A Better Finish

...And Jesus who is called Justus. Colossians 4:11

What's in a name? Well, you tell me. What nicknames did you have growing up? Differing from our family or given names, which we have from our parents, nicknames most often come from our appearance or our actions.

Consequently, nicknames become a brand over our lives that are hard to escape. We can only get away from them by changing our appearance or actions, which are two very difficult things to change. Nicknames represent the first thing someone notices about us, the way we are introduced to them, and become a defining aspect of our relationships.

Our verse for today talks about someone who had a nickname. His real name was Jesus, which was actually a common name in those days, but his nickname was Justus. Who knows why he was called Justus, whether it was because of something he did, or perhaps his own reverence for Jesus Christ caused him to change his name. Whatever the reason is, I think this verse gives us an interesting twist on nicknames.

It paints a picture for us of someone whose life is so full of Jesus that you could almost use the two names interchangeably. It's Justus, but it's really Jesus living through Justus. It's Jesus, who is called Justus; do you see?

I believe that Jesus has a lot of names. Don't misunderstand me-Jesus is the only name by which we can be saved-not in the name of Buddha, Mohammed, Krishna, or any other name. What I mean is that we are the body of Christ, so our lives should be like Jesus disguised as us.

It should be Jesus who is called Bob, Jesus who is called Betsy, Jesus who is called Caden, Jesus who is called Lauren, Jesus who is called...your name.

Do you realize this is actually how we got the name Christian? Christian means, Little Christs, and it was a name given to early-Church believers who so lived like Jesus that the world gave them the same name that He had-Christ-ian.

So, what nicknames do you have? Maybe that's not the question we need to ask. Maybe we need to ask, is your name a nickname for Jesus?

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You for being my example in life! I really do want my life to look like Yours, but I need Your help. Have Your way in me and make it true that You are Jesus, living through me.

Amen

The Sucking Sound of Greed

Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren to go to you ahead of time, and prepare your generous gift beforehand, which you had previously promised, that it may be ready as a matter of generosity and not as a grudging obligation. But this I say: he who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and he who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully. 2 Corinthians 9:5-6

What kind of life do you want? No, really, think about it. If money was no object and you had no limitations, what kind of life would you want?

Everyone will give you their opinions about your life and how you should live it. Fortunately for us, the Bible helps to filter out all these voices and build lives that we'll be glad to have lived.

In His Word, God advises us to choose quality over quantity. The world will scream at you, How much do you have? But God is screaming even louder, What kind of life are you living? What you have can't go with you when you die, but how you live your life determines your eternal reward, so what kind of life are you living?

That leads me to an important question: What's your greatest investment? Are you concerned first with what's happening on Wall Street, or in Heaven? Store up treasures in Heaven. Don't let greed rip you off, because the only way to store up eternal investments is to give. Give both regularly and irregularly-regularly as you tithe and irregularly whenever the Spirit prompts you to give above the minimum.

What really helps us in this is to keep things in perspective by establishing eternal values. Remember that, compared to eternity, your life on earth is immeasurably short. It is the most foolish thing we could do to live for what we can get here instead of what we can treasure up for eternity.

The Bible tells us that one day everything we've done in life will be tested by fire. We all have one life, but some people use their life to buy hay and some people use it to buy gold. When the trial by fire comes, the hay will go up in smoke, but the gold will only become more precious.

What's the point? The point is that we need to choose wisely how we live our lives, and a key part of that choice has to do with our money. Will we hoard it, spending it greedily on ourselves? Or will we give it generously as the Word tells us and the Spirit leads?

The choice is up to you, but choose wisely. You will reap the consequences of your choice for eternity.

Prayer Lord God,

Thank You for teaching me wisdom for how to live my life in a way that prepares me for eternity! I choose to listen to Your Word and follow Your Spirit as I give generously.

Amen

Women Drivers

The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven...And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man. 1 Corinthians 15:47,49

What are you teaching your children? I want you to think carefully, because the real answer is probably not the first one that comes to mind.

The first answer you think of is a list of the most common things you say to your children or what you tell them during intentional times of teaching. Perhaps you take the time to sit down with your children and open up the Bible with them, studying together what God says.

But if you are like most families that I know, these intentional times of teaching are few and far between. And for those who do not intentionally teach, then the saying holds true that our children learn more from what is caught than what is taught. They learn more from our actions than from our words.

So let's explore our actions today, and not just the ones you know you shouldn't be doing-any closet over-drinking, ungodly relationships, secret addictions, anger issues, or just plain apathy toward God. Let's explore the things you might not think of on your own, things that seem innocent and can be harmless enough, yet still have the potential to communicate a horrible lie-the lie that God can take second place in our lives.

I want you to think through a normal week. How do you spend your time? If you spend time in God's Word or in prayer, do your children know about it? Do you ever invite them into your private relationship with God to teach them to have one of their own? Is all your time spent on activities or television? Do you race from one thing to another, never slowing down enough to talk about Jesus and invest in His work in each other's lives?

Because the danger in our over-active lives is that we do a great job communicating that our children are important to us, yet accidentally teach through our demonstrated priorities that friendships or success in sports, academics, or arts is more important than hearts that wholly belong to God.

The eternal is forever, but these natural activities will end. Let's make sure our priorities are straight so that our children understand what is truly and eternally important.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

You are most important in my life! I'm sorry for any way in which I have failed to teach my children to have the same love for You that I have. Please help me to prioritize my life, both teaching and demonstrating what You mean to me so that You will mean as much and more to them.

Amen

The Only Life Worth Living For

And the merchants of the earth will weep and mourn over her, for no one buys their merchandise anymore: Merchandise of gold and silver, precious stones and pearls, fine linen and purple, silk and scarlet, every kind of citron wood, every kind of object of ivory, every kind of object of most precious wood, bronze, iron, and marble; and cinnamon and incense, fragrant oil and frankincense, wine and oil, fine flour and wheat, cattle and sheep, horses and chariots, and bodies and souls of men.' Revelation 18:11-13

Have you ever lost something?

Sure you have. We all have. But some people care so much about their things that when they lose them, it's really like they lose themselves, too. Our verses today give us some powerful perspective that can help us make sure that we're not lost today.

Now let me set the scene just a little, because these verses say that the merchants are mourning over someone. The someone is Babylon, the great city and world system of commerce that leads the entire world into deception. And the reason they're mourning is because Babylon was destroyed, very quickly in fact. Suddenly, all these merchants are looking from afar at their mistress, who is now brutally destroyed to the point of never rising again.

Who are the merchants? They are the ones who sell us our countertops and jewelry, our perfume and clothes, our building material and food. Even our musicians and movie makers fall into this category.

And one more group that we can't allow ourselves to miss: those who are merchants of the bodies and souls of men. Do you know what that group is? Slave traders. Do not forget for a moment the multi-billion dollar industry this is in the world, including both the pornography and the sex-slavery industries. We cannot turn a blind eye to these industries that sell the very bodies and souls of men, women, and children.

You probably noticed that these merchants of Babylon sold basically everything that can be sold. So here's what I'm not saying: I'm not saying it's wrong to buy things (though obviously some things are wrong to buy-like prostitutes). But here's what I am saying: It is wrong to live for the things you can buy.

Instead, live for what you could never buy, not with all the wealth of the world: A relationship with Jesus Christ. Everything else will end one day and the world will mourn its loss, but those who put their hope in Jesus will never be disappointed.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thanks for giving me perspective on how valuable the things of this world are compared with knowing You! I could never buy the relationship I have with You, and I refuse to be bought away from You by the things of this world.

Amen

Project Mission

Now it happened one day that Jonathan the son of Saul said to the young man who bore his armor, Come, let us go over to the Philistines' garrison that is on the other side,' but he did not tell his father. And Saul was sitting in the outskirts of Gibeah under a pomegranate tree which is in Migron...But the people did not know that Jonathan had gone. 1 Samuel 14:1-3

What's your favorite story from the Bible? David and Goliath? Daniel and the lion's den? Jesus walking on the water?

Let me add one more good one to the list, one of my favorites-Jonathan and the Philistine garrison. Do you know that one?

It's an amazing story, with Jonathan, one of my favorite guys in all of scripture, going on an adventure with a buddy of his, an armor bearer. See, the two of them decide to go up to the Philistine garrison that was occupying Israeli territory. And by going up, I mean that they were going to pick a fight. By themselves. Because they didn't tell anyone they were going, not even Jonathan's dad, the king.

This was like an extreme mission trip headed to the bad part of town. They knew they had a mission from God, so they accepted the challenge. This is one option we have; we could choose to be like Jonathan.

Or here's your other option. I don't know what you're planning to do with the rest of your life, but here's a lame thing you could do. You could be like Saul, just camping out under a tree. It's like, how long can you sit in the beach chair without saying, There's got to be something we can do today. There's got to be more to this life.

And Saul's just sort of like lounging, laying out. Now listen, I have no problem with that, okay? I mean just don't do that every day for the rest of your life, like absolutely no meaning or purpose to the whole deal. Don't sit around so lost in your own little world that you forget that there's a mission to do. Don't sit there so self-absorbed that your kids could wander off and you don't even notice.

I mean, really, there were only six hundred men in the camp, but when Jonathan leaves, not a single one notices. It's like Saul's apathy was contagious.

How about this? How about we vaccinate ourselves from catching Saul's apathy and instead choose to follow Jonathan's example? God's given us a mission to reach the lost with the gospel of Jesus Christ and they're not going to get saved by themselves.

Are you on the mission of God today?

Prayer Lord Jesus,

Thank You for reminding me about the people around me who need to know You! Put in me today a heart like Jonathan's, a heart that will follow You anywhere no matter what.

Amen

Lost In Passion

Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body. 1 Corinthians 6:17-18

Some of you, in reading this passage, are convicted by choices you have made. You have regrets. And I want to say to you right away, don't stop reading. Don't let the shame you're feeling drive you away from words that can set you free.

Here's the deal-the world knows the Church as a sort of moral compass for society, and this is a good thing. And even though people seem to be listening to the voice of their conscience less and less, most people still know when they're doing things they aren't supposed to do. Oftentimes, their awareness of their sin comes through the Church.

So then these people who have sin in their lives-and that's been all of us, let's be clearcome to a church, but why? Are they coming to be further convicted of the sin that already has them feeling ashamed? Hopefully not.

Hopefully, they find the grace and mercy of Jesus Christ, extended through His Church, leading them to be free from their sin and be forgiven of it.

Listen, don't get me wrong. I stand in the pulpit every Sunday, and usually several other times during the week, and I decry sin, calling it out for what it is. I preach the Word of God without a filter. I am hoping that people leave feeling convicted by the Holy Spirit so that they can grow in godliness.

The question is, what do we do with those regrets? What do we do with those failures?

I'll tell you what we do with them, church. We give them over to God. We bring them to the cross.

Let those regrets finally be the deciding factor that you're not perfect. You need a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Let those regrets now draw you closer to a God who loves you. And there, in His presence, let Him wash you clean not just from your sin, but from the shame that came with it.

Prayer Lord Jesus,

I need Your help! I feel consumed with regret and shame, and I want to be free. I confess my sin to You now and ask for Your forgiveness. Please wipe away my sin and shame!

Amen

What Nothing Tells Us About God

And He said, Behold, I make a covenant. Before all your people I will do marvels such as have not been done in all the earth, nor in any nations; and all the people among whom you are shall see the work of the LORD. For it is an awesome thing that I will do with you.' Exodus 34:10

Let me tell you something about nothing. Now, I don't mean that I'm talking about meaningless things. What I'm saying is that nothing tells us something very important about God.

Maybe you think I've finally lost it. Well, I haven't, but before I lose you, let's dig into our verse for today.

God is faithfully telling Moses what He's about to do for the people of Israel. In the preceding verses, He has revealed His core attributes and now says, Here's how I'm going to come to your defense. Here is the contract or covenant that I'm going to put in place. And what I desperately need for you and for myself to realize is that the people have done nothing to deserve that covenant. Nothing.

In fact they have done plenty to not deserve this covenant. They have done plenty that should have led to God saying, Forget it. Deal's off. And yet, out of nothing comes something.

Out of nothing, absolutely nothing, God says, You are going to see things you have never seen before. Oh, you don't deserve it. You don't deserve a stinking wink of this. But you're going to see awesome things that I'm going to do for you. I'm going to make an everlasting covenant with you, and I'm going to drive out from you all of your enemies.

Think you're deserving of that? Absolutely not. Not a single one of us are. What we're deserving of is death. What we're deserving of is Hell. What we're deserving of is not even being forgiven of our iniquities or our transgressions or our sins or seeing even the smallest glimpse of God's mercy and grace and abounding goodness and truth.

And yet, here is a God who, out of nothing being offered, provides for us everything we could ever hope for or imagine.

This is the nature of our God who never changes. This is the God who is calling to you right now, wanting to do more for you than you could ever deserve. Will you come and follow this God today?

Prayer Father God,

Thank You for being so faithful, even though I don't deserve it! I come to You today and bow my heart before You. I want to belong to You!

Amen