Called to Holiness

“The Lord spoke to me with His strong hand upon me, warning me not to follow the way of this people. He said, “The Lord Almighty is the one you are to regard as holy, He is the one you are to fear, He is the one you are to dread, and He will be a sanctuary” (Isaiah 8:11, 13-14)

The Lord commanded Isaiah – as He commands us – to reject the way of the people and to fear Him alone and to stand firm against ungodliness and unrighteousness. He called His people to stand courageously when all around them bowed to the gods of this world. That same command has run through the history of Christianity since the resurrection of Christ. It is the heartbeat of the saints through the ages, and even today, who faced – and still face – public ridicule, beatings, prison, exile, stoning, lions, burnings, beheadings, and all manner of persecution for their faith. It has been and continues to be the rallying cry of the people of God.

But for Isaiah and the martyrs of the faith – and for you and me – this word is not a call to arms, it is not a call to protest and public rebuttal. It is a call to personal holiness. Notice that the prophet says “The Lord spoke to ME, with His strong hand upon ME, warning ME . . . the Lord Almighty is the one YOU are to regard as holy . . . the one YOU are to fear . . . the one YOU are to dread . . . This is first and foremost a command for the individual to stand firm in the faith in the solitary moments of our lives when no one else sees or hears. The person we present to the world is rarely who we are in our private moments. Which should give us pause before we speak. Before I call out the sins of the world, before I confront the ungodliness around me, I must call out the sin in my own life and confront the ungodliness within me.

Beloved, we have a command to shine the light of Christ wherever there is darkness, but we must first let it shine in the darkness of our own hearts. The message we carry is too valuable and too important to bury it under our own sin.

The Lord spoke to ME . . .

Acts: Signs and Wonders

Larry Dossey, M.D. wrote a book entitled Be Careful What You Pray For: You Just Might Get It. I’ve not read the book and this is not an endorsement, I just think the title is really cool. The apostles could have contributed to his book. Grab your Bible and read Acts 5:12-18. This section describes the healing and miraculous ministry of Jesus’ disciples. But to get the full context of this passage, you have to go back to chapter 4.

After the Sanhedrin disciplined Peter and John for preaching and healing in the name of Jesus, the church joined together in prayer. Not for protection but for boldness to speak Jesus’ words and that God would “Stretch out your hand to heal and perform miraculous signs and wonders through the name of Your Holy servant Jesus” (4:30). And God answered their prayers.

“The apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders among the people” (v. 12). Just as they had asked. And just as the Lord Jesus had done. The gospel of John calls Jesus’ miracles “signs” that pointed to His divine nature as the Son of God. The miracles the apostles performed were signs that confirmed their message about Jesus. Healing miracles abounded wherever the apostles went. People lined the streets with their sick folks in hopes of healing just from Peter’s shadow passing over them. Luke never confirmed that any “shadow healings” took place, but it does show the respect and wonder with which they were regarded. All around the Judean territory word spread and the sick and demon-possessed were brought before them. Luke said “. . . and all of them were healed” (v. 16). Imagine how the world would react today to that kind of ministry.

But it wasn’t only the people who took notice of these miracles – the religious leaders become aware of what was taking place too. And they weren’t impressed. They were jealous (v. 17). And enraged. The apostles disregarded their orders and continued to declare the name of Jesus. Worst of all, their popularity was growing. They were arrested and thrown into the public jail.

The apostles prayed for boldness and miraculous power. God granted their prayer. Great and wondrous things happened. So did awful things. So, were these “unintended consequences” of their prayer? There’s no such thing in God’s kingdom.

Stay tuned. God’s not done with them. Or you, Beloved.

This Little Light of Mine

The world today is on a mission to eradicate Christ. But that’s nothing new. The religious leaders tried to shut Jesus’ disciples down – or up – depending on how you look at it. Acts 4 and 5 record how the Sanhedrin gave them “strict orders not to teach in His name” (5:28) and imprisoned and flogged them for refusing to do so. The first martyr, Stephen was stoned for his passionate testimony. For centuries, thousands of men and women have died for the name of Jesus and His gospel. They still do. The ancient church father, Tertullian said, “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church.”

Today laws are enacted to keep Christ out of the culture, away from public places, and shut up inside the walls of the church. But that is impossible because believers carry His Spirit with them wherever they go. Jesus promised to send the Holy Spirit, not just to hover over us like He did at creation (Gen 1:2), but to “live with you and be in you” (Jn 14:17). When you go to school, the Spirit of Christ goes with you. When you go to work, the Spirit is there in you. When you go to the mall or the gym or stand in the public square, you bear the Spirit of the very God that has been deemed inappropriate, offensive, and in many places, illegal.

As long as Jesus tarries His people will bring His Spirit into dark places and sad places and places where the devil has staked a claim. And that will not make us popular. The Lord said, the Spirit “will convict the world of sin and righteousness and judgment” (Jn 16:8). That means believers don’t have to stand on a street corner with a bullhorn and call down fire and brimstone on sinners.  The writer of Hebrews said that Noah “condemned the world by his faith” (11:7). Just living uncompromised godly lives stands out in stark contrast to the wicked world around us.

But don’t fret. Whatever laws man may pass have no bearing on where God belongs. David said, “The earth is the Lord’s and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it” (Ps 24:1). He will not be denied the full reign of His creation. Beloved, let His Spirit shine wherever you are.

He is Risen, Indeed

I’ve pondered and studied and all my words fall short. On this glorious Resurrection Sunday, hear the Word of the Lord.

When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome bought spices so that they might go to anoint Jesus’ body. Very early on the first day of the week, just after sunrise, they were on their way to the tomb and they asked each other, “Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?”

But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away.  As they entered the tomb, they saw a young man dressed in a white robe sitting on the right side, and they were alarmed,

“Don’t be alarmed,” he said. “You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was crucified.  He has risen! He is not here.  See the place where they laid Him. But go, tell His disciples and Peter, ‘He is going ahead of you into Galilee.  There you will see him, just as He told you.”

Mark 16:1-7

The tomb is still empty. Jesus is still alive.  And because He lives, you and I can have eternal life in heaven with Him. Beloved, There is no better day to repent and receive the Lord Jesus Christ than Easter Sunday.

I AM: The Resurrection and The Life

Lazarus’ sisters sent word to Jesus, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” (John 11:3). Under the message was the plea: “Come quickly so that our brother will not die.” So, Jesus ran all the way to Bethany and healed Lazarus, right? Nope. Jesus stayed put for two more days and Lazarus died.  Did Jesus realize that the delay would cost His friend his life? Oh, yes. He knew exactly what He was doing. He was about to reveal God’s glory.

By the time He got to Bethany, Lazarus had been in the grave for four days (v. 17). When Martha went to meet Jesus, her tone was somewhat accusatory: “Lord, if you had been here my brother would not have died” (v. 21). And Jesus replied, “Your brother will rise again” (v. 23). Martha agreed, looking ahead to a day in the distant future, but Jesus had something more immediate in mind. He told Martha “I AM the Resurrection and the Life.” 

“Resurrection” means that all people will be raised from the dead at the end of this present age. Paul said, “There shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked” (Acts 24:15). And Jesus declared, “For an hour is coming, in which all who are in the tombs shall hear His voice, and shall come forth; those who did the good deeds to a resurrection of life, those who committed the evil deeds to a resurrection of judgment” (John 5:28-29). Jesus is the Resurrection because He will call every person out of death for judgment or for blessing.

“Life” is the blessing for those who believe. To His I AM statement Jesus added: “He who believes in me will live, even though he dies; and whoever lives and believe in me will never die” (v. 25). Jesus is eternal life and He will give this life to everyone who believes in Him. Those who do not believe will experience eternal death—eternal separation from God.

But Jesus wanted to give Martha more than a distant promise. Because she believed, He wanted her to see “the glory of God” (v. 40). So, He called her brother out of the tomb. Lazarus would die again another day, but he will live forever with his dear Friend. Beloved, this can be your testimony too.  If you repent of your sins and believe in Jesus, you will live eternally, even if you die on this earth. It’s His promise and He put His name on it: “I AM the Resurrection and the Life.”

Praise!

The crowds lined the road with their cloaks and spread palm branches making a “royal carpet” for the King. They lifted their voices in praise, remembering all the wonders and miracles they had seen. They recognized that Jesus was fulfilling a long-awaited prophecy: Zion’s King would come, “righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on the colt of a donkey” (Zec 9:9). Now here He was and they could not contain their Joy.

“Hosanna to the Son of David!

Hosanna in the highest!

Blessed is the king who comes in the name of the Lord!

Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!

(Matthew 21:9; Mark 11:9-10; Luke 19:38; John 12:13).

But not everyone was so Joyful. The Pharisees, who followed Jesus everywhere looking for an opportunity to discredit Him, were among the crowd and they demanded, “Teacher, rebuke your disciples” (Lk 19:39). Shut them up. Make them stop. They are offensive. Matthew said the Pharisees “were indignant” (Mt 21:15). Sounds like our present culture, doesn’t it?

Jesus replied, “I tell you, if they keep quiet, the stones will cry out.” (Lk 19:40). All of creation knew and acknowledged that Jesus was the King, the Messiah, the Son of God – and they rejoiced. If man – who was made in God’s very image – would not praise the Creator, nature would. Because He was and is worthy of praise.

We live in a world that doesn’t believe in Jesus. And they don’t want you to either. And if you must believe in such fantasies, they demand that you keep it to yourself. They don’t want to hear His name. They don’t want to hear His Word. They don’t want to acknowledge sin. They don’t want to be confronted with righteousness. And they sure don’t want to hear His people praise Him.

So, what are we to do? Praise Him anyway. Praise Him louder. Praise Him longer. Praise Him when the sun rises and when it sets. Praise Him when the days are sweet. Praise Him when the storms hit. Praise Him in the church. Praise Him in your home. Praise Him in the public square. Praise Him in prison.

Because He must be praised. Don’t let the world stifle your Joy in the Lord. Don’t make the rocks cry out on your behalf. Beloved, pick up a palm branch and join the song:

“Blessed is He who comes in the Name of the Lord!”

At the Name of Jesus

The woman was indignant. “I don’t need your religion. I have faith of my own!”

“In what?” the man countered.

“Faith in the universe” she answered. “Faith in myself. Faith in humanity.”

“Your faith is badly misplaced.” He replied.

“Faith” has become a popular word in our culture. Dictionaries define faith as “sincerity or a strong conviction” and to a point that is correct. But that sincere, strong conviction must have the right object. Please grab your Bible and read Acts 3-4:12) – I’ll wait for you here.

Peter and John are headed to the temple for the afternoon prayer. As they approached the gate, they encountered a lame man begging for money. They didn’t give him what he wanted; they gave him what he desperately needed. “Silver and gold I do not have, but what I have I give you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, walk” (v. 6). And he did. They pulled him to his feet and those feet held strong. I love the image of this once crippled man “walking and jumping and praising God” as he entered the temple courts (v.8). And the people watching were “filled with wonder and amazement” (v. 10). I reckon so.

But notice Peter’s exact words: “In the name of Jesus Christ.” And that made the miracle. While the people gathered around to witness the sight, Peter said: “By faith in the name of Jesus, this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through Him that has given this complete healing to him” (v. 16).

Peter would continue this theme as he and John stand before the Sanhedrin (the Jewish court). “It is by the name of Jesus Christ . . . that this man stands before you healed” (Acts 4:10). And he boldly declared: “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved” (v. 12). That is the gospel we must declare. Faith in anything other than the name of Jesus, as the man said to the “faith-filled” woman, is badly misplaced. Eternally misplaced.

One of my granddaughter’s favorite songs is “Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, there’s just something about that name.” I’ve sung her to sleep with it all her life. The something about the name of Jesus is power. Healing power. Wonder-working power. Saving power. Beloved, do you know this power? Do you know the Name of Jesus?

I AM: The Light of the World

Jesus was constantly claiming to be God. In subtle hints, in mighty works, and in bold statements. When He declared, “I am the light of the world” (Jn 8:12), it was an unmistakable claim. Every first-century Jew knew that the first creative act of God was to bring forth light. God spoke, into a formless, empty darkness: ‘Let there be light,’ and there was light” (Gen 1:2,3). That is why this I AM statement was so audacious.

John called Jesus “The light of men” (Jn 1:4) and “the true light that gives light to every man” (v. 9). Light so that men might find their way back to God. Darkness, by definition, is nothing more than the absence of light. Sin has filled the world like darkness fills a room with no illumination. I was in a cavern once and the guide turned off the electric lights in the space. I literally could not see my hand in front of my face. Then he lit a match, and the space was no longer filled with darkness. The light chased the darkness away.

John said, “The light shines in the darkness, but the darkness has not overcome it” (Jn 1:5). In other words, sin and evil will not overcome the light of God through Christ Jesus. Sin will not win. Ever. Wherever darkness resides, when Jesus comes in, He takes over. He fills the space with His light. That’s good news to those of us who have loved ones in darkness. Jesus can change the darkest human heart.

After his bold I AM statement, Jesus said, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” I used to think that was an imperative statement – like “you are not to walk in darkness” complete with wagging finger – but it really is a description. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “You are the light of the world” (Matt. 5:14). That’s you and me and every follower. We will never walk in darkness because we carry His light with us wherever we go.  And when we bring the light of Christ into a dark space – well I think you know the rest. Darkness cannot survive in the presence of Light.

The world needs the light of Jesus and you are His light-bearer. Go be light for your loved one, your friend, your classmates, co-workers, and yes, even your enemies. Light is irresistible in a dark place. Beloved, let’s go light up the world.

I Want to See You, Lord

I sang with the congregation: “Open the eyes of our heart, Lord; open the eyes of our heart, we want to see You; we want to see You.” In the breath between the first and second stanzas, I sensed God say, “Do you, really? Then why are your eyes closed?”

“Well, I’m offering this to You as my own prayer.”

“Then open your eyes.”

In that brief moment, I was impressed with the thought that the church asks God to give us a vision of Himself, but we close our eyes so that we cannot see.

As I am writing this, God has directed me to Isaiah’s encounter with the Lord. The prophet wrote, “I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted, and the train of his robe filled the temple” (Is 6:1). He was surrounded by seraphs, unlike anything man had ever seen. Now that’s a vision!

Isaiah’s response to the awesome vision of God was conviction, repentance, and surrender to the Lord’s call. But there’s another time when God revealed Himself to men. In Exodus 24, after Moses received the Law, God issued an extraordinary invitation: “Come up to the Lord, you and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu and seventy of the elders of Israel” (Ex 24:1). And they did. “Moses and Aaron, Nadab and Abihu, and the seventy elders of Israel went up and saw the God of Israel . . . they saw God, and they ate and drank” (v. 9, 11). They. Saw. God. How did it affect them? A few chapters over we have these same elders urging Aaron to make an idol for the people to worship. And he did. In Leviticus 10, Nadab and Abihu are put to death by God for disobeying Him.

The seraphs in Isaiah’s vision declared, “Holy, holy, holy is the Lord Almighty; the whole earth is full of His glory” (v. 3). Do you see it? “The whole earth is full of His glory.” John Calvin, the 16^th-century theologian said, “There is not an atom of the universe in which you cannot see some brilliant spark, at least, of His glory.” Now, I’m not preaching a naturalistic theology. We worship the Creator, not the creation. But we can see Him everywhere – if we open our eyes.

Jeremiah 29:13 says “You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you . . .” Do you want to see God? Are your eyes open? Are you looking for Him? And when you see Him, Beloved, what will you do?

The Most Encouraging Word You’ll Ever Hear

When I sit down at my desk every morning to write I look at my Bible and wonder, “Where do I start?” Every word on every page is important and valuable. It’s hard to pluck a small bit of text out of this wonderful, blessed book. So I ask Him to speak through me because He knows you so well. He knows exactly what you need. He knows me too and He speaks to me as much as He speaks through me.

Today He sent me to 2 Peter 3 – a wonderful word of hope. No, it’s not an “everything’s gonna be all right, just you wait and see” kind of encouragement – it’s better. The context tells us that his readers are under much duress and persecution by “scoffers who come scoffing and following their own evil desires” (v. 3). They deny the existence of God and His work of creation. They “deliberately forget” that He has the authority to judge “ungodly men” (vs. 5-7). They rejected His Word and His people. Sound familiar? Some things never change.

Peter’s audience was growing weary of evil and persecution – just as we are. They wanted to know when God was going to keep His word and pronounce judgment. Then Peter says, “Do not forget this one thing, dear friends . . .” (v. 8). This is the message he knows will reach their minds and their hearts. “The Lord is not slow in keeping His promises . . .” “the day of the Lord will come” (v. 9-10). Make no mistake – God will punish evil. But in His grace, He is giving men time to repent. If you have lost loved ones, that is good news.

Then Peter brings it all back to the Christian – to you and me. In light of God’s faithfulness, “what kind of people ought you to be” (v. 11)? People who “live holy and godly lives” and “look forward to the day of God” (v. 11-12).

The greatest, most encouraging, and hopeful promise I can share is this: Jesus is coming again. No, I mean: JESUS IS COMING AGAIN! He will gather us together and take us home. He will judge all the wickedness and evil that grieves us so. He will make all things right. Just “wait a little longer” (Rev. 6:11), Beloved, and keep your eyes on the eastern sky.