Tribulations Are Overcome!

"These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may hae peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage; I have overcome the world." John 16:33

This verse brought a tear to my eye the other day. I was reading through John 16, and when I came to this little verse, something hit me. Perhaps it was an understanding of the verse I had never had before, or perhaps it was the power of the claim Jesus made. I do not truly know. What I do know is this: this verse is powerful.

Many take this to mean that in persecution, do not be dismayed. Whenever most pastors preach on this, I would imagine that the message they give is one of "You can endure persecution for Jesus' sake!" I think that is a terribly limiting way to understand this bit of God's word.

I go through tribulation every day, as do all of you, I know. When we struggle with sin, we face tribulation. When we face our enemies, we face tribulation. When we lose a job for His sake, we face tribulation. When family treats each other poorly or leaves us....we certainly face tribulation. The word tribulation in the Greek is thlipsis, which simply means trouble! As a broader sense, it means affliction, oppression, pressure, distress, straits, and a million other aspects of the same idea.

Jesus wasn't just saying that when we are persecuted, to take heart. He was saying that no matter what you are going through, take heart! Is your dad a drunk? Take heart, Jesus has overcome the world! Are people around you being false Christians? Take heart, Jesus has overcome the world! Are you sick? Take heart! Find joy in the fact that our Jesus has conquered the world, and it is His to command! What an incredible promise!

Sorry everyone, but due to exams this week and all I've put the devotions on hold for a bit. I swear that I will most definitely restart them post haste!

The Word of God Hasn't Fallen

"But it is not as though the word of God has failed. For they are not all Israel who are descended from Israel." Romans 9:6

Romans 9 is one of my all time favorite chapters of Scripture. In it are made plain the obvious truths of election and reprobations, doctrines which I have come to know and love, and hold dear to myself. In numerous debates with those who wish to believe in free will and no election, I have turned to this chapter as my flagship. This chapter, or so I thought, was the battleship on which I could launch my theological war against free-willers.

While it is definitely true that this passage talks about election and all, I have come to realize that it talks about election because there is a problem here, and that problem is the real meaning of the chapter. This chapter is not a treatise on the wonders of election. Chapter nine is talking abouto the problem of whether or not God's word has failed.

In chapters 1-8, Paul says some astonishing things. In chapter eight he makes some wonderful statements about the promises of God. But the problem here is that God had made promises to the nation of Israel, and now they stand condemned as a whole. How did that work? Did God's word fail? That is what the beginning of this chapter is asking. You see, because if the Jews could be the promised people one day and accursed as a nation the next, we have NO BASIS to trust God's promises. God's word is MEANINGLESS if He doesn't keep His promises.

So Paul HAS to take up the doctrine of election to show that they are not all Israel who are Israel. The promises God made in the Old Testament HAVEN'T changed, they just were not for the people everyone thought they were. They were for spiritual Israel, the elect.

There is alot in this chapter. I urge you to read it, to savor it as I have done, and really soak in the precious truths contained therewith.

Character Profile: Nehemiah

"Then he said to them, 'Go, eat of the fat, drink of the sweet, and send portions to him who has nothing prepared; for this day is holy to our Lord. Do not be grieved, for the joy of the Lord is our strength." Nehemiah 8:10

Nehemiah was most definitely seeking after the fame of God. After the people returned to Jerusalem from Babylon and had rebuilt the temple, they had left the wall of the city neglected. When Nehemiah heard this, he fasted and wept for days without stopping. Why did he weep over something so seemingly inconsequential as the walls being done?

In ancient thought, the walls of the city were considered a sign of the favor of your god. For the walls of Jerusalem to be in rubble, it would say to the ancient world that God is weak, and that He is not looking after His people. Nehemiah was not weeping over the loss of protection the walls might have given, but rather the insult to the fame of God that was being perpetrated.

So he led a group of Jews back to Jerusalem, and amidts troubles galore, they worked night and day to finish the walls of Jerusalem. The walls were to be so big that people could have lived inside of them. They faced enemies with weapons, enemies with mocking, and enemies with political clout. Through all of this, the Jews worked. They finished these walls in 52 days, a serious feat! Such was the favor of God upon them.

Nehemiah returns to Babylon to report to the king. He made another trip back to Jerusalem later, only to find that the Jews had intermarried with Gentiles. He was furious, because God had commanded them to not marry themselves to Gentiles. So, in a righteous rage, he cursed them, beat some of them, and ripped out some of their hair. Now that's holy anger!

It would do well for us today to keep this model in our minds as to how to be consumed with the passion of the Lord. I urge you, today, brethren, to cry out to God that He would give you a passion for His name.

My Jesus

Here is a great song by Todd Agnew that should really cause us to think. Some of it may be slightly offensive to some...but that actually is my hope.

Which Jesus do you follow?

Which Jesus do you serve?

If Ephesians says to imitate Christ

Why do you look so much like the world?

'Cause my Jesus bled and died

He spent His time with thieves and liars

He loved the poor and accosted the arrogant

So which one do you want to be?

Blessed are the poor in spirit

Or do we pray to be blessed with the wealth of this land?

Blessed are they that hunger and thirst for righteousness

Or do we ache for another taste of this world of shifting sands

Cause my Jesus bled and died for my sins

He spent His time with thieves and sluts and liars

He loved the poor and accosted the rich

So which one do you want to be?

Who is this that you follow?

This picture of the American dream

If Jesus were here would you walk right by on the other side?

Or fall down and worship at His holy feet

Pretty blue eyes and curly brown hair and a clear complexion

Are how you see Him as He dies for your sins

But the Word says He was battered and scarred

Or did you miss that part?

Sometimes I doubt we'd recognize Him

'Cause my Jesus bled and died

He spent His time with thieves and the least of these

He loved the poor and accosted the comfortable

So which one do you want to be?

'Cause my Jesus would never be accepted in my church

The blood and dirt on His feet might stain the carpet

But He reaches for the hurting and despises the proud

And I think He'd prefer Beale St. to this stained glass crowd

And I know that He can hear me, if I cry out loud

I want to be like my Jesus!

I want to be like my Jesus!

Not a posterchild for American prosperity, but like my Jesus

'Cause I'm tired of living for success and popularity

I want to be like my Jesus, but I'm not sure what that means, to be like You Jesus

'Cause You said to live like You, to love like You, and then You died for me

Can I be like You Jesus?

I want to be like my Jesus....

The Importance of Discipleship

"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." Matthew 28:19-20

It is my opinion that everyone is too preoccupied with evangelism. Everyone thinks that the number one goal of all Christians is to go out and spread the gospel to all who hear, and get them to accept Christ. While I certainly agree that they need Christ, I don't think evangelism is the number one thing for Christians to do. It's not even number two.

Firstly, worship is far most important. Worship should be the driving force behind missions. John Piper says "Missions exists because worship doesn't." Wherever there is no worship, that's where missions is to go.

I think discipleship is, by far, the second most important. Jesus didn't say to go out and make converts, He said to go out and make disciples of all nations! Once they make the decision and say the prayer and all, our job is most certainly NOT done! Our job then is to raise up that person in the Lord, and help them to know more and more about the Lord, and to aid their worship of God. We are to teach them how to effectively read the Bible, we are to teach them how to effectively answer questions to their faith, and we are most certainly to teach them proper theology!

I think th is is lacking in churches today. They are so focused on missions and evangelism that they miss out on discipleship. Personally, I think discipleship in American churches is weak, almost nonexistent. And so, therefore, I urge you to not only seek converts, but seek disciples of Jesus. Take time out of your schedules to mentor someone in the Lord.

John's Excitement

"and he looked at Jesus as He walked, and said, "Behold! The Lamb of God!" John 1:36

This is an interesting verse. This is the second time that John cried out "Behold! The Lamb of God!" The first time, John explains a little bit what he means by saying that it is Jesus who takes away the sin of the world. This time, however, he just shouts.

In this verse, John is standing with Andrew and John the apostle. He's probably doing his thing, baptizing people at the Jordan. Picture this in your mind, and really see the scene as it might have happened. There is John, baptizing people in the Jordan with these two beside him. All of a sudden Jesus walks by, and John just stops and stares...He points and cries out "BEHOLD! THE LAMB OF GOD!"

When we read that verse usually, how many times do we just kinda breeze through it without thinking about what made him so excited. There walking before him was the fulfillment of a promise for which the Jews had been waiting! For thousands of years, the people had been waiting the coming of the seed of woman to crush the seed of the serpent, for the Prophet in Moses' teaching, for the righteous branch, the Son of David, the MESSIAH. And here walked that promise in flesh, Jesus the Christ! WOW! I can only imagine John saying, "There He is! What we've been waiting for is finally here! This is amazing!"

How often do you get excited about this kind of stuff? Do you get excited about Jesus? You should! He's the amen to all of God's promises! He's the One who prays for you, and His prayers ALWAYS reach the Father! I urge you, brethren, to get excited, and if you don't, then cry out to God that He would give you that excitement!

The Only Truth

"Jesus said to him, 'I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.'" John 14:6

This is a well known verse among Bible college students and for a great deal of Christians who orient themselves with apologetics. I feel that it has become so popular in defending against the cults and false religions that it may have lost its meaning in the sense of everyday life. While it is most certainly true that Jesus is the only way amidst the groups of Muslims, Hindus, Mormons, and the life, I don't feel that Jesus is really talking about that.

If you look at the context in which He said it, Jesus seems to be saying that the only way to where He is going (Heaven) is through Him. This is a greater truth than we make it out to be, I believe. We take this to mean that Joseph Smith can't get us to Heaven; that Mohammed can't get us to Heaven, or that Russel Taze can't get us to Heaven. While all those things are most certainly the truth, I feel that Jesus was more talking about other things.

Look through the gospels, and you will find the most frequent struggle He faced. He faced constant antagonation from the Pharisees and their traditions. I think it is more appropriate to say that Jesus was talking about those Pharisees, or at least had them in mind, when He made this claim. When He said He was the only way, He meant that the traditions and sacrifices of the Jews could not save them. When He said He was the only truth, He meant that the things the Pharisees had no place with Him, and so were not the truth. When He said He was the life, He may have meant that the lifestyles of the Jews, following the laws and being burdened by the traditions and laws of the leaders, were useless. The only life was to truly follow Him.

This brings to mind an important fact. Sometimes, we take the popular meaning of the verse because we are told to. I urge and challenge you to practice good hermeneutics. Interpret verses in light of verses and context.

The Power of the Gospel

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." Romans 1:16

I think this verse is widely misunderstood. This verse is what many Christians quote and memorize, and well they should. However, they do it for the wrong topic and wrong reasons, most of the time. Ask your average Christian "who needs the gospel?" and you would most likely get the answer "Joe unbeliever." While I most certainly agree with that notion, I think that is underestimating the verse.

Let's take a look at this verse to see what it's talking about. I think the key word in this verse is the Greek word soteria, which means salvation, both in a temporal and eternal sense. But that is not the fullness of the meaning of the word. A fuller understanding of the word is the final fruition of salvation at the end of time. This verse is not talking necessarily about the ability of the gospel to create true, authentic faith in the heart of the wicked. The gospel most certainly does this, but that's not all. This verse is also talking about the power of the gospel to KEEP believers in that same faith that it created, and to see them home to glory. To further drive home this point, some commentators have said that the word "believes" should rather be translated as "goes on believing." The gospel of salvation finds its fruition in Heaven, when the believer comes home.

This is why Paul is not ashamed of the gospel! Because it not only creates authentic faith in God, it also keeps them and establishes them in that faith! Who needs the gospel? EVERYONE! Believer and unbeliever! We need to not only "spread" the gospel, but live the gospel, eat, sleep, and breathe the gospel! I challenge you, brethren, to live the gospel! Fall in love with it and let it see you home to glory!

You Must Be Born Again

"Jesus answered and said to him, "Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God." John 3:3

This verse could be somewhat controversial if you think about it. Let's look at what it's saying. What it says to me is that to see the kingdom of God, you must be born again. Notice what it doesn't say: To "enter" the kingdom of God, you must be born again." Why doesn't Jesus say that? Because, I believe, that is not Jesus' point. Jesus is trying to talk about going to Heaven. The kingdom of God is about salvation.

So what is He saying? I believe that He is saying that to even see the kingdom of God, to desire the kingdom of God, you must first be born again. This runs contrary to what most people believe nowadays. Most people say that first you must be saved and desire God and THEN you are born again. They say that salvation brings the new birth. That's not what this verse is saying, though. This verse is saying that the new birth brings a desire for God, which leads to salvation.

Who causes this new birth? Does our faith? It would appear not, as we don't have faith until we are born again. Does our choice? Once again, it would appear not, as we don't even want to choose God until the new birth. The Spirit of God causes this new birth. So what does this mean? This means that unless you are the elect, and unless God regenerates you with the Holy Spirit, you cannot even SEE what is desirable about God. This is the miracle of election and regeneration.

What a precious truth. I urge you to ponder this amazing election, and praise God for His mighty power.

Hurting Hearts Need Helping Hands

I go to a wonderful college called Trinity College. I love the professors there and I love the courses. I stand amazed by the talent, maturity, and humility of the professors at that school. But one thing I've noticed not only about this school, but about a great deal of Christians today, is that we are no longer a body, but a social club.

It becomes increasingly more and more obvious to me that the Church today is becoming just another place where we come and exclude those that don't belong to our little cliques. I know a sister in the Lord who just feels so alone that it just consumes her...she has numerous hurts that her heart endures...And she shoulders it without the help of brothers and sisters in Christ. WHERE ARE THEY?!?!?!? How many people are in our pews, in our college seats, in our Bible study classes with hearts so torn and bleeding from their wounds that they go home and just fall apart? I suggest that the reason we don't know the answer is because we don't really care, and I'm not wanting to point a finger without first pointing it right at myself.

I got to know this sister in Christ and found she was a very cool person, but plagued by her problems and hurts....she sat for years in my college, without ANYONE speaking to her very often. All I can say is this: SHAME ON ME! And, if we're all being honest with ourselves, all we will be able to say is the same thing. God bless.

Stained Glass Masquerade

Here is another song for your perusal. It's a song about the facade we oftentimes put up in church. I hope you enjoy it!

Is there anyone that fails

Is there anyone that falls

Am I the only one in church today feelin' so small

Cause when I take a look around

Everybody seems so strong

I know they'll soon discover

That I don't belong

So I tuck it all away, like everything's okay

If I make them all believe it, maybe I'll believe it too

So with a painted grin, I play the part again

So everyone will see me the way that I see them

CHORUS

Are we happy plastic people

Under shiny plastic steeples

With walls around our weakness

And smiles to hide our pain

But if the invitation's open

To every heart that has been broken

Maybe then we close the curtain on our stained glass masquerade

Is there anyone who's been there

Are there any hands to raise

Am I the only one who's traded

In the altar for a stage

The performance is convincing

And we know every line by heart

Only when no one is watching

Can we really fall apart

But would it set me free

If I dared to let you see

The truth behind the person

That you imagine me to be

Would your arms be open

Or would you walk away

Would the love of Jesus

Be enough to make you stay

CHORUS 2x

But if the invitation's open

To every heart that has been broken

Maybe then we close the curtain on our stained glass masquerade

Is there anyone that fails

Is there anyone that falls

Am I the only one in church today feelin' so small