Yes, Jesus Loves Me!

Heart to Heart from the Housewrights

 

Now a certain man was ill, Lazarus of Bethany, the village of Mary and her sister Martha. It was Mary who anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair, whose brother Lazarus was ill. So the sisters sent to him, saying, “Lord, he whom you love is ill.” But when Jesus heard it he said, “This illness does not lead to death. It is for the glory of God, so that the Son of God may be glorified through it.” Now Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus. - John 11:1-5 (ESV)

In our morning coffee and devotions today Missy and I read one from Max Lucado that included a quote from his book The Great House of God. It says:

When a friend tells Jesus of the illness of Lazarus, he says, “Lord, the one you love is sick.” He doesn’t base his appeal on the imperfect love of the one in need, but on the perfect love of the Savior. He doesn’t say, “The one who loves you is sick.” He says, “The one you love is sick.” The power of prayer, in other words, does not depend on the one who makes the prayer, but on the one who hears the prayer…We can and must repeat the phrase in manifold ways. “The one you love is tired, sad, hungry, lonely, fearful, depressed.” The words of the prayer vary, but the response never changes. The Savior hears the prayer. He silences heaven, so he won’t miss a word. He hears the prayer.” 

- Grace for the Moment, March 21st entry.

The one You love. Those words should give us a strong assurance. Those words should bring encouragement. Those words should be life-changing and life-sustaining. The one You love.

We (the church) are always - and it’s not a bad thing - proclaiming our love for God. Our love for Jesus. Our love for his Holy Spirit. Our love for God’s people. Our love for the lost. We should love! After all, it is the supreme command of life: One of them, an expert in the law, tested Him with a question: “Teacher, which commandment is the greatest in the Law?” Jesus declared, “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” - Matthew 22:35-40 (BSB).

But, more than our love for God or others is the fact that God loves us. “While we were yet sinners (still sinning) Christ died for us - this proves God’s love for us,” Romans 5:8. “We love because he first loved us,” I John 4:19.

“The one You love.”

God loves you. God loves us. “For God so loved the world…”

Now, what do we do with that truth? What do you do with that truth?

Well, if you are like us, you are struggling or will struggle. We all go through moments of confusion and days of darkness. We encounter seemingly unconquerable mountains and treacherous waves. We face situations where there seems to be no escape and people who simply drain us dry. We become lonely, we hurt, we cry.

Yet, these moments are fleeting. They are temporary. They do not last - although we may think they do. But, God’s love is permanent. God’s love is forever. God’s love outlasts. God’s love overcomes. God’s love cannot be stopped.

What shall we say about such wonderful things as these? If God is for us, who can ever be against us? Since he did not spare even his own Son but gave him up for us all, won’t he also give us everything else? Who dares accuse us whom God has chosen for his own? No one—for God himself has given us right standing with himself. Who then will condemn us? No one—for Christ Jesus died for us and was raised to life for us, and he is sitting in the place of honor at God’s right hand, pleading for us.

Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death? (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”) No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.

And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love. No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 8:31-39 NLT)

Missy and I are facing a lot of trials right now. It seems the enemy has clocked into work and has decided to work overtime! Yet, we must always remember that, circumstances being what they may be, we have One who loves us. That, our friends, is what gives us all overcoming joy and sustaining strength.

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so. 

Little ones to him belong; they are weak, but he is strong.

Jesus loves me, he who died, heaven's gate to open wide.

He will wash away my sin, let his little child come in.

Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! Yes, Jesus loves me! The Bible tells me so.

Spiritual Health without Pills!

 

Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a thankful heart. Pray for us, too, that God will give us many opportunities to speak about his mysterious plan concerning Christ. That is why I am here in chains. Pray that I will proclaim this message as clearly as I should…Tychicus will give you a full report about how I am getting along. He is a beloved brother and faithful helper who serves with me in the Lord’s work. I have sent him to you for this very purpose—to let you know how we are doing and to encourage you. I am also sending Onesimus, a faithful and beloved brother, one of your own people. He and Tychicus will tell you everything that’s happening here.

Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin. As you were instructed before, make Mark welcome if he comes your way. Jesus (the one we call Justus) also sends his greetings. These are the only Jewish believers among my co-workers; they are working with me here for the Kingdom of God. And what a comfort they have been!

Epaphras, a member of your own fellowship and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends you his greetings. He always prays earnestly for you, asking God to make you strong and perfect, fully confident that you are following the whole will of God. I can assure you that he prays hard for you and also for the believers in Laodicea and Hierapolis.

Luke, the beloved doctor, sends his greetings, and so does Demas. Please give my greetings to our brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church that meets in her house - Colossians 4:2-4; 7- 15 (NLT)

As we get older physically it should be expected that we grow spiritually. And while physical health may decrease as our birthdays increase, our spiritual health should continually increase. Sure, we may eat more oatmeal and fiber to offset certain bodily issues or rub a little more Tiger Balm on our joints and muscles…but the most vital concern of getting older must be our spiritual well being.

We may get that 55+ discount but the real issue is this: are we maturing in the faith?

In his letter to the church at Colossae Paul lists several names. People who are important to Paul, important to Christ, important to his kingdom. Why are they important? They are mature.

And if we are not growing or maturing? We are contributing to the deteriorating health of his church. That’s something we believe none of us want to be guilty of.

Therefore, what does it take to grow spiritually? Bible.org has a seven step suggestion we would like to share with you: What Does It Take To Grow? | Bible.org
  

    1. In order to grow we need to eat—The Bible
    2. In order to grow we need to breathe—Prayer
    3. In order to grow we need good spiritual hygiene—Confession
    4. In order to grow we need a caring family—Fellowship
    5. In order to grow we need regular exercise—Service
    6. In order to grow we need protection—Holiness
    7. In order to grow we need to give—Stewardship

That is a list we all should place somewhere in order for us to see it daily. No matter our age we all need to be growing in our faith…without having to add another pill to our pillbox…

The author of Hebrews understood this. He writes in chapter 6: So let us stop going over the basic teachings about Christ again and again. Let us go on instead and become mature in our understanding. Surely we don’t need to start again with the fundamental importance of repenting from evil deeds and placing our faith in God. You don’t need further instruction about baptisms, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. And so, God willing, we will move forward to further understanding (Hebrews 6:1-3).

Did you notice the wording? “Let us go on…become mature…we will move forward…”

None of that just happens. It isn’t automatic. In other words, you don’t just believe on Christ Jesus and, “BOOM!” you’re a spiritual giant. It takes time and effort. It takes making mistakes, confession and going at it again. As Peter writes, But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever! Amen. (2 Peter 3:18).

The English poet, Alexander Pope, wrote, “As the twig is bent, so grows the tree.” When new trees are planted it’s best to put stakes into the ground beside the tree. The stakes are there for a purpose—to train the tree to grow straight and tall.

Those stakes work great when they are put in place when the tree is first planted. That said, if crooked growth has been allowed to develop for several years, stakes will not be effective.

This is why a young Christian should be modeled and taught the spiritual disciplines. We do great harm to new Christians when we fail to share with them the need for Bible reading, prayer, confession, fellowship, service, holiness and stewardship. If they don’t do these things they are setting themselves up for failure, spiritual immaturity and grief.

If however, we set the stakes up from the beginning, those “trees” will go straight and strong.

After all, the very first Psalm reminds us: Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take  or sit in the company of mockers, but whose delight is in the law of the Lord,  and who meditates on his law day and night. That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither—whatever they do prospers.

Little Red (read) Words in a Big Black Book

The blind and the lame came to Him at the temple, and He healed them. But the chief priests and scribes were indignant when they saw the wonders He performed and the children shouting in the temple courts, "Hosanna to the Son of David!" 

"Do you hear what these children are saying?” they asked. 

“Yes,” Jesus answered. “Have you never read: ‘From the mouths of children and infants You have ordained praise?’”

Matthew 21:15&16

Leonard Blair, a Senior writer at The Christian Post, recently wrote the following:

While biblical literalism has long been held as the most dominant method of interpreting Scripture among Evangelicals, results of a new poll released by Gallup show that fewer than half of Evangelicals and born-again Christians believe the Bible should be taken literally…“except in places where the text is obviously allegorical, poetic or figurative…”

The poll…with a random sample of 1,007 adults, found that just 40% of respondents who identify as Evangelical or born-again view the Bible as the “actual word of God,” while 51% see the Bible as the “inspired word of God…”

In general, among all U.S. adults, only 20% say the Bible is the literal word of God, which is a historic low according to Gallup. A record 29% of Americans say the Bible is a collection of "fables, legends, history and moral precepts recorded by (humans)..."

The data from the Gallup poll comes less than a year after a study from Arizona Christian University found that of an estimated 176 million American adults who identify as Christian, just 6% or 15 million of them actually hold a biblical worldview.

The study found, in general, that while a majority of America’s self-identified Christians, including many who identify as Evangelical, believe that God is all-powerful, all-knowing and is the Creator of the universe, more than half reject a number of biblical teaching and principles, including the existence of the Holy Spirit.

Strong majorities also…believe that all religious faiths are of equal value, people are basically good and that people can use acts of goodness to earn their way into Heaven. The study further showed that majorities don’t believe in moral absolutes; consider feelings, experience, or the input of friends and family as their most trusted sources of moral guidance…

https://www.christianpost.com/news/fewer-than-half-of-evangelicals-believe-bible-is-literally-true.html

Now, we copied quite a bit there but we feel it is vitally important information.

Even though this is a small sampling, Gallup polls are trustworthy. They’ve been on the cutting edge of Christian surveys for a few decades now. The numbers are both startling and telling.

Of all the consequences which arise from a lack of trust in God’s word as God’s word, perhaps this is the most destructive: "all religious faiths are of equal value, people are basically good and that people can use acts of goodness to earn their way into Heaven….majorities don’t believe in moral absolutes; (and) consider feelings, experience, or the input of friends and family as their most trusted sources of moral guidance…"

So, how did we get to this point?

It’s important to remember that for thousands of years, both the Old and New Testaments of the Judeo-Christian Bible have been proven reliable sources of history, poetry, prophecy, geography and ethics. (That's not to begin to describe its eternal impact upon the soul). It was not until the late 1800’s when German theologians came along offering theological liberalism and higher biblical criticism under the guise of modern Biblical scholarship that people began to doubt what they believed to be true and trustworthy.

This, in turn, led to other movements which produced profoundly negative impacts. Among these have been the social gospel, Feminist Theology, Liberation Theology, Process Theology, and even the Jesus Seminar. One particular outcome of these movements is the heretical Myth of Christian Origins which denies the divinity of Christ and disavows the authority of scripture.

Since its invasion into Christianity, a lack of faith in God’s word as truly being the Word of God has had but one single aim - to delegitimize and destroy the authority of God. 

 After all, if you don’t believe “in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” (Genesis 1:1) how in the world are you going to believe in the end? “And the One seated on the throne said, ‘Behold, I make all things new.’ Then He said, ‘Write this down, for these words are faithful and true.’ And He told me, ‘It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give freely from the spring of the water of life. The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son. But to the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their place will be in the lake that burns with fire and sulfur. This is the second death.’”

You see, what you believe about God’s word is as important as taking your next breath. It dictates what you believe about everything else...

This incomparable collection of books tells us, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son” (John 3:16). And, from the same resource: “When Jesus heard this, he said, “Healthy people don’t need a doctor—sick people do.” He added, “Now go. Learn the meaning of this Scripture: ‘I want you to show mercy, not offer sacrifices.’ For I have come to call not those who think they are righteous, but those who know they are sinners” (Matthew 9:12&13).

Do you know if you’re a sinner or not? 

Do you know if you need healing? 

If you were reading and believing the Bible (God’s word) you would know…

Ah, those little red (read) words in that big black book…

What You Believe Matters - Part 3: Spine Issues

 

02-07-2022

“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the rest of the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly a great earthquake occurred, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken. Immediately all the doors flew open, and the bonds of all the prisoners came loose.When the jailer woke up and saw the doors of the prison standing open, he drew his sword and was about to kill himself, because he assumed the prisoners had escaped. But Paul called out loudly, “Do not harm yourself, for we are all here!” Calling for lights, the jailer rushed in and fell down trembling at the feet of Paul and Silas. Then he brought them outside and asked, “Sirs, what must I do to be saved?” They replied, “Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved, you and your household…and he rejoiced greatly that he had come to believe in God, together with his entire household,” Acts 16:25-31; 35b.

Author and speaker Ken Davis shares the following true story: “In college I was asked to prepare a lesson to teach my speech class. We were to be graded on our creativity and ability to drive home a point in a memorable way. The title of my talk was, "The Law of the Pendulum." I spent 20 minutes carefully teaching the physical principle that governs a swinging pendulum. The law of the pendulum is: A pendulum can never return to a point higher than the point from which it was released. Because of friction and gravity, when the pendulum returns, it will fall short of its original release point. Each time it swings it makes less and less of an arc, until finally it is at rest. This point of rest is called the state of equilibrium, where all forces acting on the pendulum are equal.

“I attached a 3-foot string to a child's toy top and secured it to the top of the blackboard with a thumbtack. I pulled the top to one side and made a mark on the blackboard where I let it go. Each time it swung back I made a new mark. It took less than a minute for the top to complete its swinging and come to rest. When I finished the demonstration, the markings on the blackboard proved my thesis.

“I then asked how many people in the room BELIEVED the law of the pendulum was true. All of my classmates raised their hands, so did the teacher. He started to walk to the front of the room thinking the class was over. In reality it had just begun. Hanging from the steel ceiling beams in the middle of the room was a large, crude but functional pendulum (250 pounds of metal weights tied to four strands of 500-pound test parachute cord.). I invited the instructor to climb up on a table and sit in a chair with the back of his head against a cement wall. Then I brought the 250 pounds of metal up to his nose. Holding the huge pendulum just a fraction of an inch from his face, I once again explained the law of the pendulum he had applauded only moments before, "If the law of the pendulum is true, then when I release this mass of metal, it will swing across the room and return short of the release point. Your nose will be in no danger."

“After that final restatement of this law, I looked him in the eye and asked, "Sir, do you believe this law is true?" There was a long pause. Huge beads of sweat formed on his upper lip and then weakly he nodded and whispered, "Yes." I released the pendulum. It made a swishing sound as it arced across the room. At the far end of its swing, it paused momentarily and started back. I never saw a man move so fast in my life. He literally dived from the table. Deftly stepping around the still-swinging pendulum, I asked the class, "Does he believe in the law of the pendulum?" The students unanimously answered, "NO!" (Ken Davis, How to Speak to Youth, pp 104-106.)

Now, I’m not sure any of us would be willing to place ourselves under a pendulum, although Edgar Allen Poe would love for Father Time to give us each a first-hand glimpse! But we all believe in the law of the pendulum…

In a very real way, all of us - every last single one of us - live our lives based on what we believe. Some beliefs change, mature, or become rejected over time…others grow stronger. Life has a funny way of teaching us what we believed yesterday is nothing more than a lie today, including spiritual beliefs.

What we were taught to believe as children - within the confines of Christianity - more often than not changes over time. Why? First and foremost, we eventually open the Bible to read, study it for ourselves - allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us, not a flawed human being. Secondly, what we were taught to be concrete facts as kids often crumble when we face struggles in life we never thought we would have to endure.

We would like to add a third reason for why our beliefs change. We have to give full credit to Beth Moore for this one. During a “Women of Joy” conference she referenced something which really ministered to Missy…and something she fleshes out a bit more in her teachings on the Psalms. Moore lays out what she calls "spine issues" and "rib issues". “Spine issues comprise the backbone of our faith. . . . disagreement may mean one of us is in Christ and the other is not...Rib issues tend to be more interpretive and less heretical,” ("Stepping Up", p.159)

In other words, we discover some ideas and issues are not as important as others. 

She goes on to give several examples, listing under "Spine Issues" beliefs such as Jesus is the only way, truth and life, and no one gets to God any other way, the resurrection is fact, and miracles did occur.  Under "Rib Issues" things such as spiritual gifts, worship styles and music, and bible versions are discussed.

Truth be told there are about 1,000 rib issues for every spine issue. Nonetheless, we cannot equivocate on spine issues. These are central to our faith and establish a sure foundation which cannot be shaken no matter what may occur in our lives. It is these which we should defend - at all costs. However, it seems the rib issues - including baptism and communion, music and lighting, etc. are what seem to consume us. It seems we major in the minors and minor in the majors.

It seems many who are leaving the church are doing so because their beliefs are changing…but primarily to the negative. Again, this is neither right or wrong - it is part of the human experience and the way God designed us. We just pray we are changed for the positive - for growth, for maturity.

Consider Paul’s first letter to the Corinthians where he openly criticized the church there as they were falling short of God’s desire for their personal growth. They were stagnant and Paul would not stand for this.

In a very disappointing manner, he regrets he could speak to them only as infants. He writes, “I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready,” (1 Cor. 3:2).

God wants us to grow! God wants us to change! God wants us to grow from mere “believe because you were told to” faith, to a mature "standing on the promises" faith. He wants us to move beyond the elementary stages of milk and into the meat of the holy Scriptures. However, as we strive for a deeper spiritual life - a deeper walk, if you will - there are some truths - "spine issues" - we must cling tightly to, while there are others - "rib issues" - we should reconsider.

It’s unfortunate but for some people a “rib” issue has become a “spine” issue and a “spine” issue has become a “rib” issue. We have to be mindful of this and be compassionate to people when we wander into these areas. The healthy local fellowship will be one where there is no debate over "spine" issues and open discussion of "rib" issues. The healthy local fellowship will be one where the spine is strong and straight. It can withstand outside pressure and maintains stability and balance. Ribs do serve a purpose…they are just not primary to the function of the body of Christ. A healthy congregation knows the difference.

So, do you believe in the law of the pendulum? Good. Do you believe in God? Good…but so do demons AND they quiver and quake. Maybe, we need to strengthen our spine and eat some more meat…

Straightening Spines…

Steve and Missy