Germaphobe Cure

There is something I noticed after a few years of preaching. If I forgot to wash my hands before eating Sunday lunch, I would usually get a cold or something a few days later. All that brotherly love!! Love and germs go together. So I became somewhat of a germaphobe. Drinking after someone! No WAY! It got so bad that I wouldn't even drink after my wife. I would kiss her pretty good :) . But sharing a straw just grossed me out. I know. Crazy.

Over the years my germ hatred was tested. Five children. Millions of diapers. Throw up. On my face. And then there were mission trips. Holding naked babies in remote villages of Haiti and Africa. There was sharing meals with folks off the SAME PLATE. 

But something has happened. It is pretty much gone. The germ thing is gone. I think love has chased away my phobia. Love and germs go together. But love and phobias don't. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. (1 John 4:18)  Love cured me. 

"Love and germs go together. But love and phobias don't."

We asked a family of four to stay with us while they built their new home. Over the months we came to love them like family. One day I was sitting at the kitchen table sharing a soda with one of them. Drinking out of the same bottle. Talking. Laughing. Wait. What??? I didn't even notice at first.

In Africa, eating with my friends has become a yummy joy! Even off the same plate. Love has made the meal an experience of togetherness of love. 

There is an amazing and even shocking conversation that Jesus had with someone (John 4). She was a Samaritan. Jews didn't associate with Samaritans. She was also a she. Rabbis were not supposed to share with women. She was also not exactly a moral person. She was at a well filling her bucket. Jesus was there too. Sitting. He didn't have a bucket. She noticed. She was also shocked when Jesus spoke. Even more by what he asked. Jesus asked her for a drink of water. Her water. From her bucket!!! From her cup I guess! Jesus drank after her. Germ alert! BUT love led to more than his physical thirst quenched. It led to her spiritual deadly dehydration being drenched with an eternal spring of the living water of Jesus within her. Forever. 

Love cured my phobia. And Love covers a multitude of sins. 

(Yes I still wash my hands after church). 

Sermon to Self

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God. (Psalm 42:5-6)

I suppose we all preach to ourselves. The question is, do we preach sermons to ourselves that are good or self destructive? Are they full of depressing ideas devoid of hope in Christ? Are they creepy sermons where we stalk ourselves with angry rationalizations of getting even with someone? Are they full of slanderous shame, void of gospel truth?

A good sermon to self is one that proclaims the greatness and majesty of Jesus. It is one that encourages a humble dependance on the Spirit of Christ rather than the futility of fleshly efforts. Good sermons to self are full of gospel truth. What is gospel truth? It is truth about Jesus, who is able to do in us and for us that which we cannot possibly do for ourselves. Gospel truth says, Hope in God, not in self. It says, Jesus is the vine, apart from Him we can do nothing (John 15:5). "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh is no help at all." (John 6:63)

What are you preaching to yourself? Biblically based sermons to self are sermons that consciously proclaim the truth of Jesus so that we humbly place our hope in Christ. This kind of thinking is more than just passive thinking, or even meditating on a verse of scripture. It is telling ourselves in no uncertain terms Biblical truth. For example, "you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus (Romans 6:11)."

This kind of sermon to self humbles us. It celebrates gospel faith in Jesus. It is powerful. Look for examples of it in the Bible. Look for words like "oh my soul," and "reckon," and "consider."

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's. (Psalm 103:1-5 )

"As you come to Him..."

"As you come to him, a living stone rejected by men but in the sight of God chosen and precious, you yourselves like living stones are being built up as a spiritual house, to be a holy priesthood, to offer spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ." (1 Peter 2:4-5) 

Father, I want to come to Jesus, not just a few times a day, but continually - plugged in to Jesus like a branch to the vine, joyfully attached and worshipfully discovering more and more of the riches of Christ. I know many don't get Jesus but sometimes I live as if I don't either. So please give me the grace and wisdom I need to know how much I need to come to Jesus all the time. It's "as I come to Him," everything good that should happen will.

Looking

"...the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7)

The Lord reminded Samuel of something here. They were looking for a king. The tendency was to find someone that had that "King" kind of look. I don't know. Tall, broad shoulders, lots of hair, deep pensive voice? Do we do the same today? When's the last time we elected a guy who is bald???? :) 

The Lord sees differently. He looks on the heart. While we connect our own shallow ideas of "coolness" to whatever it is we are willing to follow the Lord doesn't. He's never fooled, flattered, or conned. Nothing catches his eye because of its empty sparkle. He looks for truth. He "delights in truth in the inward being." (Psalm 51:6)

Jesus was rejected as the anointed King of Kings because the people were looking for something else. They were looking for something much less. Each time we fail to completely trust and love the Lord we do the same. It's called sin. It shows up in a variety of ways from worry to lust, from bitterness to slander. 

I'm not done here. There's so much to think about and write about. But the main thing is this. If the Lord looks on the heart, and He does, then we are all in deep, deep trouble. Unless!

"I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh." (Ezeziel 36:26)

And with the new heart comes new eyes so we can begin to see. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see ----- God." (Matthew 5:8)

Amazing Love

"Both the one who makes people holy and those who are made holy are of the same family. So Jesus is not ashamed to call them brothers and sisters. He says, 'I will declare your name to my brothers and sisters; in the assembly I will sing your praises.' And again, 'I will put my trust in him.' And again he says, 'Here am I, and the children God has given me.'" (Heb. 2: 11– 13 NIV)

Been reading Everyday Prayers by Scotty Smith. It is a prayer each day in response to a portion of holy scripture. Yesterday's passage was the above. Read it slowly. You might even want to write it out. Let the love of Jesus soak in. Be rooted and grounded in His surprising love.

Now you might want to read it even again. If you are like me you probably missed what's being said. If you have seen the black depths of your sin, this glimpse into the heart of Jesus will blow you away.

First, Jesus makes us holy. We can't make ourselves holy. Only the Sent One of the Father who took the wrath of God we deserved can make us holy. Trust Him to be the one and only holy-maker in your life.

Second, once Jesus does this miracle of making us holy, we are brought into His family. Jesus calls us family without shame. WITHOUT SHAME. He is so unashamed of us that he sings praises with us. He who is Lord, praises the Lord for us. Wow!

All this is possible because He made us holy. All this is possible because God in His amazing grace gave us to Jesus. So when He sings praises, He praises the One who made it possible. But still. Amazing love.


Smith, Scotty (2011-09-01). Everyday Prayers: 365 Days to a Gospel-Centered Faith (p. 29). Baker Publishing Group.

Is there ever a time when something good in your life has to go?

Yes. See if you agree.

It's been an emotional 24 hours. I've sat with a family as a loving wife and two sons said goodbye. The man they loved slipped into eternity. Later, I prayed brokenheartedly with a friend whose wife also left, but for an old boyfriend she'd found on Facebook. After that I jumped for joy as my family celebrated with my wife. She finished writing her eighth book. I read it this morning. Wow! It's all about ways Jesus changes us, transforms us, graces us with power to live. The book is about the amazing process of sanctification--a whole new kind of Jesus life.

In the first instance, death meant that life would now be lived without a husband and father. Sometimes something good in our lives (someone we love) has to go. Jesus told His disciples that would be the case with Himself. He told them that He would be leaving. He said, "If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I am going to the Father" (John 14:28). He also explained their loss would be replaced by a great advantage--His Spirit indwelling them. For the family who is grieving, Jesus, the Good Shepherd, promises to lead them THROUGH the valley of the shadow of death. Don't you love that word "through." Don't you just love that unfailing Shepherd.

In the second situation, yet another fell as so many others have fallen before. How many does that make? How many broken marriages?  How many unfaithful spouses? How many children will grow up without the benefit of watching mom and dad work it out, solve the problems, keep their promises to love for better or worse? How many?

Facebook is a tool that makes it easy to communicate. That's good. Facebook makes it easy for family and friends to share thoughts, photos, advice, scripture. It's a free tool that allows missionaries overseas to stay in daily contact with home. Communication is good. Communication is God's plan.

BUT (you knew that was coming, didn't you), let me share something that Jesus told us we need to do at times. He shocked everyone who heard Him say it. "If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. He made that drastic demand after explaining how adultery begins not in the act but in the heart.

Eyes are pretty valuable. You think? Eyes are God's doing. The disciples as well as first century followers of Jesus didn't take this to mean that they should literally cut out their right eyes. There's nothing in history that tells us that serious first century believers all looked like Patch the Pirate. They knew what He was saying.  Get drastic. Don't fool yourself. If what you are looking at leads to sinful thoughts and actions, then cut it out of your life. Get rid of it. What's more important Facebook or your soul?

Facebook can bring down governments. And has. Wow! Communication is powerful. But if the communication is sick, unhealthy, sinful, it can also bring down lives. There are a lot of folks who need to cut it out--get rid of the Internet altogether.

If you're hiding what you're communicating from your spouse or parents or even some of your friends, it's time to pull the plug. Love Jesus and His Book more than Facebook. If the stuff you do on the Internet is polluting your heart then cut the right eye out of your Facebook account. There must be 50 ways to leave your tempter. Drop the laptop off a cliff. Make a new plan Stan. Get yourself free as you face the truth.

"How Many Light Bulbs Does it Take to Change a Person." That's the name of my wife's new book. It's about Jesus, the light of the world, who we are to love, know, follow, obey, be empowered by, indwelt by, and glorify. The problem some have with Facebook is not about Facebook. The problem is the heart. Our hearts need to be filled with the glorious, blazing, burning, cleansing, explosive light of Christ. Jesus Himself.

Eph 5:8-12
"At one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them."