Newness of God
Malachi 3.16-18
16 Then those who feared the LORD talked with each other, and the LORD listened and heard. A scroll of remembrance was written in his presence concerning those who feared the LORD and honored his name. 17 "They will be mine," says the LORD Almighty, "in the day when I make up my treasured possession. I will spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him. 18 And you will again see the distinction between the righteous and the wicked, between those who serve God and those who do not.
New Year's is often a time of reflection and learning. We look back at the events that unfolded, and we look forward, hoping to learn, “What can we do differently?” God has answers.
In Malachi, we see God's faithfulness of newness to those who “feared the LORD.” God promises that “in the day when [He makes] up [his] treasured possession” he would “spare them, just as in compassion a man spares his son who serves him.” You see, long before any of us were born, the Lord had plans of restoration for His children. That restoration applied to the men in Malachi who “feared the LORD,” and it applies to us today.
What we must always remember is that the Lord has plans to love and protect His children. We will be spared from His wrath, and we will see His justice demonstrated(if not now, then someday). These blessings came through Christ—the new world resolution. Through Him, “we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens,” and by Him we can “approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4.14a, 16).
Thank the Lord today that we have newness of life through Christ. As you go through the New Year season, remember this newness. Thank the Lord for it. What a wonderful gift! Amen.
Happy New Year!
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Innocence Through Grace
Innocence Through Grace
Romans 9.22-26
22What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? 25As he says in Hosea: "I will call them 'my people' who are not my people; and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one," 26and, "It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.'
The greatest gift God gave us as Christians is salvation. Through the redemption from our sins, we live as innocent, grace-centered creatures under God's mercy instead of wrath. I encourage you to read the entire chapter of Romans 9 to better understand this concept of grace and mercy. It is a wonderful explanation of the plan of redemption played out throughout history and fulfilled ultimately in Jesus Christ. Beloved, this is the innocence under which we fall.
You see, as sinners, we were, as the Scripture says, “objects of [God's] wrath” who were “prepared for destruction.” We were sinners bound for hell, for God, being eternally just, must by His very nature punish sin. We do not expect a judge to simply pardon someone without a payment of some sort—that would be unjust. Everyone expects a murderer to pay for his crime, and yet we wonder why God is so serious about sin? Thankfully, though all of us should have been destroyed, the Scripture says that God “bore with great patience the objects of his wrath.” We see this plan of forgiveness laid out in the Old Testament and at the beginning of the New Testament with John the Baptist. Men who should have been killed under the law were forgiven, but where did that payment go? Why was all wickedness not punished? It is because God had a plan of redemption for His children—both Jews and Gentiles.
That plan involves making us innocent—not under the law, but under grace. Romans 3.23-26 says this:
“23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
From whence doth our innocence derive? From the blood of Christ made full alive. Though we have all “sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” we are “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” You see, God poured out His wrath on His Son. That is why Jesus was “presented...as a sacrifice of atonement.” By this sacrifice, God punished our sins and “[demonstrated] his justice” for those “sins committed” which he had left “beforehand unpunished.”
The punishment, then, is paid. There is now “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8.1-2). We are innocent, and we must live as such. Ought not the innocent live in innocence? But if we fall into sin, we know that God will convict us and bring us back under His grace. We must strive to live in holiness to God, but we must not allow Satan to tempt us into thinking that our mistakes spell out eternal doom. We are still in a process of becoming like Christ. We are not yet perfect, but it is perfection for which we strive.
I pray that if you are not living in the knowledge of your innocence to God today, you will ask Christ for such a mindset. Always remember the grace you have been given. Allow it to renew and brighten you. Remember, Ephesians 2.8 says that “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Live your life in grace, and thank God for the innocence you have through Jesus! He did not die for nothing! Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Romans 9.22-26
22What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath—prepared for destruction? 23What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory— 24even us, whom he also called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles? 25As he says in Hosea: "I will call them 'my people' who are not my people; and I will call her 'my loved one' who is not my loved one," 26and, "It will happen that in the very place where it was said to them, 'You are not my people,' they will be called 'sons of the living God.'
The greatest gift God gave us as Christians is salvation. Through the redemption from our sins, we live as innocent, grace-centered creatures under God's mercy instead of wrath. I encourage you to read the entire chapter of Romans 9 to better understand this concept of grace and mercy. It is a wonderful explanation of the plan of redemption played out throughout history and fulfilled ultimately in Jesus Christ. Beloved, this is the innocence under which we fall.
You see, as sinners, we were, as the Scripture says, “objects of [God's] wrath” who were “prepared for destruction.” We were sinners bound for hell, for God, being eternally just, must by His very nature punish sin. We do not expect a judge to simply pardon someone without a payment of some sort—that would be unjust. Everyone expects a murderer to pay for his crime, and yet we wonder why God is so serious about sin? Thankfully, though all of us should have been destroyed, the Scripture says that God “bore with great patience the objects of his wrath.” We see this plan of forgiveness laid out in the Old Testament and at the beginning of the New Testament with John the Baptist. Men who should have been killed under the law were forgiven, but where did that payment go? Why was all wickedness not punished? It is because God had a plan of redemption for His children—both Jews and Gentiles.
That plan involves making us innocent—not under the law, but under grace. Romans 3.23-26 says this:
“23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.
From whence doth our innocence derive? From the blood of Christ made full alive. Though we have all “sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” we are “justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” You see, God poured out His wrath on His Son. That is why Jesus was “presented...as a sacrifice of atonement.” By this sacrifice, God punished our sins and “[demonstrated] his justice” for those “sins committed” which he had left “beforehand unpunished.”
The punishment, then, is paid. There is now “no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, 2because through Christ Jesus the law of the Spirit of life set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8.1-2). We are innocent, and we must live as such. Ought not the innocent live in innocence? But if we fall into sin, we know that God will convict us and bring us back under His grace. We must strive to live in holiness to God, but we must not allow Satan to tempt us into thinking that our mistakes spell out eternal doom. We are still in a process of becoming like Christ. We are not yet perfect, but it is perfection for which we strive.
I pray that if you are not living in the knowledge of your innocence to God today, you will ask Christ for such a mindset. Always remember the grace you have been given. Allow it to renew and brighten you. Remember, Ephesians 2.8 says that “it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God.” Live your life in grace, and thank God for the innocence you have through Jesus! He did not die for nothing! Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Searching for Christ
Searching for Christ
Matthew 2.9-11
9After they had heard the king, they[the magi] went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.
Everyone is searching for something this Christmas season. For some it is an endless bounty of gifts, parties, and pleasure for themselves. For most(at least in our country), however, it is about celebrating the birth of Christ, being with family and friends, and experiencing a time of joyful rest and peace. Nevertheless, everyone is searching for something on Christmas.
This searching was present even on the very dawn of Christmas itself. The magi in Saint Matthew's account of Christ's birth followed “the star they had seen in the east” until “it stopped over the place where the child[Jesus] was.” That's what it's all about, beloved—we ought to be searching for Christ this Christmas. My pastor's sermons the past few weeks have been prefixed with the title, “Follow the Star that Illuminates Our ...” Why do we follow the star? Because it will bring us to the Savior. That is who we should search for.
This Christmas, may you and your family search for Christ, and may you find Him in the fullest manner available to Man. Search for Jesus, and you will have found the true meaning of Christmas. Amen.
Merry Christmas!
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Matthew 2.9-11
9After they had heard the king, they[the magi] went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. 10When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. 11On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him.
Everyone is searching for something this Christmas season. For some it is an endless bounty of gifts, parties, and pleasure for themselves. For most(at least in our country), however, it is about celebrating the birth of Christ, being with family and friends, and experiencing a time of joyful rest and peace. Nevertheless, everyone is searching for something on Christmas.
This searching was present even on the very dawn of Christmas itself. The magi in Saint Matthew's account of Christ's birth followed “the star they had seen in the east” until “it stopped over the place where the child[Jesus] was.” That's what it's all about, beloved—we ought to be searching for Christ this Christmas. My pastor's sermons the past few weeks have been prefixed with the title, “Follow the Star that Illuminates Our ...” Why do we follow the star? Because it will bring us to the Savior. That is who we should search for.
This Christmas, may you and your family search for Christ, and may you find Him in the fullest manner available to Man. Search for Jesus, and you will have found the true meaning of Christmas. Amen.
Merry Christmas!
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Sunday, December 20, 2009
Jesus Means Joy
Jesus Means Joy
Luke 2.10-14
10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
Joy to the world! the Lord is come
–Isaac Watts
Christmas represents a time of joy to Christians. It is the season that we celebrate not simply the birth of Christ, but the redemption that came by His birth. The Christmas stories reveal that this was a time of immense glory, thanksgiving, and joy to God. The angels brought the shepherds “good news of great joy.” This news is welcomed by “a great company of the heavenly host [appearing] with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.'” Few events in history have been recorded as being so special that they erupt in an angelic host of voices praising God. Christmas time is one of them. Christmas is a time of joy for all beings, both human and angelic.
Obviously, we ought to fill our spirits with special joy around Christmas. Our lives should always be full of joy, but on Christmas we should remember a special reason for a special kind of joy—the entrance of our Savior into the world. We must resist all the pressures of complaint, gossip, holiday depression, and anger. Instead, we should be filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit.
How is your joy this Christmas season? Are you wrapped up in all the wrappings of Christmas presents? Are you nervous and anxious and frustrated at the overwhelming schedules of all the Christmas parties to attend, gifts to buy, and stockings to hang by the chimney with care? If so, ask Jesus to fill you with a special sort of joy this season. Just as the angels proclaimed with joy the glory of Christ's coming, so should we this Christmas season. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Luke 2.10-14
10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." 13Suddenly a great company of the heavenly host appeared with the angel, praising God and saying, 14"Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests."
Joy to the world! the Lord is come
–Isaac Watts
Christmas represents a time of joy to Christians. It is the season that we celebrate not simply the birth of Christ, but the redemption that came by His birth. The Christmas stories reveal that this was a time of immense glory, thanksgiving, and joy to God. The angels brought the shepherds “good news of great joy.” This news is welcomed by “a great company of the heavenly host [appearing] with the angel, praising God and saying, 'Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace to men on whom his favor rests.'” Few events in history have been recorded as being so special that they erupt in an angelic host of voices praising God. Christmas time is one of them. Christmas is a time of joy for all beings, both human and angelic.
Obviously, we ought to fill our spirits with special joy around Christmas. Our lives should always be full of joy, but on Christmas we should remember a special reason for a special kind of joy—the entrance of our Savior into the world. We must resist all the pressures of complaint, gossip, holiday depression, and anger. Instead, we should be filled with the joy of the Holy Spirit.
How is your joy this Christmas season? Are you wrapped up in all the wrappings of Christmas presents? Are you nervous and anxious and frustrated at the overwhelming schedules of all the Christmas parties to attend, gifts to buy, and stockings to hang by the chimney with care? If so, ask Jesus to fill you with a special sort of joy this season. Just as the angels proclaimed with joy the glory of Christ's coming, so should we this Christmas season. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Why Do You Fear?
Why Do You Fear?
Luke 2.8-12
8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.
Everyone has something they are afraid of. Robbery, murder, a terminal illness, the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job. We live in a world of fear. Fear is a natural response to the sinful world in which we live. Fear is nothing new; billions of people are experiencing it every day, and have experienced since the Fall. We see an example of fear in the Christmas story. We read that “[a]n angel of the Lord appeared to [shepards living out in the fields nearby].” When “the glory of the Lord shone around them,” the shepards “were terrified.” We do not know what the angels looked like or what it was that made them so frightening to behold, but we do know the shepherds were afraid, and they were afraid for no good reason.
That is the thing about fear—it is often a useless emotional response. Many of us are afraid of things we cannot control, and which it will do us no good to fear. We cannot simply wish away our problems with fear. The Father tells us that we “did not receive a spirit that makes [us] a slave again to fear, but [we] received the Spirit of sonship [and cry] 'Abba, Father'” (Rom. 8.15). The Lord commands us away from fear because that is not the Spirit we were given as Christians. We are to look to God as our heavenly father, since we have “received the Spirit of sonship.” We cry out, “Abba, Father”--Daddy, Daddy!
When we fear, we miss out on being a part of the opportunities God has planned for His kingdom. If only the shepards hadn't been so afraid, perhaps they would have enjoyed the moment of revelation even more. Similarly, if only we would cast aside our fears, imagine the incredible things God could do. If only we had boldness in us! Imagine how God's Kingdom could work in the lives of a dying world!
What is it you are holding onto today? What are you afraid of? Whatever it is, take it to the Lord. Say, “Lord, I don't want this fear anymore; take it away in the name of Jesus.” Allow the foundation of the Lord to be your rock and shelter—your mighty fortress, safe and secure. After all, “[i]f God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8.28). Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Luke 2.8-12
8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.
Everyone has something they are afraid of. Robbery, murder, a terminal illness, the loss of a loved one, the loss of a job. We live in a world of fear. Fear is a natural response to the sinful world in which we live. Fear is nothing new; billions of people are experiencing it every day, and have experienced since the Fall. We see an example of fear in the Christmas story. We read that “[a]n angel of the Lord appeared to [shepards living out in the fields nearby].” When “the glory of the Lord shone around them,” the shepards “were terrified.” We do not know what the angels looked like or what it was that made them so frightening to behold, but we do know the shepherds were afraid, and they were afraid for no good reason.
That is the thing about fear—it is often a useless emotional response. Many of us are afraid of things we cannot control, and which it will do us no good to fear. We cannot simply wish away our problems with fear. The Father tells us that we “did not receive a spirit that makes [us] a slave again to fear, but [we] received the Spirit of sonship [and cry] 'Abba, Father'” (Rom. 8.15). The Lord commands us away from fear because that is not the Spirit we were given as Christians. We are to look to God as our heavenly father, since we have “received the Spirit of sonship.” We cry out, “Abba, Father”--Daddy, Daddy!
When we fear, we miss out on being a part of the opportunities God has planned for His kingdom. If only the shepards hadn't been so afraid, perhaps they would have enjoyed the moment of revelation even more. Similarly, if only we would cast aside our fears, imagine the incredible things God could do. If only we had boldness in us! Imagine how God's Kingdom could work in the lives of a dying world!
What is it you are holding onto today? What are you afraid of? Whatever it is, take it to the Lord. Say, “Lord, I don't want this fear anymore; take it away in the name of Jesus.” Allow the foundation of the Lord to be your rock and shelter—your mighty fortress, safe and secure. After all, “[i]f God is for us, who can be against us?” (Rom 8.28). Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Sunday, December 13, 2009
A Message of Hope
A Message of Hope
Luke 2.8-12
8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
The message of Christmas has always been a message of hope. It is a time when we recall how the world received a Savior come to ransom us from sin. The story here in Luke 2 of the shepherds receiving the news of Christ's entry from an angel reminds us of that hope.
You see, like the shepherds, the message of Christmas often comes to a surprise to us. We are met by God's presence through “the glory of the Lord [shining] around [us].” “Good news of great joy” fills us when we consider the story of Christmas. Why are we filled? It is because “in the town of David a Savior has been born to [us]” who is “Christ the Lord.” A Savior! The Savior! By Him men are ransomed from sin. It is not merely the fact that God came to earth, but that God ransomed us through His coming. Such an event demands celebration. That is why we celebrate Christmas—it is a message of hope!
How can we spread that hope to others? The most obvious way is sharing the good news of the gospel. People all around the world are suffering, longing for a Savior just as the shepherds and those living in Christ's day were. Nothing has changed, other than the fact that the redemption has occurred. Jesus has come down and paid for our sins. When others learn of this, they too can experience a message of hope.
We can also spread the message of hope in our giving. We always say “Christmas is about giving.” That is certainly a major aspect of Christmas. There are billions of needy people in this world: people without food, clothing, shelter, love, or,most importantly, a Savior. We need to donate whatever God calls us to donate to help them. Whether that is money, time, gifts, or prayer, we need to help bring the message of hope to the hopeless. To the sick and needy. To the poor and homeless. To the brokenhearted and alone. To those void of the Gospel. May we bring hope to a world devoid of hope.
I pray, beloved, that you will experience the message of hope this Christmas season. I pray that we can all do something to further this message. Let's help make a Christmas the world will see and take note, so that they may receive Christ. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Luke 2.8-12
8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord. 12This will be a sign to you: You will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger.”
The message of Christmas has always been a message of hope. It is a time when we recall how the world received a Savior come to ransom us from sin. The story here in Luke 2 of the shepherds receiving the news of Christ's entry from an angel reminds us of that hope.
You see, like the shepherds, the message of Christmas often comes to a surprise to us. We are met by God's presence through “the glory of the Lord [shining] around [us].” “Good news of great joy” fills us when we consider the story of Christmas. Why are we filled? It is because “in the town of David a Savior has been born to [us]” who is “Christ the Lord.” A Savior! The Savior! By Him men are ransomed from sin. It is not merely the fact that God came to earth, but that God ransomed us through His coming. Such an event demands celebration. That is why we celebrate Christmas—it is a message of hope!
How can we spread that hope to others? The most obvious way is sharing the good news of the gospel. People all around the world are suffering, longing for a Savior just as the shepherds and those living in Christ's day were. Nothing has changed, other than the fact that the redemption has occurred. Jesus has come down and paid for our sins. When others learn of this, they too can experience a message of hope.
We can also spread the message of hope in our giving. We always say “Christmas is about giving.” That is certainly a major aspect of Christmas. There are billions of needy people in this world: people without food, clothing, shelter, love, or,most importantly, a Savior. We need to donate whatever God calls us to donate to help them. Whether that is money, time, gifts, or prayer, we need to help bring the message of hope to the hopeless. To the sick and needy. To the poor and homeless. To the brokenhearted and alone. To those void of the Gospel. May we bring hope to a world devoid of hope.
I pray, beloved, that you will experience the message of hope this Christmas season. I pray that we can all do something to further this message. Let's help make a Christmas the world will see and take note, so that they may receive Christ. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Wednesday, December 9, 2009
God of Action
God of Action
Psalm 118.21-25
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.
22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
23 the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 O LORD, save us;
O LORD, grant us success.
What sort of God do we serve? The Scripture teaches us we serve a God of action. All throughout history God has been intervening in the affairs of humanity to accomplish His divine and perfect purposes. Countless men and women of old have proclaimed the works of the Lord—works too vast to be counted. The Psalms are full of songs of praises for God's accomplishments. We do well to study all that the Lord has done and is doing throughout history, both in the lives of individuals and the overall destiny of mankind as a collective.
The Psalmist proclaims thanksgiving to the Lord because “[He] answered [him].” The Lord's actions made Him “[his] salvation.” From this verse we acknowledge that the Lord is a God who acts. He saves His children in the midst of all their troubles. The Psalmist explains that everyday is a “day the LORD has made.” This means that every day is a creation of God—this is His day. Because of this, we know God's plans are already planned out. Today's events are not unknown to our God, and He has already acted to ensure the redemption of His children.
As children of God, beloved, we must realize each day that our God is acting in our world today. In the midst of the seemingly godless, chaotic world we live, there is a God who is orchestrating order out of chaos. The choruses are shaky, the verses out of tune, but the hidden notes of destiny are being played perfectly to reveal a heavenly song that shall be glorious on the final day.
I hope you realize God is acting in your life, beloved. God loves you so much, and He is acting on your behalf. You must simply trust Him and obey Him. Whatever your struggles are today, proclaim the goodness and confidence of Christ Jesus. Remember that He is in control—He is acting to accomplish His perfect, holy will. If you are not a part of that will, come to Him today. Say, “Lord, I want to be a part of Your will. Mould me and make me into Your perfect image.” Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Psalm 118.21-25
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;
you have become my salvation.
22 The stone the builders rejected
has become the capstone;
23 the LORD has done this,
and it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day the LORD has made;
let us rejoice and be glad in it.
25 O LORD, save us;
O LORD, grant us success.
What sort of God do we serve? The Scripture teaches us we serve a God of action. All throughout history God has been intervening in the affairs of humanity to accomplish His divine and perfect purposes. Countless men and women of old have proclaimed the works of the Lord—works too vast to be counted. The Psalms are full of songs of praises for God's accomplishments. We do well to study all that the Lord has done and is doing throughout history, both in the lives of individuals and the overall destiny of mankind as a collective.
The Psalmist proclaims thanksgiving to the Lord because “[He] answered [him].” The Lord's actions made Him “[his] salvation.” From this verse we acknowledge that the Lord is a God who acts. He saves His children in the midst of all their troubles. The Psalmist explains that everyday is a “day the LORD has made.” This means that every day is a creation of God—this is His day. Because of this, we know God's plans are already planned out. Today's events are not unknown to our God, and He has already acted to ensure the redemption of His children.
As children of God, beloved, we must realize each day that our God is acting in our world today. In the midst of the seemingly godless, chaotic world we live, there is a God who is orchestrating order out of chaos. The choruses are shaky, the verses out of tune, but the hidden notes of destiny are being played perfectly to reveal a heavenly song that shall be glorious on the final day.
I hope you realize God is acting in your life, beloved. God loves you so much, and He is acting on your behalf. You must simply trust Him and obey Him. Whatever your struggles are today, proclaim the goodness and confidence of Christ Jesus. Remember that He is in control—He is acting to accomplish His perfect, holy will. If you are not a part of that will, come to Him today. Say, “Lord, I want to be a part of Your will. Mould me and make me into Your perfect image.” Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Sunday, December 6, 2009
Redeeming Love
Redeeming Love
Psalm 116.1-9
1 I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. 2 Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. 3 The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. 4 Then I called on the name of the LORD : "O LORD, save me!" 5 The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. 6 The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. 7 Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you. 8 For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, 9 that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
How great is God's redeeming love! As Christ's followers, we have been redeemed by Jesus from sin and will now inherit eternal life. But this is something we do not often enough stop and consider. God has redeemed us, beloved, from sin and from our struggles each day. The Psalmist so well emphasizes the redemption of the Lord in Psalm 116. I encourage you to read the entire chapter to see a wonderful testament to the Lord's redeeming love.
What does redeeming love look like? The Psalmist says that the Lord "heard [his] voice" and his "cry for mercy." The Lord "turned his ear to [him]." The first thing we notice about redeeming love is that involves a person in desperate need for deliverance. The Psalmist was certainly in need, for "the cords of death entangled [him], the anguish of the grave came upon [him]" and he "was overcome by trouble and sorrow." I'm sure we've all experienced trouble and sorrow. We have all been so disheartened and so depressed that we felt as if our world were collapsing on us.
What are we to do in such situations? We do as the Psalmist does: we "[call] on the name of the LORD." When we are in trouble, beloved, we are to call on Jesus' name. Whether that be spiritual temptation, the trials of life, or physical or emotional ailments, we know that we can call upon the Lord for His redeeming love. We should shout "O LORD, save me!"
And what is the response? It is the response of a wonderful God--redemption. The Lord "[hears] our voice" and our "cry for mercy." He "[turns] his ear to [us]." Stop and consider this, beloved. The God of the universe--the powerful Creator of the universe and the stars and the molecules and the intricate structures that make up your body--is listening to YOU! And He is holding out His hand, waiting to redeem you from whatever it is in your life that needs redeeming. It is salvation for the sinner, hope for the hopeless, love for the loveless, and stability for the broken. By Him we can "Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you." By Him we have hope and redemption!
I pray that you will find redemption today. Turn to the Lord, beloved, and allow Him to fill your life with joy and purpose. Don't make yourself miserable by attempting to solve problems on your own--turn to the Lord for His mighty, redeeming hand and his mighty, redeeming love! Amen!
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Psalm 116.1-9
1 I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. 2 Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. 3 The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. 4 Then I called on the name of the LORD : "O LORD, save me!" 5 The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. 6 The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. 7 Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you. 8 For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, 9 that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
How great is God's redeeming love! As Christ's followers, we have been redeemed by Jesus from sin and will now inherit eternal life. But this is something we do not often enough stop and consider. God has redeemed us, beloved, from sin and from our struggles each day. The Psalmist so well emphasizes the redemption of the Lord in Psalm 116. I encourage you to read the entire chapter to see a wonderful testament to the Lord's redeeming love.
What does redeeming love look like? The Psalmist says that the Lord "heard [his] voice" and his "cry for mercy." The Lord "turned his ear to [him]." The first thing we notice about redeeming love is that involves a person in desperate need for deliverance. The Psalmist was certainly in need, for "the cords of death entangled [him], the anguish of the grave came upon [him]" and he "was overcome by trouble and sorrow." I'm sure we've all experienced trouble and sorrow. We have all been so disheartened and so depressed that we felt as if our world were collapsing on us.
What are we to do in such situations? We do as the Psalmist does: we "[call] on the name of the LORD." When we are in trouble, beloved, we are to call on Jesus' name. Whether that be spiritual temptation, the trials of life, or physical or emotional ailments, we know that we can call upon the Lord for His redeeming love. We should shout "O LORD, save me!"
And what is the response? It is the response of a wonderful God--redemption. The Lord "[hears] our voice" and our "cry for mercy." He "[turns] his ear to [us]." Stop and consider this, beloved. The God of the universe--the powerful Creator of the universe and the stars and the molecules and the intricate structures that make up your body--is listening to YOU! And He is holding out His hand, waiting to redeem you from whatever it is in your life that needs redeeming. It is salvation for the sinner, hope for the hopeless, love for the loveless, and stability for the broken. By Him we can "Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you." By Him we have hope and redemption!
I pray that you will find redemption today. Turn to the Lord, beloved, and allow Him to fill your life with joy and purpose. Don't make yourself miserable by attempting to solve problems on your own--turn to the Lord for His mighty, redeeming hand and his mighty, redeeming love! Amen!
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Sunday, November 29, 2009
“Watch Your Words”
“Watch Your Words”
James 3.3-12
3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
The Bible has a great deal to say about guarding our words. Watching what we say is one of the most difficult and yet crucial aspects of our walk with Christ. This is something the Church does not teach enough, and it is blatantly obvious. This is harsh, I realize, but necessary. Every day I encounter dozens of Christians who do not keep a tight reign on their tongue. Curse words, gossip, hurtful words against a brother, complaining, bitterness, and all sorts of evil spew out of the mouths of God's children. It is completely unacceptable and in violation of the sort of gentleness and love to which Christ has called us. It is a subject we must address seriously and directly.
This is not a new phenomena. James addresses it in James 3, and this was over 2000 years ago. He begins by stating that there are all sorts of thing man has learned to tame—various animals and ships. They are all controlled by a “very small rudder[s]” or “bits.” The tongue, also, is small just like these things, and it controls the entire body. Unfortunately, the tongue “is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” This means that one wrong move with the tongue can set to fire an entire forest--“consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.”
We all have seen what devastation has been caused by our careless words, and yet we continue to engage in carelessness. Why? The reason is that we do not obey the old adage: “think before you speak.” I have been guilty plenty of times of saying something I knew would get me into trouble because I did not allow the Holy Spirit to test my words. Speaking without thinking is like drinking muddy water without a filter—our words will come out raw, unsanitary, and bitter.
The solution, then, is to get the correct filter. The most obvious filter is the Holy Spirit. Every time we must comment on something, we need to say it first in our heads. Would Christ Himself say it? Is it going to build others up or tear others down? God's word is very clear that we must “not let any unwholesome talk come out of [our] mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4.29). Will our words instruct, create, improve, and most importantly glorify God? Or are they designed to merely demonstrate to others the pain or rage we are experiencing internally? Think about it.
I do not know where your tongue stands today. If you have no issue with this, then pray that the Lord will help you to continue speaking wholesome and truthful words. For most of us, though, we need to work on keeping our tongues pure. We need to use the filter of the Holy Spirit. If you need that filter, come and ask God, who, as James says, “gives to all liberally and without reproach” (James 1.5b). Control your tongue so that it may only speak words that bring glory to God! Let us “[b]e very careful, then, how [we] live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5.15-16). Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
James 3.3-12
3When we put bits into the mouths of horses to make them obey us, we can turn the whole animal. 4Or take ships as an example. Although they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are steered by a very small rudder wherever the pilot wants to go. 5Likewise the tongue is a small part of the body, but it makes great boasts. Consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark. 6The tongue also is a fire, a world of evil among the parts of the body. It corrupts the whole person, sets the whole course of his life on fire, and is itself set on fire by hell. 7All kinds of animals, birds, reptiles and creatures of the sea are being tamed and have been tamed by man, 8but no man can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison. 9With the tongue we praise our Lord and Father, and with it we curse men, who have been made in God's likeness. 10Out of the same mouth come praise and cursing. My brothers, this should not be. 11Can both fresh water and salt water flow from the same spring? 12My brothers, can a fig tree bear olives, or a grapevine bear figs? Neither can a salt spring produce fresh water.
The Bible has a great deal to say about guarding our words. Watching what we say is one of the most difficult and yet crucial aspects of our walk with Christ. This is something the Church does not teach enough, and it is blatantly obvious. This is harsh, I realize, but necessary. Every day I encounter dozens of Christians who do not keep a tight reign on their tongue. Curse words, gossip, hurtful words against a brother, complaining, bitterness, and all sorts of evil spew out of the mouths of God's children. It is completely unacceptable and in violation of the sort of gentleness and love to which Christ has called us. It is a subject we must address seriously and directly.
This is not a new phenomena. James addresses it in James 3, and this was over 2000 years ago. He begins by stating that there are all sorts of thing man has learned to tame—various animals and ships. They are all controlled by a “very small rudder[s]” or “bits.” The tongue, also, is small just like these things, and it controls the entire body. Unfortunately, the tongue “is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” This means that one wrong move with the tongue can set to fire an entire forest--“consider what a great forest is set on fire by a small spark.”
We all have seen what devastation has been caused by our careless words, and yet we continue to engage in carelessness. Why? The reason is that we do not obey the old adage: “think before you speak.” I have been guilty plenty of times of saying something I knew would get me into trouble because I did not allow the Holy Spirit to test my words. Speaking without thinking is like drinking muddy water without a filter—our words will come out raw, unsanitary, and bitter.
The solution, then, is to get the correct filter. The most obvious filter is the Holy Spirit. Every time we must comment on something, we need to say it first in our heads. Would Christ Himself say it? Is it going to build others up or tear others down? God's word is very clear that we must “not let any unwholesome talk come out of [our] mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen” (Ephesians 4.29). Will our words instruct, create, improve, and most importantly glorify God? Or are they designed to merely demonstrate to others the pain or rage we are experiencing internally? Think about it.
I do not know where your tongue stands today. If you have no issue with this, then pray that the Lord will help you to continue speaking wholesome and truthful words. For most of us, though, we need to work on keeping our tongues pure. We need to use the filter of the Holy Spirit. If you need that filter, come and ask God, who, as James says, “gives to all liberally and without reproach” (James 1.5b). Control your tongue so that it may only speak words that bring glory to God! Let us “[b]e very careful, then, how [we] live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5.15-16). Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
A Sign of His Covenant
A Sign of His Covenant
Genesis 9.12-16
12 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."
By Genesis 9, God has already established a few covenants with mankind. He promised Adam the covering of sins via the coats of skin in Genesis 3.21. For more information on this, see here. He had also promised Noah and his family redemption from the destruction of the earth(Genesis 6.18). In Genesis 9, we see another covenant between God and man, this time in the sign of a rainbow. God “set [His] rainbow in the clouds, and it [is] the sign of the covenant between [him] and the earth.” Whenever God “[brings] clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, [He remembers His] covenant between [Him] and [Creation].” He promises that “never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.”
There is a lesson to be learned from the giving of the covenant here in Genesis 9—God's promises are clear and personal. In both the Old and New Testaments, God aims His promises to direct, individual men who are willing to serve Him. The rainbow is a rather simple but elegant display of the Lord's promises. Even today we can look up and smile at the faithfulness of God.
But God has made a covenant with us, beloved—a covenant of grace. That continues to unfold each day. We see it in our failures, mistakes, anger, bitterness, joy, love, and elation. Like a rainbow, that covenant arches over us, as if to shield us from our sinful nature. Each color demonstrates how, though there are many different facets of our lives, each one is present in God's promise. He has everything we need covered—we need only to trust Him.
I'm sure God's covenant with you will never cease so long as you choose to remain in Him. Remember His promises each day. Write them down or think about them. What is it God has for you today that will bring Him glory? Amen.
Happy Thanksgiving!
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Genesis 9.12-16
12 And God said, "This is the sign of the covenant I am making between me and you and every living creature with you, a covenant for all generations to come: 13 I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 Whenever I bring clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant between me and you and all living creatures of every kind. Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life. 16 Whenever the rainbow appears in the clouds, I will see it and remember the everlasting covenant between God and all living creatures of every kind on the earth."
By Genesis 9, God has already established a few covenants with mankind. He promised Adam the covering of sins via the coats of skin in Genesis 3.21. For more information on this, see here. He had also promised Noah and his family redemption from the destruction of the earth(Genesis 6.18). In Genesis 9, we see another covenant between God and man, this time in the sign of a rainbow. God “set [His] rainbow in the clouds, and it [is] the sign of the covenant between [him] and the earth.” Whenever God “[brings] clouds over the earth and the rainbow appears in the clouds, [He remembers His] covenant between [Him] and [Creation].” He promises that “never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life.”
There is a lesson to be learned from the giving of the covenant here in Genesis 9—God's promises are clear and personal. In both the Old and New Testaments, God aims His promises to direct, individual men who are willing to serve Him. The rainbow is a rather simple but elegant display of the Lord's promises. Even today we can look up and smile at the faithfulness of God.
But God has made a covenant with us, beloved—a covenant of grace. That continues to unfold each day. We see it in our failures, mistakes, anger, bitterness, joy, love, and elation. Like a rainbow, that covenant arches over us, as if to shield us from our sinful nature. Each color demonstrates how, though there are many different facets of our lives, each one is present in God's promise. He has everything we need covered—we need only to trust Him.
I'm sure God's covenant with you will never cease so long as you choose to remain in Him. Remember His promises each day. Write them down or think about them. What is it God has for you today that will bring Him glory? Amen.
Happy Thanksgiving!
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Sunday, November 22, 2009
Scaling the Walls of Life
Scaling the Walls of Life
Psalm 18.6
"In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears."
Psalm 18.29
"With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall."
The Byzantine Empire was the last beacon of hope in the Dark Ages. As the western half of the Roman Empire fell to the Germanic tribes, the eastern half, particularly the city of Constantinople in modern day Turkey, remained a stronghold for the Roman and Christian way of life. But the threat from invaders forced the last Roman emperors to secure the city. The result were the walls of Constantinople--the greatest defensive wall structure in the ancient world apart from the Great Wall of China. With three layers of limestone wall, some being six feet thick, the city of Constantinople was virtually impossible to conquer externally. The enemies would have had to scale or penetrate three layers of defense and then conquer one of the 97 towers that surrounded the city. Here is a diagram of what these walls look like.
The concept of walled barriers were very common to the ancient world. It is no surprise, then, that the Psalmist alludes to it here in Psalm 18--a psalm focused on emphasizing the Lord's provision and protection from enemies(commonly thought to be when David was escaping from Saul.) The Psalmist asserts that "in [his] distress [he] called to the LORD." "From [the LORD's] temple he heard [the Psalmist's] voice" and his "cry came before "[the LORD], into his ears." As the LORD answers the Psalmist's plea for safety and redemption from his enemies, he rejoices in the confidence that the Lord provides. He boasts that "[w]ith [the LORD's] help [he] can advance against a troop" and that "with [his] God [he] can scale a wall."
Isn't that true, beloved? Ought we not to trust in the Lord just as the Psalmist did? Do we cry to Him in our distress, and do we trust that with Him we can do all things? I have no doubt that with my God I can scale the walls of Byzantine or advance against the mightiest army. For our God is mighty and powerful, and His provisions for our lives are more than enough to sustain us. That is why the Scripture says in Philippians 4.13 that "[We] can do all things through Christ who strengthens [us]." Beloved, we simply need to trust that Jesus will provide for us. I realize this is rather abstract and vague, but it is meant to be. Literally every area of your life can be solved by putting Christ at the center. Pray to Him. Open up His word. Cry out to Him and bow before Him in your brokenness and distress. Just as He answered the Psalmist, so too He will answer you!
I pray that we will scale all the walls in our lives that we must face. Whether it be how we will pay the bills for this month, how we will handle that co-worker or student or friend or family member with whom we are struggling, or how we will deal with grief, the Lord will provide for us in the way He has chosen. That may NOT mean that it happens as we wish, but it does mean that God will get us over that wall into the promised land to which He has promised us. What will it be, beloved? Will you put your trust in the Lord today to provide for you? Let's do so! Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Psalm 18.6
"In my distress I called to the LORD; I cried to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my cry came before him, into his ears."
Psalm 18.29
"With your help I can advance against a troop; with my God I can scale a wall."
The Byzantine Empire was the last beacon of hope in the Dark Ages. As the western half of the Roman Empire fell to the Germanic tribes, the eastern half, particularly the city of Constantinople in modern day Turkey, remained a stronghold for the Roman and Christian way of life. But the threat from invaders forced the last Roman emperors to secure the city. The result were the walls of Constantinople--the greatest defensive wall structure in the ancient world apart from the Great Wall of China. With three layers of limestone wall, some being six feet thick, the city of Constantinople was virtually impossible to conquer externally. The enemies would have had to scale or penetrate three layers of defense and then conquer one of the 97 towers that surrounded the city. Here is a diagram of what these walls look like.
The concept of walled barriers were very common to the ancient world. It is no surprise, then, that the Psalmist alludes to it here in Psalm 18--a psalm focused on emphasizing the Lord's provision and protection from enemies(commonly thought to be when David was escaping from Saul.) The Psalmist asserts that "in [his] distress [he] called to the LORD." "From [the LORD's] temple he heard [the Psalmist's] voice" and his "cry came before "[the LORD], into his ears." As the LORD answers the Psalmist's plea for safety and redemption from his enemies, he rejoices in the confidence that the Lord provides. He boasts that "[w]ith [the LORD's] help [he] can advance against a troop" and that "with [his] God [he] can scale a wall."
Isn't that true, beloved? Ought we not to trust in the Lord just as the Psalmist did? Do we cry to Him in our distress, and do we trust that with Him we can do all things? I have no doubt that with my God I can scale the walls of Byzantine or advance against the mightiest army. For our God is mighty and powerful, and His provisions for our lives are more than enough to sustain us. That is why the Scripture says in Philippians 4.13 that "[We] can do all things through Christ who strengthens [us]." Beloved, we simply need to trust that Jesus will provide for us. I realize this is rather abstract and vague, but it is meant to be. Literally every area of your life can be solved by putting Christ at the center. Pray to Him. Open up His word. Cry out to Him and bow before Him in your brokenness and distress. Just as He answered the Psalmist, so too He will answer you!
I pray that we will scale all the walls in our lives that we must face. Whether it be how we will pay the bills for this month, how we will handle that co-worker or student or friend or family member with whom we are struggling, or how we will deal with grief, the Lord will provide for us in the way He has chosen. That may NOT mean that it happens as we wish, but it does mean that God will get us over that wall into the promised land to which He has promised us. What will it be, beloved? Will you put your trust in the Lord today to provide for you? Let's do so! Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Serving God's Kingdom
Serving God's Kingdom
1 Corinthians 3.6-9
6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
Matthew 28.19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Why is it that we serve God? Is it for fame, for riches, to make sure we stay out of hell? It is a reasonable question that deserves a reasonable answer. Actually, it is probable that many of us have never stopped to consider why it is that we dedicate our lives to God. Perhaps we have always been in the Church, and we have never thought otherwise. It is possible that we use doing the will of God to harbor emotional stability within ourselves(i.e. it makes us feel like we do not owe God anything anymore). None of these reasons suffice, however. The main reason we serve God is to build His kingdom. This is echoed throughout the New Testament. Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, his last words were for us to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything [He had] commanded [the disciples]." The most crucial point He wished to make was not how they would eat, afford to pay the bills, live in safety, decide what physical foundation upon which the first church would lay, or any other possible reason we as modern Christians often demonstrate are most important to us through our actions that we take each day. The most crucial point of the Gospel is that it spreads--that God's Kingdom is built one soul at a time. Paul, too, states this. In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul addresses to the church at Corinth the division which had caused many to say "I follow Paul" or "I follow Apollos." He illustrates the futility of such rubbish reasoning with the point that "[Paul] 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." Beloved, we as Christians need to internalize such information into our hearts and minds. The true purpose of our ministry is to build God's Kingdom. We are to "plant" and "water" with "one purpose:" building the Kingdom of God.
Let us now address two areas in which this can be applied. The first is this: we ought to serve God with newness in our ministry. I do not mean newness in the sense that all of our buildings must be new, all of our songs must be the latest and greatest, and we must make as much use of technology as possible. These are trivial, internal areas of building God's Church. What is meant by newness in this context is that we be reinvigorated in our service to God. We must serve Him with a mindset that our actions, thoughts, and attitudes reflect the overall goal of building the Church. This can be further illustrated with an illustration. When we clean the tables of the church dining hall after a function designed for community outreach to feed the hungry, what is our mindset? Many of us maintain a negative mindset. Our thoughts are, why do people make such a mess? Why won't people help me? I have to do everything myself. Beloved, this sort of mindset is sinful and in serious error to the truth of how we should think and how we should act as we build God's Kingdom. The wise man reasons with Himself in a sense of newness: My job may be small, but it is a piece(function) of a ministry that will be used to help the helpless and bring them to be saved. That man is keeping his mind fresh with a renewed purpose of the Kingdom of God, whereas the other man only wishes to harbor up bitterness and feelings of self-importance and superiority to his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
Secondly, we serve God with purpose and gladness. By purpose and gladness, I mean that we do not merely maintain a mindset of mindless action, but that we are able to see the overall goal in God's Kingdom and that we are able to enjoy being a part of it with a spirit of gladness and humbleness. The man above who saw his action as being a small piece in an incredible ministry is an example of someone serving the Lord with purpose and gladness. Purpose and gladness imply that we keep our minds in constant motion--that we are always attempting to see the big picture while focusing on the small implementations. Taking out the trash is just one step in saving a soul. A smile to a bitter man's heart is but a small step in "sewing the seeds of the Gospel" into his life, as Pastor David Platt puts it. When we see the large picture, we cannot help but smile and be filled with gladness, joy, awe, and humbleness in the work that God is doing through His Kingdom.
I wonder, are you serving God with newness, purpose and gladness? If not, then begin today. The Lord can change your heart, which will change your actions so that you may be able to build on God's Kingdom. As we go through our tasks and plans for the day, treat each encounter with someone, each task you must accomplish, as an opportunity to be a small part in an immense ministry of God. Let us remember that everything we do is a reflection of the plan God has for His Kingdom. That is why we can smile when He says in Isaiah 43.19, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
1 Corinthians 3.6-9
6I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow. 7So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. 8The man who plants and the man who waters have one purpose, and each will be rewarded according to his own labor. 9For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, God's building.
Matthew 28.19
Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age."
Why is it that we serve God? Is it for fame, for riches, to make sure we stay out of hell? It is a reasonable question that deserves a reasonable answer. Actually, it is probable that many of us have never stopped to consider why it is that we dedicate our lives to God. Perhaps we have always been in the Church, and we have never thought otherwise. It is possible that we use doing the will of God to harbor emotional stability within ourselves(i.e. it makes us feel like we do not owe God anything anymore). None of these reasons suffice, however. The main reason we serve God is to build His kingdom. This is echoed throughout the New Testament. Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, his last words were for us to "go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything [He had] commanded [the disciples]." The most crucial point He wished to make was not how they would eat, afford to pay the bills, live in safety, decide what physical foundation upon which the first church would lay, or any other possible reason we as modern Christians often demonstrate are most important to us through our actions that we take each day. The most crucial point of the Gospel is that it spreads--that God's Kingdom is built one soul at a time. Paul, too, states this. In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul addresses to the church at Corinth the division which had caused many to say "I follow Paul" or "I follow Apollos." He illustrates the futility of such rubbish reasoning with the point that "[Paul] 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." Beloved, we as Christians need to internalize such information into our hearts and minds. The true purpose of our ministry is to build God's Kingdom. We are to "plant" and "water" with "one purpose:" building the Kingdom of God.
Let us now address two areas in which this can be applied. The first is this: we ought to serve God with newness in our ministry. I do not mean newness in the sense that all of our buildings must be new, all of our songs must be the latest and greatest, and we must make as much use of technology as possible. These are trivial, internal areas of building God's Church. What is meant by newness in this context is that we be reinvigorated in our service to God. We must serve Him with a mindset that our actions, thoughts, and attitudes reflect the overall goal of building the Church. This can be further illustrated with an illustration. When we clean the tables of the church dining hall after a function designed for community outreach to feed the hungry, what is our mindset? Many of us maintain a negative mindset. Our thoughts are, why do people make such a mess? Why won't people help me? I have to do everything myself. Beloved, this sort of mindset is sinful and in serious error to the truth of how we should think and how we should act as we build God's Kingdom. The wise man reasons with Himself in a sense of newness: My job may be small, but it is a piece(function) of a ministry that will be used to help the helpless and bring them to be saved. That man is keeping his mind fresh with a renewed purpose of the Kingdom of God, whereas the other man only wishes to harbor up bitterness and feelings of self-importance and superiority to his fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
Secondly, we serve God with purpose and gladness. By purpose and gladness, I mean that we do not merely maintain a mindset of mindless action, but that we are able to see the overall goal in God's Kingdom and that we are able to enjoy being a part of it with a spirit of gladness and humbleness. The man above who saw his action as being a small piece in an incredible ministry is an example of someone serving the Lord with purpose and gladness. Purpose and gladness imply that we keep our minds in constant motion--that we are always attempting to see the big picture while focusing on the small implementations. Taking out the trash is just one step in saving a soul. A smile to a bitter man's heart is but a small step in "sewing the seeds of the Gospel" into his life, as Pastor David Platt puts it. When we see the large picture, we cannot help but smile and be filled with gladness, joy, awe, and humbleness in the work that God is doing through His Kingdom.
I wonder, are you serving God with newness, purpose and gladness? If not, then begin today. The Lord can change your heart, which will change your actions so that you may be able to build on God's Kingdom. As we go through our tasks and plans for the day, treat each encounter with someone, each task you must accomplish, as an opportunity to be a small part in an immense ministry of God. Let us remember that everything we do is a reflection of the plan God has for His Kingdom. That is why we can smile when He says in Isaiah 43.19, "See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland."
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Sunday, November 15, 2009
He Renews Our Strength
He Renews Our Strength
Isaiah 40.31
"...but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Psalm 36.7
"How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings."
These days we all grow weary. Our world moves at an incredibly demanding and sometimes over-bearing rate. Many of us feel enslaved to time. There is never enough time or resources to get things done. During these times we lose our strength. Not simply our physical strength, but our mental and spiritual strength as well. As our physical bodies buckle under the pressure of overworking, our minds become discouraged, and our spirits are weakened. We become discouraged, disheartened, bitter, and overwhelmed.
Is this really how God wants us to live our lives? Not at all. The Lord says that we are to be strong in Him. In Isaiah 40.31 he tells us that those "who hope in the LORD will renew their strength." God renews us, not wears us down. Therefore, it is essential that we examine our activities. Are we overwhelmed? It is not from the Lord. If we are consecutively overwhelmed and weakened, it is time to let the Lord take precedence in our life.
How do we allow the Lord to strengthen us? The Psalmist says that "both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of [the LORD's] wings." Isaiah, too, uses alludes to the imagery of fowl when he says that "those who hope in the LORD...will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Notice the two qualities we must apply in order to not grow weary and to renew our strength: we must "hope in the LORD" and we must "find refuge in the shadow of [His] wings." These are both acts of submission. They do not require more work, which is convenient since we already feel overwhelmed.
Hoping in the Lord means that we give all our worries and struggles to Him in prayer and in our actions. When we are overwhelmed, we ought to tell the Lord and ask for His strength. You will be surprised how He responds. He may even ask you to give up some things that may be causing you to grow weary. Perhaps you are taking on too many activities or, though this may sound shocking, you are involved too deeply in too many ministries. Remember that God puts others in our lives to help us. We must not allow ourselves to become overworked. When we do, we will begin to feel bitter. We will say to ourselves, "Why is no one helping me? Don't they know how much I do for them?" But be careful, beloved. This attitude indicates that perhaps our service is more for us or for a reputation than for the Lord. We need to pray and ask God to adjust our attitude whenever such thoughts arise.
Are you putting your hope in the Lord today? Are you allowing Him to renew your strength? If not, come and rest in the shadow of His wings. Find refuge in Him, and you will "run and not grow weary" and "walk and not be faint." The Lord is our refuge and strength--are we trusting in Him to provide for us? Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Isaiah 40.31
"...but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."
Psalm 36.7
"How priceless is your unfailing love! Both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of your wings."
These days we all grow weary. Our world moves at an incredibly demanding and sometimes over-bearing rate. Many of us feel enslaved to time. There is never enough time or resources to get things done. During these times we lose our strength. Not simply our physical strength, but our mental and spiritual strength as well. As our physical bodies buckle under the pressure of overworking, our minds become discouraged, and our spirits are weakened. We become discouraged, disheartened, bitter, and overwhelmed.
Is this really how God wants us to live our lives? Not at all. The Lord says that we are to be strong in Him. In Isaiah 40.31 he tells us that those "who hope in the LORD will renew their strength." God renews us, not wears us down. Therefore, it is essential that we examine our activities. Are we overwhelmed? It is not from the Lord. If we are consecutively overwhelmed and weakened, it is time to let the Lord take precedence in our life.
How do we allow the Lord to strengthen us? The Psalmist says that "both high and low among men find refuge in the shadow of [the LORD's] wings." Isaiah, too, uses alludes to the imagery of fowl when he says that "those who hope in the LORD...will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." Notice the two qualities we must apply in order to not grow weary and to renew our strength: we must "hope in the LORD" and we must "find refuge in the shadow of [His] wings." These are both acts of submission. They do not require more work, which is convenient since we already feel overwhelmed.
Hoping in the Lord means that we give all our worries and struggles to Him in prayer and in our actions. When we are overwhelmed, we ought to tell the Lord and ask for His strength. You will be surprised how He responds. He may even ask you to give up some things that may be causing you to grow weary. Perhaps you are taking on too many activities or, though this may sound shocking, you are involved too deeply in too many ministries. Remember that God puts others in our lives to help us. We must not allow ourselves to become overworked. When we do, we will begin to feel bitter. We will say to ourselves, "Why is no one helping me? Don't they know how much I do for them?" But be careful, beloved. This attitude indicates that perhaps our service is more for us or for a reputation than for the Lord. We need to pray and ask God to adjust our attitude whenever such thoughts arise.
Are you putting your hope in the Lord today? Are you allowing Him to renew your strength? If not, come and rest in the shadow of His wings. Find refuge in Him, and you will "run and not grow weary" and "walk and not be faint." The Lord is our refuge and strength--are we trusting in Him to provide for us? Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Love Gives
Love Gives
1 Corinthians 13.4-8a
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails.
The qualities of love Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13 all share a common property--giving. Each attribute of love involve giving something, not receiving. Patience, kindness, humbleness, gentleness, forgiveness--these are all evidence of our giving for someone else. This is exactly the sort of thing Christ has called us to do--give. If we could sum up our responsibility to demonstrate love, it would be in these two words: love gives. This is quite contrary to our society today. Love, to the world, is about receiving. In the most common instance, it involves someone saying "I love you" because it makes them feel good. It may be accompanied by sexual encounters or gift-giving. This type of attitude is "self-seeking;" it is not love.
The Bible very clearly commands us to give love. This is a complete 180 degrees from what we expect, but that is why it is true. God's concept of the action of love is entirely different than man's, but we are to obey it. We are to give love. This involves a major attitude adjustment. Love must no longer be a sense of entitlement. It must not expect anything in return. That is the fundamental problem with the world today. But the love that comes from God expects no "favors" in return. In computer programming, there is a concept called a return signature. Basically, a function can be written that expects some specific type of output--be it a number, a series of letters, etc. But there is also a signature called "void" that performs some action but returns nothing. In a way, we must be like a void function--we must love God and the world with all of our hearts, but we must expect no output.
1 Corinthians outlines several ways which this is accomplished. We see that love is "patient, kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not rude, self-seeking, easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth, always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres." We can not adequately describe each of these attributes in detail here, so the best we can do is to memorize them, study them, meditate on them. Ask God what these attributes of love look like when carried out. How does each of them give something?
Ultimately, we must remember that giving is a reflection of Christ's giving. The ultimate display of giving love was demonstrated by Christ's willing sacrifice for the redemption of man. That, then, must be our model for giving love. Let us give love today like Christ gives to us. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
1 Corinthians 13.4-8a
4Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres. 8Love never fails.
The qualities of love Paul describes in 1 Corinthians 13 all share a common property--giving. Each attribute of love involve giving something, not receiving. Patience, kindness, humbleness, gentleness, forgiveness--these are all evidence of our giving for someone else. This is exactly the sort of thing Christ has called us to do--give. If we could sum up our responsibility to demonstrate love, it would be in these two words: love gives. This is quite contrary to our society today. Love, to the world, is about receiving. In the most common instance, it involves someone saying "I love you" because it makes them feel good. It may be accompanied by sexual encounters or gift-giving. This type of attitude is "self-seeking;" it is not love.
The Bible very clearly commands us to give love. This is a complete 180 degrees from what we expect, but that is why it is true. God's concept of the action of love is entirely different than man's, but we are to obey it. We are to give love. This involves a major attitude adjustment. Love must no longer be a sense of entitlement. It must not expect anything in return. That is the fundamental problem with the world today. But the love that comes from God expects no "favors" in return. In computer programming, there is a concept called a return signature. Basically, a function can be written that expects some specific type of output--be it a number, a series of letters, etc. But there is also a signature called "void" that performs some action but returns nothing. In a way, we must be like a void function--we must love God and the world with all of our hearts, but we must expect no output.
1 Corinthians outlines several ways which this is accomplished. We see that love is "patient, kind, it does not envy, it does not boast, it is not rude, self-seeking, easily angered, keeps no record of wrongs, does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth, always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres." We can not adequately describe each of these attributes in detail here, so the best we can do is to memorize them, study them, meditate on them. Ask God what these attributes of love look like when carried out. How does each of them give something?
Ultimately, we must remember that giving is a reflection of Christ's giving. The ultimate display of giving love was demonstrated by Christ's willing sacrifice for the redemption of man. That, then, must be our model for giving love. Let us give love today like Christ gives to us. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Sunday, November 8, 2009
Fearlessness Among a Feared God
Fearlessness Among a Feared God
Joshua 1.5,9
5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.
Proverbs 9.10
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
We live in a world where we could be afraid of a great many things. War, nuclear weapons, pandemics, economic collapse, poverty, droughts and famine, the loss of a loved one, our own health issues, the loss of a job. This is, of course, nothing new, but the reality of fear is quite real in the hearts and minds of all people on Earth. This is not Biblical, however. Fear of anything apart from God is ungodly because it demonstrates two things: we are in direct violation of God's commandment to not fear, and that we are demonstrating a lack of trust for God's provisions for our lives. These two things will chip away at our spiritual fortress until fear throws open the city gates and sacks our hearts.
God's Word is very clear, however, that we should not be afraid. Towards the end of the book of Deuteronomy and the beginning of the book of Joshua, God becomes especially personal to Moses and Joshua. In this I mean that we see Him speaking a great deal of comfort to them. Why? Moses was faced with impending death, and any great leader will naturally fear for the safety and guidance of his people. Joshua, on the other hand, could have feared crossing the Jordan, soon overtaking the city of Jericho, and establishing an empire built by the very hand of God. But God is direct and transparent. He tells Joshua that "As [He] was with Moses, so [He would] be with [Joshua]." He assures Joshua that He will "never leave [him] or forsake [him]." All God commands Joshua to do is to "be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD [His] God [would] be with [Joshua] wherever [he went]." What comfort!
There is a lesson to be learned in God's message to Joshua--we must not fear the things of this world. Whether it be armies, crossing the river into an unknown land, or simply getting through the various trials of our day, we are commanded by God to not be afraid. The popular science-fiction novel Dune says "Fear is the mind-killer." That is true. Fear can turn our lives into a nervous wreck. It will cause us to lose trust in God and others. It will disturb our spirits, our minds, and our bodies. As Christians, we need to recognize that every event in life is guided by the hand of God. Yes, even the moments of great sorrow and suffering are known by God. He has all the answers to help us work through them. Notice I said work through them, not get out of them. Often, God does not remove the situations that cause us fear, but He changes our mindset so that we no longer fear them.
What, then, should we fear? Beloved, the only thing we should fear is God. Proverbs 9.10 says that "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." When we learn to fear God, we begin to live lives focused on Him. We obtain wisdom, knowledge, and understanding needed to live lives fully dedicated to Jesus. By fear I do not mean fear that God will strike us down with bolts of lightning. I mean fear that we will, as Pastor David Platt once put it, let God down like a grown son fears letting his father down. Fear here really means deep admiration and respect for the sovereignty of God. We should desire to make sure everything we do is holy and pleasing to God. That means we desire to live lives of holiness and love--lives to which Christ has commanded us. When we do so, we will be pleasing the Father.
Are you afraid today? What struggles are there in your life that are causing you needless fear? God says not to be afraid. We must "be strong and courageous," not fearing anything Satan throws at us in this world. Our God is all powerful, all knowing, and all loving. He will protect us in the midst of our many struggles through life. What is it you need to turn over to Him today? If fear is controlling your life, turn it over to God. Ask Him, "Lord, I don't want to be afraid anymore. Grant me your heavenly strength to endure this day and this life without fear. Let me only trust in You, and your provisions for my life." Allow God to remove the fears in your life today, and he will replace that fear with comfort and strength in Him. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Joshua 1.5,9
5 No one will be able to stand up against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.
9 Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go.
Proverbs 9.10
10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.
We live in a world where we could be afraid of a great many things. War, nuclear weapons, pandemics, economic collapse, poverty, droughts and famine, the loss of a loved one, our own health issues, the loss of a job. This is, of course, nothing new, but the reality of fear is quite real in the hearts and minds of all people on Earth. This is not Biblical, however. Fear of anything apart from God is ungodly because it demonstrates two things: we are in direct violation of God's commandment to not fear, and that we are demonstrating a lack of trust for God's provisions for our lives. These two things will chip away at our spiritual fortress until fear throws open the city gates and sacks our hearts.
God's Word is very clear, however, that we should not be afraid. Towards the end of the book of Deuteronomy and the beginning of the book of Joshua, God becomes especially personal to Moses and Joshua. In this I mean that we see Him speaking a great deal of comfort to them. Why? Moses was faced with impending death, and any great leader will naturally fear for the safety and guidance of his people. Joshua, on the other hand, could have feared crossing the Jordan, soon overtaking the city of Jericho, and establishing an empire built by the very hand of God. But God is direct and transparent. He tells Joshua that "As [He] was with Moses, so [He would] be with [Joshua]." He assures Joshua that He will "never leave [him] or forsake [him]." All God commands Joshua to do is to "be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD [His] God [would] be with [Joshua] wherever [he went]." What comfort!
There is a lesson to be learned in God's message to Joshua--we must not fear the things of this world. Whether it be armies, crossing the river into an unknown land, or simply getting through the various trials of our day, we are commanded by God to not be afraid. The popular science-fiction novel Dune says "Fear is the mind-killer." That is true. Fear can turn our lives into a nervous wreck. It will cause us to lose trust in God and others. It will disturb our spirits, our minds, and our bodies. As Christians, we need to recognize that every event in life is guided by the hand of God. Yes, even the moments of great sorrow and suffering are known by God. He has all the answers to help us work through them. Notice I said work through them, not get out of them. Often, God does not remove the situations that cause us fear, but He changes our mindset so that we no longer fear them.
What, then, should we fear? Beloved, the only thing we should fear is God. Proverbs 9.10 says that "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom, and knowledge of the Holy One is understanding." When we learn to fear God, we begin to live lives focused on Him. We obtain wisdom, knowledge, and understanding needed to live lives fully dedicated to Jesus. By fear I do not mean fear that God will strike us down with bolts of lightning. I mean fear that we will, as Pastor David Platt once put it, let God down like a grown son fears letting his father down. Fear here really means deep admiration and respect for the sovereignty of God. We should desire to make sure everything we do is holy and pleasing to God. That means we desire to live lives of holiness and love--lives to which Christ has commanded us. When we do so, we will be pleasing the Father.
Are you afraid today? What struggles are there in your life that are causing you needless fear? God says not to be afraid. We must "be strong and courageous," not fearing anything Satan throws at us in this world. Our God is all powerful, all knowing, and all loving. He will protect us in the midst of our many struggles through life. What is it you need to turn over to Him today? If fear is controlling your life, turn it over to God. Ask Him, "Lord, I don't want to be afraid anymore. Grant me your heavenly strength to endure this day and this life without fear. Let me only trust in You, and your provisions for my life." Allow God to remove the fears in your life today, and he will replace that fear with comfort and strength in Him. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Sunday, November 1, 2009
How Does Holiness Act? Part 4: Purity in Thought
How Does Holiness Act? Part 4: Purity in Thought
Romans 13.14
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
James 1.14-15
[B]ut each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
So far we have talked about how we should act in holiness. Nevertheless, acting holy is impossible if we do not keep a mindset of holiness. Christ is very clear on this matter. He says in Mark 7.21-23 that "from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' " We tend to think that the temptations around us are what make us give in to sin, but they can no more make us sin than a glass of wine sitting on the table can force itself into a man's mouth; it is within our own thoughts that we determine our sins.
To understand this, we need to understand a little bit about biology and, at least how current theory perceives it, the body's interaction with the soul. Humans are a trinity, just as God is. We have a spirit, a mind, and a body. All three of these work together in a two-way, procedural process. The body takes inputs through the senses, feeds the information into the brain, which interprets it, then feeds it somehow into the spirit. This is, at least at the present moment, how we believe the process works. That is how input is received. Output works the opposite way. The spirit, receiving input, interacts with the brain to make a decision, then sends that decision back to the body. That is called output.
Now, this is quite important, for if we can understand this, then we can understand how sin works. You see, it is not the brain or the body(unless a physical or mental disorder is present) that makes the decisions. The old adage of "I just couldn't help myself" is invalid. You and I CAN control our actions. Our thoughts can choose what we want to DO with that input and what we want to output. It therefore becomes crucial that we keep a filter in our minds to guard against that which would be unholy. There are serious consequences to allowing polluted thoughts invade our minds. James mentions this in James 1 when he says that "each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." Notice the synonymous philosophy of both Jesus and James--it is our thoughts that cause sin. Unholiness is a choice, and that choice is made by how we choose to act.
Thus, if we keep impure thoughts, the temptations to act upon them will be incredibly overbearing. That is why Christ commands us to keep holy minds. For example, Jesus says in Matthew 5.28 "that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Lust is an excellent example of how keeping unholy thoughts will cause one to sin. If we keep these sorts of sinful desires within us, Satan will slowly twist them into seeming honest. He will say things like, "It's alright to look at her; it's only natural" or "That white lie is alright; you did it to prevent pain" or "It's alright to do that; everyone who want to reach the top at this company has to do something they're not proud of." There are literally thousands of examples that Satan bombards us with everyday. What is the trick? Keep a pure mind. Next time we will see three key ways we can keep a pure mind: the Word of God, prayer, and relying on other Christians to help us stay holy.
For now, let's examine our hearts--are we keeping them pure with holiness? Are we allowing sinful thoughts to linger and grow until they don't seem so bad? If so, then we need to come to God and lay it down to Jesus. We may not have even acted upon them, but accepting them in our thoughts means we have done them already. Beloved, even if you are not struggling with temptation through unholy thoughts, pray to ask God to help you keep a pure mind. This is a crucial part of holiness. We need to make our thoughts holy--mirroring the thoughts of Christ in everything we do. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Romans 13.14
Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
James 1.14-15
[B]ut each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
So far we have talked about how we should act in holiness. Nevertheless, acting holy is impossible if we do not keep a mindset of holiness. Christ is very clear on this matter. He says in Mark 7.21-23 that "from within, out of men's hearts, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, malice, deceit, lewdness, envy, slander, arrogance and folly. All these evils come from inside and make a man 'unclean.' " We tend to think that the temptations around us are what make us give in to sin, but they can no more make us sin than a glass of wine sitting on the table can force itself into a man's mouth; it is within our own thoughts that we determine our sins.
To understand this, we need to understand a little bit about biology and, at least how current theory perceives it, the body's interaction with the soul. Humans are a trinity, just as God is. We have a spirit, a mind, and a body. All three of these work together in a two-way, procedural process. The body takes inputs through the senses, feeds the information into the brain, which interprets it, then feeds it somehow into the spirit. This is, at least at the present moment, how we believe the process works. That is how input is received. Output works the opposite way. The spirit, receiving input, interacts with the brain to make a decision, then sends that decision back to the body. That is called output.
Now, this is quite important, for if we can understand this, then we can understand how sin works. You see, it is not the brain or the body(unless a physical or mental disorder is present) that makes the decisions. The old adage of "I just couldn't help myself" is invalid. You and I CAN control our actions. Our thoughts can choose what we want to DO with that input and what we want to output. It therefore becomes crucial that we keep a filter in our minds to guard against that which would be unholy. There are serious consequences to allowing polluted thoughts invade our minds. James mentions this in James 1 when he says that "each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death." Notice the synonymous philosophy of both Jesus and James--it is our thoughts that cause sin. Unholiness is a choice, and that choice is made by how we choose to act.
Thus, if we keep impure thoughts, the temptations to act upon them will be incredibly overbearing. That is why Christ commands us to keep holy minds. For example, Jesus says in Matthew 5.28 "that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." Lust is an excellent example of how keeping unholy thoughts will cause one to sin. If we keep these sorts of sinful desires within us, Satan will slowly twist them into seeming honest. He will say things like, "It's alright to look at her; it's only natural" or "That white lie is alright; you did it to prevent pain" or "It's alright to do that; everyone who want to reach the top at this company has to do something they're not proud of." There are literally thousands of examples that Satan bombards us with everyday. What is the trick? Keep a pure mind. Next time we will see three key ways we can keep a pure mind: the Word of God, prayer, and relying on other Christians to help us stay holy.
For now, let's examine our hearts--are we keeping them pure with holiness? Are we allowing sinful thoughts to linger and grow until they don't seem so bad? If so, then we need to come to God and lay it down to Jesus. We may not have even acted upon them, but accepting them in our thoughts means we have done them already. Beloved, even if you are not struggling with temptation through unholy thoughts, pray to ask God to help you keep a pure mind. This is a crucial part of holiness. We need to make our thoughts holy--mirroring the thoughts of Christ in everything we do. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Sunday, October 25, 2009
How Does Holiness Act? Part 3: Dissension and Jealousy
How Does Holiness Act? Part 3: Dissension and Jealousy
1 Peter 1.13-16
13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
Romans 13.13-14
13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
Hebrews 10.24
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
We have thus far studied our own actions in regards to holiness, but now we must turn to something a bit different: holiness in regards to our relationships with others. Specifically, this involves two crucial properties which we must avoid: dissension and jealousy. Paul says in Romans 13 that we must not behave "in dissension and jealousy." What does this mean, though, and what role does it play in holiness? Dissension is defined as "strong disagreement; a contention or quarrel; discord' (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dissension). Jealousy is defined as " resentment against a rival, a person enjoying success or advantage, etc., or against another's success or advantage itself." These are obviously two behaviors which we must avoid if we wish to remain holy, but why?
Let's first turn to dissension. We see that dissension involves a "strong disagreement" or "a contention or quarrel." Dissension involves "discord." What is the common link for all of these terms? They tear apart rather than build up. Beloved, this is a crucial point we must burn into our brains--quarrels tear us apart, not build us up. Many, many Christians practice dissension. It is a widespread facet of our culture. Dissension is everywhere, especially on television and movies. It is also especially prevelent in the upcoming generation. Often humanity in general is obsessed with arguments and drama. We look forward to confrontation during our day because it occupies our minds and makes us look better than someone else. We thrive on tearing others down to make ourselves feel better or to carry out our anger. Such things should not be! Hebrews 10.24 tells us to "consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." You see, beloved, Christ has quite an opposite view on how we should treat one another. He wishes us to compliment one another, encourage one another, and build one another up in Christ. Yes, there will be times of disagreement, but disagreements should be direct and Christ-focused. We must not constantly criticise and chip and chop away at another for our own amusement. Let us not devour one another! Let us not gossip and backbite one another for the sake of entertainment! The love of Christ should always be our primary mindset with others. So when we go to work or school or home, let us not speak to others of constant criticism and negativity towards our brothers or sisters. Let us instead demonstrate love, for that is what holiness would act. Whether it's a customer, coworker, spouse, child, sibling, friend, or any other relationship, let us have our hearts filled with a spirit of love, for this is of God.
The second thing Paul tells us to avoid is jealousy. Jealousy can sure ruin holiness. When we are jealous of another's accomplishments, current position/authority, or possessions, the love of Christ is quickly replaced with hatred. I realize that is a harsh word, but it is quite fitting. Jealousy can sometimes stir us to hatred of another. Remember Cain's jealousy? It caused the death of his brother and the curse of Cain and his family as a consequence. So you see, jealousy does not merely affect us. Instead of jealousy, we should love one another. What does that look like? A state of holiness would mean that we rejoice when another receives that new job over us, or they get that new house while we are still living in our old one. It does not covet; it does not seek to outdo. Holiness always considers how one can react with a Christ-centered spirit of love and compassion.
What, then, shall we do? We will build one another up instead of tearing each other down! We love and rejoice when our brother or sister succeeds. We are not jealous, nor are we ill-tempered. We will allow the attitude of Christ to fill our hearts, "[considering] how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." Are you doing that today? If you are guilty of any type of dissension or jealousy, ask Christ to forgive you today. Begin to consider all your thoughts, actions, and words to see if they are of God. Will they build someone up? Would you say it to them if they were there? Let us live today in holiness. Amen!
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
1 Peter 1.13-16
13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
Romans 13.13-14
13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
Hebrews 10.24
24 And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds.
We have thus far studied our own actions in regards to holiness, but now we must turn to something a bit different: holiness in regards to our relationships with others. Specifically, this involves two crucial properties which we must avoid: dissension and jealousy. Paul says in Romans 13 that we must not behave "in dissension and jealousy." What does this mean, though, and what role does it play in holiness? Dissension is defined as "strong disagreement; a contention or quarrel; discord' (http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/dissension). Jealousy is defined as " resentment against a rival, a person enjoying success or advantage, etc., or against another's success or advantage itself." These are obviously two behaviors which we must avoid if we wish to remain holy, but why?
Let's first turn to dissension. We see that dissension involves a "strong disagreement" or "a contention or quarrel." Dissension involves "discord." What is the common link for all of these terms? They tear apart rather than build up. Beloved, this is a crucial point we must burn into our brains--quarrels tear us apart, not build us up. Many, many Christians practice dissension. It is a widespread facet of our culture. Dissension is everywhere, especially on television and movies. It is also especially prevelent in the upcoming generation. Often humanity in general is obsessed with arguments and drama. We look forward to confrontation during our day because it occupies our minds and makes us look better than someone else. We thrive on tearing others down to make ourselves feel better or to carry out our anger. Such things should not be! Hebrews 10.24 tells us to "consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." You see, beloved, Christ has quite an opposite view on how we should treat one another. He wishes us to compliment one another, encourage one another, and build one another up in Christ. Yes, there will be times of disagreement, but disagreements should be direct and Christ-focused. We must not constantly criticise and chip and chop away at another for our own amusement. Let us not devour one another! Let us not gossip and backbite one another for the sake of entertainment! The love of Christ should always be our primary mindset with others. So when we go to work or school or home, let us not speak to others of constant criticism and negativity towards our brothers or sisters. Let us instead demonstrate love, for that is what holiness would act. Whether it's a customer, coworker, spouse, child, sibling, friend, or any other relationship, let us have our hearts filled with a spirit of love, for this is of God.
The second thing Paul tells us to avoid is jealousy. Jealousy can sure ruin holiness. When we are jealous of another's accomplishments, current position/authority, or possessions, the love of Christ is quickly replaced with hatred. I realize that is a harsh word, but it is quite fitting. Jealousy can sometimes stir us to hatred of another. Remember Cain's jealousy? It caused the death of his brother and the curse of Cain and his family as a consequence. So you see, jealousy does not merely affect us. Instead of jealousy, we should love one another. What does that look like? A state of holiness would mean that we rejoice when another receives that new job over us, or they get that new house while we are still living in our old one. It does not covet; it does not seek to outdo. Holiness always considers how one can react with a Christ-centered spirit of love and compassion.
What, then, shall we do? We will build one another up instead of tearing each other down! We love and rejoice when our brother or sister succeeds. We are not jealous, nor are we ill-tempered. We will allow the attitude of Christ to fill our hearts, "[considering] how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds." Are you doing that today? If you are guilty of any type of dissension or jealousy, ask Christ to forgive you today. Begin to consider all your thoughts, actions, and words to see if they are of God. Will they build someone up? Would you say it to them if they were there? Let us live today in holiness. Amen!
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Thursday, October 22, 2009
How Does Holiness Act? Part 3: The Proper Conduct of Sexual Morality
How Does Holiness Act? Part 3: The Proper Conduct of Sexual Morality
1 Peter 1.13-16
13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
Romans 13.13-14
13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
As we continue our series on how holiness acts, we come to the second set of sinful natures which defile holiness--sexual immorality. Paul says in Romans 13 that we are not to behave "in sexual immorality and debauchery." Let me stop here, however, and make sure these terms are clear. Sexual immorality involves any sexual behavior within at least four distinct categories:
1.) Lust(such as pornography)
2.) Fornication(sex before marriage)
3.) Adultery(sex outside of one's marriage with another person)
4.) Defilement(homosexuality, sexual activity with animals, etc.)
Similarly, there is debauchery--unrestrained sexual behavior. These are the people who are obsessed with sex. One could make an excellent case that our society is filled with debauchery. One cannot turn on a television show without the topic surfacing either directly or indirectly. It has invaded primetime television, books, magazines, the Internet, billboards, and our everyday culture. But debauchery CAN exist within marriages. If one's relationship with one's spouse is centered wholly on sexual activity, then one is engaging in debauchery.
Both of these practices are regarded as unholy by God. When we do these things we are not "[clothing ourselves] with the Lord Jesus Christ" but are instead "[thinking] about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." So what is the solution? The solution is to keep a pure mind. To be honest, sexual immorality is probably one of the toughest sins to avoid because it is a sin that results from(in most cases) wholly natural desires. Really the only sound way to avoid it is to "clothe [yourself] with the Lord Jesus Christ." We must do as Paul says and "prepare [our] minds for action." We must "be self-controlled, [setting our] hope fully on the grace to be given [us] when Jesus Christ is revealed." Self control of the mind by focusing on Christ is the most efficient way to avoid sexual immorality. One cannot enable himself to even consider what he knows is sexually immoral and unholy because the moment he allows such thoughts, the flesh kicks in and pursues all sorts of unrighteousness.
So what does holiness look like when acted out in regards to sexual morality? It is the sort of thing that gets one away from the computer/television/books when he or she is being tempted with lust. It is the sort of thing that says to the unmarried man or woman, "I will never put/be put in a situation where something COULD happen with my date/girlfriend/boyfriend." It is the sort of thing that says to the married man or woman, "My husband/wife is part of my own flesh--I will not defile myself by defiling the temple of my body." When we begin to take on this mindset, interesting side effects occur. When we stop lusting, we begin to see the value of a person and not simply as a mere object of our pleasure. We begin to see how true love does not blossom until its time has come fully. We begin to see our spouse and our relationship with them as a holy union between God, a man, and a woman. THIS, beloved, is how holiness looks. THIS is how sexual purity and holiness appears before our Lord Jesus Christ. When we follow His example, we will experience this action in the form that Christ designed at the time that Christ designed for us. We will remain holy unto Him.
Perhaps you have fallen into sexual immorality in some form or another. It is incredibly easy to do. Many of us are ashamed to admit it before God because we feel as if it is worth than any other sin. Remember that sin is sin is sin. Whatever you may have done or have thought, remember that we have a Savior who washes it all away. Allow Jesus to cleanse your eyes with His blood. He will wash you as white as snow. When King David committed adultery, we believe he wrote Psalm 51 afterwards. In it he pleads with God: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow" (Psalm 51.1-2;7). May that be the prayer today for anyone who is struggling or has struggled with sexual immorality. Allow Jesus to wash you clean and become holy, for He is holy. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
1 Peter 1.13-16
13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
Romans 13.13-14
13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
As we continue our series on how holiness acts, we come to the second set of sinful natures which defile holiness--sexual immorality. Paul says in Romans 13 that we are not to behave "in sexual immorality and debauchery." Let me stop here, however, and make sure these terms are clear. Sexual immorality involves any sexual behavior within at least four distinct categories:
1.) Lust(such as pornography)
2.) Fornication(sex before marriage)
3.) Adultery(sex outside of one's marriage with another person)
4.) Defilement(homosexuality, sexual activity with animals, etc.)
Similarly, there is debauchery--unrestrained sexual behavior. These are the people who are obsessed with sex. One could make an excellent case that our society is filled with debauchery. One cannot turn on a television show without the topic surfacing either directly or indirectly. It has invaded primetime television, books, magazines, the Internet, billboards, and our everyday culture. But debauchery CAN exist within marriages. If one's relationship with one's spouse is centered wholly on sexual activity, then one is engaging in debauchery.
Both of these practices are regarded as unholy by God. When we do these things we are not "[clothing ourselves] with the Lord Jesus Christ" but are instead "[thinking] about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature." So what is the solution? The solution is to keep a pure mind. To be honest, sexual immorality is probably one of the toughest sins to avoid because it is a sin that results from(in most cases) wholly natural desires. Really the only sound way to avoid it is to "clothe [yourself] with the Lord Jesus Christ." We must do as Paul says and "prepare [our] minds for action." We must "be self-controlled, [setting our] hope fully on the grace to be given [us] when Jesus Christ is revealed." Self control of the mind by focusing on Christ is the most efficient way to avoid sexual immorality. One cannot enable himself to even consider what he knows is sexually immoral and unholy because the moment he allows such thoughts, the flesh kicks in and pursues all sorts of unrighteousness.
So what does holiness look like when acted out in regards to sexual morality? It is the sort of thing that gets one away from the computer/television/books when he or she is being tempted with lust. It is the sort of thing that says to the unmarried man or woman, "I will never put/be put in a situation where something COULD happen with my date/girlfriend/boyfriend." It is the sort of thing that says to the married man or woman, "My husband/wife is part of my own flesh--I will not defile myself by defiling the temple of my body." When we begin to take on this mindset, interesting side effects occur. When we stop lusting, we begin to see the value of a person and not simply as a mere object of our pleasure. We begin to see how true love does not blossom until its time has come fully. We begin to see our spouse and our relationship with them as a holy union between God, a man, and a woman. THIS, beloved, is how holiness looks. THIS is how sexual purity and holiness appears before our Lord Jesus Christ. When we follow His example, we will experience this action in the form that Christ designed at the time that Christ designed for us. We will remain holy unto Him.
Perhaps you have fallen into sexual immorality in some form or another. It is incredibly easy to do. Many of us are ashamed to admit it before God because we feel as if it is worth than any other sin. Remember that sin is sin is sin. Whatever you may have done or have thought, remember that we have a Savior who washes it all away. Allow Jesus to cleanse your eyes with His blood. He will wash you as white as snow. When King David committed adultery, we believe he wrote Psalm 51 afterwards. In it he pleads with God: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow" (Psalm 51.1-2;7). May that be the prayer today for anyone who is struggling or has struggled with sexual immorality. Allow Jesus to wash you clean and become holy, for He is holy. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Sunday, October 18, 2009
How Does Holiness Act? Part 2: Revelry
How Does Holiness Act? Part 2: Revelry
1 Peter 1.13-16
13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
Romans 13.13-14
13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
Last week we began studying how holiness acts. This week we will get into the specifics of how that looks when carried out. What is it Christ wants us to do, and what does He want us to avoid doing? These are the questions we will answer. Beloved, learning how holiness should be displayed is a crucial part of our growth and maintenence in our relationship with Christ. Like it or not, God has called us to a set standard. We are told to "prepare [our] minds for action; be self-controlled," and to "set [our] hope fully on the grace to be given [us] when Jesus Christ is revealed."
We have seen how Paul has outlined some examples of both unrighteous and righteous behaviors. The first we will study is a topic that is not often brought up, but it is significant for our standards of holiness, nonetheless. I am speaking of this business of revelry. If you do not know what revelry is, imagine those high school parties without adult supervision, or a sports gathering where too much alcohol is ingested. This is revelry, and Scripture calls us out of it. I know that there are some of us who believe we can do both--pursue the flesh and the spirit, but Jesus tells us this in Luke 16.13: "No servant 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." Beloved, the Scripture is very clear on this fact--either our lives are devoted entirely to God or entirely to the world.
We know, then, that we ought to avoid revelry, but what does it look like? The Scripture outlines it here in Romans 13. Paul says that we should not behave "in orgies and drunkenness." I think all of us are pretty clear on what this means. Nevertheless, that does not mean that all of us are avoiding these unholy acts. There are those who call themselves believers and yet think very little of indulging in too much wine or alcohol, or with sleeping with someone to whom they are not married on a night of festivity. Usually the two occur together, for the alcohol corrupts and suppresses the spirit--it brings out the worst of our sinful nature.
This is why we should avoid alcohol. And that is not always easy to do. It is everywhere--restaurants, sporting events, among other festivities. Alcohol is a powerful force in our society and economy. The danger is not in the partaking of the beverage itself but in overindulging. The line is not always clear. That is why it is best to avoid anything but a small glass of wine altogether. As the sips get larger, our judgment diminishes inversely. Not only are the mind and motor skills affected, but the spirit is unable to reason with the body. How can we control our bodies through our spirit if our bodies cannot respond to our commands?
And this leads to another abomination--sexual immorality. Although the word "orgies" is used here, it is clear to us that, in the connotation of Paul's day, orgies were strongly connected with festivals where sexual immorality were quite common. The King James version of the Bible uses the word "rioting," but here(in the New International Version), I think we can get a stronger sense of potentially what Paul could have been thinking when he described this. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary states one definition of the word as this: "secret ceremonial rites held in honor of an ancient Greek or Roman deity and usually characterized by ecstatic singing and dancing." Another states that orgies are the "excessive indulgence in something especially to satisfy an inordinate appetite or craving." I am sure these sorts of religious practices were incredibly commonplace in the Roman world. Paul knew exactly what went on. Unfortunately, so do we. Our society, while not nearly as loose as the ancient Roman world, still indulges in acts of unbridled passions. The mixing of alcohol, drugs, and an uncontrolled mind, body, and spirit lead mostly to sexual immorality and all sorts of other wickedness not appropriate for me to even mention.
So how are we to avoid these things? It is much more clear that observing them externally demonstrates just how filthy and reviling these practice are. They are certainly unholy and despicable in the Lord's sight. These are the sorts of practices we saw God destroy nations for in the past. There is a key to avoiding them, and it is very simple--be drunk and indulge in the spirit. Galatians 5:16 says this before mentioning all of the despicable practices of sin: "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." Very simply, beloved, if we wish to "be holy, because [God] is holy," then we must keep our focus on the spirit. When strong drink, sexual immorality, or any other perverse act tempts us, we must immediately begin prayer, recite scripture, and resist Satan by employing the directive of James 4.7: "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
Beloved, when we turn our attention over to the Father and put out of our minds the incredibly tempting desires of the flesh, suddenly we will see how unholy and unnatural revelry is. We will desire to seek God.
If you have not been obedient to the Lord in this matter particularly, come to Him today. Ask His forgiveness, and ask Him to help you live in holiness, not in "orgies and drunkenness." Fill your spirit, mind, and body with the holiness of Christ through the Holy Spirit, and you will learn to hate the despicable acts of revelry. I pray, beloved, that we can be holy today. Let us hold to the standard which Jesus has called us! Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
1 Peter 1.13-16
13Therefore, prepare your minds for action; be self-controlled; set your hope fully on the grace to be given you when Jesus Christ is revealed. 14As obedient children, do not conform to the evil desires you had when you lived in ignorance. 15But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; 16for it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy."
Romans 13.13-14
13Let us behave decently, as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. 14Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.
Last week we began studying how holiness acts. This week we will get into the specifics of how that looks when carried out. What is it Christ wants us to do, and what does He want us to avoid doing? These are the questions we will answer. Beloved, learning how holiness should be displayed is a crucial part of our growth and maintenence in our relationship with Christ. Like it or not, God has called us to a set standard. We are told to "prepare [our] minds for action; be self-controlled," and to "set [our] hope fully on the grace to be given [us] when Jesus Christ is revealed."
We have seen how Paul has outlined some examples of both unrighteous and righteous behaviors. The first we will study is a topic that is not often brought up, but it is significant for our standards of holiness, nonetheless. I am speaking of this business of revelry. If you do not know what revelry is, imagine those high school parties without adult supervision, or a sports gathering where too much alcohol is ingested. This is revelry, and Scripture calls us out of it. I know that there are some of us who believe we can do both--pursue the flesh and the spirit, but Jesus tells us this in Luke 16.13: "No servant 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." Beloved, the Scripture is very clear on this fact--either our lives are devoted entirely to God or entirely to the world.
We know, then, that we ought to avoid revelry, but what does it look like? The Scripture outlines it here in Romans 13. Paul says that we should not behave "in orgies and drunkenness." I think all of us are pretty clear on what this means. Nevertheless, that does not mean that all of us are avoiding these unholy acts. There are those who call themselves believers and yet think very little of indulging in too much wine or alcohol, or with sleeping with someone to whom they are not married on a night of festivity. Usually the two occur together, for the alcohol corrupts and suppresses the spirit--it brings out the worst of our sinful nature.
This is why we should avoid alcohol. And that is not always easy to do. It is everywhere--restaurants, sporting events, among other festivities. Alcohol is a powerful force in our society and economy. The danger is not in the partaking of the beverage itself but in overindulging. The line is not always clear. That is why it is best to avoid anything but a small glass of wine altogether. As the sips get larger, our judgment diminishes inversely. Not only are the mind and motor skills affected, but the spirit is unable to reason with the body. How can we control our bodies through our spirit if our bodies cannot respond to our commands?
And this leads to another abomination--sexual immorality. Although the word "orgies" is used here, it is clear to us that, in the connotation of Paul's day, orgies were strongly connected with festivals where sexual immorality were quite common. The King James version of the Bible uses the word "rioting," but here(in the New International Version), I think we can get a stronger sense of potentially what Paul could have been thinking when he described this. The Merriam-Webster Dictionary states one definition of the word as this: "secret ceremonial rites held in honor of an ancient Greek or Roman deity and usually characterized by ecstatic singing and dancing." Another states that orgies are the "excessive indulgence in something especially to satisfy an inordinate appetite or craving." I am sure these sorts of religious practices were incredibly commonplace in the Roman world. Paul knew exactly what went on. Unfortunately, so do we. Our society, while not nearly as loose as the ancient Roman world, still indulges in acts of unbridled passions. The mixing of alcohol, drugs, and an uncontrolled mind, body, and spirit lead mostly to sexual immorality and all sorts of other wickedness not appropriate for me to even mention.
So how are we to avoid these things? It is much more clear that observing them externally demonstrates just how filthy and reviling these practice are. They are certainly unholy and despicable in the Lord's sight. These are the sorts of practices we saw God destroy nations for in the past. There is a key to avoiding them, and it is very simple--be drunk and indulge in the spirit. Galatians 5:16 says this before mentioning all of the despicable practices of sin: "So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature." Very simply, beloved, if we wish to "be holy, because [God] is holy," then we must keep our focus on the spirit. When strong drink, sexual immorality, or any other perverse act tempts us, we must immediately begin prayer, recite scripture, and resist Satan by employing the directive of James 4.7: "Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you."
Beloved, when we turn our attention over to the Father and put out of our minds the incredibly tempting desires of the flesh, suddenly we will see how unholy and unnatural revelry is. We will desire to seek God.
If you have not been obedient to the Lord in this matter particularly, come to Him today. Ask His forgiveness, and ask Him to help you live in holiness, not in "orgies and drunkenness." Fill your spirit, mind, and body with the holiness of Christ through the Holy Spirit, and you will learn to hate the despicable acts of revelry. I pray, beloved, that we can be holy today. Let us hold to the standard which Jesus has called us! Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Thursday, October 8, 2009
The Unbridled Glory of God
The Unbridled Glory of God
Revelation 4.8-11
8Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." 9Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 11"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."
I just recently got done listening to the opening to Bach's "Mass in B-Minor." For those who don't know, the Ordinary of the Mass is the set of texts sung by the Catholic Church that remain relatively fixed. The opening text sung by the choir is "Kyrie Eleison," the words of which state in Latin translated from Greek: "Kýrie, eléison; Christé, eléison; Kýrie, eléison." In English it reads, "Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy." Bach's version in B-Minor can be listened to here(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi6fhfkZFoA). Keep in mind this is the OPENING choir song for a service. And Bach composes it in B-minor! I say all of this to illustrate a point--the early Christians(for this chant significantly predates Bach) were incredibly serious about their worship. They wanted to enter with an attitude of humbleness--an attitude that recognizes the sovereignty and mercy of Christ. Why? They understood the incredible glory of God--a lesson we can learn from.
In Revelation 4 we see a picture of four living creatures and twenty for elders seated around the throne of God. The glory is so great that "[d]ay and night [the four creatures] never stop saying: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.' " Likewise, "whenever the living creatures" proclaim this, "the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever." What a powerful proclamation, and yet so true! The glory of God is enough to make us fall on the face and shout to the top of our lungs, "Holy, holy, holy!" It should make us cast down our crowns and proclaim God as "worthy to receive glory and honor and power."
We need to take God's glory seriously. I did not simply mention the Ordinary of the Mass to bridge into the lesson--it is also crucial that you understand the attitude of worship which these people undertook. They were serious and passionate about their worship, because they knew it was all for the glory of God. They did not wish to do anything to dishonor the presence of God. We, too, should possess a similar attitude. While worship can be fun, cheerful, and enjoyable for us, let us not forget its true purpose--to bring glory to the Almighty God. We come together in His presence, and this is a very serious ordeal. Sadly, many 21st Century cliches have slowly chipped away at the reverence we should maintain for God. We come into worship with sayings like, "Just leave your troubles and worries at the door and let's come to worship!" Is that really what God wishes us to do? As Pastor David Platt puts it, "No; bring your worries and troubles into the door." The glory of God is best manifested in us when we are completely humble and submissive to His will. This means that our hearts are honest and open to the will and call of the Lord. His glory overwhelms us, and suddenly "The Man Upstairs" appears too trivial a term to ever apply to Elohim--Him whose name is so holy that the modern Jews will not even speak it. Do we have that same standard of holiness in our worship?
Is your worship like the four creatures and the twenty four elders? Does it contain the passion in the words of that mass: "Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy." Beloved, may we seek the glory of God! Although it is too much for us now, one day we shall see it in full splendor. We will have no need to talk about it; we will experience it firsthand! If your worship or your relationship with God has not been sincere, then I urge you to come before the throne of God today and let Jesus cleanse you. God's glory shines on His children--He can heal us totally to place us in His will. Will you live your life in awe and reverence of Him? Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Revelation 4.8-11
8Each of the four living creatures had six wings and was covered with eyes all around, even under his wings. Day and night they never stop saying: "Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come." 9Whenever the living creatures give glory, honor and thanks to him who sits on the throne and who lives for ever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever. They lay their crowns before the throne and say: 11"You are worthy, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they were created and have their being."
I just recently got done listening to the opening to Bach's "Mass in B-Minor." For those who don't know, the Ordinary of the Mass is the set of texts sung by the Catholic Church that remain relatively fixed. The opening text sung by the choir is "Kyrie Eleison," the words of which state in Latin translated from Greek: "Kýrie, eléison; Christé, eléison; Kýrie, eléison." In English it reads, "Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy." Bach's version in B-Minor can be listened to here(http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vi6fhfkZFoA). Keep in mind this is the OPENING choir song for a service. And Bach composes it in B-minor! I say all of this to illustrate a point--the early Christians(for this chant significantly predates Bach) were incredibly serious about their worship. They wanted to enter with an attitude of humbleness--an attitude that recognizes the sovereignty and mercy of Christ. Why? They understood the incredible glory of God--a lesson we can learn from.
In Revelation 4 we see a picture of four living creatures and twenty for elders seated around the throne of God. The glory is so great that "[d]ay and night [the four creatures] never stop saying: 'Holy, holy, holy is the Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come.' " Likewise, "whenever the living creatures" proclaim this, "the twenty-four elders fall down before him who sits on the throne, and worship him who lives for ever and ever." What a powerful proclamation, and yet so true! The glory of God is enough to make us fall on the face and shout to the top of our lungs, "Holy, holy, holy!" It should make us cast down our crowns and proclaim God as "worthy to receive glory and honor and power."
We need to take God's glory seriously. I did not simply mention the Ordinary of the Mass to bridge into the lesson--it is also crucial that you understand the attitude of worship which these people undertook. They were serious and passionate about their worship, because they knew it was all for the glory of God. They did not wish to do anything to dishonor the presence of God. We, too, should possess a similar attitude. While worship can be fun, cheerful, and enjoyable for us, let us not forget its true purpose--to bring glory to the Almighty God. We come together in His presence, and this is a very serious ordeal. Sadly, many 21st Century cliches have slowly chipped away at the reverence we should maintain for God. We come into worship with sayings like, "Just leave your troubles and worries at the door and let's come to worship!" Is that really what God wishes us to do? As Pastor David Platt puts it, "No; bring your worries and troubles into the door." The glory of God is best manifested in us when we are completely humble and submissive to His will. This means that our hearts are honest and open to the will and call of the Lord. His glory overwhelms us, and suddenly "The Man Upstairs" appears too trivial a term to ever apply to Elohim--Him whose name is so holy that the modern Jews will not even speak it. Do we have that same standard of holiness in our worship?
Is your worship like the four creatures and the twenty four elders? Does it contain the passion in the words of that mass: "Lord, have mercy; Christ, have mercy; Lord, have mercy." Beloved, may we seek the glory of God! Although it is too much for us now, one day we shall see it in full splendor. We will have no need to talk about it; we will experience it firsthand! If your worship or your relationship with God has not been sincere, then I urge you to come before the throne of God today and let Jesus cleanse you. God's glory shines on His children--He can heal us totally to place us in His will. Will you live your life in awe and reverence of Him? Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Sunday, October 4, 2009
Unending Love
Unending Love
Psalm 136.1
"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever."
Sometimes we forget God's love is unconditional and everlasting. We can become so tuned to man's concept of love that we forget just how powerful and precious the Lord's love for us is. Many people still cannot move away from the conditional sort of love. That is, the sort of love where someone says "I love you" as long as things are going his way. This is the man who says he loves the wind so long as it keeps his sail going about his business. When we speak of God's love, however, we are not speaking of conditions. It is not a love based on what we do for Him. God loves the vilest of sinners and the saintliest of saints equally. Why? Because "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3.23). In spite of this, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3.16). You see, beloved, who we are has nothing to do with why God loves us. He simply loves us.
Do not think that this is a love with limits either in time or space. Time and space, as we know, will fade. The Psalmist points out that "[the LORD's love endures forever." This sort of love is obviously eternal. It will exist for us and be manifested to us even when our physical bodies no longer harbor our spirits. This sort of love is reassuring. We live in a very conditional world. I know this well as a software designer. Motor vehicle laws here in Alabama where I live are heavily based upon "If/Then/Else" logic. There is often little rhyme or reason to these laws. That is not how our heavenly Father works, however. God's love is a constant; it cannot be moved. The Bible manifests it in thousands of ways. One of the most obvious is found in Luke 23.39-43. In it we see that one of the thieves on the Cross next to Jesus "said to Jesus, 'Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.' And Jesus said to him, 'Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.' " That is so typical of God's love! It goes on and on, even when death has occurred. Jesus barely had the strength to breathe, but he found enough to forgive a wretched sinner.
He loves us the same way. We were all sinners condemned to the wrath of God, but Christ has provided us with eternal redemption through His sacrifice. He paid our debts and bore the wrath which was due to us. That's eternal love! If God did all that, don't you think He still loves us? Of course He does! Now may our lives return it. May we, too, have eternal love for Jesus and for the lives of those around us and distant from us. The Kingdom is here, right now. You do not have to weight for any thousand year reign; the Kingdom of God has come with power! It lives in us and will live in us even after our breath stops. If you have not ever accepted God's eternal love, do so today. Ask Jesus to come and be the Lord of your life and King of your heart. Or perhaps you have not been experiencing the eternal love of God. Maybe you have feelings that say, "I'm not good enough" or "I've done too much wrong for God to ever love me." Remember God forgave a thief on a Cross--He can and has forgiven you. Live today in God's eternal love! Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Psalm 136.1
"Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever."
Sometimes we forget God's love is unconditional and everlasting. We can become so tuned to man's concept of love that we forget just how powerful and precious the Lord's love for us is. Many people still cannot move away from the conditional sort of love. That is, the sort of love where someone says "I love you" as long as things are going his way. This is the man who says he loves the wind so long as it keeps his sail going about his business. When we speak of God's love, however, we are not speaking of conditions. It is not a love based on what we do for Him. God loves the vilest of sinners and the saintliest of saints equally. Why? Because "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3.23). In spite of this, "God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life" (John 3.16). You see, beloved, who we are has nothing to do with why God loves us. He simply loves us.
Do not think that this is a love with limits either in time or space. Time and space, as we know, will fade. The Psalmist points out that "[the LORD's love endures forever." This sort of love is obviously eternal. It will exist for us and be manifested to us even when our physical bodies no longer harbor our spirits. This sort of love is reassuring. We live in a very conditional world. I know this well as a software designer. Motor vehicle laws here in Alabama where I live are heavily based upon "If/Then/Else" logic. There is often little rhyme or reason to these laws. That is not how our heavenly Father works, however. God's love is a constant; it cannot be moved. The Bible manifests it in thousands of ways. One of the most obvious is found in Luke 23.39-43. In it we see that one of the thieves on the Cross next to Jesus "said to Jesus, 'Lord, remember me when You come into Your kingdom.' And Jesus said to him, 'Assuredly, I say to you, today you will be with Me in Paradise.' " That is so typical of God's love! It goes on and on, even when death has occurred. Jesus barely had the strength to breathe, but he found enough to forgive a wretched sinner.
He loves us the same way. We were all sinners condemned to the wrath of God, but Christ has provided us with eternal redemption through His sacrifice. He paid our debts and bore the wrath which was due to us. That's eternal love! If God did all that, don't you think He still loves us? Of course He does! Now may our lives return it. May we, too, have eternal love for Jesus and for the lives of those around us and distant from us. The Kingdom is here, right now. You do not have to weight for any thousand year reign; the Kingdom of God has come with power! It lives in us and will live in us even after our breath stops. If you have not ever accepted God's eternal love, do so today. Ask Jesus to come and be the Lord of your life and King of your heart. Or perhaps you have not been experiencing the eternal love of God. Maybe you have feelings that say, "I'm not good enough" or "I've done too much wrong for God to ever love me." Remember God forgave a thief on a Cross--He can and has forgiven you. Live today in God's eternal love! Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Sunday, September 27, 2009
How Prayer Changes Us
How Prayer Changes Us
Matthew 6.9-15
9"This, then, is how you should pray: " 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
I once had an anatomy teacher in high school who said, "Prayer doesn't so much change God as it changes us." That's a very interesting concept, but is it true? I believe both are true--prayer both changes our circumstances and it changes our attitudes. Prayer causes actions, but it also changes hearts. As we look at the Lord's model prayer for our lives, we see that this prayer is very generic. That is not a bad thing--remember, this is a model. Nevertheless, this model reveals some interesting things. The majority of the verses in this prayer not only ask God for needs, but they also force the believer to place his on focus on acting upon these desires. For example, the first thing we see is this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." The first statement is not even a request, but a simple yet powerful acknowledgment that when we pray, we come before the throne of God in awe and humbleness. He is everything; we are merely His servants.
Just think of the wealth of wisdom and knowledge we could learn as we pray. Think about our various needs--what do they cause our minds and spirits to focus upon? When we come before God with our needs, are we merely dumping our requests before Him and then leaving, or are we seriously communicating our needs to Him in such a way that those needs affect us? Beloved, it can become so very easy to become callous to the needs we are asked to pray for. Let us not forget to put our own emotions into our prayers. Galatians 6.2 tells us to "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." When we bear one another's burdens through prayer, those prayers change us. We learn to seriously care about those around us. The body of Christ seems all the more intimate. We also learn to "[forgive] our debtors" and to "forgive men when they sin against [us]." Our relationship with others grow as we learn to pray for them in a way that fulfills the law of love through Jesus Christ.
Prayer not only changes our attitudes towards each other, but it changes our attitudes towards God and life in general. When we pray that "[God's] kingdom come" and that "[His] will be done on earth as it is in heaven," we learn that our priority as Christians is our service to God. How do we ensure that these priorities are met each day by our words and deeds? We pray that God "[g]ive us today our daily bread." It is only when we use prayer for the daily strength for Christ to sustain us that our relationship with Him really blossoms. We become intimate with Him. We learn to give up our weaknesses over to Him, and to use Him as the crutch on which we walk. God is our sustenance--our very breath and means of being. Acts 17.28 says that "in Him we live and move and have our being." May we let our prayers of need for God's daily provision, strength, and guidance cause us to rely fully upon Him.
Are your prayers changing you? I hope so. If not, consider each word you say. Do you mean it? There's no point in praying if it is to merely be a ritual. God wants passionate, honest prayers that come straight from our hearts. They may reveal anger, doubt, confusion, worry, and fear. Those attitudes will be changed by the Father, however. Honestly confess your needs and the needs of others before Him, and He will not only help you in your circumstances, but He will change your attitude in the midst of your circumstances. Begin this sort of prayer right now! Amen!
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Matthew 6.9-15
9"This, then, is how you should pray: " 'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, 10your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. 11Give us today our daily bread. 12Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. 13And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.' 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins."
I once had an anatomy teacher in high school who said, "Prayer doesn't so much change God as it changes us." That's a very interesting concept, but is it true? I believe both are true--prayer both changes our circumstances and it changes our attitudes. Prayer causes actions, but it also changes hearts. As we look at the Lord's model prayer for our lives, we see that this prayer is very generic. That is not a bad thing--remember, this is a model. Nevertheless, this model reveals some interesting things. The majority of the verses in this prayer not only ask God for needs, but they also force the believer to place his on focus on acting upon these desires. For example, the first thing we see is this: "Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name." The first statement is not even a request, but a simple yet powerful acknowledgment that when we pray, we come before the throne of God in awe and humbleness. He is everything; we are merely His servants.
Just think of the wealth of wisdom and knowledge we could learn as we pray. Think about our various needs--what do they cause our minds and spirits to focus upon? When we come before God with our needs, are we merely dumping our requests before Him and then leaving, or are we seriously communicating our needs to Him in such a way that those needs affect us? Beloved, it can become so very easy to become callous to the needs we are asked to pray for. Let us not forget to put our own emotions into our prayers. Galatians 6.2 tells us to "Carry each other's burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ." When we bear one another's burdens through prayer, those prayers change us. We learn to seriously care about those around us. The body of Christ seems all the more intimate. We also learn to "[forgive] our debtors" and to "forgive men when they sin against [us]." Our relationship with others grow as we learn to pray for them in a way that fulfills the law of love through Jesus Christ.
Prayer not only changes our attitudes towards each other, but it changes our attitudes towards God and life in general. When we pray that "[God's] kingdom come" and that "[His] will be done on earth as it is in heaven," we learn that our priority as Christians is our service to God. How do we ensure that these priorities are met each day by our words and deeds? We pray that God "[g]ive us today our daily bread." It is only when we use prayer for the daily strength for Christ to sustain us that our relationship with Him really blossoms. We become intimate with Him. We learn to give up our weaknesses over to Him, and to use Him as the crutch on which we walk. God is our sustenance--our very breath and means of being. Acts 17.28 says that "in Him we live and move and have our being." May we let our prayers of need for God's daily provision, strength, and guidance cause us to rely fully upon Him.
Are your prayers changing you? I hope so. If not, consider each word you say. Do you mean it? There's no point in praying if it is to merely be a ritual. God wants passionate, honest prayers that come straight from our hearts. They may reveal anger, doubt, confusion, worry, and fear. Those attitudes will be changed by the Father, however. Honestly confess your needs and the needs of others before Him, and He will not only help you in your circumstances, but He will change your attitude in the midst of your circumstances. Begin this sort of prayer right now! Amen!
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Wednesday, September 23, 2009
Redeeming Love
Psalm 116.1-9
1 I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. 2 Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. 3 The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. 4 Then I called on the name of the LORD : "O LORD, save me!" 5 The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. 6 The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. 7 Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you. 8 For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, 9 that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
Sometimes in our lives, we simply need to be reminded of God's redeeming love. When our lives toss and turn from turmoil, trials, and temptations, we know that we can turn to the Lord for safety, comfort, rest, and peace. The Psalmist knew this. In Psalm 116 we get a beautiful picture of God redeeming the Psalmist. The Psalmist proclaims that "[the Lord] heard [his] voice" and his "cry for mercy." It has always been somewhat strange to me that a God powerful enough to create a universe and judge the world's wickedness would reach out His hand and "[protect] the simplehearted." And yet that is the God we serve. Our God is large enough to solve our problems, yet close enough to care about solving them. In fact, He already has them solved. The Lord knows you and I better than we know ourselves. Jesus says in Luke 12.7 that "the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Wow! God knows each and every detail of our life, every aspect of every nerve ending etched into your brain that helps make you who you are. Every part of your spirit has been breathed into by the very breath of His mouth. A God who loves that much will and does redeem His children.
This says a great deal about God's relationship with us. Most people in Western culture see God as little more than an inspector who issues tests and trials, noting who passes and who doesn't. They believe that if you go to church every Sunday, try not to curse, don't commit adultery, and talk about him at least once a week, then you go to heaven. If you don't do those things, they say, you go to hell. That is such a simplistic, naive, and downright false view. Beloved, God LOVES His children. As Christians, we cannot accept the conclusion of Western society. God IS Love, and that means His relationship with us is far more than as a simple inspector. He has shown through Christ's sacrifice that He loves us deeply enough to "[deliver our souls] from death, [our] eyes from tears, and [our] feet from stumbling." Beloved, this is so comforting. This is a sure-fire way to keep a gentle, positive, and Christ-like spirit throughout your day.
Take comfort in the fact that God has redeemed you through Christ, and that He is redeeming you each day! If you have not been recognizing His redemption, or if you have never experienced it, come and let Christ redeem you. What does the Word say? It says that "the Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion." He "protects the simplehearted." Beloved, allow Christ to redeem you today. Let Him wrap you in His love so that you may be full in the love of Christ. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
1 I love the LORD, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy. 2 Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live. 3 The cords of death entangled me, the anguish of the grave came upon me; I was overcome by trouble and sorrow. 4 Then I called on the name of the LORD : "O LORD, save me!" 5 The LORD is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion. 6 The LORD protects the simplehearted; when I was in great need, he saved me. 7 Be at rest once more, O my soul, for the LORD has been good to you. 8 For you, O LORD, have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, my feet from stumbling, 9 that I may walk before the LORD in the land of the living.
Sometimes in our lives, we simply need to be reminded of God's redeeming love. When our lives toss and turn from turmoil, trials, and temptations, we know that we can turn to the Lord for safety, comfort, rest, and peace. The Psalmist knew this. In Psalm 116 we get a beautiful picture of God redeeming the Psalmist. The Psalmist proclaims that "[the Lord] heard [his] voice" and his "cry for mercy." It has always been somewhat strange to me that a God powerful enough to create a universe and judge the world's wickedness would reach out His hand and "[protect] the simplehearted." And yet that is the God we serve. Our God is large enough to solve our problems, yet close enough to care about solving them. In fact, He already has them solved. The Lord knows you and I better than we know ourselves. Jesus says in Luke 12.7 that "the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Don't be afraid; you are worth more than many sparrows." Wow! God knows each and every detail of our life, every aspect of every nerve ending etched into your brain that helps make you who you are. Every part of your spirit has been breathed into by the very breath of His mouth. A God who loves that much will and does redeem His children.
This says a great deal about God's relationship with us. Most people in Western culture see God as little more than an inspector who issues tests and trials, noting who passes and who doesn't. They believe that if you go to church every Sunday, try not to curse, don't commit adultery, and talk about him at least once a week, then you go to heaven. If you don't do those things, they say, you go to hell. That is such a simplistic, naive, and downright false view. Beloved, God LOVES His children. As Christians, we cannot accept the conclusion of Western society. God IS Love, and that means His relationship with us is far more than as a simple inspector. He has shown through Christ's sacrifice that He loves us deeply enough to "[deliver our souls] from death, [our] eyes from tears, and [our] feet from stumbling." Beloved, this is so comforting. This is a sure-fire way to keep a gentle, positive, and Christ-like spirit throughout your day.
Take comfort in the fact that God has redeemed you through Christ, and that He is redeeming you each day! If you have not been recognizing His redemption, or if you have never experienced it, come and let Christ redeem you. What does the Word say? It says that "the Lord is gracious and righteous; our God is full of compassion." He "protects the simplehearted." Beloved, allow Christ to redeem you today. Let Him wrap you in His love so that you may be full in the love of Christ. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Wednesday, September 16, 2009
Good Enough
Good Enough
Philippians 3.12-14
"12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
There is an interesting phenomenon among computer programmers called refactoring. Refactoring essentially says that one should continuously organize, simplify, and remove dependencies in his code in order to keep his software as functional and extensible as possible. This means we don't just say "it works" and then never touch it again. We keep mending it over and over again until it is in its purest possible form. I think there is a similar thing that Christ is doing to us. You see, just being "good enough" as a Christian implies a serious flaw in our mindset. Salvation is not merely a single event in our lives, but it is an ongoing process.
Paul emphasizes the process of perfection here in Philippians 3. He admits that he has not "already obtained" Christ's form or has "already been made perfect." Nevertheless, Paul's goal is to "press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." Beloved, how often do we ourselves say this? To be perfectly honest, it is not something emphasized in the 21st Century Western, materialistic world. We would rather speak of what God can give to us than topics which imply input on our part. We must be careful here, for the process of perfection of which I am speaking does not in any way bring us justification by works. In other words, pressing on towards the goal of Christ does not mean we bring ourselves salvation or score love points with God. Rather, it is an evidence that we are being shaped more and more into the image of Christ. Like a well-maintained computer program, we are being structured in a form that looks like our Maker wishes.
But sinful Man is reluctant to accept this task. As I said before, we wish to preach more on grace and blessings than that which would require effort. We only wish to be "good enough." There is certainly a wonderful place for grace and blessings, but if we do not put forth the effort to "press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus," then how can we expect God to be abundantly working within our lives? It is like the man who stops halfway through his math course, admiring his work but ceasing to finish the course. What more is he learning other than his growing ego? No, to be shaped into the image of Christ we must follow God's Word: we must "[forget] what is behind and [strain] toward what is ahead." That means that if we are constantly straining towards Christ, our eyes, our focus, and our passion are all on Christ. He becomes our center and our only source of life. Once this dependency begins to be firmly rooted, Christ begins to do mighty and marvelous works in our lives. Our whole attitude of life shifts. The strenuous, burdensome, and frustrating days of our lives suddenly brighten up. Our outlook turns heavenward. We pursue Christ with intensity, focus, and purpose. We gain, what someone once said, "gazelle-like intensity."
The question, beloved, is how are we responding to Christ's call? Every breath we take leads us closer to our Maker. How are we to approach Him? The Scripture says we should build our lives around His image. Are you trying to just squeak by in Christ? Is heaven just a place of safety and security for you after you leave your earthly shell? Or is it the place where you look forward to seeing Christ face to face, being made perfectly in His image? That process of perfection is taking place daily. Are you accepting it? If not, I pray you will come to Jesus today and begin to pursue it with Him. Remember, He loves you and wants you to be like Him. If you will submit to Him, He will shape you into His own image: an image of love, patience, peace, and focus. You don't have to just be good enough. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Philippians 3.12-14
"12Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already been made perfect, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. 13Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, 14I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus."
There is an interesting phenomenon among computer programmers called refactoring. Refactoring essentially says that one should continuously organize, simplify, and remove dependencies in his code in order to keep his software as functional and extensible as possible. This means we don't just say "it works" and then never touch it again. We keep mending it over and over again until it is in its purest possible form. I think there is a similar thing that Christ is doing to us. You see, just being "good enough" as a Christian implies a serious flaw in our mindset. Salvation is not merely a single event in our lives, but it is an ongoing process.
Paul emphasizes the process of perfection here in Philippians 3. He admits that he has not "already obtained" Christ's form or has "already been made perfect." Nevertheless, Paul's goal is to "press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me." Beloved, how often do we ourselves say this? To be perfectly honest, it is not something emphasized in the 21st Century Western, materialistic world. We would rather speak of what God can give to us than topics which imply input on our part. We must be careful here, for the process of perfection of which I am speaking does not in any way bring us justification by works. In other words, pressing on towards the goal of Christ does not mean we bring ourselves salvation or score love points with God. Rather, it is an evidence that we are being shaped more and more into the image of Christ. Like a well-maintained computer program, we are being structured in a form that looks like our Maker wishes.
But sinful Man is reluctant to accept this task. As I said before, we wish to preach more on grace and blessings than that which would require effort. We only wish to be "good enough." There is certainly a wonderful place for grace and blessings, but if we do not put forth the effort to "press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called [us] heavenward in Christ Jesus," then how can we expect God to be abundantly working within our lives? It is like the man who stops halfway through his math course, admiring his work but ceasing to finish the course. What more is he learning other than his growing ego? No, to be shaped into the image of Christ we must follow God's Word: we must "[forget] what is behind and [strain] toward what is ahead." That means that if we are constantly straining towards Christ, our eyes, our focus, and our passion are all on Christ. He becomes our center and our only source of life. Once this dependency begins to be firmly rooted, Christ begins to do mighty and marvelous works in our lives. Our whole attitude of life shifts. The strenuous, burdensome, and frustrating days of our lives suddenly brighten up. Our outlook turns heavenward. We pursue Christ with intensity, focus, and purpose. We gain, what someone once said, "gazelle-like intensity."
The question, beloved, is how are we responding to Christ's call? Every breath we take leads us closer to our Maker. How are we to approach Him? The Scripture says we should build our lives around His image. Are you trying to just squeak by in Christ? Is heaven just a place of safety and security for you after you leave your earthly shell? Or is it the place where you look forward to seeing Christ face to face, being made perfectly in His image? That process of perfection is taking place daily. Are you accepting it? If not, I pray you will come to Jesus today and begin to pursue it with Him. Remember, He loves you and wants you to be like Him. If you will submit to Him, He will shape you into His own image: an image of love, patience, peace, and focus. You don't have to just be good enough. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Sunday, September 13, 2009
Where He Leads Will You Go?
Where He Leads Will You Go?
Genesis 12.1-5
1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." 4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
It wasn't until I got older that I realized what an incredible amount of faith Abraham and Sarah possessed. Charged by God to "leave [their] country, [their] people and [their] father's household [to] go to the land [God would] show [them," Abraham and his family took an enormous leap of faith in obeying God. His obedience reminds me of that old hymn: "Wherever He Leads I'll Go."
We all know that obedience is rarely, if ever, easy. Our earthly nature desires to prevent us from following the Lord. Satan would like nothing better for us to grow into a state of complacency. Unfortunately, I fear that has occurred in the Western world today. Many Christians seem content with the material blessings of God and no longer seriously seek Him spiritually. Such an attitude will turn us into spiritual statues, too obstinate to move upon God's call.
We must learn from Abraham and leave to the place God is showing us. There are millions of possible things that could mean. It could be ministering to a neighbor, friend, or co-worker, presenting the Gospel to someone verbally, helping someone pick up that dropped item, or go to serve in a foreign state or country for the glory of God. The Church is littered with all sorts of examples of giving--people who have accepted God's call and challenge on their lives. These are the people we should look to as encouragement for doing the will of the Lord. Most of all, however, we should look unto Christ. Jesus was willing to go anywhere the Father called Him for the glory of God and the furtherance of the Gospel. The question is, are we?
Beloved, are you making Christ your model for following the will of God? If not, ask God how you can follow His call today. God is calling each one of us, just as he called Abraham, to serve Him in a miraculous way. It may seem small to us, but God has enormous plans for even the smallest of actions. What will we say? What will we do? Let us respond to the call of the Lord, following Him wherever He leads us. Wherever He leads, we will go. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Where He Leads Will You Go?
Genesis 12.1-5
1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." 4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
It wasn't until I got older that I realized what an incredible amount of faith Abraham and Sarah possessed. Charged by God to "leave [their] country, [their] people and [their] father's household [to] go to the land [God would] show [them," Abraham and his family took an enormous leap of faith in obeying God. His obedience reminds me of that old hymn: "Wherever He Leads I'll Go."
We all know that obedience is rarely, if ever, easy. Our earthly nature desires to prevent us from following the Lord. Satan would like nothing better for us to grow into a state of complacency. Unfortunately, I fear that has occurred in the Western world today. Many Christians seem content with the material blessings of God and no longer seriously seek Him spiritually. Such an attitude will turn us into spiritual statues, too obstinate to move upon God's call.
We must learn from Abraham and leave to the place God is showing us. There are millions of possible things that could mean. It could be ministering to a neighbor, friend, or co-worker, presenting the Gospel to someone verbally, helping someone pick up that dropped item, or go to serve in a foreign state or country for the glory of God. The Church is littered with all sorts of examples of giving--people who have accepted God's call and challenge on their lives. These are the people we should look to as encouragement for doing the will of the Lord. Most of all, however, we should look unto Christ. Jesus was willing to go anywhere the Father called Him for the glory of God and the furtherance of the Gospel. The question is, are we?
Beloved, are you making Christ your model for following the will of God? If not, ask God how you can follow His call today. God is calling each one of us, just as he called Abraham, to serve Him in a miraculous way. It may seem small to us, but God has enormous plans for even the smallest of actions. What will we say? What will we do? Let us respond to the call of the Lord, following Him wherever He leads us. Wherever He leads, we will go. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Genesis 12.1-5
1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." 4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
It wasn't until I got older that I realized what an incredible amount of faith Abraham and Sarah possessed. Charged by God to "leave [their] country, [their] people and [their] father's household [to] go to the land [God would] show [them," Abraham and his family took an enormous leap of faith in obeying God. His obedience reminds me of that old hymn: "Wherever He Leads I'll Go."
We all know that obedience is rarely, if ever, easy. Our earthly nature desires to prevent us from following the Lord. Satan would like nothing better for us to grow into a state of complacency. Unfortunately, I fear that has occurred in the Western world today. Many Christians seem content with the material blessings of God and no longer seriously seek Him spiritually. Such an attitude will turn us into spiritual statues, too obstinate to move upon God's call.
We must learn from Abraham and leave to the place God is showing us. There are millions of possible things that could mean. It could be ministering to a neighbor, friend, or co-worker, presenting the Gospel to someone verbally, helping someone pick up that dropped item, or go to serve in a foreign state or country for the glory of God. The Church is littered with all sorts of examples of giving--people who have accepted God's call and challenge on their lives. These are the people we should look to as encouragement for doing the will of the Lord. Most of all, however, we should look unto Christ. Jesus was willing to go anywhere the Father called Him for the glory of God and the furtherance of the Gospel. The question is, are we?
Beloved, are you making Christ your model for following the will of God? If not, ask God how you can follow His call today. God is calling each one of us, just as he called Abraham, to serve Him in a miraculous way. It may seem small to us, but God has enormous plans for even the smallest of actions. What will we say? What will we do? Let us respond to the call of the Lord, following Him wherever He leads us. Wherever He leads, we will go. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Where He Leads Will You Go?
Genesis 12.1-5
1 The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father's household and go to the land I will show you. 2 "I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you." 4 So Abram left, as the LORD had told him; and Lot went with him. Abram was seventy-five years old when he set out from Haran. 5 He took his wife Sarai, his nephew Lot, all the possessions they had accumulated and the people they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan, and they arrived there.
It wasn't until I got older that I realized what an incredible amount of faith Abraham and Sarah possessed. Charged by God to "leave [their] country, [their] people and [their] father's household [to] go to the land [God would] show [them," Abraham and his family took an enormous leap of faith in obeying God. His obedience reminds me of that old hymn: "Wherever He Leads I'll Go."
We all know that obedience is rarely, if ever, easy. Our earthly nature desires to prevent us from following the Lord. Satan would like nothing better for us to grow into a state of complacency. Unfortunately, I fear that has occurred in the Western world today. Many Christians seem content with the material blessings of God and no longer seriously seek Him spiritually. Such an attitude will turn us into spiritual statues, too obstinate to move upon God's call.
We must learn from Abraham and leave to the place God is showing us. There are millions of possible things that could mean. It could be ministering to a neighbor, friend, or co-worker, presenting the Gospel to someone verbally, helping someone pick up that dropped item, or go to serve in a foreign state or country for the glory of God. The Church is littered with all sorts of examples of giving--people who have accepted God's call and challenge on their lives. These are the people we should look to as encouragement for doing the will of the Lord. Most of all, however, we should look unto Christ. Jesus was willing to go anywhere the Father called Him for the glory of God and the furtherance of the Gospel. The question is, are we?
Beloved, are you making Christ your model for following the will of God? If not, ask God how you can follow His call today. God is calling each one of us, just as he called Abraham, to serve Him in a miraculous way. It may seem small to us, but God has enormous plans for even the smallest of actions. What will we say? What will we do? Let us respond to the call of the Lord, following Him wherever He leads us. Wherever He leads, we will go. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
A Giving Heart
A Giving Heart
Genesis 23.7-11
7 Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. 8 He said to them, "If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf 9 so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you.10 Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city. 11 "No, my lord," he said. "Listen to me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead."
Here in Genesis 23 we see a beautiful picture of giving. Surprisingly, however, we see it not from the Jew, but the pagan. Abraham, apparently honored greatly among the Hittites, is offered by them to bury his wife Sarah in their land. There are really two pieces to this giving: the willingness to provide the land and the willingness to give it without cost. We see this in not only the Hittite population but in Ephron the Hittite when he says: "I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead." That is an incredible example of giving. Not only are the Hittites giving to a foreigner, but they are giving with a tone of respect and willingness. Abraham pleads with Ephron to pay, but Ephron continuously refuses. What a powerful way to give!
We can learn something from Ephron and the Hittites: we must have a giving heart. Jesus calls us to have hearts that give out of the love with which Christ first gave us. We must take the attitude of the Hittites and give to even the foreigners, without expecting anything in return. That is the radical love and attitude of giving to which Christ has called us. And, beloved, the world is in such desperate need of it. 700 million people are living in slums in this world today. Millions are living in sewer pipes, rummaging through garbage, dying through famines and droughts which our civilized world has never seen the likes of. Those people need us to give out of love and compassion and mercy. Likewise, there are those among us who need us to have giving hearts. Millions upon millions of people are struggling with all sorts of issues that, while they may not be physically destructive like poverty, are spiritually and mentally and emotionally wrecking their lives.
How do we respond to these people? We give unconditionally. We expect nothing in return, and yet expect their return to be plentiful. A kind word, a donation of time or money, and most importantly the message of the Gospel can turn someone's life around. People are looking to Christians to see if Christ will give. Will we have a giving heart? Yes, we will. That is the will of Christ Jesus. Let us have hearts that give like the Hittites to Abraham--giving with nothing in return and with love as our intent. Let us be careful to give out of love and not guilt or shame. To do this, we must constantly remember that the reason we give is because of Christ. Don't be afraid to tell people that is why you are giving--it is an incredible witness. Tell them and show them that the love you give flows from Christ. Let that love overflow in the lives of those around you and the lives of those distant from you. Have a heart that gives, and you will be surprised at how your own heart is changed. We can grow such cold, stone hearts that seek opportunities of controversy and aggrevation of others. When we turn that into an attitude of giving, however, our hearts will melt with the love of Christ. Give today, and see how God saves and warms the people in our world. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
Genesis 23.7-11
7 Then Abraham rose and bowed down before the people of the land, the Hittites. 8 He said to them, "If you are willing to let me bury my dead, then listen to me and intercede with Ephron son of Zohar on my behalf 9 so he will sell me the cave of Machpelah, which belongs to him and is at the end of his field. Ask him to sell it to me for the full price as a burial site among you.10 Ephron the Hittite was sitting among his people and he replied to Abraham in the hearing of all the Hittites who had come to the gate of his city. 11 "No, my lord," he said. "Listen to me; I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead."
Here in Genesis 23 we see a beautiful picture of giving. Surprisingly, however, we see it not from the Jew, but the pagan. Abraham, apparently honored greatly among the Hittites, is offered by them to bury his wife Sarah in their land. There are really two pieces to this giving: the willingness to provide the land and the willingness to give it without cost. We see this in not only the Hittite population but in Ephron the Hittite when he says: "I give you the field, and I give you the cave that is in it. I give it to you in the presence of my people. Bury your dead." That is an incredible example of giving. Not only are the Hittites giving to a foreigner, but they are giving with a tone of respect and willingness. Abraham pleads with Ephron to pay, but Ephron continuously refuses. What a powerful way to give!
We can learn something from Ephron and the Hittites: we must have a giving heart. Jesus calls us to have hearts that give out of the love with which Christ first gave us. We must take the attitude of the Hittites and give to even the foreigners, without expecting anything in return. That is the radical love and attitude of giving to which Christ has called us. And, beloved, the world is in such desperate need of it. 700 million people are living in slums in this world today. Millions are living in sewer pipes, rummaging through garbage, dying through famines and droughts which our civilized world has never seen the likes of. Those people need us to give out of love and compassion and mercy. Likewise, there are those among us who need us to have giving hearts. Millions upon millions of people are struggling with all sorts of issues that, while they may not be physically destructive like poverty, are spiritually and mentally and emotionally wrecking their lives.
How do we respond to these people? We give unconditionally. We expect nothing in return, and yet expect their return to be plentiful. A kind word, a donation of time or money, and most importantly the message of the Gospel can turn someone's life around. People are looking to Christians to see if Christ will give. Will we have a giving heart? Yes, we will. That is the will of Christ Jesus. Let us have hearts that give like the Hittites to Abraham--giving with nothing in return and with love as our intent. Let us be careful to give out of love and not guilt or shame. To do this, we must constantly remember that the reason we give is because of Christ. Don't be afraid to tell people that is why you are giving--it is an incredible witness. Tell them and show them that the love you give flows from Christ. Let that love overflow in the lives of those around you and the lives of those distant from you. Have a heart that gives, and you will be surprised at how your own heart is changed. We can grow such cold, stone hearts that seek opportunities of controversy and aggrevation of others. When we turn that into an attitude of giving, however, our hearts will melt with the love of Christ. Give today, and see how God saves and warms the people in our world. Amen.
With love in Christ,
Austin Aldrich
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