Paintball and Sin

Last Saturday I had the opportunity to play in a paintball war for the first time. It was an invigorating (though somewhat painful) experience. When we were being told how to play, one of the rules given struck me as very interesting. We were told that if you get hit with a paintball, you are out, whether the paintball explodes or not.

You may wonder what this could possibly have to do with active Christian service, and I am about to tell you. You see, we had to leave the field of play even if we didn’t have paint on us. Others might not be able to see we had been hit, but we were hit just the same and were therefore finished. Sin is much the same. Our sins will ultimately destroy us, whether others can see them or not. We tend to think, perhaps subconsciously, that if no one can see us then it isn’t really wrong. The trouble is, God always sees. Ecclesiastes 12:14 says, “For God will bring every act into judgment, everything which is hidden, whether it is good or evil.” The sin committed in secret is just as wrong as the sin committed in the presence of other people. If we fail to repent, these sins will condemn us just as surely as any other.

If you are struggling with a hidden sin in your life, I encourage you to seek it out and destroy it before it destroys you. 1 John 1:9 tells us that if we confess our sins, God will forgive us and cleanse us. I know from experience that one of the hardest things to do is tell God out loud what you have done and ask for His forgiveness. Just saying what I had done made it sound so terrible that I never wanted to sin again. It might also help to share your struggle with a brother or sister in Christ. Sometimes it is enough to confess to God and ask Him to forgive, but other times we need some help to get through. Christians should help each other to overcome sin, but no one can help you if they don’t know you are struggling.

However you need to go about it, please take the initiative to rid your life of this sin. No matter how good we look on the outside, secret sin for which we have not repented will still get us cast away from God on judgment day. Those hit with sin will be judged, whether we can see the paint or not. I am working to purge sin from my life, and I pray you will do so as well. Our souls depend on it.

In Christ,

Jordan Wise

Hospitality

I and six other students from the Bear Valley Bible Institute recently returned from an evangelistic campaign in Tuttle, Oklahoma. We stayed in the homes of members of the church there for five days as we knocked doors and invited people to come to a biblical seminar. I was impacted by the level of hospitality we were shown. This is something special we enjoy as fellow members of God’s family. As my host pointed out, in what other environment would you invite strangers into your home to stay for several days?

When we look at the New Testament, we find that hospitality was important in the early church. It was apparently common for traveling preachers to stay in the homes of other Christians (2 John 10). Christians were commanded to practice hospitality (Romans 12:13). One of the qualifications of elders is for them to be hospitable (1 Timothy 3:2). There was even an emphasis placed on being hospitable to strangers (1 Timothy 5:10; Hebrews 13:2). In Acts chapter 2, we even see that they spent time with each other every day.

I think you and I would both agree that the church today could stand to show more hospitality. This is just not as much a part of our culture as it was in the first century, but that doesn’t make it any less important. I would encourage you to pick a night this week and invite a member of the church over to your house for dinner. I will guarantee you will learn more about each other than you would just chatting in the foyer after worship services.

The church can only be the body of Christ He intended us to be if we are unified, and the only way we can be unified is if we know each other like family. Let us make every effort to show biblical hospitality.

In Christ,

Jordan Wise

“If all your friends jumped off a cliff…

…would you jump too?” How many times did your mom ask you this question growing up? I know my mom asked me a LOT. I soon learned to come up with better reasons for what I wanted to do than, “So-and- so is doing it.” But you have to admit, Mom’s logic is sound. Just because a lot of other people do something, it doesn’t make it a good idea. When we see others make mistakes, we should learn from them rather than saying, “I want to go, too!”

In 1 Corinthians 10, Paul points out to the Corinthian church that the evil which befell Israel was given as an example so Christians could learn from Israel’s mistakes. Verse 6 of that chapter says, “Now these things happened as examples for us, so that we would not crave evil things as they also craved.” In this chapter we also read about how God delivered Israel from Egypt and how most of the Israelites rebelled and displeased God. We read about the sins they committed and the destruction they suffered as a result. In light of all that, Paul says in verse 12, “Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall.”

Through the sacrifice of Christ, we have been delivered from sin, and now we are to live righteously (Romans 6:17-18). We must be careful not to get arrogant in our salvation and fall into sin like Israel did. The good news is that God won’t let us be tempted more than we can resist. God doesn’t make rules which are impossible to keep. He always provides a way for us to escape sin and do the right thing (1 Corinthians 10:13). One of the best ways I have found to escape sin is to do a good work for Christ in lieu of the evil with which I am tempted. “Idle hands are the devil’s workshop” and all that jazz. We should take a few minutes each day to ask God to help us recognize temptation and find those avenues to escape sin. We won’t be able to overcome temptation if we don’t see it coming, and we won’t be able to take the escape route if we don’t know what it looks like.

The ancient nation of Israel has provided us with a marvelous example of how even God’s people can slip into sin and fall away. The question is, will we learn from that example and avoid their mistakes, or will we blindly follow them and jump off a cliff to our destruction?

In Christ,

Jordan Wise

“Are We There Yet?”

“Are we there yet? Are we there yet? Are we there yet?” If you’ve ever ridden in the car with little children for more than oh, say 30 minutes, you’ve most likely heard this familiar refrain. The problem with traveling with children is that not only are they the ones who want to get there the most, they are also the ones who want to make the most stops. You have a carload of kids who keep asking when you are going to get there, but then they want to stop every five minutes to go to the bathroom, get a snack, or see the World’s Lamest *ahem* Largest Prairie Dog. Unfortunately, when it comes to road trips, children are easily distracted, and a four hour drive can easily become a six hour drive if you have to stop ten times on the way.

As Christians, we are on a road trip to heaven. In times of trial we may find ourselves asking, like the saints in Revelation, “How long, O Lord?”  In effect, we’re asking God, “Are we there yet?” The problem is that, just like little children, we are easily distracted. We have full and busy lives. Jobs, school, and family all make demands on our time. Additionally, we have TV, internet, and Facebook. We have recreational activities like golfing, shopping, fishing, and going to the movies. We are almost constantly connected to technology in some form or another. We have trouble keeping our eyes on the road because there is so much to see and do along the way. We should be focused on going to heaven, but if we get distracted and pull over every five minutes, we will never make it there.

The apostle Paul didn’t seem to have much trouble with this.  Philippians 3:13-14 reads in part, “But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.” Paul had a one-track mind. He kept his eyes on the road. He was focused on the goal of heaven and he was determined to get there. He would allow nothing to get in his path. One goal: Heaven. One action: Press on. Pretty simple, isn’t it?

We need to learn to imitate Paul and be more focused on our goal. We need to keep our eyes on the road and strive to reach our eternal destination. We all need to make time to spiritually recharge ourselves so we can be better prepared to press on. Take a day sometime in the next week or two and just turn everything off. No TV, no e-mail, no Facebook, and no cell phone (no, you can’t have it on vibrate, either). Take a day to communicate with God. Give Him your prayers and see what He has to say to you in His word.

We say that we want to spend eternity with God. Are we spending any time with Him now? We cannot allow the distractions of life to pull us off the road to heaven. Keep your eyes on the road. Press on to the goal.

In Christ,

Jordan Wise

The New Health Care Law – A Christian’s Response

With the advent of the new national health care law this past week, I have noticed a marked reaction on the part of Christians. My Facebook news feed has erupted with posts from Christians mourning the state of our nation, determining to fight this law in the courts, and generally stating dissatisfaction with American politics and our current government. But in the midst of all these indignant statements I saw a status from a brother in Christ which really stood out: “If Christians were as concerned about the lost as they are about politics then we wouldn’t have to worry about politics.”

The New Testament has made it clear that the Christian has 3 duties to the government of his nation: 1) Pray – 1 Timothy 2:1-2, 2) Pay – Matthew 22:21; Romans 13:6-7, and 3) Obey – Romans 1:1-5. That’s it. That’s all we are commanded to do. The choice whether or not to participate in government further and to what extent lies with the conscience of each individual Christian.

The New Testament also gives us the command to share the gospel with the world (Mark 16:15-16). You may be beginning to think I harp on evangelism too much in this blog. Duly noted. I do want to be balanced. But the fact of the matter is, the word of God places a huge emphasis on preaching the gospel. The words “preach” and “gospel” both occur just over 100 times each in the New Testament. The Christian has one primary mission: To get to heaven and to teach as many other people how to get there as possible. Everything else must take a back seat to this mission. When it comes right down to it, we cannot expect national leaders to make good decisions if we haven’t taught them the word of God.

Make no mistake, I do not approve of this new health care law. But rather than spend their time and energy focused on fighting this law, God’s people need to be devoted to the spiritual health care of the lost. It seems so natural and so easy for people to get fired up about their political opinions. Why do not more Christians get fired up about telling people about the Savior who has given them eternal life? Sharing the gospel should be our priority. Here’s something to try which will help you determine what are your true priorities: For each person with whom you share your opinion about the new health care law, make a point to share something about the Lord’s church with one person and invite them to worship. We are willing to share our opinions about politics; we should be even more willing to share the truth of the gospel.

When the final judgment comes, it will not matter one iota what kind of health care (or lack thereof) people had while on earth. It will matter if people are unprepared to meet God because we didn’t wisely spend our time and energy to teach them how to be saved. Pray, pay, and obey – then get busy sharing the good news.

In Christ,

Jordan Wise

Heart Transplant

Every year, 3,500 heart transplant procedures are performed worldwide. Hearts can be irreversibly damaged by heart disease or viral infection. Other people suffer from long-term heart failure, heart muscle disease, or damage from multiple heart attacks. Often these conditions cannot be treated by any other medical or surgical means, and a heart transplant is the only option for survival. Currently, the five year survival rate for a heart transplant is 73.1% for males and 67.4% for females. Heart transplants have saved and extended the lives of thousands of people who had no other hope or chance of survival.

In Ezekiel 36:26, God says, “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.”

We have hearts of stone, hardened by sin (Ephesians 4:18). The only way for us to survive spiritually is to get a heart transplant from God. Our sinful, corrupt hearts cannot just be patched up. We need to start over with a brand new one. After David had sinned with Bathsheba, he cried out, “Create in me a clean heart, O God,” and God is willing to do just that if we will turn away from our sins.

Here’s the catch. Someone always has to die to make a heart available for transplant. Jesus is the one who has done this for us. He died to take away our sins so we could have a new heart from God. Under the Old Testament, animal sacrifices were made for sin and the blood was sprinkled on the altar. Now, Christ is the ultimate sacrifice for our sin. When we re-enact the death and burial of Jesus by being baptized into Him, we come in contact with the blood which He shed at his death (Romans 6:3-4; John 19:34). Only Christ’s blood is able to sprinkle our hearts clean (Hebrews 9:22; 1 Peter 1:2).

Your surgeon wouldn’t appreciate it very much if, two weeks after a transplant surgery, you started eating three double cheeseburgers a day. In much the same way, God will not be pleased with us if we start corrupting the clean heart He has given us. Colossians 3:12 tells us to “put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.” A heart healthy diet is important to our spiritual survival. We need to start feeding our hearts better in each of these areas mentioned in Colossians. One way to start in the area of gentleness would be to make a conscious effort not to snap back at those who offend us. Just let it go. Multitudes of ways can be found to apply each of these areas in our lives, but however we want to start, the main thing is that we need to start eating better spiritually.

God has given us new hearts; let us do all we can to keep them pure.

In Christ,

Jordan Wise

What is your Jesus Schema?

I know, I know. What on earth is a schema and what does it have to do with Jesus? It’s really quite simple. A schema is a mental representation of a thing or action. It is a body of information that our brain has connected together.

Let me give you an example. If I say, “Apple pie,” what comes into your mind? Maybe you think about a pie your grandmother always made and associate it with her. Maybe you think about classic Americana. If you’re high-born like me, you might think about the 2 for $1 apple pies at McDonald’s. Each individual has a different schema for the same idea. If you know more about a subject, you have a bigger schema for it. A professional baker is going to have a totally different apple pie schema from the guy who grabs a Sara Lee out of the freezer case when company’s coming over.

So my question is this: What is your Jesus schema? What do you think about when you hear the name, “Jesus”? What information does your brain associate with Jesus?

Some people think of Jesus like you see Him in this picture. Stain glass, stylized, ethereal. Others think of baby Jesus in the manger, surrounded by shepherds, magi, and farm animals, with a bright star shining in the background. Another schema might be an image of Jesus on a cross, much like the crucifix worn by Catholics. Some will envision Jesus as a pale white man with wavy brown locks and a perfectly trimmed beard, complete with a spotless white robe that never seems to get dirty. I’m sure we could think of many more.

When I think of Jesus, I don’t think of His physical appearance. No one really knows what He looked like anyway. When I think of Jesus I think of the cross. I think about how the Son of God left the bliss of heaven to pay the price I owed for my sin. I think of the blood He shed for me when He died on that cross. I rejoice in the fact that even though He was buried, He rose from the dead. I am grateful that all can have forgiveness and never-ending life by leaving sin behind and being baptized into Christ. I am humbled, remembering that Jesus is now in charge of my life. I look forward to the time when He will come back and take me up to heaven.

So what’s your Jesus schema? Do you think of Him as the Son of God, the Lord and Savior of the world? Salvation can only be found in the name of Jesus (Acts 4:12). We would do well to make sure our schema of Christ is as full and as accurate as possible.

If you’ve been following my blog, you’ve probably realized that each week I like to give you something practical you can actually do with the information in the post. This week I have two for you. It should only take five minutes to do them both, but the benefits will last you a lot longer.

#1 – Copy the link to this post (http://activeservice.wordpress.com/2010/03/13/what-is-your-jesus-schema/) and forward it to someone who you think needs to learn more about Jesus.

#2 – Hop over and read this article: http://christcrossedmyheart.blogspot.com/2010/02/can-you-imagine.html. It is written by a talented young author and portrays beautifully and powerfully what Jesus went through so we could be forgiven.

“But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us” (Romans 5:8).

In Christ,

Jordan Wise

What’s a Pearl Really Worth?

“Again, the kingdom of heaven is like a merchant seeking fine pearls, and upon finding one pearl of great value, he went and sold all that he had and bought it.” (Matthew 13:45-46)

I used to struggle with this parable – Why would someone sell EVERYTHING he had just to get one pearl? Then I went to work for a jewelry store. Let me tell you a little bit of what I learned about pearls.

Pearls are naturally formed when a small irritant (like a piece of shell) gets inside an oyster. The oyster starts coating it with a hard substance called nacre. In two or three years, a pearl has formed. The longer it stays in there, the bigger it gets.

Most pearls found in jewelry stores today are either cultured pearls or freshwater pearls. These pearls are artificially grown in farms. Cultured pearls are grown in salt water, while freshwater pearls are grown in fresh water and are usually smaller. Natural salt water pearls are extremely rare because of the difficulty involved in finding them.

When Jesus spoke this parable, pearl farming did not yet exist. All the pearls being sold were natural. They were terribly expensive because of their rarity – only the very wealthy could own them. Ancient divers faced sharks, drowning, and poisonous jellyfish as they risked their lives diving for pearl oysters. After all that, only 1 in 10,000 oysters had a pearl in it. The pearls were often small, and almost never perfectly round.

To the merchant, this pearl would be the find of a lifetime. He would gladly give up all he owned to get it because it had more value than everything he owned.

In this parable, the kingdom of heaven is the church. Jesus is making the point that it is more valuable than any earthly thing. So how much value does the kingdom of heaven have to you?

I encourage you to take a few minutes to take stock of your life. Are you living like the world around you? Do you have sinful habits that are difficult to give up? I’m here to tell you, the pearl is worth more. Jesus is coming back to save His church (Ephesians 5:27), and He is happy to make you a part of it through baptism in His name. But you have to give up sin first. If you are already in on this kingdom, remember what it is you have bought into. You can’t keep the world and have the kingdom too.

We would often have people come into the jewelry store asking how much a strand of natural pearls would be worth. The salesperson always gave the same answer, “Priceless.”

In Christ,

Jordan Wise

Go Into ALL the World

Last week we talked a little bit about one of the main reasons the church today is not as evangelistic as it should be. Many Christians do not truly believe that there are lost people in this world. I hope that we will study God’s word and come to a realization of the truth on this subject. But there are other factors that inhibit us from studying the Bible with people, and I want to take a look at two of the biggest ones: Fear of rejection and fear that we don’t know enough.

Let’s face it. It’s scary to go up to someone and ask them to study the Bible with you. What if they get mad? What if you lose them as a friend? What if they ask a hard question and you don’t know the answer? These fears are all real – I know because I have them myself.

Now I could tell you to go read John 15:20 and remember that if we are going to follow Jesus we will have to suffer rejection. I could remind you that people are not really rejecting you; they are rejecting the message. And I could tell you that if you know how you were saved, you know enough to share the gospel with others. I could tell you all that, and it would be true, and this probably wouldn’t be the first time you’ve heard it. What I would rather do is give you one simple HOW to overcome those fears and be able to study the Bible with people.

I’m talking about internet World Bible School. I have been teaching with them for a short period of time, and I am very impressed. Here’s how it works: Individuals go to the WBS website and request free Bible studies. WBS forwards those names on to study helpers (that’s you and me). The study helpers then e-mail Bible lessons to the students and grade them when they come back in. It’s simple. It’s easy. It’s fulfilling the great commission. Jesus said, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to all creation.” I currently have students in countries ranging from New Zealand to Tanzania. World Bible School lets you take the gospel anywhere and everywhere in the world – while sitting in front of your computer.

Do you fear rejection? With WBS, you are teaching people who have already ASKED to learn about God. Do you think you don’t know enough? If you knew enough to get to this blog site, then you know enough to teach with internet WBS. Because it’s all done by e-mail, if a student asks a hard question you have time to look for the answer before you reply.

For some, World Bible School can be a great way to fulfill Christ’s great commission. For others, WBS will be a stepping stone. It is my hope that through WBS I can gain more confidence and knowledge to teach the gospel on a personal level. It can help you do the same. Please go and check out the WBS website. Here’s the link: http://worldbibleschool.net/c_teacher/index.php.

Right now there are 122 students waiting for a study helper. You already use your computer for business, leisure, and shopping. Why not use it to tell folks about the Savior of the world?

In Christ,

Jordan Wise

Hope for Haiti

As of January 27, over $587 million had been raised to help   with the relief work going on in  Haiti – and that’s just from the United   States (1). I’m sure the number is much higher at the time of this writing. The carnage and destruction in Haiti have been tremendous, and  people all over the world have jumped at the chance to donate to help the Haitians. Many in the church have been eager to help as well, and it is good and right that we should do so. We can all see how terrible this disaster has been, and we should be moved with compassion to help. But there is something about this that bothers me. We are willing to give tremendous amounts of money to help with  a natural disaster, while at the same time many missionaries are struggling to find enough financial support to continue to teach the gospel. This is a troubling thought, and it causes me to wonder: Does the church still believe that people are lost? Millions of dollars are given to help save people from physical suffering and death. What is being given to help save people from eternal destruction? Mark 16:16 says, “He who has believed and has been baptized shall be saved; but he who has disbelieved shall be condemned.” Do we still believe this? What are we doing about it? Many Christians have been killed in Haiti, but we know that they are now enjoying eternal life in the presence of God. Far more serious a concern are the hundreds of thousands of people who die every day, most of them without knowing Christ. As the Lord’s ambassadors here on earth, we need to wake up to the fact that people are lost and act on that realization. Hopefully all of us still acknowledge the truth of God’s word and believe that those outside of Christ are lost, but we need to turn that head belief into a heart and hand belief. How? First of all, we can all be more active in sharing the gospel on a personal level. I hope to talk about this a little more next week. But we can also give to help our missionaries. They are scattered all over the world, working hard to bring the words of life to lost souls. If they don’t have help from us, it can be easy for them to get discouraged or be physically unable to continue their work. If you truly believe that there are still lost souls in need of Christ, please take the time today to sit down and write a check to help support your missionaries. Billions of souls are still waiting to hear the saving message of the cross. Will we care enough to give it to them?

In Christ,

Jordan Wise

(1) http://philanthropy.com/article/Donations-to-Aid-Haiti-Exce/63756/