Power Predicament

     When it comes to physical stature, Americans believe bigger is better. 

     We like our athletes big, strong and powerful.  On sports fields and basketball courts, strength and stamina win the day.  Scrawny types just don’t cut it.

     And when you’re the biggest and the strongest, your friends treat you like a demigod.  That fact isn’t lost on athletes who are tempted to bulk up with illegal drugs that destroy their health.

     But if your confidence is in your strength, it becomes your greatest weakness.

     “Now hold on just a minute!” you say.  “How can strength become a weakness?”

     Because strength leads to pride.   Eventually you’ll face someone bigger and stronger.  And when strength and ability are your only resource, you’ve set yourself up to fail.

     Have you ever heard of Samson?  He was a national hero.  He was the strongest man alive and proud of it. His story is in the Bible book of Judges, chapters 13-16. Read it sometime.

     Samson was so strong he killed a lion with his bare hands.  When bound with ropes, he snapped them like threads.  Attacked by a thousand warriors, he destroyed them single-handed.

     But one day, in a moment of weakness, he revealed the secret of his God-given strength.  His enemies took advantage of his weakness and made him a slave.

     You have a power predicament when you depend on your strength alone and not on God’s power. And when you forget that all you have, your strength, your talents and your intellect – everything – is a gift from God, you’re setting yourself up for a fall.  Just like Samson did.

     As the saying goes, “The bigger they are, the harder they fall.”

     So is it wrong to be strong?  Not at all.  The problem is pride.

     Pride makes us think we’re invincible.  Pride is a seed we sow that leads to a harvest of self-destruction.  That’s why God warns us against becoming proud.

     If pride is the problem, humility before God is the solution.  The Bible says, “Humble yourselves before the Lord and he will lift you up.”

     When a person humbles himself or herself and trusts in God, God’s power makes that person strong.  Just consider the example of Jesus Christ.

     Jesus was crucified in what appeared to be a moment of weakness.  But God’s power resurrected him. And then Jesus walked alive out of a solid rock tomb. How’s that for power?

     Maybe you face overwhelming odds in your life.  Your health, your finances or your reputation have been crushed.  You feel weak, defeated and humbled.  If so, take heart.

     When humility brings you to God and you trust in him through Jesus Christ his Son, everything changes.  Suddenly you’re connected to God’s power.  Your failures are forgiven and you can say with the Apostle Paul, “When I am weak, then I am strong.”

     Put your confidence in God.  He can and will save you.

     That outlook led the psalmist to write in the Bible, “Some trust in chariots and some in horses, but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.”  And it led the Apostle Paul to exclaim, “Thanks be to God!  He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

     At the end of his life, Samson learned this lesson the hard way.  Tortured by his enemies, he humbled himself and called on God. God restored his strength and gave him one last victory.

     Take a lesson from Samson and avoid a power predicament.  Put your trust in the all-powerful God of the Bible today.  You’ll be glad you did.

     Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

No Secrets

     Can you keep a secret? Chances are you already do – more than you care to admit!

     “Now hold it right there for just a minute!  How do you know whether or not I keep secrets?”

     That’s a fair question.  Let me answer with the words of Colombian novelist Gabriel García Márquez: “All human beings have three lives: public, private and secret.”

     In public we cultivate the image of self we want others to believe is true.  Generous. Kind.  Talented.  Family man.  Successful woman. Whatever we think others will like.

     In private we “let our hair down.”  We become the person with whom we’re comfortable.  Only our family or closest friends see this person.  Some parts of this self make us ashamed.  So we guard it closely, afraid others won’t like us if they know the truth.

     Then there’s our secret life.  The self we become when we think no one sees us.  The self of our daydreams and fantasies.  James Thurber famously portrayed this unseen side of life in his classic book, “The Secret Life of Walter Mitty.” 

    Mitty was a meek, mild-mannered man dominated by others.  But in his daydreams he was a fierce, courageous hero’s hero – the man he so desperately wanted to be.

     What we are in the secret playground of our minds is the self we want to be.  And while we may keep our secrets safe from others, we cannot keep them from God.

     The Bible teaches us that one day “God will judge men’s secrets.”  It adds, “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God's sight. Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

     Accountability is a troubling thought to modern minds.  We fancy ourselves free to do what we please without unpleasant consequences. 

     But the beauty of the Bible is that it presents us with unvarnished truth.

     God’s Word says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked.  A man reaps what he sows.  The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please God, from God will reap eternal life.”

     Such truth pains our conscience.  Why?  Because we know God is ultimately right.

     What makes the Bible unique is its uncanny ability to reveal who we really are.  Its truth “judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart.”

     Once we admit our shortcomings and humbly approach God in prayer, we find that “we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”

     God is not the angry scorekeeper some imagine.  Instead of sternly looking for people to punish, God offers forgiveness and a fresh start to everyone through faith in Jesus Christ.

     The God of the Bible is the God of second chances in this life.  And the best part is he welcomes all that seek him.  You don’t have to come from a certain nationality or a particular religion.  Jesus said, “Whoever comes to me I will never drive away.”

     Speaking of himself, Jesus added, “Everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him, shall have eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day.”

     It is no secret what God can do in a person’s life through faith in Christ.  So bring your secrets to God.  He’ll love you, forgive you and transform you into the person you always wanted to be.  

     Then you can be the same person all the time.  No more secrets. As God’s child, you have nothing to prove and nothing to lose because you’re loved and accepted for who you really are.

     Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!   

True Lies

     Can you handle the truth?  Or do you make it up as you go along? 

     When we make up truth it becomes ‘true lies’ we tell ourselves.  We want them to be true.

     “You can’t handle the truth!” is a memorable line from the movie “A Few Good Men.”  And it strikes a chord in us because the truth is sometimes hard to hear. So we accept what’s ‘truthy.’

     “Now hold on just a minute,” you say.  “Is that a word?  What’s ‘truthy’?

     ‘Truthy’ is a word television comedian Stephen Colbert popularized.  He came up with the word minutes before taping an episode of  “The Colbert Report.”  He decided the word ‘truth’ in his script wasn’t ridiculous enough. But ‘truthy’ fit the bill.

     “We're not talking about truth,” he explained. “We're talking about something that seems like truth – the truth we want to exist.  Facts matter not at all.  Perception is everything.”

     Colbert added, “Truthiness is ‘What I say is right.’  It's not only that I feel it to be true, but that ‘I’ feel it to be true. There's not only an emotional quality, but there’s a selfish quality.”

     Many call themselves Christians and believe what’s ‘truthy’ instead of the truth.  In fact it’s common for them to describe their faith as “Choosing what I want to believe.”  As if the Bible was a buffet line, picking what you like and leaving what you don’t.

     It’s probably how many Americans view their faith.  But while some religions may include that approach, the Bible does not. 

     Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except by me.”  Notice Jesus said he is ‘THE’ truth and not ‘A’ truth.

     Another time he added, “If you hold to my teaching, you are really my disciples.  Then you will know the truth and the truth will set you free.” 

     Think about that.  For the truth to set you free you must believe it’s true and act on it.  It’s not an option for you to adjust the truth to your preferences or make it fit your view of reality.

     We can’t adjust truth in a math class.  What makes us think we can do it with God's truth?

     Many people say they believe the Bible and believe in God. They’ve heard the gospel story and agree that Jesus lived, died on a cross for the sins of mankind and rose again on the third day.  But hearing it and agreeing with it are not the same as believing and trusting in it.

     If you truly believe something it changes your behavior.  In this case you put your trust in Jesus Christ to forgive you and save you from sin’s penalty – eternal separation from God.  And then you follow him and obey him.  You live for Jesus and serve others.

     Some don’t see the need to obey Jesus.  They don’t believe his teaching is the only truth.

Instead they believe what’s ‘truthy’ about Jesus. They think what THEY want to believe is true. 

     They might say, “I’m a Christian.  I believe in God.  I pray and attend church.  I do the best I can.”  But contrary to popular opinion, God doesn’t grade us on our efforts.  The Bible says salvation and eternal life are gifts from God received through faith in Christ and not by works.

     God sent Jesus so we could know our sins and mistakes are forgiven and so we could know we have eternal life.  And when you know that, you know the truth.

     Jesus Christ lived, died and rose from the dead to give us all a full and blessed life now and eternal life in Heaven later.  It’s what the Bible calls the good news about Jesus Christ.

     So leave the ‘true lies’ to those who can’t handle the truth.  Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the life.  Can you handle the truth? If you can it will change your life for good.

     Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Joy Ride

     Are you on a joy ride? A joy ride has no particular destination and no goal except to have fun.

     Others go on thrill rides at county fairs and amusement parks.  The goal of a thrill ride is excitement – a sense of adventure.  It’s why people ride dirt bikes, bucking broncos and bulls.

     “Life is like a bull ride,” said a young cowboy with cancer. “It’s not how long you ride that counts but how well you ride.”

     Whatever kind of ride you’re on, one thing is sure:  it’s a short one.  Just like the popular rides at theme parks.  You wait in line for hours – and then it’s over in seconds.

     It seems like we spend our lives waiting for exciting events:  graduation, romance, marriage, a career and births. Then it’s over and we watch the cycle repeat in our children’s lives.

     Just when you think you’ve finally figured life out and the ride is going well – it’s time to get off.  “Watch your step and exit to the right.  Next, please.”

     As a pastor I have conducted funerals for children, the aged and many in between.  But there’s one thing they all had in common.  When God decided their ride was over, it ended. 

     Whether they rode well or not wasn’t for me to decide.  That’s God’s call.

     “Now hold on just a minute!” you may say.  “Who decides what a ‘good ride’ in life is?”

     The best time to find that out is before your ride is over.  While you can still change goals.

     One of my goals in life is to make an impact on this world with eternal results.  And that’s not easy.  You know why?  Because most things we do won’t last forever.

     Some people make an impact on this world but it’s only temporary. If you want eternal results you have to work with the two things on earth that are eternal:  People’s souls and God’s Word.  That’s why Jesus called his disciples to leave fishing and become “fishers of men.”

     If you do decide to follow Jesus, hang on – because you’re in for the ride of your life! In some places, following Jesus (or inviting others to follow him) will get you a free ride to prison.

      At the very least you may be misunderstood, ridiculed and harassed. But receiving eternal life, forgiveness, unconditional love, peace, and purpose from God makes it worth it all.  Plus, you can bring to Heaven everyone who follows you to Christ.

     Now that’s having an eternal impact – increasing Heaven’s population!

     What kind of ride are you on?  Is it all about the money, the pleasure or the power to control other’s lives?  If so, you’ll end up where you started.  With nothing that lasts or satisfies.

     Jesus calls us to a different kind of ride.  One that is not so much about self or controlling others as it is about serving others.  He invites us to follow him.  To love God with all our hearts and to love others as we love ourselves.

     Do a reality check.  What kind of ride has your life been until now? Is your life making an eternal difference?  If not, now is a good time to switch rides!

     The Bible tells us to make good use of the time we have left.  To exchange our lives for something that will last forever.  To put our faith and trust in Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of our sins.  To make him our Lord and our God.  And then to bring others to Christ.

     To find out more, don’t just take my word for it.  Pick up a Bible and read the gospel of John in the New Testament and then keep reading.  It will help you choose a better ride in life.

     Following Jesus is more exciting than any joy ride.  It’s the ride of your life.

     Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

You Almighty

     Do you like to pretend you’re God?  Sort of a ‘You Almighty’?

     The way we impersonate God is by judging other people.  And we do it all the time.

     “Now hold on for just a minute,” you may say.  “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 that, “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 learn 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.  We are quick to condemn before we hear all the facts. And when we do that, 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.  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.”

     Pretending to be God seems to come natural to us.  Remember that God says he will use the same standard to judge us that we use to judge others. The Bible says, “So then, each of us will give an account of himself to God. Therefore let us stop passing judgment on one another.” That ought to motivate us to 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 gets “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 are looking 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!

False Hope

     It’s an election year again and Americans are hopeful.  Hopeful things will improve.

     Media outlets are busy helping pick the front-runners.  Politics rules TV news shows and the editorial pages. We devour the candidates’ latest gaffes and sound bytes. We’re addicted to it.

     We shake our heads at the attack ads.  But we watch.  Mesmerized.  It’s almost religious.

     Voters are convinced their candidate is messianic.  He or she will right all wrongs, rescue the oppressed, fix the country, and put money in the pockets of the poor. 

     “Ladies and gentlemen! May I introduce the next president of the United States? Source of hope, savior of the economy, world peace negotiator and defender of children and the aged!”

     OK–they don’t actually say they last part, but the political rallies give that impression.

     “Well hold on just a minute,” you may say.  “I really believe the right person could do it!”

     The Bible says there is only one Messiah and his name is Jesus.  Politics has never and will never fix what ails America or any other nation.  Politics is a false hope.  A lie.

     Why?  Because the real problem is our addiction to it.  Like bums on Skid Row, we like our ‘booze.’  And next to politics, our other intoxicant of choice is money.  We can’t get enough of either one.  Politics and money go hand in hand.

     Somewhere along the way we bought into the idea that money could also make us happy.  Even the wealthy believe they need “just a little bit more.”  Greed is addicting.

     They say, “You can never be too rich or too thin.”  And we sincerely believe it.  Our faith in money’s power to save us drives the popular lotteries and lucrative gambling industry.

     The only problem is that it’s another false hope.  Money has never bought joy or peace.  But it sure can buy votes!  And so politicians use the promise of jobs and prosperity to get elected.

     Jesus showed us a better way.  He warned about a life pursuing wealth.  He respected government but avoided politics.  Politicians polarize people but Jesus unites them.

     If only we were as passionate about faith in God as we are about our politics and our money!

     Jesus once said no one could serve both God and money at the same time.  And ever since we’ve tried to prove him wrong!   But wealth doesn’t satisfy.  Only Jesus satisfies our souls.

     No wonder the Bible observes, “Godliness with contentment is great gain.”

     It goes on to say, “For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it.  But if we have food and clothing we will be content with that.  People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction.  For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil.”

     That last sentence is one of the most misquoted verses in the entire Bible.  It doesn’t say, “Money is the root of all evil.”  It says, “The LOVE of money is the root of all kinds of evil.”

     Greed is the motive behind much of the world’s evil.  Contentment, however, is the source of great peace and satisfaction.  And the secret of contentment is found in Jesus, the Son of God.

     When a person becomes a child of God through faith in Jesus Christ, they gain a Heavenly Father who can meet all of their needs.  Their focus shifts from greed and envy to trusting God and serving others.  It’s a path millions have followed and found to be liberating and true.

     The Bible sets before us two paths.  One path is wide and popular.  It’s the road of greed and power over others.  It leads to self-destruction and separation from God, which is eternal death.

     The other path is narrow and less traveled.  It’s the road of faith and peace and starts with Christ.  It leads to a fulfilled life and ends in Heaven.  And that’s real hope instead of false hope!

     Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!

Until Next Time

     Last weekend the world said goodbye to Whitney Houston.  She was taken too soon.

     A talented singer and actress, some might even call her a legend.  Her rendition of the national anthem at Super Bowl XXV years ago stands out as one of the best ever.

     Half of the evening newscast on Sunday was about Whitney.  One of the reports came from the New Hope Baptist Church in Newark, New Jersey where she sang in the choir as a girl. As the parishioners left worship on Sunday, one of the comments made was, “She was our ‘American Idol’ before there ever was an ‘American Idol.’”

     Even though Whitney died far from the church where she first sang publicly, her faith as a child still influenced her.  Her last public performance on stage, two days before she died, was an impromptu version of “Yes, Jesus Loves Me.” 

     Saying “Goodbye” to someone we love is always hard.  The lyrics to one pop song put it like this: “I don’t like to say goodbye, so this is my until next time.”  And death’s goodbye is harder.

     The media reported that Whitney’s daughter, Bobbi Kristina, was rushed to the hospital twice following her mother’s untimely death.  We can only imagine what she is going through since her mother’s life was so public.

     Death hurts us deeply.  Every other time we say goodbye, we hope to see our loved ones again.  But death is the final goodbye.

     The Bible compares death to a sting.  At first the loss of a loved one can be unbearable.  But with time the pain lessens.  Eventually the heart heals.  Until the next sting.  And the longer you live the more you see death.

     Now, while I miss my dad and mom and others who have passed on, I have a sure hope I will see them again.  For me it wasn’t a final goodbye, it was “Until next time.”

     “OK, hold it right there for just a minute,” you may say.  “Why do Christians always talk about seeing their dead loved ones again?  Isn’t that a little weird?”

     Not if you’re a student of the Bible.

     The Bible teaches that there is life after this life.  But it also says that decisions we make in this life affect our destination in the next. 

     God doesn’t want anyone to be surprised in eternity.  So he tells us the facts of eternal life.

     The Bible says we have eternal souls (the real you inside of you).  It tells us that eternal life is available to everyone through faith in Jesus Christ.  Faith means relying on and believing in him.

     What must you believe?  That you are a sinner separated from a holy God who loves you.  That you need a Savior.  That Jesus died on the cross to pay the penalty for your sin.  And that if you trust in him, Jesus will save you and take you to Heaven when your time comes.

     The Bible tells us that Heaven and Hell are real places.  Just like New York City or Chicago.

     For the Christ follower, the Bible says, “To be away from the body” is to be “at home with the Lord.”  Reincarnation?  No.  With the Lord Jesus Christ.  In Heaven.

     Jesus once told a story that explained how we would one day join those who have died in faith before us.  He said we would recognize others and be able to communicate with them.  So while it’s “Goodbye” now, it is only “Until next time.”

     So while funeral home goodbyes are difficult, for the Christian it is an exercise of confident hope.  Because we know that, one day soon, we will see our loved ones again in Heaven.

     Listen to the Bible; it’s great for your soul!