Your True Worth

One day a man walked into a thrift store and purchased what he thought was a replica of the Declaration of Independence. The purchase price? $2.48. Unknown at that time, was that this was no replica. It was one of only 200 copies of the Declaration of Independence that John Quincy Adams had made. It's real value? One-half Million dollars.

You see, this copy was undervalued. Perhaps in your life, you have been undervalued too. Perhaps many times. By many people. You may even believe it yourself.

You've been called names.
You've been rejected.
You've been ignored.
You've been mistreated.

And just like that copy of the Declaration of Independence, people have no idea of what you are worth.

But someone knows - God knows.

In a moment of time, God sent His Son, born as a man, to pay the penalty for your sins. John 3:16 reads, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

Today, as we approach Christmas, we realize that Christmas is not lights and trees and presents. Christmas is God's gift to you - all you need to do is accept the gift.

You Are Worth It

Far too often we are not valued by others. We've been called names. We've been rejected. We've been ignored. We've been mistreated. Perhaps this has happened so often, that you have begun to believe it yourself. People have no idea of how much you are worth.

But there is someone who knows exactly how much you are worth - God.

You see, in a moment of time, God came down from heaven, born as a man to pay the penalty for yours and my sins. In John 3:16-17 we read, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him." That is how much you are worth.

As the holidays draw near and we think of lights and trees and presents, do not forget what happened that Christmas day two thousand years ago. God showed His love for you by sending Jesus. This is God's gift to you. And all you need to do is accept the gift.

God Knows Your Potential

We first meet Saul (later known as Paul) at the stoning of Stephen (Acts 7). Then in Acts 8 we read that Saul 'Saul approved of their killing him'. Later in Acts 9, we find Saul again 'still breathing out murderous threats against the Lord’s disciples.' Saul has in his hands 'arrest warrants' for which he intends to round up all Christians.

However, during his journey to Damascus, Saul is surrounded by a bright light - the glory of God. Saul encounters Jesus face-to-face. This same Saul is now given a new job - instead of persecuting Christians, Saul is to take the message of the Gospel to the Gentiles.

You see, we can never be sure of who God will call. We can never really know what God is doing, or may do in someone's life. You may not know, but God does. And He knows your potential - God knows the plans for you. After all, God knew you when you were in your mother's womb.

Saul was a proud, murderous Pharisee intent on crushing all Christians. No one could have been more unlikely to be used by God, yet Saul was chosen to deliver the Gospel message and became perhaps the greatest evangelist of all time.

God is perfectly capable of using anyone - including you.

Jesus, Our Advocate

Stephen was one of seven men selected to be the first church 'deacons.' Stephen is described as a man 'full of God's grace and power.' As Stephen shared the Gospel message, he is met with intense opposition. Stephen is falsely accused of blasphemy and brought before the Sanhedrin. During the trial, as his accusers looked at Stephen, they saw the face of an angel - the very reflection of God. (Acts 6-7).

The council was furious and gnashed their teeth. Stephen was brought outside to be stoned. Stephen, full of the Holy Spirit gazed into Heaven and saw the Glory of God.

But take note - Stephen saw Jesus standing at the right hand of God. Jesus was not sitting, He was standing. Jesus stood up for Stephen as his advocate.

You see, we will all stand before the judgment seat of God. And if Jesus is not your advocate, if you have not accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, then you stand alone.

For Stephen, Jesus stood as his advocate. And Jesus will do that for you too. All you need to do is believe that Jesus died for your sins and that God raised Him from the dead (Romans 10:9).

Saved From the Mine

Last month the world watched as 33 miners, trapped over 2,000 feet below ground, were successfully rescued. The result of a collapsed mine, the 33 men were trapped for over 60 days while crews drilled a shaft wide enough to lower a metal capsule by which the men could be raised to the surface.

During the time the men were trapped, they were separated from friends, from family and their loved ones. Sin in our lives is like being trapped in that collapsed mine. Sin results in us being separated from God. And just like the miners, we cannot rescue ourselves. The miners could not dig their way out of the mine. They needed help from above. In our sinful state, we are unable to rescue ourselves. No amount of work will raise us to the surface and get us right with God. Instead we need help from above.

Our help comes In Jesus Christ. Sent by God to take the punishment for our sins, Jesus is the only way out of the collapsed mine that is our sinfulness. And just like the miners, who to be rescued need to get into the metal capsule, we need to grabbed onto Christ to be saved. For the miners, the capsule was the only way and to not climb in would mean dying in the mine. For us, Jesus is the only way and to not accept Him as Lord and Savior, means to die in our sins. To die in our sins means to spend eternity separated from God.

The capsule has arrived, Jesus has come to take the punishment for your sins. But you must hold on to Jesus. Your life depends upon it.

Repent or Perish

In Luke 13, Jesus tells us about the Tower at Siloam which fell and killed 18 people. Jesus asks the question, "do you think they were more guilty than all the others living in Jerusalem?" Jesus then answers His question, "I tell you, no! But unless you repent, you too will all perish."

There are some who believe that disaster is the result of sin. Consider Job and his three friends. When disaster struck Job, his friends were certain it was due to some sin that Job had committed.

Jesus, in His response, tells us that no one is mo of a sinner than any other. We are all sinners and Jesus calls us to repent - otherwise we will perish, just like the people at Siloam. However this is not just a physical death. This is a spiritual death - complete separation from God for eternity.

We are all facing death and what we learn from the people at Siloam, is that you may not have time to repent. So you must repent now. To delay will mean to perish.

Our Redeemer Lives

The Book of Job is perhaps one of the oldest books in the Bible. Now Job, is a wealthy farmer with thousands of sheep and cattle. Job is an upright and blameless man who prays for his family continuously.

Satan however is unimpressed accusing God of blessing Job to obtain Job's worship. A contest ensues and Satan attacks Job's possessions and then Job's health. Throughout this ordeal, Job refuses to "curse God and die." Even Job's so-called "friends" accuse Job of sinning.

Eventually Job inquires of God as to why these things have happened, but God turns the table, submitting Job to a series of questions. In the end, Job realizes the answer - we must learn to trust God. His purposes are beyond our understanding. God allows human suffering for His own purposes. In all things, we must know, as Job states, that "Our redeemer lives."

God Can Use Anyone

The Book of Ruth is one of only two books in the Bible named for women (the other is Esther). Also, when you read through Jesus' genealogy, you will find Ruth mentioned along with four other women (Tamar, Rahab, Bathsheba, and Mary are the others). Women were not usually mentioned in the genealogies at that time. But this only shows how God does the unexpected and chooses the unlikely to fulfill His plans.

So, why is Ruth mentioned in Jesus' genealogy? After all, Ruth is a Moabite. Now, a Moabite is a descendant of Moab. When Lot and his family escaped the destruction of Sodom, Lot's wife turned to look back and was turned into a pillar of salt. After the destruction, there were no men around, so Lot's daughters devised a scheme. They each got their father drunk and 'lay with him.' The resulting pregnancies and births of sons resulted in Moab and Benammi. The Moabites and the Ammonites respectively. These two groups of people, the result of incest were cursed by God.

Which brings back to Ruth. Ruth is the daughter-in-law of Naomi. Naomi is becomes a widow. The Naomi's two sons die. This leaves Ruth and Orpah also widows. Orpah moves on to look for a husband while Ruth stays with Naomi saying, 'Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.'

Ruth eventually meets and marries Boaz. They have a son named Obed. Obed then becomes the father of Jesse, who is the father of David.

In Ruth we find that we can trust God to provide what we need, when we need it. In Ruth we find that God can use anyone - no matter who they are or their situation.

For Such a Time as This

When we find ourselves in difficult situations, it may be to accomplish something good. This is a lesson we learn from a young Jewish girl in the Old Testament book of Esther.

Esther, is a young Jewish girl who lives with her uncle, Mordecai, after the death of her parents. When King Ahasuerus is looking for a new queen, he commands that all beautiful virgin girls be brought to his harem. Esther is among those chosen and soon finds favor with the king. Esther is made the new queen.

Haman, the an official in the king's court, dislikes the Jews and plots to have all of them killed. Mordecai, upon hearing of the plot, contacts Esther and asks her to speak to the king. Esther, realizing that perhaps she has been placed in this situation, "for such a time as this" goes to see the king. Seeking an audience with the king can mean death if the does not grant the audience.

This time, the king listens to Esther and puts an end to the plot and orders Haman to be hanged. The Jewish holiday of Purim, celebrates this story.

Always remember, that in any situation, no matter how dire, God can use you to accomplish something good.

Second Chances

When we fail God, does He give us a second chance?

For our answer, we need only look as far as Peter in the New Testament. In Matthew 26, we read of Peter's declaration that "Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away." Jesus then tells Peter that he would deny Christ three times which we read about in Matthew 26:69-75. When Peter denies Jesus for the third time, "he went out and wept bitterly."

Fortunately, that is not how it ends. God provides Peter and us, with a second chance. In John 21:15-19, Jesus asks Peter, "Do you love Me?" Peter responds, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you."

Yes, God gives us second (and third) chances. God's desire is to take us from where we are, and bring us to where He wants us to be. In the face of failure, don't give up - God is not finished with you.

Easter Message

In John 20, we read about a tomb. This one is empty. Jesus has been crucified and He has been buried. Mary Magdalene arrives at the tomb only to find the stone removed and the tomb empty. In John 20:11 we read, "but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over to look into the tomb and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot.
They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"

When we are faced with some crisis, when our walk with Christ doesn’t seem especially joyful, it in some ways it might have felt like how Mary felt looking into the empty tomb. It may seem like things do not make sense. We may even ask the question, “Why does God allow this to happen?” We must remember that God is working out all the details and He makes no mistakes.

As Christians, we are often tempted to be discouraged or depressed when faced with situations that may seem insurmountable or uncontrollable. But Paul tells us in Philippians 4:4, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!" And he wrote this while in prison.

Perhaps like Mary, we peer into an empty tomb. But that can be a good thing. When we are discouraged, look to the tomb. Instead of weeping, we should be rejoicing. The empty tomb is a sign of our hope. It is the sign of our new life. It shows us that nothing can prevent the plans of God.

Two Crosses

When Jesus was crucified, there were two other men crucified alongside. The first criminal hurled insults at Jesus stating, "Aren't you the Christ? Save yourself and us!" The second criminal rebuked him saying, "Don't you fear God," he said, "since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong." (Luke 23:39-41)

The first criminal did not acknowledge his guilt and remained in his sin. The second criminal recognized his guilt and reached out to Jesus saying, "Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom." Jesus answered him, "I tell you the truth, today you will be with me in paradise." (Luke 23:42-43)

Each man eventually dies and stands before God to give an account of himself. The first man stands alone. The second man stands with Jesus as his substitute.

Just as each of these two men, each of takes our place on either side of Christ. The one that we identify with, the one that represents your view of Christ will indicate where you will spend eternity.

The Man

In October, 1555, two men were being led from Bocardo Prison in England. Hugh Lattimer and Nicholas Ridley had been imprisoned for refusing to recant their faith in Jesus Christ. However, today they were not being released, but led to the town square were they would be burned at the stake.

As they approached the stakes, Lattimer turned to his companion and said, "Be of good cheer Ridley, Play the man."

We sometimes look to athletes or other hero-types and declare that 'they are the man!' In John 19, we read of Jesus appearing before Pontius Pilate. After being scourged, Jesus is brought before the crowds to which Pilate states, "Behold, the man!'

What Pilate didn't realize, but Jesus was indeed, 'The Man.' Jesus represented all that we could or should be. Our dads are imperfect as are any of the male figures in our lives. And while we are not perfect, we still have the responsibility to 'play the man.' But when in comes to declaring someone as 'the man' we should look to Jesus as our example.

Straining Towards the Goal

Jimmy Johnson was the coach of the Dallas Cowboys and in 1989, his first year of coaching the team, they had a record of 1 win and 15 losses making them the worst team in the NFL.

Philippians 3:13 tells us, "Brothers, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead..." And that is exactly what Jimmy Johnson coached. Learn from mistakes - but don't dwell on them and when you lose, plan for the next win.

As we strain toward the goal of living like Christ, we must cast off the old self and put on the new person. Forgetting what is behind, and strain toward what lies ahead.

Eventually the Cowboys won the Super Bowl in 1993 and 1994, 4 years after going 1-15.

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Knocked Down But Not Knocked Out

Emmitt Smith was a running back in the NFL for 15 years, most of them with the Dallas Cowboys. In his career he ran for over 18,000 yards - that works out to over 10 miles. Considering the number of actual running plays, Emmitt Smith average 4 yards per carry. This means that each time Emmitt ran he was knocked down every 12 feet (on average). And in spite of being tackled every 12 feet, he still managed to amass over 10 miles of yardage in his career.

The apostle Paul wrote his second letter to Timothy while in prison, presumably awaiting execution. Paul had been beaten, stoned and shipwrecked, all for preaching the Gospel. Yet he writes to Timothy, in verse 7, "I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith."

Paul's words and Emmitt Smith's career show us that there is a difference between being knocked down and being knocked out.

The enemy, Satan wants us to quit. He wants to knock us out of the game. Keep your eyes focused on the goal, knowing that with Christ's help, you may be knocked down, but you will not be knocked out.

Facing the Giants

In First Samuel 17:1-54 we read about David and Goliath. Now to set up the story, the people of Israel are facing off with their dreaded enemy the Philistines. The two armies are on opposite sides of a valley. Then, the Philistine army steps apart and out comes Goliath. A huge man, nearly 10 feet tall carry 200 pounds of armament - a sword, spear, shield and armor. As Goliath approaches, he taunts the army of Israel.

Enter David, the youngest of his brothers, he is carrying supplies. David does not understand why the other soldiers are just standing around. He knows that God is with him and so, decides to confront Goliath. Goliath laughs but David is not intimidated.

David loads his slingshot, takes aim and hits Goliath right between the eyes. David then takes Goliath's sword and beheads the giant. The Philistines flee with the army of Israel in pursuit.

We face our own Goliaths everyday. So what can we learn from David?

1. Facing giants is an intimidating experience - remember, Goliath towered over David.

2. Doing battle is a lonely experience. Your Goliaths are your Goliaths. They may not be gigantic to anyone else, but they are gigantic to you. The battle is for you and God to fight - together. Friends can stand with you , but you must cross the battle line yourself.

3. Trust in God - David was calm knowing that God was with him.

4. Remember your victories- when the next battle comes, you will remember how God was with you.

Thanks to Chuck Swindoll's book titled, David: A Man of Passion and Destiny.

Lessons from Nehemiah

When the Babylonians sacked Jerusalem and took many of the people captive, Nehemiah was among the captives. Nehemiah became "Cupbearer to the king" which really meant he was the king's food tester. But God gave Nehemiah another task - go back to Jerusalem and rebuild the wall.

The task was enormous - not only were the walls destroyed, but the volunteers were unskilled in repairing stone walls, Nehemiah's enemies were all around and there was no shortage of criticism.

But Nehemiah persevered - he established some guidelines. Everyone was responsible for the section of wall directly in front of them. They made sure that they help each other. To combat the enemies, the workers held their tools in one hand and there sword in the other. Finally, they focused on their goal - to rebuild the wall. Eventually the wall was completed - to which God got all the glory.

Here are some lessons we could learn from Nehemiah (From Chuck Swindell - Nehemiah: A Model of Pioneer Determination):

1. Never let life's difficulties surprise you - problems will come.

2. Be positive - remember God is in control - focus on building the wall.

3. Fight your battles in prayer.

4. Don't do this alone - a cord of three strands is not easily broken.

Temptation

After Jesus' Baptism, He was taken by the Holy Spirit to the wilderness. Satan tempted Jesus three ways: physical (hunger), Pride (testing God) and Possessions (all these things). First Satan challenged Jesus, "If you are the Son of God." We can expect to be tempted in much the same ways. And it is important to realize that Satan will indeed challenge us - "If you are truly a Christian" or "Do you really think you can make a difference?" or "Has God really promised?"

Don't be surprised that as you make strides in your walk with Christ, that Satan will rise up and challenge you. When that happens, look to Christ and what He modeled for us - turn to Scripture. Remember, when you resist Satan, he will flee.

Love

John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

The Bible shows us that love is an action. Love comes from the heart and shows care and concern for others. We love others because we know exactly who they are and we love them just the same.

God loves us not because of what we try to do or to be. God loves us because He knows exactly who we are.