Blessings Outweigh the Problems

Sing joyfully to the Lord, you righteous; it is fitting for the upright to praise him.  -Psalms 33:1

The Bible says that we are to praise the Lord, for it is good and fitting for believers to do so.  When we praise the Lord we are doing that which is in full agreement with the Holy Spirit.  Anytime we find ourselves doing anything that is in defiance of the Holy Spirit we will know it immediately.  We will experience a negative kind of conviction in the heart. This is the convicting power of the Spirit.  However, when we are doing what is in agreement with the Spirit of God, then we feel that wonderful and blessed affirmation of being in God’s will and doing that which is pleasing to the Lord.  The Bible says that if we lift up our voices in praise and thanksgiving to God that this is a good and positive pursuit.  Such praise is pleasing to God, fitting for the believer, and in complete agreement with the Holy Spirit.  As followers of Christ, the best place we can be is in a position of harmony with the Holy Spirit.

The problem comes when we start feeling like we don’t have anything to be thankful for, or that we might have some blessings in our lives, but they are overshadowed by the difficulties of life.  Allow me to share an insight into blessings and trials: The trials of life don’t overshadow the blessings.  The blessings overshadow the trials.  The blessings outweigh the trials, problems, heartaches, and frustrations every time.  When we are walking with Jesus Christ we can find that one blessing is greater than 100 problems.  It will outweigh and overpower them all.  Be careful not to confuse or misunderstand that sacred balance.  When we start to view the trials of life as being greater than the blessings of God, then we have gotten our perspective all out of balance.  James 1:2 says to consider it pure joy, my brothers, when you face trials of many kinds.  In Christ those trials will not destroy us, but will make us stronger when we have come through them.  

When we look at life from the perspective of praising the Lord and being thankful in all circumstances, then our attitude is in full agreement with the Holy Spirit, and we will begin to walk in strength, power, and victory.   

From Survival to Living the Abundant Life

Praise the Lord.  How good it is to sing praises to our God, how pleasant and fitting to praise him! -Psalms 147:1

I have found that there are a number of ways in which people approach life.  Some move aggressively forward, some let life just happen, others sort of go with the flow, and still others shut themselves away from the world altogether.  But if I had to narrow those approaches down to two ways of going at life, I would say that most people are either getting by or thriving.  How do we know the difference?  The first involves simply living from day-to-day, trying just to make it through the problems and frustrations that life throws at us, and doing our best to keep everything together.  That describes a lot of people and that approach certainly beats giving up altogether which countless people do all of the time.  This, however, is the problem with the survival approach to life: We can only keep that up for so long.  Eventually we will run out of steam and be unable to continue surviving and holding on.  Believe me when I say that a great number of people are doing just that; holding on for dear life.

There is another approach to life, and this one is advocated in Scripture and is available to all who will seek the Lord.  This approach is to seek after the abundant life in Jesus Christ.  This is not a life free of problems, frustrations, and crises, but rather it is a life characterized by the power of God in the midst of those problems.  Jesus didn’t promise that we wouldn’t have any trials in life, but He did promise that He would empower us through life and all its frustrations.  A personal relationship with Jesus lifts us up beyond a day-to-day survival mentality and places us in the position of walking daily in spiritual victory.  In Christ we can walk in that power, and we cease from surviving life to living the abundant life in Him.   

People are stressed out, burdened, worried, overwhelmed, and discouraged.  But take heart: There is hope in Jesus Christ – not just for surviving, but for living and walking in spiritual victory.  Through faith in Christ the broken heart can be mended, the shattered dreams can be re-visioned, the wounded soul can be healed, and the silenced voice can praise God once again.

Trust Christ today and do not give up. There is always hope in the Lord.

More Than Conquerors Through Christ

No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us.  -Romans 8:37

Take note of this verse: We are more than conquerors through Christ.  We do not conquer sin, our problems, temptations, frustrations, and heartache through ourselves or our own strength.  Rather, Christ is the ultimate source of our power and strength.  Through faith in Him we rise up from the ashes of defeat and despair and begin living the abundant life which the Lord has promised.  Try to tackle the tough issues of life in our own power and we will fall short every time.

A story is told of how a number of years ago on New Year's Day during the Tournament of Roses parade, a beautiful float suddenly sputtered and quit. It was out of gas. The whole parade was held up until someone could get a can of gas. What made this incident so interesting, and amusing, was that the float represented the Standard Oil Company. With its vast oil resources, its truck was out of gas.  We as Christians often neglect our spiritual maintenance, and though we are "clothed with power" (Luke 24:49) we can easily find ourselves running out of spiritual fuel.  

Be careful not to be so overwhelmed with the trials of life that we take our eyes off the Lord.  Do that and we will quickly become spiritually weak and exhausted - we too might run out of gas, just like the float in the parade.  We have been indeed clothed with power from on high, but it is easy to run out of strength, especially when the difficulties and challenges of life begin to crowd around us.  The Lord offers to His followers a never ending supply of Holy Spirit power for doing not just what has to be done, but for doing the impossible in Christ Jesus.  

Let’s not settle for just getting by; let’s move toward a supernatural movement of Holy Spirit power that leads us to be overcomers and more than conquerors.  God can accomplish His great will, and He will do it through us, in us, and all around us.  

Don’t you want to be a part of that?  We are called in Christ Jesus to move forward in faith.  Don't be a quitter; be a conqueror through Jesus Christ.

Reconciled to God Through Christ

You see, at just the right time, when we were still powerless, Christ died for the ungodly.  -Romans 5:6

To be reconciled means that we once were estranged, but we now have been brought together.  That was the situation between us and God.  We were not on good terms with God because of sin, but in Christ Jesus the sin was paid for, and reconciliation took place.  Through Christ we are no longer at odds with God, but rather we have entered into fellowship with Him.  We no longer come to God in fear, but in fellowship.  All of us were totally unable to save ourselves.  We lacked the strength and the power to do so.  No matter how carefully and diligently we might try to keep the law of God we would fail at some point.  We lacked the power to keep the law perfectly.  Only Christ Jesus could accomplish this, and He did so on our behalf.  Think about that for a moment; Christ came and did this for us for no other reason other than His love for us.  No one coerced Him to go to the cross.  Rather, He did so willingly out of pure and genuine love for us.  Christ paid a debt on our behalf that we were unable to pay.  

If you were to look up some synonyms for reconciliation you would find such words as settlement, understanding, squaring off, and resolution.  Jesus did all of that for you and me through His redeeming work on the cross.  He settled our account with God, He brought understanding between us and God, we were made square with God, and the conflict between us and God was resolved.  We have been reconciled.   

Many years ago when I was a seminary student, my father loaned me some money that I might have some needed repair work done to my car.  After a period of time I saved enough money to repay the loan, wrote my father a check, and mailed it to him.  A few days later I received a letter from my dad containing the check I had sent him.  Enclosed was a note that said, "The money for the repair work was my gift to you.  You need not pay me back.  Don't worry about it - this squares us.  Love, Dad."  The debt I owed had been paid.  The account was settled.  We were square with one another.  The debt had been reconciled.

What a blessing to be "square" with God through Christ Jesus.  The debt has been paid.  Jesus has seen to it that our account has been cleared, and we have been reconciled.  In Christ we can move forward with the assurance that our Heavenly Father loves us, cares for us, and we are reconciled to Him.

Be comforted, O troubled soul.  God loves us, and we have been reconciled through Christ.

Perfect Peace That Comes Through Christ

You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you.  –Isaiah 26:3 

I love the spring of the year for a number of reasons: warmer temperatures, blue skies, longer days, and everything in bloom.  I can’t get enough of spring.  However, there is one aspect of spring which I am not crazy about, and that is the return of the insects.  Oh yes, we have to tolerate them if we want all the goodness of the season, and I guess they are a small price to pay for all this great weather, but still they can be a nuisance.  The other night I had stepped out onto the carport to let our dog, Ada, out for a little while.  As I stood there I looked down and noticed that a large bug had landed on my shirt right up near my shoulder.  It was one of those awful flying, water-bug, cockroach sort of things, and it was over an inch long. 

Now, how many people would have immediately gone into a screaming and twirling fit of hysteria, beating frantically at the errant pest?  Most of us, maybe?  I don’t know how I did it, but somehow I remained completely calm.  I looked down at this horrible creepy-crawly, and I calmly reached up and flicked it away.  Ada stood happily watching this episode and if dogs could talk she might have commented on my cool handling of the situation.  It was just an insect, right?  No big deal, really.   

Pondering this lead me to consider how wonderful it would be if I could always handle life’s problems in a similar fashion.  Instead of getting all upset, falling apart, and going to pieces, I could remain calm and collected as I trusted in the Lord and relied upon the Holy Spirit to be my guide.  The Scripture reminds us that when we trust in the Lord that He will keep us in perfect peace.  Note the kind of peace the Lord offers: Perfect peace.  This sort of peace lacks nothing, is steady as the storm is raging, and trusts God no matter what.   

My prayer today for you, and for me, is that God would lead us to that perfect peace that is available to all through Christ Jesus.  Christ can handle any problem that comes our way, from bugs on our shirts to pain in our hearts.  He is able to bring us through in victory. 

Do not fall apart and do not panic.  Look to the Lord and trust Him today – in everything. 

 

Reaching out in Love to Those Around us

"Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?"  Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.'  This is the first and greatest commandment.  And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.'  All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments."  -Matthew 22:36-40 

I grew up in a suburb of Dayton, Ohio and my neighborhood was composed of some colorful people.  Most of them were nice folks.  They would lend a helping hand when needed and would often stop and say hello.  Sadly, my memories of one neighbor in particular are not positive.  Mr. C. lived a few doors down from us and I would sometimes see him walking on the sidewalk going to or from the neighborhood grocery store (I’m just old enough to have lived in the time of Mom and Pop grocery stores which have all but disappeared thanks to the corporate super-market retail chains).  Mr. C. did not ever smile or say hello to me when I would pass him on the sidewalk.  He always kept his head down, his pace quick, and hurried on by.  If someone did say hello he would act as if he hadn’t heard.  Not once did I ever see him out in the yard chatting with a neighbor, and not one time do I remember him sitting on his front porch in the evening as was so common in those days. 

Many years ago I learned that Mr. C. had passed away.  My first thought was, “I wonder how many people attended his funeral?”  I have a suspicion that the number would have been sparse at best.  Mr. C. apparently closed himself off from others and did not allow people into his life.  He did not permit himself to be connected with others, which is a vital part of the human experience.  I have sometimes in my preaching used the word “connectedness” to describe the importance of having relationships in our lives.  Being connected to other people provides a network of support and cooperation thus allowing us to help one another and in turn be helped when the need arises.  Deliberately shutting ourselves off from those around us is indeed a sad way to go through life.  It also goes against what Jesus taught about shining His light to the world. 

Jesus taught that when we love God, our love will then be extended to our neighbors.  We reach out with a helping hand, we demonstrate the love of the Lord which is in us, and in so doing we build connections.  This Christ-centered “connectedness” facilitates our shining forth the love of the Lord to those around us.  I have found that the best therapy for a troubled soul is to reach out in love to those around us.  Smile more often, say hello to a neighbor, do something nice for someone, or take a few moments and pass the time of day with someone who lives close by.  

Do you love the Lord?  Prove it – by loving your neighbor.

Rejoicing Over a Good Report of the Faith

For I rejoiced greatly, when the brethren came and testified of the truth that is in thee, even as thou walkest in the truth.-3 John 3 (KJV)

Why was John rejoicing here?  He was rejoicing because of the good report that was brought to him about Gaius, the church, and the good work and progress that was going on there.  What happens when we don’t hear a good report about a sister church?  It tends to bring sorrow to our hearts.  When I learn of a believer who has gotten his life off track, and it doesn’t matter if it’s a high profile nationally known pastor or a member of a church down the road, my heart grieves over that.

But the reverse is true: When we receive a good report about a church, a believer, or some good work that is being blessed, then we have cause for rejoicing, praise, and thanksgiving.  There a number of churches all around the town of Bristol, Virginia where the church I pastor is located.  My earnest pray is that God will use all these churches to bring about revival in our city – revival that will spill over into all the country.  We are not in competition with any other congregation, but rather we are brothers and sisters in Christ.  If I learn of a congregation in the area that is baptizing people, reaching people for Christ, and proclaiming the gospel, then that is indeed cause for rejoicing.

John rejoiced over the testimony that was given to him about Gaius; that the truth was in him and that he was walking in that truth.  This is what we are to be doing: Walking in the truth that is in us.  When we walk in the truth, then we are living out the gospel of Christ; applying Jesus’ teachings, following His example, and demonstrating His love.  The Lord told us that He had set an example that we can follow.  We are to strive to be like Him in all areas of life.

Rejoicing wins out over complaining every time.  A humble spirit is always preferable to bitterness.  When we seek to take on the attitude of Christ we are blessed.

Rejoice in the Lord and give thanks for the power of the Holy Spirit which is working in the lives of those around us.