Friendship Is Conditional

“Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.” (Joh 15:14 AV)

If meditated upon, this verse could really hurt.  The saint desires to be a friend of God.  We want that affirmation.  We need that affirmation.  What we fail to realize is friendship is more then mere feeling.  Friendship is not reduced to a simple emotional experience.  Friendship has far more to do with loyalty and common interests than a feeling of desire for companionship.  Friendship means keeping in mind the best interests of the one with whom we desire to befriend.  Friendship goes beyond a hug or a handshake.  It goes beyond knowing things about one another.  Friendship even goes beyond mere communication.  Friendship requires a commitment based upon mutual sacrifice and self-denial.  When we are turned down, it hurts deeply.  Specially if the one whom we desired to befriend was highly regarded.  The words above can sting.  And they should.  For we cannot be a friend of Jesus if we will not obey His commandments.  All of them.

I know a thing or two when it comes to friendships.  Not having a whole lot of friends during my childhood, I know the importance of having friends.  I know what it feels like to deeply desire friends but experiencing rejection far too often.  In part, lack of friendship was due to my personality.  By nature, I am a loner.  By nature, I am an introvert.  This is no excuse.  When I was young, I also did not go along with all those things the popular kids did.  I was too scared of what my father would think.  All this did not mean friendships were not desired.  I yearned for friendships.  Through the years I have had some.  Not many, but the ones I have had were intimate and lasting.  To be accepted is so important.  I will not lie to you.  Being rejected hurt.  One of those times was during my freshman year of high school.  Desperate to fit in, I went to the home coming float project.  Glad to see me volunteer, the girl in charge put me to work.  But I was all alone, in a corner, making flowers out of Kleenex or something of the sort.  People were not mean.  They were cordial.  But none took the time to talk with me and visit while I worked.  I was greatly disappointed.

For the Creator of the universe to refuse friendship has to hurt even more.  Knowing He withholds friendship because we do not respect His wishes should hurt.  The deep and cutting feeling of rejection should sting a bit.  If we are living in disobedience to the word of God and not feel a sense of estrangement from our Savior because of it, then we are either too emotionally calloused to care, or not saved at all.  There is no other way to say it but that rejection of friendship should sting.  It should sting badly.  Badly enough to want to change direction and walk in obedience to the word of God.  Many false professions are made on the stage of an emotional experience all the while living in opposition to the revealed word of God, yet claiming friendship with the God whom they claim to worship.  This is simply impossible.  It doesn’t matter what we profess or feel.  We cannot take friendship.  It has to be given.  It will only be given when we live in obedience.

Humility Seeks Help

“Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me.” (Joh 13:8 AV)

Peter’s reluctance to Jesus’ exercise of feet washing is quite understandable.  After all, this is the Son of God, the Messiah, the King of Kings who is washing the feet of a sinner.  I would probably feel the same way.  It should be the other way around.  It should be that we bow down to worship the LORD; washing His feet; serving His needs.  It should be us, the sinners, on our knees with a pail of water and a towel about our necks, caressing the feet of the one with scars on His feet.  I can certainly understand Peter’s hesitation.  I would do the same.  But in this teachable moment, Peter learns a lesson for us all.  Humility is the ingredient that results in salvation.  If we will not allow the Son of God to condescend to our most dreadful need, then salvation is impossible.  Unless we allow the King of Kings to humble Himself that He might minister to our needs, then we have no hope of walking with Him.

This principle is easily seen in the experience of child rearing.  The more independent they become, the more pride seeps into the heart.  In the early days, we would cut up their food.  Then comes the day they say, “Mommy, I can do this myself.”  There were those days when we buttoned their shirt, tucked in their tails, and tied their shoes.  We would pick the outfit that matched.  Then comes the day they proudly come down the stairs all dressed for church without any help from Mom or Dad.  This independence is expressed even though success doesn’t always follow.  The first time they realize they really cannot cut their own hair.  I was at my barber’s shop the other day when a distraught mother comes in and asks if she can have her son’s locks trimmed.  It appears he thought he could do it all on their own.  We become too proud to ask for help.  We become too proud to admit certain things are out of our control of ability to succeed.  This is the enemy of salvation and walking with God.  As Jesus Christ said, “But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” (Mt 19:26 AV)

You are right.  How can we allow this?  How can we allow the Son of Man to be put in a place where we are served and not Him?  This is contrary to what we think about humility.  We think that humility is merely abasing ourselves before a God that created all things.  We think the only application of humility to self-degradation, transparency, and confession.  But there is another, more difficult application of humility.  That is, knowing when we have come to our limit, seeking help from the only One who can help.  Salvation can only come from Christ and Christ alone.  This is why the vast majority of the human race will perish.  We want to do it ourselves.  Like a child who wants to dress himself, we cannot.  We come down the stairs mismatched and misaligned.  We appear with a haircut that would frighten the family cat.  We are a mess and we refuse to acknowledge this truth.  The same is true for the child of God who tries to walk with God under his own strength.  We cannot.  We fail miserably.  Admitting to God that we are helpless is the beginning of walking with God.  We need to humble our hearts and allow the Son of God to wash our feet.  We will be unclean otherwise.

Do You Hear What I Hear?

“Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him.” (Joh 12:28-29 AV)

There were three things heard.  There were those who heard thunder.  There were those who heard the voice of an angel.  Then there was Jesus Christ, who heard what it was.  It was the voice of the Father.  Some may hear thunder, others may hear the voice of an angel, but it doesn’t change what it was.  It was the voice of God.  We also do not know why some only heard thunder while others heard an angel.  We can only surmise.  Perhaps it was a faith issue.  Perhaps those who expected to hear one thing is exactly what they did hear.  Jesus warns us to take heed how we hear.  Not just what we hear, but how we hear.  The sound coming from heaven was not three distinct sounds.  It was all the same sound.  It was the voice of God.  Yet, three sounds were heard.  The voice of God; a voice of an angel; or thunder.  What ever the cause, we know those that did not hear the voice of God did not take heed how they hear.

The word of God is the same.  There are those who read the words as mere words.  A book compiled to record the history of people who are called the chosen of God.  Some see it as allegory.  A bit of literalness is attributed, but the see the word of God as nothing more than noise.  Noise different from the quiet, but noise nonetheless.  There are others who see the word of God as it is, the word of God.  But they fail to see the supernatural quality of it.  Those these, the word of God is an accurate account of the events and doctrines of history.  However, it is not seen as the supernatural voice of God.  Then there are those who see the word of God as it actually is.  It is the very voice of God.  It is perfect and without error.  Just like the very voice of God.  When reading the words within its pages, they are more than words.  When reading the word of God, a person with faith in the word of God will realize he is listening to the Holy Spirit of God minister to his heart the will of God in every and all aspects of life.  The word of God becomes personal.  When there is illumination, he realizes the LORD is speaking directly to him.  Jesus was able to hear the voice of His Father because He accepted for what it was.  Regardless of what it may appear to be, it is the voice of God.  That is why Jesus heard the voice of His Father.

I pity those who do not believe the word of God is the very voice of God with their whole heart.  I pity those who have no faith in the voice of God.  They are empty, guideless, and without life.  I pity those who see the word of God as a book that may, at one time in history, been perfect, but now is subject to the flawed efforts of man to translate and preserve it.  The word of God is a guide.  But not a reliable as their own opinion or education.  I pity them because God is not as real as He could be.  They see the voice of God as a general thing which applies to all equally in all situations.  There is little specific illumination to the individual.  Faith may be present, but it is not as deep as it could be.  But praise be to God for those who accept the word of God as it is.  The living voice of God speaking to the heart of the believer in a way that is personal and applicable to the circumstances at hand.  These saints have a deep faith.  To them, the word of God cannot be equated to anything else.  It is far more than a text book.  It is the very voice of God speaking to them in a real, deep, and personal way!  Take heed how you hear.

Faith Made Simple

“And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.” (Joh 9:38 AV)

This portion of the account of Jesus healing the blind man can be confusing.  The blind man made whole testified before a hostile crowd of Pharisees that Jesus healed him and the Jesus was from God.  Back and forth they bantered; the blind man made whole getting the better of the Pharisees.  The blind man made whole used sound logic and theology.  The miracle of his sight was evidence enough that Jesus was from God.  He even does so far as to prove it from the Old Testament.  Yet one thing remained.  When Christ followed up, the blind man made whole was still missing a piece of the puzzle that would convince him that Jesus was more than a prophet.  The blind man made whole still needed some nugget of truth beyond the miracle of which he was the object to prove Jesus was indeed the Messiah.  This evidence was a simple statement.  The blind man made whole, who was accustomed to forming his belief not based on what he saw, but rather what he heard, needed a simple statement of truth.  All he needed was the testimony of the Son of God as to His identity.  The simple word.  That is all the blind man made whole needed.

There is an evolution or sorts which a saint experiences in the growth of their faith.  The first step is seeing life impossible without the exercising of it.  The blind man knew he could not be made whole unless he had faith Jesus could do it.  This is akin to saving faith.  Then there is the process of testing truths based on empirical evidence.  We want to see if what we perceive is true actually is, so we investigate truth worthy of faith by a cause and effect method.  We become pragmatists wherein our faith lies.  We test it.  We try it.  If the evidence bears up the truth, then the truth must have been true.  But the final stage is simply accepting truth based on the merits of its source and the fact is was stated.  This is where our faith must ultimately arrive.  There are things we do not understand.  There are things we will never understand.  The person and nature of God, for instance, is a truth that is revealed throughout the Bible.  Because of His infinite nature and our finite nature, we will never understand the deepest person of God.  We have to accept it because God revealed it regardless of our ability to understand Him!  Some might say this is childlike faith.  There may be merit to this.  But I also think this is mature faith.  Faith that can be reasoned to a point, but must ultimately accept what is stated as true.

We waste way too much time trying to reason out truth that cannot be reasoned out.  At some point, we will have to accept it because God said it.  If we were to back up a few verses, we would understand how it is this blind man made whole needed nothing more than the word of the LORD.  Christ asks him a question in verse thirty-five.  He asked if he believed on the Son of God.  Verse thirty-six is the key to this kind of faith.  The blind man made whole asks, “Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him?”  In this question we see the right heart attitude of this mature faith.  That is, a willingness to believe.  Not a heart to debate and examine.  That kind of heart makes us the authority upon which our faith is based.  Rather, the blind man made whole shows the surrender of heart and mind to accept and believe when truth is revealed.  Surrendering our own abilities of observation and reasoning is the beginning of deeper faith.

The Great Escape

“Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever.” (Joh 8:34-35 AV)

The servant here is the servant of sin.  The house is the earthly tabernacle that is tempted with sin.  The hope of every child of God is victory over sin!  The hope stated above is that which every true child of God yearns for.  It is evidence of salvation.  It is proof of a heart after God’s own heart.  That which is missing in our message of salvation today is conviction of sin unto the saving of the soul.  Unless a soul comes under the convicting work of the Holy Spirit, there is no salvation.  He or she must see the condition of the soul as utter wickedness, condemned by the holiness and justice of God.  The soul must see they deserve the eternal flames of hell before any cry for mercy can come forth.  If the soul cannot see their own wickedness, there is no sense of accountability.  If there is no accountability, there is no justice.  If there is no justice, salvation is from consequences and not a condition.  This is not salvation.  True salvation sees the vile creature that is self.  It rejects self.  It turns its back on self.  This is repentance.  The soul cries out because it is condemned, realizing self has done this, and desires a change from what the soul is into that which God can make it.  If that is what we experienced, then the hope of the above passage rings loudly!

There are times we feel we are the servant of sin.  There are times when we would give our right arm to overcome some stubborn sin in our hearts.  There are times we would pay any price whatsoever to overcome the sin that doth so easily beset us.  There are times when the presumptuous sin drives us to deep pits of despair.  There are times we can barely function because it seems the flesh is more powerful than the spirit.  We battle in our own strength.  We battle in the Spirit’s power.  Yet, sin lieth at the door.  We get confused because we know the LORD is not pleased, yet it seems He is not doing enough to help us over come.  As Paul says, I speak as a man.  We weep.  We confess.  We beg.  We toil.  But sin is still there.  As long as we are in this flesh, we fight on!  One transgression at a time.  We tire out.  We become weary.  If the flesh would only cooperate, imagine what we could do for the glory of God!  This is the heart of the matter.  This is the reason for the promise above!

Jesus is both condemning and encouraging here.  We often read it as a rebuke.  We often take it as a statement of hard truth.  We are the servant of sin because we yield to it.  But we cannot stop there.  The hard truth is followed by a liberating promise.  We don’t have to stay servants of sin!  If we call out to Jesus as our Savior, He takes up residence in our hearts.  Sin will only last a life time.  But Jesus lasts an eternity!  That is the precious hope we have to continue in the battle over sin.  We have already won!  Things will change.  So, let us strive as though we see the finish line before us.  No matter where we are in our race towards glory, we are always closer to the finish line that we are the beginning.  Glory awaits!  Christ is going nowhere.  The servant will not always abide in this house of clay prone to sin.  This earthly house will be destroyed.  There awaits a house of glory that can never disappoint God.  The Son will always abide!

Too Much of a Good Thing is Bad

“Hast thou found honey? eat so much as is sufficient for thee, lest thou be filled therewith, and vomit it.” (Pr 25:16 AV)

Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.  Honey is a great food!  Local honey is proven to assist in fighting seasonal allergies.  Consuming locally grown honey builds up the immune system against local pollen.  Honey is great for the digestive tract.  It keeps the plumbing running smoothly.  Honey is also very good at regulating blood sugar balance.  All one needs to do is google the benefits of honey and it becomes apparent we should probably consume more than we do.  However, as my lovely wife can attest, too much would make one sick.

Some time in her childhood, she ate a boat load of honey, all in one sitting.  To this day, she does not use or consume and significant amount of honey at any one time.  Honey Nut Cheerios or a Greek desert called baklava is about the only way she will eat honey.  They thought of any thing else makes her gag.  I, on the other hand, love it.  It goes in my oatmeal every morning.  When I eat biscuits, on it goes.  I brew my own lemon, ginger, and honey tea.  Love it!  Love it!  But too much of a good thing, even if it good for you, can be a bad thing.  One of my favorite candies is bit-o-honey.  I can eat these by the bag full.  However, I found out the hard way this is not a wise thing.  I can remember such an episode even forty years later.  I had been sucking down the bit-o-honeys for about two hours when all of a sudden, the health benefits of honey kicked in all at once.  I was at a boy scout meeting in the basement of the church.  I spent more time in the boy’s bathroom than I did outside of it.  Wave after wave it came.  I think the next time my doctor schedules a colonoscopy, I might suggest bit-o-honey rather than the prep.  Just as effective, yet a whole lot cheaper. 

Too much of a good thing that is good for you can cause other things that are good for you to be out of balance.  Too much honey can cause one to become dehydrated.  In the same sense, too much of one good thing might rob us of another good thing.  Physical, spiritual, and emotional health require a balanced life.  We are prone to access.  What we enjoy we tend to enjoy to its fullest.  The problem is, there are good things we may not enjoy.  These must also be part of our lives.  Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing

Compassionate Commission

“He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.” (Joh 3:36 AV)

One wonders how much our efforts to win the lost would change if we could get into our minds and hearts the truth of the wrath of God.  Not so much the eventual judgment that will come because of it.  Rather, the present condition of the lost soul as it suffers from the wrath of God.  Sometimes this wrath can be easily seen by the circumstances which the soul suffers.  An illness, accident, financial hardships, marital problems, etc.  However, most cannot be easily seen but are still as real.  A lack of peace, strife, anger, malice, arrogance.  All effects of an unconverted heart.  When I consider the passage above, I cannot help but be reminded by the Spirit of God the compassion which should reside in the heart of the saint for all those who do not know Christ.  God is angry with them and they live under the judgmental hand of a God who is not pleased with sin.

Growing up in such a large family, it was not unusual to witness an estranged relationship between my father and a sibling.  If it was a younger sibling, the evidence of this strained relationship seemed to be more obvious.  The thing is, the younger the sibling (to a point), the harder it was for that sibling to see they were not in may father’s good graces.  They were either oblivious or they has something else going on that was far more important to them than their relationship with Dad.  There were times when my younger sibling had to be made aware of Dad’s disappointment.  We could see it clearly.  Dad made little effort to comfort or comport with his erring child.  What bothered us most is the erring child had no idea what he was missing.  He had little clue of the wonderful nature of a reconciled relationship with Dad.  It bothered us enough to tell our sibling that Dad was mad at him or her and he or she should go and apologize.

This is the way it should be for the saint and the sinner.  If we cannot see the wrath of God abiding on the lost soul, then he becomes a mere statistic.  He becomes another soul whom we pass a tract to or even win for the purpose of a number.  He becomes another trophy in our collection rather than a restored sibling who can now enjoy fellowship with the God who created him.  If we could simple step back and see both God’s position and desire compared against the condition and position of the lost soul, perhaps our soul-winning would be motivated by compassion rather than something we do because we are goal oriented.

Three Little Words

“And the two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus. Then Jesus turned, and saw them following, and saith unto them, What seek ye? They said unto him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master,) where dwellest thou? He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with him that day: for it was about the tenth hour.” (Joh 1:37-39 AV)

With three little words, the LORD begins a relationship with these two disciples that will last of all eternity.  Come and see.  A gracious host to say the least.  Come and see.  Not a worrisome put off as though His dwelling was insufficient, or, not prepared.  Come and see.  Not a dwelling absent of the homey touches of an occupied home.  Come and see.  Not a split-level, bedrooms, two-and-a-half baths.  Come and see.  Not a “it’s too late in the day and tonight really doesn’t work for me.”  Come and see.  Not a “others have a better home for entertaining than I do, so let’s make an appointment for another time.”  Come and see.  Not a “let’s just meet at church and we can fellowship there.”  Come and see.  The accommodating nature of our Savior was greater than the hunger of the disciples for divine fellowship.  Come and see.  As they heard the words of God spoken by the Son of God, the only thought was to dwell with the Son of God.  Come and see.

There three little words are the entire invitation to mankind perfectly stated by the divine utterances of a hospitable God.  Come and see.  Three little words represent a wide-open invitation to spend time with a God who makes the time for His most precious creation – the human soul.  Come and see.  Three little words with no preconditions other than a mind and heart to desire the fellowship offered.  Come and see.  There is no admittance fee.  No required house warming gift.  No dish to pass or reciprocal invitation required.  All grace.  All open.  Come and see.  When we consider these three little words, one gets the picture of a wide-open door with nothing to block entrance.  Come and see.  It began with a willingness to listen.  It progressed with a willingness to learn.  The invitation was extended because there was a request.  Jesus, we want to be where You are.  Come and see.  There wasn’t any oil burning in the steamer, no fresh smells coming from the kitchen, no pictures on the wall.  Come and see.  There were no expectations of hospitable service where their needs were met.  Come and see.  The only guarantee they had was more of the word of God taught by the Son of God.  Come and see.  There were no fancy beds or feather filled quilts.  No fireplace in the hearth or a fresh bath to be drawn.  Come and see.  No dotting wife, charming children, or obedient pet.  Come and see.  A wide-open door for any and all who have to sole priority to sit at the feet of Jesus as He opens the truth of God’s word.

With three little words, the whole of the meaning of walking with Jesus is revealed.  Come and see.  Nothing was withheld from these two.  The came; they saw.  Perhaps a simple bowl of soup was offered.  Maybe a small fire where they could warm their hands.  But all those creature comforts weren’t the point.  Come and see.  These three little words began a journey of three and a half years that few would ever experience.  Come and see.  Starting where God dwells opened the places were God works.  Come and see.  Entering through a door, gate, or hole in a cave opened the wonders of God’s mercy and might that few would ever know.  Come and see.  From the outside, it doesn’t look like much.  A simple place.  A non-descript place.  A place which most would simply pass by without all that much notice.  Come and see.  A place that would often receive scorn.  A place not worthy of the majesty of God but a place where the glory of God reigns.  Come and see.  With three little words, two lives were changed and a world turned upside down.  Come and see.

Wings Of Wellness

“But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye shall go forth, and grow up as calves of the stall.” (Mal 4:2 AV)

As I sit here this morning, my wife has gone into surgery.  It is a common out-patient procedure and we are not anxious one bit over any type of complications.  As things go, her situation is rather minor compared to others.  But surgery is surgery.  We fully expect good reports and for continued treatment to improve her health.  What this experience does bring to mind is the promise stated above and the certainty of it!  There is no doubt no matter what the LORD may ask us to go through, He will eventually heal it all.  We will all die of something.  We may enjoy temporary relief and good health, but eventually our health will fail.  The promise above is not one of immortality in this life.  Rather, the promise above is for permanent healing.  There will come a time when our bodies will be glorified with no possibility of disease or injury.  Even more important, the healing from the consequences and possibilities of sin is the true and most desired of all healing.

Like my shoulder surgery in 2016, Lisa’s healing will be brief and successful.  She will recovery from the surgery in short order.  A trial turned to a lesson has taught us these things are not pleasant to go through.  We wish we did not have to endure it.  However, when the healing is complete and therapy is through, improvement over the initial injury is great.  My shoulder is better than it has been in almost twenty years.  When Lisa is through her dark tunnel, she will enjoy relief she hasn’t felt in over a decade.  If we do not falter in our follow-up lifestyle changes, we will both feel better than we have is almost a decade.  This illustrates our future glorification.  If a simple grinding down of bone and strengthening of the shoulder muscles can restore full function with little pain, just imagine what will happen when Christ brings His healing! 

The Hebrew word for healing is astounding.  It is the negative form of another word.  In other words, it is the negative or opposite of incurable.  This word is a beautiful word.  When we think of something as curable, we don’t think of it in the manner that it might never happen again.  Or, we may think there might be other residual effects of the curable disease.  There might be a scar.  There might be anti-bodies.  There might be marks of once having a condition.  Our definition of curable means the current condition is over, but the effects of it may not be.  This Hebrew word, being the opposite of incurable, means more than curable.  It means the disease is gone and there are no side effects or evidence it ever existed in the first place.  GLORY!  When Christ comes back with healing in His wings, it will be with the intent to erase all evidence of sin and the possibility of it ever returning.  That is the healing which the finest surgeon in the world cannot guarantee.  That is a healing which the most talented physician cannot promise.  That is a healing which the most advanced health care team cannot promote.  This healing is by the power of God and God alone!  Permanent and complete!

Obedience Before Sacrifice

“To do justice and judgment is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” (Pr 21:3 AV)

This makes perfect sense.  If we would do justice and judgment, there would be no need for sacrifice.  If we would learn to obey, then we would not need forgiveness.  The LORD will accept repentance and reconciliation.  However, He would much more prefer obedience in the first place.  Every once in a while, my father would say this phrase that cut to the heart.  After some repeated fault of which he was getting weary, I would apologize.  He would say, “Don’t tell me you’re sorry.  Just don’t do it anymore.”   What he meant by that is my apologies were running hollow if I had no intention of changing my behavior.  That is not exactly what is going on in our verse above.  The LORD’s patience and exercise of forgiveness is limitless.  He is always ready to grant forgiveness to the truly penitent.  However, He would rather we didn’t need to seek it in the first place.

One of the reasons God gave to Adam, and by extension mankind, dominion over the animal kingdom is that we might learn a relationship between the governed and the governor.  As we train the animals to serve our purposes, and reward them accordingly, we are learning the nature of the relationship between the Creator and the created.  Having several dogs over our life time, I can tell you the relationship between owner and dog can be a special one.  Not like the world is defining it today which only produces frustrated, anxious, or volatile pets.  I am speaking of training the animal to perform the calling for which it was bread.  We had that opportunity several dogs over.  In that training process, as the owner, I took great pleasure in the dog follow my lead.  I had the enjoyment of watch him or her fulfill its purpose.  One of those dogs I trained was a hunting breed.  He loved to play fetch.  He would do this all day long.  The anticipation in his eyes and the excitement manifested by a wagging tail brought me far more pleasure than having to correct him for some error.  I would rather him obey than to come to me sulking over something he knew he did wrong no matter how sad those puppy dog eyes were.

I think the older in the LORD we get, the more we understand this.  We get sick and tired of asking forgiveness.  Specially for the same infraction.  If we are weary of our sin, imagine what the LORD feels.  Our spirit agrees with the Holy Spirit that obedience is far more pleasurable than failure and forgiveness.  Don’t get me wrong.  Forgiveness and reconciliation are wonderful feelings.  But obedience, so much the more.  Look at it from the LORD’s point of view.  He is looking at it from the perspective of His glory and our benefit.  If we walk in obedience, we honor Him more than seeking forgiveness.  If we walk in obedience, He is also able to bless us for that obedience.  Which, by the way, is far more enjoyable.

Justice May Not Have a Swift Arm

“Say not thou, I will recompense evil; but wait on the LORD, and he shall save thee.” (Pr 20:22 AV)

In a world obsessed with fairness and litigation, this is a difficult thing to do.  One thing to remember, though.  Our instinct to make all things equal drives us to abrogate in the courts of public opinion, or handle it ourselves.  Sometimes, letting it lay and letting God work is the best solution for an injustice.  Being preoccupied with what is fair or right will bring us heartache in the end.  That is not to say law should be ignored.  There are times to pursue justice.  There are times to sue for damages.  There are times to take it before the church for their unified opinion.  However, not every time is that time.  In fact, speaking just quantitatively, there are more times we should take one on the chin that to seek to even the scales.  In fact, Jesus himself testifies to this very truth.  “Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also. And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away.” (Mt 5:38-42 AV)

Waiting is never easy.  I don’t do amusement parks.  For various reasons.  One of those is waiting.  It astounds me how much people will pay to stand and wait.  I don’t like peak times of anything.  If we go out to eat, we will try to go between lunch and supper.  Standing in line holding that elaborate pager that blinks like a Christmas tree is annoying and a complete waste of time.  Waiting for justice is one of the worst experiences of waiting once can endure.  Knowing we have, or are, suffering a loss makes it even more intolerable.  When someone cuts us off in traffic, specially if they violated a law to do so, causes us to look down the road hoping to see blinking lights with the violator pulled over.  If someone slanders us, we hope and pray there is unbearable gossip which will boomerang right back at them.  Waiting is not in our nature.  The problem is, God is much better at recompense then we are.  If we take it upon ourselves to recompense an injustice, we will either be far crueler than the injustice deserves, or our recompense will not be appropriate to the injustice and injustice will continue.  I have learned this truth many times over.  God is always better at evening the scales then we ever can be.

Whatever we may lose by waiting on the LORD to recompense our injustice was only temporary anyway.  If someone slanders our character, the truth will come out in eternity and all of heaven will know.  If we suffered a physical loss, we are taking nothing with us to glory anyway.  So, what difference did it really make?  If we suffer the loss of time, it will be made up in the time we save by being patient.  Time is only temporary anyway.  All things, including this life, was given to us by the grace of God anyway.  It is not ours to have emotional reactions over its loss.  The LORD giveth and the LORD taketh away.  Let the LORD recompense.  He does a much better job at it than we ever will.

Biblical Self-love

“He that getteth wisdom loveth his own soul: he that keepeth understanding shall find good.” (Pr 19:8 AV)

In a world of self-help books, wisdom is not high on the list of tools to use in the process of loving yourself.  In fact, the world has no idea what true and biblical self-love really is.  The world’s definition of self-love is actually the opposite.  To the world, self-love is accepting what you are without any pressure to change.  It is indulging in any behavior that one wishes.  It is avoiding all hardship possible because to suffer is to hate oneself.  Everything is approached this way.  If there is an uncomfortable event one must go through, then the benefits to self is the motive.  Or, more worldly self-love.  Stewardship of a life accountable to God is no the motive.  Rather, personal happiness is the driving force of enduring momentary suffering.

I am going through a major lifestyle rearrangement.  No longer can I live as I did twenty years ago.  I have one of the best medical teams looking out for me.  From my GP to my Cardiologists, to my Neurologist, etc. they are working as a team for the purpose of better health.  Their motive may be quality of life.  The goal is to get me in better condition so that I do become dependent on treatments for things that an altered lifestyle can provide.  However, there is a better way of looking at this.  I know that in our preaching in the past, we have preached against self-love.  We use Paul’s remarks in Romans chapter seven and Job’s statement regarding self-aberration as the proof text.  When compared to God, this is true.  Yet the same Apostle which said there is nothing in him that is of any good also used a man’s appreciation and care for himself as the minimum benchmark for how a husband is to care for his wife.  The love which we are speaking of here is more of a stewardship and care than it is an admiration.  The later would be sin.  The later would be pride.  The former is that priority that values ‘self’ enough to care for, protect, and improve ‘self’.

The way to accomplish this is not self-pleasure.  It is wisdom and discipline.  The way to care about yourself is to do that which make one a godly person.  Wisdom that stretches through the physical, emotional, and spiritual health of self.  This means self-denial is part of the care package.  This means enduring hardships that shape us into what the LORD knows we need to be because we will enjoy life to its fullest in doing so.  Biblical self-love means learning what is best for self and no matter how uncomfortable that might be, in the long run, it is better for us.  Wisdom would tell you to lay off the salt if you have high blood pressure.  Wisdom would say to avoid wickedness because it causes negative emotions in the soul.  Wisdom would tell us to read the scriptures daily, praying to the LORD for our every need, that the soul may have security in the person of God and the peace which comes by it.  True self-love does not accept the person that we are.  It seeks to always improve upon it.  Biblical self-love sees the person of Jesus Christ and seeks to be transformed.

Mission Not Impossible

“Thus saith the LORD of hosts; If it be marvellous in the eyes of the remnant of this people in these days, should it also be marvellous in mine eyes? saith the LORD of hosts.” (Zec 8:6 AV)

This question is an awesome question.  The word for marvelous means difficult beyond reconciliation.  The people of God could not see how they could be restored after years of captivity.  To them, it was too marvelous and could not be done.  The LORD asks the question, “Just because it may seem impossible to you, should it seem impossible to Me?”  This not so much a stern rebuke to their lack of faith as it is a reality check of the abilities of our infinite God.  As Luke puts it, “And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God.” (Lu 18:27 AV)

Before we get a bit judgmental, let us put this in context.  Note the reference to the remnant and the days.  The LORD is speaking to a small group of the original millions that left Israel and Judah into captivity.  He is speaking to the small remnant that has been tasked to return to Palestine to rebuild the wall and temple.  He is speaking to less than ten percent of the original population that has gone through 70+ years of captivity to an unrelenting master.  They did so because of their disobedience to God.  The days in which He is referring is troublous times.  Times when the land of Canaan is occupied by the enemies of Israel who will stand against them as they re-enter the land God both promised and gave to them. The days which the LORD is referring are days which will be filled with toil and labor, threats and intimidation, poverty and prejudice.  Being tasked with building the temple and rebuilding the wall would indeed seem marvelous.

We have to be careful that we do not limit God simply because the tools which He will use are limited.  Moses was guilty of this.  He was called and sent, yet he found himself woefully inadequate to the task God called him to do.  He wanted to go so far as to pick the one whom he believed God should have picked.  Moses limited God because he felt he was limited.  True, we are limited.  There is only so much we can do.  But God is not!  Just because we see ourselves as we should, limited and flawed creatures, does not mean God is unable to overcome our limitations and do wonderous with our lives.  Why should God be overwhelmed?  He cannot be!  Why should God think it impossible just because we do?   I have learned a long time ago that God can do above and beyond what we think possible.  All we need to do is make ourselves available and trust God with the plan.  Just watch what God can do!

Compassion for the Sake of God's Reputation

“Whoso mocketh the poor reproacheth his Maker: and he that is glad at calamities shall not be unpunished.” (Pr 17:5 AV)

Let me explain what this means and doesn’t mean.  Depending on our world view, we gaze upon the poor and destitute in different ways.  Our solutions vary.  If we are to consider the second half of the proverb as a further explanation of the first, then we see this mockery is thinking the poor deserve their condition and are glad it is the way it is.  Furthermore, this mocker is fulfilled with inaction and lack of compassion on the poor and destitute.  What is a shame is our society, right or left, has done little to nothing to fix the problem.  The methods that have been used the past are becoming extinct.  We have been conditioned to ignore the plight of others or simply throw money at it thinking it will go away.

There was, and still is, this immaculate white clad complex that sits on a gentile hill outside of one of the cities in which I lived.  It sits there in very good shape, yet empty and unused.  Looking at it, once can tell it was some sort of health care facility.  It was a hospital for the mentally ill and drug addicted of our community.  Now, it sits empty.  In another city in which I lived sits a rather large facility that once helped the mentally ill.  It has shut its doors and has been converted to an office building.  Soup kitchens and boarding houses are closing.  What makes this even worse is the regulations and persecutions of faith-based ministries set up to help the less fortunate.  These facilities may not be the cadillac of health care, but it sure beats living on the streets.  We can gaze upon those who are less fortunate and find choices that led to their destitution.  We can list a number of unwise choices and be justified in our investigative conclusions.  But this does not solve the problem.

What we need is for government to get off the backs of those who want to help and encourage our communities to get involved.  I have a heart for the addict.  More than likely, his or her addiction started by a foolish choice.  Sometimes it did not.  Sometimes it started by another addict forcing their addiction on a helpless child.  Regardless, we are all sinners by nature and by choice.  We are all in the same boat, more or less.  Jesus Christ did not mock us.  Rather, He came to die for us.  If we want to be a part of the solution than the naïve progressive thinker must get out of the way of the faith-based community and let us fulfill our calling.  Those that claim the love of Christ need to do something.  Maybe we are too small of a work to do much.  But we can support those who can.  Let me give you one example before I close.

We live in a large city.  The destitute can be seen begging at major intersections.  I witness compassion on a regular basis.  Just recently, this lady was on an intersection with her cardboard sign.  The driver of the car ahead of me stuck his hand out and gave her some money.  The problem is, such compassion may further a habit that has gotten her is the place of having to beg.  We will never know.  Another such incident happened several months ago.  But this time, the driver gave the beggar a small bag full of all sorts of things.  From personal hygiene products to food vouchers to local fast food restaurants.  I thought that was ingenious.  Sure, the second individual could trade them for drugs, but the generous driver was one step removed.  The point is this: we cannot ignore the plight of the less fortunate no matter how they got that way. But we cannot take the easy way out either.  We all deserve the gates of hell for our wickedness towards God.  We all live in the consequences of our choices.  Some more, some less.  Having compassion on our fellow man will go a long way in receiving the mercy we seek from our loving God.