Daily Light - February 16, 2012

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you."

John 14:27

"Peace be with you."

John 20:19

The night before Jesus was crucified He sat with His disciples and tried to prepare their hearts for what was about to take place. While they did not understand all that He was saying, in that moment they were given the greatest gift that He could offer them: peace. Jesus knew that for the next few hours and even days they would be fearful and doubtful. They would face an uncertainty that was unimaginable at the moment that He offered them this peace.

Fast forward to several days later and you will find the disciples huddled into a room with the door shut tightly. Somehow they have survived the horror of the last few days. One of their own was found to be the one who betrayed Jesus. The unspoken leader of the group is in great distress after having admitted to denying that he even knew Jesus. The rest of them were no better because they fled in their Messiah's hour of need. Suddenly, in the midst of their turmoil, Jesus steps into the room and offers them peace once again. His offer is not one of prosperity or better times but simply peace that passes all understanding.

It seems very reasonable to come to this conclusion when looking at these offers in context: If Jesus promises and gives peace before and after a trial, there is no doubt that we have His peace in the midst of the trial. He is completely aware of what you will face this day and the days ahead. He knows every "bump in the road" and every tragedy that may strike. His gift to us is peace before we ever face the difficulty. When the trials come, He is with us in the midst of our storm. As a matter of fact, while we are busily bailing water from the boat trying to keep it from sinking, Jesus is peacefully asleep. Why? Is it because He doesn't care? No. It is simply the fact that He knows the outcome. There is no panic on His part. We have to learn to rest when He rests, and be still and know that He is God. Finally, when He speaks and the once troubled waters are as smooth as glass, we bow before Him with a peace that passes all understanding and say, "My Lord and my God!"

Peace is only as good as the source of the peace. We will be offered it from multiple sources in this life, but at the end of all things we will conclude that the only peace that amounted to any thing was from the One that we call both Everlasting and the Prince of Peace.

May you have peace through His name today!

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Daily Light - December 28, 2011

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"Be transformed by the renewing of your mind..."

Romans 12:2

Alexander Hamilton is credited with saying, "He who stands for nothing will fall for any thing." The desire to not conform to the standard of this world or the standard of the self-religious is commendable. However, we must not get so caught up in what we will not do that we are doing nothing. Paul's admonition to not conform was not designed to develop within us an attitude of a rebel or maverick. It was clearly taught in the context that God alone is the standard by which we should live.

Therefore, the encouragement of nonconformity is followed by an admonition to be completely transformed in the most internal part of our being. The word transformed is taken from the familiar yet miraculous process of metamorphosis. We see this amazing transformation when a caterpillar becomes a butterfly. That horrible little creature that no one would at one time touch is now the desire of every one to see and capture. Entire conservatories and atriums are built so that people can observe these beautiful butterflies with their exotic shapes and colors. How many buildings do you know of that are dedicated to observing caterpillars?

There is a truth that is inescapable. Every caterpillar has the potential to develop their wings and fly, but this will only take place if they go through this process of metamorphosis. In other words, they cannot become the beautiful creature that they were designed to be unless there is significant change.

When Christ truly enters a life, there is significant change that takes place. He works in such a way that a person who receives Him undergoes a metamorphosis of the heart and mind. With the heart they believe on Christ and with the mind they change the direction of their lives. All of this is initiated by God Himself through the power of His Spirit. Faith and repentance walk hand in hand so that a new creature is the product. The old man passes away and all things become new. Very simply, an individual cannot come into relationship with Christ and not experience change.

It seems that in every generation there are many caterpillars that are claiming to be butterflies. They are still grounded with no ability to fly because they have not come into a faith and repentance relationship with Jesus Christ. Why do we think that we can force God to accept us when we are not willing to accept Him and the change that He must bring into our lives?

Daily Light - December 27, 2011

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"Do not be conformed to this world..."

Romans 12:2

Conformity is a demand that is made on all of us at different times. There are certain standards of what we do, what we look like, and how we think that are expected of us in certain environments. As the environments change, so do the standards of conformity. The pressure to conform comes from without (those who want you to be just like them) and from within (the feeling that we have to be like every one else). I have a t-shirt that is based on this verse, and the front of it simply says, "Don't Conform". The reactions that I have gotten from this shirt by complete strangers are amazing.

What is it then that Paul was telling us that we should not conform to? He uses a phrase which simply says "this world". The word "world" here refers to a period of time and the culture within that period of time. The "world" that Paul is referring to in the Roman culture of the 1st century is different from the "world" in which we live today. These believers lived in a very different culture from ours. The point that Paul is trying to make is not about the period of time or the culture of that time, but the fact that we should not allow those things to dictate our mind and heart in relationship to Jesus Christ.

This next statement may be surprising, but it is most definitely true. Conformity has very little to do with the outside of us that every one sees. We could line up 20 young men all dressed exactly the same, but that does not mean that they are all alike. Conformity in the sense of how Paul is using refers to the mind. The "world" does not want you to simply look like them; they want you more importantly to think like them. If someone can get you to conform to their way of thinking, then all of the other areas will fall into place.

As believers our ultimate and primary goal is to think like Christ. He is the pattern by which each of us should live. There is no man-made pattern or religious standard that will ever measure up to the stature and fullness of Christ. Seek to know Him and be as He is.

Where do you feel the major pressures to conform in your life, and how do you handle them in the light of Jesus Christ?

Daily Light - November 2, 2011

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"And his sister stood afar off, to know what would be done to him."

Exodus 2:4

This passage of course is in reference to Miriam the sister to baby Moses as he was hidden by his parents in the river in order to protect his life. Moses' parents had already demonstrated great bravery and courage as they defied the clear order of Pharaoh to kill their son. They believed not simply in life but that each life was a gift from God that had an eternal purpose.

There is also a power shown in the fact that Miriam is standing watch over the basket that contains her little brother. It would seem that she has been given a responsibility to see what would take place. Surely Moses' parents did not go through all of the risk of saving his life to place him in a basket in the river to let the elements have their way with him. Miriam is there for a purpose. Recently while reading a new book this line stood out to me: Miriam was in a position to watch the Lord show up. Take a deep breath and let that sink in for a second.

There are great considerations that come with that statement. First, do I allow myself to settle into positions of uncertainty where all I can do is wait for the Lord to show up? So often we try to figure out every thing about life even before we have all of the information. To sit still for many of us is wasted time, and we can't allow that. Aren't we instructed however to be still and know that He is God? How are we going to get to know what God wants if we already have all of the answers?

Second, are we like Moses' parents placing our children in a position to see God? So many Christian parents try to hide the difficulties of life, the reality of sin, and the gravity of trials from their children. They never discuss difficulties and tough issues with their children out of the fear that children will not understand. Our children need to see pain and struggles, so that they can also see a God who heals pain and gives strength to endure the struggles. Children of all ages need to see God at work!

Miriam saw God mightily work that day by the river. She also saw God use that little baby to become the man of God that would lead his people out of bondage.

May you be in a position to watch the Lord show up today!

Daily Light - November 1, 2011

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"[I pray] that the sharing of your faith may become effective

by the acknowledgment of every good thing which is in you in Christ Jesus."

Philemon 6

One of the greatest frustrations that many believers have is being able to effectively share their faith with others. While faith in Christ Jesus is the most life changing aspect of our lives, it can be terribly difficult to share with others. There are many factors as to why that is.

Most people battle with some things internally. We all face fears that seem to surface when we are about to speak up for the name of Jesus. There is also a pride factor that is most definitely present as well. Others complain that they fear being rejected by people, especially those that they love. Human factors enter into this conversation also. "What if I don't say things just right?" "I know what I believe but it is so hard to get all of the right words into the right order. "There are other people that are so much better at sharing their faith than I am. Where are they when we need them?" "If I could just get them to church, then they could hear the pastor and understand."

If you will notice, there is one theme in all of these reasons and excuses. Somewhere along the way, we have been convinced that being a witness for Christ is all about us. We fear our failure. We recognize our deficiencies. We don't feel like we have the right words to say. We are not sure that we are able to do this. Paul understood this and expressed to Philemon and his household that being an effective witness for Christ would only happen if we acknowledged the One that mattered in our life, Christ Jesus.

For years we have used the term "soul-winner" to refer to those that witness for Christ. While that term may be well meaning, it often seems to put too much emphasis on the one doing the witnessing instead of the One that does the saving. There should be no emphasis on who "won" a soul to Christ or how many were "won". The emphasis should be placed on sharing our faith effectively and letting the Holy Spirit do the work in the individuals heart through Jesus Christ.

Who is a successful witness for Christ? Three individuals commit to sharing their faith with one person a week over the next year. At the end of that year the first person has seen 10 people come to know Christ as Savior. The second person saw 5 people come to a relationship with God through His Son. The third person was never able to see an individual converted during that year. Which of these three was successful? If you answered all three, you are right. It is our job to share our faith and leave the results to God.

May you share the greatest story ever told today!

Daily Light - October 11, 2011

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"Woe to you who are at ease in Zion!"

Amos 6:1

There is not a one of us that does not like to get comfortable every once in a while. For some there is nothing quite like laying in a hammock suspended by two palm trees while listening to the ocean waves crashing on the beach. Maybe others would describe comfortable as a warm bed on cold, rainy day. Whatever comfortable may sound like to us, we all enjoy it from time to time.

Comfortable however can be quite dangerous when it comes to our spiritual lives. When we get too comfortable, we tend to lose focus. The ease of our situation lulls us into a place where we don't look for any thing to challenge us. We settle for what we like or just simply what we know. It is even possible to get comfortable in a bad situation, because that is all that we know.

A highly respected man of God spoke of this subject and referred to how God's people can get so comfortable with their lukewarmness that they don't notice the tragedy that is going on around them. He spoke of how that even within the church we can excuse sin, hypocrisy, and lies because we are afraid that if we confront these things it will take us out of our comfort zone. The danger of ignoring this tragedy can be catastrophic, because we are sacrificing our relationship with God for our own comfort. This pastor said, "When these things happen, we have come near or crossed a line into a spiritual stupor that no amount of divine mercy can awaken."

It would do us well to follow the example of David and ask God to search us and know our hearts, to try us and know our thoughts, and reveal any thing contrary to His nature. Those things to which He is opposed that we have become comfortable in must be removed if we plan to move forward for His purpose.

May you allow God to move you outside of your comfort zone today!

Daily Light - October 5, 2011

Daily Light from the Lighthouse

"I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."

Philippians 4:13

We live in a world full of "I can't" people. The number one excuse for why people do not do certain things is "I can't". We are so focused on our perceived limitations that we have let those views creep into our spiritual life. Granted, there are certain physical impossibilities in the natural man. Man has come to the conclusion that he cannot fly completely unassisted. The tragic results of gravity combined with the limitations of the human anatomy have taught us this. There are, however, many things that we say are physically impossible that are only impossible to us because we cannot fathom it. What if you were asked to run approximately 3,000 miles in 75 days? Impossible, right? Recently, a man named Dean Karanzes did just that. He ran from California to New York in 75 days! That is a mind-blowing feat, but here is the real question: Is it impossible? Obviously not.

When the angel of the Lord appeared to Mary to tell her she would have a child, she said that it was impossible. She was a virgin, so there was no physical way possible for it to be so. What was the angel's response to her? With what I like to think was a smile on his face because he knew the power of the Almighty, he replied, "For with God nothing will be impossible." Each of us has different doubts about what we can do for God. Some of us cannot even understand His grace being so great that it would save our sinful souls. We, of course, are unworthy of this grace but through His love Christ has made us worthy. Others cannot imagine that God would use us to be a witness of His light to shine into the lives of others. Then, we are reminded that He has chosen to use the foolish things of this world to confound the wise. There are those who cannot fathom that God would give them the ability and the privilege to minister in His name. However, we all along with the Apostle Paul recognize and "thank Christ Jesus our Lord who has enabled [us], because He counted [us] faithful, putting [us] into the ministry.

It is true that when the possibilities within us come to an end, God's ability to do the impossible begins. When we allow the thought of impossibility to enter our mind, we doubt the power of Christ who strengthens us. He sees the impossible for us and joys in the fact that He can accomplish it through us.

May you do through Christ what you see as impossible today!