Loving Your Enemies

It is relatively easy to love people who love you or people who simply are loveable.  But to love people who hate you, mistreat you or are generally unloveable sorts - that is a different matter.

And yet, that is exactly what God calls us to do - love our enemies, those who dislike or mistreat us.  It is, in fact, the path to kingdom living.  Listen to Matthew, "You have heard that it was said, ‘Love your neighbor and hate your enemy .’ But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, that you may be children of your Father in heaven" (Matt 5:43-45).

This is the attribute that seperates us from the world.  In verses 46-47, Matthew tells us that even the tax collectors and the pagans love and treat kindly those who love and treat them kindly.  But we are called to "Be perfect, therefore, as your Heavenly Father is perfect" (v. 48), meaning to love even our enemies.

Jesus tells us in John 13:35, "By this they will know you are my disciples, by your love for one another."  This love for one another has to include those Christians who have not been loving to you or the one with whom you are upset.  Otherwise, it would not be a love that would distinguish us from everyone one else.

It is not always easy, but it is alway right to love others regardless of how loveable or how friendly they are or are not.  It is a God thing to which He calls us and which qualifies us as His children.

Jus' Sayn.

Bearing Burdens

We live in a time in America, when many believe that it is somebody's, everybody's, anybody's job except their own to carry their load.  They believe and seem to demand that someone else bear the burden of their well being.  Their mantra is "it takes a village."  And their application is self.  The village is responsible for my care and feeding.

Many would turn to the Bible for support, quoting, among other passages, Galatians 6:2, which reads, "Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ."  The village advocates would be quick to say, "See, there it is in black and white of the Scripture!"  Our burdens are to be taken care of by the community - not unlike socialism or communism.

However, there are two problems witth their interpretation of that verse.  First, it is not the village taking care of individuals, it is individuals helping to take care of each other.  It is not some taking others to raise, it is everyone taking the needs of each other in a personal and responsible way.

Second, verse two leads up to verse five, which reads, "for each one should carry their own load."  Did you catch that?  Each one should carry their own load.  Wow!  How do those two verses fit in the same letter?  They fit because God calls us to be productive and attend work for our daily needs.  But, there are times when our needs exceed our ability, when we are "over burdened."  It is then when others in the Christian Community are called to step in and lend a hand, not take over the responsibility but share in it.

When we do take the responsibility to help others who are over burdened, it can be burdensome.  Helping others overcome adversity can take a good deal of time, energy and money and wwe may feel like giving up.  But the Word says instead "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up" (v. 9).  Jus' Sayn.

Treasure Hunting

For a very few, scouring the seas looking for sunken ships is how they find their treasure.  For others, taking a shovel up to the diamond dig in Murphreesboro is the ticket.  Many go from flea market to flea markett in search of that treasure.  And, of course, let us not forget America's favorite treasure hunt: Garage Sales!  

The reason everyone's searching for treasure is because it's missing.  Right?  I mean, if one has their treasure, they wouldn't be hunting for it.  People wouldn't be using drugs to find it.  They wouldn't be jumping from one sex partner to another to find itt.  They would be enjoying their treasure if they only knew where to find it.

Listen closely.  I know where your treasure is.  That's right.  And, I am going to share that information with you right now so that you won't have to look anymore.  Ready?  Here it is: "For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also" (Luke 12:43).  If your heart is where your treasure is, your treasure is where your heart is.

So, what is your heart drawn to?  Money?  Fame?  Power?  Youth? Looks?  If it is any of the above, you are destined to keep searching forever because none of these can fill the place in your heart that seeks the presence of the Spirit of God.

Here's the simple truth, the Gospel or Good News, if you will: When God is our treasure, he fills our hearts and we are satisfied.  We no longer have to keep on searching for it - will are filled up with the greatest treasure possible and the only treasure that can actually live in our hearts.

You can still enjoy garage sales and flea markets and a romp in the muddy diamond fields of Murphreesboro, but you will be enjoying a bit of recreation rather than seeking your treasure, which you already possess.  Jus' Sayn.

A New Low

In Proverbs 29:23, we read a rather interesting truth: "Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor."  Did you notice that while pride results in a negative (low), the negative (lowly) results in a positive (honor).  It would seem that there is a new low in play here.

Generally, we consider low as being in a losing position position, such as in "low on the totem pole" or "low on cash."  And the Bible uses it in that same way as in the first half of the verse above, which suggests a reduction in position.

However, when low is moved to the spiritual realm or application as in the second half of 29:23 (lowly in spirit), it takes on a new meaning where it causes an elevation in status or gain.

Jesus would echo the same "newness" of the word in Matthew 5:3 in saying, "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."  I can't think of how one becomes more elevated than that, can you?

So, how is the new low different from the low we've all come to know and not love so much?  It is different in propulsion - are you brought low by the hand of God or did you lower yourself in deference to God.  One is being humbled and the other is humility.  It is a matter of the heart and spirit within.  

Listen to the words of Jesus: "For those who exalt themselves will be humbled, and those who humble themselves will be exalted" (Matt 23:12).  So tell me, are you ready to reach a new low?

Jus' Askn.

Serving God for Nothing?

In a rather remarkable conversation between God and Satan, the Accuser posed a question regarding Job's faithfulness: "Does Job fear God for nothing?" (Job 1:9).  In other words, "Doesn't Job serve you because protect and bless him?"  Which begs the question, "Would he serve you for nothing?"

For reasons more than the test itself that would require much more time and space than I have today, God allowed Satan to put Job to the test.  Satan took everything from Job in such a way that everyone on the scene attributed the loss to God.  Surely, Satan thought, that Job would lose his respect for God and curse Him.

But Satan couldn't have been more wrong: "“Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked I will depart. The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised" (Job 1:21).  What Satan discovered was that Job wasn't in it for the money, so to speak.  Job would serve God for nothing.

Job had more testing to come and his "feet of clay" would be exposed for which he would humble himself before God acknowleding his shortfall and God's righteousness.  For while Jobe lived a blameless life, he was not perfect.  He always tried to do the right thing and tried to make it right when he failed, but he had failures in his life and "righteous pride" was one of them.

Nonetheless, Job's life sets a standard for us: Will we serve God for nothing?  When everything goes wrong, will we still do right?  When we get nothing in return, will we still give what we can?  When we cannot understand why God would bring us to a particular point in life, will we still follow Him? 

Max Lucado once posed a question that I think is very appropriate just here: "If all God did was save me, wouldn't that be enough?"  If nothing worked out in this life as we expected, wouldn't God who calls us to follow Him to Glory still be worth serving?  Jus' Askn.

For Heaven's Sake

I haven't heard it in a while but when I was a boy, I used to hear it with some frequency: "Well, for heaven's sake!"  It was an expression of surprise and a bit of incredulity.  Today one might say, "No way!"

For the apostle Paul, it was much more than an expression, it was lens in which he looked at everything to judge it worthwhile or not, acceptable or not, bearable or not.  Whatever was happening, whatever he went through or whatever he might have to face had but one qualifier as to whether it would be worthwhile or not: Was it for heaven's sake, did it advance the Kingdom of God.

An example of his thinking is found in Philippians 1:12-13, "Now I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that what has happened to me has actually served to advance the gospel. As a result, it has become clear throughout the whole palace guard and to everyone else that I am in chains for Christ."

The fact that Paul was imprisoned, the possibility that he might die in chains did not concern Paul.  Rather than fearfully facing the awful possibilities of what might happen to him at the hands of the Romans, he was excitingly reporting the awesome news that, through his captivity, the whole palace guard was being impacted with the message of Christ.  Paul was in chains but the Gospel was freely circulating in the palace of his captors.

Imagine the difference it would make in our lives if we were to view everything through the lens of kingdom impact instead of personal.  How would our lives change if we were to rejoice whenever the kingdom was being advanced in or lives instead of complaining when we are put out or put upon.  How much easier would it be then to "rejoice always" (Phil 4:4)?

What if, instead of asking "Why is this happening to me?", we began to ask, "What will God do for the kingdom through me in this circumstance?"  What if we stopped being "navel gazers" and became "kingdom watchers?"  Jus' Askn.

Childlike not Childish

When interpreting the Bible and making application to our lives, it is important to qualify what is said in the context in which it is given.

For instance, when Jesus said, “Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (Matt 18:3), what qualities did he have in mind?  Did he want us to whine and cry and throw tantrums when we don't get our way?  Did he want us to be irresponsible and demanding and terribly noisy?  I've known a good may "childish" adults and I can tell you, they are not Kingdom representative.

What Jesus had in mind, is a particular quality of small children that we would label being "childlike" as opposed to "childish."  We can know this by the qualifier found in the next verse : "Therefore, whoever takes the lowly position of this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven" (4).  

Small children, as demanding and selfish as they can be, have a very humble quality of reliance upon and trust in their parents.  They humbly come to their parents, trusting them to meet all their needs - looking to them for protection and provision.  They love and depend on their parents in an unadulterated way.  This childlike quality is what allows us to give up the kingdom of self and fully embrace the Kingdom of God.

Many adults are childish in their self-centered and demanding ways.  Fewer are childlike in their humble willingness to look to God in humble dependency.  All of us struggle with this at times, but only the attitude we feed regularly will win out.  Which one do you feed?  Which one do you cultivate the most in your daily walk?  Jus' Askn.

Persevere Not Perfect

Within our current Admisistration in Washington, disasterous choices have been piling up like cordwood, and the response from the President down has been denial of any complicity or even knowledge of the actions.  It has been jokingly said that "This Admisistration denies any knowledge of anything that this Admisistration has been doing."

Why are they so insistent on denying any wrongdoing or poor choices?  Because they, like us, don't want to admit failure or complicity.  Being human, they don't want to appear weak or incompetent or at fault.  Funny, however, they don't seem to mind being seen as ignorant: "I didn't know anything about what was going on until I heard it on the news."  Really?  Amazingly ignorant of what is going on right around you.

Nonetheless, the desire, which you and I tend to share, is to be seen as not having made mistakes or bad choices - being faultless or perfect, in other words.  They say, as do we, "Nobody's perfect."  But, like us, they are loathe to actually admit specific flaws or faults as they occur.  Remember the last time you  fell down?  Jumped right up as if it never happened.  "Who took the last cup of coffee and didn't start another pot?"  Nobody in the office, apparently.

It's funny how we act as if perfection is expected or even possible.  We know that we do make bad choices and mistakes and fail.  The Bible is clear that "There is no one perfect, not even one" (Rom 3:10).  Yet, we just don't want to own up to our failures and flaws.  
In so doing we miss the truth that perfection is not really what others, even and especially God, are wanting from us.  Rather, perseverence is the trait desired: 'Watch your life and doctrine closely. Persevere in them, because if you do, you will save both yourself and your hearers" (1 Tim 4:16).

It is not the perfect walk, it is the perseverence in our walk, despite our failures and faults that God desires and others admire.  It is foolish to try to appear faultless but wise to persevere despite our flaws.  Jus' Sayn.

Famine of Words

Through the prophet Amos, the Lord declared: "“The days are coming...when I will send a famine through the land— not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of hearing the words of the Lord" (Amos 8:10).

One might think that the people were disregarding His Word and therefore He was withdrawing it because of their failure to read of attend to it.  But that doesn't seem to be the case as they were very plainly giving consideration for the New Moon and Sabbath Day before they began their business practices (see vss 1-9).  

What they were not doing, however, was listening for God's will within those words.  They were all about upholding rules and regulations but had no regard for the intent God had for blessing his people, instead, they intended to abuse them by overcharging for smaller portions as soon as the rules allowed them to open the markets.

The words of the scrolls would remain but the communion of the Spirit would be withdrawn.  God would not waste his Spirit on hearts that were hardened by materialism and selfish pursuits.  There would be no prophetic word no intimate fellowship.  There would only be the dry reading of words on a page and the distant following of rules with no connection to the Spirit.

It seems that this same famine exists in far too many churches today and in the hearts of so many individuals.  We have all kinds of rules to follow, rituals to observe, monies to raise, etc.  But are we hearing the heart of the Lord to visit the sick, feed the hungry and love the downtrodden?  How does your faith inform you?  Is it just words on a page or a burden in your heart?  Are you content with "doing church" or are you intent on "being the church?"  Are you reading words or listening for His Word?  Jus' Askn.

Wordless Proclamation

Peter told the early Christian women to treat their husbands in such a way that "if any Are unbelievers they may be won over without words by the behavior of their wives, when they see the purity and reverence of your lives" (1 Pet 3:1-2).  

Peter is advancing the notion of wordless proclamation - the proclaiming of the Gospel without saying a word.  No pleading , no nagging , no debating - just living out biblical teaching, following in the strips of Jesus. The beauty if His Spirit draws others to Him. 

This is not just a tip for wives wanting to win over their husbands, this is a strategy for all disciples concerned with reaching out to the lost.  Before we can tell them, we must show them. 

Consider Peter's words from verse 15, "But in your hearts revere Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have."

Think about it. Who is going to ask you about your Christian hope?  Those who witness the difference in your life are the ones who will ask. They will ask how you stay calm in a storm, how you forgive the unforgivable , how you love your enemies. 

Wordless proclamation is your most powerful witness to the risen Lord within. Shout it from the rooftop of your daily walk. Jus' Sayn. 

No Is Not Nothing

Yesterday, we saw how God delivered Peter from prison.  However, in the same chapter of Acts, we read where James had been imprisoned as well, and we can assume the church prayed just as fervently for him.  However, rather than being miraculously released, we read that King Herod "had James, the brother of John, put to death with the sword" (12:2).

Despite the fact that James was an apostle like Peter and, also like Peter, one of the inner circle of Jesus' friends (Peter, James and John), the Lord chose not to spare him from the sword (or chose to spare him from the growing persecution).  The text doesn't explain the why, it only clearly highlights the no.

When we don't get what we ask for, we tend to ask why God didn't answer our prayer.  In one of Garth Brooks' ballads, Unanswered Prayer, he thanks God for not answering him when he asked for a particular girl because it would have meant he would never have met his wife.  That song typlifies how we regard a prayer that doesn't lead to getting what we want.

But why must we assume that God didn't answer in those cases?  Does not the Bible promise that "the eyes of the Lord are always on the righteous and his ears attentive to their prayers" (1 Pet 3:12)?  And would not a loving Father sometimes say no?  Is no nothing, a non-answer?  Not!  No is not nothing.  No is an answer.  And, when God says no, it is the answer that we need albeit not always what we want.  Do you love your children?  Have your anwsers always been yes?  Haven't you lovingly said no at times?

Perhaps, instead of wondering why God hasn't answered our prayer or continuing to try to get him to conform to our wishes, we ought to begin asking why the answer is no when it becomes clear we are not getting the result we desired.  Maybe we should be asking God to help us understand, accept and conform to His will.  Jus' Sayn.

Doubtfilled Prayer

In Acts chapter 12, the disciples were gathered in John Mark's mother's house, praying for Peter to be released from prison.  While they were praying, an angel went in to the prison and brought Peter out.

Peter went to the house where they were praying and knocked on the door.  Rhoda went to the door peered out and seeing Peter ran back inside to tell the others who were praying.  Their response to her news of Peter's release was very interesting: "'You’re out of your mind,' they told her. When she kept insisting that it was so, they said, “It must be his angel" (Acts 12:15).

Though they had been praying for they very thing Rhoda said had happened, they could not believe Peter was actually free.  Amazing!  But how like us.  No, they were not particularly lame in their faith as disciples go, they were about average, like most of us. Honestly, how many times have you prayed for something but was not surprised that it did not come to pass?  How often have you been surprised that a prayer was answered?

What surprises me is that God often does answer our prayers that are so lacking in faith, but he often chooses to even though we are warned not to expect anything when we ask in doubt (cf. Js 1:6-7) - but he sometimes will.  However, even if we receive what we have asked for in doubt, we fail to live in the joy and peace of one who has no doubts.

I think we need to pray like the man in Mark 9:24, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”  And then strive daily to grow in our faitth, asking the Father, fully expecting and resting in the belief that he will answer our prayers.

It's going to take some doing, considering how long we've gone about asking but not being certain of His answer.  But we can grow and we can learn to trust in God's power and goodness, knowing that he will answer our prayers in accordance with that goodness.  It may be that the answer looks different than what we expected, but it will be in response to what we ask and be for our best.

Jus' Sayn.

The Wrong Factor

We were traveling from Wichita, Kansas through Oklahoma to Searcy, Arkansas.  I took the first leg and drover to Tulsa.  Bob LaPierre took over and I lay down in the back seat to sleep (nope, I wasn't wearing a seatbelt - back in the 70s it still hadn't caught on that much).  I was awakened by the sound of Gayla's voice yelling out, "Yeah, we're in Missouri!"

My immediate reaction was, "What?  We're not supposed to be in Missouri!"  We should have been crossing over into Arkansas, nearing Ft Smith.  Instead, we were closing in on Joplin, MO.  We had been making great headway, traveling the wrong direction on the Will Rogers Turnpike.  It seemed like the right way to my friend Bob and Gayla, but it was anything but.

Our story, of course, is not a terribly unique one.  All of us have, at one time or another, have blissfully went along a path thinking we were making progress when we had taken a wrong turn and were digressing along with great speed: the wrong job, the wrong relationship, the wrong opportunity, etc.

The "Wrong Factor" is a part of the human condition: "There is a way that appears to be right, but in the end it leads to death" (Prov 16:25).  We have limited vision, which does not include future outcomes.  We tend to base future outcomes on past experience but the past, as any good financial guide will tell you, is not a reliable predictor of future outcomes.  Sometime we guess right, often not.

Over coming the "Wrong Factor" requires that we place ourselves in the center of the One who can see the future, whose vision is not limited.  Our need is to place our lives in the hands of God, seek His will daily and follow faithfully.  He may take us through dangerous and scary places but the destination is life.  Remember: "I know the plans I have for you.  Plans not to harm you but for good.  Plans for hope and a future" (Jer 29:11).

You may think you have a handle on life.  But, without God, you have a tiger by the tail.  And one day, that tiger will turn on you.  Let go and let God.  Jus' Sayn.

Our Father In Heaven

I don't know what kind of father you had growing up.  He may have been a great dad or a complete dud.  But I am certain that there were times he dissapointed you or let you down.  He may have even abused or abandonded you.  Regardless, your idea of fathers has been conditioned by your experience.

You may have a difficult time fully trusting in God as your Father if you could not or cannot trust your earthly father fully.  Your experience may get in the way of your ability to trust.  This is natural but it is not healthy.  Instead, we need to let our biblical knowledge recondition our childhood experience.

I want you to know that the Bible positively affirms that God is our Father and fully accepts us as children: "Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, 'Abba, Father .' So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir" (Gal 4:6-7).  

Did you notice that as His children, he sets us free instead of enslaving or using us.  And, that He makes us heirs instead of taking from us.  God will not fail us, He will "never leave [us] as orphans" (Jn 14:18).  

Our Father in Heaven desires but one thing for us - good.  Listen to the words of the prophet Jeremiah: "I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  

Our Father in Heaven is good all the time and all the time our Father in Heaven is good.  Jus' Sayn.

Birthdays

In the National Cemetery at North Little Rock, there is a bronze placard adhered to the face of a small vault with my name and service rank of Staff Sargeant. It also has the date of my birth, June 16, 1955 followed by a dash waiting for one additional date - my death-day.

Just as certain as I had a first day on this planet, I will have a last day.  And, unless the Lord comes before then, my last day will be when I draw my last breath and this body lives no more according to the flesh. 

However, my death-day will not be my last day because I do not live by the flesh but rather by the spirit and that fact prevents death from having the last word on my life. Listen to the words of the apostle Paul, inspired by the Spirit if God: 

"But if Christ is in you, then even though your body is subject to death because of sin, the Spirit gives life because of righteousness. And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you. (Rom 8:10-11).  

My death-date, therefore, becomes my new birth-date, the day I am released from the power that sin and death has over the physical body and born into the spiritual realm, where sin and death are no more. Even my body will one day be raised and transformed into something glorious, over which sin and death no longer have any sway. 

This anniversary of the day of my physical birth marks one more year closer to day of my physical death. Morbid?  No, glorious!  My ashes will be placed in that little vault but my spirit will ascend to the Father. Jus' Sayn. 

Father Knows Best

After Noah was told to build the ark, it would beep be 100 years before the flood would come. Can you imagine the peer pressure his sons would have had to resist?  Can you imagine the jokes, the scorn and the outright laughter they faced on a daily basis?  And yet they continued on, keeping faith with their father, believing he was a righteous man of God.

When they finally had gathered all the animals and entered the ark, contrary to most movie scripts, it was 7 days later before a drop of rain came (see Gen 7:6-10).  And yet, his sons kept faith with their father. They had an unshakable respect for him as a godly man who followed the Word of the Lord and that he deserved their support and allegiance.

When I was young, there was a TV show (in black and white) starring Robert Young called "Father Knows Best."  The premise f the show was that, regardless of the challenges faced, when the dust settled that he really was a good man who had his family's best interest in heart and really did know what he was talking about. 

Today, television shows depict fathers as the least aware in the family. They tend to be bumbling fools who only occasionally make a correct choice by accident and would not have a chance if not for the wisdom and leadership of their wives. Even the kids have keener insight and make better decisions that sad old dad. 

While I wouldn't say that all fathers know best or even that all men who manage to impregnate a woman are fathers, but I will go on record as saying that men who live godly lives, supported by biblical adherence and covered with the Spirit's influence, do know best. They aren't perfect but they are trustworthy. 

Such a man will gain the respect of his family and they will trust  his wisdom and listen to his advice for, in the whole, such a father does know best.  Jus' Sayn. 

Against The Tide

We live in a time when righteousness has been turned on its head. Virginity before marriage is seen as an oddity only embraced by theose completely out of step with society.  To accept the biblical definition of marriage where God creates "male and female" with the intention that a "man shall leave his mother's house and become one flesh with his wife" (see Matt 19:4-5), is regarded as hateful and bigoted.

We live in a time where Christianity itself is mocked in the media, banned from our schools and restricted by our government while room is made on the national stage for a religion that calls for the domination or elimination of every other belief system instead of the freedom of religion we enjoy due to our Christian roots. 

We live in a time when our national leaders lie as a course of habit and tell the truth only when and to the degree that serves to advance their own political agenda. Character is no longer given serious  consideration and moral integrity is waved off as of no importance to the ability to govern. 

We live in a time when it is difficult to maintain biblical righteous as the pressure of societal norms weighs heavy and our peers constantly tug and pull us to step outside biblical bounds and live a little. Personally, I'd rather stay within those bounds and live a lot. 

We do live in such a time and the tide of societal norms is definitely flowing against anyone who accepts the biblical truths and seeks to follow Jesus. But this is not something new. Noah lived in a time so bad that "God regretted he made mankind" (Gen 6:6). He was under tremendous pressure to embrace societal norms, "but Noah found favor in the sight of the Lord" (Gen 6:8).

You will have to swim against the tide as the faithful of all ages have done. But like Noah and countless others through the ages, you can do it with God's help. Jus' Sayn. 

Defiling Words

"Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never harm me."  Really?  No, not really!  Truth be told, the damage done by stick and stones usually heals pretty quickly while the damage done by words often has a life-long impact and possibly an eternal one. Telling a child he is stupid or bad can set the tone for his life now and perhaps forever. 

And the damage done by words doesn't necessarily impact the object of those words alone.  Words an cause collateral damage as the wounded recipient may lash out at others and others hearing those words can be greatly impacted. Imagine the wounds to a small girl as her daddy verbally demeans her mommy. 

Words may create doubt that can sink an otherwise sound venture. As an old Navy cliché warns: "Loose lips sink ships."  Words have started deadly fights and even deadlier wars. Words have sent people to prison and sent others to their graves. Words can be very dangerous and pose a very real threat to their object. 

Words also pose a very real threat to the one speaking them as retribution may come as a result of careless or carefully directed hurtful words. Words can implicate you or even demean you in the eyes of others. Most importantly, words can determine your eternal destiny as "the things that come out of a person’s mouth come from the heart, and these defile them" (Matt 15:18).

Words can be very dangerous indeed. But they can be equally beneficial - the choice is yours. Don't make excuses for your words, choose them wisely: "Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen" (Eph 4:29).  Don't let your words defile you, instead let them define you as a disciple is Christ. Jus' Sayn. 

What God Has Joined Together

As the courts are striking down traditional marriage laws in state after state, it seems that the national debate is over regarding what constitutes marriage. However, since marriage comes from God, I am not persuaded by the court's opinion nor do I care about the outcome of a national debate. What I care about and what persuades me is God's Word. 

While I could lay out a comprehensive argument based on Old and New Testament statutes, biblical examples and even judgments rendered in Scripture, I really don't want to lay out a defensible argument based on scholarship and tied to human reasoning. I would just like to point out to you God's Word as expressed by Jesus Christ himself as the model for marriage and the final and authoritive word on the subject. You'll have to decide if you will accept His authority or not. 

In response to the Pharisees regarding the sanctity of marriage, Jesus goes back to God's creative and purposed design: “Haven’t you read,” he replied, “that at the beginning the Creator ‘made them male and female ,’ and said, ‘For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and the two will become one flesh’ ? So they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate" (Matt 19:4-6).

I only want to point out the antecedent to "For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife" is "the creator made them male and female."  The reason or design of God for marriage was to couple a man and a woman into "one flesh" (a spiritual/sexual relationship).  Anything other is more than, less than or other than God's design. 

Jus' Sayin'. Actually, just sharing Jesus' word on the subject. 

Bearing Fruit

When I moved to California in 1987, there was a small tree in the corner of the back yard of the parsonage. I didn't know what kind of tree it was, having never seen one like it before. Based on the leaves, I suspected it was a citrus and since it was California, I assumed it was an orange tree. But I wasn't sure. 

When it began to bear fruit, I felt pretty confident it was an orange tree but thought it might be lime as the fruit was green. However, when the fruit developed, I knew for sure that it was a lemon tree. All the guessing and assuming was put to rest by the developed fruit borne by the little tree in the corner of the backyard. 

When you meet someone in a church building, you might assume they are religious. When you hear them talk about biblical doctrine, you might feel certain they are a Christian. But when you watch them bear the fruit of the Spirit of Christ, you will know they are his disciple. 

That fruit,may the way is not church attendance or biblical knowledge or doctrinal percision. Rather, "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self- control" (Gal 5:22-23).  The fruit of the Spirit of Christ is an inner goodness that is evident in one's daily walk. 

Paul goes so far as to say, "For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision [law keeping] nor uncircumcision [reliance on grace] has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love" (Gal 5:6).  And Jesus himself plainly said, "By this they will know you are my disciples, by your love for one another" (John 13:35).

We don't have to judge someone's moral worth to determine whether they are a disciple if Jesus Christ or not. All we need do is to inspect the fruit they bear. If it is goodness borne out of love, we know they possess His Spirit. Jus' Sayn. 

Whom Will You Serve?

The Israelites had been redeemed from slavery in Egypt and delivered by God to the Promised Land. They has received the Law through Moses and established in the Land by the a leadership of Joshua, both of whom were ordained leaders by the hand of God. 

It would seem, naturally enough, that they fully accepted the sovereign rule of God who redeemed and delivered them but that assumption would not have borne the weight of the evidence of household idols of false gods in many of the homes. 

Although God redeemed and delivered them, he did not require that they accept or worship him necessarily. Instead, he gave them a choice: "But if serving the Lord seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your ancestors served beyond the Euphrates, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the Lord" (Josh 24:15).

You may have been raised in a Christian family, you may have been brought up going to church and even attend to this day. It may be quite reasonable to assume that you are a disciple of Jesus Christ but that may not be true at all for God still gives us the choice to serve whom we will. 

Do you recall Revelation 3:20?  "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me."  Were you aware that those words were written to church goers in Asia Minor?  He wasn't calling unbelievers to fellowship with him but believers who had not truly made the choice to worship and serve him only - they were "neither hot nor cold" (v. 15), having a foot in both worlds. 

So, what about you?  What is your choice?   Since "You cannot serve two masters..." (Matt 6:24), who or what will it be?  Are you 100% for Jesus or will you choose another?  Jus' Askn. 

Temptation Denied

Mark Twain once quipped, "I can resist anything except temptation."  Although humorous, and not intended to be taken seriously, there is truth in his words. The fact is that we do not have the power to resist temptation on our own, rather "we'd all sin and fall short of God's glory" (Rom 3:23) for "no one is righteous, not even one" (Rom 3:10).

The "Good News" however, is that we are not left to our own to battle temptation. Instead, "Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted" (Heb 2:18).  In fact, "with every temptation, he has given us the power to stand up under it" (1 Cor 19:13).

Does that mean we could live a perfect life?  Yes.  Does that mean we will?  No. He does offer his help, but we don't always accept it. He does always provide a way out but we often fail to take it. The problem is not a lack of ready power to resist temptation - the problem is the power to choose. 

Jesus does not stand ready to break down our door like a divine swat team or corner us like a heavenly intervention, instead he "stands at the door and knocks and if anyone hears his call and opens the door, [he] will come in" (Rev3:20).

You haven't resisted every temptation and you won't be resisting all temptation anytime soon. But, in Christ, you have the power to resist any temtion. With every temptation to do something wrong, there is an opportunity to claim God's power and do something right instead. And while we lack the moral discipline to always choose right, we can make it our goal to aim for perfection, in which case, we will succeed much more often. 

Jus' Sayn. 

Herong God

The writer of the Book of Hebrews reveals to us, "In the past God spoke to our ancestors through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son… (1:1-2).

So what does that mean?  How is it that God communicates to us through His Son?  I was taught and used to teach that it meant that God no longer speaks to us through various ways but only through the words of Jesus as revealed to and through the biblical writers. I believed that there was no other way God communicated to us. I was wrong!  

Hebrews 1:1-2 does not say that God uses no other form than the Bible, it says that their is no other medium but His Son, that everything is filtered through the person of Jesus Christ. God's word for us does not comes through the Law of Moses, through the precepts of the Patriarchs or the prophets of old unless those messages bear the stamp of Jesus Christ. Not everything written to the ancient Hebrews is a word of God for us (i.e. Animal sacrifices and Temple Tax).

God in Jesus speaks through the Bible, most certainly and most often. He also speaks through nature (Rom 1:20).  Jesus, in the Spirit, spoke directly to the apostle Paul (Acts 9:3-6).  He spoke to Peter in a vision (acts 10:9-23).  

Gid is not limited in how he chooses to communicate with us. We are limited in how we are open to hear Him. He has provided at least four ways of hearing from the Spirit if His Son: The Written Word, His faithful children (Church), our circumstances and prayer (prayer is not just a time to present your laundry list of wants to God, it is primarily a time to tune your spirit to His Son's). 

If you wish to hear from God, listen. Listen to His children talk about His will, listen to His voice in the Bible, listen to Him speak in your circumstances, listen as you spend time communing in prayer. Jus' Sayn. 

No Worries

With all the talk about going to Jerusalem and facing death, Jesus' disciples had a lot to chew on. They were uncertain and concerned about what would happen. 

Jesus offered them positive support that assured them they would positively have to face trouble big time. But he also positively told them that did not need to worry about the trouble they would most certainly face: "In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world" (John 16:33).

Facing trouble is not, in itself, a reason to worry. Facing trouble without the means to overcome it is. If you face a balloon payment on your house, you might be very concerned but not if you have the money in your savings or a banker willing to refinance your loan. Facing astronomical hospital bills could be paralyzingly concerning but not when you have adequate medical insurance. When you were a child, you may have been afraid of monsters in the closet but not if dad were in the room. 

As humans, life can be overpowering.  But as Children of God, knowing that He will protect and provide; knowing that He has sovereign rule over the universe, we have nothing to fear. We will face the difficulties a fallen world will most certainly present to us, but we are not of this world and our Father is greater than anything we will ever face. 

Jesus said not to worry about what we will eat, where we will live or how will we be clothed, "The Father knows that you have need of these things. Seek first the kingdom of God and all these things will be added to you as well" (Matt 6:33).

Whatever it is that we will face, however terrible it may be, He has already overcome it and will "work out all things to the good of those who love him" (Rom 8:28).

For the child of God, despite the worst Satan can throw at us, we have no reason to worry for God is greater still. Jus' Sayn - no worries. 

How Ought You live?

I have spent a good number of years in college studies, completing four degrees from an AA to a D.Min.  One of the constant and abiding truths I learned in all those years is that a final exam or project has a sobering effect on one's study and preparation. 

If there were no final, if grades were just given out like "Participation Awards," there would be little, if any, focused, determined hours of work and study that accompany serious academic pursuits. And, I suspect, if you took away final exams, prayer would would take a dramatic drop on campus as well.

A deadline on the job, incoming bad weather on the farm, an approaching fire near your home - notice of impending and serious finality always heightens our senses and causes us to make course corrections and increase our efforts. 

This truth is the backdrop of Peter's warning in 2 Peter 3, where, after reminding us of the pending and final destruction of the world and worldly things, poses the sobering question: "Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be" (2 Pet 3:11a)?

He then provides the answer: "…You ought to live holy and godly lives as you look forward to the day of God and speed its coming..." (2 Pet 3:11b-12).

We ought but do we?  More specifically, in view of the coming judgment and destruction of planet earth and those who live according to the world, what kind of person are you?  How do you treat others?   How do you honor God?  How do you live out your faith?  How do you bear witness to the Gospel? 

Jus' Askn. 

Right Thinking

One of my daughter's ex, and therefore, loser boyfriends, once told her, "Your dad thinks he's always right."  My response to that charge was, "Of course I do. If I thought I was wrong, I'd change!"

I am, of course, not always right - from age 16 to about 25 or so, I was always certain of my right thinking. As it turned out, while I was never in doubt, I was seldom correct. But I always thought I was right. Today, I always think I'm right but know that I could be wrong and am open to instruction. However, you should pack a lunch if you intend to change my mind. 

If you think I am unique in my "right thinking," you need to more closely observe the rest of humanity and take a closer look in the mirror while you're at it because it is part of the human condition: "All a person’s ways seem pure to them, but motives are weighed by the Lord" (Prov 16:2).

We all think we are right but it is God who sets the standard of truth and measures personal integrity.  Thinking a thing to be right or right for me does not make it so. God's Word makes it so, his standard is the ultimate "Gold Standard" in all things. 

It is imperative, therefore, to take the time to consult the Spirit through prayer, study of the Bible and counsel of faithful Christians before making important decisions. Relying on your own thinking and worse, feelings, can lead to ruinous outcomes like a missionary walking away from his wife and the mission to pursue a new and younger love interest. He may feel justified in his own eyes but would the Spirit of God would truly uphold that decision.

I knew a preacher in California who left his forty something wife of twenty years to marry a twenty something woman saying, "God wants me to be happy!"  Actually, the God of the Boble says to "rejoice in the wife of your youth" (Prov 5:18) not particularly in a youthful wife. 

Whatever the turn you make on the path of life, it is either a turn of self-determination or one of God's choosing. Take the time to consult the Spirit, his word and his people. Jus' Sayn. 

Fertile Faith

In Luke 8, Jesus tells a parable of four types of ground upon which a farmer broadcast seed: [5] “A farmer went out to sow his seed. As he was scattering the seed, some fell along the path; it was trampled on, and the birds ate it up. [6] Some fell on rocky ground, and when it came up, the plants withered because they had no moisture. [7] Other seed fell among thorns, which grew up with it and choked the plants. [8] Still other seed fell on good soil. It came up and yielded a crop, a hundred times more than was sown."

As Christians, we tend to see ourselves as the good soil that, being cultivated properly, we receive the seed of God's Word and produce an abundant crop of good deeds and changed lives. However, do you really think your heart is really open and receptive to God's Word all the time?  Aren't there times you have chosen other than to follow the Spirit's promoting?  Aren't there times when words come from your heart and out of your mouth that were not planted there by the Sporit?  Aren't there times when you feel hard-hearted?

The truth is, you are not a particular soil or piece of ground. Your faith doesn't grow in the same soil all the time. Your heart may be well cultivated and receptive today but hardened or weed-filled tomorrow. The soil of your heart must be cultivated daily with the plow of Bible study, the fertilizer of faithful prayer and the watering of quiet-time with God. Satan is busy tossing in rocks, planting weeds and stomping down the ground of your faith, you need to daily attend to the condition of your heart. 

Whether your faith is fertile enough to receive the seed of God's Word and cause it grow to a productive maturity depends on how well it is cultivated. Fertile faith is not the result of a one-time decision of faith but a daily walking with the Lord as he prepares and cultivates your heart. 

Jus' Sayn. 

180 Faith

According to Mark, the beginning f the good news of Jesus Christ was predicated on the work of John the Baptist who came "preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins"(Mark 1:4).  John's preaching,which prepared men to accept Chrst, called men and women to turn from their lives of missing the mark of God's calling (harmatia - sin) to following the way of the Lord.

Sin, by the way, is not always obvious wrong or even evil in and of itself. Sin is to miss the mark of God's calling on your life. Sometimes that is obvious: God calls you to faithfulness and you commit adultery - obvious sin. Sometimes it is not so obvious: Gd gifts you with tremendous musical talent to allow you to lead worship in a powerful way, but not being close enough in your walk with him to hear that call, you choose a career in the secular music industry - not obvious missing of God's mark.

An example of ths concept of repentance, which calls us to make a 180 degree turn in our lives but not from an obvious sin or even sin at all in itself is when Jesus called Simon (Peter) and Andrew: "Come follow me...At once they left their nets and followed him" (Mark 1:17-18). They were nt sinning being fishermen but to have failed to accept Jesus' call would have been to miss God's Mark for them. 

Think about this - the call to make a 180 degree turn in fath isn't always about moving from bad to good, sometimes it is turning from good to better and even better to best. In whatever way we are falling short of God's desire for our lives, we are sinning and need to make that turn as soon as we become aware of it. 

I'm not particularly saying that to fail to recognize a calling of God and pursue it means you are a condemned sinner, targeted for hell. I don't think salvation necessarily enters in to every discussion of repentance. Sometimes repentance is simply about making a turn from pursuing your dreams to pursuing His calling - moving from good to better or best.   Jus' Sayn. 

Friends of God

Servants of God, creation of God, even children of God, but friends of God?  Have you ever really considered yourself one of God's friends, his companions, his confidants?  It's a bit hard for most to see themselves in that role. 

And yet, Jesus called his disciple just that, "you are my friends" (Jn 15:15).  You might be thinking that they were special like Abraham and Moses, who were both called friends of God (cf. Isa 41:8; Ex 33:11).  But that was not the qualifier Jesus gave.  Rather he said, "You are my friends if you do as I command" (Jn 15:14).

He further explained what it meant to follow his command: "My comman is this, love each other as I have loved you" (Jn 15:12).  We are called to have the forgiving and redemptive love for each other that God has for us. When we love that way, we will go about doing the Father's business and there for be his companions and friends. 

That is why "in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love (Gal 5:6).  This is the bottom line, the demarcation of friendship with God: Love as he loved us. 

To love this way needs no other qualifier, no other command. For "Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law" (Rom 13:10).  As the ancient rabbis would say, "Love and do as you will."  When we truly love, love as God loves, we will seek God's blessings for all and do no harm but good for others. 

Jus' Sayn.