Using the Platform We’ve Been Given

The recent controversy created by Colin Kaepernick’s refusal to stand during the playing of our national anthem has caused me to realize a simple truth of what it means to be a Christian. Regardless of how you feel about what Kaepernick did, there are a couple of facts we might do well to consider when we examine our own commitment to Christ.  First of all we must admit that he has garnered quite a bit of national attention. And how did he do that? By using the platform he has been given to declare his belief in a cause.

Athletes, movie stars, singers, and any other person of celebrity and fame have a platform that allows them to gain attention simply by virtue of their status in our world. There are a lot of people criticizing Kaepernick for how he chose to use his platform. Personally I have been quietly critical of Christian athletes and celebrities for not using their platforms to be even bolder in their declarations of faith in Jesus. I love Kurt Warner. I know he has done a lot of wonderful Christian acts and has always been a great example of what a Christian should be. But I remember when he first gained fame as quarterback for the Rams he would always speak the name of Jesus every single interview much to the chagrin of the media. But then one day I heard him speak of how Christian leaders had told him to tone it down a notch because he was beginning to be rejected by the world and possibly turning people off to Christ by being so bold. I began to notice that he was following this advice and though he still spoke of faith, it was never quite the same. I silently was critical of this. I have always longed to have a platform such as he, so that I could show the world they would not, could not silence my voice.

Jesus warns us about how we judge matters in scripture. It is a mistake to think He was telling us not to pass any judgments, that is not the point He was making. But as I have watched the Kaepernick thing evolve and hear the criticisms for and against how he used his platform, the Holy Spirit spoke to my heart.

You see I do have a platform. And so do you. Oh, my platform is not as large as Kaepernick’s or Kurt Warner’s, but I have a platform. I have a platform at work where I am a witness to Christ as people see my work habits and hear my complaints. I have a platform at home with my wife, my children, and my grandchildren. I have a platform at Wal-Mart when I shop and interact with both employees and other shoppers. I even have a platform in the parking lot when I compete for the better parking spot. Everywhere I go, as a child of Christ, I am on a platform that God has given me. And what about social media? Oh my, do I have a platform there. I have 204 people who signed on to be my “friend” and that is a platform. I have a Twitter account and a blog and the three of these are electronically woven together. Due to the nature of social media and how it interconnects people, that platform is a worldwide platform. My blog has penetrated China and Russia along with many other countries thanks to the inner workings of social media. Oh yes, I have a platform. And so do you.

So the question we must pause and consider is this; as a Christian am I using my platform to be the light of Christ to a dark and dying world? Am I using my platform everyday to offer encouragement to my brothers and sisters in Christ? Or am I simply using it to whine and moan? Am I using it to show how a Christian is content in all circumstances? Or am I using it to show the world that my life as a disciple of Christ hasn’t made me any different than the unsaved world? I could post scriptural examples to demonstrate the truth of that Jesus has commanded us to use our platforms for His good instead of the way we far too often just communicate our fleshly feelings and opinions, but I will leave that to each who read this to search God’s Word.

The truth is we need to spend a little less time using our platforms to criticize Kaepernick’s use or misuse of his platform and examine ourselves. Though our eternal destination won’t be changed because we weren’t obedient in our use of the platform God gave us, the Bible is clear our words and our actions will be judged in the end.

It’s time I stopped worrying about the size of my platform and just be faithful in how I use that platform. Though the teaching was directly pointed at money I think the principle Jesus lays down here in Luke 16:10 applies, "He who is faithful in a very little thing is faithful also in much; and he who is unrighteous in a very little thing is unrighteous also in much.”

We should take a hard look at ourselves this morning and see how we are using the platform we have been given. Every now and then we should look back at our Facebook, our Twitter, or whatever method of expression we use. We should walk away from every encounter we have with people, whether at work, play, the stores and restaurants we go to, and even at home to see if we were shining the light of Christ.

We live in a dark world. But darkness cannot exist in the light. If we want a bigger platform then we should start by being faithful in using the one God gave us. If we want a better world we must start by being the salt and the light of the world.

I leave you with a scripture reading to consider. Matthew 25:14-30 is the parable of the talents. Take time to read it. Then ask yourself if the platform you have been given is being used in a way that will bring forth these words from Jesus on the day you come before Him to stand in His judgment.

Matthew 25:21
 "His master said to him, 'Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things, I will put you in charge of many things; enter into the joy of your master.'

I want to enter the joy of my master. How about you?

Praying these words will encourage us to be His light.

Looking At Ourselves in the Mirror of the Word

I love the Book of James because it reminds me of the need to self-examine myself in relationship to how I represent Christ to the world. The Bible is filled with exhortations to examine ourselves, yet if we’re honest we probably examine others more often than we look at self. It is easy to see other people and what they are doing because they are constantly out there right if front of us. Properly executed we are commanded to help each other to become better Christians and we are not to turn a blind eye to sin. But Jesus was clear in Matthew 7:3-5 that before we look at others we must get the log out of our own eye so we can see clearly the speck in our brother’s. James explains to us how we can do this.

James 1:22-25
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.  For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

The Bible is our mirror. But we cannot just glance into it. If do not look deeply into it and find the faults we bear then we cannot make the necessary corrections. In my reading the morning I was shown three responsibilities we all have when dealing with God’s Word so that our walk with Jesus remains on His path, not ours.

First of all we must receive the Word. Jesus instructs in Mark 4:24 to pay attention to what we hear and in Luke 8:18 to pay attention to how we hear.

Mark 4:24
And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you.

Luke 8:18
Take care then how you hear, for to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he thinks that he has will be taken away.”

Then Jesus says something very important.

Matthew 13:13
This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand.

What is the lesson in that scripture for us? When we read God’s Word we must dig into it and meditate on it. Simply opening up your Bible and reading some words will not change you. We must dive into it going deeper to find the best pearls it has for us. Even listening to your pastor’s sermon on Sunday is not enough. Ponder and mediate on God’s Word however it was presented to you. My family goes to lunch right after church and we often discuss what was said and how it applies. Jesus spoke in parables because He knew those who truly desired His truth would give it the effort to grasp what it meant. It made them think.

Next we must practice the Word.

James 1:22
But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.

That one seems pretty simple and clear. Reading God’s Word is only profitable if we do what it says. And this is where we must use it as our mirror so it can reveal our sinful nature. We must never think we have arrived and we are as we should be. The command from Jesus is this, “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” (Matthew 5:48). Every night I look in a mirror and reflect on my day. I have yet to see a reflection in that mirror that looks just like Jesus. We all have much work to do.

James 1:23-25
For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror.  For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like.  But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.

The blessing comes in the work of becoming like Jesus. In order to do this we must look at the full counsel of scripture and look at it as a mirror of our self.

Finally we must share the Word. But when we share it we must mot only speak it and put it on Facebook, we must share it in our deeds.

James 1:26-27
If anyone thinks he is religious and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his heart, this person’s religion is worthless.  Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.

There are a lot of classes and books on how to witness. The truth is that the best witness to the world is our lives and how we live them out. Sharing Christ is a huge responsibility. Before we go out into the world each day we ought to look into the mirror. God’s Word is that mirror.

God bless.

Six Reasons Jesus Is Superior to the Angels and to Anything Else

If there is a main point of the biblical Book we call Hebrews it is that Jesus is the complete fulfillment of salvation and that His new covenant is superior to the way of the old covenant, which was by the Mosaic Law. In chapter one we find the author stating His superiority over the angels.

Why did the author feel the need to compare Christ to the angels? The answer to that lies in the intended recipients of this letter which was the Jewish Christians of the day who were under heavy temptation to return to where they came; the sacrificial system of the law. At the time of the writing of this letter the temple still stood and the sacrifices were still being performed. One can only imagine the pressure a converted Jew faced from those around him who had not bought into the new covenant Jesus brought to the earth. When Moses gave the law at Mount Sinai he was assisted by thousands of angels as spoken of in Deuteronomy 33:2. Angels were important to the Jews. The author wanted to show the superiority of Christ to the angels, so Hebrews opens with six affirmations of Jesus Christ.

First of all Jesus is THE Son of God. The angels can make no such claim. Jesus is much superior to them.

Hebrews 1:2-5
 But in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.  He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.  For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”?

Next we see the one who is to be worshipped is Jesus, the Son and the angels must worship Him.

Hebrews 1:6
And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.”

Special note here for the cults who reject the deity of Christ and His eternal nature. The word here for firstborn isn’t how our language sees it. The word doesn’t mean the first person ever born, suggesting Jesus wasn’t eternal, it is a term used to give prominence. It is a title that derives out of the culture of that day in which the first son would have the rights to the inheritance and to the blessing. It is used to signify honor and rank. Psalm 89:27 tells us Solomon was given this title, yet he was not the first child born to his parents, he was actually the tenth according to the genealogy of 1 Chronicles 3:1-5. (See why the genealogies of the Bible are not to be ignored?) Jesus is the “first born” of this world because He is the one who has the title of being the most blessed man to ever walk the earth.

Next we see that the angels serve Christ. Maybe the best-known example is when Jesus was in the wilderness in Matthew 4:11. Angels are servants of Christ and do His bidding.

Hebrews 1:7
Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.”

Then we see whom it is who is enthroned and anointed. Not angels but Christ. And the rule of Christ is forever.

Hebrews 1:8-9
But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom.  You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

Next we see who is the creator. It is Jesus and this verse shoots down any idea that He was not eternal. His years have no end.

Hebrews 1:10-12
And, “You, Lord, laid the foundation of the earth in the beginning, and the heavens are the work of your hands; they will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment, like a robe you will roll them up, like a garment they will be changed. But you are the same, and your years will have no end.”

Finally we have a summation that simply declares the order of angels and their position below Christ.

Hebrews 1:13-14
And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?  Are they not all ministering spirits sent out to serve for the sake of those who are to inherit salvation?

Are angels real? Yep. Do they have an important position in God’s Kingdom? Sure they do. But Jesus is far more important.

Though this was written in its original context to the Jews of that day we still need this reminder today. The New Age movement loves to exalt angels. And they love to discredit Jesus making Him just a wise philosopher.

Not so! Jesus is the only man we should ever exalt and the only man deserving of our worship. Let us never forget the lessons of Hebrews chapter one. Like the Jews the world wants to draw us away from the solid foundation of Christ and have us build on sand. Don’t listen to the world. Read God’s Word. It is the truth.

The Sure Hope

I began reading the Book of Hebrews today and reading in Warren Wiersbe’s commentary he mentioned three scripture readings from this letter that should give us great encouragement even in these difficult days. Taken together we can conclude that in spite of the shaky world we live in, the concerns of the upcoming election’s effect on our country, or any other difficult circumstances we might face, we can know we are secure as God’s children.

1. As Christians we are subjects to a King over a Kingdom that cannot be shaken

Hebrews 12:28
Therefore let us be grateful for receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, and thus let us offer to God acceptable worship, with reverence and awe…

2. God’s Word is reliable.

Hebrews 2:2
For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable…

3. The hope we have in Christ is steadfast and secure.

Hebrews 6:19-20
We have this as a sure and steadfast anchor of the soul, a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain,  where Jesus has gone as a forerunner on our behalf, having become a high priest forever after the order of Melchizedek.

Yes, things are hard in this life. That’s not going to change. But to those who have Jesus as Lord and Savior, we have a hope that the rest of the world does not have. Some who read Hebrews think it is a scary book because there are some passages that speak of warnings. The truth is that Hebrews is a book of encouragement for believers. It is a book that speaks of security in Christ. The warnings are exhortations, exhortations to be sure of your calling. The warnings are simply reminders of the surety of hope in Christ.

Read Hebrews. Read it and use it to examine yourself. Read it to see the hope we have in Christ. Read it to learn how better to exalt Jesus and to offer Him the worship He deserves.

I leave you with the opening of Hebrews. I pray it blesses you as it did me.

Hebrews 1:1-4
Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world.  He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.

Is It I Lord?

It appears to be human nature that when we are a part of something for a long time we become complacent. We think we know everything there is to know about it. We become proud and we lose sight of the possibility of failure. Certainly time and experience give us reason to be confident in our own abilities. Sometimes doing a job and doing it well requires we carry ourselves with confidence. But the life of a Christian should not be compared with the ways of the world.

Listening to a sermon last night on a study of communion and what we commonly call the Last Supper, I caught something in God’s Word, that though I’ve read and heard many times over, brought a fresh insight into my mind. Listen to the story.

Matthew 26:20-22
When it was evening, he reclined at table with the twelve.  And as they were eating, he said, “Truly, I say to you, one of you will betray me.”  And they were very sorrowful and began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?”

Jesus has just announced that someone in His closest collection of friends is about to betray Him. As these twelve men hear this each and every one of them suddenly lose the festive mood of the Passover Meal and become filled with sorrow. Being upset over this terrible prediction of treason is a normal reaction. But then did you catch what happened? They “began to say to him one after another, “Is it I, Lord?”

“Is it I Lord?” Why would each and every one of these twelve men ask that question? Hadn’t they faithfully followed Jesus for some three years or so? We can understand why Judas would feel guilty; he WAS about to betray Jesus. But what led the other eleven to question their own loyalty now?

God does nothing out of randomness and this story is not just there for us to look at in wonder at the weakness of the disciples. The greater question we must ask of ourselves is this; is it I Lord Jesus? Am I going to spend years of my life serving God and believing in Jesus only to in the end to betray Him in some form of Christian treason?

The simple answer from scripture is no. The reason we won’t fall completely into rejection of Jesus is that we aren’t His by our own efforts. We are His because God has chosen us. Far too many Christians refuse to accept the doctrine of election. But it is a crucial doctrine that when properly understood gives us assurance of salvation. My point here is not to teach the doctrine of election, you must read God’s Word and let the Holy Spirit lead you to the truth. But it is important to know that we need to stop placing faith in self and only place it in Christ. Most of us have sang hymns such as In Christ Alone, yet we live out our lives in a state of sorrow because we keep trying to do all this in our own power. Or we live our lives with our heads held up way too high thinking we have got this Christian thing down.

The truth is and the Bible is clear on this; we are going to fall and stumble. There are clear Biblical warnings.

2 Peter 3:17
You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, be on your guard so that you are not carried away by the error of unprincipled men and fall from your own steadfastness…

The Bible is also replete with the stories of men who did stumble and fall and often after God had used them in mighty ways. There is no greater example than Peter, who just hours after insisting to Jesus that he would go to the bitter end for Him denied he even knew the man, much less was he willing to stand up and die for Him.

The lesson is a simple one. We need to humble ourselves before Almighty God and confess our weaknesses. We need to acknowledge our own sinfulness. One of the best ways to do this is to read God’s Word continually from beginning to end. It has been rightly said that the Bible is like a mirror; it shows us who we are. But only if we look into it deeply can it reveal the true self, because a superficial glance does not show the wrinkles and the scars.

We must beware of pride.

Proverbs 16:18
Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall.

The truth is this; if we are Christ’s then we will persevere.

John 6:37-39
All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out.  For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me.  And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day.

But this does not mean we cannot slip off the path and fall to temptation.

I don’t know what was going on in each of the minds of the eleven disciples that night. Maybe they each had some secret sin they were holding on to. Most of us do.

Maybe simply being in the presence of Jesus made them aware of their own humanness and they realized how prideful they had become. Maybe they were remembering the arguments over which of them was the greatest. How often do we look down on someone in the pew next to us?

What matters to us is that we humble ourselves before Almighty God and ask Him to be the power that saves us and the power that sustain us. He is.  Let Him take control. Put your faith only in Him. In Christ alone my hope is found. How about you?