Come to the Cross to See the Christ of Christmas

Well, it's 4:30AM on Christmas morning and I can't sleep.  I'm sitting in front of the fire place and as far as I can tell no one has come down the chimney, the chocolate chip cookie is still on the plate, and the milk is still in the glass.  Oh yeah, I'm the dad and I have to eat the cookie again but this year my youngest son told me that he didn't believe in Santa Claus and he's quite sure I'm the one who eats the cookie so why did we still put out the cookie?  Why?  Because I like cookies.

And, why am I up at 4 AM?  First off, I have been awake since 3:30AM and, as strange as this may sound to some, usually when I wake up at 3:30AM God put's something quite strong on my heart and I have to do something about it. Sometimes its a verse of scripture, sometimes it's a dream, and other times it's a message I need to put forth. I've asked God (very politely of course)  if it would be possible to move this regular meeting to 9AM but so far he seems content with the current time frame so who am I to press any further?  OK, so what's the reason for my insomnia today?

Christmas.  I mean, CHRISTmas.  The celebration of the birth of Jesus the Christ.  Yeah, that's it!  Not Santa, not the big pine tree in  my house, the presents, the cookie and milk, the reindeer, the yule log, the crowded mall, the Grinch, or even Bing Crosby's "White Christmas" (I know that last one really hurts). And, before I get a bunch of comments about Christmas being the remnant of a pagan holiday, December 25th unlikely being the factual date of Jesus' birth, or the fact that the early church didn't celebrate the birth of Jesus (The Church didn't proclaim this date and celebration until 440 AD), I want to say, "I know all of that."  But so what?

The point is that Jesus, the Christ, WAS born and his birth was both miraculous (not to say that every birth isn't quite miraculous) and his birth was prophesied hundreds of years before it happened.  I know you've likely heard these verses before or read them at the bottom of a Christmas card (if you actually read the card before the twenty dollar bill from Aunt Mildred fell out) but I want you to really ponder them today:

"But you, Bethlehem Ephratha, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times."  (Micah 5:2) 

"Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign: the virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel."  (Isaiah 7:14)  

God spoke though these prophets nearly seven centuries earlier, proclaiming that the Messiah (the Christ) would be born of a virgin (quite an amazing feat!) and would be born in the VERY insignificant and small town of Bethlehem. They predicted he'd be born of the tribe of Judah (only a one in twelve chance) and that he'd be born of the line of David.  This is very helpful for a man of such weak faith as I.  I like some reassurance for my faith. I would be like Thomas, poking my fingers in the wounds and then saying, "My Lord and my God!"  So, do I think God woke me up this early to prove to you that Jesus was the Christ?  Maybe, but I don't think so.  I think it was something even bigger.

I think it was to fast forward 33 years from the birthday of Jesus (whatever the real date is) to a cross on a hill and then to an empty tomb around the corner.  You see, until I came to the saving knowledge that what this God-man did on the cross at Calvary, his birth meant little to me. Yeah, it was a fun holiday and I could get a bit sentimental about the baby in the manger but the magnitude of the event didn't hit me until I came through the cross. When I finally understood that Jesus, who was both fully God and fully human, came to earth to pay the penalty for our sin (the atonement) and to make us right with God (reconciliation) and that through his resurrection, he conquered death, I finally was able to look at CHRISTmas and sing, "Oh holy night..." and really mean it.

I think we contemplate it backwards.  We can certainly grasp the birth of the baby Jesus with our minds before we come to the cross but we really can't celebrate Christmas with our hearts until we know him as Lord through that cross.  Even though the virgin birth was amazing, the transaction that bought our freedom came on Easter and when we cling to him on Easter and know our need for his love and his grace and his sacrificial gift, we can then finally see past the tinsel and wrapping paper and worship him on this wonderful December morning!

I want to thank you for spending the past year with us and with those who have participated in the I-61 Project.  I want to invite you to drop us a comment, a question, a concern, or a prayer need any time.  We love to get into the Word and would also be honored to pray for you or with you.  If any of you have been on the fence with regard to Jesus Christ, we would be glad to chat with you and answer questions as best we can.  Drop us a note!

May God grant you a VERY blessed CHRISTmas!

David and the I-61 Project

Fear - Bad thing or Good thing? The Bible says, "Both!"

When I was about ten years old I watched a movie called "The Legend of Boggy Creek".  I don't think I was supposed to watch it but somehow it passed the parental filter. Fear was born.  The movie was about Sasquatch, otherwise known as Bigfoot and from that night on (at least for a few months) I was certain the hairy, ape-man was roaming my neighborhood.  I couldn't sleep and fear gripped my mind. I peeked out of my bedroom window every night scanning the yard and the street for signs of him and then anxiously looked under my bed just in case he somehow got through the front door.

Fear, anxiety, worry, dread.  We're afraid of our failing finances, our failing health, our safety. We fear losing our children, our spouses, our pets, our freedom, and our honor. We can't sleep and our appetites go south. We seek counseling and we seek medicines that will calm our fears and, behind our Sunday smiles, the fear still lingers.

So, do you have a Sasquatch roaming the streets of your mind right now?  I think that it would be a good time to look at fear and anxiety and see if we can find some freedom and some hope from the giants that are holding us captive.

I set out to search the Bible to see how many times and in what ways the word "fear" was used.  I guess I assumed that I would see over and over "FEAR NOT!" and yes that was there  but  that is not exactly all that  I found.  The most common Old Testament word for fear was "yare" and in the New Testament was "phobos" from which we get the word phobia. These words mean fear, dread, terror but also have a component of awe and reverence.  As I scanned the search results what I found over and over and over again were the phrases "fear God" and "the fear of the Lord". GREAT! One more thing to be afraid of! "That will not go over well with my readers!", I thought. But then I began to read and search and pray. Here is what I found and I pray that you will grab ahold of this and find freedom from your fear.

I first want to say that there are many times that the Lord reminds us that he is ALWAYS in control and the believer need not ever worry.  We will look at those awesome promises in a moment but it seems that the Bible tells us that there is a precursor to the promise and that the answer to the problem of fear is fear.  WHAT? How can fear cure fear?  Let's see.

Take a look at these verses and ponder them for a moment:

Ecclesiastes 12:13  "Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man." (King Solomon)

Proverbs 9:10  "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom" (King Solomon)

Deuteronomy 5:29  "Oh, that their hearts would be inclined to fear me and keep all my commands always, so that it might go well with them and there children forever!"  (God)

1 Samuel 12:24  "But be sure to fear the Lord and serve him faithfully with all your heart; consider what great things he has done for you."  (Samuel)

Psalm 103:11  "For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him."  (King David)

Acts 10:34-35  "I now realize how true it is that God does not show favoritism but accepts men from every nation who fear him and do what is right."  (Peter)

I think that the beginning of our freedom from fear begins with a right view of God and an understanding and acknowledgment of who his is.  It begins when we see him with the awe and the reverent fear he deserves.  I know that it seems counterintuitive to fear the One from whom we look to for love but we are weak people and there is a certain amount of fear necessary to keep us on the right road. Be honest.  Don't we drive a little slower when we think there is a state trooper around the next corner?  Don't we walk a little more carefully along the edge of a cliff than we do when we walk down the side walk.  There are fears that are healthy and reasonable and the fear of the Lord is one of those.  When we know who we are and who He is then we can humble ourselves and draw near to him but always with a holy awe and reverent fear.

Now for those who fear him and seek him he promises that we need not fear!  Ever!!  Soak in these verse and hold them close to your heart:

Psalm 23:4  "Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of the valley of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me." (King David)

Isaiah 41:10 "So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God.  I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand."  (God)

2 Chronicles 20:15  "This is what the Lord says to you, 'Do not be afraid or discouraged because of this vast army.  For the battle is is not yours, but God's.'"  (Jahaziel son of Zechariah)

John 14:27  "Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.  I do not give as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid."  (Jesus, the Christ)

So, today as you go forward, consider the power, majesty, and love of the God of the universe and fear him.  But as you do remember that he created you for relationship and for eternal life.  Remember that he loved you enough to send his Son to die for you and me.  Then remember that for those who love him and have come by faith, nothing is impossible and no enemy too strong.  There are no storms too violent or diseases that can't be conquered!  Jesus said, "Do not be afraid".  Let's cling to that and remember that one day there will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things... will soon pass away.

May peace reign in your hearts this Christmas!

David

I Can See Clearly Now the Plank is Gone

When I was much younger I worked for a plumber and one day while I was in the shop cutting a piece of metal a very small sliver of hot steal shot right into my eye.  One blink and it stuck nicely into the inside of my upper eyelid so that every time I blinked it would drag the sharp shard of steel across my cornea and send intense pain all the way down to my left big toe.  The ER doc flipped my eyelid inside out and plucked the sliver of metal out, put it on a piece of gauze, and said, "Well, here is the little demon."  I could barely see it!  It was like half the size of a gnat.  I wonder what it must be like to have an eight foot 2x6 stuck in my eye.  Jesus said these words in Matthew 7:

Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother's eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye?  How can you say to your brother, "Let me take the speck out of your eye," When all the time there is a plank in your own eye?  You hypocrite, first take the plank out of our own eye, and then you will see clearly to  remove the speck from your brother's eye.

A couple weeks ago someone you know took a fall, a really big fall. He sinned against the Lord and against his wife and kids.  Since then much of the world, including many Christians I know, have taken out their red hot pokers and have mocked him, scorned him, and accused him.  His name is Tiger.  I have never met Tiger Woods but it seems that he has led a double life.  He has been unfaithful to his wife and has likely been addicted to the attention (physically and socially) of other women.  Yep he is a sinner.  Oh, yeah by the way, so am I.  And, so is this guy I saw a statue of in a church once.  His name is "Saint" Paul.  He said these words in Romans chapter 7:

"For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do - this I keep doing.  Now if I do what I don't want to do, it is no longer I who do it but sin living in me that does it.  So I find this law at work; when I want to do good, evil is right there with me.  For in my inner being I delight in God's law; but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind making me a prisoner of the law of sin at work within my members.  What a wretched man I am!"

So I think it's time to pluck the planks out of our own eyes, take a look at what sin really looks like, and also reevaluate what our response should be to one that has fallen hard.  I'll go first.  OK, I'm slowly removing the lumber from my eye.  Ouch! Ok, that hurt but now I can actually see clearly.

I want to start by saying that what Tiger did was very serious and has caused his family much pain.  From experience I also know that he is also in a lot of pain now.  Sin does that.  James tells us that "Sin when it is fully grown gives birth to death." It sure does!  But Jesus reminds us that the sin isn't just in the final ugly act but begins in the heart way before someone crawls into bed with another woman.  Jesus said, if you look at a woman with lust you've committed adultery in your heart.  So how many of you guys have ever looked on a woman with lust?  Or you women looked on a man with lust?  If you said, "Not me!" then you also have to add lying to your list of sins.  So if you've engaged in pornography, the adultery is in your heart and from the God's perspective it is the same.  Maybe it's not pornography but looking longer at the Dallas Cowboy Cheerleaders than Tony Romo.  Bottom line is that we have to examine our own lives for the sin in our hearts.

I don't know if Tiger is a born again believer but I would guess he likely isn't.  So, then there may be a chance that he is closer to a saving relationship with God now than he was when he was putting on the green jacket at the Masters.  Being humbled and fallen and seeing the "depravity" that the Bible reminds us we each share is often the first step towards seeking God.  Do I care if Tiger hits a 360 yard drive, eagles a 595 yard par 5, or wins another Major?  Nope.  Do I care if he earns another million dollars from Nike?  Nope.  Do I care that he comes to know the Savior of the world, the One who died for Tiger while he was yet a sinner?  Yep.

Look, he failed big time and so have I.  Tiger and I have a lot in common except  that I have a wicked slice and can't putt worth a darn.  So, let's each take a real close look at our own lives (and the planks in our eyes) and see where we are sinning against God.  Lust, greed, deceit, pride, coveting, gluttony,  cursing, cheating, selfishness . . . should I go on? Nah, I think we get the idea.

Lastly, I'd like to say to my brothers and sister in Christ that when we see someone fall regardless of the magnitude of the crash our response should be to find an opportunity to share the One who came to take away our sin, restore relationship, and to remove condemnation.  If we find ourselves making a joke at the expense of the man who is broken and his wife who is crushed we might want to stop, find a quiet place, and pray for them both.  They could sure use someone with the love of Christ to show them the way home.

Paul said, "Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners - of whom I am the worst.  But for that very reason I was shown mercy, so that in me, the worst of sinners, Christ Jesus might display his unlimited patience as an example for those who would believe on him and receive eternal life.'

Thank God!

Peace,

David

Skin - God's First Covering for Sin

I know last week's post was long, complicated, and had some thoughts that are up for debate so I want to thank those of you who stood strong and read it anyway.  For those that got about four sentences into it then bailed out, "No worries."  With that in mind I'm going to cut you all a little slack and keep this a bit shorter but hopefully no less important.

I was reading Genesis the other day and then listening to a Christian talk show a couple days later when I realized that there was a statement in the third chapter of Genesis that I had glossed over and never gave much thought.  I want to share it with you then I want to show you how the Gospel (The Good News of Jesus Christ) is repeated over and over and over from Genesis (The first of the 66 books of the Bible) to Revelation (The last book of the Bible).

Here is the statement (Genesis 3:21):

"The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife and clothed them."

You may recall that in the beginning of Genesis 3 Adam and Eve ate of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil which caused them to be separated from God.  It was the first sin and the first time man was no longer pure and walking in harmony with God.  For the first time Adam and Eve felt ashamed and saw their nakedness.  But as I recalled, they had sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves when they realized they were naked so why in the world did God make them "garments of skin"?

Here is the revelation!  As far as we can tell the very first physical death that occured in the Garden of Eden came at the hands of God.  It was the first sacrifice.  God provided for Adam and Eve a covering of skin, animal skin.  An innocent animal (maybe a lamb?) sacrificed to cover the shame and nakedness of the guilty.  The attempt of Adam and Eve to cover themselves must have been inadequate and the seriousness of the sin and the magnitude of its consequences so severe that God determined its solution necessitated the shedding of blood.  Wow!  So now I'll just give you a few scriptures as you journey from Genesis to Revelation that show God's plan of redemption (healing the broken relationship between man and God) is consistent all the way through.

Genesis 22:9-14 (God provides a substitute sacrifice for Abraham)

When they reached the place God had told him about, Abraham built an altar there and arranged the wood on it. He bound his son Isaac and laid him on the altar, on top of the wood.  Then he reached out his hand and took the knife to slay his son.  But the angel of the LORD called out to him from heaven, "Abraham! Abraham!" "Here I am," he replied.

  "Do not lay a hand on the boy," he said. "Do not do anything to him. Now I know that you fear God, because you have not withheld from me your son, your only son."

  Abraham looked up and there in a thicket he saw a ram caught by its horns. He went over and took the ram and sacrificed it as a burnt offering instead of his son.  So Abraham called that place The LORD Will Provide.

Genesis 7:7 (God provides a means of safety from his wrath against sin)

And Noah and his sons and his wife and his son's wives entered the ark to escape the waters of the flood.

Exodus 12:23 (The blood of a lamb protects the Israelites from the wrath of God)

When the LORD goes through the land to strike down the Egyptians, he will see the blood on the top and sides of the doorframe and will pass over that doorway, and he will not permit the destroyer to enter your houses and strike you down.

John 19:17-18 (Jesus "the Lamb of God" sacrificed for the sins of man)

Carrying his own cross, he went out to the place of the Skull (which in Aramaic is called Golgotha). Here they crucified him, and with him two others—one on each side and Jesus in the middle.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (the innocent dying for the guilty)
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him, we might become the righteousness of God.

Revelation 19:11-13 (Jesus returns to make all things new)

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself. He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God.

God's beautiful plan to restore us to himself is consistent from the beginning to the end and today I am going to reflect on the incredible gift that Jesus gave me.  Himself.  Undeserved for sure but that is the meaning of grace.  We can't sew on our own fig leaves!  It's God's doing.  So, if you haven't experienced forgiveness then I invite you also to reach out and receive it from the one who died for you!

Peace, David

Life After Death - What Does the Bible Say?

I'm not big on statistics and as a matter of fact I think I failed my first statistics test but here is a stat that is fairly easy to grasp and hard to deny. One hundred percent of people who are born will die. Now I know Enoch and Elijah were taken up to heaven without dying but I think that will work itself out in the Tribulation. . . but I digress.

People are certainly intrigued and not surprisingly curious about what happens to us when we die. Movies like Paranormal Activity, Ghost, The Sixth Sense and books like The Shack have been wildly popular. There are many beliefs regarding the afterlife such as heaven, reincarnation, purgatory, wandering the earth as spirit beings, absorption into the cosmic energy, a wild party with seventy virgins, and I'm sure you can come up with a few more but what does the Bible say about life after death? What would you say to someone who asked? What did Jesus and his disciples say about it? Let's take a look into the Word of God for some answers! This is a topic for a lengthy book and some of it is unclear but let's at least get our feet in the door. I'm sure I'll get a bunch of emails from folks who will not like what we find but remember that these aren't my words. I'm just delivering the mail. So don't shoot the mailman.

First, the Bible says that there is a different destination for those who are "in Christ" from those who are not. There is also a difference between those who died prior to and those who died after the resurrection of Christ. Prior to the Resurrection of Christ, all of the dead (their souls) were said to have been in Sheol (Hebrew). This seems to be true for those who had faith (looking ahead to the Messiah) and also the lost but Jesus tells a story in Luke 16 that points to a separation or chasm between the saved and unsaved in Sheol.

Luke 16:23-24

In hell (Sheol),where he was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his side. So he called to him, 'Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in this fire.'

Paul tells us, for believers who die after the resurrection of Jesus, that when we are absent from the body we will be present with the Lord (see 2 Corinthians 5 and Philippians 1). Likewise, when the man on the cross next to Jesus said "Remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus comforted him by telling him that "Today you will be with me in Paradise." Jesus spoke these words in John chapter 11, " "I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believes in me will never die." So, until Jesus returns, the souls of those who died in Christ will be with Him in heaven and their bodies will remain in the ground until the resurrection of the dead.

So what about unbelievers (the unsaved) who died after the resurrection of Christ? The book of Revelation reveals that the unsaved will be confined until the day of judgment in Hades which is the same as Sheol in the Old Testament. There is also the word Gehenna which was a literal burning waste dump outside of the walls of Jerusalem but is translated "hell". It is a picture of the lake of fire we will see about soon.

Revelation 20:13

The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done.

The grave, the sea, death, and hades all were used seemingly to designate a place of the dead until the Day of Judgement. In 2 Peter we see that the angels who rebelled with Satan are also held until the day of judgment in a place called Tartarus.

Then what?

We'll the Bible tells us that one day the Lord will return for his bride (the Church). It describes an event in 1 Thessalonians Chapter 4 that many call the "Rapture". Now before you say, "The word 'rapture' is not in the Bible!" I would tell you that neither is the word "Bible". For now just listen to Paul's description:

The Coming of the Lord

Brothers, we do not want you to be ignorant about those who fall asleep, or to grieve like the rest of men, who have no hope. We believe that Jesus died and rose again and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. According to the Lord's own word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left till the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.

The phrase "caught up" is from the Greek "harpadzo" from which we get the word "harpoon". It can be translated "snatched up" as well. The same word translated in the Latin is "raptus" or "rapturo" which is where the term rapture comes from. So the point being, when Jesus comes for his Church, the bodies of those who died in Christ will literally rise and be joined again with their souls that have been with Christ. Those who are alive at the time of the event will be instantaneously transformed (given imperishable bodies) and taken to be with Jesus.

1 Corinthians 15

Listen, I tell you a mystery: We will not all sleep, but we will all be changed— in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable, and we will be changed. For the perishable must clothe itself with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality.

Confused yet? Probably, so let's get to some clearer waters.

It is clear that, for now, our bodies go into the grave and our souls either go to be with the Lord or are held until the Judgement Day. So the question is "What then?" There is a term that we hear eight times in the Bible from Psalm 69, Philippians 4, and in the Book of Revelation. That phrase is the "Book of Life", also called the "Lamb's Book of Life" in Revelation 21. In all cases the Book of Life contains the names of the saved, the righteous, those belonging to the Lamb of God. The second concept that appears a number of times is the "wedding feast" or "wedding banquet". Jesus tells the story in Matthew 22 and Matthew 25. It's a picture of the final destination of believers but also the separation of the condemned:

Matthew 22:11-13

"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes. 'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless. "Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'

Revelation 19:9

Then the angel said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!' " And he added, "These are the true words of God."

So where does that leave us? After Jesus comes for his Bride he will then return not as a little baby in a manger but as a King riding on a white horse to make war with Satan, the Antichrist, and the False Prophet. He won't be alone but will be with his bride (the church). He will be victorious and will bind Satan in the great Abyss for one thousand years during which time he will rule and reign on the earth. After the thousand years are over Satan will be thrown into the lake of fire and the final Judgement will take place.

Revelation 19

The Rider on the White Horse

I saw heaven standing open and there before me was a white horse, whose rider is called Faithful and True. With justice he judges and makes war. His eyes are like blazing fire, and on his head are many crowns. He has a name written on him that no one knows but he himself.He is dressed in a robe dipped in blood, and his name is the Word of God. The armies of heaven were following him, riding on white horses and dressed in fine linen, white and clean. Out of his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations. "He will rule them with an iron scepter." He treads the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written:

KING OF KINGS AND LORD OF LORDS.

After the thousand year reign of Christ, the Bible tells us that at the Judgement "books" will be opened and all people great and small will be judged according to what was written in the books. We already mentioned the Lamb's Book of Life. The names in that book are there not based on their own righteousness but on the righteousness of Jesus received by grace through faith in him. Everyone who's name was not written in the Book of Life will be thrown into the Lake of Fire along with death and Hades.

Revelation 20

The Dead Are Judged

Then I saw a great white throne and him who was seated on it. Earth and sky fled from his presence, and there was no place for them. And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Another book was opened, which is the book of life. The dead were judged according to what they had done as recorded in the books. The sea gave up the dead that were in it, and death and Hades gave up the dead that were in them, and each person was judged according to what he had done. Then death and Hades were thrown into the lake of fire. The lake of fire is the second death. If anyone's name was not found written in the book of life, he was thrown into the lake of fire.

Wow! Hope you're still with me. Almost done. This is the best part:

Revelation 21

The New Jerusalem

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "Now the dwelling of God is with men, and he will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."

Well, that's a whole lot of info for a blog post but it doesn't work without the whole picture. I've left a bunch out and probably have you scratching your head but go back and take it slowly and get into the Word. Pray for God's discernment and wisdom. Lastly, if you are still in the land of the undecided or the land of the lost, God wants all people to come to repentance. The Word says, that all who call on the name of the Lord will be saved. Have you called on Him?

Peace,

David

How Far is the East from the West?

I was talking with a young man recently and he repeatedly used the word "Christian" in his conversation.

For instance:

"He is a Christian."

"She grew up in a Christian home."

So, I thought to myself, "Hmmm? I wonder what he means by that." I had a sneaking suspicion what he meant so I asked him, "What do you mean when you say the word 'Christian'? I then gave him a scenario. "If a friend, who happened to be an atheist, came up to you and told you that he was interested in Christianity and asked you 'What does it mean to be a Christian?', what would you tell him?"

The young man began to tell me that it meant having integrity, honesty, and doing the things Jesus did. So I pressed just a little farther. "So, do you mean that to become a Christian you just start to do good things, use Jesus as a role model, and then just go to a 'Christian' church on Sunday and WALLA you're a Christian?" He thought for a moment and then wasn't sure what to say. "No", I said. You aren't a Christian because you were raised in a "Christian " home. You aren't a Christian because you signed a membership card at the Church on the corner. You aren't a Christian because you listen to "Christian" music. You aren't a Christian because you do good things and wear a WWJD bracelet.

So off we went to the Scriptures and looked at what Jesus said and what his disciples said. We saw that becoming a Christian is a real transaction that occurs in the Spirit realm when a person who was separated from God by their sin and is "dead in their trespasses and sins" is forgiven, reconciled (To reestablish a close relationship) to God, and are "Born Again". This happens as a result of repentance and faith in the One who paid the penalty, who gave his life, and who was raised from the dead. I helped him to see that becoming a Christian is something that God does in us through our faith and not something we become by "signing up for" or "joining" like we would the Rotary Club or the fraternity house. We saw that integrity, honesty, love, peace, patience, and our good deeds are the fruits of that rekindled relationship not the prerequisite to it.

With that said, I want to share a few really awesome promises that the Bible gives us regarding the amazing work that occurs in those who trust Jesus Christ as Lord. I want to focus mainly on sin and what happens to all that ugly junk in our lives when that transaction takes place. It's instantaneous and it's permanent.

1) Psalm 103:11-13

"For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear him."

2) Isaiah 1:18

"Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.

3) 2 Corinthians 5:17

"Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!"

4) Romans 8:1

"Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus."

So, let me ask you a geography question. Exactly how far is the East from the West? OK, so you might not have the answer on the tip of your tongue so I'll give you an experiment that might help. Go out to the garage and find the tape measure in the tool box (It's probably under a pile of work gloves, a hammer, and two saws.) Now use a compass to find East. Start walking until you get to the beginning of East, nail down the end of the tape measure, then begin walking towards the West. Keep going until you get to the end of West. (You might need a few more tape measures.) Alright, I know that was ridiculous but the reality is that the distance is infinite and so is the distance from a Born Again believer to his or her sins. Will you sin again after you are saved? Likely, but two things are true about that: The Holy Spirit in you will "convict" (To make aware of one's sinfulness or guilt) you of that sin and the Bible says that if we confess our sins he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. How much cleansing? All of it!! Last thing to notice. Were all of these promises unconditional? Nope. Go back and look again but this time notice these words, "Those who fear him", "Let us reason together", "If anyone is in Christ", "For those who are in Christ Jesus"

So I hope and pray that if you consider yourself a Christian that you look an see if this actual transaction has occurred. The offer is open to all who call on the name of Jesus but without it you might just be wearing the label. The label is not good enough but the grace that comes through faith is all sufficient!

Peace,

David

A Time to Rest

Well, after 48 weeks of writing this Blog I finally missed a Saturday post. This past weekend I found myself in a little cabin in the open fields of North Dakota and guess what? No Internet. I think God knew that it was time for a Sabbath, not from the writing, the teaching, the worshiping, or any of that but from the busyness of the world. God's Word reminds us that we need to rest. It reminds us that God has designed us to be with him and to bask in his goodness. I realize now, more than ever, how much noise there is in our lives. Noise that keeps us from hearing God even as we seek to serve him.

As I laid back in the grass, in the darkness of early morning, looking over an old pinto bean field strewn with a couple dozen goose decoys, I realized that I didn't hear anything except the slight cold breeze whisking past my ears. The eastern horizon was beginning to glow a light blue when I began to hear the sound of thousands of snow geese coming off the water of the nearby lake. They were heading off to feed in the fields before making they're way south for the winter. It was good. God is so good. Then I looked south and could see the constellation Orion which has always been like a trusted old friend that faithfully comes to visit me every winter. There was a small part of me that was unsettled because I knew that the Blog wouldn't go out as it had for the past 48 weeks then I thought, "Maybe no one will notice. Maybe no one will care." I hoped that they would, not because I needed to feel appreciated but because I hoped that what I felt God had called me to do mattered. I think in that moment I understood that it matters most to God. He doesn't really need me per se (after all he is God) but he loves me and he wants me and as given me the opportunity to share in his Kingdom work. Now he was saying, "Rest David." Wow, it was good to rest! Thanks God!

I hope and pray that you will stop for a moment and rest as well. Turn off the TV, the Ipod, the Xbox 360, the cell phone, the computer (after you finish reading this of course), and then just rest. Talk to God. Listen to God. Enjoy God's presence. You'll probably have to go out of the house to get away from the stuff. Maybe you can get away for the weekend or maybe just for a couple hours in a nearby park. But you need to rest.

Psalm 62:5 says, "Find rest, O my soul, in God alone; my hope comes from him."

Thanks again for following as we seek to know God and to draw nearer to him and thanks for listening to the babblings of a sentimental guy who loves God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, and who loves you as well.

I look forward to being back in the swing on Saturday morning, God willing.

Peace,

David

God loves us but is his grace unconditional?

There is a qualifier that I often hear when people discuss their faith and describe the characteristics of the God they follow. This qualifier allows them to mold and shape God into one they can comfortably believe in and one that may be easier to share with others. The qualifier is: "For me. . . ."

"For me, God is love."

"For me, God is universal energy."

"For me, Hell is our time on earth."

"For me, Jesus' teachings can be boiled down to 'love your neighbor as yourself."

But here is the problem: Sincerity does not equal truth. I had a group of senior high school students in a room when we were discussing the concept of truth. I focused on the law of gravity. I was specific. "In Grand Rapids, Michigan, on January 23, 2009 gravity does indeed exist and a coin dropped from the balcony will fall to the ground. So the statement, 'For me, gravity isn't real.' is invalid even if you really, emotionally, and sincerely believe it.

Maybe God is not a personal creator being but instead is universal energy but the answer has little to do with you and me, at least the truth is not determined by our beliefs. Truth just is.

With that in mind, I want to share a concept that was discussed recently in a spirited dialogue I had with a group of people online. It centers around the concept of grace. Now the idea of a God who provides unlimited and unconditional grace is one that is appealing because it really takes the pressure off and negates any responsibility on my part. God loves me and he would never withhold his grace from me, right? Well, I think we need to first find out what in the heck grace is. When I was growing up I thought grace was the cursory prayer we said before chow and I guess that definition still holds true for some. But, in a greater context, "grace" is God's unmerited favor bestowed on an individual or a group of individuals. It is Jesus taking our sins and our punishment even though we didn't deserve it. God's grace is just that grace. But some will receive it and others will die in their sins, never having known his grace.

The discussion began with a comment describing God's grace as being unconditional. Is it? Is that what the Bible says about the grace of God? I want to first make a distinction between God's love and God's grace. Love is God's character and his motive. I love my kids. I love my wife. Now God's love is perfect and not flawed with sin or selfishness like my love. The Bible says God loves the world (The people not the planet).

John 3:16 "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."

You've probably heard John 3:16 before. But what about his grace and forgiveness. Well some would move down to the next verse and conclude God's grace is universal and unconditional.

John 3:17 "For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." So then is grace just a given for the world? No worries. We're all forgiven, we're all under his grace and mercy. Or is it still conditional?

Let's first look at the next verse of John chapter three remembering that when Jesus spoke these words they weren't divided into chapters and verses but he spoke the statement as a unit.

John 3:18 "Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son."

OK, Jesus was saying that he came into the world to save us because we, by nature were in a condemned state to start with. He puts a qualifier to the receiving of grace - "believes". "Whoever believes" Jesus says. God loves the world but the grace which is by definition not deserved or earned is received by faith or by belief. This belief is not an intellectual accent but a heart's belief based on the understanding of the need for it.

In Jonah chapter two there is a great example of God's grace being conditional:

Jonah 2:8 "Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs."

God's grace available for them . . . idolatry prevents them from claiming it.

Here is the deal friends. You and I do not deserve God's love. We certainly don't deserve his forgiveness. God is just and doesn't just say, "Hey no worries, just don't do it again." Jesus said he came to prevent us from perishing. Why were we perishing? Because we sinned. Here is where grace comes in. Jesus died on the cross for the sins of man not after we cleaned up our acts but "while we were yet sinners." Grace says, "You don't deserve it but I'll do it for you because I love you" God says, my grace is available to you through faith in my one and only Son. That is a condition of grabbing hold of the promise.

One last thing. Who comes to the Son by faith? Those who know they have a need to come. (Jesus also said, those who the Father draws to him but that is the topic of another post) Grace and forgiveness requires a humble and contrite spirit. Now I know this will open a discussion and I look forward to it but for now I hope you can see that love is more of who God is and grace is more of a thing he offers. This isn't a "For me . . . " issue. It's an issue of what is true. It is not that clean and neat but it's generally a reasonable way to look at it. God can not fail to love but because he is just, is not obligated to provide grace. I'm glad he loves us and oh, how he does!

Peace ,

David

A Little Bit of House Cleaning ~ An I-61 Project Ministry Update

A couple nights ago my wife looked at me with a bit of hesitation and whispered, "Honey, can I ask you a favor? Would you please put your clothes away when you take them off?" I looked over the small pile of dirty clothes spread about the chair and floor and then like a spoiled five year old I muttered, "Fine!" I somewhat angrily put the dirty clothes down the laundry chute, folded a pair of pants and stomped into the walk-in closet. What a brat I was! Like the Apostle Paul said, "What a wretched man I am!".

OK, this is not really a post about my brattiness, although I could certainly go down that road. I just wanted to start by sharing my disdain for house cleaning!!! With that said and as much as I don't like to clean house, I want to take this week and let you know all that is going on in and around the I-61 Project ministry. Even if you hate cleaning as much as I do, I hope you'll stick around to see how God is using this ministry to reach people for Jesus Christ.

I want to first share how God is extending the reach of the I-61 Project Blog. To-date, the blog has been visited by people from 23 countries including Great Britain, Indonesia, Turkey, Malaysia, India, South Africa, and Fiji. It's amazing that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is as powerful to a young woman in Hyderabad, India as it is for me here in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We have had visitors from every state in the nation and have had very fruitful dialogue with people from every corner of the country. How amazing that when Jesus commanded his disciples to go preach the Gospel to all nations we would see a day when we could do just that through the power of the Internet! Please feel free to interact with us through the comments section of each post. There is a small number in the upper right hand corner of each post that is clickable and will open the "comments" section for that post. You can also email us at info@i61project.org.

God has opened doors for us to share the Gospel in church environments, in the workplace, in small groups, in youth groups, and has made many divine appointments with other brothers and sisters in Christ. God has joined this ministry together with other powerful ministries including "Speaking 4 Him" which is the outreach ministry of our good friend Andrew Gommesen who is a wonderful preacher of the Word. He preaches Christ from the confinement of his wheelchair. Andrew was born three months prematurely and as a result has cerebral palsy. His ministry is growing and he has blessed us and many others.

Ivor Thomas, the co-founder of the I-61 Project, released his CD "Nowhere Else to Go" early this year and is reaching people through doors opened by the power of music. He has returned to serving the needs of God's people in his position as the Executive Director of the Muskegon County Habitat for Humanity. His CD is available at CD Baby and also on itunes. We have posted a powerful music video of his song "I'll Bother You" on YouTube.

We have recently been blessed to be able to start a worship service at our home church that we hope will reach people who have been hesitant to attend church or are looking to a more interactive way to encounter God in Christ. Appropriately, our good friend Mike Walden gave this gathering the name "Encounter". We hope that if you are in the Grand Rapids area you'll come visit us in this experience. We want you to know that you'll come to know the real Jesus even the parts that make us a little or a lot uncomfortable. We will be real with you and will provide a place where you can be real with us. Come as you are but God won't let you stay that way!

Our main website, "The I-61 Project. ORG" is expanding its content with news updates, music, and audio podcasts (recorded by our good friends at River City Studios). We hope you'll visit the site and listen to the podcasts which are also available for download on iTunes.

The I-61 Project has been incorporated and we will be looking to apply for tax exempt status in the near future. We have place a "Donate" button on the Blog home page and would appreciate your help as God leads you in furthering the reach of the Gospel.

I want to thank all who have visited us and have shared their hearts, their fears, their struggles, and their blessings. We have been blessed by you! Thanks also for cleaning house with me this morning because misery loves company.

Look forward to walking with you in the journey home.

Peace,

David and Ivor and The I-61 Project