Act Like

When I used to dispatch for a local police department we would take calls from officers and the public.  One particular guy I worked with so long that we began to sound like one another.  One of the reserve police officers would call on the phone and would say both of our first names because he did not know which one of us he as speaking with.  It was kind of funny.

I remember the day that my mother looked at me and said, “You act just like your father!”  This was unfortunately not a complement.  It set me to thinking and put me on a different path for sure.

There are people that we should act like.  If a person’s life lines up with the Word of God then it is probably safe to act like them.  This is not 100% for sure though.

There is One who you can act like and be totally safe.  That is Jesus.  You must act 100% like Him though.  He spoke a parable to His disciples that we often call the parable of the good Samaritan.  In that parable Jesus told His disciples something important.  Look at Luke 10:37, “And he said, He that shewed mercy on him. Then said Jesus unto him, Go, and do thou likewise.”

So, we need to look at Jesus’ example and “Go, and do thou likewise.”

So, how are you doing?

The Church Today

Hummingbird Feeder

The above picture is of my hummingbird feeder.  Do you notice anything about it?  I do not fill it totally up.  As I looked out earlier yesterday I saw one lonely hummingbird feeding.  This humming bird feeder reminds me of today’s Church.

  • It is clean and shines.  Nobody wants to feed at a dirty feeder.  Right?  It is a great testimony when the people love their Church and others enough to keep it clean.  It speaks volumes to those “on the outside”.  A clean Church building communicates loudly that you love God enough to do the small things.  Yet these things are not small in the least.
  • It is mostly empty.  I know there are so-called Churches that boast great numbers in the weekly services.  I am thankful for this if they preach the Word of God as it is to people as they are and do not pervert doctrine.  We need to go to Church to learn and to be taught God’s Word and His Way.  There are too many reasons as to why people do not attend the services.
  • Everything is there that is needed.  When you are in a Church that is God’s Church you have available to you anything you need.  Notice I said “need”.  I did not say want.  You can be born-again there.  You can be encouraged there.  You can be corrected there.
  • It is tailor made for specific ones.  You will not see a sparrow drinking the nectar from this feeder.  It is for hummingbirds.  Only their tiny beak and tongue will fit in the tiny holes in the mock flowers.  When we attend Church the Holy Spirit tailors the message to penetrate our hearts.  Listen closely.
  • It is displayed publicly.  What I mean is that you do not have to hunt for this feeder.  The hummingbirds smell the nectar and it draws them to the feeder.  Our lives need to be like nectar to those who do not know Christ as their Saviour.  We need to draw others and not repel them.

I have listed just a few things that should be found in today’s Church.  If you do not find these things in your Church it might be time to find a Church that has them.  I think it is actually time for you and me to step up and serve the Lord Jesus Christ and try to help implement some of these things so that we can have a Church that please the LORD.

So, how are you doing?

 

Some Things Never Change

I believe that change is one of the hardest things for people to cope with.  I am thankful that some things do not change.  I remember driving along with my family as a young boy going to where our family came from.  This is interesting to me and I loved it.  I still do; but, I cannot find these places on my own.

My point is that over time things change.  Building materials deteriorate and buildings crash to the ground.  It is sad to see your heritage and history just crumble away.  Yet, in our nation it is happening physically and spiritually.  Jesus told Peter that He would build His Church and the gates of hell would not prevail against it.  Thank God His Church is still here until we are caught up with Him.

One thing we can concentrate on that will never change is the gospel.  It has and will always be the same.  Look at Joel 2:32, “And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the LORD shall be delivered: for in mount Zion and in Jerusalem shall be deliverance, as the LORD hath said, and in the remnant whom the LORD shall call.”  No matter who you are.  If you call upon Jesus He will save you.  That is awesome news!

So, how are you doing?

Your Heart

I enjoy watching the local minor league baseball team play.  Sometimes they are hot as fresh volcano lava.  Other times they are as cold as an Indiana winter day.  It is interesting to see the crowd’s reaction when they are winning and when they are losing.

When they are winning the people go wild.  Fans are on their feet and shouting accolades.  When things go the other way it is a different story.  I am sure that Chicago Cubs fans know what I am talking about.  Yes, I am a Cubs fan too.  My Grandpa was a Cubs fan and so am I.

That is an interesting thought.  Some people apply that same logic to salvation.  “My Grandpa was a Christian and my dad was a Christian and I am a Christian.  I was born in America so I am a Christian.”  I have heard this many times before.  How sad.

People seem to want to “do” many different things.  I mean some people will travel all over the country and even the world to go to seminars on how to do this or that.  Thinking all the while that they are Christians and a doing what God wants.  They are following the god of this world and not the only True God.  It is not what we do.  It is only what Jesus has done for us that ensures eternal life.

Look at Joel 2:12, “Therefore also now, saith the LORD, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning:”  Everyone must turn to Jesus with their whole heart and trust Him for salvation.  He will save you if you will trust Him.

So, how are you doing?

Toot

My wife plays different instruments.  She mainly plays the piano; but, she also plays the trumpet.  Thankfully she has loaned out her trumpet and that makes it difficult for her to play it.  I don’t mind her playing it.  I mind that it is so loud.  I really do enjoy her trumpet playing; but, as long as her trumpet is on loan it is silent.

As I began to think about this in a spiritual light some things dawned on me.  The reason a trumpet is used in the Bible is often as a warning.  The trumpet was used as an alarm.  Look at Joel 2:1, “Blow ye the trumpet in Zion, and sound an alarm in my holy mountain: let all the inhabitants of the land tremble: for the day of the LORD cometh, for it is nigh at hand; ”

The Bible talks about if a trumpet sounds an alarm that is unfamiliar that the people were not to listen to it.  This sounds like solid counsel for today too.  Far too many Christians are not sounding the alarm.  Take a look around Christian.  The world is going to hell in a hand basket and we sit by idle in our padded pews in our air-conditioned buildings that we have built as shrines to sports.  You know; the multipurpose annex.  I am not against them.  I am against them being the focus.

We have given up the trumpet for many things.  We no longer use the trumpet to sound alarms in a day that alarms need to be sounding one right after another.

So, how are you doing?

See a favorite song of mine “Blow The Trumpet In Zion” here.

Multitudes

I had the pleasure of spending time with a dear friend yesterday evening.  I enjoyed hearing about God’s faithfulness and the expanding ministry God had entrusted him with.  It was awesome.

One thing that has been on my mind most of yesterday; even before our time together was this verse of Scripture in Joel 3:14, “Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision: for the day of the LORD is near in the valley of decision.”  This word decision means concision, or, threshing.  It refers to the sharp threshing instrument.  In other words this is a life altering decision.  There are multitudes facing this type of decision.

Where is the Church on this?  We have set before us the example of Jesus Christ Himself being a soul-winner; but, do we follow His example.  My friend is doing everything he possibly can through the power of the Holy Spirit and His enabling to win as many people as possible.

Where are Christians on this?  We have set before us a challenge from Jesus in verses like Matthew 28:19-20, Mark 16:15; but, what are we doing with them?  I am afraid that most Church members are trying to tip toe through the tulips and make it safely home with little or no impact.

This is not what Jesus has called us to.  He has called us to minister to the “multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision:”.  These might be in the grocery store or gas station; but, we are called to take the gospel to them no matter who they are or where they are at.

So, how are you doing?

Love You Through It 6

I started out this series talking about betrayal.  I think the worst betrayal was that of Judas.  I cannot imagine how that hurt Jesus.  Yet, we have other instances where Jesus’ own men betrayed Him.

After the betrayal of Jesus by Judas I then think of Peter’s denial.  Three times Peter denied that he knew Christ.  Then to top it all off to show the others how he was not part of the disciples he cursed in Matthew 26:74, “Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crew.”

All the while Peter was perpetrating his denial Jesus still loved him.  Look at what Jesus tells Peter before he denies Jesus in Luke 22:31- 32, “And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:  But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”  I can only imagine the word of Jesus rang in Peter’s ears, “But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not”.  Even in denial Jesus loved him through it.

So, how are you doing?

 

Love You Through It 5

Being a parent of a special need child is challenging to say the least.  Some days I feel like our family is climbing a mountain dragging our house behind us.  There is one thing for sure.  We made a commitment to love and care for our son and by the grace of God we are going to fulfill that commitment.

I was recently reading in the Scriptures in preparation for a message and I came across the account of Jesus healing a man’s son whom the disciples could not heal.  This is what I titled, “The Unknown Father”.  The Word of God never gives his name; but, does tell us a lot about him.  This father was committed to his son.  He took the boy to the disciples for healing.  Yet, they could not heal him.  Imagine the disappointment.  Our family knows firsthand this disappointment.

As you read through the account you can almost “feel” the love this father has for his son as he describes what the horrible disease (I believe is seizures) does to his son.  Notice what Jesus says in Mark 9:19, “He answereth him, and saith, O faithless generation, how long shall I be with you? how long shall I suffer you? bring him unto me.”  I know that those words, “bring him unto me” were the words this father and family longed to hear.  They knew that Jesus was demonstrating to them, “I’m Gonna Love You Through This”.  Run to Jesus.

So, how are you doing?

Love You Through It 4

As I continue my thoughts on “I’m Gonna Love You Through It” I was reminded while reading my Bible about three Hebrew young men named Hananiah, Mishael, and Azariah.  We usually refer to them as Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

These three men were brought in before the king for their refusal to bow down to the king’s pagan idol at the sound of music.  We live in a day where this is becoming common practice.  muslims are killing Christians daily who will not renounce Jesus Christ.  Yes, it is really happening.  All the time God’s people are sitting by idle and watching with our rose colored glasses on claiming we don’t see anything.  Wake up Church!

In the end these three Hebrews stood faithful to their God no matter what.  They were thrown into a burning firey furnace that had been heated seven times hotter than normal.  The Bible tells us that when they threw the men into the furnace that the heat killed the men doing the king’s business.  While these Hebrew children were in the furnace their persecutors saw another person in their with them.  It was Jesus.  Not only did He assure them that He would love them through it, He was in the firey furnace with them.  So, no matter what you are going through in life Jesus says He will love you through it and He will even go through it with you.

So, how are you doing?

Daniel 3:17-18, “If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.  But if not, be it known unto thee, O king, that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.”

Love You Through It 3

It seems today that betrayal is rampant.  It seems that you cannot trust anyone.  Sometimes this trust is broken because of a failing mind (as in my case).  Sometimes it is simply deceit.

In my life I have experienced betrayal like many of you have also.  The part that I hate is that I have been the one who has betrayed the trust of another.  Worst of all I have betrayed my LORD.  I think if you were honest you might say the same thing of yourself.

When I thought of betrayal and our theme of loving through tough things I thought of the Prophet Hosea.  Look at his situation in Hosea 1:2, “The beginning of the word of the LORD by Hosea. And the LORD said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the LORD.”

I cannot imagine what he was thinking and feeling when he received this from the LORD.  Yet, here is a man that could now help others love through relationship failures.  The sense of betrayal and the broken trust.  Only Jesus can help you and I “Love You Through It” in this situation.  I know from experience how Jesus brings you through it and even mends broken relationships.

So, how are you doing?