Kingdom Without End - Luke 1:32-33

“He will be great and will be called the Son of the Most High. And the Lord God will give to him the throne of his father David, and he will reign over the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end.” - Luke 1:32-33

    Christmas day celebrates the birth of a King - our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Denying that Christ is King is about as logical as denying tomorrow’s sunrise. He created the universe and in Him its existence is secure. “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together.” - Colossians 1: 15-17. Neither the Muslim, the Buddhist, the Hindu, the atheist, nor the Pagan druid have Him for their king, for they do not have Jesus!
    Despite the secularization of Christmas, many still understand and believe the adage, “Christ - the reason for the season.” Because without the birth of Jesus Christ there would be no Christmas. More importantly, without Jesus there would be no redemption from eternal death, there would be no forgiveness in Christ’s death upon the cross, and there would be no eternal security in Jesus’ resurrection from the dead! “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you, who by God's power are being guarded through faith for a salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” - 1 Peter 1:3-5.
    Jesus was born into humble circumstances. He was not born in some regal palace. His first bed was a manger, a feeding trough from which farm animals were fed. His life was lived for thirty years as a lowly carpenter without fame or notoriety. His death was among thieves as He hung from a wooden cross. Humiliation marked His life right up until the final humiliation: as was foretold, the push of a Roman spear into His side while He still hung from His cross. “But when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he is telling the truth—that you also may believe. For these things took place that the Scripture might be fulfilled: “Not one of his bones will be broken.” And again another Scripture says, “They will look on him whom they have pierced.” - John 19:33-37.
    A lifetime and a death marked by humility, yet His burial was among the rich - “Now there was a man named Joseph, from the Jewish town of Arimathea. He was a member of the council, a good and righteous man, who had not consented to their decision and action; and he was looking for the kingdom of God. This man went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then he took it down and wrapped it in a linen shroud and laid him in a tomb cut in stone, where no one had ever yet been laid.” - Luke 23:50-53. And so in His death, Jesus was buried among the noble and the rich. It was the beginning of His exaltation. All this was done so that we might be justified before our heavenly Father. This is why Jesus was born - to save us from our sins and lead us into His kingdom.
    Let us take time today to be thankful for the Kingdom of God, a kingdom without end. Forever reignes the Prophet, Priest, and King!  Merry Christmas!   

The Spirits Must Be Tested - 1 John 4:1

   
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world. - 1 John 4:1

    Truth be told, there is only one way to test the spirits to see whether they are from God or not: verify them with the Bible! Today, the most pervasive and poisonous teachings are being spread through the “Christian” church at a rate that is truly hard to process. Everything from the false teaching that God wants us to be financially prosperous to the erroneous idea that God will accept us as we are with no need for us to change. “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.” - 2 Timothy 4:3-4.
    The one thing these various false teachings have in common is that they are nowhere found within or supported by the Word of God: the Bible. In fact, for any false teaching that is taught, one can find the exact opposite of its patent untruth within Holy Scripture. Take a false teaching, any false teaching and the Bible will correct it in word and spirit! Everyone should be prosperous? “For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me.” - Matthew 26:11. Holding onto our sin despite our claim to redemption? “Jesus stood up and said to her, ‘Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?’ She said, ‘No one, Lord.’ And Jesus said, ‘Neither do I condemn you; go, and from now on sin no more.’” - John 8:10-11.
    The fact is that there are no “Liberation Theologies” contained within God’s Word. There is no Prosperity Gospel nor is there a Health Gospel. There is but one Gospel: the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He came into the world with one mission, one purpose - “She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” - Matthew 1:21. In fact, any teaching that does not point back to the Messiah is a false teaching! Any teaching that doesn’t point back to the Cross is a false teaching. And any teaching that does not point to Jesus Christ as the one mediator between God and man, as our Lord and Savior, and as our Prophet, Priest, and King, is a false teaching.
    The false teachers present and advance their soothing poison specifically because they have a welcoming audience. These are the people who claim to have found “the church for people who don’t like church.” These “christians” could never sit under the teaching of honorable preachers like John Knox, George Whitefield, Jonathan Edwards, Charles Spurgeon, David Martyn Lloyd Jones, or R.C. Sproul! In fact, the only preachers that such Christians could follow are of the most unscrupulous kind. Men who are “in it” for what they themselves can get out of it. “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions, and constant friction among people who are depraved in mind and deprived of the truth, imagining that godliness is a means of gain.” - 1 Timothy 6:3-5.
    One with a grasp on the holiness of God can see very plainly the error of such false teaching. And the only means of acquiring a grasp on the holiness of God is through His inerrant and infallible Word; the Bible. That is why it is of the utmost importance to test the spirits to see if they are from God and not the mere cacophony of the wolves in sheep’s clothing.

Samson’s Sleep - Judges 16:20

And she said, “The Philistines are upon you, Samson!” And he awoke from his sleep and said, “I will go out as at other times and shake myself free.” But he did not know that the Lord had left him. - Judges 16:20

    Most Americans have heard the biblical story of Samson. There have been many film accounts of his life and times. Many an aphorism has been quipped about ‘Samson and Delilah.’ It is Samson’s fall from grace that this post deals with.
    Samson’s stumble, while initiated by Delilah’s desire to know the source of his strength, came about, as a result, of his own personal failure. It was Samson’s attraction to a Philistine woman that placed him in spiritual jeopardy. It was his succumbing to her wiles that brought him to his shearing by his enemies. It was his reliance upon his own pride that blinded him and placed him in chains. All of these events occurred when, in his self-assurance, he fell asleep!
    Have we too, in our own pride, fallen asleep and forgotten Christ’s words of warning -
“Therefore stay awake— for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.” - Mark 13:35-37. Jesus is simply commanding us to be vigilant. Such vigilance requires tenacity and strength of purpose. We cannot maintain our guard if we fall asleep due to being self-absorbed.
    The supposition in the title verse that “the Lord had left him” is merely a play on words since we know from Holy Scripture that God will never leave us or forsake us. “For the Lord will not forsake his people; he will not abandon his heritage.” - Psalm 94:14. The weight of Samson’s tribulation lay with Samson for letting his guard down and falling asleep in the midst of his enemies! The aftermath was humbling for Samson the Great - “And the Philistines seized him and gouged out his eyes and brought him down to Gaza and bound him with bronze shackles. And he ground at the mill in the prison.” - Judges 16:21-22. The lesson of Samson’s sleep should not be ignored. “The hand of the diligent will rule, while the slothful will be put to forced labor.” - Proverbs 12:24. In our worldly pride and self-assurance have we too fallen spiritually asleep?
    As Christians, we must maintain our watch for the coming of Jesus. We cannot afford to become complacent in our faith. “Therefore let anyone who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall.” - 1 Corinthians 10:12. About our commitment to Christ, we cannot become lulled by the world into a state of slumber. “Stay dressed for action and keep your lamps burning, and be like men who are waiting for their master to come home from the wedding feast, so that they may open the door to him at once when he comes and knocks.” - Luke 12:35-36.
    How can we avoid the sleep of Samson? Scripture tells us what we must do to stave off the desire to close our eyes and give in to the world - “Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” - Mark 14:38. Maintaining our vigil and prayer are the tools we need to engage in if we are to be successful in our effort to forestall the worldly desire to simply close our eyes for a little while.
    Jesus continues to admonish us to remain vigilant and pray - “But stay awake at all times, praying that you may have strength to escape all these things that are going to take place, and to stand before the Son of Man.” -Luke 21:36.   
    Finally, Paul’s words would have been a saving grace to Samson if he had heard and heeded the Apostle’s warning - “So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:6. The “others” that Paul speaks about are those ‘of the world.’ And Scripture has assured us that while we are in the world, we are not of the world. Let us leave pride and self-assurance to the world and rest our faith in Christ, Who has overcome the world.

The Power & The Purpose Of The Cross - Mark 8:34

And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me." - Mark 8:34

    For most people, the very idea of a crucified Christ is too far beyond the pale of good taste for conversation. The task of nailing a human being to a crucifix with the expressed intention of watching him bleed out or die from asphyxiation is simply a taboo subject for social gatherings. Now, if you don’t believe that, bring it up at your next get-together. But unless we understand the nature of the Cross, how are to ever understand its power and purpose? “For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” - 1 Corinthians 1:18.
    As for the sheer power of the Cross, we can testify that it has the power to save us from our sins and the spiritual death that accompanies them. We know this because Jesus died for us and in dying for us, He died for our sins. “. . .  but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Since, therefore, we have now been justified by his blood, much more shall we be saved by him from the wrath of God.” - Romans 5:8-9. That great wooden crucifix has more power than we, constrained by our human limitations, could ever grasp. “ . . . by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.” Colossians 2:14. 
    We often speak of the weight of the world. How great the weight of our sins must have been to Jesus hanging on the Cross. Christ incarnate had one job which He accomplished magnificently through His death. “And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.” - Philippians 2:8.
    In Christ’s death on a Cross,  we witness Him destroying the decay and corruption of sin that manifests itself in life without Him. Our enmity with God is finally and ultimately removed. And this leads us to the purpose of the Cross. “He himself bore our sins in his body on the tree, that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. By his wounds you have been healed.” - 1 Peter 2:24. Christ’s whole purpose; in fact, the purpose of the Cross is to reconcile us with God.
“There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” - Romans 8:1.
    The power of the Cross is its ability to save us from our sins, something we can never do on our own. The purpose of the Cross is to do exactly that - to save us from our sins! How important is the Cross to our salvation? Jesus made it clear with these words - “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me.” - Luke 9:23.
We are called to emulate Christ by entering through the narrow gate, by taking up our own crosses, to follow Him. The power and the purpose of the Cross mark its importance in our lives only once we have decided to follow Jesus. Those who refuse to follow Him will never know the pain and the tribulation of following Christ. They will never know the heartache of family division over the Name above all names. They will never know the weight of remaining faithful even unto death. But neither will they know the promise of glory and eternal life reserved for those who persevere in their faith.
     “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! According to his great mercy, he has caused us to be born again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, kept in heaven for you . . .” - 1 Peter 1:3-4. This is the Power and the purpose of the Cross: the guarantee of eternal life, the ultimate result of the Cross; salvation through the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Heart Of Gratitude - Romans 11:36

 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen.
 - Romans 11:36

    Everything we have, are, possess, enjoy, defend, and love have their beginnings in God. There is nothing created or sustained that is not of God. “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” - Genesis 1:1. That is the totality of existence described in one sentence. If we have it in our lives we should be grateful for the providence of God since without Him, neither we nor what we love would not exist! “And He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together.” - Colossians 1:17.
    As we join with family and friends over a Thanksgiving dinner, we should remember the source, the genesis of all we have to be thankful for, beginning with God Almighty. “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.” - James 1:17.
    Many of us spend far too much of our lives complaining and grousing about the things we don’t have. We pine over the things we think would fulfill us. We mourn over the things we feel have been denied to us. The old adage comes into view here - “Be careful what you wish for.” Do we ever think that there is a good reason, a godly reason, we have failed to obtain these whimsical desires? Could it be that in God’s wisdom He has deemed that what we wish for would do us more harm than good? Do we ever take those moments of denial to refocus our hearts and minds on things that truly will be of benefit to us? “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” - James 4:3.
    But what of all the things we do have? Consider your home, your family, your friends, your education, your job, your very life and all the gracious gifts that God has bestowed upon you. Count each and every blessing! An honest assessment will prove that you have more than you lack. Be grateful for the things you have. Many others have been denied even that.
    And if you should suffer a loss of health, employment, a loved one, or a family member is ripping away at your sense of contentment, remember the words of Paul. “Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” - Philippians 4: 11-13.
    This is the heart of gratitude: to be content in any circumstance God sees fit to place us in.
What may seem like an unbearable burden upon our bodies, minds, and souls, has come upon us for a reason. And we may never know why. But trusting in God can bring us through anything we face in life. Things may not end up the way we had hoped or planned but be sure, they end up according to God’s plan for us. “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” - Romans 8:28.
    A grateful heart brings sunshine even on the cloudiest day. With gratitude comes peace of mind and soul. Take a moment today to share with family and friends all the reasons you are grateful, Then thank God!
Happy Thanksgiving!

Lost & Found: Reverent Christian Worship - Psalm 29:2

Lost & Found: Reverent Christian Worship - Psalm 29:2: Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness. - Psalm 29:2     It has been variously describe...

Reverent Christian Worship - Psalm 29:2

Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name; worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness.
- Psalm 29:2

    It has been variously described as tedious, unstimulating, boring, dull, monotonous, and unimaginative. The “it” I’m referring to is the liturgy of a Christian service. This liturgy and there are many stylized versions of it, represents the manner of worship during services in our Christian churches. All those lukewarm descriptions of the liturgy are the excuses many give for not attending a traditional Christian service.
    Most people are aware of the Roman liturgy known as “the Mass.” For Protestants, churches can be divided into two major categories - “liturgical Protestant and non-liturgical Protestant.” I attend a “liturgical Protestant church” with a formal order of worship or set liturgy.
    Many denominations mean many forms of worship. Do they all give glory to God’s name? Do they all lead to worship in the splendor of holiness? “Oh come, let us worship and bow down; let us kneel before the Lord, our Maker!” - Psalm 95:6.
    God has commanded us to worship Him in awe, reverence, and fear - “Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness; tremble before him, all the earth!”- Psalm 96:9. It is true. When we attend service we should come prepared to worship God, the Creator, and Sustainer of the world. Our focus must be on reverently worshiping God, not on what best entertains us.
     At this point I would like to interject; there is a too familiar casualness that many Christians project when coming to worship services. Please, check the flip-flops and the mocha cappuccinos at the door. Adoration and veneration do not come glibly wearing cut-offs and tank or bringing egg McMuffins into the presence of the Lord. No, perhaps not of us all have suits or blazers but we all should have an outfit or two that can be seen as our “Sunday best.” And we can all wait for breakfast. Remember; we are in the presence of the Lord God Almighty! We should dress and conduct ourselves appropriately.
    Getting back to the subject of proper liturgical worship; when we attend service in the house of God shouldn’t our worship style reflect the reverence we have for our God? Shouldn’t the Holy Gospel be front and center of our worship? We can certainly be entertained by rock bands and carnivals at our festivals and congregational celebrations. We shouldn’t use them as worship tools in place of the Gospel.
    So what kind of worship does God want? Perhaps the words of Isaiah will shed some light on the subject - “And one called to another and said: ‘Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts; the whole earth is full of his glory!’” - Isaiah 6:3. The angels proclaimed the holiness of God - the holiness of God, and we take it upon ourselves to approach worship with an air of informality? God’s holiness demands we approach Him with reverent respect. Even Moses was instructed to remove his sandals in the presence of God’s holiness - “Then he said, ‘Do not come near; take your sandals off your feet, for the place on which you are standing is holy ground.’” - Exodus 3:5.
    Paul tells us how we are to approach God - “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” - Romans 12: 1-2. We are to present ourselves “as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God.” That, I contend, is a far cry from treating Sunday service as a social club.
    Finally, as Peter instructs us - “As obedient children, do not be conformed to the passions of your former ignorance, but as he who called you is holy, you also be holy in all your conduct, since it is written, ‘You shall be holy, for I am holy.’” - 1Peter 1:14-16.
    If your church presently allows distractions from proper reverent Christian worship, perhaps you’re attending the wrong church. Seek a church with an approach to worship that is grounded in the Gospel and the holiness of God.

Kanye And The True Gospel - Matthew 26:11

   
 For you always have the poor with you, but you will not always have me. - Matthew 26:11

    The news this week seemed overwhelmed by the idea that rapper, Kanye West appeared with prosperity gospel preacher, Joel Osteen. The media was abuzz with the usual questions that arise when a previously “worldly celebrity” seems to have found God. It is not that I would begrudge Kanye’s desire to find God active in his life. He is certainly just one among the many of us who could benefit by surrendering himself to Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, because he chose Osteen as his outlet I’m more than a little skeptical of his regeneration.
    For me, the issue is one of Biblical authority. Nowhere in the Holy Bible does God ever promise us prosperity. Nowhere! In fact, as the title verse states: we will always have the poor with us. What that means is that there are simply going to be some individuals who are born into poverty; live in poverty, and finally, die in poverty. That statement is Biblical. The Scriptures refer to the poor throughout the books of the Bible.  It does so specifically to illustrate that there will be rich and if there are rich then it only stands to reason that there will be poor. “The rich and the poor meet together; the Lord is the Maker of them all.” - Proverbs 22:2.
    And what does the Bible say is our responsibility and duty to the poor? We are to clothe and feed them - “And he answered them, ‘Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.’”- Luke 3:11. Our Christian duty is to provide for the poor; about that, there is no argument. We are to see that they are fed, sheltered, protected, and given aid when needed. Jesus went so far as to equate our treatment of the poor with our treatment of Him. “Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’” - Matthew 25:37-40. That is the way we are to treat the poor who will always be among us.
    As for the false gospel of Joel Osteen; to preach prosperity to people when Jesus preached the cross is not only false teaching - it is sinful. Prosperity preachers like Osteen and his ilk are paving their own personal roads to hell. Think about it. What did Jesus say we had to do if we wanted to follow Him? “Then Jesus told his disciples, ‘If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.’” - Matthew16:24. Does that sound like a life filled with all our worldly desires? Does that sound like a life where all our worldly needs are met? I often wonder if Joel Osteen were to ever meet Jesus, what would Joel’s response to Him be when Jesus told him - “And Jesus, looking at him, loved him, and said to him, ‘You lack one thing: go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’” - Mark 10:21. Would Osteen be willing to give all his worldly riches to the poor to follow Jesus? Would Kanye West?
    We live in a troubling time for genuine Biblical Christianity. There are so many false teachers preaching worldly prosperity to a desperate world. Preaching a false message that leads to the false hopes of the world’s sinners is simply seasoning the devil’s stew.
    There is one Gospel: the Gospel of Salvation through faith in Jesus Christ and Jesus Christ alone. The focus of our faith between now and glory has been revealed to us - “Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.  Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” - Philippians 2:9-13. I’m still trying to understand how Joel Osteen and perhaps now, Kanye West see material prosperity in this, the one true Gospel.
Also, see - https//maranathia.blogspot.com/2017/11/what-privilege-proverbs-163.html

Where Christian Anger Is Needed - Ephesians 4:26-27

Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil. - Ephesians 4:26-27

    Anger has become an issue in this day and age simply because there are so many social objections to becoming irate with anyone for any reason thanks to our overly politically correct climate. And many of anger’s greatest opponents, many of them secular progressives, will quote Scriptural verses to back their “holier than thou position.” Psalm 37:8. Proverbs 22:24, Ephesians 4:31, and James 1:20, to name but a few, declare in no uncertain terms the prohibition against anger. But what these cenobites of passivity and tolerance have failed to grasp is that, as in our title verse, we are commanded by God to be angry at times.
    Of course, we’re not to harbor anger in our hearts and that is what the command to “not let the sun go down on your (our) anger” is all about. But to feel righteous indignation or anger is far from prohibited; it is called for.
    An honest assessment of how many times the anger of God is referred to in the Bible will reveal that anger is mentioned more times than God’s love! And what makes God angry is always the same transgression - sin. God is angry with sin.
    English theologian John Stott had this to say about righteous anger -
    “I go further and say that there is a great need in the contemporary world for more Christian anger. We human beings compromise with sin in a way which God never does. In the face of blatant evil we should be indignant not tolerant, angry not apathetic. If God hates sin, his people should hate it too. If evil arouses his anger, it should arouse ours also ‘Hot indignation seizes me because of the wicked, who forsake thy law.’- Psalm 119:53 What other reaction can wickedness be expected to provoke in those who love God?”
    We have a duty as Christians to be angry with evil and sin around us. And while we may not simply go about chastising and physically restraining others from sinning there is still one place we not only have a duty to not tolerate sin but a responsibility to prevent it: in our homes. And the clearest area of control must be upon our children.
    We are cautioned by Scripture regarding the discipline of our children - “Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger, but bring them up in the discipline and instruction of the Lord.” - Ephesians 6:4. The teaching here is clear: we must not spend our time needlessly harassing our children to the point of driving them crazy, but we are told to discipline them and instruct them in the Lord. And this admonition speaks to the evil in our children’s lives. We are not to tolerate sin in their lives no matter under what guise it raises its diabolic head. Whether it be some new social sickness being promoted by the popular culture or just worldly unlawfulness and disrespectful rebellion. We are to shut it down without exception. Under no circumstances may we tolerate sin in the lives of our children. Even if it presents itself as madness we must not make excuse for it.
    Scripture tells us - “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” - Proverbs 22:6.” We train our children because as parents it is our duty to train them. There are only two ways to train a child. One is to train them with moral and ethical thoughts, words, and deeds. The other way is to simply allow them to go their own way. Even a simpleton knows the first way is the right way while the second way leads to perdition. And even though they may complain and object, we must fulfill our responsibility as parents despite their protests. Time will prove us to be right. “For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” - Hebrews 12:11.

Can You Imagine? - Deuteronomy 6:8-9

  
You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes.  You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.
 - Deuteronomy 6:8-9

    Moses had just finished revisiting the Ten Commandments with the Israelites. ‘The Law,’ as God gave it to Moses was complete and without error. Ten objective commands to be followed to the letter by the inheritors of the Promised Land. And what many have interpreted as merely a way to remember the commands is actually the way to keep the commands.
    As “a sign on your hand,” the Commandments are to be seen in our actions and deeds. The unbelieving world must be able to see our commitments to God’s laws by our behavior, on our bad days as well as our good days. As “frontlets between our eyes,” they must be able to see our obedience to God in our faces. In fact, as written on the doorpost and gates of our homes, our very lives, at home and abroad, should reflect our obedience to God’s Commandments for all to see. “But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves.” - James 1:22.
    As James tells us, we must ‘doers of the word,’ not just hearers! And if we follow Moses’ instructions in Deuteronomy 6:8-9, we will no doubt be doers because God’s laws will be apparent in our homes as well as in our lives. We must do away with the notion that despite our imperfect fulfilling of the law that we still ‘pretty good people.’ That is not to say that we must be perfect in all our ways. What it does say is that ‘the Law’ must be evident in our thoughts, words, and deeds.
    The words of the Apostle John point to the truth. “And by this we know that we have come to know him, if we keep his commandments. Whoever says “I know him” but does not keep his commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps his word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in him: whoever says he abides in him ought to walk in the same way in which he walked.” - 1 John 2:3-6. Perfect as Christ is perfect? As has been said so often, “Di-rection, not per-fection.” And make no mistakes: God knows the human heart.
    Can you imagine a world where everyone followed the Commandments of God? There would be no need for prisons or war. Greed, hatred, poverty, and racism would be unheard of. Of course, sickness and death would remain because we still live in a fallen world, but can you imagine the quality of life compared to living as in the days of the Judges? “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes.” - Judges 21:25.
    God’s laws present us with a minimum standard for moral behavior. The Commandments are the very minimum we should or shouldn’t do. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus showed us how much further we should go to fulfill God’s holy mandate.  Quoting Scripture, Jesus set the stage with the words, “You have heard it said.” Christ then goes on to describe how much more God’s laws entail. Murder is forbidden but so is anger and hate. Adultery is forbidden but so is lust and coveting. Loving our neighbors is commanded but so is loving our enemies.
    The understanding here is simple - “But he said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it!’” - Luke 11:28. Jesus never minced words.
    The world has enjoyed a time of God’s blessing upon the world since Jesus came to save us from our sins. A revival of living by God’s Holy Commandments couldn’t hurt and would certainly bring the most welcome blessing since Jesus walked the dusty roads of Galilee. Can you imagine?

When Friends Fail Us - James 4:4

  
You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God. - James 4:4

    How many times in your life have we ever been let down or betrayed by “a friend?” We should not be surprised; if we make friends with worldly people, we will always be let down. I’m not speaking of acquaintances now but of people we truly believed had our best interest at heart. We encounter people every day in our lives. Whether at school or work or in our leisure time activities, there are going to be people we associate with regularly. That doesn’t make them our friends. “For it is not an enemy who taunts me— then I could bear it; it is not an adversary who deals insolently with me— then I could hide from him. But it is you, a man, my equal, my companion, my familiar friend. We used to take sweet counsel together; within God's house we walked in the throng.” - Psalm 55:12-14.
    Clearly, there is a world of difference between those who are mere acquaintances by virtue of providence and those we consider to be tried and true friends. But how are we to behave when the slight or betrayal comes from one we believed was truly a friend and confidante? “My companion stretched out his hand against his friends; he violated his covenant. His speech was smooth as butter, yet war was in his hear; his words were softer than oil, yet they were drawn swords.” - Psalm 55:20-21. And this comes with a smiling face! The utter distaste we experience when a friend turns against us shakes our very foundation. We feel indignant and violated because we see that injured friendship as folly.
    But what of those words spoken in rashness and anger from a friend? “So also the tongue is a small member, yet it boasts of great things. How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! . . . but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.” - James 3:5, 8. The tongue itself heats the very moment! And this was a friend.
    So hearts are broken, relationships are soured, the flow of our civility is interrupted, and we smolder in anger. How dare they? How could they? And could this all have been avoided in the first place?
    There are always tell-tale signs of a person’s true nature. What we see when they lambast others is just waiting for its opportunity to thrust itself at us. “As for a person who stirs up division, after warning him once and then twice, have nothing more to do with him.” - Titus 3:10. What then is left for us to do?
    Choosing a friend based on an immediate need or interest may be the worst move anyone could make. Friendships that last are based on mutual respect for one another, not need or interest. “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers . . . .” - Psalm 1:1. Three admonitions glare out at us. Three warnings when choosing a friend. Let neither the wicked, nor the sinner, nor the scoffer even find their way into your considerations. And let’s not be coy. These cautions are glaringly obvious to all but the blindest of people.
    What are we to do when (and if) we should find someone worthy of friendship? How do we prevent the souring of the relationship? In a word, edification. We should always bring comfort and joy into our relationships. We should nurture and protect that which we find warm and loving. Despite the fact that no one is perfect, we should still exemplify the words of Paul - “Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:11. Encouraging one another and building each other up is what true friends do.

The Cost Of Unrighteous Anger - Numbers 20:11-12

   
And Moses lifted up his hand and struck the rock with his staff twice, and water came out abundantly, and the congregation drank, and their livestock. And the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not believe in me, to uphold me as holy in the eyes of the people of Israel, therefore you shall not bring this assembly into the land that I have given them.”
 - Numbers 20:11-12

    The background here is the story of Moses’ anger. Ever since he had led the Israelites out of Egypt he had been the object of their complaints in the wilderness. It wasn’t enough that God had seen to their every need since leaving their bonds of slavery. So their latest grousing for water had become a pebble in Moses’ craw.
    God gave His instructions to Moses for bringing water forth for the people of Israel. “Take the staff, and assemble the congregation, you and Aaron your brother, and tell the rock before their eyes to yield its water. So you shall bring water out of the rock for them and give drink to the congregation and their cattle.” - Numbers 20:8. Moses’ instruction was to merely “tell” the rock to produce water. But in his frustration and anger with the Israelites, he added his own formula to God’s blessing by striking the rock twice in anger! Moses’ impertinence did not go by unnoticed and brought God’s judgment quickly. The sentence: Moses would be denied the blessing of entering the “Promised Land.”
    To wander in the wilderness for forty years and then be denied entry to the land that flowed with milk and honey, all because of anger. I have often wondered how soon Moses realized the cost of his outrage. Was he immediately aware of what he had done in the sight of the Lord? Did it dawn on him in an instant or did it take a while to sink in?
    What an incredibly important lesson this account of Moses should teach us. In the rash moment of anger boiling over do we ever think about the repercussions of our actions? Unrighteous anger is always a destructive emotion. It destroys marriages, families, children, relationships. It is hell on earth! And is cautioned against no less than twenty-six times in the book of Proverbs alone! The warnings about quick tempers and actionable anger permeate the Bible and God’s warnings about it are clear. “Know this, my beloved brothers: let every person be quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; for the anger of man does not produce the righteousness of God.” - James 1:19-20.
    Unrighteous anger can arise in the form of cruel words, resolute indifference, physical violence and any number of sins against God and humanity and as such is forbidden in all circumstances. But what of “righteous anger?” Certainly, the Bible speaks of it. It does but that is the subject of another conversation. For now, suffice to say “Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil.” - Ephesians 4:26-27.
    How often have our angry outbursts spoiled the day? And many of us (myself having no excuse) brashly move on to the next order of business as though we have injured no one with our impulsive reaction and our harsh words. And, like Moses, in an instant, we become our own worst enemy, not to mention the negative impact on those around us who are captive to our maddened display. Perhaps the objects of our ire have indeed brought the rage upon themselves but it neither excuses our behavior nor lightens it brunt to those near “ground zero.” We must stop to think before we impulsively reach for a word in anger. “Fools give full vent to their rage, but the wise bring calm in the end.” - Proverbs 29:11.
    Let us remember that anger unchained becomes a monster released.

The Value Of Man - Genesis 1:27

   
So God created man in his own image,  in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. - Genesis 1:27

    In this simple sentence lies the uncompromising truth of the innate value of all human life. This verse applies exclusively to the human race. Nowhere does it apply itself to creatures of the plant or animal kingdom; not to any creature in existence other than man. Its exclusivity is only superseded by its unique implication of cost. “And for your lifeblood I will require a reckoning: from every beast I will require it and from man. From his fellow man I will require a reckoning for the life of man. ‘Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man shall his blood be shed, for God made man in his own image.’” - Genesis 5:5-6.
    Understand: this is not an injunction against taking human life under any circumstance as the anti-capital punishment and anti-war crowds object. In fact, it is just the opposite.  Human life has such a great value that the unlawful taking of it renders the perpetrator of murder guilty and subject to death! It is only to the unlawful taking of human life that this injunction applies. “For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.” - Romans 13:3-4.
    This unique standing is possessed by man alone, separate from all of God’s other creatures. Neither the snail dart nor the eagle nor the tiger nor the sea turtle possess the exclusivity of the “image of God.” This is not to suggest that these creatures of God have no value but that they do not in any way possess the value of human life and as such should never be deemed more sacred than the life of man. “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” - Matthew 6:26.
    That the intrinsic value of human life is evident can be illustrated by the sixth Commandment. “You shall not murder.” - Exodus 6:20. And that value is established upon man’s status among God’s creatures and exists from conception to death. In fact, man’s position as the image-bearer of God extends beyond the grave into eternal glory or damnation! “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” - John 5:28-29.
    This God-given privilege is attested to by nature itself. What other creature has the ability to act as a moral agent? Which has the cognitive ability to dream, think, invent, or philosophize? Which other creature has the ability to recognize, acknowledge, and worship the Creator?  Which other creature has the ability to conceptualize or behave in an ethical manner? Which other creature is able to make moral judgments? The simple answer is none. The privilege of mankind has given us the rise of societies, the great civilizations, the nation-state, and the technological ability to cure polio and put a man on the moon. This is all part of man’s intrinsic value. This all falls under the providence of the Almighty God!
    That all mankind has value is inescapable truth. But we do not derive our value from the mere fact of our existence. Flies exist as do serpents. Are they to be valued as human lives? Our value is derived from the fact that God has created us and only us in His own image. “Then God said, ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’” - Genesis 1:26.
    We have dominion over the earth and wherever else God allows our grasp to reach. Our value lies in our being made by God in the image of God.

Who Is Without Sin? - James 2:10

For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it. - James 2:10

    “Yes, but I’m a pretty good person overall and I treat people the way I’d like to be treated.” I wish I had a heavenly blessing for every time I have heard that song. Make no mistake: there are literally millions of people who actually believe that tripe. “If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.” - 1 John 1:8.
    Certainly, I know dozens of people who are outwardly fine folks. They can be counted on to empathize with us and support us when the chips are down. Need a favor? They are right there for us. Need a kidney; they have a spare. These are the people we most often refer to when we say, “friend.” But “sinless?” And rather than convict them of deceit or subterfuge, it could well be that they simply misunderstand the notion of sin in our lives.
    The English Anglican cleric, George Whitefield once wrote - “And if one evil thought, if one evil word, if one evil action, deserves eternal damnation, how many hells my friends, do every one of us deserve, whose whole lives have been one continued rebellion against God!” Whitefield was merely stating the truth of our fallen human nature. Seriously, are we to believe one who claims he or she has never had an evil thought about someone? And no! It doesn’t depend on how we define ‘evil’. If it was wrongful to any degree, it was evil in the sight of God. Jesus Christ, Himself warned us of this very danger. “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.” - Matthew 5:21-22.
    Jesus tells us that our sinful liability extends to every thought, word, and deed! A few verses later, Christ reiterates His warning - “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” - Matthew 5:27-28. Just a look can mean a sin of the heart. That is the standard that God holds us to. With this in evidence, can we still object and deny that we have sinned in the sight of God?
    Understanding the reality of sin in our lives is not merely a negative religious allusion but part of Christian doctrine: the doctrine of sin. This doctrine comes with the full force of Biblical power and resonates through both Testaments of Holy Scripture. “Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.” - Psalm 51:5. The universality of sin punctuates the pages of the Bible. And ever since Adam committed his sin we have come forth in our own. “. . . for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God . . .” - Romans 3:23. That means all of us.
    So where is the hope that Christians can cling to? The hope we cling to is in Christ our Lord who atoned for our sins with His perfect and holy sacrifice. Christ’s death and resurrection assure us of our forgiveness, our justification, and our salvation. “This Jesus is the stone that was rejected by you, the builders, which has become the cornerstone. And there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” - Acts 4:11-12.
    May we begin to see the weight of sin in our lives and heed the call of Christ, our Savior when he says - “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” - Matthew 4:17.

No New Revelations - Deuteronomy 4:2

You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you. - Deuteronomy 4:2

    Despite the precautions set forth in the Bible, there are still a number of people who want to proclaim that they have literally “heard from the Lord.” A number of Christian and semi-Christian denominations make these absurd claims of divine private revelations that somehow supersede the Holy Scriptures. From Catholic subsets to Charismatic fringe groups to syncretic neo-Christian cults, the prevalence of such claims defies God’s very words! “ . . . and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city, which are described in this book.” - Revelation 22:19. God has clearly stated that we are not to add to His Biblical revelation nor take away from it under penalty of judgment!
    When we think about God’s warnings and test them against Scripture, it becomes clear that God was expecting such heresy from the beginning. Understand this: no “saint” or “holy person” has been given any private extra-Biblical revelation, whether it be Mother Eugenia Ravasio or Padre Pio. For anyone to insist that such “saints” have indeed heard private revelations is to contradict the very words of God!
    Many of these alleged private revelations are uniquely unremarkable in that they don’t reveal anything of Biblical substance. To go into the subject in detail would literally require a full-length book and even then it would only touch upon the subject. According to the Catholic Church, private revelations are distinguishable by several criteria which include their inherent fallibility. By their very nature, they are prone to misinterpretation or misunderstanding. They do not and cannot hold the weight of Holy Scripture!
    The very words, “God told me . . .” have been the road to perdition for countless souls. And “visions” and “experiences” are encumbered by the same danger. Can God reveal Himself to whomever He chooses? Of course, He can. Does He do so on a predictable basis and schedule? No! It is like a miracle. God can and does heal many in the world today in ways that defy human understanding. Does He do it for everyone? Of course not. It is this very type of misconstruction of God’s providence that shores up the disbelief of so many of Christianity’s detractors. To this very day, people who claim that God has spoken directly to them are painted as delusional half-wits with scant education and visions of fancy, unless, of course, their unbelievable claims are “validated” by the Roman church. Even then, most secular thinkers and those of the Reformed Christian faith remain unconvinced. The secular crowd refuses to believe in anything of a spiritual nature while the Reformed Christians fall back to Scripture - Deuteronomy 4:2 and Revelation 22:19.
    Why then is the belief in such fantastic claims endorsed by any sect of Christianity? The prevailing thought on the subject can be traced back to the Reformation and the realization that the Roman Church now had a legitimate contender for the true faith in Protestantism. Oddly enough, there was a substantial rise in demonic possessions which correlates to the battle line between the two Christian sects, both vying for converts. The Romans were convinced that the gaudy and theatrical would bring more converts to Catholicism, thus all the rituals. While the Protestants believed in the sheer power of the Word of God. In other words, the Catholics took you to the theater; the Protestants took you to church!    
    “So,” one might ask, “what’s the harm in simply humoring this handful of capricious claims to divine revelation?” First of all, such a nod to these ridiculous assertions is the same as quietly approving of a child’s imaginary playmate. Secondly, from a gospel defense position, when any kind of doubt is sowed into the Word of God it threatens the veracity of Scripture and as such will incur the wrath of God. “But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.” - Galatians 1:8-9.
    Finally, we are commanded by Christ Himself to reject such nonsense - “Then if anyone says to you, ‘Look, here is the Christ!’ or ‘There he is!’ do not believe it. For false christs and false prophets will arise and perform great signs and wonders, so as to lead astray, if possible, even the elect.” - Matthew 24:23-24.
    God has indeed spoken to all of us as it is revealed in the Bible. Therein we find His words . . . and nowhere else.

On The Matter Of Sound Doctrine - Titus 1:9

He must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it. - Titus 1:9
                                       

    How many times have you heard it - “Doctrine? Doctrine? We don’t do doctrine; we do love because love brings God’s people together; doctrine divides.” To which I say be very careful before you push sound doctrine to the back pew. “I appeal to you, brothers, to watch out for those who cause divisions and create obstacles contrary to the doctrine that you have been taught; avoid them.” - Romans 16:17.
    Despite the seeker-friendly evangelicals who dislike doctrine it must be said that without doctrine they are all blindly bumping up against one another, hoping against hope that no controversy may rise within their ranks that cannot be assuaged or put away with love. It is this abnormal fear of sound doctrine that betrays a congregation and convinces a church that it is better off without the guidance of Holy Scripture. That is why so many evangelical churches avoid expository preaching from God’s holy word. Doctrine is more than a theological concept; it is a rule that influences thought, word, and deed. This is why sound doctrine is so vitally important to the church. “If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with the sound words of our Lord Jesus Christ and the teaching that accords with godliness, he is puffed up with conceit and understands nothing. He has an unhealthy craving for controversy and for quarrels about words, which produce envy, dissension, slander, evil suspicions . . .” - 1 Timothy 6:3-5.
    While Paul admonishes church elders to avoid the strange fires of ungodly doctrine, he also reminds them that the congregants are also to blame for these lapses in sound teaching. The elders succumb to the pressure to put on their wooden smiles and preach words which are inoffensive and uplifting so that everyone can go home from the service feeling good about themselves. This is unsound doctrine! “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.”
- 2 Timothy 4:3-4.
    But why is sound Biblical doctrine so important? What makes doctrine the lynchpin on which the true church of God stands or falls? Why can’t church members meet on the Sabbath Day and fellowship without having the strict direction of Scripture imposed upon them to dampen their otherwise lovely day? “understanding this, that the law is not laid down for the just but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and sinners, for the unholy and profane, for those who strike their fathers and mothers, for murderers, the sexually immoral, men who practice homosexuality, enslavers, liars, perjurers, and whatever else is contrary to sound doctrine, in accordance with the gospel of the glory of the blessed God with which I have been entrusted.” 1 Timothy 1:9-11. Clearly, without sound doctrine, any number of insidious teachings and heresies can and will seep into the church.
    How can we know then whether the doctrines taught are truly the doctrines based on the words of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ?  We can by exercising our spiritual discernment as the Bereans did. “Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” -  Acts 17:11.  Examination of the Holy Scriptures is the only way we, as Christians, can test the doctrines and teachings that we are subjected to. And this counsel comes to us from the source of God’s revelation to us: the Holy Bible! “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, for many false prophets have gone out into the world.” - 1 John 4:1. The Bible would not advise us to test what we are taught if it wasn’t just that important. Let us put away fancy and embrace Biblical truth without error.

Trusting God - Proverbs 3:5-6

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths. - Proverbs 3:5-6

    I have often heard from people how God has somehow disappointed them in their lives. The issue may arise from personal problems that remained in spite of prayer. It can often come from friends or family members who have found life to be a constant struggle. Again prayer or a poor facsimile of prayer has failed to produce a remedy for these problems. The one constant in their minds is that God is at fault. For some inexplicable reason it is all God’s fault. “When a man's folly brings his way to ruin, his heart rages against the Lord.” - Proverbs 19:3. We are so certain that it’s all God’s fault that we even devise ways to place the blame on Him. “The man said, ‘The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me fruit of the tree, and I ate.’” - Genesis 3:12.
    Since I’m not necessarily privy to people’s issues I could only, at best, suspect what the inherent problem really is. However, my own human experience allows me to analyze the base vexation. You see, over the years, I have lived my life as an offense to God. By the time I reached the age of fifty, I had cajoled, given excuse, and tried to mitigate my stiff-necked resistance to all thing related to God. I was certain that I was doing just fine making life decisions on the fly, regardless of the effect those decisions had on those around me. The heartache that I fueled throughout those terrible years can never be recompensed. And despite the personal responsibility I bore, I still managed to question the involvement of God. When things came crashing down around me and blame needed to be placed, I heard the question of the ages - “But who are you, O man, to answer back to God? Will what is molded say to its molder, ‘Why have you made me like this?’” - Romans 9:20.
    Despite the hedonist lifestyle I lived, God chose to bless me in spite of myself; the blessing did not go unnoticed. In fact, it is only by the grace of God that I can confess to those bad decisions today. And it was only after I surrendered my will to God that my life turned as all truly repentant lives turn. I stopped living life according to my own worldly agenda and started living my life according to God’s will for me. Once I did, life became “liveable without regret.” Because I learned the lesson of the Kingdom of God. “Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.” - Matthew 6:31-33. Once I learned to seek first the Kingdom of God, I was blessed to receive the things I needed in life, not this very moment but when God deemed I needed them.
    We all grouse and complain over the things we don’t have or the opportunities we have been denied or the results we wanted and expected. Whether it be prosperity, health, or just our basic needs, God knows what we need and He knows when we need it. And until we recognize and accept those realities we will continue in our misery. And that is not to suggest that accepting God’s providence and His timing is going to make our lives trouble-free. We must remember that we live in a fallen world and its corruption affects us all. Saints and sinners share this world and oftentimes God’s common blessings and providence  are granted to and thrust upon all of us. We cannot escape the effects of sickness and death as long as remain in this world. It is ludicrous to think we can, regardless of our standing before God. “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die” - Ecclesiastes 3:1-2.
    It makes no difference what our bone of contention with God is. Whether it be a nasty divorce, a child’s death, the loss of employment, a personal battle with some terrible disease, or simply a less than stellar set of life circumstances. Anger with God is a no-win situation. God is infinite; we are finite. The proper response to a crisis or distressing situation in our lives is not to choose battle with God! We must accept the will of God as it manifests itself in our lives, whether the outcome is what we hoped and prayed for or not. And we must constantly remember - “Likewise the Spirit helps us in our weakness. For we do not know what to pray for as we ought, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words. And he who searches hearts knows what is the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for the saints according to the will of God. And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose.” - Romans 8:26-28.
    Because we live in a fallen world we will, at times, be faced with tribulations and adversity. We can either grouse with the Almighty God or we can approach Him with humble and contrite hearts, willing, through the strength of the Holy Spirit, to accept His will for our lives. That is trusting God.
  

The Day Of Mercy, The Day Of Healing - Matthew 11:4-6

And Jesus answered them, “Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight and the lame walk, lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, and the dead are raised up, and the poor have good news preached to them. And blessed is the one who is not offended by me.” - Matthew 11:4-6

    As John the Baptist lay in Herod’s prison, he reflected on what he had witnessed of Jesus. Was He the promised Messiah? John’s uncertainty hinged upon Scripture’s promise that the coming Messiah would bring judgment to the world. But so far, he had not seen Jesus pronounce judgment upon anyone. So, he wondered, could we be awaiting another one? So he sent some of his disciples to Jesus to ask if He was the Promised One. “and said to him, ‘Are you the one who is to come, or shall we look for another?’” -  Matthew 11:3. John’s momentary lapse brought a mild rebuke from Jesus. “Blessed is the one who is not offended by Me.”
    Jesus told John’s disciples to return to John with an account of what they had witnessed - healing. Christ came, bringing healing to those in need as He had promised. “But when he heard it, he said, ‘Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.’” - Matthew 9: 12-13. Jesus was clearly in full parable mode when He declared His intention to the Pharisees. Surely, they had no concept of what he was saying, but John would know.
    Christ brought more than healing to the crowds; He brought forth the Good News of His Gospel. For those He preached to who were spiritually sick, the Gospel would be what they needed for healing. This was the initial stage of Jesus’ ministry. “And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people.” - Matthew 4:23.
    Jesus’ entire earthly ministry was based on His mercy to a fallen world. He healed and preached, preached and healed. He healed broken bodies and broken souls and assured all of His Good News, that He had come bearing salvation. “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” - Luke 19:10. Christ’s twofold approach to fallen man was mercy and healing. Judgment will come later but be assured, judgment will certainly come. “For the Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son . . . And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man.” - John 5:22, 27.
    While John the Baptist may have had questions about the Messiah, he sent his concerns to Jesus, knowing that Christ was the only source for the truth. No one else could have reassured John of Jesus’ deity. Only Jesus could answer John to his satisfaction and God’s glory. Only Jesus could testify to His own place in the salvation of man. And testify He did to John’s disciples. In a matter-of-fact manner, without rancor or anger, Jesus told John’s disciples of the healings and the preaching of the Gospel. These were the proofs of Christ’s messiahship.
    We can all certainly use mercy and healing of both body and soul. And Jesus has offered us His mercy. He has offered us His healing. He has offered us His peace. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” - John 14:27.
    John the Baptist was reassured by the word of Christ that He was indeed the “One who is to come.” Let our doubts be far removed from us and let our faith in Christ rise on the wings of His word.
   

The Sword of Prayer - Ephesians 6:18

“ . . . praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication. To that end, keep alert with all perseverance, making supplication for all the saints . . . .”- Ephesians 6:18

    I pray every day and every night. It doesn’t make me a “saint.” In fact, it is because I’m no saint that prayer is vital for my spiritual life. Prayer is one-on-one communication with God, quite possibly the best definition I can give you.
    Why pray? What’s the point? For one thing, God has promised to forgive us our sins. Will any of us actually stand here and deny we sin? “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:8-9. Approaching the concept of sin, even from the most secular position, implies there is probably going to be a price to pay for our transgressions. Should we profit by ignoring the demands of the one true holy God?
    A second reason I pray is because Scripture tells us that it is good for the community I live in, the place where I live, work, eat, sleep and raise my family! “First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all people to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.” - 1 Timothy 2:1-4.
We live in a fallen world; does it not make sense to pray for its salvation . . . and mine?              Certainly, I am called upon to seek God’s grace and blessings and He has said by seeking Him and turning from sin, He will forgive us and heal us. “if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” 2 Chronicles 7:14.
    The key to successful prayer is God’s will. We can’t just pray for anything and expect God to come through for us like a genii. It just doesn’t work that way. We must always and everywhere pray for God’s will to be done. Only then can we hope for an answer. If we fail to consider God’s will, He won’t even hear us. “And this is the confidence that we have toward him, that if we ask anything according to his will he hears us.” - 1 John 5:14.
    But, we cry that despite our best efforts He doesn’t hear us. The hard truth is ever before us. This truth will not be denied. “We know that God does not listen to sinners, but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does his will, God listens to him.” - John 9:31. Need more? “but your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” - Isaiah 59:2. God doesn’t listen? He has spoken. Are we listening? “If one turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.” - Proverbs 28:9.
    God has given us a command that will benefit us if we heed it. It tells us what we must do and it tells us why we must do it. If we ignore it, we do so at our own peril. If we ignore it, we should not be surprised by the silence which greets us. “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” - 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18.
    Even a casual observer can tell us that God’s command to pray and His demands for it are indicative of the primary weapon in our spiritual arsenal. Prayer. And we cannot have it or use it on our own worldly terms. It must be on God’s terms or it will not be prayer at all. Ungodly prayer emits no more than the sound of a crackling fire and all that is left afterward is ashes.

Empathy: A Godly Trait - Romans 12:15

Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. - Romans 12:15

    We flip through the channels at night, seeking something worthwhile, entertaining at least, to watch on the tube. As we cascade through the seemingly endless tripe, we pass numerous calls for mercy via charities devoted to the poor, the unfortunates maimed by war or disease, the destitute. And we continue to move past them at an ever-increasing speed. How often are we moved by the plight of so many people in truly dire straits?
    I’m not suggesting that we jerk open our bankbooks and begin to write a plethora of checks to every conceivable charity or cause we encounter. Judicious discernment is called for as in any situation that calls upon us to contribute our time or resources to a humanitarian concern. But as Christians, we are called upon to follow the examples set by Christ Jesus regarding the plight of our fellow human beings. “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.” - Matthew 9:36. Jesus exemplified empathy. In His incarnate form, He knew all too well those issues and circumstances which plague the human body and soul. He identified with the hopeless in that He understood and cared about their troubles. The pain and suffering of the human condition affected Jesus greatly. “When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, he was deeply moved in his spirit and greatly troubled. And he said, ‘Where have you laid him?’ They said to him, ‘Lord, come and see.’ Jesus wept.” - John 11:33-35.
    In each of the aforementioned examples of Christ’s empathy, we see that His pity is aroused upon “seeing” the particular plight. Does seeing the human plight arouse such feelings of empathy in us? God knows our human condition. He knows there is no exultant bone in our bodies. There is no great esteem associated with the flesh. God knows how pitiful we are by our very nature. “For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.” - Psalm 103:14. Still, He showers us with His common grace, even to those who refuse to His Lordship.
    We are called by God to do right by our fellow human beings. We are called to identify with them even in their hopelessness. We are called to remember those times and places when we too were hopeless. “You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.” - Exodus 23:9.
    While we may never have suffered from a serious disease or suffered the loss of our home or job or suffered the physical loss of life or limb in the noble service to our nation, we must be able to identify with those situations as members of humanity and respond where there is a need. Simple words of consolation will not do when there is a need that we are capable of providing for. “If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, ‘Go in peace, be warmed and filled,’ without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.” - James 2:15-17.
    In Paul’s letter to the Philippians, he thanks them, in its final section, for their concern for his welfare. And despite his position that he had learned to be content in “every and any circumstance,” he added, “Yet it was kind of you to share my trouble.” - Philippians 4:14. This is the Biblical essence of empathy - that we share in each other’s troubles to the degree that we can.
    I’m not suggesting that every plea become a God-given command. I only suggest that if we can put ourselves in another person’s place, we may well see the legitimate need in that person.
    We must take off our blinders, perhaps and see that we can always find a way to show genuine empathy for our brothers and sisters in much the same way we would hope that they could show us empathy and compassion. This is the seed of the Golden Rule - “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.” - Matthew 7:12. Empathy for our fellow human beings is truly a Godly trait.

The Harbinger Of Humility - Numbers 32:23

   
 But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out. - Numbers 32:23

    How often have our consciences rebuked us for wrong-doings we no longer to speak of? There are, in all of us, the dark places we have been; places we have deliberately entered,  to our own disgrace. These places we have fled from, carrying dishonor on our shoulders like the unbearable load it is. We have for the time being avoided the spotlight on our indiscretions. And if we have not confessed these spiritual sores yet, we can be certain that one day we will. “This is an evil in all that is done under the sun, that the same event happens to all. Also, the hearts of the children of man are full of evil, and madness is in their hearts while they live, and after that they go to the dead.” - Ecclesiastes 9:3.
     While we avoid confessing these disfigurements, we live with them the rest of our days and if we allow it, like the stigmata they will bleed continuously and profusely. No, we may not speak of them anymore but that doesn’t mean they have been forgotten. Truth be told, they are all too damnable to ever truly forget, even once we have been forgiven. The spiritual forgiveness offered and given by the grace of God should be a source of comfort to us; the lingering memory of the transgressions should be a reminder of how far we can fall from that very grace. This darkened  memory is the harbinger of humility - “So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited.” - 2 Corinthians 12:6-7.
    Once we have been saved by the precious blood of Jesus, we no longer remain tethered to that past indiscretion but by the memory that haunts us. It has become, by God’s loving hand, a memorial stone to our past life; to our life before eternal salvation in Christ.  The blessing comes with the warning; that we are forgiven by God and God alone, without our works, without us wielding a tool upon this holy rock of our forgiveness and salvation.  “If you make me an altar of stone, you shall not build it of hewn stones, for if you wield your tool on it you profane it. And you shall not go up by steps to my altar, that your nakedness be not exposed on it.” - Exodus 20:25-26.
    The shameful memory of our transgression need not be the road we walk in the light of Christ’s atonement. Be assured, if we have been forgiven by the blood of Jesus, we have indeed been forgiven, regardless of the thorny memories of our past. “He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.” Psalm 103:10-12.
    Is there some memory of sin that continues to plague us after the fact? Have we brought that sin to God and asked to be forgiven? If we are sincerely sorry for our wrongdoings, we will be forgiven by of gracious and loving God. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” - 1 John 1:9.
    There is no sin that belief and faith in Jesus Christ cannot cleanse. It is why He came to earth as the incarnation of God: to forgive us our trespasses! From forgiving the persecutor of Christians in Saul of Tarsus to forgiving the eleventh-hour plea from a thief upon a cross, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ provides us with a gift that can be gotten in no other way. By His own words He has promised to forgive us. “For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” - John 6:40.
    If we have sought forgiveness for our sins, rest easy in the works of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have been forgiven. Our sins have been washed as white as snow. Let us find comfort at the foot of the cross where such forgiveness is assured.

Levi’s Calling - Mark 2:14

 And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him.- Mark 2:14

    A tax collector in Christ’s day was, to say the least, a man of means. Even at the level of local collection, tax collectors were in the unique position of amassing enough to both pay the required taxes and skim enough, in addition to their salaries, to make themselves a very lucrative living. The Jewish people were aware of this and so their intense hatred for “tax collectors,” who they saw as thieves and traitors to Israel.   
    And rather than paint a less than accurate picture of Levi, let us all agree that as a tax collector, he must have been competent and calculating. Clearly, he was astute at accounting so he was not an ignorant man of his times. Levi certainly would have been considered brighter than a common fisherman or even a carpenter. Considering his business calling, besides his first language of Aramaic, he would have been proficient both in Latin (the language of the Roman occupying forces) as well as Greek. He was a man well versed in the art of collecting wealth, so much so that according to Luke, he threw a banquet in Jesus’ honor. “And Levi made him a great feast in his house, and there was a large company of tax collectors and others reclining at table with them.” - Luke 5:29.
    Taking the reputation of tax collectors in Judea into consideration, the Pharisees were quick to raise objections to Christ’s association with them. “And when the Pharisees saw this, they said to his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?” - Matthew 9:12. Beyond this short account in the Synoptic Gospels, little else is revealed on Levi the tax collector, AKA the Apostle Matthew. We know that he owned a home elaborate enough to entertain large groups of people. As a well to do publican we can safely assume he dressed in the finest clothing available in his time. This is how Levi appeared to those in his area of influence: a man respected by his ilk and hated by those he collected from.
    Another question is raised by Levi also going by the name, “Matthew.” There actually need be no confusion on the matter: Levi was his Aramaic name while Matthew was the Greek translation. Similarly, Peter means "stone" in Greek, while Cephas means "stone" in Aramaic.
    So with Matthew’s brief back-story, we have to ask, with all that he had in his official position, why on earth would he have ever simply picked up, abandon his tax business, and follow Jesus based upon the mere verbal command to “follow Me?” Very certainly, we can dismiss the notion that the mere words were enough to move this man off his wealth and status. Matthew would have met the words “follow me” with the same cynicism as the words, “I can’t pay what I owe you.” No, the motivation for Matthew had to have been much deeper than mere conversation.
    Later on in the Gospels, when a rich young ruler approached Jesus, Our Lord beckoned him with very much the same language.  “Jesus said to him, ‘If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.’ When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”- Matthew 19:21-22. One might ask, “Why did Levi follow Christ while the rich young ruler didn’t?” The answer to that question can be seen on a weekly basis in nearly any true Christian church: two men visit the same church, sit in the same pew, and listen to the same sermon, given by the same minister on the same Sunday. One walks out with his heart changed for Christ while the other leaves the church preoccupied with getting home in time to see the game.
    The young ruler’s heart proved to be the path where the seed was sown while Levi’s heart was the good soil where the seed took root. One was unable to receive the Good News while the other heard it and his heart was changed by it. The word of God is available to all of us. But how many of us will allow that seed to take root and grow in our hearts like Levi? When Christ gives us His command to follow Him, will we turn and walk away like the rich young ruler or will we respond like Levi, leaving our worldly lives behind us to eat of the bread of life? Our calling is to simply obey.