Speaking Frankly

You Are A Leader

2012-01-25T17:15:00.000-08:00

John Maxwell justreleased a book last fall called The Five Levels of Leadership. Itis a summary of all that he has taught over the years about thesubject.

Thefirst position is position. This means someone recognized potentialin you and decided to give you a leadership position.

Beforewe get too far, let's look at what a leader is.

Thereare lots of definitions of a leader. A leader is someone who hasintegrity, character, and a strong personality. A leader is someonewho will stand for what is right regardless of the cost orconsequences. While some leaders do possess these qualities, not allof them do. But I'm sure you'll agree that a good, strong leaderdoes.

Youmay say, “I'm not a leader.” To answer that honestly, though, youhave to consider that leadership is about influence. Everyone hassome influence somewhere, wouldn't you agree?

Ifyou said you're not a leader, you're probably confining leadership topositions at work. But what if you're married? You are a leader athome if you have a wife and kids. Note I didn't say that you arenecessarily a good leader, but you are in the role. If you fail atthat, what does that mean?

Youcan relate the idea of leadership to the world of sales. Zig Ziglarsays that when a salesman goes on a call, someone makes a sale. It isthe salesman when the product is purchased or the service isrendered. If the prospect says “No” then he has made the sale,hasn't he? He's succeeded in convincing the salesperson that hedoesn't need or want what is being offered.

Ifyou live alone you still are a leader. Do you hear your self talk?That reveals the kind of leader you are. Does your internal chatterbuild you up or sabotage your best efforts? You sell yourself dailyon whether you'll have a good day or a bad one. Then your attitudeleaks out in your expressions, conversation, and demeanor. Some willbe lifted if you're having a good day; if you're gloomy, others willpick up on that and be pulled down too.

Ifyou want to be a leader, a position is a starting point. To getthere, take a look at your influence.

Isyour attitude worth catching?

How to Say What You Want – And Get Away With It!

2012-01-25T16:34:00.000-08:00

Have you ever been intimidated bysomeone so powerful that they made you feel worthless?

I have.

When I was a young boy, I was painfullyshy and mostly quiet because of that. I remember one time I was onthe playground in fourth grade. This kid in my class who looked oldenough to drive himself to school met me on the playground. Hearrived with his posse, like a schoolyard mafia boss. Without a helloor any other social pleasantry he said, “Hey, kid, you got somelunch money?”

I nodded.

“Let me have it.”

Now, if I knew then what I know now, Iwould have approached this differently. But since I didn’t, Ireached into my pocket and, without a fight, handed him my fivedollars.

My shyness cost me a lot in the worldof relationships. As I got older, I promised myself that next yearwould be different. I would become more social. I would cast aside myinhibitions. I would value who I was and convince the world that theyshould too.

But how?

Today I’m going to tell you how Iovercame my fear and how you can do it too.

We all have bullies in our lives. Theymay not be the big and hairy kind. But they could be just as scaryand powerful.

Here are three things we’re mostscared of when dealing with someone intimidating.

First, we’re afraid of them becausethey have a lot of power and they can use it to manipulate us.Chances are they have hurt us in the past, are doing so now, and ifwe do nothing to prevent them, will continue to terrorize us in thefuture.

Second, there is the fear of theunknown. If we do stand up to our bullies, what will happen? Will wedie or just get hurt? Will they get mad or just laugh it off?

Worse still, and perhaps less unknown –what will happen if we keep reacting the same way to that bully’sthreats?

Third, there is the fear that comesfrom not thinking things through. Since we don’t know what willhappen, we retreat to the safety of the familiar. But if the familiarisn’t safe, then is this really a good idea?

You could be risking your happiness,your health, and maybe even your career.

Now that we’ve done the first thingand identified what we’re afraid of, we’re left to make a choice.Will we run or will we fight?

When I say, “fight”, I don’t meanwith fists. A lot can be accomplished with peaceful resistance.Martin Luther King changed the status of African Americans in Americaforever by making stirring speeches. Ghandi freed his people fromBritish rule without firing a single gunshot.

You can make big changes to your ownlife without even balling up your fist.

This means you must deal with the threecommon fears.

First, remember that though that personwho is oppressing you has a lot of influence, he or she is justanother person like you. They are probably insecure themselves andthat is the reason they bully you. This may be the only way for himto feel better about himself.

Understanding that doesn’t mean youhave to take what he dishes out. You have rights just like he does.Make the choice to stand for them.

Facing the second fear is easier whenyou consider your response to all the possibilities. What is thechance you’ll die during your confrontation? It’s probably sosmall it’s not worth considering. You may feel embarrassed if youhaven’t stood up for yourself much before, but plan to push throughit anyway. The whole affair probably won’t last more than a fewminutes. You can live through that.

You can arm yourself to properly thinkthings through by talking with someone else who is more assertive.Ask him how he would handle such a situation as you’re facing. Alsoread the biographies of brave people who accomplished big things inthe face of persecution. You may not have to say as Patrick Henrydid, “give me liberty or give me death”, but knowing his storymight tell you where he got his courage. That can inspire you to findyour own.

Now you’re ready to face your bully.

I had a teacher in junior high who wasalways pestering me about being shy. He felt he could make me bolderby embarrassing me before my classmates. One particular incidentsticks out in my mind. Mr. Cox had gotten angry at my lacklusterresponses to his urgings. He demanded “Frank, say ‘yes’ as loudas you can!”

I too had become fed up.

“No!”

My classmates roared with laughter.

Mr. Cox had nothing more to say.

I felt great.

By the way, that is an appropriateresponse to refusing someone’s demands. Say no and don’t give anyexplanation. You don’t have to justify your behavior all the time.

In summary, to overcome your fear ofthe bullies in your own life, remember these three things. Admit thatyou’re scared and define exactly what scares you. Then, decide tostand up for yourself. Plan what you’ll say and do next time. Then,when the opportunity comes, act on what you’ve already decided.

If you’ll do these things, you cansay what you want and get away with it!

Grace Wins!

2012-01-19T11:55:00.000-08:00

Here's where you can get my complete Revelation commentary online for free: https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B1Ge1myFHpm_OGM2YjlkNTEtMzU3NS00OGJiLWI4MDItYWQxOGZjNmZmNjU1&hl=en_US

Nothing Changes

2012-01-16T13:29:00.000-08:00

Throughout history, people have chasedafter satisfaction in everything but God.

Ecclesiastes 1:9-11 gives us a couplethings to consider.

First, there are always new inventions.But are they really new? What about ideas? Hasn’t someone thoughtof all this before? Are today's challenges different than those ofthe past?

If you go a bit deeper, you'll see thathuman desires haven't really changed. We all want to be happy,healthy, prosperous, and to have good relationships. Human nature hasbeen the same since the day our first parents were kicked out ofEden. The evil that would undo us is always below the surface,waiting for the proper opportunity to erupt and wreak havoc in ourlives.

Here's how redemption fits into oureveryday struggles. Jesus brings redemption to our souls. We as Hispeople long to share that with the world. The way we do that is tonot only tell others about His grace but show it in ways they cansee, feel, and touch.

For example, if your job is to fixcars, the mission of redemption that Jesus gives you will drive youto make sure that car runs better than it did when it came to you.What motivates you is that your work brings glory to the God whofreed you to do your best and gives you all you need to do it. Thatwill leave a different experience for others that they'll remember.

This leads to the next thing toconsider: We forget what happens to us. History is written down wellenough, but few bother to read it and learn anything. So it getsrepeated again and again. But not only that, we believe that weimprove to the point that we don't need to remind ourselves of thelessons history teaches. When things go well, we forget also thatthere is and always will be evil living in human hearts. This is whattrips us up and deludes us into thinking we're alright the way weare. Then personal growth and the exercise of grace become stunted.

The lesson is clear enough. Rememberthe reason Jesus came – we need help. Together we can change theworld, but not without Jesus. It's His power that gives you theenergy to bring redemption to your world. Don’t forget that. It'sthe only way to find true joy.

Our Missing Purpose

2012-01-08T16:49:00.000-08:00

Ecclesiastes 1:4-8 goes into detailabout how God has laid in place the processes that bring us days andnights, summers and winters, and rivers that lead into the ocean.

Nature is majestic. It shows us thereis a Creator who made everything for us to enjoy. (Romans 1:19-20).This passage also reveals that since things are the same and run incycles we get bored with them.

If you've worked in the same job doingthe same thing for years and years, you know what I mean. It alsoworks at home when we see the ones we love so much we take them forgranted. Then our relationships get stale and may disintegrate. Atwork we grow stiff and don't grow anymore.

It all just seems like so much smoke.

We were made to worship. Just look atthe picture of a brightly colored sunset. Attend a play where you areso led to believe the players are the characters that you'removed to joy and tears. Go to any college town on a Saturday inAutumn and witness the celebration that revolves around an ovalshaped piece of leather filled with air that gets tossed around inthe local arena. Visit the family of a newborn baby just after itsarrival home and see a roomful of smiles.

What you'll witness is the many reasonsGod gives us to revel in His goodness.

Where do we fail then?

We fail when we look to any event as areason to find our joy. Well, you know how it goes. Sunsets aremomentary at best. Babies get older. Plays come to an end. Footballseason only lasts a few months a year. Where does that leave you whenthe event is over and the tank of euphoria runs dry? How will yourefill your joy bucket once more?

If you're a follower of Jesus, you havea reason to find joy all year long, day or night, summer or winter.Jesus is here. He's here with you. Life may be tough, but He's therein the desert with you. When you scale the mountaintop, He's right byyour side. Truly the Psalmist was right when he said there wasnowhere you can run from God. (Psalm 139)

Take Paul's advice in 1 Corinthians10:31. Do everything for God's glory. Then your joy will be full.

The Top Three Reasons Resolutions Fail

2012-01-07T08:55:00.000-08:00

It's another New Year. It's time foryou to take stock of your life, look into your past, and forecastyour future.

We know how most resolutions go. We gointo the new year with grand ideas. Life this year will be different.Things are going to change. And all we need to do is make aresolution and the ball will start rolling.

Then about a week to ten days later,we're back to the way things were before.

What happened?

There are three good reasons whyresolutions fail.

The first reason resolutions fail isthat we don't enter them seriously. What I mean is when we decide toquit that bad habit, like smoking, we take a “try it and see”approach. We think to ourselves, “What do I have to lose?”

Then the wall comes. We hit it hard.Since we've done no more than express a preference and called it aresolution, we retreat to familiar territory.

The second reason resolutions fail isthat we haven't counted the cost of making it happen. This is clearlyillustrated when we “hit the wall”. The wall represents ourresistance to change. It is the crossroads where you have to decide,“Is this a wish or am I genuinely serious about changing?”

Among the costs of change is thetemptation to give up, retreat, and go back. Well-meaning friendswill express their discomfort with the change you want to make. Thefamiliarity of the past will beckon you to give up. Counting the costmeans that beforehand you've decided how you'll face setbacks.

Another cost to be counted is howpainful making a big change can be. If you've depended on somethingyou've now chosen to go without, how will you cope with the emptinessthat void will create? What will you fill it with when it inevitablycomes?

The third reason resolutions fail is weforget the biggest battle is with ourselves. Nobody else will have asmuch influence on your resolve as you will. Will you be your owncheerleader or your own saboteur? You alone make that choice.

If you want to succeed at carryingresolutions through to the end, remember these roadblocks. If youthink your desires through, commit well, and plan for the inevitablestruggles, you'll succeed in making a better you.

So You Want to Get Better?

2011-12-30T13:41:00.000-08:00

As a new year isabout to dawn, it's time to take stock of life. It's time to set someresolutions to do better than we have. To do that, we have to take alook at what we've done in the past.

The book isEcclesiastes. The author, though unnamed, is Solomon. Solomon means,“peaceful”. The problem is that at this time in Solomon's life,he is anything but peaceful. He has messed up his life big time. Heloves women. He loves them so much it seems he's married every one hefancied. The Bible records that he had seven hundred wives and threehundred concubines – a thousand women who called Solomon “husband”.

And you thoughtyou had problems.

One of the biggesttroubles his women brought him was the worship of foreign gods. Ifyou love your wife, won't you do anything to please her? Women,wouldn't you like to bring happiness to your husbands? Solomon didthis by building monuments to all the foreign gods his wivesworshiped.

God was notpleased with this situation.

The result wasthat as Solomon examined his own life, he was filled with regret andfrustration. He had traded his allegiance to God for loyalty to athousand others. And as the opening verses show, the chase forfulfillment always turned up empty.

There is always alesson in God's rebukes. If you're a child of God and get one, it'sGod's way of refining you into a more Christlike person. If you'renot a follower of Jesus, and God brings suffering into your life,it's to get your attention. The message in both cases is that of allthe things in the world, of all the striving you can do, nothingsatisfies so much as resting on Christ to make you right with God.

So ahead and makethose resolutions. Strive to be better. If you're a Christian, Godput that desire in your heart. But don't lose your cool if you fail.Remember, Jesus paid for all the guilt you feel. Don't forget that ifyou commit your work to Him, you'll have the success He wants you tohave. Pray for strength to do it. Then go forward as Paul did andsay, “I can do all things through Christ who gives me thestrength”.

Here's to a great2012!

Coming Soon

2011-12-24T06:36:00.001-08:00

We’ve seen a few times in Revelation that Jesus is comingsoon. At Christmastime, the world that awaited His arrival was rewarded with ababy born in a hay trough in a small town in Israel.

But it wasn’t just any small town. It’s where King David wascrowned many generations prior to the fulfillment of the promised “Seed ofDavid”.

At Christmas, we look back to see that when God promised tosend His Son in the past, He kept that promise. Now that fact is celebrated theworld over year after year, by believers and nonbelievers alike, for a varietyof reasons.

We can easily look at the life of Jesus and see God keepsHis word. So it follows that we can trust Him to bring about all the propheciesin the book of Revelation. It doesn’t matter when He does it. His timetable isperfect and we need only trust in that.

Revelation is no doubt a puzzling book, at least in places,because of the allegorical pictures. Some can be applied in a number of ways toseveral historical events. The point here is that we aren’t supposed tounderstand everything about God. We can’t even if we try. He is of a differentsubstance that we are. He’s not confined to the boundaries we are. Can you bein awe of something that has no mystery? If God were not so immense, so complex that we can’t get our mindsaround Him, would He be worth trusting and worshipping?

Because God loves us, He’s revealed something about Himself.He desires our friendship. Think of your own friends. Don’t you feel a greaterfriendship with someone whom you know something about, that is, more than you’dknow about an acquaintance? Doesn’t friendship imply trusting someone enough toreveal some of the intimate details of your life with him?

God’s friendship with us comes with a great bonus – grace.What is grace? It is the unmerited favor of God. As an acrostic, it means,“God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense”. And that’s why Jesus donned human flesh. Hedid it for us. He earned righteousness as a man so He could give it away. Isn’tthat the spirit of Christmas we should celebrate every day of the year?

If you have nothing else to give, give grace. Then you’lltruly love your neighbor as yourself.

Truth Is…

2011-12-23T11:16:00.001-08:00

As we enter the final paragraphs of Revelation 22 (verses18-19), John issues a solemn warning:

I warn everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of thisbook: if anyone adds to them, Godwill add to him the plagues described in this book, and if anyone takes away from thewords of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described inthis book.

You may not agree with everything in the Bible. That’syour right. But remember this, if it’s in there, it’s true. Granted, you haveto see things in context when you read the Bible or you may well go down thewrong road to understanding a particular passage. Often the surroundingmaterial will give clues to the intended meaning of a verse you see by itself.

You’ll find you get a different flavor of the Scriptureswhen you read a whole book at once instead of selecting verses to dwell on. I’mnot saying that you shouldn’t memorize helpful passages that will be there whenyou need them most. But to be sure you have God’s intent in mind, read thesurrounding verses too. It’s why the Bible is written in books and not just acompendium of quotes.

The passage in Revelation 22 reveals an important truth.Take for example, the Ten Commandments. Suppose you don’t agree with numberseven. Does that make it any less devastating for you when you choose toviolate it? Steve Brown states this concept well. He says that if it’s in thereyou have to pay attention to it. You can try to erase it but it will leave asmudge on the page.

Have you ever tried to erase ink from a printed book? Youcan’t do it without leaving the page in tatters.

Truth is truth. You can’t see it and then decide it’s nottrue. It’s like seeing the bloody devastation of a serious auto accident. Itleaves an impression that is extremely hard to shake off. The impression thescene leaves will color your perception for possibly as long as you live.

Denying what God says only leads to frustration and facingconsequences that can be avoided by paying attention to what God says.

It’s your choice, though. Will you trust Him or yourself?

A Free Gift

2011-12-22T14:04:00.001-08:00

In the spirit of Christmas, let’s talk about giving.

You know how it is. You’re like Santa Claus, making a list,checking it twice, and buying gifts for those who aren’t naughty to you butnice.

Or maybe you do buy some naughty ones gifts anyway.

When you buy a gift, it costs you something. You eithershell out a few dollars to buy something or you spend time making it. Even ifyou re-gift something, someone along the line had to pay for it.

The feeling of giving is free, right?

If you’re buying a gift for someone you don’t see that oftenand maybe don’t even like or know that well, giving can cost you somethingemotionally. You’ll wrack your brain trying to find something appropriate. Youwonder whether the recipient will like the gift or give it to someone else whena gift-giving occasion arises for him or her. When you do this, you’reessentially just trying to impress the other person, aren’t you?

When the dust of the holidays settles though, neither of youwill care.

Jesus has given us a gift that is absolutely appropriate andmeets the greatest desire any of us have - to be part of something meaningfuland to know that all that is messed up about us will be okay in the end.

Jesus did pay a heavy price to obtain this gift for us. Helived the life we couldn’t live to get along with God. By doing that, Jesusremoved the barrier between God and us. He lifted the weight of our guilt andreplaced the empty space with unconditional love, acceptance, and the promisethat all will be well in the end.

What does this gift cost us? Nothing. We don’t have to ponyup any money to get it. In fact, money won’t buy what Jesus gives. Our promisesto get better won’t get it for us. Even better, we don’t have to get dressed upfirst to receive it. God provides the cleaning up so we’ll be ready to drinkfrom this fountain of life.

All we have to do is ask (Revelation 22:17).

Asking means we trust God to keep His promise to fill uswith His presence and peace and make our lives whole. We’re all on the naughtylist until God makes us nice.

Ask. Then be thankful.

The Christmas Star

2011-12-20T13:51:00.000-08:00

You might think it strange for me to tie in Revelation 22with Christmas, but read on.

In verse 16, we see Jesus describing Himself like this:

"I, Jesus, have sent my angel to testify to you aboutthese things for the churches. Iam the root and the descendant of David, the bright morning star."

There are a couple things to see here.

The Jews were looking for a long awaited king, the one whowould deliver them from all their oppressors. Generation after generation theywaited. It all started with Eve in the Garden hoping each son would be the“One”.

Jesus was that King. He was descended by birth from the lineof King David, that man after God’s own heart (Isaiah 11:1). Interestingly,King David’s line also ends with Jesus, as we see no mention of kings in thatline in the Scriptures in the New Testament.

But He was a different kind of King. He came to deliver usfrom oppression, but not the physical kind His people were experiencing. Hecame so that all those symbols of atonement might be fulfilled. All the blood,all the sacrifices, all the ceremonies pointed to His ultimate and singleatoning act on the cross.

He is also a light; the bright and morning star.

Why is this important?

When you think of light, you might think of morning. It’s whenthe dark veil of night is lifted. It’s a symbol of hope that comes with eachnew day. It’s when your fears can take a back seat to another try at dealingwith what troubles you.

Jesus not only provides freeing light, He is thatlight. He is the light that led the wise men from afar to come to His cradle.He is the Gentile’s hope in Romans 15:12. He loved Israel but He came so theworld might know Him. He invites those who are thirsty to come and be part ofthe true Israel, the chosen family of God.

So this Christmas give that some thought. Sure, He is a babyin the manger. But this is no ordinary Baby. He was God in diapers. He wasn’tborn by happenstance; it was planned from all eternity. He was born in povertyso we might be rich.

That is the greatest Christmas gift ever.

Blessed Are Those Who Bathe

2011-12-17T06:57:00.000-08:00

Zig Ziglar said, “People often say that motivation doesn't last.Well, neither does bathing - that's why we recommend it daily.”

Revelation 22:14 talks about bathing, in a sense. It’s theticket to get inside the gate, to get the blessing, and to be made whole onceand for all.

You might think that this means that if you’ll just do enoughof the right things then God will take notice and let you into Heaven. Well,there’s a problem with that – John 3:16. In that verse, we do see that Godloves the ones He invites to live with Him. But the only requirement is belief,not good works. Romans 3:23 reminds us that we’ve all sinned and that keeps usoutside the city gates.

The futility of cleaning ourselves is evident in the physicalworld. Sure, if you take a shower, you’ll be more presentable and probably havemore friends. But if you rely on one shower to last a week or even a month,you’ll find that the effects of that washing are by no means permanent.

So am I saying you shouldn’t bathe? Hardly. Indeed, youshould. But when it comes to the spiritual world, the important cleansing, infact, all of the cleansing, God does - not you.

When you come before God and confess your sins, you tell thetruth because you sin daily. We all sin whether we trust God or not. Thedifference between the believer and the nonbeliever is that he is more aware ofand sorry for his sin. The reason for that is that he has experienced theall-sufficient grace of a loving God. This frees the believer to confess whenhe has taken grace for granted and used it as a license for sin. It also freeshim to admit that he is weak and really does need Christ every hour, everyminute of the day.

The ones who get the blessing and enter the holy city are theones whom God washes. When they get there, they experience the depth of thatcleansing. The shackles of sin finally fall off forever. Temptation will be adistant memory. Every act of people there will be uninhibited acts of worshipfor a worthy and generous God.

And God will be nearer to them than ever – forever.

Why Is The World Like This?

2011-12-17T06:27:00.000-08:00

In the middle of the last chapter of Revelation we see thatclearly God is in control of all this mess.

That might strike you as strange, considering that justrecently a seven year old girl’s body was found dead in a dumpster in a townnear where I live. The thought of that makes me wonder the same thing you are,I’ll bet. How could God do this?

I don’t have the answer. But I do know what God said here inRevelation 22:10-13.

But let’s dig a bit deeper, shall we?

Here’s a couple things to consider. Sin entered the worldwhen our first parents, Adam and Eve, disobeyed God. Everything was ruined andravaged by their choice. Why? Because since they were first, they set thecourse for the rest of us. God gave them that role. If they hadn’t sinned,chances are one of their children would have and we’d still be in the messwe’re in.

Another thing to consider is this: God restrains evil. Therecould certainly be a lot more crime and brutality than there is now. Our heartsare capable of all sorts of sin because the roots of all kinds of sin residethere. That’s why when we nourish temptations; little by little they becomeunmanageable monsters.

Jesus tells John in verse 12 to let the world do what itwill until He comes again. We don’t know when that is. If you read all ofRevelation, there is no clear evidence to suggest a date or even anapproximation aside from “soon”.

And no, God is not talking to any ministers about the dateand keeping it a secret from you.

The best thing we can do is to keep on living until the dayChrist returns. We should keep on striving to be holy, to please God, and tolove Him. The pagans around you will also keep on living the way they have foryears and years, not knowing or caring that one day they will answer to God fortheir choices. Our example may well be the only thing that draws them to God becausethey may never go to church or read a Bible.

Just remember in your pursuit of holiness to pursue God firstand let holiness be the result. Then when He comes you’ll be ready.

We Worship at the Wrong Altar

2011-12-10T05:12:00.001-08:00

In Revelation 22:8-9, John admits that he is enthralled bythe angel who is giving him all this inside information about what is to come.In response, he falls down before the angel and pays homage.

The angel interrupts him. “Hey, don’t do that. I’m a servantof God like you are. Worship the real God.”

John Calvin said that the human heart is an idol factory.

It’s true. All day long we look for people to admire andemulate. This is natural, especially when that person possesses traits we’dlike to have. If someone is extraordinarily successful we might believe that hedoesn’t really put his pants on one leg at a time like we mere mortals do.

If you don’t believe this, just take a look at the racks bythe register when you go grocery shopping. The tabloids show off celebrities’lavish lifestyles, their seemingly powerful grip on love, or the appearancethat they have their lives so together that a tsunami couldn’t tear it apart.

You might be tempted to worship yourself when celebritiesengage in bad behavior.

This phenomenon reveals a couple things.

First, there aren’t any super people out there. We are allsinners in need of God’s grace (Romans 3:23, Ecclesiastes 7:20), no matter whatour station in life. Mother Teresa needed Jesus just as much as the homelessman on the off ramp does. Your super successful neighbor sins daily - maybemore than you do. She has secrets that, if you found out, would undo her.

Here’s a side note. We don’t tell others about God’s all sufficientgrace because we don’t believe it’s really all-sufficient. We forget that Jesusdied to cover all our sin and to restore all that is broken about us. So welook to self-help books, our more righteous neighbors and associates, orourselves to fix it.

Second, the Person we should be worshipping is Jesus, theOne who brings the Gospel to pass in our lives. He is the only One worthworshipping. He is God Himself and wants to have a relationship with us. Jesusgives us unconditional love. That means He loves us despite the fact we aredrawn to worship other things and people.

You worship Jesus when you know you’re loved and accepted.You’ll follow Him when you trust His grace is sufficient for you.

Get Ready Cause Here I Come

2011-12-08T13:10:00.001-08:00

When I read Revelation 22:6-7, the words of that 1968 RareEarth song came to mind.

The person speaking to John and to us in this passage is nolonger the angel, but the Lord of the angels and the prophets. It is JesusHimself. He is the One who gave the prophets life, breath, and something tosay.

It is from this basis that Jesus tells John that what He issaying is trustworthy and true. He is putting His reputation on the line. It istrue because Jesus has a hand in making all these happen. He, being God, hasthe view of all of history, and can see how it all works out. Not only can Hesee history, He has written it from before time.

If you can’t trust someone with those credentials, whom canyou trust?

Truth is powerful. It is the reason we can bank our hope onthe Bible’s claims. It is why we can take Jesus at His word when He says thatHe was sent to us to be a sacrifice for all our sins – forever. We can lay theweight of all our guilt on what Jesus did because there is no chance He couldbe lying.

I ask you, what are the chances that so many throughouthistory could buy into belief in a God who doesn’t keep His promises? So far asI know, Christianity is the only religion that has roots in the very beginningof human history and still has adherents around the world to this day.

Since we can trust Jesus to tell us the truth, we can besure He’s coming soon. What does that mean for us? First, I can’t tell you whatthe length of time “soon” is in relation to your own lifespan. But if thecreationists are right, and the Earth is young, and that we’ve been here lessthan ten thousand years, then anything less than a million years seems “soon”.

The practical application is that we don’t know when. We can’tpossibly. So all we can do is serve God now. Why wait until tomorrow? It maynot come. Serve God while you can and He’ll be with you now. If you don’t, areyou really sure you belong to Him?

If you know He loves you, you’ll serve Him now.

Forever Light

2011-12-03T07:45:00.001-08:00

You might think from the title of this piece that I’mwriting the ad for the ultimate flashlight.

Well, no.

The future holds a world with no flashlights, no lamps, andno compact fluorescent bulbs. It will be a time when nothing will be in thedark. God Himself will be the One who lights everything, everywhere (Revelation22:5).

Something will be missing from this future world. It’s theveil of secrets we all guard with our lives and our energy. It’s the force thatmakes our lives unmanageable sometimes in large areas and perhaps all the timein smaller ones. It’s that thing that fundamentalists harp on when talkingabout pagans and in general, people they don’t like.

What is it?

Sin.

We’re all guilty of it. We all have secrets we guardclosely. We’ve all offended others with our pettiness. And even the most piousamong us have violated every one of God’s laws in thought, word, and deed. Soit’s safe to say that anyone reading this needs this “forever” light.

All will be exposed at the Day of Judgment. That’s the darkside of light. Salvation’s appeal is that the punishment for all our sins isthrown on Christ. So what benefit does this light bring now? What glimpse intothe future does this light reveal?

Mentally, God reveals the way the world works to us in theScriptures. In fact, if all you read were the Ten Commandments, you’d have agood synopsis of human behavior. You’d see easily how sinful choices wreck yourlife and the lives of those around you.

If you want to have common sense, study the law. It bringslight to mental darkness and clears the fog of moral ambiguity. Are youwondering if petty theft is wrong? Check number 8. Will sex outside of marriageopen you up to heartache and even sexually transmitted diseases? Check number7.

It’s not that God doesn’t want you to have fun. In theseexamples, He knows you’ll derive more satisfaction from wealth you’ve earnedthan from money you’ve stolen. It’s not that sex is bad in the right context.But it is so powerful that in the wrong context, it can be outrightlife-threatening sooner or later.

The win for having the forever light now is you’ll see thetruth, and that truth will set you free - forever.

His Name Will Be on Their Foreheads

2011-12-02T17:39:00.001-08:00

There’s some interesting imagery in Revelation 22:4.

There’s a mark on the forehead of all who belong to God.

When I first read this, it brought to mind another kind ofmark mentioned in Revelation. Those who worship and serve the Antichrist willhave some kind of mark on their foreheads or hands. This is a mark ofownership. If you want to buy or sell in the tribulation world order, you’vegot to carry the sign of citizenship. If you don’t, you’ll have to turn to the blackmarket, the underground economy that has existed as long as there have beenpeople doing business.

It’s interesting that this mark is on the forehead becauseGod’s mark is in the same place. Satan has a counterfeit for every good thingGod has. God offers peace in Christ. Satan offers it in sinful indulgence. Godoffers security in salvation. Satan offers it in promises of power here andnow. The difference goes further though; God keeps His promises just as Hesays. Satan performs a bait and switch operation that leaves you empty andfrustrated. But if you’re blind to his tactics, you’ll surmise that it’s justthe way the ball bounces.

Moses gave us a glimpse of what it’s like to see God face toface. Now Moses didn’t actually see God’s face but he did go into God’spresence. God talked with Moses as you and I would talk with a friend on thephone. It was intimate and familiar. But there was the wall of mortality thatprevented the relationship between Moses and God from being totally free andunfettered.

When we get to Heaven, all the shackles of sin, guilt, andignorance will fall away like the fall leaves in December. We won’t rememberthe way things were because we’ll be so enthralled to be in God’s presence. We’llbe able to do something we never could before – see God and live.

Now that is something to write home about!

Imagine a relationship with someone you love that is neverpunctuated with occasional criticism, emotional variations, and fatigue.Picture the sort of progress in intimacy that transcends any of the promisesthe best-selling authors on love offer to sell their books. That is heaven. It’sreal unconditional love, unbound and unleashed.

Then our joy and redemption will really be complete.

Advice for Tomorrow You Can Use Today

2011-12-02T17:13:00.001-08:00

Someone once said,"Procrastination is my sin. It brings me naught but sorrow. I know that Ishould stop it. In fact, I will - tomorrow!"

How many of you know well themeaning of the phrase, “if it weren’t for the last minute, I’d never getanything done”?

We are a nation of procrastinators.Consider this. The average American spends more than 4 hours a day watchingtelevision. That equals two months of nonstop watching each year. If you livedto be sixty-five, you’d have spent nine of those years watching television.

Now what if much of that time wasspent delaying something urgent and important?

That is procrastination defined.

Procrastination is trading a highpriority task for one of low priority. Zig Ziglar described it as “trading whatyou want most for what you want now.” It’s putting something off, knowing thatyou’ll be worse off for doing it.

What if you were standing on traintracks and saw a train approaching in the distance and said to yourself, “Iknow I should move. It would really be the smart thing to do. But you know, Ithink I’ll wait until the time is right.”

The time is right now.

Chances are there’s something inyour life about which you procrastinate. Maybe it’s Christmas shopping, forexample. You might think it’s great to wait until the week of Christmas to doyour shopping because you tell yourself that is when the best deals are.Besides, you don’t really like going shopping. And why do you need to buyCousin Eddie a sweater he’ll never wear anyway? Maybe you could just paysomeone to do it for you, right?

Well, if you want to make an easyjob seem mighty hard, just keep putting it off. The pressure will come on youlike a waterfall feeding a funnel into a garden hose. At some point it will burstand you’ll have a flood like the one two year ago that covered I-20 with watertwenty inches deep.

So why do we put things off anyway?

There are three reasons.

First, there’s fear. One we can allrelate to is giving a speech. It’s in the top ten American fears. Fortunately,you have a chance to overcome that, don’t you? The first time I gave a speech Iwas petrified. All I could think about was how scared I was. I felt like a bug under a microscope.

Now of course some fears arehealthy. A lot of our fears aren’t.

Another reason we put off tasks isthat we are doubtful we’ll ever complete them anyway. If you’re in sales, youmight call it quits after lunch if you’ve had a hard morning. You tellyourself, “Rest up this afternoon. Tomorrow is another day.” Yes, it is. But itwon’t be better if you rest and do the same thing tomorrow.

The third reason we procrastinateis that we’re lazy. If you’ve ever heard the alarm go off in the morning andhit the snooze because the bed feels better than getting up, you might be lazy.Maybe you’re tired from working hard the day before, but chances are if you hitthe snooze because you spent four hours before bed watching TV, you might belazy.

Our emotional responses todifficult tasks reveal some things.

If we’re afraid, it’s most likelybecause we haven’t examined our fears. Will the walls close in when you give aspeech? Probably not. Will people make fun of you when you make a mistake? Notlikely, especially if they know you’ll be watching them give a presentationsometime.

If we’re doubtful, the problem iswith what we believe. Often, if you think things will turn out badly, you won’tbe disappointed because you’ve already made the choice to view your day ascloudy whether or not there’s sunshine outside. If you don’t believe you’llmake a sale, you probably won’t. If you think you’ll give a dull speech,chances are you’ll deliver one that will turn your audience into another castof “Dawn of the Dead”.

If you’re lazy, then the lightswill turn green and you won’t be ready to go. Opportunity will pass you by likea bus pulling away from the stop just seconds before you get there. You canwave and yell all you want but no one will hear you.

Let’s face it. Fear, doubt andlaziness can tempt us all from time to time. Now what can be done to overcomethose feelings?

Look at tasks as green lights ofopportunity.

Let’s take Christmas shopping. Itcomes every year at the same time. Isn’t that amazing? Here’s what you do tokeep it from ruining your holidays. Make a list early. Decide who will and whowon’t be getting gifts this year. Make a budget. It takes money if you buyeverything. If you make some things, you will need time to get that done.You’ll also need time to shop, so budget for that. Put it on the calendar.Figure out how long it might take and if you need anyone to help you. If you doall that, you’ll see the lights were green all along. And that train is furtheraway than it was in year past when you waited until the last minute to get offthe tracks.

Who knows, you might not even seethe train.

So, in summary, if you want to usesome of those American television hours to your advantage, dedicate yourself tofighting procrastination. Honestly assess your emotional responses toburdensome tasks and see if what bothers you can be overcome. If you need help,get it. Do things sooner rather than later so they don’t weigh on you like amillstone hanging from your neck.

If you’ll do these things, you’llnot only feel better, but you’ll get some of those nine years back.

Just don’t use them to put offliving.

No More Curse

2011-11-26T05:32:00.001-08:00

Revelation 22:3 pictures a land where there is no burdenlike we bear in this world.

For those of you who like to work in the garden, there won’tbe any thorns to rip your flesh. You won’t have any weeds to pull from betweenthe flowers. When you plant there, no fruit will emerge rotten, too small, ortoo tasteless.

When you work with others, there won’t be any difficultfeelings to deal with like jealousy, greed, anger, or sadness. There won’t becompetition for anything because you’ll have all you need.

Now if you’re into competition, on this side of heaven,that’s not all bad. In fact, it’s a picture of what yearning after God is like.You can’t expect to grow in your walk with Christ if you don’t exercise thedisciplines of the faith like prayer, reading Scripture, and being involved ina church. You have to fight discouragement, negative influences from others,and circumstances that would try to define your life apart from Christ. So youhave to fight to get your heart to believe that what God says about you isreally the truth. There are a host of voices competing with that and they areright in front of you.

And no, they won’t be there in heaven either.

Heaven is definitely something to look forward to. All thathinders your walk with God, your fellowship with Him, God will remove forever,never to resurface.

The question you’re probably asking is, “What about now?”

As a Christian, we yearn for that new city. This is whatRomans 8 refers to. The truth is we already have what we need in Christ. Butthat is the key, in Christ. It is Christ that has set us free (John 8:36).

But sometimes we don’t feel free.

We feel that because there are hindering circumstances,temptations, and frustrations. The truth that sets you free as a Christian isthat circumstances, frustrations, and other people’s opinions don’t define usanymore. God does. He says you’re free. He says you’re a child of the King, ajoint heir with Christ, and Jesus’ sibling.

Now how does that rotten day look?

There will be better times ahead, Christian; I guarantee it.But they can be better now too. Will you make the choice to believe that basedon the Bible says about who you are?

Are You Bearing Fruit?

2011-11-19T07:21:00.001-08:00

This is the question we’re confronted with when we enterRevelation 22. Pictured there is fruitful tree being watered by the river oflife.

Christ came and lived a life free from sin and ruin so youcould. Now if you’re sailing your ship by blowing your own breath on the sails,you won’t go far. In fact, you probably won’t make it anywhere. You might aswell power the Titanic with a table fan. It sounds ludicrous, doesn’t it? Butwe’re tempted to do that every day. We think we know it all. We buck at theprospect that we need help. If you’re an introvert, this is especiallychallenging for you.

The truth is we desperately need help.

Consider this. A tree bears fruit, but not just by existing.Weather has its influence. Fall gives birth to seed. Winter brings ametamorphosis to the bud that spring reveals with the emergence of fruit.

Life has its seasons as well. You will have times of growthand harvest. Don’t discount these times. When it seems nothing is happening,seeds may be growing and becoming ready to bloom for a warmer season of life.If you’re always investing in growing your fruit, you’ll have an incredibleharvest later.

But, just like the fruit on the tree, you need water tosurvive.

The water comes from others investing in you. It also comesfrom time in the Word and prayer. These are disciplines you have to grab tobenefit from. And be sure to share your God-given blessings with others. Thenyou’ll water them and they can bear fruit too.

Jesus was an example of what it looks like to mentor others.He regularly taught those around Him. He took special care to invest in twelvemen who later grew into great men who took the Gospel to the known world. Theyweren’t perfect but they grew into fruit-bearing disciples God used. They hadstrengths God amplified and weaknesses He minimized.

The important thing in fruit bearing is to seek it with theaim of glorifying God. God is sovereign and throughout history has usednonbelievers to accomplish His purposes. But if you know Him, won’t youacknowledge that you’re on the same side and work with Him?

Christian growth comes in community. Invest in yours, prayfervently, and leave the results to God. You’ll see fruit.

The River of Life

2011-11-17T17:22:00.001-08:00

Revelation’s final chapter opens with the description of ariver that has no equal.

This river is called a river of life. Its source is thethrone of God Himself. It’s as clear as crystal.

I’ve never seen any river that looked like that in my life.The water from my tap isn’t that clear. There’s clearly something supernaturalabout it.

There was a song we used to sing in youth group back when Iwas a teenager. It was titled, “I’ve Got a River of Life Flowing Out of Me.” Ican’t recall if there was actually any mention of Jesus in that song, but sinceit was a church setting, it was implied. There were some amazing featsattributed to that river like making the lame walk and the blind see. It alsowas concerned with freedom, opening prison doors and setting captives free. Theimplication was that Jesus wanted to dwell in our hearts and do all thiswonderful stuff. The song had a happy beat to it and was quite motivating.

So why don’t we in the church have all that power to doamazing things for God?

A couple things come to mind.

First, we live as functional Pharisees. Statistics say thatmany Christians rarely pray or even open their Bibles. So is it any wonder we’repowerless? And of course, being a Pharisee, even without admitting such, is toplace one’s hope in performance. This means you have to muster up what isneeded to live the Christian life on your own. God gives you some rules andthey’re good. Now you have to go out and work really hard to live up to them.

And then the river gets clogged.

If we are our own functional saviors, no wonder the river oflife has dried up. We’re spiritually dead apart from Christ. If we obey at all,we need to draw on His power to do it. The rules are high and many and it isimpossible to know them all well enough to keep them perfectly.

So what can we do?

If you want a river of life to flow out of you, you have togo to the Throne from which it comes.

Living for God only happens when you know you’re loved andforgiven and it’s all by God’s grace.

Then the river will flow abundantly.

The City of God

2011-11-14T12:43:00.001-08:00

In Revelation 21, we see a splendid city in terms ofmajesty, security, and purity.

It is majestic. Its walls are made of the choicest andfirmest of stones. The walls are high and no one can intrude who does notbelong there. It is filled with mansions. No slums here. Everyone who dwellshere will have the home of their dreams, perfect in every way. There won’t beany home improvement projects because there won’t be any decay here.

The citizens of this city will be citizens forever. Therewon’t be anyone cast out or punished. This family won’t have issues that dividethem. Everyone will be together in peace, safety, and extreme joy. ThatChristian who loves Jesus and is trapped in legalism will finally be free andwon’t be a burden to be around.

And so will you.

There are twelve gates for the twelve tribes of the trueIsrael. If you belong to God, you are among these. They will come from everynation and tribe. The cultural walls that existed will be gone. There won’t bedoctrinal differences to quibble over because we will see God for ourselves.Rather than go to church, we will meet with God face to face.

Fantastic, isn’t it?

Churches should be communities that look like Heaven.

But sometimes they aren’t.

Why not?

The problem is that churches are full of sinners. There isstill some of the old nature hanging on, tempting us. But because of Jesus, wehave the power of choice. We can choose to do what delights Him or we can satisfyour flesh. When we do the latter, we have problems.

When we have friction in the church, it’s because we don’tunderstand how radical grace is.

Grace is the unmerited favor of God to us that comes fromJesus. That means everything we’ve done wrong, everything, no exceptions, iscovered by Christ’s blood. One day we will be in Heaven and that reality willbe complete. Now we’re in process, all of us. Grace allows us to be okay withthat and work toward the ultimate goal of being totally clean in Christ. Gracemeans we can love each other despite our faults because we’re all in the sameboat. You don’t have to fake being good; in Christ, you already are.

Now go make your world more like Heaven.

Welcome Home

2011-11-12T17:58:00.001-08:00

When we get done on this earth there will be a party inheaven for incoming believers.

Chances are, you’ve been to a wedding or two. I’ve been totwo this year, in fact. One was quite lavish, from the wedding chapel to thedining hall that housed the reception. The other was less ornate but stillimpressive. The common thread between the two was dancing, exuberance, andgeneral celebration.

When you see a wedding, that is a happy day not only for thegroom and bride, but it can be exciting for their friends and family as well.All seems bright ahead. On that day love knows no bounds. Imperfections areoverlooked and the positive is emphasized. Everyone present is in his or herbest clothes, is spotlessly clean and well groomed, perhaps better than they’vebeen in years. Most of the time the memories of that day will last a lifetime,not only in pictures, but also in the minds of those who were there.

It’s also a time when old wounds get put aside to celebratethe wonder of the event. You might see someone you didn’t like so much, but fornow you’ll tolerate them and maybe even exchange a few kind words.

All this is a glimpse of our reception in heaven.

There’s a picture in the parable of the prodigal son that isappropriate. The father who let his son squander his inheritance out of sheerunconditional love doesn’t receive him with a rebuke. He doesn’t make him aslave in his household or bring up his faults. No, he has the fatted calfkilled to honor his son’s return from the abyss of sin.

This is how the Father will welcome us.

God loves you right now. He loves you without condition. Heloves you when you obey and when you don’t. Neither will make Him love you moreor less. It’s all about Jesus and His righteousness anyway. That is what Godthe Father sees when He looks at His children. Since He loves Jesus, He lovesus. And because He loves us so much, He gave Jesus so He could have us.

Like the marriage vows, God plans to keep us forever, buteven after death.

When you get Home, you’ll see what unconditional love is.It’s what your heart yearns for most.

You experience it now in Christ.

Extending Trust

2011-11-10T14:28:00.001-08:00

Trust is something we all want from others. If it weren’tfor that, we’d have no meaningful relationships. Not as much would get donewithout it. And we’d all be insecure about everything.

What is trust? It is defined as “reliance on the integrity,strength, ability, surety, etc., of a person or thing; confidence.”

Trust involves belief. If we believe in something, we cansay we have confidence that it will come to pass. For example, I believe thatthe sun will rise in the morning. I have confidence it will happen. I won’tspend a second worrying that it won’t. That is confidence at its essence.

We have problems with extending trust because others have attimes done us wrong. Sometimes the event we hoped would turn out well doesn’t.This brings doubts, and if we nourish them, we’ll find it difficult to trustagain.

But life is that way. This reality introduces risk, which issomething that scares us. What if it doesn’t work out? Well, what if it does?It can go both ways. We have to take risks to get things done and to make anyprogress in life, so risk we must.

There are ways we can minimize risk.

When it comes to people, think the best of them. Chances arethey are capable of more than you might think initially. You might have to stretchthem to get there. But it’s worth the risk. Take small risks at first.Depending on the task, you might have someone else you do trust fully accompanythem in the early stages of development. While they’re earning your trust, taketime to evaluate what level of trust they’ve earned and determine how much moreyou can risk. Then take the risk. Then evaluate them again. This is the essenceof what President Reagan meant when he said, “Trust, but verify.”

If you’re careful to consistently evaluate those you trust,you’re more likely to uncover issues where trust might be violated. Handlethese with care, but do so quickly so larger problems aren’t created. Whenproblems go unaddressed, scandals are born. Regular evaluation will go far toprevent this.

Trust must be earned. Losing it is costly. But when youdeliver on someone’s trust, you build integrity.

Integrity is the golden currency of trust. Those who have itwill have a solid record of fulfillment.

Trust that.

What Home Looks Like

2011-11-10T13:39:00.001-08:00

Imagine a place like none you’ve seen before. It’s a placewhere no one is sad, nothing is broken, and there is no ocean. It’s a worldwhere bliss knows no bounds.

It’s the new heaven and the new earth of Revelation 21.

There are some marked contrasts between this world and thatone. For one, there is no sea. It’s gone without a trace. Where is it and whyisn’t it there?

Since I’m no scientist, I’ll engage in some speculation.

Water is essential to life here. In fact, our bodies aremostly water. It’s a major component of our atmosphere. Water is what Godjudged the world with in Noah’s day. It is both a blessing and a threat,depending on how much is present. You can swim in it or drown in it.

Perhaps the fact that it isn’t present in this new world isbecause it isn’t needed anymore. There won’t be any decay. Water is a part ofthat process. We won’t get dirty anymore, so there won’t be any need to shower.God will provide everything that water did before.

And you’ll never be thirsty again.

All this points to the fact that everything that is wrong,broken, and messed up will no longer be that way. Everything that needscleansing will be. The ultimate reality that Jesus came to bring to us will becomplete. We’ll be perfect just as He is perfect, without spot, wrinkle, ordecay.

That is really something to look forward to, don’t youthink?

The takeaway for today is that we have a God who keeps Hispromises. And He wants to have a relationship with you. You can see Him physicallynow, but one day you will. If you trust Him, you know from this scene that Hereally is working all things together for your final good.

So when the world seems like it’s spinning out of controland nothing is going right, remember you’re not Home yet. But there is a placeprepared for you. And you can experience the grace that takes you there rightnow. The sin that clings to you now will finally fall away forever there. Infact, even now it no longer defines you in God’s eyes. There is no longer anyrecord of wrong for Christians because God no longer keeps track.

Reflect on that.

My Latest

2011-11-09T16:26:00.000-08:00

Here's my latest submission to Ezines, seen earlier on this blog.
http://ezinearticles.com/?Improve-Your-Listening-Memory-Now&id=6669276

The Book That Matters Most

2011-11-09T16:22:00.000-08:00

Revelation 20 concludes with a sober scene. God is seated onthe great white throne, earth and sky have fled, and all the dead from all agesare there awaiting their final judgment.

There’s a book there that holds the key to your destinationand the destination of everyone who has ever lived.

You might say this is allegorical. If it is, we’re wastingtime and space talking about it. But what if it isn’t? Then you better find outhow to get your name in that book.

Here’s one way to look at it if you suffer from any agnostictendencies. A classmate of mine in a religion class I was enrolled in back incollege made an astute comment. He said, “Here’s how I see it. You can believein Heaven and Hell and God and Satan. If you do, then by accepting God’s Wordthat Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life, you go to Heaven. If Heshouldn’t exist, what do you have to lose if reincarnation is true? You getanother shot to do it better anyway.”

Yes, there’s a difference in belief systems.

God made rules and violations of them are called sin. Weknow these rules because they’re written on our hearts from birth. It’s why wefeel violated when someone treats us badly, steals from us, or hurts us. It’sthe reason why we have some sense of morality even if we deny the existence ofGod.

Since sin is real and God calls that sin into judgment, it’sto our advantage to deal with the reality of God and sin. If we’ve offended Himwith our behavior and the attitudes of our hearts, shouldn’t we beg for pardon?

Yes.

But some don’t.

Sin brings guilt. Guilt brings a feeling of uneasiness.There are two options to deal with it. We can turn to diversions or we can runto Jesus. We can bury the guilt or let Jesus take it.

The takeaway for today is that if you give Jesus the guiltyou carry now, you will find a peace that escaped you before. You exchange youryolk for His, and His is easy. The burden of wrongdoing is lifted, and younever feel the full weight of it again.

That’s worth singing about.

And it will get your name in the Book.

Where Serving Satan Ends

2011-11-08T13:21:00.000-08:00

After the thousand years in Revelation, Satan gets a chanceto gather his troops for battle against the Lord.

Satan is pretty persuasive. He’s clever enough to know yourweak spots and slip in temptations through the cracks. You might not even beaware why you do the bad things you do, but for some inexplicable reason youkeep doing them.

Think of him like you would a slick salesman.

Here’s an example many of us have probably experienced. Afriend comes out of the past and calls you. You scratch your head and wonderwhy. Then when you speak you discover they want to share a wonderful businessopportunity with you. But they can’t do it as well as the higher-ups, so whydon’t you just attend one of the meetings and see the religious fervor foryourself. No doubt you’ll be swept away by the incredible secrets that will berevealed.

Then you find out it’s multi-level marketing.

If you’re not a salesman at heart and willing to put up withreams of rejections, you’ll fail like 98% of those who sign up.

My point here is not to talk at length about MLM. What Iwould like to say is that just as that message can be attractive at first andthen turn sour once you’re inside the organization, the same holds true forbeing a follower of Satan. He’ll promise you the world if you’ll go with him;then, in the end you’ll be destroyed with no hope of rescue.

Perhaps you’ve wondered why anyone could follow Hitler. Theydid it because in the beginning, he was a very charismatic speaker. The euphoriaof the crowds was intoxicating. The ideals Hitler espoused seemed honorable.Who would want to be left behind?

Revelation 20 informs us Satan’s battle will end badly. Ifyou remember the confrontation between Elijah and the prophets of Baal (I Kings18:17-40), the prophets of Baal were slaughtered. In this final battle, fireconsumes God’s enemies.

Can you imagine a punishment so bad it never ends? This iswhat is store for the devil. It’s also the lot of his followers. So, believer,can you see how radical God’s grace is to deliver you from such a fate? Can yousee the high cost of sin?

Be loyal to the King of kings. The future prospects areinfinitely better.

Defeating Death in Christ Alone

2011-11-07T15:11:00.001-08:00

Revelation 20:4-6 presents a familiar scene in the book ofRevelation. There are judges seated. Among the crowd are the saints who havegiven their lives for the cause of Christ.

This brings attention to a couple important themes.

The first one is that God has full rights to judgeeverything we do. He created us and set the world in motion. He made the lawsthat govern human behavior at its best and we only hurt ourselves when weviolate His laws.

There are some judges presiding over this scene. The peoplethere are free, really free. They are free because Jesus has absorbed all God’swrath on their behalf. They aren’t encumbered by sin any longer. They aren’tshackled by what defined them before they knew Christ. Jesus is pleased to usethem as He will and because they are free that makes them dangerous…. dangerousto ungodliness, sin, and its wreckage against humanity.

Only those saintswho are so convinced that God loves them and will really keep His promises nomatter what would sacrifice their own heads, their own lives, for His sake. Thesting of death is taken away in the ultimate sacrifice of Jesus Christ. If wereally believe that enough to bank our very lives on that, then we can changethe world in ways that will amaze us. It’s the kind of zeal that produced theGreat Awakening or any other significant revival in the history of mankind.

When you’ve been judged already and been found wanting, youhave little incentive to carry on. But if you begin to understand the gravityof Jesus transferring His own righteousness to your own account, you are thenfree to say things you never thought you could. You’ll find yourself tellingyour friends that Jesus really can fix their problems. You’ll believe deep downthat God’s grace is sufficient. This is crucial when temptation comes andyou’re confronted with the suggestion to throw grace away and live life yourown way.

So, if grace really is enough, will any temptation captivateyour heart?

The righteousness of Christ applied to you and me who arebasing our ultimate hope on Jesus is radically transforming. If it hasn’t beenso for you, then you haven’t made the Gospel good enough.

Grace takes the sting from death. Now how will you live?

Keeping Commitments

2011-11-06T06:08:00.001-08:00

We lead busy lives today and it’s especially important thatwe keep track of all the commitments we’ve made.

A commitment is a promise. You may not think of it like thatbut it is. Here’s an example. Say you’ve met your dream date and you set a timeto go out with him or her. In truth, you made a promise to be there at the timeyou said. If you don’t show up, or you’re late, you made a first impression youcan’t get back.

Fred Smith has a wise saying that applies to commitments:“Nothing happens until someone says, ‘I will’.” Isn’t that true? If Steve Jobs had never decided to start Apple,would we have the devices we use today? Maybe so; or then again, maybe not.Steve Jobs said, “I will.” Then he did.

As important as it is to keep your commitments, it is evenmore important to choose them wisely. We all like to function in our areas ofstrength. Making a commitment means we are going to be doing whatever activitythat commitment entails. If it’s something you hate, then you’ll be miserableeven though you’ve kept your word. And that will show. If you want a balancedlife, you have to temper integrity with passion.

Adding passion to commitment will make it much easier to behonorable in keeping them. Sometimes you might not like what you’re doing butyou have to do it to move forward. The solution may be to dig into a bit deeperand find something to like about it. Another option is to make a fun game ofit, perhaps making it a bit competitive. Set a goal and see if you can’t beat it.Then set another.

Since life isn’t perfect or fair all the time, you’ll breaksome of your commitments. It may be due to circumstances beyond your control,like a traffic jam or an accident on the way to an appointment. Or it could beyour fault. You might get lost, oversleep, or put the wrong date on yourcalendar. When this happens, take Dale Carnegie’s advice: “If you are wrong,admit it quickly and emphatically.” We’re all human and all but the mosthardcore perfectionist can forgive the occasional blunder. Admitting you’rewrong shows you have integrity.

When you keep your word, you’ll build integrity. It’s agreat investment.

Improve Your Listening Memory Now

2011-11-03T13:51:00.001-07:00

Did you know that a recent study reveals that we remember aslittle as 25% of what we hear?

If you’re in school you’ll get an F since you’re tested onwhat you remember hearing in class.

If you’ve spent money to attend a conference and you onlyremember 25% of what the speakers say, then you’ve lost 75% of your money.

Take it home. If your spouse gives you four things to dotoday and you remember one, he or she will not be pleased.

Why do we have so much trouble remembering what we hear? Isthere an underlying reason? Can we do anything at all about it?

The answer is “yes” and “absolutely”.

The first reason we don’t remember what we hear is thatwe’re too bored to listen intently. This could be because the person talking toyou isn’t saying anything you find interesting. So, you take a mental trip todreamland. There you are, at home plate. Your team is counting on you. The batis resting on your shoulder. You’re in the victory stance. The pitcherstretches. He pitches. The ball leaves his fingers and is heading straight foryou when…..

BAM!

What happened?

It could be a couple things. The other person may havewhacked you with her hand or by saying, “Are you listening to anything I’msaying?” Or maybe you’ve just realized she’s finished talking and you haven’tgot the slightest idea what she said.

The second reason we don’t remember what we hear is becausewe don’t like who’s talking. Since we don’t like him, we prejudge every word hesays. Suppose your boss tells you, “Starting this week, it’s overtime hours foreveryone with no extra pay. We’ve got to hit our goals and your help isrequired.” You think, “Over my dead body. I won’t work as hard if I have to behere all hours with no appreciation from the bosses.”

If a peer announces to you, “I’m going to be the topsalesman in the company this year.” You respond by thinking, “Not if I haveanything to do with it.” You want to be the best too and this twit isn’t goingto ruin it for you if you can help it.

The third reason we don’t remember what we hear is we’rejust distracted. You’ve got a meeting in ten minutes and you’re running late.You’ve got to take care of that “honey-do” list your spouse gave you thismorning, if you can find it. Anyone that has the audacity to interrupt you whenyou’re in the middle of all this better spill what she has to say fast,otherwise you will dismiss them without a second thought.

Now that we know why we don’t listen, let’s look at someconstructive ways to improve our memories of what we hear.

The first thing you can do to improve your listening memoryis to simply look the speaker in the eye and add a smile or an engagingexpression. You do this so that you won’t appear bored. But you might bethinking, “What if I really am bored?” Then fake it. There’s a psychologicaltruth here. If you claim a feeling and act as if it were so, eventually you’llreally have that feeling. For instance, if you want to be enthusiastic, actenthusiastic. The same goes for confidence. Pretend you have it and it willmagically build itself in you.

It works for actors, right?

People will probably find you much warmer than before too.

The second thing you can do to improve your listening memoryis to listen to the whole message. The words are important but they are onlypart of the package. There is also the tone of voice, the emotions of thespeaker, and the context of the message. What do the words tell you? Does thespeaker’s voice indicate happiness or sadness? Anger or frustration? Enthusiasm or passiveness? Is the context of the message related to aproject or is it social? If you’ll answer these questions, you’ll aid yourmemory and be able to make better decisions with the information.

The third thing you can do to improve your listening memoryis to reflect back to the speaker what she said. You might say in your ownwords, “This is what I heard. Is that what you meant?” This provides anopportunity to get on the same page if both of you aren’t yet. Also, if thereis any cloudiness in the message, now is the time to ask clarifying questions.Don’t worry, the only dumb question is the one know you should have asked, butdidn’t. By asking, you’ll show your interest and the speaker will respect youfor not wasting her time.

Now you know why you don’t listen well and what you can doabout it. You don’t listen well if you’re bored, you don’t like the speaker, oryou’re distracted. You can fight these problems by looking the speaker in theeye and smiling. You can also improve your memory by listening to the words,observing the body language and emotions of the speaker, and discovering thecontext of the message. And finally, you can cement your impression of themessage by reflecting it back to the speaker and asking clarifying questions.

If you’ll do all these things, you’ll triple your listeningmemory. Try it for the next thirty days and see if it doesn’t make adifference.

You’ll be glad you did and so will the people who talk withyou.

The Test of Faithfulness

2011-10-30T17:20:00.000-07:00

In Revelation 20:3, we see that Satan has been loosed toroam the world after being locked up for a thousand years.

If you’ve gone through a peaceful period and then your worldfalls apart, you naturally feel that life isn’t fair. And you should. DedicatedChristians get cancer, lose their businesses, have spouses leave them, andstruggle with depression. Pagans get fabulously wealthy, sin big with noapparent consequences, and live happy, peaceful lives.

This is why some of us believe that God wants Christians togo through hell to get to Heaven, while pagans go through heaven to get tohell.

There’s a problem with that whole philosophy though. If wereally got what we deserved from God, we’d all be dead now.

The blessings and curses we experience in life have nothingmuch to do with how much we sin or how righteous we are. If God loves us, Hehas orchestrated the events of our lives to work for our ultimate good.

How does this relate to Satan being on the loose? Christianswho live through this will find their faith tested at every turn. Do you reallybelieve that God’s grace is sufficient as He told the apostle Paul when heprayed for God to remove his thorn in the flesh? Do you find when God doesn’tgive you exactly what you want, that is, what you prescribe as the solution toyour misery, you’ll turn your back on Him forever?

This is how Satan works in the lives of Christians.

Satan can’t get your soul. But if he can make youineffective in living out the Gospel, then he’s won a victory in your life. Hewon’t stop testing your faith to see what you’re made of. That’s why you haveto remind yourself daily of the wealth that is yours in the Gospel of JesusChrist. Discipline yourself to bank your life on the promise that grace reallyis enough.

If you want to grab that promise, you have to realize thatgrace is really bigger than you think. If you’re struggling, it’s not thatyou’ve made the Gospel too good; you haven’t made the Gospel good enough.

Jesus paid for all your sin. Nothing was missed. You don’thave to live a powerless life anymore. You’re totally forgiven.

Now go live like it and don’t believe the devil.

Cynicism and Relationships

2011-10-28T18:22:00.001-07:00

I recently saw a Web Site that asked the question, “Howcynical are you?”

Some of the choices were interesting. Here are a few:

You don’t trust any politicians.
You put not stock in astrology.
You don’t believe anyone has one true soul mate.
You’re sick of the health police telling you how to eat.
The self-help industry is just recycled feel-good garbage.

I scored 40%.

What exactly is a cynic? The best definitions call a cynicsomeone who has a distrust of human nature. Basically, they think that everyonedoes what they do to satisfy some self-interest of theirs. They also doubt thatanyone is honest or has any integrity.

Okay, the definition is clear enough. The next question iswhat leads someone to believe that way?

If you’ve been teased or mistreated as a youth, cynicism canbecome ingrained deep within your heart. It’s especially bad if a familymember, particularly a parent or an elder, looks down on you, criticizes you,or takes advantage of you in some way.

Cynicism is really a poison. It sows the seeds of anger thatgrow as more mistreatment waters them. If you’ve come to expect that thingswill go badly with people, it’s really hard to be happy in any closerelationship. You’ll offend others with sarcastic and biting remarks. It mayseem funny and even bring some relief, but it’s like trying to find fulfillmentin drunkenness. The buzz feels good while it lasts, but the crash leaves youfeeling worse than you did before you popped the cork.

We all have to deal with anger. Life will bring hurts ourway. You can’t escape it. But you can choose how you’ll deal with it.

If you’ve spent a long time being cynical, take steps totrust others. Change your expectation to at least reflect that relationshipscan be good as well as bad. Put a leash on your anger and find a moreconstructive way to deal with pain.

The truth is that we do all have flaws. We all appreciateforgiveness. If your relationships don’t allow forgiveness, they will beshort-lived. Alternatively, when we show love we often find it returns to us.It’s risky but worth it.

If you’ll take your interpersonal armor off, you’ll begin tosee people in a different light.

They’ll see you differently too.

The Devil Unleashed

2011-10-27T14:07:00.000-07:00

The symbolism continues in Revelation 20 as John seesanother vision.

This time Satan himself is locked up and held tight. Hispower is virtually extinguished. We can see that when Jesus converts someone,especially if he or she was mired deep in sin and misery. For example, when adrunk comes to Christ, he will over time exchange the temporal joy of drinkingfor the deep joy of knowing Christ. Over time the chains of alcohol loosen andfall off. The power of Satan is vanquished and the prisoner is set free.

In times past, we’ve seen great revivals in the church.People from all walks of life have embraced the Gospel and lived new andpowerful lives. They realize they are loved deeply by the God they once hatedand that reality changes entire communities.

What is the chain that holds Satan fast?

One commentary submits that it is the Word of God. Truth hasa way of setting us all free if we’ll take it to heart. Acting on goodinformation changes things. You find confidence you never had. You feel thefreedom deep inside and it liberates your actions. You might even find thatwhat once frightened and disturbed you no longer does.

But sooner or later, Satan is let out.

Is this a bad thing for the Church?

Your first answer might be “Yes.” You say that because youknow that even though all the power of the devil is conquered in Christ, we’reall still human beings and subject to temptations. Maybe they’re different thanthey were, but they are still a factor that can lead to disaster.

You know that because you’re free, you can choose not onlyto be good and righteous, but you can also choose to sin in the first degree.Jeremiah 17:9 testifies that sin remains. It’s like that thorn in the fleshPaul had. Jesus has won, but the crouching power of sin keeps you humblyreliant on God’s power to overcome it.

So, the answer is “No.” It’s never a bad thing for theChurch to realize that it is flawed and weak. It’s Christ that is the Rock, notus. We rely on Him for salvation from our sins; we also depend on Him for graceto navigate through life.

His grace is sufficient no matter how fiery the devil’sdarts may be.

Listening Well

2011-10-27T13:36:00.000-07:00

A recent study reveals that we remember on average about25-50% of what we hear.

If you’re a student and this is how you get all yourinformation, you’re probably going to fail all your classes.

The school analogy is good because there is an incentive tolisten, especially if the education is voluntary and costs you money. In orderto succeed, you have to increase the memory ratio to at least 80-90%. You dothis by other methods of reinforcement like note taking, reading, and thinkingthrough the material in ways you can relate to.

If you want to succeed in a project, don’t rely on your ownpredictions and nothing else. Nothing in this world turns out exactly as youplan. There will be unexpected delays. People will inject their emotions andopinions into their roles in a project. If you want to succeed, don’t be aknow-it-all.

This reminds me of something a teacher once told me. If youdissect the word “assume”, you make an ass of you and me.

This is why shows like Three’s Company, the Andy Griffithshow, and many other situation comedies are so funny. The people on the showassume things without all the information they need to make a good decision andthen hilarity results.

It’s not so funny when it happens in the real world, though.

If you want to increase your memory of what people say, youhave to be an active listener.

Here are a few things you can do to make that happen.

First, look them in the eye. I’m not talking about a staringcontest here. Hear not only the words the person is saying; observe thenonverbal cues that accompany the message. Is it urgent or important? Is therelots of enthusiasm or just enough to get by?

Second, let them know you’re listening by being activeyourself. Nod occasionally. This doesn’t mean you agree with what is beingsaid; it merely means you hear it. It will save you time and frustration laterand keep you from appearing bored.

Third, reflect back to the speaker. Ask questions. Tellthem, “This is what I’m hearing, is that what you meant?” If you need moreclarification, now is the time to get it.

Be an active listener. People will see that you care andthat can make all the difference.

The Beast is Captured

2011-10-25T15:51:00.001-07:00

Revelation 19 ends with a messy battlefield.

The Beast finally loses his battle against the Lord.

There’s been speculation through the ages who this beastmight be. The Reformers thought it was the Roman Catholic church. In moderntimes, we might include evolutionists, abortionists, liberals, fundamentalists,Pharisees, and hipsters.

The list could include anyone whose views differ from yours.

What’s important here are two things.

First, we don’t need to expend endless energy as Christiansstoring anger against our enemies. We won’t change them by venting. The problemis that we end up equating the people with their belief systems.

Jesus didn’t just die for belief systems. He died to savesinners, and all of us are sinners.

Let me make this distinction before we go further. It’simportant as a Christian to stand for what is really true. The eternal veritiesof Scripture are worth standing for, and we certainly should. But we also haveto remember that we’re not Home yet. Yes, we are getting better day-by-day. Butthe truth is that God is still at work in our hearts too.

The fact that God is working on us, though we’re messed up,should give us great hope that He can redeem the most hardened sinners nomatter what belief system has them held captive.

The second thing to remember is to stand for truth, but doit with a loving attitude. This means you remember that you could easilystruggle with truth too. There are sins that especially tempt you. You havesecrets that if anyone found out, you’d rather die than face thehumiliation. That hardened Phariseeyou’re dealing with at work is much the same as you are. He or she needs Jesusand wants to know what’s really true.

If you think you can’t do it, you can’t convince anyone,you’re right. That’s the Holy Spirit’s job. Pray for His intervention andconsciously submit to be used by Him when dealing with others.

The battlefield is littered with defeated enemies. Christwins in the end. No matter the stripe the lie takes, Christ will win. Theaftermath is a picture of God’s enemies eating the fruit of their rebellion.Rejecting such a great salvation, one that will redeem all that was lost andrestore all that is broken in humanity is not only foolish, it’s deadly.

Now go love somebody.

Does Jesus Have a Tattoo?

2011-10-24T14:28:00.000-07:00

Revelation 19:16 tells us Jesus has the name “King of kingsand Lord of lords” on His robe and on His thigh.

It’s not totally clear from reading different versionswhether this inscription is on the garment over his thigh or on the thighitself.

But what if it was on His thigh?

It sounds like it could be tattooed on. But whether or notit really is, there are three things that this inscription’s location teachesus.

The first thing that the Scripture passage here stresses isthat the name is visible and conspicuous. You can’t miss it. John makes aspecial point of telling us that it is there.

Some tattoos are conspicuous too. I saw someone recentlythat had tattoos of stars on her face. I couldn’t miss that. Someone else had astriped pattern tattoo that started at his wrist and ended on his ear lobe.Since he was wearing a tank top, I couldn’t miss that one either.

Tattoos are conspicuous in general today because so manypeople have them. Sure, some can be covered with clothes but summer swims canreveal those secrets.

And no, you won’t go to hell if you have one. Or more thanone.

Regardless of what you think of tattoos, this name on Jesus’thigh was proper. He does rule and reign over all things and people. He existedbefore any of us and will still exist after we’re all dead. He won the victoryover sin in His chosen people’s lives and gave them power over sin too. He willjudge those who refuse His offer of salvation, so He has the upper hand thereas well. Servants who took vows placed their hand under the master’s thigh.Sons received family blessings with their hand under the father’s thigh. So thelocation of the words signifies his authority.

Tattoos are another thing – permanent. Well, okay, you canhave laser tattoo removal, but I hear that hurts a lot worse than getting thetattoo in the first place. But otherwise, a tattoo once inked and set is thereto stay until you die.

Jesus’ lordship is permanent too. He is the same yesterday,today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8). This is a great source of comfort tobelievers, knowing that not one hair can fall from our heads without Godapproving.

Christian, worship your King.

Practicing Accountability

2011-10-22T08:56:00.001-07:00

Personal growth is hard.

From the day we arrive on earth, people place expectationson us. If we’re fortunate enough to be born into a loving home, your parentswill expect you to grow into a fine, responsible, knowledgeable adult.

When you learn to walk and talk, your parents will hold yourfeet to the fire. They’ll make you practice day after day. It might befrustrating for you at times, but in the end it works out for your good. And itwill advance you toward the goal of becoming a well functioning adult.

Could you imagine what your life would be like if yourmother and father didn’t care about those things?

If you want to grow once you leave the nest, you have totake some responsibility. You’ll have to weather some pain and discomfort. Youmight buck against the difficulty, but you’ll only stunt your own growth. Intimes of pain, you have to ask yourself, “Am I willing to pay the price tobecome better?” If the answer is “No”,then the question becomes, “Is this what I really want?”

There are times though when you have to slug through pain tobecome better. If it’s really hard, then enlist someone to help. You’llprobably find someone in your circles that will invest time and energy to helpyou become better. If it’s kicking a habit like smoking, find someone whodoesn’t smoke to help you; otherwise, they won’t have the motivation to see youthrough. Even better, find a former smoker. When it comes to work improvement,find a peer if the improvement isn’t of a competitive nature. Otherwise, enlista superior to motivate you and provide support. It may be their job anyway. Butif you ask them straight out to help, they’ll probably be glad to.

As with any road, there will be bumps and potholes along theway. You can go around them, through them, or turn a different direction. Thechoice depends on the circumstance, or on how big the pothole is. It’s crucialto be brutally honest with yourself and your associates here. Otherwise you’llmiss a great opportunity to make the utmost of the challenge.

Yes, personal growth is hard. But afterward it can beextremely rewarding, especially if you paid dearly for it.

Do these things and you’ll make the most of life’schallenges.

The Rider on the White Horse

2011-10-22T08:22:00.000-07:00

The Lamb in Revelation 19 has another identity.

He’s also a very powerful ruler.

He’s seated on a white horse. This symbolizes His purity andthe ultimate righteousness of His actions. He’s not tainted with selfishnessand gain. He rules with real truth and real justice. The people He loves areabsolutely free; those who hate Him, and spurn His love are as bound as aprisoner in shackles. When He makes war, He attacks sin and its devastatingeffects – and wins.

His eyes are a “blaze of fire”. The truth that comes fromGod is liberating, uninhibited, and exact. When you see it, you’re changedforever. You can’t not see it anymore. Then you’re left to suppress it, whichcan lead to bitterness and stress for the rest of your life. People medicatethis with all sorts of addictions to push it out of their minds.

There are many crowns on His head. This is a directreference to Christ as the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. His powerencompasses every kingdom, every province, and every individual on earth. Weall have to deal with Him in our hearts or spend our lives denying Hisexistence. Nothing happens that He doesn’t know about or permit. It’s beyondthe scope of my knowledge to explain the reasons behind everything that occurs.But then, I’m not God.

So what effect does truth and justice have on us?

We all want to know that what we believe is true. That givesus a solid rock to stand on. We may not know why we know that we know; thatrequires faith. But faith has to be tested to become real. If you claim one ofGod’s promises, the proving ground is the life you live in the world day byday. Did God do what He promised? Did you rightly claim it? You have tohonestly examine yourself and the text to know for sure.

We all yearn for justice. When someone commits a crime, wewant him to pay. But sometimes we don’t apply that equally to ourselves. Butstill, we want the books cleared on our own guilt so we can live life freely.

That’s where the bloodstained cloak comes in. The blood onthat garment was shed so your guilt could be taken away…forever.

Believe that and be free.

Heavenly Fashion

2011-10-18T16:27:00.000-07:00

Earlier when we looked at the marriage supper of the Lamb, Itold you the Host would provide you with an outfit to wear in case you don’thave any fine clothes.

This is too important to gloss over.

Isaiah 64:6 informs us that our garments are polluted.

Let’s take a look at that in real life. You’ve worked hard.Your clothes are dirty. You haven’t done laundry, so you rummage through thedirty clothes and check for some that don’t smell.

I had a friend who traveled out West one summer. When you’realone, you don’t bathe much. The benefit is you aren’t as aware of your ownsmell as others are.

If you’re a germ freak, you realize that once you wear ashirt, you contaminate it. But since the germs aren’t big and ugly, we ignorethem.

The garments of our own good works are polluted. They arebecause we’re stained from birth with a sinful nature. No matter how much wewash, we can’t come clean. And even if we get better for a while, we just getdirty again, right?

Some versions use the term “filthy rags” to describe theseclothes. Have you ever tried to clean anything with a filthy rag? Would you goto a banquet dressed in filthy rags?

If you apply this analogy to dry cleaning, then you get apicture of what it takes to clean us up. Like a rented tuxedo, we need helpfrom outside ourselves to become clean enough to go the marriage supper of theLamb. Extra effort is required to get the stains of sin out.

And only Jesus can do it.

The crazy thing He asks of us is to come to the banquet withour rags on.

If you’re confused now, let’s see if we can clear theclutter.

The only way to be invited to the dinner is to recognizethat you’re not worthy to come.

That’s the gospel. Come to Jesus as you are.

Without Christ, you’re wearing filthy rags. The outfit Heprovides is His righteousness. This is the guarantee of the promise of completeredemption that we’ll have in full in Heaven. Being clothed in Christ’srighteousness is proof that God has cleared the books, paid all our debts toHim, and stopped keeping records of everything we’ve done wrong.

That’s being dressed for success.

When Redemption is Complete

2011-10-17T14:23:00.000-07:00

In Revelation 19:6-10, there is a dinner party you won’twant to miss.

If you belong to Jesus, you will be there. Nothing willstand in your way like it does now. There will be no traffic jams. You won’tfeel too guilty to come. It won’t matter how you’re dressed because the hostwill provide an outfit.

Let’s take a look at each in turn.

The great event is the Marriage Supper of the Lamb. Now ifyou’re a guy, consider this. You might feel a bit weird thinking how this will workout. You might think being loved by God is a bit too intimate. Look at it likethis: God will look you in the eye and tell you with all sincerity, “Son, I’mproud of you.”

If you call yourself a Christian, He is your Father. Thedifference between Him and your earthly father is that He really means it. Andif you had a father who really was proud of you, you already know what thisfeels like. To have the God of the universe say that to you is priceless.

Now if you’re a woman reading this, the same words couldfill a void left by your father.

What do I mean by “traffic jams”? Life is full of thingsthat compete with our devotion to God. There’s guilt, which comes because we’vesinned and we know it. Guilt also comes because in some way we’ve failed tolive up to not only God’s standards, but also we’ve failed to live up to ourown. Sin is life wrecker, especially when we don’t address it. But even if wedo, we’re never going to get to the bottom of the problem without Jesus.

Here’s how to deal with guilt. Jesus took care of your sinson the cross. They don’t need to define you now. But there is still some ofthat old man hanging on while we live. Jesus gives us power to deal with that.

At the marriage supper, sin won’t be a factor anymore. Therewon’t be any more guilt because the promise of redemption will finally betotally fulfilled. You see, at the cross, the record of your wrongdoing was notonly wiped away, God stopped keeping records.

That should set you free to worship Him now.

And going Home will be incredible for eternity.

Help for Procrastinators

2011-10-15T16:51:00.001-07:00

If you suffer from habitual procrastination, you need to read this right now. Don't wait. Don't do it tomorrow. Just do it. Now. http://www.breakfastwithfred.com/library/article/51/help-for-procrastinators/

Celebrating Victory

2011-10-13T12:03:00.000-07:00

In Revelation 19:1-4, we see a party to end all parties.

It’s a grand celebration. There’s an awesome choir ofthousands lifting their voices for all to hear. Everyone is rejoicing becausethe end has come.

The end has come to evil Babylon.

This is significant. During history there have been a longsuccession of evil empires. They turn their backs on God and grow ripe for Hisjudgment all their lives. When they reach the grave, the debts are called inand the Babylonians are in a heap of trouble that never ends.

This picture should grab us because it’s what we all deserveexcept for Jesus. If He’s called you to be part of His family and you said,“Yes, I will”, then you’ve experienced more fully something others only tastein this life.

Grace.

It’s grace that saves us from God’s just wrath against everyone of us. Jesus fulfilled the requirements for you to receive God’s grace whenHe paid your debt on the rugged cross of Calvary. If you bank your hopes onthat, you can join the celebration.

And it’s a grand one!

We rejoice about justice when it’s done to someone else. Theevil men and women have been locked away in Hell forever. We are happy when acriminal is punished for his crimes.

We just don’t like it when we’re the guilty ones.

Jesus frees you from guilt too.

All you have to do is trust Him.

We can praise God for His justice because our sins have beenpunished. They’ve been laid on Jesus and taken off the books. They’re gone.Vanished. Never again will we hear of them again from the Judge of all.

That should give you great confidence. That should make yousing like the heavenly choir. It should make you get up and dance and take onthe world! Why? Because we all function better in an atmosphere of love andacceptance than one of hatred, criticism, and condemnation.

Our rejoicing can and should go one forever. You’re lovedand accepted for all of eternity if you’re His. It’s like having a million freesins. They don’t define you anymore. God’s not angry with you anymore. And Henever will be again. He’s working all things for your good. He’ll never leaveyou or turn His back.

Now go tell others about that.

How to Have a Great Meeting

2011-10-12T14:13:00.001-07:00

If you work with people, chances are you will have a meetingwith them at some time.

Here’s how to make sure they are effective.

Meetings are often just opportunities to solve problems.Let’s explore the best way to do that.

First, it’s important to have an agenda. This will provideneeded focus so that everything under the sun doesn’t come in and rob time frommore pertinent discussion. If you have a specific reason for meeting, you’veset parameters that will give directions to your destination.

And your destination is the solution to your problem.

Having an agenda won’t limit you to one problem solvingsession per meeting, but it will ensure you explore the issues you intended to.

There’s a four-step method to problem solving.

First, define the real problem. If it’s unhappy customers,then narrow it down to what they seem to be unhappy about. Maybe it’s yourrefund policy. Knowing this will make it easier to find a solution. Be as clearas the sea on the Gulf Coast of Florida. If you can see your feet through thewaves, you’re clear.

Second, make a list of possible causes for the statedproblem. This is your brainstorming session. Listen to everything here, nomatter how silly it may seem. You might set a time limit for this, say fifteenor twenty minutes. Just let the juicesflow during those minutes. Don’t makejudgments in this second phase. Just recap often enough to keep track. One bestcause will arise from this mottled pile soon.

Third, narrow the mass of causes down to a few choicesolutions after choosing the best cause. Be as specific as you can whendefining these alternatives. Prove them with facts, evidence, testimonials, andexamples. During this testing phase you can easily whittle the lesser choicesaway. Once a possible solution passes this test, include it for finalconsideration.

Here’s a short definition of the proof test factors:

Facts –statistics and documented observations

Evidence – real outcomes and benchmarks

Testimonials – what others have said about it

Examples – applicable incidents from inside oroutside the organization

Finally, pick a solution. The best one will arise after thefirst three problem solving steps are taken. When you’re satisfied with asolution, act on it.

If you’ll conduct all your meetings this way, you’ll beeffective every time.

Clarify Expectations

2011-10-12T13:19:00.001-07:00

Communication is something we can do well or really mess up.The trick is to do it in a way that gets the message across without cloudingit.

Here are a few tips.

First, don’t use too many words. Here’s an example:

“I went to the grocery store this morning.”

If you used too many words, it might sound like this:

“This morning I got up and realized there was no milk inthe refrigerator. I rushed around trying to get ready and then the alarm wentoff for the third time….then I realized I hadn’t brushed my teeth….and afterwaiting for what seemed like hours in traffic, I finally made it to the grocerystore.”

Nobody wants to hear every detail of how your morning went.Movies tell stories with highlights if they’re worth watching. Stick withessential details. Burn off the fluff.

Secondly, writing it out first will ensure you don’t missdetails you should communicate. If you’re like me, sometimes you forget things.There’s no shame in having a reminder system in place that works for you. Thisis vital if there’s a chance you’ll overlook something important. Just makenotes in a way that will allow you to relay the information naturally.

Thirdly, don’t just assume the other person got what yousaid. Ask them straight out like this:

“Sometimes I don’t communicate well. Could you tell mewhat you thought I said?”

Allow for questions. Don’t be in such haste that inquiriesare unwelcome. The time you spend here will be time saved later when it counts.

Fourth, if the information is unpleasant, make it short andsugarless.

Now that we’ve jumped over the initial hurdles ofcommunication, let’s negotiate.

Sometimes expectations can be unrealistic in some way. Thismay be obvious at the first sharing with those involved. Often someone in thetrenches can see things that outside planners can’t. Connecting the two willprovide an opportunity to solve a problem. This might involve an adjustment oran entirely new expectation altogether. If both parties contribute to thediscussion, everyone should more readily accept the new standard.

Having a goal is great, but remember it isn’t necessarilyset in concrete. Sometimes expectations need to be tested to be proven valid.This will involve some failure so make allowance for that.

If you practice these things, you’ll have no troubleclarifying your expectations.

I Hate Change

2011-10-11T15:06:00.001-07:00

And so do you.

Nostalgia sells well, doesn’t it? There’s always been anoldies station within reach of my radio. The Internet has scores of them. Andpublic radio plays music from centuries past.

We love the old stuff. I could listen to the music I grew upwith for the rest of my life.

The roads near the neighborhood where I grew up look nothinglike they did when I was a kid. There are stores where houses once sat. Thereis an elementary school where a middle school was. The bank I used as ateenager has changed hands at least three times. The same road now has a centerturn lane.

And it was one of the last ones in town to have one.

There’s probably something you grew up with that you wishwas still around.

The problem is that life is full of change. Often we don’tget a choice in the changes that come into our lives. God brings them becauseit is His perfect right to do so. He does it for our good and for our joy, evenif we don’t understand that at the time.

One thing we can take joy in is that God Himself doesn’tchange. He may seem to when He answers prayer in the Scriptures. But thereality is when the story is told, He is seen as repenting so we can understandHim just a little. It is in those moments of compassion that we see His grace.

When we sit around and pine for days gone by, we are holdingon to something that God doesn’t intend for us to hold on to. In essence, we’resaying to Him, “I wouldn’t have done that if I were You.” But we aren’t, so wedon’t get a vote.

God will give us a say, though.

That is what prayer is about. We can come to God and voiceour concerns and complaints. Better for Him to hear them than to whine to therest of the world, don’t you think? You run the risk of running off all yourfriends who don’t love you as much as God does when you gripe.

Revelation 18 reveals the death of an evil empire. It standsin contrast to a new Heaven and a new Earth that will be free of all thatruined Babylon.

A Stern Warning Against Pride

2011-10-10T14:52:00.000-07:00

The second angelic message in Revelation 18:4-8 is not onlydisturbing, it’s a warning to those of us who belong to Jesus and are watching.

The woman who is speaking here feels invincible. She’s notmuch different than a lot of us are when we’re young, is she? That’s because wefeel we can get away with abusive behavior, for a while, when the years of lifehaven’t taken their weary toll on us. We go to work hung over. We can functionon two hours sleep for three days. We can hide our small crimes until theevidence piles so high that the stench is undeniable.

In a way, our sin is to us, like the smell of our owncigarettes to ourselves. If we smoke enough, then we don’t smell it like thepeople around us do, especially if they don’t smoke. If you smoke a lot for along time, you get to the point where you don’t notice the difference in theway you smell and the way non-smokers do.

I use this example not to condemn smokers, but because it’sone many of us can identify with. Now, the same applies to heavy drinkers. I’vebeen unmistakably informed that a retail customer has chosen liquor instead ofcoffee for breakfast more than once in a job I held a number of years ago.

The point behind all this is that often the prideful personcannot see the damage that his arrogance is doing to himself and to others.This lady in Revelation 18 has led many astray with her example. Those who havefollowed her have chosen a road to ruin. And this road is one where there’s ahead on collision with a freight train ahead that will alter that person’s lifeforever.

The problem is that she thinks she won’t get hit.

Here’s the warning for you. Avoid the appealing teachingthat doesn’t square with the truth. It may sound really good and even seem towork, but if it’s wrong, it will come back to bite you – with a grip that won’tlet go.

The only way out is to run to Jesus.

Jesus came to bring us truth. That truth is powerful. Itbreaks the chains of pride, lies, and sin – forever.

Believe that – and be free. Your future will be all thebetter for it.

Surveying the Ruins

2011-10-08T08:27:00.000-07:00

The opening scene in Revelation 18 sounds like an accountfrom Celebrity Ghost Stories on Biography Channel.

In America, we have a pretty short history. God has richlyblessed us with prosperity that rivals the richest of nations. Even our poorown cars, have television sets, and cell phones. Those in the third world considerour poverty wealth.

It’s easy to think that this will last forever. Sure, ourcountry is in trouble now, but we’ll rebound. We won’t go on forever in miseryand tears.

Or will we?

God has lavishly blessed us in the U.S.A. But there’s nowritten guarantee that this won’t all one day come to an end. Yes, we havefreedom to do the right thing or do the wrong thing. We are at liberty to thinkwith our feelings instead of our brains. And we’re open to think that we’re theexception to the rule in Revelation 18.

But what if we aren’t?

Now, I don’t know how our history will play out. Mostlikely, I’ll be dead before this country disintegrates, if indeed it does. I’mnot God, so I can only guess here. But it is clear to me and many of you thatserious changes are needed to avoid being another great country that made a bigimpact on history but was forgotten down the road.

What can we do then?

We can pray for our leadership. They are the agents of Godto make our lives great or miserable. It is in their power to honor God orblaspheme Him. Now remember, God is still in control. He will restrain sinwithin the bounds He has ordained. He knows what to do to promote our ultimategood and deepen our inmost joy.

We can pray for ourselves. We aren’t perfect, anymore thanthose we elect to lead us. God provides leadership for all of us and if we’llrecognize that our deepest problem is ourselves, we’ll be freer to accept Hisauthority.

We can remember that Jesus has won the victory over sin nowand forever. The only hope you and I have of leading a life of obedience is todepend on the victory Jesus obtained for us. We’ve been set free, really free.We’re unconditionally loved without reservation, no matter what. That shouldlead us to want to follow God and do what He says.

Little Bites Make a Difference

2011-10-07T19:03:00.000-07:00

If you’ve listened to Zig Ziglar very much, you know thatone of his signature themes is goal-setting.

Not many of us set definite goals. Even fewer write themdown. One study determined that 3% of graduating seniors at the college leveldo this.

Why not?

There are a few roadblocks.

One is fear. Specifically, we fear failing. What if you seta goal, tell your friends about it, and then fail? Sure, that would beembarrassing. You might avoid others for a while. You might keep your mouthshut hoping they’ll forget it. And over time, they probably will.

Unless you run a touchdown pass in the wrong direction inthe big game.

But chances are, you won’t have that kind of attention.

We fear we will set our goals too high. That is, we don’treally think we can reach them. And since our thoughts determine our behavior,we will have designed a self-fulfilling prophecy.

The problem is we often look at the end result with littlethought of the steps we’ll have to take to get there. We may fail to calculatehow many steps are required and may possibly take the wrong ones.

But is that the end of the world? Is that a reason to giveup?

Every day a plane takes off for a destination. Along the waythe plane will naturally veer off course. At that point, the pilot turnsaround, heads back to the airport, and starts over.

Right?

Of course not.

He makes course corrections as he goes. It’s the same whenyou’re driving. If you take your hands off the wheel, eventually you’ll end uprunning off the road. So you make small adjustments, so small in fact that youprobably aren’t even aware of them.

If you want to reach a target destination, and you’ve neverbeen there before, don’t you pull out a map and plot every turn? If you want toreach a destination you set for yourself, the same kind of planning isrequired.

When we look at the end result we desire, it can bedaunting, especially if the change is big. We can overcome this by settingdaily plans of action that take little steps toward the faraway destination –the final achievement of the goal.

Lots of little bites make the difference.

Besides, it works for termites.

Confronting Reality

2011-10-07T18:43:00.001-07:00

You probably won’t like what I have to say this week.

I’m going to tell you it’s okay to offend someone.

Before you take this as a pass to be obnoxious, think first.

Sometimes when we confront reality, it can be a bituncomfortable. But progress comes through the doorway of pain sometimes. You’veheard that when applied to exercise. It’s the same with personal growth. Oftenwe don’t make significant changes until the pain of continuing to do somethingexceeds the pain of changing it.

If you have developed a friendship with someone thattranscends the level of an acquaintance, you may have earned the right to speaktruth into his life. The boundaries of the relationship will reveal how far youcan go.

When it comes to work relationships, the rules of friendshipcan get set aside. In order for you to be on a team with others who may or maynot be friends, you have to point out things from time to time that will makethe gears turn better. If you don’t, the risk is that nothing will get done.It’s a personal risk to possibly offend someone whose work isn’t up to par. Butit’s not fair to the team when one link in the chain is broken, so go ahead andstick your neck out.

If you’re going to offend someone, do it for the rightreasons.

Some human relations principles apply here. It’s notnecessary to offend if you think your coworkers blouse is ghastly. Now if shecomes to work dressed like a clown and you’re not working at a circus, youshould probably say something. The principle to remember is that you shouldcriticize behavior, not people.

Everyone has something they can do really well. We’re allcreated in God’s image and that gives us all value. So be careful not to makeyour remarks personal.

You should also let them know that you’re hurt too. The painis what led you to say something. Let them know you have their best interest inmind. You’re part of a team and when one member suffers, the others do too.

What I’m suggesting is that you refrain from criticismunless it’s constructive. Don’t tell someone what they’ve done is wrong unlessyou offer a solution as well.

Who knows? Your remarks might make a difference and offersomeone hope.

Human Love is Fickle

2011-10-06T15:53:00.001-07:00

As Revelation 17 concludes, the whore who had the world inher hand is losing her grip.

Human love is fickle. If you don’t believe that, considerthe case of famous people who were greatly loved – until they fell from ourgraces.

Vanessa Williams was the first black Miss America. She wason top of the world. But two years earlier she posed nude with another womanfor some photos. She did because she needed the money. Her parents forgave her:the world and the pageant officials didn’t.

Jim Bakker had a large following in his PTL ministry. Whenthings were copacetic and there was plenty of money, he got carried awaythinking he could do anything. When the sex scandal exploded, the ministry wentunder – fast.

The people who loved the whore of Babylon will lose theirtaste for her. She’ll become the victim of a lynch mob. Surely, it’s anexperience similar to what fallen celebrities experience.

Here’s the danger for you and me. Maybe we don’t have thatkind of power and influence and perhaps no hope of it. But you do have somewith your friends and associates. You probably do some of what you do so thatthey will like you and want to be your friend. But since you’re human, youmight do something wrong and unintentionally offend someone.

Then you’re in trouble.

But you’re only in trouble if you define your worth by whatothers think of you. If you think of yourself in terms of what others say, thenyou’ll have a permanent seat on an emotional roller coaster. If you’redepending on your reputation to carry you through life, it might do that someof the time with some of the people, but you know there are just some who won’tbe pleased no matter what you do.

Here’s the truth. God is the one who’s in control here. It’sGod who turns the hearts of the whore’s followers against her. Now I can’t saywhy he does it in every case, but I have some knowledge of what happened to JimBakker after he fell. He read the Bible and began to comprehend the Gospel forthe first time while incarcerated.

Since Jim knows God loves him, his reputation doesn’t matteranymore.

When you know God loves you, you’ll rise above fickle humanlove.

The Mystery of the Whore Explained

2011-10-05T16:24:00.000-07:00

We all love a good mystery. It’s why Christmas can be lotsof fun wondering whether you got that iPad you wanted. There is a movie channelfor suspense lovers. Documentaries also use suspense to unfold a story forviewers.

But there is always a story behind the mystery in Revelation17. You might be able to find out what it is, or maybe you won’t unless someonetells you.

This time God is telling.

It seems the whore is not a person, but a practice thatspans the generations. It’s been around since Adam and Eve took a bite of thatforbidden fruit. It has plagued humanity throughout recorded history.

That plague is idolatry.

It started in the Garden when Adam and Eve thought theycould be like God, knowing good and evil. It was the allure of knowing what wassecret that did them in. They traded the worship of God for the promise ofwisdom and the power that came with it.

It would be a choice that would bring ruin to the rest oftheir lives and the rest of humanity.

The people of Israel are the subject of the Bible. They areGod’s family and they had problems. They thought what their neighbors weredoing was interesting. But their neighbors didn’t know God or have any regardfor Him. So when the Israelites adopted their practices, they mixed the worshipof God with idols.

And God won’t tolerate that.

Now it’s true that God is pretty patient with us. After all,we’re flawed. We’re always creating things to worship in our hearts. Theremaining sin there is prone to do that daily. Since God loves us, He will dothings to crush those idols and help us see that He is the only thing that cansatisfy like we thought the idol would.

There is a lot of institutional idolatry in our world. Inthe days of the Protestant Reformation, it was the Roman Catholic Church. Inthe last two hundred years, reason has been the idol of choice. Now it’spleasure and entertainment that provide us with figures to worship.

This problem will go away one day. It happens either whenyou die and go to Heaven or when Jesus returns and puts an end to sin forever.

The best prevention is seeking Jesus daily. Will you?

The Allure of the Whore

2011-10-03T16:40:00.000-07:00

Revelation 17 shows us a proud, drunken whore who has itcoming, and soon.

This woman is influential. All the kings of the world haveslept with her. It’s the high price of absolute power.

There are a few things to note about this woman.

First, she’s a married whore who’s been unfaithful. Peoplesay they don’t like unfaithful spouses but at least some of them are indulgingthese folks in their affairs. However, if you caught your spouse in a sexualrelationship with someone else, you’d have reasonable cause to leave.

This woman is figurative. It’s a vivid picture of a bigproblem that hasn’t gone away today. Politicians in Washington are drunk withtheir own power. They want to have control of as much of our lives as they can.And some of us have willingly surrendered our freedoms for the promise ofsecurity, usually in the form of some dollar amount from the government.

Money has great leverage. Social Security got its tentaclesaround American culture back in the years of the Great Depression. It was thepromise of security for a discouraged people who had given up hope and forsakenpersonal responsibility.

And it stuck into us the same way a hook catches a fish thatswallows the worm on board.

The truth is money is really just a tool. It can’t save usor bring lasting happiness. I recently heard Dr. Henry Cloud say that only 10%of our happiness comes from externals in our lives. And money is just that, anexternal.

But like other tools, money can be used as a weapon. Forexample, a knife can be used to butter bread or slice a ham. It can also beused to stab another person. The power behind the knife determines its use. Sothe knife is neither good nor bad, it’s just a tool with multiple uses.

If the whore is money and power, then it has ruined peoplefrom the top echelons of society down to the bottom. Again, it’s using money tomanipulate that brings judgment. Also, money that poorly managed means we don’taccept our responsibility to be good stewards of what God gives us.

Check your life. Have you worshipped at the altar of power?Or have you recognized the Source of all power?

It’s God who wins, not the whore.

Does Utter Destruction Change Hearts?

2011-10-02T16:34:00.001-07:00

As Revelation 16 concludes, there is an account of badweather that is worse than any we’ve ever seen.

In the South we’ve had tornadoes, severe thunderstorms, andhail. Lots of property has been damaged and destroyed, and lives have beenlost.

If you watch the news reports, you can’t help but see thatthose who are in the path of these disasters seem to ring a common theme.They’re glad to be alive. They’ve taken stock of what is important and whatisn’t. Some have come to Jesus because He’s their only hope. Others questionedwhy this happened to them and maybe wonder whether God is out to get them.

Let’s look at these responses in relation to this passage.The folks in this storm are in real distress. There’s no mention of anyonedying, but it’s possible with hailstones weighing one hundred pounds each!

If something solid that weighs even fifty pounds falls onyou - trust me, you’ll feel it.

What is the people’s reaction to this storm of heftyhailstones? They hate it. Even more they hate the God who sent them. There’s noconsideration on their part that they deserve this and more because they’vechosen their own way over God’s. But it’s clear that they have to acknowledgethis God has intense power that can no longer be ignored.

You’d think that some of them at least would fall on theirknees and worship Him, begging Him for mercy. But their choices and response tolife and God’s law have so hardened their hearts that even a disaster of thisscale cannot move them to follow God.

This is the worse curse that can befall anyone. Consider theparable of the sower. There are all sorts of things that can happen to thoseseeds that fall on the side of the road. They get trampled by humans, androbbed of the Word’s power by the devil. The result is that any spark God wouldlight never fans into a flame.

We are all in the same situation. We all have sinned anddeserve God’s wrath. Everyone also has the opportunity to act when he hears theGospel. Some do. Some don’t. Only God knows why. We only have ourselves toblame if we ignore that message and God to thank if we hear it and act.

Reflect on that.

Protect Yourself

2011-10-01T06:57:00.000-07:00

Revelation 16:15-16 starts with a parenthetical statementtelling us Jesus will come when we least expect it.

And it doesn’t matter that the whole world is gatheredtogether against Him.

Today’s culture is spiritual. What that means is somethingdifferent to everyone. It’s a cafeteria-style spirituality where you choosewhat you feel good about and ignore the others.

That might work in a restaurant but not in the soul.

Lies can sound pretty good, though. Chocolate for breakfastwill make you happy and give you a physical and psychological boost. But itmight add a few pounds a week to your physique over time. If you ignore theugly part, it won’t affect you, right? You could compensate by not eating asmuch cereal with the chocolate so the calorie count won’t be increased.

As silly as that seems, it represents the reality that weall write a life code in response to what we’ve experienced. It takesdiscipline to introduce objective truth into the process. Without that, youmight just assume you’re right without further analysis.

Jesus says He’s coming. You can count on that. He’s alsosaid He won’t tell you when He’s coming. So be ready.

Getting ready involves introducing truth into your code.

You should regularly question your beliefs and practices inlight of Scripture. Does what you do agree with what God is telling you? Behonest. Don’t rationalize. It won’t work with Him and it won’t serve you welleither. Be bold enough to honestly say you’re wrong if you are. Then you’ll seethe light that eluded you through your cloudy vision.

That is sanctification. It’s how God refines you to be morelike Jesus and less like the sinner you were. It’s stripping away pretense,false reasoning, and the deception of powerful influencers in your life.

Just because you’re a Christian doesn’t mean you’re free ofdeception. It does mean you have some powerful weapons against it. You have theBible, which is the best truth resource on the planet. You have the Holy Spiritwho teaches you how to apply truth in your life. You have the power of prayerwhere God meets you when you’re most tempted to disbelief or challenged tostand for truth in a hostile situation.

Jesus is ready for a hostile world. He can make you readytoo. Will you walk with Him?

It’s Possible, But is it Good?

2011-10-01T06:06:00.000-07:00

You’ve probably heard the phrase, “If you can conceive it,you can achieve it.”

There is some truth to that. If you want to accomplishanything of worth, you have to be able to see yourself doing it. If you don’t,chances are your mind will not cooperate to help you have success.

There are a few questions you need to ask yourself beforesetting a big goal or taking on a new responsibility.

First is “Can I do this?” To answer that, you must find outwhat is required to have success. If it’s making a presentation for example, doyou passion for the subject? If you don’t, you won’t be convincing. If you’dlike to have more, dig deeper into the topic and watch the passion rise. Ifthat doesn’t work, pick something else.

Second, if you know it’s possible, what obstacles stand inthe way of success? Fear can be a big one. If you’re afraid, it helps to defineexactly what it is that you’re afraid about. If it’s rejection, you’ve definedit for you. If it’s the fear you’ll bungle the presentation, at least you know.Naming the fear is good because it reveals what actions you have to take toface it and overcome it. If you fear rejection, find as many ways to overcomeobjections as you possibly can. If it’s fear you’ll forget your lines, spendmore time studying them.

The third question is by far the most important. If it’spossible and I’m able to do it, is it good for me? What does that mean?Consider this. You’ve learned how to minimize the risks associated with yourfears. You’ve dug deeper into the subject. But the whole thing just gives youulcers because you’re doing it for the wrong reasons. The wrong reasons areviolations of your convictions. Perhaps it takes you away from your family morethan you’d like. Maybe you’re trying to force yourself to believe in somethingwhen it takes all your emotional energy to manufacture passion for it. Allthese are signs that you should reconsider your involvement.

The third question must be seriously considered becauseyou’ve got to go to the root of whether that thing is good. Don’t leavesomething just because it makes you slightly uneasy.

If it leads to growth for you and others, it’s good.

The Frogs That Will Change the World

2011-10-01T05:39:00.000-07:00

Frogs can come from the strangest places, even out ofnowhere it seems.

In ancient Egypt, they were everywhere. They were in thePharaoh’s palace. They were in the streets. They were also found in fields,shops, and homes. The irony is that Egyptians worshipped frogs and saw them assymbols of life.

God indeed has a sense of humor, doesn’t He?

In Revelation 16:12-14, they come out of the mouths of thebeast, the false prophet, and the dragon.

Frogs are popular in our stories. There’s Kermit, theconscientious and friendly frog who cringes when his peers do stupid things.There’s Michigan J. Frog, who sings and dances for his owner, then assumes afroglike pose and croaks when anyone else appears. The Frog Prince is ahandsome royal who got caught in a spell and must be kissed to release itsgrip. In stories, frogs are generally depicted as ugly, benign, and possessinghidden talents. An example is Slippy Toad, a great mechanic but mediocre pilotwho frequently has to be rescued by his teammates.

Frogs are depicted as disgusting in Scripture. The Egyptiansdidn’t like frogs so much when they had them coming out their ears. Here inRevelation 16, they are joined with unclean spirits who play the role of theserpent in the garden.

The serpent influenced Eve with crafty questions that ledher to question what God had said. Its cleverness lie in the fact that theserpent knew Eve, being human, would be tempted with power, power that maderight up there with God.

And you know what happened then.

These frogs are symbolic. They depict some powerfulinfluencers who turn the kings’ hearts away from God. Old Testament history isreplete with story after story of kings doing what they thought was right intheir own eyes and leading the people astray. We read too that God would becomeangry with them and visit them with wrath. It could come in the form ofinvading enemies, power-hungry family members bent on revenge and carryinglethal weapons, and abject spiritual blindness.

The lesson for us is to be regularly praying for those whogovern us. May God be their guide and not the allure of power. And if theywon’t follow God, then pray their power be taken from them and given to anotherwho will.

You Can Get Better

2011-09-29T12:51:00.001-07:00

As humans, we aren’t perfect. We can thank our firstparents, Adam and Eve, for that.

We have a couple choices based on that reality.

First, we can choose to coast. This choice is prettydangerous, though. If you were in a boat, and you put up the sail and decidednot to use the rudder, do you know where you’d end up? Life is no different.

But it’s true that many of us make that very choice. Mostmen never finish a book after they finish school, that is, if they even startone. Women read, but it might be romance novels. If you want to set yourselfapart and be unique, even get better, find a good book that will stretch youbeyond where you are now.

Then, when you’re finished, do it again.

This leads to the second choice, which is to improve on aregular basis.

It’s not enough in a changing world to rely on your presentskills to get you through. If you finished school a decade ago, you’d beprepared to succeed in that decade. But a lot can happen in ten years and muchhas. There were no iPads or iPhones ten years ago. Laptops cost three to fourtimes what they do now. If you wanted a plasma television ten years ago, you’dpay $10,000 for it. Now it’s one tenth of that price.

Since you’re not perfect, don’t be above criticism. Youmight freely give it, so be sure to accept it as well. No matter what anyonesays, at least take a moment to consider what they’ve said. I’m reminded of aquote I heard recently: “Bless those who curse you, because they may be right!”

When you consider what is at the heart of the criticism, seethe big picture. Is it constructive or is it someone being petty? If it’sconstructive, think about doing better. You’ll ignite that mental spark thatleads to a solution. If it’s just a petty comment, raise your umbrella and letthe rain of hatred run down your back.

You can beat a criticizer to the punch by periodicallyasking the people you work with if you’re meeting their expectations.

Getting better is a proactive decision. Your supervisor maypressure you to do this, but ultimately the choice is yours.

How will you get better this year?

Hell is Like This

2011-09-29T12:15:00.000-07:00

Revelation 16:10-11 gives us a peek at sheer hell.

You’ve probably heard the jokes from pagans. Heaven will bea boring place where you’ll wish you had something to do like read a magazine.In Hell you’ll be so busy shaking hands with friends you won’t have time tothink about what a rotten place it is.

Really?

That’s not the picture in this passage.

We see the people who rejected God inhabiting this place. Ifyou thought they’d be like the rich man in the parable (Luke 16:19-31) andregret their decision to go there, think again.

Let’s take a look at the rich man’s words and get a betterpicture.

His first request of Abraham is to “get me out of thistorment.” He saw Abraham and Lazarus standing together and in no pain. Hewanted some of their pleasure, not the God who gave it to them. Granted, he nowknows God is responsible for this but he still doesn’t express any desire to bepart of the kingdom.

What he really wants is his old life of God’s common graceback.

Notice the second request he makes. “Tell my brothers sothey can avoid this place.” Abraham replies that they have “Moses and theprophets. Let them listen to them.”

Isn’t preaching and the Scriptures the gateway to Heavenlycitizenship?

God adopts believers into His family. The Church is God’sfamily here before we get to Heaven. Sure, it’s not perfect. But it’s better,or should be, than living a lie anywhere else. If you get involved a genuinecommunity of grace, you won’t have to lie anymore. Your sins won’t define youin that place. God’s love will. And those who understand that will live in thefreedom Christ shed His blood for us to have.

Here’s a bold statement. God doesn’t send anyone to hellagainst his will. We don’t get a vote on whether or not God is in control oflife beyond the grave. But He allows us a say wherever we go. Look at thepeople suffering in the torment of God’s wrath. They’re cursing His name.

And it doesn’t hurt Him one bit.

Conversely, in Heaven, we’ll be singing His praises forever.

Either way, He will be the subject that occupies our everythought.

You think about that.

The Truth Can Really Hurt

2011-09-27T17:08:00.000-07:00

Summers in the South can be really hot. I drove for twomonths without air in my vehicle and it was, to say the least, as physicallychallenging as carrying the earth on one’s shoulders.

But I lived.

You could take a lesson from my predicament. I went toschool years ago and learned about the seasons that occur each year. In thesummer months, the temperatures can rise into the triple digits. Add humidityto that and the real feeling of heat can increase by ten degrees.

So the smart thing to do would be to take every opportunityto stay cool like drinking water, rolling the windows down, and wearing loosefitting clothing.

Say I decided to rebel against that truth. I might decide towear jeans and a sweatshirt. I could roll the windows up hoping against thegreenhouse effect. Do you think I’d stay cool because I decided to contradictthe hot weather with my dress and actions?

Of course not.

This is what has happened to the victims of the sun’sscorching heat in Revelation 16:7-9. God is revealed in nature as the One whoput this glorious world together. We can reject that truth but it doesn’tnullify it. We may scoff at the Ten Commandments. But we will still find thatif we violate them, we get hurt.

What lies ahead for those who reject the gracious offer ofGod to save them from their sins is a horrible eternity without Him. Now it mayseem crazy to some of you that this is exactly what unbelievers want. Noticethey complain not about the plagues, but about the God who brought them.

Is that insane?

Consider this. What is pictured here will last for eternityfor those who reject Christ. But don’t we get a taste of pain while we live inbroken world? Yes, indeed. Pain visits Christians and pagans. Cancer comes tothe loved and the unloved. Disaster comes to those who deserve it and those whodon’t.

What should be evident is the difference in how Christianshandle pain.

When pain comes, do you curse God because of it? It’s anormal human reaction. Granted, you should tell him you’re hurting. But do youstop there, or do you pray that God uses it for good?

That’s a prayer He’ll always answer with yes.

Should You Drink That Dirty Water?

2011-09-26T16:16:00.000-07:00

We see something in Revelation 16:4-6 that takes us back tothe plague of the bloody Nile River in Egypt.

Water is pretty important to humans. If you drink tea,lemonade, coffee, or most anything else, you can bet there’s water involved. Ifyou make orange juice from concentrate, you have to add water. The power ofwater in making a drink is that you can control the intensity of the flavor byhow much or how little water you add.

Water is nice to have in buildings too. A water main brokein my workplace over the weekend and I had to rearrange my morning trip to thebathroom to occur somewhere else. If I had meal plans, I’d have to shelvewashing dishes until water was running again.

If you work hard on a hot day, it’s wonderful to be able togo into the shower and wash all that sweat and dirt off your tired body.

That’s why the bloody Nile was so devastating. So long as itwas contaminated, no one could wash himself or herself or anything else. Theyhad nothing to drink unless there was wine in the house. You might be able togo without food for forty days, but it’s not healthy to give up water for nearthat long.

The illustration here is that water is something we dependon to sustain life.

Beliefs are like water. When you adopt an idea as truth, andearnestly believe it, you start living in light of it. You may as well sayyou’re writing your life story based on what you hold dear.

If what you believe is wrong, it’s like drinking water froma bloody river.

So how do you find out if your beliefs are based on truth ornot?

If you can honestly and regularly assess your actions andget to the reasons why you do what you do, you’re a long way down the road awayfrom the bloody river.

If you’re a Christian, the Bible is your guide whenexamining yourself. If you open its pages and take time to think about what itsays, you’ll find it teaching you. And if you listen, you’ll find it changingyou.

If you’re not a Christian, give it a try. It might justchange your life.

Then you’ll really live well.

The Power of Belief

2011-09-25T15:31:00.000-07:00

We make decisions based on what we believe is right.

It’s pretty easy to act when something you know is true isguiding you. For example, if you want to move a dozen boxes of different shapesand weights into a building, you have to consider the law of gravity before youload the handcart. If you don’t, you may have to load it more than once.

You also may have to explain why some of the boxes aredamaged.

That can be a sticky situation.

If you can practically apply the law of gravity, you’ll knowhow to create that load.

But what if what you believed was really a lie?

Consider those folks in Revelation 16. In the first threeverses, we see a pattern. First, if they belonged to God, something went wrongsomewhere on the road. It’s as though they’d planned a trip to get somewhereand along the way something caught their attention and pulled them off thepath.

The trouble with distractions is that if there are enough ofthem and they are attractive enough, you’ll forget the plans you made and nevermake it to your original destination.

There are two plagues in the first three verses. The firstis the presence of sores on the people under God’s wrath. The second is death.

It’s easy enough to look at pagans and conclude that they’llend up miserable forever. Sure, they may be having fun on the outside but onthe inside they’re miserable.

Christians can be miserable inside too. My pastor remindedme today that the worst thing you can have going for you is your obedience whenyou know it. This leads to pride and self-sufficiency, which leads toself-righteousness and perfectionism. You start thinking you have life undercontrol and God is lucky to have you.

That kind of thinking will make you miserable, guilty,alone, and bound.

The mortal sin alluded to here is rejecting Christ foranother god. John Calvin said our hearts are idol factories. Augustine calledthe church a whore. The reason we have to be careful to remind ourselves of theGospel is that we’re not Home yet. We’re righteous in God’s sight and no longercondemned. But we’re still working out our salvation practically while webreathe.

We really need Jesus every hour to keep our hearts faithful.

God’s Righteous Acts Are Revealed

2011-09-24T05:04:00.000-07:00

When a passage starts with “after this” you need to lookbefore and see what happened.

In Revelation 15:1-4, we see a victory dance where everyoneis worshipping God because He is just and good. They’re celebrating because thebeast that tried to stamp out Jesus didn’t get away with it.

Now we see some interesting imagery in verses 5-8. Thesanctuary tent is open. There are seven angels who have seven plagues and aregiven seven bowls of God’s wrath by one of the four creatures from a previouschapter. There’s lots of smoke. Thenthere is the promise is that all this will come to an end.

The seven plagues of wrath are the execution of God’sjustice. Everyone who gets affected by this clearly deserves it. In fact, if itweren’t for Jesus, we’d all be dead and suffering under God’s wrath now. Godtakes His law very seriously. That’s why Jesus had to die. It’s also whyviolators have to die too.

Then there’s the smoke.

The smoke is there because a lot of the time when God bringsharsh things into our lives it blind-sides us. We think, “Where did that comefrom?” or “What did I do to deserve that?” It can take some time to make anysense at all of some of life’s tragedies. Then it’s possible we may never makeone iota of sense of it. God is mysterious that way. But it could be that Godis teaching you something totally different than you thought.

Take this example. Maybe a friend of yours is killed in anautomobile accident at the age of twenty-six. It seems she had her whole lifeahead of her. Was that punishment? No, maybe that’s as long as God wanted herto live for reasons I can’t begin to elaborate on. But He may be teaching youthrough that to cherish what life you have, learn lessons of grace from herlife, and examine yourself when you were more ready not to.

God’s wrath is always just, sometimes unexplainable, andlimited here on this earth. The only case in which the limits of God’s wrathdisappear is when an unrepentant sinner dies.

The sanctuary calls us to pray for our friends who don’tknow Jesus. It also calls us to live the Gospel. May God save some of them.

It Ends In Worship

2011-09-22T13:52:00.000-07:00

Revelation 15 openswith the truth about how the world operates. Then it reveals how it all endsfor the people of God.

We all know thatlife for the Christian is not always easy. But it’s not always a burden either.Sometimes God showers us with blessings; other times He covers us with severemercies.

In case you haven’theard the term “severe mercy” it means that sometimes God brings hard times soHe can get our attention. He does that because the easy ways haven’t worked. Healso does it because we will never see into our sinful hearts any other way. Heloves us so much that He won’t allow sin to stay there and ruin our livesforever.

In the first fourverses of this chapter, we see that God’s wrath does have a finishing point. Forthe believer, that finishing point ended with Christ’s death and resurrection.For the pagan, it ends in his eternal torment.

Think about this,Christian. God is no longer angry with you. Sure, you still sin. Sure, youstill mess it up. You want to obey and you fall short time and time again. Butrest assured. Because of Jesus, because of His sacrifice for you, you don’thave to worry that God is mad with you. He has spent all that fury on Jesus.

Doesn’t that set youfree?

We can marvel atGod’s works because we benefit greatly from them. Consider this. The people ofIsrael were ecstatic when the Red Sea opened for them to cross and flee fromtheir pursuers. They further rejoiced when it closed on their would-be captors.

The same hashappened for you if you trust in Jesus. The devil and his forces are out toruin your life. But their threats have no teeth. They can’t take away youridentity in Christ. They can accuse you all they want but that will neverchange the Father’s love for you. They cannot do anything without the expresspermission of God Himself.

And even if He givesthat permission, you are safe in His hands.

Everyone throughoutthe ages whom God has loved this lavishly will fall before Him and worship forall eternity. The amazingdeeds of the Lord are deliverance for His people.

Why wait? You canpraise Him today. He’s not angry with you anymore!

Is It Okay to Fail?

2011-09-21T13:18:00.001-07:00

Nobody likes it when they blow it. Some of us might expectto fail, but even then it’s no fun.

The question we all struggle with today is whether it’s okayto fail or not.

There are two schools of thought on this. One says, “Failureis not an option.” The other has gotten so accustomed to failure they scheduleit into their day planners.

Both sides have some validity. But neither is balanced.Here’s why.

First, life is full of failures and successes.

As human beings we’re prone to make mistakes. We are alsowired to want to win. Sometimes we win and sometimes we don’t. But one thing isevident. Those who win, plan, prepare, practice, and see themselves havingsuccess. They believe they can do well and take the necessary actions to makeit happen.

Look at the sports stars. Hank Aaron hit 755 home runs inhis career. That record stood for a long time. He also struck out a number oftimes too. Nobody but the statisticians remember how many strikeouts he had.But the more you swing the bat, the more chances you have to win.

Second, failure is an option. We’re not perfect. We can getpretty good at some things though. But there can be a time when someone does itbetter. There can be days when you wish for sun and get nothing but rain.

But you may as well aim high.

Third, don’t define yourself by your successes or failures.

If you find your worth in your performance, you have a hardroad to travel. There is a difference in aiming high and performing well often.Maybe you can. But sometimes that tough customer will say no as long as you cangive him reasons not to. Will you let that rejection ruin not only your day butalso your whole life? Look at the whole rather than the parts to get a morerealistic picture of yourself.

Failure doesn’t have to break you. It’s part of life so whynot make a learning experience of it? What could you have done better, ifanything? Resolve to make a better effort next time. Don’t let a failure or aseries of them to create a mindset where you set yourself up to fail.

So it’s okay to fail sometimes.

Just don’t make it a lifestyle.

The Grapes Get Squashed

2011-09-20T16:17:00.000-07:00

Revelation 14 comes to a close with another angel carrying asickle. This time the harvest is grapes.

Commentators have wondered whether there are two judgmentshere. I won’t speculate on that but rather probe another thought.

Death is a judgment.

We are all born with human flesh that doesn’t last forever.There is a time limit, as though your birth certificate has an expiration date.Along the way, we have good days and bad days. We have health and sickness. Ourbodies, once youthful, get ravaged by the passage of time.

The wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23). In general, thismeans since sin entered the world we’re all going to face the end of our liveshere one day. It may be more specifically that some particular sin leads toyour death, but it’s not always that clear. What is clear is that no one liveshere forever. Even Enoch and Elijah, though they didn’t physically die, didleave this earth. So as payment for being sinful, we receive a death notice.

Sometimes the wicked die a violent death. It’s easy to pointto high profile evildoers and say they really deserve such an end. When SaddamHussein died, Americans rejoiced. When Osama bin Laden was killed, many of usbreathed a sigh of relief. Justice like that confirms there is a God who willpunish evil.

Here’s the trick. We have to wait for it. We don’t alwaysget to see that wretch who ought to be hung for what he did get hiscomeuppance. Maybe he even got away with it…again. It’s easy to feel angry anddisillusioned when it happens, especially when it happens to you or someone youlove.

But wait. God will judge. He will right everything that iswrong.

This winepress creates a lot of blood. The winepress isGod’s wrath fully unleashed. The blood that is shed is 200 Italian miles orabout as long as the nation of Israel. If you were on a horse the blood riverwould reach the bridle.

This judgment is serious. It’s especially severe because itis mentioned twice in the same chapter with increasing intensity.

So we should take careful notice.

For the believer, this blood river is a picture of whatJesus went through for you. If that doesn’t make you fall down and worship Him,what will?

Jesus Calls In the Debt

2011-09-19T14:01:00.001-07:00

The thing that is most fearful about taking a loan is thatunder certain conditions the bank can call in the balance that is due. Whatmakes this scary is that it can happen at a time when you’re least prepared tohandle it.

Jesus is like a banker in this way. We’re all given a lifehere on this earth. We can live it as we choose and we do. You can go aroundand blame someone else for the choices you’ve made, but ultimately, regardlessof what happens, you make those choices.

You see life is a network of decisions.

There’s no doubt that both nature and nurture influence thedecisions you make. You are born with a sin nature. So you will by choice, sin.Maybe you call these mistakes. It doesn’t matter. We live in a fallen world withfallen natures. So it goes.

The influence of nurture works this way. You grew up withpeople. They loved you. But they are sinners too. They’ll do some good thingsbut they’ll also do some things that will mess you up. The decisions you makein response to what others do to you or have done are a reaction to thoseevents. Again, whether it is conscious or not, you make the choice.

You have to do a bit of digging to get to the why so you canmake new decisions. And ultimately you have to deal with Jesus to get a handleon winning over sinful habits.

Since we all make decisions that result in sinful behavior,we are responsible to God. He made the laws of the universe we live in. He madeus too. He was here before we were and will be here long after we’re gone. AndHe being all-powerful and perfect has the right to define what is sin and whatisn’t.

He also has the right to call in the debt.

This is the meaning of the imagery in Revelation 14:14-16.King Jesus gets out His sickle and harvests the earth. The sickle is the bladeof judgment that cuts off those sinners who have reached their limit. Jesuscuts off any chance to add to the debt.

Notice there is no sifting here, just harvesting.

If you have trusted Jesus’ redemption for you, you’ve alreadybeen harvested. If you haven’t, there’s still time.

Rest is Ahead

2011-09-18T04:50:00.000-07:00

There is a place for the Christian where he will find therest he longs for so deeply.

But we’re not there yet.

I don’t want to be negative today. I’ve already told youthat the world isn’t perfect. In fact, that didn’t surprise you at all. Ifyou’re old enough to read, you’ve known heartache and trouble.

So what is about Heaven that can make life now easier tobear?

First, we know the shackles of this life are temporary.

Do you struggle with the same temptation again and again? Ifyou do, take heart. Paul had a thorn in the flesh. We don’t know what it wasbut it could well have been a recurring temptation he struggled with. He wentto great length in Romans 7:7-24 to tell us about how he wanted to obey God inhis heart but he found that often he did the exact opposite.

What about people who make you angry? Are some of thosepeople the ones you go to church with? Ah, that makes this struggle to love allthe harder.

Let’s just pray they find more joy in their Savior whilethey’re here!

When death takes a loved one, isn’t your sadness almostimpossible to bear? Paul Tripp said we should be sad when that happens becauseas Christians we know the ravages that sin has brought to this world. It keepspeople blind to their need for Jesus and even takes away their lives in thatcondition. That’s tragic. Sin gives people cancer. Sin brings car accidents,floods, hurricanes, and every other evil thing you can imagine.

One note here on the previous paragraph. Just because youget cancer or have a car wreck doesn’t mean there is a direct correlationbetween the tragedy and your sin. But it might. Chances are, if you know God,you’ll know. Either way, if you’re His, He’s not mad at you.

When we get Home sin can hurt us anymore.

Second, none of the things we’ve mentioned will take awayyour citizenship in Heaven. Once God adopts you, He doesn’t change His mind ifyou’re bad one day. No amount of bad circumstances will cancel your citizenshipeither.

Here’s a way to find Heaven’s rest now. Begin to understandhow deeply, completely, and unconditionally God loves you.

Then you will rest easy on your way Home.

Be Patient, It Will Get Better

2011-09-17T15:17:00.000-07:00

You don’t have to be a genius to know that we don’t live ina perfect world.

Jesus tells His disciples that all sorts of bad things willhappen to them since they are His followers. They’ll be kicked out of thechurch, or at least that church which is the church of God in name only. Thepeople who hate them will think they’re doing God a favor when they kill thedisciples of Christ.

You know, just because you don’t like the Messiah God sentdoesn’t mean He’s not the Messiah that God sent.

In John 16:33, Jesus tells them that while there will betrouble in this world for the Christian, there’s no need to fear. Why? Jesusovercame the world. He removed every barrier between the believer and God. Allthe failures of the saints are wiped away. All the abuses done to them or bythem are forgotten. Though we’re weak and battered by life, Christ is strong.Therefore, we have great power to deal with the vicissitudes of life.

In Revelation 14:12, there is a call for the patientendurance of the saints. We saw how they were persecuted. Now we see thepersecutors are punished and the faithful are ushered into heaven and permanentfreedom.

When life seems unbearable, remember this. God loves you.He’s spent all His anger on Jesus instead of you. We live in a fallen worlduntil we get Home. We have to deal with that, like it or not. But we don’t haveto deal with it alone. Jesus stands with us, giving us power to transcend theintimidating influence of adverse circumstances.

Now this doesn’t mean you’ll never mourn for loss. Of courseyou will if you’re human. Tell it to Jesus. He was a “man of sorrows” and wellacquainted with grief. If you need proof of that, read His conversations withthe church leaders of His day. See him weep with Lazarus’ family after hisdeath. See His excruciating pain as He poured Himself out on the cross.

And see that His death and resurrection for you allows youto go on with life, no matter what happens. God knows. He won’t waste pain onyou. He’ll do whatever it takes to make you more like Jesus, your Brother.

God’s love will bring you Home. Lean hard on Him.

If You Want Friends, Do This

2011-09-16T19:07:00.001-07:00

We can all learn a lot from dogs.

If you have a dog, you know what I’m talking about. When Igo out to feed my dog, he is like a relative welcoming a soldier back from war.He jumps on me and slobbers and wants me to know I’m the most awesome sighthe’s ever seen.

Or maybe he’s just really hungry.

When you apply this to the world of work, you have torealize that nothing big gets accomplished without the help of a team. For asale to be made, someone has to buy the product. Before that, someone has topurchase it from a wholesaler. The wholesaler has to get it from amanufacturer. An agent has to go between these parties to make thosetransactions happen. Then there is the preparation products go through frompackaging to delivery. Every part of the process is vital and important. If youregularly acknowledge the good work of your associates, they’ll be on boardwith you through thick and thin.

If you want a friend, keep confidence. If he tells yousomething, don’t take it upon yourself to become a reporter to the world aroundyou. Let him or her do that. We’ve all worked with someone who thinks he or sheis a gossip columnist. “If you tell Ted, you tell the world.” And when theworld finds out, by the time it gets back to you it can sound wholly differentthan your account.

When someone comesto you in confidence, remember that if you were a professional, you’d berequired by law and by oath to keep secrets. Now there is one exception. If thesecret is about a criminal act, a breach of security, or some other seriousviolation, you’re bound by honor to tell the proper authorities. Discretion isthe word to guide you here. You have to know what’s important in yourorganization. What is non-negotiable and what isn’t?

Always take the high road. No one wants a knife in his back.If you can’t tell someone what you think about him or her, don’t tell others.

If you are prone to talk to others about people, always sayfavorable things.

Do these things regularly and you’ll have all the loyaltyyou could ever want. No amount of money can buy that, can it?

God is Jealous for His People

2011-09-16T17:57:00.000-07:00

The third angel in Revelation 14 has disturbing news. Thosewho worship the condemned beast and take his mark will get an unending showerof burning sulfur.

And what’s worse is there will be an audience.

God has every right to be jealous for His people’sallegiance. The folks in the fire simply don’t belong to God. Oh, they got whatthey wanted. They didn’t want God. In fact, none of us do. When we say thatsalvation is of the Lord, it is all from Him. The Bible says we’re deadspiritually before coming to Christ (Ephesians 2:1). We’re as dead as corpsesrotting in a casket. Can a dead man make any choices? Of course not. Jesus has to come and give us spiritual lifeand faith so we can embrace the offer of the Gospel to save us (Ephesians 2:4-5).

Ephesians 2:8-9 goes deeper. God offers salvation to us. Heisn’t offering a life raft to a drowning man. He’s offering the breath of lifeto a dead man. That is why salvation is “not of works, lest any man shouldboast.”

But if you’re going to boast, boast in Jesus (1 Corinthians 1:31).

God has every right to punish those who reject His graciousoffer of salvation. But why then, would anyone turn down such a gift?

It’s because when we are spiritually dead, we’re blind. Wedon’t see the train wreck ahead. We don’t think we’ve offended the God of theuniverse. If we have, well, since God is love, He’ll look at my good and badand let me in. It’s cool, right?

Isaiah 64:6 informs us that all of us have sinned andour righteousness is like filthy rags. Can you clean anything with a filthyrag? Would you wear filthy rags to a wedding or a job interview? What if thatwas all you had? You’d need someone to give you something clean to wear to haveany hope in those situations. That’s where Jesus’ righteousness comes in. Weget to wear it and approach God as pure as Jesus Himself. Otherwise, we’d beshunned like a noisy drunk at a piano recital.

God is just in punishing unbelievers. We all have a chanceto repent and turn to Him for forgiveness. Some don’t. Those God calls do.

He’s God. He can save you. Follow Him.

Babylon Falls

2011-09-15T13:28:00.000-07:00

Babylon was once a great city. Today it is a pile of rubble.

There is a lot of history associated with this city. I won’tcover it all here. One interesting fact stands out in relation to Revelation 14:8 which proclaims the fall of Babylon.

One historian said that Nimrod of Old Testament history wasthe founder of Babel (Babylon). He was a mighty man of old, strong, and chasingafter big exploits. He built a big city that didn’t honor God.

The people of Babylon thought that they could outsmart God.Let’s build a temple to the heavens, they told themselves. They wanted to getcloser to God. The problem was they chose the wrong way.

What they really wanted was to concentrate power over thepeople by keeping them together. Everyone spoke the same language then so itwas easy to influence them. So long as they stuck together, their power wasintact.

We see concentrations of power like this now in big cities.Skyscrapers line the landscape where control of money is centered. Workers whoproduce nothing but ideas occupy these buildings. It’s similar to the idea thatif a ruling power can exercise enough control over its subjects, then all willbe well with the world.

God doesn’t like that idea.

If you’ve read the account of the Tower of Babel, you knowhow it turned out. The source of power the rulers had, language, was taken awayin an instant. Strong men who thought they could rule the world found out whothe True Ruler is.

God is in control. Satan has been given freedom to roam theearth but he must do so within the bounds God gives him. Powerful intimidatorsin your life and in the lives of others are subject to God’s authority too.

Jesus didn’t die so you could stay bound. If Jesus the Sonof God sets you free, you are free indeed (John 8:36). That means you are freefrom the intimidation of powerful influencers. You have the ability and theright to think for yourself. God lays convictions in your heart to free you toact. If you find yourself motivated by others and by guilt, you’re in prison.

Dictators, beware. There is a heavy price to pay forstealing people’s freedom.

Slaves, take heart. Your freedom is at hand.

Christian, your chains are gone.

The Power of the Gospel

2011-09-13T13:11:00.000-07:00

Here in Revelation 14 is the cure for what ails all ofhumanity.

In verse 6 and 7, an angel is commissioned to carry the bestnews any man ever heard. This news can rescue him from what binds him. Thisnews can break the shackles that surround his heart and pulverize them so thatthey cannot bind him again. This news directs a person’s gaze to the One andOnly object of worship that can ever satisfy the deepest longings of his heart.

This news is the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Notice however that when Jesus was here, He didn’tcommission angels to carry the Gospel to the ends of the earth. He gave it toHis people to spread and to share. He wraps eternal truth in human vessels sothat it might come alive to those whom God is calling to be part of His family.What a privilege! What a gift of grace!

Are you struggling with the same sin over and over,Believer? Take it to the cross. Apply the Gospel medicine to your heart and befree. Your debts to God are paid in full. Your sins no longer define you; God’slove does. Claim that promise and see how Jesus changes the allegiance of yourheart from chasing after your lusts to taking utmost delight in Him.

Feeling guilty and don’t know why? It’s the accuser, yourenemy, who has come to make your heart doubt your salvation. Don’t. What Christcame to save, and decides to save, remains so forever. Nothing can change that.No amount of guilt. No amount of failure. And no amount of obedience can changethat either.

So, don’t try so hard. God loves you anyway.

The Gospel dispels your idols.

Your heart wanders daily. Mine does too. We fix our minds onthe latest idea or fantasy. We spend time cherishing it. Eventually our heartswill build an altar to that person, idea, or thing. You might not see it likeyou would a totem pole. You think to yourself, “I’d never do that.” Ever go toa concert or a football game, hear a dynamic speaker or watch a greattelevision show? You did it because youwere made to worship.

Let the Gospel guide you. Then you’ll never have to questionyour allegiance or struggle to find your deepest joy.

What I Learned From 9/11

2011-09-12T13:15:00.001-07:00

One Tuesday morning in 2001 I was driving to work just likeI usually did. I had the radio tuned to a music station.

But this morning there wasn’t any music.

It was really weird. The deejay was talking about a planethat had hit the World Trade Center building.

First of all, for a music station to broadcast news aboutanything that isn’t celebrity or band related is pretty unusual. No Presidenthad died. No celebrity had passed away. But a few thousand ordinary people whojust went to work did die and committed no crime other than being in the wrongplace at the wrong time.

I bought a cheap television that day. It was black and whiteI think. Of course, you can’t get one of those now. I didn’t have a cell phoneeither. But you know, even on that puny black and white screen with a picturefed by rabbit ear antennae, the image was one I just couldn’t turn away from.The streaming black smoke, the hysteria on the street, the disbelief of thecommentators, just made the whole thing seem surreal.

It was real, however.

My heart ached for all the people who had to wait for daysto find out the inevitable truth that their loved one was dead. I was aghast atthe amount of rubble that building created. I was amazed that a plane could becomea bomb in evil hands.

Then it hit me.

The once seemingly invincible America had foreign terroristsattack us on our own soil.

I used to think that could never happen because it didn’t.

I then realized it not only could happen, it did.

People flocked to church for answers. That’s good. But itseems the church blew an opportunity to tell people how great God is.

So I will here.

God wasn’t surprised by this. He knew it would happen. Now Idon’t know the reasons. But I do know He uses all things for good and this wassurely a call to many to come to Jesus. But it was also a call to those of uswho know Him to open our mouths, move our legs, and serve our hurting neighborswith the love of Christ.

The Gospel really is good news in the darkest of times.Believe that and nothing can rock your foundation.

Nothing.

Here’s the Real Lamb

2011-09-12T12:48:00.001-07:00

A couple chapters ago we saw a lamb in Revelation. But itwas a counterfeit for the real thing.

The real lamb is revealed in Revelation 14.

He’s on Mt. Zion, which is the church. If you think you’llfind Jesus somewhere else, you’d be wrong. He is always with His people.Granted, He’s everywhere but He identifies Himself with His bride.

These saints are numbered at 144,000. Now this number has tobe figurative because there have been many people redeemed by the blood ofChrist throughout all of history since the fall of man. I don’t know how manythere really are and neither do you. But God knows, and every one of them arecounted, cherished, and loved. Not one slips through any cracks because withGod there are no cracks.

We also see they are virgins unspoiled by associating withwomen. Again, this is figurative. God has saved some really messed up peoplewho still do some messed up things even after God adopts them. There are peoplein your church who struggle with sex addiction, alcoholism, materialism, envy,and a host of other sins.

God isn’t finished with them yet.

When we all get to Heaven, it really will be a day ofrejoicing. Why? That’s when all our besetting sins will fall off like scales.God tells us while we’re still alive that we’re forgiven and all our sins areforgotten (Hebrews 8:12). There’s no condemnation for those who are in ChristJesus (Romans 8:1).

Then we’ll be as free as Jesus promised.

The secret, which shouldn’t be one, is that we have alreadybeen set free from sin’s grip now. If we realized that, we’d live with a lotmore power.

So then, we’re also free to be honest with God and otherssince we’ve got no reputation to protect anymore. The sleeping dogs can’t harmus.

When we wear the righteousness of Christ, we truly arevirgins in God’s sight. We won’t follow other gods or mix the truth with liesif we understand how much we’re loved. This is what the passage is getting at.Think of this. If you just got married to the dream spouse, would you darethink of cheating on them? Would you even for a moment think of building a lifethat doesn’t take your love into consideration?

Take that to heart.

Honoring Gloria

2011-09-11T14:43:00.001-07:00

Today I attended the funeral of a long-time family friend.

It has been years since I’ve seen Gloria. I haven’t seen herfamily for a long time either but we’re friends on Facebook. Without thatsocial connection, I wouldn’t have known about Gloria’s funeral today.

The service, the songs, the words that were spoken, andseeing familiar faces made the years melt away.

Gloria always smiled. I remember this. Now I don’t know if Iremember the laughter but that doesn’t surprise me. I’m encouraged to know shehad a great sense of humor. One of the speakers today said she struggled withself-image but if she could laugh at herself even while facing death, I thinkJesus must have fixed that problem. And if she could laugh with her friends inall of life’s situations, then she knew the limitless grace of God better thanmany of us do day to day.

It was said she was hard on her kids. She had high standardsfor them and didn’t ease up. She fervently believed the kids could live up tothem. She saw them as excellent through the eyes of love.

I know she had many friends. It was evident today when theroom was full of some 300 to 400 people. I don’t think I was the only one therewho knew her years ago. I’m sure those present thought nothing of setting asidea Sunday afternoon to honor her life. She earned that by being a great friend.

Even in death she taught us how to show love by the examplesof it in her own life that we heard today. She gave unselfishly to meet needsin the lives of her own family and in the lives of those she called herfriends. Even strangers benefited from her charity. Truly the love of Godradiated through her as she touched everyone around her.

Nobody likes to lose a loved one, especially someone closeto him or her. I’m sure her family aches today at the thought that she won’taround for holidays, birthdays, and other family gatherings. There will be sometime before they’re all reunited in heaven and that hurts. But the pleasure offond memories and the hope of salvation in Christ will help ease the pain astime passes.

Gloria was truly a gift from God to those she loved.

Right Wrongs

2011-09-09T13:08:00.000-07:00

I’m a perfectionist. That means I hate it when I’m wrong.

We don’t live in a perfect world. The law of averages tellsus that at least half the time we’re right, so we should take risks.

The flip side is that the other half of the time we’rewrong.

We don’t live in a perfect world. I’ve found myself sayingthat time and time again, because it’s true. If you’re a perfectionist, youstruggle with that. So what do you do when the inevitable bad decision comes?

You might be tempted to berate yourself. “I’m always aklutz.” “No matter what I do, it turns to crap.” If you find yourself sayingthat very often, you need to do a checkup.

Perhaps there is someone you admire who seems to have aMidas touch. Don’t be fooled though. Even the most successful people have theirmoments of grief. Look into the world of sports. Michael Jordan may have hit alot of shots at the basket; but trust me, he missed his share too. In fact, heprobably missed more than the average player who takes a half-hearted shot.Babe Ruth struck out more than the average player.

Of course, no one remembers the star’s failures.

If you breathe air, you will blow it.

Dale Carnegie has a great principle to deal with mistakes. Whenyou are wrong, admit it quickly and emphatically.

When you promise a customer delivery by a certain time andit doesn’t happen like you planned, own the fault. Go to the customer and admitit before she has a chance to call you if you can. You’ll have a wonderfulopportunity to make things right before too much time passes and resentment hasa chance to build.

I can’t promise you that everyone will take your apologywell. But chances are, they will at least appreciate your sincerity and yourdesire to make things right. Deep down everyone knows they’re capable ofgrievous errors too. Covering up is just a way of avoiding confrontation. Theproblem is that you may face their wrath anyway. So why not take the bull bythe horns and be proactive about it?

At least your conscience will be at ease in the knowledgethat you made your best effort.

You’ll probably develop a deeper loyalty from that customerthan being perfect could ever gain you.

Jesus and Grief

2011-09-09T12:07:00.001-07:00

It’s been a hard week for many of my friends. One saidgoodbye to her dear mother after some serious health problems. Others havebattled health issues that have caused them serious concern.

It’s encouraging for me as a believer in Christ to know thatthey’re looking to God for answers. I don’t have day-to-day contact with themso Facebook has been a source of information for prayer for me.

We don’t live in a perfect world. We aren’t guaranteed ournext breath, much less a long life. What we enjoy is a gift of grace from agenerous God who loves us without limit.

When grief hits us, we can feel overwhelmed. We might feellife is totally out of control. While it’s easy to quote Scripture and piousplatitudes to our friends, we know deep down that we’re really hurting. It’sokay to be honest about it. Sometimes life just sucks.

We’re wired to hope for the best. Without hope life is hardto carry on. But there are times when the pain is so great the temptation tojust give up is irresistible. I know. I’ve had some really dark times in mylife when I’ve questioned God about what He’s doing.

The important thing to remember here is that it’s okay tohave doubts. It’s part of being human and not knowing everything. God doesn’tmind hearing your complaints. He loves you and He really wants to hear fromyou. When pain comes and stands between you and God it can kill your joy. Andtrust me, not talking to God is the worst decision you can make when life handsyou lemons.

It’s when pain comes that you can grow the most. The slogan“no pain, no gain” has a lot of truth to it. Jesus was no stranger to pain. Hesuffered tremendously for our sin and died an excruciating death to free usfrom sin’s grip. He did it because He loves you that much.

So if you feel alone in your pain, take heart. Jesus hasbeen there, done that, and got the tee shirt. It’s no platitude that there isno wasted pain with God. You may not see that now, but trust that soon, youwill.

Pain doesn’t mean Jesus has left you. You may experience Himas you never would otherwise.

You think about that.

And Now The Second Beast

2011-09-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

If one beast wasn’t scary enough for you, there’s anotherone in Revelation 13:11-18.

This beast is like a salesman for the first beast. Its jobis to convince people to give their worship and adoration to the first beast.

Let’s add a bit of big picture context here.

In the days of the Protestant Reformation, the first beastwould have been the Roman Catholic Church. The second beast then would be thepopery. So then the organization, or the institution is the larger or first beast.The second is the leadership that runs the institution.

There are plenty of modern day examples of hereticalorganizations and individuals leading them that we could list here. Youprobably have heard of many of them. But I’ll leave the naming to others whospend more time on that than I will.

What underlies this movement is the operating strategy ofSatan in our own lives day to day. He’ll use up to 99% of truth to float onelie that will undo you. He’s disguised as an angel of light. If he just hit youwith the lie to start with, you’d easily dismiss him as a lunatic.

Here’s an example. I think as Christians we should all bethe biggest optimists in the world. But modern psychology has crept intosermons. When modern psychology replaces the Gospel, we have done as the blindin Romans 1. We’ve traded the truth for a lie.

God doesn’t judge on intentions. He looks at your heart.Your heart is where your actions originate. You can lie to yourself and evenlie to your friends but it won’t hold up in the end. When the empty promisesand precepts come crashing down, the truth will stare you in the face. Then youcan deal with it or run to another lie.

Pray for those who preach. It’s tempting for them to bethought well of and liked. They are humans after all. They’re no different thanyou and I are. They’re subject to error and temptation. There’s a chancethey’ll be wrong half the time. So pray for them. Pray God shields their heartsfrom embracing lies, no matter how beautiful and appealing they are.

Pray that your pastor finds his acceptance in Jesus. Findyours there too. Then you’ll be free from the prisons life would trap you in.

The Cost of Covering Up

2011-09-07T16:44:00.000-07:00

If you lived back in the 1980s and paid any attention topolitics you heard President Reagan say relations with the USSR, “Trust, butverify.”

When you’re looking for a job, you’ll find that employerswant to verify what you say is true. They’ll check with your past employers tosee if you really worked there. They’ll look at your transcripts to see whatkind of student you were. They’ll do a drug test to see if you really are asclean as you say. They may even do a credit check if you’re going to handletheir money to assuage their concerns that you might run away with it. They’llcheck your criminal history while they’re at it to see if you have character orjust are one.

These things can add credibility to your claims or disqualify you by exposingyou as a habitual liar.

Hiding the big things like these that are on record isgetting harder. But what about the more subtle things? If someone were to do acharacter interview on you with your friends, would they have the same pictureof you that you gave to your interviewer?

Covering up is hard work. It can be a full-time job moretime consuming than a real job. Being open can be risky though. Someone may notbe pleased with the fact that sometimes you blow it. Let’s face it; up to halfthe time on your best days, you’re probably wrong.

Life is easier when you’re open about it.

Jim Bakker built a huge religious empire back in theseventies and eighties. But he let power go to his head. He wasn’t accountableto trusted friends who could have told him that his ideas were crazy. Then whenthe train fell off the tracks, the empire folded, donations dried up, thepapers carried the story day after day, his wife left him, and he ended up injail.

As bad as that was, Jim Bakker is now free in many ways.He’s no longer in prison. Now he can go places he couldn’t before and saythings he couldn’t. He’s got nothing left to lose.

Being transparent is admitting that you’re human. You’re notperfect so don’t lie about it. Be open. Let the ashes fall where they will.

Then what others see is what they’ll believe about you.

The Beast’s Freedom

2011-09-07T16:41:00.000-07:00

When you think that no one can stop you no matter what youdo, you become daring…and dangerous.

The Beast in Revelation 13:4-10 is unrestrained. He commandsworship from his subjects. He’s been given influence in every corner of the world.He seems to have unparalleled success in whatever he does.

If he were a colleague, you’d hate his guts – or be insanelyjealous.

This beast is powerful. In fact, the world is hisplayground. But is he just one person or does he represent a truth we all haveto face every day of our lives?

The beast represents all of us apart from God. Romans 3:23declares “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

There’s nobody in the history of the earth that has beenborn without sin, except Jesus.

So we grapple with sin, and we have to accept that one dayour sin will be judged. Romans 6:23 tells us the payment is death. That’spretty steep. But it goes on to say there’s a way to live forever through thegrace of Jesus Christ.

Grace. That is an awesome word. It’s a gift of God tosinners and pagans.

Let me explain.

When we observe the beast in this passage, he is allowed tocurse and blaspheme God without any hint of guilt for a time. But like thesands in an hourglass, one day the last one will fall and all will be called toaccount. But while the sands are flowing and everything’s great, the sinnerdoesn’t care about the debt.

That’s grace.

When God calls His children, He has to bring them to thepoint where the need for grace is wholly different. First, they had the graceto sin and not feel guilty. But God brings guilt into the life of someone sothat his or her heart is prepared to believe. We have to feel the guilt to knowthere is a price for sin. We have to feel the guilt to cry out to God to rescueus from it.

The Christian life is not easy. Sometimes it’s painful.Other times you can be shunned because of what you believe. You might even diefor trusting Jesus. But in all that, there is a joy that defies explanationoutside knowing Jesus and seeing what the eternity has in store for you.

If Enough People Believe …

2011-09-05T09:55:00.000-07:00

Revelation 13:1-10 illustrates some important lifeprinciples.

First, the imageryof the beast receiving a mortal head wound is a general principle that revealsthe life cycle of ideas throughout history. Consider this for example. Does thetown you grew up in look the same now as it did back when you were a child? Mytown doesn’t. The main street in front of my neighborhood in 1972 had a fastfood restaurant and a shopping center on one end and a convenience store on theother. Between them was a row of ranch houses. Today there are no houses onthat road. They’ve been replaced with another shopping center that spans thedistance between the restaurant and the convenience store.

People change asthey grow older. Generations can bring change as well. What once was common andaccepted gets rejected as societal needs change. In my church experience, themusic has changed, at least in its presentation. There’s no organ and nohymnbook. But, thankfully, the songs we choose are theologically rich and heavyin the theme of God’s grace. That is an example of the same truth in a newdress, which is like the head wound being healed. There may be some stumblingblocks in the path from A to B, but the end is the same as the beginning.

The force thatcarries any idea along is what the general population thinks of it. Morespecifically, what matters is what those who practice that idea think of it.The congregation determines the worship style in a church. Now they will haveleaders among them who make the specific decisions, but if they are unpopularthen worship doesn’t happen the way it is intended.

In some cases,unfortunately, whether the accepted idea is true doesn’t matter. The fact thatthe population agrees and practices an idea can make it as good as true.

Another principleis that the God of this universe governs every practice under the sun. If thepractitioners are His children, He will lead them to the truth by whatevermeans is necessary. If they aren’t, He may leave them to their own devices. Inany case, God allows us to choose according to our own wills.

If evil prevails,be sure that it won’t forever. Pray hard, seek God’s truth, and persevere untilHe finishes His work here.

It’s Worse Than the Loch Ness Monster

2011-09-04T16:23:00.000-07:00

Back in my youth there was a bit of hubbub about the LochNess Monster. Legend had it that it would come ashore, turn into a horse andpick up a tired traveler. Then it would take him back to the lake and devourhim.

People claimed to have seen it and even photographed it, butno one could really prove it existed.

But it still scared the crap out of lots of people throughthe years.

The Monster John sees in Revelation 13:1 is quite grotesque.It has ten horns and seven heads. The horns had diadems on them. On the headswere ungodly names.

Not the kind of creature you’d like to meet in a dark alley.But these days you might see him at Wal-Mart.

The beast rose out of the sea. If you turn the page toRevelation 12, a sea of water came from the dragon’s mouth as he tries to drownthe woman. The woman could be Mary in the small sense, or the Church throughthe ages in the larger sense. In either case, the dragon is out to get God’speople.

The seven horns and ten heads are symbols of the fact thatthrough time leaders rise and fall. They begin and they retire. The devil hashis folks in leadership along with God’s people who are there.

The beast has seven heads because these rulers owe theirallegiance to the dragon. Just as your head is attached to your body and cannotsurvive apart from it, these kings gain their power and influence from theprince of this world.

The parallel for the people of God is that they too derivetheir power from their King.

The difference between the two kingdoms is that God’spurpose for His subjects is for their good and their joy. The dragon’s aim isto use these people to further his own agenda, bait them with temporalsatisfaction, and then destroy them.

Sounds about as enticing as being enlisted as a Kamikazepilot.

But even the suicide pilot loves his country.

Here’s the intriguing connection. Suicide pilots were usedas a last resort in Japan in retaliation for massively devastating Alliedattacks. Satan as king of his forces uses the same tactics in the end.

Whichever side you’re on, your allegiance to your king willguide your steps.

Satan’s Purpose

2011-09-02T18:40:00.000-07:00

In Revelation 12:13-17, we get a view of Satan’s missionafter he realizes God has tossed him out of heaven.

First, he goes after Mary. If he can kill Jesus before God’stime, then the spread of Christianity will not happen. Jesus would not live thelife He came to live, a life that is offered to sinners everywhere to clothethem in His righteousness.

God saw to it that Satan’s plan failed.

The devil didn’t give up there. He felt that he would goafter the seed of the woman, the spiritual descendants of Christ. He movedcruel governments like the Romans to persecute and kill Jews. More recently wesaw the evil dictator Adolph Hitler commit the mass murder of Jews in Germanyto cleanse his country of them.

Christians have always been persecuted. It’s a challenge tostand for Christ. It is not always without cost. But there is a freedom inknowing Christ that can be found nowhere else.

Today we live to get personal peace. We think we can find itin affluence. But money and possessions cannot satisfy our souls. Money getsspent. It can provide things that can bring happiness but cannot provide truejoy. Possessions wear out, get stolen, and break. Money, things, and evenpeople can become idols that compete with Christ for supremacy in our hearts.Why? We’re born to worship. We spend our lives looking for something to hangour hopes on. When we think we’ve found it, we rest.

In America, cruel authorities don’t persecute today’schurch. But we do suffer from a lot of wrong thinking about things. We distortthe Gospel because we’re flawed. We can worship doctrine if we’reintellectually bent. We can worship the act of worship if that’s where we findour joy. We emphasize the form over God. It is this that leads to anineffective church that runs from Christ to the lie of feel-good theology andperceived security.

The devil’s work here is to mess up our minds so we don’tsee Christ as our all-in-all.

The remedy? Put Jesus first. It’s Jesus that gives us thetruth that sets us free. We fight the devil by opening our Bibles and lettingit teach us rather than framing our view of it with our own agenda.

It’s not an easy work, but it is the most beneficial.

How the Trouble Started

2011-09-01T12:39:00.000-07:00

Life is hard. There’s no doubt about it.

If you woke up this morning, there’s at least half a chancesomething could go wrong in your life. It can come from your own ignorance. Itcan come at you from someone you love. Maybe a stranger will cut you off intraffic and ruin your morning.

The funny thing is that the stranger will go on blissfullyunaware of his heinous crime.

And believe it or not, someone at church could mess up yourday by being petty.

The scene in Revelation 12:7-11 could be familiar to you. Ifit isn’t, here’s the Reader’s Digest version. Satan used to be a prince ofangels in heaven. Well, he let the power go to his head. He didn’t want tosubmit to God; he wanted to be right up there with Him. God wouldn’t have that,so He hurled Satan and his supporters down to earth to make havoc and plant sinfulsuggestions in all our heads.

Satan is still in the accusing business. Look at the firstchapter of Job. The only reason he goes to the presence of God is to tell badstories about us.

Do you know anyone like that?

I remember the parable Jesus told of the two men praying.

The first man, a Pharisee, strutted up to the throne of Godand declared, “God, I sure am glad I’m not like that tax collector over there.Look at me. I pray five times a day. I read the Bible. I go to church. I givemy offering without fail. And what does that guy do? Sin, sin, sin. I keep therules. God, you ought to be glad to have me.”

The tax collector beat his chest before God and pleaded, “God,have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Matthew Henry made a useful observation in his commentary onthis passage. We should try not to give the devil anything to run and tell Godabout. Rather, we should go to God ourselves and admit we’ve sinned and donewrong. It will happen. And it’s okay. Jesus was already condemned foreverything the devil can come with on our behalf. So, go ahead. Tell Godeverything. He knows anyway, and He still loves you.

You’re free and forgiven, child of God, no matter what anyonesays. Remember that next time guilt comes.

The Woman and the Dragon

2011-08-30T14:08:00.000-07:00

One Christmas season back in the early nineties I heard a sermon from Revelation 12.

That might sound weird to you. I admit, at the time, I was younger in the faith. It seemed a weird text for Christmas.

But if you think about it, it makes perfect sense.

When Jesus was born, people from all walks of life came to see it. There were shepherds who represented the common everyday folks most of us are. Then the kings came, probably when Jesus was older. They were an illustration that no matter what your status in this life, we all are sinners in need of God’s grace.

But Satan was watching too.

Satan has been at odds with God since before history began. The second half of Revelation 12 describes that. Satan knew whom Jesus was and what He was sent to do. His mission throughout Jesus’ life was to thwart God’s plan.

Before Jesus was two, Satan used Herod to commit a mass infanticide in Israel. He appealed to Herod’s jealousy. The kings who came to visit let Herod know of this new King born in Bethlehem. Well, Herod didn’t want competition. So to eliminate any chance of this king growing up, Herod figured that killing all the boys under the age of two should take care of Him (Matthew 2).

But Herod didn’t count on God intervening.

Then, after a short time, Herod himself died.

In previous chapters, persecutors tried to stamp out the Gospel by killing Christians. But God keeps a few around that survive so the message continues. Today we have many versions of Scripture in hundreds of languages for anyone to read who can. Even His most powerful enemies, like Satan and Herod, won’t thwart God’s plans.

This truth should give you great hope if you’re a believer, a member of God’s family. We’ve got the greatest news in the world to share and a God who can change radically the nature of the ones we share it with. Now it may not happen while we’re there, but it could. Sometimes God uses those seeds of Gospel transformation to change someone slowly. The big picture view is that God works in lifetimes, not just in short bursts.

So take courage. God is mighty to save. So keep on praying and sharing and trust God.

That’s the power of the Gospel.

Genuine Respect Looks Like This

2011-08-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

No doubt you know what flattery is. The dictionary defines it as “Compliment or speech; excessive, insincere praise.” The sales clerk at the clothing store may use that to sell you items the store is looking to unload. If the salesperson is on commission there is more pressure to conform to what the company thinks is right for you over what you really want or is good for you.

Let’s face it. Businesses exist to make profits. If they don’t, they cease to exist. They can’t function as welfare systems and survive. But they also thrive at the will of the customer. If he or she doesn’t like what you’re offering, then there won’t be a sale. Flattery may create some sales in the short run, but eventually phoniness catches up with you.

Think about your friendships. If your friends only want you to do what they choose and you don’t care for it, you’ll find other friends to hang out with. Your social time is yours and is precious. You don’t want to waste it.

If you want to build relationships, be sincere. Showing respect is different from flattery because it is honest. Respect is defined as “esteem for or a sense of the worth or excellence of a person.” Everyone has something they’re good at. We’re all created in the image of God. If you can recognize that, you’ll have loyal friends.

Sometimes showing respect in business requires customization. Your customers have some things in common but they have individual needs as well. If you can cater to those, you can have an edge. If you can’t, then you risk losing a sale. If their demands are impossible, find a gentle way of telling them so. Show them you see the big picture. Bring the situation to light in a way they can relate to.

Steve Brown said it well: “It takes a lot of emotional gasoline to fake compassion.” Everyone wants to feel important. If you do that with passion, you won’t have to fake it. People aren’t that different from you. Appeal to their noble side. If you want to feel good about yourself, then do something for someone who can’t repay you. That gift can be the greatest gain. And even if it doesn’t work out, your conscience is clear.

Show respect to everyone. You won’t be sorry.

Persecution Leads to This

2011-08-27T18:54:00.000-07:00

In the final portion of Revelation 11, we see what lies ahead. It’s the final wrap on history. It’s the revelation of what’s been true all along.

God is in charge.

Asbury’s commentary has this sentence that speaks volumes about the end of Revelation 11. A persecuting kingdom gives way to the kingdom of our Lord.

Another theologian writes that we aren’t to seek this persecution. No, we’re to do what God commands and not consider the cost. There will be some out there who will hate us for the way we live. We can’t stop that. They’ll see us as different, moral, and goody-goody. If they feel guilty around us, and we’re living free in God’s truth, it’s because they are guilty.

Guilt can lead us to do a lot of strange things. It can make us hate ourselves because we look a certain way or act differently. It can make us avoid the ones who can help us see the light of the Gospel more clearly and bring hope into an otherwise dark life.

Here’s the difference between healthy guilt and unhealthy guilt. When you feel guilt rightly, it’s because you’ve done something wrong. You find release and freedom through punishment and atonement. Then the books are clear and you’re free. If you feel guilty and can’t point to what’s wrong, you’ll never escape it. If you punish yourself for a perceived violation that isn’t one, you’re in a prison as binding as the chains Jacob Marley wore in The Christmas Carol.

Sin makes people feel guilty. It does this because sin is a violation of God’s law. You can atone for sin with your death. The alternative is to let Jesus do it for you.

The reason we struggle with guilt is that we want desperately to make things right ourselves. But since we aren’t perfect and God demands perfection, we have no hope apart from Christ’s atonement. That simple truth makes some people quite angry. Some of these angry ones have persecuted Christians because they remind them of the high cost of sin.

But in the end God wins. Heaven is opened. Angels and saints sing of God’s greatness with incredible passion and vigor. Those who hate God pay dearly – forever.

As long as we’re alive, we have the opportunity for Christ to expunge our guilt. Will you accept His offer?

Genuine Respect Looks Like This

2011-08-26T13:10:00.001-07:00

Show respect to everyone. You won’t be sorry.

Persecutors Suffer From This And You Do Too

2011-08-26T12:20:00.000-07:00

Some people are just plain cruel.

When I was in school, I was bullied. Kids that were bigger than me would pick on me, torment me, and mock me. I was an easy target. I didn’t fight back. I never showed anger or any other emotion. I just bottled it up.

I hated it.

I didn’t talk about it. I just retreated into my imagination where everything was great and there were no limits.

I could have benefited from some assertiveness training.

There’s a secret I didn’t know then. Bullies are scared. That’s right. They have a reputation to protect. They don’t think well of themselves so they try to prove their worth by being tough. And those of us who are passive suffer for it.

In Revelation 11, the saints are persecuted because those who torment them see them as a threat. They live a free life in Christ and those who aren’t as free don’t like that. The problem is that they’re blind to the truth. They could be free too, but they see the path as a road to bondage, rules, and slavery. They think of God as an angry policeman who doesn’t want them to have any fun. But if they read the Scriptures they’d see that apart from faith in Christ they are bound in their own unbelief.

The servants of Satan hate the Christian’s freedom. That’s why they want them dead. Freedom is a threat to power. No matter what they do to punish the saints they can’t take away their joy.

I read of a family recently who faced certain death unless they renounced Jesus. The parents were told if they didn’t recant their faith their children would be killed.
The parents looked their children in the eye and said, “We’ll see you in heaven.” One by one, the family was killed.

Surveys prove that people of faith have conquered the fear of death. When there is hope of a blissful hereafter the sting of death has no poison. Believers have a Father with His arms open wide at death that says, “Child, welcome home.”

If that doesn’t make you free, then nothing under the sun can.

There’s a great quote that bears mention. Fear knocked at the door. Faith answered and no one was there.

Remember that next time you’re afraid. Then be bold.

Dancing on the Casket

2011-08-23T15:21:00.000-07:00

The two witnesses face the age-old problem Christians face: persecution.

You may not have faced intense persecution. But it’s possible that milder forms of harassment have been part of your life.

For example, you feel it’s right to report that coworker you saw stuffing his pockets with money from the till last night. He will at the very least get in trouble. The worst is he’ll be fired and have to return the money. The employer may prosecute. And all this happened because you, a Christian, decided to tell.

If this person was your friend, he probably won’t be any more. Maybe he’ll just be miffed at you for a while and at some point realize the error of his ways. After all, isn’t that the reason you did what you did? If you confronted him first about it and he blew you off, you had no other choice. You hoped he would change. But he might not.

Christians who are free can present a threat to people who aren’t. If they don’t care if you don’t like them, they can speak the truth in love and hope for the best. They will risk friendship for what’s right. They’ll offend for the sake of the Gospel. Telling the truth can be the tough love God uses to bring people to Jesus.

The witnesses in Revelation 11 are free to speak the truth and aren’t worrying about the cost. Christians have risked in oppressive parts of the world so the people close to them might hear the Gospel and see it lived out.

Christians pose a threat to those in power. The threat of torture or death does not have the same affect on them as it would apart from Christ. If they die, they go Home.

The Pharisees wanted to shut Jesus up. The truth He spoke exposed them as hypocrites. To protect their reputation and preserve their power they killed Jesus.

When someone people hate dies, there isn’t a somber service. There will be dancing in the street like in the Wizard of Oz when the Wicked Witch died. “We’re free of this nut”, they all say as they dance on the casket.

But they couldn’t keep Jesus dead.

God will avenge His martyrs. Revelation assures us that the truth will live on. God will always have people who won’t be quiet despite any threat.

Who Are The Two Witnesses?

2011-08-22T17:06:00.000-07:00

A lot has been said about the two witnesses in Revelation 11.

Some say they are Moses and Elijah. Moses brought plagues to Egypt, turning the water to blood, and summarily ruining the whole nation under the judging Hand of God. Elijah prayed for a drought that lasted 3 ½ years. Then at the showdown with the priests of Baal, fire came down from Heaven and consumed Elijah’s drenched sacrifice.

Others say the witnesses are Enoch and Elijah, because they didn’t die. Therefore God could send them back in the future.

Still others claim that these witnesses aren’t individuals, but groups like Israel, the Church, Jews, or Gentiles.

They could also be Mercy and Grace, the Law and the Prophets, and the Old and New Testaments.

The trouble with all these theories is that John doesn’t corroborate any of them by naming the witnesses.

There are some things the witnesses have in common. Christians and Christianity have had some great voices through history. Powerful preaching of the Gospel has brought many to Christ. Some of the most powerful preachers have also suffered their share of persecution and even death.

What are the witnesses wearing? Sackcloth. This is pretty uncomfortable garb. It is simple and makes no hip fashion statement. The figures in Biblical history that have worn it have sounded the message of repentance. John the Baptist is one example.

There are some preachers today who don’t believe repentance is necessary.

This raises a fundamental question. What is the true nature of man? Are we basically good with a tendency to do evil? Or are we basically evil people who do some good things?

If we’re basically good, then education should cure all society’s ills. Rehabilitation should be all that is required to make hardened criminals productive members of society once more. We could get rid of laws because if people are left alone to decide then they’ll naturally do the right thing.

Do you think that really works?

Scripture begs to differ. Jeremiah 17:9 says the heart is desperately sick beyond knowing. Jesus said in Mark 7:21 that evil deeds come from within. Romans 1:21 proclaims that though men knew God they ignored Him.

The witnesses tell us to repent. We repent because we’re corrupt. We trust Jesus because He is our goodness. And since only Jesus can restore us, we trust Him.

Measure This

2011-08-21T13:52:00.000-07:00

John is given a measuring rod to write down the dimensions of the inner temple of the Lord. The outside he can leave unmeasured. (Revelation 11:1-2)

If you’re a Preterist, you’d say that this passage was fulfilled when Antiochus IV Epiphanes persecuted the Jews for 42 months.

If you’re a historicist, you’d agree with many of the 18^th century theologians that these predictions could be fulfilled at any time.

If you’re a futurist, you’re always looking at the news.

I agree with the historicists.

John is told to measure the inner temple only and to leave the courtyard unmeasured. Why?

You may have heard of two terms used to describe the church. First is the visible church. It is just that; everyone you see in the church is part of the visible church. Then there is the invisible church. This includes all the faithful saints throughout the ages who have given their hearts to Christ. These people have banked their lives on the claims of Christ that are the basis of their salvation.

How does this relate to the temple and the courtyard?

The invisible church is the inner temple. These are the ones who are marked and sealed by God. They are under His protection and enjoy the promises made in Romans 8. They know that nothing under the sun can separate them from the lavish love of God. Let persecution come and that will not change their kingdom status one iota. Others may criticize and condemn them. No matter. They know their identity in Christ is undisturbed by threats. If the church building should be reduced to a heap of ashes, they will carry on in the power of the Lord.

The courtyard is the people outside the invisible church.

Do you have anything outside of allegiance to Christ that you can stand on when life throws you its worst?

The church has been persecuted throughout history. Today there are millions of Christians around the world who must exercise care so that they can gather together for worship. Many risk death, family banishment, and societal punishment to follow Christ.

What motivates them? It is the power of God living through love in them. It is the realization of freedom in Christ that drives them.

God is good. He will not let his remnant perish from the earth, no matter how fiery the devil’s arrows may be.

God’s Aim in Scripture

2011-08-20T06:58:00.000-07:00

The second half of Revelation 10 has John being instructed to take the book… and eat it.

That seems to be a strange request if taken literally. But the angel isn’t asking John to eat the paper. John must take what the book says and digest it.

This is the mark of a good sermon.

A good sermon doesn’t just offer the pastor’s opinion about the text. It does more than that if it’s effective. Just as the Bible does, it must challenge and change us.

Is there a command in the text to obey? In this text, John is called to deeply consider the information he’s getting. This is good instruction for examining any Scripture text. It’s okay to use modern stories to illustrate timeless concepts. In fact, that reveals the extent of the teacher’s consideration of the verses. The question that must be answered is, does the example fit the Scripture’s call to action or belief?

Here John is being asked to think long and hard about the impact of what he’ll learn. He’s seeing into the future, just as we’d all like to. If that weren’t true, why are there fortunetellers and psychics in every town? (Here’s a word of advice about that. They don’t know the future any better than you do.)

John isn’t reading merely for pleasure and personal information. He’s charged to publish this for the world. The picture isn’t always pretty. He must spend time ruminating over this information so that he will feel the gravity of it. God is coming to judge sinners. Even believers will face tribulation and hardship in this life. That’s not fun to tell. But if he doesn’t tell it, the prophets of unbridled prosperity and blessing will have a field day.

When we think of blessing, we’re not always right about what it means. The normal human tendency is to equate blessings from God with the good things we receive. The bad stuff is all the devil’s handiwork, right?

Well, that isn’t necessarily true.

Job told his wife as his life unraveled more fully than an old sweater: “Shall we not receive good from God, and shall we not receive evil?” (Job 2:10)

The Reformers called the hard things from God His severe mercy.

God loves you as you are; but He also loves too much to leave you that way.

Digest that.

Talking Straight in Business

2011-08-20T06:04:00.000-07:00

Billy Joel composed some lyrics years ago that express something we all feel.

I can always find someone to say they sympathize, if I wear my heart out on my sleeve. But I don't want some pretty face to tell me pretty lies. All I want is someone to believe.

Abraham Lincoln remarked that no man has a good enough memory to be a successful liar.

Nobody likes a phony.

Bernie Madoff started a promising investment business back in 1960. He told his investors that they could expect at least 12-15% returns on their money. Almost fifty years later, the truth finally leaked out. Madoff had been putting the money into a Chase account and using that money to pay investors. He also found it to be a convenient personal piggy bank. Thousands of investors lost millions of dollars. Trust was violated. Fines were paid. Madoff will spend the rest of his life behind bars.

The problem with such an enormous lie is that other companies that are in the same business suffer from the criminal’s behavior. People generalize and assume the whole industry is bad when the truth is that only some in it are driven by greed.

Trust lost is incredibly hard to regain. If you cheat on your spouse and she finds out, you might lose her, your kids, your home, and your assets, all you’ve earned in your working lifetime. Imagine trying to convince the woman you just met that you’re honest, given your history.

It’s better to deliver what you say you will. If you can deliver more than you say, you’re a hero.

Apple does this regularly.

The iPod opened the door for a marketplace of MP3 players. The iPad did it too. When it came out, it was revolutionary and a huge seller. It is lightweight, portable, and has a great battery life. You can use it to make video calls, surf the net, and make your own HD videos.

People are loyal to Apple because quality is built into all they do. Do you know any Mac people?

Tell your customers the truth all the time and they’ll love you. Then when problems arise, as they surely will, they’ll stand with you because you are friends. No one wants to hurt their friends, do they?

Honesty is talking straight. It’s the best customer service policy there is.

Way Back Home

2011-08-19T17:42:00.000-07:00

For this cyclist, there are no obstacles.

Don’t Say a Word

2011-08-19T16:16:00.000-07:00

As we enter Revelation 10 and see the awesome angelic figure with one foot on the land and one foot on the sea, surrounded by clouds and conversing with seven angels, the Person there should be familiar to us.

That person, in the words of Matthew Henry, “could be no other than our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!” The mighty cloud is a veil over His glory because no man can see it and live. The rainbow over His head reminds us God will always remember His covenant with His people. His face was as bright as the sun because He is glorious and pure. His feet are pillars of fire because He stands firm in His grace and providential power.

The angelic figure is majestic because none of us could stand on land and ocean like He does. I’m reminded of a funny sketch on Monty Python, “The First Man to Jump the (English) Channel”. Much ado is made about the attempt. Then, of course, the jump is as weak as we all are.

If you run across someone who says they know the secret things of God, run the other way. He doesn’t. In fact, John heard these things and Jesus told him to keep quiet. It wasn’t time yet to tell the world.

We see Jesus telling people to keep quiet about him several times in the Gospels. The reason is the same – it wasn’t time yet for Him to die. That is probably what would have happened. The Pharisees were out to get Him early in His ministry. Of course, Jesus could have used His divine powers to stop them, but He chose to use human means to accomplish His purposes.

And God always accomplishes what He sets out to do.

Do you?

Sometimes our efforts to do great things turn out like the guy who tried to jump the Channel. God has to have a good laugh when we tell Him our plans sometimes. If we’re free in Christ, we can laugh too - later.

Let me make a distinction here about keeping quiet. The Psalms abound with talk about the greatness of God. Paul tells us to boast in the Lord rather than ourselves (2 Corinthians 10:17). We should keep quiet about those things God doesn’t reveal about Himself.

Now that you know what to talk about, don’t keep quiet.