Sometimes The Time Gets Away From Me

Hello CCFites!

This is a creative way to remind you that this Sunday, March 13th is the beginning of Daylight Savings Time. I can hear what you are thinking, "Is this the good one or the bad one?" It's the bad one, made so by the fact that we lose an hour of sleep. On the bright side...literally...we gain an hour of daylight, which means that we can actually stay out past 5:30PM and not feel like vampires!

The other reason that I am writing here is to clear up a little bit of my teaching tonight. As time is always of the essence, there are times when I rush (BELIEVE IT OR NOT!) in order to finish a tad bit faster. Unfortunately, sometimes that pressure leads some messy explanations and confusing expositions.

Case in point, tonight, I mentioned that the word "judges" comes from the same word also translated "God." God was giving ordinances to be transmitted to the judges of Israel who had been chosen to judge in smaller civic matters back in Exodus 18. Moses' Father-In-Law Jethro had suggested that this body of judges be formed. These judges are later given the title "gods" by the translators, the specific verses being found in Psalm 82:1 & 6. Jesus later quoted from these verses when the religious leaders questioned Him about calling Himself the "Son of God." That is found in John 10:30-36. I had said that this was the justification for the Mormon belief that they will one day be "gods." Being that this refers to judges and not deities, it certainly takes the teeth out of that belief...hey, that rhymes! :-)

I wanted to clear that up before posting the sermon, (notes and audio here) so that when you have the occasion to listen to it, you will have this as a better background for that section. As it is about time for me to feed my daughter Ana, I am again running out of time to tell you what a privilege it is to teach the Word to you all, and how genuinely thankful I am for each of you.

See you Sunday...One HOUR EARLIER!

Remember: It will only FEEL like 9AM...Except to the set up team...it will feel like 8AM!

Blessings,

Frank

An Addendum To Matthew 25:37-40

"Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You? Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ And the King will answer and say to them, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'"

At the end of the Olivet Discourse, Jesus describes a time when the nations will be judged. The main criteria in this judgment will be how they (those nations) treated the Lord's brethren. Because the rapture will have occurred before the Great Tribulation, the Church will be gone, leaving the Jewish people here to represent the Lord's desires. This is not to say that there will not be tribulation saints from the nations. I'd believe in Jesus if I saw what they will no doubt see during that time.

This being the backdrop, we can say primarily, that the nations at the end of the tribulation will be judged for their actions toward the people of Israel. 

But this section still draws us to resonate with the heart of God, who calls us to be His hands and feet in this world. How can we take responsibility for those that are within our reach who are indeed Christ's brethren today?

In the church, we know who our brethren are. It's easy to hear about opportunities to serve each other and it's easy to give to people that we trust will use the resources that are given to them with wisdom. It's a joy to be the one that steps in and helps another brother or sister in time of need, whether that assistance would be monetary, physical aid (moving refrigerators from a third story apartment comes to mind! :-) You know who you are!) or spiritual.

But then we see people with signs out in the world around us. How are we to respond? When I gave this message, our discussions afterward focused on this dilemma. It's hard to know who to trust. Are we giving money that's going to go to someone's drinking or drug problem? Am I being scammed?

I heard a Pastor tell a story about seeing a man with a "Will Work For Food" sign standing on the side of an offramp.  The Pastor pulled over and offered to take the man to his church. The man asked him how much he would make, to which the Pastor answered, "About 8 to 10 an hour?" The man got honest and told the Pastor "I make 40 to 50 an hour just standing here and if I give up this spot, I might not get it back!" 

So, a few words that will hopefully help you as you confront this issue. First, we understand that people begging for something may indeed be brothers and sisters who are in desperate need. We need to be sensitive to God's Holy Spirit who will speak to our hearts about whether or not to give. Ask Him for wisdom and He will give it liberally!

Second, notice that Jesus talks about meeting need, not giving money! They were hungry and they gave them food...not money, FOOD! They were thirsty and they gave them a drink, definitely a non-alcoholic concoction! "I need money for clothes." "What size do you wear? I'll go get something for you from the local mall!" Or, "Here: This jacket will fit you!"

Finally, if God has brought a desperate brother into your midst, understand that if He speaks to you about giving and if you do give toward a need, you are doing so to Him. None of us would have a problem giving to Jesus if He were in front of us. Do it unto Him! Even if you get rooked, look at it like this: You have lent to the Lord!

Proverbs 19:17:  "He who has pity on the poor lends to the Lord, and He will pay back what he has given."

A few more tidbits: 

- Plan your generosity! Put it in your monthly budget.
- Purchase pre-paid cards to a few different places, grocery stores, restaurants, etc. 
- Per Joe Block: You can put "No-Alcohol" on the back of pre-paid cards that you buy, which will be honored by the store.

Ok, I said finally, but this is the real finally: Only give if you can do so with joy in your heart! God doesn't need a begrudging attitude and He won't honor things done this way. If you feel compelled to give, do so with a heart that seeks to bless the Lord, give unto Him, and be blessed.

See you soon.

Blessings, 
Frank 

The God Of Faith

When one examines the content of Genesis 22, there will be inescapable conclusions that must be made. From a personal historical perspective, there was a real man in history named Abraham, who had a real son named Isaac. They walked to a real mountain and once there, were committed to trusting God.

Abraham shows us that faith will often require that we will to lay down our most precious item on the altar, to demonstrate fidelity and love toward God. Perhaps it's relationship or a dream. Perhaps it would be our identity. If God would ask, our only response would be yes and amen!

Isaac shows us the other side of faith, in that we must be willing to lay our very lives on the altar as a worship to the Lord. Isaac agreed with Abraham and the two went on together. When Abraham laid the wood on Isaac and bound him on the mountain, it was Isaac who exercised the faith necessary to sit under the knife of his 100 plus year old Father. Our faith demands that we willingly lay our lives down as well.

Behind the story that's applicable to our faith is the thinly veiled drama that points to the reality of God the Father's faith. He would really have an only Son that He loved, who would carry the burden of a cross up to that same Hill. Once there, God would not stop the sacrifice. He would allow it to go all the way through to the death of His Son. What Abraham felt on an earthly level, merely typified God the Father's feelings on that day so long ago.

God in not sparing His Son, showed tangibly, eternally, that His love is real. That love shows us that everything He would ever ask us to do, could never compare to what He has already done!

He Remains...

"And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken. For Sarah conceived and bore Abraham a son in his old age, at the set time of which God had spoken to him. And Abraham called the name of his son who was born to him—whom Sarah bore to him—Isaac. Then Abraham circumcised his son Isaac when he was eight days old, as God had commanded him. Now Abraham was one hundred years old when his son Isaac was born to him. And Sarah said, 'God has made me laugh, and all who hear will laugh with me.' She also said, 'Who would have said to Abraham that Sarah would nurse children? For I have borne him a son in his old age.'"

Genesis 21:1-7

Consider the placement of this text. Chapter 20 details the Abraham's digression back into sin. He has traveled south and whenever that happens, his faith goes south as well! Abraham and Sarah defrauded Abimelech, lying about their true status as a married couple. They were caught "red handed" They had conspired to lie in chapter 20 and were now being blessed by God in chapter 21!

In our way of thinking, Abraham and Sarah's bad behavior should disqualify them from receiving God's blessing. Sure, if chapter 20 had documented a spiritual high point, we might understand God's blessing of them in chapter 21. But one almost wants to ask God if He read that chapter! "Did you not see that Abraham lied because of his fear and that he admitted that this was a perpetual practice? Some will cry "foul," but the older we get in the Lord, the more we understand that God cannot be anything else but faithful to Himself and His promises! He is devoted to keeping His promises despite our failings. Listen to how the Apostle Paul puts it:

"This is a faithful saying: For if we died with Him, We shall also live with Him. If we endure, We shall also reign with Him. If we deny Him, He also will deny us. If we are faithless, He remains faithful; He cannot deny Himself."

II Timothy 2:11-14

God made a promise and He kept it to a couple that at times, would not believe that God would bring it to pass. What an example to you and I? Even when we are faithless, He remains faithful. I'm glad that's the way that it is. His loving faithfulness draws me and you to a faithful response!

What Is It?

"Then the Lord rained brimstone and fire on Sodom and Gomorrah, from the Lord out of the heavens. So He overthrew those cities, all the plain, all the inhabitants of the cities, and what grew on the ground. But his wife looked back behind him, and she became a pillar of salt."

Genesis 19:24-26

The Lord is responsible for this judgment upon Sodom. Everything that was once lush and full of life is now lifeless. Among the casualties: Lot's wife. The angels had given one message that could be summarized in 5 words: "Get out, don't look back!" Earlier, Lot had to be hurried out and it's obvious that Mrs. Lot, taking the cue from her husband, was also fond of her home. Her love for her home in the city of wickedness is seen in the phrase "she looked back." The connotation seems to indicate more than just a quick glance. It was a long look of desire.

Why did she look back? Jesus Himself gives us a clue in the New Testament. In Luke 17, Jesus is using Sodom and Gomorrah as an illustration of His own return and makes a special reference to Mrs. Lot.

"In that day, he who is on the housetop, and his goods are in the house, let him not come down to take them away. And likewise the one who is in the field, let him not turn back. Remember Lot’s wife. Whoever seeks to save his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life will preserve it."

Luke 17:31-33

The suddeness of Christ's coming will leave you with no time to turn back. Likewise with Lot's wife, something from what was being destroyed called to her. She wanted to preserve it. She wanted to possess it. In the end, the love of "it" destroyed her! Whatever "it" was to Lot's wife, has come to represent to us that which we would lose our life in Christ for. What could it be for you? What attraction of the world beckons to you? It's on the queue for destruction, but you look longingly at it. Is it a habit? A possession? Whatever it is, Jesus spends three words reminding us that nothing is worth losing our real lives, the lives lived in Him, for!

God Of The Impossible

"And the Lord said to Abraham, 'Why did Sarah laugh, saying, ‘Shall I surely bear a child, since I am old?’ Is anything too hard for the Lord? At the appointed time I will return to you, according to the time of life, and Sarah shall have a son.' But Sarah denied it, saying, 'I did not laugh,' for she was afraid. And He said, 'No, but you did laugh!"

Genesis 18:13-16

God gives a direct word to Abraham for Sarah. "Is anything too hard for the Lord?" Maybe it's a question that you should ponder today. For Sarah, she was an 89 year old, post-menopausal woman, who was going to bear a child in about a year, through completely conventional means! That seems fairly unbelieveable, don't you think?

"Is anything too hard for me as a human?" Yes. Life is overwhelming at times. Situations that we face, self imposed and those imposed upon us, are often unfathomable in scope. For humans, everything is too hard on occasion. But that is not the case for Creator God, the Almighty, All sufficient, All powerful One!

God is promising to bring life from a dead womb. To them, it was an impossibility, but God is the God who makes possible that which we once thought impossible. Is your situation too hard for the Lord? That child, that spouse, that job, that lack of job. Which fits in the category "Too hard for the Lord?" The answer, if you know even a little bit about God is "none!"

Will you trust that situation to Him again today? Yeah, it might make you laugh to think that it could happen and God sees that laughter. In the end, my part of His miraculous deeds will be the unbelief that He worked in spite of! His work will be done to show His faithfulness, not mine. Thankfully, He didn't need Sarah's faith and He certainly doesn't need mine to be the God of the impossible!

What He WILL Do!

"And Abraham said to God, 'Oh, that Ishmael might live before You!' Then God said: 'No..."

Genesis 17:18,19a

Just listen to the plaintive voice of Abraham: "Oh that Ishmael might live before you." He wants to talk God into accepting Ishmael as the promised descendant, through whom, the Messiah would come. Ishmael was created through Sarah's suggestion, by Abraham's strength, through worldly means, and most importantly, without God's endorsement. Ishmael was a prized product of Abraham's flesh. Ishmael represents the products of our flesh life. He is the perfect prototype.

Abraham loved Ishmael and wanted God to bless him. There is nothing wrong with that, but what Abraham is asking is out of place. Abraham has made a huge decision without consulting God and is now asking God to bless it!

Have you ever done that? Consider these scenarios:

"I have just bought this home and didn't consult the Lord. Could you please bless this mess AND give me the money that I didn't have in the first place!?"

"I have married without God's permission. Can you now make it right!? Can you make THEM right!?"

"I took this job and never asked for God's approval. Can He tweak a few things and make it the dream job that He promised to give?"

I wish that we can all hear this. The answer to the question, "Will you bless my fleshly efforts?" is a simple, direct "no." "Will He bless your attempts to content yourself apart from His hand of provision?" NO! Sadly, He will not endorse such things.

God won't bless the works of our flesh, but He will bring new life. He can be faithful to His promise in spite of our impatience and failure to perfectly, obediently wait for His best. From Sarah, her name meaning, "noblewoman," He'll bring Isaac, meaning, "laughter." That's what He always intended to bring. That's what He wants to bring into your life as well! Instead, Abraham and Sarah settled for their own plan, which had not produced what they hoped that it would, namely the promised covenant descendant. Will you wait on Him or rush ahead, relying on your own strength, wisdom and resources to bring about the best for your life?

The life, the promise, the wisdom, the answer, the mate, etc. that God wants to bring into your life is worth the wait, because that will always result in laughter, joy, excitement and blessing!

"YET"

From Genesis 16, February 23rd...

"Now Sarai, Abram’s wife, had borne him no children. And she had an Egyptian maidservant whose name was Hagar. So Sarai said to Abram, 'See now, the Lord has restrained me from bearing children. Please, go in to my maid; perhaps I shall obtain children by her.' And Abram heeded the voice of Sarai."

Genesis 16:1,2

Sarai’s plan to obtain Abram's descendant was logical, but it fails in two areas. First, it was presumptuous. The word "presumption" has interesting origins. In the 13th century, it was used to describe "seizure and occupation without right." It also meant "taking upon oneself more than is warranted." Does that sound about right? Sarai has taken something that was not hers to take, namely the responsibility of bringing the miraculous Messianic child of promise into the world.

When last we checked, bringing this child into the world was something that God was going to accomplish. Here, Sarai presumes that it is hers to decide. After all, it's been at least a decade and there has been no child! It would seem that God needs a little help here, so why not go with a time tested, natural, solution from the World. Surrogacy seemed to make all the sense in the world to her.


What is missing in Sarai's methods is a clear reverance of the Lord.


"The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward. Who can understand his errors? Cleanse me from secret faults. Keep back Your servant also from presumptuous sins; Let them not have dominion over me. Then I shall be blameless, And I shall be innocent of great transgression."

Psalm 19:9-13

I was listening to a Pastor reminisce about hearing a televangelist say, "God needs you now like He has never needed you before!" That's true: He needs You and I like He has never needed you! He has indeed NEVER NEEDED YOU! For that matter, He has NEVER NEEDED ME! I completely agree: God does not need our help to bring about His plan for our lives.


Sarai's second flaw in logic was her assumption that because God has not acted, that He would not do so. When we wait, we all have the tendency to believe that God is unable or unwilling. Neither of which is true. I wish that Sarai would have employed just one word that would have helped her immensely: YET! The truth is that if He has promised, there is always a "yet" to add to each sentence.

Here is Sarai's sentence, with the "yet" added: God has not opened my womb...yet! See how helpful that is!? Yes, it's painful, because that "yet" means more waiting. That "yet" means that the fulfillment is still not here. But that "yet" also keeps your perspective in the right place. He has not failed you; He is making you wait, but that is not failure on His part.

So, try it with your sentence. Let me give you a few examples to get those creative juices going:


"I trusted God and my marriage has not been healed...yet!"


"I trusted God with my singleness and He has not brought a proper mate...yet!"

Doesn't that help!? Try one more:


"I have been waiting for the right job and He has not brought it...yet!"


Sarai's logic is desperate and fatalistic. With the Lord, we never need to get there. His power and wisdom is available and who knows if the change you seek is not just around the proverbial corner! It's coming, it's just not here...

YET!