God’s New Math: Addition Through Subtraction

This morning our Pastor’s sermon was on sanctification and his title was the same as this post.  He preached from two texts, which I quote:

¹¹ For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, ¹² training us to renounce ungodliness andworldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright, and godly lives in the present age, ¹³  waiting for our blessedhope, the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ, ¹⁴  who gave himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to purify for himself a people for his own possession who are zealous for good works.  –  Titus 2:11-14

23 Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.  –  1 Thessalonians 5:23-24

The best part of the sermon though was the illustration, which was about the purifying of silver.

Silver is mined from the ground in the form of silver ore.  The ore is pulverized into powder and then put into a pot or cauldron where it is heated to over 900 degrees Celsius.  As the silver melts, it sinks to the bottom, being heavier than the surrounding ore.  Once all of the silver is melted, the slag, or dross, is left on the top where it is scooped off and disposed of.  When the process is almost complete, the refiner will stir the molten silver to make sure that there are no pockets of slag remaining under the surface.  As these pockets are loosened, they too float to the top, where they can be disposed of.

The refiner knows the process of purification (or in human terms, sanctification) is complete when he looks into the surface of the silver and sees his own image reflected without blemish.

The analogy of God purifying His saints is perfect.  As God subtracts the sin from our lives, He replaces it with His holiness.  His work in us is complete when He looks into our being, and the reflection He sees is His own, perfect in holiness.

 

My daily prayer:  Lord, I ask that You remove from my life anything that displeases You, until all that You see when You look at me is You.

Are We Fans Or Followers Of Christ

I am reading the book, “Not A Fan: Becoming A Completely Committed Follower Of Jesus”, by Kyle Idleman.

The first section of the book is devoted to distinguishing between the fans and followers of Christ.

Fans tend to want Jesus as part of their lives, but only to the extent that they are not too inconvenienced by His presence.  For example, fans want what Jesus offers, as long as they don’t have to give more financially than they are comfortable with.  Fans want Jesus, but are not willing to give up that favorite sin, whether that sin be drinking or drugs, sexual immorality, lying, coveting, etc.  Fans want Jesus,

A Biblical Perspective On Sin

I have been a Christian since 1980, or, for nearly thirty-two years.  I have spent much  of my Christian walk thinking that the main goal of the Christian life is to stop sinning so that I may be pleasing to my God.  I have spent so much energy seeking ways to stop sinning that it is sick!  Perhaps you have done the same.  If so, I will ask you the question that I was asked today.  Has it worked?  Have you been successful in removing the sin from you life?  If you are like me, and if you are being honest with yourself, you will likely have to admit, as I did, that no, it has not worked.

So, I ask myself, why do I want to stop sinning?  Is it because I fear that God will punish me if I continue to sin?  God’s word says,

Random Thoughts On Food, Love, And Obedience

I have tried to come up with a blog topic for days but have been unable to come up with anything  coherent that I could write about.  The problem is, I have had several things churning through my mind, so no one thing will bubble to the surface and present itself as a single topic.

So, I have decided to just share some of my thoughts as a blog post.

Where You Go, I’ll Go

During my time of prayer and meditation this morning I was reading through a passage in Ephesians that relates to a particular topic I have struggled with.  I asked my Lord to give me insight into this passage that I might begin to answer some of the questions I have struggled with.  As I continued in meditation it became clear to me that the Lord was not going to give an answer to my questions, at least, not directly as I had asked.

Instead, I found myself asking to know where He would lead me today, and that He would light my path that I be able to see His footsteps in order to follow them.

An Ephesians 5 Husband

²⁵ Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her,²⁶ that He might sanctify and cleanse her with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷ that He might present her to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and without blemish. ²⁸ So husbands ought to love their own wives as their own bodies; he who loves his wife loves himself. ²⁹ For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as the Lord does the church. ³⁰ For we are members of His body, of His flesh and of His bones. ³¹ “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh.”  ³²This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. ³³ Nevertheless let each one of you in particular so love his own wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.  –  Ephesians 5:25-33

Husbands, are you an Ephesians 5 husband?

In Time Of Trouble, Jesus Loves You

Sometimes we reach a point in our lives where it all just stops making sense.  Sometimes the things that used to be fun have become boring.  Or maybe a relationship is ending or has just ended.  Or life has become a sad and lonely place, and full of questions and doubts.  Is this all there is?  What’s the point?  Is it really worth it?

If this sounds like you, then know that you are not alone.  I am writing from personal experience, and each of the above circumstances is from my own personal history.

Sometimes things can seem pretty hopeless.  Inside, there is a gnawing, perhaps a feeling that there are needs that are not being fulfilled.  Perhaps some of those needs are so deep that they don’t even have a name.

But, there is hope!  There is one who knows every one of those needs, and who knows exactly how to fill them.

If you are like me, you have tried many different avenues to try to fill those deep needs.  Perhaps it’s been drugs or alcohol.  Perhaps it has been relationships or promiscuous sex.  Or spending money, or risky behavior, or any of a myriad other “fixes”.  But, except perhaps for a short while, none of those things have worked.  They may feel good for a little while, but soon the good feelings have worn off, and the feelings of emptiness return, only now they are worse than before.

The fact is, none of these things have worked, because none of them can work.

We are, each one of us, created for a personal and intimate relationship with our God.  Two thousand years ago, God was manifest in flesh when Jesus Christ walked the earth.  The Bible tells us that God is love, and Jesus demonstrated that love when He ministered to the sick and hurting, when He forgave sins, and even when He restored families by raising a dead loved one.

That same Jesus is calling to you, right now.  Jesus said,

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  Matthew 11:28-30

“Rest for your soul”.  I don’t know about you, but my soul could use rest.  And Jesus’ invitation and promise are one hundred percent reliable.

Did you know?  There is only one thing that separates you from God right now.  Sin.  And not just the big ones like murder, adultery and fornication.  When God speaks of sin He means the seemingly less important ones as well.  Sins like, lying, bearing false witness, disrespect to parents, and the like.  You see?  Our God is a holy God, and all sin, any sin, is sufficient to separate us from His love and His presence in our lives.

But Jesus loved us enough that He took care of that as well.

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

But, what does it mean when the Bible says, “God gave His only Son”?  Well, the Bible tells us, “The wages of sin is death”, and the death the Bible talks about is not physical death, but spiritual, that is, separation from God.  In fact, all of us start our lives spiritually dead, separate from God.

And this is where Jesus comes in with His love for us.  Jesus Christ died on the cross to pay the debt for our sins, that is, He died, and was separated from God, His Father.  But Jesus not only paid the price for our sins, He rose from the grave, victorious over death, and providing a way of reconciliation with God, that we may once again enjoy that intimate and personal relationship that sin destroyed.

But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.  Since we have now been justified by his blood, how much more shall we be saved from God’s wrath through him!  For if, while we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!   Romans 5:8-10

The way is clear!  With Jesus paying our sin debt for us, there is nothing to stand in the way between us and eternal life and a wonderful relationship with God and our Savior.  There is but one thing to do:

If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  Romans 10:9

Will you do it?  After all, isn’t a relationship with the One who created you, who knows you and understands you, isn’t that what you are really after?  Will you pray with me now?

Lord Jesus, I am a sinner.  But I now understand that you came to earth to die for my sins, and that my sin debt is now paid.  I believe that You rose from the dead, victorious over death, and that you offer eternal life to me now as a free gift.  I accept You as my Lord and Savior, and I accept your gift of eternal life.  Amen.

Did you pray with me?  Because if you did,  God’s Holy Spirit now dwells in you, and He is now testifying with your spirit that what I have told you is all true!

The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.  Romans 8:16

If you prayed with me, look at yourself in the mirror and tell yourself,  ”I am a child of God, and Jesus is my Lord and Savior!”.

If you would like to send me an email to tell me what you have just done, or if you are still not sure and have questions, just click on my picture on the far right of this page.  If you would like to read more about asking Jesus to be your Savior, please visit Just 33 Minutes.

God bless you, and I hope to hear from you soon.

Are We Entering A Time Of Persecution?

There was a time in Germany, probably no later than the late 1920′s or early 1930′s when Jewish persecution was not on anyone’s mind.  The German economy was in shambles with the depression, and soon people began to look for a scapegoat.  Not everyone started talking at once, but over time, the idea that the Jews were the cause of Germany’s troubles became more and more prevalent.

Then, Adolph Hitler began to gain popularity, and with his rise to power, so the idea of blaming the Jews for Germany’s troubles also rose.  Soon, the cry to do something  became action, and a terrible travesty, driven by the evil of this world, took place.  May the six million Jewish souls lost to genocide rest in peace.

I have been hearing recently, or more accurately, reading, a growing voice that all of the problems we face in the United States are the fault of Christians.  So far, those voices of evil have been confined to the anonymity of the internet, but I am reading statements like:

“Christianity is the most prevalent and damaging religious entity in the US”

“All the problems this country faces are caused by Christians”

And so on.  Given time, and the right motivation, those voices will rise, and soon enough, will take on faces.

If I am reading my political and economic cards correctly, Italy is in about as serious condition as Greece.  The difference between Italy and Greece however is, Germany and France bailed out Greece.  But the Italian economy is too big to bail out, The EU can’t do it, and the U.S. certainly can’t.  So Italy, in my humble opinion, is set to fall.

When Italy falls, the shock waves will be worldwide, and could be pretty devastating.

Do you think the Occupy movement is out of hand now?  Wait until U.S. banks begin to drop like flies due to their exposure in the European economies.  We could very well see daily riots in a growing list of American cities, being fueled by a growing mindless and violent horde.  Eventually, they will want a scapegoat, and a new wave of senseless persecution and violence will be born, and may very well spread to a worldwide scale.

As Christians, it is time we assumed our battle stance, that is, on our knees before Almighty God, beseeching Him that this horrendous situation might somehow be averted.

Cast Off The Mooring Lines

Once in a while, God will ask one of His followers to leave everything he has accumulated over a lifetime and move half way across the world as a missionary.  He is asked to leave his home, job, car, possessions, and in most cases, even family members, all out of obedience to the Lord.

Most of us would have a very difficult time following in those footsteps, and for all sorts of excuses.  ”I can’t sell my car, its less than a year old!”.  ”I don’t want to sell my house, and I don’t trust it to renters.”.  ”I can’t leave now, my parents aren’t getting any younger, you know.”.  I’m sure the Lord has heard them all.

We can think of our various possessions as mooring lines on a boat, holding us fast in place.  A home, a car, and a good job are all nice things to have, but with each of these things, our mobility tends to decrease.  Worst of all,  our possessions may take precedence in our lives  over our Lord.

In deepening my relationship with the Lord, I sometimes find myself clinging to one possession or another, drawing the mooring lines ever tighter, even as I resist the change that God wants to make in my life.  And what am I resisting really?  If I untie the mooring line and let go of the possession that it represents, does it mean that God will immediately take it away from me?

Of course not!

Actually, it makes sense to me that the possession that God is most likely to take away is the one that I am clinging to most tightly.  The one that I release into His control He will more likely allow me to keep.  For, once I have let go of a possession, it is no longer a barrier to the Lord in my life.  Once I have released that which I thought I could not live without, once that possession no longer occupies my heart and mind, I leave more room for the Lord to come in and engage me in an even closer relationship with Himself.

And finally, when I am able to cast off the last of the lines which tie my life to this world’s goods, the true Captain of this ship will be able to come aboard and pilot this vessel according to His will.

Lord Jesus, I pray today that You would teach me what it is like to live in the center of Your divine will.  Amen.

Would They Have Called Me “Christian”?

This morning at worship, our Pastor asked a very pointed question.  He was using the Book of Acts, ch. 11 for an illustration (read especially, verse 26):

Now those who had been scattered by the persecution that broke out when Stephen was killed traveled as far as Phoenicia, Cyprus and Antioch, spreading the word only among Jews.  Some of them, however, men from Cyprus and Cyrene, went to Antioch and began to speak to Greeks also, telling them the good news about the Lord Jesus.  The Lord’s hand was with them, and a great number of people believed and turned to the Lord.

 News of this reached the church in Jerusalem, and they sent Barnabas to Antioch.  When he arrived and saw what the grace of God had done, he was glad and encouraged them all to remain true to the Lord with all their hearts.  He was a good man, full of the Holy Spirit and faith, and a great number of people were brought to the Lord.

26 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul,  and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.  -  Acts 11:19-26

The question he asked was, if the “Antiochians” had followed us around as they did the disciples of Christ, would they decide that we should be called “Christians”  In other words, would the Light of Jesus show forth from us as it did from them?  Or is our light hidden from the world?

Our Pastor was actually preaching from 1 Peter:

Dear friends, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from sinful desires, which wage war against your soul.  Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us.  1 Peter 2:11,12

So, the question asked by Pastor remains, do the people who know me think of me as “that Christian guy”?  Or do they just say, “Oh yeah, that John guy is pretty cool!”?

Or, to put it another way, into which Kingdom do I fit better, the Kingdom of God?  Or the Kingdom of this world?