“Wanted”

Don’t look now, but I just saw a wanted poster with your face and name.  I just saw your picture pasted on the front of a billboard because someone is looking for you.  What did you do?  You must have done something really scary to have your own “wanted” poster.  I have good news, Heaven is full of these wanted posters, and fortunately, we all have our picture hanging there.  God is the sheriff in town that has declared us “wanted.” 

It’s no secret that God is a loving God, and a loving parent.  God wants us.  Now I know it can be misinterpreted these days when someone “wants” something or someone.  But with God, He makes it understood that He wants all of us.  God wants everything we have, and we know this because He sent His Son here to tell us.  When asked about the “greatest commandment” or the most important thing God wants from us, He replied “You shall love the Lord you God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.”  Matthew 22:37(NKJV) This tells me that God wants us.  He wants everything we have to give. 

God’s love for His children goes beyond anything we can imagine here on this earth.  We have placed too many different meanings on the word “love” that we have managed to lose any understanding of His love for us, and just how much we are “wanted.”  Think about this for a second.  Imagine coming home from a long day at work, and you pull into the driveway.  Your son or daughter comes rushing out the door and jumps into your arms before you can even put your daily baggage down.  There are no conditions to be met as far as your son or daughter is concerned, they are just ecstatic to see you, to know that you are home.  For those with pets, we get the same thing.  This is a small, miniscule example of God’s love for us.  He has no conditions to be met, He has no requirements of gifts or presents in order to receive His love.  He simply loves unconditionally.  He simply “wants” us. 

Just imagine how it will feel when you are allowed through the pearly gates and Jesus takes down your “wanted” poster.

“in the world, not of the world”

REPRESENT!

Yesterday I posted about the goodness of God.  We all know that we would just love being like God, being good every day, all day.  But we don’t think that can be achieved, so we settle for something less.  The Bible teaches us to be more like God than we want to think is possible.  “But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, because it is written, ‘Be holy, for I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:15-17(NKJV)

Now, I know that we are all sinners living in a very sinful society.  But should we stand aside and allow this sin to take over, to inhabit everything we have and will ever have, or do we stand up for all things good.  “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.  Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith.” Galatians 6:9-10(NKJV)

It’s human to think that it’s not my problem.  It’s human to feel that it’s not our job to do good to everyone all the time.  It’s human to think that God will somehow overlook our avoidance of doing good, and simply chalk it up as human behavior.  Newsflash, we are not human, but are called to be Children of our awesome God.  We need to represent.  Representing means doing good to everyone all the time, and not a select few who we feel can return the favor.  “Representing” means that we have given everything over to our God. “Therefore submit to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7(NKJV) When we do this, the enemy, or the world will run away and hide because it can’t stand the heat, or the light coming from it. 

Doing good to everyone all the time can sound like we have lost our minds.  We have lost our minds, because we are told to focus them on something bigger. “Jesus said to him, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’”  We often say that we are far too busy to be Jesus “to the least of these.”  Jesus warns of this as well. 

There’s really no mystery to becoming the child of God we were created to be.  God not only gives us what we need to do this, i.e. the Holy Spirit, but He provides us with written directions and a teacher, Jesus Christ, that cannot be disputed.  All that is left is that we start acting as if we really want to learn.  Our only responsibly in this agreement is that we represent.  We represent Christ to a world in dire need of a Savior.  We represent the true definition of being called a child of our awesome God.  When we do this, people will take notice, and will find that they want all of what we have to give, God’s love. 

We need to represent. 

“in the world, not of the world”

Freelancing…

The world today loves a “freelancer.”  We often will branch out on our own and forge a new trail, creating something that was never there, and making something new that was once old.  We freelance to the point that it can become a bit destructive, particularly when it comes to how we live our lives.  We do this in order to claim our individuality in a world full of groups.   It’s when we let our “freelancing” overrun the rules, and we are trying to make new rules so that our attitudes and behaviors now fit and become the new norm, that we find we are moving away from God

 

Frances Chan, the author of a great book titled “Crazy Love,” addresses this.  “Let’s face it.  We’re willing to make changes in our lives only if we think it affects our salvation.  This is why I have so many people ask me questions like, can I divorce my wife and still go to heaven?  Do I have to be baptized to be saved?  Am I a Christian even though I’m having sex with my girlfriend?  If I commit suicide, can I still go to heaven?  If I’m ashamed to talk about Christ, is He really going to deny knowing me?”  This speaks volumes about the way the world is approaching the Bible these days.  These questions are evidence of a world pulling away from Christ and Christianity, and pushing towards a more pleasurable and more comfortable approach to living.  Chan goes further to say that it demonstrates a bigger concern for getting into heaven, than loving our Lord and Savior.  The Apostle John puts it this way; “If you love me, keep my commandments.” John 14:15(NKJV)

When we read God’s Word, there is no room for freelance interpretation.  The Bible is meant to be read by each individual so that God can speak to each individual through His Word.  For example, in the Bible, 1 John 2:3-4(NKJV) says this; “Now by this we know that know Him, if we keep His commandments.  He who says ‘I know Him’ and does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”  Am I missing something?  I think the Bible says that if we do not follow God’s instructions, yet claim to be a Christian, we are liars.  If I’m wrong in my “freelancing” please help me out with this one. 

God’s Holy Word will always have relevance in our world.  It is not some fiction novel or history book.  It is meant to be applied to our lives day in and day out.  This is where we can go to have the Holy Spirit move in us.  This is where we can visit with God and hear Him speak.  This is where we can get the best advice on how to live a life loving Jesus, not just simply making the claim that we do. 

God did not send the Prophets His Word only to have it changed and manipulated so that we are more comfortable with it.  God has never said that we could make changes where we felt uncomfortable or out of place.  God did not water down His Word so that it would be easier to swallow.  We need to stop “freelancing” with the Bible and start living by it.  We need to start loving our Lord and Savior and stop pretending to be a good Christian.  We need to start keeping His commandments and stop working our way around them. 

“in the world, not of the world”

Happy Valentine’s Day

Love is in the air today.  There is chocolate flowing, flowers growing and cards showing how much we care for the special people in our lives.  Retailers have capitalized on our feelings of admiration, and those of guilt in order to maximize profits during the month of February, when there is no real holiday to celebrate with gifts of this nature.  We will often go overboard in order to impress the special people, showering them with flowers, chocolate and other things that show just how special they are, or how much we love them.

God’s love is also very special.  It also flows just like the chocolates, grows just like the flowers and is able to go beyond anything that is printable or imaginable.  Our worldly minds cannot seem to grasp the “height or depth” of His love for us.  The Apostle Paul attempted to describe what this love looked like to the people of Corinth.  The famous “love” chapter in the Bible, 1 Corinthians 13, explains just what God’s love looks like, sounds like and feels like.  I use the Message translation only because it is simple, understandable and can be translated by even the most basic of minds.    

“If I speak with human eloquence and angelic ecstasy but don’t love, I’m nothing but the creaking of a rusty gate.  If I speak God’s Word with power, revealing all his mysteries and making everything plain as day, and if I have faith that says to a mountain, “Jump,” and it jumps, but I don’t love, I’m nothing.  If I give everything I own to the poor and even go to the stake to be burned as a martyr, but I don’t love, I’ve gotten nowhere. So, no matter what I say, what I believe, and what I do, I’m bankrupt without love.  Love never gives up.  Love cares more for others than for self.  Love doesn’t want what it doesn’t have.  Love doesn’t strut, doesn’t have a swelled head, doesn’t force itself on others, Isn’t always “me first,” doesn’t fly off the handle,

doesn’t keep score of the sins of others, doesn’t revel when others grovel, takes pleasure in the flowering of truth, puts up with anything, trusts God always, always looks for the best, never looks back, but keeps going to the end. Love never dies. Inspired speech will be over some day; praying in tongues will end; understanding will reach its limit. We know only a portion of the truth, and what we say about God is always incomplete. But when the Complete arrives, our incompletes will be canceled.  When I was an infant at my mother’s breast, I gurgled and cooed like any infant. When I grew up, I left those infant ways for good.  We don’t yet see things clearly. We’re squinting in a fog, peering through a mist. But it won’t be long before the weather clears and the sun shines bright! We’ll see it all then, see it all as clearly as God sees us, knowing him directly just as he knows us!  But for right now, until that completeness, we have three things to do to lead us toward that consummation: Trust steadily in God, hope unswervingly, love extravagantly. And the best of the three is love” 1 Corinthians 13(MSG)

Make it a point to “love extravagantly” today.  God’s love is in the air.  Grab hold and give some to that special person. 

 “in the world, not of the world”

Hurry up and wait?

I finish the previous comment with a question mark to show that it can be confusing to “hurry up and wait.”  The terms are the opposite of each other, making me feel that it is often said with a touch of sarcasm.  Say it isn’t so!  We often will find ourselves in this mode of operation, making haste to get somewhere, only to stand in line for hours.  We hurry up to simply wait.  God wants us to wait.  God wants us to patiently stand in line for hours to simply wait.  If you don’t believe me, just a quick trip through the Book of Psalms will give you some indication of how we are to “wait.” 

“Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation; On You I wait all the day.” Psalm 25:5(NKJV)

“Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart; Wait, I say, on the Lord!” Psalm 27:14(NKJV)

“For evildoers shall be cut off; But those who wait on the Lord, They shall inherit the earth.” Psalm 37:9(NKJV)

“I wait for the Lord, my soul waits, And in His word I do hope.” Psalm 130:5(NKJV)

I think you get the picture.  So why is it that we always have to wait for God?  Why would we want to simply “be still and wait.”  The Prophet Isaiah gives us a reason to wait.  “And it will be said in that day: ‘Behold, this is our God; We have waited for Him, and He will save us. This is the Lord; We have waited for Him; We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.’” Isaiah 25:9(NKJV)

 In this day of instant everything; instant communication, instant information, and yes, my favorite, instant oatmeal J we are willing to settle for nothing less than “now.”  If we make the decision we want or need something, we will try to obtain it by the quickest means possible.  One only has to take a good look around to see that society is based on getting stuff to us quicker and easier.  God wants us to wait. 

 “The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.” Lamentations 3:25(NKJV)  God promises good to those who simply wait.  Now, I know that waiting can be the most horrible, unnecessary evil there is.  I realize that no one, including me, likes to wait for anything.  We have become programmed for instant gratification.  We have been spoiled by the world, never having to wait, but simply wanting something, then getting it without hesitation.  This is just how the world likes it, because when we have this instant gratification, there is no time to change our mind.  There is no “let me think about it” first.  There is simply the want, then the satisfying of the want, end of story.  God has a great plan, even for us.  He promises this in His Word several times over.  But we need to wait.  God wants us to take the time and “think about it.”  We need to wait for Him to let us in on His little secret.  He promises to do this, but we have to wait. 

And the clock starts ticking in the background…wait…wait…wait. 

“in the world, not of the world”

Anyone know the way to Damascus?

I am the worst at following a map or a set of directions, even when I’m using my cell phone to help me stay on the right road, I will second guess the navigation system on the phone and try a different route.  This only manages to get me very lost and usually going the long way to get to my destination.  It’s when we think we know a better way that we find we are traveling in the wrong direction, making our trip harder and longer.  God used a journey taken by the Apostle Paul, formerly Saul, to give him directions on how to not only change direction, but change his life of persecuting Christians for their belief.  The conversation went something like this.

“As he journeyed he came near Damascus, and suddenly a light shone around him from heaven.  Then he fell to the ground, and heard a voice saying to him, ‘Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?’  And he said ‘who are You, Lord?’  ‘I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting. It is hard for you to kick against the goads.’  So he, trembling and astonished, said, ‘Lord, what do you want me to do?’

Then the Lord said to him, ‘Arise and go into the city, and you will be told what you must do.’” 
 Acts 9:1-6(NKJV)

Here’s a thought.  What if Paul, formerly Saul, was in a hurry and took a shorter route, sidestepping the opportunity to run into Jesus on the road?  What if he thought he knew a quicker route and took it, getting lost in the process?  We will often do this in our lives.  We will look for the shortcut or the least demanding way of getting somewhere and take this more comfortable, more palatable route in order to avoid our God.  We all know the right road to take, the route that will get us to our ultimate destination in heaven, yet we still want to take the shortcut, or take a different route because we feel it will save time and effort.  We should be thinking about how God chose to have Saul travel this particular route in order to meet up with Jesus along the way. 

We all have several roads and routes to choose from when we are traveling down our “road to Damascus.”  We all have those opportunities to take the shortcut, or the easier road in order to make our lives more comfortable and more enjoyable.  God is not a God of shortcuts, nor is He willing to change His route because we have changed ours.  God will lead us down the right road, but the trick is listening and believing.  Our God is constant and sure and can be trusted to give good directions.  Our God is very aware of the different routes we will try in order to make our trip through life easier, but He only wants us to travel one, that being His route.  God has mapped out the road that leads to heaven.  He has given us these directions in His Holy Word.  Now it’s up to us to follow His directions.  These are written so that anyone can follow them.  His routes are laid out plain as day for anyone to use.  He has the destination ready and waiting.  Are we willing to travel His road, or do we feel we know a better way?  

I think I missed my turn back there!

“in the world, not of the world”

What does God want from me?

 

As we stumble through this maze we call life, we often will become “dazed and confused” concerning just what God wants.  We feel as if we are the only person on earth living a life of doom and despair.  We feel that everything we do results in punishment or failure.  We make every attempt to live a life that would be considered “ok” in a very judgmental world.  We simply do what others do in order to receive approval from the world because, after all, that’s where we take up residence.  I have a few other opinions, other versions of being considered “ok” for you today. 

In the Old Testament, God gives His people some valuable advice on just what He expects from them. 

“He has shown you, O man, what is good; And what does the Lord require of you but to do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with your God” Micah 6:8(NKJV)  The prophet Micah delivered this message to God’s people, informing them of just what God wanted in order to live a life pleasing to His sight.  These attributes would be great to have, even in today’s world.  But the only problem is that they are not required by today’s society, so we simply sidestep the issue.  More Godly wisdom appears in the Book of Jeremiah.  “ For if you thoroughly amend your ways and your doings, if you thoroughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbor, if you do not oppress the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place, or walk after other gods to your hurt, then I will cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers forever and ever.” Jeremiah 7:5-7(NKJV) 

These two passages are just a sample of what God wants from us.  When we worship our God, we are “walking humbly.”  When we “love our neighbor” we are definitely not “oppressing” them.  It’s a fairly straightforward answer.  We do these things and God will bless us.  Jesus was sent here to walk this earth to actually review and remind us of these things, and we still seem to be confused as to “what God wants from us.”  The Old and New Testaments are full of examples of what can happen when we simply figure out God’s game plan and we take the steps to follow it.  It is one thing, to be aware of the instructions, but the real proof is in the follow through.  We can have all the knowledge of the Bible our tiny little brains could hold, but if we are living something different, then we should not be surprised at how hard life can be. 

 When we lose sight of God’s instructions, His commands on how our lives are to be lived, we become blinded by the world’s demands, and fall prey to simply bowing to what the world wants from us.  And we wonder why life is so hard sometimes. 

“in the world, not of the world”