Author: Steven

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Truth Sessions (part 6) Doing YOU…is not doing good!

Luke 17:28-29: 28 “It was the same in the days of Lot. People were eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building. 29 But the day Lot left Sodom, fire and sulfur rained down from heaven and destroyed them all.

Live your best life…
You do you…
Live your dream…

I can keep going, but you get the picture. On their face those words of advice sound harmless. Actually, they sound pretty good. But, Jesus actually teaches the opposite. People focus on the sin being done in Sodom as the reason for it’s destruction. In the verse above you see Jesus giving a more insightful reason…living your life in a manner which bears no acknowledgement to God or the heavenly pursuits. The people just “eating and drinking, buying and selling, planting and building” were destroyed right along with the wicked behaving ones. Verses 32-33 of the same chapter in Luke goes on to warm us about the consequences of holding on to our own pursuits in life.

In reflecting on this truth I am reminded of an old song by Steven Curtis Chapman called “More to this life”. Here is the chorus:

But there’s more to this life than living and dying,
More than just trying to make it through the day;
More to this life, more than these eyes alone can see,
And there’s more than this life alone can be.

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Daily Musings…Sin is my brother

1 Kings 20:42–43 (NASB)

“42 He said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore your life shall go for his life, and your people for his people.’ ”
43 So the king of Israel went to his house sullen and vexed, and came to Samaria.”

When reading the Old Testament always on the forefront of my mind is what truth about who God is can be garnered from the text and applied to my life. In 1 Kings 20 we have an account of Ben-Hadad king of Aram trying to attack and destroy Isreal. This king of Aram had previous committed blasphemy and thus paved the way for God to judge him by destroying him. God spoke to the king of Isreal telling him that he would be victorious and to destroy the king of Aram who was mounting an attack against Isreal. The king of Aram escaped and pled for his life after having his army wiped out twice. The king of Isreal agreed to spare his life because they were brothers. In v.42-43 we have God passing judgement on the king of Isreal for disobeying His command to kill the king of Aram (his brother).

How often do we as Christians do the same thing? The king of Aram is likened to sin in our life. God hasn’t told us to go kill someone but He has told us to kill sin in our lives. Sin that we have already been given victory over if we obey His will. Yet, we choose not to because we relate to and think about the sin as humans rather than as God sees it.

God’s truth is that He is just and righteous. All are subject to the consequences of disobedience. I wonder if the victorious life spoke about by the Apostles isn’t being achieved because of our micro-disobediences? If Heaven (God’s Kingdom) is the best destination then our best life is Kingdom living now.

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Faith files… (part 2)

Great Faith

Matthew 15: 21-28

21 Leaving that place, Jesus withdrew to the region of Tyre and Sidon. 22 A Canaanite woman from that vicinity came to him, crying out, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on me! My daughter is demon-possessed and suffering terribly.”

23 Jesus did not answer a word. So his disciples came to him and urged him, “Send her away, for she keeps crying out after us.”

24 He answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.”

25 The woman came and knelt before him. “Lord, help me!” she said.

26 He replied, “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.”

27 “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.”

28 Then Jesus said to her, “Woman, you have great faith! Your request is granted.” And her daughter was healed at that moment.

Christian faith is based on God’s promises, rather than feelings, or things you can see. Great faith holds fast regardless of outward appearances.

Great faith is properly focus, repentant, reverent, persistent, and humble. In the text above you find a Canaanite woman coming to Jesus. This is a Pegan woman whos culture worshiped idols and false gods. Upon encountering Jesus she places the focus on Him. This wasn’t a “pray for me, send good thoughts, send good vibes my way” kind of situation that I see way too often on Facebook (and from Christians I might add…). Jesus was the focus of her request. Jesus was the focus of her worship. Jesus was the focus of her faith.

Great faith is repentant. In verse 22 she cries “…have mercy on me!” Mercy denotes the giving of something that is not deserved. She is coming at Jesus from a stance of unworthiness. Being in a culture that worships idols and false gods her coming to Jesus indicates that she turned from them to God. That is repentance.

Great faith is reverent. Again, in verse 22 she addresses Jesus as “Lord, son of David…”. She calls him Lord. The Greek translation uses the word Kyrios meaning master, or one who exercises absolute authority or ownership rights. She is recognizing Jesus’ sovereignty. She also calls him son of David. That is a Messianic title making reference to His right as King. Her acknowledgement of Jesus’ position is an act of reverence.

Great faith is persistent. In the text you notice first that Jesus doesn’t respond to her. Silence. His apostles finally come to him urging him to send her away because she keeps yelling. This indicates that some time has past. She just kept yelling. This reminds me of my kid’s persistence with the “Daddy, daddy, daddy…”. When Jesus does respond He says “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel”. Not dissuaded she responds “Lord, help me!”. Jesus throws up another barrier by saying “It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to the dogs.” Not to be denied she responds “Yes it is, Lord,” she said. “Even the dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their master’s table.” Wow! First Jesus ignores her, then disqualifies her, and then calls her a pet and her response after all that was “even so, help me…” Great faith is persistent.

Great faith is humble. As you read in verse 25 she knelt before Jesus. More accurately translated as kneeling down and putting your face in the dirt. She put her face in the dirt, said no I am not a Jew, I am not of your chosen people, but you are not just the son of David, you are Lord, an I am subject to you. Humble.

There is one other place in the New Testament where Jesus makes reference to someone with great faith (Matthew 8:5-13). Here Jesus is dealing with a Centurion (Roman commanding soldier). A couple of interesting observations about these two instances of Jesus acknowledging great faith. One, their faith was focus on Jesus and their ask was for others. Great faith is not asking and believing in a “financial break through” or that “new car”. Two, the Centurion and the Canaanite lady were non-Jews. Great faith is not steeped in tradition or dependent on culture. It is rooted in faith that is counter-cultural and non-traditional. Great faith is genuine faith.

Have you had a situation where you had to exhibit great faith?

Past Series Posts: Intro Part 1

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Faith files…(part 1)

Growing Faith

2 Thessalonian 1:3

3 We ought always to thank God for you, brothers and sisters,and rightly so, because your faith is growing more and more, and the love all of you have for one another is increasing.

Without Growing Faith it is impossible to succeed in any other steps of faith. Growing faith is what initially places faith in Christ. Growing faith increases from weak to strong as one matures as a Christian. Faith grows through increased knowledge and understanding of God. Increasing your knowledge of God is obtained through reading His Word. So, Growing Faith grows through reading the Bible. Now, just reading is not enough. Apply God’s Word daily is a necessity as well.

Christian faith is based on God’s promises, rather than feelings, or things you can see. Great faith holds fast regardless of outward appearances.

Growing faith is linked to spiritual growth. One of the ways the Bible speaks to this is in terms of craving milk as babies and solid food as you mature (1 Peter 2:2, Hebrews 5:11-14). A strong indication of faith not growing is an immature Christian (or “Carnal” Christian).

(2 Peter 1:5-8) 5 For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; 6 and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; 7 and to godliness, mutual affection; and to mutual affection, love. 8 For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

What a beautiful picture of what growing Faith looks like…Is your faith growing?

Past Series Posts: Intro

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Faith Files…(Intro)

Christian faith is based on God’s promises, rather than feelings, or things you can see. Great faith holds fast regardless of outward appearances.

The Bible talks a lot about different types or “levels” of faith. Some types are related and some are distinctly different. Hebrews 11:6 says “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.” Faith is foundational for Believers. Faith leads to salvation, faith incites good works, faith helps you stand up in the midst of adversity, faith is necessary to please God.

With faith being so utterly important to Christianity don’t you think we should know more about it? Spend more time understanding what God’s Word says about it? I think so and because I think so and this is my blog I will be studying the different levels of faith in the Bible and posting what I learn. I hope you come with me on this journey!