Suffering With Eyes Upon Glory

Alan Redpath once wrote “there is no victory without a fight, and there is no battle without wounds.” The genuine Christian life is marked with suffering and is a guarantee of living in a fallen world. Suffering is a constant in this life, whether for the believer or the nonbeliever. But what kind of suffering was Paul referring to in Romans 8:18? After Paul wrote that suffering with Christ will result in glorification in verse 17, he wrote that “for I considered the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Only a person transformed by the Spirit of Christ can fully comprehend this statement from Paul, because who else is going to embrace the suffering of this present time with joy. The majority of Christians, especially American Christians, do everything in their power to avoid persecution and suffering. But did Peter not exhort us “therefore, since Christ suffered for us in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same mind…”(1 Peter 4:1)? Peter is saying that we are to have the same mind, attitude, and perspective as Jesus did towards the suffering He endured. Christians are to endure suffering while looking beyond the present time to the glory of their eternal riches. Without hope of eternal life in heaven a person has no real hope. Now that is true hopelessness.

God uses Peter to distinguish between righteous and unrighteous suffering in 1 Peter 4:15, as Peter lists the sins of men which cause everyone to suffer. Sins such as murder, stealing, doing evil, and being a busybody. However in verse 16 Peter says “Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in this matter.” God uses suffering for His children to purify, sanctify, and prepare us to accomplish His purposes and with the guaranteed gift of the “glory which shall be revealed in us” how can we not abandon all for the advancement of the gospel.

As followers to “live is Christ” and any suffering we experience by living in obedience to God’s word is considered an honor. Nonetheless, we also know that “to die is gain” and that is why we “consider the sufferings of this present time as not worthy to be compared to the glory” we will experience if we perish on this earth because of our suffering for Christ. 

Being Filled By God

 We often hear of people who have received a message from God or as many claim, “God spoke to me.” Now I’m not saying that can’t happen, because I believe it can, however we should remember that God will never speak counter to His written word. So if what “God” has spoken to you is contrary to what He has already spoken through the scriptures, then it’s not from God and is most likely from Satan. In Psalm 81 we see the Lord give Asaph a special message. Asaph was a Levite and a worship leader at the Tabernacle during the reign of King David. As the psalmist for Psalm 81, Asaph was calling the people back to worship. They had strayed and were no good to the Lord. In fact, the Lord had allowed them to go their own way, the greatest of all judgments, and since God is the same yesterday, today, and forever, we also will suffer  and feel the pain of choosing our own way.

I love the simplicity of obeying God, God told His people to hear His word and then He told them to obey His word. However, our ability to obey is conditioned upon our ability to hear. What happens when we can’t hear God? Well, that usually means we are hearing something else. The Holy Spirit which dwells inside of every disciple of Christ is described as whispering to the conscious of His disciples. The image is an intimacy where the Father and His child almost know what the other is thinking because they know each other so well. As a husband and a father, I am keenly aware of what my wife and children are thinking and have even learned to read their mood through their body language. It’s simply what occurs when people dwell in intimacy with one another. I can often finish what my wife is saying and the same is true of many husbands and wives. So when God tells His people  to “…Open your mouth wide and I will fill it” (Psalm 81:10), He is saying I know exactly what you need. God said in Hosea 4:6 that “My people are destroyed for the lack of knowledge.”

Ultimately God wants to impart wisdom and knowledge to His followers and His written word is proof of that. The word “ fill” means to accomplish, confirm, and to consecrate. So if we will simply “open our mouths,” translation, if we will open our hearts to God’s Word and drink it in constantly and daily, then we will find it is more than sufficient to satisfy. Once we taste it, we will hunger for more and it will “fill” us and consecrate us.

Our mouths were designed for praise and the Lord wants to fill the storerooms of our hearts to enable us to do just that. 

Gospel Vision, Part 3

The gospel is literally “God’s story.” It’s the wonderful news that God has come  to redeem sinful people enslaved to sin through His Son Jesus Christ. The purpose for the church is found in the gospel, the demand that this gospel is to be preached to the entire world and then the end will come (Matthew 24:14). The gospel demands a person live a life of absolute self-denial (Mark 8:35). The word “gospel” is found five times in the gospel of Matthew, eight times in the gospel of Mark, four times in the gospel of Luke, and amazing not at all in the gospel of John. It’s also found six times in the book of Acts and sixty times in the writings of Paul. The gospel is power, the gospel converts souls, the gospel cannot be stopped, the gospel must be proclaimed boldly and simply because it’s the only message that saves.

However, beyond the purpose of salvation, the gospel has tremendous social implications. It shapes our attitude towards creation, sin, and the end of the world. It changes our worldview from temporal to eternal. The gospel propels us to be on mission for God. The gospel compels us to love people that are otherwise unlovable. The gospel compels us to care for widows and the poor. The gospel requires us to serve others and consider others more important than ourselves. The gospel causes us to endure suffering for the name of Jesus. Ultimately, the gospel convicts a person to develop gospel centered ethics. This is just some of what the gospel is about.

Finally, the gospel must be presented with a wholeness that clearly details the implications of the death, resurrection, and exaltation of Christ. The gospel tells a story of suffering beginning with Jesus’ arrest in Gethsemane that would lead to his crucifixion on Calvary. Nevertheless, the history of the gospel is littered with men, women, and children who have suffered, are suffering, and will suffer for their risen Savior. The reward is an incorruptible crown that will last for eternity.

So with the words of Jesus let me exhort you “the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:14, 15). The kingdom of God is upon us, why not receive Jesus’ and have your sins forgiven. 

Living To Die and Dying to Live

I challenge you to find Christians who are looking forward to death. You won’t find many because unfortunately most are concerned with holding on to this life or “living their best life now.” Which begs the question, why do we live? The answer is Christians live for Christ and to be on mission for God. In fact, the only reason God is keeping Christians on this earth is for the purpose of the Great Commission, the commission of making disciples and teaching them to obey everything God has commanded. However, what we see is a very small percentage of believers being on mission for God, but instead living for themselves while pursuing worldly wealth and fame.

When Jesus heard of the death of Lazarus, he said “this sickness is not unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified  through it” (John 11:4). Jesus’ purpose was that through the resuscitation of Lazarus, God would be glorified and many would come to believe that He was the Christ. Upon His arrival He engaged Martha in conversation about who He was and it was here He would once again identify His divine nature as God in the flesh. Jesus told Martha “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die“ (John 11:25, 26). Jesus was making a promise, a promise that those who live for Him and He inside of them, would live forever with Him. Those who grasp this promise are those who truly believe upon Him. Those who grasp this amazing grace are compelled to live differently while on earth. Those who embrace their gift of eternal life seek to accomplish and fulfill the mission of God and bring glory to Christ. Does this describe your life? Have you embraced eternal life in a way that you do not fear losing your earthly life? Truth be told, you can’t live for Christ, until you die to self. To die without living for Him is to suffer eternally apart from Him.

Do not be deceived, a believer’s life belongs to Christ. He has died for it, He has paid for it, He indwells it, He commands it, He has shed blood for it, He has redeemed it, and He has suffered it. So if your life isn’t bringing glory to Christ and you are living “for your best life now,” instead of for His mission now, then changes are in order. In a spiritual sense, you  can’t live until you die and you can’t die to self until His Spirit regenerates your soul.

Jesus is the resurrection and the life and He is the way, the truth and the life. This is the confidence that compels us to greatness on this planet, not channeling our inner self as many religions teach, but genuine belief based upon Christ and His unchanging promises. The promise that when die, not how or why, but when. We will live life the way it was always intended, reigning with Christ forever (2 Timothy 2:12).

Judgement House: First Baptist of Indian Trail

Beginning this Wednesday at 7:00 First Baptist Church of Indian Trail will host the Judgement House. 

This is evangelistic outreach designed to stir the hearts and minds of those without salvation. Please bring every unbeliever who is unsure where they will spend eternity and leave no doubt that God is actively working in the hearts of those He wants to save. 

Decaying Christianity

Jesus referred to His followers as “salt”  (Matthew 5:13) because they would possess the ability to preserver and preserve themselves in a dying and decaying world. While I was growing up in West Virginia we killed and processed our own hogs on numerous occasions and my dad would always cure the hams by rubbing salt on them. He would then place them inside of cloth bags and hang them up until they cured. Ultimately, the salt would work as a preserving agent for the meat. Without salt the meat would have become unsafe to consume or useless. In fact, for centuries meat has been cured to provide food in preparation for famines. So obviously salt plays a vital role this side of heaven.

However Jesus also said “if salt loses its flavor…its good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men” (Matthew 5:13). In light of recent court decisions concerning same sex marriage and the celebration of homosexuality, this verse came flooding into my mind. Something that seemed almost unthinkable is now a reality and has regrettably been enabled and supported by numerous Christian denominations. While this has undoubtedly impacted Christianity in America and around the world, it has also provided evidence that many so-called Christians have lost their saltiness while exposing many who are not salt and never have been.

Can salt lose its flavor or saltiness? It actually can’t. This is actually Jesus using irony, because what He means is that it’s impossible for a true disciple to lose their saltiness. Translation, a true disciple cannot lose the Holy Spirit, because He has sealed them from the inside and that can never be taken away. When genuine regeneration occurs by the power of the Holy Spirit, the transformation begins in the heart and consumes the being of a believer.

So why has homosexuality, abortion, and casual sin gained such a stronghold in America and Christian denominations? Because so many false converts have infiltrated the church and falsely posed as Christians. They may appear salty on the outside, by on the inside they are decaying. A decaying mind is depraved and will only darken as it embraces a lifestyle of universalism and relativism. Which is why impostor Christians have supported the legalization of same sex marriage, given financially to Planned Parenthood, and justify sin in other areas of the public square.

Only genuine disciples are “salt” and they can never lose their preserving ability and perhaps the “salt” is fewer than we think. 

Empty Yourself

Jesus is the standard bearer for humility. If you are looking for a picture of humility, then look no further than Jesus. If you are unsure of what a servant’s life looks like, then once again look to Jesus. In this modern church era, the majority, although not all, of mega church pastors parade around like rock stars enjoying the lifestyle of the rich and famous provided by the large monetary offerings brought forth by their swelling congregations. Their expensive homes, tailored suits, luxury cars, and television shows work to expand their fame. Many of these pastors use King Solomon’s riches as justification for their extravagant lifestyles and rock star fame. Many of the younger pastors wear trendy clothes, have stylish haircuts, and do all they can to build their kingdoms in hope of growing their fame and their bank accounts. It’s not uncommon for many of these pastors to draw attention away from their luxurious lifestyles by large give always to local and national charities. Finally, very few offer any transparency inside of their ministries, especially in regards to salaries and perks. I will be honest, it really bothers me. I love Jesus and when churches and pastors deviate from Christ’s example in the name of self-interest, comfort, and popularity, I get angry. As a chaplain I serve countless people who don’t go to church because they have grown tired of the selfish nonsense of power hungry pastors, arrogance from the pulpit, or the lack of servant leadership.

But is this what Jesus modeled? No. In Philippians 2:5-11, Paul spoke of Jesus as humbling Himself as a bondservant, even though He considered Himself equal with God. Particularly, in verses 7-8 Paul wrote that Jesus “…made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant…even to the point of death.” This is an amazing statement and one that we should meditate upon before moving to the next verses. Jesus was both fully divine and fully man, yet He still poured Himself out as an offering and lived a life of humility as a servant. There were few people lower than a bondservant, nevertheless Paul identified Jesus as a slave. Jesus was bound to His Father as a slave is bound to His master, yet Jesus came to serve and humble Himself with whole-hearted devotion as the greatest example of humility the world has ever known.

When a pastor is more concerned about their prominence and notoriety, then the church falls by the wayside. When a pastor is more concerned about entertaining the crowds, the church erodes into a Christian concert. Money and multi-million dollar buildings don’t last and are certainly not eternal. A pastor who models the humility of Christ, builds the church and impacts souls. So if you are deciding where to attend church, look for the pastor who has died to himself, is denying himself, and practices servant leadership.

Empty yourself as Christ did so you can identify a pastor or another believer who has emptied themselves.