Place Others Ahead of Yourself

Posted on January 23, 2012 by admin

Mark 6:30-31 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat.

I think when we read the scriptures we sometimes make assumptions. One of those assumptions might be that the gospels are  just a series of stories about the life of Jesus. But God has given something really awesome in the four gospels. We have a very complete, very detailed record of the life of Jesus from the beginning of His ministry to His ascension into heaven. We see here in Mark 6, verses 30-31 that Jesus and His disciples were very busy … so much so, in fact, that they hadn’t had time to even eat.

You know what this means? It means that Jesus and His disciples put other people ahead of themselves. It’s not something we see much of these days. In fact, much of what is deemed Christian literature and much of what comes from the pulpit these days is rooted in the idea of self … self-esteem, self reliance, self help. Self Help books have no business mixed up in Christian Literature. The answer is not us and never has been us. The answer is and will always be Jesus and the model Jesus gave us in His earthly ministry was one of self denial.

Philippians 2:3 (NKJV) Let nothing be done through selfish ambition or conceit, but in lowliness of mind let each esteem others better than himself.

You know, it’s funny how when we talk about things like tithing or serving … things that teach us to put others before ourselves, we can turn it around by asking the question, “What will God give us if we do that?” God knows that we are motivated by rewards and so He tells us we will have rewards in heaven. Yet the mindset of, “Lord, if I do this, what’s in it for me?” in regards to earthly advancement and gain is so pervasive among Christians today. God does tell us in Malachi 3 to test Him in our giving … see if we can out give Him. We can’t. But let’s challenge ourselves to get beyond any “what’s in it for me” self seeking and be Kingdom minded instead.  Rewards in Heaven are ours … no doubt about it. So, why are we concerned about what we have on earth?

Luke 6:38 (NKJV) Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you.”

Even God’s promise of out-giving our giving calls us to others minded instead of self seeking. Once we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, life should no longer be about what we want. Instead, it should be about our concern for what others lack.

Jesus looked at the multitudes and had compassion for them … even though He and His disciples were hungry, what mattered the most to Him was seeing that the multitude was filled. Compassion is seeing others not for what they don’t have but for Who they need.

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Unlikely Messengers

Posted on January 16, 2012 by admin

Mark 6:3 Is this not the carpenter, the Son of Mary, and brother of James, Joses, Judas, and Simon? And are not His sisters here with us?” So they were offended at Him.

Jesus would have been very well known by the whole community of Nazareth, the place He grew up, and later, the same community that tried to throw Him off that cliff when He announced Himself as the Messiah. They said, “wait, isn’t this the kid that played games with our kids?” “Wasn’t this the carpenter from next door?” You know, the same thing happened to many of the prophets God sent to Israel. They didn’t look like the people God would use to deliver a message.

God has a way of using those things and those people that stretch our faith in order to deliver His messages. Perhaps that person is a combat boots, jeans wearing pastor or maybe it’s a friend, a coworker, your children or even your spouse. Maybe it’s a total stranger. The point is, don’t allow your opinions to get in the way of hearing from God. The people of Nazareth chose their own opinions over Jesus, and they missed out.

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Your Testimony is Powerful

Posted on January 9, 2012 by admin

Mark 5:18-20 And when He got into the boat, he who had been demon-possessed begged Him that he might be with Him. However, Jesus did not permit him, but said to him, “Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you.” And he departed and began to proclaim in Decapolis all that Jesus had done for him; and all marveled.

Have you told your friends? Have you told your family? A part of following Jesus is making disciples and where do you start? Start at home and then reach out into your community. These people of Decapolis  hardened their hearts toward Jesus, but consider this:

Later Jesus would return here and be welcomed. The testimony of these men who Jesus brought freedom to would change the minds of the whole community.

Revelation 12:11 And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony, and they did not love their lives to the death.

When you combine the blood of Jesus with your testimony of His goodness in your life, you will push beyond what you perceive as the limits of your faith … it’s powerful enough to kick down the gates of hell. You may not see it, but God promises that His Word will not return void. When you plant seeds, God will water them. So don’t hold back from sharing what God has done in your life. Tell others. Your testimony is important, but it’s not to glorify your past … it’s to glorify the God who gave you a future.

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When the Storm Hits

Posted on January 2, 2012 by admin

Mark 4:39-40 Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is itthat you have no faith?”

When they set out, Jesus said they would cross to the other side. He would keep that promise.  Remember that storms come not necessarily because we have done something wrong or been disobedient for some reason. In fact, Warren Wiersbe observed that “Jonah ended up in a storm because of his disobedience, but the disciples got into a storm because of their obedience to the Lord.”

Storms are an opportunity for great victory. So, let’s go ahead and get the idea of success and failure out of our vocabulary.

Philippians 4:13 (NKJV) I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.

We tend to think of things in terms of success or failure and I think God looks beyond those simplistic ideas and gets to the real heart of the matter … that’s why God’s promises to us of Romans 8:28, Jeremiah 29:11 and other scriptures seem to defy our understanding.

In fact, I think we can say with confidence that once we have accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior we can drop our ideas about success and failure because our lives now belong to the One who already purchased victory with His own blood.

So, then what do we call those times when we stumble or fall? What name do we place on the storms that send us to the bottom? How about opportunity. As painful as storms can be, they are often win-win situations in which, even if our faith is shaken, as long as we go to Jesus, He will make the most of the moment, redeeming the storm so that instead of evil, there is good.

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Swaddled in Love

Posted on December 25, 2011 by admin

Luke 2:12-14 And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “ Glory to God in the highest, And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!”

What a glorious and wonderful announcement of such a simple plan. You know, God could have made it complicated. He could have created a bunch of steps and levels that you have to attain before you could even be considered for salvation. Instead, God made it a very simple plan … in fact, it’s as simple as this:

Romans 10:13 (NKJV) For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

And that’s what makes this announcement of the birth of Jesus so glorious. Some argue that Christianity is narrow-minded and elitist. That couldn’t be any further from the truth. God has set before ALL of humanity a very simple plan. It’s a plan that is open to anyone who is willing to receive it. Jesus didn’t come to bring religion. In fact, Jesus came to tear down elitist religion. Religion is man’s attempt to reach God … Impossible. Christianity, on the other hand, is God reaching down to man. We cannot cross the gap that sin has created. So Jesus made the way.

Now, why did the Shepherds leave praising God? Well, verse 12 tells us:

Luke 2:12 (NKJV) And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.”

I remember with our first child that Christy and I had no idea about swaddling our baby. After many sleepless nights, someone took pity on us and told us about this miracle concept of swaddling. You see, newborn babies want the comfort of confinement that they had inside mommy. Wrapping the baby tightly provides that comfort.

But in those days, babes were not the only people who were wrapped tightly in swaddling clothes. Dead people were also “swaddled” in tightly wrapped clothes for the grave. Swaddling clothes were essentially grave clothes. And so, when the Shepherds looked down into that manger at baby Jesus, the sign that they received was that of new life … and the conquering of death. God loves you, my friend and He’s gone to extreme lengths to show you.

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The Answer is Near

Posted on December 22, 2011 by admin

Exodus 6:1 Then the LORD said to Moses, “Now you shall see what I will do to Pharaoh. For with a strong hand he will let them go, and with a strong hand he will drive them out of his land.”

It’s been said: “It’s not the situation. It’s your reaction to the situation.” The situation you are in does not define the future. Your reaction to the situation reveals Who you rely on. In chapter 5, we saw that the Pharaoh rejected the message and made the bondage even more difficult on the Hebrews. The elders of Israel then laid the blame for that on Moses and Aaron. Moses went to God with it. Why? Because He knew the source. Yet I wonder what this looked like to Moses? The fulfillment of God’s promise must have seemed so far away. I know that there are times when you are waiting on the Lord and the answer seems so far away … too distant. Sometimes when we are praying for something, the answer to that prayer is a lot closer than we realize.

I was praying for a Calvary Chapel to be planted in Birmingham for years as I was serving as an assisting pastor in North Carolina. I never thought that I would be the one planting a Calvary Chapel in Birmingham. The point is that the answer to that prayer lay a lot closer to home than I realized. My vision was limited … I couldn’t see how it could possibly happen. God, however, knew the means and the way and so, somehow as I was praying, I was aligning myself with the will of God … and I didn’t even know it.

We tend to depend on what we can experience with our hands and in front of our eyes and diminish the importance of things that are far away or on the perimeter of our vision. When touring with Solar Coaster, the first time I played the South by Southwest Music Festival in Austin, Texas I was astonished, while driving through Texas, at how far I could see down the road.  I could see for miles … which made the trip seem crazy long. It was like I could see our destination in the distance, but it was still hours away. Sometimes in life, it seems like we are surrounded by hills and our vision is limited, but then when the hills go flat for a few miles, we see the whole picture.

It’s easy to get freaked out when surrounded by hills. Valleys can be dark and mountaintops deceiving, but God sees the whole picture. God knows these things and has things planned out before we even walk the path. That means God knows the needs of Calvary Chapel Birmingham and what it’s going to take to keep this church running and I don’t have to stress about it. That’s a word for myself. Now here’s a word for you. Perhaps you have something in your life … a situation or something that you worry about. Know that God has it in His hands and the answer is closer than you realize.

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Are You a Sower?

Posted on December 19, 2011 by admin

Mark 4:2-3 Then He taught them many things by parables, and said to them in His teaching: “Listen! Behold, a sower went out to sow.

Jesus was not the only one to use Parables. It was a common teaching technique used by rabbi’s. Parables are stories used to illustrate a point, forcing the student to think and question. It was typical for a teacher to take his students outside, and create a parable utilizing the setting they were in.

The first parable of Mark 4 starts out with a very important point … the sower went out to sow. Would we call someone who has never stepped foot on a farm a farmer? Would we call someone who never sowed a seed a sower? Of course not. And being in church doesn’t make you a Christian anymore than being in Krispy Kreme makes you a donut.

This is a hungry – even starving world. Faith is infectious. Plant seeds of faith and others will get the message. Jesus told us that we are to sow seeds of the gospel because there is a hungry and dying world that needs to hear. Are you a sower?

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God Will Provide a Way

Posted on December 15, 2011 by admin

Exodus 5:1 Afterward Moses and Aaron went in and told Pharaoh, “Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘Let My people go, that they may hold a feast to Me in the wilderness.’”

Gaining an audience with the Elders of Israel was one thing but gaining an audience with the Pharaoh was quite another. For one thing, the Israelites were slaves within Egypt and for another thing, Moses had been a wanted man until the previous Pharaoh died. Moses could not be sure that everyone forgot there was a price on his head.  The way in to see the Pharaoh would have been difficult if not impossible for a slave who was not summoned to appear before the king. And yet we find that only Moses and Aaron stand before the Pharaoh. How could this happen?

The Bible doesn’t give any details, in fact it makes it sound like they just walked right in and had an audience with Pharaoh. Logic, however, tells us that for a Hebrew to command an appearance before the Pharaoh, palms would have to be greased and barriers would have to fall.

But God. You see, when God sends His man into action, He makes the way. The Apostle Paul is a good illustration. Through arrest, imprisonment and trial, Paul was able to share the gospel with Festus, the procurator of Judea and with King Agrippa and even Nero, Caesar of Rome. In fact, Paul had a successful ministry while awaiting trial in the household of Caesar (Philippians 4:22). My friend, God had to arrange that trip … no amount of planning and scheduling could have seen Paul through storm and shipwreck and into the household of Caesar.

But that’s just one example out of the whole Bible and page after page of Exodus is about God making the way. In fact, page after page of the Bible is about God making the way … the whole Bible is about God making the way for fallen man to be restored with Him.

John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.

We have no need for fear when we are following Jesus. Yet, when we are in the midst of difficult circumstances, it can be really hard to push our brains outside of what we consider to be possible and into the realm of faith. Sometimes we find ourselves in such a tangle of circumstances that we cannot imagine any way through, don’t we. God will make the way.

When you feel trapped. When you feel that you are at a dead end. When you are backed into a corner with armies closing in … know that God loves you, values you, and He will make the way.

Matthew 10:29–31 (NKJV) Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Father’s will. But the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows.

Earlier, in Exodus 4, we saw Moses and Aaron speaking with all of Israel, telling them that God was going to make a way … and Israel celebrated.

Exodus 4:31 (NKJV) So the people believed; and when they heard that the Lord had visited the children of Israel and that He had looked on their affliction, then they bowed their heads and worshiped.

Yet we find that Moses and Aaron are alone in their confrontation with the Pharaoh. Interesting thing is, the elders of Israel were supposed to accompany Moses and Aaron.

Exodus 3:18a (NKJV) Then they will heed your voice; and you shall come, you and the elders of Israel, to the king of Egypt;

Jewish tradition tells us that the Elders began the journey with Moses and Aaron but one by one they dropped out because they feared the Pharaoh. Maybe there are times that you question whether you are following God and maybe you’ve wondered that because the path is lonely. Jesus had multitudes following Him, yet by the time He was on the cross, there were only a handful who remained. Don’t fear the lonely road because you are never on it … even when it seems you are. We, all your brothers and sisters in Christ, are on that road with you and it’s the road Jesus paved.

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Celebrate Christmas?

Posted on December 12, 2011 by admin

Every year at this time there seems to be two camps within the church.  One camp celebrates Christmas because God came to dwell among us … celebrating, though probably at the wrong time of the year, the birth of Jesus.

The other camp does not celebrate Christmas because it is pre-dated by an ancient pagan feast.  The feast of Saturnalia is most commonly thought of as having originally been celebrated on December 25th … but that feast occurred the week before.  There was a week long celebration that started with Saturnalia and ended with the feast of Brunalia, which was celebrated on December 25. Saturnalia and Brunalia predate Hanukkah, as well.

Both of these camps hold faithfully to their convictions and I have a lot of love and respect for both groups.

But there is a third camp. You see, this year Christmas falls on a Sunday … the very day another group tell us we shouldn’t have church because it’s not the Sabbath.  Now, I’ve spent a lot of time studying the Bible and I’m convinced that we should worship God every day … no matter what people have named or done with the day.

Whatever the conviction is, there are a lot of Christians who will use one of those arguments as an excuse to skip church on Sunday, December 25th.

Let’s boil it all down to this: If you celebrate Christmas for the birth of Jesus, then why would you not go to church? If you don’t celebrate Christmas for reasons of conscience, it’s still Sunday and an opportunity to gather together and worship God … so why would you skip church?

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Planting

Posted on December 5, 2011 by admin

Mark 3:6 Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him.

Jesus came in tenderness, in mercy and in grace, bringing healing, restoration … new life … to a bent, broken and burned out world.  Isaiah prophesied of Jesus:

Isaiah 42:3-4 (NLT) He will not crush the weakest reed or put out a flickering candle. He will bring justice to all who have been wronged. He will not falter or lose heart until justice prevails throughout the earth. Even distant lands beyond the sea will wait for his instruction.”

Jesus was rejected yet did not lash out in anger.  Whenever we tell someone about Jesus, a seed of light is planted … even when the gospel is rejected.  If we react harshly to rejection, then we might just put out that light.

Here, in Mark 3, Jesus healed a man with a shriveled hand and the Pharisees began to plot against Him.  The religious leaders tried to pick a fight, but Jesus shared the truth with them. He was accused, but He responded with mercy and grace.

Jesus healed the man, then walked away … And multitudes followed.

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