Category Archives: General

Today I will present the third and final message of a three-part series about the greatest title that any human being can possibly receive: the designation “friend of God.” These three messages are all rooted in these words of Christ, as recorded in John’s gospel:

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15:12-15)

On Monday we saw the dignity of being called a friend of God; on Wednesday we discussed our duty as friends of God; today we’ll wrap up with His declaration over all those whom He calls “friend.”

His Declaration

Jesus said, “Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends!” Jesus, the Lamb of God, accomplished something that all the Old Testament lambs could never do: He laid down His life for us so that we could be called friends of God. And as He hung on that cruel cross and cried out, “It is finished” (John 19:28), He meant what He said! The payment for the penalty of our sin has been paid in full by the sinless life, sacrificial death, and supernatural resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Do we have a duty to obey God? As we saw on Wednesday, the answer to that question is most certainly “Yes!” But we are not friends of God because of anything we do. Our good works do not make us friends of God; our church attendance does not make us friends of God; our spirituality does not make us friends of God. Nothing we do or say can make us friends of God. Jesus made us friends of God by what He did on our behalf.

Let me make one final point about being a friend of God. That exalted appellation does not mean that you are now “perfect.” Perfection will not happen until you get to the other side of the grave. Remember, it is not perfection that makes you God’s friend. Moses was a friend of God, and he was far from perfect. Abraham was a friend of God, and he too was far from perfect. If you have placed your trust in the atoning work of Jesus Christ, you, beloved, are a friend of God, and you are far from perfect. It’s not our perfection, but the perfection of the Prince of Peace that makes us friends of God.

It is my prayer that you will be greatly encouraged by the incredible title you have been given by our Lord Jesus Christ. Even if all your friends forsake you, make no mistake, you have one friend who will never leave you or forsake you; He is the friend who sticks closer than a brother; His name is Jesus Christ. Let that truth set you free to be the friend God has called you to be!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

We are in the middle of a quick three-part series which explains that we who have placed our trust in Jesus Christ have been given the greatest title that any human being can possibly receive: the designation “friend of God.” These messages are rooted in these words of Christ, as recorded in John’s gospel:

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15:12-15)

On Monday we saw the dignity of being called a friend of God; today we will look at our duty as friends of God.

Our Duty

Jesus told those who have received the title of “friend of God,” You are my friends if you do what I command. The duty of every friend of God is obedience. And that obedience includes more than just what we don’t do; it includes what we do.

Charles Spurgeon explained it this way:

Abstinence from evil is a great part of righteousness, but it is not enough for friendship. If a man can say, “I am not a drunk, I am not dishonest, I am not unchaste, I am not a violator of the Sabbath, I am not a liar,” so far so good—but such righteousness does not exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees—and they cannot enter the kingdom of God!

Remember, Jesus did not say, “You are my friends if you don’t break my commands.” Rather, we are His friends if do what He commands. Time and time again, the Scriptures encourage us to sow our seed by giving food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, and clothes to the naked (Matthew 25:35-36). Jesus made the importance of obedience very clear to those who have been given the title friend: “Let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:14).

On Friday, we’ll look at the final aspect of this glorious title of friend of God: His Declaration.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

This week I would like to encourage you by explaining the exalted title that God has given to all those whom He has brought into the kingdom of the Son He loves. I plan to break this message down into three parts: The Dignity . . . Our Duty . . . and His Declaration. All three messages are rooted in this passage from the inspired pen of the apostle John:

My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command. I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. (John 15:12-15)

The Dignity

Let me start by asking you this question: What would you say is the greatest title in all of sacred Scripture that can be given to man? Is it that of a prophet—the advocate for God before the people? Is it a priest—the advocate for the people before God? Is it a king—the authority of God over the people?

The answer is, “None of the above.” The greatest title anyone can receive is FRIEND OF GOD.

As great as any of those first three titles (prophet, priest, or king) would be, none of them compares to the dignity of being called a friend of God. Scripture recounts the lives of dozens of prophets, priests, and kings, but only two men in all of holy writ have been set apart with the exalted appellation of “friend.” In Exodus we read, “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as one speaks to a friend” (Exodus 33:11). And the prophet Isaiah tells us, “You, Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen, you descendants of Abraham my friend . . .” (Isaiah 41:8).

I’m sure none of us would entertain the notion even for a moment that we are the kind of person who would be considered worthy to be regarded as possessing the same faith and commitment as Abraham or Moses . . . and yet we have just seen that Jesus has said “You are my friends . . . I have called you friends.” If you have, by grace through faith, placed your trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, you can be considered a friend of God . . . and there is no greater title that can be given to you!

I hope you’ll be encouraged this day, regardless of what challenges you may be facing in your personal or professional life. You are a friend of God, and, as God’s friend, you know that He will eventually work all things for your good . . . even those things that don’t feel “good” right now! You have His Word on it.

On Wednesday we will look at Part 2: Our Duty.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

Today is perhaps the one day of the year that is least likely to display the Christmas spirit. Yet today, “Black Friday” 2016, marks the annual kick-off to the Christmas holiday season. How ironic!

The on-line dictionary defines “irony” as the expression of one’s meaning by using language that normally signifies the opposite; an event that seems deliberately contrary to what one expects and is often amusing as a result.

When you think about it, the word “irony” really applies to the idea of “Black Friday.” It’s pretty hard to demonstrate the Christmas spirit after you’ve camped out all night in front of the store you have identified as offering the “best deal” on the Christmas gifts you’re looking to buy. That would make me a bit cranky!

Many years ago, my beloved Kim encouraged me to go early in the morning—very early in the morning—to snag a deal on something she spotted in a flyer. I set the alarm and got to the store two hours before it was scheduled to open, only to discover a line that wrapped around the store, a line made up of people who had spent the night outside the store. As for me, after only waiting for a few hours and finally getting to the open doors to actually enter the store, I was lacking a bit of the Christmas spirit, if the truth be known!

So let me encourage you today, whether you are camping out overnight or sitting it out at home, let this day mark the beginning of the Christmas spirit in each one of us. And what does that Christmas spirit look like? Exactly the opposite of Black Friday. Christmas is about giving and Black Friday is about getting. God gave us the greatest gift ever in giving us the Savior, which is Christ the Lord.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16)

It is not uncommon to hear this question throughout Christmas day and during the days that immediately follow it: “What did you get?” Because Christmas marks the birth of our Lord Jesus Christ, the better question would be, “What did you give?” The Christmas spirit is about giving for the glory of God and the good of others. The Christmas spirit is rooted in being “other-oriented,” which is so contrary to our human nature. It takes a work of God’s grace to help us to turn outward and upward, rather than collapse inward.

So . . . how are you doing with your Christmas spirit? If you are heading out for some of those deals today, just remember to take Jesus along for the ride. Keeping Him in view will go a long way toward keeping you centered in the Christmas spirit . . . not only today, but all the way through this Christmas season.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

As we prepare for Thanksgiving Day tomorrow, I thought we would do well to meditate on “Expressions Of Thanks-Living.” On Monday I explained Thanks-Living with our words; today we’ll look at expressing our thanks with our works. As I said on Monday, all of this is rooted in Ephesians 5:20.

[A]lways giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Expressions with Works

As we saw on Monday, we express our thanksgiving to God with our words, and our words are to be matched with our works. In short, our walk is to match our talk. The Reformers of the 16^th century were fond of saying, “We are saved by faith alone, but not a faith that is alone.” I have said it here many times: God does not in any way “need” our good works, but everyone around us absolutely does! And there is no better way to demonstrate that we belong to God than when we are serving others.

The way Paul opened his letter to the Philippians would be well said of all of us.

Paul and Timothy, servants of Christ Jesus. (Philippians 1:1)

Could your name be plugged in for Timothy’s? How would those around you respond to that question as it relates to you? Jesus came to serve, not to be served (Mark 10:45), and this is to be the confession of the lives of all those who are His. Remember, Jesus said that if we want to be great we must serve. Service is the key that unlocks the door to living a life of significance. Think about the happiest, most joy-filled people you know. Is it not because they live lives marked by service to others?

Here is a verse that we should all keep in view.

[H]ow God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good . . . (Acts 10:38)

The entire life of our Lord Jesus Christ was marked by service. He “went around doing good”—healing the sick, feeding the hungry, comforting the brokenhearted, and ultimately giving His life as a ransom for all those who would believe in Him.

When we realize just how blessed we are, we will spend our lives blessing others. Salvation, rightly understood, makes the believer so “other-oriented” that what we are by nature (self-absorbed) begins to be exchanged for self-sacrifice. As our Lord did, we begin laying our lives down for others.

So . . . is your life marked by going around and doing good?

Thanksgiving is on our calendar tomorrow. But for the Christian, every day is to be a day of “Thanks-Living,” and our gratitude is to be expressed to all those we come in contact with by both our words and our works.

Happy Thanksgiving! And may each day after be marked by expressions Of Thanks-Living.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

We have arrived at Thanksgiving week, and I thought I would share a few thoughts under the heading “Expressions Of Thanks-Living.” Today we’ll look at expressions with words, and Wednesday we’ll examine expressions with works. Both these ideas are rooted in the following verse:

[A]lways giving thanks to God the Father for everything, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:20)

Remember, the Lord Jesus Christ demonstrated who He was with both His words and His works; as His disciples, we are to do the same.

Expressions with Words

The first way we are to express our thanks to God is with the words we speak. We all must take inventory of our language and see if the words we speak let those who are listening know just how thankful we are to God for all we have been given. It is all too easy to be very thankful for the many good gifts we have received, without ever expressing our thanks to the One who gave them to us! We must remember that all good gifts are from above . . .

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows. (James 1:17)

Here is a great question to consider with Thanksgiving only three days away; Paul asked it of the Christians at Corinth: “What do you have that you did not receive?” (1 Corinthians 4:7). The answer, of course, is nothing! Everything we have has been given to us by our great and gracious and loving God. Our families are a gift from God. Our careers are a gift from God. Our health is a gift from God. Our education is a gift from God. Everything is a gift from God, including our very next breath and the very next beat of our hearts. The words we speak should shout to those around us just how thankful we are to God for the countless good gifts we have received.

Did you know that the Bible even tells us to thank our God in song? Yes, that’s right! When you sing praises to God, you are being obedient! We are not just invited to sing our praise to God, we are commanded to do it—even those of us who don’t have the gift of song!

Even while languishing in the belly of a great fish, Jonah sang a song of thanksgiving (Jonah 2:9). And the New Testament underscores this holy obligation:

Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God. (Colossians 3:16)

Do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart. (Ephesians 5:18-19)

Having musical children, I always feel so blessed to hear them singing praises to God, whether on the praise team at our church or around the house. Make no mistake, our God delights in hearing heartfelt praise expressed in words that are both spoken and sung.

But, as important as our words are, there is another very important aspect to Thanks-living. Come back Wednesday for Part II, when we will take a look at our expressions with works.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

In God’s economy, the way up is always down. I know that is a counterintuitive idea, but it is the Gospel truth.

All those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted. (Luke 18:14)

This verse concludes The Parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector (Luke 18:9-14). Jesus tells the story of two men who went up to the temple to pray and went home on two very different paths: one path leading to eternal life and the other leading to eternal destruction.

Now, if we were all truly honest and would take just a moment to examine our own hearts, it would not be that difficult to humble ourselves. How often we think things we ought not think . . . say things we ought not say . . . and do things we ought not do. What a mistake to enter into the presence of God like the Pharisee, who boasted about himself, saying, “God, I thank you that I am not like other men.”

But for those of us who appraise ourselves honestly, as the lowly tax collector did, we know the way up is always down. Deep down, we know the truth: we are sinners, both by nature and by habit, and we desperately need a Savior—not just at the moment of our conversion, but moment-by-moment all the days of our lives. We cry out all day long, “God be merciful to me, the sinner!”

The promise in this parable is truly incredible. God will exalt all those who humble themselves. Think about it this way: is there any reason for us to be proud? Is there anything we have that we have not been given? No matter how much someone might think he is a “self-made man,” all that was “made” was made by the One who gives him life and breath and everything else.

The great 19^th-century preacher, Charles Spurgeon, put it this way: “Oh Lord, sink me in self that I may rise in You.” There it is! Humility is not a work to be done in our strength; it is always and only to be done in the strength of the Almighty. The natural man wants to rise to the top and shout “Look at me!” Only the gracious strength of God will change the heart of the natural man so that he can say along with Spurgeon, “Sink me in self that I may rise in You!”

So . . . not knowing where this finds you today, can you say these words to your Lord? Which one of the two men who went up to the temple to pray do you most identify with? What would those closest to you say? Remember this truth about humility: it is not thinking less of yourself; it is simply thinking about yourself less! We should not think less of ourselves because we are children of the Most High God. But what we should be doing is thinking about ourselves less and thinking about our God more.

This is the place of peace. This is where meaning and significance are found. This is the great purpose and end of life. When we focus on God, we simply cannot focus on ourselves. When we get out of God’s way, we will see that the only way up is down.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

It is wonderfully inspiring—and often quite humbling—to read through the pages of sacred Scripture and see the example of some of the giants of the faith. The challenge is to remember that they were all flawed, many of them badly so, and were not nearly as “heroic” as we might want to think.

There is only one true hero in the Bible, and there is really only one example we should be following, as much as it is within our power to do so.

I have set the Lord always before me. With him at my right hand, I will not be shaken. (Psalm 16:8)

The very first thing the psalmist tells us is that he intentionally looked to the Lord as his Everlasting Example. There was no wavering between two opinions for the psalmist. He simply resolved to set the Lord before him, and no thing and no one other than the Lord.

Notice next the word “always.” The psalmist did not set the Lord before him on occasion; he set the Lord before him always. And what was the result of always setting the Lord before him? He knew that He could not be shaken.

Our Everlasting Example is the only place we will find everything we need to get through this life. When you set the Lord before you, regardless of the circumstances of life, you will not be overcome by them. Storm winds blow, but your Everlasting Example is in the storm with you, keeping your feet on solid ground.

I don’t want you to miss an incredible result of setting the Lord always before you: He will seem as near to you as your own right hand. Now, of course, God is always that close to us because He has promised to never leave nor forsake us. He is the Friend who sticks closer than a brother. But when we set other things before us, we lose that sense of intimacy and connection with God. At that level of living, we find ourselves disconnected from our source of life.

The gospels paint a beautiful, compelling picture of the life of our Lord, and I recognize none of us will live up to that standard. If we could, we would not need a Savior! But we can be encouraged by the life our Lord lived, knowing that He now lives in us by way of the Holy Spirit. Knowing that Jesus got up early to pray can encourage us to get up early to pray. Knowing that it was Jesus’ custom to go to synagogue can encourage us to go to church. Knowing that Jesus ministered to the brokenhearted can encourage us to minister to the brokenhearted.

What a life we would live with Jesus always set before us! What joys we would experience! What sins we would overcome! What virtues we would put on display! What a difference we would make in the lives of others if our Everlasting Example was always set before us! Remember, something will always be set before you. The eyes of our desire will always be on something or someone. You must be like the psalmist; you must be intentional and fix your eyes on Jesus. The more you do this, the more you will grow into the person God is calling you to be.

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

One of our family’s very favorite places to go is Walt Disney World. In fact, that is where I asked Kim to marry me and where we went for our honeymoon. Every year since, we have gone with our growing family, now numbering six of us. One thing that Kim and I have noticed along the way is the ever-growing price of admission. What started in the mid $30.00 range back in the 90’s has now increased to more than $100.00 for a single day, one-park pass.

It’s not just Disney, of course; the cost of everything has gone up. But did you know there is one admission ticket that is exactly the same price today as it was when it was first offered centuries ago?

It is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God—not by works, so that no one can boast. (Ephesians 2:9-10)

Now, that’s enough to get you to sit up and take notice, isn’t it? The price of admission to enter the Master’s Kingdom—not the Magic Kingdom—is the same today as it has always been: it’s absolutely free!

Now, let me be clear. The price of admission for those who enter is free, but it was not without cost for the One who has given us access to it. Our Lord Jesus Christ paid an unimaginable price to purchase our admission into the kingdom of God! He endured the wrath of God on our behalf, shed His precious blood, and ultimately gave His life . . . for you and for me.

Without the price of admission paid by our Lord, no one could possibly gain entrance into heaven. The door is shut on sinners, because the wages of sin is death. But Jesus came into this world and paid the full and complete price of our admission. He paid it with His life. He paid it with His death. And He paid it with His resurrection. And He paid it in full for you and all those who place their trust in Him.

In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. (Ephesians 1:7-8)

That is the good news of the Gospel. It was not our merit; it was God’s mercy that purchased our ticket into paradise. It was not our good works; it was God’s grace that purchased our ticket into paradise. It is all of God because it is all of grace, and God’s grace is a free gift. You don’t pay for a gift. You don’t work for a gift. It is simply given. But it is only given to those who acknowledge they cannot receive it any other way than by trusting in Christ alone. What a great comfort to know that Jesus paid the price of our admission into a life of eternal bliss!

If you know this truth and have received it, by grace through faith, perhaps you could share it with someone who does not know it. With the price of admission going up and up and up for everything else in this world, it is a tremendous comfort to know that the price of admission into paradise has never changed . . . it’s FREE!

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!

I want to ask you a question that really changed my life when it was first put to me all the way back in the late 1970’s:

What would you attempt to do if you knew you could not fail?

Whether you have heard that question before or not, I encourage you to take a few moments to really marinate in it. If you were absolutely certain you would be successful, what would you attempt to do?

Lest you think that this is one of those worldly questions from the field of positive thinking and self-help, let me remind you of the following biblical truth:

I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. (Philippians 4:13)

The apostle Paul is telling us that there is some kind of special power we have because we are children of the Most High God. And notice what Paul does not say: he does not say, “I can do some things through Christ who strengthens me.” Rather, Paul says we can do “all things”!

Now, before you think you can fly and proceed to jump off the roof of your home, let me quickly unpack the truth of this verse. The “all things” Paul speaks of are all the things God has ordained for us to do in His timing and in His strength. These are the “good works” God has prepared in advance for us (Ephesians 2:10) that we are to be doing all the way into glory.

Paul knew God would not have called him to his ministry without giving him everything he would need in order to accomplish it. Paul faced some extremely difficult and dangerous circumstances as he was preaching the good news of the Gospel. But Paul knew that God would give him all the strength he needed to fight the good fight of faith and finish his race. Paul knew that “all things” were all the things God had called him to do in expanding the first-century church until he had completed his work.

The challenge for many in the church today is that they have substituted “a few things” for “all things.” We minimize our impact in this world by limiting God’s work in our lives. We have a tendency to give God only a portion of our lives and therefore look for God to do only “a few things” through us. Remember, the first-century church turned the world upside down because they lived out the truth of “ALL things.” They surrendered control of their lives to God and changed the course of history, knowing that God would make good on His promise.

So . . . it sounds like there are some things that, if we attempted to do them, we absolutely could not fail to accomplish because of our relationship with Christ. What would one of those “all things” be for you today? Start a business? Share the Gospel? Mend a broken relationship? Go back to school? The difference between “a few things” and “all things” is the difference between living a life of mediocrity and a life of mastery for the glory of the Master. What will you choose today?

This is the Gospel. This is grace for your race. NEVER FORGET THAT . . . AMEN!