Start With The Word of God

“As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.” Isaiah 55:10 & 11.

Do you struggle with reading God’s Word? Take some time right now to examine why that might be. Does it have to do with time? Does it have to do with not knowing where to begin? Does the prospect of opening the Bible give you the feeling that you are starting something that is too big to finish?

As pastor Chuck Swindoll often tells his congregation: Relax. These are all normal feelings that are shared by practically every person who has endeavored to study God’s Word. The fact is that it is a huge undertaking, with cosmic importance to you and those around you. But it doesn’t have to be a huge problem for you, and it doesn’t have to equal the weight of the world on your shoulders.

Start by reading a book of the Bible that interests you. Scared of Revelation? You don’t have to start there, nor do you have to start with prophets or the Psalms. If you are a student of history try the book of Acts. It reads like an informal history of the early church, with incredible detail as researched by the author, Luke. Or are you searching for guidance and foresight on a specific topic? Look at Proverbs which gives the reader the straight dope on hundreds of specific practical issues directly from the wisest man there ever was, King Solomon.

Are you partial to the workings of war and politics? Like a good Tom Clancy novel? Check out First and Second Samuel and First and Second Kings to know the history and politics behind King David’s reign and his successors.

The point is, don’t let the prospect of learning God’s Word scare you. Any little fragment of His Word will act like water to your soul, and you will find yourself growing in spite of yourself. God loves you and He wants you to know Him. He has provided the most important, most powerful tool in the universe in His Word. Take the time to become acquainted with it.

Armchair Quarterback

I recently read a popular Christian book about spirituality from a non-Christian perspective. I didn’t care for it too much, and I decided to list the reasons why so that I could potentially tell others why the book was bad. But as I wrote I found that many of the reasons that I listed were actually a direct reflection upon me and my own walk with the Lord. I saw what the author was trying to do, which was provide another perspective for those curious about Christianity. He did it in his own way, and though I don’t agree with its presentation, my thoughts went to Romans 14:4,

“Who are you to judge the servant of another? To his own master he
stands or falls; and stand he will, for the Lord is able to make him stand.”

It is enough that I proclaim the gospel as given in the Holy Scriptures, with no addendum, and with no excuses. It is the perfect Word of God. And it is the same Word that was with us from the beginning, and it is the same Word that today is reaching to the farthest places of the earth, piercing hearts, and bringing repentant men and women to Jesus.

But then the Lord turned the mirror back toward me.

If I disagreed with this book so much, where was my book? If I believed that God had given me insight then why haven’t I shared it on such a high level as this book? In reality, I was nothing but an armchair quarterback to this author’s pro bowl performance (so to speak).

The challenge for me and for all of us who see a need within the Body is go forth boldly and proclaim the Word of the Lord, both by our words and our deeds. That’s it. That is what it all boils down to. There will always be things we disagree with, and there will always be chances for us to learn. Let’s all pray that the Lord would use us to shape our world and bring the lost to Him.

True Freedom In Chist

There are some Christians who equate the Freedom that we have in Christ with the idea of “having no rules”. I heard a sermon on Sunday that expressed that we are free from rules, and that we should do all we can to experience the joy and the fullness of living in Christ without rules. But does freedom from sin really mean that there are no rules for the believer?

In truth, part of the wonder of being a child of God is that we are free in Him. God does fill us with His grace and love and mercy. But biblical freedom is something different than the experiential freedom that some teach today. And it is important to draw this distinction between true freedom and experience, even at the risk of sounding legalistic, because I believe one side will draw you closer and deepen your relationship with Christ, and the other will turn your focus inward and pull you away from what Christ has in store for you.

True freedom in Christ is the freedom to obey His commands and follow in His footsteps. Before we were adopted as sons of the Living God we were slaves to our own sin. Worse yet, we were dead in these sins and separated from God. But because of His unfathomable grace Jesus broke those chains of bondage. He paid the price that was put upon our heads because of sin, and he regenerated our spirits and made us new. Our God actually resides in us in the form of the Holy Spirit, and is constantly watching, constantly guiding us as we live our lives.

The goal of His guidance is to make us more like Himself by nudging us to seek a lasting, meaningful, and real relationship with Him. Our God knows us and wants to be known by us. Because of Christ’s death on the cross all links to our former ways of living have been broken and we have been freed from spiritual death forever. We are free from the components of the law, and best of all we are washed and are now worthy (by proxy) to stand in the presence of God Himself.

Freedom is not in the clothes your wear or the music you appreciate. The exercise of true freedom is worshiping the God who cared enough to send His Son to die in our places. To love and obey His ordinances, realizing that He gives us rules to guide us through life, and in fact His way is life to any man who chooses to follow. True freedom is the freedom not to be enslaved to your former lusts and desires. It is the freedom to say no to sin, and yes to God.

Ready for Grace

The writer of the book of Hebrews describes Moses as, "faithful in all [God's] house as a servant." He goes on to write that Jesus is much greater than Moses, like a builder is greater than the house. But Moses was a key tool that the Lord used in liberating His people from an evil empire. And the Bible says that he enjoys a special place in heaven because of his faithfulness.
I find this fact to be extremely encouraging to me. I am a sinner at best, and at worst I am a downright loser. Sometimes I know that I am doing the wrong thing, I can feel the Holy Spirit chastening me to stop, but I don't. Of course, the devil uses these circumstances to create doubt and fear in my life. Thoughts such as, "God could never use you," or, "You're no good as a Christian," pop up in swarms after I sin and blow it. You may have experienced something similar in your life.
The good news is, God will never give up on you. In fact, it's even better than that; God knew you completely before He called you to serve Him. He knew everything about your past and your future before you ever became a Christian. Imagine if God had just given up on Moses when he whined about not being able to speak in public! Our God's grace is all-encompassing.
Moses was a man full of weaknesses. He had been in the desert a full 40 years before the Lord came to him with his mission. But the last part of Moses' life was the key that opened the door for generations of God's people.
It shows us that God can and will use us when the time is right. We can never have too little confidence, or too few skills, or too little bible knowledge for the Lord to take a pass on using us. The only thing He asks of us is that we are ready when the time comes. Make sure you are ready for the Lords call, whatever it may be, and whatever the cost. Like the second string player who has a shot at starting, we need to be poised for launch when the time comes. Take advantage of God's grace and make yourself ready for His call today.