When Life Makes Sense

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How long is thirty minutes?  Well ask a student or teacher waiting for the dismissal bell on a friday afternoon at school and thirty minutes can drag on forever.  How long is an hour?  Ask a patient sitting in a dentist chair with their mouth wide open waiting for the root canal work to end and they will tell you its an eternity. How long is three months?  Ask an expecting mother who is into her sixth month.  Ask a teenager who gets their drivers license next year..just how long a year seems? Ask a Father who it seems was just walking his daughter to her first day of school and is now walking her down the wedding isle?  Time can drag on or time can fly by.  However time is a wonderful thing because we all have it.  We all have the been given the same amount of time.  The question is how do we spend out time, how do we utilize our time? 

We are studying the book of Ecclesiastes at Smith River Baptist  www.smithriverbaptist.org  and this past sunday we were in Chapt 3 where Solomon is discussing this important topic of time..and trying to make sense of it all.  Up to this point Solomon had been living life from his own perspective and had tried everything under the sun.  He had talent, wealth, fame, power and plenty of time to do it all.  But he kept running into a dead end with the answers to life.  But now he is coming to a turn point in his life.  What Solomon needed to do totally and what we need to do is turn, turn, turn from our own ways and our own perspective on life to Gods. 

When you study the third chapter of Ecclesiasties you find that Solomon gives us an IOU.  That is an Inward look, Outward look and a Upward look as he begins to figure out what life is all about.

Inward look - The bible says that 'He has put eternity in their hearts..."   Augustine said "Is it no doubt we are always restless till we find our rest in him."  Solomon said the Lord has placed eternity in our hearts.  That is when you look inside you realize this life is not all there is to it.  God whispers to us as we hear the call from the inside "This is not all there is..there is more..and you were created for eternity..Therefore we should live our life with eternity in view..we don't live for ourselves but we live for Gods purposes.

Outward look - Solomon goes on in 3:12-13 and speaks of the gifts that God has given us. The gift of food, drink and work..these are all gifts of God.  But then he also speaks of the gift of rejoicing.  And while we may get excited and rejoice at times..there is no rejoicing like that which comes from a true deep relationship with God.. Solomon also speaks of the gift to do good in ones life time.  We are to do good and make a difference.  We are not just here to suck air, eat, and draw a pay check but we are to make a difference in others lives and that is a gift of God

Upward look - chapt 3:14 - we are to fear God.. This is not a fear that calls us to be scared, but rather a fear that brings us into a reverent, holy awe and repect of who God is and what He says.  When we look upward to God we should look with a reverent awe and fear of Him.. Many have lost that fear today.

The problem with many is that we have pushed God over to the edge and corner of our lives.  We are glad He is there and we can call on Him whenever we want and need Him.  But God doesn't belong in the corner of our lives, He belongs in center of our lives.  Our time belongs to Him

We all need that turning point in our life that brings us back to a right relationship with Him.

Turn, Turn, Turn

Life can be a roller coaster ride

Do you remember your first ride on a roller coaster? The nervousness in your stomach as the coaster climbed ever so slowly to the very top of the first summit. Then slowly it itched its way over the peak and then straight down.. it seemed to be in a free fall and your stomach was literally in your throat. All the way to the bottom the coaster went then right back up the next incline and then down again. Over and over throughout the ride you were left with a series of physical and mental feelings. Well life can be that way too..one moment we are thrilled, happy and joyful, the next we are in the depths of, depression, discouragement, worthlessness, dejection, feeling apprehensive, and alone. While you can choose not to get on that roller coaster at the amusement park, the ride of life is one we all ride. But while it is a ride we all get on daily, it is not one that we have to be dominated by. We can learn to ride it with a great deal more spiritual, mental, and emotional stability regardless of whether we are in the valleys, on the level places, or on one of the peaks. Spiritual stability is one of the blessings of our salvation in Christ. We experience it only as we learn to keep our focus on the Lord and His purposes and as we rest by faith in God’s person, principles, and promises.

Can you hear me now?

Do you ever feel disconnected from God or have a hard time hearing Him?  The older I get the worse my hearing gets and sometimes I feel disconnected from people because I have a hard time hearing exactly what they are saying..  In fact I have had to say to my wife...”what?”….”say that again”..  Then there are times she has said to me…’can you hear me?”  Well that’s the same question God often asks of us …“can you hear me now?” In fact that question was made famous as a result of the Verizon commercials.  But did you know that God is also trying to get our attention.  That’s right God wants to talk to you, He doesn’t want us to be disconnected from what He is trying to tell us..  Why?  Because God knows what lies ahead, the dangers in our path and He wants to lead us through them.  But in order to do so we must take time to listen to Him in prayer and through His Word.  When God speaks we need to listen.

But Do you know why it’s important to hear Gods voice?  Well for one it protects me from mistakes.  He will warn you in advance of traps in life.  That’s why He says in Proverbs “Listen for Gods voice in everything you do and everywhere you go.  He’s the one who will keep you on track”   He says in Psalm 32 – I will guide you along the best pathway for your life.  I will advise you and watch over you”

A Light in the Darkness

When I was a child my parents took our family to the Mammoth Caves in Kentucky.  I will never forget that experience.  When the group got way back deep into the caves the guide told us to stand still, not move, hold on to someone because he was going to turn off the lights.  Wow, I have never been in any place since then that was as dark as that.  Even after our eyes got adjusted to the dark you could not see your hand even when held right in front of your face.  One thing is for sure, you would not want to walk through the Mammoth Caves or any caves for that matter in total darkness…you would need a light to get you safely through.  Now for that moment in time we were in a very dark place.  The sad thing is many people today are in a very dark place, and I don’t mean because they are stuck in a cave…it is because they are in a dark place in their lives and they need a light to get them safely through it and out of it.  2 Peter 1:19 says “And so we have the prophetic word confirmed, which you do well to heed as a light that shines in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts”.  The Word of God is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.. We need Gods Word and we need to pay attention to Gods Word if we want to walk safely through the dark…But there is something else in vs 19.  It says ‘until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts’.  That is speaking of the appearing of Jesus, until Jesus comes again, until we see Jesus we need to pay attention to the Word of God.  We pay attention to the lamp.  We live in darkness and we need the light of Gods Word.  Now, there is coming a day when we will not need the scriptures.  It is a day when we will exchange the scriptures for personal contact.  For example, I send my wife a text message and I tell here I am leaving town and will be home soon.  She writes back, “ok, drive careful”. When I get home what do I do?  I walk into the house, and come right up to her and then write another text that says “I am here”……No..I am there in person, I exchange the texting for the audible, the personal contact.  The same is true when we all get to heaven.  No longer will there be the need of Gods Word, we will now be with the Lord in person.  But until that day when all our dreams are fulfilled, we will continue to live in a dark world.  We need the light of Scripture to guide us and to confirm to us that we belong to Him and that all of the promises our ours….
…to be continued….

Pay attention to the voice of God

God wants me to pay attention to what He is saying.  He wants me to obey His instructions that are clearly written in His Word..I don’t need another version to figure it out or for Him to say it twice.  For example, my wife sends me a text message that says “get milk”..makes you wonder what that means doesn’t it?  So what should I do? I know, I will call her and say something like this..”Karen, I received this text message from you that says ‘get milk’, now just what does that mean, are you sure you want m-i-l-k milk, or did you mean milkshake because I like that better?”  Do I need an audible voice confirmation to clarify that simple request?  Of course not..and the same is true when we open the Word of God and read it.  You see, I have had a lot of people over the years tell me, ‘I sure wish God would speak to me’.  What they mean by that many times is that they wish God would speak to them in some audible voice.  Well Peter tells us 2 Peter1:17-19 that the Word of God is a more reliable verification of the teachings about the person, atonement, and second coming of Christ than even the genuine first hand experiences of the apostles themselves.  Why? Because Gods Word is the inspired Word of God.  That means that when you open the Word of God you are opening the mouth of God.  We have something that is powerful and totally authoritative in the inspired Word.  What is written is sufficient, we need nothing else to hear God speak.  I don’t need a second text from my wife to verify that I need to stop at the store and get milk, nor do I need to hear her voice. The text message speaks for itself.  And in a far far greater way so does the written inspired Word of God.

People today want warm fuzzy feelings before they do something that is very clearly defined in Gods Word. They say, well I want to pray about this or wait till I feel right.  Usually that is a smoke screen for delayed obedience..  If God says ‘repent’ – there is no need to pray.  When God says be a witness to Him – there is no need to pray.  I simply need to pay attention to His Word.  Remember the old E.F. Hutton financial commercials..’When E.F. Hutton speaks, people listen’.  Well when God speaks we should listen..And to hear the mouth of God, simply open the Word of God”…..to be continued….

We are made new in Christ

In six days the LORD created the heavens and the earth. The power to create is beyond understanding. With the Word He formed the physical elements. Then He rested.

4000 years later the Christ is born. As a man He lives out life as life was meant to be. Without one sin He conquers death, the separation of God and man. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us! And then He died on the cross and rose again for us.

2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

God the Son created one last time. At the cross and by the resurrection, man is born again when we receive that gift. Made a new creature. We have become new in Christ. We have been redeemed by the blood of the Lamb.

To secure this great gift of grace we must be willing to repent, turn from our sin, and place your heart and trust in the finished work of the cross. It is only through Christ a person will see life.

When a person receives Christ as Savior they become a new creation, forever transformed, forever changed, never to be the same. A new creation! Praise the LORD!

Child of God, you are special to your LORD. He made you fresh and clean to come into His presence again. What a privilegde to be called, "Christian". May we live with a sense of victory and strength because our God has made us new and as righteous as God Himself! For He gave us His own righteousness as a gift from above. O what love the Father has bestowed on us that we should be called the children of God!

Don’t miss this opportunity on Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday to give thanks for what Christ has done for you.  In fact, take it a step further and take a friend with you to church and pray that they too hear what Christ has done for them and then receive it.

Sing for joy, Christian! Sing for joy! May this Palm Sunday and Easter Sunday be a day of great joy and celebration.

True Spirituality

James 1:27 states "Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world" and 2:15-16 says "If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, ¹⁶ and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit?". These two verses makes it clear that true spirituality takes us away from ourselves and into the messy lives of other people.  True spirituality is not introverted, but extroverted.  It doesn't take us deeper into ourselves; it sends us further out.  It doesn't make us more introspective but more extrospective--looking outward.  In fact, real spiritual growth happens as we look up to Christ and what he did, out to our neighbors and what they need, not in to ourselves and how we're doing.