July 1
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15–17, NKJV)
Look at your life. Are you surrounded by lots of "things"? Do you have many possessions? How much time do you spend in your life taking care of what you own? How much effort do you spend on acquiring more things? When you see a new gadget or tool or piece of clothing, do you think to yourself "I have to have it"?
In the TV show "Tiny House, Big Living" couples who have decided to live in homes less than 400 square feet are the center of attention. Some decide to live in a mobile home, or one room bungalow, or boat, or RV. The couples may choose such a lifestyle to save money, to be more ecologically sensitive, out of necessity, or to make a statement. Rather than hearing a lot of complaining about not having enough room, you might be pleasantly surprised to hear couples on the show stating how much free time they have, how nice it is not to be in debt, or how the person is not overburdened by maintenance time and costs. When Adam Williams interviewed Robert and Samantha Garlow, a couple who lives in a 204 square foot "shed", the couple replied:" we have everything we need and nothing that we don't and that equilibrium is incredibly liberating" (newatlas.com September 15, 2016). Another benefit they found living with less was that they had more time to talk and share. Without the burden of a large house and all the ensuing expenses and upkeep, they found lots of time for travel, friends, a better education, and recreation. People who watch the show are sometimes surprised at all the benefits of a life that is "blessed with less".
Toward the end of the Christian New Testament, you will find the first letter or epistle of John. It contains suggestions and warnings to the first century faithful. In the second chapter written above, the apostle warns Christians not to "love the world or the things in the world" (1 John 2:15). John saw the world was full of "lust of the flesh and lust of the eyes, and the pride of life". The lust of the flesh is not an uncommon concept in the New Testament. It speaks to sexual desires and sexuality. We see that all the time in social media everywhere from pornography to the advertising notion that "sex sells". But John also speaks of the "lust of the eyes". What is that?
Nowhere in the entire Bible is the phrase "lust of the eyes" ever used but here in 1 John. It is an unusual concept. But what does it mean? In the Believer's Bible Commentary, the authors mention that what drew Eve to take the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden was she saw that the tree was a "delight to the eyes" (Genesis 3:6). The forbidden fruit tempted Eve because of how sumptuous it looked. Sometimes, when you see something that looks good, it can tempt you to think or do the wrong thing. That is the true meaning of "lust of the eyes".
Advertisers have long known that people can be manipulated to buy things due to a "lust of the eyes". They will examine a product to determine what "eye-catching" properties it contains. They often use "visual cues" to cause the consumer to desire their product. Cosmetic companies all know that adding eye shadow and eye liner and adjusting the look of the eyes can help others be more attracted to you.
Physically, the eyes also respond to things you like. When you are sexually aroused, your pupils will often dilate. Your pupils may also dilate when you see something you like when shopping, especially if you are a compulsive or impulsive shopper. In contrast, your eyes may easily constrict when you are afraid.
Physically and emotionally, your eyes respond to things of this world that are a "delight to the eyes".
Have you ever looked at something delicious and your eyes watered? Have you ever seen a beautiful man or woman and caught yourself staring? It is a proven fact that a well-dressed person will often garner more attention in a room. That is why you may hear a person suggest that you "dress for success" at a job interview, wearing the clothes that will "sell" your abilities. Sadly, how things and people look will often determine their worth in this world. This is, in part, due to a "lust of the eyes".
Your eyes can betray what you are thinking. Your eyes can express your desires. Even how you form your eyes can display your intentions. "Lustful eyes" can be seen in the man who ogles a woman, or in a woman who flirts with a good looking man. Your eyes might "light up" when you see the perfect gift. They might have "laser-like focus" on those things you care about most. "Lust of the eyes" will tempt you to look at and desire things you shouldn't obtain or demand. They will make you greedy and gluttonous if you let them have control over your decisions.
In 1 John, the sinful life is shown to contain sexual lust, lust of the eyes, and pridefulness. The only alternative listed in the scripture above is to "do the will of God" (1 John 2:17). Notice that the scripture doesn't say those who KNOW the will of God abide forever. You must DO the will of God to receive God's reward. It is one thing to know what God wants. It's a whole other thing to do what God wills. God doesn't want you to focus your life toward fulfilling the lusts of your eyes or your body. God doesn't want you filled with pridefulness. God expects you to know HIS will and live it. Your reward for choosing God will be a life that lasts "forever" (1 John 2:17).
Are you tempted by the lusts of this world? Do your eyes betray your love for possessions? Do you long for things you shouldn't have? Are you easily manipulated by advertising? Don't let your love for possessions and things of this world control your life and keep you from doing the will of God. Don't let possessions choke out your enjoyment of life (Mark 4:19). Do you really need everything you own? You certainly can't take it with you after you die, no matter what anyone tells you!
July 2
“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature. For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be the more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
(2 Peter 1:2–11, RSV)
When you are sick or to prevent illness, your doctor may suggest you take supplements. Pregnant women are especially encouraged to take vitamin and mineral supplements. After taking antibiotics, it is very necessary to take yogurt or probiotics to rebuild any damaged or destroyed beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract. Supplements help you grow and stay healthy. They give your body and organs the necessary building blocks to sustain and promote natural processes in the body and ward off damage due to a poor diet or lack of certain foods in the diet.
Surprisingly, 2 Peter contains a list of spiritual "supplements" that can help a Christian be more spiritually healthy. If you ever wonder how you are doing spiritually according to how God wants you to live, you can read this scripture above and compare it to your life. If these things are present in your life, you will probably have a healthy relationship with God. If not, you may want to increase one of these spiritual "supplements" in your life in order to remain spiritually healthy over time.
Peter began our scripture for today speaking to all those who had the "knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord" (2 Peter 1:2). His letter was written to those who had committed themselves to God. He saw a true Christian as one who had rejected the "passions of the world", choosing to partake in God's "nature" (2 Peter 1:4). Thereafter, he listed things to "supplement your faith". The Believer's Bible Commentary lists these supplements as the "seven elements of holiness", seven things that should always accompany your faith. The word "supplement" here in English means "to nourish". In essence, these seven elements of holiness will nourish your faith and help it to be healthy and productive. They are seven elements that should ALL be part of a healthy spiritual diet!
The first two elements of holiness or supplements to the Christian life are "virtue" and "knowledge" (2 Peter 1:5). It should be a normal part of your faithful life to seek to gain knowledge, and thus learn more about God's world and God's word. Having this knowledge can feed your faith. You should spend time learning and growing in knowledge your whole life, not just when young. Good ways to grow in spiritual knowledge are to do Bible Studies (which this web site can help you with!), learn from the sermons of a godly Pastor, and read information about the spiritual life. However, this knowledge can also be in science, philosophy, technology, and other more worldly pursuits. It is good for you to be well-rounded in knowledge. But, knowledge needs to be enhanced with virtue, according to this scripture. Virtue is by definition "behavior with high moral standards". So, knowing a lot is important. But living the faith out with high moral standards where God can trust you will do the right thing is equally crucial to the faith. LEARNING about the will of God won't help much if you don’t DO the will of God.
The next three "supplements" to your faith are "self-control", "steadfastness", and "godliness" (2 Peter 1:6). Self-control is crucial to the faith. When you have self-control, you won't be swayed easily by the temptations of this world. This also means you won't be manipulated by desires or peer pressures. You won't impulsively jump into situations or buy into scams. Steadfastness enhances self-control. It means you have the attitude that you will "hang in there" no matter how difficult. You will be patient and understanding, even when hurting or suffering. Godliness means that you do things out of respect for God. The Greek definition of this word is related to the words "piety" or "pious". It means you have a healthy respect for what God desires and you are willing to do what God desires even if it makes life harder. If you are "godly", others will notice in your life an attitude of worship and prayer. A pious person has a deeper faith caused by meditating with God and trusting in God's provision.
The final "supplements" to your faith listed are "brotherly affection" and "love" (2 Peter 1:7). These two elements of holiness involve how you live out your faith among others. Both require that you not only have a relationship with God, but also godly relationships with other people. The Greek word used to describe "brotherly affection" in Greek is based directly on the word "philadelphia". Philadelphia means "brotherly love". It is when you look out for others with a giving heart. As an example of brotherly love, Jesus told the story of the "Good Samaritan" who took care of a stranger who was beaten and left by the side of the road (Luke 10:33). "Love" needs to be a part of every Christian life. If you are angry all the time, have been so hurt that you can't love anymore, or don't let people get close to you, it is hard to be "loving". In centuries past, ascetics lived in the desert and prayed without ceasing. They thought this was a holy calling, and it was. But one missing aspect of the lives of the ascetics was that they had little human contact. Though they were very godly, steadfast in their faith, and full of self-control, most couldn't and didn't show a lot of brotherly affection and love. These elements were often missing from their spiritual diet.
Which of these "supplements" or "elements of holiness" are your strengths? Which are weaknesses in your spiritual life? All these need to be present for a healthy relationship with God. Realize that if one or more are missing, you might get spiritually "sick" or be living an unbalanced spiritual life. I believe that Peter's letter wonderfully presents in perfect words what Christians need to grow and be nourished in the faith. How healthy is your faith in comparison?
July 3
“ Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind. For thy steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to thee.” (Psalm 26:1-3 RSV)
Integrity is defined in the dictionary as….”A steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.” A person with integrity will not waver when it comes to moral or ethical decisions. When faced with a moral dilemma, they will choose the right no matter what the situation. Their values are firm and faithful. You can count on them. When the chips are down, they won’t give up their principles.
IN 2001, a NASCAR crew chief had to make a decision. There was a small adjustment to the car that could make a big difference. Sure, it was against NASCAR rules, but almost everyone else was doing it. So crew chief Tim Shutt crawled under the No. 20 car of Mike McLaughlin, who raced on the NASCAR Busch circuit, but couldn't bring himself to put the illegal device on the car.
"Joe Gibbs was adamant that we don't cheat," says Shutt, a relatively new believer who encountered Christ at a Christian retreat for participants in the racing industry. "Most teams figure that as long as you get away with it, it's not cheating. I said to Mike that morning in practice, 'If we're no good in practice, I'll put this piece—the illegal piece—on. Probably 30 other teams are doing it.' I was justifying it. I got up under the car, I got halfway through putting it on, and that verse, 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God,' (Matthew 6:33) came flashing in red in front of me, and whoa, that was it. I said, 'I'm leaving this up to you, God.'" Shutt didn't put the piece on the car. McLaughlin won the race. It was Talladega, one of the biggest races of 2001. "When we won, the first thing that came to my mind was that verse," Tim says. "God wanted to show himself to me." (Citation: Victor Lee, Sports Spectrum; reprinted in Men of Integrity May/June 2002)
It is commonplace to follow the rules when someone is watching you. Are you the kind of person who will follow the rules or do what is right when nobody is watching? If you are, then maybe you walk in integrity. Maybe you are a person of integrity with steadfast values, morals, and ethics. In today's moral and political climate, this is rare. Some will do whatever it takes to get ahead. Not a small amount of people will compromise everything, including their beliefs, to get what they want.
A two-year study of nearly 9,000 people (more than two-thirds of whom were in high school or college, ages 15 to 30) found significant numbers of students engaged or were willing to engage in lying, cheating and stealing. "Clearly the youth of today didn't invent cheating, stealing and lying, but they're perfecting it" said Ralph Wexler, vice president of the Joseph and Edna Josephson Institute of Ethics, a non-profit organization based in California that conducted the survey. Here are some of their findings: More than a third of the students claimed they would lie on an application or resume if necessary to get a job; 16 percent of the high-school group and 18 percent of the college crowd admitted that had already done it. 21 percent of the collegians approved of falsifying a report if needed to keep a job. Of the older group of students, more than a third also said they have lied to bosses. Also, 33 percent of the high-school group and 14 percent of college students said they shoplifted within the year. 33 percent of high-schoolers and 11 percent of college students also admitted that they had stolen from parents or relatives. What do you do when nobody is watching?
Psalm 26 was written by David, King David. At times in David’s life, he wronged others, but as he aged he learned better. He learned that you can’t hide things from God. As he began to be more faithful, he realized that people around him weren’t honest before God. In fact, they would lie, cheat, steal, and even kill to get ahead. David vowed to be different. He felt God was closer to those who could be counted on to be faithful no matter who was watching. This is what David said in one of his prayers to God…. “I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Prove me, O Lord , and try me; test my heart and mind. For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to you.” (Psalm 26:1-3) David wanted God to hear what he had learned. David believed that his faithfulness and integrity were cherished by God.
As another example of integrity from the book of Job, God called the angels to a meeting in heaven. Guess who came along? Satan, the fallen angel, visited the gathering! As God talked to the angels, God said to Satan, “Have you seen my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil.” (Job 1:8) God was proud of Job. God used Job as an example to Satan and all the other angels. If you are faithful in character and walk in integrity, God notices.
An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided something different. He called several hundred young people in the kingdom together. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you." The youth were shocked, but the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today, one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!"
One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it watching to see if it had grown. After three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by; still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Ling didn't have a plant. He felt like a failure. Six months went by with nothing in Ling's pot. He surmised that he had killed his seed. Others showed off trees and tall plants borne from the seeds of the emperor, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot, but his Mother said he must be honest about what happened. Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his Mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace.
When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful in all their shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kids laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him. When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling hid in the back of the room. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!" All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring Ling to the front. Ling was terrified. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor!" Ling could not believe it. Ling couldn’t even grown one plant. How could he be the new emperor? Then, the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds, which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"
From this parable, from David’s psalm, from the book of Job, you can see that morals and integrity are rare in this world. Twice in Psalm 26, David mentions how he walks in his integrity before God (Psalm 26:1,11). I hope you can say the same thing. When nobody is watching, how do you act? If you are a person walking in integrity, just know that God is proud of you. God knows that a person with true integrity will never throw away their faithful values and morals to please others or to get an advantage in life. The true Christian is faithful to God, but also to him or herself. So, do you walk in integrity? Can others count on you? Can God trust you, even when others aren’t watching? What shall a person with true integrity do today?
July 4
“One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.” (Mark 10:13–16, NLT)
There are only a few examples of Jesus interacting with children. The gospels have only special healings of children (Luke 8, Luke 9, John 4, for example) and the scripture for today. We have the birth narrative of Jesus, where Jesus is a newborn (Luke 2). We also have Jesus at the temple at age twelve (Luke 2:42). Children in ancient times were seen as security for the future and a blessing from God, but there were few interactions between children and adults in all of scripture. In many of them, the children simply played a passive role or were seen as future leaders (I Samuel 1). In Mark 10, Jesus places children at the center of His message and ministry. Children had something to teach the disciples!
During Jesus' ministry, children were brought to Him for a blessing (Mark 10:13). Parents must have thought that their children would receive blessings or protection from God if Jesus merely touched them. Many churches have adopted the practice of blessings and baptisms of children in response. Sadly, gone are the days when it was normal for a child was brought on the lap of grandpa for a short prayer of blessing or an act of passing wisdom. It used to be that many children grew up listening to stories while seated on an elder's knee or in grandma's lap. Thankfully, churches still have Sunday Schools and Vacation Bible Schools and special church events to help share Jesus' love of children.
In the gospel story above, the disciples "scolded" the parents for bothering Jesus with their children. The disciples felt that the children didn't deserve Jesus' attention. They felt Jesus' teachings and parables were over the heads of children and a waste of time for these parents who just wanted their children to be blessed by Jesus' touch. While it is true that Jesus' preaching and teaching form the core of Christian belief, the disciples had it wrong. Jesus didn't see time with children as a waste of effort. The fact that the children couldn't understand his parables didn't phase Jesus. Jesus saw something special in children, something even his disciples were missing. Upon seeing the disciples keeping the children away, Jesus got "angry" with His disciples (Mark 10:14) and demanded, " Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them!" (Mark 10:15). What Jesus said next gave His real reason for blessing the children: "For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” The children were to Jesus an example of the Kingdom of God. Their innocence and trusting faith were in great contrast to the trials, testing, hypocrisy, political machinations, and evil of many who Jesus faced in His everyday life.
For a Halloween "trick" about "treats", comedian Jimmy Kimmel has for a number of years asked parents to tell their kids that they ate all their Halloween candy and video their response. Some of the kids broke into tears, some ran off to their rooms, some even swore at their parents. Every now and then, you get a kid with a soft and loving heart. In one video, the mother told her son that she ate all his Halloween candy overnight while he was sleeping, because she was feeling sick to her stomach. The son had no idea it was a ruse. He turned to his mother and asked, "Were you better after you ate the candy?" His mother replied, "Yes." He then said, "That's OK, Mommy, I'll get more next year." When I heard those words, I realized that this young boy showed great love, where others exhibit great selfishness. It was shockingly beautiful to hear the boy so innocently give up his favorite treats for his mother.
The love of a child or the innocence of a child can often have powerful effects when it is contrasted to the selfishness and hatred of this world. A child can bring perspective back to a situation. As a mother and father fought about the bills one night after their children went to bed, the discussion became heated. The father was blamed for not making enough money. The mother was blamed for spending too much money. Near midnight, there were little thumps coming down the steps from the bedrooms upstairs. Mother and father stopped arguing. Mother then said, "Honey, do you need a drink of water?" Their young son walked in with his sleepy eyes and placed his piggy bank on the kitchen cupboard. Then he said, "I don't want you to fight. Here's all my money. Now, can we go to bed?" In that moment, mother and father realized that instead of working together to take care of the bills, they were only making things worse by arguing and blaming. It took the boy's generosity to make that all perfectly clear.
Why is it that adults see it as inappropriate to swear around children? Why are women and children the first to be offered spots in lifeboats? Why are children given special protections by law in most societies today? Children are seen as innocent, a gift, a hope for the future. If only we would see everyone in such a way! If only we would protect all people with the same care!
Today, look at the world through a child's eyes. Do you see the wonder of that beautiful butterfly or the awe in a bolt of lightning? Jesus saw great views of the Kingdom of God in the example of a child. Maybe to see what the Kingdom of Heaven is like, you might need to look again at this world and at your life with the eyes of a child. What might a child see in your life? Are you always too busy to enjoy your day? Are you swearing all the time? Do you take things too seriously? What are you missing? What did you feel the first time you saw fireworks on the 4th of July?
July 5
“… Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. And he …fell into a trance and saw the heaven opened, and something descending, like a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “No, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has cleansed, you must not call common.” This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven. .. And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. Rise and go down, and accompany them without hesitation; for I have sent them.” And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for your coming?” And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house, and to hear what you have to say.” So he called them in to be his guests. …. When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.” And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered; and he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit any one of another nation; but God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.” And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, about this hour, I was keeping the ninth hour of prayer in my house; and behold, a man stood before me in bright apparel, saying, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter; he is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the seaside.’ So I sent to you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God, to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.” And Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”
(Acts 10:9–35, RSV)
The scripture above from the book of Acts contains a crucial changing point in the history of our faith. Before this event occurred, Christians were a sect of Judaism. They were considered a part of the Jewish faith. After the event above occurred, Christianity became a religion for all people of all nationalities and ethnic groups.
In Acts 10, God did something powerful to Peter. As Peter was praying, he saw a vision. He fell into a "trance" the scripture tells us (Acts 10:10). During this spiritual revelation, Peter saw the same vision three times of animals that Jewish people were not allowed to eat (Leviticus 11:47). Each time Heaven showed Peter these animals, God said, "Rise Peter, kill and eat them." Each time, Peter responded that he could not eat the animals, for they were "unclean" (Acts 10:14). Then, a voice corrected Peter after his response saying, "What God has cleansed, you must not call common (thus, unclean)" (Acts 10:15). Essentially, what God was showing Peter is that if God made the animals for Peter to eat, and God desired the animals to be fit for eating, Peter should not reject God's command to eat them.
As Peter pondered what the vision might mean (Acts 10:19), some visitors sent by a Roman Centurion named Cornelius sought Peter. They asked Peter to visit with Cornelius and the faithful gathered at his house. Peter, figuring his vision had something to do with the men, went to see Cornelius. Cornelius had also been visited by God. He had been told by an angel where Peter was staying and that the two should meet (Acts 10:1-6). Cornelius is twice described as a "God-fearing" or "God-respecting" man (Acts 10:2 and 22). Obviously, God saw great promise with a gathering between Cornelius and Peter.
When Peter came to the home of Cornelius, Peter realized the meaning of his vision. He realized that like the animals in his dream that God made "clean" to eat, Cornelius too had been made "clean" before God. Cornelius explained how God called the two men to meet, and Peter explained how God had given him the vision. As they compared notes, Peter came to the conclusion that God shows "no partiality" to a person's nationality, but accepts all those of true faith (Acts 10:34-35) no matter where they come from. The Gentiles, filled with the Holy Spirit upon hearing of Jesus' mission, were subsequently baptized into the Christian faith (Acts 10:44-48). This changed everything in the Christian church. Before this time, Christians thought Israelites were the chosen people of God. Because of this vision and God's Holy Spirit coming upon these Gentiles, the Jewish Christians now recognized that Gentile Christians should too be baptized and received fully into the faith. From this moment on, Christianity became a world religion, not an Israelite sect.
I find it very revealing how Peter recognizes that God shows "no partiality" to a person based on the nation they come from. God doesn't have a national bias. Though the Jewish people will always be the "chosen people" (1 Kings 3:8, Psalm 33:12, etc.), all people are welcome to respond to God, show respect for God, and have faith in God. All people.
I find it interesting that many Christians have not yet figured out that God can bless anyone HE wills. Many unfaithful Christians do not exhibit this belief. I've seen people from one certain race, ethnic group, or nationality, reject those of another. People who gather for worship can have very biased ideas of who can and cannot be faithful or even a Christian. Denominations often separate out those who are more or less faithful based on their own criteria about faithfulness. In some Holiness and Pentecostal churches, those who speak in tongues are deemed "holier" than those who do not have that spiritual gift. In churches that practice adult baptism, there is often a rejection of those who have been baptized as infants, even if they are faithful "God-fearing" people. In mainline protestant churches, people are placed on committees and set up for leadership not because of their devotion and work for God, but because of quotas for "sexual orientation" or "minority status". I've been in black churches where to be white is seen as making you "lesser". I've been in white churches where black people were "left alone" and "kept at a distance". I've seen rich people look down upon the poor, and poor people not respect those who were wealthy. People in society often reject those who are "different". According to this scripture and Peter's vision, God doesn't.
Be always careful that you don't show bias and partiality to people who are like you or different from you. Just because a person has your same skin color or heritage does not make him or her more faithful. Don't overlook God's great ability to bless those you may not feel comfortable around.
HOWEVER, I reject the liberal teaching of this scripture that God's accepts people no matter what they believe. God doesn't accept sinners in these verses who didn't repent of their sins! God accepts those who are truly "God-fearing". I've seen liberal pastors who said, "God blesses you and accepts you wherever you are in life." That is a lie. God doesn't bless or accept sinful living. God does reach out to people in all walks of life, but God responds to the "God-fearing", those who show respect for God by what they believe and how they live. To say to people, "God doesn’t care how you live your life. God accepts you for who you are!" is nowhere found in this scripture. God blesses those who show godly respect and reject sinfulness, people like "God-fearing" Cornelius.
Today, I want you to examine if you have a bias in your beliefs. Where God shows no partiality toward those who are deemed faithful, do you have partiality toward certain people? Are there people you reject because of where they come from? Do your biases keep certain people at a distance? Are you apt to "pre-judge" a person based on how they are dressed, their income, their social status, or their sex? Don't underestimate God's love for all people who exhibit true faith (John 3:16!).
July 6
“Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it until it receives the early and the late rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble, brethren, against one another, that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the doors. As an example of suffering and patience, brethren, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we call those happy who were steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” (James 5:7–11, RSV)
"God Isn't in a Hurry"
I had been busy all day. Challenges in the church and family problems were taking their toll on me. I was tired and anxious. My nerves were frazzled. As I came home for the night, my family was already asleep. All the lights were off. As I walked through the door, I turned on a light. There on the kitchen table, my wife had left a comic from the newspaper. On it was written, "Lord, please make me patient--- and do it right now!"
Patience is one of the first things a child must learn. It takes patience to read, to write, to spell, and to master multiplication tables. It even takes patience to grow! God has ordained maturity to be a slow process, not an instant experience. This gives us time to grow up.
Impatience is usually a mark of immaturity. At least the apostle James felt that way, for he wrote in chapter one of his letter, "But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:4) Patience is something to strive for, but it is not natural for humans to be endowed with it. It takes your attention, your learning, your time, and your commitment. Few people are willing to take the time that patience requires.
James 5:7 teaches...."Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord." If you know Greek, you'd know that this verse begins with a command. The command is "Be patient". It doesn't say, "you might like to be patient." It doesn't say, "Try to be patient." It says, "Be patient". The command is clear. You must do your best to be patient in the Lord. It is something that God commands, not something that God simply hopes for or would like.
Patience is not enjoyable, and that's why God commands it. Impatience is deceptively easy. It's not uncommon for a restless child to say at the first stop on a trip, "Are we there yet?" It's more difficult for a child to be patient until the traveling is completed. It's easy to be impatient when you are in a hurry, when you are waiting for something special, when you want something now but can't afford it. If impatience is a sign of immaturity, just how mature are you?
The scripture goes on to explain: "Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it until it receives the early and the late rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. " (James 5:7-9) James wanted the people to be patient in the Lord. Like the farmer has to be patient for the crops in the field to bring forth their food, you must be patient in life waiting for God to bring forth what is needed. Too often, we don't want to wait for God to get the job done. We want it done now; right now!
It is especially difficult to be patient is when you are suffering. God does not always explain what He is doing or why He is doing it. This scripture in James addresses suffering patiently when it notes the prophet Job.... "As an example of suffering and patience, brethren, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. …You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful." (James 5:10-11) Job lost his children to a freak storm, and he waited for God to explain why. He lost his crops to marauders while he waited for some answers from God. He then became ill with boils and a skin disease. Through all this suffering, Job waited for answers from God. In the end, God explained everything to Job. How often do you wait for God to answer your questions and show you His purpose? How patient are you with waiting?
It might be tempting to take shortcuts instead of being patient. For example, I have met people who are looking for shortcuts to understanding the Bible. They purchase study Bibles, filled with notes and encyclopedic facts, and yet they never seem to get a grasp of the truth of God's Word. Why? Being in a hurry, they want to use a shortcut to understanding true faith. They don't learn the difference between facts and truths, between mental awareness and spiritual comprehension. They pour over biblical outlines, study charts, and cross-references; but they never take the time to allow the Spirit of God to teach them the meaning of scripture.
We cannot use shortcuts when it comes to understanding spiritual truth, building the Christian character, or evangelism. For example, a reputation can be made or lost overnight, but it takes years to build true Christian character. It takes time to understand the benefits of suffering. It takes years to develop the skills and wisdom to be a good pastor. You can't rush God!
There are no shortcuts to healing and counseling, either. Many patients have hidden their symptoms for months or years, and then ask the doctor to give them a pill that will instantly cure them. Those who come for counseling often make the same mistake. In my pastoral ministry, I have tried to counsel people with long standing emotional and faith problems. I have marveled at how long it took to create the problems, and yet how quickly most expected me to fix everything through a couple sessions of counseling. You may have a tendency to look for shortcuts to healing, but the shortcuts only make the problem worse. Healing takes waiting for God's time. A complete healing takes patience.
God can grow a mushroom overnight, but He will take more time to grow an oak or a giant sequoia. It took God thirteen years to get Joseph ready for leadership in Egypt. God invested eighty years preparing Moses for forty years of service. Abraham had to wait until he was a hundred years old until his promised son was born to carry on the faith and blessing of God. Even Jesus spent thirty years getting ready for three years of public ministry.
You are going to have to decide in your life whether or not to be patient or impatient. Impatience is a sign of immaturity. Impatience can lead to disastrous shortcuts. Impatience can make you bypass avenues that teach you about the faith. Patience builds character. It deepens the faith. It's more difficult and requires more learning and hard work. But it is commanded by God. Will you wait upon the Lord? Will you be steadfast, while unfulfilled? Could your lack of patience be causing some of your problems in life right now? Pray over these questions.
July 7
“While they were eating, he [Jesus] took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”” (Mark 14:22–25, NRSV)
In the bulletin one Sunday at a big city church, it was listed that there was a baptism. When time came in worship for the baptism, the parents and the baby came forward. The pastor spoke a few words, then the parents gave the baby to the pastor to do the sacrament of baptism. At that moment, a little girl who was at church for the first time in her life asked what was happening. Her father said, "His parents are giving the baby to God."
The pastor spoke a few words, put water on the child, then spoke a prayer. Finally, the minister returned the baby to the parents. The little girl turned to her father and commented, "Well, I guess God didn't want that one." This sweet little girl thought that when the minister gave the child back to the parents, it was a sign that God had rejected that child. She didn't quite understand the meaning of baptism yet.
There are two historical and biblical sacraments celebrated in the life of every Christian church: baptism and communion (Protestants have two sacraments, Roman Catholics have seven sacraments, but both consider baptism and communion as sacraments). God expects you to take part in both. Through baptism, we are united with God and the church. Through baptism, we become God's children. Through communion, we commune with God. We take time to be in God's presence and to share in the memory and honor of Jesus Christ. Though some people see baptism and communion as sacred acts, others see them as obligations that God demands. Those who see the sacraments only as an obligation not a sacred gift look upon the sacraments only as a rite of passage, a requirement, or a ritualistic obligation. All those who believe this are completely missing the boat. Like the little girl in the story above, they don't know what God is doing through the sacraments.
A Roman Catholic scholar taught me something as I was working on my doctorate. He wrote about sacramental living. He mentioned that sacraments are not so much ritual acts, but a lifestyle, a way of living. He said that when people see the sacraments as holy moments throughout life where God comes to meet with us and we relate with God, then and only then can we see the sacraments as they were originally intended. He said that when we truly understand the sacraments and they become a part of our lives, when we look for God to be present in the sacrament and in all of life, then we finally get it. We are living sacramentally.
The word sacrament means "holy oath". Long before the word sacrament was used in the church, it was used in the Roman Legions as an oath that soldiers took to be loyal and true. If you live sacramentally, you are bound by an oath to believe in Christ and to follow God's commands. But its more than that. Sacramental living means you live each day like you have taken a holy oath. You live like a person who just was baptized or who has just taken communion. You live like you are keeping your oath of godliness each day.
A woman wrote this about her favorite high school teacher.... "I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago whose husband died suddenly of a heart attack. About a week after his death, she came back to teach. We didn't know what to say to her. We didn't want to hurt her. We hurt so for her. But her first day back was one I'll never forget. As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming in through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, she paused and said, 'Class is over, I would like to share with all of you a thought that is unrelated to class, but which I feel is very important. Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate and give of ourselves. None of us knows when this fantastic experience will end. It can be taken away at any moment. Perhaps this is God's way of telling us that we must make the most out of every single day.'
Her eyes began to water as the teacher went on, 'So I would like you all to make me a promise, an oath. From now on, on your way to school, or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice. It doesn't have to be something you see, it could be a scent - perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting out of someone's house, or it could be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, or the way the morning light catches one autumn leaf as it falls gently to the ground. Please look for these things, and cherish them. These things are the "stuff' of life, the little things we are put here on earth to enjoy, the things we often take for granted. We must make it important to notice them, for at anytime...it can all be taken away.'
The class was completely quiet. We all picked up our books and filed out of the room silently. That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way home from school than I had that whole semester. Every once in a while, I think of that teacher and remember what an impression she made on all of us, and I try to appreciate all of those things that sometimes we all overlook."
"Take notice of something special you see on your lunch hour today. Go barefoot. Walk on a beach at sunset. Stop off on the way home tonight to look at the stars or the beauty of the moon. As we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret, but the things we didn't do. Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."
Sacramental living is done not just when you share in a sacrament like communion, but when you live as if God is right beside you, in your heart, listening, present. Those who live sacramentally notice the beauty in a situation, see the possibility of God in a person, are ready to work when the Master calls them, and are ready to pray at a moment's notice. They don't "do church". They live it. Every day. All the time.
On Jesus' last night alive, He "took bread and blessed it" according to the scripture reading above (Mark 14:22). He didn't rush to eat the bread. He stopped to bless it and offer it to His disciples. Then, he didn't just let them eat it, but he told them that the bread represented something: His body. I'm sure this made the disciples take pause. What does it mean that Jesus' body is like bread? Only later did they understand that His body was "broken" on a cross like the loaf of bread was "broken" for the disciples. The memory of His body on the cross would nurture the faith in His disciples. Then, Jesus took wine and gave it to His disciples as a "covenant in His blood" (Mark 14:24). Little did the disciples know that His blood would drip from the cross as a new covenant of atonement and grace spread to the faithful in Christ.
Do you think Jesus ate His Last Supper with His disciples so that you and I might come to church and get our dose of grace for the month when we share the communion in worship? No. In communion, God is bound to us, and we are bound to God in Christ. We remember what Jesus did not so that we can talk about it, but so that it forms the reason for why we live… sacramentally.
One rainy afternoon a mother was driving along one of the main streets of town, taking those extra precautions necessary when the roads are wet and slick. Suddenly, her daughter, Aspen, spoke up from her relaxed position in her seat. "Mom, I'm thinking of something." This announcement usually meant she had been pondering some fact for a while, and was now ready to expound all that her six-year-old mind had discovered. Mom was eager to hear this new revelation.
"What are you thinking?" Mom asked.
"The rain;" she began, "is like sin, and the windshield wipers are like God wiping our sins away." Now, here's a kid who may be just riding in a car to some, but she's actually living sacramentally. She thinks about God all the time. She looks for God's presence all around her. Every moment is a holy moment.
Mom said to this little girl. "Do you notice how the rain keeps on coming? What does that tell you?"
Her daughter didn't hesitate one moment with her answer: "We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us."
Mom later said to her best friend, "I will always remember this whenever I turn my wipers on. "
Sacramental living is rare in our world. It is when a person doesn't just partake in a sacrament, but lives it. Jesus embodied sacramental living. He saw God working in planting and harvesting, in a mustard seed, in a father's commitment to his only child, in a woman's tears, in a loaf of bread, in a cup of wine, and so many other places. Do you? Sacramental living means you keep your promises to God, follow God's leading, notice God's presence in every moment. Will you?
July 8
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8–9, ESV)
I was in my office working when I realized that I left my Bible in the sanctuary. I walked out my office door and almost to the entrance for the sanctuary when I noticed a teen sitting outside the sanctuary. Her mother was at the church doing some work, and she must have come along. She sat there, quietly reading. I greeted her, then asked her how her day was going. We chatted for a few minutes, then I went into the sanctuary to retrieve my Bible. On the way back, I felt the need to do something right away. Usually, this is a common way for God to work through me. I feel I'm supposed to do something that is unplanned, but feel an urgent need to complete it immediately.
Coming out of the sanctuary Bible in hand, I said to the young woman, "What are you thinking, right now?" She looked at me, and then away. I said again, "Really! I think God wants me to ask you what you are thinking about right now!"
She closed her book, then looked up at me and said, "I was just thinking about some mistakes I made and how I'm stupid and fall for such things."
I said back, "Do you often think you are stupid?"
She responded without a thought, "All the time."
Half an hour later, I returned to my office. We talked the entire time about how poorly she feels about herself. She often calls herself "stupid". She beats up on herself for her mistakes. Though she is very intelligent, this doesn't stop her from thinking negatively about her accomplishments, failures, and future. When she looks in the mirror, all she sees is a "screw-up" looking back at her. I talked to her about these negative emotions and how deadly they can be. We prayed just before I returned to my office. God wanted to help this young girl to change her opinion of herself, be more forgiving, and find peace.
Many people walk around with chips on their shoulders, pain in their hearts, sadness in their souls. Most of these folks are tormented by negative thinking, hurtful thoughts, a defeatist attitude, or a critical eye. They suffer all the time, not from things outside themselves, but from their own critical thoughts that cause them to be insecure, frightened, angry, or guilty. The voices inside their own heads betray their judgmental attitude.
The scripture for today is God's way of forcing you to reevaluate your thoughts. The words in Philippians 4 were written by the Apostle Paul to the new church in Philippi. Paul focused in this chapter on how Christians should think. He wrote: "…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things…" (Philippians 4:8). Paul wanted you to think "positive", up-building, and encouraging thoughts. Why? Because your thoughts are very important. Your thoughts influence your actions. Your thoughts betray your attitude and mindset. When you think "bad thoughts", they influence your world-view. They can make you have a bad day. They can make you edgy or put you into a snit. Do you dream about revenge or hurting someone? Do you beat yourself up? Are you filled with anger or resentment or guilt? These negative emotions will affect your personality. If you think about them long enough, they will influence how you see others and how you are perceived.
Paul urged the faithful to think positively. He asked them here in this letter to think about what is true, honorable, and just. He did not ask them to focus on their anger, hurts, or the unfairness of life. He asked them to focus on what is lovely and worthy of praise. He did not ask them to focus on what they dislike or on their mistakes. When you are alone with your thoughts, what do you think about? Do you tend to focus on what is wrong with your world? Do you look for the beauty in life or only notice what is wrong or who is wrong?
If you are a negative person, you might think Paul focuses too much here on the "fluff". You might be critical of his choices of what to think about. Be careful if you think this way . It shows that your thinking has already been influenced by negative thoughts and emotions. Paul is not asking that in every moment you ignore what is wrong or sinful, that you simply overlook injustice or suffering . Paul is asking you to see the good that is around you, the possibilities of what God can do, the blessings God has given. If you think for too long about what is wrong about life, you may miss what is right about life.
Paul asked the Christians in Philippi to follow his example. He used these words: " What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me…. practice these things" (Philippians 4:8). Paul was an example of one who focused on thinking godly thoughts. He was not an over-critical person. You've probably met overly critical people. When you are with them, how do you feel? In the company of an overly-critical person, I tend to see what's wrong instead of what's right. I feel bad if I feel good. I don't feel hopeful or encouraged.
Paul closed by saying that when your thinking is right and you follow his example, then you will feel peace. As long as you focus on the negative, on losses or failures in your life, you won't feel peace. If you are filled with disgust and disdain at what you've done for too long, peace will be elusive. As long as you dwell on "bad thoughts" and don't follow Paul's example, you will find no content in your life. If you only focus on your sin, you will never find peace. You don't have to live in a jail to be a prisoner held captive within your own negative mind.
If peace is missing in your daily life, focus on this scripture. Look at your thoughts and how you think. Talk to God in prayer, and see what kind of example you are setting. You might find that peace is not present because you are overly-critical or insecure in your thoughts. Your mind is not focused on love, praise, and what is honorable. Your mind might be playing a tape over and over of failures and rejections, problems and pains. Then, you know what must be done. You have to change the tape. Play God's "Side-B". Focus on what truly brings peace.
July 9
“Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the court secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the Lord’s Temple!” Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan, and he read it. Shaphan went to the king and reported, “Your officials have turned over the money collected at the Temple of the Lord to the workers and supervisors at the Temple.” Shaphan also told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.” So Shaphan read it to the king. When the king heard what was written in the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes in despair. Then he gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the court secretary, and Asaiah the king’s personal adviser: “Go to the Temple and speak to the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah. Inquire about the words written in this scroll that has been found. For the Lord’s great anger is burning against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words in this scroll. We have not been doing everything it says we must do.””
(2 Kings 22:8–13, NLT)
"She stood in New York Harbor for ninety-seven years, welcoming seventeen million immigrants to her shores. As her century birthday approached, it was obvious that the Statue of Liberty needed restoration. Two thousand iron bars within her superstructure had deteriorated to less than half their original thickness. The skin had been thinned by acid rain and air pollution, and pieces of her torch had fallen off. Americans gave millions of dollars to restore the lady in time for the nation’s 112th birthday, July 4, 1986.
Human monuments, history, life, and morals must be constantly reinforced and resupplied, fixed and repaired. Everything in creation suffers constant deterioration. Likewise, our Christian lives demand constant reinforcement and reevaluation to function faithfully. Always subject to influences that bear us away from God, we cast an anchor into God's Word to hold us steady. We must constantly check our spiritual attitudes by feeding daily on God’s Word and renewing our life through prayer. Revivals aren’t just convenient high points in otherwise normal lives; they are essential reclamation projects for our souls." (adapted from Speakers Sourcebook of Illustrations, p. 101)
In 2 Kings 22, the High Priest Hilkiah caused a revival of the faith during a reclamation project. He was working in the Temple while it was undergoing extensive repairs. The Temple in Jerusalem, along with the faith of the Jewish people, had been neglected. The Temple was hardly used for worship, as fewer an fewer Jewish people took the time to pray and seek God's voice. But Hilkiah found something in the old Temple that would change all of that. He found an old beaten copy of the "book of the law" while repairing a section of the Temple (2 Kings 22:8). He passed this portion of the Old Testament to Shapan, an aide to the King. When Shaphan was giving King Josiah an update of the repairs to the Temple, he decided to read part of the scroll to the King (2 Kings 22:10). We have no idea which part of the Old Testament the scroll came from (though it was probably a book of Moses), but we do know the King's response. As the King heard the Word of God, he "tore his clothes" and was full of "despair" (2 Kings 22:11). The King was wise enough to realize that God's people in Judah were not following God's Word. They were breaking God's law. He immediately ordered the religious leaders to pray to God for him and for the people (2 Kings 22:11-13). Very soon after, God's law was read to all the people of the land (2 Kings 23). Thereafter, God's old law found in the ruins of the Temple, caused a resurgence of faith in the nation.
How could the people in that time have forgotten and lost God's Word? How could they have neglected to read or listen to God's scriptures? Weren't they the "people of God"?
Every now and then throughout history, faith in God has waned and faltered. Even now, we are going through a "phase" in which young people especially are falling away from the faith. As more and more reject God and God's law, the world changes for the worse. As I walk my dog, I pass a church that has been closed and renovated into a private home. People used to worship there. Faithful people used to gather there to hear the scriptures and pray. Now, the cross in front has been removed and the sanctuary has been turned into a bedroom and home office.
In my denomination, hundreds of churches have left due to liberal policies and political machinations at the highest level. In the United States, attendance at worship has dropped significantly since the 1950's. More and more people have become atheists. Young people are more concerned with ecology and technology than theology. Leaders of our country strive more to look good in the polls than be faithful in the eyes of God. Is it no wonder that terrorism is taking hold, violence rules the streets of Chicago, and many colleges have banned the cross from campus? As in the days of Josiah, we are living in a time when the Word of God is being forgotten and God's law is being lost. We are in need of a spiritual revival. I long for it. Do you?
Whether you know about it or not, YOU are precious in God's sight. The Word of God continues in this era because of people like YOU, who hold on to faith in a time of agnosticism. You continue to honor God, while many others worship wealth and technology and power. Your faith is a precious thing in the sight of God. True faith is the only thing that will save our world.
I would love to see the highest leaders of our land find a Bible and have it read to all the people, as was done in Josiah's day. I would love to see people turn from all their "isms" to believe in God. I would love to see us care for our planet out of respect for God's making us in HIS image (Genesis 1). Our country and world are in need of a revival of faith, not to rule the world but to save it. God's love can change everything for the better.
In your life, you may also need a "revival" now and then. You might get stuck in habits, neglect your prayers, forget to read the Bible. I long for a revival in your life as well. I know what that feels like. It begins with the realization of one's failures and sin, but ends with peace and a restoration of spiritual wholeness. Jesus said to many of those he healed, "Your faith has made you whole" (Matthew 9:22, Mark 5:34, etc.). True faith does heal, make you whole again, save you. Which do you need more today: faith or wholeness or healing or God's Word? I pray you receive it. I pray our world receives it. God in Christ is ready to offer it. Revive your faith. Rebuild your spiritual life if it has been neglected. Read the Bible with new eyes. You won't regret it.
July 10
“So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.” Samson answered her, “If anyone ties me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” Then the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied him with them. With men hidden in the room, she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” But he snapped the bowstrings as easily as a piece of string snaps when it comes close to a flame. So the secret of his strength was not discovered. Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have made a fool of me; you lied to me. Come now, tell me how you can be tied.” He said, “If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them. Then, with men hidden in the room, she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” But he snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were threads. Delilah then said to Samson, “All this time you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied.” He replied, “If you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom and tighten it with the pin, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” So while he was sleeping, Delilah took the seven braids of his head, wove them into the fabric and tightened it with the pin. Again she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pin and the loom, with the fabric. Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.” With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it. So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.” When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, “Come back once more; he has told me everything.” So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him. Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison.” (Judges 16:6–21, NIV)
The story of Samson and Delilah has been shared for centuries. It is the story of a strong man who was manipulated and then used by a woman who cared more for her own ends than for her loved one. This story has often been told to focus on the strength of Samson. Today, I want you to focus on his weakness.
In the book of Judges, we read about Samson's birth during a time of waning faith in the land of Israel (Judges 13). The people of God in those days were harassed and persecuted by the Philistines. After years of suffering, God sent a strong young man named Samson to cause fear in the Philistines, so that they hesitated to attack Israel (Judges 14-15). The Philistines suffered much at the hands of strong Samson. They hated him. They sought to bring him down. They looked for his weaknesses. They used their spy, Delilah, to disarm him.
In Judges 16, Samson is "in love" with Delilah. She is a prostitute with whom he is enamored. Though married, he likes to be with Delilah. She is a great weakness, and her cunning a great danger. Delilah was a Philistine prostitute. She was manipulated by the leaders and paid to discover how to subdue Samson (Judges 16:5). When she met with Samson, she used her sexual prowess to lure him to revealing his weaknesses. At first, Samson didn't tell her. He played with her. He though it was a game. He told her that his weakness was being tied with "fresh bowstrings" or "new ropes" (Judges 16:7, 11). She tried to tie him up, but he got out easily. Then, he told her he can be subdued with a pin in his hair (Judges 16:13). This also didn't work. Then, finally, he revealed his true weakness to her. If his hair is cut, his strength will leave. She probably seduced him, then while he slept, his hair was cut. Upon awakening, Samson's strength was sapped and he was captured. His eyes were gouged out, and he was imprisoned (Judges 16:21).
When most people talk about Samson, they talk about his great strength, but it is his weakness that became his undoing. Children are told stories about Samson's strength saving the people of God. It is often overlooked or hidden that Samson's love of illicit sex was the inroad Delilah used to abuse him. I do not want to focus today on Samson's weakness for illicit sex. I want to focus on the tactics that Delilah used to manipulate him. She used her wiles to get him to show his weaknesses. Then, she exploited those weaknesses.
All people are imbued with strengths and weaknesses. Your strengths often bless you, but it is your weaknesses that can easily be your undoing. A friend of mine who is a pastor spent years in Kentucky doing wonderful ministry. He suffered terribly when his weakness for a woman he was counseling damaged his marriage, ministry, and future. For years he was faithful. With a few nights of pleasure, his ministry was destroyed. Some people are praised for their strengths and accomplishments. Others have lives destroyed in a moment of weakness. Will you be remembered for your strengths and accomplishments, or for your failure in a moment of weakness?
In the last moments of Samson's life, he was redeemed. His prayer was heard by God (Judges 16:28-31). God gave him the strength to overcome the Philistines who had enslaved him. When you are overcome by a weakness, seek God. It may be that you too will find that despite being weak, God can redeem you and make your strong again. God can save you from your sin.
Your weaknesses will be exploited by those who don't care about you. You might be manipulated. You might get played. In weak moments, those who you think were friends might turn out to be no friends to God. In Samson's life, he couldn't trust his nation or his girlfriend. He couldn't rely forever on his strength. He found out in the end, that his greatest strength was a gift from God. His only true friend was God. No matter how you are treated in this world, I hope you too realize that your greatest gifts are from God. Your greatest and truest friend is God. If you need HIM, God will be there in your darkest hour. Others may gloat at your weakness. God glories in your faith. Pray to HIM today. You can place your trust in God, no matter what.
July 11
“O God, arrogant men have risen up against me, And a band of violent men have sought my life, And they have not set You before them. But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness and truth. Turn to me, and be gracious to me; Oh grant Your strength to Your servant, And save the son of Your handmaid. Show me a sign for good, That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, Because You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.”
(Psalm 86:14–17, NASB95)
Psalm 86 is a "poor and needy" man's cry to God for help (Psalm 86:1). This faithful man was suffering at the hands of "arrogant men" who sought to hurt or kill this hurting man (Psalm 86:14). In response to the "hate" these men poured out, he reached out to God for comfort (Psalm 86:17). He knew God had abundant "loving kindness" and was full of grace and mercy (Psalm 86:15).
Our world is increasingly full of hate. Hate is often directed at those who are different. Some use hate to push an agenda. Some use it to threaten and intimidate. Terrorists use their hate to kill. People can relish in hatred, letting it simmer and boil over. What many people do not realize is that harboring hate in your mind can seriously affect your body. Did you know that people who have a lot of hate in them often end up with heart attacks and strokes? Hate can be a sign that something is seriously out of balance in your life. It may show an imbalance or shortage of serotonin and other brain chemicals Hate affects the body and brain.
But its not just people who hate who are affected by their sick attitude. Those who are the targets of hate also suffer. In an article about online hate on CNET, Pamela Rutledge, the director of the Media Psychology Research Center, explained that each time you experience online hate, your body makes a little cortisol. When online trolls bash and spew venomous speech at you, your body can slip into "fight or flight mode", and the cortisol will fill you in response. Constant exposure to this hate can make your body slip into depression or experience other psychological and physical illnesses. Excess cortisol can cause you to be fat, anxious, and depressed. "Because our bodies respond to virtual environments in ways that are similar to offline environments, you can still feel the same kind of trauma," Rutledge said. That can be magnified if online harassment includes threats to your physical safety (see www.cnet.com/news/heres-how-online-hate-affects-your-brain). Studies from the Pew Research Center state that seventy-three percent of adults have experienced online harassment personally with "name calling, sexual harassment, physical threats, death threats, and more." Over one quarter of those on the internet are afraid to write what they think, because of the fear of retaliation and online hate.
Hatred has fueled wars and caused blood-feuds. It has caused the suffering of millions. In Psalm 86, the author found that in response to the hate, there was help and comfort when one reached out to the Lord (Psalm 86:17). That is because, as the epistle of 1 John states, "God is love" (1 John 4:8). God is the antidote for hate. Where the Muslim religion often promotes the image of a "warrior god" due to its history and scriptures (especially in the concepts of "shihada" and "jihad"), the New Testament continually presses the importance of our God as a loving God.
To be a true Christian in every way, you must emulate your God! When people show hate, you show love. When people seek to manipulate and hurt you online, you must respond with love and the truth. Then, when people spew their venom, you can confidently run to God for comfort and assurance, knowing your God is love. Have you felt the love of God lately?
People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered. Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest pride. Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for some underdogs anyway.
What you spent years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you've got anyway!
(Reader's Digest, December 1982)
July 12
“By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” (Psalm 42:8–11, ESV)
Ever have a time in your life when you are discouraged, but feel the love of God, then something happens and you are discouraged again? Some days can be like that, with many ups and downs. If you don't hold onto a firm God, your spirits will go up and down with the moods and discouragement. In Psalm 42, the author is having one of those periods in his life. In verse three, he comments that tears have "been his food day and night" (Psalm 42:3). Then, in the scripture above, he mentions that despite these tears, "by day, the Lord commands His steadfast love, at night God's song is with me" (Psalm 42:8). Each time he is knocked down, God shines through in the day and night.
What is causing the author's pain is found in this psalm as well. An "enemy" oppressed the author. Adversaries "taunted" him constantly making fun of his trust in God (Psalm 42:10). The taunting caused turmoil in his soul, making him question if God had "forgotten him" (Psalm 42:9). In the scripture above, the word for "taunt" is very descriptive. It means to "strip you down and expose you". Taunts seek to humiliate you as if you were standing naked at a street corner with friends watching your humiliation. A person who "taunts" you, enjoys seeing you suffer.
A young woman left for school on your normal "Monday". It had been an eventful weekend, with a party on Friday night. She went to the party, but didn't remember much about it… her mind was fuzzy. She had done her homework over the weekend, went to church with her family at "Nana's church", and then did her homework on Sunday night. As she walked into school that Monday, chills began to settle into her soul. People looked at her differently. Finally, seeing her best friend, she asked what was up. Her friend said there were rumors about the party. Several hours later, she discovered that a relative of her best friend had taken pictures of her while drinking. They were posted to the internet and passed around at school, phone to phone, imessage to chat. When Joy saw the pictures, she was shocked to discover that the pictures showed her exposed as she went to the bathroom. For months, people made fun of her. She felt totally humiliated and abused. To this day, months after, she knows what it means to experience "taunts", leers, and jeers. The worst news of all was that her best friend was involved. She said to another friend, "Sometimes, its not the person who changed, its that the mask falls off." She found out her best friend was her worst enemy.
When you are taunted, exposed, humiliated, teased, your life can turn upside down. You may have ups and downs just like the person in Psalm 42. What can help is holding on to something to steady your life. In Psalm 42, the author did just that. He called God his "rock" (Psalm 42:9). He knew it wouldn't be long and God would come through. He even would tell himself, "Why are you down, oh my soul?" (Psalm 42:11). He placed his hope in God, the Rock of Ages.
Psalm 62:2 calls God a "rock, salvation, fortress". God is the one you can flee to when your world is thrown for a loop and your life has been turned upside down. If you find yourself blasted with emotions, running from highs and lows, trust in God. Hold onto God. Seek God. Hope in God. When God is your rock and you are holding on tightly to HIM, all the storms will pass and you will not be moved.
When Christian persecution was at its worst during the period of the Roman Empire before 300 AD, the anchor was a symbol for many Christians. There are examples from ancient Christian tombs that show not only the cross used as a common symbol of Christianity, but the anchor as well. During these troubled times, Christians held tightly to God as THE anchor during life's storms. They believed that as written in Hebrews 6:19, hope in God was an anchor for the weary soul. God could be counted on, when everything else is life could not (See www.christianitytoday.com/history/2008/august/what-is-origin-of-anchor-as-christian-symbol-and-why-do-we.html).
Don't forget that your faith is precious to God. He will be there for you, even when you fail. When life throws you around, God is that rock and anchor to keep you safe from the storms. God will be strong, when all you can do is feel weak. When taunts and trials seek to destroy you, let God protect you. Let God's love encircle you. Have there been some taunts that have hurt you lately? Are there friends who have betrayed you in life? Do you feel your life is on a roller-coaster of emotions? God is the ultimate rock. Hold on to Him until the storms pass.
July 13
“Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters engulfed the earth. Noah entered the ark along with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives because of the floodwaters. Pairs of clean animals, of unclean animals, of birds, and of everything that creeps along the ground, male and female, came into the ark to Noah, just as God had commanded him.And after seven days the floodwaters engulfed the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month—on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst open and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And the rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. On that very day Noah entered the ark, accompanied by his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, along with his wife and his sons’ three wives.They entered, along with every living creature after its kind, every animal after its kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, everything with wings.Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life came into the ark to Noah. Those that entered were male and female, just as God commanded him. Then the Lord shut him in.” (Genesis 7:6–16, NET)
There are little hints in the scripture that can elude you, little nuances in the scripture that can easily be glossed over and missed. In this story of Noah, we have one such little nuance. I will demonstrate to you how those who translate scripture can make a mistake when they miss the nuance. In the end, this little nuance in the scripture above will tell you a great big important understanding of how God works.
In the story above from the book of Genesis, we are introduced to the violence of the flood. With the violence upon the earth, God decided to start over with humankind (See Genesis 6:5-6). God commanded Noah to build an ark to save himself and others from the flood (Genesis 6:4). Noah was chosen because he was a "righteous man" (Genesis 6:9). He had found "favor in the eyes of God" through his righteous life (Genesis 6:8). Nowhere in the story of Noah does it say anyone else was righteous or found favor in the eyes of God, even among Noah's family. Noah was the only one of his generation willing to follow the command of God.
Now, here's where it gets interesting. Note in the scripture above from Genesis 7, that the flood had just begun. Pairs of animals were brought into the ark for safe keeping (Genesis 7:16). Noah's wife and family also entered, including his three sons and their wives (Genesis 7:12). After all these entered the ark, the scripture says "the Lord shut him in". God closed the door to the ark. No human or animal entered thereafter. Thus, no further life was to be saved. But, here's where something special in scripture is exhibited. With all the life and all the people in the ark, why does it say God shut HIM in? Shouldn't it say God shut THEM in? This little word play displays something to those who study the Bible closely. If you don't meditate on this word play, you will miss the point.
The New Living Bible makes a translation error here. It mentions that the Lord "closed the door behind them." This is NOT a correct translation of the Bible. In the original Hebrew, the word is clearly HIM, not THEM. So, why would the scripture say that God closed the door behind HIM, when clearly there are a number of people in the ark? Because, God and the scripture were making a point. God made the ark to protect God's greatest asset in creation, the one righteous man who was held in God's favor. The animals that were saved were important to God. Noah's family was important to God. But Noah was THE most precious part of creation at the time. It was Noah that God wanted to protect at all costs. When Noah was inside the Ark, then God closed the door to the ark to protect God's greatest asset.
Does it bother you that God has "favorites", and God considers righteous people so very important? It shouldn't. You determine if God's favor is upon you by how you live. When you are righteous, God has a special place for you. God watches over you in a different way. God cares very much if you are safe.
Notice that Noah didn't close up the Ark to protect the Ark from the storm and rains. God closed the ark. God determined who got on the Ark, and God determined who would not get on the Ark. God closed the door to protect the precious and righteous. God was not going to let anything bad happen to Noah, nor his family (protected by Noah's righteousness before God), nor the animals chosen for the ark.
When you live in righteousness before Almighty God, you enter into a very special relationship with God. You are no longer just one small part of creation. You are a very important and precious asset to God. God knows you. God watches over you. God protects you. Even if you die, God has control over you. You should desire to be in the special graces of Almighty God. It is a safe and loving place to be, where God's arms shield and protect you. So, are you?
Chances are, those who read these words are not everyday Christians. You are special. Where others seek wealth and worldly goods, you desire to be closer to God. While others are concerned with their possessions or looks, you are more interested in sharing the love of God. You may think that everyone is equal in God's eyes, but then you would be wrong. God has favorites. God is especially close to those who are righteous and truly faithful. Would this describe you? Do whatever it takes to be faithful before God. Your reward will be the eyes of God upon your life. If you live righteously, God will even know your name: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine...” (Isaiah 43:1). To God, you aren't one of many, but one of the precious few. Did you ever know you are considered "precious" in the sight of God when you are righteous?
July 14
“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:14–17, NRSV)
Have you ever wondered why I begin each meditation with scripture and give scriptural references whenever I quote or refer to the Bible? The scripture above is the reason why. The Apostle Paul, who wrote this scripture to Timothy, wanted Timothy to study and learn from the scriptures. As Christians, we are a "people of the book". The Bible informs us and is the "focusing lens" through which we view God.
There are some people who believe that the Bible is just a bunch of stories written by ancient people and doesn't really apply to life today. Some liberal theologians have even taught that the Bible is full of myths and thus its details are not trustworthy. Ultra-conservative believers have been pharisaic in their approach to the Bible. They often will use a literal translation of the Bible to beat people over the heads without delving into the meaning of the written word. Some in the Roman Catholic church have made the mistake of believing that the scriptures are only to be explained and expounded upon by popes, bishops, priests, and other clergy (as if laypeople could never understand the words). All these, and many others, have failed to take into consideration the true meaning of the scripture above. I believe that to have a healthy relationship with God, the scripture from 2 Timothy 3 should instruct those who are truly faithful.
Paul wrote the scripture above to Timothy as instruction. He began his teaching by asking Timothy to continue learning about God as he had done from childhood (2 Timothy 3:14-15). We know from 2 Timothy 1, that Timothy learned about God from his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5). Like many children in history, Timothy learned about Moses and the prophets from the lap of his parents and grandparents. I, too, learned so very much about the faith from my parents and grandparents. I believe that faithful families often breed faithful children. It is no surprise to me that Billy Graham's son Franklin leads one of the largest mission organizations of the world (Samaritan's Purse)! Billy Graham's daughter, Anne Graham Lotz, leads Angel Ministries that seeks to promote missions and evangelism in the name of Jesus. Your faith is crucial to those in your family and those who come after you!
In 2 Timothy, the apostle Paul wrote that scripture is central to Timothy's future understanding about God. There, Paul wrote that "all scripture is inspired by God" (2 Timothy 3:16). Thus, God intended scripture to be used by all future generations. God "inspired" its use and its spread. Scriptures can help any person learn what it means to be "saved through faith" (2 Timothy 3:15). Even after finding God, Christians are to study scripture and learn from its depths of wisdom. Scriptures are to be used for "teaching, reproof (proving the faith), correction (so you stay on the right path in life), and for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible is extremely important in keeping you on the "straight and narrow" and grounded in the faith. In fact, the end of our reading states that scripture will "complete" your training and "equip" you for doing God's work.
If the Bible is so crucial to learning about God and being trained in the faith, why are so many people Biblically illiterate? According to recent Gallup Polls, large numbers of everyday Christians don't know much about the Bible and do not read or study it. Sixty percent of Americans can't name the Ten Commandments. Fifty percent of high school seniors thought Sodom and Gomorrah were a husband and wife from the Bible. Twelve percent of adults thought Joan of Arc was Noah's wife! Eighty-two percent of Americans think "God helps those who help themselves" is a Bible verse. Only fifty percent of Baptists know the basics of the faith. Twenty-two percent of those from my denomination were Biblically literate according to the studies. All these studies have proven that we have not listened to the Apostle Paul and used God's "inspired" scriptures as the basis for our faith and spiritual depth. (See http://www.christianity.com/1270946/)
During the 1960's, the draft was instituted in the United States to fill the troop requirements of the Vietnam War. However, if you were in seminary, you could get out of the draft. Some seminaries doubled and tripled their rolls. In my denomination, these seminarians from the 1960's are now in leadership. When I looked back at the courses they took back in the 1960's, I was shocked to learn that studies in the Bible and learning to read the Bible in its original languages were not required for the students, only encouraged. Some seminary students from that era studied Buddhism and Feminism, but not how to interpret the Bible in its original languages! Is it no wonder that today Christianity is full of people who don't truly know God's Word?
This web site is dedicated to the study of God's Word to instruct you in the meaning of true Christian faith. If you want to get to really know who God is and what God desires in your life, there is no substitute to learning from scripture. Any good pastor and leader must continue their studies of the Bible to be "proficient" (2 Timothy 3:16) in godly leadership. Find a good Bible Study teacher. Read and reflect on God's "inspired" Word. Study God's wisdom from the pages of the Bible. Memorize important passages. Let the Holy Spirit direct your understanding of the scripture. Don't just read about God, but meditate with God's Spirit on all of God's Word. Are you Biblically literate? Has scripture "inspired" you lately? Are you rushing through your daily readings? Do you pray over the wisdom of God's Word? Can you apply what you read to your life? Do you study your Bible often? Keep studying your Bible and you will soon have good answers to the above questions. I'll help with that!
July 15
“For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake. Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.” (1 Peter 1:18–23, NLT)
While Jesus was teaching one day, a scribe asked him an important question, "Which is the greatest commandment?" Jesus responded with famous words, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–39, NLT). Jesus' answer to the scribe made it clear that there are two parts to God's greatest commandment. First, you must love God "totally", with heart and soul and mind and strength. The second part is that you must love your neighbor as well as yourself. Some Christians fail God by not loving God with their whole self. They might have a relationship with God, but do not submit their whole lives for God's use. I believe that more fail, however, by not loving their neighbor.
In 1 Peter, Jesus' great disciple wrote that after being cleansed by the blood of Christ, you "must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart." (1 Peter 1:22) Like Jesus in the paragraph above, Peter believed there is a connection between loving God and loving others. Both Jesus and Peter felt it was a "command" for the Christian to love others. Peter even added that you MUST show "sincere love" to brothers and sisters of the faith. It is not optional. Yet, a love between Christians today is often sorely lacking.
I've seen so much love lost between church members. Is it no surprise that some people don't come to worship because of the animosity of members in the pew? One church in Pennsylvania split over who should buy the silverware in the church kitchen. Another church I'm familiar with had a big bruhaha over children leaving mud on a stairway after it rained during a Vacation Bible School. A church in Indiana that I've visited has had 16 pastors over 22 years of its history. They are highly critical of all clergy. I've preached at several churches that are known as "clergy-killing" congregations. I also remember a church where the decisions of the church leaders were run past a family in the church for "approval". Where Jesus and Peter demanded that Christians be loving, churches today often are battlegrounds and political minefields.
In an example of the signs of the times, a pastor received a letter from a long time parishioner which read, “Dear pastor: If Jesus Christ knew what you are doing to our church, he would turn over in his grave.” Upon reading the letter to his board, the pastor commented, “It makes me wonder what her theological position will be------come Easter.” Do you get the reason for his comment? I figure you do.
Peter, in the scripture for today, said the reason why we are to love others in the faith is because Jesus first loved us. Jesus was "raised from the dead", giving us hope (1 Peter 1:22). The blood of Christ saved us like a sacrificial lamb of the Old Testament(1 Peter 1:19). God payed a "ransom" to redeem you, giving up Jesus who was more precious than silver or gold (1 Peter 1:18). If you love Jesus at all, you should love those to whom Jesus sends you.
Do you show love to other Christians? If others in the faith were to describe you, would they include the word "loving" as descriptive of your actions? When reviled, Jesus responded with love (1 Peter 2:23). Even if others of the faith hurt you, your response must be loving… out of respect for Jesus. You don't just love those who love you, you respond with loving-kindness toward others simply because you love God in Christ. If you fail to love others, your love of Jesus has faltered. These two loves are connected.
Sometimes, I find it extremely difficult to respond to insensitive and hateful Christians with love. Then, I focus on scriptures like the one chosen for today and realize that I "must" respond with love. I do it for Jesus, who first loved me! (See 1 John 4:19!!)! Sinful people may not see my love, but God will. Backsliding Christians won't often respond with love, but God will. Enemies may not appreciate my love, but God will. Hurtful people may not respond to my actions and words with love, but God will.
Do you realize how much God loves you? Then, respond with love in every situation. Show others what love means. Let God bless your loving-kindness. They'll know we are true, faithful,righteous Christians by our love!
By the way, I just wanted to say again………. I love you, friend in Christ!
July 16
“Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life which God, who never lies, promised ages ago and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by command of God our Savior; To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.” (Titus 1:1–4, RSV)
Written above are the opening verses of Paul's letter to Titus (See Titus 1:4). Titus was a young pastor that Paul was mentoring in the faith. Titus was sent by Paul to the Christian church in Crete to help lead and guide them in their formative years (Titus 1:5). Paul's opening words tell us something important not only about about Titus and Paul, but about God's relationship with you.
Paul begins this letter by calling himself both a "servant" and an "apostle" (Titus 1:1). Usually, when a great leader introduces himself, it is not by calling himself a servant. Paul was not ashamed to do so (See also Romans 1:1). Though he sees himself as a learned man and a student of Gamaliel, he is foremost a servant of God. To be a servant of God means that God is "Master" of Paul's life. God called the shots. God sent Paul where God needs him. Paul didn't "live by his own rules" in life. God was the Master. God made the rules. God sent him where he was needed. That's also the meaning of the word, "apostle". In Greek, the title means "one who is sent out". Paul didn't sit at home writing novels. He traveled throughout Asia Minor and the Holy Land. He founded churches in multiple countries. He trained young pastors. He kept in touch with the churches and pastors through letters that today make up much of our New Testament.
Paul didn't just include his titles as both "servant" and "apostle". He also stated his mission in life. Paul was called by God to further the faith of God's "elect" by giving them knowledge and truth about the gospel (Titus 1:1). It is with this mission statement that I want you to focus for a bit. Paul is called to minister to the "elect". In Greek, the word for "elect" means to be "special, select, and chosen". If you go to the meat market and choose a "select cut" of meat, you will usually get the best and most "choice" of meat. To be the "elect" of God means you would be chosen by God, among the select few chosen by God for special missions of faith. I'm sure you've read that the Israelites were God's "chosen people" (Deuteronomy 7:6,Deuteronomy 14:2, 1 Kings 3:8, etc.). Did you also know that you are one of the chosen few as well?
Psalm 33:12 states: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!” God's choice of Israel as HIS chosen people meant that the nation was blessed by God's presence, protection, and power. Those who follow Jesus the Savior are also included in that "blessed status". Like Israel, true followers of Christ also are chosen, select, and elect. They share a relationship with God that is closer than that of ungodly or secular people and nations. If you are one of the "elect" of God, a chosen one, you have that special close bond with God. God watches over you in a special way.
Long before you chose God, God chose you. God wanted to be in a special relationship with you. What separates you from many other people in the world today is you have decided to enter that relationship. You have said "Yes" to God. Like the Apostle Paul, you are a servant of God. God leads you and guides you. You may or may not be an apostle, but you are a child of God. Your life is precious. Your faith is holy before God.
Because you are in a special relationship with God, your righteousness or unrighteousness are noted. Psalm 34 states that God's eyes lean "toward the righteous", and God's ears listen for their "cries". God "delivers" the righteous when they cry for help. God's face is against the unrighteous. (Psalm 34:15–17). Imagine it! God created the universe, can begin life or end it, is able to make or change history. That same God keeps an eye on little old you! You are God's "choice". HE picked you! When you said "Yes" to God, your place at God's table for all eternity was settled. The only way you leave God's sight or eternal life is to reject God. Otherwise, you have nothing to fear. God has an eye on you, always!
In these verses above, Paul also mentioned something about the character of God that is found nowhere else in the entire New Testament. Paul wrote that God "never lies" (Titus 1:2). A friend may lie to you in order to manipulate you. An enemy might "deceive" you. Satan is known as the "Father of Lies". Lying is not native to God. When God makes a statement, you can trust it. When God makes a judgment, it is based on the truth. When God speaks about eternal life, you can bet everything on it. Why? God doesn't lie. All God's promises are truth-tested. You never have to worry about God deceiving you.
To put it all together, God has chosen the faithful for all eternity. They are part of God's elect, God's chosen people. If you are one of the righteous and faithful elect who responded with a "YES!" to God, you can trust that God's eyes are with you. God's ears listen for your voice, your prayer, your cry. God cares deeply what happens to you, and God is looking forward to spending eternity with you. Everything you do today, this week, this year is very important to your relationship with God. "Further your faith". Be full of "godliness". You are God's ambassador. You represent HIM. You do act like Jesus Christ is your Savior, don't you?
July 17
“Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop and let me tell you what Yahweh said to me last night.” So he said to him, “Speak.” Samuel said, “… are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? Yahweh has anointed you as king over Israel. When Yahweh… said to you: ‘Go! You must utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and you must fight against them until you have destroyed them.’ Why did you not listen to the voice of Yahweh…? You have done evil in the sight of Yahweh!” Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have listened to the voice of Yahweh, and I have gone on the way that Yahweh sent me! I brought Agag the king of Amalek, and the Amalekites I have utterly destroyed. The troops took from the plunder, sheep and cattle, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God at Gilgal.” Then Samuel said, “Is there as much delight for Yahweh in burnt offerings and sacrifices as there is in obeying Yahweh? Look! To obey is better than sacrifice; to give heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination; arrogance is like iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh, he has rejected you from being king!” Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned because I have transgressed the commandment of Yahweh and your words, for I feared the troops and I listened to their voice.”
(1 Samuel 15:16–24, LEB)
The Amarna Tablets in Egypt described the Amalekites as "plunderers". They attacked the Israelites in the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 25:18). They ambushed and attacked Israel multiple times in places like Rephidim (Exodus 17:8-13, 1 Samuel 15:2) and Hormah (Numbers 14:45), killing a number of the faithful. The Amalekites made allies of the Moabites and Midianites in order to strengthen their numbers and attack Israel further (Judges 3:13; 6:3). Following these and other attacks not recorded in the Bible, God demanded that they be destroyed in response. Saul was to accomplish this mission.
In 1 Samuel 14 and 15, Saul takes up the fight. Despite a valiant effort, Saul did not follow God's "rules" after that battle. Saul was to destroy everything of the Amalekites and not take any "booty" in the war (1 Samuel 15:2,3). However, Saul's troops liked the spoils of war, and Saul wanted to look good to his troops. Even though Saul destroyed the Amalekites, he kept the best of their animals for the soldiers and himself and did not kill their powerful king. In doing so, he went against the command of God once again in his life. You see, Saul had a problem with authority and obedience. He often did not follow God's instruction given through the prophet Samuel. His disobedience cost him the protection of God and the kingship of Israel.
In 1 Samuel 15, Samuel was sent by God to confront Saul. Saul defended his actions in the battle. Saul explained that despite what God commanded, he wanted to keep the animals for sacrifice and to eat (1 Samuel 15:15). After a while, he confessed that he didn't listen to God because he wanted to look good in front of his soldiers, keeping some of the animals of the Amalekites to feast on with his men (1 Samuel 15:24). He even states that he "obeyed the voice of the troops" when he disobeyed God. His disobedience meant God's rejection of him as king (1 Samuel 15:11). Samuel told Saul of the rejection in these words: "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice… Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he [God] has also rejected you from being king.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23)
Disobedience cost Saul the throne of God's people. Because of disobedience, God knew that Saul was not trustworthy and would not follow commands. "In Jeremiah 7:23 God says, “Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you” (Jeremiah 7:23). As much emphasis as God placed on sacrifices in the Old Testament, God valued obedience more." (Bill Bright, 10 Basic Steps: The Christian and Obedience). God valued obedience MORE!
Your missions for God in life involve obedience. God has to trust that you will complete your tasks in HIS way. God can see more than you do. You might rationalize in a decisive moment what you think you should do, but this may fail you. God chose you for your trustworthy obedience. Follow HIS commands. Trust in HIS voice. Seek HIS direction. In the end, obey God's Word.
I have known many pastors who made decisions more by political correctness or church policy than God's direction. Many smart Christians have gone against God by using worldly reason rather than godly revelation. You might choose to do what you think is right rather than what God KNOWS is right. Be careful when your rationalizing gets in the way of doing what God wants you to do. Obedience is key to faith.
In a moment of weakness, Billie Jean swore at her husband. She had been working hard all day and was tired. Billie Jean and her husband were doing landscaping in their yard, pulling weeds and adding a stone walkway. It was hot. The bugs were biting. It was hard work. When her husband tripped while pushing the wheelbarrow and accidentally knocked into her, she blew up at him. She swore at him for a full minute. Throughout their work that day, she was snotty and harsh. Bobby looked at her with hurt in his eyes.
Later that day as she prayed, she reflected on her anger. She knew it was wrong. God reminded her of that. But instead of telling her husband she was sorry and ask his forgiveness, she said to herself, "He'll be fine. I don't need to say anything. He knows I love him." She was wrong. Bobby was very hurt. She rationalized her sin away and instead of repenting, she ignored God's nudge to make things right. Three days later, Bobby had a stroke. Now, he has problems communicating and understanding. He has lost many memories. Since then, Billie Jean has tremendous guilt about never saying she was sorry to Bobby on the day they did the landscaping. It eats away at her whenever she sees his picture. It even bothers her when she prays. To this day, she feels as if God doesn't love her because of her anger. She even wonders if the stroke was God's punishment upon her.
Obedience to God involves you following the command and Word of God, even in the little things. It means you need to set aside your own "issues" to do what you know is right by God. Can you be trusted to follow God's voice? Will you obey God's Word? Do you ignore God's voice when HE calls you to repent or change your ways? God is looking out for you. God may push you to get out of your comfort zone, repent of a sin, make some changes, or say you are sorry in order to protect you from later harm or regret. To fail to obey will cost you. Our scripture today displays that obedience means a lot to God. Does it mean a lot to you?
July 18
“But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”” (Acts 3:18–26, ESV)
As I was driving to church yesterday, I overheard a comment by a person on Christian Radio. She mentioned that people today are strongly influenced by computers. In a piece of reflection, she grabbed hold of my attention when saying, "We have gotten so used to pressing the delete key on the computer, that when it comes to sin we think we can do the same thing. But you can't just get rid of a sin as easily as pressing delete, delete, delete and starting over." Boy, was she right. Sin affects us. It leaves a residue in our lives. It doesn't just go away as easily as pressing a delete key. It takes repentance and a changing of one's sinful ways.
In Acts 3, we see this explained in a sermon by Peter. After healing a man and enabling him to walk, Peter saw an opportunity to preach to the people about the resurrected Jesus. Peter reminded the Jews gathered near a gate at the temple that the suffering of Jesus was foretold by the prophets (Acts 3:18). He also quoted Moses who said that "God would raise up a prophet…" Peter said that this prophet who Moses prophesied about was none other than Jesus (Acts 3:26, 4:2). In response to the sending of Jesus, God wanted the people to do two things: "Repent" and "turn toward God" (Acts 3:19, 26).
Repentance involves asking for forgiveness from your sins. It means regretting your sin and rejecting that sin. It involves saying you are sorry to those you have wronged and to God. It may involve atoning or making right a wrong. Zacchaeus, for example, gave money back to those to whom he had defrauded (Luke 19). King David had to admit to the prophet Nathan that he had hidden his sinful actions toward Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Samuel 12). He also had to accept God's judgment for his sin (2 Samuel 12:15). Repentance involves the humility to accept that you sin and seeking forgiveness for your wrongful act.
Repentance also involves turning away from your sinful attitudes and actions and turning toward God.
Usually when you sin, you will find that the sin itself is only part of it. The cause of the sin may be something completely different. A man may sin by choosing to steal. The cause of the sin may be greediness, the fear of being without money, or something else entirely. A woman may sin by committing adultery, but the real cause of her sin might be jealousy, envy, narcissism, hedonism, or an insecurity. Thus, if you want to complete your repentance, it takes your willingness not to just express your regret, but a changing of your heart, mind, attitude, or habits. This isn't as easy as pressing delete, delete, delete on a computer keyboard!
There is a difference between individual sins, sin, and sinfulness. Do you know the difference? Individual sins are actions whereby you make a mistake, err in judgment, do something wrong, or go against God in a specific instance. Sin is different. Sin is an attitude or way of life that causes you to commit specific, individual sins. Sinfulness is when you live in sin. It is when sin has a hold on how you think or defines a part of who you are. You may commit individual sins by coveting what your neighbor has, being envious of your neighbor's wife, and desiring your neighbor's car. Your sin may be sexual in nature or maybe jealousy or possibly an insecurity (or all three!). Sinfulness will occur when you commit multiple acts of envious behavior and your jealousy takes hold in your mind. To deal with sin and sinfulness, you must both repent AND turn from your sinful ways.
I hope you can see that sin and sinfulness are often deeply rooted in your mind, heart, and attitude. This ingrained frame of mind often will cause you to commit individual sins. When sin takes hold in your life, it will take some effort, humility, and a change of ways in order to keep that sin from wrecking your life. If you keep committing the same individual sins over and over, they may take hold and cause you to live in sin. If you live in sin long enough, you become sinful. Sinfulness is when the sin takes over in your life. You will have a big fight on your hands when sinfulness holds you firmly in its grasp.
Repentance is the antidote to a sinful life. Turning toward God will save you from sinfulness. Where sin destroys your life in small and big ways, repentance cleans you from the effects of sin and frees you from the burden of guilt. Repentance is God's way of combating Satan's control of your life through sin. It is the saving grace through which forgiveness can be found. It is like salve for the soul. It is required in the life of every true and faithful Christian.
If you sin, you need to repent. Peter told that to those gathered at the Beautiful gate of the temple in Acts 3. John the Baptist reminded the faithful of this in Matthew 3:11. Jesus' first sermon required repentance as a response (Matthew 4:17). If you find that your life is full of problems, that an individual sin is just too tempting, that you often hurt those you love, repentance and a turning to God might be the key components to get you back on track. Are you prone to sin or prone to repent? Have you turned from sin in your life? What sins might be forming a pattern of sin in your life? Is there a thought or an attitude that needs to go? Pray to God, seeking repentance for your failures. Turn toward God and away from wrong. Feel the freedom that comes with grace and forgiveness. True biblical repentance and turning to God will soothe your heart in ways nothing else can.
July 19
“And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first. If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.” (1 John 4:13–21, NLT)
Have you ever thought to yourself, "I wonder if I'm going to heaven?" or "Is God with me?". Throughout history, many have thought the same. You are in good company. Our scripture today is the Apostle John's way of answering those questions for you. Proof that God is in you and with you in our scripture for today. All you have to do is answer four questions. If you can say, "Yes", to all of them, not only is God with you, but you have no need to fear death. Heaven is part of your future.
Our scripture begins by offering proof of God's presence in your life. John wrote that we can "know" that God is in our lives by the presence of the Holy Spirit (1 John 4:13). If you feel the presence of God's Holy Spirit and sense the Spirit of God directing your life, God is in you. It 's as simple as that. The presence of God's Spirit is a clear sign and "proof" that God lives in your. When speaking to the Corinthian Christians, the apostle Paul said twice that the body of a Christian is holy, because of the "Holy Spirit within" (1 Corinthians 6:19, 1 Corinthians 3:16). He also taught them that unspiritual people do not receive the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:14). There are many "spirits" that can fill a person, such as a spirit of jealousy (Numbers 5:30), a spirit of wisdom (Deuteronomy 34:9), a lying spirit (2 Chronicles 18:22), evil spirits (Acts 19:15), as well as the Holy Spirit. These spirits attach themselves to your heart and soul. When the Holy Spirit is a part of you, it is "proof" of God's presence in your life. The reason why is that God's Spirit will NOT remain in you as long as other "spirits" or evil spirits reside in you. You will either follow God's Spirit or another spirit. Is the Holy Spirit in your life? If not, what other spirit has control of you?
The second way to figure if God is in your life is if you share the faith. People who have the Holy Spirit in their hearts want to share the good news of the gospel. They naturally desire to talk about God in Christ. 1 John 4:14 says that true Christians "testify that the Father has sent His Son as the Savior of the world". The next verse adds that when you confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in you and you live in relationship with God (1 John 4:15). Do you share your faith? If so, this is the second way to know that you are in the good graces of Almighty God.
"Cedarville College president Paul Dixon tells the story of a high school girl who was in the audience several years ago when he was speaking about the need to tell others about Christ. As she listened, she decided she wanted to make a difference in her high school. She asked God to give her an opportunity.
The next day at school, one of her teachers who was fed up with the way things were going walked into his classroom and said, "I've had it. I'm tired of the hassle of teaching kids who don't have any respect. If any of you can tell me what life is all about and what our purpose is, go ahead."
Surprised, the girl raised her hand and explained that she had found answers to those questions in Jesus Christ. The teacher, who was an agnostic, invited her to stay after class and explain her beliefs. When she suggested that he attend an evangelistic meeting, he agreed. That Friday night he put his trust in Jesus as Savior, and today he's active in Christian service." (Our Daily Bread, May 8, 1995) When the Holy Spirit is in you, you will find times and places to share your faith.
The third way you can have proof of God in your life is by looking for godly love in your life, especially when you deal with people of the faith. If you have love for God in your heart, it will show itself in your life. The scripture for today said it this way: "We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.” (1 John 4:16) The reading for today also adds that no true Christian can say they love God and then show "hatred" toward a brother or sister in the faith (1 John 4:20). The scripture even calls anyone who is a true Christian and who shows hate or contempt to another person in the faith a "liar". You can't honestly love God if you harbor hate toward another faithful person. So the question for you now is, "Do you show love toward others, especially other faithful people?"
When you have God's Spirit in you, live a life filled with godly love, and share your faith in Jesus, one thing will disappear in you. What you will lose is a "fear of [eternal] punishment" from God (1 John 4:18). You won't fear going to hell. You'll know that heaven is in your future. The more your life gets full of godly things such as love and the Spirit and witnessing, the more you will feel confident in your future in heaven (1 John 4:17). When Stephen, the disciple, was about to die for the faith, he didn't cry or scream or beg for mercy. Being "full of the Holy Spirit", Stephen kept his eyes on Heaven. In response, God's glory was show to him, and he even saw Jesus in Heaven in his final moments (Acts 7:55). Did you notice that Stephen had no fear of death because he was "full of the Holy Spirit"? Fear of hell is a sign that your faith is not fully resting in God. If you were "right" with God, you would have no need to fear death or God's presence. Do you have so much confidence in God that you do not fear going to hell?
If you answered "yes" to the four questions above, you have your "proof" that heaven will be waiting for you upon death. The apostle Paul could answer "yes" to all four. He said in 2 Corinthians 5 that Christians can "KNOW" they are going to a place "eternal in the heavens". There is no need to doubt it or fear it. In Romans 8:38-39, Paul added that he is "sure" that death cannot separate us from God. God will be with you when you die. You can be "sure", too!
Bill Hybels wrote some years ago: "Sometime when you're in an airport, observe the difference between passengers who hold confirmed tickets and those who are on standby. The ones with confirmed tickets read newspapers, chat with their friends or sleep. The ones on standby hang around the ticket counter, pace and smoke, smoke and pace. The difference is caused by the confidence factor. If you knew that in fifteen minutes you would have to stand in judgment before the Holy God and learn your eternal destiny, what would your reaction be? Would you smoke and pace? Would you say to yourself, "I don't know what God's going to say."?" (Bill Hybels, Too Busy Not To Pray, IVP, p. 113.) This scripture was written to give you "confidence" and "proof" of your relationship with God and future in HIS kingdom. Isn't it wonderful to know that you are in safe, eternal, graceful, loving hands? You did answer "yes" to all four underlined questions above, didn't you?
July 20
“[Jesus said] “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’”
(John 15:18–25, NIV84)
I have taught something for years, but felt ignored. Many believed things could never be this way. I told them that Jesus even said it would happen. They still did not believe it could happen. Time is proving them wrong. Decades ago, I said that in the coming years, Islam would grow and in response attack Christianity. I also said atheism would grow. It too would attack Christianity. When I said it would happen in the United States, people thought I was crazy. How could Islam, especially after 9-11-2001, dominate as a religion in the West? Why would atheism ever prove a threat to Christianity? The statistics are proving all the doubters wrong. Let me show you how this is not only happening today, but it has been happening for centuries. Jesus even predicted it.
In a recent study in Britain, they asked 12,000 Christians their opinion. What they found surprised them, but not me. Ninety-Three percent felt marginalized and put down for their Christian faith. Half of those in the poll felt they were persecuted for being a Christian. Twenty-six percent felt afraid to share their faith. The younger the Christian, the more persecution they experienced. In the U.S., the leader of the Liberal Democrats Group resigned. As a Christian, he wrote in his resignation note: We are kidding ourselves if we think we yet live in a tolerant, liberal society," Pastor Greg Laurie, responding to the resignation and the study in Britain, believes what is happening in Europe is just the beginning. The US. is "not far behind". ((www.onenewsnow.com/church/2017/07/18) As more displaced Muslims are let into Europe where atheism is the established religion of many Western nations, Christians are encountering persecution from both Islam and Atheism.
Muslims in many African nations attack Christians. Christians in Iraq have fled for their lives. Several terrorist bombs have destroyed Christian churches in Coptic Christian areas of Egypt. Atheist social activists have purposely gone after Christian businesses, causing them to close their doors. Conservative pastors in liberal Christian denominations have been silenced, ejected from their denominations, or been forced to step down. When Christians speak out against communities who desire sharia (Muslim) laws being enacted, they find media scrutiny and liberal scorn. If you think all this is new, you would be wrong. Jesus predicted it in our scripture for today.
Not long before Jesus died, he took time to warn his disciples about the ways of the world. In John, chapter 15, Jesus laid down the fact that followers of God in Christ would be persecuted for their beliefs. Jesus said that the world hates him and would hate his followers (John 15:18-19). He also demonstrated the belief that the world loves worldly people (John 15:19). You only have to look at how much Hollywood is loved to see this in operation today. Adages like "sex sells" and "When in Rome, do what the Romans do" are popular and very worldly in origin. One suggests that sex in the movies is a big plus for making money. The other suggests that to be polite, you should "act like everyone else" so you fit in. Jesus believed differently. Where the world promotes sex, He promoted truth. Where the world promotes doing what's popular to fit in, He promoted doing what is right before God.
These two different world views (Christianity and other religions/atheism) will always clash. You are either worldly or godly. You can't be both.
Jesus went on to say that those who do not believe in God not only sin but they will "hate" those who do believe in God (John 15:20-25). Out of their hate for God, they will persecute Christians. Jesus didn't say worldly people might hate God and persecute you. He said they will do this. It is a given.
In every country in history where Islam or atheism has dominated the populace, there has been a persecution of Christians at some point. It is inevitable. Christians want to share their faith. Muslims and atheists, for the most part, want to silence it. In areas where Buddhism and Bahai have grown, there has been more acceptance of Christians, but persecution has also occurred. True Christians are taught not to persecute and kill others for the faith. I only wish all religions and peoples felt the same. It is a statistical fact that more Christians died for the faith in the last 100 years than in the past 1900 years before that. One Christian died by persecution every six minutes in 2016 (See reference at end of meditation). Until you wake up to the reality that being a Christian is not only a joy but can cause suffering and death, you only are putting your head in the sand and denying the truth of history (See Voice of the Martyrs web site www.persecution.com for many more facts).
I write this meditation today not to cause you to fear persecution, but to remind you that there are people who hate God and Jesus (John 15:25). They will hate you. God, on the other hand, will love you dearly. Your faith is precious and necessary to our world. Your faith is truly the only thing that will ever have a chance of saving our world from ultimate destruction. Your true love of God and neighbor can bring the grace our world is desperate to find. Pray for our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters. Pray for all those who suffer persecution, Christian or not. Some day, a list of those who are silenced or persecuted may include you.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_persecution#Persecution_of_Christians
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly-james-clark/christianity-most-persecuted-religion_b_2402644.html
http://www.christianpost.com/news/90000-christians-killed-in-2016-1-every-6-minutes-study-172464/
July 21
“On one of those days, as he was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they sought to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?” When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, take up your bed and go home.”And immediately he rose before them, and took up that on which he lay, and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen strange things today.”” (Luke 5:17–26, RSV)
It's called a writer's block. It's when you are writing something, but the words are not flowing. The sentences just don't seem to make it to the paper. Writer's block can happen to anyone at anytime. It will hamper your ability to communicate through the written word. Many things can cause writer's block: a lack of inspiration, stress, illness, sadness, emotional upheavals, overwork, even falling in love. Until you find the source of the problem or until you are inspired, writer's block will make it difficult for you to express yourself on paper.
There are many other types of blocks in life you may need to overcome. A blocked artery could cause you to have a heart attack or stroke. A blocked intersection may make your commute half an hour longer. A blocked pass will keep a football team from scoring. When things block your way, how do you handle it? Do you give up? Do you complain? Do you find another way?
In the scripture for today, Jesus was surrounded by crowds on every side. He was in a walled portico or a large house. Between the walls and the people, those who wanted to see him were limited, blocked. There was a paralyzed man who had a few friends. They all wanted desperately to get in to see Jesus. Maybe the paralyzed man could be healed! But, with the crowds and the walls, there was no way to even get close. That's when the friends decided their way to Jesus would not be blocked! They would find a way around that problem! The men went up to the roof of the place where Jesus was, removed the roof tiles, and dropped the man down (with some effort I bet!) right by Jesus (Luke 5:19). Jesus was impressed by their faith (Luke 5:20). Since the power of healing was with him (Luke 5:17), Jesus healed the paralyzed man (Luke 5:24). "Immediately", the man got up and walked home, taking his bed with him.
The miracle of the healing of this paralyzed man is itself a wonderful event in our story above. But, I want to focus on what caused Jesus to heal the man. The man never would have been healed if he wouldn't have gotten to see Jesus. If the friends of the man had not persisted to find a way to Jesus, the man would never have been able to walk. They overcame the blocked pathways to find a way to Jesus, so the healing could occur.
Sometimes, you have to find a pathway to Jesus. Things in life can and will get in your way and block your connection with God. Your prayers might feel like they aren't going anywhere. Your car might get a flat tire on the way to worship. The church might be full on Easter, except for one seat way in the back. Your friends might push you to skip church and go golfing. There are a billion ways to get blocked on the way to spend time with Jesus. The question is, "Are you going to find a way to be with HIM?"
I've known very busy people who worked sixteen hour days, who found that the only time they could read their Bible and pray was at 4am. Rather than sleep in, they found a way to get up and spend time with their Lord. In the last church I served as pastor, there was the story of a man in the 1940's who would come to church two hours before worship to start up the fire in the old wood burner in order to heat the sanctuary. When I was in Honduras, I met a church elder who traveled an hour by foot one way just to get to the church for Adult Sunday School. His family walked with him! All these and millions more have found a way to be with Jesus. How about you? Is there something that keeps you from time with HIM? Does something block your way?
The paralyzed man would never have been healed that day long ago, if not for the desire of those who were with him. They wanted to see Jesus. They wanted healing for their friend. They were willing to climb the walls, take apart the roof tiles, do whatever it took, to get to HIS presence. How far are you willing to go so that others can see Jesus? Are you willing to overcome obstacles and blocked paths? Do you only spend time with God when its easy to do? Will you only help others when its convenient? Search your soul today. Find a way to Jesus, no matter what blocks your path. HE is waiting to bless your life. HE can't wait to see who you've brought along with you! Show that faith!
July 22
“Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.” (Psalm 1:1–6, NLT)
For centuries, ancient farmers would crush stalks of grain with heavy stones or carts. Then, they tossed the remnants into the air. The heavier parts were kept to make dough and breads. The lighter bits of straw and husk, the chaff, was blown away. It was seen as worthless and scattered with the wind.
In the Bible, chaff is a frequent symbol of the wicked. Like chaff, the wicked are seen as insubstantial and worthless, destined to be scattered and discarded by God (Such as in Isaiah 29:5, Jeremiah 13:24, and Luke 3:17). It's terrible to think of a person as worthless, but if you think about what wicked people can do and the damage they cause, it may seem that way from God's point of view. Wicked people in the Bible were known to kill, maim, hurt, starve, torture, and perform other evil acts. Their destructive tendencies often caused people to suffer and nations to weaken. They usually didn't help things, but often made things worse.
In the first Psalm of our Bible, it speaks about the righteous like "trees planted along the riverbank" (Psalm 1:3). Both the righteous and healthy trees prosper and grow and offer shelter and bring forth fruit. They bring comfort on a hot day and rest for the weary traveler. This psalm describes holy people as "not following the advice of the wicked", not joining with "mockers", and delighting in God's law. God watches over them (Psalm 1:6).
The wicked in Psalm 1 are not seen as healthy trees that bring comfort and shelter. They are described as "worthless chaff". They are fit to be disgarded and "scattered by the wind" (Psalm 1:4). In the future judgment, they will be "condemned" (Psalm 1:5). If you follow them, you will find only "destruction" (Psalm 1:6). Where the holy produce shade and fruit, the wicked produce condemnation and destruction. God does not watch over them to protect them.
In our "modern" churches, there is often a hesitation to separate the wheat from the chaff, the holy from the wicked. Preachers are encouraged to share the gospel, but are persuaded not to be clear about right and wrong, good and bad. Some people talk about decisions as if there is no black and white, right and wrong. There are only shades of gray. This can lead people astray. It can cause the righteous to view sin as mere dalliance or just mistakes in judgment. It can lead the wicked to believe that they aren't bad people, just "misguided". I believe that sometimes we have to make very clear what is right and wrong, good and bad, holy and wicked. God certainly does this. Psalm 1 does this. Are you clear about what God's word says is right and wrong?
It's very important in our world today to keep an eye out for what's right and wrong; which path leads to godliness and which path leads to destruction (Psalm 1:6). Our world sometimes blurs the lines between the two, or outright mixes them up. What's right is wrong. What's wrong is now right.
A teacher reported to the principal that she had seen a group of children kneeling in a corner of the playground during the noon break. Hastily, the principal called the children to the office. Then, the principal asked for an explanation of what they were doing on the playground and why they were kneeling. The kids looked at each other for support, then bent low and said, “We were playing poker.”
The principal sighed putting his finger in his glistening collar. He said, “Oh, I’m so relieved, I thought you were praying.” What???? In our world today, prayer at school is now wrong and poker is now right???
Don't be surprised if you find that people today don't know right from wrong. In school, they are not allowed to pray or teach morals or ethics. The kids can learn facts, but not what's right and wrong. In some elementary schools they have taught kids how to use condoms, but they don't tell the kids what's right and wrong about sex! One person even commented online about sex lately saying, "When it comes to sex, there is no right or wrong. There are only choices." Sheesh!!!
Psalm 1 makes very clear that the path you chose in life and those you follow down that path will lead you to godliness or destruction: one or the other. Sometimes, the path is unclear to you, but it is not to God. Make sure you are not on a path that leads to destruction. You won't like where it takes you. Like chaff blown in the wind, the path to destruction will carry you in places you don't want to go.
How clear are you about right and wrong? What have your children learned about right and wrong from you? Do you tend to twist in your mind what is right and wrong to suit your own desires and moods? Do you remember when you came to a figurative "fork in the road" in your past? Talk about these things with your Lord today. Let HIM help you see more clearly the path you are on.
“Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105, HCSB)
July 23
“Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear. I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality. Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure.” (1 Timothy 5:20–22, NKJV)
When the prophet Isaiah was called by God to purify the land of Judah from sin, Isaiah had a vision of Heaven. He found himself in God's presence among seraphim. He was in front of God's throne. At the very moment he realized he was in heaven and in the presence of God, he realized that he was in trouble. He was a sinner. Isaiah said out loud, "Woe is me … I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). Isaiah knew that sinners in the sight of God would die. He thought he was a dead man. At that moment, a seraphim took a burning coal from the fires in heaven and brought it to Isaiah and touched his mouth with it. He was told his sins were forgiven in that moment by the burning coal (Isaiah 6:7). Thus, he was cleansed and purified from his sins before God. Isaiah was then allowed to be in God's presence and receive his commission to be a prophet to Judah.
For years, I thought the heat of a coal in heaven burned the sin metaphorically from Isaiah's mouth. However, recently I've taken a new view of this. The seraphim didn't just use heat to cleanse Isaiah from his sin. He used a coal. After some study, I found out that coal is not only used for heat. It is used in various processes of purification. Bituminous Coal is used to make activated carbon. Activated carbon has been used for centuries to remove contaminants and impurities using chemical adsorption. Many home water purifiers, fish tank filters, and air purifiers use activated carbon from coal to clean air and water. Silver and Gold are also purified with it. As I look at Isaiah 6, I can now see that the heat of the hot coal not only purified Isaiah's lips, but the coal itself was a purifier as well. Both heat and coal purify. Symbolically, Isaiah's mouth was cleansed for his ministry to Judah. He was made pure again.
Purity is important to God. Heaven's streets are made with "pure Gold" (Revelation 21:18). The Beatitudes say that those who are "pure in heart" will see God (Matthew 5:8). In Jeremiah 2:21, God called Israel a "pure seed" that was planted in our world. In Malachi 1:11, God asked for a "pure offering" when the people came for worship. Paul wanted the faithful to give "pure devotion" to God (2 Corinthians 11:3). In these and many more scriptures "purity" is seen as a godly trait. In our scripture above from 1 Timothy 5, "purity" from sin is seen as crucial for the faithful.
In teaching Timothy the ins and outs of ministry, Paul focused in the above scripture on keeping sin away from the faithful. Paul wrote Pastor Timothy to correct or "rebuke" those who sinned (1 Timothy 5:20). He urged Timothy to do this "without partiality", without bias. He cautioned Timothy not to share in "other people's sins" (1 Timothy 5:22). Timothy was to keep himself separated from their sin. Sin makes a person "unclean" before God (Isaiah 6:5). Sin taints you and stains you (Jeremiah 2:22). A pure heart is one that is free from sin and guilt. It is a heart that has been forgiven and does not live in sin. Paul urged Timothy to "keep himself pure" from sin (1 Timothy 5:22).
During the Vietnam War, a squadron of pilots was known for its many parties and carousing. Often, the men would fly in morning missions, then go to the bars and brothels at night. The war took its toll among the men. Within months, venereal diseases and liver disease began to spread among the men. Every single one of the men, except one, got sick. The doctor called the only man who didn't get sick to his office. He asked him how he had kept healthy, hoping to use that to help the other men. The man told the doctor, "I have a girl back home. I love her. I'm going to save myself for her." He didn't go out drinking, but instead would stay up late and write his fiance. He didn't visit the prostitutes, because he was "saving himself for her." After his tour, he married his love. Sadly, the doctor realized that very few of the pilots were able to remain disease-free for long. Their hard partying and sexual trysts made disease and sickness almost inevitable.
Remaining "pure" in a world of sin is not easy. Few people can be in a morally sick environment and not get tainted by the common sin. You need to be like that one pilot who "saved himself" for his girl. He remained true to her. Can you remain true to God? Sins can taint your life in so many ways. They can bring disease, as in the case of the pilots in Vietnam. They can cause sleepless nights, guilt, depression, and so much more. The pure in heart know to follow God's ways to keep from sin. Remember, purity is important to God.
Are you "pure in heart"? Is there a sin that continues to stain your life? Let God cleanse any unrighteousness in you. Unclean thoughts lead to sinful actions. To be pure before God, you need to keep away from sin. Don't let unclean thoughts direct your path. Use prayer with God to help keep you pure. Let forgiveness wash you clean (Psalm 51:5-8). Long for the grace of God to keep you free from the stain of guilt. Be righteous before God. Remember, the "pure in heart" are the ones who can see God most clearly (Matthew 5:8).
July 24
“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct. They were filled with all manner of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity, they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them but approve those who practice them.” (Romans 1:28–32, RSV)
In the scripture above is listed the ways that sinful people live unrighteous lives. One word in the list of sins is repeated. Do you see it? It's the word, "evil". Evil is not only listed with "wickedness" and "murder", "gossip", "haters of God", and other sinful evidence. Sinners are seen as "inventors of evil" (Romans 1:30). Nowhere in scripture is evil seen as a good thing, an admirable trait, or a part of God's character. Job was praised by God for turning away from evil (Job 1:8, Job 2:3). Paul said that Jesus was sent to save us from this "evil age". The Armor of God written about in Ephesians is seen as protection from evil (Ephesians 6:13, Ephesians 6:16). Evil is never, ever seen as good.
However, that's not how the world sees it. In a new ad promotion for Disney's movie, "Descendants 2", the motto chosen was "Being evil never looked so good." (See picture at bottom of this page) In the ads, young girls are offered clothes and accessories that make them look good, while promoting the bad. Some may see this as just a lot of fun or a word play in advertising. But, how moral is it when you promote anything evil as good?
I find it interesting that in the list of sinfulness given by Paul in Romans 1, he also included "disobedience to parents" as a sign of unrighteousness before God (Romans 1:30). 2 Timothy 3:2 also lists disobedience by children as a hallmark of the "end times". Those end times are seen as highly stressful times (2 Timothy 3:1). I'm sure they are. When children become disobedient to parents, it leads to a breakdown of the family. Many studies have shown that when the family unit breaks down or becomes dysfunctional, stress and psychological problems are the inevitable result. (http://childhoodtraumarecovery.com/2015/11/18/dysfunctional-families-types-and-effects/)
Evil always seeks to break down the family unit. To promote evil as good among children can never end well.
I want you to think about the list of sinful actions from Romans 1. None of them are good, are they? The list was written by Paul to help Christians like you to shun the kinds of things that lead to evil. He ends the paragraph by saying they go directly against God and God's command or decree (Romans 1:32). Of the things written in the list, which are ones that strike home to you? Which are you experiencing? Which are you prone to practice?
Evil and sinful practices always cause harm. That is why God wants you to shun them. When the scripture says sinners are "inventors of evil", what does that mean? The original Greek words here mean to "think up ways to do evil". Notice that this type of evil begins in the mind, where you think up ways to do wrong. Evil people have evil thoughts. Those evil thoughts poison the mind and then cause the person to do evil. The evil thoughts precede the evil acts.
Be careful when you "think up" evil thoughts. They can easily translate into evil actions. In the end you will not only do evil, but be evil. You will be another "inventor of evil".
The story is told of a woman who was bitten by a mad dog. She didn't seek medical attention quickly, and pretty soon it was too late for her. It looked as if she was going to die of rabies. The doctor told her she should make her will. She only had a short time to live. Taking her pen and paper, she began to write and write and write. It took her half an hour. Finally the doctor said, “That is surely a long will you’re making.”
She snorted, “Will nothing! I’m making a list of all the people I’m going to bite!”
In the woman's response, you can see that in her mind she was keeping track of those whom she hated. She was going to seek revenge on her enemies. While the doctor was innocently thinking she wanted to make things right in her final hours by making a will, the woman was actually thinking how she would get back at those she hated.
Evil thoughts conjured up in the mind will always end up hurting you. Given enough time, they fester into evil actions. When you wake up at night inventing evil in your mind, it is time to confess your sin and change your ways. Don't let those thoughts give birth to evil actions. If you look at a pretty person and jealously wish them to become ugly, you are in trouble. If you look at a rich person and dream of them losing everything, watch out. If you see a person and in your hate you conjure up thoughts of their suffering or doom, you are in a dangerous state. Ask God to free you from "inventing evil in your mind" before it infects the rest of your life.
Is there an evil thought that keeps coming back to your mind? Are you comfortable with a sin? Do you think up ways of getting revenge upon others, inventing evil to come upon them? All these are warning signs that you are in dangerous waters. It may be time to come clean with God!
(The original Daily Meditation included photos of the Disney apparel and advertisements, but they have been excluded here due to software errors.)
July 25
“My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path will save that person’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19–20, NET)
This week, police in Cocoa, Florida have interviewed a group of teens aged 14 to 16 about a video one took with his cell phone. The video shows a man, Jamel Dunn, screaming for help and then drowning. The boys took a video of the drowning, but did not try to save the man. They didn't call 911. The police didn't know what happened until the video showed up on social media. It is not known how Jamel Dunn, who was disabled, fell into the water. What we do know is that the teens made fun of him while he drowned. They called him names and swore at him. The one thing they didn't care to do was try to save him (http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/07/20/teens-filmed-mocked-and-laughed-while-man-slowly-drowned.html).
Would you find it hard to watch someone dying and not lift a finger to help? Does it bother you that people took a video of the drowning of Jamel Dunn, but didn't do anything for the dying man? Not caring while a person is dying, when you could help, is a sign of great sadness to me. If you think Jamel Dunn's death is unusual, I point you to what happened in Richmond, California in 2009. A 15 year old girl was beaten and raped on school grounds. Twenty people witnessed the crime. Nobody helped. She almost died.
Our world is not only filled with violence, but too many people who don't care to rescue, protect, or save those in danger. I could give you thousands of examples this year alone, of people who did nothing or said nothing while terrible things happened to others. There are videos on social media of people committing suicide. While people watched the death, most didn't care to call the police or get involved (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekebtdgVeY0). In some of these cases of suicide live-streamed, nobody called for help.
As I read of these emergencies where nobody called for help, it got me thinking. Spiritually, do people do the same thing? If a friend hints at suicide, would you reach out for help? If you saw a person being self-destructive would you care enough to step in and do what you could? If a person was living as if they were going to hell, would you care?
Our scripture from James included above shows how much God cares when we reach out to save others from spiritual death. In these verses, it mentions that if a sinner is backsliding spiritually and you do something to get them back on track, you will help save their soul from eternal death (James 5:19). God will notice your deed of love and will also forgive a great many sins as a gift to celebrate your gracious act (James 5:20). Thus, the person you bring back to the fold will be saved and forgiven. Your help will be noticed by God.
God enjoys when people are saved. God celebrates when the lost are found. Jesus told the parable of the lost sheep. When explaining its meaning, he said, "I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance" (Luke 15:7). In Luke 23:35, ruling elite made fun of Jesus while he was dying on the cross. Priests, scribes, elders and common folk joined in mocking Jesus (Matthew 27:39-40). Ultimately, it was God the Father who saved him from eternal death, raising him on Easter (Acts 5:30).
In commenting on this scripture from James, the Believer's Bible Commentary asks the following question: " When you see a brother fall into sin, do you criticize him or try to restore him?" (p. 2245). It is not uncommon for Christians to look the other way or shun a backsliding brother or sister. Sometimes, it is out of jealousy. At other times, it is out of a feeling of spiritual superiority or pride. There are those who enjoy seeing others fail in life. Paul even warns the Corinthian church of this tendency (1 Corinthians 13:4-6). The Believer's Bible Commentary also states this about our scripture from James: "Verse 19 describes a Christian brother who has wandered away "from the truth", either in doctrine or in practice. Another brother makes this a matter of fervent, believing prayer, and thus lovingly "turns him back" to fellowship with God and with his brothers and sisters in Christ. How immense is the significance of this ministry!... We need this ministry today. In our zeal to evangelize the lost, perhaps we do not give sufficient attention to those sheep of Christ who have wandered from the fold." (Also p. 2245)
There is a great need to save the spiritually drowning in our world. There are those who have fallen away from God, been ensnared by sin, lost their way. Someone needs to reach out to them. Will you be one to reach out? There are those who are begging for help spiritually. You might see it when they become self-destructive or fall into depression. Will you be a spiritual lifeline to help them in their darkest hour? You may not be able to save everyone who is spiritually drowning around you. But, that doesn't stop you from helping directly or indirectly. It doesn't stop you from approaching your pastor to reach out to the struggling servant of God in your church. It can't stop you from praying for that person, or stopping by to visit. How can you help save a spiritually drowning child of God?
If you've never seen someone who is drowning spiritually, you haven't been looking very hard. They are all around you. Ask God to show you one to help. Ask God to give you the right words to share. If you are struggling yourself right now, don't be surprised if God doesn't send some help. Our God is like that. Our God loves to see a rescue! Our God loves to save!
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
“For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)
July 26
“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:1–4, ESV)
Every now and then, my grandfather would say something that would really stick. One time, while in his workshop, we were talking about friendship. He mentioned that I needed friends who were "tried and true". I've heard that phrase many times in my life. Usually it refers to something or someone reliable or trusted. But, I've always wondered where that phrase came from. Recently, a woodworker was speaking to me. He also said something was "tried and true". I asked him if he knew where that phrase came from originally. He told me it had its origin in woodworking.
A "try plane" is a woodworking tool that would flatten a board out, shaving off the highs and low areas. Then, the board would be considered "true" or straight, ready for use in woodworking. All woodworkers want the straightest wood for making cabinets, walls, and much more. Can you imagine what a wall would look like if the wood for studs was not planed and made straight, "tried and true"? It would not be strong, nor would it hold up with time. "Tried and true" wood is the best for woodwork. In the same manner, "tried and true" people or laws or ethics or rules are to be trusted as well. The English word, "trial", was used historically as a method to find out the truth of the matter. A trial was a way to find out who was on the straight and narrow, what was the truth, or what worked.
People often look at trials in the courts as a bad thing. In history, however, trials were supposed to be good things. In a trial, you could find out what was the truth. You could determine what was right and what was wrong, who could be trusted and who could not. A trial, in all reality, is a good thing when it is done fairly and equitably. It is necessary for any civilized society and a hallmark of true justice.
In the scripture above, the Apostle James introduced his letter to his readers. He also talked about trials. James, too, saw trials as a good thing even though they might be difficult. He believed that a person was made more perfect by facing them (James 1:4). It was a joy to face them and come through faithfully (James 1:2). Just like a board was made more straight by use of a try plane, a trial would help determine who was morally, faithfully, and godly more "straight" or true in life.
When James wrote his letter to the Jewish Christians (the "twelve tribes of the dispersion" in James 1:1), many were experiencing persecution and suffering. In Rome, Christians were thrown to the lions. Paul had to "testify" before governmental authorities (Acts 23:11) and regional governors (Acts 24:1). Christians like Stephen were martyred, killed (Acts 7). Sometimes, the Christians were stoned or murdered. At other times, they were brought to trial. Christians liked trials, for it was a chance to plead their case in front of impartial judges. They shared their faith in Christ at the trials, hoping for clemency in the court. This also proved a chance for evangelism. In court, trials were a chance to "prove" the case of Christ. It was a time to expound the gospel of truth! (Galatians 2:5)
James didn't just see the courts as a place to face trials. He saw everyday life as a place where trials of faith were encountered (James 1:2). As long as a Christian was alive in this world, Satan would throw up challenges and tempt the faithful servant. Thus, everyday life brought with it trials of its own. These everyday trials were also seen in a positive light. They would help show who was preaching the truth and who were not. The trials of everyday life also helped strengthen the Christian and purify the gospel message. Do you view trials in everyday life as good or bad?
"When the Wasp, one of America's great naval vessels in World War II, caught fire and began to sink, the sailors were ordered to abandon ship and swim away from the vessel immediately. They jumped overboard, but instead of trusting their well-tested life jackets for safety many clung to the sides of the ship. When the vessel plunged beneath the surface, these sailors were sucked down with it and drowned.
We, as Christians, make similar blunders in our relationship with Jesus. We tend to forget His instructions in the heat of spiritual battle. Then when trials come, instead of relying on His promises, we cling to false securities as those frightened sailors did. Or we look at our frightening circumstances and push the panic button." (Sermon Illustrations, December 1992)
Trials show what a person truly believes. Trials serve to show what we cling to and what keeps us going. They display our "true" character. When you face spiritual trials in life, don't look at them as difficult times. Remember the book of James! See the trials not as a periods of suffering but chances to prove your faith to others and to God. Let the trials and challenges thrown your way by Satan serve to exhibit that God can trust in you and that others can rely on you to stay the course. You can't be made more "perfect" or "complete" without trials and a testing of your faith (James 1:4). Trials strengthen your faith, proving you "steadfast" in times where others falter and fail (James 1:3).
Are you a "tried and true" Christian? Can others count on your faith, no matter what difficulty you face? When adversity comes, some people melt and fall apart. Others are steadfast and true. When in spiritual battle, I look for strong and trustworthy friends to lean upon. I look for those who have come through, who are dependable in the Lord. Can others lean on you in troubled times? Can God count on you, no matter the challenge?
July 27
“Ephraim herds the wind, and pursues the east wind all day long; they multiply falsehood and violence; they make a bargain with Assyria, and oil is carried to Egypt. The Lord has an indictment against Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways, and requite him according to his deeds. In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and in his manhood he strove with God. He strove with the angel and prevailed, he wept and sought his favor. He met God at Bethel, and there God spoke with him— the Lord the God of hosts, the Lord is his name: “So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God.”" (Hosea 12:1–6, RSV)
In the scripture above, the prophet Hosea spoke of God's righteous anger toward Israel and Judah. In verse 1, Ephraim (Israel) was criticized for lying ("falsehood") and violence. God was also critical of their military and economic alliances with Assyria and Egypt (Hosea 12:1). Israel was known for leaning on those nations for defense more than leaning on God. Hosea also spoke out against Judah. Using court language, the Lord says HE has an "indictment" against Judah (Hosea 12:2). Hosea wrote how Judah was content to fight with angels (God) and his brother Israel (Hosea 12:3-4). Judah was known for infighting with Israel over the years. They even would send raids into each other's territory. In the end of the passage, God made clear through the prophet Hosea that the people should "return" to three things: "love", "justice", and "wait [ing] continually for God" (Hosea 12:6).
What does it mean to "wait continually for God"? In the original Hebrew, the words mean to patiently and regularly watch and look for God, seeking God's presence. I find it very interesting that along with God wanting Israel and Judah to practice more love of others and justice in the courts and in its interactions with governments, God also wants the people to watch and wait at all times for God's action and voice. The people are to seek God every day and at all times. The Lord would not ask this unless HE was going to be present in the lives of HIS people. God wouldn't say "watch for me", unless God knew there was something to watch for!!!! Do you watch for God continually?
While touring Italy, a man visited a cathedral that had been completed on the outside only. Once inside, the traveler found an artist kneeling before an enormous wall upon which he had just begun to create a mosaic. On some tables nearby were thousands of pieces of colored ceramic. Curious, the visitor asked the artist how he would ever finish such a large project. The artist answered that he knew how much he could accomplish in one day. Each morning, he marked off an area to be completed that day and didn't worry about what remained outside that space. That was the best he could do, and if he did his best, one day the mosaic would be finished.
Each of us must learn this ability to set aside the work for each day, even with God! We must learn to set aside time for God, prayer time, meditation time, bible study time. We do our best, knowing that some day the work will be finished. To do this takes patience. It takes continually setting aside time with God, seeking God's voice in each day, watching for God's direction. When we pray, we need to wait for God's time, watch for God's guidance. You never know when that day may be critical, and God's direction may mean everything.
On the last full day of Jesus' life, He met with his disciples in the upper room and they ate together. Then, they went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray (Matthew 26:36). Jesus gave the disciples one command, "Watch, while I pray" (Matthew 26:38). After eating and the walk up to the garden, the disciples were tired. Sadly, they slept. Over and over, Jesus told them to watch and pray (Matthew 26:38, 40 and 41). The disciples failed him. They kept falling asleep. It gave time for Judas and the soldiers to set Jesus' betrayal in motion.
It's not easy to watch and wait continually for God. Life gets in the way. Tiredness can take over.
Busy-ness can cause you to forget. Anxiety and worry may cause you to focus on other things. Still, God desires you to "wait continually", so you don't miss the important moments in life.
Knowing Hebrew and Greek pretty well, I'm sometimes surprised at what I see are mistakes in interpretation in English Bibles. The New Living Translation of the Bible does not say in Hosea 12:6 to "wait continually for God". It reads "always depend on God". I think this is a mistake in translation and interpretation. "Depending on God" means you lean upon God for support and strength. This is not what the original language intends. In the Hebrew, the onus is on you. You are to wait and watch at all times for God's presence and actions. In the New Living Translation , the onus seems to be on God. God is dependable. The New Living Translation is the only translation I could find that seemed to urge us to depend on God. All the rest of the translations focused more on God depending on you to watch and seek God patiently and often.
How dependable are you at watching and waiting? How patient are you? Do you set aside time for God? Have you noticed what God is doing lately or are you too busy to "wait continually on the Lord"? I know God is dependable. I know God will have things for you to see and do. I just hope and pray in the coming days that you are dependable in watching and waiting with patience, love, and justice.
July 28
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
(John 1:1–13, NASB95)
Several decades ago, I led a youth mission trip. As part of that trip, we visited Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. On a hot day, it was shockingly cold to enter the world of that cave, where the temperature hovered in the 50's and 60's most of the year. But, it wasn't the cold that I remember most. It was the darkness. On a tour of the cave, the Park Ranger mentioned how animals have adapted to the absence of light in the cave. He also taught that the darkness in a cave is very different from darkness on the surface of the earth. In a cave, the darkness is all-consuming. To explain this, the ranger turned off the lights. I couldn't see a thing, not my hand an inch from my face. If I wasn't holding on to a railing, I wouldn't have known which way was up or down. It was almost impossible for me to navigate in this darkness. I couldn't wait for the lights to come back on!
In the absence of light, spiritual darkness can also disorient you in a big way. You may find yourself not knowing which way is up, where to go, what to trust. Spiritual light can help you find your way. It can bring hope and healing. It will comfort you when you are surrounded by it.
I have read many stories of Marines battles during World War 2. On the island of Peleliu in the South Pacific, there was terrible fighting between the U.S. Marines and the Japanese Imperial Army. I read of one soldier who feared the cloudy night, because there were no lights on the front lines at Peleliu (and most of the island for that matter). On cloudy nights, the light of the moon would be absent. That's also when Japanese soldiers knew to crawl into the foxholes of sleeping Marines. In the light of day, the Marines would find the dead in the foxholes, because of the Japanese sneak attacks during the dark night. Many of the Marines learned to fear the darkness of night and only felt safe during the day.
Darkness has an unsettling aspect to it. Because humans are not nocturnal, we can't see clearly in the night. Humans are vulnerable to predators in the darkness. It is not unusual for people to fear the darkness, with its dangers and uncertainty. Movie directors know this. Often, they will use darkness to cinematic effect to hide the enemy, the zombie, the murderer, the spy.
The gospel of John begins with the separation between spiritual darkness and spiritual light. John starts off with the introduction of the "Word of God". According to John 1:14, the "Word of God" is actually Jesus, who came in the flesh to bring God's grace and truth to humanity. Jesus also was the source of spiritual light to a world filled with spiritual darkness (John 1:5). The gospel acknowledged John the Baptist as attesting to the light of Jesus (John 1:6-8). He "testified" to the truth of the Jesus' spiritual light. He verified its substance and effect.
John 1:5 it says that the spiritual light "shined in the darkness, but the darkness did not comprehend it." What does this mean? I believe that spiritual darkness cannot understand the need or greatness of the spiritual light. Imagine the animals in Mammoth Cave, being born in darkness and living in darkness day after day. They cannot comprehend what light is, because they have not experienced the light before. Then, when they put electricity in the cave and lights along the paths, for the first time the animals can understand light. Until they see the light, they can only comprehend darkness. It is the same spiritually. People who "walk in darkness" spiritually, don't understand that their way is wrong until confronted by the light. You need spiritual light to see through the spiritual darkness, to see what is true, to understand the light. According to John 1, Jesus is that spiritual light that can help you see what is godly around you.
In all the universe, all creation, light and dark constantly compete with each other. In the absence of light, darkness permeates. When a light shines, the darkness is beaten back. At the edge of the light, you might see a little, but the darkness will make seeing difficult. It is also the same, spiritually. When you are surrounded by spiritual darkness, it is hard to see the spiritual light. It is difficult to figure out what is right and wrong, good and bad, holy or evil. It is hard to even figure which way is up!
Those who don't know God, don't have godly friends, and don't go to godly places can't really understand what faith means. Living in spiritual darkness, they can't "comprehend" what it means to be faithful (John 1:5). Their lives are so filled with spiritual darkness that they can't determine what God wills or even who God is. Every now and then, though, I believe God shines a little light into their lives. God shines upon them. They get a glimpse of the spiritual light. Some slink back into the shadows. Some seek the spiritual light.
I was counseling at a camp in Merom, Indiana in the 1990's. Each night, before we went off to our cabins and to bed, the counselors and campers would have a group prayer. One night, an eight year old boy spoke up during prayer. He said, "God, I saw a shooting star tonight. I think it was for me to see. It shows me you want to reach out to me. You want me to look to heaven to see you and learn from you." I was shocked at his depth of spiritual sight! I knew right away that this young man was being touched by God. He sought the light! He enjoyed the bright meteorite falling from the sky that night! He saw the shooting star, and so much more, as gifts of God. God was speaking to him. God's spiritual light was bright that night!
John 1 went on to proclaim that Jesus came into the world as the "true light". Any who believed in Him could become "children of God" and be "born of God" (John 1:12,13). Thus, the true light of Christ can change those who choose to believe. God's light will continue to bring warmth to our world and to the faithful. God's light will even shine through the faithful to others (Matthew 5:14).
When the Christians in Rome were persecuted, they often gathered in the catacombs (underground tombs) to worship and meet together. Scientists and historians studying the catacombs found holes in the walls and wondered what they were there for. Then, it was determined that when each Christian family group came to worship, they would bring a torch with them. They'd place the torch in a hole in the wall. Together, all the torches would light up the catacomb when the people were all present. If a family was missing or jailed, their light would be absent. Their section of the area of the worship would darken. In the same manner, when you are not active with your faith, the spiritual light of God does not shine through you. Spiritual darkness permeates your world. Our world needs that spiritual light in you. When it is absent, others feel and see the effect.
Can others see God's light shining through you? When you come into a room, do you lighten it up with joy and hope and passion? Is there a spiritual cloud hanging over you lately, keeping the bright light of God from shining through? The world loves darkness. God loves the light. Which has hold in your life today... the darkness or the light?
July 29
“When the days drew near for him [Jesus] to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village.” (Luke 9:51–56, NRSV)
Jerry came home from work one day slightly agitated. His wife could see he was ill-at-ease. He paced from the moment he walked in. He didn't follow his usual routine of sitting in his chair for a half hour with a can of diet coke, reading through his emails. He was antsy. After watching him for about ten minutes, his wife said, "What's up, Jerry?" His only response was, "I have got to do something." With those words, he walked back out the door and disappeared down the driveway.
An hour and a half later, Jerry came back in. He followed his normal routine with his diet coke and emails. His smile was back, and he no longer seemed anxious. After a short while, his wife had to ask, "Where did you go?"
He told her, "I saw that older lady, Agnes, down the street struggling to prune her bushes. It so bothered me that I knew I had to help. It was as if God was telling me to go help her. So, I did. Did you know her husband just died two weeks ago?"
Shocked, Jerry's wife replied that she had no idea that Agnes was grieving. Jerry responded, "I felt like God was telling me I had to help her out with some of that outside work. I had to do something to help. If I didn't, I think I would have exploded!"
Ever had one of those moments when you just had to do something? Ever felt the need to go somewhere no matter what? Sometimes, God will put it in your head to complete a task and you know it is not an option. It is a mission. You've got a purpose.
Jesus felt the same thing about Jerusalem. He knew he was supposed to go there. Despite the fact that it would be dangerous and would cost Him His life, it was His mission. God the Father had a plan which required Him to be there for Passover. Jesus "set his face" to get there, one way or another (Luke 9:51). Twice in the scripture for today it says Jesus "set his face" to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51, Luke 9:53). This is also what it says in the original Greek. Other versions of the Bible interpret that he was "determined" (NASB) or "resolutely set" (NLT) to go to Jerusalem. Any way you look at it, Jesus was not going to be delayed. Nothing would stop Him from reaching Jerusalem, where God the Father was setting in motion the crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus was committed.
Have you ever felt you were supposed to do something because God planned it that way? Have you ever "set your face" toward a specific event or date or place? I believe it is not as uncommon as people make it out to be. I've known people who put their house in order, because they "just knew" their time was short. A few months later, they died. There are cases of those who felt they had to go to the doctor for a checkup, only to find out they were seriously ill but weren't aware of it! I personally have witnessed people who came back to church after many years, feeling they "must" get something off their chest immediately. I have seen it over and over when people felt that need to drop everything and do something they felt "must" be done. In many cases, it was a God-thing. It was God-inspired. And by the way, the timing was usually perfect!
In my last church, I received an anonymous letter. Opening it in my office, it said the following: "Dear Pastor: Twenty-two years ago, I stole a five dollar bill from the collection plate when it passed me in the pew. I was a poor college student at the time. I talked myself into doing it, figuring nobody would miss the money. It has haunted me ever since. This past Sunday, I was born again. As a condition of my new relationship with God, I felt I had to send this $5 back to your church. I decided to send $20 instead. Please use it on a needy family or wherever you see a need." It was unsigned. Over the years, I've received maybe a dozen such letters. Every time, the person felt God wanted him or her to make it right immediately. It had to be done right away as a condition of their forgiveness or atonement or peace. The person "set their face" to get the job done, to visit with me and drop off some money, or to come ask for forgiveness for a wrong.
In the scripture above, the disciples did not know that Jesus had "set his face" to go to Jerusalem. They had planned on stopping in Samaria, but were kept from it (Luke 9:52). The disciples were upset about the detour(Luke 9:54). James and John wanted Jesus to condemn the village they had planned to stop in and have "fire come down from heaven and consume them." Jesus was not going to condemn the village. He probably saw it as God the Father's confirmation that Jerusalem was Jesus' necessary destination. That's one thing about knowing you have to be somewhere that God is sending you. You also can see God manipulating your agenda so you have no reason not to get there!
Is there some place God wants you to go today or soon? Are you determined to get something done for God right now? Have you seen God altering your agenda lately? Any time God makes changes to your schedule, just realize that God cares where you go and what you do! It shows God is watching over you!
July 30
“[Jesus said] “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:25–27, NIV84)
In ancient times, when fighting hand to hand, a soldier was at a weakness. His eyes were on the front of his head! He couldn't see what was behind him! To counter this weakness, soldiers would often fight back to back. This way, one would only have to worry about what was right in front of him, knowing the other soldier would take care of what was behind him. The phrase, "I got your back" was borne out of this situation of soldiers who were known to watch each other's back when in defensive situations.
Did you know that God also "has your back"? In John 14, Jesus spoke about the coming of the Holy Spirit. In John 14:25, Jesus said, "the Counselor ("Paraklete"), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach your all things and remind you of everything…". With these words, Jesus promised His disciples that after he was gone, the "Paraklete", the Holy Spirit, would continue to be with the disciples and watch over them. The word in Greek used here is "Paraklete". "Paraklete" means "counselor", "adviser", "advocate". It can also mean "helper" or "comforter" to a lesser extent. It essentially means a person like a lawyer who takes your side in court and defends you. By Jesus' choice of words in John 14, the Holy Spirit is meant to have our back in the spiritual fights of this world, defending us from Satan's attacks.
Ephesians 6 lists the spiritual armor of God that helps us in the spiritual battles against evil in the world. Ephesians 6:18 reminds us to pray "in the Spirit" so that we may be strengthened in the day of battle. Ephesians 6:17 notes that the Holy Spirit is like a sword and works with the Word of God (scripture) to attack evil directly. It is the primary offensive weapon of the armor of God listed in Ephesians. What that means is that the Holy Spirit is crucial to defending the faithful in the spiritual battles that come our way, fighting Satan in the battle for righteousness.
If we look at both John 14 and Ephesians 6, it gives us a clear picture that the Holy Spirit is crucial to Jesus' plan for our spiritual protection. The Holy Spirit was going to have our back in the spiritual fights of our lives. Without the Holy Spirit, we are defenseless. We've got no defensive strength. And, if we take Ephesians 6 into account, without the Holy Spirit, we've got no spiritual sword with which to attack Satan. The Holy Spirit is thus our best protection from God in Christ, and necessary for any spiritual life.
At the beginning of Jesus' ministry in Matthew 4, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove. From then on, He was protected. The disciples received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. From then on, they began to boldly preach and teach of the resurrected Christ. They too were strengthened in Spirit and protected. Have you received the protection of God's Spirit? Jesus promised the Counselor, the Holy Spirit as a protection for His followers. Have you asked for it? Do you have its protection? Do you sense its presence in your life? I hope so. Otherwise, God does not "have your back".
In Acts 8, there is a curious mention of a crisis in the church of Samaria that you need to know about. There were people baptized in the church in Samaria, but who didn't receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:16). The disciples and apostles knew this meant these new Christians were vulnerable. They immediately dispatched Peter and John, their two strongest disciples, to pray over them! They traveled to Samaria to pray over them, and guess what happened? They prayed for them, then "laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit" (Acts 8:17). Only then were these Christians spiritually protected.
When the Holy Spirit is in your life, God "has your back". Jesus sent the Holy Spirit as your advocate, your counselor, your protection. When you need defense, the Holy Spirit is your strength. That is why some versions of the Bible call the Holy Spirit a "Comforter". When the Holy Spirit is around, you can rest easy. God is watching your back.
In the scripture above you may even note something further. When the Holy Spirit comes, two things will be present: peace from God , and no need to be afraid (John 14:27). When the Holy Spirit is watching your back, things will fall into place much more readily. You will feel rested. Fitful sleep will be more available. Fear will not have a hold upon your mind and heart. You will find courage and hope. Without the Holy Spirit, you will be vulnerable. You will be afraid. You will be ill-at-ease.
How are you feeling today? Do you feel God's Spirit around you and within you? Have you enjoyed the peace of God lately? Have you forgotten to ask for God's Spirit to fill you completely? Are you so busy that you have forgotten to take time to let your soul catch up with your body? God WILL have your back if you aren't running off half-cocked or fighting the wrong battles. If peace is missing, maybe its time you let the Counselor have some time with you!
July 31
“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.” (Jonah 1:1–4, RSV)
In the scripture above, Jonah the Prophet was called by God to visit the people of Nineveh (Jonah 1:1). The people of Nineveh had sinned before the Lord. God wanted them to repent. The people of Nineveh were Assyrian; they were the hated enemies of Israel and Judah. Jonah was from Amittai of the tribe of Zebulun. He was not going to let God grant grace and forgiveness to the hated people of Nineveh. So, when God told Jonah to go to Nineveh to the east in Jonah 1:1, Jonah boarded a ship in Joppa that was going to Tarshish in Spain. He planned to go as far west as he could go! (See map at the bottom of this page!) That's right! When Jonah the prophet was told by God to go east, Jonah got a ship to go as far west as he could go, directly against the word of God!!!!! This resulted in the final verse of our scripture: "the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea… so that the ship threatened to break up." (Jonah 1:4) Job was not going to run away from God, nor ignore God's command!
Let's be honest, shall we. There are times when we all want to run away from doing the right thing! We do the opposite from what we should do!
Carl and Vivian dated for more than a year, then broke up. A year later, Carl met Trisha and they got married. They had a wonderful honeymoon and first few years of marriage. Things got a little rocky when they had difficulties having children. But, it got a whole lot worse when Vivian came back into Carl's life. Vivian was hired on at Carl's company. A month later, she was moved into Carl's department. Carl knew he should tell his wife, but their marriage was tense due to insecurities and complications concerning Trisha's not being able to conceive a child. Carl knew not saying something to his wife might come back to haunt him, but he wasn't going to get her upset.
Eighteen months passed. At the holiday party, Trisha spied Vivian and asked someone what she was doing at the party. When she found out that Vivian had been working in Carl's department, she immediately thought Carl had hidden this information from her and suspected the worst. It took many arguments and many months of mistrust for Trisha to trust Carl again. In fact, to this day she feels insecure around Vivian and believes that some day Carl will cheat on her with Vivian or leave her for Vivian. Carl's choice not to do the right thing by telling his wife of Vivian's hiring now has caused a deep insecurity in his own marriage.
Even when you know what is right, you can do the opposite of what you know you should do. Even when you know what God wants, you can do what is wrong. Sometimes, this can be sinful. Sometimes, its not. In all cases, God will know what's right and wrong to do. Notice in the story of Jonah. When Jonah went against God, God sent the storm against Jonah (Jonah 1:4). Doing the opposite of what God expected meant that Jonah was not going to help save the people of Nineveh. You might think that since Jonah was a prophet and person of God that God might be lenient. God might choose another prophet to ask Nineveh to repent. You might think, "Since Jonah was a special man of God, God would give him a break." God did not. We don't know why. When Jonah went in direct opposition to God, God put a stop to Jonah's faulty plans.
I want you to notice something interesting about God's response in the story of Jonah: GOD SPARED JONAH'S LIFE! God could have caused Jonah to be struck by lightning. God could have caused Jonah's ship to sink with the death of all aboard. God could have caused Jonah to drown. God could have caused Jonah to be eaten by sharks. Instead, God caused Jonah to be eaten by a large fish, but spared in the belly of the fish (Jonah 1:17). God enabled Jonah to live in the belly of that fish (probably a whale, as he had to breathe!) Even more interesting, God caused that fish to vomit him back up on dry ground (Jonah 2:10). Jonah still had his job to do! He still had to go to Nineveh!
When you, like Jonah, are going opposite the direction God wishes you go, don't be surprised if God forces you in the direction you should be going. God may use strong measures, but God will often force you to go in the right direction for your own good! It is out of love that God is doing this, so don't fight it! God knows a lot more than you do! It may seem like circumstances are out of control. Are they? Or is God manipulating things behind the scenes because of something you can't see?
I once met a man who called himself the "worst burglar alive". He broke into several houses and had a good haul. Two years later, at a Billy Graham concert no less, he came to Christ. His past so bothered him, but he would not come clean about it. During his prayers, he would think about it, then purposely ignore it. When God pestered him about it, he would "change the subject with God". He kept quiet about it for several years to no avail. He couldn't live with himself. He turned himself in to the county sheriff. He made restitution and did some prison time. To this day, he would tell you that he deserved what he got for fighting God for so long. I thought the prison time was harsh. They never would have caught him! He even wanted to pay restitution! But, for the first time in his life, this man sleeps in perfect peace. There is no "history of opposition" between him and God.
Even good people can go against God. Even prophets will purposely do the opposite of what God asks! Still, God notices all of it. You will never get off the hook for your opposition. Doing the opposite of what God wants you to do may not be sinful. It may not be wrong. It's just not right. If I were you, I would just do what God says. I've learned that God knows what is best for you. God knows what works for you. HE should know. HE made you. HE loves you. HE thinks you are precious! He will work for your best even when you won't!
(The original Daily Meditation had a map of Jonah's journey to show how far he intended to run from God -- from Israel to Spain!)
“Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—is not of the Father but is of the world. And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.” (1 John 2:15–17, NKJV)
Look at your life. Are you surrounded by lots of "things"? Do you have many possessions? How much time do you spend in your life taking care of what you own? How much effort do you spend on acquiring more things? When you see a new gadget or tool or piece of clothing, do you think to yourself "I have to have it"?
In the TV show "Tiny House, Big Living" couples who have decided to live in homes less than 400 square feet are the center of attention. Some decide to live in a mobile home, or one room bungalow, or boat, or RV. The couples may choose such a lifestyle to save money, to be more ecologically sensitive, out of necessity, or to make a statement. Rather than hearing a lot of complaining about not having enough room, you might be pleasantly surprised to hear couples on the show stating how much free time they have, how nice it is not to be in debt, or how the person is not overburdened by maintenance time and costs. When Adam Williams interviewed Robert and Samantha Garlow, a couple who lives in a 204 square foot "shed", the couple replied:" we have everything we need and nothing that we don't and that equilibrium is incredibly liberating" (newatlas.com September 15, 2016). Another benefit they found living with less was that they had more time to talk and share. Without the burden of a large house and all the ensuing expenses and upkeep, they found lots of time for travel, friends, a better education, and recreation. People who watch the show are sometimes surprised at all the benefits of a life that is "blessed with less".
Toward the end of the Christian New Testament, you will find the first letter or epistle of John. It contains suggestions and warnings to the first century faithful. In the second chapter written above, the apostle warns Christians not to "love the world or the things in the world" (1 John 2:15). John saw the world was full of "lust of the flesh and lust of the eyes, and the pride of life". The lust of the flesh is not an uncommon concept in the New Testament. It speaks to sexual desires and sexuality. We see that all the time in social media everywhere from pornography to the advertising notion that "sex sells". But John also speaks of the "lust of the eyes". What is that?
Nowhere in the entire Bible is the phrase "lust of the eyes" ever used but here in 1 John. It is an unusual concept. But what does it mean? In the Believer's Bible Commentary, the authors mention that what drew Eve to take the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden was she saw that the tree was a "delight to the eyes" (Genesis 3:6). The forbidden fruit tempted Eve because of how sumptuous it looked. Sometimes, when you see something that looks good, it can tempt you to think or do the wrong thing. That is the true meaning of "lust of the eyes".
Advertisers have long known that people can be manipulated to buy things due to a "lust of the eyes". They will examine a product to determine what "eye-catching" properties it contains. They often use "visual cues" to cause the consumer to desire their product. Cosmetic companies all know that adding eye shadow and eye liner and adjusting the look of the eyes can help others be more attracted to you.
Physically, the eyes also respond to things you like. When you are sexually aroused, your pupils will often dilate. Your pupils may also dilate when you see something you like when shopping, especially if you are a compulsive or impulsive shopper. In contrast, your eyes may easily constrict when you are afraid.
Physically and emotionally, your eyes respond to things of this world that are a "delight to the eyes".
Have you ever looked at something delicious and your eyes watered? Have you ever seen a beautiful man or woman and caught yourself staring? It is a proven fact that a well-dressed person will often garner more attention in a room. That is why you may hear a person suggest that you "dress for success" at a job interview, wearing the clothes that will "sell" your abilities. Sadly, how things and people look will often determine their worth in this world. This is, in part, due to a "lust of the eyes".
Your eyes can betray what you are thinking. Your eyes can express your desires. Even how you form your eyes can display your intentions. "Lustful eyes" can be seen in the man who ogles a woman, or in a woman who flirts with a good looking man. Your eyes might "light up" when you see the perfect gift. They might have "laser-like focus" on those things you care about most. "Lust of the eyes" will tempt you to look at and desire things you shouldn't obtain or demand. They will make you greedy and gluttonous if you let them have control over your decisions.
In 1 John, the sinful life is shown to contain sexual lust, lust of the eyes, and pridefulness. The only alternative listed in the scripture above is to "do the will of God" (1 John 2:17). Notice that the scripture doesn't say those who KNOW the will of God abide forever. You must DO the will of God to receive God's reward. It is one thing to know what God wants. It's a whole other thing to do what God wills. God doesn't want you to focus your life toward fulfilling the lusts of your eyes or your body. God doesn't want you filled with pridefulness. God expects you to know HIS will and live it. Your reward for choosing God will be a life that lasts "forever" (1 John 2:17).
Are you tempted by the lusts of this world? Do your eyes betray your love for possessions? Do you long for things you shouldn't have? Are you easily manipulated by advertising? Don't let your love for possessions and things of this world control your life and keep you from doing the will of God. Don't let possessions choke out your enjoyment of life (Mark 4:19). Do you really need everything you own? You certainly can't take it with you after you die, no matter what anyone tells you!
July 2
“May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord. His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, that through these you may escape from the corruption that is in the world because of passion, and become partakers of the divine nature. For this very reason make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge, and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love. For if these things are yours and abound, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. For whoever lacks these things is blind and shortsighted and has forgotten that he was cleansed from his old sins. Therefore, brethren, be the more zealous to confirm your call and election, for if you do this you will never fall; so there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.”
(2 Peter 1:2–11, RSV)
When you are sick or to prevent illness, your doctor may suggest you take supplements. Pregnant women are especially encouraged to take vitamin and mineral supplements. After taking antibiotics, it is very necessary to take yogurt or probiotics to rebuild any damaged or destroyed beneficial bacteria in your digestive tract. Supplements help you grow and stay healthy. They give your body and organs the necessary building blocks to sustain and promote natural processes in the body and ward off damage due to a poor diet or lack of certain foods in the diet.
Surprisingly, 2 Peter contains a list of spiritual "supplements" that can help a Christian be more spiritually healthy. If you ever wonder how you are doing spiritually according to how God wants you to live, you can read this scripture above and compare it to your life. If these things are present in your life, you will probably have a healthy relationship with God. If not, you may want to increase one of these spiritual "supplements" in your life in order to remain spiritually healthy over time.
Peter began our scripture for today speaking to all those who had the "knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord" (2 Peter 1:2). His letter was written to those who had committed themselves to God. He saw a true Christian as one who had rejected the "passions of the world", choosing to partake in God's "nature" (2 Peter 1:4). Thereafter, he listed things to "supplement your faith". The Believer's Bible Commentary lists these supplements as the "seven elements of holiness", seven things that should always accompany your faith. The word "supplement" here in English means "to nourish". In essence, these seven elements of holiness will nourish your faith and help it to be healthy and productive. They are seven elements that should ALL be part of a healthy spiritual diet!
The first two elements of holiness or supplements to the Christian life are "virtue" and "knowledge" (2 Peter 1:5). It should be a normal part of your faithful life to seek to gain knowledge, and thus learn more about God's world and God's word. Having this knowledge can feed your faith. You should spend time learning and growing in knowledge your whole life, not just when young. Good ways to grow in spiritual knowledge are to do Bible Studies (which this web site can help you with!), learn from the sermons of a godly Pastor, and read information about the spiritual life. However, this knowledge can also be in science, philosophy, technology, and other more worldly pursuits. It is good for you to be well-rounded in knowledge. But, knowledge needs to be enhanced with virtue, according to this scripture. Virtue is by definition "behavior with high moral standards". So, knowing a lot is important. But living the faith out with high moral standards where God can trust you will do the right thing is equally crucial to the faith. LEARNING about the will of God won't help much if you don’t DO the will of God.
The next three "supplements" to your faith are "self-control", "steadfastness", and "godliness" (2 Peter 1:6). Self-control is crucial to the faith. When you have self-control, you won't be swayed easily by the temptations of this world. This also means you won't be manipulated by desires or peer pressures. You won't impulsively jump into situations or buy into scams. Steadfastness enhances self-control. It means you have the attitude that you will "hang in there" no matter how difficult. You will be patient and understanding, even when hurting or suffering. Godliness means that you do things out of respect for God. The Greek definition of this word is related to the words "piety" or "pious". It means you have a healthy respect for what God desires and you are willing to do what God desires even if it makes life harder. If you are "godly", others will notice in your life an attitude of worship and prayer. A pious person has a deeper faith caused by meditating with God and trusting in God's provision.
The final "supplements" to your faith listed are "brotherly affection" and "love" (2 Peter 1:7). These two elements of holiness involve how you live out your faith among others. Both require that you not only have a relationship with God, but also godly relationships with other people. The Greek word used to describe "brotherly affection" in Greek is based directly on the word "philadelphia". Philadelphia means "brotherly love". It is when you look out for others with a giving heart. As an example of brotherly love, Jesus told the story of the "Good Samaritan" who took care of a stranger who was beaten and left by the side of the road (Luke 10:33). "Love" needs to be a part of every Christian life. If you are angry all the time, have been so hurt that you can't love anymore, or don't let people get close to you, it is hard to be "loving". In centuries past, ascetics lived in the desert and prayed without ceasing. They thought this was a holy calling, and it was. But one missing aspect of the lives of the ascetics was that they had little human contact. Though they were very godly, steadfast in their faith, and full of self-control, most couldn't and didn't show a lot of brotherly affection and love. These elements were often missing from their spiritual diet.
Which of these "supplements" or "elements of holiness" are your strengths? Which are weaknesses in your spiritual life? All these need to be present for a healthy relationship with God. Realize that if one or more are missing, you might get spiritually "sick" or be living an unbalanced spiritual life. I believe that Peter's letter wonderfully presents in perfect words what Christians need to grow and be nourished in the faith. How healthy is your faith in comparison?
July 3
“ Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. Prove me, O LORD, and try me; test my heart and my mind. For thy steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to thee.” (Psalm 26:1-3 RSV)
Integrity is defined in the dictionary as….”A steadfast adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.” A person with integrity will not waver when it comes to moral or ethical decisions. When faced with a moral dilemma, they will choose the right no matter what the situation. Their values are firm and faithful. You can count on them. When the chips are down, they won’t give up their principles.
IN 2001, a NASCAR crew chief had to make a decision. There was a small adjustment to the car that could make a big difference. Sure, it was against NASCAR rules, but almost everyone else was doing it. So crew chief Tim Shutt crawled under the No. 20 car of Mike McLaughlin, who raced on the NASCAR Busch circuit, but couldn't bring himself to put the illegal device on the car.
"Joe Gibbs was adamant that we don't cheat," says Shutt, a relatively new believer who encountered Christ at a Christian retreat for participants in the racing industry. "Most teams figure that as long as you get away with it, it's not cheating. I said to Mike that morning in practice, 'If we're no good in practice, I'll put this piece—the illegal piece—on. Probably 30 other teams are doing it.' I was justifying it. I got up under the car, I got halfway through putting it on, and that verse, 'Seek ye first the kingdom of God,' (Matthew 6:33) came flashing in red in front of me, and whoa, that was it. I said, 'I'm leaving this up to you, God.'" Shutt didn't put the piece on the car. McLaughlin won the race. It was Talladega, one of the biggest races of 2001. "When we won, the first thing that came to my mind was that verse," Tim says. "God wanted to show himself to me." (Citation: Victor Lee, Sports Spectrum; reprinted in Men of Integrity May/June 2002)
It is commonplace to follow the rules when someone is watching you. Are you the kind of person who will follow the rules or do what is right when nobody is watching? If you are, then maybe you walk in integrity. Maybe you are a person of integrity with steadfast values, morals, and ethics. In today's moral and political climate, this is rare. Some will do whatever it takes to get ahead. Not a small amount of people will compromise everything, including their beliefs, to get what they want.
A two-year study of nearly 9,000 people (more than two-thirds of whom were in high school or college, ages 15 to 30) found significant numbers of students engaged or were willing to engage in lying, cheating and stealing. "Clearly the youth of today didn't invent cheating, stealing and lying, but they're perfecting it" said Ralph Wexler, vice president of the Joseph and Edna Josephson Institute of Ethics, a non-profit organization based in California that conducted the survey. Here are some of their findings: More than a third of the students claimed they would lie on an application or resume if necessary to get a job; 16 percent of the high-school group and 18 percent of the college crowd admitted that had already done it. 21 percent of the collegians approved of falsifying a report if needed to keep a job. Of the older group of students, more than a third also said they have lied to bosses. Also, 33 percent of the high-school group and 14 percent of college students said they shoplifted within the year. 33 percent of high-schoolers and 11 percent of college students also admitted that they had stolen from parents or relatives. What do you do when nobody is watching?
Psalm 26 was written by David, King David. At times in David’s life, he wronged others, but as he aged he learned better. He learned that you can’t hide things from God. As he began to be more faithful, he realized that people around him weren’t honest before God. In fact, they would lie, cheat, steal, and even kill to get ahead. David vowed to be different. He felt God was closer to those who could be counted on to be faithful no matter who was watching. This is what David said in one of his prayers to God…. “I have walked in my integrity, and I have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Prove me, O Lord , and try me; test my heart and mind. For your steadfast love is before my eyes, and I walk in faithfulness to you.” (Psalm 26:1-3) David wanted God to hear what he had learned. David believed that his faithfulness and integrity were cherished by God.
As another example of integrity from the book of Job, God called the angels to a meeting in heaven. Guess who came along? Satan, the fallen angel, visited the gathering! As God talked to the angels, God said to Satan, “Have you seen my servant Job? There is no one like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man who fears God and turns away from evil.” (Job 1:8) God was proud of Job. God used Job as an example to Satan and all the other angels. If you are faithful in character and walk in integrity, God notices.
An emperor in the Far East was growing old and knew it was time to choose his successor. Instead of choosing one of his assistants or his children, he decided something different. He called several hundred young people in the kingdom together. He said, "It is time for me to step down and choose the next emperor. I have decided to choose one of you." The youth were shocked, but the emperor continued. "I am going to give each one of you a seed today, one very special seed. I want you to plant the seed, water it and come back here one year from today with what you have grown from this one seed. I will then judge the plants that you bring, and the one I choose will be the next emperor!"
One boy named Ling was there that day and he, like the others, received a seed. He went home and excitedly told his mother the story. She helped him get a pot and planting soil, and he planted the seed and watered it carefully. Every day he would water it watching to see if it had grown. After three weeks, some of the other youths began to talk about their seeds and the plants that were beginning to grow. Ling kept checking his seed, but nothing ever grew. Three weeks, four weeks, five weeks went by; still nothing. By now, others were talking about their plants, but Ling didn't have a plant. He felt like a failure. Six months went by with nothing in Ling's pot. He surmised that he had killed his seed. Others showed off trees and tall plants borne from the seeds of the emperor, but he had nothing. Ling didn't say anything to his friends, however. He just kept waiting for his seed to grow. A year finally went by and all the youths of the kingdom brought their plants to the emperor for inspection. Ling told his mother that he wasn't going to take an empty pot, but his Mother said he must be honest about what happened. Ling felt sick to his stomach, but he knew his Mother was right. He took his empty pot to the palace.
When Ling arrived, he was amazed at the variety of plants grown by the other youths. They were beautiful in all their shapes and sizes. Ling put his empty pot on the floor and many of the other kids laughed at him. A few felt sorry for him. When the emperor arrived, he surveyed the room and greeted the young people. Ling hid in the back of the room. "My, what great plants, trees and flowers you have grown," said the emperor. "Today, one of you will be appointed the next emperor!" All of a sudden, the emperor spotted Ling at the back of the room with his empty pot. He ordered his guards to bring Ling to the front. Ling was terrified. The emperor asked everyone to quiet down. He looked at Ling, and then announced to the crowd, "Behold your new emperor!" Ling could not believe it. Ling couldn’t even grown one plant. How could he be the new emperor? Then, the emperor said, "One year ago today, I gave everyone here a seed. I told you to take the seed, plant it, water it, and bring it back to me today. But I gave you all boiled seeds, which would not grow. All of you, except Ling, have brought me trees and plants and flowers. When you found that the seed would not grow, you substituted another seed for the one I gave you. Ling was the only one with the courage and honesty to bring me a pot with my seed in it. Therefore, he is the one who will be the new emperor!"
From this parable, from David’s psalm, from the book of Job, you can see that morals and integrity are rare in this world. Twice in Psalm 26, David mentions how he walks in his integrity before God (Psalm 26:1,11). I hope you can say the same thing. When nobody is watching, how do you act? If you are a person walking in integrity, just know that God is proud of you. God knows that a person with true integrity will never throw away their faithful values and morals to please others or to get an advantage in life. The true Christian is faithful to God, but also to him or herself. So, do you walk in integrity? Can others count on you? Can God trust you, even when others aren’t watching? What shall a person with true integrity do today?
July 4
“One day some parents brought their children to Jesus so he could touch and bless them. But the disciples scolded the parents for bothering him. When Jesus saw what was happening, he was angry with his disciples. He said to them, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them! For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them.” (Mark 10:13–16, NLT)
There are only a few examples of Jesus interacting with children. The gospels have only special healings of children (Luke 8, Luke 9, John 4, for example) and the scripture for today. We have the birth narrative of Jesus, where Jesus is a newborn (Luke 2). We also have Jesus at the temple at age twelve (Luke 2:42). Children in ancient times were seen as security for the future and a blessing from God, but there were few interactions between children and adults in all of scripture. In many of them, the children simply played a passive role or were seen as future leaders (I Samuel 1). In Mark 10, Jesus places children at the center of His message and ministry. Children had something to teach the disciples!
During Jesus' ministry, children were brought to Him for a blessing (Mark 10:13). Parents must have thought that their children would receive blessings or protection from God if Jesus merely touched them. Many churches have adopted the practice of blessings and baptisms of children in response. Sadly, gone are the days when it was normal for a child was brought on the lap of grandpa for a short prayer of blessing or an act of passing wisdom. It used to be that many children grew up listening to stories while seated on an elder's knee or in grandma's lap. Thankfully, churches still have Sunday Schools and Vacation Bible Schools and special church events to help share Jesus' love of children.
In the gospel story above, the disciples "scolded" the parents for bothering Jesus with their children. The disciples felt that the children didn't deserve Jesus' attention. They felt Jesus' teachings and parables were over the heads of children and a waste of time for these parents who just wanted their children to be blessed by Jesus' touch. While it is true that Jesus' preaching and teaching form the core of Christian belief, the disciples had it wrong. Jesus didn't see time with children as a waste of effort. The fact that the children couldn't understand his parables didn't phase Jesus. Jesus saw something special in children, something even his disciples were missing. Upon seeing the disciples keeping the children away, Jesus got "angry" with His disciples (Mark 10:14) and demanded, " Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them!" (Mark 10:15). What Jesus said next gave His real reason for blessing the children: "For the Kingdom of God belongs to those who are like these children. I tell you the truth, anyone who doesn’t receive the Kingdom of God like a child will never enter it.” The children were to Jesus an example of the Kingdom of God. Their innocence and trusting faith were in great contrast to the trials, testing, hypocrisy, political machinations, and evil of many who Jesus faced in His everyday life.
For a Halloween "trick" about "treats", comedian Jimmy Kimmel has for a number of years asked parents to tell their kids that they ate all their Halloween candy and video their response. Some of the kids broke into tears, some ran off to their rooms, some even swore at their parents. Every now and then, you get a kid with a soft and loving heart. In one video, the mother told her son that she ate all his Halloween candy overnight while he was sleeping, because she was feeling sick to her stomach. The son had no idea it was a ruse. He turned to his mother and asked, "Were you better after you ate the candy?" His mother replied, "Yes." He then said, "That's OK, Mommy, I'll get more next year." When I heard those words, I realized that this young boy showed great love, where others exhibit great selfishness. It was shockingly beautiful to hear the boy so innocently give up his favorite treats for his mother.
The love of a child or the innocence of a child can often have powerful effects when it is contrasted to the selfishness and hatred of this world. A child can bring perspective back to a situation. As a mother and father fought about the bills one night after their children went to bed, the discussion became heated. The father was blamed for not making enough money. The mother was blamed for spending too much money. Near midnight, there were little thumps coming down the steps from the bedrooms upstairs. Mother and father stopped arguing. Mother then said, "Honey, do you need a drink of water?" Their young son walked in with his sleepy eyes and placed his piggy bank on the kitchen cupboard. Then he said, "I don't want you to fight. Here's all my money. Now, can we go to bed?" In that moment, mother and father realized that instead of working together to take care of the bills, they were only making things worse by arguing and blaming. It took the boy's generosity to make that all perfectly clear.
Why is it that adults see it as inappropriate to swear around children? Why are women and children the first to be offered spots in lifeboats? Why are children given special protections by law in most societies today? Children are seen as innocent, a gift, a hope for the future. If only we would see everyone in such a way! If only we would protect all people with the same care!
Today, look at the world through a child's eyes. Do you see the wonder of that beautiful butterfly or the awe in a bolt of lightning? Jesus saw great views of the Kingdom of God in the example of a child. Maybe to see what the Kingdom of Heaven is like, you might need to look again at this world and at your life with the eyes of a child. What might a child see in your life? Are you always too busy to enjoy your day? Are you swearing all the time? Do you take things too seriously? What are you missing? What did you feel the first time you saw fireworks on the 4th of July?
July 5
“… Peter went up on the housetop to pray, about the sixth hour. And he …fell into a trance and saw the heaven opened, and something descending, like a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals and reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him, “Rise, Peter; kill and eat.” But Peter said, “No, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has cleansed, you must not call common.” This happened three times, and the thing was taken up at once to heaven. .. And while Peter was pondering the vision, the Spirit said to him, “Behold, three men are looking for you. Rise and go down, and accompany them without hesitation; for I have sent them.” And Peter went down to the men and said, “I am the one you are looking for; what is the reason for your coming?” And they said, “Cornelius, a centurion, an upright and God-fearing man, who is well spoken of by the whole Jewish nation, was directed by a holy angel to send for you to come to his house, and to hear what you have to say.” So he called them in to be his guests. …. When Peter entered, Cornelius met him and fell down at his feet and worshiped him. But Peter lifted him up, saying, “Stand up; I too am a man.” And as he talked with him, he went in and found many persons gathered; and he said to them, “You yourselves know how unlawful it is for a Jew to associate with or to visit any one of another nation; but God has shown me that I should not call any man common or unclean. So when I was sent for, I came without objection. I ask then why you sent for me.” And Cornelius said, “Four days ago, about this hour, I was keeping the ninth hour of prayer in my house; and behold, a man stood before me in bright apparel, saying, ‘Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your alms have been remembered before God. Send therefore to Joppa and ask for Simon who is called Peter; he is lodging in the house of Simon, a tanner, by the seaside.’ So I sent to you at once, and you have been kind enough to come. Now therefore we are all here present in the sight of God, to hear all that you have been commanded by the Lord.” And Peter opened his mouth and said: “Truly I perceive that God shows no partiality, but in every nation any one who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.”
(Acts 10:9–35, RSV)
The scripture above from the book of Acts contains a crucial changing point in the history of our faith. Before this event occurred, Christians were a sect of Judaism. They were considered a part of the Jewish faith. After the event above occurred, Christianity became a religion for all people of all nationalities and ethnic groups.
In Acts 10, God did something powerful to Peter. As Peter was praying, he saw a vision. He fell into a "trance" the scripture tells us (Acts 10:10). During this spiritual revelation, Peter saw the same vision three times of animals that Jewish people were not allowed to eat (Leviticus 11:47). Each time Heaven showed Peter these animals, God said, "Rise Peter, kill and eat them." Each time, Peter responded that he could not eat the animals, for they were "unclean" (Acts 10:14). Then, a voice corrected Peter after his response saying, "What God has cleansed, you must not call common (thus, unclean)" (Acts 10:15). Essentially, what God was showing Peter is that if God made the animals for Peter to eat, and God desired the animals to be fit for eating, Peter should not reject God's command to eat them.
As Peter pondered what the vision might mean (Acts 10:19), some visitors sent by a Roman Centurion named Cornelius sought Peter. They asked Peter to visit with Cornelius and the faithful gathered at his house. Peter, figuring his vision had something to do with the men, went to see Cornelius. Cornelius had also been visited by God. He had been told by an angel where Peter was staying and that the two should meet (Acts 10:1-6). Cornelius is twice described as a "God-fearing" or "God-respecting" man (Acts 10:2 and 22). Obviously, God saw great promise with a gathering between Cornelius and Peter.
When Peter came to the home of Cornelius, Peter realized the meaning of his vision. He realized that like the animals in his dream that God made "clean" to eat, Cornelius too had been made "clean" before God. Cornelius explained how God called the two men to meet, and Peter explained how God had given him the vision. As they compared notes, Peter came to the conclusion that God shows "no partiality" to a person's nationality, but accepts all those of true faith (Acts 10:34-35) no matter where they come from. The Gentiles, filled with the Holy Spirit upon hearing of Jesus' mission, were subsequently baptized into the Christian faith (Acts 10:44-48). This changed everything in the Christian church. Before this time, Christians thought Israelites were the chosen people of God. Because of this vision and God's Holy Spirit coming upon these Gentiles, the Jewish Christians now recognized that Gentile Christians should too be baptized and received fully into the faith. From this moment on, Christianity became a world religion, not an Israelite sect.
I find it very revealing how Peter recognizes that God shows "no partiality" to a person based on the nation they come from. God doesn't have a national bias. Though the Jewish people will always be the "chosen people" (1 Kings 3:8, Psalm 33:12, etc.), all people are welcome to respond to God, show respect for God, and have faith in God. All people.
I find it interesting that many Christians have not yet figured out that God can bless anyone HE wills. Many unfaithful Christians do not exhibit this belief. I've seen people from one certain race, ethnic group, or nationality, reject those of another. People who gather for worship can have very biased ideas of who can and cannot be faithful or even a Christian. Denominations often separate out those who are more or less faithful based on their own criteria about faithfulness. In some Holiness and Pentecostal churches, those who speak in tongues are deemed "holier" than those who do not have that spiritual gift. In churches that practice adult baptism, there is often a rejection of those who have been baptized as infants, even if they are faithful "God-fearing" people. In mainline protestant churches, people are placed on committees and set up for leadership not because of their devotion and work for God, but because of quotas for "sexual orientation" or "minority status". I've been in black churches where to be white is seen as making you "lesser". I've been in white churches where black people were "left alone" and "kept at a distance". I've seen rich people look down upon the poor, and poor people not respect those who were wealthy. People in society often reject those who are "different". According to this scripture and Peter's vision, God doesn't.
Be always careful that you don't show bias and partiality to people who are like you or different from you. Just because a person has your same skin color or heritage does not make him or her more faithful. Don't overlook God's great ability to bless those you may not feel comfortable around.
HOWEVER, I reject the liberal teaching of this scripture that God's accepts people no matter what they believe. God doesn't accept sinners in these verses who didn't repent of their sins! God accepts those who are truly "God-fearing". I've seen liberal pastors who said, "God blesses you and accepts you wherever you are in life." That is a lie. God doesn't bless or accept sinful living. God does reach out to people in all walks of life, but God responds to the "God-fearing", those who show respect for God by what they believe and how they live. To say to people, "God doesn’t care how you live your life. God accepts you for who you are!" is nowhere found in this scripture. God blesses those who show godly respect and reject sinfulness, people like "God-fearing" Cornelius.
Today, I want you to examine if you have a bias in your beliefs. Where God shows no partiality toward those who are deemed faithful, do you have partiality toward certain people? Are there people you reject because of where they come from? Do your biases keep certain people at a distance? Are you apt to "pre-judge" a person based on how they are dressed, their income, their social status, or their sex? Don't underestimate God's love for all people who exhibit true faith (John 3:16!).
July 6
“Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it until it receives the early and the late rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble, brethren, against one another, that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the doors. As an example of suffering and patience, brethren, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we call those happy who were steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful.” (James 5:7–11, RSV)
"God Isn't in a Hurry"
I had been busy all day. Challenges in the church and family problems were taking their toll on me. I was tired and anxious. My nerves were frazzled. As I came home for the night, my family was already asleep. All the lights were off. As I walked through the door, I turned on a light. There on the kitchen table, my wife had left a comic from the newspaper. On it was written, "Lord, please make me patient--- and do it right now!"
Patience is one of the first things a child must learn. It takes patience to read, to write, to spell, and to master multiplication tables. It even takes patience to grow! God has ordained maturity to be a slow process, not an instant experience. This gives us time to grow up.
Impatience is usually a mark of immaturity. At least the apostle James felt that way, for he wrote in chapter one of his letter, "But let patience have its perfect work, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking nothing." (James 1:4) Patience is something to strive for, but it is not natural for humans to be endowed with it. It takes your attention, your learning, your time, and your commitment. Few people are willing to take the time that patience requires.
James 5:7 teaches...."Be patient, therefore, brethren, until the coming of the Lord." If you know Greek, you'd know that this verse begins with a command. The command is "Be patient". It doesn't say, "you might like to be patient." It doesn't say, "Try to be patient." It says, "Be patient". The command is clear. You must do your best to be patient in the Lord. It is something that God commands, not something that God simply hopes for or would like.
Patience is not enjoyable, and that's why God commands it. Impatience is deceptively easy. It's not uncommon for a restless child to say at the first stop on a trip, "Are we there yet?" It's more difficult for a child to be patient until the traveling is completed. It's easy to be impatient when you are in a hurry, when you are waiting for something special, when you want something now but can't afford it. If impatience is a sign of immaturity, just how mature are you?
The scripture goes on to explain: "Behold, the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient over it until it receives the early and the late rain. You also be patient. Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. " (James 5:7-9) James wanted the people to be patient in the Lord. Like the farmer has to be patient for the crops in the field to bring forth their food, you must be patient in life waiting for God to bring forth what is needed. Too often, we don't want to wait for God to get the job done. We want it done now; right now!
It is especially difficult to be patient is when you are suffering. God does not always explain what He is doing or why He is doing it. This scripture in James addresses suffering patiently when it notes the prophet Job.... "As an example of suffering and patience, brethren, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. …You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful." (James 5:10-11) Job lost his children to a freak storm, and he waited for God to explain why. He lost his crops to marauders while he waited for some answers from God. He then became ill with boils and a skin disease. Through all this suffering, Job waited for answers from God. In the end, God explained everything to Job. How often do you wait for God to answer your questions and show you His purpose? How patient are you with waiting?
It might be tempting to take shortcuts instead of being patient. For example, I have met people who are looking for shortcuts to understanding the Bible. They purchase study Bibles, filled with notes and encyclopedic facts, and yet they never seem to get a grasp of the truth of God's Word. Why? Being in a hurry, they want to use a shortcut to understanding true faith. They don't learn the difference between facts and truths, between mental awareness and spiritual comprehension. They pour over biblical outlines, study charts, and cross-references; but they never take the time to allow the Spirit of God to teach them the meaning of scripture.
We cannot use shortcuts when it comes to understanding spiritual truth, building the Christian character, or evangelism. For example, a reputation can be made or lost overnight, but it takes years to build true Christian character. It takes time to understand the benefits of suffering. It takes years to develop the skills and wisdom to be a good pastor. You can't rush God!
There are no shortcuts to healing and counseling, either. Many patients have hidden their symptoms for months or years, and then ask the doctor to give them a pill that will instantly cure them. Those who come for counseling often make the same mistake. In my pastoral ministry, I have tried to counsel people with long standing emotional and faith problems. I have marveled at how long it took to create the problems, and yet how quickly most expected me to fix everything through a couple sessions of counseling. You may have a tendency to look for shortcuts to healing, but the shortcuts only make the problem worse. Healing takes waiting for God's time. A complete healing takes patience.
God can grow a mushroom overnight, but He will take more time to grow an oak or a giant sequoia. It took God thirteen years to get Joseph ready for leadership in Egypt. God invested eighty years preparing Moses for forty years of service. Abraham had to wait until he was a hundred years old until his promised son was born to carry on the faith and blessing of God. Even Jesus spent thirty years getting ready for three years of public ministry.
You are going to have to decide in your life whether or not to be patient or impatient. Impatience is a sign of immaturity. Impatience can lead to disastrous shortcuts. Impatience can make you bypass avenues that teach you about the faith. Patience builds character. It deepens the faith. It's more difficult and requires more learning and hard work. But it is commanded by God. Will you wait upon the Lord? Will you be steadfast, while unfulfilled? Could your lack of patience be causing some of your problems in life right now? Pray over these questions.
July 7
“While they were eating, he [Jesus] took a loaf of bread, and after blessing it he broke it, gave it to them, and said, “Take; this is my body.” Then he took a cup, and after giving thanks he gave it to them, and all of them drank from it. He said to them, “This is my blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many. Truly I tell you, I will never again drink of the fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new in the kingdom of God.”” (Mark 14:22–25, NRSV)
In the bulletin one Sunday at a big city church, it was listed that there was a baptism. When time came in worship for the baptism, the parents and the baby came forward. The pastor spoke a few words, then the parents gave the baby to the pastor to do the sacrament of baptism. At that moment, a little girl who was at church for the first time in her life asked what was happening. Her father said, "His parents are giving the baby to God."
The pastor spoke a few words, put water on the child, then spoke a prayer. Finally, the minister returned the baby to the parents. The little girl turned to her father and commented, "Well, I guess God didn't want that one." This sweet little girl thought that when the minister gave the child back to the parents, it was a sign that God had rejected that child. She didn't quite understand the meaning of baptism yet.
There are two historical and biblical sacraments celebrated in the life of every Christian church: baptism and communion (Protestants have two sacraments, Roman Catholics have seven sacraments, but both consider baptism and communion as sacraments). God expects you to take part in both. Through baptism, we are united with God and the church. Through baptism, we become God's children. Through communion, we commune with God. We take time to be in God's presence and to share in the memory and honor of Jesus Christ. Though some people see baptism and communion as sacred acts, others see them as obligations that God demands. Those who see the sacraments only as an obligation not a sacred gift look upon the sacraments only as a rite of passage, a requirement, or a ritualistic obligation. All those who believe this are completely missing the boat. Like the little girl in the story above, they don't know what God is doing through the sacraments.
A Roman Catholic scholar taught me something as I was working on my doctorate. He wrote about sacramental living. He mentioned that sacraments are not so much ritual acts, but a lifestyle, a way of living. He said that when people see the sacraments as holy moments throughout life where God comes to meet with us and we relate with God, then and only then can we see the sacraments as they were originally intended. He said that when we truly understand the sacraments and they become a part of our lives, when we look for God to be present in the sacrament and in all of life, then we finally get it. We are living sacramentally.
The word sacrament means "holy oath". Long before the word sacrament was used in the church, it was used in the Roman Legions as an oath that soldiers took to be loyal and true. If you live sacramentally, you are bound by an oath to believe in Christ and to follow God's commands. But its more than that. Sacramental living means you live each day like you have taken a holy oath. You live like a person who just was baptized or who has just taken communion. You live like you are keeping your oath of godliness each day.
A woman wrote this about her favorite high school teacher.... "I had a very special teacher in high school many years ago whose husband died suddenly of a heart attack. About a week after his death, she came back to teach. We didn't know what to say to her. We didn't want to hurt her. We hurt so for her. But her first day back was one I'll never forget. As the late afternoon sunlight came streaming in through the classroom windows and the class was nearly over, she paused and said, 'Class is over, I would like to share with all of you a thought that is unrelated to class, but which I feel is very important. Each of us is put here on earth to learn, share, love, appreciate and give of ourselves. None of us knows when this fantastic experience will end. It can be taken away at any moment. Perhaps this is God's way of telling us that we must make the most out of every single day.'
Her eyes began to water as the teacher went on, 'So I would like you all to make me a promise, an oath. From now on, on your way to school, or on your way home, find something beautiful to notice. It doesn't have to be something you see, it could be a scent - perhaps of freshly baked bread wafting out of someone's house, or it could be the sound of the breeze slightly rustling the leaves in the trees, or the way the morning light catches one autumn leaf as it falls gently to the ground. Please look for these things, and cherish them. These things are the "stuff' of life, the little things we are put here on earth to enjoy, the things we often take for granted. We must make it important to notice them, for at anytime...it can all be taken away.'
The class was completely quiet. We all picked up our books and filed out of the room silently. That afternoon, I noticed more things on my way home from school than I had that whole semester. Every once in a while, I think of that teacher and remember what an impression she made on all of us, and I try to appreciate all of those things that sometimes we all overlook."
"Take notice of something special you see on your lunch hour today. Go barefoot. Walk on a beach at sunset. Stop off on the way home tonight to look at the stars or the beauty of the moon. As we get older, it is not the things we did that we often regret, but the things we didn't do. Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away."
Sacramental living is done not just when you share in a sacrament like communion, but when you live as if God is right beside you, in your heart, listening, present. Those who live sacramentally notice the beauty in a situation, see the possibility of God in a person, are ready to work when the Master calls them, and are ready to pray at a moment's notice. They don't "do church". They live it. Every day. All the time.
On Jesus' last night alive, He "took bread and blessed it" according to the scripture reading above (Mark 14:22). He didn't rush to eat the bread. He stopped to bless it and offer it to His disciples. Then, he didn't just let them eat it, but he told them that the bread represented something: His body. I'm sure this made the disciples take pause. What does it mean that Jesus' body is like bread? Only later did they understand that His body was "broken" on a cross like the loaf of bread was "broken" for the disciples. The memory of His body on the cross would nurture the faith in His disciples. Then, Jesus took wine and gave it to His disciples as a "covenant in His blood" (Mark 14:24). Little did the disciples know that His blood would drip from the cross as a new covenant of atonement and grace spread to the faithful in Christ.
Do you think Jesus ate His Last Supper with His disciples so that you and I might come to church and get our dose of grace for the month when we share the communion in worship? No. In communion, God is bound to us, and we are bound to God in Christ. We remember what Jesus did not so that we can talk about it, but so that it forms the reason for why we live… sacramentally.
One rainy afternoon a mother was driving along one of the main streets of town, taking those extra precautions necessary when the roads are wet and slick. Suddenly, her daughter, Aspen, spoke up from her relaxed position in her seat. "Mom, I'm thinking of something." This announcement usually meant she had been pondering some fact for a while, and was now ready to expound all that her six-year-old mind had discovered. Mom was eager to hear this new revelation.
"What are you thinking?" Mom asked.
"The rain;" she began, "is like sin, and the windshield wipers are like God wiping our sins away." Now, here's a kid who may be just riding in a car to some, but she's actually living sacramentally. She thinks about God all the time. She looks for God's presence all around her. Every moment is a holy moment.
Mom said to this little girl. "Do you notice how the rain keeps on coming? What does that tell you?"
Her daughter didn't hesitate one moment with her answer: "We keep on sinning, and God just keeps on forgiving us."
Mom later said to her best friend, "I will always remember this whenever I turn my wipers on. "
Sacramental living is rare in our world. It is when a person doesn't just partake in a sacrament, but lives it. Jesus embodied sacramental living. He saw God working in planting and harvesting, in a mustard seed, in a father's commitment to his only child, in a woman's tears, in a loaf of bread, in a cup of wine, and so many other places. Do you? Sacramental living means you keep your promises to God, follow God's leading, notice God's presence in every moment. Will you?
July 8
“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.” (Philippians 4:8–9, ESV)
I was in my office working when I realized that I left my Bible in the sanctuary. I walked out my office door and almost to the entrance for the sanctuary when I noticed a teen sitting outside the sanctuary. Her mother was at the church doing some work, and she must have come along. She sat there, quietly reading. I greeted her, then asked her how her day was going. We chatted for a few minutes, then I went into the sanctuary to retrieve my Bible. On the way back, I felt the need to do something right away. Usually, this is a common way for God to work through me. I feel I'm supposed to do something that is unplanned, but feel an urgent need to complete it immediately.
Coming out of the sanctuary Bible in hand, I said to the young woman, "What are you thinking, right now?" She looked at me, and then away. I said again, "Really! I think God wants me to ask you what you are thinking about right now!"
She closed her book, then looked up at me and said, "I was just thinking about some mistakes I made and how I'm stupid and fall for such things."
I said back, "Do you often think you are stupid?"
She responded without a thought, "All the time."
Half an hour later, I returned to my office. We talked the entire time about how poorly she feels about herself. She often calls herself "stupid". She beats up on herself for her mistakes. Though she is very intelligent, this doesn't stop her from thinking negatively about her accomplishments, failures, and future. When she looks in the mirror, all she sees is a "screw-up" looking back at her. I talked to her about these negative emotions and how deadly they can be. We prayed just before I returned to my office. God wanted to help this young girl to change her opinion of herself, be more forgiving, and find peace.
Many people walk around with chips on their shoulders, pain in their hearts, sadness in their souls. Most of these folks are tormented by negative thinking, hurtful thoughts, a defeatist attitude, or a critical eye. They suffer all the time, not from things outside themselves, but from their own critical thoughts that cause them to be insecure, frightened, angry, or guilty. The voices inside their own heads betray their judgmental attitude.
The scripture for today is God's way of forcing you to reevaluate your thoughts. The words in Philippians 4 were written by the Apostle Paul to the new church in Philippi. Paul focused in this chapter on how Christians should think. He wrote: "…whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things…" (Philippians 4:8). Paul wanted you to think "positive", up-building, and encouraging thoughts. Why? Because your thoughts are very important. Your thoughts influence your actions. Your thoughts betray your attitude and mindset. When you think "bad thoughts", they influence your world-view. They can make you have a bad day. They can make you edgy or put you into a snit. Do you dream about revenge or hurting someone? Do you beat yourself up? Are you filled with anger or resentment or guilt? These negative emotions will affect your personality. If you think about them long enough, they will influence how you see others and how you are perceived.
Paul urged the faithful to think positively. He asked them here in this letter to think about what is true, honorable, and just. He did not ask them to focus on their anger, hurts, or the unfairness of life. He asked them to focus on what is lovely and worthy of praise. He did not ask them to focus on what they dislike or on their mistakes. When you are alone with your thoughts, what do you think about? Do you tend to focus on what is wrong with your world? Do you look for the beauty in life or only notice what is wrong or who is wrong?
If you are a negative person, you might think Paul focuses too much here on the "fluff". You might be critical of his choices of what to think about. Be careful if you think this way . It shows that your thinking has already been influenced by negative thoughts and emotions. Paul is not asking that in every moment you ignore what is wrong or sinful, that you simply overlook injustice or suffering . Paul is asking you to see the good that is around you, the possibilities of what God can do, the blessings God has given. If you think for too long about what is wrong about life, you may miss what is right about life.
Paul asked the Christians in Philippi to follow his example. He used these words: " What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me…. practice these things" (Philippians 4:8). Paul was an example of one who focused on thinking godly thoughts. He was not an over-critical person. You've probably met overly critical people. When you are with them, how do you feel? In the company of an overly-critical person, I tend to see what's wrong instead of what's right. I feel bad if I feel good. I don't feel hopeful or encouraged.
Paul closed by saying that when your thinking is right and you follow his example, then you will feel peace. As long as you focus on the negative, on losses or failures in your life, you won't feel peace. If you are filled with disgust and disdain at what you've done for too long, peace will be elusive. As long as you dwell on "bad thoughts" and don't follow Paul's example, you will find no content in your life. If you only focus on your sin, you will never find peace. You don't have to live in a jail to be a prisoner held captive within your own negative mind.
If peace is missing in your daily life, focus on this scripture. Look at your thoughts and how you think. Talk to God in prayer, and see what kind of example you are setting. You might find that peace is not present because you are overly-critical or insecure in your thoughts. Your mind is not focused on love, praise, and what is honorable. Your mind might be playing a tape over and over of failures and rejections, problems and pains. Then, you know what must be done. You have to change the tape. Play God's "Side-B". Focus on what truly brings peace.
July 9
“Hilkiah the high priest said to Shaphan the court secretary, “I have found the Book of the Law in the Lord’s Temple!” Then Hilkiah gave the scroll to Shaphan, and he read it. Shaphan went to the king and reported, “Your officials have turned over the money collected at the Temple of the Lord to the workers and supervisors at the Temple.” Shaphan also told the king, “Hilkiah the priest has given me a scroll.” So Shaphan read it to the king. When the king heard what was written in the Book of the Law, he tore his clothes in despair. Then he gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam son of Shaphan, Acbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the court secretary, and Asaiah the king’s personal adviser: “Go to the Temple and speak to the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah. Inquire about the words written in this scroll that has been found. For the Lord’s great anger is burning against us because our ancestors have not obeyed the words in this scroll. We have not been doing everything it says we must do.””
(2 Kings 22:8–13, NLT)
"She stood in New York Harbor for ninety-seven years, welcoming seventeen million immigrants to her shores. As her century birthday approached, it was obvious that the Statue of Liberty needed restoration. Two thousand iron bars within her superstructure had deteriorated to less than half their original thickness. The skin had been thinned by acid rain and air pollution, and pieces of her torch had fallen off. Americans gave millions of dollars to restore the lady in time for the nation’s 112th birthday, July 4, 1986.
Human monuments, history, life, and morals must be constantly reinforced and resupplied, fixed and repaired. Everything in creation suffers constant deterioration. Likewise, our Christian lives demand constant reinforcement and reevaluation to function faithfully. Always subject to influences that bear us away from God, we cast an anchor into God's Word to hold us steady. We must constantly check our spiritual attitudes by feeding daily on God’s Word and renewing our life through prayer. Revivals aren’t just convenient high points in otherwise normal lives; they are essential reclamation projects for our souls." (adapted from Speakers Sourcebook of Illustrations, p. 101)
In 2 Kings 22, the High Priest Hilkiah caused a revival of the faith during a reclamation project. He was working in the Temple while it was undergoing extensive repairs. The Temple in Jerusalem, along with the faith of the Jewish people, had been neglected. The Temple was hardly used for worship, as fewer an fewer Jewish people took the time to pray and seek God's voice. But Hilkiah found something in the old Temple that would change all of that. He found an old beaten copy of the "book of the law" while repairing a section of the Temple (2 Kings 22:8). He passed this portion of the Old Testament to Shapan, an aide to the King. When Shaphan was giving King Josiah an update of the repairs to the Temple, he decided to read part of the scroll to the King (2 Kings 22:10). We have no idea which part of the Old Testament the scroll came from (though it was probably a book of Moses), but we do know the King's response. As the King heard the Word of God, he "tore his clothes" and was full of "despair" (2 Kings 22:11). The King was wise enough to realize that God's people in Judah were not following God's Word. They were breaking God's law. He immediately ordered the religious leaders to pray to God for him and for the people (2 Kings 22:11-13). Very soon after, God's law was read to all the people of the land (2 Kings 23). Thereafter, God's old law found in the ruins of the Temple, caused a resurgence of faith in the nation.
How could the people in that time have forgotten and lost God's Word? How could they have neglected to read or listen to God's scriptures? Weren't they the "people of God"?
Every now and then throughout history, faith in God has waned and faltered. Even now, we are going through a "phase" in which young people especially are falling away from the faith. As more and more reject God and God's law, the world changes for the worse. As I walk my dog, I pass a church that has been closed and renovated into a private home. People used to worship there. Faithful people used to gather there to hear the scriptures and pray. Now, the cross in front has been removed and the sanctuary has been turned into a bedroom and home office.
In my denomination, hundreds of churches have left due to liberal policies and political machinations at the highest level. In the United States, attendance at worship has dropped significantly since the 1950's. More and more people have become atheists. Young people are more concerned with ecology and technology than theology. Leaders of our country strive more to look good in the polls than be faithful in the eyes of God. Is it no wonder that terrorism is taking hold, violence rules the streets of Chicago, and many colleges have banned the cross from campus? As in the days of Josiah, we are living in a time when the Word of God is being forgotten and God's law is being lost. We are in need of a spiritual revival. I long for it. Do you?
Whether you know about it or not, YOU are precious in God's sight. The Word of God continues in this era because of people like YOU, who hold on to faith in a time of agnosticism. You continue to honor God, while many others worship wealth and technology and power. Your faith is a precious thing in the sight of God. True faith is the only thing that will save our world.
I would love to see the highest leaders of our land find a Bible and have it read to all the people, as was done in Josiah's day. I would love to see people turn from all their "isms" to believe in God. I would love to see us care for our planet out of respect for God's making us in HIS image (Genesis 1). Our country and world are in need of a revival of faith, not to rule the world but to save it. God's love can change everything for the better.
In your life, you may also need a "revival" now and then. You might get stuck in habits, neglect your prayers, forget to read the Bible. I long for a revival in your life as well. I know what that feels like. It begins with the realization of one's failures and sin, but ends with peace and a restoration of spiritual wholeness. Jesus said to many of those he healed, "Your faith has made you whole" (Matthew 9:22, Mark 5:34, etc.). True faith does heal, make you whole again, save you. Which do you need more today: faith or wholeness or healing or God's Word? I pray you receive it. I pray our world receives it. God in Christ is ready to offer it. Revive your faith. Rebuild your spiritual life if it has been neglected. Read the Bible with new eyes. You won't regret it.
July 10
“So Delilah said to Samson, “Tell me the secret of your great strength and how you can be tied up and subdued.” Samson answered her, “If anyone ties me with seven fresh bowstrings that have not been dried, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” Then the rulers of the Philistines brought her seven fresh bowstrings that had not been dried, and she tied him with them. With men hidden in the room, she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” But he snapped the bowstrings as easily as a piece of string snaps when it comes close to a flame. So the secret of his strength was not discovered. Then Delilah said to Samson, “You have made a fool of me; you lied to me. Come now, tell me how you can be tied.” He said, “If anyone ties me securely with new ropes that have never been used, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” So Delilah took new ropes and tied him with them. Then, with men hidden in the room, she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” But he snapped the ropes off his arms as if they were threads. Delilah then said to Samson, “All this time you have been making a fool of me and lying to me. Tell me how you can be tied.” He replied, “If you weave the seven braids of my head into the fabric on the loom and tighten it with the pin, I’ll become as weak as any other man.” So while he was sleeping, Delilah took the seven braids of his head, wove them into the fabric and tightened it with the pin. Again she called to him, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and pulled up the pin and the loom, with the fabric. Then she said to him, “How can you say, ‘I love you,’ when you won’t confide in me? This is the third time you have made a fool of me and haven’t told me the secret of your great strength.” With such nagging she prodded him day after day until he was sick to death of it. So he told her everything. “No razor has ever been used on my head,” he said, “because I have been a Nazirite dedicated to God from my mother’s womb. If my head were shaved, my strength would leave me, and I would become as weak as any other man.” When Delilah saw that he had told her everything, she sent word to the rulers of the Philistines, “Come back once more; he has told me everything.” So the rulers of the Philistines returned with the silver in their hands. After putting him to sleep on her lap, she called for someone to shave off the seven braids of his hair, and so began to subdue him. And his strength left him. Then she called, “Samson, the Philistines are upon you!” He awoke from his sleep and thought, “I’ll go out as before and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. Then the Philistines seized him, gouged out his eyes and took him down to Gaza. Binding him with bronze shackles, they set him to grinding grain in the prison.” (Judges 16:6–21, NIV)
The story of Samson and Delilah has been shared for centuries. It is the story of a strong man who was manipulated and then used by a woman who cared more for her own ends than for her loved one. This story has often been told to focus on the strength of Samson. Today, I want you to focus on his weakness.
In the book of Judges, we read about Samson's birth during a time of waning faith in the land of Israel (Judges 13). The people of God in those days were harassed and persecuted by the Philistines. After years of suffering, God sent a strong young man named Samson to cause fear in the Philistines, so that they hesitated to attack Israel (Judges 14-15). The Philistines suffered much at the hands of strong Samson. They hated him. They sought to bring him down. They looked for his weaknesses. They used their spy, Delilah, to disarm him.
In Judges 16, Samson is "in love" with Delilah. She is a prostitute with whom he is enamored. Though married, he likes to be with Delilah. She is a great weakness, and her cunning a great danger. Delilah was a Philistine prostitute. She was manipulated by the leaders and paid to discover how to subdue Samson (Judges 16:5). When she met with Samson, she used her sexual prowess to lure him to revealing his weaknesses. At first, Samson didn't tell her. He played with her. He though it was a game. He told her that his weakness was being tied with "fresh bowstrings" or "new ropes" (Judges 16:7, 11). She tried to tie him up, but he got out easily. Then, he told her he can be subdued with a pin in his hair (Judges 16:13). This also didn't work. Then, finally, he revealed his true weakness to her. If his hair is cut, his strength will leave. She probably seduced him, then while he slept, his hair was cut. Upon awakening, Samson's strength was sapped and he was captured. His eyes were gouged out, and he was imprisoned (Judges 16:21).
When most people talk about Samson, they talk about his great strength, but it is his weakness that became his undoing. Children are told stories about Samson's strength saving the people of God. It is often overlooked or hidden that Samson's love of illicit sex was the inroad Delilah used to abuse him. I do not want to focus today on Samson's weakness for illicit sex. I want to focus on the tactics that Delilah used to manipulate him. She used her wiles to get him to show his weaknesses. Then, she exploited those weaknesses.
All people are imbued with strengths and weaknesses. Your strengths often bless you, but it is your weaknesses that can easily be your undoing. A friend of mine who is a pastor spent years in Kentucky doing wonderful ministry. He suffered terribly when his weakness for a woman he was counseling damaged his marriage, ministry, and future. For years he was faithful. With a few nights of pleasure, his ministry was destroyed. Some people are praised for their strengths and accomplishments. Others have lives destroyed in a moment of weakness. Will you be remembered for your strengths and accomplishments, or for your failure in a moment of weakness?
In the last moments of Samson's life, he was redeemed. His prayer was heard by God (Judges 16:28-31). God gave him the strength to overcome the Philistines who had enslaved him. When you are overcome by a weakness, seek God. It may be that you too will find that despite being weak, God can redeem you and make your strong again. God can save you from your sin.
Your weaknesses will be exploited by those who don't care about you. You might be manipulated. You might get played. In weak moments, those who you think were friends might turn out to be no friends to God. In Samson's life, he couldn't trust his nation or his girlfriend. He couldn't rely forever on his strength. He found out in the end, that his greatest strength was a gift from God. His only true friend was God. No matter how you are treated in this world, I hope you too realize that your greatest gifts are from God. Your greatest and truest friend is God. If you need HIM, God will be there in your darkest hour. Others may gloat at your weakness. God glories in your faith. Pray to HIM today. You can place your trust in God, no matter what.
July 11
“O God, arrogant men have risen up against me, And a band of violent men have sought my life, And they have not set You before them. But You, O Lord, are a God merciful and gracious, Slow to anger and abundant in loving kindness and truth. Turn to me, and be gracious to me; Oh grant Your strength to Your servant, And save the son of Your handmaid. Show me a sign for good, That those who hate me may see it and be ashamed, Because You, O Lord, have helped me and comforted me.”
(Psalm 86:14–17, NASB95)
Psalm 86 is a "poor and needy" man's cry to God for help (Psalm 86:1). This faithful man was suffering at the hands of "arrogant men" who sought to hurt or kill this hurting man (Psalm 86:14). In response to the "hate" these men poured out, he reached out to God for comfort (Psalm 86:17). He knew God had abundant "loving kindness" and was full of grace and mercy (Psalm 86:15).
Our world is increasingly full of hate. Hate is often directed at those who are different. Some use hate to push an agenda. Some use it to threaten and intimidate. Terrorists use their hate to kill. People can relish in hatred, letting it simmer and boil over. What many people do not realize is that harboring hate in your mind can seriously affect your body. Did you know that people who have a lot of hate in them often end up with heart attacks and strokes? Hate can be a sign that something is seriously out of balance in your life. It may show an imbalance or shortage of serotonin and other brain chemicals Hate affects the body and brain.
But its not just people who hate who are affected by their sick attitude. Those who are the targets of hate also suffer. In an article about online hate on CNET, Pamela Rutledge, the director of the Media Psychology Research Center, explained that each time you experience online hate, your body makes a little cortisol. When online trolls bash and spew venomous speech at you, your body can slip into "fight or flight mode", and the cortisol will fill you in response. Constant exposure to this hate can make your body slip into depression or experience other psychological and physical illnesses. Excess cortisol can cause you to be fat, anxious, and depressed. "Because our bodies respond to virtual environments in ways that are similar to offline environments, you can still feel the same kind of trauma," Rutledge said. That can be magnified if online harassment includes threats to your physical safety (see www.cnet.com/news/heres-how-online-hate-affects-your-brain). Studies from the Pew Research Center state that seventy-three percent of adults have experienced online harassment personally with "name calling, sexual harassment, physical threats, death threats, and more." Over one quarter of those on the internet are afraid to write what they think, because of the fear of retaliation and online hate.
Hatred has fueled wars and caused blood-feuds. It has caused the suffering of millions. In Psalm 86, the author found that in response to the hate, there was help and comfort when one reached out to the Lord (Psalm 86:17). That is because, as the epistle of 1 John states, "God is love" (1 John 4:8). God is the antidote for hate. Where the Muslim religion often promotes the image of a "warrior god" due to its history and scriptures (especially in the concepts of "shihada" and "jihad"), the New Testament continually presses the importance of our God as a loving God.
To be a true Christian in every way, you must emulate your God! When people show hate, you show love. When people seek to manipulate and hurt you online, you must respond with love and the truth. Then, when people spew their venom, you can confidently run to God for comfort and assurance, knowing your God is love. Have you felt the love of God lately?
People are unreasonable, illogical and self-centered. Love them anyway.
If you do good, people will accuse you of selfish ulterior motives. Do good anyway.
If you are successful, you will win false friends and true enemies. Succeed anyway.
Honesty and frankness make you vulnerable. Be honest and frank anyway.
The good you do today will be forgotten tomorrow. Do good anyway.
The biggest people with the biggest ideas can be shot down by the smallest people with the smallest pride. Think big anyway.
People favor underdogs but follow only top dogs. Fight for some underdogs anyway.
What you spent years building may be destroyed overnight. Build anyway.
Give the world the best you have and you'll get kicked in the teeth. Give the world the best you've got anyway!
(Reader's Digest, December 1982)
July 12
“By day the Lord commands his steadfast love, and at night his song is with me, a prayer to the God of my life. I say to God, my rock: “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?” As with a deadly wound in my bones, my adversaries taunt me, while they say to me all the day long, “Where is your God?” Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.” (Psalm 42:8–11, ESV)
Ever have a time in your life when you are discouraged, but feel the love of God, then something happens and you are discouraged again? Some days can be like that, with many ups and downs. If you don't hold onto a firm God, your spirits will go up and down with the moods and discouragement. In Psalm 42, the author is having one of those periods in his life. In verse three, he comments that tears have "been his food day and night" (Psalm 42:3). Then, in the scripture above, he mentions that despite these tears, "by day, the Lord commands His steadfast love, at night God's song is with me" (Psalm 42:8). Each time he is knocked down, God shines through in the day and night.
What is causing the author's pain is found in this psalm as well. An "enemy" oppressed the author. Adversaries "taunted" him constantly making fun of his trust in God (Psalm 42:10). The taunting caused turmoil in his soul, making him question if God had "forgotten him" (Psalm 42:9). In the scripture above, the word for "taunt" is very descriptive. It means to "strip you down and expose you". Taunts seek to humiliate you as if you were standing naked at a street corner with friends watching your humiliation. A person who "taunts" you, enjoys seeing you suffer.
A young woman left for school on your normal "Monday". It had been an eventful weekend, with a party on Friday night. She went to the party, but didn't remember much about it… her mind was fuzzy. She had done her homework over the weekend, went to church with her family at "Nana's church", and then did her homework on Sunday night. As she walked into school that Monday, chills began to settle into her soul. People looked at her differently. Finally, seeing her best friend, she asked what was up. Her friend said there were rumors about the party. Several hours later, she discovered that a relative of her best friend had taken pictures of her while drinking. They were posted to the internet and passed around at school, phone to phone, imessage to chat. When Joy saw the pictures, she was shocked to discover that the pictures showed her exposed as she went to the bathroom. For months, people made fun of her. She felt totally humiliated and abused. To this day, months after, she knows what it means to experience "taunts", leers, and jeers. The worst news of all was that her best friend was involved. She said to another friend, "Sometimes, its not the person who changed, its that the mask falls off." She found out her best friend was her worst enemy.
When you are taunted, exposed, humiliated, teased, your life can turn upside down. You may have ups and downs just like the person in Psalm 42. What can help is holding on to something to steady your life. In Psalm 42, the author did just that. He called God his "rock" (Psalm 42:9). He knew it wouldn't be long and God would come through. He even would tell himself, "Why are you down, oh my soul?" (Psalm 42:11). He placed his hope in God, the Rock of Ages.
Psalm 62:2 calls God a "rock, salvation, fortress". God is the one you can flee to when your world is thrown for a loop and your life has been turned upside down. If you find yourself blasted with emotions, running from highs and lows, trust in God. Hold onto God. Seek God. Hope in God. When God is your rock and you are holding on tightly to HIM, all the storms will pass and you will not be moved.
When Christian persecution was at its worst during the period of the Roman Empire before 300 AD, the anchor was a symbol for many Christians. There are examples from ancient Christian tombs that show not only the cross used as a common symbol of Christianity, but the anchor as well. During these troubled times, Christians held tightly to God as THE anchor during life's storms. They believed that as written in Hebrews 6:19, hope in God was an anchor for the weary soul. God could be counted on, when everything else is life could not (See www.christianitytoday.com/history/2008/august/what-is-origin-of-anchor-as-christian-symbol-and-why-do-we.html).
Don't forget that your faith is precious to God. He will be there for you, even when you fail. When life throws you around, God is that rock and anchor to keep you safe from the storms. God will be strong, when all you can do is feel weak. When taunts and trials seek to destroy you, let God protect you. Let God's love encircle you. Have there been some taunts that have hurt you lately? Are there friends who have betrayed you in life? Do you feel your life is on a roller-coaster of emotions? God is the ultimate rock. Hold on to Him until the storms pass.
July 13
“Noah was 600 years old when the floodwaters engulfed the earth. Noah entered the ark along with his sons, his wife, and his sons’ wives because of the floodwaters. Pairs of clean animals, of unclean animals, of birds, and of everything that creeps along the ground, male and female, came into the ark to Noah, just as God had commanded him.And after seven days the floodwaters engulfed the earth. In the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month—on that day all the fountains of the great deep burst open and the floodgates of the heavens were opened. And the rain fell on the earth forty days and forty nights. On that very day Noah entered the ark, accompanied by his sons Shem, Ham, and Japheth, along with his wife and his sons’ three wives.They entered, along with every living creature after its kind, every animal after its kind, every creeping thing that creeps on the earth after its kind, and every bird after its kind, everything with wings.Pairs of all creatures that have the breath of life came into the ark to Noah. Those that entered were male and female, just as God commanded him. Then the Lord shut him in.” (Genesis 7:6–16, NET)
There are little hints in the scripture that can elude you, little nuances in the scripture that can easily be glossed over and missed. In this story of Noah, we have one such little nuance. I will demonstrate to you how those who translate scripture can make a mistake when they miss the nuance. In the end, this little nuance in the scripture above will tell you a great big important understanding of how God works.
In the story above from the book of Genesis, we are introduced to the violence of the flood. With the violence upon the earth, God decided to start over with humankind (See Genesis 6:5-6). God commanded Noah to build an ark to save himself and others from the flood (Genesis 6:4). Noah was chosen because he was a "righteous man" (Genesis 6:9). He had found "favor in the eyes of God" through his righteous life (Genesis 6:8). Nowhere in the story of Noah does it say anyone else was righteous or found favor in the eyes of God, even among Noah's family. Noah was the only one of his generation willing to follow the command of God.
Now, here's where it gets interesting. Note in the scripture above from Genesis 7, that the flood had just begun. Pairs of animals were brought into the ark for safe keeping (Genesis 7:16). Noah's wife and family also entered, including his three sons and their wives (Genesis 7:12). After all these entered the ark, the scripture says "the Lord shut him in". God closed the door to the ark. No human or animal entered thereafter. Thus, no further life was to be saved. But, here's where something special in scripture is exhibited. With all the life and all the people in the ark, why does it say God shut HIM in? Shouldn't it say God shut THEM in? This little word play displays something to those who study the Bible closely. If you don't meditate on this word play, you will miss the point.
The New Living Bible makes a translation error here. It mentions that the Lord "closed the door behind them." This is NOT a correct translation of the Bible. In the original Hebrew, the word is clearly HIM, not THEM. So, why would the scripture say that God closed the door behind HIM, when clearly there are a number of people in the ark? Because, God and the scripture were making a point. God made the ark to protect God's greatest asset in creation, the one righteous man who was held in God's favor. The animals that were saved were important to God. Noah's family was important to God. But Noah was THE most precious part of creation at the time. It was Noah that God wanted to protect at all costs. When Noah was inside the Ark, then God closed the door to the ark to protect God's greatest asset.
Does it bother you that God has "favorites", and God considers righteous people so very important? It shouldn't. You determine if God's favor is upon you by how you live. When you are righteous, God has a special place for you. God watches over you in a different way. God cares very much if you are safe.
Notice that Noah didn't close up the Ark to protect the Ark from the storm and rains. God closed the ark. God determined who got on the Ark, and God determined who would not get on the Ark. God closed the door to protect the precious and righteous. God was not going to let anything bad happen to Noah, nor his family (protected by Noah's righteousness before God), nor the animals chosen for the ark.
When you live in righteousness before Almighty God, you enter into a very special relationship with God. You are no longer just one small part of creation. You are a very important and precious asset to God. God knows you. God watches over you. God protects you. Even if you die, God has control over you. You should desire to be in the special graces of Almighty God. It is a safe and loving place to be, where God's arms shield and protect you. So, are you?
Chances are, those who read these words are not everyday Christians. You are special. Where others seek wealth and worldly goods, you desire to be closer to God. While others are concerned with their possessions or looks, you are more interested in sharing the love of God. You may think that everyone is equal in God's eyes, but then you would be wrong. God has favorites. God is especially close to those who are righteous and truly faithful. Would this describe you? Do whatever it takes to be faithful before God. Your reward will be the eyes of God upon your life. If you live righteously, God will even know your name: “Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by name, you are mine...” (Isaiah 43:1). To God, you aren't one of many, but one of the precious few. Did you ever know you are considered "precious" in the sight of God when you are righteous?
July 14
“But as for you, continue in what you have learned and firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it, and how from childhood you have known the sacred writings that are able to instruct you for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All scripture is inspired by God and is useful for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, so that everyone who belongs to God may be proficient, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:14–17, NRSV)
Have you ever wondered why I begin each meditation with scripture and give scriptural references whenever I quote or refer to the Bible? The scripture above is the reason why. The Apostle Paul, who wrote this scripture to Timothy, wanted Timothy to study and learn from the scriptures. As Christians, we are a "people of the book". The Bible informs us and is the "focusing lens" through which we view God.
There are some people who believe that the Bible is just a bunch of stories written by ancient people and doesn't really apply to life today. Some liberal theologians have even taught that the Bible is full of myths and thus its details are not trustworthy. Ultra-conservative believers have been pharisaic in their approach to the Bible. They often will use a literal translation of the Bible to beat people over the heads without delving into the meaning of the written word. Some in the Roman Catholic church have made the mistake of believing that the scriptures are only to be explained and expounded upon by popes, bishops, priests, and other clergy (as if laypeople could never understand the words). All these, and many others, have failed to take into consideration the true meaning of the scripture above. I believe that to have a healthy relationship with God, the scripture from 2 Timothy 3 should instruct those who are truly faithful.
Paul wrote the scripture above to Timothy as instruction. He began his teaching by asking Timothy to continue learning about God as he had done from childhood (2 Timothy 3:14-15). We know from 2 Timothy 1, that Timothy learned about God from his mother and grandmother (2 Timothy 1:5). Like many children in history, Timothy learned about Moses and the prophets from the lap of his parents and grandparents. I, too, learned so very much about the faith from my parents and grandparents. I believe that faithful families often breed faithful children. It is no surprise to me that Billy Graham's son Franklin leads one of the largest mission organizations of the world (Samaritan's Purse)! Billy Graham's daughter, Anne Graham Lotz, leads Angel Ministries that seeks to promote missions and evangelism in the name of Jesus. Your faith is crucial to those in your family and those who come after you!
In 2 Timothy, the apostle Paul wrote that scripture is central to Timothy's future understanding about God. There, Paul wrote that "all scripture is inspired by God" (2 Timothy 3:16). Thus, God intended scripture to be used by all future generations. God "inspired" its use and its spread. Scriptures can help any person learn what it means to be "saved through faith" (2 Timothy 3:15). Even after finding God, Christians are to study scripture and learn from its depths of wisdom. Scriptures are to be used for "teaching, reproof (proving the faith), correction (so you stay on the right path in life), and for training in righteousness" (2 Timothy 3:16). The Bible is extremely important in keeping you on the "straight and narrow" and grounded in the faith. In fact, the end of our reading states that scripture will "complete" your training and "equip" you for doing God's work.
If the Bible is so crucial to learning about God and being trained in the faith, why are so many people Biblically illiterate? According to recent Gallup Polls, large numbers of everyday Christians don't know much about the Bible and do not read or study it. Sixty percent of Americans can't name the Ten Commandments. Fifty percent of high school seniors thought Sodom and Gomorrah were a husband and wife from the Bible. Twelve percent of adults thought Joan of Arc was Noah's wife! Eighty-two percent of Americans think "God helps those who help themselves" is a Bible verse. Only fifty percent of Baptists know the basics of the faith. Twenty-two percent of those from my denomination were Biblically literate according to the studies. All these studies have proven that we have not listened to the Apostle Paul and used God's "inspired" scriptures as the basis for our faith and spiritual depth. (See http://www.christianity.com/1270946/)
During the 1960's, the draft was instituted in the United States to fill the troop requirements of the Vietnam War. However, if you were in seminary, you could get out of the draft. Some seminaries doubled and tripled their rolls. In my denomination, these seminarians from the 1960's are now in leadership. When I looked back at the courses they took back in the 1960's, I was shocked to learn that studies in the Bible and learning to read the Bible in its original languages were not required for the students, only encouraged. Some seminary students from that era studied Buddhism and Feminism, but not how to interpret the Bible in its original languages! Is it no wonder that today Christianity is full of people who don't truly know God's Word?
This web site is dedicated to the study of God's Word to instruct you in the meaning of true Christian faith. If you want to get to really know who God is and what God desires in your life, there is no substitute to learning from scripture. Any good pastor and leader must continue their studies of the Bible to be "proficient" (2 Timothy 3:16) in godly leadership. Find a good Bible Study teacher. Read and reflect on God's "inspired" Word. Study God's wisdom from the pages of the Bible. Memorize important passages. Let the Holy Spirit direct your understanding of the scripture. Don't just read about God, but meditate with God's Spirit on all of God's Word. Are you Biblically literate? Has scripture "inspired" you lately? Are you rushing through your daily readings? Do you pray over the wisdom of God's Word? Can you apply what you read to your life? Do you study your Bible often? Keep studying your Bible and you will soon have good answers to the above questions. I'll help with that!
July 15
“For you know that God paid a ransom to save you from the empty life you inherited from your ancestors. And it was not paid with mere gold or silver, which lose their value. It was the precious blood of Christ, the sinless, spotless Lamb of God. God chose him as your ransom long before the world began, but now in these last days he has been revealed for your sake. Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.” (1 Peter 1:18–23, NLT)
While Jesus was teaching one day, a scribe asked him an important question, "Which is the greatest commandment?" Jesus responded with famous words, “You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–39, NLT). Jesus' answer to the scribe made it clear that there are two parts to God's greatest commandment. First, you must love God "totally", with heart and soul and mind and strength. The second part is that you must love your neighbor as well as yourself. Some Christians fail God by not loving God with their whole self. They might have a relationship with God, but do not submit their whole lives for God's use. I believe that more fail, however, by not loving their neighbor.
In 1 Peter, Jesus' great disciple wrote that after being cleansed by the blood of Christ, you "must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart." (1 Peter 1:22) Like Jesus in the paragraph above, Peter believed there is a connection between loving God and loving others. Both Jesus and Peter felt it was a "command" for the Christian to love others. Peter even added that you MUST show "sincere love" to brothers and sisters of the faith. It is not optional. Yet, a love between Christians today is often sorely lacking.
I've seen so much love lost between church members. Is it no surprise that some people don't come to worship because of the animosity of members in the pew? One church in Pennsylvania split over who should buy the silverware in the church kitchen. Another church I'm familiar with had a big bruhaha over children leaving mud on a stairway after it rained during a Vacation Bible School. A church in Indiana that I've visited has had 16 pastors over 22 years of its history. They are highly critical of all clergy. I've preached at several churches that are known as "clergy-killing" congregations. I also remember a church where the decisions of the church leaders were run past a family in the church for "approval". Where Jesus and Peter demanded that Christians be loving, churches today often are battlegrounds and political minefields.
In an example of the signs of the times, a pastor received a letter from a long time parishioner which read, “Dear pastor: If Jesus Christ knew what you are doing to our church, he would turn over in his grave.” Upon reading the letter to his board, the pastor commented, “It makes me wonder what her theological position will be------come Easter.” Do you get the reason for his comment? I figure you do.
Peter, in the scripture for today, said the reason why we are to love others in the faith is because Jesus first loved us. Jesus was "raised from the dead", giving us hope (1 Peter 1:22). The blood of Christ saved us like a sacrificial lamb of the Old Testament(1 Peter 1:19). God payed a "ransom" to redeem you, giving up Jesus who was more precious than silver or gold (1 Peter 1:18). If you love Jesus at all, you should love those to whom Jesus sends you.
Do you show love to other Christians? If others in the faith were to describe you, would they include the word "loving" as descriptive of your actions? When reviled, Jesus responded with love (1 Peter 2:23). Even if others of the faith hurt you, your response must be loving… out of respect for Jesus. You don't just love those who love you, you respond with loving-kindness toward others simply because you love God in Christ. If you fail to love others, your love of Jesus has faltered. These two loves are connected.
Sometimes, I find it extremely difficult to respond to insensitive and hateful Christians with love. Then, I focus on scriptures like the one chosen for today and realize that I "must" respond with love. I do it for Jesus, who first loved me! (See 1 John 4:19!!)! Sinful people may not see my love, but God will. Backsliding Christians won't often respond with love, but God will. Enemies may not appreciate my love, but God will. Hurtful people may not respond to my actions and words with love, but God will.
Do you realize how much God loves you? Then, respond with love in every situation. Show others what love means. Let God bless your loving-kindness. They'll know we are true, faithful,righteous Christians by our love!
By the way, I just wanted to say again………. I love you, friend in Christ!
July 16
“Paul, a servant of God and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to further the faith of God’s elect and their knowledge of the truth which accords with godliness, in hope of eternal life which God, who never lies, promised ages ago and at the proper time manifested in his word through the preaching with which I have been entrusted by command of God our Savior; To Titus, my true child in a common faith: Grace and peace from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Savior.” (Titus 1:1–4, RSV)
Written above are the opening verses of Paul's letter to Titus (See Titus 1:4). Titus was a young pastor that Paul was mentoring in the faith. Titus was sent by Paul to the Christian church in Crete to help lead and guide them in their formative years (Titus 1:5). Paul's opening words tell us something important not only about about Titus and Paul, but about God's relationship with you.
Paul begins this letter by calling himself both a "servant" and an "apostle" (Titus 1:1). Usually, when a great leader introduces himself, it is not by calling himself a servant. Paul was not ashamed to do so (See also Romans 1:1). Though he sees himself as a learned man and a student of Gamaliel, he is foremost a servant of God. To be a servant of God means that God is "Master" of Paul's life. God called the shots. God sent Paul where God needs him. Paul didn't "live by his own rules" in life. God was the Master. God made the rules. God sent him where he was needed. That's also the meaning of the word, "apostle". In Greek, the title means "one who is sent out". Paul didn't sit at home writing novels. He traveled throughout Asia Minor and the Holy Land. He founded churches in multiple countries. He trained young pastors. He kept in touch with the churches and pastors through letters that today make up much of our New Testament.
Paul didn't just include his titles as both "servant" and "apostle". He also stated his mission in life. Paul was called by God to further the faith of God's "elect" by giving them knowledge and truth about the gospel (Titus 1:1). It is with this mission statement that I want you to focus for a bit. Paul is called to minister to the "elect". In Greek, the word for "elect" means to be "special, select, and chosen". If you go to the meat market and choose a "select cut" of meat, you will usually get the best and most "choice" of meat. To be the "elect" of God means you would be chosen by God, among the select few chosen by God for special missions of faith. I'm sure you've read that the Israelites were God's "chosen people" (Deuteronomy 7:6,Deuteronomy 14:2, 1 Kings 3:8, etc.). Did you also know that you are one of the chosen few as well?
Psalm 33:12 states: “Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen as his heritage!” God's choice of Israel as HIS chosen people meant that the nation was blessed by God's presence, protection, and power. Those who follow Jesus the Savior are also included in that "blessed status". Like Israel, true followers of Christ also are chosen, select, and elect. They share a relationship with God that is closer than that of ungodly or secular people and nations. If you are one of the "elect" of God, a chosen one, you have that special close bond with God. God watches over you in a special way.
Long before you chose God, God chose you. God wanted to be in a special relationship with you. What separates you from many other people in the world today is you have decided to enter that relationship. You have said "Yes" to God. Like the Apostle Paul, you are a servant of God. God leads you and guides you. You may or may not be an apostle, but you are a child of God. Your life is precious. Your faith is holy before God.
Because you are in a special relationship with God, your righteousness or unrighteousness are noted. Psalm 34 states that God's eyes lean "toward the righteous", and God's ears listen for their "cries". God "delivers" the righteous when they cry for help. God's face is against the unrighteous. (Psalm 34:15–17). Imagine it! God created the universe, can begin life or end it, is able to make or change history. That same God keeps an eye on little old you! You are God's "choice". HE picked you! When you said "Yes" to God, your place at God's table for all eternity was settled. The only way you leave God's sight or eternal life is to reject God. Otherwise, you have nothing to fear. God has an eye on you, always!
In these verses above, Paul also mentioned something about the character of God that is found nowhere else in the entire New Testament. Paul wrote that God "never lies" (Titus 1:2). A friend may lie to you in order to manipulate you. An enemy might "deceive" you. Satan is known as the "Father of Lies". Lying is not native to God. When God makes a statement, you can trust it. When God makes a judgment, it is based on the truth. When God speaks about eternal life, you can bet everything on it. Why? God doesn't lie. All God's promises are truth-tested. You never have to worry about God deceiving you.
To put it all together, God has chosen the faithful for all eternity. They are part of God's elect, God's chosen people. If you are one of the righteous and faithful elect who responded with a "YES!" to God, you can trust that God's eyes are with you. God's ears listen for your voice, your prayer, your cry. God cares deeply what happens to you, and God is looking forward to spending eternity with you. Everything you do today, this week, this year is very important to your relationship with God. "Further your faith". Be full of "godliness". You are God's ambassador. You represent HIM. You do act like Jesus Christ is your Savior, don't you?
July 17
“Then Samuel said to Saul, “Stop and let me tell you what Yahweh said to me last night.” So he said to him, “Speak.” Samuel said, “… are you not the head of the tribes of Israel? Yahweh has anointed you as king over Israel. When Yahweh… said to you: ‘Go! You must utterly destroy the sinners, the Amalekites, and you must fight against them until you have destroyed them.’ Why did you not listen to the voice of Yahweh…? You have done evil in the sight of Yahweh!” Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have listened to the voice of Yahweh, and I have gone on the way that Yahweh sent me! I brought Agag the king of Amalek, and the Amalekites I have utterly destroyed. The troops took from the plunder, sheep and cattle, the best of the things devoted to destruction, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God at Gilgal.” Then Samuel said, “Is there as much delight for Yahweh in burnt offerings and sacrifices as there is in obeying Yahweh? Look! To obey is better than sacrifice; to give heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination; arrogance is like iniquity and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of Yahweh, he has rejected you from being king!” Then Saul said to Samuel, “I have sinned because I have transgressed the commandment of Yahweh and your words, for I feared the troops and I listened to their voice.”
(1 Samuel 15:16–24, LEB)
The Amarna Tablets in Egypt described the Amalekites as "plunderers". They attacked the Israelites in the wilderness on the way to the Promised Land (Deuteronomy 25:18). They ambushed and attacked Israel multiple times in places like Rephidim (Exodus 17:8-13, 1 Samuel 15:2) and Hormah (Numbers 14:45), killing a number of the faithful. The Amalekites made allies of the Moabites and Midianites in order to strengthen their numbers and attack Israel further (Judges 3:13; 6:3). Following these and other attacks not recorded in the Bible, God demanded that they be destroyed in response. Saul was to accomplish this mission.
In 1 Samuel 14 and 15, Saul takes up the fight. Despite a valiant effort, Saul did not follow God's "rules" after that battle. Saul was to destroy everything of the Amalekites and not take any "booty" in the war (1 Samuel 15:2,3). However, Saul's troops liked the spoils of war, and Saul wanted to look good to his troops. Even though Saul destroyed the Amalekites, he kept the best of their animals for the soldiers and himself and did not kill their powerful king. In doing so, he went against the command of God once again in his life. You see, Saul had a problem with authority and obedience. He often did not follow God's instruction given through the prophet Samuel. His disobedience cost him the protection of God and the kingship of Israel.
In 1 Samuel 15, Samuel was sent by God to confront Saul. Saul defended his actions in the battle. Saul explained that despite what God commanded, he wanted to keep the animals for sacrifice and to eat (1 Samuel 15:15). After a while, he confessed that he didn't listen to God because he wanted to look good in front of his soldiers, keeping some of the animals of the Amalekites to feast on with his men (1 Samuel 15:24). He even states that he "obeyed the voice of the troops" when he disobeyed God. His disobedience meant God's rejection of him as king (1 Samuel 15:11). Samuel told Saul of the rejection in these words: "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice… Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, he [God] has also rejected you from being king.” (1 Samuel 15:22-23)
Disobedience cost Saul the throne of God's people. Because of disobedience, God knew that Saul was not trustworthy and would not follow commands. "In Jeremiah 7:23 God says, “Obey me, and I will be your God and you will be my people. Walk in all the ways I command you, that it may go well with you” (Jeremiah 7:23). As much emphasis as God placed on sacrifices in the Old Testament, God valued obedience more." (Bill Bright, 10 Basic Steps: The Christian and Obedience). God valued obedience MORE!
Your missions for God in life involve obedience. God has to trust that you will complete your tasks in HIS way. God can see more than you do. You might rationalize in a decisive moment what you think you should do, but this may fail you. God chose you for your trustworthy obedience. Follow HIS commands. Trust in HIS voice. Seek HIS direction. In the end, obey God's Word.
I have known many pastors who made decisions more by political correctness or church policy than God's direction. Many smart Christians have gone against God by using worldly reason rather than godly revelation. You might choose to do what you think is right rather than what God KNOWS is right. Be careful when your rationalizing gets in the way of doing what God wants you to do. Obedience is key to faith.
In a moment of weakness, Billie Jean swore at her husband. She had been working hard all day and was tired. Billie Jean and her husband were doing landscaping in their yard, pulling weeds and adding a stone walkway. It was hot. The bugs were biting. It was hard work. When her husband tripped while pushing the wheelbarrow and accidentally knocked into her, she blew up at him. She swore at him for a full minute. Throughout their work that day, she was snotty and harsh. Bobby looked at her with hurt in his eyes.
Later that day as she prayed, she reflected on her anger. She knew it was wrong. God reminded her of that. But instead of telling her husband she was sorry and ask his forgiveness, she said to herself, "He'll be fine. I don't need to say anything. He knows I love him." She was wrong. Bobby was very hurt. She rationalized her sin away and instead of repenting, she ignored God's nudge to make things right. Three days later, Bobby had a stroke. Now, he has problems communicating and understanding. He has lost many memories. Since then, Billie Jean has tremendous guilt about never saying she was sorry to Bobby on the day they did the landscaping. It eats away at her whenever she sees his picture. It even bothers her when she prays. To this day, she feels as if God doesn't love her because of her anger. She even wonders if the stroke was God's punishment upon her.
Obedience to God involves you following the command and Word of God, even in the little things. It means you need to set aside your own "issues" to do what you know is right by God. Can you be trusted to follow God's voice? Will you obey God's Word? Do you ignore God's voice when HE calls you to repent or change your ways? God is looking out for you. God may push you to get out of your comfort zone, repent of a sin, make some changes, or say you are sorry in order to protect you from later harm or regret. To fail to obey will cost you. Our scripture today displays that obedience means a lot to God. Does it mean a lot to you?
July 18
“But what God foretold by the mouth of all the prophets, that his Christ would suffer, he thus fulfilled. Repent therefore, and turn back, that your sins may be blotted out, that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord, and that he may send the Christ appointed for you, Jesus, whom heaven must receive until the time for restoring all the things about which God spoke by the mouth of his holy prophets long ago. Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you. And it shall be that every soul who does not listen to that prophet shall be destroyed from the people.’ And all the prophets who have spoken, from Samuel and those who came after him, also proclaimed these days. You are the sons of the prophets and of the covenant that God made with your fathers, saying to Abraham, ‘And in your offspring shall all the families of the earth be blessed.’ God, having raised up his servant, sent him to you first, to bless you by turning every one of you from your wickedness.”” (Acts 3:18–26, ESV)
As I was driving to church yesterday, I overheard a comment by a person on Christian Radio. She mentioned that people today are strongly influenced by computers. In a piece of reflection, she grabbed hold of my attention when saying, "We have gotten so used to pressing the delete key on the computer, that when it comes to sin we think we can do the same thing. But you can't just get rid of a sin as easily as pressing delete, delete, delete and starting over." Boy, was she right. Sin affects us. It leaves a residue in our lives. It doesn't just go away as easily as pressing a delete key. It takes repentance and a changing of one's sinful ways.
In Acts 3, we see this explained in a sermon by Peter. After healing a man and enabling him to walk, Peter saw an opportunity to preach to the people about the resurrected Jesus. Peter reminded the Jews gathered near a gate at the temple that the suffering of Jesus was foretold by the prophets (Acts 3:18). He also quoted Moses who said that "God would raise up a prophet…" Peter said that this prophet who Moses prophesied about was none other than Jesus (Acts 3:26, 4:2). In response to the sending of Jesus, God wanted the people to do two things: "Repent" and "turn toward God" (Acts 3:19, 26).
Repentance involves asking for forgiveness from your sins. It means regretting your sin and rejecting that sin. It involves saying you are sorry to those you have wronged and to God. It may involve atoning or making right a wrong. Zacchaeus, for example, gave money back to those to whom he had defrauded (Luke 19). King David had to admit to the prophet Nathan that he had hidden his sinful actions toward Bathsheba and Uriah (2 Samuel 12). He also had to accept God's judgment for his sin (2 Samuel 12:15). Repentance involves the humility to accept that you sin and seeking forgiveness for your wrongful act.
Repentance also involves turning away from your sinful attitudes and actions and turning toward God.
Usually when you sin, you will find that the sin itself is only part of it. The cause of the sin may be something completely different. A man may sin by choosing to steal. The cause of the sin may be greediness, the fear of being without money, or something else entirely. A woman may sin by committing adultery, but the real cause of her sin might be jealousy, envy, narcissism, hedonism, or an insecurity. Thus, if you want to complete your repentance, it takes your willingness not to just express your regret, but a changing of your heart, mind, attitude, or habits. This isn't as easy as pressing delete, delete, delete on a computer keyboard!
There is a difference between individual sins, sin, and sinfulness. Do you know the difference? Individual sins are actions whereby you make a mistake, err in judgment, do something wrong, or go against God in a specific instance. Sin is different. Sin is an attitude or way of life that causes you to commit specific, individual sins. Sinfulness is when you live in sin. It is when sin has a hold on how you think or defines a part of who you are. You may commit individual sins by coveting what your neighbor has, being envious of your neighbor's wife, and desiring your neighbor's car. Your sin may be sexual in nature or maybe jealousy or possibly an insecurity (or all three!). Sinfulness will occur when you commit multiple acts of envious behavior and your jealousy takes hold in your mind. To deal with sin and sinfulness, you must both repent AND turn from your sinful ways.
I hope you can see that sin and sinfulness are often deeply rooted in your mind, heart, and attitude. This ingrained frame of mind often will cause you to commit individual sins. When sin takes hold in your life, it will take some effort, humility, and a change of ways in order to keep that sin from wrecking your life. If you keep committing the same individual sins over and over, they may take hold and cause you to live in sin. If you live in sin long enough, you become sinful. Sinfulness is when the sin takes over in your life. You will have a big fight on your hands when sinfulness holds you firmly in its grasp.
Repentance is the antidote to a sinful life. Turning toward God will save you from sinfulness. Where sin destroys your life in small and big ways, repentance cleans you from the effects of sin and frees you from the burden of guilt. Repentance is God's way of combating Satan's control of your life through sin. It is the saving grace through which forgiveness can be found. It is like salve for the soul. It is required in the life of every true and faithful Christian.
If you sin, you need to repent. Peter told that to those gathered at the Beautiful gate of the temple in Acts 3. John the Baptist reminded the faithful of this in Matthew 3:11. Jesus' first sermon required repentance as a response (Matthew 4:17). If you find that your life is full of problems, that an individual sin is just too tempting, that you often hurt those you love, repentance and a turning to God might be the key components to get you back on track. Are you prone to sin or prone to repent? Have you turned from sin in your life? What sins might be forming a pattern of sin in your life? Is there a thought or an attitude that needs to go? Pray to God, seeking repentance for your failures. Turn toward God and away from wrong. Feel the freedom that comes with grace and forgiveness. True biblical repentance and turning to God will soothe your heart in ways nothing else can.
July 19
“And God has given us his Spirit as proof that we live in him and he in us. Furthermore, we have seen with our own eyes and now testify that the Father sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. All who declare that Jesus is the Son of God have God living in them, and they live in God. We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them. And as we live in God, our love grows more perfect. So we will not be afraid on the day of judgment, but we can face him with confidence because we live like Jesus here in this world. Such love has no fear, because perfect love expels all fear. If we are afraid, it is for fear of punishment, and this shows that we have not fully experienced his perfect love. We love each other because he loved us first. If someone says, “I love God,” but hates a fellow believer, that person is a liar; for if we don’t love people we can see, how can we love God, whom we cannot see? And he has given us this command: Those who love God must also love their fellow believers.” (1 John 4:13–21, NLT)
Have you ever thought to yourself, "I wonder if I'm going to heaven?" or "Is God with me?". Throughout history, many have thought the same. You are in good company. Our scripture today is the Apostle John's way of answering those questions for you. Proof that God is in you and with you in our scripture for today. All you have to do is answer four questions. If you can say, "Yes", to all of them, not only is God with you, but you have no need to fear death. Heaven is part of your future.
Our scripture begins by offering proof of God's presence in your life. John wrote that we can "know" that God is in our lives by the presence of the Holy Spirit (1 John 4:13). If you feel the presence of God's Holy Spirit and sense the Spirit of God directing your life, God is in you. It 's as simple as that. The presence of God's Spirit is a clear sign and "proof" that God lives in your. When speaking to the Corinthian Christians, the apostle Paul said twice that the body of a Christian is holy, because of the "Holy Spirit within" (1 Corinthians 6:19, 1 Corinthians 3:16). He also taught them that unspiritual people do not receive the Spirit of God (1 Corinthians 2:14). There are many "spirits" that can fill a person, such as a spirit of jealousy (Numbers 5:30), a spirit of wisdom (Deuteronomy 34:9), a lying spirit (2 Chronicles 18:22), evil spirits (Acts 19:15), as well as the Holy Spirit. These spirits attach themselves to your heart and soul. When the Holy Spirit is a part of you, it is "proof" of God's presence in your life. The reason why is that God's Spirit will NOT remain in you as long as other "spirits" or evil spirits reside in you. You will either follow God's Spirit or another spirit. Is the Holy Spirit in your life? If not, what other spirit has control of you?
The second way to figure if God is in your life is if you share the faith. People who have the Holy Spirit in their hearts want to share the good news of the gospel. They naturally desire to talk about God in Christ. 1 John 4:14 says that true Christians "testify that the Father has sent His Son as the Savior of the world". The next verse adds that when you confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in you and you live in relationship with God (1 John 4:15). Do you share your faith? If so, this is the second way to know that you are in the good graces of Almighty God.
"Cedarville College president Paul Dixon tells the story of a high school girl who was in the audience several years ago when he was speaking about the need to tell others about Christ. As she listened, she decided she wanted to make a difference in her high school. She asked God to give her an opportunity.
The next day at school, one of her teachers who was fed up with the way things were going walked into his classroom and said, "I've had it. I'm tired of the hassle of teaching kids who don't have any respect. If any of you can tell me what life is all about and what our purpose is, go ahead."
Surprised, the girl raised her hand and explained that she had found answers to those questions in Jesus Christ. The teacher, who was an agnostic, invited her to stay after class and explain her beliefs. When she suggested that he attend an evangelistic meeting, he agreed. That Friday night he put his trust in Jesus as Savior, and today he's active in Christian service." (Our Daily Bread, May 8, 1995) When the Holy Spirit is in you, you will find times and places to share your faith.
The third way you can have proof of God in your life is by looking for godly love in your life, especially when you deal with people of the faith. If you have love for God in your heart, it will show itself in your life. The scripture for today said it this way: "We know how much God loves us, and we have put our trust in his love. God is love, and all who live in love live in God, and God lives in them.” (1 John 4:16) The reading for today also adds that no true Christian can say they love God and then show "hatred" toward a brother or sister in the faith (1 John 4:20). The scripture even calls anyone who is a true Christian and who shows hate or contempt to another person in the faith a "liar". You can't honestly love God if you harbor hate toward another faithful person. So the question for you now is, "Do you show love toward others, especially other faithful people?"
When you have God's Spirit in you, live a life filled with godly love, and share your faith in Jesus, one thing will disappear in you. What you will lose is a "fear of [eternal] punishment" from God (1 John 4:18). You won't fear going to hell. You'll know that heaven is in your future. The more your life gets full of godly things such as love and the Spirit and witnessing, the more you will feel confident in your future in heaven (1 John 4:17). When Stephen, the disciple, was about to die for the faith, he didn't cry or scream or beg for mercy. Being "full of the Holy Spirit", Stephen kept his eyes on Heaven. In response, God's glory was show to him, and he even saw Jesus in Heaven in his final moments (Acts 7:55). Did you notice that Stephen had no fear of death because he was "full of the Holy Spirit"? Fear of hell is a sign that your faith is not fully resting in God. If you were "right" with God, you would have no need to fear death or God's presence. Do you have so much confidence in God that you do not fear going to hell?
If you answered "yes" to the four questions above, you have your "proof" that heaven will be waiting for you upon death. The apostle Paul could answer "yes" to all four. He said in 2 Corinthians 5 that Christians can "KNOW" they are going to a place "eternal in the heavens". There is no need to doubt it or fear it. In Romans 8:38-39, Paul added that he is "sure" that death cannot separate us from God. God will be with you when you die. You can be "sure", too!
Bill Hybels wrote some years ago: "Sometime when you're in an airport, observe the difference between passengers who hold confirmed tickets and those who are on standby. The ones with confirmed tickets read newspapers, chat with their friends or sleep. The ones on standby hang around the ticket counter, pace and smoke, smoke and pace. The difference is caused by the confidence factor. If you knew that in fifteen minutes you would have to stand in judgment before the Holy God and learn your eternal destiny, what would your reaction be? Would you smoke and pace? Would you say to yourself, "I don't know what God's going to say."?" (Bill Hybels, Too Busy Not To Pray, IVP, p. 113.) This scripture was written to give you "confidence" and "proof" of your relationship with God and future in HIS kingdom. Isn't it wonderful to know that you are in safe, eternal, graceful, loving hands? You did answer "yes" to all four underlined questions above, didn't you?
July 20
“[Jesus said] “If the world hates you, keep in mind that it hated me first. If you belonged to the world, it would love you as its own. As it is, you do not belong to the world, but I have chosen you out of the world. That is why the world hates you. Remember the words I spoke to you: ‘No servant is greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will persecute you also. If they obeyed my teaching, they will obey yours also. They will treat you this way because of my name, for they do not know the One who sent me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin. He who hates me hates my Father as well. If I had not done among them what no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin. But now they have seen these miracles, and yet they have hated both me and my Father. But this is to fulfill what is written in their Law: ‘They hated me without reason.’”
(John 15:18–25, NIV84)
I have taught something for years, but felt ignored. Many believed things could never be this way. I told them that Jesus even said it would happen. They still did not believe it could happen. Time is proving them wrong. Decades ago, I said that in the coming years, Islam would grow and in response attack Christianity. I also said atheism would grow. It too would attack Christianity. When I said it would happen in the United States, people thought I was crazy. How could Islam, especially after 9-11-2001, dominate as a religion in the West? Why would atheism ever prove a threat to Christianity? The statistics are proving all the doubters wrong. Let me show you how this is not only happening today, but it has been happening for centuries. Jesus even predicted it.
In a recent study in Britain, they asked 12,000 Christians their opinion. What they found surprised them, but not me. Ninety-Three percent felt marginalized and put down for their Christian faith. Half of those in the poll felt they were persecuted for being a Christian. Twenty-six percent felt afraid to share their faith. The younger the Christian, the more persecution they experienced. In the U.S., the leader of the Liberal Democrats Group resigned. As a Christian, he wrote in his resignation note: We are kidding ourselves if we think we yet live in a tolerant, liberal society," Pastor Greg Laurie, responding to the resignation and the study in Britain, believes what is happening in Europe is just the beginning. The US. is "not far behind". ((www.onenewsnow.com/church/2017/07/18) As more displaced Muslims are let into Europe where atheism is the established religion of many Western nations, Christians are encountering persecution from both Islam and Atheism.
Muslims in many African nations attack Christians. Christians in Iraq have fled for their lives. Several terrorist bombs have destroyed Christian churches in Coptic Christian areas of Egypt. Atheist social activists have purposely gone after Christian businesses, causing them to close their doors. Conservative pastors in liberal Christian denominations have been silenced, ejected from their denominations, or been forced to step down. When Christians speak out against communities who desire sharia (Muslim) laws being enacted, they find media scrutiny and liberal scorn. If you think all this is new, you would be wrong. Jesus predicted it in our scripture for today.
Not long before Jesus died, he took time to warn his disciples about the ways of the world. In John, chapter 15, Jesus laid down the fact that followers of God in Christ would be persecuted for their beliefs. Jesus said that the world hates him and would hate his followers (John 15:18-19). He also demonstrated the belief that the world loves worldly people (John 15:19). You only have to look at how much Hollywood is loved to see this in operation today. Adages like "sex sells" and "When in Rome, do what the Romans do" are popular and very worldly in origin. One suggests that sex in the movies is a big plus for making money. The other suggests that to be polite, you should "act like everyone else" so you fit in. Jesus believed differently. Where the world promotes sex, He promoted truth. Where the world promotes doing what's popular to fit in, He promoted doing what is right before God.
These two different world views (Christianity and other religions/atheism) will always clash. You are either worldly or godly. You can't be both.
Jesus went on to say that those who do not believe in God not only sin but they will "hate" those who do believe in God (John 15:20-25). Out of their hate for God, they will persecute Christians. Jesus didn't say worldly people might hate God and persecute you. He said they will do this. It is a given.
In every country in history where Islam or atheism has dominated the populace, there has been a persecution of Christians at some point. It is inevitable. Christians want to share their faith. Muslims and atheists, for the most part, want to silence it. In areas where Buddhism and Bahai have grown, there has been more acceptance of Christians, but persecution has also occurred. True Christians are taught not to persecute and kill others for the faith. I only wish all religions and peoples felt the same. It is a statistical fact that more Christians died for the faith in the last 100 years than in the past 1900 years before that. One Christian died by persecution every six minutes in 2016 (See reference at end of meditation). Until you wake up to the reality that being a Christian is not only a joy but can cause suffering and death, you only are putting your head in the sand and denying the truth of history (See Voice of the Martyrs web site www.persecution.com for many more facts).
I write this meditation today not to cause you to fear persecution, but to remind you that there are people who hate God and Jesus (John 15:25). They will hate you. God, on the other hand, will love you dearly. Your faith is precious and necessary to our world. Your faith is truly the only thing that will ever have a chance of saving our world from ultimate destruction. Your true love of God and neighbor can bring the grace our world is desperate to find. Pray for our persecuted Christian brothers and sisters. Pray for all those who suffer persecution, Christian or not. Some day, a list of those who are silenced or persecuted may include you.
References:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religious_persecution#Persecution_of_Christians
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/kelly-james-clark/christianity-most-persecuted-religion_b_2402644.html
http://www.christianpost.com/news/90000-christians-killed-in-2016-1-every-6-minutes-study-172464/
July 21
“On one of those days, as he was teaching, there were Pharisees and teachers of the law sitting by, who had come from every village of Galilee and Judea and from Jerusalem; and the power of the Lord was with him to heal. And behold, men were bringing on a bed a man who was paralyzed, and they sought to bring him in and lay him before Jesus; but finding no way to bring him in, because of the crowd, they went up on the roof and let him down with his bed through the tiles into the midst before Jesus. And when he saw their faith he said, “Man, your sins are forgiven you.” And the scribes and the Pharisees began to question, saying, “Who is this that speaks blasphemies? Who can forgive sins but God only?” When Jesus perceived their questionings, he answered them, “Why do you question in your hearts? Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the man who was paralyzed—“I say to you, rise, take up your bed and go home.”And immediately he rose before them, and took up that on which he lay, and went home, glorifying God. And amazement seized them all, and they glorified God and were filled with awe, saying, “We have seen strange things today.”” (Luke 5:17–26, RSV)
It's called a writer's block. It's when you are writing something, but the words are not flowing. The sentences just don't seem to make it to the paper. Writer's block can happen to anyone at anytime. It will hamper your ability to communicate through the written word. Many things can cause writer's block: a lack of inspiration, stress, illness, sadness, emotional upheavals, overwork, even falling in love. Until you find the source of the problem or until you are inspired, writer's block will make it difficult for you to express yourself on paper.
There are many other types of blocks in life you may need to overcome. A blocked artery could cause you to have a heart attack or stroke. A blocked intersection may make your commute half an hour longer. A blocked pass will keep a football team from scoring. When things block your way, how do you handle it? Do you give up? Do you complain? Do you find another way?
In the scripture for today, Jesus was surrounded by crowds on every side. He was in a walled portico or a large house. Between the walls and the people, those who wanted to see him were limited, blocked. There was a paralyzed man who had a few friends. They all wanted desperately to get in to see Jesus. Maybe the paralyzed man could be healed! But, with the crowds and the walls, there was no way to even get close. That's when the friends decided their way to Jesus would not be blocked! They would find a way around that problem! The men went up to the roof of the place where Jesus was, removed the roof tiles, and dropped the man down (with some effort I bet!) right by Jesus (Luke 5:19). Jesus was impressed by their faith (Luke 5:20). Since the power of healing was with him (Luke 5:17), Jesus healed the paralyzed man (Luke 5:24). "Immediately", the man got up and walked home, taking his bed with him.
The miracle of the healing of this paralyzed man is itself a wonderful event in our story above. But, I want to focus on what caused Jesus to heal the man. The man never would have been healed if he wouldn't have gotten to see Jesus. If the friends of the man had not persisted to find a way to Jesus, the man would never have been able to walk. They overcame the blocked pathways to find a way to Jesus, so the healing could occur.
Sometimes, you have to find a pathway to Jesus. Things in life can and will get in your way and block your connection with God. Your prayers might feel like they aren't going anywhere. Your car might get a flat tire on the way to worship. The church might be full on Easter, except for one seat way in the back. Your friends might push you to skip church and go golfing. There are a billion ways to get blocked on the way to spend time with Jesus. The question is, "Are you going to find a way to be with HIM?"
I've known very busy people who worked sixteen hour days, who found that the only time they could read their Bible and pray was at 4am. Rather than sleep in, they found a way to get up and spend time with their Lord. In the last church I served as pastor, there was the story of a man in the 1940's who would come to church two hours before worship to start up the fire in the old wood burner in order to heat the sanctuary. When I was in Honduras, I met a church elder who traveled an hour by foot one way just to get to the church for Adult Sunday School. His family walked with him! All these and millions more have found a way to be with Jesus. How about you? Is there something that keeps you from time with HIM? Does something block your way?
The paralyzed man would never have been healed that day long ago, if not for the desire of those who were with him. They wanted to see Jesus. They wanted healing for their friend. They were willing to climb the walls, take apart the roof tiles, do whatever it took, to get to HIS presence. How far are you willing to go so that others can see Jesus? Are you willing to overcome obstacles and blocked paths? Do you only spend time with God when its easy to do? Will you only help others when its convenient? Search your soul today. Find a way to Jesus, no matter what blocks your path. HE is waiting to bless your life. HE can't wait to see who you've brought along with you! Show that faith!
July 22
“Oh, the joys of those who do not follow the advice of the wicked, or stand around with sinners, or join in with mockers. But they delight in the law of the Lord, meditating on it day and night. They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do. But not the wicked! They are like worthless chaff, scattered by the wind. They will be condemned at the time of judgment. Sinners will have no place among the godly. For the Lord watches over the path of the godly, but the path of the wicked leads to destruction.” (Psalm 1:1–6, NLT)
For centuries, ancient farmers would crush stalks of grain with heavy stones or carts. Then, they tossed the remnants into the air. The heavier parts were kept to make dough and breads. The lighter bits of straw and husk, the chaff, was blown away. It was seen as worthless and scattered with the wind.
In the Bible, chaff is a frequent symbol of the wicked. Like chaff, the wicked are seen as insubstantial and worthless, destined to be scattered and discarded by God (Such as in Isaiah 29:5, Jeremiah 13:24, and Luke 3:17). It's terrible to think of a person as worthless, but if you think about what wicked people can do and the damage they cause, it may seem that way from God's point of view. Wicked people in the Bible were known to kill, maim, hurt, starve, torture, and perform other evil acts. Their destructive tendencies often caused people to suffer and nations to weaken. They usually didn't help things, but often made things worse.
In the first Psalm of our Bible, it speaks about the righteous like "trees planted along the riverbank" (Psalm 1:3). Both the righteous and healthy trees prosper and grow and offer shelter and bring forth fruit. They bring comfort on a hot day and rest for the weary traveler. This psalm describes holy people as "not following the advice of the wicked", not joining with "mockers", and delighting in God's law. God watches over them (Psalm 1:6).
The wicked in Psalm 1 are not seen as healthy trees that bring comfort and shelter. They are described as "worthless chaff". They are fit to be disgarded and "scattered by the wind" (Psalm 1:4). In the future judgment, they will be "condemned" (Psalm 1:5). If you follow them, you will find only "destruction" (Psalm 1:6). Where the holy produce shade and fruit, the wicked produce condemnation and destruction. God does not watch over them to protect them.
In our "modern" churches, there is often a hesitation to separate the wheat from the chaff, the holy from the wicked. Preachers are encouraged to share the gospel, but are persuaded not to be clear about right and wrong, good and bad. Some people talk about decisions as if there is no black and white, right and wrong. There are only shades of gray. This can lead people astray. It can cause the righteous to view sin as mere dalliance or just mistakes in judgment. It can lead the wicked to believe that they aren't bad people, just "misguided". I believe that sometimes we have to make very clear what is right and wrong, good and bad, holy and wicked. God certainly does this. Psalm 1 does this. Are you clear about what God's word says is right and wrong?
It's very important in our world today to keep an eye out for what's right and wrong; which path leads to godliness and which path leads to destruction (Psalm 1:6). Our world sometimes blurs the lines between the two, or outright mixes them up. What's right is wrong. What's wrong is now right.
A teacher reported to the principal that she had seen a group of children kneeling in a corner of the playground during the noon break. Hastily, the principal called the children to the office. Then, the principal asked for an explanation of what they were doing on the playground and why they were kneeling. The kids looked at each other for support, then bent low and said, “We were playing poker.”
The principal sighed putting his finger in his glistening collar. He said, “Oh, I’m so relieved, I thought you were praying.” What???? In our world today, prayer at school is now wrong and poker is now right???
Don't be surprised if you find that people today don't know right from wrong. In school, they are not allowed to pray or teach morals or ethics. The kids can learn facts, but not what's right and wrong. In some elementary schools they have taught kids how to use condoms, but they don't tell the kids what's right and wrong about sex! One person even commented online about sex lately saying, "When it comes to sex, there is no right or wrong. There are only choices." Sheesh!!!
Psalm 1 makes very clear that the path you chose in life and those you follow down that path will lead you to godliness or destruction: one or the other. Sometimes, the path is unclear to you, but it is not to God. Make sure you are not on a path that leads to destruction. You won't like where it takes you. Like chaff blown in the wind, the path to destruction will carry you in places you don't want to go.
How clear are you about right and wrong? What have your children learned about right and wrong from you? Do you tend to twist in your mind what is right and wrong to suit your own desires and moods? Do you remember when you came to a figurative "fork in the road" in your past? Talk about these things with your Lord today. Let HIM help you see more clearly the path you are on.
“Your word, O Lord, is a lamp for my feet and a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105, HCSB)
July 23
“Those who are sinning rebuke in the presence of all, that the rest also may fear. I charge you before God and the Lord Jesus Christ and the elect angels that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing with partiality. Do not lay hands on anyone hastily, nor share in other people’s sins; keep yourself pure.” (1 Timothy 5:20–22, NKJV)
When the prophet Isaiah was called by God to purify the land of Judah from sin, Isaiah had a vision of Heaven. He found himself in God's presence among seraphim. He was in front of God's throne. At the very moment he realized he was in heaven and in the presence of God, he realized that he was in trouble. He was a sinner. Isaiah said out loud, "Woe is me … I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). Isaiah knew that sinners in the sight of God would die. He thought he was a dead man. At that moment, a seraphim took a burning coal from the fires in heaven and brought it to Isaiah and touched his mouth with it. He was told his sins were forgiven in that moment by the burning coal (Isaiah 6:7). Thus, he was cleansed and purified from his sins before God. Isaiah was then allowed to be in God's presence and receive his commission to be a prophet to Judah.
For years, I thought the heat of a coal in heaven burned the sin metaphorically from Isaiah's mouth. However, recently I've taken a new view of this. The seraphim didn't just use heat to cleanse Isaiah from his sin. He used a coal. After some study, I found out that coal is not only used for heat. It is used in various processes of purification. Bituminous Coal is used to make activated carbon. Activated carbon has been used for centuries to remove contaminants and impurities using chemical adsorption. Many home water purifiers, fish tank filters, and air purifiers use activated carbon from coal to clean air and water. Silver and Gold are also purified with it. As I look at Isaiah 6, I can now see that the heat of the hot coal not only purified Isaiah's lips, but the coal itself was a purifier as well. Both heat and coal purify. Symbolically, Isaiah's mouth was cleansed for his ministry to Judah. He was made pure again.
Purity is important to God. Heaven's streets are made with "pure Gold" (Revelation 21:18). The Beatitudes say that those who are "pure in heart" will see God (Matthew 5:8). In Jeremiah 2:21, God called Israel a "pure seed" that was planted in our world. In Malachi 1:11, God asked for a "pure offering" when the people came for worship. Paul wanted the faithful to give "pure devotion" to God (2 Corinthians 11:3). In these and many more scriptures "purity" is seen as a godly trait. In our scripture above from 1 Timothy 5, "purity" from sin is seen as crucial for the faithful.
In teaching Timothy the ins and outs of ministry, Paul focused in the above scripture on keeping sin away from the faithful. Paul wrote Pastor Timothy to correct or "rebuke" those who sinned (1 Timothy 5:20). He urged Timothy to do this "without partiality", without bias. He cautioned Timothy not to share in "other people's sins" (1 Timothy 5:22). Timothy was to keep himself separated from their sin. Sin makes a person "unclean" before God (Isaiah 6:5). Sin taints you and stains you (Jeremiah 2:22). A pure heart is one that is free from sin and guilt. It is a heart that has been forgiven and does not live in sin. Paul urged Timothy to "keep himself pure" from sin (1 Timothy 5:22).
During the Vietnam War, a squadron of pilots was known for its many parties and carousing. Often, the men would fly in morning missions, then go to the bars and brothels at night. The war took its toll among the men. Within months, venereal diseases and liver disease began to spread among the men. Every single one of the men, except one, got sick. The doctor called the only man who didn't get sick to his office. He asked him how he had kept healthy, hoping to use that to help the other men. The man told the doctor, "I have a girl back home. I love her. I'm going to save myself for her." He didn't go out drinking, but instead would stay up late and write his fiance. He didn't visit the prostitutes, because he was "saving himself for her." After his tour, he married his love. Sadly, the doctor realized that very few of the pilots were able to remain disease-free for long. Their hard partying and sexual trysts made disease and sickness almost inevitable.
Remaining "pure" in a world of sin is not easy. Few people can be in a morally sick environment and not get tainted by the common sin. You need to be like that one pilot who "saved himself" for his girl. He remained true to her. Can you remain true to God? Sins can taint your life in so many ways. They can bring disease, as in the case of the pilots in Vietnam. They can cause sleepless nights, guilt, depression, and so much more. The pure in heart know to follow God's ways to keep from sin. Remember, purity is important to God.
Are you "pure in heart"? Is there a sin that continues to stain your life? Let God cleanse any unrighteousness in you. Unclean thoughts lead to sinful actions. To be pure before God, you need to keep away from sin. Don't let unclean thoughts direct your path. Use prayer with God to help keep you pure. Let forgiveness wash you clean (Psalm 51:5-8). Long for the grace of God to keep you free from the stain of guilt. Be righteous before God. Remember, the "pure in heart" are the ones who can see God most clearly (Matthew 5:8).
July 24
“And since they did not see fit to acknowledge God, God gave them up to a base mind and to improper conduct. They were filled with all manner of wickedness, evil, covetousness, malice. Full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malignity, they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, haughty, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, foolish, faithless, heartless, ruthless. Though they know God’s decree that those who do such things deserve to die, they not only do them but approve those who practice them.” (Romans 1:28–32, RSV)
In the scripture above is listed the ways that sinful people live unrighteous lives. One word in the list of sins is repeated. Do you see it? It's the word, "evil". Evil is not only listed with "wickedness" and "murder", "gossip", "haters of God", and other sinful evidence. Sinners are seen as "inventors of evil" (Romans 1:30). Nowhere in scripture is evil seen as a good thing, an admirable trait, or a part of God's character. Job was praised by God for turning away from evil (Job 1:8, Job 2:3). Paul said that Jesus was sent to save us from this "evil age". The Armor of God written about in Ephesians is seen as protection from evil (Ephesians 6:13, Ephesians 6:16). Evil is never, ever seen as good.
However, that's not how the world sees it. In a new ad promotion for Disney's movie, "Descendants 2", the motto chosen was "Being evil never looked so good." (See picture at bottom of this page) In the ads, young girls are offered clothes and accessories that make them look good, while promoting the bad. Some may see this as just a lot of fun or a word play in advertising. But, how moral is it when you promote anything evil as good?
I find it interesting that in the list of sinfulness given by Paul in Romans 1, he also included "disobedience to parents" as a sign of unrighteousness before God (Romans 1:30). 2 Timothy 3:2 also lists disobedience by children as a hallmark of the "end times". Those end times are seen as highly stressful times (2 Timothy 3:1). I'm sure they are. When children become disobedient to parents, it leads to a breakdown of the family. Many studies have shown that when the family unit breaks down or becomes dysfunctional, stress and psychological problems are the inevitable result. (http://childhoodtraumarecovery.com/2015/11/18/dysfunctional-families-types-and-effects/)
Evil always seeks to break down the family unit. To promote evil as good among children can never end well.
I want you to think about the list of sinful actions from Romans 1. None of them are good, are they? The list was written by Paul to help Christians like you to shun the kinds of things that lead to evil. He ends the paragraph by saying they go directly against God and God's command or decree (Romans 1:32). Of the things written in the list, which are ones that strike home to you? Which are you experiencing? Which are you prone to practice?
Evil and sinful practices always cause harm. That is why God wants you to shun them. When the scripture says sinners are "inventors of evil", what does that mean? The original Greek words here mean to "think up ways to do evil". Notice that this type of evil begins in the mind, where you think up ways to do wrong. Evil people have evil thoughts. Those evil thoughts poison the mind and then cause the person to do evil. The evil thoughts precede the evil acts.
Be careful when you "think up" evil thoughts. They can easily translate into evil actions. In the end you will not only do evil, but be evil. You will be another "inventor of evil".
The story is told of a woman who was bitten by a mad dog. She didn't seek medical attention quickly, and pretty soon it was too late for her. It looked as if she was going to die of rabies. The doctor told her she should make her will. She only had a short time to live. Taking her pen and paper, she began to write and write and write. It took her half an hour. Finally the doctor said, “That is surely a long will you’re making.”
She snorted, “Will nothing! I’m making a list of all the people I’m going to bite!”
In the woman's response, you can see that in her mind she was keeping track of those whom she hated. She was going to seek revenge on her enemies. While the doctor was innocently thinking she wanted to make things right in her final hours by making a will, the woman was actually thinking how she would get back at those she hated.
Evil thoughts conjured up in the mind will always end up hurting you. Given enough time, they fester into evil actions. When you wake up at night inventing evil in your mind, it is time to confess your sin and change your ways. Don't let those thoughts give birth to evil actions. If you look at a pretty person and jealously wish them to become ugly, you are in trouble. If you look at a rich person and dream of them losing everything, watch out. If you see a person and in your hate you conjure up thoughts of their suffering or doom, you are in a dangerous state. Ask God to free you from "inventing evil in your mind" before it infects the rest of your life.
Is there an evil thought that keeps coming back to your mind? Are you comfortable with a sin? Do you think up ways of getting revenge upon others, inventing evil to come upon them? All these are warning signs that you are in dangerous waters. It may be time to come clean with God!
(The original Daily Meditation included photos of the Disney apparel and advertisements, but they have been excluded here due to software errors.)
July 25
“My brothers and sisters, if anyone among you wanders from the truth and someone turns him back, he should know that the one who turns a sinner back from his wandering path will save that person’s soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19–20, NET)
This week, police in Cocoa, Florida have interviewed a group of teens aged 14 to 16 about a video one took with his cell phone. The video shows a man, Jamel Dunn, screaming for help and then drowning. The boys took a video of the drowning, but did not try to save the man. They didn't call 911. The police didn't know what happened until the video showed up on social media. It is not known how Jamel Dunn, who was disabled, fell into the water. What we do know is that the teens made fun of him while he drowned. They called him names and swore at him. The one thing they didn't care to do was try to save him (http://www.foxnews.com/us/2017/07/20/teens-filmed-mocked-and-laughed-while-man-slowly-drowned.html).
Would you find it hard to watch someone dying and not lift a finger to help? Does it bother you that people took a video of the drowning of Jamel Dunn, but didn't do anything for the dying man? Not caring while a person is dying, when you could help, is a sign of great sadness to me. If you think Jamel Dunn's death is unusual, I point you to what happened in Richmond, California in 2009. A 15 year old girl was beaten and raped on school grounds. Twenty people witnessed the crime. Nobody helped. She almost died.
Our world is not only filled with violence, but too many people who don't care to rescue, protect, or save those in danger. I could give you thousands of examples this year alone, of people who did nothing or said nothing while terrible things happened to others. There are videos on social media of people committing suicide. While people watched the death, most didn't care to call the police or get involved (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ekebtdgVeY0). In some of these cases of suicide live-streamed, nobody called for help.
As I read of these emergencies where nobody called for help, it got me thinking. Spiritually, do people do the same thing? If a friend hints at suicide, would you reach out for help? If you saw a person being self-destructive would you care enough to step in and do what you could? If a person was living as if they were going to hell, would you care?
Our scripture from James included above shows how much God cares when we reach out to save others from spiritual death. In these verses, it mentions that if a sinner is backsliding spiritually and you do something to get them back on track, you will help save their soul from eternal death (James 5:19). God will notice your deed of love and will also forgive a great many sins as a gift to celebrate your gracious act (James 5:20). Thus, the person you bring back to the fold will be saved and forgiven. Your help will be noticed by God.
God enjoys when people are saved. God celebrates when the lost are found. Jesus told the parable of the lost sheep. When explaining its meaning, he said, "I tell you, there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance" (Luke 15:7). In Luke 23:35, ruling elite made fun of Jesus while he was dying on the cross. Priests, scribes, elders and common folk joined in mocking Jesus (Matthew 27:39-40). Ultimately, it was God the Father who saved him from eternal death, raising him on Easter (Acts 5:30).
In commenting on this scripture from James, the Believer's Bible Commentary asks the following question: " When you see a brother fall into sin, do you criticize him or try to restore him?" (p. 2245). It is not uncommon for Christians to look the other way or shun a backsliding brother or sister. Sometimes, it is out of jealousy. At other times, it is out of a feeling of spiritual superiority or pride. There are those who enjoy seeing others fail in life. Paul even warns the Corinthian church of this tendency (1 Corinthians 13:4-6). The Believer's Bible Commentary also states this about our scripture from James: "Verse 19 describes a Christian brother who has wandered away "from the truth", either in doctrine or in practice. Another brother makes this a matter of fervent, believing prayer, and thus lovingly "turns him back" to fellowship with God and with his brothers and sisters in Christ. How immense is the significance of this ministry!... We need this ministry today. In our zeal to evangelize the lost, perhaps we do not give sufficient attention to those sheep of Christ who have wandered from the fold." (Also p. 2245)
There is a great need to save the spiritually drowning in our world. There are those who have fallen away from God, been ensnared by sin, lost their way. Someone needs to reach out to them. Will you be one to reach out? There are those who are begging for help spiritually. You might see it when they become self-destructive or fall into depression. Will you be a spiritual lifeline to help them in their darkest hour? You may not be able to save everyone who is spiritually drowning around you. But, that doesn't stop you from helping directly or indirectly. It doesn't stop you from approaching your pastor to reach out to the struggling servant of God in your church. It can't stop you from praying for that person, or stopping by to visit. How can you help save a spiritually drowning child of God?
If you've never seen someone who is drowning spiritually, you haven't been looking very hard. They are all around you. Ask God to show you one to help. Ask God to give you the right words to share. If you are struggling yourself right now, don't be surprised if God doesn't send some help. Our God is like that. Our God loves to see a rescue! Our God loves to save!
“For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
“For the Son of man came to seek and to save the lost.” (Luke 19:10)
July 26
“James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes in the Dispersion: Greetings. Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:1–4, ESV)
Every now and then, my grandfather would say something that would really stick. One time, while in his workshop, we were talking about friendship. He mentioned that I needed friends who were "tried and true". I've heard that phrase many times in my life. Usually it refers to something or someone reliable or trusted. But, I've always wondered where that phrase came from. Recently, a woodworker was speaking to me. He also said something was "tried and true". I asked him if he knew where that phrase came from originally. He told me it had its origin in woodworking.
A "try plane" is a woodworking tool that would flatten a board out, shaving off the highs and low areas. Then, the board would be considered "true" or straight, ready for use in woodworking. All woodworkers want the straightest wood for making cabinets, walls, and much more. Can you imagine what a wall would look like if the wood for studs was not planed and made straight, "tried and true"? It would not be strong, nor would it hold up with time. "Tried and true" wood is the best for woodwork. In the same manner, "tried and true" people or laws or ethics or rules are to be trusted as well. The English word, "trial", was used historically as a method to find out the truth of the matter. A trial was a way to find out who was on the straight and narrow, what was the truth, or what worked.
People often look at trials in the courts as a bad thing. In history, however, trials were supposed to be good things. In a trial, you could find out what was the truth. You could determine what was right and what was wrong, who could be trusted and who could not. A trial, in all reality, is a good thing when it is done fairly and equitably. It is necessary for any civilized society and a hallmark of true justice.
In the scripture above, the Apostle James introduced his letter to his readers. He also talked about trials. James, too, saw trials as a good thing even though they might be difficult. He believed that a person was made more perfect by facing them (James 1:4). It was a joy to face them and come through faithfully (James 1:2). Just like a board was made more straight by use of a try plane, a trial would help determine who was morally, faithfully, and godly more "straight" or true in life.
When James wrote his letter to the Jewish Christians (the "twelve tribes of the dispersion" in James 1:1), many were experiencing persecution and suffering. In Rome, Christians were thrown to the lions. Paul had to "testify" before governmental authorities (Acts 23:11) and regional governors (Acts 24:1). Christians like Stephen were martyred, killed (Acts 7). Sometimes, the Christians were stoned or murdered. At other times, they were brought to trial. Christians liked trials, for it was a chance to plead their case in front of impartial judges. They shared their faith in Christ at the trials, hoping for clemency in the court. This also proved a chance for evangelism. In court, trials were a chance to "prove" the case of Christ. It was a time to expound the gospel of truth! (Galatians 2:5)
James didn't just see the courts as a place to face trials. He saw everyday life as a place where trials of faith were encountered (James 1:2). As long as a Christian was alive in this world, Satan would throw up challenges and tempt the faithful servant. Thus, everyday life brought with it trials of its own. These everyday trials were also seen in a positive light. They would help show who was preaching the truth and who were not. The trials of everyday life also helped strengthen the Christian and purify the gospel message. Do you view trials in everyday life as good or bad?
"When the Wasp, one of America's great naval vessels in World War II, caught fire and began to sink, the sailors were ordered to abandon ship and swim away from the vessel immediately. They jumped overboard, but instead of trusting their well-tested life jackets for safety many clung to the sides of the ship. When the vessel plunged beneath the surface, these sailors were sucked down with it and drowned.
We, as Christians, make similar blunders in our relationship with Jesus. We tend to forget His instructions in the heat of spiritual battle. Then when trials come, instead of relying on His promises, we cling to false securities as those frightened sailors did. Or we look at our frightening circumstances and push the panic button." (Sermon Illustrations, December 1992)
Trials show what a person truly believes. Trials serve to show what we cling to and what keeps us going. They display our "true" character. When you face spiritual trials in life, don't look at them as difficult times. Remember the book of James! See the trials not as a periods of suffering but chances to prove your faith to others and to God. Let the trials and challenges thrown your way by Satan serve to exhibit that God can trust in you and that others can rely on you to stay the course. You can't be made more "perfect" or "complete" without trials and a testing of your faith (James 1:4). Trials strengthen your faith, proving you "steadfast" in times where others falter and fail (James 1:3).
Are you a "tried and true" Christian? Can others count on your faith, no matter what difficulty you face? When adversity comes, some people melt and fall apart. Others are steadfast and true. When in spiritual battle, I look for strong and trustworthy friends to lean upon. I look for those who have come through, who are dependable in the Lord. Can others lean on you in troubled times? Can God count on you, no matter the challenge?
July 27
“Ephraim herds the wind, and pursues the east wind all day long; they multiply falsehood and violence; they make a bargain with Assyria, and oil is carried to Egypt. The Lord has an indictment against Judah, and will punish Jacob according to his ways, and requite him according to his deeds. In the womb he took his brother by the heel, and in his manhood he strove with God. He strove with the angel and prevailed, he wept and sought his favor. He met God at Bethel, and there God spoke with him— the Lord the God of hosts, the Lord is his name: “So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God.”" (Hosea 12:1–6, RSV)
In the scripture above, the prophet Hosea spoke of God's righteous anger toward Israel and Judah. In verse 1, Ephraim (Israel) was criticized for lying ("falsehood") and violence. God was also critical of their military and economic alliances with Assyria and Egypt (Hosea 12:1). Israel was known for leaning on those nations for defense more than leaning on God. Hosea also spoke out against Judah. Using court language, the Lord says HE has an "indictment" against Judah (Hosea 12:2). Hosea wrote how Judah was content to fight with angels (God) and his brother Israel (Hosea 12:3-4). Judah was known for infighting with Israel over the years. They even would send raids into each other's territory. In the end of the passage, God made clear through the prophet Hosea that the people should "return" to three things: "love", "justice", and "wait [ing] continually for God" (Hosea 12:6).
What does it mean to "wait continually for God"? In the original Hebrew, the words mean to patiently and regularly watch and look for God, seeking God's presence. I find it very interesting that along with God wanting Israel and Judah to practice more love of others and justice in the courts and in its interactions with governments, God also wants the people to watch and wait at all times for God's action and voice. The people are to seek God every day and at all times. The Lord would not ask this unless HE was going to be present in the lives of HIS people. God wouldn't say "watch for me", unless God knew there was something to watch for!!!! Do you watch for God continually?
While touring Italy, a man visited a cathedral that had been completed on the outside only. Once inside, the traveler found an artist kneeling before an enormous wall upon which he had just begun to create a mosaic. On some tables nearby were thousands of pieces of colored ceramic. Curious, the visitor asked the artist how he would ever finish such a large project. The artist answered that he knew how much he could accomplish in one day. Each morning, he marked off an area to be completed that day and didn't worry about what remained outside that space. That was the best he could do, and if he did his best, one day the mosaic would be finished.
Each of us must learn this ability to set aside the work for each day, even with God! We must learn to set aside time for God, prayer time, meditation time, bible study time. We do our best, knowing that some day the work will be finished. To do this takes patience. It takes continually setting aside time with God, seeking God's voice in each day, watching for God's direction. When we pray, we need to wait for God's time, watch for God's guidance. You never know when that day may be critical, and God's direction may mean everything.
On the last full day of Jesus' life, He met with his disciples in the upper room and they ate together. Then, they went to the Garden of Gethsemane to pray (Matthew 26:36). Jesus gave the disciples one command, "Watch, while I pray" (Matthew 26:38). After eating and the walk up to the garden, the disciples were tired. Sadly, they slept. Over and over, Jesus told them to watch and pray (Matthew 26:38, 40 and 41). The disciples failed him. They kept falling asleep. It gave time for Judas and the soldiers to set Jesus' betrayal in motion.
It's not easy to watch and wait continually for God. Life gets in the way. Tiredness can take over.
Busy-ness can cause you to forget. Anxiety and worry may cause you to focus on other things. Still, God desires you to "wait continually", so you don't miss the important moments in life.
Knowing Hebrew and Greek pretty well, I'm sometimes surprised at what I see are mistakes in interpretation in English Bibles. The New Living Translation of the Bible does not say in Hosea 12:6 to "wait continually for God". It reads "always depend on God". I think this is a mistake in translation and interpretation. "Depending on God" means you lean upon God for support and strength. This is not what the original language intends. In the Hebrew, the onus is on you. You are to wait and watch at all times for God's presence and actions. In the New Living Translation , the onus seems to be on God. God is dependable. The New Living Translation is the only translation I could find that seemed to urge us to depend on God. All the rest of the translations focused more on God depending on you to watch and seek God patiently and often.
How dependable are you at watching and waiting? How patient are you? Do you set aside time for God? Have you noticed what God is doing lately or are you too busy to "wait continually on the Lord"? I know God is dependable. I know God will have things for you to see and do. I just hope and pray in the coming days that you are dependable in watching and waiting with patience, love, and justice.
July 28
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and apart from Him nothing came into being that has come into being. In Him was life, and the life was the Light of men. The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it. There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light. There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man. He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him. He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.”
(John 1:1–13, NASB95)
Several decades ago, I led a youth mission trip. As part of that trip, we visited Mammoth Cave in Kentucky. On a hot day, it was shockingly cold to enter the world of that cave, where the temperature hovered in the 50's and 60's most of the year. But, it wasn't the cold that I remember most. It was the darkness. On a tour of the cave, the Park Ranger mentioned how animals have adapted to the absence of light in the cave. He also taught that the darkness in a cave is very different from darkness on the surface of the earth. In a cave, the darkness is all-consuming. To explain this, the ranger turned off the lights. I couldn't see a thing, not my hand an inch from my face. If I wasn't holding on to a railing, I wouldn't have known which way was up or down. It was almost impossible for me to navigate in this darkness. I couldn't wait for the lights to come back on!
In the absence of light, spiritual darkness can also disorient you in a big way. You may find yourself not knowing which way is up, where to go, what to trust. Spiritual light can help you find your way. It can bring hope and healing. It will comfort you when you are surrounded by it.
I have read many stories of Marines battles during World War 2. On the island of Peleliu in the South Pacific, there was terrible fighting between the U.S. Marines and the Japanese Imperial Army. I read of one soldier who feared the cloudy night, because there were no lights on the front lines at Peleliu (and most of the island for that matter). On cloudy nights, the light of the moon would be absent. That's also when Japanese soldiers knew to crawl into the foxholes of sleeping Marines. In the light of day, the Marines would find the dead in the foxholes, because of the Japanese sneak attacks during the dark night. Many of the Marines learned to fear the darkness of night and only felt safe during the day.
Darkness has an unsettling aspect to it. Because humans are not nocturnal, we can't see clearly in the night. Humans are vulnerable to predators in the darkness. It is not unusual for people to fear the darkness, with its dangers and uncertainty. Movie directors know this. Often, they will use darkness to cinematic effect to hide the enemy, the zombie, the murderer, the spy.
The gospel of John begins with the separation between spiritual darkness and spiritual light. John starts off with the introduction of the "Word of God". According to John 1:14, the "Word of God" is actually Jesus, who came in the flesh to bring God's grace and truth to humanity. Jesus also was the source of spiritual light to a world filled with spiritual darkness (John 1:5). The gospel acknowledged John the Baptist as attesting to the light of Jesus (John 1:6-8). He "testified" to the truth of the Jesus' spiritual light. He verified its substance and effect.
John 1:5 it says that the spiritual light "shined in the darkness, but the darkness did not comprehend it." What does this mean? I believe that spiritual darkness cannot understand the need or greatness of the spiritual light. Imagine the animals in Mammoth Cave, being born in darkness and living in darkness day after day. They cannot comprehend what light is, because they have not experienced the light before. Then, when they put electricity in the cave and lights along the paths, for the first time the animals can understand light. Until they see the light, they can only comprehend darkness. It is the same spiritually. People who "walk in darkness" spiritually, don't understand that their way is wrong until confronted by the light. You need spiritual light to see through the spiritual darkness, to see what is true, to understand the light. According to John 1, Jesus is that spiritual light that can help you see what is godly around you.
In all the universe, all creation, light and dark constantly compete with each other. In the absence of light, darkness permeates. When a light shines, the darkness is beaten back. At the edge of the light, you might see a little, but the darkness will make seeing difficult. It is also the same, spiritually. When you are surrounded by spiritual darkness, it is hard to see the spiritual light. It is difficult to figure out what is right and wrong, good and bad, holy or evil. It is hard to even figure which way is up!
Those who don't know God, don't have godly friends, and don't go to godly places can't really understand what faith means. Living in spiritual darkness, they can't "comprehend" what it means to be faithful (John 1:5). Their lives are so filled with spiritual darkness that they can't determine what God wills or even who God is. Every now and then, though, I believe God shines a little light into their lives. God shines upon them. They get a glimpse of the spiritual light. Some slink back into the shadows. Some seek the spiritual light.
I was counseling at a camp in Merom, Indiana in the 1990's. Each night, before we went off to our cabins and to bed, the counselors and campers would have a group prayer. One night, an eight year old boy spoke up during prayer. He said, "God, I saw a shooting star tonight. I think it was for me to see. It shows me you want to reach out to me. You want me to look to heaven to see you and learn from you." I was shocked at his depth of spiritual sight! I knew right away that this young man was being touched by God. He sought the light! He enjoyed the bright meteorite falling from the sky that night! He saw the shooting star, and so much more, as gifts of God. God was speaking to him. God's spiritual light was bright that night!
John 1 went on to proclaim that Jesus came into the world as the "true light". Any who believed in Him could become "children of God" and be "born of God" (John 1:12,13). Thus, the true light of Christ can change those who choose to believe. God's light will continue to bring warmth to our world and to the faithful. God's light will even shine through the faithful to others (Matthew 5:14).
When the Christians in Rome were persecuted, they often gathered in the catacombs (underground tombs) to worship and meet together. Scientists and historians studying the catacombs found holes in the walls and wondered what they were there for. Then, it was determined that when each Christian family group came to worship, they would bring a torch with them. They'd place the torch in a hole in the wall. Together, all the torches would light up the catacomb when the people were all present. If a family was missing or jailed, their light would be absent. Their section of the area of the worship would darken. In the same manner, when you are not active with your faith, the spiritual light of God does not shine through you. Spiritual darkness permeates your world. Our world needs that spiritual light in you. When it is absent, others feel and see the effect.
Can others see God's light shining through you? When you come into a room, do you lighten it up with joy and hope and passion? Is there a spiritual cloud hanging over you lately, keeping the bright light of God from shining through? The world loves darkness. God loves the light. Which has hold in your life today... the darkness or the light?
July 29
“When the days drew near for him [Jesus] to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. And he sent messengers ahead of him. On their way they entered a village of the Samaritans to make ready for him; but they did not receive him, because his face was set toward Jerusalem. When his disciples James and John saw it, they said, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them?” But he turned and rebuked them. Then they went on to another village.” (Luke 9:51–56, NRSV)
Jerry came home from work one day slightly agitated. His wife could see he was ill-at-ease. He paced from the moment he walked in. He didn't follow his usual routine of sitting in his chair for a half hour with a can of diet coke, reading through his emails. He was antsy. After watching him for about ten minutes, his wife said, "What's up, Jerry?" His only response was, "I have got to do something." With those words, he walked back out the door and disappeared down the driveway.
An hour and a half later, Jerry came back in. He followed his normal routine with his diet coke and emails. His smile was back, and he no longer seemed anxious. After a short while, his wife had to ask, "Where did you go?"
He told her, "I saw that older lady, Agnes, down the street struggling to prune her bushes. It so bothered me that I knew I had to help. It was as if God was telling me to go help her. So, I did. Did you know her husband just died two weeks ago?"
Shocked, Jerry's wife replied that she had no idea that Agnes was grieving. Jerry responded, "I felt like God was telling me I had to help her out with some of that outside work. I had to do something to help. If I didn't, I think I would have exploded!"
Ever had one of those moments when you just had to do something? Ever felt the need to go somewhere no matter what? Sometimes, God will put it in your head to complete a task and you know it is not an option. It is a mission. You've got a purpose.
Jesus felt the same thing about Jerusalem. He knew he was supposed to go there. Despite the fact that it would be dangerous and would cost Him His life, it was His mission. God the Father had a plan which required Him to be there for Passover. Jesus "set his face" to get there, one way or another (Luke 9:51). Twice in the scripture for today it says Jesus "set his face" to go to Jerusalem (Luke 9:51, Luke 9:53). This is also what it says in the original Greek. Other versions of the Bible interpret that he was "determined" (NASB) or "resolutely set" (NLT) to go to Jerusalem. Any way you look at it, Jesus was not going to be delayed. Nothing would stop Him from reaching Jerusalem, where God the Father was setting in motion the crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus was committed.
Have you ever felt you were supposed to do something because God planned it that way? Have you ever "set your face" toward a specific event or date or place? I believe it is not as uncommon as people make it out to be. I've known people who put their house in order, because they "just knew" their time was short. A few months later, they died. There are cases of those who felt they had to go to the doctor for a checkup, only to find out they were seriously ill but weren't aware of it! I personally have witnessed people who came back to church after many years, feeling they "must" get something off their chest immediately. I have seen it over and over when people felt that need to drop everything and do something they felt "must" be done. In many cases, it was a God-thing. It was God-inspired. And by the way, the timing was usually perfect!
In my last church, I received an anonymous letter. Opening it in my office, it said the following: "Dear Pastor: Twenty-two years ago, I stole a five dollar bill from the collection plate when it passed me in the pew. I was a poor college student at the time. I talked myself into doing it, figuring nobody would miss the money. It has haunted me ever since. This past Sunday, I was born again. As a condition of my new relationship with God, I felt I had to send this $5 back to your church. I decided to send $20 instead. Please use it on a needy family or wherever you see a need." It was unsigned. Over the years, I've received maybe a dozen such letters. Every time, the person felt God wanted him or her to make it right immediately. It had to be done right away as a condition of their forgiveness or atonement or peace. The person "set their face" to get the job done, to visit with me and drop off some money, or to come ask for forgiveness for a wrong.
In the scripture above, the disciples did not know that Jesus had "set his face" to go to Jerusalem. They had planned on stopping in Samaria, but were kept from it (Luke 9:52). The disciples were upset about the detour(Luke 9:54). James and John wanted Jesus to condemn the village they had planned to stop in and have "fire come down from heaven and consume them." Jesus was not going to condemn the village. He probably saw it as God the Father's confirmation that Jerusalem was Jesus' necessary destination. That's one thing about knowing you have to be somewhere that God is sending you. You also can see God manipulating your agenda so you have no reason not to get there!
Is there some place God wants you to go today or soon? Are you determined to get something done for God right now? Have you seen God altering your agenda lately? Any time God makes changes to your schedule, just realize that God cares where you go and what you do! It shows God is watching over you!
July 30
“[Jesus said] “All this I have spoken while still with you. But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you. Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:25–27, NIV84)
In ancient times, when fighting hand to hand, a soldier was at a weakness. His eyes were on the front of his head! He couldn't see what was behind him! To counter this weakness, soldiers would often fight back to back. This way, one would only have to worry about what was right in front of him, knowing the other soldier would take care of what was behind him. The phrase, "I got your back" was borne out of this situation of soldiers who were known to watch each other's back when in defensive situations.
Did you know that God also "has your back"? In John 14, Jesus spoke about the coming of the Holy Spirit. In John 14:25, Jesus said, "the Counselor ("Paraklete"), the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach your all things and remind you of everything…". With these words, Jesus promised His disciples that after he was gone, the "Paraklete", the Holy Spirit, would continue to be with the disciples and watch over them. The word in Greek used here is "Paraklete". "Paraklete" means "counselor", "adviser", "advocate". It can also mean "helper" or "comforter" to a lesser extent. It essentially means a person like a lawyer who takes your side in court and defends you. By Jesus' choice of words in John 14, the Holy Spirit is meant to have our back in the spiritual fights of this world, defending us from Satan's attacks.
Ephesians 6 lists the spiritual armor of God that helps us in the spiritual battles against evil in the world. Ephesians 6:18 reminds us to pray "in the Spirit" so that we may be strengthened in the day of battle. Ephesians 6:17 notes that the Holy Spirit is like a sword and works with the Word of God (scripture) to attack evil directly. It is the primary offensive weapon of the armor of God listed in Ephesians. What that means is that the Holy Spirit is crucial to defending the faithful in the spiritual battles that come our way, fighting Satan in the battle for righteousness.
If we look at both John 14 and Ephesians 6, it gives us a clear picture that the Holy Spirit is crucial to Jesus' plan for our spiritual protection. The Holy Spirit was going to have our back in the spiritual fights of our lives. Without the Holy Spirit, we are defenseless. We've got no defensive strength. And, if we take Ephesians 6 into account, without the Holy Spirit, we've got no spiritual sword with which to attack Satan. The Holy Spirit is thus our best protection from God in Christ, and necessary for any spiritual life.
At the beginning of Jesus' ministry in Matthew 4, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove. From then on, He was protected. The disciples received the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost in Acts chapter 2. From then on, they began to boldly preach and teach of the resurrected Christ. They too were strengthened in Spirit and protected. Have you received the protection of God's Spirit? Jesus promised the Counselor, the Holy Spirit as a protection for His followers. Have you asked for it? Do you have its protection? Do you sense its presence in your life? I hope so. Otherwise, God does not "have your back".
In Acts 8, there is a curious mention of a crisis in the church of Samaria that you need to know about. There were people baptized in the church in Samaria, but who didn't receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 8:16). The disciples and apostles knew this meant these new Christians were vulnerable. They immediately dispatched Peter and John, their two strongest disciples, to pray over them! They traveled to Samaria to pray over them, and guess what happened? They prayed for them, then "laid their hands on them, and they received the Holy Spirit" (Acts 8:17). Only then were these Christians spiritually protected.
When the Holy Spirit is in your life, God "has your back". Jesus sent the Holy Spirit as your advocate, your counselor, your protection. When you need defense, the Holy Spirit is your strength. That is why some versions of the Bible call the Holy Spirit a "Comforter". When the Holy Spirit is around, you can rest easy. God is watching your back.
In the scripture above you may even note something further. When the Holy Spirit comes, two things will be present: peace from God , and no need to be afraid (John 14:27). When the Holy Spirit is watching your back, things will fall into place much more readily. You will feel rested. Fitful sleep will be more available. Fear will not have a hold upon your mind and heart. You will find courage and hope. Without the Holy Spirit, you will be vulnerable. You will be afraid. You will be ill-at-ease.
How are you feeling today? Do you feel God's Spirit around you and within you? Have you enjoyed the peace of God lately? Have you forgotten to ask for God's Spirit to fill you completely? Are you so busy that you have forgotten to take time to let your soul catch up with your body? God WILL have your back if you aren't running off half-cocked or fighting the wrong battles. If peace is missing, maybe its time you let the Counselor have some time with you!
July 31
“Now the word of the Lord came to Jonah the son of Amittai, saying, “Arise, go to Nineveh, that great city, and cry against it; for their wickedness has come up before me.” But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish; so he paid the fare, and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of the Lord. But the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea, and there was a mighty tempest on the sea, so that the ship threatened to break up.” (Jonah 1:1–4, RSV)
In the scripture above, Jonah the Prophet was called by God to visit the people of Nineveh (Jonah 1:1). The people of Nineveh had sinned before the Lord. God wanted them to repent. The people of Nineveh were Assyrian; they were the hated enemies of Israel and Judah. Jonah was from Amittai of the tribe of Zebulun. He was not going to let God grant grace and forgiveness to the hated people of Nineveh. So, when God told Jonah to go to Nineveh to the east in Jonah 1:1, Jonah boarded a ship in Joppa that was going to Tarshish in Spain. He planned to go as far west as he could go! (See map at the bottom of this page!) That's right! When Jonah the prophet was told by God to go east, Jonah got a ship to go as far west as he could go, directly against the word of God!!!!! This resulted in the final verse of our scripture: "the Lord hurled a great wind upon the sea… so that the ship threatened to break up." (Jonah 1:4) Job was not going to run away from God, nor ignore God's command!
Let's be honest, shall we. There are times when we all want to run away from doing the right thing! We do the opposite from what we should do!
Carl and Vivian dated for more than a year, then broke up. A year later, Carl met Trisha and they got married. They had a wonderful honeymoon and first few years of marriage. Things got a little rocky when they had difficulties having children. But, it got a whole lot worse when Vivian came back into Carl's life. Vivian was hired on at Carl's company. A month later, she was moved into Carl's department. Carl knew he should tell his wife, but their marriage was tense due to insecurities and complications concerning Trisha's not being able to conceive a child. Carl knew not saying something to his wife might come back to haunt him, but he wasn't going to get her upset.
Eighteen months passed. At the holiday party, Trisha spied Vivian and asked someone what she was doing at the party. When she found out that Vivian had been working in Carl's department, she immediately thought Carl had hidden this information from her and suspected the worst. It took many arguments and many months of mistrust for Trisha to trust Carl again. In fact, to this day she feels insecure around Vivian and believes that some day Carl will cheat on her with Vivian or leave her for Vivian. Carl's choice not to do the right thing by telling his wife of Vivian's hiring now has caused a deep insecurity in his own marriage.
Even when you know what is right, you can do the opposite of what you know you should do. Even when you know what God wants, you can do what is wrong. Sometimes, this can be sinful. Sometimes, its not. In all cases, God will know what's right and wrong to do. Notice in the story of Jonah. When Jonah went against God, God sent the storm against Jonah (Jonah 1:4). Doing the opposite of what God expected meant that Jonah was not going to help save the people of Nineveh. You might think that since Jonah was a prophet and person of God that God might be lenient. God might choose another prophet to ask Nineveh to repent. You might think, "Since Jonah was a special man of God, God would give him a break." God did not. We don't know why. When Jonah went in direct opposition to God, God put a stop to Jonah's faulty plans.
I want you to notice something interesting about God's response in the story of Jonah: GOD SPARED JONAH'S LIFE! God could have caused Jonah to be struck by lightning. God could have caused Jonah's ship to sink with the death of all aboard. God could have caused Jonah to drown. God could have caused Jonah to be eaten by sharks. Instead, God caused Jonah to be eaten by a large fish, but spared in the belly of the fish (Jonah 1:17). God enabled Jonah to live in the belly of that fish (probably a whale, as he had to breathe!) Even more interesting, God caused that fish to vomit him back up on dry ground (Jonah 2:10). Jonah still had his job to do! He still had to go to Nineveh!
When you, like Jonah, are going opposite the direction God wishes you go, don't be surprised if God forces you in the direction you should be going. God may use strong measures, but God will often force you to go in the right direction for your own good! It is out of love that God is doing this, so don't fight it! God knows a lot more than you do! It may seem like circumstances are out of control. Are they? Or is God manipulating things behind the scenes because of something you can't see?
I once met a man who called himself the "worst burglar alive". He broke into several houses and had a good haul. Two years later, at a Billy Graham concert no less, he came to Christ. His past so bothered him, but he would not come clean about it. During his prayers, he would think about it, then purposely ignore it. When God pestered him about it, he would "change the subject with God". He kept quiet about it for several years to no avail. He couldn't live with himself. He turned himself in to the county sheriff. He made restitution and did some prison time. To this day, he would tell you that he deserved what he got for fighting God for so long. I thought the prison time was harsh. They never would have caught him! He even wanted to pay restitution! But, for the first time in his life, this man sleeps in perfect peace. There is no "history of opposition" between him and God.
Even good people can go against God. Even prophets will purposely do the opposite of what God asks! Still, God notices all of it. You will never get off the hook for your opposition. Doing the opposite of what God wants you to do may not be sinful. It may not be wrong. It's just not right. If I were you, I would just do what God says. I've learned that God knows what is best for you. God knows what works for you. HE should know. HE made you. HE loves you. HE thinks you are precious! He will work for your best even when you won't!
(The original Daily Meditation had a map of Jonah's journey to show how far he intended to run from God -- from Israel to Spain!)