September 5, 2018

Has Jesus Changed You?

Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God unless they are born again.” – John 3:3

Nicodemus came to Jesus in the night. He was a Pharisee and we all know how the Pharisees viewed Jesus. Still, Nicodemus wanted to understand. How could someone already born be made new again?

Jesus went on to explain about how everyone must be born of the Spirit. The Holy Spirit. The gift that comes when we turn our lives over to Jesus. The gift that changes us from the inside out.

There are so many people who walk through their lives “knowing” Jesus. They live how they please. There’s no evidence of faith in their lives. Well, except for their Sunday morning piousness. But that’s more about show than it is about real faith.

It’s possible to know all about Jesus and still not really know Jesus. The demons know all about Jesus too. They’re still demons. They still don’t know Jesus as Lord and Savior. They still do evil.

What about you? How do people know you belong to Jesus? Is the evidence there in how you live your life? Are your words laced with kindness and honesty? Do your actions show you’re someone who cares, someone who grants mercy, someone who helps others in need?

Or is your faith all about the show? Maybe it’s more what you do than it is who you are. In the Deep South, what church you belong to is the first question newcomers face. It’s part of the fabric of life. It’s what makes us who we are.

What’s scary are how many people who take salvation for granted. They grow up in the church, passing each milestone with ease. They know how it’s done. They know what words to say. Whether they’re sprinkled or dunked, it’s more a right of passage than a genuine conversion.

I know. Shocking, isn’t it? I am amazed at how many people truly believe that baptism is what makes you a Christian. It isn’t. Faith, true faith, comes from within. It’s a heart condition. It’s something only God can see. But, as James notes, there should be evidence of your faith in how you live your life.

We are truly born again when our hearts change and become more like Jesus’ heart. We see people the way He did. We extend grace the way He did. We serve the way He did.

We also come to see ourselves for who we really are. We come to understand that we are lost without His blood. We truly worship Jesus for His sacrifice. We want to do good because we owe Him a debt we can never pay.

In other words, we change from the inside out. We become better people. What about you? Are you different because of Jesus? Do others see Him in you? Are you sure? Don’t wait until it’s too late to find out.

March 25, 2015

Point Others Toward Jesus

 

"He must become greater; I must become less."

-- John 3:30

John the Baptist understood his role. He was to point others toward Jesus. Period. We're to do the same.

Several years ago a woman with flowing red hair joined our church. She came to us through a mandatory recovery program. We fell in love with her joy and the way the Spirit seemed to flow through her. She was so determined to make it this time. She wanted to remain a recovering addict rather than fall back into addiction like she'd done several times before.

We prayed for her and with her. We all wanted her to succeed so badly. Maybe she has. She graduated from the program and moved on to live with her son in another state. But I've always had this niggling doubt that began with the last Sunday she was with us.

I didn't realize at the time that I probably would never see her again. Her Sunday school teacher was out of town and that class was told to join other classes that day. I invited her to join ours. She couldn't. She was almost in panic mode. She was "loyal" to her teacher. She couldn't possibly attend another class, even for one day. I assured her -- repeatedly -- that it was okay.

But I couldn't shake the feeling that her allegiance, her grasp on recovery, was tied not to Jesus but to her teacher. That couldn't last, not just because she was leaving, but because other people can't save us, especially not from ourselves.

We want to save others. We do. And we want credit for it. We have the best of intentions. We want to be good friends, good caregivers, good people. But our goal should be to point others toward Jesus and we can't do that if we're taking credit for ourselves.

Saturday, May 19, 2012

Cling To The Light

“They hate the light because they want to sin in the darkness. They stay away from the light for fear their sins will be exposed and they will be punished.” -- John 3:20

Sometimes the weight of the pain threatens to crush my very soul. Darkness bears down on me, taking away my very breath. I can’t imagine surviving the moment, let alone the endless moments yet to come.

I cry out to God and He hears me. His voice comforts me, strengthening my soul. His peace washes over me and calms me. Light rushes through me and I know that, once again, I will survive.

Some people have horrible memories that haunt them every day. Some experiences are so traumatic, so heartbreaking, that they change you forever. They force us to learn how dark a human soul can become and how bitter the taste on an innocent human being.

Other people live daily with abuse. It could be a spouse who uses his/her tongue as a whip. It could be a boss who does the same. It might be parents or siblings or, in the case of the elderly, a child who abuses a helpless parent.

It’s easy to say “get over it.” Perhaps it’s even easier to say “just leave.” But life isn’t so simple and options are sometimes not available. God never promised to keep us from bad experiences, from hatred and greed and abuse. He did promise to be with us through it all.

We are to honor those around us, particularly family members. That’s what the Bible and the preachers tell us. But for some that means honoring their abusers and that was never part of God‘s plan. How quick we judge what the darkness hides.

Jesus came so that we might have light to free us from the darkness that threatens our souls. We cling to it, to a Savior who came and will come again. But some days the darkness threatens us and we worry if it will consume us, reducing us to nothing more than what it claims we are.

The darkness tells us we are alone, suffering with no way out. Yet Jesus says to do what is right, to refuse the lure of darkness, to trust Him. And I do. How about you? Do you trust Jesus to carry you through the darkness and back into the light?

Jesus came to save us from the evil that lurks in the darkness. All we have to do is cry out to Him and there He is. Don’t suffer in silence anymore. Speak up. Cry out. Cling to the One who

Sunday, March 25, 2012

Cling To Jesus, Not People

He must become greater and greater, and I must become less and less. -- John 3:30

John the Baptist knew his role and it was to prepare the way for Jesus. He rejected those who wanted to proclaim him the Messiah and focused instead on the mission God had given to him.

Shouldn’t we all be focused on what God has called us to do and not what God has called others to do? And shouldn’t we all live our lives to give greater glory to Jesus and less and less to ourselves?

I recently met a wonderful woman in the midst of a recovery program. She loudly proclaimed her devotion to Jesus. She seemed to finally have grasped the One who could hold her hand and steady her life as she ventured beyond a structured treatment program and into the world.

Shortly before she completed the program, her Sunday school teacher was absent and class members were asked to attend another class. I invited her to our class. She refused to go to any other class, insisting that she was devoted to her teacher. It was only for the one week. There were several class options. She just couldn’t do it.

It was then that I began to wonder how much of her recovery was based on Jesus and how much on the people who had come to represent Jesus to her. The difference likely will mean success or failure for her recovery.

As people, we fail each other repeatedly. It doesn’t matter how hard we try to always be there for each other, to do and say the right things, we can’t and we don’t. We’re humans and we let each other down. Just like her Sunday school teacher had let her down by being absent one week.

This woman moved out-of-state when she completed her recover program. I have no idea how she’s doing. We haven’t heard. All we can do is pray for her, pray that she will truly cling to the One who can save her from the demons that haunt her.

John the Baptist recognized the difference between his mission and what he could do and Jesus’ journey toward the cross. He might not have foreseen all the details, but he knew that Jesus was the Messiah who had come to save us all. One could guide. The other could offer eternal salvation.

It’s important to listen to church leaders and pastors. We can learn a great deal and they can guide us toward a deeper faith and understanding. But it’s far more important to understand the difference between fallible humans and our Heavenly Father. One is an unwavering Rock we cling to in all circumstances. The other will always let us down.

Friday, April 1, 2011

I Love You Too

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. -- John 3:16

"I love you too." Simple words really. Words sometimes thrown out easily, sometimes with deep meaning. They can make you feel a deep joy or a pang of regret. The only certainty is that these words stir up our emotions.

What is love? The dictionary defines it as a warm liking or affection for a person, sexual affection or passion or God's benevolence toward mankind. So, according to the dictionary, God wanted to do good and show kindness to mankind. I prefer the Bible's definition of love. It's pretty simple too. God is love. (1 John 4:16)

God loves us. He does. Whether we believe in Him or not. Whether we accept His gift of salvation or not. God loves us. He sent His son to die a cruel, agonizing death on a cross to prove it. That's something we're almost unable to comprehend. You might find someone who would die for someone else. It is possible. But someone who would send their child to die for a bunch of sinners? Nope. Not on planet earth. Except for Jesus Christ. Our Savior.

What do you say when someone tells you they love you? How do you respond when someone gives you a priceless gift? I love you, too, God. I love you, too.