In the past few weeks I have talked with several individuals regarding trusting Jesus Christ as their Savior.  In each instance I was reminded that whenever someone comes to the point of faith in Christ, it is a gracious gift of God and a work of His Spirit in the life of that individual.  No amount of arguing, convincing, persuading, contending or pressuring will move anyone successfully into an authentic relationship with Jesus Christ.  Certainly we can get people to change momentarily, but only God can transform a life eternally.  We can inform people, but we cannot conform them to the image of Jesus.  We can influence people but only God can infuse them with life.  We can introduce people to Jesus, but God is the One Who brings them into a personal relationship with Himself.

The Apostle Paul understood this quite clearly and approached his ministry to people accordingly.  He was highly educated and mentored under some the greatest minds of his day.  He was raised with a social and religious pedigree second to none.  He was capable of communicating with intellectual skill and oratorical acumen on a par with the brightest philosophical thinkers of his world.

And yet Paul says that when he came to bring the Gospel to the people of Corinth, “I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God . . . I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling.  And my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom,” (1 Cor. 2:1-4).  Paul’s motivation was twofold.  First, he did not want their faith to be founded “on the wisdom of men.”  Second, he did want their faith to be founded “on the power of God.”  Therefore in all of his preaching, he was not looking to convince intellectually, but rather to communicate supernaturally.  “My message and my preaching were . . . in demonstration of the Spirit and of power” (1 Cor. 2:4).

Only God can draw a person to come into true faith in His Son.  Jesus said: “No one can come to me unless the Father who sent me draws him, and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:44).  People can give intellectual assent to the historical facts regarding the birth, life, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ and yet never “come” to Him as their Savior.  Many religious people of Jesus’ day were eye witnesses of these historical “facts” and experienced firsthand the reality of His supernatural life.  Yet Jesus said to them that in spite of all the factual, historical and scriptural knowledge they possessed, they still refused to come to Him to have life!  (John 5:39-40)

I am concerned for those who have heard about Jesus countless times over the years, but who still never have had a life-transforming, personal encounter with Him.  The reason for my concern is the deceptive and deadly assumption of a relationship that really doesn’t exist – the false sense of security in religious knowledge that never has resulted in a live new birth.  Knowing about Him and knowing Him are as diametrically opposite as they possibly can be.  Knowing about Jesus’ death and resurrection for the sins of the world is a history lesson.  Believing that Jesus’ death and resurrection was for me is Eternal Life.

Ask yourself, “Have you ever been drawn supernaturally to the Lord Jesus Christ?”  “Have you inexplicably been moved in the very core of your being to come to Jesus for forgiveness, salvation, healing, deliverance, fulfillment, purpose, guidance, direction, life?”  “Is your life being transformed from the inside out by a unique and personal relationship with your Savior and Lord?”

If your answer to those questions is a “No”, maybe the Father is drawing you today – even in this very moment.  If He is, don’t put it off.  Don’t wait until later.  If our Father in Heaven is drawing you to His Son, respond with faith in Jesus right now while you are hearing His voice calling you.  Believe that God is leading you to Himself.  Believe the words of Jesus when He said, “I am the way and the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)

Walking together with Him!

Scott

May 21, 2008     In Step - Memorial Day

It always seems hard to know exactly how to pray when the calendar approaches Memorial Day.  On the one hand we want to thank God for the freedoms and peace we enjoy as a nation.  We thank him for those who selflessly have either postponed or passed up careers and earning opportunities, relationships, educational pursuits and the security of home and family to serve their country.  We thank God for those who made the ultimate sacrifice to secure our peace and freedoms.  We are grateful beyond words for the ones who laid down their lives to provide the hope of a better future for generations to come.

In addition to gratitude, however, we also are reminded to pray for the families and loved ones of those who left to serve and never returned.  Every time a man or woman pays that ultimate price in the service of their country, it deals a permanent blow to tens, hundreds, sometimes thousands of people back home.   And we also pray for those who left to serve and were able to return home, but whose lives were forever altered and affected in ways we cannot even imagine.

Then our thoughts turn to current military personnel, both on active duty and in the reserves, and we immediately pray for their protection and safety.  Our hearts cry out to our Heavenly Father to preserve them during this time that they are being called upon to stand in harm’s way.  We pray for their spiritual, emotional and physical wellbeing, as well as for their safe return.  Yet we also pray for the success of their mission.  We ask that God would bless the work of their hands by enabling them to rout evil activities, thwart evil plots and plans, and overthrow evil regimes.  We pray that they will be successful in rescuing those who are weak, oppressed and helpless and deliver them out of the hands of the wicked (Psalm 82:3-4).

And ultimately, we pray for Presidents, Kings, high-ranking Officials and all those in authority, who make world–changing decisions on a daily basis.  We pray for them so that “we may lead tranquil and quiet lives in all godliness and dignity.” (1 Tim. 2:2)  We ask for them to have wisdom and discernment beyond themselves to govern well with righteousness and justice.  This is a good prayer in the eyes of our Father in heaven because He desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:3-4).  So we pray that our leaders will have the courage, integrity and insight needed to execute their God-given authority in a way that both praises good and punishes evil (Romans 13:1-4). 

Walking together with Him!

Scott

May 14, 2008    In Step - His Voice Pt 3

Last week we looked at the tangible and individual expression of God’s Personhood through the aspect of His Voice.  When God speaks, He communicates with us His thoughts, His ways, His will, His heart.  We saw that one of the keys to hearing from God was a genuine desire to do His will and to follow His leading.

When God speaks, He “has a point.”  There is Divine purpose behind every Word that is breathed from His mouth.   He does not use language carelessly or words superficially as we tend to do.  In fact, He says of His own Word: “It will not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it.” (Isaiah 55:11)  Just as the rains water the earth and cause it to bring forth, flourish and furnish, God says His Word will accomplish His specific and desired purpose.  Every time!  Without exception!  This means that every Word God breathes is, living, active, dynamic and powerful!

Another key question, then, in learning to hear from God is “How interested am I in His purposes, His thoughts, His ways?”  We each clearly have our own ways of doing things.  On a daily basis, our own thoughts tend to dominate our minds, words, attitudes and actions.  Yet God says that His thoughts are not our thoughts, and our ways are not His ways (Isaiah 55:8).  In fact, He tells us that His thoughts and ways are infinitely higher than ours.

As a general rule, we settle for low living and limited thinking.  Compared to God’s mighty, prevailing thoughts, we tend towards weak, meager thoughts.  In contrast to God’s powerful, dynamic ways, we tend towards anemic, fruitless ways.  In God’s own words: "As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:9)

However, that does not mean that we cannot discover His thoughts and learn to know His ways.  In fact, He delights to reveal them to us!  David prayed: “Teach me your way, O LORD, and I will walk in your truth” (Psalm 86:11).  This is a prayer that God loves to answer.

Jesus said to His disciples “I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master's business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” (John 15:15)  He taught that the Spirit of Truth will “Take of Mine and will disclose it to you (John 16:14).  In 1 Corinthians 2:16, Paul says pointedly “We have the mind of Christ.”  How much more would we be hearing from God if only we were seeking His mind on every matter?

Thinking life-changing thoughts and walking in earth-changing ways requires hearing from God!  Only as we intentionally “stand in His council to see and hear His Word” will our thoughts be elevated to His thoughts.  Only as we “station ourselves on the rampart and keep watch to see what He will speak” will we learn His ways so we can walk in His truth.

Walking together with Him!

Scott

May 7, 2008    In Step - His Voice Pt 2

Nothing brings the Personhood of God into focus for us quite like His voice.  When God speaks, He communicates with us His thoughts, His ways, His will, His heart.  When we hear His voice, we discover that He has feelings, desires, purposes and plans.  We find that He wants a relationship with us, and that He will go any distance to secure that relationship.  As God’s children, we encounter our Heavenly Father in a most personal way when He talks with us.

The many ways in which God speaks to us are as unique and varied as we are.  As a parent, I communicate differently with all three of my children depending on their styles, temperaments, interest levels, moods, needs, ability to assimilate and understand, etc…  And now as a grandfather, I speak with my granddaughter in another way that is completely different from how I might address my three children.  In the same way God communicates with each of His children in unique and individual ways that we can understand and process, in order to facilitate relationship with us on an intimate level.

Jesus said “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” (John 10:27).  Jesus fully expects that every one of His “sheep” will hear His voice, recognize His voice and follow Him.  This expectation extends not only to those who were physically present with Him 2000 years ago when He literally spoke these words in their hearing, but also to you and me today.  He says in John 10:16 “I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice. . .”  The whole point in this passage of hearing the Shepherd’s voice is that the sheep will recognize His voice and follow the Shepherd.

If we are honest, we usually want to hear God’s voice only when we want something confirmed, answered, provided, fixed, enabled or blessed.  Truth be told, we rarely seek to hear His voice because we want to follow Him.  This, then, may be one of the main reasons why so many of us have difficulty hearing His voice.  We want something fixed, He wants to be followed.  We desire satisfaction, He desires submission.  We ask for answers, He asks us to abide by Him, with Him and in Him.  We’re fixated on the destination, He’s focused on the journey.  We’re after resolution, He’s after relationship.

One of the secrets to hearing God’s voice, then, is getting to the place where we are “neutral” in our human condition enough to say truthfully “Not my will but Your will be done.”  Jesus taught if anyone was willing to do God’s will, they would have the spiritual discernment to know what is of God and what is not of God (John 7:17).  Willingness to defer our desires to the desire of our Heavenly Father opens up our ears, enables us to hear His voice and to receive His Word for us.

Walking together with Him!

Scott

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