RECEIVING THE FREE GIFT

“For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord.”  (Romans 6:23 NLT)

Grace is what sets Christianity apart from every religion in the world. God’s unearnable salvation, forgiveness, and eternal life offered, not as a reward, but as a free gift. Nothing -- absolutely nothing -- required on our part, except to believe. No fine print and no strings attached. When we trust in what Christ has done, when we rely solely on His promises, all the treasures of heaven are ours. It doesn’t matter how miserably you’ve failed in the past. It is irrelevant how messed up your life is right now. Grace is true and certain no matter what you might do or fail to do in the future. It sounds too good to be true, doesn’t it? But that, in a nutshell, is the simple gospel. The only question is this: Have you received Christ’s remarkable gift? 

-- Max Lucado in “Life lessons: Book of Galatians”

#5614

THE MINISTRY OF THE SPIRIT

“When the day of Pentecost came, they were all together in one place. Suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them. All of them were filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak in other tongues as the Spirit enabled them… . Peter… addressed the crowd… ‘This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: “In the last days, God says,   I will pour out My Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on My servants, both men and women, I will pour out My Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.”’”  (Excerpts from Acts 2:1-21 NIV)

The permanent, personal presence of the Holy Spirit with us is the unique blessing of the new covenant. The Israelites had seen the Spirit work amongst them from time to time, but even the most famous Israelites had not experienced the Spirit’s presence the same way as we do. Like everything else we must start from the gospel in order to understand the gift of the Spirit. Jesus has given the Spirit equally and fully to all His children….

Pentecost marked the creation of the new people of God. It confirmed the new covenant. From this perspective we gain fresh insight into the ministry of the Spirit. He directs the people’s attention to their covenant Lord. He makes the people into a new tabernacle/temple, God’s dwelling place. Through the Spirit the people are drawn together in unity and they receive gifts necessary for their life together and their role in the world.   

-- Mark Strom in “The Symphony of the Scriptures: Making Sense of the Bible’s Many Themes”

#5613

ALL BY GRACE

“For 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 2:8-9 NIV)

Salvation by grace can only be gripped by the hand of faith; the attempt to lay hold of it by doing of certain acts of law would cause the grace to evaporate. 

-- Charles H. Spurgeon in “All of Grace”

#5612

THE EMPOWERING SPIRIT – Part 2

“The Spirit of the God who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you. So the God who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your bodies. He will do this because of His Spirit who lives in you.”  (Romans 8:11)

Rather than losing momentum after the first generation, this movement of the Holy Spirit has continued, empowering Christ’s followers to serve Him. The Holy Spirit has winged their message to many hearts and has performed mighty works of grace, turning people “from the power of Satan to God” (Acts 26:18).

There is no denying that Christianity has in some instances degenerated into a monument, and its places of worship into museums. But it is equally true, where ordinary men and women in the power of the Spirit have proclaimed the Good News of Christ’s saving grace, the church has continued to grow and thrive. When this happens, there is no man-movement-monument syndrome. The Man, Christ Jesus, is still at work through the Holy Spirit, doing what only He can do -- and doing it well! 

-- Stuart Briscoe in the “Daily Study Bible for Men”

#5611

THE EMPOWERING SPIRIT – Part 1

In the history of human endeavors, there is a natural progression from “man” to “movement” to “monument.” A charismatic individual typically comes on the scene, mobilizes others to join him, and achieves great things. When the leader dies or leaves, his followers continue for a while in his spirit. But the movement generally lacks the founder’s dynamism and eventually loses momentum. Subsequently, it either fails outright or becomes only a monument to its former, departed glory. Man, movement, monument.

Christianity did not follow the “man-movement-monument” scenario. Jesus’ charisma cannot be denied. But when He died, He died alone. And after He rose from the dead, He had to appear to His disciples repeatedly to convince them that He was truly risen from the dead (Acts 1:3). He had to explain to them again that His kingdom was far different from the one they imagined. Even when He made His dramatic exit to heaven they stood staring into the sky (Acts 1:11)…

Prior to His departure Jesus told His disciples, “In a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit… you will receive power and will tell people about Me everywhere” (Acts 1:5,8). This power of the “Spirit of God, who raised Jesus from the dead” (Romans 8:11) imparted to them supernatural power that made them compelling witnesses for Christ. 

-- Stuart Briscoe in the “Daily Study Bible for Men”

#5610

AN INWARD PRESENCE AND POWER

Jesus said to the Apostles, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere -- in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”  (Acts 1:8 NLT)

It was something more than a glorified Jesus Christ in the heavens in which [the Apostles] believed.  In the beginning, John the Baptist had taught his disciples to expect from Christ the baptism -- not of water only, as in his baptism -- but of the Spirit.  Before His death, Jesus had sought to fill His disciples' minds with the expectation of this gift...  And that Spirit had come in sensible power upon them some ten days after Jesus disappeared for the last time from their eyes...  And this Spirit was the Spirit of God, but also, and therefore, the Spirit of Jesus.  Jesus was not then merely a past example, or a remote Lord, but an inward presence and power.  A mere example in past history becomes in experience a feebler and feebler power...  But the example of Jesus was something much more than a memory.  For He who had taught them in the past how to live was alive in the heavenly places and was working within them by His Spirit. 

-- Charles Gore (1853-1932)

#5609

AGAPE LOVE

“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son...”  (John 3:16a)

The great writer C.S. Lewis identified four different kinds of love, all but one of which are basically self-centered. First, there’s “affection,” which is the kind of love we can have for something other than people, such as a dog or a home or a car. Then there’s “friendship,” a valuable love in the sense that it’s the basis of most human relationships. Then there’s “erotic” love, which is beautiful between a husband and wife but a mess outside of married love. All of these are wonderful and necessary loves, but each of them depends on the object of our affection for complete fulfillment.

The only love that is completely other-centered is called “agape” love. This is love to the highest order. It’s what Lewis called “Divine Gift-Love.” When we love with agape love we desire the best for the people we love. We are even able to love those who are unlovable.

We are capable of agape love only to the extent that we give the details of our lives over to God and allow Him to work in us. But even before that can happen, we must realize that God loves us, and that He can only love us with this kind of love. God’s love is never self-centered, and God’s love is always sacrificial. While we were enemies of God, He loves us. When we ran from God, He loves us. And He loves us so much that He sacrificed the Son He loved most so that we could experience eternal life.

Love is the essence of God. Love is what motivates Him to do what He does for us -- down to the last detail -- even when we don’t love Him in return. Knowing that should give tremendous meaning to our lives. 

-- Bruce Bickel and Stan Jantz in “God Is in the Small Stuff”

#5608

AN ACTIVE DECISION

“Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God; Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.”  (Psalm 143:10 NKJV)

I cannot make myself holy; only Christ can do that. But I can choose to exercise my will for God. Just as a married couple commits themselves to each other, I commit myself to Christ. This is an active decision, one that affects the way I live my entire life. Like marriage, however, it is not a decision that can be made once and then be done with it; instead, I must choose to commit myself to God’s will daily. 

-- Elizabeth Prentiss in “Stepping Heavenward”

#5607

OBEYING THE VOICE OF JESUS

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God -- this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is -- His good, pleasing and perfect will.”  (Romans 12:1-2 NIV)

Take all your present perplexities then to Jesus. Tell Him you only want to know and obey His voice, and ask Him to make it plain to you. Promise Him that you will obey, whatever it may be. Believe implicitly that He is guiding you, according to His Word. Surrender all the doubtful things until you have a clearer light. Look and listen for His dear voice continually, and the moment you are sure of it yield an immediate obedience. Trust Him to make you forget the impression if it is not His will, and if it continues, and is in harmony with [His Word], do not be afraid to obey. 

-- Hannah Whitall Smith in “The Christian’s Secret of a Happy Life” 

#5606

RECOGNIZING THE VOICE OF JESUS

Jesus said, “The one who enters by the gate is the shepherd of the sheep. The gatekeeper opens the gate for him, and the sheep listen to his voice. He calls his own sheep by name and leads them out. When he has brought out all his own, he goes on ahead of them, and his sheep follow him because they know his voice. But they will never follow a stranger; in fact, they will run away from him because they do not recognize a stranger’s voice.”  (John 10:2-5 NIV)

Every day, we recognize voices. Famous people, everyday people, family, friends, and local people. People in our community. The voices of our pastors, leaders, and teachers. Each voice is unique in tone and character, inflection, and delivery. But there is one voice that has the power to command the attention of every earthly and heavenly soul. Jesus. He is the living Word of God. When we read the Bible, we are ingesting His voice. His unique tone and character, inflection, and delivery. His supernatural ability to inspire writers to pen His voice and meet us in our everyday lives through it. 

-- Meg Bucher  

#5605

DEBT PAID

“For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to Himself, no longer counting people’s sins against them. And He gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation.”  (2 Corinthians 5:19 NLT)

The bigger hope I cling to in the face of sin is not my goodness, but God’s.

[Some time ago my wife spoke at the commencement at Azusa Pacific University], so we gathered with a group of fifty or so faculty, alumni, and administration before the ceremony. A few dozen people had graduated fifty years earlier, and they were there also to celebrate with their freshly minted co-alums.

At one point, Jon Wallace, the university president, pulled three seniors into the center of the room and told us all that they were going to be serving under-resourced people in impoverished areas for several years after graduation. The graduating seniors said a few words about where they were going and why and we applauded. They thought that was why they were there. Then Jon turned his back to the rest of us, faced the three students, and told them the real reason they were in the room.

“Somebody you do not know has heard what you’re doing,” Jon said. “He wants you to be able to serve the people where you are going without any impediment. So he has given a gift. He has asked to remain anonymous, but here is what he has done for you.”

Jon turned to the first student and looked her in the eye. “You have been forgiven your school debt of $105,000.” It took a few moments for the words to sink in. The student shook her head at first. The thought registered. She began to cry at the sheer unexpected generosity of a mountain of debt wiped out in a moment by someone she had never met. Jon turned to the next student. “You have been forgiven your debt of $70,000.” Jon turned to the third student. By this time she knew what was coming. But it was as if she could not believe it was happening until she heard the words. “You have been forgiven your debt of $130,000.”

All three students were trembling. Their lives had been changed in a twinkling by the extravagance of someone they had never met. All of us who watched were so moved, it was as if we had experienced the forgiveness ourselves. There was not a dry eye in the room…

An unpayable debt. An unseen giver. An unforgettable gift. And the freedom of the debtors becomes a blessing to the world. Grace. The joy of forgiveness.

There is a bigger debt we labor under. We give it labels such as regret, guilt, shame, or brokenness -- sin. But God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself. We know what is coming, yet we need to hear the words just the same: Forgiven. Forgiven. Forgiven. 

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want to Be”

#5604

FROM RAGS TO RICHES

"Put off, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry… You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator… Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience." (Excerpts from Colossians 3:5-12)

One of the most important metaphors the Bible uses for sin is that of clothing. It speaks of “putting off” anger, slander, rage, greed, sexual impurity, and so on. And then it speaks of “putting on” those characteristics that flow from life in the Spirit. One of the ways you can think about sin is to use the acronym R.A.G.S. Those characteristics we are to “put off” by and large fit into one of these four categories: R.A.G.S

          Resentment: mismanaged anger and bitterness
          Anxiety: an inability or refusal to trust God; sins of passivity and timidity
          Greed: mismanaged desire of all kinds
          Superiority: self-righteousness and contempt for others

-- John Ortberg in “The Me I Want to Be”

#5603

SACRED TEARS

"You have kept count of my tossings; put my tears in Your bottle. Are they not in Your record?" (Psalm 56:8)

In her book, “Strange Scriptures That Perplex the Western Mind” (Erdmans, 1940), Barbara M. Bowen provides some background on the image the psalmist may have been referring to. She describes the old custom of collecting the tears of a family and preserving the tears in bottles. When death or serious trouble has occurred, each member of the family brought his or her tear bottle and collected tears from all the persons present. These bottles were sacred to the family members because they represented all the sorrows of the family. Each person was buried with his or her tear bottle. Many of these have been found in ancient tombs

I had an experience recently that enriched this image of the psalmist for me. I was counseling with a young woman, Leigh Hobbson, who had recently lost one of the most important persons in her life -- a great-aunt who was almost like a mother to her. It was painful -- and she had done a lot of crying, which is cleansing and healing.

One morning, Leigh's six-year-old daughter, Katy, witnessing her mother's grief, painted her a picture and gave it, with some other love tokens, to her mom and said, "I want you to feel better."

That night when Leigh was tucking Katy into bed she thanked her and told her that her love gifts did make her feel better. Then she added, "But Katy, I want you to know that Mommy may cry a lot more, because I love Ola so much." "But Mommy," Katy said, "I'm afraid you'll turn into a tear." "Well," said Leigh, "If I turned into a tear, would you wipe me up?" "No," said Katy, "I would put you into my eye."

Wow! What perception and wisdom -- what a picture of love! The psalmist was praying that somehow God would take his tears, use them, make them God's own -- and, yes, even redeem them. 

-- Maxie Dunnam in “Living the Psalms”

#5602

SACRED STORIES

“But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect…”  (1 Peter 3:15 NIV)

Everyone has a story. I believe God is in our stories – in the initial experiences, in the encounters along the way, in the telling and retelling, and in the hearing. I have spent the past fifteen years telling my story to pretty much anyone who would listen, with groups ranging from twenty to twenty thousand. Sometimes the telling occurred in a formal setting; other times it happened more casually. I have discovered that by telling my story, others are encouraged to tell theirs. Often I have the joy of hearing them. To tell your story, you must be true to yourself and real about your feelings. You have to be honest, and you have to tell your story in a way others will hear and be encouraged to participate. It’s in the dialogue that we find our way and discover that we can rewrite the endings. The story continues throughout our lifetime. 

-- Celia Whitler in “On the Way to Somewhere: Stories and Songs for the Journey”

#5601

SACRED INTERRUPTIONS

“Now when Jesus had come into Peter’s house, He saw his wife’s mother lying sick with a fever. So He touched her hand, and the fever left her. And she arose and served them.”  (Matthew 8:14-15)

We are not alone. I firmly believe it, partly because I have experienced God’s presence in my life directly as well as through my encounters with others. I’m an extrovert and I’ve always loved people. I truly enjoy meeting people and getting to know them. For the last several years of my life, I have been a full-time singer/songwriter. It seems like I spend a lot of my time coming and going. As I read the stories of Jesus, I notice that He interacted with lots of folks in His comings and goings. People interrupted Him with requests, needs, and questions. He seemed to have the gift of perspective, recognizing priority and importance even in the interruption. He made time to deal with whatever or whoever He bumped into along His journey. Certainly His destination was important, but given His ability to stop and to give, the journey may have been just as significant as where He was headed. 

-- Celia Whitler in “On the Way to Somewhere: Stories and Songs for the Journey”

#5600

THE TENDER SHEPHERD

I will never forget what the coach said to us the first day I went out for football. He told us it is a rough game and that if we expected to play it, we must also expect sometimes to get hurt.

So with life. If you expect to live it, you must also expect some bruises and hurt. That is just the way it is. And David, thinking of that fact, wrote in the Twenty-third Psalm. “You anoint my head with oil; my cup runs over.”

Sometimes, as the sheep grazed, its head would be cut by the sharp edge of a stone buried in the grass. There were other potential dangers -- briars to scratch and thorns to stick….

So the shepherd would stand at the door of the fold and examine each sheep as it came in. If there were hurt places the shepherd would apply soothing and healing oil. Instead of becoming infected, the hurt would soon heal….

The Lord is the tender Shepherd who understands the hurt of His children and is ever ready and able to minister to that hurt. 

-- Charles L. Allen in “The Twenty-third Psalm: An Interpretation” 

#5599

THE REIGNING KING

“But to the Son He says: ‘Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; a scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.’”  (Hebrews 1:8 NKJV)

The world sees Jesus as a man, perhaps even a good or great man and possibly even a prophet, but still a man. It is the Holy Spirit who opens our spiritual eyes of understanding so that we see Jesus as much more than just a man. We see Him as: our Creator, the Jehovah of the Old Testament, the long-awaited Messiah, the only Son of God, the Redeemer of Israel, the Lamb of God, the Savior of the world, the Good Shepherd, the risen Lord, the Judge of all the universe, the reigning and ruling King of kings!

The only way we can be convinced of who Jesus is, is through the enlightenment we have received from the Holy Spirit. Jesus explained, "When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on His own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is to come. He will bring glory to Me by taking from what is Mine and making it known to you." (John 16:13-14) 

-- Anne Graham Lotz in “Just Give Me Jesus”

#5598

A HEAVENLY PERSPECTIVE

“My child, be attentive to My words;
incline your ear to My sayings.
Do not let them escape from your sight;
keep them within your heart.
For they are life to those who find them,
and healing to all their flesh.
Keep your heart with all vigilance,
for from it flow the springs of life.
Put away from you crooked speech,
and put devious talk far from you.
Let your eyes look directly forward,
and your gaze be straight before you.
Keep straight the path of your feet,
and all your ways will be sure.
Do not swerve to the right or to the left;
turn your foot away from evil.”  (Proverbs 4:20–27)

Perspective is everything. The higher you are, the better you see. That's not just true with flying, but with life, as well. Some of us travel through life at ground level, seeing with only a limited, earthly perspective. Such people see only the bottom half of the mountain. But, to the contrary, others see life from a much different vantage point. They see from an elevated, heavenly perspective. They see the top half of the mountain protruding above the clouds. In reality, they see as God sees. Where you stand [and which way you are facing] determines what you see.

-- Steven J. Lawson in “Heaven Help Us!” 

#5597

PRAYER THAT CARES FOR OTHERS

“I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them.”  (1 Timothy 2:1 NLT) 

Many people tend to associate prayer with separation from others, but real prayer brings us closer to our fellow human beings. Prayer is the first and indispensable discipline of compassion precisely because prayer is also the first expression of human solidarity. Why is this so? Because the Spirit who prays in us is the Spirit by whom all human beings are brought together in unity and community. 

-- Henri J.M. Nouwen, as quoted in “Stories of Prayer for a Healthy Soul”

#5596

PRAYER CAN CHANGE THE WORLD

“And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God…”  (Colossians 1:9-10 ESV)

I believe the greatest cry around the world today is “Pray for me.” All of us are here today because someone has prayed for us. I know I am indebted to so many people for their wonderful prayers. Martin Luther said that the shoemaker makes shoes, the tailor makes clothes, and the Christian prays. Prayer can change a person’s life; it can change the world. Prayer is a challenge to me. If I pray for someone, it challenges me to love and to help that person. 

-- James H. Davis, as quoted in “Stories of Prayer for a Healthy Soul”

#5595

BY WORD AND DEED

“Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.”  (Colossians 3:17 ESV)

Two primary means of spreading the gospel are word and deed. The gospel must be made both visible and verbal. To employ one means without the other is to truncate the gospel. In biblical literature word and deed are held together in an unbroken rhythm. In creation God spoke and creation happened. In the evangelization of Jesus there is no polarization between proclamation and action…. In Jesus word and deed do not fall apart. Jesus has integrity. His words ring true to His lifestyle and His life supports His words. Each illumines the other. Thus, by word and deed Jesus brings the claim and the power of the righteous reign of God (the kingdom of God) to bear on the whole of humankind.

We discover this same wholeness of word and deed in the evangelization of the early church. In the Acts of the Apostles, proclamation and good works are inextricably tied. There is a fusion of preaching and serving….

The biblical rhythm demands that verbalization of the gospel must take place in the midst of doing it. The ministry of kerygma (proclamation) must run concurrently with ministries of healing, serving, nurturing, liberating, reforming, and empowering. Announcement of the kingdom must be both verbal and visible, and one never asks which is more important. That would be like asking which is more important, breathing in or breathing out. It depends upon which one was done last! Obviously, proclamation and lifestyle must buttress one another. 

-- H. Eddie Fox and George E. Morris in “Faith-Sharing: Dynamic Christian Witnessing by Invitation”

#5594

ABIDING IN CHRIST

Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”  (John 15:5 NKJV)

Abiding in Christ is essential for prayer that pleases God and brings answers. Trying to cultivate prayer without abiding in Christ is like trying to grow palm trees in Siberia. The climate is all wrong.

Abiding means keeping our shared life with Christ harmonious, free from the discord of sin. It is closely related to cherishing and obeying His Word: “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” (John 15:7 NKJV)

A vine sustains its branched so that they bear grapes. So Christ, as we abide in Him, provides the life and strength we need for obedient, productive lives, as well as for effective prayer.

Abiding kindles within us a craving for the greatest gift we can receive through prayer -- a richer experience of God Himself. Whatever else He gives is secondary… Abiding means we will experience intimate fellowship with the King. This is the crowning privilege of being a member of His kingdom and family. 

-- Warren Myers with Ruth Myers in “Prayer: How to Be Effective in Prayer”

#5593

TRANSFORMING THE WAY WE THINK

“Don’t copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think. Then you will learn to know God’s will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect.”  (Romans 12:2 NLT)

To be seasoned as a Christian is to have the values of Jesus Christ seep all the way through us. No longer an external authority or set of rules, they have been internalized and personalized. They have become us. To describe this transformation of our ways of feeling and sensing is to say that we have been “Christianized.” Here the word does not refer to the event of formal entrance into the Church; it refers to the inner shaping of our emotions and judgments.

This process of being seasoned must be ongoing in our lives, since we are never fully and finally matured. But the result of this process is that our instincts become trustworthy. Never infallible, our feelings nonetheless become, in time, reliable. The mature Christian is one whose sense -- about when to express anger, about how to show affection, about who is my “neighbor” -- can be trusted. Shaped and seasoned by Christian values, our intuition becomes dependable. Our feelings are transformed so that we experience them neither as alien nor as simply unpredictable. They become positive resources in our life, part of an inner authority whose movement we can trust. We mature in our faith life, then, as we learn to consult and trust the authority of our seasoned senses.   

-- Evelyn E. Whitehead and James D. Whitehead in “Seasons of Strength: New Visions of Adult Christian Maturing”

#5592