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Don’t Waste Your Life

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Have you considered how much time you waste in a day? In today’s passage, the apostle Peter reminds us that we are judged impartially by God, ransomed from futility, and set apart for God’s glory.

Judged Impartially

Peter writes in 1 Peter 1:17, “And if you call on him as Father who judges impartially according to each one’s deeds, conduct yourselves with fear throughout the time of your exile.”

God judges everyone impartially; we do not because even in our very best intentions, we are still biased. 

God is merciful and forgiving, but He is also a loving disciplinarian who cannot permit His children to enjoy sin. God takes sin seriously; sin must be dealt with.

Our actions, righteous or sinful, lead to either blessings or correction from our Heavenly Father. 

The pain of being separated from our relationship with God is a natural consequence of our sin. God does not show partiality. 

God doesn’t grant people a pass to sin because they have done great exploits for the Kingdom of God. One cannot build up “credit” with God in order to offset some future or intended sin. 

Warren Wiersbe writes, “Years of obedience cannot purchase an hour of disobedience.”

The only reason we can even speak to God is because of what Jesus has done for us on the cross. All we must do to be set free from sin is look at the cross and the price He paid for us. Our Father judges impartially; our sin has been dealt with on the cross. We are covered in the righteousness of Christ. Thus, we live to please God in our lives, fearing the possibility of bringing disrepute to the name of the one who died for us. 

Our heavenly Father lovingly disciplines His children today and our works will be judged later at the judgment seat of Christ (see 2 Corinthians 5:10). 

Sadly, the global church seems to have worked so hard to make God relatable to the lost world that He has been remade in our image, reduced to a friendly grandfather who is always on call to give us whatever we want. But our God is a consuming fire (See Hebrews 12:29). He is completely holy and holds our very beings together. 

Ransomed from Futility

Peter continues in verse 18 to remind the readers that they were ransomed from the futile ways inherited from their forefathers. He reminds his readers and us today that someone paid the price of our freedom (see Romans 6:23). 

We were all sinners condemned to an eternity separated from God, but Romans 5:8 says that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Jesus purchased our freedom from futility.  Before we became followers of Jesus, we were slaves to a purposeless lifestyle that leads to death. 

Peter is writing to the Jews who were in exile in Babylon. He is writing to the children of Israel whose forefathers had been miraculously set free from Egypt under the leadership of Moses. 

They were set free for a purpose, and yet they rejected the call of God. By their disobedience, they rejected the call to the Promised Land. They rejected the plan that God had for their generation, and they wandered aimlessly in the wilderness until they all died. 

Are you wandering aimlessly in the wilderness of this world? Seeking pleasure and entertainment rather than the plan of God for your life?

If you are a follower of Jesus, you are free to live with a new life and purpose that God has planned for you. Do you know this freedom today?  

Do you know what you have been saved from? Do you know the freedom that comes from being washed by the blood of Jesus and filled with the Holy Spirit?

Set Apart for God’s Glory

In verse 20-21 we read, “He was foreknown before the foundation of the world but was made manifest in the last times for the sake of you who through him are believers in God, who raised him from the dead and gave him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.”

Peter explains that the death and resurrection of Christ was not a sudden change of plans for God. God does not react to things in the world; He ordained that Jesus would suffer and die and be raised on the third day. This was God’s plan before the beginning of time. We cannot understand that, but God sees all human history and future at the same moment. Nothing is hidden from Him. 

From a human perspective, and from Peter’s perspective on the day Jesus was crucified, Jesus was cruelly murdered. It seemed like God the Father had made a mistake; the Savior was not supposed to die. But that was God’s plan all along. Peter may have remembered what Jesus had said in John 10:17-18, that he would lay down his own life and take it up again. 

Peter highlights this truth that Jesus was raised from the dead. This was the primary message of the early church. Jesus is alive, and he is interceding for us today at the Father’s right hand. Without the resurrection, we have no hope. We have nothing to live for in times of hardship and trial. But our Redeemer lives. 

When we meditate on all that Jesus has done for us, the incredible salvation gift that we have been given, it ought to affect our every decision. We should be compelled to live set apart lives for the glory of God. 

We have the call to be holy in 1 Peter 1:13-16; now we have the call to live a life of purpose. A call not to waste a moment. Jesus came to set us free; he was crucified, and his blood was the price for our redemption. He was raised from the dead, and now we have the privilege of living for him, to bring glory to his name and to live a life of purpose. 

Make It Count

The captain of the World Cup winning South African rugby team, Siya Kolisi, has a motto that he lives by: “Don’t count your days, but make your days count.”

We have been blessed with life and spiritual gifts by the Holy Spirit: how are we using what we have been given?

Are you using the days that God has given you for His purposes as one who has been judged impartially by God, ransomed from futility, and set free for the glory of God?

“For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” Ephesians 2:10

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He is Risen!

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I love science fiction, especially time travel and movies about alternate dimensions. 

In our entertainment immersed culture, we sometimes struggle with what is real and what is not. 

The reality of the resurrection of Jesus Christ is something that is extremely hard for us to grasp, but yet it is absolutely real. It  is not science fiction. 

Death is a very real part of our existence, and funerals are often a time when people are confronted by their own mortality.  They are a somber time of realization that we all will die someday. 

This past weekend we celebrated the fact that Jesus is alive and that by his resurrection from the dead, we do not have to fear death. The Apostle Paul quoted the prophet Hosea in 1 Corinthians 15: 55; “Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?” 

Jesus is alive!

Throughout the pages of the Bible, we see prophecies and their fulfillment hundreds of years apart. Notice that when Jesus revealed himself to his disciples, he referred to the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms containing information about himself (see Luke 24:44). The entire Bible points to Jesus (see Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22). 

The message of the early church was the resurrection of Jesus Christ. Before his ascension Jesus spoke to over five hundred people at one time (see 1 Corinthians 15:1-6). It is real.

The resurrection was common knowledge at the time, and it is also recorded in secular history. Apart from that, if Jesus had remained in the tomb, how did that band of fearful broken disciples start a church that exploded across the world and continues to expand today?

If Jesus didn’t rise from the dead, we have nothing to hold on to; The Bible is an empty document and cannot be the living word of God. The bodily resurrection of Jesus is what determines our salvation; it is our hope of glory. Because Jesus rose from the dead, we know that he has conquered death and that by placing our trust and faith in him we are assured of salvation and eternal life. Because of the resurrection, all the promises of God’s word are true, and we can stand on those promises.

When we talk about the resurrection, we must understand that Jesus didn’t simply rise from the dead. Many people have been miraculously raised from the dead, but they ultimately died again.  What’s the difference? Jesus was raised with a new body, a body that is not subject to aging, sickness, or weakness. As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 15:20; and Colossians 1, Jesus is the firstborn from among the dead, the first of a new kind of body—an eternal body. 

The resurrected body of Jesus is a physical body. Jesus ate with his disciples and walked and talked with them; he was flesh and blood but different. His new body is a perfect eternal body, one that he still has today as he sits at the right hand of God, and the same body he will have when he returns as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords (see Revelation 19). 

The cross is where Jesus willingly offered himself as a sacrifice for our sins. Jesus, being perfectly sinless, died in our place. But Jesus’s resurrection from the dead was a declaration by God that the price had been paid and we now can be made right with God. By raising Jesus from the dead, God was in effect saying that he approved of the work Christ had done and that there was no more penalty needed for sin. 

Does that mean we never sin? No, we are still subject to temptation and sin; we all are well aware of the fact that no Christian is perfect. But it does mean that when we do sin, we can come to Jesus and ask for forgiveness of our sins (see 1 John 1:9).

The cross is where the price was paid for our sins; the resurrection is where we obtain power to live the Christian life.

What does the resurrection of Jesus mean for us? It means that…

  • Because of the resurrection, Satan and death itself have been defeated. Because of the resurrection, we do not have to fear death. 
  • Because of the resurrection, we are made right with God by of the blood of Jesus shed for us. 
  • Because of the resurrection, we can live victorious Christian lives. Jesus ascended into heaven and sent the Holy Spirit, the third person of the Trinity, to live inside all who believe in him, to give us power to live a life that brings glory to God (see Acts 1:8).
  • Because of the resurrection of Jesus, we have hope of a glorious future. Jesus said in John 14; “I am going to prepare a place for you… and if I go, I will come back and take you to be with me…”

Unless Jesus returns soon, we will all face death one day. For those who die having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, we will be receiving a new body, just like the one Jesus has. 1 John 3:2 says, “Dear friends, now we are children of God, and what we will be has not yet been made known. But we know that when Christ appears, we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is.”

This is not science fiction my friends; this is reality. Jesus is coming back again; his word promises it. Maybe some of us or all of us will die before he comes again, but that does not mean we need to fear death. Because of resurrection Sunday, we no longer fear the uncertainty of death. Those who have made the decision to live for Jesus in this life, will live with him for eternity. 

“Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. The one who believes in me will live, even though they die; and whoever lives by believing in me will never die. Do you believe this?” John 11:25-26

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Blinded

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Sight is one of our most valuable senses, but there is a blindness that is worse than physical blindness: spiritual blindness. Physical blindness, even though it could affect one’s entire lifetime, is not as bad as spiritual blindness that can lead to an eternity separated from God. 

This week we remember Palm Sunday, the day Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey with crowds cheering him on—the same crowd that days later would shout “Crucify him!” Before this day, Jesus had been preparing his disciples for his crucifixion. In the Gospel of Luke, he tells them three times what is going to happen in Jerusalem, but they do not understand what he is talking about. To them, Jesus was the invincible Messiah heading to Jerusalem to establish his earthly throne. They did not see the full picture and the amazing purpose of God for Jesus coming to the earth. 

Revealing Spiritual Blindness

Jesus takes his disciples aside and explains that everything written through the prophets about him will be accomplished. The disciples knew the Scriptures; they had been taught that the Messiah would come and re-establish Israel as a mighty nation. But they did not dwell on passages like Isaiah 53, the prophecy about the suffering servant who would be rejected by man and even punished by God. That prophecy didn’t fit their understanding or paradigm of how God would fulfill the Messianic prophecies.  In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus clearly predicted his death would be by crucifixion (see Matthew 26:1-2). This type of death was reserved for the worst criminals. According to the law of Moses, those who were crucified were under a curse by God (see Deuteronomy 21:22-23 and Galatians 3:13). 

No other person in all of history was less deserving of such suffering than Jesus. Not only did Jesus suffer an excruciating death, he also took on the full punishment of the wrath of God for our sins. That was the real suffering of the cross. It was a suffering by design; it was the plan of God all along (see Isaiah 53:10).

In Luke 18:34 we read, “The disciples did not understand any of this. Its meaning was hidden from them, and they did not know what he was talking about.” Luke emphasizes the lack of understanding by repeating it three times. The disciples were blind; they did not see with spiritual eyes. They were looking for the establishment of an earthly kingdom, but the truth was hidden from them. 

Healing Physical Blindness

It is no coincidence that the very next miracle recorded in the Gospel of Luke is that of Jesus healing a blind man. The juxtaposition of the disciples’ spiritual blindness with the man’s physical blindness reinforces their lack of understanding.  Jesus performed many miracles that were not recorded for us in the Bible, but this one was significant.  Its positioning in the Gospel is key. 

This blind man is so loud in his desperation that he incites a rebuke from the crowd, but he keeps on yelling with all his might. He is desperate because he grasps his own blindness and has faith that Jesus can open his sight. 

Notice the contrast: here is a blind man who is desperate to be able to see, and here are disciples who are unaware of their own spiritual blindness. The most significant event in human history was lost on those participating in it—even those closest to Jesus—because they were expecting something else. They didn’t see clearly.

The blind man knew who Jesus was. He recognized that Jesus was the Messiah.  He praised God and followed Jesus. 

Saving from Spiritual Blindness

Those who are the most blind respond the most readily to the Gospel. Those who realize the depths of their sin are the most appreciative of their salvation. 

Remember the words of Jesus to the Laodicean church in Revelation 3:17; “For you say, ‘I’m rich; I have become wealthy and need nothing,’ and you don’t realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind, and naked.” This letter to the Laodicean church was addressed not to those who didn’t believe in Jesus but to the early church who did.  Yet they were blind because they did not completely grasp the truth of the Gospel. 

Jesus was with God at the beginning of creation; Jesus spoke the earth into existence. When he created that hill called Calvary and formed the tree that became his cross, he knew that he would ultimately suffer and die on it.  He created the instruments of his own suffering because of his love for you.

As we go into this Holy Week, we will see the cross all around us perhaps more than any other week of the year. Let that remind us of the foundation of our faith. Without the cross, we have no savior.  Without the resurrection we have no hope. And without the Spirit we have no sight. The truth about Jesus was hidden from those around him when he walked the earth. In the same way, the truths of the Word of God are not self-evident; they are revealed to us by the Holy Spirit. When God starts speaking to you through His Word, it comes alive. It makes you wake up in the morning looking for the Bible. 

As you read about the crucifixion account in the Gospels this week, spend time praying and asking the Holy Spirit to give you insight and understanding. Make it personal, realizing that Jesus was thinking about you as he walked the road to Jerusalem. 

My prayer for all of us is that if there is an area of spiritual blindness, the Holy Spirit would give us eyes to see and ears to hear. As Jesus said to his disciples on another occasion in Matthew 13:16; “But blessed are your eyes because they see, and your ears because they hear.”

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The Glory of the Gospel

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Recently I had the privilege of traveling with a team of missionaries to South Africa, taking the Gospel message to the public schools. The message was powerfully received and changed thousands of lives. The Gospel is incredibly powerful and yet seemingly simple to proclaim. 

The Apostle Peter, writing to exiled Jewish believers, wrote the book of 1 Peter about the fact that suffering and persecution were a part of being identified as a follower of Jesus. 

But the letter is not one of hopeless suffering, rather there is tremendous hope (Sse 1 Peter 1:7). Suffering is the refining fire that produces in the believer a faith that is more precious than gold, resulting in praise and glory when Jesus returns. 

The Weight of Glory

But what is glory? Travis Hamm preached a great message on glory on New Years Eve (click on this link to view: https://youtu.be/hcidSSny1FY?si=hP1akziFHzVWHKb9).  

Glory is something that possesses weight and significance. It can be defined only by pointing to something that is glorious. Something that is larger than we can grasp (See Isaiah 6:3 and Psalm 19:1). The Gospel is glorious; the Gospel is unfathomable. 

1 Peter 1:8b says, “Though you do not now see him, you believe in him and rejoice with joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory.”

As we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, we see Jesus revealed in the Scriptures, and we believe in him. This belief leads to inexpressible joy. This is not a dead religion; this is joy through knowing Christ as our personal savior. 

In this life there will be trials, but because of our relationship with Jesus we have an inheritance kept for us. We have the certainty of glory. When we love Jesus, our perspective of the trials of life change. We rejoice in him and are able to live a life filled with joy, even in times of suffering. 

We are a forward-looking people, a people filled with hope and a certain salvation (See 1 Peter 1:9). 

The Hope of Salvation

But what is salvation? What are we saved from? 

The doctrine of hell is not often talked about; it makes us uncomfortable. But hell is a real place. Jesus spoke about hell more than anyone else in the Bible, and he describes it vividly. Jesus came to save us from hell. 

Jesus didn’t come to make us better people, wealthy people, or influential people who had our act together. Jesus didn’t come so that we would have nice big churches and Christian ministries. Jesus came on a rescue mission to save us from our depravity. Hell is the default destination for everyone on the planet. That should make us very uncomfortable. 

If we don’t grasp the reality of hell, we won’t appreciate the glory of the Gospel. 

Without hell, there is no need for the Gospel, and there is no need for a savior. 

We have a great salvation that was prophesied about for hundreds of years before Jesus was born (see 1 Peter 1:10-11). The Old Testament prophets saw the suffering of Christ (see Isaiah 53 and Psalm 22). The prophets also saw the future glory of King Jesus coming to establish his throne. 

We live in the church age, the time between the suffering of Jesus and the return of Jesus, where we have the privilege of proclaiming the Good News to a dying world. 

Peter is telling his readers that the Scriptures, the inspired word of God, inspired by the Spirit of Christ, all point to Christ—to his suffering and his glory. 

The Power of the Gospel

In 1 Peter 1:12 we read that the Holy Spirit revealed to the ancient prophets that they were writing for future generations. There is a significant difference between our age and that of the Old Testament prophets; we are living in the age of the ministry of the Holy Spirit (see Romans 8:9).  

That is why when we share the Gospel, and God empowers His word, there is an exhilaration and a joy inexpressible. There is no greater privilege than being a tool in the hand of the Almighty.  

What an honor we have to declare the Gospel. The greatest message ever to be told. 

If we have the privilege of declaring the Gospel, sometimes we will be called upon to embody the message of suffering leading to salvation. When this happens, we can suffer well because we have a future hope. This is  sometimes the open book that God uses to declare the Gospel to a lost and suffering world. 

Verse 12 ends with an interesting statement, “…things into which angels long to look.” This Gospel message is something that even the heavenly beings long to look into. We as the church have the privilege of having  this message revealed to us by the Word of God through the Holy Spirit. 

The Glory of the Gospel

I love to ask Christians, “What is the Gospel?” 

Firstly, there is the “Sunday School” answer, and then there is the awe and wonder answer. The Gospel is so glorious, so weighty, that we can hardly begin to understand it. 

The Gospel is so much more than we could possibly imagine. It touches every aspect of every life. There is no sinner outside of the reach of the Gospel. There is no suffering that the Gospel cannot turn into joy. There is no circumstance that is beyond the power of the Gospel. 

We are privileged to be the ones to take this message to the world: what are we doing with this privilege?

Maybe today you need to begin declaring the Gospel, even through your suffering. 

Maybe today you need to apply the Gospel to your life, your marriage, your family situation, and even your future. 

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Salvation for Sinners and Sufferers

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As we celebrate this Christmas season, we celebrate our savior who took on flesh to free us from sin. But more than freeing us from the bonds of sin, Jesus also came to bring healing and restoration. Healing for the sick, the broken hearted, and the abused.

God sent His son to provide a way for sinners to be forgiven and for those who have been sinned against to be healed.

During our lives, we find that we are sinners in need of forgiveness and at times we need Jesus to heal our brokenness because of sin.

Have you ever considered that the salvation that Jesus offers is wholeness? Eternal life is glorious and starts when you give your life to Jesus, but there is more that Jesus offers, wholeness, healing, and restoration.

The account of king David and Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11 and 12 is a story of brokenness and pain because of sin. David tries to cover up his sin and he has Bathsheba’s husband killed in battle. Once Uriah is killed, David takes Bathsheba into his palace as one of his wives (2 Samuel 11:26-27).

David, one of the most celebrated heroes in the Bible, the second king of Israel, a war hero, and author of most of the Psalms, sins terribly.

As the account continues in 2 Samuel 12, we see that the prophet Nathan confronts David about his sin. Showing him that what he thought was hidden, was not hidden from God. David’s repentance is immediate, and it is proposed that the great repentance Psalm, Psalm 51 is penned as David cries out to God for forgiveness.

In response, Nathan declares that God has forgiven him and he will not die, but there will be terrible consequences for his sin. Multiple children died and a long list of pain and suffering followed David’s “private sin”. David realizes that his sin is a personal afront to God and he humbles himself in repentance.

The truth is that there are no secret sins and all sins lead to suffering. There are no private or hidden sins. Even if no-one knows about it, God sees, and it affects the body of Christ. The sins that we commit during the week, even if we think they are concealed, affect the entire church family.

As we gather to pursue the presence of God on a Sunday morning, we must come prepared and expectant. If we come in haphazardly or without any thought that we are gathering as the body of Christ to come and worship the Great I AM, not only will we miss out on a blessing, but we will impact the engagement of the church family.

Let us prepare our hearts and minds. Spend time on a Sunday morning in prayer and repentance, with the expectation that we will encounter the living God.

I guess the question is, how seriously do we take the privilege we have of gathering in God’s presence. How grateful are we for the truth of this season? Emmanuel, God with us!

David repents of his sins, and he is forgiven, but what about Bathsheba?

David needed forgiveness. Bathsheba was sinned against; her life was turned upside down. Her husband was killed, and she was taken against her will into the king’s palace as one of his wives. She experienced incredible trauma, and she needed healing.

The salvation that Jesus offers, not only offers forgiveness, but it also offers healing. Jesus came to bring healing and restoration. Healing for the sick, the broken hearted, and the abused.

God sent His son to provide a way for sinners to be forgiven and for those who have been sinned against to be healed. The Gospel is for sinners and sufferers alike.

The apostle Paul used the Greek word, “sozo” 29 times in the New Testament to define salvation. Like most Greek words, it has multiple deeper meanings, and it includes, salvation, saved, to be made well, cured, recover, and restored. “Sozo”, means wholeness.

When we hear the word salvation, we primarily think of forgiveness, but the Gospel also deals with the problem of suffering and restoring to wholeness.

The wholeness of salvation can be hard to measure. When we look at broken items, it is easy to see if they are repaired, put back together. Like a car that was in a wreck or a broken chair that is repaired. But wholeness in a person is much more difficult to measure.

The beauty of Christmas is that Jesus came as a baby, to live a perfect sinless life, he suffered a cruel death on a Roman cross as the spotless sacrifice for our sins, to pay the price that we could never pay. This same Jesus rose from the dead on the 3rd day and now is seated at the right hand of the Father in heaven, praying for us, interceding for us. Jesus paid the price for us to be reconciled with God and to be made whole. Physical and spiritual wholeness is available to us because of what Jesus has done for us.

When Jesus walked the earth, he experienced suffering, rejection, abuse, and pain. He identifies with our pain when we are called to endure suffering at the hands of others. He is not removed from pain. By identifying with pain, he provided a way for healing. He provides healing for brokenness, for the pain of Bathsheba and for you and me.

What are you dealing with that needs the power of the Gospel to heal today?

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We are a People of Hope

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Do you remember a time in your life when God felt distant. A season when you were tempted to wonder if God was even concerned about the things that you were struggling with. Maybe you are there right now.

The Bible frequently deals with the theme of God’s perceived absence. Many times, in the Bible, people wondered if God’s promises to them were still valid. Perhaps God had forgotten them.   

The beauty of the biblical narrative is that the Bible not only acknowledges this soul ache, it also provides an answer. Christmas is one of God’s clearest reminders that He intends to come and live with us. Christmas, the incarnation, is a reminder of God with us, the ultimate longing fulfilled.

Abraham was given an incredible promise by God. Abraham was to have a son and he would be the father of a nation that would bless all the nations of the world (Genesis 12:1-3).  God visited Abraham at least four times and reiterated this promise and Abraham believed God (Genesis 15:6).

But the fruition of the promise took years and even decades. As the years ticked by, doubt may have begun to set in, had God forgotten His promise?

Many of us have felt the same way, when we have received a promise from God, or we have been praying for a miracle, but it seemed that maybe God has forgotten us.

Abraham and Sarah were keenly aware of their age and what seemed to be impossible, could God really deliver on His promise? Had He forgotten them?

Finally, when Abraham was almost 100 years old and Sarah was over 90 years old, God blessed them with a miraculous baby boy, and they named him Isaac. God fulfilled His promise and the family line that would lead to Jesus coming as the Messiah had begun.

Isaac was not only a joy for Abraham and Sarah, he was an integral part of God’s plan for the salvation of the world through Jesus who would be born 2000 years later as a fulfillment of many promises.  When God answers our prayers, we thank the Lord for the blessing, but we don’t always see the greater implications of God’s provision. When God blesses us, it is with a plan to bless others as well through that blessing.

When our daughter was born and miraculously given to us, we rightly thought that she was a blessing to our family, but little did we know how much of a blessing she would be to so many other people. God’s blessings are not for us to keep and hold on to, but they are to be given back to the Lord for His purposes so that others can be blessed.

Isaac, the son of the promise was dedicated to God, and through Isaac God would bless the whole earth. Generations later, through another miraculous son in this line, God would keep another promise. That child, Jesus Christ, would forever and finally prove that however slow God seems, his “slowness” is not a sign of his absence (2 Peter 3:9).

God is not slow; He is patient, and His timing is always perfect. That distinction gives us the ability to be patient too, waiting on him to fulfill his promises.

Sometimes, God will act immediately in answer to our prayers, healing an illness, reconciling a broken relationship, or ending an addiction as an example. But on many occasions, God may ask us to wait. Some people are called to carry the cross of pain and heartache for much longer than they anticipated.  

Either way, do we trust God for the outcome? Do we praise God in the waiting and the hoping? If we don’t walk in hope and trust in God, the waiting will discourage us, eating at us, destroying us if we lose hope.

The first candle of the Advent wreath is the hope candle. As we focus on the birth of Jesus in this season, we can look back and see hundreds of promises that God has fulfilled. And we can look forward with assurance, that God will fulfill His promises in the future in His perfect timing. We are a people of hope (Ephesians 2:12-13). And as His children, we have the promise of eternal life with Christ, a promise that is secure by the word of God.

But what about today?

This Advent, do you feel like God is moving too slowly, or not moving at all? Maybe you are in a season where God feels distant, He seems far off, and you wonder if God has heard your prayers. Does God really see you?

The promises of God’s word inform us that He does see you. If you have given submitted your life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ, He is intimately involved in working out the perfect plans that He has for your life.  

And as we trust and wait, we must avoid trying to do what only God can do. Our natural tendency is to run ahead of God and not trust Him in the waiting.

We are a people of hope, and we can trust in the immeasurable power and love of God over our lives.

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Be Thankful in all Circumstances

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Several years ago, I read a book that really challenged me regarding experiencing joy in life. According to the author, Andy Andrews, a grateful spirit is a powerful deterrent against self-pity, writing, “the seeds of depression cannot take root in a grateful heart.”

Often, we find ourselves complaining about seemingly mundane aspects of life when we should really be grateful. For instance, instead of complaining about a sink piled high with dishes, we should be thankful for the shared meal with dear friends. Likewise, household chores and the physical strain of a hard day’s work should be seen as reasons for gratitude, acknowledging the privilege of having a home and the ability to work.

When we really think about it, we have much to be thankful for.

This past summer we were able to go to South Africa. And once again I was challenged by the children. I have been to some of the poorest places in the world. Despite having nothing, the children in these places radiate unparalleled joy. It is humbling to see the depth of true joy and gratefulness.

In our society today, thanksgiving is treated as an interfaith holiday or perhaps even a faith-optional holiday. But looking back to the pages of History, we know that the original thanksgiving celebration was dedicated to thanking God for his provision and protection.

Thanksgiving is all about God, and recognizing who he is and all the blessings he has freely given us (see James 1:17)

“The worst moment for the atheist is when he is really thankful and has nobody to thank”.

Dante Rossetti.

Psalm 105 begins with the line, “O Give thanks to the Lord…”

But true gratitude is more than simply thankfulness, it is acknowledging and praising God for His attributes. The Psalmist is not simply thankful for the blessings, he is thankful for the attributes of the Giver Himself. Spending time thanking God should always lead to worship.

Not only does thanksgiving lead to worship, it also leads to making the works of the Lord known as we read in the second parts of verse 1 and 2. If we are thankful to God for what He has done for us, we will be compelled to share the Good news of salvation with those around us. A heart for missions is driven by a heart of gratitude.

Verses 3 and 4 emphasize that thanksgiving will lead to worship and declaring the attributes of God. We as His children can become so wrapped up in what we need from God and we become so focused on the mighty hand of God that we seldom seek the face of God. James 4:3 is a clear reminder that we need to check our motives before coming to God in prayer.

As we seek the face of God, we see his attributes. To be truly thankful, we need to meditate on the nature and character of God.

Thanksgiving is a wonderful time to remember what the hand of God has provided for us and in so doing we begin to praise him and declare his attributes.

God has made a way through the death and resurrection of Jesus for us to know Him. To have a close relationship with Him. The Psalmist encourages us to seek the Lord.

The Psalm continues in verse 5, with a call to remember the works of God. This is not simply remembering the facts of what happened, but it is a call to meditate on the wonders that God has done. The Psalmist is saying to the people, slow down, stop what you are doing and hit the pause button and dwell on what God has done.

Then in verse 6 the Psalmist reminds the people of their identity, as the chosen people of God. And we are included in this reminder. We as followers of Jesus Christ, sometimes forget who’s we are. We have so much to be thankful for because the creator of the universe calls us his own special possession (see 1 Peter 2:9).  

Everything that we have on this earth, all the many material blessings will one day pass away. Only one blessing from God is infinitely more valuable than any other, the gift of His Son, Jesus Christ.

Jesus came to suffer and die on the cross, in order that whoever believes in the risen Lord Jesus Christ will have eternal life. That is something we are grateful for today.

But what if you are suffering today? You might be enduring financial, emotional or physical trials.  How do we live with thanksgiving through hardship?

George Matheson was a well-known Scottish preacher in the mid to late 1800’s. He suffered terribly from poor eyesight and eventually total blindness at a young age. He once wrote the following in response to his suffering. “My God, I have never thanked thee for my thorn. I have thanked thee a thousand times for my roses, but never once for my thorn. I have been looking forward to a world where I shall get compensation for my cross; teach me the value of my thorn. Show me that I have climbed to thee by the path of pain. Show me that my tears have made my rainbow.”

What thorn do you have in your life today?

To thank God for the thorn takes faith and an eternal perspective. He is making a rainbow out of your tears.

If we as believers are grateful for the suffering Jesus endured on the cross, then we must pray that we would be grateful for the suffering that God allows in our lives, that brings the beauty of the cross to those who watch us endure with thanksgiving.

“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

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Healthy Church Leadership 1

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As the Apostle Paul came near to the end of his life, he traveled around to the churches he had planted on his missionary journeys to encourage them, telling them that they would not see him again (see Acts 20:36-37).

One of these churches was the church in Ephesus in a region that influenced most of Asia Minor. Paul had invested years in this region, and he had a deep love and passion for this church. He called the elders of the church together and gave them a farewell speech.

But who were these men and what was their role in the church in Ephesus?

The Calling of Elders

The early church grew rapidly and so did the need for godly men to lead the churches. They appointed elders to care for the spiritual health of the church. While Jesus is the head of the church— he is the Good shepherd—he calls under-shepherds to tend the flock of the church (see Ephesians 4:11-12 and 1 Timothy 3:1-7).

Paul, speaking to the elders in Ephesus in Acts 20:28, says, “Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which he bought with his own blood.”

Jesus valued his church in Ephesus. And he values the representation of his body here at Grace Point. It is his, bought with his own blood. And it is because the church is precious to Jesus that he calls men to shepherd it.

The Role of Elders

Paul continues, warning the elders in verses 29-30, “I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them.”

The early church was under constant persecution for the first four hundred years. But there were also internal challenges from false teachers and leaders who sought to manipulate the church for their own profit.  Paul warned the Ephesian elders of “fierce wolves” who would infiltrate the church, as well as those from within who would distort the teachings of Christ. Jesus used the same imagery in Matthew 7:15.

False teaching takes various forms, but Satan’s tactics have remained consistent throughout history. Some common signs of false teaching include denying the divinity of Jesus, rejecting the resurrection, challenging the authority of the Bible, or diminishing the sufficiency of Christ’s atonement. These are explicit deceptions. More subtle false teachings might encourage salvation through works, striving to earn God’s favor, or promoting extra-biblical revelations.

Elders play a crucial role in safeguarding the church from false teaching. Their primary responsibility is to nurture and feed the flock with the Word of God. John 6:35 illustrates that Jesus is the “Bread of Life,” and elders are tasked with ensuring the church is nourished by the Word. It’s the Word of God that sustains and grows the church, not marketing or management strategies.

The Plurality of Elders

Elders are also sheep, and as such need accountability and shepherding as well. This is why a church needs more than one elder. Having more than one elder in the church strengthens the church and guards against strong personalities that might slowly begin to introduce false teaching.

Biblical leadership principles emphasize plurality in leadership. While we may use terms like “senior pastor” or “associate pastor,” the New Testament emphasizes a team of elders who pray, study the Word, and provide spiritual guidance together. Plurality ensures a healthy balance of leadership, preventing any one individual from potentially leading the church into false teaching. John MacArthur wisely points out, “their combined counsel and wisdom helps assure that decisions are not self-willed or self-serving to a single individual. In fact, one-man leadership is characteristic of cults, not the church.”

The Nature of Elders

The term “shepherd” might have been perplexing to the first-century church. Shepherds were not held in high esteem; instead, their role was one of humility and sacrifice. Similarly, elders within the church are called to be spiritual shepherds, and by nature, that means three things

1: Shepherding is spiritual work. 

Shepherding sheep was not flashy work; it was humble, sacrificial work with no shortcuts. Similarly, the growth of the church is not driven by worldly methods or quick-fix strategies. It’s a spiritual endeavor that requires spiritual leadership.

2: Shepherding is hard work.

Just as being a shepherd in the ancient world was dangerous and challenging, shepherding the church involves spiritual warfare, discouragement, and many other challenges. The elders of the church must be prepared to commit to pray, fast, and serve the body of Christ.

3: Shepherding is answerable work.

Shepherds answered to the owners of the sheep; they were responsible for the care of the sheep they had been entrusted with. Elders are accountable to the Lord for the health and spiritual growth of the church. The church belongs to God, and they are stewards of His people (see Hebrews 13:17).

The Church and Elders

You might be reading this asking, what does this have to do with me?

I encourage you to commit to the church. Become a member of the church if you haven’t already and be an active member of the Body of Christ by praying and using your gifts to serve. This goes far beyond our gathering on a Sunday morning; that is just a springboard for the impact we can have on one another and our community today and for generations to come. As the elders – shepherd and the sheep commit through serving and praying, the whole church is strengthened.

In this age we live in, being part of a church will require active engagement. The season for passivity is over. Being a follower of Jesus is not for spectators. Jesus is building his church and raising up elders to oversee it; will you engage with him in it?

Will you commit to the church?

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Do Not Fear Man

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Fear of man is a weapon that Satan uses to prevent us from doing what God calls us to do. In many parts of the world, there is the very real fear of being martyred for being a follower of Jesus. But in America the fear we most often deal with is the fear of being ridiculed or “cancelled”, for standing for the truth of God’s word.

In Matthew 10, Jesus prepares his disciples to go out and proclaim the good news of the Kingdom. From verse 16 his teaching is directed towards all who would be his disciples in the generations to come. Jesus teaches us to be fearless in proclaiming the Gospel boldly (Matthew 10:27).

In this passage we have five reasons to have courage:

1. Jesus experienced it.

Jesus said in Matthew 10:25b, “If they have called the master of the house Beelzebul, how much more will they malign those of his household.”

By being mistreated for proclaiming the Gospel, we are simply being treated the way Jesus was treated. It is a sign that we belong to him. The insults bind us closer to the Lord. It brings great comfort to know that we are being identified as a child of God.

2. You will be vindicated.

Jesus continued in Matthew 10:26, “So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known.”

When you know you are right, you don’t have to continue to argue, because you know that you will be vindicated. The same way with the truth of the Gospel, even though people may reject it, it is seldom helpful to try to argue with someone. You and I cannot do the work of the Holy Spirit in convicting people of their sins. Jesus said if they ridicule you for the truth, take heart, the truth will be revealed, and you will be vindicated.

3. What’s the worst that can happen?

We read in Matthew 10:28, “And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell.”

The worst the anyone can do to someone who proclaims the Gospel, is to kill the body. This is a very real fear for millions of believers around the world. But as we know, the worst that man can do, God turns around for His glory and for our good. Killing the body of a believer is an upgrade to glory.

The second sentence of this verse has always struck me. Hell is a real place of eternal suffering, and Jesus spoke about it more than anyone else in the Bible. Hell is the penalty of God’s wrath and that is why Jesus said, “fear Him”.

It may seem like Jesus is saying, “stay in line, do what you are commanded to do, or else the One who has the power will destroy you?” But in the following verses, Jesus speaks about how much more valuable we are than the sparrows. Essentially Jesus is saying that we should fear God, but if we believe in him, we do not have to fear the wrath of God, because He is a good Father.

While it is true, the fear of the Lord is reverence and awe of God, but this teaching of Jesus really means, be afraid of God. Be afraid of the wrath of God towards sin. The only way this fear is removed is when we put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ as Lord (Romans 8:1-2).

Jesus is teaching that we need to see sin as something more serious than we could ever imagine. The real problem is that we don’t see sin for what it really is. We are sinning against the One who is infinitely holy and infinitely worthy of our worship. When we sin, we are displaying that something else is more desirable and worthy than God. When we understand that sin is an afront to and infinitely good, holy, powerful, and worthy God, then we become aware that our sin is infinitely deserving of eternal punishment. God cannot overlook sin; it goes against His character.

However, Jesus not only warns us, but he also rescues us and promises salvation (Luke 12:32).

Do not fear man, the worst that he can do is send your soul to paradise.

4. God sees you.

In Matthew 10:30 Jesus said, “But even the hairs of your head are all numbered.”

God sees you and He knows everything about you. When we suffer some hardship or persecution for speaking the truth, it is not that God is oblivious, on the contrary, He sees, and He knows the outcome even before we experience the persecution. The creator of the universe is with us, He is close, we can be of good courage and speak the truth.

5. God has a plan for you.

Jesus continued in verse 31, “Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

God governs the world, He controls the lives of the sparrows and the smallest flowers, there is nothing that will happen to us that is outside of His perfect will. This truth has encouraged followers of Jesus for centuries. Henry Martyn said, “if God has work for me to do, I cannot die”.

This difficult conversation with Jesus is really an encouragement to live a life of freedom. Freedom from fear, expectations, criticism, and even the persecution of man.

If we succumb to the “cancel culture” of the day, it is because of one of two things; either we don’t believe the words of Jesus that he is the only way (John 14:6), or we don’t believe in Hell.

We need to be people who love the truth and speak the truth.

Are you going to fear man or are you going to fear God?

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You Must Be Born Again

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Have you ever noticed that some of the teachings of Jesus are hard to grasp.

Ultimately, what he said led to his crucifixion, and they are still offensive to the world today.

Sometimes we gloss over the hard sayings, or worse yet, we think that they don’t apply to us. But the teachings of Jesus are the Word of God to every generation.

In John 3, we read of a high-ranking Pharisee coming to meet with Jesus.

This well-known account of a senior leader a pharisee coming to Jesus to know more about Jesus. Nicodemus lived sincerely under the law as best as he could. He adhered to the strictest possible religious rules. But he desperately wanted to find out the truth about Jesus.

We see Nicodemus showing up a few times in the Gospel of John, a man who was not afraid to stand against the crowd and be identified with Jesus after his crucifixion. Nicodemus was bold and Jesus took time to meet with him.

Nicodemus doesn’t ask a question, But Jesus jumps right to the heart of the matter in verse 3, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God”.

Jesus knew his heart and the fact that he was seeking truth and cuts to the chase, he jumps into a difficult conversation.

A better translation of verse 3 could read, “unless one is born from above, he cannot see the kingdom of God”.

Can you imagine poor Nicodemus, he must have been quite confused. Jesus was using language that we are familiar with because we hear it all the time, but Nicodemus was hearing this for the first time, and it made no sense. The familiarity of what Jesus said can also be lost on us.

Obviously, we are by nature flesh, referring to our ordinary humanity. But we are born spiritually dead. We are not spiritually attuned to the things of God.

Ephesians 2 begins with the shocking statement, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sinsin which you once walked, following the course of this world,” Ephesians 2:1-2a.

Until you are born again, you are spiritually dead, you are unable to see or understand the things of God. The problem with spiritually dead people is that they don’t know they are dead.

Spiritually dead people are unable to hear God speak to them, because they do not have the Spirit of God in them, they have no desire to read God’s word, because it makes no sense without the Spirit’s revealing truth to us.

Tragically, spiritually dead people can raise their hands and come forward in a meeting, saying all the right things, get baptized and become good church members. Spiritually dead people can serve on committees and even teach Sunday School or lead a life group.

Sadly, when it comes to eternal salvation, the church might just be a dangerous place. Because you can put on a clean face, clean up your language, give money, even mouth the right prayers, but unless you are born from above, you are not a child of God, and you are destined for an eternity separated from God in hell.

Becoming a Christian is not becoming a better person or cleaning up your act, becoming a Christian is coming alive! Being born from above.

Nicodemus was spiritually dead, but the Spirit of God was drawing him in. That is what the Holy Spirit does, He makes people aware of their desperate situation and leads them to encounter the risen lord Jesus.  

Nicodemus began to wrestle with the beauty of the Gospel, he asked Jesus in verse 4, “How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?”

You see, this leader and rule follower, this man of exceptional discipline and obedience, was looking for something to do, but the new birth does not come by a set of accomplishments. It is a free gift.

Jesus says to Nicodemus in verse 5, “unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

What does Jesus mean when he says, to be born of water?

Nicodemus would have known Ezekiel 36:25-26. Where God tells the nation of Israel that He will spiritually wash them of their sins, a washing that will come with the new covenant when God puts His spirit inside of believers (see Titus 3:5 and Ephesians 5:26).

Being born of the Spirit means to be filled with the presence of God by the Holy Spirit, it means coming alive spiritually. If you don’t know what it means to be born of the spirit, you will never know what it means to walk in the spirit.

Walking in the spirit affects every aspect of our lives, our decisions and plans are all led by the Spirit of God. How we steward our finances, how we interact with people, where we go and how we spend our time. Being born of the Spirit means that we will begin to display the fruit of the Spirit as described in Galatians 5:22-24.

If someone was to follow you around for the next 7 days, and see everything you do and hear everything you say, would they be able to testify that you are born of the Spirit?

Are you born again? Are you born of the Spirit of God?

Are you daily experiencing the power of the resurrected Christ in your life?