Tag: Travis Peterson

1 Chronicles 29:9 – Then the people rejoiced because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely to the Lord. David the king also rejoiced greatly.
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Flying in the face of those religious teachers who claim that God wants to make us all rich so that we can live out our days in luxury while here on earth is the text of holy scripture. Everywhere you turn in the Bible, you see God blessing his people, but not necessarily with the kind of blessings our modern “name it and claim it” preachers would imagine. The blessing is not that the people of God had wealth. The blessing was that the people of God were given the honor of giving the wealth that they had to the service of God.

In 1 Chronicles 29, David was gathering materials for the building of the temple of God in Jerusalem. Though David was not allowed by God to put the house together, he gathered all the materials and made the building plans for his son, Solomon, to follow. In the process, David gave his royal treasury to the work, and he encouraged all the people of Israel to join him in doing this great work that had been given him by God to do. And the people gave. They gave willingly, freely, sacrificially, and joyfully. And when the giving was done and the materials gathered, the word of God tells us that King David and the people rejoiced greatly because they had given to the Lord freely.

It is not popular in our culture for preachers to talk about the need for congregations to give of their income. Of course, many are offended because they have seen the gifts that people given misused and abused by unscrupulous wolves in sheep’s clothing. But let us not deny ourselves the joy that should come from being a truly giving people. Let us learn to give freely, and to experience the blessing of God. No, I am not promising financial blessing for you when you give to the church. I am, however, promising you the same blessing that we see here. When the people of God give freely as an act of worship, they are blessed by God with the overflowing joy that comes when the God of the universe satisfies their souls. That is a joy worth having. So, let’s learn to give to the glory of God and receive joy in the process.

John 7:37-38 – On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and cried out, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.”
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OK, so last time I cited Jesus, he said that no one can come to him unless it is granted to him by the Father (John 6:65). Now, in John 7, Jesus is making an open call for anyone who thirsts to come to him in faith, and anyone who comes to him in faith will have rivers of living water. Jesus says that anyone who is willing to come to him, believing in him, will receive salvation. Are these two thoughts at odds?

Those who would argue against the sovereignty of God in our salvation would say that John 7:37-38 clearly contradicts the idea that God first chooses those who will be saved. They claim that Jesus could not make such a call for people to come to him if in fact God chooses who comes. But let us recognize that Jesus’ words here say nothing about what God is doing here. Jesus’ open call is a promise that all who come to him in faith will receive salvation. No one who believes in election denies that truth. Nor does Jesus’ call eliminate the necessity for anyone who comes to him to have first been given that desire as a gift from God the Father.

One of the major, repeated, and false arguments against those who believe in predestination is that a belief in predestination eliminates a person’s evangelistic fervor. “If we believe that God chooses who will be saved,” the skeptic argues, “why would anyone actually do evangelism at all.” This is a false caricature of the position of those who believe in God’s sovereignty. Jesus, in John 6:65 said that no one (no person at all) can (has the ability to) come to me (believe in Jesus for salvation) unless it is first (before the belief occurs) granted to him (given as a gift) by the Father (God is the author of all human salvation). But that same Jesus boldly stood up in the next chapter of John’s gospel, and called for all who were thirsty to come to him for salvation. He made this call knowing full well that it would take a miracle from the Father for any of them to have the true thirst that would lead them to belief in Jesus and eternal life. Jesus’ evangelism was in no way stifled by his understanding that salvation, including the ability to come to Jesus in faith, is a gift granted by the Father.

“What about the lost person,” the skeptic cries. This passage as well as John 6:65 tells us nothing about them. Those without a thirst for Christ do not come—they do not want to. Instead, God allows them the perfect freedom to do what they desire. However, since the desire of men’s hearts is naturally to oppose God unless God breaks in and gives them the desire to come to him, no one dare accuse God of wrong doing in the case of those who do not come to him. If someone does not come, they have been allowed by God to live as they desire.
So, whether you are a Calvinist or Arminian, you are called by God to follow the model of the Lord Jesus in this passage. You stand boldly before a lost and dying world, and you call for all who are thirsty to come to Jesus and receive life. The only true question is, when people do come, whom do you glorify? Do you give 100% of the credit and glory to God the Father for saving the lost soul? Or, do you give 99.9% of the credit to God, while saving.1% for the person who, by their will, made the right choice? While I love those who disagree with me on this front and would certainly not find this as a reason for the breaking of Christian fellowship, I also believe that the position that says that salvation is all of God from start to finish offers the most glory to God and holds more faithfully to the Bible.

John 6:26-27 – Jesus answered them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you are seeking me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. Do not labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him God the Father has set his seal.”
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Hundreds, perhaps thousands, of pastors all over the US and the rest of the world preach a supposed gospel of prosperity. Look at any person whose gospel message does not include the forgiveness of sin before a holy God, and you will see someone who is, instead, offering to people a false gospel of prosperity. Preachers call on their followers to name and claim their blessings, to explore their wild hearts, or to live their best lives now. However, these preachers miss the main message, a message that Jesus highlights in the passage above.

Immediately after feeding the 5,000, Jesus went to the other side of the lake. The crowds, after realizing where Jesus went, followed him. When they approached Jesus, he rebuked them for seeking him for the wrong thing. They were not seeking the glory of God. They were not seeking the forgiveness of sin. They were not seeking to do the will of the Lord. Instead, they were seeking another free meal. And Jesus, after identifying the false motivation of the crowd, called them on their false motivation and spelled out for them the true gospel.

What you and I should learn from this is simple: Jesus is not interested in calling us to lives of ease. He is not calling us to himself so that we can then turn around and revel and the fleeting pleasures of this life. Jesus is not offering us salvation in order to give us better-behaved children, happier marriages, and financial blessings. Jesus is calling us to himself, plain and simple. He is calling us to find our hearts’ satisfaction in his glory. Jesus is calling us to find forgiveness for our sins in his shed blood. He is calling us to new life in his resurrection. He is calling us to share his cross in order that we might share in his eternity. Jesus is not calling us to a life focused on this world, but one focused on the world to come.

Today, set your mind on things above, and not on earthly things. Set your heart on eternity. Think about heaven and the glory of Christ. Check yourself. Ask, “For what am I living.” Turn from earthly satisfaction, and find ultimate fulfillment in Christ.

(For a nice thought on heaven, read Corey Reynolds’ blog entry at http://wanderlustintheword.blogspot.com/2007/08/what-must-we-do-in-holy-place.html .)

Zechariah 9:9-10 -Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion! Shout aloud, O daughter of Jerusalem! Behold, your king is coming to you; righteous and having salvation is he, humble and mounted on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim and the war horse from Jerusalem; and the battle bow shall be cut off, and he shall speak peace to the nations; his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.
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The passage above is often quoted, not from its context, but from our celebration of Palm Sunday. The prediction of the Lord Jesus entering Jerusalem, humbly seated astride a donkey’s foal is a beautiful image to ponder. What grace. What humility. What gentleness is there seen in the face of the Savior.

We should recognize, however, that to take any passage of scripture out of its original context risks much. When we fail to look back at the passage that is cited, we may lose sight of something crucial that God wants to communicate with us. Take for example the end of verse 10. In the same breath that the prophet pronounces the coming of the Lord on the colt, he says, “his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.”

Take a moment to again ponder that sentence: “his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth.” The Lord was not only predicted to enter Jerusalem on a little donkey. He was also predicted, promised to be the ruler of the entire world. Jesus is not merely the Son of David in the sense of governing Israel on David’s throne, he is promised by God to be the ruler of everything even to the “ends of the earth.”

When all we see is the picture of Jesus on a donkey as God telling us, “See, I told you I was going to do that,” we fail to recognize that God has also promised something else. Jesus entered Jerusalem on that day before his passion. He suffered the wrath of God for the sins of humanity. He rose from the dead, proving that the work he came to do was finished and acceptable to God. He ascended into heaven. And, if verse 9 of Zechariah is true, we also know verse 10 to be true. Jesus will reign. He will reign on this earth. He will reign bodily. And he will rule all the world, from sea to sea and from the river to the ends of the earth. The earth belongs to Jesus Christ.

As you ponder this great reality, see more than a coming conclusion to the affairs of the earth. Yes, see that Jesus will return and set the world right and rule forever, but also see something more. The land on which you live, that is Jesus’ land. The house in which you live, that is Jesus’ house. It does not matter whether you are in the US, Israel, Iraq, China, or Antarctica. “his rule shall be from sea to sea, and from the River to the ends of the earth,” and that rule means that everything is his. You own nothing. You have no rights that Jesus does not give to you. You are a subject living under the reign of the rightful ruler of all things. Maybe we do not yet see Jesus enthroned on David’s throne, but that fact is a mere technicality. Jesus is Lord. The earth is his to rule. Your life is his to command. And the good news is, following your glorious ruler is the one thing in the world that can give your soul true and lasting joy and meaning forever.

John 5:28-29 -Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.
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One of the key doctrines of genuine Christianity is salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone. God teaches us in the Bible that all of us have done evil before him, sinning and falling short of his glory (Romans 3:23). God also teaches us that we have earned an eternal death sentence for that sin, but that Jesus Christ died as our substitute to offer us eternal life (Romans 6:23). The way that we receive that payment for our sins and become right with God is by placing our entire faith for our entire eternity in Jesus and his finished work done on the cross. And the Bible is clear that this faith is what saves us, apart from any righteous works we might perform (John 1:12-13; 3:16; Ephesians 2:8-9, etc.).

So, as a people who understand salvation by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone, we should take a moment to seriously consider the implications of the passage above, John 5:28-29. John, the same biblical author who wrote for us that all who believe in Jesus shall not perish but have eternal life (3:16), here tells us that those who have done good rise to life and those who have done evil are resurrected to judgment. The same author that preaches salvation by grace through faith here indicates that our works are somehow connected to the mix. How?

Like Martin Luther’s struggle between Paul and James, we find ourselves asking the question of whether or not faith saves or if works are necessary. And the answer that we must give here has incredible impact on our eternity. So, let me simply say, without hesitation, that genuine faith in Jesus Christ for the salvation of sins is what saves us. That faith, a gift to us from our God who breaks into our sin-deadened hearts to bring us life, is all that is required for us to be saved, because Jesus Christ, the infinitely perfect and infinitely valuable Son of God, has already done all the work necessary for us.

So what is this stuff written here about works? The answer has been given time and time again, but is worth repeating: “Genuine faith always works.” The simple truth is, if you have true saving faith in Jesus, that faith has come to you because your heart has been changed. If you live with a save, changed, converted heart, you will, without question, live a life that is marked by works of righteousness. Those works do not save you. Those works do not add any merit to you whatsoever. However, those works serve as an evidence for you and for the rest of the world that the faith that you claim is true, genuine, saving faith.

With such a theological discussion in mind, it is worth your time to examine yourself in light of the scriptures. Do you claim to have true faith in Jesus? If you do not have true faith in Jesus, you are not saved, you are still in your sins, and you are destined for an eternal hell suffering the wrath of Almighty God. If you do have genuine faith, your life will look different. Does your life look different? Is your life marked by a genuine interest in the word of God, the people of God, and the glory of God? Is Jesus Christ a treasure to you that outweighs the simple little treasures that the world offers? Is your life marked by love for God and for people? Is your life marked by a commitment to the church, which is called the Bride of Christ? Are you growing in your relationship with God? Examine yourself, and see if your life bears the marks of genuine faith, the mark of good works done for the glory of God.

Minister in a way that will make you happy to review.

Acts 20:17-21

17Now from Miletus he sent to Ephesus and called the elders of the church to come to him. 18And when they came to him, he said to them:
“You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, 19serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; 20how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, 21testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.

Miletus was a town near the sea, about 30 miles from Ephesus. Paul sent to the leadership of the Ephesian church, and asked them to come and meet him there. He only had a little time to spend with them, and so he wanted it to count. The church leaders arrived, and Paul presented his farewell address.

In this opening section of Paul’s farewell address, he reviews his ministry among the Ephesians. That is why I say that we should minister in a way that will make us happy to review. Again, whether you are a pastor, a school teacher, or whatever your career, you should spend your time with people in such a way that, when it is all said and done, you will be happy to look back on it.

One way to minister in a way that will make you happy to review is to minister with transparency in your life. Paul says that the people knew how he lived before them. He was open. He was honest. He did not have any part of his life and ministry that was hidden from the people. And if you want to have a life and ministry that pleases God and makes you happy to review, you need to develop that kind of openness to others. Let others see who you are. Let them see how you live. The stronger you cling to your privacy, the more likely you are to fall into sin, believing that others will never find out about the compromises you make. So, live openly before all people, and you will be taking a step toward a ministry and a life that you can review with joy.

Another thing we see in Paul’s statement is in his next phrase. At the beginning of verse 19, Paul says that he was serving the Lord from the first moment he set foot in Asia. A second key to living a ministry that you will be happy to review is to serve the Lord first and foremost. What I mean by that is that you must serve God, even before you serve people. The Christian life is not about others first. The Christian life is first and foremost about the glory of God. Thankfully, God is honored when we also care for others, and so it is not that you will neglect others for the sake of God. However, if you are going to have your priorities right in ministry, you must have it clearly set in your mind that you are sent out to serve God. It is more important that God be happy with your life and ministry than it is for other people to applaud what you do in serving the Lord.

Paul says that he served the Lord with humility, tears, and trials. The idea here is that Paul most certainly did not serve for his own comfort and ease. The humility that Paul had marked his life as a life given for others and not for his own selfish gain. His tears showed that his heart ached when the name of God was dishonored by the lost, or by those who claimed Christ but who were not living as believers. Paul went through trials and persecutions in many of the cities that he entered. His ministry was not about making himself comfortable. His ministry was about doing the will of God and spreading the Gospel. And, if you want to have a ministry that will make you happy to review, you too will live more for the glory of God than for your own comfort.

In verses 20-21, Paul wraps up his ministry review by pointing out how he taught. This is a central component to having a life and ministry that you will be happy to look back on. Paul says that he did not shrink back from proclaiming anything profitable. He never hid biblical doctrine and teaching. He never held back. Paul proclaimed the truth with boldness. He taught the truth in public and private. He taught the truth to Jews and gentiles. He taught the truth when people wanted to hear it and when they didn’t. He called people to repentance and to faith. Even when people did not want to be thought of as sinners, Paul helped them to see their need to turn from sin and to receive God’s grace through faith in Christ. He boldly, unflinchingly taught the truth; and that made his ministry something he could look back on and smile.

I’m no Paul, and neither are you. But we can all live as Paul did if we will be committed to ministry, and to having a ministry that we can look back on with joy.

1 Corinthians 15:51-52 – Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.
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One of the great weaknesses in our churches today is a lack of true heavenly focus. While many of us still sing hymns or gospel songs that speak of heaven, few of us actually focus on the glory that is to come. Those who sing of heaven are far too often focused on the secondary amenities of heaven—a mansion, streets of gold, gates of pearl, seeing long lost relatives—without truly recognizing the greatness of heaven.

In 1 Corinthians 15, Paul is calling the Corinthians to hope. It is not a hope that things in this life are going to get better and better. He is not calling them to live out a gospel of happiness, health, wealth, and prosperity. Instead, Paul calls them to recognize that, because Jesus has been raised from the dead, we have the hope, the sure promise, that we too will be raised from the dead with him. Paul wants us to remember that, though our bodies get weak and die, they will be changed, instantly, to bodies that do not die, that do not wear out, and that will last forever in the holy presence of God. Paul focuses us on heaven, the real heaven. He does not pretend that we all wear halos and angel wings while playing little harps on Hallelujah Boulevard. Instead, Paul points us to the great and glorious hope of being made new by God that we might live in the presence of God for eternity.

When is the last time you thought of heaven? Were your thoughts of heaven true thoughts? What excited you most about heaven? Were you focused on seeing long dead relatives? Were you wondering if there are golf courses in heaven? Were you looking forward to golden streets? If so, I fear that you were looking too small. You were looking at the window dressing without seeing what really matters. In heaven, we will live, truly eternally live, in the presence of our Lord. We will have our souls truly satisfied and our hearts truly comforted. The comfort of heaven will far outweigh all the pain and suffering that any of us face in this lifetime. That is the picture of heaven that God wants us to have, and it is worthy of much thought and of hopeful, God-centered songs.

Lord, I thank you for heaven. I thank you that I have a promise set before me of a life the glory of which will far outweigh all earthly suffering. I thank you that you will change my body with its flaws and failings to a heavenly, immortal body that will live in your presence for eternity. I thank you for the beauties of heaven. I thank you for the joys to come. I thank you that I will experience wonderful things. But most of all, I thank you that in heaven, I will experience the true satisfaction of beholding your glory forever. Help me, Lord, to remember this picture of heaven. Help me to live in the light of eternity every day.

Hosea 5:15 – I will return again to my place, until they acknowledge their guilt and seek my face, and in their distress earnestly seek me.

The book of the prophet Hosea is a call for Israel to turn away from her sin so as not to incur the judgment of God. Like many of the prophetic books, it contains strong symbolism and powerful warnings. God cautions the people that, if they do not turn away from their sin and idolatry, he will give them over to the wrath that they deserve because of their sin.

In the midst of these warnings, God says what we read above in verse 15 of chapter 5. God intends to withdraw his hand of blessing from the nation until, in their distress, they return to him. This is a common thing for us to see God do in the scriptures. When people refuse to follow God, he often allows them to experience, for a time, the due consequences of their behavior. The goal of this is not for God to feel better about “getting back” at the people for their sin; rather, his purpose is to allow them to see the harshness and emptiness of their lives without him. God allows them to see what life without him is like in order to allow them to call upon him. All the while, God’s intention is that, when the nation does finally call upon him and repent of its sin, he will hear from heaven, forgive their sin, and heal their land (2 Chr. 7:14).

Today, how close do you feel to the Lord? Are you feeling the sweetness of the fellowship that you should have because of a relationship with God through Jesus Christ? If not, ask yourself if you have cause for distress. Is there something in your life that is breaking your fellowship with the Lord? Is there a sinful pattern that you have not given up which might be causing you to feel the distance from your Lord that you ought not feel? Do not become bitter toward God for this distance. Instead, allow yourself to, in your distress, earnestly seek the Lord. He will hear the cry of his children who genuinely seek him. Then, when you return to the Lord, thank him for the distress that has caused you to truly seek his face.