Faith

October 15, 2015

When the Heart Hears (Hebrews 11-13)

“Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.” Hebrews 12:1-2 (ESV)

As we conclude our reading in the Book of Hebrews we are reminded of some of the greatest themes in scripture.

“Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” Hebrews 11:1 (ESV)

I love reading the stories in the Old Testament, stories of the faithful, mentioned in Chapter 11.

We can look back to these witnesses and learn about their journey and apply the wisdom of their choices, both good and bad to own lives.

We can learn about the consequence of sin without experiencing it ourselves.

We can see how their faith carried them through in dire circumstances to include martyrdom.

We can learn from those who have gone before us – but…

We are ever mindful that we are running the race forward  – looking to Jesus, “the founder and perfecter of our faith.”

It is in Jesus we find our hope.

A faith-based hope, centered around our love for Jesus.

The purpose of faith is to bring us to a saving knowledge of Jesus, to draw us closer to Him, and to serve Him along our journey.

We are told to run the race well and not to get weary – for we have hope, hope in Jesus and in a “kingdom that cannot be shaken”.

As Christians, “we seek the city that is to come.”

We do this all out of love, offering worship with reverence and awe, through sacrifices pleasing to God – brotherly love and hospitality to others.

A faith driven by love.

I am reminded of the following story – something I read years ago.

An American missionary in Africa wanted to translate the English word faith into the local dialect.

He could not find its equivalent. So he went to an old sage, who was himself a fine Christian, for help in rendering the needed word into understandable language.

The old man studied it, and finally said, “Does it not mean to hear with the heart?”

Hearing with our hearts.

“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)

When the heart hears, we live a love-filled life, driven by faith, grounded in the hope we have with Jesus the Perfecter of our faith.

Until next time – keep reading!

Jim

 

Sources used for this blog – 1000 Illustrations for Preaching and Teaching, by G.C. Jones

September 28, 2015

Mary’s Song

Luke 1.39.56

John echoes Gabriel’s promise that Mary would be Jesus’ mom by leaping in the womb. Elizabeth praises Mary’s faith in God’s promise. Her blessing leads Mary into a hymn of praise that is also a declaration of faith. God will vindicate the God-fearers in the nation in remembrance of His covenant promises to Abraham. Mary knows that God has not only shown mercy to her, but that this mighty, merciful, and holy God will also show mercy to His faithful people. It’s clear that Mary trusts in the fulfillment of God’s promises. They will come to pass.

John, Elizabeth and Mary are co-conspirators in the divine plot to rescue the lost, experiencing the joy that salvation brings. There is a sense of excitement and great expectancy about what God is going to do. He is fulfilling His promise to David, but also His promise to Mary. He is a faithful God and One who is powerful enough to bring about what He has promised. He exalts the humble and brings low the proud.

Mary once again is a model of faith…believing what the angel has said, trusting in God to bring it about, submitting to His will, then moving out in faith. We too are to believe God’s promises (everlasting life, eternal kingdom, presence), trusting Him to bring them about, submitting to His will (timing, ways) and then moving out in faith.

But it starts with faith…faith that salvation is here. Jesus has come to rescue us. He is both perfect, sinless Man and almighty God. He alone can save. By believing that He came and lived a perfect life, died a bloody, sacrificial death, was raised again the third day, conquering both sin and death and trusting in Him alone to rescue us…all so that we could be reconciled to our Creator God…the Bible says we are saved. We are rescued.

May Jesus be enough for us this week, and may we experience the joy of salvation that Jesus brings.

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Luke series entitled Redefining the Family. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

July 27, 2015

The Abomination of Desolation

Daniel 11

History and prophecy. This passage gives us hope for the future. Understanding how God fulfilled the now historical aspects of Daniel’s vision in the past gives us confidence…it strengthens our faith and hope that He will do the same with those aspects that are yet future. God is sovereign over, and is actively involved in, the events on the world stage…past, present and future; and He’s also sovereign over, and actively involved in, the events of our lives as well. Don’t give up, don’t give in, God wins.

The description of the political and military intrigue of this passage is a kind of blueprint of history…folks fighting back and forth, trying to expand their kingdoms by any means necessary, whether by deceit or treachery or outright war. It’s true of both nations and individuals. As Solomon famously said, “There is nothing new under the sun.” But even more fascinating is the battle that has raged for millennia over this one piece of real estate…Israel. We see it even today. And no doubt that current events are playing somehow into Daniel’s vision of the future.

We are reminded once again that evil will not ultimately triumph. Good overcomes evil. The Seed of the woman crushes the head of the serpent. God wins in the end. Jesus defeated Satan at the cross, but we await the final working out of his defeat. In the meantime, we live under the dominion of the beasts, where evil is called and good is called evil. We should expect this to be a time of suffering and opposition from the enemy, as we are called to follow God and to oppose wickedness. And like the martyrs under the altar in Revelation 6, we may wonder, “How long, O Lord…?”

Though “evil does not reign supreme, neither will it ever cease altogether until God reigns supreme.” The road is not an easy one, and our determination to follow the Lord will be tested again and again. Sadly, many of the Jews living at the time of Antiochus IV gave up on the faith of their fathers and gave in to the culture. But there were those who refused to give up or give in…those who had insight, who relied on their God, gave understanding to the many. The answer to “how long?” is, “not forever.” And the good news is…we are not alone in the struggle. Jesus promises never to leave us or forsake us. He’s also placed us in a body of believers so that we can bear one another’s burdens and take up arms for the spiritual battle together. We look forward to the day when God, who has rescued us from sin and death through the life, death and resurrection of His Son, Jesus, will one day bring us into His glorious kingdom. Our hope is resurrection…Daniel 12. Don’t give up. Don’t give in. God wins.

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Daniel series entitled Reclaimed. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

June 11, 2015

What Is Your Status?

“He entered Jericho and was passing through. And there was a man called by the name of Zaccheus; he was a chief tax collector and he was rich.” Luke 19:1-2 NASB

In an age where NFL quarterbacks are signing contracts for over a hundred million dollars, boxers like Floyd Mayweather Jr. making $14,815.00 per second, $889,889.00 a minute in his match against Manny Pacquiao, and company executives make hundreds of thousands a year, it is easy to get lost in all the hype and status of being rich.

Titles and money can bring cultural status but our true worth can only be found in Jesus.

Zacchaeus is a man who had status. He is described in this passage as “chief tax collector”.

This title is found nowhere else in the New Testament. Jericho was a major toll collection point for goods passing from the east and west. There were likely many tax collectors in this city but Zacchaeus is described as rich, and the Chief tax collector.

Yet despite his wealth and status, Zacchaeus runs and climbs a tree just to get a glimpse of Jesus passing by.

Zacchaeus is described as a man small in stature, he could not have seen Jesus on account of the crowd.

Jesus routinely had huge crowds following him and now its Passover, the crowd is probably as big as ever.

Zacchaeus climbs a sycamore tree to see the Lord, and when he encounters Jesus he receives him joyfully.

Faith brought salvation to the house of Zacchaeus.

In experiencing this saving faith, Zacchaeus realized his true worth could only be found in Jesus.

Zacchaeaus immediately sought to right the wrongs he had committed and Jesus, seeing the condition of his heart, declares, “today salvation has come to this house.”

The contrast between Jesus and Zacchaeus can found in their actions.  Zacchaeus, after a change of heart, seeks to make things right with those he has wronged, while Jesus, passing through Jericho on His way to Jerusalem, is making things right with people who have wronged Him.

Our true worth can only be found in Jesus, regardless of our title or status.

Matt Guarino

Youth Director

May 11, 2015

A Humbling Restoration

Daniel 4

What an amazing story! Nebuchadnezzar, the most powerful man on earth, the pagan king of mighty Babylon, has passed from death to life! He has become a follower of the God of heaven. This would have been great news to Judah who is in exile…After the Babylonian invasion it would be easy for God’s people to believe they were on the losing side. It sure looks like Babylon has won. Maybe God is unable to rescue them. Maybe He doesn’t want to rescue them. But with each episode, Daniel continues to remind God’s people that He is the One who sustains them (1), that He is the Revealer of mysteries (2), that He is the Doer of the impossible and the Rescuer of those who put their faith in Him (3), and the One who humbles the proud. He alone is sovereign over the nations, world events and history. Our God can…our God will…but even if He doesn’t…

We too live in exile. The author of Hebrews tells us that we are sojourners in a foreign land looking for the heavenly city. This world is not our home…sometimes we forget that…and it’s easy for us to believe we’re on the losing side. Everything in the culture is set against us. We too are tempted to doubt God…His ability to rescue or His willingness to. But Daniel reminds us that God is still sovereign, and He is still actively involved in the lives of His people. That should encourage us…it should encourage us to live lives of impact like Daniel.

Even though Daniel lived in a pagan culture where the pressure to conform was intense, he chose to humbly follow God. He was available to be used by God to impact Nebuchadnezzar. Remember it could have been up to 30 years that Daniel worked with Nebuchadnezzar before he became a God-follower. He engaged him at every opportunity. How are we doing at being available to people? He was bold. He never shied away from pointing Nebuchadnezzar to the God of heaven. Are we boldly proclaiming Jesus when he gives us the opportunity? He was compassionate. He truly cared about this great king and what happened to him. He didn’t want his life to fall apart. Do we look at people as projects, or as fellow image bearers of God?

We too are called to be available to the Nebuchadnezzar’s in our lives, engaging them at every opportunity. It may take years like it did for Daniel. We too are called to be bold, never shying away from pointing them to the God of heaven. We too are called to be compassionate, truly caring about them and what happens to them. We are called to be a Daniel.

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Daniel series entitled Reclaimed. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

May 4, 2015

The Fiery Furnace

Daniel 3

The most powerful man on earth is no match for the God of heaven…who is in control? God rescues the boys from the king’s arrogance and wrath, and the king in turn acknowledges the greatness of their God and promotes them within the kingdom…

God can save…God will save…but even if He doesn’t. This story hits the can and will, but what about the “but even if He doesn’t”? Would you still trust Him? There seems to be two pit falls to avoid…on the one side, making it about the power of your faith. In other words, if you believe enough or have enough people praying for you then you will be healed or rescued from your current circumstances or whatever. The contra is also thought to be true…if you are not healed then something’s failed in regards to faith. We end up putting faith in faith. This pit fall fails to recognize that God in His sovereignty may choose not to act according to our definition of what’s best. He’s still God and He’s still good.

On the other side, interpreting the “but even if He doesn’t” as His inability to heal or rescue or whatever. This pit fall fails to recognize God’s power to do the impossible.

One other option…He just doesn’t care. I hope that if you’ve been with us through the Genesis series, you know that’s not true. He’s been pursuing us from the time we rebelled against Him in the garden. He’s gone to incredible lengths to demonstrate His love for you. “For God so loved the world, He gave His one and only Son that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Any one of these pitfalls can be disastrous to our walk. In the movie, God is not Dead, the professor makes the revealing statement that the most ardent atheists were once Christians who somehow disappointed by God. A sad commentary because it reveals that their god was different that Nebuchadnezzar…powerless, dependent on their whims and subject to their wills. That’s not the God of the Bible.

Hebrews 11, the hall of faith, paints a different picture. There are of course the folks who have accomplished the remarkable…closed the mouths of lions, quenched the power of fire, put foreign armies to flight, women received back their dead by resurrection. But then there are those who were persecuted, sawn in two, put to death with the sword, etc. dying in faith without having received the promises.

Peter, Paul and the rest of the apostles, as well as countless other saints throughout church history are testimonies to the “but even if He doesn’t”. In the book of Revelation, the hero is the martyr who does not love his life even unto death. And of course our greatest example is our Savior Himself who went to a cross. All trusted God and were unwavering in their faith, despite their current circumstances. Knowing the future of the earthly kingdoms, gave them the confidence to follow God under the rule of these earthly kings.

Jim Elliott famously said, “He is no fool who gives up what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

A reminder that we are talking about life here on planet earth…life in the physical realm this side of eternity…life in a broken, fallen world where pain and suffering and death are a reality. But if we have trusted in Jesus, we’ve already been rescued and reclaimed. We are citizens of the eternal kingdom, sons and daughters of the King of the universe. Spiritually speaking then, our God can and will because He has…Jesus has already defeated sin and death, He has already crushed the head of the serpent. We long for the day when we see that fully played out, when heaven and earth are reunited, when faith becomes sight, when the Rock becomes the mountain that fills the earth, when all is on earth as it is in heaven.

So where are you today? Are you taking bold risks for God, trusting that He can and will save you? But even if He doesn’t, are you still willing to follow Him, knowing that He is working out His good purpose for you? Who is that Nebuchadnezzar in your life that is waiting to see whether or not God is real based on your faithfulness to Him in impossible circumstances?

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Daniel series entitled Reclaimed. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

March 23, 2015

A Journey’s End

Genesis Wrap-up

Genesis begins with a man in a garden enjoying perfect fellowship with God…it ends with a man in a coffin…a haunting picture of the terrible consequences of sin introduced when we revolted against our Maker. Death has invaded our world and taken us all captive. Yet hope remains alive because of the faith of the man in the coffin. God would one day send a Hero to rescue us and provide a way back to the garden and perfect fellowship with Him. The amazing news today is…the Hero has come.

Jesus, God’s only Son, came and lived a perfect life…a life totally in tune and dependent on His Father. He died a bloody, horrible, sacrificial death. Was raised the third day proving that He had conquered both sin and death and ascended to the right hand of the Father. By faith in Him, the Bible says that we like Adam and Noah, Abraham and Joseph, can be declared righteous…not because of anything that we have done, but because of what Jesus did. He is the Genesis 3.15 Head-crushing Seed of the woman…the innocent dying for the guilty so that the guilty could be declared innocent.

The God of Genesis is a God who loves deeply, who creates and restores, who rescues and guides, who redeems evil. He is the Bringer of hope. He is the God who blesses…bless and blessing mentioned more in Genesis than anywhere else in the Bible. He is gracious and merciful…but He is also just and He will punish those who reject Him.

Like the ancient Hebrews, we need to be reminded that we are God’s image-bearers. Although that image was marred through the fall, we are still of infinite value. You are of infinite value to Him. You are no accident. Do you believe that? I think if we truly did, we would behave differently. The proof of your value is the price paid to redeem you…the eternal Son of God. Only by trusting in Jesus can the image truly be restored and your purpose truly be realized. Make today the day.

Until next time…stay salty.

This post is based on our Genesis series. Download the podcast at: Central Christian Church Main Service, or follow us on twitter: @ccclancaster

March 18, 2015

Easter Devotional – March 18

Matthew 17:14-20

The Demoniac

14 When they came to the crowd, a man came up to Jesus, falling on his knees before Him and saying, 15 “Lord, have mercy on my son, for he is a lunatic and is very ill; for he often falls into the fire and often into the water. 16 I brought him to Your disciples, and they could not cure him.” 17 And Jesus answered and said, “You unbelieving and perverted generation, how long shall I be with you? How long shall I put up with you? Bring him here to Me.” 18 And Jesus rebuked him, and the demon came out of him, and the boy was cured at once.

19 Then the disciples came to Jesus privately and said, “Why could we not drive it out?” 20 And He *said to them, “Because of the littleness of your faith; for truly I say to you, if you have faith the size of a mustard seed, you will say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.

This is a story about faith.

The disciples knew everything they needed to know about Jesus. They were assured He was the Messiah, God’s Son — they heard it from God Himself. Jesus had given them the power and authority to be able to heal this boy, yet they couldn’t. This is the 5th time He’s had to talk to the disciples about their little faith (Matthew 6:30; 8:26; 14:31; 16:8). Do you ever feel that way? You come across seemingly impossible situations…maybe the answer is faith. Faith that God can get you through any situation. Charles Spurgeon said this about faith, “Weak though I am, yet through His might, I all things can perform.”

Prayer: God, You have the power to heal and rescue those in my life who need it. Bring them Your healing love and transform their lives with Your grace.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)

March 16, 2015

Easter Devotional – March 16

Matthew 15:21-28

21 Jesus went away from there, and withdrew into the district of Tyre and Sidon. 22 And a Canaanite woman from that region came out and began to cry out, saying, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David; my daughter is cruelly demon-possessed.” 23 But He did not answer her a word. And His disciples came and implored Him, saying, “Send her away, because she keeps shouting at us.” 24 But He answered and said, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.” 25 But she came and began to bow down before Him, saying, “Lord, help me!” 26 And He answered and said, “It is not good to take the children’s bread and throw it to the dogs.” 27 But she said, “Yes, Lord; but even the dogs feed on the crumbs which fall from their masters’ table.” 28 Then Jesus said to her, “O woman, your faith is great; it shall be done for you as you wish.” And her daughter was healed at once.

This is an interesting situation. A mother will do anything for her child. This was her chance, she knew Jesus could heal her daughter. She approached Jesus, knowing that as a local woman (not Jewish) her request would not be welcomed. She called out to Him. They tried to move on, but she was desperate. Jesus wanted to be loyal to His mission, but as He listened to this woman He saw someone with great faith. And because of her faith, He healed her daughter. Her faith made the difference. Where are you with your faith? Would your faith convince Jesus to heal someone you love?

Prayer: Sovereign Lord, give me the faith to ask for Your help, and the humility to receive it on Your terms.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)

March 3, 2015

Easter Devotional – March 3

Matthew 8:23-27

23 When He got into the boat, His disciples followed Him. 24 And behold, there arose a great storm on the sea, so that the boat was being covered with the waves; but Jesus Himself was asleep. 25 And they came to Him and woke Him, saying, “Save us, Lord; we are perishing!” 26 He *said to them, “Why are you afraid, you men of little faith?” Then He got up and rebuked the winds and the sea, and it became perfectly calm. 27 The men were amazed, and said, “What kind of a man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey Him?”

You’re in a boat and Antelope Valley-like winds kick up. Instead of tumbleweeds blowing across the freeway, waves are crashing over the boat. How can Jesus be sleeping?! He wakes up and makes it clear that He’s disappointed in their lack of faith. Then He commands the wind and the sea to stop. Seriously? Who is this guy that thinks just His words could rescue them from their dire situation? Then, the storm is just gone. The question quickly turns from “Who does He think He is?” to “Who is this man?”

Do you ever feel like you need to wake Jesus up to rescue you? Do you have the faith to believe that He’s got the wind and the sea under control?

Prayer: Lord of the wind and the sea, strengthen my faith…help me to follow You whatever the circumstances, wherever You lead.

Scripture quotations taken from the NASB © The Lockman Foundation (www.lockman.org)