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Lifeopoly, Part 2

Mar 15, 2021

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. – Philippians 4:19-20

The way to win the game of Lifeopoly is to go to Jesus.  Go immediately, personally, expectantly, honestly, submissively, willingly, hungrily, persistently, confidently, obediently, adoringly, fearlessly, gratefully, humbly, corporately, sincerely, hopefully, lovingly, trustingly and frequently.   For those moments we are in over our heads and about to lose our minds, let us go directly to Jesus to collect peace and rest.  Whenever we land on a space that has us wondering what to do, let us go directly to Jesus to collect wisdom and guidance.  If the next roll leaves us so weak we think we cannot continue on, let us go directly to Jesus to collect strength and endurance.  Should some turn scare us, let us go directly to Jesus to collect courage and assurance.   As we cause some of the bad things that happen, let us go directly to Jesus for forgiveness and transformation.  Of course, even in this world of brokenness and even in our own sinfulness, not every turn turns out badly.  Some moves bring us to pleasant places.  What should we do then?  Go to Jesus.  Go directly to Jesus.  To thank our God for His gracious gifts, and to ask Him to help us rightly enjoy them so they do not become idols that take us to a bad place. We do not have to handle the demands of this life by ourselves.  In fact, we cannot.  God never intended for us to.  Instead, His Son, Jesus is with us and for us as we round the board.   Go directly to Him and be refreshed and reoriented.  God’s supply of peace, hope, joy, wisdom, strength, courage, security, companionship, and every other good thing He has for us in Jesus is endless.  There is grace for our every roll, every turn, every landing space until this game is over, and it all goes back into the box.  Then, Eternal-Lifeopoly begins.  In which there are no bad spaces to land.  And every player gets fullness of joy and pleasure forevermore with God.

Lifeopoly, Part 1

Mar 12, 2021

And my God will supply every need of yours according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus.  To our God and Father be glory forever and ever. Amen. – Philippians 4:19-20

Do you ever feel like the game of Lifeopoly is rigged, and you’re always a roll away from landing on another bad space?  As you survey the board, there are unexpected burdens, unreasonable people, unpleasant circumstances, uncertain details, unknown outcomes, unmet expectations, unrealized dreams, unkind words, and unmanageable schedules.  All of this can leave you feeling undone!  On some days and in some seasons, it’s like every roll of every turn plops you down on a hotel-laden property whose owner demands you pay up.  You look at your resources and find that you have a measly $12 and one of the utilities, forcing you to mortgage off your peace, hope and joy. Overdrawn.  Overextended. Overwhelmed.  There is no way this game is going to end well.  Unless… You follow these instructions:  Go to Jesus.  Go directly to Jesus.  Do not pass go.  Do not collect $200.   In other words, don’t try to play the game on your own with your own resources.   You.  Will.  Never.  Win.  The only way to handle all of the tough landing spaces in this broken, sin-stained world is to go to Jesus.  Go directly to Jesus.  There is unbelievable grace available for every unsettling thing you face.  Let us go to Him over and over to give Him our worries in time of need.  Let us go to Him over and over to give Him our worship in time of needs met.  How relieving and reassuring and renewing it is to talk to Him about our cares and trust Him to do something about them.   Whatever space you find yourself landing on today, go to Jesus for peace, joy, hope, guidance and provision.  He will give you gracious help in whatever way He knows is best.  Relying on Him is the only way to play the game of Lifeopoly.  You.  Will.  Never.  Lose.

Are You Confident? Jesus Offers Assurance.

Mar 11, 2021

And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. Whoever has the Son has life; whoever does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life.  – 1 John 15:11-13

There are some things you need to understand about good news.  It’s only good news if it overcomes or obliterates bad news, if it applies to you personally, if it’s true and if you believe it.    When one of those things is missing, it’s not really good news for you at all.  The gospel checks those first three boxes; the fourth one is checked off when you put your faith in Jesus.  The question is:  how do you know if you really believe and are headed for eternal life in heaven when this life has ended?  The Bible makes it clear that you can know. It’s called assurance, and it’s one of the many things that Jesus offers to us.  You can know that you believe when you look back to see that your faith in Jesus has changed your life, and look around to see that your faith in Jesus is still changing your life.  That is, assurance comes when you see evidences of the power of God at work in shaping who you are and what you do.  It has caused to you hate your sin and fight against it, and love your Savior and fight for joy in Him.   You’ll not always do this, but an evidence that you belong to Jesus is you want to do this, and you strive to do this.  There is progress in your faith journey where your beliefs and motives and views and desires and attitudes and words and deeds become less like the world and more like Jesus.  Not because you are trying harder to be better, but because the love that God has for you in Jesus has gripped your heart and is making you into someone who desires to know, trust, obey, enjoy and please Him.  You’re not going to get this right all the time, so don’t let your assurance rise and fall on your fluctuating faith, desire and effort.   There will be ups and downs, steadfastness and stumbles, progress and detours, but true believers will persevere because God finishes what He starts in our lives.   That’s what genuine belief and assurance is all about: knowing that you’ll make it to heaven not because of what you are able to do, but because you are trusting in what Jesus graciously does on your behalf.

What We Believe Changes Us

Mar 10, 2021

If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing.  – 1 Timothy 6:3-4a

What we believe – negatively or positively, rightly or wrongly, godly or worldly – will always shape what we value and how we live.   When we believe the message of the gospel more fully in more areas of our lives, we are transformed into people who:  Embrace God’s plans because they are superior to anything else. Slow down to enjoy Jesus because He is our joy-producing treasure. Rely on the Holy Spirit because in our weakness He makes us strong. Join God in His redemption mission because it is the most important work in the universe. Love and serve the people of God because we are all one body in Christ. Fight against our sinfulness because we want to be holy like our Savior. Long for heaven because it, not this world, is our home.  Above all else, we will rest in God’s grace to help us do all of these things, and forgive us when we don’t.  Listen: Embracing the truths of Scripture, God’s promises to us, and the good news of Who Jesus is and what He has accomplished for sinners like you and me, is what counteracts the message of the world.  Its message is full of empty promises, half-truths and lies.   Its message is all about convincing us to prioritize, pursue and prize things ahead of, and instead of, God and life with Him.  Its message is all about robbing us of our happiness and destroying us in the end.  Its message is all about glorifying sin and self and stuff.  God is all about removing those things that rob us of our happiness!  God is all about destroying that which will destroy us!  God is all about glorifying Himself and His Name and His Son!  Therefore, we should believe and build our lives upon the truth of Scripture.  It is the way to life for sinners.  It is the way of life for sinners who have been saved by grace.

God May Not Be Changing The Situation

Mar 2, 2021

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. – Romans 8:29

Dear Younger Me,

You’re going to get stronger, tougher and wiser than you are right now.  You will become more forgiving, trusting and loving in the days ahead.  You have heights and depths and widths of potential in using the abilities and opportunities God has gifted you with that you don’t even see yet, but you will.  God loves you just as you are, but He loves you enough to not leave you as you are.  He has an end in mind, to make you into the person He created you to be:  a faith-walking, difference-making, joy-experiencing image-bearer.  He has committed Himself to your long-term transformation as He molds and shapes you to become more like Jesus, and, surprisingly, one of the ways He’s going to refine you is through the fire of hardships.  You’ll struggle to find answers on your own, but in time, you’ll learn to ask God for His wisdom which will never fail you.  You’ll worry and doubt and fear often, but the day will come when you’ll begin to trust in God and experience peace and courage.  You’ll fall short over and over again, but you’ll discover that His grace is sufficient for you as He forgives and frees you from sin.  You’ll feel like many tasks in front of you are impossible, but it’ll become clear that they are no match for you when you rely on Jesus Who gives you strength.  Here is what I want you to understand about difficulties: sometimes God will change the situation; sometimes God will use the situation to change you.  Through every heartache and hardship, God is at work teaching you to look to Jesus, and transforming you to look like Him. When you face troubles and trials, don’t give up hope, because God hasn’t given up on you.  You may feel like everything is falling apart, but He’s actually putting you back together again so you can feel, think, speak and act like the person you were born to be.  When you look back, you’ll find this to be true:  your circumstances may not be different, but you are.

Sincerely,
Older You

Are You Confined? Jesus Offers Freedom.

Feb 25, 2021

So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.  – John 8:36

Before we put our faith in Jesus, we were slaves to sin and unable to escape its powerful hold on us.  Too many of us still live as if we are 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!  He. Has. Set. Us. Free.  Free to say “no” to sin and “yes” to greater delight in Him.  With sin’s power broken, we now have the desire and ability to serve God rather than sin.  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.  Yes, our present may be filled with 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 the very presence of sin.  We have been released… from shame, from regret, from joylessness, from emptiness, from addictions, from vanity, from futility, from fear, from pride, from lusts, from idolatry, from sin, from death.  We are free to be happy in Jesus, and to the degree that we abide in His words and depend upon His Spirit and feel His presence, we will be.  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.

Slow Down

Feb 19, 2021

Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house. And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet and listened to his teaching. But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me.” But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” – Luke 10:38-42

Admit it, some days are a blur.  We wake up, and over the coming hours, it’s a nonstop rush to not fall behind.  Our biggest need for dealing with our overcrowded schedules and overwhelmed minds is not a course that teaches us to get more done in less time.  It’s not a couple of painkillers or some motivational music or our favorite drink from Starbucks.  The thing that will best help us cope with whatever God has ordained to make its way into our lives each day is not better planning, better personnel, or better productivity.  The remedy for busy, frantic lives is not to speed up, but to slow down. The thing that will most help us with what we face each day is to simply spend time with Jesus getting recharged so we can be prepared for what lies ahead, and refocused so we can prioritize the things that matter most.  You’re not too busy to spend time with Jesus.  You’re too busy not to spend time with Jesus! That’s why it is essential that we spend unhurried, undistracted time with Him each day in prayer, Bible reading, stillness and silence.  In doing so, His words and presence will transform our hearts, inform our thinking, rewire our motives, encourage our spirits, guide our paths, govern our feelings, reshape our behavior, source our words, and influence our lives in every good way that He intends.  Time.  With.  Jesus.  That’s the most important part of our day, and it should have the most intentional part of our schedule because it’s the most influential part of our lives. You know what the cure is for being overwhelmed, worried and frustrated about the many things on your schedule?  Making the right choice to spend time with Jesus today.

Are You Unsure? Jesus Offers Truth.

Feb 12, 2021

Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” “For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.”  – John 14:6, 18:37b

It is hard to know who is telling us the whole truth, who is withholding the truth, who is distorting the truth, who is misinterpreting the truth, and who is creating their own version of the truth. Think about all that we deal with in trying to know what is true:  fake news, empty promises, false flattery, skewed perspectives, rumors, denial, exaggeration, conspiracy theories, gossip, failed intentions, feel-good philosophies, lies, half-truths, pep talks, plagiarism, alternative narratives, propaganda, broken commitments, insinuation, omissions, and minimization.  We can easily be deceived into thinking something is true when it is not. So who can we count on to be honest with us with what we need to hear?  What is the standard by which we can evaluate all other guiding life principles and philosophies? What truth can we live by so we do not live in vain or error? Who can we believe?  Jesus.  The Son of God is Who we can believe.  We can believe His truth because He IS the truth, revealing all that we need to know about God and His ways as the absolute standard by which everything else is to be measured.  His truth forgives us, guides us, encourages us, corrects us, teaches us, gladdens us, calms us, rebukes us, frees us, reminds us, comforts us, humbles us, lifts us, equips us, empowers us, motivates us, delivers us, changes us, satisfies us and saves us. If we are meditating on and obsessing over, building our lives on and pinning our hopes to, any other truth than what He gives us, we have lost our way.  We must repent of basing our lives on man’s truth, making up our own unbiblical truths, and neglecting the truth of the Scriptures.  Instead, let us strive to read the Bible more frequently, understand it more fittingly, believe it more fully, and live it out more faithfully.    Those who listen to it will hear the sweet voice of Jesus bring words fit for the occasion, giving grace to those who hear.   We can always count on what He says to be true for us and good for us.

Are You Vulnerable? Jesus Offers Care.

Feb 11, 2021

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.  I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me.  I give them eternal life, and they will never perish.”  – John 10:10-11, 27-28a

The enemy of your soul doesn’t care about you.  His only interest in you is as a victim.  He wants to “steal and kill and destroy,” and the primary way he attempts to do this is by leading you astray.   This is how he does it:  by making sin look attractive and obedience seem restrictive.  Deception, doubt, desire, disobedience and death … that’s his 5-step plan for us all.   He wants you and me to believe that sin isn’t sin, that sin is worth it, that sin is better for us, that sin isn’t that serious and that sin won’t cost too much.  The enemy doesn’t care about you; but Jesus does.  One of the ways that Jesus shows He cares about us and gives His care to us is by establishing boundaries for us from God’s Word. So many people see His commandments as “restrictive rules” that are keeping the good stuff out of our lives instead of seeing them as “gracious guardrails” that are keeping our lives out of the gutter.  He is our Good Shepherd Who protects us, provides for us, empowers us, refreshes us, delights us, guides us and delivers us safely to our eternal home in heaven.  How?  We hear His voice (the words of the Bible, the message of the gospel, the commands of the law, the plans of the Father, the counsel of the Holy Spirit) calling us into His care, and do as He says.  He leads.  We follow.  That’s it.   He takes care of us by taking care of all the rest.  And if we are His sheep, we can be assured that when we do go astray, He will come after us with fierce love and unstoppable power to bring us back.  He convicts us of our sin, corrects us in grace, and calls us back to abundant life in Him. Today, you will hear the convincing lies of the enemy inviting you to go astray and you will hear the sweet voice of Jesus calling you to follow Him in faith.  Who will you believe knows best, offers what is best and is after your best?  The one who wants only to steal and kill and destroy?  Or the One who loves you enough to lay down His life for you?

Are You Mistreated? Jesus Offers Friendship.

Feb 5, 2021

Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends.  You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you.  You did not choose me, but I chose you.  – John 15:13-16a

If there is one thing you can be sure of, it is this:  people will hurt you.  It may be accidental, or it may be intentional, but it will happen.  Repeatedly. You may do your best to keep others at a distance or only allow “positive, encouraging” people to draw close to you, but you will never fully insulate yourself from the toxicity of humanity.   There will be things said and left unsaid, things done and left undone, which bruise and break our hearts and spirits.  But there is a sweet-like-honey truth to overcome the bitter taste of how others treat you:  Jesus is not like others.  He is a friend who will never betray you, lie to you, abandon you, say unloving things to you, neglect you, unfriend you, take advantage of you, condemn you, harm you, pretend with you, mis-prioritize you, belittle you, withhold love from you, or mistreat you.  And no matter how wonderful that is, that’s not all that there is.  Jesus is not only a doer of good to you, He is also an un-doer of bad done to you by others.  They hurt your heart; He heals it.  They distance themselves; He draws near.  They sting you with their words; He soothes you with His.  They overlook you; He pays attention.  They cheat you; He blesses you.  They intend to harm you; He works it out for good.  They judge your sins; He dies for them.  When there is a lack of care, no one cares, others care only about themselves, or they can’t provide the care you need … Jesus is a friend who cares, and He will show you that care in whatever way He knows will do you the most good.  It is stunning that we can be friends with the Creator of the universe.   What a friend we have in Jesus! He loved us most by giving His life for us, He loves us first by initiating friendship with us, He loves us best every single day, and He will love us longest throughout an eternity of joy and pleasure in His presence.

Are You Weary? Jesus Offers Rest.

Feb 4, 2021

Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.  – Matthew 11:28-30

There is something in our lives which weighs us down and wears us out.  What is it?  It is the burden of trying to be “enough.”  That is, trying to be wise enough, disciplined enough, motivated enough, tough enough and strong enough to get what we want in life, and then at the end of our time on earth, good enough to merit heaven.  It. Is. Exhausting.  We cannot do what we are incapable of doing.  We cannot control what is out of our control.  And we will grow increasingly tired on the inside (lacking hope, desire, energy, well-being) until we lay down our attempts at self-rule, self-determination, self-sufficiency and self-righteousness, and rest in Jesus.   We are not in charge; let’s not try to be.  Jesus invites us to come to Him to rest in His righteousness to merit eternal life for us and rest in His sovereignty to manage everyday life for us.  He is in charge of the results and outcomes.  He controls circumstances and situations.  He commands our future and eternity.  What a relief, what refreshment and what renewal is ours when we embrace this truth:  Jesus is enough.  Resting comes from trusting as we take on the light yoke of following Jesus in faith to do what He tells us and leave the remainder and the results in His hands.  No matter what we face today, let us remember that what happens in our lives is not ultimately decided by chance or luck, humans or demons, Satan or self.   Things will work out as they should.  Because there is a wise, powerful, loving Savior who reigns over all for the good of those who trust in Him.  Things are out of our control.  But they are never out of His.

Are You Stuck? Jesus Offers Change.

Jan 29, 2021

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. – 2 Corinthians 5:17

Every human being knows what it feels like to be stuck.  Stuck in repeated mistakes.  Stuck in character flaws.  Stuck in unfulfilling rhythms.  Stuck in bad habits.  Stuck in inner unrest.  Stuck in habitual sin.   That last one is the real problem:  Sin has made it impossible for us to be who God created us to be.  That’s why we get stuck.  And turning to external moral codes of conduct, white-knuckle behavior modification, religious checklists and self-help practices is never going to lead to the kind of real and lasting changes in us that we long for.  But God in the richness of His mercy and grace sent Jesus to get us un-stuck and offer real transformation for those who put their trust in Him as we become more like Him.  The biblical concept of “believe” means that very thing:  it is to be transformed by the reality of someone or something.  When how we think and feel about Jesus changes, so do we.  We don’t cause this transformation ourselves; God does.  He initiates it.  He motivates it.  He cultivates it.  He consummates it.   This is the reality of becoming new in Christ:  a change in our standing with God, a change in what makes us happy, a change in what controls our lives, and a change in what our eternity will be like.  What then must we do? We must fill our minds with the promises, truths, commands, reminders and good news of the Bible and let them be the loudest voice in our lives. Change will take place when we believe more fully in more areas of our lives the things that are found there.  Take heart today, you can change.  If you are trusting in Jesus, God will never give up on changing you from who you used to be into who you were made to be.

Are You Insecure? Jesus Offers Significance.

Jan 28, 2021

I have been crucified with Christ.  It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me.  And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.  – Galatians 2:20

Striving for a sense of self-worth through your own personal performance will create more unhappiness in you than you ever dreamed possible.  Why?  Because you will face disappointment in yourself when you don’t perform well, discontentment when others don’t applaud your performance, and depression when you don’t get to perform at all.  The good news is that’s not where your value comes from at all.  You have incalculable worth based on what God did, not on what you do.  You are so treasured by God that even when you were at your absolute worst (separated from Him in your sinfulness), He loved you enough to send His Son to die for you. This is the jaw-dropping reality of just how much you are worth.   Don’t you see?  Jesus gave Himself for you.  Your worth is not based on your performance; it is based on His.  He loves you.  Your worth is not based on who you are; it is based on Whose you are.   He lives in you.  Your worth is not based on your making a name for yourself; it is based on the Name of the One who lives inside you.  If you belong to Jesus, the old you is dead, and the life you now live carries a value that does not come from any personal achievement, accolade or attribute.  You are priceless because of God’s unrelenting love for you in Christ.  He doesn’t love you because you’re beautiful, witty, popular, fit, wealthy, fast, intelligent, kind, influential or talented; He loves you because you’re His. Secure in this, you can give your best effort to be the person you were made to be and do the things you were made to do, knowing that you don’t do any of it to prove your worth.  Jesus already did that.

Are You Confused? Jesus Offers Guidance.

Jan 27, 2021

In whom (Christ) are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.  – Colossians 2:3

Life is a series of big and small decisions that, in varying degrees, impact and influence everything that happens after each one is made.  To be human is to lack adequate wisdom to rightly handle all that we will experience in our journey which keeps us always one misstep away from getting off course in our planning, finances, relationships, pursuits, emotions, spiritual walk, time usage and decision-making of all shapes and sizes.  The uncertainties, complexities and perplexities that we face were never meant for us to handle alone, but rather are intended to redirect and reorient us to Jesus and greater dependency on Him to guide us as He knows best.  On what He says, we must:  Base our faith.  Pin our hopes.  Entrust our futures.  Find our answers.  Solve our problems.  Take our steps.  Build our lives.  It is the solid rock on which Christians stand; all other ground is sinking sand. (Matthew 7:24-27) The decision we need to make, the step we need to take, the future that is at stake are too important to risk trying to take our best guess and our best shot at getting it right.  The good news is, we don’t have to.  There is a treasure trove of wisdom and knowledge that we have access to in Jesus, and all we must do is humbly ask for it in faith (James 1:5).  But we will not hear these life-giving, joy-producing, hope-inspiring, course-correcting, God-honoring, truth-telling words if we neglect to read the Bible and pray, for this is where asking and receiving takes place.  So, before you make a move, your first move is always to ask Jesus for your next move.  When you do, you will hear His sweet voice of truth guiding you into what is good for you.

Are You Disappointed? Jesus Offers Satisfaction.

Jan 21, 2021

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.  – John 6:35

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Most human beings struggle with seesawing their way through life going back and forth between being pleased and displeased with the things of this world.    At one moment we are far too easily pleased, settling for appetizers instead of the feast that God offers us, and at the next moment never pleased at all because the appetizers only whet our appetites for the feast.   As we settle in and settle for seeking satisfaction in relationships, achievements, possessions and experiences, we find that there is an ongoing craving for something more, something different, something better that always leaves our souls hungry and thirsty.  We find that “If only I had or did or could” looms ever in front of us, out of reach but not out of sight.  The truth is, we will never be satisfied until we know God, and that’s what Jesus makes possible.  He came into the world to be the “bread” that ends our spiritual hungering and longing.   He doesn’t offer to get us that new job, new spouse, new vacation, new baby, new home, new personal best, new recognition, new bill of health, or new thing that we think will make us happy.  He offers to give us Himself so we can actually and finally and ultimately be happy as we experience all that God has for us in Him.  Jesus isn’t a means to an end; He is the end.  He’s the source of enjoyment and nourishment.  He’s the main meal.  He’s the feast that all of the appetizers of this world point us towards.   And you and I will be hungry and thirsty no more when we come to Him in faith and believe He will deliver for us all that He has promised to us, both now and for all eternity. The more we pursue Him, the more precious He will become to us, and the more He will prove to us that He is everything we’ve been looking for all along … and so much more.  We’ll be more satisfied with what we have in life and less dissatisfied with what we don’t have in life when we are fully satisfied with all we have in Jesus.

Restoring The Image Of God In Us

Dec 23, 2020

For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.  – Romans 8:29

Jewelry breaks.  Toys break.  Electronics break.  You and I break.  God made us in His image but our sin fractured our likeness to Him and our relationship with Him.  But Christmas is for the broken.  God loves the broken.  He sent Jesus for the broken.  The Son of God came to do what we could not do, and die for what we could not do, perfectly bear the image of God. Then, after Jesus did what was necessary to restore our relationship with God, God began to restore His image in us by conforming us to the image of Jesus.  It is through our union with Jesus, because our faith is in Jesus, that we are made like Jesus.  God will not stop until the good work in us is done, loving us just as we are, but never content to leave us that way.  We are His beloved unfinished masterpieces, treasured works-in-progress that are always under the skilled brush of God who graciously, patiently adds His loving strokes to who we are so we can become who we were made to be. Though there are days when we look nothing like Jesus, God does not abandon us.  Therefore, confident in this, let us repent of areas of un-likeness to God and say “no” to sin, remember the promises that are “yes” for us because of Jesus, and rely on the Holy Spirit to help us live happy, holy lives.  Rejoice today! For the Christ Child left the manger and made His way to the cross where the Christmas Gift of God’s Son was broken for the broken so that we could be made right with God, made to look more like God, and made to live forever with God.

We Can Know God

Dec 21, 2020

He (Jesus) is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.  – Colossians 1:15

People have all kinds of ideas in their heads about God, and these ideas, right or wrong, shape how we view the world and influence how we live in it.  When Jesus came to live in this world with us, He made it possible for us to know what God is really like.  He displayed God’s character, heart, authority, holiness, righteous anger and love for all to see in real-time, real-life, real-world situations just like the ones you and I face today.   In looking at Jesus, we see… Forgiveness for the repentant.  Compassion for the broken.  Rebuke for the self-righteous.  Freedom for the enslaved.  Peace for the fearful.  Humiliation for the proud.  Exaltation for the lowly.  Hope for the hurting.  Guidance for the confused.  Strength for the weak.  Authority for the rebellious.  Supply for the needy.  Joy for the downtrodden. Grace for the unable.  Love.  For.  Everyone.   But that’s not all He did.  He also made it possible for us to show others what God is like.  Jesus is our model, means and motivation for living in such a way that others see, even through our imperfections, glimpses of the image of God.  Through our deeds and words, we show and tell the onlookers in our lives that God is not distant from us and unknown to us; He is not disengaged from our everyday lives and uninterested in what happens in them.  The Creator of the universe invites us to walk with Him in an intimate, one-on-one, Father-and-child, every day, everlasting relationship.  We can know what God is like ourselves when we put our faith in Jesus, and we can show what God is like to others when we walk by faith in Him.  And this is the one idea about God that should be ever-present in our heads, ever-shaping our views, and ever-influencing how we live in front of others:  He is infinitely more glorious, and knowing Him is infinitely more wondrous, than anything we could ever imagine.

Christmas Is A Declaration Of War

Dec 17, 2020

I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.  – Genesis 3:15

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Christmas is a declaration of war on everything that separates us from God and the life with Him that we were meant to enjoy now and forever.  Satan deceived Eve, she and Adam sinned against God, and the perfect relationship they enjoyed with Him in paradise was fractured, catapulting all of mankind into sin for which there is no human-merited, human-earned, or human-devised escape.  But God sent Jesus to be born, to live and to lay down His life in the fight for our salvation.  He died in battle, but did not lose the battle, because in atoning for our sins and rising from the dead, He disarmed and defeated Satan.  For those of us who entrust ourselves to Jesus, He forgives us and frees us from our sin and our enemy.  Sin no longer separates us from God!  Sin no longer has power over us! And until Jesus comes again to give us final deliverance from it, we expect, endure, hate, expose, resist and overcome evil, but we do not give in, give up or give out in our fight against it.  We have been equipped with the armor of God, the Word of God and the Spirit of God to empower us as we fight our battles, secure in the truth that Jesus has already secured our victory.  Today, by grace, through faith, for God’s glory… Fight against temptation; fight for holiness.  Fight against despair; fight for joy.  Fight against religious activity; fight for gospel living.  Fight against lies; fight for truth.  Fight against every form of evil; fight for every form of good. Never settle for less than God’s best for your life! Because of Jesus, make war not excuses.

 

Receiving The Gift Of God’s Son

Dec 11, 2020

But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.  – John 1:12-13

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You can’t think about Christmas without thinking about gifts.  Gift-shopping.  Gift-wrapping.  Gift-giving.  Gift-exchanging.  Gift-receiving.   You recognize most of these things when they happen as you make the payment, put the bow on top, hand a box or bag to someone and take what is given to you.  But there is something more about “receiving” that must be considered.  What does it really mean for someone to receive a gift?  It means that the gift has had its intended effect in the life of the one to whom it was given.  The gift wasn’t ignored, but rather was… worn, admired, enjoyed, watched, sprayed on, driven, laughed at, listened to, eaten, put to work or played with.  In a very real sense, an unused gift is an unreceived gift.  That’s why some people become children of God and some do not … they are either changed by the Christmas gift of God’s Son that is offered to them or they live as if He isn’t even there.  People who have “received him, who believe in his name” are forever being transformed by His presence in their lives.   His grace is having its intended effect upon them as they become more like Him, walk more with Him, look more to Him and long more for Him in everyday life.  How can you and I know if we have received the gift of God’s Son?  We do not ignore Jesus.  Instead, by faith in Him we regularly-though-imperfectly look to Him to… Rule our lives.  Satisfy our hearts.  Heal our hurts.  Guide our decisions.  Lift our spirits.  Forgive our sins. Control our destiny. Meet our needs. Prompt our repentance. Fuel our hope.  Motivate our service.  Merit our salvation.  This and much more are yours today if you will just believe and receive.  For the more we embrace and experience this Gift to us, the more wonderful and beautiful it gets to us.

What Are We Waiting For?

Dec 3, 2020

And coming up at that very hour she (Anna) began to give thanks to God and to speak of him to all who were waiting for the redemption of Jerusalem. – Luke 2:38

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Advent is a time of hopeful waiting.  The question is:  what are we waiting for?  Life will frequently leave us disappointed and dissatisfied if we are waiting for the right time and the right things to make us feel the right way.  Many of us can’t be happy until we land that dream job, achieve that life goal, meet that perfect mate, unclutter that schedule, overcome that health challenge, get out of that hard situation, fix that nagging problem, or discover that magic pill to satisfy us once and for all.  It usually doesn’t come; if it does come, it doesn’t live up to our expectations; if it does live up to our expectation, it doesn’t last.  And so, we wait.  And we wait.  And we wait our lives away. The reason we can’t find our satisfaction in the people, places and things of earth is because we were never meant to.  Perhaps this frustration and futility is God’s gracious and loving way of showing us that our longings are not being fulfilled because we are not looking to Jesus to give to us what this world never can.  As you and I wait for His second coming, because of His first coming, we can be set free from the bondage of sin and its enslaving desires and be fully happy with all that we have in Jesus. So, when you feel dissatisfied, let it be a gift from God to reorient your heart and redirect your gaze to the one place where real contentedness is found … the gift of His Son.  Give Him your heart and He will give you His heart satisfaction.  What are you waiting for?