My goals and resolutions for 2010

Tonight is the last day of 2009. Its going to be exciting to bring in the New Year with family and friends. I am looking forward to all that this night would have. May the Lord bless it and open our hearts to some sweet fellowship with Him and a eagerness to go after Him more in 2010.

And that brings me to think about what I want to do different next year. And not that I can do anything to change me, but that I don't want to waste 2010. I really hope to see more dying on my part and gospel growth. To know that God's power and glory are in the gospel, and that is the avenue that we have to pursue a personal relationship with Him and for us personal holiness. I mean what can I do to grow in righteousness and holiness? If God started the work in my heart and God is who sustains it and completes it, then I am unable to do anything in and of myself.

The gospel is my daily reminder that all that I am is because of Christ's work on the cross. My right standing before God is from nothing I have done in my own life. And if I come to believe that there is something in and of myself that is good, then what does that say about the gospel of Jesus Christ? Did Jesus die for good people? By no means! He died because we are filthy, vile, wretched sinners and the only way possible for us to be raised to newness in life is through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Because of Christ's death on the cross I am free from sin, death and the wrath of God. Without Christ death there is no redemption possible.

So my goals and resolutions for 2010 are:
- To find ways to die and live through Christ
- To meditate and celebrate the gospel in my life daily
- To continually pray for God's power to continue to transform my life
- To daily plan to go after a time to get alone with God (it could be on lunch at work or at home in an isolated place) for more personal prayer with Him.
- To be in His presence through prayer and meditation of His gospel and Scriptures
- To love Jesus with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. To keep my eyes focused on Him and His kingdom and righteousness
- To love others as myself, and finding ways to love them through the gospel.
- To share the gospel of Jesus Christ with those around me.
- To live out the gospel in my own life and speak the truth in love as God grants opportunity
- To read the Bible through twice
- To read as many good books as I can
- To continue family and personal Bible study
- above all gospel growth in my life and those around me

Lord willing, I look forward to looking back over 2010 and sharing with you all what the Lord did in my life through my 2010 journey on earth! Please do pray for me. Pray that the gospel would shine in and through all of His people and that our hearts would desire more of Him, being thankful for everything and desire to see gospel growth in those around us. God has entrusted me with this treasure and I don't want to waste it! May the Lord make me strong for His purposes and desires for my life! May He be given all honor, praise and glory forever and ever, AMEN!

Do we have a desire to see gospel growth in others?

I have to tell you about this book that I have been reading. It is called "The Trellis and The Vine, by Colin Marshall & Tony Payne" It really is "the ministry mind-shift that changes everything"!

It is giving me new ideas of what gospel ministry looks like. Our youth pastor, Sean Higgins, has given a few sermons from 2 Corinthians 4 over the past few months on ministry work and what that looks like. This book really goes hand in hand with those sermons.

The book goes to show Christians that we are all vine-growers. And that gospel growth is more important then numerical or structural growth. It shares in Chapter 2 that we should go

from running programs to building people, from running events to training people, from using people to growing people, from filling gaps to training new workers, from solving problems to helping people make progress, from clinging to ordained ministry to developing team leadership, from focusing on church polity to forging ministry partnerships, from relying on training institutions to establishing local training, from focusing on immediate pressures to aiming for long-term expansion, from engaging in management to engaging in ministry, from seeking church growth to desiring gospel growth.

The whole point of the book is that gospel growth in people is what matters most in church. This gospel growth takes place in peoples lives as Christians are prayerfully sharing the gospel and God's Word with each other, and not only in the church but in the work place, marketplace, home, neighborhood, etc. It goes through what training is and what that looks like and starting where the people around us are.

I just finished chapter 7, and can't recommend this book enough to all Christians. I am so thankful that SKH brought it to my attention. It has changed how I look at ministry differently. I also would recommend listening to the sermons as well. Because for me they seem to speak the same when it comes to ministry and just getting involved in the disciple making process for Jesus' sake. I am excited to go after those that God has placed in my life and see gospel growth in their lives.

What a privilege it is to take the gospel and not only live it out in my life, but use it to change hearts around me. God's power and glory are in the gospel. God will change hearts when His gospel and Word are shared with others through Christians living it out and speaking it. I agree with Sean that we have to have a balance in gospel living and gospel speaking. They both have to be included in our lives. People are more drawn to ask you about the hope that is in you when you live out the truth in your own life. One of the biggest problems I hear from non-believers is how they see so many Christians speak the truth, but their life is not lived out in the truth they are so quick to proclaim!

I say don't waste the gospel of Jesus Christ. Get it, live it, and give it! Find ways to get involved in the lives of those around you. I am sure you have plenty of opportunity to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. If your normally not into disciple making, I say now is the time to take some big risks for God and allow people to matter most to you. We should be concerned for the souls that God has brought into our paths. They are there for a reason and that is because God wants us to get involved with others. Many souls need to hear the gospel and see it lived out. May we live like we believe the truth in the gospel of Jesus Christ. So in 2010 don't go hide in your home, get out of your box and go hard in Christ. Because as Hudson Taylor put it, "Unless there is an element of risk in our exploits for God, there is no need for faith." Now is the time to live on unseen things. Gospel growth is unseen, and how awesome it is to be able to be apart of something bigger then we could ever imagine!

Review of my goals for 2009

Back in December 2008 I set out on a different journey for 2009, and made some goals/resolutions to go after during this year. Here is what I had posted about what I was hoping for this year:

My first goal/resolution is to be the husband/father that God has called me to be. I desire to be there for my wife and kids no matter what. I want them to know that they are my first priority. I also hope to find new ways to love my wife, as Christ loved the church (Eph 5:25). I also hope to find new ways of being involved in my children's life. My main goal is to keep the gospel at the center of my family, and to lead them in the way of the Lord, Jesus Christ.

My second goal/resolution is to grow in my prayer life. My main goal is to pray for things that will bring honor, glory and praise to the Lord. I also want to pray more for my dear brother and sisters in Christ, waiting eagerly for all that the Lord will do in the lives of the people around me while being thankful for everything. And for my own life, I need to “Pray as though everything depended on God. Work as though everything depended on me.”.

My third goal/resolution is to work unto the Lord in all that I do (Col. 3:23). No matter if it is at home, work, church or One28 small group. I want to give the Lord my best in all that He has prepared for me to do. It is only because of Him that I can do anything. He gave His life for mine, and I will live my life for Him!

As I look back on 2009, I see much progress. Here are some thoughts on how I felt about my progress.

The Lord really gave me many opportunities to put my heart into my wife and daughters. I learned how to lead and serve them more through the gospel then ever before. I still have a long way to go, but this is a journey and the Lord has shown me some growth in this area and I know He will continue that until He calls me home. It only makes me hungry for more growth in my life in the next year. The one thing I did learn is that the gospel will change a family. God's power and glory are in the gospel. So this next year I want to stay in the deep pool of gospel truths and just be like a sponge in it all. Least to say, I am excited! It will be a grand year. Lord willing, I will be able to make some big risks for God and how I lead and serve my family through out 2010.

The Lord also gave me some growth in my prayer life. I feel like I could have done way more and should have done way more. I plan to have more of an intentional prayer life in 2010. I want to have a daily plan to go after and also want to take more time to get alone on lunch at work or at home in an isolated place for more personal prayer with my Lord.

Now when it comes to my working unto the Lord I feel whether I was at home, work, or church that this was my strongest area of growth. I now understand my purpose in my home, at my job, and in the church, and really anywhere. I still have not arrived by no means, but how awesome it is to look back and see Him change my heart to not being content in those areas of my life to give me a heart that finds joy in Him and the little tasks that He would have me to do. Everything I do is an act of worship and everything I do is an opportunity for ministry work. And the crazy thing is that this is going to explode in 2010 (Lord willing)! Keeping my eyes on Christ and my heart in the gospel is what is making the biggest difference in my life. May He continue to make me stronger in His gospel!

I hope to post my goals and resolutions for 2010 a little later this week.

What’s the Real Story of Christmas?

That's Christmas (Short Film) HD from St Helen’s Church on Vimeo.

(HT: Justin Taylor)

Living in and through the Gospel

I am eager like Paul to preach the gospel. Not only to those who come into my life that don't know Christ, but more so to those that are brothers and sisters with me in Christ. I mean if Paul was eager to preach the gospel to those believers that where in Rome, then what does that mean for us with those in our own back yards?

When I think of living for God's glory, I don't normally think of that in connection with gospel ministry. But thanks be to God that He is showing me that it has EVERYTHING to do with His glory. Which means if I am going to be living for God's glory it has to be in and through the gospel of Jesus Christ!

We are as pots of clay with this amazing treasure. The Scriptures are coming alive in my own heart. God's power and glory are in the gospel. He has entrusted me with this gift that is beyond words to express. There is no greater joy then to do the work of the Lord, and that work is to claim and proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ. Yes to those in the world that are lost and need Christ, but even more so for those in the church. We are vine growers for the Lord, and that happens as we bring God's Word and gospel to other believers.

Paul said, "of first importance" (1 Corinthians 15:3-5). So I am making gospel ministry "of first importance" in my life. I am pressing on in the fight of the faith. I don't want my labor to be in vain, and if the work of the Lord is not done in and through the gospel of Jesus Christ then it is in vain. I am a soldier of Christ. I press on knowing that there is a cost. God's power is in the gospel. I can't do anything to save/change hearts, except share the gospel of Jesus Christ. God will use that to save His people and He will continue to use the gospel to change their hearts. The gospel is of daily need for the Christian. We don't put it on the shelf after conversion, but make it "of first importance" in our hearts and life!

May God give me a heart that continues to grow in Him. May I have boldness in Him to declare to everyone His gospel that will change us to be more like Christ. I must speak not to please man, but to please God. I won't waste the work of the Lord that He has given me in and through the gospel.

Gospel Celebration

Today is a good day, as any day, to think upon and celebrate what the gospel means to me. This Christmas season as been like jumping off a high-dive board into the shallow pool and then busting through the bottom of it to find a deep pool that is full of gospel truth! Its been a grand time and I am and just soaking in all that I can like a sponge. To be filled with gospel truths helps me live a more cross-centered life for Christ. I have found that deep heart meditation is the only way to find the deeper pool of gospel truths. It is changing my life more then I could ever imagine!

I started reading "A Gospel Primer for Christians: Learning to See the Glories of God's Love" and let me tell you how awesome this book is. It is full of meat that you can take days and days to chew upon and still not be able to swallow because you need to chew some more. Good stuff. I recommend every Christian, no matter how long you have been one gets a copy today!

Here is a verse that I have been in deep meditation the last few days.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek." (Romans 1:16)

I can't stop thinking about the phrase "for it is the power of God"! To think that the gospel is the power of God in all who would believe makes me bust out in praise and celebration! Only the gospel can change our hearts! There is nothing I can do to be more Christ-like in my life. Christ works through me and in me, but that is Him doing the work. I just want to come and minister unto the Lord and let Him take care of the rest. So instead of thinking of doing things, I am just wanting to be continually in His presence. Praying & mediation is what I want more in my life. He will give me opportunity to live out the gospel in front of others, but what He wants most is my heart, not the business of duty. Because if my heart is not right with Him, then the duty means nothing. If its not done for Jesus' sake then its all done in vain. I want my labour to count in the end.

I leave you with this thought. Think about it: If the power of God works through the gospel, then why would we not meditate on it daily? To think that the gospel is for salvation and then you don't need it anymore is a big mistake. That is what the devil wants Christians to think. If your in Christ then their is God's power in the gospel. He can do things through you that you and I would never be able to imagine or think of. To pray and meditate on the gospel and to get heart understanding of the gospel will change your life. Its changing mine and my families. God is going to do some serious big things in 2010....He is already stirring my heart in ways I never thought of. I really am excited to find ways to mediate and celebrate in the gospel. So today through eternity, find the gift of the gospel and wrap your heart in it. There is reason to celebrate this CHRISTmas season! Are you celebrating in Christ alone through the gospel alone? It is the gift to have now and forever, and if you do have it then celebrate your heart out, because there is a celebration you can have down here that you won't have in heaven. Enjoy it!

Precious Life

Later today, my daughter addison, will have an echo cardiogram done on her heart. It is mainly to check on things and see how they are going. For those that don't know, she has Scimitar syndrome. But even with this condition, addison was fearfully and wonderfully made by Jesus Christ. Jolie and I are so thankful for her and really I wouldn't trade her for any other child in the world. She brings us blessings that we would not get from any other child. I find it amazing what the Lord has taught me through her life, things that I wouldn't learn otherwise. All of it I am thankful for.

Here are some things that I have learned or am learning:
- Life is a gift. It can be so easy to take for granted just one breath. I don't deserve this gift of life, and without Christ I wouldn't want to live this life.

"The Spirit of God has made me, and the breath of the Almighty gives me life."(Job 33:4)

- We are not promised life tomorrow. Life can end at anytime. We are here today and gone tomorrow!

"What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and than vanishes." (James 4:14)

- Life is limited. I don't have forever with my children. Regardless of if the Lord takes them early or late in this life, my time with them is limited. I want to use all time that I do have to be faithful to teach them about Jesus Christ and the things of the Lord.

"Man is like a breath;his days are like a passing shadow." (Psalm 144:4)

"And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes." (Deuteronomy 6:6-8)

- Life is a trial. Life is hard. It is full of suffering, struggles, and sorrow. I am ok with that. This is where I can live on unseen things and trust in gospel promises. Some days can be a struggle to get excited about. Who looks forward to suffering, struggles, and sorrow? To know that God has a purpose through it all makes is easier to get up each morning. And trust me some days it is hard!

"Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing." (James 1:2-4)

"And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

- Life without the gospel makes no sense. My hope comes out of gospel truths and gospel promises (the unseen things to come). My Father in heaven has promised me a better life and that life is to come. He has given me a taste of His goodness and I can't wait to get the whole prize! So for His sake I am willing to suffer through this life. I count it worthy to do so because no one will ever suffer more then Jesus Christ had to, no not one! To know that I don't get what I deserve in the next life, makes this life become a blessing no matter what would happen. It can't get worse, but only far better then my mind could ever imagine!

"But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ— by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus." (Ephesians 2:4-7)

If there is one thing I can tell you it is this "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures" (1 Corinthians 15:3-5). To know and understand God, and all that He has done for us while we hated Him and wanted nothing from Him should bring you to repentance. "God's goodness should make us throw up our white flag. Our souls have a price tag." God paid a huge price to redeem His children. May you get that in this life!

Somewhere over the rainbow

Last Lord's Day we heard a sermon from Genesis in one28. Many people have a different view about rainbows, and depending on who you talk too is what one might find on the other side of the rainbow. Most might say a pot of gold. I can't help but think about the "Wizard of Oz" because of the countless times my family would sit down and watch it on the once a year TV program.

What do you think of when you ponder over the rainbow?

Many might not want to peek somewhere over the rainbow. Because behind the rainbow you can't help but see God's righteous wrath against all ungodliness and unrighteousness. The rainbow a sign for God to remember (know that God is all knowing and that He doesn't need a reminder, but that God is telling Noah the importance of the rainbow and why it hangs in the clouds, usually after a storm) not to ever destroy mankind with a flood. Just think of what Noah would have thought everytime a rain drop fell from the sky after the flood that destroyed all of mankind except for him and his family?

The rainbow is also a reminder to us of what God did towards mankind because their wickedness was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of their hearts was only evil continually! Without the flood that destroyed the whole earth and all that was outside of the ark you don't have a rainbow. And to think that God's righteousness was displayed in every death because of the flood is even deeper thought about how God does and will deal with sinful man that won't repent of their wicked deeds!
Its even more crazy to think of all the references to the flood that took place during Noah's time. Read these verses for yourself, and if you are able read them from your own Bible:

"But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man." (Matthew 24:36-39)

"Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all." (Luke 17:26-27)

"For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to chains of gloomy darkness to be kept until the judgment; if he did not spare the ancient world, but preserved Noah, a herald of righteousness, with seven others, when he brought a flood upon the world of the ungodly; if by turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah to ashes he condemned them to extinction, making them an example of what is going to happen to the ungodly" (2 Peter 2:4-6)

And as much bad news as anyone will find in the rainbow, I think for any sinner, there is hope over the rainbow. That hope is in Christ. He is our ark! God sent His only Son so that many would be saved from the wrath to come. Heaven is God's free gift to give, and He only offers it through His Son, Jesus Christ. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life! Any other way will only lead you too hell. If you don't know Christ, my prayer is that you would put your faith and trust in the Son. We don't have forever....come to Christ NOW! When your faith leads to obedience to Jesus and His Word you can know you have found rest for your soul. When your in Christ you have no need to worry about the wrath to come, if your outside of Christ....wrath is at the door step and when your judgment does come tonight or when God would call account from your life you will spend eternity in hell separated from God. Repent for the kingdom is at hand!

A good reason for self-denial

I was listening to a sermon yesterday. It was so good I did a replay on the way home, but here is a quote from the sermon that is worth our thinking....I do think this can help me live more on unseen things now. It helped me gain a better understanding of what self-denial means.

"Self-denial is not so much an impoverishment as a postponement. We make a sacrifice of a present good for the sake of a future and greater good. Therefore happiness in God is of supreme importance because its the key to a life of love, a life of sacrifice, a life of risk. Whatever be done in the way of giving up, or self-denial, or deadness to the world should result from the joy we have in God" (George Meuller)

Download the sermon here: DG-George Mueller's Strategy for Showing God (Download) by John Piper

Jesus, the universe, my little world!

"He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high" (Hebrews 1:3)

Today I started reading Hebrews. It is the 4th time this year, and every time I come across chapter 1, verse 3 I have been overwhelmed with joy. It tells us so much about who Jesus is and just how powerful He is. It tells us Jesus is omnipotent! The whole chapter is amazing! This verse allows my soul to to rest in Jesus.

Lets unpack some of the goodies from this verse. It just blows my mind. I love to meditate on this verse;

- This verse tells us that Jesus is the radiance of the glory of God. Think about that for a while. All of God's glory shines out from Jesus Christ.

- This verse even gets into who Jesus is. He is the exact imprint of His nature. In simple terms He is God! You can't get anymore clear then that with who Jesus Christ is. That is why what you do with Jesus is the most important thing in this life. It will lead to life or death; heaven or hell. Above all it is life changing to follow after Christ. You can't pursue Him and stay they way you are....if Jesus gives you a new heart then your a new person....not something you never had before, your someone you never was before. Your a new creation and all things are new!

- This verse tells us that Jesus is what holds everything that ever existed together. He is the glue of the universe. Colossians 1:16-17 tells us, "For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together" Even this verse is a feast for the soul. May we all have a hunger for God and all that His Word tells us about Him.

For application purposes I have to think that if Jesus is able to uphold the universe by the word of His power, then He can handle my little world with no problems. He knows where I am in this life. He knows what my heart needs. That is why no matter what He ordains for my life it is only for my good. Romans 8:28 is a promise I believe with all my heart, and no matter what happens in this life I will trust Jesus Christ. I am with Peter when he said, "Lord, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life!"

I don't have anywhere else to turn to. Jesus Christ is my way, my truth and my life. Without Him I have no hope. I need Him every minute of everyday. My heart longs to be with Him....and my homecoming party is just around the corner. Why would I not get excited about my eternal inheritance? Nothing on this earth compares with it. He is giving me the best! So thinking about it keeps my eyes and heart on Christ!

For living on unseen things.....

a quote worth thinking about....

"Unless there is an element of risk in our exploits for God, there is no need for faith." - Hudson Taylor

It will cost you everything!

Take heed least you fall!
May this burn in our hearts!

Be who you are

I am reading "Justification & Regeneration by Charles Leiter" and in chapter six he talks about "The new man". The verses that is used much in this chapter (it is a short chapter) is Ephesians 4:22-24 which says;

"to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires, and to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on the new self, created after the likeness of God in true righteousness and holiness."

Within the chapter he gives this popular illustration

"One popular illustration of Christian experience speaks of the believer as having both a "black dog" and a "white dog" living within. These dogs are continually fighting with each other, and "the one that we feed the most is the one that wins." Such a view may be sincere, but it is based on very defective theology. The Christian does not merely have something new within him that he never had before; he is someone who he never was before. The Christian is a new man."

Think about this for a minute. Do you feel like someone new in Christ? Because Scripture affirms that in Christ we are anew creation. One Scripture that comes to mind is 2 Corinthians 5:17 which tells us that in Christ we are a new creation and that the old things have passed away and behold new things have come! Its no wonder after my conversion my life was never like it was before Christ. I am just blown away when I see the man that God has created me to be....He took me out of darkness and made me into a new creation that was created in righteousness and holiness" Now practically speaking I have a long way to go, but daily I am dying to keep going in the direction that God is taking me. My heart now loves the things that the Lord loves and hates the things that He hates. So my life is being who I am. And that is a new creation in Christ!

Charles Leiter adds more to what this new creation looks like. He says;

"The Christian is a new man. That is his essential identity. And because he is a new man, he is called upon to live like a new man. Since the old man has already been "laid aside" and the new man "put on," he is exhorted to believe this fact (to be "renewed in the spirit of his mind") and to live accordingly by "laying aside the old man" (i.e., his deeds -"your former manner of life") and by putting on (in practice) "the new man, which in the likeness of God has been created in righteousness and holiness of the truth." This is the New Testament method of teaching growth in grace: "Realize who you really are, and then be who you are." The call to believers in not, "Try to be who you are not," as many Christians suppose, but rather, "Be who you are!".... the essential truth about every Christian is that he is a new man. At the very center of his being he has been "created in righteousness and holiness." When he says "No" to sin, he is saying "Yes" to his true self."

Wow, that really helps me think about my choices in a new light. When I say no to sin, I am really saying yes to my true self! For the Christian that is truly saved, it is only a matter of time before the sins that are attached to our lives will fall away. That won't be until Jesus comes back or takes us home, but you can know that God who started the work of a new creation in your heart will perfect it until the day of Christ!

So until then be who you are in Christ! Excel all the more. If your in Christ you can say no to sin! If you really do desire any sin in your life then confess and repent of it! We must purge all sin out of our life. Seek Jesus. He is our victory....without Him your striving to be something that you are not. Every man was created in the image of God. May we be pressed till Jesus comes out!

Christmas, a shadow of the gift(s) to come!

Last night we had our one28 worship. Jonathan Sarr gave a great sermon titled "Responding to Salvation" from 1 Peter 1:13-21. He talked about how in salvation we respond with hope, holiness, and honor (fear).

We have been going through the book of 1 Peter this fall, and it has been an awesome journey. We are learning how God has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ! We were once dead and now because of God's great mercy are alive, and not in ourselves, but in Christ! If your a Christian your old self is dead, if not then your not Christian.

Its important to remember that Peter's audience was Christians that suffered much in their time. It is beyond words what they did endure for the cross of Christ, God's gospel. It would have been much easier to taste the joys of heaven in their time. They didn't have comforts to look too. Their life was a living hell, which made looking to the unseen worth all the cost of following after Christ! But here in America it is hard to taste the joy of heaven, let alone get into the kingdom. For most American Christians, America is our treasure instead of Christ and all things that point towards heaven.

I think our problem in America is what we think and ponder on. Jonathan asked a question last night, one that he had asked before in a previous sermon. It is a good question.

He asked, "What would your life look like if you focused on your salvation as much as you should?" Think about it!

I thought about it, and came up with this example of my life to help not only my own heart to keep its eyes on Christ, but also to help give my junior high students a vision of the cross and the inheritance that awaits them in Christ!

As a young child, one of the best times of the year was Christmas! I would get so excited about all the gifts under the tree and wouldn't cease to think about them and what I was getting. The day after Thanksgiving the tree went up, and as each gift that was placed under the tree I couldn't help to consume my thoughts on what my awaited me on Christmas day! Sometimes I got so excited I thought it was in my best interest to take a peek or sneak into my parents room to find out. And when Christmas Day came I would find myself excited to open all my presents and spend the whole rest of the day playing with them. This joy didn't last long....usually by the time my birthday in April came around I was looking for satisfaction in something else....it was an endless cycle that never did find hope worth living for.

Look at Christmas as a way of keeping your eyes on Christ. Your wasting your life if your living for Christmas presents. To settle for junk that looks pretty wrapped up in paper, instead of Jesus Christ, who is God and came down to earth to die for sinners and give us a better way to live this life and in the end eternal life with Him in heaven FOREVER! Get your head out of the broken cistern of materialism, and come to Christ. He is God's gift to sinners. He is a treasure that holds so much more value then any gift you can get at Christmas.

I listened to a sermon this morning by John Piper and in it he made this statement which I will quote:
"You don't know what your leaning on until its taken away!" That is why when we lean on Christ we stand on solid ground. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. If your hope is in Christ and the inheritance that is kept for you in heaven, then no evil or suffering of this world would change that. In Christ we can stand firm.

So in the end I answer Jonathan's question with this: A life that will focus its core on the salvation given to us in Christ and all that deals with eternal things is a life that would look rooted in hope for the unseen things, holiness in our duty and conduct, and honor for King Jesus! Its a life worth living will all your soul. It is a life not wasted!

Do all things....

"without grumbling or questioning" (Philippians 2:14)

I have been thinking upon this for a little while now because of some Bible study that we are doing through Philippians. I can't help but see that I am a poor example of doing all things without grumbling or questioning. So I ask myself "how can I believe that God is sovereign in all things when most often all I do is grumble and complain when things don't go the way I think they should go?"

The answer to that question from my own heart is I am not looking to unseen gospel promises and gospel principles, and only keeping my focus on what is going on around me with the here and now. If I am going to be a light in this world then my walk needs to match my talk. As a Christian my faith and trust should be in God and His plan for my life which would include all the events that go the way I didn't want them to go!

And no matter how this life does play out, I know I can hope in my God. He is always good, all the time, everytime, always! I live for Him, not the here and now. My treasure is in Jesus Christ. I have seen and tasted God's goodness in my soul. I am on the narrow path that leads to life, and nothing in this world will even come close to the treasure that He has prepared for me in eternity, nothing! And what good is grumbling and questioning going to do? If I am going to live on unseen things, then I need to give thanks always and for everything knowing that for those that love God all things work together for good. God proved that at the cross of Christ. Think about it. It will change your life!

Now back to the verse in Philippians, Paul tells us why we are to do all things without grumbling and questioning! He tells us what our reward will be in being obedient with this command! It is awesome and it is living on unseen things. He says,

"that you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world, holding fast to the word of life, so that in the day of Christ I may be proud that I did not run in vain or labor in vain."

Now that is a gospel promise to live after! Go hard in Christ. There is a way to waste this life, may God grant us each grace to live it for His honor and glory. Keep your eyes on Jesus! He is the Victory!