Fix Your Eyes on Jesus

     There are two things that I really hate when driving.  The first is foggy and / or streaked windows.  Since the traffic situation is always changing, I like to have a clear view of everything around me.  Poor visibility increases my stress level.

     The other thing I hate while driving is a lot of road signs and billboards.  I get really distracted from what I’m doing because I have a hard time looking away from the flashy, colorful advertisements.  I especially have a hard time with the ones that have (purposefully) misspelled words in them.  I feel the need to correct the spelling . . . and then I get too close to the car in front of me or beside me! I guess I might be ready for a new car with one of those collision-avoidance systems.

     I’ve noticed that Satan can sometimes work this way in our spiritual lives.  He knows that if he can cloud my judgment or distract me from “the road” ahead, I run a high risk of crashing.  This, I believe, is the main reason for all of the Scriptures which remind us to keep our focus on God and Jesus.  The Hebrew writer says it this way:  “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter [finisher / completer] of our faith” (12:3).

            Jesus had much to say about keeping one’s attention fixed on our heavenly goal.  “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom . . .”  “If you would follow after me, you must deny yourself, take up your cross daily and follow me.”  “Abide in me and I will abide in you . . . apart from me you can do nothing.”  Yet, so many get distracted and take their eyes off of Him: Peter while walking on water (he began to sink when he got distracted by the storm and the waves), Judas when Jesus was being anointed (he was distracted with the waste of money and lost sight of the woman’s loving devotion to Him), Thomas and the others who rejected the reports of the resurrection (they were too distracted by their fears and grief to acknowledge that Jesus really was alive).

            It is imperative that we listen to and carry out the instruction in this Hebrews passage.  Satan has so many weapons to distract us from returning to God: job stresses, family issues, peer pressure, health issues, future plans, close relationships, car troubles, the bank balance, failed political promises, world injustices, global turmoil, and on and on.  All he has to do to derail our lives and send us off in the wrong direction is to slip a simple “care” or “concern” or “burden” into our thinking and before we know it, we’re sinking like Peter did.  Fortunately, Peter had grown in his relationship with Jesus to know who to cry out to for help.  And Jesus was right there to rescue him.

     Keep your “eyes” on Jesus and build your faith in Him so that Satan’s “storms” are less and less distracting.  In order to make it to the final destination (God), it is vital to persevere in your faith and continue to call on Him for guidance and strength. And the good ending to that story is that He is always near to rescue, encourage, and empower you to stay on the right track.

Doug

Healing of the Nations

            There is an interesting image provided for us in Revelation 22 concerning the heavenly city.  In His discussion about the River of Life flowing down the main street of the city, John also speaks of the Tree of Life being there.  The last time the Tree of Life was mentioned in Scripture was in Genesis 3:22-24.  In that passage, Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden and angels were posted to guard the way to the Tree of Life so they couldn’t partake of it any longer.  God’s reason for keeping them from the tree was so that they would not eat of it and live forever (especially now since they were damaged by sin).

            Here in the last chapter of the Bible, the Tree of Life is given back.  This time, it is given “for the healing of the nations”.  The interesting image being revealed, is the word used for “tree”.  In Greek the usual word for tree is “dendron” which refers to the whole tree (roots, trunk, branches and leaves).  But in the Greek translation of Genesis (the Septuagint) and here in Revelation, the word used is “zulon” which refers to a wood pole (or something made from wood).  What wood pole is there that brings healing?

            Since many NT passages use the word zulon to refer to a Roman cross, we must conclude that this Tree of Life that brings healing to the nations is the cross of Christ, for the healing being mentioned is spiritual healing; the cleansing of sin from the soul.  And the only way sin is removed is by the blood of Christ (Acts 4:10-12).  So, in Genesis, the Tree of Life was taken away because of sin and in Revelation, sin has been removed by Jesus’ sacrifice and this Tree of Life is given back to provide continuous healing of the soul which leads to eternal life. 

            And notice too, John speaks of healing for “the nations”.  This means everybody – regardless of race, ethnicity, gender or social status.  This was a hard lesson for the first century church to understand.  Jewish Christians thought (for some reason) that salvation was only for Jews.  They had difficulty realizing that God accepts all believers on the same level.  Yet that’s exactly what God had prophesied for generations. 

Let’s not make this same mistake today.  Share the soul-healing medicine of Jesus with everyone you come into contact with.  Allow others to “see” Him through your actions, attitudes, speech, activities, relationships; in all that you do (Colossians 3:17).  Commit to helping God heal the nations with Jesus’ amazing Tree of Life.

Doug

Teach Me Your Ways

     The way in which too many people go about trying to figure out God’s will for their lives would be humorous to discuss – if it weren’t so sad.  Books and magazine articles and sermons all offer tips on how to decipher an endless list of coded signs and the meaning(s) of chance encounters all in an attempt to discover where God wants them to live, what job to apply for, who to choose as a mate, and on and on ad-infinitum.  What’s sad is all the good useful time that’s wasted on efforts that (1) humans cannot figure out, and (2) are mostly selfish and not at all within the realm of God’s interests.

            We like to think we’re important enough that God cares about what clothes we wear each day, or what route we take to the store, or our school team beating their cross-town rivals, or the company we work for getting the much needed contract.  But do any of these things really matter when it comes to your relationship with God?  Do you have to live in a specific neighborhood in order to be a good Christian?  Can you only fulfill the Great Commission in a certain school or job?  With something as important as your life, God will not resort to coded messages and wait for you to think them through and discover what you need to do in order to make Him happy.

            God has always been above board on what He wants from you.  And it’s the same thing He wants for every one of His creatures.  He has openly stated many times that what He wants is for you to know Him; to love Him in the same way He loves you; and to be with Him forever.  That’s it.  And you can do this in any home, in any neighborhood; at any school; with any job; in any human relationship as long as He is your first priority and you’re committed to living in holiness and drawing near to Him day by day.

            I’m sorry if this sounds too dull and unexciting.  I know life would be more interesting if we could take part in a quest of some kind that is worthy of a book or movie rights.  But God doesn’t play mind games; He doesn’t encode important facts and figures in order to see how faithful we are at putting important pieces together and then give us “you’re getting warm or cold” hints until we find our “treasure.”  No, our relationship with Him is too important so He comes right out and spells it in simple terms.  And – get this right – He doesn’t change His reasoning or His thinking or His feeling on moral issues in order to fit our chosen views.

            If you really are seeking God’s will for your life, your prayer will be the same one Moses offered to Him: “Teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you” (Exodus 33:13).  Yes!  This is God’s will not just for Moses and the other heroes of the faith, but for you too.  We know this because God said so through His prophet Micah: “He has showed you, O man, what is good.  And what does the LORD require of you (what is His will for your life)? To act justly (do what is right/holy) and to love mercy (be kind and forgiving) and to walk humbly with your God (a loving, growing relationship)” (6:8).  No need for you to decode this or prayerfully figure out any clues; it’s straight forward and matter-of-fact.

            Now comes the hard part; does your life reflect someone who really wants to know God and to find favor with Him?  This will require you to look at your relationships: are they Christ-like and do they help you draw closer to God?  Look at your attitude at work: are you honest, helpful, and friendly?  Is your speech and behavior wholesome and decent in keeping with a disciple of Jesus?  Are you committed to following His statutes and decrees without redefining them and forcing them to fit modern, human criteria? 

            If you really want to do God’s will then make sure that every aspect of your life reflects the relationship you’re building with Him.  You will then know His will for your life. And following Him without reservations will get easier and more understandable as you journey along.

Doug

Our Strange Message

            Try to imagine how difficult it would be to preach the gospel of Christ (His death, burial and resurrection - 1 Corinthians 15:1-8) in a culture that did not know (or care to know) the concept of the One, True God.  We live in a society that was (supposedly) based on Christian principles and attitudes.  The first century Roman Empire knew nothing of the kind.  It was polytheistic (many gods) and was a terribly hard region to pass on this message of salvation (1 Corinthians 1:18-25).  From what Paul says about his mission, the gospel message was nothing short of a scandal in his day.  It was considered the invention of a sick mind (see Acts 26:24).  What’s worse, even Paul’s own countrymen (and many of his fellow Christians) thought he was mad.

            The word “gospel” means “good news.”  And what we have come to know and understand about Jesus’ atonement, His sacrifice on our behalf was truly good news.  But don’t make the mistake of thinking that good news to you is going to be considered good news to everyone else.  Actually very few view the gospel of Christ as good news.  Especially if it means giving up their personal pursuits, or their leisure time, or their TV shows, or their favorite music, or their hard-earned money, or their friends in order to benefit from the gospel.  That is definitely NOT good news.  Worst of all, the gospel is not good news even among Christians when they’re confronted by the fact that holiness is to be a Monday through Saturday thing; not just what they’re willing to surrender during “quiet time” on Sunday mornings.

            No, we have the same difficulty preaching the gospel of Christ today as Paul and the other Apostles did in the first century.  It’s even possible that we have it harder than they did.  So many distractions, distortions, misinterpretations, obsessions, etc. have come and gone through the years between us that it can seem downright impossible to present the truth in a way in which others will listen and live accordingly.  But we, like Paul, must acknowledge that we have no other story to tell.  No other message deals with sin, and therefore, no other message can provide salvation (see Romans 1:16-17; Acts 4:10-12).  So we are going to have to trust God to bring us success with a “strange” message; one that only makes sense when it is lived out daily by those who preach and teach it.

            Is your gospel one that helps save others from sin; or is it a “watered-down” version that appeals to modern cultural thinking?  Is your strange message proved relevant and useful by your attitudes and actions; or do others view it as being nothing more than another philosophy on life? 

            Grow daily in your relationship with God so that you can proclaim that you are not ashamed of His gospel which is the only message powerful enough to save and reconcile sinners with God (Romans 1:16).  Live it out in such a way that it will be known undoubtedly as good news by those who see and hear you.

Doug