In the book of Acts there is a great story told about Paul while he was a prisoner on a ship (27:13-25). He was going to Rome to stand trial before Caesar. This story would make a great movie scene. There is much drama, hardship, and uncertainly, but ultimately, victory.

As the ship heads for sea, the weather is calm. Unfortunately, not long into the journey they are confronted with a terrible storm they called a Euroclydon. Apparently this is the equivalent of a north-easter, or for us in the South, a hurricane! Because of the fierce winds, the crew is forced to let the storm drive the ship where it will.

At some point in this terrible adventure the crew spots an island where they believe they can find shelter. For a brief moment they struggle as they attempt to port the beleaguered ship. For a moment, hope swirls in the air. Unfortunately, it was a false hope as the winds take the ship back out into open seas. As the coast disappears from their view, so does their hope.

In response to their dire situation, the crew throws over their supplies in hope to lighten the ship. However, after a few days without food and no break in the storm, the crew and passengers on the ship sink into despair. But when all seems lost, God shows up.

An angel comes to Paul in the night and gives him a message from the Lord. The message is that the ship will be lost, but the Lord will spare the life of all on board. Then Paul says, “Therefore take heart, men, for I believe God that it will be just as it was told me” (25).

I love Paul’s unwavering faith! God gave him a word of Hope; he then stands in the middle of the storm on a sinking ship, and boldly proclaims that all will be well. God has spoken, how can it be otherwise?

This story mimics what can happen in our own lives! Sometimes it seems as if we are on a sinking ship with no hope in sight. There are wars, economic uncertainties, sicknesses, political instability, yet in the midst of it all, we have a word of hope from our great God and Savior, Jesus! He promised that He will never leave us nor forsake us. He promised that He will be closer than a friend. He promised to lend us His strength, to fill us with His love, accompany us with His Spirit, and guide the course of our lives. The reality is that He knows how to bring our sinking ship to a safe haven.

So, whenever we feel as if we are in a storm that threatens to take all, instead of sinking into despair, we need to remember the words of Paul, “Take heart! For I believe God…”

Does it ever seem as though things are going all wrong? Your doctor tells you what you did not want to hear; something happens to a loved one; an unexpected bill shows up in the mail and was due two days ago. The list could go on and on. The question is what do we do during such times?

There is an interesting verse in Isaiah 50:10-11. It reads, “Who among you fears the Lord? Who obeys the voice of His Servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the Lord and rely upon his God. Look, all you who kindle a fire, who encircle yourselves with sparks: Walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks you have kindled – This you shall have from My hand: You shall lie down in torment.”

At first glance this seems to be a harsh rebuke. But upon closer inspection, it is nothing of the sort. God is speaking to people who are in a spiritually dark valley. He describes them as one who “walks in darkness and has no light.” He does give them a warning, but the warning is to trust in Him and wait for Him to act on their behalf.

When He says, “Look all you who kindle a fire,” He is referring to people who attempt to take matters into their own hands. These are the “fixers”… those who believe they have the ability, wisdom, and resources to get themselves out of the valley. They are attempting to break the darkness with their own efforts at making light (a spark).

The contrast, then, is between such people and those who wait upon the Lord. The implication is that the one who waits upon the Lord will eventually walk in the true light, which is a far greater light than the measly little “spark” we can generate through our own efforts.

If we seek to walk by our own efforts, all we can expect is more uncertainty, suffering, and hardship. God describes such a person as the one “who will lie down in torment.” The point is that our efforts cannot relieve our distress. A person who does not wait on the Lord will not experience the deliverance they seek. God will allow us to act on our behalf – if for no other reason than we learn that our little sparks of effort are nothing compared to His immeasurable and powerful light.

The point is that we should never become impatient when we seem to be in a dark valley. Our great God and Savior knows all our needs. Instead of taking matters into our own hands, we are encouraged to trust in the name of our Lord and rely upon our God. Sometimes that can be the most difficult thing to do; but according to this verse, it is the wisest thing we can do.

I am sure we can all think of a time when we attempted to “fix” a bad situation and made it worse. That’s exactly what the Lord is encouraging us not to do. My “fixes” become my “torment.” But His light becomes my salvation.

Walking with God is not for the faint of heart! It can be hard to wait upon the Lord, but it is always worth it! The next time you are in the dark attempting to make pitiful little sparks, remember this great promise:

“But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

This past week I was sitting around and thinking about our worship service last Sunday. I thought about how great the choir sounded when they were singing the anthem. I thought about how good Betsy and Matthew played during the offertory. I thought about how well the congregation sounded when they were praising the Lord. I thought about how good God is and how He loves us enough to send His Son to die for our sins, give us eternal life, and allow us to enter His presence and worship Him.

As I was thinking about all that went on during worship, a smile began to stretch across my face. The church is joyously worshiping the Lord and it is so exiting to be a part of it. But it also made me think about all that God has provided for us. When I went home after worship, I turned on the news. Maybe that was not the best idea, but the contrast could not have more stark.

The world is filled with chaos and uncertainty. From the new war in Libya, to rising gas prices, to the earthquake in Japan, there seems to be much unrest in the world. As I watched all those unsettling things pass across the screen, I realized that I was not in a state of unrest. My heart was filled with God’s peace. I was in a state of rest. I realized that my present state of mind was a result of being with the body of Christ worshiping the Lord of Glory.

As I pondered the contrast, I was reminded of the vision God has given us about heaven. In the book of Revelation we are told about all the people who are before the throne worshiping the Lord (Rev 7:9-12). Then I realized that this vision is given in the midst of one of the most grueling books of the Bible. All through the book we see a fallen world under the spiritual influence of the evil one waging war against God. Yet despite the unrest of the world’s affairs, God’s people are safely placed before the throne of the Lamb. While the world rages, God’s people worship.

Worship is a great gift from our Father. It is a promise of things to come. It is also a reminder that God is our refuge and fortress. He knows His own and is able to deliver His children. And oh how He has delivered us! Jesus died so we may be free from the bondage of the world, sin, and death. He rose from the dead so we may have eternal life with the Lord. He ascended to the right hand of the Father so we may be filled with God’s grace, mercy, and love. He rules over the heavens so we may enter His presence in worship and find rest for our souls.

God loves us more that we can ever imagine!

Jesus said some hard things that should get our attention. Here is a sampling:

“Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and not do what I tell you? Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few.” (Luke 6:46, 11:23; Matt 7:13-14).

Fifteen college professors who taught human motivation were asked to write a concise statement on human motivation. After hours of study, they said: “What the mind attends to, it considers. What the mind does not attend to, it dismisses. What the mind attends to continually, it believes. What the mind believes, it eventually does.”

In short, we practice what we believe. I don’t think we need college professors to tell us something so basic, yet how many of us claim to “follow” Christ when, in fact, we barely give Him the time of day?

I am thankful for God’s grace. I realize how far short of His glory I truly fall. Yet, one thing I do, I strive (imperfectly) to walk with Christ. Walking takes time and effort. If you walk far enough, you might get tired. Sometimes walking with Christ can be tiring because those who do discover the resistance that comes from the flesh, the world, and the evil one.

It can be hard to love as God commanded. It can be hard to forgive others. It can be hard to flee from sin. It can be hard to be thankful for God’s mercy, grace, love, and forgiveness. It can be hard to open up the Bible and actually study God’s Word as we are expected to do. It can be hard to actually apply the Bible to our lives. It can be hard to actually worship in spirit and truth. It can be hard to be a part of the church fellowship where we love unconditionally and daily encourage each other in our walk with Christ. It can be hard to be a servant and actually use the spiritual gifts that God provides. It can be hard to share the gospel with lost people. In short, it can be hard to “follow” Christ as he demands – but demands He does!

Belief always translates into practice. If you are a Christian, quit fooling around with half measures and get on board! 🙂

Christian author and speaker S. D. Gordon said, “In every man’s life there is a throne. And when self is on the throne, Christ is on the cross. But when Christ is on the throne, self is on the cross.”

As we think about our Christian walk it is wise to occasionally do an inventory of our heart. It is a great truth that we war against principalities and powers; but it is equally true that our hearts are prone to wonder. Often times the sin that so easily besets us has very little to do with the world as much as it does with the condition of our heart.

The bible says that God “has put eternity into man’s heart (Eccles 3:11). I think that this attribute of our heart was created to be the throne where God reigns over our life. But often times we don’t allow God to fill that space, but instead we attempt to fill it ourselves.

Unfortunately we do not have the capacity to do that. When it is not filled properly by God’s Spirit then we are left incomplete with a sense of longing and emptiness. But instead of turning to God through Christ, we often seek to fill that space with our own ambitions and desires. In the end all we get for our trouble is a more intense longing and feelings of emptiness.

One of the great promises of God, however, is that we can enter His rest (Matt 11:28; Heb 4:9-10). When a person rests in Christ, they don’t experience longing and emptiness. They experience peace and joy. It is said that such a person rests from all their labors. As such they no longer are striving to fill that eternity in their hearts through their own efforts.

Only God has the capacity to fill that special place. He designed it that way. If your heart is troubling you today, could it be that you are trying to fill it yourself? Remember it’s a bottomless pit! It’s a place of eternity. No matter how much you put in there, it will never be enough to fill it. Only God can do that.

The good news is that the promise still stands. Jesus invites us today to enter His rest. We can stop striving and simply invite Him into the place that He was meant to fill, and experience His peace and rest.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls” (Matt 11:28-29).

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.