Sheep Food

  It is one of the more profound questions found in our Bibles, and it is directed to ‘Christians’: “If we are dead to sin, how can we go on sinning?” (Rom. 6:2 CEV) The emphasis there should be on that first, 2-letter word ‘if’. Can I just tell you upfront that Romans 6 is one of those chapters that has an incredible amount of ‘truth’ buried beneath the surface there, and is one of those chapters that if you will spend time going over it repeatedly until it ‘clicks’…it can be life changing. (Luke 24:32,45) Paul is laying the groundwork there with the hopes we will come to see that every one of us can be set free and walk in the newness of life…’having died to sin’, and that the ‘body of sin might be done away with’…once and for all. He talks about how we are ‘no longer slaves to sin…having been set free from sin’ and that we ‘were’ at one time ‘slaves to sin’. So the question remains then…’why do so many continue to ‘sin’? And if one does, what did Jesus say that makes them, i...

  Two common mistakes that Christians tend to make when it comes to sharing our faith and explaining the gospel is this: We can easily complicate simple truths, or we try to over-simplify complex truths. It happens all the time. Having stated that…I want to share some thoughts here today that I have shared in the past; but the last thing I want to do is oversimplify a valuable lesson and come across like I’m presenting a ‘How To’ manual on how we actually ‘put to death…the deeds of the flesh’. I’m not here to offer ‘spiritual formulas’; rather…share more scripture and liberating truths that I have come to not only learn myself…but even more importantly…experienced myself. Truth be told…I can honestly say now that I’ve been around ‘long enough’ to have learned a few things…and seen even more. I will also say that you will never hear me profess that I have it ‘all figured out’; but gosh…what little I have come to learn has been life transforming for me. Something else I have witness...

  Here’s a *News Flash* for all those who may have not read the rest of the ‘memo’: God did not just send Jesus to pay off our ‘debt of sin’ by forgiving us of our sins; He came to set all men free from sin where they could actually ‘go and sin no more’ (John 5:14; 8:11; 1 John 5:18). I mean really…what’s the point in sending a plumber and clean-up crew to remove all the standing sewage that has spilled into your yard…if the broken pipe that lead to the stinking mess is not repaired? Yeah…go read that one more time, aloud. That passage in John’s gospel that ‘sparked’ these blog posts nearly five years ago is quite an indictment made by Jesus: “I tell you most assuredly: whoever commits sin is a slave to sin” (8:34). That’s the same passage where He was promising those in His audience that they could know the truth and the truth would set them free (32). And what was the first thing out of the mouths/hearts of those who heard this? “Oh…we’ve never been in bondage to anyone, so ho...

  “Then Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness… and every disease… among the people. But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd.” (Matt. 9:35-36) That portion of text gets me every time. The mission of Jesus was simple, and His message was clear and direct. He came to help hurting people, wanting to heal them and set them free. And He never held back when it came to teaching them why they were hurting, and who had them bound. “Repent…and follow Me.” That was the condensed version. Like Paul, Jesus did not come with the enticing words of men’s wisdom and intellect; rather He was anointed by God with the Holy Spirit and power in order to heal all who were oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38). Paul echoed this sentiment when he made it clear that he too…did not come with excellence of s...

  About those ‘paradigms’ we talked about yesterday…here’s a pretty common one that many sincere ‘believers’ subscribe to: “I’m a sinner saved by grace.” Would you align yourself with that statement, or not? Or maybe you have just always been led to believe that ‘Christians’ are simply ‘saints who sin’. After all…Christians aren’t perfect, just forgiven, right?  The assumption here, of course, is that one who views or sees themself remaining 'as a sinner' must continue to live as a 'sinner'...because they continue to sin?  Maybe not as 'bad' or as 'often' as they 'once did'...but still... If that is your paradigm, or set of ‘spiritual lenses’ you have always viewed this Christian life through…what would it take to get you to take a ‘second look’ and maybe reconsider that a ‘paradigm shift’ might be needed in our churches today? And it really wouldn’t require some heavenly sign from above to get our attention…since it’s already laid out in our...

  In the Book of James, the reader is challenged towards the end of the 5th chapter with a series of questions along with a ‘remedy’ to their pressing problems. I’m paraphrasing here, so I’d encourage you to read the passage in its full context (5:13-16) Is anyone among you…suffering? Is anyone among you…sick? Here’s a suggestion- why not try confessing your sins to one another…and pray for one another…that you may be healed. In fact, you might even just call for the elders of your church assembly and let them pray over you, even anointing you with some oil in the name of the Lord. And guess what? That prayer offered in faith will raise you up. And if that person has committed sins, they will be forgiven, provided they confess and repent of them (implied). In John’s gospel, we read about a man who had been an invalid for 38 years. Jesus came upon him, asked him if he wanted to be made well, and then healed his body instantly, where he was able to get up and walk. (John 5:1-9). It...