Hope in Life

by Scott Foster at http://www.creationswap.com/media/6759

A recent loss in the family has taken me aback.  I find myself sad for various reasons.  I can't say I was personally close to her.  She was my cousin's wife.  But I knew her well enough to know she was hurting and had been hurting for some time.  It has stirred in me a concern for those friends and family she left behind, and in addition for others that are hurting like she was.

This world can be pretty difficult.  Just look around.  People are rising up against their governments in certain countries because of oppression or other harsh conditions.  Others are recovering from devastating losses from tsunamis, hurricanes, floods, earthquakes, massive fires and other such natural disasters.  And that doesn't touch on the personal losses such as close loved ones that die from cancer, heart disease or other such health related issues.

I could go on.  But the fact of the matter is is that there is a lot of pain in this world.  It shouldn't come as a complete surprise, though. We do live in a fallen world.  Sin is real and devastating.  And Satan, who is also very real, is out to kill, steal and destroy.  John 10:10  We have an enemy of our souls, but oddly enough we often do enough damage to ourselves.  We tend to add insult to injury when we are enticed by the evil desires within our own hearts.  James 1:13-15

Like I was saying, my heart goes out to hurting people.  For these folk, it seems pretty apparent that they need help.  Unfortunately, the places they often go to for help either add to their difficulty or do nothing to address the real issue(s).  It seems the world is never short of its offers of pleasure and comfort that lead to self-serving motives and/or desires.  Its promises are fleeting and do more damage than good.  God says that "there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way to death.”  Proverbs 14:12

As much as I’m concerned for these people, I’m also concerned for my family and friends.  This statement might need some explaining.  Some of them may not believe or think that this could possibly apply to them.  And I understand that.  I understand that growing up doing good things, or going to church, getting baptized or even being religious seems like it’s doing all the things that matter.  It’s even possible that there are some that believe by going to a specific church automatically puts them in God’s good graces.  I even thought at one point in my life that if I do enough good things that outweighed the bad, then I might get to heaven.  (That, however, quickly faded when I was doing nothing but bad things and found myself headed in the wrong direction.)

At some point I realized it really wasn’t about me being good.  Or doing enough good to outweigh the bad for that matter.  I realized it had more to do with Jesus and the cross than it did me.  I prayed that God would forgive me and asked Jesus to be my Lord and Savior.  However, I missed the point.  I obviously wasn’t serious about my commitment to God because for several years after that I still pursued a lifestyle very contrary to God’s ways.  For years, I had believed that I was a Christian.  But I looked back and realized that there wasn’t ever a moment in my life that I could say it really changed.  I still wanted to live life my way.  I still was not serious about submitting to God and seeking to live my life for Him.  Isn’t that what it really means if God is my Lord?

It wasn’t until much, much later after years of bad decision after bad decision that I got serious about the direction my life was headed.  Actually, it was my wife (who was my ex-wife at the time) who called me about her decision to follow Jesus and become a born-again believer that convinced me that I needed a change too.  Maybe a month or two later, I found myself at a church asking God to help me.  To help me and save me.  I wanted to turn my life around and be serious about my commitment to follow Him as Lord and Savior.  At that point, I began to notice changes in my life.  Things didn’t happen right away, but over time I began to realize that I was a “new creation” in Christ, which is the idea of being born-again.  2 Corinthians 5:17

Becoming a Christian is not that difficult.  But often people misunderstand what being a Christian really means.  Jesus says that we must be born-again in order to enter Heaven.  “Jesus answered him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.’”  John 3:1-8  It’s a new life and a new lifestyle.  Does it always happen immediately?  No, but for a true follower and believer of Jesus Christ, there should be an indication of change over the course of his/her life.  This is often referred to as “fruit of the Spirit” in the Bible.  Galatians 5:16-25

This is really the point to this whole letter.  My concern is that there may be family and/or friends who truly don’t know if they are saved, or in other words, true believers.  There was a time that I didn’t.  Truth be told, no one really knows about you either, except for God and yourself.  It’s true that we can look at someone’s life over time and see whether or not that person’s life has been changed by God.  But sometimes I think it’s a mistake to point fingers and make accusations.  No one can see into another person’s heart but God.  It really is up to a person himself to ask the tough questions and go before God and see if they truly are a follower of Jesus Christ.

That brings me back to my cousin’s wife.  Where was she in her life?  How did she get to the point where there seemed to be no hope?  I don’t know all the answers, but I truly believe that if a person is in Christ, that person has hope.  This life doesn’t have anything to offer.  But God offers eternal life.  John 3:36  He offers Himself through His Son.  John 3:16  He offers hope.  Psalm 130

How does this work?  How can someone have this hope?  It all happens through Jesus Christ.  It’s nothing that we can do.  In fact, we’re completely helpless and incompetent to stand before God on our own because He is holy!  Look at what the apostle Paul says in the letter to the Romans:

Romans 3:9-20

No One Is Righteous

9What then? Are we Jews any better off? No, not at all. For we have already charged that all, both Jews and Greeks, are under sin, 10 as it is written:

    "None is righteous, no, not one;

 11 no one understands;

   no one seeks for God.

12 All have turned aside; together they have become worthless;

   no one does good,

   not even one."

13 "Their throat is an open grave;

   they use their tongues to deceive."

"The venom of asps is under their lips."

 14 "Their mouth is full of curses and bitterness."

15 "Their feet are swift to shed blood;

 16 in their paths are ruin and misery,

17 and the way of peace they have not known."

 18  "There is no fear of God before their eyes."

 19 Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. 20 For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.

So what can we do?  If we’re relying on ourselves, like our own goodness, there’s nothing.  But if we put all our hope in the work of the cross that Jesus did for us at Calvary by taking our sins, accepting our punishment for those sins and dying on the cross, thereby exchanging his righteousness for our transgressions, then we have hope.  It’s the Gospel message, which is the Good News.  Paul says, “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  The Gospel message is this:

1 Corinthians 15:1-11

1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, 2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you— unless you believed in vain.

 3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, 4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, 5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. 6 Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. 7 Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. 8 Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me. 9 For I am the least of the apostles, unworthy to be called an apostle, because I persecuted the church of God. 10 But by the grace of God I am what I am, and his grace toward me was not in vain. On the contrary, I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me. 11Whether then it was I or they, so we preach and so you believed.

 That’s where it begins.  By believing that Jesus took on the form of flesh, was born of the virgin Mary, died on the cross for our sins thereby taking on the punishment that we deserved, was dead and buried for three days and rose again.  In the process, he appeared to many who were witnesses of His resurrection and then ascended into Heaven and is at the right hand of God the Father.  Did you get that?  He died for your sins and mine.  He took on God’s wrath for all the bad that we’ve done.  He died in our place.  And in the process He conquered sin, death, and hell itself.

It’s not automatic though.  There is something you need to do.  You need to admit that you’re a sinner in need of a Savior.  You need to confess your sins, repent of them and commit your life to Jesus Christ.  1 John 1:8-10  To commit your life to Him, you need to believe that He came to die in your place and give you eternal life.  John 3:16-21  It’s a life-changing, life-altering decision.    

But how do you believe?  How does that happen?  The Bible says that the emphasis of believing is putting your faith in Jesus Christ for your salvation and not on anything you’ve done yourself.  And faith in itself is also a gift from God.  “So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”  Romans 10:17  If you’re truly serious about knowing God, draw near to Him by getting to know Him.  Read the Bible and allow His Words to grip your heart.  But also know, that God knows the intents of our hearts.  Hebrews 4:12  He knows whether you’re serious about your commitment to Him.

And pray.  It’s not the words themselves that save you, but it’s a heart that is truly repentant for sinning against God and believes that Jesus’ work on the cross satisfies God’s requirements for you to be saved.  You may say a prayer like this:

"Dear God, I confess that I am a sinner, and I am sorry. I need a Savior. I know I cannot save myself. I believe by faith that Jesus, your Son, died on the cross to be my Savior. I believe He arose from the grave to live as my Lord. I turn from my sin. I ask You, Lord Jesus, to forgive my sin and come into my heart. I trust you as my Savior and receive you as my Lord. Thank you, Jesus, for saving me."  The Roman Road

 If you have prayed this for real and mean it, please find a church where they teach the Bible and help you to grow in Christ.  If you still have questions, find a Christian friend or even ask me and I’ll try to help.  I may not have all the answers, but I will try to help you get the answers from someone who can.  Ultimately though, it’s my hope and prayer that no one in my family or any of my friends have any doubt in their mind about their own eternal destination.  Make no mistake, this is the most important decision you will ever make.

God bless you! 

Prayer

Picture by Sarah Bryant at 
http://www.creationswap.com/media/4501

In today’s world, prayer is mentioned a lot!  When tragedy comes, friends, family, and acquaintances will often feel compelled to say, “I’ll keep you in my prayers” or that “I’ll pray for you for this or that thing.”

Often, though, prayer is sometimes associated with some form of wish list.  “Gee, I pray that I get that raise.”  Or “I pray that it doesn’t rain tomorrow.  Sure would like to get in 18 holes of golf.”

Are these really the appropriate uses of prayer?  You may ask what’s wrong with saying I’ll pray for someone if they’re in an accident or sick.  There’s nothing wrong with it if you mean it and follow through with it.  But there’s also something else that should be considered.  To whom and in what way will you pray?

With the way the world looks at religion, prayer can be construed differently for every person.  According to Wikipedia, prayer is:

…a form of religious practice that seeks to activate a volitional rapport to a god or spirit through deliberate practice…Prayer may be directed towards a deity, spirit, deceased person, or lofty idea, for the purpose of worshipping, requesting guidance, requesting assistance, confessing sins or to express one's thoughts and emotions…Most major religions involve prayer in one way or another. Some ritualize the act of prayer, requiring a strict sequence of actions or placing a restriction on who is permitted to pray, while others teach that prayer may be practiced spontaneously by anyone at any time…Scientific studies regarding the use of prayer have mostly concentrated on its effect on the healing of sick or injured people. The efficacy of petition in prayer for physical healing to a deity has been evaluated in numerous studies, with contradictory results. There has been some criticism of the way the studies were conducted.

Prayer is often misused or misunderstood.  The problem that the world has with prayer is a complete disregard for the One whom it should be directed.  It also neglects the fact that He has given prayer to us as a means of petitioning and worshiping Him.  Prayer, as noted in the above definition, is often directed inappropriately or inaccurately toward something or someone other than God.  The reason I say this is because there are some that would believe that praying to a past family member or a saint, as determined by some religious doctrine, is one way of offering up our prayers to God.  And, of course, there are others that pray to other “deities,” which can lead to a form of demonic worship.

I understand by saying this that I’m inviting some disagreement.  However, I stand by my convictions that the only communication that matters is to Almighty God, the One who gave us life and breath and sustains us through His Spirit and power.  One argument includes a verse in Revelations where it appears that the elders are bringing our prayers to God.  In this Scriptural reference, it indicates that in Revelations that the twenty-four elders were “holding golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of God’s people.”  To be honest, I don’t fully understand the symbolism behind this verse.  In looking at some commentary, it appears that this is symbolic of incense being offered up to God as a fragrant aroma.  In any case, I do not see this as the Bible endorsing people to pray to the twenty-four elders in order for them to intercede on our behalf to God.

It is not my wish to debate this endlessly.  However, my question to you would be, “Why would you bring your prayers to anyone other than God?”  Is He not the object of our worship?  Our praise?  Our gratitude and thanksgiving?  If God is omniscient and omnipresent, and not limited or contained by time and space, isn’t He more than capable of hearing and responding to every person’s prayers?  All throughout the Bible, God is drawing us to Him for the express purpose of engaging in a relationship with Him.  It seems contradictory that God would point us to Mary, St. Paul, or any other person – past, present, or future for the purpose of prayer.  So ask yourself why would you?  I can’t think of any reason or purpose to go to anyone other than straight to the Source of my hope, future, salvation, peace, comfort, etc.

There is the issue of intercessory prayer though.  Some ask whether or not we intercede for others on their behalf.  Of course we do!  But are these people praying to us and then asking us to pass the prayers on to God?  Of course not!  Intercession is about God bringing His people together for the purpose of prayer.  Matthew 18:20 says, “For where two or three are gathered together in My name, I am there in the midst of them.”  There is significance when we come together to pray to God as a family of believers.  But nothing is mentioned about offering our prayers to someone else first.  Praying for others is also demonstrated by Paul in Colossians 1:9-10, “And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

What we need to do is understand what prayer really is for and about.  One website, abibleaday.com, has a very good definition of prayer:

Prayer is simply communication with God.  This can be through spoken words, written words, thoughts, meditation, or song.

God desires us to commune with him; prayer is one way of doing so.

Prayer is not principally for us to selfishly ask God for things (as in "give me this"), but to honor and glorify God by spending time with him.

Many people think of prayer as being one-directional -- us talking to God.  Yet prayer can, and should, be bi-directional, with us also listening to what God has to tell us.  God can speak to us through the Bible, through others, through circumstances, but especially through his Holy Spirit, who can put specific words and thoughts in our minds, and even communicate via audible words.  (For some verses on God's audible communication, see 1 Samuel 3:4-14, Psalm 18:13, Luke 3:22, Acts 9:4, 2 Peter 1:18.

Another website, billygraham.org, also discusses what prayer is.  This is a really good explanation.  Look at what it says:

Have you ever asked yourself what prayer is? Prayer is simply talking to God—and the most important thing I can say about this is that God wants you to talk to Him! He loves us and He has promised to hear us when we pray. How can you learn to pray? First, understand why prayer is possible.

Prayer is possible because Jesus Christ has removed the barrier between us and God—a barrier caused by our sins. You see, sin separates us from God, and because of that we have no right to come before Him. But by His death on the cross, Christ paid the penalty for our sins and removed the barrier. God then gives us the privilege of coming into His presence when we commit our lives to Christ. The Bible says, "Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need" (Hebrews 4:16). If you have never done so, ask Christ to come into your life today.

Then understand that God now welcomes you into His presence and promises to hear you—and He cannot lie. The Bible says, "This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us" (1 John 5:14). Trust His promises and learn to bring every concern to Him in prayer.

I believe what Billy Graham’s website is saying is very important and is worth repeating.  “God then gives us the privilege of coming into His presence when we commit our lives to Christ.”  Some may ask why that is.  Why doesn’t God listen to a person’s prayers before committing their lives to Christ?  1 Peter 3:12 gives us some insight into that question.  “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous and his ears are attentive to their prayer, but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil.”  Proverbs 15:29 says, “The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.”  And Proverbs 28:9 states, “If anyone turns a deaf ear to my instruction, even their prayers are detestable.”

Listen to what these verses are saying.  God chooses not to listen to the prayers of the unrighteous.  Does that mean you have to be good for God to hear you?  What about those who are Christians?  Are they more righteous than others?  No, not even Christians can claim that they were righteous in God’s sight before they committed their lives to Jesus.  Romans 3:9-20 shows us that none of us were righteous before God.  It’s only because we accept Jesus’ atoning sacrifice on the cross for our sins are we made right before God.  It is only the Christian who by faith, believes that Jesus died on the cross for their sins and rose again from the dead, who is able to accept Jesus’ righteousness as his/her own.  The answer to the issue of righteousness lies with Jesus.  Romans 3:22-26 says:

Romans 3:22-26

22 This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference between Jew and Gentile, 23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24 and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25 God presented Christ as a sacrifice of atonement, through the shedding of his blood—to be received by faith. He did this to demonstrate his righteousness, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26 he did it to demonstrate his righteousness at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

So when Christians receive Jesus’ righteousness, God then hears their petitions and requests.  But like Billy Graham’s website was stating, there is one other specific prayer that God hears.  It’s the first and foremost important prayer.  It’s the one that at the moment you confess Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Savior that God hears your prayer and moves to action.  It’s the prayer of a contrite and broken heart crying out to Him.  If you haven’t yet made that decision, you should consider it today.  Even now.  Only then will God hear your prayers.

One last note on prayer.  And this is really where the text in Romans really applies to the subject at hand.  As I’ve been going through Romans, I’ve been struck by God’s amazing sovereignty over every aspect of our lives.  Even His sovereignty toward the steps that it took for us to come to Him and believe.  If we look at it from beginning to end, God is in control of when we first hear His Word, when His Word takes root and grows in our hearts, to the moment when it comes to fruition and we believe.  He even gives us the faith it takes to believe.  And it’s not like He’s done with us once we accept Jesus into our hearts.  Oh no, He is constantly at work in our hearts and lives till the day we step into eternity to be with Him!

So it shouldn’t be any surprise that in Romans 8:26-27, the Holy Spirit actually helps us when we pray.  Look at this text:

Romans 8:26-27

26 In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. 27 And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God.

Do you see how God even helps us in our praying by having the Holy Spirit intercede on our behalf?  Isn’t that cool?  Earlier, I was contesting the notion that we should pray to other entities other than God so that they could intercede on our behalf.  Can you see how crazy that idea really is now?  The Holy Spirit is much more capable of taking care of our prayers, even interceding for us because we don’t know what we really should be praying for.  That verse in itself should settle that discussion.  God, from beginning to end, knows what we need and even knows what we should be praying for, and then even intercedes on our behalf.  How amazing is our God?  That He has that much control even over prayer, the means by which we’re able to approach Him, communicate with Him, and enter into His presence is astounding.  If you’re not in awe of God now, you should be checking your pulse.  Because that is how much He loves you.  And me.  Praise God!

Suffering and Pregnancy

Picture by Tim Pirfält at http://www.creationswap.com/media/1233

As we have seen in previous posts, suffering is an integral part of our decision to follow Jesus Christ.  In talking about suffering, we’ve noticed what motivates Christians to take this step and subject themselves to persecution and even death.  But there’s a side to this that begs the question…why?

This question goes beyond motivation, because we know that since Jesus was rejected by the world and suffered and died on the cross that the Christian’s motivation is to follow Jesus.  The answer to the why, though, is quite simply because of sin.

In discussing sin and suffering, have you ever considered what our sin has done beyond the obvious?  We know, or should know, that sin caused us to be separated and at enmity with God.  It wasn’t until we accepted what Jesus did on the cross for us were we restored and brought back into a right relationship with God.  But what about the rest of creation?

You do know that your sin affects others, don’t you?  You should understand that you’re not an island and are not isolated from the world.  Our sin has consequences that run deep.  Obviously, the one who sins is the offender and the one who will reap what he sows.  Fortunately, the bigger issue of seeking and receiving forgiveness and God’s mercy is already taken care of by Jesus.  However, there are also others who are affected, the offended party (parties.)  The sinner often needs to humble himself and ask for forgiveness from the one he offended.  Or quite possibly, make restoration for any damage or loss that occurred.

Those consequences are significant in their own right.  But how has our sin affected the rest of creation?  What?!? What do I mean by that you ask?  The simplest way to discuss this is to look at two passages in Romans.

Romans 5:14

14 Nevertheless, death reigned from the time of Adam to the time of Moses, even over those who did not sin by breaking a command, as did Adam, who is a pattern of the one to come.

Romans 8:20-21

20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

It is interesting to note that not only did the rest of creation do nothing to bring about the sin problem, but it was subjected to it unwillingly.  Before the fall of man, creation was in perfect harmony with God.  In fact, God looked at His whole creation at one point and said it was very good (Genesis 1:31). 

So when man sinned, what happened?  The consequences ran deep and started a chain of events that culminated with Jesus dying on the cross to take care of the problem that man created.  It didn’t exactly end there, though, did it?  Otherwise, the world wouldn’t look like it does today.

Now there’s another set of events occurring that one day will restore things back into perfect order.  During this time period known as the “last days,” God is orchestrating those events to bring about His plan of salvation that ultimately will bring Him glory.  This is what Paul is talking about in Romans 8:18-30. 

The picture that Paul presents is one of childbirth.  In relating to suffering for Christ, Paul identifies this experience to a woman in pregnancy.  As a woman nears the time of giving birth, she goes through some difficult and painful experiences herself.  But as most mothers know, this experience can be excruciating at times, but when the child finally arrives and is delivered it is also the most rewarding.

So with that in mind, consider what Paul is saying here in this text:

Romans 8:18-25

18 I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. 19 For the creation waits in eager expectation for the children of God to be revealed. 20 For the creation was subjected to frustration, not by its own choice, but by the will of the one who subjected it, in hope 21 that the creation itself will be liberated from its bondage to decay and brought into the freedom and glory of the children of God.

 22 We know that the whole creation has been groaning as in the pains of childbirth right up to the present time. 23 Not only so, but we ourselves, who have the firstfruits of the Spirit, groan inwardly as we wait eagerly for our adoption to sonship, the redemption of our bodies. 24 For in this hope we were saved. But hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what they already have? 25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

Look at the language Paul uses.  In verse 18, he compares the Christians’ present sufferings like a mother expecting a child.  And like a mother waiting for that amazing day when her baby will be born, Christians also look forward to the glory that will be revealed in them.

Here’s the interesting part.  Creation waits in eager anticipation for the children of God to be revealed too!  Just as much as Christians look forward to the day when God’s glory will be revealed in them, so does creation.  This describes something called glorification, which in the most basic sense is “[the] ultimate and complete conformity to the image of Christ Jesus.”

Think about that.  Creation waits in eager anticipation.  For something that wasn’t even guilty of the sin itself, and being subjected to frustration as verse 20 says, it’s amazing that creation is excited for us.  But it’s also to its benefit because, in verse 21, “creation itself will be liberated from its bondage.”

For reasons that may go beyond human comprehension, God’s design was to keep creation intricately linked with the human condition.  When sin entered the picture, both man and creation were affected.  In the same way, when glorification is realized, both are brought into freedom.

To reiterate his point, Paul describes the childbirth experience in more detail in the following verses.  He talks about how creation has been groaning.  If you think about it, that actually makes sense.  Look at the world and how it’s going through much pain and anguish.  It’s excruciating.  And Paul also says Christians groan inwardly as we await for our adoption.  If you notice, the process of our adoption is much like the childbirth experience.  This probably speaks to the same suffering we’ve been talking about before.  But could it be something else too?  It’s difficult to explain, but as a Christian, don’t you long for that day to be with the Lord?  Aren’t some days painful, and all you want is for this experience to be over and to be with Jesus?

This long period of time, the days, months, and years leading up to that moment is what Paul is talking about when he says, “For in this hope we were saved.”  A mother hopes when she’s pregnant, doesn’t she?  Sure she does.  But you say that the evidence is right there so it can’t really be hope.  No, not really.  She doesn’t have the baby yet, but she hopes in anticipation for that day when she will hold her child in her arms.

So, too, the Christian hopes.  The Christian looks forward to that day with the same hope that mother had.  With the mother, there’s a clear indication that she’s pregnant, right?  So, too, with the Christian, there’s clear indication of the hope that we have with the evidence of the Holy Spirit in our lives.

Aren’t you just awestruck at the comparisons?  If a mother is pregnant, her hope surely isn’t in vain.  Obviously, there are complications in the real world sense.  But typically, when a mother is pregnant and her belly is way out there, she doesn’t think, “Oh, I hope there’s a baby in there!”  No!  For her, it’s a certainty.  I think what Paul is saying here is that if you have the Holy Spirit, the Christian should not wonder, “Oh, I hope that I’m really God’s and that I’ll go to be with Him one day.”  No!  Just like the mother, the Christian should look at his hope as a real certainty.

Does that excite you?  If not, it should.  Because what would be better than to go home to be with Jesus!  And in the process receive this wonderful gift of finally being conformed into the image of our Savior Jesus Christ!  But like Paul says, “…if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.”  Of course, let’s wait for it patiently.  But I hope you’re excited about it too.  I am!

Presidents' Day

http://www.fireworks.com/holidays/Presidents-day.asp

Excerpt taken from the aforementioned website:

So when did Americans first acknowledge our Presidents with their own day?

Presidents' Day dates back to our founding father and first President, George Washington. Washington was born on February 22, 1732. On his birthday in 1796, when Washington was in his last full year as president, the day became the holiday known as Washington's Birthday. However, Americans didn't observe this holiday until 1832, 100 years after his birth.

Abraham Lincoln was the next President to gain reverence similar to Washington. Born on February 12, 1809, Lincoln's birthday was first celebrated in 1865, the year after he was assassinated. Although his birthday was not honored as a federal holiday like Washington's, many states adopted it as a legal holiday.

In 1968, Congress passed legislation placing any federal holiday on a Monday, including Washington's birthday, to create a three-day weekend. In 1971, President Richard Nixon combined Washington's and Lincoln's birthdays into Presidents' Day. It would be celebrated on the third Monday in February, regardless of which day it fell on. Presidents' Day is now viewed as a holiday that pays tribute to both Washington and Lincoln, as well as all those who have served as president.

With Presidents’ Day around the corner, I thought it would be interesting to discuss the two presidents that are primarily celebrated on this holiday.  There are certainly many history books that chronicle the lives of George Washington and Abraham Lincoln.  Washington, of course, is one of our founding fathers.  Lincoln, or otherwise known as Honest Abe, was president during one of the most tumultuous times of our nation’s history.

 
But outside of the history books, how much do we really know about these two remarkable men?  Aside from knowing that Washington was a general in the Continental Army (actually he was Commander-in-Chief due to the fact that there was no president at the time,) we can assume that he was a man of courage and strength.  With Lincoln, we know that he fought against succession of the United States.  That had to take great moral fortitude to fight a battle that would pit brother against brother and ultimately see hundreds of thousands of lives lost.

What else can we learn from these historical figures?  What drove them?  What was their passion?  What can we learn from their character that might have some bearing on our lives today?

Knowing that history books in schools today have been diluted of some of the more significant qualities of our ancestors, students of the public school formats are learning only the basics, and secular parts I might add, of who these people were decades and centuries ago.  It’s no secret that even in today’s current events that there’s a battle over the separation of church and state.  With a letter from Thomas Jefferson taken out of context, it has become the secularists’ mantra.

The real substance in the history of the United States has been excluded, taken out, and forgotten.  But if one were to examine some of the writings and quotes of any one of these historical figures, that person could not walk away without taking some measure of the spiritual significance that not only begot this nation, but guided it successfully in the following years till today.  God was indeed influential in the transpired events of this nation’s history and still is.

So let’s look at some of the sayings that are attributed to George Washington:

• It is impossible to rightly govern a nation without God and the Bible.
• Let us raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair; the rest is in the hands of God.
• Let us with caution indulge the supposition that morality can be maintained without religion. Reason and experience both forbid us to expect that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle.
• The foolish and wicked practice of profane cursing and swearing is a vice so mean and low that every person of sense and character detests and despises it.
• The ways of Providence being inscrutable, and the justice of it not to be scanned by the shallow eye of humanity, nor to be counteracted by the utmost efforts of human power or wisdom, resignation, and as far as the strength of our reason and religion can carry us, a cheerful acquiescence to the Divine Will, is what we are to aim.
• The name of American, belongs to you…[and] with slight shades of difference, you have the same religion.
• What students would learn in American schools above all is the religion of Jesus Christ.
• While we are zealously performing the duties of good citizens and soldiers, we certainly ought not to be inattentive to the higher duties of religion. To the distinguished character of Patriot, it should be our highest glory to add the more distinguished character of Christian.

Also, let’s examine some of what Abraham Lincoln has said:

• Character is like a tree and reputation like a shadow. The shadow is what we think of it; the tree is the real thing.
• Fourscore and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.
• I remember my mother's prayers and they have always followed me. They have clung to me all my life.
• Sir, my concern is not whether God is on our side; my greatest concern is to be on God's side, for God is always right.
• The assertion that "all men are created equal" was of no practical use in effecting our separation from Great Britain and it was placed in the Declaration not for that, but for future use.
• With malice toward none, with charity for all, with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in, to bind up the nation's wounds, to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow and his orphan - to do all which may achieve and cherish a just and lasting peace among ourselves and with all nations.
• All the good the Saviour gave to the world was communicated through this book. But for it we could not know right from wrong. All things most desirable for man's welfare, here and hereafter, are to be found portrayed in it.
• Intelligence, patriotism, Christianity, and a firm reliance on Him, who has never yet forsaken this favored land, are still competent to adjust, in the best way, all our present difficulty.

Two different men from different eras.  But George Washington and Abraham Lincoln had more in common than just patriotism and being Presidents of the United States.  They had a unique understanding of God’s providence over their lives.  Throughout their terms in office, they regularly sought God’s guidance and prayed for wisdom to help them govern a great people.

Reading these quotes, you cannot deny their acknowledgement of the Supreme Authority over their lives and over the affairs of men.  These were men of spiritual significance, of godly character that helped them through some of the most difficult times our country endured.  Without men like Washington and Lincoln, our country would not have been as successful as it has.  It has prospered and it has flourished, not because of man’s greatness or ingenuity, but because of the faithfulness of men who prayed and sought the face of God.  As such, many of the technologies and scientific advancements have been the result of God’s blessings on our country.

When we celebrate Presidents’ Day, do we really celebrate its significance?  Or is it because some of us get a day off from work?  Maybe some go to some special Presidents’ Day sales.  Perhaps for most of us, the day goes by without a second thought.  Here’s a challenge:  on this Presidents’ Day, let’s honor the men who did so much for our country by honoring the One who gave them the moral character and godly attributes that made them so great!  Let’s give God the glory and honor and worship Him!

Follow these two links and get a sense of the impact God had on these two lives:

• More on the life of George Washington.

• More on the life of Abraham Lincoln.

Love like Valentine

by AKARAKINGDOMS at http://www.freedigitalphotos.net/images/view_photog.php?photogid=1669

With Valentine’s Day coming upon us, I thought it would be interesting to list a few facts (or assumptions):

• The day has origins that link to Christian and Roman tradition.
• The Catholic Church recognizes at least three different “saints” named Valentine or Valentinus.
• One legend suggests Valentine performed marriages for young lovers in secret in response to a Roman emperor named Claudius II who outlawed marriage for young men in order to serve as potential soldiers.
• Another legend points to Valentine being a martyr for helping Christians escape harsh Roman prisons where they were beaten and tortured.
• Valentine may have sent the first “valentine” himself to a young girl during his confinement in prison. Before his death, he allegedly wrote a letter, which he signed “From your Valentine.”
• Some believe that Valentine’s Day is celebrated to commemorate the anniversary of Valentine’s death or burial.
• Others claim that the Christian church celebrate Valentine’s day as a feast day in an effort to “christianize” a pagan Roman festival.
• Even after the Romans integrated “Valentine” into their festival, it began to be seen as unchristian and outlawed the pagan holiday.
• The French and British picked up on the Valentine theme in conjunction with the beginning of birds’ mating season.
• Eventually, Valentine’s Day was popularized during the 17th century and was common for all friends and lovers in all social classes.
• Ready-made cards replaced handwritten notes to discourage direct expression of feelings as societal norms.
• According to the Greeting Card Association, an estimated one billion valentine cards are sent each year.

When reviewing all these “facts,” it becomes apparent that culture has a way of distorting Christian celebrations. If Valentine was truly a Christian martyred for his service to others, Valentine should be celebrated as a man of faith, a man who sacrificed and gave of himself, his time and energy, and even his life as a selfless act.

This distortion of Christian traditions is not new though, is it? What about “Easter,” which is supposed to be a day to remember the sacrifice of Jesus on that terrible, wonderful cross. Now the focus is more on the Easter bunny, candy, colored eggs, and the great Easter egg hunt. Or how about Christmas, the day that has been chosen to celebrate Immanuel, “God with us,” in the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ? Now, Christmas is more about Black Friday, the economy, opening gifts, and a celebration of good will and kindness to friend, family, and neighbors.

Think about what the culture is doing. Slowly and meticulously, society is taking God and Jesus out of even being mentioned, let alone included, in regards to why we recognize, meditate, and remember these days of celebration and what they are supposed to mean to mankind.

Valentine’s Day should be a day to remember the “love” that Valentine showed for others by giving his life in the service of helping those in prison. The love that Valentine showed is more exemplified by the agape kind of love shown in the Bible. What is agape love? Agape love “is a non-partial, sacrificial love.” It is not feelings-based, but rather the kind of love that gives and sacrifices, focused more on Christ’s non-partial kind of love, without expecting anything in return.

But what kind of love does our culture portray Valentine’s Day in modern times? It is true that there are many good things associated with the kind of love expressed today, such as giving flowers and candy, writing and sending cards showing love and affection, and taking one’s spouse on a date while expressing “eros” kind of love. Eros means sexual or romantic love. If eros is expressed under the conditions set forth in God’s Word, as in marriage between a man and a woman, then it is appropriately applied. Read the book of Song of Solomon. If this kind of love was being expressed in marriages today, there would be little concern for the state of marriage in our culture.

However, in many ways our culture has perverted love for which it was originally intended. If you watch television or pay attention to how Hollywood portrays love in the movies, you get the sense of an erotic, immoral, and self-centered kind of love. Porneia actually describes this type of love (or rather sex). (Porneia is actually “fornication,” and is an illicit kind of sex described in the Bible.) Adultery almost seems commonplace in our culture, pornography is the norm, and same-sex relationships are promoted. Christians even struggle with sex, such as engaging in pre-marital sex for example, because they have a difficult time separating themselves from the world. Is this what God intended? Are these the kind of lifestyles that Christians should engage in?

The Bible makes several things clear in regards to sex:

• 1 Corinthians 6:18 “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body.”
• Ephesians 5:3 “But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints.”
• Acts 15:28-29 “For it has seemed good to the Holy Spirit and to us to lay on you no greater burden than these requirements: that you abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols, and from blood, and from what has been strangled, and from sexual immorality. If you keep yourselves from these, you will do well. Farewell."
• 1 Corinthians 5:1 “It is actually reported that there is sexual immorality among you, and of a kind that is not tolerated even among pagans, for a man has his father’s wife.”
• Matthew 5:28 “But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
• 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 “Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.”
• Leviticus 18:22 “You shall not lie with a male as with a woman; it is an abomination.”
• Leviticus 20:13 “If a man lies with a male as with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination; they shall surely be put to death; their blood is upon them.”
• Deuteronomy 23:17 “None of the daughters of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, and none of the sons of Israel shall be a cult prostitute.”
• 1 Corinthians 6:19 “Or do you not know that your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and you are not your own?”
• Matthew 19:4-5 “He answered, "Have you not read that he who created them from the beginning made them male and female, and said, 'Therefore a man shall leave his father and his mother and hold fast to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh'?”
• Genesis 1:27-28 “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."”

Valentine’s Day has its purpose and its significance. But should it be for the self-gratification of the flesh? Or should the Christian use this opportunity to reflect what God’s idea of love really is?

1 Corinthians 13
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when the perfect comes, the partial will pass away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I gave up childish ways. 12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known.
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love. 

Let’s hope that Christians can strive to live according to God’s standards and abstain from sexual immorality. On this Valentine’s Day, in honor of Valentine himself, let all Christians separate themselves from the world and live a selfless, sacrificial kind of life and love the way that Valentine, and ultimately, our Savior Jesus Christ has loved.

• John 17:26 “And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them.”
• John 3:16 “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.”
• Ephesians 5:2 “And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.” 
• 1 John 3:16 “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.”