Treasures

So If I was to ask you what must I do to invest in that which will last, what would you tell me to do? It’s a wide open question that could be overloaded with a ton of answers and applications. You might think my best shot would be to build a financial portfolio so my family has something to fall back on. You might tell me to spend more time at home and play with my kids more. You might say find who you really are and be true to yourself.

All good thoughts, but honestly I think I would be leaving our conversation just as frustrated as I came into it. The true application to find the answer comes down to three things I mentioned on Sunday.

1. God Matters (No matter what or where you go, the moment you stop you will be staring at God.)

The Lord is … patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter3:9)

2. People Matter (George Otis Jr. stated once, “Save the lost at any cost because people last forever”. I believe the only thing that is currently on planet earth that will last beyond time and history are people, even our planet will one day go away)

[ A New Heaven and a New Earth ] Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,” for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away (Revelation 21:1)

Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them. (John 3:36)

3. Eternity Matters (There are few things that will help us here and now in the temporal than having a clear understanding of something much bigger and better. It will propel you past most barriers and give you a focus few have. Keeping your entire life in the spotlight of eternity will do that for you.)

[ Awaiting the New Body ] For we know that if the earthly tent we live in is destroyed, we have a building from God, an eternal house in heaven, not built by human hands. (2 Corinthians 5:1)

Jesus told us in Matthew 6:33 “…seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” In order to seek first that which will last forever let me give you three more ideas. I encourage you to make this commitment to God today. Give Him three “I will’s” and let Him give you the path and strength to fulfill those.

1. I will guard against materialism

2. I will be generous

3. I will focus on what matters

“Father help us all to walk your path of life and as we step closer to thee let your Glory melt away all that we hold so dear in order to embrace that which we so need. I pray many would be swept away today in You alone! In Jesus Name!”

Preferences or Convictions?

This past Sunday I spoke on a major topic, called leaving a legacy. For most of us this idea is as foreign as the south pole, we have seen movies, pictures and learned about it, but have never gone there. Let me give you a few more pointers on how to live with the intensity of 30 days left so that what is left over goes beyond you.

1) Say the words God wants us to say

Life is full of words we would love to take back and words we wished we had said. Never more apparent is this fact when a person is gone and passed. Use the moments you have now to say the words from God.

If you only had 30 days to live, what would you say and to whom would you say it?

(John 6:63) “The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing. The words I have spoken to you—they are full of the Spirit and life.”

2) Do what God sent us to do

I will put off today what I can do tomorrow one person said. In the end that person never got around to doing today. Each day brings new challenges to derail us from doing what God has ordained for our lives. Waiting tell tomorrow only bets on a game of chance and someday you will lose that bet and it’s going to hurt bad!

What is your unfinished assignment?

(Ephesians 2:10) “For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.”

3) Live how God wants us to live

That is what it really comes down to, what is my living like. As a pastor I have watched my life in light of this statement and seen others. I wish I could tell you that every Christian I know lives as God would want them to, but many don’t. If I was to sit with you for one month and observe your life what conclusion would I come to? Now try this observation on yourself and don’t forget what God has done for you. It’s your turn to live for Him.

If you could instantly change one thing about how you are living, what would it be?

(James 1:22-24) “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. Anyone who listens to the word but does not do what it says is like someone who looks at his face in a mirror and, after looking at himself, goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like.”

“The key to leaving a legacy is to live by the convictions God gives us, not by our preferences.” Craig Groeschel

Are you living by your preferences or your convictions?

Forgivness

As I look back over the years of my life, I have noticed that the relationships I had, have and hope to have carry a significant impact in me. I am a son of a broken home in which my parents struggled to maintain peace in the home. I am a man that has fought addiction, anger and spiritual battles I never imagined I would engage in. I have traveled to places I never thought I would have and seen God’s grace and mercy in ways that still amaze me to this day!

Through it all it was those relationships that caused me to push on, to run away and to stand in amazement. And it has to be the most difficult issue to mount, is a relationship that has gone south. There are so many reasons not to mend that broken connection. It might be due to pride, or anger, confusion, or frustration. But with the many reasons we hold onto NOT mending those relationships, all it takes is a phone call from a doctor to melt away years of hardened reasons.

Knowing that you only have 30 days left on this planet melts away years of reasons, it brings perspective. See this series is all about perspective, it’s that perspective that we often lose in our own reasons, but it is that perspective we need to see that Jesus is the only way to do life. His methods and reasons are far better than ours and in the end keep us strong and together.

One thing Jesus told us to do is to forgive as our Father in heaven forgives us. So how does God forgive? Let’s see ....

1 John 1:9 tells us “..He is FAITHFUL and JUST and WILL forgive us our sins...” God tells us to make sure that within our own efforts and capabilities that we “live at peace with all men”. It’s the basis for the Gospel when we can experience reconciliation between us and God and be a partner with the Holy Spirit to bring that same experience to another human being.

God is FAITHFUL to forgive, how faithful are you? Forgiveness is not disposable, but reusable. It’s not a one shot, two shot or in the disciple Peter’s case a seven shot deal. It’s something that we should be always ready to offer over and over again.

God is also JUST to forgive, how just are you? Just means we are fair, impartial, honest and not biased. This world has way to much bias in it; selfish partisans. We being people of God should be just in forgiveness. That means you don’t forgive the people you like!!!! Forgiveness is for the unlovely as well as the lovely, it’s for your friends and your enemies.

God WILL forgive, are you willing? Life can get us so jaded that forgiveness seems an exercise in lifting a car off the ground. “I can’t do it and why would I do it anyway?” That is the attitude of most and sadly of many Christians as well. We enjoy the willingness of God, why should we not express that same willingness to others?

Let me say here that being willing does not mean that you run after the person that has offended you. God requires us to come to Him more than He runs after us. That is important because the work of humility has to take hold in a heart. When a person seeks forgiveness humility already has paved the way for forgiveness to genuinely take hold. I have people in my life that our relationship is broken yet I am still willing to offer forgiveness when humility takes hold in their lives.

I encourage you to walk the path of your God, forgive! Forgive often, fairly and always be able to extend that reconciliation to others. Awesome!

Make a Change

The other day I was driving down the road and noticed once again that marker on the side of the road. It was not a road sign, not a reflector but a cross decorated in flowers with a bear next to it. On it was a name of a person. You know what I am describing. It’s almost everyday we encounter a message from heaven saying, “YOU DON’T REALLY KNOW DO YOU?” We really don’t know when our day will come to face eternity. Yet we live day in and day out as if it does not matter.

Thus we dither into mundane lives going from place to place, not living as God intended. I mentioned on Sunday three things in order start living with the passion as if you only had 30 days left on this earth.

• Turn when into now

• Turn intentions into actions

• Turn my whole heart towards Jesus

So let’s connect the dots in this evotional on how to apply these points. Let me ask you some questions.

First, what is your biggest “When—Then?” Be honest and identify how you are missing the moment by hoping for some future event. Address questions like, what does it mean to live in the moment? How can we be fully present to others? What are the external pressures or distractions that keep you from being fully engaged with others? How can we truly get the most out of life?

Secondly, James 4:17 tells us “If anyone, then, knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.” So with that in mind, what sinful attitudes was James addressing? He tells us that we are a mist that is vanishing away, how does that make you feel? If you only had 30 days to live, what is one thing you would be sure to do? Why are you waiting? What is the good intention you have that God wants to turn into a good action? Be specific what you need to do and when you will do it.

Finally, knowing that life is brief, what spiritual changes do you need to make? We often live for the pleasures of this world instead of for the kingdom of God. So, if you were on your death bed, what regrets would you have about your life? What priorities do you look back and change in order to live for what is truly important? How would making these changes now, change your life and impact those around you?

See that gets to the last point of living with everything in light of Jesus! Most Christians have not seriously addressed what it means to turn their whole heart towards Jesus? As a result we tend to focus on doing for the Lord, instead of being present to the Lord (relating). (i.e.Martha and Mary) Do you love Jesus with your whole heart? Is He truly your number one relationship or is there a “What” or “Whom” that you have made a higher priority than the Lord?

Our lives are not as resilient as we claim them to be. So imagine what it look like for you to live every day simply to know and love Jesus with all your heart and do it!