If you listen to much Christian media, you will almost certainly come to the conclusion that these are the days Paul warned about when he said, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables.” 2 Timothy 4:3-4
It’s frightening how much false doctrine and questionable teaching there is out there. Many times I listen to a sermon over Christian radio and the content sounds eerily similar to a self-help book.
This morning in my Bible reading, I read the following in Jeremiah 23:21-22: “I have not sent these prophets, yet they ran. I have not spoken to them, yet they prophesied. But if they had stood in My counsel, and had caused My people to hear My words, then they would have turned them from their evil way and from the evil of their doings.”
And then in verse 29 “Is not My word like a fire?” says the Lord, “and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?”
What a sacred trust it is to be one who speaks to God’s people on His behalf. Oh that the Lord would flood our pulpits with messages aflame with fire from heaven that will turn us back to Him. Lord, give us men who will stand in Your counsel until they have received a real word from God.
But how shall we respond to such a word? Are our hearts tender and bendable before Him? Are we open to the searching work of His Spirit as the Word is preached? Oh God, let the fire of Your word burn away the dross. Let the hammer of Your word pound away the hardness of our hearts.
Send us a real word, real repentance and make us real disciples.
“Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling” Philippians 3:12
Over the course of my new life in Christ I have become quite expert at diagnosing and correcting the problems of others in this life of faith. Even from a distance, I can tell what is wrong with you and determine what needs to be done to fix it.
There’s only one problem…..it would be the plank. You know, the one that’s in my eye.
While it is scriptural to look after others and be concerned for the state of their soul, I better be sure that I am tending after my own spiritual condition and heeding what the Spirit of God is saying regarding the condition of my own heart.
The Lord deals with me in a fairly consistent way when I begin to have judgmental thoughts towards another believer. In a short period of time after I begin to have these thoughts, the Lord will bring me into a situation where I have a conversation with this person, or learn something about them from someone else, regarding the reality of their situation or the depth of their struggle. In those moments it’s as if a spotlight is shining on me, exposing the hardness and ugliness of my heart, and contrasting it with the humility and brokenness of the other believer.
I am slowly recovering from plank syndrome. The medicine God is giving for it is quite effective.
Where am I to go
When the heavens are as brass
Words, from my lips
Fall to the ground
Unheard it seems
Unheeded
Where am I to go?
Where am I to go
When all seems dark and lonely
When troubles rush
Upon my weary soul
Reaching into the darkness
Do You see my hand?
Do not let me fall
Nor let my heart wander
When questions remain unanswered
When the distance seems tangible
And the promises are distant memories
How can I go on?
Yet where am I to go?
For it is true
That even in the darkest night of the soul
That there remains a hope
Of a life beyond, exceeding and eternal
Where faith becomes sight
And promise becomes reality
Questions answered, distance bridged
Face to face
A day of glory
This promise awaits
Those who endure
I close my eyes and hold on tight
“Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ.” Colossians 2:8
The gospel of Jesus Christ, while it is glorious good news, is not as appealing to many as you would think it would be. While the reasons people will give for not responding to the gospel might be varied, for most I would suspect that we would find this thought lurking somewhere in their minds – I don’t want a religion that requires anything of me.
Multitudes are happy to settle for a meeting once a week where they are told how to tame their flesh and make it act more like a Christian. The heart of this message is “Try harder to be a good person”. This is empty deceit, not the gospel. But to those who want a religion that makes them feel good without requiring anything, this is good enough news.
Does Jesus Christ make any requirements of us? Absolutely. Mark 8:34-35 says “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow Me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.” Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote “Christ bids a man to come and die.” Thinking that in death we lose all freedom and happiness, many refuse this requirement of the gospel as being unreasonable and find a more palatable message, complete with stories of how truly good humans can be – stories that inspire them to be good as well. And for them, this is good enough.
But how good would I have to be, to be good enough? Better than a serial killer? Better than my co-worker? Better than you? How would I ever know when I am good enough? The correct answer would be – Never.
The apostle Paul tells us plainly that “in my flesh nothing good dwells” and that “the flesh profits nothing.” Anyone who has seriously attempted to live by “good person religion” has found that no matter how sincere our efforts or diligent our attempts, there is never any assurance that we are finally good enough. We cheat ourselves and sentence ourselves to a life of frustration when we try to reform the flesh instead of putting it to death by the Spirit. The abundant life that Christ offers is truly glorious, but it will never be earned by our own good works. There is only one work that can ever make us righteous, and Jesus did it 2,000 years ago.
Don’t be cheated. Don’t be deceived. Don’t settle for worldly religion when Christ offers joy unspeakable and full of glory. Refuse to look to your own works, and look instead to the One who “is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him.”
“Remember the prisoners as if chained with them – those who are mistreated – since you yourselves are in the body also.” Hebrews 13:3
Lately I’ve read books and articles about the persecuted church. I’m always shocked when I read these things, because Christianity in America is so easy. It’s difficult to conceive of our brothers and sisters being treated so cruelly in other places in the world. The concept is foreign to our existence. For now anyway.
Everytime I read of someone persecuted for faith in Christ, it grips my heart, because I know that I have not remembered the persecuted church faithfully in prayer as I should. It’s not that I don’t care. I just don’t remember.
But what if I was imprisoned with them? What if I was tortured with them? Then this issue of the persecuted church would be in the very forefront of my mind at all times, because of my involvement in it.
The reality is, that because I am part of the body of Christ, I am involved in the persecuted church. They are my brothers and sisters, beloved ones of God. So I am asking God to help me remember them, as if chained with them, that I may offer prayers to God on their behalf.
We must remember that the goal of prayer is the ear of God. Unless that is gained, the prayer has utterly failed. The uttering of it may have kindled devotional feeling in our minds, the hearing of it may have comforted and strengthened the hearts of those with whom we have prayed, but if the prayer has not gained the heart of God, it has failed in its essential purpose.
“Therefore we do not lose heart. Even though our outward man is perishing, yet our inward man is being renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, while we do not look at things which are seen but at things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal.” 2 Corinthians 4:16-18
In this chapter Paul is talking about the suffering he has endured in spreading the gospel. He has faced many hardships, even death. But for Paul, the perspective of suffering was:
• In the scope of eternity and the plan of God, our suffering is a light and momentary thing. Although it seems horrible while we are going through it, when seen through the eyes of God and endured with the grace of God it becomes a light, not a heavy burden.
• Our suffering is working for us. So many times our hardships can seem like they are our master, controlling our lives. But they are our servants, meant to work for us. And as believers in Christ, the work they are to do for us is to transform us into His image, a work we cannot do ourselves.
• The work that our suffering accomplishes produces eternal results than far exceed the difficulty of the suffering.
The condition: we must stay focused on the eternal. Life and suffering are temporary things, but the glory of Christ in us is our hope and it is eternal. When we learn to see our afflictions through the eyes of God, even in the midst of them we are renewed day by day.
If you are suffering today, do not lose heart. Rather, let us rejoice that God is doing a beautiful work in us through our difficulties.
I woke up this morning with a heavy heart. I was glad it was Sunday, happy to be able to go to church. I cried through most of the early morning prayer service, and a few times in Sunday school. I knew that I desperately needed to hear from God, and He did not disappoint.
When my pastor got up to speak, his text was 2 Corinthians 1:3 – “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort.” I was able to receive a more God honoring perspective of my suffering and was greatly encouraged. During the altar time after the message, we sang a song with a simple yet powerful message. I’m sure you know it:
Jesus loves me, this I know
For the Bible tells me so
Little ones to Him belong
They are weak but He is strong
Yes Jesus loves me
Yes Jesus loves me
Yes Jesus loves me
The Bible tells me so
God is faithful and I have been sweetly comforted.
He is my Delight 