Death, Victory and Jesus
Two officers died unexpectedly yesterday. They were just doing their job.... protecting the citizens they served. We grieved the loss, because it seemed so senseless, because of the families they left behind, because we care about the lives of human beings made in the image of God.
Death often comes without warning. It can drop a shadow over our lives when we least expect it. But its presence among us is a sober reminder that every man, woman and chil...d has a God-ordained appointment with death (Heb. 9:27) ...one which we cannot predict, but one which we can prepare for.

If Jesus Christ has no place in your life right now, you can have no hope of entering into His heaven when you die. Because your sin has made a barrier between you and your perfectly just Creator. Don't spend your time concerning yourself about being judged by men. Be concerned about the judgment of God, which is far greater, with eternal consequences. “He that rejects Me, and receives not My words, has one that judges him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day.” (John 12:48) The words that God has spoken are what we are to measure our lives with...not the words of media, friends, family and co-workers. Read the Bible while you still have the time and ability to do so.
Jesus is God's only provision for death, which could come at any moment. He promises to take in all who will turn to Him and believe that His suffering and death on the cross is a sufficient sacrifice to pay the penalty of living a sinful life of self rule, void of any love and honor for the God who allows you to draw your next breath.
The victory that Jesus won, for all who trust in Him, is far greater than winning a baseball game, far greater than any human achievement or success....and your soul depends upon it.
“O death, where is your sting? O grave, where is your victory? The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, which gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Cor. 15:55-57

On Being Born a New Creation....
I've often thought of this passage (below), since I first read it twenty-some years ago. It's a good example of why I grew to love the Puritans...because of their ability to plumb the depths of Scripture and think through the faith.
This is such a great reminder that SALVATION IS NOT SELF-REFORMATION, but rather being made a new creation in Christ Jesus. (2 Cor. 5:17) It's not enough to merely make over and clean the outside of the cup with mo...rality or religious activity. We need a new heart....one that will transform our inner man, so as to change the whole course of our life. Salvation is not a man trying to become what he has not yet been created.

This means that being born again starts your life all over again. It means that you have a new starting point from which to grow....with a new goal and vision for your life, which concerns Christ above all. It means that you have a new and living hope, with new dreams, new appetites and new affections, a new disposition, new thoughts to think, new words to speak, new friends, new enemies, new triumphs, new struggles...a brand new life, abundant with all the riches of Christ, your King. Oh, it makes my heart rejoice just thinking about the wonder of it!
"A man may step out from one path onto another, and yet have his face the same way, and be still going towards the same place; but it is another matter to turn quite back again, and take his journey the clean, contrary way to a contrary place. So it is here.
A man may turn from drunkenness to thriftiness, and forsake his good fellowship, and other gross, disgraceful sins, and set upon some duties of religion; and yet be going still to the same end as before, intending his carrnal self above all, and giving it still the government of his soul.
But when he is converted, this self is denied and taken down, and God is set up, and his face is turned the contrary way; and he that before was addicted to himself, and lived to himself, is now by sanctification devoted to God, and lives unto God.
Before, he asked himself what he should do with his time, his parts, and his estates, and for himself he used them; but now, he asks God what he shall do with them, and he uses them for Him. Before, he would please God so far as might stand with the pleasure of his flesh, and carnal self, but not to any great displeasure of them. But now, he will please God, let flesh and self be ever so much displeased.
This is the great change that God will make upon all who shall be saved."
- Richard Baxter, "Call to the Unconverted"

Christian Love
God's version of love is not like ours. We so often show love to others, only to ingratiate ourselves in their esteem, or the esteem of those watching. Because we love the praise of men. But true Christian love is not self-seeking. It is Christ-centered and gospel-focused, (1 John 4:9) drawing the gaze to where our hope truly lies. It is fueled by truth and driven by a desire to see God glorified in the lives of men.
"The love of God is not God's making much o...f us, but God's saving us from self-centeredness so that we can enjoy making much of him forever. And our love to others is not our making much of them, but helping them to find satisfaction in making much of God.
True love aims at satisfying people in the glory of God. Any love that terminates on man is eventually destructive. It does not lead people to the only lasting joy, namely, God. Love must be God-centered, or it is not true love; it leaves people without their final hope of joy."
- John Piper

What we love most will claim our allegiance and direct the course of our life...
Remember Lot's wife.
"A man may do some service to two masters, but he can devote himself to the service of no more than one. God requires the whole heart, and will not share it with the world. When two masters oppose each other, no man can serve both. He who holds to the world and loves it, must despise God; he who loves God, must give up the friendship of the world." - Matthew Henry
...

"Friendship with the world is enmity with God." (James 4:4)

Self-Esteem and the Bible
Low self-esteem is not a problem for anyone. Because the problem is not that we think too little of ourselves, but rather far too much. We are by nature “lovers of self,” with a growing appetite for self-gratification.
Once we begin to see ourselves through the lens of Scripture, in the light of who God is, promoting self begins to lose its appeal. Instead we see Christ, who radiates all that is praise-worthy and good....and it is Him we want to es...teem, not ourselves.

Pride is deceitful, and has a way of disguising itself as humility. Someone who expresses a low view of themselves can be suffering from the same problem as someone who is boastful and arrogant. Because they are both pointing to the same thing....self; they just took a different route to get there. As Tim Keller put it, “The essence of gospel humility is not thinking more of myself or thinking less of myself...it is thinking of myself less.”
So how do we, who live in an age of selfies and self-expression, learn to place self where it rightly belongs? How do we learn to “esteem one another more highly than ourselves” (Phil. 2:3) when we are so prone to an over-indulgence of everything that feeds our lust for me, myself and I?
We learn to die. We learn to see ourselves “crucified with Christ,” so that our living is not an expression of us getting what we want, but rather a display of Christ getting what He paid for. (the grace that transforms us into His image.) We learn to find our worth wrapped up in who He is, and confess that we are not our own. We won't be as easily tempted to pamper, pity and promote self when we remember the price He paid to redeem us from it.
“I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ lives in me: and the life that I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.”
(Gal. 2:20)

“The government shall be on His shoulder.” (Isaiah 9:6) ....Comforting words in a time of such unrest, turmoil and confusion...
Jesus is Lord....Lord over every heartache, Lord over every fear...
Lord over every day....Lord over me.
He is Lord over all who rise up against Him. He is Lord over all who call Him friend....
He is the true King in the land, whose power and rule cannot be shaken.
He is God for us...so who can be against us? What is there that He does not enter into with us? He is our Victor in the fray...

All those who are hidden in Him have a sweet haven of rest, a retreat where all is still and all is well...for He is there and that is all that matters. He is there and my life is not my own. He is there...possessing me with Himself, so that I can find my life in Him.
“Lord, thou hast been our dwelling place in all generations. Before the mountains were brought forth, or ever thou hadst formed the earth and the world, even from everlasting to everlasting, thou art God.”
(Psalm 90:1-2)

“The Grey Areas”
I think it's far too common for Christians to rationalize that if God doesn't have a specific Bible verse about something, then it automatically falls into a “grey area,” which leaves us with our “personal preference” as the determining factor in making a choice or forming a conviction. (which starts sounding strangely like religious relativism...)
2 Timothy 3:16 says, “ALL Scripture is profitable for doctrine, reproof, correction, instruction in righteousness.” That means the whole counsel of God's Word is useful and necessary to guide us in every area of life. Because the whole Bible speaks to the whole of life. And let's face it...to God, there are no grey areas....He cares about it all.
If man is to “live by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God” then shouldn't our personal convictions be shaped and formed by a broad understanding of the full scope of Scripture? The more Scripture... the more wisdom...the more wisdom, the more light to view all of life with.
Here's just a few principals I came up with in considering this topic (and I'm sure you could find many more):
Why do I want to do this? (“Whatever you do, do all to the glory of God” – 1 Cor. 10:31)
Have you spent time in prayer about it? Don't assume you already know your true motive. The heart is deceitful and you can't just trust yourself because you don't know yourself as God does.
If you find yourself thinking, “well, so and so does it and they're a Christian,” then you're being motivated by man, and not by God. (And you won't have to go far to find someone who agrees with/practices what you want to justify yourself in.)
Don't measure yourself against other Christians; don't be peer-oriented. God says this is not wise. (2 Cor. 10:12). Only Christ can give a true reflection of God's standards. So ask yourself, “will this make me more conformed to Christ? To my peers? To the world? Adopting cultural trends may make you less offensive to the world, but it only blurs the necessary distinction that sets you apart from it.
Will this be to the edification of the body of Christ? (“all things are lawful, but not all things edify” - 1 Cor. 10:23) The Christian life is not one of autonomy. Your personal decisions are to be made with consideration as to how they will affect the whole body to which you belong (1 Cor. 12:14-15). Will your example in what you are considering build up other believers and draw them closer to Christ?
Could this cause my brothers/sisters in Christ to stumble? (“let no man put a stumblingblock in his brother's way” - Rom. 14:13) Is your “Christian liberty” going to make a brother/sister weak in any way? Are you are striving to “please your neighbor for his good to edification?” (Rom. 15:2) We ought to be concerned about how our actions/example will influence and direct others....especially those who are younger in the faith.
Will this defile/deface God's temple? (“Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For you are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's” - 1 Cor. 6:19)
What you choose to do with your body and to your body matters to God, because it belongs to Him. If you lend your body to what God forbids or alter His design of it in some way to please yourself, are you really glorifying Him in it...or yourself?
What kind of message will it send to the world around you? (“Be not conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” - Rom. 12:2) No Christian ever proved the will of God to the world by conforming to it. What makes you “peculiar” (1 Peter 2:9) to the world is your opposition to it. If your “grey areas” are making you look/act/think more like the world, your testimony is being compromised and weakened. How can you expect to aid a lost and dying world with more of what they already have?
Will this be a source of contention? (“as much as lies in you, live peaceably with all men” - Rom. 12:18 “Let us follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another.” - Rom. 14:19) Let's face it...much of what we choose to do is based on selfishness, without much concern for how it will affect our relationships. But if we really are striving to be at peace with one another, we will consider whether our actions may stir up strife, rather than promote peace. Is having your own way really worth the expense of a broken relationship?
Have I sought Godly counsel about it? (“The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he that hearkens unto counsel is wise.” - Prov. 12:15) Do you have a humble, teachable spirit? Getting counsel from seasoned believers is a necessary part of the Christian life, no matter how old you are. If we are to succeed in living lives that glorify God, we need the wisdom of others who are drawing their personal convictions from Scripture. Someone who only tells you what you want to hear and pampers your pride is not equipped to help you like someone who is willing to explore what God's Word says with you. Pull mature, Godly people into your life...on purpose.
One last thought: If you are using the “grey areas” to see how close you can get to the world without “crossing the line,” you are already heading in the wrong direction. But if conformity to Christ is your true objective, then your personal choices will be a reflection of your love for Him, which will cause you to stand more and more in contrast to the world around you

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon." (Matt. 6:24)
"A man may do some service to two masters, but he can devote himself to the service of no more than one. God requires the whole heart, and will not share it with the world. When two masters oppose each other, no man can serve both. He who holds to the world and loves it, must despise God; he who loves God, must give up the friendship of the world." - Matthew Henry
Is this why God hates lukewarmness...because it contaminates us with a mixture that vies for our allegiance to Him?

"If we find ourselves with a desire that nothing in this world can satisfy, the most probable explanation is that we were made for another world."
C.S. Lewis
There is an emptiness in the heart that can never be filled with worldly pleasures or successes or praise from men...
Some spend their whole life vainly trying to fill that void with things that can never satisfy.
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We are eternal beings that God created to be filled with Himself. Until we find our rest in Christ, life will always be about striving to find fulfillment in all the wrong things. But when Christ becomes our life, then all our happiness is an extension of what we have in Him.
"God is the highest good of the reasonable creature. The enjoyment of him is our proper; and is the only happiness with which our souls can be satisfied. To go to heaven, fully to enjoy God, is infinitely better than the most pleasant accommodations here. Better than fathers and mothers, husbands, wives, or children, or the company of any, or all earthly friends. These are but shadows; but the enjoyment of God is the substance. These are but scattered beams; but God is the sun. These are but streams; but God is the fountain. These are but drops, but God is the ocean.”
- Jonathan Edwards

Life - Ambition - Christ
“Only one life, will soon be past. Only what's done for Christ will last.”
Living with an eternal perspective means setting our affection on things above, not on things on this earth. It means seeing yourself as a pilgrim here, just passing through, with your eyes fixed on your true home. It means laying down your borrowed life in service of your King. It means proclaiming His reign and the pardon He offers to all who have proven themselves traito...rs to His cause.

A wasted life is one full of selfish ambition and temporal pleasures, without active consideration of the life that is to come. The value of a well lived life is not one marked by earthly successes, but rather faithfulness to Christ. You may be small and insignificant in the eyes of the world, but if you are living in Jesus, you possess an eternal inheritance that far outweighs anything the world acclaims.
Keep an eternal perspective!

Journey through Proverbs ~
“Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.” (Prov. 4:23)
Wisdom trumpets a warning to guard your heart carefully...faithfully...diligently. Set up a watch and stand ready to defend the gate of your mind with the provision of God. Because the world, the flesh and the devil scheme together to steal, kill and destroy His supply. And what we allow in from day to day forms the great storehouse we draw upon for life tomorrow.

~ Journey through Proverbs ~
“Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct thy paths.” (Prov. 3:3-6)
God does not lead us by mystical bread crumbs. He leads us by making us wise. He makes us wise when we lean into Him, depending upon the strength His Word provides, and not our own weak and distorted understanding. The more we learn to think like God thinks, the more we learn to discern the way He would have us to go. The more we learn to take our counsel from Him, the more we learn to know His voice and the less we are led astray by the voice of others. God leads us by making us wise.

~ Journey through Proverbs ~
"If you cry after knowledge, and lift up your voice for understanding; If you seek her as silver, and search for her as for hid treasures; Then you will understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God." (Prov. 2:3-5)
Soloman knew that a wise and understanding heart was to be prized far above the temporal pleasures and successes that most men are after. (1 Kings 3:10-11) His desire for understanding pleased the Lord, who gave him his... request, along with many temporal blessings as well.

What we value most shows up in what we desire most. “Where our treasure is, there will our heart be also.” How much do we really value the things that God values? How earnestly do we cultivate our hearts with His Word so that the wealth of it becomes our greatest treasure? If every earthly comfort were taken away, what would we be left holding onto?
“He who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.” (Heb. 11:6)

Thoughts on Confession:
“Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks.” (Luke 6:45)
Last week a friend asked me why professing Christians spoke so little of Christ...whom they claim to love. It got me thinking about how integral verbal confession is to the Christian life and how much the Bible has to say about it. ”Whoever confesses me before men, him will I confess before my Father which is in heaven.” (Matt. 10:32) Your verbal confession matters to Jesus.
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Living a moral life is a good thing, but only a perfect life can save men...and that life is not yours; it is Christ's. So your good example is not good enough. You need words...the words of the gospel...words that tell news about what Christ has done...words that will avert men's eyes from you to Him.
What we confess with our mouths is evidence of what's in our hearts. What is dominating our thoughts from day to day, what's most important to us, shows up in what we say and talk about most. And what you are confessing (whether in thought or speech) is also confirming to yourself what will either strengthen or weaken your own heart towards God. (Why catechism works so well.)
Movies, music, books, media...friends...they all regularly speak into our lives, making their confession about world views, ideologies, relationships, etc., and we ought to take heed, because they all contribute to either aiding or eroding our love for Christ. “Bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” means purposed effort and well planned choices. But it fences us in to the one Voice that will inspire our hearts to announce Him to the world again and again.
“Let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom He hath redeemed from the hand of the enemy.”
(Psalm 107:2)

Thoughts on keeping an eternal perspective...
It's so easy to get caught up in the moments of life...moments that turn into days, and days into years....the busyness that often makes us forget that there's an eternity ahead. And we are rushing headlong into it.
You dream of where you want to be, and then when you get there, you want to be somewhere else. But that's because heaven is calling. And you hear it. You hear it telling you that this is not your home. You hear it tell...ing you that there is something beyond time that has claimed you and now you can't escape the reality of it. Home is not here.

And one day you will arrive at your final destination, leaving behind all earthly care, every temporal pleasure and success, and you will realize then the vanity of everything lived for outside of Christ.
The time you borrow is only a breath. It's measure is found, not in years, but in substance. The stuff here and now that gives you a foretaste of the glory that's ahead...the glory that compels you to bid others to come along with you...that's what counts. The lasting satisfaction of possessing a life in Christ that will never end...one that's leading you in moments, days and years to your true home...It's worth chasing after. It's worth living for. Because in the end, it's all that really matters.
"Redeem the time, because the days are evil." (Eph. 5:16)