His Plan Not My Plan 1-20-24
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Imagine that you and I came up with a business plan for a new venture here in South Dakota. We didn't know if it would work or not, but if we could just get Elon Musk to finance us, we could at least give it a shot. So we come up with a plan to try to convince Elon that he should send a few of his billions our way. Of course he never answers our emails and we do not even know if we are calling the right phone number.
Eventually we start to question the sanity of trying to get Elon to join our team. In the mean time, one of our friends simply invested in Tesla, realizing that Elon is already putting his own money into that venture. While we never get an answer back from Mr. Musk, our friend begins collecting some modest dividends from his investment.
Imagine that all of this started about 5 years ago and we invested $100,000 into our startup realizing our only hope for success was to get Elon Musk on board. In the meantime our friend invested his $100,000 into Tesla, and now his investment is worth about $1.3 million.
I doubt too many of us would make such a foolish decision as to risk all our finances on whether or not Elon Musk would back us, but too often people treat God in a similar way. A lot of people think that if God would just get behind them, then they would be successful. The problem is that they are not even looking at the right definition of success.
As Christians, we should not view our job as trying to recruit God to our plans. Instead we should be focused on molding our lives to his plans.
In Matthew 6:9-10, Jesus taught us how to pray: “"Pray, then, in this way: 'Our Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. 'Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven.” (Matthew 6:9-10 NASB)
Our prayer is to be that God's will be done, not that our will be done. True success will be to hear the words from God, “well done good and faithful servant.” We must remember that we are the servants and he is the one in charge. We do not win by getting him to join our team. Instead, we have already won because we chose to join his team.
Too often people think that they will win if they can just recruit the champion. Jesus is the champion. We do not win because we recruit him to our side, we win because we join his side. Those who try to recruit Jesus to their side have not grasped who the master is and who the servant is. Jesus is the master and we must follow him. To try to flip it around is to fall for the sin of the devil who said he would be like the most high.
There may not be as much glory in this life in being a servant, but there is much more success in eternity. By being Christ's servant, not only do we get many blessings of his love, but we get eternal life. Others who are not willing to let him rule will get the lake of fire.
Jesus is the king. He is the champion. He created all the resources that allow Elon Musk to have his wealth. Join Jesus. Follow him. Become his servant. Realize that when you trust Jesus, you will be making the only wise eternal investment out there.
Are You Still Afraid? 12-30-24
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Before writing about all the scary things in life, I must admit that I feel safer today than I have ever felt. If I have an emergency, I can simply reach for my cell phone and help will arrive quickly. The model of vehicle I drive has been crash tested and all the vehicles made in the last 25 years are much safer than those I grew up riding in. But most of all, I feel safe, because I know that the creator of the universe, Jesus Christ, loves me.
Still there is a lot to be afraid of. We recently lived through a pandemic that others did not survive. That event showed how quickly things can change and how fragile life is. It was a reminder that life could be turned upside down at any moment.
Thankfully we are not in the middle of war, but the news coverage of the Russia/Ukraine conflict shows how quickly people's lives can be disrupted by war and the death and chaos that comes with it.
Not only have we experienced the pandemic, but we know someone who has had cancer. Will you or I be next? The pandemic also showed how vulnerable our economy can be. Will we have a job and if we do will it be enough to pay our bills?
Thankfully most of us have friends and family who can help us through whatever tough times come along, but what if they are the first victims of the next pandemic? What if they lose their jobs? What if they move far away? What if there is a climate disaster and the whole earth freezes or burns up? What if there is a major earthquake, a tornado, or a volcanic eruption?
The things to worry about are endless, so we need to find a way to overcome our anxiety. Go back to the first paragraph and remember what we have to be thankful for. Thankfulness is the best cure for anxiety. Then we need to remember that no matter how bad things get, God is still in control.
If you do not know God well, then that statement will not be very comforting. You will fear what he will allow- knowing that he has already allowed pandemics, wars, and natural disasters. What you need to grasp, however is his love and goodness in spite of the trials he allows.
The Gospel of John is a great place to begin reading about the love of God. It tells in chapter 1, that Jesus is God and that he is full of grace and truth. In the 3rd chapter we read about how God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son. In chapter 5 we see the love of Jesus as he healed a man who could not walk. In chapter 6, he feeds 5000 with 5 loaves and 2 fish. In chapter 8, he shows compassion on a sinful woman. In chapter 9, he gives a blind man sight. In chapter 10, he shows that he is the good shepherd who cares for his sheep. In chapter 11, he raises Lazarus from the dead after he weeps with the family. In chapter 13, he washes other's feet. In chapter 17 he prays for us. Finally we see his love as he died on the cross for our sins, but then we see his power as he rose from the dead. As this world is in chaos, take comfort in knowing both the love and power of God.
If you are feeling anxiety over uncertainty, know that the love of God is certain. Read the gospel of John to learn about that love. You can even find it free online at places like blueletterbible.com. You can then select the version of your choice. The ESV or NKJV are fairly easy to understand. Let God speak to you through his word so you can know him better.
Jesus, The Hope of a Baby 12-16-24
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We have 5 children. Our youngest came 11 years after our fourth. Some have speculated that she was a surprise since it appeared like we were done after not having more children for so many years. I have grinned and said that she was the only one who was planned. Our first four came so quickly that when our fourth was born, our oldest had not yet turned four.
For a short time, we had four children under four years old. We understand that having another baby can be very overwhelming- especially when we were not planning for them.
Fortunately my wife and I were married and I had income when each of our children was born. Further, both my wife and I had younger siblings as well as supportive extended family. We both knew how to take care of a baby. For those who do not have those benefits, pregnancy can be even more overwhelming.
Still, we looked forward to each of our babies being born. We got excited when we felt them kick, when we could hear a heart beat, and when we could see the ultrasound. We were amazed at how much more detail was shown on the ultrasound of our fifth child compared to our first.
The Cleveland Clinic has a great website that shows how the baby develops at each stage of pregnancy. By 3 months, facial features and limbs are clearly identifiable.
As expectant parents, each phase was extremely exciting for us. Not every parent gets to see their babies being born though. Sometimes the life ends for reasons beyond our control. Other times the fears and realities of a baby coming into this world overwhelm a mother and she makes a choice that cannot be undone.
Some of these mothers did not even think of the pregnancy being an actual baby. It is not unusual for a mother to later feel regret over what happened. There are so many reasons to feel compassion and to show grace toward such a mother. First of all, we need to have compassion for her because she felt so overwhelmed that she thought she only had one choice. Second we need to show compassion over that fact that she may not have know the full implication of her decision. Finally, we need to show compassion towards those who knew their decision was wrong, did it anyway, and later feel regret.
Unborn babies are the most innocent of human lives and the taking of an innocent human life is wrong. Many actions that we do in life are wrong, but that is why Jesus came to earth. We should not sin so his grace can abound, but, he came to show grace. He was born as a baby himself to a mother who was not planning to get pregnant at that time, but then he grew up to give his life so that others could be forgiven.
As we celebrate the birth of Christ, I am not asking anyone to defend or to justify the taking of an innocent human life, but I will ask that we never forget that this is the perfect time of year to remember that Jesus came to forgive, no matter what we have done.
Many people today are carrying the heavy burden of guilt over past decisions that they have made. If you trust the Lord Jesus, you will find both forgiveness and eternal life. Psalm 103:12 says, “As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.” (NASB).
We cannot get the babies back that have been lost, but we can trust the one who loved us enough to become a baby himself. That one is Jesus. When he grew up he promised, "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” (John 6:37 NASB)
To Believe is To Follow 12-1-24
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I am thankful that I never had to go to war. I am however fascinated by the history of events surrounding war. Often battles were won because warriors were willing to follow a leader and to trust him when he told them what to do. Leaders like William Wallace, George Washington, and Sitting Bull come to my mind. In order for the soldiers to follow their commander no matter what happened, they had to have confidence in their leadership abilities. If that confidence were lost, there was a danger of mutiny.
In John 3:16, Jesus said, “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.” The word “believeth” means to have faith in, to entrust, to commit to, to put your trust in. Too often we think of belief as simply agreeing with facts as presented. For example many people “believe” that Jesus existed and even believe that he died and rose from the dead.
James 2:19 tells us that even the devils believe and tremble. The difference between a devil and a Christian is not the recognition of facts about Jesus, Devils are not putting trust in the authority and command of Jesus. The devils rebelled against Jesus command. Christians, however, submit to Jesus' command because they believe enough to trust him.
In the book of Numbers, we read about God telling the children of Israel to go in to possess the promised land. Hebrews chapter 3 clarifies that they did not go in because they did not “believe” God. The point, was that they did not have the confidence in the Lord's leadership over them even though he had delivered them from Egypt while protecting them from the plagues. He had even led them across the Red Sea, gave them water from a rock, and fed them with manna from heaven. After all of that, they still did not have confidence in God. They did not believe what God told them. Therefore they did not enter the promised land.
Hebrews 3:14-15 says, “For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end. As it is said,“Today, if you hear his voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion.”” (ESV)
Because of unbelief, the children of Israel held a mutiny against God and had to wander in the wilderness for 40 years. Joshua and Caleb did not join that mutiny. They believed God and were able to enter the promised land.
We will not have eternal life unless we believe. That means we must have confidence in Christ to such an extent that we will follow his leadership. We may not always know exactly what God wants us to do for each detail of our lives, but we must have the confidence to trust Him even when we do not understand all he is doing. Those who believe Jesus exists, but still live in mutiny towards him will not have eternal life. Hebrews chapters 3 and 4 make it clear that just like the unbelieving Hebrews were kept from the resting place of the promised land, people today who do not have a confidence in Christ, will not enter the eternal rest of heaven. Put your full confidence in Jesus and believe his promise when he said, "All that the Father gives Me shall come to Me, and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out.” (John 6:37 NASB)
Fear Without Being Afraid 11-18-24
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When our son was a toddler, he was afraid of dogs. At that time we had a large German Shepherd named Star. She was quite gentle and protective of kids, but he was still scared of her. He and his brothers would play in the back yard while Star was tied to a tether. Our son knew how far the tether would reach and was very careful not to get too close to her as he played.
One day, the neighbor's young pit bull got loose and came running into our yard. Although the little boy was scared of our German Shepherd, he knew she was safe. Without hesitation he ran to her. Star immediately put herself between the boy and the pit bull, growled at the pit bull, and warned him away. Thankfully the other dog immediately submitted to her aggression and backed off.
Although the little boy was scared of our dog, he still knew she was safe. What happened showed that we can be scared of something while still understanding that we do not have to be afraid.
Christians should understand that same truth about God. Throughout the scripture we are shown the importance of fearing God. Ecclesiastes 12:13 says, “Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.” Revelation14:7 states, “Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters.”
God is to be feared, and Jesus is God, yet when the apostle John fell at the feet of Jesus, he was told, “do not be afraid.” (Revelation 1:17)
If any book of the Bible should put the fear of God into man, it is the book of Revelation. In this book we are able to see what will happen when the wrath of God is poured out upon mankind during the Great Tribulation. A careful reading however shows that the wrath of God is poured out on God's enemies, while the followers of God are protected by God.
As we understand God's power and justice, we should fear him. Jesus warned in Matthew 25:41, “Then shall he say also unto them on the left hand, Depart from me, ye cursed, into everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels:” That is why we should fear. But we are also told in II Peter 2:9, “The Lord knows how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:”
The same God who punishes those who reject him, is the God who saves those who come to him. For many the book of Revelation is scary. It shows the judgment of God, but it shows something else. It shows Jesus coming to the rescue when the world is overcome by evil. Imagine a world of Mad Max villains and Jesus coming to destroy them as he saves the righteous. God's power and judgment are scary, but his safety is comforting. Throughout Revelation we see the villains destroyed and the righteous protected by Jesus. Run to Jesus for safety. If you are a Christian, you should fear Jesus, without being afraid of him. If you are not a Christian, you should be afraid.