A recent Bible study I lead at an apartment building was considering Colossians 3. The passage we were focusing on begins with a call to "...keep seeking the things above.." (3:1). We spent the evening discussing the implications that Paul gives us for having a heavenly mind in a world that only thinks of the moment at hand.
So many things that occur in our lives are frustraed because we do not have an eternal perspective. The apostle reminds us that we have died and our life is now hidden with Christ, in God. Christians are not settling for a remodel job! We have had a completely new creation work done on our lives. Our mind and our heart has been changed by God.
As a result of this God-driven change, we are told to avoid immorality, anger, slander, etc. And, in it's place, we are told to bear with one another, forgive one another, and love one another. The result will be peace (3:15). Too many people are waiting for peace BEFORE the obey. Obedience always comes first.
Several years ago a young, single mother came to me after attending an outreach at a local church. She told me she had gone forward, confessed her sinfulness and trusted Christ. When I spoke to her about obedience in baptism, she quickly told me, "I don't feel like it." I was amazed and responded to her, "Dear, God doesn't care how you feel. He wants obedience to His will." Obviously, she went away a rather disturbed person and to my knowledge never obeyed the Lord. Peace is the result of obedience and doing God's will is not an "elective course" for the Christian. We had died to the old nature and are now alive in Christ. Now is the time to let Christ rule in our lives, not because it benefits us (it does do that) but because a Righteous and Holy God deserves our obedience.

I recently heard a sermon that addressed the purpose of the Christian life. The emphasis was on being a witness. While I agree that there is a calling for every Christian to witness to his faith in Jesus Christ, that is not our primary purpose.
Our primary calling as believers is to worship and glorify God. Jesus' words to the woman at the well in John 4 clearly notes that God is seeking worshippers (John 4:23-24). Worship means to "ascribe worth to" and means to prostrate oneself before a holy God. It is more than what transpires for an hour or more on the Lord's Day. It is the continuing act of living holy, separated lives before our Sovereign Lord. It is handling every situation in life with the mind of Christ and the spirit of Christ controlling our thoughts, emotions and actions. We cannot put our Christian experience into compartments with some labeled for self and others labeled for God. Everything is His from our most intimate thoughts to our most public moments.
There has been no time in history when it has been more important for believers to understand what it means to worship God. The Westminster Confession begins by reminding us that the whole duty of man is to worship God and to enjoy Him forever. That is a life experience that makes each moment sacred and lived in the presence of God.

The recent news story of the woman attacked by a chimp has received a lot of attention. The owner of the animal reportedly had treated the chimp as her child. Later she apparently wondered how the animal became so violent. I have an answer for the woman: it's an animal.
Some years ago during a sermon I noted that the nature of an animal is to be an animal and the nature of a sinner is to sin. As I was talking with people who were leaving worship, a woman told me that I didn't know her dog. I responded that I didn't know her dog but that I did know that the nature of a dog is to be a dog just as the nature of a sinner is to sin.
Christians should, of all people, understand the fallen nature of mankind. We should not be surprised that unregenerate people act like unregenerate people. Paul tells us in Romans 3:10ff, "...there is none that is righteous, not even one.." Later in the same chapter he instructs us, "...all have sinned and come short of the glory of God." Why are we so surprised when people who have not trusted Christ alone act in ways that offend God? Until a person trusts Christ, we cannot expect them to behave in ways that please Him.
All the attempts of social reformers and governments to change people apart from Christ are destined for failure. ONLY Jesus Christ can move a man or woman from the category of unregenerate to the glorious position of being "in Christ." That does not mean Christians never sin, but we now recognize our sin (no excuses!) and confess them to Him who forgives (I Jn. 1:9). Our hope is in Christ alone. In Him, we are capable of living to please God because He has changed our nature. We are new creations in Christ (II Cor. 5:17). He make an eternal difference. Believe it and live.

For several years I've been helping as a volunteer for our neighborhood association. The purpose of the association has been to encourage people to keep our neighborhood in good condition, mow lawns, look out for our neighbors, etc.
The discouraging part of the years that have passed is the downward spiral of our urban neighborhood. The association still exists but in spite of my comments about underscoring city codes for buildings, lawns and automobiles parked on lawns, there are instead nice little coffee times with soup suppers and other social events.
There is a monthly newsletter that is published and the area assigned to me comprises about seventy to eighty homes. I deliever the newsletters, talk to neighbors if anyone is at home, and often lament over the drift downward. Some residents simply reply that we shouldn't expect much for this working class neighborhood. However, many of the older retirees who worked in Wichita's factories for years, keep their homes and yards in showcase condition despite their advancing years. I try to keep our yard in pristine shape and when I view the changes around me it reminds me that it has a lesson for the church.
Too often it is easier to "dumb down" our efforts to be inclusive of everyone instead of trying to help, encourage, and admonish those around us. One young teen on our block remarked to me one day, "You're rich!" I asked her where she got that idea. She said that since my house always looked so nice and my lawn mowed and flowers blooming, that I was rich. I informed her that taking care of what God has given us doesn't make us rich. It makes us grateful so that we want to care for it. Incidentially, we live in a bungalow with less than 900 square feet but it is neat, comfortable, and the yard is a place of peace and beauty.
Maintaining our Christian life also means that we commit to God what He has given us and use it to the glory of God. Believers do not look for shortcuts but always focus on the One who "became poor so that we could become rich." These are challenging days not only in our neighborhood but in our lives as Christians. It's a time to focus...on Him! George

June 10, 2008
After traveling with our family to visit my brother in south Texas, I came home with a refreshed spirit. Seeing family, sharing with the people that you care about most, and having a time to talk about life and taking time to laugh are important.
It reminds me that the New Testament is filled with instructions to the church to encourage one another, pray for one another, to love one another, to admonish one another, etc. Life is about relationships. The most important relationship in time and eternity is our relationship to the Living God. The other important relationship is with people, made in the image of God, made for His glory and appointed to serve Him.
Many people today have forgotten that life is NOT about us. It's about the One who created us, called us through the Gospel, redeemed us by His work (not ours) and now calls us to serve and glorify His name. When our relationship with Him is "in order", other relationships fall into place as well. The result of knowing and serving Him is we begin to focus on others and not ourselves. When I focus on myself it is likely that I will miss the joy God intends me to experience in life. The most fulfilled people I know are people willing to give themselves to the Sovereign Lord who made and redeemed them and who then look for ways to serve others.
Let's covenant together to look away from ourselves. (Gal. 2:20)

During the past week I had the opportunity to visit with a man who was given just three months to live. It was on one hand a sobering experience. On the other hand, it was an opportunity to talk about eternal things. It seems that people are so often busy with the trivial things of life that we forget there is something bigger and more lasting that what generally concerns us.
Jesus had a great deal to say about the future. It is clear in reading John's gospel record that Jesus knew where He came from, knew why He was on earth, and knew where He was going. There is no question in the four gospels that Jesus was on a mission and totally committed to it. He refused to get distracted and saw every opportunity as part of the eternal plan.
Paul reminds us in Ephesians 1 that God had a plan for us "before the foundation of the world." God is not in the business of making "last minute" plans because He is ignorant of what is in the future. Each person who belongs to Jesus Christ also knows that there is something more to come. Titus 2:11-13 reminds all Christians that God's grace has appeared, bringing salvation to all men while instructing us to deny ungodliness and worldly desires and to live a sensible, righteous and godly life at this moment in time as ones "...looking for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Christ Jesus." (2:13).
Because of our hope, the way we live today has been planned and empowered by God. Believe it, trust Him and keep your head up!

Why Christ Died

Our local newspaper had an article on this date concerning the manner in which Jesus died. It gave several medical suggestions stated by various medical experts. I read the article with fascination because years ago I heard a noted cardiologist speak of Jesus' death as having been caused by a broken or ruptured heart. His contention was that Jesus died from the physical trauma as well as sadness from bearing our sins.

After I finished reading the article and pondering its message, I noted to my wife that the WHY of Jesus death was much more important than the HOW. I certainly believe the biblical record stating that Jesus was crucified. Crucifixion was a common Roman method of punishment. However, Jesus was not crucified for what He had done but for who He was. Further, His death was a part of God's eternal plan since before the foundation of the world (Eph. 1). God doesn't work by means of last minute plans.

The reason Jesus Christ died was not to demonstrate His ability to endure pain and suffering in the physical body. He was crucified for our sins. He became our substitute. He endured the cross, despising the shame of such an act in order to satisfy God's justice. Mankind is guilty (Rom. 3:23) and Jesus' death alone (once for all according to Hebrews 9:26), is able to save those who have trusted in Him. Paul tells us in II Corinthians 5:14 that "...one died for all..." Because of His death on our behalf, God has pronounced us forgiven. What a glorious message!

While the method of His death and the suffering He endured instructs us about His love for us, the WHY of His death should cause us to run to Him for the eternal life He freely gives.