Fight The Good Fight

 

I solemnly exhort you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by His appearing and His kingdom:  preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction.  

For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance with their own desires, and they will turn their ears away from the truth and will turn aside to myths.  But as for you, use self-restraint in all things, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.

For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come.  I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing.

2 Timothy 4:1-8

The Apostle Paul was no stranger to controversy.  He was frequently punished for his faith being beaten and jailed and tradition has it that he was beheaded by Nero.  To say he had a tough life is to put it mildly.

But, Paul never stopped preaching the truth of the Gospel.  In this scripture Paul reminds us to do the work of an evangelist - preaching the truth of the Gospel even if there are those who oppose our teachings preferring to be coddled by those who teach false doctrines.  

We are to preach the word and be ready in season and out of season; correct, rebuke, and exhort, with great patience and instruction, so that no one can say they did not know the truth.

We fight the good fight to bring truth and salvation to others so that when we stand for judgement before God we will receive the crown of righteousness.  

Fight the good fight. 

Forgive And Be Forgiven

 

Jesus said, “When you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father who is in heaven will also forgive you, your transgressions.” 

Mark 11:25

Forgiveness is not easy.  By nature, when we are wronged, we want to get even or at least be angry.  This anger can be misplaced on other people.  We yell at people we love and neglect to show affection where it is due because we are angry about something that has nothing to do with the people who we are dealing with.  Not forgiving results in us sinning against others.

There is no sin too big for God to forgive, so who are we to decide there are sins too big for us to forgive?  Forgiveness does not mean that what happened was right, it means that we are unburdening ourselves of it. 

Perhaps as we pray each day for our families, loved ones, and concerns, we should also pray for those who we need to forgive and forgive them, if not for their sake, then for our own sake.

We Are Blessed

How blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked,

Nor stand in the path of sinners,

Nor sit in the seat of scoffers!

But his delight is in the law of the Lord,

And in His law he meditates day and night.

He will be like a tree firmly planted by streams of water,

Which yields its fruit in its season

And its leaf does not wither;

And whatever he does, he prospers.

Psalm 1:1-3

God blesses us for doing what is right in His sight.   

 

When we are not feeling victorious, we can rest upon this promise. 

 

We may not see the blessing, but it is coming.   

  

 

The Name Which Is Above Every Name

Have this attitude in yourselves which was also in Christ Jesus, who although He existed in the form of God, did not regard equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself, taking the form of a bond-servant, and being made in the likeness of men.  Being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on the cross.

For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee will bow, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. 

Philippians 2:5-11 

 

No one will escape this truth, Jesus is the name which is above every name.

God Has Work For You To Do

 

...For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable.

Romans 11:29

It happens, people walk away from God.  Perhaps it is because of persecution or sin or life circumstances or difficult people or any of a hundred other reasons.  Sadly, this may be us.

But God does not let us just walk away, He stands, ready and waiting for us because He has called us and He has plans for us, and although we may think our ministry is over, with God nothing is ever over. Those who God calls are His and He will not relinquish them.

If you are standing at a distance from God, come back to Him. He is waiting. His gifts and call for you are irrevocable. God has work for you to do.

Guardian of Your Soul

 

For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, Who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return, while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously; and He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed.

For you were continuously straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.

1 Peter 2:21-25

We have Jesus as an example of how we are to respond to those who try to humiliate or harm us because of our Christianity.  

Jesus uttered no threats but trusted God that He would judge Him righteously.  Even as Jesus hung on the cross He offered no vile response to His captures, but instead promised salvation to the repentant thief who hung by His side.  (Luke 23:42-43)

Know this, if you have strayed from the Gospel, you can return to Jesus and ask and receive forgiveness because He is the Guardian of your soul. 

Boldly Offer To Pray

 Again He went out from the region of Tyre, and came through Sidon to the Sea of Galilee, within the region of Decapolis. 

They brought to Him one who was deaf and spoke with difficulty, and they implored Him to lay His hand on him. 

Jesus took him aside from the crowd, by himself, and put His fingers into his ears, and after spitting, He touched his tongue with the saliva; and looking up to heaven with a deep sigh, He  said to him, “Ephphatha!” that is, “Be opened!” And his ears were opened, and the impediment of his tongue was removed, and he began speaking plainly. 

And He gave them orders not to tell anyone; but the more He ordered them, the more widely they continued to proclaim it. They were utterly astonished, saying, “He has done all things well; He makes even the deaf to hear and the mute to speak.”

Mark 7:31-37 

Everywhere Jesus went He demonstrated that He cared for people.  He ministered to the sick and to those with handicaps.  He did not differentiate based on who the person was or where he/she was from, but with each one demonstrated the power of God to change lives.  

Jesus did this for the man who was deaf and unable to speak clearly, when He healed him, not for His glory but by the power of God.  Afterwards, He ordered the people not to tell anyone what had happened.

But, the people who witnessed the miracle could not contain the news and word of the healing power of God through Jesus spread,  

The lesson here is that we should not lose hope, but to continue to pray for those who are sick or suffering.  Praying with someone gives them hope and improves their outlook on life, both of which help with the healing process.  

Boldly offer to pray for healing with those who are sick or suffering because it is what Jesus would do.

The Money Changers

Then they came to Jerusalem. And He entered the temple area and began to drive out those who were selling and buying on the temple grounds, and He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; and He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple grounds.   

And He began to teach and say to them, “Is it not written: ‘My house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations’? But you have made it a den of robbers.” 

Mark 11:15-17

Even today we still see some pastors and churches selling and buying.  They may be promising salvation or healing for a price or  selling faith objects that offer protection to the buyer.  It might be a special "Bible" with extra non-scriptural text which offers information no one else knows.  Or, at its worst, in my opinion, are worship events that require an admission fee.  And, then there is the matter of charging a fee for children to attend summer Bible School.  It is all about the dollars, not about reaching people with the Gospel.

Those who promote buying and selling in the church defend their actions by saying it costs a lot to operate a ministry or a church.  In my opinion, they are out to wring as much cash out of people that they can get.  They are not operating to meet the needs of people or to promote the Gospel. They are operating for profit.

So, what do we do?  We do not lend support to the money changers.  And, given the opportunity, we can call them out.  

Most of all, we can preach the the truth that salvation is the free gift of God through His Son, Jesus, and all anyone has to do to receive this gift is to acknowledge they are a sinner, ask forgiveness and accept Jesus as their Lord, Master and Savior.        

Time To Be Silent

 

Even a fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise;

When he closes his lips, he is considered prudent.

Proverbs 17:28

I am a person who talks way too much.  Sometimes so much that I am annoying.  I own this, and learning to control it was a hard learned lesson, which I mastered after a couple of smack downs and "shut ups" from people who I respected.  

Then a few years ago, I started a new job and after a week or so, one of the employees commented that I was really quiet.

And, I responded by quoting this scripture.  They said that that was a good one.  

If we don't know what we are talking about, we shouldn't be talking.

Lord help me keep my mouth shut.

Grace Is Not Rationed

 

For I am not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, “But the righteous man shall live by faith.”

Romans 1:16-17

God's grace is not rationed, it is available to everyone.  He sent Jesus for the redemption of the world.  And, with redemption comes the power of salvation to everyone who believes.

What is this power?  It is the power that changes us from thinking we are on our own to knowing that God is with us and cares for us.  We are not left unattended, but have God's full attention as we become righteous, that is morally right.  

Righteousness leads us to live by faith, knowing that God will take care of us.

We are not ashamed of the Gospel, for it is the power of God. 

Shine A Light

 

For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.  But he who practices truth comes to the Light, so that his deeds may be manifested as having been wrought in God.

 

John 3:20

Evil people know they are evil and they tend to stay away from the church and from Christians because they don’t want it pointed out to them.  They may speak ill of the church and Christians and point out every possible flaw they can think of to make the Gospel look wrong and themselves look right. 

 

We have tolerated evil people for too long.  We look the other way and try to avoid confronting them about their evil words, ideas and actions.  The truth is that evil people hurt people.  No they may not themselves attack another person, but they will cheer on others who do.  They loose no sleep over causing human beings to suffer.  

 

I think it is time that we shine a light on evil people.  When we see evil, we need to speak up loudly and let them and everyone around them know what is happening.

Once publicly exposed they may think twice about displaying their evil deeds.  And, if they are not "evil" but ignorant of how to treat people, then perhaps they will mend their ways.

 

We have the light of the truth and we need to let it shine.

Take Courage

Immediately afterward He compelled the disciples to get into the boat and to go ahead of Him to the other side, while He sent the crowds away.  After He had sent the crowds away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray; and when it was evening, He was there alone.  But the boat was already a long distance from the land, battered by the waves; for the wind was contrary. And in the fourth watch of the night He came to them, walking on the sea. When the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were terrified, and said, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out in fear.  

 

But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Take courage, it is I; do not be afraid.”

 

Matthew 14:22-27

 

There are times when we are frightened by what the future may hold.  Things are not going the way we think they should.  We become paralyzed by fear of what may happen if things do not change.

It is in these times that we need to remember that we may not see the hand of God at work, but it is.  What we see as impending disaster, God sees as an opportunity to reveal His glory. 

We can take courage knowing that God is in control and we have nothing to fear.   

 

Doers Of The Word

But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves.  For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks at his natural face in a mirror; for once he has looked at himself and gone away, he has immediately forgotten what kind of person he was.  But one who has looked intently at the perfect law, the law of freedom, and has continued in it, not having become a forgetful hearer but an active doer, this person will be blessed in what he does.

James 1:22-25

When we read the Bible we sometimes do not absorb what is being said.  We miss what God is telling us.  That is how it is when we are hearers of the word and not doers.

Years ago, one Sunday my daughter said, "I don't think I like what the pastor said."

What she did not like was that the pastor said, "The purpose of bad people in your life is to destroy your life.  Get rid of them."  

My daughter had some shady friends and she knew it and she still associated with them and was influenced by them, which caused her a lot of grief. 

This is what happens when we disregard what the Bible tells us about how we should live.  We are easily pulled into things that are not good for us or anyone else. And, our lives are less than the best that God has for us.

When we look intently at what the Bible tells us to do and actively strive to live Christ like lives, we will be blessed.    

  

Kindness - Get It Back

Therefore, putting aside all malice and all deceit and hypocrisy and envy and all slander, like newborn babies long for the pure milk of the word, so that by it you may grow in respect to salvation, if you have tasted the kindness of the Lord.

I Peter 2:1-3

Every now and then stuff happens and we get tangled up by our natural instincts which can choke the life out of our Christianity.  

 

We get a bad attitude.  We become mean.  We look in the mirror and don't like what we see.  So, what is the cure for this?

 

The cure is to renew our Christian behavior by spending time reading the Bible and in prayer - for ourselves and for others.    

 

We who have experienced the kindness of the Lord need to get it back and pass it on.   

Rejoice and Be Glad

 

This is the day that the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it.

Psalm 118:24

Every morning when I get out of bed, I recite this verse to help me set the tone for my day.

That is not to say that I am not sometimes crabby or angry or disappointed, but to say that even in those time, I can rejoice that the Lord made the day and made me.  

Being thankful takes effort because none of us have perfect lives, but the act of thanking God for all we have helps us keep a positive perspective and can improve our attitude.  

And, knowing that God in His infinite wisdom has everything under control, helps us see beyond that which is happening at the moment to recognize that it all is part of God's plan for us.  

So, rejoice and be glad! 

The Alpha and The Omega

 

“I am the Alpha and the Omega,” Says the Lord God, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Revelations 1:8

The Alpha and the Omega are the first and last letters in the Greek alphabet.  They symbolize the beginning and the end of things.

God calls Himself the beginning and the end - because it was He who created everything, including us, and it is He who will be sitting on the throne when all things end.   

God wants us to know He is always with us. We are never left alone. He has said it, and it is true: He is the Almighty. And, He is on our side.  

When in doubt, shout it out, "I am the Alpha and the Omega," Says the Lord God. 

We Are All Loved By God

 

And He (Jesus) also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt:

“Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God I thank you that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’

“But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God be merciful to me, the sinner!’

“I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

Luke 18:9-14

Jesus wants us to understand that we have accomplishments of which we can be proud, but when we come before God it is neither the time nor the place brag because God knows everything about us.  He knows none of us are perfect. 

We may do many things which are good and right, but we need to humble ourselves and acknowledge that as good as we may be, it only takes one sin to make a sinner and we all have at least one of those.

Let us remember to thank God for His forgiveness and for His blessings and consider that the ground at the foot of the cross is level.  We are no better or worse than anyone and we are all loved by God.   

When God 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

From the beginning, God chose some of the most unlikely people to do His work. There was Moses the reluctant leader. There was Jacob who was a mama’s boy. There was the Apostle Peter who shot his mouth off at all the wrong times. There were the Apostles James and John who wanted to call the fire of heaven down on the Samaritans (Luke 9:54).

God took ordinary people, and used them to proclaim His message to the world. And, He still uses unlikely people today to do His work.

If you think that not being smart, or lacking a good education or having a messy life, excludes you from being of service to God, think again. You are just the one He is looking for.

When God calls, answer Him.

God's Righteousness and Justice

 

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. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil....

Romans 2:4-9

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.)

 

Love Your Enemies

 

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 also for 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.

And, I think this is also because God wants us to know that those people who are the least lovable are the ones who need His love the most.

Doing What Is Right

 And keep a good conscience so that in the thing in which you are slandered, those who revile your good behavior in Christ will be put to shame.  For it is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.   

1 Peter 3:16

What do you do when the boss or your spouse or your friend tells you to do something that is wrong?  

There are a couple of choices - you can say, "I am not going to do it." or you can do nothing and say nothing, or you can slow role your involvement and hope the issue corrects itself.  Or, you can come right out with it and tell them why what they want you to do is wrong.  

These may not help your standing, but at least you maintain your values.  And, standing up for what you believe to be right may cost you your job, or your spouse, or your friend.  Not to mention that it may result in some not to nice gossip about you.  I call it gossip because the truth about what actually happened may well be distorted.

Peter says it is better to suffer for doing what is right than for doing what is wrong.  And he is right, because if you cannot look yourself in the mirror without feeling guilty, then you are in a sad state.   

 

The Words Of My Mouth

 

Let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart

Be acceptable in Your sight,

O Lord, my rock and my Redeemer.

Psalm 19:14

I am a talker.  Some find my chatter amusing, others find it annoying and tell me so.  I am not mean about things, but I do like to keep the conversation going.  

Once in a while I overstep and step on someone's toes - like when discussing politics.  So, I try to avoid discussing politics with those who I know disagree with me.  Still sometimes.... 

Over all I try to keep things encouraging and above all kind. 

Whether you are a talker or not, you, like me, can keep in mind to keep your words acceptable in God's sight.   

And, in doing so, help bring a little kindness to those around you. 

Seek Knowledge

 

An intelligent heart acquires knowledge, and the ear of the wise seeks knowledge.

Proverbs 18:15

We do not know, what we do not know.  

When I was working for a local government office, one of the more seasoned employees told me that when I was asked a question for which I did not know the answer the correct response was, "I don't know, but I will find out."  

This acknowledged that the person seeking information was heard and that their question was valid.  And, it served as an opportunity for me to learn something I did not know.  

Likewise, we as Christians sometimes meet people who are curious about our faith.  We can prepare to talk to people about what we believe by studying the Bible.  We can independently study or join a group to learn more.  A few minutes a day studying the Bible can greatly increase our knowledge of God's word.

We seek knowledge so we can become wise.

Things Will Get Better

Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has been approved he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.

James 1:12

Christians are not exempt from life’s ups and downs, but we are guaranteed that God is with us through it all. All we have to do is buckle up and hang on.

My friend, Georga, was always upbeat, even when her life was on the edge of being a wreck. One time when one thing after another was going wrong, she said, “Sometimes when you get something going; you just have to ride it out to the end.”

Georga was right.  God promises us that when life is a mess, things will get better. 

Even if we don’t feel victorious, we need to remember God’s promise: if we remain faithful to Him, we will triumph in the end.

Who Will Separate Us From The Love Of Christ?

 

Who will bring a charge against God’s elect?  God is the one who justifies; and who is the one who condemns?  Christ Jesus is He who died, yes rather who was raised, who is at the right hand of God, who also intercedes for us.

Who will separate us from the love of Christ?  Will tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?  Just as it is written, “For Your sake we are being put to death all day long; we were considered as sheep to be slaughtered.”

But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us.

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

Romans 8:33-39

 

When the Apostle Paul wrote this, he was most likely in jail.  Paul was constantly harassed and harangued and arrested because of his faith, and, ultimately martyred by the Romans.  

 

Paul tells us it is not our circumstances which define our relationship to God.  God defines our relationship and He says he loves us no matter what.  

 

Knowing this we can face anything that comes our way with confidence that God is on our side and we succeed not by our might, but by the grace of God through His Son, Jesus.   

 

"Who will separate us from the love of Christ?" The answer is no one.

 

Have faith, be strong, God is on your side. 

Give Thanks

Give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

1 Thessalonians 5:18

In good times and bad times we are to be thankful to God.  

Giving thanks puts us in a frame of mind where we can look for the blessings that are coming our way.  If we are ill, we can be thankful for the doctors who help us.  If we have lost our job, we can be thankful for a new job - even if it is not exactly what we want because it means that cash is coming in which can help sustain our families while we look for something better.  

We can be grateful for people who come along to help us and we can thank them for their help.

And, when things are good we can be thankful that we can help others.

In everything God is with us and for us and for this we give thanks. 

God Has His Hand On You

 

O Lord, You have searched me and known me.

You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

You understand my thought from afar.

You scrutinize my path and my lying down,

And are intimately acquainted with my ways.

Even before there is a word on my tongue,

Behold, O Lord, You know it all.

You have enclosed me behind and before,

And laid Your hand upon me.

Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,

Psalm 139:1-6

When it comes to us, God says He knows it all.  And, in spite of this - He still loves us!

Unlike we humans, who sometimes get to know each other and do not like what we see, and run away, God looks at us, warts and all, and says He loves us!  And, God promises that He will care for us. He promises to watch over us and guide us.   

We know this is true, because all God's promises are true.

Remember, you are not alone, God has His Hand on you. 

 

Less About Me

 

Jesus said, “Then the king will say to those on His right, ‘Come you who are blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’

“Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to you?’

“The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’”

Matthew 25:34-40

In junior high school I rode the school bus. Every morning my friend and I would stake out seats all to ourselves, which was fine until the bus started to fill up. Before long I was sitting in the last seat left with one person in it and the bus was approaching the home of the dirtiest, smelliest kids in school. My heart would sink as I realized that I would be sharing a seat with them. Then Keith, a senior, would get on the bus and sit with me. When the smelly kids got on the bus, he did not say a word, but scooted over to make room for one on them to share the seat.

I went to church all the time but I did not want to sit with the smelly kids, because I thought I was better than them. But Keith, who I don’t know if he ever went to church, did exactly what Jesus would have done; he saw a person in need of a seat and let them sit down.

Being a Christian means putting ourselves out to show mercy to those who no one has mercy on; and that is what Keith did.

Mercy is less about me, and more about you.

A Strong Message

 

Therefore, everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.

But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.

Matthew 10:32-33

Jesus did not come to pamper us.  Jesus used strong words to convey a strong message – deny Him and be denied eternal life.  He came to tell us the truth about ourselves, God and eternity.  The message of the Gospel is: one way to God through His Son, Jesus. 

When we declare Jesus to be our Lord, Master and Savior we are immediately recognized as sons and daughters of God.  Those who deny Jesus do not have this connection with God.  God loves these people, but unless they choose to declare Jesus as their Lord, they will remain separated from God for eternity. 

It is our choice.  We can acknowledge Jesus as our Savior or we can remain separated from God.

Choose Jesus.

Mercy Means Many Chances

 

…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?

Romans 2:4

God operates from love to show everyone His kindness and tolerance and patience so that we, being dense when it comes to spiritual things, will come to understand that He is working in our best interests both in terms of earthly matters and in terms of our coming to know Him.

We can become callous and not appreciate that people who receive second chances in realm of earthly matters by earthly judges or bosses or family members are not receiving this mercy just from humans but from God who invests Himself in changing human hearts.

God is the God of second and third and fourth chances because as long as we have breath in our bodies we have the option of asking God’s Son, Jesus, to be our Lord, Master and Savior.

Day and Night

 And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

Genesis 1:16-18 

God was mindful of mankind in that he created things which are helpful to us.  God made daylight with the sun and nightlight with the moon and stars.  And, using these He divided our time into day time for us to work and night time for us to rest.   

So, whether you believe God created everything in a week or not, you must agree that the whole process was orderly.  And, that all of it was done with us in mind that we might have a home planet which meets our needs and which we can enjoy. 

Look For A Way Out

 

Therefore, let him who thinks he stands take heed that he does not fall. 

No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond that what you are able, but with temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it.

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

Sometimes we face overwhelming temptation to do something which we would normally never consider doing.  Peer pressure can play a big role in this and the idea "everybody is doing it" can make us feel like an outcast.  

This type of situation can leave us feeling confused and maybe even questioning what we consider to be right and wrong.  We need to step back and take time to think.  

No matter what the temptation you face, look for a way out.  God will provide one. 

The Lord's Prayer

"And when you are praying, do not use thoughtless repetition as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard because of their many words. So do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him."

“Pray, then, in this way:

"Our Father, who is in heaven,

Hallowed be Your name.

Your kingdom come.

Your will be done,

On earth as it is in heaven.

Give us this day our daily bread.

And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.

And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil. 

For Yours is the Kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen." 

Matthew 6:7-13 

Jesus gave us the perfect prayer.  The Lord's Prayer honor's God, prays for the world, asks for our needs to be met, asks for forgiveness and asks that we not be lead into temptation to sin and that we be delivered from evil.  And, finally, gives God the glory He deserves.  

It is a simple prayer which is prayed by Christians around the world and brings comfort to millions who are seeking God.

So, when we don't know what to pray, this what we pray.

Perhaps we can start our days with this prayer and see where our prayers go from there.  

 

 

Just Because We Are Human

 

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 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.  David ran away and hid until Saul cooled off. 

Today, 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 is because you are not 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 beings 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. 

God Is Listening

 

I love the Lord, because He hears

My voice and my supplications.

Because He has inclined His ear to me,

Therefore, I shall call upon Him as long as I live.

Psalm 116:1-2

There is comfort in knowing the God hears our prayers and cares for us.  We are never left alone and unloved, because God is with us.  

Call on God today, be is listening for your voice. 

Popping The Pop Culture Bubble

Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 

By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God; and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming, and now it is already in the world.  

You are from God, little children, and have overcome them; because greater is He who is in you than he who is in the world.

1 John 4:1-4 

Pop culture says that all religions are the same and it does not matter what you believe as long as you believe because belief in and of itself is a free pass to heaven.  Others teach that the only requirement to get into heaven is to be a good person.  These ideas are comforting to those who have no knowledge of what the Bible says about salvation or who don’t like what the Bible says, but these ideas are false.  I could say that those who teach these things are leading people down the path to hell, but I won’t.

What I will say is this, there is only one way to God, and that is through Jesus Christ, His Son.  This is the truth and this is the spirit of truth.  We need to say it and say it often because we are called to share the message that Jesus Christ is the one and only way to salvation. 

We pop the pop culture bubble when we speak the truth of Jesus so that no one can say they did not know the truth.   

 

The truth is the truth.

 

Mercy

 

Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them.

The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act.  Now the Law of Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?”

They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him.  But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground.  But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.”

Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground.

When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court.  Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they?  Did no one condemn you?”

She said, “No one, Lord.”  And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you either.  Go.  From now on sin no more.”

John 8:1-11

 

The scribes, Pharisees and religious leaders in general spent a lot of time trying to discredit Jesus' teachings.  Time after time they would question Jesus about His actions and they would taunt Him with problems they believed would trip Him up and reveal Him as a fraud.

 

The woman caught in adultery was such a case.  The law required that she be stoned for her sins, but Jesus turned the situation upside down when He wrote on the ground.  Some speculate that Jesus wrote the sins of the men who accused the woman, but we will never know what was written.  The result was the accusers walked away.

 

Then Jesus spoke words of encouragement not condemnation, and sent her on her way.

 

We need to dig deep to find this kind of mercy for others.  Everyday we encounter people whose lives seem to be total wreaks because sin has over taken them.  And, like Jesus we can offer them love and the forgiveness of Jesus and encourage them to turn from sin and to Jesus.  

 

May we be as merciful as Jesus.

Who Is My Neighbor?

A lawyer questioned Jesus about who was his neighbor, and ... 

Jesus replied and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among robbers, and they stripped him and beat him, and went away leaving him half dead. And by chance a priest was going down on that road, and when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. 

"Likewise a Levite also, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

"But a Samaritan, who was on a journey, came upon him; and when he saw him, he felt compassion, and came to him and bandaged up his wounds, pouring oil and wine on them; and he put him on his own beast, and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 

"On the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper and said, ‘Take care of him; and whatever more you spend, when I return I will repay you.’ 

"Which of these three do you think proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell into the robbers’ hands?” 

And he said, “The one who showed mercy toward him.” Then Jesus said to him, “Go and do the same.”

Luke 11:39-37 

Jesus points out the the holy people, the priest and the Levite, ignored the injured man, but the Samaritan stopped and not only cared for the man but paid for him to stay at an inn while he recovered from his injuries.  The Samaritans were regarded as bad people who were to be avoided. One time, when Jesus and His disciples were on a journey. they took the long way around to avoid them.  (Luke 9:51-56)  Yet, here Jesus is commending a Samaritan as being good, and more than that - being better than the holy people who passed by the injured man.

I think this is so we will consider putting our faith into action so when someone needs help, we help or at least find someone who can help.  

We are to minister to others without consideration of who they are, but knowing that we are commanded to do so, because everyone is our neighbor.  

So, look for neighbors to help.  

In The Name Of The Lord

But David said to the Philistine, “You come to me with a sword, a spear, and a javelin, but I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have taunted."

I Samuel 17:45

There is an important lesson here.  When we are out numbered, out witted and with a targets on our backs, words can serve us well.  

David was a young man who did not  have much going for him, but he had God on his side.  When he faced the Philistine Goliath, David spoke with courage.  He boldly stated that he came with the power of God and he was not afraid. 

Just as God was on David's side, He is on our side and when we are faced with opposition to our faith we can boldly boldly proclaim that we come in the name of the Lord of Hosts.  

Did Somebody Say Potluck?

Now as they were traveling along, He entered a village; and a woman named Martha welcomed Him into her home.  And she had a sister called Mary, who was also seated at the Lord’s feet, and was listening to His word.

But Martha was distracted with all her preparations; and she came up to Him and said, “Lord, do You not care that my sister has left me to do the serving by myself? Then tell her to help me.”  

But the Lord answered and said to her, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; but only one thing is necessary; for Mary has chosen the good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”

Luke 10:38-42 

When I read this passage I think about Church potluck dinners where everybody brings a dish to share and not too much thought is put into who will bring what.  For the most part the meal is just what it is.  There is some preparation with setting up tables and preparing beverages, but for the most part when it is time to dine, everybody serves themselves and sits down to eat together. It is a time of fellowship.

I think what Jesus was talking about was when we get too wrapped up in creating a worship experience we can loose sight of what worship is all about.  At the heart of worship is the teaching of the Bible.  

Let us take time to consider what is most important when we come together - that is the teaching of the Word and our fellowship with one another.