You are Rude and Inconsiderate!

by Tim Challies

You are not “running late.” You are rude. You are inconsiderate. You need to change. Greg Savage’s frustration with other people’s tardiness boiled over into an amusing rant that he posted online, and that was subsequently read by hundreds of thousands.

"10 people kept waiting in a meeting for 20 minutes, while some selfish pratt who idles his way via the coffee shop, is actually 20 minutes times 10, which is 200 minutes wasted – while you keep us waiting because you did not catch the earlier bus. That is over 3 hours wasted. By you! How much has that cost the business? Shall I send you an invoice?"
"And an arrangement to meet someone for a business meeting at a coffee shop at 3 pm, more often than not means at 3.10 you get a text saying ‘I am five minutes away’ which inevitably means 10 minutes, and so you wait for 15 or 20 minutes, kicking your heels in frustration."

Like most epic and enjoyable rants, we can all identify with the heart of the issue. Most of us feel some of his angst, because most of us have been kept waiting by someone who pulls in late too often and who apologizes too seldom. Somehow lateness has become culturally acceptable, excused away by busyness or traffic or the other trappings of our frantic lives. Savage says, “I consider serial lateness a character flaw which I take into account when working out who to promote, who to hire and who to count amongst my real friends.” In his view it is that important.
In many ways I am inclined to agree with Savage. I can very easily see a link between promptness and character, where people of mature character tend to be the ones who show up on time, or even a few minutes early. Here in North America we could probably lobby to make it the missing fruit of the Spirit: Love, joy, peace, patience, promptness, kindness, gentleness… But there is always one nagging little thought in the back of my mind: Jesus was late. Or was he just on time? He certainly looked late. In John 11 he is summoned to rush to the side of his friend Lazarus. But he dawdled and arrived not 20 minutes late, but 2 whole days late. By that time Lazarus was not only in the grave, but getting pretty ripe in there. His friends were disappointed in him, assuming that he didn’t properly understand the situation, or that he didn’t properly prioritize it. “Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died.”
But Jesus had been waylaid for the best of reasons—he was deeply in touch with God’s will and knew that God had something he meant to do and something he meant to prove in this situation. Where a human perspective made Jesus look like a failure, from a divine perspective he was the greatest success. We can see the same in the Psalms where David seems to assume that God is late or too busy with other things, too busy or too distracted to reply to David in his agony. We can see it in the cries of God’s people under oppression, as God seems so slow to turn his face toward them. Sometimes even the Divine looks late when we look at Him from our so-human and so-limited perspective.
And this is just my fear when we demand promptness and assume that tardiness indicates a character flaw. There is so much we don’t see. There are many people who love to do good to others, and they allow that doing good to others to take precedence over their schedules. My temptation is just the opposite, to refuse to do good because I don’t want to be late. In fact, just last night I dreamed about witnessing an accident but driving away so I wouldn’t be late for an elders’ meeting.
This issue has been an important one in my church. Toronto is the most culturally diverse city in the world, which makes the churches multi-racial, multi-cultural, and multi-everything else. I would say that nearly half of our church is from a West African or South American background, and both continents regard time differently from the way we do. I might be tempted to regard this only as weakness, but there are strengths as well. While I arrive on time but alone, my African friends might arrive thirty minutes late, but in a socially-engaged crowd. While I might be tempted to rush right back out of church to get home, to get lunch, to get a nap, to get geared up for the evening service, my African friends might dawdle at the church and socialize for hours until the next service begins. The issue that may frustrate us also masks genuine strengths. Will those strengths diminish as promptness increases? Is it worth the cost? Some of the most thoughtful people I know, are also the most consistently late people I know. They show their thoughtfulness in other ways—ways that sometimes make them late.
I do not mean to defend lateness. I still believe promptness is an application of Jesus’ simple command that we are to let our yes be yes and our no be no. If you say you will arrive at 10, arrive at 10, not 11. Like Savage, I believe the deeper issue is with people who plan to be late, who think so highly of themselves that they don’t even attempt to get there on time anymore, and who don’t care a bit for how this inconveniences others.
So by all means, let’s plan to be on time, and let’s live orderly lives. But let’s be slow to stand in judgment of those who show up at a time we deem inappropriate. If nothing else, let’s know people for their many strengths and not only that one weakeness that most frustrates us.

Sinful Leaders

by Dr. James Emery White

There is only one kind of leader.

“Sinful.”

I’ve often told folks at Meck that a sinner has to lead the church, so I might as well be honest about it, and to make sure they know that’s what they’ve got. To fail to do so would only add “deceit” to my list of sins.

Now, by “sinful” I don’t mean disqualifying patterns of public sin. Yet non-disqualifying sin abounds.

Don’t get me wrong.

The vast majority of pastors are good people.

Very good people.

They have deep consciences and wrestle with their sins and inadequacies more than anyone needs to point out for their benefit.

But yes, they are sinful.

Which means sinful people have to lead the church. Not formerly sinful, but currently sinful.

So what does that mean for the health and well-being of the church?

Four things come to mind:

1 – You need to be a sinful leader who is continually seeking forgiveness and striving for repentance. The Bible is full of habitual sinners, often in the same areas over and over again, but what marked God’s ability to use them tended to be their equally habitual contrition.

2 – You need to be a sinful leader who does not boast about things you have neither achieved nor maintained. Notice my language. Every leader will have to teach biblical truth about virtues they do not maintain. What is key is that there is not the heartbeat of hypocrisy which boasts as if you are above the fray.

3 – You need to be a sinful leader who works diligently to protect your life from the kinds of public sins that would shame the church and hurt her witness. Ask the family of any pastor to name that pastor’s sins, and they could. And no pastor would ask that such sins be excused. But what is essential is that the sins of that pastor are not the kind that will find their way into the news. I’m not talking about a cover-up, I’m talking about a wise-up. To be “above reproach” does not mean to be “above sin.” It means to live in such a way that you fight the hardest, and are disciplined the most, against the sins that are most prone for public display. And you do it not for the sake of your reputation, but for the sake of the church.

4 – You need to be a sinful leader who knows that it is only by the grace of God you are able to sustain another day of leadership. So you lean on God, depend on God, drink deeply from God. You know you are a sin-stained, sin-soaked person, so you pray like a drowning man to God for rescue. In other words, your sin leaves a deep mark of humility.

So let’s recap:

You have a sinful leader.

Pray they are the kind of sinful leader God wants.

James Emery White

Why is Church So Boring?

by David Murray

"A recent survey of people who used to be church members revealed that the main reason they stopped going to church was that they found it boring. It is difficult for many people to find worship a thrilling and moving experience." - R C Sproul
“'How awesome is this place!' This was Jacob’s response to being in the house of God. People do not normally feel that way in church. There is no sense of awe, no sense of being in the presence of One who makes us tremble. People in awe never complain that church is boring." - R C Sproul

The two quotes are from The Holiness of God by R C Sproul. The first identifies boredom as the main reason people stop going to church, and the second identifyies awe as the antidote to boredom.
Summary: More awe in church services = less boredom in church = less people leave church.
If Sproul is right, and I believe he is, how do we create more awe in our church services. Is this something only God can give, so we have to just wait for it to happen? Or is it something for which we are also responsible? 
Obviously, it’s God’s presence alone that can create awe, and therefore, ultimately, we are entirely dependent upon Him to choose to honor our worship services with His presence. However, there are important elements of human responsibility here too. God usually works through human means, and that puts obligations on the worship leader and the worshipping people.
The Worship Leader
In my own tradition, the preaching pastor is also the worship leader, and it’s that worship model I have primarily in mind here. However, most of this can also apply where the role is divided between two or more people.
1. Preparation. The worship leader should be prayerfully preparing for worship just as he prayerfully prepares his sermons. Far too often the pastor gives 15 hours to his sermon, 15 minutes to choosing songs, and 15 seconds to thinking about public prayer. He may pray for hours about his sermon and not at all for the singing, praying, and scripture reading. I’ve often found it helpful preparation to sing or listen to some Psalms in my office in the last few minutes before going to church.
2. Integration. The worship leader must ensure that the songs he chooses, the scripture reading, the prayer, and the spirit in which he conducts all this, fit the sermon theme. For example, there’s no point in having all praise songs if the sermon is about confession of sin. The prayer should also reflect at least some of the sermon content.
3. Organization. There should be a regular and recognized order to the worship so that the worshippers know what’s happening rather than just a haphazard free-for all, jumping from one thing to another without any rhyme nor reason. The Apostle Paul said that one of the ways to ensure that visiting worshippers are awed and stunned by the church’s worship is by orderliness and regularity (1 Cor. 14:23-32), not by novelty and unpredictability.
4. Conviction. No one is awed without conviction of sin. Look from Genesis to Revelation – from Jacob to Job to Isaiah to Ezekiel to Daniel to Peter to Thomas to Paul to John in Patmos – and you won’t find one example of any awed worshipper apart from them being first convicted of their sin. We’d love to go straight to doxology but there’s no shortcut past the valley of humiliation. Through song, prayer, and Scripture readings, worship leaders must remind people of their sin and sinfulness and lead them in confession.
5. Passion. Although some worship leaders sometimes take this way too far and the whole worship experience ends up in artificial emotionalism, which is more fleshly than spiritual, many in my more Reformed world take this to the other extreme and lead worship like a robot. If we look and sound bored, little surprise if those we are leading look and sound the same. If we’re not enthused, excited, and expectant, no one else is going to be.
6. Education. Perhaps the greatest need today is re-educating people about worship. We assume far too much. Do most people really know what worship is? Who’s it to? Who’s it for? Who is the God we are worshipping? A great start would be to give every worshipper Sproul’s book, The Holiness of God.
Next time, we’ll look at the responsibility of worshippers for creating awesome worship services. Meanwhile, what else do you think we can do to make our services more awe-full?

Dependence on God—A Witness of His Power

“But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.” - 2 Corinthians 4:7 

If you’re like most people, you don’t realize your dependency on God until you’re burned out from stress—either self-induced or caused by circumstances beyond your control.

Why is that?

Paul says it’s because we are fragile. But he doesn’t stop there. He says that God made us this way so that His power may be known through us!

Maybe someone told you, “Oh, just tie a knot and hang on!” Sometimes God wants us to let go of the rope because it is keeping us tied down to our destructive habits. We are totally dependent on God so that the love of His Son may be made known to the world.

Get a piece of rope and tie a knot in it. Let it sit on your desk this week as a reminder that God is more than just a knot at the end of the rope. He is the Savior of the World!

For more from Love Worth Finding and Pastor Adrian Rogers, please visit www.lwf.org.

The Knowledge You’re Working

With Colin Smith

We know that “An idol is nothing at all in the world.” 1 Corinthians 8:4 NIV

Remember, conscience functions according to knowledge, so what we know is important: “We know that ‘An idol is nothing at all… There is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live, and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live” (8:4,6).

John goes to church in Corinth. He’s a Christian and he knows that an idol is nothing more than a creation and projection of man’s vain imagination; so he goes to the butcher, buys his meat, and eats it with a clear conscience. “We know that an idol is nothing at all… but not everyone knows this.” (1 Cor.8:7).

Conscience is the ability to act with knowledge. That means the way your conscience functions will depend on the knowledge it is working with. Some Christians are still so accustomed to idols that their conscience tells them it’s wrong to eat this meat.

Mary was brought up in a world of idols. She has horrible memories of idolatrous festivals and the things that happened there. Now she has become a Christian, she feels that it would be wrong for her to eat meat that was slaughtered after one of these idolatrous festivals. And so just to be sure, she has decided that she won’t eat any meat at all.

One evening Mary meets John and they go out to a restaurant. John orders a T-bone steak and Mary orders a salad. John says to Mary, “Why are you ordering a salad? I’m buying. Have a steak!” Mary says, “I don’t feel right about that.”

How do you think Mary and John ought to resolve this?

[Based on the sermon series "Regeneration: How Christ Changes Your Soul"]

For more resources by Colin Smith visit Unlocking the Bible, where you can request a free sample of LifeKEYS Daily devotional, listen to the radio program, or browse other gospel-centered, Christ-exalting resources. You can also follow Colin on Twitter.

When God Doesn't Zap Away Our Sin

Tim Challies

God promises grace to battle sin and to overcome sin. We believe that God gives that kind of grace to his people. This is not something we deserve; it is not something he owes us, but he gives it anyway. It is undeserved, the overflow of his love for us.
And we long for that grace—the grace to put sin to death, the grace to bring righteousness to life, the grace to be who and what God calls us to be.
God gives that grace, but for some reason—his good reasons—it rarely comes in the form we would prefer. God gives it not in the form we want but in the form we need. We want God to zap away our sin, to instantly and permanently remove it. Those desires, those addictions, those idolatries—we want them to be lifted and to be gone that very moment. 
God could do this. He has the strength and the power. And occasionally he does do this, he removes the sin and the temptation to sin in an instant, and it never comes back with the same strength and the same force.
But more commonly God’s grace is not manifested in the instant obliteration of a sin. Instead, his grace is manifested in a newfound desire to destroy that sin. God does not zap away our sin, but gives us a new hatred for it and a new desire to do the hard work of battling it. He does not sovereignly remove it in a moment, but extends grace so we can battle it for a lifetime. He extends grace so we can see continuous, incremental success, knowing our weakness and crying out for his strength. He gives what we need, even if it isn’t quite what we want.
And this, too, is grace. This, too, is undeserved favor from a loving God. This, somehow, must be far better for us than the alternative. “But he said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me.”

Genesis 33:14

I will lead on softly, according as the cattle that goeth before me and the children be able to endure (Genesis 33:14).

What a beautiful picture of Jacob's thoughtfulness for the cattle and the children! He would not allow them to be overdriven even for one day. He would not lead on according to what a strong man like Esau could do and expected them to do, but only according to what they were able to endure. He knew exactly how far they could go in a day; and he made that his only consideration in arranging the marches. He had gone the same wilderness journey years before, and knew all about its roughness and heat and length, by personal experience. And so he said, "I will lead on softly." "For ye have not passed this way heretofore" (Josh.3:4.).

We have not passed this way heretofore, but the Lord Jesus has. It is all untrodden and unknown ground to us, but He knows it all by personal experience. The steep bits that take away our breath, the stony bits that make our feet ache so, the hot shadeless stretches that make us feel so exhausted, the rushing rivers that we have to pass through -- Jesus has gone through it all before us. "He was wearied with his journey." Not some, but all the many waters went over Him, and yet did not quench His love. He was made a perfect Leader by the things which He suffered. "He knoweth our frame; he remembereth that we are dust." Think of that when you are tempted to question the gentleness of His leading. He is remembering all the time; and not one step will He make you take beyond what your foot is able to endure. Never mind if you think it will not be able for the step that seems to come next; either He will so strengthen it that it shall be able, or He will call a sudden halt, and you shall not have to take it at all.
--Frances Ridley Havergal

In "pastures green"? Not always; sometimes He
Who knowest best, in kindness leadeth me
In weary ways, where heavy shadows be.
So, whether on the hill-tops high and fair
I dwell, or in the sunless valleys, where
The shadows lie, what matter? He is there.
--Barry

Daniel 6:20

O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee? (Daniel 6:20). How many times we find this expression in the Scriptures, and yet it is just this very thing that we are so prone to lose sight of. We know it is written "the living God"; but in our daily life there is scarcely anything we practically so much lose sight of as the fact that God is the living God; that He is now whatever He was three or four thousand years since; that He has the same sovereign power, the same saving love towards those who love and serve Him as ever He had and that He will do for them now what He did for others two, three, four thousand years ago, simply because He is the living God, the unchanging One. Oh, how therefore we should confide in Him, and in our darkest moments never lose sight of the fact that He is still and ever will be the living God! Be assured, if you walk with Him and look to Him and expect help from Him, He will never fail you. An older brother who has known the Lord for forty-four years, who writes this, says to you for your encouragement that He has never failed him. In the greatest difficulties, in the heaviest trials, in the deepest poverty and necessities, He has never failed me; but because I was enabled by His grace to trust Him He has always appeared for my help. I delight in speaking well of His name. --George Mueller Luther was once found at a moment of peril and fear, when he had need to grasp unseen strength, sitting in an abstracted mood tracing on the table with his finger the words, "Vivit! vivit!" ("He lives! He lives!"). It is our hope for ourselves, and for His truth, and for mankind. Men come and go; leaders, teachers, thinkers speak and work for a season, and then fall silent and impotent. He abides. They die, but He lives. They are lights kindled, and, therefore, sooner or later quenched; but He is the true light from which they draw all their brightness, and He shines for evermore. --Alexander Maclaren "One day I came to know Dr. John Douglas Adam," writes C. G. Trumbull. "I learned from him that what he counted his greatest spiritual asset was his unvarying consciousness of the actual presence of Jesus. Nothing bore him up so, he said, as the realization that Jesus was always with him in actual presence; and that this was so independent of his own feelings, dependent of his deserts, and independent of his own notions as to how Jesus would manifest His presence. "Moreover, he said that Christ was the home of his thoughts. Whenever his mind was free from other matters it would turn to Christ; and he would talk aloud to Christ when he was alone -- on the street, anywhere -- as easily and naturally as to a human friend. So real to him was Jesus' actual presence.

Extreme Love

Amos 4:9 "I blasted you with blight and mildew. When your gardens increased, Your vineyards, Your fig trees, And your olive trees, The locust devoured them; Yet you have not returned to Me," Says the LORD." NKJV

Often in the Hebrew Scriptures, we read of the judgments of God and gasp as we see Israel and other nations suffering under the Lord's power. While the judgments of God are difficult, we must understand that all through the Old Testament God is showing grace and mercy. In the prophets, He calls for people to turn from their wicked ways and He will forgive them. You see friend, while God's discipline can often seem extreme, His love is just as potent.

    Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love towards us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." NKJV

Extreme love - that is what the God of all creation has shown towards us. While we were steeped in sin and suffering under the weight of condemnation, He stepped out of heaven and gave His life for ours. The punishment that we deserved was placed upon Jesus on the cross. Each strike of the nails that pierced His hands was done so that we could know forgiveness. Each cruel word and slash of the whip on Jesus' body happened so that we could spend eternity with Him. All we have to do is come to Jesus seeking forgiveness and trusting in Him for salvation. As we do, we take part in the greatest love anyone could ever know.

Life Lesson: God goes to extreme measures to reveal His love for us.

Dear God,
I know that I have done wrong. Today, I come to You and ask that You would forgive me of all my sins. I confess that Jesus is Lord and I believe that He died for my sins and was raised from the grave three days later. Lord, make me a new creation and fill me with Your Spirit so that I can live for You. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Living to tell what He died to say,
Pastor David McGee

Receiving Joy and Strength

There is still another vital aspect to the "why" of Jesus' departure. He said, "If I do not go away, the Helper (Paraclete) will not come to you; but if I depart, I will send Him to you." Jesus' departure was tied to Pentecost. There is no Pentecost without ascension. As the invested King of kings, Jesus had the authority together with the Father to send His Holy Spirit in a new and powerful way upon the church. Jesus spoke of a certain necessity of His leaving in order for the Spirit to come. Herein was another great advantage. He declared, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost has come upon you" (Acts 1:8, KJV).

Two remarkable things happened to the disciples after Jesus departed. The first is that they "returned to Jerusalem with great joy" (Luke 24:52). They were not despondent over the departure of Jesus. Obviously they finally understood why He was leaving. They understood what, for the most part, the church since then has failed to understand. We live as if it would not have been better for Jesus to leave.

The second obvious change in the lives of the disciples was in their spiritual strength. After Pentecost, they were different people. No longer did they flee like sheep without a shepherd. Instead, they turned the world upside down. They turned the world upside down because they fully understood two simple things: the "where" and the "why" of Jesus' departure.

Coram Deo: Living in the Presence of God

Great joy and spiritual strength are two of the benefits of the ministry of the Holy Spirit. Let Him release these benefits in your life today.

For Further Study
Acts 4:31: "And when they had prayed, the place where they were assembled together was shaken; and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and they spoke the word of God with boldness."

Acts 4:33: "And with great power the apostles gave witness to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus. And great grace was upon them all."

Acts 4:29: "Now, Lord, look on their threats, and grant to Your servants that with all boldness they may speak Your word."

The mission, passion and purpose of Ligonier Ministries and Dr. R.C. Sproul is to help people grow in their knowledge of God and His holiness.

THE INFINITE WORTH OF GOD'S AMAZING LOVE

By Pastor Robert Roosendaal

Scripture Reading: Ephesians 2:7

The love scene takes on a total transformation as we examine God's love as given in the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ. From the heart of God flows the riches of His love, expressed by the Greek word "agape"----shining forth with eternal splendor and glory. Think of its surpassing beauty, purity and holiness. Our wonderful Lord who never changes is also constant in exercising this divine quality of love. It is expressed in John 3:16: "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son ... " This love is the basis for Paul's declaration: "Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it" (Eph. 5:25). This fabulous love overwhelms God's family as told in Romans 8:35--- Who shall separate us from the love of Chris!...?" There is only one answer---Absolutely nothing! What marvelous details of assurance: In verse one there is "no more condemnation" and verse 29 guarantees "no more separation" and through it all the promise that "all things work together for good". Yes, Romans 8 is a gold mine of riches. What kindness and comfort for God's child. This wonderful story of love goes on and on as told in God's Word. How thankful we should be for God's boundless provisions, praising God for all that has been done for us in the Person of Christ His Son at Calvary where we behold the greatest exhibition of love ever displayed.

John's lovely Gospel closes with the re-commissioning of Peter. As the Lord tenderly probes the nature of Peter's love we detect Peter's honesty, confessing that his love for the Christ was limited--- a "phileo" love, a tender affection. It was Christ's amazing love and compassion that reached out to a troubled and faltering Peter, restoring him into fellowship and service. The Holy Spirit here draws our attention to the wondrous love of God---man's love is a different story. Let us be honest about it as Peter was! When David sinned by numbering the children of Israel, God gave him three choices, and you will recall that he very wisely chose to fall into the hands of God, for His mercy is far greater than men. Christ was better at restoring preachers than we would ever be.

THOUGHT TO PONDER ON THIS DAY

 
Without a doubt there is no greater, or more valuable possession that we can hold in our hands than the word of God - The Holy Bible. And while we hold, and read, and study God's word, we have no greater need than to know how to handle it as God has intended that we handle it. For only then will we handle the Bible properly. and only then will it be able to effectually and fully function for us as "the word of truth' that it is, and thereby be able to accomplish what God has designed it to accomplish in our minds, and hearts, and lives.
_K. Blades

THE GREAT WHITE THRONE THE JUDGMENT SEAT OF CHRIST

By the late Pastor R. Hanna

Scripture Reading: Revelation 2l:11; 2 Corinthians 5:10

Many people - saved people - live in dread of death because they do not understand the kind of judgment that they will face before God. There is indeed a final judgment to come which is awesome and should strike fear in the heart of those who will face it. The Apostle John wrote, describing what was revealed to him in a vision on the Isle of Patmos: "I saw a great white throne, and Him (Christ) that sat on it...and I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened: and another book was opened, which is the book of life ... and whosoever was not found written in the book of life was cast into the lake of fire." (Revelation 20: 11-15) Those described here are the lost - those who did not accept God's proffered salvation before they died. The lost from all generations are raised from the dead to face this sentence of eternal separation from God.

But you and I, if we have been saved by the grace of God by faith, are not destined to confront the Great White Throne. Our apostle has revealed that "We must all appear before the judgment seat (BEMA) of Christ (not the great white throne); that everyone may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad." (2 Corinthians 5:10) The works for which we will be judged are those accomplished in service to God during our lives after we have been saved. "If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss (of reward), but he himself shall be saved ... " (I Corinthians 3:15)

Just A Thought:

"There are many dangerous trends pulling folks away from true Bible Christianity. Many of the newer philosophies of ministry employ methods that are wholly carnal. Some have adopted objectives that have not one line of Scripture to support them, and some employ conduct that differs little from the world. "

----Tozer

Repentance

Thou hast left thy first love. Remember therefore from whence thou art fallen, and repent – Revelation 2:4-5

Do you remember when your eyes were first opened to see the beauty and the grace and the power of Jesus Christ? Perhaps it was at a young age, or after many wrong and painful choices, or as a result of a long and arduous search for truth — but when Christ revealed himself to you, you had eyes only for Him.

But since then, things have changed. Life has gotten busy, work has been stressful, the hunt for an escape has replaced your search for truth. Maybe you still go through the religious motions of church attendance or Bible studies, but your heart is not in it any more. You have left your first love.

If this describes you, then Jesus says to you "Remember." Remember the peace and the joy and the satisfaction that is only found in a close relationship with Christ. Remember the worthiness and glory and humility of Christ on the cross. Remember what it's all about. It's all about Jesus.

And after you remember, then repent. Repentance necessarily involves admitting that you have been wrong…but it means even more than that. It means changing your ways and doing what is right. Repent of the fact that you have let other things come between you and Christ; admit that you have not nurtured your love for Him as you ought; confess your need of His renewing and reviving work in your life.

Remember. Repent. Return to your first love.

Overcoming the Barrier of Inadequacy

Charles Stanley

2 Corinthians 2:14-17

No one likes feelings of inadequacy, but they are something we must learn to handle, as none of us can avoid them permanently. Tragically, though, many people live with a cloud over their head because in their thinking, they never measure up. For some, this may be due to childhood experiences that negatively affected their self-image. For others, the problem stems from a lack of success related to work, relationships, marriage, parenting, or any number of things.

The area Paul deals with in today's passage is our Christian life. He asks a question that points to a common insecurity: "Who is adequate for these things?" (v. 16). Have you ever avoided serving the Lord in ways that challenge your comfort zone? If so, you've probably missed a tremendous opportunity to overcome feelings of inadequacy. He's promised to lead us "in triumph in Christ," (v. 14) but unless we believe Him and step out in faith, we'll never experience the life He has planned for us.

Feeling inadequate is not a sin, but using it as an excuse is. When the Lord challenges you to do something that you feel is beyond your abilities, you have two options. You can focus on Christ and proceed in triumph or focus on yourself and withdraw in defeat.

It's really a matter of faith. God would never ask you to do something without empowering you to accomplish it. This doesn't necessarily mean you will do it perfectly, but each step of obedience is a victory. The alternative is to play it safe, but then you'll miss out on God's best for your life.

Unshakeable

by Skip Heitzig

Did you ever wonder about that stone at the tomb of Jesus? Why was it moved? It wasn’t to let Jesus out; Jesus could get out of the tomb as easily as He entered the Upper Room later, without using the door. No, the reason the stone was rolled away was not to let Jesus out, but to let the disciples in so they could see!

And what did they see there? They saw that the body of Jesus was gone, but the grave clothes were still there, lying undisturbed. In John 20:1-8  there are different Greek words used for "saw." When it says Mary and Peter saw, it means they noted. When it says that John saw, it means that he saw with understanding, with comprehension.

Peter entered the tomb. "Then the other disciple, who came to the tomb first, went in also; and he saw and believed" (John 20:8). When John saw the grave clothes, he thought, "I get it!" He believed that Jesus was alive, based on what he saw.

Then John adds something that seems puzzling at first. Verse 9 says, “For as yet they did not know the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead.” They saw an empty tomb and empty grave clothes, and they formed their beliefs based on that. They knew what they saw.

But by the time John wrote his gospel, they knew the theology of Christ’s resurrection. Their faith, once based on physical evidence—the open tomb, the body gone, the clothes intact (as good as that was to convince John at that moment)—wasn’t enough to sustain a person through life. “This is what we saw, but we didn’t know the scripture yet” points to the fact that there’s something even better to base your belief and knowledge upon, and that’s the objective, inerrant prophecy in the Word of God.

Observation and personal experience aren’t enough! The Bible predicted that Christ would rise from the dead. What Peter called “a more sure word of prophecy” (2 Peter 1:19, KJV) is a more sure foundation.

So how do you know that you know? You could say, “I know because I saw or I heard.” But here’s something better: “What I saw and what I heard was predicted long ago in the prophets.” So now the subjective experience is bolstered by the objective prophecy of the Bible—and that’s unshakeable.

That’s what I want you to see here—the fundamental importance of the Word of God. Jesus said in Matthew 24:35, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away.”

The experience which we have with Christ is valid only as it is tied to something that is outside of our experience, something that is objective—the inerrant Word of God. With that, we can face anything.

If you just have the inerrant Word of Scripture but you don’t have an experience with God yourself, then it’s not personal. If you have your personal experience but it doesn’t match what the scripture says, then it’s not reasonable. Put them both together, it’s powerful. It’s unshakeable.

That’s my prayer for you at this Easter season, that you will have an unshakeable faith, based on the sure word of prophecy and a personal, vital relationship with Jesus Christ, the risen Redeemer!

Copyright © 2013 by Connection Communications. All rights reserved.

How To Make Your Marriage Last A Lifetime

by Jack Graham

Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.

1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Can love really last a lifetime? Is it possible to love someone more on the 5,000th day of marriage than you did on the 1st? Wives, can you actually fall more in love as your husband goes from sleek and handsome to bald and bulgy? Husbands, can you love your wife more as her hair goes gray and her face gets wrinkled?

Can love really last a lifetime? The answer is yes… because God created it that way!

As we take a look at the famous love passage in 1 Corinthians 13, we find God’s road map for the kind of love that really can last “till death do you part.” It’s a love that, at its core, isn’t focused on self, but on the goodness and well-being of the other person.

Did you get that? The greatest way to find real joy in a love relationship is to stop trying to please yourself and seek the other person first. It’s so counter-intuitive, but so absolutely crucial in making marriage last.

Maybe today, you know you’re guilty of having a self-focused love and your marriage is suffering because of it. It’s not too late to change. Start today by putting your spouse before yourself and you’ll discover real joy as each day becomes a lifetime of love.

PLACE YOUR SPOUSE’S NEEDS BEFORE YOURS DAY BY DAY AND YOUR LOVE WILL LAST A LIFETIME.

Triumph in Tragedy

by Max Lucado

What do you say we have a chat about graveclothes? Sound like fun? Sound like a cheery topic? Hardly. Make a list of depressing subjects, and burial garments is somewhere between IRS audits and long-term dental care.

No one likes graveclothes. No one discusses graveclothes. Have you ever spiced up dinner-table chat with the question, "What are you planning to wear in your casket?"
Most folks don't discuss graveclothes.

The apostle John, however, was an exception. Ask him, and he'll tell you how he came to see burial garments as a symbol of triumph. He didn't always see them that way. A tangible reminder of the death of his best friend, Jesus, they used to seem like a symbol of tragedy. But on the first Easter Sunday, God took clothing of death and made it a symbol of life.

Could he do the same for you?

Could he take what today is a token of tragedy and turn it into a symbol of triumph?

We all face tragedy. What's more, we've all received the symbols of tragedy. Yours might be a telegram from the war department, an ID bracelet from the hospital, a scar, or a court subpoena. We don't like these symbols, nor do we want these symbols. Like wrecked cars in a junkyard, they clutter up our hearts with memories of bad days.

But could God use such things for something good? How far can we go with verses like Romans 8:28 that says, "In everything God works for the good of those who love him"? Does "everything" include tumors and tests and tempers and terminations? John would answer yes. John would tell you that God can turn any tragedy into a triumph, if only you will wait and watch.

Could I challenge you with a little exercise? Remove the word everything from Romans 8:28 and replace it with the symbol of your own tragedy. For the apostle John, the verse would read: "In burial clothing God works for the good of those who love him." How would Romans 8:28 read in your life?

In hospital stays God works for the good. In divorce papers God works for the good. In a prison term God works for the good.

If God can change John's life through a tragedy, could it be he will use a tragedy to change yours?

From He Chose the Nails
Copyright 2000, Max Lucado

Consider the lilies, how they grow

Consider the lilies, how they grow (Matt. 6:28).

I need oil," said an ancient monk; so he planted an olive sapling. "Lord," he prayed, "it needs rain that its tender roots may drink and swell. Send gentle showers." And the Lord sent gentle showers. "Lord," prayed the monk, "my tree needs sun. Send sun, I pray Thee." And the sun shone, gilding the dripping clouds. "Now frost, my Lord, to brace its tissues," cried the monk. And behold, the little tree stood sparkling with frost, but at evening it died.

Then the monk sought the cell of a brother monk, and told his strange experience. "I, too, planted a little tree," he said, "and see! it thrives well. But I entrust my tree to its God. He who made it knows better what it needs than a man like me. I laid no condition. I fixed not ways or means. 'Lord, send what it needs,' I prayed, 'storm or sunshine, wind, rain, or frost. Thou hast made it and Thou dost know.'"

Yes, leave it with Him,
The lilies all do,
And they grow--
They grow in the rain,
And they grow in the, dew--
Yes, they grow:
They grow in the darkness, all hid in the night--
They grow in the sunshine, revealed by the light--
Still they grow.
Yes, leave it with Him
'Tis more dear to His heart,
You will know,
Than the lilies that bloom,
Or the flowers that start
'Neath the snow:
Whatever you need, if you seek it in prayer,
You can leave it with Him--for you are His care. You, you know.
--Selected

Use your answers

God loves you!
And that's a wonderful thing.
But how does His love take care of your problem with sin?
God loves you and wants a fellowship with you.
But since God is also righteous and holy, our sinfulness makes that relationship impossible--unless God does something about it.
And He did.
John 3:16 tells us "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life."
Secondly-
His love also made it possible for you to have freedom from sin.
He sent His Son to die for you to pay the penalty for your sin, so you could have eternal life with Him.
Romans 6:22-23 says, "But now you are free from the power of sin and have become slaves of God. Now you do those things that lead to holiness and result in eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life through Christ Jesus our Lord."
And there's a third thing-
In His love, He offers us complete forgiveness of sin
- not the kind that says "It's okay, don't worry about it"; then reminds you of it every now and then. This is forgiveness that rolls your sins up into a ball and throws them so far away they'll never be found or held against you again.
Psalm 103:12 says,"He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west."
And Romans 8:1 promises no condemnation--once you believe and are "in Christ Jesus."
Take some time to put these verses into your own words.
Have you experienced "how wide, how long, how high, and how deep" God's love is?
Are you putting down roots in His love?
Are you tapped into His power and strength, the limitless resources of the Spirit?
Use your answers to these questions as your own prayer of praise to God for His immeasurable love.

Bonus to that faith!

Ever notice how much self-help information there is in our society?

There are books, radio programs, seminars and numerous talk shows that urge you to take a look at who you are and then change yourself by your determined will.

Have you tried all those methods and yet you're still discouraged by repeating the same old habits?

There are some things that self-help cannot help; things like disease, overcoming certain sins, and most of all, death.

But I have good news:

God has a plan for us that goes beyond our abilities.
It comes through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ-
- who supernaturally changes us where we can't change ourselves.

As a bonus to that faith-
He promises us victory over death, and eternal life.

If you really want to help yourself-
- look beyond yourself to the only One who can save you and give you the ultimate victory.

His name is Jesus Christ!

Commune with God

"Then God said, 'Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. And let them rule over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth." Genesis 1:26.

What does it mean that man was made in God's image? 

Does it mean that God has two arms, two legs and a long flowing beard as depicted on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel? (Of note, Michelangelo also painted a belly button on God, something that really makes no sense on so many levels.) 

No, 

Scripture does not imply a visual duplication of God; 

instead it refers to the nature of God. 

Like God, man can think and reason. 

We appreciate beauty and language. 

And unlike animals-

- we have an inner sense of morality and the ability to grasp deep concepts. 

This gives man the ability to commune with God.

That is the real reason God made us in His image. 

He desires a relationship with you and wants to fellowship with all mankind.

In the same passage-

God addresses our relationship with the earth.

One reason God made us in His image is that we are responsible for caring for all of God's creation. 

We're to be an intermediary between God and all of His creation. 

How can we manage it-

- unless we stay close to God;

- unless we think like God;

- unless we're able to fulfill the will of God?

Part of having a relationship with God is having the right relationship with His creation. 

Being created in His image is an awesome gift, as well as a sacred responsibility.