As I was driving down to my old home place Saturday, I was listening to a cd with this song, which I have heard many times. This time, however, I really “heard” the words and God just spoke to me through this song. I knew there had to be a lesson here. After listening the song in class, we discussed some of the key verses about how “other” voices will tell us that We Will Never Win! Listen to the song and follow along with the words below and see what a truth there is in this song.
There is then a brief lesson at the end.
In Christ,
Hayward
Hear song by Casting Crowns at this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwsvqVmFV6Y
Oh,what I would do to have
the kind of faith it takes
To climb out of this boat I'm in
Onto the crashing waves
To step out of my comfort zone
Into the realm of the unknown
Where Jesus is, And he's holding out his hand.
But the waves are calling out my name
and they laugh at me
Reminding me of all the times
I've tried before and failed
The waves they keep on telling me time and time again
"Boy, you'll never win, you'll never win."
But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory
"Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth.
Oh, what I would do to have the kind of strength it takes
To stand before a giant with just a sling and a stone
Surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors shaking in their armor
Wishing they'd have had the strength to stand.
But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me
Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed
The giant keeps on telling me time and time again
"Boy you'll never win, you'll never win."
But the voice of truth tells me a different story
the Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
and the Voice of truth says "this is for My glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth.
But the stone was just the right size to put the giant on the ground
and the waves they don't seem so high from on top of them looking down
I will soar with the wings of eagles when I stop
and listen to the sound of Jesus singing over me.
But the Voice of truth tells me a different story
The Voice of truth says "do not be afraid!"
And the Voice of truth says "this is for my glory"
Out of all the voices calling out to me (calling out to me)
I will choose to listen and believe (I will choose to listen and believe)
I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of truth.
I will listen and believeI will listen and believe the Voice of truth
I will listen and believe 'Cause Jesus you are the Voice of truth
And I will listen to you.. oh you are the Voice of truth
"The Voice Of Truth"
"My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me" (John 10:27).
We're all creatures of habit and those who surround us come to know our schedules, our habits, our likes and dislikes, our walk, our voices, and our way of looking at things. Certainly, as believers, we should be familiar with our Master's voice as we devote ourselves to reading the Scriptures, particularly the gospels, which of course have the very words of Christ. The gospel writers recorded many instances where Jesus spoke to His followers regarding who He was and instructed them in the ways they were to follow Him.
We know the Master's voice; some of us have followed His instruction for many years. Yet there are a lot of voices still calling out to us; voices that cry out, "You must have this or do that to find fulfillment." Some of these voices may be neutral but other camouflaged voices have an attitude of greed, envy, lust and other such ungodly traits. There are voices that may tell us we are not really God's children or that we'll never amount to anything in life based on past failures. There are voices prompting fear and anxiety. And there are many more voices crying out to us.
But we must strive to keep our attention on the Voice of Truth; the voice of the Good Shepherd, who knows each of us. We must reaffirm our choice each day to follow Him. The text for this lesson are the words of our Lord Jesus Christ: "My sheep listen to My voice; I know them, and they follow Me."
Today’s song states, "But the voice of truth tells me a different story." The challenge is to stay focused on the Voice of Truth! Those other voices can really be loud, persistent, alluring and even demanding, but they have no real interest in our eternal welfare.
God who often speaks in the "still, small voice" and at times in a whisper says, "My sheep listen to my voice. I know them…" How good and reassuring it is to not only hear the voice of our Shepherd, but to know that He is also very familiar with our voice and all our ways. You see me when I travel and when I rest at home. You know everything I do. (Psalm 139:3).
Isaiah 26:3 says, You will keep in perfect peace all who trust in you, all whose thoughts are fixed on you! When our mind wanders off into fear territory where other voices beckon us, let this verse draw our spirit back into the sanctuary of perfect peace where Jesus resides and trust is gained.
Today may we all indeed "choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth."
Be encouraged today.
Prayer: Father, Your Word cautions us to test the spirits, to see if they are from You or from the master deceiver. The voices that we choose to hear should always guide our hearts to the Master Shepherd; not to other vices, negative attitudes, or to self-glorification. As we seek after Your heart, we will easily recognize the voice of Jesus our Shepherd and desire to follow Him in all our ways. Amen.
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
Victims of Assumicide: What to Do When You Are Misunderstood
Are you guilty of assumicide?
This is really a new word! It's what happens when you make false assumptions about others so that you can portray them in the worst possible light. We seem to do this all the time.
We are so prone to be suspicious. When we become offended or hurt, we immediately begin to look for evidence that someone did us wrong. We probably have a hard time remembering how many times we done this. But we can usually tell anyone how many times it's been done to us. We tend to track of those things. This is being a bit facetious, but not much. It's really amazing how often we are quick to assume that someone has it in for us.
Assumicide leads to the death of relationships because we end up believing the worst about others. We've all been guilty of drawing wrong conclusions on the basis of tiny scraps of evidence:
He didn't call back so he must not want to talk to me.
I think she's trying to ignore me.
They never hire people like me.
That church is so unfriendly.
How could he be a Christian and act like that?
I saw her in a bar. She must have a drinking problem.
I'll bet they are sleeping together.
He's probably a jerk at home too.
I don't like him. I don't know why. I just don't like him.
She's full of herself.
You can't trust someone who dresses like that.
He's a hypocrite.
And if you are the victim of assumicide, it's very hard to fight back against false assumptions. Few things hurt more than being misunderstood by our close friends. The closer they are to us, the greater the pain. When that happens we discover a lot about ourselves. How we respond when we've been misunderstood tells a great deal about the depth of our Christian faith.
We've all been guilty of drawing wrong conclusions on the basis of tiny scraps of evidence.
In 2 Corinthians 1:12-2:4, Paul has a situation arise in the church he started at Corinth. . After he left a faction arose in the congregation that questioned his leadership. They challenged his authority, insinuated that he wasn't a "real" apostle, attacked his character, and accused him of using the Corinthian church for his own gain. The troublemakers succeeded in turning most of the church against him.
And their chief complaint was this. Paul couldn't be trusted because he had changed his travel plans - not once but twice. He hadn't come back to visit the Corinthians as he said he would. That proved he was a fickle man whose character and message could not be trusted.
Just remember this. Conflicts usually get started over something small. That's how it usually happens. Someone didn't greet us in the hallway, they didn't answer our email, they didn't invite us to their party, they didn't show up for an appointment. Or we heard they said something negative about us. Or they didn't laugh at our jokes. Or they suddenly seem cold when they used to be glad to see us.
Little things. Small stuff. Petty complaints.
From a tiny spark of discontent a mighty flame of unhappiness grows. That flame soon becomes a wildfire that threatens to destroy a relationship. Congregations have split and friendships have ended over things that started very small but grew all out of proportion.
Our Actions May Be Questioned
Keeping your word is hugely important for all us, but especially for spiritual leaders. It's all about integrity, consistency, proving yourself trustworthy, showing up on time, and doing what you said you would do. If people feel like they can't count on you, how will they ever listen to what you have to say?
Our Words May Be Twisted
When others twist your words, do not despair. Speak the truth, explain yourself clearly, and then entrust your future with the God who knows you through and through and in Christ who has anointed you, sealed you, given you the Holy Spirit, and promised to guide you.
If we trust in him, the time of chaos will pass, and we will be stronger for having gone through the struggle.
Our Motives May Be Challenged.
As hard as it may be for some of us to hear, we can't always solve every problem in the world.
Some people won't listen.
Some people love to argue.
Some people have already made up their minds.
Some people have an answer for everything.
How to Respond to Misunderstanding
1. Sometimes we will be misunderstood by our close friends. Quite often misunderstanding is between people who know each other very well. Paul knew the people in the church at Corinth. Yet a rift had grown between them. This happens in marriage, in families, among friends and co-workers, and it certainly happens in every church. If you haven't been misunderstood lately, don't worry. It's bound to happen before long. That's part of the price of living in a fallen world.
2. The best defense is an honest, clear, non-defensive explanation. Paul doesn't complain, doesn't blame, and doesn't point fingers. He isn't long-winded. He lays out his explanation so his readers can decide for themselves why he had not come back to Corinth. 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:4
3. We can't control how people respond to us. Rarely will our explanations convince everyone. Sometimes even our close friends will choose not to believe us. At some point we must decide to leave our reputation in God's hands and walk away from the controversy. "If you live to please people, misunderstandings will depress you; but if you live to please God, you can face misunderstandings with faith and courage".
4. Pray for those who misunderstand you. In a past lesson we have talked about the Sandpaper People in our lives and how to deal with them. It's easy to say "Love the people who misunderstand you," it's hard to put it into practice. But we must do it anyway.
5. We must not return evil for evil. This is also hard, especially when your motives are repeatedly attacked. But look at how Jesus handled those who totally misunderstood Him and really mistreated Him.
He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. 1 Peter 2:23a.
This will happen to us too. We will be misunderstood, we will be mistreated! And that's the real test of our faith. You find out what you really believe when others mistreat you. Sometimes the real test of your faith is what you don't do. Sometimes you'll be a better Christian by not saying anything at all.
What was his secret? How did he do it? The answer lies in the final phrase of 1 Peter 2:23, "He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly." In our day we hear lots of talk about claiming our rights. That spirit comes into the church and we hear people getting angry and saying, "How dare you trample on my rights?" Most of our problems stem from claiming our rights. But the Bible turns that upside down. You aren't to think of your rights first. You are to think of others first.
When you are misunderstood, remember these words: It's not about me. It's not about now.It's all about God. It's all about eternity.
The followers of Jesus will sometimes be misunderstood not only by the world but by other Christians. May God give us the spirit of Jesus that we might handle this as He did.
For prayer requests, comments or to be included in our email ministry, email us at: whosoever@cottagehillbaptist.org.
This is really a new word! It's what happens when you make false assumptions about others so that you can portray them in the worst possible light. We seem to do this all the time.
We are so prone to be suspicious. When we become offended or hurt, we immediately begin to look for evidence that someone did us wrong. We probably have a hard time remembering how many times we done this. But we can usually tell anyone how many times it's been done to us. We tend to track of those things. This is being a bit facetious, but not much. It's really amazing how often we are quick to assume that someone has it in for us.
Assumicide leads to the death of relationships because we end up believing the worst about others. We've all been guilty of drawing wrong conclusions on the basis of tiny scraps of evidence:
He didn't call back so he must not want to talk to me.
I think she's trying to ignore me.
They never hire people like me.
That church is so unfriendly.
How could he be a Christian and act like that?
I saw her in a bar. She must have a drinking problem.
I'll bet they are sleeping together.
He's probably a jerk at home too.
I don't like him. I don't know why. I just don't like him.
She's full of herself.
You can't trust someone who dresses like that.
He's a hypocrite.
And if you are the victim of assumicide, it's very hard to fight back against false assumptions. Few things hurt more than being misunderstood by our close friends. The closer they are to us, the greater the pain. When that happens we discover a lot about ourselves. How we respond when we've been misunderstood tells a great deal about the depth of our Christian faith.
We've all been guilty of drawing wrong conclusions on the basis of tiny scraps of evidence.
In 2 Corinthians 1:12-2:4, Paul has a situation arise in the church he started at Corinth. . After he left a faction arose in the congregation that questioned his leadership. They challenged his authority, insinuated that he wasn't a "real" apostle, attacked his character, and accused him of using the Corinthian church for his own gain. The troublemakers succeeded in turning most of the church against him.
And their chief complaint was this. Paul couldn't be trusted because he had changed his travel plans - not once but twice. He hadn't come back to visit the Corinthians as he said he would. That proved he was a fickle man whose character and message could not be trusted.
Just remember this. Conflicts usually get started over something small. That's how it usually happens. Someone didn't greet us in the hallway, they didn't answer our email, they didn't invite us to their party, they didn't show up for an appointment. Or we heard they said something negative about us. Or they didn't laugh at our jokes. Or they suddenly seem cold when they used to be glad to see us.
Little things. Small stuff. Petty complaints.
From a tiny spark of discontent a mighty flame of unhappiness grows. That flame soon becomes a wildfire that threatens to destroy a relationship. Congregations have split and friendships have ended over things that started very small but grew all out of proportion.
Our Actions May Be Questioned
Keeping your word is hugely important for all us, but especially for spiritual leaders. It's all about integrity, consistency, proving yourself trustworthy, showing up on time, and doing what you said you would do. If people feel like they can't count on you, how will they ever listen to what you have to say?
Our Words May Be Twisted
When others twist your words, do not despair. Speak the truth, explain yourself clearly, and then entrust your future with the God who knows you through and through and in Christ who has anointed you, sealed you, given you the Holy Spirit, and promised to guide you.
If we trust in him, the time of chaos will pass, and we will be stronger for having gone through the struggle.
Our Motives May Be Challenged.
As hard as it may be for some of us to hear, we can't always solve every problem in the world.
Some people won't listen.
Some people love to argue.
Some people have already made up their minds.
Some people have an answer for everything.
How to Respond to Misunderstanding
1. Sometimes we will be misunderstood by our close friends. Quite often misunderstanding is between people who know each other very well. Paul knew the people in the church at Corinth. Yet a rift had grown between them. This happens in marriage, in families, among friends and co-workers, and it certainly happens in every church. If you haven't been misunderstood lately, don't worry. It's bound to happen before long. That's part of the price of living in a fallen world.
2. The best defense is an honest, clear, non-defensive explanation. Paul doesn't complain, doesn't blame, and doesn't point fingers. He isn't long-winded. He lays out his explanation so his readers can decide for themselves why he had not come back to Corinth. 2 Corinthians 1:23-2:4
3. We can't control how people respond to us. Rarely will our explanations convince everyone. Sometimes even our close friends will choose not to believe us. At some point we must decide to leave our reputation in God's hands and walk away from the controversy. "If you live to please people, misunderstandings will depress you; but if you live to please God, you can face misunderstandings with faith and courage".
4. Pray for those who misunderstand you. In a past lesson we have talked about the Sandpaper People in our lives and how to deal with them. It's easy to say "Love the people who misunderstand you," it's hard to put it into practice. But we must do it anyway.
5. We must not return evil for evil. This is also hard, especially when your motives are repeatedly attacked. But look at how Jesus handled those who totally misunderstood Him and really mistreated Him.
He did not retaliate when he was insulted, nor threaten revenge when he suffered. 1 Peter 2:23a.
This will happen to us too. We will be misunderstood, we will be mistreated! And that's the real test of our faith. You find out what you really believe when others mistreat you. Sometimes the real test of your faith is what you don't do. Sometimes you'll be a better Christian by not saying anything at all.
What was his secret? How did he do it? The answer lies in the final phrase of 1 Peter 2:23, "He left his case in the hands of God, who always judges fairly." In our day we hear lots of talk about claiming our rights. That spirit comes into the church and we hear people getting angry and saying, "How dare you trample on my rights?" Most of our problems stem from claiming our rights. But the Bible turns that upside down. You aren't to think of your rights first. You are to think of others first.
When you are misunderstood, remember these words: It's not about me. It's not about now.It's all about God. It's all about eternity.
The followers of Jesus will sometimes be misunderstood not only by the world but by other Christians. May God give us the spirit of Jesus that we might handle this as He did.
For prayer requests, comments or to be included in our email ministry, email us at: whosoever@cottagehillbaptist.org.
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Write It Down
How many of you remember the movie “Bull Durham”?
My family was once HUGE Braves fans. We went to spring training. Went to games in Atlanta. Went to minor league games all over the southeast. When the Braves minor league team came to Birmingham, we invited some of them to the house for cookouts! I guess you could say that we became “experts’ on baseball. (If y’all remember back in some earlier lessons I have said that everyone has a god and I guess ours was, at the time, baseball! Not proud of this, just stating facts.)
Anyway, Bull Durham probably came closer to capturing what baseball, primarily minor league baseball, is like.
The main characters are a young pitching phenom (Nuke LaLoosh – Tim Robbins) and a nearly washed up but knowledgeable catcher (Crash Davis – Kevin Costner) that is brought in to mentor the prize prospect. A favorite scene is when Crash teaches the young pitcher how to handle interviews with the press.
Crash Davis: "It's time to work on your interviews."
Nuke LaLoosh: "My interviews? What do I gotta do?"
Crash Davis: "You're gonna have to learn your clichés. You're gonna have to study them, you're gonna have to know them. They're your friends. Write this down: "We gotta play it one day at a time."
Nuke LaLoosh: "Got to play… it's pretty boring."
Crash Davis: "Course it's boring, that's the point. Write it down."
Do you realize that the journey with Jesus is simply living it one day at a time. Write it down. You can't live in regret of the past. It is forgiven. You can't live in fear of the future. It is in God's Hands. You live in the moment, one day at a time, trusting Him for that day. That's the point. Play it one day at a time.
Someone once said:
"God didn't call me to be spectacular. He called me to be faithful."
Write it down.
Another quote from the movie Bull Durham is very meaningful.
"This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains."
In many ways Christianity is a very simple faith that we have made incredibly legalistic and difficult. To paraphrase the line above. "You love the Lord your God. You love your neighbor. Sometimes it is easy. Sometimes it is hard. Sometimes life rains on you."
Why do we want to make it so maddeningly complex? Jesus said that two things are the most important.
One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-3)
How simple to understand is this? I didn’t ask how simple to do, just how simple to understand. We can not do this without Jesus’s help!
Why have we ever tried to make it anything else? The scholar who heard the words of Jesus "got it".
“The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.” (Mark 12:32-32)
How do you suppose “the body of Christ” (Which is His church according to the Bible. Not the building, but the people.) would look if we concentrated on those two simple commands? Would we worry so much about the worship music style, what people wear, what translation of the Bible is used, or the carpet color? Why do we get so fired up about what other Christians are doing and other people are saying? Why do we care so much about being treated fairly and getting what we deserve? If we concentrated on those two commands we would be so much happier and effective for Christ. We would experience and give grace.
But do we get it? Do I get it? Or do we still get sidetracked by life and pride and worries? It is really very simple. Love the Lord your God with all of your heart. Read the Word daily. Love others as you love yourself. That is what Jesus told me to do. Nothing about programs or positions or curriculum or strategies.
Love God. Love others.
Write it down.
Listen to this song at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrsisruycV8
Loving God, loving each other
Loving God, loving each other,
Making music with my friends;
Loving God, loving each other,
And the story never ends.
They pushed back from the table
To listen to His words,
His secret plan before He had to go.
It's not complicated;
Don't need a lot of rules,
This is all you'll need to know.
Loving God, loving each other,
Making music with my friends;
Loving God, loving each other,
And the story never ends.
We tend to make it harder,
Build steeples out of stone,
Fill with explanations of The Way,
But if we'd stop and listen
And break a little bread,
We would hear the Master say
Loving God, loving each other,
Making music with my friends;
Loving God, loving each other,
And the story never ends.
My family was once HUGE Braves fans. We went to spring training. Went to games in Atlanta. Went to minor league games all over the southeast. When the Braves minor league team came to Birmingham, we invited some of them to the house for cookouts! I guess you could say that we became “experts’ on baseball. (If y’all remember back in some earlier lessons I have said that everyone has a god and I guess ours was, at the time, baseball! Not proud of this, just stating facts.)
Anyway, Bull Durham probably came closer to capturing what baseball, primarily minor league baseball, is like.
The main characters are a young pitching phenom (Nuke LaLoosh – Tim Robbins) and a nearly washed up but knowledgeable catcher (Crash Davis – Kevin Costner) that is brought in to mentor the prize prospect. A favorite scene is when Crash teaches the young pitcher how to handle interviews with the press.
Crash Davis: "It's time to work on your interviews."
Nuke LaLoosh: "My interviews? What do I gotta do?"
Crash Davis: "You're gonna have to learn your clichés. You're gonna have to study them, you're gonna have to know them. They're your friends. Write this down: "We gotta play it one day at a time."
Nuke LaLoosh: "Got to play… it's pretty boring."
Crash Davis: "Course it's boring, that's the point. Write it down."
Do you realize that the journey with Jesus is simply living it one day at a time. Write it down. You can't live in regret of the past. It is forgiven. You can't live in fear of the future. It is in God's Hands. You live in the moment, one day at a time, trusting Him for that day. That's the point. Play it one day at a time.
Someone once said:
"God didn't call me to be spectacular. He called me to be faithful."
Write it down.
Another quote from the movie Bull Durham is very meaningful.
"This is a very simple game. You throw the ball, you catch the ball, you hit the ball. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose, sometimes it rains."
In many ways Christianity is a very simple faith that we have made incredibly legalistic and difficult. To paraphrase the line above. "You love the Lord your God. You love your neighbor. Sometimes it is easy. Sometimes it is hard. Sometimes life rains on you."
Why do we want to make it so maddeningly complex? Jesus said that two things are the most important.
One of the teachers of religious law was standing there listening to the debate. He realized that Jesus had answered well, so he asked, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”
Jesus replied, “The most important commandment is this: ‘Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God is the one and only Lord. And you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.” (Mark 12:28-3)
How simple to understand is this? I didn’t ask how simple to do, just how simple to understand. We can not do this without Jesus’s help!
Why have we ever tried to make it anything else? The scholar who heard the words of Jesus "got it".
“The teacher of religious law replied, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth by saying that there is only one God and no other. And I know it is important to love him with all my heart and all my understanding and all my strength, and to love my neighbor as myself. This is more important than to offer all of the burnt offerings and sacrifices required in the law.” (Mark 12:32-32)
How do you suppose “the body of Christ” (Which is His church according to the Bible. Not the building, but the people.) would look if we concentrated on those two simple commands? Would we worry so much about the worship music style, what people wear, what translation of the Bible is used, or the carpet color? Why do we get so fired up about what other Christians are doing and other people are saying? Why do we care so much about being treated fairly and getting what we deserve? If we concentrated on those two commands we would be so much happier and effective for Christ. We would experience and give grace.
But do we get it? Do I get it? Or do we still get sidetracked by life and pride and worries? It is really very simple. Love the Lord your God with all of your heart. Read the Word daily. Love others as you love yourself. That is what Jesus told me to do. Nothing about programs or positions or curriculum or strategies.
Love God. Love others.
Write it down.
Listen to this song at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrsisruycV8
Loving God, loving each other
Loving God, loving each other,
Making music with my friends;
Loving God, loving each other,
And the story never ends.
They pushed back from the table
To listen to His words,
His secret plan before He had to go.
It's not complicated;
Don't need a lot of rules,
This is all you'll need to know.
Loving God, loving each other,
Making music with my friends;
Loving God, loving each other,
And the story never ends.
We tend to make it harder,
Build steeples out of stone,
Fill with explanations of The Way,
But if we'd stop and listen
And break a little bread,
We would hear the Master say
Loving God, loving each other,
Making music with my friends;
Loving God, loving each other,
And the story never ends.
For prayer requests, comments or to be included in our email ministry, email us at: whosoever@cottagehillbaptist.org
Check out our “blog” at: http://thewhosoevers.blogspot.com/
Check out our “blog” at: http://thewhosoevers.blogspot.com/
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
HOW TO HAVE A HAPPIER NEW YEAR
“I have given you an example to follow. Do as I have done to you. I tell you the truth, slaves are not greater than their master. Nor is the messenger more important than the one who sends the message. Now that you know these things, God will bless you for doing them.” John 13:15-17.
Jesus spoke these words to His disciples after He had washed their feet. In order that they not forget the example of humility that He had given them, the disciples were told that happiness is not found in merely knowing these things but in doing them.
Let us look at four things the child of God can do to ensure having a happier new year.
I. BELIEVE
A dynamic faith will enable us to defeat discouragement and empower us to live victoriously in Christ Jesus. Our faith in His power to supply every need that we will have in this new year will give us every reason to rejoice. Let us rejoice in the following evidences of His power to bless His children.
His power to save: “Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. Hebrews 7:25
His power to strengthen: “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13
His power to protect:
“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
His power to provide: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…” Psalms 23:1 “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
II. BEHAVE
As so often said: "What we do speaks so loud that others cannot hear what we say." For this reason, the Word of God places great emphasis on the believer living a godly and holy life. Our behavior should exemplify Christ in the following areas.
In our daily life: “let your good deeds shine out” Matthew 5:16a
In our witness before the world:
“…for all to see…” Matthew 5:16b
In our church fellowship:
“so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.” Timothy 3:15
III. BEWARE
To be fore-warned is to be fore-armed. The Word of God gives us ample warning to beware of certain and real dangers that confront us in our daily Christian life.Of the deception of men:
”Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.”
Of the trap of the devil:
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” I Peter 5:8
Of your own self: "Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” Luke 12:15
IV. BELONG
It is impossible for anyone to be genuinely happy without a sense of "belonging". Well has it been said that "a man is not an island unto himself."
Every child of God can rejoice in the blessing of belonging to Christ and His church.
To Christ: “because you belong to Christ…” Mark 9:41
“God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world.” I Corinthians 7:23
Jesus spoke these words to His disciples after He had washed their feet. In order that they not forget the example of humility that He had given them, the disciples were told that happiness is not found in merely knowing these things but in doing them.
Let us look at four things the child of God can do to ensure having a happier new year.
I. BELIEVE
A dynamic faith will enable us to defeat discouragement and empower us to live victoriously in Christ Jesus. Our faith in His power to supply every need that we will have in this new year will give us every reason to rejoice. Let us rejoice in the following evidences of His power to bless His children.
His power to save: “Therefore he is able, once and forever, to save those who come to God through him. He lives forever to intercede with God on their behalf. Hebrews 7:25
His power to strengthen: “For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:13
His power to protect:
“This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go.” Joshua 1:9
His power to provide: “The Lord is my Shepherd, I shall not want…” Psalms 23:1 “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.” Philippians 4:19
II. BEHAVE
As so often said: "What we do speaks so loud that others cannot hear what we say." For this reason, the Word of God places great emphasis on the believer living a godly and holy life. Our behavior should exemplify Christ in the following areas.
In our daily life: “let your good deeds shine out” Matthew 5:16a
In our witness before the world:
“…for all to see…” Matthew 5:16b
In our church fellowship:
“so that if I am delayed, you will know how people must conduct themselves in the household of God. This is the church of the living God, which is the pillar and foundation of the truth.” Timothy 3:15
III. BEWARE
To be fore-warned is to be fore-armed. The Word of God gives us ample warning to beware of certain and real dangers that confront us in our daily Christian life.Of the deception of men:
”Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.”
Of the trap of the devil:
“Stay alert! Watch out for your great enemy, the devil. He prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for someone to devour.” I Peter 5:8
Of your own self: "Then he said, “Beware! Guard against every kind of greed. Life is not measured by how much you own.” Luke 12:15
IV. BELONG
It is impossible for anyone to be genuinely happy without a sense of "belonging". Well has it been said that "a man is not an island unto himself."
Every child of God can rejoice in the blessing of belonging to Christ and His church.
To Christ: “because you belong to Christ…” Mark 9:41
“God paid a high price for you, so don’t be enslaved by the world.” I Corinthians 7:23
To the church:
“And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” Acts 2:47
“And each day the Lord added to their fellowship those who were being saved.” Acts 2:47
Monday, December 28, 2009
An Appropriate Gift - Anytime!
How large was your Christmas list this year? Christmas is a time of year when we make our list of friends and family to whom we want to give gifts. We usually start with our children and spouse and work our way out to our family, friends and co-workers. As we do this, the list becomes larger and larger. It's no wonder that we can be overwhelmed at the COST of Christmas.
Today, let’s talk about a gift that is appropriate to give at anytime. And it doesn’t cost any “cash” but there is a cost, mainly our pride!
God paid a very dear cost for us to receive the Gift of eternal life through Jesus. He gave His one and only Son so that we could have life. Most of us understand eternal life as being something that we will receive after we die. But that isn't the full meaning. You see ETERNAL means endless, never-ending, everlasting, and timeless. The moment we accept the offer of Jesus' sacrifice of LIFE, we begin our eternal, never ending walk with God. What that means is that God's life, His love, His peace, His joy, His compassion, is NOW part of who we are and as we submit ourselves to Him, the Holy Spirit empowers us to be more and more like Jesus. That's the part of LIVING that often Christians take many years in their Christian walk to understand; that we didn't have to survive on my own anymore because the Holy Spirit is IN US to HELP US live the Christian life.
One of the things that the Holy Spirit empowers us to do is FORGIVE. To some that sounds like an impossible task that even God would not ask us to do. After all, some of the people we don't want to forgive really did hurt us. But forgiveness is the MAIN thing that Jesus was born to give to us. We are all sinners who fall short of God's glory and without the shed blood of Jesus, we are doomed not just to hell, but to live a life of misery, because separated from God our lives are hopeless. But Jesus offers us forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God. Now that is LIFE ETERNAL!
One of the biggest reasons that people, even Christians, are miserable is because they refuse to let go of the hurts, disappointment, and offenses of others. They justify their pain and keep themselves and others locked in a prison of unforgiveness.
Peter had a problem with unforgiveness too. He wasn't exactly thrilled with one of his fellow disciples. One day (Matthew 18:21) he asked Jesus a question, "How many times must I forgive? How about 7? That sounds reasonable doesn't it?" Can't you just see Peter beaming with pride after answering his own question? But Jesus went above and beyond Peters expectation and said; "How about 7 times 70?" Can’t you just hear Peter. "You've got to be kidding me? You expect me to forgive this guy John, who by the way keeps bragging about how much you love him 490 times? Why don't you deal with Him about his pride and give me a BREAK!"
Jesus had a way of getting right to the heart of people's problems. The real issue here is that NO ONE, not even Peter who walked with Jesus every day, could love the unlovely and give forgiveness without the Help of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was reminding Peter, and US, that apart from HIM we can't do anything.
Have you ever noticed that right in the middle of the word forgiveness is the word GIVE? Luke 6:38 says that whatever we give will be given back to us. Paul said in Galatians 6:7 that whatever we sowed, which is also a form of giving would be what we harvested. Jesus said that unless we forgive others, God wouldn't forgive us (Matthew 6:15). OUCH! Why do you suppose that we are required to do this?
Let’s look at two main reasons that God requires Christians to offer forgiveness to others. First, we have been forgiven. All of our sins, which are many, have been washed away. They haven't just been covered over. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from ALL unrighteousness and sets us free from the power of sin and death. When we refuse to forgive others, WE, not them, are placed into a pit and our hearts become a seed bed for satan's seeds of bitterness, depression, and offense. The longer we go holding onto the unforgiveness, the more the garden of our heart becomes infested with the enemy's seeds! This is NOT the life that Jesus died to give us. This the enemy's plan to kill, steal and destroy the love that God wants to shed abroad in our hearts!
Second, when we offer forgiveness to others who have hurt us, it unlocks the chains in their life for God to work in their hearts.
One of the obstacles to giving forgiveness is that our flesh never wants to do it. Many people say "I wish I could forgive, but I just don't feel like I can." Wishing isn't one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but self-control is! It's not something we always feel like doing! James 4:7 says that if we will submit ourselves to God and resist the devil he'll flee. Notice that Satan doesn't flee until after we choose to submit ourselves to God and you can't find anywhere that it says we have to feel like it! Forgiveness is a choice we make in obedience to God's word. It may take a while for our flesh to get over harboring unforgivensess but our spirit part loves it when we choose to follow God!
It isn't easy making the choice to forgive. But living with unforgiveness can be downright deadly! It has been said that harboring unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies! That's a good way to think about it, because many, many illnesses, can be linked to bitterness and unforgiveness!
So why don’t we chose to give some undeserving person the gift of forgiveness in the upcoming New Year? Giving forgiveness will open a door for God to do great things in your life and in the lives of those you choose to forgive. So as you make your list of New Year’s resolutions how about making a list of those you need to forgive. Maybe it's your spouse or your children. Maybe it's the store clerk that was rude to you. Maybe it's your pastor or your friend. Maybe it is someone you just don’t like! Maybe it's yourself. Your gift of forgiveness will go a long way for God to work in their hearts, and in yours. Ask the Holy Spirit to stir up a heart of compassion in you and release LOVE, JOY, and PEACE in your heart. Be obedient to the still small voice of God and forgive those who have hurt and disappointed you in the past. Your New Year will be brighter and their life will be better for it too.
For prayer requests, comments or to be included in our email ministry, email us at: whosoever@cottagehillbaptist.org.
Today, let’s talk about a gift that is appropriate to give at anytime. And it doesn’t cost any “cash” but there is a cost, mainly our pride!
God paid a very dear cost for us to receive the Gift of eternal life through Jesus. He gave His one and only Son so that we could have life. Most of us understand eternal life as being something that we will receive after we die. But that isn't the full meaning. You see ETERNAL means endless, never-ending, everlasting, and timeless. The moment we accept the offer of Jesus' sacrifice of LIFE, we begin our eternal, never ending walk with God. What that means is that God's life, His love, His peace, His joy, His compassion, is NOW part of who we are and as we submit ourselves to Him, the Holy Spirit empowers us to be more and more like Jesus. That's the part of LIVING that often Christians take many years in their Christian walk to understand; that we didn't have to survive on my own anymore because the Holy Spirit is IN US to HELP US live the Christian life.
One of the things that the Holy Spirit empowers us to do is FORGIVE. To some that sounds like an impossible task that even God would not ask us to do. After all, some of the people we don't want to forgive really did hurt us. But forgiveness is the MAIN thing that Jesus was born to give to us. We are all sinners who fall short of God's glory and without the shed blood of Jesus, we are doomed not just to hell, but to live a life of misery, because separated from God our lives are hopeless. But Jesus offers us forgiveness of sins and reconciliation with God. Now that is LIFE ETERNAL!
One of the biggest reasons that people, even Christians, are miserable is because they refuse to let go of the hurts, disappointment, and offenses of others. They justify their pain and keep themselves and others locked in a prison of unforgiveness.
Peter had a problem with unforgiveness too. He wasn't exactly thrilled with one of his fellow disciples. One day (Matthew 18:21) he asked Jesus a question, "How many times must I forgive? How about 7? That sounds reasonable doesn't it?" Can't you just see Peter beaming with pride after answering his own question? But Jesus went above and beyond Peters expectation and said; "How about 7 times 70?" Can’t you just hear Peter. "You've got to be kidding me? You expect me to forgive this guy John, who by the way keeps bragging about how much you love him 490 times? Why don't you deal with Him about his pride and give me a BREAK!"
Jesus had a way of getting right to the heart of people's problems. The real issue here is that NO ONE, not even Peter who walked with Jesus every day, could love the unlovely and give forgiveness without the Help of the Holy Spirit. Jesus was reminding Peter, and US, that apart from HIM we can't do anything.
Have you ever noticed that right in the middle of the word forgiveness is the word GIVE? Luke 6:38 says that whatever we give will be given back to us. Paul said in Galatians 6:7 that whatever we sowed, which is also a form of giving would be what we harvested. Jesus said that unless we forgive others, God wouldn't forgive us (Matthew 6:15). OUCH! Why do you suppose that we are required to do this?
Let’s look at two main reasons that God requires Christians to offer forgiveness to others. First, we have been forgiven. All of our sins, which are many, have been washed away. They haven't just been covered over. The blood of Jesus cleanses us from ALL unrighteousness and sets us free from the power of sin and death. When we refuse to forgive others, WE, not them, are placed into a pit and our hearts become a seed bed for satan's seeds of bitterness, depression, and offense. The longer we go holding onto the unforgiveness, the more the garden of our heart becomes infested with the enemy's seeds! This is NOT the life that Jesus died to give us. This the enemy's plan to kill, steal and destroy the love that God wants to shed abroad in our hearts!
Second, when we offer forgiveness to others who have hurt us, it unlocks the chains in their life for God to work in their hearts.
One of the obstacles to giving forgiveness is that our flesh never wants to do it. Many people say "I wish I could forgive, but I just don't feel like I can." Wishing isn't one of the gifts of the Holy Spirit, but self-control is! It's not something we always feel like doing! James 4:7 says that if we will submit ourselves to God and resist the devil he'll flee. Notice that Satan doesn't flee until after we choose to submit ourselves to God and you can't find anywhere that it says we have to feel like it! Forgiveness is a choice we make in obedience to God's word. It may take a while for our flesh to get over harboring unforgivensess but our spirit part loves it when we choose to follow God!
It isn't easy making the choice to forgive. But living with unforgiveness can be downright deadly! It has been said that harboring unforgiveness is like drinking poison and hoping the other person dies! That's a good way to think about it, because many, many illnesses, can be linked to bitterness and unforgiveness!
So why don’t we chose to give some undeserving person the gift of forgiveness in the upcoming New Year? Giving forgiveness will open a door for God to do great things in your life and in the lives of those you choose to forgive. So as you make your list of New Year’s resolutions how about making a list of those you need to forgive. Maybe it's your spouse or your children. Maybe it's the store clerk that was rude to you. Maybe it's your pastor or your friend. Maybe it is someone you just don’t like! Maybe it's yourself. Your gift of forgiveness will go a long way for God to work in their hearts, and in yours. Ask the Holy Spirit to stir up a heart of compassion in you and release LOVE, JOY, and PEACE in your heart. Be obedient to the still small voice of God and forgive those who have hurt and disappointed you in the past. Your New Year will be brighter and their life will be better for it too.
For prayer requests, comments or to be included in our email ministry, email us at: whosoever@cottagehillbaptist.org.
Saturday, December 26, 2009
After 2000 Years They Are Still Wise Men
What do we really know about the wise men? Not much when you examine the scripture. Where did they come from? “The east” you say. But where in the east? We know they came from the east and they came from a long way away, but we don’t really know where they came from.
How many of them were there and what kind of men were they? Again, we don’t know. It has been suggested that these men were kings because the Old Testament had predicted that kings would come to worship him. The three kings “theory” is based on the number of gifts mentioned, gold, frankincense and myrrh. And the manufacturers of nativity scenes picked up on this, so in every nativity scene, you see three kings or wise men. But the Bible doesn’t tell us exactly who they were or how many of them came.
When did they come? We don’t know for sure. But it was almost certain that they did not come to Him in the stable. Matthew writes, “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary.” (Matthew 2:11). This tells us that at the time they arrived Jesus and Mary were in a house. Also, when Herod realized that the wise men had “outwitted” him, he orders that all boys 2 years and under in the area of Bethlehem, killed. He had asked the wise men when the star first appeared so he had an idea of when Jesus had been born. See Matthew 2:1-8 for the full story.
So we don’t know who they were, where they came from, how many of them there were or even when they came. Why not? Why doesn’t Matthew tell us any of this information? Maybe the detail is left out of the picture in order that the full emphasis may be placed on the one thing that is central to this story, namely their statement, “we have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:2b)That’s the main point of this particular story as Matthew tells it to us. “We have come to worship him.” And as we look at what Matthew tells us about these men, although they may have been strange little men who dressed weird, they really were wise men.
And the challenge for us today, is whether we will be wise men and women. Wise men still seek him. Wise men still serve him and wise men still worship him.
First, wise men still seek him! It’s likely that these wise men were descendants of the ten tribes of Israel that remained in Babylon after the time of Daniel. Many of the Jews did not return to their homeland but rather chose to remain behind in Babylon. We don’t know much about their faith but they were looking for the coming messiah. They took literally the statement from Numbers 24.17: “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” And so they searched the skies for hundreds of years looking for a sign that the messiah had come. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced and came seeking the one who was born king of the Jews.
We don’t know exactly how far they traveled, but it is likely that they came from 500 to 1000 miles away. Imagine traveling that far on the back of a camel. One hump or two? It might not be that bad if you were on a two humper. Maybe you could settle in between the humps and put it on auto-pilot, or auto-camel. But imagine being on top of a one humper trying to keep your balance the whole way! And it was a long and difficult trip across the desert. Give these men credit. They really wanted to come and worship Jesus. They were serious seekers. Are we?
Wise men and women still seek him. What about you? These wise men teach us that perfect theology is not required to come to the conclusion that Jesus is God’s son who came to earth for you. Don’t miss this. The Apostle John says that “He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.” (John 1:11). He came into the world he had created, walked the land he made and came to the people he had chosen as his special people. And he was rejected. But then John says “to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)
Are you seeking for something to fill the void in your life this Christmas? There are a lot of ways to fill that feeling of emptiness. But there’s only one way to fill it in a way that will last. That’s to realize that the emptiness is caused by God in order to bring us to Him. God sent Jesus to fill that void. He came to earth as a man, lived a perfect life, died for our sins and rose from the dead. He offers us forgiveness, fulfillment and peace happiness. What we have to do is first to recognize that we have sinned against him. Ask him to forgive us for our sins and be the lord of our life. Our life will never be the same and we will be on the road to being a wise man.
For many of us, we’ve made that commitment. But it’s important that we continue to seek him, to know him each day and to know his word. We must continue to grow in our relationship with God.
So, wise men still seek him!
Second, wise men still serve him. They stopped in Jerusalem to find out exactly where Jesus could be found. There they met King Herod. He must have been enraged by their question and statement. “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” “Newborn king of the Jews?” Kings are not born. Herod had to murder, commit acts of deceit and treachery in order to become king. Who in the world could be born a king? And why would he have a star? And why would these men want to worship a baby? Herod must have been beside himself. But he kept calm and tried to make a deal with the magi.
“When you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” (Matthew 2:8b). The wise men knew he was lying to them. But now they had a choice. Who would they serve? The little tiny helpless baby born king of the Jews or the powerful King Herod? After all, if they served Herod, he might reward them greatly. Jesus was just a baby. Maybe they could worship and serve him later is life. Maybe they could serve Herod now and Jesus later. Maybe they could have the best of both worlds, have their cake and eat it, too.
But that’s not what they did. They went to worship this little tiny baby. And then when God warned them supernaturally in a dream and they understood what he wanted them to do, they were faithful to serve him regardless of the danger of disobeying the murderous King Herod.
Wise men still serve Him. Are you serving Him? What has He called you to do? We don’t know what God has called everyone to do, BUT we do know that serving God involves serving others. There are a lot of opportunities to serve others especially at this time of year.
But doing good for others doesn’t end with the Christmas season. Again, as part of our commitment to live a life that really matters, we will choose to serve God by doing premeditated acts of kindness to those around us. We’ll choose to give time to serving God either through our church or other avenues of service. God blesses those who serve him. Wise men still serve him.
And finally, wise men still worship him. These men had one come all this way with one purpose in mind. That purpose was to worship the one who was born king of the Jews. They came to worship the Son of God. They did it with confidence. They did it with the certainty of hope. Look at some of the language. ““Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” They didn’t just set out for a leisurely ride in the desert; show up in Jerusalem and say, “we heard something was going on in this area. What’s happening? We saw some bright stars and thought maybe they meant something. What do you think?” No. They were definite and they were certain. “Where is he? We have come to worship him.”
Wise men still worship Him!
Are you a wise man or woman? Are you spending time worshipping him? Worship is not just about attending church. You can attend church and still not worship. Worship involves praising God both in speaking and in singing. Worship involves hearing the word of God taught and responding by changing our lives. And worship involves giving of our gifts to God. How are you doing in your worship? Are you taking time to praise, to confess, to study and to grow?
We read of no greater faith than this in all the Bible. It is a faith that deserves to be placed side by side with that of the thief on the cross. The thief saw one dying the death of a criminal and yet prayed to him and called him ‘Lord.’ The wise men saw a newborn baby on the lap of a poor woman, and yet they worshipped him and confessed that he was the Christ.
The men really were wise men. And today, wise men still seek him. Wise men still serve him and wise men still worship him. My prayer is that we be wise men and women, seeking Him, serving Him and worshipping Him as he leads us every day to become more and more a growing family of believers seeking to be more like Him!
For prayer requests, comments or to be included in our email ministry, email us at: whosoever@cottagehillbaptist.org. Also, Check out our “blog” at: http://thewhosoevers.blogspot.com/
How many of them were there and what kind of men were they? Again, we don’t know. It has been suggested that these men were kings because the Old Testament had predicted that kings would come to worship him. The three kings “theory” is based on the number of gifts mentioned, gold, frankincense and myrrh. And the manufacturers of nativity scenes picked up on this, so in every nativity scene, you see three kings or wise men. But the Bible doesn’t tell us exactly who they were or how many of them came.
When did they come? We don’t know for sure. But it was almost certain that they did not come to Him in the stable. Matthew writes, “On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary.” (Matthew 2:11). This tells us that at the time they arrived Jesus and Mary were in a house. Also, when Herod realized that the wise men had “outwitted” him, he orders that all boys 2 years and under in the area of Bethlehem, killed. He had asked the wise men when the star first appeared so he had an idea of when Jesus had been born. See Matthew 2:1-8 for the full story.
So we don’t know who they were, where they came from, how many of them there were or even when they came. Why not? Why doesn’t Matthew tell us any of this information? Maybe the detail is left out of the picture in order that the full emphasis may be placed on the one thing that is central to this story, namely their statement, “we have come to worship him.” (Matthew 2:2b)That’s the main point of this particular story as Matthew tells it to us. “We have come to worship him.” And as we look at what Matthew tells us about these men, although they may have been strange little men who dressed weird, they really were wise men.
And the challenge for us today, is whether we will be wise men and women. Wise men still seek him. Wise men still serve him and wise men still worship him.
First, wise men still seek him! It’s likely that these wise men were descendants of the ten tribes of Israel that remained in Babylon after the time of Daniel. Many of the Jews did not return to their homeland but rather chose to remain behind in Babylon. We don’t know much about their faith but they were looking for the coming messiah. They took literally the statement from Numbers 24.17: “A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel.” And so they searched the skies for hundreds of years looking for a sign that the messiah had come. And when they saw the star, they rejoiced and came seeking the one who was born king of the Jews.
We don’t know exactly how far they traveled, but it is likely that they came from 500 to 1000 miles away. Imagine traveling that far on the back of a camel. One hump or two? It might not be that bad if you were on a two humper. Maybe you could settle in between the humps and put it on auto-pilot, or auto-camel. But imagine being on top of a one humper trying to keep your balance the whole way! And it was a long and difficult trip across the desert. Give these men credit. They really wanted to come and worship Jesus. They were serious seekers. Are we?
Wise men and women still seek him. What about you? These wise men teach us that perfect theology is not required to come to the conclusion that Jesus is God’s son who came to earth for you. Don’t miss this. The Apostle John says that “He came to his own people, and even they rejected him.” (John 1:11). He came into the world he had created, walked the land he made and came to the people he had chosen as his special people. And he was rejected. But then John says “to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. (John 1:12)
Are you seeking for something to fill the void in your life this Christmas? There are a lot of ways to fill that feeling of emptiness. But there’s only one way to fill it in a way that will last. That’s to realize that the emptiness is caused by God in order to bring us to Him. God sent Jesus to fill that void. He came to earth as a man, lived a perfect life, died for our sins and rose from the dead. He offers us forgiveness, fulfillment and peace happiness. What we have to do is first to recognize that we have sinned against him. Ask him to forgive us for our sins and be the lord of our life. Our life will never be the same and we will be on the road to being a wise man.
For many of us, we’ve made that commitment. But it’s important that we continue to seek him, to know him each day and to know his word. We must continue to grow in our relationship with God.
So, wise men still seek him!
Second, wise men still serve him. They stopped in Jerusalem to find out exactly where Jesus could be found. There they met King Herod. He must have been enraged by their question and statement. “Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” “Newborn king of the Jews?” Kings are not born. Herod had to murder, commit acts of deceit and treachery in order to become king. Who in the world could be born a king? And why would he have a star? And why would these men want to worship a baby? Herod must have been beside himself. But he kept calm and tried to make a deal with the magi.
“When you find him, come back and tell me so that I can go and worship him, too!” (Matthew 2:8b). The wise men knew he was lying to them. But now they had a choice. Who would they serve? The little tiny helpless baby born king of the Jews or the powerful King Herod? After all, if they served Herod, he might reward them greatly. Jesus was just a baby. Maybe they could worship and serve him later is life. Maybe they could serve Herod now and Jesus later. Maybe they could have the best of both worlds, have their cake and eat it, too.
But that’s not what they did. They went to worship this little tiny baby. And then when God warned them supernaturally in a dream and they understood what he wanted them to do, they were faithful to serve him regardless of the danger of disobeying the murderous King Herod.
Wise men still serve Him. Are you serving Him? What has He called you to do? We don’t know what God has called everyone to do, BUT we do know that serving God involves serving others. There are a lot of opportunities to serve others especially at this time of year.
But doing good for others doesn’t end with the Christmas season. Again, as part of our commitment to live a life that really matters, we will choose to serve God by doing premeditated acts of kindness to those around us. We’ll choose to give time to serving God either through our church or other avenues of service. God blesses those who serve him. Wise men still serve him.
And finally, wise men still worship him. These men had one come all this way with one purpose in mind. That purpose was to worship the one who was born king of the Jews. They came to worship the Son of God. They did it with confidence. They did it with the certainty of hope. Look at some of the language. ““Where is the newborn king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose, and we have come to worship him.” They didn’t just set out for a leisurely ride in the desert; show up in Jerusalem and say, “we heard something was going on in this area. What’s happening? We saw some bright stars and thought maybe they meant something. What do you think?” No. They were definite and they were certain. “Where is he? We have come to worship him.”
Wise men still worship Him!
Are you a wise man or woman? Are you spending time worshipping him? Worship is not just about attending church. You can attend church and still not worship. Worship involves praising God both in speaking and in singing. Worship involves hearing the word of God taught and responding by changing our lives. And worship involves giving of our gifts to God. How are you doing in your worship? Are you taking time to praise, to confess, to study and to grow?
We read of no greater faith than this in all the Bible. It is a faith that deserves to be placed side by side with that of the thief on the cross. The thief saw one dying the death of a criminal and yet prayed to him and called him ‘Lord.’ The wise men saw a newborn baby on the lap of a poor woman, and yet they worshipped him and confessed that he was the Christ.
The men really were wise men. And today, wise men still seek him. Wise men still serve him and wise men still worship him. My prayer is that we be wise men and women, seeking Him, serving Him and worshipping Him as he leads us every day to become more and more a growing family of believers seeking to be more like Him!
For prayer requests, comments or to be included in our email ministry, email us at: whosoever@cottagehillbaptist.org. Also, Check out our “blog” at: http://thewhosoevers.blogspot.com/
Friday, December 18, 2009
The Greatest Gift
Christmas is a time of giving. And that means Christmas is a time of shopping. Ever since the wise men from the east showed up at the stable carrying gold, frankincense, and myrrh, people have been exchanging gifts at Christmas. Of course, it’s much more complicated today than it was for the wise men. For one thing, they didn’t have to contend with shopping malls, all packed full of parents (AND grandparents) going from store to store to store, desperately searching for a Wii or a Ultimate LEGO Vehicle Building Set (the closest one I have found is in Warsaw, Poland). The magi didn’t have to worry about sizes, or colors, or return policies. There were no razor scooters in those days, no transformers, and definitely no life-like Barbies. Just plain old gold, frankincense and myrrh.
Well, this year, just like every year, millions of people, both children and adults, will open millions of gifts. Some won’t fit. Some will be the wrong color. Many will be returned or exchanged. But there’s one gift that meets everyone’s need, one gift that will never wear out, never break or need repairing. A gift that is appropriate for a small child, or a teenager, or an adult, or a senior adult. Boy or girl, man or woman, it makes no difference. It makes no difference what your social status is, what your race is, or what your income is. The gift we all need, the most valuable gift of all, is that baby in the manger. The one that this whole season is about. On Christmas, we celebrate the fact that God gave us the gift of His own Son, Jesus Christ, so that through faith in Him we could be forgiven of our sins and have eternal life.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. – John 3:16 (KJV)
Let’s look at three things about this gift, this incredible, priceless gift.First, the gift is Jesus Christ himself. The gift God offers us is to know Christ. To know Him as a friend, to have fellowship with Him, to have a relationship with Him. The gift God offers us is to be known and loved by Christ.
“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” – John 17:3
Have you received this gift? Do you have this kind of relationship with Jesus Christ? Do you know Him as a friend? Is He someone you can talk with, confide in, seek counsel from? Do you feel at ease in His presence, like you would with a close friend, or do you feel like you have to rush around cleaning up your spiritual “house” before you can welcome him in? If the answer is “no,” if you don’t have this kind of relationship with Christ, the good news is that you can. All you have to do is ask. Come to him in prayer; confess your sins, ask His forgiveness, ask Him into your heart. That’s all you have to do.
Maybe you’ve never heard the Christian life described in this way before. Perhaps it sounds a little strange to talk about spending time with Jesus Christ, as if He were a flesh and blood person, someone you could see and hear and touch. Well, no it isn’t like that. We may not see visions or hear voices. But that doesn’t make our fellowship with him any less real. Christ is present with us. His Spirit lives in us. He speaks to us through the Bible. And we speak with him through prayer.
“We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” – 1 John 1:3
People sometimes think of Christianity as nothing but a set of burdensome responsibilities. Doing things you’d rather not do. Like going to church, when you’d rather be home reading the Sunday paper. Some people see the Christian life as a lot of rules, a lot of “do’s” and “don’ts” (mainly “don’ts”). Or if they view Christianity more positively, they might see it primarily in terms of the benefits it can bring – improved relationships; stronger marriages; guidance in raising children; emotional strength to deal with difficult circumstances. And that’s true, but even this misses the mark. The essence of Christianity isn’t rules, or “do’s and don’t’s”, or even blessings. The essence of Christianity is a relationship with Jesus Christ. Yes, the Christian life brings many benefits – joy, peace, hope. But they all come through Christ, they all flow from our relationship with Him.
Your greatest gift to your children isn’t a few boxes wrapped in colored paper, on Christmas or their birthday. The most valuable thing you can offer them is a relationship; your love and care, your time and attention, your commitment to always be there when they need you. Right? Everything else flows from that. In the same way, God’s greatest gift to us is a relationship with Jesus Christ, and a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.
The second thing is that this gift has great value. Although there is truly nothing more desirable than knowing Christ, many people just can’t see it. Their eyes haven’t been opened. They look into the manger, and they don’t see a king. They don’t see the Savior of the World. They don’t see “the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace,” -- to list just some of His names. They don’t see anything special at all, because they don’t have eyes of faith. All they can see is an ordinary human being. And so, they pass by the child in the manger and instead seek after the gold, and the frankincense, and the myrrh sitting at the side. They don’t want the baby, they want the presents. Which do you value more, the toys and trinkets of this life that will all eventually crumble into dust, or a relationship with Jesus Christ that will last forever?
"God's kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidentally found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic—what a find!—and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field. Or, God's kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for excellent pearls. Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it.” Matt. 13:44-46 (MSG)
Knowing Christ is worth more than anything else in this world; in fact, knowing Christ is worth more than everything else in this world. We will never be disappointed by Him. He is that treasure; He’s that pearl of great value. God’s gift to us, this child in the manger, is worth more than anything else we could ever possess. Does your life reflect that truth? Do you know Him? Are you seeking Him?
“Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words! 2 Corinthians 9:15
Finally, the gift must be received. It’s available to everyone, but God doesn’t force it on anyone. We have to receive it. We have to take the package, and open the box, and accept it as our own. We each have to make the decision to receive Jesus Christ into our lives. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 Not all who heard about him, or agreed with his teachings. Not all who attended church. Not all who tried to follow the golden rule. But all who received him. Some people imagine that God’s love has to be earned; that we have to do something to deserve His forgiveness, that we have to somehow be good enough to merit His acceptance. But a gift you have to pay for is no gift at all.
Now, maybe you opened that gift years ago, but lately it’s been sitting on the shelf. You’ve been too busy, or too distracted, or too hurting to give Christ the time and attention you know He deserves. Or maybe for you that gift is still under the tree, wrapped and ready to be opened. Here’s the point of the lesson: Don’t leave Christ on the shelf; don’t leave Him under the tree. Take him into your heart and into your life, even today. That gift from God has a tag with your name on it. What better day than Christmas to renew your commitment to Christ; or what better day than Christmas to begin a new life of fellowship with Jesus Christ, a new life of joy and peace and love?
For prayer requests, comments or to be included in our email ministry, email us at: whosoever@cottagehillbaptist.org.
Well, this year, just like every year, millions of people, both children and adults, will open millions of gifts. Some won’t fit. Some will be the wrong color. Many will be returned or exchanged. But there’s one gift that meets everyone’s need, one gift that will never wear out, never break or need repairing. A gift that is appropriate for a small child, or a teenager, or an adult, or a senior adult. Boy or girl, man or woman, it makes no difference. It makes no difference what your social status is, what your race is, or what your income is. The gift we all need, the most valuable gift of all, is that baby in the manger. The one that this whole season is about. On Christmas, we celebrate the fact that God gave us the gift of His own Son, Jesus Christ, so that through faith in Him we could be forgiven of our sins and have eternal life.
"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. – John 3:16 (KJV)
Let’s look at three things about this gift, this incredible, priceless gift.First, the gift is Jesus Christ himself. The gift God offers us is to know Christ. To know Him as a friend, to have fellowship with Him, to have a relationship with Him. The gift God offers us is to be known and loved by Christ.
“Now this is eternal life: that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent.” – John 17:3
Have you received this gift? Do you have this kind of relationship with Jesus Christ? Do you know Him as a friend? Is He someone you can talk with, confide in, seek counsel from? Do you feel at ease in His presence, like you would with a close friend, or do you feel like you have to rush around cleaning up your spiritual “house” before you can welcome him in? If the answer is “no,” if you don’t have this kind of relationship with Christ, the good news is that you can. All you have to do is ask. Come to him in prayer; confess your sins, ask His forgiveness, ask Him into your heart. That’s all you have to do.
Maybe you’ve never heard the Christian life described in this way before. Perhaps it sounds a little strange to talk about spending time with Jesus Christ, as if He were a flesh and blood person, someone you could see and hear and touch. Well, no it isn’t like that. We may not see visions or hear voices. But that doesn’t make our fellowship with him any less real. Christ is present with us. His Spirit lives in us. He speaks to us through the Bible. And we speak with him through prayer.
“We proclaim to you what we ourselves have actually seen and heard so that you may have fellowship with us. And our fellowship is with the Father and with his Son, Jesus Christ.” – 1 John 1:3
People sometimes think of Christianity as nothing but a set of burdensome responsibilities. Doing things you’d rather not do. Like going to church, when you’d rather be home reading the Sunday paper. Some people see the Christian life as a lot of rules, a lot of “do’s” and “don’ts” (mainly “don’ts”). Or if they view Christianity more positively, they might see it primarily in terms of the benefits it can bring – improved relationships; stronger marriages; guidance in raising children; emotional strength to deal with difficult circumstances. And that’s true, but even this misses the mark. The essence of Christianity isn’t rules, or “do’s and don’t’s”, or even blessings. The essence of Christianity is a relationship with Jesus Christ. Yes, the Christian life brings many benefits – joy, peace, hope. But they all come through Christ, they all flow from our relationship with Him.
Your greatest gift to your children isn’t a few boxes wrapped in colored paper, on Christmas or their birthday. The most valuable thing you can offer them is a relationship; your love and care, your time and attention, your commitment to always be there when they need you. Right? Everything else flows from that. In the same way, God’s greatest gift to us is a relationship with Jesus Christ, and a relationship with Him through Jesus Christ.
The second thing is that this gift has great value. Although there is truly nothing more desirable than knowing Christ, many people just can’t see it. Their eyes haven’t been opened. They look into the manger, and they don’t see a king. They don’t see the Savior of the World. They don’t see “the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace,” -- to list just some of His names. They don’t see anything special at all, because they don’t have eyes of faith. All they can see is an ordinary human being. And so, they pass by the child in the manger and instead seek after the gold, and the frankincense, and the myrrh sitting at the side. They don’t want the baby, they want the presents. Which do you value more, the toys and trinkets of this life that will all eventually crumble into dust, or a relationship with Jesus Christ that will last forever?
"God's kingdom is like a treasure hidden in a field for years and then accidentally found by a trespasser. The finder is ecstatic—what a find!—and proceeds to sell everything he owns to raise money and buy that field. Or, God's kingdom is like a jewel merchant on the hunt for excellent pearls. Finding one that is flawless, he immediately sells everything and buys it.” Matt. 13:44-46 (MSG)
Knowing Christ is worth more than anything else in this world; in fact, knowing Christ is worth more than everything else in this world. We will never be disappointed by Him. He is that treasure; He’s that pearl of great value. God’s gift to us, this child in the manger, is worth more than anything else we could ever possess. Does your life reflect that truth? Do you know Him? Are you seeking Him?
“Thank God for this gift too wonderful for words! 2 Corinthians 9:15
Finally, the gift must be received. It’s available to everyone, but God doesn’t force it on anyone. We have to receive it. We have to take the package, and open the box, and accept it as our own. We each have to make the decision to receive Jesus Christ into our lives. But to all who believed him and accepted him, he gave the right to become children of God. John 1:12 Not all who heard about him, or agreed with his teachings. Not all who attended church. Not all who tried to follow the golden rule. But all who received him. Some people imagine that God’s love has to be earned; that we have to do something to deserve His forgiveness, that we have to somehow be good enough to merit His acceptance. But a gift you have to pay for is no gift at all.
Now, maybe you opened that gift years ago, but lately it’s been sitting on the shelf. You’ve been too busy, or too distracted, or too hurting to give Christ the time and attention you know He deserves. Or maybe for you that gift is still under the tree, wrapped and ready to be opened. Here’s the point of the lesson: Don’t leave Christ on the shelf; don’t leave Him under the tree. Take him into your heart and into your life, even today. That gift from God has a tag with your name on it. What better day than Christmas to renew your commitment to Christ; or what better day than Christmas to begin a new life of fellowship with Jesus Christ, a new life of joy and peace and love?
For prayer requests, comments or to be included in our email ministry, email us at: whosoever@cottagehillbaptist.org.
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