Ten Keys to Life - Keep it Simple!

 

When Stephanie and I traveled to Peru on a short-term mission, we were so amazed at how simple life was for the people of Yurimagua. One of my absolute favorite scriptures, Deuteronomy 30:11-20, talks about the simplicity of our faith.

'“This command I am giving you today is not too

difficult for you, and it is not beyond your reach.

It is not kept in heaven, so distant that you must

ask, ‘Who will go up to heaven and bring it down

so we can hear it and obey?’ It is not kept beyond

the sea, so far away that you must ask, ‘Who will

cross the sea to bring it to us so we can hear it and

obey?’ No, the message is very close at hand; it is

on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it.

“Now listen! Today I am giving you a choice between

life and death, between prosperity and disaster. For I

command you this day to love the Lord your God and

to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by

walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and

multiply, and the Lord your God will bless you and the

land you are about to enter and occupy. “But if your

heart turns away and you refuse to listen, and if you

are drawn away to serve and worship other gods, then

I warn you now that you will certainly be destroyed.

You will not live a long, good life in the land you are

crossing the Jordan to occupy. “Today I have given

you the choice between life and death, between

blessings and curses. Now I call on heaven and earth

to witness the choice you make. Oh, that you would

choose life so that you and your descendants might

live! You can make this choice by loving the Lord your

God, obeying him, and committing yourself firmly to him.

This is the key to your life. And if you love and obey the

Lord , you will live long in the land the Lord swore to give

your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”'

Deuteronomy 30:11-20. https://my.bible.com/bible/116/DEU.30.11-20

We have a tendency to make belief in God so complicated. There are people that spend their entire lives exploring the depths of scripture, trying to understand who God is. There is nothing wrong with being a theologian. There is nothing wrong with spending your life exploring the deeper meanings of scripture. But, the Gospel is simple. 

"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whosoever believes in him will not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world but to save the world through him." John 3:16-17.

A couple of years ago I shared the simplicity of this message at the funeral of a dear friend. John 3:16 summarized, perfectly, the message of the Gospel. We need to KNOW that God loves us. We need to KNOW that God gave his one and only Son. We need to BELIEVE in him, that he died on the cross to save us from our sins and we need to RECEIVE the gift of eternal life. 

The message is so very simple:

God Loved

God Gave

We Believe

We Receive

 

As we study scripture, lead Bible studies, preach, and share the Gospel may we never forget the pure simplicity of our faith. 

Ten Keys to Life - Grace in all things (Social media?)

'But my life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the

work assigned me by the Lord Jesus—the work of telling others

the Good News about the wonderful grace of God.

Acts of the Apostles 20:22-24. https://my.bible.com/bible/116/ACT.20.22-24

Grace, in our greatly divided world, is not popular. I cannot remember when I heard the word even uttered, outside the church. Grace means "the unmerited favor of God." Simply, it means God has given us eternal life even when we didn't deserve it. But, what does it mean in your daily life?

Grace is a central theme of our spiritual life. God sent his Son to die on the cross for our sins. We didn't deserve to be saved. We are sinners. BUT, through His perfect GRACE we are saved. 

So, if Jesus grants us amazing grace, shouldn't we extend grace to others? Shouldn't we extend forgiveness and love even when others don't deserve it?

I spend a lot of time with people that just don't like organized religion. I know, I hate that term too. But, in the mind of the unchurched, the Church is filled with hypocrites. AND YES, I know Christians always come back with, "Yes, the church is full of sinners and we are not perfect." But, in my opinion, we use that as a crutch. 

Aren't Christians called to be set apart from the world?  Aren't we called to live lives that demonstrate the GRACE of God?

I hope we all feel called to share the grace of God. You can find countless scriptures supporting the idea of sharing the grace of God with others. That is the message of the Gospel. So why can't we extend that same grace on Social Media. (I know. I just called out a bunch of people.) 

If God has called us to be different in a sinful world, can't we extend grace to those from the opposite political party?  Shouldn't we extend grace to those who live differently than us, who worship differently, who SIN in ways different than we do? 

I beg my fellow brothers and sisters to show grace to those we are trying to win over to the Lord. Show grace on Social Media. We are called to be different. We can't always control how people view us. 

We can't expect those who don't know God's grace to show us his grace. 

That just isn't going to happen. BUT, we have no excuse! We know the grace we have received through the cross and we must share that grace with others. 

C'mon people!

'“And now I entrust you to God and the message

of his grace that is able to build you up and give

you an inheritance with all those he has set apart

for himself. ' Acts of the Apostles 20:32 - https://my.bible.com/bible/116/ACT.20.32

 

Ten Keys to Life - Integrity - I can't hide from God!

 

'I could ask the darkness to hide me and the light

around me to become night— but even in darkness

I cannot hide from you. To you the night shines as

bright as day. Darkness and light are the same to

you. '

Psalms 139:11-12 https://my.bible.com/bible/116/PSA.139.11-12

I am not a perfect person! I never want to imply that I am. But, one of my goals in ministry is to live a life of INTEGRITY. I try very hard to do the right thing, to be honest, and open with everyone. Yet, I still mess up! God knows my heart. He knows everything about me and I cannot hide from him. There is something very freeing when you live with integrity. In Psalm 25:20-21 says, "Protect me! Rescue me from them! (my enemies) Do not let me be disgraced, for in you I take refuge. May integrity and honesty protect me, for I put my hope in you."

When King David sinned with Bathsheba the sin spiraled out of control and eventually, his lack of integrity led to the death of Uriah. Until David was confronted by Nathan the prophet, he had no peace and no rest. David finally got that peace and rest when he came to the Lord confessing all he did. Yes, there were consequences, and he mourned those consequences the rest of his life. Would David have been known of a "Man after God's own heart if he had continued to cover up this sin?" David failed but he renewed and rededicated his relationship with the Lord through true confession and repentance for what he had done. 

Lord, please forgive me when I am dishonest and when I plot and scheme outside your will. Please guide my path so I can live at peace knowing I have lived a life of integrity. I pray God will protect me from evil, that he gives me the strength and wisdom to maintain a life where I represent the Lord with honesty and dignity.  I want one thing, to do your will and serve you in all I do. Amen!

Ten Keys to a life Serving God - Relationships

 

This beautiful child briefly came into our life while we served on a short-term mission to Peru. The encounter was so brief but the impact of this little girl will be with us for eternity. I thank God every time I think of her. 

'Every time I think of you, I give thanks to my

God. Whenever I pray, I make my requests for

all of you with joy, for you have been my partners

in spreading the Good News about Christ from

the time you first heard it until now. And I am

certain that God, who began the good work within

you, will continue his work until it is finally finished

on the day when Christ Jesus returns. So it is right

that I should feel as I do about all of you, for you

have a special place in my heart. You share with

me the special favor of God, both in my imprisonment

and in defending and confirming the truth of the

Good News. God knows how much I love you and

long for you with the tender compassion of Christ

Jesus. I pray that your love will overflow more and

more, and that you will keep on growing in knowledge

and understanding. For I want you to understand

what really matters, so that you may live pure and

blameless lives until the day of Christ’s return. May

you always be filled with the fruit of your salvation—the

righteous character produced in your life by Jesus Christ

—for this will bring much glory and praise to God. '

Philippians 1:3-11 https://my.bible.com/bible/116/PHP.1.3-11

God has designed us for relationships. He quickly created Eve to be a companion to Adam. God longs for a relationship with us, not because he needs us, but because he loves us so much.  

How amazing is it that God wants to call us friend? Jesus said, in John 15:14, "You are my friends if you do what I command."

So many men and women have come into my life that I call friend. Some I have not seen for years. For others our time together was brief, but the relationship was just as powerful as if we had known each other for years. As my mind drifts to think about the people of these chance encounters, this prayer of thanksgiving always comes to mind and just like Paul, these people hold a special place in my heart.

I pray that each of you cherishes your wife, your family, and your close friends. But, I also ask you to thank the Lord for the people he places in your life for a brief moment. We never know how long someone will be in our life. Take these moments and spread the gospel by your words and your actions. 

Jesus said the greatest commandments were to love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. Then he added EQUALLY, we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. (Mark 12:30-31)

I tend to forget how important relationships are when I get busy and rushed. I always regret when I do not take the time to love people even if our meeting is brief. I need a reminder daily that my life is to focus on two things Love God and Love People. All the Law and the Prophets point to these two commandments. 

TEN KEYS TO LIFE - Part 3 - Patient Endurance

My granddaughter running a cross-country race in 2021!

'Let us hold tightly without wavering to the hope

we affirm, for God can be trusted to keep his

promise. Let us think of ways to motivate one

another to acts of love and good works. And let

us not neglect our meeting together, as some

people do, but encourage one another, especially

now that the day of his return is drawing near. ' Hebrews 10:23-25 https://my.bible.com/bible/116/HEB.10.23-25

Do you trust God?  

Of course, we all say, "YES." What else would you expect from a follower of Christ? But, do our actions reflect our response? These verses focus on the one thing that is important:

"GOD CAN BE TRUSTED TO KEEP HIS PROMISE!"

There are so many examples in the Bible and certainly in my own life where my actions say I do not trust God. I have this knee-jerk reaction when God does not answer my prayers immediately; I act on my own. Abraham acted on his own when he tried to answer God's promise. Moses acted on his own when he struck the rock instead of speaking to it. Saul acted on his own when he disobeyed God saving the best sheep for sacrifice. As Stephanie and I retired, we acted on our own, we developed our own plan. God's plan was so much better than we could ever imagine. His plans are always better and when we yield to him, he honors our waiting with springs of joy! 

So, what do we do when we are waiting for God to fulfill his promise? 

Later in Hebrews, the writer states:

'Patient endurance is what you need now,
so that you will continue to do God’s will.

Then you will receive all that he has promised. '

Hebrews 10:36. https://my.bible.com/bible/116/HEB.10.36

Yes, what I need now and what I need every day is patient endurance!

 

While I wait on the Lord, I need to rest in his arms knowing he has the perfect plan. I need to encourage and motivate others to also live with patient endurance. I need to encourage and motivate others to trust in his goodness. So many people think they can do this on their own. They not only neglect the power of God Almighty, running ahead of his plan, but they also neglect the entire body of Christ. We need each other! We need the encouragement of our fellow believers to patiently endure until God fulfills his promises. There is nothing more important in my life than my brothers and sisters in Christ. I can't endure and my patience is weak. Praise the Lord for those that walk alongside me!

I need a constant reminder that God's timing is perfect. He is not slow in keeping his promises. (2 Peter 3:9) With patient endurance, the support and encouragement of others, and complete trust in the Lord, I can wait and not move ahead of his marvelous plans for my life!