The Message Creation Proclaims

When a magician stands before a crowded room of children and just before his next trick asks, “Kids, what’s the magic words?”   What’s the answer? Come on, I know you are thinking the word so go ahead and say it out loud.  Ready….Abracadabra!!!!

Abracadabra is an Aramaic word and means, “to create something from nothing. ‘I will create as I speak.’”  It is also a companion to a word we find in the first verse of the Bible.  Genesis 1:1 says, “In the beginning God BARA (created)…” Bara is defined as “Created from Nothing.”

In Physics we learn of the Law of Conservation of Energy.  It states that energy cannot be created nor destroyed.  The Universe could not have created itself without some outside infinite power source.  .  Science is based on observation and can only study that which already exists. Since energy cannot be created, a source of unimaginable power from outside of nature was required for life to begin…that power is GOD.

8 Times in Genesis chapter 1 it states, “God said…” and something was created.

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The Prize of Creation

What is the prize of creation?  Read these verses from the Word of God and then watch this sermon video.  Allow the love of God to fill your heart on this Valentines Day.

Jesus said, "This is My commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you." (John 15: 12-14)

"But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8).

"The Lord has appeared of old to me, saying:
“Yes, I have loved you with an everlasting love;" (Jeremiah 31:3).

The most important issue of our day..."In the Beginning....GOD"

Genesis 1:1 is arguably the most read verse in all of the Bible.  Have you read it?  You can most likely quote it from memory as
easy as stating your own name, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Today, there seems to be a war on God.  It has been stated from various sources that the new religion in America is to not believe in God.  And if you are going to believe in God, just don’t believe in the God of the Bible.  It’s interesting to note that every culture in recorded history has had some conception of a god, some source beyond ourselves that directly affected the beginning of life as we know it.

Why is that?  It seems that in our very make-up as humans we are created to look for answers outside of ourselves.  The French Philosopher Pascal said in the heart of every man there is a "God-shaped vacuum.”  Augustine said, “Lord, you have made us for yourself.  Our hearts are restless until they find rest in you.”

You can have a Living Hope

A song writer once wrote that each of us have a God-shaped hole in our heart and nothing can fill that void accept a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. Bill Fay would agree with that.  He was born to an upper middle class family.  His father was the president of General Foods and introduced a frozen food line called “Bird’s eye.”  There’s a good chance you have purchased some of their product at your local grocery store.

Bill admits he grew up with a silver spoon in his mouth.  He never did without whatever he wanted.  Sadly, his father’s spending habits caused him to die penny-less in a veteran’s hospital.  Bill decided that he would not die that way.  He would live life to the fullest, thinking of no one else but himself.

At age 16, he got a girl pregnant and married her.  He went off to college after High School.  In college he met a man who taught him to be a professional gambler.  Bill put himself through college by playing card games.  After graduation he divorced his wife and walked away from his daughter so he could advance his career.  Bill met and married another woman and at age 22 he was hired by an Atlanta corporation and quickly became their number 1 salesman. 

Shortly afterwards, he was invited to Las Vegas where he was enamored by the power, money and women.  He said; “If I can just get connected into all this, my life will be fine.”  On that trip that he met a man at a card table who lost $200,000 in just 20 minutes and acted as if it was nothing.  Bill was impressed.  The man invited him to play a game and in just fifteen minutes, Bill won over $250,000.

Despite the money and power he was gaining, he was still miserable.  One day, Bill was talking to a woman on the telephone.  He asked her, “What do you want out of life?”  She replied; “Money and power.”  This captivated Bill and he left his second wife of 12 years and married this other woman.  The new couple moved to Denver and he became the CEO of a multimillion-dollar Corporation.  One afternoon he stood in his office, looked over his mahogany desk, had his chauffeur-driven limousine outside, had an unlimited expense account, diamond rings, Rolexes, gold jewelry and he thought; “What’s next?  I have both legal and illegal money.  I have power, both corporately and illegally, yet something is missing.”

It wasn’t long until his third wife left and Bill met and married his fourth wife. He decided he would help men with their loneliness and opened Fantasy Island in Lakewood, Colorado, one of the largest houses of prostitution in the Unites States.  Sounds like a movie doesn’t it?  But it isn’t, it is the life of Bill Fay.

There are many people living like Bill Fay.  They may not have the power or money, but they are searching for love, searching for hope, and searching for what is missing in their heart.  They are asking; “Is this all there is?  I Want More!”

In 1 Peter chapter 1, the Apostle Peter is writing to Christians who were the opposite of men like Bill Fay.  These early Christ-followers had been driven from their home in Jerusalem through persecution.  They had no power, no money, and no homeland.  Yet they have what Bill Fay and many people today are longing for, they had a Hope that was Alive in their Soul.

“Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead”   1 Peter 1:3

Look at how Peter expresses himself in reference to the living hope we receive in Christ Jesus.  He writes, “Praise be to God….he has given us new birth...a living hope…”  Understand this, when the Peter states that those who surrender to Christ receive a living hope, he is not referring to hope the way many of us do. 

We consider hope as something we want to happen but are not sure if it will.  That is not what the word hope means in this verse.  Hope here means, “a certain expectation.”  Here is the good news about this living hope, when we surrender our lives to Jesus Christ, we receive the promise that we have peace with God and are as assured of heaven as if we were already there! 

If you have surrendered your life to Christ, you have this living hope in your NOW.

You also have this living hope for your TOMORROWS.  Look at what Peter writes next.

“and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade. This inheritance is kept in heaven for you…” 1 Peter 1:4

One day Albert Einstein boarded a train from Princeton. The conductor came by asking to punch the tickets.  Einstein was brilliant man, but a little absent minded.  Einstein could not find his ticket; he looked in his pockets, through his luggage, and could not find his ticket.  The conductor said; “It’s alright Mr. Einstein, I know who you are.”  Then the conductor turned and walked away.  He looked back and saw Einstein looking under his seat.  The conductor came back and said; “Mr. Einstein, I don’t need your ticket, I know who you are.”  Einstein said; “I know who I am too, but I need to know where I’m going.”

Do you know where you’re going when your time on this Earth is done?  Peter says we can have a Living Hope in Christ and know beyond any doubt that we have Eternal Life in Heaven.  Look at how Peter describes it. Our inheritance in Christ will never perish, never spoil and never fade away!

Now let me finish the story of Bill Fay.  Bill loved racquetball.  One day while coming into the gym he met a guy named Paul. Bill began to ridicule him because he was a Christian.  Shortly after that, Bill and his fourth wife took a trip to Las Vegas.  While there, his attorney called and told him the prostitution house had been raided and there was a warrant for his arrest.  Soon the media caught the news and Bill was devastated.  The only person who ever called and checked on him was Paul.  One day Bill was sitting at his kitchen table crying uncontrollably.  His non-believing wife suggested they go see the man who had married them.  Bill did not want to go see him, but the Holy Spirit would not stop working on Bill’s heart.  He called the pastor and said that he wanted inner peace in his life.   The next day, he drove 85 miles to a little country church.  At 10:00 a.m. on March 4, 1981, Bill Fay met Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior and He received the Living Hope that he had always longed for.

What about you?

Will you…

• Believe in Jesus Christ as the Son of God, His death, burial and resurrection?
• Trust Him to take away your sins and forgive you?
• Invite Him to be Your Lord and receive a Living Hope?

4 Focus Points to Greater Kingdom Impact

I’m sure you have heard it said just like I have; “If there are so many Christians, then why aren’t we seeing a greater impact on our society and world?”  Personally, I don’t believe it is from a lack of concern.  Every Christ-follower that I have had discussion with has a genuine concern over the moral and spiritual decline we are witnessing in society.   Now, I may be wrong, but I also don’t believe I have ever met a true believer who wasn’t deeply burdened for those who are without a personal relationship with Christ.  Yet, that still doesn’t answer the question, “Why aren’t Christians making a greater impact?”

As I mentioned, I don’t think it is from a lack of concern.  I believe for many of us, the enemy is using a different tool from his evil collection; he has got us distracted.  Christians are not exempt from the everyday pressures of life.  Like everyone else, Christ-followers have families to raise, jobs to go to, lawns to mow, dishes to wash, bills to pay, PTA meetings to attend and the list goes on and on. Satan knows that he doesn’t have to harden our heart, he can simply distract our focus.

I love the story about former New York Yankee catcher, Yogi Berra.  He was known for his

How to Make Decisions with More Confidence

Decisions, decisions, decisions…much of life is simply making decisions.  If you are like me, you wish someone would develop a fool-proof system for making the right decision every single time. You might even pay $19.99 plus shipping and handling for it, right?

Let’s be honest, that will never happen.  We can’t eliminate all the guess-work out of decision-making, but we can make decisions with more confidence.  In Genesis, the first book in the Bible, we read about a critical point of decision for Abraham and his nephew, Lot.  Bickering had begun between the farmhands of the two herders. Abraham approached Lot with a proposition.

He told Lot he would divide up his land between the two. The decisions made that day would define the legacy of both men.  Abraham’s name would become synonymous with integrity and faith, while Lot would become known as a disgrace.

Is it possible to have more confidence in our decision-making process?  I believe so.  Here are 5 solid steps to follow.

1. Understand that our decisions reveal our priorities.

Abram said to Lot, “If you go to the left, I’ll go to the right…Lot looked around and saw that the whole plain of the Jordan toward Zoar was well watered, like the garden of the LORD, like the land of Egypt.  So Lot chose for himself the whole plain of the Jordan and set out toward the east” (Genesis 13: 9-11).

By all rights, Abraham could have made the first choice, but he gave the privilege to his nephew. What does that say about the heart of Abraham? Lot on the other hand was a different character. He must have been salivating as he looked over the land and quickly chose what appeared to be the best.  His decision was based on one thing…himself.   It appears Lot chose what he believed would give him the most return on his investment without much thought of anyone else.

2. Pray for guidance.

Lot’s decision would have grave consequences.  His poor decision-making would lead his family to compromise their convictions and live in wicked Sodom.  He would continue down the slippery slope until he lost his joy, his reputation and his children.  The Apostle Peter wrote that Lot’s soul was tormented day by day by the unrighteous deeds he saw and heard in Sodom (2 Peter 2:8).

Abraham’s decisions, however, were bathed in prayer.  The Scripture says, “There Abram called on the name of the LORD” (Gen. 13: 4).  He made a practice of having an altar before any major decision.  Abraham understood an important truth, our lives are not all about us; we are to live for God.  When we make decisions apart from prayer and seeking God’s will, we put ourselves on the throne.  We become our own idol.

Abram prayed and God answered.  He will do the same for us. The Psalmist declared, “Because He has inclined His ear to me, therefore I will call upon Him as long as I live” (Psalm 116:2).

3. Look ahead to where the decision will lead.

Lot made the mistake of looking at the “now” and not at the “hear after.”  Someone once said, “Never judge a decision by where it is…but by where it is going.”  This past summer, my family and I vacationed in central Florida and spent a few days at Disney World.  The most fascinating part of the Disney experience for me is the light and firework shows they put on every night before the parks close.  I have read that when Epcot opened, a man standing beside Walt Disney’s widow remarked, “If only Walt could have seen this.”  “He did see it.” Mrs. Disney replied, “That’s why it is here.”  

4. Seek wise counsel.

Proverbs 11:4 says, “Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.”

My parents taught me a valuable lesson as a child; “When in the presence of your elders, listen more than you talk.”  No one knows everything about everything, but everybody knows something.

The Bible teaches us to seek wise counsel from…

• Other People
Proverbs 1:5, “A wise man will hear and increase learning, And a man of understanding will attain wise counsel,”

Proverbs 12: 15, “The way of fools seems right to them, but the wise listen to advice.”

Proverbs 15:22, “Plans fail for lack of counsel, but with many advisers they succeed.”

• God’s Word
Psalm 119: 105, “Your word is a lamp for my feet,  a light on my path.”

Proverbs 3: 5-6, “Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”

5. Gather the facts.

On my desk I have this quote, “Most decision-making is simply gathering facts.”  How true that is.  I have a confession.  There have been many nights that I have lost sleep, fretted, worried, sweated, tossed and turned about a decision I needed to make only to find out it wasn’t nearly as stressful after I learned all the facts.

Decision-making can be stressful.  Yet, if follow the principles taught in Scripture; we can have more confidence in making them.

Faith that Works

Recently, in the Bible study group that my wife and I enjoy each week, our discussion on authentic Christianity turned to the topics of grace and works.  If you want to get a theological firestorm started, just get a debate going on the role grace and works play in one’s eternal salvation.  Personally, I am very thankful that the gift of Salvation is just that, a gift.  Forgiveness of sin, being made righteous before a holy God, and having the confidence of eternal life is nothing short of the undeserved favor (grace) that God pours upon the soul of a sinner who finally realizes his or her utter spiritual depravity and calls out to Jesus.  He alone can bring peace between sinful mankind and Holy God.

As the song writer penned, “My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus blood and righteousness.”

The Scriptures declare, “He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, ¹⁴ in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins.” (Colossians 1: 13-14, NIV).

I know you will join me in giving praise to the Lord for His grace.  Yet, in our thanksgiving for God’s indescribable gift, we cannot forget that following grace must be a transformed life that declares through our actions that we have indeed received grace. In reading 1 Thessalonians, we get a glimpse of the power of the Gospel as it is displayed with both grace and works in the life of a believer.

“We remember before our God and Father your work produced by faith, your labor prompted by love, and your endurance inspired by hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.” (1 Thessalonians 1: 3, NIV)

The writer, Paul, was moved by the genuineness of the faith in these Thessalonian believers.  They had received the message of redemption through Christ and that knowledge had traveled 18 inches south from their ears to their heart.  They did not simply hear the Gospel, it transformed them.  Paul remarks, “We remember your WORK, your LABOR, and your ENDURANCE.” 

A few verses later, Paul states that he did not even have to write about their works of faith because the whole community was talking about them.  He said, “For they themselves report what kind of reception you gave us. They tell how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, ¹⁰ and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead—Jesus, who rescues us from the coming wrath.” (1 Thessalonians 1: 9-10, NIV)

The Apostle James writes, “as the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead.” (James 2: 26, NIV).

Even Jesus taught, “…a tree is recognized by its fruit.” (Matthew 12:33, NIV).

Life Application:

Are you a follower of Jesus?  If so, have you stopped to give thanks to God today for the incredible grace He offers you through Jesus?  As you give Him praise, ask Him to empower you to live out your faith so that others will believe your testimony by your actions.  Show others through your life that change Jesus makes.