WHO GETS ETERNAL LIFE

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



I'm almost certain that these words are some of the most common and well known in all of the Bible. Why do so many people know John 3:16? I think it's because we as humans have this terrible fear of dying, and eternal life provides us an amazing solution to the problem. We love the idea that in order to "receive" this eternal life, all we have to do is believe in God's son. This isn't a bad deal really because Jesus is a super moral guy, really loving, supposedly died on a cross and set a really good example. On top of all that, most everybody likes the guy and believing in him keeps us out of hell, if there even is such a place. No one knows for sure, but better to be safe than sorry right? Believing in Jesus seems to be relatively painless and doesn't cost a whole lot. You have to go to church every now and then sure, and you can't cuss or drink too much, but other than that, it's a pretty good gig.

With that line of thinking, who wouldn't want to be a Christian? The real question is though, what does "believing" in Jesus really mean. Jesus answered this for us before he died? Let's look at what he said:

MATTHEW 7:21-23
“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day (the day of judgment), ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘Depart from me, I never knew you!"

It says here that just knowing Jesus' name or knowing about him is not good enough to get a person into heaven. But he even goes further to say that people who do moral, kind and nice things won't be allowed in either. That doesn't sound right. Jesus says that only those who "do the will of the Father" will be allowed in. So that begs the question, what's the will of the father? Check out this verse:

JOHN 6:29
Jesus answered, "The work (or will) of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent."

Okay, great, so we're back to this idea of believing again. We've established in the previous verse that just saying you believe or doing things to prove you believe is not good enough to enter heaven. If this is the case, what does it mean to really believe? Let's look at another verse:

JOHN14:15
“If you love me, you will obey my commandments."

So it sounds like believing has something to do with loving God. Notice that Jesus doesn't say we should follow his commands in order to prove our love, instead he says that our obedience is a byproduct of it. Love comes first in this verse. Love for God must always come first and the obedience will follow. But where does love for God come from?

It comes from understanding that God is powerful, perfect and just and that every man at their core is dirty, selfish and disobedient. Man shows his dirtiness all the time, either blatantly on the outside or more subtly on the inside. Either way, if you look closely, you'll quickly begin to see how broken and wicked all people really are. To summarize, a perfect God created the world, put man in it and gave him the ability to choose how to live. Each one of us has chosen to live wickedly and selfishly and are deserving of punishment at the hands of a just and perfect God. Now to you, your faults might not seem especially wicked but remember that you are comparing yourself to a imperfect, human standard and not a perfect, Godly one. It's always easy to look around and find somebody whose worse off than you are, but that's not the point. The real question is how we size up against the holiness and perfection of God. Compared to God's perfection, the things you and I have done make us look like rapists and murderers, deserving of death. But the amazing thing is that instead of the harsh penalty we should all receive, God, out of his love, has sent his son to take the death penalty we deserved. And as we know, by believing in Jesus, God allows us to be forgiven of what we've done so that we can spend eternity with him. Understanding this reality, the reality of our brokenness and God's amazing forgiveness is where crazy love for God comes from.

So it seems that believing in Jesus is not just acknowledging his existence or trying to do good things to make him happy, it's loving him. Loving him by keeping him commands. I don't feel that it's ever my business to try and determine who really believes in God and who doesn't but I will say that you can tell a lot by the way a person lives. There is a very distinct difference between a really, really good person who only knows about God and a second person who knows they've been forgiven by God. The second individual does things in life not to look good but out of a grateful heart and a desire to please and love the God who has given them so much. Is there anything more valuable than God's forgiveness that frees us from the guilt of our dirty past in this life and gives us an incredible promise for eternal life in the future? There not, but this brings us to a huge problem.

If millions of individuals around the world claim to be "saved" by the blood of Jesus, how come so very few of us are living like saved people. How come most of us skate through life loving God's forgiveness and the security of salvation, but fail to love God himself or care at all about his commandments? God will be the final judge one day I know, but I'm gonna go ahead and say that if a person is not burdened by the commands of God, they probably do not really believe. If Jesus came back today to take his followers away, I'm sad to say that there would be many "Christians" who were left behind. We each need to examine our lives and the belief we claim to have in Jesus closely. Following him is not an easy thing, it's actually very costly, and will cost a person everything.

"Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me; and anyone who does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." - Matthew 10:36-28

How is your love for Jesus right now? Is it casual and convenient or have you counted the cost and committed to love him, obey him and follow him no matter what? If you want to know what God's commandments are, Matthew 22:37-39 spells it out best.

"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself."

Loving God and other people this way is an extremely high calling and not for the faint at heart. It's not easy and will look different for every person. We must remember Paul's words in Ephesians 2:10 which says, "For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do." God has prepared different plans for each of us and so following and obeying will look different for every person. What things has God asked you to do today?

Whatever it is, I hope that your belief in Christ and what he has done for you on the cross will be motivation to love and serve him not halfheartedly, but wholeheartedly. Will you listen, obey and follow him with everything you are today?

TASTE AND SEE

There will always be things we don't fully understand about God. That's just part of God being God and us being human but this should never prevent us from pursuing him. John Piper said in his book SEEING AND SAVORING JESUS CHRIST that believing in Jesus "is like seeing the sun and knowing it's light and not dark, or like tasting honey and knowing it's sweet and not sour." There's just something different about Jesus compared to everything else in the world. Every person in one way or another, at some point in their life, must make a decision about who they believe Jesus to be. He boldly claimed to be the son of God and "the way, the truth and the life" which makes him out to be either a crazy man or something really special. I agree with Mr. Piper that taking the time to look upon Jesus, what he said, and how he lived is the best approach to figuring out if he's really real.

Along similar lines, Psalm 34:8 says, "Taste and see that the Lord is good, blessed is the man who trusts in him." There's absolutely nothing wrong with doing a taste test of God or seeing what it feels like to trust in Him. The gospel of Luke tells us there was a man named Zacchaeus who did just that. Zacchaeus was wealthy and had everything a man could ask for but he was looking for something more and climbed in a tree one day to catch a glimpse of Jesus walking by. Zacchaeus wasn't the greatest of guys, he was dishonest and a crook by trade but none of these things mattered to Jesus. The two men become great friends and Zacchaeus' life was forever changed because he took the time to taste and see what Jesus was all about.

Just as Zacchaeus had to climb a tree to learn more about Jesus, tasting for you and I requires some time and effort. In order to do this, one must be willing to examine the whole story of Jesus' life, really think about the things he said and also be brave enough to examine the depths of their own soul. Man coming to believe in God is a two-way street that involves both God showing himself to those who ask and us searching for him. Searching for God takes time and is rarely something that can be done overnight. To do this, one must commit to withholding judgment on the matter of belief until the complete picture of who Jesus is can be seen. This means that reading a few Bible verses or looking up Christianity online doesn't paint the full picture and that patience is required. Dismissing Jesus or the concept of God because of one reason or one unanswered question is not really searching at all, it's looking for an excuse not to believe. There's a difference. We often want a quick fix to our problems but the the decision to believe in Jesus is life changing and is one that should be considered carefully.

Jesus declared, "I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never be hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty." -John 6:35

Will you take the chance to taste or re-taste what believing in Jesus is really like? I hope that for you, considering Christ will shed some light on the dark parts of our world and the darkness of the human heart and I hope that in a taste of what He's like you will find something sweeter and more satisfying than anything this world has to offer. Some of us have tasted before but need to do so again in a fresh, new way. We have forgotten the "abundant life" (John 10:10) and "rest for our souls" (Matthew 11:29) that only Jesus can give. Will you taste the sweetness of God and thank him for being so good today?

"I believe in Christianity as I believe the sun has risen: not only because I see it, but because by it I see everything else." -C.S. Lewis

WHEN DIVORCE IS OKAY

Wow! This one word has probably caused more pain and hurt to the hearts and souls of people today than maybe anything else that exists. This in an incredibly tough and sensitive topic to discuss but it has to be brought up. That's because marriage, which was designed to be a solid and wonderful foundation for life is not that anymore and it's no wonder that our world and relationships feel so shaky at times.

I have to say before going any farther that I don't know first hand what divorce is like. But I have talked with several who do and I have talked to even more kids who have been gracious enough to share their stories with me. In a second, I would like to lay out what the Bible says about divorce as far as when it's okay and when it's not but I want to quickly say this first. Knowing what God's word says on this subject will do our world zero good until the time comes when we start to revere God and his word for what they really are. 1 Corinthians 1:18 says that God's message and his way seems foolish to those who don't know and love him. So the real problem is not that we don't know what God says, but that we don't know God, and frankly we don't care to. As you think about your own experiences with divorce or about the experiences of others, will you please pray with me that the hearts of our world will be mercifully changed and drawn to God.

HISTORY
Divorce has been around for ages and dates all the way back to Bible times. Let's fast forward several thousand years though to a more recent event that changed the landscape of marriage forever. In 1969, the governor of California at the time, Ronald Reagan, signed into law the first bill allowing for what was called a "no fault divorce". This law allowed couples to divorce for virtually any and every reason and has played a huge part in the popularity of divorce today.

WHAT THE BIBLE SAYS
Divorce was never and will never be part of God's ideal plan for mankind. God didn't create us for divorce and he didn't create marriage to end in failure. But, because of the the selfishness, greed, and pride of mankind, it is a big part of our world that needs to be dealt with.

In the Bible, divorce is never mandated or required of anyone, but it is permitted in two scenarios:

#1 - UNFAITHFULNESS
In Matthew 19:9, Jesus says, "I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, and marries another woman commits adultery." So the first and one of the only times divorce is permitted is when an affair of some kind has taken place. Unfaithfulness doesn't mean that a couple should get a divorce, it only means that in this scenario, the loyal spouse in no longer at fault if the marriage fails. This concept of adultery is interesting to think about especially in light of what Jesus says in Matthew 5:28. "I tell you that any man who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

By this definition, almost everyone, and certainly all men, have a nasty record with adultery and this begs the question where does lustful thinking and pornography fit into the concept of unfaithfulness? Gregg Matte, whose recent talk on divorce was the inspiration for much of what I'm writing, uses three key parameters to answer this question: Habitual, unrepentant, and resistant to confrontation. So then, any person be it man or women, who is habitually involved in adulterous thinking or activity and who refuses to repent or respond to confrontation is being unfaithful.

#2 - ABANDONMENT
In this scenario, the apostle Paul is writing in 1 Corinthians 7:13 and 15 about a time when a believer and an unbeliever are married and considering divorce. To this he says, "If a woman has a husband who is not a believer and he is willing to leave her, she must not divorce him.... But if the unbeliever leaves, let him do so. A believing man or woman is not bound in such circumstances." Is it never right for any believer to ask for a divorce or for them to act in any manner other than out of love that might drive their spouse away or towards infidelity. If a person has done everything possible to love their spouse and they still leave, then the fault is not on that person. An important point to consider along of the lines of abandonment is that of abuse. If a spouse is abusive either verbally or physically to the extent that their partner or children are at risk, and if they are like this habitually and resist confrontation, then that spouse has abandoned their spiritual responsibility to that family and divorce may be considered.

WHAT TO DO IF YOU ARE DIVORCED OR ARE ASKED TO GIVE ADVICE ABOUT DIVORCE
If a person is divorced then they should stay that way until one of three things occurs. Until their spouse remarries, dies or until reconciliation happens. That spouse should pray and try to reconcile (notice that separation is not the same as divorce) but should not remarry unless either of the above conditions are met. This principle comes from Jesus' teaching in Matthew 5:32 that "whoever marries a divorced woman causes adultery to be committed." So adultery doesn't occur when people get divorced, it happens when they remarry after getting divorced for a reason other than unfaithfulness or abandonment.

What if a person has already remarried after getting divorced for the wrong reasons? First, that person should confess their wrongdoing to the lord and to anybody else that needs to be talked to and secondly, they need to commit to making their current marriage last for life!

Divorce is incredibly hard. In the words of Pastor Gregg, "It's like a bullet that goes in small but comes out big and and rips things apart on its way. We look at divorce often as a solution to our problems but usually only end up exchanging them for new ones." Is divorce the real issue here or perhaps is it something deeper? Could it be that our incessant obsession with having things our way and getting rid of things we don't like could be a result of our nasty, selfish, prideful problem with sin? I think if we as a culture deal with the sin problem then divorce will no longer be an issue. To quote pastor Gregg again, "Our sin is like a tangled ball of yarn that we can't undo no matter how hard we try." The harder we work at it, the messier it gets. How about if you and I stopped trying to fix our lives or exchange things like spouses and instead went to Jesus and asked him is we could exchange our messy, tangled life for a new one? Try it. He'll grant your request every time because he loves you died so you could be forgiven and have a fresh start.

SNAKE CHARMER

In Ecclesiastes, the king Solomon is giving out wisdom on life. He says, "If a snake bites before it's charmed, there is no profit for the charmer."
-Ecc 10:11

What's in the world does this mean? I think we would all agree that a snake bitten charmer is a dead charmer and that's a bad thing right? The obvious aside, I think what Solomon is getting at here is the idea that talk is cheap. You and I can say we're gonna do something and we can have the best intentions in the world to do that thing but unless it actually happens, what we say doesn't matter. Like the phrase "put your money where your mouth is" alludes to, following through on one's intentions is a big and risky commitment.

If you had to name your three biggest goals in life, what would they be? Here are mine:

1. Share the love and wonder of God with other people through whatever platform God gives me.
2. Be an amazing husband to my wife and love her always in an incredible way.
3. Raise kids that love God and other people.

All things considered, nothing else in life matters more to me than these three things. What are your goals like? Are they God honoring goals? And maybe the bigger question, what are you doing to make those goals a reality? Being a godly person, loving husband, or great parent doesn't just happen overnight because you get out bed one morning and it finally clicks. A person can have great plans to be more disciplined in a part of their life, they can know how and even be on the verge of doing it, but until planing turns into action, they are no better a snake charmer than the guy who walks up and intentionally gets bit. In Matthew 12:50 Jesus says, "Whoever does the will of my father is part of my family." Notice he doesn't say "whoever knows the will of the father" or "thinks about the will of the father," but whoever does the will of the father. A few chapters earlier in Matthew 7:21 Jesus tells his disciples, that those "who do the will of the father" will be the ones to enter God's kingdom. I think lots of us know things we should be doing differently in life and ways that God is asking us to grow, but few are really doing it. What's holding you back?

In verses 7-9, just before Solomon talks about charming snakes, he reminds us why there is no better time to start acting on our goals and on who God wants us to be than right now.

"Whoever digs a pit may fall into it; whoever breaks through a wall may be bitten by a snake. Whoever quarries stones may be injured by them; who ever splits logs may be entangled by them." Ecclesiastes 10:7-9

What Solomon's saying is that unexpected things happen to unsuspecting people just going about their business all the time. Death, disease and hardship give no regard to age, health, diet, or socioeconomic status. Nice, healthy, young, and successful people get sick out of the blue and die everyday. The reality of life is that you and I don't know what tomorrow may bring which gives us all the more reason to make the most of today. Don't wait to charm your snakes. There is certainly some risk, effort and commitment involved in becoming a godly man, women, parent, husband, wife, brother, sister or friend, but there is no greater way to live.

WHAT'S YOUR HOBBY?

HOBBY - [hob-ee] - noun, an activity or interest pursued for pleasure or relaxation and not as a main occupation: like wood carving or stamp collecting.

"For millions of Christians, nevertheless, God is no more real than he is to the non-Christian. They go through life trying to love an ideal and be loyal to a mere principle. They have never bothered to think the matter [of God] out for themselves, but have heard about him from others, and have put belief in Him into the back of their minds along with various other odds and ends." A.W. Tozer

For many of us, God is a hobby and nothing more. We have reduced our relationship with the God of the universe down to a comfortable and cliche belief in him that lacks both love and devotion. Our tolerant culture today has made belief in God no different that one's preference for drinking coffee. "Some like God and some don't we say," and whatever your case may be, that's fine as long as it works for you. Those who do choose to acknowledge God, like Him made to order, just like our mochas, so he can fit comfortably into our busy schedule and be there to relax us when we're in need.

Notice how Tozer said MILLIONS live this way. He's not just talking about about one or two people, he's saying that the majority of people who claim to believe in God live like this. That means that you and I need to take a good hard look at our view of God and the devotion with which we follow him. Is our devotion limited by convenience, practicality and our own selfishness or are we really throwing aside all hindrances and running hard after God like Hebrews 12:1 talks about.

Jesus said is Matthew 16:25 that, "Whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it." It doesn't sound like he's asking for a hobby-like commitment to me? The real question is how can we treat the God who gives us life each day and allows us to live completely free from all sin and guilt like a hobby? That just doesn't sound right, and it isn't. God tells us in the book of revelation that the lukewarm believer who rides the fence when it comes to really following makes him sick with vomit.

The Christian life and belief in God is no hobby. It was never meant to be. If If we want to find joy, peace, and fulfillment in this life, we must value following God, loving him, and growing in our faith above all else. Will God for you become more than a set of good ideals and principles? I hope that you'll make following God your main occupation today.

STYLING AND PROFILING

"Yet at the same time many even among the leaders believed in Jesus. But because of the Pharisees they would not confess their faith for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved praise from men more than praise from God." - John 12:42-43

Every person on the face of the planet must at some point make a decision as to what they truly believe about Jesus. Was he just a good man, did he exist at all or was he really the Son of God who rose from the dead? I have written more in detail about this on an older post, click here to read why I think the later is true.

If we're all to be honest, I fear many of us or are like the religious leaders in John that ride the fence when it comes to Jesus. We know we badly need a savior and want to put our faith in him but we are so scared to do so for fear of what that would mean. We're afraid that choosing to believe and follow Him would change our life completely, putting our reputation and life of comfort at stake, so we decide against it. Instead we choose to spend our time worried about "styling and profiling" as Dr. Rick Rigsby likes to say, looking good for other people, buying stuff, getting recognized and showing off.

We are much like the rich young ruler in Luke 18 who asked Jesus what to do in order to receive eternal life. Jesus replied, "Sell everything you have and give to the poor....Then come, follow me." Jesus knew the young ruler and we as humans like to follow God with stings attached and that's exactly why he told him to let go before he could follow. He is telling you and I the very same thing today. Following Jesus doesn't mean we'll become poor but it does mean rearranging our priorities so that he always comes first. We give him control of our finances and give money away if that's what he asks. We give him our time and become willing to serve others and not just ourselves. When Jesus becomes of utmost importance to us, everything else from our reputation to finances is now of secondary importance and takes a back seat to God being glorified in and through our lives. Jesus' response saddened the rich young ruler and it is what keeps many of us from following God with all our heart, soul, mind, time, and energy. We hold out on Christ, giving him only the parts of us that are easy to give while holding onto the things we value most. In Matthew 6:24 Jesus reminds us what following him really means. "No man can serve two masters. He will always love one and hate the other." If we really believe in God's Son we are told to "follow Him" but before we do we need to give him free reign in our lives. Following God while holding onto the things of this world is the equivalent of bringing everything you own on a hiking trip through the woods. Our stuff and our possessions inevitably slow us down and hinder us from being able to follow our guide. Are you willing to lighten you pack so you can follow better?

Just like the leaders in John 12, our reason for holding out on God is usually the fear of what other people will think. "We are more concerned with the praise of men than the praise of God" and fear the opinions of people more than how we are viewed by the God of the universe. Now that's doesn't sound right. JR Vasser, a pastor in New York, uses the following list of questions from Ed Welch's book "When people are big and God is small" to help you and I identify whether we're living for the right reasons.

• Do you crave the compliments of others or ever say derogatory things about yourself so that people will correct you with a compliment?
• Do you spend you life managing your reputation?
• Are you overly concerned about your weight, the way you look or the way you dress?
• Do you feel unappreciated or that people don't notice all the things you do?
• To you make excuses for your mistakes, justify your actions or shift blame to avoid failure?
• Do you show favoritism to people who can do something for you or make you look good?
• Are you over committed because of an incessant need to feel that you matter?
• Do you get nervous about being or speaking in groups?
• Do you spend money trying and live the type of life you or others think you should?
• Do you compare yourself to others and feel good when you win and bad when you lose?
  

These things above all describe the fear of man and will hold a person in horrible, miserable bondage for as long as they'll allow it. The fear of man has no limit and viciously consumes until all the life and joy has been sucked out of a man. We must remember that God defines success, wealth and beauty much different than the rest of the world and all that matters is how we are viewed in his eyes.

In Matthew 10:33, Jesus reminds us that fearing man in the place of God has eternal repercussions. "But whoever disowns me before men, I will disown him before my Father in heaven." Choosing to follow Christ comes with a cost. It might change the way we live and will certainly change the way we are viewed by some by the reward is far greater. In choosing to fear Christ above man we are guaranteed an eternal inheritance beyond description and an abundant life while on earth full of the purpose and peace that can only come through serving God.

"If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his soul?" -Luke 9:23-25

Matt Chandler likes to say that Jesus has lots of admirers but few disciples. Will you continue to admire him from afar for fear of what it would mean to really follow or will you throw aside the opinions and values of this world in order to be his disciple?

BRIGHT SPOT

"You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. In the same way, people don't light a lamp just to put it under a bowl...Instead...Let your light shine before men that they may see the way you live and glory your Father in Heaven." -Mt 5:16

We live in a dark, dark world, one disparately in need of light. Our culture and our those around us are blindly searching for satisfaction and purpose in all the wrong places. Success, possessions, fame and recognition are to be had in plenty but the truth is that they never satisfy for long.

King David had women, fame, success and infinite material possessions, but yet he said in Psalm 16:2, "You are my Lord, apart from you I have no good thing." David recognized what our culture today has failed to so far, that making Christ your Lord is the only way to live an abundant and satisfied life (John 10:10).

As Christians we have experienced the abundant life that comes with following Christ and we need to live in a way that shows we are changed people. We shouldn't be boastful or proud in the way we live but we should never be "ashamed of the gospel" (Romans 1:16) or what God has done in our lives.

"Let your light shine." What a cool idea. 1 Thessalonians 2:8 says, "Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well." When opportunities come this week to let your light shine, don't be afraid to share your life with somebody. Don't talk around the fact that you went to church on Sunday or spent time with friends from Bible study last night. Offer to pray for your neighbors and invite people into your home so they can experience God's love firsthand through your family. If we never raise "faith flags" by the way we live or in conversation, how is anybody suppose to know that it's Christ who makes us different? Most people who don't know Christ will never darken the door of a church or feel compelled to crack a bible. If you and I aren't living out God's love around and among them, how else are they going to see the light of Christ?

Max Lucado says in his book "It's Not About Me" that the "human job description can be reduced down to one simply task, to be God mirrors who reflect His glory." The Apostle Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 3:18 that when we look upon the Lord, "our faces should reflect like mirrors the brightness of our God." You and I can have the best intentions to shine a bright light but if we are not daily gazing upon the Savior, our light will fade and grow dull until we blend in with the darkness around us. Make sure and spend some time with the Light of the World today and them go out and reflect his love and glory for all to see!

BEGGARS

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for they will inherit the kingdom of heaven." - Jesus

Jesus said the "poor in spirit" are blessed but what does that mean? For me this phrase brings to mind words like downcast, dejected suffering, and solemn. Is that what Jesus is asking of us? A.W. Tozer has helped me a great deal in better understanding what Jesus might have meant when he spoke these words.

I think a great deal of the confusion comes about because of the connotation "poor" carries today. We use poor to describe a performance, outlook on life, or turnout at an event so to us it means "bad" but to the Greeks and Jews of Jesus day, poor literally meant "beggar".

So now the verse reads,"Blessed are the beggars..." That doesn't help much does it? Being blesses by God sounds less appealing than before. Let's stop and think more about what Jesus is asking. He's not saying we must be poor in order to be blessed, but that we must have the attitude or the "spirit" or a beggar. In essence, we must come to realize the paradoxical truth that everything in this world from the shirt on our backs to the air we breath is not ours. It belongs to the Lord. 1 Corinthians 4:7 says it like this, "What makes you different than anyone else? What do to have that God did not give you?" The answer to this questions, if you and I were to truthfully answer, is nothing. Everything we see, own and think we possess isn't really really ours, it came from and belongs to God. We depend on him for our food, breath and entire livelihood. We are beggars are we not? Jesus said that the person who realizes this, the true reality of our humble place before God, will be blessed. A sobering though to say the least.

Maintaining the attitude of a beggar is a difficult task amongst the world of stuff and things that we live in. Our stocked pantries and stock market accounts can easily deceive us into thinking we're in control and and control our own destiny but the truth is that we don't. All it take is an unexpected death or earthquake to remind us of that.

When you find yourself slipping from beggar to big time this or that just take a deep breath and remember who gave it to you. Then thank God for the day and all he has given you. If you do this, I think you'll find that your life will be blessed. Not because you walk around with a solemn and somber countenance on your face but because you understand how much of a lucky beggar you are.

Life's Not Fair!

In Matthew 20, Jesus tells the parable of workers in a vineyard. The vineyard owner goes into town early one morning (around 6 am) to hire help for the day and agrees to pay each worker 1 denarius, a day's wage. There was lost to be done that day so the owner returns to town again at 9 am, noon, 3pm and 5pm to hire more hands. When the work day ends that afternoon (6 pm), the owner gathers the workers together to give them their pay, beginning with those he hired last. Much to the dismay of the men who had put in a full 12 hours, each laborer, even those who had worked only an hour received 1 denarius of pay.

That's not fair right? There's not a CEO in the world who would say that was a fair business deal. Jesus uses this parable who remind us that all people will be offered the same salvation regardless of whether accept Christ as Lord at the age of 5 or 85. This parable gets to the heart of our concept of fairness and reveals a great deal about the things we value most. When it comes to fairness, we have no problem receiving an unmerited gift from somebody else but burn with jealousy as soon as someone is given something they don't deserve. Things will always seem unfair in life until we are able to shift our focus from ourselves and what we deserve to the generosity of the giver.

What if one of the men who had worked 12 hours applauded the owner for his equal payment to a man who had worked one because he recognized the incredible generosity of the owner? If you and I are going to look at life like this man, we need to think less about what we're entitled to and more on the abundant blessings we've each been given. Think about it this way, if you contracted cancer today would you call yourself blessed or would you cry foul against God for dealing you a poor hand in life? Even at my current age of 24 I feel like the most blessed man alive and don't think death or disease could change that. The fact alone that I've been able to live one day on this earth is a miracle in itself and far more than I deserve. Throw in on top of that being married to the the most amazing wife a man can ask for, a loving family, and get to wake up each day and walk around in God's beautiful creation and that's just crazy talk. How can God give a person so much who deserves so little?

If God is so generous and offers salvation to all, why don't we all enjoy life's pleasures now and ask for forgiveness later? When a person lives this way, they spend their entire life searching for meaning, purpose and peace that can only comes through knowing God. Only by agreeing to work in his vineyard and allowing him to be your boss can a person experience the fulfillment and satisfaction that life is meant to have.

What if instead of trying to work the least while getting paid the most, we viewed working for the owner as a privilege and did it to the best of our ability? If the workers in the vineyard had adopted this perspective they would have seen their 12 hour workday as a lucky chance to spend more time with the owner and not an additional burden on their backs. If you and I do the same and begin to appreciate the incredible opportunity we've been given to work for the King of the universe, our lives and work on earth will cease to be a burden and instead becomes an amazing joy and adventure. Are you enjoying being in God's presence throughout your day? Do you realize what an awesome privilege it is to have been asked by the Lord to help further his kingdom? The harvest is plenty, but good workers are hard to find. Keep working for him!

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart as if working for the Lord and not for man." -Col 3:23

Family Man

Jim Redmond showed the amazing heart of a Dad at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics when he burst through security to help his son Derek cross the finish line after tearing his hamstring in the middle of his race.  

"When King David was old and well advanced in his years, he could not keep warm even when they put covers over him.  So his servants said to him, 'Let us look for a young virgin to attend to attend to the king and take care of him'.... They searched throughout Israel for a beautiful girl and found Abishag ... she took care of the kind and waited on him, but the king had no intimate relations with her."   - 1 Kings 1:1-2

In the passage above, David, the most famous and king that had ever lived lies alone on his deathbed. David's reign had been marked by incredible military and national success, but all at the cost of his family. David committed adultery early on and pitted each of his wives against each other, all fighting for the affection of the king and for the rights of the their child as the rightful successor to the throne.  David's own children had affairs with each other, killed each other, became outlaws and even tried to kill their own father.  The condition  of  David's home sounds extreme and surprising for a wonderful king after God's own heart, but it is no different that most our homes today.   For those of you that are fathers, your kids and your wife, like David's, are dying for your attention, affection and love.  David was successful in his career, socially and at the office but he failed at home.  As a result, he died a lonely death, abandoned by the family he had abandoned and comforted only but a strange teenage girl.  

I believe God gives us David's example of failing at home to show you and I that a man who fails at home, fails in life.  There has never been more of a need for great dad's who understand and live out this principle every day than right now.  Don't believe me?  Just take a second to think about the sons and daughters that are being raised in today's homes.

Today's young men don't know how to be men.  They shirk responsibility, don't know how to treat a lady, and fall into the trap of thinking their inability to be a man means they must be homosexual.  Most of today's young women don't feel loved or appreciated by their fathers and seek attention from other men any way they can get it.  They give up their bodies, settle for love from guys who are jerks, believe lies about the way they should look and have zero self confidence or self worth.  If you are a Dad right now, you have a huge job.  If you're not a father just yet, get ready because your time is coming.  

There is no higher calling in life than being a parent, and especially a Dad.  In, Jesus' last words to believers on earth he tells us to go and make disciples of all people.  Jesus did this himself in taking twelve men under his wing, spending time with them, teaching them, loving them, forgiving them, and pouring into their lives in every way possible.  I can't think of any better setting to do this in than in a parent - child relationship.  God has built into our lives an 18-year window of discipleship training with our children and that is an opportunity we can't let slip by.  If you want to be a man after God's own heart, follow his example and the example of Jesus by choosing success at home over everything else.  If your business, 401k or social standing suffer that's okay.  The impact left by your children and your children children's  will be far greater than anything you could have accomplished in ten lifetimes anyway.  

"Even when I am old and gray, do not forsake me O God, till I declare your power to the next generation, your power to all who are to come."  - Psalm 71:18

Lions, Tigers, and Bears, Oh My!

"David said to Saul, your servant been keep his father's sheep.  When a lion or bear came and carried off a sheep from the flock, I went after it, struck it, and rescued the sheep from it's mouth. When it turned on me, I seized it by its hair, struck it and killed it... the Philistine will be like one of them." 1 Samuel 17:34-36

I have often wondered what gave David the guts to go battle Goliath.  Logically it seems completely insane and I wouldn't have done it myself but why did he?.  What gave David the courage and confidence to step out on that battle field and how can we apply that same courage to the giants we face in our own life?  Looking through the scripture in 1 Samuel, I think the answer is two fold. 

The first thing David understood is that his God is a God who prepares.  From an early age whenever I had to make a big decision, my dad always taught me to look backwards, instead of forwards, and ask the question, "How has God been preparing me."  Our past experiences, trials and upbringing can provide great hints as to what God might want us to do next.  When I decided to become a teacher, my experiences working at summer camps, coaching, and growing up with three brothers reassured me that doing something with kids was part of God's plan for my life.  To David, it was obvious that his time as a shepherd had prepared him for his battle better than any military training ever could have.  He figured that those experiences with the lion and bear were not chance events but divine appointments that God has placed in his life for a reason.  Looking back is counterintuitive but vital to being in God's will for your life.  What has God been preparing you for lately?

The second thing David understood was the nature of God as a faithful father.  1 Thessalonians 5:24 says that "He who calls you is faithful and he will do it."  Matthew 7:9-10 says, "Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? How much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!".  

I will never forget the first time that I jumped off the diving board as a little kid.  I was scarred out of my mind, but jumped because I knew that my dad was in the water and had said he would catch me.  Although God does not promise for everything to go will our way and to protect us from all hardship, he does say that he will never leave or forsake us (Joshua 1:5).  God is such a good father. He is not going to tell you to cross the road so you can get blind sided by a car and he's not going to call to do something only to hang you out to dry. You might have to go through some battles with lions or bears in your lifetime but that doesn't mean God is unfaithful.  He's preparing you through those battles for great things in your future and he's with you every step of the way.  

When God calls, find confidence in knowing you are adequately prepared and that you serve a faithful God.

Live in STYLE!

On Mondays in my Chemistry class, I always give a verse of the week. Recently, after encouraging my students to live life with their eyes fixed on the Lord, one young lady asked this very thought provoking question. "How do you know if you're living that way Mr. Benac?" Many possible answers popped into my head, things like read the bible, or spend time with God, but none that I felt encompassed what it really meant to walk with God. I admitted my inability to answer and asked if I could dedicate the next week's thought of the day to her topic, she gracefully agreed.

During that week, my mind reeled with possibilities as I tried hard to identify the behaviors that a person walking with the Lord must have. To answer her question, I decided to don a pair of old plaid pants (similar to those in the picture above), and talk about living in STYLE. Here's the gist of what I said:

S-Studying the word. Jesus said in Mt 4:4 that "man does not eat on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God." In the Bible we have the very word of God, protected and passed down through the ages. The growing believer knows that the word of God is the bread of life and it essential to spiritual survival in the same way that food is required for physical survival.

1 Peter 2:2 says that we need to crave spiritual food like a baby craves for milk and some of us need to posses a stronger desire for His word. Others of us need to graduate from the sippy cup to big boy food as mentioned in Hebrews 5:11-14. The Lord does not desire that you remain a spiritual infant for your lifetime, but wants you to grow into a bright light and messenger for Him.

I rarely, if ever, miss a meal during the day, but I have often gone days or weeks without sitting down to get any sustenance from God's word. No wonder our spiritual condition can feel dead or dry sometimes.
What kind of spiritual food have you been eating lately?

T-Telling your story. In Acts 26:15-18, the Lord tells Paul to "be a witness to the things I have and will show you." Paul tells the story of his conversion and the Lord's work in his life several times throughout the book of Acts and we should be no different. The Lord has given each of us a unique, wonderful story, one where new chapters are written everyday, and he wants us to share that story other people. We, like Paul, need to be a minister and witness to the Lord's work. Are you being a good steward of the story you've been given to tell?

Y-Yoked with believers. There is something to be said for finding strength in numbers and this is certainly true for the fellowship that exists among believers. Verses like Prov 27:17, "as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another," and Ecc 4:12, "a cord of three strands is not easily broken," remind us of the benefits that can be found in the company of others. A yoke is a heavy block of wood used by farmers to secure their oxen to the plow. It was heavy and cumbersome, a horrible task for an ox alone, and for this reason two were usually used. Life can be cumbersome as well and it sure helps to have friends beside to you help you along the way. I think this is while Paul wrote the following words in Galatians 6:2, "carry each others burdens, and in this way fulfill the law of Christ.

Not only does being yoked to believers provide support and company, but also an opportunity to be sharpened by the faith of others. Just as tough competition in sports results in an elevation of performance, a great deal can be learned when you surround yourself with more mature believers. Find believers that you admire for their walk and learn all that you can.

L-Listening to God. There is a big difference between listening and hearing. You and I can hear lots of noises and many voices but we can only listen to one. Mt 6:24 says "that a man cannot serve two masters." There is great truth is this statement, because, in order to listen one master's voice, a person must disregard the voice of the other. I think people today hear the voice of God more often than they think, the problem is that they are not listening. What is God calling you to lately?

E- Enjoying life. Being a believer in Christ is not about a checking off a to do list or doing everything right, it's about glorying the Lord while enjoying the freedom and abundant life that Jesus talks about in John 10:10. Jesus lived and died so that you and I could enjoy freedom from guilt and fear, find meaning in this life, and have a model to live by. King Solomon, the wisest man to ever live, gives us the following recipe for enjoying life:

"When times are good, be happy; but when times are bad consider: God has made one as well as the other." (Ecc 7:14)

"I commend the enjoyment of life, because nothing is better for a man under the sun than to eat and drink and be glad." (Ecc 8:15)

"Go eat your food with gladness and drink your wine with a joyful heart...Enjoy life with your wife whom you love...Whatever you hand finds to do, do it with all your might." (Ecc 9:7, 9, 10)

Don't get so caught up in all that you need to learn and do as a Christian that you forget to enjoy the journey of each day.

Well, the kids at school made fun of my pants but I hope they will remember what it means to live in style.

Gazers

My church recently finished a sermon series dealing with the end times and it has been fascinating to study about what will happen in the days leading up to Jesus' return. With these thoughts fresh on my mind, this verse in 2 Peter 3 caught my eye a few mornings ago.

"¹⁰But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare.^a]">

¹¹Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be? You ought to live holy and godly lives ¹²as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming.^b]"> That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat. ¹³But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.

¹⁴So then, dear friends, since you are looking forward to this, make every effort to be found spotless, blameless and at peace with him."

It is mind boggling to think of the earth's future destruction and life as we know it coming to an end. What will that look like? When will it happen? The absurdity alone of the world ending along with the vast array of questions associated with it can make even the bravest of people shiver with fear. It shouldn't be that way for the believer. Instead of becoming consumed and afraid of the end, we should think upon it often and allow the reminder that he is returning to change how we live our life today.

In this light, verse 11 asks a great question, "Since everything will be destroyed, what kind of people ought you to be?" In other words, since your house and your bank account will vanish one day, what kind of person ought you to be? Since your accomplishments at work or in athletics won't be remembered forever, what kind of person ought you to be. Since that twelve point buck or the bass on the wall will one day disappear, what kind of person ought you to be? I think you get the point. This really puts things in perspective doesn't it?

There are three types of people in life, each set apart by their focus and the direction that their life is heading. It almost goes without saying that an object will always head in the direction it is facing. I have never seen a sprinter win a race running backwards and people usually don't back up a car by looking straight forward. In these days leading up to the Lord's eventual return and as you consider the direction of your life, think about your focus. You spiritual gaze is either set on the Lord, on the world, or you are stuck in a state of stigmatism somewhere between the two. What kind of gazer are you?

God Gazers
Lets start off by saying that few of us have our eyes fixed on the Lord like we should. There are some, but not many that do. If this is you, my guess would be that you are enjoying growth and blessing, even amidst hardships, and have experienced the overall abundant life that God intends for us all.

World Gazers
Others have their gaze fixed on the world and on doing whatever their heart desires. To that person I say, that when the world gets old as it inevitably will (because nothing in it can satisfy forever), I hope you turn to the Lord. Taste and see how good he is.

Fake Gazers
The rest of us are simply fakers and foolish. You are a fake gazer if you claim to have your eyes fixed on God but continue to chase the world. This type of person is deceived and a liar. If the Lord does in fact return and the Bible is real, then you, like the world gazer, will spend eternity wishing you had be less foolish in the way you lived.

Most fake gazers don't even realize that they're fakes. That's because, in their heart of hearts they are convinced they can gaze upon both the Lord and the world. This person in merely a fence sitter, refusing to pick a side so they can enjoy the benefit of a spiritual experience without the commitment of following Christ. If this is you, you are living life in a "friends with benefits" situation that is taking advantage of the God of the universe. That's no good! It is foolish to think that one can live this way because there time when the world's way and God's way do not agree. In these times you are forced to make a decision where you will have to ignore one side in order to please the other. No man is able to properly serve two masters. Listen to what the Lord has to say to the foolish and fake gazer:

^"I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth."

-Revelation 3:15-16

In light of the destruction of the material world one day and the coming of the Lord, you and I need to think where are gaze is directed. Are we looking in the face of the Lord like we should be or are we wasting time satisfying by placing out focus in other places? Most are probably riding the fence, being pulled in opposing directions that leave you stranded and unable to do anything of substance at all. We need to stop living with one foot in the world and one foot in our faith so they we can put our whole selves in to something that really matters. I hope your life will be lived in a way that makes an impact for eternity.

Chuck Colson, former special council to president Nixon, was one of the most influential men in America during the 1960s and experienced life as every type of gazer. He became a believer during the months leading up to his indictment and imprisonment for involvement in the Watergate scandal. Here is some food for thought from his biography about the difference between being a world gazer and a God gazer.

"Late one afternoon, shortly after Christmas, I came upon a letter that was going to continue to affect my own goals for months and years to come. It was scrawled on a single sheet of white lined paper:

Dear Sir:

This may seem to you as an unusual letter, however after reading an article in the Charleston Evening post on you I gathered that you were (in the past) an unusual person. I'm a Sergeant in the USAF. For 19 years I've been trying to find myself. I've went to church on several occasions but they (the pastors) didn't reach me. After reading your article it has helped me more than anything in my entire life. It is Christmas Morning. I'm usually drunk on trying to get drunk by now, but I am here watching the children open up there presents and thinking about going to church somewhere, instead of the club or someone's house and get drunk. I didn't even buy "booze" this year. It's people in positions like you who confess their past (maybe not so good life - wrongs) or whatever it may be called. Sure do help people in a position like me. I truly feel free within my inner self and I pray that God may help help both of us in all of our trying efforts. I am going to try and find that book Mere Christianity down here and read it myself.

God bless,
Sergeant Green

I didn't care who saw me in my office as tears streamed down my cheeks while I read and reread Sergeant Green's letter. He said it all. For eleven years of my like I'd driven with every once of energy in my body to do the things in government that I believed might make people's lives better. But in all that time, I could not point to one single person, not one life, that had actually changed for the better."

-From Born Again, page 187-188

If your gaze is not where it should be, then don't delay in redirecting it. Like Mr. Colson, I hope you choose on a daily basis to gaze into the face of God and pursue what really matters in the end. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 3 and Isaiah 6 that when we turn our gaze to him we are forever changed. Become of God gazer and live a life that impacts for eternity.

What's your focus?

"Concentrate of others and practice will be easier for yourself," coach G yelled. This statement typified exactly what you had to do in order to get through coach's practices everyday. His were the toughest in the country. The toughest physically and the toughest mentally. If you were not constantly cheering on your teammates to keep the focus off yourself and you would quickly crumble under the fatigue.

The Christian life is no different. We are called as believers to put the needs of others before our own, to consider others better than ourselves (Phil 2:3) and to serve and not be served (Mt 20:28 ) just like Christ modeled for us. I firmly believe that you will not enjoy life's fullest satisfaction unless your focus is off of yourself, on the Lord instead, and on being a servant to those around you. If you're having trouble getting through each day, try a change of focus and concentrate on others.