Beyond Ourselves Podcast

I spoke in New York shortly after September 11, 2001. Shortly after Al Qaeda terrorists hijacked three planes and flew them into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington D.C., killing everyone on board the planes and nearly 3,000 people on the ground. Shortly after a fourth plane crashed into a Pennsylvania field, killing all on board after passengers and crew heroically attempted to take control from the hijackers. Evil reigned in the hands of the terrorists that day but evil didn’t ultimately win then and evil will never ultimately win. Christ Jesus is the victor over evil! He overcame evil and sin and the sting of sin – death. All who place their faith in Christ will live eternally in His glorious presence. Today and continually we remember with gratefulness our loved ones, friends, and the many we will never know until heaven – those who sacrificed their lives for our nation. Today we also remember with utmost gratefulness the Lord Jesus who sacrificed His life for our souls. We must never forget either.

Lord Jesus, thank You for making PURIFICATION OF OUR SINS. We love and praise You for the ultimate sacrifice of Your life to make us pure as You are pure. 

“When He had made PURIFICATION of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”  Hebrews 1:3

Friends, I’d love to have you join me on Wednesdays or Thursdays for our weekly Bible Study of John. Click here for more info.

Live outside of the Texas Hill Country? No problem! My weekly teachings and Listening Guides will be added HERE each week so you can follow along or use it for a group study. 

Ha! If you know me, you know I’m not giving advice about how to be perfect because I’m anything but that. If you’ve ever hung your head in shame because of sin, I can relate. If you ever feel horrible about something you did or said, I’m with you.  It’s easy to get discouraged when we know the right thing to do and don’t do it. In those times it helps to remember God’s words to us in 1 Peter 5:10. “…the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself PERFECT, confirm, strengthen, and establish YOU.”  Whew! God will PERFECT us. We can’t become perfect through our human effort.  Are we responsible for cooperating with God? Yes.  We’re to renew our minds according to the Bible.  We’re to learn how to prayerfully walk by Christ’s Spirit. The next time we sin, rather than simply walk around with our head hanging low, let’s take hold of the Bible and put our minds to it. Let’s ask God to perfect our walk with Him and others.

Lord, thank You for not only calling us to Your eternal glory but for also taking it upon Yourself to PERFECT us. We love You and give You praise!  

Have you ever defended your bad behavior by saying, “Nobody’s perfect“?  Or has someone ever said to you, “Nobody’s perfect” in defense of something they’ve done wrong? It’s a common response because it’s true. Nobody is perfect, except Jesus. However, and this is big, our imperfections aren’t excuses to stay as we are. Rather they’re signals for areas where we need to look to Jesus for His example and empowerment to change. For instance, in Matthew 5:48, Jesus doesn’t say, “Heh guys, give yourself a break. Nobody’s perfect.” Instead, He says, “Your Heavenly Father is perfect. You’re to be perfect.”

Heavenly Father, You are PERFECT. Thank You for the gift of Your Spirit who transforms us as we intentionally walk by Your Spirit.  

Hurricane Michael, a Category 4 hurricane, with maximum sustained winds of 155 mph, made landfall in Florida on October 10, 2018.  Governor Rick Scott and other governors issued warnings and called on residents in the path of the hurricane to evacuate and find shelter. Some ignored the warning.  Hurricane Michael, as predicted, brought devastation and death.  As human governors are looking out for their residents, our Heavenly Father is looking out for us.  Psalm 91:1 describes God as a shelter and says, “He who dwells in the SHELTER of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty.”  From what and how does our Heavenly Father shelter us? His words in the Bible shelter us from wayward thinking. His righteousness shelters us from temptation. His love shelters us from hate. His presence shelters us from loneliness and despair. God is a SHELTER. Are we heeding His warnings and staying close to Him?

“I’m tired! I’m tired of work. I’m tired of the tension in the world. I’m tired of struggling with… I’m tired of taking care of….” How would you finish those sentences? God understands. Our body, mind, and soul need rest. The Bible says God rested on the seventh day. (Genesis 2:2) One of His Ten Commandments is, “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.” (Exodus 20:8) Today, some ignore God’s command to have a holy day of rest each week. Their reasoning? Believers aren’t bound by Old Testament laws. I agree that we are not legalistically bound to keep the Jewish Sabbath. I agree that Jesus’s work to obtain our salvation on the cross means that we don’t work for our salvation. I agree that God has provided a future eternal sabbath rest. (Hebrews 4:9-10.) However, is there value in setting aside a day of holy rest and gathering with others to worship?  (Hebrews 10:25) Apparently God places value on both. (Exodus 16:22-30, John 20:19, Isiah 58:13-14) What that looks like will be different for us. But no doubt, holy rest and worship are important.  What does your day of soul rest and worship look like?

“If because of the sabbath, you turn your foot
From doing your own pleasure on My holy day,
And call the sabbath a delight, the holy day of the Lord honorable,
And honor it, desisting from your own ways,
From seeking your own pleasure
And speaking your own word,
 Then you will take delight in the Lord,
And I will make you ride on the heights of the earth;
And I will feed you with the heritage of Jacob your father,
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find REST for YOUR SOULS.  Matthew 11:29

I spoke in New York shortly after September 11, 2001. Shortly after Al Qaeda terrorists hijacked three planes and flew them into the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in Washington D.C., killing everyone on board the planes and nearly 3,000 people on the ground. Shortly after a fourth plane crashed into a Pennsylvania field, killing all on board after passengers and crew heroically attempted to take control from the hijackers. Evil reigned in the hands of the terrorists that day but evil didn’t ultimately win then and evil will never ultimately win. Christ Jesus is victor over evil! He overcame evil and sin and the sting of sin – death. All who place their faith in Christ will live eternally in His glorious presence. Today and continually we remember with gratefulness our loved ones, friends, and the many we will never know until heaven – those who sacrificed their lives for our nation. Today we also remember with utmost gratefulness the Lord Jesus who sacrificed His life for our souls. We must never forget either.

Lord Jesus, thank You for making PURIFICATION OF OUR SINS. We love and praise You for the ultimate sacrifice of Your life to make us pure as You are pure. 

“When He had made PURIFICATION of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high,”  Hebrews 1:3

“Help is on the way.” It’s all I could think to say as I grabbed my purse and headed to my car. She needed to hear those words. She needed to know that help was on the way…the kind of tangible help we need when we’re at our wit’s end when we don’t know how much more we can take. And so, God wants us to know, “He is our HELP.” We may not see Him, but we have the full assurance that “God is our refuge and strength, a very present HELP in trouble,” Psalm 46:1. Are you in trouble and need HELP? Are you in despair and need HELP? Are you disturbed about something and need HELP? Unlike the friend who had to wait for me, the Lord is our present HELP.  We need only call on Him as Psalm 43:5 reminds us. “Why are you in despair, O my soul? And why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God, for I shall again praise Him, the HELP of my countenance and my God,”

Heavenly Father, we praise You, our HELP, and the HELP of our countenance.