Truth That Transforms

The truth will set you free.” John 8:32

Real Christianity offers life-changing truth. In other words, it offers truth that transforms.

What God’s church offers is so much better than pop psychology or self-help or inspirational thoughts. The church offers the gospel, the truth of God’s Word.

Jesus said, “The truth will set you free” (John 8:32). Until you know the truth (about yourself, about God, and about life and death), you’re enslaved. You’re enslaved to culture, to other people’s expectations, to peer pressure, and more. But the truth sets you free.

The church offers God’s truth, something you can’t find anywhere else. No other group of people has the truth that your past can be forgiven, you can have a purpose for living, and you can look forward to a home in heaven. No other message changes lives like the Good News.

In the very first Christian sermon, on the day the church was born, Peter said: “Listen carefully to what I say. . . . This is what was spoken by the prophet Joel: . . . ‘I will show wonders in the heavens above and signs on earth below. . . . And everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Acts 2:14, 16, 19, 21).

Peter then goes on to share the gospel with the crowd, summing it up in eight main points in Acts 2:

Jesus is God! His miracles prove it. (vs. 22)

• Jesus died on the cross. (vs. 23)
• God raised Jesus back to life. (vs. 24-32)
• This truth gives us gladness, joy, and hope! (vs. 26)
• God has sent his Spirit from heaven. (vs. 33-35)
• We must repent and be baptized. (vs. 36-38)
• We will be given the Holy Spirit. (vs. 38-39)
• We must live differently from the world. (vs. 40)
• No wonder we call it “the Good News.” It’s all good news!

Real Christianity offers life-changing truth. Accept it today, and you’ll never be the same!

No One Sits On The Sidelines

“I will pour out my Spirit on all people.” Acts 2:17

On the day the church was born, the day of Pentecost, God worked a miracle. He gave Jesus’ followers the ability to speak in different languages so that the people around them could hear the gospel in their own language.

People said, “We all hear these people speaking in our own languages about the wonderful things God has done!” (Acts 2:11).

Through this miracle, God showed that the Good News is for everybody!

Today, we don’t need that same miracle because the church speaks virtually every language in the world, with believers serving in nearly every nation. I could take you to places with no schools, no big stores, and no government offices, but one thing you’d find is a church.

God probably won’t give you the supernatural ability to suddenly speak another language. But he has already given you unique gifts that allow you to reach people in other ways.

For example, if you’re a young parent, you might speak “parent of preschoolers.” Through conversations about diapers and bottles and play groups, God might give you a chance to share the Good News.

Or maybe you speak “CEO” or “truck driving” or “retirement” or “knitting” or “soccer.” Everyone has their own unique set of cultural “languages” they speak. And God can use your languages to reach a unique group of people.

In the early church, no one sat on the sidelines; everyone was a contributor. Peter quoted this prophecy to a group of early seekers and believers: “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy” (Acts 2:17-18)

God’s plan for his church today, too, is for everyone to be involved in proclaiming his message.

You’re never too young or too old to be used by God. No matter who you are, where you’re from, or where life has taken you, you have gifts, abilities, and talents that God has put in you and wants to use to share his Good News.

Prayer Connects You To God’s Power

“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” Acts 1:8

Real Christians don’t just talk about God; they experience God. And they’re able to do that through the power of the Holy Spirit.

That’s what makes the church different from every organization. Corporations don’t have the Holy Spirit. Governments don’t have the Holy Spirit. Humanitarian organizations don’t have the Holy Spirit. God has promised the Holy Spirit to his church.

At the birth of the church, Jesus told his followers, “Don’t leave Jerusalem yet. Wait here for the Father to give you the Holy Spirit, just as I told you he has promised to do” (Acts 1:4). And later on in the same chapter he says, “You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8).

Jesus gave his followers instructions, but he didn’t expect them to carry them out on his own. It’s like he was saying, “The Holy Spirit is going to give you the power you need to do what I want you to do.” 

Just after Jesus made this promise, he was taken up into heaven. And for the next 10 days, his followers waited and prayed. Then, on the day of Pentecost, God gave them the Holy Spirit.

There’s a direct connection in your life, too, between prayer and the power of God’s Holy Spirit. Much prayer, much power. Little prayer, little power. No prayer, no power. 

If you don’t ever pray, I guarantee you that you’re not seeing God’s power at work in your life. And you don’t have the energy to get everything done that God wants you to get done.

A while back, I went to the kitchen one morning to make a protein shake. I was pushing all the buttons on the blender and could not get it to work. Then I realized it wasn’t plugged in.

Your life is the same way. You may be a Christian. You may be on your way to heaven. But if you’re not plugged in to the Holy Spirit’s power, you don’t have any energy to do what God has made you to do.

So, today, start plugging into God’s Spirit through prayer. You can pray about anything. The Bible says we’re to come to God as little children. Little children are bold with their parents; they just blurt out whatever is on their heart. In the same way, your heavenly Father wants you to talk to him about anything and everything.

The more you pray, the more you’ll find yourself connected to the power of God’s Holy Spirit and energized to do all he has made you to do.

Serve God By Serving Others

God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessings.”  1 Peter 4:10

Before you were born, God decided in advance what contribution he wanted you to make with your life. Ephesians 2:10 says, “God has made us what we are. He has created us in Christ Jesus to live lives filled with good works that he has prepared for us to do”.

God wants you to serve him on earth. He didn’t put you here just to take up space, use resources, and die. He put you here to make the world a better place, to make a unique contribution, and to serve him with the shape that he gave you.

Nobody else can be you. If you don’t serve God the way he planned for you, then the world misses that part of the puzzle.

Another name for good works is “ministry.” Anytime you use your talents and abilities to help someone, you are ministering to them. The Bible says in 1 Peter 4:10 in The Living Bible paraphrase, “God has given each of you some special abilities; be sure to use them to help each other, passing on to others God’s many kinds of blessings.”

You know those talents that you may have been trying to use for your benefit? They’re actually not just for you. God gave you your talents and skills and abilities for the benefit of other people.

God wired the universe so that we would need each other. Nobody’s got it all together but we don’t have to! We were created to depend on each other and benefit from each other’s gifts.

When you get to heaven, you’re going to serve God forever, so he wants you to practice now.

On earth it’s impossible to serve God directly. The only way you can serve God now is by serving other people. That means anytime you help someone, it’s like you’re doing it for him. You’re practicing on earth what you’re going to do in heaven.

Do you want to serve God well? Start practicing now by serving others.

Putting God First In All Things

The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives.” Deuteronomy 14:23

God often blesses the areas of our lives where we put him first. That’s why, when it comes to finances, he calls us to put him first with our money. This is the principle of tithing: Giving the first 10 percent of your income back to God.

The Bible provides a framework for understanding tithing. Four passages explain its promise, purpose, place, and day.

Proverbs 3:9-10 gives the promise about tithing: “Honor the LORD with your wealth, with the firstfruits of all your crops; then your barns will be filled to overflowing, and your vats will brim over with new wine” (NIV).When we honor God with the first part of our income, we can trust him to provide for our needs.

Why does God tell us to tithe? Deuteronomy 14:23 says in The Living Bible paraphrase, “The purpose of tithing is to teach you always to put God first in your lives” (emphasis added). God doesn’t need your money, but he wants what it represents: your heart. He wants you to trust him.

Where should you tithe? Do you tithe to your local food pantry? Or do you tithe to your brother who’s been out of work for three years? No, that’s charity. Tithing isn’t charity; it’s an act of worship. It goes to God.

Malachi 3:10 says, “‘Bring to the storehouse a full tenth of what you earn . . . Test me in this,’ says the LORD All-Powerful. ‘I will open the windows of heaven for you and pour out all the blessings you need’”. The storehouse is the temple, or the place where you worship God.

When are you supposed to tithe? The Bible points to the first day of the week as a pattern. First Corinthians 16:2 says “On the first day of each week, you should each put aside a portion of the money you have earned” (NLT). When you give to God on the first day of the week, during the first part of your day, and from the first part of your money, you’re declaring, “You’re really number one in my life.”

Notice that the verse says to “put aside.” Tithing should not be an impulsive thing. You’ve got to plan for it so that you are honoring God’s plan and purpose for tithing.

As you put God first and trust him with your finances, you’ll discover that he is faithful to keep his promises and care for your needs.

The Best Investments Are In Eternity

Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Matthew 6:21

You are going to enjoy forever what you invest in heaven, and you invest in heaven every time you use money for good.

Yesterday we talked about investing in eternity by using your money to grow your character, to encourage fellowship in the body of Christ, and to serve others in need. There are two more funds that you should invest in so that you can yield eternal dividends in heaven.

God’s Global Fund. This is when you use your money to share the Good News and bring people to Jesus. Luke 16:9 says, “Use worldly wealth to gain friends for yourselves, so that when it is gone, you will be welcomed into eternal dwellings”.

Is this verse saying that you can buy friends? Not at all. It means that God wants you to invest in things that help get people into heaven so that when you get to heaven, they will welcome you there.

It’s the greatest investment of your life. Is anybody going to be in heaven because of you? 

God’s Treasury Fund. This is when you give money to God as an act of worship.

God’s promise in The Living Bible paraphrase of Proverbs 3:9-10 says this: “Honor the Lord by giving him the first part of all your income, and he will fill your barns with wheat and barley and overflow your wine vats with the finest wines.” The “first part of all your income” is your tithe the 10 percent of your earnings that you give to God through your church.

The Bible says that wherever your treasure is, your heart will also be there. If what’s most important to you are the things of this earth, then every day you are moving further away from your treasure because every day you are here on earth, you’ve got one less day to invest in eternity. You’re moving further and further away from the things you’re going to leave behind.

But if you’re investing in God’s funds and using your money to serve God’s purposes, then you’re storing up treasure in heaven every day. You’re getting closer and closer to your treasure instead of further away.

Missionary Jim Elliot once said, “He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain what he cannot lose.”

How will you show God that you are ready to start using your money to invest in eternity?

God’s Investment Funds Last Forever

They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life.” 1 Timothy 6:18-19

You are going to enjoy forever what you invest in heaven, and you invest in heaven every time you use money for good.

The Bible says in 1 Timothy 6:18-19, “They should be rich in good works and generous to those in need, always being ready to share with others. By doing this they will be storing up their treasure as a good foundation for the future so that they may experience true life”

So what’s the best way to store up your treasure in heaven? Any financial advisor will tell you not to put all your eggs in one basket. Instead, you put your money into different funds for a balanced portfolio.

Today and tomorrow, we’re going to look at five different “funds” you can invest in for eternity. These funds are proven. They have a track record. They’re protected. They are risk-free. And they yield enormous dividends.

God’s Growth Fund. This is any time you invest in something that is going to grow your character. Proverbs 10:16 says, “The earnings of the godly enhance their lives, but evil people squander their money on sin”

You enhance your life with your money when you use it to grow spiritually, intellectually, and emotionally. When you use money to develop your skills and become mature, you are investing in eternity.

God’s Mutual Fund. This is every time you use money to encourage fellowship and build relationships with other believers. Romans 12:13 says, “When God’s people are in need, be ready to help them. Always be eager to practice hospitality” 

Why does God want you to use some of your money to show love to other believers? There are three reasons: It proves that you’re in God’s family. It creates unity. And it’s a witness to unbelievers.

God’s Service Fund. This is when you invest in eternity by using money to serve others. God wants you to take some of your money and use it to help people who are in need.

Proverbs 11:24 says, “One person gives freely, yet gains more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor”. In other words, the more you help others, the more God blesses you. Why? Because God is a giver. He is generous, and he wants you to become like him.

You’ll find yourself becoming more and more like God as you invest in your character, other believers, and people in need.

Reasons Not To Worry About Money

“And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus.”Philippians 4:19

You can be a hero one day and a zero the next day, a millionaire one day and bankrupt the next. No matter how much you make or how much you save, finances are an uncertain part of life.

So you worry. But what does the Bible say about worrying over money?

1. It’s unreasonable. Matthew 6:25 says, “Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?” . You’re going to have fears in life, but you don’t need to fear a lack of finances. Even bankruptcy does not have to defeat you. Life is more than just the accumulation of things. Be concerned about what’s truly important.

2. It’s unnatural. Jesus reminded people that there’s no need for God’s creation to worry: “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26).

3. It’s unnecessary. Financial fears come from a misunderstanding about God and what he’s promised to do for you. He’s assumed responsibility for your needs. Jesus said, “See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field . . . will he not much more clothe you you of little faith?” (Matthew 6:28-30). God is your Father; you are his child. He knows what you need better than you do and will provide for you in ways you may not expect.

When you worry, you’re trying to play God. You’re assuming responsibility for something that God has said he will take care of. Paul says in Philippians 4:19, “And this same God who takes care of me will supply all your needs from his glorious riches, which have been given to us in Christ Jesus”.

God knows what’s going on in your life and in your wallet. He knows all your needs even before you ask. And you can trust him to take care of you.

God Is Looking At Your Heart

You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. ‘For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.’” 2 Corinthians 9:7

When it comes to giving, God is much more interested in what’s in your heart than what’s in your wallet. You may think you don’t have a lot to give. But what he really wants is your willingness not your wealth.

The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 9:7, “You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. ‘For God loves a person who gives cheerfully’”. God is interested in your heart in giving because your heart reflects him. He wants you to grow to be more like him and reflect a heart of generosity.

This verse offers four key heart attitudes you should have when you give.

1. Give thoughtfully. Don’t give impulsively. The most spiritual kind of giving is when you think about it, pray about it, and then make up your mind about it. God wants your giving to be important and meaningful in your life so he wants you to plan for it.

2. Give enthusiastically. Don’t just think, “I have to give.” Give because you know God’s going to do something big in your heart when you become a generous person.

3. Give voluntarily. Any time someone pressures you to give, don’t do it. God’s not going to bless that kind of giving anyway. But when you feel God challenging you to give, that’s the time to give generously and voluntarily.

4. Give cheerfully. Give with joy! One of the Greek words for “offering” has the same root as the word “hilarious.” God wants you to enjoy giving to him and to others.

Next time you’re considering whether to give or how much to give, remember that God’s greatest concern is your heart. When you give thoughtfully, enthusiastically, voluntarily, and cheerfully, then you know that’s a gift God will bless!

The Loves Of God

“God loves us.” Three little monosyllabic words, but how weighty they are with significant meaning, that the great God whom the heavens of heavens cannot contain should love us. We are moved when a dog loves us, or when a baby loves us, or when a friend loves us; how much infinitely more meaningful to say that God loves us.

   In this big, vast world, we are so small, so tiny. Even in this city, we’re a cipher; we are like a candlefly that dies before the morning sun. We are like an autumn leaf that falls unobserved to the ground. Our very planet is a speck in this infinitude of universe. How much smaller our little inconsequential lives; yet the revelation says in the Book that God loves us. This is a marvel of condescension, that the great Almighty should pour upon us His personal love and affection.

   If there are two noblemen, they respect one another. They are wealthy, they are peers; it is quite usual and expected. But if a nobleman of the royal house, of the royal blood, in his wealth and affluence were to pour out his love upon a poor, crippled peasant, and care for him, and love him, and comfort him, and encourage him, be surety for him, how wonderful, how magnificent! And yet that would be a small thing compared to the condescension of the Lord God of the heaven of heavens, who pours out His abounding love upon us; that the infinite should love the finite, that the holy and the pure should love the unlovely and the impure. It is a marvel of condescension.

   It is more marvelous still when we think that He loves us in our sin and in our human frailty. The Lord looks down upon us with compassion and pity and mercy. As He said in Ezekiel, “As I live, saith the Lord—as I live, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn from his way and live: turn ye, turn ye . . . for why will ye die?” [Ezekiel 33:11]. Why will you die when the crimson cross is so nearby, when the love of God is poured out without measure upon us in pity and compassion? God loves us, and He sent His Son to be an atoning sacrifice for our sins.