Cut to the Heart

The phrase 'cut to the heart' is one that I can empathize with. You see, there have been multiple times in my life that I have been cut to the heart. Once, on a Sunday morning in late July, I was cut to the heart, realizing I was living in sin. And so, I decided on that day to put on my Lord and Savior in baptism. Just a few simple words from a sermon, and my little heart was changed.

You see, words are powerful. Words can cut to the deepest parts of who we are and change how we think, how we act. Sometimes, that's a good thing. Other times, not so much.

For instance, in Acts 2, Peter delivers the first gospel sermon, and boy is it a good one! He goes back to the Old Testament and proves to the Jews who are listening that the Jesus they murdered was the One who was promised all those years ago. In verse 37 we read,

"Now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart, and said to Peter and to the rest of the apostles, men and brethren, what shall we do?"

From those bold words Peter proclaimed, these men were cut to the heart, realizing they had to make a change. Their hearts were pricked into submission. What a beautiful, powerful thing words can do!

Sadly, the same is not true later in the book of Acts. Stephen, a deacon and proclaimer of the message of Christ, is delivering a sermon similar to Peter's to another Jewish audience. He tells them that they murdered Jesus. He tells them that their forefathers had murdered the prophets. He spoke boldly these very true, very moving words, yet in verse 54 we read,

"When they heard these things, they were cut to the heart, and they gnashed at him with their teeth."

These men shut their ears to the words of Stephen, literally. Verse 57 says they stopped their ears and ran toward him to stone him. Ultimately, they were successful in killing Stephen, most notably known as the first Christian martyr.

But wait, weren't these sermons similar? Weren't Peter's and Stephen's words nearly identical? Doesn't the Bible record that both groups of listeners were cut to the heart? What was the difference?

The difference is in the heart that's cut.

You see, our hearts show who we really are. When your heart is cut, pricked, it shows what kind of person you are. Either you are pricked with guilt and anguish, knowing you need to change, or you are pricked with anger and resentment. Paul tells us in 2 Corinthians 2:15-16,

"For we are to God the fragrance of Christ among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing. To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life."

How is it that the same fragrance can smell like death to some and life to others? It's all about the heart.

You see, I don't believe that those men to whom Stephen was speaking were incapable of feeling guilt. I don't believe they were incapable of repentance. Why, then, did the words provoke such a rage within them? Because their hearts didn't want to change. Their hearts didn't want to be different. They were scared of that change, angry that they needed to change, and ultimately took that hurt and insecurity out on a man of God.

When the gospel is preached in any given setting, people are going to respond different to the same, powerful words. On Mars Hill, Paul spoke the same words to a crowd of people, and yet the Bible records for us that some mocked, some said they would hear him again, and some believed (Acts 17:32-34). Again, it all comes down to heart.

What does your heart say? When the powerful words of Jesus are given to you, what is your response? Do you examine yourself and seek out ways to change to be more like Him? Do you repent of your evil ways and vow to return to them no more? Or do you resent the fact that someone wants you to chance? Do you hear that sermon and think of how it applies to others? Do you, quite simply, respond more like the men in Acts 2, or the men in Acts 7?

It is my prayer that I will always have a heart like the men in Acts 2. You see, I will always struggle with sin. I will always commit sin. I will never, ever, be free from the temptations of the devil--not until I die. That is why I pray to always be cut to the yielding heart. I pray that I will always seek out ways to better serve my risen Lord.

How is your heart today? I pray that it is willing and yielding. But if not, if your heart has been hardened by sin and by hurt, I pray that it will be changed, so that one day you will be able to.

Go to the Source

In our teen girls Bible class on Sunday mornings, we're going through the women of the Bible and gleaning lessons from their extraordinary lives. This past week we talked about an unnamed woman, mentioned in the books of Luke and Mark and known mostly by her condition: having an incurable blood flow for 12 years.

If you've been reading for a while, you know we've covered her in our Leading Ladies series, found here. However, in studying for my class on Sunday, and even in teaching it, I found myself overwhelmed by Jesus and His healing power.

So often in our world today, people are searching. They need to be healed of some debilitating spiritual disease, and they go around (unsuccessfully) to various sources trying to find the answer, much like this unnamed woman of Scripture did (Luke 8:43). And yet, the Source of all healing and comfort and peace is available! Still, how often do those people go to the Source? How often are we, personally, leading people to the Source?

This woman of great faith knew that if she could just touch the hem of Jesus' garment, she would be healed. She didn't let her situation stop her, or the embarrassment of being unclean keep her from going to Him. She didn't talk herself out of going, deciding she could figure it out for herself. She didn't sit at home, knowing she should be seeking Him out, yet keeping herself at a distance from the Great Physician. No, she sought out the Healer and was immediately freed from the chains of her ailment.

Sin is a debilitating disease. Without Jesus's blood, we will never be healed. Yet, how often do we keep ourselves from the Source? How often to we let circumstances keep us at arms length from the Savior? How often do we talk ourselves out of going to worship or going forward when that invitation song is sung? How often do we fail to repent and change our ways, even though we know that without Jesus, we will forever remain in our sickness?

Had the woman with this issue of blood known Jesus could heal her and yet stayed home anyway, we would have called her crazy! Why would she want to remain in that condition?! And yet, the question is the same for us today.

Jesus was then and is today the only source of true healing. His blood has a cleansing power that will wipe away every sin we've ever committed. Why, then, do we keep ourselves from Him?

Every single day we must go to the Source for spiritual healing and forgiveness. And every day, we must point our sin-sick, dying world to the Great Physician, who is willing and able to free them from the terminal illness that is sin.

"Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners, to repentance." Mark 2:17

Tough Stuff Tuesday: With All Your Heart

The book of Acts is filled with conversion stories. One such story that I'm sure you're familiar with is the story of Philip and the Ethiopian eunuch. In the story (true account, not fable), the eunuch is in a chariot reading from the book of Isaiah, except he doesn't understand what he's reading. He asks Philip if the prophet was talking about himself or about someone else. From that point, Philip starts "preaching Jesus" to the eunuch.

What makes this account so 'famous' is that it is in this setting that eunuch offers what we often call the 'good confession'. He tells Philip, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 8:37b). However, I think in all the years that we've studied this verse, we've overlooked a key phrase. Prior to this great moment, after hearing the gospel proclaimed, the eunuch says to Philip, "See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?" and Philip answers him and says, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." (Acts 8:36-37a)

Recently, when re-reading this account, those four words stuck out to me in a way they never have before. You see, Philip doesn't simply say, in response to being asked if the eunuch can be baptized, "if you believe you may." Instead he says, if you believe with all your heart, you may.

So what does believing with all of your heart look like? Today, I submit to you that it looks like this:

Believing with all your heart means keeping Jesus' commandments. In John 14:15 Jesus says, "If you love me keep My commandments". He goes on to say in verse 21, "He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves me."

We know that baptism is the act that puts us into the church (Acts 2:47). Baptism is the point that we come in contact with the blood of Jesus and are thus saved by it (Rom. 6). But, baptism isn't an end-all event. From that point, it is imperative that the now-child of God live faithfully, for it is only then that he/she will receive the crown of life (Rev. 2:10). Living faithfully means abiding by the commandments that our Savior (the one whose blood cleanses us) has established.

It is not enough to say, "I want to be saved, can I be baptized?" Instead, when deciding that we want to put on Christ in baptism, we are deciding to dedicate our lives to faithful, obedient service. Had the eunuch half-heartedly believed that Jesus was the Christ, and only wanted to be baptized as a one-time sign that he believed, I fully believe that Philip would have done some more teaching. Why? Because there is so much more to being a Christian, a disciple of the Lord, than the initial act of baptism. It is a commitment to faithfully serving the one you have chosen as Lord of your life.

James said in James 2:18-20, "But someone will say, 'you have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith without your works, and I will show you my faith by my works. You believe that there is one God. You do well. Even the demons believe--and tremble! But do you want to know, O foolish man, that faith without works is dead?"

It is not enough to simply believe in Jesus. Instead, we must believe with all our heart, which will produce a change in our lives. It will demand obedience to not some, but all of the commands that our Lord has given to us--even (and especially) the ones that are hard for us to adhere to.

Being a true disciple, a saved member of the Lord's body, is all about whole-hearted service. The eunuch couldn't have a half-hearted belief and be saved, and we cannot either. To the church at Laodicea, Jesus said, "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth." (Rev. 3:15-16). Philip knew that Jesus didn't want half-hearted, lukewarm disciples, and that is why he told the eunuch he could become a Christian if, and only if, he was prepared for whole-hearted service to the Son of God.

So why is this a Tough Stuff Tuesday post? Because mediocre Christianity is on the rise! Part-time, half-hearted Christianity is a growing epidemic, and yet we know there is no such thing as a part-time Christian. James said that you are either a friend of God or you are an enemy (James 4:4). Think about yourself today. Have you been following Jesus with your whole heart? Because that's what it takes. If not, decide to give your entire self over to Jesus, either through baptism (if you are not a Christian) or by rededicating your entire life to One whose body you were baptized into.

Defining Moments: Part One

We all have those moments in life: moments that turned everything upside down and around and changed everything about who you were.

One such moment happened to me in 2007. I remember the time very, very vividly, as it was a highly emotional time. My grandfather has just passed away, my boyfriend had broken up with me at the beginning of a three hour car ride back to school, and I was working 20+ hours a week on a Makin Music show for Freed-Hardeman. Translation: Life. Was. Crazy.

I hit a really low point in all of this. My priorities shifted, my attitude changed, and my faith weakened. I was relying on self, consumed with self, and shutting out those around me. And then, God did something beautiful in my life.

Providence is something that is very hard for me to put my finger on, but looking back, it is easy to see God's handiwork in your life. For me, looking back at the end of 2007, I see God's fingerprints everywhere.

During the fall semester in 2007, Robert and I started becoming much better friends in a common journalism/media class we had together. He consoled me when said boyfriend broke up with me. He talked me down from quite a few Makin Music ledges. He really and truly became my best friend.

Over the Christmas break in 2007, my life completely changed. I had someone who was truly concerned for me, and interested in helping me to get my spiritual life back on track. I had someone who valued me and told me that I should value myself. I had someone who constantly lifted me up and helped me gain a stronger, truer relationship with my heavenly Father.

When I got back to school in January of 2008, my life was forever changed. In those coming weeks I would officially start dating this boy who'd been there all along, I would lead my first devotional in Hall-Roland, and I would vow to be better for God in front of hundreds at the Henderson church of Christ.

I didn't know what all God had in store for me in the early parts of 2008. I was broken and weak and frail. I was hurting, but He was healing, and soon I would be back on my feet--His strength making me stronger than ever. It was, absolutely, a defining and life-altering moment for me.

So what's the point?

The point is, God's grace offers all of us new beginnings...and what better time to decide to be a new, better you than right now--in these early weeks of 2013! Perhaps you feel broken and at rock bottom: that's ok! God heals (Psalm 51:10,12). Maybe you feel beaten down and unworthy: that's ok! God sent His only Son to save all sinners (1 Tim. 1:15). No matter what you have gotten yourself into in life, there is a way of escape from those sinful chains, and that way is Jesus Christ! If you want your life to be better, all you have to do is follow Jesus' plan for you! Living the Christian life is truly the best, most wonderful life there is! Following after the perfect and sinless Messiah makes for the most joyful life of all! And having the assurance of heaven? There is absolutely nothing better.

Whatever it is that's holding you back/down/under -- give your burdens to Jesus, the Savior of the world. Lay on Him every weight that easily entangles you. Put your burdens at the feet of His cross, and He will give you life everlasting. Make today a defining moment in your life: change who & how you are and who you live for.

It's Resolution Time Again

In preparing for my girls class on Sunday morning, I wanted to do something special that dealt with resolutions. As I was researching, I found a list of the top 10 New Years resolutions, and I thought it would be neat to turn them into something with a spiritual application. And so, if you don't mind, I'm going share that with you today, because I feel it's beneficial for all of us.

Top 10 New Year's Resolutions

1: Spend more time with family. As Christians, we are a part of a spiritual family (Rom. 8:16-17, 28-30). Hebrews 10:24-25 says, "And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much more as you see the Day approaching." It is good for Christians, brethren, to be together and to encourage one another. It would do every Christian well to resolve to spend more time with their brothers and sisters in Christ. Surely, after a year of spending more time with holy people, we ourselves would be holier.

2: Get fit. Paul wrote to Timothy that bodily exercise profits little, but that godliness is profitable to all (1 Tim. 4:7-9). To the Corinthians, Paul would write, "And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it unto subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified. (1 Cor. 9:25-27)" In no way do I think Paul is undermining the need for a healthy body (as it is the vehicle for us as we 'go into all the world'), but is instead focusing on that which is of more importance, and that is our spiritual workout. We must discipline ourselves spiritually so that when we teach others, we are not being hypocrites.

I think this can also fall into the priority argument, too. Sometimes we get so consumed with our physical bodies that we neglect our spiritual selves. We don't get the proper spiritual diet or the appropriate (and regular) spiritual work out. In 2013, let us all aspire to get our spiritual self fit.

3: Lose weight. The author of the book of Hebrews said in chapter 12:1-2, "Therefore we also, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which so easily ensnares us, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God." Sin is quite cumbersome. When we have sin, it holds us back; it weighs us down. It keeps us from running with endurance and winning the prize. To be a faithful child of God, we must all lay down the weight that entangles us; however, like shedding physical pounds, it won't be easy. Letting go of the sins we have held on to for so long will be difficult, but it is not impossible. Not if we'll do as the writer told us: look to Jesus.

4: Quit smoking. Our bodies are the temples of God (1 Cor. 6:19) and are not our own. So, we must take care of them. So while you may not struggle with putting nicotine into your body and irreversibly damaging your lungs and throat, there may be other things that you could stand to quit. Let us all strive to quit harming our physical bodies -- be it by alcohol, drugs, excessive sun exposure, self-inflicted wounds, or participating in sexual immorality.

5: Get out of debt. The reason that Jesus came to earth and suffered all that He did was so that we could all go to heaven and be with Him one day. He came to lift the burden of sin -- to free us from the debt of sin (Mt. 18:21-35). Take advantage of Jesus' gracious offer this year. If you are not in a relationship with Him, do as He has commanded and become a child of God by being immersed in water for the forgiveness of your sins (Acts 2:38). If you are a Christian, it is still possible to accumulate debts of sin. Do as John commanded in 1 John 1 and confess your sins so that God will forgive you of them.

6: Enjoy life more. So many people are searching for happiness and the 'best life possible'. Jesus came to give us that way. "I have come that they might have life, and that they may have it more abundantly (John 10:10)."If you are one of those people who are looking to get more out of life, look no further! Though His sacrifice, Jesus has given us all that we could possibly ever need: salvation! BUT, on top of that, God showers blessings upon His children (James 1:17). Truly being a Christian IS living the best life possible!

7: Quit drinking. Since we've already talked about harming our bodies, let's take this one as a 'quit drinking the Kool-Aid". Our world would have us believe that homosexuality is cool, that partying and drugs are awesome, and that profanity and taking the Lord's name in vain are harmless. Stop drinking the Kool-Aid! If you put impurity in...guess what your heart looks like? Spoiler alert: it's impure! Jesus said that only the pure in heart would see God (Matt. 5:8), which explains why Paul urged the Philippians to think on pure, lovely, true, honorable, virtuous things (Phil. 4:8). The more impurity we put in, the less we look like Christ. Stop trying to look like/sound like/dress like the world and start trying to imitate Jesus.

8: Learn something new. Why not use the time that God gives you to learn more about Him? Challenge yourself to learn something new about the Scripture--and truly there are always new gems to uncover! Perhaps you don't know all of the books of the Bible, or have a hard time finding them during class -- challenge yourself to learn them. Memory work is always a valuable thing to embark on. In whatever way you want to challenge yourself to do this, learn something new about God in 2013. And not just something, somethings.

9: Help others. The great commission applies to each and every one of us when it says, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature (Mark 16:15)". Use this year to bring at least one soul closer to Jesus. While helping others physically is needed and beneficial, helping someone spiritually matters the most. The soul is the most important feature of a person, and if you truly want to help them, teach them how they can inherit eternal life!

10: Get organized. Matthew 6:31-34 says, "Therefore do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?" or 'What shall we wear?' For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore, do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble." There are so many things that can occupy our time. Instead of getting consumed by physical things, use 2013 to re-organize -- re-prioritize -- your life. When we seek God first, above all else, He adds the rest to us.

We have the power to make 2013 the best yet. If we will choose to put God first, the rest of our year will be well spent. Let us all purpose to be good stewards of the time that God affords us.

From my heart, I hope you have a wonderful holiday and a blessed rest of the year.

It's The End of the World As We Know It

According to the Mayans, today is the last day that this earth will see. There have been parodies and jokes and all kinds of hilarity surrounding these predictions, and I suppose a few people who actually buy into to it all. As Christians, we know that "of that day and hour no one knows"(Matt. 24:36). We know that the coming of the Son of Man will be as a thief in the night (1 Thess. 5:2). We can be assured that if the angels in heaven aren't even aware, the Mayans had no way of predicting such a thing.

And yet, I think this is a perfect time for us to get serious with the day of Judgment. While we don't know when it will happen--when Jesus will come back to take us all home--we can know that it will happen, and just because we don't know when, doesn't mean we shouldn't be ready. Perhaps today would be a bit more somber if as many people as were making jokes about the Mayan calendar were seriously considering their soul's final abode.

Jesus said these words in Matthew 7:13-14:

"Enter by the narrow gate; for wide is the gate and broad is the way that leads to destruction, and there are many who go in by it. Because narrow is the gate and difficult is the way which leads to life, and there are few who find it."

While we don't know when time will come to a close, we do know that it will only be the minority who get to enter into eternal rest and be with their Savior forevermore. That isn't because God doesn't desire the majority be in heaven--on the contrary! He sent His Son to die an excruciatingly painful death so that all of us could be in heaven (2 Pet. 3:9). Instead, the fault lies with the majority, for they are unwilling to make Jesus the Lord of the life.

Jesus said to Nicodemus in John 3:3,

"Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of heaven."

Paul admonished the Galatians, saying,

"Now the works of the flesh are evident which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like, of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God." (5:19-21)

While considering our souls, we must take heed to what the Bible says about those who will/will not be admitted entrance into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said that it is only those who are born again who will be granted admission into the kingdom of heaven. Romans 6 tells us that we are born again through baptism, then raised as a new creature. Unless we have been baptized (for the remission of our sins - Acts 2:38), we will not live with Jesus eternally.

Paul added to the thought by giving us a list that we should think seriously about. At the end of verse 21, Paul said that anyone who practices such things would not inherit the kingdom of God. That means if you are practicing any of the aforementioned sins (adultery, fornication, drunkenness, etc.) you are not ready for the judgment day to come!

However, I think it would be beneficial to look at one final text. John, the apostle of love, wrote this to his Christian brethren in 1 John 1:7-10

"But if we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus Christ His Son cleanses us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar and His word is not in us."

After we are baptized, we don't remain perfect and sinless. Contrariwise, we sin daily! John is speaking to Christians--those already washed by the blood of Jesus--and he tells them that if they claim they are sinless, they make God a liar!

All of us need forgiveness and grace. Regardless of what state you find yourself in today, you need the blood of Jesus. If you have not been baptized, consider where your soul would end up should the world end tomorrow. If you have been baptized but are continuing in the works of the flesh as Paul categorized, confess your sins as the apostle John commanded! All of us can attain salvation! God has made it so easy for us! All we must do is believe that Jesus is the Son of God, turn from our sinful ways, confess Christ as Lord, and put Him on in baptism! Compared to what Jesus went through to bring us salvation, it is nothing at all to submit to Him and live for Him daily.

May we each get our lives in order so that, were today our last today, heaven would be our final abode!

Who is in Christ?

Ephesians 1:3 tells us: "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ." Think about those words for a second. Every spiritual blessing/gift is found in Christ. Some of those gifts include redemption and forgiveness of sins (Eph. 1:7), justification (Rom. 5:18) freedom from sin (Gal. 5:1), and salvation (1 Thess. 5:8-10). I am sure that every single person who has a belief in Jesus Christ wants those spiritual blessings. Even those people who do not believe in Jesus want some form of these gifts! But what was it that Paul said at the end of that verse? Those blessings are found somewhere: in Christ. To obtain these blessings, we must be in Christ. To obtain salvation--the opportunity to be in heaven with God face to face--we must be in Christ!

Paul told Timothy in 2 Timothy 2:10 that he endured all things, even chains, so that those to whom he preached could obtain the salvation that is available in Christ. That was the reason Paul preached--so that others could obtain salvation. The Bible tells us that faith comes by hearing (Rom. 10:17), and that's exactly why I want to explore this topic today. I want us to all open our hearts to what the Word of God teaches so that we can be exposed to the salvation that is made available through Jesus.

While this is a sentence I don't want to write, it is necessary: those who are outside of Christ (not in Him) will not have these spiritual blessings. They will not have forgiveness for their sins or justification or salvation. They will not have heaven as their eternal home. Heaven will only be for those found in Christ--the ones who have remained faithful to Him until death. That is why it is so important for us to explore what exactly it means to be in Christ, so that we can determine if we ourselves are in Him or if we are lacking.

So how do we know if we are in Christ? Galatians 3:26-28 tells us this:

" (26) For you are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus. (27) For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus."

I love these verses for a lot of reasons. I'm going to take them a little out of order, but I think it's necessary for the congruity of thought. First, in verse 27, we see that those who have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ. Therefore we can deduce that it is those who are baptized (Mk. 16:16, Acts 2:38, 1 Pet. 3:21) who are the ones that are in Christ. All of the spiritual blessings that are made available in Jesus are only accessible to use once we have come in contact with His blood (Rom. 6:3-4). In order to have salvation and the forgiveness of our sins, we must be baptized. Once we are baptized, we are in Christ and we can have every spiritual blessing.

One such blessing is found in verse 26. The text says that we are sons (and daughters) of God through our faith in Christ Jesus. When we have faith in Jesus and are obedient to His commands (because faith without works is dead--James 2:20,26), we can be called children of God. I find this to be one of the greatest blessings of all! Not only is the God of the universe giving me the opportunity to live with Him forever and have my slate wiped clean, He loves me, individually, and is calling me His daughter! It's one thing to be in subjection to the King of the world, but another altogether to be a part of the royal family! How extremely blessed are we to be called sons and daughters of God! And that blessing is only bestowed on those who have faith in Jesus and have acted upon that faith in obedience through baptism!

The third reason I love this verse is because of verse 28. We are all one in Jesus Christ. There is no partiality (Rom. 2:11-12). Because Jesus humbled Himself and came to this earth to suffer and die for us, we ALL have the opportunity to go to heaven with Him one day! Had He not come, heaven would never have been a possibility for any of us, because we are all sinners (Rom. 3:23). And yet, Jesus gave the same commands to all people. He didn't give one set of commands to the Jews and one set to the Greeks; He didn't give one set to the apostles and another set (or new revelation) to us today. He said that we must repent from our sinful ways and be baptized into Him for the forgiveness of our sins (Acts 2:38-39). And if we truly love Him and truly want to be found in Him, we will do what He has said (John 14:15).

God desires that all men everywhere will be saved (1 Tim. 2:3-4). It isn't only Americans or religious-type people or rich people or poor people or white or black or hispanic. It is all men; everywhere. That is why it is so important for those of us who have heard the gospel to spread it to those who have not; because God wants everyone to be saved--not just those of us who have already heard. And while it is important to go and spread the gospel, it is also commanded (Mt. 28:18-20). In order that we can be pleasing to God, we must be telling those who are not in Christ what they can do to be found in Him and thus have the opportunity to go to heaven!

I know that this hasn't been the most cohesive post I've ever written. I know there is a lot thrown in here all at once. The point is this: if you have not been baptized into Christ, you aren't in Christ. And if you aren't in Christ, all of those spiritual blessings aren't available to you. The great news is that God wants to have a relationship with you; and Jesus' sole purpose in coming to earth was to seek and save people just like you. If you want to go to heaven, turn from your sinful ways and put on Christ in baptism. If you have more questions about that--you can leave me a comment and I'll email you!

If you have been baptized into Christ and are enjoying the many blessings that He has given to you, make sure that you are telling other people about the blessings that you enjoy in Him--and if they aren't enjoying them, tell them how they can!

Are You in a Denomination?

Let me tell you a little hypothetical story:

Robert and I have decided that we want to buy a house. But wait! There aren't a lot of houses around us that are in our price range, and the ones that are don't fit the criteria we need. So, we're going to build our house. Since we will be the ones building it, we will decide what goes into it. We will decide the dimensions and layout and organization.

Now, Robert and I just bought a house and therefore this story is absolutely fabricated. We won't be moving any time soon! BUT, let me ask you a question: based on that hypothetical story, how many houses do you think Robert and I are building?

You may say, well Emily, that's fairly obvious. You said you would build your house, singular.

Why then, friends, do we think that Jesus built multiple churches? He said clearly in Matt. 16:18,

"And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."

Church-singular. It-singular. The Holy Spirit guided the writers of the New Testament, and even the verb tenses matter! Even the plurality of words matter! Surely we all believe that the Holy Spirit (which is a distinctive member of the GOD-head) could clearly and concisely say what needed to be said, thus He could have recorded the words 'churches' and 'them'. Or, do we believe that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, minced His words? We have full confidence in the perfect nature of Jesus Christ, and in the truth of His words. Why, then, do we wrestle with denominationalism?

I recently attended a campaign in Talledega, AL in which Cliff Goodwin preached a series of lessons combating the false doctrine from the Baptist Manual. Here are a few quotes from him that I believe are worthy of meditation:

"There are so many who are so calm and so quick to say, 'Just join the church of your choice.' No. Go to the church of Christ's choice. He died for one. He died for His church." 

"Jesus has never been one among many (denominations). He has been King of kings and Lord of lords, and His church has been one."

While the singularity of the words may not be enough for some, think about what Paul wrote to the Corinthians who were struggling with a similar issue:

"For it has been declared to me concerning you, my brethren, by those of Chloe's household, that there are many contentions among you. Now I say this, that each of you says, 'I am of Paul' or 'I am of Apollos' or 'I am of Cephas' or 'I am of Christ'. Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Or were you baptized in the name of Paul?"            1 Cor. 1:11-13

Cliff said the following in response to these verses:

"If it were a sin 2000 years ago (and it was) for believers to align themselves under the name of an inspired apostle (Paul), how are we to believe that is it less than sinful today for people to align themselves under uninspired men such as John Calvin, Martin Luther, John Wesley (etc.)." 

Please, friends, let us all consider the church that we are a part of. Only one offers salvation. The Lord only adds us to one (Acts 2:47). And that one? It isn't the one I choose and it isn't the one you choose. It is the one that Christ died for; the one He established. Let us search the scriptures daily and make sure that we are members of the church that belongs to Christ.

I'm 15 Today!

On this very day 15 years ago, I gave my life over to Christ. I don't think I've ever put my story in blog form, and in case I look back in 10 or 15 years and feel like I didn't know what I was doing when I was 9 years old, I'd like to be able to read the things that were going through my head.

It was a Sunday morning. Both of my sisters had been baptized not too terribly long before that day, and while the preacher was speaking I decided that I needed to be baptized, too. During the invitation song I walked down front and indicated that I'd like to be baptized. I remember the preacher asking me if I believed that Jesus Christ was the Son of God. In my squeaky nine year old voice I said yes, and I was whisked away to the preparation room to get changed.

I remember exactly what I was wearing that day. It was my favorite blue dress, kind of slinky, and surprisingly in style since most of my other clothes that my mom let me pick out were absolutely atrocious. I got changed into the outfit, stepped down into the baptistry, and my dad baptized me. After services I was met with tons of hugs and smiles, but I just remember my hair being soaking wet.

There is one thing that really sticks out to me about that day. You see, July 26th is my oldest sister's birthday, so after worship we were all going to my grandmother's house for lunch. I remember very distinctly walking into her house and thinking how cool it was that I hadn't sinned yet.

I know that I had a very limited knowledge of all that Christ had done for me. I know that I couldn't fully comprehend all that I was doing, and just how much I needed this washing of my soul. But I knew what sin was. I knew where sin sent you. And I knew that I once had had sin, and now I did not, because baptism washed it away.

When I'm 80 years old (God giving me that time) and have hopefully reached a much greater level of understanding, I hope that I can look back at 9 year old Emily and be proud of her, knowing that she didn't know everything, but she knew enough.

9 year old Emily saved my life. She wasn't perfect (and I'm still not!), but she knew that she needed a relationship with Jesus. That relationship faltered a lot (and still does!), but she never gave up. I know that I've posted about the time that I really started taking the relationship seriously (you can read it here), but had it not been for the courage and willingness and humility of nine year old me, I wouldn't be where I am today--because Jesus' blood wouldn't have cleansed me then and wouldn't have continued to cleanse me every single day since.

Today, as a 24 year old, I understand a little better--though definitely not as much as I hope to. And today, I am so very thankful for Jesus' blood and the way He has cleansed me and will continue to so long as I live faithfully for Him.

15 years ago wasn't about me inviting Jesus in through a prayer. It wasn't about me deciding I was saved then being baptized to show everyone else. It was about a young girl knowing she had ugly sin stains and so she submitted to what God wanted for her--to be baptized into Christ so that He could cleanse her and she could be added to His body.

When did you become a Christian? Are you still living for Him? Have you become a Christian? If you haven't, I would love to talk to you about it!

Seeing God in the Darkness

Have you had a dark time in your life? Maybe you're there right now. As someone who has not only had a dark time, but come out on the other side, I am here to offer some help--some clarity--some light.

My senior year in high school and the summer that followed were a dark time for me. As the year progressed, I drifted away from God and inched closer to Satan. There was a boy (isn't there always?), and I gave him my heart. I shouldn't have, and even then I knew that. Nevertheless, it happened. My heart belonged to him, and so did my thoughts. Every second I spent dwelling on our "what could be's" were seconds I wasn't devoting to my God. Those seconds turned into minutes, minutes into hours, and those hours turned into my entire senior year of high school. Before I knew it, my senior year was over, and I was left in a puddle of graduation regalia and heartbreak.

The story is too long to tell, the details too insignificant at this point. What matters is this: I was away from God. He hadn't moved, but I had defiantly marched away from Him somewhere between August and May. I spent the first few weeks of summer in a ball on my bed, shedding tears over a boy I used to love and a person I used to be. One day, as I sat at my lonely office at my first real job (aka not McDonalds), I had a breakdown. It was storming outside, a perfect reflection of my inner self, and I lost it. After regaining my composure (was there a choice? I was at the front desk!), I softly started to sing:

"Over every thought, over every word. May my life reflect the beauty of my Lord. 'Cause you mean more to me than any earthly thing. So won't you reign in me again."

That song--those words--hit me like a ton of bricks. I still don't know why the song popped into my head, or what made me start singing it, but it changed the course of my life. From that moment on, I started praying. Regularly. I started begging God to heal my heart. I read the Psalms over and over again, emphatically nodding along with David's sentiments.

I hadn't been in a place so dark before. There was hatred and bitterness in my heart like I'd never experienced. There was disgust and regret and envy and all other sorts of wickedness pruning in my heart. And then, there was a soft song--a whisper of the person I could be. I don't remember the exact moment that it all changed; that the sun came out and the clouds rolled away. I don't remember climbing and clawing my way out of the darkness. I just know that the day I stepped onto Freed-Hardeman's campus, I was different, and I was better for the journey.

Still, I had more darkness to overcome. My freshman year at Freed isn't a time that I'm especially proud of, mostly because my newly healed heart was shattered too soon by yet another boy I shouldn't have given it to. But, once again, I asked God to heal me. I asked God to mold me. I asked God to make my heart stronger--too strong for a boy or even Satan himself to crush.

I want to share with you a verse about God that I love. 1 John 1:5 says, "This is the message which we have heard from Him and declare to you-that God is light, and in Him is no darkness at all."

Do you know why I love that so much? Because in God there is not one ounce of darkness. There is no evil. There is no pain. No darkness. At all.

To me, that says that God is bigger than the darkness that envelopes me at times. God is able to deliver me from that darkness. He loves me so much that He dispels the darkness around me when I ask Him.

I am God's daughter (2 Cor. 6:18). Because I am His daughter, He gives to me all things that I ask (Matt. 7:7). When you are in the midst of a dark time, ask yourself this question: am I God's child? If the answer is yes, ask Him to dispel the darkness. Psalm 34:18 tells us, "God is near to those who have a broken heart and saves such as have a contrite spirit." Trust God and know that He is bigger than whatever darkness you are facing. He is there, and is a "very present help" in your time of need (Psalm 46:1).

If you are not a child of God's, know that He wants you to be. He wants to save you (2 Pet. 3:9). Submit to His terms, and the blood of Jesus will wash away that darkness and all of the sin in your life.

We cannot conquer the darkness on our own. We must let God have control. He is willing, and He desires to do it for you. We just have to draw near to Him. When we do, He will give us all things (James 4:7-8, 1:5-7).

Be Careful How You Teach

I recently heard a lesson from Dan Winkler and he said,

"There are two types of false teachers: those who don't teach the truth, and those who teach the truth but don't do so in love. Both are equally wrong." 

Often, we think of false teachers as those who teach things that are contrary to what the Bible teaches. While that is most certainly true (1 John 4:1), people who teach correct things in an incorrect manner are equally as wrong.

Ephesians 4:15 tells us to speak truth in love. In today's culture, many people want to divorce truth and love, but the Bible tells us that it can't be that way. We cannot give people the truth without love, and we cannot love people without giving them the truth. If we truly love, we will tell people how to get out of the sin that is entangling them. If we know the truth, we know of God's love and we will extend it to others.

As you know, the sin of homosexuality has been on my mind lately because it seems to be running rampant in our churches, in our Christian schools, and most definitely in our society as a whole. It is also the first topic that comes to mind when I think of people who divorce truth and love.

On the one hand, people that know and preach the truth know that homosexuality is a sin (1 Cor. 6:9) and therefore tell other people about it. A lot of times (though most assuredly not all the time), those with the truth choose to convey the truth in a way that isn't loving at all. I think of the signs that the Westboro Baptist Church people put up. How on earth can they consider what they're doing to be speaking the truth in love? It isn't at all. It isn't always as blatant, though. You and I can do the same thing by belittling those who struggle with homosexuality and by mocking and making fun of them.

On the other hand, you have the people who know that the Bible tells them to love, and so they do so whole-heartedly. The problem, though, is that they never tell those whom they "love" what the Bible actually teaches. Loving someone is not keeping the truth from them. That seems like the opposite of love to me. If we truly love, we are going to take care of physical and emotional needs, sure, but first and foremost we're going to take care of their spiritual needs.

We cannot separate truth and love. If we love God, we will keep His commandments (John 14:15). What's that? Love and truth in the same command? Exactly. We show that we love by doing what God wants. If we want to spread the love of God to others, we are going to do so by fulfilling (keeping) the commands of God. Jesus said in Mark 16:15 to "go and preach the gospel." If we love God, we will go, armed with gospel, to all the world. If we love others, we will take them the gospel so that they can be reconciled to their God and Savior.  We can't just go in love only. We have to go in love, armed with truth. However, if we have the truth but don't have love, well, we just won't ever go. We won't love the people God created enough to take them the truth. Instead, we will revel in the fact that we have the truth and that we're saved, and we'll hide our lights under a bushel. We can't do that either. We can't keep the truth for ourselves, otherwise we're breaking God's commandments.

I say all of that to say this: we cannot keep dividing love and truth. We cannot excuse people's sins because we 'love' them. Jesus' love covered a multitude of sins, including my own. In order for other people's sins to be covered, they have to know the truth about Jesus and submit to His commands. However, I cannot beat people into submission with the truth. I have to show them the love of God in His truth in order to be effective.

This is a real struggle, finding the balance between love and truth. I pray that we can all find the balance, though, for our own salvation's sake and for the sake of other's salvation.

"By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and keep His commandments." 1 John 5:2