Author Archives: Travis Biller

The Essential Ingredient

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When reading about the last days in the Bible, it is obvious that those times will be perilous. The sobering reality is that those times are the product of spiritual degeneration. Unfortunately the church will not be immune from the surrounding depravity, but God has warned the church ahead of time (2 Tim 3:1-9).

It is the Lord’s desire that the church remain strong and vibrant. Historically, when the culture has denied God and walked away from Christ (as we are witnessing today) the church has ironically become stronger. God has done some of His best work through a church struggling with its surrounding spiritual climate.

I believe the reason is because all pretenses for hypocrisy are removed. When the culture claims to be Christian, many pretenders flood the pews. But with the collapse of a Christian culture, they have no reason to seek approval by claiming to be something they are not.

The good news is that when the church grows in this environment, it begins to grow the way God intended … by conversion. People join the church because they truly have been saved, and as a result, are fully committed to following Christ – no matter the cost.

A great example of this can be seen in China. After the communists took power, they threw out all Western missionaries. However, their absence did not prevent God from working. They planted the seeds and God showed up to reap a harvest – and what a harvest! Today the underground Chinese church is probably the strongest single church in the world, claiming over 100 million strong – and this is an environment hostile to the gospel.

Their strength, however, is not only seen in their staggering numbers as much as in the spiritual vitality of its members. If one wants to see a living embodiment of a church that resembles the books of Acts, one to need look no farther than the Chinese church.

What is the lesson for us in all that? Several, I suspect, but an important one stands out. Our spiritual vitality, and therefore ability to succeed as a church, is not dependent upon cultural acceptance and our ability to adapt to it (with all its many crude forms: dress, music, property, etc.), but upon a willingness to be authentic before God. As has been said by others, “Never underestimate what God can do through one person fully committed to Christ.” In a hostile culture one has to do some serious soul searching before committing to Christ. Once that commitment is made, it’s made to Christ no matter the culture.

The reality is that God can change the world through a single person whose sole desire is to glorify Him by accomplishing His will. Cultural accretions only hinder the gospel. Personal commitment to the gospel transforms culture every time. Although our culture is rapidly falling away from the things of God, our personal commitment to Christ will have the result of transforming our culture for Christ.

Raising the Temperature

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I was born and raised in the North, but live in the South by choice. It’s been over twenty years since I lived in the North. During that time my blood has thinned out. I no longer like cold weather. But lately it seems that the temperature keeps getting colder.

Jesus said in the last days that, “because lawlessness will be increased, the love of many will grow cold” (Matt 24:12). It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to notice that lawlessness is on the rise. Most people today do what’s right on their own eyes, contributing to the spiritual cool climate around us.

In fact, there is an official dogma taught in schools and universities, and accepted by the major institutions of our culture. It’s the idea that truth is “relative.” When a person says that truth is “relative” what they mean is that they no longer believe that there is such a thing as “objective” truth, or a divine standard that all people are accountable to. For them, truth is what they decide it is.

At its core, this is an atheistic principle that sets man at the center of his world. The obvious result is that people become self-centered. Self-centered people are not interested in how their actions affect other people. The effect is that “the love of may will grow cold.”

I believe we are witnessing this prophecy that Jesus made concerning the last days. However, despite the reality that many people no longer believe or follow God, we still have an obligation to love others – even those who are unlovable.

Jesus said, “By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another” (John 13:35). As the world walks further away from God we can expect the spiritual climate to become colder. However, this only gives us more opportunity to make the warmth of Christ all the more conspicuous.

As followers of Jesus, let’s make every effort to share the love of God with everyone we can. In a spiritually cold world the warmth of Christ’s love will be noticed. So, though the love of many will grow cold in the world, as the church, let’s make every effort to ignite the fire of God’s love in our own heart so we can raise the temperature around us.

Boasting in Him

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The bible says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast (Eph 2:8-9).

One of the more difficult biblical concepts to understand is grace. Initially it seems easy enough, but when it needs to be put into practice, the difficulty becomes apparent. The only way we can understand grace is to see how God applies it to our lives. When we begin to understand that, then we can begin to exercise it towards others.

The difficulty comes when we learn that grace is never given because we deserve it. We received grace from God despite who we are. The verse reads, “And this is not your own doing.” God’s love to me was not earned nor deserved. It was simply and freely given.

Initially we want to balk at that concept. “Surely,” we think, “There is something about me that sets me a part.” But God simply replies with, “No.” God will not allow us to boast. God’s love is centered not on us, but on Christ. To properly understand grace we need to learn that its center of gravity is Jesus. Grace flows out of the abundance of love that the Father has for the Son.

The first step, then, in properly understanding grace is to accept that “I” do not deserve it, but it is given only because Jesus is the center of God’s affections. In other words, grace is Christ-centered. The Father’s love does not flow directly to me, but through Christ to me. If Christ is absent in that equation then the love of the Father cannot be received.

Faith is the catalyst that allows me to receive God’s love. When I have faith I am trusting that Jesus made things right between me and the Father. He did this for me on the cross. By dying for my sins and rising from the dead on the third day He removed my sins which barred the door to God’s presence. My sins were removed and forgiven only because Jesus took care of them for me, outside of any effort on my part.

Therefore, the Father’s love for me was made available at the expense of another. When I agree with that, then, and only then, can I receive. This puts us in the rather awkward position of having to take something without earning it. But if we are to receive, we must be in that position. We must raise empty hands and ask God to fill them, pleading the blood of Jesus on our behalf.

When seen in that light, faith is not only trusting that Jesus made things right, but it also includes the confession of His work on our behalf. In other words, true faith does boast, but only in the person and work of Jesus.

This is what separates the wheat from the chaff. Those who are truly saved will gladly boast of Jesus and all that He has done. They not only trust in Him, but they boast of Him. This is the key to being able to exercise grace to others.

It begins with the understanding that we have nothing to give. It becomes available to give when we recognize the source is Jesus. We become able to give when Jesus is the center of our affections, even as He is the center of the Father’s. We become affective in giving only when we boast of Him.

Here, then, is the posture we must find ourselves if we are ever to learn to give grace to others. Only when we are seen as beggars on our knees freely receiving, can others receive from us. Grace flows directly from Jesus. Only when Jesus can be seen filling us, can others receive His grace through us.

The Normal Christian Life

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In Matthew 13:23 Jesus says, “But he who received seed on the good ground is he who hears the word and understands it, who indeed bears fruit and produces: some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty.” In John 15:8 he says, “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so will you be my disciples.”

As I was listening to Carlos and Sandy Rios last Sunday night I was reminded of these passages. Carolos told how he came to Christ and told how the Lord began to work in his life. As I was listening to their testimonies I began to think that what they are describing is really, from the biblical point of view, the normal Christian life.

I was particularly reminded of the impact the Lord wants us to make in the lives of other people. When Carols and Sandy began to show the pictures of all the people they have led to Christ and brought into the body of Christ, that thought was only strengthened.

The normal Christian life is about the influence of Christ on two levels. These can be distilled into two chapters of every Christian’s life. The first chapter of a Christian’s life begins when one meets Jesus and is saved.

When a person is saved, there is a period of time when that person has to get to know Jesus. They begin to understand who He is through Bible study, prayer, worship and fellowship. For each person this chapter will last different amounts of time. But for a truly saved person, this chapter bears some very specific fruit.

The fruit that a person bears in this period of their walk with God will, at its most basic level, involve at least three things. First, there is the fruit of righteousness. As person gets to know Jesus, they want to leave their sin behind. As a person grows spiritually, they begin to have a hunger for righteousness. Second, there is the fruit of praise. As a person grows in Christ, they have a desire to want to praise and worship their Savior. Third, there is the fruit of love. As they learn to walk with God in Christ, a person begins to love God and love people more and more.

The second chapter of the Christians life begins at the moment they realize that they are satisfied in Christ and madly in love with God. It is at this point when two things happen. First, that person can say with complete conviction and joy, “I am not ashamed of the Gospel,” and as a result, that person will make the decision to follow Christ anywhere He leads.

When that happens, a person’s life necessarily changes. That person is now seeking to do the will of God wherever he/she is. The result is that he/she is no longer living for themselves, but for Christ who died and rose for them.

It is in that chapter of a Christian’s life when a different kind of fruit is born. While still producing the fruit of the first chapter of their life, that person is now seeing fruit begin to develop in the lives of the people he/she is influencing for Christ.

When Sandy and Carols where sharing the pictures of all people they have and are influencing for Christ, I was reminded that in the end, the only thing that really matters are people. Christ died for people; and in heaven we will be with people made perfect through the blood Christ.

The normal Christian life is ultimately about bearing fruit; fruit that is seen in our personal life as we walk with Christ and fruit that is seen in the lives of others as we influence them for Christ.

Are you living the normal Christian life?

Meeting God

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“Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel” (Psalm 22:3).

When I was in seminary, one of my favorite things to do was to go to Chapel. It was a special time for a few reasons.

First, there was great worship. But something I remember about the worship that stands out. It wasn’t great because of a style of music. We sang everything from the golden oldies to the newest contemporary music. Some songs I loved, some … not so much. But the worship was great because of the Spirit that was created by those attending the service. They showed up expecting to meet God, and they acted accordingly. When the congregation sang, they weren’t simply singing, they were telling God how much they loved Him and how great He is. As a result, the Spirit was there and we worshiped Him.

Second, there was always really good preaching, and I was always blessed by the message. But I think I was blessed because every time I entered the sanctuary I wanted to hear what the Lord had to say to me. The best thing about it was that I was never disappointed. I came with an ear to hear, and I left with a Word from God. It’s funny how God can use one message and speak to so many people and still meet them where they are.

Third, there was always a response to God’s Word. Never did a service go by without someone (usually many) responding publically to God’s message. The thing that was so moving was that because people were eager to hear and respond, God was faithful to move in the lives of everyone there. His Spirit would sweep through that sanctuary and I would always have an encounter with God. In fact, it seemed that the only way to avoid an encounter was to not be there. On the days (and they were few) that I could not be there, I always felt like I was missing out. And I was.

Every time I left that sanctuary I was both filled and satisfied. It’s interesting to note that I had many “needs” in those days. Although the messages were not related to any of my “felt needs,” God always filled me and met my needs. I suspect that was so because the purpose of worship is not me and my needs, but God and His glory.

Worship is ultimately about Him. When He is the focus, the subject and object of worship, then satisfaction, peace, joy, fulfillment, and love are the results in the hearts of the worshippers. When I made it my goal to make it all about Him, then He made it possible for me to be complete in Him.

God wants that for ever member of His church. But only you can condition your heart to meet Him. Only you can have the anticipation necessary. Only you can tell God how much you love Him and how great He is. Only you can have an ear to hear. Only you can choose to respond. Only you can choose to worship. When your spirit is prepared for and anticipating a meeting with God, then you will discover the joy of meeting God. Have you met Him lately?

Truth to Power

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Do you yearn to be more like Christ? The bible teaches that one of the goals God has for you is to remake you into the image of His Son. The bible says, “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son…” (Rom 8:29).

For most of us, being remade into Christ’s image requires drastic transformation. It’s like the show, “Complete Home Makeover.” There are times when the team looks at the condition of the old home and concludes the only way to improve the situation is to tear down the old and start anew.

This is the same view God takes with us. In His Word He tells us, “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come” (2 Cor. 5:17).

When God enters our life through Christ, He does not seek to remodel the old home; nor does He add additions on to the old structure. We are not a new and improved version of our old self. In Christ we are entirely new.

One of the key components of the Christian life, then, is that we are to experience radical transformation. This happens when we allow the Lord to speak His Word into our life.

The bible says that, “The word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart” (Hebrews 4:12).

Through the Word, God seeks to speak His truth into our lives. When we allow that to happen we experience His power within. The result is an inward transformation.

If you were to look back over the course of your Christian life, can you say with honesty that you are becoming more like Christ? Are you more loving and forgiving. Are you more disgusted with sin today than you were this time last year? Do you see yourself desiring more of God and less of the world now? Are you more concerned with the condition of the lost today than you were in the past?

In order for us to experience God’s power in our lives, we must decide that we are going to respond to His Word. The bible was not given so that we could learn a great deal. It was given so that our hearts could be remade into the glorious image of Jesus.

Knowledge is great and needful, but transformation is essential. God seeks to and promises to accomplish this work in our lives (Phil. 1:6); but we must allow the power of His Word to do the work (Phil 2:12-13).

Walk the Talk

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In Philippians 2:12-13, the bible says, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”

These are really important verses. If I were to distill the meaning into one phrase, it would simply be this: Live the Gospel!

God has so much in store for His children; but in order for them to experience the abundance of blessings that exists, the children of God must live the gospel every day.

The reason so many Christians do not experience the abundance of blessings that Christ seeks to give (see Eph 1:3) is because they are too busy attempting to be blessed by the world. Remember James, the half brother of Jesus, said, “You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

At the bare minimum, it is reasonable to assume that seeking to be blessed by the world does not please the Father! I don’t know about you, but I’d rather not make God my enemy. It seems that all that is needed to accomplish that undesirable feat is to love the world and the things in the world. I’ll pass.

However, Peter tells us that there is “Joy that is inexpressible and filled with glory” for the children of God (1 Peter 1:8). I don’t think God intends for that joy to be deferred. It is available now.

How do you get it? I’m glad you asked. It’s simple. Live the Gospel every day.

The gospel is not meant to be believed on only. It is meant to be lived. When we live the gospel, we enter into a spiritual state that brings, peace, joy, hope, love … in fact, it brings all those wonderful things the bible calls the “Fruit of the Spirit” (Gal 5:22-23).

Is the Fruit of the Spirit evident in your life? If not, ask the Lord to help you go from believing the gospel to living it!

Jesus Loves You

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Jesus loves you. He came into this broken and fallen world so that He might save you from its destruction. He became one of us. He walked in our shoes. He experienced our pain, our trials, and our temptations. He even experienced our death. He went ahead of us. He made sure the path to the Father was clear and free of any obstacles. He removed all our sin. He destroyed the power of death. He made the path clear and without burdens.

He promised that He would prepare a new home for you. It is a place of beauty, love, peace, and everlasting joy. He promised that when it’s your time to travel that road, He would come to get you Himself. He prepared the road, and He does not want you to walk it alone.

In fact, He does not want you to be alone…ever. So, while He is away preparing your eternal home, He sent the Holy Spirit of God to live with you AND to dwell within you. He promised you peace. He promised you joy. He said that even though the world will deliver difficulties, we need not fear. He has provided our victory. Not only did He provide victory, He even promised that all of the riches and blessings of God are now ours!

He found you when you were poor, and He has made you rich. He found you when you were lost, and He has taken you by the hand and led the way. He found you when you were a sinner and has forgiven you. He found you lonely, and He has become your friend. He found you an outcast, and has accepted you. He found you sad, and has given you joy. He found you despairing, and has given you hope. He found you in darkness, and has given you light. He found you an orphan, and has made you a part of the family of God.

As a member of this family, He has bestowed His name upon you…the family name. With this name comes the honor of righteousness. With this name comes the glory of heaven. With this name comes eternal life. With this name comes the privilege of calling One Father.

The name He has marked you with, the name that He has bestowed upon you, is the name Jesus. Because of that name, when the Father looks at you, He knows you are His precious child. Because of that name, when the Father sees you, He sees a righteous son or daughter. Because of that name, when the Farther sees you, He seeks to lavish you with eternal love and joy. Because of that name you are loved, saved, and forever accepted. Because of that name.

Burn What?

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So they want to burn a Quran, what of it? I find this whole episode, where commentators of all stripes are calling for this little dinky church of 30 people to pleeeeeease not burn the holy Quran, quite revealing. Who would have thunk that 30 people could cause so many around the world to cry foul. By contrast, I wonder how many Bibles have been burned in the last year without so much as a whimper of concern.

I know for a fact that Bibles are burned in North Korea, China, Laos, certain parts of India, all over the Middle East, Indonesia, and other places as well. Nary a word is said in outrage over such acts. What is normally not told – well, Bible-burning stories are never reported in mainstream media to begin with – but what most don’t realize is that along with the Bible-burning in many places is the killing of the Christians who owned those Bibles to begin with. This is a well-documented fact.

However, at face value, the desire to burn the Quran is simply stupid. It obviously cannot accomplish the goal of the church, which is to warn people of the dangers of Islam – or can it?

After reading several columns by talking heads who were frantically calling for this pastor to rethink his stupidity, I became uncomfortably aware of a nagging little truth. These people are afraid.

Of course, I do believe that burning the Quran is stupid for several reasons. First, it will not win a single Muslim to faith in Christ. Second, it will endanger Christians in Muslim lands. Third, it will incite Muslims to violence around the world … maybe in my neck of the woods … gulp … maybe in my neighborhood?

Ok, I’m afraid too. DONT BURN IT!

I think the little church has made a big point.

It would, of course, be wise not to go through with the act, especially when we consider what will happen to Christians in lands where Muslim majorities seek to make a point themselves. But it won’t be only Bibles being burned.

Christians, what are we to do?

1st, we are to always share the truth in love – no matter the consequences. Let me emphasize love. Burning anyone’s book is not an act of love!

2nd, we are to always be ready to give a reason for the hope that is within us. This means we defend truth … in love. No one comes to the Father but through the Son.

3rd, we are to always demonstrate the truth through how we treat our enemies. Jesus asked the Father to forgive His tormentors as He was being nailed to a cross.

4th, we are to let Muslims know that God loves them enough to send Jesus Christ to die for their sins.

5th, we have to be willing to die to make that great truth known.

Lovingly share the truth. Defend the truth. Live the truth. Proclaim the truth even to those who mean us harm, and be willing to die for the truth.

That’s what Christ did. And that’s what we do!

Fighting the Good Fight

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Over a half a century ago, General Omar Bradley said, “We know more about war than about peace. We know more about killing than about living. This is our 20th Century’s claim to progress—knowledge of science outstrips capacity for control. We have too many men of science, too few men of God. The world has achieved brilliance without wisdom, power without conscience. We are a world of nuclear giants and ethical infants.”

Ethical infants who have no conscience and who are devoid of wisdom; does that describe our culture today? I think it does. Our culture is such that most people live today in a moral haze. I believe that haze is thicker than when General Bradley first made his observation. As followers of Christ, however, we have an obligation to become people of integrity and character.

We don’t hear much about either of those things in popular culture today. Turn to your average sit-come or movie and you’ll most likely be filling your mind with vulgar notions of marriage and family. You’ll be introduced to profanity, sex and violence that in earlier times would have simply been unthinkable, let alone considered appropriate for mass consumption. You’ll be not so subtly influenced to see people of integrity as backwards and men of character as fundamental oafs who are worthy only of mockery and contempt.

We must guard ourselves. It’s easy to become influence by the godless culture around us on the one hand; and, at the bare minimum to be desensitized to the moral pollution being offered on the other hand.

Proverbs 4:23 says, “Guard your heart with all diligence, for out of it flows the springs of life.” And Proverbs 25:26 says, “A righteous man who falters before the wicked is like a murky spring and a polluted well.”

We must never forget that Jesus taught the kingdom of God is about righteousness. But righteousness takes intentional effort. Every day we have to make a choice. We either allow ourselves to be guided by the world and its current godless values, or we choose to follow Christ. If we choose to follow Christ we will discover that we must be ever alert and diligent in our efforts.

One of the best ways to battle the world’s influence is to turn off the TV and open your bible. Too many people know more about a current TV series than they do about even one particular book in the bible. But the bible says, “For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he” (Prov 23:7). Let’s fill our hearts with the wisdom and truth of God’s Word.

God loves you and desires for you to experience the joy and beauty that is yours in Christ. And He went to great lengths that we might have His righteousness: “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21).