All posts by : Joel Phillips

Caught in grace

The religious leaders brought a woman to Jesus who had been caught in a scandal of adultery. They also brought stones to kill her. Jesus listened to the accusations, then knelt down between the woman and her accusers.

“Let the one with no sin cast the first stone.” (John 8:7)

He then began to write something in the dirt. Many have speculated what he wrote, but whatever it was, there was released such an atmosphere of grace that those who were ready to judge her according to the law, dropped their rocks and walked away.

Who we re-present

Jesus was and is the exact representation of God the Father. He said, “He who sees me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9). And we now are the exact representation of Jesus, and therefore God (John 20:21). Our assignment is to continue doing what Jesus did, yet most Christians seem more comfortable with the group ready to stone the sinner.

As representatives of God, we are to re-present those things God did through Jesus.

Children flock to a good father

Jesus reveals over and over again that the Father is good. He then passes over to us the assignment of showing the goodness of God to people. However, it’s not to people who deserve it, but to those who long for it—which is every human being. Every person, no matter how dark their lives have become, desires the loving embrace of a good father.

Through the simple acts of goodness, led and empowered by the Holy Spirit, access is gained to people’s hearts. Goodness allows God to move in and write in the sand of their circumstances something that chases away the accusations, and affirms His loves for them.

Would you want to become a Christian if you were told that your role in church would be limited, solely because of your gender?

Jesus in black too?

At this year’s Golden Globe Awards, the stars banded together in all-black dresses and outfits to make a statement against the epidemic of sexual harassment and inequality against women in the entertainment field, as well as all other workplaces.

Too many Christians only took note of the anti-Trump ad hominem, without seizing the opportunity to support something dear to God’s heart: the equality of women.

Women: the modern slaves

• Half the world’s population is female. They comprise 40% of the world’s workforce but own 1%of the world’s wealth. 
• Seventy percent of those living in poverty in the world are female, globally.
• 100 million little girls are missing from today’s generation
• In Brazil, its justifiable homicide to kill an unfaithful wife.
• In India, up to 50 million girls are victims of sex-selection, abortion and female infanticide.
• Rape is a primary weapon of war. About 48 women are raped in the Democratic Republic of the Congo every hour. 
• In many cultures, girls and mothers are fed only after the men and boys
• More than 125 million girls alive today have undergone female genital mutilation.
• Sex trafficking is the second largest criminal industry in the world. 80% of the victims are female.

Pro-slavery advocates of the 18th and 19th centuries used five basic tenets based on the Bible to express the heart of their argument:

1. God established slavery in the Old Testament
2. Righteous people practiced it
3. The moral law allowed for it
4. Jesus accepted it
5. The apostles upheld it

Slavery was a fact of life in Biblical times. It was not because of any virtue in slavery, but because there was no hope of reform at that time in history. But today, the vast majority of Christians view slavery as a horrible evil, incompatible with the teachings of Christ.

Yet, there is more to defend the practice of slavery in the Bible than there is to limit the role of women

Equally Valuable

When we examine the Bible concerning women, the compelling evidence that the traditional approach subjugating women does not line up with the heart of God. Like slavery, God did not decree the secondary status of women for all time.

There is no longer Jew or Gentile, slave or free, male and female. For you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28, NLT)

Man and woman were created by God to be equal in value but different in roles. God didn’t design us to be the same, nor to do all the same things. He created one male and one female with differing roles and jobs. He created two different genders on purpose, for a purpose.

What’s needed is to lovingly reveal how all women are valuable and precious to God; to embrace God’s design for marriage, family, dignity of life, and sexuality.

And maybe on occasion to dress in black.

Covenant of promise

God made “covenants” with us that were promises secured in blood. The sending of Jesus Christ to earth is the greatest fulfillment of his promise to give a Savior.

Because of our negative experiences with promises being broken, we may find ourselves responding to God’s promises with uncertainty. But God is not like other promise-makers (or breakers) we have known. God’s promises are unchangeable and guaranteed. His promises give the hope of something good and strength to persevere.

Even though fear and distrust make it difficult for us to allow God’s promises to nurture and sustain you, you can count on God to keep his promises. He has promises to bring change and rest. He has promised to give you his love, protection, presence and support. And he will do these things!

Stand on God’s promises!

You need to hear his promises over and over until they gradually make their way deep within our hearts and minds. The second verse of old hymn says it well…

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,
When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,
By the living Word of God I shall prevail,
Standing on the promises of God.

 That’s a perfect picture of what you can do with God’s promises: STAND ON THEM! Why? Because they will not fail, because God never fails!

Movement of the Spirit

There are several metaphors used in the New Testament to describe the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came upon Jesus in the form of a dove. The Holy Spirit came into the upper room in the form of fire. The Holy Spirit is likened unto wind…

“The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” (John 3:8)

You can sense and discern the move of God’s Spirit, but you cannot see it nor predict it. Speaker and Author, Sarah Bowling describes it as, “an elusive perception of a infinite reality.” This mysterious quality of the moving of the Holy Spirit also implies that you could miss it.

Able to notice

Have you ever been somewhere and sensed God’s presence only to find out that others around you were totally oblivious? The Holy Spirit was touching your heart, yet others seem unmoved and unaffected.

How can it be that one person can experience a dynamic touch of God’s Spirit while someone right next to them does not? No doubt there have been times when you may have missed what God was doing. He was touching others, they were sensing His presence, and yet you felt dull in your senses.

“… those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern…” (Hebrews 5:14)

In other words, in order to discern spiritual things you must have your spiritual senses developed. Developing your sensitivity to the Holy Spirit comes from desiring to be a part of what he is doing. There will be many things that God will be doing by his Spirit today, so be determined to not miss any of it!

You can’t afford to have any thoughts about yourself that God doesn’t have about you. When you entertain things that are not true and central in God’s perspective about you, you are allowing something that will battle against you. But as a Christian it’s not only essential to realize who you are in Christ, but also what you now have through Christ.

Many leave the riches of Heaven sitting in the bank, thinking that they only get them when they die and go there. The belief that Heaven is entirely a future reality has reduced far too many of God’s declarations in Scripture about the believer’s identity and calling to “positional” truths that are acknowledged but never experienced. It is time for that to change!

Going deeper

If it’s true that the value of something is measured by what someone will pay for it, then you need to rethink your worth. Understanding your inheritance begins with discovering the deeper purpose for your salvation. Beyond knowing that you were a sinner saved by grace, there is a deeper discovery that God’s highest purpose for the Cross was not merely to forgive you of sin, but to invite you into an intimate family relationship with Him as your Heavenly Father.

This legal standing of relationship to God as His sons and daughters is precisely what gives you an inheritance. Romans 8:14-17 explains this way…

For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, these are sons of God. For you did not receive the spirit of bondage again to fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption by whom we cry out, “Abba, Father.” The Spirit Himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him, that we may also be glorified together. (Romans 8:14–17, NKJV)

Battle for potential

The fact that you are an heir of God is mind-boggling. But you must not be content to read these verses and be awed by them. They prophesy your potential, a potential that you must pursue throughout your entire life.

When you discover who God has made you to be, and wants you to have, you will never want to be anyone else. It will be a battle, but if you avoid the battle you were born for, you’ll face a battle you’re not equipped for. However, if you engage in the battle that’s already been won for you, you’ll emerge victorious and abundantly equipped with heaven’s resources.

Not invited

Nobody likes a person to butt in unwelcomed to a conversation or other activities. Especially when the person is giving their opinion that was not asked for about something that they were not included in. 

They’re called nosey.

 A nosey person butts into something that is none of their business. It’s awkward and can be frustrating, unless their interruption saves your life. An interruption would be welcome when a person has noticed something that is amiss and/or life threatening.

God butts in

God’s notices when something isn’t right in you life…

You were conducting yourself in the lusts of your flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature a child of wrath, just as the others. But God, who is rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved you, has saved you” (Ephesians 2:3–4)

God’s the ultimate eavesdropper. And he isn’t waiting around until you invite him into the conversation. Driven by his “rich mercy” and “great love,” he’s butting into your life.

But God…while you were still sinning, Christ died for you
But God…while you made no move toward him, he took the initiative toward you
But God…while you didn’t realize you were at death’s door, he rescued you

Even while you’ve been ignoring him and doing things on your own, he’s been interrupting, letting you know he’s there, and that he loves you.

You should love it when God butts in!

In case you don’t know, Kathie’s and my favorite time of the year is Christmas. We go all out! Our house gets decorated the day after Halloween. We have amassed so much stuff that we’ve probably funded college for the children of the man who owns the Christmas light factory. Storing this stuff is getting to be a challenge.

We were setting up the inflatables and noticed the one of them. This particular one had been faithfully used for many years. It was one of our favorites, but it has seen better days.  As I waded it up to through it in the trashcan, Kathie said,  “Let me see if I can get it working.”  So she began checking every connection, and sure enough got it working again!

A dark city

There was a group of people who lived in a city who were kind of like our almost-to-be discarded Christmas inflatable. In fact, a man wrote a song about them and their city:

O’ little town of Bethlehem, how still we see thee lay,
Above thy deep and dreamless sleep the silent stars go by,
Yet in thy dark streets shineth, the everlasting light,
The hopes and fears of all the years are met in thee tonight.

The prophet Micah tells us that it was to this little insignificant city, whose best days seem to be over, that God says:

“But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of you shall come forth to Me The One to be Ruler in Israel, Whose goings forth are from of old, from everlasting.” (Micah 5:2)

You will shine again

There’s a direct parallel between these words and people who feel that they are no longer useful and/or seem destined for the junk heap. People who look up and see nothing but the black night skies and settle into dreamless sleep. The Lord is saying to you, “Although you may look like nothing, out of you shall come such great things!”

Let every Christmas decoration you see this season, especially the inflatable ones, remind you that God hasn’t forgotten about you. And he’s able to work on your life in a way that will cause it to shine once again.

In the movie Bruce Almighty, the main character, played by Jim Carrey, actually becomes God. There are some pretty funny parts, and some sobering ones too.  In one scene Carrey starts hearing all the prayers of everyone on earth. He tries several ways of dealing with it and fails. He then sets up a system of answering the prayers online. It goes okay at first, but by the time he finishes answering the first few million prayers, there millions of new ones.

Overwhelming

A few years ago I posted on twitter and Facebook for people to tell me what the hardest thing was from them to forgive. Within a short amount of time I was getting messages and responses. Dozens. And they were heartbreaking.

People wrote things like, “I was violated.” “I was abused.” “I was molested.” “I was betrayed.” “I was abandoned.” “I was cheated.” “I was heartbroken.” I tried to write everyone back with some kind of encouraging words, but it was almost overwhelming.

I began to think of how God’s heart must break as he sees and hears all these kinds of things that have happened to people. However, unlike Bruce Almighty and me, God is never overwhelmed.

God is amazing in that he forgives, heals and restores the fractures, offenses, wounds, hurts, and brokenness in our lives. No matter how severe, he can handle it! It’s this aspect of God’s power and character, his unlimited supply of grace and mercy that makes us love him and want to worship him.

He expects the same from us

“And be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God in Christ forgave you.” (Ephesians 4:32)

The way God has forgiven us of the wrongful and hurtful things we’ve done to others, he expects us to do likewise to those who have wronged us. This may seem impossible and even unfair; but it’s the only way we can truly be healed and released from the hurt. The same grace that flows from God to us will flow through us to heal what others.

Forgiveness is the operating system of Christianity. We forgive because we have been forgiven.

Ever wondered in your heart why you are here, and is there really a plan and purpose for your life? Does God actually have something important for you to do? And if so, how do I find out what it is and walk in it? Ps 139:16 says…

“Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.”

In other words, God planned your destiny before you were even born. He is the Master Potter who sculpted you and brought your life into existence. Even before you were formed in your mother’s womb, God was sketching out your life.

What life did God design for you?

“For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, says the Lord, thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jeremiah 29:11)

If you look up the word “hope” used in this verse, you will find that it means, “an expectation for the thing that one longs for.” God has things that He longs for to happen in your life. What are they? According to Jeremiah it is to experience peace not evil, and to have a bright expectation of what lays ahead.

Up to your neck

Life can be overwhelming at times. When you’re up to your neck in alligators, it’s difficult to keep your mind on the fact that your primary objective is to drain the swamp. But in the middle of the battle, God wants you to discover the power of hope. Hope that will give a second-wind in your pursuit of, and living-out God’s purposes and destiny for your life.

Please invite us over for the BBQ’d gator!

Many years before…

In October 1942, the legendary Captain Eddie Rickenbacker was on a mission in a B-17 to deliver an important message to General Douglas MacArthur in New Guinea.  But somewhere over the South Pacific the Flying Fortress became lost beyond the reach of radio. Fuel began to run dangerously low eventually forcing them to ditch the plane in the ocean.  Stranded on the ocean for nearly a month, Captain Eddie and his crew fought the elements to survive.

They spent many sleepless nights recoiling as giant sharks rammed their raft, but of all their enemies at sea one proved most formidable: starvation. Eight days out, their rations were long gone or destroyed by the salt water. It would take a miracle to sustain them, and a miracle occurred.

Captain Rickenbacker’s own words record the moment…

One of our crew, Captain William Cherry, read from the Bible and then prayed, and then we sang a hymn. There was some talk, but it tapered off in the oppressive heat. With my hat pulled down over my eyes to keep out some of the glare, I dozed off.  Then something landed on my head. I knew that it was a seagull.  No one said a word, but peering out from under my hat brim without moving my head, I could see the expression on their faces. They were staring at that gull. The gull meant food if I could catch it.

And the rest, as they say, is history. Captain Eddie caught the gull. Its flesh was eaten. Its intestines were used for bait to catch fish. The survivors were sustained and their hopes renewed because a lone seagull.

Captain Rickenbacker never forgot

Every Friday evening at sunset until his death in 1973, you could find Captain Eddie Rickenbacker out on a pier on a lonely stretch of coast in eastern Florida with a bucket filled with shrimp.  He fed the seagulls as an expression of thanks for the one who gave his life to save his.

Giving thanks always for all things to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Ephesians 5:20)

How much has God done for you? How many times has He proven faithful and showered your life with His blessings? Then give Him thanks! Tell about what He’s done and what He means to you. Do it at sunset, and at sunrise. Do it on a pier, and in your house. Wherever you go, maybe even when you see a seagull, be thankful to God!