Category Archives: General

Friday, June 6, 2014

Let me ask you a question: “As it relates to God’s providence—especially painful ones—do you grumble against it or humble yourself under it?”

Here is wise counsel from the apostle Peter:

All of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time.(1 Peter 5:5-6)

By nature, you and I are far more likely to grumble under God’s mighty hand of providence than to humble ourselves. We resist, rather than receive, what God delivers to us as part of His perfect plan for our lives. We are very much like the children of Israel in their Exodus experience, who rumbled, bumbled, and stumbled through the wilderness, grumbling every step of the way!

But this is not for you!God gives grace to those who humble themselves, regardless of the circumstances God sends their way. In stormy seasons, humility is the mark of the surrendered Christian. If we believe that what is happening to us is the result of random chance, we will not be able to humble ourselves. We will believe we have every right to grumble against our God.

But when we understand the doctrine of the sovereignty of God and know beyond a shadow of any doubt that God is ultimately in control of all things (Romans 11:36)—in other words, that nothing happens to us that first doesn’t pass through His nail-scarred hands—we can surrender our will to His will and humble ourselves under His mighty hand.

There are many wonderful examples in sacred Scripture of giants of the faith who understood this truth and humbled themselves under God’s hand of providence. Joseph saw God’s hand working behind his wicked brothers, who hated him enough to throw him into a well, thinking to kill him, and then decided to sell him into slavery.

Years later, when God had raised Joseph up to be the prime minister of Egypt, his brothers came cowering before him, offering themselves to Joseph in slavery. Joseph could have spoken a word and had his brothers executed or sent to a hideous dungeon. Instead he spoke kindly to them, saying:

“Don’t be afraid. Am I in the place of God? You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good to accomplish what is now being done, the saving of many lives.” (Genesis 50:19-20)

Joseph understood that God was the decretive first cause behind the painful providence, which was delivered through his self-righteous and sinful brothers. He knew God had the power to stop them in their tracks if He so wished . . . but He did not. So instead of grumbling under God’s mighty hand, Joseph humbled himself. I’m sure he did not understand the “why” all along the way, but He knew God was in control of all of it and would ultimately work all things together for Joseph’s good and God’s glory. And that is exactly what happened!

Only a firm grasp of this truth will allow us to humble ourselves under God’s mighty hand, rather than grumble when things don’t go our way.

Humble or grumble? The choice is always ours.

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

Wednesday, June 4, 2014

As a child of the Most High God, do you fully understand the scope of the story you have been engrafted into? Many people don’t. Let’s take a look.

• In the beginning everything was good.
• In the Garden of Eden everything went bad. Sin, Satan, and death took center stage.
• In that same Garden, God promised to send us a Redeemer.

For centuries, all creation longed for this promised Redeemer who would come and take everything bad and make it good. This Redeemer finally came in the person of Jesus Christ. During His brief stay on earth, He healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, made the lame walk, raised the dead to life, and preached the Gospel to everyone around Him. Then He did what only He could do: He went to the cross to take the place of sinners—sinners like you and me—and pay the penalty for all their sins in full. He lived the life that sinners can never live and died the death sinners should have died.

And if that isn’t amazing enough, it got even better on the third day, when a dead man got up and walked out of His grave. Christ’s resurrection is God’s stamp of approval on His sinless life and sacrificial death. Jesus has achieved victory over sin, Satan, and death itself. And before He ascended into heaven to sit at the right hand of God the Father, He commissioned His disciples to take His Good News and preach it to every creature, both near and far. And this, beloved, is a glimpse of the scope of the greatest story ever told, a story that has been given to those who have trusted in Jesus as Lord and Savior.

His calling gives our lives purpose, meaning, and significance. We have been given the great privilege to be His ambassadors in this world; we are called to share His Word and teach His truth.

So . . . is the life you are living right now reflective of your understanding the scope of His story? We have been given the words of eternal life to share with all those with whom we come in contact. We have been given the authority to speak these words into the lives of others. And we have been given the promise that God’s Word will not return to Him empty, but it will accomplish what He desires and achieve the purpose for which He sent it. (Isaiah 55:11).

The scope of His story is absolutely spectacular! As we preach the good news of our grave-conquering King who promises eternal life to all those who believe in Him by faith, we can be confident that He will accomplish His perfect purpose: to graft others into the scope of His glorious story of amazing grace.

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

Monday, June 2, 2014

Often initiated by uttering the phrase “Give me five” or “High five,” the high five is a hand gesture in which two participants raise their hands and slap open palms together as a sign of celebration and/or encouragement. At Cross Community Church, there is a lot of high-fiving going on with both the young and the old; we are excited about what God is doing!

Did you know there are “holy high fives” throughout the Scriptures? From “In the beginning God” (Genesis 1:1) to “Yes, I am coming soon” (Revelation 22:20), our God offers eternal encouragement to His people. Here is one such word of comfort:

May our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by his grace gave us eternal encouragement and good hope, encourage your hearts and strengthen you in every good deed and word. (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)

Does anyone need a little encouragement today? God sends encouragement to His people in a variety of ways and forms—through people, places, things, and events. Sometimes we are encouraged by the presence of an old friend . . . by a familiar place . . . by a sound, song, or sight.

Encouragement is all around us if we will but look for it. And we can find no better place of eternal encouragement than in the Scriptures themselves. The Word of God is a treasure trove of total truth that brings with it good hope and great peace, which are realized through a growing knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

If you are feeling weak today, go to His Word and He will give you strength. If you are feeling low today, go to His Word and He will lift you up (James 4:10). If you are feeling anxious today, go to His Word and He will give you the peace that passes all understanding (Philippians 4:7). If you are feeling lonely today, go to His Word and He will pour His presence into you (John 14:18). If you are feeling sick today, go to His Word and He will be your healing balm of Gilead (Jeremiah 8:22). There is no end to the water of refreshment in the well of His Word!

Our God is an awesome God who offers a never-ending supply of supernatural encouragement for His people. Whatever ails you today, there is comfort to be found in His Word. Cast your care upon Christ today, weary traveler, because He cares for you and stands at the ready to give you a “holy high five” that will encourage your heart and strengthen you in every good deed.

“Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved” (Psalm 55:22 ESV). So you see. . . you have His Word on it!

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

Friday, May 30, 2014

When is sitting actually standing tall? When we are sitting at the feet of Jesus! Mary understood this truth; Martha did not:

As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord’s feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, “Lord, don’t you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!”

“Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” (Luke 10:38-42)

Notice that Jesus did not praise Mary merely for sitting down or sitting still. Mary was praised for sitting at the feet of Jesus . . . and that is the time when sitting is standing tall.

Both sisters were working to prepare their home to receive Jesus. The difference between Martha and Mary lay in the fact that Mary knew when it was time to stop working and sit at the feet of her Lord and Master. Do we?

I am painfully aware that there are many in the church today who neglect their duties; they are sitting when they should be standing and serving. But there are some who, like Martha, are always working, working, working, and never taking time to sit at the feet of Jesus. It’s important to note that Jesus was not praising Mary for neglecting devotion to her sister or any of her responsibilities in the home. Our Lord praised Mary for recognizing that there is a time to work and a time to sit . . . and only those who are in close communion with Him can discern the difference.

So . . . when was the last time you took the time to sit at the feet of Jesus? We can become so encumbered with all the work that has to be done. I know this truth personally as a pastor; I’ve written this blog as much for myself as for any of you. It is very easy to become so consumed by service to our Savior that we miss out in sitting as His feet . . . listening to His voice . . . experiencing His love and grace.

We must remember Jesus’s words to worker bee Martha: “Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.” I pray that our Lord may say this about you and me on a daily basis—that we have chosen what is better. And I pray that “what is better” will not be taken away from us by anything that would work to disrupt our intimacy, fellowship, and communion with Jesus.

Sitting is standing tall when we realize that only one thing is truly needed . . . and His name is Jesus!

If you should happen to be visiting this blog for the first time, it is my prayer that you understand that the name of Jesus is the only name under heaven by which you may be saved (Acts 4:12). There is no good work or service—nor even a lifetime of good works—that will make you acceptable in God’s sight. It is by grace alone, through faith alone in Jesus Christ alone, that we receive the gift of eternal life. That is not the “better” way; it is the only way!

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

Wednesday, May 28, 2014

In the Lord’s Prayer we utter these words:

“Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven!”(Matthew 6:10 KJV)

Many of us have been reciting these words since we were children . . . but do we really know what we are praying for? Do we understand how dangerous and radical these words really are? Do we realize how the truth of these words actually lived out in our lives would turn our world upside down?

Why is this so? Because, as children of Adam and Eve, our sinful nature would infinitely prefer to build our own little kingdom, rather than build the Kingdom of God. And this self-centeredness does not cease when God grants us the faith to become children of Abraham (Galatians 3:7); even after we are saved by God’s grace, that old sin nature still fights to continue construction on its little kingdom of one (Galatians 5:17).

So . . . what kingdom have you been building lately? “Thy” kingdom? . . . or “my” kingdom?

You won’t know whose kingdom you are advancing simply by measuring it against the challenges, obstacles, persecutions, and storms you may be facing. Just because it’s hard doesn’t mean you’re doing God’s work! Everyone on this side of the grave faces trials for countless reasons. But when you face these difficulties for the glory of Jesus Christ, you can be sure you are working toward the expansion of His Kingdom and not yours.

Working for the expansion of God’s kingdom means death—death to self and our own desires. Instead of ordering our own lives, we take our orders from another . . . and His name is Jesus Christ. He tells us to go where we often would rather not go. He tells us to speak up when we would rather remain silent. He tells us to plug into the lives of others when we would rather remain unplugged. Yet it is only in this kind of death that we actually find life! Death to self leads to life in our Savior, and life in our Savior leads to expanding His Kingdom, not ours.

When we earnestly pray for God’s kingdom to come we are asking God to reorient our hearts away from the love of self to the love of God and others—all others! And it is only the grace of God that can accomplish the monumental task of removing self from the throne of life and putting Jesus there.

As a pastor, I often coach others through difficulties in life; people will ask me, “How do I overcome this?” I’ll often encourage them to unpack this portion of the Lord’s Prayer. This is the place where we begin to slay the sin in our hearts. Desiring God’s will above our own is the secret to slaying sin—all sin—as we surrender control of our lives to the One who nailed them all to a cross.

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

Americans celebrate Memorial Day on the final Monday in May; it is a day set aside for remembering the men and women who died while serving in the Armed Forces. Originally called Decoration Day, the observance began in the late 1800s and was designated to commemorate the Union and Confederate soldiers who died in the War Between the States. After the First World War, the name was changed to Memorial Day and the observance extended to honor every American soldier who died while serving our nation in all military engagements.

One of the great privileges I have as senior pastor of Cross Community Church is to set aside time every year on the Sunday before Memorial Monday remember all those who have given up so much for our freedom. We can never fully comprehend the ultimate sacrifice they paid on our behalf, but we can certainly pause from our weekly worship routine to offer a simple and heartfelt “thank you.”

We also take the time to honor every American veteran who stood in the gap for us to hold aloft the banner of the freedom under which we gather weekly to worship our God. We believe it is both a delight and a duty to thank all those who have returned from defending our great nation. Almost every one of them has been wounded in some way by what they witnessed, walked in, and went through. Some of those veterans are now dealing with physical challenges; others are burdened with emotional challenges; and still others are struggling with mental challenges. All of them deserve to be part of a moment in which we pause and simply say, “THANK YOU!”

To be sure, we can never repay them for their sacrifice, and simply saying “Thank you” doesn’t seem like enough, but it is something we should all do—not only this day, but every day. Jesus said,

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.  (John 15:12-14)

Who better to speak of sacrifice than our Sacrificial Lamb? Jesus calls it a “greater love” when we are willing to lay down our lives for others. Every fallen American soldier has demonstrated this greater love for all of us. Let us give God praise and thanks for their willingness to lavish this greater love on us.

And yet, in Christ we see an even higher, more exalted love. We see the Good Shepherd’s humble willingness to lay His life down for His sheep. “He humbled himself,” Scripture tells us, “and became obedient to death — even death on a cross!” (Philippians 2:8). The very essence of self-sacrifice and sacrificial love is found in Christ alone. And there is something truly amazing to notice about the sacrifice of our Savior. Unlike those who sacrificed their lives for their “friends” (fellow man), Christ sacrificed Himself for His enemies!

For if, when we were God’s enemies, we were reconciled to him through the death of his Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through his life!  (Romans 5:10)

Once you were alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.  (Colossians 1:21)

It’s one thing to lay down your life for a friend, but it’s another thing altogether to do if for your enemy . . . and that is exactly what we were when Jesus took our place and died on our cross. We were rebels running from our Savior, not toward Him. We were clinging to the throne of our lives, with no thought whatsoever of relinquishing the throne to Jesus.

Yet in spite of our unwavering enmity toward our Savior, He laid down His life for us. WOW! Truly this is a love that we simply cannot fully comprehend. A love so amazing that it would die for its enemies.

So on this Memorial Day, let us remember all those brave men and women of our armed forces who gave their all for our freedom. Let us honor their memory by doing all we can to support all those who are currently serving in our armed forces around the globe, as well as all of our returning veterans and their families.

And as we remember our veterans, let us also remember our Lord Jesus Christ and the unimaginable sacrifice He offered on our behalf. Remember that He took our beating, our mocking, our nails, our crown of thorns, our forsaking by the Father, and ultimately our death . . . all so that we who believe in Him by faith might have eternal life.

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

Have you been working out lately? I’ve worked as a coach, martial artist, and trainer of athletes for decades, so when I ask those who know me this question, they immediately think I’m talking about going to the gym or some kind of physical work out.

To be sure, exercise is a good thing. Scripture tells us . . .

“Physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.”(1 Timothy 4:8)

But as you can see, the Bible also tells us there is a better thing: godliness. Godliness is something we are called by God to grow in.

“Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed–not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence–continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose.” (Philippians 2:12-13)

Here we see two different kinds of workouts that are part of our spiritual growth and maturity. The first “work out” is our responsibility and calling from God. The second “work out” is actually a “work in,” and this is God’s role alone. To be sure, godliness is all of God’s grace. Without God’s grace, we cease to exist. Yet God is calling us to participate in the process of growing up into Christ and maturing in our faith. The Holy Spirit not only works in us, but with us, as we work out our salvation.

Now, take note of what the passage does not say: it does not say that we are to work for our salvation. Salvation is a free gift of God in Christ Jesus. When Jesus said “It is finished,” he meant what He said! There is nothing we can add to His finished work in our salvation. In a physical workout we exercise to develop our body, not to get a body. In the very same way, in our spiritual “work out” we develop strength in our salvation; we aren’t working to get our salvation.

What a great privilege we have been given by God to participate in our spiritual growth! The words with “fear and trembling” in Philippians 2:12 simply mean we are to take our “work out” seriously. We are to work at it on a consistent basis, with great effort and intensity. Just as physical workouts strengthen the body, spiritual “work outs” strengthen the soul.

So . . . how have your “work outs” been going lately? Remember that all of this is done, not in our own strength, but in His strength. He has more than enough strength to keep us going all the way into glory.

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

The Lord Jesus Christ is many things to His precious people. He is Creator, Sustainer, Master, Mediator, Messiah, Lord, Light, Life, Protector, Advocate, Rock, Redeemer, Savior, Shield, Bridegroom, Brother, and Friend.

Friend? The King of kings and Lord of lords is our friend? Yes, and not just our friend, but our Best Friend! Jesus said to His disciples:

“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 15:15)

In the times of the Old Testament, only a very special few had the privilege of being designated as friends of God. Scripture describes both Abraham (James 2:23) and Moses (Exodus 33:11) as “friends of God.” The Lord referred to David as “a man after my own heart” (Acts 13:22).

But all that changed through the cross work of Christ. When the veil in the holy temple was torn from top to bottom on Good Friday, everything about our access to God changed! Direct and immediate access to God was available once again, just as it was for Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. We no longer need a priest to approach the throne of God on our behalf. We may now “approach the throne of grace with confidence,” as Hebrews 4:16 assures us, “so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

In John 15:15, the Greek word used for friend is much deeper than our general understanding of the word friend today. Jesus was not talking about a casual, “Hey, how-ya-doin?” relationship, but rather a deeply intimate covenant friendship that is marked by unconditional love, unwavering devotion, and total trust.

One of the best ways to demonstrate that we are pursuing this kind of intimate relationship with Jesus is by the amount of time we spend with Him. Is He simply an item on your “things-to-do” list, to be checked off each day? Or is He sitting atop the throne of your life as your highest priority?

To be sure, Jesus wants us to have a daily time of devotion with Him, but that is only the beginning. He wants all of us! He wants to be invited into every aspect of our lives, into every corner of our thoughts. He wants us to be focused on Him when we rise up and when we lie down, when we walk along the way and when we sit down to rest.

In his marvelous little book, Practicing the Presence of God, Brother Lawrence, a 17^th-century monk who worked as a cook in a French monastery, provided great insight into turning the most commonplace and menial tasks into acts of worship, praise, and communion with God. Friendship with God for Brother Lawrence was not about what he was doing for God, but what he was doing with God and the attitude of thanksgiving that he brought to everything he did.

Please don’t think I am telling you to get away from your daily “quiet time” to get with God. It is good to carve out a specific portion of each day to spend concentrated time with our Lord, but remember that this is only the starting line, not the entire race! When we practice the presence of God in all our daily routines, we will develop a friendship with Jesus that will surpass all others!

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

What constitutes a good work in the eyes of God? I believe the 18^th-Century English pastor Abraham Booth put it best:

To constitute a work that is truly good, it must be done from a RIGHT PRINCIPLE (the love of God), performed by a RIGHT RULE (God’s revealed will in sacred Scripture), for a RIGHT END (God’s glory).”

I don’t think those words can be improved on, do you? To be sure, even our “good works” are like filthy rags in God’s sight (Isaiah 64:6), because we stain even the best actions with mixed motives and less than perfect performance. Yet Booth clearly explained the foundation upon which a good work must be built: for the love of God, by the Word of God, to the glory of God.

So . . . how are you doing in this area? What has been your motivation for living a life that is pleasing to God? Hope of reward for doing good? Fear of consequences if you don’t succeed? The apostle Paul makes it clear there is a better way, a far better way.

“Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died. And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.” (2 Corinthians 5:14-15)

Notice the ultimate why behind all the what that we do: that why is the love of Christ. We are not motivated by a fear of consequences, nor are we inspired by a hope of reward. The love of Christ is the ultimate motivation to live the life God has both called and equipped us to live.

The best way to keep the love of Christ before us is to keep the cross before us. While we were still sinners, Jesus demonstrated His love for us on that cross by dying in our place. Jesus made it clear that there is no greater love we can demonstrate for someone than to lay down our lives for that person (John 15:13). And that is exactly what Jesus Christ did for us on the hill Golgotha.

Beloved, keeping this truth in view will keep your works good in the eyes of God, because they will be done from a right principle, performed by a right rule, for a right end. And that is what makes a work good!

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

I know that I have written many times about the sin of pride being expressed by the sin of comparison. One of the best examples of this in all of sacred Scripture is found in the parable of the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.

The Pharisee stood up and prayed about himself: “God, I thank you that I am not like other men–robbers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector. I fast twice a week and give a tenth of all I get.” (Luke 18:11-12)

This Pharisee is the perfect example of what we are not to do in relationship with others. Instead of praying up to God, he was looking down on others—all others. But there is a time when comparing yourself to others is NOT a sin: that is when we follow the example of the apostle Paul.

“Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me; to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ.” (Ephesians 3:8)

Paul looked around, and everywhere he looked he saw himself as “less than the least of all God’s people.” Paul was expressing the depth of his absolute amazement in the God who would call him to be an apostle. Paul knew he was an apostle only as a result of God’s unmerited, undeserved favor. In Paul’s eyes, everyone else would have been a better candidate. And so he readily acknowledged that his ministry was simply because of the grace of God that had been poured out into his life.

Paul expressed this grace two other times in the most remarkable ways. In 1 Corinthians 15:9 he stated, “I am the least of the apostles and do not even deserve to be called an apostle.” Later, he wrote to Timothy, “Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners—of whom I am the chief” (1 Timothy 1:15).

So . . . how do you see yourself in comparison to others? Can you compare yourself to others and not sin, because you see yourself as the least of God’s people—perhaps even as the chief sinner? To be sure, this humility is a wonderful grace from God, and it is available to every one of us if we understand that God’s grace is sufficient for our insufficiency and inadequacy.

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