My friend Frank Viola has just released a new book called God’s Favorite Place on Earth that could literally change your relationship with God, help you defeat bitterness, free you from a guilty conscience, and help you overcome fear, doubt and discouragement once and for all.
This is a book that will jar you out of your “Christian rut” and give you new eyes for looking at EVERYTHING. It’s a quick, inspiring, and entertaining read.
In addition, if you get the book between May 1st to May 7th, you will also get 25 FREE GIFTS from 15 different authors including Jeff Goins, DeVern Fromke, Pete Briscoe, Frank Viola himself, and me. Order Frank’s book this week and you will get a copy of my book Love Is.
Over 47 Christian leaders have recommended the book, including me.
Here is my endorsement for “God’s Favorite Place on Earth.”
“This book fastened my heart and mind on Jesus Christ. I count it as Frank Viola’s best work. His passion for and love of Jesus Christ are on full display. But more importantly, Jesus Christ is on full display. The setting is Bethany, a little village atop the Mount of Olives. The story is told by Lazarus. It is powerful and moving. Be prepared to step into the story, to take a place in Bethany and encounter Jesus like never before.”
The premise of the book is simple and 100% Biblical: when Jesus was on the earth, He was rejected everywhere He went . . . from Bethlehem, to Nazareth, to Jerusalem. The only exception was the little village of Bethany.
The curtain opens with Lazarus, who is now ready to die, telling the incomparable story of Jesus’ interactions with him, Martha, and Mary. God’s Favorite Place on Earth blends drama, devotion, biblical narrative, and first-century history to create a riveting book that you’ll find difficult to put down. Within each narrative, the common struggles Christians face are addressed and answered.
Go to GodsFavoritePlace.com to claim your 25 FREE GIFTS, read a Sampler of the book, and watch the gripping video trailer.
Blog
What is Holding You Back?
At some point in your life, you responded to the Gospel. At that moment you experienced new birth. You were made alive. New life in Christ is now yours.
The encouragement of Scripture is that you take hold of the eternal life to which you were called (1 Timothy 6:17). The Christopher translation reads, “Grab it and live it.”
It sounds so good and simple. It’s what you want.
What is holding you back?
Here are three issues I’ve wrestled with.
- Fear of the unknown – New life is just that, new. That means it’s different, unfamiliar and requires change. Change is not something we take to readily, because we are not sure of the benefits. Turn that fear into faith. Trust the One who loves you and gave His life for you. His life is the best, nothing can compare.
- What will other people think of me – The opinions of others are very important to us. What they think matters. I certainly don’t want people to think I’m a religious fanatic. I read this quote recently: “It’s been said that when people are free to do as they please, they usually imitate one another.” What really matters is what God thinks. His opinion is better than anyone else’s. Trust what He has to say.
- Does the world have something better to offer – The world is an attractive place on the surface. It markets itself very well. For longest time I was “Mr. Noncommittal.” I was always waiting for something better to come along. The world doesn’t offer anything that can compare to Christ. The only way to find out is to take hold, jump in and live. It takes courage, but experiencing His life is worth everything.
Have you wrestled with any of these issues? Are there other issues that have held you back?
We are talking about this on the radio program today. Call with your story or questions. The number is 800-677-9377. Or post your questions in the comment section.
You Can Say "No" to Sin…
“So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16). Learning to say “no” is the by-product of saying “yes” to the Spirit.
It is important to understand this distinction. So many well-intentioned believers spend a life time trying to overcome sin in their lives. They wake up each morning with this prayer on their lips: “Lord, please help me to not sin today.” At the end of the day, they look back only to see their prayer went unanswered.
A better prayer is this: “Lord, teach me to abide in you and to follow the leading of God’s Spirit in my life.” God’s Spirit is never going to lead you into sin. He leads you to trust in the Lord, to live righteous and upright lives. He leads you to love and serve others. In living out the Spirit’s work in your life, you will automatically be saying “no” to sin. Peter put it this way:
His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 2 Peter 1:3-4
Walking in the Spirit is trusting God to complete the work He began in you. You can count on Him to complete this task, even when you do not fully cooperate. This is His promise: “For those God foreknew He also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son…”
When we do get off course, and we will, the Holy Spirit merely recalculates our journey and continues His work in conforming us to the image of His Son. He does so without condemnation. Nor does He manipulate us with fear or guilt to get us back on track. He uses our mistakes, reminding us of the forgiveness we have in Christ, and works them together for our good. He comforts our hearts with this amazing promise: “that He who began a good work in you will carry it on to completion until the day of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 1:6)
You are not alone on your journey. Jesus is there with you every step of the way. Trust Him, rely upon Him, and live out what He is working in your life. When you do you will be saying “no” to sin and “yes’ to the will of God.
Do You Want to Be Amazed and Awed?
Look back at your life. As you do, ask the Lord to show you the ways in which His love changed you. You will be amazed and awed. When you needed patience, He was patient with you. When you needed kindness, something beneficial and useful, God acted on your behalf. When the lies of the world were pressing you down, God’s truth prevailed bringing freedom and peace to your soul. During all the trial and tribulations you experienced, God’s protection brought you through and provided an anchor for your soul.
There has never been a time in your life when God gave up on you. His love endured.
That’s the power of God’s love.
Paul had a moment in his life when he looked back. Romans 8:31-39 was his conclusion concerning God’s love.
“What, then, shall we say in response to this? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare His own Son, but gave Him up for us all–how will He not also, along with Him, graciously give us all things? Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died–more than that, who was raised to life–is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written: “For your sake we face death all day long; we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.” No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
Notice the impact of God’s love on Paul. He walked through life knowing that God was for him. He lived expecting God to provide his every need. The charges levied against him by the accuser rolled off his back as he stood in the righteousness of God. He lived as a conqueror through Christ who loved him dearly. He was convinced that whatever life threw at him could not separate him from the love of God.
The same can be true for you.
Paul was given a monumental task to carry out. He lived to advance the Gospel of Jesus Christ and he suffered mightily for the Lord. We admire him as a man and long to meet him one day. It is easy to think that God loved him more than He loves us. But that is not true. Paul was no different than you and me. God reached down to him in the person of Jesus Christ and saved him, just like He saved you. He poured out His love on Paul, just as He has poured out His love on you and is doing so as you read these words.
Like Paul, you can walk confidently through life knowing that you are loved by God.
(Excerpted from Love Is.)
A One Step Plan to Overcome Temptation
Last week we discussed how to overcome temptation on our radio broadcast. If you missed the program, you can listen here.
Temptation comes in all shapes and sizes, but I think when most people hear the word temptation, their minds immediately think about sexual immorality.
Today, sexual immorality is pervasive in the church of Jesus Christ. It is a problem that is much bigger than most of us want to admit. It is one that we shouldn’t ignore. Paul didn’t. He addressed sexual immorality in his letter to the Corinthians, and his message is relevant to us today.
Here is what we need to know.
First, don’t be surprised when sexual temptation knocks on your door.
Sexual temptation is everywhere. You can’t escape its brazen invitation, more so now than ever before. Advertising agencies make a living off the maxim, “sex sells.” Their product ads assault the mind with sexual images. Story lines in television programming exploit sexual themes, and writers and producers of these programs continue to push the envelope. We are a long way from what was permissible in the days of “I Love Lucy.”
Modern technology has added another insidious level of sexual temptation primarily through the great proliferation of pornography on the internet. It is by far the fastest growing segment in cyber space with literally thousands of new sites being added each hour. What was once only available in scummy adult stores is now accessible in our homes. In this day and age we don’t have to wonder what Proverbs 11:27 means: “…evil comes to him who searches for it.”
Next, be aware that behind the sexual temptation is a trap.
A man may think that a casual look at a pornographic website will be enough. But it beckons him back time and time again. At a point in time, he needs something more. A woman seeks out a casual relationship, maybe on the internet or with a fellow worker, but that doesn’t satisfy. And she takes the next step. We have to understand something about our flesh. It never improves. Paul put it this way: “Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more” (Ephesians 4:19).
Finally, realize the body is meant for the Lord.
Our bodies are not meant to be used for sexual immorality. They are meant for the Lord, to be used to express His love to the world. In contrast, sexual immorality is far removed from a life controlled by the love of God. It marginalizes people by making them less than who they are in God’s eyes. It floods the heart with intense feelings of guilt and shame, leaving an indelible mark on the soul.
The Bible does give a solution. It’s a one step plan. “Flee from sexual immorality. All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body. Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).
When sexual temptation stares you in the face, flee. It is the most spiritual thing you can do. Then, make the choice to honor God with your body. He redeemed you to live His life through you. Sharing in His life and experiencing the fruit of His Spirit is far more rewarding, more fulfilling, and more satisfying than anything the world can throw your way.
Paul expressed it this way in Romans 12:1, 2: Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God–this is your spiritual act of worship. Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is–his good, pleasing and perfect will.” It is time for us to live out Romans 12:1-2, to abandon ourselves to Jesus. When we do we will discover that His will is good, pleasing and perfect to us.
When Will the Evil Stop?
Yesterday, evil in the form of two bombs interrupted the annual running of the Boston Marathon. Three died, including an 8 year old boy. Many others were injured, some losing limbs.
Why do horror stories like this happen?
What causes people to carry out such atrocities?
Experts in every field will offer various explanations.
It’s the Bible that gives the real answer.
Sin.
Sin is the problem in the world.
Before the flood, mankind was in the full grip of sin. Sin had taken humanity to its lowest place. Moses described the situation: “The Lord saw how great man’s wickedness on the earth had become and that every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil all the time” (Genesis 6:5).
The world today is traveling toward that same destination. Sin is leading the way.
The bombing in Boston was an act of rebellion against God. It was built on the foundation of sin, carried out under the control of sin, and resulted in the consequence of sin.
What is the answer? Is there a solution? Can these atrocities be stopped?
Yes.
Jesus is the answer. He is the solution. He will end these atrocities.
- Through His death, He frees sinners from the penalty of sin.
- Through His resurrected life, He frees those spiritually dead from the power of sin.
- Through His return He will free the world from the presence of sin.
- All things will be made right.
Until then, these acts of rebellion will carry forward. Horror stories will continue to dominate the news.
Even so, sin is not the main story line in this world. God’s work through Jesus Christ to save people from their sins is.
We participate in that story. God uses us to tell others of His love and kindness. God uses us to rescue people from the control of sin.
The world needs Jesus. The world needs us. Let’s enter the fray.
Amazing Stuff That is True of You!
What happened to you the moment you were saved? Each of us has a unique story to tell in response to this question. These stories are powerful and deeply moving. Today, however, I raise the question not to prompt personal testimonies, but to direct us to God’s work in our lives. In other words, what would He say happened to us the moment we were saved?
Although the list below is not an exhaustive one, it does show the magnitude of this great salvation you have received in Christ Jesus.
- God made you alive together with Christ (This was the subject of the first two posts). Paul explains in Ephesians 2:4, 5 and Colossians 2:11-14.
- He transferred you out of the kingdom of darkness and placed you into His kingdom : “For He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13, 14).
- He added you to His body, the church of Jesus Christ: “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body–whether Jews of Greeks, slave or free–and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Corinthians 12:12, 13). “Now you are the body of Christ, and each one of you is part of it” (1Corinthians 12:27).
- God declared you to be His child: “How great is the love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are!” (1 John 3:1).
- He sent His Spirit to live in you: “Because you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, ‘Abba, Father'” (Galatians 4:6). “To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).
As you can tell from these few verses, being saved is a big deal. It is much more than receiving a ticket for entry into heaven when you die, or even forgiveness of sins here and now. What happened to you and me at that moment of salvation is monumental.
We weren’t aware of all that happened. We simply responded to the message concerning Christ. When I did, I gained a sense of purpose in life. For the first time, I felt like I was anchored, that I knew I belonged. You may have experienced peace or freedom, or felt that you had been cleansed and a mountain of guilt and shame removed. You may have been overwhelmed by God’s unconditional love and acceptance.
All these experiences are real and genuine because Christ came to live in us. We are different, new creatures according to the Bible. What happened to us is a story worth telling.
If I’m a New Creation in Christ, why do I still…?
The Bible is clear – the old has gone and the new has come.
Yet, those same old thoughts, attitudes and behaviors seem to keep hanging on.
Makes us wonder sometimes if anything has changed at all?
But the truth remains — in Christ, we are new.
- In Christ we have a brand new identity. God never calls us “old sinners saved by grace.” He named us “child of God.” His Spirit testifies with our spirit that this is true: “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:16).
- In Christ, we are new creations. Jesus gave life to our human spirits and He lives in us through His Holy Spirit. He is what makes us new, and He is our hope of glory. “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27).
- In Christ, we live in the New Covenant. We are no longer under the law. That old relationship ended at the moment of salvation. Now, we live under the New Covenant and are led by Spirit. “But if you are led by the Spirit, you are no longer under law” (Galatians 5:18).
How do we break free from the old thoughts and behaviors? How do we live a victorious life in Christ?
Years ago, S.M. Lochridge delivered a powerful sermon he called, It’s Friday…Sunday’s coming. You can view it on YouTube.
For believers, Sunday is here. The question is this – How do we live Sunday lives in a Friday world?
This is the topic for today’s broadcast. If you have a question you would like answered, post it in the comment section. Or call 800-677-9377 to ask it on-air. Call early. The program begins at 3:30 CST.
How do you live a Sunday life in a Friday world?
Can a Christian Have Assurance of Salvation?
According to the Bible, the answer is “Yes!” The Apostle John wrote in his first letter these encouraging words: “And this is the testimony: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. I write these things to you who believe in the name of the Son of God so that you may know that you have eternal life” (1 John 5:11-13).
There is no wishful thinking in John’s statement. He boldly asserted that we can know with full confidence that eternal life is ours, that our salvation is sure.
For John’s words to become a reality in your life, you must understand what salvation is and what Christ accomplished for you through His death, burial and resurrection.
Paul gives us the most succinct statement concerning the nature of salvation in Romans 6:23: “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
We were under the wages of sin and were spiritually dead. Ephesians 2:1 puts it this way, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins.”
Salvation, then, is God’s act of making us alive with Christ. God’s grace reverses in us the death we inherited from Adam. He was alive spiritually, and then died because of sin. We were dead, and then through faith in Jesus Christ were made alive.
But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ– by grace you have been saved– Eph 2:4-5 (ESV).
And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our trespasses Col 2:13 (ESV).
You may be asking this question: “If the wages of sin is death, do you forfeit eternal life when you sin today?” Here is the good news. Jesus took your sins and paid the penalty that you justly deserved. As John wrote, “I write to you dear children, because your sins have been forgiven on account of His name.”
You are a forgiven person. Your sins were dealt with once and for all by the blood of Jesus Christ.
Not only are you forgiven, you are alive in Jesus. His Spirit now lives you. His Spirit testifies to your spirit that you are a child of God, an heir and a joint heir with Jesus Christ.
When Jesus saves, He does so completely. Because of the cross, you can know with confidence that “He will never leave you, nor forsake you.”
The Gospel that Saves
“How would you know if you are saved? People tell me if you just believe that Jesus died for your sins then you are automatically saved. But I don’t want to go by that if it is not true, if there is more that I have to do, because I really want to be saved.”
This was a question on our radio broadcast. The listener who asked it was sincere. She really wanted to be saved.
She had some information, but not the complete story.
This raises the all-important question; “What is the Gospel that saves?”
Paul laid it out for us in his letter to the Corinthians.
For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day according to the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Peter, and then to the Twelve. After that, he appeared to more than five hundred of the brothers at the same time, most of whom are still living, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles, and last of all he appeared to me also, as to one abnormally born (1 Corinthians 15:3-8).
The Gospel that saves is the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ.
Jesus died to take away our sins and to usher in the New Covenant. He was raised that we might have life.
The Gospel is a message of life. This is why the resurrection of Jesus Christ is the very substance of the Christian faith. Without the resurrection, Christianity would be just another religion or empty philosophy.
Listen to what the apostle Paul wrote concerning the resurrection’s significance: “And if Christ has not been raised, our preaching is useless and so is your faith” (1 Corinthians 15:14). The validity of the Christian message and our assurance of eternal life hinges on this single event.
Jesus said it best, “Because I live, you also will live” (John 14:19). Jesus was raised from the dead so that we too could be raised. Salvation is being made alive together with Jesus. Without the resurrection, there is no eternal life.
The sad reality is that far too many Christians live as if salvation is nothing more than forgiveness of sins. “Christ died to forgive my sins”, they say. And that’s it.
To know that our sins have been forgiven once and for all certainly is incredible news. But the heart and soul of the Gospel message is life.
Concerning salvation, this is what Paul wrote to the Colossian church:
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. (Colossians 2:13, 14)
As Paul so clearly stated, we were dead spiritually. We needed life. Until we know that we have been made alive, that the resurrected Christ lives in us, our Christian experience will be a struggle, one filled with frustration and failure. And that assurance we long for will be fleeting.
If you have come to God through Jesus, you are saved. You have crossed over from death to life. The transaction is complete, permanent, and unchangeable. Jesus guaranteed His work on your behalf with this promise: “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you” (Hebrews 13:5).