Advice to Parents of Wayward Children, 3 of 9

He also said: "A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.' So he distributed the assets to them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living.” - Luke 15:11-13 HCSB

Given the wisdom and compassion that the righteous father demonstrated in the story of the prodigal son, (and given the fact that he represents Adonai), I’m certain the father had many discussions with the prodigal before distributing his assets to his rebellious son.

Through the prophet Samuel, Adonai warned the people of Israel of the consequences of rejecting God as their king. Just think of the Devil when you read of the king through that passage[1] and consider the parallels. When we choose Lucifer’s way, he reigns over us. He takes our children and gets them to serve him. He will take the best of our goods. Consider how much suffering addicts cause themselves as they pour their income into their veins, down their throats or onto the poker table. Consider the money wasted by those who worship the false god Entertainment or the idol of Materialism. When he is done with us, we will cry out because of the king we have chosen for ourselves, but the Lord may not answer us in that day.[2]

Like Samuel, speak to your children. Warn them severely of the consequences of their decisions. Try your best to wave them off from self-destruction. However, if they stubbornly refuse to listen, listen to Hashem’s advice to Samuel and let them go their way.[3]

As to whether or not you should participate in weddings of children choosing wrong mates, note that Samuel participated in the ceremonies and rituals associated with the kingship.[4] There is only one issue that I have found for which we are to separate ourselves from our family – that is over Christ. If they are asking you, through whatever activity, to reject the Lord, then the Lord must come first.[5]

This does not mean that you have to give your blessing or render aid to a given activity like a marriage. You can attend in order to show your love for the wayward child, but do not help any activity that would be bad for that child or their relationship with God. Make it clear that it is their sin and not themselves that you reject.

For instance, a person who enjoys dancing and had a homosexual instructor asked me where to draw the line. How do you show love for him without condoning his sin? My advice was to be friendly and loving towards him. If he is dancing in some general presentation, then attend and support his art. But if he is dancing in something that is in support of homosexuality (like a fund-raiser or an all-gay presentation) then do not attend.

[1] 1 Samuel 8:10-18
[2] 1 Samuel 8:18
[3] 1 Samuel 8:19-22
[4] 1 Samuel 10:1, 24-25
[5] Exodus 32:26-29; Luke 14:26

Advice to Parents of Wayward Children, 2 of 9

He also said: "A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.' So he distributed the assets to them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. - Luke 15:11-13 HCSB

Try not to take the rejection of wayward children personally. You are collateral damage – a casualty of war. It’s usually more about them trying to make their own minds up concerning obeying God’s commands than it is about rejecting your ways.

Didn’t the Lord say to Samuel, “They have not rejected you, but they have rejected me…they have forsaken Me and served other gods – so they are doing to you also?[1]” The hardness of the wayward child’s heart has rendered them callous. If they continue down that path, they will give themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity and their desire for sin will only increase.[2]

Therefore, I say this and testify in the Lord: You should no longer walk as the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their thoughts. They are darkened in their understanding, excluded from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them and because of the hardness of their hearts. They became callous and gave themselves over to promiscuity for the practice of every kind of impurity with a desire for more and more. Trust me when I tell you that, regardless of what they may say, their conscience is disturbing them and they know no peace. The Scriptures baldly state that all humans know about God instinctively because God has put this knowledge in their hearts.[3] They have to push the truth away from themselves.

You may think, “But they’re smarter than this! Why are they making these stupid mistakes?” The Scriptures state that when we refuse to submit to God as He presents Himself, we become foolish and our minds become dark and confused. Essentially, sin makes one stupid. Witness the Prodigal son who profligately wasted his inheritance in the face of an oncoming famine. In describing his repentance, the Scriptures use the phrase “when he came to his senses…”[4] It’s like sin lulled his mind into a dulled, quasi-conscious, sleep walking state.

Sometimes our children reject the Way in order to pursue other gods: materialism, popularity, power, sensuality. And as you stand for truth and God’s Word, you will also be rejected. But remember that it is not primarily about you. You just happen to be in the way in this battle for their soul.

[1] 1 Samuel 8:7-9
[2] Ephesians 4:17-19
[3] Romans 1:18-20 cp Ecclesiastes 3:11
[4] Luke 15:17

Advice to Parents of Wayward Children, 1 of 9

He also said: "A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, 'Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.' So he distributed the assets to them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. - Luke 15:11-13 HCSB

It’s true that parents carry a great deal of responsibility in regards to their children’s upbringing. We should not provoke our children to anger through abusive, inconsistent or hypocritical behavior. Instead, we should provide them with the best discipline and training we can offer, bringing them up in the Lord’s Way so that Scriptural principles will always be with them, guiding them as they struggle through life on their own.[1]

But parents are not the only ones with responsibility. Each person (including our children) must decide what to do with the training they’ve received. Just as parents of righteous children cannot take full credit for their children’s good deeds, parents of adult children who have strayed from the Way must quit taking full responsibility for the child's misbehavior. The child made the choices, and he has to suffer the consequences of his behavior.[2]

The Prodigal’s righteous father had two sons[3] that we can assume were raised in a similar manner. Only one openly rebelled. This demonstrates that each child is an individual who can choose to follow their parents’ teaching or not.

I've known many godly people with a wayward child. Was the believer to blame? In each case, there were several children in the family. All the children were raised with the same values. Only one chose to ignore them. Don’t be so arrogant as to think you alone of all human parents can raise perfect children. Even God the perfect Father has wayward children. Can you do better than Yahweh?

There are numerous biblical examples of good parents who have had wicked children. King Jotham did right in the sight of the Lord.[4] Nevertheless, his son, King Ahaz, chose to follow idols and became so wicked that he burnt his own son as an offering to these idols.[5] These two passages show us that a good and righteous parent who humanly makes some mistakes may end up having a wicked child. But for every good parent who has a bad child, we also see many bad parents who have good kids. This shows us that parents do bear some responsibility, but not all.
You may ask, but what of Proverbs 22:6’s promise that a properly raised child will not depart from the Way? Carefully consider the verse. It doesn’t say they’ll never reject it. It says “even when he is old”, that is “at the point that they reach maturity”, he will not depart.

The Bible is not so naïve as to say that we are just robots that respond to input the same way every time. The Bible gives room for individuality, for free will. The Teacher is simply acknowledging the well-known psychological principle that we tend to fall back on the lessons that we learned as children. We may temporarily stray as we try new approaches, but a child who is raised well will TEND to come back to those ways.

[1] Ephesians 6:4; Proverbs 22:6; 29:15
[2] Deuteronomy 24:16
[3] Luke 15:11
[4] 2 Kings 15:32-34, 38
[5] 2 Kings 16:1-4

How to Become Merciful

Blessed are the merciful, because they will be shown mercy. - Matthew 5:7 HCSB

[1] It’s easy to say “I want to be merciful” but exactly how does one develop this trait. In a world characterized by judgment and condemnation, and where even the most altruistic acts are accompanied by strings or selfish motivations, what can we do to show mercy from the heart?

We need to be humble. We need to recognize our personal need for mercy. We all went astray like sheep; we all have turned to our own way; and the LORD has punished the Messiah for the iniquity of us all.[2] For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.[3] If we say, "We have no sin," we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.[4] When we catch someone in sin, we need to restore them gently, watching out lest we be tempted also.[5]

We need to try to become better acquainted with the object of our judgment. The word “prejudice” literally means to “pre-judge” or judge before all the facts are in. Hashem specifically forbids this.[6] Adonai asks us to carefully research before rendering judgment. Sixty Minutes, A Current Affair, Today Tonight and their ilk urge us to form an opinion based on sound bytes and heavily edited movie clips. It’s easy to judge those we do not know. It’s easy to allow our fear of strangers or those who are different from us to influence our attitudes toward them. So one of the best steps we can take to develop mercy is to not only get well acquainted with them but to try to identify with them as much as possible.[7]

It is critical that we understand that God’s mercy proceeds from His own essential freedom. He said, "I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and I will have compassion on whom I will have compassion."[8] We tend to consider judgment or grudges held as being power over the object of our scorn. The truth of the matter is that it is not power but slavery. Only a free man can free another. Only the forgiven can forgive. The truly rich give cheerfully because they know they have plenty in reserve. Those who have been granted great mercy can afford to extend it to others. So we need to uproot this idea of condemnation, bitterness or grudges as being an effective way of “getting back” at someone. The only one we are hurting is ourselves.

Finally, we need to allow the Ruach’ ha Kodesh to pour Yeshua’s mercy through us like an aqueduct. Adonaists give others to drink from the spring of living waters that wells up within our souls.[9] No water – no spring. No power – no Holy Spirit. We must ask God to love others through us, for our own sakes.


[1] Premier Deuil (the First Mourning) by William Bouguereau (1825-1905)
[2] Isaiah 53:6
[3] Romans 3:23
[4] 1 John 1:8-9
[5] Galatians 6:1
[6] Proverbs 18:13
[7] Romans 12:15
[8] Exodus 33:19 cp Romans 9:15
[9] John 4:14

Finding Favor

And the angel came to her and said, "Rejoice, favored woman! The Lord is with you." - Luke 1:28 HCSB

[1] Of all the women of Judah, Mary was chosen by God to become the mother of the Messiah, the King and Redeemer of Israel. Gabriel said she was selected because she had “found favor with God”, but what was it about Mary that caught the Lord’s attention? What qualities did she possess which “found favor with God?”

She had faith. When the priest Zacharias was told that he and his wife, Elizabeth, would have a son in their old age, Zacharias doubted the news. However, after being told that she would give birth to the Messiah, Mary only inquired as to how God would perform this since she was still a virgin.[2] Zacharias doubted God’s ability to overcome his age. Mary simply did not want to defile herself. But once God cleared that issue up for her, she responded, "I am the Lord's slave. May it be done to me according to your word."[3]

She willingly surrendered her life to God’s will. Mary did not take thought of the difficulties and inconveniences that would come her way as she would be with Child out of wedlock and then give birth to the Messiah. Mary was willing to lay aside what she willed for her life to surrender to what God had planned for her life.

She revered and adored Adonai and allowed it to overflow in song. To her God’s name was precious and sacred - “the Mighty One….holy is His name.”[4]

She knew the Scriptures which explains why Mary possessed faith, godly reverence and a willingness to surrender herself to the Lord. Not only did she know of the promises made to the Jewish “fathers” or Patriarchs,[5] but she actually quoted word-for-word two Scriptures from Psalms.[6]

She possessed great intelligence and insight. Mary understood the ‘big picture’, the long term impact of what was going on.[7] She deduced that God’s method of bringing the Messiah to the world would scatter those who were proud in the thoughts of their heart.[8] She understood the ramifications to the world’s power structures.

She recognized her own need for salvation. Mary never claimed to be sinless. We see in Luke 2:24 that Mary made sure to offer a pair of turtledoves and two young pigeons.[9] This was the sin offering to be made by a poor person who could not afford a lamb.[10]

Later, Mary’s faith in Christ’s identity and mission wavered. At one point, she even tried to declare Him insane! His family declared their belief that He had lost His senses.[11] The Greek existemi sometimes translated “beside himself” is normally used to mean “insane” or “witless”. The Greek word ho para, translated “his people” also means “family.” They went on to try to get him to leave the ministry.[12] Mary knew she was not born sinless. She knew her need for salvation. She referred to Adonai as her “Savior.”[13]

[1] The Annunciation by Henry Ossawa Tanner
[2] Luke 1:34
[3] Luke 1:38
[4] Luke 1:49
[5] Luke 1:55
[6] Psalm 103 and 107
[7] Luke 1:48
[8] Luke 1:51
[9] Luke 2:24
[10] Leviticus 5:5-10; 12:6-8
[11] Mark 3:21
[12] Matthew 12:46; Mark 3:31; Luke 8:19
[13] Luke 1:47

Mercy

Blessed are the merciful, because they will be shown mercy. - Matthew 5:7 HCSB

If we cannot find it within ourselves to forgive someone else, then we’d better plan on never sinning again, because if we go to Adonai for mercy and have not shown it to others ourselves…remember the Lord’s Prayer which says, “Forgive us our sins as we forgive those who sin against us.”[1] Living mercilessly will lead to dying without mercy.[2] On the other hand, exemplifying mercy results in being treated with mercy.

But what exactly is mercy? It is important to understand that mercy is not merely emotion. It doesn’t matter if you shed tears or not. Of course, the merciful sometimes weep.[3] Jesus certainly wept for His friend. He wept over Jerusalem as He saw their ignorance. There is something startling about the idea of God weeping, but Yeshua did far more than weep! He gave His life for those for whom He wept. It is easy for some to shed crocodile tears but emotion without motion is not mercy.

Mercy is not humanitarianism. Paul said that even if we gave everything we had to the poor and were martyred, nothing is gained if it was not properly motivated by love.[4] Mercy goes beyond handing out used clothes to flood victims or food to the needy. It is possible to go to the extremes of asceticism in our humanitarian works and not have love. Acts of mercy that are void of an attitude of mercy are invalid. The mercy of which Christ speaks is far more than mechanistic acts deemed good by the world.

Mercy is a habitual act of will. It is not turned on and off as the chance of circumstance fluctuates. It is a habit of mind, a culture, a lifestyle. It is a way of looking at life, seeing others as the Messiah sees them and feeling about them the way He does.[5]

Mercy is a verb. It is an action. What we believe affects what we are. What we do is fed by what we are. If we truly see others as Yeshua does, we do what Yeshua did for them. Our judgment will be tempered by grace. We will look for the best in others. We will think through the consequences of action and take the course that will lead to true health for both them and us. We will seek to redeem others as we have ourselves been redeemed. We will forgive not only the petty slights but even the outright persecution, knowing that it is based on ignorant fear.

When we are merciful, we will discover peace has welled up inside us as our spirits fell into alignment with how Hashem would have us act. We will receive mercy from others and more importantly we will receive mercy from God.[6]


[1] Matthew 6:10
[2] Matthew 18:27-35
[3] John 11:35
[4] 1 Corinthians 13:3
[5] Philippians 2:5
[6] Matthew 6:14-15

Why God Gives

As you are enriched in every way for all generosity, which produces thanksgiving to God through us. - 2 Corinthians 9:11 HCSB

Adonai doesn’t give blessings so we can just selfishly consume them and wallow in self-indulgence. His many blessings are always given so that we can do for others what He has done for us. As He has gifted us, so we offer our gift to others. As He has empowered us by giving to us, so should we be generous to others.

The most dangerous cult in America is not Mormonism, Unitarianism, Spiritism or any other “ism”. The cult that hinders the Gospel the most is the cult of self. The Church has been blessed with many and varied gifts, but they are largely remaining unused because God’s people are using them for everything but God’s Church. Most are using Yahweh Yireh’s gifts to make money, to buy SUVs or plasma TVs. Many more are giving back token gifts only, trying to assuage their guilt by dropping a twenty into the offering plate or by showing up once in while when their golf schedule allows.

God is not opposed to His children having nice things or unique opportunities. But when His gifts are used merely to build the self and are not turned to be used for the good of mankind in general or for the Church specifically, the King can get perturbed.

Adonai wants us to imitate Him in everything. As He has forgiven us, so we should forgive others. As He is holy, so should we be holy. As we have freely received, so we should freely give. God knows what it is like to be a generous giver and He wants us to enter into that blessed state with Him. God loves a “cheerful giver.” What is a “cheerful giver”? Someone who gives because he wants to, a motivated and (dare I say it) excited giver.

Something happened to the hearts of the people of Israel. When they began building the tabernacle, they got so excited about it, and gave so generously that Moses finally had to command, “Bring no more materials! You’ve already given more than enough!”[1] How many pastors get to say that? I think it is safe to say that Hashem was pleased. Unfortunately, later in their history[2], they lost their zeal for the house of the Lord and it showed. God had to step in and correct their selfishness and lack of gratitude.

Many give the Lord their second best, their throw-aways, what’s left when everything else has been taken care of. But “he who gives what he would as readily thrown away, gives without generosity, for the essence of generosity is in self-sacrifice.”[3]

That was the generosity of the widow in Mark 12 that Jesus commended. That was the generosity that David displayed in worship.[4] Giving without personal sacrifice is really just cleaning out the attic! Think about it – God gave us the best He had. How dare we give less back?

[1] Exodus 36:2-7
[2] Haggai 1:2-11
[3] Sir Henry Taylor
[4] 1 Chronicles 21:24

What Goes Around

Through the proof of this service, they will glorify God for your obedience to the confession of the gospel of Christ, and for your generosity in sharing with them and with others. - 2 Corinthians 9:13 HCSB

When we take God’s good gifts and distribute them, the ripple effect is amazing. Often (not always) those whose needs are met are thankful to the Lord. Sometimes, it gets reflected on the human distributor too! God gets the glory and we get blessed! What a great system!

God has marvelous ways of bringing our mitzvah’s back around so that everyone involved is abundantly blessed. It reminds me of a story of a young woman who helped a struggling student who knocked on her door one day. She gave the hungry young man a glass of milk in the name of the Messiah. Several years later, she became critically ill and had to undergo a lengthy and expensive surgery. Oddly enough (though there are no coincidences in God’s economy), the man performing the surgery turned out to be that struggling young student. His name was Dr. Howard Kelly and he wrote on her bill “paid in full with one glass of milk.”

Sometimes when it’s the hardest to give, it’s also the most needful time to give. Systematic giving provides a continual gauge on the condition of our hearts. When we find ourselves struggling with giving, that may be a warning sign. It’s a wonderful experience to give when we feel like it. But sometimes it is needful to give when we don’t feel like it.

So what are the results of practicing generosity? First, we have the joy of full obedience. It always feels good when we are in alignment with God’s will and when we have the respect of our fellow man.

Second, we are protected from greed. Paul warned Timothy about the destructiveness of greed.[1] It’s not that God doesn’t want us to have money and things. It’s just that He doesn’t want money and things to have us.

Third, our generosity gives us an opportunity to make a difference—to impact lives in the now and to leave a godly legacy for the future. For example, when we give to God’s local church it helps build or maintain a building that will be used by people long after we are dead and gone. Those folks may or may not appreciate the sacrifices we made to provide it for them but it will be there for them to use for the God’s glory. It will be there for our children. It will be there for other people’s children.

Fourth, our generosity will open the way for God to show Himself strong in our behalf. Abraham gave and God kept increasing him.

Peter needed tax money and found it a fish’s mouth. God has all kinds of ways to meet our needs but every one will be a way to get to know the Giver better. We will learn to trust and obey Him. We get to participate in His work. And we open the door for God to give us even more.

[1] 1 Timothy 6:3-10

Godly Grandparenting

Abraham is to become a great and powerful nation, and all the nations of the earth will be blessed through him. For I have chosen him so that he will command his children and his house after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just. This is how the LORD will fulfill to Abraham what He promised him." - Genesis 18:18-19 HCSB

Abraham was specifically chosen out of all the people of the Earth because Adonai knew Abraham would command his children after him to keep the Way.

An investigation into an 18th century man named Max Jukes who was a petty thief revealed that he had 310 descendents who died as paupers, 150 who were criminals, 100 were drunkards, 7 were murderers, and more than half of the women were prostitutes.

An investigation into another man of that era, the famed 18th century revival preacher Jonathan Edwards (1703-58) showed that, of his 1,394 known descendants, 100 became preachers and missionaries, 100 lawyers, 80 public officials, 75 army and navy officers, 65 college professors, 60 physicians, 60 prominent authors, 30 judges, 13 college presidents, 3 United States senators, and one a vice-president of the United States.

Godly grandparents make a difference. But how does one go about being a good, godly grandparent? Here are some tips to keep in mind.
1. Listen to your grandchildren.
2. Talk with them.
a. Don’t
i. Ramble or repeat yourself.
ii. Complain about your health or gossip about people.
iii. Monopolize the conversation or focus too much on yourself.
b. Do
i. Try to talk about things that interest them.
ii. Teach them about God and spiritual things. Explain your hope that you will get to continue “hanging out” with them in heaven and tell them how that can happen.
iii. Share your life, both the good and the bad (within limits) and teach them how to choose more wisely than you did.
iv. Be emotionally honest with them.
1. Tell them that you love them.
2. Give them straight answers to sensitive questions.
v. Get down on their level whenever you can or at least look them in the eye.
3. Be as enthusiastic about their interests as you want them to be about yours.
4. Do not disrespect their parents. You raised their parents – it will end up causing them to disregard what you say.
a. Coordinate your disciplinary methods with their parents and only discipline when you are in charge.
b. Do not overrule their parents unless abuse is taking place.
c. Do not change their parents’ rules. Keep the same bedtimes and their home and yours. Do not feed them candy and ice cream if they don’t get it at their home.
d. Do not correct their parents in front of them.
5. Don’t baby-sit if it means enabling sin.
6. Be what you want them to be.
a. Don’t do what you don’t want them to.
b. Let them see the power of the Holy Spirit in your life. Don’t just talk about spiritual victory – show them.
c. Guide their marriage choices by modeling a wholesome marriage.
d. Be consistent. Follow through on what you say – whether in matters of discipline or in showing up for play dates.
7. Believe in and hope for what they could be.
a. Look for good things in them but be honest about the bad things.
b. Don’t put too much pressure on them to excel. They’re not trophies to display.
8. Play with them. It’s good for you. It keeps you from stiffening up both physically and emotionally.
9. If their parents divorce – unless there is clear abuse – do not take sides. Try to teach your grandchild to still honor and respect his parents.

Grandpa Enoch

Enoch was 65 years old when he fathered Methuselah. And after the birth of Methuselah, Enoch walked with God 300 years and fathered sons and daughters. So Enoch's life lasted 365 years. Enoch walked with God, and he was not there, because God took him. - Genesis 5:21-24 HCSB

Enoch’s grandson, Lamech, must have been really influenced by Enoch’s faith. Not only did Lamech name his son “Noah” which means “rest”, but he brought Noah up to be a righteous man in a totally corrupt age.[1] Noah followed Hashem’s instructions exactly,[2] preached righteousness and warned others of the consequences for not seeking God[3] and he did this for 120 years even though people laughed and mocked his labors. Think about it. Even after 120 years of preaching, he was only able to save 8 people. Then in complete submission to the Lord, Noah got into a boat that had no sails, no rudder, no means of obtaining direction. Talk about perfect trust! All this came because Enoch walked with God. Enoch’s godliness was passed on to Methuselah, who passed it on to Lamech, who passed it on to Noah.

Grandparents, your lives will effect future generations. The question is – what kind of lives are you modeling for your descendants? What effect will you have? Listen to what the author of Hebrews had to say about Enoch:

“By faith, Enoch was taken away so that he did not experience death, and he was not to be found because God took him away. For prior to his transformation he was approved, having pleased God. Now without faith it is impossible to please God, for the one who draws near to Him must believe that He exists and rewards those who seek Him.”[4]

You may say, “I don’t know what to do! My children are not following in my footsteps. They are not teaching my grandchildren as I taught them to.” Each person stands alone in their decisions concerning Adonai and His will. But the Scriptures assure us that our teachings will stick with our children their whole lives, even if they choose to ignore them.[5]

What Adonai asks is that you both practice and teach your grandchildren faith in God, not only believing that He exists but teaching them that He is our Judge, rewarding whom He will and disciplining whomever He finds in need of it.

And whenever you are given the chance, be like Timothy’s grandmother, Lois. She practiced a sincere faith in front of her daughter, Eunice, and her grandson, Timothy.[6] Under Lois’ influence, Eunice named her son Timothy which means “Honoring God.” But Lois went further and taught her grandson the Scriptures from childhood which instructed him for salvation through faith in the Messiah Yeshua.[7]

Your job is not to spoil your grandchildren. Your job is to influence them in such a way that they become a joy to both their parents and to the Lord God. Teach them to be faithful, obedient, respectful and responsible. Be fun, but be wise.

[1] Genesis 6:8-9; Ezekiel 14:14
[2] Genesis 14:14-16
[3] 2 Peter 2:5
[4] Hebrews 11:5-6
[5] Proverbs 22:6
[6] 2 Timothy 1:5-6
[7] 2 Timothy 3:15

The Source of Blessing

You may say to yourself, 'My power and my own ability have gained this wealth for me,' but remember that the LORD your God gives you the power to gain wealth, in order to confirm His covenant He swore to your fathers, as it is today. If you ever forget the LORD your God and go after other gods to worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will perish. Like the nations the LORD is about to destroy before you, you will perish if you do not obey the LORD your God. - Deuteronomy 8:17-20 HCSB

The classic movie “Shenandoah” with Jimmy Stewart is about a farmer and his family during the Civil War. In one scene, the father and all his sons are sitting at the dinner table when the father prays: “Lord, we planted this seed, we watered the plants, we picked the food and we cooked it, we did it all ourselves, we worked dog bone hard for this, but, we thank you just the same. Amen.” I dare say that farmer’s understanding of Yahweh Yireh’s blessings was just a little distorted!

It is God who has made us, not we ourselves.[1] It is He Who has blessed us. It is from the goodness of His heart that we have received every good thing. We didn’t get what we have on our own. What we have did not become so because of our intelligence. There are a lot of smart people who live under bridges.

If we obtained wealth through inheritance, Who gave us that family? If wealth came through talents and abilities, Who granted them to us? Even if it came through back breaking work – Who gave us the strength and opportunity? Everything we have and are comes to us from God in Whom we live and move and exist.[2] Every heartbeat and breath we draw is a direct gift from Heaven.

We need to not only count our blessings but remind ourselves of their origin.[3] We must acknowledge that He forgives our sins and heals us of our diseases. He ransoms us from death and surrounds us with love and tender mercies. Adonai is no stingy King. He gives liberally to His people everything they need.[4]

Adonai warned us to not forget His loving care for us because He knows that the moment we take credit for our blessing, then in our minds it is all ours and we can do with it as we please. When we forget where it came from, we forget how to use it properly!

If any lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives to all generously and without criticizing, and it will be given to him. Every generous act and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights; with Him there is no variation or shadow cast by turning.[5] Godly generosity is based in thankfulness – gratitude to the Lord for His provision – viewing the Lord as our source!



[1] Psalm 100:3
[2] Acts 17:28
[3] Psalm 103:1-5
[4] 2 Peter 1:3
[5] James 1:5, 17

Hope for the Hopeless

The hand of the LORD was on me, and He brought me out by His Spirit and set me down in the middle of the valley; it was full of bones. He led me all around them. There were a great many of them on the surface of the valley, and they were very dry. Then He said to me, "Son of man, can these bones live?" I replied, "Lord GOD, only You know." - Ezekiel 37:1-3 HCSB

Is your whole world caving in around you? Do you feel there is absolutely no hope? Do your troubles seem to mount up insurmountably?[1] Cheer up; I have good news. There is hope for the hopeless!

The Devil’s greatest tool is discouragement. He is never happier than when he sees people giving in to despair and becoming lost in hopelessness. He tries to create situations which, on the surface, will appear to be totally and absolutely hopeless.

The nation of Israel was virtually dead. It was lifeless, scattered, and bleached just as this conquered army’s corpses, which were strewn across a battleground. There was no possible way that they would ever arise from this defeat. No possible human way!

God alone holds the answer to our hopeless situations. Apart from God our efforts are meaningless and we experience a sense of abandonment that no temporary success can alleviate. Apart from God we are excluded from God’s people and do not know the promises that God has made. What utter discouragement living without God and without hope must be![2]

Ezekiel was right in answering, “Lord God, only You know.” From man’s perspective, it is absurd to suppose that dead bones could ever live again. But the absurdly impossible become supremely possible when God gets involved.[3] In fact Adonai delights in doing the impossible!

There are no hopeless situations. There are only people who have grown hopeless about them. The Psalmist said, “Why am I so depressed? Why this turmoil within me? Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God.”[4] No one is truly hopeless whose hope is in God. Are you despairing? The answer is simple. Quit looking at your limited circumstances and look at limitless God.

The prophet spoke at the Divine command the Divine message. Picture preaching to piles of bones – bizarre, don’t you think? But God’s ways are not man’s ways. When the God’s Word goes forth, things begin to happen.[5] Every conflict the Messiah had with Satan was won by using the Word of God. In each and every recorded case, He declared, "It is written." The Word of God is a window to those in the prison of hopelessness through which they can look and see the light of hope and get direction for their lives.[6] It is a source of life that can even restart the heart of skeletons![7]

So turn to God and His Word and regain hope.



[1] Job 7:6-7
[2] Ephesians 2:12
[3] Matthew 19:25-26
[4] Psalm 42:11
[5] Hebrews 4:12; Romans 10:17; 15:4; 2 Corinthians 3:17; 1 John 4:4
[6] Psalm 119:105
[7] Ezekiel 37:9-10; Romans 8:10-11

Abandoning God

When Rehoboam had established his sovereignty and royal power, he abandoned the law of the LORD--he and all Israel with him. - 2 Chronicles 12:1 HCSB

Our society really pushes success as a litmus test of greatness. I’m not so sure I want to be successful as the world measures it, because as often as not, it seems to cause humans to grow lackadaisical and apathetic toward God. Rehoboam established his sovereignty and royal power and promptly abandoned the Lord. David was totally dependent on the Lord as Saul pursued him. But as soon as he got his royal “sea legs”, he abused his power and had an adulterous affair that ended up in murder. Solomon humbly asked for wisdom at the beginning of his reign but as his power grew, he allowed his wives to lead him astray. Nebuchadnezzar stood atop his parapets and congratulated himself on being a self-made man – only to spend years in madness.

Rehoboam also discovered the futility of his so-called “royal power” when God sent Shishak against him with 1,200 chariots, 60,000 cavalrymen and countless people from Libya, Sukkiim and Ethiopia. How does one fight the King of kings and Lord of lords? How could one possibly hope to win a contest with an omnipotent being? He can whistle up any number of empires and then plant fear in his opponents’ troops. The angel of the Lord alone killed 185,000 Assyrians in a single night[1] – and He has myriads of angels at his beck and call!

Our sin affects not only our own lives but the lives of those within our sphere of influence as well. Therefore, the greater our sphere of influence, the greater the consequences of our decisions. When Rehoboam sinned, all Israel went with him but when he and the leaders humbled themselves, grace was extended to the entire nation.[2]

However, we mustn’t allow our leaders to drag us into their sin with them. We cannot use tired, old excuses such as “the woman you gave me…”, “the serpent said…”, or “I was just following orders.” It does not matter if the entire nation is doing something wrong, we are not to follow the crowd in wrong doing.[3]

We need to remember that even if we repent of our sin, the consequences of our foolishness will remain. They may be tempered by God’s grace but the Just Judge will not allow us to escape unscathed. Because Israel’s leaders humbled themselves, Hashem agreed to not destroy them. However, His wrath was still poured out on Jerusalem and He allowed its citizens to be captured as slaves so that they would learn that it is preferable to be the Lord’s slaves than the worlds’![4]

The Lord God IS life and liberty. To abandon Him is to abandon these things. It is the height of foolishness.

[1] 2 Kings 19:35
[2] 2 Chronicles 12:7-8
[3] Exodus 23:2
[4] 2 Chronicles 12:6-12

Praying Like the Master

He was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples." - Luke 11:1 HCSB

Have you ever thought about your prayer life? Have you ever examined it and wished that you could be better at communicating with God? We should develop the Master’s mindset[1] as we address His Father in prayer.

The disciples had prayed before they asked Jesus to teach them, but as they watched Jesus that day, they realized that there was something different about the way He prayed. What He gave them was not a sacred formula to be repeated over and over but a consistent pattern for prayer.
First, we are to approach God lovingly. We are to address Him as “Our Father”, a term likened to daddy or papa. However, we also need to keep in mind that He is not just any father, but our Father “in heaven.” Though He loves us and is our papa, He is also the Sovereign of the universe. We need to honor His name as holy. Triune God is totally free of the darkness of evil. Let reverential respect remain.

We should pray for the advancement of His kingdom. In fact, this should be the primary consideration in every request we make. We should be utterly devoted to His cause and our devotion should be rooted in humility. When we pray, we usually ask Adonai to bend to our will. Instead, we should approach Him seeking His will in each matter and determining what, if anything, He wants us to do about it. We should ask for our daily bread, not like spoiled children, demanding (as Todd Bentley and those like him would) that God send angels to the corners of the world and bring us money!

We should also pray with an attitude of forgiveness. We cannot approach Holy God with bitterness and rancor in our hearts. We cannot ask for forgiveness of Yahweh Shaphat when we will not extend it to our fellow man.[2] Yeshua taught that if we come to worship and suddenly realize there is unfinished spiritual business with a brother that we should leave our gift at the altar and go deal with that business first. Only then can we return to our worship.[3]

We should pray for sanctification, practical holiness and deliverance from sin. Practical holiness will enhance our relationship with Adonai and will improve our prayer life which will in turn give us the power to be more holy. We need to start this cycle up as soon possible. We need to add to these prayers a determination to do our part to avoid sin as much as we can, [4] recognizing however that without Elohim’s power we are truly helpless.[5]

Last, we should make sure that we spend time praising Him for all the wonderful things that He IS – not just the admittedly wonderful things He has done.

[1] Philippians 2:5
[2] Matthew 18:26-35
[3] Matthew 5:23-24
[4] 1 Corinthians 10:13
[5] John 15:5

Back to Eden

God saw all that He had made, and it was very good. Evening came, and then morning: the sixth day. - Genesis 1:31 HCSB

Let’s examine some simple statistics that shed some light on the world’s population growth, shall we?
Population Year Reached Interval
1 billion 1804
2 billion 1927 123 years
3 billion 1960 33 years
4 billion 1974 14 years
5 billion 1987 13 years
6 billion 1998 11 years
7 billion 2009 . 11 years

At present, we are adding the population of China to this planet every decade. On or about October 12, 1999, the world population reached 6 billion. When Homo sapiens passed the 6 billion mark, we had already exceeded by perhaps as much as 100 times the biomass of any large animal species that ever existed on land. Our population has continued to climb at an annual rate of 1.4%, adding 200,000 people each day or the equivalent of a large city each week. During the 20th century, more people were added to the world than in all of previous history. In at least 68 countries, more than 40% of the population is under 15 years of age.

Such unabated growth has consequences and unfortunately, many “Cultural Christians” have a weak or nonexistent biblical ecotheology. Ecotheology is a systematic, biblical doctrine of nature and its care; it is a study of the humanity’s stewardship of God’s natural resources.

Our first home was a natural paradise and there resides deep within us an ongoing urge to return to our ancestral home. Our first mandate was to steward this paradisaical home and the Fall, though complicating the task, did not negate that command.

Adonaists (followers of Adonai) do not only look back to Paradise as if to a long-forgotten Golden Age, but also look forward to when that state will be restored! Paul said that all creation is waiting patiently and hopefully for that future day when we will be resurrected. For on that day thorns and thistles, sin, death and decay will all disappear. Meanwhile, through no fault of their own, the things of nature, like animals and plants, suffer in sickness and death as they await this great event.[1]

Our Father has a great love and concern for the environment.[2] When we remove the evidence of God's handiwork that took Him thousands of years to develop by destroying what were once majestic cathedrals of old growth forests, can we expect anything to follow except despair?

Whether before the Bimah seat or the Great White Throne of Judgment, one day every one of us will have to give an account of the resources that Hashem has given to us. We need to ask ourselves today, “Have we been good stewards and looked after the Master's business as we should?”

[1] Romans 8:19-22
[2] Job 38:39-39:1; Psalm 145:17; Matthew 6:25-34

How to Share Your Faith

So He came to a town of Samaria called Sychar near the property that Jacob had given his son Joseph. Jacob's well was there, and Jesus, worn out from His journey, sat down at the well. It was about six in the evening. A woman of Samaria came to draw water. "Give Me a drink," Jesus said to her, - John 4:5-7 HCSB

We must make ourselves aware of witnessing opportunities as they arise. Many people say, “I would share more but I just don’t have the opportunity.” Yeshua didn’t wait for a special occasion. He didn’t really have to go through Samaria. Most Jews crossed the river Jordan, got on the King’s Highway and headed north. This was a much faster, easier and safer route. It’s important to note that He arrived exhausted! However, by doing so He created an opportunity to reach out to the Samaritan people.[1] We need to go out of our way to share our faith with others.

We mustn’t allow cultural barriers to become boundaries. There were lots of excuses the Master could have used to not witness. He was dealing with a woman. In His culture, men didn’t generally address women and by doing so, He was opening Himself up to the possibility of accusation. She was a Samaritan. She was of ill-repute.[2] He was tired and there was peer pressure to not speak to her.[3] But the Lord broke down all the barriers by asking her for help, making Himself vulnerable to her.

We must be ready to give an honest testimony about what God has done in our lives. Yeshua presented the possibility of possessing the Spirit as a permanent source of strength and power in her life. He described this as a “spring of living water.” He not only showed the possibilities but made it attractive![4]

We must deal with them where they are. Jesus directly addressed her needs and made her confront her dissatisfaction with life.[5] She was obviously looking for a deeper relationship. She’d gone through five husbands and was currently living with someone. Note that Jesus dealt with the issue but didn’t do it in a condemning tone. He simply made her get honest with herself. As we deal with the lost, we must be humble; we’re no better than they are. Nailing them to the wall may lead them to think that somehow they have to earn their way into heaven or “turn over a new leaf” before they can accept Christ.

We should be passionate about them.[6] Yeshua was so preoccupied by His zeal for the Samaritans that He forgot His hunger. He forgot His exhaustion. The Father’s will is that none should perish but that all should find eternal life.[7] The Son made His Father’s will His own to the point that it mattered more than rest – more than food. We need to be so aware of the tremendous gift that salvation is and of the tremendous peril the lost person is in that winning them takes precedence over even the most fundamental of physical needs.

[1] John 4:4-7
[2] John 4:6b, 16-18
[3] John 4:27
[4] John 4:9-15
[5] John 4:16-18
[6] John 4:31-34
[7]1 Timothy 2:4; 2 Peter 3:9

The Money Test

Sitting across from the temple treasury, He watched how the crowd dropped money into the treasury. Many rich people were putting in large sums. And a poor widow came and dropped in two tiny coins worth very little. Summoning His disciples, He said to them, "I assure you: This poor widow has put in more than all those giving to the temple treasury. For they all gave out of their surplus, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she possessed--all she had to live on." - Mark 12:41-44 HCSB

How would you like it if your pastor, at offering time, stood by the offering plate and carefully examined how much each person was giving? Suppose he took each check—opened it up—looked at it and passed a judgment about the gift right there in public? That’s pretty close to what the Master did.

God measures our giving not so much by what we give as by what we keep and why. Here was a person who didn’t have much to give but gave it all anyway and Yeshua commended her—not for her poverty, but for her willingness to give sacrificially.

It’s amazing how often the Lord addressed the issue of money. According to Yeshua, our attitude toward money has great spiritual significance. It was He who said, “You can not serve God and Money.”[1] He gave 38 parables and 16 dealt with money. There is more discussion in the New Covenant about money than heaven and hell combined. You’ll find 5 times more discussion on money than prayer. There are a little over 500 verses on prayer and faith and over 2000 verses on money or possessions.

That’s because money is where the “rubber meets the road” in our daily lives. The way we handle our money is a good indicator of where heart really is. “…Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”[2]

The greatest battle any of us face is the battle with own selfishness. On the one hand, we do love God and want to serve Him. On other hand, it just seems we don’t quite ever have enough for ourselves. The things we would like to do or own cost money so the stewardship of finances can be a real struggle at times.

Now, a generous spirit will not only manifest itself in finances but in every aspect of our lives. It will manifest in the way we use and invest our time. It will manifest in our demands toward other people, in our service toward other people. However, none of those show our hearts like the way we obtain or use our money!

Even the worldly know that “talk is cheap.” Their motto is “Put your money where your mouth is” and in a way, the Master agreed. Anybody can say, “I love God and I love my fellow man” but how we use our money is the litmus test. Do our checkbooks agree with us? Do our day planners and PDAs agree that “we love God and our fellow man”?

[1] Matthew 6:24
[2] Matthew 6:21

True Love Acts

Just then an expert in the law stood up to test Him, saying, "Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "What is written in the law?" He asked him. "How do you read it?" He answered: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind; and your neighbor as yourself. "You've answered correctly," He told him. "Do this and you will live." - Luke 10:25-28 HCSB

Even if it teaches true salvation, “Cultural Christianity”, unfortunately emphasizes the first moment of decision to the point that many of its adherents are led to believe that that is all there is! That was not the Lord’s teaching at all.

Notice that the lawyer in the above verses asked how to inherit eternal life. Thus, the context is salvation. Yeshua asked him to answer his question from the law (something most so-called Christians would shudder to consider) and when the man responded with “love God-love your neighbor”, the Master agreed but said, “DO this”. Jesus taught that true love is demonstrated through ongoing action – not stopping at a one-time decision.

In this, He has shown us the way ahead: “God so loved that He gave.” True love does not mean religiosity. The lawyer was undoubtedly a religious man for he could easily quote Deuteronomy 6:5 off the top of his head. However, his religiosity and Bible memorization were not enough! Yeshua told him the story of the Good Samaritan to illustrate that true love acts!

The priest and the Levite in the story were also religious. However, though both saw the victim[1], they passed by the other side. Religion doesn’t necessarily make us compassionate. True compassion must be cultivated in an environment of humble service.

We can say, “There is so much need. I don’t know what to do.” Do SOMETHING! Anything is better than nothing. God doesn’t steer parked cars. You get moving, serving, helping, rendering aid as best you can and the Lord God will direct your paths.

We can say “I’m too busy”, but notice that the Samaritan was on a journey. He had places to go, business to tend to. But when he saw the victim, he identified with the man and got involved. He understood that the Lord has a way of bringing what we do back on us; blessing for good, cursing for evil.

The Scriptures teach us to carry each other’s burdens, thus fulfilling the law of Christ.[2] “Cultural Christianity” teaches that it’s all about grace and freedom now and that there is no law but love. In a sense, this is true but how it is applied makes all the difference.

Real love is hard. It’s tough and demanding. It requires time and effort on our part. The Samaritan stopped, bandaged up the victim’s wounds, put him on his animal, walked him to an inn, took care of the poor man and then arranged for ongoing care. Real love always DOES something.


[1] Luke 10:31-32
[2] Galatians 6:2

A Guide for the Trip

Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light for my path…My heart is set on keeping your decrees to the very end. – Psalm 119:105

Men are notorious for not reading instructions. They don’t want to read the map or ask directions. We laugh and many sitcoms have used this premise as the basis for a comic situation. “How foolish of him to be so arrogant as to think he can go it alone!” we think. What is it that makes us feel this way?

We learn as children that to learn something, we must ask someone older, wiser than ourselves. Ideally, this lesson would stick with us as we mature, but sadly, many of us feel we have become that older, wiser person we used to question. We feel we have learned all that is necessary.

The day after I earned my first-degree black belt, I was allowed to go to the head sensei’s class for the first time. He only taught black belts and then the black belts taught the rest of the students. Now I was a black belt and had earned the privilege of attending the senior classes. As I entered the hall, another higher-ranking black belt signaled for me to come over. You see, in our dojo, a senior student could ask you to practice any move with him and you had to obey. It allowed the senior student constant access to somebody with whom to practice. It also allowed the lower ranking student to see moves he would not normally get to see. I thought he wanted to welcome me to the hallowed ranks of the seniors. Boy, was I right! He signaled he wanted to spar. I bowed, and that was pretty much the last thing I remember, except for the brief flashes of floor and ceiling I saw as I was being thrown around like a rag doll. As I lay on the floor afterwards, trying to figure out which way was up, he leaned over my prostrate body and smiled. “The learning only begins with the black belt,” he said. Then he walked away.

I’ve never forgotten that lesson. I am never too old or too advanced to be able to learn something from someone. I have achieved the rank of a fifth-degree black belt and there is still much to learn in the art of jiu-jitsu. I am now a pastor of a church and there is still much to learn from my parishioners and my fellow pastors. But why not skip all the senior students and go straight to the head sensei? Can you imagine what you could learn at the hands of the Master Himself?

How about you? Are you trying to journey through life without a guide? The Bible is filled with instruction and help for you. It has all you need to know to have a good trip through life.

Broken and Useless

Remember your leaders who have spoken God's word to you. As you carefully observe the outcome of their lives, imitate their faith. - Hebrews 13:7 HCSB

Amee Semple McPherson was the founder of the Foursquare Gospel denomination. She abandoned her second husband, had affairs, faked her own kidnapping in order to gain $500,000 and live with her lover and finally died of an overdose of Seconal.

Jim Bakker, an Assemblies of God minister and the co-host of the popular PTL club, ended his ministry with a sex scandal and divorce which resulted in revelations of accounting fraud which brought about his imprisonment. He claimed his show was popular because he “accepted all denominations, and refused no one regardless of race, creed, sexual orientation or criminal record” as worthy of speaking or teaching in his ministry.

Jimmy Swaggart was an Assemblies of God Pentecostal preacher. In 1986, Swaggart exposed fellow Assemblies of God minister Marvin Gorman, who was having an affair with one of his parishioners. The following year, Swaggart exposed fellow Assemblies Of God televangelist Jim Bakker’s sexual indiscretions. Meanwhile, Swaggart was frequenting a prostitute by the name of Debra Murphree. On October 11, 1991, Swaggart was found in the company of another prostitute, Rosemary Garcia.

On and on the morbid lists goes: Lonnie Frisbee, Oral Roberts, Peter Popoff, Mike Warnke, Robert Tilton, Frank Houston, John Paulk, Douglas Goodman, Kent Hovind, Ted Haggard, Paul Barnes, Richard Roberts, Bishop Thomas Wesley Weeks, Bishop Earl Paulk, Phil Driscoll, Benny Hinn, Bishop TD Jakes… These names are synonymous with hypocritical greed. It is a morbid tale of power hunger, sexual abuse, drug addiction, and misappropriation of funds.

Small wonder Evangelical Christians are held in such low esteem in America that they rated tenth out of eleven groups evaluated, beating out only the prostitutes.[1] But while these shenanigans were going on, tens of thousands of good pastors toiled in obscurity, bringing comfort to the spiritually wounded, raising the fallen and encouraging the weak.

America, I humbly ask that you consider those leaders that have not only spoken God’s Word to you but have exemplified all that is good and lovely in their quiet and gentle lives. I ask you to not gaze in morbid fascination at these fallen men and women but that you also take the fact that they are in such a minority in consideration. For every high profile scandal-ridden preacher, there are tens of thousands of solid, honest men out there who have harmed no one and done much good.

Pastors – I beg you. Do no harm to the cause of Christ. Do not, as Jimmy Swaggart did, inspire a music video in which Christ’s church is compared to a pig-sty. Do your best to live moral, ethical lives; lives that will cause others who carefully observe them to want to imitate your pursuit of Christ.

[1] http://www.barna.org/FlexPage.aspx?Page=BarnaUpdate&BarnaUpdateID=127

Kilkenny Cats

For the whole law can be summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” But if instead of showing love among yourselves you are always biting and devouring one another, watch out! Beware of destroying one another. Galatians 5:14-15

There were a pair of proverbial cats in Kilkenny, Ireland, who fought till only their tails were left. Most likely the story is a parable of a contest between Kilkenny and Irishtown, two municipalities which fought about their boundaries till little more than their tails were left creating this popular limerick:

"There once was two cats of Kilkenny

Each thought there was one cat too many

So they fought and they fitAnd they scratched and they bit

'Til instead of two cats there weren't any."

Too many times we see Kilkenny Cats in churches - people who are more concerned with the boundaries of their fiefdoms than they are with the boundaries of the Kingdom. They make sure their fingers are in every pie. They make sure that they get their due. When two of these people get together they either “bite and devour” one another, each seeking the dominant position, or they form an alliance in order to control others better.

Jesus taught repeatedly that the way to “power” and influence in His kingdom was by having a servant’s heart. He taught that the way to get more authority was to give your authority away. He taught that the way to live life fully was to give your life away for others.

This can happen not only in individual churches, but also in the Christian community. We must beware of seeking dominance for our own local church. We must not let one group of believers fight another group and thus give the cause of Christ a black eye. I’m not speaking about the essentials; the virgin birth of Christ, His sinlessness, Christ as the only Way, Truth and Life; salvation by grace through faith in the finished work of Christ. I’m talking about all the other little nit picking, critical and negative issues that humans just seem to thrive on. Sometimes it seems that we create issues just so we can find a position of power in a little subgroup. We would rather be a big fish in a little pond than a little fish in God’s great ocean! But we have bigger fish to fry (if I may mix my metaphors)!

We have a common enemy, the Devil. And according to 1 Peter 5:8 he “prowls around like a roaring lion, looking for some victim to devour.” Let’s follow the advice of the very next verse “Take a firm stand against him, and be strong in your faith. Remember that your Christian brothers and sisters all over the world are going through the same kind of suffering you are.” Let’s stop the turf wars. Let’s stop biting and devouring one another.