August 22, 2010

1 Peter 4:12 & 13 

  

Most of us don't know about truly painful trials, as in torture, oppression from government, and being imprisoned for being a Christian.  This past week we were blessed with a visit from Caleb Griffis, a missionary in China, who brought with him stories of young people living in a country where those kinds of painful trials are a reality.  The courage and joy these young Chinese Christians bring to the faith was inspiring, and gave me a sense of perspective.  It also made me so grateful to live in a place where I can be a Christian openly, and where our constitution protects our freedom to worship as we please.  This week, think about your own faith, and say a prayer for those living in places where being a Christian is dangerous, revolutionary, and radical.  How would we handle that?  How much do we trust our awesome God? 

 

 

John 20:29

 

What do you think about?  In general, what occupies your brain?

 

In our crazy world, there is an enormous range of interpretation about what is true, noble, right, pure, and admirable.  One person's "will of God" is another's "work of the devil," and so much of the strife in our times exists because we can't agree on what's right and true.  So how do we honor Paul's instruction, which on the surface seems quite basic, but in our day and age becomes so complicated?

 

For us as Christians, it means being like Jesus, who kept his mind on His Father at all times through prayer and action.  As believers in Christ, we become the Christ that people see in this world, and we have a duty to act in a praiseworthy manner.  And our thoughts affect how we act.  Our brains are like barns, with birds flying in and out.  It's hard to control those birds, but we can be careful not to let them build nests and take up residence in our barns and leave a big mess!   Keep an inner eye on those thought-birds, and when they become troublesome, ask God to help you shoo them out.  He will not fail you!

We spend a great deal of time and mental energy going over our worries and the things that make us anxious.  But Paul says, "Don't do it!"  Replace that worry with prayer.  Imagine how much better your life, and the world, would be if we all did that!  And don't hesitate to pray BIG.  Our God is big, infinitely bigger than any problem or situation or anything else we can comprehend.  He wants us to depend on Him, seek Him, talk to Him, and listen for Him.

 

Let prayer cover every aspect of your life...your alone time, marriage, family, meetings, gatherings, work, play.  Take time every day to be alone, focus, and commune with God.  Be in touch with Him on a daily basis.  In this way, you won't miss the messages he has for you each day.  Pray with your spouse if you are married.  Pray with and for your family, and your brothers and sisters in Christ.  Pray for the lost.  Just pray without ceasing. 

The New Year is a great time to reconnect with our Father God.  Now that the excitement and preparation of Christmastime is over, we have time, and space in our minds and hearts, to reflect on the past year and anticipate the new.  What do we want to leave behind with the old year?  What do we want to keep?  What new endeavors are we ready to start?  What should we pray for?  Our God will be with us every step of the way.  All we need is the desire to walk with Him, and listen for His guidance.

 

2009 was a tough year for many, financially and otherwise.  For me personally, it gave me many opportunities to trust in my heavenly Father as I never have before.  Though I had to pinch pennies, I had a very abundant year in other ways, especially spiritually.  The power of prayer never ceases to amaze me, and I am grateful for all the lessons learned this past year.  Praise God! 

How do we share in Christ's sufferings?  What kinds of crosses do we carry, what kinds of things motivate us to go down on our knees and pray "not my will, but Thine be done"?  Suffering is not something any of us look forward to, but when we turn to God in our times of need, it can become a blessing, and not only to ourselves.  We don't know who may be watching, who may be affected by our trials. The way we handle them and give the glory to God the Father and his Son just might lead someone to accept Jesus as their Savior.

 

The resurrection is a mystery, one of the greatest in the universe.  We don't know how it works, only that is does.  To "become like him in his death" doesn't necessarily mean to literally die a criminal's death on a cross...it means that we are to have an attitude of humility and a willingness to obey God.  It means being willing to draw the line when the things of this world go against what God commands and what Jesus teaches, and not crossing that line, even if it leads to death.  Jesus has already conquered death, and we are safe if we trust in him.

Paul's righteous credentials were absolutely stellar.  He was a Hebrew of Hebrews, a descendent of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, a Pharisee...in religious terms, he was faultless.  But once he knew Jesus, he counted all of that a loss.

 

The "stuff" of religion is not the point.  We make "being a Christian" such a complex thing - but the ONE thing that matters is being delivered to safety in Christ.  His work on the cross is the only righteous act that counts.  God is pleased when we live right, love one another, and work for the poor...but none of these things can save us.  Only Jesus can do that!

In the Old Testament, the drink offering was the offering made with joy to the Lord once the atonement offerings had been made.  The drink offering consisted of wine, and was poured over the burnt offering, producing a sweet aroma pleasing to the Lord.

 

In the verses above, Paul compares himself with the drink offering.  In all things, he endeavored to glorify God.  Though his life on earth, like ours, was short, the impact of his ministry throughout the centuries has been tremendous, giving hope and joy to millions who have given their hearts to our Saviour, Jesus Christ.  How can we pour ourselves out as an offering pleasing to God, as Paul did?  We too are called to be as a drink offering following the sacrifice of Christ, sharing the Good News of his resurrection and the life and freedom he offers to all. 

Humans are complainers.  Sometimes it seems like we wouldn't have much to talk about if we stopped complaining.  We are also arguers.  Everyone likes to voice their opinion and be "right," and all of us have internal debates with ourselves as we go about our days.  Have you ever been around a mentally ill person who talks to himself, argues with himself, in a constant stream of verbal muttering?  Have you ever considered that all of us do the same thing, the difference being that we usually don't verbalize it out loud?

 

In these verses of Philippians, Paul writes that we are to avoid complaining and arguing at all times, so that we might become blameless and pure in a lost world.  Can you imagine how much better our environment would be if even just the Christians stopped complaining and arguing?  God wants us to shine like stars, holding out the word of life, which is His Word, the Bible.  As Christians, we are called to be a positive example in a world way too focused on negativity.

How do we "work out our salvation"?  If salvation isn't based on what we do, but on the grace of God, then what does this mean?

 

Salvation is entirely God's work.  First, we must be saved, accept Jesus' work on the cross and repent of our sins.  Then, God works through us to accomplish his will.  He gives us His energy.  He provides all the things and opportunities we need to live to please Him...but often we try to "put a lid on it" if it looks too hard. 

 

Yes, we can believe in Jesus' saving grace, do nothing, and still be saved.  But God doesn't want us to just hang out waiting for heaven.  He wants us to do good works as well, even though our salvation doesn't depend on that.  God gives us His energy, and if we try to cap it and not use it, it will explode!  God's work cannot be contained.  Along with that, being a Christian is about having a relationship with God, and successful relationships require work.  And the end result is more of God, less of me. 

 

Leviticus 16 talks about the scapegoat...the sins of the Israelites were heaped on the head of a goat, which was sent out into the desert to die.  This was the way of things in the Old Testament.  For us, however, things are different.  Jesus, God's own Son, became our scapegoat.  He died so that we might die to sin.  But unlike the ritual of the scapegoat in Leviticus, it doesn't need to be done every year.  Jesus died, once for all...and best of all, He rose from the grave, conquering death.  And He lives in each of us. 

 

A goat can't literally haul away people's sins.  Nothing can.  But Jesus brings us freedom and forgiveness from sin, if we give our hearts to Him and repent.  He washes us clean, so that we may truly live.

 

What is Jesus' attitude?  Being the Son of God, he could have "thrown his weight around."  When the Samaritan woman at the well asked him if he was greater than their father Jacob, he could've looked her right in the eye and said "you better believe it!"  But he didn't.  Jesus was careful with people.  In all things he was humble and kind, compassionate and caring, taking on the attitude of a servant with important tasks to do.  Jesus did not railroad people into believing him.  He didn't threaten them.  He simply told them straight up the things that God expected of them, and let their own convictions guide their reactions.  Some, like the Samaritan woman, were greatly affected.  Some, like the rich young ruler, were saddened but chose not to change.  Jesus does not coerce us into accepting his saving grace, he offers it with understanding, and we are expected to emulate his humble, compassionate attitude.  

 

Since we are united with Christ, we need to be in tune with Him.  As Christians we are called to encourage, comfort, welcome, and love others just as Jesus loves us.  As His followers, we are a chorus, working together and aiming to stay in tune not with ourselves or the world, but with the One who delivers us to safety and saves us from ourselves.  In Philippians, Paul encourages the church to remain unified, and his words are so relevant in this day and age, when there are so many things to pull us in different directions.  In a world with a million distractions, it's comforting and wonderful to remember that we are one in Christ.  

 

Of how much is Christ worthy?  He is worthy of ALL, all the time, no matter what.  To conduct oneself in a manner worthy of Christ means that we stand firm in one spirit, unified with one another, on the Rock that is Jesus.  It means contending as one for the faith of the gospel, like running a race...no matter how tough it gets or how tired we are, we must struggle and keep going with our eyes on the finish line.  It means standing up to the opposition without being frightened.  If God is with us, who can stand against us?  Living a life worthy of Christ also means that sometimes we need to be "pruned" by Jesus, cutting out things which are harmful to us and those around us, which can hurt.  But it's for our good, and necessary if we have given our lives to Him.  Living in a manner worthy of Christ is not always easy or comfortable, but the One who saves us from ourselves is worth no less than our total commitment.  And the freedom, rest, and blessing that's to be found in a life given to Christ is far greater than the difficulties or discomforts of letting go of the lifestyles of the world.

Nobody likes to suffer, but it happens to us all.  It's easy to feel frustrated and stuck sometimes, wondering "how can God use me when I'm in these rotten circumstances?  Why to bad things happen to good people anyway?" 

 

It's important to remember that suffering does not come from God, it is not caused by God, it is caused by sin.  However, God can use suffering to bring about good, as was the case with Joseph in Egypt, and with Daniel in Babylon.  God sometimes allows suffering, for many reasons, as was the case with Job.  God allows suffering in order to humble us, to bring about his glory, to advance the Gospel, to help save lives, and to bring about greater good.  All of us have stories about a time when we suffered, but looking back we can see the good that came about because of it.

 

Paul found joy in the midst of suffering while he was in prison.  As a result of his imprisonment, the Gospel of Christ was advanced.  Paul had many opportunities to share his testimony, and his fellow Christians were greatly encouraged.  There was great spiritual growth in the Church, and God was many times and in many ways glorified.  We don't always understand why God allows suffering, or why bad things happen to good people, but it's not because he wants to see us hurt.  He sees the Big Picture, and is always working for Good.

All too often, we get deluded into thinking we're fighting the darkness alone.  This is not true.  If we belong to a fellowship in Christ, we are never alone, number one because God is always with us, and number two, because our brothers and sisters stand with us against the darkness.  Fellowship means working together, being in communion with one another and with Christ, associating with one another through a common purpose, and sharing together both in good times and in bad.  A Christian is never alone!

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most of us would rather hang out in our pajamas all day...we want things to be easy and comfortable.  But to clothe ourselves in Jesus Christ, we need to wake up and get dressed for the coming dawn, cast off our night clothes and put on the full armor of God.  We need to be ready to fend off the temptations of the evil one, to stay away from those situations that will lead us into sin.  And if we try to do that in our spiritual pajamas, we'll look pretty silly!