Be Aware of the Wolves

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. Matthew 7:15

Events this week reminded me of this great verse from Matthew. Wednesday my wife and I were greeted at our door, after work, by our dogs. This is a daily occurrence—usually a fun one as well. This fun encounter took a very bad turn when I noticed an empty pill bottle lying on the kitchen floor. Apparently our cat—purposefully or not—had knocked the full pill container off the counter. You can imagine what happened once the container was on the floor. Our dogs apparently thought Christmas had come early to the Wood house and they chowed down. These pills look and taste like treats but they are prescribed for dogs with severe pain from arthritis—more than one a day could cause serious problems and even death. However, this fact did not play into our dogs’ decision to eat 27 of them. Our dogs are now being treated, and we have no way knowing the long term or short term affects this may have on them. So, what does this have to do with Matthew 7?

This has everything to do with the verse above! Once things calmed down Wednesday I couldn’t help but equate our lives to that of our dogs. Our dogs are constantly searching for things to eat, especially treats. They don’t use proper judgment. They are not concerned about the outcome or the long terms effects of their decisions. They are worried about right now and right now they see 27 tablets in front of them that look and smell like treats. Is this not what we do as well? We are constantly searching for pleasure. We are constantly seeking fulfillment in our lives. We want to be happy. We want to feel good. So what do we do? Many times we make poor decisions and dive into situations that will have long lasting effects on our lives. The thing that worries me the most about this lifestyle is the eternal ramifications that it brings.

“There is a God shaped vacuum in the heart of every man which cannot be filled by any created thing, but only by God, the Creator, made known through Jesus.” Blaise Pascal

Pascal had it figured out. Just like my dogs, we are in a constant search mode. We recognize that something is missing but we struggle to pinpoint exactly what that is. This struggle brings more searching but never in a Godly direction. We choose to fill this “hole” in our heart with debauchery—sex, alcohol, friendships, children, sports, work, technology, mortgages, cars. We spend our time turning, as Mark Driscoll would say, our good things in to “god” things. This is unhealthy on so many levels but especially in our Christian walk.

The most unfortunate thing about this mindset and lifestyle is it is creeping, no; it is being welcomed into our churches. There are folks out there preying on individuals with what they claim to be the gospel. This is what Jesus was referring to in Matthew 7. We must be on guard and understand that the wolves are coming and in some cases are already here. They are out to get us. We must also understand that some of these wolves do a great job of looking the part. Some of these wolves are in your churches teaching and mentoring young minds. This is why we have to be prepared. This is why we must stay submerged in the Word.

Look back at my dogs and their experience. The problem they faced wasn’t necessarily their search but instead it was their eagerness to ingest what they found without investigating further. I am not going to fault you for your search—as long as it is God centered. We must investigate and dig deeper to assure ourselves that Truth is being taught and preached. Just because someone looks the part and says, what appears to be, the right words does not mean that Truth is being preached. We must dig deeper.

Well, you may ask, how am I supposed to know the Truth is being preached? The simplest way to assure that the gospel is being preached is to make sure that no one is putting an adjective in front of the gospel. It is what is. It is not the “health” gospel. It is not the “wealth” gospel. It is not the “black or white” gospel. It is not the “get you out of debt” gospel. It is and will always be simply the GOSPEL centered on one person—Jesus!

Well what does that mean? How are we to define the gospel? We start with Jesus. Jesus stepped down from His throne in heaven to become man (John 17). Now, recognize that Jesus did not cease being God.  Jesus lived on the Earth fully God while fully man. He hurt. He cried. He worked. He bled. He healed. He performed miracles. He raised the dead. He calmed the storms. This is Jesus. Jesus was sent here to die. He went to the cross with glory on His mind. Everything Jesus did was about bringing God glory. We see this clearly in John.

                I glorified you on earth, having accomplished the work that you gave me to do. And now, Father, glorify me in your own presence with the glory that I had with you before the world existed. John 17:4-5

So Jesus lived and then was put on a cross and died. Why would He do that? What is found at the cross? At the cross Jesus became our substitute our ransom. Notice He didn’t simply pay the ransom, He became the ransom. Why do we need a substitute? We need a substitute because we are sinners. Apart from the Almighty One we are destined for hell. Our treasure, our focus as sinners is to constantly trample on God’s glory, we fall short (Romans 3:23).  God could not and will not simply look over sin. This is why Jesus was sent. This is why Jesus died on the cross. The cross made it possible for sinners to be saved. This is the only way for one to be saved. We did nothing to earn this. The only thing we earned or deserved was eternal damnation.

These are tough words but don’t miss the beautiful picture painted at the cross. Our Savior, the Ruler over the entire universe willingly took the cross so that salvation could come. This brought about propitiation. This is a big word but a gorgeous one. This means that God’s wrath was satisfied. Jesus’ blood didn’t just simply wipe away our sin. His blood turned God’s wrath to favor. Don’t miss that! This demonstrates God’s righteousness. He can have no part of sin. The penalty for sin is severe (Romans 6:23). Jesus, on the cross, took that wrath. He took what we deserved. Jesus’ blood brought forgiveness.

This is great news for us and is a beautiful portrait of the Love of our Father but it doesn’t stop there. Three days later the tomb was rolled away and our Savior lives! The pangs of death could not hold Him (Acts 2:24). Christ lived, died and rose again so sinners could be saved. We have nothing to fear. Death can be very scary but Christ brought eternity with the Father and conquered death so that we could have no fear.

What is at the center of the few paragraphs above discussing the gospel? Jesus is! He is our focus. He is our treasure. If the gospel ever lacks being Christ-centered than it ceases to be the gospel. We must hold onto that truth. This was Paul’s focus. He constantly referred to the gospel as the “gospel of Christ”. Jesus must stay at the center of all that we do and certainly at the center of the gospel.

I want to finish by warning you to be aware. Be aware of your teachers. Be aware of the books you read. Be aware of the podcasts you listen to. If any of these even begin to move away from a gospel centered on Christ you must stop ingesting. Don’t be like my dogs and ingest whatever is in front of you simply because it looks good or sounds good. Please don’t spend your life searching for things apart from Christ. We must stop simply ingesting all that we come in contact with and start investigating further so that we learn from others while also deepening our own passions and studies in the Word and in Christ. 

The Power of the Gospel

Are you ashamed of the gospel? Do you cower when faced with questions about the gospel? Are you afraid of what others may think of you if they find out how you feel and what you believe? I pray that you answer these questions with a loud, “NO”, but I am afraid there are too many of us—Christians— answering yes.

For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. Romans 1:16

We should be inspired by Paul’s boldness and love for the gospel. He would argue, “What are you ashamed of?” Paul is screaming, “The gospel is the power of God for salvation”. It is not about you and your abilities. It is about God and His power. He saves, you don’t. This should bring us joy. Quit hiding out and cowering when God presents opportunities for you to praise Him by spreading the gospel and witnessing to others. We cannot hide behind our excuses or our fear. Jesus tells us in Luke that we should have no fear and we should and must acknowledge Him before men.

And I tell you, everyone who acknowledges me before men, the Son of Man also will acknowledge before the angels of God…

And when they bring you before the synagogues and the rulers and the authorities, do not be anxious about how you should defend yourself or what you should say, for the Holy Spirit will teach you in that very hour what you ought to say.” Luke 12:8; 11-12

Rest in that truth and throw your anxieties out the window. Notice what occurs when we acknowledge Jesus—He acknowledges us. Does that bring you peace? We can stop depending on ourselves for everything. We can simply depend on Jesus. Jesus spells it out clearly here; there is nothing to be ashamed of. He has it covered.  

I realize that some of you may agree this is good news but you would dismiss the idea that you can or need to share the gospel. I have heard a number of folks argue their faith to be a private individual matter. Where do you see this in scripture? Is this what Jesus taught? Did the Great Commission say, “Go therefore hoarding the gospel and keeping your faith and your beliefs to yourself.”? This idea of faith being a private individual matter is ludicrous. Jesus commanded us to go.

                Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20

How are we supposed to make disciples of all nations if we keep this gospel to ourselves? How can we expect the gospel to spread if we ignore the commandment from Jesus, to go? Paul would dismiss our weak excuses. Remember Paul’s exclamation in 1 Corinthians 9, “Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!”? Does this sound like someone who believed in a private individual faith? Does this sound like someone who hoards the gospel? Paul understood that Jesus saved him on the road to Damascus. Paul understood that Jesus went to the cross as a substitute for him. Paul understood that Jesus was resurrected to show that our Savior lives and the chains of death could not hold Him. Paul understood and appreciated all that Jesus did and he couldn’t help but share that news with others.

Are you taking a stand for the gospel? Are you taking a stand for Christ? I would venture to say that your acquaintances could tell me your favorite baseball and or basketball team, your favorite car, your favorite food, your pet peeves, your favorite television show but they could not tell me about your relationship with Christ. This saddens and convicts me. Where is our treasure? What or Who are we worshiping? We are so quick to worship the things of this world, but fail to worship the One who saved us. We fail to worship the One who loves us. I pray that we—the church—would stand together carrying Paul’s banner; “I am not ashamed of the gospel and as a matter of fact woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” This is the good news. This is the saving news that is too good to hold in and keep to ourselves. 

God's Plan Trumps All

And Saul approved of his execution. And there arose on that day a great persecution against the church in Jerusalem, and they were all scattered throughout the regions of Judea and Samaria, except the apostles. Acts 8:1

I was asked the other day by a professing atheist, if God is good than how do you explain the bad things that happen? I didn’t take this opportunity to trash or attack or become overly defensive with this person. Instead, I calmly explained God’s motives and involvement in all of our actions. My calmness was not shared by my atheist friend but we did have some good dialogue nonetheless. My goal in this conversation was not to show how knowledgeable I was, but it was to point this person to Christ and His glory.

I am not naïve. I realize that there are people out there with these questions. I also realize that these people are not all atheists. There are folks sitting in churches all over the world who have these questions and concerns. My goal for this blog is to help us walk through some of these questions and see that God is sovereign overall. The Creator is in control. The creator does not react to our actions but instead He is the “I AM”. I also want to show that God’s goal is to glorify Himself. Everything was created to glorify and worship Him—see my last post. I do not claim to have it all figured out but I hope and pray that after you read this you will be closer to understanding the wonderful truths of the Word and our God. 

I now want to walk through these questions and show how they tie into the verse above. I cannot expect you to understand the context of Acts 8:1 without first looking back at Acts 7. In Acts 7 we see the rapid growth of the church was now diversifying. This was great but it also created some minor problems. The Hellenists—Greek speaking Jews—felt slighted by the Hebrews who spoke Aramaic. The language barrier between these groups created a non-intentional neglect by the Hebrews. Understanding this could create bigger problems, the Apostles decided to call everyone together and choose seven from the group to assist with the Hellenists and their needs. Stephen, being one of the seven, eagerly takes on this responsibility and God begins using him in a mighty way. Stephen used this opportunity not to just help the believers but to share the Gospel. God also empowered him to perform wonders and signs—he was the first person after the apostles to do this.

So we know Stephen was a man of God. We know Stephen was focused on one thing and one thing only—God and His Glory. Stephen boldly proclaimed the truth of Christ literally until his final breath. Stephen knew that death was imminent. Stephen was not thinking about what he deserved or what he earned while on this earth. What did Stephen say as he was dying?

And as they were stoning Stephen, he called out, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” And falling to his knees he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them.” And when he had said this, he fell asleep. Acts 7:59-60

Are these the words of a man focused on self? Are these the words of a man who thinks he deserves better? No, these are words of a person that understands God deserves our praise. These are words of a person that understands we are all in need of a Savior. These are words of a person that understands his home is not in this world but with the Father.

I realize that some of you still may question the motives of God though. Sure, that is fine for Stephen but what about me? What about the things I am struggling with? I would answer this with the verse at the top of this post. Look at what happened as a result of Stephen’s death. We see that persecution heated up for those who followed Christ. We also see that this persecution and the death of Stephen lead to a dispersion of the believers. This dispersion allowed for the Gospel to be taken to other parts of the earth. Remember what Jesus said in Acts 1?

                But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8

The spreading of the Gospel was and is crucial. The death of Stephen allowed this to happen. I love how God works. Those who murdered Stephen had one focus—suppress the Gospel movement. They wished to stop anyone who would say that Jesus was Lord. This was their goal/mission. I can just imagine their disappointment once they realized that instead of suppressing the Gospel, God used their actions to energize the Gospel by sending out believers. They meant Stephen’s murder and the arrests of other believers for evil but God meant it for good.

                As for you, you meant evil against me, but God meant it for good, to bring it about that many people should be kept alive, as they are today. Genesis 50:20

God had His providential hand working in all of this. He works all things for good. The Gospel was not suppressed. The Gospel was spread further than ever before. Stephen’s personal ministry on this earth might have been short lived but the impact of his life and subsequent death became the vehicle used—by God—to spread the good news of Christ to the ends of the earth.

I realize that knowing and trusting in God and His sovereignty is not always easy. Understanding this truth also doesn’t take away the pain of our hurting. We are human and we are going to mourn and hurt during tough times. We see this in Acts 8:2. The believers who buried Stephen lamented over his death. They mourned for the loss of their friend. They cried real tears. Does this mean they didn’t trust God? Does this mean they believed Stephen died in vain? No, they mourned for his loss knowing that a greater plan was in place. They understood that the Gospel must be shared and they knew that Stephen believed that the Gospel was worth everything, even his own life.

Please know that I understand pain is real. I understand struggles will come. I also understand that tears will be poured, but this does not change the truth that God is in control. This should be a comfort not a deterrent. No one can bring you rest and peace like our Father (Matthew 11:28-30). No one can say the right things or heal your heart like our Father (Mark 2:5-12). No one has done more for you than our Father—look to the cross (1 Peter 2:24). Trust in that and trust in His Sovereign plan.

I have included more verses below that point to God working things out for good—please know this is not an exhaustive list. I would also recommend the Book by John Piper, “Spectacular Sins: And Their Global Purpose in the Glory of Christ” http://cdn.desiringgod.org/pdf/books_bss/bss.pdf

Genesis 37 – Joseph’s brothers sold him, which eventually allowed Joseph to get to Egypt—God’s ultimate plan (see Genesis 50)

Exodus 1 – the mistreatment of Israel by the new Pharaoh—ultimately lead to the freeing of the people which showed God’s love and power over over all—including kings!

Luke 23 – the false accusations against Jesus and the freeing of Barabbas, which lead to the death of the Savior and lead to salvation for those who follow Christ

Acts 5 – the arrest of the apostles, which lead to their freeing and more souls saved

Acts 9 – Saul saved, showing that God could save the “Chief of Sinners”

Throughout the book of Acts – The countless beatings and near death experiences of Paul, this allowed God to show His power and our need for Him and Him alone. God used Paul to show that He can save anyone and use them for ultimate good and as instruments in the salvation of others.

Praise His Name

As he was drawing near—already on the way down the Mount of Olives—the whole multitude of his disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works that they had seen, saying, “Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” And some of the Pharisees in the crowd said to him, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” He answered, “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” Luke 19:37-40

I read through the book of Luke last week and these verses have stuck with me. This is Jesus’ glorious entry into Jerusalem. Notice the excitement from the disciples. They are rejoicing. My first reaction to their excitement is, did they understand what was going to happen? Did they know that Jesus’ days were numbered? We see in Luke, on three separate occasions, Jesus has told them that the day was drawing near—He was going to die. How are they celebrating knowing that He is leaving them? They are celebrating and praising Jesus because He is the King. He is the Messiah. They did not completely understand God’s plan and how Christ's death would fit into that plan (Luke 18:34). So they trusted. They trusted in the One who saved them. They trusted in the One who lead them. They trusted in the One who gave sight to the blind and made the lame walk. They trusted in the one who fed thousands with some bread and fish. They trusted in the One who brought life to the dead. Do you understand this? They didn’t know the ultimate plan of God but they trusted in His will. We don’t always understand but we must trust in God’s plan. So, what’s not to celebrate?

I love how the Pharisees continue to hang around always trying to put a damper on things. Look at verse 39; “Teacher, rebuke your disciples.” They were telling Jesus to shut His followers up. Jesus than throws a knockout punch; “I tell you, if these were silent, the very stones would cry out.” Are you kidding me? The very stones would cry out. That is impossible right? What is Jesus saying? He is screaming, “the universe was made to worship Me—God!” Everything was made by Him for Him. The disciples are not worshiping and praising a mere man. They are worshiping and praising God. This is our duty. This is our call. The Pharisees always had something to say and Jesus was pointing out to them their flaws. They could have stopped the disciples from rejoicing but they were not going to stop God from being glorified. Look around you everything praises His name. This statement by Jesus takes me to Psalm 148. Have you read this amazing chapter? Take some time and read it below.

Praise the LORD!

Praise the LORD from the heavens;

praise him in the heights!

Praise him, all his angels;

praise him, all his hosts!

Praise him, sun and moon,

praise him, all you shining stars!

Praise him, you highest heavens,

and you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the LORD!

For he commanded and they were created.

And he established them forever and ever;

he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.

Praise the LORD from the earth,

you great sea creatures and all deeps,

fire and hail, snow and mist,

stormy wind fulfilling his word!

Mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars!

Beasts and all livestock,

creeping things and flying birds!

Kings of the earth and all peoples,

princes and all rulers of the earth!

Young men and maidens together,

old men and children!

Let them praise the name of the LORD,

for his name alone is exalted;

his majesty is above earth and heaven.

He has raised up a horn for his people,

praise for all his saints,

for the people of Israel who are near to him.

Praise the LORD!

Psalm 148

This is what the Pharisees didn’t understand. All things praise Him. This is the God we serve. We praise the One who spoke the universe into existence. We praise the One who entered Jerusalem on a colt as He prepared to die. We praise the One who was nailed to a cross. We praise the One who conquered death and sin and rose 3 days later. We praise the One who promised a return. Join the universe's choir in praising His great name. Join with the angels, hosts, sun, moon, shining stars, highest heavens, waters, sea creatures, fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind, mountains, hills, fruit trees and all cedars, beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds, kings, peoples, princes, rulers, young men, maidens, old men, and children. Are you prepared to join this choir? This is our call, this is our mission. 

Live to Righteousness

He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed. For you were straying like sheep, but have now returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls. 1 Peter 2:24-25

These are some powerful words by Peter. Do you understand what this means? Without Christ and His sacrifice and death on the cross we are hopeless. He is the great Healer. You may argue, “I don’t need healing.” I would disagree. We see in Genesis 3 that after the fall of man we are all broken. This means that we are sinners. You must know that we are not sinners because sin. We sin because we are sinners. That is who we are, we are born that way. This is easily illustrated in children. How many children have you ever taught not to share? How many children have you taught to throw a temper tantrum? How many children have you taught to lie? These are traits that come natural to us. We naturally love our stuff and want to keep it from others. We naturally get mad when things don’t go our way, and we naturally lie. This is who we are. We, apart from God, always run to sin. That is our “Adamic” nature. This is what the law showed us. Paul illustrates this point as well in scripture.

For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Corinthians 15:22

This is where Jesus comes in. Look back to verse 24 in 1 Peter. Jesus bore our sins on the cross. Please understand and appreciate what that means. We are all sinners and destined for hell. This is our path. Christ came and created another path. On the cross Christ took on our sin. The perfect spotless lamb bore your sin so that you could live to righteousness. Do you see that? He didn’t simply die to set an example. He died in the place of you—you deserved that cross. He not only paid the ransom, He became the ransom! This substitutionary death makes us like Him. Salvation brings a new desire for the believer. Our new desire is to be like Christ. We now turn from sin and turn to Him. He is our treasure and our desire.

I love verse 25. Since the fall of man we have been straying like sheep. Remember, our natural desire is to sin. In our “Adamic” nature we look out for ourselves. We revert back to what I discussed earlier in the behavior of children. We continue to act that way as adults, some of us are just better at covering it up. The cross changed all of this. We are no longer straying because we see what Jesus did and we understand the call He has for us. When he became our substitute He called us to be like Him. This is what Paul was referring to in 1 Corinthians—“in Christ shall all be made alive.” We are alive because of Him. We have eternal life because of Him. We live to righteousness because of Him. The old man of Adam dies when God regenerates and saves you. We are now alive in Christ.

I pray that God saves you. I pray that you would see that Christ paved the way for you by becoming a substitute on the cross. I pray that we would boast in God’s work and His action in our salvation. Boasting in Him knowing that apart from His saving grace we are destined for destruction. I pray that your desires would be of Him and that we would continue to live to righteousness knowing that we are made alive in Christ!

Run the Race

                Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one receives the prize? So run that you may obtain it. Every athlete exercises self-control in all things. They do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable. So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air. But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified. 1 Corinthians 9:24-27

What is the goal of running a race? Is it to simply finish or is it to win? Athletes put in time and sacrifice so that they can achieve the ultimate goal—winning. All this effort would be pointless if the goal was to simply finish the race. This is what Paul is highlighting in the verses above. He is comparing the hard work of an athlete to the hard work of missions. Like the runner we are to have a single-minded goal. Paul tells us in verse 26 that the goal is not to simply finish or “run aimlessly”. No, our goal—our mission—is to bring as many people to the truths of the Gospel as possible. We may share the single-minded goal with the athlete but we differ on the actual prize. The prize an athlete seeks is a “perishable wreath”. We along with Paul are seeking the imperishable. The reward or prize set in front of us is more than a trophy or wreath. The prize set before us is eternity with the Father. The prize we look to brings salvation, grace and mercy. We have the greatest news on earth and we must share it!

There was no denying Paul’s mission after God saved him. He had his sights on one thing, sharing the gospel. He wanted everyone to know who Jesus was. His passion is spilled out all over the New Testament. He became all things to all people that by all means he might save some (1 Corinthians 9:22). He endured countless beatings and persecution for this passion and zeal. Some may argue that the gospel is not worth the beatings. Why go through all that just to share some story? Paul clears this up with his answer in Romans 9:1-3,

 “I am speaking the truth in Christ—I am not lying; my conscience bears me witness in the Holy Spirit—that I have great sorrow and unceasing anguish in my heart. For I could wish that I myself were accursed and cut off from Christ for the sake of my brothers, my kinsmen according to the flesh.”

Was it worth it? The answer is an emphatic, YES!! Paul had a heart for the lost. His heart hurt for them even to the point that he would lay down his salvation if that meant that his brother would be saved. Is this your mission? Is this your heart? We sometimes get so caught up in our own lives that we forget there are millions of people on this earth lost an apart from God. I pray that we would share this anguish Paul is referring to. Model yourself and your witnessing after Paul. He hurt for the loss and he prayed for the loss but notice that he didn’t stop there. Paul made it is life’s mission to share the gospel. We see in Acts 9 that immediately after God saved him he began proclaiming Jesus in the synagogues as the Son of God. He didn’t wait. He didn’t lock himself in his room in fear of persecution. Instead Paul ran and told anyone that would listen the wonderful truths of the Gospel.

I realize that none of us are Paul. I realize that his work in missions is very intimidating. This should not get you down. When these thoughts arise remember that Paul calls himself the chief of sinners. Remember that he held the coats of those stoning Stephen. Remember that he murdered and arrested those that followed Christ early on. He did all of these things and God still saved him. God grabbed ahold of Paul and changed him forever. He made him new and He gave him a since of urgency in spreading the gospel. God can do that with you as well. Keep running the race with your eyes and heart affixed to the prize—God and His saving grace.

Rejoice, be Patient and in Constant Prayer

                “Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer.” Romans 12:12

I was reading through Romans today and this verse jumped out and hit me across the face. I immediately started thinking about my life and began to wonder if I was displaying this truth. What am I rejoicing in? Is patience a part of my life even in times of tribulation? Then I came to the last part of the verse. This is when Paul’s words hit me like a bat, am I in constant prayer?

Rejoice in Hope

What does this mean? Sure, I rejoice in hope. I am happy that hope is alive. This is when I realized that this hope was so much more than an expectation or desire for something to happen. “I hope the Vols win tomorrow.” “I hope it doesn’t rain this weekend.” This is not what Paul is talking about here. Paul is screaming at us to rejoice in the hope that only Christ can give. This is a hope of salvation. This is a hope of righteousness. This is a hope of eternity celebrating our Savior, our God. Are you rejoicing in that? We must understand that apart from Christ there is no hope. Apart from Christ there is an eternity in hell. Rejoice in Him, the One who made you. Rejoice in Him, the One who spoke the universe into existence. Rejoice in Him, the One who willingly took the cross. This is the hope Paul is referring to. Don’t walk through life with a “slothful zeal” (Romans 12:11). We must quit being lazy and settling for “mud pies”.

“It would seem that Our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.” C.S. Lewis

Matthew 6:19 tells us that the things of this earth will be destroyed by moth and rust. This is why we store up our treasures in heaven. Jesus is the treasure we seek. Don’t miss that. Rejoice in that. Rejoice in that hope because without it we are lost.

Be Patient in Tribulation

I am amazed at the truths God can put into one verse of scripture. We are told here to be patient in tribulation. I am not even sure if I am patient in the good times. I can look back at certain parts of my life and learn real quick that I fail here miserably. Are we waiting for His plan to be revealed? Paul is commanding us to wait and see what God has in store. It is so easy to take the ball and run with it.

We compartmentalize certain areas of our life. I can cover my job situation and finances if you, God, can cover my marriage and protecting my child. Why do we insist on being in charge? We want control because we are sinners. Paul is telling us here that patience is a fundamental quality of a believer. We are not smart enough or tough enough to handle everything on our own. Remember, we are hopeless apart from Christ. He and only He can bring us through. We must have patience during the good times or we certainly will not answer this command and have patience in tribulation.

We should find comfort in this. We can be patient and trust Him because we know that He is sovereign over all of creation. He spoke the universe into existence. He sees all and knows all. We have no foreknowledge. We, man, have no absolute certainty in our actions. I can say that I will get home safe from work but I have no knowledge of that. I become reactionary. I react to circumstances around me. This is not how God operates. Jeremiah 1:5 tells us that before we were even formed in the womb He knew us. He is in control. He is the “I AM”. He doesn’t simply react to circumstances. He is in it—past, present, and future. There is no guessing with Him. He set out this plan long before we stepped foot on this earth. Praise Him for that! Praise Him for all that you have. This is why we seek patience through tribulations. We are seeking and waiting for His plan to unfold. Your plan, my plan will always fail. God never fails.

In Constant Prayer

I love how the Lord used Paul with this scripture. We rejoice and have patience when we are in constant prayer. If you are not talking to the Father than what are you rejoicing about? If you are not talking to the Father than how can you expect to have patience? Prayer is a must. Read through the Gospels and see how much time the Messiah prayed. He was constantly talking to the Father. So why do we spend such little time doing it? Are you busy? Do you have other things on your mind? What could possibly be more important? Ask yourself these questions and then ask for forgiveness from God when you are done. These questions broke me.

I encourage you to be consistent in your prayer life. Spend time just thanking Him for all that He is and all that He has done for you. Praise Him through your words. Pray for the lost and the broken. Pray for the unreached people groups around the world. Pray for your work, church, school, family, and friends. Pray for your heart and your mind so that all you do is focused on Him so that your deepest desires and longings are to bring Him glory. Pray for patience!

I understand this sometimes can be a struggle. Our minds drift and we follow. When this happens go to the word. See how David prayed. See the desires of Paul and his prayers. Imitate our Savior and His prayer life. Notice all of their focus was on God’s glory and not on self. The Word can be of great assistance in your prayer life. The Word of God will get your mind right. The Word of God will steer your thoughts and actions to Him.

“I often spent a quarter of an hour, or half an hour, or even an hour on my knees, before being conscious to myself of having derived comfort, encouragement, humbling of soul, etc.; and often after having suffered much from wandering of mind for the first ten minutes, or a quarter of an hour, or even half an hour, I only then began to pray.”

“Now what is the food for the inner man: not prayer, but the Word of God: and here again not the simple reading of the Word of God, so that it only passes through our minds, just as water runs through a pipe, but considering what we read, pondering over it, and applying it to our hearts…” George Muller

I pray that this short verse out of Romans would encourage you to rejoice, be patient and pray. It is my hope that we would long for Christ and a relationship with Him. Dive into the Word and seek Him above all else. 

Gospel-Saturated Life

Gospel Saturated Life

My Plea

What does this mean? How can I possibly be saturated with the Gospel? These are questions that we, believers, deal with. These are questions that concern me not just about the lost but about the believers—the Christians. Are our churches filled with folks who long for and practice a life saturated with the gospel? I would argue this not to be the case. This saddens me when I think about the believers all around the globe. Our lives should scream the Gospel. It is the good news, right? When I made an “A” in school I told people. When I bought my first car I told people. When I asked my wife to marry me I couldn’t wait to share the news with everyone. When we learned we were having a son we were overwhelmed with joy and the news came out of us to all that would listen—we found ourselves sharing this news with complete strangers. Why don’t we do this with the Gospel? Good news is to be shared. My prayer is that we would all understand the importance of a Gospel saturated life. This is a life that screams Jesus; his life, death and resurrection. Think of it this way; when a dish rag is saturated with water it drips everywhere—there is no stopping it. Our life and walk needs to be like that dish rag. The Gospel should flow out of us uncontrollably.

A Gospel Saturated Life is

The first question we have to tackle is what does this mean? This is a life that longs for and yearns for a deeper relationship with Christ. It is a life that understands and believes the truths of Scripture. Jesus was prophesied about years before He was born,

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring; he shall bruise your head, and you shall bruise his heel.” (Genesis 3:15 ESV)

Notice here that soon after the fall of man God was preparing the way. God is pointing out that One offspring will come from Eve that will conquer all evil and crush Satan’s head. This is a great truth that we must not neglect. We hold onto the truths of the Authoritative Word of God, and here in Genesis 3 we see that sin and death entered the world but God already had a plan in place to save us. He already had a plan in place that would bring Him the glory. That plan centered on Jesus!

This life also forces us to understand and believe that Jesus was born a man and lived. Did he face temptation, absolutely? We see this in Matthew 4. Satan himself could not break Jesus. I love the fact that Jesus—fully man and fully God—used scripture to combat Satan. Jesus could have took the bait and called down angels but instead he prayed and used God’s Word. What does this show us? Jesus gave us an amazing example of how we are to conquer temptations in our life. We cannot call down angels but we can go to the Word and pray to the Father. I love the fact that I pray to the same God my Savior prayed to.

A Gospel Saturated life must also hold onto the truth of Jesus’ death. Remember this death did not come as a surprise to God. This death was prophesied long before the crucifixion,

“But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed.” Isaiah 53:5

These verses should cut you to the core. Why did He do this? Why would He suffer? Why step down from the thrown in heaven? The answer is simple, because of us. Apart from God’s saving grace and mercy we are destined for hell. Jesus came to glorify the Father and to show us that we are solely dependent on Him. We cannot do this on our own. Praise God for His grace and mercy. God is rich in mercy (Ephesians 2:4), but we must not forget His wrath. He saw our sins before we even committed them. Christ didn’t hang on that cross because I deserved His grace or mercy. Christ hung on that cross to bring God the Father glory and to show us that the only chance for us to have eternal life in heaven was for Jesus to become the ransom and satisfy forever God’s wrath.

We are sinners. Since the fall in Genesis 3 every man born—except Jesus—was born a sinner. Scripture shows us the penalty for this sin is death (Romans 6:23). We deserve nothing more than death. We deserved the cross. Praise God that “with his wounds we are healed”. We have eternity because Jesus became the ransom. Jesus paid the price that we owed with His blood. Do you understand this truth? Does your life show this truth?

A Gospel Saturated life cannot stop there. We must remember that Jesus didn’t simply die. He was sent to conquer death, and He showed that in His resurrection.

“And as they were frightened and bowed their faces to the ground, the men said to them, ‘Why do you seek the living among the dead? He is not here, but has risen.’” Luke 24:5-6 ESV

This is great news. The tomb was rolled away and our Savior lives! Showing once and for all that death cannot hold our God. What does this mean for us? So He lives, now what?

“But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For we who live are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus also may be manifested in our mortal flesh.” 2 Corinthians 4:7-11 ESV

Paul is telling us here that we will face certain persecution; certain despair, certain afflictions but Christ’s resurrection and God’s mercy and grace will always triumph. Our treasure is not found here on earth. The treasure was on that cross. The treasure gave Himself up. The treasure will be found in heaven. This is how Paul made it through the difficult times. When he was persecuted he simply held onto the truths of the Gospel and the truths of the Word. He held onto the treasure; Jesus!

How Do We Apply This

Now that we know what a Gospel Saturated life looks life we must apply it. We first have to stay in the Word. We cannot have a life focused on the Gospel without being in the truth. Martin Luther said it like this,

“I do not accept the authority of popes and councils, for they have contradicted each other—my conscience is captive to the Word of God. I cannot and I will not recant anything, for to go against conscience is neither right nor safe. Here I stand, I cannot do otherwise. God help me.”

The Word is truths given to us directly from the Holy Spirit. This is what we have; this is what we hold onto when everything else is lost. Advice of men, family, friends, coworkers or bosses change and lead us astray but the truth found in the Word never leaves us nor forsakes us. Does that bring comfort? Does that make you want to dive in and soak up all that is there? I pray it does. Paul emphasizes the Word in his letter to Timothy,

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching.” 2 Timothy 4:1-2 ESV

Why the emphasis? Paul is letting Timothy know that a time is coming when it may be difficult to preach. The world around us is changing and some are not going to be receptive to the Word but we must be bold and preach it. In order to preach it we must be in it. We cannot expect to share the good news if we are not immersed in it ourselves.

Why Should the Gospel be Central

Christ’s life, death and resurrection must be central to all we do. This is the life changing, soul saving news. The Gospel is salvation. We can learn from Paul and we can relate to Peter but only Jesus can save us. Only His blood on the cross can cover our sins. We see this throughout the Bible. Men fail. Moses killed a man. David committed adultery and then killed the husband of the woman he laid with. Peter denied Christ—Jesus literally called him the devil. Paul arrested and murdered those following Christ. Paul’s mission before Jesus saved him was to stop the spreading of the gospel by any means necessary.

Jesus never fails. Jesus’ birth was a success. His life was perfect. Even in His death He succeeded. He then rose from the dead to show that death had no hold on Him. God does not fail. When we mess up we look to the cross knowing that Jesus meant it when He said, “It is finished”. That was not a lie. Jesus didn’t say, “I hope it is finished” or “I think it is finished”. Jesus emphatically declared the work was done. He paved the way. We cannot save ourselves. We see this throughout Scripture,

“even as he chose us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and blameless before him. In love he predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth.” Ephesians 1:4-10 ESV

He saved us. Please understand that Jesus did the work. This means you can stop checking off the boxes on your “Christian” list. Your works are worthless—“filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6)—when it comes to salvation. This is why we saturate our lives with the Gospel. When this happens we grow closer and we understand that we are completely dependent on God.

A Gospel Saturated life is also eager to share the news. We cover ourselves in the Gospel so that others see it and hear it. I am not arguing for you to go hide in a dark room with the Bible. I am arguing that this life will have you sharing the gospel with all. Paul lays it out as an imperative,

“For if I preach the gospel, that gives me no ground for boasting. For necessity is laid upon me. Woe to me if I do not preach the gospel!” 1 Corinthians 9:16 ESV

I can hear Paul screaming, “WOE TO ME”! The Gospel is of first importance. We study it, love it and share it because lives depend on it.

My Prayer

My prayer for those of you reading this is to turn your focus off of man and things of this world and turn your focus to Him. This is not just some guy in the Bible. This is our Savior the perfect lamb. My prayer is not for you to treasure up the Gospel for you and you alone. My prayer is that you would treasure up the Gospel so that your life starts to scream the truths of our God. We spend so much of our time worshipping the things of the world while our friends, coworkers, family, and neighbors are on a path to hell. Does this sit well with you? If it does than I would encourage you to take another look at your own life and salvation. We are commanded to go and tell all the good news.

“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” Acts 1:8 ESV

This is Jesus talking. The disciples were worried about the kingdom on earth being restored. Jesus alerted them that He would take care of that in His time but He had a mission for them. This mission was of first importance. This mission was a direct command from our Savior. Jesus wanted them to be witnesses to the world of the great news—Christ life, death and resurrection. It would be easy for us to sit back and say, “Jesus was speaking to His disciples not us”. We must not take the easy way out. If we truly believe that God has done a transforming work in our life than we must be obedient and we must spread the Gospel.

“Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Matthew 28:19-20 ESV

Jesus isn’t asking us to share the Gospel. He is commanding that we go. He then follows that up with, “teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.” If we are to teach others to observe the commandments than we ourselves—the witnesses—must also observe the commandments. I realize that some of you may question your ability to do this. “I don’t have the words to say”, or “I am shy”, or “I don’t have the opportunities to share the Gospel”.  These are excuses. What did Jesus finish out Matthew 28 with? He brings us comfort when He says, “I am with you always, to the end of the age.” Quit acting like you are a lone wolf. This is not a solo act. He is with you and He will give the words to say, He will take away your shyness and He will give the opportunities to share the Gospel. We just have to open our eyes and recognize that He is sufficient in all that we do.

Conclusion

Brothers and sisters please take heed and immerse yourself with the truths of the Gospel. Let it takeover all that you are. We must become saturated in this great news. When we are saturated we will not only scream the good news but it will constantly flow out of us. Why is this important? Some may argue that they are believers but they don’t have the time to spend in the Word. Others may say “this sounds good but I don’t want to step on any toes or make people feel uncomfortable.” Please don’t let this be you. We must be bold. Take some time and read through Acts. Believers were constantly being persecuted—arrested and murdered. This did not stop the early church. They constantly prayed for boldness. They didn’t pray for safety and they didn’t pray for the persecution to stop. They prayed for boldness so that they could continue to share the Gospel. There was no hesitation. They stood strong. Why did they do this? Did they want to be held up as heroes? The early church did this because the focus was on Christ and what He had done and would continue to do. We see that the Lord added to their number daily and thousands were saved. Is this your prayer?  Is this your plea?

Some may read this and argue that persecution ended in Acts. I would invite you to read Paul’s letter to Timothy.

                “Indeed, all who desire to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted…” 2 Timothy 3:12 ESV

Paul is warning Timothy of what is coming. Persecution will happen in the life of a Christian. Paul knew this better than anyone. This should not scare us because we have Christ. He suffered the ultimate so that we may have life eternally. Remember that this life on earth is not the focus. Our treasure is not here. Suffering here for a brief time will only make heaven that much sweeter. 

                “For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.” Philippians 1:21 ESV

Notice Paul’s heart. He longed for the day he would be worshipping our Lord and Savior in heaven, but he realized that he had a mission while on earth. He knew that suffering would come—he endured quite a bit. He knew that mocking would come. This did not scare him. He did not consider his life his own. He was Christ’s. He also knew that God was working through him and people were being saved all over the globe. This is why his statement stands out. It is a statement from a man devoted to Christ and His kingdom. He was anxiously waiting the day he would stand in the presence of the Father but until that day he had one focus, one mission—to live a life saturated with the Gospel.

This Gospel Saturated life is not easy. You will be persecuted, you will be mocked, you will lose friends and even some family members, but I assure you He—Jesus—is worth it. I am not encouraging this life so that you can receive awards or speak at conferences or so you can boast in yourself. I am writing this so that we may see that He and He alone is worthy of our praise. He and He alone deserves our mind and heart. This is why we go and tell all the good news. The truth of the Gospel does not bring begrudging submission. The truth of the Gospel brings us to a place where we willingly go with loving hearts and minds telling all, the good news. I pray that we open our eyes and see the amazing truths found in the Word and that those truths create in us a life saturated with the Gospel.