September 1
“One day as we were going down to the place of prayer, we met a slave girl who had a spirit that enabled her to tell the future. She earned a lot of money for her masters by telling fortunes. She followed Paul and the rest of us, shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved.” This went on day after day until Paul got so exasperated that he turned and said to the demon within her, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” And instantly it left her. Her masters’ hopes of wealth were now shattered, so they grabbed Paul and Silas and dragged them before the authorities at the marketplace.” (Acts 16:16–19, NLT)
Every now and then, you come across a person who bought an engagement ring from a wholesaler only to find that the diamond used in the setting was counterfeit. So too, it is not uncommon to find “knockoff” Gucci handbags, Prada accessories, and other name-brand fakes. From tools to hobby parts to electronics, cheap copies of the real thing are easy to acquire. I’ve seen many articles dedicated to distinguishing real from fake items. Sometimes, the fakes are difficult to spot!
Christian and spiritual fakes may also be difficult to distinguish in our world. These people claim to have a connection with God or to know scripture, when in fact they do not. A fake preacher can use all the familiar words that normally come from a pulpit, but the fake belief system will come out over time. Fake believers are much more common. They can hide their counterfeit trust in God. While fake preachers will be noticed due to their more public exchanges, counterfeit believers in Christ can hide their true nature much longer, even a lifetime. By going to worship, imitating the familiar words, utilizing phrases common to Christians, and singing hymns with gusto, they can seem faithful when they are not. What separates counterfeit believers from shallow Christians? Little. However, where shallow Christians have a weak connection with God, counterfeit believers have no connection with God. Their faith is an act. Their religiosity is for show only.
In 1984, Pedro DeMesones was sentenced to a three-year prison term for mail fraud and conspiracy. What did he do? He “expedited” medical degrees. He provided 100 people with false medical degrees from institutions they never attended. “Clients paid me from $5225 to $27,000 for my services,” DeMesones said under oath. The degrees were such good fakes that leaders in the American Medical Association expressed fear that as many as 10,000 physicians may have phony foreign medical degrees acquired with fraudulent diplomas. (Spokesman Review December 8, 1984) Some of these physicians could be still be in practice!
Would you want to be cared for by a doctor with a fraudulent medical degree? I bet you wouldn’t! Yet, did you know you can even purchase a seminary degree online today for a small sum without even attending one seminary class? Did you know you can buy a license to preach without even knowing the Bible? It’s true. Search it for yourself online. Being a counterfeit pastor can net you hundreds or thousands of dollars from people needing weddings or funerals. The fake degrees can even get you in the pulpit of a church. The purchased degrees and licenses do not mean you are a pastor in any manner of speaking. They are just pieces of paper in the hands of a counterfeit.
The scripture for today from Acts 16 contains an occurrence from the missionary journey of Paul and Silas through Asia Minor. As they traveled and preached, they were approached one day by “a slave girl who had a spirit (demon) that enabled her to tell the future” (Acts 16:16). As the demons in Jesus’ day could recognize Jesus, this girl’s spirit could recognize Paul and Silas as men of God. The girl began to follow Paul and Silas, but then began shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved” (Acts 16:17). The girl kept following Paul and Silas and kept interrupting their ministry with outbursts. This could get the missionaries in trouble in that area or stifle their outreach, so after a while, Paul exorcised the demon saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” (Acts 16:18). The demon was powerless when confronted by God’s true Spirit. The demon left the girl. However, the “masters” of the girl who made a lot of money off her fortune-telling were very angry that the demon would no longer make them money. They “dragged” Paul and Silas before the authorities (Acts 16:19).
Many pastors who preach about this scripture talk about the power of the Holy Spirit and the apostles to exorcise demons. They might include other stories from the Bible where Jesus healed people from demonic forces. However, I want you to notice the genuine and counterfeit faith at work in the people of this scripture. Paul and Silas were men of God who preached on how to be saved. They did what they did for the glory of God. The demon and girl and their “masters” did what they did for money. They used the demonic gift of the girl to make money through telling of fortunes and divination. The girl and demon and masters seemed to have a connection with heaven because of their knowledge of the future and their ability to do other "spiritual" acts. However, they were only in it for profit. For some in that day, the counterfeit demonic spirit that had amazing spiritual talents like fortune-telling was difficult to distinguish from godly spiritual gifts. Both the girl and the apostles could see into the future and see into the soul. However, the counterfeits were only there to make a profit while the real apostles were there to save souls. The counterfeits had an alternate agenda, while the true apostles were there to glorify God.
Be wary of spiritual counterfeits in our world. Sometimes, they can be motivated by profit or an evil agenda or even an evil spirit. They may be difficult to distinguish at first, but their “fakeness” will become apparent with time. Nothing can beat the real thing! God’s Holy Spirit will help you separate out what is the truth from what is a lie. Having God’s Spirit in your heart will enable you to see the true from the false in time. Don’t be surprised if you are hated for finding out the truth. When counterfeit faith is unmasked, the person will often respond in hatred and anger. I’ve even known counterfeit Christians to see to it that faithful people were ousted from their own congregation.
Christian and spiritual fakes may also be difficult to distinguish in our world. These people claim to have a connection with God or to know scripture, when in fact they do not. A fake preacher can use all the familiar words that normally come from a pulpit, but the fake belief system will come out over time. Fake believers are much more common. They can hide their counterfeit trust in God. While fake preachers will be noticed due to their more public exchanges, counterfeit believers in Christ can hide their true nature much longer, even a lifetime. By going to worship, imitating the familiar words, utilizing phrases common to Christians, and singing hymns with gusto, they can seem faithful when they are not. What separates counterfeit believers from shallow Christians? Little. However, where shallow Christians have a weak connection with God, counterfeit believers have no connection with God. Their faith is an act. Their religiosity is for show only.
In 1984, Pedro DeMesones was sentenced to a three-year prison term for mail fraud and conspiracy. What did he do? He “expedited” medical degrees. He provided 100 people with false medical degrees from institutions they never attended. “Clients paid me from $5225 to $27,000 for my services,” DeMesones said under oath. The degrees were such good fakes that leaders in the American Medical Association expressed fear that as many as 10,000 physicians may have phony foreign medical degrees acquired with fraudulent diplomas. (Spokesman Review December 8, 1984) Some of these physicians could be still be in practice!
Would you want to be cared for by a doctor with a fraudulent medical degree? I bet you wouldn’t! Yet, did you know you can even purchase a seminary degree online today for a small sum without even attending one seminary class? Did you know you can buy a license to preach without even knowing the Bible? It’s true. Search it for yourself online. Being a counterfeit pastor can net you hundreds or thousands of dollars from people needing weddings or funerals. The fake degrees can even get you in the pulpit of a church. The purchased degrees and licenses do not mean you are a pastor in any manner of speaking. They are just pieces of paper in the hands of a counterfeit.
The scripture for today from Acts 16 contains an occurrence from the missionary journey of Paul and Silas through Asia Minor. As they traveled and preached, they were approached one day by “a slave girl who had a spirit (demon) that enabled her to tell the future” (Acts 16:16). As the demons in Jesus’ day could recognize Jesus, this girl’s spirit could recognize Paul and Silas as men of God. The girl began to follow Paul and Silas, but then began shouting, “These men are servants of the Most High God, and they have come to tell you how to be saved” (Acts 16:17). The girl kept following Paul and Silas and kept interrupting their ministry with outbursts. This could get the missionaries in trouble in that area or stifle their outreach, so after a while, Paul exorcised the demon saying, “I command you in the name of Jesus Christ to come out of her.” (Acts 16:18). The demon was powerless when confronted by God’s true Spirit. The demon left the girl. However, the “masters” of the girl who made a lot of money off her fortune-telling were very angry that the demon would no longer make them money. They “dragged” Paul and Silas before the authorities (Acts 16:19).
Many pastors who preach about this scripture talk about the power of the Holy Spirit and the apostles to exorcise demons. They might include other stories from the Bible where Jesus healed people from demonic forces. However, I want you to notice the genuine and counterfeit faith at work in the people of this scripture. Paul and Silas were men of God who preached on how to be saved. They did what they did for the glory of God. The demon and girl and their “masters” did what they did for money. They used the demonic gift of the girl to make money through telling of fortunes and divination. The girl and demon and masters seemed to have a connection with heaven because of their knowledge of the future and their ability to do other "spiritual" acts. However, they were only in it for profit. For some in that day, the counterfeit demonic spirit that had amazing spiritual talents like fortune-telling was difficult to distinguish from godly spiritual gifts. Both the girl and the apostles could see into the future and see into the soul. However, the counterfeits were only there to make a profit while the real apostles were there to save souls. The counterfeits had an alternate agenda, while the true apostles were there to glorify God.
Be wary of spiritual counterfeits in our world. Sometimes, they can be motivated by profit or an evil agenda or even an evil spirit. They may be difficult to distinguish at first, but their “fakeness” will become apparent with time. Nothing can beat the real thing! God’s Holy Spirit will help you separate out what is the truth from what is a lie. Having God’s Spirit in your heart will enable you to see the true from the false in time. Don’t be surprised if you are hated for finding out the truth. When counterfeit faith is unmasked, the person will often respond in hatred and anger. I’ve even known counterfeit Christians to see to it that faithful people were ousted from their own congregation.
September 3
“Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman. And they said, “Has the Lord indeed spoken only through Moses? Has he not spoken through us also?” And the Lord heard it.”
(Numbers 12:1–2, ESV)
(Numbers 12:1–2, ESV)
The scripture for today from Numbers 12 is deceiving. It seems like a complaint from Aaron and Miriam against Moses’ choice of wives. It seems like a family squabble but nothing more. However, in God’s eyes, Aaron and Miriam were not only wrong, they were disastrously sinful. Be careful when you make a judgment about a persons’ relationship with God. Be careful when you take sides based on your own judgment. You may have it all wrong.
In Numbers 12, Miriam and Aaron made a serious complaint about Moses and his Cushite wife. They did not like her. They did not accept her. They believed that because Moses chose her, his relationship with God must be slipping. They could not believe that God would choose an outsider like this Cushite woman to be the great wife of Moses! In that, they were wrong. When they uttered their complaint, the scripture states, “the Lord heard it”. That’s all it took. God called Moses and his siblings together for a meeting. There, God pronounced judgment for Aaron’s and Miriam’s sedition and open complaints against Moses. In the ensuing paragraphs, God punished both Aaron and Miriam for their grievous mistake. In the end, Moses’ prayers helped avert God’s wrath upon the two.
Just because you know God doesn’t mean you have interpreted God’s actions correctly. Just because you are close to God doesn’t mean that you can’t be blinded and unable to see what God is doing. Your view of a situation could be what is in error.
“A woman complained to the service manager of an appliance firm that the push-button ice maker and dispenser on the door of her new refrigerator was popping ice cubes on her kitchen floor-all by itself. A serviceman could find nothing wrong with the appliance, but the woman continued to complain that ice cubes were littering her kitchen. Finally, a supervisor arrived, determined to stand watch in the kitchen until the mystery was solved. He had been there about an hour when a German shepherd entered, stood on his hind legs and pressed the ice-maker button. Ice cubes rained on the floor, and the dog gobbled up most of them.” (Norman Strevett, quoted by Charley Manos in Detroit News).
Where the woman thought she had a problem with her refrigerator, she actually had a problem with her dog! She didn’t realize it until she was proven wrong. I hope God doesn’t have to prove you wrong or punish you because you have things figured incorrectly!
Spiritual pride can easily make a strong and faithful person succumb to the false belief that they will always know what God is doing in any given situation. I’ve met people who knew God very well but who completely missed God’s action in a given situation...
A pastor may decide that an old man is stirring up trouble when all he is doing is bringing up a fresh new idea that God wills to be done.
That Bible teacher who has taught for twenty years may wish that the new visitor would stop asking difficult questions about the lesson! What the teacher doesn’t realize is that the visitor with all the questions is keeping the teacher on his toes and biblically correct!
A member who was critical of her pastor's decision on a certain subject decided to take action against her pastor, fomenting dissension in the congregation. That member didn't realize that she was going directly against the expectation of God.
Don’t assume that a person who seems difficult or who thinks differently is your problem. The problem may be with you! The problem may be that you can't perceive what God is doing or have come to the wrong conclusions.
If you find yourself at odds about something in your faith community, seek clarification from God before you make rash decisions. If a spiritual mentor thinks differently on an issue, pray for God’s insight. Don’t rush headlong into taking sides against a faithful person who sees things in a different light. You might find you are not on God’s side when you do it! This is not to say that you should not be faithful to God. It is a warning that you may not be able to discern when you’ve got it wrong! Aaron and Miriam were very close to God. They spoke for God (Numbers 12:2). Still, they interpreted Moses’ situation all wrong and ended up severely punished by God for their error.
In Numbers 12, Miriam and Aaron made a serious complaint about Moses and his Cushite wife. They did not like her. They did not accept her. They believed that because Moses chose her, his relationship with God must be slipping. They could not believe that God would choose an outsider like this Cushite woman to be the great wife of Moses! In that, they were wrong. When they uttered their complaint, the scripture states, “the Lord heard it”. That’s all it took. God called Moses and his siblings together for a meeting. There, God pronounced judgment for Aaron’s and Miriam’s sedition and open complaints against Moses. In the ensuing paragraphs, God punished both Aaron and Miriam for their grievous mistake. In the end, Moses’ prayers helped avert God’s wrath upon the two.
Just because you know God doesn’t mean you have interpreted God’s actions correctly. Just because you are close to God doesn’t mean that you can’t be blinded and unable to see what God is doing. Your view of a situation could be what is in error.
“A woman complained to the service manager of an appliance firm that the push-button ice maker and dispenser on the door of her new refrigerator was popping ice cubes on her kitchen floor-all by itself. A serviceman could find nothing wrong with the appliance, but the woman continued to complain that ice cubes were littering her kitchen. Finally, a supervisor arrived, determined to stand watch in the kitchen until the mystery was solved. He had been there about an hour when a German shepherd entered, stood on his hind legs and pressed the ice-maker button. Ice cubes rained on the floor, and the dog gobbled up most of them.” (Norman Strevett, quoted by Charley Manos in Detroit News).
Where the woman thought she had a problem with her refrigerator, she actually had a problem with her dog! She didn’t realize it until she was proven wrong. I hope God doesn’t have to prove you wrong or punish you because you have things figured incorrectly!
Spiritual pride can easily make a strong and faithful person succumb to the false belief that they will always know what God is doing in any given situation. I’ve met people who knew God very well but who completely missed God’s action in a given situation...
A pastor may decide that an old man is stirring up trouble when all he is doing is bringing up a fresh new idea that God wills to be done.
That Bible teacher who has taught for twenty years may wish that the new visitor would stop asking difficult questions about the lesson! What the teacher doesn’t realize is that the visitor with all the questions is keeping the teacher on his toes and biblically correct!
A member who was critical of her pastor's decision on a certain subject decided to take action against her pastor, fomenting dissension in the congregation. That member didn't realize that she was going directly against the expectation of God.
Don’t assume that a person who seems difficult or who thinks differently is your problem. The problem may be with you! The problem may be that you can't perceive what God is doing or have come to the wrong conclusions.
If you find yourself at odds about something in your faith community, seek clarification from God before you make rash decisions. If a spiritual mentor thinks differently on an issue, pray for God’s insight. Don’t rush headlong into taking sides against a faithful person who sees things in a different light. You might find you are not on God’s side when you do it! This is not to say that you should not be faithful to God. It is a warning that you may not be able to discern when you’ve got it wrong! Aaron and Miriam were very close to God. They spoke for God (Numbers 12:2). Still, they interpreted Moses’ situation all wrong and ended up severely punished by God for their error.
September 5
“For I am ready to fall, and my pain is ever with me. I confess my iniquity; I am sorry for my sin.” (Psalm 38:17–18, NRSV)
After dying, three friends, XX, YY and ZZ wake up outside of heaven. St Peter says that before any can enter, they have to pass through a bog. All those who pass through sink in proportion to the amount of unconfessed sins they had when they died. XX launches out and immediately begins to sink. He struggles onward, and finally pushed to the opposite side, just as the mud reaches his neck. He looks back, and sees his friend YY walking across, his shoes barely sinking in the mire. XX says, “I can’t believe it. I never would have thought you were so holy!” YY replies, “Oh, I’m just standing on ZZ’s shoulders.”
You might chuckle at the response of YY in the story above. It’s natural. However, it’s also natural as you read the story to think about your own unconfessed sin. Sins that go unconfessed are often tamped down deep into the soul and mind and heart. At times, you may think those buried sins carry no burden as they recede into the past. Then, in a moment of crisis, those sins rise up within you and bury your heart and soul and mind in resentments, pain, frustration, regret, and hurt.
You can see the burden of unconfessed sin clearly in Psalm 38. This psalm begins by the author’s confession that he is buried in iniquities “up to his neck” and is feeling the “burden” of carrying their weight (Psalm 38:4). For a long time, the author did not repent for his sin nor make things right through confession and atonement. Instead, he just buried the sins in heart, soul, and mind. The longer the unconfessed sins weighed upon him, the more he suffered for it. His life became filled with “mourning” (Psalm 38:6), “groaning” (Psalm 38:8), “sighing” with regret (Psalm 38:9), while feeling “utterly spent and crushed” (Psalm 38:8). The weight of his accumulated sins was difficult to bear. In the verse for today, written above, he finally decided to end his torment. He threw himself at the mercy of God. Filled with “pain”, he confessed his iniquity. He was “sorry for his sin” (Psalm 38:17). After bearing his soul to God, admitting his sins and failures, he was open to God’s grace, healing, and forgiveness. By admitting those unconfessed sins, there was hope for his hurting soul.
In the entirety of Psalm 38, there is a movement that is hidden from the view of most Bible readers. If you don’t read closely, you too will miss it. Before Psalm 38:17 (the scripture for today), the author can only speak of his suffering from unconfessed sin. After Psalm 38:17, the author has hope for healing and restoration. Psalm 38:17 is the changing point of the author’s life. Before that point, there was suffering. After that point, there was hope. What changed everything? Psalm 38:17 contains a confession of repentance for past sin. It is an admission of guilt for past wrongs. It was what was required in order to find hope. Don’t you realize it, yet? Only by the confession of sin and the responding grace of God can there ever be hope for peace in heart, mind, or soul. Confession is sincerely “good for the soul”.
While staying at a small hotel during a spiritual retreat, I awoke from sleep late into the night. It was something like one in the morning when I stumbled out of bed, put my clothes back on, and wondered why I was so wide awake. I felt off. I felt God wanted me to hurry. So, I followed God’s leading, grabbed my Bible, and headed off to read it and pray in the chapel of the retreat center. As I neared the chapel, I noticed the lights on. They should have been turned off. Upon entering, I found a man in the second row. His head was bowed, and he seemed to be sleeping. Coming closer, I noticed a sadness upon his face. I asked if he didn’t mind if I sat and prayed. He smiled and seemed to welcome someone else in the chapel.
As I sat in the chapel, my prayers were awful. I couldn’t concentrate. My mind was ill-at-ease. I felt God urging me to say something. I started a conversation with the man. We talked about the retreat, where we came from, and about life in general. Then, after a short lull in the conversation, he began to talk about regrets. He had big regrets. He was overwhelmed with sins of his past. I asked him if he was ready to give them up to God. He nodded. We spent the next fifteen minutes in a confessional prayer. When we were done, I looked again into his eyes. The sadness seemed lifted. His soul was lighter. His attitude for the rest of the retreat bore witness that his healing had begun.
Listen well to the author of today’s psalm. He learned what it was like to carry the burden of unconfessed sin. He wrote Psalm 38 as a reminder to future generations to confess their sin so healing and wholeness and restoration can take place. Repentance and confession are necessary parts to heal the soul. If you ignore them, you will suffer. If you do not open your heart to God, especially those areas of deep sorrow and hidden sin, you will never know true peace and happiness.
Is there an unsettled feeling when you think of the past? Do you endeavor to forget certain memories, burying them far in the recesses of your mind or heart or soul? Are there regrets that nag at you in the middle of the night? Is there some unconfessed sin still lingering? God is waiting to hear about it. Need some healing?
You might chuckle at the response of YY in the story above. It’s natural. However, it’s also natural as you read the story to think about your own unconfessed sin. Sins that go unconfessed are often tamped down deep into the soul and mind and heart. At times, you may think those buried sins carry no burden as they recede into the past. Then, in a moment of crisis, those sins rise up within you and bury your heart and soul and mind in resentments, pain, frustration, regret, and hurt.
You can see the burden of unconfessed sin clearly in Psalm 38. This psalm begins by the author’s confession that he is buried in iniquities “up to his neck” and is feeling the “burden” of carrying their weight (Psalm 38:4). For a long time, the author did not repent for his sin nor make things right through confession and atonement. Instead, he just buried the sins in heart, soul, and mind. The longer the unconfessed sins weighed upon him, the more he suffered for it. His life became filled with “mourning” (Psalm 38:6), “groaning” (Psalm 38:8), “sighing” with regret (Psalm 38:9), while feeling “utterly spent and crushed” (Psalm 38:8). The weight of his accumulated sins was difficult to bear. In the verse for today, written above, he finally decided to end his torment. He threw himself at the mercy of God. Filled with “pain”, he confessed his iniquity. He was “sorry for his sin” (Psalm 38:17). After bearing his soul to God, admitting his sins and failures, he was open to God’s grace, healing, and forgiveness. By admitting those unconfessed sins, there was hope for his hurting soul.
In the entirety of Psalm 38, there is a movement that is hidden from the view of most Bible readers. If you don’t read closely, you too will miss it. Before Psalm 38:17 (the scripture for today), the author can only speak of his suffering from unconfessed sin. After Psalm 38:17, the author has hope for healing and restoration. Psalm 38:17 is the changing point of the author’s life. Before that point, there was suffering. After that point, there was hope. What changed everything? Psalm 38:17 contains a confession of repentance for past sin. It is an admission of guilt for past wrongs. It was what was required in order to find hope. Don’t you realize it, yet? Only by the confession of sin and the responding grace of God can there ever be hope for peace in heart, mind, or soul. Confession is sincerely “good for the soul”.
While staying at a small hotel during a spiritual retreat, I awoke from sleep late into the night. It was something like one in the morning when I stumbled out of bed, put my clothes back on, and wondered why I was so wide awake. I felt off. I felt God wanted me to hurry. So, I followed God’s leading, grabbed my Bible, and headed off to read it and pray in the chapel of the retreat center. As I neared the chapel, I noticed the lights on. They should have been turned off. Upon entering, I found a man in the second row. His head was bowed, and he seemed to be sleeping. Coming closer, I noticed a sadness upon his face. I asked if he didn’t mind if I sat and prayed. He smiled and seemed to welcome someone else in the chapel.
As I sat in the chapel, my prayers were awful. I couldn’t concentrate. My mind was ill-at-ease. I felt God urging me to say something. I started a conversation with the man. We talked about the retreat, where we came from, and about life in general. Then, after a short lull in the conversation, he began to talk about regrets. He had big regrets. He was overwhelmed with sins of his past. I asked him if he was ready to give them up to God. He nodded. We spent the next fifteen minutes in a confessional prayer. When we were done, I looked again into his eyes. The sadness seemed lifted. His soul was lighter. His attitude for the rest of the retreat bore witness that his healing had begun.
Listen well to the author of today’s psalm. He learned what it was like to carry the burden of unconfessed sin. He wrote Psalm 38 as a reminder to future generations to confess their sin so healing and wholeness and restoration can take place. Repentance and confession are necessary parts to heal the soul. If you ignore them, you will suffer. If you do not open your heart to God, especially those areas of deep sorrow and hidden sin, you will never know true peace and happiness.
Is there an unsettled feeling when you think of the past? Do you endeavor to forget certain memories, burying them far in the recesses of your mind or heart or soul? Are there regrets that nag at you in the middle of the night? Is there some unconfessed sin still lingering? God is waiting to hear about it. Need some healing?
September 7
“He was also saying to them, “You are experts at setting aside the commandment of God in order to keep your tradition.”
(Mark 7:9, NASB95)
(Mark 7:9, NASB95)
During World War I a Protestant chaplain with the American troops in Italy became a friend of a local Roman Catholic priest. In time, the chaplain moved on with his unit and was killed. The priest heard of his death and asked military authorities if the chaplain could be buried in the cemetery behind his church.
Permission was granted. But the priest ran into a problem with his own Catholic Church authorities. They were sympathetic, but they said they could not approve the burial of a non-Catholic in a Catholic cemetery. So the priest buried his friend just outside the cemetery fence. Years later, a war veteran who knew what had happened returned to Italy and visited the old priest. The first thing he did was ask to see the chaplain’s grave. To his surprise, he found the grave inside the fence.
“Ah,” he said, “I see you got permission to move the body.”
“No,” said the priest. “They told me where I couldn’t bury the body. But nobody ever told me I couldn’t move the fence.” (Bits and Pieces, November, 1989, p. 24)
Like the Roman Catholic Church with burial practices, all denominations and groups have their religious rules or traditions. Sometimes, these practices, rules, or traditions can come into conflict with what God is telling you. In the case of the Roman Catholic priest in the above story, he felt the noble life and faithful service of the Protestant chaplain during World War 1 was commendable. He wanted the chaplain to be buried with appropriate honor. However, due to the rules of the cemetery, the priest could not show what he deemed to be appropriate honor to his faithful friend. The human rules would not allow for what seemed right before God. In response, the priest found a way to honor his friend and yet keep faithful to the rules in order.
There are times that human traditions will stand in the way of you fulfilling your service to God. As humans, we make rules and traditions to keep order in the society, church, and much of life. These rules and traditions help society to function in a more respectful way. However, some people may take the rules and traditions too far. A recent example of this was when a police officer ticketed a man for not wearing a mask during the Covid-19 outbreak. The man was alone in his car. He was sick of sitting home during quarantine and decided to just drive his car and sit out in the sun for a while. The police officer felt the the law for wearing masks was so important that it didn’t matter that the man could not infect anyone by failing to wear a mask in his car. For the officer, the letter of the law had to be followed no matter what the scenario involved. By citing the man, the officer was following the letter of the law but was not being faithful in his mission to “protect and serve” the public. The man was no threat to anyone. He could not get anyone sick by being sitting alone in his car in a parking lot. Sometimes, human traditions and rules and practices go against what is right or fair. At crucial moments, human traditions and rules can even go against the purpose or work of God.
In the scripture for today from Mark 7:9, Jesus criticized some Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem. These religious leaders were critical that Jesus’ disciples had not washed their hands appropriately according to the traditions surrounding Mosaic law. The Pharisees and scribes questioned Jesus: “Why do your disciples not live according to the traditions of the elders, but eat with hands defiled?” (Mark 7:5). These Jewish religious authorities didn’t care that the disciples were so busy with their mission work that they could not find adequate water for ritual hand washing. The religious authorities were consumed with hand washing rules while ignoring the greater mission of saving souls. It would be like a fireman who was more worried about the shininess of the fire truck than whether or not people were being rescued from a messy fire.
Be careful that you do not fall into the same trap as the Pharisees and scribes of Jesus’ day. Don’t be so concerned with human traditions and rules that you worship them more than you worship God. If a human tradition comes in conflict with your call of God, seek ways to follow God while being respectful of the challenge of following human rules. As Jesus noted, don’t ever “set aside the commandment of God in order to keep a human tradition” (Mark 7:9). Faithfulness to God must be paramount in your efforts. Human traditions and rules do not hold a candle to God’s command.
Jesus constantly butted up against religious rules of his day that were more focused on following human traditions than God’s sovereignty. You will find that same challenge exists today. Wherever there are humans, there will be rules and guidelines and traditions and practices and rituals. Some of these will come into conflict with your faithfulness to God. When they do, be on the right side of the law… God’s side! Find a way to remain faithful when confronted with societal pressures. Don’t conform to humanistic norms. Remain faithful to God in Christ throughout. On Judgment Day, you won’t be answering before human peers; God will be the final Judge of your actions and choices.
Permission was granted. But the priest ran into a problem with his own Catholic Church authorities. They were sympathetic, but they said they could not approve the burial of a non-Catholic in a Catholic cemetery. So the priest buried his friend just outside the cemetery fence. Years later, a war veteran who knew what had happened returned to Italy and visited the old priest. The first thing he did was ask to see the chaplain’s grave. To his surprise, he found the grave inside the fence.
“Ah,” he said, “I see you got permission to move the body.”
“No,” said the priest. “They told me where I couldn’t bury the body. But nobody ever told me I couldn’t move the fence.” (Bits and Pieces, November, 1989, p. 24)
Like the Roman Catholic Church with burial practices, all denominations and groups have their religious rules or traditions. Sometimes, these practices, rules, or traditions can come into conflict with what God is telling you. In the case of the Roman Catholic priest in the above story, he felt the noble life and faithful service of the Protestant chaplain during World War 1 was commendable. He wanted the chaplain to be buried with appropriate honor. However, due to the rules of the cemetery, the priest could not show what he deemed to be appropriate honor to his faithful friend. The human rules would not allow for what seemed right before God. In response, the priest found a way to honor his friend and yet keep faithful to the rules in order.
There are times that human traditions will stand in the way of you fulfilling your service to God. As humans, we make rules and traditions to keep order in the society, church, and much of life. These rules and traditions help society to function in a more respectful way. However, some people may take the rules and traditions too far. A recent example of this was when a police officer ticketed a man for not wearing a mask during the Covid-19 outbreak. The man was alone in his car. He was sick of sitting home during quarantine and decided to just drive his car and sit out in the sun for a while. The police officer felt the the law for wearing masks was so important that it didn’t matter that the man could not infect anyone by failing to wear a mask in his car. For the officer, the letter of the law had to be followed no matter what the scenario involved. By citing the man, the officer was following the letter of the law but was not being faithful in his mission to “protect and serve” the public. The man was no threat to anyone. He could not get anyone sick by being sitting alone in his car in a parking lot. Sometimes, human traditions and rules and practices go against what is right or fair. At crucial moments, human traditions and rules can even go against the purpose or work of God.
In the scripture for today from Mark 7:9, Jesus criticized some Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem. These religious leaders were critical that Jesus’ disciples had not washed their hands appropriately according to the traditions surrounding Mosaic law. The Pharisees and scribes questioned Jesus: “Why do your disciples not live according to the traditions of the elders, but eat with hands defiled?” (Mark 7:5). These Jewish religious authorities didn’t care that the disciples were so busy with their mission work that they could not find adequate water for ritual hand washing. The religious authorities were consumed with hand washing rules while ignoring the greater mission of saving souls. It would be like a fireman who was more worried about the shininess of the fire truck than whether or not people were being rescued from a messy fire.
Be careful that you do not fall into the same trap as the Pharisees and scribes of Jesus’ day. Don’t be so concerned with human traditions and rules that you worship them more than you worship God. If a human tradition comes in conflict with your call of God, seek ways to follow God while being respectful of the challenge of following human rules. As Jesus noted, don’t ever “set aside the commandment of God in order to keep a human tradition” (Mark 7:9). Faithfulness to God must be paramount in your efforts. Human traditions and rules do not hold a candle to God’s command.
Jesus constantly butted up against religious rules of his day that were more focused on following human traditions than God’s sovereignty. You will find that same challenge exists today. Wherever there are humans, there will be rules and guidelines and traditions and practices and rituals. Some of these will come into conflict with your faithfulness to God. When they do, be on the right side of the law… God’s side! Find a way to remain faithful when confronted with societal pressures. Don’t conform to humanistic norms. Remain faithful to God in Christ throughout. On Judgment Day, you won’t be answering before human peers; God will be the final Judge of your actions and choices.
September 9
“Am I a God near by, says the Lord, and not a God far off? Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them? says the Lord. Do I not fill heaven and earth? says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 23:23–24, NRSV)
Jeremiah spoke for God. He was a prophet of God. He had many interactions with God in his life. During those interactions, Jeremiah got to know God intimately. One aspect he discovered of God’s character was God’s “omnipresence”. This word, “omnipresence”, comes from the combination of two words, “omni” meaning all, and “presence” meaning “at hand or nearby”. The combination of these two words means that God is always present, always nearby, always able to see what is happening.
In our scripture for today, Jeremiah describes this omnipresent characteristic of God. He quotes God in Jeremiah 23:23 as saying “Am I a God nearby…. And not far off?” With this statement, God is saying that He is both near and far, both able to be close enough to listen but being far enough off as to be uncontainable. In Jeremiah 23:24, God expands this line of thinking to question: “Who can hide in secret places that I cannot see them? Do I not fill heaven and earth?”. The people of Israel and Judah made the false assumption that they could hide their grievous sin from God. They worshiped other gods and went against God’s commandments in secret. They thought they were safe. They were not. God sees everything you do.
In ancient times, gods were often anthropomorphized. This means they were given human attributes and human forms. The Greek gods, for instance, had human or earth-like bodies. People also believed that they had human-like characteristics. Many Greek worshipers believed you could hide from God’s eyes or that God could not see you if you were in certain places at certain times. They believed that as a human cannot see behind the head, a Greek god also could not see when his face was turned away from you. Though there are traits of God in the Bible that seem human (like God walking in the Garden of Eden), we know that God is much greater than any human limitation. Humans die, while God cannot die. Humans can only see certain things, but God sees all. Humans lack understanding. God does not (omniscience). As the theologian Karl Barth spoke and wrote about it, God is “wholly other”. God is so great and powerful we humans cannot comprehend the vastness nor greatness of His power. Certainly, we cannot imagine the greatness that is involved in a God who is omnipresent, who is able to be everywhere at every time.
“While we may not see the face of our Creator, the omnipresence of God confirms that God continually looks upon mankind. Adam and Eve tried to “hid(e) from the Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). The prophet Jonah attempted to “flee from the Lord.” In reverent awe, David realized, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7-18). In all creation, there is no hiding place from the Lord. Through His Spirit, God’s reach extends to every corner of the universe as well as into the hearts of mankind. “The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them” (Psalm 11:4).” (from allaboutgod.com)
Like people in the days of Jeremiah, Jonah, and even in the Garden of Eden, sinners can lie to themselves by thinking that God will not see or will ignore their evil deeds. Humans notoriously try to hide their offenses, bury their less than faithful doubts, keep quiet about their sinful habits. These actions may hide a sinful lifestyle from other humans, but it does nothing but reveal your deceit to the eye of God.
“Frederick Charrington was a member of the wealthy family in England which owned the Charrington Brewery. His personal fortune, derived solely from his brewing enterprise, exceeded $66 million.
One night, Charrington was walking along a London street with a few friends. Suddenly the door of a pub flew open just a few steps ahead of the group, and a man staggered out into the street with a woman clinging desperately to him. The man, obviously very drunk, was swearing at the woman and trying to push her away. The woman was gaunt and clad in rags. She sobbed and pleaded with the drunken man, who was her husband.
“Please, dear, please!” she cried as Charrington and his friends watched. “The children haven’t eaten in two days! And I’ve not eaten in a week! For the love of God, please come home! Or if you must stay, just give me a few coins so I can buy the children some…”
Her pleas were brutally cut off as her husband struck her a savage blow. She collapsed to the stone pavement like a rag doll. The man stood over her with his fists clenched, poised as if to strike her again. Charrington leaped forward and grasped him. The man struggled, swearing violently, but Charrington pinned the man’s arms securely behind his back. Charrington’s companions rushed to the woman’s side and began ministering to her wounds. A short time later a policeman led the drunken man away and the woman was taken to a nearby hospital.
As Charrington brushed himself off, he noticed a lighted sign in the window of the pub: “Drink Chrarrington Ale.” The multi-millionaire brewer was suddenly shaken to the core of his being. He realized that his confrontation with the violent husband would not have happened if the man’s brain had not been awash with the Charrington family’s product. “When I saw that sign,” he later wrote, “I was stricken just as surely as Paul on the Damascus Road. Here was the source of my family wealth, and it was producing untold human misery before my own eyes. Then and there I pledged to God that not another penny of that money should come to me.”
History records that Frederick Charrington became one of the most well-known temperance activists in England. He renounced his share of the family fortune and devoted the rest of his life to the ministry of freeing men and women from the curse of alcoholism.” (Ron Lee Davis, Courage to Begin Again, (Harvest House, Eugene, OR; 1978), pp. 81-82)
For a long time, Frederick Charrington could ignore or hide his family’s responsibility in the perpetuation of alcoholism. He could sleep soundly at night knowing he was just “running a business”. However, when he saw his own responsibility for breaking families apart that night in front of the pub, he realized what God knew all along. He had never faced up to his own responsibility in causing pain. It’s not that alcohol in itself is sinful. However, when alcohol is abused, it can easily become a source of great suffering and sin. That is what Frederick Charrington fought against until the day he died.
Is there a responsibility for sin that you have been ignoring for some time? Look at your life from God’s omnipresent perspective. What has God seen you do over the years? How does God view your past actions and statements, deeds and accomplishments? Face to face with God at this moment, would you see anything differently?
In our scripture for today, Jeremiah describes this omnipresent characteristic of God. He quotes God in Jeremiah 23:23 as saying “Am I a God nearby…. And not far off?” With this statement, God is saying that He is both near and far, both able to be close enough to listen but being far enough off as to be uncontainable. In Jeremiah 23:24, God expands this line of thinking to question: “Who can hide in secret places that I cannot see them? Do I not fill heaven and earth?”. The people of Israel and Judah made the false assumption that they could hide their grievous sin from God. They worshiped other gods and went against God’s commandments in secret. They thought they were safe. They were not. God sees everything you do.
In ancient times, gods were often anthropomorphized. This means they were given human attributes and human forms. The Greek gods, for instance, had human or earth-like bodies. People also believed that they had human-like characteristics. Many Greek worshipers believed you could hide from God’s eyes or that God could not see you if you were in certain places at certain times. They believed that as a human cannot see behind the head, a Greek god also could not see when his face was turned away from you. Though there are traits of God in the Bible that seem human (like God walking in the Garden of Eden), we know that God is much greater than any human limitation. Humans die, while God cannot die. Humans can only see certain things, but God sees all. Humans lack understanding. God does not (omniscience). As the theologian Karl Barth spoke and wrote about it, God is “wholly other”. God is so great and powerful we humans cannot comprehend the vastness nor greatness of His power. Certainly, we cannot imagine the greatness that is involved in a God who is omnipresent, who is able to be everywhere at every time.
“While we may not see the face of our Creator, the omnipresence of God confirms that God continually looks upon mankind. Adam and Eve tried to “hid(e) from the Lord God among the trees of the garden” (Genesis 3:8). The prophet Jonah attempted to “flee from the Lord.” In reverent awe, David realized, “Where can I go from your Spirit? Where can I flee from your presence?” (Psalm 139:7-18). In all creation, there is no hiding place from the Lord. Through His Spirit, God’s reach extends to every corner of the universe as well as into the hearts of mankind. “The Lord is in his holy temple; the Lord is on his heavenly throne. He observes the sons of men; his eyes examine them” (Psalm 11:4).” (from allaboutgod.com)
Like people in the days of Jeremiah, Jonah, and even in the Garden of Eden, sinners can lie to themselves by thinking that God will not see or will ignore their evil deeds. Humans notoriously try to hide their offenses, bury their less than faithful doubts, keep quiet about their sinful habits. These actions may hide a sinful lifestyle from other humans, but it does nothing but reveal your deceit to the eye of God.
“Frederick Charrington was a member of the wealthy family in England which owned the Charrington Brewery. His personal fortune, derived solely from his brewing enterprise, exceeded $66 million.
One night, Charrington was walking along a London street with a few friends. Suddenly the door of a pub flew open just a few steps ahead of the group, and a man staggered out into the street with a woman clinging desperately to him. The man, obviously very drunk, was swearing at the woman and trying to push her away. The woman was gaunt and clad in rags. She sobbed and pleaded with the drunken man, who was her husband.
“Please, dear, please!” she cried as Charrington and his friends watched. “The children haven’t eaten in two days! And I’ve not eaten in a week! For the love of God, please come home! Or if you must stay, just give me a few coins so I can buy the children some…”
Her pleas were brutally cut off as her husband struck her a savage blow. She collapsed to the stone pavement like a rag doll. The man stood over her with his fists clenched, poised as if to strike her again. Charrington leaped forward and grasped him. The man struggled, swearing violently, but Charrington pinned the man’s arms securely behind his back. Charrington’s companions rushed to the woman’s side and began ministering to her wounds. A short time later a policeman led the drunken man away and the woman was taken to a nearby hospital.
As Charrington brushed himself off, he noticed a lighted sign in the window of the pub: “Drink Chrarrington Ale.” The multi-millionaire brewer was suddenly shaken to the core of his being. He realized that his confrontation with the violent husband would not have happened if the man’s brain had not been awash with the Charrington family’s product. “When I saw that sign,” he later wrote, “I was stricken just as surely as Paul on the Damascus Road. Here was the source of my family wealth, and it was producing untold human misery before my own eyes. Then and there I pledged to God that not another penny of that money should come to me.”
History records that Frederick Charrington became one of the most well-known temperance activists in England. He renounced his share of the family fortune and devoted the rest of his life to the ministry of freeing men and women from the curse of alcoholism.” (Ron Lee Davis, Courage to Begin Again, (Harvest House, Eugene, OR; 1978), pp. 81-82)
For a long time, Frederick Charrington could ignore or hide his family’s responsibility in the perpetuation of alcoholism. He could sleep soundly at night knowing he was just “running a business”. However, when he saw his own responsibility for breaking families apart that night in front of the pub, he realized what God knew all along. He had never faced up to his own responsibility in causing pain. It’s not that alcohol in itself is sinful. However, when alcohol is abused, it can easily become a source of great suffering and sin. That is what Frederick Charrington fought against until the day he died.
Is there a responsibility for sin that you have been ignoring for some time? Look at your life from God’s omnipresent perspective. What has God seen you do over the years? How does God view your past actions and statements, deeds and accomplishments? Face to face with God at this moment, would you see anything differently?
September 11
“The woman came and knelt before him [Jesus]. “Lord, help me!” she said.” (Matthew 15:25, NIV)
Every now and then, someone will cry out for help. They will reach out in true need. You will hear that plea for help. You will then have to decide whether to sit idly by or do something. Even if you decide to do something, you will need to figure out a way to help. Sometimes, figuring out how to help is the greatest obstacle.
When Jesus was ministering in the area of Tyre and Sidon, in areas bordering Gentile lands, He came across a Gentile woman who needed His help. The woman’s daughter was “possessed by a demon” (Matthew 15:22). Upon hearing that Jesus was in the area, the woman sought out Jesus. She approached Jesus and the disciples asking for help for her daughter. At first, they would not respond to her. Jesus had very important work to do. The woman was not a believer, not a Jew, and presumably did not know God. However, she did have faith in Jesus. She also had deeper wisdom, which became more apparent in the time she spent with Jesus. She persisted in calling for help from the disciples. They wanted to send her away (Matthew 15:23). In a sign of absolute faith in Jesus, the woman came over and fell before Jesus saying “Lord, help me!”. She wasn’t even pleading for herself. The woman’s faith spurred Jesus to question her further. Upon hearing her answers, her deep wisdom was apparent. Jesus healed her daughter.
Jesus’ disciples did not want Jesus to heal the woman. They wanted to send her away. Upon spending time with her, Jesus saw something holy in that woman. Her actions and responses revealed her budding wisdom and faith. Jesus responded to that wisdom and faith by answering her cries for help. He healed the daughter in an instant.
Like Jesus in Matthew 15, you will have to decide when to answer cries for help. Sometimes, those cries need to be answered by someone else. You may not have the ability or the means to help. The person may not want the help you can give. However, at critical moments, God will send people to you with a genuine cry for help. When that happens, you need to figure out if you are the one who can help best. You also will need to figure out what God wants you to do.
“When Rosina Hernandez was in college, she once attended a rock concert at which one young man was brutally beaten by another. No one made an attempt to stop the beating. The next day she was struck dumb to learn that the youth had died as a result of the pounding. Yet neither she nor anyone else had raised a hand to help him.
She could never forget the incident or her responsibility as an inactive bystander.
Some years later, Rosina saw another catastrophe. A car driving in the rain ahead of her suddenly skidded and plunged into Biscayne Bay. The car landed head down in the water with only the tail end showing. In a moment a woman appeared on the surface, shouting for help and saying her husband was stuck inside.
This time Rosina waited for no one. She plunged into the water, tried unsuccessfully to open the car door, then pounded on the back window as other bystanders stood on the causeway and watched. First she screamed at them, begging for help, then cursed them, telling them there was a man dying in the car.
First one man, then another, finally came to help. Together they broke the safety glass and dragged the man out. They were just in time—a few minutes later it would have been all over.
The woman thanked Rosina for saving her husband, and Rosina was elated, riding an emotional high that lasted for weeks. She had promised herself that she would never again fail to do anything she could to save a human live. She had made good on her promise.” (“Bits & Pieces”, June 24, 1993, Page 20-21)
It is important that you do not fail to answer a genuine cry for help when God wills you to reach out. The disciples in the story for today wanted Jesus to ignore a true cry for help. Jesus saw the need, realized it was time to help, and healed the daughter. Using the same logic, you will need to assess any cry for help. First, recognize a true call for help from a fake one. Some people cry out for help when they want others to take care of a problem they need to deal with themselves. If the cry for help is genuine, then you have to ask yourself if you are the one called by God to do something. If you are, then you need to find the right way to help. Jesus followed these steps to address the need of the woman in Matthew 15. It helps to follow His example.
You can’t help everyone who cries for help. But, when God shows you a genuine call for help, remember to answer that call. To refuse a genuine call for help when God is calling you to action will cause regrets that eat at your soul. The Holy Spirit will make sure of that.
When Jesus was ministering in the area of Tyre and Sidon, in areas bordering Gentile lands, He came across a Gentile woman who needed His help. The woman’s daughter was “possessed by a demon” (Matthew 15:22). Upon hearing that Jesus was in the area, the woman sought out Jesus. She approached Jesus and the disciples asking for help for her daughter. At first, they would not respond to her. Jesus had very important work to do. The woman was not a believer, not a Jew, and presumably did not know God. However, she did have faith in Jesus. She also had deeper wisdom, which became more apparent in the time she spent with Jesus. She persisted in calling for help from the disciples. They wanted to send her away (Matthew 15:23). In a sign of absolute faith in Jesus, the woman came over and fell before Jesus saying “Lord, help me!”. She wasn’t even pleading for herself. The woman’s faith spurred Jesus to question her further. Upon hearing her answers, her deep wisdom was apparent. Jesus healed her daughter.
Jesus’ disciples did not want Jesus to heal the woman. They wanted to send her away. Upon spending time with her, Jesus saw something holy in that woman. Her actions and responses revealed her budding wisdom and faith. Jesus responded to that wisdom and faith by answering her cries for help. He healed the daughter in an instant.
Like Jesus in Matthew 15, you will have to decide when to answer cries for help. Sometimes, those cries need to be answered by someone else. You may not have the ability or the means to help. The person may not want the help you can give. However, at critical moments, God will send people to you with a genuine cry for help. When that happens, you need to figure out if you are the one who can help best. You also will need to figure out what God wants you to do.
“When Rosina Hernandez was in college, she once attended a rock concert at which one young man was brutally beaten by another. No one made an attempt to stop the beating. The next day she was struck dumb to learn that the youth had died as a result of the pounding. Yet neither she nor anyone else had raised a hand to help him.
She could never forget the incident or her responsibility as an inactive bystander.
Some years later, Rosina saw another catastrophe. A car driving in the rain ahead of her suddenly skidded and plunged into Biscayne Bay. The car landed head down in the water with only the tail end showing. In a moment a woman appeared on the surface, shouting for help and saying her husband was stuck inside.
This time Rosina waited for no one. She plunged into the water, tried unsuccessfully to open the car door, then pounded on the back window as other bystanders stood on the causeway and watched. First she screamed at them, begging for help, then cursed them, telling them there was a man dying in the car.
First one man, then another, finally came to help. Together they broke the safety glass and dragged the man out. They were just in time—a few minutes later it would have been all over.
The woman thanked Rosina for saving her husband, and Rosina was elated, riding an emotional high that lasted for weeks. She had promised herself that she would never again fail to do anything she could to save a human live. She had made good on her promise.” (“Bits & Pieces”, June 24, 1993, Page 20-21)
It is important that you do not fail to answer a genuine cry for help when God wills you to reach out. The disciples in the story for today wanted Jesus to ignore a true cry for help. Jesus saw the need, realized it was time to help, and healed the daughter. Using the same logic, you will need to assess any cry for help. First, recognize a true call for help from a fake one. Some people cry out for help when they want others to take care of a problem they need to deal with themselves. If the cry for help is genuine, then you have to ask yourself if you are the one called by God to do something. If you are, then you need to find the right way to help. Jesus followed these steps to address the need of the woman in Matthew 15. It helps to follow His example.
You can’t help everyone who cries for help. But, when God shows you a genuine call for help, remember to answer that call. To refuse a genuine call for help when God is calling you to action will cause regrets that eat at your soul. The Holy Spirit will make sure of that.
September 14
“My knees are weak from fasting, and I am skin and bones. I am a joke to people everywhere; when they see me, they shake their heads in scorn. Help me, O Lord my God! Save me because of your unfailing love.” (Psalm 109:24–26, NLT)
The pastor stood in the pulpit of his large church of almost one thousand members. His scripture for the day came from Ecclesiastes, chapter 3. As he read the scripture, the words began to take hold of his soul. He read, “For everything, there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven….” The words were familiar to the pastor, but that day they struck a chord. As he continued with the scripture reading, he silently pleaded with God… “God, I can tell you are trying to say something to me right now in this moment… what is it, Lord?” He read on…. “a time to be born, and a time to die… a time to break down and a time to build up; a time to weep and a time to laugh;”. As he read the words, his heart began to break. When was the last time he laughed? When was the last time he felt good? The pastor had put his whole heart and soul into that congregation. He did it for God. But, somewhere along the way, he forgot to take time to laugh. He forgot to take time to heal.
As the pastor finished the reading for the day, a tear fell to the page of his Bible.. “a time to mourn, and a time to dance…” One year before, that very pastor lost his mother to cancer. He only took one day off for the funeral and then went right back to work. He threw himself into work to deal with the pain he felt in his heart. He never mourned. Why is it that people think they can overwork for God and not suffer for it? God doesn’t want you to experience religious burnout day in and day out. He wants you to be faithful even by resting, healing, taking time to let go of your burdens.
The nineteenth-century preacher Robert Murray McCheyne was a genius. He graduated from Edinburgh University at the young age of fourteen! Following religious training, he led a Presbyterian congregation of a thousand members by the age of twenty-three. What you probably don’t’ know is that McCheyne died at the tender age of twenty-nine. Most people believe he worked himself to death. He wouldn’t take breaks. He worked long hours. He never stopped to rest. “Before dying at age twenty-nine he wrote, “God gave me a message to deliver and a horse to ride. Alas, I have killed the horse and now I cannot deliver the message.”” (E. Skoglund, Burning out for God, p. 12)
When you are doing something you love, it may feel like you can’t get enough of it. You may even enjoy doing things for God without realizing when you are overdoing it. I’ve met people who spent too many hours in the mission field, worked on a large building project on the church building until they became physically incapacitated, spent too much time doing something for God. Some were workaholics. Some wanted to please everyone. Some couldn’t please themselves. When an area of your life begins to consume too much of your time or effort or concentration or resources, it can overburden you. It can burn you out. Some workaholic types pride themselves on burnout. They may even brag about it. I’ve even heard pastors praise their “seventy-hour work weeks” as a badge of honor. But burnout is a sign that something is out of whack in your spiritual life. It might be a sign that you desire accolades. It might be a symptom of the inability to find worth in anything but your accomplishments. It might be part of a god-complex. You aren’t God. You can’t push your limits without paying a price. Often those who face burnout fail to realize that they don’t need more work, they need rest in the promises of God.
In Psalm 109:24, we are given the glimpse of a man who went too far. He was religious to a fault. He spent so many days fasting for God that he became “skin and bones” (Psalm 109:24). He became so weak that people made fun of him. They mocked his “religiosity”, his “piety” (Psalm 109:25). With the realization that he had pushed himself too far by fasting too long, by suffering in body and soul for too many days, he came to his senses. He needed God’s help to make it right. He cried out, “Help me, O Lord my God! Save me because of your unfailing love!” (Psalm 109:26).
There may come a time in your life when you need to let go of your work and suffering and pain and just take time to rest in the arms of the Lord. If you do not take spiritual rest, your life will suffer. Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). Doesn’t true faith involve not only working hard for Jesus but also resting in the arms of Almighty God? What kind of Christian are you if you cannot rest when God wills it?
Peter Marshall was a chaplain of the U. S. Senate. He was a successful pastor, author, and speaker. He also worked too hard. He almost died of a heart attack at age forty-six. While recovering, a friend asked, “I’m curious to know something. What did you learn during your illness?”
“Do you really want to know?” Peter answered promptly. “I learned that the Kingdom of God goes on without Peter Marshall.” (E. Skoglund, Burning Out for God, p. 30)
If you find yourself experiencing burnout or suffering from a lack of quiet time, make it your point to seek time with God. Let go of all the cares of this world and rest in the arms of the Almighty. Set aside your drive to succeed and your need to prove something. Sometimes, all God wants is for you to have some spiritual rest and a time to heal. Taking that time with God will show your willingness to let God have the reins in your life.
As the pastor finished the reading for the day, a tear fell to the page of his Bible.. “a time to mourn, and a time to dance…” One year before, that very pastor lost his mother to cancer. He only took one day off for the funeral and then went right back to work. He threw himself into work to deal with the pain he felt in his heart. He never mourned. Why is it that people think they can overwork for God and not suffer for it? God doesn’t want you to experience religious burnout day in and day out. He wants you to be faithful even by resting, healing, taking time to let go of your burdens.
The nineteenth-century preacher Robert Murray McCheyne was a genius. He graduated from Edinburgh University at the young age of fourteen! Following religious training, he led a Presbyterian congregation of a thousand members by the age of twenty-three. What you probably don’t’ know is that McCheyne died at the tender age of twenty-nine. Most people believe he worked himself to death. He wouldn’t take breaks. He worked long hours. He never stopped to rest. “Before dying at age twenty-nine he wrote, “God gave me a message to deliver and a horse to ride. Alas, I have killed the horse and now I cannot deliver the message.”” (E. Skoglund, Burning out for God, p. 12)
When you are doing something you love, it may feel like you can’t get enough of it. You may even enjoy doing things for God without realizing when you are overdoing it. I’ve met people who spent too many hours in the mission field, worked on a large building project on the church building until they became physically incapacitated, spent too much time doing something for God. Some were workaholics. Some wanted to please everyone. Some couldn’t please themselves. When an area of your life begins to consume too much of your time or effort or concentration or resources, it can overburden you. It can burn you out. Some workaholic types pride themselves on burnout. They may even brag about it. I’ve even heard pastors praise their “seventy-hour work weeks” as a badge of honor. But burnout is a sign that something is out of whack in your spiritual life. It might be a sign that you desire accolades. It might be a symptom of the inability to find worth in anything but your accomplishments. It might be part of a god-complex. You aren’t God. You can’t push your limits without paying a price. Often those who face burnout fail to realize that they don’t need more work, they need rest in the promises of God.
In Psalm 109:24, we are given the glimpse of a man who went too far. He was religious to a fault. He spent so many days fasting for God that he became “skin and bones” (Psalm 109:24). He became so weak that people made fun of him. They mocked his “religiosity”, his “piety” (Psalm 109:25). With the realization that he had pushed himself too far by fasting too long, by suffering in body and soul for too many days, he came to his senses. He needed God’s help to make it right. He cried out, “Help me, O Lord my God! Save me because of your unfailing love!” (Psalm 109:26).
There may come a time in your life when you need to let go of your work and suffering and pain and just take time to rest in the arms of the Lord. If you do not take spiritual rest, your life will suffer. Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28). Doesn’t true faith involve not only working hard for Jesus but also resting in the arms of Almighty God? What kind of Christian are you if you cannot rest when God wills it?
Peter Marshall was a chaplain of the U. S. Senate. He was a successful pastor, author, and speaker. He also worked too hard. He almost died of a heart attack at age forty-six. While recovering, a friend asked, “I’m curious to know something. What did you learn during your illness?”
“Do you really want to know?” Peter answered promptly. “I learned that the Kingdom of God goes on without Peter Marshall.” (E. Skoglund, Burning Out for God, p. 30)
If you find yourself experiencing burnout or suffering from a lack of quiet time, make it your point to seek time with God. Let go of all the cares of this world and rest in the arms of the Almighty. Set aside your drive to succeed and your need to prove something. Sometimes, all God wants is for you to have some spiritual rest and a time to heal. Taking that time with God will show your willingness to let God have the reins in your life.
September 16
“See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;” (Hebrews 12:15, ESV)
As I read the scripture for today printed above, I began to question, “What is a root of bitterness”? This verse from Hebrews makes known that a “root of bitterness” can cause “trouble” and “many to become defiled” (Hebrews 12:15). By the wording of this verse, the author has seen this type of sin “spring up” before. He desired that this not occur among Christian communities. Pondering the meaning of this root of bitterness, I looked up what Biblical scholars had written about it. The Believer’s Bible Commentary noted with this verse that a person who retains this bitterness, “turns sour against the Lord and later repudiates the Christian faith. His defection is contagious. Others are defiled by his complaints, doubts, and denials”. The Oxford Bible Commentary notes Deuteronomy 29:17-18, adding that this bitterness produces “apostasy”, an abandonment of faith in God. Essentially, the root of bitterness causes a person to give up true faith, blame God, doubt the will of God, and reject faithful living. What might cause you to develop a “root of bitterness”?
Adrian Rogers wrote on oneplace.com that the root of bitterness begins when you are hurt intentionally or unintentionally. That, then, develops into hostility of all sorts that affects not only you, but those around you. He wrote: “The world is full of people who have not dealt with an old hurt. They look for things to criticize, people to find fault with, and ways to justify the way they feel. Have you ever seen people who are hypercritical? Generally, they are bitter people. They know how to push your hot buttons until you react in a way to further justify their bitterness. Then, they can say, "Aha! I was right. I have a right to be bitter."” Based on his explanation, the onset of bitterness is a hurt that is not worked out with God. It is an emotional or spiritual pain that festers. The initial hurt that causes bitterness may be caused by a traumatic event or a betrayal. It is important when you experience such a situation that you immediately find ways to work it out with God.
Bruce Goodrich was being initiated into the cadet corps at Texas A & M University. One night, Bruce was forced to run until he dropped—but he never got up. Bruce Goodrich died before he even entered college.
A short time after the tragedy, Bruce’s father wrote this letter to the administration, faculty, student body, and the corps of cadets:
“I would like to take this opportunity to express the appreciation of my family for the great outpouring of concern and sympathy from Texas A & M University and the college community over the loss of our son Bruce. We were deeply touched by the tribute paid to him in the battalion. We were particularly pleased to note that his Christian witness did not go unnoticed during his brief time on campus.”
Mr. Goodrich went on: “I hope it will be some comfort to know that we harbor no ill will in the matter. We know our God makes no mistakes. Bruce had an appointment with his Lord and is now secure in his celestial home. When the question is asked, ‘Why did this happen?’ perhaps one answer will be, ‘So that many will consider where they will spend eternity. ‘“ (Our Daily Bread, March 22, 1994”
Instead of harboring ill-will and bitterness at the death of his precious son, Bruce’s father reached out to respond in love. He gave God the glory. He fostered healing with his words. Because of this, bitterness did not grow among the many suffering at Texas A & M. The grace of God offered through Bruce’s father short-circuited the onset of the root of bitterness.
It is important when you are hurt that you turn to God for help. It is crucial that you do not let your hurt fester and grow into bitterness. If you let a hurt bloom into bitterness, others will be affected by your loss of faith. Evil will find a way to capitalize on that bitterness. The results will always damage lives. God has given us grace and forgiveness and mercy to counteract the root of bitterness. It is vital that you learn to lean upon God’s grace and forgiveness and mercy in order to find true peace and joy again. Otherwise, bitterness will be the final, long-lasting result.
Adrian Rogers wrote on oneplace.com that the root of bitterness begins when you are hurt intentionally or unintentionally. That, then, develops into hostility of all sorts that affects not only you, but those around you. He wrote: “The world is full of people who have not dealt with an old hurt. They look for things to criticize, people to find fault with, and ways to justify the way they feel. Have you ever seen people who are hypercritical? Generally, they are bitter people. They know how to push your hot buttons until you react in a way to further justify their bitterness. Then, they can say, "Aha! I was right. I have a right to be bitter."” Based on his explanation, the onset of bitterness is a hurt that is not worked out with God. It is an emotional or spiritual pain that festers. The initial hurt that causes bitterness may be caused by a traumatic event or a betrayal. It is important when you experience such a situation that you immediately find ways to work it out with God.
Bruce Goodrich was being initiated into the cadet corps at Texas A & M University. One night, Bruce was forced to run until he dropped—but he never got up. Bruce Goodrich died before he even entered college.
A short time after the tragedy, Bruce’s father wrote this letter to the administration, faculty, student body, and the corps of cadets:
“I would like to take this opportunity to express the appreciation of my family for the great outpouring of concern and sympathy from Texas A & M University and the college community over the loss of our son Bruce. We were deeply touched by the tribute paid to him in the battalion. We were particularly pleased to note that his Christian witness did not go unnoticed during his brief time on campus.”
Mr. Goodrich went on: “I hope it will be some comfort to know that we harbor no ill will in the matter. We know our God makes no mistakes. Bruce had an appointment with his Lord and is now secure in his celestial home. When the question is asked, ‘Why did this happen?’ perhaps one answer will be, ‘So that many will consider where they will spend eternity. ‘“ (Our Daily Bread, March 22, 1994”
Instead of harboring ill-will and bitterness at the death of his precious son, Bruce’s father reached out to respond in love. He gave God the glory. He fostered healing with his words. Because of this, bitterness did not grow among the many suffering at Texas A & M. The grace of God offered through Bruce’s father short-circuited the onset of the root of bitterness.
It is important when you are hurt that you turn to God for help. It is crucial that you do not let your hurt fester and grow into bitterness. If you let a hurt bloom into bitterness, others will be affected by your loss of faith. Evil will find a way to capitalize on that bitterness. The results will always damage lives. God has given us grace and forgiveness and mercy to counteract the root of bitterness. It is vital that you learn to lean upon God’s grace and forgiveness and mercy in order to find true peace and joy again. Otherwise, bitterness will be the final, long-lasting result.
September 18
“When Saul arrived in Jerusalem, he tried to meet with the believers, but they were all afraid of him. They did not believe he had truly become a believer! Then Barnabas brought him to the apostles and told them how Saul had seen the Lord on the way to Damascus and how the Lord had spoken to Saul. He also told them that Saul had preached boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus.” (Acts 9:26–27, NLT)
Hugh Lattimer once preached before King Henry VIII. Henry was greatly displeased by the boldness in the sermon and ordered Lattimer to preach again on the following Sunday and apologize for the offence he had given. The next Sunday, after reading his text, he thus began his sermon:
“Hugh Lattimer, dost thou know before whom thou are this day to speak? To the high and mighty monarch, the king’s most excellent majesty, who can take away thy life, if thou offendest. Therefore, take heed that thou speakest not a word that may displease. But then consider well, Hugh, dost thou not know from whence thou comest—upon Whose message thou are sent? Even by the great and mighty God, Who is all-present and Who beholdeth all thy ways and Who is able to cast thy soul into hell! Therefore, take care that thou deliverest thy message faithfully.”
He then preached the same sermon he had preached the preceding Sunday—and with considerably more energy. (M. Cocoris, Evangelism, A Biblical Approach, p. 126)
Lattimer was not ashamed to preach the gospel. He did not water it down to please the king. He did not adjust his preaching to make it more palatable to the King of England. Lattimer’s allegiance was first and foremost to the King of Heaven!
What do Lattimer and the Apostle Paul have in common? They boldly preached their faith in Jesus without watering the message down or making the gospel more pleasing to human attitudes and beliefs. They wanted the world to hear the true gospel, to believe with a righteous faith. Sadly, bold faith is missing among many Christians in these times. For this reason alone, too few believers and nonbelievers alike are exposed to the real gospel or God’s truth.
A survey was given to those attending training sessions for the Billy Graham crusade in Detroit. One question asked, “What is your greatest hindrance to witnessing?”
Nine percent said they were too busy to remember to do it.
Twenty-eight percent felt the lack of real information to share.
None said they didn’t really care.
Twelve percent said their own lives were not speaking as they should.
But by far the largest group were the 51 percent whose biggest problem was the fear of how the other person would react! None of us likes to be rejected, ridiculed, or regarded as an oddball.
(Leighton Ford, Good News is for Sharing, p. 15)
When you choose to speak for Christ to anyone or when you speak up about your faith anywhere, how bold is your witness?
In the scripture for today, the Apostle Paul arrived in Jerusalem to meet some of Jesus’ first disciples. To the Christians of that era, these were some of the greatest of believers! These people had been with Jesus personally. They had witnessed Jesus’ miracles first-hand. They were present at the great moments of our faith! Paul had to be intimidated. However, the reception Paul received was less than stellar. The disciples “were all afraid of him” (Acts 9:26). They did not believe that Paul, who had previously killed Christians like Stephen, now was a Christian himself! (Acts 8:1). Barnabas, who had worked side-by-side with Paul in ministry, tried to change their minds. What convinced the disciples that Paul was a real apostle was that when Paul preached, he “preached boldly in the name of Jesus” (Acts 9:27). Speaking about your faith boldly tells about the depth of your relationship with God. It proclaims loudly that you are serious about your commitment to Jesus.
Think about the last few times you spoke to someone about your faith. Were you timid? Was the person excited about your passion for Jesus or turned off by your lackluster attitude? Did you plant a seed of faith or a seed of doubt? My prayer for you today is that you be bold in your faith. Stand up for what you believe! Be counted among the true believers. Don’t be shy about your love for Jesus. Others are watching.
“Hugh Lattimer, dost thou know before whom thou are this day to speak? To the high and mighty monarch, the king’s most excellent majesty, who can take away thy life, if thou offendest. Therefore, take heed that thou speakest not a word that may displease. But then consider well, Hugh, dost thou not know from whence thou comest—upon Whose message thou are sent? Even by the great and mighty God, Who is all-present and Who beholdeth all thy ways and Who is able to cast thy soul into hell! Therefore, take care that thou deliverest thy message faithfully.”
He then preached the same sermon he had preached the preceding Sunday—and with considerably more energy. (M. Cocoris, Evangelism, A Biblical Approach, p. 126)
Lattimer was not ashamed to preach the gospel. He did not water it down to please the king. He did not adjust his preaching to make it more palatable to the King of England. Lattimer’s allegiance was first and foremost to the King of Heaven!
What do Lattimer and the Apostle Paul have in common? They boldly preached their faith in Jesus without watering the message down or making the gospel more pleasing to human attitudes and beliefs. They wanted the world to hear the true gospel, to believe with a righteous faith. Sadly, bold faith is missing among many Christians in these times. For this reason alone, too few believers and nonbelievers alike are exposed to the real gospel or God’s truth.
A survey was given to those attending training sessions for the Billy Graham crusade in Detroit. One question asked, “What is your greatest hindrance to witnessing?”
Nine percent said they were too busy to remember to do it.
Twenty-eight percent felt the lack of real information to share.
None said they didn’t really care.
Twelve percent said their own lives were not speaking as they should.
But by far the largest group were the 51 percent whose biggest problem was the fear of how the other person would react! None of us likes to be rejected, ridiculed, or regarded as an oddball.
(Leighton Ford, Good News is for Sharing, p. 15)
When you choose to speak for Christ to anyone or when you speak up about your faith anywhere, how bold is your witness?
In the scripture for today, the Apostle Paul arrived in Jerusalem to meet some of Jesus’ first disciples. To the Christians of that era, these were some of the greatest of believers! These people had been with Jesus personally. They had witnessed Jesus’ miracles first-hand. They were present at the great moments of our faith! Paul had to be intimidated. However, the reception Paul received was less than stellar. The disciples “were all afraid of him” (Acts 9:26). They did not believe that Paul, who had previously killed Christians like Stephen, now was a Christian himself! (Acts 8:1). Barnabas, who had worked side-by-side with Paul in ministry, tried to change their minds. What convinced the disciples that Paul was a real apostle was that when Paul preached, he “preached boldly in the name of Jesus” (Acts 9:27). Speaking about your faith boldly tells about the depth of your relationship with God. It proclaims loudly that you are serious about your commitment to Jesus.
Think about the last few times you spoke to someone about your faith. Were you timid? Was the person excited about your passion for Jesus or turned off by your lackluster attitude? Did you plant a seed of faith or a seed of doubt? My prayer for you today is that you be bold in your faith. Stand up for what you believe! Be counted among the true believers. Don’t be shy about your love for Jesus. Others are watching.
September 20
“But Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing. She came to Jesus and said, “Lord, doesn’t it seem unfair to you that my sister just sits here while I do all the work? Tell her to come and help me.” But the Lord said to her, “My dear Martha, you are worried and upset over all these details! There is only one thing worth being concerned about. Mary has discovered it, and it will not be taken away from her.”” (Luke 10:40–42, NLT)
“A former police officer tells of the tactics of roving bands of thieves: ‘They enter the store as a group. One or two separate themselves from the group, and the others start a loud commotion in another section of the store. This grabs the attention of the clerks and customers. As all eyes are turned to the disturbance, the accomplices fill their pockets with merchandise and cash, leaving before anyone suspects. Hours—sometimes even days—later, the victimized merchant realizes things are missing and calls the police. Too late.’
How often this effective strategy is used by the Evil One! We are seduced into paying attention to the distractions, while evil agents ransack our lives. In times when well-publicized sins have captured our attention, we do well to check our own moral pockets to see if we have anything left.” (Tom McHaffie)
How often are you distracted? How often do your prayers ramble off on nonsensical topics while important aspects of your spiritual life go unexamined? Do you let worldly distractions keep you from focusing on your faith? Does your mind wander during worship and before long you aren’t even focusing on godly things?
When cell phones were still rare a number of years ago, I remember sitting in the back of the sanctuary during a worship service in which I didn’t have to preach. It was nice to listen to someone else preach for once! Enjoying the service and the sermon, my attention was captured by a group of young girls off to the far edge of the pew four rows up. Instead of looking at the pastor, they were all hyper-focused toward one girl on the end. They were whispering animatedly, excitedly. I watched more closely. As I did, I realized that the girl on the end was on her cell phone sending text messages from all the different girls in her row to another friend. I found out later that they were sending texts to another girl in the church balcony. If Jesus Christ would have said something from the pulpit that day, those girls would have had no clue. They were utterly distracted by the messages. Because of their distractions, I became distracted because of their hushed antics. None of us were listening to the preacher!
There are so many things that can capture your attention and keep its focus away from the Lord. Like the cell phone captured the attention of the girls in the story above, things as well as people can capture the imagination of those of faith, pulling them away from the holy. While mesmerized by these worldly distractions, they often miss something God is saying. The lust for the latest electronic gadget can easily entice the person to spend inordinate amounts of time and money on the latest fad. Social media has been found to drain the time away from many an internet user. Studies have shown that people are so drawn to social media, likes, memes, and cat videos that they find it difficult to spend time on things that really matter. Entire web sites are dedicated to pulling you away from your responsibilities while you while-away the hours looking at “10 outfits that attract more men” or “puppy videos that will make you smile”.
In the scripture for today from Luke 10, Jesus is at the house of Mary and Martha. He has been invited for a meal. While there, the scripture mentioned that “Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing” (Luke 10:40). She was so caught up in the meal preparations that she got upset at her sister’s fascination with Jesus’ teachings. She even told Jesus that he should force the sister to get back to work (Luke 10:41). Jesus would have nothing of it. He even chastised Marth for being “upset over all the details” instead of allowing her sister Mary to enjoy Jesus’ presence.
Like was with Martha, are there situations when Jesus might want to chastise you for becoming distracted? During prayer or worship, does your attention change focus? Is there something God wants you to focus more attention upon? Are you too upset with the details? As mentioned in the initial story today, the Evil One often uses distractions to pry your attention away from what God desires. The lures of gadgets and trinkets and baubles and sins and pleasures and details can easily draw you away when God needs you entirely focused. Remember when Jesus told his disciples to “watch and pray lest they enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41)? What did they do? They fell asleep only to find out that soldiers were coming for Jesus at that very moment. Inattention and distraction often cause much grief when you fail to notice God’s action or Satan’s games.
How often this effective strategy is used by the Evil One! We are seduced into paying attention to the distractions, while evil agents ransack our lives. In times when well-publicized sins have captured our attention, we do well to check our own moral pockets to see if we have anything left.” (Tom McHaffie)
How often are you distracted? How often do your prayers ramble off on nonsensical topics while important aspects of your spiritual life go unexamined? Do you let worldly distractions keep you from focusing on your faith? Does your mind wander during worship and before long you aren’t even focusing on godly things?
When cell phones were still rare a number of years ago, I remember sitting in the back of the sanctuary during a worship service in which I didn’t have to preach. It was nice to listen to someone else preach for once! Enjoying the service and the sermon, my attention was captured by a group of young girls off to the far edge of the pew four rows up. Instead of looking at the pastor, they were all hyper-focused toward one girl on the end. They were whispering animatedly, excitedly. I watched more closely. As I did, I realized that the girl on the end was on her cell phone sending text messages from all the different girls in her row to another friend. I found out later that they were sending texts to another girl in the church balcony. If Jesus Christ would have said something from the pulpit that day, those girls would have had no clue. They were utterly distracted by the messages. Because of their distractions, I became distracted because of their hushed antics. None of us were listening to the preacher!
There are so many things that can capture your attention and keep its focus away from the Lord. Like the cell phone captured the attention of the girls in the story above, things as well as people can capture the imagination of those of faith, pulling them away from the holy. While mesmerized by these worldly distractions, they often miss something God is saying. The lust for the latest electronic gadget can easily entice the person to spend inordinate amounts of time and money on the latest fad. Social media has been found to drain the time away from many an internet user. Studies have shown that people are so drawn to social media, likes, memes, and cat videos that they find it difficult to spend time on things that really matter. Entire web sites are dedicated to pulling you away from your responsibilities while you while-away the hours looking at “10 outfits that attract more men” or “puppy videos that will make you smile”.
In the scripture for today from Luke 10, Jesus is at the house of Mary and Martha. He has been invited for a meal. While there, the scripture mentioned that “Martha was distracted by the big dinner she was preparing” (Luke 10:40). She was so caught up in the meal preparations that she got upset at her sister’s fascination with Jesus’ teachings. She even told Jesus that he should force the sister to get back to work (Luke 10:41). Jesus would have nothing of it. He even chastised Marth for being “upset over all the details” instead of allowing her sister Mary to enjoy Jesus’ presence.
Like was with Martha, are there situations when Jesus might want to chastise you for becoming distracted? During prayer or worship, does your attention change focus? Is there something God wants you to focus more attention upon? Are you too upset with the details? As mentioned in the initial story today, the Evil One often uses distractions to pry your attention away from what God desires. The lures of gadgets and trinkets and baubles and sins and pleasures and details can easily draw you away when God needs you entirely focused. Remember when Jesus told his disciples to “watch and pray lest they enter into temptation” (Matthew 26:41)? What did they do? They fell asleep only to find out that soldiers were coming for Jesus at that very moment. Inattention and distraction often cause much grief when you fail to notice God’s action or Satan’s games.
September 22
“So David reigned over all Israel. And David administered justice and equity to all his people.”
(2 Samuel 8:15, ESV)
(2 Samuel 8:15, ESV)
Supreme Court Justice Horace Gray once informed a man who had appeared before him in a lower court and had escaped conviction on a technicality, “I know that you are guilty and you know it, and I wish you to remember that one day you will stand before a better and wiser Judge, and that there you will be dealt with according to justice and not according to law.”
God’s system of justice is unbiased and fair. It is based on God’s ability to see everything and determine the heart of the individual. Human laws are fallible. Human courts can be bribed, manipulated, and politically motivated. I’ve heard many a person say that the court system is unfair. I’ve seen much evidence to substantiate that belief. However, God’s justice is perfect. It is absolutely unequaled on earth.
When King David ruled in Israel, he knew much about God. God had been with him from the days of his youth. God gave him access to King Saul. David’s best friend was the son of King Saul. By divine mandate, David slew the great Philistine, Goliath. David was blessed in his many battles. He was kept safe by God’s direction. David was anointed by Samuel to be the next King of Israel. Our scripture for today explains that while David “reigned over all Israel”, he made sure to “administer justice and equity to all the people” (2 Samuel 8:15). Why? David knew God well enough to realize that his leadership must emulate God’s leadership. Since God was just and righteous, David needed to follow the same prescription in his kingship. Since God was fair and equitable, David needed to set the same example among the people.
When I was pastor of my second church, I learned a valuable lesson about the injustices of our world. A woman at that church was very poor. Her children often lacked adequate food and clothing. Family visits to the doctor were not common. The loss of her husband had wrecked the family finances and made the family suffer. The children were losing weight. The woman began experiencing depression. After months of suffering, the family finally began to receive health care and benefits through a government program. This helped them to scrape by week after week.
After speaking with several members of the church, we got the woman a job interview. She got the job! We were all very excited. Then, we realized that her job was eight miles away and the bus route didn’t go there. So, we all pitched in and bought her a very used vehicle and fixed it up to run reliably. The day before her first day at work, the county social worker called to inform her that she and the children would no longer receive health insurance benefits, welfare, or food stamps. She was devastated. She would not receive her first paycheck for over a month! She inquired as to why this happened. She was told that since the church members had purchased her a car and fixed it up, that was counted as her income. She made so much “money” by receiving this car that she and her family no longer qualified for any help from the government! Though she couldn’t work without the car, though she had never received one cent from any of us, she was penalized for our help. It just wasn’t fair.
There are many stories I could tell you why life isn’t fair or about how people treated others without mercy or grace. Despite the fact that the world does not promote God’s idea of justice, that does not mean justice and righteousness and equity are not expected from you. Even if a person treats you unfairly, it does not give you the right to be cruel in return. That’s why the scripture states that vengeance is the Lord’s job (Romans 12:19). God knows best what is righteous and what is not. God knows best how to administer justice. If you want to be a faithful follower of our God, remember David’s example from the scripture today. David learned to “administer justice and equity to all his people”. David wasn’t acting fair and righteous in order to be well liked by his countrymen. He was reigning as a fair king to show respect for God. Since God is just, your ways must be just. You must be equitable to ALL the people, whether they deserve it or not. Do it out of love for God.
Recently, I noticed a chant coming from rioters in Portland, Oregon. They yelled from bullhorns, “No justice, no peace!”. Sadly, it wasn’t God’s justice they wanted to see occur. It was their own brand of justice they were enforcing. Therefore, when they saw a person who carried a different point of view, they attacked the person. On many occasions, they even attacked people who were on their side and believed in their cause. That’s the main problem with human ideas of “justice”. They usually aren’t fair or equitable or righteous.
King David of Israel was determined to follow God’s idea of justice. At times, he succeeded wonderfully. At times, he failed miserably. Still, he was convinced that God’s laws needed to apply to all of life. That is why David was able to administer true justice and equity to the people. In your life, strive to follow God’s idea of justice and righteousness and equity. Someday, you will face that “better and wiser Judge”. You will want that meeting to go well!
Is there a way you can help God’s justice to be applied to a situation? Does someone you know need a little extra measure of grace or mercy? Our world craves God’s justice. Maybe there’s a way to promote God’s justice in your small part of our world.
God’s system of justice is unbiased and fair. It is based on God’s ability to see everything and determine the heart of the individual. Human laws are fallible. Human courts can be bribed, manipulated, and politically motivated. I’ve heard many a person say that the court system is unfair. I’ve seen much evidence to substantiate that belief. However, God’s justice is perfect. It is absolutely unequaled on earth.
When King David ruled in Israel, he knew much about God. God had been with him from the days of his youth. God gave him access to King Saul. David’s best friend was the son of King Saul. By divine mandate, David slew the great Philistine, Goliath. David was blessed in his many battles. He was kept safe by God’s direction. David was anointed by Samuel to be the next King of Israel. Our scripture for today explains that while David “reigned over all Israel”, he made sure to “administer justice and equity to all the people” (2 Samuel 8:15). Why? David knew God well enough to realize that his leadership must emulate God’s leadership. Since God was just and righteous, David needed to follow the same prescription in his kingship. Since God was fair and equitable, David needed to set the same example among the people.
When I was pastor of my second church, I learned a valuable lesson about the injustices of our world. A woman at that church was very poor. Her children often lacked adequate food and clothing. Family visits to the doctor were not common. The loss of her husband had wrecked the family finances and made the family suffer. The children were losing weight. The woman began experiencing depression. After months of suffering, the family finally began to receive health care and benefits through a government program. This helped them to scrape by week after week.
After speaking with several members of the church, we got the woman a job interview. She got the job! We were all very excited. Then, we realized that her job was eight miles away and the bus route didn’t go there. So, we all pitched in and bought her a very used vehicle and fixed it up to run reliably. The day before her first day at work, the county social worker called to inform her that she and the children would no longer receive health insurance benefits, welfare, or food stamps. She was devastated. She would not receive her first paycheck for over a month! She inquired as to why this happened. She was told that since the church members had purchased her a car and fixed it up, that was counted as her income. She made so much “money” by receiving this car that she and her family no longer qualified for any help from the government! Though she couldn’t work without the car, though she had never received one cent from any of us, she was penalized for our help. It just wasn’t fair.
There are many stories I could tell you why life isn’t fair or about how people treated others without mercy or grace. Despite the fact that the world does not promote God’s idea of justice, that does not mean justice and righteousness and equity are not expected from you. Even if a person treats you unfairly, it does not give you the right to be cruel in return. That’s why the scripture states that vengeance is the Lord’s job (Romans 12:19). God knows best what is righteous and what is not. God knows best how to administer justice. If you want to be a faithful follower of our God, remember David’s example from the scripture today. David learned to “administer justice and equity to all his people”. David wasn’t acting fair and righteous in order to be well liked by his countrymen. He was reigning as a fair king to show respect for God. Since God is just, your ways must be just. You must be equitable to ALL the people, whether they deserve it or not. Do it out of love for God.
Recently, I noticed a chant coming from rioters in Portland, Oregon. They yelled from bullhorns, “No justice, no peace!”. Sadly, it wasn’t God’s justice they wanted to see occur. It was their own brand of justice they were enforcing. Therefore, when they saw a person who carried a different point of view, they attacked the person. On many occasions, they even attacked people who were on their side and believed in their cause. That’s the main problem with human ideas of “justice”. They usually aren’t fair or equitable or righteous.
King David of Israel was determined to follow God’s idea of justice. At times, he succeeded wonderfully. At times, he failed miserably. Still, he was convinced that God’s laws needed to apply to all of life. That is why David was able to administer true justice and equity to the people. In your life, strive to follow God’s idea of justice and righteousness and equity. Someday, you will face that “better and wiser Judge”. You will want that meeting to go well!
Is there a way you can help God’s justice to be applied to a situation? Does someone you know need a little extra measure of grace or mercy? Our world craves God’s justice. Maybe there’s a way to promote God’s justice in your small part of our world.
September 25
“When Jesus had stepped out on land, there met him a man from the city who had demons. For a long time he had worn no clothes, and he had not lived in a house but among the tombs.” (Luke 8:27, ESV)
For the next month, Americans will see more and more Halloween decorations go up around homes and businesses. Stores have sold decorations for weeks. This holiday has been secularized from its origins. It used to be a holiday celebrating those of the faithful who have died. Now, October 31st is a day to play with the macabre. Children and adults dress up in costumes as ghosts and ghouls and superheroes and favorite characters. Trick or Treating commences in which children go door-to-door hoping for candy handouts. The theme among most of those who celebrate the holiday is to share what is eerie and scary. Big spiders and webs are strung about. Ghosts made of white sheets are hung from trees. And tombstones are often found decorating the front lawn. For most people, Halloween is a scary holiday filled with fun and frivolity. However, for the man in our scripture for today, fear and demonic possession were his life. His home was found among the tombstones of the dead. He was tormented. He suffered.
Leaving a boat by which He just crossed the Sea of Galilee, Jesus stepped onto the shore in the area of the Gerasenes (Luke 8:26). His ministry was becoming more influential by the day. People were starting to recognize him. So were the demons. As Jesus’s boat hit the shore, barely stepping foot on land, a man rushed out to meet him. The man had “demons”. He wore no clothes. He had no house to live in. He lived “among the tombs” of a graveyard (Luke 8:27). The demons not only tortured this poor man, but they recognized Jesus. The first words out of the man’s mouth were prompted by the demons within, for the man said, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God” (Luke 8:28). The demons in the man already recognized Jesus. They knew his potential. The demons were afraid of Jesus’ power. They begged not to be tortured (Luke 8:28). They begged not to be exorcised (Luke 8:31). The man didn’t suffer from one demon, but from a whole “Legion” of demons. The demons, though many, were afraid of Jesus and God. In the end, the demons were exorcised. The man was healed. The man no longer wanted to live among the tombs. He was so grateful that he desired to travel with Jesus (Luke 8:38).
I find it interesting that the man who was healed no longer wanted to live among the tombs. Once in his right mind, he wanted to go on missions with Jesus and the disciples. I have met many people who were healed and desired to be closer to God. They often left their suffering souls and illness behind. They began to live again. They were given and second chance and were not going to waste it.
While sick, the man who was demon-possessed wanted to live among the tombs. He felt most comfortable living among the dead. Maybe the reason why he felt so comfortable among the tombs was that the demons made him feel dead inside. As long as the demons controlled his life, the man’s days were filled with sorrow and suffering. Feeling dead inside made him desire to be among the dead. The demons made the man feel like there was no use in living.
Demons do that to you. They make you suffer. They are self-destructive. They will make you go places and do things you would never think to go and do when in a right mind. They control your thoughts. They manipulate your situation. It is no surprise the man lived in a graveyard. His life was a living hell. His soul was dead. His situation bleak. He had no future.
But then, Jesus came upon the scene. He changed everything. When healed, the man no longer felt comfortable around the tombstones. He no long wanted to be surrounded by death. He wanted to be with Jesus. He wanted to experience life. Everything changed. No longer suffered from the seizures and chains of the past, he wanted to live to the fullest. He was healed. His soul was alive. His future was no longer dreary. He was ready to leave the tombs and death behind.
When Jesus saves you, everything changes. Your soul will feel new life. The chains of sin and the past will no longer have control over your actions. You will be given new hope. You will want to be closer with God. Those old demonic thoughts will no longer control your actions and darken your days. You will experience a powerful spiritual life. Satan will have no control over your will.
“When Aaron (not his real name) was 15, he began praying to Satan: “I felt like he and I had a partnership.” Aaron started to lie, steal, and manipulate his family and friends. He also experienced nightmares: “I woke up one morning and saw the devil at the end of the bed. He told me that I was going to pass my exams and then die.” Yet when he finished his exams, he lived. Aaron reflected, “It was clear to me that he was a liar.”
Hoping to meet girls, Aaron went to a Christian festival, where a man offered to pray for him. “While he was praying, I felt a sense of peace flood my body.” He felt something “more powerful, and more liberating,” than what he felt from Satan. The man who prayed told Aaron God had a plan and Satan was a liar. This man echoed what Jesus said of Satan when He responded to some who opposed him: “He is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
Aaron turned to Christ from Satanism and now “belongs to God” (v. 47). He ministers in an urban community, sharing the difference following Jesus makes. He’s a living testament of God’s saving power: “I can say with confidence that God saved my life.”” (Daily Bread Ministries, Canada)
The truth is that demons have the ability to inhabit your soul and banish your joy. They can drive you away from your spiritual home and cause you much suffering. Many people who celebrate Halloween play around with the idea of ghosts and ghouls and demons, not realizing that multitudes today suffer from their influence. Many people are dead inside. Mistakes of the past haunt many a soul. Most can't deal with the present, living instead among the tombs of a time long gone. When you find your life filled with guilt and shame and the burden of a sinful past, just remember that Jesus wants to step in and heal you. He wants to take away any power that the past has over you. He wants to unbind the chains of the thoughts that have taken you captive and free you from all that death. He can forgive you even in this moment. He can heal you and bring new life to your soul right now.
Don’t let any part of your mind or soul live enchained to some sin. Don’t let demons bring you down. Jesus is waiting to free your soul today. Are you willing to spend some time talking with the Master of Heaven and Earth?
Leaving a boat by which He just crossed the Sea of Galilee, Jesus stepped onto the shore in the area of the Gerasenes (Luke 8:26). His ministry was becoming more influential by the day. People were starting to recognize him. So were the demons. As Jesus’s boat hit the shore, barely stepping foot on land, a man rushed out to meet him. The man had “demons”. He wore no clothes. He had no house to live in. He lived “among the tombs” of a graveyard (Luke 8:27). The demons not only tortured this poor man, but they recognized Jesus. The first words out of the man’s mouth were prompted by the demons within, for the man said, “What do you want with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God” (Luke 8:28). The demons in the man already recognized Jesus. They knew his potential. The demons were afraid of Jesus’ power. They begged not to be tortured (Luke 8:28). They begged not to be exorcised (Luke 8:31). The man didn’t suffer from one demon, but from a whole “Legion” of demons. The demons, though many, were afraid of Jesus and God. In the end, the demons were exorcised. The man was healed. The man no longer wanted to live among the tombs. He was so grateful that he desired to travel with Jesus (Luke 8:38).
I find it interesting that the man who was healed no longer wanted to live among the tombs. Once in his right mind, he wanted to go on missions with Jesus and the disciples. I have met many people who were healed and desired to be closer to God. They often left their suffering souls and illness behind. They began to live again. They were given and second chance and were not going to waste it.
While sick, the man who was demon-possessed wanted to live among the tombs. He felt most comfortable living among the dead. Maybe the reason why he felt so comfortable among the tombs was that the demons made him feel dead inside. As long as the demons controlled his life, the man’s days were filled with sorrow and suffering. Feeling dead inside made him desire to be among the dead. The demons made the man feel like there was no use in living.
Demons do that to you. They make you suffer. They are self-destructive. They will make you go places and do things you would never think to go and do when in a right mind. They control your thoughts. They manipulate your situation. It is no surprise the man lived in a graveyard. His life was a living hell. His soul was dead. His situation bleak. He had no future.
But then, Jesus came upon the scene. He changed everything. When healed, the man no longer felt comfortable around the tombstones. He no long wanted to be surrounded by death. He wanted to be with Jesus. He wanted to experience life. Everything changed. No longer suffered from the seizures and chains of the past, he wanted to live to the fullest. He was healed. His soul was alive. His future was no longer dreary. He was ready to leave the tombs and death behind.
When Jesus saves you, everything changes. Your soul will feel new life. The chains of sin and the past will no longer have control over your actions. You will be given new hope. You will want to be closer with God. Those old demonic thoughts will no longer control your actions and darken your days. You will experience a powerful spiritual life. Satan will have no control over your will.
“When Aaron (not his real name) was 15, he began praying to Satan: “I felt like he and I had a partnership.” Aaron started to lie, steal, and manipulate his family and friends. He also experienced nightmares: “I woke up one morning and saw the devil at the end of the bed. He told me that I was going to pass my exams and then die.” Yet when he finished his exams, he lived. Aaron reflected, “It was clear to me that he was a liar.”
Hoping to meet girls, Aaron went to a Christian festival, where a man offered to pray for him. “While he was praying, I felt a sense of peace flood my body.” He felt something “more powerful, and more liberating,” than what he felt from Satan. The man who prayed told Aaron God had a plan and Satan was a liar. This man echoed what Jesus said of Satan when He responded to some who opposed him: “He is a liar and the father of lies” (John 8:44).
Aaron turned to Christ from Satanism and now “belongs to God” (v. 47). He ministers in an urban community, sharing the difference following Jesus makes. He’s a living testament of God’s saving power: “I can say with confidence that God saved my life.”” (Daily Bread Ministries, Canada)
The truth is that demons have the ability to inhabit your soul and banish your joy. They can drive you away from your spiritual home and cause you much suffering. Many people who celebrate Halloween play around with the idea of ghosts and ghouls and demons, not realizing that multitudes today suffer from their influence. Many people are dead inside. Mistakes of the past haunt many a soul. Most can't deal with the present, living instead among the tombs of a time long gone. When you find your life filled with guilt and shame and the burden of a sinful past, just remember that Jesus wants to step in and heal you. He wants to take away any power that the past has over you. He wants to unbind the chains of the thoughts that have taken you captive and free you from all that death. He can forgive you even in this moment. He can heal you and bring new life to your soul right now.
Don’t let any part of your mind or soul live enchained to some sin. Don’t let demons bring you down. Jesus is waiting to free your soul today. Are you willing to spend some time talking with the Master of Heaven and Earth?
September 27
“Now I exhort you, brethren, by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and that there be no divisions among you, but that you be made complete in the same mind and in the same judgment.” (1 Corinthians 1:10, NASB95)
Woodrow Wilson, an American President respected for his willingness to compromise said, “The way we generally strive for rights is by getting our fighting blood up; and I venture to say that is the long way and not the short way. If you come at me with your fists doubled, I think I can promise you that mine will double as fast as yours; but if you come to me and say, “Let us sit down and take counsel together, and, if we differ from one another, understand why it is that we differ from one another, just what the points at issue are,” we will presently find that we are not so far apart after all, that the points on which we differ are few and the points on which we agree are many, and that if we only have the patience and the candor and the desire to get together, we will get together.” (Woodrow Wilson, Bits & Pieces, September 17, 1992, pp. 14-15)
Wilson’s words sound hopeful. I only wish I was as hopeful about disagreements in modern times. Today’s world seems entirely full of people who do not have the “patience and candor and desire to get together” on their differences. Congress has taken sides. Opinion polls are split. Instead of listening, protestors get together to scream through bullhorns and yell their chants, not willing to listen to or respect another opinion. Mainstream media eggs it on. They salivate with excitement when they hear of disagreements and fights, of protests and power plays. Not wishing to report when people are civil and work together, they are thrilled to report when people fight and fuss and fume. They love to throw gasoline on any ideological fire.
You might think that Christians deal with disagreements better than the world. I wish it were true. Recorded history tells of many church splits, of schisms that destroyed entire denominations, of groups that cannot get along. Right now, organizations within the United Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church, the Methodist churches, and the Roman Catholic Church are advocating splitting up their denomination because of differences of theology or opinion or political belief. So often, the church fights like the world, breaking into opposing sides and fighting over viewpoints. All too often, Christians take sides, throw down the gauntlet, and “fight the good fight”. Even Christians can make a church fight sound like a crusade for Christ, with one side being full of faithful martyrs while the other side is mired in sin.
In the gospel of John, a prayer of Jesus was recorded. In John 17, that prayer was written down for all ages and generations. In it, Jesus prayed that His disciples may be united as He and God the Father were united (1 John 1:11). With this prayer, Jesus had a hope that the disciples would be willing to work together, learn from one another, and stand as one. The apostle Paul continued this line of reasoning by adding in the scripture for today that “by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and there be no divisions among you” (1 Corinthians 1:10). Paul wanted Christians to “be made complete in the same mind and the same judgment”. He desired the faithful to set aside their differences and come together because of Jesus. Are you willing to follow these examples?
A woman came to see me in my office. She looked forlorn as she sat down in the chair across from me. In the next half hour, she described to me one of the great difficulties in her life. She had a daughter who was a lesbian. The daughter wanted her mom to accept her lifestyle and behavior. The mother was a strong Christian and confided to me that she believed that the Bible’s stance against homosexuality is clear. Her daughter wanted the woman to accept her lifestyle, complaining that she was not very loving because she wouldn’t accept her daughter’s lifestyle. The two could hardly face each other without some amount of hurt and pain. She asked me what to do.
I began by acknowledging her faith. This woman was right about the Bible. It has a clear stance against homosexuality. I said that the daughter was right also in that there needed to be love between them. The woman could not accept her daughter’s lifestyle. She believed that it was sinful to live that lifestyle, but she loved her daughter. I could envision her dilemma. In the end, we came up with a plan that was faithful to God. The woman first told her daughter that she loved her dearly and that her love would never lessen. She also told her that God loved the daughter even more! But, the woman told her daughter that it was her belief that the homosexual lifestyle was neither beneficial nor biblical. She begged her daughter to accept the fact that they believed differently, and that it was okay to do so. She also urged that they should just love each other “to the ends of the earth”! God is the judge. Mother and daughter can disagree on the rightness of homosexuality. Their love was so very important. In the end, the mother did not compromise her beliefs. The daughter felt loved and cherished. The two became closer than ever. The disagreement did not stop their love for each other nor their respect for Christ.
In everything, Christians should be willing to set aside their differences and come together in the name of Christ. While some Christians and non-Christians alike seek to cause division and foment disagreement, you need to stand up for what is right while at the same time respecting God’s authority. You need to refrain from playing the judge and strive to accept those who are different. Even when treated poorly, you are obligated to offer grace in Jesus. God comes first. Disagreements should not define your spiritual life.
Yes, there are people with whom you can never agree.
Yes, there are people with whom you will never be able to agree to disagree.
Yes, there are Christians who will fight to the death over an issue (they may even worship the issue!).
Yes, there are people who will cause you undue suffering when you stand firm for your faith.
Yes, there are issues that will define us, but we must never let them divide us. Jesus wanted us to “be one”.
Are you willing to listen to someone who thinks differently in order to come to an understanding in Jesus? Even if another person can’t come to an understanding with you, that doesn’t mean you have to fight your cause to the death! Follow God’s will, but continually search for a common ground with all others.
Wilson’s words sound hopeful. I only wish I was as hopeful about disagreements in modern times. Today’s world seems entirely full of people who do not have the “patience and candor and desire to get together” on their differences. Congress has taken sides. Opinion polls are split. Instead of listening, protestors get together to scream through bullhorns and yell their chants, not willing to listen to or respect another opinion. Mainstream media eggs it on. They salivate with excitement when they hear of disagreements and fights, of protests and power plays. Not wishing to report when people are civil and work together, they are thrilled to report when people fight and fuss and fume. They love to throw gasoline on any ideological fire.
You might think that Christians deal with disagreements better than the world. I wish it were true. Recorded history tells of many church splits, of schisms that destroyed entire denominations, of groups that cannot get along. Right now, organizations within the United Church of Christ, the Episcopal Church, the Methodist churches, and the Roman Catholic Church are advocating splitting up their denomination because of differences of theology or opinion or political belief. So often, the church fights like the world, breaking into opposing sides and fighting over viewpoints. All too often, Christians take sides, throw down the gauntlet, and “fight the good fight”. Even Christians can make a church fight sound like a crusade for Christ, with one side being full of faithful martyrs while the other side is mired in sin.
In the gospel of John, a prayer of Jesus was recorded. In John 17, that prayer was written down for all ages and generations. In it, Jesus prayed that His disciples may be united as He and God the Father were united (1 John 1:11). With this prayer, Jesus had a hope that the disciples would be willing to work together, learn from one another, and stand as one. The apostle Paul continued this line of reasoning by adding in the scripture for today that “by the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you all agree and there be no divisions among you” (1 Corinthians 1:10). Paul wanted Christians to “be made complete in the same mind and the same judgment”. He desired the faithful to set aside their differences and come together because of Jesus. Are you willing to follow these examples?
A woman came to see me in my office. She looked forlorn as she sat down in the chair across from me. In the next half hour, she described to me one of the great difficulties in her life. She had a daughter who was a lesbian. The daughter wanted her mom to accept her lifestyle and behavior. The mother was a strong Christian and confided to me that she believed that the Bible’s stance against homosexuality is clear. Her daughter wanted the woman to accept her lifestyle, complaining that she was not very loving because she wouldn’t accept her daughter’s lifestyle. The two could hardly face each other without some amount of hurt and pain. She asked me what to do.
I began by acknowledging her faith. This woman was right about the Bible. It has a clear stance against homosexuality. I said that the daughter was right also in that there needed to be love between them. The woman could not accept her daughter’s lifestyle. She believed that it was sinful to live that lifestyle, but she loved her daughter. I could envision her dilemma. In the end, we came up with a plan that was faithful to God. The woman first told her daughter that she loved her dearly and that her love would never lessen. She also told her that God loved the daughter even more! But, the woman told her daughter that it was her belief that the homosexual lifestyle was neither beneficial nor biblical. She begged her daughter to accept the fact that they believed differently, and that it was okay to do so. She also urged that they should just love each other “to the ends of the earth”! God is the judge. Mother and daughter can disagree on the rightness of homosexuality. Their love was so very important. In the end, the mother did not compromise her beliefs. The daughter felt loved and cherished. The two became closer than ever. The disagreement did not stop their love for each other nor their respect for Christ.
In everything, Christians should be willing to set aside their differences and come together in the name of Christ. While some Christians and non-Christians alike seek to cause division and foment disagreement, you need to stand up for what is right while at the same time respecting God’s authority. You need to refrain from playing the judge and strive to accept those who are different. Even when treated poorly, you are obligated to offer grace in Jesus. God comes first. Disagreements should not define your spiritual life.
Yes, there are people with whom you can never agree.
Yes, there are people with whom you will never be able to agree to disagree.
Yes, there are Christians who will fight to the death over an issue (they may even worship the issue!).
Yes, there are people who will cause you undue suffering when you stand firm for your faith.
Yes, there are issues that will define us, but we must never let them divide us. Jesus wanted us to “be one”.
Are you willing to listen to someone who thinks differently in order to come to an understanding in Jesus? Even if another person can’t come to an understanding with you, that doesn’t mean you have to fight your cause to the death! Follow God’s will, but continually search for a common ground with all others.
September 29
“Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.” (James 1:2–4, ESV)
A man went to a psychiatrist and complained about an inferiority complex. The doctor listened to him for a while, then gave him a good news/bad news diagnosis: “The good news,” said the doctor, “Is that you don’t have a complex. The bad news is—you are inferior!” (Gary Inrig, source unknown)
The above paragraph is meant to be a joke. It was written to make light of the fact that some people have strong feelings of inferiority. For some, there is even a psychological condition known as an “inferiority complex”, where a person feels inferior to others despite evidence to the contrary. Many people deal with these feelings of inferiority or even inferiority complexes. For Christians, this may morph into feelings that one is inadequate to go to heaven, is never “good enough” for church leadership, or is too weak to overcome Satan’s games or life’s challenges. Have you ever felt incapable and inferior? Have you ever doubted your own God-given abilities? If so, this meditation is perfect for you!
When James wrote his letter to fellow Christians who had been dispersed throughout the Roman Empire due to persecution (see James 1:1), he intended the writing as a sort of manual on being a Christian. He included a variety of different aspects of the Christian life. In the scripture for today, given above, James began this manual with encouragement for those who would “meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2). James knew that Christians in the first century were apt to run into persecution and suffering from both Jewish authorities and Roman leaders. James did not encourage these early Christians to hide their faith nor flee the persecution. Instead, James understood these various trials to be “a testing of faith that produces steadfastness” (James 1:3). James believed that a steadfast, sturdy, and tested faith had a great “effect” on a truly faithful Christian. If the person persevered through the trials, he or she became “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:4). In effect, James believed that perseverance through trials resulted in the truly faithful Christian becoming stronger in faith and more secure in his or her relationship with God.
Where James saw a Christian working faithfully through the trials of life as more perfect and complete, many Christians today work hard to avoid such trials and challenges. Without experiencing trials in life, a Christian will lack a steadfast faith and the courage it brings. By not facing down the trials of life, the sheltered Christian lacks a steadfast and strong faith that results in a “perfect and complete” relationship in the eyes of Almighty God. There is a direct connection between facing times of trial and growing deeper in one’s faith. If you hide your faith, shy away from responsibilities, shirk your obligations to Christ, and run away from painful situations, you will feel inferior. You will never become “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” when it comes to your faith. You will not grow closer to God nor become more steadfast in your beliefs. You will feel inferior and weak in spiritual strength.
Thirty years ago, I asked two people to consider youth leadership in my church at the time. I prayed with them both. I encouraged them both. I supported them equally. One man spent several years as a youth leader and then moved on to other church leadership positions. The other got her feelings hurt and pulled away from leadership and participation in the church. The man faced some serious issues in that growing church. He dealt with a pregnant youth member, two suicidal teens, angry parents, and more. Throughout it all, he persevered and grew in faith. The woman was hurt by some of the things that were said during a heated exchange with parents. She gave up her leadership, pulled back from the youth, and for a long time felt resentment toward a few members. Today, both are still Christians. The man has taken on many roles in the church and has even filled in for an ailing pastor. The woman is still angry and resentful at the “unfair behavior” she faced decades ago. The man is growing strong and steadfast in faith. The woman’s faith is faltering and fragile. She has even been known to stop coming to church for months. The man would never do so.
As drawn from the scripture for today, there is a direct connection between a faith that perseveres through times of trial and a faith that is “lacking in nothing”. A person who has gone through trials and held on tightly to Almighty God has no need for feelings of inferiority. He or she will know how God and faith are strong enough to face any trial, overcome any challenge. If you have feelings of inferiority in your thoughts, maybe you haven’t weathered trials holding on tightly to Almighty God. Maybe those feelings of inferiority arose when you hid your faith or backed away from a challenge God put before you. You can never be complete in Christ, lacking nothing, if you run away from your responsibilities when God wants you to remain trustworthy and true.
If you are feeling inferior thoughts in relation to your faith, ask God for strength. Deal with those challenges and trials in life you have not faced or finished. Don't run away from them. Hold fast to the God who will carry you through. Be strong in the Lord. You will never regret being one who overcomes in the name of the Lord. Those who persevere with God have no need to feel inferior. The truly faithful have their strength in the Lord who made heaven and earth!
The above paragraph is meant to be a joke. It was written to make light of the fact that some people have strong feelings of inferiority. For some, there is even a psychological condition known as an “inferiority complex”, where a person feels inferior to others despite evidence to the contrary. Many people deal with these feelings of inferiority or even inferiority complexes. For Christians, this may morph into feelings that one is inadequate to go to heaven, is never “good enough” for church leadership, or is too weak to overcome Satan’s games or life’s challenges. Have you ever felt incapable and inferior? Have you ever doubted your own God-given abilities? If so, this meditation is perfect for you!
When James wrote his letter to fellow Christians who had been dispersed throughout the Roman Empire due to persecution (see James 1:1), he intended the writing as a sort of manual on being a Christian. He included a variety of different aspects of the Christian life. In the scripture for today, given above, James began this manual with encouragement for those who would “meet trials of various kinds” (James 1:2). James knew that Christians in the first century were apt to run into persecution and suffering from both Jewish authorities and Roman leaders. James did not encourage these early Christians to hide their faith nor flee the persecution. Instead, James understood these various trials to be “a testing of faith that produces steadfastness” (James 1:3). James believed that a steadfast, sturdy, and tested faith had a great “effect” on a truly faithful Christian. If the person persevered through the trials, he or she became “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” (James 1:4). In effect, James believed that perseverance through trials resulted in the truly faithful Christian becoming stronger in faith and more secure in his or her relationship with God.
Where James saw a Christian working faithfully through the trials of life as more perfect and complete, many Christians today work hard to avoid such trials and challenges. Without experiencing trials in life, a Christian will lack a steadfast faith and the courage it brings. By not facing down the trials of life, the sheltered Christian lacks a steadfast and strong faith that results in a “perfect and complete” relationship in the eyes of Almighty God. There is a direct connection between facing times of trial and growing deeper in one’s faith. If you hide your faith, shy away from responsibilities, shirk your obligations to Christ, and run away from painful situations, you will feel inferior. You will never become “perfect and complete, lacking in nothing” when it comes to your faith. You will not grow closer to God nor become more steadfast in your beliefs. You will feel inferior and weak in spiritual strength.
Thirty years ago, I asked two people to consider youth leadership in my church at the time. I prayed with them both. I encouraged them both. I supported them equally. One man spent several years as a youth leader and then moved on to other church leadership positions. The other got her feelings hurt and pulled away from leadership and participation in the church. The man faced some serious issues in that growing church. He dealt with a pregnant youth member, two suicidal teens, angry parents, and more. Throughout it all, he persevered and grew in faith. The woman was hurt by some of the things that were said during a heated exchange with parents. She gave up her leadership, pulled back from the youth, and for a long time felt resentment toward a few members. Today, both are still Christians. The man has taken on many roles in the church and has even filled in for an ailing pastor. The woman is still angry and resentful at the “unfair behavior” she faced decades ago. The man is growing strong and steadfast in faith. The woman’s faith is faltering and fragile. She has even been known to stop coming to church for months. The man would never do so.
As drawn from the scripture for today, there is a direct connection between a faith that perseveres through times of trial and a faith that is “lacking in nothing”. A person who has gone through trials and held on tightly to Almighty God has no need for feelings of inferiority. He or she will know how God and faith are strong enough to face any trial, overcome any challenge. If you have feelings of inferiority in your thoughts, maybe you haven’t weathered trials holding on tightly to Almighty God. Maybe those feelings of inferiority arose when you hid your faith or backed away from a challenge God put before you. You can never be complete in Christ, lacking nothing, if you run away from your responsibilities when God wants you to remain trustworthy and true.
If you are feeling inferior thoughts in relation to your faith, ask God for strength. Deal with those challenges and trials in life you have not faced or finished. Don't run away from them. Hold fast to the God who will carry you through. Be strong in the Lord. You will never regret being one who overcomes in the name of the Lord. Those who persevere with God have no need to feel inferior. The truly faithful have their strength in the Lord who made heaven and earth!
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!