Monday, March 30, 2009
Consider It All Joy!
On March 20th, 2009, I was blessed to speak at Solomon's Porch in Oakhurst. You can listen to the message by clicking here. May God be glorified in this message.
Monday, March 9, 2009
Fools' Gold vs Unfading Wealth
"Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who according to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible and undefiled and that does not fade away, reserved in heaven for you..." I Pet. 1:3-5
Oh the hope that is bound up in this passage for those who believe in Jesus Christ. What a
treasure it is to see that the wealth found in Jesus cannot slide into oblivion with the perishable assets of this world's system. While watching the worldly wealth that has been amassed over decades diminish rapidly, one could find themselves headed into a depression of their own. Yet for those of us who are willing to, "gird up the loins of your mind, be sober and rest your hope fully upon the grace..."(I Pet. 1:13) there is a solidarity of the inner man.
As real estate values plummet, as businesses file chapter 11, as stock prices steadily slide down, as politicians fail and government safety nets near the brink of insolvency; the true value of wealth found in the living hope of the Prince of Peace becomes all the more evident. This wealth is stored up in heaven for us, but it is also paying dividends in this life. The dividend paid is one of a "living hope." That's right, Jesus' resurrection breathes life into the deadness of this life. As we become all the more aware of the perishable state of everything we find surrounding our weary souls, we must gird up our minds to stand firmly in the hope of Jesus Christ.
Peter continues,"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love." I Pet. 1:6-7
The church was created for such times as these. We are given the task of sowing the seed of hope in the midst of a world who is convinced there is none. God has even given us this hope as a burden. (Ps 126:5-6) We carry this figurative seed of hope and we're called to sow it as we go about life.
Many Christians today seem to be suffering from Eeyore syndrome (Poohs' donkey friend) walking about saying, as they've heard on Fox News, "Oh bother, it's probably going to rain again today. Oh, well." Its easy to find a reason to complain, worry or be frozen in fear. It's the higher road to sow hope when everyone else is feeding on despair. We have been given this burden, so let us carry it, especially right now.
I feel the burden of sowing the hope as my phone rings constantly with people asking if it is time to invest their money in the Posturepedic (and I don't mean buying stock in the company). I end up reminding brothers and sisters over and over that the only sure thing in life is Jesus Christ. I remind them He is allowing all of this to transpire to test us and see of what we are made of. When true believers become aware that they are being driven by fear or that they lack trust in Jesus Christ, then they are thankful for the lovingly applied rebuke. They usually end up thanking me for setting them straight, but I remind them that He is the ballast that keeps their ship upright in the storm, not me.
Truthfully, when I find myself in a moment of weakness dwelling on the instability of all that is swirling about the nation today, it is at these moments that I am convicted of the insincerity of my own faith when I find this fear. I then have to gird up my own mind for the task at hand, picking up my seed sack of hope and hit the fields. Thank God for His grace in time of need!
Praise God for testing us with various trials to see if we are genuinely His. When we rest assured knowing that we are the richest people on the face of this earth, no matter how much fools' gold we've accumulated, then finally we know that we've passed the test. We can rest in peace because we own the enduring wealth found in The Lord.
"Riches and honor are with Me, enduring riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold. And My revenue than choice silver. I traverse the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice, that I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, that I may fill their treasuries." Proverbs 8:17-21
For clarification - by "Fools' Gold" I mean the wealth of this world which we all know and understand is needed in this life, yet as we see all too well, is perishable.
Oh the hope that is bound up in this passage for those who believe in Jesus Christ. What a
treasure it is to see that the wealth found in Jesus cannot slide into oblivion with the perishable assets of this world's system. While watching the worldly wealth that has been amassed over decades diminish rapidly, one could find themselves headed into a depression of their own. Yet for those of us who are willing to, "gird up the loins of your mind, be sober and rest your hope fully upon the grace..."(I Pet. 1:13) there is a solidarity of the inner man. As real estate values plummet, as businesses file chapter 11, as stock prices steadily slide down, as politicians fail and government safety nets near the brink of insolvency; the true value of wealth found in the living hope of the Prince of Peace becomes all the more evident. This wealth is stored up in heaven for us, but it is also paying dividends in this life. The dividend paid is one of a "living hope." That's right, Jesus' resurrection breathes life into the deadness of this life. As we become all the more aware of the perishable state of everything we find surrounding our weary souls, we must gird up our minds to stand firmly in the hope of Jesus Christ.
Peter continues,"In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while, if need be, you have been grieved by various trials, that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ, whom having not seen you love." I Pet. 1:6-7
The church was created for such times as these. We are given the task of sowing the seed of hope in the midst of a world who is convinced there is none. God has even given us this hope as a burden. (Ps 126:5-6) We carry this figurative seed of hope and we're called to sow it as we go about life.
Many Christians today seem to be suffering from Eeyore syndrome (Poohs' donkey friend) walking about saying, as they've heard on Fox News, "Oh bother, it's probably going to rain again today. Oh, well." Its easy to find a reason to complain, worry or be frozen in fear. It's the higher road to sow hope when everyone else is feeding on despair. We have been given this burden, so let us carry it, especially right now.
I feel the burden of sowing the hope as my phone rings constantly with people asking if it is time to invest their money in the Posturepedic (and I don't mean buying stock in the company). I end up reminding brothers and sisters over and over that the only sure thing in life is Jesus Christ. I remind them He is allowing all of this to transpire to test us and see of what we are made of. When true believers become aware that they are being driven by fear or that they lack trust in Jesus Christ, then they are thankful for the lovingly applied rebuke. They usually end up thanking me for setting them straight, but I remind them that He is the ballast that keeps their ship upright in the storm, not me.
Truthfully, when I find myself in a moment of weakness dwelling on the instability of all that is swirling about the nation today, it is at these moments that I am convicted of the insincerity of my own faith when I find this fear. I then have to gird up my own mind for the task at hand, picking up my seed sack of hope and hit the fields. Thank God for His grace in time of need!
Praise God for testing us with various trials to see if we are genuinely His. When we rest assured knowing that we are the richest people on the face of this earth, no matter how much fools' gold we've accumulated, then finally we know that we've passed the test. We can rest in peace because we own the enduring wealth found in The Lord.
"Riches and honor are with Me, enduring riches and righteousness. My fruit is better than gold, yes, than fine gold. And My revenue than choice silver. I traverse the way of righteousness, in the midst of the paths of justice, that I may cause those who love me to inherit wealth, that I may fill their treasuries." Proverbs 8:17-21
For clarification - by "Fools' Gold" I mean the wealth of this world which we all know and understand is needed in this life, yet as we see all too well, is perishable.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Great Riches
This is an image I shot of El Captain at sunrise...The fact that one only gets a glimpse of the massive stone behind the fog reminds me of the glimpses I see of His greatness. It is in those moments that I remember my place and how rich I am to have a relationship with the Almighty!"When I consider Your heavens,
the work of Your fingers,the moon and the stars,
which You have ordained,
the work of Your fingers,the moon and the stars,
which You have ordained,
what is man that You are mindful of him,
and the son of man that you visit him?"
- Ps. 8:3-4
- Ps. 8:3-4
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
Faith vs Fear
These are times of historic significance: sliding real estate and stock markets, rising unemployment, usurpation of power by all branches of government, confusion of leaders and much more. Yet in the midst of this storm I am comforted by knowing Jesus Christ.
The other morning in my personal Bible time, I read Mark 4 and saw the end of the chapter in a whole new light. To put it in context, Jesus had told His apostles, "Let us cross over to the other side." He proceeded to fall asleep on a pillow in the stern of the boat as these seasoned workers of the waters manned the boat. In comes a horrific gale creating enough fear in the fishermen that they wake Jesus and say, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" Jesus simply calms the storm with the words, "Peace, be still!"
We all know this story and the way it so beautifully displays the power of the Son of God, but the new revelation came to me in the next verse. Jesus proceeds to ask his apostles two questions which carry a powerful meaning together. First he asks them, "Why are you so fearful?" Seems that they were justified if their lives were on the line, right? Not so! His second inquiry to them, "Where is your faith?" I can hear them saying to themselves, "What's this got to do with faith? He must not realize our lives were on the line?"
Jesus is essentially saying here that fear and faith are like oil and water; they do not go together. If you have one, you naturally do not have the other. Jesus had told them that they were going to the other side. He did not tell them it would be smooth sailing, but He did tell them they were crossing over to the other side.
In the midst of the gale which howls about our country, we must find peace in His promises. We must find rest in the fact that He is ultimately in charge. No one is in authority without His allowance (Rom 13:1). It is His hand that is to make wealth and to take it away (I Chr. 29, Job). It will do us well to test ourselves to see if we are operating from faith or fear (II Cor. 13:5); to examine our hearts to see if we are being overcome by fear of potential loss, persecution, famine, etc. Whatever fears we find are probably unfounded, because we are told at the end of Romans 8 that we have nothing to fear. The only fear we are to operate from is the healthy fear of a loving and just Father (Isa. 8:13).
The other morning in my personal Bible time, I read Mark 4 and saw the end of the chapter in a whole new light. To put it in context, Jesus had told His apostles, "Let us cross over to the other side." He proceeded to fall asleep on a pillow in the stern of the boat as these seasoned workers of the waters manned the boat. In comes a horrific gale creating enough fear in the fishermen that they wake Jesus and say, "Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?" Jesus simply calms the storm with the words, "Peace, be still!"
We all know this story and the way it so beautifully displays the power of the Son of God, but the new revelation came to me in the next verse. Jesus proceeds to ask his apostles two questions which carry a powerful meaning together. First he asks them, "Why are you so fearful?" Seems that they were justified if their lives were on the line, right? Not so! His second inquiry to them, "Where is your faith?" I can hear them saying to themselves, "What's this got to do with faith? He must not realize our lives were on the line?"
Jesus is essentially saying here that fear and faith are like oil and water; they do not go together. If you have one, you naturally do not have the other. Jesus had told them that they were going to the other side. He did not tell them it would be smooth sailing, but He did tell them they were crossing over to the other side.
In the midst of the gale which howls about our country, we must find peace in His promises. We must find rest in the fact that He is ultimately in charge. No one is in authority without His allowance (Rom 13:1). It is His hand that is to make wealth and to take it away (I Chr. 29, Job). It will do us well to test ourselves to see if we are operating from faith or fear (II Cor. 13:5); to examine our hearts to see if we are being overcome by fear of potential loss, persecution, famine, etc. Whatever fears we find are probably unfounded, because we are told at the end of Romans 8 that we have nothing to fear. The only fear we are to operate from is the healthy fear of a loving and just Father (Isa. 8:13).
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