Today I read an article about a recent study published in the March 2010 issue of the journal Science. The lead author of the study, Joe Henrich, is an evolutionary anthropologist at the University of British Columbia. He suggests that fairness is not an innate human attribute, rather a learned behavior. Shocker! Ask any parent of a toddler and I guarantee (since I am one) that they will all agree they never had to teach their child to be selfish. The last thing on the mind of a 3 year-old is whether or not they are being fair as they rip a toy from their siblings grasp. Deep down inside we all naturally desire what is best for old #1 (our self).
Whether the researchers who conducted this study realize it or not, they actually bolstered the claims of the Bible. David proclaimed in Psalm 51 that he "was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me." In fact, travel all the way back to Genesis chapter 6 and the description of the people in the days of Noah was that "every inclination of the thoughts of their minds was only evil all the time." (Gen. 6:5) The text tells us that God was not only grieved that He created mankind, but "he was highly offended." Why? Because God can have nothing to do with sin.
Romans chapter 3 tells us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." We have all sinned and "highly offend" God. We are all outlaws who deserve punishment for breaking God's law. In all "fairness" God has every right to punish each of us for daily turning our backs on Him. Thankfully, God chose to love us by sending His Son to pay a debt that we could never pay in order to free us from our much deserved punishment. (John 3:16) That is grace! What do we have to do to have our debt paid? The Bible tells us it is just a matter of believing...
... that the events we celebrate each year on Good Friday and Easter actually happened
... that God sent His one and only Son to die for YOU and rise again three days later
... that you are now justified (made right with God) "freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus." (Romans 3:24)
I am so thankful that God was not "fair" with us, but instead chose to show His eternal glory by extending His grace. Have you trusted in God's amazing grace to bring you new life in Christ?
Monday, March 29, 2010
Thursday, March 11, 2010
Creation
Earlier this week the warm weather enticed me to leave my office for a quick stroll around the pond next to our church building. It was marvelous to walk outside without a coat weighing me down, allowing my skin to soak up the warm life-giving sunshine. I marveled at all the things the snow had hidden from sight over the past several weeks. Grass, trees, shrubs, even the fish that had been held captive under thick layers of ice were now bursting forth in anticipation of the changing seasons.
My quick trip outside in the spring-like air reminded me of the psalmist’s words in Psalm 102:25, “In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.” He proclaims that all we see in this amazing world is the work of God’s hands. From the top of the mountains to the depth of the sea, all that we marvel at and enjoy in creation is the “work of his hands.”
The great King David would later proclaim in Psalm 139 that it was with the same wisdom and power that God created each human and “knit us together in our mother’s womb.” The prophet Isaiah proclaimed that “we are the clay” and God is the potter, which means we are the work of His hands!
The next time you feel the urge to take a stroll outside and marvel at the amazing creation, look no further than your own life. God created you, knit you together in your mother’s womb, and loves you enough to send His one and only Son to pay the penalty for your sin (John 3:16).
My quick trip outside in the spring-like air reminded me of the psalmist’s words in Psalm 102:25, “In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.” He proclaims that all we see in this amazing world is the work of God’s hands. From the top of the mountains to the depth of the sea, all that we marvel at and enjoy in creation is the “work of his hands.”
The great King David would later proclaim in Psalm 139 that it was with the same wisdom and power that God created each human and “knit us together in our mother’s womb.” The prophet Isaiah proclaimed that “we are the clay” and God is the potter, which means we are the work of His hands!
The next time you feel the urge to take a stroll outside and marvel at the amazing creation, look no further than your own life. God created you, knit you together in your mother’s womb, and loves you enough to send His one and only Son to pay the penalty for your sin (John 3:16).
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Are you being rescued?
We are all reminded on a daily (if not hourly) basis that we live in a world surrounded by and stuck in sin. In Galatians 1:4 the apostle Paul refers to this current period of history in which we live as "the present evil age." Everyone knows and admits the world has problems. People get sick, people steal, people harm other people, and all people ultimately die. We are told that "the world is getting better," but one look around or glance at the news would compel us to disagree. This world is rotting and wasting away because of sin. Thankfully, in the same verse (Galatians 1:4) Paul gives us hope. Jesus "gave himself for our sins to rescue us from the present evil age." There is nothing we can do to save ourselves from sin, we must trust in Christ to save us through His unbelievable sacrifice of Himself on the cross. That is the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As Christ followers we still deal with the effects of living in a sinful and messed up world, but our ultimate rescue is secure in Christ. We are in process of being rescued. Are you being rescued?
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." - Isaiah 41:10
"So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." - Isaiah 41:10
Monday, February 1, 2010
What kind of fruit do you have?
I am getting ready to begin preaching through Galatians in a few weeks and thought I would share a quick thought from my studies....
In Galatians 6:7 the Apostle Paul gives a stern warning to the Galatians. He warns, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
The world would like us to believe that it is OK to have “little” sins in your life because, after all, “they won’t hurt anyone”, or “no one will find out.” HOWEVER, “God cannot be mocked.” God knows everything that you do or even think! Ultimately we will face the consequences of our actions whether good or bad. Those who live a life of sin will ultimately be judged by God, just as he judged the wicked in the days of Noah by destroying them with a great flood.
The question is what type of a life are you sowing? Are you living to please your sinful human nature, or are you living each moment to please God? Contrary to what many people believe, you can’t do both. Galatians 5:17 says, “the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other.”
HOW do you know if you are living for the Spirit or for your sinful nature? The only way to begin to answer this question is to look at the fruits of your life, which are reflected in what you do and say. If you are living for the Spirit then the fruits of the Spirit will be evident in your life. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
What kind of fruit are YOU cultivating in your life?
In Galatians 6:7 the Apostle Paul gives a stern warning to the Galatians. He warns, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows.”
The world would like us to believe that it is OK to have “little” sins in your life because, after all, “they won’t hurt anyone”, or “no one will find out.” HOWEVER, “God cannot be mocked.” God knows everything that you do or even think! Ultimately we will face the consequences of our actions whether good or bad. Those who live a life of sin will ultimately be judged by God, just as he judged the wicked in the days of Noah by destroying them with a great flood.
The question is what type of a life are you sowing? Are you living to please your sinful human nature, or are you living each moment to please God? Contrary to what many people believe, you can’t do both. Galatians 5:17 says, “the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other.”
HOW do you know if you are living for the Spirit or for your sinful nature? The only way to begin to answer this question is to look at the fruits of your life, which are reflected in what you do and say. If you are living for the Spirit then the fruits of the Spirit will be evident in your life. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that, “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”
What kind of fruit are YOU cultivating in your life?
Monday, January 25, 2010
KCP
One of my professors at Dallas Theological Seminary used to tell us KCP....KCP....KCP. It is far more than a clever acronym (which most pastors tend to overdose on while trying to convey their sermon points). For a Christ-follower, KCP must be a way of life.
I was recently reading a very familiar, yet deeply troubling passage in Genesis 22. God commanded Abraham to physically sacrifice his son, Isaac, whom he loved. In an incredible act of obedience to God, Abraham did just as God had told him to do. As the knife was raised, ready to plunge into his boy laying bound on the alter, an angel of the Lord called out to Abraham and intervened to save Isaac's life. While there are many lessons we can draw from this amazing passage, we as the reader have been given a special preview of God's redemptive plan for creation (the main theme of the Bible). God didn't ask Abraham to do something that He Himself hadn't already planned on doing before the creation of the world....to sacrifice His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:20 tells us that Jesus "was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake." God the Father, in the most amazing act of love, sacrificed His Son, that those who believe in Him might be "redeemed from the empty way of life." Once we realize what God has done to redeem us from the penalty of our sin, we should be driven to KCP in all that we do; for without Him, we are lost.
Keep Christ Preeminent!
Remember, you can't live the way you used to live because you aren't who you used to be! (Colossians 3:5-17)
I was recently reading a very familiar, yet deeply troubling passage in Genesis 22. God commanded Abraham to physically sacrifice his son, Isaac, whom he loved. In an incredible act of obedience to God, Abraham did just as God had told him to do. As the knife was raised, ready to plunge into his boy laying bound on the alter, an angel of the Lord called out to Abraham and intervened to save Isaac's life. While there are many lessons we can draw from this amazing passage, we as the reader have been given a special preview of God's redemptive plan for creation (the main theme of the Bible). God didn't ask Abraham to do something that He Himself hadn't already planned on doing before the creation of the world....to sacrifice His one and only Son, Jesus Christ.
1 Peter 1:20 tells us that Jesus "was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake." God the Father, in the most amazing act of love, sacrificed His Son, that those who believe in Him might be "redeemed from the empty way of life." Once we realize what God has done to redeem us from the penalty of our sin, we should be driven to KCP in all that we do; for without Him, we are lost.
Keep Christ Preeminent!
Remember, you can't live the way you used to live because you aren't who you used to be! (Colossians 3:5-17)
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Avatar - Longing for a 'Utopia'
I have not yet seen the movie 'Avatar’ but this morning I read a sad, yet not so surprising, article about different reactions people have had after viewing the movie. According to the article I read, the movie could be on pace to become the highest grossing film of all time, which means a TON of people will see this movie. Apparently, the movie portrays a fictitious world called Pandora, which is a “beautiful, glowing utopia” compared to life on earth. One of the movie’s actors said, “Pandora is a pristine world and there is the synergy between all of the creatures of the planet and I think that strikes a deep chord within people that has a wishfulness and a wistfulness to it.”
Unfortunately, when moviegoers leave the theater many have been finding it difficult to deal with the reality of living in the world we live in here on planet earth. Here are just a few of the discussion topics on the fan site “Avatar Forums” that reveal how deeply the movie has impacted their lives: “Ways to cope with the depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible” (currently over 4,600 views); “Depression and thoughts of suicide;” “I feel lost and alone.”
While there are a myriad of possible reactions to those posts, they show us that God has placed on the heart of mankind a realization that there is more to life than this world we live in. As Solomon reminds us, “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecc. 3:11) I am always amazed that even those who are not followers of Christ and know nothing of the Bible, still understand that we live in a dying world. We all have a deep longing to be a part of something more because sin has made us less than we were created to be. Unfortunately, without faith in Jesus Christ, there is no hope, which should spur us on to share the hope that we have with as many people as possible.
Here are a couple biblical truths that I was reminded of while reading the reactions to the movie:
(1) The world we live in is not as it was intended to be. Sin has so deeply scared everything in creation that the Apostle Paul said, “the whole creation has been groaning” as it awaits redemption from the curse of sin. It is this “hope” that we who have trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation can have. Paul also wrote in Romans 8 that he considered “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” and it was “in this hope we were saved.” Do you daily remind yourself and everyone around you of this incredible hope?
(2) Our days in this world are very short as the Psalmist reminds us “as for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.” Yet, the choices we make in this world impact how we spend eternity, either with God in eternal paradise or without God in eternal punishment. Have you made the most important decision of your life to trust in Christ alone for salvation and is that decision evident in the way you live your life?
(3) We need to live life with an eternal perspective. The "utopia" that is portrayed by 'Avatar' is no better than the sinful, dying world we live in when compared to the place that Christ Jesus has prepared for those who trust in Him. And we don't even need to take a futuristic looking spaceship to get there! In fact, we need to do nothing but have faith in Christ and His work for us upon the cross. "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith - and this not from yourselves - it is the gift of God." (Eph 2:8)
What do we do with our short life God has given us on this earth? We focus on the things we cannot leave behind.….because as a Christ follower this is not our home…but we are all going home…so walk on…
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt 6:19-21)
Unfortunately, when moviegoers leave the theater many have been finding it difficult to deal with the reality of living in the world we live in here on planet earth. Here are just a few of the discussion topics on the fan site “Avatar Forums” that reveal how deeply the movie has impacted their lives: “Ways to cope with the depression of the dream of Pandora being intangible” (currently over 4,600 views); “Depression and thoughts of suicide;” “I feel lost and alone.”
One post read, “When I woke up this morning after watching Avatar for the first time yesterday, the world seemed…gray. It was like my hole life, everything I’ve done and worked for, lost its meaning. It just seems so…meaningless. I still don’t really see any reason to keep…doing things at all. I live in a dying world.”
Yet another post read, “Ever since I went to see 'Avatar' I have been depressed. Watching the wonderful world of Pandora and all the Na'vi made me want to be one of them. I can't stop thinking about all the things that happened in the film and all of the tears and shivers I got from it. I even contemplate suicide thinking that if I do it I will be rebirthed in a world similar to Pandora and the everything is the same as in 'Avatar.'”
While there are a myriad of possible reactions to those posts, they show us that God has placed on the heart of mankind a realization that there is more to life than this world we live in. As Solomon reminds us, “He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.” (Ecc. 3:11) I am always amazed that even those who are not followers of Christ and know nothing of the Bible, still understand that we live in a dying world. We all have a deep longing to be a part of something more because sin has made us less than we were created to be. Unfortunately, without faith in Jesus Christ, there is no hope, which should spur us on to share the hope that we have with as many people as possible.
Here are a couple biblical truths that I was reminded of while reading the reactions to the movie:
(1) The world we live in is not as it was intended to be. Sin has so deeply scared everything in creation that the Apostle Paul said, “the whole creation has been groaning” as it awaits redemption from the curse of sin. It is this “hope” that we who have trusted in Jesus Christ alone for salvation can have. Paul also wrote in Romans 8 that he considered “our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us” and it was “in this hope we were saved.” Do you daily remind yourself and everyone around you of this incredible hope?
(2) Our days in this world are very short as the Psalmist reminds us “as for man, his days are like grass, he flourishes like a flower of the field; the wind blows over it and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more.” Yet, the choices we make in this world impact how we spend eternity, either with God in eternal paradise or without God in eternal punishment. Have you made the most important decision of your life to trust in Christ alone for salvation and is that decision evident in the way you live your life?
(3) We need to live life with an eternal perspective. The "utopia" that is portrayed by 'Avatar' is no better than the sinful, dying world we live in when compared to the place that Christ Jesus has prepared for those who trust in Him. And we don't even need to take a futuristic looking spaceship to get there! In fact, we need to do nothing but have faith in Christ and His work for us upon the cross. "For it is by grace you have been saved through faith - and this not from yourselves - it is the gift of God." (Eph 2:8)
What do we do with our short life God has given us on this earth? We focus on the things we cannot leave behind.….because as a Christ follower this is not our home…but we are all going home…so walk on…
“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matt 6:19-21)
Tuesday, December 1, 2009
Real Community
What an incredible joy to be a part of a local church where God's love and grace reaches a crescendo in the everyday lives of people. As we continued the theme of Thanksgiving this past Sunday, it was wonderful to hear so many people express (both corporately and individually) how thankful they are for others in the church who have cared for them and loved them during difficult times in their life over the past year.
Besides providing encouragement to the entire church Body, it served as a vivid reminder that we as humans were created to function as part of a community. All the way back in Genesis chapters 1 and 2 when God created the earth and everything in it, He proclaimed everything to be "good" except for one thing. He said, "It is not good for the man to be alone." (Gen. 2:18) God designed us to need each other.
We all have needs that can only be met when we are experiencing true community. Why do you think Starbucks and other coffee shops have been so successful? No, it's not because people love spending $5 bucks for a venti, double, mocha, extra hot, vanilla, latte. As Howard Schultz, the founder of Starbucks, describes in his book, Pour Your Heart into It, “People didn’t know they needed a safe, comfortable, neighborhood gathering place. They didn’t know they would like Italian espresso drinks. But when we gave it to them, the fervor of their response overwhelmed us.” The local coffee shop in some small way satisfies our longing to be a part of a caring community that can share in our burdens, share in our life. Unfortunately, the "community" offered at the local coffee shop is nothing more than a counterfeit of the local church. Even more unfortunate is the fact that if the local church was doing its job, there would be no need for the counterfeit coffee shop "community."
Even as the many expressions of thanksgiving echos in our ears; may those same echos spur us on toward love and good deeds. It must begin there if we as the Church are going to correctly represent Christ to the watching world. If Howard Schultz was overwhelmed by the response of people desiring to experience "community" in the coffee shop, imagine how people would respond to a local church who offered true acceptance, true hope, true love....true community! Ultimately, that God will be glorified through the impact and growth of His Church.
Besides providing encouragement to the entire church Body, it served as a vivid reminder that we as humans were created to function as part of a community. All the way back in Genesis chapters 1 and 2 when God created the earth and everything in it, He proclaimed everything to be "good" except for one thing. He said, "It is not good for the man to be alone." (Gen. 2:18) God designed us to need each other.
We all have needs that can only be met when we are experiencing true community. Why do you think Starbucks and other coffee shops have been so successful? No, it's not because people love spending $5 bucks for a venti, double, mocha, extra hot, vanilla, latte. As Howard Schultz, the founder of Starbucks, describes in his book, Pour Your Heart into It, “People didn’t know they needed a safe, comfortable, neighborhood gathering place. They didn’t know they would like Italian espresso drinks. But when we gave it to them, the fervor of their response overwhelmed us.” The local coffee shop in some small way satisfies our longing to be a part of a caring community that can share in our burdens, share in our life. Unfortunately, the "community" offered at the local coffee shop is nothing more than a counterfeit of the local church. Even more unfortunate is the fact that if the local church was doing its job, there would be no need for the counterfeit coffee shop "community."
Even as the many expressions of thanksgiving echos in our ears; may those same echos spur us on toward love and good deeds. It must begin there if we as the Church are going to correctly represent Christ to the watching world. If Howard Schultz was overwhelmed by the response of people desiring to experience "community" in the coffee shop, imagine how people would respond to a local church who offered true acceptance, true hope, true love....true community! Ultimately, that God will be glorified through the impact and growth of His Church.
Saturday, October 31, 2009
Running with Perseverance
As you probably saw in the news last week, a Northwest Airlines flight with 149 people on board flew 150 miles past their destination in Minneapolis, MN. The exact events that led up to this major mistake by the pilots are still shrouded in mystery, but the most recent claim is that the pilots were using their laptops and became “distracted” from flying the plane. Thankfully, the plane had enough fuel to turn around and safely land in Minneapolis.
It is hard to imagine a more dangerous situation in which to become distracted than that of piloting an aircraft with so many lives in the balance. Yet, as followers of Christ we are often guilty of being “distracted” from living the life we are called to live - this is a far greater mistake than that of the airline pilots. The writer of Hebrews calls us to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us” by fixing “our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (12:1,2). It is my prayer that as we move forward in ministry together as the Body of Christ, we will keep our eyes fixed firmly on Jesus by growing in our knowledge of Him and practically showing His love to those around us. May we not crawl, walk, stumble or fall, but RUN together with perseverance.
It is hard to imagine a more dangerous situation in which to become distracted than that of piloting an aircraft with so many lives in the balance. Yet, as followers of Christ we are often guilty of being “distracted” from living the life we are called to live - this is a far greater mistake than that of the airline pilots. The writer of Hebrews calls us to “run with perseverance the race marked out for us” by fixing “our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith” (12:1,2). It is my prayer that as we move forward in ministry together as the Body of Christ, we will keep our eyes fixed firmly on Jesus by growing in our knowledge of Him and practically showing His love to those around us. May we not crawl, walk, stumble or fall, but RUN together with perseverance.
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