Be Authentic

Be authentic!  Real, true, and bona-fide are a few synonyms for this word that is commonly spoken.  But, finding examples of authenticity in our surroundings isn't quite so easy, especially when we're looking for authentic people...or authentic Christians.  Our Lord talked about those who are inwardly something different than they appear outwardly, calling them hypocrites.  So, what is an authentic Christian.

             A true Christian is not one who never makes mistakes.  If you feel that you may not be an authentic Christian because of your past, or because of current temptations that you're struggling with, listen to what God says: "If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us." (I John 1:8) And, "My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous." (I John 2:1) "Walking in the light" includes occasionally stumbling in sin. But we can depend on our Savior to cleanse us from "all unrighteousness."

            An authentic Christian loves the light and has no reason to hide in darkness.  "But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God." (John 3:20)  Mama always said, "You show your true colors when no one is looking." What's great about an authentic Christian is that whether they are home alone or in the auditorium of the church building, they are the same person.

            Perhaps the most beautiful part about a genuine, true Christian is that our dark deeds can be illuminated and then healed by the Light.  "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins..." (I John 1:9)  God's grace makes hiding sin obsolete and detrimental.  And, the body of Christ, His church, is meant to be a safe haven and an island of rest in the midst of a broken world.  Therefore, we're encouraged to "confess our sins to one another." (James 5:16)  We can be authentic, though full of flaws, and still be made pure in God's sight.  Are you hiding?  Come to the Light and be free from darkeness.

----Darrell Powell

The Propitiation for Our Sins

Let’s be honest.  There are some words in the Bible that we read, and maybe that we’ve read over and over, that we do not know the meaning of.  I John 2 contains one of the more commonly over looked words, and it’s such a shame because the word carries such weight.  John is concluding a section about the continual forgiving power of Christ’s blood and he says “I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous.” (I John 2:1)  Then, he writes that Christ is the “propitiation…for the sins of the whole world.” (vs. 2)

The beauty and depth of this word, “propitiation,” is so profound.  The word carries the basic idea of appeasement, or satisfaction, specifically towards God. It’s the principle that Christ, by enduring the cross, satisfied God’s demands of justice for our sins.  The penalty for sin is death. (Romans 6:23)  But Jesus chose physical death SO THAT we wouldn’t have to pay for our own souls with OUR spiritual death.

Here are two things this means for followers of Christ. One, it means that JESUS already did the one thing that would appease the wrath of the Father, and nobody or nothing else is needed or acceptable in order to accomplish that.  When a person is converted to Christ (Acts 3:19), submits to His will (James 4:7), and chooses to strive to “keep His commandments” (I John 2:3), he is simply accepting the atonement that the Savior has already provided. You, nor anything that you do, can “atone” for even one single sin. 

Two, Christ as our propitiation means that God loves us. And if He loves us, we should love one another. (I John 4:9-11)  In fact, it’s our love for one another that “perfects” God’s love in us (4:12) Most of us know that the second greatest command is to love one another as we love ourselves.  This desire for us was at the pinnacle of why Christ sacrificed Himself for us.  Are you making Him proud by the way you treat others? God taught us mercy by paying for our sins Himself.  It’s our turn to reciprocate that love by loving one another.

----Darrell Powell 

The Older Son

When one who has been lost is found, there is always rejoicing...right?  If we could all love as purely and forgive as completely as our heavenly father this would be the case.  But we can't, so sometimes other feelings rob us of rejoicing over a brother's return from the "far country."  Jesus' third parable in Luke 15 is often referred to as the Prodigal Son, but it's also about the older son who was just as confused as his brother about what living in the Father's house really meant.

When the younger son left, demanding "the share of property that is coming to me," we're not told about the initial reaction his older brother had.  But if his later attitude is any indication, it may have been that he looked on judgingly and thought "Just what I thought he'd do."  He may have even been envious, thinking "Here I am slaving away, and he gets out of serving Father AND gets his inheritance early!"

To be sure, the younger brother was choosing death, as far as his relationship to the Father was concerned (v. 32), and his forgiveness would require that he leave his sinful life and come home.  This falls right in line with Paul's inspired words, "...how can we who have died to sin still LIVE in it? (Romans 6:2 emp. added).

But let's not pretend it is always easy to rejoice with others.  The older brother was angry that his little brother had wasted his inheritance, come to his senses, and returned home to live again.  His anger stemmed from jealousy. (v. 29)  But here's the problem with jealousy and selfishness: " For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice." (James 3:16)  Our heavenly father is ALWAYS happy when His children come back to Him, and He wants us to feel that same joy. Are you the prodigal who is estranged from the Father and need to come home? Or are you the elder brother who needs to realize that your faithfulness hasn't earned you an extra ounce of God's love. His love for the faithful and the lost is so great that He gave Jesus to die for us.

----Darrell Powell

Never Alone

We're never alone.  It's easy enough for us to say, and I know a great number of us realize it in a deep, reassuring way.  But to pretend that it's always fully evident and obvious that God is with us when we live in a fallen and, at times, treacherous world, can be a stretch, depending on whom you ask.  The honest among us recognize that feeling God's presence can be more challenging to souls that have seen a greater portion of the darkness of this age.  Yet, experiencing that darkness is sometimes just the thing that unleashes the overwhelming light of our Creator.
A song I love begins, "I waited for you today, but you didn't show.  I needed you today, so where did you go?  You told me to call, said you'd be there.  And though I haven't seen you, are you still there?" It isn't shameful that some cry out like this.  King David opened his heart to God and cried, "How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? (Psalms 13:1) David who had seen the mighty works of God in a way that we may never experience had moments when he felt God resided some distance from him.  That being said, David concluded, " But I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, because he has dealt bountifully with me. (Psalms 13:5-6)
What's the point? God's presence and nearness is evident to those who take the time to really look.  But there is nothing debased and inherently evil about people who are struggling to see him.  The song began above continues: "I cried out with no reply and I can't feel you by my side, so I'll hold tight to what I know: You're here, and I'm never alone.  And though I can't see you, and I can't explain why I've such a deep deep reassurance you've placed in my life.  We cannot separate, cause you're part of me, and though you're invisible I trust the unseen."
There's comfort in knowing "He made from one man every nation of mankind ...that they should seek God, and perhaps feel their way toward him and find him. Yet he is actually not far from each one of us," (Acts 17:26-27)  We're never alone.
----Darrell Powell

A Dream of Spring

            "And winter slumbering in the open air, Wears on his smiling face a dream of Spring! (Samuel Taylor Coleridge).  I love the springtime, but my mother taught me long ago that contentment in every season makes a man great. So, you could say, we're leaving a lustrous winter and entering the grand wonderland of warmth and growth that is the spring of the year.

            It's a time of renewal.  Eli, our 5 year old, asked me yesterday "Why did God make winter?" Now, I'm no scientist, but I explained that the world needs some time to rest and recover from working so hard in the warmer months and they get to do that in the winter.  But in the Spring, the world wakes back up and things that seemed dead and lifeless burst forth with new vigor.

            Maybe your faith is hibernating. Oh, you still "believe," but you haven't acted on your faith in some time.  I pray that for you, Spring is just around the corner. See, your "faith" isn't really faith at all if it isn't a "working faith." James wrote that "faith without works is dead." (James 2:26) But God justifies us when we ACT on the convictions that His word has placed in our hearts. (James 2:24)

            So, you're tired.  You're overwhelmed and burdened.  Jesus calls out "Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." (Matthew 11:28)  The world is renewed when Spring comes, and your soul can be renewed by the forgiveness and grace supplied by the blood of Jesus. "So we do not lose heart. Though our outer self is wasting away, our inner self is being renewed day by day. " (II Corinthians 4:16).

Does it End Good...is it Happy? (Abraham and Isaac)

            When my son, Eli, was a little(er) boy, he'd sit on the edge of his seat as Jamie and I told grand stories of adventure and peril found within the pages of Scripture. For a while, his common question amid the most action packed or suspenseful parts was to stop me and ask, "Does it end good? Is it happy?" Not every story does end "happy," but in the ones that do, I was always happy to report, "Yes, buddy. It ends really good."

            One such story was that of Abraham who was commanded by God to sacrifice his only son, Isaac. (Genesis 22) Eli was understandably troubled as he asked, and I explained, what a burnt offering was. I told him how Abraham "rose early" to go and obey God's command (v. 3), and that on the third day of their journey, Abraham told his servants, "Stay here with the donkey; I and the boy will go over there and worship and come again to you." (v. 5)  

            At this point, Eli didn't seem too rattled...almost as if he trusted that God would intervene. But, as Abraham built the altar, then "reached out his hand and took the knife to slaughter his son," Eli reached out his hand to me and interrupted, "Daddy! Does it end good...is it happy?!" I explained that not only does this end happy, but this event helped make it possible for Jesus to save the world from sin.

            I found myself feeling so thankful for God and for men like Abraham whose bold faith gives me hope. I couldn't help but feel an extra measure of appreciation. See, it was hard for me to look my son in the eye and tell the story, because it frightened him so. But Abraham did "not withhold his...only son" from God. (v. 22)

            Then the pain pierced my heart as I realized, as if for the first time, that my God "did not spare his own Son but gave Him up for us all." (Romans 8:32) Because of Him, all things "end good." Because of Him, there is hope.

Only the Weak Are Strong

Have you ever noticed that often at the very moment you feel spiritually dedicated and strong, you get hit with a wave of temptation or hardship? First, let’s not be fooled, it’s the “good” and “perfect” gifts that come from God (James 1:16-17). This was written right after a segment about how it’s the devil who sends us temptations. But then, there’s the truth that struggles make us stronger, trials make us tougher, and problems make us patient (James 1:2-4). There’s a principle at work here that Christians should notice: God is ok with our weaknesses, because when we acknowledge them, He can do great things with them...and with us.

As a prime example of this idea, Paul wrote (and lived) this: “If I must boast, I will boast of the things that show my weakness” (2 Corinthians 11:30). But, I’m tough, rich, popular, powerful, and beautiful. If you boast in these things, you are none of them. So, how does this work?

Paul said that the only boasting to be done should be about Christ…or our own weaknesses.  He told of how he had some physical problem that he wanted the Lord to remove so that he could be stronger…better. To which Jesus replied, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:5-10). The bottom line is, only when you are ready to humble yourself and exalt Christ can you ever be strong. God uses the foolish, the weak, the low, and the despised to show His might so that “no human being might boast in the presence of God (1 Corinthians 1:27-29).

So, "Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the LORD who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the LORD" (Jeremiah 9:23-24).

----Darrell Powell