"Victory Over Death"

In John 11, we have the vivid reality of the greatness of our Lord. When Jesus heard the news that Lazarus is sick and the love Jesus had for Lazarus and his two sisters, it makes us wonder why He deliberately delayed in going (v.4-6). I realize we have the insight to His purpose but if we know of a dear loved one sick, we would do all we could to get to them. It made his two sisters wonder why He delayed (v. 21,32). Jesus speaks and even said He was glad He was not there while His friend was dying (v.15). In all this, Jesus was knew this whole incident would end up well and to the glory of God. Jesus knew that life would and will always triumph over death! Christ did not step as everyone had expected because Jesus intended it to work for greater blessings and God's glory.

What was really happening? That day when Jesus arrived, the sisters crying, the friends weeping, Jesus realized one thing...Lazarus was not the only dead one involved! He was standing in the midst of a huge graveyard. Read it and listen as Jesus revealed who He was yet they could not believe in what He was saying. He assured Martha that Lazarus would rise again. She could only live in the past or the future and did not believe in the present (v.21-27). Mary had the same problem. As the Lord of heaven of earth went to the tomb, looking at all the weeping, He wept (v.35). Not because of passing of Lazarus but because the death of the people around Him and not able to believe in what He was saying. It moved His heart deeply! He ended up telling Martha, "Did I not say to you that if you believe, you will see the glory of God?" (v.40) Jesus could have raised them all but he choose to only raise Lazarus to God's glory.

What do we learn? We have the promise that death will be destroyed. We are assured that God will completely obliterate death. While Jesus lived in our world, He was trying to get man to see that it will happen. Those who were raised on this earth died again but Jesus was teaching something much greater. Paul reminds us in I Cor. 15:53-58 that death will be swallowed up in victory! What assurance, what blessings we have in Jesus. We read of these things but the REAL victory is headed our way. All the raising people from the dead are not for them but for us that we might believe and rejoice while spreading the gospel of His word. We have a message of hope: victory over death!!

"Signs"

I was sitting in my vehicle with my granddaughter as we were filling up with gas. She was talking away as any six year old would do, just being her delightful self. She picked up a book and was looking at it and things went silent.

As I was sitting, I began looking around at the establishment. A sign caught my attention flashing beer emblems inviting all to drink. Another sign to the left of that saying, "Drink responsibly." In another window, a multi-colored lit sign said, "Play Lotto!" Below that it said "Win millions." As my eyes continued to look, there was a camel with a cigarette in its mouth puffing away, inviting to come in and buy tobacco products. The camel was made in a way that looked cool. There was a sign on the door that spoke of a high energy drink to "boost your day." Beside that was a sign for buying some pills that would help you get over the "drags." There was a bourbon sign encouraging a smooth and tasty drink to the last drop in a different window. My mind began to become active and God's word spoke loudly, "Be of sober spirit, be on the alert. Your adversary, the devil, prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour." (I Pet. 5:8) The majority are not alert to any of the spiritual power that is taking so many down. My heart hurt and I realize I too had been part of all the corruption we are drawn into. I was thankful for being released from it but still the battle and pull is still there in many other ways.

In all my reflections, that little voice spoke up, "Grandpa, I love you!" The timing was wonderful. I looked at my granddaughter, the innocence, the love and care shown and realized that she too would fall into the trap of the devil one day. She would need a Savior to release her from being trapped in sin. I know my eyes teared up thinking about her purity being lost. As we talked for a few more minutes before heading to our destination, all I could think about was "...we are looking for a new heavens and a new earth, in which righteousness dwells. Therefore, beloved, since you look for these things, be diligent to be found by Him in peace, spotless and blameless." (II Pet. 3:13-14)

I long for heaven. I long for the day when I can be in eternity with my Lord. I long for a place where there will be no discussion, no hint and not one bit of unrighteousness. There will be no signs flashing inviting us into the poison of this world that sits in the lap of the devil (I John 5:19). But until that day, we need to have some soberness about what we involve our lives in and spend our efforts and time toward. Just look at the signs!

"Truth and Falsehood"

We live in a world of filled with sin. Actions and statements are made which few give little thought to what is happening. "For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness." (Rom. 1:18) This is a great description of our world. People suppress the truth in unrighteous behavior.

We see the truth suppressed when warnings are posted for movies and television: "adult language." It's nothing more than covering up the truth. The truth stated should be:"the following program contains vulgar, profane and filthy speech." Our sin-filled world has learned to play the great game of word deception in regard to sin. People use words and phrases to minimize what is really being said rather than the truth. It doesn't make sin look as sinful. The devil knows that. If sins description is lessened in the eyes and mind of mankind, it becomes much easier to cover up and soften.

People use the word "shrewd" rather than "dishonest" to describe their dealings. We hear the term "having an affair" rather than "fornication or adultery." We speak of "little white lies" over "lying." I heard one the other day when describing someones evil practice of stealing calling it "misdirected." Parents say their children "are basically good kids" when they are practicing rebellion. Alcoholism is called "a disease." I know there are others but all these things are used to draw our attention away from the consciousness of sin.

In the days of Isaiah, God pronounced His judgment against such: "Woe to those who drag iniquity with the cords of falsehood, and sin as if with cart ropes." "Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil; who substitute darkness for light and light for darkness; who substitute bitter for sweet and sweet for bitter!" (Isa. 5:18,20) As a result, God's anger burned against the people.

Let me take us back to the "adult language" idea. Someone is telling us that such language is not suitable for children but it is suitable for adults. Jesus said it this way, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matt. 18:3) If it is not suitable for children, its not suitable for us!

Be careful in the world. We need to keep ourselves unstained by the world and their ideas. We need to hold up the cross of Jesus before their eyes so they too can see the glory of God.

"What Is the Church Missing?"

Paul felt the daily pressure of concern for the church in each location (II Cor. 11:28). I am no where near Paul but I too have a great sense of concern for the church of our Lord. It concerns me what my children and grandchildren are going to face in the near future. I am not talking about the issues many have made and seem to keep stirred. I am speaking about the firm, real and true spiritual well being of the church.

More and more as I travel, I hear brethren speak about the "personal" experiences or about fine tuning our relationship with God. There is an endless stream of books, blogs, seminars and retreats that constantly harp on the need to experience God more intimately and find life with Him more psychologically and emotionally fulfilling. You might not hear it in those words, but that's what is being presented.

We are becoming too individualistic. It is like a plague that is sweeping through asking, "What's in it for me?" The church is the redeemed, the blood bought people who were united with Him and raised with Him in baptism. The church is the bearer of the gospel for the world and that gospel is the drawing power for God to save (Rom. 1:16). Today the church is turning into a warehouse of spiritual, emotional and social satisfaction and if we aren't meeting those needs, we are considered useless. When people go church-shopping, their question is not, "What is your gospel?" It has become, "What do you have to offer us and our children?" This kind of attitude is defended in various ways and some of the defenses have the appearance of common sense but too many are attacking the shortcomings of the church and are backing away from it because it is labeled as an enemy of true spiritual growth for "me." People speak of congregations that stifle their growth and vision of Jesus Christ. What they call stifling growth is really a blinding sense at what the church really is and our attachment to Jesus, even with all the flaws! Please listen, it isn't the church that 'drugs' people into a spirit of stupor. It's a "church mindset" and a "church culture" that is invading our thinking.

I guess the cure to all this would be to forsake that community of Christ bought people for maybe a year or two...three or four might be better or maybe a lifetime might be the best, and find ourselves personally fulfilled and blessed in our 'individual' relationships with the Lord! That seems to be what really matters to many.

On a final note, I can understand that there are congregations of our Lord that need reawakening and stirred in their hearts to the realities of Christ. I truly believe that we have that stated in Revelation 3:1-6. Christ never called those who were holding on to Him, clinging to His promises and love to jump ship! But maybe what we learn is that all these wise ones who are so capable of assessing the whole church pulse and judging it to be the instrument of their spiritual suffocation may be saying more about themselves than about the church?

Does all this mean that there is to be no personal satisfaction in the body relationship? Is life in the body to be dull and dreary, just plodding along? In the words of Paul, "God forbid!" We need not to leave the local body to find life! Life is with Jesus and those in Jesus are very much a part of Him. They may be struggling, limping along at times but they still belong to Him. Where is our sense of brotherly love? Where is our love to help? We need our elders, our preachers to major in what fills our hearts with faith and that is the life changing word of God! We need to be looking at our Savior and Lord what He wants from us not just individually but as His body! Just look at the mess at the church at Corinth and what does Paul say about them? "To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who have been sanctified in Christ Jesus, saints by calling..." (I Cor. 1:2) What are we seriously missing?

"A Word About Legalism"

Legalism is a term that many seem to define easily in others but we need to be careful with our "free labels." Paul was a man of grace but he taught plainly in I Cor. 7:19, "Circumcision is nothing, and uncircumcision is nothing, but what matters is the keeping the commandments of God." Even David of old stated, "Oh how I love your law! It is my meditation all day long." (Psa. 119:97) The inspired words were spoken by a man that walked in the grace of God. (Yes, God's grace was active in the Old Testament!)

Not everything that many call legalism is legalism. Legalism is an unhealthy stress, an emphasis, on things that were not stressed. The Pharisees stressed hand washing before eating as a spiritual exercise before the Lord. That was legalism. Legalism has terrible consequences. Just as liberal thinking has terrible consequences that opens up doors to us with few restraints. Legalism taints God and makes Him look like something He is not! Legalism kills the heart devotion, a loving and warm relationship with the Lord and deprives us from the motivation to serve Him. Legalism makes people cold, calculated and rehearsed. Legalism brings God's love and kindness to those who show their worthiness by their self righteous acts. The glorious gospel shows God's kindness to those by His own gracious character despite our unworthiness.

The love of God and our Savior is filled with a longing to suffer for and redeem unholy and unworthy people while the god of legalism is pointed to those who are "good folks" with a few flaws, never knowing the depth of sin and rebellion. Legalism is where God is taken away and replaced by a code that must be followed to almost perfection. Yet on the other hand, liberalism is where there is no code but freedom to do as one pleases, what we feel is right. It too is just as destructive as legalism. One can't smile, sit down and openly talk with a code. A code can't make you feel wanted and in a relationship. It is cold, harsh, impersonal and condemning. You can't ask in legalism, you simply must follow. A code can't help you when you fail and the guilt is great in the heart and mind. You can't tell a code that you hurt and you're sorry for failing. A code is demanding and set in stone.

"In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace which He lavished upon us." (Eph. 1:7-8) Legalism has great difficulty expressing the rich outpouring of grace that was lavished on us. Legalism can't speak of the riches of His grace, goodness, forbearance or the riches of His glory. Legalisms code holds all this back from us. Legalism speaks of doing, demanding or condemning at all cost and grace is only explained by definition.

On a final note, those of us devoted to the grace of God, maybe we feed the fires of legalism? We become so smug toward it that we walk away in our happy praise songs while our devotion to study and "handling accurately the word of truth" falls by the way. We are so hurried to 'unshackle' ourselves from legalism, we have little time to sit still to listen to God speak through His word while we fill our minds with someones writings and thoughts away from legalism. We want to talk about what our 'felt needs' are but have little time to sit and listen to God speak from His holy Scripture. Paul and those New Testament inspired writers knew that keeping the commandments of God was their top priority because His grace to them was all sufficient. And we must learn...those dyed-in-the-wool legalists are loved by God and Jesus Christ died for them too!

"A Word On Sexuality"

Upon careful reading of Romans 1:18-32, we have God proclaiming that the Gentile world is under God's just condemnation for sins. God does not take to anyone undermining His faithfulness and truth with their ungodliness and unrighteousness (Rom. 1:18). Whether anyone likes it or not, agrees or disagrees, one of the underlying teachings that God is opposed to is homosexuality. Too many are working too hard to get around Romans 1 when they insist that homosexuality is just as pleasing to God as heterosexuality. When we reduce human sexuality to a mere animal passion we have taken leave of God's holy word and His holy character.

The man entered my office asking some time with me. He had two gold crosses around his neck and well dressed. He sat down and said he had come in the name of the Lord to ask me a few questions. His first question was what do I believe about homosexuality in regard to God? Secondly he asked if I would be accepting of homosexuals in the congregation here. I replied, "Of course as long as they have repented and been washed in the blood of the Lamb!" It lead him to his conclusion to inform me that he was the "pastor" of the local homosexual church and that preachers like myself were destroying unity in our city. As his anger flared, I asked him to explain Rom. 1:24-27 to me to which he abruptly replied he owed me no explanations and left, telling me I would hear from him again.

God's trying to save people from their sins. Homosexuality is not the only sin mentioned in Romans 1 and God's wrath is poured out against all unrighteousness of man. Homosexuality is just one sinful behavior that man has embraced. However, God having it recorded helps us to understand how far from God man strays. Homosexuality is the result of man's degrading passions moving further away from God's creation and purpose (Rom. 1:26-27). God's judgment falls upon such and until each one comes to understanding the nature of God and His power to save, man will be led further down the road to being deceived about their sexuality.

Just as many homosexual people are moved by lusts to degrading passions and desires, the heterosexuals must realize they too need to abstain from the driving force of lusts in their heart that takes them into pornography and other sexual acts conceived in private. God speaks to those who have been cleansed by the blood of Christ to abstain from all sexual immorality and know how to possess their bodies in holiness and honor (I Thes. 4:3-5).

I realize that what I have written infuriates those who stand by the homosexual lifestyle. They resent being told they are acting on degrading passions because God gave them over to that. They guard that they were born this way and it's not a matter of choice. They believe it is normal just as the variation of ethnic groups. But our Creator and Sustainer of our lives, our God and Father says NO! God is trying to get mankind to turn to Him for strength, healing and cleansing. The only question left is do we trust and believe Him?

"Life"

Too many have grown accustomed to religion and little in being conformed into the image of Christ. It is easy to follow religious rote, talk about religious themes and even write religious things. That's not the same as being conformed to the image of Christ. What true believers have is not religion, it's life!

People become bored with Christ, bored with the message about Him and bored with people that represent Him. It seems many think there is too much life to live. We have our little social drinking that we defend and involving ourselves in things that really peak our attention. If Jesus would only offer us life as we see it, why we would enjoy talking about Him and even talk with Him! If we were to listen carefully to some who claim to be believers, Jesus is melancholy at best. We've been shaped by our desires and our experiences rather than life.

Take people who are unhappy in their lives as they can't grasp what it means to be happy. A hoarder of things cannot know what it means to help someone in need because they know only one thing. Unless we are changed and grow into the life of Jesus, we can never know the joy and pleasure in the possibilities of God. If we don't surrender and change by grasping the life of Jesus, we may forever shut doors that could lead us into a world of inexpressible joy!

Sin is brutal to all of us. The last stage of brutality is our flinging away and standing off from Jesus. That's utter madness. There was a point in the life of Judas when he looked carefully at the thirty pieces of silver and hating himself for the stupidity and treachery he had committed. He walked away into the night ending his life. I realize it doesn't end that dramatic for most of us, but some of us go silently to our graves knowing we missed something. The time will come for all of us that we will look our lives, our involvements, our desires and we will see dry, empty and lifeless lives with little joy and little to be proud of. We will find ourselves sitting in our unbelief stating, "This? It was for this I gave up God and His life?"

"In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." (John 1:4) Life...what so many long for but end up exchanging because of what we think is better. If we would only pause, look carefully and see that we have the fullness and abundance of life through Jesus. Joy comes with life and that life will never disappoint. What are we missing?