HE HAS OUR BACKS

"God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble." Psalm 46:1

Sin not, that grace might abound…

“For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under law, but under grace. What then? shall we sin, because we are not under law, but under grace? God forbid.” Romans 6:14-15

It is hard to believe that people who receive a wonderful gift would misuse that gift, but it happens all the time. This is especially true with the gift of grace from our Father which provides us with eternal life and gives us power over sin. No sooner than the doctrine of grace was revealed, it came under attack. It was and is hard for prideful man to believe that he can do nothing to earn his salvation. The concept that our salvation is totally based on the shed blood of Christ and that we cannot add anything to that sacrifice on our own behalf is unacceptable by many. That is why so many cults and “isms” require works as part of their salvation. But the scriptures are clear- it is a free gift.

BibleLens_2019_08_21_19_11_10_4830.jpgIf I came up to you and said I had a gift for you and then gave you a price you would have to pay for it, it would no longer be a gift. The covenant that God has made with us is kept on the strength of who He is, not on what we can pay. We can never pay enough. The price is too high. As hard as that is to understand, we need to get a hold of that if we are going to experience grace.

But even when people get beyond the difficult concept that salvation is free, they must face more struggles, because our sinful nature will take any wonderful gift of God and try to pervert it. Examples of what God has given us that we twist around are many, but just a few examples are intimacy, humor, nature, and science. None of those things are invented, they are all discoveries of what God has already built into our universe. Unfortunately, we often find a way to pervert them to fit our own sinful desires. We do the same thing when we discover the free and unbreakable gift of salvation. We try to pervert it.

The movie Casualties of War tells the true story of a squad of soldiers which fought in the Vietnam War. The lead role in the film is Private Erikson who’s is played by Michael J. Fox. The other men in the squadron begin to be involved in a string of atrocities, the latest against a Vietnamese girl. As Erickson struggles with what has happened, he says to the other men in his squad, “Just because each of us might at any second be blown away, we’re acting like we can do anything we want, as though it doesn’t matter what we do. I’m thinking it’s just the opposite. Because we might be dead in the next split second, maybe we gotta be extra careful what we do. Because maybe it matters more. Maybe it matters more than we ever know.”

Some people mistakenly see grace as a license to sin, just like the men in this story who saw the possibility of death as a reason to commit sinful acts. There is nothing that justifies sin, especially not grace. What is a gift for us cost God beyond comprehension. To take advantage of that gift lessens the incredible sacrifice of Christ on our behalf.

In today’s verse Paul had to correct the way many in Rome were approaching salvation. They were accepting God so that they could live like the devil! “After all,” they were saying, “if salvation is free and it can’t be lost, why worry about the way we act? In fact, the more we sin, the more it illustrates God’s grace! Right?” Wrong. Paul tells us in Romans that we cannot take evil advantage of God’s grace. Earlier in Romans 6:1-2 Paul says, “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?”

We are new creatures, why would we live like the old? In fact, in every epistle Paul illustrates the dangers of Christians living sinfully and his warnings are strong and to the point. We will lose comfort, joy, peace, and many other wonderful blessings that accompany knowing Christ. In fact, in Corinthians, he makes it clear that we can even lose our lives.

So grace is good, sin is bad, and just because we experience grace, we should not sin to celebrate. Sin does not celebrate or illustrate God’s grace. Sin diminishes what God has done in our lives and mocks the incredible sacrifice that Christ has made for us. He became sin for us so that we could live outside of sin, so by His power, that’s what we should do.

Revenge is not so sweet…

“Don’t say, “I will avenge this evil! ” Wait on the Lord, and He will rescue you.”  Proverbs 20:22

Yes, I will admit it.  John Wayne, Clint Eastwood, Charles Bronson and all those manlyimages-1.jpeg actors I grew up with were popular with me for many reasons, but one of the main reasons was that they usually gave the bad guy what he deserved.  No evil man with an eye patch and bad teeth would terrorize the farm family as long as those guys were around.  Their revenge wasn’t immediate (usually about 2 1/2 hours for a movie and an hour for TV), but eventually the bad guys got their just rewards.  Occasionally, our heroes even took ’em alive!

There is a side of me, probably of all us, that likes to sip on the tall drink of revenge once in a while. But these movies are scripted and the good and bad guys are just following the lead of the pen that created them.  In real life revenge is not nearly so sweet.  That is why God warns against it in Proverbs and many other places in the Word.  There are several reason for that, but to name just a few: God knows exactly what is going on and will handle it correctly, we don’t know exactly what is going on and will usually handle it poorly, and “revenge” seldom gives us the satisfaction we expect it will.

BibleLens_2019_08_21_09_39_55_4360Let’s take the first two together.  No matter how close we are to the situation (I am getting bullied in the school yard, ouch, memories) and I can’t stand it. I plot a nerdy revenge that humiliates the bully so much that he drops out of school and joins the job corps where he soon is kicked out for bullying.  Seems like a good plan carried out well.  But I cannot see inside of the bully; I cannot see the future for this bully; I cannot see the ramifications for my actions; I can’t see anything beyond my own desire to “get even.” All I know is that it feels good for a while… for a while.  That brings us to the third point. Anything that is contrary to God’s Word will never work.  It just won’t.  Jesus said to love those who hate you (by the way, that is not the doormat argument that we should lie down and let others wipe their feet on us), and (to creatively combine two different verses) it will heap hot coals upon their heads.  What doesn’t seem to work is when we really heap hot coals upon their heads. Because we know The Lord we just can’t stay excited about seeing anyone charred and pathetic- it somehow loses it thrill very quickly.

God says He sees what is going on and will rescue us.  It may not seem like it and we are so prone to jump ahead of God and to deal with things like our western heroes did (a flurry of bullets and a half-sneering smile), and if we had script writers all might turn out well.  But we don’t.  Our story is life and we should put it in the hands of the author of life.  That temporary satisfaction we get by getting a few licks in on some deserving villain will subside quickly and surprisingly our good feelings will give way to other ones.  Revenge is a temporary fix because we are not quite the fixers God is.  So the next time we feel inclined to say, “Do you feel lucky, Punk.  Well, do ya?”  We might be better to say, “You got this one, God. Let me know how it goes. I’ll be in wardrobe changing my attitude.”

From Captivity to Calling

“So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God.” — Galatians 4:7

St. Patrick’s Day has always been special to me.  It is a pretty cool holiday but that is not the reason.  It was also my mom’s birthday.  She didn’t make her birthday a big deal, but she used St. Paddy’s day to make a big deal for the rest of the family.  That was the way she was… she did special things like baking a green cake for us, wearing green, and pinching us if we forgot to.  I guess that was one of the birthday privileges she exercised.

But St. Patrick’s story is not just one of shamrocks and green clothes and parades—it is a powerful testimony of redemption, transformation, and obedience to God’s calling.  St. Patrick’s true life story illustrates the gospel itself: how Christ sets us free from the captivity of sin and then calls us to share that freedom with others.

Patrick was just a teenager when raiders kidnapped him from his home in Britain and sold him into slavery in Ireland. He spent years in bondage, tending sheep on a lonely hillside. But during that time, something remarkable happened—he turned to Christ. In his own words, Patrick prayed as many as a hundred times a day, his heart awakening to the presence of God in his suffering.  He found a relationship in his loneliness that would  shape the rest of his life and even a whole country.

Eventually, he escaped and returned home. But instead of putting his past behind him and settling into a comfortable life, Patrick had a vision—he saw the Irish people calling him back, saying, “Come and walk among us again.” He knew what this dream meant: God was sending him back, not for vengeance, but for the sake of the gospel. The very people who had enslaved him were now the ones God called him to love and serve.

Patrick obeyed. He returned to Ireland, facing opposition, hardship, and danger. There were many times that it would have been easier to pack up and head back to his home, but this was his home now. Because of his perseverance his ministry brought thousands to Christ, and Ireland was forever changed. The captive had become the missionary. The lost had been found, and now he was leading others to the same Savior who had rescued him.

Patrick’s journey mirrors our own spiritual condition. Before Christ, we were enslaved—not to earthly masters, but to sin. We were in bondage, unable to free ourselves. But God, in His mercy, sent a Savior. Jesus came to set the captives free (Luke 4:18), to redeem us from slavery to sin, and to make us sons and daughters of God (Galatians 4:7).

But salvation should not be the end of the story, but the beginning. Just as Patrick was called to return to the people who had once enslaved him, we, too, are called to bring the message of Christ to those who are still in spiritual captivity. We are ambassadors representing our new home country to those in a faraway land.

Here is the challenge. Are there people in your life that are difficult to love—maybe even those who have wronged you? Are there places God is calling you to go, people who God wants you to engage, activities that God wants you to take part in, but fear is holding you back? Patrick could have stayed in his homeland, content in his own freedom, but he chose obedience over comfort.

May we do the same as Patrick. May we remember that we were once captives, but Christ has set us free. And now, He calls us to go and tell others—no matter the cost.   Next time you see someone wearing green or dressed like a leprechaun  or getting pinched, remember Patrick and his great love for others….and love others the same way.

“How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in Him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching?” — Romans 10:14

Real Heroes: Living with Strength, Courage, and Faith

“Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be courageous; be strong. Do everything in love. “ — 1 Corinthians 16:13-14

I wrote this devotion based on our last B3 meeting that looked at spiritual connections with today’s superheroes. We know that the world is fascinated with superheroes. From Superman’s strength to Captain America’s unwavering moral compass, people admire characters who fight for justice, protect the weak, and make sacrifices for the greater good. But what if the qualities we admire in these heroes are actually pointing us to something greater—God’s calling for our own lives?

While we may not have capes, super speed, or indestructible shields, God has equipped us with everything we need to be real-life heroes—men of faith who stand for righteousness, defend truth, and fight against the spiritual forces of darkness.

If we look closely, we will see that almost all of the commendable traits of the superheroes  are Biblical in nature.  In some cases coincidentally and in other cases intentionally. Let’s take a look at a few.

Strength and power are Godly attributes and though the world sees strength in physical power, true strength can come in many different forms. There is a power source that sometimes the world ignores.  Isaiah 40:31 tells us, “But those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”

Samson was one of the strongest men in the Bible (probably in history). But his real strength wasn’t in his muscles but in his obedience to God. When he disobeyed God his strength left him. He was still Samson, but not the Samson he was meant to be. Like us, we are strongest when we surrender to the power of God which comes from reliance on the Holy Spirit.  Relying on God is not a show of weakness, but of strength.

Courage and boldness are also traits found in most superheroes.  When Captain America steps into battle no matter the odds he illustrates the same kinds actions that Christians are called to exhibit.  I often say that my father had fewer decisions to make than anyone I have ever known. That was because to make decisions, you have to have choices.  When it came to doing right, my father did not have to fret over his decision because he had so few choices.  Choosing what was wrong was not an option, no matter where it led.  Doing right was just right. . That takes courage.  An example of spiritual courage is standing for Christ even when it’s unpopular.  One of the most popular and well-known Bible passages can be found in Joshua 1:9 . It is addressed to one of the great heroes of the Old Testament Joshua.  “Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid; do not be discouraged, for the Lord your God will be with you wherever you go.”  This can be a rallying cry for all us who are “in Christ.

David, a young shepherd, took down a giant because he knew God was his strength.  David did not wear the armor of the world, but only the armor of God. The giant had all the greatest armor the world could provide, but as all things of the world this armor is no match for the armor that we have access to in God’s great armory- His Word.

Other important traits of today’s superheroes are integrity and righteousness.  Superman is a symbol of unwavering moral integrity, always doing what’s right.  Superman is fictional and is just written that way by a team of writers.  They create the person of Superman.  But a team of writers, whose pens were carried along by the Holy Spirit, wrote not of a fictional person but of a  larger than life figure, Christ. They did not create His story, they just relayed it.

We see in proverbs 11:13 how important integrity is. “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity.” Daniel was one of those true life heroes who refused to compromise, even when it meant being on the local lion menu. He refused to protect himself with a compromise in integrity.  We might not be impressed because we know the end of the story…. but remember, he didn’t.  A real hero stands for righteousness, no matter the cost.

We also see that many superheroes make  great sacrifices to save others by putting their own lives at risk even unto death.  But their heroism is not real because they are not real.  No superhero really dies or gets hurt because they can be all better in the next edition.  But in real life we do die… we do hurt.  And there is a superhero who made  the greatest sacrifice of all for all.  That was Jesus-  and He was and is …real.  Jesus put the needs of the whole world above His own  and lived out the words found in John 15:13.  “Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” But not only that, He even died for his enemies. Even fictional heroes don’t do that.  But Jesus, the true Savior, gave His life for everyone, so that anyone who accepts His sacrifice can  have eternal victory over death.

So to be superheroes in a world desperate for them, we need the armor of God.  If we are to be protected from the onslaught of the enemies in battlefield called earth we need to put on the full armor of God found in  Ephesians 6:10-18.  There we are told to armor up   because we don’t want to go into battle naked. When we used to play basketball , we sometimes split up into shirts and skins. In the battle that is raging around us, we don’t want to be skins.

The enemy on this battle doesn’t attack with laser beams or supervillains- he attacks through temptation, doubt, and fear.  So we must armor up for that.

To be a hero for Christ, we  must wear:

✅ The Belt of Truth – Stand on God’s Word, not the world’s lies.

✅ The Breastplate of Righteousness – Live with integrity.

✅ The Shoes of Peace – Bring the gospel wherever you go.

✅ The Shield of Faith – Defend against attacks of doubt.

✅ The Helmet of Salvation – Remember, your identity is in Christ.

✅ The Sword of the Spirit – Use God’s Word as your weapon.

Our challenge is to be a hero for God.  We don’t need superpowers to be a hero. We need faith, obedience, righteousnss, and courage. The world is desperate for men who will stand firm, fight for truth, and live boldly for Jesus.  Through God’s strength we can be that kind of person. Captain America once said, when he was about to battle an enemy that was said to be god, “There is  only one God, ma’am, and I’m pretty sure He doesn’t dress like that.”   God does not dress like anything in this world, and he provides us the armor necessary to fight our battles.  Let’s be people who don’t just admire heroes—let’s become one by following the greatest Hero of all: Jesus Christ.   Then we never have to be skins again on the battlefield of this world.

The Boss may come today…

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a shout of command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who remain, will be snatched away at the same time together with them in the clouds for a meeting with the Lord in the air, and thus we will be together with the Lord always. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”  1 Thessalonians 4:16-18

“Behold, I shew you a mystery; We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal [must] put on immortality” (1 Cor. 15:51-53).

These are very remarkable verses that describe the snatching away of the church to meet Christ in the air.  This event is imminent, meaning that it could come at any time. It is unlike the second coming of Christ which needs certain events to take place before it can take place.

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It is important to remember that rapture and second coming are similar but separate events. Both involve Jesus’ returning. Both are end-times events. The rapture is the return of Christ in the clouds to remove all believers from the earth before the time of God’s wrath. The second coming is the return of Christ to the earth to bring the tribulation to an end and to defeat the Antichrist and his evil world empire.

That is a very brief summary of two cataclysmic end-time events, but the above verses have a very important place in our lives today.  Even though the rapture will come on us without warning and takes place at the beginning of the seven-year tribulation (some disagree, but they are not writing here this morning, so they can save their thoughts for their own devotionals), there are things that are going on in our world give us hints that the rapture could be soon upon us.

The word “maranatha” is a Syriac expression that means: “our Lord comes.” It was used as a greeting in the early church. When believers gathered or parted, they didn’t say “hello” or “goodbye” but “Maranatha!”  It is too bad that Christians don’t have that same upward look today.  How it would change the church if we all looked at the return of Christ with certainty and conviction.  How differently would we look at all those around us.  images-28.jpegI have a friend who says, “See you here, there (pointing upward), or in air,”  instead of goodbye.  It is really the three choices two believers have- they will see each other on this earth, or in heaven, or in transit.  It is a neat way to remember the “where” in “till we meet again.”

It is true that certain things must take place before the second-coming at the end of the tribulation and many of those things have already happened or are happening right now.  The stage must be set for the tribulation and anyone who has even the slightest interest in prophesy and current events can see that the table is being set for the end times.  For instance, the nation of Israel was scattered across the face of the earth, but yet just fewer than 60 years ago was brought back together and is today one of the most powerful nations in the world.  That process of scattering a people then reestablishing them has never taken place before. That had to take place as a prerequisite before all the other events could occur.

So, why worry (oops, I mean think) about all this? Because we never know when the Lord will come again.  It is important that we are looking for opportunities to share with those who do not know the Lord because the instant Christ comes that chance will be lost forever.  In fact, if you share the gospel with someone and if that person put his belief in Christ, look up, because the word says that the rapture will not happen until the body of Christ is filled.  That person that you just shared with might be the last one to fill it, and so we all might be leaving right then!

One of my favorite men of courage is the British explorer Ernest Shackleton.  I have readimages-9.jpeg several books chronicling his incredible voyages to the South Pole. While on one of the voyages he had to leave a few men on Elephant Island because their ship was crushed and there was not enough room for the entire crew. He promised them that he would return. Later, when he tried to go back, huge icebergs blocked the way. But suddenly, as if by a miracle, the huge icebergs shifted and a channel opened in the ice and Shackleton was able to get through. His men, ready and waiting, quickly scrambled aboard. No sooner had the ship cleared the island than the ice crashed together behind them. Contemplating their narrow escape, Shackleton said to his men, “It was fortunate you were all packed and ready to go!”

They replied, “We never gave up hope. Whenever the sea was clear of ice, we rolled up our sleeping bags and reminded each other, ‘The boss may come today.'”  That is the same attitude that we should have!

We should not fear the coming of The Lord because it will be a glorious event, but unlike Elephant Island, we do know that there will be many “left behind.”  IMG_1323We should do all we can to make sure that our friends and family are not part of that number by living our lives for Christ and sharing Him in word and deed.  What incredible verses Paul left for us to remind us of the spectacular transfer of believers from this world to glorious presence of Christ.  Let’s just make sure we are rapture ready and let’s encourage those around us to be ready as well!  Like the men on Elephant Island we should be packed and ready to go. The “Boss” may come today.

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