CCFW BLOG
Here’s an understatement: People are suffering from an identity crisis. Everywhere you turn, our culture is redefining everything: gender, sexuality, marriage, parenting, family, race, work, crime, policing, victims, you name it. No one seems to know who they really, are and we are watching the tragic results of this all around us.
There is no good reason why any follower of Jesus Christ should not know who they are. Here are a few things God tells us about ourselves.
In the Old Testament, oftentimes the glory of God was concealed and feared. God’s glory was hidden in clouds, fire, the tabernacle, the temple, and in shrouded theophanies. It was feared as the “devouring fire,” the judgment against sin, and no man could look upon His holiness without dying. But for those who knew God, their mission was to praise the God of glory and see His glory through all of creation. God’s glory was manifested through His work, salvation, victory, and presence with His people.
There were also glimpses of a future glory that God was preparing to unleash. A glory of salvation, victory, God’s presence with “all nations” that would “fill the earth.” Many Jewish leaders speculated what this glory would look like in battle: God destroying Greece, Persia, or Rome, and taking vengeance on the earth.
Life can be so topsy turvy. One moment you feel good, the next moment you don’t. One day it’s sunny and warm, the next it’s rainy and cold. One minute life seems so peaceful, then your preschool grandkids show up and share their sense of fun and freedom around the house (love those stinkers). Whether it’s a sickness, stress, weather, loss, disappointment, struggle, conflict, temptation, burden, busyness, or any other adversity that likes to rear its ugly head, I recommend the 1212 plan.
The 1212 plan is very simple, but takes some sanctified empowerment (which all believers have) to practice. This plan has three parts to it and it has a way of keeping your head in the right place and life on the right track. It has worked for me over and over again simply because it is God’s plan.
2 Corinthians 13:5–6 says, “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Or do you not realize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you fail to meet the test! I hope you will find out that we have not failed the test."
I mentioned on Sunday that one of the ways that we can test ourselves is to examine our lives and our “good works.” John 15:8 says, “This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” And Jesus makes it clear in several places that our works are evidence of our faith in Him (Mt. 7:16–20; John 14:15–24; Luke 13:3; Mt 12:34–35).
Dear Christ’s Church Family:
Suicide is a growing tragedy in America and across the globe. A few weeks ago, we posted an article from the Baptist Press on the increase of suicide, especially among seniors, Senior adults suffer greatest increase as U.S. suicides near 50,000 (by Diana Chandler).
Whether you are aware of this or not, the statistics on suicide indicate that it is very likely that you know someone who is currently struggling with suicidal thoughts. Perhaps you have experienced first-hand the painful realities of the suicide of someone close to you. Maybe you know of someone who has been deeply affected by suicide.
One of the things we quickly learn about God is how unpredictable, uncharacteristic, and unorthodox He is. He is so superior and so unique; He refuses to be put in a box. God reminds us that “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways” (Isa. 55:8), and “How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways!” (Rom. 11:33b). One of His unorthodox ways is His use of the minority.
According to Wikipedia, majority rule is the principle that the group that has the most supporters gets its way. With God, a minority is a majority.
In 1991, Gatorade began a “Be Like Mike” campaign featuring Michael Jordan (the G.O.A.T. of the NBA, in my humble opinion). It was designed to use Jordan’s name to sell Gatorade and it showcased his relentless work ethic, his indomitable spirit, and his commitment to excellence as an athlete. It was a popular campaign, helped sell Gatorade, and became a catalyst to inspire athletes to push beyond their limits (and enriched Jordan with $13.5M). Still, it is nothing compared to being like Moses as we learned this past Sunday in our study of Hebrews 11.
Paul's radical conversion when he met Jesus on the road to Damascus changed everything about his life. Before Christ, he was a zealous Pharisee who strictly kept the law and found his identity in being a Hebrew of Hebrews. However, when Christ entered his life, the things he used to consider as gains, he now counted as losses. He used to think that his religious credentials (see Phil. 3:4–7) gave him value in God's eyes, but after coming to Christ, he realized that really, they were simply a hindrance. Now, he considered everything worthless because of how great it is to know Jesus. He didn't depend on his own attempts to be righteous anymore but rested in the righteousness of Christ that was imputed to him by God through faith in Christ and His death and resurrection (See 2 Cor 5:21).
God tests faith.
Like precious metals, faith must be tested in order to validate its authenticity and genuineness.
Biblical faith is a confident trust in whatever God says is true and acting upon it regardless of the circumstances or consequences.
Impurities exist in our faith when there is a difference between our stated beliefs (what we say we believe and trust in) and how we actually respond when we are under the pressure of life’s difficult circumstances.
How do we live so that God is NOT ashamed to be called our God? We must live by faith.
There are many tensions that Christians must embrace: loving the world and hating it; citizens of heaven, here as exiles on earth; not conformed to the world but as ambassadors of Christ. About this, G.K. Chesterton writes,
Back in 2010, I read an article by Dane Ortlund (senior pastor of Naperville Presbyterian Church in Naperville, Illinois) who posed the following question, “What’s the Key to Healthy Christian Growth in Godliness?”
Pastor Dane asked various respondents to keep their answers to a single, short sentence. He then shared the purpose of the exercise: “The purpose of this exercise is not to provide an opportunity to nit-pick but to re-center, refresh, encourage, spur on, help one another.”
"By faith Noah, being warned by God concerning events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this, he condemned the world and became an heir of the righteousness that comes by faith" (Hebrews 11:7, ESV).
All people live by faith in something, and faith is only as good as the object it's placed in.
In Hebrews 11, we learn about men and women who placed their faith in the one and only true God. We read about how they demonstrated the kind of faith that honors God as He worked in their lives. The object of biblical faith is God, and the response of biblical faith is obedience to God and His Word.
It is so easy to get sidetracked and forget what really matters in life. Our time and lives are full of activities, responsibilities, schedules, and the plethora of endless information that can distract and overwhelm us from staying centered on what keeps us centered.
The gospel of Jesus Christ keeps us centered. It is the good news about the Person and work of Jesus Christ on our behalf and how it transforms every aspect of our life.
"By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And through his faith, though he died, he still speaks" (Hebrews 11:4).
The verb “speaks” is a present tense, active voice form. It suggests that Abel’s influence and the lessons we can learn from him have been relevant down through the centuries—even to our own day.
So, what is faith?
The case of Abel defines the nature of valid “faith.”
“By faith Abel offered to God a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain” (Heb. 11:4).
The verb “offered” shows obedience. Abel did not just “believe” that a sacrifice would be acceptable. He put his belief into action and obeyed God’s instructions.
Faith is not real until it responds in action. That is why James can challenge:
"But someone will say, 'You have faith and I have works.' Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works" (James 2:18).
The action verbs, connected to the expression “by faith” in Hebrews chapter 11, are a testimony to the nature of genuine faith.
Throughout Hebrews 11 as we meet our “Old Testament Heroes of Faith,” it will become evident that the 19 times “by faith” is used in this chapter is the equivalent of saying that the individuals yielded to divine instruction.
W. E. Vine states that Abel’s “by faith” sacrifice “was based on a revelation which God had made.”
Are you acting upon the clear revelation and commands you read in God’s Word?
“So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ” (Rom 10:17).
Biblical faith is a confident trust in whatever God says is true & acting on it regardless of the circumstances or consequences.
Mac Hoover, Elder
I read a summary excerpt by Justin Taylor about J.I. Packer’s renowned chapter on adoption in his classic book, Knowing God. This is a book I read in high school that significantly opened my eyes to understanding the God I was learning to serve, love, and worship. I can’t recommend it enough as one of those classics that all believers should consider reading.
I am not aware of anyone normal who is amenable to being called a “fool” or “foolish.” Those words are offensive and pejorative terms that can easily trigger outrage and strife. But truthfully and sadly, all of us have acted like fools and displayed foolishness as sinners who needed and still need God’s saving wisdom in our lives.
Fools and foolishness seem to be multiplying at an unprecedented rate and our culture is suffering greatly because of it. Believers must avoid this lifestyle and display God’s wisdom (Jam. 3:13–18).
Feeling Inadequate?
Job said, “I am not at ease, nor am I quiet, And I am not at rest, but turmoil comes” (Job 3:26).
Moses said, “Please, Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither recently nor in time past, nor since You have spoken to Your servant; for I am slow of speech and slow of tongue” (Exodus 4:10).
Each month of the year has quite a variety of daily and monthly holidays and observances. June has a total of 264 holidays or celebrations observed for each day of the month (from Wear a Dress Day to National Food Truck Day) along with 8 additional monthly observances (ENTIRE LIST).
Many of these observances are odd (June 2: National Bubba Day), unnatural (June 4: National Hug Your Cat Day; June 19: National Take Your Cat to Work Day), tasty (June 11: National Corn on the Cob Day, lots of other food & drink days), strange (June 18: International Panic Day), positive (June 18: Father’s Day), self-centered (June 21: National Selfie Day), rare (June 22: Positive Media Day), and don't seem to have a point (June 24: Swim a Lap Day).
