Feeling Empty

Emptiness is a difficult emotion to try to describe.  It is that feeling you have not just when you are tired, but when you have given it everything you’ve got and nothing seems to remain.  When you feel empty, it’s like a piece of your soul is missing.  Perhaps your heart aches because of a void by the one you love who didn’t return your love.  It may be due to plans that did not come to fruition.  It may even be due to the loss of a loved one that is no longer around. 

May I encourage you with a few verses from God’s Word:

2 Corinthians 12:10, “For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.”

Romans 15:13, “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope.”

Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God;
I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”

Psalm 28:7, “The Lord is my strength and my shield; in him my heart trusts, and I am helped; my heart exults, and with my song I give thanks to him.”

John 4:13-14,   “Jesus said to her, ‘Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again.  The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.’”

Psalm 36:9, “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.”

God Versus Human Authority

Most people don’t enjoy being bossed around or being told what to do; however, God has instituted authority in our lives to bring order, to manage human relationships, and to bring glory to Himself.  Since the beginning of time mankind has struggled with authority not understanding that it was actually intended for good.  Some view authority negatively although God established it to be positive.  The frustration is that those in authority do not always manage or govern others well.  In fact, many times authority is abused, which causes some to rebel against authority. 

The truth is that God calls all people to submit to authority to some degree or chaos and disruption occurs.  In fact, God provides many examples in Scripture of submitting to various authorities in our lives.  We are all called to submit to God’s authority over us (James 4:7). Parents are called to instruct and discipline their children and children are told to submit and honor their parents (Eph. 6:1-3).  Husbands are called to love and lead their wives (Eph. 5:23) and wives are told to submit to their husband’s leadership (Eph. 5:22).  Servants are called to submit to their masters or those that they report (Titus 2:9-11).  All Christians are to respect and submit to one another (Eph. 5:21).  The church is to submit to Christ (Eph. 5:24).  And, we are called to submit to governing authorities (Romans 13:1-2).

Peter wrote, “Submit yourselves for the Lord's sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right” (1 Pet. 2:13-14).  Sometimes authorities stray from their purposes and violate the authority that was entrusted to them.  In Scripture, both Jesus and Paul used taxes as a way to illustrate this point.  The Roman government taxed the Jews unjustly and many of the tax collectors were thieves.  When asked about this dilemma, Jesus took a coin and said, “‘Whose portrait is this? And whose inscription?’ ‘Caesar's,’ they replied. Then he said to them, ‘Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's’” (Matt. 22:20-21).  Apparently, the believers in Rome were still asking the same question because Paul instructed them on the matter in the same way. “This is also why you pay taxes, for the authorities are God's servants, who give their full time to governing” (Rom. 13:6).

Submission is not a popular concept today; however, it is part of God’s divine design for our benefit and His glory.  God calls believers, in word and deed, to support all of the authorities that He has established.  Even human government serves as God’s appointed servants for our good.  God expects full obedience to authority with the right godly spirit, (1 Cor. 10:31; Col. 3:17).  God calls Christians to obey and pray for those in authority over them.  Leading is hard work and yet a gift from God.  The hope is that those who lead and do not know Jesus Christ as their Savior would be drawn to a knowledge of God by the way that we live our lives.  Proper attitudes and obedience towards those who are over us can create Gospel opportunities.  If there are times that a choice must be made between honoring God and honoring our authorities, we must always choose God (Dan. 3:16-18).  God created authority and obedience to authority is a priority to God.  

Does Scripture Say to Celebrate Christmas?

Allow me to begin by saying that I love the Christmas season and that I strive to celebrate it for the right reason~~the birth of our Savior.  However, there are those who have argued that we are told nowhere in Scripture to celebrate Christmas.  They are correct in that there’s no direct biblical commandment to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Historically, on the twenty-fifth of December in the Roman Empire there was a pagan holiday that was linked to various mysterious religions; the pagans celebrated this festival on December 25. The Christians at that time refused to take part in this holiday.  In fact, they decided that while everybody else is celebrating this pagan holiday that they were going to have their own celebration.  They chose to celebrate the thing that was most important in their lives, the incarnation of God, the birth of Jesus Christ.  They decided that this was going to be a time of celebration and worship of God their King.

Those who would argue that there is no evidence of Christ's birth happening on December 25th would be correct.  In fact, there is much in the New Testament narratives that would indicate that it didn’t occur during this time of year; it was probably more in our spring season.  There is no doubt that some traditions of candle burning, ringing of bells, and even stringing of trees can be tied to some type of pagan custom over the centuries.  However, it is not the origin of the Christmas holiday for Christians.  The ringing of bells today is to speak of the glorious arrival of Jesus Christ and not a driving away of evil spirits.  The lighting of candles is not to shun away the cold and darkness of the world around us; rather, it is to celebrate Jesus Christ as the light of the world (John 1:4-9).

Many traditions are obscure and there is disagreement over their origins. Some of our most popular and beloved Christmas symbols are entirely Christian, and were never part of any pagan religion anywhere.  What is important is not the origins of traditions, but their significance to us today as believers in the Son of God. I can’t think of anything more pleasing to Christ than the church celebrating His birthday every year.  I understand that the world celebrates a Christ-less Christmas but yet Christians have a wonderful opportunity to express the reason for the season very clearly.  

I would recommend to those who struggle celebrating Christmas to give grace towards others and allow their actions to be held accountable to God (Romans 14:12).  For those who lack the confidence on whether or not it is right to celebrate Christmas then I would say to abstain from celebrating.  Paul encourages all Christians to live with the confidence that their actions fully glorify God and if they lack that confidence then they should refrain from those actions (Romans 14:5).  For Christians, Christmas traditions can be an important part of the celebration of the birth of our Savior, and they remind us of that momentous event that changed the world forever. 

Are We a Mission-Minded Church?

As a church we commit over $200,000 each year from our budget to be sent to various missionaries, both national and international.  This is the single largest budget line item for our church.  We believe that God has called us to reach all people, which includes people who live in places where the Gospel has not been fully proclaimed.  God’s idea of missions is to draw all men into a saving relationship with Him.  It includes helping God’s people grow in their faith and train them to reach others with the Gospel of Christ. 

As a church it is easy to send funds to others in hopes that they will share Christ.  Although God may not call everyone to be a missionary in the sense of moving over seas to share Christ, He has called EVERY Christian to live on a Christ-directed mission each day of sharing the Gospel.  We as a church are called to live on a Gospel mission EVERY day.

A mission-minded church is always talking about the Gospel and how others must be reached with the Gospel.  Most churches today have lost sight of what God has called them to do and as a result they are either declining or proclaiming a false Gospel that does not lead the lost to salvation.  Mission-minded churches move their people into action, they develop programs to reach the lost, they pray for the lost, and their calendar and budget reflects this commitment.

The question for us all is, “Are we involved and committed in fulfilling the mission of God?”

Romans 10:13-15, “For ‘everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’ ¹⁴ How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? ¹⁵ And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’”

Lessons From a Leper About Thanksgiving

The leper's story of a miraculous healing in Luke 17 is remarkable—to see such a disease immediately eradicated in someone's life is nothing short of awe-inspiring.  Yet when we accept Jesus Christ as our Savior, we are healed even more completely!  Once we were eternally separated from God by our sins, but Jesus has made forgiveness possible through His obedient sacrifice on the cross.  Through His blood we have been healed.  When we consider this year and what we have to be thankful about we ought to consider the depth of our greatest blessing—cleansing of a spiritual leprosy (our sin). 

A second lesson that we can learn from a leper is that we need to make thanksgiving a priority of life. The leper didn't wait to return to Jesus when it was convenient or after he had visited the priests.  He went immediately to Jesus.  The priests did not heal the leper, and the leper knew it.  He returned to the only One worthy of his worship and thanksgiving.  Have we been visiting the throne room of grace to thank the One from whom our blessings come?

A third lesson that can be learned is that thanksgiving should be offered from the outpouring of grateful hearts. There was an intensity in the leper's worship because he was aware of his helplessness to secure for himself the healing that he needed. How much more wonderful is the eternal healing for those who have been forgiven and now are able to follow Jesus Christ? May our thanksgiving be an enthusiastic celebration of Christ for healing that only He can bring about!

Lastly, we must learn to be consistent in our thanksgiving beyond the Thanksgiving season. The more intentional we are about offering thanks to God, the easier it becomes to see His goodness in our lives. That is why we are repeatedly commanded in the Bible to be thankful in all things (1 Thess. 5:18).  No one could ever begin to bless us like our heavenly Father.

I hope that our families see in us the natural response of always going back to our heavenly Father for His ceaseless blessings. Let us be diligent in thanking Him for His grace and goodness.  Let’s let others know the things that we are most thankful for in our lives!

 

Christians & Halloween?

I’d like to share with you an article that is long overdue.  In fact, my full intentions were to write this myself as Christians struggle with whether or not they should participate in this event.  Due to time and another dear brother doing such an excellent job, I’d like to pass along to you a great article that I believe reflects a Biblical perspective about this questionable event called Halloween.  In fact, his conclusions mirror my own and I believe you will find it most valuable as a Christian.  This article comes from a Christian web site called, “Got Questions.”

“Halloween, no matter how commercialized, has almost completely pagan origins. As innocent as it may seem to some, it is not something to be taken lightly. Christians tend to have various ways to celebrate or not to celebrate Halloween. For some, it means having an “alternative” Harvest Party. For others, it is staying away from the ghosts, witches, goblins, etc., and wearing innocuous costumes, e.g., little princesses, clowns, cowboys, super-heroes, etc. Some choose not to do anything, electing to lock themselves in the house with the lights off. With our freedom as Christians, we are at liberty to decide how to act.

Scripture does not speak at all about Halloween, but it does give us some principles on which we can make a decision. In Old Testament Israel, witchcraft was a crime punishable by death (Exodus 22:18; Leviticus 19:31; 20:6, 27). The New Testament teaching about the occult is clear. Acts 8:9-24, the story of Simon, shows that occultism and Christianity don't mix. The account of Elymas the sorcerer in Acts 13:6-11 reveals that sorcery is violently opposed to Christianity. Paul called Elymas a child of the devil, an enemy of righteousness and a perverter of the ways of God. In Acts 16, at Philippi, a fortune-telling girl lost her demon powers when the evil spirit was cast out by Paul. The interesting matter here is that Paul refused to allow even good statements to come from a demon-influenced person. Acts 19 shows new converts who have abruptly broken with their former occultism by confessing, showing their evil deeds, bringing their magic paraphernalia, and burning it before everyone (Acts 19:19).

So, should a Christian celebrate Halloween? Is there anything evil about a Christian dressing up as a princess or cowboy and going around the block asking for candy? No, there is not. Are there things about Halloween that are anti-Christian and should be avoided? Absolutely! If parents are going to allow their children to participate in Halloween, they should make sure to keep them from getting involved in the darker aspects of the day. If Christians are going to take part in Halloween, their attitude, dress, and most importantly, their behavior should still reflect a redeemed life (Philippians 1:27). There are many churches that hold "harvest festivals" and incorporate costumes, but in a godly environment. There are many Christians who hand out tracts that share the Gospel along with the Halloween candy. The decision is ultimately ours to make. But as with all things, we are to incorporate the principles of Romans 14. We can’t allow our own convictions about a holiday to cause division in the body of Christ, nor can we use our freedom to cause others to stumble in their faith. We are to do all things as to the Lord.”

Don't Accept Satan's Lies

Prior to being in ministry I was a subcontractor for flooring and I had various men work for me during that time.  One specific man worked for me about seven years and we became very good friends to the point that we enjoyed each other’s company even off of the clock.  He was a believer in Jesus Christ and attended another local church in town; in fact, he was very involved in ministry at that church.  He had grown up in a Christian home and his parents served as missionaries.

I knew that he had become infrequent in church and he started to enjoy more acquaintances with people outside of the church.  For his own reasons, he had become frustrated and disillusioned with the church and so called Christians.  Alcohol became a dear friend that he could trust and isolation became a regular practice in his life.  We always enjoyed each other’s company and we often picked up where we left off when we got together.  However, I knew that he lacked the joy of walking with Christ like he once did in his life.  It wasn’t long and he began to fail to acknowledge or respond to my calls and texts although I knew he was busy.  In fact, I even continued to refer him flooring work from people who would contact me for flooring—everyone loved him.

I knew that his parents and siblings were concerned for him but they did not want to interfere with his life or push him away from them.  Having never married and with his family living out of town, he spent a great deal of time by himself.  Out of the blue one day he sent me a text that said, “Please tell my parents that I’m very sorry but I’m unable go on.  I’ve tried.”  I did not know how to interpret this text although I took it to heart and attempted to call him to grab coffee with him.  After a few short exchanges of texts he went off the radar and stopped responding to me.  It was six hours later that I received a phone call from a common friend sharing with me that he had just ended his life with a gun. 

As tears filled my eyes and a lump developed in my throat, I stood speechless and dumbfounded.  I could only ask the question, “Why would he do this”?  It has been almost four years since he took his life and I keep his photo next to my desk to remind me about the preciousness of life, friends, and to keep praying for his family.  I truly believe that he succumbed to the lies of the evil one, Satan.  You see Satan would have us to believe that God is not capable of bringing deliverance in our lives.  Satan would have us to believe that life is meaningless.  Satan would have us to believe that our circumstances our hopeless and that God left us behind.  Satan would have us to believe that we are unworthy and that nobody cares for us any longer.  Satan is a liar!!!

Once an individual crosses the line and accepts Satan’s lies then Satan sets his hook deep inside of their soul.  He then attempts to draw them away causing them to entertain all types of ungodly thoughts including ending their life.  Please be convinced and share with others that there is not a thing that could ever separate us from the love of God, which is through Jesus Christ (Romans 8:38-39).  Christ proved His love to us through His death, resurrection, sitting at the right hand of God, and by interceding (praying; John 17:9) for us even today.  God wants us to know the fullness of joy and peace, which comes through walking and fellowshipping with Him.  The day we let go of God’s hand is the day we begin to look for the hand of another (Satan) who will always give us the wrong comfort and ultimately poison our soul.  Please reach those who are doubting the love of God today!