June 3
“‘And in the last days it shall be, God declares, that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams…” (Acts 2:17, RSV)
“It started like so many evenings. Mom and Dad at home and Jimmy playing after dinner. Mom and Dad were absorbed with jobs and did not notice the time. It was a full moon and some of the light seeped through the windows. Then Mom glanced at the clock. "Jimmy, it's time to go to bed. Go up now and I'll come and settle you later."
Unlike usual, Jimmy went straight upstairs to his room. An hour or so later his mother came up to check if all was well, and to her astonishment found that her son was staring quietly out of his window at the moonlit scenery. "What are you doing, Jimmy?" "I'm looking at the moon, Mommy." "Well, it's time to go to bed now." As one reluctant boy settled down, he said, "Mommy, you know one day I'm going to walk on the moon."
Who could have known that the boy in whom the dream was planted that night would survive a near fatal motorbike crash which broke almost every bone in his body, and would bring to fruition this dream 32 years later when James Irwin stepped on the moon's surface, just one of the 12 representatives of the human race to have done so?” (sermonillustrations.com)
Every now and then, God’s Holy Spirit will give you a vision or a dream, a glimpse into the future. Not all people can perceive them. If you have God’s Spirit in you, do not be surprised when that new insight hits you, when you are inspired by the words of a sermon, or when a scripture jumps out at you as if you never read it before. When God wants to communicate with you, His Holy Spirit will often be the conduit, causing you to receive visions and dreams and insights others cannot fathom.
Abraham received a vision that he was going to be the progenitor of a great nation of faithful people (Genesis 15). Jacob received a vision of heaven (Genesis 28). Joseph’s dreams saved thousands of lives, including those in his own family (Genesis 41). Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and all the other prophets received visions or messages from God. The apostle Paul had several dreams and visions and visitations that not only determined his decisions, but saved his life (Acts 27, for example). Since so many of the faithful have had their lives altered by spiritual visions and dreams, don’t you think God might send you messages through such visitations?
In Acts 2, Peter was preaching to those in Jerusalem about Jesus’ resurrection. The disciples had just received the promised Holy Spirit on Pentecost. In the midst of that holy moment, Peter quoted the prophet Joel. Joel foresaw a time when God would “pour out His Spirit upon all flesh” (Acts 2:17). When that happened, Joel perceived that the Spirit would fill people of faith with prophesies, visions, and dreams sent straight from God. Peter quoted the prophet Joel in order to explain what God was doing on that Day of Pentecost. God was fulfilling an age-old promise to “pour out” the Holy Spirit to the faithful. In so doing, the faithful would be able to receive spiritual insights, even from the future, using God’s Spirit.
I have personally received messages from God’s Spirit many times in my life. Sometimes, I will even look at my wife and say, “Something is happening to someone I know right now and it’s not good. I feel God telling me to get ready.” I have had spiritual premonitions before I was called to ministry, with deaths in the congregation, at times of upheaval in the church, and before an important phone call. I have had feelings of peace when I knew God was working a problem out. I have had dreams and visions of God’s action. I have even had revelations from God when an entire sermon just popped into my mind.
Learn to listen when the Holy Spirit speaks to you. When you have a dream, insight, inspiration, or vision, determine if it is God speaking. Take the time to pray and confirm God’s messages sent spiritually. I have found that messages from God are always very important and time sensitive! Remember when God’s angel came to Joseph in a dream to immediately flee to Egypt to save Jesus’ life (Matthew 2:13,14)? Yeah, God sometimes sends critical and extremely time sensitive instructions using spiritual dimensions!
Have you had any spiritual inspirations lately?
Unlike usual, Jimmy went straight upstairs to his room. An hour or so later his mother came up to check if all was well, and to her astonishment found that her son was staring quietly out of his window at the moonlit scenery. "What are you doing, Jimmy?" "I'm looking at the moon, Mommy." "Well, it's time to go to bed now." As one reluctant boy settled down, he said, "Mommy, you know one day I'm going to walk on the moon."
Who could have known that the boy in whom the dream was planted that night would survive a near fatal motorbike crash which broke almost every bone in his body, and would bring to fruition this dream 32 years later when James Irwin stepped on the moon's surface, just one of the 12 representatives of the human race to have done so?” (sermonillustrations.com)
Every now and then, God’s Holy Spirit will give you a vision or a dream, a glimpse into the future. Not all people can perceive them. If you have God’s Spirit in you, do not be surprised when that new insight hits you, when you are inspired by the words of a sermon, or when a scripture jumps out at you as if you never read it before. When God wants to communicate with you, His Holy Spirit will often be the conduit, causing you to receive visions and dreams and insights others cannot fathom.
Abraham received a vision that he was going to be the progenitor of a great nation of faithful people (Genesis 15). Jacob received a vision of heaven (Genesis 28). Joseph’s dreams saved thousands of lives, including those in his own family (Genesis 41). Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel and all the other prophets received visions or messages from God. The apostle Paul had several dreams and visions and visitations that not only determined his decisions, but saved his life (Acts 27, for example). Since so many of the faithful have had their lives altered by spiritual visions and dreams, don’t you think God might send you messages through such visitations?
In Acts 2, Peter was preaching to those in Jerusalem about Jesus’ resurrection. The disciples had just received the promised Holy Spirit on Pentecost. In the midst of that holy moment, Peter quoted the prophet Joel. Joel foresaw a time when God would “pour out His Spirit upon all flesh” (Acts 2:17). When that happened, Joel perceived that the Spirit would fill people of faith with prophesies, visions, and dreams sent straight from God. Peter quoted the prophet Joel in order to explain what God was doing on that Day of Pentecost. God was fulfilling an age-old promise to “pour out” the Holy Spirit to the faithful. In so doing, the faithful would be able to receive spiritual insights, even from the future, using God’s Spirit.
I have personally received messages from God’s Spirit many times in my life. Sometimes, I will even look at my wife and say, “Something is happening to someone I know right now and it’s not good. I feel God telling me to get ready.” I have had spiritual premonitions before I was called to ministry, with deaths in the congregation, at times of upheaval in the church, and before an important phone call. I have had feelings of peace when I knew God was working a problem out. I have had dreams and visions of God’s action. I have even had revelations from God when an entire sermon just popped into my mind.
Learn to listen when the Holy Spirit speaks to you. When you have a dream, insight, inspiration, or vision, determine if it is God speaking. Take the time to pray and confirm God’s messages sent spiritually. I have found that messages from God are always very important and time sensitive! Remember when God’s angel came to Joseph in a dream to immediately flee to Egypt to save Jesus’ life (Matthew 2:13,14)? Yeah, God sometimes sends critical and extremely time sensitive instructions using spiritual dimensions!
Have you had any spiritual inspirations lately?
June 6
“And everyone who thus hopes in him purifies himself as he [Jesus] is pure.” (1 John 3:3, ESV)
In 1 John 2:6, Christians are told to “walk in the same way Jesus walked”. In 1 John 3:7, Christians are expected to be righteous, because Jesus was righteous. In 1 John 4:17, Christians are reminded to treat the world as did Jesus, following His example. Throughout this epistle of 1 John, Jesus is the pre-eminent example. Today’s verse contains another challenge for Christians to follow Jesus’ leading. In 1 John 3:3, Christians are called to “purify” themselves out of respect for Jesus, who is Himself spiritually pure. What does it mean to purify yourself?
Before the Passover celebration, Jews were called to “purify themselves” in preparation for that yearly holy time. The gospel of John even shares this information with its readers in John 11:55. However, ritual purification was considered an important rite or spiritual action long before Jesus’ day. During the time of Moses, the people of Israel would put on sackcloth and sit in ashes in order to atone for some sin. When this time of spiritual atonement was completed, they would wash their clothes as a symbol of the ending of the ritual purification (see Numbers 8:21, Luke 10:13). Early Christians would often fast and pray and do penance during the time of Lent, to prepare for the holy day of Easter. They would also do this in preparation for adult baptism. Many of these Biblical and historical examples of ritual purification spoke to the outward symbols and signs and events surrounding purification. However, purification was not just something to be outwardly addressed. It had inward spiritual components. In order for a person to be purified, they had to rid themselves of sin. They had to repent and make things right (make atonement) with God and others. Along with the outward signs of purification, there needed to be an internal, soulful cleansing of one’s heart and soul and mind.
To put it succinctly, to purify yourself in Jesus, you need to attend to both outward and inward aspects of your life. Outwardly, you need to rid yourself of the love of the world, the attraction to worldly ideals and adornment. You need to refrain from public intoxication, public examples of greed or the love of things, cussing, and debauchery. Instead, focus your devotion on the public worship of God. What you do publicly matters to Jesus. That is why for years, I would only baptize children and adults without any jewelry or fancy clothes or decorative adornments or pomp. Each one had to come to God in Christ cleansed from outward embellishment. Still, these outward signs must always be accompanied by inward, spiritual components. You need to banish thoughts of lust and idolatry. You need to repent of sinful actions and hidden evil. You need to make peace with your Lord. You need to let go of wrongful thinking and hatred and jealousy and envy and vengeance. Anything in your mind and heart and soul that goes against God’s wishes must be dealt with and expunged. In doing all these things with an honest and godly heart, you will be purifying body and soul and mind and heart and past and present and future.
Every time that Jerry L. attended church, he felt like a fake. A long-hidden part of his soul would open and cry out for cleansing. A little light would shine upon his past, and Jerry would be ashamed. Many years previous, Jerry had cheated on his wife. Then, to cover up his sin, he had lied about the act and his feelings and his lusts. For many years, Jerry justified his actions. He told himself that everybody sinned. Inwardly, he would smile a little every time he heard of a respected Christian who had committed adultery and been caught. Jerry would tell himself that since so many people fooled around, God wouldn’t be so upset with his actions. When Jerry learned about King David’s adultery with Bathsheba, he used that story to excuse his sin. If David committed adultery and made things right with God, so could he. But Jerry was in no way making things right with God. Burying his sin and subsequent lies only seemed to make him feel worse. Jerry had asked God for forgiveness, but he felt God saying that more was needed. God wanted Jerry to admit to his lustful intentions and thoughts, and end his wandering eyes and flirty demeanor. God wanted Jerry to make things right with his wife. Jerry would rather feel uncomfortable in church while hiding the truth. To this day, Jerry has not purified heart and soul. His sin still blackens his thoughts and past. Jerry needs to make things right with God to ever feel better in his soul. He needs to ask forgiveness and stop his sexual wanderings and musings. If he does not do it soon, he will never feel right or at peace with God.
The scripture for today is a clear reminder that each of us needs to purify ourselves in order to be at peace in the presence of Jesus. Outwardly and inwardly, there are things you can do today to enhance this process. But, let me be clear. Purification of body and soul is one of the most important things you can do in your spiritual journey with God. It may also be one of the most difficult things you ever do. It might involve dealing with old sins, putting away bad thoughts, saying you are sorry, telling the truth, or setting the record straight.
Purification will bring peace into your soul. To get there, God may require some painful things that in the end will be entirely worth it. After godly purification, you will be able to look in the mirror and see a faithful person. You will find a deeper relationship with God. You will be at peace with your past, even with past sin. In the end, godly purification will make you ready to face God when the Day of Judgment comes… and it is coming. Don’t put off purification of body and mind and soul.
Before the Passover celebration, Jews were called to “purify themselves” in preparation for that yearly holy time. The gospel of John even shares this information with its readers in John 11:55. However, ritual purification was considered an important rite or spiritual action long before Jesus’ day. During the time of Moses, the people of Israel would put on sackcloth and sit in ashes in order to atone for some sin. When this time of spiritual atonement was completed, they would wash their clothes as a symbol of the ending of the ritual purification (see Numbers 8:21, Luke 10:13). Early Christians would often fast and pray and do penance during the time of Lent, to prepare for the holy day of Easter. They would also do this in preparation for adult baptism. Many of these Biblical and historical examples of ritual purification spoke to the outward symbols and signs and events surrounding purification. However, purification was not just something to be outwardly addressed. It had inward spiritual components. In order for a person to be purified, they had to rid themselves of sin. They had to repent and make things right (make atonement) with God and others. Along with the outward signs of purification, there needed to be an internal, soulful cleansing of one’s heart and soul and mind.
To put it succinctly, to purify yourself in Jesus, you need to attend to both outward and inward aspects of your life. Outwardly, you need to rid yourself of the love of the world, the attraction to worldly ideals and adornment. You need to refrain from public intoxication, public examples of greed or the love of things, cussing, and debauchery. Instead, focus your devotion on the public worship of God. What you do publicly matters to Jesus. That is why for years, I would only baptize children and adults without any jewelry or fancy clothes or decorative adornments or pomp. Each one had to come to God in Christ cleansed from outward embellishment. Still, these outward signs must always be accompanied by inward, spiritual components. You need to banish thoughts of lust and idolatry. You need to repent of sinful actions and hidden evil. You need to make peace with your Lord. You need to let go of wrongful thinking and hatred and jealousy and envy and vengeance. Anything in your mind and heart and soul that goes against God’s wishes must be dealt with and expunged. In doing all these things with an honest and godly heart, you will be purifying body and soul and mind and heart and past and present and future.
Every time that Jerry L. attended church, he felt like a fake. A long-hidden part of his soul would open and cry out for cleansing. A little light would shine upon his past, and Jerry would be ashamed. Many years previous, Jerry had cheated on his wife. Then, to cover up his sin, he had lied about the act and his feelings and his lusts. For many years, Jerry justified his actions. He told himself that everybody sinned. Inwardly, he would smile a little every time he heard of a respected Christian who had committed adultery and been caught. Jerry would tell himself that since so many people fooled around, God wouldn’t be so upset with his actions. When Jerry learned about King David’s adultery with Bathsheba, he used that story to excuse his sin. If David committed adultery and made things right with God, so could he. But Jerry was in no way making things right with God. Burying his sin and subsequent lies only seemed to make him feel worse. Jerry had asked God for forgiveness, but he felt God saying that more was needed. God wanted Jerry to admit to his lustful intentions and thoughts, and end his wandering eyes and flirty demeanor. God wanted Jerry to make things right with his wife. Jerry would rather feel uncomfortable in church while hiding the truth. To this day, Jerry has not purified heart and soul. His sin still blackens his thoughts and past. Jerry needs to make things right with God to ever feel better in his soul. He needs to ask forgiveness and stop his sexual wanderings and musings. If he does not do it soon, he will never feel right or at peace with God.
The scripture for today is a clear reminder that each of us needs to purify ourselves in order to be at peace in the presence of Jesus. Outwardly and inwardly, there are things you can do today to enhance this process. But, let me be clear. Purification of body and soul is one of the most important things you can do in your spiritual journey with God. It may also be one of the most difficult things you ever do. It might involve dealing with old sins, putting away bad thoughts, saying you are sorry, telling the truth, or setting the record straight.
Purification will bring peace into your soul. To get there, God may require some painful things that in the end will be entirely worth it. After godly purification, you will be able to look in the mirror and see a faithful person. You will find a deeper relationship with God. You will be at peace with your past, even with past sin. In the end, godly purification will make you ready to face God when the Day of Judgment comes… and it is coming. Don’t put off purification of body and mind and soul.
June 8
“For consider Him [Jesus] who endured such hostility from sinners against Himself, so that you won’t grow weary and lose heart.”
(Hebrews 12:3, HCSB)
(Hebrews 12:3, HCSB)
While in the hospital for spinal damage, I was given a pain killer. What the doctors in that hospital did not know was that the I was allergic to the pain medicine they gave me. I have a rare genetic condition in which my genes force my body to use this pain medicine inappropriately. When I was administered the pain medicine, my pain level tripled. I laid in the hospital bed crying out. There was nothing they could do until the medicine wore off. I spent so many hours in pain, weeping and whimpering, that I was hoarse and weak. The minutes seemed to last for hours. The hours seemed to last for weeks. While suffering, I thought about Jesus on the cross. I wondered if His pain while being crucified was like my pain. I prayed to Him for help, knowing that if anyone in the universe understood my pain, it was my Lord Jesus. My faith in Him gave me strength to overcome a time of terrible suffering.
In his book, Pastoral Grit: the Strength to Stand and to Stay (Bethany), Craig Brian Larson writes: "In 1972, NASA launched the exploratory space probe Pioneer 10. According to Leon Jaroff in Time, the satellite's primary mission was to reach Jupiter, photograph the planet and its moons, and beam data to earth about Jupiter's magnetic field, radiation belts, and atmosphere. Scientists regarded this as a bold plan, for at that time no earth satellite had ever gone beyond Mars, and they feared the asteroid belt would destroy the satellite before it could reach its target.
"But Pioneer 10 accomplished its mission and much, much more. Swinging past the giant planet in November 1973, Jupiter's immense gravity hurled Pioneer 10 at a higher rate of speed toward the edge of the solar system. At one billion miles from the sun, Pioneer 10 passed Saturn. At some two billion miles, it hurtled past Uranus; Neptune at nearly three billion miles; Pluto at almost four billion miles. By 1997, twenty-five years after its launch, Pioneer 10 was more than six billion miles from the sun.
"And despite that immense distance, Pioneer 10 continued to beam back radio signals to scientists on Earth. 'Perhaps most remarkable,' writes Jaroff, 'those signals emanate from an 8-watt transmitter, which radiates about as much power as a bedroom night light and takes more than nine hours to reach Earth.'
"The Little Satellite That Could was not qualified to do what it did. Engineers designed Pioneer 10 with a useful life of just three years. But it kept going and going. By simple longevity, its tiny 8-watt transmitter radio accomplished more than anyone thought possible.
"So it is when we offer ourselves to serve the Lord. God can work even through someone with 8-watt abilities. God cannot work, however, through someone who quits." -Philippians 3:12-14 Hebrews 12:1 Mark 10:45- (Craig Brian Larson, Pastoral Grit: The Strength to Stand and Stay)
When pain or weakness or obstacles threaten to shake you up, lean on the strength of God. Don’t quit. Don’t give up. When God wants you to do something, you can accomplish it! It may not be easy. It may not be painless. Don’t lose heart when God wants you to remain steadfast. Small examples of steadfast faith in spite of big challenges make for huge accomplishments and result in much inspiration!
When the Biblical book of Hebrews was written, Jesus had only been crucified and resurrected some seventy years previous. Those seventy years after Jesus’ death and resurrection were filled with suffering for many Christians. The Jews stoned Christians. The Romans crucified them and murdered them in public exhibitions. Tradition says Peter was crucified upside-down! In special public displays, Christians were thrown to the lions or publicly humiliated. Through it all, many Christians grew bolder and more faithful, more determined, and steadfastly followed Jesus. As these Christians suffered, they looked to Jesus’ life for reassurance and strength. The scripture for today from Hebrews 12:3 captures this with the words, “consider Jesus, who endured such hostility from sinners…. so you won’t grow weary and lose heart”. This verse of the Bible reminded the faithful to lean on Jesus when times were difficult. They were not to grow weary. They were not to lose their courage or “lose heart”. They needed to remain spiritually strong, leaning upon the example of Jesus.
When you endure some difficulty or hostility, don’t forget that you too can lean upon Jesus. Don’t let the world drag you down or cause you to be cynical. Don’t let the meanness of people destroy your peace or faith. Even when Christian brothers and sisters treat you poorly, don’t let it shake you. Remain faithful not because it is easy, but because Jesus did it first. Let your faith remain unshaken out of love for Jesus who endured the cross for you.
Little acts of faithfulness during extremely troubled times can become great sources of hope later in your life or the lives of others. Keeping faith when others would give up on Jesus will help you grow a bold courage that will inspire others. That is, if you do not grow weary and lose heart….
In his book, Pastoral Grit: the Strength to Stand and to Stay (Bethany), Craig Brian Larson writes: "In 1972, NASA launched the exploratory space probe Pioneer 10. According to Leon Jaroff in Time, the satellite's primary mission was to reach Jupiter, photograph the planet and its moons, and beam data to earth about Jupiter's magnetic field, radiation belts, and atmosphere. Scientists regarded this as a bold plan, for at that time no earth satellite had ever gone beyond Mars, and they feared the asteroid belt would destroy the satellite before it could reach its target.
"But Pioneer 10 accomplished its mission and much, much more. Swinging past the giant planet in November 1973, Jupiter's immense gravity hurled Pioneer 10 at a higher rate of speed toward the edge of the solar system. At one billion miles from the sun, Pioneer 10 passed Saturn. At some two billion miles, it hurtled past Uranus; Neptune at nearly three billion miles; Pluto at almost four billion miles. By 1997, twenty-five years after its launch, Pioneer 10 was more than six billion miles from the sun.
"And despite that immense distance, Pioneer 10 continued to beam back radio signals to scientists on Earth. 'Perhaps most remarkable,' writes Jaroff, 'those signals emanate from an 8-watt transmitter, which radiates about as much power as a bedroom night light and takes more than nine hours to reach Earth.'
"The Little Satellite That Could was not qualified to do what it did. Engineers designed Pioneer 10 with a useful life of just three years. But it kept going and going. By simple longevity, its tiny 8-watt transmitter radio accomplished more than anyone thought possible.
"So it is when we offer ourselves to serve the Lord. God can work even through someone with 8-watt abilities. God cannot work, however, through someone who quits." -Philippians 3:12-14 Hebrews 12:1 Mark 10:45- (Craig Brian Larson, Pastoral Grit: The Strength to Stand and Stay)
When pain or weakness or obstacles threaten to shake you up, lean on the strength of God. Don’t quit. Don’t give up. When God wants you to do something, you can accomplish it! It may not be easy. It may not be painless. Don’t lose heart when God wants you to remain steadfast. Small examples of steadfast faith in spite of big challenges make for huge accomplishments and result in much inspiration!
When the Biblical book of Hebrews was written, Jesus had only been crucified and resurrected some seventy years previous. Those seventy years after Jesus’ death and resurrection were filled with suffering for many Christians. The Jews stoned Christians. The Romans crucified them and murdered them in public exhibitions. Tradition says Peter was crucified upside-down! In special public displays, Christians were thrown to the lions or publicly humiliated. Through it all, many Christians grew bolder and more faithful, more determined, and steadfastly followed Jesus. As these Christians suffered, they looked to Jesus’ life for reassurance and strength. The scripture for today from Hebrews 12:3 captures this with the words, “consider Jesus, who endured such hostility from sinners…. so you won’t grow weary and lose heart”. This verse of the Bible reminded the faithful to lean on Jesus when times were difficult. They were not to grow weary. They were not to lose their courage or “lose heart”. They needed to remain spiritually strong, leaning upon the example of Jesus.
When you endure some difficulty or hostility, don’t forget that you too can lean upon Jesus. Don’t let the world drag you down or cause you to be cynical. Don’t let the meanness of people destroy your peace or faith. Even when Christian brothers and sisters treat you poorly, don’t let it shake you. Remain faithful not because it is easy, but because Jesus did it first. Let your faith remain unshaken out of love for Jesus who endured the cross for you.
Little acts of faithfulness during extremely troubled times can become great sources of hope later in your life or the lives of others. Keeping faith when others would give up on Jesus will help you grow a bold courage that will inspire others. That is, if you do not grow weary and lose heart….
June 10
“But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked.” (Luke 6:35, NIV84)
Twice in the sixth chapter of Luke, Jesus urges His followers to “love their enemies” (Luke 6:27, Luke 6:35). In the verse for today, Jesus calls those who show love to their enemies, “doing good to them”, as “sons of the Most High”. In other words, true Christians are those who show love and kindness and goodness “to the ungrateful and wicked”, as God would wish. You see, God is kind to these people. God is gracious even when people are not. This is not to say that people can do what they want, figuring God will love them anyway. Instead, it shows that God is willing to show love and kindness when we least deserve it in the hope that we will respond in a similar manner.
This kind of gracious and godly loving and goodness is mostly absent from the news today. Protesters in Minnesota told a mayor to go away when he did not agree with them to defund the police department. A police officer in Canada ticketed a man for sitting in an empty parking lot because he asked why the officer was wanting him to move. Antifa members are being taught to “gouge out the eyes” and cause blindness or permanent vision damage to any “enemy” who dare disagree with the movement. College students at several universities refused to listen to speakers with different opinions. Their hatred for the speakers was so evident, they caused riots and damage on campuses to stop the speakers from attending events. Doctors in China who spoke out about the dangers of the Coronavirus early-on were censured by the government. Some disappeared or were jailed for spreading the truth of the dangers of the virus. News story after news story illustrate the rigid hatred and evil being done to those who are different. There are few stories of a true godly attitude as expressed by Jesus in the scripture for today.
Sadly, churches can be just as unwilling to follow Jesus’ teachings found in today’s scripture. Some will show hatred toward those who have sinned. Some will choose do evil to those who have somehow wronged them. Though God is “kind to the ungrateful and wicked”, some Christians show disgust and derision toward those who are caught up in sin. There are whole denominations who treat those of other denominations wholly irreverently. Like in the world, many churches have an “us vs. them” mentality.
“In "Context," Mary Marty retells a parable from the "Eye of the Needle" newsletter: A holy man was engaged in his morning meditation under a tree whose roots stretched out over the riverbank. During his meditation he noticed that the river was rising, and a scorpion caught in the roots was about to drown. He crawled out on the roots and reached down to free the scorpion, but every time he did so, the scorpion struck back at him. An observer came along and said to the holy man, "Don't you know that's a scorpion, and it's in the nature of a scorpion to want to sting?" To which the holy man replied, 'That may well be, but it is my nature to save, and must I change my nature because the scorpion does not change its nature?"” (Joseph P. Modica, as found on SermonIllustrations.com)
Do you change your godly nature in the face of enemies? Does your good will change to disgust and hatred when confronted by the other? Will the sin of another person cause you to abandon your commitment to godly love?
When Justine was twenty-five, her marriage ended abruptly. After being beaten for the fourth time, she finally had her husband arrested and charged for abuse. In court, he was found guilty and served time. While in prison, the husband gave his life to Christ. When the husband was released from prison, he immediately joined a local church. Ten years later, he was an active member of the church, had remarried, and generally moved on to a better life. However, Justine failed to move on from her abusive past. In truth, she became more and more angry. On Facebook, she posted memes about how men were cruel and evil. Among her friends, Justine shared that she hated all men. She became an ardent feminist and outspoken critic of anything male. In her church, Justine’s derision toward men continued openly. She would not sit in a pew that had a single man in it. She would not befriend any men. She overly-criticized the actions of the men’s group. She gathered together women in her church to oppose men in leadership. Justine openly criticized her pastor when he spoke of men being the head of the family. Because of the damage done by abuse, now Justine has become abusive herself. She is abusive toward men in general. She is full of anger and spite. Even Justine’s friends do not describe her as loving of her enemies or even kind to men. What do you think will happen to Justine as she ages? Based on the scripture for today, how do you think Jesus will receive her on Judgment Day?
In response to the sin of this world, many Christians and non-Christians alike have become mired in the rhetoric of an “us-them mentality”. Enemies are to be hated or rejected or silenced. This attitude toward life is neither Christian nor biblical. It is in complete opposition to the scripture for today. Jesus expected more from those who were truly His disciples. He expects more from you.
So, how well do you show love? How kind are you to the ungrateful and wicked? Do you share from your wealth without strings attached? To be a child of the Most High God, you are expected to emulate God. Your faithfulness toward God is clearly displayed in your attitude toward enemies.
This kind of gracious and godly loving and goodness is mostly absent from the news today. Protesters in Minnesota told a mayor to go away when he did not agree with them to defund the police department. A police officer in Canada ticketed a man for sitting in an empty parking lot because he asked why the officer was wanting him to move. Antifa members are being taught to “gouge out the eyes” and cause blindness or permanent vision damage to any “enemy” who dare disagree with the movement. College students at several universities refused to listen to speakers with different opinions. Their hatred for the speakers was so evident, they caused riots and damage on campuses to stop the speakers from attending events. Doctors in China who spoke out about the dangers of the Coronavirus early-on were censured by the government. Some disappeared or were jailed for spreading the truth of the dangers of the virus. News story after news story illustrate the rigid hatred and evil being done to those who are different. There are few stories of a true godly attitude as expressed by Jesus in the scripture for today.
Sadly, churches can be just as unwilling to follow Jesus’ teachings found in today’s scripture. Some will show hatred toward those who have sinned. Some will choose do evil to those who have somehow wronged them. Though God is “kind to the ungrateful and wicked”, some Christians show disgust and derision toward those who are caught up in sin. There are whole denominations who treat those of other denominations wholly irreverently. Like in the world, many churches have an “us vs. them” mentality.
“In "Context," Mary Marty retells a parable from the "Eye of the Needle" newsletter: A holy man was engaged in his morning meditation under a tree whose roots stretched out over the riverbank. During his meditation he noticed that the river was rising, and a scorpion caught in the roots was about to drown. He crawled out on the roots and reached down to free the scorpion, but every time he did so, the scorpion struck back at him. An observer came along and said to the holy man, "Don't you know that's a scorpion, and it's in the nature of a scorpion to want to sting?" To which the holy man replied, 'That may well be, but it is my nature to save, and must I change my nature because the scorpion does not change its nature?"” (Joseph P. Modica, as found on SermonIllustrations.com)
Do you change your godly nature in the face of enemies? Does your good will change to disgust and hatred when confronted by the other? Will the sin of another person cause you to abandon your commitment to godly love?
When Justine was twenty-five, her marriage ended abruptly. After being beaten for the fourth time, she finally had her husband arrested and charged for abuse. In court, he was found guilty and served time. While in prison, the husband gave his life to Christ. When the husband was released from prison, he immediately joined a local church. Ten years later, he was an active member of the church, had remarried, and generally moved on to a better life. However, Justine failed to move on from her abusive past. In truth, she became more and more angry. On Facebook, she posted memes about how men were cruel and evil. Among her friends, Justine shared that she hated all men. She became an ardent feminist and outspoken critic of anything male. In her church, Justine’s derision toward men continued openly. She would not sit in a pew that had a single man in it. She would not befriend any men. She overly-criticized the actions of the men’s group. She gathered together women in her church to oppose men in leadership. Justine openly criticized her pastor when he spoke of men being the head of the family. Because of the damage done by abuse, now Justine has become abusive herself. She is abusive toward men in general. She is full of anger and spite. Even Justine’s friends do not describe her as loving of her enemies or even kind to men. What do you think will happen to Justine as she ages? Based on the scripture for today, how do you think Jesus will receive her on Judgment Day?
In response to the sin of this world, many Christians and non-Christians alike have become mired in the rhetoric of an “us-them mentality”. Enemies are to be hated or rejected or silenced. This attitude toward life is neither Christian nor biblical. It is in complete opposition to the scripture for today. Jesus expected more from those who were truly His disciples. He expects more from you.
So, how well do you show love? How kind are you to the ungrateful and wicked? Do you share from your wealth without strings attached? To be a child of the Most High God, you are expected to emulate God. Your faithfulness toward God is clearly displayed in your attitude toward enemies.
June 12
“Now to him who is able to keep you from stumbling and to present you blameless before the presence of his glory with great joy, to the only God, our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen.”
(Jude 24–25, ESV)
(Jude 24–25, ESV)
While getting ready for an early morning of work in late winter, I fumbled with my clothes in the dark. I didn’t want to turn on lights and disturb my wife’s sleep. Then, having dressed, I tiptoed out toward the kitchen to grab a piece of toast before my early meeting that day. Going only a few steps, I stabbed my foot on a toy one of my boys had left on the floor the night before. Walking a few more steps, I stubbed a toe on a chair in the kitchen that was out of place. By the time I got to my meeting, my foot throbbed and it hurt just to walk normally. On my next day off, I made sure to remedy all this stumbling around. I got a small LED nightlight and put it out in the hallway. I found it a lot easier to negotiate my way in the dark.
I thought about my stumbling in the dark as I read the scripture for today. Jude 24 talks about stumbling, just not of the physical kind. Instead, this scripture references spiritual stumbling, when you falter or hurt yourself or fall due to spiritual sin or human weakness. Just as the dark hallway caused me to stumble over a toy and stumble into a chair, spiritual stumbling may bring you hurts and pains while negotiating through the dark areas of your life that are not lit up by the grace of God. Those dark spiritual areas are places in your mind or heart or soul where the light of God’s wisdom has not brought God’s grace to bear. They are spiritual places where sin still clouds one’s thoughts in a same way a fog might hamper a boat finding its way. Do you have an area in your life where you unfaithfully stumble due to some spiritual darkness that clouds your way?
Every year during December, Janie would find herself gaining weight. At first, she thought it was because the days were shorter and there was less time to go out and walk. Later, she thought it might be due to holiday parties or Christmas cookies. One year, she decided to test the theories. From November first to Christmas, Janie purposefully watched her diet and exercise time. She kept track of all she ate and all the exercises she completed for the period in a well-documented journal. What she found was interesting. Her exercising kept pace. She was exercising as much in November as in December. However, her eating changed. Most days, she would consume normal calories, but every weekend, she always ate more and felt hungrier. As January rolled around, Janie thought about what changes she might make to help the situation. She decided to eat less and not go out to eat. This did not help. She still consumed more calories on the weekend. What was causing this unnatural hunger over the weekends?
As an evaluation, Janie looked back at her journal. At the end of each day, she would write down what she did and how she felt. Janie noticed that almost every time her husband was home for the day, she would eat more. In trying to figure out why, she came to an interesting self-revelation. She felt more nervous when her husband was home all day. With that information, she began to piece together the reason for her increased eating. Two years previous, Janie’s husband had a heart attack while she was away at a convention for work. Not being there to help, being gone when the heart attack occurred, weighed on her conscience. She felt guilty for her absence, though nothing was her fault. She felt compelled to stop any future heart attacks and make the best of their time together. As a result, Janie was afraid to leave her own home or do anything stressful with her husband there. Guilt and worry and fears for the future took their toll. After talking with her pastor, Janie worked through these emotional issues. It took her a while, but Janie finally saw her eating return to normal. Shedding light on this area of her life helped Janie to come to grips with buried emotions that were eating her up from the inside out.
In the scripture for today, Jude (the brother of James as written in Jude 1:1) encourages his fellow Christians to trust in God fully. This same message applies to you. Through Jesus Christ, God is “able to keep you from stumbling” spiritually (Jude 24). By the power of God’s Spirit, you can bring God’s light to any darkness of your life and “present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy…” (Juke 24-25). God does not want you to stumble around, not knowing where to turn when life’s ups and downs throw you for a loop. God desires to keep you from stumbling in spiritual darkness by shining His holy light into problem areas of your past or present.
A little light helped me to see better and not stumble around in the dark of my home. In a spiritual manner, God can shed a spiritual spotlight upon some area in your life needing work. If you find yourself stumbling around with some issue, let God’s light direct your steps!
I thought about my stumbling in the dark as I read the scripture for today. Jude 24 talks about stumbling, just not of the physical kind. Instead, this scripture references spiritual stumbling, when you falter or hurt yourself or fall due to spiritual sin or human weakness. Just as the dark hallway caused me to stumble over a toy and stumble into a chair, spiritual stumbling may bring you hurts and pains while negotiating through the dark areas of your life that are not lit up by the grace of God. Those dark spiritual areas are places in your mind or heart or soul where the light of God’s wisdom has not brought God’s grace to bear. They are spiritual places where sin still clouds one’s thoughts in a same way a fog might hamper a boat finding its way. Do you have an area in your life where you unfaithfully stumble due to some spiritual darkness that clouds your way?
Every year during December, Janie would find herself gaining weight. At first, she thought it was because the days were shorter and there was less time to go out and walk. Later, she thought it might be due to holiday parties or Christmas cookies. One year, she decided to test the theories. From November first to Christmas, Janie purposefully watched her diet and exercise time. She kept track of all she ate and all the exercises she completed for the period in a well-documented journal. What she found was interesting. Her exercising kept pace. She was exercising as much in November as in December. However, her eating changed. Most days, she would consume normal calories, but every weekend, she always ate more and felt hungrier. As January rolled around, Janie thought about what changes she might make to help the situation. She decided to eat less and not go out to eat. This did not help. She still consumed more calories on the weekend. What was causing this unnatural hunger over the weekends?
As an evaluation, Janie looked back at her journal. At the end of each day, she would write down what she did and how she felt. Janie noticed that almost every time her husband was home for the day, she would eat more. In trying to figure out why, she came to an interesting self-revelation. She felt more nervous when her husband was home all day. With that information, she began to piece together the reason for her increased eating. Two years previous, Janie’s husband had a heart attack while she was away at a convention for work. Not being there to help, being gone when the heart attack occurred, weighed on her conscience. She felt guilty for her absence, though nothing was her fault. She felt compelled to stop any future heart attacks and make the best of their time together. As a result, Janie was afraid to leave her own home or do anything stressful with her husband there. Guilt and worry and fears for the future took their toll. After talking with her pastor, Janie worked through these emotional issues. It took her a while, but Janie finally saw her eating return to normal. Shedding light on this area of her life helped Janie to come to grips with buried emotions that were eating her up from the inside out.
In the scripture for today, Jude (the brother of James as written in Jude 1:1) encourages his fellow Christians to trust in God fully. This same message applies to you. Through Jesus Christ, God is “able to keep you from stumbling” spiritually (Jude 24). By the power of God’s Spirit, you can bring God’s light to any darkness of your life and “present you blameless before the presence of His glory with great joy…” (Juke 24-25). God does not want you to stumble around, not knowing where to turn when life’s ups and downs throw you for a loop. God desires to keep you from stumbling in spiritual darkness by shining His holy light into problem areas of your past or present.
A little light helped me to see better and not stumble around in the dark of my home. In a spiritual manner, God can shed a spiritual spotlight upon some area in your life needing work. If you find yourself stumbling around with some issue, let God’s light direct your steps!
June 14
“For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue, and virtue with knowledge…” (2 Peter 1:5, ESV)
“… decadence and despair haunt many of America’s youth. Perhaps fourteen-year-old Rod Matthews represents the most horrible extreme. Uninterested in baseball or books, Rod found one thing that did stimulate him: death. His curiosity was intensely aroused by a rental video, Faces of Death, a collage of film clips of people dying violently. He wanted to see death happen in real life.
So one winter day Rod lured a young friend into the woods and hammered him to death with a baseball bat. At Matthews’s trial a child psychiatrist testified that the boy was not conventionally insane. He just “doesn’t know right from wrong … He is morally handicapped.” (Chuck Colson, Against the Night, pp. 21-22)
As I read the story of Rod Matthews, I realized that he is not the only one in our world who is “morally handicapped”. There are many others. Don’t you find it interesting that there are classes taught in elementary schools on sexuality, but not on morality? High school students may take electives teaching advanced mathematical concepts, but very little is offered on the importance of virtue or morality. We have raised young people who can spout off facts and theorems, historical dates, and chemical concepts, but they can’t share a rational conversation about moral imperatives.
The scripture above from 2 Peter encourages all Christians to move beyond faith alone. It challenges you to supplement faith with knowledge and virtue. When I looked up the Greek word for virtue used by Peter in this scripture, it means to learn “moral excellence”. To be a true follower of Christ, faith is supremely important. However, for that faith to be strengthened, it needs wisdom, knowledge, and moral excellence. What is virtue or moral excellence from God’s point of view? It is the ability to know right from wrong from a divine perspective and then pursuing it.
Part of being faithful involves learning right from wrong and then living it. This is crucial for any functional human being. It is essential for any civilized society. It is a must for any higher functioning individual or church. If a person doesn’t understand right from wrong, teaching that person a bunch of rules won’t help that person make a moral decision when life gets complicated. In the same way, Christians who attempt to live knowing only the Ten Commandments may find it difficult to choose a godly path that is not clearly related to those ten ideals. According to the verse for today, virtue is a “supplement” to your faith. It helps your faith to grow stronger. It gives support to your beliefs. If you have faith, but lack virtue, your faith will falter when your decisions or choices become complex.
The United States put some of its best minds together in the 1930’s and 1940’s to solve the problem of how the atom derives its power. Later, those scientists used what they had learned to build the first atomic bombs through a program called the Manhattan Project. Decades after those bombs killed thousands in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and unleashed their damaging radiation upon the world, one of the scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project was quoted as saying, “We built the atomic bomb without fully understanding the impact of atomic power to our world. We were in war. We were trying to beat Nazi Germany to the bomb. We didn’t think things through. We were following the orders of those who sought to use atomic bombs to end a war. We didn’t fully comprehend what our scientific work would do to our world or our future.” For decades after the war, many of the scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project began to regret their results. Did you know that some of those same scientists upon seeing an atomic blast first-hand wept out loud?
It is imperative as a Christian that you learn right from wrong. Our world needs your godly perspective and virtue. It is just as important that you live out those beliefs, doing what is right and stopping what is wrong. Your faith needs your moral excellence and virtuous decisions to strengthen its nerve.
In these crazy and tenuous times, as viruses and quarantines and job loss and the deification of sinfulness take center stage, your moral virtue needs to be a beacon of righteousness in a world devolving into chaos. Many around you morally handicapped. You are not. Let your faith grow stronger as your virtue shines brightly in a world swept up in darkness and evil.
So one winter day Rod lured a young friend into the woods and hammered him to death with a baseball bat. At Matthews’s trial a child psychiatrist testified that the boy was not conventionally insane. He just “doesn’t know right from wrong … He is morally handicapped.” (Chuck Colson, Against the Night, pp. 21-22)
As I read the story of Rod Matthews, I realized that he is not the only one in our world who is “morally handicapped”. There are many others. Don’t you find it interesting that there are classes taught in elementary schools on sexuality, but not on morality? High school students may take electives teaching advanced mathematical concepts, but very little is offered on the importance of virtue or morality. We have raised young people who can spout off facts and theorems, historical dates, and chemical concepts, but they can’t share a rational conversation about moral imperatives.
The scripture above from 2 Peter encourages all Christians to move beyond faith alone. It challenges you to supplement faith with knowledge and virtue. When I looked up the Greek word for virtue used by Peter in this scripture, it means to learn “moral excellence”. To be a true follower of Christ, faith is supremely important. However, for that faith to be strengthened, it needs wisdom, knowledge, and moral excellence. What is virtue or moral excellence from God’s point of view? It is the ability to know right from wrong from a divine perspective and then pursuing it.
Part of being faithful involves learning right from wrong and then living it. This is crucial for any functional human being. It is essential for any civilized society. It is a must for any higher functioning individual or church. If a person doesn’t understand right from wrong, teaching that person a bunch of rules won’t help that person make a moral decision when life gets complicated. In the same way, Christians who attempt to live knowing only the Ten Commandments may find it difficult to choose a godly path that is not clearly related to those ten ideals. According to the verse for today, virtue is a “supplement” to your faith. It helps your faith to grow stronger. It gives support to your beliefs. If you have faith, but lack virtue, your faith will falter when your decisions or choices become complex.
The United States put some of its best minds together in the 1930’s and 1940’s to solve the problem of how the atom derives its power. Later, those scientists used what they had learned to build the first atomic bombs through a program called the Manhattan Project. Decades after those bombs killed thousands in Hiroshima and Nagasaki and unleashed their damaging radiation upon the world, one of the scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project was quoted as saying, “We built the atomic bomb without fully understanding the impact of atomic power to our world. We were in war. We were trying to beat Nazi Germany to the bomb. We didn’t think things through. We were following the orders of those who sought to use atomic bombs to end a war. We didn’t fully comprehend what our scientific work would do to our world or our future.” For decades after the war, many of the scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project began to regret their results. Did you know that some of those same scientists upon seeing an atomic blast first-hand wept out loud?
It is imperative as a Christian that you learn right from wrong. Our world needs your godly perspective and virtue. It is just as important that you live out those beliefs, doing what is right and stopping what is wrong. Your faith needs your moral excellence and virtuous decisions to strengthen its nerve.
In these crazy and tenuous times, as viruses and quarantines and job loss and the deification of sinfulness take center stage, your moral virtue needs to be a beacon of righteousness in a world devolving into chaos. Many around you morally handicapped. You are not. Let your faith grow stronger as your virtue shines brightly in a world swept up in darkness and evil.
June 16
“Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.” (Romans 13:7, ESV)
Some new Christians in the first century thought that being faithful to Jesus meant not being responsible to other authorities. Some in Rome refused to pay taxes, follow Roman laws, and did not accept the authority of Roman leadership. Paul, being a Roman citizen, had a different take on the matter. He believed that out of respect for God, faithful Romans needed to “pay taxes to whom taxes are owed… respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed” (Romans 13:7). Although Christians believed in God’s Kingdom more so than earthly nations, Paul felt that people of faith should respect those in civil leadership. Christians also were to respect those who borrowed to them, respect regional authorities, and respect those who collected taxes. Though Christians were allied with God’s Kingdom, that did not mean that they could do what they wanted when they wanted or be involved in political revolution. Paul believed in the respect of the authorities and respect for those with whom you interact, whether Christian or not.
This year, disrespect has ascended to new heights in the world. Yesterday, people who were upset about the death of a man decided to go to the place where he was killed to protest. While there, they decided to torch a neighboring business out of spite. Last week, a homeless person in San Francisco held up traffic on a busy street. What was he doing to stop traffic? He was defecating in the middle of the street. In February 2019, a man sued his parents for giving him birth saying that he thought it was cruel for anyone to give birth to a child in this awful world. Also in 2019, a forty-year-old Michigan man, who moved back home, sued his parents for throwing out his pornography collection estimated to be worth $80,000. In September of last year, a man from San Antonio stole a pack of cigarettes from a convenience store. When the clerk accused him, the man said he was going to kill the clerk if he didn’t shut up about it. At a church in North Carolina, the pastor’s email was being read by members who claimed that since the pastor lived in a parsonage, they could read anything they wanted on the internet they provided him. I could go on and on and on and on. Many people regularly show a lack of respect to others. Those in power trample on the rights of the poor and needy. The vengeful want to use the courts to disrespect those near to them. Social and political leaders show disdain toward others. Even politeness has become scarce. Despite the scripture today, which upholds the importance of respect, too many people show little respect in their daily interactions.
Chuck Swindoll found some important information in a study authored by sociologist and historian Carle Zimmerman. Swindoll found eight “patterns” that identified a downward spiral of the cultures studied by Zimmerman:
“Marriage loses its sacredness; … is frequently broken by divorce; traditional meaning of the marriage ceremony is lost; feminist movements abound; there is increased public disrespect for parents and authority in general; an acceleration of juvenile delinquency, promiscuity and rebellion occurs; there is refusal of people with traditional marriages to accept family responsibilities; a growing desire for, and acceptance of, adultery is evident; there is increasing interest in, and spread of, sexual perversions and sex-related crimes.” (Confident Living, November 1987)
Based on what Zimmerman found, it is not difficult to conclude that a breakdown of respect in society lends itself to destructive cultural upheaval. A breakdown of the family, the loss of respect for authority figures, disrespect of parents, and the rejection of traditional social and familial responsibilities have dangerous social consequences.
Not only does the loss of respect lead to social breakdowns, it causes irreparable spiritual harm. If you are unwilling to show respect for God by respecting others, your relationship with God and spiritual relationship with others will be damaged. If you are unwilling to submit to the authority of others, there will come a time when you will rebel against the authority of God. If you cannot show respect to a neighbor, how can you love a neighbor as Jesus commanded (Mark 12:31)? There were many times that Jesus was shown disrespect by Jewish and Roman authorities. He did not respond in kind. He remained firm in His godly beliefs while respecting those who were different or were wrong or were sinful. He showed love in response to hate. He remained obedient to God when it was uncomfortable or deadly to do so. If you want to be faithful to Jesus, your must learn to be respectful in like manner.
Do you show respect to others? Do you respect the authority of those whom God places over you? Do you respect civil authority? Do you only show respect to those who agree with your point of view? How do you personally show respect for God’s authority?
This year, disrespect has ascended to new heights in the world. Yesterday, people who were upset about the death of a man decided to go to the place where he was killed to protest. While there, they decided to torch a neighboring business out of spite. Last week, a homeless person in San Francisco held up traffic on a busy street. What was he doing to stop traffic? He was defecating in the middle of the street. In February 2019, a man sued his parents for giving him birth saying that he thought it was cruel for anyone to give birth to a child in this awful world. Also in 2019, a forty-year-old Michigan man, who moved back home, sued his parents for throwing out his pornography collection estimated to be worth $80,000. In September of last year, a man from San Antonio stole a pack of cigarettes from a convenience store. When the clerk accused him, the man said he was going to kill the clerk if he didn’t shut up about it. At a church in North Carolina, the pastor’s email was being read by members who claimed that since the pastor lived in a parsonage, they could read anything they wanted on the internet they provided him. I could go on and on and on and on. Many people regularly show a lack of respect to others. Those in power trample on the rights of the poor and needy. The vengeful want to use the courts to disrespect those near to them. Social and political leaders show disdain toward others. Even politeness has become scarce. Despite the scripture today, which upholds the importance of respect, too many people show little respect in their daily interactions.
Chuck Swindoll found some important information in a study authored by sociologist and historian Carle Zimmerman. Swindoll found eight “patterns” that identified a downward spiral of the cultures studied by Zimmerman:
“Marriage loses its sacredness; … is frequently broken by divorce; traditional meaning of the marriage ceremony is lost; feminist movements abound; there is increased public disrespect for parents and authority in general; an acceleration of juvenile delinquency, promiscuity and rebellion occurs; there is refusal of people with traditional marriages to accept family responsibilities; a growing desire for, and acceptance of, adultery is evident; there is increasing interest in, and spread of, sexual perversions and sex-related crimes.” (Confident Living, November 1987)
Based on what Zimmerman found, it is not difficult to conclude that a breakdown of respect in society lends itself to destructive cultural upheaval. A breakdown of the family, the loss of respect for authority figures, disrespect of parents, and the rejection of traditional social and familial responsibilities have dangerous social consequences.
Not only does the loss of respect lead to social breakdowns, it causes irreparable spiritual harm. If you are unwilling to show respect for God by respecting others, your relationship with God and spiritual relationship with others will be damaged. If you are unwilling to submit to the authority of others, there will come a time when you will rebel against the authority of God. If you cannot show respect to a neighbor, how can you love a neighbor as Jesus commanded (Mark 12:31)? There were many times that Jesus was shown disrespect by Jewish and Roman authorities. He did not respond in kind. He remained firm in His godly beliefs while respecting those who were different or were wrong or were sinful. He showed love in response to hate. He remained obedient to God when it was uncomfortable or deadly to do so. If you want to be faithful to Jesus, your must learn to be respectful in like manner.
Do you show respect to others? Do you respect the authority of those whom God places over you? Do you respect civil authority? Do you only show respect to those who agree with your point of view? How do you personally show respect for God’s authority?
June 19
“Now therefore amend your ways and your doings, and obey the voice of the Lord your God, and the Lord will change his mind about the disaster that he has pronounced against you.” (Jeremiah 26:13, NRSV)
“Years ago, Frank Lloyd Wright was given the impossible task of building the Imperial Hotel in Tokyo. No comparable construction job ever before had been undertaken. With patience he laid plans for the immense building in this land of earth-quakes and terrible tremors. After carefully reviewing the situation, he found that eight feet below the surface of the ground lay a sixty-foot bed of soft mud. Why not float the great structure on this and in some way make it absorb the shock of the earthquake? After four years of work, amid ridicule and jeers of skeptical onlookers, this most difficult building in the world was completed, and soon arrived the day which tested it completely. The worst earthquake in fifty-two years caused houses and buildings all around to tumble and fall in ruins. But the Imperial Hotel stood, because it was able to adjust itself to the tremors of the earth.” (A. Smith, as quoted in “Resources”, #2)
Wright’s architectural adjustments in the Imperial Hotel helped it to adapt to the environment and protected the building from earthquakes. The great architect adjusted his calculations and tolerances to fit the site of his work. Because of this, he was ridiculed greatly, until his adjustments proved true! Many architects of the day would not have made such adjustments. They either would not have built on the site or they would have made costly mistakes by failing to account for the danger of earthquakes. When faced with the problems of the Imperial Hotel site, Wright adapted his plans. He didn’t force the site to adapt to his own particularities. He adjusted the tolerances to what was required to make things right.
Too many Christians don’t adjust their plans or attitude when the situation calls for it. Rather than adjusting to God’s plans, they remain rigid and set in their ways. Instead of seeing their mistakes, some people would rather remain in the dark. They don’t want to make amends nor repent and move on. They remain stubborn and immutable despite God’s desire that they turn from the path they have taken.
The prophet Jeremiah encountered this same spiritual attitude in his day, twenty-six centuries ago! At that time, the people of Judah had sinned greatly. They worshiped other gods. They lacked trust in God’s leading and guidance. Injustice had taken hold in the land. Evil intents and actions were becoming the norm. The leaders wanted to get rid of Jeremiah, rather than listen to what God had to say (Jeremiah 26:8)! During those tumultuous times, Jeremiah spoke the words found in our scripture for today. Speaking for the Lord God, Jeremiah demanded the people “amend their ways and doings” (Jeremiah 26:13). They were to “obey the voice of the Lord God”. If they only changed their ways, God would “change His mind” about their punishment. In the end, the people refused to repent and turn from their evil. Not long after, Judah was crushed by the Babylonians in war and Jerusalem was destroyed. The temple was reduced to ruins.
Sometimes, it is the will of God that you remain strong and set in your faith. However, there will be times when you need to adapt or change your ways. When sin creeps into your life, you will have to repent. When physical illness or disease attacks your body, you may have to modify your schedule or be more forgiving with your own weakness. If your church loses its pastor, members may have to adjust to the changes that will be forthcoming. As a mother grows older, her children may need to change their expectations of her. As a son grows older, family members may have to relate to him differently or find a different common ground. In a thousand ways, your life can change due to circumstances beyond your control. In those moments, God may need you to change, offer more grace, listen more closely to His voice, or make spiritual alterations. Don’t be so rigid or stubborn that you can’t alter your path when God sees a need for change!
Wright’s architectural adjustments in the Imperial Hotel helped it to adapt to the environment and protected the building from earthquakes. The great architect adjusted his calculations and tolerances to fit the site of his work. Because of this, he was ridiculed greatly, until his adjustments proved true! Many architects of the day would not have made such adjustments. They either would not have built on the site or they would have made costly mistakes by failing to account for the danger of earthquakes. When faced with the problems of the Imperial Hotel site, Wright adapted his plans. He didn’t force the site to adapt to his own particularities. He adjusted the tolerances to what was required to make things right.
Too many Christians don’t adjust their plans or attitude when the situation calls for it. Rather than adjusting to God’s plans, they remain rigid and set in their ways. Instead of seeing their mistakes, some people would rather remain in the dark. They don’t want to make amends nor repent and move on. They remain stubborn and immutable despite God’s desire that they turn from the path they have taken.
The prophet Jeremiah encountered this same spiritual attitude in his day, twenty-six centuries ago! At that time, the people of Judah had sinned greatly. They worshiped other gods. They lacked trust in God’s leading and guidance. Injustice had taken hold in the land. Evil intents and actions were becoming the norm. The leaders wanted to get rid of Jeremiah, rather than listen to what God had to say (Jeremiah 26:8)! During those tumultuous times, Jeremiah spoke the words found in our scripture for today. Speaking for the Lord God, Jeremiah demanded the people “amend their ways and doings” (Jeremiah 26:13). They were to “obey the voice of the Lord God”. If they only changed their ways, God would “change His mind” about their punishment. In the end, the people refused to repent and turn from their evil. Not long after, Judah was crushed by the Babylonians in war and Jerusalem was destroyed. The temple was reduced to ruins.
Sometimes, it is the will of God that you remain strong and set in your faith. However, there will be times when you need to adapt or change your ways. When sin creeps into your life, you will have to repent. When physical illness or disease attacks your body, you may have to modify your schedule or be more forgiving with your own weakness. If your church loses its pastor, members may have to adjust to the changes that will be forthcoming. As a mother grows older, her children may need to change their expectations of her. As a son grows older, family members may have to relate to him differently or find a different common ground. In a thousand ways, your life can change due to circumstances beyond your control. In those moments, God may need you to change, offer more grace, listen more closely to His voice, or make spiritual alterations. Don’t be so rigid or stubborn that you can’t alter your path when God sees a need for change!
June 21
“And they have defeated him [Satan] by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.” (Revelation 12:11, NLT)
Most churches do not celebrate an especially important day of the year, the “Day of the Christian Martyr”. This year, the date for this celebration is June 29th. I believe it is crucial to remember and sanctify that day each year to remember those who gave up their lives in respect for Jesus Christ. Their sacrifices should be remembered and cherished.
Revelation 12:11 explains the defeat that Satan feels every time a testimony is given of Christ. When a Christian dies while remaining faithful despite persecution and martyrdom, the offering to God is especially onerous to Satan. Satan hates true believers in God. Satan abhors a truthful life testimony. Did you know that the same Greek word in our Bible that means “testimony” or “witness” carries the same root word as “martyr”? That is because sometimes to be a good witness for Christ, you need to be willing to put it all on the line. You must be willing to face the ridicule of others and the rage of Satan. You need to be willing to accept the possibility of death for speaking faithfully about Christ. However, giving your testimony is a great honor to God.
To honor the Day of the Christian Martyr, the Christian group “Voice of the Martyrs” has offered a video remembrance of the faith and murder of Pastor Jean-Paul Sankagui by Muslim extremists in the Central African Republic. In a six-week span of time, six Christian pastors died at the hands of Muslim warriors who destroyed the pastors' churches, pillaged their homes, killed many Christians, and wiped out entire congregations. In honor of the sacrifices made by the faithful pastors and congregations who suffered and died, Voice of the Martyrs published the video I have included below. I hope you watch it!
If faithful Christians are willing to put their life on the line to share the gospel, what can you do to share the gospel this week? What person near you needs to pray with you, hear a word of encouragement, or be reached in Jesus’ name? Is there a person who needs to talk? Who needs your devoted prayer time? What witness can you give in honor of Jesus today?
A young man had been to Wednesday night Bible Study. The Pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice. The young man couldn't help but wonder, "Does God still speak to people?"
After service, the young man went out with some friends for coffee and pie where they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways. It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, "God. If you still speak to people speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey."
As he drove done the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, "God is that you?" He didn't get a reply and started on toward home. But again, the thought came forcefully to buy a gallon of milk. The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli. "Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk."
It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home. As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge, "Turn down that street." This is crazy he thought and drove on pass the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down seventh street. At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half-jokingly, he said out loud, "Okay, God, I will." He drove several blocks, when suddenly he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in semi-commercial area of town. It wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed. Again, he sensed something, "Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street."
The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat. "Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid."
Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk. Finally, he opened the door, "Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here." He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice yelled out, "Who is it? What do you want?"
Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and t-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face, and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. "What is it?"
The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, "Here, I brought this to you."
The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway speaking loudly in Spanish. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face. The man began speaking and half crying, "We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk." His wife in the kitchen yelled out, "I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?"
The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face. He knew that God still answers prayers.
In order for God to do extraordinary things in your life, you have to be willing to put yourself in uncomfortable and dangerous situations ordained by God. You need to be willing to listen for God’s voice and follow God’s leading. Don’t be afraid of failing. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Don’t be afraid to look foolish or stand out. Sometimes, that’s exactly what God needs in that crucial moment.
The book of Revelation celebrates those who defeat Satan “by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony” (Revelation 12:11). God is especially blessed by those who are not afraid to put it on the line while sharing their faith.
Revelation 12:11 explains the defeat that Satan feels every time a testimony is given of Christ. When a Christian dies while remaining faithful despite persecution and martyrdom, the offering to God is especially onerous to Satan. Satan hates true believers in God. Satan abhors a truthful life testimony. Did you know that the same Greek word in our Bible that means “testimony” or “witness” carries the same root word as “martyr”? That is because sometimes to be a good witness for Christ, you need to be willing to put it all on the line. You must be willing to face the ridicule of others and the rage of Satan. You need to be willing to accept the possibility of death for speaking faithfully about Christ. However, giving your testimony is a great honor to God.
To honor the Day of the Christian Martyr, the Christian group “Voice of the Martyrs” has offered a video remembrance of the faith and murder of Pastor Jean-Paul Sankagui by Muslim extremists in the Central African Republic. In a six-week span of time, six Christian pastors died at the hands of Muslim warriors who destroyed the pastors' churches, pillaged their homes, killed many Christians, and wiped out entire congregations. In honor of the sacrifices made by the faithful pastors and congregations who suffered and died, Voice of the Martyrs published the video I have included below. I hope you watch it!
If faithful Christians are willing to put their life on the line to share the gospel, what can you do to share the gospel this week? What person near you needs to pray with you, hear a word of encouragement, or be reached in Jesus’ name? Is there a person who needs to talk? Who needs your devoted prayer time? What witness can you give in honor of Jesus today?
A young man had been to Wednesday night Bible Study. The Pastor had shared about listening to God and obeying the Lord's voice. The young man couldn't help but wonder, "Does God still speak to people?"
After service, the young man went out with some friends for coffee and pie where they discussed the message. Several different ones talked about how God had led them in different ways. It was about ten o'clock when the young man started driving home. Sitting in his car, he just began to pray, "God. If you still speak to people speak to me. I will listen. I will do my best to obey."
As he drove done the main street of his town, he had the strangest thought to stop and buy a gallon of milk. He shook his head and said out loud, "God is that you?" He didn't get a reply and started on toward home. But again, the thought came forcefully to buy a gallon of milk. The young man thought about Samuel and how he didn't recognize the voice of God, and how little Samuel ran to Eli. "Okay, God, in case that is you, I will buy the milk."
It didn't seem like too hard a test of obedience. He could always use the milk. He stopped and purchased the gallon of milk and started off toward home. As he passed Seventh Street, he again felt the urge, "Turn down that street." This is crazy he thought and drove on pass the intersection. Again, he felt that he should turn down seventh street. At the next intersection, he turned back and headed down Seventh. Half-jokingly, he said out loud, "Okay, God, I will." He drove several blocks, when suddenly he felt like he should stop. He pulled over to the curb and looked around. He was in semi-commercial area of town. It wasn't the best, but it wasn't the worst of neighborhoods either. The businesses were closed and most of the houses looked dark like the people were already in bed. Again, he sensed something, "Go and give the milk to the people in the house across the street."
The young man looked at the house. It was dark and it looked like the people were either gone or they were already asleep. He started to open the door and then sat back in the car seat. "Lord, this is insane. Those people are asleep and if I wake them up, they are going to be mad and I will look stupid."
Again, he felt like he should go and give the milk. Finally, he opened the door, "Okay God, if this is you, I will go to the door and I will give them the milk. If you want me to look like a crazy person, okay. I want to be obedient. I guess that will count for something but if they don't answer right away, I am out of here." He walked across the street and rang the bell. He could hear some noise inside. A man's voice yelled out, "Who is it? What do you want?"
Then the door opened before the young man could get away. The man was standing there in his jeans and t-shirt. He looked like he just got out of bed. He had a strange look on his face, and he didn't seem too happy to have some stranger standing on his doorstep. "What is it?"
The young man thrust out the gallon of milk, "Here, I brought this to you."
The man took the milk and rushed down a hallway speaking loudly in Spanish. Then from down the hall came a woman carrying the milk toward the kitchen. The man was following her holding a baby. The baby was crying. The man had tears streaming down his face. The man began speaking and half crying, "We were just praying. We had some big bills this month and we ran out of money. We didn't have any milk for our baby. I was just praying and asking God to show me how to get some milk." His wife in the kitchen yelled out, "I ask him to send an Angel with some. Are you an Angel?"
The young man reached into his wallet and pulled out all the money he had on him and put in the man's hand. He turned and walked back toward his car and the tears were streaming down his face. He knew that God still answers prayers.
In order for God to do extraordinary things in your life, you have to be willing to put yourself in uncomfortable and dangerous situations ordained by God. You need to be willing to listen for God’s voice and follow God’s leading. Don’t be afraid of failing. Don’t be afraid to put yourself out there. Don’t be afraid to look foolish or stand out. Sometimes, that’s exactly what God needs in that crucial moment.
The book of Revelation celebrates those who defeat Satan “by the blood of the Lamb and by their testimony” (Revelation 12:11). God is especially blessed by those who are not afraid to put it on the line while sharing their faith.
June 23
“Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him.” (Colossians 3:10, NLT)
“I wish there were some wonderful place called the Land of Beginning Again,
Where all of our past mistakes and heartaches,
And all of our poor selfish grief,
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door
And never be put on again.”
(Louisa Tarkington, as quoted in Putting Your Past Behind You, E. Lutzer, p. 13)
As you live out your days, you might long for a new start or desire to let go of something in your past. You might wish you could restart a relationship or redo a project. It might be your hope to look at life with fresh eyes or a new perspective. You might need a fresh start. The scriptures are all about starting over after renewing your relationship with God. The prophets often talked about repentance as a step toward renewing one’s relationship with God. Jesus, too, saw repentance as a fresh start. Jesus told a man who had been healed to “Go and sin no more!” (John 5:14). After an adulterous woman was saved from death by stoning, Jesus said to her, “go, and do not sin again” (John 8:11). Following grace and forgiveness, Jesus wanted both to start over in their spiritual lives while remaining free from the slavery to sin.
When Frank turned fifty-two, his first grandchild was born. Living just down the street from his daughter, son-in-law, and new grandson Charlie, Frank felt a new chapter starting in his life. The young boy was healthy and energetic. Frank felt the boy’s excitement as he saw the child light up with new experiences and new learning.
When his grandson was two, Frank received a surprise phone-call at seven in the morning. His daughter had an emergency at work. She begged for Frank to take Charlie for a few hours. Frank did not want to watch the boy. He had been drinking the night before and was having a rough morning. The family knew that Frank was a borderline alcoholic. They knew not to look for Frank to be in any shape before noon. Frank worked second shift and often drank at the neighborhood bar before coming home. His nights were filled with drunken stupors. His mornings were an endless series of recoveries from the night before. Despite his hangover, Frank took in little Charlie for the morning.
As the morning dragged on for Frank, Charlie grew more energetic. Because of his hangover, Frank was having trouble staying awake and alert while watching Charlie. In a moment of weakness, Frank nodded off. A few minutes later, Frank woke up to a screaming little boy. Charlie had pulled a heavy metal pipe off an end table and was hurt. A red spot formed on the spot where the pipe had hit. A bulging, awful looking bruise was beginning to form, even though Frank iced the affected area. Frank’s daughter was not upset when came to pick up Charlie two hours later. She knew that Charlie had the tendency to get into trouble. Frank begged for her forgiveness, but she just smiled and said, “Let it go, Dad. Charlie will be fine”.
That incident hit Frank hard. He realized for the first time that he couldn’t drink his life away. He wanted Charlie to be safe. He wanted to be trustworthy. He didn’t want to be a drunk any longer. He wanted a new start. That day, not long after Charlie and his mother left, Frank folded his hands together and asked God to help him to stop drinking. And God did. To this day, Frank has not had any alcohol. His grand-kids love him dearly. The whole family realizes that Frank is a changed man.
In Colossians 3, Paul wrote that when a person came to Christ, he or she needed to put away old sinful practices. Anger, wrath, lying, fornication, swearing, slander, covetousness, and other sinful ways had to be rejected (Colossians 3:8-9). If you wanted to become a true Christian, you had to put these faults in the past and “be renewed” (Colossians 3:10). You learned to “know your Creator and become like Him”. You needed to put on your new nature and follow a new path with Christ as your guide.
If God wants you to do something new or different in your life, you need to let go of your sinful thoughts. You need to walk away from any former evil. You will have to deal with your past and then put it behind you. God will want you to “put on a new nature” (Colossians 3:10). God will want you to go down that right path the right way.
For some people, putting the past behind them is a difficult task. Others can’t let go of a sin and move on in life. A good many people are afraid to do new things or get away from the old and familiar, even when these are holding them back. It may be difficult for you to turn a new page in your life, but there are times that is precisely what is required.
Do you need a fresh start in your life? Is there something God wants you to put in the past? Is there a new path God wants you to walk? Don’t be afraid to do something new in your life when God is the instigator of that change. You might find that a new start or new change or new path is exactly what you need. Refrain from seeing a new path in your life as “starting over”. Instead, see it as a new chance to experience something special that God has waiting for you.
Where all of our past mistakes and heartaches,
And all of our poor selfish grief,
Could be dropped like a shabby old coat at the door
And never be put on again.”
(Louisa Tarkington, as quoted in Putting Your Past Behind You, E. Lutzer, p. 13)
As you live out your days, you might long for a new start or desire to let go of something in your past. You might wish you could restart a relationship or redo a project. It might be your hope to look at life with fresh eyes or a new perspective. You might need a fresh start. The scriptures are all about starting over after renewing your relationship with God. The prophets often talked about repentance as a step toward renewing one’s relationship with God. Jesus, too, saw repentance as a fresh start. Jesus told a man who had been healed to “Go and sin no more!” (John 5:14). After an adulterous woman was saved from death by stoning, Jesus said to her, “go, and do not sin again” (John 8:11). Following grace and forgiveness, Jesus wanted both to start over in their spiritual lives while remaining free from the slavery to sin.
When Frank turned fifty-two, his first grandchild was born. Living just down the street from his daughter, son-in-law, and new grandson Charlie, Frank felt a new chapter starting in his life. The young boy was healthy and energetic. Frank felt the boy’s excitement as he saw the child light up with new experiences and new learning.
When his grandson was two, Frank received a surprise phone-call at seven in the morning. His daughter had an emergency at work. She begged for Frank to take Charlie for a few hours. Frank did not want to watch the boy. He had been drinking the night before and was having a rough morning. The family knew that Frank was a borderline alcoholic. They knew not to look for Frank to be in any shape before noon. Frank worked second shift and often drank at the neighborhood bar before coming home. His nights were filled with drunken stupors. His mornings were an endless series of recoveries from the night before. Despite his hangover, Frank took in little Charlie for the morning.
As the morning dragged on for Frank, Charlie grew more energetic. Because of his hangover, Frank was having trouble staying awake and alert while watching Charlie. In a moment of weakness, Frank nodded off. A few minutes later, Frank woke up to a screaming little boy. Charlie had pulled a heavy metal pipe off an end table and was hurt. A red spot formed on the spot where the pipe had hit. A bulging, awful looking bruise was beginning to form, even though Frank iced the affected area. Frank’s daughter was not upset when came to pick up Charlie two hours later. She knew that Charlie had the tendency to get into trouble. Frank begged for her forgiveness, but she just smiled and said, “Let it go, Dad. Charlie will be fine”.
That incident hit Frank hard. He realized for the first time that he couldn’t drink his life away. He wanted Charlie to be safe. He wanted to be trustworthy. He didn’t want to be a drunk any longer. He wanted a new start. That day, not long after Charlie and his mother left, Frank folded his hands together and asked God to help him to stop drinking. And God did. To this day, Frank has not had any alcohol. His grand-kids love him dearly. The whole family realizes that Frank is a changed man.
In Colossians 3, Paul wrote that when a person came to Christ, he or she needed to put away old sinful practices. Anger, wrath, lying, fornication, swearing, slander, covetousness, and other sinful ways had to be rejected (Colossians 3:8-9). If you wanted to become a true Christian, you had to put these faults in the past and “be renewed” (Colossians 3:10). You learned to “know your Creator and become like Him”. You needed to put on your new nature and follow a new path with Christ as your guide.
If God wants you to do something new or different in your life, you need to let go of your sinful thoughts. You need to walk away from any former evil. You will have to deal with your past and then put it behind you. God will want you to “put on a new nature” (Colossians 3:10). God will want you to go down that right path the right way.
For some people, putting the past behind them is a difficult task. Others can’t let go of a sin and move on in life. A good many people are afraid to do new things or get away from the old and familiar, even when these are holding them back. It may be difficult for you to turn a new page in your life, but there are times that is precisely what is required.
Do you need a fresh start in your life? Is there something God wants you to put in the past? Is there a new path God wants you to walk? Don’t be afraid to do something new in your life when God is the instigator of that change. You might find that a new start or new change or new path is exactly what you need. Refrain from seeing a new path in your life as “starting over”. Instead, see it as a new chance to experience something special that God has waiting for you.
June 25
“For my iniquities have gone over my head; they weigh like a burden too heavy for me.” (Psalm 38:4, NRSV)
You’ve heard the phrase, “beast of burden”, right? This phrase is often used to describe a pack animal that is used to carry a load day in and day out. For centuries, horses and asses and oxen and elephants and many other animals were used by humans to bear weights for long periods. This made it easier for humans to transport heavy loads that were beyond the weight that should be carried. Most beasts of burden ended up suffering in their later life due to the constant burden of heavy loads. Those that carried abnormally heavy loads or traveled too great distances were known to develop stress fractures on their bones from the burden they bore.
Many humans choose to bear great psychological, emotional, and spiritual burdens for much too long. They too will suffer for this constant bearing of a great load not meant to be borne for so long a time. They will ultimately develop stress “fractures” in the mind, the soul, or the heart. These will not only shorten their life but will often lead to disease and cynicism and hatred and spiritual decay. Alcohol and drugs are often sought to help the person bear the burden, if only for a short while. This will lead to addiction and self-destruction.
“One day, two monks were walking through the countryside. They were on their way to another village to help bring in the crops. As they walked, they spied an old woman sitting at the edge of a river. She was upset because there was no bridge, and she could not get across on her own. The first monk kindly offered, "We will carry you across if you would like." "Thank you," she said gratefully, accepting their help. So the two men joined hands, lifted her between them and carried her across the river. When they got to the other side, they set her down, and she went on her way.
After they had walked another mile or so, the second monk began to complain. "Look at my clothes," he said. "They are filthy from carrying that woman across the river. And my back still hurts from lifting her. I can feel it getting stiff." The first monk just smiled and nodded his head.
A few more miles up the road, the second monk griped again, "My back is hurting me so badly, and it is all because we had to carry that silly woman across the river! I cannot go any farther because of the pain." The first monk looked down at his partner, now lying on the ground, moaning. "Have you wondered why I am not complaining?" he asked. "Your back hurts because you are still carrying the woman. But I set her down five miles ago.”” (Dr. Anthony T. Evans, Guiding Your Family in a Misguided World)
Are you still carrying a burden that should have been put down years ago? Why? Is there a sin or regret or hatred that you carry around with you daily?
Terry is still harboring anger at her husband for an infidelity twenty years ago. John remains angry at his best friend for a comment made months ago. Caroline still grieves for her mother, who died five years ago. She is comfortable with her depression surrounding the grief and refuses to deal with this painful past. Joan was abused as a child. To this day, she never lets her guard down. Even when making love to her husband, she remains reticent and withdrawn and is unable to enjoy their time together. So many people carry burdens every day without realizing that God wants them to offer them up to Him. Psalm 55:22 commands you to “Cast your burdens on the Lord that HE may sustain you.” Jesus said, “Come to me all you who labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). There is NO reason to bear a burden that should be offered up to the Lord.
Psalm 38:4 reminds us what it is like to bear a burden from sin. Here, David penned that his iniquities had gone over his head. Their weight was “like a burden too heavy” for him to bear. David was drowning in the waters of life, unable to let go of the anchor of sin. The rest of the Psalm is a testament to his suffering. Because he carried the burdens of his sin and guilt and shame for so long, his body suffered (Psalm 38:7). His spirit was “crushed” (Psalm 38:8). Thankfully, David finally decided to go to the Lord with his burdens, repenting of his misdeeds (Psalm 38:18). The Psalm ended with David hopeful in God’s forgiving grace and the lifting of this terrible burden.
There will probably come a day when you will be sick of carrying some burden in your heart and soul and mind. Its weight will lie heavy upon you. When that day comes, look to the Lord to bear the load. Let go of your load as an offering to God. Put away the residue of anger or resentment or guilt that abides. Let God’s grace and peace settle into your bones again.
Is there something weighing you down today? Is there a burden that is getting a little heavy? Work it out with God to see why you carry this load. Does God will it or are you unwilling to let something go?
Many humans choose to bear great psychological, emotional, and spiritual burdens for much too long. They too will suffer for this constant bearing of a great load not meant to be borne for so long a time. They will ultimately develop stress “fractures” in the mind, the soul, or the heart. These will not only shorten their life but will often lead to disease and cynicism and hatred and spiritual decay. Alcohol and drugs are often sought to help the person bear the burden, if only for a short while. This will lead to addiction and self-destruction.
“One day, two monks were walking through the countryside. They were on their way to another village to help bring in the crops. As they walked, they spied an old woman sitting at the edge of a river. She was upset because there was no bridge, and she could not get across on her own. The first monk kindly offered, "We will carry you across if you would like." "Thank you," she said gratefully, accepting their help. So the two men joined hands, lifted her between them and carried her across the river. When they got to the other side, they set her down, and she went on her way.
After they had walked another mile or so, the second monk began to complain. "Look at my clothes," he said. "They are filthy from carrying that woman across the river. And my back still hurts from lifting her. I can feel it getting stiff." The first monk just smiled and nodded his head.
A few more miles up the road, the second monk griped again, "My back is hurting me so badly, and it is all because we had to carry that silly woman across the river! I cannot go any farther because of the pain." The first monk looked down at his partner, now lying on the ground, moaning. "Have you wondered why I am not complaining?" he asked. "Your back hurts because you are still carrying the woman. But I set her down five miles ago.”” (Dr. Anthony T. Evans, Guiding Your Family in a Misguided World)
Are you still carrying a burden that should have been put down years ago? Why? Is there a sin or regret or hatred that you carry around with you daily?
Terry is still harboring anger at her husband for an infidelity twenty years ago. John remains angry at his best friend for a comment made months ago. Caroline still grieves for her mother, who died five years ago. She is comfortable with her depression surrounding the grief and refuses to deal with this painful past. Joan was abused as a child. To this day, she never lets her guard down. Even when making love to her husband, she remains reticent and withdrawn and is unable to enjoy their time together. So many people carry burdens every day without realizing that God wants them to offer them up to Him. Psalm 55:22 commands you to “Cast your burdens on the Lord that HE may sustain you.” Jesus said, “Come to me all you who labor and are heavy-laden and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). There is NO reason to bear a burden that should be offered up to the Lord.
Psalm 38:4 reminds us what it is like to bear a burden from sin. Here, David penned that his iniquities had gone over his head. Their weight was “like a burden too heavy” for him to bear. David was drowning in the waters of life, unable to let go of the anchor of sin. The rest of the Psalm is a testament to his suffering. Because he carried the burdens of his sin and guilt and shame for so long, his body suffered (Psalm 38:7). His spirit was “crushed” (Psalm 38:8). Thankfully, David finally decided to go to the Lord with his burdens, repenting of his misdeeds (Psalm 38:18). The Psalm ended with David hopeful in God’s forgiving grace and the lifting of this terrible burden.
There will probably come a day when you will be sick of carrying some burden in your heart and soul and mind. Its weight will lie heavy upon you. When that day comes, look to the Lord to bear the load. Let go of your load as an offering to God. Put away the residue of anger or resentment or guilt that abides. Let God’s grace and peace settle into your bones again.
Is there something weighing you down today? Is there a burden that is getting a little heavy? Work it out with God to see why you carry this load. Does God will it or are you unwilling to let something go?
June 27
“The fool says in his heart, “There is no God.” They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” (Psalm 14:1, NIV)
Among many in the United States and the world there is a resurgence of the belief that socialism will cure the ills of society. Many of these people speculate that socialism is a movement against flawed capitalism and the greed that has overtaken many in the West. In 1965, the average CEO made close to 20 times the amount of income that an average employee would make. Today, the average CEO makes 278 times the amount of income that an average employee would make. The more you take God out of society, the more that some people chose greed over sharing, selfishness over the common good, nepotism over fair hiring practices, and far worse. Capitalism will destroy itself if God isn’t a strong factor in the society. However, socialism is no answer to society’s problems. All forms of socialism have proven disastrous toward followers of God, often banning religion outright and persecuting the faithful.
Many college-educated and young people today see socialism through romanticized lenses and idealistic fancies. Lacking a knowledge of history and sociology, they assume that socialism is more benevolent than other forms of government because of its views on the distribution of wealth. BUT, no matter how wealth is redistributed by humans, it always becomes unequal and unfair in time. Not only that. Socialistic and Communistic societies have murdered and oppressed more people than any other form of government in history! Human institutions will not last. They are imperfect. Faith in God, but especially Jesus Christ, is the best hope any society has for safety and security in these troubled times.
“Former FBI Counterterrorism Director Terry Turchie says the Black Lives Matter movement “is all too familiar” to the Weather Underground and the Black Panther Party groups of the 1960s and 1970s. “No one has read what Black Lives Matter has written as far as their plan, but it bears a great similarity to what the Black Panther Party was saying back then,” Mr Turchie told Sky News. “The Black Panther Party was a Marxist Maoist Leninist organisation and that came from Huey Newton, one of the co-founders, who said we’re standing for nothing more than the total transformation of the United States government. “He went on to explain that they wanted to take the tension that already existed in black communities and exacerbate it where they can.” (Sky News Australia June 13, 2020) Did you know that the main leaders with the Black Lives Movement not only believe in socialism, but have been trained in Socialist Revolutionary theory? (see https://www.socialistworld.net/2020/06/13/you-fight-capitalism-with-socialism-blm-and-socialist-struggle/)
With all the riots and protests of late having socialist support, let’s look at what the Bible says about the socialist religion, namely atheism and humanism. Socialism in its many forms teaches that religion is “an opiate of the people” (Karl Marx). Socialistic societies usually repress, reeducate, or persecute religious endeavor. They see religions as human institutions that have kept the masses downtrodden. Thus, they either promote humanistic endeavors using religious methods or they openly espouse atheism. By doing so, humanism and atheism become their religion. They do not believe in God. The Bible believes humanistic forms of religion are bound to fail. Worshiping human endeavors is a form of idolatry, with human achievement becoming what is worshiped. Today’s scripture clashes with the notion that God is not the Creator and most powerful force in the universe. As Psalm 14:1 reveals, those who do not believe in God are depicted as “fools”. The second half of this verse points out that those who do not believe in God are “corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” Let’s look at this second sentence of Psalm 14:1 for a few moments.
Psalm 14:1 asserts that those who do not believe in God are corrupt, with vile deeds. Nothing “good” becomes of their works. If you look at the recent riots, you will see this clearly. At first, rioters assembled to remember George Floyd, who died in the hands of a police officer in Minnesota. They attacked police in response. Then, they called those who didn’t support their cause racists. Then, they tore down “racist” monuments of the U.S. Civil War figures. Then, they moved on to tear down statues of those against slavery. Then, after attempting to take away people’s second amendment, they attacked people who did not agree with their cause. Then, they promoted civil disorder to help the “revolution”. They called for the defunding of police, the dismantling of social order (CHAZ in Seattle) and even began to divide people into different classes or ethnic groups (CHAZ had gardens separated by race and areas of parks separated by race). The leaders who promoted these efforts, including those involved with groups like Antifa, Black Lives Matter, Democratic politicians, powerful business leaders, and much of social media defended the protests and purposefully hid the agendas involved. Some Republicans even went silent. In the process, millions of dollars in damages have been caused (some say billions), people have lost their businesses and homes, police officers have left their jobs by the hundreds, and more black people have suffered and died in the ensuing chaos. Civil unrest and violence have soared where the socialistic movements took hold. Clearly, the deeds of the rioters have been vile. Their thinking as well as their moral compass is “corrupt”.
In response to the popularity of atheism and socialism and humanistic forms of religion, you need to shine like a candle in darkness, not hide your godly light under a bushel (Mark 4:21). God’s light “shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it” (John 1:5). God has placed His love and light and faith in you to stand against the forces of darkness in this world. Socialism, though having some good intentions, is one source of darkness. God desires that you not shrink back from your calling. Your calling is not to stand up for America or defend the Constitution (not that you won’t do this) as much as it is to stand up for God and faith and righteousness. I cannot tell you how to side with God in your particular situation. I can tell you that God will show you what is needed. Don’t be afraid. Don’t hold back. Defend God’s name in Christ Jesus. Stand against evil. Stand for what is right in the eyes of God. Just don’t sit there on the sidelines! Don’t be a fool!
“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:13, NRSV)
Many college-educated and young people today see socialism through romanticized lenses and idealistic fancies. Lacking a knowledge of history and sociology, they assume that socialism is more benevolent than other forms of government because of its views on the distribution of wealth. BUT, no matter how wealth is redistributed by humans, it always becomes unequal and unfair in time. Not only that. Socialistic and Communistic societies have murdered and oppressed more people than any other form of government in history! Human institutions will not last. They are imperfect. Faith in God, but especially Jesus Christ, is the best hope any society has for safety and security in these troubled times.
“Former FBI Counterterrorism Director Terry Turchie says the Black Lives Matter movement “is all too familiar” to the Weather Underground and the Black Panther Party groups of the 1960s and 1970s. “No one has read what Black Lives Matter has written as far as their plan, but it bears a great similarity to what the Black Panther Party was saying back then,” Mr Turchie told Sky News. “The Black Panther Party was a Marxist Maoist Leninist organisation and that came from Huey Newton, one of the co-founders, who said we’re standing for nothing more than the total transformation of the United States government. “He went on to explain that they wanted to take the tension that already existed in black communities and exacerbate it where they can.” (Sky News Australia June 13, 2020) Did you know that the main leaders with the Black Lives Movement not only believe in socialism, but have been trained in Socialist Revolutionary theory? (see https://www.socialistworld.net/2020/06/13/you-fight-capitalism-with-socialism-blm-and-socialist-struggle/)
With all the riots and protests of late having socialist support, let’s look at what the Bible says about the socialist religion, namely atheism and humanism. Socialism in its many forms teaches that religion is “an opiate of the people” (Karl Marx). Socialistic societies usually repress, reeducate, or persecute religious endeavor. They see religions as human institutions that have kept the masses downtrodden. Thus, they either promote humanistic endeavors using religious methods or they openly espouse atheism. By doing so, humanism and atheism become their religion. They do not believe in God. The Bible believes humanistic forms of religion are bound to fail. Worshiping human endeavors is a form of idolatry, with human achievement becoming what is worshiped. Today’s scripture clashes with the notion that God is not the Creator and most powerful force in the universe. As Psalm 14:1 reveals, those who do not believe in God are depicted as “fools”. The second half of this verse points out that those who do not believe in God are “corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.” Let’s look at this second sentence of Psalm 14:1 for a few moments.
Psalm 14:1 asserts that those who do not believe in God are corrupt, with vile deeds. Nothing “good” becomes of their works. If you look at the recent riots, you will see this clearly. At first, rioters assembled to remember George Floyd, who died in the hands of a police officer in Minnesota. They attacked police in response. Then, they called those who didn’t support their cause racists. Then, they tore down “racist” monuments of the U.S. Civil War figures. Then, they moved on to tear down statues of those against slavery. Then, after attempting to take away people’s second amendment, they attacked people who did not agree with their cause. Then, they promoted civil disorder to help the “revolution”. They called for the defunding of police, the dismantling of social order (CHAZ in Seattle) and even began to divide people into different classes or ethnic groups (CHAZ had gardens separated by race and areas of parks separated by race). The leaders who promoted these efforts, including those involved with groups like Antifa, Black Lives Matter, Democratic politicians, powerful business leaders, and much of social media defended the protests and purposefully hid the agendas involved. Some Republicans even went silent. In the process, millions of dollars in damages have been caused (some say billions), people have lost their businesses and homes, police officers have left their jobs by the hundreds, and more black people have suffered and died in the ensuing chaos. Civil unrest and violence have soared where the socialistic movements took hold. Clearly, the deeds of the rioters have been vile. Their thinking as well as their moral compass is “corrupt”.
In response to the popularity of atheism and socialism and humanistic forms of religion, you need to shine like a candle in darkness, not hide your godly light under a bushel (Mark 4:21). God’s light “shines in the darkness, and the darkness does not overcome it” (John 1:5). God has placed His love and light and faith in you to stand against the forces of darkness in this world. Socialism, though having some good intentions, is one source of darkness. God desires that you not shrink back from your calling. Your calling is not to stand up for America or defend the Constitution (not that you won’t do this) as much as it is to stand up for God and faith and righteousness. I cannot tell you how to side with God in your particular situation. I can tell you that God will show you what is needed. Don’t be afraid. Don’t hold back. Defend God’s name in Christ Jesus. Stand against evil. Stand for what is right in the eyes of God. Just don’t sit there on the sidelines! Don’t be a fool!
“Therefore take up the whole armor of God, so that you may be able to withstand on that evil day, and having done everything, to stand firm.” (Ephesians 6:13, NRSV)
June 29
“But if you warn them to repent and they don’t repent, they will die in their sins, but you will have saved yourself.” (Ezekiel 33:9, NLT)
“During the 1982 war in the Falkland Islands between England and Argentina, the Royal Navy's 3,500-ton destroyer HMS Sheffield was sunk by a single missile fired from an Argentine fighter jet. It caused some people to wonder if modern surface warships were obsolete, sitting ducks for today's sophisticated missiles. But a later check revealed that the Sheffield's defenses did pick up the incoming missile, and the ship's computer correctly identified it as a French-made Exocet. But the computer was programmed to ignore Exocets as "friendly." The Sheffield was sunk by a missile it saw coming and could have evaded.” (“Today in the Word”, May 12, 1992)
The warning of an incoming missile was picked up by the HMS Sheffield during the Falkland Islands War. The warning was not heeded. Lives were lost. The ship could not be saved. All involved were casualties of war. Around you, there rages a spiritual war. At crucial moments, God will send you warnings. If you do not heed God’s call, you will suffer. How many others will be lost if you ignore spiritual direction? Will you be a casualty of evil’s war upon God because you did not perceive God’s signs or act upon God’s plan?
In the book of Acts, an angel warned the apostle Philip to travel along the south road leading out of Jerusalem (Acts 8:26). Philip knew that road to be deserted and dangerous. Despite his worry, Philip followed the angel’s direction. While on the road, an Ethiopian man came along in a chariot. Because Philip had heeded the spiritual direction given, he was able to teach the man about the gospel AND baptize him along the route! When Paul was thrown into prison for preaching the gospel, an earthquake broke open the doors. Instead of deserting, Paul felt compelled to remain at the site. Because he heeded the warnings that he felt spiritually, Paul was put in a position to save a jailer's life and bring him to faith in Jesus. On and on, there are Biblical stories of people who heeded God’s warnings, followed the Spirit’s leading, or learned from God’s signs along the way and were thus able to make great spiritual strides. It is crucial that you do the same. Those who fail to heed spiritual warnings or ignore them altogether risk great loss and maybe even their own salvation.
I visited a woman at a hospital in St. Louis. She was young, in her thirties, and had two beautiful daughters and a loving husband. She was a successful business owner and was poised to have a highly successful career. However, that changed in one day. While at the hospital, she underwent a simple surgical procedure. I was called to be with her when she woke up. During the surgery, she was found riddled with cancer. In the company of the doctor, we told her of the prognosis. She responded, “For months, I had a feeling something was wrong. Even when I prayed in church, I kept having this feeling that something was wrong in my body. I ignored all the signs, hoping they would just go away.” It was then that the doctor told her that if she would have been examined just three months previous, her prognosis would have been much better. Even now, I can still picture the regret on her face and the sobs of her children.
In the scripture for today from the Old Testament, a holy person called the “Son of Man” was given a great responsibility by God. In the time of Ezekiel, he was to “warn the sinful to repent” (Ezekiel 33:9). If they did not repent, the fallen would “die in their sins” and be lost. It was the responsibility of the holy Son of Man to pass on word of God’s judgment to the sinful so that they could have a chance at salvation. The Son of Man was never to hold back God’s message. The warning had to make it through. Not only would the warning save the truly penitent souls, it would save the Son of Man.
There will be moments in your life when God will issue you a warning. That warning may be for you or it may be for others. If it is for you, heed that warning. Make the necessary changes. Save yourself from the evil to come. If that warning is for other souls, reach out to them. In love, warn them to repent or to make things right. If you hold back and say nothing, God will hold their sin against you. Because you did not pass on the warning, God will hold you responsible. God wants you to not only be warned about dangerous spiritual moments, God may want you to pass on that warning to another person who needs God’s saving grace.
Is there a spiritual warning that has been banging around in your head as of late? Is God wanting you to reach out to someone in order to bring forgiveness, repentance, and peace to his or her soul? Is something holding you back from talking about God to that person who needs your guidance? Evil times are upon us. God needs you to step up. God expects you to follow through on good spiritual perception. Do you hear God’s voice? Have you followed through on God’s directives?
The warning of an incoming missile was picked up by the HMS Sheffield during the Falkland Islands War. The warning was not heeded. Lives were lost. The ship could not be saved. All involved were casualties of war. Around you, there rages a spiritual war. At crucial moments, God will send you warnings. If you do not heed God’s call, you will suffer. How many others will be lost if you ignore spiritual direction? Will you be a casualty of evil’s war upon God because you did not perceive God’s signs or act upon God’s plan?
In the book of Acts, an angel warned the apostle Philip to travel along the south road leading out of Jerusalem (Acts 8:26). Philip knew that road to be deserted and dangerous. Despite his worry, Philip followed the angel’s direction. While on the road, an Ethiopian man came along in a chariot. Because Philip had heeded the spiritual direction given, he was able to teach the man about the gospel AND baptize him along the route! When Paul was thrown into prison for preaching the gospel, an earthquake broke open the doors. Instead of deserting, Paul felt compelled to remain at the site. Because he heeded the warnings that he felt spiritually, Paul was put in a position to save a jailer's life and bring him to faith in Jesus. On and on, there are Biblical stories of people who heeded God’s warnings, followed the Spirit’s leading, or learned from God’s signs along the way and were thus able to make great spiritual strides. It is crucial that you do the same. Those who fail to heed spiritual warnings or ignore them altogether risk great loss and maybe even their own salvation.
I visited a woman at a hospital in St. Louis. She was young, in her thirties, and had two beautiful daughters and a loving husband. She was a successful business owner and was poised to have a highly successful career. However, that changed in one day. While at the hospital, she underwent a simple surgical procedure. I was called to be with her when she woke up. During the surgery, she was found riddled with cancer. In the company of the doctor, we told her of the prognosis. She responded, “For months, I had a feeling something was wrong. Even when I prayed in church, I kept having this feeling that something was wrong in my body. I ignored all the signs, hoping they would just go away.” It was then that the doctor told her that if she would have been examined just three months previous, her prognosis would have been much better. Even now, I can still picture the regret on her face and the sobs of her children.
In the scripture for today from the Old Testament, a holy person called the “Son of Man” was given a great responsibility by God. In the time of Ezekiel, he was to “warn the sinful to repent” (Ezekiel 33:9). If they did not repent, the fallen would “die in their sins” and be lost. It was the responsibility of the holy Son of Man to pass on word of God’s judgment to the sinful so that they could have a chance at salvation. The Son of Man was never to hold back God’s message. The warning had to make it through. Not only would the warning save the truly penitent souls, it would save the Son of Man.
There will be moments in your life when God will issue you a warning. That warning may be for you or it may be for others. If it is for you, heed that warning. Make the necessary changes. Save yourself from the evil to come. If that warning is for other souls, reach out to them. In love, warn them to repent or to make things right. If you hold back and say nothing, God will hold their sin against you. Because you did not pass on the warning, God will hold you responsible. God wants you to not only be warned about dangerous spiritual moments, God may want you to pass on that warning to another person who needs God’s saving grace.
Is there a spiritual warning that has been banging around in your head as of late? Is God wanting you to reach out to someone in order to bring forgiveness, repentance, and peace to his or her soul? Is something holding you back from talking about God to that person who needs your guidance? Evil times are upon us. God needs you to step up. God expects you to follow through on good spiritual perception. Do you hear God’s voice? Have you followed through on God’s directives?
October 30
“And so, from the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, to lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.” (Colossians 1:9–10, RSV)
Some things in life are related. If you affect one, it will affect the other. If you change one, you will change the other. There are millions of examples of this. If you change out dead batteries in a toy for new ones, the toy will come to life again. If you move the thermostat setting up two degrees, the house will warm as the furnace kicks in. When you take the fall leaves out of a blocked gutter, the water should be able to flow through it again. In your spiritual life, there are also related elements that affect one another. Our scripture for today shows some of these elements and how they work together to mold a person into a more effective and beloved child of God.
Colossians 1:9 mentions Paul's intention to pray for the Colossian Christians. He was a founding leader of their church and cared deeply about their connection with God. In the letter of Colossians, Paul wrote that his prayers include the desire that God fill the Colossian Christians with "all spiritual wisdom and understanding". With spiritual wisdom and understanding, Paul knew that the faithful in that church would begin to "lead a life worthy of the Lord" (Colossians 1:9). If this spiritual wisdom was God-inspired, Paul knew that the people would then "please God". Then, they would bear spiritual "fruit" by both doing "good works" and "increasing in the knowledge of God" (Colossians 1:10). There is a spiritual progression dependent on the connections in these two verses. By growing in spiritual wisdom and an understanding of God in Jesus Christ, you then will begin to live a life "worthy of the Lord". This worthy life when continued will "please God". In response to God's blessing, you will then bear fruit in service and worship, increasing in the knowledge of God. Do you see the progression here?
The first step to pleasing God and growing close to God involves increasing your wisdom and knowledge about spiritual things. This is where a few things come into play. Worship is important to help you grow in the knowledge of God's will and purpose in the world. By saying prayers, you connect with God. Learning about the Bible and God's commands and promises, you will grow in a spiritual understanding about life. Through faithful interactions that develop with time, you will grow to understand your spiritual journey in life and God's purpose for the world. You will increasingly become familiar with spiritual feelings, the knowledge of the Bible, and an understanding of your salvation through Jesus Christ. Your relationship with God should strengthen. In response, you will please God. Then, with the blessing and help of God, you will move out to do good works and grow more deeply in your faith. All these elements found in Colossians 1:9-10 come into play. They are related. One affects the other.
Jane and Timothy wanted to get married. Coming from Christian families, they decided to have Jane's pastor do their wedding. Neither was close to Jane's pastor, but it was traditional in both families to get married in a church. It seemed the right thing to do, and it was. However, Jane's pastor was not very motivated. He was laid back and rather forgetful. He didn't require any pre-marital classes or any kind of reflection on their marriage as it relates to God and scripture. He just went through a "normal" wedding service, told them where to stand and what to say, and set the date. In the entire process, there was little interaction and no genuine conversation about faithful marriage. After the wedding ceremony, the couple thanked the pastor for the service, and went about their lives, never to darken the door of the church again.
What went wrong is that the pastor and church never really took the first step found in our scripture today. The pastor never helped the couple explore their spiritual knowledge. He never imparted God-given wisdom. He just went through the motions, said the appropriate words, and went back to his study to sign the civil documents. In many churches today, spiritual knowledge and wisdom are not imparted. Thus, many people are not making those important connections with God. Ultimately, they never please God, participate in good works, or grow in the knowledge of God. The relationship never blooms between many people and God, because those who have the spiritual wisdom aren't imparting it. Those who have grown in spiritual knowledge aren't putting that knowledge to work in actions of faith. God is never pleased. Spiritual depth never occurs. The connections with God wither on the vine.
Where are you on this spiritual progression? Are you still at the initial stages where you are still trying to grow in spiritual wisdom and faithful knowledge? Have you pleased God by growing closer to HIM? Are your good works increasing? Is your connection with God growing stronger? These things all affect each other. This spiritual progression is crucial if you ever want to grow close to God. Most of you have progressed to the point of great works and a great depth of Spirit. Some of you are still just starting out and have yet to please God. A good share of you not only please God, but you are taking your first steps into committed faithful works and Spiritual growth is growing. The Bible is becoming more alive for all of you. Your prayers will be increasingly deep and meaningful.
No matter where you are in this spiritual progression, I KNOW your life will always be better the farther along in this godly journey you are. God will not only be fully active in your life, you will learn the depths of love and compassion and repentance and salvation. This Spiritual walk will define your life and bless those around you. Of that, I have no doubt!
Colossians 1:9 mentions Paul's intention to pray for the Colossian Christians. He was a founding leader of their church and cared deeply about their connection with God. In the letter of Colossians, Paul wrote that his prayers include the desire that God fill the Colossian Christians with "all spiritual wisdom and understanding". With spiritual wisdom and understanding, Paul knew that the faithful in that church would begin to "lead a life worthy of the Lord" (Colossians 1:9). If this spiritual wisdom was God-inspired, Paul knew that the people would then "please God". Then, they would bear spiritual "fruit" by both doing "good works" and "increasing in the knowledge of God" (Colossians 1:10). There is a spiritual progression dependent on the connections in these two verses. By growing in spiritual wisdom and an understanding of God in Jesus Christ, you then will begin to live a life "worthy of the Lord". This worthy life when continued will "please God". In response to God's blessing, you will then bear fruit in service and worship, increasing in the knowledge of God. Do you see the progression here?
The first step to pleasing God and growing close to God involves increasing your wisdom and knowledge about spiritual things. This is where a few things come into play. Worship is important to help you grow in the knowledge of God's will and purpose in the world. By saying prayers, you connect with God. Learning about the Bible and God's commands and promises, you will grow in a spiritual understanding about life. Through faithful interactions that develop with time, you will grow to understand your spiritual journey in life and God's purpose for the world. You will increasingly become familiar with spiritual feelings, the knowledge of the Bible, and an understanding of your salvation through Jesus Christ. Your relationship with God should strengthen. In response, you will please God. Then, with the blessing and help of God, you will move out to do good works and grow more deeply in your faith. All these elements found in Colossians 1:9-10 come into play. They are related. One affects the other.
Jane and Timothy wanted to get married. Coming from Christian families, they decided to have Jane's pastor do their wedding. Neither was close to Jane's pastor, but it was traditional in both families to get married in a church. It seemed the right thing to do, and it was. However, Jane's pastor was not very motivated. He was laid back and rather forgetful. He didn't require any pre-marital classes or any kind of reflection on their marriage as it relates to God and scripture. He just went through a "normal" wedding service, told them where to stand and what to say, and set the date. In the entire process, there was little interaction and no genuine conversation about faithful marriage. After the wedding ceremony, the couple thanked the pastor for the service, and went about their lives, never to darken the door of the church again.
What went wrong is that the pastor and church never really took the first step found in our scripture today. The pastor never helped the couple explore their spiritual knowledge. He never imparted God-given wisdom. He just went through the motions, said the appropriate words, and went back to his study to sign the civil documents. In many churches today, spiritual knowledge and wisdom are not imparted. Thus, many people are not making those important connections with God. Ultimately, they never please God, participate in good works, or grow in the knowledge of God. The relationship never blooms between many people and God, because those who have the spiritual wisdom aren't imparting it. Those who have grown in spiritual knowledge aren't putting that knowledge to work in actions of faith. God is never pleased. Spiritual depth never occurs. The connections with God wither on the vine.
Where are you on this spiritual progression? Are you still at the initial stages where you are still trying to grow in spiritual wisdom and faithful knowledge? Have you pleased God by growing closer to HIM? Are your good works increasing? Is your connection with God growing stronger? These things all affect each other. This spiritual progression is crucial if you ever want to grow close to God. Most of you have progressed to the point of great works and a great depth of Spirit. Some of you are still just starting out and have yet to please God. A good share of you not only please God, but you are taking your first steps into committed faithful works and Spiritual growth is growing. The Bible is becoming more alive for all of you. Your prayers will be increasingly deep and meaningful.
No matter where you are in this spiritual progression, I KNOW your life will always be better the farther along in this godly journey you are. God will not only be fully active in your life, you will learn the depths of love and compassion and repentance and salvation. This Spiritual walk will define your life and bless those around you. Of that, I have no doubt!
October 31
“Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world. This is how we know if they have the Spirit of God: If a person claiming to be a prophet acknowledges that Jesus Christ came in a real body, that person has the Spirit of God. But if someone claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God. Such a person has the spirit of the Antichrist, which you heard is coming into the world and indeed is already here.”
(1 John 4:1–3, NLT)
(1 John 4:1–3, NLT)
When you make a commitment to God through Jesus Christ, you become a Christian. As you live out the promises and obedience given that relationship, you become a faithful and true Christian. The basis for the word "Christian" is Christ, the Messiah. Thus, when you live for Jesus' sake, you become a "Christian" through that relationship with Jesus. An "Serbian" owes a commitment to Serbia. A "Mohammedan" is an ancient term for one who follows Mohammed. A "Christian" owes his or her life to Christ. That relationship should be the center of one's life and form the crux of who you are.
After becoming a true Christian with a deep relationship with Christ, it is important to follow the scripture above. 1 John 4:1 warns us "not to believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit". There are many spiritual and religious people in the world, but not all of them are of God. Not all of them have a true commitment to Christ. In the days in which this scripture was originally written, there were people who claimed to believe in Jesus as the Christ, but they did not believe he was "born of Mary". He did not suffer and die on a cross. He was a spiritual being, but not a physical one. These people were mostly Gnostics. They believed they knew Jesus, but they could not accept his real death on a cross. When John wrote the words above, he asked the real Christians to "test" others who spoke about our faith. John wanted them to make sure that the "spirit they have comes from God" (1 John 4:2). He even targets the Gnostics by writing: "if a person claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God" (1 John 4:2-3). In verse 2 above, the false prophets (Gnostics) denied Jesus had a "real body". Thus, they were not of God. They were from the "Antichrist" (1 John 4:3), sent to mess up the connection with the believer and the real Christ Jesus.
According to the scripture above, you can have a "Spirit of God" or you can have the "spirit of the Antichrist". Your job is to "test the spirits". An important aspect of being faithful to Jesus Christ involves checking to make sure that those you trust spiritually are those who have the Spirit of God. From priests to pastors to spiritual mentors and friends, you need to spiritually steer clear of those who do not have the "Spirit of God" in them. They can be friends, but not Christian friends. They can give advice, but not godly advice. God can work through them, but God is not in them.
Carolyn was always a spiritual person. She grew up attending worship in a Catholic Church. During her teens, she drifted away from the Catholic Church, remaining a Christian in name only. She was a wonderful person who was well liked by her friends. She had lots of friends. In her early twenties, Carolyn fell in love with a Peter, whom she met at a concert. The two hit it off and became inseparable. They married in 1969 and began a beautiful life together.
Seven years into the marriage, Carolyn and Peter began to have marriage problems. They fought the same old fights over and over. Wondering what to do, Carolyn expressed her frustration to her closest friend. This friend stated that men are born to cheat. They aren't wired like women. She talked about men being biologically antithetical to marriage. Can you tell her best friend was divorced? Carolyn began to drift away from her husband, spending more time with her best friend. After divorcing her husband, Carolyn began to get involved with an Eastern Meditation group. They taught that life was all spiritual and the purpose of life was to become one with "the spirit". The group met together regularly, some even moving in together in a large commune. Carolyn loved her new life, and highly respected the gurus who taught the group.
Ten years later, Carolyn's life was a mess. After her closest friend died, she began to question her life choices. She was poor and desperate. All her time and money was spent supporting the spiritual group she had migrated into. Desperately seeking some help, she visited a Catholic mission not far away. There, she met a priest who took her under his wing. He helped her find housing. A congregation helped her re-acclimate to her new life. A husband and wife stopped in often to check on her. For the first time in a long time, Carolyn felt spiritually connected again. To this day, she is very active in her parish in California.
There were many spiritual voices in Carolyn's life. Some weren't from God. Some were. Sadly, she wandered away from the people sent by God. She took spiritual advice and counseling from those who were not bearing the "Spirit of God". Many years of her life were wasted because of those who did not have a connection with Jesus Christ. Contrary to popular thinking, all religions and spiritual groups are NOT the same. True Christianity saves lives. I thank God for the priest who gave Carolyn a connection with God, for the people from her parish who took her in, for those who showed her love, and for Christ who redeemed her.
If you listen to spiritual advice from those who do not have the "Spirit of God", you will find yourself drifting away from God. Your life will suffer for the loss of a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. You were meant to be godly. You were meant to rely on the "Spirit of God". God ordained your life to have a relationship with Jesus. God sends HIS Spirit to comfort and direct you. Before you make your choices in life or listen to spiritual advice, you NEED to find those who have the "Spirit of God" in them. The person with the "spirit of the Antichrist" is always ready to give spiritual advice and lead you down the wrong paths in life. According to this scripture, you need to figure out which spiritual people are trustworthy in Christ Jesus.
I celebrate the Spirit of God that is in you and brought you to reading this. I'm excited about what wonderful additions you will bring to God's work and world. God will bless you and protect you as you walk this spiritual walk of life. Just be wise in taking advice. You want the advice to come from God, not from somewhere else!
After becoming a true Christian with a deep relationship with Christ, it is important to follow the scripture above. 1 John 4:1 warns us "not to believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit". There are many spiritual and religious people in the world, but not all of them are of God. Not all of them have a true commitment to Christ. In the days in which this scripture was originally written, there were people who claimed to believe in Jesus as the Christ, but they did not believe he was "born of Mary". He did not suffer and die on a cross. He was a spiritual being, but not a physical one. These people were mostly Gnostics. They believed they knew Jesus, but they could not accept his real death on a cross. When John wrote the words above, he asked the real Christians to "test" others who spoke about our faith. John wanted them to make sure that the "spirit they have comes from God" (1 John 4:2). He even targets the Gnostics by writing: "if a person claims to be a prophet and does not acknowledge the truth about Jesus, that person is not from God" (1 John 4:2-3). In verse 2 above, the false prophets (Gnostics) denied Jesus had a "real body". Thus, they were not of God. They were from the "Antichrist" (1 John 4:3), sent to mess up the connection with the believer and the real Christ Jesus.
According to the scripture above, you can have a "Spirit of God" or you can have the "spirit of the Antichrist". Your job is to "test the spirits". An important aspect of being faithful to Jesus Christ involves checking to make sure that those you trust spiritually are those who have the Spirit of God. From priests to pastors to spiritual mentors and friends, you need to spiritually steer clear of those who do not have the "Spirit of God" in them. They can be friends, but not Christian friends. They can give advice, but not godly advice. God can work through them, but God is not in them.
Carolyn was always a spiritual person. She grew up attending worship in a Catholic Church. During her teens, she drifted away from the Catholic Church, remaining a Christian in name only. She was a wonderful person who was well liked by her friends. She had lots of friends. In her early twenties, Carolyn fell in love with a Peter, whom she met at a concert. The two hit it off and became inseparable. They married in 1969 and began a beautiful life together.
Seven years into the marriage, Carolyn and Peter began to have marriage problems. They fought the same old fights over and over. Wondering what to do, Carolyn expressed her frustration to her closest friend. This friend stated that men are born to cheat. They aren't wired like women. She talked about men being biologically antithetical to marriage. Can you tell her best friend was divorced? Carolyn began to drift away from her husband, spending more time with her best friend. After divorcing her husband, Carolyn began to get involved with an Eastern Meditation group. They taught that life was all spiritual and the purpose of life was to become one with "the spirit". The group met together regularly, some even moving in together in a large commune. Carolyn loved her new life, and highly respected the gurus who taught the group.
Ten years later, Carolyn's life was a mess. After her closest friend died, she began to question her life choices. She was poor and desperate. All her time and money was spent supporting the spiritual group she had migrated into. Desperately seeking some help, she visited a Catholic mission not far away. There, she met a priest who took her under his wing. He helped her find housing. A congregation helped her re-acclimate to her new life. A husband and wife stopped in often to check on her. For the first time in a long time, Carolyn felt spiritually connected again. To this day, she is very active in her parish in California.
There were many spiritual voices in Carolyn's life. Some weren't from God. Some were. Sadly, she wandered away from the people sent by God. She took spiritual advice and counseling from those who were not bearing the "Spirit of God". Many years of her life were wasted because of those who did not have a connection with Jesus Christ. Contrary to popular thinking, all religions and spiritual groups are NOT the same. True Christianity saves lives. I thank God for the priest who gave Carolyn a connection with God, for the people from her parish who took her in, for those who showed her love, and for Christ who redeemed her.
If you listen to spiritual advice from those who do not have the "Spirit of God", you will find yourself drifting away from God. Your life will suffer for the loss of a relationship with God through Jesus Christ, our Lord. You were meant to be godly. You were meant to rely on the "Spirit of God". God ordained your life to have a relationship with Jesus. God sends HIS Spirit to comfort and direct you. Before you make your choices in life or listen to spiritual advice, you NEED to find those who have the "Spirit of God" in them. The person with the "spirit of the Antichrist" is always ready to give spiritual advice and lead you down the wrong paths in life. According to this scripture, you need to figure out which spiritual people are trustworthy in Christ Jesus.
I celebrate the Spirit of God that is in you and brought you to reading this. I'm excited about what wonderful additions you will bring to God's work and world. God will bless you and protect you as you walk this spiritual walk of life. Just be wise in taking advice. You want the advice to come from God, not from somewhere else!