It’s the best of times. It’s the worst of times.
Two terrible wars are going on in Afghanistan and Iraq. Terrorism is spreading around the globe. But, in spite of worldwide market fluctuations and the mortgage mess, people are still buying flat-screen televisions, new cars, iPods and iPhones like there’s no tomorrow.
Well, what if there was no tomorrow?
Frankly, I think there will be a tomorrow. But what if tomorrow brings a very different world than today? That’s a more likely scenario.
Now hold that thought for just a minute. Could the world be all that different tomorrow?
Absolutely.
We know from recent history that the world can change overnight. It happened several times in my lifetime. It’s just a matter of time before it happens again.
The day after President Kennedy was assassinated, our world was a different place. It changed forever the day after the Columbine School shootings. After 9-11-2001 people talked about a “New Normal.” And six years later we’re still learning to cope.
It seems like every day the newspaper or television reports a catastrophe somewhere: Earthquakes and hurricanes; terrorist attacks planned, thwarted or perpetrated. Every night the news from the Middle East is more disturbing than the day before.
Does anyone really understand the times we live in?
Someone does. More than 2,000 years ago, God told the prophets of Israel about what would happen in our times. They recorded this “future news” in the Bible for our benefit. Author Joel C. Rosenberg calls prophecy “Intelligence intercepts from the mind of God.”
God revealed to the Old Testament Prophet Ezekiel that in the last days Russia would enter an agreement with Iran. For more than 2,000 years there has not been a Russian-Iranian treaty--until now. God says that Babylon (in Iraq) will one day rise again to be a world power.
Jesus Christ spoke to his disciples about the end times. He described worldwide wars and earthquakes. He talked about the rise of false religions and cults. He said evil would increase and then there would come a time of great distress, unmatched in human history.
The Prophet Joel talked about all the nations turning against Israel and seeking to divide it. In the New Testament book of Revelation, one of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse brings a devastating worldwide food shortage, which leads to massive inflation.
These events sound as if they could be ripped from today and tomorrow’s headlines!
One of the purposes for the Bible is to help us understand the times in which we live and to enable us to see history from God’s perspective. It tells us that part of God’s plan is for Jesus Christ to return one day and fix the mess we’ve made of planet earth.
Students of Bible prophecy and signs of the times tell us that recent history and current events seem to line up with many of the Bible’s predictions. Our world could change overnight.
What should we do? How should we live in such a time as this?
The Bible gives us the answer. Peter, the disciple of Jesus, wrote that since “the day of the Lord will come like a thief,” that is unexpectedly, “you ought to live holy and godly lives.”
I don’t know where you are in your relationship with God. Maybe it’s been a while since you were in church. But consider this: Now just may be the right time for you to seek the Lord.
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
Monday, September 24, 2007
Monday, September 17, 2007
Playing God
Do you like to play God?
The way we play God is by judging other people. And we do it all the time.
Now hold it right there for just a minute. Why is judging others playing God?
Because God says it’s his responsibility to judge. He judges the living and the dead.
The Bible tells us in James chapter four, verses 11 and 12, “Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor?”
Why do we do it? Because it appeals to our pride. Because we think we’re better than others. It’s a self-righteous attitude of putting other people down, being critical and being judgmental. Jesus condemned it more than almost any other sin.
When we hear about how other people have fallen, there's something inside us--a little bit of pride--that makes us gloat over their misfortune. We think, “At least I’m not THAT bad!” and we judge them as a failure.
Some people speak and act as if they have the gift of criticism. But God says we shouldn’t speak against or judge others, comparing them to ourselves.
In addition, when we judge others we break God’s law that says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus called it the second great commandment. Loving God was the first.
One of the reasons we have the Bible is so we can know how to live and act toward others. But, for some reason, we can’t leave well enough alone. We have to add our own rules to God’s perfect law—and then we judge others by our rules.
Jesus said it’s wrong to judge others when we are involved in the same sin we condemn. He called people who do that “hypocrites.” And when we judge others like that, it blinds us to our own faults.
Often we judge others based on outward appearances: their face, hair, or clothes. Many times we are quick to condemn before we hear all the facts. When we do, we show our prejudice.
Religious people especially love to judge others based on external observances. We count how many services a person attends and judge them accordingly. If someone worships on a different day or eats a different diet than we do, we judge them. And God says, “Stop it!”
We also like to judge other people’s motives. Why they do what they do. But the Bible says, “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He…will expose the motives of men's hearts.”
Playing God comes natural to us. To stop doing it, remember that God says he will use the same standard to judge us that we use to judge others. The Bible reminds us that we are all accountable to God: “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.” We need to just stop doing it.
I think it’s a part of our fallen human nature to take delight in seeing another “Get what they deserve.” Well don’t forget that God shows mercy to us. None of us “get what we deserve.” If we did, we’d all be miserable! God is a merciful God and he wants us to be merciful too.
If you want to find fault in others you can. Everybody is imperfect. It all depends on what you look for. One of the things you have to do with friends is overlook their faults.
And when you come to God, through Jesus Christ, God not only overlooks, he forgives!
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
The way we play God is by judging other people. And we do it all the time.
Now hold it right there for just a minute. Why is judging others playing God?
Because God says it’s his responsibility to judge. He judges the living and the dead.
The Bible tells us in James chapter four, verses 11 and 12, “Anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it. There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you--who are you to judge your neighbor?”
Why do we do it? Because it appeals to our pride. Because we think we’re better than others. It’s a self-righteous attitude of putting other people down, being critical and being judgmental. Jesus condemned it more than almost any other sin.
When we hear about how other people have fallen, there's something inside us--a little bit of pride--that makes us gloat over their misfortune. We think, “At least I’m not THAT bad!” and we judge them as a failure.
Some people speak and act as if they have the gift of criticism. But God says we shouldn’t speak against or judge others, comparing them to ourselves.
In addition, when we judge others we break God’s law that says, “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Jesus called it the second great commandment. Loving God was the first.
One of the reasons we have the Bible is so we can know how to live and act toward others. But, for some reason, we can’t leave well enough alone. We have to add our own rules to God’s perfect law—and then we judge others by our rules.
Jesus said it’s wrong to judge others when we are involved in the same sin we condemn. He called people who do that “hypocrites.” And when we judge others like that, it blinds us to our own faults.
Often we judge others based on outward appearances: their face, hair, or clothes. Many times we are quick to condemn before we hear all the facts. When we do, we show our prejudice.
Religious people especially love to judge others based on external observances. We count how many services a person attends and judge them accordingly. If someone worships on a different day or eats a different diet than we do, we judge them. And God says, “Stop it!”
We also like to judge other people’s motives. Why they do what they do. But the Bible says, “Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He…will expose the motives of men's hearts.”
Playing God comes natural to us. To stop doing it, remember that God says he will use the same standard to judge us that we use to judge others. The Bible reminds us that we are all accountable to God: “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.” We need to just stop doing it.
I think it’s a part of our fallen human nature to take delight in seeing another “Get what they deserve.” Well don’t forget that God shows mercy to us. None of us “get what we deserve.” If we did, we’d all be miserable! God is a merciful God and he wants us to be merciful too.
If you want to find fault in others you can. Everybody is imperfect. It all depends on what you look for. One of the things you have to do with friends is overlook their faults.
And when you come to God, through Jesus Christ, God not only overlooks, he forgives!
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
Monday, September 10, 2007
Name Game
When you pray, to whom do you speak?
Several weeks ago, a Dutch Roman Catholic bishop, Tiny Muskens, proposed that Christians call God, “Allah.” He suggested that if all believers in one God would call him “Allah,” it would bring us closer together. “What does God care what we call him?” he asked.
Good question. So which name should we use? It depends on whom you want to reach.
Jews view God’s special name as too holy to speak and say “Adonai” (Lord). Christians pray to God the Father in Jesus’ name. Muslims pray to Allah. Is this just a name game?
Well hold it right there for just a minute. It makes a big difference what we call God.
When you call a friend on the phone, would they respond to another person’s name? They’d probably say, “Wrong number!” And when you pray, you don’t want a “wrong number.”
Here’s the issue: God’s name is not just another name like yours or mine. In the Bible his name tells us something about his character, his nature and his relationship to his people.
When God revealed himself to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3:14, he didn’t ask Moses to invent a name for him. Moses asked God for his name and God said, “I AM.”
The God of the Bible is the self-existing God. We did not create him--he created us!
The Hebrew word for this name of God is “Yahweh” (often spelled “Jehovah”). It means “He is” or “He will be.” God said, “This is my name forever.” Seems like God has a preference.
God also told Moses, “I will be with you,” That promise included a form of God’s special name. In effect, God pledged his person and being--through his special name--to be with his people. His name tells us who he is and assures believers of his presence with them.
Jesus applied this special name to himself in the New Testament saying, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I AM!” The people of his day knew exactly what he meant--he was claiming to be their God. Since they didn’t believe him, they accused him of blasphemy.
The Bible says that an angel appeared to Jesus’ parents before his birth. The angel said, “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” “Jesus” means “Jehovah saves.” The angel also said Jesus would be called “the Son of the Most High.”
Those who say Allah is the God of the Bible have a problem. Scholars tell us Allah is not seen as a personal deity in the sense that the God of the Bible is. In addition, the Qur’an clearly denies that Allah has a son. It also considers the idea of a triune God to be a blasphemy.
The Trinity, however, is essential to the Christian concept of God. Jesus revealed that the Father is God, the Son is God and the Holy Spirit is God. Though it is a great mystery, all three are one God. Jesus was not just a prophet (as Islam claims). He said he was God in human flesh.
When Jesus taught us to pray, he said we should pray to “our Father who is in Heaven.” He also said we should ask in his name. Apparently using the right name IS important.
So, if Allah has no son, “Allah” can’t be the name of “our Father.” And when we pray to the God of the Bible, if we say “Allah,” God could just say, “Wrong number!” And if Allah were God, since he has no son, what difference would prayer “in Jesus’ name” make to him? None.
These are not just a “minor differences” or a “points of discussion.” A Christian’s entire faith and salvation depend upon who God is and what he did through Jesus Christ on the cross.
Speaking of Jesus, the Bible clearly states, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Hmm. “No other name.”
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
Several weeks ago, a Dutch Roman Catholic bishop, Tiny Muskens, proposed that Christians call God, “Allah.” He suggested that if all believers in one God would call him “Allah,” it would bring us closer together. “What does God care what we call him?” he asked.
Good question. So which name should we use? It depends on whom you want to reach.
Jews view God’s special name as too holy to speak and say “Adonai” (Lord). Christians pray to God the Father in Jesus’ name. Muslims pray to Allah. Is this just a name game?
Well hold it right there for just a minute. It makes a big difference what we call God.
When you call a friend on the phone, would they respond to another person’s name? They’d probably say, “Wrong number!” And when you pray, you don’t want a “wrong number.”
Here’s the issue: God’s name is not just another name like yours or mine. In the Bible his name tells us something about his character, his nature and his relationship to his people.
When God revealed himself to Moses at the burning bush in Exodus 3:14, he didn’t ask Moses to invent a name for him. Moses asked God for his name and God said, “I AM.”
The God of the Bible is the self-existing God. We did not create him--he created us!
The Hebrew word for this name of God is “Yahweh” (often spelled “Jehovah”). It means “He is” or “He will be.” God said, “This is my name forever.” Seems like God has a preference.
God also told Moses, “I will be with you,” That promise included a form of God’s special name. In effect, God pledged his person and being--through his special name--to be with his people. His name tells us who he is and assures believers of his presence with them.
Jesus applied this special name to himself in the New Testament saying, “I tell you the truth, before Abraham was born, I AM!” The people of his day knew exactly what he meant--he was claiming to be their God. Since they didn’t believe him, they accused him of blasphemy.
The Bible says that an angel appeared to Jesus’ parents before his birth. The angel said, “You are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins.” “Jesus” means “Jehovah saves.” The angel also said Jesus would be called “the Son of the Most High.”
Those who say Allah is the God of the Bible have a problem. Scholars tell us Allah is not seen as a personal deity in the sense that the God of the Bible is. In addition, the Qur’an clearly denies that Allah has a son. It also considers the idea of a triune God to be a blasphemy.
The Trinity, however, is essential to the Christian concept of God. Jesus revealed that the Father is God, the Son is God and the Holy Spirit is God. Though it is a great mystery, all three are one God. Jesus was not just a prophet (as Islam claims). He said he was God in human flesh.
When Jesus taught us to pray, he said we should pray to “our Father who is in Heaven.” He also said we should ask in his name. Apparently using the right name IS important.
So, if Allah has no son, “Allah” can’t be the name of “our Father.” And when we pray to the God of the Bible, if we say “Allah,” God could just say, “Wrong number!” And if Allah were God, since he has no son, what difference would prayer “in Jesus’ name” make to him? None.
These are not just a “minor differences” or a “points of discussion.” A Christian’s entire faith and salvation depend upon who God is and what he did through Jesus Christ on the cross.
Speaking of Jesus, the Bible clearly states, “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” Hmm. “No other name.”
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
Monday, September 3, 2007
Reading People
Can you read people like a book?
That’s an interesting question. We are a so-called “literate” nation. Statistical reports vary, but a high percentage of Americans can read. Most of us learned in first grade.
But we are also a nation of aliterates--people who can read but, for the most part, are completely uninterested in reading and literature. We choose not to read.
So many love their TVs and movies more than books. A report I once heard said the average person reads one book between their graduation and death.
But back to people. Many folks read people like they read books. They don’t.
In the same way we drive by libraries without stopping to read, we pass people every day and never stop to “read” them. We don’t pay attention to their hopes, dreams or needs. We’re not very interested in them unless they can do something for us.
Well hold it right there for just a minute! Why do other people even matter?
Other people matter because, according to the Bible, they’re part of life’s purpose.
The majority of Americans buy the lie that life is about accumulating things. Our unofficial motto is “Get all you can; can all you get; sit on the lid and poison the rest!” We want it all and we want more than anyone else. Plus we’ll pay almost any price to get it. So we sacrifice our health and even our families to “have it all.” How foolish.
In the process of pursuing our dreams, we run right over other people—and we never find satisfaction in life because we ignore them. They’re just not that important to us.
Jesus taught that people are very valuable to God. He will judge us based on how we help others. Jesus said that God expects more from those who have received much.
Unlike us, Jesus was a good reader of people. The Bible says that he knew men’s hearts.
One day a large crowd was with Jesus. His disciples saw a lot of people but Jesus saw them as “sheep without a shepherd.” He looked beyond the faults and saw their needs. He “read them like a book.” Why? Because he cared about them. He said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus’ followers realized that he saw people in a different light. They saw people as a bother. Jesus saw in them his purpose for being here on earth!
On the day of Pentecost Jesus’ disciples received the Holy Spirit and finally understood. They saw people like Jesus did. And when you become a Christian through faith in Jesus Christ, you finally begin to realize that life isn’t just about you. We are here to serve others.
The world’s standard, as acted out by millions of people every day, is “Hate one another.” But the Christian standard is “Love one another.” Jesus told his followers, “Do to others what you want them to do to you.” We call that “The Golden Rule.”
Over and over the Bible instructs Christians in their responsibility to others. They are to live in harmony with one another, love one another, accept one another, instruct one another, agree with one another, serve one another in love, be kind to one another, forgive one another, submit to one another, teach one another and encourage one another.
Why do we need the reminder? Because, if we “do what comes naturally,” we only think of ourselves. But, as someone observed, the best way to spell J-O-Y is Jesus, Others and You. Joy comes when we put Jesus first in our lives, then others second and ourselves last.
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
That’s an interesting question. We are a so-called “literate” nation. Statistical reports vary, but a high percentage of Americans can read. Most of us learned in first grade.
But we are also a nation of aliterates--people who can read but, for the most part, are completely uninterested in reading and literature. We choose not to read.
So many love their TVs and movies more than books. A report I once heard said the average person reads one book between their graduation and death.
But back to people. Many folks read people like they read books. They don’t.
In the same way we drive by libraries without stopping to read, we pass people every day and never stop to “read” them. We don’t pay attention to their hopes, dreams or needs. We’re not very interested in them unless they can do something for us.
Well hold it right there for just a minute! Why do other people even matter?
Other people matter because, according to the Bible, they’re part of life’s purpose.
The majority of Americans buy the lie that life is about accumulating things. Our unofficial motto is “Get all you can; can all you get; sit on the lid and poison the rest!” We want it all and we want more than anyone else. Plus we’ll pay almost any price to get it. So we sacrifice our health and even our families to “have it all.” How foolish.
In the process of pursuing our dreams, we run right over other people—and we never find satisfaction in life because we ignore them. They’re just not that important to us.
Jesus taught that people are very valuable to God. He will judge us based on how we help others. Jesus said that God expects more from those who have received much.
Unlike us, Jesus was a good reader of people. The Bible says that he knew men’s hearts.
One day a large crowd was with Jesus. His disciples saw a lot of people but Jesus saw them as “sheep without a shepherd.” He looked beyond the faults and saw their needs. He “read them like a book.” Why? Because he cared about them. He said, “The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
Jesus’ followers realized that he saw people in a different light. They saw people as a bother. Jesus saw in them his purpose for being here on earth!
On the day of Pentecost Jesus’ disciples received the Holy Spirit and finally understood. They saw people like Jesus did. And when you become a Christian through faith in Jesus Christ, you finally begin to realize that life isn’t just about you. We are here to serve others.
The world’s standard, as acted out by millions of people every day, is “Hate one another.” But the Christian standard is “Love one another.” Jesus told his followers, “Do to others what you want them to do to you.” We call that “The Golden Rule.”
Over and over the Bible instructs Christians in their responsibility to others. They are to live in harmony with one another, love one another, accept one another, instruct one another, agree with one another, serve one another in love, be kind to one another, forgive one another, submit to one another, teach one another and encourage one another.
Why do we need the reminder? Because, if we “do what comes naturally,” we only think of ourselves. But, as someone observed, the best way to spell J-O-Y is Jesus, Others and You. Joy comes when we put Jesus first in our lives, then others second and ourselves last.
Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!
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