Jesus and the little children

Pregnancy is usually a wonderful time in the life of a woman. However, there are circumstances that make people feel like they either aren't ready for a child or should end the child's life for the child's own good. What can we learn from God's word about how he feels about children and His plans for them?

1. Who made us?

We are told that God created our inmost being and knit us in our mothers' wombs. (Psalm 139:13) This tells us that while there are biological, chemical, and physiologic changes involved, it is truly God that creates us.

2. Who hates little children?

Certainly not Jesus, who told the little children to come to Him. (Matthew 19:14). We do find that evil people throughout history have hated little children including Pharoah (Exodus 1:22), King Herod (Matthew 2:16), and others (Leviticus 18:21, 2 Kings 17:31, 2 Chronicles 28:3, 33:6, Ezekial 16:20-21, 23:39)

3. What does God have planned for The people He created?

He sent Jesus to save all of the people who believe in him. (John 3:16) He has a plan to prosper His children and not to harm them...to give us a hope and a future. (Jeremiah 29:11).

We may not always understand how God will use what we view in the moment as a mistake or tragedy, but He will. This is because He is God and His ways are higher than ours. (Isiah 55:9) So, whether a child is conceived in celebration or horrible circumstances or if the child is predicted to have a short and/or difficult life, it is not a surprise to God. He has a plan for that child and that child may touch more lives than any "normal or planned" child ever will.

What will you do to stand up for these little children who cannot defend themselves?

Love people, not sin

There has been a lot of thoughts put out about Christianity and homosexuality in the past few months. I think this is actually ignoring a lot of other issues that affect many more people and will try to address the larger framework briefly here:

1. I am to love my neighbor as myself. (Matthew 22:37-40) To do that I have to know what kind of person is my neighbor and who am I?

2. We have ALL sinned and fallen short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) This doesn't sound like a big deal, because who's perfect, right? Well it is a big deal, because our sin makes us unable to live in Heaven with God without accepting Jesus' sacrifice for my sins and His Lordship over my life.

3. So that means I'm good to do whatever I want as a Christian, right? Not quite. When Jesus prevented the women caught committing adultery from getting stoned, he didn't encourage another affair. He told her to "sin no more". (John 8:1-11) When he met the Samaritan woman at the well living with a man out of wedlock, he didn't celebrate her "independence". Instead He offered her the "Living Water". (John 4) We are not called to celebrate sin, but to love sinners and point people toward Jesus because they need Him, like I need Him.

So, this means that we are to love people because we are all sinners in need of the Saviour. Being saved doesn't excuse sinning and we certainly don't celebrate sinning. But we don't let Satan rule our future with our past either, we go forth with the goal to sin no more.

What are you doing to make sure that people still feel your love while hating sin?

How Many Ways Are There to be a Super Bowl Champion?

The Indianapolis Colts and New Orleans Saints are set to face off in this year’s Super Bowl. There will be many bets including who will score first, have more passing yards, and have more first downs. However, none of these things make either of the teams a Super Bowl champion. The only way to be this year’s Super Bowl champion is to score more points than the other team during this year’s Super Bowl.

How many ways are there to know God the Father? Jesus said “...I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6). We are told in John 3:17-18 “For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe in him stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son”. And how are we saved? Ephesians 2:8-9 tells us “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith - and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast”.

At the end of the Super Bowl there will be only one champion. More importantly, we as Christians know that belief in Christ’s redemptive sacrifice for our sins and acceptance of His lordship in our lives is the only way to have a personal relationship with God. Will you take a moment to be thankful that “...everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:21)?

Who Do You "Go To"?

You probably have heard the expression “go-to guy” before. This is the person that people go to when they need something or when times get tough because they know that the “go-to guy” will come through. Wouldn’t it be nice to always have someone that you could count on regardless of the circumstances in your life?

Fortunately, there is one who is able to provide just that for those who have trusted Jesus Christ as his/her Lord and Saviour. Proverbs 1:7 tells us that “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom...”. Jesus also tells us “If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” (Matthew 7:9-12). These gifts include that God will never forsake or leave us (Hebrews 13:5), will meet all of our needs according to His glorious riches (Philipians 4:19), and He asks us to cast all of our anxieties on Him (1 Peter 5:7). We are further told God will deliver us in our day of trouble if we call upon Him (Psalm 50:15).

These promises are not made by a weak god, but instead by the one true God. Jesus was able to control the sea, cast demons out of men, feed thousands by multiplying food, and conquer death. This is why Paul was able to write “No, in all things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ our Lord” (Romans 8:37-39).

Who’s Number 1?

Alabama and Texas are facing off tonight to determine who is the number 1 college football team in the country. However, there is a much more important question that we face each day of our lives. Who is number 1 in our lives to drive our thoughts, actions, and habits? A lot of potential answers can be discussed, but they ultimately boil down to two options. Do we try to be the god of our own lives or do we allow the one Holy God to be sovereign in our lives?

Saying that we can serve both ourselves and God is not an acceptable answer. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:24 that “No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and money.” Similarly, the account of the rich young ruler who could not bear to part with his possessions reminds us of how true Jesus’ words are (Luke 18:18-27). In addition, the accounts of Moses, David, and Peter give personal examples of how even God’s servants can succumb to their own selfish desires at times.

So, why should we allow God to be number 1 in our lives? For starters, He sent Christ to save the world (John 3:16). We are also told in Psalm 119:105 that God’s word is “...a lamp to my feet and a light for my path.” Psalm 23 reminds us that if we allow God to serve as our shepherd that we shall not be in want and shall fear no because God is with us. Paul reminds us in Romans 8:31 “...If God is for us, who can be against us?...”. I am encouraged when I am reminded of these great promises from God...I hope you are too.

What’s Your Role?

While you may hear farmers brag about the harvest they had in a particular year, you willl seldom hear them claim responsibility for the crop’s growth. You may hear some talk about working harder or smarter by picking the best variety of seed for their region, supplying additional nutrients with fertilizer or irrigation, or using a variety of methods to suppress the growth of weeds. At the end of the crop year, the farmer is ultimately dependent on a power higher than himself to make the harvest plentiful.

The same can be said about evangelism. We are told in 1st Corinthians 3:5-8 “What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe - as the Lord has assigned each his task. I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor.

The parable of the four soils (Luke 8:4-18) tells us that the farmer went out to sow his seed (the word of God) and that the type of soil (heart of the person) it fell on determined what would happen to the seed. Whether you are a sower/planter or a waterer to family and friends this Christmas season, the results are not in your hands. God has given each of us a job to do and has told us to give it all, including the glory of a bountiful harvest, to God. The question is do you trust God enough to leave it in His hands?

What’s on Your Christmas List?

I remember being so excited when the JCPenny and Sears Christmas catalogs would arrive at our house as a kid. I would look through them and pick out all sorts of things that would be on my list. As I’ve grown up, my list has gotten smaller and I’ve come to realize that I don’t “need” nearly as many things on my list as I thought I did.

If anyone has come to realize this, it would have to be people who God has asked to lead the Israelites over history. If you ask most folks in the military for what they need to obtain victory, they will talk to you about numbers of troops, technology and ammunition, and strategic locations. God used the physical example of Moses raising his staff to defeat the Amalekites (Exodus 17:8-16). God told Gideon that 22,000 troops were too many and slashed the troop allotment to a mere 300 men to defeat the Midianites (Judges 7). God told Joshua to march around the walls of Jericho, which were 25 feet tall by 20 feet thick, once a day for six days. On the seventh day they were told to march around the city seven times blowing their trumpets and the mighty walls collapsed.

So, we can talk about what God needs to give us in order for us to be joyful...or we can realize that we are made to serve the almighty God of the universe. Jesus told us “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows you need them. But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well” (Matthew 6:31-33). Have you looked at your wish list lately? Are you happy with what’s on it?