The Proof's in the Pudding

The Proof's in the Pudding


"Therefore show to them...the proof of your love."
II Corinthians 8:24

Proof of insurance, proof of ownership, proof of residency and proof of citizenship; what seems like a never ending need to show proof of something to someone, to establish beyond the shadow of a doubt the validity of something. Luke talked about it in Acts1:3 when he said that Jesus "gave many convincing proofs that He was alive". And Paul had to give proof that the Lord was speaking through him to the believers he was writing to in the city of Corinth.

The title, "the proof's in the pudding" is a saying that's been around a while and is still in use today when you're talking about believing a report you've been given. What it means quite simply is that the proof of how good something is comes when you taste it. It is often used when talking about a person changing or displaying some character trait; the proof's in the pudding. It goes right alongside "actions speak louder than words" and "I'll believe it when I see it" and has a sense of doubt associated with it.

In reality, we should not be surprised or offended by people wanting to see proof of our genuineness and sincerity. Our actions should confirm the work of the Lord being done in our hearts. Others should be able to taste of our lives and, in so doing, prove our love and the faith we live by. John wrote in I John 3:18 "let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth". And Paul was talking about giving when he said "show these men the proof of your love". Our actions will either prove or disprove the love we have for others; our willingness to sacrifice and give of our time, talents, and resources will be the proof of our love.

One of my favorite verses is found in Psalm 34:8 where David declared confidently "taste and see that the Lord is good". God's love and faithfulness for each of us can be both experienced and proven. I pray that your words and actions will provide to the watching world evidence and proof of a changed life, one that is becoming more and more Christ-like with each passing day.

God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

Two Wings Needed

Two Wings Needed

"Those who hope in the Lord will renew their
strength. They will soar on wings like eagles."
Isaiah 40:31

From model airplanes glued together in the basement of a home to the latest jetliner manufactured by Boeing, from the smallest insect to the most majestic eagle, the truth remains the same; it takes two wings to fly. If you've ever seen a crippled bird, you know that there is no flight until the wounded wing is healed and both wings can be used to achieve flight.

A. W. Tozer, one of the great Christian leaders of the 20th century, said it this way:

"Truth is like a bird; it cannot fly on one wing.
Yet we are forever trying to take off with one
wing flapping furiously and the other tucked
neatly out of sight. Let's use both wings. We'll
get further that way"

The message he was trying to convey was one of balance in our Christian walks and in our lives. The most committed and faithful believer will eventually crash and burn if they do not get the rest and sleep they need. The most knowledgeable Bible scholar will struggle and make mistakes, some serious, in both words and actions, if they are under stress for too long a period of time.

The same truth can be seen in the spiritual realm. A person can be faithful in church attendance, serving and giving but if they allow sin and selfishness in their life, like a bird with one wing, they are going to have a hard time getting off the ground and making much progress in their spiritual life. We can't major on the minors in our walk with the Lord and we can't ignore the majors if we hope to "soar on wings like eagles" as Isaiah says. We are called to live a balanced Christian life.

The simple truth of needing two wings to fly may help you to discover what has kept you from taking off as a Christian, going deeper in the flow of the Holy Spirit, from being able to hear the voice of God and your coming to that place where you can trust Him without worry and stress constantly attacking you. Faithfulness in one area does not negate the need for balance and obedience in all areas of our walk. Like birds, we need two wings to rise above some of the situations we find ourselves in. Let's all try to find the balance we need to do that starting today!

God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

Turtles

Turtles

"If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if
any comfort from his love......if any tenderness and compassion,
make my joy complete by having the same love."
Philippians 2:1-2

With the awesome cabin we stayed in, the swimming pool with a slide and the hot tub, the lake for boating, great food, and a very nice game room, the highlight of this week's Kids Camp was none other than the turtles which populated the lake we were staying at. Those hard-shelled creatures were alternately described as cute, loveable, adorable, and friendly, as in "my turtle is so friendly". And because of that, five families now have a new pet or two to take care of.

We can learn much from nature and God's creation, and turtles are no exception. They have the ability to withdraw into their dome-shaped shells which serve to protect them from any predators that would try and sink their teeth into the little fellows. They hide behind their shell; a good system that keeps them inside and their enemies outside, protecting them from everything except the determined kids who come to camp with a big net and a soft heart.

I couldn't help but think, as I was observing the turtles, of the shells that we often form when we are hurt by others. They are invisible to the human eye, and often unknown by even the person who has them, but they serve as a protection to keep us from being hurt again by the words and actions of others. But our unconscious attempts at self- preservation come with a cost, keeping out not only people who might hurt us again but also those who love and genuinely care about us. And the ultimate problem with those turtle-like hard exteriors is that they can also keep God out when He is trying to come into our hearts and bless our lives.

We've been called to be tender, a word whose definition includes such things as soft and yielding, highly susceptible to emotions and impressions and having a sensitive character or disposition. God's mercy toward us, in fact, is often called "his tender mercies because it includes those qualities in his dealing with each of us. He is soft and yielding knowing our weaknesses and sensitive to the needs in our lives.

The loveable turtles can't do it but we can break up the shells that surround us, giving God and others free access to our hearts, asking God to make us tender and yielding, and in the process opening ourselves up to a greater freedom than we have known.

God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

Expecting

Expecting

"The creation waits in eager expectation
for the sons of God to be revealed."
Romans 8:19

The announcement "I'm expecting", or the male version of "we're expecting", is always met with excitement and enthusiasm, with handshakes and hugs, with congratulations, happiness and, occasionally, applause. It is such a commonly used phrase that Websters includes in its' definition of the word expecting "to be pregnant, to await the birth on one's child". But it's the other definitions that have been on my heart all week as I've had the opportunity to spend time in prayer.

Webster's also defines expecting as "to anticipate, to look forward to the coming or occurrence of something, to considerable probable implying a high degree of certainty" and it includes the idea of preparing and envisioning. And it's in that usage that we see the thought of expecting and expectation scattered throughout the Bible.

One of my favorite verses is found in Psalm 5:3 where David writes:

"In the morning I lay my requests before
you and wait in expectation."

As David prayed, an expectation arose in his heart of what the Lord would shortly do, a certain looking forward to the answer to his requests that he had laid before the Lord in prayer. He no doubt began to envision the fulfillment, seeing with his spiritual eyes the outcome of his petitions before the Lord. He easily could have made the announcement "I'm expecting", declaring "I'm expecting God to move in your life and in your situation" or "I'm expecting God to perform a miracle for you".

That same expectation is to fill our hearts as we wait to see what the Lord will do in our lives. Peter wrote boldly in I Peter 1:3 "we live with great expectation" and John talked in I John 3:3 of living with "an eager expectation" of what was in the future. For those who aren't experiencing that in their lives right now, the key is found in the very nature and heart of God. He is a God who loves his people, you and I. He is a God who is faithful to His promises-each and every one. He is a God who delights in answering prayers that are offered in faith by those who trust in Him. Like David, we can confidently lay our requests before Him, and wait in expectation for all that the Lord will do in our lives, able to say with a certainty "I'm expecting God to ............"!

God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

Hilton Head '09

Hilton Head '09

"But one thing I do: forgetting what is behind and
straining toward what is ahead, I press toward the
goal to win the prize for which God has called me."

With only one day left on our family vacation in Hilton Head South Carolina, the scene of some great senior trips over the years, the choices for writing a devotion seem almost endless. There are the incredibly scenic beaches with the ever-changing tides to enjoy or the quality time spent with family laughing together, sharing memories and creating new ones. The challenging design and splendor of the golf courses we played is one other option but someone might ask my scores so I ruled that out. From the power of the ocean's waves to lessons on getting sunburned, this vacation has provided so many lessons including one learned from playing solitaire.

Solitaire, as the name indicates, is the card game you can play by yourself, seven piles of cards, turn over three at a time, and try to move the cards up top by their suits-a game we all know. Nancy was playing solitaire the other night as we were sitting around the condo and asked if I wanted to try a hand. From accepting her offer till now, I am 0 for 19, having lost every game so far. But the nice thing is it isn't at all discouraging because as soon as I'm done with this I can start a new game with as good a chance to win as ever.

The same is true in each of our lives in a much broader sense. Each day is a new day in the Lord; we can forget yesterday's disappointments and failures and start the morning with expectancy and hope. Paul, realizing this, wrote to the Philippian believers about his exercised habit of forgetting what was in the past, all his yesterdays including both successes and failures, and reaching toward the future opportunities offered by the Lord to each of us.

Francis Chan wrote "the scriptures demonstrate clearly that there is room for failure in our pursuit of the Lord". David wrote about God's mercy being new every morning, not from teachings he had learned but from the experiences of his life. Despite failure in his personal life, he walked in the forgiveness God offers and in the hope represented by each new day in the Lord.

Like the next game of solitaire I'm about to deal myself, your tomorrow is a fresh opportunity to accomplish God's will with your life, a truly new day to get it right in the choices and decisions you make, in the attitudes you carry, and in the impact you have in the lives of others. Let's take advantage of God's new day!

God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

Undiluted

Undiluted

"For I didn't shrink from declaring to you
all that God wants you to know."
Acts 20:27

On one of our many trips to Vermont when we lived on the East Coast, I still remember trying out "Genuine Vermont Maple Syrup". Expecting it to be similar to my Log Cabin Maple Syrup back home, I poured it on as usual only to be shocked at the first helping of blueberry pancakes. This was the real thing, undiluted, super sweet, unlike anything I had tasted.

We get so used to the products we enjoy being diluted, that the real thing becomes too much to take. And maple syrup isn't the only example. Orange, apple and other juices have only a small percentage of the real thing. And drinking whole milk tastes so thick after getting used to half percent that I can't drink it anymore let alone put it on a bowl of Frosted Flakes in the morning. And when the extra ice in my Diet Coke melts, the pop gets so diluted that you can't always tell what it was to start with.

Paul, in his parting words to the elders of the Ephesian church, was speaking of his ministry among them when he said "I have not hesitated to proclaim to you the whole will of God". He was establishing his faithfulness to them as a minister of the gospel in that he didn't hold anything back, didn't water down the Word, and certainly didn't dilute the message the Lord had called him to deliver. It may taste a little strong at first and even be a little offensive, but we need the whole truth of God's Word if we are to stand strong during the days we are living in. We need to hear about holiness and purity and the need to be separated from the world and unto God, without it being diluted with excuses the Lord won't accept.

Faithfulness in devotions, giving and church attendance - "Pastor, please don't dilute it and don't hold back, speak the truth to us!!" Patience, persistence, passion, and prayer - we need Pauls who won't shrink back, won't be afraid to say the unpopular but necessary things we need to hear.

Jesus said "you will know the truth and the truth will set you free". To steal a phrase "the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth" is desperately needed in our generation.

Let's not settle for diluted when it comes to the things of God!

God Bless,
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church

Fishing Stories

Fishing Stories

"Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than
all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at
work within us, to him be glory in the church."
Ephesians 3:20

Now let's be honest, we've all exaggerated once or twice in our lifetimes, if not much more. Maybe it was the story that sounded a little better after spicing up the details for your friends? Or the famous fishing story and your hands just happened to go a little farther apart as you told how big the fish you struggled with for hours before finally landing was? Or the church story that would have a much greater effect on people, and sound a whole lot more powerful with only a little exaggeration of the details of what happened?

My thinking about this subject started with a statement by Francis Chan in his book Crazy Love that said "Isn't it a comfort to worship a God we cannot exaggerate?" Now before we move on, let's make sure he's right by trying some God-sized exaggerations to see if they work:

1. Nothing is too difficult for my God! Nope, that doesn't work because it's true, our God is able to do anything and everything. He parted the Red Sea, made the sun stand still in the heavens, raised the dead, and so much more. There is no problem in our life that God can't handle, no difficulty His grace can't bring us through and certainly no battle we can't win with God by our side. We're going to have to try a whole lot harder if we're to have any hope to exaggerate our God!
   
   
2. My God can listen to a billion people pray at once, hear each of their prayers and answer them according to His will. Sorry, that didn't work either. There is no call- waiting with God, no busy signals, no "all circuits are busy, please try your call again later". He is always there for each of us, from the remotest villages to the largest cities, hearing our every cry for mercy, help and strength. The Bible says He doesn't slumber or sleep, doesn't take sabbaticals or go away on vacation, and is never out sick. In fact it says that He will never leave us or forsake us, not you, not me, not any of us. No exaggeration there either, let's try one more time.
   
   
3. When I fail Him or walk away from Him, My God forgives me, remembering my sins no more, "casting them into the depths of the sea". Wait a minute, doesn't everyone hold a little grudge, dredge up the past when it's needed, or keep a record of wrongs? Not our God. Psalm 103:3 says He "forgives all our sins" and then verse 12 adds that He removes them "as far as the east is from the west". Our God forgives and forgets! Little stuff and big stuff, He washes our sins away in the blood of the Lamb.
   

His forgiveness and mercy cannot be exaggerated, by even the best teller of tall tales out there. Not only do we have to admit that God cannot be exaggerated but we have to admit that it is comforting to know that. His power is unlimited, His knowledge is immeasurable and His love is unfathomable. And all are available to those who will seek the Lord and put their trust in Him.

We serve a God whose power, whose love, whose understanding is greater than we have words to describe. He simply cannot be exaggerated.

God Bless
Pastor Joe
Gateway Church