A Royal Wedding. You're Invited But Will You Be There?

I started out yesterday writing a fictitious story to help illustrate the message I felt called to share.  After four well contrived paragraphs and forty minutes of my day, the Lord convinced me to highlight the whole mess and hit the delete button.  "I already wrote the story David.  Just share it."

Actually there were two stories both about weddings.  Both had curious and disturbing endings. These stories (parables) are about us.  Yes, you and me.  We can play a number of different parts in the stories and will someday.  Which part we play is of the utmost importance so pay close attention to the rest of the story, 

The first comes from Matthew 22.  Jesus tells of a King who planned a wedding banquet for his son.  It was to be a grand feast and many were invited.  None of those initially invited came so the King sent servants to explain to them how amazing this event was to be.  Still they just went about their business, some even so thankful as to kill the servant messengers.  The angry King then sent out messengers to invite anyone they could find from the streets, both good and bad. When the room was full of the most unlikely guests, the feast began but the King noticed a man who was not wearing wedding clothes.  He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless.  The man was then bound hand and foot then tossed outside into the dark where the was "weeping and gnashing of teeth."

A strange wedding don't you think?  A grand event that the initial invitees ignore. Guests that were taken off the street "Good and Bad"?  A very angry father of the groom who not only kicks out a man for having improper attire but  has him bound hand and foot? Strange indeed!

The second story comes from Matthew 25.  It tells of ten virgins who were to meet the bridegroom with lighted lamps.  Only five of the ten chose to bring oil with them.  The bridegroom was "a long time in coming" so the woman fell asleep. At midnight the cry came out that the groom was on his way. The women trimmed their lamps but the lamps of the five who failed to bring oil went out. As the five ran back to get oil, the doors of the banquet hall were shut.  When they arrived and knocked on the door the Lord said, "I don't know you." The door did not open.

Another strange wedding story.  Lamps, oil, and a locked door. There is much to these stories including a reference to the Gospel being sent first to the Jews then to the Gentiles.  There is a connection between oil and the Holy Spirit.  But I don't want to miss the forest for the trees because there is a very simple yet urgent message that binds these stories together.  It's a message that we need to listen carefully to.  As my son says, "Pay heed!"

If you and I aren't prepared, if we aren't properly clothed, and if we don't know the bridegroom, or his father we will be sadly disappointed on the day of the wedding supper. We will be outside of a closed door weeping.  I think if you ask most people who claim to be "Christians" if they're going to heaven they would say "yes".  They would be basing their answer on a list of good deeds outweighing the bad ones, their church attendance, their infant baptism, their observance of feasts, sacraments, or religious laws. These will not earn your entrance.   Many people go about their days with little or no acknowledgement of Jesus.  They say, he is a long time from coming or God is loving and will take me as I am.  Are they right?

Jesus was clear that many will come on that day and knock but the door will not be opened to them.  Jesus said narrow is the road the that leads to life and few find it. He said, many will come to me on that day and say "Lord, Lord …. " and he will say, "away from me I never knew you."  Jesus told parables about the last days and made distinctions between the saved and the lost, the sheep and the goats, the wheat and the tares. The forgiven and the condemned.

So where do you stand? Does he know you?  Is your lamp full of oil?  Are you wearing wedding clothes?  Careful how you answer.  The only oil that can keep your lamp full is the Holy Spirit.  The only clothes acceptable on that day are robes of righteousness.  Not your good deeds but Jesus' righteousness obtained through faith is him. "For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness"  (Isaiah 61:10)  This isn't just an "Oh yeah, I believe in Jesus and go to church." kind of faith.  It's a life changing faith.  It's a faith that causes us to grieve in our hearts when we sin or when we walk in a way that in contrary to the Spirit of God.  It's a faith that causes us to talk about HIM, post face books posts about HIM, and to bring HIM up in conversations at a party.  Look at your life, your conversations, your tweets, your posts, how you spend your money, and what you listen to on the radio.  Does he know you?  Do you know him?  I think you get the point.

Paul reminds us to "Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test?"  (2 Corinthians 13:5).  I challenge you to do just that today.  If you find that maybe your lamp is empty or your clothes still dirty, remember that God loves you and sent his Son to die for you. Turn to him in faith and be ready for the wedding of the ages, the wedding between Jesus and his Church (those saved by grace through faith). "Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the wedding supper of the Lamb!” (Revelation 19:9)


Peace,

David

Do You Feel Weak? You're Not Alone

Have you ever felt weak?  Maybe physically weak because of fatigue or illness, maybe mentally weak from the burdens of school or work, maybe emotionally weak after the loss of a close relationship or the death of a loved one, or maybe a little of each? It never feels good to be weak.  We, as a society, look down on weakness.  We glorify the strong.  The covers of our magazines show well built physiques.  The world loves a strong leader, a powerful voice, or a bigger than life athlete.  We buy vitamins, hormones, and memberships to health clubs. We listen to motivational speakers and hide our weaknesses to maintain an illusion of strength.  But you, how are YOU inside?  Maybe I'm all alone in this, but I for one am WEAK!!! I have strong moments but every time I climb some spiritual or physical peak I slide down the other side and realize that in my flesh, I am weak.  If this resonates with you read on.  If not you might want to search one of my earlier posts on pride.

In Mathew 26 Jesus left his disciples in the garden at Gethsemane to go off and pray alone.  He took Peter, James, and John a little farther along the path and asked them to stay and keep watch as he went ahead to pray. When he returned he found them sleeping.  Jesus said to them, "Couldn't you men keep watch with me for one hour? Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation, the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." Twice more Jesus went off to pray and both times he found the disciples asleep on his return.  I find it interesting that Jesus shows their physical weakness by their inability to stay awake for even one hour but then talks about temptation.  Jesus shows us our physical and our spiritual weakness.  He makes a distinction between their flesh and their spirits. Peter, "The Rock", once again reveals that he, like us, was weak. Phew!  We are in good company.

Paul in Romans chapter 7 admitted his weakness and struggle as the inner war between good and evil, sin and obedience raged in his heart.  He came to the Corinthians in "weakness with great fear and trembling."  In the eleventh chapter of Corinthians he says, "Who is weak, and I do not feel weak? Who is led into sin, and I do not inwardly burn?  If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness."

Here is the beauty of the Bible, the awesome irony of God's sovereign plan:

God chooses the weak things of the world to shame the strong (1 Corinthians 1:27)  He chose a murder with a stuttering problem to lead the Jews out of Egypt, a donkey to speak truth to a disobedient prophet, and a persecutor of the church to be one of it's greatest evangelists. He loves the weak.  Why? I think one of the biggest reasons is that God is the only one who is really strong and when he reveals himself through men (or women) he leaves no doubt that the strength is from HIM and not from man. "so that no one can boast." If we are honest with ourselves  we would all admit that we are weak.  The Bible is clear that God lifts up the humble and the meek but opposes the prideful, boastful, and arrogant.

I want to encourage you today to admit your weakness. Understand that in your flesh you will find weakness to temptation, weakness to fear, weakness to depression, weakness in your body, and weakness in your spirit.  But God had done something supernatural for you if you are his child by faith.  He has given you his Spirit.  The Holy Spirit of God dwells in you.  Romans 8:26 says, "the Spirit helps us in our weakness." We are reminded that we can do all things "through Him who give us strength." Paul urges us to live by the Spirit and not the flesh but he acknowledges that it's not always easy and is indeed an ongoing battle.

Galatians 5:17 "For the flesh desires what is contrary to the Spirit and the Spirit, what is contrary to the flesh.  They are in conflict with each other . . " We are instructed to "Keep in step with the Spirit."  As we do we begin to see the power of HIM through our weakness.  These words from Paul bring it all together, "I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak then, I am strong."

Be blessed knowing that as you walk in the Spirit (by repentance, prayer and obedience) you'll begin to see the fruits of the Spirit blossom in you: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self Control.  It likely won't be a straight climb but a slow, hard climb with peaks and valleys but keep walking!

I hope this spoke to someone today because I know this season of celebration is also a time for many of great pain, anxiety, fear, and weakness.  But now to Him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory.

Amen,

David

Christians - Are We Walking The Walk Or are We Like The Amazing Fat Melting Jiggling Machine?

The commercials were convincing.  The evidence overwhelming; pictures before and the after.  It was astounding! Potbellies magically transformed into rippled, six-pack abs that, until now, could only be sculpted with months or years of crunches, sit-ups, and leg lifts.  But now it was possible without the work, without the pain, even possible while watching your favorite soap-opera.  What was this magic?  The "Fat Melting Jiggle Machine."

My mother, God bless her soul, called Sears and Roebuck to place her order and two weeks later we all lined up for a try.  Mom was first.  She put the belt around her waist and flipped the switch. I'm not sure what made us jiggle more, the machine or gut laughing to the point of tears as we watched the show.  Now my mother was thin to begin with so it wasn't a fair test but suffice it to say, the machine didn't live up to it's maker's claims.  No weight loss, just a lot of jiggling fat and laughing kids. The correlation is this: you can talk all you want, make great claims. and even try to sell to the masses but if it doesn't work, if it doesn't live up to the hype, if it's all show and no go then its a lie.  We as Christians often are a lot like that.  This is not a condemnation but more of a wake-up call or at least a nudge towards self-examination. 

It seems that the "Holiday" season always reminds me of how far we as Christians have come from delivering the real goods to those around us.  I watch with a broken heart, the commercials on TV with cars, laptops, and video games wrapped with big, red bows.  The sitcoms have their holiday specials and our mailbox is filled with various Christmas and Holiday cards.  We go to parties and eat too much cake and maybe drink too much punch. In all of it is Jesus lifted up?  Is God really glorified?  The answer may be yes but for many it probably isn't.  I wonder what God thinks as we go about our festivities from Black Friday through New Years.  I wonder what he thinks as his children go into the word but look no different from it.  I know what you're thinking, "What a Scrooge!!"  Those who know me might even say, "What a hypocrite."  And in many ways they may be right. I struggle with sin and failure like the rest. I enjoy giving good gifts and gathering with people I love.  I enjoy meeting new people. What convicts my spirit is how little Jesus is talked about and how little God is worshipped in this time when we are suppose to be celebrating one very amazing moment in time.  The incarnation of God. The moment when God came to earth dressed in "swaddling clothes" lying in a manger.

What does this have to do with a fat melting jiggle machine?  Well, what we say we are has a lot more to do with the actual fruit than it does with our lip service or our church affiliation.   What we advertise ourselves to be and what we are may be two different things.  Now I realize that we all have areas in our lives that we struggle with but this is about who we are when we interact with the world.  If a nonbeliever encountered us at an office Christmas party or in a line at Macy's would he or she notice something different about us?  Would Jesus show through.  We can say we are Christians, go to church every Sunday and Wednesday night, and pray when acceptable but what really matters is what we do.  God has been showing me this about myself in my place of work.  Am I revealing Christ to those around me?  Do I walk the walk?  Or am I just a silly jiggling machine? Sadly, sometimes I'm the latter.

Here's a question to ponder.  If Jesus walked into your office, your home, your party what would you do?  How would you respond?  Would you be excited because the party was all about him anyway?  Excited because the tree and decorations were all for him and to celebrate him?  Or would you dive to hide something you didn't want him to see? When we're in a place where people need to know Christ, places where lost people need life, where broken people need to be healed, where blind people need sight, and hungry people need to be fed, what do we do?  Well, for most of us, me included at times, we just partake in the same conversations, the same jokes, the same activities and God gets set aside like last years Christmas tie.

Before you get upset with me and click off this page please ask yourself two questions:

1) Do I know Jesus?  If you don't I want to tell you that Christmas is the celebration of God loving YOU. I mean REALLY loving YOU, so much so that he sent his one and only Son into the world to die for you.  To pay the punishment that you and I deserve and to provide eternal life. The Bible says that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.  If you're feeling God's Spirit drawing you to him and away from sin then it's time.  Jesus said "come to me all you who are weary and heavy ladened and I will give you rest."  Confess your sins to him and believe.

If the answer to the first question was "Yes" then  move onto #2

2) Does my life, do my actions, and do my words lead people closer to God?

I love Christmas.  I love the celebration.  I want to see lost people saved and this time of year is a wonderful opportunity to partake in God's plan to seek and save the lost.  Be careful if you claim Christ. It's no small responsibility. Be the real deal.  Be different. Be light.  Be holy.  Be love.

Peace,  David

Pride? Me? Nah: The Danger of a Prideful Heart

I've seen it many times with a front row seat at the base of a big oak tree, a gobbler (a male, wild turkey) making his way to a hen.  He starts out cautiously at first, feathers down, not looking all that different from his potential mate, but once his eyes make contact with her it happens.  He gets puffed up, tail feathers spread out in a beautiful fan, and he begins to strut.  Back and forth he struts in a display meant to impress.  What's he saying?  "Look at me!  Aren't I something awesome?  See how big and handsome I am?  I'm bigger than the gobbler over there  so focus your attention on ME."  But you know the reality of it?  It's just air, the same skinny turkey with a whole lot of fluff.  In this situation it's natural and it's part of reproduction but it's a great analogy for the sin of all sins - human pride.

I took a little time today to do a word search in the Bible for pride, proud, haughty, and arrogant.  It was astounding!  It was incredibly humbling.  It was a word for me and it is a word for you.  I could just list off the scripture verses that describe God's view of and his reaction to pride but it would take a small book to do that.  When you're finished with this post you might want to go to Biblegateway Keyword Search and type in "pride". You'll be humbled too.  But for now I want to give you a little taste of what you'll find.

When most of us think of sin (if we think of sin at all) we think of murder, lust, adultery, lying, or stealing.  But I believe that one sin is at the root of all of them and one sin God hates above all else - PRIDE.  Why is that? Because pride is our way of attempting to make ourselves like a god.  We attempt to put ourselves on a throne,  But guess what?  It's just a bunch of hot air.  We like the gobbler are not really that big or impressive.  Actually, we're really quite broken and weak.  But before you say "Me?  I'm actually quite humble." be careful because pride can often be a subtle but equally dangerous sin.

Let me give you a couple verses that demonstrate, with no ambiguity, how God feels about pride:

Psalm 101:5

"Whoever has haughty eyes and a proud heart, I will not tolerate."

Proverbs 16:5

"The Lord detests all the proud of heart.  Be sure of this, they will not go unpunished."

So what's the big deal?  Pride?  Really?  It can't be as bad as the other sins. But it is.  It leads to a false sense that we don't really need God.  Even if we are believers we can begin to feel like we are something special either because we're part of the "saved" group or because we're doing great things for God.  What happens when we start to get puffed up like God predicted Israel would do?

Deuteronomy 8:13-15

"When your herds and your flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is multiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."

Pride gone unchecked will lead to separation from God and ultimately a crash and burn.  Hear this verse about King Uzziah in 2 Chronicles 26:16:

"But after Uzziah became powerful, his pride lead to his downfall.  He was unfaithful to the Lord his God . . . "

Proverbs 16:18 says, "Pride goes before destruction, a haughty spirit before a fall."

Sure pride can be overt.  We've all seen or know someone who talks big, walks big, and thinks they are "God's gift to mankind".  Hollywood is full of them but I know God is just as concerned with his children, believers in His Son, believers who harbor little tentacles of pride that can undermine the working of the Holy Spirit through them.  God was concerned that the Apostle Paul would become prideful because of the position he had been given and because of the great revelations God had shown him.  Apparently Paul was unable to self contain his pride so God gave him a "thorn in the flesh"

2 Corinthians 12:7

"Therefore, in order to keep me from being conceited, I was given a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me."

WOW!  God let Satan "torment" Paul to prevent him from becoming prideful.  He must really hate pride!

Before we close let's do a little self-examination for pride in our lives.  See if any of these thoughts or actions creep up in your life:

1)  When someone talks about their kid, maybe a sporting accomplishment or school grade, does you mind immediately turn to your kid and how they compare.  Do you feel 100% excited for them or do you lose a little of it in competitiveness?  That's pride.

2)  When you serve in church or in some ministry and someone talks about their service to God do your thoughts and maybe even your words turn to your accomplishments and your godliness?  Be truthful. We are competitive, even when it comes to serving God.  It's pride.

3)  When you go to the gym, run a few miles, decide which shirt will make you look the best or when you take that one extra look in the mirror in the morning, what is you motive?  Is it just to keep your God given body healthy or is it to impress man (or woman)

Be brutally honest with yourself.  It's OK. You're not alone.  We ALL harbor pride in our hearts.  The key is to be honest, identify it, acknowledge it before God and pray for humility. Remember that Jesus, the only son of the Most High God, through whom all things were made, came from heaven and was born in a dirty manger.  On his knees he washed the feet of his disciples. On the cross he was nailed and died.  He who had no sin became sin for us that we might become the righteousness of God.  That is humble. That is beautiful.

I'll leave you with this:

Psalm 149:4

"For the Lord takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory."

If you want to wear a crown given by God himself seek humility.  As in all my blogs, this message was first to me and to my prideful heart. I pray it touches yours.

Peace,

David

Drop Your Stone and Pray - The Right Response to Sin

I recently read of a local pastor who had been accused of a sinful and shameful act. This man was a leader, a teacher, a councilor, and a theologian lead astray by sexual temptation.  I can hear the murmurs of unbelievers who caught wind of the story, mocking the man, mocking Christianity, and generally using the account as an argument against God.  Not surprising because the unbeliever often looks for a slip of the tongue, an inconsistency in moral conduct, or hypocrisy to say, "Look, he's no different than anyone else; maybe even worse!"

Maybe you know this story or one like it.  Maybe you had feelings of disgust, anger, sadness, bitterness, or judgement.  What should the believer's response be to the sin of a fellow believer, even when the sin is particularly offensive or egregious? Not to be cliche-ish, but WWJD?  (For those not from this planet - What Would Jesus Do?)

Now let me first say that there are earthy consequences for breaking the law and for sin in general but this is not about what happens in the court of law but what happens in the human heart.  What is the internal dialogue that goes on in your head when you hear a story of someone else's fall? What is the external dialogue that happens as you discuss the story with your friends and family?  What is whispered from ear to ear down the length of the church pew and at the church's Wednesday evening potluck? "Can you believe . . .?"  "He seemed like such a nice man."

So, did you pick up your stone yet?

There was a woman "caught in adultery" who was brought to Jesus by the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees.  They "made her stand before the group."  I assume "caught in adultery" means that someone walked in on the act which, I imagine, was quite embarrassing but then making her stand before the group was humiliating.  Deserved?  Maybe yes, maybe no but how did Jesus respond when the Pharisees asked him if she should be stoned, as required by Old Testament Law?  With his finger writing in the dust of the ground, Jesus said, "Let anyone of you who is without sin, be the first to throw a stone at her."  One by one the stones fell to the ground as they walked away.

If you have a stone in your hand, you might want to loosen the grip just a little.

In Luke chapter 6 Jesus said, "Do not judge and you will not be judged." Then, in chapter 7,  he followed with "For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged."

Loosening the grip a little more?

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus told his followers, "You have heard that is was said to the people long ago, 'You shall not murder and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with a brother or sister will be subject to judgment." and "anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

Feel the stone starting to slip from your hand?

The Apostle Paul will pry the last two fingers from your stone with these words: "Christ Jesus 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 immense patience as an example for those who would believe in him and receive eternal life." Herod Antipas (who beheaded John the Baptist), Cain (who killed his brother Abel), Jezebel (who sacrificed babies to the idol Baal and murdered many prophets), yet Paul says twice that he was the WORST OF SINNERS! Thud! Your stone should be on the ground.

Now within Christian leadership there is accountability and consequences for overt sin and rebellion which the elders will hopefully handle biblically with love and grace through prayer both to protect the flock as well as to bring the straying back in line through repentance.  Jesus was clear that leaders and teachers would be held to a higher standard and Paul taught us that God "chastens those he loves." But, this post is not about consequences as much as is is about the hearts of fellow believers toward the sinner. Hearts of judgment, bitterness, hatred, or disgust versus hearts of grace, compassion, combined with prayers for repentance, healing, and restoration.  God says his "grace is sufficient" for us, for little sins and for big ones.  I pray for this man, for his family, for his church, for his school, for those he offended, and for you and me (that we would remember without the Cross of Christ we too would be condemned).

Peace,

David