Some people are guilty of propagating a false gospel! I’ve heard Pastors and lay people say God’s will for you is to be “healthy” or “prospering” or “successful.” I’ve searched the scriptures and the scriptures don’t say that. What they do say is this: “Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation. If you are reviled for the name of Christ, you are blessed, because the Spirit of glory and of God rests on you. Make sure that none of you suffers as a murderer, or thief, or evildoer, or a troublesome meddler.” —1 Peter 4:12-15, NASV
This means Christians suffer losses, financial reversals, accidents, sickness and even death. Christianity does not teach a “health and wealth” gospel. It does teach that we are called to suffer—to suffer like Christ. 1 Peter 2:21 says it correctly, “For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.” Christ suffered and left us an example in how to go through this ordeal, walk the way He walked, faithful to His Father in all ways. I fear at times Christianity has been sold the false gospel of “Hallmark Christianity”—if you follow Christ you get a sweet greeting card from on high every day. You’ll never feel bad or sick or, heaven forbid, die.
False gospels always distort the truth. Christ is always made to look weak and helpless. Real gospel saves, and the real gospel sanctifies us; it prepares us to live for Christ no matter what crisis, pain, or problem or suffering. If we could see what our great God is doing behind the scenes we would bless, adore, and praise Him. He is completely in charge. Isa 55:8-9 tells us, “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways," declares the LORD. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.”
Reject the false gospels and stand for Christ. If need be, suffer like a good soldier for Christ. “You're all I want in heaven! You're all I want on earth! When my skin sags and my bones get brittle, GOD is rock-firm and faithful.”
- Psalm 73:25-26 .
Somewhere in our future a faithful God will say to us (if it is true of us) “well done good and faithful servant…enter into the joy of your Master.” - Matt 25:21
God bless,
Woody
My daughter, Marianne Cox, sent me an email a few days ago. I read her words and two words crashed upon my heart, “no regrets.” Think with me about those words, “no regrets” and your life. Let the words sink into your soul. No regrets physically—a famous baseball player comes to mind with his confession that he used steroids but denied it for years. No regrets emotionally—a famous candidate who ran for President admitted this week he fathered a child but had denied it for two years. Another example would be a world-famous golfer who is on the verge of losing his wife and kids because of numerous adulteries. No regrets spiritually. What if you spent your entire life on earth and rejected God at every turn? No church, no prayers, no Bible, no confession of sin, no knowledge of spiritual reality—and then you died. When that happens you will discover that you were wrong—eternally (never ending)—and that will leave you with the biggest regret of your entire life! Mercedes Lackey wrote, “If only. Those must be the two saddest words in the world.” No regrets. That is my prayer for you today.
Psalm 107:4-22 says it best:
“Some of you wandered for years in the desert, looking but not finding a good place to live,
Half-starved and parched with thirst, staggering and stumbling, on the brink of exhaustion.
Then, in your desperate condition, you called out to GOD. He got you out in the nick of time;
He put your feet on a wonderful road that took you straight to a good place to live.
So thank GOD for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves.
He poured great draughts of water down parched throats; the starved and hungry got plenty to eat.
Some of you were locked in a dark cell, cruelly confined behind bars,
Punished for defying God's Word, for turning your back on the High God's counsel—
A hard sentence, and your hearts so heavy, and not a soul in sight to help.
Then you called out to God in your desperate condition; he got you out in the nick of time.
He led you out of your dark, dark cell, broke open the jail and led you out.
So thank God for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves;
He shattered the heavy jailhouse doors, he snapped the prison bars like matchsticks!
Some of you were sick because you'd lived a bad life, your bodies feeling the effects of your sin;
You couldn't stand the sight of food, so miserable you thought you'd be better off dead.
Then you called out to GOD in your desperate condition; he got you out in the nick of time.
He spoke the word that healed you, that pulled you back from the brink of death.
So thank GOD for his marvelous love, for his miracle mercy to the children he loves;
Offer thanksgiving sacrifices, tell the world what he's done—sing it out!”
-- Psalm 107:4-22 (The Message)
Today, live for Jesus. Love Him, serve Him, worship Him! Live for Him and live with no regrets.
God bless, Woody
Just started a book by Eugene Peterson called, TelI it Slant. It’s about the words Jesus chose to communicate the glorious truths of God’s Good News to all mankind. Peterson argues that Genesis 3 was the beginning of our “language catastrophe.” Certainly Adam and Eve’s sin changed everything. Nothing is the same because of that event. Have you ever thought about how our words—our communication—has been affected by sin? Dr. Albert Mohler, on one of his recent plane trips, accompanied by colleague Matthew J. Hall, was lamenting with sadness the people around them on the plane and the communication they were using. Two young men behind Dr. Mohler and Mr. Hall were expressing their ideas in a very crude way—discussing the quality control on pornography. It is a true statement that “our words reveal our spiritual maturity or lack of it.”
If I encouraged you to watch your language I would only be focusing on the negative. If you want to change how you say something, on thing is essential: you must spend more time in deep fellowship with your savior. We can’t be in intimate fellowship with him and continue to use words or ideas that are not Christ-honoring. St. Peter says this in 1 Peter 2:1-2, “Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies, long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation.”
James 3:1-6 says this: “Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. For we all stumble in many ways. If anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to bridle the whole body as well. Now if we put the bits into the horses’ mouths so that they will obey us, we direct their entire body as well. Look at the ships also, though they are so great and are driven by strong winds, are still directed by a very small rudder wherever the inclination of the pilot desires. So also the tongue is a small part of the body, and yet it boasts of great things. See how great a forest is set aflame by such a small fire! And the tongue is a fire, the very world of iniquity; the tongue is set among our members as that which defiles the entire body, and sets on fire the course of our life, and is on fire by hell.
James really says it well and says it all. Let’s guard our hearts in 2010 and let’s begin with our words.
God bless,
Woody"The good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth what is good; and the evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth what is evil; for his mouth speaks from that which fills his heart.” -Luke 6:45
Over the Christmas break my son-in-law, Pastor Scott Luck, told me a great equation. “Change of place plus change of pace equals a change of perspective.” (He had heard that from a pastor.) How very true and appropriate the statement is. As we begin 2010, we do not want to be thinking and acting the way we did at certain times in 2009. Many times we can look back and say, “I should not have been thinking that or doing that or even saying something unkind or not Christ-like.” All the more reason to remind ourselves and others, “God does not change” (Mal. 3:6) but He expects us to change daily!
Consider these changes for 2010:
1) What you need to give up in 2010 “change of place” to put you in a different place. Stopping TV watching or you fill in the blank, and start a Bible study or read a new book to show you a different understanding of life from God’s perspective.
2) Perhaps you need to give up a relationship that does not honor Christ. Any person that hinders your “pace” for Christ needs to be evaluated in sincere prayer. Are they influencing you for Christ or vice versa.
3) Lastly, remember time is important! We only get 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. You can’t do everything. Remember what the great Christian missionary martyr, Jim Elliot, wrote shortly before his death? “Only One Life, Twill Soon Be Past, Only What's Done For Christ Will Last.”
Ponder these thoughts about change - your change - no one can to it for you. It’s only you. “Change of place + change of pace = a change of perspective.” Change now for the glory of God and your benefits.
God bless,
Woody
