putting a face on the name of GOD…

listen, we as CHRISTians bear HIS name.  and GOD sends us out into the world saying, “go out as i would live.  go out and show some people.  put a face on the name of GOD.” 

i encourage you this next week to remember that at the office.  or at the gym.  or at the coffee shop.  all those places.  remember that when the checker in the checkout line takes ten minutes longer than you think it should have taken.  or remember that when you miss your connecting flight somewhere in the middle of the country and you’re stuck there.  remember that when you’re on business trip alone in a hotel room with your thoughts and a cable tv channel.  remember you represent GOD’s name.  there’s no greater privilege than to represent HIS name. 

some people, some who are not yet believers, would say, “what you’re talking about right now, that’s why i’m not a CHRISTian.  i’ve met some CHRISTians who are supposed to represent GOD’s name and the way i see it they’re not doing a very good job of it.  i don’t want to be one of those kinds of people so i’m going to wait until maybe i’m more perfect, [which is never going to happen] to start to represent GOD’s name in life.”

let me share some things with you. 

first of all when it comes to living out the CHRISTian life you’ll find some people who just blend in with the world.  they’re just like everyone else around them.  there’s no difference.  obviously you’re not representing GOD’s name if you do that.

there are others, who escape from the world.  they get as far away from everything in the world as they can.  the monks are the best illustration of that.  they go way up into the hills and if there is any difference in their life nobody knows it because nobody can see them.

but there’s another kind of CHRISTian, another way to live the CHRISTian life. they take GOD’s name into the real world.  they take the challenge to live out the importance of GOD’s name in the real world.  yes, they struggle sometimes because they’re not perfect any more than anybody can be perfect.  but they’re struggling to grow. 

that’s the kind of life that GOD invites you to.  if you’re not yet a believer those people that you’ve met that are like that, that’s what HE’s inviting you to.  that’s what HE’s calling you to. 

just a thought from the front porch…

HE put HIS reputation on the line…

there are some questions in this world i’m never going to get them answered.  i’m just not smart enough to figure out everything in this world.  i might get them answered when i get to heaven but even if i don’t GOD is still great.  and GOD is still loving.  and GOD still has a plan for my life. 

there’s a prayer i’d encourage you to pray in recognizing GOD’s greatness.  it’s from psalm 61.1-2 (niv), hear my cry, o GOD.  listen to my prayer.  from the ends of the earth i call to YOU.  i call as my heart grows faint.  lead me to the rock that is higher than i.  GOD is bigger, greater than even your greatest problem. 

honoring GOD’s name means i acknowledge that GOD is greater than my biggest problem and it also means i acknowledge that GOD calls me to be part of HIS family.  GOD calls me and here’s the amazing thing.  GOD has invited us to share HIS great and holy name.  and GOD’s name is GOD’s reputation. 

now there’s a difference between reputation and character.  character is what you are.  reputation is what other people think you are.  the amazing thing to me is that GOD has put a good deal of HIS reputation in our hands.  we’re called by HIS name.  we’re HIS family. 

the bible tells us in ephesians 2.19, (nlt) you are members of GOD’s family.  we’re called CHRISTian after CHRIST.  we are called by HIS name.

if you don’t believe GOD puts HIS reputation on the line by giving us HIS name just talk to some friends, maybe some friends of yours who would tell you, the reason i’m not a CHRISTian is because i’ve met some hypocritical CHRISTians and i don’t want to be like that.  if you don’t believe GOD puts HIS reputation on the line, just listen to what ghandi said during his life, “i might have become a CHRISTian if it were not for the CHRISTians i’ve met.”  GOD’s reputation is on the line in our lives.

just a thought from the front porch… 

even with other CHRISTians…

well it is the day after CHRISTmas here on long island and i hope it was a special day for you with your family and I hope your disagreements with them were at a minimum,  now many times judgment can lead to those disagreements and many times it starts with the CHRISTian in the family.  but the bible lets us know that judging isn’t acceptable to GOD even with other CHRISTians. 

james 4.11 tells us it’s wrong to judge when it causes you to speak evil about another CHRISTian.

(niv), brothers do not slander another.  anyone who speaks against his brother or judges him speaks against the law and judges it.

anything that causes me to speak evil about another CHRISTian maybe even to ruin their reputation is wrong.  we are to hate wrong but we’re to love people even when they are doing wrong.

ephesians 4.29 (msg) says, watch the way you talk. let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth. say only what helps, each words a gift.  CHRISTians ought to be known for their encouragement not their criticism.  we don’t need nagging; we need encouragement.  we know what’s right, we just need encouragement to do it.  i would like to be known as an encourager.  i think that’s what GOD wants us to be.

just a thought from the front porch…

keeping the doors open...

the truth of the matter is we all have a terminal illness called sin.  the reason that those of us who are CHRISTians cling to JESUS CHRIST is because HE is the great physician.  HE’s the only one who has the medication that can cure.  we can try to scrub away our sins by doing good deeds.  it’s not going to work.  we can ignore it and hope it all goes away.  but it won’t disappear.  we can sincerely think there is another way of dealing with it.  but we will be sincerely wrong.  the truth of the matter is, only the great physician offers the treatment that will erase the stain of our sin.  and we turn to GOD, JESUS CHRIST, as that one way it’s not being narrow-minded.  we’re acting in accordance with the evidence. 

CHRIStians aren’t putting on airs by saying this is the only way.  

the way i picture it is two country clubs.  one country club represents every other religious system that i’ve ever heard of.  and this country club says, “if you want to have a membership you have to pay for that membership if you want in.  you have to achieve a certain level of SPIRITuality.  you have to perform a certain number of religious rituals.  but the truth of the matter is many of you are not going to make it.  you’re going to fall short.  you’re not going to achieve the appropriate level and the door is going to be slammed in your face.”  that’s what every other religion i’ve ever seen essentially says. 

CHRISTianity is different.  CHRISTianity is like a country club with the doors wide open: “you want in, come on in.  you don’t have to buy your membership.  JESUS CHRIST has already bought and paid for it with his death on the cross.  coming into our country club is not based on your qualifications.  it’s just merely based on you accepting the invitation of JESUS.  the doors are open.  i don’t care if you’re rich or poor.  i don’t care if you’re black or white.  i don’t care what part of the country you’re from.  i don't care what you age is.  it’s up to you.  you decide if you want to come join our country club.  it is your decision.  but i'm going to keep the doors open.  i'm going to keep them open because i really hope that you will come in and experience what we’ve experienced in this way.”

that is what CHRISTianity is about.  you tell me which approach is snobbish.  i don’t think it’s CHRISTianity.  in fact, JESUS in the bible tells us very clearly as CHRISTians we’re to be anything but arrogant in what we believe.  we’re to be humble.  the bible says in 1 peter 3.15-16 (niv), always be prepared to give an answer to anyone who asks you to give a reason for the hope that you have.  what that means is all CHRISTians should be able to tell people about the credibility and the credentials of JESUS CHRIST and why it is that HE is their hope for eternal life. 

but then it says, do this with gentleness and with respect.  we are to respect people of all cultures, in all places.  we’re to love them and we’re to be humble.                         

just a thought from the front porch…

so i have some doubts…

we could divide the world into three kinds of people. (actually there’s an old joke that says there’s three kinds of people in the world. those who can count and those who can’t.) but you can divide the world into three kinds of people. first would be those people who have doubted. the second group would be those people who haven’t doubted yet but who will. the third group would be those who are brain dead! because if you seriously contemplate your faith in JESUS CHRIST then it’s almost inevitable that sooner or later you’re going to have some issues, some questions, some hesitations, some uncertainties or some doubts over one thing or another. that’s not just a CHRISTian experience. that’s a human experience. there are a lot of atheists that doubt their position from time to time.

so the issue isn’t whether or not we’re going to catch this virus of doubt. you probably will if you haven’t yet. the issue is what do you do once you’ve got it. how do you prevent this virus from ravaging your faith? what can you do?

so what is doubt? there’s a lot of misconceptions of what doubt is all about. many people think that doubt is the opposite of faith. but it’s not.

it’s a very common misconception. actually the opposite of faith is unbelief. and there’s a big difference between unbelief and doubt.

what is unbelief? unbelief is a willful refusal to believe. it’s a deliberate decision to deny GOD. but that’s not what doubt is.

doubt is to be indecisive or ambivalent over an issue. it’s to be hung up between certainties and uncertainties. sort of up in the air over a particular issue.

you may have questions or concerns about some facet of the CHRISTian faith. in fact you can have a strong faith and still have some doubts. you can be heaven bound and still have some uncertainty about some theological issues. you can be a full-fledged CHRISTian without having to feel like every single matter of faith and life has been 100% absolutely settled in your life.

it’s been said that struggling with GOD over the issues of life does not show a lack of faith. that is faith. that’s what faith is about.

just a thought from the front porch…

no doubts in your mind…

if you will give your life to him, there is no reason for you to have any doubts in your mind. if you were to die tonight, would you go to heaven? there's no reason why you can't be sure, right now. i invite you to give your life to CHRIST, not because you're going to die tonight, but because you've got to live tomorrow. it's the greatest life. it is the extreme lifestyle. yet people walk away as if you're trying to give them cancer.

some of you have thought about this for some time. you have a mate – a husband or wife – who know the LORD and you've seen the difference in their life and you've seen the difference in other CHRISTians, but you're afraid of letting go and giving the control of your life to somebody else. when you give your life to JESUS CHRIST, you will never experience the freedom you've felt until you do that. today is your day. don't wait any longer. today is your day. GOD brought you here to the porch today. and HE's saying, “i'm knocking at your heart's door and i want to come into your life. i want to give you the ultimate lifestyle.”

would you pray this prayer in your heart right now? just say, “GOD, i realize i've made a lot of mistakes in my life. i've sinned. i've blown it. I ask you to forgive me for trying to do things my way. help me to believe that YOU love me. help me to believe that there is no condemnation. help me to accept your forgiveness and to forgive myself. JESUS CHRIST, i don't understand it all but i want to accept that YOU died for me on the cross and i ask YOU to come into my life. set me free from all the things that bind me up. put hope into that hopeless situation.

LORD, i want to thank you that all things work together for good in the lives of those who love you. LORD, i want to put my life in YOUr hands so that everything will start working together for good. help me to see that YOU have a purpose for my problems. help me to see that i don't have to fear anything if i've trusted YOU. help me to believe that YOU will meet all my needs. as much as i know how, JESUS CHRIST, i ask YOU to come into my life. save me. i want a relationship, not a religion, but a relationship with YOU. LORD, i know that i'm going to make mistakes and fumble and stumble, but i thank you that YOU are a forgiving GOD because of what JESUS has done.”

if you prayed that prayer in your heart GOD heard you. the bible says, whoever calls on the name of the LORD will be saved. it's a promise. i made a decision like this and it was the most important decision in my life. life is not perfect as a CHRISTian. you still have problems. but now you've got a new power to help you, a new strength. GOD is for you.

just a thought from the front porch…

i don’t want to be a fanatic…

another reason people don’t want to get to know GOD is they are afraid they'll become a fanatic.

often well meaning and misguided people tend to cause us to avoid GOD because of their fanaticism. here i would like you to meet four of them: (i wrote down some names of religious fanatics i've met):

freddy the pharisee. rigid, narrow minded, legalistic. he has a rule for everything. his favorite word is “don't”. some think, “will i become like that if i become a CHRISTian?”

susie self-righteous. holier than thou attitude, judgmental of others. her favorite phrase is “thank GOD i'm not like you!” am i going to become like that if i become a CHRISTian, if i get to know GOD?

billy bible-thumper. obnoxious, overzealous crusader. if it's alive he'll convert it. his favorite phrase: “turn or burn!”

pauline praise-alluia. she can't speak without religious cliches. everything is a miracle or the devil did it. her favorite phrase – she's got dozens of them: “believe... receive... praise the LORD... hallelujah...” am i going to become like that if i become a CHRISTian? put my brain on the shelf and become a kook?

the fact is john 10.10 (tev), i have come in order that you might have life – [not religion] life in all its fullness.

JESUS' harshest criticism went to religious fanatics. read matthew 23. HE couldn't stand them! HE said, “you guys are whited sepulchers. you strain at a gnat and swallow a camel.” GOD doesn't want to make you some fanatic.

just a thought from the front porch…