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There Shines An Everlasting Light

Dec 10, 2020

For to us a child is born, to us a son is given… and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace. – Isaiah 9:6

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Christmas is a broken string of lights for many of us.   It’s there, but it doesn’t seem to do what it’s supposed to do.  It’s bleak, not bright.  It’s melancholy, not merry.  This time of year is disappointing, discouraging and depressing for a lot of people for a lot of reasons.  Bad memories.  Missing loved ones.  Financial burdens.  Unrealized expectations.  Busyness.  Jealousy.  Commercialism.  Rude shoppers.  Overshadowed birthdays.  Ungrateful gift-recipients.  Like the string of lights that isn’t working, there are things in our lives which are broken.  We’re a broken people in a broken world where there is much that is not as it ought to be.  But there is hope for us, because Jesus came for the very reason so many struggle in this season … to fix what has been fractured in us and our world, in part now and in fullness when He comes again.   As we await the future and full restoration of all things, we can experience a sense of renewal in the present because of what we have received in the past:  A Son who is our Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, and Prince of Peace.  This is what makes our lives merry and bright!  That Jesus is our sympathetic listener and best-advice-giver ever.  That Jesus is our strong provider in every area of need and weakness.  That Jesus is our caring patriarch who will never walk out on us.  That Jesus is our inner peace who brings deep well-being for our troubled and tired spirits.  In those moments when we find ourselves struggling, let us turn to Him and trust in Him to illuminate the darkness we are walking in, because there is no greater wisdom, no greater power, no greater care, and no greater peace in the universe than His.  For even in the midst of the brokenness of this world, there shines an everlasting Light in our hearts.

Your Hope Is In The God Of Hope

Dec 8, 2020

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. – Romans 15:13

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It is easy to lose hope when we lose a loved one, lose a job, lose a battle, lose control, lose our health or lose our way, but there is a sure and steadfast hope that is ours as a gift of grace that is always there when we need it most.  This hope isn’t some self-created positive attitude that things will turn out the way we envision in our heads; it is a Spirit-produced confidence in the faithfulness of God to keep His promises that is settled in our hearts.  He promised that Jesus would come, and He did.  He promises that Jesus will come again, and He will.  As we reflect on what God has already done, we are reassured of what He is yet to do even as we wait in-between… The beginning and the new beginning.  The already and the not yet.  The first coming and the second coming.  The earthly and the heavenly.  The suffering and the pleasure. The seeing through-a-glass and the seeing face-to-face.  The temporary and the eternal.  Even as we await our entrance into heaven then and there, we can experience our heavenly citizenship here and now.  Its peace.  Its joy.  Its King.  How?  By believing.  Believing that hope in Jesus is never a lost hope.  Believing in the promises of the God of hope.  Believing that the Holy Spirit will cause us to abound in hope.  Yes, this world is full of hurts and heartaches, but no matter what you face today, you can live in celebration of what Jesus has already accomplished for you and in anticipation of the day He will return to heal your hurting heart fully and forever.  He has been with you all along.  He is with you even now.  He will be with you always.  Your hope isn’t in your ability to figure out how to make it work out; your hope is confidence that He already has, and though things aren’t yet perfect, the day is coming when they will be.

God Didn’t Lower His Standards For Us

Dec 6, 2020

We know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ … if righteousness were through the law, then Christ died for no purpose. – Galatians 2:16a, 21b

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Who Jesus is and what Jesus accomplished will always be a cheap gift and insignificant to the way we live our lives until we realize the gracious reason it was given and just how much we desperately needed it.  By nature and choice we sinned against God as an idolatrous and rebellious people who regularly preferred things over Him and refused to obey Him.  We were hell-bound under an eternal death sentence, and there was absolutely nothing we could do to change the inevitable outcome of ruin that awaited us.   But God did something.  God demanded that we be perfect in order to go to heaven, declared that none of us are perfect and therefore are condemned to hell, and then delivered us by sending Jesus to take our imperfections and be our perfection so we can have everlasting life.  Don’t you see? Here is what WON’T get you into heaven:  good deeds, church membership, communion, mass, charitable contributions, baptism, religion, parents, denomination, obeying the Ten Commandments, confirmation, sincere belief, Bible knowledge, morality, or being a “good person”. Here is what WILL get you into heaven:  Jesus. God didn’t lower His standards for us; He lowered His Son for us.   And that changes everything for those who are trusting in Him!  We were… Lost, but now found.  Bankrupt, but now rich.  Condemned, but now pardoned.  Enslaved, but now free.  Dead, but now alive.   We will truly treasure Jesus when this amazing truth about God’s amazing grace penetrates and resides in our hearts:  our salvation and everything it includes comes not from the sweat of our brows, but because of the thorns on His.

Jesus Had A Riches To Rags Story

Dec 6, 2020

For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sake he became poor, so that you by his poverty might become rich. – 2 Corinthians 8:9

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It is a riches to rags story.  Jesus willingly exchanged all the wealth of His deity for the poverty of His humanity when He took on flesh and came to dwell on earth.  Not to a palace, but to a manger.  Not to comfort, but to suffering. Not to glory, but to shame. Not to a throne, but to a cross.  He left a place where He was worshipped and obeyed to come a place where He would be rejected and killed.  Why?  It wasn’t because heaven was empty and God was lonely.  It wasn’t because God was needy for us to join Him, but rather we were needy for Him to join us.  The Bible says He did this “for your sake.”  Let that sink in.  For.  Your.  Sake.  You couldn’t get to God, so He came to get you. You couldn’t live up to God’s standards, so Jesus lived perfectly for you.  You couldn’t break free from sin, so He set you free.  You couldn’t atone for your transgressions, so Jesus died in your place.  You couldn’t defeat death, so He conquered the grave so you too will rise. You couldn’t earn an eternal retirement, so He paid for your inheritance.  You have become rich in salvation, forgiveness, joy, peace, glory, kindness, favor, righteousness and love because of the “grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Everything good in your life and everything bad that is turned around for good was purchased for you through the finished work of Jesus.  And long before it was finished at Calvary, it was started in Bethlehem.  For your sake.

In Receiving Jesus, We Receive Everything

Dec 5, 2020

For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. – John 3:16

 

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When was the last time you thought about eternity and what it would be like to perish forever?  When was the last time you rejoiced that you have a completely different eternity awaiting because God gave His Son? When was the last time you contemplated the implications of receiving this gift? Everything bad is turned around and traded in for good when we trust in Jesus! Because in Jesus, through Jesus, by Jesus and from Jesus we are given forgiveness, joy, peace, hope, power, identity, purpose, security, acceptance, courage, transformation, comfort, companionship, help, guidance, endurance and everlasting life.  And every entry on this list has a sub-list of its own with staggering promises and provisions from God to those who are born again into His family. And every entry on every sub-list has its own listing of countless practical, everyday ways that God’s gracious gift shows up for us in this life.  And this life is not even as much as one drop from all the water contained in all the oceans, seas, lakes and rivers of the world in comparison to what we will receive in eternity when we go to be with God.  All this is a gift.  An understated gift, for there is much more that could be said of the benefits and blessings of knowing Jesus.  An undeserved gift, for there is much more that could be said of the depths of our sinfulness apart from Jesus.   In receiving Jesus, we receive everything.  For who could add anything to the gift of God’s Son that would make that gift better? Unwrap its blessings afresh today by believing and by loving the One who gave you this Gift as you think about the preciousness and pricelessness of what He means to you.

Everybody Loves Good News

Dec 4, 2020

And the angel said to them, “Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. – Luke 2:10-11

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Everybody loves good news.  Why?  Because good news makes us happy.  And in a world full of bad news and sad news, we could all use more glad news!  The way to battle the negativity of sin and sorrow that is around us and a part of us is not merely to fill our thinking with positivity.  We all know that doesn’t fix how we feel or act for long if it fixes anything at all.  We fight for joy by “preaching the gospel to ourselves.” That is, we tell ourselves the good news of Jesus over and over, specifically as it applies to what we are struggling with in the moment.  We remind ourselves of the things that are true for us because of Who Jesus is to us and what Jesus accomplished for us.  We recall promise after promise that has been made to His people by the great Promise-Keeper Who never fails to do what He says.  We remember the words of peace and grace and love that Jesus spoke in the Bible and now speaks into our lives.  Remembering leads to rejoicing.  The more we trust in that message of joy that a Savior and Lord has arrived to save us from bad and rule over us for good, the more we will experience the “good news of great joy” (Luke 2:10-11) no matter what we are facing.  Today, don’t fill your mind with the garbage of this world; fix your mind on the glorious good news of Jesus.  If He’s your “Savior” and “Lord” then… Your past is forgiven.  Your present is empowered.  Your future is secure.   This is not just good news; it’s the best news ever!

Thanks Be To God For His Indescribable Gift

Dec 2, 2020

Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift! – 2 Corinthians 9:15

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The sights and sounds and smells and savoriness of the season bring a warmth to my heart every December.  It truly is the most wonderful time of the year.  But only when we remember that it’s all about Jesus!  So… As we walk past the Salvation Army worker, let us pause to remember that Jesus came to earth to work for our salvation.  As we hear the Christmas music, let us smile because Jesus has put a new song of praise in our hearts.  As we see the decorations adorning our surroundings, let us thank God that one day a crown of thorns would adorn the head of the Christ child.  As we notice a beautiful evergreen tree with wrapped packages, let us think back to a baby wrapped in swaddling clothes who would grow up and hang on a tree to bring everlasting life.  As we find the perfect gift for a loved one, let us focus on John 3:16 as we realize afresh that God sent us the perfect gift of His Son because we are His loved one.  As we see the glow of multi-colored lights, let our own hearts be merry and bright because the Light Of The World has come.  As we enjoy a festive meal with our family and watch It’s A Wonderful Life, let us realize that because of Jesus, George Bailey isn’t the only one who is rich with blessings.  Over and over, may every fleck of tinsel and every note of a carol and every morsel of a cookie direct our attention to the stunning wonder of Jesus so that we erupt in joyful praise, “Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!”

When We Could Not Get To God, God Came To Us

Dec 1, 2020

All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).  – Matthew 1:22-23

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There is something about closeness that increases the intensity of the experience and decreases the insensitivity to it.  Nearer to the sun produces greater light.  Nearer to the fire produces greater warmth.  Nearer to God produces greater hope and happiness.   If absence makes the heart grow fonder, then surely presence makes the heart grow fuller.  But there is a problem:  our sin prevents nearness to God because it separates us from Him with no possible way from our side to bridge the gap between us.  This is why Jesus came, to become “God with us” so we can be with God.  This is why Jesus lived.  This is why Jesus died.  This is why Jesus rose.  So you and I can draw near to God.  In doing so, He unleashed the light and warmth of His love with all of its countless benefits and blessings that come from knowing and being close to Him.   We who are trusting in Jesus for forgiveness of and freedom from sin need no longer be distant from real peace, real hope, real joy, real comfort, real security, real wisdom and real love because we are no longer distant from God.   The greater our trust in Him, the nearer we are to Him.  So… Let us look to Him with confidence that He will satisfy our hearts; let us live for Him by faith that He will secure our way; let us long for Him with hope that He will come for us so we can be perfectly and pleasurably in His presence forevermore.  And let us remember and rejoice that it’s all because of Immanuel.  When we could not get to God, God came to us.

A Happily Ever After Ending

Nov 27, 2020

There are many experiences that cause us to weep with joy.  It is touching to observe some beautiful act of kindness.  It is stirring to embrace a loved one after an absence.  It is moving to see someone come back from certain failure.  It is emotional to extend or receive real forgiveness.  It is uplifting to receive some unbelievably good news, behold the birth of a baby, view the rebirth of a struggling marriage, and witness a life in ruin radically changed for good.  But as wonderful and sentimental as each of those occasions rightly are, they do not compare to this stupendous, heart-stirring, joy-producing, emotion-overloading, love-generating occurrence… Jesus died for our sins so that we might have eternal life. We were the ones in need of a beautiful act of kindness. We were the ones who were far away in need of love’s embrace. We were the ones headed towards certain failure in need of a comeback. We were the ones deep in sin in need of forgiveness. We were the ones desperately in need of the Good News. We were the ones dead and in need of rebirth and new life. We were the ones whose lives were in ruin and in need of change. And Jesus set His affections upon us, pursued us, gave us the faith to believe, and graciously rewrote our narratives with the ultimate weep-for-joy “they lived happily ever after” ending.

The Only Words God Can’t Use

Nov 21, 2020

God sends you to other people to do good works; He also sends you to deliver good news. It’s not enough to model the Christian faith, you must talk about it as well.  More than your political views, weather thoughts, weekend recaps, chit-chat, sports rants and other normal aspects of everyday conversation, people desperately need to hear about Jesus from you. You are an ambassador who speaks on His behalf, shares His message, and sends out His invitation to come find life in Him.   Rather than giving other people pep talks, false hopes and self-improvement strategies for “living their best lives now,” we should point them to the life-giving, life-changing, life-enriching good news of Jesus and all the blessings and benefits He has secured on the cross for those who will trust in Him.   The people we know need to know what we know about Jesus!  When we give practical guidance, it should include a reminder of what Jesus has promised to them and an encouragement to rely on Him.  When we talk of our own lives, we should testify to His faithfulness and goodness towards us.  When we voice our views, we should give the truths of God’s words as the basis for our beliefs.   It’s always about Jesus. So… Tell others about Him.  Encourage others to trust Him.  Help others know Him.  Speak up in faith about your faith and trust God to speak through you as you speak for Him. The only words God can’t use are the ones you don’t say.

You Were Made For This

Nov 20, 2020

God has been preparing you for this and preparing this for you since the day you were born.  He hard-wired things into your DNA, brought about circumstances in your life, nurtured your skills and strengths, put the right people around you, and brought it all together to deploy you for eternal good.  God doesn’t just send you into the mission; He picked you out and prepared you for it.  You were made for this.  You know you are supposed to go, but what are you supposed to do when you get there?  Use what you have been given to let others see who Jesus is to you and through you.  Your unique blend of abilities, experiences, knowledge, opportunities, resources, gifts and strengths were given so you can make Jesus look good with your life!  Let them see that He is treasured by you above all other things so they might be intrigued enough to take a closer look and learn to treasure Him too.  As Jesus has done for you, do for others so they can see what He is like.   Be kind.  Provide help.  Bear burdens.  Speak life.  Warn.  Encourage.  Be patient.  Lovingly correct.  Forgive often.  Serve unselfishly.  Give generously.  Be a blessing.  Never underestimate the power of what God can do through you when you take a small step of faith and make an intentional attempt at loving Him by loving others.  Remember this today and every day:  you can’t do everything; but you can do something.

Your Zip Code Is Not An Accident

Nov 18, 2020

Your zip code is not an accident.  You live there.  You work there.  You play there.  But God placed you there.  He worked in ways that you could never comprehend or calculate to divinely position you right where you are at this very moment and this very season.  Life didn’t just take you there.  He did.  And He brought you precisely where you are, precisely at this time, precisely to the people around you to represent Jesus to them.  There is only one person that every other person in your life has in common, and that person is you.  An ambassador for Christ is always FROM someone and TO someone; you are sent from Jesus and sent to the specific people in your life. You are sent to your family, your friends, your neighbors, your co-workers, your teammates, and every other person you find yourself with to share the message of God’s love with them. Who do you know that needs to hear good news?  Every.  Single.  Person.   Everyone you know loses their focus, loses their hope, loses their joy and loses their way.  It’s a dark world, and you were sent to the people around you to shine His light.   All of us living in the brokenness need to be reached with or reminded of the good news of what Jesus has done and promises to do for us.  Therefore… Take inventory of those in your life.  Take ownership of the reason you’ve been sent.  Take action wherever you go, however you can to love others like Jesus.

Anything Else Is Too Small A Thing To Live For

Nov 17, 2020

You and I are on earth for a reason, and that reason is this:  God has called us by His grace to know and make known Jesus.  His perfect life. His atoning sacrifice.  His resurrection power.  His heart for people.  His message of love.  His life-transforming hope.  His offer of eternal life.  His amazing grace.  His matchless value.  His endless joy.  His immeasurable benefits. His imminent return. His incredibly good news.  God has graciously transformed our lives and sent us back out to be agents of His transformation in the lives of other people. We are who we are because of what Jesus has done for us; we do what we do because of who we are in Jesus.  Christian is the adjective that is to describe and define every category and moment of our lives as we represent Jesus 24/7 to those in our lives.  As ambassadors for Christ, we have been summoned into the most important work in the universe to spread the message and ministry of reconciliation as God makes His appeal for the hearts of others through us.  The thoughts, feelings, motives, attitudes, words and actions of our lives need to communicate one thing with absolute clarity and certainty:  life with Jesus is far better than life without Him, and eternal life is found only through Him.  Ultimately, we are after this:  Jesus being honored in us and us being happy in Him.   Anything else is too small a thing to live for.

You Have Been Set Free

Nov 16, 2020

Too many of us live as if we are still imprisoned by our sin, sorrow and struggles with no way out of the cell that controls and limits us.  Too often we let our regrets from the past, imperfections in the present and fears of the future enslave us as if we are helpless and hopeless to do anything about them.  Too soon we give up, give in and give out when spiritual victory has already been secured and is almost ready to be seen.  Nothing in our story can nullify the Greatest Story Ever Told about the finished work of Jesus Who has won the ultimate triumph over all enemies for us!  We are more than conquerors through Him! This does not deny the existence of or seriousness of what we are facing and fighting against both inside and outside of us.  Yes, our past may include terrible things we have done or others have done to us.  Yes, our present may be filled with suffering and setbacks.  Yes, our future may find our lives not going the way we hope they will.   But Jesus has made amends for our past, makes provision for our present and will make a way for our future until we have been fully delivered from all foes.  We have been released… from shame, from regret, from joylessness, from emptiness, from vanity, from futility, from fear, from sin, from death. No more shackles.  No more cages.  No more prisons.  Walk out of that cell and in faith follow Jesus.  Don’t live as if you are still in chains.  You have been set free.

We Will Finish The Race

Nov 13, 2020

In a world of seemingly endless uncertainties, there is something that we can be absolutely sure of:  God will finish what He started in us.  There is zero chance He will fail.  God has begun a good work in us, and He will work all things together for good to ensure its completion (Philippians 1:6).  We will keep going.  We will endure.  We will make it. Not because of anything we can do apart from God, but because Jesus is a part of us, enabling us by His grace to persevere to the end when we can echo Paul’s words, “I have finished the race.  I have kept the faith.” (2 Timothy 4:7) Until then, even when our days include struggles and our walk include stumbles, let us press on in joyful confidence that getting to our heavenly home does not depend upon us but on God at work in us and for us.  God does not start this work and leave us alone to finish it.  He will stay right with us.  He will do whatever it takes.  He will provide all that is needed.  He will take as long as required.  Yes, we work hard by His grace to follow Him closely in loving obedience, but He alone will ensure that we are able to do so every step of the way.  Rejoice as you hold on until the end-before-the-beginning, knowing that God is holding on to you.  On this our eternal security firmly rests:  We will finish the race because He will finish what He started.

Confess Your Sin (There Is Grace For You)

Nov 12, 2020

Do you know how often you and I need to confess our sin to God?  Every.  Single.  Day.   As Christians, we are in an ongoing war against our sin, and there are daily occasions in which we lose the battle.  It is sin when we do what we are told not to do and when we don’t do what we are told to do.  It is sin when we do anything without faith or anything without glorifying God. It is sin when we fail to love God above everything else and fail to love people as ourselves.   It is sin when we don’t do what we know we should and when we fail to ask God what to do when we don’t know what we should.  This spiritual journey we are on is one in which we have not yet been fully delivered from the presence of sin, so we must fight against it and confess our failings when we lose a skirmish.  Every step of the way.  Every time we pray.  Every single day.  Ours is a humble and simple cry out for grace: “I did it.  I regret doing it.  Help me not do it again.”  Because Jesus has already secured the final victory over our sin, there is grace for us.  Grace that gives us pardon when we lose the fight, and grace that give us power to fight on. #confessyoursintoday

It Counts When You Point People To Jesus

Nov 10, 2020

You may not realize the influence and impact of your life, but if you are God’s child, He works through you in the normal rhythms at your home, workplace, neighborhood, shopping mall, recreation center and hangouts. Every moment holds the possibility of a conversation to share the good news of how Jesus can change someone’s life.  Every moment is a chance to demonstrate the beauty of God’s design for how to do things in all of life.  Every moment is an occasion in life to bear the fruit of the Spirit … love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Do you know how God works through your life to change someone else’s life?  The everyday moments of life.   Don’t think there is no value in the chaos of your life.  Don’t believe that your normal life isn’t anything special.  Don’t accept the lie that what you do and how you do it doesn’t matter.  Don’t give up when your efforts seem fruitless and unappreciated.  Don’t be silent about communicating the love of God in both your words and actions.  Every moment counts when you live it to point people to Jesus.

You Are Simply Outmatched By The Grace Of God

Nov 1, 2020

You are simply outmatched by the grace of God. Yes, there are days when the odds are stacked against you.  There are moments when your sin gets the best of you.  There are seasons when the challenges and choices of life confuse you.  There are people who most certainly will disappoint and abuse you.  There are shiny objects that will distract you.  But if you are trusting in Jesus, none of these things will defeat you.  God’s grace is sufficient for every situation, every location, every imperfection, and every opposition.

As one of God’s children, it is simply impossible for you to out-sin, out-run, out-last, out-need, or out-hope His grace … because God’s grace for you never runs out.  You will never find yourself in a situation where God has not already plastered, “My grace is sufficient for you.”

I’m A Believer

Oct 30, 2020

I’m a believer.  I believe that Jesus is Who the Bible says He is and did what the Bible says He did. I believe He can be trusted without hesitation or reservation.  I believe He reigns over my life for good.  I believe His kingdom will last forever.  I believe fullness of joy and pleasure forevermore await me.  I believe in His agenda of love.  I believe He chose me to be in His family and called me to invite others into His family. I believe I have given up nothing of value to follow Him and have gained immeasurable riches in knowing Him. I believe grace is available to those who receive His love, and wrath is coming for those who reject it.  I believe He has forgiven the penalty of my sin, freed me from the power of sin, and will forever remove the presence of sin from me.  I believe He will finish what He started in me, loving me just as I am, but always working to transform me into who I have not yet become.  I believe that to believe is to turn from sin and turn to Jesus. I believe He is coming soon, perhaps today, to fulfill all that He has promised.  I believe until I meet Him face to face in glory, I should bring Him glory on earth.  I believe that because of Jesus the best is always yet to come for those who believe. Do you believe?

God Took Our Sin Seriously; We Should Too

Oct 29, 2020

Since God took your sin seriously enough to send Jesus to be crushed on the cross in your place, you should take it seriously enough to make war against it instead of making excuses for it.  Start your day confessing your sin to God and confessing your need for God to help you fight against your sin.  Pieces of God’s armor.  Promises of God.   Places of escape.  Preventative steps.  People to hold you accountable.  These are your weapons of war to be put on, put into place and put into action before the battle even begins. Then, when temptation comes, stand firm in your faith, steady on your feet, strong in the Lord and do not give in or give up.  Make war! And if you go down, go down swinging, knowing that there is grace for every lost fight because you are trusting in Jesus and Jesus has dealt a knockout punch to sin, Satan and death for you.  You will rise again to fight again and win in the end.  Because His pardon is given to you and His power is with you and His presence is in you, you can be honest about your sin, and you can be victorious over it.