Tag: christianity

Is Anything Too Hard For God?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals8 Comments

In Genesis 18 God meets with Abraham and tells him that he will have a son within a year, even though Sarah is beyond childbearing age. Hearing God’s promise Sarah laughs in doubt. But God doesn’t think this is a laughing matter. He is serious about finally providing them with their promised child. In a remarkable exchange with Abraham regarding Sarah’s unbelief, God asks Abraham.

“Is anything too hard for the Lord? ”” (Ge 18:14a)

The answer to God’s question is important not only for Abraham but us as well. God’s ability to fulfill His promise to Abraham either confirms or denies His power and abilities. Power and abilities we place our hope in today. For if God can’t provide a child to a childless woman beyond childbearing age, how could He ever raise us from the grave, provide us with a glorified body, and return the world to an Edenic state?

How do we know nothing is too hard for God?

Think about who our God is for a moment.

He is our Creator

Genesis 1 tells us that God created everything that you see, including you and me. The way God creates is much different than how we create. God doesn’t need raw materials or tools. He doesn’t have to set up a factory or an assembly line. Instead, God is able to create something from nothing just by speaking.

Imagine being able to say I want a new car, and there is one in the garage. Or I would like my dream home, and there it is. Or I want the next, next iPhone, and it is right there in your pocket. Imagine being able to create something from nothing, just by speaking, like God does.

In case you are wondering, we know this is how God creates because we have Genesis chapter 1. As you work through that chapter, you see the constant refrain, “And God said,”; “And God said”. Over and over again, we read those words before we read of something else He created. As we do, we are reminded of just how powerful our God is.

He is our Sustainer

Jesus, who is God, does the impossible task of holding everything together. Paul in Colossians 1:17 confirms this when he says,

“And he is before all things [speaking of Jesus], and in him all things hold together.” (Col 1:17)

You see, the reason the universe functions as it does. The reason everything doesn’t spin out of control. The reason we don’t cease to exist is because God is sustaining it all. Every atom, every particle is sustained by God.

He is our Healer

Lepers, blind men, those who are lame and deaf, those who are dying or dead, Jesus healed them all. Doing what is impossible just by a touch or word.

He is our Savior 

The way that God saves is contrary to how we might imagine someone saving us. God doesn’t use political or military might. He doesn’t use money or technology. Instead, He uses a dying Messiah. Something that, if we are honest with ourselves, doesn’t make much sense.

But with God, that which seems foolish is actually wise. Consider what Paul says in 1 Corinthians 1:22-25 about God’s wisdom in using a crucified Messiah,

“For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1 Co 1:22–25)

So our God not only creates, sustains, and heals, but He also saves. He does so in a way that reveals His wisdom and might.

Nothing is Impossible with God

When you consider all these things, I think it is safe to say that nothing is impossible for God. If God wants Sarah to have a baby, even if it is physiologically impossible for her to have one, then she is going to have one. Likewise, if God wants to heal us of a disease, extend our life a few more years, provide us with a job, spouse, or child, then it’s going to happen.

We shouldn’t doubt His abilities. Instead, we should trust God to do the impossible in our lives, in our families, in our community, and in our nation. Nothing is too hard for God!

Questions for Reflection

  1. Do you believe God can do the impossible?
  2. How should our knowledge that God can do the impossible affect the way we live?

Resources

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Posted adapted from my sermon: Is There Anything that is Too Hard for God? which you can listen to here.

How Can You Break the Chains of Idolatry?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn DevotionalsLeave a comment

In the Old Testament, God promised to establish an everlasting covenant with Abraham and his offspring (Gen. 12;15;17). He promised to be their God forever. No matter what happened, no matter how they acted, God promised to never walk away but to remain faithful to them forever. That’s a big promise because we sin against God often and in a number of different ways.

A Promise for Us

While God first gave this promise to Abraham, it is a promise we too can enjoy because the God of the Israelites can be our God as well. Paul says in Galatians 3:26-29,

“for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise.” (Ga 3:26–29)

How can we experience a saving relationship with God, breaking the chains of idolatry?

The same way Abraham did — by believing God’s promises and wholly committing ourselves to Him. God’s promise to us is that we are saved through the work of Jesus on the cross. On the cross, Jesus’ death paid the penalty for our sin, making a way for us to have a restored relationship with the Father. If we repent of our sins and believe the good news about Jesus, our relationship with God is mended and the chains of idolatry broken.

Good News!

Isn’t that good news? The God of Israel — the All-Powerful, Creator and Sustainer of this world — can also be our God. We don’t have to settle for a second or third string god. We don’t have to trust in a wannabe that can’t deliver on their promises. We can have the Supreme being. The One who can actually do what He says He will do.

We can stop worshipping idols because the chains of idolatry are broken in Jesus. We can, then, trade in false promises, disappointments, and heartache for truth, fulfillment, and joy. We can serve a God who actually works for our good and who will never ever leave us or forsake us. The promise of Romans 8:28 —

“And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” (Ro 8:28)

— is ours as well. Isn’t that good news?

Questions for Reflection

  1. Do you believe God’s promise that Jesus is your Savior?
  2. Are you willing to turn from your sins and wholly commit yourself to God?

Resources

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Post adapted from my recent sermon: Are You Wholly Committed to God? which you can listen to by clicking here.

Are You Wholly Committed to God?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals, Discipleship1 Comment

My generation and even more so the generation coming after me has commitment issues.

Take marriage as an example. The Sacramento Bee, which is a newspaper in California, reported that nearly half of all Californians 18 and older are currently not married, and of those currently not married, nearly 35% have never been married. Comparing these numbers to 1960, we see that 26% of Californians were married and only 13% had never been married. These numbers are on the rise.  It has been estimated that in next 5-10 years, there will be more people who are unmarried than married in California [1].

While these are statistic for California, this trend is occurring all over the nation. People in my generation and the generation after me just aren’t getting married. One of the reasons for this trend, certainly not the only reason, but one of the reasons for this trend is our issue with commitment.

But it’s not just that we are afraid to get married. Nowadays it is difficult to find anyone who has worked for a company longer than 5 years, attended one church most of their life, or even someone who has lived in the same town. We not only lack relational commitment but job, church, and geographical commitment as well. We have commitment issues.

We aren’t to hold back with God

When it comes to our relationship with God, however, we aren’t to hold back. We are to commit ourselves wholly to Him. In verse 1 of Genesis 17, God comes to Abraham and asks him to do two things – (1) to “walk before him” and (2) to be “blameless.”

When God tells Abraham to “walk before him”, what He means is that every step, every action that Abraham undertakes would be done with God in mind. The second idea — that Abraham would be “blameless”— re-enforces the first. In order for him to be blameless before God, he must completely and without qualification, give himself over to God.

God, then, is essentially asking Abraham to be wholly committed to Him. To give all of himself over, not leaving any part back. God wants it all – His job, family, leisure time, money, and sex life.

God expects the same from us. He expects us to be wholly devoted and committed to Him. Which means we can’t section off or compartmentalize our life. We have to give God our whole self.

It is difficult to give God our whole lives

For a generation struggling with commitment issues and one that is accustomed to holding things back, giving it all to God is difficult. In reality, giving our whole self over to God is difficult for anyone, not just my generation. We don’t want to give up control over our lives. We want to be able to call the shots and have options. But God asks, and even requires us, to give up control and commit ourselves fully to Him, if we are going to have a relationship with Him and experience the blessings that come from that relationship.

How do you know that you are wholly committed to God?

To help you figure out where your commitment lies, I have listed three questions below for you to reflect on.

(1) What do I prioritize in my life?

To figure this out, all you have to do is look at the things you spend your time, money, and energy on.

When your time is crunched, what gets pushed to the side? Is it more likely to be your Bible or is Facebook, Netflix, Hulu, or some topic you are researching on the internet?

When you get your paycheck, what do you spend your money on first? Is it your tithe, missions, or something else kingdom related? Or is it something for your home, a trip to the movies, or a day at Six Flags? In other words, how do you plan your budget? Do you give God what’s leftover or does He get your firstfruits?

What do you devote most of your energy to throughout the week? Is it the advancement of God’s kingdom or your own kingdom?

All these are good questions to ask because your priorities are often revealed by what you spend your time, money, and energy on.

(2) Where do you turn when you are facing issues at home, work, or church?

Do you turn to the Bible or human wisdom? If you turn to the Bible, are you willing to allow it to direct and guide your decisions, even if it is unpopular or will require  sacrifice on your part? If you are wholly committed to God, He will be the first place you turn, and His wisdom will be the wisdom you follow.

(3) Do you just say you know God or do you obey Him?

John says in the second chapter of his first letter,

“And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him:” (1 Jn 2:3–5)

Those who say they know God without obeying Him aren’t wholly committed to Him.

Question for Reflection

  1. Are you wholly committed to God or are you holding something back?

Resources

[1] http://www.sacbee.com/site-services/databases/article60699136.html

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Post adapted from my recent sermon: Are You Wholly Committed to God? which you can listen to by clicking here.

Can We Be Honest With God?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals1 Comment

In Genesis 15:1, Abraham has a vision. The text says,

“After these things the word of the Lord came to Abram in a vision: “Fear not, Abram, I am your shield; your reward shall be very great.”” (Ge 15:1)

In his vision, God appears to Abraham. Of course, Abraham’s first reaction is fear — fear of judgment. Knowing Abraham’s thoughts, God says to him,

“Fear not, Abram, I am your shield.” (Gen. 15:1a)

In other words, God is telling Him that He is for him, He is his refuge and protection. As such, Abraham shouldn’t fear God’s judgment.

That’s true for us as well.

Those who are God’s need not fear His judgment

That is an awesome promise because it means those of us who are God’s know where we stand with Him. We are not left to wonder or worry. We don’t have to hope that we have done enough good works to escape God’s judgment. Those who are His know where they stand.

Those who are God’s Can Expose Their Life to Him

Knowing where we stand with God allows us to expose our life to Him without fear that He will use that against us, or change His mind and judge us. As well as it allows us to be honest with God, to truly share our feelings with Him. We don’t have to hold back. We can reveal sin in our lives, repenting of it, and asking Him for the strength to fight it. We can share with God what we are thinking. We can ask Him questions.

Abraham’s Example

That is exactly what Abraham does. After God tells Abraham that He need not fear Him and that His reward shall be very great, Abraham is honest with God when he says,

““O Lord God, what will you give me, for I continue childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?””” (Ge 15:2)

You see, 10 years ago God promised Abraham that He would give him a son and that He would make him into a great nation. God hasn’t delivered on that promise yet. Since God hasn’t delivered, Abraham questions God. Essentially he is saying in verses 2 and 3,

“You have been promising me a reward for a while. I still don’t have the heir you told me I was going to have. The only one I have is Eliezer, who is my servant. Is he supposed to be my heir? Because, if I remember correctly God, You told me You were going to give me my own son?”

Calling God’s promise into question takes some guts. But, again, knowing that we don’t have to fear His judgment if we are His allows us to be honest with God.

Proof We Can Be Honest With God

God proves that we can be honest with Him, when He doesn’t respond in judgment. Instead, in verses 4 and 5, He responds lovingly, assuring Abraham that he will have a son of his own and he will become a great nation. So this will sink in, God takes him outside, tells him to look up at the uncountable stars in the night sky, and as he does, God tells him again that He will give him an heir and that the nation that will come forth from him will be greater than the stars in the sky that night.

Question for Reflection

  1. When is the last time you have been honest with God about how you feel, the sin you are struggling with, or the questions you have?

Resources

Post adapted from my sermon “What are the three foundational truths upon which the Christian life must be built?“ You can listen here.

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Do You Worship Out of a Sense of Duty or Thankfulness?

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Church Life, Devotionals, Discipleship2 Comments

In Psalm 50, Asaph confronts Israel regarding their worship and living. What they were doing isn’t much different from what many do today. Their worship was formulaic. In other words, they were going through the motions. Sure, they brought the appropriate sacrifices, but it was done more out of a sense of duty instead of thanksgiving.

Many Do the Same Today

To our shame, many today view the Sunday worship service as nothing more than another box to check off on their spiritual checklist right alongside their morning prayer and devotion. Thinking that way, we drag ourselves to the Sunday Service, sing a few songs, bow for the pastoral prayer, greet our neighbors, place some money in the offering plate, listen to the sermon, and then we are on our way, patting ourselves on the back for a job well done. Why do we do this?

Why Do We Worship Out of Duty?

We worship out of duty because we think that is what God wants or needs. But that is far from the truth. God doesn’t need us, our provisions, or our worship. He owns everything, and He is satisfied in and of Himself. The truth is, we need God. We need His provisions and care.

The Gospel Changes Our Perspective

Instead of faking it, what we need to do is change our perspective. The way we do that is by meditating on the gospel.

The gospel tells us we are sinners, who have rebelled against and offended a holy God. As a result, we are destined to suffer His wrath. However, Jesus came, lived a perfect life, and, even though He didn’t deserve God’s wrath, He faced it on our behalf. He took the wrath we deserve on Himself. All those who repent of their sins and believe Jesus suffered the punishment we deserve, can experience a restored relationship with the Father free from the fear of judgment.

For Jesus’ sacrifice, we should be thankful. For God’s provision and care in our life, we should be thankful. Our thankfulness should drive us to worship God. So when we begin to go through the motions in worship, what we need to do is stop, meditate on the gospel, and remember God’s provisions.

We need to reset our heart, so we see that it’s not God who needs us, but we who need Him.

When we truly see our need for God and how He has provided for us, we should be driven to worship out of a sense of thankfulness instead of duty. When we worship from a right heart, we end up glorifying God. For He says in Psalm 50:23

“The one who offers thanksgiving as his sacrifice glorifies me; to one who orders his way rightly I will show the salvation of God!” (Ps. 50:23)

Question for Reflection

  1. Does thankfulness or duty drive your worship?

Resource

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6 Characteristics of a Spiritual Awakening Servant of Christ

On By Dr. Casey LewisIn Devotionals3 Comments

“What [characteristics must a pastor possess in order to] be the pastor of a great and growing church that is experiencing a significant spiritual awakening?”

Lewis Drummond proposed and answered that question in his comprehensive biography on Charles Spurgeon. He does so with six answers, which amount to six characteristics of the man God could use to create a significant spiritual awakening. These characteristics were true of Spurgeon and are needed in men today.

Six Characteristics of a Spiritual Awakening Servant of Christ

(1) He must be a Spirit-filled man, who has been saved by God.

(2) He must be a man unencumbered by tradition, who is able to relate to the people he is given watch over.

(3) He must be a disciplined thinker, who studies hard and reads voraciously.

(4) He must have a personality that is warm and outgoing, and he must love people.

(5) He must be sold out for Christ. Evangelism and church planting run thick in his blood.

(6) He must be a man who is given to much prayer.

Question for Reflection

  1. If you desire to be a minister, are these characteristics true of your life?