Yesterday, I wrote about devoted friends and how blessed we are to have them in our lives. Perhaps one, two, or more of you are not as blessed. Perhaps you, on the other hand, feel like your friends or even your church family has let you down. Well, here is one very real possibility: You just may be expecting more from them than you should. What we expect from others is oftentimes unreasonable. We may want them to be like us or else we may unknowingly play the comparison game on them. Parents make this mistake often. They will tell one of their children, “why can’t you be like your brother or sister?” In fact, children that hear those words are very likely to rebel. They will often try to be the opposite of their brother or sister just for spite.
Jesus gave a parable in Matthew 18 of a master who called in one of his servants who was deeply indebted to him. The man’s debt was enormous. Bible scholars believe that in today’s economy it would be in the neighborhood of ten million dollars. When the servant couldn’t pay the debt, the master commanded that he, along with his wife and children be sold until the debt was paid. When the servant fell down before his master pleading for patience, and promising to pay, verse 27 reads: “Then the master of that servant was moved with compassion, released him, and forgave him the debt.”
This parable is primarily intended to show God’s great mercy. When sinners come to Him in sincere repentance, He not only forgives them, He erases a debt they could never possibly repay, just as we saw in the parable. By the same token, many today whose sin debt has been completely erased, still haven’t forgiven someone who they feel “owes” them something, whether it is money, time, attention or something else. Such was the case in the parable. The servant whose enormous debt was forgiven did not forgive a fellow servant who owed him something equivalent to twenty dollars today. He forgot how much he had been forgiven. I tell our congregation often: “Live life as if nobody owes you anything.” If you can do that, you will never go around feeling cheated or neglected, and if somebody “pays” you something you will be overjoyed at the wonderful surprise. Perhaps you will not agree with my theology, that’s okay, but I believe that nobody owes us anything. On the other hand, I believe we owe many people many things. Of course, it is true that people, churches, or pastors can let people down. After all, churches are comprised of imperfect people. However, I also know this to be true: Loyalty is a two-way street. Many people who have left their church because they feel it let them down, fail to realize that they themselves were not as faithful as they could have been. This is the same as those who have no or very few friends. The best way to have friends is to go out and win them. Proverbs 18:24 says in part: “A man who has friends must himself be friendly.” If we don’t expect more from people than we should, we will all be just fine.
God’s word for today: (Romans 13:8) “Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.”
This newspaper item caught my attention the day after Hurricane Harvey hit the Texas coast. The constable in a town very near the center of the hurricane’s initial path decided to stay and ride out the storm. When asked why, he replied that he was only doing what he was hired to do. Assuming that his answer was honest and sincere and regardless of whether it was a foolish or wise choice, he was the right person for the job. In the eyes of God, the determining factor in every decision is the motive of the heart. To say it in simple terms, “Its not what you do but the reason you do it.” In fact, the main reason God chose David to be king was because of his heart. Samuel told Saul: "But now your kingdom shall not continue. The Lord has sought for Himself a man after His own heart."(1 Samuel 13:14) The man Samuel was talking about was David.
Most bible readers can easily deduce that David was far from being a perfect man. He got himself into more ugly situations than most of us ever will. Yet, in spite of all his sins and errors, he continued to be a man after God’s own heart. He always wanted what God wanted. He would always be quick to stand up on His behalf. If there is a person in your life who is "after your own heart", you are blessed indeed. He or she is one who will truly be devoted to you, will stick with you no matter what, and never forsake you. If you have such folks in your life, you should thank God for them every day. At a friends funeral once, I heard a man say something to the effect of these words about him: “I would have gladly taken a bullet for him.” Think about this: If you could only chose one of these to be your friend, would you choose the wise one, the rich one, the popular one, the famous one, or the one devoted to you? I thought so. Are you that kind of friend?
God’s word for today: (Proverbs 17:17 NIRV/ New International Readers Version) “A friend loves at all times. They are there to help when trouble comes.”
Today’s blog is about Integrity. What is integrity? The dictionary says it is the “firm adherence to a code of especially moral or artistic values.” It can also be described by these adjectives: character, decency, goodness, righteousness, virtue, honesty, and morality. Although God’s children are far from being perfect and are capable of really messing things up from time to time, the truth is that they all should be known by these things. If others have used these nice words to describe you at one time or another, I congratulate you for being the kind of person God expects you to be.
In the well known biblical story of Job, it was obvious he was a man of integrity. Despite suffering calamities very few in this world will ever experience, he maintained his integrity. With a broken heart and trembling lips, he uttered: “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there. The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.” (Job 1:21) Because our old nature is still around, it is at times of hard trials and testing that our integrity can quickly go South. Such was the case with Job’s wife. In fact, she apparently was upset even with him. That is why she lashed out at him saying: “Are you still holding on to your integrity? Why don’t you just curse God and die!” (Job 2:9) Poor Job! The last thing he needed to hear at the lowest point in his life was this. I wonder what she felt like after God eventually gave them twice as much more than what they ever had.
I am of the opinion that, even if we don’t carry it through, our first thought when we go through such an ordeal is to think like Job’s wife. I have a question for you. You can raise your hand if you want, anyhow no one is watching. When God has not answered a special petition or else has done the opposite of what you prayed for, or when you feel that He has let you down, how often has this been your first thought?: “Ok, just for that, I’m really going to sin.” I know. This also is a sign of immaturity, acting like children, if you will. Sadly, many of God’s children have acted on that foolish thought. In fact, you may know of one or two who have done just that. Some, as of now, have not returned. Their lifestyle is very different then when they were close to God. I do believe, however, that if they are God’s true children, they will eventually come back, whether willingly or unwillingly. The phrase in Spanish that applies here is: “por las buenas o por las malas.” If they never come back, it just may be that they were never truly His in the first place. John wrote about folks like these saying: “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would no doubt have continued with us. “ (1 John 2:19) If there is one thing you never want to lose, its your integrity. Hold on to it. The Lord will help you.
God’s promise for today: (Psalm 34:19 NLT) “The righteous person faces many troubles, but the Lord comes to the rescue each time.”
If you are a child of God, the three letters in our title can be the acronym to your position in Christ. They stand for Called, Sanctified, and Preserved. When asked how they are doing, many Christians employ this well-worn response: “Blessed, and highly favored.” I guess, in this case, one could shorten the reply by saying the acronym, BHF, instead. On the other hand, whenever we use either of these phrases or just their acronyms, there may always be the chance that some will see us as a “goody two shoes.” To avoid that from happening, we may ask the Lord to help us use a better sounding reply. Nevertheless, the truth is that all God’s children can consider themselves blessed and highly favored, as well as “called, sanctified, and preserved."
Called: I suppose you remember the letter you got one day which informed you that you had been “called” to serve on a jury. Immediately you knew you were obligated to report for duty. Nothing in that letter implied that the decision to comply was totally up to you or that it was merely a “request”, and although that was a serious calling, it does not compare to our Christian calling. That is one reason Paul urged the Ephesians: “I, therefore, the prisoner of the Lord, beseech you to walk worthy of the calling with which you were called.” (Eph. 4:1
Sanctified: Because they don’t understand it’s full meaning, this is one word that spooks many Christians. In fact, upon hearing you say that you are “sanctified” many, again, will think you are a “holier than though” kind of person. No, “sanctified” merely means we have been “set apart by” God for a purpose. It does not mean we are better than anyone else. Paul began his first letter to the Corinthians with these words: “To the church of God which is at Corinth, to those who are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all who in every place call on the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours.” (1 Cor. 1:2)
Preserved: In his first letter to the church, Peter blessed God for the great benefits He bestowed upon His children, saying that they are the ones “who are kept (preserved) by the power of God through faith for salvation ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1 Peter 1:5) Whenever I hear someone say or claim they are faithfully “holding on” to God’s hand, I feel slightly uncomfortable because what matters most is that He is “holding on” to us. And because He is, we should always feel secure.
God’s promise for today: (John 10:28) “And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”
In our Prayer meeting yesterday at church, Pastor Mike reminded us of one of our most valued benefits. I am referring to being complete in Christ, lacking nothing. Every time I think about this benefit, I am reminded of the little girl in Sunday School who started out the 23rd Psalm this way: “The Lord is my Shepherd; that’s all I want.” We were reminded yesterday that, from the very beginning, God had to provide a covering for Adam and Eve after their sin of disobedience. That covering, however, was only temporary. It was the same with the required sacrifices in the Mosaic Law. The writer of the book of Hebrews alluded to that truth when he wrote: “For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:4) No, they were not intended to take away sin but to make a temporary atonement. They also pointed to the day when Someone would remove sin completely, namely Christ.
Even with so called “total coverage” in auto and homeowners insurance, there are always things which are not covered. No so in Christ! Paul wrote: “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness.” (Colossians 2:9-10) The KJV says it this way: “And ye are complete in Him.” Hmnn, that reminds me of a corny joke I’ve probably bored you with before. This man accidentally drove his car into quicksand. He got out safely but as soon as he did, he frantically called his insurance agent. The faithful agent arrived at the scene pretty quickly and as soon as he did, they both watched the car disappear completely into the mire. After a long stretch of looking at each other in quiet amazement the agent blurted out: “your car is completely covered.”
Rejoice my brothers and sisters in Christ. When Jesus went to the cross, He paid in full for our sins past, present, and future. Yes, I’m aware that some may sarcastically say “Alright, then. I’m gonna live it up, anyhow I’m completely covered!” Nevertheless, I am also aware that God’s children are not this foolish. We all know that sin has it’s consequences but we also know that if and when we fail God, a sincere prayer asking His forgiveness and restoration will always be answered. God’s true children are not only saved, they are safe. In Christ, you are "completely covered."
God’s word for today: (2 Timothy 1:12) “I know whom I have believed, and am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.”
I think it is safe to say that the great majority of God’s children believe that nothing happens to us in life by accident or coincidence. That being true, why is it that so many questions, doubts, and fears arise within us when we are going through a hard trial? The only thing I can think of in that regard is that we’re human and our old nature is very much alive. Let’s be honest, we all see it pop up on us from time to time. Even now, at the time of this writing, some of us may be perplexed about a friend or loved one who’s been sick or in the hospital for a long time, or one whose doctors are not giving much hope. And that doesn’t include any storm we are experiencing. And if we say we don’t understand, I trust the voice of the Holy Spirit within us will remind us that we don’t have to. We just need to trust God. We need to remember that He always does what is best for us. We must never forget the promise that “In all things, God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” (Romans 8:28) That’s us!
Concerning the burdens that come our way from time to time, one of my favorite internet pastors wrote this recently: [“I read about a man who had a very fine dog who loved the water. One day, the dog was playing in the lake and the man decided to leave. He called the dog, but the dog wouldn’t come. He called him several times; he still wouldn’t come. It was a well-trained dog, but he just wouldn’t come. The man finally threw a stick out into the water. When the dog saw it, he swam over, got the stick, and came back and laid it at his master’s feet….. It just may be that God has given you a burden because He can’t get your attention. He wants you to come and lay it at your Master’s feet.”]
I agree with that sentiment. Sometimes, things are going so well for us that, just like the dog in the previous illustration, we are having such a good time that we unknowingly shut out God’s voice. When He finally gets our attention, often our first instinct is to panic. If that’s the case, I trust we will remember His promise and invitation in 1 Peter 5:7 which says: “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
God’s promise for today: (Psalm 55:22) “Cast your cares on the Lord and He will sustain you; He will never let the righteous be shaken.”
On our recent one day vacation to Corpus Christi we arrived at a point in Port Aransas where we ran out of dry land. We had to hop on a ferry to be able to get to Mustang Island. Without that ferry barge we would not have been able to get to our desired destination. Heaven is like that. A long, long time ago, an immense gap was created by man’s sin which made it impossible for anyone to go live with God. Then came Jesus. God sent Him to earth to make it possible for us to live with God when our earthly days were over. Jesus was the ferry boat that would carry all who believed and trusted in Him to the Father in Heaven. Even today, Christ is the only way to get to Heaven. He made it quite clear when He said these words: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6)
I don’t have an idea how far our ferry ride was but I’m pretty sure very few people would be able to swim that distance if they had to. It is amazing to me, therefore, how many people today still believe that there are many ways for a person to get to Heaven. Most of these believe that they will get there because they do good things for others or live good, decent lives. If that were the case, and people could go to Heaven by their good works, Jesus would have never suffered and died on the cross. No, He paid the price for our sin because there was no other way for us to be saved. Ephesians 2:8-9 says: “For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— not by works, so that no one can boast.”
I love these verses, and not because our church took it’s name from it. I love them for it’s simple but mighty truth. When you give a gift to someone you love dearly, do you give it because the person deserves it or earned it? If you did, then it wasn’t a gift, but a payment. If we were to get what we really deserved, it surely wouldn’t be salvation. Also, I sure am glad that salvation is by grace. As verse nine declares, this way no one can boast. Can you imagine people what Heaven would be like if the people there would constantly be boasting about how they got there? That certainly wouldn’t be heaven to me! As it is, we all know one or two super spiritual Christians who are constantly boasting about all they do for God. If they are hard to bear here on earth can you imagine hearing that throughout eternity? That reminded me of the Sunday School teacher who asked for a show of hands for all those who wanted to go to Heaven someday. Everyone raised their hand except one Kid. When the teacher asked, “Johnny, you don’t want to go to Heaven?, he replied “Not if the rest of these brats will be there!”
God’s word for today: (2 Corinthians 9:15) “Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift.”
One thing that is easy to overlook is that the biblical characters of old were very much like we are. In other words, their personalities were no different than the ones people have today. I was reminded of this fact when I was reading earlier today in the book of the prophet, Habakkuk, in particular verse three of the opening chapter where he wrote: “Why do you make me look at injustice? Why do you tolerate wrongdoing? Destruction and violence are before me; there is strife, and conflict abounds.” Here, in his opening grievance to God it is pretty obvious that he was greatly troubled by the things he saw all around him on a regular basis. His complaint: “Why do you let me see these things?” C’mon, have you ever griped about the evil and cruel things you see all around us constantly? Do you ever wonder why God permits them to happen? So did Habakkuk!
As God’s true children, it is reasonable to say that we are much different today than we were before Christ came into our lives. I think about that every time I turn away when I see a dog roaming a street that has heavy traffic. Years ago, when ACS did things differently, I would turn away, sometimes even turn in an opposite direction whenever I saw the dogcatcher trucks. The last thing I wanted to see was some poor unsuspecting critter being carted off to his impending extermination. The thing is, I wasn’t always like that. As a young man, I would coldly and unceremoniously kill chickens and turkeys in my dad’s poultry store. It was a well known put-down phrase at the time but it was true with me: I was once an old chicken plucker. Today, I even have a hard time killing roaches.
This reminds us of another truth. What we see can affect us, some more than others. Let me give you a brutal example: From the pulpit, I could say that Jesus was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world (Revelation 13:8) and it may not make that much of an impact. On the other hand, if we were to show on the overhead screen the actual killing of a lamb while I was reading the verse, that would really bring the point home. That would make a lasting impression in the minds and hearts of many. In fact, many in the audience would get up and leave. Why? Most people don’t want to “see” such things. The lesson is apparent: Let’s avoid seeing anything that may affect us negatively and on the things that we can’t, let’s ask God to give us the grace and the strength to endure it.
God’s word for today: (Luke 19:41) “Now as He (Jesus) drew near, He saw the city and wept over it.”
Last night in Pastor Leo’s class, I was reminded of the many times we unsuspectingly ask God to specifically answer our prayers our way, forgetting to insert at any time in our prayer that His will be done. Often, when God doesn’t answer as we desired, we get discouraged or else we get upset with Him. We may even go through an extended period where no one can convince us that we’re wrong. As God’s children, we eventually come back to the realization that God did what was best. As pastor Leo rightfully pointed out, the problem is we often pray according to what we want, not what God wants. John knew what he was talking about when he wrote: “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask any thing according to His will, He hears us.” (1 John 5:14) Even Christ Himself, upon nearing His appointment with the cross, prayed to the Father: “Nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will.” (Matthew 26:39)
Throughout the years I’ve said during funeral addresses that if we were just given a glimpse of where our departed loved ones are, we would be thrilled and overjoyed for them. We would probably ask God if we could stay there with them. If nothing else, we would be convinced that God’s will is always the best way. He knows things we may never know in this life. He knows what is up ahead in our future and I choose to believe that often, when He calls His children home, He is saving them from a very sad and tragic “might have been.”
It is never a sin to ask God to answer our prayers in a specific way, as long as we add in the end that His will be done. Because we are human, there will be times when we won’t be very happy with how the Lord responded to our petition. And if we get upset with Him, its okay, He can take it. Do you stop loving your children or loved ones when they are upset with you, especially when you know they are wrong? Why would God? Accepting God’s will is not always easy but it is one lesson it will do us much good to learn and never forget. I pray you are happy for the will of God in your life today.
God’s word for today: (Romans 12:2) “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—His good, pleasing and perfect will.”
