Archive | November, 2017

Can I get a Witness?

21 Nov

Those of us who follow Christ have heard talk all of our lives about protecting our “witness”…  Having a good “witness” …  What in the church-speaking world is that??

I could go on and on about this and beat around the bush a little, but I haven’t had enough coffee at this point in the day to do that.  So, simply stated, your Christian “witness” is actually the reflection of God, of Christ and His love that radiates out of your life.  It is how much of God that others see in you.  Like it or not, many people will judge the reality of God by how well YOU reflect Him (if you claim to be a disciple).  They look at you and me and want to see if God’s love is genuine.  If He is real.  What they are REALLY seeing is how real He is to us!

Some will immediately claim this as unfair.  We will speak of our own imperfections and try to dismiss our behavior with a myriad of excuses.  And that is pointless.

People who do not know Christ want to know more.  They want to see that He is real.  They want to experience the difference that He makes in lives.  So they draw near YOU and ME.  And wait.

What will they see this week??

People of The Light

20 Nov

The third chapter of the Gospel of John tells the story of a man named Nicodemus.  Nick was a Pharisee, and yet he KNEW Jesus was sent from God.  He was one of the few.  He sought Jesus out at night to ask Him the most important question anyone can ask … And he never even got to ask it!!

Jesus beat Nick to the punch:  “No one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.”

Jesus went on to explain:  Just as we all have a physical birth, we must also have a spiritual birth.  A re-birth, if you will.  When we turn our lives over to Christ, we are borne anew!!  And we must be people of the Light!

These words are still true for us today:  Light has come into the world, but men (and women) love darkness instead of light.  Because their deeds are evil.  (And by evil, I believe Jesus is referring to the fact that HUMAN NATURE is opposed to God’s nature.  We naturally want our own way and naturally rebel against God’s way.)  Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light.  Because they do not want their deeds to be seen.  And, whoever lives by the truth comes into the light.  Because they are living in a way that they don’t mind if their deeds are seen.

Ironically, God sees ALL.  Things done in the light and things done in the darkness.  What is He seeing in you?  What are you saying?  Doing?  Posting on social media?  Teaching your children?  Modeling for others to see?

One of those things that should make you go “Hmmmmmmmm”

Sometimes, we forget

7 Nov

Strength.  A must-have to make it through life today.  All of the stress of life bears down, tightens, wrings you out.  You must have strength to make it through.  From where do YOU draw your strength?

Yesterday I was talking to a friend about basketball drills.  Those difficult physical challenges our coaches placed before us at countless practices.  The best drills have purpose:  Build stamina … Target specific muscle groups … Wear out a bunch of smart-alec teenagers who think they have the answer to everything but really know nothing …  I had a coach in high school that would make us run cross country for our late summer/fall conditioning.  Then, the first two weeks of practice we wouldn’t even SEE a basketball.  Nothing but sprints, drills, jumping, and other physical challenges.  And, honestly, we were in awesome shape when the season started!!  (Didn’t win too many games … but we could run with ANYONE.)

HOWEVER … Basketball is not life.  Basketball is a sprint.  Life is more of a long race.  A feat of endurance.  A matter of pace.  And you will need a DEEP WELL of strength to make it.

I believe this is why God gave us Proverbs 3:5-6.  Trust in the Lord with all of your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.  In all of your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight!  If you are going to MAKE IT in this race, you need HIM!!  You need HIS STRENGTH!!  You need to TRUST HIM!!

Candidly, I will admit that I sometimes forget the previous fact.  Yes, me … A “pastor.”  Not listening to my own sermons again.  I try to put my head down and muddle through life.  And I grow weak.  And life keeps coming like a fire hydrant spraying water into your face.  And the stress presses in.  Then frustration.  Anger.  Helplessness.

And then I realize that I cannot FIX others.  I cannot even FIX myself.  But those words Solomon wrote in Proverbs 3 shine like a beacon.  And I needed to remember.  I can trust Him … He is ALREADY AT WORK on all of it!!  I just need to open my eyes and see Him!!