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Thursday, April 18th, 2024
Popular today among many is what I will call (and possibly other have already done so) the “positive thought/confession” movement. Long story that strain of thought says “whatever you think or feel, whatever your heart says to do, speak it out loud and then go, follow your heart.
I know people who believed this so much that they stopped taking their meds because they “thought themselves” healthy. I’m not saying we are not sometimes over-medicated. Not at all. But there are some meds you just can’t quit cold turkey.
I’ve known people who refused medical treatment because some huckster or some “speak positive thoughts” guru told them to speak themselves well and to not act accordingly was a “an act of unbelief.”
Granted, these are some extreme examples. There are those who need to stop feeding negative images into their brain after they look into the mirror. The “I’m ugly” or “I’m fat” or “I’m worthless” comments need to go. But frankly, there is a lot more money made in cosmetology and plastic surgery for unnecessary procedures than there should be.
What does all this have to do with being a Christ-follower? Many try to apply self-help gobbledygook to lifelong and lasting change. Victory over an addiction or a traumatic event in the past (or the present) will not be overcome by “I think I can, I think I can.” That only works with trains trying to climb mountains. The real transforming approach is this: “You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for He forgave all our sins. He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. In this way, He disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by His victory over them on the cross.” (Col. 2:13-15 NLT)
Real change, real transformation, does not come from thinking positive. Real change comes from allowing God’s Spirit to do His work in you. He makes permanent change. He disarms the enemy.
And I’m positive He will win the battle.
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Change, Christian Living, Faith/Feelings, God's Plan, Jesus, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Positivity, Reflection, Scripture look, Sin, Story, Transformation
Wednesday, April 17th, 2024
Who is Jesus? That’s the question I posed in yesterday’s devotion. Jesus asked it of His disciples; He asks it of His disciples today. Colossians 1:15-20 gives a pretty succinct description of Jesus. I’d like to take a real quick and cursory look at that passage. Notice the words “quick” and “cursory.” That means without a whole lot of detail. 🙂
First, Jesus is preeminent. What does that mean? That means He is first in everything. First in importance, first in honor, first in exaltation.
There are those who view Jesus as one of many lesser spirits descending in inferiority from God. Paul refutes that notion by saying He is “the visible image of the invisible God” (v,.15a). He is the perfect, absolutely accurate image of God. He was that from the beginning.
- “He existed before anything was created.” Jesus is NOT a created being.
- “He is supreme over all creation.” He is the authority over all. Contrary to one of the cult’s idea that Jesus was a created being-Michael the Archangel to be exact-the Apostle Paul refutes that idea vehemently.
- “Through Him God created everything.” He is the agent of creation. The Greek words “through Him” is also “by Him.” (See John 1:1,3)
- “Everything was created through Him and for Him. He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.” He is the aim of creation. Revelation describes Him as “the Alpha and Omega, the first and the last, the Beginning and the End.”
- “He holds all creation together.” See Psalm 95:3-7 for more on that.
The rest of Colossians 1 (verses 18-20) are hard to get around:
- He is the Head of the church. Note: no man is and that includes the pastor or (you fill in the blank).
- He is the first in everything and that includes all who rise from the dead.
- God reconciled (made us friends) us to Himself through Jesus’ death on the cross.
There you have it. A quick review of who Jesus is. It is my belief that there are many warped ideas out there of who Jesus is, even those which sound good. Pray for discernment. Study diligently. Stick to the Word.
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Creator, God, God's Word, Jesus, Opinion, Preeminence, Reflection, Scripture look
Tuesday, April 16th, 2024
Jesus once asked His disciples, “Who do people say I am?” The answers were wide and varied. “Some say you are John the Baptizer.” “Some say you are Elijah.” “Some say you are Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” {My note: that sure is a wide range of people. Sort of like take a spin and pick a prophet}.
“Who do you say I am?” Jesus asked them.
“You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God.” Peter spoke for all of them when he said that. (Full story in Matthew 16:13-16)
That same question is asked of us today. Our response should be the same as Peter’s. But we can also add some depth to it. I’m going to put Paul’s answer to that question and simply ask you to ponder it today. It comes from Colossians 1:16-20. Because of length, check back tomorrow when I plan to spend a bit of time discussing some of it.
“Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. He existed before anything was created and is supreme over all creation, for through Him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and things we can’t see-such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through Him and for Him. He existed before anything else, and He holds all creation together. Christ is also the head of the church, which is His body. He is the beginning, supreme over all who rise from the dead. So He is first in everything. For God in all His fullness was pleased to live in Christ, and through Him God reconciled everything to Himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ’s blood on the cross.” (NLT)
As you read, pray for discernment. There is a (false) teaching making the rounds for the past several years (courtesy of Bethel and other cults) which says Jesus was not fully human and fully divine from conception and birth to His death and resurrection. (More tomorrow). This passage blows that apart. But there is more, a whole lot more. Read slowly. Read prayerfully. Read with your eyes wide open.
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Doctrine, God, God's Word, Humanity/Divinity, Jesus, Person of Christ, Reflection, Scripture look
Monday, April 15th, 2024
Does the way things happen ever make sense?
That has been the question running through my mind the past week and on into the weekend. Please give me a chance to tell you why I ask that.
My best male friend has been told he has 18-24 months to live. One of my other male friends was given 3-6 months to live and it has been close to two. Unless God intervenes time is running out. Then this past week one of our boys in the church (age 6.5 he has informed me) has been sick off and on since January/February. He goes from kinetic energy to crash is 5 seconds. Some things have been ruled out but what has not has been leukemia and lymphoma. He goes the 25th to Riley Hospital for a full work up. The family is still waiting to hear the prognosis.
As I shared with the church yesterday, I believe God has 3 answers to our prayers:
“Yes.” We like this one for obvious reasons. We like that we are in agreement with God…or is that He is in agreement with us? In either case, a good answer. 🙂
“No.” This is an answer but not quite the one we wanted. This simply means that God and I are not on the same page. Shocker! But at least its an answer!
“Wait awhile.” This is the toughest I believe. No one like to wait. From grocery store lines to prayer, waiting is not a strong suit. It’s like God is saying, “Hang on. I’m not going to answer right away.” The answer will come-perhaps a yes, perhaps a no-but just not yet. And it’s not because God is being mean or vengeful. Maybe there is a lesson I need to learn. Maybe there is a timing issue. In any case, I have to realize that what seemed like a bad idea actually worked out for my best.
Until God’s timing comes to fruition, I’ll live life to the fullest and realize God is good…no matter what. For reference take a moment to read Psalm 116:5-19.
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Answers to Prayer, Choices, Christian Living, God, God's Plan, Opinion, Perseverance, Prayer, Questions, Reflection, Scripture look, Suffering
Thursday, April 11th, 2024
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.” Flat out: I firmly believe that. What was ironic-my daughter pointed out-is that I preached on the Creator God and His monstrously creative genius the day before the total Eclipse. Straight up: I did not plan it that way. When I began planning my sermons, the eclipse was the farthest thing from my mind.
But I don’t want to write about the eclipse. Enough has been said already. It was spectacular. I did not watch it…I rode my bike inside. But I had my blinds open and it was creepy to look outside and see it pitch black at 3:00 in the afternoon. {Note: it gives credibility to the 12-3 scenario when Jesus was on the cross and it was dark}. What I want to write about this morning are the hucksters, the doomsayers, the conspiracy theorists, and the like who came out of the woodwork to use this for personal and professional gain. I am particularly piqued at the “religious” hucksters who crawled out of their hole in the wall to promote a false-read that very false- narrative that the eclipse was going to be the end of the world; God’s judgment on America; blah blah blah, ad infinitum, ad nauseum. There were the so-called prophets predicting all kinds of garbage that was going to happen…AND DIDN’T! Label them: F.A.L.S.E. P.R.O.P.H.E.T.S. There are those who predicted it would usher in the Rapture (if you believe in that). It didn’t (either that or I was left behind and if I believed that it would be a real bummer). There were those who predicted the doom of America. It didn’t. (if American is doomed its because of the truth of Proverbs 28:2: When there is moral rot within a nation, its government topples easily. But wise and knowledgeable leaders bring stability”.
All that to say: whenever someone “prophesies” anything, run as far away from that person or organization as possible. The NAR (New Apostolic Reformation) with people like Bill Johnson and Bethel, Benny Hinn, Hillsong, Kenneth Copeland, and other yahoos, are nothing more than false teachers. R-U-N A-W-A-Y!! as fast and as far as you can.
I’ll stand with Jesus who said not even He knew when He would return, only His Father. That’s solid ground to stand on.
Posted in InTheShadow | 4 Responses »
Tags: Eclipse, End of the Word, God, God's Plan, Jesus, NAR, Opinion, Prophecy, Prophets, Reflection, Scripture look, Second Coming, Truth Telling
Wednesday, April 10th, 2024
Have you ever had a sense of satisfaction when watching a movie or reading a book and the antagonist “gets what is coming to them”? That’s all well and good in a movie or a book; not so in real life. IMHO whenever we have a sense of satisfaction or that feeling of “Good. They got what they deserved” a small part of what little good is in us dies.
But there are times, even in the Bible, where we see this scenario played out. But as we will soon see it wasn’t by man’s doing, but God’s. Remember this principle as you consider the following story: “Vengeance is mine. I will repay says the Lord.”
In the Old Testament book of Esther a character named Haman hates Mordecai because Mordecai would not bow down and worship the ground Haman walked on. Literally. Haman eventually saw his chance to “get” Mordecai by getting the king (Xerxes) to put into law the extinction of the Jews on such-and-such a day. Haman even went so far as to erect gallows strictly made for Mordecai’s demise and display. Through a series of events -which actually go back to when Mordecai saved the king’s life by reporting a conspiracy but which had never been revealed or rewarded-Haman’s plot was exposed. Ultimately, Haman and his family were hung on the gallows he had built for Mordecai’s demise.
We would say, “Turn about is fair play” or “He got what was coming to him.” But notice: Mordecai didn’t seek it. Mordecai didn’t go after Haman. No. He did his thing; God did His. (Please read the book of Esther for the complete story).
God is the creator and sustainer of all things and is in absolute complete control. Haman’s wickedness would not and did not escape God’s purview. God’s timing was and still is perfect. We would do well to leave all things in His hands and His control. Even, and especially, the “getting even” part.
Posted in InTheShadow | 6 Responses »
Tags: Choices, Christian Living, Getting even, God's control, God's Plan, Ministry, Miscellaneous, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Seeking revenge, Story
Tuesday, April 9th, 2024
“I’ve sinned too much.” “I’ve sunk too low.”
It is not unusual for me to hear those kinds of words. Add to it the thoughts of “God could never forgive me” or “There’s no way I deserve God’s forgiveness” and you almost have word for word what I often hear.
Well, they are correct and also incorrect in their assessment. Correct: “I’ve sinned too much” (once is too many). “There is no way I deserve God’s forgiveness.” Incorrect: “God could never forgive me.” The hard truth is that we have sinned (and as I said once is too much). AND we do not deserve God’s forgiveness.
The startling truth is that He reaches down to us no matter how far we have fallen. No matter how deep of a hole we have dug for ourselves.
I have just finished reading over the past two days a trifecta of chapters from the book of Psalms-chapters 104, 105 & 106. They read like a litany of bad history. 104 starts out well talking about the greatness of God and the goodness of God. It’s almost like preparation for what was to come. 105 opens with giving thanks to God for His care of them while in Egypt and how He brought them out of that strange land. Intertwined is how He cared for them in spite of their grumbling. But 106! WOW! Talk about a past one would just as soon forget!! The psalmist (David?) gives a history lesson of the faithlessness of the Israelites- grumbling about water and food; worshiping a golden calf; sacrificing their children to a foreign god; the list goes on.
Through it all-in spite of His anger and yes, judgment that He must do-is a faithful God. A God who made and makes promises and sticks to them. A God of whom the psalmist writes, “Save us, O Lord our God! Gather us back from among the nations, so we can thank your holy name and rejoice and praise you. Praise the Lord, the God of Israel, who lives from everlasting to everlasting! Let all the people say, ‘Amen!'”
If He can do that for His wayward, faithless, stumbling people, what makes us think we can sink too far down and can’t be reached?
Posted in InTheShadow | 9 Responses »
Tags: Forgiveness, God, God's faithfulness, Love, Mercy, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Sin
Monday, April 8th, 2024
Today is a significant day in history. It is Eclipse Day. It is the day I have dubbed “the day Spencer stood still.” Spencer, the town I live in in Central Indiana, is supposed to be right in the path of the Eclipse. Businesses have closed for the day. Schools have gone to e-learning because the Total Eclipse is about the time school would be dismissed. Hotels are full. Some places are renting out “places to view” for (x amount of dollars). Some churches have even brought it port-a-pots and allowed camping…all for a price of course.
Me? I am, admittedly, indifferent. I told my wife I planned to ride my bike and she said, “You can’t. You’ll go blind.” No, no I won’t. I can’t watch the road and the sky at the same time. Then she realized I was joking. One, it is supposed to be pitch black and I don’t ride at night. Two, I don’t want to be out on the road right now with a bunch of crazies more intent on seeing the eclipse than watching for a cyclist. That is not a good combination in my book. In fact, for me I would call that a lose-lose situation. But I also wasn’t lying to her. I do plan on riding by bike…inside. She asked me to be home before the phenomena starts so I told her I would and that I planned to ride. 🙂
It’s not that I am not aware of the impressive display of God’s design. Psalm 19:1 says, “The heavens declare the glory of God and the skies show His craftsmanship.” Psalm 90:1-2 says, “Lord, through all the generations you have been our home! Before the mountains were born, before you gave birth to the earth and the world, from beginning to end, you are God.” Take a moment and read Psalm 104. I read it this morning for my morning Encounter Time. I marvel at God’s creative genius and His imagination. For a renewed perspective read Genesis 1 slowly.
I am aware of the significance of today’s event. Tami read a meme to me last night that said something along the line of: “NASA has reportedly said that a rain date has been set for 2099 just in case the Eclipse is hard to see today.” I laughed. Actually, I prefer instead to worship the Creator of it all, and while I ride I will be listening to some music that draws my attention to Him.
{Note: All Scripture is from the New Living Translation}
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: God, God's Creation, God's World, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look
Monday, April 1st, 2024
Today is generally known as “Joker’s Day.” It is the day we “approve” of jokes played on other people. The more outrageous the better. April Fools Day is known as a day of nonsense, tricks, jokes, and a general “I-got-you” day. Ironic then that it follows the day after we celebrated the greatest day in history (and no, it is not the day the White House declared it to be). Psalm 14:1 says, “Only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.’ They are corrupt, and their actions are evil; not one of them does good!” (NLT) The book of Proverbs is filled with references to fools. But let’s move away from that topic to one which is much more positive.
Yesterday was Resurrection Sunday. We had a super fine day as we joined together in one service at another venue. Even then we ran out of chairs. What a great problem to have! 🙂 During my sermon I asked the question: “What if the resurrection never did happen?” Well, the Apostle Paul gives 4 ramifications of that from I Corinthians:
- Our faith is useless. (Verse 17a). The Greek word for useless means “futile, empty, of no value.”
- We are still in our sins. (Verse 17b). Succinctly put: if Jesus is still in the tomb, His death cannot save us. He is no different than any other religious teacher.
- We have no hope of a future. (Verse 18). Without the resurrection a bright future is an empty promise.
- We should be pitied more than anyone. (Verse 19). All we do in this life is for nothing if all we have is this life.
But let’s turn those thoughts around and show what a difference the resurrection makes:
- Instead of our faith being useless, we can say our faith has meaning. Something we believe in is true.
- Instead of still being in our sins, we can say we have forgiveness. The resurrection makes sin forgiven a reality.
- Instead of having no hope for the future, we can know we will see our loved ones who died in Christ. Can there be anything more lonely or lost than no hope, of just being worm food?
- Instead of being pitied more than anyone, we can be certain of our own future. Knowing we have something to live for, to look forward to changed everything.
You may have heard something like this yesterday from your own pastor. But today is Monday, the day we begin to put it all to the test. Live today in the light of His resurrection.
Posted in InTheShadow | 4 Responses »
Tags: Choices, Christian Living, God's Word, Jesus, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Resurrection, Scripture look
Thursday, March 28th, 2024
“What in the world is Maundy Thursday?” That was my incredulous question to someone when he mentioned Maundy Thursday.
Backstory: I grew up and subsequently preached in a church tradition that was not a denomination (least they said they weren’t). We didn’t and still don’t celebrate special days (except Easter, Christmas, Thanksgiving, and other holidays) or saints or creeds. All I knew growing up was my Catholic friends ate fish, not meat, on Friday, but I had no clue why. I never knew about Lent, saints, creeds, and certainly not Maundy Thursday.
Until a few years ago. I was looking into the history of Lent and church practices when I heard about this thing called Maundy Thursday. Maundy comes from the Latin word mandatum or “command.” The command being commemorated was the one Jesus gave His followers the night before He died: “Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.” (Jn.13:34 NLT)
I have also learned that the royal family began giving gifts to people in need as far back as the 13th century on Maundy Thursday. Do they still carry on that tradition? I don’t know. (Maybe you do?)
Maundy Thursday is today in the Christian world. The day before Good Friday. Think about this for a moment. Jesus gave the command to His followers to love as He loved. A day later in an act of pure love and selflessness, He showed His love by dying on a cross for sins He never committed. “There is no great love than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” (Jn. 15:13 NLT). So He spoke; so He lived loved.
I’m still not too sure about this thing called Maundy Thursday. I’m still not convinced about the need to make a special day of it. But it does beg the question: How are you going to show love this Easter season? One went to a cross. We are not/may not be asked to go to that extreme, but are you willing to give yourself away in service to another?
Posted in InTheShadow | 8 Responses »
Tags: Church, Easter, God's Plan, Humility, Jesus, Lifestyle, Ministry, Opinion, Reflection, Scripture look, Story
