Pastor Rileys Blog

The Mamas and Papas sang: “Summer’s here and the time is right for dancing in the street’

The Lovin Spoonful sang: “Hot town, summer in the city, back of my neck getting dirty and gritty”

Mungo Jerry sang: “In the summertime when the weather is hot, you can stretch right up and touch the sky”

I don’t know about your “dancin” or the back of your neck or how high you can reach, but it’s summertime. Vacations, picnics, cook-outs, ball games, etc. etc. etc. I hope you have a great summer 2010. Graduating seniors are going to be getting ready for first college experiences and parents will get ready to say the big good-bye. There will be family reunions and we will know that it may be the last time we see grandpa or grandma. We’ll see old friends at the beach or the golf resort or up at the lake or down in the Ozarks, and we’ll drive away thinking about how things have changed, or stayed the same. Between Memorial Day and Labor Day a lot is going to take place in your family and among your friends. You’ll be so busy that . . .

“The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and ________ is/are not saved”
Jeremiah 8:20

You fill in the blank. Is it that good friend you’re playing golf with? Is it that favorite couple you enjoy cooking out with? Is it the guy you’re playing softball with? Is it your son/daughter heading off to college? Is it your spouse that you still love, still pray for, still ache for their salvation? Win all the games you can, eat all the Brats you can stand, get some sun, have some fun; but let’s not forget the harvest is coming. Just as surely as the green stalks of corn will turn brown, there will be a harvest of souls. Keep the spiritual things in mind as you race through this summer. Be intentional about your praying. Keep a slot open on your daily calendar. Before heading down to the beach, go out on the balcony and have a few minutes with God. Before getting out of the car at the ballpark, pause to share a moment with your Savior. Before enjoying all that you will enjoy this summer, remember who is your Lord and feel the love in His heart for those who are not yet saved.

“He was moved with compassion for them, and healed their sick.”
Mt. 14:14

I read something the other day that took my mind in a new direction from this verse. Matthew didn’t say that Jesus healed their “righteous” sick; he didn’t say that Jesus healed those who were worthy. He healed their sick, not some of them, all of them who were brought to him because they were sick. I don’t know how big that crowd was, 10, 50, 100’s? But surely out of whatever the number, there were a few who were not holy, not even close, maybe even blasphemous. There was a time in my life when by all rights, if I had come to Jesus asking to be healed, He should have just sent me away. I didn’t deserve any consideration; but my relationship with Jesus has never been about what I deserved.

Out of that crowd I’m sure there were some who took their healing and went on to be unjust, even cruel to others. Jesus may have given speech to the mute who went on to curse and take God’s name in vain. He opened blind eyes that would become lustful. Perhaps Jesus healed someone who went on to be a murderer. What a man or woman does with Christ’s compassion is totally their choice. One day when he/she stands before Christ, there will be the memory of all that Jesus had done to change their hearts. Then, if I took His compassion and let it change my heart, for eternity I will rejoice; however, if I took His compassion and hardened my heart, Hell will be couched in the heartbreak of knowing what I had thrown away.

“I have chosen you out of this world,
so you don’t belong to it.”
Jn. 15:19

For a few years I was doing a lot of traveling related to positions I held in the church. It seemed like I was on a plane every 5-6 weeks. I would fly into Nashville or San Diego or San Francisco or Dallas or Orlando, get a shuttle to a hotel and my room would be waiting for me. Reservations had been made at a very nice four star hotel. Upon arrival I was treated better than my actual standing in life would merit. Without exception the accommodations were the best. And yet, it wasn’t home. The bed wasn’t my bed. The restaurant food was top notch, but not home cooking. The staff at the hotel were ready to meet my every need; but they couldn’t possibly take the place of the people I’d left behind at home.

We don’t always feel welcome here on earth. People can make us feel unwelcome; indeed the reality is that this world is not as warm toward Christians as it was fifty years ago. Have you ever felt out of place? Like an intruder? a stranger? an interloper in a land that wasn’t home? The scriptures tell us that we shouldn’t feel welcome here. This isn’t our home. It’s spiritually healthy to feel “not at home” here. The condition of this world clearly tells me this wasn’t meant to be my home. The aches and strains I feel clearly tells me that this body wasn’t meant to be eternal. The old song says “This world is not my home; I’m just a-passin through”.

Grace is indeed an amazing subject. I say grace. I preach about grace. I sing about grace. I need grace. Some are said to have grace. What is it really? And what’s the point of it?

“He gave Himself for us so He might pay the price to free us
from all evil and to make us pure people who belong only to Him.”
Titus 2:14

Unfortunately there are days in my life when I’m sure I say grace more than I offer grace. And there have been times in my life when I probably took advantage of God’s grace. How about you? Have you ever spiritually compromised tonight, knowing you would confess tomorrow? Have you ever done what you knew was wrong in God’s sight, displeasing to Him, sinful, but you went ahead fully believing that He would forgive you later? Is that imposing upon the grace of God? Is that tempting God, is it pushing Him into a corner, making Him forgive because He said He would?

Is that the divine intent of grace? Are God’s promises of grace meant to offer us a loophole from retribution for our continued disobedience? Do you think when it says “to make us a pure people”, that it’s talking about us being grace-drenched disobeyers, presuming upon the loving grace of God? I don’t think grace is meant to be anything like that at all. I think by grace we are all given a chance to truly live for God, lives that honor Him. And I think if we choose to accept His grace as we strive to live good and holy lives, by His grace we’ll one day, in the twinkling of an eye, meet Him in the air.

We talked in church yesterday about praising God and when I think about praising God I think about seeing Him. There’s a verse found in John’s first letter which says,

“We know that when Christ comes, we will be like Him,
because we will see Him as He really is.”
1 Jn. 3:2

In that transformational moment a lot will happen that I couldn’t begin to describe. But the thought that you and I will become like Jesus, not sort of like Him, not resembling Him, but be as He is, that’s an amazing thought when I think of what I know myself to be now. I read that when the transformation happens, “you will be God’s work of art”. God will have completed what He began in you the moment He saved you. I imagine the angels will stand back in awe of you. You will love with a perfect love, you will hear and understand the words of God, and your heart will be pure. You will be like Jesus! Finally you will have a heart like His!

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life.
The only way to the Father is through Me.”
Jn. 14:6

I heard on television the other night that those of my political persuasion are being intolerant. What a terrible thing to say! Seriously, I’ve been accused of being a lot worse. Being tolerant, I guess that’s a prized virtue. Wrapped up in tolerance is the ability to be understanding of those who differ with you. My Lord was tolerant. He tolerated the disciples when they didn’t get it. He tolerated the crowds when they acted out of utter ignorance. He tolerated us, whenever we’ve fallen.

But there was an area where Jesus was not tolerant, never seemed close to being tolerant and never will. He was firm and unbending and dogmatic without apology. Do you know what area that was, and is? As far as Jesus is concerned, when it comes to salvation, there are not many roads, there is but one road. When it comes to salvation, He’s not about diversity. There are not several paths that all lead to God; there is only one path. That one path has a name and it is Jesus the Son of God, period, end of discussion.

I know that’s something hard for some to believe about Jesus. They would rather consider Jesus to be one of several options of faith for people. Unfortunately, really unfortunately, for them, for the diversity crowd, the “let’s all be tolerant” crowd, a religious faith that numbers Jesus among many paths to God, is heresy. Again, Jesus said, “no man comes to the Father but by Me”. I’m not the smartest guy on the planet; but I’m smart enough not to argue with the Son of God.

Welcome to Holy Week 2010. Wasn’t yesterday a glorious day in the Lord with 30 baptisms, palm waving children, recommitments of lives and souls to Jesus Christ?

“We are made holy through the sacrifice Christ made in His body once and for all time.”
Hebrews 10:10

There is no escaping the biblical reality that only the holy shall see God. And then there’s the verse that says “Be holy as the Lord your God is holy”. How am I supposed to do that? And then I keep hearing that we’re a “holiness” church. Really? What’s that mean? Okay listen with your heart open.

Holiness and heaven are inseparable. No sin shall enter into heaven. A lot of people act like those two statements aren’t true. They espouse the belief that if you’re pretty “decent”, surely you’ll make it into heaven. They say if you just try pretty hard, most of the time, you’re going to be okay. Pretty soon it starts sounding like if you just don’t do anything really bad, that means you’re good. And if you’re pretty good you go to heaven. Here’s the problem, as nice as that sounds, even though you’d probably get a vast majority of “Christians” to agree with that, it’s not supported in God’s Word. That’s not something God ever said, that being pretty good was good enough. He just keeps talking about being holy. Reality Alert: God’s the one who sets the standards. And the standard is very high; I quoted it earlier, Mt. 5:48.

Here’s God’s plan. God Himself through the example of Jesus Christ is the standard. Stop comparing yourself to others; they’re just as fouled up as you are. Strive, work, endeavor, strive to be like Christ, the standard of holiness, and where your humanity keeps you falling short, as you are surrendered to Christ’s Lordship over your life, the Holy Spirit comes along and empowers you to be better than you might have been and the grace of God makes up for your shortcoming. And ultimately the end result is a spiritual being deemed holy in the sight of God and fit for heaven. Hear the key words, STRIVE, SURRENDER, EMPOWERMENT, and GRACE.