Cold Feet and Selfish Hearts

The other night Lily and Emma had a classic fight, one that's been had by anyone who's ever had to share a bed with someone who has really cold feet. First, a little background. When we lived in Hermitage the girls shared a room but had separate beds. We had stackable bunk beds and for a while that worked great; it stopped working great the day I walked into their room and saw Owen, who was 1 at the time, standing on the top bunk, with his back towards the ladder. Needless to say, the stackable bunks were quickly unstacked. When we moved to Gurdon, though, there wasn't room in the girls' bedroom for both beds (one was a twin bunk, the other a futon). So we just let them share a full size bed-an arrangement with which Emma was thrilled and Lily, being way too cool to share a bed with her kid sister, hated. Nevertheless, here we are.
So as I was tucking them in, fixing covers and all that, Lily said, "Emma, get your feet off me!" Apparently in place of feet, Emma had two toddler size blocks of ice attached directly beneath her ankles. Emma replied, "But my feet are cold and you're warm!" Who hasn't had this argument, right? Cold feet are pulled, as though by gravity itself, towards a source of warmth-which is generally the person with whom you share your bed. Kelly and I have had this argument on several occasions (by the way, she's got the coldest friggin' feet in history; some nights I think she dips them in liquid nitrogen before coming to bed-love ya, babe!)
Now here's the point of this seemingly incoherent rambling; Emma and Lily's spat demonstrates the selfishness that resides in all our hearts. Outwardly we can be pretty good, can't we? We can say the right things, do the right things, smile when we're supposed to, cry when we're supposed to, etc. But inwardly, we are wicked. We fit the description that Jesus used of the Pharisees when He called them 'white-washed tombs'-pretty on the outside, full of decay and rot on the inside. And don't misunderstand; putting cold feet on someone isn't a crime worthy of death or anything, but it demonstrates the way we want to put ourselves first. Emma gave no thought to the discomfort she might cause Lily; her only concern was herself (I'm not bashing my kid, by the way, so keep your comments to yourself; she's 4, she's learning; I'm just illustrating a point). And that's exactly how many of us live. Our only concern is ourselves. We want what's best for us and we want it right now.
Don't believe me? Think back to the last time you got stuck behind someone who was going about 20 miles per hour below the speed limit, and wouldn't move over so you could pass. Did you think, "I'm sure they have a good reason, perhaps they don't notice me; I'll simply be patient"? Or did you begin to conjugate new verbs, and wish a pox and pestilence on them? We focus on ourselves, don't we? And that's the opposite of what Jesus has commanded us to do. In Philippians chapter 2, we're implored to think of others first. Verses 3-4 read, "Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others." Now what's remarkable is that the very next verse tells us to have the same attitude as Jesus; which means that vs3-4 describe in part what that attitude was. No matter what you think about Jesus and Christianity, you've got to admit that the world would be a much better place if everyone did that. Imagine a place where we thought of others first rather than ourselves. That's exactly what we're called to do. How often do I obey this command (and it is a command, by the way, not a suggestion)? How often do I instead focus on myself? Jesus calls me to a life of self-denial; to put the needs and desires of others above my own. Will obey? Or will I continue to put my cold feet on others?

Father, forgive me for my selfishness. Forgive me for putting my self above others. Forgive me for not following Your example. Help me to have the mind of Christ regarding others. Help me walk in Your ways rather than my own. And by my obedience, may the world get a glimpse of Your incredible, self-less love; a love that led you to the cross to pay for my sins.
Amen.

When Do We Matter?

Maybe you heard about this story that broke a couple months ago. Seems that a man in Belgium was in a car accident and doctors found that he was in a coma. He remained that way for 23 years, in what his caregivers called a "persistent vegetative state." One problem; he wasn't actually in a coma, he was paralyzed. If you haven't read the story, here's the link: http://http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/worldnews/article-1230092/Rom-Houben-Patient-trapped-23-year-coma-conscious-along.html . Anyhoo, the reason I mention this is that for 23 years nobody knew this guy's story. Nobody had every heard of Rom Houben. If a news reporter had gone to the hospital and seen him there, he wouldn't have written a story about him. This poor man wasn't deemed important until he 'woke up', so to speak, from his coma. Until he did something, no one took notice of him.
That's often the way things work in the world, isn't it? Until you do something, you don't matter; until you make some sort of impact, you're just another face in the crowd. I don't know about you, but I'm so glad God doesn't work that way. I'm so glad that God didn't wait for me to do something before I mattered to Him. In fact, according to scripture, I mattered to God before I ever did anything; I mattered to God before I was able to do anything. Ephesians 1:4 says, "...He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world..." Isn't that an amazing statement? God chose us before the foundation of the world. Before He said, "Let there be light!", He had set His affection on you. He had chosen to love you, to redeem to you, to irresistibly draw you to Himself.
And that's a good thing. Because the Bible says that I was dead in sins; if God had decided to wait for me to do something before I mattered to Him, He would still be waiting. He didn't wait for me to do something, He gave me life and made me able to do something. I was like Lazarus, dead in the tomb. Lazarus didn't decide to wake up and live again, Jesus had to call to Him. In the very same way, I didn't decide to live; God called to me and granted me life. And He did this before the foundation of the world.
In a world that demands that you perform in order to have worth, in a world that screams, "What have you done for me lately?", isn't it good to know that we serve a God who says, "I have chosen you not because of anything you did or would ever do; I chose you because it pleased Me to do so"? Today, rest in the fact that you matter to God; and you've mattered to Him for longer than time has existed.

Father, thank You for choosing us. Thank You for choosing us in spite of who we are and what we do. Thank You for setting Your affection on us. Thank You for giving us worth. Help me to always find my contentment in obeying You. And just as You set Your affection on me, help me set my affection on You. Amen.

The Obligatory New Year's Post

It's the time of year to make the obligatory end-of-old-year, first-of-new-year-post. And I sort of went back and forth about what to post because frankly, you can go to a lot of different places to read about what resolutions you ought to make, what things you ought to focus on, etc. And I don't want to just rehash someone else's words. Instead, I thought I'd share something that has been rolling around my head for a couple days.
As we fly into this new year, you hear so many people talk about "a fresh start", or "a chance to start with a clean slate", etc. And I get what they're saying. But in reality, the new year offers none of that. When I woke up on the 1st, I had the same problems I had on the 31st. There was no magical slate wiping or any of that stuff. If you have any doubt about that, call your credit card company and see how clean the slate it.
Now I'm not saying all this to be Johnny Rain-Cloud or anything, but celebrating a new year has just brought back to mind that the only way to really get a fresh start, the only way to really start with a clean slate is to experience the redemption that God offers through Jesus. According to God's word, we need a fresh start. According to scripture, we need to have a clean slate. Problem is, we can't clean the slate. In fact, we don't even want to. We love our sin. We love to fulfill the lusts of the flesh, we love to be selfish and prideful and hateful and wicked. And that presents a major problem; God demands holiness while I embrace wickedness. And the end result of this tension is death; spiritual separation from God.
But here's what makes the Good News so stinking good; when I come to God in faith and repentance, I get a fresh start. I get my slate wiped clean. The Bible says that if I confess my sins to God, God is faithful and just to forgive me of my sins. And just to make sure we don't misunderstand, the Bible goes on to say that God cleanses us of all unrighteousness. That means that if it's bad, it goes. Ever sinful, wicked, unclean, bad, and immoral thing I've done has been wiped away. In fact, the Bible says that when a person is united with Christ through repentance and grace, that person becomes a new creation. Everything that defined them before Christ dies; everything is then remade, recreated in the image of God. That means that when God looks at me, He sees Jesus Christ. Now that's a thought that will melt your little noodle, isn't it? And that's a real fresh start. God has given me a 2nd chance; and a 3rd chance, a 4th chance-as many chances as I need. All my sins have been washed away by the blood of Christ; my heart of stone has been replaced with a heart of flesh. I was like Lazarus, dead in my sins. But when Jesus stood before me and called my name, I came to Him; though I had been dead in my sins, Jesus breathed the breath of eternal life in my nostrils. Life flowed into me; I was remade, recreated in the image of my King. And I was given a fresh start.
When you hear people talking about starting the new year off right, remember that only through Jesus can we start off this year or any year right. Only in Him can we have forgiveness of sin and be restored to a right relationship with the Father. This year, look to Jesus for your fresh start. Come to Him in faith and repentance; bow your knee to Him as Lord and Master and receive His mercy. And even more, receive a fresh start. Happy New Year.

Father, thank You for Your grace. Thank You for Your mercy. Thank You that though my sins are like scarlet, they can be white as snow. Thank You for provided a true fresh start for me. Help me to prove this new year, by my life, that I have been remade in Your image; that the old person has passed away, has been crucified with Christ, and that I've been raised to walk in newness of life with Jesus. Thank You for wiping all my sins away. Help my life to bring You glory and honor as I walk in obedience to You. Amen.

Greater Than the Holy Places

A few years ago I said something dumb to Kelly. Actually I say dumb things to her pretty often, but the specific dumb thing I have in mind was said a few years ago. We were talking about our wedding day, how special it was, etc. And Kelly mentioned what a fun day it was with all the make up, getting her hair did, all that girly stuff. And, in an attempt to be sweet, I said, "You looked as pretty to me on our wedding day as you do first thing in the morning." Now of course I meant that I think she's a knockout whether she's made up or not, that I'm just completely taken with her. That's not quite how she heard it. She heard her loving husband saying that on her wedding day, she looked like she had just rolled out of bed. Needless to say, my words didn't have the desired effect. But a few days later she calmed down and everything was OK. The point of that story is this; first, I'm apparently not the silver-tongued devil I always thought I was; and second, I was trying to get across that I love my wife for who she is. I love it when she gets all gussied up; but that's not why I love her. I love it when she has on her favorite outfit and knows how good she looks in it; but that's not why I love her. I love it when she takes care of things around the house and I don't have to worry about them; but that's not why I love her. I didn't marry her because of how she looks when she's dressed up, or for what she does around the house; I married her for her. And the reason I say all this is not just to score brownie points. It's because of a verse I read this morning. It's easy for me to say that I love my wife not for what she does but for who she is; but can I say the same things about God? Do I love God for who He is, or for what He does?

Look at David's words in Psalm 68:35: "O God, You are more awesome than Your holy places." In this Psalm he has referenced the 'mountain of God', an incredibly holy place for those in Israel. And as awesome and majestic as this place was, David says, "God, you are more awesome than this holy place." We could imagine David thinking of the tabernacle, the place where God met with men, where sin was atoned for, and God's holy wrath was satisfied. But as incredible as such a place was, God was more awesome than that. And what this verse caused me to think about is this simple question: Do I think God is more awesome than His holy places? Or asked another way, do I think God is more awesome than the things He does for, the things He gives me? How often do we hear Christians talking about how blessed they are, and then begin to list all the things God has done for them? Nothing wrong with being thankful for God's blessings, but if the gifts are good, how much greater must be the Giver? In your mind, is God more awesome than His holy places? Do you desire God more than the the things God can give? Our satisfaction, our fulfillment must come not in what God does, but in who He is. And the embodiment of who He is was revealed to us in the person of Jesus Christ. My highest aim, my greatest joy, my soul's deepest satisfaction must come from a personal knowledge of, and interaction with, Jesus Christ. If not, I've turned Christianity into an exercise in selfishness. Is Jesus Christ your greatest joy? Is God greater than His holy places? Paul said in Phil. 3:8, "Yes indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ..." Paul wanted Jesus. Not things from Him, just Him. He was enraptured by, caught up in the grandeur of King Jesus. Sadly, my focus often falls far short.

In his book, "God is the Gospel", John Piper asks this question: "The critical question for our generation-and for every generation-is this: If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven if Christ was not there?" Powerful question, isn't it? Our answer reveals where our heart lies. God is greater than His holy places. And knowing Jesus is the greatest experience we can have. Let's make sure our lives demonstrate that.

Father, forgive me for putting the things You give me above the One who gives them. Forgive me for finding my satisfaction in anything other than you. Lord, help me see Your greatness. Show me Your glory, that I may fall at your feet and worship You in spirit and in truth. Let me desire to know Jesus more than anything. And let me be satisfied with nothing but You. Amen.

Sin, Twinkies, and Forgiveness

So the other day I was babysitting the kiddos. Actually, Kelly likes to inform me that when it's your own children it isn't babysitting, it's parenting. So the other day I was parenting the kiddos. We needed a couple things from the grocery store so I loaded Emma and Owen up and off we went. When we got there I noticed a wicked, sinful, immoral display; Twinkies were on sale, 2 boxes for $5. Since Kelly wasn't with me, I grabbed a box of Twinkies and a box of cupcakes. Now understand that I completely realize how unhealthy a Twinkie is. I know that it's terrible, will kill me, etc. However, I love me some Twinkies. Or I thought I did. When I finally got around to eating one, it was OK. Not that great, just OK. Then later that night Kelly and I shared a post-dinner Twinkie (don't tell me the romance is dead). And while enjoying this horrendously unhealthy snack, she said, "Twinkies are never as good as you remember them." So I said, "How do you know how I remember them?" Actually, I didn't say that. But I began to think about what she said. And I thought, "That's not just true for Twinkies; that's true for sin."
Sin is never as good as we remember it, is it? We're going along serving Jesus, doing all we can for Him. And then we start to feel the old pull of temptation. The flesh rises up, wants to be gratified. And we begin to think about how enjoyable that sin is, how much fun it would be to indulge the flesh "one more time." And so we do. But what I've discovered in my life, and what I'm sure you've discovered, is that sin is never as good as I remember it being. The overwhelming guilt, the shame knowing that I've rebelled against my King, that I've trampled on the blood of Jesus outweighs any temporary pleasure I get from the sin itself.
Now that doesn't mean that sin isn't pleasurable. Of course it is; if it wasn't, it wouldn't be temptation, right? The Bible references the temporary enjoyment that sin affords in Hebrews 11:24-25: "By faith Moses, when he became of age, refused to be called the son of Pharaoh’s daughter, choosing rather to suffer affliction with the people of God than to enjoy the passing pleasures of sin." Notice that the Bible makes no attempt to hide the enjoyment of sin. Sin is fun. The flesh loves to be gratified, and when we engage in sin, it's always enjoyable; for a little while. But just as this verse reminds us, the pleasures of sin are passing. That means they won't last. And at the end of the day, when we come back to our senses and realize we're breaking God's law, all the enjoyment ends. We are brought face to face with our own iniquity, and must plead the blood of Jesus once again.
I know a guy who dated a girl on and off for several years. They would break up, get back together, break up, get back together, etc. I asked him why they continued in this cycle, and his answer was telling. He said, "When we're not together I miss her, I wish I was with her. But then when we get back together I'm reminded of why we broke up in the first place." Isn't that just like our struggle with sin? We turned our backs on it because we saw the end result. We saw that we stood condemned before a holy God, and we repented. But then the flesh began to desire gratification. And we turned back to our sin. And about the time we got neck deep in it, we remembered why we repented of it in the first place. Sin is never as good as we remember it. So when you're tempted, look beyond the temporary pleasure. Look to the end result of your sin. Realize that you're trading in eternal joy for temporary pleasure. And choose to find your pleasure in the surpassing greatness of Jesus Christ, rather than the temporal things of this world.

Father, forgive me for sinning against You. Forgive me for turning my back on the eternal and embracing the temporal. Forgive me for comparing Your greatness with the things of this world. Forgive me for choosing them over You. Help me to see Your all-surpassing majesty. Help me to see how incredible, how magnificent You are. And when I'm tempted, help me to remember the end result of my sin. Help me to run from it and run to You. Amen.

Cabela's & Christ-like love

Here's a little story about how God can use anything to teach you a lesson. A couple days ago Kelly and I were heading down Highway 67. It was the opening weekend for muzzle-loading season and there were several vehicles on the side of the road where hunters had parked to go and find that elusive wall-hanger. As we passed one vehicle there was a guy getting ready. And he was putting on some nice gear-Cabela's Outfitter's Fleece, which is pictured above for your viewing pleasure. Good stuff, high dollar gear. And I salivated appropriately. I even mentioned it to Kelly; "That guy has got some good gear; that's Cabela's Outfitter's Fleece, high dollar, good stuff." And as we drove on, I with visions of Christmas presents from Cabela's dancing in my head, I had a thought (or more accurately, God gave me a thought): I can identify a specific line of hunting gear from a moving car, going 65 miles per hour but I often fail to identify the needs of my wife. And suddenly, Cabela's Outfitter's Fleece wasn't the only thing on my mind. How is it that as a follower of Jesus Christ, a man who has pledged my love to Kelly, how is it that I can so easily recognize hunting clothes but can be so obtuse when it comes to noticing what my wife needs from me? The answer is painfully simple-I'm selfish. I could dress it up in nicer sounding words, but that would miss the point. I am a wretched, self-centered person. I can pick out a camo pattern from a moving car, but I have no idea what size shoes my wife wears. And I know that show size isn't a spiritual issue, but it is indicative of a spiritual issue; I take the time to learn about what matters to me and often ignore what matters to Kelly. Don't get me wrong, I don't beat her or anything like that. People often tell her how good she has it. And I there are certainly times when I'm a good husband. I can outwardly do all the things a husband is supposed to. But God hasn't called me to be an outwardly good husband; He's called me to be an inwardly good husband. Not just to act right, but to be right. And this is where I fail. I can do the things I'm supposed to, but if the inside doesn't match the outside, God isn't honored. Let me give you a 'for instance.' Kelly is feeling unwell today. She asked me to stay home and take care of the kids so she could rest. Know what my first thought was? Not, "Here's a chance to love my wife like Christ loved the church." Not, "Great, a day to spend with my kids!" And not, "My poor wife, I hope she feels better." No, I began to think of all the way that inconvenienced me. What a wicked, unrighteous attitude. Jesus told me to love Kelly like He loved the church. Paul tells me to consider others as better than myself. And I fail to do both. I have no problems making sure that my needs are met. But am I as concerned for Kelly's needs? Do I truly love her like Christ loved the church? Sadly, the answer is "No." So what's the lesson? I need to fix my stinkin' thinkin'. I need to quit being so selfish. I need to focus on Kelly instead of focusing on myself. That's tough. In fact, it's impossible. We're not wired to think of others, we're wired to think of ourselves. And so I need to be rewired. I need to claim Paul's promise; "I can do all things (including love my wife like Christ loved the church) through Christ who strengthens me." The gospel message that saved my soul is the same message that will give me the strength to serve my wife.

Father, thank You for my wife. What a precious gift. Thank You for her love and encouragement. Forgive me for failing You by failing her. Help me love her like Jesus loves the church. Help me to learn to think of her before I think of myself. Help me to learn her shoe size. Thank You for the sufficiency of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It fixes all my shortcomings and gives me the ability to obey and glorify You. Help me to rest in the gospel today, and to live it in all areas of my life. Amen.

Psalm 49:15 says, "But God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave, for He shall receive me." What really caught my attention was the phrase 'the power of the grave.' So often salvation is presented as a future event. When we get to heaven, then we see the fruits of our salvation; pearly gates, streets of gold, etc. And all that will be great. I'm looking forward to seeing what the Bible describes; I'm looking forward to seeing loved ones, Bible heroes, all that. But salvation isn't just a future event. It's a present event. Every day, I can demonstrate the fruits of my salvation. Why? Because God has redeemed by soul from the power of the grave. We're not just saved from the penalty of sin, i.e., Hell. We're saved from the power of sin-we are no longer slaves to sin. Before Christ, I couldn't avoid sin. After Christ, I've got the choice. I now have within me the power to choose holiness instead of wickedness, righteousness instead of immorality. I can live in the freedom by which I've been made free. I can cast aside every hindrance and the sin which so easily entangles and run the race with Christ has set out for me to run. What a powerful promise this is! I can see the fruits of my salvation today, not just in the future. In fact, scripture tells me that I better see the fruits of my salvation. Jesus said you know someone by their fruit, right? Not by the fact that they walked an aisle or were baptized or any of that. You know someone by their fruit. Does my life bear the fruit of salvation? Am I bearing witness that Jesus Christ is my Lord and Master? One of the most important questions we can ask ourselves is this; since I say I'm saved, what am I saved from? Are we saved from the power of sin in our daily lives? God has redeemed us from the power of the grave. Jesus saves us from the power, the presence, and the penalty of sin (that sermon is copyrighted, by the way-don't use it without my written permission). Let's live that truth today.

Father, thank You for saving me in spite of who I am. Thank You for loving a wretched, wicked sinner enough to provide an atoning sacrifice. Thank You for the blood of Jesus that washes away my sins. Thank you for the power that defeated the grave. Help me today to walk in victory over sin. Not because I have the power to, but because You have the power to, and I am walking in submission to You. Be glorified in my life today. Amen.