Category Archives: The Gospel

December 7 – It’s A Gift

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Acts 20:1-3; Romans 1-3

What is good enough? I know some pretty amazing, generous, loving, honest people who care about the environment, give to the SPCA, volunteer at homeless shelters, and are great neighbors and friends. I know people who never say a bad word about anyone, who are kind and supportive. They are hard-working, family-centered, salt-of-the-earth kind of people. You probably know them, too.

Maybe you are one of them yourself.

So how do you handle Romans 3:23 in regards to really good people? Oh sure, no one is perfect, you might say with a wink. But the people I described don’t commit those blatant, awful sins that everyone recognizes. Their goodness must outweigh their goof-ups.

We are going to read Romans 6:23 tomorrow. And folks, that verse applies to the goof-ups, too.

Many of us memorized Romans 3:23 as children. But verse 24 completes the thought in a really wonderful way:

being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus.

Does that make your heart sing? You are a sinner. You deserve the death penalty your sin requires. But here stands Jesus holding a gift with your name on it. Redemption. Forgiveness. He doesn’t tell you to clean yourself up first, or give money to the poor, or quit drinking before He’ll give you the gift. He bought and paid for your salvation while you were still a sinner.

The truth is, none of us can ever be good enough. You don’t erase a sin by doing a good deed. That’s just not the way it is. That sin that you committed deserves death. And Jesus died. That sin requires blood spilt to redeem you. Jesus’ blood ran down that cross that day.

Forgiveness is ours through the Son of God, Jesus Christ. It’s a gift. It’s His gift to you.

Dearest Savior, I would imagine most people reading this blog have accepted You as their Savior. I pray that is true. But may we, as we consider Paul’s words to the Romans, have the truth cemented in our minds so that we can share this amazing gift with the people you’ve laid on our hearts. And, Father, if there is one who reads this and has yet to ask for the gift that is their’s, I pray they will do that today. Move in our hearts, Lord. And may You find us faithful.

December 3 – A Twinkling Eye

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I Corinthians 15-16

Can you read these last chapters of I Corinthians and not get excited about “the twinkling of an eye,” the trumpet sound that will announce Jesus’ return, when “we will all be changed”? This broken down body of mine will be replaced with an unbreakable one. This mortal will put on immortality.

And I will finally see Jesus face to face. I want to shout, Hallelujah, just thinking about it!

For Christians, that day is something to get excited about, like children looking forward to Christmas morning. We will be swooped up into heaven, either from the grave, or while going about our day. And we’ll find ourselves in the most glorious place, at the throne of God!

But if you haven’t accepted the Savior as your own, you have reason to fear that day. The sound of that trumpet will cause terror to those who don’t know Jesus. Seeing Jesus descending from heaven, gathering up your neighbors, friends, and loved ones, will leave you utterly alone. You’ll look into Jesus’ eyes and see rejection, and know you have no one to blame but yourself.

Jesus is coming again. That’s a fact. I pray that you will be counted among those who welcome Him, because you’ve placed your sins at His feet and allowed Him to cover every one of them with His blood.

I pray that the twinkling eye will be yours when that trumpet sounds!

December 1 – Compulsion

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I Corinthians 9-11

Paul was a single-minded man. He had one aim, one purpose in life, and that was to tell everyone about Jesus. He even said, I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.  (9:16)

Later he compared himself to a runner with the aim of winning the race, and a boxer whose blows don’t beat the air.

I asked Siri to give me a definition of the word, compulsion. Here’s what she said:

  1. The action of forcing or being forced to do something; constraint.
  2. An irrestible urge to behave in a certain way, especially against one’s conscious wishes.

It sounds like maybe if you asked Paul, being a preacher might not have been his first choice of careers. He just couldn’t help himself. He HAD to share the gospel.

In 11:1, Paul tells us to imitate him, like he imitated Christ. He said those words after talking about being a servant, about considering the faith of others above all things.

As I read these chapters in I Corinthians I am convicted. I’m not sure I have the same compulsion to share Jesus as Paul had. As Christians, shouldn’t we all have the same passion for seeing people come to the Lord? Shouldn’t we all be so focused on Jesus we just can’t help but share Him with everyone we meet?

November 26 – Say It Anyway

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Acts 17-18:18

Religion is a hot topic. People are generally passionate about what they believe. Their beliefs defend their behavior. And their beliefs are often considered personal.

The people of Thessalonica are some of many examples in the Bible of what happens when talk about religion steps on toes. They listened to Paul for several weeks, and some believed in Jesus as a result. But, as often happens, other Jews got mad. It was ok for Paul to talk about Jesus, as long as they didn’t have to admit what they had believed was not true.

So, the Thessalonians decided to form a mob, and attack Paul. When they couldn’t find Paul, they beat up Jason instead. That’s what  mobs do. And this mob fueled by jealousy wanted to hurt someone.

Then, when the Thessalonian Jews heard Paul was preaching in Berea, they followed him there to cause trouble. This was not a mob easily distracted.

Do you ever feel like people are out to get you because of your faith in Jesus? Someone seems always belittling you, or talking against you behind your back, or making fun of you in front of your peers, because “you think you’re better than everyone else”?  Take heart. You are not alone. It’s been that way for thousands of years.

We can learn from Paul who, although he left Thessalonica, he didn’t stop talking about Jesus. He went through some tough situations, but he kept sharing Christ.

Here is the thing. If you know Jesus, you know the Truth. And there is only one Truth. If you know what Jesus has said, you know all religions can’t be true. There is One way, truth, and life, and no one goes to the Father except through His Son Jesus.

If you are tempted to keep your mouth shut because of the backlash of sharing Christ, don’t do it. Keep talking. It’s eternally important that people accept Jesus. They may be passionate about their beliefs, but unless they believe that Jesus is the Messiah who died to pay for their sins, they are lost. That’s not an opinion. It’s the Truth.

Let’s not be bullied into silence. It’s not enough to know the Truth. We’ve got to be taking about it, sharing it, leading others to their Savior. When people tell us to tolerate other religions, to accept other beliefs, don’t do it. When we are told to stop saying Jesus is the only way, say it anyway.

 

 

November 24 – Not Good Enough

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Galatians 1-3

Paul tells us God gave us the Law because people chose disobedience over obedience, and God wanted to be very clear what that looked like. The Law was not given as a means of salvation. It was never intended to be a list of rules to follow in order to earn God’s acceptance.

Paul says the Law is our tutor, teaching us that we are sinners in need of a Savior. All of us are sinners in need of a Savior. We are saved by faith in Jesus. Period.

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law…” (3:13)

“… for if by righteousness comes through the Law, then Christ died needlessly…” (3:21)

Friend, you will never be good enough to save yourself from hell. You’ll never be sincere enough to pay the price for your sins. You’ll never be kind enough, generous enough, thoughtful enough to erase even one of your sins.

Only Jesus can forgive your sins through His own precious blood. I pray that you have put your faith in the Savior. He’s more than good enough!

November 23 – Believe

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Acts 15-16

It sounds like it was really hard for the Jews to accept the new way of thinking about God. Old Testament Jews memorized a long list of rules and believed God’s acceptance of them depended on their obedience of those rule. And they were right to believe that.

So when Jesus came on the scene and told them He would fulfill the Law, and that access to God now came through Him instead of the Law, that was a hard pill to swallow. Maybe that’s why they wanted to add things like circumcision to salvation. It had been ingrained upon them that they had to DO something in order to be saved.

When Paul and Silas didn’t leave the jail, even when their chains fell off, the jailer realized they had something he wanted. He asked them what he needed to do to be saved.

They answered him, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your whole household.” (16:31) Salvation is in the name of Jesus.

Do you believe that? Oh, there are some things you will DO after you are saved. Like we saw yesterday, faith spills out in the things we do. But don’t think you can be good enough, or giving enough, or sincere enough to be saved.

There is no other name anywhere that can save. Do you believe Jesus is Lord, the Messiah who paid for your sin debt? Is your’s a belief that caused you to humble yourself at His feet, confess your sin, and accept His grace? I pray that is so.

November 20 – Not What He Expected

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Acts 11-12

I had one of those laugh-outloud moments again this morning as I read these chapters. Peter had just been miraculously freed from jail. An angel appeared in his cell where Peter slept, chained with two chains and lying between two soldiers. Guards were watching the prison, too.

But the angel told Peter to get up quickly. The chains fell off! Peter put on his shoes and coat and he followed the angel right past the guards. When they came to a gate, the gate opened all by itself. Peter was free! What an adrenaline rush.

Peter hurried to tell his friends what had happened to him. I can imagine his excitement. And we know how excitable Peter could be. He probably couldn’t wait to share the good news. I’m sure his heart was pounding in his chest.

So here’s what made me laugh out loud. A servant girl, Rhoda, answered what was probably Peter’s frantic knocking on the door. When she heard his voice and recognized it as belonging to the jailed apostle, she didn’t open the door. Instead she ran back to the other disciples to tell them Peter was there.

So here’s Peter, full of anticipation and excitement with the most amazing news to share. His hand was probably on the door knob, ready and eager to enter, when he realized he was alone. The door hadn’t  opened.

Not exactly the reception he’d imagined, I’m sure.

Of course, eventually they opened the door and let him in. He was able to share what had happened. But the moment was gone. Perhaps a little of the wind in his sails died a bit.

Sometimes people who come to the Lord have the same experience as Peter had. They meet the Savior. They ask Him to forgive them and for the first time in their lives they know what real joy is. They are washed clean, a new person in Christ, set free from the chains of sin. And they want to tell those closest to them.

So with excitement and anticipation, they burst on the scene to share the details of their conversion, only to be met with blank stares and cold shoulders. Not the reception they’d imagined.

But learn from what Peter did. He kept knocking until his friends opened the door. And I think God would have us do the same. If God has blessed you, if you have witnessed His hand in a situation, or if you’ve come to know Him for the first time, and your friends and loved ones don’t share your excitement, don’t stop knocking.

Keep talking about the Lord, keep pointing them to the Savior. Because one day, like in Peter’s case, I believe that door will open and you’ll be able to share the most incredible news with the people you love.

November 19 – Growing The Church

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Acts 9-10

As I read these chapters today I thought, “Wow. Ananias was a brave man!” God told him to go heal Saul, the church-hater, the persecutor of Christians, the one who had come to Damascus to arrest anyone naming the name of Jesus. God told Ananias to go to Saul. And he did.

Was that an act of bravery? If it were me, I’m not sure I’d be feeling very brave approaching Saul. I’d be shaking in my boots (or maybe sandals).

No, I don’t think Ananias is so much an example of a brave man, as he is an example of an obedient man.

One thing I noticed, the thing that’s convicted me this morning, is that God didn’t send Saul to Ananias. And God didn’t tell Ananias to paint his house or hire a rock band to entice Saul to come to him. God told Ananias to get up off his couch and knock on Saul’s door in person.

Ok, God. I hear You. This is how You intend to grow Your Church, one obedient person at a time. Forgive us if we depend on our pastors to do the legwork, and the praise team to draw people into our services, or our programs to get people into our doors. So often in Your Word You tell US to GO. Jesus went to the people. Philip went to the Ethiopian eunuch, Peter went to Dorcas, then to Cornelius. I don’t hear any of them inviting people to come to church. Rather, I hear them inviting them to know Jesus. I hear You saying the same thing to me. May I help grow Your Church today, as I obey Your leading to GO.

November 17 – We Must… I Did

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Acts 4-6

Last night my pastor shared some thoughts from Paul’s letter to Titus. He pointed out that the grace of God starts at salvation, but doesn’t end there. God’s grace instructs us to live godly lives and to look for Christ’s return. God’s grace reveals Jesus who redeems and purifies His children, who then become “zealous for good deeds.”

Then Paul says in Titus 2:15:

These things speak and exhort and reprove with all authority. Let no one disregard you.

The pastor challenged us to be zealous in talking about Jesus. If we really believe what Peter said in Acts 4:12, that there is no other salvation than in the name of Jesus, that our family and friends will go to hell without Him, then how can we remain silent?

The high priest warned Peter and John to stop talking about Jesus or bad things would happen to them. Peter answered:

We must obey God rather than man. (5:29)

Then Peter proceeded to talk to the high priest about Jesus. That’s zeal!

There are some people in our world today who continue to name the name of Jesus with a black hood over their heads, and machetes at their necks. We don’t face that threat yet in this country. But I wonder if we’re allowing ourselves to be bullied into silence, anyway.

God is asking me, and maybe asking you, who it is we are obeying. I don’t face a threat on my life if I talk about Jesus. But do I let public opinion handcuff me, am I afraid of stepping on toes, do I allow Satan’s voice to stop me from talking about Jesus because he’s convinced me my friend isn’t interested, or that I won’t know what to say?

Who cares? If I really believe that Jesus is the only salvation, and that anyone who doesn’t know Him as Savior will spend ETERNITY IN HELL…

then I must be zealously sharing Him every chance I get. I must make opportunities to talk about Jesus. I must ask the hard questions of my unsaved loved ones.

I must obey God and forget what man thinks about me.  Because in the end, I won’t be accountable to the United States government on that day. I will be accountable to God, however.

And when I look Jesus in the eye, I want… because of God’s grace… to be able to say that Paul’s “We must…” became my “I did.”

 

 

 

November 14 – He Is Risen!

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Matthew 28; Mark 16

Jesus is alive. The One who died on that cross got up from the grave and showed Himself to many people. Oh, some say it isn’t true. The guards were paid to say the disciples stole the body, and many people still believe that today.

Some say Jesus wasn’t really dead. It was an elaborate hoax executed by Jesus and the disciples. But it’s hard to explain away the water and blood that poured out of the dead body of Jesus when the soldier ran Him through with his sword. It’s hard to refute the eyewitness accounts of His death and burial.

They have trouble explaining how so many people could report seeing, talking to, and eating with Jesus after He died. But many people choose to believe the feeble explanations.

People can try to theorize about how it is Jesus pulled off such an impressive hoax. But the truth of the matter is, Jesus died, and then lived. He died. And then lived.

If you know Him, doesn’t that Truth make your heart soar? Jesus is alive! The tomb is empty because Jesus rose from the grave to live again.

Oh, what a wonderful Savior! Praise God! He is risen!