Did Jesus Cheat?

The only time I cheated in school was Kindergarten. 

(Where was this shirt when I really needed it?!)

Even at that young age, numbers never made sense to me. But they made sense to Emily! And so I casually glanced at her answers on the way to my first ever 100%, sticker covered counting page! Thankfully, my 1st grade teacher realized I couldn't tell addition from subtraction and got me straightened out the following year.

So yes, I cheated.
But, did Jesus?

That's the question I was recently asked through my role as an online writer with GotQuestions.org

"Could Jesus really be a complete sacrifice if He rose from the dead? Isn't that cheating?"

I think it's a great question. And the good news is that Jesus didn't cheat death, He beat death!

Neither Jesus' death or resurrection were to be a surprise, clearly stating the need for both on numerous occasions:

"The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life." Luke 9:22

So while Jesus knew that He was appointed both to die and to rise again, that didn't make His death any less of a sacrifice or hardship. In fact, to see the distress of Jesus crying out, "My God, My God, why have you abandoned me?", grabs me every time. So don't be of the impression that the cross was a breeze for Jesus since He would rise again.

Jesus rising from the dead wasn't cheating death, but beating death! His resurrection proved to everyone that when He offered us eternal life, He could deliver! Jesus says in John 10:28, "I give them eternal life, and they will never perish." If Jesus were still dead, there would be no reason to believe such a claim.

So Jesus rising from the dead doesn't diminish the life and death He lived to become our complete sacrifice. Instead, it serves as the ultimate proof that Jesus can deliver on absolutely every promise He makes. 

You Don't Question God!!!!

A new Christian recently told me the one thing he knew is that you don't question God.

I told him he actually knew less than he thought.

People often say to question God is presumptuous and even faithless. I argue there are two ways you can question God. One is acceptable, and one is not. 

The Old Testament prophet Habakkuk questioned God. With all the evil he saw around him, he questioned if God was paying attention.

"...why do you look idly at traitors and remain silent when the wicked swallows up the man more righteous than he?" Habakkuk 1:13

Take a few minutes to read the short book of Habakkuk, and you find this man questioning God on every page! What's more remarkable, is that each time he brings his questions and complaints, God is willing to answer Habakkuk's questions and accusations.

Why would God do this? Essentially, it was due to the attitude this prophet displayed in his questions. Habakkuk closes his book saying that even when the situations around him don't make sense, 
"...yet I will rejoice in the Lord; I will take joy in the God of my salvation." (Habakkuk 3:18)

1) The wrong way to question God
Questioning Him in anger, unwilling to hear the response. You refuse to allow God's purposes to have priority above your own.

2) The right way to question God
Questioning in sincerity, willing to hear. You recognize that God doesn't always work the way we do (Isaiah 55:8-9), and so you genuinely seek to understand.

To question God correctly, doesn't mean you can't be honest in your emotions. If you read all of Habakkuk's short book, you see a man with very raw emotions. But, he didn't allow his feelings or circumstances to close him off to genuinely listen for God's answers. This honest dialogue between a man and his God, ultimately satisfied the prophet and settled his heart for what was to come.

So talk to God. Bring your questions, because He can handle them. And while you're at it, be sure to bring your thanks as well for all the ways He's worked before. 

Making Time for Priorities

You have two choices:

• Become the most decorated soldier in the history of the 30th Infantry, OR...
• Read the Old Testament 70 times in your life, and the New Testament 280 times.

(General Harrison on left)

3 Star General William K. Harrison chose both.

Harrison lived an amazing life of military service. He was the first American to enter Belgium in WWII, received numerous medals and honors for valor, and was part of United Nations Command during the Korean Conflict.

He even caught up his Bible reading after three days on the front lines holding off Germans during the Battle of the Bulge. By Harrison's 90th birthday, he had not only read the Bible repeatedly, but was profoundly impacted by it.

And you can't find any time to read the Bible?

Oh how I love your law!
  It is my meditation all the day.
Your commandment makes me wiser than my enemies,
  for it is ever with me.
I have more understanding than all my teachers,
  for your testimonies are my meditation.
I understand more than the aged
  for I keep your precepts.
-Psalm 119:97-100

I've been there. Feeling there's no time to read while finding time for Netflix, video games, and social media. My intention isn't to beat you up, but to remind us of the gifts we receive from God's Word...

• That encouraged me during joblessness
• That reminds me of grace when I realize my sin
• That teaches me to live like Christ

My days spent with the Bible are much better than the ones without it. Would you agree? Then look today at what priorities you need to set to spend your time on the most important things.

They Need A Hero!

Maybe it's just a boy thing. 

Growing up, I dreamed of being the hero. Childhood daydreams (usually during Math class) allowed me to rescue the helpless and fight the bad guys. Even joining the National Guard in college provided a chance to pay for school while serving as a defender to my fellow citizens. 

But if a situation arose that really called for a hero, would I be ready? This question became real with the stunning news story of a local woman attacked in a convenience store. The video shows a man taking her to the floor and trying to rob her as grown men backed away or merely watched! After a long struggle, the assailant finally left when threatened by the manager with a taser. 

Watching the video, I insisted that I would have stepped in and been the hero. But the more I consider it, I wonder how ready I truly am for such a moment?

The words from "Ride" by Twenty-One Pilots comes to mind...

I'd die for you

That's easy to say

We have a list of people that we would take

A bullet for them

A bullet for you

A bullet for everybody in this room

But I don't seem to see many bullets coming through

See many bullets coming through

Metaphorically I'm the man

But literally I don't know what I'd do

The truth is, I have opportunities like this on a regular basis. There are people all around me who are in spiritual danger. Their souls are under spiritual attack as the enemy blinds them to the salvation that is only found in Jesus. And like the bystanders in the convenience store, I miss opportunities to be a hero for someone's soul.

"...he who is wise wins souls." Prov 11:30 (NASB)

Are you ready to be a spiritual hero? There is no shortage of endangered souls. Instead of arriving at the end of our day, counting missed opportunities, let's begin our day in prayer and preparation to be a witness for the gospel of Christ. As Christians, we have been saved not only for our benefit, but to spread that message of hope in a hopeless world. It's time to be the heroes God has equipped and called us to be!

A Wedding, A Stroke, A Funeral...in One Week!

This is the kind of week that makes me think about my life.

After completing a couple's pre-marital counseling, I finalized plans for their big day. It makes me think back to my own special day almost 18 years ago.

Then I dealt with a long-time church member who suffered a stroke. While conscious and seemingly aware of her surroundings, she was unable to communicate in any meaningful way.

And to wrap up the week, another long-time member passed away who had been unable to attend church for years. Her story on this earth is now over, and I wonder if she felt important things were left undone?

These weeks can be pretty emotionally daunting for me. Not just as a pastor, but as a person. And when I think about these situations, I'm reminded of the words of the great Garth Algar:

Do you wish your marriage had the same bliss as those honeymoon days? Stop lamenting how it used to be, and make it better today! Listen more! Love expressively! Stop waiting for him/her to make the first move!

Do you fear a medical condition that could rob you of opportunities with your family? Then treat each moment as a gift, ensuring that if your voice were suddenly gone, your family and friends would have no doubt in regards to your love and thoughts towards them.

Do you worry that death will come with things left undone? Then stop waiting! What keeps getting put off until tomorrow? In the words of that "other Garth", what if tomorrow never comes? Confess your dreams to God, seeking His approval and enabling to accomplish them!

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven." Ecclesiastes 3:1 (And sort of the Beatles...)

Life is full of seasons. Don't long so much for a summer that may never come, that you fail to enjoy the beauty of winter. Everyday you have a pulse, you have a purpose. So live it now while you can!

Diligence is Worth the Cost

Why do I keep paying for virus protection? 

Once again I've paid for my yearly subscription despite not having a single virus last year. Having been bit by a computer virus in the past, I am very discriminating of what emails or websites I click on. So maybe it's time to just stop wasting that money. After all, no threats were found.

And yet...


I'm not sure I would apply that thinking to:

• Maintaining fire extinguishers in our church
• Keeping a spare tire in my trunk
• Paying my life insurance premium....(OK, funny story here. When I worked in insurance, an executive once said to me that life insurance is a bet: The customer is betting they'll die and we're betting they won't. We want them to live worse than they do!)

We recognize that much of our diligence is to prepare for situations that rarely happen. And yet, we wouldn't want to be caught unprepared in any of them. 

"[Be] praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert with all perseverance..." Ephesians 6:18

Flat tires are sporadic, but temptation is not. It's a reality everyday, and our alertness allows us to see temptation as a spiritual battle to be fought. We won't win them all, but we'll lose a lot less by spiritual diligence.

A Christian who says, "Everything's going pretty good, and I really don't have time to pray and read the Bible", is setting himself up for defeat. The good moments are your opportunity to prepare for the challenging ones we KNOW are right around the corner.

So I'll keep investing in that virus protection. Likewise, be sure you're investing spiritually in moments that are yet to come! God has supplied us with everything we need to stand for righteousness. Take up the challenge of living a diligent Christianity for the glory of God and as a witness to the lost. 

So Easy a Corpse Can Do It

Do you have a favorite personal accomplishment? 

My first 10K really stands out. I had run 6 miles before, but never competitively and over such a brutal course of hills. My trial runs generally timed just over an hour, but that day I finished in 59:16. Stoked does not begin to describe my feelings crossing the finish line. 

Regardless of our accomplishments, they all have on thing in common...effort. This came up during a conversation with a friend recently. His men's small group shares some real accountability, and some of the guys were celebrating the sins they hadn't participated in.

At least until the psychologist in the group spoke up. 

"Don't celebrate something a dead guy can do. You didn't look at pornography or scream at your wife? Neither does a dead guy."

"So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead." James 2:17

Which do you think God most wants from us: to avoid sin or pursue righteousness? A dead person has no problem avoiding sin, but to pursue righteousness requires a pulse. 

If you've avoided profanity-laced outbursts for an entire month, that's awesome! But is your intent to curb the spicy language or to change the vocabulary of your heart? Faith is shown by our choices. Not that we merely avoided sin, but intentionally chose righteousness. 

What sins are you avoiding? Are they merely on hold, or are you prayerfully adjusting your heart as an act of faith and obedience? You have a pulse, so go live God's purposes!
My final encouragement to you is two-fold:

1. Celebrate the accomplishments of avoiding sin!
2. Go beyond avoidance and pursue obedience!