"And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock." - Matthew 7:25
No one ever wants to go through hard times. We all want to go through life with as little resistance as possible. Speaking for myself, I certainly do everything I can to avoid any sort of hardship. But the fact is that no matter how hard we try to avoid the hardships of life, they are inevitable. Eventually, something devastating will happen. It has been said that if you are not going through a storm, you're heading into one.
In Matthew chapter 7, Jesus is nearing the end of the Beatitudes, a series of teachings to His followers. In this section, Jesus talks about how those who listen to His words are like wise men who build their houses on a rock. When the storm came and the winds and rain beat on the house, it did not crumble because it had a solid foundation. On the other hand, Jesus says those who do not follow His words are like a foolish man who builds his house on sand. The storm came and the winds and rain beat on the house but because the house was not built on a solid foundation, it crumbled. There are a couple important points to discuss about these verses.
First, Jesus is attempting to convey just how powerful His words and promises are. What He is saying in these passages is that if you hold true to the teachings of Christ, when the storms of life hit, you will have a solid foundation to help you through the tough times. Developing that foundation before the storm hits (and it will hit eventually) prepares you to deal with anything. No matter how bad the situation gets, there is comfort in knowing that you are a child of God. He loves you and will see you through the toughest of times. However, if you are building your foundation on something other than Jesus, the tough times will leave you in its destruction. Just as a foolish man's house after a storm, you will be left picking up the pieces, trying to patch things together again. Why not prepare for the storm beforehand rather than dealing with it after?
The second point I want to make is for you to notice that the storm hit both the wise man's house and the foolish man's house. There is a false belief (coming from false teachers) that being a Christian means you will never go through difficult times, that life is just butterflies and rainbows. Unfortunately, that is not the case. Christians go through storms just like everyone else. The difference is that we have the promises of Jesus to hold us up, to keep us strong. We know that whatever we are faced with, Jesus is with us every step of the way.
So if you are going through a a tough time right now, I encourage you to hold close to the promises of Jesus. He is with you at all times. He loves you so much and He wants to help you through whatever you are experiencing. But a relationship is a two way street. He is not going to help anyone that doesn't want to be helped. So if you haven't already, start building your home on the proper foundation. Build your house on the Rock.
Friday, November 7, 2014
Tuesday, June 10, 2014
Ask, Seek, Knock
"For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened." -Luke 11:10
Some people who become Christians think that God is a genie: ask Him for whatever you want and He is going to give it to you. Then when they ask for something and God doesn't give it to them exactly how they want, they get upset, think that He doesn't care, or worse, think He doesn't exist. The thing is, if they knew exactly how God operates, they would find that He always has better plans for your life.
In this passage, Jesus has finished praying and the disciples have asked Jesus how to pray. Jesus then goes on to recite what is commonly known to as the "Lord's Prayer". Personally, I believe this is more of a template of how to pray rather than the exact prayer that we should be pray. After all, Jesus did say that we shouldn't "keep on babbling like pagans" (Matthew 6:7). Often times when people recite the "Lord's Prayer", it becomes more of a chant rather than heartfelt communication with God. For the record, I believe the "Lord's Prayer" is actually found in the gospel of John chapter 17.
I'll be the first to admit that I don't fully understand prayer. It is one of the greatest mysteries of being a Christian but there is no doubt it has great power. It is interesting that after Jesus gives the disciples a template for how they should pray, He goes on to describe that power:
"And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."
A couple things about this passage. First, Jesus says to ask, seek, and knock. Many times people (and I'm just as guilty as anyone) use prayer as the last option. We've tried everything we could think of, now it's time to pray. Prayer should be a first response, not a last resort. James 4:2-3 says, "You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." When we need something in our lives, we should pray and ask God. And when we ask God, it should be with correct motives.
Secondly, notice how Jesus doesn't say, "For everyone who asks receives exactly what they ask for, and the one who seeks finds exactly what they are looking for, and to the one who knocks gets the exact door they were hoping for." Jesus encourages us to ask, seek, and knock but He never said we would get exactly what we wanted. Many times we ask for things out of selfishness and we don't take the time to think about what would happen if God gave us exactly everything we asked for. What if God allowed you to win the lottery? Sure you would be rich but would you get lost in all of your possessions? What if God gave you that promotion you've been wanting? Would you still have time for Him or for your family? Often times our desires are focused on being in the moment and not thinking about the bigger picture. Luckily for us, God knows all. He knows what would happen if He gave you your every desire.
Finally, Jesus compares our heavenly Father to earthly parents. As parents, we wouldn't give our children a snake if they asked for candy, right? Or if a child wanted some ice cream, you wouldn't throw a swarm of bees at them. Now if we, as fallen and sinful humans, know how to give children what they need, how much MORE does our Heavenly Father know how to give us what we need? So while you may not get exactly what you ask for, rest assured that the God of the universe knows exactly what you need and will provide you with that.
As children of God, we have access to God anytime we want. We can talk to Him, plead with Him, and ask Him for what we need. As Christians, we need to take advantage of this privilege. Take time now to talk with God. Let Him know what you need.
Some people who become Christians think that God is a genie: ask Him for whatever you want and He is going to give it to you. Then when they ask for something and God doesn't give it to them exactly how they want, they get upset, think that He doesn't care, or worse, think He doesn't exist. The thing is, if they knew exactly how God operates, they would find that He always has better plans for your life.
In this passage, Jesus has finished praying and the disciples have asked Jesus how to pray. Jesus then goes on to recite what is commonly known to as the "Lord's Prayer". Personally, I believe this is more of a template of how to pray rather than the exact prayer that we should be pray. After all, Jesus did say that we shouldn't "keep on babbling like pagans" (Matthew 6:7). Often times when people recite the "Lord's Prayer", it becomes more of a chant rather than heartfelt communication with God. For the record, I believe the "Lord's Prayer" is actually found in the gospel of John chapter 17.
I'll be the first to admit that I don't fully understand prayer. It is one of the greatest mysteries of being a Christian but there is no doubt it has great power. It is interesting that after Jesus gives the disciples a template for how they should pray, He goes on to describe that power:
"And I tell you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened."
A couple things about this passage. First, Jesus says to ask, seek, and knock. Many times people (and I'm just as guilty as anyone) use prayer as the last option. We've tried everything we could think of, now it's time to pray. Prayer should be a first response, not a last resort. James 4:2-3 says, "You do not have because you do not ask God. When you ask, you do not receive, because you ask with wrong motives, that you may spend what you get on your pleasures." When we need something in our lives, we should pray and ask God. And when we ask God, it should be with correct motives.
Secondly, notice how Jesus doesn't say, "For everyone who asks receives exactly what they ask for, and the one who seeks finds exactly what they are looking for, and to the one who knocks gets the exact door they were hoping for." Jesus encourages us to ask, seek, and knock but He never said we would get exactly what we wanted. Many times we ask for things out of selfishness and we don't take the time to think about what would happen if God gave us exactly everything we asked for. What if God allowed you to win the lottery? Sure you would be rich but would you get lost in all of your possessions? What if God gave you that promotion you've been wanting? Would you still have time for Him or for your family? Often times our desires are focused on being in the moment and not thinking about the bigger picture. Luckily for us, God knows all. He knows what would happen if He gave you your every desire.
Finally, Jesus compares our heavenly Father to earthly parents. As parents, we wouldn't give our children a snake if they asked for candy, right? Or if a child wanted some ice cream, you wouldn't throw a swarm of bees at them. Now if we, as fallen and sinful humans, know how to give children what they need, how much MORE does our Heavenly Father know how to give us what we need? So while you may not get exactly what you ask for, rest assured that the God of the universe knows exactly what you need and will provide you with that.
As children of God, we have access to God anytime we want. We can talk to Him, plead with Him, and ask Him for what we need. As Christians, we need to take advantage of this privilege. Take time now to talk with God. Let Him know what you need.
Thursday, May 22, 2014
The Ultimate Form of Love
"And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profits me nothing." - 1 Corinthians 3:13
What is interesting about the word 'love' is that in English all we have is one word. If I wanted to describe the feelings that I have for my wife, I would say, "I love my wife." However, I'm limited to using the same word when I am asked to describe what I think about pizza. "I love pizza." Obviously, the love I have for my wife and the love I have for pizza are different but I'm limited in the words I can use. In the Greek language (which the New Testament was written), there are a few different words that we translate as 'love':
"eros" - it is fairly easy to see that the English word 'erotic' was derived from this Greek word for love. "Eros" refers to sexual love and the arousal feelings that accompany that. It was commonly used to describe the love of two people who were physically attracted to each other.
"storge" (pronounced "store-gey") - this refers to familial love, the love that is shared between family members. This Greek word is not found in the bible.
"philia" - this word was used to describe love that was shared between friends. Whereas 'eros' deals with a person's libido, 'philia' has to do with feelings of the heart.
"agape" (pronounced "a-ga-pe") - this refers to a type of love that is self-sacrificing. It is a love that looks out for others with no regard of the personal cost. This love is able to love even when it is not loved in return. This love is given not expecting repayment.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 13, Paul uses the Greek word "agape" throughout, which actually makes sense when you read the chapter knowing the Greeks had different words that we translated into 'love'. Now that you have a sort of scholarly knowledge of this passage, what does it all mean?
Quite simply, Paul is declaring that as Christians, we need to have the "agape" type of love. No matter what spiritual gifts we are blessed with, if we do not have "agape" then we are missing the point of those gifts. What is the point of having knowledge if you can't share it in love? What is the point of having complete faith if you can't express it in love?
Jesus Christ was the ultimate form of "agape" love. Because He loved you with an "agape" love, He sacrificed His life on the cross so that you could have eternal life with Him. To drive the point of "agape" love even further, Christ died knowing that some people would reject that love but He chose to die anyway. That is the ultimate love. If you haven't chosen to experience the "agape" love of Christ, I would encourage you to do so.
As for Christians, we must have an "agape" love for people. I know it is not easy and there are people who don't always seem deserving of "agape" love but we must do it anyway. Christ commands us to in Luke 6:35. Jesus says, "Love your enemies". Guess what Greek word is used for "love" in this passage? That's right, "agape". We must love everyone, even our enemies, with "agape" love.
1 Corinthians chapter 13 is quoted has become a go-to piece of scripture whenever Christians try to define and describe what love is.
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
My challenge to you is to take out the word "love" and replace it with your name. Does it describe you?
"[insert name here] suffers long and is kind; [insert name here] does not envy; [insert name here] does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
After replacing "love" with your name, does it describe you? If you are like me, it doesn't but I will continue to try to love with an "agape" type of love.
What is interesting about the word 'love' is that in English all we have is one word. If I wanted to describe the feelings that I have for my wife, I would say, "I love my wife." However, I'm limited to using the same word when I am asked to describe what I think about pizza. "I love pizza." Obviously, the love I have for my wife and the love I have for pizza are different but I'm limited in the words I can use. In the Greek language (which the New Testament was written), there are a few different words that we translate as 'love':
"eros" - it is fairly easy to see that the English word 'erotic' was derived from this Greek word for love. "Eros" refers to sexual love and the arousal feelings that accompany that. It was commonly used to describe the love of two people who were physically attracted to each other.
"storge" (pronounced "store-gey") - this refers to familial love, the love that is shared between family members. This Greek word is not found in the bible.
"philia" - this word was used to describe love that was shared between friends. Whereas 'eros' deals with a person's libido, 'philia' has to do with feelings of the heart.
"agape" (pronounced "a-ga-pe") - this refers to a type of love that is self-sacrificing. It is a love that looks out for others with no regard of the personal cost. This love is able to love even when it is not loved in return. This love is given not expecting repayment.
In 1 Corinthians chapter 13, Paul uses the Greek word "agape" throughout, which actually makes sense when you read the chapter knowing the Greeks had different words that we translated into 'love'. Now that you have a sort of scholarly knowledge of this passage, what does it all mean?
Quite simply, Paul is declaring that as Christians, we need to have the "agape" type of love. No matter what spiritual gifts we are blessed with, if we do not have "agape" then we are missing the point of those gifts. What is the point of having knowledge if you can't share it in love? What is the point of having complete faith if you can't express it in love?
Jesus Christ was the ultimate form of "agape" love. Because He loved you with an "agape" love, He sacrificed His life on the cross so that you could have eternal life with Him. To drive the point of "agape" love even further, Christ died knowing that some people would reject that love but He chose to die anyway. That is the ultimate love. If you haven't chosen to experience the "agape" love of Christ, I would encourage you to do so.
As for Christians, we must have an "agape" love for people. I know it is not easy and there are people who don't always seem deserving of "agape" love but we must do it anyway. Christ commands us to in Luke 6:35. Jesus says, "Love your enemies". Guess what Greek word is used for "love" in this passage? That's right, "agape". We must love everyone, even our enemies, with "agape" love.
1 Corinthians chapter 13 is quoted has become a go-to piece of scripture whenever Christians try to define and describe what love is.
"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
My challenge to you is to take out the word "love" and replace it with your name. Does it describe you?
"[insert name here] suffers long and is kind; [insert name here] does not envy; [insert name here] does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things."
After replacing "love" with your name, does it describe you? If you are like me, it doesn't but I will continue to try to love with an "agape" type of love.
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