For All Have Sinned

"For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."  Romans 3:23

 

   There are no exceptions.  I think it is part of our nature to think sometimes we aren't really so bad.  After all, we can always think of somebody who's done something worse.  Unfortunately, we lose sight of what sin really is.  When we are disobedient to God, we sin.  We can take away with us the fact that we have all done it.  Then Paul uses a Greek verb for 'fall short' that is written in the present tense.  So in other words all of us are in the process of sinning.

   Sin has been categorized, diminished, and diluted to the point where people don't even know what the truth is anymore.  There are 'little white lies' and 'half truths.'  Regardless of what you call them, they are still lies.  Some sins seem to be permissible under certain circumstances.  If we can minimalize it then we can do it without having to feel so guilty. 

   Sin is a problem in this world in so many ways.  Not only that, it is because of sin that we need a cure; we need a doctor.  If we are sinners and always in the position of coming up short, how can we be made right with God?  That is the point after all. 

   The Bible uses a legal term called 'justification' which simply means to be made right.  Something has to happen to make us acceptable that will negate the sin in our lives.  If we try and remedy it ourselves then our sin will always be before us and we can never measure up to God's standard and in the end we will stand convicted.  Verse 24 says, "Being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus;"

A Faith That Rests

 It's not about me.

 "I thank Christ Jesus our Lord, who has strengthened me, because He considered me faithful, putting me into service,   ¹³even though I was formerly a blasphemer and a persecutor and a violent aggressor. Yet I was shown mercy because I acted ignorantly in unbelief;   ¹⁴and the grace of our Lord was more than abundant, with the faith and love which are found in Christ Jesus.    ¹⁵It is a trustworthy statement, deserving full acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, among whom I am foremost of all.    ¹⁶Yet for this reason I found mercy, so that in me as the foremost, Jesus Christ might demonstrate His perfect patience as an example for those who would believe in Him for eternal life."    1 Timothy 1:12-16

I was driving in my car one day when I pulled up behind somebody at a stop and I couldn't help but notice their bumper sticker.  It said "It's all about me!"  That sure seems to be the attitude in this world we live in today. 

Let me say this and make this perfectly clear; "It's not about me."  Oh sure, sometimes I forget that but it still doesn't change the fact.  It has never been nor will it ever be about anything that I have done.  I like to think of myself as a good person but I know that because of the precious blood of Christ I'm saved.  He came into this world to die for our sins.  So actually, it's all about Him.

C. H. Spurgeon said, "My faith rests not in what I am, or shall be, or feel, or know, but in what Christ is, in what He has done, and in what He is now doing for me."

I love that word "rests."  That is a place of peace; free from all worries or cares.  He extended His grace to me and I received it.  He reached down to me in mercy and I have been set free.  No matter how hard I might have tried there is never anything I could have done to earn it.  It's God's gift.

Surely, it is my faith (and He gave me that too by the way) but it's value is found in Whom it is resting.  The answer is Jesus Christ.

 

 

Who Will You Serve?

Choice of Service

Joshua 24:15; “If it is disagreeable in your sight to serve the LORD, choose for yourselves today whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served which were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you are living; but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.”

Life is full of choices.  We make them each and every day.  It is said the  * "average adult makes 35,000 decisions every day."  You can argue that number but the fact is we make a lot of choices each and every day.  That is mind-boggling; as if life weren't already complicated enough.  Stop, go; turn left, turn right, go straight; etc.  What am I going to wear, what am I going to eat, whom shall I marry?  We don't give much thought to most of our decisions. Many of these choices affect us and other people in so many ways.  

My Dad taught me something really important among many other things and that was when I consider the choices I should weigh all things through a Kingdom purpose.  Too many of us make our decisions based upon what we think rather than on what God says.  Joshua says his choices all hinged on serving the LORD.  Do we use the same standard?  Even in the church we can have the tendency to circumvent God because, after all, we know so much better than He does.

Each and every day we live is a blessing.  We seldom give thought to the idea that each moment could be our last.  If you knew today would be your last, would it change what you do?  Would you make it count for God?  

We make choices based upon who it is that we serve.  For people who only think of themselves will base their decisions on a world-view of things.  If my heart is on serving God then what happens to me doesn't matter.  I can know that I will always make the right choices.  In a world that would have us think and do things differently we would always have remorse.  "If I would have only done things differently."  Of course then, it is too late.  I must also say that you can be doing things for your church and still not be doing Kingdom-purpose work.

Whatever you do, you must make a choice.  Will you choose to serve the gods of this world or will you serve God?



*http://reitmeier.blogspot.com/2006/04/how-many-decisions-do-you-make-each.html

The Meaning of Christmas

Luke 2:10-11; "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, Who is Christ the Lord."

That first Christmas changed everything.  What excitement as the angel appeared to those shepherds with the "Good News." 

Since then, things sure have changed.  Christmas has taken on so many different interpretations even to the ones that don't recognize the birth of Christ.  They call it a myth.  How sad.  John really said it in John 1:5.  He said, "The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."

Then there is all the commercialism.  I think the gifts are wonderful but it has become something of excesses.  Then people get upset over not getting anything or not getting what they wanted.  The gifts are all fine but "The Gift" should really be our focus.  It's the gift that keeps on giving; the gift that cannot be outgiven.

Stephen Curtis Chapman wrote a song that expresses it beautifully. 

No, it's not in the snow that may or may not fall
And it's not in the gifts around the tree
It's in the love heaven gave, the night our Savior came
And that same love can still be found wherever you are
'Cause Christmas is all in the heart
And the joy can still be found, wherever you are
'Cause Christmas is all, all in the heart

May the real joy of Christmas be found in our hearts.  Merry Christmas!!!





Commitment

Isaiah 6:1-8. 

The young prophet Isaiah had an encounter with God.   It is here where we often place the emphasis on his response, "Here am I, send me."   Yet it is what he said two verses earlier that allowed him to get to this point.  “Woe is me, for I am ruined!  Because I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.”

For Isaiah to be able to present himself to that level of commitment he had to see himself for what he was.   We must see ourselves for what we are.   The answer isn't, "I'm here God.   Tell me what it is specifically that you want me to do." That's our way getting details from God when commitment bears no condition other than our willing obedience.   "I don't care where you want me to go Lord or what you want me to do; just so you use me."

If I cannot see myself for what I am in all my unworthiness I will never be of any use to Him.   When one comes into the presence of Greatness; into the presence of the LORD of hosts, you ARE undone.

When we come to Him believing Him and confessing our sins, He cleanses us of our unrighteousness and it is then and only then that He can send us for His glory.

We dare not trust in our abilities or man to solve the world's problems.  Man is the problem!!!  I have often said, "I don't know what your question about life is but 'Christ' is the answer.

"Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not rely on your own understanding; think about Him in all your ways, and He will guide you on the right paths." Prov. 3:5-6 (HCS)

The Light of the World

John 1:1-5; "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being.  In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men.  The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it."

As I was preparing to preach this coming Sunday, I came across this marvelous story.  I will not take credit for its content.   I found it on SkyWriting.Net if you are interested in checking out their content.


The Day Light and the Dark Night

Once upon a time, when Day was dawning, and Night was just retreating over the newly-illuminated hills, Night spoke for the first time to its enemy.

 

"You know, one so bright, one day you will not ruin my deep haze.  One day you will cease to shine, for your rays are numbered, but I will always be.  You are but a mass of matter and gas, just so much smoke and fire.  Your time will come and you will die, just like all things, but I will go on forever."

This startled Day because it was not used to being spoken to so harshly.  As a matter of fact, everyone had always been sweet to the Day and happy to see it.  The birds would chirp merrily and all seemed well.  Now Day was feeling most concerned and let the clouds hide its face for most of the morning. Finally, Day could not help but be what it was, and let the Sun shine brightly.

Now, each time Night would seep into an area behind the brightness and the Sun would set to its inhabitants, Night would mock Day and tell of a wonderful time when dark would reign supreme over all the land.  "You glow now for all to see, but one day, my beaming opposer, you will turn as cold and dank as me and I will rule.  My source does not rely on a ball of fire but I am self-sufficient. I am as I always have been.  You were created with a beginning and one day, you will have an end."  Finally, Day no longer paid attention to the mocking of the darkness, but decided to be happy to shine as brilliantly as possible, each day bringing joy for all to see for as long as it  could.  Each day, it glowed even more brightly, pushing back the gray every time it dawned over the horizon, even with Night not far behind, with its fingers of chill.

Day would not be there at night to hear Night smite the land and its fruit with terror, but when Day flamed hot at the noon hour, it would hear the flowers say to the bees, "What will we do when the sun shines no more?  How will we get the power to open up our petals and present our beauty to add to the glory of life?"

"I don't know," The bees would retort as they butted in to take their nectar.  "How will we gain our food to give us the power to carry the pollen as is our job?"

All of nature wondered what their fate would be.  But all decided that they would continue to give their all for as long as they could, and in doing their job so well, someone would surely come to rescue them from their dilemma, because that was right and what was right had always been done and had always been right.

Each had heard and watched Night yawning with no cares, assured of eternal existence.  "Soon your happy time will be over and all things will be mine to conquer.  There will be no more sunny times for you as I will use all to be somber like I am."

Even those that were awake at night and liked that time grew worried, for they knew that their existence depended on the Light, and even they began to hate the time they used to love with the forever-scorning dark.  One day, as Night rolled its way along, consuming a particularly nice spot from the leaving Day, Night continued its torment, commenting on how many had died and succumbed to its cold fortress of contempt during its ritual time.  This time, Day had a thought.  Day paid no attention to the jeering Night, but told of a smaller ball of fire that had once been and now is no more.  "The moon is now my companion as you will soon be, no longer able to cause me to hide."

When Night again pointed out how he needs no source to exist, it just is, Day paid no attention, for the Light had a secret. "Goodbye Day," Night called.  "Goodnight to you," replied Day, "because you cause sleep."  This last statement gave Night a shudder, which wasn't easy because the dark was so used to the chill.  Of course, Night did not let Day know it had caught a chill from the statement.  But Day knew because when it had surprised Night and blazed across the fields broadcasting its glory, Night was quiet and slipped away more quickly than before, as if suddenly aware of a new foe.

After a time, Night whispered to Day, "Tell me your secret. I know you have one because I have heard the others proclaim it as I squeeze the last of their life away.  What is it?"  But the sun just shone all the more brightly, glistening on all its beauteous life.

Night could take no more.  "Why are you so happy?"  Now flinging icy tendrils around Day, trying to frighten it away . "What is your secret?"  Night demanded, suspicious for the first time that it was the one without much power.  "If you have a secret, oh one of Light, what is it?  Where is it?  Who is it?" Night stood from afar, glaring at the sun.  "You will burn out and will be no more.  I have seen it many times.  I will prevail.  I will live forever.  But I must know your secret!"

Finally, Day decided to speak.  "Can't you see it my foolish one?  Can't you see the evidence? It's shining brightly for all to see."

"What is so evident?" shot back Night.  "I can only see an end to you and no end to me!  Even today, you are dimmer than you were yesterday.  You three are dying, Sun... Light... Day."

"My silly friend, It is you that causes death, not I.  You will always become what you cause.  Haven't you been watching existence?  Or have you only been playing in your own desires.  Is it because you are always in the dark that you've never seen the Light?  Watch creation.  Watch what always is.  One always becomes what one has caused.  Did I not hear you boast of misery and pain, of death and dying? Are you not the Father of such things?"

Just then, a very bright light shone so brightly that there was not a shadow to be seen, not even under a rock.  It was all things.  It was the flowers and the bees and all love and life.  It was the SON, a different SON.

"Where are you now? Called the Light to the dark.  "Come see my secret!"  But the dark was quiet because it wasn't anywhere.