The Oldest Profession

…That the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the glorious freedom of the children of God. We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. Romans 8:21-22

Paul had it right long before the Second Law of Thermodynamics was articulated. Matter and energy deteriorate gradually over time. Things don’t tend to improve on their own. Things tend to decline. If you need proof, just look in the mirror. (Sorry for that depressing thought).

One day all of creation will be renewed (Revelation 21). But, until then, the whole creation is “groaning.” Considering that creation is destined for decay, but ultimately for transformation, believers often take a lackadaisical approach to the earth. Yet God’s first assignment to human beings was stewardship over creation (Genesis 1:26, 29). Our first God-given responsibility was to care for God’s creation.

Now, I know that is much division over environmental issues. On one side we have granola-eating, tree-hugging, earth-worshippers and on the other side are conservative-right wing-FoxNews watching folks. I really don’t think the issue is that cut and dried. Nobody wants to swim in a polluted river. No one wants to turn the landscape into a giant garbage dump (although the state of Nevada might be a candidate).

We can make some very simple changes to make the earth a better place. Even though this is just the temporary home, we are living in it. Here are a few suggestions:

• Recycle instead of throwing away. You could even make a little money.
• Donate everything you can instead of throwing it out: furniture, clothing, etc. You get to help a charitable organization in the process.
• Stop junk mail. Wouldn’t that be nice?
• Switch to reusable food storage containers.
• Check your hot water heater. Lower the thermostat and your gas bill.
• Inflate your car tires to keep them from wearing out so quickly.
• Avoid releasing balloons into the sky.
• Potty train your children. Enough said.
• Use fluorescent bulbs. They last a long time.
• Use it up. Wear it out. Make it do. Do without.

There are tons of good and ridiculous ways to be good stewards of the environment. Just google and you’ll find plenty.

This earth was never meant to last forever. One day God will “recycle” it too. But, in the meantime, this is where we live. We should do our best to take that “first assignment” from God seriously and make the world a good place for everyone and everything.

Now, some of you may be thinking, “What kind of devotional is this for today?” Just roll your eyes and remind yourself, “Oh yea, he’s from California.”

God Owns It All or Lessons from My Dad’s Chest of Drawers

Yours, O LORD, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the majesty and the splendor, for everything in heaven and earth is yours. Yours, O LORD, is the kingdom; you are exalted as head over all. Wealth and honor come from you; you are the ruler of all things. In your hands are strength and power to exalt and give strength to all. 1 Chronicles 29:11-12

These verses come from King David’s prayer after the Israelites generously donated their wealth to build the temple. The temple was a tremendous undertaking that required not only building materials but gold, silver and precious stones. It took much of what the people had to follow God’s instructions. David says, “But who am I, and who are my people that we should be able to give as generously as this? Everything comes from You, and we have given You only what comes from Your hand” (1 Chronicles 29:14).

It’s one thing to believe in God. It’s another thing to trust in God. But, our faith and trust in God take a big step when our devotion to God moves from our head to our heart to our wallet. (Okay, I do remember that this is “Creation” week, not tithing week).

Today is my dad’s 70th birthday (or yesterday if you’re receiving this by email). My dad is one of the most faithful, hardworking people I’ve ever met. (I know what you’re thinking; the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.)

When I was a boy, I wandered into my parents’ bedroom and discovered several checks sitting on my dad’s chest of drawers. They were all written to the church. One was for their tithe. Then, another check was for missions. And, yet another check was for the building fund. At first, I kind of got a sick feeling in the pit of my stomach. It sure seemed like a lot of money to me. I knew that this wasn’t a onetime event. This was a regular habit.

Our family didn’t live a lavish life. While we didn’t have everything we wanted, we did have everything that we needed. What money couldn’t provide, our faith in God certainly could. I’m grateful to my dad for teaching me through his example to trust God with my life.

God requires very little of us compared to what He gives. As Jesus said, “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:11; Luke 11:13).

What do you need today? Have you asked God? He owns it all.

Nothing is Overwhelming to God

When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and the stars, which you have set in place, what is man that you are mindful of him, the son of man that you care for him? Psalm 8:3-4

Years ago, someone told me, “I can’t believe in God because how could anyone possibly listen to every prayer from every person on the planet and answer. It’s impossible. I just can’t believe in God.”

Personally, I can’t believe in a God who can’t hear the prayers of 6,692,030,277 people and answer them. God is far beyond us and our abilities to understand Him.

While He has revealed a great deal about Himself to us through His Word, we have everything we need to know, but certainly not everything we want to know. The Bible tells us that “No eye has seen, no ear has heard, no mind has conceived what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9).

When we consider the wonders of the night sky, with the Psalmist, we get a sense of how great God is and how relatively small we are. God is lofty. God is over all. What an awesome perspective. We also know that God is near and cares about us.

When you’ve had one of those days when life has completely overwhelmed you, just step outside and gaze up at the stars. If God can take care of all of that, He certainly can take care of what’s going on with you. Nothing is overwhelming to God.
 

Evolution is Not Scientific. Neither is Creation.

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. Romans 1:20

Origins are not a matter of science. Matters of science must be replicated in the laboratory. To date no one has taken one species and through the scientific method proven that another species can be created. Science can only validate things that can be observed.

Evolution cannot be observed. Now, there is plenty of speculation out there because of the fossil record, but fossils are more like pieces in a puzzle than proof. Have you ever tried to assemble a puzzle without knowing what the big picture actually is? It’s not easy.

Whether you hold to the Big Bang Theory, Evolutional Theory, or Divine Creation, origins are a matter of faith. There is no scientific proof.

Our understanding of creation comes from God’s revelation to Moses, who wrote the book of Genesis. Moses was not present at creation. God revealed creation to Moses, and then Moses guided by the Spirit recorded the revelation. While we don’t understand how exactly creation came about, we know from God’s revelation that God did it.

Paul takes this one step further in his letter to the Romans by saying that creation itself is a witness to the character and nature of God. Only an all-powerful God could have created the universe out of nothing.

Think about this, those who hold views other than creation face a dilemma: where did matter come from in the first place? If the Big Bang is the explanation of origins, then what banged? How did that stuff come about? We have to believe one of two things: either God has always existed or matter has always existed. Something doesn’t come from nothing.

Paul tells us that everyone has a witness of who God is by looking at nature. The beauty and diversity of the earth show His power and creativity. The placement of the earth in the solar system wouldn’t have worked in any other way. A degree closer, and we would burn up. A degree farther away, and we would freeze to death.

Paul says the evidence of God through creation is so clear that no one has an excuse not to follow God. Will an appreciation for creation save us? No, only Jesus can save us. But, creation and conscience (Romans 2) definitely point us in the right direction. For those who sincerely desire to follow God, He will further reveal Himself to them much like God revealed Himself to Abraham (Genesis 12).

What does nature speak to you about God? Why not set aside some time this week for a beautiful place like Jones’ Gap or Caesar’s Head, Yosemite or Monterey, or another beautiful place near you (for my Kansas readers, I’m not sure what you’re going to find…just kidding. Even the prairie has a certain beauty to it.) Take in the beauty of that place and sense the finger of God. 

The Olympics, The Aurora Borealis, and The Glory of God

The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Psalm 19:1

Few photographers can capture a glorious sunset. When we experience the spectacular array of red and orange hues, we get a sense of the glory and majesty of God. Then, we run inside and grab our camera. But, what we end up with is sort of dark and not nearly as spectacular.

Now, I know that sunsets are made up on particles in the air that refract the light of the sun. And, falling in love is only a matter of biology, right?

The Bible has a lot to say about God’s glory and His majesty. But to witness a star-filled night or a meteor shower creates a sense of awe that puts God’s glory in context.

A friend of mine worked for CBS Sports and was assigned to cover the Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, Norway in 1994. One night Dan and his crew ventured outside in sub-freezing temperatures to witness the northern lights, the Aurora Borealis. He said they were so awestruck by the experience that it didn’t even occur to them that they weren’t even wearing coats. The cold was overshadowed by the sight. To this day it’s the most magnificent thing they have ever witnessed.

When have you experienced the glory of God through the heavens? It can’t be done in a hurry. Most of us can’t dedicate every evening to watching the sunset. But, when you see a good one, stop for 30 seconds and take it in. Get a sense of God’s majesty and glory.

How Our Stuff Gets to Heaven

Peter answered him, "We have left everything to follow you! What then will there be for us?"

Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man sits on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields for my sake will receive a hundred times as much and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first. Matthew 19:27-30

One morning on the way to school, my son Sam asked, “Dad, when we go to Heaven, how does our stuff get there?”

I told him, “Well, our stuff doesn’t go to Heaven.”

Sam seemed a little disappointed by that answer. While he was thrilled with the idea of having a body that would work entirely like it was supposed to and having ears that could hear without hearing aids, I think for a moment he was weighing out the benefits of Heaven with the loss of his “stuff.”

So, I told him, “When we get to Heaven, we get better stuff.” He seemed to like that idea.

Peter’s conversation with Jesus came on the heels of Jesus’ challenge to the rich young ruler to “sell your possessions and give to the poor” (Matthew 19:16-26). Now, while possessions in and of themselves are not good or evil, our attachment to them defines whether they are good for us. Jesus, being God, knew that this rich young ruler had an unhealthy attachment to his stuff. His possessions were in the way of his relationship with God. According to his own terms, the rich young ruler thought he was doing pretty well. Wouldn’t Jesus be proud of him? Jesus, then, carefully pointed out that even though the rich young ruler had his will under control, his affections were directed to the wrong place. His love for his possessions exceeded his love for God.

In what seems to be a prideful comment, Peter looks for Jesus’ approval by proclaiming, “We have left everything to follow you!” Essentially, he is saying, “We don’t have all of that wealth to burden us. See we’re better than that rich young ruler. We don’t have a dime to our name. What will there be for us? I’m sure it’s going to be good.”

Some have gone so far as to say that it’s more spiritual to be poor. If we’re unencumbered by earthly possessions, then certainly we are more closely connected with God. If that is true, then why is it that the poorest countries of the world with the most disease and starvation are often shrouded with the darkest evil and corruption? Poverty doesn’t make us more godly. God makes us more godly.

Jesus assures Peter and the others the “renewal of all things” is coming. One day everything will be made right. And, yes, those who have sacrificed for the cause of Christ will be rewarded. Speaking in their terms, Jesus promises that whatever they have given up will be given back 100 times over. But, even greater than that, they will have eternal life.

How is your relationship with your stuff helping or hindering your relationship with Christ? While we are free to enjoy the things of this world, pleasure does cross a line when it begins to substitute itself for what we can receive from God. Here’s the catch: while things can be enjoyable, they’re never fulfilling. That’s why we always want more. As you lean into God, you will discover that there is more than you will ever need.

The Ultimate Great Escape

Since the children have flesh and blood, [Jesus] too shared in their humanity so that by his death he might destroy him who holds the power of death—that is, the devil— and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by their fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15

Some look at Heaven as the ultimate great escape. In Heaven there will be no problems, no temptation, no bad weather, and no bad days. If we can just get through this life, then we will live in a perfect circumstance in Heaven.

So, here’s a little secret: many of the benefits we will experience in Heaven are available to us now. We can freely commune with God. He is always with us. Even though our physical bodies are temporary, our spirit is eternal. Eternal life happens now for believers. The power of sin has been broken. While there is still plenty of temptation around, Jesus gives us the power to overcome. The devil has been defeated.

Slaves are freed, provided they don’t volunteer to put themselves back there. Without Christ, what happens after death is quite uncertain. Now, while most people believe they will go to Heaven, the reality is that any plan to get there outside of Christ won’t get them to that destination.

For those who belong to Jesus, we no longer need to fear any enslavement by the devil. The enemy is defeated. We belong to Christ, so nothing can separate us from Christ’s love. Any time that we feel the devil might be getting the best of us, we need only turn to God, and the devil will flee (James 4:7). We cannot defeat Satan on our own, but the enemy is no problem for God.

God gives us all of His resources to live our lives successfully for Him. He gives us the ability to recover from our wounds and overcome anything that enslaves us. Even the things that seem impossible to escape like viewing pornography, chatting up lost loves on Facebook, or taking crystal meth are not beyond God’s ability. While this type of slavery requires the support of other believers to overcome, the enemy is defeated. (If you could break your addiction by yourself, you would have, right?) If you would like some help and support to overcome a hurt, habit or hang up, contact Cindy Woodside in Brookwood's Care and Support Ministry.

The things that are bringing you Hell on earth don’t have to. Living a life connected to God and the flow of His Spirit brings us Heaven on earth.

This Too Shall Pass

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea. I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband. And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, "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." Revelation 21:1-4

Someone said that the most enduring words are “this too shall pass.” That’s exactly what John saw in this revelation. Everything that we have ever known is going to pass away and be replaced completely by a new heaven and a new earth.

The old world and all of its problems will all be gone: no more death or mourning or crying or pain. Our sinfulness will be gone. So, will the sinful acts and attitudes of others. That does sound heavenly.

After His resurrection, Jesus gave us an idea of what a resurrection body would be like. He suddenly appeared to His disciples without necessarily using a door. Yet, He showed the scars on His hands and feet, and He ate (John 20:19-23). Jesus and those who follow Him will have a body that will never perish, spoil or fade (1 Corinthians 15). We won’t age. We won’t have aches and pains. Our hair color will actually come from our roots.

This life on earth is important. This life is our preparation for the next. This life is our chance to point others to Christ through our loving words and kind actions. Oh, but the next life, it will be worth it all.
 

The Answer to Trouble is Trust

Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me. In my Father's house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am. John 14:1-3

Jesus gave these words to His disciples to prepare them just prior to His arrest. He gathered them together and washed their feet (John 13:1-17), then He shared what was coming next. Peter in his brashness swore to “lay down my life for you” (John 13:37). Jesus told Peter, “No, you won’t. You’re going to deny me, then the rooster is going to crow” (John 13:38).

There was an obvious amount of apprehension among the disciples that night. As much as Jesus had tried to prepare them, the reality was slowing sinking in along with a great deal of fear. Then, Jesus speaks these words: “Do not let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God; trust also in me.” The answer to their trouble was trust.

Jesus goes on to explain that He is going to prepare a place for them and that He will return for His disciples (including us). How do we know that? We know because this is what Jesus promised us.

King James inserted the word “mansion” because that’s where he preferred to live in Heaven. The hymn writers liked that image. Ira Stanphill penned “I've got a mansion just over the hilltop.” Should we change it to “I’ve got a room just over the hilltop”? Sort of sounds like an eternal Motel 6.

Whether large or small, posh or sparse, Jesus promised a place for us. He said that we could trust God for that. Outside of God’s promise, the only thing we know for sure is that at the end of this life, our bodies return to the earth, ashes to ashes and dust to dust (Genesis 3:19). But, that’s not entirely true.

Most people have a sense of life beyond this life. Solomon said, “God has set eternity in the hearts of men” (Ecclesiastes 3:11). If you asked the man on the street where people go after they die, most would say “Heaven.” How they plan to get there may be another matter.

For believers, we understand from Jesus’ words that there is a better place beyond this one. There is also a better life beyond a mere earthly existence. Eternal life is our possession now.

Don’t let your hearts be troubled. Trust God. He’s got a plan for us.

Temporary Problems Build Eternal Qualities

So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen. For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:18

I can look at someone and not see them. I can hear someone and not listen to them. You are probably thinking that this is because I am a man, but you do the same thing.

The difference between looking and seeing or hearing and listening is that one just happens and the other requires focused attention. We look at things more or less by default. How many times have we “lost” something only to discover that it’s sitting right in front of us? We were looking at the lost object. We just weren’t focused on it.

How do you look at things that are unseen? According to Paul, we “fix our eyes” or “set our sights.” It’s something we do on purpose. It’s not something that comes naturally.

What comes naturally is to look at the world around us and worry. I know this is happening when I receive multiple requests to repeat the End Times class at BrookwoodU. Students don’t like what they’re looking at these days. They would rather focus on what’s yet to come.

Setting our sights on what is unseen is not copping out of reality. It’s actually a way of coping with reality. We can put up with the situation in front of us because we know that God will use our frustrations and failures to build our character. The temporary problem can catalyze an eternal quality. The key lies with our perspective. What have we “fixed” our eyes on the problem or the process?

What do we know of that is eternal? God as Father, Son and Holy Spirit has no beginning or end (Deuteronomy 6:4; Matthew 28:19; 1 Timothy 1:17). God’s Word will last forever (Psalm 119:89). Humans are spiritual beings with eternal souls (1 John 2:17). Heaven and Hell are eternal places (2 Corinthians 5:1; Matthew 25:46). The Earth is not (Revelation 21:1). Angels were created to last forever. God’s plan and the inheritance He gives are eternal possessions (Hebrews 9:15). And, that’s about it. Everything else is temporary.

One day there will be no more 401k’s or sports cars or mortgages. Fire ants, pollen, diets and workouts will all be distant memories. Congress, terrorists, nuclear arms and traffic will be long forgotten. There will be no marital problems in Heaven, because there will be no marriages and no sin. Our kids will no longer misbehave or need discipline. They will be God’s kids anyway.

This is not an invitation to deny reality and long for Heaven at the neglect of our responsibilities here. This is an invitation to embrace what we face here with the understanding that this life is preparation for the next. Our problems are our teachers to forge our character. Even the days when we’d rather “skip school” are better lived with an eternal perspective.

What we are looking at, the things that are staring us in the face, won’t last forever. We are connected far more deeply to the things beyond this life than anything we might confront in this life. What’s more, the unseen things are far more significant than the obvious things. As our pastor, Perry Duggar says, “The most powerful things in the world can’t be touched, but they can be felt.”

Today’s Post: Are You Living a Shouldy Life?

"Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'

"They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?'

"He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.'

"Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."
Matthew 25:41-46


Okay, so what if you love Jesus, but you just don’t feel like doing any of this? Let’s say that you don’t really have a mercy gift, but you do have a strong gift of discernment. You can tell the homeless why they got in their situation and give them three steps to get back on their feet. They simply look at you and say, “But, are you going to help me?” You think, “Well, I just did.”

We live in a selfish, indulgent culture. As believers, we are just as prone as the next guy to chase the newer, faster, shinier, better, softer, tastier things. Advertising works well on the just and the unjust.

I have lived in several places that call themselves the “buckle of the Bible belt” (apparently, there’s a little competition for true “buckle” status). Most people in Buckleville, regard themselves as “good soil” from Jesus’ parable. We are open. We are fertile ground for the Word of God to be planted and to flourish. We just get a little distracted.

Here’s a hard truth: most of us, even in the buckle, are more like thorny ground “who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke it, making it unfruitful” (Matthew 13:22). We can all say “Ouch” together.

At this point you might be thinking, how did this devotional become so pointed? Why can’t we get back on this week’s topic of Hell? Is Jesus going to send us to Hell if we don’t do good works?

“[Jesus] is not saying that only the social workers get into heaven. Rather, he is saying that the inevitable sign that you know you are a sinner saved by sheer, costly grace is a sensitive social conscience and a life poured out in deeds of service to the poor. [The wayward] are too selfish and [the pious] are too self-righteous to care for the poor” (Tim Keller in The Prodigal God, page 112).

Now, go and feel bad for a little while, beat yourself up, and then forget about this devotional. Okay, how about this? Anything that we are not deeply motivated to do can easily become “works” in our lives. If we fill our lives up with things that we should do, we end up living “shouldy” lives.

Instead, our motive to help others should stem from our deep love for God. If you make yourself available to God for His purposes, you will be surprised at what He can accomplish through you.

Today’s Post: What Are You Building with Your Life?

Or, to put it another way, you are God's house. Using the gift God gave me as a good architect, I designed blueprints; Apollos is putting up the walls. Let each carpenter who comes on the job take care to build on the foundation! Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ. Take particular care in picking out your building materials. Eventually there is going to be an inspection. If you use cheap or inferior materials, you'll be found out. The inspection will be thorough and rigorous. You won't get by with a thing. If your work passes inspection, fine; if it doesn't, your part of the building will be torn out and started over. But you won't be torn out; you'll survive—but just barely. 1 Corinthians 3:9-15 (The Message)

If you’ve ever constructed anything, you know that a visit from the building inspector is often dreaded and rarely celebrated. No one wants to hear that their hard work must be undone by more hard work to eventually be built correctly. But no one wants to end up under a pile of rubble from shoddy construction either.

The good news is that spiritually, even if believers do shoddy work, they can still make it to Heaven. They “will be saved, but only as one escaping through the flames” (1 Corinthians 3:15, NIV). Whew.

Paul writes these words to the Corinthians to challenge their connoisseur attitudes toward their relationship with God. Some said, “We’re followers of Paul Hybels.” While others said, “We follow Apollos Stanley.” While we must admit that different churches and different ministries reach different people, the end goal is the same: that God would be glorified and the Kingdom would be built.

Rick Warren is not going to reach the same crowd as John MacArthur and vice versa. When it’s all said and done there isn’t an expository heaven separate from a felt-need one. There is only one Heaven, and we must be careful before we send a ministry to the other place.

So, what has God called you to build? A Small Group, a class, a relationship with a neighbor? God didn’t call you to sit and soak and sour. He called you to build.

The second question is: How’s it going? Are you building daily or in your spare time? Are you asking what spare time is?

It’s exciting to think that God wants to involve us in what He’s doing. But, that’s exactly how God works. We don’t need to work to get to Heaven, but there is satisfying, life-giving work to be done.

Today’s Post: Getting What You Deserve

And God will provide rest for you who are being persecuted and also for us when the Lord Jesus appears from heaven. He will come with his mighty angels, in flaming fire, bringing judgment on those who don’t know God and on those who refuse to obey the Good News of our Lord Jesus. They will be punished with eternal destruction, forever separated from the Lord and from his glorious power. When he comes on that day, he will receive glory from his holy people—praise from all who believe. And this includes you, for you believed what we told you about him.
2 Thessalonians 1:5-10 (NLT)

Persecution is not something that most believers in the West face very often. Yet, more Christians were persecuted for their faith in the 20th century than all of the previous centuries combined.

In the U.S. we enjoy freedom of religion. These days a lot of folks think those freedoms are becoming more limited. Maybe this is why we keep getting requests for classes on the End Times at BrookwoodU.

The Thessalonians were suffering violent physical persecution for their faith. No one promised them that if they crossed the line of faith that life would be a bed of roses. For them, the flowers were absent, but the thorns were plentiful.

For these believers their conversion was from a life of relative ease to a life of turmoil. They transitioned from a commonplace existence to a spot on Asia Minor’s Most Wanted. The Thessalonians made a dramatic exchange of temporary peace for eternal peace.

Apart from the context of persecution, these verses seem to say, “Since I made the right choice, I deserve Heaven, but since you made the wrong choice, you deserve Hell. Turn or burn.” This is a very simplistic view.

For the Thessalonians, conversion was a dangerous, life-threatening position. To encourage the persecuted, Paul reminds them that on The Day, Christ will set things right. Their persecutors and all evil doers will receive the punishment that they deserve. But, the righteous who hold onto hope will receive their reward. It will be worth it all.

Now, before we turn our thoughts toward our enemies and what they might deserve, let’s remember that it’s only by degrees that we would be deserving of the same. Jesus said, “But I tell you who hear me: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Luke 6:27-28).

God will work the rest of it out.
 

Today’s Post: If your ____ causes you to sin…

And if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around his neck. If your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. And if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, where 'their worm does not die, and the fire is not quenched.' Everyone will be salted with fire. Mark 9:42-49

In this passage, Jesus tells His disciples to take extreme measures if necessary to avoid Hell. The idea of being “salted with fire” is a vivid image. The thought of eternal separation from God might motivate these extreme measures. To avoid the sin that separates is nothing compared to communing eternally with God.

Now, please don’t take this wrong. We are saved by grace, not by amputation. But, here in graphic description, Jesus makes it clear that nothing is worth hindering our relationship with God. Whatever it is that we use to meet our own needs is a poor substitute for what God has in mind for us. It would be better to lose our ability to make the substitution rather than lose our connection with God.

If Jesus was speaking to the Pharisees and religious leaders here, we might understand why He was coming on so strong. But, He was talking to His disciples. The ones who laid aside everything to follow Him were the ones being challenged.

Was Jesus having a bad day? Did He get up on the wrong side of the bed? Did He regret that the invention of Starbucks was nearly two millennia away?

According to Jesus, Hell is a very real place. What’s more, every sinful thing that in any measure separates us from God is Hellish in a sense. What is coming between you and God these days? It would be better to ________ that to separate yourself from God – throw your computer out the window; delete your Facebook account; confess your sin to another believer – what goes in your blank?

Today’s Post: Why Would a Good God Send People to Hell?

I tell you, my friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body and after that can do no more. But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear him who, after the killing of the body, has power to throw you into hell. Yes, I tell you, fear him. Luke 12:4-5

A while back we gathered questions from our members at Brookwood Church. From those questions, our pastor, Perry Duggar, created a message series. (You can watch it here). This week we will look at the question, “Is There Really a Hell?” Aren’t you glad you got out of bed to read this? Be encouraged. Next week we get to talk about “What Heaven is Like.”

Hell is not something that we really like to think about. Hell is unimaginable. Hell is torturous.

Many people question why a good God would create such a place. To some the idea of Hell makes God a little less good. To others Hell just seems impossible. They have relegated Hell to mythology and superstition. But, there’s a problem with writing it off.

Jesus talked about Hell more than any other person in the Bible. Just surf over to biblegateway.com or youversion.com and search the word “Hell.” The word pops up more in the Gospels than in any other place in Scripture. If Hell wasn’t real, then why would Jesus have dedicated so much of His teaching to it?

Honestly, I don’t like to think about Hell. But, here’s the deal, if we are going to believe any of Jesus’ words, we have to believe all of them. It’s easy to hold on to the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” (Matthew 7:12). Our hope is that others especially would hold on to that one.

Jesus promised the hope of salvation. Jesus offered the pathway to healing and wholeness. Jesus pointed to a heavenly home. Jesus also outlined the consequences of a life lived apart from God: an eternity in Hell.

If there was no consequence, would people do good just to do good or avoid evil just to avoid it? The fear of Hell was never meant to paralyze us, but to move us forward.

If you have a relationship with Jesus Christ and trust Him for your salvation, then you don’t need to worry about Hell. That’s settled. What we do need to consider is how to help others connect with God. As we live our lives in the flow of God’s Spirit, we make ourselves available to God and His work. We don’t need to work hard to coerce anyone into the Kingdom. As Rick Warren says, “If the fruit is ripe, you don’t have to yank it.”

Who has God put in your path that you can influence for Christ? Pray for that person, and then look for opportunities to serve them. Separation from God in Hell will be horrible, but separation from God on earth is not that great either.

Today’s Post: Help, My Testimony is Boring!

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! 2 Corinthians 5:17

I grew up in church. My parents tell me that I skipped my first Sunday, but I got my act together by the second week. Whew!

The good thing about growing up in the church and in a Christian home is that the circumstance greatly helps in avoiding things that I might later regret. No arrests. No paternity tests. No broken bones.

The only downside, if you will, is that when I crossed the line of faith nearly 40 years ago, there wasn’t any drastic change. In fact, it felt exactly the same. There were no addictions broken. There weren’t many wrongs righted. There was no great appreciation for the umbrella, because I had never experienced a downpour.

Was I genuinely saved? (People have asked me that -- usually out of anger.) I found myself envying people who had been truly lost and radically saved. Their testimonies made mine seem rather vanilla. Maybe I just needed to head out to Vegas, enjoy sin for a season, then repent and testify! Rick Warren calls a testimony like that a “bragomony.”

While my experience was not dramatic, my salvation was. My sins weren’t obvious because they fit within the boundaries of my church. I didn’t smoke, drink or chew, play cards or roll dice. I was qualified…to be a Pharisee.

When I was 17 years old, I experienced a radical transformation. God called me into vocational ministry. My desires completely changed. I had an insatiable thirst for God’s Word. The Bible I devoured that summer is barely readable today for all of the marks, notes and highlights. If I could go back and relive any portion of my life, the summer of 1982 would be it.

Your transformation might be in degrees like mine or it might be like night and day. Your testimony may be far more entertaining than mine (and I am a bit jealous). Your transformation may be yet to come. You haven’t crossed the line of faith.

I would love to hear your story. You can either post your story to the comments at galatians419.blogspot.com or email me at allen.white@brookwoodchurch.org.

Today’s Post: Should God Throw You Back?

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade—kept in heaven for you, who through faith are shielded by God's power until the coming of the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time. 1 Peter 1:3-5

Some days I don’t feel like I’m a very good Christian. I can be self-willed and controlling. As often as I surrender those things to God, they still wake up with me every morning. I am the complete opposite of “laid back.” I guess that would make me “uptight.” (I don’t really care for that label). That means that I’m prone to put the task ahead of the team. I have to be careful not to fire up my steamroller and just make things happen. Obviously, I have been a great offender of Southern sensibilities. I’m learning – the hard way – but I’m learning.

On the days that I feel I have particularly let God and everybody else down, I need to know that I’m “kept” according to this verse. When I feel that God might be willing to throw me back, instead He assures that I am kept. God offers some irrevocable things in this verse: a new birth, a living hope, and an inheritance.

Our hope comes from Christ’s resurrection. When Jesus defeated death, Hell and the grave, He endowed believers with His amazing strength to persevere. As Rick Warren says, we can live weeks without food, days without water, and seconds without oxygen, but we can’t live a moment without hope.

Our inheritance will never perish, spoil or fade. This is the opposite of treasures on earth that can be destroyed or stolen (Matthew 6:19). The inheritance that God promises has great permanence – eternal permanence.

One last thing, God shields us with His power. That doesn’t mean that God protects us from every bad thing. Just like yellow pollen covers both luxury cars and clunkers in South Carolina this time of year, problems are not respecters of persons. While God’s power may not prevent every bad thing from happening to us, His power does preserve us in this life so we can enjoy the next life, problem-free.

My hope is that as I continue to surrender myself to God, He will continue to make me more like Him. On the days that I feel that I’ve blown it, fortunately, I’m not disqualified. God gives me (and you) far more than is deserved.

Today’s Post: Why You Don’t Want God to be Fair

For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10

We live in a world built on reciprocity. If you invite us to dinner, then next time, we’ll invite you over. If you picked up the check last time, then I’ll pick up the check this time. If I do a favor for you, then I would expect you to return the favor some day. It just seems fair.

This thinking can cross over to our relationship with God. If we faithfully serve God, then God will bless us. If we have a major problem, then surely we must have messed up somewhere along the way. God must be punishing us. Then, life throws us a curveball: “It rains on the just and the unjust” (Matthew 5:45). Then, what do we think?

When it comes to God, we don’t want fairness. Justice says, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23), therefore “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). Fairness is very simple: we sinned, so now we pay.

We don’t want God’s fairness. We want God’s grace. Grace says “we don’t deserve this, but God loves us so much that He paid the price.” God chose to do something very unfair: He put the punishment of our sins on His Son and gives eternal life to all of us who believe.

Life isn’t fair. Salvation isn’t fair. But, life with God is certainly to our advantage.

Today’s Post: Can We Lose Our Salvation?

My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand. My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand. I and the Father are one." John 10:27-30

Over the years, I have heard many debates as to whether or not you could lose your salvation. Some of these debates get so heated that both sides might possibly lose their salvation over it.

Some believe that salvation is completely God’s choice. If God chose you, then you have no choice but to be saved. Since there is no choice to be saved, then there is certainly no choice to reverse things.

Others hold that you make a decision to be saved, but once you decide, you can never go back the other way. I refer to this as the “Hotel California” theology: you choose to enter salvation, but you can never “check out.”

Still others hold that it is your decision to be saved, your decision to remain saved, and your decision to give it up should you choose. I call this the “Hokey Pokey” theology: “you put your whole self in, you put your whole self out…you get the idea.

When we read passages like this one from John, we get the idea that the assurance of our salvation is, well, rather assuring. In this passage, John actually uses a sort of double negative in the Greek: “they shall never, no not ever, perish.” It’s not bad grammar, but it is a very strong emphasis on God’s ability to keep us.

The confusion often comes when verses guaranteeing the believer’s security are paired with verses than warn us to “take heed lest we fall” (1 Corinthians 10:12). Many of us can give examples of folks who faithfully served God, then just went their own way. Did they lose their salvation? Were they ever saved? Are they still saved? Only God can really be the judge of that. We have to be careful not to confuse fitting into a church culture with salvation. I think we’ll be very surprised to see who is and isn’t in Heaven when we get there.

At this point in my life, I believe that our salvation is far more secure than I once did. Can we lose our salvation? I think that question misses the point of what these verses are meant to do.

God understands us. He knows what we need. God knows that there are days when we are down on ourselves and feel insecure. On those days, we need to hear that “nothing can separate us from the love of God” (Romans 8:38-39). We need a reminder of God’s assurance.

Then, there are other days when we are prideful, controlling, and self-righteous. On those days, we need to be reminded to “take heed” (1 Corinthians 10:12). We need to be motivated to surrender our self-will and depend on Him.

Can we lose our salvation? Well, let me put it this way: everyone who dies as a believer (Romans 10:9) goes to Heaven.

Today’s Post: God Rewards Those Who Don’t Work

However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. Romans 4:5

Most of us, raised in the West, grew up with a very strong work ethic. We were taught to work hard and to provide for our families with the sweat of our brows. The thought of ever taking a handout was humiliating. Even the Bible teaches that if you don’t work, you don’t eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10) and that if you don’t provide for your family, you’re worse than an infidel (1 Timothy 5:8). But, when it comes to faith and righteousness, God rewards those who don’t work.

Trusting God for our salvation frees us from many things. We are free from our debt of sin. We are free from condemnation. We are free from guilt and shame. We are free from having to control our own lives. But, could trusting God make things a little too free?

Look at it this way: if we were stopped for a traffic violation, the officer would give us a ticket. We would pay the fine. The offense would be “atoned” for, and everything would be settled. The officer wouldn’t demand anything else from us. It’s a done deal. But, if salvation doesn’t require anything more than trusting in God, then what else might God ask us to do? It’s completely out of our control.

Some of us would rather continue to obey a list of rules and feel safe within a religion that we (or a church) has created for us. As long as we obey the club rules, then we can remain safely in the club. If we violate the club rules, then our fellow members are obligated to come down hard on us. The rules are safe. If we work for the church and avoid falling into sin, then we are safe and secure. We are free to breathe a sigh of relief. We are free to judge the rule breakers. We are free to live the rest of our lives however we’d like to. After all, we’re keeping the rules.

Rulekeepers are sort of like the older brother in the parable of the Prodigal Son. The older brother stayed home. The older brother kept the rules. The older brother complained, “'Look! All these years I've been slaving for you and never disobeyed your orders. Yet you never gave me even a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends” (Luke 15:29).

According to Tim Keller in his book, The Prodigal God, the elder brother didn’t need the father’s mercy, because he kept all of the rules. If you think your life is perfect, then you don’t need grace. You don’t need to trust God, because you trust yourself to keep the rules. The problem is that without trust in God and without His grace, you cannot be saved. You can work hard to fit into a church culture and to fit into society. You could even be a charter member or the citizen of the year, but you wouldn’t be saved.

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight” (Proverbs 3:5-6). Can you let Jesus take the wheel even when the driving seems easy?