Blog

Does God Groan Too?

Posted on by admin

“In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” – Romans 8:26 (NIV)

I am not ashamed to admit that, at times, I groan. From deep inside, wells up a feeling of discontent, of longing, of incompletion, and of frustration. God made me to revel in all His glory, but my broken, sinful state keeps me from complete satisfaction. Something is not quite right, and the deepest part of me knows it is so. Therefore, I groan.

God tells us in Romans 8:22 that the entire creation is in a state of uneasiness. The universe itself knows something better is around the corner and that the current state of affairs is difficult. And so it follows that Romans 8:23 (ESV) declares our predicament, “We ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for adoption as sons, the redemption of our bodies.” Did you catch it? We are saved, but our final completion is on the horizon. God is going to make these sin prone bodies new someday! Until spirit, body, and universe are totally remade by Jesus, we are in a condition of unrest. Hope is in us – but not fully realized. We live between the tension points of what is and what will be.

Enter in one of the most beautiful revelations of the grace of God. We are groaning right along with creation because of the yet-to-be nature of salvation. We long for sin to be knocked down, for Satan to be consummately defeated, and for all the nasty effects of sinfulness to be eradicated. As we do, we sigh. Our hearts ache. And what does God do? Romans 8:26 (NIV) promises, “In the same way, the Spirit [of God] helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express.” Such love!” I groan; so God groans too!

Clearly, God’s Spirit is interceding for us Christians with groans that no words can accurately interpret. When we do not know how to pray, we need to just go to God with outstretched arms, bended knee, and a simple cry. When we have no words, God has groans. He knows our hearts and circumstances completely – to the smallest detail. (Psalm 139:1) There
are times when God just wants us to yield our confused minds and broken hearts to Him without trying to tell Him what needs to be done. God does not need our advice, but He desires the sincere confession of our insufficiency. Amazingly, God enters into our groaning; He takes on our well-founded discontent with the world as it now is. He does not have to identify with us, but He chooses to. Mysteriously, God decides to groan through us when we humbly ask His Spirit to intervene.

Romans 8:26 begins with the fact that God’s intention during this type of prayer is to help us in our weakness. Amazingly, the Greek root behind the word “weakness” here implies six things; as outlined below:

    1. God helps us with our native frailty of body. I grow tired and discouraged as I come to the end of a day and as I grow older. God is there – by the power of sincere prayer – to help me gain the strength I need to live with a body that is weak and limited.
    2. God helps us in our feebleness of health and in our sickness. When I am frustrated by illness of a temporary or chronic nature, God’s Spirit groans through me for both healing and the power to wait for healing as God works His good through my affliction.
    3. God helps us to understand or grasp things currently misunderstood. My brain has weakness, and I need the Lord to supernaturally guide my intellect. His Spirit grants me wisdom I could not gain on my own.
    4. God helps us to do things great and glorious. I often feel my contribution to life is small or insignificant. In groaning prayer, God helps me to recognize the eternal value of my efforts in Him. He grants me perseverance and fresh ideas in order to do the important work of His kingdom in daily living.
    5. God helps us to restrain corrupt desires. When I sincerely yield my heart to Him, the Spirit gives me what is necessary to refuse sin and pursue God’s glory in every circumstance. He promises there is no temptation that I cannot escape with His nearness and help.
    6. God helps us to bear trials and troubles. Until the day Jesus makes all things right, we suffer in this life. Trouble comes. Meanwhile as we allow God’s Spirit to intercede for us in prayer. We are given the endurance necessary to make it until that new day. Supernaturally – and without fail – God gives His children the strength to go on despite difficulty and distress. His power is greater than all we face. His hope is more substantial than all discouragement.

As you can see, God’s entrance into our deep groaning to help us in our weakness is all-encompassing. Covering every base, God assures us of all we need when we agree to run to Him, admitting our desperation, and curbing our desire to tell Him what to do. Instead, we allow God’s Spirit to groan to the Father on our behalf. Then we are assured of right outcomes for “the Spirit intercedes for the saints in accordance with God’s will” (Romans 8:27, NIV).

Ladies Encounter Promotional Video – September 18, 2012

Posted on by admin

Please take a few minutes to watch Hope & Passion’s first promotional video made for our upcoming Ladies Encounter event being held in Altoona, PA on September 18, 2012. Shelli will be speaking on the topic “Messy to Glory.” All ladies are welcome to attend this free event. No RSVP is needed.

Link to Ladies Encounter Website: http://www.ladiesencounter.com/Upcoming_Events.html#Fall_2012

Two Bloody Robes Tell the Story

Posted on by admin

And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him. – Matthew 27:28 (ESV)

He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. – Revelation 19:13 (ESV)

The scene immediately preceding the crucifixion of Jesus is heartbreaking and gruesome. It ought to be deeply pondered by every person to let its reality sink in. And then, one incident in particular needs to be tied to its victorious outcome. The scene at the end of God’s Word – in the book of Revelation – is both a fitting, glorious conclusion and a sobering, devastating reality. To those who truly apprehend and order their lives according to real faith in Jesus Christ, the theme traced from the first century to the end of earthly history is one of mystery and majesty. To those opposed to the Christian Gospel, the theme – while perhaps scoffed at – is, in truth, the greatest reality with which one must deal.

Let’s travel from the first century to the end of time using one, simple thread. We shall see things quite easily as we stick to one part of both accounts – a robe. Though countless details exist, let us focus on this one component in order to cut to the heart of what is both similar and different about two historical events, one of which is yet to take place.

In the first scene, Jesus has been arrested, Judas has committed suicide, and Pilate has delivered Christ to be crucified. After Jesus was beaten, the governor’s soldiers began a mockery of Jesus. Matthew 27:27-31 (ESV) records the grievous details:

    Then the soldiers of the governor took Jesus into the governor’s headquarters, and they gathered the whole battalion before him. And they stripped him and put a scarlet robe on him, and twisting together a crown of thorns, they put it on his head and put a reed in his right hand. And kneeling before him, they mocked him, saying, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they spit on him and took the reed and struck him on the head. And when they had mocked him, they stripped him of the robe and put his own clothes on him and led him away to crucify him.

Note with me, please, the first action of scorn the soldiers pursued: the placement of a scarlet robe on the beaten, bleeding body of Jesus. This robe was part of a greater scheme to belittle both the Person and the claim of Christ. The main point of contention here is the perception by some that Jesus was the King of the Jews. The soldiers would taunt Jesus concerning His real identity. Apparently believing Him to be a fool instead of royalty, they gave him a robe, a crown of thorns, and a reed for a staff. Then they knelt before Him in disdain, mockingly calling out, “Hail, King of the Jews!”

Can you imagine Jesus Christ, bleeding on his back and sides beneath that robe and bleeding on His head from under the crown made of thorns? Can you envision Him holding a reed for a scepter as the soldiers spit on Him and rail at Him in hatred? Poor Jesus! How our human hearts ache at the thought of the misery and shame He endured. And yet, what makes this event most amazing is its display of the unimaginable patience of God. How could the Son of God – who is equipped with the power to calm the seas and able to raise men and women from the dead – how could He now restrain Himself to bear the unjust cruelty of these moments? He could – and He did – because of the power of His mercy. Jesus knew what He had to experience on our behalf so we would not have to bear the punishment of our own sin. He withstood the wrath of God and the weight of our sin for us. All of the suffering and scorn He went through was in order to take our place. We deserve to be taunted by Satan for our sin, but Jesus endured the ridicule of Satan, even though He had never done a thing wrong.

Amazing love is what restrained the arms of Jesus so that He did not tear off the scarlet robe and destroy the soldiers in one flash of justified wrath. In boundless compassion, Jesus restrained the full revelation of who He is and chose not to cast off the crown of thorns to show the world His real power. Jesus wore the robe, soaked as it was with His own blood, from the beating He took. Christ wore the robe, though it was placed on Him by those who refused to believe he deserves a real, most regal robe.

Fast forward to the end of time. Plough ahead to the return of Jesus to this earth a second time. We have the privilege of looking to an historical event before it happens, because our timeless God recorded it for us in His word. Hear the words of the apostle John in Revelation 19:11-21 (ESV):

    Then I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse! The one sitting on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he judges and makes war. His eyes are like a flame of fire, and on his head are many diadems, and he has a name written that no one knows but himself. He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is The Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses. From his mouth comes a sharp sword with which to strike down the nations, and he will rule them with a rod of iron. He will tread the winepress of the fury of the wrath of God the Almighty. On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords. Then I saw an angel standing in the sun, and with a loud voice he called to all the birds that fly directly overhead, “Come, gather for the great supper of God, to eat the flesh of kings, the flesh of captains, the flesh of mighty men, the flesh of horses and their riders, and the flesh of all men, both free and slave, both small and great.” And I saw the beast and the kings of the earth with their armies gathered to make war against him who was sitting on the horse and against his army. And the beast was captured, and with it the false prophet who in its presence had done the signs by which he deceived those who had received the mark of the beast and those who worshiped its image. These two were thrown alive into the lake of fire that burns with sulfur. And the rest were slain by the sword that came from the mouth of him who was sitting on the horse, and all the birds were gorged with their flesh.

Perhaps all that can be said after a careful reading of this account is, “Wow!” Understand, friend, that the One on the white horse, with eyes as fire, with a sharp sword proceeding from His mouth, and wearing a robe dipped in blood is none other than Jesus Christ. He does not sound like the Jesus who bore the ridicule of Roman soldiers. No longer are people kneeling before Him to make light of His claim to kingship. No! All the forces of evil and followers of Satan are being slain by the sword Jesus now wields from His mouth. His robe now rightly declares His true nature – as King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

And before anyone should think this scene is too gory, recall what our perfectly Holy God endured on and around the cross. The Righteous One restrained Himself and carried the due punishment of unrestrained, unrighteous humans. In those moments, God displayed His mercy. All the while, though, God remained just. For all His attributes exist in perfect balance at all times. He was able to display mercy in the most real way because His divine justice is also real. At the end of history, we shall witness the fullest revelation of His justice in much the same way we witness the fullest revelation of His mercy at the Cross.

Jesus will then rightly wear a robe that John tells us is “dipped in blood.” What a fitting reminder! Jesus once wore a robe soaked in the blood from his undeserved punishment. Now He wears a robe dipped in blood as He judges and makes war. No more restraint. Evil must be banished. All those choosing not to submit to the plan of righteousness must be judged so that goodness may prevail forever. And as our Jesus rides His white horse to the final battlefield with the armies of Heaven following behind, He is adorned with a robe to remind us of the reason we get to be part of the victory – the first, dismal robe He once wore! His loving restraint during the season of His suffering results in our sharing in the victory of the final dismissal of evil from the universe. None will mock Him then! The full revelation of His kingship is here!

Whether the blood of this second robe is representative of Jesus’ own blood shed for us long ago, or it is representative of the blood of His enemies who are now being judged, one fact remains: the Jesus of mercy is also the Jesus of justice. He makes all things right.

What must He have thought that day the soldiers put that pitiful robe on His bleeding back? Was He envisioning the robe He would one day wear as He rides the white horse to the final war against evil? Was He looking at the soldier and the crowds thinking, “I will wear this robe so you have the chance to be saved from the wrath my second robe will bring?” We don’t know exactly. We only know He loves us and promises to bring justice in the end. Either I put my sin at the Cross with Him at the time of the first robe, or I endure the punishment of my own sin starting with His wielding of the sword as He dons the second robe. He is the same Jesus; I must make a choice. Which robe?

Annual Easter Egg Hunt – Resurrection Eggs

Posted on by admin

Shelli utilized Resurrection Eggs to present the story of the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ to children of the community at the annual Easter egg hunt held at Norwin Alliance Church yesterday. There is nothing like sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ with little children! Thank you, God, for the opportunity. “[Jesus said], “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these.” (Mark 10:14)

Why Did Jesus Say, “My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me?”

Posted on by admin

And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” – Mark 15:34 (ESV)

Jesus is God. In fact, Jesus is the active agent in the creation of the universe. John 1:1-3 (NIV) says of Jesus, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.” At one point in human history, Jesus stepped into the world He created and “made his dwelling among us.” (John 1:14, NIV) The main reason He did so was to die on the cross for our sins. That event presents a seeming mystery.

The question is, “If Jesus is God, why did He cry out on the cross before His death, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Since Christ is the second person of the Trinity, why did He – at the very least – feel that God had forsaken Him? How does this make sense?

We need to remember the main purpose of His death. Although Jesus died so that we can have eternal life, the reason we gain that inheritance is because our sins are taken away from us. The main mission of Jesus Christ on the cross was to pay the price for our iniquity. II Corinthians 5:21 (NIV) says it beautifully and precisely, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Did you catch the depth of this miraculous statement? God made Jesus to be sin on our behalf! Christ took upon His own body the sins of the world. 1 Peter 2:24 (NIV) declares, “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness.” Clearly, Jesus became a sin offering so that He could bear the weight of our wrong.

Now let us consider the main consequence of sin – separation from God. We, like our progenitors, Adam and Eve, are naturally driven from the presence of God when we stand opposed to His righteousness because of our sin. After disobeying the Lord, Adam and Eve “hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God and among the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8, ESV) In the same way, each one of us – as we stand in our sinfulness – is separated from the Only One who gives us true joy and meaning. Colossians 1:19-20 (ESV) proclaims, “For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.” The purpose of Jesus shedding His blood on the cross was to cure our main problem – being separated from God. Jesus came to reconcile us with our Creator. Every human heart desires ultimately to be at peace with God, and that is exactly what we receive through Jesus and His cross. The apostle Paul reminds us, “We have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Romans 5:1)

Before we get back to the mysterious cry of Jesus on the cross, let’s bring home to our own hearts the theology discussed above. In a very real sense, true Christians discern the awful nature of sin. When we break God’s heart by sinning, we can hardly stand the weight of our own guilt. We know the pangs of conviction that remind us just how serious it is to defy the Almighty. And with the knowledge of the devastation of our own transgressions, can we begin to imagine what the weight of the collective sins of the world would feel like? Every wrong thought, word, and action of all sinners combined was placed on Jesus when He hung upon the cross. If my own sin produces such a terrible feeling, how must have the collective sin of the world felt falling on one Person, Jesus Christ?

Though He is God, Jesus also took on human flesh. Walking this earth as 100% God and 100% man, Jesus knew the pangs of fleshly emotion and distress. So, as He hangs on the cross being the sin offering for the whole world, He experiences on our behalf the outcome of sin – separation from God. His human nature endures a tragedy beyond description – the bearing of the penalty of the sins of the world. Suffering the separation we deserve, Jesus Christ calls out in deepest spiritual pain, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”

For that unimaginable, paradoxical cry I am grateful beyond words. The truth is that I should have to wail, “My God, my God, you have good reason to forsake me.” But instead, perfect Jesus cries to His Father because of us. He willingly chose to be our sin offering so that we never have to know what it is like to be forsaken by God!

The barrier between us and God was torn when Jesus died. Mark 14:38 (ESV) “And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” That old, thick curtain that stood between the Holy Place and the Most Holy Place was ripped in half by God! I imagine He could not wait to get His fingers on that which stood between us and a full, unhindered relationship with Him. With joy, He tore that curtain, for Jesus had borne our separation so we could come close to our God!

Is A Better Day Coming?

Posted on by admin

For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. – Psalm 57:10 (NIV)

Today I looked out my kitchen window into the leafless plum tree in my front yard. It is March 1, and only tiny buds appear on that tree, for it is not yet the official season of spring. Much to my heart’s delight, a fat, little robin was perched on one of the upper branches. Just as I spotted the bird, it began to sing to me! (Okay, maybe it wasn’t actually singing to me, but allow me to entertain the thought.) The familiar song of the common robin brought a hugely comforting feeling to my heart: spring is near!

In the dead of winter it is hard to imagine that warmer and longer days will ever arrive. With the temperatures still cool and the brown of leafless branches yet the main color of the horizon, it is also difficult to picture the vibrant activity and color of summer. Yet, the little robin reminds us that the season is surely changing. With uncanny regularity, spring follows winter. The timeless, promise of Genesis 8:27 (NIV) stands true, “As long as the earth endures, seedtime and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day and night will never cease.”

The robin’s cheerful song and orange breast on that brown branch reminded me of something else – God’s faithfulness. Flying right into the face of the cold and dormant nature of winter comes the color and activity of spring! In the same way that God is faithful to turn the seasons because of His promises, we know that He is faithful to turn our lives because of His promises. Flying right into the face of your dark and sad day will come the light and hope of a new life season. God promises to never give to us more than we can bear (I Corinthians 10:13). Even the man, Job, said, “But he knows the way I take; when he has tested me, I will come forth as gold” (Job 23:10, NIV).

That little songbird brought to the forefront Psalm 57:10 (NIV), “For great is your love, reaching to the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies.” Surely, God’s steadfast nature reaches to the very skies of our world, delivering robins to Western Pennsylvania as a deposit on the promise of summer. God’s faithfulness reaches similarly to the skies of your life, setting forth the deposit on the promise of a season of healing and joy. Ecclesiastes 3:3-4 aptly proclaims, “[There is] a time to kill and a time to heal, a time to tear down and a time to build, a time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.”

God’s faithfulness reaches to both the skies and to the most remote and broken part of our human hearts. In fact, there is no place to which His faithfulness does not extend. That is why the Psalmist could say in 57:5 (NIV), “Be exalted, O God, above the heavens; let your glory be over all the earth.” As God is lifted up far past the expanse of this universe, so the hope He gives in His promises far surpasses all the difficulty we face. As He delivers the songbird at the start of spring, so He delivers hope to your heart even as your “winter” goes on. It won’t be long. He is reliable. He keeps His promise. So, let us be like the little robin in my leafless tree set against the gray sky, and let us sing – despite the current weather. For, we know spring is on the way. “I will praise you, O Lord, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples” (Psalm 57:9, NIV).

The Theology Behind a Cell Phone in the Toilet

Posted on by admin

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. – Isaiah 59:1-2 (NIV)

It happened. Out of my pocket and into the toilet it fell. My cell phone made a huge splash in the forbidden place – the depths of the porcelain bowl. And without one thought, I reached directly into the waters of the commode to retrieve the cherished item, my supposed lifeline to humanity. My arm lunged to rescue my phone from the toilet as quickly as I would act in any true emergency. I even let out a scream when I saw the shiny, metallic blue piece of technology hit the water and roll over. So distraught was I, and I don’t even have a touch screen phone!

As soon as I had pulled the phone from the toilet, I ran to my blow-dryer and began my feeble attempt to save my phone from death. Carefully extracting tiny screws, I dried the inner parts and surfaces; but I did so to no avail. My cell phone recovered only slightly and remained inoperable.

After replacing the phone the next day at the store, I quietly asked myself, “Why all the fuss?” I knew the answer. Cell phones have become a critical part of communication. How would I stay in touch with “my people”? What about calls and the esteemed texts? Without my cell phone, I would feel cut off from society as we have come to know it.

Then my mind went to a chapter of the Bible on which I had preached many years before, Isaiah 59. My seemingly desperate experience with the submerged phone directed me to ponder a truly desperate situation – that in which we cannot communicate rightly with God. The prophet proclaims in Isaiah 59:1-2 (NIV), “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” (emphasis mine). Just as the commode water stole from me a source of my communication with family and friends, so does my sin swipe my intimacy with my God.

I was instantly convicted of a great truth: I should be immeasurably more horrified by my heart’s plunge into sin than my cell phone’s nose-dive into the toilet! A submerged phone is a temporary glitch in one of the flows of human communication, but my heart’s sinfulness breaks my honest talking with God Almighty. My sin stops God from answering my prayer. Though His ear is not “too dull to hear,” my iniquity causes Him to refuse to hear. While stained with guilt, there remains a block between me and my Lord.

The question, then, becomes, “How quickly do I jump to remove myself from the waters of sinfulness?” I wonder if we are more outraged at the flood of wrong we have fallen into than the plunging of a piece of sensitive technology into water. How apt am I to quickly repent? Does my sin against God cause my spirit to shriek with disgust? Do I genuinely fear lost communication with God? How much does a block in my fellowship with Him bother me? Rightly, God’s refusal to hear us while we willfully sin against Him should spur us to resolve the matter. Much more than I need humans to hear me, I need God to intervene on my behalf.

Have you lately felt a terrible distance between you and God? Do you go through the motions of prayer, but God is not answering? Perhaps we must heed the warning that “[Our] sins have hidden his face from [us]” (Isaiah 59:2, NIV). And in observing this warning we will find a solution much better than vainly blow-drying a thoroughly soaked cell phone. Yes, the heart can be dried of sin by God Himself. When our Lord sees us lying there in the mess of sin, He decides to wash us when we simply and honestly repent. Isaiah 59:16 (NIV) declares, “[God] saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him.” God knows we are hopeless when it comes to “drying” ourselves of sin. So He takes matters into His own hands. By His own sacrifice and His own blood He saves us! Jesus is God in the flesh, having appeared to “work salvation” for us. All we need do is repent. “The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins” (Isaiah 59:20, NIV, emphasis mine).

Do you see your fellowship with God submerged in the waters of your sin? What is it in your life that is displeasing Him? React quickly. Tell Him you want to be right and do right. Tell Him you want communication to flow once again. He will then listen, for “His ear is [not] to dull to hear” (Isaiah 59:1, NIV). Get that divine cell phone out of the depths; talk to God again!

The Truth of Noah’s Ark: Faith Without Works is Dead

Posted on by admin

By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith. – Hebrews 11:7 (NIV)

Faith is defined for us in Hebrews 11:1 (NIV) as “being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.” God then goes on to give us many examples of men and women of history who lived by faith. One particular case is that of Noah. Because he is such a well-known biblical figure – and because his life so concisely demonstrates the concept of “faith without works is dead” – we will explore his experience more closely.

First, understand that our culture’s typical rendition of Noah’s ark is inaccurate. Often, we are shown pictures of a small, wooden boat floating easily on calm, blue waters. A few giraffes or elephants may have their smiling heads popping out the top of the ark. Sometimes Noah and his wife are pictured waving contentedly.

In contrast, the actual ark that God instructed Noah to build was 450 feet long by 75 feet wide by 45 feet high. Nearly five times as long as the Santa Maria of Columbus’ voyage and over half the length of the Titanic, the ark was huge and had three decks. Rather than animals sailing along in a fairytale environment, the historical scene at the outset was horrifying. When the rain actually started to fall and the waters rose, I am convinced myriad people began to run for high places, climb trees, and trek up hills with their children. Stunned at the fulfillment of God’s prophetic words to Noah, so many godless people now found themselves face to face with judgment and death. As the ark tossed on the rising waters, no doubt humans were screaming as the waves engulfed them. This was a scene of horror for those outside the formidable boat. We must keep the reality of the event in mind as we continue on in our discussion of faith and works.

After God defines faith in Hebrews 11:1, He explains the working of Noah’s own faith in Hebrews 11:7 (NIV), “By faith Noah, when warned about things not yet seen, in holy fear built an ark to save his family. By his faith he condemned the world and became heir of the righteousness that comes by faith.” Clearly, God warned Noah about things Noah could not see with human eyes. God said in Genesis 6:17 (NIV), “I am going to bring floodwaters on the earth to destroy all life under the heavens, every creature that has the breath of life in it. Everything on earth will perish.” This had to be difficult for Noah to comprehend, as he had never seen a flood before, and life as people then knew it had never been interrupted with sudden, deadly disaster. Yet, with sight unseen, Noah took God at His Word. Noah was warned, and he responded with holy fear. He thought deeply, was circumspect, and considered most seriously the promises and warnings of His Lord. Though the concept of a deadly, colossal flood was foreign to Noah, his faith in God was greater than his unfamiliarity with promised, future events.

Noah’s response of faith was one of action. He believed God, and so he “built an ark to save his family” (Hebrews 11:7, NIV). Building an ark of wood of this great magnitude was no easy undertaking in a world without diesel engines or readily available machinery. Working for perhaps 50-75 years, Noah, his family, and any other people he employed continued the immense undertaking of constructing an ark with three decks and all components necessary to house animal and human life. Under the sun by day and moon by night, the labor went on. Trees were chopped down, and cut, and formed into properly fitting boards. Rooms were constructed, and the boat was covered with pitch inside and out. Day after day, physical labor took place as an ark was formed. Noah’s faith resulted in the work of his hands. An ark would be the end result.

If Noah had not responded with action, his family would have perished in the flood as all other families did. God’s Word went to Noah’s heart, and Noah’s heart responded with action. Quite literally, Noah’s faith without the corresponding works would have been death. The waters would have taken him. How much clearer could the picture be of “faith without works is dead”? Noah’s spoken belief in the coming flood meant nothing unless that belief resulted in the work of his hands and life.

The concept of Noah’s genuine faith becomes even more important as we realize the connection Jesus Christ made between Noah’s day and the end times. Listen carefully to Matthew 24:36-42 (NIV):

    No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. For in the days before the flood, people were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, up to the day Noah entered the ark; and they knew nothing about what would happen until the flood came and took them all away. That is how it will be at the coming of the Son of Man. Two men will be in the field; one will be taken and the other left. Two women will be grinding with a hand mill; one will be taken and the other left. Therefore, keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

Wow! Jesus Himself parallels the end of time to the days of the flood. He indicates that back in Noah’s time, people just lived life with no thought for coming judgment. They ignored Noah, the Lord’s “preacher of righteousness” (II Peter 2:5, NIV). Despite God’s Word being proclaimed by Noah, people just kept going about their daily business with no concern for God’s reality. Not until the flood hit and the ark’s door was securely closed did people truly believe God’s warning and promise. But it was far too late.

Similarly today, most people get up each day and go through the routine of life without real faith in the warning and promises of God. People brush their teeth, go to work, watch movies, celebrate birthdays, eat dinners and desserts, socialize, and care for so many possessions; and they do not consider God’s sure Word. They live as if life will always go on as it does, despite the corruption of the world and its accompanying deep-seated despair. And yet – without further warning – the end will come. Judgment will hit, God will close out this portion of history; the door of salvation will be shut. As judgment was by water the first time (In Noah’s day), so it will be by fire the second and final time (II Peter 3:3-7, NIV).

The question is, “Are you building your ark?” In other words, is your faith in God resulting in a life that is regularly, securely, and tangibly built on God’s Word? We cannot just say we believe; we must have belief that results in action, for only that kind of belief is real! Had Noah stood with arms crossed and said, “I believe the flood is coming,” but never actually started chopping down trees to build the boat, he would have perished in the waters. And we, too, will die in judgment if we only claim to have faith but do not demonstrate its genuine nature by the accompanying action.

It’s time to build the ark of safety! It’s time to demonstrate the reality of our faith by actually obeying the Word we claim to believe. We need to love unconditionally, serve without jealousy, stop gossiping, cease envying and lusting, share the Gospel in ways sincere and passionate, and shine the light of Jesus in the darkness of this world. We need to get our hands dirty and see some sweat drops pour down our faces as we work out this faith we claim to have.

Remember, Noah’s belief in God had to result in his building of the ark of safety. So, too, our faith must result in the building of our “ark.” If we truly believe, we will live out this life of holiness to God. The world will see our ark as we build it. They many mock us and look at us as if we are crazy, but we must build it in front of them. For, “Faith without works is dead” (James 2:26, KJV).

Sin Brings Death: Does That Make God Mean and Selfish?

Posted on by admin

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. – Romans 6:23 (NIV)

The consequences of sin are not the result of a mean God who delights in making miserable those who oppose Him. The consequences of sin are the result of human opposition to the definition and parameters of the only genuine life available. God created the universe out of nothing at the beginning of time. As much as we may or may not like the fact, God made it all and logically defines it all. Every bit of meaning and every operational standard for the world flows from its Creator. When we rebel against that rightful intention and those uniquely plausible standards, we shun the only life that can make sense and bring authentic joy.

For too long the church of Jesus Christ has allowed the world to think God is simply bossy and unreasonably selfish. It is time we proclaim that God is the Definer of Reality. If we go against His plan, there is simply no other plan to which we can turn except a corrupted version of the real system. God made all reality; there is no other existence outside of Him. Evil is a perversion of His good. Satan is a created being who rebelled. Therefore, when we reject God’s plan, the only option is to become miserable and purposeless. There exists no separate created order where we can define the ways of life and righteousness. We are in God’s cosmos.

Think of it in terms of the simplicity of an automobile. When I drive one, I must operate the vehicle according to the designer’s thoughts. For instance, I will be in big trouble if I say, “Instead of the brake pedal, I choose to use the left turn signal to stop the car.” A severe crash may ensue. Similarly, I won’t be going anywhere if I decide, “I don’t care what the manual says; I am using the radio volume control to accelerate the vehicle.” We find we must operate the automobile according to the designer’s plan if we want a chance of effective driving. When it comes to effective living, we must operate according to the plan of the Grand Designer, the God of the Bible.

Death is the result of sin because God is the Giver of Life. If I go against the Creator, there exists no other life to which I can turn. Death is the only other option. It reminds us of Peter’s response to Jesus’ question when many disciples were walking away from the Lord because of His hard teachings, “You do not want to leave, too, do you?” Peter replied, “Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life” (John 6:67-68, NIV). In other words, Peter was clearly stating that there exists no one else to turn to for true and everlasting life. If we walk away from Jesus, we walk to destruction.

The Good News is found in Romans 6:23 (NIV), “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” After we have turned away from God and die spiritually, that death can be overcome by God alone. Only He can make dead people live. Sick people may have a chance at helping themselves get better, but dead people can do nothing to bring back life. It takes God to restore spiritual life. That is precisely why God put on human flesh and came to our world. As a human, Jesus could pay the price for the sin of people; as God, He can give life back to us. The turning away from God is resolved by turning back to Him in the Person of Jesus Christ. Look to Jesus today. He can forgive your sin and give you a new chance to live according to the only plan that works.

Why Did God Make People?

Posted on by admin

May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works. – Psalm 104:31 (NIV)

A three-year-old recently asked his mom, “Why did God make people?” How should this loving mom answer her son? Why exactly did God make people? Let’s explore the answers and then put them into toddler terms.

Adult Discussion:

God is self-existent. He is the great “I Am.” God was not created by anyone, but rather He created all things out of nothing by His Word (Exodus 3:14; Psalm 33:6,9; Hebrews 11:3). He is eternal and self-sustaining, never growing tired or weary and of infinite understanding. (Isaiah 40:28) When we combine the thought of His eternality with the statement “God is love,” we realize He must have been love always – even in eternity past (1 John 4:8). He certainly was and is love! Because He is triune (1 Peter 1:2), we realize that Father, Son, and Spirit have been in perfect relationship – loving one another always.

When we combine the information above, we discern a few things we can rightfully say to a child about God. We want to be careful not to minimize God by giving children wrong answers. Let’s begin the children’s discussion with the first two points of four:

Children’s Discussion:

1) God did not create us because He was lonely. The Father and Jesus and the Holy Spirit have loved one another forever. God was never alone because He is three persons in One! The Father and Son and Spirit could always talk and be together.

2) God did not create us because He needed us. God does not need anything or anyone. We are the ones who need Him for everything! We would not even be able to breathe if God wasn’t causing our bodies to work (Acts 17:25). God does not need sleep or vitamins or food or anything. He made everything, but no one made Him! He is always strong enough to hold the whole world together and He never even gets tired.

Adult Discussion:

God’s creation brings Him glory. It is right that the holy, self-existent God of the universe be magnified and shown for who He truly is. Psalm 19:1 (NIV) tells us, “The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of His hands.” The grandeur of creation gives us hints of God’s greatness. How much more, then, do human beings show God’s greatness? For, Psalm 8:5-6 (NIV) proclaims of man “You made him a little lower than the heavenly beings and crowned him with glory and honor. You made him ruler over the works of your hands; you put everything under his feet.” We, as humans, are placed over creation. Therefore, we sound forth by our existence the glory of God even more than other created things. We are made in God’s own image. Colossians 1:16 affirms that absolutely everything was made by Jesus and for Jesus. Our purpose is wrapped up in Him. Very clearly, Psalm 104:1-30 (NIV) declares the greatness of many facets of God’s creation and then culminates with the statement in verse 31, “May the glory of the LORD endure forever; may the LORD rejoice in his works.” We see again here that God’s creation is for His glorification, and He rejoices in what He has made.

Children’s Discussion:

3) Even though we think a lot about ourselves because we are sinners, the world and people are supposed to make us think about God. He is the only One powerful enough to make everything, and He deserves to be thought about. A cute little ladybug should make us think about Jesus and all the neat things He makes! The stars at night should make us think about God and how He is so big and how He is everywhere! Just like ladybugs and stars should make people think about Jesus, our life should make people think about God, too! We were made to point people to how awesome God is!

Adult Discussion:

Revelation 21:1-7 (NIV) shows us what is God’s final plan for both the cosmos and human beings. Having come the first time to earth to stand in our place and pay the price for our sin, Jesus will return to earth a second time to finally and completely remake the world as He intended it before we willfully rebelled against His plan. These verses amazingly reveal to us the heart of God. We are able to see what God desires once our sin and its effects are totally removed from the picture. What God always wanted is spelled out clearly in verses 3-5: “Now the dwelling of God is with men, and He will live with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!'” We realize here what we lost after the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. We lost our true, unbroken walk with God Almighty. Though we can currently have relationship with Him through Jesus, and His Spirit comes to live in us; there is a day coming when God the Father will “set up shop” right with us! With no fear, regret, or sorrow, we shall walk unhindered with God – always in His incomparable presence!

Children’s Discussion:

4) God made us so that we could have Him as our very best friend! He knows we are the most happy when we are very, very close to Him. On this old Earth, people do not love Jesus like they should. We forget about God too much. We are selfish. But in the New Heavens and New Earth, God will take away sin and all the sad things. No one will want to be apart from Jesus. He will be closer to us than ever, and that is why everyone will be happy forever! No one will get hurt or fight or be sad. Since this is what God wants to happen – and since He will make it happen one day – we should try to make Him our best friend now. He made us to feel right and happy when we walk very close with Him.