Quality Time

After dismissing the crowds, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. When evening came, He was there alone. - Matthew 14:23 HCSB

There is something particularly sacred about the private times we spend with God in prayer. There should be some prayers that are so intimate, so revealing that we cannot bring ourselves to share them with anyone but God. If we feel free to share everything that we have shared with God with other people, then perhaps we may want to consider that we might not be really getting down to business with God.

Imagine if we shared every moment of our spousal relationship publicly. What if there was never a time when we could be alone with our loved one? What kind of a relationship would that be? The conversations would be shallow. The gaze of the public eye would limit the intimacy. This is one of the great difficulties of leadership. If we are in any position of leadership, it becomes difficult to set aside time with our loved ones that will be uninterrupted.

Surprisingly enough, one of the toughest things I find to do as a pastor is to get time alone with God. I spend so much time praying with people all day long every day, that I sometimes neglect praying with my spouse or worse yet, praying alone with God.

If Jesus, who was as public as they come, took time to send away the crowds and the disciples, then so should we. If He found time to be alone with the Father, then so can we. He didn’t even have a house to retire to. He didn’t have an office with a lockable door. He had to climb up into the hills to pray. That took time and effort that we don’t have to put out.

To get this time alone with God, we need to get away from the phone, the fax, the emails, work, duties, chores and responsibilities for a set time just to be with Him. This doesn’t mean that we should forsake our duties – we just don’t worry about them for an hour. Just like fasting, this allows us to show God how important He is to us. He is such a priority in our lives that everything else takes second place to quality time spent with Him.

This might be easier if we do this at a regular time so that others get used to not being able to contact us at that time and quit trying. If our time with God is not a regularly scheduled thing, it will be much easier to let it slide.

Just as there are aspects of our marriage that we hold too sacred and holy to share with other people, we should have at least the same level of intimacy with our Maker. That time alone will develop tenderness to the Holy Spirit that no amount of public devotion could ever bring.

Just as we find it easy to share a knowing glance, a gentle touch with our loved one after being able to spend some time exclusively with them, our relationship with God will be that much more special after spending some one-on-one with the Lover of our souls.

Praying With Dirty Hands

The LORD said to Moses, "Why are you crying out to Me? Tell the Israelites to break camp. - Exodus 14:15 HCSB

Sometimes it is not prayer, but action that is needed. Prayer is an effective tool, but sweat and elbow grease must always accompany it. You’ve heard the expression that talk is cheap? Prayer can be cheap, too, if we use it as an excuse to get out of work or as a salve for our consciences when we fail to help someone.

How many times have we heard someone intone self-righteously “Father, help all the poor starving people in the world”? How many of them actually do anything about it? When someone comes to us in need of something, do we tell them we’ll pray for them, or do we give them what they need and trust God to take care of us?[1]

Sometimes we try to be so spiritual that we are of no earthly good. Our prayers are only as effective as we are personally submissive to God’s will. God doesn’t want to hear from us when we are not concerned enough to personally do something about it. We must be willing to get our own hands dirty in the harvest fields of the Lord. When we do pray, it should be with a “Here am I, Lord. Send me!” attitude.[2]

I can already hear one of you agreeing by saying, “Sounds good. You take care of the faith department, I’ll handle the works department.” Not so fast. You can no more show me your works apart from your faith than I can show you my faith apart from my works.[3] Faith and works, works and faith, fit together hand in glove.

We need to be careful about whining to the Lord to solve some of our problems when He has already told us what to do. Maybe we are having interpersonal problems and the Lord has told us to ask the other person’s forgiveness. We mustn’t ask God “Please solve my problem” when we won’t do what He’s already told us to do.

We must also be careful of feigning ignorance or lack of understanding, praying “Now, Lord, what is it exactly you want me to do? Spell it out for me, please” when we know in your heart what it is He wants of us.[4] Many children will disobey their parents, then say “I didn’t know!” or “I didn’t understand!” That tactic occasionally works with human parents because they are always left with the doubt of whether they had made themselves sufficiently clear.

Our heavenly father is not so easily fooled. We thought as children that our mothers had eyes in the back of their heads and could read minds. Our Heavenly Father actually can! So we need to stop whining and start moving!

[1] James 2:14-16
[2] Isaiah 6:8
[3] James 2:18-20
[4] Proverbs 24:12

Pandering Pulpits

Proclaim the message; persist in it whether convenient or not; rebuke, correct, and encourage with great patience and teaching. For the time will come when they will not tolerate sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, will accumulate teachers for themselves because they have an itch to hear something new. They will turn away from hearing the truth and will turn aside to myths. - 2 Timothy 4:2-4 HCSB

Why do you attend your church? Is it because that is where your family has always gone? Perhaps you were raised in that particular denomination. However, denominations sometimes change: witness the Episcopalian crisis. Just because you were raised in a particular denomination doesn't mean that it shouldn't be periodically scrutinized to make sure that it is still following the revealed Word of God.

Perhaps you go to your church because you walk away feeling good week after week. The music is inspirational, the rituals comforting and the pastor's sermon...Ah, the pastor's sermon is simply so eloquent. He always has a way of saying just the right thing at the right time.

Tell me, what did the pastor preach on two weeks ago? What truth did you glean from the sermon a month ago that you are still trying to apply? Odds are, if you can't remember and you are consistently walking away merely comforted and comfortable, you are only getting soul-fattening, spiritual comfort food.

Church shouldn’t always be comfortable. At times, it should be challenging! Sure, you should not be constantly hit with a barrage of hell-fire, brimstone sermons but there should be times when the pastor stands in the pulpit and with great patience and careful teaching tells you when you are wrong and what you need to do.

Have you ever stopped to think about why a pastor would only pander to his people, never challenging or leading them into new ways of thinking? Maybe he is not thinking of his people at all! Maybe he simply doesn't like to deal with conflict and he tries to not "rock the boat" so that his own life is made easy. Perhaps he is just trying to make it to his retirement.

Would you go to a physical trainer who never corrected your posture? Would you pay him to always tell you how slim and trim you look as you gradually got more and more obese and struggled with diabetes and had a heart attack?

It could be that God is calling on you to evaluate your church this week and see whether you are actually growing spiritually there and worshipping, or if you are simply marking time. Don't put up with a pandering pulpit; someone who simply tickles your ears with delightful words that don't change you, challenge you, charge you up.

Old Coats

He threw off his coat, jumped up, and came to Jesus.... "Go your way," Jesus told him. "Your faith has healed you." Immediately he could see and began to follow Him on the road. – Mark 10:50, 52 HCSB

Bartimaeus, a blind beggar, was sitting by the road when he heard the crowd coming. Upon learning that the famous healing rabbi named Jesus was nearby, he began to cry out and say "Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!"

The crowd tried to discourage him from disturbing the busy teacher, but he ignored them and only cried out louder. Jesus, moved with compassion, commanded that Bartimaeus be brought to him. Then we read the above verses.

Notice that the Scriptures found it necessary to give us that detail about Bartimaeus casting aside his cloak. As a beggar, a homeless person, that cloak was his shelter. It hid the rags and bony body that enlighten us about his existence. That cloak had protected him through many years of inclement weather. What if he had clung to that cloak? What would that have indicated? That he did not anticipate healing? That he did not fully trust Jesus to solve his problems? Could he have even been healed?

What would happen if in spring, when the warm sun of spring called every living thing to new growth and development, the buds of a tree persisted in retaining the scales in which they were wrapped, merely because they had been indispensable in preserving the buds through the winter's frosts and storms?

There would be no foliage, no blossom, no fruit, no formation of new wood for man's use, no shade for the earth and its creatures. The whole ecology would suffer loss. Besides that, the arrested buds themselves would either die, forming hard knotty lumps, or would be transformed into formidable thorns!

We often think we have something of which we can boast - acts of worship or kindness, upright character and goodness of heart. However, if we are to be cured of our blindness and poverty, we must fling these garments aside. We must have the conviction of our utter destitution of true religion. We must not hide our poverty any longer from ourselves and others.

We must also cast away the garment of useless forms and methods. We must do this in order to grow in knowledge and grace. Religion itself is often a hindrance to growing nearer to Christ.

If we persist in retaining the old wrappings of religion merely because they were indispensable at an earlier stage of growth, when the summer sun of a higher faith calls us to a fuller Christian life, we will become thorny dead sticks in the vineyard of the Lord, providing no shade or fruit or beauty for ourselves or others. We will disturb the whole ecology of the Church by our deadness and conservation, and our arrested growth will transform us into wounding thorns.

Mountain Climbing Prayer

"Keep asking, and it will be given to you. Keep searching, and you will find. Keep knocking, and the door will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who searches finds, and to the one who knocks, the door will be opened.” - Matthew 7:7-8 HCSB

Prayer is hard work, requiring endurance of mind, soul, spirit and body. It is similar to mountain climbing. I used to enjoy free climbing. That means that I took ridiculous risks climbing rocks without the benefit of any gear, knowing that as soon as I reached the peak, I would have nothing to do but climb back down.

However, as I was climbing, my entire focus was on the moment. All I could think about was that next toehold, that next crevice. If I allowed my concentration to waver even for a moment, there could be some unhealthy consequences.

We must not allow our mind to wander as we pray. During times of intensive prayer there might be bright lights, warm feelings or visions, but these are almost invariably distractions of the brain or from the devil. This is not to say that God cannot speak through visions, bright lights or warm fuzzy feelings, but we must pray through these things so that we gain certainty as to their source. If it is of God, they will intensify and a clear call to action will come. If they are from our own desires or the devil, they will leave us complacent and self-satisfied.

Besides concentration, climbing requires endurance. It is exhausting and sometimes I had to force myself into a large crack or perch on a precarious ledge to try to let my shuddering muscles regroup. In climbing, long sessions of grinding work are followed by short bursts of intense activity where you launch yourself to a particularly distant hold.

Prayer is like that. Sometimes there are long lulls where you have to keep grinding away, praying without receiving immediate gratification. Sometimes there are crises requiring short bursts of “aerobic prayer”. Either way, endurance is a requirement.

When climbing, it is important that we only look to the next hold, the next position. If we get caught up in looking for the peak, we will either become discouraged or miss something that needs our attention.

Similarly, we mustn’t pray simply to get what we want. If we do, what you get will be dissatisfying and second rate. If the Ransomed pray because that’s what spiritual creatures do, the experiences will come and they will be great, but in those periods when they don’t come, we won’t lose heart or miss something that needs your attention. Prayer’s purpose is not mystical experience.

Whether we are in that long dry spell when it seems that the heavenly doors won’t open for us, or in that mountain top experience - “Keep on asking…keep on looking…keep on knocking.” That’s when the real answers will come.

Living Carefree

Casting all your care upon Him, because He cares about you. - 1 Peter 5:7 HCSB

Who doesn’t have cares? Who does not live with worries and concerns about the future? One of the many downsides to being finite is that we cannot foresee the future. We don’t even have a full grasp of the present! This doesn’t change when you become a Christian. You don’t just automatically become “Super Saint” and rest entirely on God. It is something that is learned.

Many people seem to think that faith is a blind leap into the dark. It is not. Faith is a learned response. I trust my wife because I have lived many years with her and she has never been unfaithful to me. I trust my chair because I have sat in it safely hundreds of times. If ever my wife is unfaithful or my chair breaks under my weight, I will more than likely lose faith. It would take many years to regain that sense of trust and comfort.

So faith grows with time and experience. But it is not necessarily chronological. If I were married for fifteen years but had only actually spent five years with my wife due to my job, then I would only have five years worth of knowledge of her. My faith in her would only be five years worth. Fortunately for me, our separations have been few and far between. We do everything together. Thus, my knowledge of her is great and correspondingly, so is my faith in her.

I have seen people who have been Christians for thirty years but who were still novices because they did not actually spend that much time with God. They did not study the Scriptures, they did not explore their relationship with Him. As a result, they were still Christian infants. I have seen young Christians who were totally dedicated to God and spent every possible moment with Him. Their faith was very strong.

Jim Elliot was once such Christian. He was able to leave behind a comfortable life in the US, move to Ecuador as a missionary, and was eventually martyred for the faith. But this did not happen overnight. He was not able to show this much faith in God until after many, many moments spent with Him in prayer.

Only after we spend much time with God will we be able to fully give all our worries and cares to Him. As with anyone else, a relationship with God can and must be cultivated. What does it take to make a great friend? Time spent together, two-way conversation, care for the interests of each other, and a willingness to sacrifice for each other are required. Believe me; God is already doing all this for us. The only ones who are lacking are us, so we need to get to it.

Tumors of the Soul

This is what the LORD of Hosts says: "Do not listen to the words of the prophets who prophesy to you. They are making you worthless. They speak visions from their own minds, not from the LORD's mouth. They keep on saying to those who despise Me: The LORD has said: You will have peace. To everyone who walks in the stubbornness of his heart they have said, No harm will come to you." - Jeremiah 23:16-17 HCSB

A doctor was in charge of a study for a new drug that held great promise in the treatment of a mental disease. Millions of dollars were riding on this study. People came from far and wide to be a part of his program, in the hopes that the miracle drug would improve their lives. One after the other lives were changed. The drug seemed to be doing exactly what it promised.

One young man, however, did not seem to respond as well. He still heard the voices. He still felt those strange compulsions. The doctor had already begun to receive perks from the company responsible for the production of this wonder-drug and greed had settled into his heart. This one young man was ruining his study - ruining his chances at fortune and fame. So he fudged the records. He made it seem like the young man was all right when the truth of the matter was that the young man had a tumor that caused resistance to the drug. Because the young man's condition remained untreated, he went out and, in his mental confusion, killed someone. The doctor, in his greed and desire to be famous, had effectively killed two people.

Pastors, are we equally guilty? Are we not telling our people the truth, for the sake of peace and quiet, or for the sake of our pensions? Many Scriptural passages bring great comfort to the grieving and peace to the disturbed of mind. There are fine, thrilling verses about the love of God and His graciousness to sinful man, but the Bible also has much to say about the dangers of sin. It diagnoses the human condition as inherently sinful and bound for an eternity in hell if we do not believe in and obey Christ. If we truly stand in the council of God, we will announce His words to His people, turning them back from their evil ways and from the evil of their deeds.[1]

Our ministries include the responsibility to comfort and bring safety to our flocks, but our flocks cannot be truly safe if we do not occasionally warn them of the wolves. We are doing them a disservice if we, as under-shepherds, do not from time to time also use the "rod and staff" that are the true source of comfort.[2] Only such spiritual surgery can cure tumors of the soul.


[1] Jeremiah 23:22
[2] Psalm 23:4

To Know and Be Known

For now we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I will know fully, as I am fully known. Now these three remain: faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love. - 1 Corinthians 13:12-13 HCSB

There used to be a television program called "Cheers" that was centered around a group of friends who met every day in a pub. The theme song voiced a yearning that all of us have. It said this was a place where "everybody knows your name."

People have an innate longing to be known. Not only do we want to be known, we want to be loved after we are known! Our truest friends know our quirks, our compulsions, our vices...but love us anyway.

One of the more interesting verses of the Bible says, "Then God said, 'Let US make people in OUR image, to be like OURSELVES..."[1] Here see the very first intimations of the concept we now call the Trinity. God is a community of three. Christians do not worship three gods. We worship one God in three Persons. Try to imagine what it that must be like. How well They must know each Other. Think of the unity!

Jesus prayed that we would be united as He was united with the Father and the Holy Spirit.[2] He wants us to be one as He is one with the Father.[3] His goal is that the unsaved world would know that the Father loves us the same as He loves the Son, Jesus Christ![4]

The Church is described as being a single body with many parts.[5] Some of us are eyes, some of us are ears, some of us are hands and feet; all necessary to the proper functioning of the body of Christ. Again we see community - diversity in unity. We are to know and love and depend on each other because without that community we are worse than impotent - we are dead!

The Pharisees once asked to whom a woman who had had multiple marriages would be married in heaven. "Whose husband would she be in heaven?" they demanded.[6]

Jesus, with His usual tact, replied that they lacked a fundamental understanding of the Scriptures and the power of God. They had failed to understand that marriage customs would be meaningless in heaven.[7]

We will know each other then as God knows us now. God is omnipresent, which He is present everywhere simultaneously. God is omniscient which means He knows everything it is possible to know. Someday we will know each other as well as omniscient God knows us now. Our intimacy, our fellowship, our communal love will be so great that institutions like marriage will become obsolete. Intimacy will be universal. We will know as we are now known.

[1] Genesis 1:26
[2] John 17:11
[3] John 17:21
[4] John 17:23
[5] Romans 12:4-5
[6] Matthew 22:24-28
[7] Matthew 22:29-30

The Exiled King

Your heart must not be troubled. Believe in God; believe also in Me. In My Father's house are many dwelling places; if not, I would have told you. I am going away to prepare a place for you. If I go away and prepare a place for you, I will come back and receive you to Myself, so that where I am you may be also. - John 14:1-3 HCSB

There once was a king who lost a war and as a result was exiled to a distant country. When he arrived, he found that quite a few of his previously captured subjects had also been exiled to the same place. He went to visit one of his loyal subjects in the man's modest home. When the subject saw that his king had been captured and exiled, the subject broke down and wept. However, as he cried he also smiled, rejoicing because he stood in the presence of his king.

We Christians have been described as pilgrims in a strange land.[1] We have not been promised an easy path.[2] We have not been promised health and wealth as a result of our faith. We are told that some saints trusted God and were tortured, preferring to die rather than turn from God and be free. They placed their hope in the resurrection to a better life. Some were mocked, and their backs were cut open with whips. Others were chained in dungeons. Some died by stoning, and some were sawed in half; others were killed with the sword. Some went about in skins of sheep and goats, hungry and oppressed and mistreated. They were too good for this world. They wandered over deserts and mountains, hiding in caves and holes in the ground and get this! All of these people received God's approval because of their faith![3]

So we are strangers in a strange land, longing for our home. We have been specifically warned that the way will be rough and that we will probably not fare particularly well in this world. So should we be gloomy? Should we be downtrodden? Should our religion be characterized by weeping and walking around with a glum expression on our faces? Should pious people be miserable and melancholy? Absolutely not!

So how can we find joy in the midst of life's difficult circumstances? Where can we find that perpetual spring that takes away thirst altogether; that wells up from within providing eternal life?[4]

The Master one day stood and shouted to the crowds, "If you are thirsty, come to me! If you believe in me, come and drink! For the Scriptures declare that rivers of living water will flow out from within." When he said "living water," he was speaking of the Spirit, who would be given to everyone believing in him.[5] We can find joy in the midst of our tears because we stand in the presence of our King.

[1] Hebrews 11:13
[2] Matthew 10:34-36
[3] Hebrews 11:34-40
[4] John 4:14
[5] John 7:37-39

The Drowning Scorpion

"Because I, Yahweh, have not changed, you descendants of Jacob have not been destroyed. Since the days of your fathers, you have turned from My statutes; you have not kept them. Return to Me, and I will return to you," says the LORD of Hosts. But you ask: "How can we return?" - Malachi 3:6-7 HCSB

An old woman liked to pray beside the river. One morning, as she was finishing her meditation, she saw a scorpion floating helplessly along in the current on a small branch. The scorpion was pulled closer to the bank and it was caught in the roots that extended over and into the water. The current pushed so hard that the scorpion was being forced down into the water. It struggled frantically to free itself but matters only grew worse as the water began to pile up in a small wave against the scorpion's back, pinning it to the roots and half drowning it.

The old woman, driven by mercy, reached out to rescue the drowning scorpion. But the scorpion, moved by both its panic and its scorpion nature, stung her. The old woman withdrew her hand, but still pitying the poor creature, once again tried to rescue it. However, each time she reached out, the scorpion stung her. Soon her hand was bloody and she grimaced as she was wracked by the pain of its poison.

A passerby called to her, "You fool! What's wrong with you? Why subject yourself to so much pain to save such a nasty creature?"

The woman replied, "Just because it is in the scorpion's nature to sting, should I deny my own nature to save it?"

Christ's hands were also bloodied as He tried to save us. He too writhed in the agony of his efforts. For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly. For rarely will someone die for a just person--though for a good person perhaps someone might even dare to die. But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us![1]

Although He tried repeatedly to teach us through the judges and the prophets, we kept killing them, kept imprisoning them, and kept rejecting the message.[2] Most people would have simply given up and muttered something about the uselessness of throwing good money after bad, but just because WE were nasty and ungrateful did not mean that God could deny His good nature.

We often look at our lives thinking, "It's hopeless! I've so irretrievably ruined my life that God could never accept me." Let me extend a line of hope to those drowning in the consequences of sin...God CANNOT deny His own nature. He will reach out to us if we reach out to Him. He could no more refuse a penitent sinner than He could deny His divinity.


[1] Romans 5:6-8 HCSB
[2] Matthew 23:29-37; Luke 11:49-50; 13:34

Sacrificial Sowing

Those who sow in tears will reap with shouts of joy. Though one goes along weeping, carrying the bag of seed, he will surely come back with shouts of joy, carrying his sheaves. - Psalms 126:5-6 HCSB

Understanding this verse may be difficult for the modern Western mind. After all, when spring arrives, we are relieved that the long cold winter is over. We are hopeful as we begin the season. We go out with our monster machines and scatter the seed with ease. Who goes out to sow seed weeping?

In order to better understand this passage, remember where and when it was written. It was written in the Middle East about 2500 years ago.

Harvest time there was a time of rejoicing, partying and full bellies. People ate three full meals a day and the granaries were full. Eyes were bright and hearts were hopeful.

As the year went on however, and the dry season started to take hold of the land, the ground began to crack. Water became scarce as rivers dried up. Animals began to be harder to hunt as they ranged farther and farther to find watering holes. The soup began to get thinner. Finally, as the granaries began to empty, they switched to just two meals a day. Toward the end of the season, they would be lucky to have one meal a day. At night, you could hear the babies cry - hungry because their mother's milk had dried up.

Imagine a young child who had been hungry for weeks, months, running into the hut yelling with excitement, "Daddy! Daddy! I've found some grain! I found a bag of grain hanging high up on a nail in the granary! Get it down and give it to Mommy so she can make us some food!"

That father would have to look at his starving child with sadness in his eyes and refuse him. "Son, that bag holds the seed we need for the next season. If we eat that, we will surely starve to death."

Then, a week or two later, that father would walk into the granary, take down that bag and do the craziest thing ever. He would take the grain that could fill the bellies of his family, and with tears in his eyes scatter it all over the ground. He was starving too. He knew that some of it may get eaten by birds. But because he looked beyond the tears and by faith planted the seed, he and his family would know another harvest.

We must, by faith, understand the true value of the foolishness of preaching. We must understand how vital it is that we scatter the seed of the Gospel diligently and indiscriminately; though it may cost us our comfort; though it may at times even cost our families. The one who understands this and is willing to pay the price of discipleship is the one who will see a spiritual harvest.

Present and Unaccounted For

Therefore since we also have such a large cloud of witnesses surrounding us, let us lay aside every weight and the sin that so easily ensnares us, and run with endurance the race that lies before us, keeping our eyes on Jesus, the source and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that lay before Him endured a cross and despised the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of God's throne. - Hebrews 12:1-2 HCSB

Have you ever considered all the people who witnessed the death of the Christ? Consider with me for a moment all the different reactions. It could be very instructive as to how people react to Jesus today.

One thief continued to curse his own fate and to revile the Messiah who could have saved him. Are we like him? Do we rail against our lives and the consequences of our sin but fail to take personal responsibility? Do we fail to turn to the God who could save us from ourselves? Or, are we like the other criminal who was repentant and asked for forgiveness?

Perhaps we are like the soldiers who had so schooled themselves in professional detachment that they failed to perceive that the course of history was being changed before their very eyes. They got so focused on a few rags that they missed the Son of God hanging just above their heads.

Maybe we are like the civic leaders, officials and religious teachers who ridiculed Jesus. They tried to make themselves look good by making Him look bad. Has false pride distorted our view of ourselves or our understanding of what is just and right?

Are we like the crowd? Do we get easily swept up in the frenzy of popular opinion? Do we follow the strident calls of religious leaders without checking first with God and conscience?

It would be wonderful if we could be like the centurion who kept an open mind and a sensitive heart. He was touched and changed by Jesus' death. Are we equally sensitive to the profound meaning of the death, burial and resurrection of the Messiah?

We should be like John and Mary; overcome with sorrow at what was necessary for our redemption. Are we sensitive enough to perceive the needs and sorrows that surround us and weep with those who weep or laugh in joy with those who are joyful? Can we find ways to bear other's burdens?

There are millions who know OF Christ without actually knowing Christ. Just like 2000 years ago, there are some who merely see and others who can perceive. Faith is not enough. Faith can be misplaced. We must place our faith in the right thing. We must place our trust in Christ. We must remove our faith in ourselves. We must launch by faith into lives that please God. We must not be like some of these lost souls who were present - but unaccounted for.

What is the Gospel?

Then He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. – Mark 16:15-16 HCSB

The word “gospel” comes from the Anglo-Saxon “godspell” and literally means "glad tidings" or "good news."

In the Old Testament, good news was proclaimed widely (1 Samuel 31:9; Psalm 96:2-3; Isaiah 40:9; 52:7) and spread rapidly (2 Samuel 18:19-31; 2 Kings 7:9; Psalm 68:11) Both the preacher and those who received the good news reacted joyfully (2 Samuel 1:20; Psalm 96:11-12; Isaiah 52:7-9; Jeremiah 20:15).

With one rare exception (Jeremiah 20:15), when prophets spoke of the gospel, they always spoke of Yahweh Yeshua, God the Savior. For example, David praised God for deliverance from his enemies (2 Samuel 18:19-31). God put His people’s enemies to flight (2 Kings 7:1-9). He broke the yoke of their bondage to foreign oppressors (Nahum 1:13-15). El Gibhor (God our mighty hero) was returning to Zion (Isaiah 40:9-10). Isaiah proclaimed to the afflicted that God had won our peace and salvation by His sovereign power; that the time of the Lord’s favor was at hand (Isaiah 61:1-2); and this salvation was by grace alone (Isaiah 55:1-7).

When John the Baptist preached the gospel (Luke 3:18), he warned sinners of impending doom and urged them to repent before the axe fell (Luke 3:7-9). However, he assured the repentant of forgiveness (Luke 3:3) and membership in Messiah's community (Luke 3:17).

The Messiah's own birth was announced as "good news of great joy" (Luke 2:10-11). According to Paul (Romans 1:1-5), the gospel promised in the Old Testament was fulfilled upon Jesus’ incarnation (cp Acts 13:32-33).

In the synagogue at Nazareth, Jesus read from Isaiah 61: "the Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor" (Luke 4:18-19). Jesus proceeded to declare: "The time has come. The kingdom of God is near" (Mark 1:14-15).

As much as we hate to admit it, the coming of the kingdom is not effected through human effort, but is instead God's answer to the human predicament, the gift of his favor (Luke 12:32). "Repent and believe the good news!" Jesus commanded (Mark 1:15). Proclaiming the gospel involves jolting the self-righteous and the self-sufficient out of their false security and getting them to recognize their need of God (Luke 6:24-26). Only people who recognize their enslavement can fully appreciate an announcement of liberation (Luke 4:18-19).

All, regardless of their social or economic status, are summoned to submit to God's rule, to come to the banquet he has prepared (Luke 14:16-24). Salvation must be received to be experienced (Mark 10:15) and while it is a gift that costs nothing, it is also a priceless treasure for which a wise person will sacrifice all else (Matthew 13:44-46) because it cost the life of God to acquire.

This is the gospel we preach: though humanity is unbearably sinful and powerless to change there is a Savior – Jesus Christ the Lord.

Jingoism

“…give back to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." - Matthew 22:21 HCSB

Years ago, in a three-month killing spree, 850,000 Rwandans were killed. To a great degree, people who claim to follow Christ were complicit in this genocide in that in that they reinforced the latent racism that many of their congregations felt. They were complicit in that both Catholic and Protestant denominational leaders had so tied themselves to the government's interests that they were unable to stand against the genocide. They were complicit in that they taught absolute, unquestioning obedience to the government. Lastly, the churches were complicit in that they had "converted" the people in the sense that great numbers were attending church, but had failed to teach the most basic of Christian virtues: that of loving your neighbor as yourself.

Christ defined patriotism as giving honor and tribute where it was due. No more, no less. We are to give the government the obedience it deserves so that we might have a law-abiding and peaceful society. [1] When the government exceeds its lawful limitations, when it pursues an unjust cause, when it is guilty of perpetrating injustices, then we must give God His due. We must obey God, rather than human authority.[2]

What is God's due? What is it He wants? He wants us to do what is good and run from evil; to hate evil and love what is good; to remodel our courts into true halls of justice. We must work toward the creation of a mighty flood of justice, a river of righteous living that will never run dry.[3]

We must never allow our patriotism to blind us to injustice or evil. True patriotism includes voting. Voting entails giving voice to your conscience. If we remove our conscience from the mix, our patriotism becomes jingoism - clamorous, chauvinistic, belligerent nationalism.

The same can go for our church. If our church or denomination is failing to stand for what is right, if it goes against the will of God in the name of "tolerance" or supports a cause against which God clearly stands, we should have no part in it.

God commands, “Do not be mismatched with unbelievers. For what partnership is there between righteousness and lawlessness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? What agreement does Christ have with Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? And what agreement does God's sanctuary have with idols? For we are the sanctuary of the living God, as God said: I will dwell among them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people. Therefore, come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord; do not touch any unclean thing, and I will welcome you. I will be a Father to you, and you will be sons and daughters to Me, says the Lord Almighty.”[4]

[1] 1 Thessalonians 4:11-12a
[2] Acts 5:29
[3] Amos 5:14-15, 24
[4] 2 Corinthians 6:14-18

What You See is What You Are

All the days of the oppressed are miserable, but a cheerful heart has a continual feast. - Proverbs 15:15 HCSB

A young visitor once asked a village elder. "Sir, I am thinking of moving here. What are the people like?"

The old man replied, "What were the people like where you come from?"

"Oh my!" replied the young man. "They were crooks every one! They were thieves and cattle rustlers, hard hearted and tight fisted."

The old man thoughtfully answered, "That is exactly the kind of people you will find here too." The visitor left the village never to return.

Later, another man came to investigate the village. He also approached the village elder. "Sir, I am thinking of moving here. What are the people like?" he asked.

The old man considered the visitor and asked the same question, "What were the people like where you come from?"

"Well," the young man instantly responded. "They were the kindest, gentlest, most generous people you could ever meet! I will miss them very much."

The old man smiled a wise and gentle smile, "Those are exactly the same kind of people you will find here."

Our attitudes influence how we perceive life. If we are paranoid by nature, then we will see conspiracies in every circumstance. A deceitful person will tend to accuse others of lying. A person with a sensuous spirit will tend to accuse others of sensuousness. Think about it. What does a woman who was, as a teenager, morally loose, the most concerned about with her teenage daughter? What accusation does she often bring?

This is a vital principle to understand when dealing with people, or in understanding ourselves. We need to be very careful about accusing people. As often as not, we are revealing more of ourselves than we might wish.

Jesus taught, "Do not judge, so that you won't be judged. For with the judgment you use, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you."[1] When we are quick to condemn others, accusing them of things for which we have a serious lack of evidence, then we may be revealing something of our own character. Wise people will know things about us that we may not want them to know.

The psychological concept of projection is essential to being able to deal with difficult people in our lives - you know, those negative, critical people that are always accusing us of improper motives or poor methods. When we see that the very things they condemn us for are things of which they are most guilty, then we can look on them with pity. That pity should progress to compassion and patience.

Hopefully, when our view has changed from frustration to compassion, we will begin seeing that compassion reflected in those around us.

[1] Matthew 7:1-2

No Longer Just a Sinner

But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners Christ died for us! Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from wrath. - Romans 5:8-9 HCSB

A child, who was later named Bob, was left on the doorstep of a hospital and grew up in the care of the state. Bob became a hard-working taxi driver, was a Christian, an exemplary citizen and an excellent husband.

However, one day Bob was informed that a long-lost brother had left a considerable estate in Bob's care. Bob's brother was traveling abroad, wasn't sure when he would return, but wanted Bob to manage his affairs in his absence.

To Bob's considerable surprise, the estate was worth billions! The money could be spent at his discretion, but ultimately the money still belonged to his brother. While he could freely use his brother’s gift, Bob had to remember that one day there would be an accounting.

Bob was still the man he was before his brother granted him access to all that fortune. Whatever character he had before he became wealthy, he still possessed after his inheritance. The difference was that now unlimited possibilities were opened to him. He could educate himself. He could be involved in many new things that could open his mind and elevate his spirit. He could serve others in a way that had once been unimaginable.

When we make the Lord Jesus Christ the sovereign Master of our lives, God adopts us into His family![1] We then have the right to refer to the Messiah as our brother.[2] We become co-heirs with Christ.[3]

We do not inherit a new character with salvation. If we struggled with fear before, we will continue to struggle with fear afterward. The difference is that now previously unknown strength is available. Where we may have struggled for years with a character flaw, the possibility of overcoming that flaw lies at hand!

The Ransomed are still sinners, but not just sinners. God created us and put on us the divine imprint of life. He sent Christ to be our Savior and redeemed us from the sin that separated us from God. Through Christ we are freed from the shackles of sin. He saved us from death and provided us with eternal life.

God can help us today because He makes His grace available. He shows, through His love and grace, what we could become. God can reassure us about our past defeats and failures. He can reinforce us in our present struggles. He can restore our faith in the future. Through God's grace, we can use our powers creatively. We can master life's demands with strength that is beyond human limitations. He enables us to make love the dominant force in our lives.

So, dear brothers and sisters, we have no obligation whatsoever to do what our sinful nature urges us to do.[4]

[1] Romans 8:15-17
[2] Hebrews 2:11
[3] Romans 8:17
[4] Romans 8:12

Hannah's Son

"Deeply hurt, Hannah prayed to the LORD and wept with many tears.... Hannah was speaking to herself, and although her lips were moving, her voice could not be heard." - 1 Samuel 1:10, 13 HCSB

Hannah's barrenness caused her tremendous misery. She knew she was the infertile one in her marriage because Elkanah's second wife, Peninah, had had several children. Aware that Elkanah preferred Hannah, Peninah taunted her mercilessly, saying that Hannah's barrenness was a judgment of God. Elkanah, though he loved her, was insensitive to her pain saying, "Why do you weep? Why don't you eat? Why do you feel bad? Am I not better to you than ten sons?"[1]

The whole family visited the sanctuary in Shilo to commemorate the Feast of Booths, which celebrates God's blessing on the year's crop. This emphasis on fruitfulness only made Hannah's barrenness that much more unbearable.

She went to the temple and began praying, but she didn't simply kneel, carelessly pray a ritualistic prayer and walk away. Hannah was in deep anguish and cried bitterly as she prayed her vow to the LORD.[2]

Later that year, God gave her a son she named Samuel. As soon as the boy was weaned, she took him to the temple and gave him back to God where he spent the remainder of his days serving in the temple. Hannah subsequently gave birth to five more children, three boys and two girls.

Notice that it took her going to the temple to really get down to spiritual business. She had surely prayed at home! We can pray anytime, anywhere to God. However, sometimes we need a special place that we consider especially holy to get our hearts truly honest with God.[3]

Hannah was so emotionally involved in her prayer that the priest thought she was drunk! If we want to get answers to our prayer, we need to completely abandon our natural reserve and pour our hearts out to God. However, though she wept bitterly and her lips moved, her voice was not heard. We shouldn’t make a huge show of our prayers. The battle for emotional and spiritual transparency we are discussing is an inward, private battle.

Sometimes it helps to let our lips move with our prayers. Few of us have the requisite mental discipline to keep our minds from wandering when our prayers are entirely silent. To counteract that problem, we may allow our lips to move to keep on track without letting our voices be heard so that our prayers remain strictly between us and the Father.

Finally, keep in mind that she fulfilled her vow. We mustn’t be one of those "foxhole Christians" who only pray when we need something. "O God, if you'll do this for me, I do..." some pray but when God answers, they fail to fulfill their vow. We cannot think that God, who sees the future, will bless our prayer when He knows full well we will not keep our word.

[1] 1 Samuel 1:8
[2] 1 Samuel 1:11
[3] Matthew 6:6

A One-Tree Forest

For although we are walking in the flesh, we do not wage war in a fleshly way, since the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly, but are powerful through God for the demolition of strongholds. We demolish arguments and every high-minded thing that is raised up against the knowledge of God, taking every thought captive to the obedience of Christ. - 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 HCSB

There is a village on the Gold Coast of West Africa, called ‘Achimota” that lies near the infamous Christianborg castle where slaves were held for the slave ships. Across a wooded hill runs a path trod by thousands of slaves headed for a life of misery. This hill was the last chance to run before they reached the dungeons from which there was no escape. Sometimes slaves would manage to escape their chains and, hiding in the bush country, would be fed by the local villagers.

Achimota was later chosen as the site for the first great college in the country, where young men and women are educated for the future life of the free state of Ghana.

The first vice-principal, James Kwegyr Aggrey, was known internationally for his work of reconciliation between black and white races. The crest of the new college was designed to one of his parables: “On a piano you can play a tune of sorts on the white keys and a tune of sorts on the black keys, but for real harmony you need both black and white”. And its motto, “Ut omnes unum sint” (That they all may be one), points the way to one family of diverse races which is God’s long-term plan for humanity.

Christians are often told that it is at best in poor taste and at worst bigotry to attempt to “proselytize” others but what if Aggrey had followed their advice? What if he had simply held to his beliefs about the miscarriage of justice that was the slave trade and had not tried to convince others? What if each of those villagers had simply believed fervently without action following faith? All the good things that we have in life have come because someone, somewhere had a good idea, a firm belief to which they held contrary to the prevailing view. We are able to profit from their ideas because of their tenacity.

Each of us should try to convince his neighbor of what is right. Is that not the very essence of democracy? As each idea is tested, some fall by the wayside, others flourish until they become a veritable ideological forest - providing shelter, food, lumber, shade, holding the water in the ground. Only through spiritual reproduction will we maintain the human race in the state to which it is accustomed. We cannot be a one-tree forest. We must reproduce. This is the way of life.

One Choice Away

But Ruth replied: Do not persuade me to leave you or go back and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. - Ruth 1:16 HCSB

A man took his wife and two sons to the country of Moab to escape a famine. While there, his sons married Orpah and Ruth. Almost immediately afterward, all three men died leaving the three women widows. The mother-in-law, Naomi, decided to return to Israel. At first, both Orpah and Ruth decided to go with her. Naomi tried to dissuade them and after some discussion, Orpah decided to stay in her homeland. Ruth, however, responded with the famous verse above. Her reason was not simply her love for Naomi. She was choosing God and His people.

She went to Israel with her depressed mother-in-law and worked hard to keep the two of them from starving. In doing so, she attracted the attention of a fine man named Boaz and married him. So, because of her decision, a Moabitess, a foreigner, a former pagan, a wetback, an immigrant, ended up being in the Messianic line, an ancestress of the Christ Himself! What an honor!

Sin requires many choices. Take an office affair for instance. We first notice the person and choose to keep looking. We choose to spend a little more time in conversation with them; to flirt; to sit with them at lunch time; to sit close, to let our hand linger, to lean in. We choose to spend some time outside of work with them. We choose that first kiss. We choose to have sex with them. So many stop signs on the way - so many red lights ignored.

However, we are only one choice away from forgiveness and a close relationship with God! Rahab (Boaz' mother) was a lying, treasonous, foreign prostitute.[1] Yet she made one choice to follow God and His people and she became an ancestress of our Savior! Ruth chose to follow God and His people and found love and an eternal memorial in the form of the book of Ruth!

We may think we have gone too far, that God could never accept us. We may feel that we must first clean up our act so that He might! Remember, Rahab made that choice AS a prostitute and found God's acceptance. Ruth made that choice AS a foreigner in a strange land and found love.

Sexual sin, idolatry, adultery, thievery, greed, substance abuse, and fraud will keep us out of heaven. [2] But the Corinthians had all at one time been guilty of these things yet found forgiveness and acceptance.

God will not forgive us because we have "cleaned up our act" or "turned over a new leaf". Salvation comes by grace, not by works.[3] Salvation comes by making that one choice, that one step. Redemption is only one choice away.

[1] Matthew 1:5
[2] 1 Corinthians 6:9-11
[3] Ephesians 2:8-10

The Character Journal

Vindicate me, Lord, because I have lived with integrity and have trusted in the Lord without wavering. Test me, Lord, and try me; examine my heart and mind. For Your faithful love is before my eyes, and I live by Your truth. I do not sit with the worthless or associate with hypocrites. I hate a crowd of evildoers, and I do not sit with the wicked. I wash my hands in innocence and go around Your altar, Lord, raising my voice in thanksgiving and telling about Your wonderful works. Lord, I love the house where You dwell, the place where Your glory resides. Do not destroy me along with sinners, or my life along with men of bloodshed in whose hands are evil schemes, and whose right hands are filled with bribes. But I live with integrity; redeem me and be gracious to me. My foot stands on level ground; I will praise the Lord in the assemblies. – Psalm 26 HCSB

Humble introspection should be the hallmark of the righteous and disciplined journaling is one of the best ways to inculcate this vital habit into our lives. “Where do you see journaling in the Scriptures?” you may ask. The entire Bible is composed of sixty-six journals of righteous men who wrote as they were inspired by the Holy Spirit. The book of Psalms chronicles the joys, sorrows, victories and defeats of a man after God’s own heart.

Didn’t Paul teach, “Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith. Examine yourselves. Or do you not recognize for yourselves that Jesus Christ is in you--unless you fail the test?”[1] This kind of self-examination is vital to the determination of our status with Elohim. Are we truly one of the tzaddikim? If we are, are we living as the children of God should? Are we pleasing our Lord? Are we making progress in our attempts to work our salvation out into every aspect of our lives?

Paul particularly advocated self-examination prior to partaking of the Lord’s Supper saying “Therefore, whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy way will be guilty of sin against the body and blood of the Lord. So a man should examine himself; in this way he should eat of the bread and drink of the cup.”[2]

The discipline of journaling stems from the insight the Master gave us in that our fruit (the good or evil works we do) reveals our inner spiritual state.[3] David understood this principle and in this Psalm wrote down what he felt demonstrated his right relationship with Yahweh.

So keep a “character journal.” Examine the areas in which you seek improvement. At the end of each day, list your victories and defeats. This will help you determine you besetting sins and your spiritual strengths. This will help you achieve slow and steady progress in your spiritual growth.


[1] 2 Corinthians 13:5 HCSB
[2] 1 Corinthians 11:27-28 HCSB
[3] Matthew 7:15-20

The Reign of Anarchy

In those days there was no king in Israel; everyone did whatever he wanted. - Judges 17:6 HCSB

A man named Micah stole money from his mother. When she discovered that her money was gone, she uttered a curse on whoever had stolen it. Micah was present when his mother uttered the curse and out of superstitious fear, confessed to her that he was the thief. She immediately tried to counteract her curse by asking God to bless her son.

When Micah returned the money, she consecrated it to God. However, she did it by creating idols which were expressly forbidden by God. Micah had a shrine in his house and these images were placed there along with an ephod (a chest plate reserved for the use of a high priest) and his household idols. He also consecrated one of his sons so that he might be the household priest.

But when a mercenary Levite (someone from the priestly tribe of Levi) came by, Micah hired the homeless man to become his household priest. All this mess is explained by one terse verse: "there was no king in Israel; and everyone did whatever he wanted."

The results of that anarchy within this one family was larceny, superstitious witchcraft, idol worshipping, mixing elements of true faith with the occult, taking authority that was not their own and hiring priests who were only interested in money!

Unfortunately, this sounds only too familiar. We are a nation in which it is acceptable to be "spiritual" but it is considered bigoted to have definite Christian views. Everyone has their own view of what religion should entail. How many times have you heard, "Oh, that might be truth for you, but it's not truth for me." Or, "I think there are many ways to heaven, they're all paths to the one truth." We have religious anarchy ruling our nation and it's beginning to show.

We are mixing elements of true faith which are clearly stated in the scriptures, with our own ideas of God. We are hiring pastors who are more concerned with their 401K than they are with telling the people gently when they are wrong!

We feel that we have the authority to say "This part of Scripture is inspired, and that one is not." "That verse does not jibe with my view of a gracious and loving God so I can ignore it." We place ourselves as the ultimate authority of religion.

It is interesting to note that in the following chapters of Judges we see the rise of homosexuality and crime. If you teach each person that they can do whatever they want, they soon expect that all their wishes will be fulfilled and are filled with hatred toward anyone who stands between them and their desire.

May God have mercy on our poor nation as we follow Israel into this morally relativistic morass.

The Technique

"Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord!' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, didn't we prophesy in Your name, drive out demons in Your name, and do many miracles in Your name?' Then I will announce to them, 'I never knew you! Depart from Me, you lawbreakers!' "Therefore, everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a sensible man who built his house on the rock. The rain fell, the rivers rose, and the winds blew and pounded that house. Yet it didn't collapse, because its foundation was on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of Mine and doesn't act on them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, the rivers rose, the winds blew and pounded that house, and it collapsed. And its collapse was great!" – Matthew 7:21-27 HCSB

Does reading a book on guitar playing make you a guitar player? Does the memorization of certain facts make you a scientist? Does the public recitation of those facts magically transform you into Stephen Hawking or Albert Einstein? Does the possession of a mirror make you a super model?

The answer is obviously a resounding “no!” Simply thinking about an activity, a state of mind, or a condition of life does not make it come about. We must act upon those thoughts. We must apply the principles learned in books or from tutors to our lives. That is how we become famous Spanish guitar players, martial artists or influential speakers.

Some people, however, are not able to transfer this very basic principle to their walk with the Master. They believe that church attendance will make them tzaddikim (righteous people). Let me ask you: are all the people that attend a football game – football players?

Others believe that reading the right authors will give them some magical knowledge that will transform their lives overnight and they will wake up miraculous, magically spiritual beings with the power to overcome sin and to call down fire from heaven. So they read Max Lucado, Beth Moore, Billy Graham, Dietrich Bonhoffer or Saint Augustine. Personally, if there were such a human author – if there was some man or woman who had the power to magically transform us into tzaddikim - my vote would be for A.W. Tozer. Unfortunately, there is no such human. Reading cannot turn us into good people any more than it can turn us into great chefs.

No minister, whether pastor, priest, rabbi or guru, will be of any good to a person who will not listen and apply the appropriate truths to their lives. We do not become good people by thinking good thoughts, but by doing good deeds again and again until they become second nature.

No One is Deaf to Praise

Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy: To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Grace to you and peace. We always thank God for all of you, remembering you constantly in our prayers. We recall, in the presence of our God and Father, your work of faith, labor of love, and endurance of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ, knowing your election, brothers loved by God. - 1 Thessalonians 1:1-4 HCSB

An elderly gentleman had serious hearing problems. He went to the doctor who was able to have him fitted for a set of hearing aids that allowed the gentleman to hear perfectly. The elderly gentleman went back in a month to the doctor and the doctor said, "Your hearing is perfect. Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again."

The gentleman replied, "Oh, I haven't told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to the conversations. I've changed my will three times!"

It’s funny what people choose to hear. Parents continue talking to each other, oblivious as their kids yell “Mommy! Mommy! Mommy!” a hundred times while pulling on their sleeve. You can go into a restaurant and talk at a normal tone of voice and no one will pay any attention at all but as soon as you lower your voice for privacy, the whole restaurant goes quiet and LEEAANS.

We are selective in our hearing. One thing that I have noticed, however, is that no one is deaf to praise. Tell a person how smart they are and they will praise your wisdom. Tell them how skilled they are and they will marvel at your perspicacity. Brag on their good looks and they will tell the world about your keen insight and wonderful acumen.

I’m not advocating that we walk around flattering everyone, for after all, in the end people appreciate honesty over flattery.[1] However, there is room for encouragement and praise in the life of the wise. You can get far more with honey than you can with vinegar. It is Christ’s love that constrains us.[2]

The Ransomed are often guilty of the sin of “lashon hara”, or wicked talk. We gossip, slander or “speak the truth” with an angry or bitter heart. When others react poorly, we simply congratulate ourselves on being persecuted for speaking the truth, when the fact of the matter is that we are being rejected for being rude and boorish.

Paul, a man who was famous for his straight talk, gives us a tremendous example of love that is marked by kindness; that does not keep a record of wrongs; that believes all things, hoping for the best in people.[3]

“Lashon tzaddik”, righteous speech, is seasoned with grace. It doesn’t take a lot; just a little recognition of what is valuable in the other person and you will have their full attention and they will be far more likely to be agreeable.


[1] Proverbs 28:23
[2] 2 Corinthians 5:14
[3] 1 Corinthians 13:4-7

Excess

For if the eagerness is there, it is acceptable according to what one has, not according to what he does not have. It is not that there may be relief for others and hardship for you, but it is a question of equality-- at the present time your surplus is available for their need, so that their abundance may also become available for your need, that there may be equality. As it has been written: The person who gathered much did not have too much, and the person who gathered little did not have too little. – 2 Corinthians 8:12-15 HCSB

Paul was once again correcting the out of balance views of a fledgling church. They had swung so far to the side of grace that they had failed to adequately protect themselves from sin. Then, they swung so far to the side of holiness that they failed to forgive a repentant sinner. Now he was teaching them balance in another field – that of generosity and service.

There are some who will tell you “Give until it hurts, then keep on giving until it feels better again.” But Paul’s teaching is needed to refute fanatics who think that you must you strip yourself completely.

God does not judge us by what we do not have. We are commanded to love our neighbor as our self[1], not more than our self. When the sinful woman offered Christ a gift of tears and perfume, His commendation was based on the fact that she had “done what she could.”[2] The widow’s donated mite was considered sacrificial because she had “put in all she had to live on.”[3] Even the Parable of the Talents[4] teaches that each of us is given different levels of resources and that we are only required to act “each as we are able”.

Even our reaction to the spiritual insight given by the Holy Spirit to all men[5] is judged based on the availability of information.[6] This principle matches perfectly with the Master’s teaching when He said, “Much will be required of everyone who has been given much. And even more will be expected of the one who has been entrusted with more.”

Paul further illustrated this principle by referring to the time when the children of Israel gathered manna. Remember the diversity of family sizes that were likely in a nation comprising millions of individuals. Nevertheless, when they gathered the sweet bread, God made sure that no person suffered from either lack or excess.[7]

The New Testament church understood this and developed a true communal lifestyle, each taking as they needed; each giving out of their excess.[8]

When we serve, we must remember that the resources we share are not our own. They belong to a Master to Whom we will one day give an accounting. The giving must be done with a cheerful heart, but with an eye on the gas tank too. [9] Let service mark your life, not scar it.

[1] Matthew 22:39
[2] Mark 14:8
[3] Luke 21:3-4
[4] Matthew 25:14-30
[5] Romans 1:18-19
[6] Romans 2:12
[7] Exodus 16:18
[8] Acts 2:44-45
[9] 2 Corinthians 9:7-8

The Restitution Offering

Yet the Lord was pleased to crush Him, and He made Him sick. When You make Him a restitution offering, He will see His seed, He will prolong His days, and the will of the Lord will succeed by His hand. – Isaiah 53:10 HCSB

When I was young and unsaved, I spent my free time stealing. I looked upon it as a skill and worked at it, much like many kids develop their ability to skate board. I stole small items at first and gradually increased the complexity and risk of my thefts. Unfortunately, I was never caught.

When I became a Christian, I felt the need to go back to the people from whom I had stolen and make restitution for my sin against them. Restitution can take the form of a sum of money that is paid in compensation for loss or injury. But the act of restitution is hinged on the hope of restoring something to its original state. It means to return, to restore, regain.

It’s rather like the “go back” function on your computer. Let’s say you were surfing the net and you saw a really cool little program that interested you. On an impulse, you decided to download it only to discover that it brought with it all kinds of garbage that not only is embarrassing for someone to see on your computer, but actually hinders its function. All you need to do is hit the “go back” button and reset your computer to the way it was the day before. “Voila!” It’s like it never happened.

Normally, the person who committed the sin must make restitution to the injured party. We are so lacking in resources however, that God had to make the restitution for us.

It’s as though we were accused of a terrible crime and, based on overwhelming evidence, were convicted in court. We stood before the Judge and He sentenced us to death. But then, wonder of wonders, He stood, removed His robes, stepped down from the bench and took our place at the gallows!

Jesus is our “go back” button. He is the restitution offering we needed to regain our relationship with God. He is the means by which we can restore our fellowship with Yahweh Shaphat.

That function cost Him. He had to be crushed. He was made sin-sick. He was split from His Father and made to bear the weight of the world’s sins. He was beaten to within an inch of His life and then tortured to death.

So now we owe Him. Our gratitude should compel us to offer some form of restitution to the Master. We must dedicate the rest of our lives as a living and holy sacrifice to Him. We must seek to discern and practice the good, pleasing and perfect will of God.[1] We must, as Yeshua’s disciples, become in our turn restitution offerings.

[1] Romans 12:1-2

Imitatio Dei

The Lord will establish you as His holy people, as He swore to you, if you obey the commands of the Lord your God and walk in His ways. Then all the peoples of the earth will see that you are called by the Lord's name, and they will stand in awe of you. – Deuteronomy 28:9-10 HCSB

What has the Lord our God ever asked of us except to fear Him by walking in all His ways, loving and worshiping Him with all our hearts and souls? We must keep the Lord’s commands and statutes for our own good.[1]

We must be careful to do as Adonai has commanded us, turning neither to the right nor to the left, but instead, following the whole instruction He has given us so that we may live, prosper and achieve longevity wherever He has planted us.[2]

We must conscientiously obey His commands and instructions which are: to love Him, walk in all His ways, keep His commands, remain faithful to Him and serve Him with all our hearts and all our souls.[3]

He is, after all, Yahweh Ga’al our God, who freed us from bondage and death. If we will, in faith, open our mouths wide, He will fill them.

But Humanity often will not listen – will not obey El Ch’uwl. So He has to give them over to their stubborn hearts to follow their own plans. If only His people would listen to Him and follow His ways![4]

Then He would give them one heart and put a new spirit within them. He would remove their heart of stone from their bodies and give them a heart of flesh so that they may follow His statutes, keep His ordinances and practice them. Then they would truly be His people and He their God.

But as for those whose hearts pursue their desire for detestable things and abominations, El Gadol Gibor Yare will bring their actions down on their own heads.[5]

For God’s Grace, Yeshua ben Adonai, has appeared with salvation for all people, instructing us to deny godlessness and worldly lusts and to live in a sensible, righteous, and godly way in the present age, while we wait for the blessed hope and the appearing of the glory of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ. He gave Himself for us to redeem us from all lawlessness and to cleanse for Himself a special people, eager to do good works. Therefore we must not only practice but also say these things, encouraging others and rebuking with all authority.[6]

Let’s get our minds ready for action, being self-disciplined, and set our hope completely on the grace to be brought at the revelation of Jesus Christ. As obedient children, let’s not be conformed to the desires of our former ignorance but, as the One who called us is holy, let us also be holy in all our conduct; for it is written, “Be holy, because I am holy.”[7]


[1] Deuteronomy 10:12-13
[2] Deuteronomy 5:32-33
[3] Joshua 22:5
[4] Psalm 81:10-13
[5] Ezekiel 11:19-21
[6] Titus 2:11-15
[7] 1 Peter 1:13-16

Just Because It’s in the Bible Doesn’t Make It So

I am the least intelligent of men, and I lack man's ability to understand. I have not gained wisdom, and I have no knowledge of the Holy One. Who has gone up to heaven and come down? Who has gathered the wind in His hands? Who has bound up the waters in a cloak? Who has established all the ends of the earth? What is His name, and what is the name of His Son--if you know? Every word of God is pure; He is a shield to those who take refuge in Him. Don't add to His words, or He will rebuke you, and you will be proved a liar. - Proverbs 30:2-6 HCSB

Whoa, whoa, whoa! Everybody calm down. Put down your pitchforks, clubs and torches and step away! I have a cane and I’m not afraid to use it! All liberal textual critics, quit your cheering and backslapping!

I believe that the original text of the Bible is the divinely inspired, inerrant Word of God. I believe that the sacred Scriptures, are able to instruct us for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus; that all Scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.”[1]

However, not every individual statement in the Bible is true. For instance, the serpent’s suggestion that the forbidden fruit would turn mankind into gods – was that true? Job’s friends telling him that his troubles were all his fault – was that true? Peter rebuking the Christ and telling Him that “this mustn’t be” – was he correct? How about the Pharisees describing the Master as illegitimate or demon possessed, or Jesus’ family declaring Him to be insane? Or how about Quoheleth’s idea that we should just eat, drink and be merry? Was that sound doctrine or was it written to describe what human philosophy leads us to – vanity and uselessness?

This is a fundamental problem in much of the theology we find in today’s Christianity. This is why we have 20,000 flavors of Christianity available. Someone finds some random statement in the Bible (say – baptism for the dead) and builds an entire religion out of it (like the Mormons did). Even the Scriptures must be used with discernment.

Jesus claimed to be “the door.” Does this mean He is literally composed of wood? Similarly He claimed the wine was His “blood” and certain denominations have jumped to the conclusion that they can literally eat and drink God!

Even Peter complained that some of Paul’s teaching was “hard to understand” and that “the untaught and unstable twist them to their own destruction, as they also do with the rest of the Scriptures.”[2]

We must approach the Scriptures humbly recognizing our ignorance and calling on the Holy One to instruct us. The Scriptures must be approached carefully, not adding to His words, lest He rebuke us.

[1] 2 Timothy 3:15-17
[2] 2 Peter 3:16

Man in God’s Image

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness. They will rule the fish of the sea, the birds of the sky, the livestock, all the earth, and the creatures that crawl on the earth.” So God created man in His own image; He created him in the image of God; He created them male and female. - Genesis 1:26-27 HCSB

Some cults teach that since we were created in God’s image and we are physical beings, Yahweh must also be a physical being. But in doing so, they are committing the very sin that enrages God – the sin of ascribing physicality to the Creator.[1]

The first thing to note in today’s passage is the name of God: Elohim. This is literally “Gods” as it is the plural form of the word “El” or God. Thus, we get our first intimation of the Trinity in the very first word of the Scriptures.

This also gives us a clue as to the meaning of God making humanity in His own image. For obvious reasons, it would be very difficult to say that we were created in the form of triune God!

Further, two-thirds of the Trinity is Spirit. Jesus categorically taught[2] that no human besides Himself had ever seen the Father. In this, He was reiterating what Yahweh taught His servant Moses saying, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.”[3] In what way then could Man be like God physically? This heresy is particularly foolish when we consider that Jesus described a Spirit as not even possessing a body.[4]

Clearly, God created us “tselem tselem”; literally an image of His image – connoting a reflection. So in what way are we a reflection of God?

We must take into consideration that the Messiah was the “image of the invisible God.”[5] Again, the image is not corporeal, since God is depicted as “invisible.”[6]

But the third person of the Trinity became flesh in order to act as an interface or an intermediary[7] between God and Man. He demonstrated in His loving sacrifice God’s true character. He taught “God is a Spirit and must be worshipped in spirit and in truth.”

There it is! The key! When God fabricated man, He breathed a spirit into us.[8] That spirit differentiates us from the animals. It allows us to worship God, to interact with Him, to have fellowship with Him, to pursue d’vekut.

It is this aspect of our personality that is like God. Birds think. Dogs feel. Dolphins are self-aware. Apes have bodies that are virtually the same as ours. But we are more than mere minds and emotions. Our spirits allow us to surpass our corporeal limitations and worship at the very throne of heaven.

In this is God’s gift to mankind.

[1] Exodus 20:4; Deuteronomy 4:15-16; Romans 1:18-22; Psalm 97:7; Jonah 2:8;
[2] John 1:18; Matthew 11:27
[3] Exodus 33:20
[4] Luke 24:39
[5] Colossians 1:15
[6] Romans 1:20; Colossians 1:15-16; 1 Timothy 1:17; Hebrews 11:27
[7] 1 Timothy 2:5
[8] Genesis 2:7