Problems Solved... Follow Me

“Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.” 

(2 Corinthians 5:17)

Isn’t it odd how people, when things go bad, wonder why God doesn't fix it? Why God allows all these terrible things to happen? We often ask, “God, why don’t you show up and make all this right and fix it?”

I saw a video today that sort of hit on this a bit. So it made me think, hasn’t he already done it? Hasn’t He already given us the solution for all problems? 

When Jesus was born in that stable He was the gift, the plan, the cure, the way, the truth and the life. He was and still is the perfect solution to all our woes. When He died and was  raised again, he was the fix  for the worlds deepest issues. The problem isn’t God and His lack of concern for this world, the problem is the worlds lack of concern for the Christ. 

Let's not “ imagine what it would be like if God just swooped down and fixed everything”… He has, but most are just not taking hold of His solution for the cure. He even gave us a book that explains it all and what we need to do, but most laugh at it. Then they whine and complain about all the troubles in the world, the whole time shunning the very maintenance manual that God gave us to live by. 

Think…what would the world be like if all people honestly placed their faith in Jesus Christ and lived and obeyed Him? See what I’m saying? The problem isn't God, it's man and his disobedience. We have troubles, violence, crime, terrorism, etc… because man disobeys God. God has given us Who we need to fix it all and given Him as a free gift. 

We scream, “GOD!! FIX THE PROBLEMS!!!” 

God says, “Problems solved…follow Me”

Vern

The Ally of Darkness

"And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil." (John 3:19)

There is a scene in "The Dark Knight Rises", where the bad guy Bane and Batman are fighting. Batman shuts the lights off and Bane, who has a very creepy voice by the way, says, 

"Ah you think darkness is your ally? You merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, molded by it. I didn't see the light until I was already a man, by then it was nothing to me but blinding!" 

This quote made me think of John 3:19-21. Like Bane, we start off in darkness. We are born lost. And the longer we reject Christ, the more we become comfortable in that darkness and the more light becomes hard to tolerate. We can get so comfortable in the dark that light is just what Bane said, "blinding". We can come to hate it. It hurts. 

Have you ever been dead asleep in a dark room and someone come in and flipped on the light? Dude that is painful. It makes your eyes truly hurt. But think about this, that pain is only temporary, it goes away. In darkness we may find comfort, but we are very limited in what we can do in the dark, because our sight is limited or nonexistent, depending on the amount of darkness. But in the light, there is freedom. We can see clearly and enjoy so much more. But to get to the light, we have to come through the pain of the light. 

When we come to Christ, when we realize our brokenness and emptiness  and our disobedience to a God who loves us, it is painful. But that pain, bring great joy and freedom. 

Don't let the darkness be your ally, make the light your Lord. 

Vern

Wives Submit

 "Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord." (Ephesians 5:22) 

Yea, that verse more than likely just enraged you as you read it, or puffed you up, probably depending on your gender. This verse often infuriates many of the female class because the word submit which in this case means "to yield oneself to the authority or will of another :surrender" (Webster), doesn't fit with today's feminist mentality. Most women even in the church are bothered by this verse. But why? Often it is because the verse has been misused within the church. In some churches it is taught that the woman is to be quiet and never should speak. That she should be in submission to her husband even if he is an ungodly man. 

This verse has also been one that puffed up the chest of many "men" who want to be the head of their family, but have never earned that right. Some think, “Heck, submit to me like she would the Lord, that’s awesome, preach it pastor! Hope she’s listening.”  It's nice when you can point to a scripture that will back-up your macho, male agenda. For decades a lot of churches put a great amount of emphasis on verses 22-24, but in truth, is that the way these verses should be used? 

I honestly believe that where overbearing men and feminist get it wrong, is that they never seem to make it past verse 24. Because if they did, they would see that there may be 3 verse that instruct women on how to be toward their husbands, but there are 7 verses that give instructions to the man on how to be toward their wives…and the verses for the men, are much tougher. 

Women are to submit themselves to their husbands, but men are to love their wives as Christ loved the church. Not sure if you are familiar with how Christ loved the church? But, He loved her when she was unlovable. He loved her when she was right and when she was wrong. He loved her with an unconditional love. He protected her and comforted her. Sheltered her and clothes her. He never asked for anything in return. He was selfless. With a selfless love for His bride. He gave her someone, she could trust in good times and bad times. He would never leave her or forsake her, no matter her response. He  was beaten and bruised for her,  nailed to a rugged, splintery cross and was gouged in the side with a spear for her. He gave it all for her…He died for her. Men, love your wife as Christ loved the church, so that she will feel safe in submission to you as she is to the Lord. 

So if you are a feminist type of a “lady” who can’t find it in your heart to submit to your husband, even though your husband is striving to be like Christ and love you as Christ loved the church, then you truly need to drop to your knees and repent. You are one of two things, away from God or not His at all. 

For the “man”, who wants a wife who will follow,  but expects her to, despite  his ungodly lifestyle and lack of Christlikeness toward her, then you too need to drop to your knees and repent. You are one of two things, away from God or not His at all. 

“However, let each one of you love his wife as himself, and let the wife see that she respects her husband.” (Ephesians 5:33)

Vern

“Wooly Bully”

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it?” 

(Luke 15:4)

In Australia a sheep was found looking to be about five to six years old, they believe he had never been shorn. It was kind of funny looking, you could hardly see his legs and all you could make out of his face was his mouth and nose. They gave him the name “Chris”, and placed him under anesthetics so that they could shear him of his 93 pounds of wool. Enough they said to knit about 30 sweaters.

Tammy Ven Dange who rescued Chris, said that he had suffered skin burns from urine trapped in his fleece and could have died within weeks if left in the wild.

When I read this story my mind immediately went to the parable of the lost sheep, in Luke 15 where the Tax collectors and sinners were drawing close to Jesus and the Pharisees started grumbling about Jesus being around them. When Jesus heard them he gave this parable,

“What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing. And when he comes home, he calls together his friends and his neighbors, saying to them, ‘Rejoice with me, for I have found my sheep that was lost.’ Just so, I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance.”  

When we are away from Jesus, we are a lot like Chris; we are weighed down with all our baggage that only He can relieve us of. God also created us with a plan and purpose in mind and when we are not His, we are wasting those gifts that God gave us.

When they found Chris, he had enough wool to knit 30 sweaters…THIRTY! Just think how good he felt after he was shorn and all that extra weight, that 93 pound burden was lifted off of his back. The feeling he had of freedom must have been amazing. Imagine how useful Chris would have been if he had just gone to the shepherd. All that wool could have been put to good use.

Ven Dange also said that Chris would have died within weeks if he would have stayed in the wild. We are told in scripture that without Christ, we will die, that those who have the Son have life, but those without the Son do not have life. (1 John 5:12)If we stay in the wild, we will also die.

Jesus doesn’t want you weighed down with baggage and guilt. He has great plans for you; He has had them for a long time. He also wants you to come to the Good Shepherd and live…forever.

Vern

FaceTime Fellowship

"And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near." (Hebrews 10:24-25)

I've worked with youth in some shape form or fashion for the last 20 years. I truly enjoy being around the students and have always felt called to teaching and preaching to them. I've tried teaching in an adult class and honestly, it's boring. LOL

The students just light up, when they get it, when it clicks. It's awesome to see them get a Biblical truth and their eyes light up. 

There's another reason I truly like teaching youth...you never know what will happen during class. A few Sundays ago I experienced what Hebrews 10:24-25 speaks of. 

Just before I was about to start Sunday School, I got a text from Cameron Calloway one of our students. He asked if he could FaceTime me. I have never FaceTimed and didn't truly know why he would want to FaceTime me when we were about to start class. But I said sure you can. Now I'm setting in front of our youth group and Cam FaceTimes me. He is at home sick and wants to be in Sunday School. So I let different kids hold my phone...or Cam, so he could set in on class. It was hilarious, but also inspiring. 

Wouldn't it be awesome if all of us wanted to be with our brothers and sisters in Christ so much so that we would FaceTime if we couldn't be there? What if we all had that hunger to be with other Christians and to study God's word? That's what Hebrews is talking about. Don't forsake the time when Christians come together in The worship of our savior. 

See why I like teaching youth? When most will stay out if it's raining too hard, a youth will come in by phone when they are sick. We all need that hunger for Christian fellowship. 

Thanks Cam, that really inspired me. 

Vern

God's Top Ten Commandments

"​​So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty." (James 2:12)

In a "Family Circus" comic strip Billy the oldest son is standing holding a closed Bible and says, "Who wants to hear me recite God's top Ten Commandments?"

God's Ten Commandments can be considers His "top ten", because those ten, teach us how we should be to God and man. Now these Commandments are not what we live by in order to earn salvation, but they are to be a guide for our life, if we know Christ.

The first 4 show us how to honor and serve God. Take a look:

1st: "I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. You shall have no other gods before me."

2nd: "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments."

3rd: "You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain."

4th: "Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."

(Exodus 20:2-11)

The last 6 show us how to interact with our family and neighbors. 

5th: "Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you."

6th: "You shall not murder.

7th: "You shall not commit adultery."

8th: "You shall not steal."

9th: "You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor."

10th: "You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's."

(Exodus 20:12-17)

Imagine if all people lived out to the best they could these Commandments. It would truly be a different world, just if they lived it out on their own. But these are not meant to be lived out on our own. When we come to Christ for salvation and allow Him to lead our life living through us as the Holy Spirit, He lives these out through us. 

But some say that these Commandments are not important, in the age of the New Testament and the "Law of Liberty" that we live under today, due to salvation. 

But Jesus took them very seriously.

 When asked by a Pharisee, "What is the great commandment in the Law?"

Jesus replied:

"You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets."

(Matthew 22:37-40)

Jesus gave them a summery of the 10 Commandments. He went on to say that these Commandments are what the Law and all of scripture is based on. Our love and obedience to God and our love and treatment of our neighbor. 

So are they important? Yes! We should, as Christians, "speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty" (James 2:12) and also be able to recite "God's top Ten Commandments", knowing them will help you better live by them. 

Vern