renovations

Have you ever been involved with renovations before? I remember after my house flood a few years ago I had to renovation about 75% of my home. Renovations usually take longer than they tell you it is going to take (3-4 months), cost more than they tell you (way more), are messy and inconvenient, and you wonder why you started the renovation process in the first place.

When we are convicted we need to change sinful habits in our lives they often feel like renovations. Now when the renovations are complete we love the results. Here are are a few truths about renovating types of change:

Change comes with pain. Change hurts at times. When were uncover secretive sinful areas and live in the light the process can be painful. It can be painful because we fail at times trying to change. We don’t like the change and like a magnet we are drawn back to our old ways. As the saying goes, “Old habits are hard to break.” Yet if you continue in your sinful habits you will continue to reap a sinful lifestyle:

Galatians 6:7-8 says, “Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life.”

I live in Indiana, so this farming analogy God uses in the Bible makes sense. I understand that if you sow corn you will reap corn. If you sow soybeans you will reap soybeans. Now if you sow a sinful lifestyle you will reap destruction, but if you sow the Spirit you will reap life. It is that simple. If you think you are superman or superwoman and that your sin will never affect you it is time you drop your cape. You cannot cover in your sin for long, nor can you break sinful habits without the supernatural power of God. If you think you have super powers of your own: Hosea 8:7 say, “They will sow the wind and reap the whirlwind” Prov.22:8 “He who sows wickedness reaps trouble.” Reaping sin is like reaping up the villain and giving him strength rather than killing it.

Change comes with cycles. Like a washing machine goes through spin cycles before the clothes get clean, so we go through cycles before we grow in the process of change. The usual cycle goes something like this: Change > Conflict > Growth. There comes a point in the change process that is a battle. The conflict is tough. The desire to give up is there. God encourages us to fight our way through the crowd of conflict because the result will be glorious.

Change comes with a cost. Change can’t be bought at the dollar store. Change isn’t cheap. Our change cost a life. It took the bloodshed of God and the death of Christ to make the payment for your sinfulness. Jesus doesn’t want to just save you; He wants to change you.

Change comes with radical rewards. Our normal response to change is resistance. We resist because of the conflict. Most do not like to deal with conflict, but if they do not fight through it with God’s help they miss out on the reward. The reward is not removal of the mind, but a renewal the mind. We will use more of our minds for Christ.

Remember Prov. 28:13? “He who conceals his sin does not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.” God will shower you in His mercy. You cannot handle the amount of mercy and grace He gives. I have had this David Crowder song stuck in my head the past few weeks. There is a line in the song that goes like this:

He is jealous for me, Loves like a hurricane, I am a tree, Bending beneath the weight of his wind and mercy.
When all of a sudden, I am unaware of these afflictions eclipsed by glory, And I realize just how beautiful You are,
And how great Your affections are for me.

We are His portion and He is our prize, Drawn to redemption by the grace in His eyes,
If grace is an ocean, we’re all sinking. And Heaven meets earth like an unforeseen kiss, And my heart turns violently inside of my chest, I don’t have time to maintain these regrets, When I think about, the way…He loves us.

We are under construction and the renovation of change in our life comes with pain, cycles, cost, but has radical rewards.

plan G

A man once asked me the question of all questions, “If you were to die today where would you go?” I didn’t have a smart answer. I was curious, but though to myself, “Could anybody really know the answer to that question?”

How do I get to heaven? Many have tried to answer this question in many different ways:

• You got to do a bunch of good deeds [hope to make the Cosmic curve for the class].
• Do as you please [aka: heaven on earth]. This is the only life you got.
• God is a God of love and wouldn’t send anybody to hell.
• You got to have faith.
• You got to follow the teachings of Buddha, Muhammad, Joseph Smith, or Jesus.

Yet these many ways do not answer the question. They just lead to more questions: How good is good enough? If this is heaven on earth, why is there so much suffering, sin and temptation? Why wouldn’t a loving God judge sin? Faith in what? How do we know which guy? What is your plan get to heaven?

PLAN A: By Being Sinlessly Perfect

If our eternity rested on our perfect performance we would all be doomed. We have all committed errors and made foul plays. This is called sin. You are not perfect. You cannot bat 1.000. Sorry to burst your bubble but you are not good enough [Rom.3:23 “all have sinned and fall short of God’s glory].

God is perfect. Our sin causes us to miss the mark of His glorious perfection.

The problem is that you and I are born sinners. You are born needy. You cry for attention. Ask any baby who desires the attention. You did not have to take sin lessons. We are educated as selfish little sinsner straight from the womb. And I have been sinning habitually ever since.

When people say that they are a “good person” or share their list of “good deeds” [i.e. help the poor, generosity] or compare themselves with “bad people” [i.e. Hitler or Bin Laden]…they are just sugar coating  the reality of their sinfulness [Prov.14:12 “There is a way that seems right to man, but in the end it leads to death.”]. PLAN A: I CANNOT CHECK

PLAN B: By Paying the Price for our Sin

Trying to be a good boy or girl only ends in disappointment and frustration because we can never quite match up. It ends in death [Rom.6:23 “For the wages of our sin is death…”]. This is more than physical death, but also eternal separation from God. Notice this spectrum of goodness [Evil being murders, rapists, and abusers / God being absolute perfection]:

First on the specturm is Mother Teresa [MT]. She is known for her compassion for orphans in Calcutta. Under “Christian” in the dictionary would be her picture. Some would say she is the best of all Christians, yet in her biographies she admits struggling with many sins. Second, Billy Graham [BG], the long known evangelist who was used by God to bring many into God’s kingdom. He preached to more people than anybody in history. Yet he publically admits his fall into sin. Then there is me [JH]. I cant even be in the same category with MT & BG. Just ask my mom or wife and they will let you know what kind of sin I am!! Where would you put your initials?

Mother Teresa, Billy Graham and I are in serious trouble. We cannot match up to God’s standard. We fall way short. This applies not only us, but you too. It doesn’t matter if your parents are Christians, if your grandma prays, if you go to Africa to help AIDS children, if you go to church every time the doors are open, you will still fall short.

There is a giant chasm that separates you and me from God [cf. Bridge to Life]. It is like trying to throw a stone from where you are to the North Pole. Some might throw farther than you, but we all still fall way short. Our sin creates a separation [Is.59:2 “It’s your sins that have cut you off from God. Because of your sins, He has turned away and will not listen anymore.”]. We cannot pay the debt load for our sin. It cost too much. PLAN B: I CANNOT CHECK

PLAN G: By Trusting in the One who did

Since Plans A & B fail what other option do we have? How about Plan G? Plan G = God’s Grace. Grace us unmerited favor or a gift from God that you do not deserve. I do not deserve God’s grace even on my best day. No one deserves it. This is why it is called grace [Rom.6:23b “…but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”].

What does God’s grace look like? Because of His love He sent His Son to die on the cross for your sin [all your junk, funk errors, strike outs and foul plays]. His grace can at a gruesome cost; execution on a cross. Jesus did the work of Plan A & B before He went to the cross. He did what we could not do. He did it for you. The work is done. The cross bridges the separation. It is a homerun game willing deal.

Religion = DO. Do this and don’t do that. It doesn’t work.

Relationship with Christ = DONE. It is finished on the cross. [Jn.19:30]

From the moment we receive God’s grace there are many things we receive: Forgiveness, Christ’s Righteousness, acceptance into His family, reconciliation, redemption, and so much more.

How do I get God’s grace?

Admit. Admit that you have fail with Plan A & B. That you do not measure up to God’s standard. That your sin separates you from Him. See yourself as God sees you. Recognize the chasm between you and him.

Believe. Believe that God sent Jesus to die on the cross for your sin. It is not about understanding everything. It is about trust.

Receive. Let Jesus come in. Open the lid of your heart and let Him come in. Let Him change you from the inside out.

PLAN G: I CAN CHECK, DONE

camp potawatomi

We just finished our first ever week of Potawatomi Bible Camp. We had 51 campers!! What an answer to prayer to see the vision we [Dan Nave, Scott Tiede, and me] prayed about over a year ago come to fruition.

We were able to see God do some amazing things this week. Uncle Charlie of Children’s Bible Hour was our speaker. It was a joy to watch this aged man related to the kids. We had 3 campers begin a relationship with Jesus Christ as their Savior!! It made the week so worth it.

We had to end camp a day early because of the an issue with bats inside the cabins. We were told that the bats would not be a problem when we arrived earlier in the week. Sunday afternoon we had a larger work crew help clean the cabins and chase any varmints out of the cabins with great success. Campers arrived later on Monday afternoon. Monday night we had a few cases of bats in the cabins. Tuesday we plugged holes, but that night we again had more bats. In fact, there were more that 20+ bats in one of the cabins. We had a DNR naturalist come that afternoon that shared with us bats are harmless and are not the rabies-infested-beasts we claim them to be. Out of protection for the kids we decided it would best to let the kids go home early. No more guano!!

Lesson: It doesn’t take a week to see God work nor do bats and bugs distract His Spirit from impacting lives!! Praise the LORD for a great week of Camp!

Did God die for You?

A look at Limited Atonement.

Warning: This may be deep

Limited Atonement is perhaps one of the most controversial teachings within John Calvins Institutes:

. . . Wherefore they who are elected being fallen in Adam, are redeemed in Christ, are effectually called unto faith in Christ by His Spirit working in due season; are justified, adopted, sanctified, and kept by His power through faith unto salvation. Neither are any other redeemed by Christ, effectually called, justified, adopted, sanctified, and saved, but the elect only. (Ch. III, sec. 6)

For starters Limited Atonement needs to be defined, Limited atonement is the theological position, which states that Christ saving work on the cross saved somemen of their sins before the foundations of the world. These men are known as the predestined, chosen or elect.To atone for sin is to clear sin from a person. “Atone” or “Atonement” in the Bible is primarily the Hebrew word “kaphar.” “Kaphar” means “to cover over,” “to pacify,” or “to make propitiation for.” “Propitiation” (“hilasmos”) in the New Testament means “to appease.” In 1 John 2:2, if by, ”He is the propitiation for the sins of the whole world,”.

Why is Limited Atonement so controversial?

There are two basic views of Christs work in salvation:

1.        Armenians (freewillers or Universalists) Christ died for ALL men & man has the ability to chose to believe or not.

2.        Calvinist (God wills; He is sovereign) Christ died for SOME men & God knew before hand all who would believe.

It might be a cop-out or not academic to say that I can support both from Scripture. Who says, you have to fall into one camp or the other? Who can say, one theological position out-weighs the other?The sovereignty of God is seen all throughout Scripture. God is in control, all knowing, infinite, and rules over all that He has made. There is no question that God could save all men or some men, or cause all or some men to believe in His sacrifice. He is God; He can do as He pleases. He has elected/predestined some to salvation. But even within Scripture you see a balance within His character. Mans sin unleashes Gods wrath, but Gods grace unleashes His salvation to man. To say that Gods saving and sacrificing work on the cross only saved a selected few is a contrary look at Gods own character. I will not argue salvation is all the work of God. Salvation is 100 complete sovereign work of God. He is through and through within the beginning work of justification (regeneration, reconciliation and redemption), sanctification (progressively making man more like Himself after salvation), and glorification (perfecting man to be completely like Him after death). For example, “You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you” (John 15:16), or “No man can come unto Me, except it were given him of my Father” (John 6:65).It is not belittling to God or the message of the gospel to say that man has a choice in the matter of His eternal destiny. In fact, it is honoring and glorifying Gods grace. God demonstrated His love to man by sending His Son, and man demonstrates His love for God by accepting His Son. Faith is a concept communicated all throughout Scripture (Rom.5, 8; Eph.2). Faith is buying into Gods impossible and unexplainable grace.As I exegete or study the original language in context, it is clear that our Scriptures present far too many passages in that speak clearly of the grace, love and justice of God to justify the view that the Atonement was limited in its intention to a chosen few persons. I cannot honestly present the Gospel to the world at large or to my next-door neighbor unless I am convinced that God really desires the salvation of all men equally.

Such a verse as John 3:16, “God so loved the world that He gave his only begotten Son that whosoever believes in Him should not perish,” is surely without limitation in its implication. And such passages as those which speak of Christ as the “Savior of the world” (John 4:42; 1 John 4:14), or “the Savior of all men” (1 Timothy 4:10), or as the one who gave Himself to be “a propitiation for the sins of the whole world” (1 John 2:2), or which affirm that He is “the bread of God which comes down from heaven and gives life unto the world” (John 6:33, 51), are so all-encompassing as to defy the concept of a salvation is confined to the elect of God while the vast majority of men are passed by. Statements like these, and there are many others, appear to prohibit placing limitations upon the intrinsic worth of that sacrifice or upon its intention in application.

 

Yet there are reasons to believe that another interpretation is possible, if not indeed more likely, both for these passages and others of a similar nature. That the Lord Jesus Christ should die for all, while only some avail themselves of his sacrifice, is surely to make a provision far greater than is required. It constitutes a kind of divine extravagance, which seems inappropriate in view of the appalling nature of the penalty paid in his own Person by the Lord Jesus. In the nature of the case the Father must have foreseen that the sacrifice of his Son would effectively have only limited application. It would seem only appropriate to make the payment limited accordingly: limited punishment to balance limited crime. The Lord Jesus pronounces this principle Himself when He said that the man whose offenses were few was to receive few stripes, whereas the man whose offenses were great was to receive many (Luke 12:47, 48). It is expected to say that the Lord’s sacrifice was sufficient for all, but efficient only for those who avail themselves of it. But to many people even this appears to be an evasion of the problem, a mere play upon words.

 

However, a careful reading of what Scripture does say about those for whom Christ died reinforces the impression that He did actually bear only the sins of his people, ‘You shall call his name Jesus for He shall save his people from their sins” (Matthew 1:21). “The good shepherd gives his life for his sheep” (John 10:11). “Christ loved the Church and gave Himself for it” (Ephesians 5:25). Christ died for many(Isaiah 53:12; Matthew 20:28, 26:28), the church (Ephesians 5:25), the sheep (John 10:15), and those who will live for righteousness (1 Peter 2:24). Certainly the implications here are clear enough. It might yet be true that He gave Himself for us, while still dying for other men also.

 

Paul is very specific when he says: “He gave Himself for our sins that He might deliver us” (1:4). And again in Galatians 3:13: “Being made a curse for us,” to the end that “we might receive the adoption of sons” (4:5). To the Roman Christians Paul wrote: “He was delivered for our offenses, and raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25). In writing to Titus, Paul said: “He gave Himself for us that He might redeem us from all iniquity and purify unto Himself a special people” (Titus 2:14).

 

Peter wrote: “Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree” (1 Peter 2:24), a picture reflecting Isaiah 53:5: “He was wounded for our transgressions, bruised for our iniquities; the chastisement of our peace was upon Him, and by his stripes we are healed.”     

 

The writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews said, “By Himself He purged our sins” (Hebrews 1:3), “having obtained eternal redemption for us” (Hebrews 9:12). And in 1 John 4:9: “In this was manifest the love of God towards us because God sent his only begotten Son into the world that we might live through Him.”

 

It might be argued that these passages were written to those who were already saved, yes, but that doesnt prove anything. The majority of these passages are references to what Christ has done and is still doing within the unbelieving world.

 

The Calvinistic and Armenian views of salvation are simply logical ways to explain an unexplainable theological issue. Theology doesnt always follow logic. For example, how does One God equal three Persons? Thats not logical to the finite mind of man. Why did God save all men? Why didnt God punish all men? These are questions we leave to God and do not need to define.

 

In conclusion, not out of ignorance, but out of conviction I walk the middle road. Gods sovereignty in salvation and mans acceptance are two important and parallel and proven truths within Scripture. These two truths are like two rails of a railroad track. The moment you try to deny one you derail the cars/truths. By Gods grace and by faith I believe that Jesus Christ paid my eternal debt and has forgiven me of sins that held me captive. To the praise and glory of His grace. (Eph.1).

 

it was all new to me

Who would have thought that this kid would have ever amounted to anything? He grew up in the “normal dysfunctional American home”. Lived with his grandparents while his mother work two jobs to financially support him. In his elementary years he was forced into a special classroom for students with attention deficits, and after school he would see a local psychologist because of his anger problems. This kid was mentally and spiritually messed up.

 

The only spirituality he knew of was growing up in the Roman Catholic Church his family had always attended. He was baptized as a baby, had his first communion and going through the motions of ritualistic worship week after week. He knew what to expect. And even with all this problems he thought to himself, “I’m okay.”

 

Until…his mother met a new man. He was unlike the other boyfriends she brought home. Mike was his name and he was a Christian. Mike’s church background was Charismatic, but like the boys mother was very unsatisfied with his church. Together after getting married they made a move to a smaller community north of Milwaukee, WI. This new family of three started a new life in their new surroundings. They visited a new church that would meet their spiritual needs, an independant-funamental-Bible-preaching-church. This certainly was a new thing for this boy, but he liked it. They opened the Bible and the people stayed to talk after church was over!

 

He soon made new friends at his school and church. He was opted out of needed special help because of so-called problems. His future was looking a little brighter. However, in Junior High School he made a few friends that became a negative influence on him. Again, his problems got him into trouble.

 

As his family continued to go to church, he noticed the makeup of his home beginning to change. His mother didn’t do the same things she did in the past, she talked differently and she began hanging up religious pictures on the walls of their home. He asked his mother, “why all the changes?” She responded, “Because Jesus has come into my heart, and has made me a new person.” The conversation ended there. But her words stuck in his head like sharp tack.

 

It was no later after that conversation with his mother that the pastor gave a strong message of the realities of hell. This boy who had the I-can-do-what-I-want-because-it-will-not-affect-me attitude, suddenly realize he wasn’t okay. He needed help. He needed forgiveness of sin. He needed to know for sure that he has okay, and going to heaven. On that hot summer night long after the church doors closed he laid in his bed pondering his own pride. He cries out to the Lord, “Father forgive me. I dont want to go to hell. I need Jesus. Help me to live like Him.” From this day on this boys life looked a lot brighter.

 

He was a new creation in Christ. He soon made new godly friends, started attending the churches youth group, and had a desire to be more like Christ. That desire turned into a reality as godly men discipled and led him through the Word of God. They challenged his mind to consider going into the ministry and they opened up for him opportunities to serve in his local church.

 

Who would have thought that this problematic, attention crazed kid would have graduated from Bible College, heading into the world to serve Christ?

 

This is the testimony of MY life and salvation.

 

the stable, the cross, and your soul

WHAT THE STABLE AND THE CROSS HAVE IN COMMON?     

 

THE STABLE…IS WHERE JESUS LAID WHEN BORN. Jesus Christ was born in a humble manger to common parents. While the birth of a child would normally be cause for great rejoicing, the joy this birth would bring is to be short lived. For you see, this child was born to die!

 

I can see this little Baby, lying “Away in A Manger”. I can almost hear Him coo; I can almost see Him jerk His arms, and feel His soft baby skin. Here He lays, “Immanuel” – God with us. Here He lays — God’s great gift to mankind. Here He lays — the perfect Sacrificial Lamb.

 

“Why must was this baby born to die?” The answer — OUR SINS. (1 Cor.15:3 “Christ died for our sins…”)             

 

And in the midst of the sin of the world is plunged a perfect Baby called Jesus! A star shone brightly on the night of Christ’s birth, but if we look closely, we can see a Cross looming in the shadows!

 

THE CROSS…IS WHERE JESUS HUNG WHEN HE DIED. Jesus was born with the shadow of the cross upon Him. With the shadow of the Cross upon His heart He learned to walk, He learned to talk, He learned to work.The shadow of the Cross was upon: When laid in Bethlehem with swaddling clothes; When He was working at the Nazareth carpenter shop; When He was praying in Gethsemane’s garden before being arrested; When Judas betrayed Him with a kiss; When Caiaphas condemned Him; When Herod mocked Him; When Pilate sentenced Him; When the Roman scourger whipped Him; When the Roman soldier crucified Him

 

The Cross is where Jesus died.  The Cross is where He died for your sins. “There is an empty cradle, an empty cross and if you do not know Jesus you have an empty soul.”

 

WHAT THE STABLE AND YOUR HEART HAVE IN COMMON?BOTH ARE PLACES GOD HAS CHOSEN FOR HIS SON TO ENTER. God made the choice of where Jesus was to be born before the foundation of he world (Gal.4:4-5; Eph.1:4). The Prophet Micah (5:2) had foretold the place of his birth 700 years prior. God has chosen your heart to dwell in (Jn.15:16; Acts 9:15; Eph.3:17)

 

BOTH ARE PLACES THAT ARE UNWORTHY OF DIVINE ROYALTY. Stables and Hearts are Dirty, Dark and Defiled places,(Jer.17:9; Isa.64:6; I Tim.1:15). Remember, the Prophet, Priest and King (and God) chose you (I Cor.1:27-28) There is no place on earth worthy of His presence (Rm.3:23) 

 

“The birth of Christ means little or nothing to us if he has not been born in our heart”

Q: Do you believe in the Jesus’ message of the Stable and the Cross?Q: Have you invited Jesus into your soul?

 

What does the stable, cross and your soul has in common? They are empty without God.