R.I.P.

Posted on by kevinjandt

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Rest In Peace…

There have been an abundance of celebrity deaths this year and it is those deaths that cause people to consider life and death.  Most recently we’ve seen George Michael and Carrie Fisher of Star Wars fame, a day later Debbie Reynolds the mother of Carrie Fisher died.  This past year has included Prince, David Bowie, John Glenn a total of 72 celebrity deaths in 2016.  Even more shocking is that every year 55.3 million people die.  That’s 151,600 per day and 6316 every hour.

None of us will escape death.  It is as inevitable as taxes right?

And just as it is appointed for man to die once, and after that comes judgment… Hebrews 9:27

It is my assertion that most people are practical “Universalists”.   In other words, most people believe that almost nobody will go to a place like Hell and be punished for their sins.  That’s why so many people say “rest in peace”.  It doesn’t really matter that a person’s lifestyle and testimony of life completely contradict biblical theology.  It doesn’t matter that they lived in complete rebellion to their Creator.  I won’t pick out any of the above named celebrities but I’m not aware that any of them professed Christianity and even among professed Christians Jesus said few will find life.

What does it mean to find peace?

“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace among those with whom he is pleased!” – Luke 2:14

For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; and the government will be upon His shoulder and His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  – Isaiah 9:6

This all seems pretty straight forward and easy to understand in fact as we are working our way through the holiday season it’s almost guaranteed you had one of these verses on a Christmas card.  We all desire peace don’t we?  Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness can only be found where there is peace in the land and so we must consider if Jesus accomplished His mission and it doesn’t seem like He did.

Where did Jesus go wrong?

If He is the Prince of Peace and He is to bring peace how do we reconcile this?  Did you notice that in Luke 2 it says that He is going to bring peace to those whom He is pleased?  This forces a deeper question…  How can one please God?

Romans 8:8 Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. 

If God must be pleased in order for us to have peace then we must understand the difference between the flesh and the Spirit.    God’s word tells us that the natural man cannot receive the things of God for they are foolishness to him and that by nature we are children of wrath dead in our sins and trespasses…  We see a difference in the relationship between the type of a person that can please God and the natural man who is in the flesh that cannot please God.

For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.  For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. – Romans 8:6-7  

It is the Spirit that gives life and it is the Spirit living in us through Christ that causes us to be accepted by God and for God to be pleased.  Through no work of our own, but only through the work of Christ on the cross.  This is the imputation of God’s goodness to the sinner.  The transfer of His righteousness on our behalf.  Not that we are made righteous, but legally we are declared as we should before the Father.

You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you.  Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to Him.  But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. –  Romans 8:9-10

What an incredible statement of what Christ accomplished on the cross for those that will believe upon His name.  You can have peace with God through Christ and the Spirit indwelling your heart.  Now we can please God.  Now we can be accepted by God through faith.

And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who seek Him. – Hebrews 11:6

By faith and faith alone only can we please God and by pleasing God through faith we can now have peace.  We have peace with God, we have peace in our hearts, we have peace with as many around us as will live at peace with us.  As far as is up to us we will live peaceably with all men. (Romans 12:18).

But it’s not always up to us is it?  And actually the problem with peace comes when you proclaim a truth to those that don’t want to hear it.  This is an attempt to make peace but it’s an attempt to make peace between man and God.  These two things don’t mix and when the gospel is presented it often brings conflict.  Peacemakers are more concerned about others relationship with God than they are about the relationship with other men.  And persecution is sure to follow.

Do not think that I came to bring peace on earth.  I did not come to bring peace but a sword. – Matthew 10:34

This really messes things up doesn’t it?  Or does it?

The Sword of the Word divides.  It brings conviction and it brings truth, it shines light in a dark place.  It breaks up hard ground in some cases but this is not good news to sinful ears.  This is what Jesus meant.  His doctrine would divide people.  Even those of a household.

There is only one way to rest in peace.  And that comes at a high cost.  It can cost our lifestyle.  It can cost our family.  It can cost our job.  It can even cost our life.

For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.  For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?  Or what will a man give in exchange for his soul?  For the Son of Man will come in the glory of His Father with His angels, and then He will reward each according to his works.  – Matthew 16:25-27

What’s it worth to you?  Is Christ worth giving it all up?  I can’t answer that question for you but I do ask you to answer that question for yourself.  Because ten out of ten people die.  The odds are 100%.  And it is appointed once for you to die and then the judgment.

Are you ready?

Will you rest in peace?

 

Kevin

Changed Lives?

Posted on by kevinjandt

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I recently saw this quote on a church sign and I thought about it on my way to where I was going.  It really seemed like a good quote at first blush and as I thought more about it I wondered if it’s true.  I don’t mean to say it’s not true in the fact that Jesus Christ changes lives.  That is unequivocally true.  That is without a doubt what will happen in the life of a believer; they will be changed or they were never converted.

Paul tells us this plainly.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation.  The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. – 2 Corinthians 5:17

This is absolutely about changed lives.  It is the evidence of a changed life.  God gives us new desires, new goals if you will…

Why write a blog article about this?  Am I mincing words?  Splitting hairs?  Picking nits?  It seems so judgmental in some ways to take what seems like a positive message and ask questions about it.  The reason I ask the question and the reason I want to think about this topic is that I see, with many evangelical churches, the idea is to appeal to emotion or appeal to our sense for a life that is better in a temporal or earthly sense.

The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy.  I came that they may have life and have it abundantly.  John 10:10 

Well there you go…  an abundant life.  That is the goal Jesus has for everyone right?

But of course in the context of the Lord’s message he is contrasting killing and destroying with life.

This word life ζωή zōḗ refers to more than just a temporary life.  It means life eternal.  See Matthew 7:14, Matthew 18:8

John 3:16 For God so loved the world, that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.  

When we consider the message of the modern church it seems they mostly want to appeal to the desire for things to be better in the temporal sense and this is what drives them and in turn they teach from this perspective leading to more people thinking it’s all about them.

We must look at cause and effect because there is a cause and then there is an effect.  God is the cause and the effect that flows out of that cause is seen.  The effect is fruit and the effect is a changed life.  There is no doubt about this point.  Faith without works is indeed a DEAD faith.

What about the cause, how does the cause factor into the equation and why?  What is the purpose of all of this, although not completely wrong, why is the message somewhat misguided?

Jesus gives us a pretty good clue in His conversation with Nicodemus.  Nicodemus had bought the message hook, line and sinker.  He believed God was there to restore the nation of Israel to prominence.  After all these years of oppression and God’s silence, finally, someone arrives on the scene that is doing things nobody had ever seen.  No doubt this guy is sent from God.  Because NOBODY can do these signs unless God is with him.  That is what Nicodemus said, he clearly got it.  But did he?

And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, so must the Son of Man be lifted up, that whoever believes in Him may have eternal life. – John 3:14

Whoa… did Jesus really just say that?  The Son of Man must be lifted up…  He of course was referring Numbers 21:9 and the Israelites needing to look to the serpent on the pole to be saved from sure death, Nicodemus didn’t miss this reference, but by being lifted up He is displaying the glory of God in the work that Jesus was sent to do, the work of salvation for His people.  He came to prepare a way for eternal life for those that would believe.  And in this conversation Jesus refers back to the message that He said Nicodemus should have already known.  In effect He said, “I can’t believe you don’t know these things.”  “What is the matter with you, aren’t you the teacher of Israel?”

What a stern rebuke.

“Therefore say to the house of Israel, thus says the Lord God:  It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act, but for the sake of My holy name, which you have profaned among the nations to which you came.  And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them.  And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.  Ezekiel 36:22-23

Here is the reason God changes lives.  He does it for His names sake.  It is His glory He is concerned about and while we are the recipients of Divine favor and Amazing Grace, it is all about Him.  That is a seismic shift in the thought process.  Is our thinking focused on His glory or our benefit?

The basic concept of Secular Humanism that all is for the benefit of man and all thought revolves around us.  Instead, Biblical Christianity says it is all about Him and we are just in awe of the mercy that He would show to despicable little creatures is beyond my grasp.

I know it’s subtle and I know to some it appears nitpicky, but what is at the heart of the matter is eternally important to God.  He saved us to be ambassadors to make His name known to all the nation’s and if we are mostly focused on us then it gets tough to think outside our theological boxes.

Then the nations that are left all around you shall know that I am the LORD; I have rebuilt the ruined places and replanted that which was desolate.  I am the LORD; I have spoken, and I will do it. – Ezekiel 36:36

 

Kevin

Meekness? Who wants that?

Posted on by kevinjandt

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The word meek is not a word that is en vogue today.  Most people don’t know what it means and if they did know what it meant they still wouldn’t be interested in any attempt at being meek.  For the Christian this is an exceptional word and one of the biggest evidences of saving faith we have.  It is so important that Jesus used this in His teaching on the Sermon on the Mount.  It is one of the first qualities that enters into the life of a believer after salvation.

Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.  – Matthew 5:5

Whatever comes to your mind when you think about meekness is probably not what it actually means and the most important thing to understand is that meekness is not weakness.  It does not mean mousy, or shy.  It does not mean cowardly or withdrawn.  It does not indicate a lack of desire to engage people.  Actually quite the opposite.

πραΰς praÿs, apparently a primary word; mild, i.e. (by implication) humble:—meek.

“The term sometimes was used to describe a soothing medicine or a soft breeze.  It was used of colts and other animals whose naturally wild spirits were broken by a trainer so that they could do useful work.” – MacArthur New Testament Commentaries

This is not an admirable quality by an unbelieving world.  In this world we are expected to be aggressive, assertive and take charge kind of men or women.  The only way to get ahead is to attack.  But here Jesus says, “No!”  Be mild, be humble, be meek.

Matthew 11:29 Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle (meek) and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.

Meekness comes from a lowly heart.  A low moral opinion of oneself.  Not thinking too highly of yourself.  This is the exact opposite of what the world desires in a person.  This is the exact opposite of what we want in ourselves.  We want to be noticed.  We want to be acknowledged for our greatness and our accomplishments.  We desire our fair share of notoriety.

I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called, with all lowliness and gentleness, with longsuffering, bearing with one another in love, endeavoring to keep the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace.  – Ephesians 4:1-3

I don’t know about you but that is not easy is it?  I mean is that natural for you because it’s not for me…  There is only one way to meekness and that is through the power of the Spirit.

There is also another side to meekness.  Which does not appear weak.  It is a level of boldness that comes through the empowerment of the Spirit as well.  Jesus was lowly and gentle and Jesus was bold.  Jesus was confrontational.  Jesus was sarcastic and sometimes seemingly rude.  Jesus is our perfect model and left us a perfect example to follow.

John MacArthur in his commentary says this:

“Meekness does not connote weakness.  The word was used in much extrabiblical literature to refer to the breaking of an animal.  Meekness means power put under control.  A person without meekness is “like a city that is broke into and without walls” (Prov. 25:28).  “He who is slow to anger is better than the mighty, and he who rules his spirit, than he who captures a city” (Prov. 16:32).  An unbroken colt is useless; medicine that is too strong will harm rather than cure; a wind out of control destroys.  Emotion out of control also destroys, and has no place in God’s kingdom.  Meekness uses its resources appropriately.”  (MacArthur New Testament Commentaries)

Meekness is an essential quality for the Christian.  It doesn’t come naturally and it doesn’t come easily.  It is imparted to the believer in regeneration but it is a skill that requires refinement.  It is a way to work out your salvation with fear and trembling.  We need to develop the qualities that God says He gives us in salvation to bring Him glory.  Let him who stole no longer steal… (Ephesians 4:28)  It is an evidence of saving faith that should grow as the believer grows in holiness.

Put off the old man that grows corrupt and put on the new man, be renewed in the spirit of your mind…  Ephesians 4:22-24

When we have been redeemed by the blood of Christ, we develop meekness and are submissive to the call to proclaim His name.  This often takes us to places that require boldness.  It demands a level of confrontation that many are uncomfortable with.  The Christian and the unbeliever can be uncomfortable.  The Lord demands it and it is indicative of saving faith.

Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.  – Matthew 5:11

Most won’t sign up for this.  Most that profess Christ won’t desire persecution.  They won’t seek this type of meekness.   This is hard.  This is narrow and restrictive, this is often viewed as judgmental.

Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated and untrained men, they marveled.  And they realized that they had been with Jesus. – Acts 4:13

Can this be said of you?  Can this be said of me?

Will you be accused of being meek and there be enough evidence to convict you?   May the Lord grow us in His grace to be meek and to be bold that His name might receive the glory for which we were saved.

 

Kevin

Green Lights

Posted on by kevinjandt

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I was thinking the other night, while driving home, that I’ve never stopped at a green light.  I always do my best to stop at red lights however.  Have you ever thought about why you don’t stop at green lights?  I mean you’ve driven through them countless times but have probably never stopped at one right? You don’t stop at green lights because you know that God exists.

That might seem like a stretch to make this jump but we know that certain things are true, we all know this, because we don’t live in absolute absurdity.  If we didn’t know that 2 + 2 = 4 then we’ve got problems in the universe.  The bridge you go across isn’t going to hold up.  When you press the brakes on your car they might not stop.

But because God is a God of logic and reasoning and absolute truth we know that absolute truth exists and we know this by the world around us.  We know that because certain things point to truth that there is a source of truth out there.  Otherwise the world falls apart.

However, there are also problems and problem arose out of sin.  And that’s why sometimes people run red lights and hurt people that are proceeding through green lights.

And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, but of the tree of knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat of it you shall surely die.” – Genesis 2:16-17

and so man died…

And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience — among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.  Ephesians 2:1-3

In man’s rebellion to the Creator he makes his own rules, and sometimes that involves running red lights and sometimes it involves far worse things.  It involves things that will ultimately destroy that person in the end.  Because they’ve rebelled.  They’ve sought their own way.  There is no fear of God before their eyes.

The next time you drive through a green light consider that the God that made you has given you breath and He is also the God you will give an account of your life.  You will be judged by Him for all you’ve ever thought, said and done.  And for me that is a terrifying reality.

But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ– by grace you have been saved– and raised us up with Him and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus. – Ephesians 2:4-6

For those that turn from their sin and receive Christ as Lord and Savior you no longer live with the fear of death.  You can be brought into the glorious light of Christ and live eternally with Him.

Kevin

Today was a good day…

Posted on by kevinjandt

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And because of Him you are in Christ Jesus, who became to us wisdom from God, righteousness and sanctification and redemption, so that, as it is written, “Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord.” – 1 Corinthians 1:30-31

Today was a special day not because of anything I did but because of what God did.  He is the reason for all things and He has purpose in all that He does and all occurs because of Him.  But today was special and He encouraged me and the others with me on this day in an extraordinary way.

Today is Thursday and it’s the day we go to Iowa City to the Emma Goldman Abortuary.  This is one of two clinics in Iowa City that take the lives of unborn children and snuff them out before their time.  They murder these little precious souls before they have an opportunity to see the light of day.  It is a sad day in that respect.

Today was extraordinary not because lives were saved, although God has His purposes in those lives regardless of how long they live.  Nothing surprised God today and nothing is out of the reach of His Sovereign arm and good pleasure.   He sits in the heavens and does as He pleases.  So nothing caught Him off guard today.  But He blessed us.  He blessed us with sweet fellowship and He blessed us with a common cause to proclaim His name and to make His name known to those that went inside the killing place, those that walked past and those that stood guard.

There was a new procedure in place today at Emma.  They, for the first time to my knowledge, had deathscorts.  What is a deathscort you ask?  It is a person hired to escort the women into and out of the “clinic”.  I suppose they are there to “protect” the men and women that go into the “clinic”.  They are there to help them along the road that leads to the termination of the small child that is safely snuggled in the womb of its mother.  At least for a short period of time.

The deathscorts are an obvious answer to the consistent presence of a small church that committed itself to doing abortion ministry on the streets of Iowa City.  Two weeks ago the Police were called and I had a nice conversation with the officer, and he told me he disagreed with us, but he was there to defend our right to do so if we are acting lawfully.

Apparently Emma has become more “concerned” that we are effecting their business and they need some help getting them in the door.  They know if they get them in the door the odds are much higher they will go through with it.  They are so nice to them in the clinic and so supportive and I’m sure they continue to carry this facade all the while removing the life inside of the mothers.  It’s sad and it’s tragic on so many levels.

Yet, the encouragement and the blessing that comes from the Lord even in such a place of horror is that God is still Sovereign.  As brother Todd engaged the deathscorts, I’m sure they had no idea how they would be confronted in their new job.  Todd delivered the good news of Christ with passion and urgency and told them that He and He alone can save them from their sins.  Even the sin of murder as they are complicit with what is going on inside of that place.  The nice Catholic woman that was present because of the 40 days of life had no idea what she was going to hear when we began to engage them and she was in complete shock as she scurried for the other side of the parking lot.  I tried to engage her in conversation later to tell her why we do this but she wanted nothing to do with it.  She was content to rub her beads and pray to the god that was not hearing her prayers.

The encouragement came from the angry kid that asked me if homosexuality was a sin and I said that God tells us it is and yes, I believe the Word of God.  The encouragement came from the conversation with Katy that had never heard the gospel before through her upbringing as a Catholic and had no idea how to get to heaven other than her own good works.  She was quickly exposed to the truth of her good works being filthy garments in the sight of a Holy God.

Encouragement came as we went downtown to openly proclaim Christ in the public square.  The crowds were huge and many that would never hear the truth of Christ’s love outside of an open air preacher being present.  The religious woman dressed in the garb of a clergy woman holding a sign that said “God loves all” and when I asked her if she could be wrong about that would only ignore me.

The encouragement kept coming and as we gave away 150 DVD’s of “The Biggest Question” in a short hour that many received with joy and many mocked as the Scriptures tell us they will.  It was all about Him and nothing about me and although I had the greatest uplifting I’ve had in a while I labored for Him and I put no confidence in my flesh.

As I exchanged some text messages with Todd later I said this to him.

“Well I’ve had many good days but this was special.  Not sure why maybe having you and your family.  A combination of the conversations and the deathscorts.  The rejection by the Catholic woman and the open air preaching.  It was all so good and so amazing.  Maybe I was just humbled that God would save a wretch like me and use me for His glory.  My cup runneth over…”

So much  more could be said about this day but here is the bottom line for me as an evangelist and as a Christian.  When a Christian fails to do evangelistic work, they lose out on the biggest blessing that God could possibly bestow upon them.  To suffer for the sake of Christ.  I never thought I was suffering for Him today but we were ridiculed, mocked and reviled by many today and I consider it pure joy as I encounter those that despise the Lord that I love.  He told me this would happen and because of this I was not surprised.

I write this today to encourage brothers and sisters that take to the streets.  I write this today to afflict those that are comfortable in their Christianity.  I write this today to encourage those that might be considering gospel ministry.  I hope that nothing in this speaks of me other than my wretchedness, but I belong to a great Savior and that is worth boasting about.

God bless.

Kevin