Freedom is Good News Part 60

I just re-read the previous article and paused to consider the fact that Abraham was called a “friend of God”.  You believe in an Almighty God, creator of the entire universe.  What would it be like to know that God calls you His friend?  Indeed, what would it take to be called God’s friend?

We saw in that article that Abraham was obedient to God.  We also saw that obedience is linked to faith.  “Abraham believed God and it was accounted to him as righteousness.” (Gen. 15:6 & Rom. 4:3)  There are four concepts, faith, obedience, friendship with God and righteousness that are brought together in the book of James 2:21-24: “Was not our ancestor Abraham considered righteous for what he did (obedience) when he offered his son Isaac on the altar?  You see that his faith and his actions were working together, and his faith was made complete by what he did.  And the scripture was fulfilled that says, ‘Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness’, and he was called God’s friend.  You see that a person is justified by what he does and not by faith alone.”

So just what is faith?  Is it merely a belief that God exists?  Earlier in this same chapter of James (verse 19) we read, “You believe that there is one God.  Good! Even the demons believe that - and shudder.”  That in itself is a telling statement!  We must go beyond that if we are to be a friend of God.

Some time ago, a friend and brother in Christ, said that a good working definition of faith is having a trust in God so as to know that His every intention for you is always good.  I believe this gets to the heart of a true faith.  When we know and understand that God’s intentions for us are always good then we will have no problem in doing what God wants us to do.  We will be obedient and so emulate our father Abraham. 

There is another aspect to consider when we look at the word obedience, and that is love.  The easiest way to connect the two concepts of obedience and love is to see what our Savior had to say about them.  In the gospel of John 14:15 Jesus said, “If you love me you will obey what I command.”  In verse 21, “Whoever has my commands and obeys them, he is the one who loves me.”  And in verse 23, “If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching.  My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our abode with him.  He who does not love me will not obey my teaching.”

How can we say we love and trust God and then not do His will; not obey Him.  This kind of obedience is a good thing; for it pleases our Father and is the conduit for His love upon us.  And that is “Good News”!

Freedom is Good News Part 59

In our previous article we saw that we should “Look to the rock from which you were cut …. Look to Abraham, your father.” (Isaiah 51:1 & 2)  As we consider this we see that Isaiah is not the only one to call Abraham our father.  In two of Paul’s letters we receive the same information: Rom. 4:16, “God’s promise comes by faith and is guaranteed to all Abraham’s offspring … for he is the father of us all.  As it is written: ‘I have made you a father of many nations’.  So he is our father in the sight of God, in whom he believed.”  And then in Galatians 3:29 we read, “If you belong to Christ then you are Abraham’s offspring, and heirs according to the promise.”

This is quite interesting, but it is found in the words of Jesus how we must apply the information.  In John 8:39, “If you were Abraham’s children then you would be doing the things Abraham did.”  Perhaps we should be looking into the life of the man Abraham to see just how we might emulate him!

Abraham was truly one of God’s “mighty men” of the scriptures.  He is mentioned many times in both the Old Testament and the New.  When we begin the book of Genesis we are given a whirlwind tour in the first 11 chapters.  I liken it to God putting the video on fast forward.  In these 11 chapters we cover approximately 1800 years.  But when we come to chapter 12, and are introduced to Abram (Abraham’s original name), things begin to slow down and we get to take a closer look at the man who was called “the friend of God”.

Genesis 12:1, “The LORD had said to Abram, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and come to the land I will show you.”  Abram did not negotiate with God.  He did not quarrel with God.  He did not argue with God.  Abram picked up stakes and left!  And so he traveled to the land of promise.  The writer of the book of Hebrews, in the chapter of the faithful (chapter 11) says it this way, “By faith, Abraham, when called to go to a place he would later receive as his inheritance, obeyed and went, even though he did not know where he was going.”  As we consider how we are to emulate this man who is called our father, perhaps this should be our first stopping place.

The significant word here is “obeyed”.  In the scriptures, this word can be linked to two other important words: faith and love.  Quickly referencing this we may look at Hebrews 3:18 & 19, “And to whom did God swear that they would never enter His rest if not to those who disobeyed.  So we see that they were not able to enter, because of unbelief.”  The children of Israel were a rebellious lot.  We learn in Numbers 14 that when God wanted to take them into the Promised Land they were unwilling.  God tells us that their disobedience is because of their unbelief.  If we believe God, if we have faith, we will be obedient to Him. 

But obedience is also linked to love; and we will consider that in our next article, God willing.

Freedom is Good News Part 58

A short time ago I was reading from the book of Isaiah and came upon a scripture that caught my eye.  Isaiah 51:1-2 says, “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD: look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were dug; look to Abraham, your father and to Sarah, who gave you birth.”  There is a lot here to catch one’s eye and so perhaps we can spend some time considering this scripture.

The first word is quite important.  God is speaking and He says “listen to me”.  Perhaps every time we see these words in scripture we should sit back and ponder what God has to say.  The Hebrew word used here for “listen” is “shema” and has a definition of, “to hear intelligently - with the implication of paying close attention” (Vines dictionary of the bible).  This word is used as an imperative - some 27 times in the book of Isaiah for various peoples.  But here it is used as a command to those who “pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD”.  Is that you?  Do you do these two things?

In the gospel of Matthew chapter 6, Jesus tells us not to worry about the things of this world; what to eat, drink or wear.  He then says in verse 33, “But seek first the kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.”

So, we are to seek righteousness.  And the scriptures tell us that it is Jesus himself who is our righteousness (see Jeremiah 23:5&6, 1Corinthians 1:30).  Furthermore, Jesus tells us to follow Him (Luke14:27).  Hmmmm.  Do you pursue righteousness?  Do you follow your Savior? 

The other parameter for those who should be listening is “those who seek the LORD”.  In the book of Deuteronomy we are told to “seek the LORD” and to do this with all of our heart and soul!  But really, even without the admonitions in the scripture wouldn’t we strive to seek God?  (That is an interesting question in light of our present society but we shall leave it for discussion at a later time.)

For now, let’s just say that you who are reading this are in some ways “seeking the LORD”.  Having established this, I guess it behooves us to “listen to” God.  And He is telling us to “look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were dug”.  We are then told that this is Abraham and Sarah and intimates that they are our parents.  I do not in any way want to leave Sarah out of this equation and will suffice it to say that she and her husband were truly of “one flesh”, from a biblical stand point.  Their lives are displayed in scripture so that we may emulate them!  And emulate them we must. 

How are we to see them as our parents?  We shall consider this in future articles.  Remember, we are speaking of “good news”.

Freedom is Good News Part 57

God promises us a gift.  “And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  And who is there among us that does not enjoy receiving a gift?

If you have been with me through the past several articles, you know that we have been talking about repentance and baptism.  We now come to the result of these things; the receiving of the Holy Spirit of God! 

I believe we already understand that God has given us the gift of His Son.  “For God so loved the world that He gave us His only begotten Son …”  This gift was given in order that we may receive another gift – the gift of eternal life.  The blood of the Son of God cleanses us from every sin.  We obtain from Him a righteousness that allows us to enter into the presence of our Heavenly Father.  But the good news here is that God did not just remove our past sins from us and then leave us to figure things out for ourselves.  He gave us a helper – the Holy Spirit!

Shortly after the Passover meal (called the last supper by some), Jesus addressed His disciples with many encouraging words.  Let’s read what He had to say about the Spirit.  “If you love me you will obey what I command.  And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to abide with you forever – the Spirit of truth.”  (John 14:15)  “All this I have spoken while abiding with you.  But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, which the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.”  (John 14:25)  “When the Counselor comes which I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth which goes out from the Father, it will testify about Me.”  (John 15:26)  “I tell you the truth: it is for your good that I am going away.  Unless I go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send it to you.”  (John 16:7)

We find out several things here: first, it is a Spirit of truth.  If you want to understand the truth of God, you must receive the “Spirit of truth”.  It is my opinion that God will give you some of His truth so as to lead you to realize that you need to repent and receive His Holy Spirit.  Going hand in hand with repentance, Jesus tells us that we are to obey His commands.  We also see that the Spirit is sent from the Father.  And most interestingly we see the Spirit is called a “Counselor”.  The King James Version calls the Spirit a “Comforter”, and the Greek word used here really means “one who is called to another’s side, for aid, counsel, defense or comfort”. 

I must stop here and praise the heavenly Father who has thought of everything.  He has given us His word, from Genesis to Revelation.  He has given us His Son – the Savior of mankind.  And if that weren’t enough; He gives us a Counselor to aid and comfort us as we walk through this world. 

Embrace these things my friends.  The hope of eternal salvation lies before us.  What then shall we do?  “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Until next time.

Freedom is Good News Part 56

In the previous several articles we have considered the statement that Peter made to the crowd gathered during the Feast of Pentecost:  “Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  We have said that this short statement contains several concepts and have now made our way to the phrase, “for the forgiveness of sins”. 

First, I must say that we cannot draw close to God while in a sinful state.  In the book of Isaiah 59:1-2 we read this: “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor His ear too dull to hear.  But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden His face from you, so that He will not hear.”  Throughout the entirety of the bible, there are many scriptures that I would categorize as “scary”, and this is one of them!  My sins have caused a separation from my God; the one who has given me life itself, the one who provides for me in every way, the one who protects me in my every step of this life and the one who loves me more that I could ever grasp.  Yes, we all need our sins forgiven.

I am sure that some of you reading this have followed Peter’s admonition and have repented, been baptized into Christ Jesus and have had your sins forgiven.  Yet we live in a fallen world and we sin.  John in his first letter says this, “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:8-9)  It has been rightly claimed that “Christians are not perfect, just forgiven”.  And so the good news is that we can and must repent of our sins and so be forgiven.  And the great news is that we may then fellowship with our Father and His Son. 

But some of you have not followed Peter’s admonition.  I wish you would.  A life of fellowship with our heavenly Father and His Son cannot compare with anything in this life.  The reality of this is found in that final statement of Peter, “And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  Notice I used the word “reality”.  This is not some “pie in the sky” dream we are looking at but the reality of the promise of our God.

God willing we will close up this series of articles by considering the “gift of the Holy Spirit”.  And so, the good news just keeps on coming!!

Until next time, rejoice in the “good news” of Jesus Christ.

Freedom is Good News Part 55

At the end of our previous article I asked whether or not it was important for Peter to say we must be baptized “in the name of Jesus Christ”.  We have been following Peter’s statement in Acts 2:38 concerning repentance and baptism and so we continue with the fourth aspect of Peter’s comment.

At first blush this may seem like an obvious concept.  We have been taking our articles from the “good news” of the word of God, so wouldn’t it be apparent that we should be baptized in the name of the Son of God?  Well yes!  However I have heard some say that “we all serve the same God and it doesn’t matter what form of religion we might care to use”.  This avenue of thinking will not fit in with true worship of God.  It is only a couple of chapters later in the book of Acts that Peter finds himself before the ruling body of the Jews – the Sanhedrin.  The authorities were questioning Peter and John and in verse 5 of chapter 4, we read, “Then Peter, filled with the Holy Spirit, said to them: ‘Rulers and elders of the people, if we are being called to account today for an act of kindness shown to a cripple and are asked how he was healed, then know this, you and all the people of Israel: It is by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified but whom God raised from the dead, that this man stands before you healed … Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.’”

The statement, “no other name under heaven” would reasonably eliminate every other so called deity!!  There is one God and His one Son is the author of salvation.

I have heard others say that Jesus Christ was just another “good man” who walked the earth.  This statement will not stand up under the scrutiny of God’s word!  The reality is that Jesus was who He said He was or he was insane!  In the 16th chapter of Matthew Peter answers a question by stating that Jesus was “the Messiah, the Son of the living God”.  Jesus told Peter that he was blessed because the Father in heaven had revealed this to him.  In the book of John chapter 7, while at the Feast of tabernacles, Jesus makes the statement, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.  Whoever believes in me as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.”  In the next chapter Jesus tells the crowds that He is the “Light of the world”.  He later tells Mary and Martha that He is the “resurrection and the life”.  He then went on to call their brother, Lazarus, out from the grave after being dead for 4 days.

We are left with only one conclusion; He was who He said He was!  Jesus Christ is our Salvation.  Jesus Christ is our Redeemer.  And so, there is only one name under heaven by which we may be saved.  “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ”.

Until next time, rejoice in the “good news” of Jesus Christ.

Freedom is Good News Part 54

“Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  In the last article I mentioned that with this short statement, Peter tells us several things.  We talked about the first step for those who have been “cut to the heart” concerning their involvement with Christ’s death; they must repent.  The second item is baptism. 

I have heard some people say that we do not necessarily need to be baptized for salvation because that would be a type of “work” and we are not saved by works.  I must ask the question, why was Peter so emphatic?  This statement is imperative and that which is imperative is, by definition, a command!  We may also turn to the words of Jesus in His directive to the disciples after His resurrection, “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them … and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.”

So, what is so important about putting someone under the waters of baptism?  Paul said it this way, “Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?” (Romans 6:3)  If we would want to be identified with our Savior, we must be identified with Him in His death.  This identification with Him is quite important for even He, who was without sin, underwent the waters of baptism to set for us an example.  Two weeks ago I mentioned another scripture in the book of Romans, “We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”  In the scheme of all things Godly we must recognize that our commitment to God, and the covenant He made with us through the blood of the sacrifice of His Son, takes place in and through the death of our “old man”.  Our sins are washed away in that watery grave of baptism.  How else would we expect to live a new life?

The next thing Peter says in Acts 2:38 is “every one of you”.  This is a simple statement but has great significance.  Salvation is not a group thing!  We are not saved because we belong to the “right” group or go to the “right” church building.  This commitment we make to God is a personal vow or promise.  We stand alone before God repenting for our own sins and accepting Jesus as our own personal Savior.  Each one of us must act upon Peter’s statement by ourselves - alone.

Peter then tells us that we must be baptized “in the name of Jesus Christ”.  Is this important?  We’ll talk more on this, God willing, in the next article.

Freedom is Good News Part 53

In our previous article we spoke of baptism.  We saw that there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.  Is there a connection in the bible between these two ideas?

Last Saturday, as we gathered around the baptismal, I read a scripture that is found in Acts, chapter 2.  This chapter starts out with the feast of Pentecost when all the believers were gathered together.  There came the sound of a blowing mighty wind from heaven that filled the whole place.  (I am sure you remember the event.)  Something like tongues of fire appeared over each of them and the promise of God was fulfilled wherein each one was filled with the Holy Spirit. 

At the sound of the wind a large crowd came running to see what was happening.  Many of those gathered in Jerusalem for the feast, had come from distant lands and they heard from the disciple’s lips “the wonders of God in their own languages.”  Eventually Peter gets everyone’s attention and brings forth a message concerning a prophecy from the book of Joel.  I leave it for you to refresh your memory on this message in Acts 2 at some other time, but at the end of his sermon, Peter says this, “Therefore let all the house of Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Christ.”  Have you ever considered that if you were there, Peter’s finger, as it swept across the crowd, would have pointed to you?  “Bill Rollins, this Jesus whom you have crucified …” Yes it was my sins that were the cause of Jesus having to shed His blood on the cross. 

In Acts 2:37 the crowd responds to Peter’s words, “When the people heard this, they were cut to the heart and said to Peter and the other apostles, ‘Brothers, what shall we do?’”  Isn’t it interesting that the reaction of the people wasn’t something like, “Bah, you can’t put the blame on us for this man’s death.”  No they were cut to the heart and desired to know what they should do.

“Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”  In this short statement, Peter tells us several things.  The initial step is not baptism.  The first step is to repent.  What does “repent” mean?  The Greek word used here means, “to change one’s mind or purpose”.  In a sense it means to turn around and go the other way.  When God calls someone to join themselves to God’s family, the first thing they must do is to turn around, no longer walking in the ways of the world, but rather walking in the ways of God.

And God willing, we shall talk more of this in the next article!

Freedom is Good News Part 52

A few weeks ago I experienced the passing of a good friend and brother in Christ.  I felt sadness in my heart.  Not necessarily for the one who died but for the one who was left behind.  Our friend Mary has lost her husband.  And so out from that sadness came three articles on what Paul had to say about rejoicing.  I do hope you enjoyed those three articles because I needed to look at, once again, the reality of rejoicing, even in the face of grief.

This week it’s a different story.  A long time friend will undergo the waters of baptism and begin to turn his life over to the Savior.  Do you know what happens in the heavenly realm when one repents?  “…there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10)  I will partake in this upcoming baptism and I will remind the one being baptized, just what is taking place around God’s throne at that moment!  The angels of God are rejoicing!!

But do you know what is interesting about this event?  The bible likens baptism to death!  In Romans 6:1-4 we read, “What shall we say, then?  Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?  By no means!  We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?  Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into His death?  We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life.”

The difference here is that no one is left behind.  Almost everyone who will witness this event has already experienced the saving grace of Jesus Christ and will rejoice with the angels in heaven.  Another aspect of this “death by baptism” is that our friend will become our brother in the body of Christ.  And thirdly, as Paul says, this sinner will be raised up out of the waters to a new life.  A little later Paul says this, “The death He died (Christ), he died to sin once for all but the life He lives, He lives to God.  In the same way count yourselves dead to sin but alive to God in Christ Jesus.”  (Rom. 6:10-11)

When I think of “good news” (a.k.a. the gospel) I have to put this upcoming event near the top of things that are worthy of rejoicing over.  There are many nice things in this world that may capture our attention, but this one is unique.  Paul, in his letter to the Colossians 3:1-4 says: “If then you have been raised with Christ seek those things which are above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you will appear with Him in glory.”  Baptism leads to something more than the empty glory that this world shines in our eyes.  Baptism leads to eternal life and the glory that is beyond our understanding and far beyond any thing this world has to offer.

And that my friends, is true good news!!

Freedom is Good News Part 51

We have been looking at (what I have called) Paul’s remedy for sorrow and grief, found in his letter to the Philippians 4:4-7.  In it, he tells us to rejoice.  He tells us God is near.  He tells us not to be anxious about anything.  He tells us to pray and petition God with thanksgiving.  And so now, He tells us what the results of these things will be!  “And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

I was talking to a woman some time ago.  Her life was not pleasant.  She felt trapped in a horrible marriage.  Her husband was a cheater and he was verbally abusive to her.  She told me that when she felt she was at the end of her rope one evening, she dropped to her knees before God and told Him she didn’t want her life anymore, that He could have it and that she only wanted to serve Him.  She related to me how at that moment she felt the greatest sense of peace envelope her.  She knew that God was with her and had given her this peace – a peace that, as Paul expressed it, transcended all of her understanding.  Her problems had not gone away but she now had God very near to her and she felt loved.

This story still brings a tear to my eye for I know some of the hurt and turmoil she had to endure.  But this story gives me hope.  Hope for my times of trials and problems and hope for you in your times of grief and sorrow. 

This God we serve, this God who cares for us and provides for us and protects us, will “guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”  Paul speaks no empty words here.  His words are filled to the brim with “good news”.  And yet, he does not stop here.  He truly gives us the remedy for every problem, sin, grief or sorrow we may encounter, in the very next verse.  Philippians 4:8, “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable – if anything is excellent or praiseworthy – think about such things.”

Did you know that our minds are malleable?  (Webster’s second definition: “capable of being changed, molded or trained; adaptable.)  We all change our minds from time to time, so we know it is possible.  But these eight terms Paul uses here; true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy will transform our minds in a Godly way.  If we focus on these concepts and train our minds to muse upon “what so ever is” true, noble, right etc, we will be godly people!

Do we need to change our minds?  Do we need to transform them?  In Paul’s letter to the Romans Paul uses an imperative to command us to do just this very thing.  In Romans 12:2 he says, “Do not be conformed any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your minds.”  This society we live in strives to have us conformed to its pattern.  Paul says no!  God says no!  We need godly minds.

And that’s good news!

Freedom is Good News Part 50

“I will say it again: Rejoice!”  In the last article we were considering the Apostle Paul’s remedy for finding ourselves living in sorrow and grief.  In Philippians 4:4-7 we find him telling us twice to rejoice.  But he tells us to rejoice “in the Lord” and he tells us to put on the attitude of gentleness.  This is interesting advice so far but he then goes on to tell us that the Lord we are calling on for joy is near.

In the book of 2 Chronicles 15:2 the prophet Azariah gives Asa, king of Judah a most precious message, he says, “The LORD is with you when you are with Him. If you seek Him, He will be found by you …”  This is a great promise that is echoed throughout the bible.  Moses understood that God would never leave him not forsake him and the same thing was echoed in the book of Hebrews 13:5.  When we call out to God and truly draw near to Him, He will be there with us.  Earlier in the book of Hebrews in 4:16 we read, “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find help in our time of need.”  Yes, Paul tells us to rejoice in the Lord for He is near.

In this quote from Paul’s letter we are next told not to be anxious about anything!  And isn’t this why we sometimes find ourselves in sorrow and grief – because we are anxious about the future?  We have had a loss and what will the future hold?  So, what is Paul’s remedy for this anxiousness?  “But in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”  Did you notice there is a threefold expression of how we are to approach God?  Let’s look at the first two:  Prayer and petition.  Sometimes we think that when we might need something from God, we go to Him in prayer. But prayer is not a request.  It is actually defined in Greek as a word of sacred character.  It is devotion before our God.  The word “petition” is better defined as, “requesting a particular need or benefit”.  Paul uses both words as we: 1) Pray, i.e. Approach God with the worship, honor and praise due to the Supreme and Almighty Creator of the universe.  And 2) Petition, i.e. we present our request to be separated from our anxieties, and the turmoils we face and so enter into the rest that our Savior promised us in Matthew 11:28.

What about that third expression in the above quote?  What about “thanksgiving”?  There is a line in a song that may help us here, “I thank God for the storms He’s brought me through.  For if I never had a problem, I wouldn’t know that He could solve them, I’d never know what faith in God could do.”  Sometimes we wonder why God brings trials upon us.  They hurt.  We feel alone.  They cause us anxiety.  There was a time in my life, some 38 years ago when I found myself all alone.  I won’t go into details but suffice it to say, I’d never experienced anything like it before.  At that time I realized there was only one place to turn.  I turned to God, in praise, with petition and with thanksgiving.  And as I look back on that day, I realize it was one of the happiest experiences of my life.  I found out just how close God was to me.

Yes, there is still more good news to come – God willing!

Freedom is Good News Part 49

It is true that there is good news today!  But do we sometimes lose sight of that fact?  I believe we are all prone to being overwhelmed by the cares and worries of this life and sometimes it feels that joy has not been abiding with us.  The loss of a loved one is perhaps the greatest cause of grief in one’s life.  I suppose one may find a list of the top ten reasons for the loss of joy and I would surmise that they would all contain the word “loss”.  Loss of job, home, self esteem, health etc., I am sure you could fill in the blanks from your life. 

The truth is, God is not a God of sorrow, nor has He called us to a life of sorrow.  So how do we get over the feeling that the walls are closing in on us?  How do we survive when we feel that tomorrow will only bring us more of the tears of today?

The short and easy answer here is to say that we must pray and read the word of God.  But what should we pray about and where in God’s word should we begin reading?  May I humbly suggest that we begin with the letter of Paul to the Philippians?  In chapter 4 verse 4 we read, “Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Let’s take a closer look at this statement.  “Rejoice in the Lord always.”  The word “rejoice” is the direct antithesis to the words “sorrow” or “grief”.  Paul is here telling us to turn our focus completely around.  He understands that it is fully within our capacity to accomplish this but he doesn’t just leave us wondering how to do it; He lets us know that we are to do this “in the Lord”.  In other words, we are to do this with God’s help.  God knows our hearts.  He knows our deepest needs.  He understands that sometimes we just hurt!  Think of it this way:  When Jesus was in the garden of Gethsemane, we are told He was filled with inner grief and sorrow.  He said, “My soul is overwhelmed with sorrow to the point of death.”  The heavenly Father looked down and saw His Son, His only Son, whom He loved and we are told in the book of Luke 22:43 that He sent an angel, “An angel from heaven appeared to Him and strengthened Him”.  Yes, God will strengthen us in our time of need also.  And yet that is not all; Paul tells us to rejoice “always”. 

“I will say it again: Rejoice!”  Paul wants us to know the truth of his statement and so repeats it.  And then Paul lets us know that if we need God’s help in our striving to rejoice, we should not show any harshness but we should “let our gentleness be evident to all.”  This is an important ingredient to the answer.

And so we shall, God willing, talk more on this subject next time!

Freedom is Good News Part 48

We are on a journey.  Our destination is the kingdom of God.  And in the last article we read that Jesus told us to “ask seek and knock”.  Further more He said that if we would ask, we would receive; if we sought, we would find; and if we would knock, the door would be opened to us.

These three verbs are, in scripture, in the imperative mood.  The imperative mood indicates that they are used for urgency, necessity and are given as a command.  So I guess they are important to pay attention to.  I guess we need to know how to proceed with them!

Ask:  when I ask something of God, I consider it to be a prayer.  Let’s take a look at a couple of scriptures on this.  1 John 3:21-22, “Beloved … we have confidence before God and receive from Him anything we ask, because we obey His commands and do what pleases Him.”  God is there to give us anything we ask.  Yet He requires our obedience and we must do what pleases Him.  As a quick aside, what is it that pleases God?  In Hebrews 11:6 it says, “Without faith it is impossible to please God”.  Another scripture on this subject, also found in 1 John, tells us, “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us.  And we know that if He hears us – whatever we ask – we know that we have what we asked of Him.”  Show God that you truly seek His kingdom by asking in prayer with faith.  He will be pleased!

Seek:  when you cannot find a very precious item that you own, you seek for it and do not give up until you find it.  Psalm 9:10 says, “Those who know your name will trust in you, for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.”  (Remember, last week we saw that the word “seek” means to “beat a path”.)  Never give up coming before God as you seek the kingdom first!

Knock:  what is your position when you knock upon a door?  You must be right in front of the door.  I can’t knock on my neighbor’s door while sitting in my own living room.  In the book of Hebrews we have a couple of scriptures concerning this: 4:14, “We have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.”  And in 10:19, “Therefore brethren, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus … Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart in full assurance of faith.”  Wow, what a beautiful promise.  It is as if before our hand hits the door, the door swings open to us.

If you want to find the Joslyn castle, ask me.  If you want to find the Kingdom of God, you’d better ask Jesus Christ – it is He that has gone through the heavens and resides there, ever ready to help us. 

And that’s good news!

Freedom is Good News Part 47

Do we have any obligations to God?  Does He ever ask anything of us?  We have been talking about bringing glory to God by producing fruit – so what do we do?  Let’s start in Psalm 24:  “The earth is the LORD’s and everything in it, the world and all who live in it; for He founded it upon the waters.  Who may ascend the hill of the LORD?  Who may stand in His holy place?” 

If the world and everything else belongs to God, what can we, mere mortals, do for Him?  I find it interesting that the Psalmist then asks the double question of who may ascend God’s hill and who will stand in His holy place.  David, (who wrote this Psalm) was a man after God’s own heart, and he gives us a clue as to what we might do; draw near to God!!  And how, we might ask, do we accomplish that?  Verse 4 says, “He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear falsely.”  (I think we may be on to something here!)  Verse 5: “He will receive blessing from the LORD and vindication from God his Savior.  Such is the generation of those who seek Him, who seek your face, O God of Jacob.”

How do you seek God’s face?  This phrase is an idiomatic expression that means we desire to stand in the presence of God.  And how would one do this?  Why, by “ascending the hill of the LORD and standing in His holy place”!  The word “seek” in Hebrew literally means “to beat a path”.  You don’t beat a path by going somewhere just once.  You must go back to the destination over and over again.  Seeking God is something that must be done every day.

I remember my earthly father would say that he was the richest man in the world when at a family reunion he would gather his children and grandchildren to him.  How much more would our heavenly Father, perfect in every way, desire to have His children close to Him?  So, to get back to our original thought of how to bring glory to God, we answered by saying we should seek His face; i.e. draw near to Him.

Jesus, in Matthew 6:33, tells us this: “Seek first the kingdom of God and its righteousness and all these things (material goods) will be given to you as well.”  Some time ago Sally and I had planned a trip to see the Joslyn Castle in Omaha.  In preparing our adventure we had to do three things:  we had to ask where the Castle was (39th and Davenport), then we had to seek it (get in our car and check out the map – yes an ink and paper map), finally after pulling in the lot and walking up to the door, we had to knock upon those massive doors.  Yes we had to “ask, seek and knock”.  OK, so you are ahead of me on this one.  Those are the three things Jesus tells us to do in chapter seven.  “Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.”

Let’s explore these three tasks next time.

Freedom is Good News Part 46

“Ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.” (John 15:7)   This is where we left off in our previous article as we were talking about producing fruit, and remaining in Jesus Christ.  So the first thing I must remind us, is that we are in the midst of a parable.  Keep this firmly in your mind and understand that we may not leave the parable to seek things outside the parable.  Do you want to produce fruit?  Ask that you may produce fruit! What does this fruit look like and what purpose does it serve?

The look and purpose of fruit is explained by Jesus in the next verse, “This is to my Father’s glory that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”  Wow!  So the fruit we are to produce is to bring glory to the Heavenly Father.  Do you need anything to help you produce this fruit?  “Ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”  God does not leave us empty or without help.  His promise is real.  If our desire is to bring glory to God, He will pull out all the stops and provide us with whatever we might ask in our effort to bear much fruit.

I believe this is the heart of what we have been looking at the past two weeks.  I do have a few branches on my grape vine (in the backyard) that were pruned off last year.  They were not producing a thing.  But the reality here is that our Savior, the One who shed His blood for me, has asked me to produce fruit that will bring glory to God the Father and also show that I belong to Jesus and may call myself His disciple.

I have said it before and I will say it again, we can do nothing of ourselves to earn salvation!  It is a free gift of God.  But when God who owns the entire universe gives you the greatest gift, the gift of His Son, His only Son whom He loves, and then invites you to be as His Son was – totally obedient and totally faithful – shouldn’t we strive to do so?

We have been looking at John chapter 15 in this study but in chapter 17 Jesus makes a most remarkable statement.  Chapter 17 is the true Lord’s Prayer.  It is given only hours before His death on the cross and in the prayer Jesus talks again about glory, “Father, the hour has come.  Glorify your Son, that your Son may glorify you. …. I have brought you glory on earth by completing the work you gave me to do.”  Did you catch that?  Jesus brought glory to God by completing the work God gave Him to do!  Jesus completed the work of salvation for you and me.  And God was glorified!

What is the work He has given to you?  Maybe you don’t care.  Maybe you are not interested.  That is between you and God.  But if you are interested and you want to bring glory to God then perhaps we need to consider this subject.  And we shall!!

Until next time…..

Freedom is Good News Part 45

As I was preparing to write this article, my wife Sally and I were talking about needing to get out to the grape vine, this summer, and prune the few branches that are producing no fruit. Then I remembered the article previously written some short time ago.  In it we talked about the parable of the sower found in Matthew 13.  Remember that parable?  Three out of the four areas upon which seed fell produced no crop, no benefit to the farmer.  In putting these two ideas together I could not help but think of another parable that Jesus used to teach His disciples.  It too involved agriculture.  (I’m sure you’re way ahead of me on this one!)

“I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener.  He takes away every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.”  (John 15:1-2)

Is it important to “bear fruit / produce a harvest”?  I believe Jesus thinks it is.  Going on in John 15; “You are already pruned (or clean) because of the word I have spoken to you.  Abide in me, and I will abide in you.  No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must abide in the vine.  Neither can you bear fruit unless you abide in me.”  OK, the parameters are obvious!  I cannot expect to see grapes on the branches in my arbor unless they are attached to the vine.  This is a parable and so somehow we must come to understand what it means to be attached to our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Jesus gets quite specific in the next few verses:  “I am the vine; you are the branches.  If a man abides in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”  First of all, He tells us that “we” are the branches.  Are you a branch?  Next, He tells us we must abide in Him.  Are you a branch attached to your Savior?  Then He tells us we are to have Him abide in us.  Are you a branch attached to your Savior that allows the nourishing sap of His life to flow in you?  And finally, we must bear fruit.  This begins to sound very important, very serious.  This begins to sound like our previous article: “So every once in a while it might be advantageous to examine ourselves and see where we place the most effort.” 

Jesus does give a hint as to how this should work.  “If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”  First of all we must have His words remaining in us.  I know of only one way of having His words in me, I have to read them.  But more than read, I should “devour” them.  One of the definitions of devour is, “to swallow up; engulf; to absorb completely”. 

While teaching a crowd (John 6:63) Jesus says, “The words I have spoken to you are Spirit and they are life”.  A few verses later when Jesus asks the disciples if they would want to leave Him, Peter utters some profound words, “Lord, to whom shall we go?  You have the words of eternal life.”  To whom shall we go to produce fruit?

But then there’s the statement in John 15:7, “Ask whatever you wish, and it will be given.”  Hmmm?

Don’t go away friends, there is still more to come!

Freedom is Good News Part 44

It has been said the things we work the hardest for are the things that mean the most to us.  I suppose that is a fair statement.  So every once in a while it might be advantageous to examine ourselves and see where we place the most effort.  What is it that means the most to us?  We all have to pay the bills and so a good chunk of our time is spent earning a living.  We all need rest to reenergize our bodies and so we spend a fair amount of time getting the rest we need.  Oh yes, we do need nourishment to fuel our activities and so meal time is important.

So let’s get to the crux of the matter.  How much time do you spend seeking God?  Is it important to you to have a relationship with Him?  To me this is a very curious question; because I am not sure why more people are not interested in knowing this loving Father who is the giver of all good gifts.  I wonder what has lulled people to sleep.  Most folks only see this physical world around them and never pause to examine it as a marvelous creation and so give glory to the creator.  I have even heard people speak of the world around them in terms of its awesomeness and yet never give the credit to an awesome God.  Are the intricacies of life, in the totality its vast array, just happenstance?

Have you been lulled to sleep by this world’s empty glory?   Is there any glory in the newest TV show?  Is there any glory in the outcome of the next big sporting event?  Is there any glory in keeping up with all the latest texting? …The latest face book posts? …The latest u-tube videos?  Let me ask you this: have you become addicted to any of this?   (We began this article as an exercise in self examination.)

Shouldn’t our addiction be to the One who loves us more than we could ever know? … The One who brings good food to our tables? … The One who gave us our five senses so we can enjoy the world around us? … The One who created the entirety of the universe and causes the moon and stars to shine at night and the sun to warm us by day?  But more than all this, shouldn’t we desire the One who has redeemed us from an empty way of life?

The man Job, who was blessed abundantly and then lost everything, had a lot of questions for God.  He and his friends spent much time discussing the validity of God’s actions toward Job.  It’s a long book with many twists and turns but in the end God speaks to Job and never answers any of Job’s questions.  God just confronts Job with questions of His own:  “Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundations?  Tell me if you understand.  Who marked off its dimensions?  Surely you know. … Who watched over the birth of the sea when it burst forth from the womb?  … What is the way to the abode of light?  And where does darkness reside?”

The questions go on and on; Job had no answers for God, and in all honesty, neither do we!!  Have you ever read the book of Job, especially chapters 38, 39, 40, 41 and 42?  This God we serve is amazing beyond our understanding.  How much do you know of Him?  Get to know Him - for He promises to bless you immensely!

Good news indeed!

Freedom is Good News Part 43

I live in Elk Horn Iowa and am surrounded by agriculture.  Corn and soybeans are the main crops to be planted.  The cattle are grazing in the fields.  And those with back yard gardens, from year to year, desire to see the “fruit of their labor”!  If you are even a little bit familiar with the Word of God, you know that there are a multitude of references to the planting and growing of food.  People from the time of Adam to the days of Jesus Christ, lived in an agrarian society.  So it should be of no surprise that when Jesus wanted to use a metaphor in His teaching, He drew upon the concept of farming. 

In the 13th chapter of the book of Matthew we find seven parables; one about fishing, one about baking, two about treasures and three about farming.  Let’s take a look at the first of these parables which happens to be about farming.  Starting in verse 3 we read; “Then He told them many things in parables, saying:  ‘A farmer went out to sow his seed….’”  As the farmer scattered his seed we find that there were four specific areas upon which the seed fell and four differing results for harvest.  The seed fell upon the walking path, upon the rocky soil, upon soil with thorny weeds and finally upon good soil.  The results of this scattering were; the birds ate up the seed on the path (no harvest here), the rocky soil produced plants but only for a short time because they could not develop a root system (no harvest here), the thorny soil produced plants but they could not compete with the weeds and they were choked out (no harvest here either), and finally the good soil produced a crop in abundance – some a hundred, some sixty and some thirty times what was sown.

The lesson here in agricultural terms is easy; make sure you plant in the good soil.  But Jesus wasn’t really trying to teach a farming lesson.  He had a larger picture in mind.  This was the first of the “kingdom parables” (“The kingdom of heaven is like …”) and the lesson is about producing fruit for the kingdom of God.

But as I see it, there are two lessons here: first, if you are striving to help others come to see the good news of Jesus Christ; you must take some time to prepare the soil.  Are you being a good example to those around you?  Are you gentle and kind when presenting a biblical thought?  Are you a humble servant of your Savior?  These attitudes, and others, are important when considering a good harvest.

But secondly, there is another aspect to this parable.  When you hear a message about Jesus Christ or when you open your bible to do your own reading or studying, how do you accept what you hear or read?  It really doesn’t matters how long you have been involved with the word of God, because seeds may be planted every day within your heart.  And these every day seeds planted within you may find your heart as hard as a walking path or as shallow as rocky soil.  Today’s lesson might be entangled in the thorns and briars of a busy life.  But if you have prepared your own heart to receive the word of God, perhaps a harvest of joy, peace, righteousness or holiness will reap one hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.  Good news indeed!!

Freedom is Good News Part 42

A couple of articles ago I asked the question, “But why a Lamb?”  Why is the Lamb the thread that runs throughout the tapestry of the scriptures?  Our Savior, the one who sits at the right hand of the majesty on high, the one who is spoken of as having received “power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise” is portrayed over and over again as a simple lamb.

There is, in the Old Testament, an interesting scripture where God tells Moses “Do not sacrifice to the LORD your God (an animal) that has any defect or flaw in it, for that would be detestable to Him”.  The use of the word “detestable” is a very strong word here.  Why is this the case?  Because the sacrifice of any animal is a type of the sacrifice of the Son of God.  He was the one who was without “any defect or flaw”.  Jesus, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” was the only one to live a life without sin.

But let us think for a moment about a lamb.  What comes to your mind when you consider a baby lamb, perhaps one less than a year old?  Does the word innocent come to mind?  How about defenseless?  Perhaps to a child, the word “pet” might come to mind.

When an Israelite man would come to Jerusalem to offer a sacrifice for his sins and the sins of his family, (let’s try and picture this) a husband and wife, with several young children in tow, are bringing a tethered lamb to the gates of the temple.  The priest meets them and the husband says he has a sacrifice of a “sin offering” in the lamb.  Into the outer courtyard they go.  The husband places his hands upon the lamb’s head, he bows down and confesses his sins and the sins of the family over the lamb, the priest hands the man a very sharp knife and dad must now kill the lamb with the family watching from a distance.  The blood of the lamb must flow, for the scripture tells this family that “without blood it is impossible to have sins forgiven”.

Wow!  This might bring a few tears to one’s eyes!  What a blessing it is for us to know that we do not have to kill a lamb for our sins.  We have the Lamb of God as our sacrifice.  But let me ask you this; does this thought of our Savior, the Lamb of God, shedding His blood for your sins, ever bring a tear to your eye?  It should!  Sometimes we shed tears of sorrow and repentance and sometimes we should shed tears of joy for the life we might have in our Savior Jesus Christ!

If you have never considered this; if you have never understood what your sins did to the Son of God; if you have never been cut to the heart (as were the hearts of the people listening to Peter on the day of Pentecost – see Acts 2:36-37), then perhaps now is the time to get down on your knees and seek the favor of God.  Ask Him what you should do.  And He, like Peter, will say, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins.  And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.  This promise is for you and for your children.”  (Acts 2:38-39)  Good News shall then abound.

Freedom is Good News Part 41

“Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world.”  We are looking at the symbol of the lamb in scripture and find that it can be traced throughout the bible.  For instance, King David, before he became king, took care of the sheep and … you guessed it, the lambs – he was a shepherd and he was God’s choice to replace Saul as king of Israel.

We are told, in the book of Luke, that when God revealed to the world that His Son had been born, the first people He had the angels visit with this message were the shepherds who were keeping watch over the flocks at night. 

When God introduced the sacrificial system to Israel as they began their wilderness wanderings, the animal most often used was a lamb.  “Shepherds and lambs” are an abundant concept that God uses to teach us lessons.  Jesus Himself proclaimed to the crowd that He was the Good Shepherd who would lay down His life for His sheep.

And then we have a remarkable story found in the book of Revelation.  It begins in chapter 4 with John giving us a quick peek into the throne room of God.  This description is like nothing else in the bible – this is where God the Father dwells.  How awesome it is!  The story then continues in chapter 5 where John is saddened because there is no one found worthy to open up a scroll found in the Father’s hand.  One of the elders comes up to John and says, “Do not weep!  See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed.  He is able to open the scroll and loose the seven seals.”  At this point, John looks around to see but he does not see a lion but a lamb.  “And I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders.”  When the Lamb took the scroll from the right hand of Him who sat upon the throne the entire atmosphere in the heavenly realm changed.  All who were there, the four creatures, the twenty four elders and the myriad of Angels stopped whatever they were doing and bowed down and worshiped the Lamb.  And they all sang a new song with loud voices, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased men for God, from every tribe and language and people and nations. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to our God, and they will reign on the earth.”   And the singing continued, “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain, to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength and honor and glory and praise.”  At this point all creation takes up the song, “To Him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb be praise and honor and glory and power, for ever and ever!”  Wow – I believe we can all say “amen”!

There is a lot going on here.  It may well be called the pivotal point in the entire universe.  And it is all about a Lamb.  We know Him as Jesus Christ.  He is the bringer of good news.  He is the Lamb of God who takes away our sins.  He who was without sin gave His life so that we who are filled with sin may have life eternal.