Category: Blog Posts (Page 80 of 91)

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In an earlier podcast I shared an experience I had forty years ago from which I have never recovered. Like so many others, I had caught a small glimpse of what God has in mind for all of humanity. Remembering the garden in Eden that Adam and Eve once enjoyed, it seems to us like paradise. And there seems to be a sense in the heart of all people that there is such a place, or at least a desire that paradise would be real.

Where does this desire come from? If many modern theories about our origin are true, there is no basis for such a hope. How could a one-celled life form, or even an ape pass down a memory of a blissful existence? How could an accident of nature conjure up in its imagination a world such as the one described in nearly every ancient culture? A wise man, whose words are preserved for us in the Bible, noted that God Himself has placed eternity in our hearts! (Eccl. 3:11 NIV)

While some are satisfied to simply picture heaven in their minds, Jesus set forth that His mission was to proclaim the coming of heaven to earth! He also challenged anyone who had ears to hear, that they should ready themselves for it. Only those who repent of their sins and trust in Him to deliver them can be truly “born from above,” and gain an entrance into this Kingdom. It is truly an experience, but one that literally transports us from one realm of existence, the kingdom of darkness, into the Kingdom of God’s dear Son. (John 3:3-5, Cols. 1:13).

In this Kingdom there is a different set of values and even a different way of seeing things. Instead of self-preservation, there is self-sacrifice. Instead of coercion there is serving others. There is both an immediate transformation and a progressive one. Now the Kingdom of God is within us, changing our hearts and attitudes as we intentionally confess Jesus as Lord of all things. Not only does He give the desire, but also the power to live a life of goodness, holiness and joy as citizens of heaven! (Phil. 2:13, 3:20).

Jesus told his dear friend Martha that anyone who lived and believed in Him would never die. Those who have gone before us in physical death are alive and with Him now, but they too, will be a part of heaven on earth. He will bring them back at the climax of the ages! (1 Thess. 4:13-14).

This Kingdom that we can experience now is on the move. Like yeast in flour, it permeates society, one heart at a time. (Matthew 13:33). The exciting thing as that we get to participate in the increase of His Kingdom. As we follow the example of Christ, going about doing good, showing kindness to others, telling them about His gracious love for us, the Good News of the Kingdom becomes contagious. It has been spreading for two thousand years now. It began with only twelve disciples, and has grown to untold billions since then!

Within a few days after Christ’s resurrection and ascension, a community of believers became the first expression of His Kingdom on the earth. It was the mighty Holy Spirit that descended like a hurricane upon them that empowered them to live together and to love one another so.

Christ is bringing the work that He began back then unto a climax in our day. He is calling for a fresh new wineskin to contain and preserve the New Wine of the Spirit that will duplicate the glory of that first assembly in Jerusalem. This new wineskin is actually a simple, humble, flexible community of people who love God more than their own pride and power. It is to be led by those who love serving more than being served.

The central focus is the Lord Jesus Christ Himself, Who was truly the Servant of all. It is all about Him! While there will always be great diversity in our worship, He is bringing us into a greater unity than we have ever known. This is all for our good and His glory, in order that all the world will truly know that He is Lord! (Phil 2:10-11).

For in Christ we have a glorious past, a marvelous present, but also a future that is beyond words!

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During my second visit to India I met a lady who was part of a House Church in Hyderabad. She invited us into her home and was very eager to share her testimony. I don’t remember if there was some sort of crisis in her life at that time of her conversion. I do remember how she came to know Christ. Most of us come to know Him through the testimony of another who already knows Him. Occasionally, we do hear stories of people who come from having a supernatural vision of Him. They are often people that are in areas like hers in which the knowledge of Christianity is limited.

This dear lady had all her life been a believer in the Hindu religion, when one night Christ appeared to her in a dream. What do you suppose was His message to her? His message to her was for her to find a Bible and begin reading it! It was there that she found about the Gospel and the plan of God for her life, and was born again. Eventually she did find other believers and the fellowship of our friends in Hyderabad.

In countries like America, the Gospel is widely proclaimed and there are churches in every neighborhood. An individual might embrace the Christian faith simply because of a family tradition. That could not be said in this case. She would never have that hint of doubt that might lay in the heart of one whose faith was handed down “second hand.”

That is why each of us need to seek the Lord and get to know Him for ourselves. I am tremendously thankful that I was raised in a Christian home, but oh how glad I am to know for myself that Jesus Christ is real and truly the Lord of all!

It can be a sad thing when people know the Christian life only as a family tradition. Some people take pride in their knowledge of the Bible in much the same way. You probably know someone who knows the Bible but has not allowed it to change his or her heart and attitudes.

On the other hand, it is equally sad to have a spiritual experience without allowing the Holy Spirit to instruct our minds through His Word. These days it is becoming popular for Christians to make light of Bible study. Some assume that anyone who takes the Bible seriously is not “spiritually minded.” Most of these people have no idea of the power they have from simply absorbing the Scripture from our American culture! We learn more of the Bible by accident than people from many other parts of the world. It is in our holidays, the names of our cities, our common clichés and even in our commercials!

The most spiritual man who ever lived was Jesus of Nazareth. And yet; no one had a higher view of Scripture than Him. He brandied the Sword of the Spirit with great skill against the temptations of the devil. Even as a young boy he amazed the teachers of the law with His insights into the Scriptures. As a man, the way He bested the Bible scholars of His day incited them to great jealousy, hatred and even murder.

Before I understood the value of knowing the Scripture, my Christian life was weak and unstable. After I began this life-long adventure of learning and living in the Word of God, all that changed! That adventure began when I recognized Jesus as Lord of my life and that He desired to continually teach me how to live that life through His Word, as found in the Bible.

Some would call me a “Bible worshiper.” All I can say, is that like the sister I met in India, Jesus Himself has directed me to learn about Him through the Scriptures, that were “given by inspiration of God.” (2 Timothy 3:16). They will prove to be profitable to anyone who believes in Him. Even those who may not already believe are in danger of becoming believers. It was John, who wrote His Gospel those things about Jesus in order that the reader might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing they might have life in His Name! (John 20:31).

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Trouble in this life is merely a symptom of being alive on the planet Earth. There is however, an ancient memory in the hearts of humans around the world that things were once better than they are now. There is also a desire in our hearts for that perfection and bliss that existed in the beginning. Where does that desire come from? If we are only the product of an accidental collision of atoms and molecules and random events over a period of billions of years, why should we expect anything different than what we currently experience?

In fact, some of the most intelligent and scientifically minded people in the last several hundred years have clearly accepted the view that there is really no purpose for our being here. Yet this desire for a better life persists, and also the conviction that we truly have a right to it. That conviction is even formally stated in one of the United State’s founding documents, our Declaration of Independence.

Every political revolution and uprising in the world is driven by this desire to create a better, freer society, or at least for the freedom of those revolting. The only problem is that after we win our political freedom, we find we are still prisoners or slaves of something else. There is something still missing after all external restraints are removed. Why else would so many who live in this great and wonderful nation of ours deliberately chain themselves to things that poison and destroy their health, prosperity and the very happiness they seek?

Then when all is said and done they seek relief in finding someone else to blame, whether society, their parents, their school teachers, their churches, or their genes.

An ancient and often ridiculed book, the Bible, offers the clear explanation and answer to all these problems. Many people who call themselves Christians and who claim to believe the Bible would do well to take it more seriously. It tells of the original declaration of independence. This was made by the first humans to their Creator and Heavenly Father, God. Their decision was to judge right and wrong for themselves, instead of trusting Him and His goodness to guide them in life.

This tendency to trust in our own opinions has continued in us from that time on, and has brought untold heartache, pain, destruction and death throughout the ages. God’s love for humanity has not abated, however. He has continued to shower blessing after blessing upon us in spite of ourselves. He has also placed this hope in the heart of humanity and creation itself, that a better day is ahead! That hope is the only explanation for the good things we do which have even the slightest hint of a pure motive.

He has placed eternity in our hearts!

Yes, we were all born into a fallen and decaying world. Yes, we have all experienced pain and suffering which we cannot understand. From these statements you might consider yourself a victim. How does that help anyway?

No, I am not a victim! In fact, by the mercy of God I have learned of His plan for me to overcome all of the disadvantages I encounter in life. His life, His love, His peace and joy far outweigh my struggles and difficulties. The promise of eternity in heaven with Him alone is enough to enrapture my heart! The riches of His Kingdom that I experience now are just icing on the cake!

When I read the pages of the New Testament, it is hard to find the self-pity that we nurture in our society today. Instead we are encouraged to endure hardship, persecution and temptation with confidence and even joy! A complaining attitude just does not fit in an environment of gratitude and praise to God. It is time to abandon this trend towards a victim mentality in the church.

Our songs of worship and praise are not enough. Our conversations need to express that same attitude of thanksgiving towards God and for the life He has provided.

It is certainly easy to find reasons for complaining. People are often unfair. They don’t always keep their promises. They lie, cheat and steal. But how about me? Do I ever fail? That is why Jesus told us to forgive. We need forgiveness too.

When I say I am not a victim, that does not mean I am never victimized. It is just that God has given me a better outlook. I am not a victim. That is not who I am. Neither are you, if you are in Christ. In Him we are more than overcomers — more than conquerors!

No one was more of an innocent victim than Jesus. Even the ungodly Pilate could find no wrong in Him. But He conquered it all. He conquered their hatred, their spitting upon Him, their curses, their beatings, their nailing His hands and feet to the Cross. Not only did He endure it all, forgiving them all, but He returned from the grave to prove His Lordship over all!

You and I can believe this story is true, because we know it is true! We can turn from trusting in our own decisions, our own wisdom, our own feelings, and begin trusting in His grace to save us. He will then fill us with His power and victory over our circumstances. He will begin to live His life through us, so we will never think of ourselves as victims again!