Let’s Accept the Biblical Picture of Jesus  

Last weekend both our daughters posted pictures of their families going out to cut down or purchase their live Christmas trees for the season. I was struck by a particular picture of one of my sons-in-law and grandsons standing by the evergreen of their choice. While the boys were decked out in festive Christmas shirts, their dad was standing there wearing a sleeveless shirt and shorts. Granted, the weather was relatively mild, and that wasn’t unusual attire for my warm-natured son-in-law, even in the dead of winter. But the reality just didn’t seem to fit with the picture we typically have in our minds of people picking out their Christmas tree. We usually envision someone dressed up in a Christmas sweater or heavy coat while sporting a sock cap or one of those woodsman hats with floppy earflaps. There was nothing wrong with my son-in-law’s appearance – it just wasn’t in line with some people’s traditional expectations.

 Maybe that helps us better relate to the Jews who had certain expectations about their coming Messiah. I am not excusing their rejection of Jesus, but sometimes I wonder if we would have done any better under the circumstances. Their traditional image of a Messiah included crowns and thrones, swords and white horses. They pictured a king and military commander. Was it any wonder that they failed to recognize or accept reality when Jesus arrived on the scene? Certain aspects of His image just didn’t seem to fit – no palace, no sword, no riotous rebellion – instead there was the manger, the humble service, and the cross. Instead of military authority, there was spiritual authority. Instead of human power, there was divine power. Instead of setting up a political kingdom, He focused on a spiritual kingdom. They let their traditional expectations get in the way of accepting the real Messiah for who He was.

Let’s be careful that we don’t do the same today. God has expressed Himself and His will most clearly through His Son. Jesus is “the express image of His person” (Hebrews 1:3). God has preserved a reliable divinely-inspired record of who Jesus is, what He is like, what He taught, and what He did during His days in the flesh on this earth. We’ve been given a picture of the Savior. Let’s not ignore it, reject it, or attempt to rewrite it if certain aspects don’t line up with what we prefer Christ to look like.

There are some today who refuse to accept the Jesus who exposed sin, warned of an eternal hell, and died as the sacrifice for our sins. They want to see Jesus as simply a kindhearted Teddy Bear who doesn’t condemn anybody for anything, who advocates for socialism, and who would likely be driving an electric vehicle. On the other hand, others picture Him as the angry Judge eager to rain down fire and brimstone on evildoers, wearing His MAGA hat while draped in the American flag, and who would likely be driving a pick-up truck with a rifle in the gun rack.

Too many of us allow our views of politics, social issues, and personal preferences shape our view of Jesus. Instead, we need to get back to what the Bible says about Him. Let’s allow the reality of who Jesus truly is shape the way we look at those political and social issues. Let’s be willing to change our views and opinions based on the real picture of Jesus, not reshape Him to fit what we think He ought to be.

The Jews failed to recognize their Messiah when He came. Let’s not miss Him today through our own misguided perceptions about what we think He ought to look like. Get back to the Bible and see Jesus for who He really is.

 

Be Willing to Stand for Biblical Values  

Now that Thanksgiving Day is past, I will probably start tuning in to a few of the Christmas movies available for viewing. I don’t overload on such programs during the holiday season, but I usually do watch a few of them with my wife. She already had me set a recording for one such upcoming show she had heard was a good one, which suggests that some of them aren’t so good.

I noticed a report last week about a well-known TV actress who has become associated with those films due to her frequent appearances in them. She had commented about her decision to change to a different network due to its commitment to hold true to traditional storylines of marriage and family. What got my attention was how this person was vilified for her statement. Some accused her of hatred and bigotry. It’s amazing how quickly people will spew out hatefulness at those people whom they claim to be haters, or how they are ready to cast stones at those whom they accuse of doing the same thing.

For those of us who are committed to upholding biblical values, we should be prepared to face similar reactions from today’s society. Pointing out sin and the need for repentance will never be a popular message, no matter how lovingly we do so. Simply standing up for what the Bible teaches to be right and good, without even singling out anything as being bad or evil, will often draw the ire of those who are sensitive to what that light reveals about their own character and conduct. As long as we are committed to God’s Word, truth, and holy living, we can expect not to be popular, but rather oftentimes to face the wrath and ridicule of an ungodly world.

It reminds me of Caleb and Joshua, two of the twelve men who were sent to spy out the land of Canaan. Although they all agreed that it was a wonderful and fruitful land, they differed on their recommended course of action. Ten of the spies claimed it would be hopeless to try to go up against the strong inhabitants of that land. However, Caleb and Joshua encouraged everyone to trust the God who had called them to that place and who would help them defeat their enemies. The vast majority of the people sided with the ten spies. They were ready to literally pick up stones and cast them at the two men with alternate views. However, God intervened to spare them, revealing that Caleb and Joshua were the ones whose view was more in line with His own assessment of the situation.

In that account Caleb is described in a positive way as having “a different spirit”. He was willing to go against the flow of his fallen community and stand firm for God and His way, no matter the consequences. We need to be willing to follow his example today. Too many are afraid to be the voice that points out truth in the midst of error. We may whisper it to a few trusted colleagues, but not loud enough for others to hear. We don’t want to be cancelled, lose some friends, or face worse consequences.

It's true that there are those who can stand for truth in such a way that it engenders hatred and violence. We should decry such and seek to have a different spirit from those folks as well. However, no matter how pure our motives or how loving our actions, we will still often face hostility for standing for biblical values.

I think I will go see if I can find a good Christmas movie to watch about goodwill and kindness. We could sure use a little more of that today, couldn’t we?

 

God Has No Ulterior Motive in Blessing Us  

I was attempting to open up a program on my computer I use on a weekly basis in order to prepare my sermons for being posted online. However, on this occasion it didn’t come up. Instead, I saw a message that I had the option of downloading one of two other programs in order to enhance my ability to perform this task. As I explored it further, I discovered that one of those apps came with a paid subscription. The other one was free and was basically the same thing I used previously, just under a different umbrella. I chose the free option but continue to get messages encouraging me to consider the more costly alternative. I have concluded that this change offered under the guise of assisting me to be able to perform my task better was actually just a way to try to get me to buy this newer program.

We often face situations where people are supposedly trying to help us or do us a favor, when in reality they have ulterior motives. Their main purpose is actually to benefit themselves in some way. It may be the financial gain they receive from making a sale, or the boost in their ego from getting more likes or favorable reviews on social media. Whether we benefit or not, their focus is more on themselves than on what is good for us.

I am grateful that God isn’t like that. As we count our blessings and consider all the ways we have received divine favor, we can be assured that whatever the Lord has done for us, it has been strictly out of love and concern for us, not due to what He might get out of it. Let’s be clear. God doesn’t need us. He is sufficient within His trinitarian self. He receives no benefit from our choosing to believe in Him, love Him, and submit to His will for us. He has no quota of followers He is trying to achieve. He doesn’t need His ego soothed by having people rely on Him or to align with His side in the cosmic struggle between good and evil. He is not helping us in order to help Himself in some way.

The wonderful truth is that God provides for us, helps us, and blesses us simply because He wants what is best for us. He has no hidden agenda. He isn’t trying to sell us something that will pad His already infinite pockets. He is not loving us just so that He can receive our love in return. He will love us no matter whether we reciprocate or not. Certainly, He wants us to love Him and to trust Him, but not because He needs us to do it, but because He knows such actions will be for our benefit.

  Some offers we receive by mail or email appear to be too good to be true. On the surface it seems that we are being presented with a good deal and would benefit from taking advantage of it. However, if we are wise, we look for the fine print to see the details. We know there must be a catch to it somewhere. And there usually is.

Isn’t it wonderful to know that we don’t need to have any such concerns about the Lord. His blessings come with no strings attached. His love is unconditional. He sends the beneficial and refreshing rains on both the just and the unjust. He causes the sun to shine on everyone. He has blessed us in so many ways. And it’s all because He loves us and is seeking our good.

With that in mind, let’s thank God for His many blessings – blessings springing from His pure heart of love.

 

Welcome Any Warnings from the Lord  

My wife was heading out to work one morning when she noticed a warning light on her vehicle. One of her tires was unusually low on air. She immediately returned home where I encouraged her to use my car while I checked out her tire. Later I saw what looked like a piece of metal in the tread. So I was able to take it to a shop where it could get repaired.

It would be easy to complain about experiencing a warning light coming up on your vehicle just as you are hurrying off to work. It can be inconvenient to have to turn around to go back home, to exchange vehicles for the day, or to have to take the time to sit at a repair shop for a while. However, we were very grateful for the technology providing notice to my wife that there was a problem which needed to be addressed. Otherwise she could have faced the much bigger problem of having to deal with a flat tire somewhere along her commute to work. That could have been more inconvenient, costly, and even hazardous. So while we don’t like to see such a light pop up on our vehicles, it serves an important purpose for which we should be thankful.

How do we tend to react whenever we sense some kind of warning sign from the Lord? Maybe it’s conviction over some action or attitude in our lives. Maybe it’s a call to change direction because we are heading the wrong way. Maybe it’s a warning about negative consequences or divine judgment on the road ahead if we continue traveling that way. Or possibly it’s just a small whisper of the Holy Spirit that something isn’t right in our walk with God and we need to submit to a spiritual check-up. God is faithful to warn us, but how do we receive such notifications?

It is often tempting to resent a warning from God. It brings a problem out into the open when we thought everything was going along well, or at least we didn’t want to admit there was anything wrong. We may not like having to deal with such an issue. We would rather keep it buried, or try to find a more convenient time out in the future to handle it. We can even interpret such warnings as indications of God’s anger or displeasure with us.

It reminds me of King Ahab of Israel. He liked to listen to the false prophets who told him what he wanted to hear. He hated one true prophet of God because as Ahab claimed, “He does not prophecy good concerning me, but evil” (I Kings 22:8). This evil king preferred to hear lies rather than the painful truth.

We have to guard against a similar spirit. We need to be careful about listening only to the types of messages we want to hear – the ones that are pleasing to us and fit our own ideas. We need to be willing to hear the hard messages from God, including the words of warning. While those truths may signal that there are problems, God isn’t pointing those out just to be harsh or critical of us. He is actually trying to help us. His warnings come not from the tongue of a hard-boiled judge, but from the heart of a loving Father. He is trying to correct us for our own good. He wants us to avoid those painful consequences waiting around the next bend of the road. He wants to get those issues fixed so that we can enjoy a full life in fellowship with Him.

Therefore let’s welcome God’s warnings when He sends them. They are expressions of His love and care.  

 

Watch Out for Any Missing Pages  

I was reading a book I had recently purchased online when I suddenly realized something wasn’t right. About halfway through the volume I came to what appeared to be the end of a chapter, only to discover that the last sentence on the page didn’t seem to conclude the thought. And there was no period at the end of the sentence. Was I missing a page? As I examined the page numbers, I discovered that I was actually missing about thirty pages of material, including an entire chapter. If I was one to readily accept conspiracy theories, I might have wondered if this act had been intentional. After all, the book was dealing with some rather controversial subjects about our culture and a Christian’s response to those issues. As I checked out the title of the missing chapter in the table of contents, I could see where some people might not like its subject matter. However, it appeared simply to be a glitch in the publishing of this one copy. I was able to report the error to the company I bought it from and have since been sent a free replacement with all the pages intact.

What if you were reading through the Bible and suddenly found a whole section of material missing? There are those who wouldn’t mind removing certain parts of God’s Word due to it contradicting their own views. However, most aren’t that daring or obvious about their intentions. Instead, they simply focus on the truths they like, while ignoring the parts with which they disagree. Or others will still cite those particular passages but find ways to explain away their clear meaning. Let me suggest a few examples of this of which to be wary.

For many people, even professing Christians, the Bible’s testimony about itself seems to be missing. It declares itself to be more than man’s biased, flawed writing, driven primarily by its cultural and historical setting. It professes to be the uniquely-inspired Word of God. While written by men in a particular culture, it was penned by holy men who were under the guiding influence of the Holy Spirit. It is true, reliable, authoritative, and eternal. The Bible warns against anyone adding or subtracting from its sacred content. However, people are disregarding those statements and treating the Bible as if it’s strictly a faulty human invention to be criticized, ignored, and even rejected in light of their own ideas or popular practices.

Biblical teaching about sin is likewise being left out today. People are disregarding specific actions the Bible declare to be wrong, or even rejecting the whole idea of labeling anything a sin. Closely connected to this practice, is the removal of any belief in God’s wrath and judgment. The scriptures about a loving God are emphasized while the many references to a God who hates sin and who holds people accountable are attributed to a past poorer understanding of deity. Many continue to proclaim the hope of heaven, while rejecting the biblical claim of there being only one way to get there. They cling to the concept of heaven for all while denying the possibility of a hell for anyone.  

Those missing pages in my book may or may not have skewed its overall message. However, it certainly left a hole that could be confusing and could have resulted in my losing out on some important parts of its teaching. It’s even more vital that we seek the whole counsel of God, not leaving out parts that are essential to our understanding and applying of its truths. It’s not just a matter of avoiding confusion and gaining clarity. The salvation of souls, along with their eternal destinies, can be at stake.  

 

God Still Makes Rivers in the Desert  

After the abundance of rain we experienced in our region over the summer, it was strange to see a map indicating that we are now considered to be in a drought. This tends to be our driest time of the year, and this season has proven to be no exception. Therefore while we’ve been enjoying the autumn sunshine, we also look forward to some needed precipitation.

Many of us believe that we are also living in a time of spiritual drought, at least in our part of the world. Thankfully, there are reports of revival and mighty movements of God in some places, even in the midst of severe persecution. However, in our nation we seem to find ourselves in more of a spiritual desert these days. God and His ways are often being forgotten, ignored, or just flatly rejected by many in our society. While the narrow road Jesus called His followers to walk on seems to be getting narrower and less occupied, the road leading to destruction seems to be overwhelming the landscape while crowded with travelers. There seems to be a dearth of true faith, real relationships with Jesus, holy lives, and Spirit-filled believers.

Yet the Bible gives us hope and encouragement even when we find ourselves living in the wilderness. It declares in several passages that God can make rivers in the desert (see Isaiah 43:19-20). While some of these passages may refer to the restoration of Israel, I believe they also point to what God can do for any of us who put our trust in Him. In the midst of our wilderness, He can provide refreshment, revival, and restoration. God can satisfy our spiritual thirst, giving us rivers of living water to help us grow and flourish even in a dry and dusty landscape. He can provide an oasis for us right here in the middle of the desert of the year 2022 in America. Through a personal relationship with Jesus and the Holy Spirit living within us, we can find life and strength. We can obtain spiritual food from God’s Word to help us grow. We can find refreshment and strength through the love, fellowship, and support of fellow believers. If you’re spiritually dry, don’t blame the environment of our day. Even in the driest atmosphere, God has provided rivers of living water if we’ll just seek them and dive in.

Additionally, let’s not forget another side of this truth. Jesus said, “He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water” (John 7:38). God not only provides rivers for us so that we can survive and thrive in the desert, but He intends to make us into rivers ourselves. We are to be channels of living water as His life, love, and truth flow out from us.

Unfortunately, too many of us become more like cactus in the desert. We’ve found our way to survive and store up water in ourselves, but we become harsh and prickly to those around us. We don’t have much to do with other desert-dwellers who are thirsty and faltering in this wilderness. Let’s pray for the Lord to make us less like cactus and more like rivers in the desert – a source of life and blessing to others.

As we see our society becoming more of a spiritual wasteland, it can be discouraging. So let’s remind ourselves of the good news that God still makes rivers in the desert. We can draw life and strength from Him, as well as let Him use us to refresh others. The desert can be a tough place to live, but God is still there and still working.

 

Let’s Faithfully Represent Christ in This World  

Earlier this year I had spoken with a good friend from my college days after hearing that he had been diagnosed with a rare form of cancer. So it was not unexpected when I received the news last week of his passing. As I tuned in to watch the livestream of his funeral service, it brought back many memories. He had arrived at the college from Japan, not knowing much at all of the English language. As we became friends, I tried to assist him with his frequent questions about our words and idioms. I’m not sure I was the best person to do so. Since we were on a small Bible college campus in Iowa, my Southern dialect and expressions made me somewhat of a foreigner too. I think I was helpful, although it did lead to some humorous incidents. I vividly recall my friend frantically searching through his dictionary with a confused expression on his face as he asked, “Y’all? Y’all? What is y’all?”

    In a sense, we have a similar task as citizens of the kingdom of God. The Bible declares that “we are ambassadors for Christ” (II Corinthians 5:20). We should be faithfully representing our Lord to the citizens of this world. We are interpreters of His Word to those who don’t speak its language. Our words, actions, and lives should be examples of what it means to be followers of Jesus. As someone has suggested, “We are the only Bible some people will read.” They are looking at us as they try to translate and comprehend what it means to be a Christian. The question is: Are we giving them a good and fair representation of our Lord, His kingdom, and those who live under His rule?

I’m afraid that sometimes we are guilty of confusing those who are watching us. Our words and lives don’t match up with what we profess to believe. No doubt we will all falter at times in our efforts to faithfully represent Christ, but those should be the exceptions in our lives rather than the rule. If we’re consistently or frequently not being good ambassadors for the Lord, it should be a concern.

If the world sees little difference between us and those who don’t know Christ, it’s no wonder that they are prone to discredit the value of our faith. If we’re following a lifestyle that constantly involves sinful actions and selfish attitudes, then it can cause people to question what it means to be a Christian and what difference it really makes in a person’s life.  If we’re placing more priority on the things of this world than on the things of God, what are we communicating? If we’re downplaying or ignoring what the Lord of our kingdom has decreed to us through His sacred communications to us, what does that say about our commitment to Him?

It shouldn’t surprise us that the citizens of Christ’s kingdom are getting marginalized and increasingly considered irrelevant in today’s world. Some of that stems from the darkness not liking the light which exposes its sins. However, some of it also falls back on us as not being the faithful ambassadors for Christ’s kingdom as we should be. We need to become better interpreters of our faith to those around us. We need to quit sending confusing messages by our inconsistent lives. We need to get back to following what our King has revealed to us in His authoritative Word. We need to return to loving Him more than we love this world and its pleasures.

  Let’s help this world see what followers of Christ should be. Be a good ambassador for Him and His kingdom.