When the Rooster Crows

Have you ever noticed how hard it is to recognize sin in the moment? Peter sat in the courtyard outside of the place where Jesus was being tried, and three times denied his association with the One whom he had sworn just hours before to never abandon. It wasn’t until the rooster crowed that Peter woke out of his sin stupor and realized what he had done. And it broke his heart. Oh, Jesus had tried to help him. He warned him when they stood on the Mount of Olives: “Before the rooster crows, you will disown me three times” (Matthew 26:34) and again in the Garden: “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak” (Matthew 26:41).
The flesh wants what the flesh wants. It doesn’t care about your spirit when temptation dangles like a carrot on a stick. Or an adult website. Or an attractive coworker. It will rise up in you and me and take control. There’s something about the lure of sin that dulls our spiritual senses and makes it easy for our weak flesh to fall for the bait. In that moment we’re only thinking of pleasure. It’s after we have spent ourselves for sin, that we wake up and realize what we’ve done. Which is what Peter did when he heard the rooster’s call. He suddenly remembered Jesus’ dire prediction and “he went outside and wept bitterly” (v. 75).
It’s no wonder that Peter later wrote, “Be self-controlled and alert” (1 Peter 5:8). He learned the hard way the necessity of being sober and vigilant. The enemy is on the prowl – looking for an opportunity to take you and me down. He knows your vices, he knows my weaknesses and he takes full advantage of them.
Paul, under the leadership of the Holy Spirit, said we must be aware of the devil’s schemes (Eph 6:11) and look for the way out of temptation (1 Cor 10:13) – and there is always a way out. The problem is most of us are looking for the way in. When the Bible says “Flee evil desires” that means you get away from the temptation. You don’t stand there and toy with it. You will fall every time.
I confess I am by no means an expert on resisting sin, but I know Someone who is and His advice is to “Watch and pray.” And run away. Beloved, don’t let the rooster crow on you.

The God Who Never Gives Up

Sometimes I find stuff in the Bible that makes me laugh. In Exodus, Moses was on the mountain with the Lord for many days, and the Israelites demanded that Aaron give them “gods.” Aaron gathered their gold earrings and “fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it into an image of a calf” (Ex. 32:4). The people bowed down and sacrificed to this golden calf. God, of course, sees this idolatry and tells Moses: “Go down at once! For your people you brought up from the land of Egypt have acted corruptly” (v. 7). God is bent on destroying them. But Moses replied, “Lord, why does your anger burn against your people you brought out of the land of Egypt?” Did you see that? God told Moses, “these are your people – you brought them up out of Egypt,” and Moses replied, “Nuh-uh, these not MY people God, they are YOUR people – YOU brought them here, not me.” That just always makes me snicker. It makes me think of a couple of little kids passing the blame back and forth for a broken toy.
Yet even as this makes me laugh, it also makes me thankful. I am thankful that, because of Jesus Christ, God will never turn away from me, no matter what I do. No matter how many times I get myself into trouble, God will never give up on me. When life gets messy and complicated He will never try to wash His hands of me. Even when I am outright disobedient, though I may face certain consequences, He will never leave me to face them alone.
Somebody reading this today feels like God has turned away. You’ve messed up – again – and believe that God is fed up with you. Or you’ve been in a hard season for so long that you imagine God is weary of you and your issues. Beloved, God has not, nor will He ever leave you nor forsake you (Joshua 1:5). You are never too heavy a burden to Him. He never gets weary of you and your needs. And you will never out-sin His forgiveness. He is a good, loving, patient, faithful Father – even when you are a difficult, sinful, struggling, unfaithful child. In case you have forgotten: God loves you – and that’s a love that never fails, never falters, and never, ever walks away.

Run!

I was studying late last night and got hungry. Suddenly an image popped up on my screen – a Mason jar full of cornbread and milk. I remembered the leftover corn muffins from supper the night before. I made a beeline to the kitchen.

This is exactly how satan works to draw us into temptation and sin. James described it perfectly – “ . . . each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed” (Jas. 1:14). Let’s reconsider my snack attack in light of this verse. I had a desire – I wanted something to eat while I studied. I saw an image that tapped into my love for cornbread and milk and aroused my desire. I knew where I could find what I wanted and I went after it. In less than five minutes I was enjoying my treat.

There’s nothing evil about cornbread and milk – except maybe the quantity I eat. But what if that deep desire has been for something else? What if I was craving alcohol or drugs or porn? What if I was addicted to gambling or – pick your own poison. What might satan parade before me then?  And how easily would I have fallen? Just as easily as I did for my favorite snack. Don’t be fooled – satan can read you and me like a book. He knows all about those secret desires we try to hide. He knows what to dangle in front of us to persuade us to follow right into a trap. Paul lamented this internal pull of sin in Romans 7 saying sinful desires still lived in him and waged war within him (vv. 14-23).

So what recourse do we have? We run. We flee from those evil desires (2 Tim 2:22). Paul said, “. . . when you are tempted, [God] will provide a way out” (1 Cor 10:13). Take it. Don’t stand there and try to talk yourself down. Run from the temptation. Get as far away from it as possible. Run to a trusted friend. Run around the block. Put down the phone. Shut off the T.V.  Go play with your kids. Do whatever it takes to distance yourself from the temptation.

Maybe you have even bigger temptations than cornbread and milk. Believe me, I do too. But God promised a way out. Look for it and run to it, Beloved. Freedom is on the other side of the door.

Cold Hearts

In recent years there has been a rash of “celebrity Christians” who have renounced their faith and “deconstructed.” (I think it’s more accurate to say they have “self-destructed.”) What happened to these pastors, musicians, authors, and communicators? I remember a quote that said – “If you don’t feel close to God anymore, think about who moved.” Peter is the prime example of one who walked closely with the Savior, yet allowed himself to drift.

One of Christ’s most passionate disciples, Peter swore allegiance to Jesus when he announced, “Lord, I am ready to go with you to prison and to death” (Luke 22:33). But Jesus knew that Peter’s bold talk would not sustain his resolve. He told Peter “Before the rooster crows today, you will deny three times that you know me” (v. 34). And sure enough, Luke 22:54-62 tells us that Peter did just as the Lord said he would.

How does one who walked so closely with Jesus turn away from Him so easily?

The last part of verse 54 gives us an important clue – “Peter followed at a distance.” He heads out to accompany his Lord and Teacher with the passionate heart of a disciple. But out of fear for his own life, he fell back, and the distance between him and Jesus began to work on his heart. When he separated himself, his passion for the Lord cooled, and rather than a heart warmed by his love for Jesus, he warms himself beside a man-made fire. His passion for Christ had chilled to the point that he openly denied the One he previously swore to follow to prison and death. Not once. Not twice. But three times.

It is the same with you and me – we allow the cares or the fear or the glitter of this world to draw us away from our Savior. It’s quite subtle at first. A thought here, a compromise there, a shift in priorities and soon our hearts begin to cool toward Christ. Rather than draw near to Him, we turn and warm our cold hearts at the world’s fires. God promised in His Word to never leave us, but you and I can certainly drift and lose our white-hot passion for Christ. Beloved, don’t let anything this world has to offer cause you to deny your Savior. Stay close to Jesus with prayer and Bible study and humble surrender. Be sure you’re not seeking the warmth of strange fires.

In the World But Not of the World

Is there any doubt that evil rules the world in which we live? It is impossible to avoid the influence of evil around us unless we hide in a cave. When Jesus prepared His disciples to go out into the world with His message, He said they would be like “sheep among wolves” (Matt 10:16). I feel that constantly just trying to live and survive in the culture of our day. So how do we live godly lives in an ungodly world? The Lord continued: “Be as shrewd as snakes and as innocent as doves.” That’s a rather odd combination – so how do we pull that off in real life?

In the modern context, “shrewd” means “having or showing sharp powers of judgment; astute.” Similarly, in the original Greek, it means “wise, sensible, thinking, understanding.” One of Satan’s most effective tools is to dull our minds and then feed us from the world’s banquet table of ideas and philosophies. We must wake up our sleepy heads and think about the messages we are receiving. We must lay them alongside the Word of God, and see if they are true (Acts 17:11-12). Because we must live in this world, Jesus tells us to think about what we are hearing and make wise determinations.

In contrast to being shrewd, Jesus commands us to be innocent. Again, in the original language, it means to be “pure, not mixed with evil.” We must not attempt to mix the world’s philosophies and ideas with The Truth – Jesus (John 14:6).  God and His Word have not changed despite what the culture says. Men will try to reinterpret the Word of God to make it say whatever they want to hear (2 Tim 4:3-4). We must keep our hearts pure and devoted to Him alone. We must stand firm and not allow the world to mix us up. Paul said, “Stop thinking like children. In regard to evil be infants, but in your thinking be adults” (1 Cor 14:20). In other words, grow up, pay attention, and do not even think about evil.

Jesus said we are “in the world” (John 15:11) but “not of the world” (v. 14). While we live alongside people who do not follow Christ we must live by His Word and for His glory. Beloved, let’s commit to being both shrewd and innocent in this evil world and show them by our lives The One True God who loves them and died for them.

The Most Important Question

It is my heart’s desire to teach Joy about God, but she teaches me all the time. She is usually very compliant and agreeable to whatever we ask her to do, but occasionally she will get a defiant attitude and refuse to cooperate. We had a few of those occasions when she was home last week. After some stubborn resistance, she asked me, “What does God say?” To which I answered, “God wants you to obey and . . . pick up your toys, or eat your breakfast, or get your shoes on . . . And she does. Because God said.

Imagine how different the world would be if Eve had turned to Adam and asked, “What does God say?” Because God had already told the man “You must not eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil . . .” (Gen 2:17). Instead they took the fruit and plunged the entire human race into sin and condemnation.

Imagine how different your life would be if you met every temptation with the same question. When the urge to surf the internet for porn hits, “What does God say?” “I will set before my eyes no vile thing” (Ps 101:3). When a friend offers you drugs or alcohol, “What does God say?”  “God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love, and of self-discipline” (2 Tim 1:7). When a family member hurts you deeply and you want to tell them off, “What does God say?” “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you” (Lk 6:27-28).

Let’s look at this again from another perspective. When your heart is wounded and weary, “What does God say?” “The Lord is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit” (Ps 34:18). When you feel unloved and unlovable, “What does God say?” “I have loved you with an everlasting love” (Jer 31:3). When I’ve missed the right way and feel like a lost cause, “What does God say?” “Your Father is not willing that any should be lost” (Mat 18:14).

You and I will ask a lot of questions in our lives, but none more important than Joy’s question. Because God always says what is right and true and His Word leads us to eternal life in Christ. Let my granddaughter be your teacher today. Beloved, “What does God say?”

Jesus Saves!

I’ve seen a disturbing trend in the church that is evidence of the cultural influence infiltrating God’s people. It is the “victim mentality” which says I am not to blame for my mistakes and failures and it has made its way into the teaching of the church. We even have a Scripture to support us. Grab your Bible and read Romans 7:7-23. Paul confessed his struggle with sin in these verses.

He said that his sinful nature takes every opportunity to indulge itself – even the very commands of God intended to lead him away from sin become temptation instead. He wrote, “I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do” (v. 15). He lamented his sinful nature, saying he wanted to do good, but kept on doing evil. I can relate, and I am sure you can too.

Here is the verse that cultural Christianity has claimed as its own: “Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it” (v. 20). There’s our excuse. “It’s not my fault.” “I was born this way.” “It’s just who I am.” “I can’t help myself.” We somehow separate our sinful nature from ourselves as if it is an entity all on its own and outside of our control. I am sure Paul would not be pleased with how we have twisted his words to approve of sin.

If you did read the passage I suggested, you will notice that I stopped you short of the end. That’s where cultural Christianity stops. But Paul continued and laid the blame squarely where it belongs: “What a wretched man I am!” It is all me. I am a sinner. I am responsible for the evil I keep doing. Paul owns it – but he doesn’t stay in his misery. First, he pleads for someone to rescue him “from this body of death” (v. 24) then breaks out in praise for the answer to his petition: “Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! (v. 25).

Jesus is the answer to our miserable state! Jesus can rescue us from sin and our constant pull to evil. And above all, Jesus can rescue us from the condemnation that hangs over our sinful heads. Beloved, you do not have to give in to sin. Thanks be to God—Jesus will save you. Just as He saved a wretch like me.

Giants

You know the story – it’s a staple in children’s ministry and a favorite plot line in books and movies. It’s the story of the underdog overcoming every obstacle to win the day. It’s the story of David and Goliath and we can take away countless lessons from this passage in 1 Samuel 17. I’ve taught and written about the little man with the sling and the stone versus the giant from many different angles. There is David’s great faith and courage and God’s deliverance. There is a warning against becoming paralyzed with fear and letting the naysayers discourage us and even a message about choosing your weapons carefully.  But something else stuck out to me this morning and I believe God would have me share it with you.

Goliath, that nine-foot-tall, loudmouth Philistine came out every day to taunt Israel’s army. The Israelites had heard this day in and day out and it wore them down. The Scripture said “On hearing the Philistine’s words, Saul and all the Israelites were dismayed and terrified. They were helpless against the giant – or so they thought. One day David showed up from the family’s sheepfolds. He had not heard the giant’s daily diatribe so when Goliath came out with his usual rant, David was shocked. He was shocked by his words and by the army’s defeated posture. He said, “Who is this uncircumcised Philistine that he should defy the armies of the living God?” (1 Sam 17:26). David knew that this giant must be taken down and he knew that God had sent him to do the deed.

Goliath didn’t just defy the men of Israel, he defied the God of Israel. Goliath thought he was superior to their Lord. You and I have Goliaths in our lives. They are also known as sins. They loom large and seem overwhelming and impossible to overcome. So we just let them stay and taunt us and shake their fists in God’s face. But David knew what you and I need to grasp. Giants must be defeated, not tolerated.

Sin must be defeated, not tolerated. It must be hated not cherished (Ps. 66:18).  You and I must fight against it, even “to the point of shedding your blood” (Heb 12:4). Even if it feels like it will kill us to give it up. It won’t. It will free you. Is there a giant – a sin – you need to let go of? Beloved, it’s time to pick up your sling and your stones and take aim.  

The Good Fight

While the modern church sells Christianity as a “love-fest,” Paul talked about the Christian life as a “fight” and a “struggle,” with much suffering, – not exactly warm and fuzzy words. But they are truthful words and we would be wise to pay attention to them. There are many things that he said would be a cause for battle: false teaching, disruption, idolatry, oppression, greed, persecution, quarrels, controversies, dangers, and all sorts of other attacks aimed at the church and at believers. All coming from the bow of satan, the enemy of God and His people.

But sometimes the enemy we must battle is within – our own desires and behaviors.  One fight that Paul emphasized to his mentee – and to you and me – is that of personal holiness. Paul told Timothy, to “flee from” things like discontentment, lust, ungodliness, faithlessness, and evil thoughts and deeds, and to pursue the things of holiness: “righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness” (1 Timothy 6:11). Then he told him to “Fight the good fight of faith” (v. 12). The Greek word that he uses is άγών – agon – you may recognize it in the English word “agony.” Paul told Timothy to “agonize” over the things in his life that lead to unholiness and strive always for holiness.

The church today has changed the message of agonizing over personal sin into approval and license to “do what feels good.” We are told not to speak against sin at the risk of making people feel bad about themselves and we have replaced the call to “holiness” with a call to “happiness.” But according to Paul, we are indeed called to agonize over sin in our life.  God hates sin and so must we.  And we must start with the sin within us. If you claim to be a follower of Christ and are actively involved in what the Bible recognizes as sin, that uneasy feeling in your gut is not the church heaping shame on you – it’s the conviction of the Holy Spirit (John 16:8).

But the beautiful promise of God is that when conviction brings us to repentance there is forgiveness and cleansing and full restoration (2 Corinthians 7:9-10).  And then you are not just happy – but filled with Joy!  How are you dealing with sin in your life Beloved? Let the Spirit lead you from agony to repentance to forgiveness to Joy.  Fight the good fight of faith – it is a battle you are sure to win.

A Brand New You

One of my responsibilities is to cover my boss’ classes when he must be away. He had to be out one day and we were talking about what I needed to do as “the sub.” We laughed as I recalled some mischief I pulled on substitute teachers in the past and then I said, “That was before Jesus. I don’t do that stuff now.”

Paul had that same message. In Romans 6 he talked about the difference between who we were before Jesus and who we are now. Before Christ, we were dead to righteousness and a slave to sin. We “used to offer the parts of [our] body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness,” (v. 19). Throughout his letters, he describes some of the things in which we indulged in our pre-Christ state. Things you would expect like murder, sexual immorality, impurity, idolatry, hatred, anger, drunkenness, selfishness, lying, stealing, envy, greed, obscenity, and things you might not expect like foolish talk, coarse joking, and gossip. All those were part of your “BC” – before Christ – life.

But now that you are in Christ, that’s not who you are anymore. Let me say that again so you can hear: YOU ARE NOT THAT SINFUL PERSON ANYMORE. Paul said, “But now you have been set free from sin” (Rom 6:22). But now, you are a “new creation” (2 Cor 5:17), dead to sin and alive to righteousness. You are not bound to obey your old sinful desires and the temptations of the world. While they may have given you a moment of pleasure, they also produced a heavy burden of guilt. Paul asked, “What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of?” (Rom 6:21). The implied question follows – Why do you want to indulge in them again?

Here is the good news: you are not who you once were. “You have been set free from sin” (Rom 6:22). You can leave those sinful desires and actions behind and live for Jesus. Paul said, “For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Live as children of the light.” (Eph 5:8). I don’t know about you but that gives me tremendous hope. When those old familiar desires rise up and the enemy dangles that favorite temptation before you, you can say – “That was the old me – I don’t do that now.” And you can walk away. You really can Beloved. Because that’s not who you are anymore.