Tag Archives: Lander

Love

14 Sunday Jul 2013

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This is love.

This is love.

Man has said that love can move mountains. In the Bible that is the result of faith. John Lyly said, “all is fair in love and war.” The Bible teaches that in God’s perfect justice and love He is at war with evil. An ancient Chinese proverb teaches that perfect love sets free the object of that love. This is based in a teaching that you truly own nothing of your own. Control is an illusion. The Bible teaches that God’s love is given freely and He desires we choose Him over the world, God does not force our faith or obedience. Alfred Lord Tennyson wrote, “It is better to have loved and lost then never to have loved at all.” The Bible teaches that purely out of love Jesus Christ gave himself on the cross for the whole world knowing that most would never seek or accept His salvation (John 3:16).

Many have attempted to capture love in a phrase but all fail because love is immensely prolific. We complicate things by belittling love in today’s society. Many make it simply a physical act between man and woman. If love were a cell connected to all its functions by a strand of hair, the strands would number those on your head. Even that does not describe the network of connections between each function, or the effect one has upon another in the operative love of an individual.  Love is complicated.

God is love, it is His character, His essence. God is complicated. God is perfect. God is the perfect complication of love. When we need a hug, God is there. When we need a helping hand, God’s hand lifts our load. When we need to be left to our own devices, God steps back. When we need to experience failure to grow, God lets us fall. In all cases God never gives us more than we can handle if we reach out to Him in the process of any trial. God’s love is perfectly complicated. God complicates His love perfectly for you.

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A Test of Continuing Purity

29 Friday Jun 2012

Posted by in From the Pulpit, God Tries His Children

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This message is part of a series entitled, “God Tries His Children”.  To see all of the messages in this series, please click here.

Last week was Father’s Day. I had a wonderful day and I pray all of you had equally as encouraging a day. We discussed fathers’ responsibilities to teach our children and families about the glorious God we serve. We see encouragement to rear children wisely in the counsel of God’s word. The beginning of that wisdom is a healthy reverence, a good fear of God. We also saw how encouraging we can be to our families, and how much God encourages us. Our children will be the next generation of national leadership. Where we fail them, they will fail God. Our Lord is gracious though and is there with us every step of the way to help us in our responsibilities. What a wonderful promise.  God always encourages us to glory in Him as we encourage our children to glorify Him. Finally, we thought about the reminders we have today as compared to Israel. We have the whole of scripture and the patterns of success and failure in scripture. We remind our children of both God’s glory and judgment as it applies to serving Him or forsaking His will, respectively.

Above all things, God is glorious, loving and intimately involved. He is here during every encounter we have, during every failure we endure and during every success we rejoice in. Our Lord Jesus Christ rejoices with us when we do well. He is there to strengthen and support us in trying times. What a joy to know we have a God who loves us enough to be with us in good times, and in bad. He will never leave us nor forsake us (Heb 13:5). Continue reading →

God and the UPS Truck

26 Tuesday Jun 2012

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Green dot? What does a brown dot mean?

God and the UPS Truck

I’ll bet you never thought you could find God in the UPS truck. When I look at the UPS truck, I don’t see anything special. It’s just a box that carries boxes. Quaint if you ask me. Nevertheless, there is great theology there. Yes, even in something as mundane as the UPS truck.

I see the UPS truck as a deep forest green. Pretty color really. It’s attractive because it reminds me of God’s creation. I like the deep greens of a blue spruce. The color of the truck is quite appealing when you think about it. What color is the UPS truck, really?

People tell me the truck is brown. That’s not a good color for flora. My son sees the UPS truck as green, I see it as green and I know others who see it as green. I know I could find a million men that would say it’s green. That’s a much better color than, well, brown. If my son and a million others see the truck as green, and it is a far more pleasant color, can’t the truck be green? Nope, sorry Tim, the truck is brown. Get over it. Continue reading →

Spiritual Leadership

19 Tuesday Jun 2012

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Last week we talked of steadfastness and discussed Jeremiah’s ministry. In the face of sure failure in man’s terms (essentially, not a single convert in over 20 years of ministry), Jeremiah continued to preach the convicting truths of God. He dealt with the same stubborn and stiff-necked people that Moses did. It might seem that things didn’t change much from the time of Moses leading them out of Egypt through God’s strong hand to the time of Jeremiah, but it had. The difference between Moses’ time and Jeremiah’s time is that Israel had seen deliverance. Israel had seen the great hand of God work on their behalf. Israel had access to more factual history that they could lean upon for reference. In Jeremiah’s day, Israel was without excuse.

Jeremiah’s message seemed negative because God wanted their sins to be apparent to them. He wanted Israel to know their doom if they did not turn to Him. They needed to humble themselves, pray, seek His face and turn from their self-centered wicked ways. They needed to collectively incline their ears toward God (Jer 25:1-7). For all too long Israel had only been concerned about itself, how to prosper, how to survive in a wicked land. Jeremiah was telling them it is not about you and your survival, it is about God and His promises to preserve and even prosper you. It is about His having done so and your faith in His promises to continue. Jeremiah was telling the Israelites they have to get it right at home in their family first, then they can open up to the world. David put it this way in Psalm 51:

“12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation: and uphold me with thy free spirit. 13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.”

We often think, as Israel did, we minister wherever we happen to be. Our involvement in many ministries testifies of God. We can help the poor, feed the hungry, visit the infirm and be doing the Lord’s work. Though these things can be true and folks can and do minister in such ways, scripture’s testimony is consistent in another thing as well. We have to be right with God in our own home first. To Israel, this was a national challenge. The reality is that each family and each church ministry have to implement this truth locally. We have to unify here at Grace Bible first and then we can minister to others just as Israel had to before they could proselytize. Continue reading →

Test of Steadfastness

14 Thursday Jun 2012

Posted by in God Tries His Children

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This message is part of a series entitled, “God Tries His Children”.  To see all of the messages in this series, please click here.

The Christian who condones such activity or even promotes it as a way to be all things to all men (1 Cor 9:22) is a form of “memory foam” Christian.

Last week we considered Elijah and his confidence in God. We looked carefully at the circumstances surrounding Mount Carmel and the response Elijah had during an event that would normally be grueling and stress filled. The scripture’s testimony is that Elijah was supremely confident in his faith. He was confident he knew the one true God. He was confident God would glorify Himself. He was confident God would show His power to Israel, Ahab, the 450 prophets of Baal and the 400 prophets of Asherah. He was confident that God would testify that Elijah was a faithful servant. He was confident that God was the God and no other. Elijah had tremendous faith. Yet, just after this event he would fall into a deep melancholy filled with fear for his life before the anger of Jezebel, the queen. He even asked God to take his life in 1 Kings 19:4. Elijah goes from one extreme to another, it seems. Yet, he never forsakes God. He is greatly humbled through his experiences and states plainly that he is no better than those having gone before him.

An interesting application to today lies in these passages. The prophets or priests for Ahab and Jezebel’s false gods, Baal and Asherah, seem to approve of people hurting themselves in worship. The scripture says the prophets of Baal mutilated themselves, cutting their skin and letting the blood flow. There is direct application to this in our world today. “Those who cannot remember the past, are condemned to repeat it.”[i] Amazingly, if Muhammad had read this passage in the scriptures he may have written something in his book, the Koran (or Quran) to counter the activity Islam condones in some Shia sects.[ii]

No amount of dancing, wailing, singing or physical self-mortification brings about our great God’s approval. David said it best in Psalm 51:17 – we are to have a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart when we present ourselves to Him. In Psalm 34:18, we read that the Lord is close to those that have a broken heart. God saves them from a spiritually contrite position. This heart is not humble and repentant toward man in these passages. God honors those who stand strong and bold before man, while remaining penitent and submissive toward God. That describes Elijah. That attitude also describes Christ. That should describe us.

On the heels of tests in confidence, we find tests of the steadfast in Christ. That is our subject for today. Continue reading →

A Test of Confidence

07 Thursday Jun 2012

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This message is part of a series entitled, “God Tries His Children”.  To see all of the messages in this series, please click here.

Our last discussion concerning God’s trials for His children concentrated on a very special friendship between Jonathan and David. Both were willing to give their lives for the other. Both were willing to take anything to the extreme to prove their love for one another. Both were devoted to the will of God in each others’ lives. Both were driven by a spirit wholly focused upon God’s will, His greatness and His goodness for Israel. Both knew the cost of that idealism.

In today’s society, idealism and fundamentalism are both very bad words, unless the motivations and objects are acceptable to the world. When we use those words, we rather automatically think of the cowardice masquerading as religion in Islam. There could be no two more opposite forces in the world today than Islam and Christianity. The Islamist’s idea of idealism and fundamentalism is total manual suppression of life. The Islamist tries desperately to do enough to please their god. Unfortunately, they are never told what “enough” is. Their god’s hunger for blood is never satiated. To Allah, everything must die; unbelievers, creativity, freedom, commerce, confidence, everything except fear must go. Allah has never demonstrated what he expects because this false god does not exist to demonstrate it.

Christ’s idea of idealism and fundamentalism is selfless love as He has personally demonstrated and taught. Jesus says follow Me, follow where I have already tread. He asks us to have pure faith in Him for all things just as He displayed His faith in our heavenly Father. He asks us to submit wholly in faith to His will just as He submitted wholly in faith to our heavenly Father’s will. For the Christian it is simple: be like Jesus in every way you can. He makes friendship and followership even simpler. Jesus commits to doing that work in you, He will change you. You need do nothing except follow.

For the Islamist and any other religion, including most that claim to be Christian belief systems, one must DO. You must submit. You must obey. You must pray 5 times a day to the east. You must give 10% to tithes, go on deputation, participate in missions, be baptized (preferably as an infant), or any number of things. Just read “you must” and you see why many in our world rebel. Further, as you read, “you must” consider that their god is not enough for them because they have to do something to earn a place in heaven, paradise or utopia.

True Christianity is not a “you must.” True Christianity is instead, “God will.” God will renew our minds. God will convict us to change. God has saved us. God has given Himself for us. God will use us and our testimony for His glory. The function of faith is to turn these trials over to God and let Him work on us, and others through us. This is what David and Jonathan did. They trusted God to change Saul if He would, show Jonathan Saul’s evil nature if he would, or even condemn either David or Jonathan if they were in sin. Both the Spirit of God (Ezek 37:14; Jn 14:17; Rom 8:9, et al) and the Son of God (Jn 14:20; 15:4; Rom 8:10; Col 1:27) indwell the believer. With two thirds of the Godhead living within you, God will change you. You will not contain Him. David and Jonathan rested in God’s power for their friendship above all that was in the world for them.

Please turn to 1 Kings 18:17. Today we consider Elijah’s challenge to Baal and the priests of Baal. This passage contains one of the most powerful testimonies in scripture where God’s power is witnessed in a direct and visible answer to the pagan and believer alike. Continue reading →

What is a Help Meet?

15 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by in From the Pulpit, Mother's Day

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When we looked at our tests of friendship we found examples of pure selflessness, dedication and sacrifice. Our Savior exemplifies these attributes. The scripture is God’s revelation; it reveals God to us in His full glory. When we see these tests in scripture where people exhibit true, loving friendship toward one another, we know that the perfection of these examples lives in our God. He is the perfect friend.

Scripture’s test of friendship is to make Jesus manifest when you are a friend. Scripture’s test of friendship is to seek Jesus for the strength to be as good a friend as those the Holy Spirit chose to immortalize in scripture. A test of friendship is to understand you may not be, but you need to be a friend like Jesus. Tests of friendship include a faith in Christ that invites Him to live for others through you. The test is knowing that without Him you will not succeed in true, biblical, Christlike friendship.

This week we talk about mothers. It’s Mother’s Day today. Many a young lady would claim her best friend is her mom. Young men are regularly admonished (or should be) to remember the sacrifices of their mothers. Some young men still hide around their mom. Moms have tremendous and special talents. Today we honor our mothers.

Go back to the beginning of scripture, to Genesis 2:18 please. These are our creation passages. We begin with by exploring the creation of the creatures of the Earth. We also recognize something; man is alone. God made animals of all kinds and had man name them. However, there was no creature like man. God addresses the problem. This is not just companionship, but a deep and abiding relationship. Continue reading →

Test of Friendship

08 Tuesday May 2012

Posted by in From the Pulpit, God Tries His Children

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This message is part of a series entitled, “God Tries His Children”.  To see all of the messages in this series, please click here.

Last week we considered God’s tests of obedience. We looked carefully at our Savior and His vicarious sacrifice and the emotional stress He suffered for us. What a great and glorious God we serve, who would take our sins upon His own body on the tree (1 Pet 2:24). Jesus bore our grief and sorrow of isolation and sin so that we would not have to (Is 53:4). Last week we discovered a little more about the pain and suffering He took upon Himself. We learned that His suffering gave us a heavenly companionship. We found we never have to feel alone; we can know we have Him with us at all times. We know He loves us. His Spirit is with us. The Father is with us. The more I learn about our God, the more in awe of His love and grace I become.

Under these circumstances, we considered obedience to be a desire of the Christian rather than a chore. We should do our utmost to bend our will to serve God. We should know that obedience does not mean that to do so will always make sense. Does it make sense to place yourself and your life in jeopardy for the likes of the worst wretch in the world? Jesus did. Does it make sense to suffer the full judgment of the Father for the likes of a child molester? Jesus did. Does it make sense that God would subject Himself to the ridicule, persecution, degradation and complete indignity of mankind’s worst? Jesus did. Does it make sense that the God of the universe would subject Himself to the authority of men of antipathy and utter disregard for life? Jesus did. God subjected His Son to this world and its worst, then took God’s holy wrath upon Himself so we would never have to. We truly serve the most glorious of Beings. Continue reading →

The Test of Obedience

04 Friday May 2012

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This message is part of a series entitled, “God Tries His Children”.  To see all of the messages in this series, please click here.

“In many ways, before Christ there were no tools available to fight off sin. Since the New Covenant in Christ we have many at our disposal.”

In the past two weeks we have discussed commitment and loyalty. Many might equate these two terms, but they are very different. Where both commitment and loyalty may call upon someone to sacrifice, functionally they are different activities. Commitment calls for a dedication to task or to a duty. It is a matter of a pledge. The pledge calls for us to set aside personal issues and drive in unity to complete an objective. In our armed forces, each man and woman swears to an oath that commits them to service for our country. Commitment is the attitude that one has to complete an obligation, engagement, action or responsibility.

Loyalty, our subject from last week, is not focused upon completing an activity, though that can be involved. No, loyalty is normally given to an object, not a concept. The definition actually reads, “firm and constant in one’s support for a person, one’s country, etc.”[i] In another definition, we find more generality but the same meaning, “the quality of being loyal to someone or something.”[ii] An individual committing to a concept or objective is far and away different from the loyalty demanded by a specific object, especially when that object is a person. Once again, we find the perfect example of this in our military. Every Soldier, Sailor, Airman and Marine may commit to serve in their respective service, but each one of them has a problem with one of their superiors, whether in their immediate command, the mid-level echelon, with their Commanding Officer, or even the President.

We found the first necessity in loyalty is a willing decision. We must contemplate and be decided in our mind. With a decision, comes the need to act. Action may be verbal, physical, or both. Loyalty, and the decision to be loyal, also means one must submit to needs, requests and desires. This takes loyalty to a greater level than commitment. Great demands are made upon individuals in their efforts and desires to remain loyal. People are often pressed and stretched past their personal comfort zones as demands are levied from the object of their loyalty. This leads to sacrifice on the part of the individual, in their efforts to fulfill their decision for loyalty. Loyalty does not waiver. It is not a “yes man” situation; in fact, loyalty requires one to encourage or even lovingly chasten another to promote the relationship. Loyalty demands honesty and steadfast dedication. Finally (and probably because of the overwhelming pressure loyalty can place upon someone), loyalty is rewarded. The Lord rewards loyalty in many different ways. The Christian strives for these rewards, the greatest of which is to hear a few simple words, “well done, thou good and faithful servant.” (Matt 25:21, 23) Continue reading →

The Test of Loyalty

27 Friday Apr 2012

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This message is part of a series entitled, “God Tries His Children”.  To see all of the messages in this series, please click here.

Last week we discussed how Christ asks us to commit to a new life, a new family, and a new faith. We considered men who left their professions to follow Jesus. They considered their old lives, earthly family, and the things they sacrifice for the Lord a worthy offering. We can either be intimidated by this or approach it in a biblical fashion.

Biblically speaking, once a disciple began to follow Jesus, their whole life changed. These men would become apostles. Their lives were dedicated to Christ and the furtherance of the Kingdom of God on Earth. Every disciple of Christ has a huge shift in life priorities. Once a disciple, their chief priority is to spread the gospel. Disciples of Christ no longer consider our life on Earth, the things of the Earth, or acceptance among those on the Earth to be paramount. Our attitude changes such that our friendships and associations focus upon glorifying God.

We also found a new family. All the disciples had to leave their families to minister for the Lord. Those who balked at complete commitment to the Lord over the family of the world were challenged by Jesus requirements. Many were saved from wretchedness, debauchery, and wickedness. Some were saved from demon possession. All were saved from false religious beliefs, empty of eternal life. All their beliefs depended upon works. Jesus told them that faith in Him was the only way to Heaven, and they needed to leave all other beliefs to follow Him. This does not mean we automatically walk away from our families, though it can come to that. It does mean that we have to commit to Christ over their desires. Like “Christian” in John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, disciples of Christ seek to follow the Lord regardless of their families’ reaction or desire to restrain them.

Jesus also called us to a new faith. For some, such as the rich young ruler, their misplaced faith is in wealth. Others have a misplaced faith in self-discipline. Yet others have a misplaced faith in their knowledge of scripture. Others misplace their faith in their own testimony or years of life in service. While all these things can be good, they are only valuable if dedicated to the Lord. That does not mean we sell everything and move into a monastery. It does mean that, as with Job, we should know who really owns all we have and dedicate our lives to serving Him, others, and especially His children selflessly with all those resources. Continue reading →