pastorjohnb

Thoughts and musings on faith and our mighty God!

Tag Archives: cost


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God’s Plan

Reading: 1 Samuel 16: 1-5

1 Samuel 16:4 – Samuel did what the Lord said.

As a prophet of God, at times Samuel has brought words that were tough for the person or people to hear.  The results of Samuel’s words are not often positive.  The Holy Spirit works much the same way in our lives.  When we sin the Spirit quickly convicts us and forces a change in us.  When the elders of Bethlehem see Samuel approaching, they are cautious and guarded.  They are straight forward in the conversation: “Do you come in peace?” is their opening line with Samuel.  ‘Yes and no’ would be the honest answer.

King Saul is not happy with Samuel.  Samuel has very recently told Saul that God has rejected him as king.  Initially, when God tells Samuel to go to Bethlehem, Samuel is fearful.  So too are the elders.  What might Samuel be doing in their town?  Will Saul punish them for having Samuel there?  Or worse?  At times we too are put to the test.  At times our faith leads us to follow God’s will into places and situations that bring up fear or doubt or that may have a cost to us.  Doing what is right or speaking the truth sometimes creates conflict or ruffles feathers.

God has a plan.  He answers Samuel’s fears and Samuel heads off to do God’s work.  Samuel voiced his concern to God and God responded.  This is what we are called to do as well.  God desires an open and honest relationship with us too.  So when we feel doubt or fear or lack of trust, we need to bring this to God.  When we are unsure of where to go or of how to proceed, we need to go to God in prayer, to seek God’s plan.  Like Samuel, God will lead us past our fear, our doubt, our concerns.  Like Samuel, we must call on God alone and we must fully rely on God’s plan, knowing that God is in control of all things and that God has good plans for us.

“Samuel did what the Lord said”.  May we follow Samuel’s example.


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Cannot Be Shaken

Reading: Hebrews 12: 25-29

This passage in Hebrews was written in a time when following Christ could be very dangerous.  It could cost you your life.  While many of us do not face this danger today, in some parts of the world it is the reality.  Christians around the world die for their faith daily.  While most of us do not face this ultimate price, being a follower has a ‘cost’ to all believers.  This passage today is meant to encourage all believers and to remind us if the hope we have in Christ.

In following Christ, the cost can come in a number of ways.  It can be economic or social or relational.  As a Christian our choices and decisions can cost us popularity, status, position, or power.  It may cost us success as we choose to live following God’s ways.  We may choose to live less extravagantly as we choose to honor God first with our resources.  Our faith may cost us friendships, business partnerships, and even familial relationships as others choose to walk a worldly path.  There can be many costs.

Hebrews reminds us that we are one day “receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken”.  While in this earthly kingdom we face many ‘costs’.  They can shake us at times.  They can make us question and doubt.  We can also have our faith and our lives shaken by forces out of our control.  Economic downturns, violence and wars, disease, and death are just a few examples of things that can shake us.  Life and the circumstances that surround it and fragile and often we have little or no control over it.  Yet in the midst of this stands Jesus, our rock.  In the here and now, Jesus is our unshakable foundation.  As we lived out our blessed lives here on earth, we know beyond the shadow of a doubt, that Jesus awaits us in the heavens, the kingdom that cannot be shaken.


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Conflict

No one likes conflict.  Often we avoid it.  Maybe we go the other way or we accept another’s idea.  Maybe we simply choose to not be involved or we remain silent.  Yet God calls us to stand against injustice, oppression, and all things evil.  He calls us to always do what is right.  In making these choices we can find ourselves in conflict.

John the Baptist found great conflict at the end of his life.  He spoke out against Herod marrying his own brother’s wife.  This angered her greatly.  It led to John’s arrest and eventually to his beheading.  John’s integrity would not allow him to remain silent.  John’s cost was much higher than any cost I may have to pay for following Jesus, but at times there are still costs.

Living as a follower of Jesus will at times put me in a place where I have to choose between silence and integrity.  This can be a hard choice.  When I am led by the Holy Spirit to speak and I choose to remain silent, I am less than I could be.  I am less than I am called to be.  In silence I sacrifice part of myself and my faith to avoid conflict.

But when I allow the Spirit to lead and I speak out against injustice or oppression or anything wrong or evil, then I am showing God’s ways and bringing His name honor.  When I speak hard words of truth to a friend, I am leading them back to living God’s alternative way.  In turn, I trust they will do the same when I have gone astray or made a poor choice.  Conflict is never easy, But God is always present, there to strengthen, to encourage, to lead, to comfort, and to love.

Scripture reference: Mark 6: 14-29


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Temples Bought at a Price

Imagine you are making a batch of cookies.  You mix the butter, sugars, and eggs together.  You fold in the flour, salt, and baking powder.  Next you stir in the chocolate chips.  Lastly you add in a cup of mustard.  You then spoon out your dough.  Yes, I know, you are stuck back at the mustard.  Why?  Because it would ruin some perfectly delicious cookies!
Paul remind us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit.  Once we enter into a personal relationship with Christ, the Spirit dwells within us.  In 1st Corinthians 6, Paul is addressing the sexual immorality that has crept into the church there.  It is the mustard that has been added to the mix.  For Christians today, we all struggle with sin.  No one follows the ‘recipe’ that Jesus provided 100% of the time.  We all struggle.  Our vices and temptations may vary, but we all struggle.  Whatever our fancy, these sins add the wrong ingredients to our lives.
Paul also goes on to remind the Corinthians and us that we were all bought with a price.  He calls us to remember the physical and emotional price that Jesus paid for the forgiveness of our sins.  His body and blood were a gift to us all for the redemption of our sins.  Paul wants the Corinthians and us to see our physical connection to Christ and to realize the price paid to keep that connection open.  Once we enter into that relationship, our body is joined to Christ through the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.  He urges them and us to live to honor that connection.  May we honor God in all we do and say, bringing glory to His name!
Scripture reference: 1 Corinthians 6: 12-20


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Count the Cost

Remember this song – “I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus, I have decided to follow Jesus – no turning back, no turning back”?  How well the author knew our human condition!  The walk of faith can be hard and it can be challenging to stay the course.

Jesus knew well the cost of discipleship.  He faced rejection and ridicule and was often outcast.  When He spoke of man against father and daughter against mother, He was speaking of the possible opposition our faith may bring us.  He knew it may come with a cost.

At times our commitment to our faith will cost us things.  It may cost us relationships, a promotion at work, or the way we are called to do business may run counter to the world’s way and cost us customers or income.  Jesus knew our faith may cost us.

Jesus wants us to choose Him.  There will be no forcing us.  It is a free choice.  Maintaining our faith continues to be a free choice.  But it is free in choice only.  Are we willing to choose authentic faith and to gladly count the cost?

Scripture reference: Matthew 10: 34-39