I share the only way to avoid an eternity--something we can't even comprehend--of burning agony, of unending pain and torture. Why wouldn't I share that?
I am commanded to speak the truth in love. And it is because I love--not hate--that I share Christ. If I hated, then I would say nothing at all.
Let me start by saying, just in case you don't know, that I am a born again believer in Christ. He is my LORD, my boss, my everything.
This week I have seen post after post, comment after comment, about how, because I am a Christian, I am a hypocrite, a bigot, and that I hate gays. I will readily, and humbly, admit that I have acted in hypocritical ways on several occasions. Everyone has. We're human. It's in our nature. It's not something I am proud of nor intentionally do. Ever.
I do not, nor have I ever, hated gays, or any other person. Not only do I have friends who are gay, my brother-in-law is as well. I love them all dearly and completely.
The only thing I hate is sin. I hate my sin, because I sin on a regular basis. I hate all sin. I have to because sin is in opposition to God and if I love God I have to hate all things against Him.
I am no better than anyone else. Jake often says, "there are 2 types of people in this world-sinners and sinners- the only difference is one has been forgiven of those sins." That's the only difference. Every single person on this planet has sinned. If you're breathing, then you've sinned. Young, old and in between. All of us.
And Christ died for everyone, but not everyone accepts it.
So often I hear quoted, "Let he who has no sin cast the 1st stone." However, people neglect to go on with 'the rest of the story' (as Paul Harvey would say). After the religious leaders dropped their stones and walked away Jesus turned to the prostitute and said, "Go, and sin no more." He loved her in-spite of her sin, but He didn't say, "continue on with the way you're living..it's all good." No, He told her to walk away from her life of sin.
Jesus did hang out with "sinners", because He wanted to change them. In every single encounter with Jesus, people walked away changed. Prostitutes walked away from prostitution, tax collectors paid back what they had stolen, adulterers left that life. That's what happens when you have an encounter with Jesus. You will never be the same again. You may choose to walk away from Him, but the choice is all yours, as are the consequences. Either way, once you've truly met Jesus, your life will be different.
Something that has rung in my head all week is that we, as followers of Christ, are so afraid of offending people--so afraid that if we speak out against sin, that people are going to call us haters, bigots, close-minded hypocrites--that we are going to wind up "not offending" and "loving" people right into hell.
The thing is, if I truly believe there is a real hell, full of unimaginable torture, if I truly believe that people who haven't turned their lives over to Christ and accepted Him as their Lord and Savior are going to die and spend eternity there, and I don't tell them how to change their destiny, then maybe I don't truly believe it.
Because if I really believe it, I would be shouting it from the rooftops. I would be telling every person I came across what I believe.
If I believed I had found the cure to cancer but chose not to share it with anyone I would be wrong. If I saw a multitude of people blinding walking toward a huge cliff and said nothing, I would be wrong.
How much more so should I share the only way to avoid an eternity--something we can't even comprehend--of burning agony, of unending pain and torture. Why wouldn't I share that?
I am commanded to speak the truth in love. And it is because I love--not hate--that I share Christ. If I hated, then I would say nothing at all.
Thursday, May 3, 2012
It amazes me still to this day how great, how marvelous, how wonderful my God is. On one hand I think, "Why does this surprise me?", on the other hand I think, "His wonders never cease to amaze me".
What amazes me most, I think, is that the Creator of the entire universe, and any others that may exist, stills cares about insignificant me! The God who has existed from eternity past into eternity future sees me, sees you! If that doesn't give you chills, well, I don't know what to tell you.
Just in the past week I've been concerned about something. Concerned nothing, I was out-right worried and stressed. Yes, I realize we are not to worry. Yes, I realize God is in control and works everything to His good for those who love Him. Yes, I realize I was not fully trusting in Him because of my worrying. But, alas, I am human and I tend to do things I'm not supposed to do, even when I know better.
What I was "concerned" about doesn't really matter for this post. The point was, I was worried. I had mentioned it to Jake and perhaps one or two friends, but I hadn't even prayed about it yet.
(Again, I know I need to take all things to God in prayer. I just hadn't gotten that far in my worrying and thinking process yet. I would have gotten to that, eventually.)
The really cool thing is, even though I didn't respond in the appropriate way, I didn't give it over to God, or even acknowledge the problem to Him yet, He heard me and answered.
It reminds me of a time in Exodus where the Israelites were groaning because they were in slavery. It doesn't say they were crying out to God, or even acknowledging Him, it just says they were groaning. But is says God heard them and was concerned about them. I love that! They didn't have the appropriate response, they were caught up in their own self-pity, but God heard them anyway and took care of them.
He did that for me as well.
He heard me in my 'groaning' and had concern for me. He answered my prayer before I even asked it.
He is El Roi, the LORD Who Sees! But He goes further, He is Jehovah Jireh, the LORD Will Provide! He saw my concern, my stress, my groaning, He had pity on me and He provided! He didn't have to, He didn't owe it to me, I didn't deserve it, but He did it anyway. My God is so completely awesome!
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