God's Sovereignty

Most of the time that I have "issues" with God is when I don't tremble before Him or fear Him as I should. God is THE Creator and Sustainer of the universe. He alone gives life to me day by day. He is the only wise God. He alone can judge my heart and my life. He alone can say "well done".

So why do I push Him aside at times? Why do I make my own decisions? Why do I fail to build the relationship with Him that I should? Why do I not surrender EVERY area of my life to Him? Why am I not ashamed of my thoughts and actions that are an affront to this holy God?

It is because I lose my focus on who God really is. I become complacent. He becomes a distant relative. But as I read His word, I see that I should be afraid of Him. Not because He will zap me with a lightening bolt but because He CAN.

God's love for me is so intense that He poured all His wrath on Jesus on the cross yet He says I should be holy for He is holy. How can I take that lightly? Fear of God is more than just awe at a sunset or marveling at the birth of a child. It is a real fear of God's power and sovereignty coupled with a confidence that God makes the way for me to live at peace with Him through Jesus.

Do I need to be afraid of God? Absolutely. Only He holds the keys to heaven or hell. Do I need to be afraid of God? Absolutely not. He is my Father. His love overwhelms me and assures me of His constant care for me.

I Have Not Sinned

Even if I have never been so brash as to think "I have not sinned" how many times have I made excuses for my sin, tried to rationalize my sin?

In Jeremiah 2:25b God says, "Behold I will bring you to judgment for saying, 'I have not sinned'". It's so easy to make myself into the victim - making my sin someone else's fault rather than my own choice. Which in essence is saying I have not sinned. She was rude so I was angry and bitter. He lied so I won't forgive. He has "needs" so he is sexually immoral. The clerk gave back the wrong change but it was only a quarter so I keep.

Later in chapter 3 God speaks through Jeremiah saying, "Return...for I am merciful... Only acknowledge your guilt..." And that is the central point - I must be willing to say, "I HAVE sinned", must be willing to acknowledge my guilt. I love the way God was speaking the Gospel into the lives of His people long before Jesus ever walked on the earth. It gives me great peace to know that God is always the same...His hatred of sin but His love and mercy toward His people never changes.

No Matter What

Paul, the writer of a large percentage of the New Testament, is a "no matter what" person. When I read about his desire to be like Christ, to suffer for Christ, to share the gospel of Jesus Christ, I think that I could never be like that. But then I ask myself why not?

I have not been called to do the things that Paul did but I have been called to follow and proclaim Christ no matter what. It amazes me that Paul was stoned and dragged out of Lystra and left for dead. But when he came to he went back into the city. When he was in prison with Silas, their chains fell off but he didn't go running out of the prison. He stayed and told the guard about Jesus.

Paul's thoughts were not for his own safety or comfort but for those who were far from God and needed to hear the life changing message of salvation. Why do I think it strange that Paul was willing to give up everything for Jesus? Maybe that is the problem...maybe I'm not willing to give up EVERYTHING! Maybe I'm not a "no matter what" follower of Christ.

And I wrestle with do I really want to be that kind of follower? I think I would be willing to give up everything. I think I would go anywhere. I think I would talk about Jesus to anyone. So, am I brave enough to pray that kind of prayer? Lord, I will give up EVERYTHING for You! Jesus knows my heart so are they just words or is it really the desire of my heart?

Jesus has not asked me to give up home, or family, or wealth, or health, or freedom, or friends, or comfort, or security but if He did would I say Yes...no matter what?

Preaching

Too often we think of preachers as the guy who stands on a stage on Sunday morning delivering a message to the folks sitting in the chairs. But yesterday Brad told us that the Gospel preaches to us and through us. When we have been impacted by the gospel of Jesus Christ, we MUST tell someone the good news of salvation. That makes us all preachers.

When the great persecution of the early church began after the stoning of Stephen, everyone scattered EXCEPT the apostles (the preachers). But we are told in Acts 8:4 that those who were scattered went about preaching the word. Hmm...preaching.

Part of the misconception of the Church today is that we have no responsibility to preach when we are scattered out of the Sunday morning church setting to the world of work or family or neighborhoods or wherever we might be. We have a tendency to think preaching is only for Sunday and only for the guy on stage.

Help me to speak - preach - boldly the word, the salvation of Jesus, to those with whom I come into contact.

Suffering

There is a lot in the Bible about suffering. In Old Testament times it was usually agreed suffering was because of sin and God's anger. One person's sin could bring suffering to the whole nation of Israel.

But in the New Testament we are told repeatedly that suffering comes to conform us to the likeness of Christ. One of the things that struck me as I read Philippians is that how I handle suffering can advance or hinder the spread of the Gospel (1:12, 1:14) 

And that made me think of Romans 8:28-29. Whatever is happening in my life, even the evil things of this world that God allows but does not cause, can be used to conform me to the image of Christ. Those things can be used by God, if we are willing, to give us the mind and the heart of Christ.

In Philippians 1:29, Paul uses the phrase "It has been granted to you...to suffer.." Wow. That sounds like suffering is a privilege granted by God. So how do I view any suffering? If I cheat in a relationship or betray a confidence, if I spend more that I make, if I steal time or material from my boss - if I do any of these things, I am only suffering consequences but do I consider the illness, the job loss, the financial difficulty, the broken relationship that seems to come from nowhere, or come because I took a stand for righteousness, as a PRIVILEGE granted to me by God? All because He loves me and wants me to be more like His Son.

Rejoice

I've not looked up a dictionary definition of the word rejoice but to me it means to be overwhelmingly glad or joyful but not necessarily overwhelmingly happy. "Happy" is based on circumstance and "joy" comes from the heart of God.

In the short letter to the Philippians, Paul uses the word rejoice 8 times. It does strike one as being rather contradictory to rejoice while one is in prison; while people are preaching with false motives; while many have turned their backs on this aging apostle. But Paul continues to find reason to rejoice and admonishes his friends in Philippi to rejoice as well.

Joy is part of the fruit of the Spirit but how often is my life characterized by real joy? How often have I grieved a holy God who rejoiced at sending His Son to die in my place by not rejoicing when I should?

The grace of God that has brought me from death to life is reason to rejoice if nothing else in my life ever goes the way I want it to (keyword there being "I"). I never want to lose sight of the great thing Jesus did for me. I never want to forget that God did EVERYTHING for me so that I can know Him and bring glory to Him and serve Him. If I get a "pass" on some hardship, that's a bonus but even if not, I will rejoice.