Posted on

Your Confidence In The Authority Of God’s Word

The B.I.B.L.E – Yes, You Can Stand Upon The Word Of God

Do you want indestructible joy, unshakeable faith, and unyielding security in your life? Make the Bible your all-sufficient, all-consuming standard of faith and conduct. Psalm 119:89 says, “Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.” Stay faithful to God’s Word. Read it every day with an open-mind and a willing spirit, and God will speak to you through the pages, and as you obey it, he will direct your steps along the paths of righteousness all the days of your life.

The Journey: Luke 1:1-4

Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled among us, just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.

I think it is not only very interesting, but quite instructive, the great lengths Luke went to in setting up the veracity of his account of the life, ministry, miracles, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He wrote his gospel initially for a Gentile seeker by the name of Theophilus, and he wanted to prove beyond a shadow of doubt that his witness to all that was Jesus was believable, verifiable, and worthy to stake one’s life and eternity upon.

And, by the way, each of the biblical writers had the same motive in their painstaking effort to write the truth about God and from God that is contained in the sixty-six books of the Bible. The Apostle Paul stated it the most forcefully,

All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the servant of God[a] may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. (2 Timothy 3:16-17)

Unfortunately, we live in an age when the cultural (and godless) philosophies of secularism and relativism are trying to do away with any transcendent source of truth, in particular the Word of God. And even worse, a growing number of so-called Christians are buying into those philosophies. But here is the cost of not having any values and standards of truth: the culture will collapse…or be held in the bondage of darkness, ignorance and satanic domination. The divorce rate will soar, violence and abuse will escalate, children will rebel, families will collapse and as a result, society will rot.

It shouldn’t surprise us that this is the very condition our society now finds itself in as a result of rejecting the Bible as our God-breathed sources of truth. Look at what God’s Word predicted a long time ago:

  • Proverbs 29:18 says, “Where there is ignorance of God, crime runs wild.”
  • Isaiah 5:20 prophesied, “Destruction is certain for those who say that evil is good and good is evil; that dark is light and light is dark.”
  • Proverbs 29:18 gives this sobering reminder: “A nation without God’s guidance is a nation without order.”

All of that is happening right before our eyes. Even before the Proverbs were penned and Isaiah prophesied, the Psalmist asked, “When the foundations are being destroyed, what can the righteous do?” (Psalm 11:3)

There is way you can have an unshakeable faith that endures and thrives during chaotic and insecure times. Jesus said you can “know the truth and the truth will set you free.” There is truth, it is knowable, and when it’s fully embraced will give you ultimate freedom.

And the very first step toward an enduring faith and unlimited freedom is for you to make the Word of God your standard of faith and practice!

Jesus said in John 17:17, “Sanctify them by the truth; your word is truth” When Christians reject the sinful and godless practices of their culture and begin to build their lives on the B-I-B-L-E, the one & only standard of truth, blessings come to the nation and people find their way to Christ and eternal life. Paul reminded Timothy, “There’s nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” (2 Tim. 3:15 Msg.) Make the Bible your standard of faith and practice and here’s what you’ll get:

  1. It will reveal God’s plan and power for your salvation. Romans 1:16 says, “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes.”
  2. It will provide nourishment for your spiritual growth. (Without it…spiritual crisis) 1 Peter 2:2 says, “Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation.”
  3. It will guide you in these chaotic times. Psalm 119:105 & 130 reminds us, “Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path. The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple.”
  4. It will provide your defense against the devil’s attack. Ephesians 6:17 exhorts, “Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
  5. It will train you in righteousness. Psalm 119:9, 11 points out, “How can a young man keep his way pure? By living according to your word…I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you.” Hebrews 4:12 teaches, “For the word of God is living and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart”
  6. It will give you an eternal perspective. Romans 15:4 says, “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through endurance and the encouragement of the scriptures we might have hope.” Timothy Dwight said, “The Bible is a window in this prison-world, through which we may look into eternity.”
  7. It will be a source of indestructible joy. Jeremiah 15:16 says, “Your words are what sustain me. They bring me great joy and are my heart’s delight.”

Do you want indestructible joy, unshakeable faith, security and satisfaction in your life? Make the Bible your all-sufficient, all-consuming standard of faith and conduct. Psalm 119:89 tells us, “Your word, O LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens.” I love the Apostle Paul’s words to his protégé, Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:14-16,

But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.

Did you catch that? The Holy Scripture is able to make you wise for salvation. In other words, there is nothing like the written Word of God for showing you the way to salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. Paul also says that it is through the Scripture that you are equipped for every good work—it is through the Word of God that you are put together and shaped up for the tasks God has for you to do.

Stay faithful to God’s Word. Read it every day with an open-mind and a willing spirit as you allow God speak to you through the pages of his Holy Word. As you spend time with the Bible, let me suggest the following that will enable you to have a life changing encounter with God:

  • Meditate on it! Don’t just read it to get through it—spend time letting it soak into your spirit.
  • Memorize it! The Psalmist said, “Your word I have hidden in my heart that I might not sin against you.” (Psalm 119:11)
  • Master it! Be a student of the Bible. Get a graduate degree in Scripture. As Paul said to Timothy, “Study to show yourself a workman who needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.” (2 Timothy 2:15 KJV)
  • Minister it! Do something with it. Apply it in your everyday life. As James said, “Don’t merely listen to the word. Do what it says!” (James 1:22)

A Simple Prayer To Be More Like Jesus:

God, I believe your Word. The B.I.B.L.E is the book for me. I will stand upon your Word each and every day from here until the day you call me home.
Posted on

Signs

Supernatural Power Is Promised To Every Believer

Casting out demons, speaking in tongues, handling snakes, drinking deadly poison without harm, healing the sick—scripture promises those supernatural signs to Christ-followers. Miraculous signs, Jesus said, will accompany believers today! Now don’t get hung up on the individual signs. I am not proposing that we become snake-handlers (although tossing a rattler into the congregation would certainly pep up a lot of church services and likely boost attendance, at least for a while). Nor am I proposing that rat poison smoothies be on the menu at your church’s coffee bar. I remember Jesus saying that we’re not to foolishly test the Lord our God, so we probably ought to keep that in mind! But since miracles are part and parcel of the Kingdom, since they are promised to believers, since they are taking place in the world today, then I think it is reasonable that we should desire them here in America, in your church and mine, and in your life and mine as well.

The Journey: Mark 16:17-18

These miraculous signs will accompany those who believe: They will cast out demons in my name, and they will speak in new languages. They will be able to handle snakes with safety, and if they drink anything poisonous, it won’t hurt them. They will be able to place their hands on the sick, and they will be healed.

The footnote in your Bible says Mark 16:9-20 doesn’t appear in the earliest known manuscripts of Mark’s Gospel. In light of that, I am not sure how you feel about the words of Jesus recorded here, but I happen to believe that Jesus actually said them—and that he meant them. Jesus wanted us to fully understand that he expected the very same miraculous signs that authenticated his authority to attend the witness of his followers, validating their testimony as well—not only in the first century, but in the twenty-first century.

Now some Bible scholars believe that this section of verses (Mark 16: 9-20) was not in Mark’s original manuscript. The reason is that these verses are not found in the earliest and best Greek manuscripts of Mark’s Gospel. Their thought is that since well-intentioned church leaders added to Mark’s words a couple of centuries later, no doctrines should be built upon these verses. However, scholars who doubt the authenticity of these verses will invariably add that what verses 9-20 say is affirmed elsewhere in Scripture, therefore we should not completely disregard them.

So back to my point: If Scripture promises supernatural power for Christ-followers, then miraculous signs should be accompanying believers today! Now don’t get hung up on the individual signs. I am not proposing that we become snake-handlers (although tossing a rattler into the congregation would certainly pep up a lot of church services and likely boost attendance, at least for a while). Nor am I proposing that rat poison smoothies be on the menu at your church’s coffee bar. I remember Jesus saying that we’re not to foolishly test the Lord our God. We probably ought to keep that in mind!

But I am saying that we ought to be expecting, and experiencing miracles in our midst today. And in many places around the world, miraculous signs are following Christians, even as we speak—usually in areas where people are desperate for God and believers are depending on his intervention just to stay alive. Yes, miraculous signs are accompanying those who believe…today…in the twenty-first century…right here on Planet Earth!

Since miracles are part and parcel of the Kingdom of God, since they are promised to believers, since they are taking place in the world today, then I think it is reasonable that we should desire them here in America, in your church and mine, and in your life and mine as well. I may be crazy, but until God shows me otherwise, I am going to keep asking for them. Not that I want them as some sort of crowd boosting gimmick, nor do I want them to bring attention to me or my church. I simply want them as an authentication of the kingdom, power and glory of God revealed among his people before a watching world!

I think it’s only fair, since Jesus promised them.

A Simple Prayer To Be More Like Jesus:

God, restore Christ’s authority and power to your people, to your church and its leaders, and to my life—sooner rather than later.
Posted on

Get Your Preach On

Your Mission, Should You Choose To Accept It

Remember, your mission is simply to share what Jesus has done for you. You see, there is no more powerful witness than that of a satisfied customer. As D.T. Niles said, “Christianity is one beggar telling another beggar where he found bread.” And by the way, Jesus charged you only with going and sharing, the results of your sharing are up to the Holy Spirit.

The Journey: Mark 16:15-16

Jesus told his disciples, “Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Anyone who believes and is baptized will be saved. But anyone who refuses to believe will be condemned.

You may recall the television show from years ago called Mission Impossible. It always began with a scene in which Mr. Phelps, leader of a team of government spooks, would receive a tape describing his next mission. The tape usually began with the line, “Your mission, should you choose to accept it…” Then, after describing the mission, the tape would self-destruct in a puff of smoke.

For the believer, Jesus’ command here at the end of Mark’s Gospel is our mission. From a human point of view, it is “mission impossible.” But because it was given by Jesus, empowered by Jesus, and would be attended by Jesus as his followers went forth to do it (“And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age,” Matt. 28:20), it truly was, and is, “mission possible.” But unlike Mr. Phelps, we don’t have the option of accepting it. If you desire to be a Christ-follower, you will do this.

Remember, your mission is simply to share what Jesus has done for you. There is no more powerful witness than a satisfied customer. By the way, Jesus charged you only with going and sharing, the results are up to the Holy Spirit. As Elton Trueblood said, “Evangelism is not a professional job for a few trained men, but is instead the unrelenting responsibility of every person who belongs to the company of Jesus.”

The mission is very clear and quite simple: Take the Good News with you wherever you go and share it. What is the Good News? That at the cross, through Jesus every human being can find that they are beloved of God, without exception. “Preaching” that message is the mission of the Christian.

Don’t let the word “preach” trip you up. For sure, the Gospel is to be formally preached by preachers from pulpits in church services and by evangelists to great crowds of listeners. But the word “preach” has a simpler application as well. It simply means “to proclaim.”

Proclamation can happen in both formal presentations as well as informal conversations. I think the church has done pretty good job in the formal aspect of this mission. It is the informal, everyday part of the mission to be carried out by the individual believer where we have not done so well.

The mission of the Christian is proclamation. You and I are tasked to go and tell the story of Jesus. That is our business.

So that begs the question: How’s business? When was the last time you talked about your faith in Christ in a casual conversation with a friend or a co-worker? In the last six months? This past year? In the last five years? Have you ever shared Christ with another?

Don’t you think it’s time we get back to business? I do!

How about you and I look for opportunities today to carry out the mission! Jesus is counting on us. So let’s get our “preach” on!

A Simple Prayer To Be More Like Jesus:

God, give me open doors and courageous faith to do what I’m supposed to do: tell others what Jesus has done for me.
Posted on

God-Forsaken Places

He Endured The Cross For You

It was high noon in Jerusalem, yet it was pitch black. With the cross as ground zero, our planet became a God-forsaken place as the Father turned his back, and the sun retreated from its place in the sky. As Jesus willingly hung on the cross, taking into his own life all the evil, vile sin-filth of mankind, God couldn’t watch. The Father was forced to treat his Son as an enemy; his righteous wrath was poured out on him as the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. In that awful, beautiful moment, Jesus became God’s enemy so you could become God’s friend.

The Journey: Mark 15:33-34

At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. Then at three o’clock Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

Frederick the Great, was the King of Prussia for almost a half century in the 1700’s. He was in Potsdam when he encountered one of his generals, who was in his severe disfavor. At their meeting the general saluted with the greatest respect, but Frederick abruptly turned his back on the officer. To that, the general humbly said, “I am happy to see that Your Majesty is no longer angry with me.”

That got Frederick’s attention, so he turned and asked, “How so?”

The general responded, “Because Your Majesty has never in his life turned his back on an enemy.”

It was said that the general’s daring statement led to his reconciliation with Frederick.

There was another time in a far more important place when God turned his back on his very own Son as Jesus hung on the cross. That’s why Jerusalem, right in the middle of the day, went pitch black. In that awful moment, with the cross as Ground Zero, our planet became a God-forsaken place. With Jesus willingly hanging on the cross, taking into his own life all the evil, vile sin-filth of mankind, God couldn’t watch. The Father was forced to treat his Son as an enemy; his righteous wrath was poured out on him as he hung on that cross. Jesus became God’s enemy and paid the price of reconciliation so you could become God’s friend.

On the cross, Jesus took on your sins and mine—he became sin for us. It was our sin, the sins of the whole world, that he bore on the tree, and it was that sin at which God’s righteous anger was directed. The Apostle Paul wrote in 2 Corinthians 5:21,

For God made Jesus who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

What a beautifully simple yet unfathomable truth: Christ’s death on the cross was the only means to our reconciliation with God. Jesus paid the ultimate price to satisfy God’s righteous wrath and bring us peace with God. We who were enemies were brought near to God, now as friends. Martin Luther wrote,

Christ took our sins and the sins of the whole world as well as the Father’s wrath on his shoulders, and he has drowned them both in himself so that we are thereby reconciled to God and become completely righteous.”

For Jesus, the cross was a God-forsaken place. Hallelujah for God-forsaken places!

A Simple Prayer To Be More Like Jesus:

God, thank you for Jesus. Thank you for the cross. Thank you for your grace. Thank you for my salvation, so rich, so free.
Posted on

Oops I Did It Again

Free Grace Goes Into The Gutter and Brings Up A Jewell

Why are Peter’s blunders featured so prominently in the gospels? To remind us that by the power of the resurrection, failure doesn’t have to be final and sin does not have to be fatal. As John Newton wrote, “We serve a gracious Master who knows how to overrule even our mistakes to His glory and our own advantage.” “Oops, I did it again” doesn’t get the final word on you. God’s grace does. Jesus made sure of that at the cross!

The Journey: Mark 14:71-72

Peter swore, “A curse on me if I’m lying—I don’t know this man you’re talking about!” And immediately the rooster crowed the second time. Suddenly, Jesus’ words flashed through Peter’s mind: “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny three times that you even know me.” And he broke down and wept.

Poor Peter! He can’t seem to catch a break.

He is the guy who boldly stepped out of the boat to walk on the water—and promptly sank like a rock. He was the one who inappropriately blurted out, “Hey, let’s build three tabernacles” when Jesus was talking about his impending death with Elijah and Moses on the Mount of Transfiguration. He was the first to declare, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” but within seconds was sternly rebuked when Jesus said, “Satan, get behind me, you are an offense to me.” Now, at the Last Supper, Peter blurts out, “if all else fall away, I never will”, but within hours he had denied Jesus three times!

Interestingly, each of the four Gospel writers—Peter’s brothers in Christ— have no problem recording Peter’s failures, particularly his denial of Jesus, in exacting detail, to be read again and again throughout the ages.

Peter’s blunder is like those sports bloopers of athletes blowing their teams chances for victory that get replayed over and over again on TV. Remember the poor guy name Steve Bartman, a Chicago Cubs’ fan who interfered with a Cub’s outfielder trying to catch a fly ball. The Cubs were in the playoffs for the first time in, like forever, and if they won, they would go to the World Series. And this over-zealous fan reaches out and takes a foul ball away from his own player, and the Cubs lose. That faux pas will be replayed on TV forever.

So will Peter’s denial. But thankfully, the story doesn’t end with this fireside blooper. If you take a sneak-peak at the end of the story in Mark 16:7, after the crucifixion, when the women came early in the morning to the tomb on Easter Sunday, an angel at the entrance of the empty tomb gave them this message,

But go, tell His disciples—and Peter—that Jesus is going before you into Galilee; there you will see Him, as He said to you. (Mark 16:7)

Did you notice the specific reference to Peter? “Tell the disciples…and you especially need to tell Peter!”

Why did Mark add this line? He specifically wanted Peter, and by extension, you and me, to know that the cross covers the worst of our failures, and by the cross God takes the initiative to restore us to full fellowship with himself. That is really the core message of the Gospel! Peter’s blunder forever reminds us that by the power of the resurrection, failure doesn’t have to be final and sin does not have to be fatal. As John Newton wrote, “We serve a gracious Master who knows how to overrule even our mistakes to His glory and our own advantage.”

“Oops, I did it again” doesn’t get the final word on you. God’s grace does. Jesus made sure of that at the cross!

A Simple Prayer To Be More Like Jesus:

God, thank you for your great grace that is greater than all my sin. Thank you, thank you, thank you.