Small...but by no means least.

Arkansas population ranks #33 out of 56 states. (Where the hay did 56 come from?)

Arkansas…though you are small some notable people came from you.

-         Johnny Cash

-         Bill Clinton

-         Paul “Bear” Bryant

Cash, Clinton, and Bear!…Arkansas, you may be small but are by no means least!

But you, Bethlehem…though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.  Micah 5:2 (approx. 700BC)

But you, Bethlehem…are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.  Matthew 2:6

The birth of Jesus in Bethlehem put them on the map so to say...small in size but great in significance.

-         How many reasons do we use to justify our insignificant view of our life?

-         I’m this or I’m that, I’m only so and so…It's not like I'm so and so, I'm just me.  :(

Try seeing yourself through this today instead…

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. 

Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory  Ephesians 1:3, 13

God’s purpose in all this was to use the church (all believers!) to display his wisdom in its rich variety to all the unseen rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.  This was his eternal plan, which he carried out through Christ Jesus our Lord.  3:10-11

     Jesus’ residence in your life changes an insignificant existence into significant…for today, through faith, in you lives King Jesus, the Babe of Christmas.

Lessons from Mary

Did you ever notice how excited the angel was when telling Mary that life as she knew it was over?  (Luke 1:28)

GREETINGS, YOU WHO ARE HIGHLY FAVORED!  THE LORD IS WITH YOU!

And He’s about to flip your world upside down!

This maybe a different side of the story that you’ve never considered…

-         but it seems as if the angel is either insensitive to Mary’s feelings

-         or knows something that far outweighs the loss Mary will experience

Either way, Mary’s world is shaken and emotions had to run wild…she probably went to Ehow.com to find out "how to hold back the tears."

 "We've all been in a situation where we suddenly feel compelled to cry. Your breathing intensifies, your heart sinks and water is welling your eyes. But no matter the reason why you want to cry, sometimes it's just not an opportune time. Here are some tips on how to hold back tears."

1.      Pinch yourself on your inner thigh.  By pinching yourself, you are moving the focus of your body's pain to another location.  Just don't pinch so hard that you leave a bruise!

2.      Hold your breath. If you concentrate on your breathing, you can literally stop those tears from flowing.

3.      Bite your lower lip. Like pinching, this re-focuses your body's attention.

4.      Let out a ferocious yell.  One way to release those negative emotions is to give a good scream. Excuse yourself from the situation and let it out in private. You'll feel much better.

5.      Start laughing. By forcing yourself to release that sorrow in another form, you'll hold back the tears. However, note that this might not always be the most appropriate action.

Mary was obviously dissatisfied with Ehow.com and instead placed all her emotions into worshiping God in song…

And Mary said, “My soul glorifies the Lord…”  (Luke 1:46)

In life’s most overwhelming moments, the greatest good we can do to minimize our trouble is to glorify our Lord.

Biblical Salvation

The majority of American's consider themselves Christian...

Many professing Christians think God awards "I'm pretty good" with heaven.

The more I engage people in the Biblical Salvation conversation, the more I realize that many professing Christians are unsaved and have no concept of what Jesus has done.

For those of you who are saved from sin by the blood of Christ...it's time to share the gospel of the Bible with the world.

Here's how...

• Everyone is separated from the Creator of this world because we've chose our way of of life instead of the life God planned, being "pretty good" has never and will never cut it in the eyes of God.  (Romans 3:10, Isaiah 59:2)
• EVERYONE IS GUILTY. (Romans 3:23)
• God never gave up on us!  Jesus took my guilt upon His cross to bring healing to my relationship with God.  (Romans 5:8)
• Jesus died because unlike we want to think, sin is no small problem but it cost us everything.  The payment for sin is death...physical, spiritual, and eternal death in hell...the gift of Jesus is fullness of life now and forever in Heaven. (Romans 6:23)
• Salvation from Jesus is a gift...to accept it all we must do is confess my sinfulness, believe that the Son of God is the One who died and rose again defeats the sin problem in my life, and ask Jesus to be the new leader of my life!  (Romans 10:9-10)
• There is no limit on forgiveness.  No matter what your past looks like, your future can include salvation through the forgiveness of Jesus.  EVERYONE can be saved!  (Romans 10:13)

I spent way too many years refusing to take the gospel of Jesus into the streets, making myself feel better by thinking everyone around here already knows...fact is, they don't.  We've got to quit assuming our neighbor already knows, quit waiting on someone else to share it, and start giving everyone the simple opportunity that everyone deserves...to say yes or no to Biblical salvation.

FACT...FICTION

FACT. 
Life is ever changing and never slows down.
FICTION.
You can plan what you want and have control over tomorrow.
FACT.
You will always seek for something to find pleasure in.
FICTION.
The world always turns your way to fit your flavor of the day.

If there is one thing that I've learned in the past few weeks it is the equation of patience that David spells out in Psalm 37...mainly verse 4, 

"Delight yourself in the LORD and he will give you the desires of your heart."

FACT.
Patience is birthed from the absence of what I desire to delight in.
FACT.
If I learn to delight in the LORD, I will be satisfied no matter my current situation.
FACT.
When we delight in our Father, our Father is enabled to give freely to His children.

1 acoustic guitar + 1 macbook = 1 song

This is one of my favorite hymns that sings from the heart of a life that's completely sold out to Jesus.  "And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple."  Luke 14:27.

This is my very first recording of any kind...I just got my macbook a couple of weeks ago and had to see what it could do.  This is completely done with one acoustic guitar and my own vocals...every sound.  I hope you enjoy.

When the lights don't come on?

Many times us Christians become illogical in our thinking about the realities of what Christianity actually is and does.  One of the most controversial conversations in the church and streets today has to do with an age old topic of CONNECTION BETWEEN FAITH AND WORKS.  Here are a couple of possible equations that occur when considering the connection between faith and works.


Now that I have faith...I will go and do good works. 
or
To have greater faith...I will go do MORE good works.  That's how it works right?
maybe...
If I try really hard at doing good works...it will overcome my lack of faith.

You get the picture...they seem quite similar at a glance but if we hold these up to Scripture, none of them are relevant to Christianity.  Below is a diagram that explains what Paul says in Galatians 5:6, "The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love."   And also what James says in James 2:17, "Faith by itself, if not accompanied by action is dead."

The Holy Spirit is a gift from God that is an electrifying power held back in our lives by one single switch...faith.  When faith (correct belief that gives confidence that produces action) becomes real the switch is flipped and the power of God is released into our life.




After flipping a light switch it would be goofy to go smooth talk the lamp until it came on...the existence of electricity automatically energizes light.  The same is true with Christ followers...the existence of faith means the existence of the Spirit, which automatically energizes faith based works (love, patience, self control, etc...check fruits of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23).


Moral of the story...if the light isn't on, check the power.  If the light of "faith based works" aren't shining in my life...don't try harder but work backwards to see where the power was disconnected through a lack of faith.   
 

What do I struggle to believe...why...how can I humble myself in order to receive God's truth?

as he gazed at the stars...

     Few things in this world are as overwhelming as standing on the beach, looking out over the ocean...or laying in a field staring up at the night sky.  The incredible size of the ocean and massive expanse of the sky make a single human feel quite insignificant in comparison.

     So when God takes Abram outside and points to the stars in order to cast a vision for his life, I've no doubt he was humbled as he gazed at the stars.

"Look up at the heavens and count the stars--if indeed you can count them." Then he said to him, "So shall your offspring be."  Genesis 15:5

     God rarely places a vision that is ordinary, and even more so He is rarely concerned with your current reality being something that holds back what is possible.  One example of how visions are born is found in the book Visioneering and states this, "Visions are born in those who are consumed with the tension between what is and what could be."

     It's obvious that many of us are consumed with "what is", our current reality is used as an excuse for why we can't be something else...God is consumed with "what could be."  Every time you open up God's Word it is as if you stand in Abram's position and you "Look up at the heavens and count the stars." 

     Next time you open God's Word and see a vision that God speaks into you which seems a bit overwhelming, this is God telling you "what could be."  My one piece of advice is this...Don't remind Him who you are but remember who He is.
    

Grace vs. Legalism

As I make my way through Galatians during the Sunday morning sermons, we addressed Galatians 1:6-8 and 14 yesterday...

"I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting the one who called you by the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— which is really no gospel at all. Evidently some people are throwing you into confusion and are trying to pervert the gospel of Christ."  Galatians 1:6-7

Paul was dealing with a group that was destroying the gospel of grace by adding guidelines that were necessary to complete their salvation...this was legalism fleshing out in the first century (amazing that it's made it all the way to 2011!)

Legalism = any attempt to earn salvation or blessings from God

Grace = the complete love of God offered to men...free of charge with no expectation of return...only motive is the free-heartedness of the giver

Grace and legalism can be sneaky, in fact one letter can make the difference...YEARN for Jesus' love through grace...EARN Jesus' love through legalism.  In fact many times we can't tell the difference in our own life!

Take this test to see if you communicate grace or legalism through your life...

When seeing someone caught in sin and despair am I more likely to say,

"If they would only do what I do..." or "If they only knew what I knew..."? 

Grace is based on KNOWING what Jesus has done for you...not what you can DO for Him.

Be honest with yourself...this is the reputation of Jesus at hand.

This Man They Call Jesus

"He released the man who had been thrown into prison for insurrection and murder, the one they asked for, and surrender Jesus to their will." Luke 23:25

I've never seen this before...I love seeing nuggets in God's Word that are new "to me." The concept behind this statement is completely relevant to me and you today!

"He released the man", the man who Pilate released was Barabbas and he was completely guilty according to the Roman law. But...the custom was to release one prisoner and the crowd chose Barabbas over Jesus. Pilate had nothing he could do but appease the people and have Jesus crucified.

Jesus was perfection, a healer, a messenger of hope...but the people of his day wouldn't hear it. Instead, it was their preference to follow their own plans for life...if they were to follow their own plans they would first have to do something with Jesus.

So...they "surrender Jesus to their will"...their will to go on with life without him.

Jesus gets in the way of many of OUR plans, hopes, and dreams. His message of perfection, healing, and hope requires us to surrender our plans for his. We have two options with this man they call Jesus...

 

We can surrender to His will...as He asks us to

We can surrender Him to our will...as they did in His day

 

What will you do with this man they call Jesus?

 

His Final Moments

While studying for messages for the month of April I'm catching onto a theme.  Here goes my attempt to explain what I'm seeing.

In Jesus' final moments of life on the cross He makes a few statements that are more than well known...

"Father, forgive them, they know not what they do."  Luke 23:34

"I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise."  Luke 23:43 

Either one of those ring a bell?  Well they are to say the least, among the greatest final words of any person (maybe not final words...but definitely among the group of what He spoke last).
There is a common theme that goes with these two statements that I had never seen. 

Jesus sees corruption through my unbelief not my actions

(large print for emphasis!)

Corruption of action is a given., we must all realize that we are sinners (Romans 3:10, 23).    Across the board, the whole world is hopeless unless God has steps in. Realizing the need for forgiveness, we approach Jesus with relevance to our life.  Now we can move on...

Jesus sought forgiveness for those who put Him on the cross because they had no comprehension of who He was or what was going on.  If they could believe they would have hope!  Then you see the two criminals on either side of Jesus and realize that though both were admittedly guilty of crimes, it is the unbelief of the mocker that sentenced him to eternal death...it was the belief of the pleading criminal that gave him a ticket to paradise!

One more example from Scripture...

"To the pure, all things are pure, but to those who are corrupted and do not believe, nothing is pure.  In fact, both their minds and consciences are corrupted."  Titus 1:15

Unbelief = Corruption in the eyes of Jesus.  Unbelief will distort what is in our minds and consciences.  Belief that Jesus is who He says and did what He claims...purifies all.

In His final moments, Jesus reinforced what those in His day and throughout all history have struggles to grasp...Salvation "is by grace...through faith...not from yourselves."

When was the last time you used a phone like this?

Fact:  your brand new IPad

is out of date

Fact:  your soon to be brand new IPad 2 will be out of date by the time you learn how to use it

In the world we live in it is IMPOSSIBLE to keep up with all the constant changes.  If I attempt to, I will be financially and emotionally broken.  In a life of following Christ we have the same struggles.  Whether in a "ministry" position or a pew (we still have these at our church), there is a constant desire to do what is relevant.  This is not completely negative!  The world's culture evolves daily and therefore the church should in some ways  evolve with it.

Fact:  people today don't go where people went 20 years ago 

(skating rinks and phone booths are proof)

Fact:  churches are closing doors that will never open again

(good or bad the world is changing!)

In days gone by we would communicate through bulky rotary phones and today we whip out our sleek cell phones...though the line of communication looks much different we are still saying the same thing.  The style of phone doesn't change my purpose for calling, how cool I look doesn't alter what I need to say.  Jesus gave all of us a calling and He was very clear about it...

"All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.  Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you."  Matthew 28:18-20

Jesus didn't dictate the method of communication...but He was clear on our calling. 
1.  Make disciples of Jesus Christ
2.  Baptise them in the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit
3.  Teach these believers a life of obedience to Jesus

What keeps us from answering Jesus' call on our life? 
1.  Caller I.D.  Have we blocked our call?
2.  Too busy keeping up with Apple's latest and greatest IPhone (being relevant and cool) to answer the call?
3.  Rotary phone (what we've always done) is broken and we're unwilling to admit it?

Realize the call of Jesus...realize what is priority in life...be willing to cut the land line and invest in an IPhone
(What I mean is don't spend more time repairing than communicating, this makes no sense with phones so why would it with making disciples)
...be willing to turn the rotary if it still completes the call.

It's been a while

The past two weeks have really weighed on me, and a conversation I had yesterday with a friend has even added to the burden.  If there is one thing I take comfort in during times of burdens it is that

"My burden is according to God's Word."

I can't always say that, but right now I can.  So on one level there is comfort and assurance that God is building myself for His glory (which will prevail) and on another level, if not careful, the human part of me can grow weary during these times.

My message that I'm currently working on is the basis for much of what's going through my mind and heart.  Jesus was being grilled by a bunch of big headed small feet religious dudes (therefore the bobble head image to your left, only an image of the real thing and completely useless) that only wanted to get their point across...with no concern for the things of God.  The barbeque concludes with a final shot by these guys, "which is the greatest commandment?"

They thought their big heads full of wisdom and knowledge had finally trapped Jesus in the corner.  Jesus blows their minds with a simple, non-religous answer.  "Love...God"

The gospel of Jesus is very simple.  It's our human theology that makes it difficult, our false doctrine and our big headed pride.  Jesus says, you need help and I'm here to offer it.  Throw away your list of do's and don'ts long enough to respond to love.  Love me...then allow that love to overflow to your neighbor so that he too might love me.