December 30

Why don’t New Years resolutions work?
The main reason is the lack of accountability. There is something very powerful in accountability. When you submit yourself to another person and give them permission to speak into your life it gives you a great incentive to complete the goal.

That is why for 2011 we are designing a new look for the Grace Bible Readers. We are challenging people to create their own Bible reading teams for the New Year. These teams of 3 to 6 people will commit to a weekly phone call to encourage each other to continue to read the Bible. The goal for 2011 is to finish the New Testament and the Psalms in six months. The inclusion of community and accountability is the best way for each of us to complete the journey.
Over the next few days we will give you more information on the new format.

This will be my final entry for 2010. I am so thankful for the team of people who made this journey together. The insights of Steve, Galya and Apryl have encouraged all of us. It has been a challenging year and yet God has given us all the resources we need to live victorious lives even in the midst of a culture that is rapidly deteriorating. Thank you for making this journey with me. I am looking forward to even more people reading through the New Testament in 2011.

Let’s end with a few insights from our reading today. I always laugh when people say how the God of the Old Testament is an angry God and Jesus is a loving, pacifist in the New Testament. When people say things like this I know they have never read through the Bible. The conclusion of human history ends in a head-to-head conflict between good and evil. This conflict is so terrible that over half of the world’s population is wiped out in the maelstrom. That makes every Old Testament story of violence look like a Baptist Sunday School Picnic compared to Revelation. The holiness of God and the wickedness of the human heart are headed for a showdown. You can even see this today. People are tired of hearing about what the Bible says. They don’t want God to interfere with their lives anymore. This opposition to God’s truth will only intensify at the end of history.

One important term that is repeated in the last chapters of Revelation is the word Babylon. How are we to understand this word? The city of Babylon was founded by Nimrod (Gen 10:8‑11). The name bab‑el means "the gate of God." Ironically, the famous tower of Babel was an idolatrous attempt by man to defy God and deify himself. When the Lord sent judgment on the builders he confused their languages and the word “babble” came to mean confusion. Later in history, Babylon became a great empire before finally falling to Media‑Persia. But from the beginning of Nimrod's city in Genesis 10, an insidious anti‑God "Babylonian influence" has been felt throughout history. In our reading today Babylon is both a city and a system. Whether the city will be rebuilt once again on the Euphrates is a matter of debate. But this term is used in Revelation to definitely refer to a worldly system and philosophy that stands in opposition to God. It’s just like WALL STREET and MADISON AVENUE are actual streets but they also stand for the financial or advertising enterprises.

John used “Babylon” to warn his readers that a vast anti-God philosophy stands in opposition to the truth found in the Word. The true church is a pure virgin but the false religious system is a harlot who had abandoned the truth and prostituted herself for personal gain. In the end times the world will be wildly spiritual ... but it will be wildly wrong. This apostate religion is growing rapidly even as I write this blog. What we need to watch out for is the watering down of the gospel message. It is very easy to be seduced into accepting popular opinion in the church.
Here’s an illustration of how this is working even now. One of the most popular TV pastors refuses to mention the word “sin” in any of his sermons. He uses terms like, gospel, salvation, and Jesus but he refuses to say anything about sin. In the end his salvation message is salvation from a poor self image, salvation from not reaching your full potential.

The warning about Babylon is this ... “come out of her, my people so that you will not share in her sins... for her sins are piled up to heaven.” We serve a holy God and he has called us to live holy lives. That is the message God gives us in the last days.

December 29

What is the purpose of your life? This question is the fundamental issue in the book of Revelation. Presbyterians in their catechism ask the question this way, “What is the chief end of man?” The chief end of man is to glorify God and enjoy him forever. So why does God desire our worship? An even more sinister question is this, “What type of God has to be told a 1000 times a day how great he is?” Does God have some inferiority issues and we are the solution to his need?

Have you ever noticed that when you have done something that fills you with great joy - a book you read, a place you visited, a movie you saw, or something you did - it is natural for you to tell your friends that they ought to read that book or visit that place or see that movie? People instinctively praise whatever they enjoy. Well, worship is the spontaneous overflow of our enjoyment of God. To glorify God we must enjoy him, and when we enjoy him we glorify him.
Worship is not for HIM but for us. We were created for worship and we will not satisfy the deepest ache and longing in our hearts until we have enjoyed our God.

In Revelation 13 we deal with a counterfeit worship. A great cosmic battle will take place in the future and at the heart of that battle lies the question of worship. Who will receive our worship? We are already locked in this battle now, but in the future this issue will become dangerously obvious. Make no mistake about it; the outcome has already been determined for this battle. That was determined at the cross when Jesus triumphed over the forces of evil. God will not lose this war, but we must make certain we do not forfeit our opportunity to win the battle for our hearts and the hearts of this generation.

That is why the Bible Reading Journey is so critical. Each day we must determine who will receive our worship. If we don’t worship, Satan has won. Here is evidence that worship is the fundamental issue in the final battle:
Verse 4 ... Men worshiped the dragon.... and they also worshiped the beast and asked, “Who is like the beast? Who can make war against him?”
Verse 5 ... The beast utters proud words and blasphemies..... he does this against the true God.
Verse 6 ...He opened his mouth to blaspheme God, and to slander his name and this dwelling place.
Verse 8 ... All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.
Verse 12 .... and made the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast.
Verse 13 ... he calls down fire from heaven to deceive the people and cause them to worship.
Verse 15 ... if you don’t worship the beast’s idol you will be killed.

So how many minutes will you give today to the enjoyment and worship of the true God?
We have been given 24 hours to invest in whatever way we choose. Take time right now and enjoy and worship your God. There is nothing more important!

December 26: 1, 2, and 3 John

In John's Gospel, John describes himself as "the disciple whom Jesus loved." This moniker points to John's loving character, clearly a fruit of the Holy Spirit alive in His life. Despite this high calling, John did struggle (along with his brother James) with a desire to take the seat of supremacy (Mark 10:35). Yet, it is unsurprising that John focuses his first letter on love, both between God and man and between people.

Given the blizzard conditions here in Stamford, I would like to focus this short meditation on two concepts:

1) "As white as snow." 1 John 1:8-10: "If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness. If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word has no place in our lives." Confession involves agreeing with God that our sins are indeed real, while repentance involves turning away from the sin and towards God. God's forgiveness indeed comes as a free gift when we humbly admit our shortcomings. Let us all seek transformation in our lives for 2011, that God might be greatly glorified in us.

These words appear in several places, indicating the purity of Christ and the result of His atonement. David writes in Psalm 51:7: "Clean me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." Isaiah 1:18 promises that, for those who have trusted in Christ for forgiveness, "though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool."

2) "How deep (great) is the love the Father has lavished on us... " 1 John 3:1 declares: "How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!" In Ephesians 3:17b-19, Paul writes: "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge — that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." By knowing the depth of this love, we are spurred to living graciously and seeking God's presence even more deeply.

Please consider the wonderful truth in this praise song as we close 2010:

"How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure --
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure.

"How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away,
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory.

"Behold the Man upon a cross,
My sin upon His shoulders.
Ashamed, I hear my mocking voice
Call out among the scoffers."

"It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished.
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished.

"I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom,
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection.

"Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer.
But this I know with all my heart:
His wounds have paid my ransom."

December 24

Hebrews 6-10 I love that today's passage is all about Jesus and what He has done for us. It's a great reminder of why we celebrate Christmas. The author of Hebrews makes a comparison between Jesus and the high priest and sacrifices of the old covenant. As we read in the Old Testament earlier this year, the high priest was responsible for being the mediator between man and God. Once a year, he would enter the Holy of Holies and present an atoning sacrifice for Israel's sins. The problem with this situation is it only atoned for Israel's sins up until that point. Any future sins would have to be dealt with by the high priest with another sacrifice the next year. It was a never-ending cycle of sinning and sacrificing. Then there was Jesus. He came to earth to form a new covenant that permanently wiped away all sins for all people, past present and future. The amazing thing is that Jesus served as the new high priest and the new sacrifice. He is the mediator between us and God. The high priest was the only one who could enter into God's presence. After Jesus died, the veil that separates the Holy of Holies with the rest of the temple was torn. There is no longer a barrier that separates us from God. Jesus is also the perfect sacrifice that was sufficient to cover all of our sins. It's not necessary to make multiple sacrifices because Jesus paid it all! He is the perfect and never-ending mediator and sacrifice, enabling us to have a right relationship with God. Tomorrow, remember to thank Jesus for coming to earth and bridging the gap between us and God. My Grandpa’s favorite hymn was “Jesus Paid It All.” The words tell us about the work of Jesus on our behalf.

Jesus paid it allAll to him I oweSin had left a crimson stainHe washed it white as snow On Christmas day remember to praise the one who was born for the purpose of paying the price for our sin. The gift of salvation is free but that does not mean it was not costly.

Merry Christmas!! There won’t be a blog for tomorrow.

One more week to go in our journey.

December 23

Advent Conspiracy and Milk Drinkers

We are participating in an Advent Conspiracy at Grace Church this Christmas. We are saying “No” to excessive spending and “Yes” to giving, loving and worshiping fully. We are conspiring to recapture the true Christ-centered Christmas which is radically different than what we see unfolding around us in Stamford this December. In our reading today, the core of our conspiracy is revealed. The contrast is seen as the difference between milk drinkers and meat eaters.

Milk drinkers are defined in Hebrews 5:11-14. We are all born again as milk drinkers. All babies must start with a diet of milk. But after a period of time, we must set the bottle aside and move on to maturity.

Here are the four rebukes of long term milk drinkers:
1. They are slow to learn. They just don’t catch the real purpose and mission we are sent on.
2. They don’t know how to share with others. They are only interested in having their own needs met. They want to be fed; they want to feel comfortable. These bottle-fed Christians should be mentoring and teaching others but they continue to sit in Bible studies for years just taking in more and more milk.
3. They have a baby food diet. Milk is pre-digested food, and it is especially suited to babies. There is nothing as cute as a newborn baby drinking from a bottle. But what about a 16-year-old asking for a bottle at the dinner table? That would be called a tragedy. The question isn’t: How many years have you known the Lord? The question is: What are you eating?
4. They are unskilled in using the Word. As we grow in the Word, we learn to use it in daily life. We use the Word to train our hearts to know the difference between good and evil.

So, what is the meat that we are to be eating? The steak is putting our faith into action. If milk is our creed, then meat is our deed. If milk is the talk, then meat is the walk. Meat is the practical ability to live the truth in our lives.

This brings us to our Advent Conspiracy. The meat is described in Hebrews 6:10, God is not unjust; he will not forget your work and the love you have shown him as you have helped his people and continue to help them.

The "Meat" is loving and helping people. This Christmas join us in our conspiracy as we change the world through the love of Jesus.

December 22

A December Quiz:

1. How many Christians do you think there were in the year AD 100?

2. How many Christians do you think there were just before Constantine made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire? (AD 313)

3. How did they do this? How does a small insignificant movement grow to being the most dominate religious force in the Roman Empire in two centuries?

4. What percentage of American "Christians," think they are going to heaven because they are good?

5. What percentage of Americans have a “Christian world view?” (Believe 8 essential Biblical truths)

6. Since 2001, how many millions have stopped attending church?

7. What percentage of Wheaton College incoming freshmen could put the following in order?
a. Abraham
b. The Old Testament prophets
c. The death of Christ
d. Pentecost

8. What percentage of Christians believe there are moral absolutes?

9. What percentage of Christians believe that Jesus committed sins when he lived here on earth?

10. What percentage of churches in America are in decline?

11. What percentage of Christians have ever introduced another person to Jesus Christ?

12. What percent of born-again Christians think the Bible says “God helps them that help themselves?”

13. What percentage of church going Christians rarely or never read the Bible?

Answers:
1. AD 100 as few as 25,000 Christians
2. AD 310 up to 20,000,000 Christians
3. Small groups
4. 62%
5. 9%
6. 79 million have dropped out since 2001. SO much for 9-11 having a positive impact on the church.
7. 33%
8. 25%
9. 44% say yes… 8% didn’t know the answer…. So the total is 52%
10. 83%
11. 2%
12. 80% actually it was said by Benjamin Franklin
13. 57%

December 19: 2 Timothy

"For I am already being poured out like a drink offering, and the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." (4:6-8)

Paul's second letter to Timothy (2 Timothy) may have represented his last words to his close companion and partner in the Gospel. His tone suggests a great desire to encourage and motivate Timothy towards productive ministry and living, in view of Paul's imminent death.
As we read in the passage above, Paul does not look back on life with regret. Instead, he is grateful to have "finished the race" and "kept the faith." He looks ahead to "the crown of righteousness," turning his back on this world and its crowns. Anyone who has faithfully followed Christ may offer these same words at his or her death; they are not exclusive to spiritual giants like Paul. Indeed, in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30), Jesus explains that the God's welcoming call to heaven will sound like this: "Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master's happiness!"

Paul clearly desires the same confidence for his disciple and friend Timothy. Like the other pastoral epistles, 2 Timothy features a plethora of "trustworthy sayings" that Paul dearly wishes to impart and impress on Timothy's mind:

1. "For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline." (1:7)

2. "And the things you have heard me say in the presence of many witnesses entrust to reliable men who will also be qualified to teach others." (2:2)

3. "Endure hardship with us like a good soldier of Christ Jesus. No one serving as a soldier gets involved in civilian affairs — he wants to please his commanding officer. Similarly, if anyone competes as an athlete, he does not receive the victor’s crown unless he competes according to the rules. The hardworking farmer should be the first to receive a share of the crops. Reflect on what I am saying, for the Lord will give you insight into all this.... In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived." (2:3-6; 3:12,13)

4. "But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God — having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with them." (3:1-5)

5. "But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." (3:14-17)
　
Paul's last words are marked with great practicality and understanding of the world's realities. His statements suggest that people tend to understimate God's goodness and power while overestimating the world's goodness. We may become paralyzed by fear, forgetting the infinite and awesome power of the Lord God Almighty. We may hoard the truth that God has given us out of concern about the "messiness" of becoming involved in others' lives. We may expect the world to be an "easy" place for the Christian, not grasping that Jesus's words will always be true: "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." (John 16:33b) We are often surprised by others' misdeeds, not remembering the great kernel of pride that drives each of us (without the Spirit's intervention and empowerment). We may undervalue the treasure trove in the Scriptures, seeking out other sources of truth.

Let us all, like Paul, seek to finish strong. It is clear that the rewards are well worth it, and the journey holds such great promise and purpose. May we become like the Philippian church: "Do everything without complaining or arguing, so that you may become blameless and pure, children of God without fault in a crooked and depraved generation, in which you shine like stars in the universe as you hold out the word of life — in order that I may boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor for nothing. But even if I am being poured out like a drink offering on the sacrifice and service coming from your faith, I am glad and rejoice with all of you." (Philippians 2:14-17)


QUESTIONS

1. Which of Paul's trustworthy statements is most meaningful for you?

2. Whom could you enlist as a partner in order that you could both finish strong as we head into 2011?

December 18

What are you going to give Jesus for Christmas this year?

A strange transversal takes place on Christmas day. We usually give gifts to the birthday person when we attend their party. But on Christmas day we have developed the tradition of giving gifts to everyone attending the party except for the real birthday person, who is Jesus. I would like to suggest you reverse that tradition and give Jesus a gift this year. So what could you possibly give the “Man who has everything?” This gift comes from our reading today of the book of Titus. It is found in Titus 2:11-14.

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say "No" to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope--the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.

A wonderful gift you could give him is a holy life, a life that says “No” to sin and “Yes” to holiness and upright living. Having the right approach to godliness is the key. You and I both know that we don’t just decide one day to be godly and in a few minutes this takes place because of our efforts. We have all failed in our human attempt to live a righteous life. It isn’t difficult to live a holy life; it is impossible to live one. We can only do this with God’s power filling our hearts.
That is why godliness must have the proper motivation from the very start. There are two motivations given in these verses. The first is the grace of God. We don’t become godly to earn God’s approval; we become godly because we already have God’s approval. His grace and salvation are what inspire us to want to do this. When we think of what Jesus went through because he loves us, his incarnation, his suffering, his death, all of these motivate us. He gave his all for us. How can we give anything less than our all for him?
Secondly, his appearing motivates us to live godly lives. We believe that he is coming again and just like there is excitement in children when the relatives come over for Christmas dinner, so we have excitement with the thought that Jesus is coming again. We want to be ready and waiting for him, so we clean the house and put on our best clothes.
The best gift you can give Jesus this Christmas is yourself.

We have 13 more days till we end the journey!!

December 17

Everyone loves to hear a story about a changed life. A great modern day example is Jared Fogle. He weighed 425 pounds until a diet of two low-fat Subway sandwiches per day and a daily 1.5 mile walk helped him lose 245 pounds, shrunk his waist from 60 inches to 34, and made him a national celebrity when he became Subway’s spokesperson.

Change is impressive. But how does change occur? It is easy to slip into one of two extremes regarding change. On one hand we expect that it is God’s responsibility to change us. Philippians 2 says it is God who is at work in us. But in our reading today we see the human role in change.

1 Timothy 4:7-8 Have nothing to do with godless myths and old wives' tales; rather, train yourself to be godly.8For physical training is of some value, but godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the present life and the life to come.

Here are two observations concerning a changed life.

1. We are to start the process of change by getting rid of something: in this case it was godless myths and old wives tales. Both of these were a waste of time and didn’t produce anything eternal. There are many worthless activities in life that will stunt our spiritual growth. We must say “NO” to them.

2. We are to commit to training. The word training is the verb GYMNAZE, from which comes the English “gymnasium.” But Timothy’s training was in the area of godliness, not physical fitness.
One caution here, there is a huge difference between training yourself to be godly and trying to be godly. We are responsibility to work out our salvation, not to work for our salvation.

Today is accountability day. This is the third last time to check in. Blessings on you as you prepare for Christmas.

December 16

Setting Goals for 2011

We are two weeks away from a new year. The greatest fear I have of the future is not terrorism, or a collapse of the financial markets. It is not finishing the race well. How will I stay on the spiritual cutting edge for one more year? I think Paul was also aware of the dangers of not finishing well. Here is what Paul says about setting goals:

Philippians 3:12-14 “Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Look at three strategic steps he takes in these verses:

1. The first step is to forget what is behind. Whether the past is full of spiritual successes or one failure after another, it really doesn't matter. Those days are gone, never to be relived. Wallowing in the guilt of previous sins only impairs spiritual growth. Once we have confessed sin, we need to move on. On the other hand, it's possible to stagnate by riding on the coattails of glorious accomplishments of former days. In either case, Paul says: Forget what is behind. You can't live in the past, so don't dwell on it.

2. The second step is to strain to what is ahead. This doesn't mean we don't evaluate, reflect and learn from our mistakes. But a person doesn't drive a car by staring into the rear view mirror. You take an occasional glance at the past and then you look forward. Our lives can only be lived in the present, aiming towards the future. We must learn to look forward and plan for where we are steering the car. As the motto goes, “People don’t plan to fail, people fail to plan.” There needs to be an agenda set of where we want to go in the future. Take just a few minutes and draw up some plans for next year. What are 3 or 4 goals you would like to accomplish in 2011?

3. The third step is to press on toward the goal for which God has called us heavenward in Christ Jesus. In other words, we are to continually move toward Christ-likeness. If we reach all of our goals but we don’t know Jesus better, we have wasted our lives. We are never to be satisfied with our present knowledge of Jesus. That is why I am recommending keeping the pedal pressed to the metal for Jesus. Life is only lived when we are growing in our love of Him.

My final admonition is that we need accountability to reach these goals. Each one of us needs an accountability partner to have success on the journey. Pray about someone you could ask to hold you accountable for your goals.

Live intentionally in 2011!!

December 15

Racial Reconciliation

Ephesians 2:14-16 speaks of a new community that is built with both Gentiles and Jews. Our Lord Jesus has destroyed any barriers between groups by becoming our peacemaker. By his death on the cross, he has destroyed the hostility between groups.

His purpose was to create one new man, and here is how it works. I invite Christ to live in me, and I am a white, bald guy. You invite Christ to live in you, and you are red, yellow or black. So now if you are in Christ, and I am in Christ, then I am in you and you are in me. We are one.

This radically changes how I view myself and how I view you. Now my relationship with Jesus has become all encompassing. Because of these verses, it is technically incorrect to say you're a Chinese Christian, White Christian, Black Christian, because then you are making Chinese, black and white an adjective and you are making Christian a noun. The job of the adjective is to modify the noun. So if Christian is in the noun position, and black and white are in the adjectival position, then they are backward. Christianity must always be in the adjectival position. Your race, class, culture, and family of origin must always be in the noun position.

The correct way to state who I am after Ephesians 2 is, “I am a Christian, white, bald guy. My faith is stronger than my race, my class, state of my hair, or my culture. The point of this chapter is not that God is attempting to amalgamate us; he is creating a whole new community.

Why is he doing this? So that we can show the world what it means to be reconciled. We need to become a mini-version of what the Kingdom of God is going to look like in heaven.
Rev. 7:9 shows us what the kingdom really looks like..... “After this I looked and there before me was a great multitude that no one could count, from every nation, tribe, people and language, standing before the throne and in front of the Lamb.”

One of God’s core values is reconciliation. He loves the people of the world, red and yellow, black and white they are all precious in his sight. So this is one of our core values. Here is your homework. Act like a member of this new community. Intentionally build a relationship with someone different than yourself. It is tempting for all the birds of like feather to gather together, but intentionally go to a bird of a different feather and be a friend. "But, I am just one individual, what can I do?" That is the beauty of reconciliation. It takes place one life at a time. If each of us would intentionally reach across racial lines, we would see America change.

Become a conspirator!!

December 12: Paul Before Felix, Festus, and Agrippa

"Paul replied, 'Short time or long -- I pray God that not only you but all who are listening to me to today may become what I am, except for these chains." (Acts 26:29)
　
Today's reading tells the story of Paul's successive trials before Felix, Festus, and Agrippa. Much like Jesus's trial before Pilate, those to whom Paul gives his accounts seemingly acknowledge the baselessness of the counts against him. Yet, like Pilate, these governmental figures show reticence to take a stand for truth and prefer instead to shirk the difficult decision to upset one group or another. Their actions point to a moral expediency, one that keeps Paul at the mercy of whim and political considerations.

How does Paul respond to the undoubted frustrations that must have arisen in his "limbo" state? We can't know his inner mind during those waiting days, weeks, and months in prison, but we can see his heart through his speeches before the three magistrates. While our sinful hearts often lead us to become defensive, Paul instead focuses on testifying to the truth, relying on its power rather than his own. He is fully convinced of his innocence because he has clung to God's revealed will. He has no reason to be ashamed and every reason to trust in God's faithfulness.

Devoting ourselves to the truth and integrity has the happy result of freeing us from defensiveness or worry. When we may point to faithfulness to God's revealed will, we no longer stand in our own defense. Instead, we may rest upon God's promises, His faithfulness, and His character. How would you reckon your own commitment to integrity? Could you stand before accusers and point to God's faithfulness?

Paul's opportunistic spirit, taking advantage of these forums to preach the Gospel through his own testimony, helps to remind us to "always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have." (1 Peter 3:15b) What has God done in your life? Would you "be prepared?"

December 11

The Christmas Carol and the coming Dark Ages.

In Charles Dickens story, “The Christmas Carol”, the spirit of Christmas Present is drawing near to the end of his visitation. Scrooge observes that there are strange movements in the folds of the spirit’s robe. When the spirit opens his robe he reveals two hideous children. Scrooge is startled by their sighting and inquires, “Are they yours?” “They are Man’s” said the Spirit, looking down upon them. “And they cling to me, appealing from their fathers. This boy is Ignorance. This girl is Want. Beware of both of them but most of all beware of this boy, for on his brow I see that written which is Doom.”

Ignorance is on the march in our culture. The reason he is advancing so quickly is because the truth is disappearing.

The prophet Amos said in chapter 8, "The days are coming," declares the Sovereign Lord,
"when I will send a famine through the land-- not a famine of food or a thirst for water,
but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord.”

We are living during this famine. All around us we see the lives of people crashing and burning. We have become a nation of people walking in ignorance. Ironically, the Bible will still be the best selling book this year. The problem is people aren’t reading the Bible. They read emails, blogs, devotionals and newspapers but very few are reading the Word.

This will sound a bit dramatic but the hope for the USA does not lie in the President, the Congress, the Courts, Wall Street but our hope lies in the church. When you break it down even further, the reality is, the only hope for our country lies in you!! If every Christ follower would become radically committed to reading and obeying the truth of God’s Word, ignorance would be defeated.

The challenge is to stop the advance of the enemy “Ignorance” by being a champion of Bible reading in 2011.

December 9

20 Questions

1. Have you offered your body to God today?
2. Have you memorized a scripture verse to transform your mind?
3. Do you really believe that God’s will is perfect for your life?
4. Do you have a realistic view of yourself, bankrupt yet rich in Christ?
5. Fill in the blank: What is your spiritual gift?______________
6. Fill in the blank: Where are you using your spiritual gift? ____________
7. Multiple choice: Which of the following actions should characterize a Christian’s life?
a. Love sincerely
b. Hate evil
c. Cling to the good
d. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love
e. All of the above
8. When faced with a stalemate in a relationship, what should you do?
9. The word fervor means to boil with heat, to be hot. Does this word describe your service for the Lord?
10. Would you say your life is filled with “hope” this Christmas?
11. On a scale of one to ten how much patience do you have?
12. When have you shared with God’s people who were in need?
13. The word hospitality means “a love of strangers.” When was the last time you invited a stranger into your house?
14. Have you ever faced persecution? If not, you might be playing on the wrong team.
15. When was the last time you rejoiced with a friend over a spiritual victory?
16. When was the last time you cried?
17. Who is the person of low position you love hanging out with?
18. What is your conflict resolution model? Do you show grace or are you a person who seeks revenge?
19. When was the last time you shared a meal with an enemy?
20. Would you characterize your life as one which is being overcome by evil, or one which is overcoming evil with good?

One bonus question from chapter 13: Can the government steal?

The 12th chapter of Romans gives us our “Christian To-Do List” for the rest of our lives. Pick out one area and work on it today.

There are 22 more days to the end of the year. Be in prayer concerning asking someone to join you in your 2011 journey.

December 8

God’s Sovereign Choice

What does “The Sovereignty of God mean?” Sovereignty means that God is King; his rule over this universe is absolute. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that God is God, that he is the Most High One. His counsel, his plans, his purposes, his will cannot be resisted or defeated. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is "The Governor among the nations" (Ps. 22:28), setting up kingdoms, overthrowing empires, and determining the course of dynasties as it pleases Him. To say that God is sovereign is to declare that He is the "Only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords" (1 Tim. 6:15). That is what the Bible says of God’s Sovereignty.
How different that is from the modern day God. Our concept of God today is that he is an old man sitting in a rocking chair trying to figure out how to get his Ipod working. He is pictured as helpless, effeminate and ignorant.
From our reading today:
I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.
To Pharaoh: I raised you up for this very purpose.
But who are you, O man, to talk back to God?
To declare that God is anything less than the supreme, unmovable, omnipotent, omniscient God is to dethrone him. The sovereignty of the God of Scripture is absolute, irresistible, and infinite. When we say that God is sovereign, we affirm His right to govern the universe, which He has made for His own glory, just as He pleases. We affirm that His right is the right of the Potter over the clay, i.e., that He may mold that clay into whatsoever form He chooses, fashioning out of the same lump one vessel unto honor and another unto dishonor. We affirm that He is under no rule or law outside of His own will and nature, that God is a law unto Himself, and that He is under no obligation to give an account of His matters to any, not that we could understand what he would explain.
I hope you are tracking with me, because this view of God is held by so few people today.
Let me wrap up with three very practical truths from these chapters of Romans.
1. God is working in all circumstances. Since all situations are under the control of God I have peace in them knowing my Father is working out his perfect plan. God’s control is not just in the good things in life.... all things... good and bad.
2. God’s purposes are higher than my understanding. I am never promised to understand what God is doing. I am asked to have faith in his character and not my knowledge of his plan. This means I am totally surrendered to his sovereignty; many people refuse to commit to this.
3. Sovereignty still requires us to live carefully. During the “Battle of the Wilderness” in the Civil War, Union general John Sedgwick was inspecting his troops. At one point he came to a parapet, over which he gazed out in the direction of the enemy. His officers suggested that this was unwise and perhaps he ought to duck while passing the parapet. "Nonsense," snapped the general. "They couldn’t hit an elephant at this dist--." A moment later Sedgwick fell to the ground, fatally wounded. Do not presume on the sovereignty of God. Live a responsible life.

December 7

Romans 3:21 - 8:39

These chapters give us good news and bad news.

Bad news: "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God." Romans 3:23

Good news: "God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us." Romans 5:8

As I stare at these words, I feel overwhelmed by their meaning. None of us can ever be good enough on our own to be with God. Our depravity cannot be in the presence of His divinity. The level of Holiness that He embodies is so far outside our ability to reach, we cannot comprehend it. In Max Lucado's book In the Grip of Grace, he imagines a scenario where God eliminates all commands and teachings of the Bible and replaces them with this one command: "Thou must jump so high in the air that you touch the moon." Suppose that's it. Suppose that's all we have to do to be saved. There's just one problem: the moon is impossible to reach with our own abilities and strength. It doesn't really matter if one person can jump six feet in the air and another can only jump six inches. Compared to the distance that we all fall short, individual achievement is ridiculously insignificant. Jumping high enough to touch the moon is just as impossible as living a perfect, holy life. Our sinful nature prevents us from having a relationship with God. That is very bad news.

Thankfully, that's not the end. There is good news. While we were still unholy, imperfect, depraved, selfish sinners, God prepared and carried out a plan that would make it possible for us to touch the moon. While we were still sinners, Christ paid the price for our sins. With His help, we are able to achieve the impossible and have a relationship with God. That is very good news.

I encourage everyone to memorize these two verses (Romans 3:23 and 5:8). They remind us of how far we are from God and how far God went to bring us back to Him.

On a personal note, I also think everyone should memorize Romans 8:18 - "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will revealed in us." This is my favorite verse. It is an awesome reminder that no matter how bad our current situation may be, God has planned something so incredible for each one of us that it will completely eclipse any hardship we endured along the way. What an amazing promise to hold on to in our time of need!

Dec 6: Letter to Romans

Reading like today’s invoke fear of God in me. It happens when we think of God’s righteousness, his judgement and our sin. We will continue reading in the letter to Romans in the next few days how grace then comes into the picture. But what particularly got me today was how the Jews who were under the law, boasted in it and still broke the law:

Now you, if you call yourself a Jew; if you rely on the law and boast in God; if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by the law; if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in the law, do you dishonor God by breaking the law? (Romans 2:17-24)

All this reminded of what God has been speaking to me lately: don’t procrastinate in your faith, but grow today. As a Christian, I call myself a Christ follower, one who loves Jesus. Yet, do I keep all the commands Jesus gave me?

Jesus came to us and gave us salvation through Him and told us how we should live. He said: “If you love me, keep my commands.” (John 14:15) So the reminder of God’s judgement in Romans today, the law and the salvation through Jesus, made me think what if I substitute in the above passage the word ‘Jews’ with ‘Christian’, and the ‘the law’ with ‘Jesus’ commands.’ So please indulge me:

Now you, if you call yourself a **Christan**; if you rely on **Jesus’ commands** and boast in God; if you know his will and approve of what is superior because you are instructed by **Jesus’ commands**; if you are convinced that you are a guide for the blind, a light for those who are in the dark, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of little children, because you have in Jesus’ commands the embodiment of knowledge and truth— you, then, who teach others, do you not teach yourself? You who preach against stealing, do you steal? You who say that people should not commit adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples? You who boast in **Jesus’ commands**, do you dishonor God by breaking **Jesus commands**?

In my support group yesterday we were reading a Christian allegory book and in it there was a character called Sloth - he was asleep under the cross on which Jesus was crucified. See, he accepted Jesus as his Saviour at the food of that cross, but then lazily fell asleep and did not move on to the journey with Jesus. It was a depiction of how sometimes we doze off and don’t grow in our faith.

So will we love Jesus this Christmas by following his commands? Will we let him grow us in our walk with Him.

December 5: 2 Corinthians 10 to 13

Paul strongly defends his ministry in the final four chapters of 2 Corinthians. He points to God's amazing work and revelations in His life but reminds the Corinthians that the greatest testimony of God's approval comes through the display of His grace through our weakness.

1. Depression (worldly sorrow) vs. godly sorrow. Although chemical imbalances may cause lasting depression, I have often found that negative thoughts (often, lies) can deliver the type of "worldly sorrow" that Paul describes in 2 Corinthians 7:8-11a: "Even if I caused you sorrow by my letter, I do not regret it. Though I did regret it -- I see that my letter hurt you, but only for a little while -- yet now I am happy, not because you were made sorry, but because your sorrow led you to repentance. For you became sorrowful as God intended and so were not harmed in any way by us. Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done."

Godly sorrow leads to conviction and repentance. Recognizing that we have a judgmental attitude or that we have thought frivolously about God leads us to confess and seek restoration with the Father. Clearly, these steps are beneficial for our growth in character.

Yet, we often face sorrowful (worldly) thoughts. These sorrows may arise through actual circumstances or feared circumstances that we create in our minds. We may be remorseful for our performance or others' opinions of us. These thoughts may cause us to question God's goodness and presence in our lives. I am convinced that the Evil One uses our thoughts against us, in order to entrap us and keep us from experiencing the victory (and proclaiming the glory) of Christ. He desires to thwart God's work: "Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows." (James 1:17)

In short, we must seek God's guidance on the nature of the sorrows we face. Has He genuinely sent this sorrow for our repentance or growth? Or are these words lies from the Evil One meant to set us astray?

2. Taking every thought captive. Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 10:3-6: "For though we live in the world, we do not wage war as the world does. The weapons we fight with are not the weapons of the world. On the contrary, they have divine power to demolish strongholds. We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. And we will be ready to punish every act of disobedience, once your obedience is complete."

Do you exercise such an active "control" over your mind? Do you seek to filter those signals coming in to your head? I often find that I am quite reactive in this manner, but Paul's tone is quite active. We may take up weapons with "divine power to demolish strongholds" -- that is, to counteract the work of the Evil One. Following from the worldly vs. godly sorrow discussion, we may seek out God's strength to "take captive every though to make it obedient to Christ" instead of allowing our thoughts to take us captive. Paul's prescriptions here suggest a great amount of maturity and discipline, not living in a haphazard way or letting life "to happen" to us.
　
3. The sufficiency of God's grace. In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, we read: "To keep me from becoming conceited because of these surpassingly great revelations, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan, to torment me. Three times I pleaded with the Lord to take it away from me. But he said to me, 'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me. That is why, for Christ’s sake, I delight in weaknesses, in insults, in hardships, in persecutions, in difficulties. For when I am weak, then I am strong."

As with Paul, we may consider that our human weakness would disqualify us from having a meaningful impact in ministry. On the contrary, our weaknesses display God's power. Think through some Biblical examples: the stuttering and fearful Moses, the impulsive and relatively uneducated Peter, and the murderous and judgmental Paul. There are hundreds more. Each character whom God has used has deep flaws. Yet, to His glory, He may work with these flaws. The great determinant of our usefulness is to God is not the absence of flaws, but rather the depth and strength of our commitment to following Him. If He has called us, we are all capable of following Him completely.
　

QUESTIONS

1. What worldly sorrow have you faced recently? Would you ask for God's perspective on these circumstances in prayer?

2. What thoughts are you struggling to take captive today?

3. How have you seen God's grace overcome your weakness in the past week?

December 4

Pain, Mission and Sacrifice

Thoughts on Three Themes

1. Pain. Have you ever wondered why God allows you to go through trials and problems in life? In chapter 1, we have one of the reasons why God allows this. Verses 3-7 tell us that God comforts us so we can comfort others. Suffering is an opportunity to know God and to know his comfort. This does not mean that God causes cancer, death, illness and unemployment, but it does mean that in those adversities God takes the opportunity to speak to us in a way we are not open to hearing when everything is going well. And, once we have experienced this comfort from God, then we have the responsibility to share that comfort with others.

Our adversity is his opportunity, the greater the suffering, the greater the comfort. No matter how great the suffering, God matches it with comfort. The comfort is never outweighed by the suffering. It is not given ahead of time but available in the trial. I don't envy those who have never known any pain, physical or spiritual, because I strongly suspect that the capacity for pain and comfort are equal. Only those who have suffered great pain are able to know great comfort. The Lord gets his best counselors out of the highlands of adversity.

2. Mission. Our mission is cleared defined for us in chapter 5. We are given the responsibility for the delivery of a message from the King. The title that defines our mission is “Ambassador.” Ambassadors live in a country other than their homeland; they live in that foreign country in order to represent the government at home. They do not make up the message, but simply communicate the message from their king. And they live in such a way that would not embarrass the King who sent them. This analogy is so obvious; it hardly needs application. The critical question is, “Are we fulfilling our responsibilities to act like worthy ambassadors?”

3. Sacrifice. Paul makes it clear in chapters 8 and 9 that we have a responsibility to help those in need. Great persecution and a severe famine hit the church in Jerusalem. The church at Corinth had committed to spending less on themselves and giving more to help these people to merely eat and drink. The motivation for this sacrifice was the Lord himself. 2 Corinthians 8:9 For you know the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, that though he was rich, yet for your sakes he became poor, so that you through his poverty might become rich.

This Christmas here is a short list of the needs of the world:
1.1 billion people lack access to safe drinking water.
2.6 billion people lack adequate sanitation.
1.8 million people die every year from diarrhea diseases, 90% are children under the age of five.
3,900 children die every day because of dirty water or poor hygiene.
Every 30 seconds 15 children die of starvation. That is 15 million every year.
More than 80 million children go blind in Southeast Asia due to vitamin A deficiency. A capsule costing 50 cents a year would prevent this tragedy.
Nearly 20 million people in West Africa suffer from River Blindness. Loss of eyesight can be prevented with a tablet costing no more than 4 dollars yearly.
Nearly 4 million people in India and Pakistan are blinded with cataracts. Their eyesight can be restored with a surgery costing no more than 20 dollars.

It is not too late to join our Advent Conspiracy. Christmas is still changing the world!!

December 3

What are the most common fears of Americans? A poll was taken in October of this year and here are the top 10 personal fears that people have:

1. Fear of flying
2. Fear of public speaking
3. Fear of heights
4. Fear of intimacy
5. Fear of failure
6. Fear of success
7. Fear of the dark
8. Fear of rejection
9. Fear of death
10. Fear of God

Millions of American have a great fear of death. Our culture finds death so frightening that in polite conversation is it the last taboo. Today people talk about sex, politics, finances and never raise an eyebrow, but bring up the topic of death and people start to squirm and sweat. I find that even Christians tend to avoid this subject. But God does not want us to shut our eyes or live in fear of death.

Years ago someone asked the famous preacher John Wesley what was the secret of the Methodist movement? Wesley replied, "Our folks die well." A Roman philosopher once said, "Only idiots and Christians aren't afraid of death." I don't know why idiots aren't afraid of death but as Christians we are fearless as we face death because of our scripture reading today.

1 Cor. 15:20-23 But Christ has indeed been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have fallen asleep. For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive. But each in his own turn: Christ, the first fruits; then, when he comes, those who belong to him.

Our confidence in death is that just as Jesus was raised from the dead so shall we. If Jesus is still in the tomb there is no hope for us, but if he rose, we can laugh in the face of death.

The only way to be saved from the fear of death is to be saved from the penalty of sin. The gospel tells us that we can be forgiven and made right with God. When we are right with God then death becomes a door that we walk through from this life into the next. Only the gospel can make us fearless in the face of this terrible enemy.

Today is accountability day but instead of emailing your status in the journey, send me your responses to the questionnaire sent out on Wednesday. Remember we are FEARLESS!!!

December 2

Spiritual Gifts

Once upon a time all the animals on the farm decided to form a school. The well rounded curriculum included swimming, running, climbing, and flying. Now to make it easier to monitor the program all the animals took all the courses. The duck was excellent at swimming in fact better than instructor, but only passing grades in climbing, and very slow in running, he had to stay after school to be tutored. This caused his web feet to become so worn he became only average in swimming. The rabbit was top of her class in running, but she developed a twitch in her leg from all the time she spent trying to swim. The squirrel was a peak performer in climbing, but was a complete failure in flying class. His body became so badly worn from the landings in flying class, he could only get a C in climbing and a D in running. The eagle was a continual problem student. She was labeled a non-conformist. In climbing class, she always beat everyone to the top of the tree but she insisted on using her own way to get there. In running class she beat everyone to the finish but she didn't play by the rules. She used her wings and no one had a chance. Finally, the eagle was kicked out of school because she didn't do things the traditional way.

We who are followers of Jesus have been given gifts too. And discovering this spiritual gift is one of the most significant steps to becoming a difference maker. Through this gift we make our unique contribution to the eternal kingdom of God. So discovering this gift should be our highest priority. The Corinthian believers were living in ignorance of their gifts. It seems clear from other scriptures that God will ask us how we used the gifts that he gave us. (Matthew 25)

A survey taken among born again adults in the USA revealed that 50% of them do not know what their spiritual gifts are. 25% do not believe they have one. This leaves 25% of the team to do the work. We need everyone in the game if we intend to win. One word of caution, there is a tremendous danger of using our giftedness apart from love. That is why chapter 13 is placed right in the middle of this whole discussion.

When people ask me how to discover their giftedness, I give them these action steps:

1. BE INFORMED - overcome ignorance, study, pray, read, talk to people.
2. BE OPEN - don't ignore any gift, but investigate each one, don't put God in a box, or yourself. 3. BE AVAILABLE - volunteer for different ministries, experiment, make time, take a chance, God finds it easier to steer a moving car.
4. BE SENSITIVE - note your passions. What do you care about deeply? What was the most significant ministry you ever participated in? If you would become independently wealthy, what would you invest the rest of your life doing? What do you do that you do well?

If your heart is with the Lord's, and you are open to his leading, you will find your gift. When you discover it, develop it and make an impact for his kingdom.