Many of us get dressed on Sunday morning to attend worship services, sit in our “regular” seat in the sanctuary, say hello to our church friends, and participate in all of the activities outlined in the bulletin. After exchanging a few pleasantries after service, we go home and put away our Bibles until the following week, when we do it all again. Ahh, the life of a “Comfortable Christian.”
A good job, a nice car, and a decent home are what many prosperity preachers tell us to aspire to. “Name it and claim it” and “believe it and receive it” are the mantra of these motivational leaders. From the pews, it would seem that salvation is linked to how much you can get from God. And once this prosperity has been achieved…then what?
Recently, I spoke with a pastor from Liberia, a country still recovering from a devastating civil war. As we talked, it occurred to me how “comfortable” we are as Christians. If it wasn’t enough that America allowed for some of the physical comforts that many countries lack…I realized that as a nation, our spirituality is in a comfortable state as well.
Like many of our other selfish pursuits (a good job for “me”, a nice car to take “me” where “I” want to go, and a big home for “my” family), our spirituality is all about ourselves. “I” need to be saved so that “I” can have eternal life. And while it is true that we only have ourselves to answer for on Judgment Day, one of the things that God requires of us as Christians is to spread the Good News. Not only through our actual word-of-mouth testimony, but through our actions and the love we show to others.
Paul recognized that as a Christian, it was spiritually dangerous to fall into a state of comfort. When he found himself with a thorn in his side (whether it was figurative or literal is up to the theologists to debate), Paul considered it to be a device from God to keep him from boasting about the great spiritual things that had been revealed to him. Paul went on to say that it was the hardships and challenges that were spiritually profitable, and revealed, “For when I am weak, then I am strong” (2 Corinthians 12:7-10) When we operate outside of our comfort zone, we have the best opportunity to be used by God.
Are you willing to step outside of your comfortable Christianity to be of help to others? Ask yourself: what more can I do? How can I be of help to people in other parts of the world—or my neighbors down the street? Allow God to speak to your spirit and He’ll give you the strength to do the rest!
Sunday, August 29, 2010
Sunday, August 22, 2010
The Last Day
If this were your last day on earth, what would you do? Who would you say goodbye to and where would you go? Are there debts you would want to settle? Are there any last words you would want to say? We don’t often think about “the end,” but every now and then, perhaps we should to give ourselves a better perspective of where we are today.
Most of us will not know the time or place of our demise. Yet we do know that one day, we will experience death—it’s a part of life. It’s not something that most of us think about too often, in fact, many of us try our best not to think about it. As a result, we sometimes lose perspective of what this life is really all about. When we live day-to-day, we can sometimes lose sight of eternity.
When Jesus was on earth, He lived life keenly aware of His mortality. He knew that there would come a time when He would die (Matthew 20:17-19). But He did not live in a depressed state, or with the attitude of, “Well, it’s all just going to end, anyway.” Instead, He went about His daily work of ministering to people, healing them, and teaching His disciples, preparing them for ministry after He was gone. When He was eventually crucified, Jesus was able to die knowing that He accomplished His mission on earth—and that He would be resurrected from the grave with eternal power.
I have heard it said that all of us are simply “spiritual beings having a human experience” and that the Bible can be considered an acronym for: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. If we live life with our eternity in perspective, perhaps we would have fewer fears or concerns about “the last day.”
If you are not sure about your eternity, please don’t leave this life, or even this blog today, without praying this prayer:
“Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner, but I am asking for Your forgiveness. I believe in Your son, Jesus Christ. I believe that He lived a life on earth without sin and that He died on the cross to pay the price for my sins. I believe that He rose from the grave so that I may have eternal life with You. I invite Jesus to come into my life and guide me each day with Your Holy Spirit so that I may live a life that is pleasing to You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
If you have said this prayer, then you don’t have to worry about “the last day,” because after that will come the beginning of your eternity!
Most of us will not know the time or place of our demise. Yet we do know that one day, we will experience death—it’s a part of life. It’s not something that most of us think about too often, in fact, many of us try our best not to think about it. As a result, we sometimes lose perspective of what this life is really all about. When we live day-to-day, we can sometimes lose sight of eternity.
When Jesus was on earth, He lived life keenly aware of His mortality. He knew that there would come a time when He would die (Matthew 20:17-19). But He did not live in a depressed state, or with the attitude of, “Well, it’s all just going to end, anyway.” Instead, He went about His daily work of ministering to people, healing them, and teaching His disciples, preparing them for ministry after He was gone. When He was eventually crucified, Jesus was able to die knowing that He accomplished His mission on earth—and that He would be resurrected from the grave with eternal power.
I have heard it said that all of us are simply “spiritual beings having a human experience” and that the Bible can be considered an acronym for: Basic Instructions Before Leaving Earth. If we live life with our eternity in perspective, perhaps we would have fewer fears or concerns about “the last day.”
If you are not sure about your eternity, please don’t leave this life, or even this blog today, without praying this prayer:
“Dear Lord, I know that I am a sinner, but I am asking for Your forgiveness. I believe in Your son, Jesus Christ. I believe that He lived a life on earth without sin and that He died on the cross to pay the price for my sins. I believe that He rose from the grave so that I may have eternal life with You. I invite Jesus to come into my life and guide me each day with Your Holy Spirit so that I may live a life that is pleasing to You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.”
If you have said this prayer, then you don’t have to worry about “the last day,” because after that will come the beginning of your eternity!
Sunday, August 15, 2010
This Is the Day
“This is the day the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.” (Psalm 118:24) This is an affirmation I’ve heard and have repeated myself many, many times. It’s an acknowledgement that no matter what we anticipate or experience during the course of the day, we can still find contentment in the Lord.
There are days that we just don’t look forward to: the day of the big test, the day of the dentist’s appointment, or even Monday. However, no matter what we think the day has in store for us, the Lord has already worked it out. Acknowledging that the Lord has handcrafted our day could result in it going in a direction we never could have expected. For example, in the dentist’s waiting room, you might meet the love of your life sitting in the chair across from you!
And then there are the days when it seems that nothing can go right. You know Murphy’s Law, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” And as each hour passes, it seems things are getting progressively worse. Sometimes it may be an attack of the enemy, sometimes it can be a test, and sometimes it’s just the way things go. Before you throw up your hands or throw in the towel, remember to acknowledge that the Lord is in control—and rejoice in the fact that all your problems are in His hands.
When we acknowledge the Lord’s authorship of our days and look to Him during the course of each one, we have the best opportunity of finding joy in our lives. There’s little room for anxiety, depression, or anguish when we turn everything over to Him. And this is where we find our blessing.
I remember to acknowledge the Lord each and every day, and I’m so glad He is in control!
There are days that we just don’t look forward to: the day of the big test, the day of the dentist’s appointment, or even Monday. However, no matter what we think the day has in store for us, the Lord has already worked it out. Acknowledging that the Lord has handcrafted our day could result in it going in a direction we never could have expected. For example, in the dentist’s waiting room, you might meet the love of your life sitting in the chair across from you!
And then there are the days when it seems that nothing can go right. You know Murphy’s Law, “Anything that can go wrong, will go wrong.” And as each hour passes, it seems things are getting progressively worse. Sometimes it may be an attack of the enemy, sometimes it can be a test, and sometimes it’s just the way things go. Before you throw up your hands or throw in the towel, remember to acknowledge that the Lord is in control—and rejoice in the fact that all your problems are in His hands.
When we acknowledge the Lord’s authorship of our days and look to Him during the course of each one, we have the best opportunity of finding joy in our lives. There’s little room for anxiety, depression, or anguish when we turn everything over to Him. And this is where we find our blessing.
I remember to acknowledge the Lord each and every day, and I’m so glad He is in control!
Sunday, August 8, 2010
Pass It On
Has God helped you recover from an illness? Given you a financial blessing? Provided you with comfort in the time of mourning? One of the best ways to show thanks for what God has done for you is to share your testimony with someone else. You never know when sharing your experience of God’s awesome power can bless the person next to you.
Back in the day, many churches had a testimony service. As part of the regular program, time would be set aside for people to stand up and testify. The witness would begin with something like, “Giving honor to God who is the head of my life…,” and then the praise would begin. Even as a kid, I remember listening to the powerful accounts and realizing how awesome God is.
Some have speculated as to why the testimony service has dwindled away. Perhaps it took too much time away from the other aspects of service, like altar call. Maybe it created too much pressure for members of the congregation and made them feel “put on the spot.” Maybe people simply lost perspective of what testifying is all about.
Throughout the Bible, God instructs people to pass on the testimony of their deliverance to others. Moses recounted the exodus from Egypt over and over to the children of Israel, and they passed it on to their children. Jesus also encouraged people to declare their testimony. In Mark 5:1-20, after healing the man who had been possessed by demons, Jesus told him to share his story with others. He did, and as the Word tells us, “all the people were amazed.”
Sharing a testimony is not bragging. It is an opportunity to give God praise. It is also not a story about what someone is “going through.” A testimony allows people to look back and declare what God has done in their lives to encourage others. And finally, a testimony is not long-winded or verbose. The purpose of testifying is not to spin a tale of intrigue and suspense, but to acknowledge the ongoing power of God at work in the world today.
I’m going to pass on the good news of what God has done for me!
Back in the day, many churches had a testimony service. As part of the regular program, time would be set aside for people to stand up and testify. The witness would begin with something like, “Giving honor to God who is the head of my life…,” and then the praise would begin. Even as a kid, I remember listening to the powerful accounts and realizing how awesome God is.
Some have speculated as to why the testimony service has dwindled away. Perhaps it took too much time away from the other aspects of service, like altar call. Maybe it created too much pressure for members of the congregation and made them feel “put on the spot.” Maybe people simply lost perspective of what testifying is all about.
Throughout the Bible, God instructs people to pass on the testimony of their deliverance to others. Moses recounted the exodus from Egypt over and over to the children of Israel, and they passed it on to their children. Jesus also encouraged people to declare their testimony. In Mark 5:1-20, after healing the man who had been possessed by demons, Jesus told him to share his story with others. He did, and as the Word tells us, “all the people were amazed.”
Sharing a testimony is not bragging. It is an opportunity to give God praise. It is also not a story about what someone is “going through.” A testimony allows people to look back and declare what God has done in their lives to encourage others. And finally, a testimony is not long-winded or verbose. The purpose of testifying is not to spin a tale of intrigue and suspense, but to acknowledge the ongoing power of God at work in the world today.
I’m going to pass on the good news of what God has done for me!
Sunday, August 1, 2010
The Wisdom of Solomon
Solomon is known for having an extraordinary gift of wisdom. His legendary court ruling involving two women and a baby serves as testament to his great discernment. (1 Kings 3:16-28) However, a closer look may reveal the key to Solomon's wisdom and how it may be applied to our own lives.
Solomon came from a somewhat dysfunctional family. Although he had a privileged upbringing as the son of King David, that didn't preclude him from a wealth of family drama. One of his brothers led a failed campaign to overthrow his father as king. Another brother tried to usurp Solomon's succession to the throne just before his father's death. Solomon's life as a prince was far less than charming.
Upon receiving the crown as king of Israel, Solomon made an extraordinary request of the Lord. He prayed that he would be granted the wisdom to effectively lead the people. Not long life, not great wealth, not fantastic strength or military prowess--Solomon simply asked the Lord to guide him in leading His people. (2 Chronicles 1:7-10)
How many of us today would make such a pure, selfless request? It seems that even many religious leaders today would be hard pressed to make such a humble petition. Not a congregation of thousands, not financial security, not even an outstanding reputation, but the wisdom to lead God's people in spirit and in truth.
Because of his purity of heart and the sheer innocence of his request, God blessed Solomon with much more than wisdom. (2 Chronicles 1:11-12) He bestowed many other blessings on him as well--great wealth, a peaceful reign, and a great name that is known to this very day.
When given the opportunity, will we be able to look past our personal needs to ask God for the wisdom to do His will? Could we make such a simple request with such purity of heart? This was the key that unlocked Solomon's greatness, in spite of some of his personal shortcomings.
Lord, my desire is to do Your will, because the fear of You is the beginning of wisdom.
Solomon came from a somewhat dysfunctional family. Although he had a privileged upbringing as the son of King David, that didn't preclude him from a wealth of family drama. One of his brothers led a failed campaign to overthrow his father as king. Another brother tried to usurp Solomon's succession to the throne just before his father's death. Solomon's life as a prince was far less than charming.
Upon receiving the crown as king of Israel, Solomon made an extraordinary request of the Lord. He prayed that he would be granted the wisdom to effectively lead the people. Not long life, not great wealth, not fantastic strength or military prowess--Solomon simply asked the Lord to guide him in leading His people. (2 Chronicles 1:7-10)
How many of us today would make such a pure, selfless request? It seems that even many religious leaders today would be hard pressed to make such a humble petition. Not a congregation of thousands, not financial security, not even an outstanding reputation, but the wisdom to lead God's people in spirit and in truth.
Because of his purity of heart and the sheer innocence of his request, God blessed Solomon with much more than wisdom. (2 Chronicles 1:11-12) He bestowed many other blessings on him as well--great wealth, a peaceful reign, and a great name that is known to this very day.
When given the opportunity, will we be able to look past our personal needs to ask God for the wisdom to do His will? Could we make such a simple request with such purity of heart? This was the key that unlocked Solomon's greatness, in spite of some of his personal shortcomings.
Lord, my desire is to do Your will, because the fear of You is the beginning of wisdom.
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