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!

Leading Ladies: Sapphira

Sapphira probably isn't at the top of your 'leading ladies' list, namely because she doesn't set a positive example. And, if we're being honest, we probably never take the time to separate her name from her husband's...kind of like the Aquila and Priscilla team. However, I think we can learn a lot from Sapphira, which is why I'm dedicating a leading ladies post to her.

We are introduced to this women in Acts 5. Prior to this, a well known Bible character (and I don't mean character in a fictitious way--we know people who are mentioned in the Bible are real people) named Barnabas. After he sold his land and gave the money to the poor, the entire church was encouraged and thus his name was changed to 'son of encouragement'. It is on the heels of this story that we meet Sapphira and her husband, Ananias.

Ananias and Sapphira had this great idea: they were going to sell the land that they had, just like Barnabas had, and give the money to the church. The only problem was that instead of giving all of the money to the church, they would simply give part of it. Now, this story isn't saying that you cannot keep anything back for yourself but that you must give every ounce of everything you have to the church. Not saying that at all. What it is saying is that you cannot lie about it. Had Ananias and Sapphira sold their land and given a portion to the apostles and told them such, the church would have been encouraged by this, as would the apostles. Instead, Ananias and Sapphira conspired together to make it seem like they had done some great and charitable deed, when really they had kept part back--only wanting the accolades for their contribution.

So why focus on Sapphira?

Recently, as I was rereading this story, something new stuck out to me. You see, Ananias comes before the apostles first, and they rebuke him and before he can even speak--he is struck dead. Ouch. But then, a few hours later, Sapphira comes in.

As I was reading this, I thought to myself--why didn't they go in together? Surely they could have. But they didn't. Instead, Sapphira was given the chance to own up to her sin. Peter asked her how much she had sold the land for, she says 'such and such' a price (not the full amount, though, mind you) and then she is also struck dead.

It's a sad story, sure, but I think there are some valuable lessons we can learn from ol' Sapphira.

1: Submission to your husband does not mean covering for him. So often women believe that they must be in submission to their husbands in all things. Yes, the Bible does tell us that we have been given the role of submission to our husbands, but the Bible never encourages sin. Sapphira did not have to go along with what Ananias had said. When Peter asked her, she could have confessed and said, no, we actually kept some back. I fully believe that Sapphira would have been saved had she confessed her sin to Peter. Instead, she didn't. She continued in her sin--not knowing her husband was dead already.

If you are in a marriage where your husband continues to sin against God, the church, and others--you do not have to continue with him in this sin. God does not expect you to sin with him so as to remain in subjection to him. On the contrary! In 1 Peter 3:1-2, the Bible tells women whose husbands aren't faithful to "likewise be submissive to your own husbands, that even if some do not obey the world, they, without a word, may be won by the conduct of their wives, when they observe your chaste conduct accompanied by fear."

The only way to win over an unbelieving or unfaithful husband is to show him that you respect God first and foremost. If you are compromising your relationship with God because of an earthly relationship, are you being a good example to your husband? Will he be won over by your conduct?

Please hear me when I say that this does, in no way, mean that you should defy your husband. God set up the home exactly how He wanted it to be, and as women, we have particular roles to fill---roles by which we will be judged. But, we will also be judged by how we behave toward our husbands. If you are a spouse, you have an obligation to the one to whom you married, and that obligation is to help them get to heaven. Do not take part in nor encourage their sins. Help them out of them. Promote peace and purity.

2: Do not seek worldly pleasures and treasures. It seems Ananias and Sapphira had a bad case of worldly-itis. They loved the world more than they loved God. They wanted earthly riches more than they wanted true, heavenly riches. Jesus told the multitudes in Matthew 6:2, "Therefore, when you do a charitable deed, do not sound a trumpet before you as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory from men. Assuredly I say to you, they have their reward." This pitiable pair needed this reminder. Wanting the world to see your good works and give you a standing ovation for it...that won't get you anywhere. Well, it will get you somewhere, but not the somewhere you want to be for eternity.

Paul told the Colossians in Col. 3:1-2 "If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things above, not on things of the earth."

James said, "Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Whoever therefore wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." (James 4:4)

You cannot be a Christian and love this world. You cannot be a true follower of Christ and put worldly riches and pleasures above Him. If you have a job that takes you away from doing the things that God wants you to do -- that God will judge you for if you do not do (ie keeping your home) -- then get rid of the job. God doesn't judge us based on what our occupation is. He doesn't judge us based on our income. So you make less money and you have less stuff. Life isn't made up of possessions. Life is characterized by one thing: obedience to God. Get rid of the earthly things that stand in the way of your full obedience to God. I feel that if Sapphira were given the opportunity to do it all again, she would place her priorities on God and following Him, not getting rich. Paul told Timothy that loving money was the root of all evil (1 Tim. 6:10). We must put riches and earthly treasures in their proper place, and that is nowhere near the top of our priorities list.

3: You will be judged for your own life. When the Judgment comes, each man will be judged according to his own works (Rev. 20:13). You will only be judged for your own soul and your own actions. Yes, you have been given the command to spread the gospel and encourage the lost to be saved (Mk 16:15), but ultimately the decision to obey Jesus comes down to the individual.

Should you be in a marriage relationship where your spouse does not adhere to God's laws, be it outright unbelief or perhaps by living a hypocritical life, you are not condemned to the same fate. Now, you do have to do as Peter said and be an example to them, but if they don't choose to obey God, that is on them. You have to decide, for yourself, to follow Him and trust in Him and obey His every command. It is only for your thoughts and actions and opportunities that you will be judged, not the actions or thoughts or someone else--not even your spouse.

As previously mentioned, Sapphira could have gone to Peter and confessed. She didn't have to suffer the same fate that her husband did. However, it seems she had the same sin-ridden heart that her husband did. We cannot know whose heart was defiled first, but we do know that God doesn't put on us more than we can bear (1 Cor. 10:13). One of them could have stood up to the other; one of them could have stood up for what was right. Sapphira was given the opportunity. She had to stand in front of Peter herself, tell the lie herself, and will ultimately face the judgment herself. Know that whatever situation you find yourself in, you will be judged based on what you do, not what those around you do--not even those closest to you (including parents, children, grandchildren, etc).

4: You are an example. In verse 11 of chapter 5, the Bible tell us, "So great fear came upon all the church and upon all who heard these things." People heard about Ananias and Sapphira. People heard about what they did and what happened to them because of it. In the same way, people hear about us. I have learned this lesson quite well in the last year and a half after moving to a small town. It seems everybody knows something about everyone in town. And guess what they know? The good and the bad.

The Bible tells us that a good reputation is to be chosen over great riches (Prov. 22:1). We know full well that people hear things about us. Make it your aim for people to only think good things about you when they hear something. Make it your aim that people only think of godly things when they think about you. Make your life an example to those around you, so that they may see your good works and glorify God (Matt. 5:16).

Paul told Timothy to be an example to the believers in word, conduct, love, spirit, faith, and purity. Make it your daily goal to be the same--not only to the believers, but to everyone you come into contact with. The old adage is true: you may be the only Bible some people ever read. Be sure your life is pointing them to God.

Don't Get Too Attached

Yesterday morning I had the honor of teaching the teenage girls at our congregation. We are in a study on topics that are pertinent to teenagers: gossip, modesty, entertainment choices, how we use our tongues, friendship, dating, and a host of other things. Friendship was our topic of choice yesterday, and we talked a lot about our responsibility to our friends, the purpose of friendships, and why it's important to have Christian friends. While studying for the lesson, and while listening to the girls' comments in class, I was re-awakened to something that I think is so valuable for all of us: the topic of worldliness.

When you think of the story of Sodom and Gommorah, you probably think of a couple of things: homosexuality and Lot. You may think of a few other details, but the main character we think of is Lot, and the main problem we address is homosexuality. If we stop there, though, I think we are missing some key lessons.

Yesterday in class, we talked specifically about Lot's wife (Gen. 19:26) and Lot's sons-in-law (19:14). The Bible tells us that all of the aforementioned people were destroyed with Sodom. Why do you think that was?

When we think about worldliness, we tend to think of materialistic things: money, clothing, toys, houses, cars, retirement funds, etc. We think of tangible things that this earth has to offer. I believe that Lot's wife and sons-in-law were struggling with worldliness, too, but I don't think it had a lot to do with the stuff that was in Sodom.

It is possible for us to become too attached to people. God has beautifully designed marriage and families and friendships, and aren't we all thankful for those blessings? But Jesus said in Luke 14:26 that we cannot place even those God-designed relationships above our relationship with God.

Relationships are important to us. We need them to survive. Robert recently used an illustration in one of his sermons about a study that was conducted on newborns to try to find out their natural language. These infants were placed in a room that was isolated, and the nurses had to promise not to speak to the children, that way the words that the children used first would be a 'natural language', and the world could finally find out what that was. Guess what happened? In three months, all of these infants had died. Why? Because we need relationships to survive. We need intimacy and friendship and love.

What happens when we love the wrong thing, or we love the right thing too much? I believe it's a form of worldliness. Lot's wife and his sons-in-law didn't seem to be caught up necessarily in the sins of Sodom, they just seemed to be too attached to their lives there: their friends, their neighbors, their day-to-day routines. Perhaps if Lot had chosen (when Abraham gave him the opportunity) to go a different direction other than Sodom, all of this could have been avoided; Lot could have saved his family. But, when we choose to surround ourselves with people who are worldly, our relationships turn into a form of worldliness.

We must be careful who we associate with, and who we choose to get close to. In class, I asked the girls if this meant that we couldn't have any friends who weren't Christians. They said no. I asked why, and they said, 'How would we spread the gospel?" and that's exactly right. But then one of the girls piped up with this: "But we have to have boundaries in our relationships with people who aren't Christians".

We must set boundaries in our relationships. We cannot ever let a person get so close to us that they pull us away from God. That could be someone who isn't a Christian, or that could be your spouse, your kids, your parents, your preacher, or any other relationship in your life. We cannot let our lives be so wrapped up in a person that we neglect our relationship with God.

Think about your life: are you letting a relationship with someone on earth get in the way of your relationship with your Heavenly Father? Maybe that relationship is taking up all your time, thus leaving you with no time to study or pray. Maybe that relationship is one that God deems unacceptable (it involves adultery, fornication, sexual immorality), and thus you aren't close to Him because your sin separates you. Maybe the relationship tempts you be involved with things that are sinful (drinking, gossiping, cursing, using crude humor, skipping worship services) and thus your relationship with God has suffered because you're no longer interested in pursuing godliness.

Take an inventory of your relationships, and don't let anyone get you so attached to this world that you forget that your citizenship isn't here, it's in heaven (Philippians 3:20). If you are involved in a relationship/friendship with someone who is pulling you away from God or forcing you away from Him because the relationship is sinful, please get out of it. When we think of Lot's wife and sons-in-law, it's easy to wonder--why would you choose to be utterly destroyed when you could have life? You had been given a way of escape! Why didn't you use it?

You have been given a way of escape. You have been given a choice. Choose to follow after God, lest your worldly relationships lead you down a path that destroys you. No relationship is worth that. No relationship on this earth is worth compromising your eternal soul.

Tough Stuff Tuesday: Temple of God or Temple to Self?

Recently, one of my dear friends (and a young woman that I look up to in many things) wrote a blog post on how we as women deal with body image issues. She had posted about this on Facebook, too, and one of her friends published the following comment:

"A tricky balance exists between caring for our bodies as a temple to God and becoming obsessed with perfecting our bodies as a temple to ourselves."

That quote has been resonating within me from the moment that I read first it until now. Slowly, it has been churning inside of me and causing my heart to change. You see, for a long time now (at least 10 years) I've had a problem with body image. My self-confidence has always been low, and directly related to how I felt about my weight. During high school, I was pretty thin. Still, I would diet or exercise a crazy amount or skip meals because I didn't think I was thin enough. My 5'4'' frame never held weight well, and with every five pound fluctuation, I was in mental anguish and distress. I was very, very hard on myself. Sadly, those tendencies didn't stop when I was in high school. If I'm being honest with you, these feelings are still very real in my day to day life. I struggle with being enough. At least, I had been struggling with that a lot until Polishing the Pulpit a couple of weeks ago.

At PTP, my days were consumed with lectures and study sessions geared toward making my relationship with God stronger. I spent hours every day digging deep into God's beautiful Word. At the end of the seven day stint, I was happier and stronger and excited to come home. And then, a day or two after I had been home, I had a realization: I hadn't once thought about how fat I felt or awful I looked in over a week. That had to have been a first in the entire ten years I'd been struggling with this. 
So what was the magic answer? What helped me see the light and know that I can conquer this internal, self-loathing battle? Answer: God's Word.

I spent an entire week studying God's Word and doing nothing else. Now sure, I was working (recording and editing the lessons), but really I was listening and making notes and learning about my awesome Father. I was being challenged to think and act differently. And, in the process of all of that study, I stopped focusing on ME and started focusing on God.

If you're a lady, you've read and heard numerous lessons on the following scriptures:

"Do not let your adornment be merely outward--arranging the hair, wearing gold, or putting on fine apparel-- rather let it be the hidden person of the heart, with the incorruptible beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is very precious in the sight of God." 1 Pet. 3:3-4

I've heard quite a few lessons on those verses, too. I've heard a lot of things about "incorruptible beauty" and "gentle, quiet spirits". I've even heard lessons on not wearing flashy things and trying to make people notice you. But when I read these verses recently, something new stuck out to me. You see, Peter says (in a completely paraphrased way) don't put so much emphasis on the outside. Now, your struggle may be to arrange your hair all fancy or wear things that show off your wealth as the example shows. That's not mine, though. No, my struggle is simply with focusing too much on the "merely outward". I can become completely consumed with that which is merely outward, so much so that I have a bad attitude or I don't want to be around certain people or I don't even feel desirable to my husband. Why? Because I haven't been listening to Peter. All these years of reading this verse and I've completely missed what he's saying. Stop focusing on that which is merely outward. Instead, look at your heart. Your heart is what makes you beautiful and precious in the sight of God. What is merely outward does not amount to a hill of beans in God's sight. Don't you remember what God said to Samuel in 1 Samuel 16:7?

"For the Lord does not see as man sees; for a man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."

When we focus on that which is merely outward (how big or small we are or should be or once were), we are looking at ourselves through the eyes of the WORLD and we have to stop. And while we're at it, we have to stop judging other ladies through the eyes of the world. Christians are not supposed to be conformed to/look like the world; we are supposed to act like Christ (cf. Rom 12:1-2, Gal. 2:20). So let's stop judging ourselves and others by the world's standards, and let's start measuring ourselves by God's Word.

Tomorrow I will be giving tips on how to have a better attitude toward the girl in the mirror. Until then, my prayer is that we will all be a little easier on these physical tents we live in--because tents aren't supposed to be so beautiful that we're completely attached to them and never want to go to our homes. Tents are disposable, messy, unreliable, and uncomfortable, and God designed our physical bodies that way for a reason. I, for one, am looking forward to my glorious body (1 Cor.15:42-44), the one I'll get IF I stop focusing (aka wasting my time) on that which is merely outward.

Where Do You Want to Be?

How often do you think about the end of time? For me, it's a pretty regular thought. I find myself, fairly often, thinking of what it will be like when Jesus comes in all His glory. I don't know if I'll be alive, if my children will be alive, or if their children's children's children will be alive. What I do know is that Jesus will come, and those who are dead will rise and those who are still on earth will witness something glorious--and will be called up as well.

Oftentimes, I find myself wondering what it would be like if I was still alive. And, if I'm alive, what will I be doing? That leads my mind down a strange and twisty path of what will OTHER people be doing when Jesus comes to take us home? My mind goes a million directions, but today I want to ask you a very specific question: if you could choose what you were doing when Jesus comes, what would it be?

I've thought of a few answers myself:

1: How great would it be if Jesus came while I was worshipping? During a spirited chorus of 'We Shall See the King Someday', the clouds are opened and we see our Lord descending from on high. Talk about a marvelous occasion!

2: How wonderful would it be if we were studying the Bible with someone? Perhaps a new convert--someone who has clothed themselves with Christ by being buried in baptism. As we sit there, breaking open God's word together, Jesus comes. How amazing and thrilling it would be!

3: How remarkable if I were praying when the Lord came? As I thank God for His marvelous gift of Jesus, and the unbeatable sacrifice He made for my sins, that same Jesus appears in the sky. The joy on that occasion would be unspeakable!

4: What if I were helping someone in need when Jesus came? Jesus tells us that when we do "to the least of these" we do unto Him. How wonderful, then, to be helping Jesus (aka someone in need) when He came!

5: What if I were having a personal time of study? What I were reading about Jesus' ascension into heaven, and then He came back just as He left? What a beautiful moment, to already be in such a mindset, and to have my Lord come down to take me home!

When I think about these situations (and aren't there a million more?), I have to ask myself a question: if these are things I'd like to be doing when Jesus comes, why am I not doing them now!? We know that the hour that Jesus will come is unknown by anyone except God Himself. We know that Jesus will come as a thief in the night, and that we aren't going to know when it is. There's no way to foresee it happening. So why, then, are we not busying ourselves with good works and great moments that would be pleasing for Jesus to find us in when He comes?

On the flip side, what are some things that you would HATE to be involved in when Jesus came back?

1: I would hate to be found in a position where I am being unfaithful to my spouse/future spouse. I would hate to be caught up in a fit of passion that has not been sanctified by my Lord. Would He be pleased with me?

2: I would hate to be found in immodest apparel when Jesus came. I know that our bodies will be changed, and there's no way I can know what that body will be like. Will it be angelic? Will it be clothed at all? I have no way of knowing anything other than it will be transformed into something that resembles Jesus. Still, I shutter at the thought of standing before the King of Kings in short shorts or a tank top or a bikini or anything else that would be so unbecoming of a child of God.

3: I would hate to be skipping worship when Jesus comes back. What if it were time for all of the saints to be assembled, and you were nowhere to be found. Perhaps there was a tournament that you just "couldn't miss". Perhaps you don't "do" mornings and you just didn't want to get out of bed. Whatever the case is, you skipped out on meeting with the people of God, and now Jesus has come back. I would HATE to be found in that position.

The same question arises: if I'd hate to be found in these positions, why do I put myself into them when I don't have any idea when Jesus will come back? It is a very real possibility that Jesus will come back tomorrow? What will you be doing? It is a very real possibility that Jesus will come back on Sunday, will you be worshipping? Throughout the week, will you be busying yourself with things that are fitting for a saint, or will you be doing things that would find you ashamed and embarrassed on that last day?

Let us think soberly about these things and only involve ourselves in things that are fitting for a child of God. Let us put off the things that would make Satan proud on that last day.