For me, to live is …

A comment our Pastor made at Bible Study last night caused me to think about Philippians 1:21 “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.”

Today on my drive to work I was thinking about what that really means. Do I really believe that? Do I live my life like I believe that?

Do I really believe that hell is a horrible place and that it is real and that people who haven’t trusted Christ are really condemned to an eternity there?

Do I really believe that heaven is this incredible place where God lives? Do I really believe that it is far better than any place I can imagine? Do I really look forward to going there?

There are things I am looking forward to here on earth. I am looking forward to living in my new house.  (should happen soon)   I am looking forward to seeing my daughter graduate from college. (We’ve got just over three years left)  I am looking forward to the day she meets someone special and gets married. (please let that be at least 4 years into the future)  I am looking forward to someday (not soon) being a grandmother. Is it bad to look forward to these things?

If asked to complete this statement, “For me, to live is ______________, and to die is ______________,” how would you complete it?

Would you say something like?

• For me, to live is money
• For me, to live is pleasure.
• For me, to live is education.
• For me, to live is my career.
• For me, to live is my family.
• For me, to live is just to make it through another day.

What is it that drives you? What consumes your time and energy? What do you spend your resources on? How would others who know you, describe you? What motivates you? What gives your life meaning?

Paul had a single focus. His passion was Christ. He lived for Christ.

He desired to see people come to faith in Christ and have their lives transformed. Living for Paul meant loving and serving Jesus.

Paul never had a family or a career. His success was when people accepted Christ. His life, his passion, his only desire and purpose was to preach the gospel.

Erwin Lutzer said, “By all standards, death is the most dreaded event. Our society will pay any price to prolong life. Just one more month, or even another day. Perhaps our desire to postpone death reflects our dissatisfaction with God's ultimate purpose. Remember, His work isn't finished until we are glorified. Most of us would like to see God's work remain half finished. We're glad we are called and justified, but we're not too excited about being glorified.”

Paul didn’t dread death. He looked forward to being with Christ.

“Therefore we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body we are away from the Lord. For we live by faith, not by sight. We are confident, I say, and would prefer to be away from the body and at home with the Lord.”   2 Corinthians 5:6 – 8

Paul was an amazing man and was used by God in a mighty way and yet what he really wanted was to be with Jesus. As a Christian, our desire should be for the Lord but that doesn’t mean we are to sit back and do nothing while we are here on earth. We are meant to have an intimate relationship with Christ and to live out that life for others to see.

Does that mean you shouldn’t have a family or a job or hobbies? No, but it does mean that those things should never become so important to you that they interfere with your relationship with Jesus. If you begin to desire the things of this earth to the point that your relationship with Christ suffers then you need to rethink your priorities.

As long as you are alive and here on earth, you need to passionately pursue God and serve Him because every other area of your life is impacted by your relationship with God.

Do not hold on to the things here on earth so tightly that you wouldn’t want to depart and meet the Lord in heaven. We must be eager for the day to come so that we can be with the one who loved us so much he willingly died on a cross for us.

So, coming back to Philippians 1:21, can you really say what Paul said? “For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.”

 

* Dr. Erwin W. Lutzer is an evangelical Christian pastor, teacher and author. He is currently the senior pastor of Moody Church, in Chicago, Illinois.

A Lesson Learned From Dogs

A friend and I took our dogs for a walk. Here’s her little dog, Red.

 

 

 

 

Here’s my much bigger dog, Lucky.

These two dogs are very loved. (not spoiled, no not them ….)

They get along well with each other, as long as food isn’t involved.  

Lucky has been living in Red’s backyard for nine months.  He is waiting, like we are, for our new home to be completed.

Lucky loves me and always greets me enthusiastically when I go to visit him. I don’t think he understands why he has to sleep outside in the cold. (PA is a big environment change for a dog born and raised in GA)

Back to the story about our walk …. We walked across the road and over to my new house. (Which isn’t quite finished yet!)  Since it was cold, we took the dogs into the basement. Then we took their leashes off and let them loose. I was talking to my friend and I sat down on the stairs. Red came over to see me and I petted him. Then, Lucky saw me. He took off in a run across the basement and pushed his way in to me because some other dog (friend or not – doesn’t matter) was getting attention from me. I was his master and I should have been petting him.

I saw the jealousy at once and I laughed out loud at him. I told him I had plenty of love to share. He didn’t care, he wanted all of my attention.

Jealousy has been around since the beginning of time. Remember the story of Cain and Able. Jealousy over God’s favor led Cain to kill his own brother.  

Joseph’s brothers were jealous when they sold him into slavery.

Saul became jealous because of the favor of God in David’s life. That jealousy moved him to try to kill David.

Jesus was put to death by those who were envious of His life and ministry (Matt. 27:18; Mark 15:10).

I’m human and so if I am honest, I will admit that I sometimes deal with jealousy. Sometimes I wonder why others seem to be so blessed. I wonder how they got that promotion, that attention from the boss, that privilege, etc…

It is not up to me to decide who gets what blessing. It is not up to me to make sure that someone who is unkind or lazy doesn’t get the promotion. I am not in charge. God is sovereign. God is in control. God is completely trustworthy. God works all things together for my good.

I am to do my best, to treat others fairly, to act kindly, to promote unity, to help others, to give to those in need, to live a life that would please God in every way.  If I am busy doing what I am supposed to do, I won’t have time to worry about anyone else.

Jealousy is rooted in a false view of God. 

• It says, “I want what God has chosen to give to others.”
• It says, “Doesn’t God know that I deserve better.“
• When I am jealous, I am complaining to God that I know what I need in my life better than he does.

It is like saying I don’t believe Psalm 84:11 is true; "no good thing does He withhold from those whose walk is blameless."

In order to defeat jealousy, we need to change our thinking.

• We need to take captive every thought. (2 Corinthians 10:5)
• We need to renew our minds. (Romans 12:2)
• We need to pray to have the mind of Christ. (Philippians 2:2-4)

There is another side of jealousy. While it is a bad thing in our lives, the Bible says that God is a jealous God. He is jealous concerning me and my affections. He doesn’t want me filling his place in my heart and life with other things. He demands first place.

The lyrics in the song below are:

“He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree,
Bending beneath the weight of His wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory,
And I realize just how beautiful You are, And how great Your affections are for me.
And oh, how He loves us, oh,
Oh, how He loves us,
How He loves us all”

 

 

Remember that Jesus set the example for how we are to love others.

“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13

A Man After God’s Own Heart

When you think of David, what comes to your mind?

• Is it that David sinned with Bathsheba and had Uriah murdered to cover it up?
• Is it the battle where David kills Goliath?
• Is it the friendship between David and Jonathan?
• Is it that David that wrote about half of the Psalms and poured out his heart to God?

The Bible doesn’t shield us from the truth. We get to read about both sides of David.

The Bible allows us to see David’s sin so that we can also see that David had a heart that could be touched with the truth. He wasn’t afraid to admit his sin. He wasn’t afraid to confess and ask for forgiveness. (Psalm 51)

Perhaps when you think of David, you think of the phrase “a man after God’s own heart.”

“After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.’” Acts 13:22

What does it mean to be a man after God’s heart?

Perhaps a look at some of the character qualities of David will help.

David knew who he trusted in.

“The LORD is my light and my salvation– whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life– of whom shall I be afraid?” Psalm 27:1

David wasn’t afraid to tell others about God.

“I will praise you, O Lord, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders.” Psalm 9:1

David desired to be obedient.

“Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.” Psalm 119:34

David loved God.

“I love you, O Lord, my strength.” Psalm 18:1

David was thankful.

“Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name.” Psalm 100:4

David was brave and he trusted God to take care of him.

^“David said to the Philistine, “You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hands, and I’ll strike you down and cut off your head. This very day I will give the carcasses of the Philistine army to the birds and the wild animals, and the whole world will know that there is a God in Israel. All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord’s, and he will give all of you into our hands.””
1 Samuel 17: 45 – 47

David was humble. David understood that the only good thing about him was God. He is an example of how a leader needs to put his own ego aside and humble himself before a holy and almighty God.

“I said to the Lord, “You are my Lord; apart from you I have no good thing.”” Psalms 16:2

David loved God’s Word.

“Blessed are those who keep his statutes and seek him with all their heart— they do no wrong but follow his ways.” Psalm 119:2-3

“for I delight in your commands because I love them. I reach out for your commands, which I love, that I may meditate on your decrees.” Psalm 119:47-48

David love to praise God.

“David praised the Lord in the presence of the whole assembly, saying,
“Praise be to you, Lord, the God of our father Israel, from everlasting to everlasting.
Yours, 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, 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.
Now, our God, we give you thanks, and praise your glorious name.””
1 Chronicles 29:10-13

Like David, may we seek to be men and woman after God’s own heart and may we long to have the Lord create in us clean hearts.

 

No Comparisons

“Each one should test his own actions.  Then he can take pride in himself, without comparing himself to somebody else, for each one should carry their own load.” (Galatians 6:4-5 NIV)

“Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you must take responsibility for doing the creative best you can with your own life.” (Galatians 6:4-5 MSG)

“Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won't need to compare yourself to anyone else.  For we are each responsible for our own conduct.”  (Galatians 6:4-5 NLT)

Did you notice that I just used the same verse but from three different translations. Each one speaks to me just a little differently.

I need to pay attention to the work God has called me to do and not compare myself to others. I’m only responsible for the work God has called me to do.

But how many times do we try to compare ourselves to others?

What do you compare?  (Forgive me for the female perspective.)

• Is she prettier?
• Is she skinnier?
• Does she have better clothes; or even more clothes?
• Does she have a bigger house?
• Does she have a newer car?
• Does she have a better job?
• Does she make more money?
• Does she have a better husband?

All of these are physical or material things. We shouldn’t be focusing on these things.

“Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moths and vermin destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moths and vermin do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”  Matthew 6:19-21

“Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things”  Colossians 3:2

What about spiritual things? Do you get caught up comparing yourself or your church to others?

• Does our church have more people than theirs?
• Do we worship better than they do?
• Do I sing as good as that other person?
• Is our pastor a better teacher/preacher than theirs?
• Am I as powerful a teacher as he/she is?

Perhaps those questions should be:

• Am I reaching out into our community and inviting people to come?
• Am I pleasing God with my worship?
• Do I sing for God? Am I making a joyful noise?
• Is our pastor teaching the Word? Am I listening to what God is saying to me through him? Am I responsive to the leading of the Holy Spirit?
• Am I seeking God for what He would have me teach and then teaching what God lays on my heart?

Everything I am is because of who Christ is and what He did for me. I need to focus on using my God given talents and abilities to serve Him the best that I am able – and not to look at what anyone else is doing or not doing.

God made me exactly the way He wanted me to be. He knows what His purpose is in my life. I need to accept myself for who I am and not try to be someone else. God made them different and gave them different gifts because He has a different purpose for them. We are all an important part of the body of Christ.

“There are different kinds of gifts, but the same Spirit distributes them. There are different kinds of service, but the same Lord. There are different kinds of working, but in all of them and in everyone it is the same God at work.” 1 Corinthians 12:4-6

I need my goal to be to live every day in such a way that it brings glory to God.

“So we make it our goal to please him, whether we are at home in the body or away from it.” 2 Corinthians 5:9

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” Galatians 2:20

“Therefore, I urge you, brothers and sisters, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your true and proper worship. Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will.” Romans 12:1-2

“Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for human masters” Colossians 3:23

God, help me see myself through your eyes.  Help me see Your purpose for my life and how You want to use me.  Then help me be willing to carry it through. 

Make the choice to forgive

My mind is in a million places this morning. I’m having a lot of trouble focusing. Organizing my thoughts is a chore today. My brain feels like mush but here it goes …

I recently attended a worship service at another church in our community. After the service someone asked me if I recognized the lady who had led the music. I said no and then I was told who she was. I knew this lady when we were growing up and my first reaction was not a good one or a godly one. I was instantly glad I didn’t know who she was prior to the service or I might not have been able to worship that night. Why? I know some things that she did in her past.

As I thought more about this, I realized what a hypocrite I was being. We have all done things we are not proud of. (Remember - All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.) None of us want to be remembered for those things. When we confess our sins, God forgives us and wipes our slate clean. That sin is covered with the blood of Christ and is no longer held against us.

We rejoice because God forgives us. However, do we always forgive each other? Do we allow others to get a clean slate or do we want to remember their past ….

Luke 6:37 “Do not judge, and you will not be judged. Do not condemn, and you will not be condemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven.”

When we forgive others, we are the one who receives the blessing. My forgiving her has nothing to do with her walk with God, but it can really impact mine. A spirit of unforgiveness can complicate and compromise my relationship with God. This is a woman that I haven’t thought about in probably 20 years and yet the mention of her name brought back hurtful thoughts. Forgiving others releases us from anger and allows us to be healed.

Have you ever been shopping and seen a garment that said “One Size Fits All”?  It has been my experience that this is not a true statement.  However, that is the way God looks at sin. God does not qualify sin into categories. There is not one that is worse than another. All sin needs forgiveness and even one sin, no matter what it is, can interfere with your relationship with God. God simply cannot coexist with sin.

As I am writing this, God brought another person to my mind that I need to forgive. I hadn’t thought about him in months. A man who told things about me that simply were not true. I was hurt deeply because I felt I had really tried to help this young man. I worried that others would believe the half-truths, twisted truths, and lies that he told. I was angry and hurt and I was worried about my reputation.

Colossians 3:13 “Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you.”

My reputation is in God’s hands. I know the truth. Now, I need to forgive and move on and not worry about what others may believe.

“He will make your righteousness shine like the dawn, the justice of your cause like the noonday sun.” Psalm 37:6

Forgiveness is a choice. We must choose to forgive those who have done us wrong, then lay the whole mess in God's hands, and leave it there, and walk away.

Meditate on God's love for you. God's love was expressed through Jesus' death on the cross. When we begin to comprehend how much God loves us, then that same love will flow out to others. As we understand God’s love and forgiveness, we will find that forgiving others will come naturally, and healing those wounds will also become a very real and tangible reality.

How about you?  Search your heart.  Is there anyone you need to forgive? 

My Testimony

When I was on staff with Campus Crusade for Christ (now called Cru), I was trained to give my testimony. I could do a three minute version, a 5 minute version, and a 10 minute version. Which one I used depended on my situation. Here I’ll try to keep it simple and short.

I was raised in a Christian home. My family went to church every time the doors were open. I was in the youth group, Sunday school class, and the youth choir. I enjoyed the activities and had friends there. I knew a lot about Jesus but I was missing an important piece.

In June 1978, I attended a Christian choral music camp for a week at camp Jumonville. On Thursday night we were privileged to hear Jeff Painter in concert. Jeff is an amazing pianist, composer, and singer. I was enjoying the concert and then Jeff started to give his testimony. He talked about how it isn’t enough to know about Jesus. We needed to know Jesus personally. These were things I had never really understood. I didn’t know that I needed to personally accept Jesus in to my life. Up until this point, I was trying to do everything right. I was going to church and reading my Bible. I was trying to be obedient but it was all on my own effort. I had never asked Jesus to forgive my sin and I had never asked Him to come into my life. This night was the most important night in my life because I answered an altar call and went forward and confessed my sin and gave my life to Jesus. It was at that moment that I understood that I didn’t have to live the Christian life on my own. Jesus was going to be right there with me every step of the way.

So what changed in my life after I became a Christian? To be honest, you would not have seen a lot of change. I still participated in lots of church activities but they quickly took on new meanings for me. I had a peace in my heart that I had never experienced before. I really didn’t live all that differently but now I could draw strength from God. I had a hunger for God’s Word that I had never experienced before.

I graduated from high school and went on to college. I knew upon arriving at college that I needed to find some Christian fellowship. I met a girl who was involved with Campus Crusade for Christ and she invited me to go to one of their meetings. I went and immediately knew that was where I needed to be. I was placed in a discipleship group and I started to really learn a lot about my faith. I was taught how to pray, how to study the Bible, and other basics of the Christian faith. I had a leader who held me accountable and that was really important to my growth as a Christian.

Jesus saved me and changed my life at that music concert. I knew at that moment that I was going to heaven. However, I still had a lot to learn. It is important that after you accept Christ that you don’t stop there but that you seek to know Him better every day.

I am not perfect. I still make mistakes, but I know that my heavenly Father loves me unconditionally and that when I confess my sin, He will forgive me. My Christian walk is a moment by moment experience. I love the Lord and my goal is to live my life so that it pleases Him in every way.

 

The Bible says:

“ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.” Romans 5:8

“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9

“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9

“Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come.” 2 Corinthians 5:17

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God as a workman who does not need to be ashamed, accurately handling the word of truth.” 2Timothy 2:15

“And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God” Colossians 1:10

What is your testimony?

Definition of testimony - is a solemn declaration as to the truth of a matter. All testimonies should be well thought out and truthful.

So if someone asks you about your Christian testimony, they simply want to know the truth about what has happened in your life.

When you tell others about what God has done for you, you are sharing your testimony. It should be the story about how you came to place your faith in Christ. Every Christian should have a testimony.

Some Christians have really dramatic testimonies about how they were saved from a life of drugs or crime. Others don’t have that kind of story to tell but that doesn’t make their testimony any less significant.

The truth is we are all sinners on our way to hell. Then God came and did a miracle in our lives. He rescued us and set us on a path leading to heaven. “For while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” (Romans 5:8) We didn’t do it ourselves. We were saved by grace through faith in Christ.

I like to hear about how people came to Christ but I don’t like it when they go into gory details about all the things they did before Christ saved them. These things are the past and should be put behind them.

There are other testimonies where people tell about how much they have given up for Jesus. They elaborate on all the things they gave up and all the sacrifices they made. Your testimony should be about what Jesus did for you, He gave up His life for you. Therefore, focus on Jesus because He is the one doing the saving work.

A good testimony should lift up the name of Jesus and should convey that we were all sinners hopelessly separated from God and then Jesus came and saved us and transformed us. You should always be ready to share your story of salvation.

Check back for the next post and you can read my testimony …. 

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Matthew 10:32 “So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, “

Psalm 71:15-18 “My mouth will tell of your righteous acts, of your deeds of salvation all the day, for their number is past my knowledge. With the mighty deeds of the Lord God I will come; I will remind them of your righteousness, yours alone. O God, from my youth you have taught me, and I still proclaim your wondrous deeds. So even to old age and gray hairs, O God, do not forsake me, until I proclaim your might to another generation, your power to all those to come. “

1 John 5:11 “And this is the testimony, that God gave us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.“

1 Peter 3:15 “But in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,”

1 Corinthians 2:1-5 “And I, when I came to you, brothers, did not come proclaiming to you the testimony of God with lofty speech or wisdom. For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. And I was with you in weakness and in fear and much trembling, and my speech and my message were not in plausible words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, that your faith might not rest in the wisdom of men but in the power of God.”

Romans 1:16 “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes”

Titus 3:3-7 “For we ourselves were once foolish, disobedient, led astray, slaves to various passions and pleasures, passing our days in malice and envy, hated by others and hating one another. But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.”