Lay It Down

And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst.” – John 6:35

There is a hole inside of all of us that we can’t fill.  It doesn’t matter how much money we have.  Things, success, fame – none of this satisfies.  If it did, the most perfect people on the planet would be the rich and successful.  This is obviously not true.  Their lives are often more out of control than everyone else’s. 

Jesus says He is the one that can fill that emptiness inside.  He, as the physical representation of God’s love, by presenting and providing a way for man to connect with God, gives man something that will never run out and that fulfills completely.  It is God Himself.

He who finds his life will lose it, and he who loses his life for My sake will find it. – Matthew 10:39

In order to find this life, you have to be willing to lose what you believe is your life now.  How important is all that you know and think that you are?  Are you willing to allow God to influence you?  Are you willing to follow God’s prompting to make decisions differently?  To choose different actions?  Are you willing to have a different life, one based on God’s direction and not yours?

Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends.  You are My friends if you do whatever I command you.  No longer do I call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all things that I heard from My Father I have made known to you. – John 15:13-15

Jesus called His disciples friends.  He calls those who believe in Him friends.  He laid His life down for everyone, not just His friends, but for everyone to have the opportunity to believe that He is the Son of God.  Is Jesus your friend?  Will you lay down your life for Him? 

Everyday we make a lot of decisions.  Are we willing to lay down our life, what we want in that decision, to follow what Jesus wants?  Do we love Jesus enough to lay down our life, our grasp on who we are and what we want, in order to put Him first?

Jesus can fill that hole in our life.  We must make a decision.  Love Jesus today and lay down your life for Him.

Lean Not on Your Understanding

Trust in the Lord with all your heart,

And lean not on your own understanding;
In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths. – Proverbs 3:5-6

Some missionary friends I’ve known for 10 years served in Haiti.  They have four kids and worked really hard.  I enjoyed visiting them when we took trips to Haiti and kept up with them when we weren’t there.  They adapted to Haitian life and worked to share the Gospel with the Haitians and support the local churches. 

One of their children developed stomach troubles and it got worse and worse.  They would come back to U.S. and see doctors and never could get an answer.  They visited the best clinics we have.  Still no resolution.  The child had such a limited diet that it become incredibly difficult to provide nutrition.  Her learning became slow and her focus very difficult.  My friends were distraught and praying constantly for their daughter.  After several years they believed they should come off the field.  Sadly, they left Haiti and returned to the U.S.

After nine or so months of being in the U.S. and while still pursuing medical care for their daughter, she began to mysteriously get better.  So much so that now she appears to have not a single thing wrong with her.  The last doctor visit was unable to find a single problem.  She is able to eat anything she wants to eat now.  Her focus and learning have all returned to normal.  The doctors have no explanation.  It’s nothing but a miracle.

If my friends leaned upon their own understanding, even of what they believed God wanted, they would and did reason that God wanted them in Haiti.  But God had called them home.  If they leaned on their own understanding they would reason that their daughter might not could be healed.  But God had a miracle in store. 

When you’re in your worst battle, in their situation, their daughter is really, really sick, they are having to abandon their work of the last decade, they don’t have jobs, a house, cars, a school, or a routine of living in the U.S., it is so very difficult to trust in the Lord and not lean upon our own understanding.  Faith is believing in what you don’t see, but know, and not in what you physically see and try to reason over.

Once the miracle comes, be sure to witness with praise and testimony to the greatness of God.  This is something my friends have certainly not been shy about.  They give glory to God and look forward to where He is going to direct their paths.

A Simple Faith Action: Control Yourself

¹⁴ What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? ¹⁵ If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? ¹⁷ Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. – James 2:14-17

My wife and I attended a visitation for our departed neighbor this weekend.  She was, at least as far as neighbors go, kind, thoughtful and friendly.  In the brochure at the visitation the following quote credited to the Dalai Lama was written, “Our prime purpose in this life is to help others.  And if you can’t help them, at least don’t hurt them.”  I found it interesting because I had never read it before, but had arrived at that wisdom in some of my most troubling times.  While struggling along in my most selfish times, it occurred to me that there shouldn’t be people whose lives are worse because I was born, if I have the ability to not make it that way.  Jesus said we are to love others, just as He has loved us (Jn 13:34).  If you are loving someone, truly loving them, you WILL put their needs ahead of yours.  In so doing you will help them and not hurt them.

James is clearly stating that there should be actions associated with Christians who claim to have faith.  He has a “for example” and refers to the poor.  That is a good example.  But, because we have slid so far from the simple and plain in our society I think it’d be a good idea if Christians focused on simply controlling their own actions to NOT hurt others and actually demonstrate they believe what they claim to believe.

Here a few "for examples" that I've witnessed.

How do Christians enter into business agreements and not honor them?  How does this action reflect upon the God they say they believe?  I’ve sat in the same church service with “Christians” who owed me over $20k for services performed in accordance with a written contract, and they purposely did not have a single intention of paying it.  How can that be?

How do Christians hurt others so purposely in relationships?  One of our friends is a divorce lawyer and the descriptions he gives of what Christians do to one another is alarming.  I’m not even talking about getting the divorce to start with, that’s a topic unto itself, but how can Christians who proclaim to have faith in God and be following Jesus be so purposely hurtful towards another person?  It certainly isn’t love no matter how they spin it or justify their actions.  A heard a pastor say in a sermon, “A person will do anything as wicked as hell itself to feed their own ego.”  When Christians become self-serving or believing they are self-deserving, they might be the most manipulative people on earth.  This is the most damaging and hurtful a person can be towards others.

How does a Christian have a Twitter and Instagram feed and never mention God or Jesus?  I do not understand how someone can claim to have God in their life, make Him first place, follow Jesus and not ever mention it to the world.  Yet I see it every single day.  Some have had these social platforms for many years and have never said a single word to praise God.  If I didn't know them outside of that social platform, I would have no clue they claimed to be a Christian.  Obviously they are ashamed or scared of the world.  Often they try to skirt the issue by saying “blessed”.  Yet, I see non-Christians say the same phrase.  At some point you have to either follow what you claim or just stop pretending.  Make a freaking decision.

There are many other examples, but these are just actions of controlling one’s personal behavior!  This doesn’t even involve actually sticking your hand out to help another person.  Societal Christians are so out of control that there needs to be a focus on just not hurting others and being willing to publicly declare that they believe in Jesus as the Son of the one true living God for salvation.  How can someone possibly perform an action to a faith to help others when their faith is so weak that they are unwilling to bridle their own actions?

Sending God Away

Matt Ayers, a missionary in Haiti, wrote this great post on March 15th. His blog is HERE.

There’s a strange story in the Old Testament about when the Philistines—the enemies of the Israelites—stole the Ark of the Covenant after a battle. After they stole the Ark—a wooden box that symbolized the presence of the God of Israel—they put it in the temple of Dagon, the patron deity of the Philistines.

The night that the Ark was in the temple, the statue of Dagon that was in the temple with the Ark fell on its face before the Ark. Because of the fall, the statue’s hands broke off. This is the author’s way of telling us two things: (1) no god is comparable to the God of Israel (symbolized in the prostrate posture of the statue), and (2) all other gods are powerless compared to Israel’s God (symbolized in the hands being broken off of the statue).

The Philistines didn’t like this. No shocker here. Some other strange things started happening too because of the Ark being in their presence. Illnesses started to break-out among the people. The Philistines ended up hating the Ark. They wanted rid of it, so they sent it back to Israel.

One of the clear lessons of the story is that God can fight His own battles. He doesn’t need human help. He does, however, give us the wonderful privilege and opportunity to work alongside of Him. He doesn’t need us though. God can defeat the Philistines all on His own. He doesn’t need Israel’s help.

There’s another lesson in the story that is not as easy to catch. I find it interesting that when the Philistines start to experience the wrath of God, they don’t repent and swear allegiance to Him. Once God starts to get into their business (after all, they brought Him there), they get upset and send Him away.

I wonder how many people there are out there just like this. People who think that they want God in their lives, but they end us sending Him away because they don’t like what He’s up to. When we invite God in, He gets in our business. He doesn’t just leave things the way they are. He topples our idols and wreaks havoc on our priorities. This is what God does when we bring Him into our homes. We have to think carefully before inviting God in. We have to ask, “Am I willing and ready to have God topple my statues?

Jesus says, “If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciples. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciples. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it?…So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple” (Lk. 14:25–28a; 33).

Don’t send God away once He gets in your business.

This is so common today.  Many who claim to be Christian, a follower of Christ, refuse to follow His words when they don't make them happy.  Even when confronted with their sin, they refuse to listen to the words of Christ because they want what they want.  So, they send God and their true friends away.  Invite God in and follow Him.  That is the only way to truth and an everlasting happiness.

Pennsylvania House - Persecution in America

For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. – 1 Corinthians 1:18

Incoming freshman Pennsylvania Representative Stephanie Borowicz was invited to pray before the Pennsylvania House to start the legislative day.  Following her prayer, the agenda included a prayer by a Muslim cleric.  Each one said their prayer.  Mrs. Borowicz prayed in English.  The cleric prayed in Arabic.  Mrs. Borowicz quoted the Bible and used the name Jesus in her prayer.  The cleric quoted the Koran and used the name Allah in his prayer.

Yet, the media and Democrats are attacking Mrs. Borowicz for her prayer.  The Pennsylvania governor, Democrat Tom Wolf, said he was “horrified” by Mrs. Borowicz’s prayer.  House Democrat Leader Frank Dermody said, “This morning on a very important day, on a day when we’re swearing in a new member, the first woman Muslim serving in the Pennsylvania House of Representatives in history, there was a prayer that was not meant to inspire us.”  He said further in an interview with a television station that the prayer was “beneath the dignity of the House.”

All while in bold lettering inside the House is John 8:32 written, “And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.”

This story is reported at several news outlets such as Fox and Washington Post and others. 

When I described this story to my wife she quickly recognized and said this is “Jesusophobia”.  Taking the term from the commonly used Islamophobia description the media name call to any person who believes in Christianity.  This is religious persecution.  There is no other description.  I firmly believe that the mainstream media and the Democrat party wholeheartedly support the abolishment of all things Jesus. 

To further quote my wife, “this is all an attempt to emasculate the country”.  We, the parents of two boys, have consistently noticed the bias against all things male.  Especially white males.  The idea of any person being country, believing in Jesus, and comfortable with shooting guns for hunting or sport is being attacked in every way possible.  Such a person is deemed unfit for America.  To support that effort, any boldness exhibited by any Christian towards their conviction and belief is attacked in mass with as much force as possible.  People are ridiculed and condemned simply for having an unwavering belief. 

Kudos to Mrs. Borowicz for not backing down.  “I don’t apologize for it because that’s how I pray almost every day,” she said. “It doesn't matter who I'm standing in front of -- I'm standing for Jesus no matter what.”  “As Christians we don't pray differently based on who we're standing in front of,” she said. “So whether that would have been in front of a crowd at my church and Christians or before Muslims or before Hindus I stand for Jesus no matter what and no matter who I'm in front of.” 

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God to salvation for everyone who believes. – Romans 1:16

“It’s time for Christians and other people to start standing up and speaking out,” she said. “I think we've been silent for too long.”  In light of the constant persecution which I believe will only increase, believers will have no choice and they will stand out because they will not deny Him.  However, every “christian” is going to have to make a choice as to whether they really believe or not.  Persecution has a way of forcing a decision.  Just ask Peter.