Posted on 02 September 2010 by mikeharder
If you are a man and love Jesus you need to watch this video. Then go find a church and give your life away. If Jesus doesn’t come back in 1000 years, McDonalds wont exist, America will be a memory and every parachurch ministry on the planet will be dust. But the church will remain. Jesus preserves his bride. He said, I will build my church and the gates of hell will not prevail against it.
Posted on 11 August 2010 by mikeharder
I found this quiz online this week in my Sermon Prep. It is from John Piper, one of my favorite teachers of God’s word. This is a quiz on how you see God. I am going to put the answers below so don’t cheat.
Q 1: What is the chief end of God?
Q 2: Who is the most God-centered person in the universe?
Q 3: Who is uppermost in God’s affections?
Q 4: Is God an idolater?
Q 5: What is God’s chief jealousy?
Q 6: Do you feel most loved by God because he makes much of you, or because he frees you to enjoy making much of him forever?
John introduces this quiz by saying “I am persuaded that people need to be confronted with how self-exalting God is in this purpose.” I thoroughly agree. So often our view of God is that he exists only for our own pleasure.
Here are the right answers to the quiz.
Q 1: What is the chief end of God? A: The chief end of God is to glorify God and enjoy displaying and magnifying his glory forever.
Q 2: Who is the most God-centered person in the universe? A: God.
Q 3: Who is uppermost in God’s affections? A: God.
Q 4: Is God an idolater? A: No. He has no other gods before him.
Q 5: What is God’s chief jealousy? A: God’s chief jealousy is to be known, admired, trusted, enjoyed, and obeyed above all others.
Q 6: Do you feel most loved by God because he makes much of you, or because he frees you to enjoy making much of him forever?
How did you do? I really struggle with Question 6. I think God is mostly here to do my bidding like a genie in a bottle but I know that is not the case. That is really my personal self-centeredness leaking into my theology. I must be diligent to be someone who elevates God and not myself. When I do this, something “rings” true inside of me. I am able to live the way I was created to be, someone who God has lovingly crafted to be his worshipper.
Here are some passages to consider when you are thinking about God and his purposes from a vantage point that is grounded in the gospel.
• “He predestined us for adoption as sons through Jesus Christ, according to the purpose of his will, to the praise of the glory of his grace” (Ephesians 1:5-6).
• God created the natural world to display his glory: “The heavens declare the glory of God” (Psalms 19:1).
• “You are my servant Israel in whom I will be glorified” (Isaiah 49:3); “. . . that they might be for me a people, a name, a praise, and a glory (Jeremiah 13:11).
• “He saved them [at the Red Sea] for his name’s sake that he might make known his mighty power” (Psalm l06:7-8); “I have raised you up for this very purpose of showing my power in you, so that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth” (Romans 9:17).
• “I acted [in the wilderness] for the sake of my name, that it should not be profaned in the sight of the nations in whose sight I had brought them out (Ezekiel 20:14).
• [After asking for a king] “Fear not . . . For the Lord will not cast away his people for his great name’s sake (l Samuel 12:20-22).
• “Thus says the Lord God, It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am about to act [in bringing you back from the exile], but for the sake of my holy name . . . . And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name . . . and the nations will know that I am the Lord” (Ezekiel 36:22-23, 32). “For My own sake, for My own sake, I will act; For how can My name be profaned? And My glory I will not give to another” (Isaiah 48:11).
• “Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show God’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs, and in order that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy” (Romans 15:8-9).
• “Now is my soul troubled. And what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour’? No, for this purpose I have come to this hour. Father, glorify Your name.” Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again” (John 12:27, 28).
• “He died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised” (2 Corinthians 5:15).
• “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11).
• “I am he who blots out your transgressions for my own sake, and I will not remember your sins” (Isaiah 43:25).
• “Whoever serves [let him serve], as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified” (1 Peter 4:11).
• “Immediately an angel of the Lord smote [Herod] because he did not give glory to God” (Acts 12:23).
• “. . . when he comes on that day to be glorified in his saints and to be marveled at in all who have believed (2 Thessalonians l:9-l0).
• “Father, I desire that they also, whom thou hast given me, may be with me where I am, to behold my glory, which thou hast given me in Thy love for me before the foundation of the world” (John l7:24).
• “For the earth will be filled with the knowledge of the glory of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Habakkuk 2:14).
• “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine upon it, for the glory of God is its light, and its lamp is the lamb” (Revelation 21:23).
Posted on 16 July 2010 by mikeharder
Another guest post from my sweet wife Tabitha
Our construction project in Haiti was to rebuild the outer compound wall around the school. This would provide the children with a safe place to learn and play and would protect them from the neighboring slums and dangerous streets of Port Au Prince.
It’s hard however, not to think about the people you will ultimately keep out. I know I am guilty of this in my own life; I build walls around me emotionally and physically to feel safe and secure. But how do you respond when the Lord asks you to go over the wall?
Sarah Jane and I heard of an elderly man living in the slum across the wall. We learned that he was injured during the earthquake and had no family to care for him. He was blind, weak, hungry, and all alone. His home was made of scrap metal and tattered sheets and was approximately 3ft by 6 ft. I watched as his frail body worked to stand up and walk to the edge of his shanty. His knees were buckling and after standing for only a short while, he slumped back down onto a nearby chair. He wore a look of despair and hopelessness.
I definitely consider myself to be a cautious person. I lived in Memphis for 7 years and during that time we were named the # 1 city for hate crimes against women. I learned where not to go alone and how to be very aware of my surroundings. But on this day, I felt the Lord calling me to step out of my comfort zone and go over the wall.
Pierre was our new Haitian friend and translator. He had such a huge heart for his community and for Haiti. He told us that providing a safe place for a school and church to meet would be such a blessing for Haiti and that it would be a beacon of hope for the people of Port Au Prince. When Sarah Jane and I told Pierre that we wanted to go over the wall to see the blind man, he paused to think hard about what we were asking and then he smiled and led the way.
As I stepped outside the compound, I felt a wave of anxiety. This was the first time I actually walked through the streets of Port Au Prince. We traveled through the city in a large open bed truck with a covered tarp and at each destination we immediately got inside the compound walls and locked the gate. There were many stares as Pierre led us into the slum, some friendly some untrusting. Children began to emerge from behind piles of rubble and scrap metal. I saw an emaciated dog crouched on top of debris as roosters walked through a pile of trash. We were cautiously led to the very back corner, where we met Antonio.
Pierre explained to Antonio that we were there to help him and that he was not alone. As we listened to his aches and pains, I looked up and saw holes in his shelter. I imagined how hard it must be for him to fall asleep with the rain invading his home. We gave Antonio a hygiene kit that included soap, a razor, lotion and clean towels. As he rubbed his knee and explained his pain, I assessed his injured leg; something had fallen on him during the earthquake. He had significant atrophy in his quadriceps muscle and his knee felt warm to the touch; a sign of arthritis and inflammation. As Sarah Jane educated him on how to take his vitamins and medicines, I took measurements of his knee so that I could bring him a brace. I watched through tears as Sarah Jane literally fed Antonio her lunch that she had brought that day. I’m not sure where his last meal had come from.
As we took notes of all we could bring him the next day: a tarp, a knee brace, and clean water, Pierre asked Antonio if we could pray with him. We placed our hands on our new friend and thanked Jesus that he led us to him. We asked for the Holy Spirit to comfort his pain and bring peace to his heart. When we finished our prayer, I looked up at a very big smile and heard the sweetest thank you in Creole, “Merci, Merci.”
We made 3 other trips into the slum. I think it is funny that once you allow God to lead you over the wall your fears begin to fade and you start to believe the words in the songs you sing: “If our God is for us, then who could ever stop us”. In three days, we were able to clear the rubble outside his tent and place a new tarp over his roof. We even extended a portion of the tarp so he could have a place to sit in the shade. We filled a jug of clean water for him and made a path for him to walk. We even placed blocks on each side of the path so he could feel his way with a walking stick.
As people saw us return each day, I think trust was established. One lady approached me and asked for help with her back. With Pierre’s help, I was able to teach her stretches to relieve her back pain and give her a lumbar support brace. Children began to run to us and touch our arms. They loved having their pictures taken and I loved hearing their laughter as they saw themselves on the camera. Our last day on the other side of the wall, we handed out shoes to the women and children.
I am thankful that the Lord allowed me be a part of something so beautiful. Our last day at the school, Sarah Jane and I walked onto the roof and looked over the now completed wall. Through tears of joy, we looked at Antonio seated on his chair outside his tent, clean shaven, brace on his knee, and a smile on his face. His expression of hopelessness and despair was exchanged for a look of peace and dignity. I hate to think that my fear could have prevented me from blessing this sweet man. I definitely think that I am still a cautious person and I respect dangerous areas, but I hope I have learned that when the Lord calls me over the wall he is going to grow my faith and show me just how much He loves the “least of these”.
Posted on 15 July 2010 by mikeharder
I saw this video off a friend’s website. Its a little boy who is severely malnourished in Uguanda. He is not being taken care of by Faith a lady who runs a ministry through Global Support Mission. You can see the whole story here: http://www.knowthinkact.com/stories.php
It is tragic to see the young reap the evil of those that went before them. Maybe you can make a difference.
http://www.vimeo.com/12991443Posted on 05 July 2010 by mikeharder
A day late but still funny
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Posted on 03 July 2010 by mikeharder
This is a guest post by my wife Tabitha. She just came back from serving in Haiti and was kind enough to share her thoughts.
1 month ago I kissed my husband goodbye and stepped on a plane for Port Au Prince, Haiti. As the plane took off, I began to pray that God would keep me safe, that he would stretch my faith, and that he would use me to love and serve the people of Haiti. Since I have gotten back, people have asked me: “ How was Haiti?”. I have tried to answer that question the best that I could, but I have struggled with the ability to process my emotions and the things that God has whispered to my heart. I am not a writer and artistic expression is not my gift , so it has been hard for me to put into words what I saw and felt. But, I want so badly to tell the story of Haiti – of God’s amazing and unfailing love for His children. So here goes….
GOD SEND ME OUT!
It was November. I remember it so well because it’s what I have come to call my emotional train wreck! For a period of 2 months, my heart began to break as I became more aware of the global orphan crisis. 147 MILLION ORPHANS became a phrase that plagued my heart and moved me to action. And so I began to pray. I could feel that God was preparing me for something, but I didn’t know in what capacity. Mike and I started to pray about sponsoring a 2nd child through Compassion International. I will never forget scrolling down the list of children in Kenya, Africa. “ How do you pick just one” ? I was thrilled that we were going to sponsor another child and as I began to pray for sweet Susan Mutave and send her stickers and pictures, my heart continued to ache for these children all over the world. It wasn’t uncommon for me to stand in the back of the room at church with tears streaming down my face as God opened my eyes to a hurting and suffering world. How could I sing these songs and cry these tears and not physically do something? My husband is my spiritual leader and I am so thankful that he listens to me as I cry and ask the tough questions. He also began to pray for what God was going to teach me and what it would mean for our family. I remember one specific day where I prayed to the Lord to SEND ME OUT. And that is exactly what He did. Looking back at my journal entries through the winter and spring months, I can see where God began to piece His plan together for me. He began to burden my heart for the abandoned, the broken, and the forgotten. And then in May, I received a phone call from a sweet friend Sarah Jane asking if I wanted to travel with her to Haiti for a disaster relief trip. As I listened to the details unfold, I stood speechless – watching the Lord answer my prayers. Mike and I met with the team leader for the trip and he began to share his heart for the Haitian people and the community that we would serve. And then he told me that the cost of my trip would be paid if I could go. What?!? You see it turns out that as I was praying for God to send me out, a sweet couple that I had never met decided that they wanted to pay for someone to go to Haiti. They didn’t feel healthy enough to make the trip with the conditions there, but in their faithfulness, they wanted to send someone. And that was me.
Many of you have asked me to blog about my trip and I don’t have one 
so I am going to post notes to tell about the amazing things God taught me while in Haiti. Day 1 soon!
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Posted on 28 June 2010 by mikeharder
If this wont make you laugh, I dont know what will.
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Posted on 27 April 2010 by mikeharder
As a pastor, I get lots of questions about hell. Most of them go something like this. Does it exist? What is it like? Surely a loving God wouldn’t send people there right? I have found as I have studied what the Bible teaches about hell that most of us know very little about hell. Furthermore, most people believe things about hell that are taught nowhere in the Bible. If we are honest, most of us have our concept of heaven, hell and the devil formed for us by what we watch on television in general and by cartoons in particular. Most of us imagine something out of the far side comics or from Looney Toons to create our impression of what the afterlife looks like. In those portrayals heaven is portrayed as a place where people play a harp among the clouds and hell is portrayed as a place where Satan rules on a throne and has a bunch of weird torture devices where he tortures humans for all eternity.
It is vital that we base what we know about heaven and hell and on what the Bible teaches instead of what pop culture and cartoons teach us. As we study we find out that God teaches us something very different about what mankind’s destiny is after we die.
I was leading a Bible Study the other day and we were looking at the most famous Bible verse in the world. John 3:16. In it there is a phrase that many people just breeze right over. - that none should perish but all have eternal life. What do you think of when you hear that people can perish? Do you believe it? Do you reject it? Honestly it is the reason why Jesus came to the earth. The concept of Hell is vital to the message of the gospel. If there is not hell there is no need for Jesus to come to earth to pay the price of sin for us. If he died anyway, then he was a fool. Jesus was no fool. He came and died for us because there was no other way to have peace with God. Someone had to pay the price for sin so he took the pain of sin and death for us.
When we get started at looking at what the Bible teaches about Hell we need to go to the source. Here are some Biblical passages to look at: Matthew 8:11-12, Mark 9:42-48, Luke 16:19-31, Jude 1:3-13, Revelation 20:11-15, Revelation 19:20, 21:8. These aren’t all of them but they are some of the main verses. Go ahead and look them up if you want.
When looking at these verses something really stands out. Jesus believed that hell was real. In fact, he gives us more information about hell than anyone else. R.C. Sproul says this: It is so unpopular with us that few would give credence to it at all except that it comes to us from the teaching of Christ Himself.
So lets answer some Frequently Asked Questions:
1. What is hell like?
Jesus says it is a place of torment. He called it a place of weeping and gnashing of teeth. It is fundamentally a place where you are separated from God’s favor.
It is a place where people get to experience the reality of choosing to live a life without God.
Many people think it is a symbol and only a image used to scare people I love what R.C. Sproul says.
I suspect they are symbols, but I find no relief in that. We must not think of them as being merely symbols. It is probable that the sinner in hell would prefer a literal lake of fire as his eternal abode to the reality of hell represented in the lake of fire image. If these images are indeed symbols, then we must conclude that the reality is worse than the symbol suggests. The function of symbols is to point beyond themselves to a higher or more intense state of actuality than the symbol itself can contain. That Jesus used the most awful symbols imaginable to describe hell is no comfort to those who see them simply as symbols.
2. Does Satan live in Hell?
The answer is no. Although the Bible teaches that someday Satan will be thrown into the lake of Fire, there is no evidence that Satan has ever been to hell. In fact the Bible teaches that Satan is the prince, the ruler of this world. Jesus references him as the ruler of this world in John 14:30. You also find that Satan a lot about Satan in the book of Job. Check out this passage from Job 1:6-7 6
6 Now there was a day when the sons of God came to present themselves before the Lord, and Satan also came among them. 7 TheLord said to Satan, “From where have you come?” Satan answered theLord and said, “From going to and fro on the earth, and from walking up and down on it.”
You find that he wanders the world looking for evil to do. He also has access to go to heaven and present himself to God. But you see that he also needs to ask for permission to take action against those who are followers of God.
I believe one of the reasons we like to think that Satan is in hell ruling the underworld is because it is much more frightening to live in the reality that he exists on this terrestrial ball with us. If he is actively at work on this planet then we must be on guard that we will not fall under his influence.
3. How could a loving God send sinners to hell?
He doesn’t. They volunteer. Those who go to hell choose to go there.
How do they choose? People choose hell instead of God whenever they choose to deny him as their Lord and Savior. The most powerful sin in the universe is rejecting Jesus as God and God as the ultimate reality. C.S. Lewis says it this way, “I willingly believe that the damned are in one sense, successful rebels to the end; that the doors of hell are locked on the inside.”
The Bible teaches that if you spend your life telling God to be quiet and leave you alone, hell is that place where he honors your request.
I believe we must be careful that our hearts don’t get hardened toward God. Matt 13:14-15 gives a sobering warning:
‘You will indeed hear but never understand,and you will indeed see but never perceive.15 For this people’s heart has grown dull, and with their ears they can barely hear, and their eyes they have closed, lest they should see with their eyes and hear with their ears and understand with their heart and turn, and I would heal them.’
4. Why does the topic of hell create such resistance?
The primary reason is because people resist the concept of punishment for sin. People don’t want to think that God could possibly punish people for rejecting him. In doing so they throw out huge portions of scripture in order to make the Bible conform to their image.
I think people really want to just let God off the hook. They want him to be humane and humanitarian God. That God be a being that only exists to ease human pain and not cause any of it. They want him to be a God that looks the other way when people actively hate him by denying who he has revealed himself to be.
In conclusion:
Hell is an unpleasant reality of life. Although we may not like the concept, Jesus taught very clearly that hell is a reality and it is the future of those who deny God’s offer of salvation in this life. This is essential to the gospel. Without the doctrine of hell there is no need for a savior. If Hell is not real then Jesus came to this earth and gave himself up as a ransom for us in vain. I hope that this post causes you to think, to explore and to discover what the Bible really says about what happens after death and to consider what the future holds for you.
Trusting Jesus is the most important decision you can ever make. If you need help making it let me know in your comments or can email me at mike@mikeharderministries.com
Stay tuned for a future post on what heaven is like.
Posted on 03 March 2010 by mikeharder
This Sunday I preached a message out of John 15:5-8. The thesis is that we prove to be Jesus’ disciples by producing much fruit. From John 15 we jumped to Matthew 13 and the parable of the sower. We learned that we are able to produce good fruit by being fruitful soil.You can listen to it here: http://greenhillschurch.org/Podcast/2_28_10.mp3
After the service someone asked me to elaborate on how the Holy Spirit allows us to be good soil. I felt that the best way for me to address this question was here, online.
I believe that the Holy Spirit is God’s main tool to transform us into the likeness of his son Jesus. The Holy Spirit speaks to us by convicting us of sin and moving in us to do God’s work. The best way to have the Holy Spirit work in your life is to begin to have a relationship with him. The Bible tells that he is the third part of the Godhead. That means that he is as much God as God the Father and Jesus. Although he isn’t human, he is a person with the desire to be in relationship with us. As we grow in our relationship with the Holy Spirit, through prayer to him and trying to do his will we will change into being good soil.
One of the most powerful roles that the Holy Spirit does in our lives is being a helper. Jesus tells us about the role of the Holy Spirit in John 14.
But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things and bring to your remembrance all that I have said to you. John 14:26
I find great confidence in becoming good soil knowing that the Holy Spirit is working in me. That he is going to teach me all things and that he will help me follow Jesus’ teachings.
To hear more about the role of the Holy Spirit you can listen to this message on the Holy Spirit that we taught on Recently. Just click on the link!
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Posted on 14 January 2010 by mikeharder
Whenever something really tragic happens, whether it is a hurricane, earthquake or personal loss. When that happens we struggle with why God would let something like that happen. This reveals that we really don’t trust God. At a core level our hearts do not trust that God is in control. I wrote a long article about this last year and thought it would be appropriate to repost it again here today. I hope it is helpful.
I have found that most of us struggle with a fundamental distrust of God. Even if you are a devout believer in God, when tough times come it is easy to begin to doubt the fundamental nature of who God is. That is because at our core we believe that bad stuff shouldn’t happen to good people. We think only good things should happen to good people. We believe subconsciously in a cause and effect relationship with the universe. Subtly, we begin to see God as someone who spends his time averting evil from people who follow him and rewarding them for doing good. At the same time he is punishing people for doing bad things and bringing chaos into their lives.
Unfortunately in the real world, bad things do happen to nice people. Good things happen to bad people. It seems really unfair. When pain enters into our life we doubt whether God is good, omniscient, and all powerful. We may even wonder if God exists at all. This is because we do not have a good understanding of the God of the Bible.
It is easy to lose hope in God when we think that he allows evil things to happen and for justice to be withheld without a good reason. But just because we can’t fathom a reason why bad things may happen to us or to those we designate as good, does not mean that God doesn’t exist. It’s a form of pride in our own mental abilities, to imagine that with our finite understanding of the universe and the limited time we have on the planet we could figure our all of God’s reasons for why we experience pain. But as we look at the Bible we can find an answer to the question of evil.
In the Bible, we find a God who is good, all powerful, and hates evil. However, he allows evil to exist in the world for an important reason.
The reason that God allows evil to exist is rooted firmly in the gospel. This is Christianity 101. God allows evil to happen because he loves people. I understand this seems very counter intuitive. Why would God allow pain and suffering in the lives of people that he loves. Isn’t that sadistic and cruel? That doesn’t seem very loving. According to the Bible however, God allows evil to exist because he wants to rescue humanity from its clutches. God has vowed to end evil, pain, and suffering forever someday but he has held back because he is extending grace to those who are perpetuating this cycle of evil, namely you and I.
You see, if God was to destroy evil and suffering today, then he would have to destroy all people who are currently under the domination of sin. It is a package deal. If he were to destroy one part of the construct of this world he has to destroy all of it. Humans are tied into the story of suffering and injustice because we are the ones who initiated it into this world. We are not exempt from the system of this world that we are born into. God does his work of limiting evil by setting constraints upon it. When he finally does away with evil, all those who do not come to a repentant relationship with Jesus Christ will be destroyed along with evil, injustice and pain. God is extending mercy upon humanity by waiting to do away with evil.
An interesting side effect of God extending mercy on humanity is that God has not exempted himself from the human problem of pain. Jesus entered into the world and experienced pain and suffering first hand. God has not chosen to keep pain at an arms distance but has instead chosen to enter into it. He understands what it is like to suffer. He understands what it is like to be mocked, because he was scorned by the religious crowd. He understands what it is like to hurt when a family member dies young, his earthly father Joseph died before his time. He understands what it is like to be different, he was seen as an interloper by the leaders of the Jews. Jesus knows what it is like to be beaten and cursed at. He even understands what it is like to die for what you believe in. He understands pain. And he has chosen to weld his story with ours so that God no longer has the choice to opt out of human suffering.
This is why we can have confidence in God. Because God has said that we are now his people. That we have been shown mercy. 1 Peter 2:10 says ‘Once you were not a people but now you are God’s people; you had not received mercy but now you have received mercy.” God now offers us a chance to get away from the consequences of sin and pain through Jesus.
The problem is that we struggle when times get hard. We quickly stop trusting God when pain enters into our life. That is because we are really in it for ourselves. However, God does promise to redeem terrible situations for good. God is in the redemption business. God wants to use our hard times to show himself to the world through us. God uses our suffering as a stage to reveal himself to people far from him. There is a purpose behind the things that we go through. I love John 9:3 what Jesus says when he is asked about a man who had been blind from birth. His disciples wanted to know whose fault it was that he had been born blind. Jesus said, it was neither the mans fault or his parents fault, but it was so the works of God might be displayed in him. That is amazing. God allows the pain of this world to exist so that he can show himself to be God.
I don’t know if you are struggling today with some sort of suffering or pain, but I know that God is at work within you if you let him take the stage. If you say God, I trust you with everything, then he is able to take your pain and make something amazing out of your life. God has not forgotten where you are and what you are going through. 1 Peter 5:7 says, “Cast your care upon him because he cares for you.” The first step to casting you cares/suffering upon him is to trust Jesus. Trusting someone that you have an innate tendency to mistrust is a difficult process but it is one that brings eternal dividends. It is a leap of faith that God really has your best interest in mind.
