Worth Repeating - October 31, 2017

Hebrews 13: 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. (NIV)

Hospitality is inviting others to invade my comfort zone so they can be comforted. It’s sharing my space with a stranger.*

I did some research and I couldn’t find any consensus of opinion on whether the writer of Hebrews was referring to real angels or was merely speaking figuratively. There are a couple of stories in the Old Testament where the guests really were angels (Genesis 18 and 19); but I don’t know if we should expect that it could happen to us. I do know three things in regard to this verse: hospitality is our Christian duty; hospitality is to be offered to strangers, not just our friends and family; and even if we won’t be entertaining angels, Jesus said that whatever we do to the “least of these” we do to him (Matthew 25: 40); so we should treat our guests as if Jesus was among them.

Not everyone has the gift of hospitality. I don’t, but my mother does. When I was growing up, my dad allowed my mom to exercise her gift freely. As a result, traveling evangelists, missionaries on furlough, Bible college students and professors, and people down on their luck passed through our house and blessed us on their way. To this day, whenever the name of some legendary preacher is mentioned, I often brag, “Oh, yes. He stayed at our house.”

It is my Christian duty to be hospitable, but it doesn’t come natural for me to practice it. The memories from my childhood motivate me to get out of my comfort zone occasionally. If hospitality isn’t your gift, look for opportunities to invite angels over to your house!

The stranger at the door is the living symbol and memory that we are all strangers here.*

Worth Repeating - October 30, 2017

John 20: 30 Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book. But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name. (NIV)

John 21: 25 Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written. (NIV)

His miracles weren’t wild, random events – mere magic tricks to impress the crowd. They were purposeful acts intentionally designed to establish his credentials as the Son of God.*

One of my all-time favorite television shows was canceled after 10 or 11 episodes. I have heard that the show’s creator had seven seasons-worth of material on deck, some of which he actually got to use in a full-length feature film. Meanwhile, I have the complete series – and the movie - on DVD so I can watch it over and over, writing prequels and sequels in my own mind as my imagination soars. 

The life of Jesus stimulates my imagination as well. I would love to know more about his childhood and his teen years; what he looked like; who his friends were. I would like more stories about miracles and about outsmarting his enemies. I am curious about his apostles’ backstories. And above all, I would love to read it all in chronological order. But, according to John, I am going to have to make do with the few episodes that were recorded in the gospels – for a couple of reasons: 

· There is just way more information than the world can contain; 

· We are given all the information we need to fulfill God’s purpose. 

Jesus’ teaching and his miraculous signs established his credentials. The testimony of eyewitnesses would stand up in court – and has stood the test of time. The writers were inspired by the Holy Spirit to record all that we need to know in order to believe that Jesus is the Son of God and the source of eternal life. As someone has said, “Their aim was not to write tightly chronological, factually exhaustive biographies.”* Their function was “to make saints, not historians.”*

If you don’t believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that believers may have life in his name, read the gospels. Read them with these thoughts in mind: Jesus’ credentials; the testimony of eyewitnesses; the inspiration of the writers. Talk to someone who can testify to the life-changing power of Jesus Christ in his or her own life. Then you will have everything you need to know to make an informed decision. If we needed to know more, more would have been written.

More important, perhaps, than the witness of His friends is that of His enemies.*

Worth Repeating - October 29, 2017

Luke 24: 17-24 He asked them, “What are you discussing . . . as you walk along?” . . . One of them . . . asked him, “Are you only a visitor to Jerusalem and do not know the things that have happened here in these days?” “What things?” he asked. “About Jesus of Nazareth,” they replied. (NIV) 

So tear-filled are our eyes and so limited is our perspective that God could be the fellow walking next to us and we wouldn’t know it.*

We’ve all experienced that awkward moment – talking about someone, probably saying things you shouldn’t, and something alerts you that, “She’s right behind me, isn’t she?” Fortunately for these two men on the road to Emmaus, they were just discussing the facts about Jesus and their feelings about all that had happened in the past few days. They were too downcast to recognize that it was Jesus who had joined them on their walk. When Jesus asked what they were talking about, they must have thought, “Has he been living in a cave?”

You would be sad, too, if you didn’t know the happy ending/beginning, or that Jesus was walking beside you. If, like these two men, you don’t know the whole story, you might lose hope. The two men on the road, as well as the other followers, did not necessarily live happily-ever-after in fairy tale fashion but when their eyes were opened, their lives changed.

When you recognize that the resurrection is a fact and not a rumor; when you have your own story to share about walking with him; then your life has hope and meaning. Your faith is strengthened by your vision of the risen Savior.

Jesus’ resurrection gives new purpose to life, new meaning to suffering, and new hope in the midst of sorrow.*

Worth Repeating - October 28, 2017

Galatians 4: 4 But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son . . . (NIV)

God does not tell you what He is going to do; He reveals to you Who He is.*

Jesus came when God determined that the time was right. What made that time (and that place) so special? We might think that it would have been better to choose a more sophisticated place in a more technologically advanced era – but we would be wrong. Can you trust anything you see or hear these days? A picture used to be worth a thousand words – now it’s probably Photoshopped.

Everything that God does is in his own good time; if he doesn’t tell us why – or when - then we don’t know why – or when. Still, it’s fun to speculate. Consider this thought-provoking quote: “He’s not only the beginning and the end; he’s also the middle – the centerpiece of history.”* My train of thought took off down the track when I read this. If Jesus is the centerpiece of history, perhaps we could take this literally. Will the number of years until his return be equal to the number of years from creation until his birth? That would place Jesus’ birth and life in the center of history. If creation occurred 6,000 years ago; and the flood was 4,000 years ago; and Jesus came 2,000 years ago, perhaps God works in 2,000 year increments.

Actually, I don’t really think that God is going to wait another 2,000 years before he destroys the world with fire. But he could – a thousand years is the same as one day to him. What we need to understand is the importance of being ready. We don’t know when the fullness of time will come again. God is patient – he wants everyone to have the chance to repent and he doesn’t want anyone to perish (II Peter 3: 9). That just might take another 2,000 years; but for you, the time may already be fully come. Are you willing to gamble eternity on it?

Live today like it wouldn’t be a shock if Jesus returned. After all, he did put in the syllabus.*

Worth Repeating - October 27, 2017

Isaiah 42: 21 It pleased the Lord for the sake of his righteousness to make his law great and glorious. (NIV)

We are not always happy with unanswered questions.*

My parents frequently answered my “why?” with, “Because I said so.” I wasn’t happy with that non-responsive response and used it sparingly with my own children. Yes, sometimes it was the right answer – but I still didn’t like it. I tried rewording it: “You don’t have to approve of my reasons; you just have to do what I tell you.” Or, “Because I’m in charge and you’re not.”

Like a good parent, some of God’s replies to “why” are more informative than others. Moses’ whys were largely ignored – perhaps because of the self-pitying nature of many of them. In his Psalms, David posed some whys that remained unanswered; likewise, Habakkuk and Hosea. In Deuteronomy, God’s answer many times was, “Remember you were slaves in Egypt.” Job suffered for a long time before he finally got his answer: more questions. And in Jeremiah, God answered the whys with variations of, “Because of what you have done.”

In this verse in Isaiah, the question is implied: “Why did God make his law great and glorious?” Many of our why questions could be answered satisfactorily with the same reply: “Because it pleased the Lord for the sake of his righteousness.” It could very well serve as the response to the most heart-breaking why in all of scripture – of all time. From the cross, Jesus called out to his Father, “Why have you forsaken me?”

Did the Father answer? Or did Jesus already know? Had he not received his answer in the garden when he prayed until he bled? When everything went according to plan after he had surrendered to the Father’s will, did he not know that the answer to his why was, “Because it pleased the Lord for the sake of righteousness”?

When it seems our whys are being ignored, perhaps we should surrender our will – our supposed need to know – to the Father’s implied, “Because I said so.” What a step of faith that would be!

His wisdom does not need human acceptance or approval.*

Worth Repeating - October 26, 2017

Ezekiel 2: 4, 5 “The people to whom I am sending you are obstinate and stubborn. Say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says.’ And whether they listen or fail to listen – for they are a rebellious house – they will know that a prophet has been among them.” (NIV)

Persistence in ministry has brought success, as long as I am properly defining success.*

When you are confident that you have correctly understood and obeyed God’s calling for your life, you expect your mission to be successful. How discouraging it must have been for Ezekiel to get this news from God: I am sending you to preach to people who probably won’t listen. 

We measure success by the results we can see – souls saved, lives changed. It turns out that God has a different set of criteria for measuring success. The response of the listeners doesn’t seem to have been his top priority. He didn’t instruct Ezekiel in how to capture the attention of the crowd. He didn’t have him research the demographics in order to implement the most effective evangelistic approach. It seems that God had two main objectives: 

1. Ezekiel’s obedience. The prophet was to deliver the message from the Sovereign Lord to an obstinate and stubborn audience. Their response (or lack thereof) was not Ezekiel’s concern. 

2. That the rebellious house would know that they had heard from a prophet – whether they listened or not. 

While changed lives and saved souls are how we measure evangelistic success, those activities are the work of the Holy Spirit. Our job is to obediently proclaim the message so as to leave no doubt that the Word of God has been shared. That is God’s definition of a successful ministry – the Sovereign Lord says so!

It is not our ministry to have the last word. The best we can do is point to Christ and say, “Hear ye Him.”*

Worth Repeating - October 25, 2017

Acts 4: 12 “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (NIV)

The Holy Spirit is the author of conversion.*

Have you ever gone miles out of your way before you realized that you had taken a wrong turn? You were happily tooling along, admiring the scenery and making good time, totally oblivious to the fact that you were lost. When was it that you felt the symptoms of panic? Not until you knew you were lost, of course.

That’s a big problem with lost souls, as well. They can be living happy and productive lives, unaware that hell is their ultimate destination. It is daunting to think of trying to convince this oblivious lost soul of his need for salvation, let alone that Jesus is the source of salvation. Where do you start? I suggest that your starting point is not with the person but with the Lord in prayer.

When you pray for the lost: 1) the Holy Spirit becomes your power source; 2) the Holy Spirit will use you as he sees fit – you are just a tool through whom he might or might not choose to work; 3) the Holy Spirit assumes responsibility for convicting the lost soul.

Do you know someone who is lost and making good time on the road to destruction? Have you been dithering about witnessing to this person? Pray that God will send a messenger that your friend will listen to. Pray that he will prepare you to be that messenger. And don’t give up, because salvation is found in no one else but Jesus. There is no Plan B. 

We can do a great deal for people after we pray for them but little of lasting value until we pray for them.*

Worth Repeating - October 24, 2017

I Peter 2: 12 Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God. (NIV)

A Christian should do good works, not to be seen of men but because we are seen of men.*

When my sister was a toddler, she got mad at me once and, having a limited vocabulary, she announced that I was “decent.” She did not mean it as a compliment. 

In this world, I would like for people to speak well of me – but, if they can’t speak well of me, to at least speak the truth. I think this is what Peter is telling us. Your life can be a testimony even when it is being criticized and belittled. I read somewhere that early Christians were accused of being atheists because they didn’t believe in gods. By denouncing them for not believing in multiple gods, their accusers were testifying to the Christians’ belief in the one true God. 

But Peter’s admonition is about more than how we look to the pagans and what they have to say about us. “See your good deeds” could also be translated “gain insight by your good deeds.”* We aren’t saved by our good deeds, but we could lead someone else to salvation by them. The world is watching to see if we are authentic; to see if our walk matches our talk.

What insight might an unbeliever gain from observing your good deeds?

Our holy living is not just to please God but to attract others to him.*

Worth Repeating - October 23, 2017

Luke 4: 42, 43 At daybreak Jesus went out to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent.” (NIV)

Jesus was committed to making disciples, not attracting crowds of consumers.*

Jesus has been preaching, and healing, and driving out evil spirits in Capernaum and the people there did not want to let him leave. Can you blame them? His miracles improved their lives – and who doesn’t love a good sermon? Perhaps Jesus was touched by their desire to keep him with them, but it was time to for him to move on. They had heard his message; now it was someone else’s turn to hear it. This, he said, was why he was sent.

Aren’t we like those Capernaumites? We have heard the gospel – and we hear it week after week from the comfort of our church pews. We enjoy hearing our preachers proclaim truth. We love to worship together with fellow believers. It feels good to be with our church family on Sunday morning. But Jesus expected us to carry on with his mission after he was gone. His last words before he returned to heaven weren’t, “Sit and listen.” He said, “Go and disciple.” Isn’t it time for us to share the gospel with those who haven’t heard it yet? 

Even as we have made discipling and baptizing the imperatives of the Great Commission, it seems at times the focus of our local ministries has overlooked Jesus’ first instruction to “go.”*

Worth Repeating - October 22, 2017

Psalm 32: 3-5 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord” – and you forgave the guilt of my sin. (NIV)

Unconfessed sin hinders the work of the Holy Spirit.*

Unconfessed sin can lead to some pretty severe symptoms. Bones wasting away; groaning all day; strength sapped. We might think that David was exaggerating for the sake of poetry, but those who know the suffering caused by a guilty conscience can attest to David’s accuracy. The struggle is real!

But we should be thankful for a conscience that convicts us of sin. If a disease doesn’t have symptoms, we aren’t alerted to the need to seek treatment; just so, if our conscience fails to prod us when we sin, we become oblivious to our need to repent. The psalmist describes the proper treatment for the disease of guilt: acknowledge the sin; don’t try to cover it up; confess it to the Lord. And the treatment works – God forgave David - and he will forgive us.

Strange as it may seem, many people are addicted to a guilty conscience. They cannot accept that forgiveness is so easily obtained, therefore they feel they must continue to suffer for their sins. Essentially, they are declaring that Jesus’ suffering wasn’t enough to cover their sins. So they hang on to their guilt in hopes that their suffering will appease their idea of God’s need for justice.

At the other extreme is the person who is no longer burdened by a guilty conscience because he has ignored its nagging until it no longer speaks to him. This is doubly alarming because for Christians, the Holy Spirit is the voice – the driving force – of our conscience. Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to be our Counselor - to teach us, to remind us of what Jesus said, and to convict us of guilt. He is the Spirit of truth who testifies about Jesus and guides us into truth.

We must be diligent not to put out (quench) the Spirit’s fire. After all, who are we – what have we become – if we prevent the Holy Spirit from performing his duties? Listen to your conscience. Repent of your sin. Accept forgiveness and leave guilt behind.

Grace confounds people.*