Matt's Musings

I'm switching accounts...

2011-01-01T07:47:00.001-08:00

http://mattellis1997.blogspot.com/

Heaven

2010-12-31T05:01:00.000-08:00

As I sat down to read the Scripture this morning, I savored Revelation 22 after enjoying chapter 21 yesterday. Both of these texts paint an incredible picture of our heavenly home.
It seems to me that within the heart of every believer, while we strive to glorify the Lord by making the most of life here, we find ourselves at least periodically longing for our heavenly home. Here are some reasons why:

- Our Heavenly Father and His Son, our older brother, who loved us enough to pay the ultimate price for us to be brought into the heavenly family, are there.
- We realize we were made to worship the Lord but sense our inability to do it wholeheartedly, continuously. We crave the time when we can worship the Lord in a way that pleases him and satisfies us.
- We long to enjoy the heavenly home that has been prepared for us.
- We crave a place where sin, with all of its painful consequences, will no longer exist. We despise our own sinful tendencies and cannot wait until we no longer have a craving or capacity to sin.
- We desire to be reunited with believing loved ones who have already passed away.
- We want to enjoy unbroken friendships with so many who we knew/know in this life.

For further study, the best book I have ever read on Heaven goes simply by that title: “Heaven” by Randy Alcorn. Once I started, I couldn’t put it down until I completed it.

Sean having fun on TestTrack @ Epcot

2010-12-29T13:06:00.000-08:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghp5qieeUEI
I'm going to get started blogging again. I'll begin the easy way ... by attaching a video I recently took. Sean and I had fun at Epcot with his 4th grade class. I was a chauffeur with another parent with three boys. It was a ton of fun! We conquered the park!

Three easy, exciting steps to personal growth in holiness

2009-10-30T08:21:00.000-07:00

We've seen this principle in action over and over: "Those who win tend to continue winning and those who lose tend to keep losing." Taking into consideration varying skill levels, attitude plays a major role in future success. A great team that has lost the last three or four games has a greater struggle to win the next one than an inferior team who happens to have won the last three or four.

Here's the secret: it's all in what you believe and therefore how you perceive your circumstances. If a baseball player, who has struck out the last two at bats takes a moment to assess that his batting average is great and he then proceeds to the plate with confidence, forgetting his past failures, he just may climb out of his slump.

This principle is found in Scripture and the failure to abide by it is the reason so many of us struggle more than we should on our road to holiness. So many well-intentioned Christians see themselves as sinners (even though Christ has forgiven them) and therefore, they become who they are. However, if we read the facts in Scripture and believe them, our attitudes about ourself and life would change enabling us to be much more effective.

Let's do a little digging into Scripture to see this principle. If you look at Romans 6, it gives three keys words/phrases that provide us with the mental tools to be effective in our Christian walk. Here they are:
1) "know" (Romans 6:6),
2) "consider yourself" (Romans 6:11)
3) "offer yourself" (Romans 6:13).

Let's spend a few moments uncovering the truths found in those phrases and then I'll show you how I apply this principle virtually every morning.

First, "know." The first activity in learning how to live more Christ-like is to know the truth of God's Word. There's no quick way of doing this. Enjoy the journey. Spend time reading and contemplating on the truths of Scripture. Get on a reading plan (read the New Testament in a year or in 3 months) so that you are exposed to biblical principles. Eventually, you will find that your paradigm/lens through which you see life will change to a more biblical worldview.

Second, "consider yourself." It's not enough to know Scripture. That's the starting point but certainly not the finish line. If we stop at "knowing", all we will be good for is winning a harmless game of Bible Trivia. The exciting next step is appropriating the truths you have learned in Scripture. For instance, you have learned that God will work all things out for the ultimate good of His followers (Romans 8:28) - appropriate that truth (i.e. Believe that God is working out everything for YOUR good). It is nothing short of exciting to personalize the truths of the Bible. But, be careful that you don't claim any promises or appropriate any truths that were specifically given to someone in Scripture that wasn't meant for you. Just because the Israelites never had to buy shoes for 40 years (Deuteronomy 29:5) doesn't mean you can personalize that promise.

Finally, "offer yourself." To this point, you've familiarized yourself with Scripture and are developing a biblical world-view. You've personalized Scripture by appropriating the relevant truths and promises (only those that are yours to claim). Then, you are free to say, "Lord Jesus, this day I am Yours. I offer myself to You to be used by You. My mind is being filled with Your truth and I am being changed by appropropriating them. I am restfully available to You this day."

In my own spiritual journey, I put this principle into practice almost every morning. I have personalized certain passages of Scripture. I read and pray through them, believing them to be true of me. Then I close by offering myself to the Lord once again to live by these, His standards. I'll end by illustrating how I have personalized Galatians 5:22-23 (The Fruit of the Spirit):

"I bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit in my life and therefore:
• I love my God with all of my heart, soul, mind and strength. I also love my neighbor as myself. This love is "others-centered" and is willing to sacrifice if the object of my affection would benefit.
• I am joyful because my past is forgiven, my present is divinely purposeful and my future is with Jesus in Heaven.
• I am at peace with God, others, myself, and my circumstances.
• I am patient because I trust God's sovereignty, providence and heart. In no way do I seek any form of retaliation when wronged.
• I am kind to others which is evidenced in benevolent activity.
• I am filled with a heart of goodness. I am a person of integrity who does good to others even when it may not be deserved.
• I am faithful (reliable, trustworthy).
• I am filled with gentleness, especially to those who deserve discipline.
• I am self-controlled in what I think, eat, say, and whatever else I do."

A wonderful resource I've discovered and use regularly that personalizes Scripture in a 90-day prayer format is "Handbook to Prayer" by Kenneth Boa.

Is everyone headed for Heaven?

2009-09-29T09:10:00.000-07:00

I received an e-mail from a dear friend who is really hungry for the truth found in God's Word. Specifically, he asked about whether or not everyone will eventually call Heaven their home ... or will Hell also be eternally populated with those who rejected Jesus. He provided me with some passages of Scripture that a former pastor gave him that led him to believe that everyone is headed for Heaven. My response is found below:

To let you know the paradigm through which I view Scripture, I begin with the conviction that Scripture does not contradict itself. If one passage seems to contradict a principle taught in another passage, I assume that the contradiction only exists because I am failing in some point to understand one or both of the texts. Therefore, it is with that mindset that I approach the verses you mentioned.

First, you referred to 1 Timothy 2:5-6: “For there is one God and one mediator between God and man, a man, Christ Jesus, who gave Himself—a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time.”

The word that seems to be problematic is the word “all.” It would seem to say that all people will one day have the saving work of the cross applied to them so that everyone will one day take up residence in Heaven. And yet, I pointed out previously that Jesus said in Matthew 25:46 - “And they will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.” The same “time” word is used for those who go to heaven (eternal life) and those who go to hell (eternal punishment).

To add to the mix, the verse you referenced says that Jesus “gave Himself – a ransom for all” and yet in Matthew 20:28, it says that He gave “His life – a ransom for many.” Here, the word “many” replaces the word “all.”

So what are we to make of it? I think that the best way to reconcile these verses is to say that the ransom that Jesus died to give is everyone’s potentially and yet it is only applied to those who believe. A well-meaning philanthropist could offer to pay off your mortgage and have the check written out … but if you never go to claim the check, your mortgage will never get paid off, right? So is the payment that Christ makes available by the cross. It must be received by faith.

Second, you mentioned 1 Corinthians 15:22-28 where verse 22 says: "For just as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive." In this verse, I believe the key is found in understanding the context in which it appears. I think that a very important important question would be: "All of who?" because "all" could refer to all of those in the world, all of those in Corinth, all of those in the Corinthian church or any number of other possibilities.

To discover what group Paul was referring to, look at the previous verses. He is talking about people who have faith (vs. 14,17) and who are "in Christ" (vs. 18). He also speaks to the fact that if personal faith is absent and/or Christ was not resurrected, then those who have died ("have fallen asleep in Christ") "have perished." (v. 18). Paul is talking to folks who had trusted in Jesus Christ for eternal life but were being influenced by false teachers who were saying that no one rises from the dead, including Jesus.

Paul desired to comfort the believers in the church at Corinth by clearing up their faulty theology. Therefore, he was moved to tell them that the finished work of Jesus, including His resurrection, guaranteed that believers, both dead and alive, had their ransom paid by Him. The "all" Paul referred to in vs. 22 is the group that he has been discussing in the context, believers who have died and believers who are alive.

Besides the points I have just made, the error of universal salvation (or universal reconciliation) begs the question: "If everyone will one day be saved and in Heaven, why did the Apostle Paul endure beatings, stonings, whippings, etc. (2 Corinthians 11:24-28) when he could have stayed home and avoided it all? Why did he wish that he could be accursed (spend eternity in hell) if it meant that his fellow Israelites would be saved? (Romans 9:1-5)." Paul lived with a great deal of urgency to share the Gospel that is not characteristic of someone who thinks everyone will end up in Heaven after it's all said and done.

I hope that this helps. Feel free to shoot me an e-mail when you've got any other questions. I enjoy responding ... it just may take me a couple of days.

In Christ,
Matt

Glorifying God in our death

2009-06-03T09:05:00.000-07:00

I got word today that a dear friend of mine passed away. I have fond memories of gutting houses and restoring them with Charlie Bevins and our mutual friend, Clancy Trent. These men where many years my senior. Yet as we spent hours upon hours up to our eyeballs in drywall dust, insulation and such, we remodeled homes and built strong, lasting relationships that we will enjoy throughout eternity.

The thing that really drew us together was our mutual love for our Lord Jesus Christ. Many of our conversations centered around some biblical truth or some message by one of our favorite preachers. We laughed a lot and enjoyed our time together.

"Christianity" is easy in those times. Anyone can speak of a love for the Lord when things are going well. Glorifying God comes fairly easy on the mountaintops. But it is when we are led by our Heavenly Father into a trying time, when our faith is tested, that what is really inside of us comes out.

About a month ago, Charlie had some shoulder pains and went to the doctor. Soon, spots on his lungs were found. It wouldn't be long until he would be unable to move any part of his lower body. Today, only a very short time after his initial doctor's visit, he went to be with the One who died for him.

Something that stood out among his friends who watched his quick deterioration was his attitude. Charlie refused to get angry. He refused to question God. And in so doing, I believe that he wonderfully illustrated the principle of John 21:19. That verse says that in "...death (we can) glorify God..."

How is that possible? How can something as ugly as death bring glory to God? Simply put, we show how highly we honor our Heavenly Father by showing what we are willing to endure ... while still praising Him.

Suppose someone broke into your house in the middle of the night. You bolted out of bed only to find them at the end of the hall with your television in their arms and a gun in their hand. You may simply encourage them to get out of the house. Take the television ... just get out. But suppose as you bolted out of your bed, you looked down the hall and you saw to your horror an intruder with your child in tow. All of the sudden, things change. You beg and plead. You may even offer your own life so that your child will remain unharmed.

Principle: "What we are willing to give/endure directly shows where our values and priorities lie."

Is it not just as obvious where someone's values lie when in the face of death, they continue to express their love for God? As they willingly embrace the harsh reality of what came from a loving Heavenly Father's hands, doesn't it show that in their eyes God is highly esteemed? And in so doing, aren't they "glorifying God in their death?"

May Charlie Bevins stand as an example of how a true believer is to embrace whatever God allows into his or her life ... and glorify Him by maintaining an attitude of praise and adoration.

On Guilt and Restoration

2009-05-18T07:54:00.000-07:00

An overwhelming number of folks these days are battling with guilt. Unfortunately, that guilt can paralize you and keep you from living life as God intended for you to live it.

A fascinating narrative in Scripture tells us of a man who was paralized because of guilt. It also tells us of how it was brought to resolution. Let’s look at a very dark moment in the Apostle Peter’s life. He had already denied that he knew Jesus two times. Finally, the third time … (Luke 22:60-62) “But Peter said, ‘Man, I don’t know what you’re talking about!’ Immediately, while he was still speaking, a rooster crowed. Then the Lord turned and looked at Peter. (Can you imagine this moment?) So Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how He had said to him, 'Before the rooster crows today, you will deny Me three times.' And he went outside and wept bitterly.”

This word "bitterly" means “with agony”, “with mental suffering.” He wasn’t weeping because he had been caught red-handed. He wasn’t filled with remorse because he had been discovered. He wept because at that moment, he despised himself! Over and over in his head, he was rehearsing the line that he had told Jesus just hours earlier: (Luke 22:33) “Lord, I’m ready to go with You both to prison and to death!” And he had just denied that he even knew Jesus. Within his spirit, he despised himself at that moment. He probably beat himself up verbally by saying things like: “Peter, you’re such a coward!” “Peter, you aren’t worthy of Jesus!” “Peter, Jesus invested three years in you and now He’s going to be killed … and you denied you even knew Him!” “Peter, you’re worthless! Now God will have to look for someone else to take your place because He’s through with you!”

Peter was probably NOT the only one beating himself up in that moment. In Revelation 12:10, Satan is called “the accuser of our brothers” and it says that he is “the one who accuses them before our God day and night.”

Not only that, but how would the other disciples treat him? They ran when things got tough … but they didn’t deny that they knew Him and certainly not three times sealing it with an oath. Did their mannerism give away the fact that they were disappointed in Peter?

Because of all of this, even after Jesus’ resurrection, Peter was willing to go back to fishing, back to his old job. What would have motivated him to do this? Guilt! Feeling that he let his Lord down. Feeling unworthy of being used by God. Feeling that God would rather use someone more qualified, with a cleaner record than himself.

Some people are under the erroneous assumption that God only uses people who have never messed up. People who have never had a drinking problem. People who have never had a marriage break-up. People who have never been in jail. Listen to me! No matter how black your past is, Jesus can use you, friend! While Jesus takes sin very seriously, He takes restoration just as seriously! He took sin so seriously that He came to die to pay your and my sin debt. But He takes restoration just as seriously.

Look at the example of Peter. He denied Jesus and then Jesus was crucified. On Sunday morning, He rose from the dead and look at these verses. You may have never noticed this before. On resurrection morning, the ladies who went to the tomb were met by an angel. Listen to what this angel said. "'Don’t be alarmed,' he told them. 'You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene who was crucified. He has been resurrected! He is not here! See the place where they put Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you to Galilee; you will see Him there just as He told you.’” (Mark 16:6-7). Do you see that Peter was singled out? Why? Because Heaven knew that Peter was living in defeat. Peter was beating himself up rather than realizing that Jesus desired to restore Him. Peter sinned! It was serious! But Jesus died so that Peter would be forgiven! Peter needed to realize that powerful truth. He needed to realize that He could be forgiven so that He could be used by the Lord to impact his world.

Listen to what the Apostle Paul wrote to the church at Corinth. 1 Corinthians 15:3-5 “For I passed on to you as most important what I also received: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that He was buried, that He was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that He appeared to Cephas (Aramaic name Jesus gave him in John 1:42), then to the Twelve.” Jesus met with Peter one-on-one before He met with any of the other apostles. What were they talking about? You can bet it was restoration!

In John 21:15-19, we see that Jesus continues to reach out to Peter. He had talked with Peter on at least one other occasion and now Jesus is again seeking to bring Peter back into the fold. In fact, there is a pretty cool significance that is buried in this text. How many times did Jesus ask Peter if he loved Him? Three times. Why did Jesus ask Peter over and over? Let's answer that question with another one. How many times did Peter deny Him? Three times. It’s interesting to think that while Jesus had already forgiven Peter, that Jesus knew Peter hadn’t forgiven Peter … so Jesus gave him three opportunities to confess his love for Jesus to make up for the three denials.

Let's spend a few moments looking at the John 21 passage to see some pretty cool truths. John 21:15 “When they had eaten breakfast, Jesus asked Simon Peter, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?’” In fact, there’s a variation of words used in this text that is interesting. 3. Jesus begins with “Do you AGAPAO me?” AGAPAO is the Greek word that speaks of a sacrificial, selfless love?” Peter responded (John 21:15): “’Yes Lord … You know that I love (PHILEO) You.” A lesser, brotherly love. Peter was questioning himself. How could he possibly say that he had a deep, selfless love for Jesus when He had just denied Him?

So Jesus asks again (John 21:16): “Simon, son of John, do you love (AGAPAO) Me?” Peter (John 21:16): “’Yes, Lord,” he said to Him, “You know that I love (PHILEO) You.” Finally, in John 21:17, it says: “He asked him the third time, ‘Simon, son of John, do you love (PHILEO) Me?” Jesus changes His word to the one Peter is using. He understands Peter’s meaning. Peter just couldn’t get himself to say he had the deep, sacrificial love for Jesus ... at least not yet. So Jesus was willing to settle for Peter’s word. (John 21:17) “Peter was grieved that He asked him the third time, ‘Do you love Me?’ He said, ‘Lord, You know everything! You know that I love (PHILEO) You.’” I wonder if Peter’s love at this point was far greater than the other disciples … yet he just needed time to experience Jesus’ complete forgiveness and the motivation for service that would come with it.

Let’s go back a year or two in Jesus’ ministry to a time when Jesus had taken His disciples into a religious leader’s home. While eating, Jesus told a parable to Peter. Listen carefully to what Jesus says: Luke 7:40-43 “Jesus replied to him, ‘Simon, I have something to say to you.’ ‘Teacher,’ he said, ‘say it.’ ‘A creditor had two debtors. One owed 500 denarii and the other 50. Since they could not pay it back, he graciously forgave them both. So, which of them will love him more?’ Simon answered, ‘I suppose the one he forgave more.’” The one who knows how much he has been forgiven will love and show that love to Jesus much more readily than someone who doesn’t feel that they had much to be forgiven.

Sure, Peter messed up. He had denied Jesus. That sin was so serious that it had to be paid for on the cross. But because the death and resurrection of Christ more than adequately paid Peter's sin debt, Peter needed to receive forgiveness and move on. Coming to an ever deepening understanding of how much he was dearly loved by Jesus and was graciously forgiven of his offenses would motivate Peter to serve his Lord out of gratitude all the days of his life.

This final truth is a hard one and will only be appreciated by those who are experiencing the joys of denying themself and following Jesus. Jesus told Peter in John 21:18-19 - “'I assure you: When you were young, you would tie your belt and walk wherever you wanted. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands and someone else will tie you and carry you where you don’t want to go.' He said this to signify by what kind of death he would glorify God. After saying this, He told him, “Follow Me!”

Jesus held nothing back from Peter. He made it clear that as He was being restored to service and ministry, there would be a price to pay. Things would get tough. Jesus even made it clear that Peter’s death would be tied into his ministry.

What's the significance of this? Peter had made it clear that his relationship with Christ was not too valuable to him ... at least not valuable enough to die for. He had denied that he knew him three separate times. Yet, there would come a time when Peter would once again be faced with the decision to disassociate himself with Jesus and live or associate himself with Jesus and die. Upon pain of death, Peter would glorify God by showing that he would rather die than deny the Christ he loved.

This is an amazing story and it shows just how forgiving Jesus is. It shows that even though we may wallow in guilt, Jesus is reaching out to us like He did to Peter to bring us back. He effectively reached out to Peter. Will he be as effective in bringing you back? It's your call.

A Christian's Response to Government

2008-11-06T13:53:00.000-08:00

Two days ago marked a historic day for the United States of America. On November 4, 2008, Barack Obama became the first "non-white" man chosen by the American people to be our President. This is a part of American life that Christians should celebrate. "Red and yellow, black and white," all of the people groups of the world are precious in God's sight. Christians who have sinful prejudices have nothing in common with God on this matter.

However, how should a Christian react when someone obtains the highest office in the land who seems so opposed to the moral issues we hold so dear? (I could easily have written this had John McCain won the election.) Should we respond with a gloom and doom attitude? Should we entertain thoughts that the end of the world is drawing near? Are we justified in giving any less than our complete allegiance?

There are several passages in Scripture that tell us exactly how we should respond. I've compiled them into a "to do" list:

1. Submit to those in leadership (Romans 13:1-2ff; Titus 3:1). Romans 13:1-2 makes it very clear that no authority exists except what has been instituted by God. No leader can rise to power or fall from power unless God ordains it. Therefore, submitting to governmental leaders is directly related to submitting to God's will. The only exception is when the laws of mankind come into conflict with the laws of God. Only then must we violate the laws of mankind (Acts 5:29) in a quiet and orderly way.

2. Pray for those in leadership (1 Timothy 2:1-4). Since our livelihoods are directly affected by the decisions of our leaders, it is in our best interest to pray for them.

3. Show honor for those in leadership (1 Peter 2:17). While a Christian may have major misgivings about a particular leader, the office of that leader is to be respected. The Apostle Paul shared this conviction (Acts 23:2-5).

America has trying days ahead of it. It is my conviction that God is allowing us to experience the downward spiritual spiral found in Romans 1:18-32. It is yet to be seen whether we will turn back to Him or reap the dire consequences of plunging into a godless society. Yet, as Christians, we are obligated to support through prayer and allegiance those in public office. Let us pray that the trying times we are experiencing will be a clarion call that brings our nation back to the Lord.

Why I won't advocate a presidential candidate today

2008-09-28T04:32:00.000-07:00

Today, September 28, is a day that pastors across our country are being asked to exercise their first amendment rights. At http://www.alliancedefensefund.org/, it states: "Pastors participating in the Alliance Defense Fund’s “Pulpit Freedom Sunday” will preach from their pulpits Sept. 28 about the moral qualifications of candidates seeking political office. The pastors will exercise their First Amendment right to preach on the subject, despite federal tax regulations that prohibit intervening or participating in a political campaign."

While I believe the men and women of the Alliance Defense Fund are good people and have helped to serve the Christian cause for many years, it is my humble opinion that they are out of step in regard to this issue. The following brief points are the reasons why I won't participate:

1. First, it's not because I'm afraid of losing our tax exempt status - although I'm concerned that many pastors who take on the IRS will more than likely lose their case. Almost certainly, churches and pastors will get hurt as the IRS flexes it arms and exercises the laws on its books. But this isn't the reason why I won't advocate a presidential candidate from the pulpit. In my lifetime, there almost certainly will come a time when pastors will be told not to preach on certain issues (e.g. homosexuality, etc.). At that point, pastors will have to determine to serve God rather than man and take the consequences. But that's not the issue here.

2. I won't because I am convinced by unquestionable data that clearly reveals that no national, American revival has ever originated in the White House. At some point in the past, it seems that the U.S. government looked to the local churches to point the way to truth and righteousness. Now, it seems that many Christians are looking out their church windows to the Capital for the same reason.

3. I won't because the pulpit should be the place where unadulterated truth is spoken. While folks are encouraged to make certain that what they hear from the preacher is true, they should constantly be brought to the conclusion that what he has said is correct. Advocating one candidate over another crosses the line. That changes the conversation. The foundation upon which the message rests moves from the Bible to the candidate. He (or she) is set up as the one who embodies the qualities of a "God-approved" leader ... which brings up all sorts of questions in the listener's minds - and rightfully so. (It is amazing that candidates who are usually no better than nominal Christians [at best] are esteemed so highly when they are candidates for high office. It is also frustrating to hear folks who claim to be Christians talk of "Jesus" less and less and speak generically of "God" more and more the higher the office they aspire to.) Should we really be advocating such folks and behavior from our pulpits?

So what is there to do? Should we have a laissez-faire attitude and not exercise the privilege of civic duty?

First, pastors, stick to God's word as your authority. Engage the culture through the paradigm of Scripture. Don't point people to mankind. Point mankind to Jesus. Encourage them on their path to holiness and show them how this plays out in their lives and daily decisions.

Second, encourage your folks to be "salt!" As I understand the purpose of salt to be holding back decay, I believe that in our society, that means among many things that Christians are to exercise their civic duty and vote. We are to strive to put the right people in office and the right laws on the books. But ultimately, we are resting in the fact that our Sovereign Lord, who works all things after the council of His own will (Eph. 1:11) is working out His plan. When November 5th rolls around, we will continue to do whatever it takes to win our communities for Christ no matter who was selected the previous day. Let's never look to Washington D.C. to do what God has delegated to us.

Leading a Group on a "Step of Faith"

2008-09-26T11:10:00.001-07:00

The biblical book of Nehemiah is filled with all sorts of leadership material. As I was studying it to find the relevant principles that applied to the current situation of the church I pastor, I came across a 10 step process. It was a clear step-by-step process that Nehemiah took to lead a group of people to accomplish a project that had previously been considered virtually impossible. They are just as applicable today as they were back then. Here are the steps:

1. He saw a need (Nehemiah 1:1-3). Floundering around wondering what God's will is for us can be an exhausting and futile practice. Begin with the needs around you. Nehemiah did. He saw a very clear need for the massive walls around Jerusalem to be rebuilt.

2. He developed a burden (Nehemiah 1:4). It hurt Nehemiah when he became aware of the need. It became not only the people's problem but Nehemiah's burden. If you see a need and have a burden to fix it, do it. While you should never expect to have a burden to meet every need around you, a serious personal problem is obvious if you are never burdened by the needs around you.

3. He spent time in prayer (Nehemiah 1:4). Nehemiah knew that this problem was massive. God simply MUST be a part of it. If it would have any chance of success whatsoever, God must be petitioned and asked to provide direction and bless efforts. One very important point is this: prayer is not a "step" that can be accomplished and then checked off the list. It must permeate every other step throughout the process.

4. He prepared for the task (Nehemiah 2:1-16). Nehemiah kept his plans secret at first. He went out after dark and only took a few men with him. He wanted to be fully prepared when he presented the vision to the people. He needed some answers to his questions and he needed the men he went with to come up with even more questions. Don't share your vision with others too quickly. There are plenty of folks who will discourage you before you even get started. Spend much time with God as you prepare privately for the task consulting only a few trusted individuals.

5. He cast the vision (Nehemiah 2:17-18a). After preparing himself and coming to grips with what needed to be done and how it needed to happen, Nehemiah presented his plan to the people he would depend upon to help him. Any task worth doing is incapable of doing alone. You must enlist others to take the journey with you.

6. He got buy-in from others (Nehemiah 2:18b). Nehemiah could have talked until he was blue in the face but if the folks didn't volunteer to join him, the wall would have never been built. We know he got buy-in because the people respond: "Let's start rebuilding."

7. He got to work (Nehemiah 3:1-32). The people made good on their intentions. The rose up to build the walls motivated by their leader, Nehemiah. Throughout the third chapter of this book, we see that certain people were assigned to certain parts of the wall. They didn't all work together. They each claimed a spot oftentimes close to their homes. I wonder if Nehemiah orchestrated this and knew that when people have a vested interest in the outcome (they wanted the wall to be strong near their home), they perform much better.

8. He worked the problems (Nehemiah 2:19-20; etc.). There will always be problems. They make the victory all the sweeter. Nehemiah had wisdom from the Lord to know how to handle each problem as it came up.

9. God blessed the project with productivity (Nehemiah 6:1, 15a). The wall was built in 52 days, an absolutely staggering fact. These walls could have easily taken a year or more to erect but God blessed His leader and His people with the ability to get the job done in record time.

10. He gave God the glory (Nehemiah 6:15-16). There was a clearly spiritual aspect to this project. Even in the "unspiritual" task of building the wall, God was acknowledged even by the enemies as having blessed the project. If the enemies of the Jews felt this way, how much more would the Jews have acknowledged and glorified God. Make sure that you always give God the glory after a task is accomplished. He just may entrust you with another project to glorify Him.

Qualities of Effective Leaders

2008-09-26T06:26:00.000-07:00

I have recently spent much time reading and studying the biblical book of Nehemiah and have come to the obvious conclusion that it could easily be the textbook for a Leadership 101 course. In fact, the deeper you go into it's wealth of leadership insights, the more you realize that any leader at any level of leadership could benefit from its content.

Essentially, the story of Nehemiah is that of a man who left a dream job to help a group of people who were in dire straights. The residents of Jerusalem were in a state of fear and anxiety because their massive city walls had been reduced to rubble. The walls had been torn down decades earlier but there was no one who could lead in the project and no ideas as to how the walls could once again be erected. Nehemiah was God's man for the job. He came to the rescue and in 52 short days, the behemoth task was completed.

As I perused the book of Nehemiah, I wanted to know what qualities this man had that helped him to be so successful. I wanted to see what traits God had developed into him that enabled him to experience nothing short of a miraculous conclusion to a decade's old problem. The first three chapters of the book provided 10 such qualities. Here they are:

1. He was caring (Nehemiah 1:1-4). He genuinely cared about the folks he was helping. He wasn't leading for his own purposes but for the welfare of those he led.

2. He was prayerful (Nehemiah 1:4-11; 2:4; etc.). Prayers are peppered throughout the book. Nehemiah knew that God was going to use him to accomplish the task but he also knew that if there was to be success, it would be because God had been invited into the task and blessed it.

3. He was courageous (Nehemiah 2:1-3). If you look at the end of verse 2, it says that Nehemiah "was overwhelmed with fear." Courage isn't the absence of fear. Courage is proceeding forward with what you know you need to do in the presence of fear. Other men had been killed for coming into the king's presence with a sad countenance. Yet, Nehemiah boldly informed the king of why he felt the way he did and asked for the king's assistance.

4. He was visionary (Nehemiah 2:4-5; etc.). At the end of verse 5, Nehemiah plainly told the king that he needed help "so that I may rebuild it." In his mind's eye, he saw the completed wall even before the task had begun. That's vision!

5. He was pragmatic (Nehemiah 2:6-8). Leaders aren't mindless dreamers. They are pragmatists. They not only know where they are going but have a pretty good idea of how to get there. Nehemiah's specificity in these verse shows that he knew what was necessary to get the wall built.

6. He was savvy (Nehemiah 2:9-10). If Nehemiah had been told after his arrival in Jerusalem that some folks were already in opposition to his plan, he may have replied (with his tongue firmly planted in his cheek), "No kidding! I would have never guessed it!" Leaders have a developing intuition that enables them to expect many of the distractions that would arise to keep them from achieving the goal.

7. He was teachable (Nehemiah 2:11-16). Leaders who don't listen will eventually sabotage their only leadership. Over and over in Scripture, listening to advice and seeking council is encouraged. In these verses, we see that Nehemiah learned from his circumstances (as he rode around the wall and took assessment of the situation) and learned from his peers (no doubt the reason why he took a few men with him on the trip around the city).

8. He was motivational (Nehemiah 2:17-18). Leaders know how to exert influence. After all, leadership IS influence. In these verses, we see that Nehemiah cast the vision before the people effectively. How do we know that he was effective in motivating them? They responded: "Let's start rebuilding."

9. He was resolute (Nehemiah 2:19-20). Leadership is no place for weak people. Leaders must never apologize for what they believe God has called them to do. When Sanballat and Tobiah tried to discourage Nehemiah from rebuilding the wall, he stood firm. He responded in the way he deemed fit and made it clear that he was going on with the project.

10. He was affirming (Nehemiah 3:1-32). Chapter 3 of Nehemiah is nothing but a list of names and locations on the city wall. But a very clear principle shows up here. Nehemiah took the time to acknowledge folks, individually, for their part in the project. Their names would be forever recorded as a testimony to their part in rebuilding the wall. Leaders look for ways to affirm and acknowledge those that God brings their way to accomplish the task.

How can I know what God wants me to do?

2008-09-23T18:59:00.000-07:00

Decisions, decisions, decisions!!! Life's full of them, big and small. You have to make choices on everything from the items you purchase at the retail store to which combo meal you will select at the fast food restaurant to what career change you may feel led to make. Every day is chocked full of moments of decision that await your choice.

So how do you know how to make the right decision? Specifically, how can you know that the choices you make (especially the big ones) are glorifying to our Lord and will put you in a place where you can continue to experience His blessings?

Well, I've compiled a list (I suppose we can call them "steps") that I've found to help me in those major decisions that I face from time to time. Maybe you'll find them helpful.

1. Get Rid of Sin

If you want to hear from the Lord, you've got to do the necessary work of confessing every known sin. God won't honor you with a Word from Him if you aren't honoring Him with a clean life.

Isaiah 59:1-2 “Indeed, the LORD’s hand is not too short to save, and His ear is not too deaf to hear. But your iniquities have built barriers between you and your God, and your sins have made Him hide His face from you so that He does not listen.”

2. Dig Into God’s Word

The way that God primarily speaks to us today is through His Word. If you're wanting to hear from Him, pick up your Bible that contains a wealth of divine instruction. Use some of the study helps to see if there is a text that addresses your specific issue or a timeless principle that would shed light on your decision.

Psalm 119:105 says, “Your word is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.”

3. Spend Much Time in Prayer

You've got to bring your request before the Heavenly Father. In prayer, acknowledge your dependence upon God. Acknowledge Him as the One who knows all things and will work all things out for your ultimate good. Realize that He has a perfect will and desires to make it clear to you. Believe that He will honor your prayerful request for wisdom concerning His will in His time.

Luke 6:12-13 “During those days He went out to the mountain to pray and spent all night in prayer to God. When daylight came, He summoned His disciples, and He chose 12 of them--He also named them apostles:”

4. Rely on the Holy Spirit

If you have received the gift of eternal life, the Holy Spirit resides inside of you (Romans 8:9). Of the many duties the Holy Spirit will carry out in you, one is to reveal and guide you into truth (correct thinking). This is essentially what we're looking for when we are needing to make a major decision.

John 16:12-13 “I still have many things to tell you, but you can't bear them now. When the Spirit of truth comes, He will guide you into all the truth. For He will not speak on His own, but He will speak whatever He hears. He will also declare to you what is to come.”

5. Obtain Wise Counsel

Don't be so spiritually proud that you come to think that you're the only one capable of hearing from the Lord. Share your thoughts with a few other select peers that you consider to be wise. And then listen.

Proverbs 12:15 "A fool's way is right in his own eyes, but whoever listens to counsel is wise."

6. Observe Your Circumstances

Often, discovering God's will is as simple as looking around you. What's He doing in your life? Is the answer to your prayer more obvious than you may realize? Sometimes we make things much too difficult.

Proverbs 16:9 “A man's heart plans his way, but the LORD determines his steps.”

7. Question: Do You Have Inner Peace?

It seems as if the moment we realize what God's will is, we have a sense of peace about the decision. The fretting that may have characterized our searching heart is gone. We are at peace with the decision and have a sense within our spirit that God has made His will perfectly clear to us.

Philippians 4:6-7 “Don't worry about anything, but in everything, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses every thought, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

If God is love, he won't punish anyone ... will he?

2008-09-22T13:51:00.000-07:00

First and foremost, I want to begin with a point that is so clear in Scripture. Plainly stated, "God is love." This is a word-for-word quote from 1 John 4:8 and 4:16. God certainly is loving and this means, among many things, that He has reached out to His creation and dealt with us in much kinder ways than we deserve. If we were to lose tomorrow what we didn't thank God for today, I think we would realize just how much we could be thankful for. We would all agree that He has smiled upon each of us.

But the next obvious question after acknowledging that He is a loving God is: "What is the object of His love?" We know that he loves humanity. This is plainly stated in possibly the most widely known verse in the Bible when it says, "For God so loved the world..." (John 3:16). He really does love humanity.

But we aren't the only object of His affection. God also loves justice. Deuteronomy 32:4 makes it clear that God is just when it says, " The Rock—His work is perfect; all His ways are entirely just. A faithful God, without prejudice, He is righteous and true." Proverbs 11:11 says, "Dishonest scales are detestable to the Lord, but an accurate weight is His delight." God is not only a just and fair God but He gets delight from rights being rewarded and wrongs being punished. Justice is His delight and an object of His affection.

Therein lies the problem. God loves us and wants us to spend eternity with Him. Yet, He loves justice and therefore must punish everyone who has broken His perfect law. The Bible, like an honest doctor, tells us what our problem is before giving a remedy. Listen to God's diagnosis of our condition. "There is no one righteous, not even one" (Romans 3:10). "For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23).

How is this problem to be solved? Can God simply overlook His love for justice and allow us into heaven as sinners? Or ... can God overlook His love for humanity and condemn everyone of us to a Christless eternity? What possible answer could exist that can reconcile God's love for humanity and His love for justice?

Jesus is the answer to that last question. First, God revealed the extent of His love for humanity by showing us what price He was willing to pay for us. Do you know how much God loves you? He sent His Son to die in your place ... as your substitute. His Son, Jesus, willingly laid down His life ... for you. Romans 5:8 says, "But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us!"

Second, God revealed the extent of His love for justice by showing us what price He had to pay to make us right in His eyes. God could not simply allow us into His presence as guilty sinners. Justice demanded a penalty, a payment for sin. How large a payment? The life of His Son. Listen to what Isaiah 53:6 says, "We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the Lord has punished Him for the iniquity of us all."

So ... since God is love, He must punish sinners because He loves justice. But He has paid the price for sin because He loves us. The way you receive this gift is to simply acknowledge that you are presently guilty in God's sight. Just agree with Him on this. But recognize that because He loves you, He paid your sin debt by sending Jesus to die as your substitute. By a simply act of faith, believe that Jesus died for you and accept the gift of forgiveness and eternal life He offers. From this moment on, acknowledge Him as the one who will direct your life.

E-mail me if you've got any questions.

Gehenna

2008-09-20T11:19:00.000-07:00

When folks in the continental United States think of snow, we all know what we’re talking about. It’s the white stuff that we hope will fall from the sky on December 24th and 25th and that will go away in early January. We only have one name for that type of precipitation and that’s about all we care to have.

However, the Inupiaq in Alaska see things much differently.[1] They have a different word for packed snow, soft snow, melting snow, sleet snow, soft snow on ice, light damp snow, overly damp snow, and hard crusty snow just to name a few.

Well, when we think of the place called hell, most of us just think of the word “hell.” Yet, Scripture incorporates quite a few different picturesque words to enlighten us on what that place is like.

Let's spend a few moments looking at one of the more popular words used in the original writings of the New Testament: "Gehenna."

This is a name that was used solely by Jesus, except for its appearance in James 3:6. As Jesus intentionally chose this word to speak of the final place of those who would be eternally punished, He was conjuring up all sorts of images in the minds of His hearers that we just can’t possibly understand – unless we do a little digging into some history of the valley to the south of Jerusalem.

In Luke 12:4-5, Jesus was talking to some of His followers when He told them that they weren’t to live their lives in fear of persecutors, especially if it meant that they would therefore not live in obedience to God. Listen to the warning He gives them. “And I say to you, My friends, don’t fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will show you the One to fear: Fear Him who has authority to throw people into hell after death. Yes, I say to you, this is the One to fear!” In the original language, He said, “Fear Him who has authority to throw people into "Gehenna" after death.” The picture that this word painted in their minds almost certainly caused them to think about the implications of what He had said the rest of the day. Let’s do a little digging into Jewish history to see what this word says about hell.

The name Gehenna literally means “valley of Hinnom” and was a valley that was on the western and southern border of Jerusalem. But it wasn’t the location that people were thinking about when Jesus used it to speak of hell. It was what had happened in that valley hundreds of years before. It was about what the valley had become.

In 2 Chronicles 28, we’re told about a king of Judah named Ahaz. He was king over the southern tribes of Israel which had a decent track record of good kings. But what king Ahaz did in the valley of Hinnom would forever keep him from being known as good. In fact, the religious practices he performed and thus encouraged was unimaginably sickening and would make the label “evil” appropriate when talking about him.

Look at 2 Chronicles 28:1-3. “Ahaz was 20 years old when he became king; he reigned 16 years in Jerusalem. He did not do what was right in the Lord’s sight like his forefather David, for he walked in the ways of the kings of Israel and made cast images of the Baals. He burned incense in the Valley of Hinnom and burned his children in the fire, imitating the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had dispossessed before the Israelites.”

Did you get that last part? He burned his children in the fire in the Valley of Hinnom. This text and some others that we will look at momentarily speak of a horribly barbaric practice. Ahaz took his own children, probably already bound, out of the capital city of Jerusalem and down into the valley. In the valley would have been a bronze image of the god Molech. Underneath this image a fire would have been set so that the image may have turned white from the intense heat. The child was placed in the outstretched arms of this god as the child began to scream and wail in pain. Only the most sadistic of parents could continue to step away from their child who was crying out for help. After a short period of time, the child would die and its body would catch fire and put off a putrid aroma of burning flesh. Nothing short of demonic influence can explain such perverted parental behavior.

Second Chronicles 28:3 further tells us that Ahaz wasn’t the first to initiate such a practice. The nations that had inhabited the land before the Israelites miraculously crossed the Jordan River and claimed the land as their own had done the same thing. In fact, demonic practices such as this were God’s very reason for commanding the Jews to wipe out the people in the Promised Land. Only God knows how many hundreds if not thousands of children were sacrificed by their parents in the valley of Hinnom.

Some years later, a prophet named Jeremiah spoke for God. He pronounced judgment on the Israelites because they had continued to sin against God by sacrificing their children in Gehenna. Listen to what this prophet of God had to say: “‘For the Judeans have done what is evil in My sight.’ This is the Lord’s declaration. ‘They have set up their detestable things in the house that is called by My name and defiled it. They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom in order to burn their sons and daughters in the fire, a thing I did not command; I never entertained the thought.’” (Jeremiah 7:30-31)

Did you get that? The people of Israel had built a special place of worship in the Valley of Hinnom for the purpose of burning their sons and daughters. What could those that built the structure have been thinking as they were building it? What may the children have thought who were watching from a distance as the high places were erected? As the sacrifices began and children saw their friends bound, taken out, placed into the arms of Molech as they cried out in pain, what were they thinking?

The Valley of Hinnom was a place nightmares are made of. Children playing in the streets of Jerusalem would suddenly stop what they were doing and shudder as they heard yet another scream from the valley. Children would run to their parents for comfort yet all the while wondering if one day, their own parents would take them into the valley. Gehenna was a place that haunted the minds of so many children and adults in Jerusalem. Yet the slaughters continued.

But Jeremiah would let the people know that because of this horrible religious practice, they would be horribly punished – and the valley would continue to be a place of death. Jeremiah 7:32-34 says: “Therefore, take note! Days are coming”—the Lord’s declaration—“when this place will no longer be called Topheth and the Valley of Hinnom, but the Valley of Slaughter. Topheth will become a cemetery, because there will be no other burial place. The corpses of these people will become food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals of the land, with no one to scare them off. I will remove from the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem the sound of joy and gladness and the voices of the bridegroom and the bride, for the land will become a desolate waste.

Jeremiah prophesied of the coming Babylonian invasion and the slaughter that would take place in Jerusalem. He said that so many Jews would die in the invasion that new cemeteries would have to be created. Specifically, Gehenna would become a cemetery. But the extent of the slaughter is hinted at as he mentions that some of the corpses would become food for the birds and wild animals. So many men, women and children would die that there wouldn’t be enough people to dig the graves. Many of the bodies would just be thrown down the slope into Gehenna and their bones would be picked dry by dogs and vultures. The sights and stench in the valley most certainly would have become embedded in the minds of anyone who ventured too close to it.

And what was the obvious result because of being in such close proximity to Gehenna? There would be no sound of joy and gladness in Jerusalem. No one is happy. There is no occasion no matter how special that could lift the spirits of the inhabitants of Jerusalem. Each of the inhabitants would be filled with depression and hopelessness. They had been the recipients of God’s judgment through the Babylonian invasion and they were now surrounded by death and land that had become a desolate waste. This is Gehenna.

Hundreds of years later, Jerusalem was a much different place. The Romans were now in control and an enormous building project had engulfed the whole temple complex. The Jews had settled back into a reasonably normal life in a city that had been revamped. Everything was looking better … except the valley to the west and south of the city. The valley of Hinnom. The memories were still there. Stories were passed down through the generations. Children playing in the area would uncover human bones periodically making it clear that the stories their parents had told were true.

Gehenna, in Jesus’ day, had become the city dump. It wasn’t worth salvaging. There were too many memories there. So the city’s residents threw their trash and refuse into it. It is even said that the bodies of criminals were thrown into Gehenna where fires would be lit to burn off all that rested in the valley.

When Jesus used the word Gehenna to talk about the place of eternal punishment, he was being very picturesque. This word painted horrifying pictures in people’s minds. Gehenna was a place of death. It was a place of stench. It was a place where affection for others was nowhere to be found. It was a place where cries of anguish were heard. It was a place where pleas for help were ignored. It was a place of fire and unimaginable pain. And it was a place of nightmares. All of this and more is what Jesus wanted His listeners to associate with their notions of hell.

Jesus: “And I say to you, My friends, don’t fear those who kill the body, and after that can do nothing more. But I will show you the One to fear: Fear Him who has authority to throw people into hell(Gehenna) after death. Yes, I say to you, this is the One to fear!” (Luke 12:4-5)

[1] http://weekendamerica.publicradio.org/display/web/2008/01/11/snowwords/