How free is my will?

Jos 24:15 ..."choose this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your fathers served in the region beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you dwell. But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."

Choose.  The Bible calls us to do it.  There is no doubt that God calls us to make a willful choice to follow him.  The difficulty with that, is that our will isn't as free as we think.  It has limitations.  I am not suggesting that God is rejecting a persons willful choice to follow him, saying "You want to repent and choose me but I have not chosen you, so no!"  Absolutely not!  The Scriptures are clear "Any who call on the name of the Lord will be saved."  The limitations I see on our will is something that comes from our ability.  I am free to do anything that I am able to do.

Take for instance me sitting down at a piano.  I have absolute freedom, right?  I can hold down any key or combination of keys for any length of time I choose.  I can rest or play as I desire.  No limitations.  I am free to do whatever I want...right?  Wrong.  I am not free to play "Flight of the Bumblebee."  I can't even play "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star."  I can't play the piano.  So my absolute freedom is not in fact absolute, it is limited by my own ability.  

Our choosing of God is also limited by our own ability.  "None is righteous, no, not one; no one understands; no one seeks for God. All have turned aside; together they have become worthless; no one does good, not even one." "Their throat is an open grave; they use their tongues to deceive." "The venom of asps is under their lips." "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness.""Their feet are swift to shed blood; in their paths are ruin and misery, and the way of peace they have not known.""There is no fear of God before their eyes." Sin has so marred us, that we don't even understand God, much less seek Him.

This incredible passage shows how God moved us from death to life.  Eph 2:1-9  And you were dead in the trespasses and sins  (2)  in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience--  (3)  among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.  (4)  But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us,  (5)  even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ--by grace you have been saved--  (6)  and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus,  (7)  so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.  (8)  For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  (9)  not a result of works, so that no one may boast.

I am not bringing this concept up today to join the endless theological debate.  I am bringing it up for us to revel.  God loved us so much, that in Christ he made a way for sinners and God haters to be made alive, and adopt them as his own children.  He didn't do this because we were good enough, or smart enough, or humble enough, but because of His great Love.  So choose you today whom you will serve, put your faith in Jesus Christ, confident that you are received by God through Him.  But understand, this gospel leaves no room for boasting.  There is no room for having enough spirituality to turn in faith...realize that even that is a gift of God.  

I don't want to argue, this is marvelous.  I want to worship.  I hope you will too.

Loving Jesus and serving self.

Found this at: http://www.jesusneedsnewpr.net/christian-car-of-the-day-2/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+JesusNeedsNewPr+%28JESUS+NEEDS+NEW+PR%3A+The+blog+of+author+Matthew+Paul+Turner%29

Sad how much this cracks me up!

The American...Nightmare!

The American Dream!  In America we have been blessed with an abundance of physical blessing.  I was moved to tears this morning at breakfast.  My children ate the grits their mother had prepared for them just the way they like it, with sausage and cheese all mixed in.  After finishing the grits they said, we are still hungry, and their mother began making toast to finish off the remains of their hunger.  I thanked the Lord that my children would not go through this day hungry.  It is a great blessing, and I am so thankful.  Yet, I realize the danger crouching to consume me in that moment and to consume my children.  The American Dream is a ferocious monster with an appetite that even overshadows my hungry little hoard.

The American dream is the thought process that goes like this:  I need to work really hard to become successful.  When I have become successful I need to enjoy the fruit of that success all the while balancing investments to ensure continued success. I need to be constantly upgrading to bigger houses, newer cars and TVs, nicer clothing, and on it goes.  There is not much more distasteful to an American than the guy who refuses to work and just wants a hand out.  The hero is the one who works and succeeds.  But do you know what Jesus calls the mindset of the American dream? He calls this mindset foolishness!


Luk 12:15-21  And he said to them, "Take care, and be on your guard against all covetousness, for one's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."  (16)  And he told them a parable, saying, "The land of a rich man produced plentifully,  (17)  and he thought to himself, 'What shall I do, for I have nowhere to store my crops?'  (18)  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.  (19)  And I will say to my soul, Soul, you have ample goods laid up for many years; relax, eat, drink, be merry.'  (20)  But God said to him, 'Fool! This night your soul is required of you, and the things you have prepared, whose will they be?'  (21)  So is the one who lays up treasure for himself and is not rich toward God."

Jesus is clear, "life does not consist in the abundance of possessions."  He says to the rich man who was successful in obtaining "the dream" life "Fool!"  He had lived his life for himself without regard for God.  This is obviously not a call for laziness or a condemnation of those who work hard.  It is a call to honor God in our poverty and with our wealth.  It is a call to recognize that God does not (as Randy Alcorn says) grow our wealth to "increase our standard of living, but to increase our standard of giving."  David Platte likens materialism to drinking salt water.  It feels like it is meeting the need that we have, but every sip of salt water dehydrates the body further.  Thirst increases.  It will kill a man.  Wealth is that way for a man spiritually.  It feels good, but every taste only leads to wanting more and brings destruction spiritually.  Wealth causes us to depend less on God and increasingly upon ourselves.  It is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven.  

Break the cycle.  Lift your eyes to that which really matters.  God does not call you to live poor miserable lives.  He calls us to live in the treasure of heaven and not to settle for the limited treasure that this world has to offer.  Mat 13:44  "The kingdom of heaven is like treasure hidden in a field, which a man found and covered up. Then in his joy he goes and sells all that he has and buys that field."  Jesus is so glorious that it truly is a joy to the man who would hold all his earthly wealth so loosely that he is freed to lay hold of the treasure of Christ!  Let us let go and lay hold today!

Mary, Martha, a Paralytic, and the Crowd who Wouldn't Let Him Pass!

Our pastor preached yesterday from Mar 2:2-12  And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them.  (3)  And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men.  (4)  And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay.  (5)  And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, "Son, your sins are forgiven."  (6)  Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts,  (7)  "Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?"  (8)  And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, "Why do you question these things in your hearts?  (9)  Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, 'Your sins are forgiven,' or to say, 'Rise, take up your bed and walk'?  (10)  But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins"--he said to the paralytic--  (11)  "I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home."  (12)  And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, "We never saw anything like this!"

This is an amazing passage in a lot of ways.  One of the points stood out to me was the thought that the most needy man among all the people gathered that day was unable to approach Jesus without his friends taking extraordinary effort to lower him through a roof they had demolished.  Why could he not get close?  The answer is that there was a crowd of people around every entrance eager to hear from Jesus.  They were so eager, in fact, that they chose their right to hear Jesus over the need of the paralytic.  It is an incredible thought to me.  Do I worship God in such a selfish way.  Do I come to receive...of course I do.  Do I receive in such a way as to be oblivious to the needs of others trying to come to Jesus?  Probably.  I am sorry.

I balance this passage with the passage about Mary and Martha.  Remember Luke 10:38-42  Now as they went on their way, Jesus entered a village. And a woman named Martha welcomed him into her house.  (39)  And she had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to his teaching.  (40)  But Martha was distracted with much serving. And she went up to him and said, "Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me to serve alone? Tell her then to help me."  (41)  But the Lord answered her, "Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things,  (42)  but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her."

Martha missed the good portion because she was focused on meeting peoples needs.  Mary drew near to Jesus and chose well.  It seems completely opposite that the crowd in Mark two missed it because they refused to meet the need of another, demanding their spot before Jesus.  (granted they are never rebuked by Him) I think the key is this: There is a way to sit before Jesus that exalts Jesus and makes him the prize.  There is also a way to sit before Jesus that exalts self and prizes my own needs.  Likewise, there is a service to others that exalts Jesus and a service to others that merely exalts man.  Let us draw near to the Lord today.  Let us exalt Him.  Let us make way also, for you are not the only needy person approaching the King today.

Bob Kauflin- Disability

http://theworksofgod.files.wordpress.com/2010/06/song-for-those-with-disabilities.mp3

This is a link to a song by Bob Kauflin that ministers to those with disabilities by pointing them to all loving, all wise, all powerful God!  Love it!

Follow the Leader

I love the Scriptures.  I love when you come to a passage that you have read a thousand times and never "gotten it."  This happens a lot for me, I will humbly...and honestly...admit.  I love the moment when some clarification comes along and the passage opens up and a nugget of truth is revealed.  One of these passages for me was:


Joh 12:20-26  Now among those who went up to worship at the feast were some Greeks.  (21)  So these came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, "Sir, we wish to see Jesus."  (22)  Philip went and told Andrew; Andrew and Philip went and told Jesus.  (23)  And Jesus answered them, "The hour has come for the Son of Man to be glorified.  (24)  Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.  (25)  Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life.  (26)  If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

This passage always had me scratching my head because it seems like horrible storytelling or that Jesus just missed the opportunity in a big way.  What I mean is that these Greeks come to Jerusalem to worship and they go to Philip; he sounds approachable.  they tell him they want to see Jesus.  Phillip takes their request to Andrew who takes it to the Lord.  Jesus answer then apparently shoots out some other direction like he never heard the request that was made of him.  He starts talking about his own death and the fruit it will bear, he challenges his followers to do just that...follow him.  I can picture Andrew thinking "so...what should I tell Phillip to tell the Greeks?"  "Is that a yes or no?"

I know that the story is told just as it needs to be told and I know Jesus is not missing anything, so I was praying and asking God to show me how Jesus response is answering the request the Greeks brought to him.  Then, there it was.  Jesus came for the Jews.  Sure, he shared some crumbs that fell from the table to gentiles like Greeks, but his ministry was to the Jew first.  The gospel has always been  God's promise for all the families of the earth and gives hope to all peoples and nations, but Jesus personal earthly ministry was primarily among the Jewish people.  

His answer then goes something like this.  "It is time for me to be glorified.  That is, to be seen and worshiped by everyone, just like these Greeks.  My glory will be seen amazingly in my suffering and death.  This is the most magnificent display of my glory.  But my death won't be alone, it will like a seed grow up and bear more fruit.  That fruit will also be willing to follow me in suffering and death. It is those disciples who will be showing Jesus to the Greeks."  The Greeks will be killing Jesus "body" just like the Jews killed Jesus.  In both cases Jesus would be magnified.  

Are you a follower of Jesus Christ?  Really?  You realize that to follow Jesus is to choose a road of suffering.  He did say "If anyone would come after me he must deny himself, take up his cross daily, and follow me."  You can't follow Jesus and seek a life of comfort and ease.  "You can't serve God and Mammon."  I think as modern Christians we hear words like that from Jesus and we wouldn't say it out loud but we think "oh yeah, watch me."  We think we can follow Jesus and serve our own desires.  

Here is the call, ringing from the keyboard of a convicted hypocrite...let us follow! Choose the road that requires self denial and crosses.  Let these difficulties seem light and momentary as we hope in eternity with Christ.  Let us lay aside every sin and hindrance and let us run with endurance the race that has been set before us, fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith! As we follow him down that road the Greeks (and every other tribe and tongue) will see Jesus in us.

Does God ask you to do hard things?

As a pastor I have the opportunity to do a lot of different kinds of counselling.  I counsel with husbands and wives who are struggling with their marriage.  I struggle with parents who are struggling with their children   I counsel with children striving to make the right decisions.  I counsel with the grieving.  I counsel with the recovering.  I counsel with the addict.  I counsel with the offended.  I counsel with the offender.  All of these situations, and the many specific situations that arise, are so varied and different that each case must be handled carefully and individually.  No pat answer is a one size fits all answer.  I have noticed one theme that runs throughout each of these situations however.  Before I can tell you what it is I have to give a little ground work.

I may meet with an unbeliever, in fact I often do.  I can not do Biblical counseling with someone though, who has rejected or remains undecided about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  I will meet again and again and again with an unbeliever, but it will always be to seek their salvation in Jesus Christ.  I will always seek to evangelize that person.  I can't move on to tell someone how to live who has no life.  It is hard to "pretty up" a corpse.  The Bible describes our condition before Christ as "dead in our trespasses and sins."

So that said, know that whether I am counselling a husband, wife, parent, child, offender, offended, or anybody else, I am counselling someone who has acknowledged that they are alive in Christ and that they are seeking do walk obediently with Him.  When we look at the scriptures in their very different situations, the common thread is revealed by the common response..."but that is hard."  I hear these words in almost every counselling session.

It is hard to forgive.  It is hard to love sacrificially.  It is hard to submit.  It is hard to seek forgiveness.  It is hard to... fill in the blank.  Often this is an excuse leveled against me in our discussion as to why the counselee could never be expected to do what I am describing to them the Bible says.  In all honesty, I too seem to lean on the excuse "it is hard" as a reason why God would not really expect me to do the things He makes clear in His word.

Here's the shocker.  God often times calls us to do hard things.  In fact it is rare that doing the right, God honoring thing, is easy. This does not excuse us from doing it though.  Hear the promise:

Deu 30:9-14  The LORD your God will make you abundantly prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your womb and in the fruit of your cattle and in the fruit of your ground. For the LORD will again take delight in prospering you, as he took delight in your fathers,  (10)  when you obey the voice of the LORD your God, to keep his commandments and his statutes that are written in this Book of the Law, when you turn to the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul.  (11)  "For this commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, neither is it far off.  (12)  It is not in heaven, that you should say, 'Who will ascend to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?'  (13)  Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, 'Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it and do it?'  (14)  But the word is very near you. It is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

Did you hear that promise?  Believer, you are a new creation.  You are a child of God walking in the newness of life.  The Holy Spirit is with you.  Do not believe the lie that would say "obedience to God is too hard."  The life of blessing is near to you today!  Take hold of it.  Do the hard thing God is setting before you!