A Dash of Salt

How Jesus Heals a Sick Church

Worried about a potential flu pandemic, the Florida Department of Health developed some clever television PSAs to remind the public that simple precautions in daily hygiene can go along way to preventing the spread of disease.  "Germs are getting stronger.  Let's get smarter."  I think these commercials are hilarious, a little gross, but hilarious.  Take a minute to watch them: here and here. (HT: Joe Carter)

In Luke 17:1-6 Jesus gave his disciples three simple precautions that are together a powerful cure for the infection of sin in the fellowship of believers. 

• God judges sin, so make sure that you're not promoting it.  Jesus says that temptations and things that prompt us to sin are inevitable, but how horrible it will be for the person who tempts others to sin.  Sudden death by drowning would be better for that individual.
• People naturally sin, so help each other stop doing it.  Jesus commands his followers to pay careful attention to each other so we can encourage one another to turn away from sin.  This means we need to rebuke each other when necessary, and forgive each other when there is repentance.
• Faith resists sin, so use what you have to obey God.  Restoring one another with humility, love, and gentleness is one of the hardest parts of living the Christian life.  That's why we need faith!  Jesus says that if our faith in God is at least as big as a tiny mustard seed, then God can and will work powerfully on our behalf as we obey Him.

For a "How Jesus Heals a Sick Church" audio download, click here: Download sermon05.13.2007.mp3.  Sermon notes here: Download RebukeForgiveLk17.1-6.doc.

Reintroducing the Daily Compass

Would you like some help digging deeper into the Scriptures?  How about ideas for family or personal devotions?  Do you wish you could explore a Bible passage more thoroughly after hearing a message?  Then you may benefit from a devotional tool we have used at Littlestown Chapel called The Daily Compass.  This Bible study guide is designed to prompt you to think more deeply about the message of the Bible, particularly when it comes to application of what it says.  After a several month hiatus, the Compass is back.  Just click on this link and see for yourself: Download Compass051307.doc.

There Is A Fountain Filled with Blood

There Is A Fountain Filled with Blood
written by William Cowper, 1772

There is a fountain filled with blood  drawn from Emmanuel’s veins;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.
Lose all their guilty stains, lose all their guilty stains;
And sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stains.

The dying thief rejoiced to see that fountain in his day;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.
Washed all my sins away, washed all my sins away;
And there have I, though vile as he, washed all my sins away.

Dear dying Lamb, Thy precious blood shall never lose its power
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.
Be saved, to sin no more, be saved, to sin no more;
Till all the ransomed church of God be saved, to sin no more.

E’er since, by faith, I saw the stream Thy flowing wounds supply,
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.
And shall be till I die, and shall be till I die;
Redeeming love has been my theme, and shall be till I die.

Then in a nobler, sweeter song, I’ll sing Thy power to save,
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.
Lies silent in the grave, lies silent in the grave;
When this poor lisping, stammering tongue lies silent in the grave.

Lord, I believe Thou hast prepared, unworthy though I be,
For me a blood bought free reward, a golden harp for me!
’Tis strung and tuned for endless years, and formed by power divine,
To sound in God the Father’s ears no other name but Thine.

Why Did Jesus Have to Die? (3)

Jesus died to rescue us from the coming judgment.  Have you ever seen a sign that read “Jesus  Saves” and wondered what it meant?  It’s not a reference to Jesus’ banking practices.  Seriously though, Jesus rescues everyone who calls on him for help (Romans 10:13).  Why would we need to be saved and rescued?

In John 8:34-36 Christ told a group of religious people that they were slaves, not to other people, but to their own sin.  “Everyone who sins is a slave to sin.”  Using a common scene from the ancient world, Jesus compares us in our sinful condition to being like slaves sold in a market to the highest bidder.  What a horrible sight it must have been at a slave market back then.  Men, women, and children were abused like animals and sold into forced servitude, without any hope of escape.  Yet, that’s exactly what being a sinner is like.  Rather than making us free, going our own way and choosing to sin brings us greater bondage. 

We sinners are not being held hostage by Satan.  Instead, we’re enslaved to death and judgment from God.  Jesus claimed that the reason for his coming to earth was so he could offer his life as a ransom payment (Matthew 20:28).  The ransom payment was his life sacrificed on the cross for us.  The ransom was not paid to Satan but to God.  (Read Hebrews 2:14 and you’ll see how Jesus didn’t negotiate with Satan but destroyed his power through the crucifixion.)  Jesus’ death on the cross has bought sinners out of the slave market of sin and has set them free to follow God. 

Christ alone paid the ransom to rescue everyone who trusts in him (1Timothy 2:5-6).  Trusting Christ is the only way to escape the judgment you and I deserve because of our sins (Romans 8:1).  Everyone who depends on Christ no longer stands condemned before God!

Maybe you're thinking, "Jesus died for me, so what?" Do you realize that there’s a serious danger in watching a graphic portrayal of Jesus' death, like in The Passion of The Christ?  One can witness the sufferings of Jesus in gory detail and be emotionally moved . . . without it making any personal lasting difference at all!  How sad for this to happen, and how unnecessary.  Jesus Christ died so we could be forgiven completely.  He died so we could escape the judgment we deserve to suffer.  He died to restore us to a personal relationship with God that will last forever.  Once we understand the “why” of Jesus’ death we need to act upon it.

What will you do with Jesus who died in your place?  Will you trust him and so experience God’s forgiveness and acceptance?  It really doesn’t matter that Jesus suffered and died if you choose to not depend upon him.  Remember, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13).  Will you call on Jesus by faith?

Do you desire to investigate more fully the reasons for Christ’s passion?  You’ve seen the movie, why not now read the original script?  The Bible tells us the good news of why Jesus came to earth and died for us.  The biographies of Jesus’ life and ministry found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John in the New Testament clearly explain the purpose behind Jesus’ passion. Explore what it means to follow Christ with others.  Gather with a group of other Christians and worship Jesus with them. Be sure to tell others about how Jesus has shown you God’s forgiveness and acceptance in a personal way.

Why Did Jesus Have to Die? (2)

For all the blood and gore in the physical sufferings of Jesus Christ, by far the most painful experience He endured on that first Good Friday was being rejected by his Heavenly Father.  When Jesus cried out, "My God, my God! Why have you forsaken Me?," He was not delusional.  He felt the agony of having his own Father, the Almighty and All-Holy God, turn his back on Him while He hung on the cross.  Why did God reject his own, beloved Son?  Because Jesus, the sinless Son of God, was bearing every sin you and I and everyone else has ever committed.  As you can see, something very wonderful and powerful was happening during those lonely hours when Jesus suffered on the cross.

Jesus died to give us acceptance with God.  Not only has Christ’s death made it possible for God to forgive sinful people, but it also enables him to fully accept them.  The Bible uses the term “justification” to describe the act in which God not only forgives sin but also declares right with him everyone who trusts in Christ.  Romans 3:22-26 tells us how Jesus’ death on the cross made our forgiveness and acceptance with God possible.  Notice also that Galatians 2:15-16 says that it’s faith in Christ, and not our own self-effort, which leads to our justification.  Keeping the Ten Commandments or other rules will never make a person acceptable to God, but trusting Christ will.

Jesus went through all the pain and suffering of his passion to restore our broken relationship with God.  Our sin caused us to be expelled from God’s family, so in order to be reconciled with him we needed to have our sin problem removed.  No amount of effort on our part could ever make us acceptable to him, but thankfully, the death of Christ does bring about reconciliation with God.  We now can have peace with him when we trust in Christ (Romans 5:1-2).  Then and only then will we be welcomed back into God’s family (John 1:12). 

The death of Jesus on the cross not only impacts our lives today but it can also dramatically alter our future!

Why Did Jesus Have to Die? (1)

Was the death of Jesus just a senseless act of violence, or could there be a purpose behind his passion?

Jesus’ death was not an accident of history.  Nor did he die only as a martyr and moral example.  The meaning of Christ’s passion is much greater than such shallow suggestions.  There's a scene in the gospel accounts of Jesus' trials that shows us why Christ had to die.  Jesus has been brought before the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate.  When Pilate realizes Jesus' innocence, he tries to negotiate His release.  Pilate gives the angry mob a choice; he can set free either Jesus or a murderous criminal awaiting execution, named Barabbas.  Incredibly, the crowd chooses Barabbas and demands that Jesus be crucified!  Christ winds up dying in Barabbas’ place.  Barabbas lived because Jesus died.  You can click and read about this story in Luke 23:13-25.  In a sense you and I are like Barabbas, and Jesus has died in our place.  Why did he do so?  Let's explore what the Bible has to say about why Christ had to die.

Jesus died to pay our debt so we could be forgiven.  Imagine the relief you would feel if someone came along and generously paid off all your debts.  No more mortgage payments!  All your school loans finally paid off!  Those maxed-out credit cards now having a zero-balance!  It’s a wonderful feeling to be out from under a crushing load of debt. 

Whether or not you are in debt financially, every person is in debt to God because of sin.  You and I have sinned and fall short of what God expects (Romans 3:23).  Perhaps that last sentence offended you, but the truth is each of us does hurt others and ourselves, and has offended God by breaking his rules for living.  Don’t make the mistake of concluding that you’re not a sinner just because you aren’t a murderer or child-molester.  All of us have rebelled against God our Creator, and we may not even be aware of it.  Often our hostility takes the form of a quiet disobedience and casual indifference toward God.  None of us are exempt from the guilt of sinning because there’s no one who always does what is right in God’s sight (Romans 3:10).  Our sin places us in debt to God, whose holiness and justice demand that he punish our sin.  Romans 6:23 tells us that sin requires a payment, and that payment is death. 

The trouble is all of us human beings are spiritually bankrupt and cannot pay off the debt of our sin to God.  It’s impossible to work off our debt and earn God’s favor in the process.  Click on Ephesians 2:8-9 and see that the only way we can have our debt with God cancelled is by trusting in Christ who died for us.  Remember, Jesus died on the cross, not because he was forced to, but because he chose to out of his great love for us.  He took each of our places, suffering as our Substitute, and thus paid the debt every one of us owed God due to our sins (Romans 5:8).  Christ endured the excruciating pain and shame of the cross so we would not have too. 

Isn’t it remarkable what Jesus said while hanging on the cross, “Father, forgive them…” (Luke 23:34)?  Down through history many people have died seeking revenge on those who had hurt them.  Jesus did the exact opposite!  He forgave those who brought about his sufferings and death.  Today, you can experience the forgiveness Jesus purchased for you by confessing your sins to God (1 John 1:9).  You have his guarantee that anyone who admits their sins to him will be forgiven.

Marriage and the "S" Word

Just in time for Valentine's Day, the latest issue of Reader's Digest features an article with the front page, eye-grabbing title, "7 Secrets to A SEXY MARRIAGE."  You'll have to read the article yourself to learn what the secrets are and how they can help your marriage.  (They are actually quite practical, even biblical in their counsel.)

There's been a different "S" word on my mind when I've thought lately about my marriage.  It's the "S" word found in Ephesians 5:21, "Submitting to one another in the fear of Christ."  Bauer and Danker define "submission" here as meaning "voluntary yielding in love."  This verse stands at the head of a long exposition by Paul on Spirit-directed family life (Ephesians 5:22-6:4).  Traditionally, preachers told only wives that they had to submit to their husbands.  If I understand the relationship between verse 21 and those following, then all Christians must submit to one another -- not just the wives, but also husbands, children, and parents. 

Every believer is commanded to be continually filled with God's Spirit (Ephesians 5:18).  One of the results of the Spirit's control over Christians is that they choose to humbly serve their fellow believers, regardless of their gender, age, race, or social status.  So, according to the Bible, the secret to a happy marriage is not great sex but great submission by husbands and wives.  God's plan is voluntary yielding in love to each other and Christ.

This morning at Men's Fraternity, we heard Robert Lewis explain a definition of manhood by comparing the actions of the first Adam in the Garden of Eden with those of the Second Adam, Jesus Christ.  Through this contrast, I was reminded that true leadership is simply rejecting passivity and assuming responsibility.  How does a Christian husband submit to his wife and children?  By refusing to sit and watch passively, and by taking responsibility for their welfare both physically and spiritually.  Servant husbands are not necessarily the smartest, strongest, wisest, richest, or most courageous men, but they do choose to take responsibility for their families while depending on God's grace.  They voluntarily yield in love.

The Holy Spirit confronts our natural, sinful selfishness and enables us to give of ourselves in service to others rather than seek our own gain.  In Spirit-filled homes and churches, everyone submits to each other.  Husbands love like Jesus does the church, and wives honor like the church should Christ, while children obey and parents nurture.  All of a sudden family life gets an extreme home makeover...lust becomes love, getting becomes giving, selfishness becomes serving, and seeking rights becomes showing respect. 

Does your marriage need a submission makeover?  Don't wait for your spouse to start it; choose to voluntarily yield to her or him in love today and see what happens.

God's Grace & God's Peace

“Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus through the will of God, and Timothy our brother, to the saints (holy ones) and faithful brothers in Christ at Colossae: Grace to you and peace from God our Father.”  (Colossians 1:1-2)

Paul introduces his letter to the Colossians by calling himself an apostle, an authorized messenger of Christ Jesus.  With this title, Paul is stating his right and responsibility to teach the Colossians in the following letter, and that what he has to say comes from Messiah Jesus.  His readers will do well to remember his authority when they read his words of warning later in the epistle concerning the false teachers threatening their church.  Note that Paul did not seek out the apostleship on his own, but rather serves Christ in this capacity “by the will of God,” who called and appointed him.  Timothy, whom Paul calls “our brother,” is with the apostle, supporting him while he was in prison, which was most likely in Rome.  P. T. O’Brien believes that “brother” here is best understood as “co-worker” rather than “fellow-Christian.”

The Colossians are identified by Paul with two theological nametags: They are holy people (“saints”) and faithful members of God’s family.  As holy people, they are God’s property because they have been purchased through the death of Jesus Christ (1 Corinthians 6:19-20) and as such are set aside from sin to serve Him.  It's important to recognize that every Christian is a holy person/saint, and not just those who appear to be superspiritual or who have been especially honored by the church. Our status as saints should prompt us to live holy lives, to be holy like God is.  Paul also calls his readers “faithful brothers.”  Through their wholehearted trust in Christ they have become members of God’s family.  Paul recognizes that they are faithful and loyal to Christ because they have faith in the God who is himself faithful.  To the best of our knowledge, Paul had never visited the Colossians prior to his writing them this letter. How would he have known about their wholehearted faith?

Paul begins his letter with a prayerful wish for God to extend his grace and peace to them.  God’s grace brings God’s peace.  Grace is more than “unmerited favor.”  An old preacher used to define God’s grace as, “Everything which God is free to do for the believer on the basis of the finished work of Christ.”  When utilized, these graciously given “divine operating assets” provide harmony and wholeness (“shalom”) with God, with others, and within ourselves.  The child of God now possesses a relationship of peace with God because of the grace of God.

Think about it:  Do you have peace with God?  How can the grace of God help you have peace with others and within yourself?  Would you call your faith in Christ "wholehearted"?  Are you trusting in anything else rather than Him?  What are your thoughts as you reflect on these verses?

Why I Hang Out at Panera Bread

Here's an interesting post by Rick Meigs at the blog, Blind Beggar, on the social phenomenon involving "Third Places" where people go for community.  "Social well-being and psychological health depend upon community."  (Thanks, Steve McCoy) 

Panera for me is a third place...not home and not work, but a third place where I can go to study and connect with folks in the community.  There's just enough noise and movement to help me focus, friendly people, free WiFi, and good coffee, to boot.  And besides all this, if I'm lucky, I get to sample the Holiday Bread, like I did today.  Twice!  Very, very good, indeed.

Are You Forgetting Something in Your Prayers? (2)

Another reason for thanking God is this: Thanking God puts me and you in our proper place.  It humbles us by reminding us that we are dependent on God.  I think that this fact alone is one of the main reasons we tend to not thank God or others.  We don't like to admit that we need them.

Remember the story in Luke 17:11-19 of Jesus healing the ten men with leprosy?  It's a lesson on the power of Jesus and the power of gratitude:

Now on his way to Jerusalem, Jesus traveled along the border between Samaria and Galilee. As he was going into a village, ten men who had leprosy met him. They stood at a distance and called out in a loud voice, "Jesus, Master, have pity on us!"

When he saw them, he said, "Go, show yourselves to the priests." And as they went, they were cleansed.

One of them, when he saw he was healed, came back, praising God in a loud voice. He threw himself at Jesus' feet and thanked him—and he was a Samaritan.

Jesus asked, "Were not all ten cleansed? Where are the other nine? Was no one found to return and give praise to God except this foreigner?" Then he said to him, "Rise and go; your faith has made you well."  (NIV)

"Your faith has made you well."  By so blessing the grateful Samaritan, Jesus shows that thanksgiving is an expression of our humble, trustful dependence on God.  In a very real sense, ungratefulness = pride.  When we don't give thanks, it might be because we actually trust in ourselves.

"If a person, at the same time that he receives remarkable kindness from God, has a sense of His infinite greatness, and that he is but nothing in comparison of Him, surely this will naturally raise his gratitude and praise the higher, for kindness to one so much inferior." (Jonathan Edwards)

But even as it humbles us by exposing our neediness, thanksgiving also reminds us of God's past faithfulness.  It encourages my continued faith in Him.  When I give thanks, I remember that God is good and great, and that even though life is hard and full of trials, He remains faithful in his love for you and me.  Our circumstances change, but our faithful God does not.  We can trust Him now.  The Psalmist understood this:

Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations.  (Psalm 100:4-5, NIV)

Give thanks to the LORD, call on his name; make known among the nations what he has done. Sing to him, sing praise to him; tell of all his wonderful acts.  (Psalm 105:1-2, NIV)

Our giving thanks strengthens our faith.  Our giving thanks testifies of God's greatness to the world.  Our giving thanks tells our children that they can trust God, too.  Maybe we Christians would be a more persuasive witness in the world if instead of protesting we spent more time giving thanks for all that God has done.

I'm looking forward to our Thanksgiving Praise Service tonight at the Chapel.  It's a tradition, yes, but it's also alive.  When I hear of all that God has done in our church family this past year...I come away full, overwhelmed by the Lord's faithfulness to little ol' me and my brothers and sisters in Christ.  The simplicity of it all is remarkable.  Just us, God's children, telling our Daddy in Heaven that we are thank-full to Him.

Giving thanks is powerful!  Do you understand the impact your thanksgiving can have on your own faith?  Do you see how it can influence others to trust God as well?  Are you full of thanks to God?  When will you tell Him?