HIS gain and glory ...

"And he called to him his twelve disciples and gave them authority over unclean  spirits, to cast them out, and to heal every disease and every affliction. The names of the twelve apostles are these... and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him." - Matthew 10:1-2, 4

Have you ever wondered who your favorite actor or actress truly is in real life? Acting is just that, acting. A good actor can convince the world that they are wonderful or horrifically evil, all in the same year in two different films. They exercise God given abilities and use them for their own gain and glory.

Jesus had a variety of reasons for choosing a man who would later betray Him. But focusing on Judas Iscariot proves to be an interesting study. Here is an individual that was blessed with the incredible privilege of being called by Jesus and equipped with divine power. To the world, Judas appeared to be a true disciple of the Lord and he performed the part quite well. But, he chose to exercise God given abilities for his own gain and glory.

The lesson is sobering my friend. You may have heard the call of God in your life, and been blessed with great skills to serve His church. But without God's saving grace that gives you a new heart, you will only be an actor or actress. You will be exercising your God given abilities for your own gain and glory." 

Take care to heed the words of 2 Peter 1:10, "Therefore, brothers, be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure..." Be the real deal and be true to the Lord who saved you by exercising your God given abilities for HIS gain and glory.

What do you see?

When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd." -- Matthew 9:36

Crowds may mean little to you, but wherever I go there are crowds. We used to live in the metropolitan region of New York City. People were in abundance and they were everywhere. The interesting question is this: what goes through the mind when we are surrounded by crowds? Do we see them as a burden, or do we see their burdens?

Jesus was never impersonal or uncaring about the multitudes that followed him. He saw their emptiness and their need for someone to care. He saw their broken and storm ravaged lives and he was moved with compassion. Their need for the Shepherd touched him to the core. To Jesus, they were never a burden; he just saw their burdens with eyes of love.

Are you upset and irritated when you are surrounded by too many people at the mall, on the road or in the grocery store? What do you see with your "born again" transformed eyes? Do you see them as Jesus sees them? Do you see that ... "People need the Lord"?

Admit your need ...

"And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick." - Matthew 9:11-12 

Some years ago, a member of our congregation suddenly slipped into eternity. His death was a shock to the family and friends because he claimed to be in good health. But an autopsy revealed that this dear brother was far from healthy. It was clear that he should have seen a physician months, or even years earlier, but he refused to admit his need.

This is the same situation for those who are soul-sick. Many people hear the Word of God preached or read the pages of Scripture and conclude that they are perfectly well. They ignore the warning signs of sin-sickness and boast of spiritual health. The opportunities for soul healing come and go, but they only get sicker. The sobering truth is this: there is no help for those who refuse to admit their need.

Are you on a path of spiritual decline my friend? Have you denied your condition with some flippant comment such as, "I'm fine"? Do you wonder why the Lord seems so far away and your life seems so empty? Well, our Lord is certainly the "Great Physician" of the soul, but only to those who are willing to admit their need.

The Main Thing ...

"Another disciple said to him, “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” But Jesus told him, “Follow me, and let the dead bury their own dead.”" -- Matthew 8:21-22

Life can become so busy that we lose sight of our priorities. On one occasion I was so busy preparing for a trip that I forgot to fill the gas tank. I had a family in our church years ago so preoccupied after church that they left without their daughter. There are some matters that should hold our interest above all else. We need to keep the main thing, the main thing.

Jesus may seem to be quite cruel at this point in his response to this disciple. But, he knew far more about this man than words can express. He knew the heart of the matter and there was something in the picture that was keeping this disciple from the goal. We may have excuses galore that explain why we need to put off spiritual callings. Yet, the Lord knows when we have just lost sight of our priorities.

Have you proposed reasons for putting off the spiritual disciplines and demands of today for another time? Has the Lord called you to a task that you are procrastinating over? Don't lose sight of the goal my friend, and keep the main thing, the main thing!

Serve or sit?

"He touched her hand, and the fever left her, and she rose and began to serve him." - Matthew 8:15

During the summer months when we lived in Bloomfield N.J., every Wednesday evening was Classic Car night. Many of those treasures had been rescued and restored to be shown on such occasions. These vehicles could easily serve as very dependable forms of transportation, but they sat on the sidelines as showpieces.

Peter's mother was one of a great many who received the Lord's healing touch. Once she was restored she could have written a book and told her story, or visited from one town to the next rehearsing the experience of divine healing. Or she could have just kicked back and enjoyed the special gift that she had received. Instead, she made the greater choice to serve the Lord with her new found health, rather than sit on the sidelines as a showpiece.

How about you my friend? Have you received answers to prayers for restored health, wealth or strength? Has the Lord rescued and restored your life to such a degree that others marvel at how He has blessed you? Well, what are you going to do with all those blessings? How are you using your new found renewal? Will you follow in the path of a simple New Testament woman and rise up to serve the Lord? or will you just sit on the sidelines and be a showpiece?

Just Do It!

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock." -- Matthew 7:24-25

People spend millions of dollars every year attending instructional conferences, workshops and reading numerous handbooks. Their purpose is improvement of skills or life in general. Sadly, there are many whose skills or lives never change. The reason is simple: they fail to put their learning into practice.

Many Christians suffer from the same experience. They study the Scriptures and read any number of books on spiritual growth. They attend conferences and listen to speakers galore but see little to no change in their spiritual lives. The endless cycle only discourages the average believer as they crumble in the midst of every storm that comes their way. The missing element is always the same: they fail to put their learning into practice.

If you hope to have a strong life, built on the rock, practice is required. You can't just know it my friend, you need to do it. We learn how to pray by praying, we learn how to serve by serving, we learn how to trust by trusting, we learn how to love by loving and we learn how to forgive by forgiving. As always, we can only learn by doing. Some years ago NIKE made the point well in their commercial: "Just Do It".

Where's Your Treasure?

"For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." -- Matthew 6:21

 My parents bought their first and only house in 1961. They chose to have a house built for them in a new housing development. During the months that followed they visited the hole in the ground, the foundation, the shell and the latter days of completion. There were times that they spent more time inspecting the process than anything else. Through the coming years they also spent an abundance of time on upkeep and improvement of their house. Their heart was in that house.

Jesus taught us a great principle as he spoke the above words in their context. Choose your treasure wisely, for your choice will rule your life. The house I mentioned above was sold in 1973 and my parents never looked back. All the hours, days, weeks and years of effort were past with little to show for the future. Houses and other tangible things are temporal at best. They carry no eternal value, but provide a means to better serve God's Kingdom work. The question is... will you serve a thing, or the King? Only one can have your heart.

Choose your treasure wisely my friend. That choice will most definitely rule your time, talents and toil. But, what will it bring you in the end? The idea has been well worded this way: "Only one life twill soon be passed, Only what’s done for Christ will last."