Acquiring the Blessed Life
Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered.
Psalm 32:1 NIV
My wife and I spent a long weekend with some friends. Gloria and her husband were our very kind and affluent hosts. We jokingly referred to the lake behind their exclusive home as “Glo-Lake”. Soon after our arrival I complimented Gloria on her home and the lake she owned. She smiled and said, “Thank you. This really is the perfect home isn’t it? I feel so blessed to be here. You know; if I never get to heaven it will be okay, because this home is like a slice of heaven on earth.” How do you define being blessed?
There is a great word in Greek for “Blessed”. It is Makerios, that is, when God extends His benefits. Now, some say that a blessing can be defined in dollars and cents. And others might define a blessing as the best parking space at a mall. Glo defined blessing in owning an exclusive home. But one would need to decide what is Makarios, what is the greatest provision that God extends to mankind?
The author of Romans 5:8 defines the greatest provision that God extends to mankind in these words: God demonstrates His own love for us in this: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. I think that the blessed life is one where a person sings the song of the redeemed. The best life is the one where we know God as Abba Father.
Friday, November 29, 2013
Friday, November 22, 2013
Blessed are the peacemakers
Blessed are the peacemakers
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God. Matthew 5:9
When a man or woman takes on the life of a peacemaker, I think that they transcend normal compassion or serving ones community. A person might do something for another person out of "an act of kindness" or because it is "the right thing to do". But consider this; do our random acts of kindness erupt from altruism or out of a hope to receive kindness in return? What makes us qualify as Peacemakers?
I think that many people look at the lives of great servant-reformers to gain inspiration and lessons for harmonious living. And names like Mother Teresa or Martin Luther King are synonymous with peace making and servant hood. But are they the only individuals worthy of being called Peacemaker? Are they the only ones worthy of the moniker?
In Ephesians 2:14 it says that Christ is our peace and the one that destroyed the dividing wall between God and mankind. For this reason I would say that Christ is the ultimate peacemaker. We who trust in Christ as Lord and Savior, are to follow his example. Whenever we bring glory to God by turning people toward God, we take on the duty passed onto us by Christ. Maybe, real peacemakers are the people that direct the attention of others to Christ, for when these others place their entire hope in Christ, their struggle with God will have ceased. And what better peace is there than when a man or woman begins to trust God because of Christ?
Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called children of God. Matthew 5:9
When a man or woman takes on the life of a peacemaker, I think that they transcend normal compassion or serving ones community. A person might do something for another person out of "an act of kindness" or because it is "the right thing to do". But consider this; do our random acts of kindness erupt from altruism or out of a hope to receive kindness in return? What makes us qualify as Peacemakers?
I think that many people look at the lives of great servant-reformers to gain inspiration and lessons for harmonious living. And names like Mother Teresa or Martin Luther King are synonymous with peace making and servant hood. But are they the only individuals worthy of being called Peacemaker? Are they the only ones worthy of the moniker?
In Ephesians 2:14 it says that Christ is our peace and the one that destroyed the dividing wall between God and mankind. For this reason I would say that Christ is the ultimate peacemaker. We who trust in Christ as Lord and Savior, are to follow his example. Whenever we bring glory to God by turning people toward God, we take on the duty passed onto us by Christ. Maybe, real peacemakers are the people that direct the attention of others to Christ, for when these others place their entire hope in Christ, their struggle with God will have ceased. And what better peace is there than when a man or woman begins to trust God because of Christ?
Friday, November 15, 2013
A Bitter Pill to Swallow
A Bitter Pill to Swallow
Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age. Genesis 37:3 NIV
I mailed a devotional that didn't entirely sit well with one of my friends. Reverend Bob can hardly say two words to me without there being a message or lesson, so I listen intently when he speaks. He said that, "God chooses the ones he loves." I suggested that God loves everybody, but Bob's comment (and the Bible) insisted otherwise. God decides whom He will show mercy (Exodus 33:19). That disturbed me... I was a bit undone because I like the idea of God loving and being merciful to everyone. If God is merciful to everyone, then it seems like He is off the hook for all the ones that refuse to believe. But if God has chosen whom He loves and shows mercy, then how can non believers have a chance with God? It seems like some people really are doomed while others have-it-made. And to me that seems incredibly unjust.
Now let me say that God is incapable of committing any wrong against us, because God has no darkness in Him (1 John 1:5). With that said, I have to accept the truth; God decides that His love belongs to one and is hidden from the other. And that is a bitter pill to swallow. Perhaps the whole idea is unsettling because it sort of removes my power (I didn't actually have any to begin with) and places all of the power in God's hands. I am forced to remember God's complete, unequivocal and irrevocable sovereignty. And for those people that shun and refuse to believe God, they have no excuse. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made. Again, all the signs that point to God are in clear view, so they are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)
I like the Bible verse that says we should not give our pearls to swine (Matthew 7:6). We should choose wisely about where we place the sacred things of God. I think that God decides whom He will love not out of some evil enterprise, but because He is placing pearls into the hands of those that He knows will cherish them. I think God is being wise when He chooses a safe place to put His love, His understanding and His wisdom. And now that I have digested that bitter pill, I am glad for having taken in the Lord’s wisdom, and I wouldn't want it any other way.
Now Israel loved Joseph more than any of his other sons, because he had been born to him in his old age. Genesis 37:3 NIV
I mailed a devotional that didn't entirely sit well with one of my friends. Reverend Bob can hardly say two words to me without there being a message or lesson, so I listen intently when he speaks. He said that, "God chooses the ones he loves." I suggested that God loves everybody, but Bob's comment (and the Bible) insisted otherwise. God decides whom He will show mercy (Exodus 33:19). That disturbed me... I was a bit undone because I like the idea of God loving and being merciful to everyone. If God is merciful to everyone, then it seems like He is off the hook for all the ones that refuse to believe. But if God has chosen whom He loves and shows mercy, then how can non believers have a chance with God? It seems like some people really are doomed while others have-it-made. And to me that seems incredibly unjust.
Now let me say that God is incapable of committing any wrong against us, because God has no darkness in Him (1 John 1:5). With that said, I have to accept the truth; God decides that His love belongs to one and is hidden from the other. And that is a bitter pill to swallow. Perhaps the whole idea is unsettling because it sort of removes my power (I didn't actually have any to begin with) and places all of the power in God's hands. I am forced to remember God's complete, unequivocal and irrevocable sovereignty. And for those people that shun and refuse to believe God, they have no excuse. For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made. Again, all the signs that point to God are in clear view, so they are without excuse. (Romans 1:20)
I like the Bible verse that says we should not give our pearls to swine (Matthew 7:6). We should choose wisely about where we place the sacred things of God. I think that God decides whom He will love not out of some evil enterprise, but because He is placing pearls into the hands of those that He knows will cherish them. I think God is being wise when He chooses a safe place to put His love, His understanding and His wisdom. And now that I have digested that bitter pill, I am glad for having taken in the Lord’s wisdom, and I wouldn't want it any other way.
Friday, November 8, 2013
Why Do We Envy The Wicked Ones?
Why Do We Envy The Wicked Ones?
My feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Psalm 73:2-3 NIV
I do not think that having riches automatically makes a person bad or good. But I think that sometimes we harbor a false perception that wealth equals “God’s Favor”. Even the disciples assumed that wealth equals godly favor. After Jesus sends away a rich man that has “kept all of the laws” in Matthew 19, the disciples ask if this guy can’t make it, “Who can be saved?” And Jesus not only raised the standard but redefined it when he answered that it is as difficult for a rich man to get into Heaven as it is for a loaded down camel to get through a small gate way (Matthew 19:24 translated). So if having (or acquiring) riches can place us at odds with God, why do we pursue them? Why do we call the rich "blessed" and the poor "cursed"?
I don't think that riches, good health or a good reputation among the social elite are any measure of who we are with God. The most important measure of our relationship with God is in whether we have accepted Christ as savior. When we became believers we began (or should have begun) to live a different way of life. We live by faith (action and attitude ordered by God), not by our own ideas and rules (2 Corinthians 5:7). We live by God's direction, not by our own plans. And furthermore, we aren't identified as the people of God because we have riches. Everyone will know we belong to God because of our love (John 13:35). We are known by our fruit (what pours out from us), not by the size of our accounts.
If you think about it, the highest desire of those that follow God is to be near to Him (Psalm 73:27-28). Why then do the people of God envy those that hate God? I think that when we see a person with riches, we sometimes get hung up on the erroneous idea that they have what belongs to us. But keep in mind that riches are only an example of the life God has for us in Heaven. Riches are only an earthly sign to explain a heavenly blessing. And I think that we get hung up on the example of blessing instead of the actual blessing. I once heard a prosperity preacher say that he doesn't want to wait, he wants his riches now. And I think that shows an incredible lack of foresight on his part. I'd rather God bless me now and in the after-life with the generosity and wisdom I know God to have. I have seen poverty and as far as I am concerned, I am experiencing wealth right now. But as for me, it is a better thing to trust and be near to the Lord, no matter my financial status.
My feet had almost slipped; I had nearly lost my foothold. For I envied the arrogant when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. Psalm 73:2-3 NIV
I do not think that having riches automatically makes a person bad or good. But I think that sometimes we harbor a false perception that wealth equals “God’s Favor”. Even the disciples assumed that wealth equals godly favor. After Jesus sends away a rich man that has “kept all of the laws” in Matthew 19, the disciples ask if this guy can’t make it, “Who can be saved?” And Jesus not only raised the standard but redefined it when he answered that it is as difficult for a rich man to get into Heaven as it is for a loaded down camel to get through a small gate way (Matthew 19:24 translated). So if having (or acquiring) riches can place us at odds with God, why do we pursue them? Why do we call the rich "blessed" and the poor "cursed"?
I don't think that riches, good health or a good reputation among the social elite are any measure of who we are with God. The most important measure of our relationship with God is in whether we have accepted Christ as savior. When we became believers we began (or should have begun) to live a different way of life. We live by faith (action and attitude ordered by God), not by our own ideas and rules (2 Corinthians 5:7). We live by God's direction, not by our own plans. And furthermore, we aren't identified as the people of God because we have riches. Everyone will know we belong to God because of our love (John 13:35). We are known by our fruit (what pours out from us), not by the size of our accounts.
If you think about it, the highest desire of those that follow God is to be near to Him (Psalm 73:27-28). Why then do the people of God envy those that hate God? I think that when we see a person with riches, we sometimes get hung up on the erroneous idea that they have what belongs to us. But keep in mind that riches are only an example of the life God has for us in Heaven. Riches are only an earthly sign to explain a heavenly blessing. And I think that we get hung up on the example of blessing instead of the actual blessing. I once heard a prosperity preacher say that he doesn't want to wait, he wants his riches now. And I think that shows an incredible lack of foresight on his part. I'd rather God bless me now and in the after-life with the generosity and wisdom I know God to have. I have seen poverty and as far as I am concerned, I am experiencing wealth right now. But as for me, it is a better thing to trust and be near to the Lord, no matter my financial status.
False Wisdom
False Wisdom
The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. I Corinthians 1:18 NIV
To my wife’s chagrin, one of my favorite movies is The Matrix. The poor woman has sat through it on VHS (if you remember those), on DVD and most recently she endured ten minutes of the Blu-Ray version. She rolled her eyes and found something more interesting to do. This time I watched the movie with the audio commentary of two modern day philosophers. After ten minutes I started to roll my eyes too. All they talked about were the beliefs of one dead philosopher or the other. They seemed to conclude that true wisdom finds itself in trusting and believing in nothing and in no one. And to me, a life of chronic skepticism and faithlessness is a sad and terrible existence.
In my opinion, these philosophers have a false sense of wisdom. Fearing God is where wisdom starts (Proverbs 15:33). And humility (knowing who God is and knowing who you are) brings wisdom (Proverbs 11:2). When we come to grips with all that we don’t know and are incapable of doing on our own, that’s when we start depending on God and become people of wisdom. As much as I have learned, I know I still need God and I still find myself regularly asking God for wisdom, because he gives it freely (James 1:5). Think about it, who better to ask for wisdom than the one that formed the universe by His understanding (Jeremiah 10:12)?
One reality about gaining wisdom is that it isn’t how much you know, but “who” you know. Understanding must always be coupled with relationship. The wise people of the world trip over Jesus as He is a stumbling block to them. But Christ is wisdom to those that are being saved.
The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. I Corinthians 1:18 NIV
To my wife’s chagrin, one of my favorite movies is The Matrix. The poor woman has sat through it on VHS (if you remember those), on DVD and most recently she endured ten minutes of the Blu-Ray version. She rolled her eyes and found something more interesting to do. This time I watched the movie with the audio commentary of two modern day philosophers. After ten minutes I started to roll my eyes too. All they talked about were the beliefs of one dead philosopher or the other. They seemed to conclude that true wisdom finds itself in trusting and believing in nothing and in no one. And to me, a life of chronic skepticism and faithlessness is a sad and terrible existence.
In my opinion, these philosophers have a false sense of wisdom. Fearing God is where wisdom starts (Proverbs 15:33). And humility (knowing who God is and knowing who you are) brings wisdom (Proverbs 11:2). When we come to grips with all that we don’t know and are incapable of doing on our own, that’s when we start depending on God and become people of wisdom. As much as I have learned, I know I still need God and I still find myself regularly asking God for wisdom, because he gives it freely (James 1:5). Think about it, who better to ask for wisdom than the one that formed the universe by His understanding (Jeremiah 10:12)?
One reality about gaining wisdom is that it isn’t how much you know, but “who” you know. Understanding must always be coupled with relationship. The wise people of the world trip over Jesus as He is a stumbling block to them. But Christ is wisdom to those that are being saved.
Friday, November 1, 2013
Prosperity Propaganda II
Prosperity Propaganda II – Christians Should Be Wealthy
I will bless them and the places surrounding my hill. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. Ezekiel 34:26 NIV
Once people find out that I am a Christian, I know I will always be under surveillance. Some watch to see me fail. Some watch to see if the faith I proclaim has any effect on the way I live. As a result, every move and my every word act as messages to them. And I think it is the same for "The Church" on the world stage. I think that people judge God and His followers based on the things they see on television or in the news.
What is disturbing to me is what they seem to find... I have found them too. I have seen and heard some things on television I wish I hadn’t. One of them said, "Put your money in [your] hands. Now visualize it in [my] hands. If you place your money in my hands, the Lord will bless you." Another one of them said, "The only way to be blessed is to give (money) from your first fruits. You need to sow into ministry to be blessed. Sow into [this] ministry and the Lord will bless you." And my personal favorite came from a well known minister. He stopped preaching and abruptly exclaimed, "The Lord just told me that someone is going to give me a Bentley." Is this what Christ's torture and death on a cross has diminished into?
If Christ died so I can get a few dollars, then it is a cheap salvation indeed. No, I do not have a disdain for people with money, I wish I had a lot more of it myself. But I am reminded of Peter’s words in Acts 3. He said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you.” He gave Jesus Christ. He gave the power to become a son or daughter of God. Peter’s words kind of make you wonder which is more important. Is it silver and gold or is it Christ?
I will bless them and the places surrounding my hill. I will send down showers in season; there will be showers of blessing. Ezekiel 34:26 NIV
Once people find out that I am a Christian, I know I will always be under surveillance. Some watch to see me fail. Some watch to see if the faith I proclaim has any effect on the way I live. As a result, every move and my every word act as messages to them. And I think it is the same for "The Church" on the world stage. I think that people judge God and His followers based on the things they see on television or in the news.
What is disturbing to me is what they seem to find... I have found them too. I have seen and heard some things on television I wish I hadn’t. One of them said, "Put your money in [your] hands. Now visualize it in [my] hands. If you place your money in my hands, the Lord will bless you." Another one of them said, "The only way to be blessed is to give (money) from your first fruits. You need to sow into ministry to be blessed. Sow into [this] ministry and the Lord will bless you." And my personal favorite came from a well known minister. He stopped preaching and abruptly exclaimed, "The Lord just told me that someone is going to give me a Bentley." Is this what Christ's torture and death on a cross has diminished into?
If Christ died so I can get a few dollars, then it is a cheap salvation indeed. No, I do not have a disdain for people with money, I wish I had a lot more of it myself. But I am reminded of Peter’s words in Acts 3. He said, “Silver or gold I do not have, but what I do have I give to you.” He gave Jesus Christ. He gave the power to become a son or daughter of God. Peter’s words kind of make you wonder which is more important. Is it silver and gold or is it Christ?
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