LORD, Give Me My Hebron
LORD, Give Me My Hebron July/2024 Series: Lord, Give Me This Mountain #1 “Joshua blessed Caleb and gave the Mountain of Hebron to him …” (Joshua 14:13).
HEBRON: A district and city of Judah 22 miles south of Jerusalem with a mountain and fertile valleys.
Joshua and Caleb stood alone away from the other 10 spies, eyes aglow like sparks of fire, they spoke eagerly about this new territory - God’s land. The two had calculated the risks of taking the land on their reconnaissance mission. Caleb was particularly impressed with the city of Hebron, a walled city in the south, perched nearly at the crest of the mountain chain at about 3,000 feet elevation. And in this strongly fortified city lived a race of giant men called the descendants of Anak, or the Anakim. Think Andre the Giant only bigger, uglier, and with 300 or so same size brothers. Caleb, the 40-year-old warrior knew the odds were against Israel. But he also knew the odds were God’s. YHWH had promised.
Joshua and Caleb, as you know, lost. They became a minority of two. Peer pressure, power, and prestige made no difference to these men. They stood with Moses and watched Israel sentence themselves to 40 years of wilderness wandering for their unbelief. Now, 45 years later, the Promised Land is to be divided by allotment. The twelve tribes are each to get their real estate. Caleb, wrinkled and scored as a dried apple at 85 years of age, stands before his buddy Joshua the Commander-in -Chief, and reports to duty. Read this slowly and allow the spiritual steel to stiffen your spine for Christ:
“I was forty years old when Moses the servant of the LORD sent me from Kadesh Barnea to explore the land. And I brought him back a report according to my convictions, 8 - but my fellow Israelites who went up with me made the hearts of the people melt in fear. I, however, followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly. 9 - So, on that day Moses swore to me, ‘The land on which your feet have walked will be your inheritance and that of your children forever, because you have followed the LORD my God wholeheartedly.’
10 - “Now then, just as the LORD promised, he has kept me alive for forty-five years since the time he said this to Moses, while Israel moved about in the wilderness. So here I am today, eighty-five years old! 11 - I am still as strong today as the day Moses sent me out; I’m just as vigorous to go out to battle now as I was then. 12 - Now give me this hill country that the LORD promised me that day. You yourself heard then that the Anakites were there, and their cities were large and fortified, but the LORD helping me, I will drive them out just as he said” (Joshua 14:7-12).
And old Caleb did just that! To Caleb it was not “quitting as he came down the stretch but pressing on to new achievement; not descending the mountain but attacking a higher peak. With “the LORD helping him” his life moved steadily forward not to termination but to consummation. His last years for the LORD were his best. “So, kick off those soft slippers, get out of the Lazy Boy rocker and start heading for your mountain” (J. Oswald Sanders.)
But my body is broken down and the reality is I just don’t have the physical strength I used to, what then? I can surely sympathize with you. It seems each month another body part of mine fails in an even frailer fashion. Last month I was walking like a Maryland crab and this month it’s my eyes. Without my glasses I can now no longer read restaurant menus, so rather than look old I fake it when the waiter comes. ME (pointing randomly): I’ll have this, please. WAITER: You’ll have JOIN US FOR BRUNCH Saturday 12 to 2PM? ME: Yes, I’ll have that medium rare.
None of us are what we used to be physically as we age. But all of us as we age in the LORD are still given opportunities to take a mountain for the LORD. Pray for your Pastor/Pastors and if you don’t have one to pray for, please, pray for me. An old Caleb called me this past week to put his arm around me and tell me he loved me and often intercedes for me before God’s throne. Such wind in the sail this was for me. What might you do to help a loved one or family member in your current condition? Send a text or card? Who is drowning and how might you be their floaties?
One key to Caleb’s Mountain taking Mindset was his God-given approach. It’s recorded that Caleb “whole heartedly” followed the LORD six times. God said it three times (Numbers 14:24, Deuteronomy 1:36, Joshua 14:8). Moses said it once in Numbers 32:12. Joshua restated it in Joshua 14:14 and Caleb acknowledged it himself in Joshua 14:8. In fact, Caleb means “full heart.”
One quickly calls to mind the way our Jesus loves us, no? Jesus loved you and me with his everything. Emptying himself of all his divine prerogatives he became the Godman. Jesus did for us what we could never do. Lived a holy life. Zero defect. Then he became our sin on the cross to take ours away. This is wholehearted love and the motivation we so desperately need to find the conviction to take the many mountains we have ahead of us in our later years in Caleb like fashion. Isaac Watts taught us to sing it like this: “Love so amazing so divine. Demands my soul my life my all.”
Make no mistake about it. God is still looking for a few “Calebs” to rout some giants and claim some mountain strongholds for himself. “Lord, help me follow you completely as you loved me completely and, if it be your will, give me my Hebron.”
Jesus Loves Us,
Pastor Tim (1-210-837-3934)
The Horrible Beauty of The Cross
The Horrible Beauty of The Cross 3/2024
“In that case the offense of the cross has been removed” (Galatians 5:11b).
In Paraguay a doctor spoke out against the military regime and its cruelty. Local police arrested his teenage son and tortured him to death. Enraged townsfolk wanted his funeral to be a protest march. Humbled, the doctor chose another means of outcry.
At the funeral, the father displayed his son’s body as found in jail - naked, scarred from electric shocks and cigarette burns - beaten and battered. Villagers filed past the corpse, which lay not in a coffin but on a blood-soaked prison mattress. It was the strongest protest imaginable - for it put injustice on grotesque display.
Isn’t this what God did on the cross of Calvary? During this holy week do you often picture the scarecrow figure of Christ impaled on that wooden spit? Do you let the cross offend you? Even sicken you? God the Father allows his Son to hang naked and marked with scars, beaten and battered thus exposing what kind of world we have - a world of gross injustice.
But more than that Christ on the cross displays what kind of person you are, and I am? Wretched people. Sin sodden dust creatures in desperate need of a Savor. “Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble. Were you there when they crucified my Lord?” - we croon in that African American spiritual, but does what happened and who hung on that cross truly offend you in such a convicting way? You see, because of our sin we really were there!
Paul writes, “If I, brothers, still preach circumcision, why am I still being persecuted? In that case the offense of the cross has been removed” (Galatians 5:11). Meaning, if I preach righteousness through good works, then the cross is no longer necessary. The message of the cross - that we are sinful beyond saving unless God intervenes on our behalf - is softened or silenced by false gospels.
The true gospel is the most offensive news ever announced: We are wicked and without hope in and of ourselves. Our best efforts to be good are worthless. A crisis occurs if the cross loses this offense in our eyes. If we’re not offended by what happened on the cross because of our sin, we’re in grave danger of losing the comfort and hope of the cross.
So, this holy week remember God the Father’s protest on Good Friday in the most personal way. The Son of God was nailed to wood like a wall decoration and left to bleed and die because of ME - yes, MY SIN. My sin cost my God that much.
But, for heaven’s sake, don’t stop there. Then marry the horror of Calvary with the hope of Calvary. “But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5). God made a cross shaped way for us to be forgiven, free, made whole, and pure by faith in Christ. Life through death. Love through sacrifice. How does it feel to be completely forgiven and loved by Jesus? When we are rightly offended by what happened on the cross, we find what happened to be truly beautiful.
Meditating with you on the horrible beauty of the cross,
Pastor Tim (1-210-837-3934)
Honor An Old Face
Honor An Old Face 4/2024
“Wisdom is with the aged, understanding in the length of days” (Job 12:12).
A Salt Lake City group of senior citizens grew tired of their same conversations each week at Leni’s Deli. Sure, they were solving the world’s problems, but they felt they had wisdom to share beyond their group of seven. As a lark, they set up a card table at the nearby Salt Lake City’s Farmers Market under this banner “Old Coots Giving Advice - It’s Probably Bad But Hey, It’s free!!”
To their surprise, people started showing up and sharing their problems. “Where can I find someone to love?” “When can I request a job transfer?” “Life seems to have no purpose - what would you suggest?” For four months each Saturday the “Old Coots” have taken on the issues of about 30 to 40 people seeking their advice. “To be truthful, I’m not sure any of us can claim to have much wisdom.” Said 69 -year-old John Lesnan “but it sure has been fun. Maybe all of us coots really do have more to offer than we thought.” God would agree.
So, Job spoke, “Wisdom is with the aged, understanding in the length of days” (Job 12:12). Paul exhorted Pastor Titus that older women are to “teach what is good, and so train the young women to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled, pure, working at home, kind, and submissive to their own husbands” (Titus 2:3-5). And in a contrary command to our day God instructed Israel, “You shall stand up before the gray head and honor the face of an old man, and you shall fear your God: I am the LORD” (Leviticus 19:32).
But what is abuelo and abuela compared with all wise-Google? What can they tell you that a quick search can’t tell you? Expertise on anything under the sun lies at our fingertips by podcast or devotional search. Why would God have us stand up before the gray head and honor the old face? What can the aged possibly teach us (a question already lacking humility)?
While any elderly person can speak of scars and successes in human experience, only old saints in the church can tell you about a lifetime of God’s faithfulness, his kindness, and his steadfast love in Christ - with tears. Siri will not answer how good God has been to her. Google cannot witness that even to old age, God has carried him through countless trials (Isaiah 46:4). The worn-out face of the “old coot” with the worn-out Bible is a treasure to all who love Jesus and want to know in intimate fashion how true he is to his promises of hope and grace.
Do you know an “old Christian coot” or two? Do yourself a favor. Honor those old faces by giving them ample opportunity to testify to you how good God has been to them. Not only will you gain wisdom, but you will say louder than words, “You, my friend, are venerable!”
Honoring with you the old faces among us,
Pastor Tim (1-210-837-3934)
Do His Will You Do Know
1 Step Closer: A monthly e-devotion from Abiding Savior in Killeen, TX
Do His Will You Do Know 5/2024
“… your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven” (Matthew 6:10).
At a 1980 Conference, Marti Ensign, told of bringing some Rwandan Pastors stateside for a seminar. During their free time, these ministers wanted to do some shopping. Though they were in a small town, Marti knew finding their way back might prove difficult in a foreign country. So, she gave them her phone number and explained there are phone booths on several corners. If you need directions, please, find one and call me.
An hour later her phone rang. An African Pastor apologetically said, “I’m so sorry we are lost!” Marti replied, “No problem at all. Lay the phone down. Go to the street corner. Find out the names of the two streets at the corner. Come back and tell me and I will come get you.” “Yes, madame!” Minutes later the Pastor returned to the phone and excitedly reported, “We are at the corner of ‘WALK’ and ‘DON’T WALK.’”
Are you there right now, at the corner of indecision? Is this the right move for us? Should I accept this job offer, stay working here? Give a friend another chance? Or just this evening a dear friend called informing me that his mother fainted while showering, hit her head, and less than 24 hours later was called home to heaven. Crushed in grief he asked, “What now?”
God’s will is elusive at times - a journey without Google. But when it is: FIRST, FALL TO YOUR KNEES. Prayer puts the prevailing power of God to play in our lives. God has given us the gift of prayer precisely for the purpose of becoming wiser in the choices we make. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives generously to all without reproach, and it will be given him” (James 1:5). By far the best decision making happens from a kneeling soul.
DO HIS WILL YOU DO KNOW is also great wisdom when facing a crossroads in life. Attentive obedience to what God has already lovingly revealed often helps clear the head toward how to best go forward for Jesus. Consider these words from Christ at the end of his Sermon on the Mount, “Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who builds his house on the rock” (Matthew 7:24).
Imagine a Jew in Jesus’ day hearing those words and saying, “That’s all well and fine but I still wish I knew God’s will for my life.” A true friend might respond, “Really!? Were you listening? Jesus just told us, “Embrace a poverty of spirit. Admit your spiritual bankruptcy before God. Believe in his forgiveness. By his love let your light shine. Kill anger and vengeance. Replace worry with worship. Seek kingdom priorities. Trust him to elevate.”
Situational insight is valuable. But how often do we seek answers while neglecting to do what God asks of us in our current situation? And again, “hand on the gospel plow faithful living in the center of God’s will” often brings amazing clarity on how God is leading you “in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake” (Psalm 23:3b). The Spirit came to Paul in faithful mission (Acts 16:6-8), to Peter in prayer (Acts 10:9), and to Jesus in baptism (Mark 1:9-11). In other words, God loves to hit moving targets. He will meet you in the middle of your present faithfulness. Are you at the corner of “WALK” and “DON’T WALK?” Perhaps begin seeking direction by prayerfully doing his will you do know.
Together with you humbly seeking God’s guidance,
Pastor Tim (1-210-837-3934)
Safe in His Forgiving Love
Safe in His Forgiving Love 12/2023
“But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, 5 - to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship” (Galatians 4:4, 5).
Kent Clifford, a Kentucky clergyman, sent his parents the Cadillac of microwaves for Christmas - a new Panasonic with cyclonic wave converter technology. Here’s how he recalled their reception of his gift:
“They were jazzed that now they, too, could be a part of the instant generation. When dad plugged it in, literally in seconds, the microwave transformed two smiles into frowns. After five readings of the directions, they couldn’t make it work. Two days later, my mom was playing bridge with a friend and confessed her inability to get that microwave even to boil water “such a complicated machine it is and I really don't need better directions; I just needed my son to come along with the gift!’”
When God gave the gift of salvation that first cold Christmas, he didn't send a booklet of complicated instructions for us to figure out; he sent his Son - simply the greatest and most precious Christmas gift you will ever receive. Why is that true?
ONE REASON IS - YOU ARE SAFE IN HIS FORGIVING LOVE IN HIM. The greatest threat in any of our lives is our own sin because every sin deserves God’s wrath. The God we offended - the God we rebelled against - shielded us from his fully righteous punishment when he crushed his Son on the cross (Isaiah 53:6, 10). You see, the law says, “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). That is the just justice of a holy God. As people who do lie, cheat, hate, envy, and sin in so many ways we rightly deserved to die an eternal death apart from a holy God.
But at just the right time God sent his Son Jesus - infinite and infant at the same time. Under the law as one of us Jesus too would be guilty of eternal punishment from God the Father had he sinned. But he knew no sin. After he walked innocent among us as our next-door Savior for some 33 years Jesus “redeemed” us by dying in our place and crediting his sinless life to us (2 Corinthians 5:21). We don’t have to wonder whether we’re good enough. We’re not. But Christ is. And being found in him now by faith in him as our Savior, we are counted as forgiven and righteous in him before our Heavenly Father - listen to this - forever!
Not long before she died Marghanita Laski, a well-known secular humanist, told an interviewer: “What I envy most about you Christians is your forgiveness; I have nobody to forgive me.” You and I do, my friend, anyone does, by God-given faith in Jesus as their Savior from sin. Thank you, God the Father, for keeping Christmas simple in sending your Son that we might be forever safe in your forgiving love.
Wishing you a Christ-filled Christmas,
Pastor Tim (1-210-837-3934)
Abiding Savior Lutheran Church 458 Turkey Trot Rd. Killeen, TX 76542
Drawing From the Well Within
Drawing From the Well Within 11/2023
“The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out,” (Proverbs 20:5)
A circular stone wall and rope-wrapped axis with dangling bucket are the characteristics of a common well. But peer downward and its black depths hold mystery. How far down is the water? What kind of water is it: cool - saline - bitter - refreshing? To know for sure, you must drop the bucket and draw some out. Mystery will give way to understanding.
Likewise, every person we meet has the obvious characteristics of nose, eyes, arms, etc. But deep within their heart lies mystery. Character qualities about people are not sitting on the surface but are stored deep within. What motivates them? What are their values? What’s her agenda? Spiritually speaking, is he living according to the flesh or governed by the Spirit?
So, Solomon the sage said, “The purposes of a person’s heart are deep waters, but one who has insight draws them out.” (Prov 20:5) To know the heart issues of another the wise one draws them out. You must drop the bucket to, as they say in Texas, “sweet talk the water out of the well.” How does one do this? What brings another person’s inner intentions to the surface? By asking questions: good, perceptive open-ended questions that don’t tee up yes-no answers but gently peel the onion and probe beneath the surface. Good leaders ask good questions.
What is the greatest lesson you have ever learned? What are you learning now? How can I add value to your life? How would you define evil? Do you believe in God? How has failure shaped your life? Or for a true intellectual and ethical assessment, are you a Chicago Bear fan?
Our Lord thoroughly enjoyed asking penetrating questions that would draw out the deep purposes of a person’s heart: “Do you believe I am able to do this?” (Matt 9:28) “What do you think Simon?” (Matt 17:25) “Who do the crowds say I am?” (Luke 9:18). “Does this offend you?” (Jn 6:61) “Do you love me?” (Jn 21:15) Jesus wasn’t satisfied with appearances. He wanted to know the heart.
How good are you at dropping the bucket? Are you mastering the art of asking questions? Can you get past small talk to explore heart talk? Or are you caught up in the tendency to only declare yourself instead of drawing others out? “The greatest problem of communication is the illusion that it has been accomplished.“ Accomplish it. Lower the bucket into the well again and again. Then fill it one time with the gospel of the Living Water of Jesus as their Savior from sin!
Asking better questions with you,
Pastor Tim (1-210-837-3934)
Abiding Savior Lutheran Church 458 Turkey Trot Rd. Killeen, TX 76542
10am Sunday Worship / www.abidingsaviortx.com
A Righteous Tree
A Righteous Tree 9/2023
“The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers, but the root of the righteous endures (Proverbs 12:12).
Trees are the world’s largest living creation. The only ones that never stop growing. General Sherman, a California sequoia is the world’s largest specimen. He salutes you at 274.9 feet tall and measures 82.3 feet in circumstance. God grew that tree from a seed that weighs 1/6000 of an ounce.
The world’s tallest tree, another California sequoia, Harry Cole, measures 371 feet from base to crown…the height of a 37-story building. The longest branched tree is a 550-year-old banyan in India. An alert third grader named Sherri upon learning this quipped to her teacher, “The leaves on those banyan branches Mrs. Pasillas are always taking risks!” “Why do you say that?” “Because they are going out on a limb - way out on a limb!” Clever girl and right. That banyan has a canopy that covers 5.2 acres…an area the size of 6 and a half football fields.
Question. How do you become a General Sherman for Jesus, a Harry Cole for Christ, or even a sprawling banyan providing shade for others in the steadfast love of God? Solomon answers in the negative and the positive with the pithy wisdom God gave him in Proverbs 12:12 “The wicked desire the stronghold of evildoers, but the root of the righteous endures.”
Frist, the negative. DON’T DELIGHT IN THE EVIL OF ENSARING OTHERS. One way of getting gain in life is to profit from evil devices. Always have a con or a ruse. The Hebrew word for “stronghold” is “matsod” and it refers to a hunting implement - most often a net or snare. A wicked person delights in what an evil man gains from ensnaring others. In your daily life, in your marketplace dealings have you adopted a “woke” mindset that delights in tearing others down to supposedly make you look good? Taking what is not your own for profit? Repent.
Second, the positive. DO HAVE RIGHTEOUS ROOTS THAT GIVE LIFE. A righteous person has roots in Christ that last. He hears God’s Word again and again, receives forgiveness in the Lord’s Supper faithfully. Like that little seed God grew General Sherman from God grows the righteous person in the character of Christ as they send roots deep down into the means of grace - God’s Word and sacraments. Such a person sees no need to set traps. Rather he provides shelter, shade, and stability to others as he himself is fed by God through roots in him.
Two ways of living and two ways of getting gain. Will you profit from the misery of others by snaring them? Or will bless and build up others like a beautiful tree rooted in God?
Wanting with you to be a sheltering tree for Jesus,
Pastor Tim (1-210-837-3934)
Abiding Savior Lutheran Church 458 Turkey Trot Rd. Killeen, TX 76542
God’s Keep
God’s Keep 8/2023
“The name of the LORD is a fortified tower; the righteous run to it and are safe” (Proverbs 18:10).
Some people are obsessed with safety. A wealthy Australian in the late 1930’s, dismayed by signs that a global conflict was inevitable, decided to find a safe place to live and raise his family. He chose one of the small Solomon Islands in the South Pacific called … GUADALCANAL.
In the end there just are not many, if any, safe places in the world. But the child of God, by faith in Jesus, always has one sure foundation for protection. Cancer, divorce, persecution let come what may…. the Christian is never forsaken when they put their trust in God our stronghold. Solomon says it like this, “The name of the LORD is a fortified tower, the righteous run to it and are safe (Proverbs 18:10). My friend, have you learned to run first to your fortified tower, the LORD for safety? Or do you get there only after you’ve fled to every place but him?
You’ve noticed many of God’s names in the Old Testament have military connotations…refuge, tower, fortress. That is because God was Israel’s ultimate defense in a land where they were surrounded by barbaric hordes. Nothing was more comforting than a good rock-solid tower to flee to. A tower so deep, thick, and tall no one could undermine it, penetrate it, or scale it.
So, it is today for you and me. “The name of the LORD is a fortified tower …” Ha-shem (Hebrew for name) stands for Jehovah himself as he has revealed himself to us in Scripture. Jesus Christ the Son of God, himself, is our safe place, not his angels, or prophets, not something created by him but he himself. You really do live every moment in the warm arms of a fully competent all-knowing supremely powerful God who thinks you are to die for. After all, he died for you and rose to be your safe place. And he can protect in amazing ways.
Ira Sankey was the gifted singer associated with evangelist D. L. Moody. While traveling on a steamer in the Delaware River he was asked by passengers to sing a song. Sankey obliged and sang the hymn by William Bradbury, “Savior, Like a Shepherd Lead Us.” One of the stanzas begins, “We are thine, do thou befriend us; be the guardian of our way.”
When Ira finished, a man stepped out of the shadows and inquired, “Were you in the army, Mr. Sankey?” “Yes, I joined up in 1860.” “Did you ever do guard duty at night in Maryland, about 1862?” “Why yes, I did.” “Well, I was in the Confederate Army,” said the stranger. “I saw you one night at Sharpsburg. I had you in my gun sight as you stood there in the light of the full moon. Then just as I was about to pull the trigger, you began to sing. It was the same hymn you sang tonight,” the man told an astonished Sankey. “I couldn't shoot you.”
My friend, have you learned to run first to your fortified tower, the LORD?
Finding refuge in his keep with you,
Pastor Tim (1-210-837-3934)
Abiding Savior Lutheran Church 458 Turkey Trot Rd. Killeen, TX 76542
10am Sunday Worship / www.abidingsaviortx.com
The Kiss
The Kiss
“See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are” (1 John 3:1a)!
Remember when a kiss could make everything better? A scrapped knee, a stolen toy, a scary dream. Whatever the crisis…a quick kiss and a few moments of rocking, cradled in mommy’s or daddy’s arms, and the world was a brighter place to be in again.
Then we grew older and discovered it wasn’t quite so simple. Life pummeled with painful blows leaving wounds that ran deep. Things stolen from us were not recovered. And the scary monsters under the bed wore masks of addiction, infidelity, cancer, divorce, bankruptcy, and abandonment. A neighbor who drove school bus for over 30 years liked to say, “Remember, Tim, the only one who has all his or her problems behind them is a school bus driver.” So true!
What was the magic in the kiss? Was it only a play on our yet-to-be surrendered innocence? Was it that the crisis wasn’t big enough, or the pain not real enough? No. You were there alright. You know the pain was real. But so was the healing.
Derek Redmond arrived at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona determined to win a medal in the 400. The color of the medal was meaningless; he just wanted to win one. Just one. Forced to withdraw from the 400 at the 1988 Games in Seoul, only 10 minutes before the race, because of an Achilles tendon injury Redmond underwent five surgeries over the next year. So, when the 1992 Games arrived, this was his time, his stage.
Down the backstretch, only 175 meters away from finishing, Redmond was a shoo-in to make the finals. Suddenly, he felt a pop in his right hamstring. It was as if he had been shot. His hope of medaling was gone. Upon Derek’s insistence to finish the race, his father avoided security guards, wrapped his arm around his weeping son and they finished the race together. You cannot google “Derek Redmond’s Olympic Run” without a tear in your eye. Why?
Here it is in a sentence: We all long to be held in the arms of a loving father. Sadly, it often doesn’t happen with an earthly dad in this life. But there will always be a little child in each of us that - when we are scared or hurt or broken - wants to be able to run to a father, jump in his arms, and have him kiss, hug, and whisper our hurts away.
My friend - think this verse through slowly. “See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God” (1 John 3:1). Not only did it cost the Almighty Father his Son to save us from sin and death and hell; and not only were we enemies so that God had to propitiate his own righteous anger to save us; but he went way beyond the love of rescue and the love of sacrifice and the love of mercy to his enemies.
God the Father showed us another kind of love - a scandalous love. He took us into his family. He made us to be called children of God. Can you picture his loving arms around you, cradling you, as he kisses your cheek? Hear his Word that declares his love for you.” You are my child.” “I am your Father.” His love for you is real. And so is his healing. So, finish strong for him.
Live to Give
“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38).
So, what comes to mind when you hear the word “giving?” During church, maybe it’s money. During a holiday, maybe it’s gifts. We all have our own reactions to the word. Funny how easy it is for us to feel threatened. Somehow, we’re convinced we lose in the giving process. It’s also easy for us to feel inadequate in giving, like we don’t have anything to give. No one would want what I have.
During the 1988 Summer Olympics some Baylor students traveled to Seoul, Korea. They were part of a ministry outreach to worldwide athletes. One afternoon, three of the students were in a taxicab driven by a Korean man who spoke no English. Only knowing 3 Korean words (hello, thank you, and bathroom), the students overcame the language barrier by pointing to their destination on a map. The Korean cab driver smiled and took off into traffic.
Halfway into the trip a funny thing happened. The cab driver started whistling. As the students stopped talking to listen, they recognized the tune… “Amazing Grace.” One by one those Baylor Bears joined in, until a chorus, you know brought cheer to Christ, was whistling John Newton’s tune. The driver was in tears as they reached their destination. Who would have thought such a great gift would be received in such a circumstance? And who would have thought the driver would have such a great gift to give?
Don’t discount what God has given you to offer. If you have a song to sing, sing it. If you have a note to write, write it. If you have a compliment to give, give it. Jesus is not talking about money in Luke 6:38: “Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.” He’s talking about being generous with love, blessing, and release, like forgiveness. Live to give in this way in extreme, considering his love and forgiveness for you, and his promise is an extreme of what you give will come back to you. And, yes, you are the one who sets the bar of abundance that will be applied to you!! God is so gracious to us.
Bob Hope had his faults, but he often gave what he had to others. He loved to say, “Laughter is an instant vacation but giving is a two-week cruise with pay.” My friend, go on a cruise, give!
Pursuing His Priorities
1 Step Closer: A monthly e-devotion from Abiding Savior in Killeen, TX
Pursuing His Priorities 5/2023
“First plant your fields, then build your barn” (Proverbs 24:7).
Among the greenish glens of Scotland is an estate encircled by a massive stone wall ten feet high and wide enough for a Shand cycle ride. A main gate coming out of the battered earth with towers and iron gates reminds one of Buckingham Palace. Only one little problem. The owner spent so much time on the encircling wall that he couldn’t finish the interior. Exterior was more important than interior. Facade took priority over factuality. My friend, you’re not making that mistake, are you?
This proverb is a distilled admonition on priorities. Undefined priorities are at the root of much of our success-or-failure frustration. Personal livelihood (fields) before one’s own comforts (house). Time with God to let him love me with his grace before time with people to love them by his grace. A bit of Bible before books, business, or binge-watching. The spiritual before the secular and wife and family right after Jesus - then the rest! Jesus then becomes Covey’s “yes” you use to say “no” to the rest. “Finish your outdoor work and get your fields ready, after that, build your house” (Proverbs 24:7).
Ronald Warwick, captain of the luxury cruise ship Queen Elizabeth II, questioned a passenger who paid full fare for his dog to join them on an around-the-world cruise. Accommodations range from $25,000 to $150,000. “Wouldn't it have cost less to leave him at home?” “Oh no,” the man said. “When we are away a long time, the dog’s psychiatrist fees are so high, it’s less expensive to bring him along.” When we let the tail wag the dog, as we all do at times, we so easily lose sight of what is truly wise. Ask yourself, “Am I seeking first Christ's Kingdom and his righteousness and then trusting him that all my human concerns will be met by his mercy?”
The Empire State Building has 103 stories and is 1, 250 feet of finished product. Ten million bricks, 6, 000 windows, and 60, 000 tons of steel framework constitute this 92-year-old architectural marvel beautiful both inside and out. Listen to this! Its total weight is 303, 000 tons. Go to Midtown Manhattan today and still see it standing against the sky in resolute beauty. Why, with all that weight and the wind is it still standing? Before going up vertically a quarter mile the builders went down, down, down with columns of steel and concrete into an underlying stratum of granite - 55 feet 8 inches.
Make sure first things are first. Avoid that outward display, which shames the inconsiderate builder, who begins to build his house without having thoroughly prepared his work.
Building on the Rock with you,
Pastor Tim
An Artistic Approach to the Cross
An Artistic Approach to the Cross
“But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).
Here’s a surprise. Most incompetent people don’t know they are incompetent. Researcher Dr. David Dunning of Cornell University says, “Incompetent people are often more confident of their abilities than competent people. So not only do they reach erroneous conclusions, but their incompetence robs them of the ability to realize it.” Of course, Mark Twain knew this long before any Cornell doctor came along, and he was grateful. Twain put it like this: “Let us be thankful for the fools. But for them the rest of us could not succeed.”
If we are honest, we are all a bit incompetent in looking at the cross and seeing the depth of our sin and the breadth of God’s love, no?! Sinners don’t always see their sin. And a lifetime, indeed an eternity, will be spent plumbing the depths of Christ’s love for us in dying to pay for our debt and credit his righteousness to us. How then might one view afresh Christ’s redeeming love for indolent sinners like us? Perhaps try an artistic approach to the cross. Many rooms of great art museums would be empty without paintings of the cross. Read Luke 23:26-43. Ask Jesus to “Open your eyes to wonderful things in his word.” Then google “paintings of the crucifixion” and think through what you have read and now see. Here are three to start with:
-Rembrandt Van Rijn’s “Raising of the Cross” - Rembrandt painted his own face on one of the soldiers lifting up the cross. One of so many lessons of love for the depraved in this painting of Christ’s cross. The Dutchman answers the hymn writer’s ancient question definitively: “Were you there when they crucified my Lord?”
-Salvador Dali’s “Christ of St. John of The Cross” - Why did Dali avoid the traditional horizontal view of Christ on the cross and paint him from above? Dali paints a bloodless Christ. No crown of thorns. No nails. Many a preacher has suggested the nails were inconsequential as love held Jesus to the cross. From above is a heavenly perspective; on the cross - one could say - it is that of God the Father himself. “God so loved the world that he gave…” Have you considered this holy week the Father’s perspective on Calvary?
-Francisco Raibolini’s “Calvary with St. Job at the Foot of the Cross” - This Italian artist painted Job at the foot of the cross. All of Job’s sufferings, questions, even the blessings he received at the hand of God find their answer in a Christ that was crucified, died, and was raised again! “I myself will see him with my own eyes - I, and not another. How my heart yearns within me” (Job 19:27). What is the cross of Christ to you, ho-hum or holy? The hinge of history or just a hoax? Put yourself before it through the pages of Scripture and past paintings.
Your Incomparable King
Your Incomparable King
“Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem!See, your king comes to you,righteous and victorious,lowly and riding on a donkey,on a colt, the foal of a donkey.” (Zechariah 9:9).
In 1957 King Farouk of Egypt, on the verge of losing his crown, made a gloomy prediction. “There will soon be only five kings left,” he said, “The King of England, Diamonds, Hearts, Spades, and Clubs.” Turns out King Farouk was much too pessimistic. Monarchies still hold sway in 43 sovereign states. About 430 million people still bend their knees or doff their caps to kings, queens, sultans, or sheiks. None - not even one is worthy of adoration like your incomparable King the Christ. Jesus is sui generis! This, my friend, matters immensely to your daily life. Here’s how your incomparable King reigns each day on your behalf:
Jesus Comes As A Promise Keeping King. When Jesus entered Jerusalem publicly for the last time, he did it in a way that very intentionally fulfilled the prophesy of Zechariah 9:9. He sent two of his disciples to get a young never ridden before donkey to ride on, and Matthew tells us very plainly in Matthew 21:4 -5, “This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet.” Then he quotes part of Zechariah 9:9, “Tell the daughter of Zion, Behold, your king is coming to you humble, and mounted on a donkey, even on a colt the foal of a donkey.”
Pause and think. Over seven hundred years before the birth of Jesus, Israel having been sent home by King Cyrus to rebuild the temple but still under his supremacy, God gives hope to his people. A King will come to deliver causing his people great joy. Then on Palm Sunday a colt strains to crest the Olivet hill. To people on the downslope side, Jesus seems to rise out of the summit. “There he is!” someone yells, and the crowd showers Jesus with praise. Promise kept.
A Milwaukee policeman once asked me to quickly fix a busted window at Salem Lutheran School. “Why?” “They see one broken window; they’ll think they can break all the other ones.” So, it is with promises. Not with your King. Jesus never made a promise too good to be true. What is your favorite promise Jesus keeps to you? All your sin is forgiven in me. I am with you always. Heaven is your home. All the details in the end are for your good. My friend, no one has, and no one will ever break any of those promises by leaning too hard on them.
A wise preacher who mentored me for a time made this observation about Easter: “The world offers promises full of emptiness. But Easter offers emptiness full of promise.” Empty cross, empty tomb, empty graveclothes … all full of promise. Go to church this Sunday. Raise a palm and shout praise to your King. After all, he is unlike any other in always keeping his Word.
I Want Peace
“I Want Peace”
“The LORD gives strength to his people; the LORD blesses his people with peace” (Psalm 29:11).
When I was a little shaver my mother would often gasp, “All I want is a little peace and quiet!” I never quite understood that phrase. It often made no sense to me. Both my twin brother Tom and I thought things were pretty peaceful and maybe a little too quiet. Having been a parent and a grandparent, of course, I get it now. Don’t we all want a little peace and quiet? Or maybe at least we can say together the peace part. “I want peace!”
But peace is a commodity not easy to come by. Wars and rumors of wars make life anything but peaceful. However, it is not usually military actions or threats that steal our peace. Rather it is personal circumstances. There’s a meme of a smiling minion holding a cupcake. The caption reads: “My therapist told me to achieve inner peace I must finish what I start. So far, I’ve finished 2 bags of M&M’s and a chocolate cake. I feel better already.” Jesus offers a better way.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid” (John 14:27). In his last hour Jesus is helping us not be anxious on the inside. He looks into the faces of Peter, Andrew, and company. “You look troubled. I can see the fear in your eyes. I love you. I hate it when you look this way. I’m not going to leave you troubled.” It really is this simple. It is this personal. Jesus is this kind of a friend and Savior to you and me. “Do not let your heart be troubled.” Not your world, but don’t let your heart be troubled. Neither let it be afraid. I want you to be a rock like Peter. Be fearless.
“Not as the world gives.” How exactly does the world give peace? The world gives peace with gated communities or a Gaston Glock. The world gives peace with a retirement nest egg. The world gives peace with health insurance. None are wrong in themselves. Each even a blessing when rightly appreciated but Jesus says, “I’m not giving peace that way.”
Jesus is giving peace for when the retirement egg gets cracked or gated community is breached. Still, you have peace in Christ. It’s not found the absence of conflict but in the presence of Christ. Christ calls it “my peace.” “Peace I leave with you. My peace I give to you.” “I gave you my joy,” meaning, “I love the Father. I delight in the Father. The Father loves me. Come on in and have our love - our joy. I have a peace with the Father that is unrivaled,” Jesus says. “My peace passes understanding. Would you like some of mine?” By faith in Jesus as the lover of your soul and Savior you have that peace. Your sin is gone. Heaven is your home. Your future is secure. Christ is with you, even now. And you are indeed at one, in Trinitarian unity with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit. Are you feeling the wrinkles of the soul start to smooth out? Don’t let your heart be troubled, my friend. Trust in him and actually enjoy Jesus.
Eyes Like Flaming Fire
“… and his eyes were like blazing fire” (Revelation 1:14b).
For ten bucks you can get a four-inch plastic bobble head Jesus that bounces on your dashboard. One ad reads you can “stick him where you need forgiveness” and “he will guide you through the valley of gridlock.” Why, Dashboard Jesus has even become a bit of a cultural icon, selling out at times on Amazon. It’s easy to understand why.
To a lot of people Jesus is nothing more than a means to their own end. More of a rabbit’s foot redeemer is Christ, who gives me what I want in life or at least provides a smiling protective presence, as I go about living primarily for myself. Who knew years ago Billy Idol would still be singing for us today when he crooned, “I don’t care if it rains or freezes as long as I got my plastic Jesus riding on the dashboard of my car.” But that small sized view of Jesus is a myth. The Cosmic Christ is no good luck token seeing us only when we want. No, he’s powerful not plastic, seeing all, knowing all, and in the end judging all with flawless justice and unmatched mercy. Listen as John describes his eyes in the vision God gave him. “The hair on his head was white like wool, as white as snow, and his eyes were like blazing fire” (Revelation 1:14).
Have you ever had someone look right through you? Let me ask the question differently. Do you have a mother you grew up with!? “Look me in the eye when I’m talking to you.” Jesus had and has even more penetrating vision than a mother. Christ’s piercing eyes went into one’s innermost thoughts and being. Peter knew what it was like to have Jesus look at him with eyes, “like flames of fire.” After Peter had denied him, “…the Lord turned and looked at Peter. Then Peter remembered that the Lord had said…” (Luke22:61.)
Christ in heaven has a perfect view of all: “Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes. This is the God to whom we must explain all that we have done” (Hebrews 4:13). The Mega-God sees within as well as without: “People judge by outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart” (I Samuel 16:7). Best of all those eyes of flame infuse a warmth of love and the assurance of sins forgiven once the Spirit has worked faith that Jesus saved us from our sin.
Remember the woman caught in adultery by the peeping Pharisees? Lawbreaker and lawgiver were all alone. Jesus saved her from those who would stone her “Has no one condemned you?” Timid words tumble from her lips. “No one sir.” Maybe she was looking into the “eyes that flame like fire” when she heard Jesus say those words that set her free: “Neither do I condemn you, go and sin no more” (John 8:11).
When I was a boy, I remember with my twin brother, hiding behind a sofa thinking no one could possibly see us for the disobedience we had done. Even God is looking for us, I thought and right now I don’t want him to find us. When we grow up and get it right we put plastic Jesus away. God always sees and comes and faces us with what he sees. Best to be found in the presence of those irresistible eyes like fire that infuse grace and mercy from a gracious God to a repentant heart through his Word. Eyes flaming like fire, friend - how are they seeing you now?
Describing the Indescribable
“Describing the Indescribable” 12/2022
“Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).
According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, both male and female reindeer grow antlers in the summer. Male reindeer drop their antlers at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December. Female reindeer retain their antlers until after they give birth in the spring. Therefore, according to every historical rendition depicting Santa’s reindeer, every single one of them …from Rudolph to Blitzen … had to be a girl. But we should have known that, right? I mean…they were able to find their way!
Sometimes to find the way in keeping Christmas focused on Christ isn’t easy either, is it? Satan, the ultimate Grinch, will try to steal your joy in Jesus. No one is immune. Kids obsess over what they will get. Parents put pressure on themselves to “perform” and give the best Christmas. A young lady has in her mind December 25th for when he’s “gonna put a ring on it” while he is putting finishing touches on the homemade cutting board he made for her for their home someday (Pray for him!). So the birth of Christ is pushed from the center stage.
Well, here’s a way to manage the craziness and actually enjoy Christmas for what it is - the birth of blood stained Royalty to save us from our sin. Each day take a word in your morning prayer to describe “the indescribable gift” God gave you that first Christmas. You see, Paul considers all that we were given in the gift of God’s Son to be our Savior that first Christmas and he spontaneously states: “Thanks be to God for his indescribable gift” (2 Corinthians 9:15).
That’s amazing actually because Paul was a preacher. Preachers tend to have words, plenty of them. But to think of immanence experienced in a boy. Holiness housed in humanity. Truth read clearly. Love drawn nearly - as a boy. Well, the best Paul could do was “indescribable!” And when you think of all we have in Christ it is beyond words. But try, my friend, be sure to try each day. You’ll be on your way to a more Christ-focused Christmas. Below is a Christmas acrostic with fitting adjectives you might use to stir your creativity. Merry Christmas!
Describing the indescribable with you right up until the 25th,
Pastor Tim (1-210-837-3934) 10am Sunday Worship / www.abidingsaviortx.com
Abiding Savior Lutheran Church 458 Turkey Trot Rd. Killeen, TX 76542
C - aptivating (God has a face for me/2 Cor 5:14) H - elping (Christmas is for the helpless/Ps 118:6, 7) R - edeeming (He bought us back to be with him/Is 41:14) I - nclusive (Heaven’s treasure is humanity’s gift/ Jn 3:16) S - heperding (The one above all names knows my name/Matt 2:6) T - riune(All 3 found in one/Lk 1:30-35) M - essianic (The promised Prophet, Priest, and King has come (Jn 4:25) A - lmighty (The infant voice will call forth the dead/(Jn 11:43) S - aving (God had in mind rescuing us from our sin/(Mat 1:21)
Up in the Sky - a Boost
“Let us therefore make every effort to do what leads to peace and to mutual edification” (Romans 14:19).
It’s that time of year. We hear the honking, and we can’t help but look up in the sky and wonder - not because of the accelerator challenged driver at the light but because of the…geese, you silly goose. While in Indiana I saw 40 to 50 in all in a skein flying south.
There was a glory about them, each one well aware of their own magnificence, yet as a team.
Milton Olson’s “Lessons from Geese” has no doubt been seen by you. But irrespective of how often you’ve seen this wisdom, the seasonal presence of our flying friends might again put wind in our own wings when better understood. And who doesn’t need a little lift in life? People go farther than they thought they could when others remind them, they think they can. So, take another gander with me at a few “Lessons from Geese.”
FACT #1 - As each bird flaps its wings, it creates an “uplift’ for the bird following. By flying in a “V” formation, the whole flock adds 71% greater flying range than if the bird flew alone.
LESSON ONE - F. B. Meyer said, “Everyone needs a Paul, a Barnabus, and a Timothy!” Who’s your Paul you are learning from? Who’s your balcony boy like Barnabus up there cheering you on? Who is your Timothy or Esther you might pour your life into as you live the gospel?
FACT #2 - If a goose falls out of formation, it suddenly feels the drag of flying alone and quickly gets back in formation to take advantage of “lifting power” from the bird in front of it.
LESSON TWO - If we have as much sense as a goose, we stay in formation with those who are headed where we want to go, being willing to accept help as well as give ours to others. Geese get it. Do we? The old saw says, “You can always spot the pioneers by the arrows in their back.”
FACT #3 - When the lead goose gets tired, it rotates back into the formation and another goose flies at the point position.
LESSON THREE - It pays to take turns doing the hard tasks and sharing leadership. With people, as with geese, partnership multiplies our potential and extends our reach.
FACT #4 - Geese in formation honk from behind to encourage those in front to keep their speed.
LESSON FOUR - Is your honking from behind encouraging or something else? “Keep going!” “Your sins are forgiven in Christ.” “Jesus loves you.” “We love you.” “You did that well.” Who wouldn’t fly faster with honking like that? Almost makes you want to fly south for the winter, right?!? Don’t! Get in formation and be the goose who lays the golden egg - encourage others.
Whose Wife Will She Be?
”Jesus replied, ‘You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God” (Matthew 2:29, 30).
A lawyer was asked for only a “Yes” or “No” answer by the accused on the witness stand. Stiffening like a Kool Pop the lawyer replied he would be happy to give such an answer if the accused would answer his question first with a “Yes” or “No.” “Done! I’ll answer with either a ‘Yes’ or a ‘No.’” So the lawyer asked, “Have you stopped beating your wife?” Had him, right!? Either answer would incriminate. Dead silence ensued.
The Sadducees, a small party of Jews with plenty of bling and influence as the highest priestly aristocracy of the day, wanted to trick Jesus in a similar way. They plotted to entrap him with a question about the resurrection. In a real sense they wanted Jesus to say “Yes” there is marriage in heaven and you got me or “No” there is no resurrection from the dead and you got me.
Here’s the question: “Teacher,” they said, “Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. 25 - Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26 - The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. 27- Finally, the woman died. 28 - Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her (Matt 22:24-28)?”
Here’s Christ’s answer: “Jesus replied, ‘You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 - At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 31 - But about the resurrection of the dead- have you not read what God said to you, 32 - ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living’” (Matt 22:29-32).
Here’s the lessons: A. Do not underestimate God’s power. B. Know your Bible. C. Never be a Sadducee. You see, the Sadducees, only believed in the Pentateuch as God’s Word, few if any references to life after death in those books of Moses. So, they did not believe in the resurrection from the dead. Hence, a Sadducee was sad you see (Apply own groan). Taking a Levirate Law of the O.T. where a living unmarried brother is to marry a deceased brother’s widow to give him offspring (life only is carried on in this life) they create the ridiculous resurrection question for Christ of a woman in heaven with possibly seven husbands.
Notice Christ’s answer is from the Pentateuch. He could have quoted other prophets or pointed to his own resurrection power. Do you know your Bible? God has always said, “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Not “I was but I am!” These patriarchs are fully alive as you and I will be with them and the risen Christ one day. After all, he defines himself as the living God.
Silly Sadducees - God’s power makes heaven a complete and different order. Marriage is not an institution of heaven, but love is. If you love your spouse now, by God’s power, won’t you love that spouse even more in heaven, forever?
There is but one bride in heaven, the Church, and the joy we saints will enjoy there together is so hope filled to anticipate. Trust the power of the self-existent God that called all into being with merely his Word. Study resurrection Scripture. Put some to memory. And for heaven’s sake, leave the sad snarkiness of the Sadducees - yes, for heaven’s sake!
Closing the Deal
Closing the Deal
“And I saw a mighty angel proclaiming in a loud voice, “Who is worthy to break the seals and open the scroll?” 5 -Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! See, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed. He is able to open the scroll and its seven seals.”
In the final innings of a baseball game, the manager brings in from the bull pen his best closer to clinch the victory. When a multi-year…multi-billion-dollar contract is on the table, the company brings in their best to close the deal. A sales rep I know has earned the nick name, “Mid-wife.” He delivers. When the prosecution and defense rest, it is the role of the judge to close the case.
“Closers” are those who can bring home the bacon when the heat is on. They are the ones who have control. They have authority. We trust their ability to bring matters to a fitting and fair conclusion for all. Yet, all the athletic games ever played…all the business deals ever cut…all the law cases ever settled fade in comparison to the issue of who is going to bring closure to human history. Who is going to be there at the end to finally make things right?
Revelation 5 is a glimpse of heaven before final events unfold. God Most High is on his throne with a scroll. Seven seals secure the scroll. All must be pulled off before the scroll is opened. Opening the scroll represents the final days of history, and the pulling off the seven seals represents the kind of history we will pass through toward those days. Echoing across the throne room is the resounding question, “Who is worthy?” At first no one is found worthy to open the scroll - close the deal of history God’s way. All the promises through the prophets, all the hopes of the saints, all the blessings of a redeemed world - lost. John weeps and weeps.
But then the one called the Lamb, and the Lion is worthy to bring closure to human history. Why? A. Because he was slain (Rev 5:9). By dying on the cross, Jesus earned the right to open the remainder of redemptive history and lead his people victoriously through it. His wounds point to complete submission to God’s will. What integrity! B. Because he purchased people (Rev. 5:9). Paying in blood he bought all people back for God. Just think - Jesus thinks you’re to die for. What affinity! C. because he made those people a kingdom and priests to serve (Rev 5:10). His life brings a compelling transformation into ours by faith in him. What capability!
No wonder the throne room erupts in worship. Jesus is the only one worthy to bring closure. We can have complete confidence the Lamb will open the seals and scroll. The timing will be right…he will be able to handle it just right… and he will do what is right. Now, if he is worthy because of his integrity, affinity, and capability to step up and deliver at such momentous moments in the future, and he is, can you not trust him for what is on your plate today?
Self in Someone Else
“Self in Someone Else” July 2022
“For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought…” (Romans 12:3).
CNN interviewed Tom Arnold, the comedian. He had just written a book called, How I Lost 5 Pounds in 6 Years: An Autobiography. The interviewer asked him, “Why did you write this book?” Stone faced Arnold replied, “I wrote this book because I am a broken person. I do things to get people to love me. I have this addiction. It’s called the Amazon addiction. I go online and check Amazon every day and see what my ranking is on my book. If it’s high, I am worth something. If it’s not I am worth nothing.”
I’m not an author but I do fall prey to the Amazon addiction. I tend to project my self-esteem off others. I want people to like me - validate me - yes, convince me that I really matter. How about you? To be sure wanting people to like you may not be wrong in and of itself but if it’s rooted in you being a star shining forth that people adore to give you ultimate value - it is a lie. Society says how we measure value is how it is reflected back to us in the approval of others. It’s easy to think: the more admiration, the brighter we shine, the greater our self-worth. But ask anyone who has experienced those things over time if that is actually true. They will tell you, “No.”
Healthy self-esteem doesn’t come from prestige; it comes from being who we are designed to be in Christ. And we’re not designed to be solo stars; we’re designed to be parts of an organism that puts jewels in the crown of King Jesus. We see this in Romans 12:3–5:
For by the grace given me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you ought, but rather think of yourself with sober judgment, in accordance with the faith God has distributed to each of you. 4 - For just as each of us has one body with many members, and these members do not all have the same function, 5 - so in Christ we, though many, form one body, and each member belongs to all the others.
Self-worth begins with grace: “by the grace given to us” (Romans 12:3, 6). None of us deserves our “membership” in the body. It comes from God as an incredible gift of his grace through faith in Christ as our Savior from sin. We don’t choose which part we play in the body of Christ either. Christ places us where he plans to best use us in our role together with others to bring the most glory to himself. Want to reaffirm your value? Humbly roll up your sleeves and serve in the body of Christ, his church, for his glory with others. Find self-worth in someone else.
“In Christ’s church you can do what I cannot do. I can do what you cannot do. Together we can best do what God wants us to do for his glory. No nobodies - everybody a somebody for him.”
Seeking with you to find self in someone else - Jesus