What if Tomorrow Never Came?

"Do not wait until tragedy hits your life before you discover what is most important. Open your eyes now to the eternal, the spiritual, the things of God. Prepare for the next life before it is too late." 

What is the focus of your life? Is it seeking things to be happy or achieving important goals? And what if your life was suddenly taken from you today? Would you be ready, or so focused on this life that you were not ready for the next? Questions like this can make us think and may reveal that our life needs some adjusting. (image from IRMP Consulting)

Related to this, a man in a crowd once called out to Jesus, wanting Him to get involved in a personal matter. He was having a dispute with his brother over the family inheritance. In response, Jesus made a profound statement, “Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions” (Luke 12:15).

Jesus laid His finger on the real problem. It was not his brother, but the man’s focus. He was being tempted by the potential wealth he could have with some of the inheritance, and all the things he could do with it for himself.

Jesus knew this temptation was a common problem in the human heart, so He told a story to illustrate an important truth.

He shared about a wealthy farmer who had a tremendous harvest, “. . . and he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?’ And he said, ‘I will do this: I will tear down my barns and build larger ones, and there I will store all my grain and my goods. And I will say to my soul, “Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.”’ (Lk. 12:17-19)

Now if Jesus ended the story at that point, there would be nothing to learn. Instead, He continued with these striking words, “But God said to him, ‘Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?’ So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God.” (Lk. 12:20-21)

The farmer’s life focus, was the “here and now.” For him, his life revolved around his work, building wealth, and making plans for his future. The farmer gave no thought to anything beyond his own interests, nor to the eternal, spiritual or anything of God. As a result, his Creator called him a “fool.” Why? Because all the things he focused on would mean nothing in the next life. He could take none of it with him. At death it would all be ripped away from his earthly hands and left behind to others.

Let us not be so quick to condemn the farmer. If we are honest, many of us are much the same. The temptation to become fixated on this life is real, because there is so much that grips our attention. The more and more stuff we buy, the day-to-day challenges, the busyness. We all have fallen prey to this common enemy. That is until a major crisis hits.

Cancer. Car accident. Heart attack. Natural disaster. When things like these suddenly appear, it is often a wakeup call. The farmer was focused on this life, storing up things for himself, when God announced he was going to die that very night. That was not in the farmer’s plans. He was not ready.

Do not wait until tragedy hits your life before you discover what is most important. Open your eyes now to the eternal, the spiritual, the things of God. Prepare for the next life before it is too late. Jesus died and rose again to show us our urgent need and greatest priority. That is, to prepare to meet God and live for Him. Store up heavenly treasure though sharing the good news of Christ, obeying God’s commands, being faithful toward Him, forgiving those who have hurt you and loving your neighbor.

A prayer for you. “Lord God, show us if we have put the stuff of this life ahead of you. We admit and repent from our ways. Change us, O God! Become the priority in our life and prepare us for the next, whenever that day should come. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

The World’s Most Polarizing Figure

"When we think of the kinds of people that are polarizing; politicians, actors, musical artists, athletes and activists come to mind. We typically don’t think of religious ones like this, yet the most polarizing person in the world today is a religious one – Jesus."  

Polarizing people. There is no neutral ground. You either love’em or hate’em. It is a combination of their personality, public presence and things they say and do all rolled into one. For some they know what they are doing and purposefully push the limits for their own gain. For others though, they do not want to divide. It is the opposite. They want to be helpful and do good, but as they go about doing their work, they are resisted at every corner and division surfaces.

When we think of the kinds of people that are polarizing politicians, actors, musical artists, athletes and activists come to mind. You typically would not think of pastors or other kinds of religious figures as polarizing. For most of them stay away from controversial issues, and seek to bring people together through sharing messages of hope, love and forgiveness. Yet, the most polarizing person today, which has been for centuries, is not a political figure, but a religious one – Jesus. And He was well aware of this and explained to His followers, "If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before . . . you." (John 15:18)

Jesus healed the sick, raised the dead, provided food to the hungry and loved the unlovable. His personality was one of kindness and graciousness, always putting others above Himself. Why was Jesus so polarizing then? It was a combination of His message, claims and how He presented those. He was humble, but also bold and confident. He served the outcasts of society, which the religious leaders condemned. He knowingly defied their religious traditions. He courageously addressed their sins publicly before the people and to them personally. He made claims about Himself, aware the leaders would twist and say He was uttering words of blasphemy. On many occasions, when they came to confront Him in front of the crowds, He stood His ground and wisely responded to their deceptive tactics.

Jesus was fully aware of the impact His message of truth was having when He said, “Do not think that I have come to bring peace to the earth. I have not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law. And a person's enemies will be those of his own household.” (Matthew 10:34-36) What was so offensive about Him?

It was His constant effort at pointing out sin in the hearts of the religious leaders, political leaders, the audiences that came to hear Him and even His own disciples. Many times, this frustrated and flat out enraged His opponents. Yet, Jesus stood firm, never wavering and was ultimately the reason He was arrested and sentenced to death through crucifixion.

Why is Jesus still so polarizing today? The very mention of His name in some places can instantly bring tension. Why? For the same reasons. We are born with the instinct to put ourselves first and do life our way. At the same time, we may acknowledge Jesus and recognize Him as a good teacher. But this is where the offense is; we stop short of turning from the sin He points out in us, and following Him by faith. And if the issue is pressed, we will become firmer in our resistance, rationalizing a way to remain in our sin.

One day, whether you have accepted or resisted Him, He will bring the world to its knees. The Scripture says, "God has highly exalted him . . . so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow . . . and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord . . ." (Philippians 2:9,10,11) Instead of resisting Jesus’ to your own demise in this life and the next, turn from your sin and follow Him. Receive Him today.

A prayer for you – "Lord Jesus, bring your light and expose the darkness in our hearts. Help us not to be offended, but welcome it. For you want us to have new life and be free. Help us to receive that new life by faith. Amen.”

Peace with God in the Storm

"Have you ever gone through chaos or suffering in your personal life or observed it in the world and said to yourself, “Where is God?” This question rises based on what we see and feel from our limited human perspective. However, just as we have a question for God, He has one for us too."

The chaos and suffering in our personal life and world can lead some to say, “Where is God?”, but this is what we see with our human understanding. God sees the same thing we do, but from a different perspective and greater understanding. And just as we have questions for Him, He has a question for us.

Jesus’ own disciples felt this way once when they were facing death on the high seas. Once after a long but fruitful day of ministry to people, Jesus and His disciples climbed into a boat to cross the sea. They pushed out and settled in as they rowed to their destination. Some of the disciples, due to their fishing experience, knew how to navigate the waters well, so were at complete ease on the waters. Shortly after they were on their way, Jesus laid down and fell fast asleep.

Very soon however, the winds picked up and they found themselves in the middle of a full-blown storm. The wind speeds were high and created large waves that crashed down on their boat. As they began taking on water, the experienced seamen became fearful their lives might be lost at sea.

Meanwhile, Jesus was unfazed, and continued in a deep sleep. His disciples, agitated and filled with fear, angrily awoke Him saying, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” (Mark 4:38).

Jesus then stood, looked out on the stormy sea and spoke firmly and directly to the wind and waves, “Peace! Be still!” (Mk. 4:39) And immediately the winds calmed and the waters became still. The disciples stood in amazement and looked with astonishment at each other saying, “Who then is this, that even wind and sea obey him?” (Mk. 4:41)

When the disciples awoke Jesus, they had a question for him, now Jesus had a question for them, “Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?” (Mk. 4:40)

Their eyes were fixated on the storm and they became controlled by their emotions of panic, fear and doubt. They lost all sense of reason. With Jesus, the Son of God, physically there on the boat, did they really think Jesus and all of them were going to drown?

Jesus’ question was to bring a sense of reason, not just peace, back to their panic-stricken minds. The crisis revealed who Jesus is and how He can be trusted, even in times of overwhelming trial and suffering. He showed how He is not a mere man, but God in human form. And as such, He has power over nature, the devil and his demons, sickness, death and even evil itself. He can simply speak and these powers must submit and obey Him because He is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Which then leads Jesus to rightly ask all of us, “Since I am Lord over all. Why are you so afraid and have no faith in me?”

Like the disciples, in the midst of the storms of life, we can have some of those hard questions. “Why God?” “Where are you God?” “Don’t you care God?” We look at the evil, injustice, chaos, pain, tragedy, heartache and from our human understanding we cry out. Then Jesus responds, “I am here. Won’t you trust me?” But to trust, means we have to let go of whatever we are clinging to and turn to Christ. The disciples had to let go of their fear and panic and grab ahold of Jesus.

Christ is worthy of our trust. He died and rose again as yet another sign to show you who He is. The King of King and Lord of Lords. What are you clinging to? Let go and yield to the Savior of your life and soul. He is above all and He is there, wherever you are. He is waiting.

A prayer for you – Lord God, for those who are gripped by a storm right now. Open their eyes so they can see you. In the midst of the suffering, evil and pain, you are there. Speak peace to them and may they receive the freedom and life you died to bring them. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Hearing The Truth About Ourselves

“Who wants someone meddling in our lives, telling us what we shouldn’t be doing, especially if they bring God into it? Every one of us should invite and welcome someone like this, but normally we turn a deaf ear to what they are saying. Why? Because we know it is the truth about ourselves. And the truth is; it is our life and we don’t want to change course. But what if following God’s truth could literally save your life? Wouldn’t you want to listen and respond?”

Politicians, business people, church leaders, parents. Everyone has an agenda. Things they want to do, places to go, goals to achieve. Let me ask, when your mind is set on going or doing something, would you be willing to hear an alternative view? And what if that view, could save you from unforeseen perilous consequences? Would you listen and change your plans?

This is illustrated in a story about two Kings. They were Kings Jehoshaphat and Ahab. Ahab asked his fellow king from the north to join with him in fighting a common enemy. But before deploying, King Jehoshaphat requested they hear from God on the matter. Ahab then summoned 400 spokesmen for God, and they all gave an identical word encouraging the kings to proceed, “Go up, for the Lord will give it into the hand of the king.” (1 Kings 22:6) Sensing something odd about the unified response, Jehoshaphat asked if there was at least one other minister of God in Ahab’s kingdom they could hear from. There was. Micaiah. The very thought of him caused Ahab to angrily comment, “. . . I hate him, for he never prophesies good concerning me, but evil.” (1 Kgs 22:8)

Even so, the king issued an order to go out and bring him in. The king’s servant who did, firmly briefed Micaiah on what he was supposed to say, “Let your word be like the word of one of them [the others], and speak favorably.” (1 Kgs. 22:13) When it was Micaiah’s time, he did as instructed. However, King Ahab knew him too well, “How many times shall I make you swear that you speak to me nothing but the truth in the name of the Lord. (1 Kgs. 22:16) Finally, Micaiah courageously spoke, declaring God’s word on the matter, “. . . let each return to his home in peace.” (1 Kgs. 22:17) Micaiah said the opposite of all the others. His message from God was to not proceed forward with the battle. But this was not what Ahab wanted to hear, so he arrested Micaiah and ordered him to be thrown in prison. Then Ahab went off to battle, and even though he disguised himself, he was killed. Micaiah’s word proved true despite how he stood all alone and was cast into prison.

It is in our nature to avoid hearing the truth about situations we are in, or decisions we are considering, especially if our conscience is bothering us. Why? Because like Ahab, we have an agenda, and hearing the truth, like God spoke through Micaiah, is disruptive to that. For it is built upon our personal desires, beliefs and passions. And if these are corrupt, evil and deceptive, then following God’s truth might mean things could come to an end or get dramatically changed. Therefore, we stubbornly resist.

Do you want to hear the truth? Let us be honest, hearing it from some bold source, can be upsetting. However, even though God’s message is humbling, it is intended for our good. And the good could sometimes lead to saving our lives or the lives of others; both physically and spiritually. If Ahab would have listened to God’s message, he would not have been killed. Disobedience cost him his life.

Whatever you are facing be a seeker of truth. And the first truth someone might need to hear is this; no matter how good you think you are or how you justify your behavior, you are living in disobedience to God. And if you persist in this, you will face the anger of God. Jesus came to die on a cross and take the wrath of God upon Himself for you. Then He rose again in victory, in order to give you that victory. That is mercy. Not treating you, as you deserve. Trust in Him with all your heart this very hour.

A prayer for you – “Lord God, help us to face the truth about ourselves. Send us people that will be bold and tell us what we need to hear. Then humble us so we might respond to what you say through them and be changed through Christ. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”

Are You Living a Religious Lie?

"Why do so many people live one way on Sunday and another way during the week? There’s no cost to it. Plus, they get the benefits of religion while also choosing to live however they wish. This is living a lie and dangerous for the eternal soul."

The great Christian leader, Paul of Tarsus, appointed a young man he was mentoring to lead the church in the city of Crete within the Roman Empire. He wrote a brief letter filled with guidance for his task. Part of it was a warning about some ungodly teachers that were doing tremendous harm, “They profess to know God, but they deny him by their works. They are detestable, disobedient, unfit for any good work.” (Titus 1:16)

This strong, but accurate statement, hits on a theme of the Bible. It springs from a problem in the human heart, that causes one’s words and actions not to align with each other. This type of living is a lie. It is deceptive and manipulative, leading to a lack of personal trust and integrity. It is spiritually dangerous, potentially causing the damnation of one’s personal soul.

Paul received this teaching from Jesus, whom spoke about it when He asked a rhetorical question to His listeners, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you?” (Luke 6:46) In other word’s Jesus is asking, “Why do you say you believe in me, but do not obey my commands?” This was also dealt with hundreds of years before Jesus, as God spoke through the prophet Jeremiah, “Will you steal, murder, commit adultery, swear falsely . . . then come and stand before me . . .?” (Jeremiah 7:9-10)

All three quotes are statements of contradiction. On one hand, people profess to know God or His Son Jesus through their words or Christian activities, but contradict that profession in how they live. What they say on Sunday and how they live the rest of the week does not match up. They give ample reason for another to question the genuineness of their faith, if they have truly been born again or to wonder about their salvation.

They say with confidence, “I pray”, “I believe”, or even “I have asked Jesus to forgive my sins.” Yet, their life is a walking illustration of a religious conflict when sins like drunkenness, sexual immorality, anger, bitterness, profanity or others mark their life. How can this be? They may respond with, “No one is perfect.” Yes, that is true, but it is no excuse for continuing to do what one knows is wrong, especially while boldly professing Jesus to be their Lord and Savior. This is a hypocrite. A religious actor. It is written, “Therefore you have no excuse, O man . . .” (Romans 2:1)

This is a widespread problem. Why have so many chosen to live this way?

Simple. There is no cost to it. It is a vain attempt to have two kingdoms. God’s and mine.

This way of thinking provides the benefits of religion. One can pray, believe in God, experience His blessings, or even enjoy worship and taking the Lord’s Supper, while receiving a sense of peace and ease of conscience. But then one also has the freedom to live how one chooses without feeling judged.

Those who teach or believe this, are embracing a dangerous lie. For God strongly condemns this and will not be deceived or mocked. Jesus will one day say to them, “I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.” (Matthew 7:23)

To enter into God’s Kingdom, you must walk away from YOUR kingdom. Yes, there is a cost. There might be relationships that need to be broken or places you need to stop going. This is repentance and is costly, because it means you are turning away from someone (you) and toward someone – Jesus.

If God were to examine your life, what would He see? Just empty religion or a life that is totally sold out to Christ?

A prayer for you – “Lord God, examine our lives. Help us to see what you see. If we have been living for two kingdoms, show us. From this day forward help me to live fully for Christ, the One who suffered, died and rose again that I might truly live. In Jesus’ name. Amen.”