Category Archives: General

I, Paul, write this greeting in my own hand.  Remember my chains.  Grace be with you. (Colossians 4:18)

There are a variety of ways to define the word “memorial,” but for our purpose today, this one is best: Serving to help people remember some person — namely, Jesus Christ! For the Christian, there are three ways to memorialize our Master:

• With our speech
• In our service
• Through our suffering

Years of serving as a pastor and walking through the details of life with countless Christians whom God has given me the privilege of ministering to have convinced me that the true strength of our devotion to our Master is not displayed by our speech or our service, but in our sufferings. Think of the great apostle Paul and the magnificent memorials regarding his Master that he left behind for all the world to read and remember. Paul gave many powerful speeches and sermons; he left some magnificent miracles; but above it all, Paul left us countless chains, the chains of his imprisonment. His suffering surpassed everything else. Listen to these words from Paul:

Are they servants of Christ? I am more. I have worked much harder, been in prison more frequently, been exposed to death again and again. Five times I received from the Jews the forty lashes minus one. Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones, three times I was shipwrecked, I spent a night and a day in the open sea, I have been constantly on the move. I have been in danger from rivers, from bandits, from my fellow Jews, and Gentiles. I have labored and toiled and have often gone without sleep; I have known hunger and thirst and have often gone without food; I have been cold and naked.  (2 Corinthians 11:23-27)

To be sure, there are many ways to measure the depths of Paul’s devotion to Jesus, but nothing plumbs the depths of his suffering. And the same is true for every disciple of Christ, including you and me. Now, in our cultural context today, it may or may not mean the kind of physical suffering that the apostle Paul endured. We may not be shipwrecked or pelted with rocks like Paul, but as we memorialize our Master, we may very well be shunned. We may not be beaten with rods or in danger from rivers, but we can expect rejection. 

I will never forget something that one of my spiritual fathers, Dr. R. C. Sproul, said during a seminary class: “Tommy, when you are out in the world preaching the Gospel of Christ, if some people are not angry with you, one of two things has happened: Either they don’t understand what you are preaching or you are not preaching it!” The Gospel either attracts or repels, and it is our responsibility to share it with others, leaving the results to God.

So what memorials have you left regarding your devotion to Jesus? May God give us the strength to refuse to shrink back when our memorial comes in the form of suffering.

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

Wednesday, May 29, 2024

You must be born again. (John 3:7)

Every year our graduating high school students head off to college in search of a degree that will help open doors of opportunity in their chosen field. Some pick a particular path and pursue it until completion. Others make course corrections along the way until they find where they fit. But did you know that there is a degree available to everyone that transcends those from every college or university? It’s a B.A. from the College of Christ – Born Again!

Our text for today comes from the classic passage in the New Testament that recounts when Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader, came to Jesus under the cover of darkness and asked some deep questions. During that encounter, Jesus uttered those famous words, “You must be born again.” Nicodemus responded in a way that made it clear he didn’t understand what Jesus was talking about: “How can someone be born when they are old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely they cannot enter a second time into their mother’s womb to be born!” (John 3:4).

“You are Israel’s teacher,” Jesus said, “and do you not understand these things?” If Nicodemus did not understand what “born again” meant, he definitely did not understand why it was necessary. Let’s take a look at both of these issues.    

The phrase “born again” means to be born from above by the Almighty. In the College of Christ, everyone who believes that Jesus is the Messiah and trusts in His life, death, and resurrection is born again from above. Here are a few passages of Scripture that define this Divine Degree.

If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. (2 Corinthians 5:17-18)

He saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy.  (Titus 3:5)

Now that we have a basic understanding of the meaning of “born again,” we need to know why it is necessary. 

As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.  (Ephesians 2:1)

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (Romans 3:23-24)

Of all the degrees we might pursue through higher education, the only one that truly matters, the “highest” one of all, the summum bonum, comes from the College of Christ. But here is the greatest news of all: Unlike every other degree, which must be earned through your financial commitment and disciplined effort, your B.A. from the College of Christ is not earned, but bestowed on us by the grace of God alone, through faith in Jesus Christ alone, for the glory of God alone. That is the most important degree in the world – your B.A. – Born Again!

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

The next day Paul and Barnabas left for Derbe. They preached the gospel in that city and won a large number of disciples. Then they returned to Lystra. (Acts 14:20-21)

The apostle Paul and his companion Barnabas were sent by God to Lystra to preach the good news of the Gospel.  While there, they healed a man who had been crippled from birth. The crowds believed “the gods” had come down from heaven in the likeness of Paul and Barnabas, calling Barnabas Zeus and Paul Hermes. Paul and Barnabas were aghast at this and quickly corrected their misunderstanding. But while they were there, some of the Jews arrived from Antioch and stirred up the crowds to stone Paul; they dragged him out of the city, thinking he was dead. He was not! We read that “When the disciples gathered about him, he rose up and entered the city” (Acts 14:8-20).

The next day, Paul and Barnabas left for Derbe to preach and teach. Then something very strange happened: They went back to Lystra. Why? Because God had called them back to learn the lessons of Lystra. I want to share two of those lessons that God ordained for Paul and Barnabas to learn.

Lesson #1 — Learn from every defeat

We don’t often learn much when the sky is blue, the clouds are fleecy, and the sun is brightly shining. More often than not, God’s deep teachings are only absorbed on the other side of a devastating defeat. So we must seek to find the lesson in every defeat, letting the pain shape and mold us into the person God is calling us to be.

Lesson #2 — Return to some defeats

There are times when God calls us to return to a defeat because He intends to turn that defeat into a divine victory. This is not an easy thing for the natural man to do. When we are defeated, we would rather learn the lesson and get on with life. But sometimes God has determined to take us above and beyond a lesson and turn defeat into a divine victory. That is what God did for Paul and Barnabas, but they needed to be thinking supernaturally rather than naturally. 

Think back to the last time God determined that you needed to return to some particular defeat, rather than simply learn from it: A heated argument with a loved one . . . a broken relationship that needs to be made whole . . . a stronghold that has a stranglehold on you. God has ordained that the lesson alone will not lift you high enough; rather, you must return to rise above the defeat in order to receive the victory.

Return with a humble heart. Return with a contrite character. Return, despite the threat of a “second stoning,” knowing that God is with you every step of the way, just like He was with Paul and Barnabas. 

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

Dear friends, do not be surprised at the painful trial you are suffering, as though something strange were happening to you. (1 Peter 4:12)

In a fallen and broken world filled with fallen and broken people, one thing is certain: everybody suffers. From the loss of a relationship, a job, or a loved one to the more mundane but no less real experiences of loneliness, disappointment, or unmet expectations, every heart is hurting in one way or another. The Scriptures are unflinching in their assertion that the Christian life comes with sorrow and difficulty.

After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you into his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. (1 Peter 5:10).

Peter wrote to encourage believers who were often in the midst of unbearable suffering, and this passage provides us with four action words that God in Christ promises to perform in the lives of all those who faithfully follow wherever He is leading us:

Restore – God will eventually restore whatever we have lost for the glory of God and the expansion of His kingdom.

Confirm – God will give us truths that transform our lives, and those truths can come to us in no other way other than through suffering.

Strengthen – God will strengthen our resolve to keep getting up every time we are knocked down, conforming us more and more into the image and likeness of Jesus.

Establish – God is building our lives on rock, not sand, and this can only happen through the storms of life.

God has promised suffering with no particular time limit or level of intensity attached to it. Suffering may not cease; in fact, it may continue to intensify until you cross the Jordan. But He has also promised to restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish us for His glory and our ultimate good.

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

[Christ Jesus] made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death – even death on a cross! (Philippians 2:7-8)

When you hear the word “king,” what comes to mind? Many readers will likely think of words like power, privilege, wealth, excess, greed and nobility. But the true King is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and His life did not look anything like our mental picture of an earthly king. There may be no better word to characterize Jesus than humility.

In today’s passage, we see the ultimate act of humility in the life of Christ: Not only did He leave the glory of heaven to come to earth and live as a human, choosing to serve rather to be served (Matthew 20:28), but He gave His life in perfect obedience to the Father for our salvation. When Jesus willingly laid down His life for us on a cross, He demonstrated for all the world to see that He was the promised Suffering Servant the prophet Isaiah described:

Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities, the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:4-5)

Jesus left the glory of heaven, took on human flesh, embraced a life of rejection and persecution, and was ultimately mocked by sinful men, who jammed a crown of thorns onto His head and nailed Him to a wooden cross. Why did He submit to that horror? So that we who have trusted in Him can have eternal life. Accepting death on a cross was the ultimate demonstration of humility by our Humble King, and His Father in heaven placed His stamp of approval on the Son’s atoning work by raising Him from the dead.

Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. (Philippians 2:8-11)

Have you bowed your knee to this humble King? Have you confessed Him as your Lord and Savior? If not, there is no better time to do that than right now.

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

In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world. (John 16:33)

I think we would all agree that life presents us with more than its fair share of tough times. In today’s verse, Jesus flatly tells us that our lives will be challenging and marked by difficulties. So how do we “take heart”? How do we get through the troubles of life?

Spending time each day in the Word of God will bring you face to face with the only One who can lighten your load as the waves of challenge batter you throughout each day. Below are a few passages of Scripture to marinate in and meditate on that will give you the strength — not just to survive, but to thrive along the way.

Cast your burden on the Lord, and he will sustain you; he will never permit the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55:22 ESV)

I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. (Isaiah 41:13)

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

Humble yourselves, therefore, under God’s mighty hand, that he may lift you up in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you. (1 Peter 5:6-7)

The more time you spend with God in His Word, the lighter your load will become. Continue to look to Jesus, lean on Him, and learn from Him. You’ll be glad you did!

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

What causes fights and quarrels among you? Don’t they come from your desires that battle within you? (James 4:1)

The reality of Satan’s attacks on the lives of God’s people is clear and present. Yet we must be careful not to blame our sins on Satan, practically echoing Flip Wilson’s comedic punch line, “The devil made me do it!” As James observed in our text for today, our primary concern must be what is going on within us, not what Satan is doing to us.

Jonathan Edwards said that when the church is revived, so too is Satan. Edwards was right, but we must always take time to examine our own hearts, just as James’ epistle exhorts us to do. James warns that fights and quarrels are a result of our desires that rage within, and we must be careful not to define “desires” only in a sinful and negative way. Many good desires can cause fights and quarrels and ultimately enslave us. The desire to be right is not bad, but when it rises above being loving, the enemy within is rearing its ugly head. The desire to be needed is not sinful, but when it rises above humble service, the enemy within is rearing its ugly head. The desire for financial gain is not wrong, but when it rises above being faithful to God, the enemy within is rearing its ugly head.

Satan is a sly and remorseless adversary, but our most dangerous enemy lies within our own heart, and this is the place where the battle must be fought. The only hope of winning this battle is for Jesus to supernaturally change and transform our hearts. Remember, until Jesus shows up, the sickness of the heart is both terminal and incurable. But when Jesus raises us from death to life, we are given a new heart (Jeremiah 31:33), and that new heart begins beating for something other than the self.

That “something” has a name: Jesus Christ. Jesus is on a mission to rescue us from the sea of self-absorption, self-centeredness, and self-rule, but this change happens daily, not in a day. We must be willing to fight the good fight of faith each and every day as we make our way into glory. As Jesus said, we are to deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Him wherever He leads.

What has your heart been beating for lately? A little self-examination can go a long way in helping you take sword to the enemy within, knowing that the good work Jesus began in you He will one day bring to completion. Our worst enemy is never outside of us; our enemy is always within; when we acknowledge this truth, we can go to work on winning the war within through the power of the Holy Spirit, “because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world” (1 John 4:4 NKJV).

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

“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money.” (Matthew 6:24)

Both the Old and New Testaments provide many principles about the way we are to handle money – from the way we earn it to the way we spend it – and all of them will reveal the true condition of our hearts. Jesus said, “Where your treasure is, there you heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). All the way back in the days of Jesus, materialism had a grip on many, revealing the true condition of their hearts and the god they had chosen to serve. Only one thing can sit on the throne of our lives: either God or something much smaller than God. Money is at the top of that list of “small things.”

Look at it this way: Either we will take orders from our Master or our money. We simply cannot serve both at the same time. Please note that Jesus never said that we cannot serve God and have money. We need money to pay our bills and to put food on the table and clothes on our back. Jesus did not teach a poverty gospel; what He did teach is that it’s not what you possess, it’s what possesses you. There is no sin in having money. None! But there is often great sin in the priority we place on our money. One of the best ways of examining our hearts to see whether or not money has a grip on us is to see what we are doing with the discretionary portion of it. We need only to check our bank statements to see where our true treasure is.

Focusing too much on our money keeps us in fear of never having enough of it, and this fear keeps us from even considering choices in life that would provide us with less money. Yet there are times when God is actually calling us into this. If God has promised to meet all our needs – and He has – then we can trust Him even when we cannot trace Him, and that will mean putting His plan and purpose for our lives ahead of our own.

So if we can only have one Lord, the question is: Who is lord of our lives? Is it money or our Master? When you look back on some of your recent decisions, are they finance-based or faith-based? To be sure, we need money to live, but we must not love money. I long ago lost count of how many times I’ve heard people misquote 1 Timothy 6:10 by saying, “Money is the root of all evil.” That’s not what the Bible says! What 1 Timothy 6:10 does say is that “The love of money is the root of all evil” (emphasis added).

We cannot be a soldier in two different armies at the same time. As disciples of Jesus, we are to renounce all other gods, and that most certainly includes money. Remember, a master is anything that enslaves us, and anything smaller than Jesus cannot and will not sustain. When the Lord described Himself as a “jealous God” (Exodus 34:14), He meant what He said! God will tolerate no rival, and that includes money. But He has promised us, “Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things [food, clothes, a place to live] will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:33).

God will meet all our needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). So that means we are free to love Him and Him alone. He gives us money to live . . . not to love.

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

So then, those who suffer according to God’s will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good. (1 Peter 4:19)

When was the last time you were on a roller coaster? I got on the Space Mountain ride at Disney World with my kids a few years ago . . . which was a mistake of gargantuan proportions. The crazy twists and turns had me hanging on for dear life! As we were hurtling through the dark “mountain,” I told myself grimly, “There is no getting off until the ride is over.”

The same thing is true with Christianity. The Christian life is filled with all sorts of crazy twists and turns, and once it starts, we are on the roller coaster ride until it ends on the other side of glory.

Sometimes the roller coaster ride of my redemption has me wanting to get off. It can seem like everything is out of control and the wheels are coming off the track. Doubt begins to derail my devotion; confusion begins to cloud my commitment; worry begins to weaken my walk with Jesus. With each turbulent twist and troublesome turn, we must remember that there always has been and always will be an occupied throne in heaven. Jesus is seated on it, and He is in complete control of everything that is going on in the universe . . . and that most definitely includes our lives too. I need to remind myself over and over again that nothing happens to me that doesn’t first pass through His nail-scarred hands.

How are things with you? Has life been feeling like a roller coaster ride these days? Has the Lord been taking you through some loop-de-loops in your life? Fear not! Just like my kids on that crazy Space Mountain ride, you can release your white-knuckle grip and actually throw your hands up in the air and shout for joy, because the One who died for your sins is guiding you through every unexpected high and every stomach-churning low in life, and He is using all of them for His glory and your ultimate and eternal good.

Christian, God’s promise is clear: “He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion” (Philippians 1:6). Hold fast to it!

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

Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.  (Hebrews 12:2)

When we shift our focus away from Christ and put it on our circumstances, we miss much of what God is doing in our lives. We lose focus. We lose peace. We lose hope. Like Eeyore, Winnie the Pooh’s gloomy friend, we have a tendency to imagine that we are “grinning and bearing it,” forcing a smile, when we are actually greeting others with a miserable and mournful countenance.

But this is not for you! When the storm winds are blowing, keep your focus on your Savior. When the waves of challenge are washing over you, keep your focus on your Christ. When Peter got out of the boat and was walking across the water, all was well . . . as long as he kept his focus on Jesus. But as soon as he shifted his focus to the winds and the waves, he began to sink. The same is true for all of us. Sinking is a certainty when we allow what is going on around us to determine what is going on within us. The author of Hebrews gives us the prescription to make sure we are Eeyore no more:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith . . . (Hebrews 12:1-2)

Jesus promised we would have trouble in this world. Life is chock full of challenging circumstances, and if we focus on what is going on around us, soon what is going on within us will be marked by worry, fear, and doubt. We will begin to sink. When that happens — and at times it will, no matter how committed we are to focusing on Jesus — let us remember what Peter did. He cried out to Jesus, “Lord, save me!” And that is exactly what Jesus did.

So do not fear, for I am with you;do not be dismayed, for I am your God.
I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10)

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