To The Ends Of The Earth

Have you ever wanted to be part of a major movement? Have you wanted to be on the championship team? Do you continue to long to be part of something bigger than yourself? Do you know you can be?

Isn’t it great to be on a winning team? Winning tournaments, championships, hefting trophies is a lot of fun, even if it is simply a weekend softball tournament. It is even more fun if that tournament is at the state or national level.

Unfortunately, that celebration doesn’t last. That is not to say we shouldn’t celebrate and enjoy the day. But the reality is we will be back in our doldrums in a few days. Something will go wrong, someone will be hurt, and we are brought down off our pedestal into the life of this world once again.

There is a team we can be part of that will win the ultimate victory and there will be no coming down off the pedestal. We will celebrate forever. That, of course, is the team of Christ. When we join His team, we join the Apostles He selected two-thousand years ago. We join the team He sent out to tell the world about Him.

When we go into the world, whether in our neighborhood or half-way around the world to tell others about Jesus, we join the original set of Apostles who were commissioned to spread the gospel to the very ends of the earth. That is an awesome team to join!

We often think of mission work as going to a foreign land, or minimally to another area of our own country. But have we looked at our own neighborhood? Have we looked at our own family? The ends of the earth may be right next-door. The person we are meant to reach may be the very person we chat with over the fence on Saturday morning.

God created each of us uniquely with a unique purpose. He has a plan prepared for us to follow. One portion of that plan is to reach others. Lest you cringe at the thought of evangelizing someone else, I’m reminded of a saying I heard many years ago, “Tell everyone about Jesus, and when necessary, use words.” Our actions, behavior, and simply how we go about our daily lives tell people, not only about us, but who we belong to. When we represent Christ in all we do, people will ask us how we handle the stress of daily life.

I pray we all join the Apostles in spreading the gospel. I pray we show Christ in all we do. I pray each one of us chooses to fulfill the plan God created us for. Join Christ’s team. Be Jesus’ representative. Fulfill God’s plan for you. Be part of the winning team. Look forward to eternal celebration.

Acts 1:8 “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”

Unconventional Saving

Are you concerned about others? Do you hope for a better life for them? Are you concerned about your fellow countrymen? Do you long to see positive change taking place? Are you concerned for their souls?

I’m sure most of us are concerned for our families. We long for our children to be successful and enjoy good lives. We care for our friends, wishing them well. We celebrate the achievements of our children and grandchildren.

When it comes to our country, we run into obstacles. When people are asked what needs to change, the answers are as varied as the people you ask. There are so many different interests, different agendas, resulting in us being pulled apart at the seams. How do we change that and become unified?

Perhaps we should take a lesson from the Apostle Paul. Perhaps we should seek to save everyone we come in contact. Perhaps we need to bring people into the kingdom of God and make them disciples of Jesus Christ. Perhaps we need to teach them what the Bible really says rather than teaching someone’s opinion of what it says.

Might I suggest we unify around the Word of God and seek to do God’s will rather than our own. You see, regardless of whether you are a baker or a candlestick maker, you have been commissioned by God to bring people into His kingdom. You don’t need to be a pastor, preacher, evangelist, nor a Sunday School teacher to do this. You need to be a friend, a family member, someone who cares about their eternal life.

Paul was using his apostleship to the Gentiles in an effort to make the Jews jealous to turn them to Jesus. Sounds a bit unconventional, doesn’t it? Yet sometimes the unconventional is exactly what needs to be done to reach someone. In the military, they call that out flanking someone. You come at them from the side rather than head on. Full frontal confrontation typically doesn’t work. It becomes very bloody very quick. Often victory comes at a very high cost. Using unconventional methods can bring about results with far lesser costs.

I suppose the question we must wrestle with is this, do we care enough about our friends, family, and co-workers to convince them to accept Jesus as their Savior? Another question comes to mind, do we care enough about God’s church to bring more people into it? If we don’t care, we can’t be surprised when our churches disappear, and our family and friends are not with us for eternity.

I pray we all take on the commission to bring people into God’s kingdom. I pray we care about the eternal lives of others. I pray each one of us commits to bringing at least one person to Christ in the near future. Commit to God’s commission. Choose to care about others. Choose to make a positive change. Teach the Bible. Trust God’s promises.

Romans 11:13-14 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I take pride in my ministry in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them.

Who Is Number One?

What motivates you? Is it setting goals? Is it seeking notoriety? Are you trying to do better for your family? Do you strive to increases your pay? Why? What is your motive? Is it out of selfishness or to fulfill God’s plan for your life?

Our culture is driven by getting more. More for ourselves. The marketing schemes tell us we deserve more. They shame us into believing we are less than others if we don’t acquire more. They play on our selfishness, our desire to look out for number one.

There lies the rub. The number one in our lives is us. We have taken God out of the top spot in our lives and put Him somewhere near the bottom. If He were number one in our lives, our decisions would be much different than we observe. If God were number one, our culture would be a radical example for others to follow. We would see far fewer hungry, homeless, and unemployed people. We would not experience strife, discord, and outright hatred.

When we make God number one in our lives, our motives change. Notice today’s passage. Doesn’t it describe our current culture? We argue, quarrel, and fight because we don’t get what we want. We don’t get what we want because we ask God with the wrong motives. Our motives are to satisfy ourselves and no one else.

We don’t like to be told we are selfish, yet that is exactly what we are. Even when we do something for someone else, we often do it to gain something for ourselves. It may not be a material gain. It may be a pat on the back. Feeling good about ourselves because we did something for someone else. We play the martyr and wonder why no one else sees our sacrifice. Notice God is nowhere in the reasons behind our actions.

We fail to realize God has promises us an abundant life if we will simply follow His plan for our lives. We refuse to submit to Him in fear that He won’t deliver. Our trust in Him is lacking. Our faith is miniscule. Therefore, our motives are wrong.

Don’t misunderstand. There are some true saints out there. Unfortunately, the vast majority of our culture is described above. If you are one of those who truly seek to fulfill God’s plan for your life, know that God will bless you richly. We need more saints in this world.

I pray we all examine our motives. I pray we turn to God to change our motives. I pray each one of us will seek God’s plan for our lives. Trust God to deliver on His promises. Put your faith in Him. Live out God’s plan for you. Rid yourself of selfishness. Make God number one in your life.

James 4:2-3 You desire but do not have, so you kill. You covet but you cannot get what you want, so you quarrel and fight. You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures.

Choose Better

How good are you at making decisions? Do you weigh the choices before you carefully? Do you consider the pros and cons of each option? Or do you simply make your choices based on feeling or on a whim? How has your decision-making worked out for you?

We all use different processes to make decisions. However, we can boil them down two general categories—emotional and logical. Some make decisions based more often on emotion or feeling. Those decisions are often a spur of the moment decision and is based largely on what our preferences are.

Others make decisions based on logic. They may acknowledge their preference, but they don’t allow it to be the overwhelming factor. Instead, they look at all the options, attempt to go through the positives and negatives of each option, and make the choice that logically should produce the best result.

The choices we make result in consequences, whether good or bad. When we rush into decisions, we may get what we desire in the short-term, but cause ourselves heartache down the road. I’m reminded of something a Warrant Officer told me nearly forty years ago when I was a young Marine. He said, “No decision, short of life and death, is so important you can’t first think about it.” True then. True today.

We remember the story of Mary and Martha. Martha is rushing around, making preparations, and gets upset that Mary is sitting at Jesus’ feet listening to Him speak. She wants Mary to help with the preparations. She thinks Mary is ignoring what needs to be done. Yet, Jesus tells Martha that Mary has chosen the better thing to do. This doesn’t mean we should never make preparations, but that we need to look at each choice carefully.

We may find there is a once in a lifetime opportunity that we should take advantage of by putting off other options. It may be that we need a reprieve from the day-to-day drudgery by going to a Christian concert rather than heading home to fix supper. Our spirits need the uplifting that comes from celebrating God in a high energy way. On the other hand, we may need to prepare for a class, which means we put off cleaning the house that day.

In the end, we all have a critical choice to make—to follow Jesus or turn our back on Him. As much as we often like to convince ourselves there is a lot of gray in that choice, there isn’t. Following Jesus doesn’t mean we won’t have other choices. It doesn’t mean we don’t live in this world. It does mean we put Him first in all we do.

I pray we all take time to evaluate our choices carefully. I pray we look at both the short-term and long-term consequences of our choice. I pray each one of us chooses Jesus. Make your choice carefully. Decide to follow Jesus. Choose the better option. Be like Mary.

Luke 10:41-42 “Martha, Martha,” the Lord answered, “you are worried and upset about many things, but few things are needed—or indeed only one. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.”

Irrelevant Questions

Are you an inquisitive person? Do you ask lots of questions? Do you ask irrelevant questions? Is the person who asks tons of questions an annoyance to you? Do you get frustrated with all the questions?

We’ve heard the saying, “There is no bad question.” That statement is typically stated in a classroom and within the context of asking a question about the material being taught. Yet, we have all heard people ask questions in classrooms that have nothing to do with the class.

What does that mean to us? There are irrelevant questions. For example, assume you are in a class on American history. Why would anyone ask a question about a recipe for baked chicken? This paradigm works in our daily lives as well. Notice the question being asked of Jesus in today’s passage.

The Jewish teachers of the law and chief priests sent spies to keep an eye on Jesus. They were to report what they saw and heard. Evidently, they took it upon themselves to attempt to trip Him up. Based on the question, we can also assume they were hoping to make themselves look good to their employers. We might call it brown nosing.

You see, the leaders of the synagogue had gotten involved in politics. They weren’t focused on worshiping God like they should. They were either in negotiation with the Romans or they were striving to appease the Romans. Neither was to edify the people nor worshiping God. They didn’t want Jesus to rock the boat they had gotten into.

We know the answer Jesus gave. Ultimately, He said to “give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s” (Luke 20:25). What did He mean? If the government or an employer requires you to perform a task, then do it. Yet, at the same time, give your heart to God.

I believe we too often forget this principle. We ask God questions about whether it is right to do something we are told to do by someone who is in authority over us. We don’t want to do it and hope God will tell us we don’t have to. Jesus made no bones about it. He said to obey those put in authority over us in this life. He also said to give God our hearts.

If our motive is hoping God will tell us we don’t have to obey the laws and rules of government or employment, we are asking an irrelevant question. Jesus has already given us the answer. That doesn’t mean we aren’t to give God our hearts nor that we shouldn’t pray for change. We can do both and be all the more obedient to God.

I pray we all choose to obey. I pray we choose to see the answers Jesus has given us. I pray each one of us stops asking irrelevant questions. Know Jesus’ teachings. Understand Jesus’ teachings. Obey God. Do as Jesus taught. Give God your heart. Pray for change while obeying.

Luke 20:21-22 So the spies questioned him: “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach what is right, and that you do not show partiality but teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?”

Braggart

Do you like people who brag on themselves? Is it enjoyable to be around people who constantly talk about themselves? Would you rather have your ears cut off than listen to them? Are you someone who boasts about yourself?

In general, we don’t really care to listen to braggarts. You have heard them. It doesn’t matter what anyone else has done, they have always done it better, faster, and in a more impressive fashion. To hear them tell it, they should be in a far greater place, but the world has purposely connived against them.

On the other hand, we like to talk about ourselves. We like to tell others about our experiences. We may talk about what happened at work, telling of how we accomplished some difficult task. Sometimes, we tell and retell stories of great plays we made while playing sports. We tell of adventures while we were in the military or on vacation or on a mission trip. We may think we don’t like to talk about ourselves until we stop, think about our conversations over the past few days or weeks, and realize we talk about ourselves quite a lot.

Now, there is nothing wrong with relating our experiences. The question comes down to why we are telling others about them. Is it to make ourselves look good? Or is it to relate an experience that we and/or others can learn from? Why is our motive important?

We see in today’s passage that Jesus did not come to glorify himself, but the Father was the one who glorified Him. What does that mean? It means the Father, working through the Son, was orchestrating events in such a way as to glorify Him. The Son was allowing the Father to control Him and the events around Him. The Son was doing what the Father had designated Him to do.

If we are to follow Jesus’ example, we must do the same. We must discern what it is God wants us to do and do it. We must allow the Father to orchestrate the events for us. This is called submission. Submitting to God, trusting Him, and following His plan for our lives will lead to glory. Oh, it may not lead us to glory in the way we think, but it will lead to eternal glory with Him.

I pray we all submit to God’s plan. I pray we allow God to orchestrate our lives. I pray each one of us trusts God and discern His plan for us. Don’t be a braggart. Submit to God. Trust God. Allow God to work in your life. Discern God’s plan for your life. Follow Jesus’ example.

John 8:54 Jesus replied, “If I glorify myself, my glory means nothing. My Father, whom you claim as your God, is the one who glorifies me.”

Love Through Obedience

Do you love? How do you know if you love someone? Do you love Jesus? How do you know if you love Him? Do you know that He stated there is a litmus test for your love for Him?

We most often think of love as an emotion. We think of love as a feeling. It may be strong for a while but can fade and disappear completely. It may come upon us quickly. It often includes a physical attraction. Yet that is not the type of love Jesus is talking about when He challenges our love for Him.

The love Jesus talks about is a committed love. It is a decision to love, no matter what. It includes trust and obedience. The love we are to have for Jesus isn’t a gushy, emotional love, but a love that is deep within our hearts and can never be wrenched away from us. It is to be reciprocal love, one that reflects the love God has for us.

So, what is this litmus test of our love? It is obedience. Jesus clearly states in today’s passage our love is demonstrated by us when we obey His teaching. When we disobey, we demonstrate a lack of love. Jesus continues by saying it is not His words He is speaking but the Father’s.

This is a hard teaching. We don’t really want to hear it. We like living in our ignorance, not wanting to hear we are not showing our love for God in our disobedience and doing whatever we want. We want to do what we want to do and continue to say we love God. Unfortunately, the old saying rings true in this situation, “You can’t have your cake and eat it, too.”

We are under a false impression of obedience to God equating to a boring life. That could not be further from the truth. Jesus promised and abundant life to those who follow Him (John 10:10). That abundant life includes a life that includes strength, courage, and all the fruits of the Spirit as listed in Galatians 5:22-23. It includes a life without the hardships caused by disobedience. No, it doesn’t mean there will be no hardships, but it does mean we have fewer hardships due to making better decisions.

I pray we all show our love through obedience. I pray we choose to follow Jesus. I pray each one of us commits to love Jesus and trust Him. Show your love for Jesus. Obey Jesus’ teachings. Trust God’s promises. Commit to Jesus today.

John 14:23-24 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.”

Endless Spring

Have you ever been so thirsty your mouth felt as though it was full of peanut butter? Have your lips cracked with dryness from lack of water? Have you been unable to speak because your throat was so dry you couldn’t squeak out anything above a whisper?

I venture to say we all have been thirsty. We likely have been thirsty enough to chug a bottle of water down within a few seconds. Yet, it is rare a person has been thirsty enough to answer my questions above in the affirmative.

Oh, we might like to think we’ve been there, but the vast majority of us have not. Our over exaggeration of our condition only goes to prove how soft and posh our society has become. Now, that is not to say we don’t get thirsty, nor to say we don’t need to drink water. We certainly do. Yet, to be parched to the point of being nearly unable to speak is very rare.

Yet, for some of us, our souls are parched to that degree. We have not accepted the endless spring into our lives. Or, if we have, we have capped it, covered it with a mound of dirt, and forgotten it is there. Then we wonder why we are thirsty. Or, worse yet, we don’t even recognize our soul thirsts for refreshment.

We can say all the right words, go through the motions, and perform the actions, yet still be thirsty. To be refreshed, we must stop quenching the Spirit and accept Him in our lives in all situations. We must allow Him to refresh us, guide us, fill us, and satisfy our thirst.

If you have not accepted the Spirit, you need to make that your first priority and take the first step. If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, fallen away, and feel the drought in your life, you need to reverse course and turn back to Him. If you have restricted the Spirit to a trickle, open the tap up to wide open. Allow Him to flood you with refreshment.

Folks, God has given us the free gift of His Holy Spirit for those of us who believe. We have the option to disregard Him. As I have observed the Christian brotherhood and sisterhood, I have seen far too many who have pushed Him into the back corner of their lives. Our souls long for us to reverse that decision, allowing the Holy Spirit to flood us.

I pray we all seek to be refreshed by the Holy Spirit. I pray we allow Him to flood us with His presence. I pray each one of us will tap into the endless spring. Quench the thirst of your soul. Be refreshed. Tap into the endless spring. Turn the Spirit loose in your life.

John 4:13-14 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.”

Scam Calls

What is your reaction when your phone rings? Do you answer it? Do you first look to see who is calling? How do you react when someone is calling out to you in a store? What if you don’t remember who the person is who is calling you?

Many of us have caller ID on our phones today. This is especially true of our smartphones. Phone producers are updating the software to better identify scam calls, so we know not to answer the phone. They also use our contacts list to identify who is calling, which is helpful if we are waiting for a specific person to call.

We prefer to skip those scam calls. We don’t want to hear about an extended car warranty. We have learned about multiple scams ranging from taxes to law enforcement to insurance. The scammers use common services we would typically be interested in to trick us into giving personal information that allows them to steal our money. We do our best to stay abreast of the schemes so we can protect ourselves.

Unfortunately, we often miss a very important call. God is calling us as well. He has been calling humanity to Him for thousands of years. His calling did not start with Jesus. As we see in today’s passage, God was calling humanity long before Christ came to this earth.

Why do we miss His call? It is a call to our spirit, one that we don’t always listen for. It is not a physical phone that rings, but a longing within our soul to fill a void. Rather than answering God’s call to fill us, we hear and fall for the scams of the world. We hear the messages stating we deserve this or that, and we give them a try, only to be disappointed. We hear the messages attempting to sell us products that will fill our need, and we end up disappointed.

Why not answer the call of God? He is the only One who can truly fill the void within us. He will feed us. He will give us water that never ends. His blessing comes at no monetary cost to us. In fact, if we follow Him as He desires, we find we actually save money due to no longer chasing after those scam products that don’t really satisfy. God’s call is the one call we should answer.

I pray we all answer God’s calling. I pray we accept Him filling the void within us. I pray each of us forgo the scams of the world and answer the genuine call. Answer God’s call. Deny the scams of the world. Be filled by God. Feed your spirit. Drink from the endless fountain.

Isaiah 55:1

“Come, all you who are thirsty,

come to the waters;

and you who have no money,

come, buy and eat!

Come, buy wine and milk

without money and without cost.”

Surrender to Achieve

Are you striving to be a better person? Do you set goals you want to achieve? Are you willing to consider different goals? Are you willing to be radical in your thinking and developing your goals?

I dare say most of us want to be a better person. However, we may not be able to fully define what that better person looks like. Our idea of that person is vague, based on a variety of characteristics we’ve seen in other people. Wouldn’t it be nice to have those characteristics listed for us?

The list is provided for us. We may not think about it. We may have been told we cannot achieve it on our own. We may even think it is unachievable. Yet, the list is there for us to read and set as our goal. What is the list? It is the fruits of the Spirit found in today’s passage.

Let’s dive into the question of whether it is achievable or not. We cannot achieve it on our own, in our own strength, or by force. Okay, how do we achieve it? We must let go. Stop trying to force ourselves to be the list. Instead, we must surrender to God, allowing the Holy Spirit to make the change in us. It’s not easy. It requires us to trust God. It requires our willingness to change.

Have you ever tried to force yourself to be joyous? It just doesn’t work. Oh, you can fake it, but usually others can see right through it. What about self-control? We might call it discipline. It’s very difficult to discipline ourselves, to have self-control. It requires a very strong and well-trained individual, and even then we may not be able to accomplish it.

On the other hand, when we ask God for His Holy Spirit to work in our lives, producing these fruits in us, it becomes achievable. Notice I did not say it was easy. Why? It still requires us to be willing to change and surrendering to God’s desire. Surrender is especially difficult for us Americans. We are bullheaded, stubborn, hardheaded, or whatever other term you want to call it. We don’t like to give in to someone else. It is easier to give up one of our goals than to surrender to someone who can help us accomplish them.

I pray we all decide to surrender to God. I pray we ask the Holy Spirit to help us be better people. I pray each one of us is willing to change into the person God intended us to be. Surrender to God. Allow the Holy Spirit to make the change. Follow the Holy Spirit’s lead. Achieve your goal of being a better person.

Galatians 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Against such things there is no law.