When you are my life - I love my life

When you are my life - I love my life
          Dying with you - I live

When you are my joy - I have real joy
          Even in suffering - I rejoice

         

When we are connected to Jesus as the Lord God of our lives, the terrible is swallowed by the very best. Let me share some places in scripture that encourage and strengthen us in this experience.  

Galatians 2:20
I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. (ESV)

2 Corinthians 4:8–10
We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. (ESV)

Revelation 2:9
"I know your tribulation and your poverty (but you are rich)..." (ESV)

Revelation 2:8
"The words of the first and the last, who died and came to life." (ESV)

Philippians 4:4
(says the apostle in chains) Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. (ESV)

The Exile Feeling

Do you ever feel like you are somehow an exile? It is the feeling that you don't fit here. Leadership gurus tell us that when you feel like that in the work environment it might be a sign that it is time to move on. Or it might be the symptom of burnout which means it's time to get some rest.

Peter wrote a letter to some exiles to help them with the struggle of not fitting in and maybe even to help them avoid burnout. "Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion..." What follows in his not-so-simple greeting was thick wonderful truth that can't help to cause us to feel hugely prepared for just about anything.

1 Peter 1:1–2
[1] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ,
To those who are elect exiles of the Dispersion in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, [2] according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, in the sanctification of the Spirit, for obedience to Jesus Christ and for sprinkling with his blood:
May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 

"Elect exiles." What does that mean? The church is described in many ways throughout scripture. A body. A flock. A family. Here Peter teaches us the church is bunch of elect exiles. Elect because the church is made up of those who have been chosen. The church is God's chosen people. The word elect is supposed to make the church feel loved because if there is anything that a person chosen of God knows, it is this - they were chosen on the basis of God's love and mercy and not according to what they deserve. The word exile reminds the believer in Christ that this world is not their homeland. The church is waiting for a future home. The people of God are exiles. On one hand the Bible teaches that the Lord has given us "all thing to enjoy." (1 Timothy 6:17) But the scripture also reminds us that we are to put our "hope in God" and not wealth.

1 Timothy 6:17
As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. 

Why not put our hope in riches? Because we are exiles. Enjoy everything but don't get too attached to stuff! We have a much better possession to come. All of God in involved. The Father who loved us way back before we were even a thought in anyone's mind. ("according to the foreknowledge of God the Father") The Spirit of God who now is making us good - holyfying us! ("in the sanctification of the Spirit") And Jesus who causes us to trust and obey Him because of his loving sacrifice. 

If you feel like an exile maybe it's because that is exactly what you are. But don't leave until it is time. Don't get burned-out and bogged down with the stresses of life. Hope in God, the Father, Spirit, and Son. You are loved, planned for, empowered and blessed with the brightest future. Here is the very next thing Peter wrote. Read it and be filled with a hope that is alive and eternal. 

1 Peter 1:3–5
[3] Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, [4] to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, [5] who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time. (ESV)


May grace and peace be multiplied to you. 

Titanium

"I'm bulletproof nothing to lose...You shoot me down but I won't fall, I am titanium."

I recently listened to "Titanium." a hit song. Finally. It has been out for several years. It is still big!  It moved me. I liked it! 

There is a desire within us to be solid. Invincible. Like Titanium. There are so many corrosive influences all around. They shoot at us. They hurt. They can destroy. They come in a variety of penetrating ways. It might come from a bully or brother. It might be the abuse of a loved one or a literal bullet from a hate-filled crazed off-balance lune. So we want to be strong don't we! We want to reflect the arrows. We want to put hurtful lies in their place. We want to stand strong and last. Forever. Super invincible. Too powerful to be defeated. Too strong to be overcome. 

But how? 

I have been looking closely at the words of Peter. His name means Titanium. Well. Actually it means "rock." Pretty much the same thing in their minds back then. When the bullets started flying Peter was anything but. He caved. In the face of opposition he denied even knowing Jesus the night before the crucifixion. After a love-filled conversation with Jesus several days later - the resurrected Jesus - Peter became Titanium. He stood before Jerusalem. Thousands. And was so convincing that thousands at ground zero, where the resurrection took place, made Jesus their rock. 

Here is what Peter wrote. "Love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for

“All flesh is like grass
and all its glory like the flower of grass.
The grass withers,
and the flower falls." (1 Peter 1:22–24)

There is a powerful seed that causes a kind of rebirth. The seed is imperishable! Titanium-like!  So the rebirth it produces turns a person into someone who is imperishable. Invincible. Titanium. This seed of God changes a person from withering to overcomer. Peter went on to write, "The grass withers,
and the flower falls,
but the word of the Lord remains forever.
And this word is the good news that was preached to you." (1 Peter 1:24–25)

The good new! Earlier in this chapter Peter tells what this powerful, imperishable, seed is that turned him and can turn us into titanium. "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time."  (1 Peter 1:3–5)

The invincible Jesus is the key to our new titanium life. Let's look to Him. 

Public Safety

Moving forward toward public safety is on our minds. How do we get to a place where our children are reasonably safe in public?

The line between crazy violent behavior and civility is pretty thin. It doesn't take as much as we might think to push some over the line into murderous behavior.

We push more and more people to the edge by exulting faulty attitudes and beliefs. (Belief leads to action. Actions are generated by belief.) Our hearts have grown hard toward the value of human life. The causes are varied. Killing - from pretend to the pre-born - has become a way of life. "Will to power," since according to atheistic Nietzsche, there is nothing else. But "will to power" minus love/truth, plus a gun, equals a bloodbath.

This last killing nightmare occurred on Valentine's day. Of all days. The "shedding of innocent blood" is such a hate-filled, hard-hearted action. Have we encouraged a culture that laughs at love and values bitter viciousness?

We need a powerful supernatural intervention that draws us toward God through Christ. Our hardened hearts need to be tenderized. We need the love of God to be poured into our hearts. Let's ask the Father of us all to compel us and our neighbors, with His love, to come to Him.

Luke 2:10
“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people."

I took the picture this morning. It is hanging just inside our front door. I love mistletoe!! Kissing is a beautiful thing. It is an intimate expression of love. "Greet one another with a holy kiss," says the heart of God. A holy kiss!! A holy kiss is never forced. It is freely given and gratefully received. I kiss my wife. I kiss my children. I kiss my grandchildren. I kiss my brothers and sisters in Christ. 

If holy kisses filled the world how different the world would be!! If every kiss that was exchanged was a HOLY kiss the nightly news would take on a much different flavor. 

Psalm 85:10
                Steadfast love and faithfulness meet;
righteousness and peace kiss each other. 

This is one my favorite Christmas revelations in the Bible. This happened in Jesus. Love, faithfulness, righteousness and peace kissed each other. In Jesus we have absolute holiness. Righteousness! AND at the same time we have unstoppable love and peace! Because of Jesus, His coming, His death for our sins, we have all that matters. His righteousness is fulfilled instead of our doom sealed. AND we experience His love and peace! 

Where there is perfect righteousness we experience judgement because we are not righteous. Through Jesus righteousness kisses love and peace with God. 

Need a holy kiss? Jesus! 

For Unto You Is Born...Savior...Christ...Lord

Luke 2:10
“Fear not, for behold, I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people."

It feels like we live in a bad sad world. Killings on a mass scale like we haven't imagined. Yesterday the Chief of Police stopped by to help our church Pastors think about the unthinkable. "Lock your doors," he said. "On Sunday mornings!" Crazy! Isn't it?!! And then there are the scandals. A new nightmarish surprise every day. Not to mention those around the world who seem hellbent on killing us with a bomb or a missile or even a bus while we shop. 

The worse thing of all is we ourselves. Against the backdrop of pure perfection that is God, our smallest of sins look depressingly shameful. The brighter He is to us, the more nightmarish our sin.

Is it possible to feel joy and be excited about the future! Sometimes we get discouraged. Sometimes we feel the blows. But there is a strength and life and joy that Christ came to give us. He entered this mess and gave Himself so that we could be filled with His presence. He is life. He is great joy. 

That is why Paul wrote, "We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies (2 Corinthians 4:8–10).

We are not crushed, not in despair, not forsaken, and certainly not destroyed. No matter what! Instead, through Christ in us, we are whole, joyful, experiencing Jesus and more than conquerers. 

Colossians 1:27
...God chose to make known...the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. 

Grieving Yet Thankful

Grieving Yet Thankful

We are all grieving over the loss of life at First Baptist of Sutherland Springs Texas.  Innocent blood has been shed. Plus another murderer has fallen into eternal torment. I am writing these words the day after this nightmare. Let’s continue to pray for Sutherland Springs and its First Baptist family.

All day today I find myself grieving and yet thankful. Let me share some of the reasons I am thankful.

1.     The Lord Jesus. We have a Savior! We have a Savior who suffered. And we have a Savior who is Almighty God. He is both. He has felt the pain of heartbreak and cruel death. At the same time He knows the future as the timeless I Am. He has created a glorious future as One who has conquered. As the prophet Isaiah recorded God’s description about Jesus, He is the Prince of Peace and the Father. He is the tender, understanding loving Counselor while at the same time, fierce Mighty God. He is a Wonderful holy combination.

Jesus came because killers kill and liars lie. He came because sin destroys. And He   entered that painful murderous destruction and humbled Himself to the point of death on a cross. He knows what it’s like to hurt. He is able to understand and heal. The One who is “acquainted with grief” is able to redeem.

2.     Jesus provided for the believers in Sutherland Springs in ways we can barely begin to imagine. They are with Jesus. They are breathing in Life. The pastor and his wife were out of town that Sunday. Their 14 year old daughter, Annabelle, was at church. She was one of the ones killed. I heard her mother Sherri say in an interview how grateful she was that her Annabelle loved her church family so very much and they her. The mother was thankful her daughter slipped into heaven with those she so dearly loved. I am thankful for heaven.

3.     Sunday afternoon several of our men met. They are used of God to provide protection for our church week after week. These are servants who are willing to die if need be for our church family. They are present each Sunday watching, walking, observing. They are faithful, wise, and capable. They are always about improving their watch care. I feel blessed and thankful to the Lord for them. Men who love Jesus are powerful because of Christ. We are in good hands.