O You of Little Faith

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anxiety, Faith, fear, Jesus, lacking confidence, love, religion, sin, troubles of this world

Jesus uses the phrase “O you of little faith” 4 times in the book of Matthew (6:30, 8:26, 14:31, 16:8).  All 4 times He directs this admonition at His disciples.  What is it about the disciples that causes Jesus to rebuke them like this?

The Greek work for this phrase is oligopistos, which means and means trusting too little or lacking confidence.  Jesus uses this word twice in response to anxiety (6:30 & 16:8) and twice in response to fear (8:26 & 14:31).  Even though the disciples had traveled with Jesus and watched Him perform multiple miracles, they still did not grasp the power He has over all things.  Their anxieties and fears would get the better of them.  We also see this during the trial and death of Jesus when Peter rejected Him and the disciples were left discouraged and downtrodden at the outcome of the events.

We see this in our own lives too.  We call ourselves Christians, yet we let the troubles of this world bring us down and let anger, frustration, and even depression take hold of us because we get overwhelmed by the problems we face.  We struggle with our sins that are too much for us to overcome and cannot see a way out.  If we would only keep our focus on Jesus and let Him work in and through us.  Jesus is not telling us that we do not have problems or that we do not face dangerous situations.  Rather He is telling us to trust God, believe and have confidence that He will take care of us.

Jesus loved us so much that He came to earth to be beaten, crucified, and killed in order that we may be redeemed and forgiven of all sin.  He loves us so much that He has gone to Heaven to prepare a place for us that will not have any pain or suffering.  He loves us so much He is going to give us a new body without sin and death.  If He loves us that much, will He really leave us here on this earth to struggle alone?

 

Denver O2 Experience

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Gospel, Jesus Christ, Levi Lusko, The Almost, The O2 Experience, Youth Group

The O2 Experience is a great youth program coming to Denver on June 3rd.  Levi Lusko will be presenting the gospel and God’s plan for your life.  The event will also include a concert by The Almost.  If you are teenager or have teenagers I encourage you go to http://www.o2experience.com/events/denver/index.php for more details.

Denver Outlaws Faith Day

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Denver Outlaws, Faith Day, Mile High, Worship

Come join us tomorrow for the Denver Outlaws’ Faith Day! Activities start at 4:00pm at Sports Authority Field at Mile High.

Love Your Enemies?

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forgiveness, Jesus, killing, love your enemies, Matthew, peace, retribution, revenge, Romans, soldiers, War

Jesus commands us to love our enemies (Matt 5:44).  Obedience in this area can be difficult for soldiers.  Many of us have seen evil that is difficult to forget or forgive.  Some have been forced into violent situations and even kill in combating this evil.  Yet, Jesus tells us we are to be peacemakers (Matt 5:9), turn the other cheek (Matt 5:39), and forgive those that have hurt us (Matt 6:14).  How can we do this and be a soldier?

First, we have to understand that Jesus is not saying it is wrong for believers to be soldiers or law enforcement professionals.  Governments are given authority from God (Rom 13:1-2).  As agents of a government we provide a service in protecting people from evil.  Peacemakers seek peaceful solution and sometimes must use violence as tool to maintain peace and security against the evil and sinful nature of man.  What we are not to do is seek our own retribution or revenge.  We are not to let the evil we see breed hate inside of us.  We must recognized that is recognize that even the most evil of men is still just a man consumed by sin and in need of a savior.  But, again I ask how can we love and forgive such evil?

The answer is we cannot, at least not from our own will.  Only the Lord can provide us a heart to forgive those that have perpetrated such evil and violence.  Only the Holy Spirit can create the change in us to forgive all we have seen and experienced.  All we can do is recognize our own sin and struggles and most importantly seek God’s help.  Take our need for a forgiving, loving heart to the Lord in prayer and then pray for the forgiveness and salvation of those that we have fought against.  It will not be easy and we might not feel forgiving or loving right away, but if we keep praying and letting the Holy Spirit work inside of us, we will be healed.

Free Chiropractic Care for Iraq & Afghanistan Veterans

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back pain, Chiropractic, neck pain, Ridge Line Chiropractic, veterian

Ridge Line Chiropractic is offering free neck & back treatments (link) on Fridays for Veterans that have served in Iraq & Afghanistan in the past 5 years.

Commander’s Call Reminder

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fellowship, prayer

Remember veterans and military members to come out to Mile High Calvary tomorrow for our first Commander’s Call. It will be from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm and chance to unwind from the week before going home. We will have refreshments and fellowship!

What is the Sermon on the Mount?

Tags

Beatitudes, Matthew, Sermon on the Mount

In my study of Matthew, I have come to the Sermon on the Mount.  As I am sure I will cover various topics of the Sermon in this blog I felt it important to follow the direction of Bible commentaries and provide and overview of  what the Sermon is and what it is not.  Based on what I have read on this particular scripture there appears to be many incorrect interpretations and applications of Jesus’ teaching.  It is easy for us to latch on to a particular phase or section of the teaching and try to interpret it for our own use (I confess that I have been guilty of this), but as Martin Lloyd-Jones state “unless we have understood and grasped the Sermon on the Mount as a whole, we cannot understand properly any one of its particular injunctions”. (Studies in the Sermon on the Mount, 1960)

The first important point to make is that the teachings presented here are directed at believers.  Notice in Matthew 5:1 it says “When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.” (NASB) Jesus gave this Sermon to His disciples, not the general public.  In order to properly understand the Sermon on the Mount, you need to believe that Jesus died on the cross and was resurrected 3 days later in order to save us from our sins.  By accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you will receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit which will enable you properly understand the teachings given here.

A related point is that this sermon is not the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Many people try to take this part of scripture and build their religion around it, but it fails to fulfill taken by itself.  The Gospel is that even though we are sinners we can be forgiven of our sins and restored to God, by accepting His gift of grace given on by Jesus’ death and resurrection. Trying to gain salvation by following the standards set forth in this teaching is nothing more than a false works based religion and impossible to achieve.

So what is the Sermon on the Mount?  It is the standard of who a Christian should be and how they should live their life.  J. Vernon McGee calls it the “Law lifted to the nth degree.” (Thru the Bible, 1983)  It starts with the Beatitudes which give us the description of Christian character; who we should be.  It then goes into how we should act in relation to the Law, in relation to God, and in relation to others.  The standard is holiness that is achieved through the work of the Holy Spirit.  It does not mean we will not sin, but it does mean that we desire to be like God in His holiness and strive after the standard set in this sermon.

   ”But as He who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct”1 Peter 1:15

Hopefully this very brief overview of the Sermon on the Mount will provide a basic understanding of how to approach this section of scripture.  I encourage you to seek out  a solid commentary in your studies of Matthew.  I highly recommend Studies in the Sermon on the Mount by Martyn Lloyd-Jones for an in depth study of the Sermon.

Commander’s Call

Tags

Commander's Call, fellowship, prayer

Military members and veterans, mark your calendars!  You are invited to join us at Mile High Calvary on Friday, March 30th from 4:30 pm to 5:30 pm for a time of fellowship, prayer, and of course war stories.  Come finish off your week with us!  Refreshments will be provided.

3 Camps

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Herod, Jesus, Religious Leaders, Wise Men, Worship

We have all heard of the story of the wise men coming to visit the baby Jesus after he is born.  There are many different lessons we can get from Matthew’s telling of this story, but one in particular stood out to me the last time I read his account of the visit.  The story lays out 3 camps that people belong to in their relationship to Jesus.

The first camp is that of Herod the king.  Herod was an evil king, obsessed with holding on to power. He even went as far as to murder his wife and brothers to protect his reign.  When the wise men come into Jerusalem and announcing that they are seeking the king of the Jews, Herod is greatly troubled (Matt 2:3).  He see Jesus as a threat to throne and lifestyle and goes as far as to kill on boys under the age of 2 in Bethlehem (Matt 2:16-18).  Many today are just like Herod.  They love their lifestyle and possessions and hate anything to do with Jesus.  The people in this camp go to great lengths to deny Jesus and stamp out any reference to Him.

The next camp is that of the religious leaders.  In the story they are asked by Herod where Christ was to be born (Matt 2:4).  The religious leaders tell him that He will be born in Bethlehem and even quote Micah 5:2.  What is interesting about them is what they do not do.  First, they fail to quote all of Micah 5:2 and leave out the part that refers to Christ’s deity, “whose coming forth is from of old, from ancient days” (ESV).  Second they fail to take any action regarding the birth of the long awaited Messiah.  This large caravan of wise men from the east disrupt all of Jerusalem with the announcement of the birth of the Messiah and the religious leaders go about their business as usual.  This second camp still exists today as people go about their daily life without much though about Jesus and how he fits into their lives.  It is not that they are openly hostile to Jesus, but rather that they are too busy and do not want to be bothered by what it means to be true followers of Christ.  Many in this camp profess to be Christians and even belong to churches, but lack a personal relationship with Jesus.  They want to be seen as religious, but do not want to give up their lives to Christ.

The final camp is represented by the wise men.  They travel hundreds (maybe thousands) of miles seeking Jesus and when they find Him they fall down in worship to Him (Matt 2:11) and give Him gifts.  Those that belong to Jesus fall into this camp.  Our lives are given to Jesus and we are willing to sacrifice to Him.  We may exhibit traits of the other 2 camps from time to time in moments of rebellion, but we understand we are sinners in need of Christ and willingly repent of our sins.

Which camp do you belong to?  If you belong to one of the first two, it is not too late to join the camp of Christ.  Simply go to Him in prayer, confess that your are sinner in need of His salvation, accept His gift of grace that He provided on the cross, recognize Him as your Lord who died and rose again on the third day so that you would be washed of your sins, and then give to Him your whole life and welcome the Holy Spirit into your heart.

God’s War

Tags

angels, Daniel, demons, Ephesians, Persia, spiritual warfare, War

As I was going through the book of Daniel the other day, I came across a episode that did not stand out to me in the past.  It is in Daniel 10.  Daniel had been in mourning for 3 weeks, fasting and praying when an angel came to him in a vision.  Beginning in verse 12 the angel tells him:

“Fear not, Daniel, for from the first day that you set your heart to understand and humble yourself before your God, your words have been heard, and I have come because of your words.  The prince of the kingdom of Persia withstood me twenty-one days, but Michael, one of the chief princes, came to help me, for I was left there with the kings of Persia”  Daniel 10:12-13

God gives us a glimpse of the extent of the war going on in the spiritual world and how we are involved in it.  This war is just as real as the ones we have been fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.  And just like those wars we need to prepare ourselves by training and equipping ourselves for the battles.  Daniel provides the example for us.  God hears our prayers and will answer them, but Satan will do what he can to prevent us from receiving those answers.  What we have to understand is the Satan’s demons cannot stop the messenger, but if we are not prepared we can put ourselves in a position to not receive it.  Daniel studied God’s word, prayed constantly, and kept himself humble to the Lord.  He wore the armor of God that Paul talked about in Ephesians 6.

Anyone that has been combat would not dream of going without all their protective equipment and weapons so why would we go to spiritual battles without it?  Find strength in truth, walk in the righteousness of God, practice the gospel of peace, shield yourself with faith in the Lord, wear His gift of salvation, and arm yourself with the Word of God.  This war is real and we cannot avoid it so be prepared.