Friday, August 28, 2015

Let us walk in the Light of God!


A young woman walked into a church to talk to the pastor.  She told the pastor that although she did not regularly attend church she believed in God, had a prayer life, was kind to people, and tried hard to live by the Ten Commandments.  Despite it all she could not rid herself of a nagging sense of sin and guilt.

“Why is it,” she asked, “that my friends who do not believe in God, who freely admit that they do not take religion seriously, are never troubled by any consciousness of guilt?”

Her question was not a new one for the pastor.  “Tell me”, he said, “if I were to lay a hundred pounds of stone upon a corpse, would it feel the weight?”

“No.  I’m sure it wouldn’t”, she replied.

“Why not?”

“Because the corpse has no life in it and is unable to feel the load.”

“Exactly!” replied the pastor.  “And that is why the person who is indifferent to his spiritual needs can say that he doesn’t feel the weight of sin.  He is dead, spiritually.”



It has always been true that the Christian has been more conscious of his personal sinfulness in the sight of God than the careless unbeliever.

King David admitted, “For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” (Psalm 51:3)

The Christian sees his sin.  A person who walks in the darkness can’t see the smudges on his clothes.  But once he walks in the light he immediately becomes conscious of his filthy condition.

There is nothing surprising at all in this young lady’s concern over her personal sin.  In fact, her deep concern was a sign that the Spirit of God was indeed working in her heart.
          “If our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart and knows all things.” (I John 3:20).  God, who is greater than our hearts, looks at us, not in our sins, but in Christ Jesus.  Because of Jesus all of your sins are forgiven!!!! As the book of Romans so wonderfully reminds us, “There is therefore no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

Wednesday, July 29, 2015

TRUE FREEDOM…FOREVER!

Tradition tells of a chime that changed the world on July 8, 1776, with the Liberty Bell ringing out from the tower of Independence Hall summoning the citizens of Philadelphia to hear the first public reading of the Declaration of Independence.
          There is widespread disagreement about when the first crack appeared on the Bell, but the final expansion of the crack—which rendered the Bell unringable—was on Washington’s birthday in 1846.
          As American citizens, we are the beneficiaries of the blood and treasure sacrificed for the freedoms we enjoy today, but as Christians, we are the beneficiaries of the greatest sacrificed blood and treasure the world has ever known:  the Son of God, Jesus Christ, who left His throne in heaven to become one of us, to gain for us a different kind of freedom . . . an eternal freedom that came at great cost to Himself:  crucifixion on a wooden Cross!
         This freedom is brought to us through the Gospel!  The Gospel is God’s Liberty Bell, ringing out the Good News of our Savior’s death on the cross, where we learn of His shed blood covering our sins and His resurrection from the grave, bringing us forgiveness, new life and life everlasting!
          All who believe in Jesus Christ have been given the freedom from the curse of the law, the power of sin, and the fear of death.  And thanks to Christ’s work of redemption, all believers have been freed for hearing and following His Word, serving Him and others, and proclaiming His Gospel of “spiritual freedom” to all people, of every nation!  Jesus Himself declares, “If you hold to My teaching, you are really My disciples.  Then you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free….  If the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed.”  (John 8:31-32, 36) – Now that’s TRUE FREEDOM!

Wednesday, June 10, 2015

Questions You've Never Asked

Maybe you never thought to ask. Or maybe you were too busy considering other questions, and searching out their answers.

One way or another there are questions that haven't been asked, that are worth asking. There are mysteries full of meaning right before our eyes, and under our noses, that beg the question. For instance:

·         Why do we have a seven-day week?
·         Why are there such diverse languages in the world?
·         Why do people wear clothes, and eat meat?
·         Why after all this time is the "Missing Link" still missing?
·         Why do people die? (And by the way, then what happens?)

If you peel the onion that far, it then becomes personal, and important for us to find the answers to what comes up next!

·         Is there a God?
·         Does He care about me?
·         If God's loving, why do I have so many problems?
·         Why does it seem that bad things happen to good people?
·         Other than my own plans -- which often fall short -- is there a plan for my life?

TOO DEEP FOR ME. But before you drop this newsletter and head out for a latte with your 'to-do' list -- what if you knew? What if you had answers? Would that make a difference? Would it ease your mind, and reassure you when you're afraid, or confronted with life's reversals? What if you found peace and joy in it?

Someone has answers: The One Who made the deaf hear and the lame leap like a deer . . . Who announces good news to the poor . . . Light for those who sit in darkness . . . Life for those living under the shadow of death . . . forgiveness for sins and eternal salvation in a concrete, real-time, truly present peace with God.

While we're at it, why has Jesus, the Jewish Carpenter of 2000 years ago from the small-potatoes town of Nazareth, become the most beloved, most despised, most controversial, most revered, most pivotal and consequential person in all of history? Why not come and see?