Accept One Another

 

Now we who are strong ought to bear the weaknesses of those without strength and not just please ourselves. Each of us is to please his neighbor for his good and to his edification.

For even Christ did not please Himself; but as it is written, “The reproaches of those who reproached You fell on me.”

For whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.

Now may the God who gives perseverance and encouragement grant you to be of the same mind with one another according to Christ Jesus, so that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Therefore, accept one another, just as Christ also accepted us to the glory of God.

Romans 15:1-7

We all have our ideas of what right behavior is for a Christian and we base some of this on what the Bible says and some on what we think. We all know people who are Christians who do and say things with which we do not agree. So, what do we do in these cases?

I think what Paul is saying is that we should accept these believers as fellow believers and offer encouragement to them. We need not lecture them regarding their shortcomings because they are most likely aware of where they fall short.

So, rather than criticize each other we are to try to build one another up with the Word of God and by our own witness. When we accept one another we open the door to change in all our lives so that we can be better servants of God.

So, let us all be a little more tolerant of one another in the interest of furthering the work of the Gospel.

God Sympathizes With Us

 

For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin.

Therefore let us draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

Hebrews 4:15-16

When we struggle with problems and temptations, God does not abandon us.  God is right there with us.  He understands our pain and our feelings of inadequacy. 

In tough times and in all times God offers mercy and grace to help us.

Call on God, He will here your voice and answer. 

When You Have Done What You Can Do

 

Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril or sword? … But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

Romans 8:35, 37

What do we do when we think we have done all we can do?

Do we give up in distress or do we give it to God to see what He has planned?

When we give our problems to God, it banishes resignation and hopelessness, and opens us up to receive divine guidance and intervention. God is not limited by human circumstances. God has authority over all things, even that which we consider to be mundane.

The intervention of God may be as small as the electric company's truck breaking down on the way to shut off our electricity or as big as ridding our bodies of disease. There are no limits to God’s power and His love for us.

God loves us and nothing can separate us from Him.

Use The Scripture With Care

He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me scatters.

Matthew 12:30

I think this is one of the most frequently misused scriptures. It is used to bully opponents into supporting controversial and sometimes immoral actions by implying that seeking answers to lingering questions is somehow hindering progress. The misuse of the words “If you are not for us, you are against us” does nothing to resolve conflict or promote truth. It only serves to make people angry.

And, yes, there are people today who are enemies of the Gospel. And, yes, we need to arm ourselves with the Truth of the Gospel and be prepared to do battle for the souls of men and women who have been misled about the nature of God by telling them about Jesus who loves them.

Remember, Jesus is the Good Shepherd and He comes in love.

God Has Forgiven You

 

Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You are not also one of His disciples, are you?” He denied it, and said, “I am not.”

John 18:25

The Apostle Peter was famous for messing up. He was the guy who cut off the Roman soldier’s ear in the garden and who denied Christ three times in one day. Peter was not perfect, but he was forgiven and he became one of the most dynamic evangelists in the world, bringing thousands to know Jesus. So, awe inspiring was Peter’s ministry that he is the model for the Pope of the Catholic Church.

We all mess up. We all sin. We can beat ourselves up for our shortcomings and have a regular pity party. Or, we can ask God’s forgiveness and get on with the mission God has assigned us – to take the Gospel to the world.

Forget your sin because God has forgiven you, and get busy on the rest of the story.

Encouraging Words

 

Take care brethren, that there not be in anyone of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.

For we have become partakers of Christ, if we hold fast the beginnings of our assurance firm until the end….

Hebrews 3:12-14

How does a person fall away from God? I don’t think it usually is in one big leap into a life of sin. I think it is by the slow chipping away of their faith.

That is why the Apostle Paul cautions us to keep an eye on our brothers and sisters in the Lord, so that they do not slip away from the living God. And, like wise for ourselves. We know that we look upon ourselves as being pretty good. However, it is the eyes of others who can see those things which may indicate we are moving away from God.

We need not jump all over each other to keep ourselves in check, but rather encourage one another with fellowship and the Word of God, so that we remain faithful until the end.

Roll With It

 

Oh, the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable are His judgments and unfathomable His ways! For who has known the mind of the Lord, or who became His counselor?

Romans 11:33-34

We love to make plans. We plan our vacations and we plan our career paths. We plan when we want to have a baby or buy a home. Every day we consciously or subconsciously decide what will come next in our life.

We get frustrated when our plans do not work out. What we need to consider is that God is the Master Planner and we cannot possibly know what His plans are or how modifying our plans can put us in line with God’s plans.

Our best bet is to acknowledge that God knows what’s best for His kingdom and what is best for us, and roll with it.

The Omnipresence Of God

 

Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?

Psalm 139:7

Omnipresence is a fancy word for everywhere.

God is everywhere. To believers it is a great comfort knowing that God is with us no matter what we are going through. He rejoices with us when we are happy and He comforts us in our sorrows.

To non-believers God’s omnipresence is uncomfortable because it is the unseen hand of God which helps keep sin in check.

God is present with us all, believers and non-believers, because He loves and cares for us all.

(With Acknowledgement to Henry Clarence Thiessen, Author: Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI. 1949.)

The Omnipotence Of God

 

Ah Lord God! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! Nothing is too difficult for you.

Jeremiah 32:17

Omnipotence is a fancy word for all powerful.

Our God can do anything. His only limits are that He will not do anything that violates His nature as a loving God, or the free will of humans to choose for themselves what they will do. God gave humans a free will so that they would not be robots serving Him, but willing servants who desire to do His will.

Therefore we understand God’s omnipotence as that of a loving caretaker who does what is best for His creation.

(With Acknowledgement to Henry Clarence Thiessen, Author: Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI. 1949.)

The Immutability Of God

 

Every good thing given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, which whom there is no variation or shifting shadow.

James 1:17

Immutability is a fancy word for unchangeable.

Immutability does not mean that God is immobile. God is always at work in the world and in our lives. His constant interference in man’s dealings is with man’s best interests in mind. We cannot escape His meddling. For believers this a great comfort. For unbelievers this is uncomfortable because even as they make plans for evil, God is tampering with them to bring them to a place where they recognize their evil nature and turn away from it and to Him.

God never changes. His promises are true. He loves us and desires what is best for us. 

(With Acknowledgement to Henry Clarence Thiessen, Author: Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI. 1949.)

 

The Holiness Of God

… Holy, Holy, Holy, is the Lord of hosts,

The whole earth is full of His glory.

Isaiah 6:3

The Holiness of God means that He is “separate from and exalted above His creation, and He is equally separate from moral evil and sin (Henry Clarence Thiessen).”

God’s holiness means that He is perfect, and because He is perfect He will always operate in our lives for our benefit. 

God desires our worship and praise, and we find it easy to do so, because He is holy.

(With Acknowledgement to Henry Clarence Thiessen, Author: Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI. 1949.)

 

The Righteousness And Justice Of God

 

Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?

But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God, who will render to each person according to His deeds: to those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory, and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation.

Romans 2:4-8

The righteousness and justice of God means that He treats His creation with fairness. He rewards those who follow Him and obey His commandments, and provides a means for salvation to all human beings through acceptance of His Son, Jesus, as their Lord, Master and Savior. God being righteous and just gave His Son, Jesus, as the final sacrifice for man’s sin, and the triumph of good over evil. The free gift of God is salvation through Jesus.

On the flip side, because God is righteous and just, He makes no bones about punishing evil. This punishment extends beyond any punishment which man may inflict on man, to eternity – in that there is no place in heaven for those who refuse God’s call to redemption.

The ultimate testimony to the righteousness and justice of God is His open invitation to all humanity to come to Him.

(With Acknowledgement to Henry Clarence Thiessen, Author: Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI. 1949.)

 

The Goodness Of God

And Jesus said to him, “Why do you call Me good? No one is good except God alone.”

Mark 10:18

The goodness of God is a combination of all the characteristics that make Him a perfect person. These include holiness, righteousness and justice, as well as, love, benevolence, mercy, and grace.

The goodness of God is almost more than we can humanly comprehend. Every day God extends to all humanity love, the benevolence of His many blessings, His mercy, and His grace.

To say God gives us much more than we deserve only begins to acknowledge how very good God is to all His creation.

(With Acknowledgement to Henry Clarence Thiessen, Author: Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI. 1949.)

 

 

The Love Of God

 

For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.

John 3:16

The love of God for His creation is warm and emotional. He deeply cares for mankind and desires a relationship with us all. God’s love draws us to Him. If we are far off from God, it is because we have chosen to be there. God’s love transcends our sins and wayward ways, and reaches out to us. His arms are wide open and waiting to embrace us.

God does not stand off at a distance and inflict pain and punishment; God stands close at hand and extends to us all the free gift of salvation through His Son. 

(With Acknowledgement to Henry Clarence Thiessen, Author: Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI. 1949.)

The Mercy Of God

 

We count those blessed who have endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

James 5:11

The mercy of God refers to His compassion and pity for those who suffer.

God disperses mercy as He sees fit. He does not keep track of our doings, good or bad, to use as measure stick to determine who receives mercy. If He did, mercy would no longer be mercy because mercy is a free gift. God disperses mercy as an act of love for humanity.

We who know Christ have experience the mercy of God as we have received the free gift of salvation through His Son, Jesus. 

(With Acknowledgement to Henry Clarence Thiessen, Author: Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI. 1949.)

God's Benevolence

… For He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.

Matthew 5:45

The benevolence of God refers to His care for all of His creation. God does not limit His concern to only those who please Him, but it extends to everyone. God works for the welfare of all He created because He loves His creation.

God cares for the sparrows and He cares for us. He has numbered the hairs on our heads. Surely, His benevolence is greater than any on earth.

(With Acknowledgement to Henry Clarence Thiessen, Author: Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI. 1949.)

 

God Is The True God

 

God said to Moses, “I Am WHO I AM….”

Exodus 3:14

And we know that the Son of God has come, and has given us understanding so that we may know Him who is true; and we are in Him who is true, and in His Son Jesus Christ. (This is the true God….)

2 Johns 5:20

The truth of God is that He is the true God. He is perfect, infallible, loving, all knowing, all powerful, everywhere and unchanging. He holds together the universe and all that is in it. He is dependable and consistent. He makes the sun rise and set. And, He made you and me.

God does not demand that which we cannot give. He only asks that we come to Him and acknowledge Him as our God, and His Son as our Savior, so that He can lavish on us His blessings of salvation and eternal life.

God is the true God.

 

(With Acknowledgement to Henry Clarence Thiessen, Author: Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI. 1949.)

The Grace Of God

 

For the grace of God has appeared, bring salvation to all men….”

Titus 2:11

The grace of God refers to God’s respect for undeserving human beings. We are all sinful and in our natural state separated from God. God exercises grace as He sees fit. Rather than melding out all the punishment we are due, God waits for us to respond to His grace.

The second part of God’s grace is His gift of salvation to those who respond to His grace, and His promise of eternal life. Grace is more than God extending a way out to us; it is His continued work in redeeming us, restoring us, sanctifying us, and preserving us for eternity.

And, we are grateful. 

(With Acknowledgement to Henry Clarence Thiessen, Author: Introductory Lectures in Systematic Theology. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, MI. 1949.)

Born Again

 

Now there was a man of the Pharisees, named Nicodemus, a ruler of the Jews; this man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You have come from God as a teacher; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him.”

Jesus answered and said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God.”

Nicodemus said to Him, “How can a man be born when he is old? He cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born, can he?”

Jesus answered, “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not be amazed that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes and you hear the sound of it, but do not know where it comes from and where it is going; so is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

John 3:1-8

It was not too many years ago that the media and even some mainline Christian church leaders tried to demonize those who talked about being born again as being less Christian than those who possessed an intellectualized faith.

While intellectualized faith fosters much good doing, it misses the heart of the Gospel. That being that Jesus calls on each of us to have a personal relationship with Him, which begins with making a personal commitment to Him. This personal commitment contains an element of recognizing that we can do better and confessing and repenting of our sin. This is a spiritual experience or as Jesus said: being born again.

Being born again is not just Evangelical lingo; it is the foundation upon which our salvation is built. It is the key to the kingdom of God.

Jesus calls us to come to Him, to repent, to be forgiven and to be born again.

God Qualifies Who He Calls

 

For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.

1 Corinthians 1:26-29

When God calls you, He will supply you with everything you need to minister to others.

God qualifies those who He calls. 

Trust God

But as for me, I trust in You, O Lord,

I say, “You are my God.”

Psalm 31:14

When we think that everything is going wrong, we need to think on this. We trust God to make all things right. 

And, He will.

 

The Hope Of Salvation

 

But since we are of the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and as a helmet, the hope of salvation. For God has not destined us for wrath, but for obtaining salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us, so that whether we are awake or asleep, we will live together with Him.

1 Thessalonians 5:8-10

We have God’s promise that He has destined us for salvation. This means that God has claimed us as His own. All we need to do is acknowledge Jesus as our Lord, Master and Savior.

Salvation is the free gift of God, why not receive it?

We Are God's Favorite Kids

 

But let all who take refuge in You be glad,

Let them ever sing for joy;

And may you shelter them,

That those who love your name may exult in You.

For it is You who blesses the righteous man, O Lord,

You surround him with favor as with a shield.

Psalm 5:11-12

When we were kids we all knew who the favorite kids were. Their parents doted on them and they were always the teachers’ pets. When they messed up, they didn’t get yelled at, they got talked to. Not so for the rest of us.

God regards all who call Him Lord as his favorite kids. We are surrounded by His love and His protection.

We are doted on by God. And, for this we are thankful.

As Right As Things Can Get

Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfillment of the law.

Romans 13:10

We can go one step further than doing no wrong to a neighbor; we can do right by them. At the 2014 Olympics a Russian cross country skier broke a ski during a race and a coach from the Canadian team gave the skier a new ski so he could finish the race. 

I would say that is about as right as things can get.

 

Human Experiences

 

Now it came about on the next day that an evil spirit came mightily upon Saul, and he raved in the midst of the house, while David was playing the harp with his hand, as usual; and a spear was in Saul’s hand. Saul hurled the spear for he thought, “I will pin David to the wall.” But David escaped from his presence twice. Now Saul was afraid of David for the Lord was with him but had departed from Saul.

1 Samuel 18:10-12

This is David who killed Goliath. He saved the Israelites from destruction. This tremendous feat initially brought him honor and appreciation and an appointment as a military leader. However, King Saul became jealous of David’s popularity. Saul thought David was a threat to his power and that perhaps he should kill David. Eventually, David ran away and hid until Saul cooled off.

In modern times, some might argue that David was at fault for Saul’s jealousy. This is the same thinking that says if you are a Christian and are having trouble, maybe it’s because you aren’t doing what you are supposed to be doing. This puts entirely too much weight on Christians for the actions of those who act because they are evil.

Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, a French Jesuit said, “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual being having a human experience."

When things go wrong for us, as they did for David, we need to remember that we are having a human experience, which does not diminish our salvation through Jesus Christ.

Nothing To Brag About

 

Jesus said, “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.

So when you give to the poor, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, so that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.

But when you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father who sees what is done in secret will reward you.”

Matthew 6:1-4

When we are doing good, we sometimes get carried away by our own feelings of righteousness.  We feel pretty good about ourselves and let people know it.  

Jesus warns us that we are not to seek glory for doing good, but we are to do good for the sake of doing good, knowing that our reward comes from God, not from man.  

So, go do some good! 

Where Greed Rules, Love Dies

 

Someone in the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the family inheritance with me.” But He said to him, “Man, who appointed Me a judge or arbitrator over you?” Then He said to them, “Beware, and be on your guard against every form of greed; for not even when one has an abundance does his life consist of his possessions.”

Luke 12:13-15

What do you do when a family member dies and leaves his whole estate to someone other than you? Should you ask for your fair share?

When Jesus was asked this question, Jesus did not give the answer that the one who asked wanted. Instead He pointed out that life is more than possessions. An abundance of possessions does not mean a good life. What if this man’s brother begrudgingly gave Him part of the inheritance? Odds are the giver would resent the receiver for his greed and the receiver would resent the giver for not giving him more. Two brothers would be divided over a dead man’s decision and perhaps end up not speaking to one another.

Our family relationships are more important than anything money can buy. Sometimes we need to forgive and forget things which we and others had no control over. 

Where greed rules, love dies.  

It May Not Be Easy To Do

 

You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? ...

Matthew 5:43-48

Jesus asks us to do hard stuff.  And this, loving our enemies is one of them.  

I think the reason why we need to love our enemies is so that we do not become like them.  Think about it.  Chances are our enemies have a lot of hate, not just for us but for a lot of other people and things. 

Do we want to be filled with hate?  No.  So, the solution is obvious - love.  We do not have to like what our enemies do or how they behave or what they say, but we have to love the person.

Jesus asks us to do hard stuff so that we do not become hard, but remain filled with God's love.

Blessings Go On and On

 

For in this case the saying is true, “One sows and another reaps.”

John 4:37

We do not to go about the work of God to become wealthy. We do the work of God because we want people to know Jesus and to have a better life. The work of God involves both preaching the Gospel and meeting the physical needs of people.

Several years ago, our neighbor’s daughter was struggling to take care of her children. I gave my neighbor a bag of clothes my daughter had outgrown for her granddaughter, Heaven, who was starting kindergarten and needed clothes.

A few days later my neighbor told me that Heaven was overwhelmed by the gift of those clothes. She said Heaven told everyone “Sara Mills is my best friend.” Heaven never met my daughter but she understood that someone cared for her.

Many of the clothes in that bag were hand me downs my daughter received from an older friend. My daughter was blessed by those clothes and then Heaven was blessed by those clothes.

We sow and another reaps, then another sows and another reaps, and the blessings go on and on.

The Golden Rule

 

In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you….

Matthew 7:12

We live in a society where too often people say the first thing that pops into their head and that something can be rude and hurtful to the receivers of the message.

Jesus said we all should treat people the way we want to be treated and perhaps we need to do this more today than ever before.

The golden rule is still true.