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2 Thessalonians 1:1-4 We are Partners in the Gospel

8/31/2015

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2 Thessalonians 1:1-4

Have you ever felt your service to The Lord was insignificant? After all you’re no Billy Graham leading thousands to Christ each year. But what you do for God as led by The Holy Spirit makes a difference. Verses 3-4 read,

“We ought always to give thanks to God for you, brothers, as is right, because your faith is growing abundantly, and the love of every one of you for one another is increasing. 4 Therefore we ourselves boast about you in the churches of God for your steadfastness and faith in all your persecutions and in the afflictions that you are enduring.”

Paul thanked God for the believers in Thessalonica because their faith was growing and their love was increasing. Their faith and love, and the steadfastness with which they faced persecutions grew the church. They became partners with Paul, they became partners with The Holy Spirit for completing the great commission to make disciples. In his letter to the Philippians Paul wrote in verses 3-6,

“I thank my God in all my remembrance of you, 4 always in every prayer of mine for you all making my prayer with joy, 5 because of your partnership in the gospel from the first day until now. 6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”

He uses each of us if we are willing, and because the same Spirit is within each of us because we should have a common goal.  We all have a part to play. He gives us each different gifts, one person’s part is not the same as another but they are linked. 1 Corinthians 12:4-11 says,

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; 5 and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; 6 and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone. 7 To each is given the manifestation of the Spirit for the common good. 8 For to one is given through the Spirit the utterance of wisdom, and to another the utterance of knowledge according to the same Spirit, 9 to another faith by the same Spirit, to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit, 10 to another the working of miracles, to another prophecy, to another the ability to distinguish between spirits, to another various kinds of tongues, to another the interpretation of tongues.11 All these are empowered by one and the same Spirit, who apportions to each one individually as he wills.”

We are partners together in the gospel. One man I know likes to picture it as a field and a harvest. One man tills the soil, another plants the seed, one man waters, another fertilizes, and another brings in the harvest. Your part may seem little and you may never see the fruit, but you have a part and it is vital.

One person’s service is connected to another. We form sort of a chain, one small work linked to another and another. Maybe the coffee you bought for that homeless man was the act which sparked his interest in Jesus, maybe it was the act that made him realize it was time to make a decision. It is God calling the person to salvation, it is the same Spirit in each of us working to bring them to salvation.

If we are living and walking in obedience to Christ, we are playing a role in bringing people to Him. As the church grows, the impact of our service grows as well. If we are living and walking in obedience to Christ then our love for another and our service builds up, encourages, and unifies the church. Ephesians 4:11-13 reads,

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ,”

You may feel your role is trivial or irrelevant but it is not. You are a royal priest, gifted by God and filled with His amazing and awesome Spirit. Do your part joyfully and know that God is doing great things. Be thankful for your fellow believers, your partners in the gospel and be happy to hear the wonderful things God is doing through them and you, through all of us.

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1 Thessalonians 5:12-28 Love Another, Deliberately and Well

8/30/2015

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Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 on Photo of The Church of Life Prayer Lounge at Waves of Glory, Orlando, Florida
Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you. 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 on Photo of The Church of Life Prayer Lounge at Waves of Glory, Orlando, Florida
1 Thessalonians 5:12-28

What does loving one another look like? What should the body of Christ look like? I would venture to say the body of Christ should look like Jesus. Our traits as individuals and as a whole should be conformed to His image. His Holy Spirit in us should be evident and fully functioning among us. Our love should be apparent. And we shouldn’t resemble the world.

The world doesn’t like to submit to authority or recognize the people who work so hard behind the scenes. They want to show up to a church without being part of the church. They want to be served and not serve themselves. They expect the pastor to give them a nice little message, listen to their whining, give them what they need, and then ignore them for the next 6 days. But the people who do that, though they may come to church are not of the church they are still of the world. There is no unity with the body. Verses 12-13 read,

“We ask you, brothers, to respect those who labor among you and are over you in the Lord and admonish you, 13 and to esteem them very highly in love because of their work. Be at peace among yourselves.”

Paul urges us to respect the people who work among us. We are to regard their work, note it, and give the workers reverence. There shouldn’t be anyone whose work is going unappreciated, but too often there is. Too often the person who cleans the meeting place, who opens her home for fellowship, or who makes the calls to the visitors and absent are overlooked. But when everyone in the church is serving, then most of us will remember to appreciate all the others, and the burden on everyone is lightened. We are all expected to serve. Our gifts were given to us for a reason. Ephesians 4:11-16 says it like this,

“And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, 12 to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, 13 until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, 14 so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. 15 Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, 16 from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.”

We are also to give deference to those who are over us, submitting to their wisdom, maturity, and leadership as they guide us toward completion. Hebrews 13:17 says,

“Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who will have to give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”

In submitting to, respecting, and esteeming one another and the contributions each of us makes to the body, we have peace among us. We don’t need to be jealous, envious, or disrespectful of each other. We are in it together, sharing the same Spirit and the same mission. We want the best for each other. We are family, we are interwoven together, each thread is needed and adds to the beauty of the tapestry.

We cannot in love, let someone waste their gifts or remain a new born who never experiences the fullness of Christ during this life. Verse 14-15 puts it this way,

“And we urge you, brothers, admonish the idle, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with them all. 15 See that no one repays anyone evil for evil, but always seek to do good to one another and to everyone.”

Our unified walk as the body of Christ does not stop at the church doors. We are good to one another, but we also must be good to the world. We should be beneficent, that is intentionally doing good in a concrete way. We deliberately ensure we are not being maleficent, which is to cause harm. Nonmaleficence should be just as premeditated as beneficence.

Hebrews 13:15-16 reads,

“Through him then let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that acknowledge his name. 16 Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God.”

It is an act of worship and praise to be charitable and kind. It is glorifying Christ, that is reflecting Jesus, being like Jesus to do good for people. Verses 16-18 say,

“Rejoice always, 17 pray without ceasing, 18 give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

When do we rejoice? When do we pray? When do we thank God and what do we thank Him for? Always, continually, and all the time, for everything. The Holy Spirit wants to shine through us. He wants to glorify Jesus in us. He wants to fill us to overflowing and show us He can’t be exhausted. Verses 19-22 read,

“Do not quench the Spirit. 20 Do not despise prophecies, 21 but test everything; hold fast what is good. 22 Abstain from every form of evil.”

He cannot be exhausted, but He can be quenched, that is stifled, smothered, and left to smolder instead of burn bright. How do we do that? We do it by not rejoicing, praying, and thanking God. We do it by not recognizing that our circumstances have the purpose of conforming us to the image of Christ. (Romans 8:26-30). We stifle the Holy Spirit of God when we disregard His work, or we accept all works that might be from God are and do not discern Godly from worldly. (1 John 4:1-6). We douse His fire in us when we take part in the desires of the flesh instead of the desires of The Spirit.

The muffled and subdued Spirit will not produce the fruit that makes it evident we are sons and daughters of Abba God. Galatians 5:16-26 reads,

“But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh.17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”

The fruit of The Spirit is the image of Christ. As we walk, we become more and more mature, showing more and more the character of Jesus. One day we will be instantly perfected but that doesn’t mean we do not strive toward that goal now. (1 Corinthians 15:51-52, Philippians 3:12-14). We trust the Lord to complete us and keep us. Verses 23-24 read,

“Now may the God of peace himself sanctify you completely, and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. 24 He who calls you is faithful; he will surely do it.”

God does this great work in us. He perfects us. He doesn’t and won’t do it against our will. We have to be in a relationship with Him. We have to want it. And so we pray, we love, we walk, and we strive, not in a futile struggle, but in the peaceful rest of Jesus’ grace. Verses 25-28 close the letter.

“Brothers, pray for us.

26 Greet all the brothers with a holy kiss.

27 I put you under oath before the Lord to have this letter read to all the brothers.

28 The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.”

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1 Thessalonians 4:12-5:11 Jesus is Coming Soon!

8/29/2015

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1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 On Photo of Jesus in the clouds by Donna Campbell
For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words. 1 Thessalonians 4:16-18 On Photo of Jesus in the clouds by Donna Campbell
1 Thessalonians 4:13-5:11

Do you really understand the awesome wonder and exquisite hope of the Resurrection? I am not sure any of us can fully grasp the breadth of its meaning. Jesus’ Resurrection is the crux of what it means for us to be born again. When we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we were given new life. His death means our sins are forgiven. His Resurrection means we have eternal life. And it means that we too will be resurrected one day. We will die, but we will rise from the grave! The Resurrection is for us too! Chapter 4 verses 13-15 read,

“But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord, that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep.”

For the believer, death is temporary. It is a short interruption in eternal life. Paul encouraged us to keep the resurrection in mind, to gain an understanding that death is not the end. 1 Corinthians 15:54-58 reads,

“When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

We don’t have to mourn death the same way unbelievers do. We have the expectation of eternity with Jesus. We have the promise of Heaven and New Jerusalem. We might miss our loved ones when they die. We might mourn them. But if they are believers as we are, we know we’ll see them again. We don’t have to fear death. We don’t have to despise death. Death is only a short break, a doorway from life on Earth to life in New Jerusalem.

One day Jesus will come back. We will see Him descending in the clouds. We will hear the trumpet blast announce His coming and He will gather us all, first the dead and then the living. Some people dread the day. Some people will realize the horror of their arrogant rejection of Christ. But we believers will experience the ultimate and awesome victory. Verses 16-18 read,

“For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first.17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord.18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.”

Sometimes we can get mired in the details of life on Earth. But we are commanded to encourage one another with the promise and hope of Heaven, of Jesus triumphant return, and our resurrection. To do that we have to understand it as well as we can, and we understand it by reading the Scriptures, praying, and encouraging one another.

When will it happen? We don’t know exactly when. Jesus said that even He didn’t know exactly when. Mark 13:32-36 reads,

“But concerning that day or that hour, no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father. 33 Be on guard, keep awake. For you do not know when the time will come. 34 It is like a man going on a journey, when he leaves home and puts his servants in charge, each with his work, and commands the doorkeeper to stay awake. 35 Therefore stay awake—for you do not know when the master of the house will come, in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or in the morning— 36 lest he come suddenly and find you asleep. 37 And what I say to you I say to all: Stay awake.”

Jesus told us to remain alert, to be watchful. We don’t know the day or hour, but we can watch the times, note the seasons and be expectant and ready. Chapter 5 Verses 1-3 read,

“Now concerning the times and the seasons, brothers you have no need to have anything written to you. 2 For you yourselves are fully aware that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night. 3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.”

We don’t know exactly when but we are to stay alert, ready and watchful. We are to remind each other of that Day. We don’t live life as if none of this will happen, we live life knowing the urgency and importance of salvation in Christ. We, like our Father want everyone to come to Jesus. So instead of living life to satisfy our fleshly desires, we live life with the joy and hope of eternal life. We live life in hopes of bringing people to Jesus by becoming more like Him. We live with the promise of knowing one day we will be perfected and completed. 1 Corinthians 15:50-52 says,

“I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.”

Most people are ignorant of the truth of Jesus’ return and our resurrection, but we’re not. Verses 4-8 read,

“But you are not in darkness, brothers, for that day to surprise you like a thief. 5 For you are all children of light, children of the day. We are not of the night or of the darkness. 6 So then let us not sleep, as others do, but let us keep awake and be sober. 7 For those who sleep, sleep at night, and those who get drunk, are drunk at night. 8 But since we belong to the day, let us be sober, having put on the breastplate of faith and love, and for a helmet the hope of salvation.”

Keeping the hope of our salvation in mind, eternal life in Heaven keeps us able to go through the struggles of life. It reminds us to remain faithful and always loving to one another and to the lost. The lost are headed to eternal death. They are headed to wrath of God, Hell. But not us we have Heaven waiting for us. Don’t we long for them to know the awesome love of God with us? Verses 9-11 read,

“For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, 10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him. 11 Therefore encourage one another and build one another up, just as you are doing.”

Eternal life begins the moment we accept Christ as our Savior and Lord. Death isn’t death for us. It is a brief interlude. So keep Jesus’ return in mind, keep our resurrection in mind, and encourage each other with that hope.

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1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 Are You Holy or Worldly?

8/28/2015

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1 Thessalonians 4:1-12

I am not a legalist. I believe that we do not have to follow a list of rules and rituals to follow Jesus. But we are called to a more noble life, and a higher walk. We are the sons and daughters of The Lord God Almighty, the King of kings and Lord of lords! We shouldn’t look or act like the rest of the world. We are aware of how much God loves us and our gratitude makes us want to please our Father and Lord. Verse 1 reads,

“Finally, then, brothers, we ask and urge you in the Lord Jesus, that as you received from us how you ought to walk and to please God, just as you are doing, that you do so more and more.”

We are saved by faith and covered by grace. (Ephesians 2:6-9). But that freedom doesn’t change the fact that we do have a higher calling and our lives should reflect that calling. Paul exhorted the Thessalonians to walk in conformity to Jesus. Verses 2-8 read,

“For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus. 3 For this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; 4 that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor, 5 not in the passion of lust like the Gentiles who do not know God; 6 that no one transgress and wrong his brother in this matter, because the Lord is an avenger in all these things, as we told you beforehand and solemnly warned you. 7 For God has not called us for impurity, but in holiness. 8 Therefore whoever disregards this, disregards not man but God, who gives his Holy Spirit to you.”

When we choose to live like the world and let our flesh rule our behavior we ignore, disrespect, and quench The Holy Spirit. He makes it possible for us to live good Jesus glorifying lives. In Leviticus 20:7-8 The Lord said,

“Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God.8 Keep my statutes and do them; I am the Lord who sanctifies you.”

God separated us out from the world and made us holy, not so we could look and act like the world but so that we could reflect who He is to the world. He called us out and said we are peculiar, we are not typical, we are God’s own people. (1 Peter 2:9 KJV). The world might even think we’re odd. If they don’t notice our differences maybe we’re not being holy as God is holy.

In 1 Peter 2:9-10 Peter urges us not to behave like the world.

“But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession, that you may proclaim the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light. 10 Once you were not a people, but now you are God's people; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.”

What is it besides our self-control and abstinence from degrading our bodies that sets us apart as believers? We honor not only our own bodies as the Temple of God but we honor the body of Christ, our fellow believers because our brothers and sisters are also the temple of God. Verses 9-12 read,

“Now concerning brotherly love you have no need for anyone to write to you, for you yourselves have been taught by God to love one another, 10 for that indeed is what you are doing to all the brothers throughout Macedonia. But we urge you, brothers, to do this more and more, 11 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, 12 so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.”

Our love for one another makes us stand out from the world. Our love glorifies Jesus. Our love as exercised in charity, kindness, and edification of one another tells people we are different. Our lives lived as holy, that is set aside and sacred, calls people to Jesus. It is a testimony to God’s awesomeness that we are changed and different from the rest of the world.

Believer, is your life a testimony to God’s awesome power? Or do you look and act like the world? Do you treat your body and the body of Christ with reverence, care, and love? 

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1 Thessalonians 3 You are not Meant to Walk Alone

8/27/2015

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Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 On photo of Merri and Me by Donna Campbell
Iron sharpens iron, and one man sharpens another. Proverbs 27:17 On photo of Merri and Me by Donna Campbell
1 Thessalonians 3

Believer, you are not meant to go it alone. Following Christ and walking in the Spirit is meant to be done with other believers. New Christians especially need to become a member of a faith community. We have a duty to those people who we have led to Jesus to disciple them. We have a responsibility to ourselves and our fellow believers to be together in a community to teach one another, edify one another, and over all love one another.

When Paul wrote to the church at Thessalonica, he was torn up about not being able to go to them and disciple them. He understood the need for teaching, guidance, and mentoring of believer to believer. Paul knew it was important to send someone to the churches he had planted. And though he couldn’t go himself, he sent Timothy.

Why do we need fellowship of believers? There are a few reasons. The first is we suffer. Verses 1-4 read,

“Therefore when we could bear it no longer, we were willing to be left behind at Athens alone, 2 and we sent Timothy, our brother and God's coworker in the gospel of Christ, to establish and exhort you in your faith, 3 that no one be moved by these afflictions. For you yourselves know that we are destined for this. 4 For when we were with you, we kept telling you beforehand that we were to suffer affliction, just as it has come to pass, and just as you know.”

When we suffer, whether physical illness, oppression, spiritual battle or anything else, fellowship with other Spirit-filled people comforts us and lets us see the bigger picture. Our suffering doesn’t (or at least shouldn’t) bring others down and cause them to suffer as well. Camaraderie lightens our burden helps us get through it, and teaches us and our church.

When you are going it alone and you suffer, there is no one there to give you the wisdom of The Holy Spirit when you can’t hear him through your pain. There is no one to share the load with you. A new believer can become so discouraged that he doesn’t let the Word of God take root in his heart. He can choose to reject Jesus because he doesn’t understand that we all suffer or why he was being attacked. The person led to Christ yesterday but not given a church body is left an orphan who has a slim chance of maturing to the image of Christ. Verse 5 reads,

“For this reason, when I could bear it no longer, I sent to learn about your faith, for fear that somehow the tempter had tempted you and our labor would be in vain.”

The church at Thessalonica needed mentoring and so do every one of us. Paul needed Christian partners and so do we. Paul sent Timothy to the Thessalonians to ensure they were maturing, and probably to set up a system of leadership in the church and ensure they would continue to grow in Christ. When Timothy returned to Paul, he had good news. Verses 6-8 read,

“But now that Timothy has come to us from you, and has brought us the good news of your faith and love and reported that you always remember us kindly and long to see us, as we long to see you— 7 for this reason, brothers, in all our distress and affliction we have been comforted about you through your faith. 8 For now we live, if you are standing fast in the Lord.”

We need each other to teach one another, to get to know God more and more. Verses 9-10 read,

“For what thanksgiving can we return to God for you, for all the joy that we feel for your sake before our God, 10 as we pray most earnestly night and day that we may see you face to face and supply what is lacking in your faith?”

Proverbs 27:17 says it this way,

“Iron sharpens iron,
    and one man sharpens another.”

We need each other because our corporate prayer, worship, and studying blesses The Lord and blesses us. We can see what Jesus is doing in our lives and the lives of one another. Our thanksgiving, worship, praise and prayers increase exponentially. As our love for God increases so does our love for each other. It all multiplies by leaps and bounds when we are in it together.  Verses 11-13 read,

“Now may our God and Father himself, and our Lord Jesus, direct our way to you, 12 and may the Lord make you increase and abound in love for one another and for all, as we do for you, 13 so that he may establish your hearts blameless in holiness before our God and Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his saints.”

We are waiting for Jesus to return, we are waiting for New Jerusalem, but we have eternal life now. One day we will be perfected, but now we walk in increasing glory of Jesus. We do that together, not alone. The Holy Spirit is in us, making us a union that cannot be easily broken. When we are together He is that much more among us.

When a person is walking alone there is no one to comfort, encourage, edify or work with. If he has a question he can ask God but will He recognize the answer? Or will the father of lies answer first and lead the person further away from Jesus. Who will keep him accountable?

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1 Thessalonians 2 How to Share the Gospel even if You're not an Evangelist

8/26/2015

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1 Thessalonians 2

I know that many believers are afraid to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with people. Or at least many are very anxious about it. I understand that trepidation. But whether not we are gifted with evangelism, it is still a command of Jesus to us, and it is a core purpose and manifestation of love and our response to our own salvation. Matthew 28:18-20 reads,

“And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

But many of us, leave evangelism to the two people in our church who are gifted. We say we don’t know how. Many of us associate evangelism with knocking on doors and asking, “If you were to die tonight, where would you go?” Many of us associate sharing the Gospel with men on street corners carrying signs that read, “Repent Today!” But evangelism, truly witnessing to the lost is not like that at all. And as believers we not only have the compulsion to share the love of Jesus with the world, we have the ability and the authority to do so. When Jesus ascended to Heaven, He didn’t leave us. He said He would be with us until the end of the age. His Holy Spirit came to us, indwelt us and fills us. (John 14:15-17). He makes it possible for us to testify to the awesome love of The Father. Verses 1-4 read,

“For you yourselves know, brothers, that our coming to you was not in vain. 2 But though we had already suffered and been shamefully treated at Philippi, as you know, we had boldness in our God to declare to you the gospel of God in the midst of much conflict. 3 For our appeal does not spring from error or impurity or any attempt to deceive, 4 but just as we have been approved by God to be entrusted with the gospel, so we speak, not to please man, but to please God who tests our hearts.”

The Lord entrusted us, He commended us with the wonderful Truth. This is a secret and a mystery to the lost, but it is not supposed to remain an enigmatic secret. Ephesians 3:4-13 says,

“When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ, 5 which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. 6 This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel.

7 Of this gospel I was made a minister according to the gift of God's grace, which was given me by the working of his power. 8 To me, though I am the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, 9 and to bring to light for everyone what is the plan of the mystery hidden for ages in God who created all things, 10 so that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places. 11 This was according to the eternal purpose that he has realized in Christ Jesus our Lord, 12 in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him. 13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.”

We don’t share the gospel because we want to impress the church. We don’t testify to the Lordship of Jesus Christ to please men. We do it because The Lord loves us so deeply and we want to please Him by giving Him what He wants, which is for everyone to come to know Him. (1 Timothy 2:4, 2 Peter 3:9). And sharing the Gospel does not always mean walking up to people at the bus stop and having a pre-scripted conversation ending in leading them in the ‘sinner’s prayer.’ Sharing the Gospel is done when people see how we respond to suffering. Witnessing is done in our relationships and conversations when we deliberately bring the conversation to Jesus. Evangelism is done through our acts of love and faith to people. Verses 5-8 say,

“For we never came with words of flattery, as you know, nor with a pretext for greed—God is witness. 6 Nor did we seek glory from people, whether from you or from others, though we could have made demands as apostles of Christ. 7 But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. 8 So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God but also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.”

When we share the gospel we are not selling something. We don’t have to cajole people to like us. We don’t need to persuade anyone with sweet-talk. We are genuinely loving, kind, and giving as The Holy Spirit has made us to be. (Galatians 5:22-24). If we love The Lord then like Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy, we desire people to come to Jesus just like God does. (1 John 4:7-21). We love Him and our desires align with The Spirit of God and not with our selfish flesh. (Philippians 2:12-13).

We witness by our attitude and love toward one another. (John 13:34-35). We mentor believers and make them disciples by our love toward one another. Verses 9-12 read,

“For you remember, brothers, our labor and toil: we worked night and day, that we might not be a burden to any of you, while we proclaimed to you the gospel of God. 10 You are witnesses, and God also, how holy and righteous and blameless was our conduct toward you believers. 11 For you know how, like a father with his children, 12 we exhorted each one of you and encouraged you and charged you to walk in a manner worthy of God, who calls you into his own kingdom and glory.”

When we witness, we don’t have to be fearful. We do not have to worry about not knowing how or what to say. The Holy Spirit will do the work. He saves, not us. The Holy Spirit emboldens us and even gives us the words to say. (Acts 4:23-31, Matthew 10:19-20). Verse 13 says,

“And we also thank God constantly for this, that when you received the word of God, which you heard from us, you accepted it not as the word of men but as what it really is, the word of God, which is at work in you believers.”

There is persecution for believers today and it will only get worse as time gets closer to The Day of Judgement. But that is all the more reason to spread the Gospel, people need Jesus or they will burn in Hell. We will face opposition because Satan hates people, he is our enemy and he schemes and plans to keep people from the fullness of God. (1 Peter 5:8). As, the body of Christ in a world of people who do not know Jesus we need one another and we need to remain faithful witnesses and keepers of The Gospel. The enemy and his followers will experience the wrath of God. We can snatch the lost out of his hands and lead them to Jesus. Verses 14-16 read,

“For you, brothers, became imitators of the churches of God in Christ Jesus that are in Judea. For you suffered the same things from your own countrymen as they did from the Jews15 who killed both the Lord Jesus and the prophets, and drove us out, and displease God and oppose all mankind16 by hindering us from speaking to the Gentiles that they might be saved—so as always to fill up the measure of their sins. But wrath has come upon them at last!”

Do we love one another as Jesus loves us? Do we love people as Jesus loves them? If we do, we can’t let them walk to Hell without giving them a chance to know Jesus. If we do we can’t leave the newly born again as orphans without a way to know their Father more. We are responsible for dispensing the Gospel. Verses 17-20 read,

“But since we were torn away from you, brothers, for a short time, in person not in heart, we endeavored the more eagerly and with great desire to see you face to face, 18 because we wanted to come to you—I, Paul, again and again—but Satan hindered us. 19 For what is our hope or joy or crown of boasting before our Lord Jesus at his coming? Is it not you? 20 For you are our glory and joy.”

First of all, love people with the Love of God. Be bold and courageous, not fearful. Trust and obey the Lord. This is not a job for 1% of the church. This is a job for 100% of the church. We were given our gifts for a reason, which is the building up of the church. (Ephesians 4:11-16). How will people know Jesus of they never hear about Him. Romans 10:13-17 reads,

“For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

14 How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? 15 And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” 16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?” 17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.”

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1 Thessalonians 1 Your Life is a Testimony to Your Heart

8/25/2015

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1 Thessalonians 1

In my church body we are careful to remember that we cannot see a person’s heart, that we cannot judge by the outside if person is a believer or not. And I believe we are right not to make such assumptions. But The Lord God does not indwell a person without making it evident that He is there. There is a major change that takes place within a person when The Father chooses him, Jesus saves him, and the Holy Spirit seals him. The fact is our lives are a testimony to our heart condition. While outsiders may not recognize who or why, they should still note a peculiarity in the believer.

Paul’s greeting to the people of Thessalonica in verses 1-3 reads,

“Paul, Silvanus, and Timothy,

To the church of the Thessalonians in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ:

Grace to you and peace.

2 We give thanks to God always for all of you, constantly mentioning you in our prayers, 3 remembering before our God and Father your work of faith and labor of love and steadfastness of hope in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Paul immediately remarked the Thessalonian church for their work resulting from their faith in Christ. Faith is not merely a feeling or sureness of the heart. Like love, faith is not real until it is articulated by action or obedience. One can say, “I have faith that the bridge will hold” but if he refuses to walk across the bridge then his faith doesn’t matter. One can say he has faith in Jesus as Lord and Savior, but if his life doesn’t testify it, his words mean nothing. There is a big difference in intending to do something and doing it.

God is awesome, He doesn’t choose a person and leave them “as is.” He doesn’t take someone from the world and make them a citizen of Heaven and not affect them. The power that saved us is the power that raised Jesus from the dead. (Romans 8:9-12). The power given to us, is the same power that healed countless people, fed thousands out of one boy’s lunch, and taught the radical message called The Sermon on the Mount. The power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is miraculous, revolutionary, and world-shattering. Verses 4- read,

“For we know, brothers loved by God, that he has chosen you, 5 because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake.”

The Holy Spirit leads us to be and do. He leads us to act, to trust and obey. He enables us to recognize His Spirit in others. As John leapt in Elizabeth’s womb when Mary pregnant with the unborn Savior, Jesus met his mother, The Spirit within us leaps for joy when we recognize one another. (Luke 1:41-44). Jesus described Him this way in John 14:15-24 in The Message,

“If you love me, show it by doing what I’ve told you. I will talk to the Father, and he’ll provide you another Friend so that you will always have someone with you. This Friend is the Spirit of Truth. The godless world can’t take him in because it doesn’t have eyes to see him, doesn’t know what to look for. But you know him already because he has been staying with you, and will even be in you!

18-20 “I will not leave you orphaned. I’m coming back. In just a little while the world will no longer see me, but you’re going to see me because I am alive and you’re about to come alive. At that moment you will know absolutely that I’m in my Father, and you’re in me, and I’m in you.

21 “The person who knows my commandments and keeps them, that’s who loves me. And the person who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and make myself plain to him.”

22 Judas (not Iscariot) said, “Master, why is it that you are about to make yourself plain to us but not to the world?”

23-24 “Because a loveless world,” said Jesus, “is a sightless world. If anyone loves me, he will carefully keep my word and my Father will love him—we’ll move right into the neighborhood! Not loving me means not keeping my words. The message you are hearing isn’t mine. It’s the message of the Father who sent me.”

You can and do recognize The Holy Spirit in others because you already know Him since He lives in you. You know God, so you know it when you are able to distinguish Him, His voice, His Word, and His Love. Followers of Christ, begin looking and acting like Jesus. We grow and mature over time to become more and more like Jesus. He is glorified in His followers. We do not imitate, like a celebrity impersonator, we imitate Him as emulators, living up to the awesomeness and beauty of The Lord. Because we do that, those who have been following Christ for longer, those who can be called elders, leaders, and teachers should so emulate Jesus that we can say, “If you don’t know how to act like Jesus, watch me and see Him in me.” We are examples to everyone around us. Our lives are a testimony. Our lives will testify, “Jesus is Lord” or “I am lord.” Our actions speak louder than mere words ever can. Verses 6-10 read,

And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, 7 so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. 8 For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. 9 For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, 10 and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come.”

We used to look like the world. Now we look like Jesus. We used to worship ourselves and other false gods. Now we worship the One True Living Almighty God. Believers are just not like the world, we cannot be. God’s imprint is evident on us. The Father’s anointing is seen and heard. The Holy Spirit’s power changes us and makes us new. When people look at us, they see Jesus image, not ours.

If no one can look at your life and see you are different maybe you’re not. If the church can’t be certain that you are a follower of Christ, maybe you are merely a follower of Christianity.

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James 5:1-6 Weep Now,Rich Man Before you Gnash Your Teeth Forever.

8/24/2015

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James 5:1-6

In whom do you trust? Where is your paradise? What gives you joy? Some people, many put their trust in money, and create paradise on earth where they can have as much joy as they can possibly into life. I’d say the majority of people want a “happy life” And as we grow in this world what to do we discover? That things make us happy, that getting something we want or need makes us happy, and that the people who give us those things make us happy. Sure maybe that happiness only lasts until the ice cream is melted, or maybe until the friend who shared it with you leaves, but for many the way we are raised teaches us that money will give us what we want and having what we want makes us happy.

But James had a warning for wealthy people. Verses 1-6 read,

“Come now, you rich, weep and howl for the miseries that are coming upon you. 2 Your riches have rotted and your garments are moth-eaten. 3 Your gold and silver have corroded, and their corrosion will be evidence against you and will eat your flesh like fire. You have laid up treasure in the last days.4 Behold, the wages of the laborers who mowed your fields, which you kept back by fraud, are crying out against you, and the cries of the harvesters have reached the ears of the Lord of hosts. 5 You have lived on the earth in luxury and in self-indulgence. You have fattened your hearts in a day of slaughter. 6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous person. He does not resist you.”

Not every rich person got rich oppressing someone else, but look at the history of how that money was gained and chances are someone’s grandfather had his foot on the back of someone else’s grandfather. How important is it for you, whether you consider yourself financially well off or not to hold on to your money? Did you work hard to earn it? Do you deserve it? I’m sure you feel your money, be it sufficient small, or abundant was earned through hard work, sweat, and tears. You have amassed that money and it is yours.

When you put that money in a savings account for your retirement, when you put that money in a savings account for the Aruba vacation, who were you taking it away from? Was there a hungry family that could have used a Publix gift card but the money went toward your happiness? Was there more money for you because you pay your gardener a dollar over minimum wage? Was there more for you because you skimped on your employees’ health insurance? It is your money do, what you want with it.

But consider if your faith is in your money or The One True Living God Jesus Christ. Even if you’re poor your faith can be in money. It’s just easier to allow God to meet your needs when you don’t know how to make $20 buy a week’s worth of food. But it’s also easier for a poor person to assume that happiness is found in money. We say if I had a boat like that, a house like that, a theme park pass like a –insert desire here—like that, I’d be happy.

Happiness is not based on things. But ask someone with lots of things to give them up and chances are they won’t be able to give it all up. They’ll say they need a few things. It isn’t that a rich person can’t be saved, it is that most rich people and the majority of the poor and mid-incomers have put their faith in money and let their happiness be dictated by the stuff money can buy. If Jesus told you to your face, that you would be saved if you gave your brand new expensive smartphone to the homeless man on the corner, ask yourself if you really could and would do it. Jesus had a conversation with a wealthy young and important man in Matthew 19:16-22.

“And behold, a man came up to him, saying, “Teacher, what good deed must I do to have eternal life?” 17 And he said to him, “Why do you ask me about what is good? There is only one who is good. If you would enter life, keep the commandments.” 18 He said to him, “Which ones?” And Jesus said, “You shall not murder, You shall not commit adultery, You shall not steal, You shall not bear false witness, 19 Honor your father and mother, and, You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 20 The young man said to him, “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” 21 Jesus said to him, “If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me.” 22 When the young man heard this he went away sorrowful, for he had great possessions.”

When the man left despondent Jesus turned to the disciples and continued the conversation with them in verses 23-30.

“And Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly, I say to you, only with difficulty will a rich person enter the kingdom of heaven. 24 Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.” 25 When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished, saying, “Who then can be saved?” 26 But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.” 27 Then Peter said in reply, “See, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” 28 Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, in the new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne, you who have followed me will also sit on twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. 29 And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name's sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life. 30 But many who are first will be last, and the last first.”

The rich young ruler was despondent because he only understood present life. He was too afraid to trust that eternal life is real and matters much more than this temporary life we life. He liked his money, who wouldn’t? But he didn’t understand that when he died, his robes would rot along with his body. His treasures would rust, most would dissolve to dust along with his bones. But his soul is eternal and the results of following Jesus never die, rust, or turn to dust.

Even those of us who proclaim Christ, forget sometimes we are living eternal life and that the joys and possessions we have on this earth will mean nothing in eternity. I wonder how long we’ll even remember our present lives in the face of eternity. Do you think in a million years, we’ll be hanging out saying “Hey, remember how much fun we had playing Candy Crush Saga?” or “The i phone 8 sure was the best thing that ever happened to me!” or “I’m so glad I invested in the Blu-ray collections of all my favorite films.”

There is nothing wrong with money, possessions or happiness. But if they are such a priority to us that they keep us from loving the Lord with all our heart, strength, soul, and mind then we are not following Jesus, but following our flesh. Money makes us want more, it makes us want to hold onto it for security. We think it is money providing the fridge full of groceries, and the constant flow of power to the A/C, TV, and Computer, but it is Jesus providing the job the money and the charity. And it all belongs to Him in the first place. (Psalm 24:1).

Just as the Lord used Joseph of Arimathea, a wealthy follower to be generous when he gave Jesus his tomb. He also uses other wealthy Christian and some not so wealthy to love people through their generosity. It is not impossible for a rich man to be saved, it is just difficult because it is hard not to dend on money instead of God. I know a man and his family who never blink twice when God says, “give.” I’ve seen them give someone who asked for one thing from the grocery store and entire grocery cart full of food. I’ve seen them tell the apartment management company to tell the tenant the rent is $200 less per month than it is, and then secretly pay the difference themselves. I’ve seen them time and again give and give. I know if Jesus said to them right now, sell your house and give all the proceeds to that church in Ecuador, they would do it.  Because they have faith, not in money, but in God. They have put their trust and happiness in Jesus, not their big screen TV. They have put their hope in the Holy Spirit, not their smartphones.  They have stored their treasures in Heaven, because eternity is the reality, this present life is a moment, a shadow teaching us, and an opportunity to teach others. After Jesus encourages us to give to the needy and pray well in Matthew chapter 6 and before He tells us not to worry about bills, clothes, and life’s concerns, He tells us to store our treasures in Heaven. Matthew 6:19-24 says,

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

22 “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, 23 but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness!

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.”

What are those treasure we store in Heaven? They are the fruit of our walk with Jesus, the testimony of our lives, the way we used our gifts, and the people who were won over to Christ. We can either focus on and pursue the Kingdom of Heaven and see the world from the healthy perspective of faith in Jesus or we can pursue happiness on earth and put our faith in money and our own power and not have Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life indwell us. We can die eternally rather than live eternally.

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James 4 What Do Ya Want?

8/23/2015

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Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. Psalm 37:3-5 On photo of White Flowers on Log by Donna Campbell
Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness. Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Commit your way to the Lord; trust in him, and he will act. Psalm 37:3-5 On photo of White Flowers on Log by Donna Campbell
James 4

What do you want more than anything else? Chances are, if you’re like me you can answer that question in a number of ways at different times. There have been times I could give you a list of items I wanted. As I’ve matured in Christ the list is not a list of things, it is a list of spiritual gifts, traits and sometimes things. Several times yesterday I had discussions with people about the ability to speak foreign languages. It is a gift I want very much. I also need a new chair, since my recliner is broken. And then there is the longing for a husband and child. None of these things is wrong to want. It is in how badly I want them, why I want them, and even the manner I might go about in getting them that may make them wrong.

I have at different times let my longing for a family take priority in my heart. I have been covetous of other people’s joy that they could fall in love, get married, and have children. And I have let the grief over not having love fill me. Maybe for you it is children, a better home, a certain lifestyle, or the latest tech gadget. None of those things is wrong, but they also show a discontentedness with Jesus. Those longings can move us away from our pursuit of the Kingdom of Heaven and divide us from our brothers and sisters in Christ. Verses 1-5 read,

“What causes quarrels and what causes fights among you? Is it not this, that your passions are at war within you? 2 You desire and do not have, so you murder. You covet and cannot obtain, so you fight and quarrel. You do not have, because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions. 4 You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.5 Or do you suppose it is to no purpose that the Scripture says, “He yearns jealously over the spirit that he has made to dwell in us”? 

God isn’t sitting up in Heaven keeping your desires from you and laughing about it. He wants you to have the desires of your heart. He loves to give His children good gifts. (Matthew 7:11). But they have to be good, good for us and good for others. Psalm 37:3-5 reads,

“Trust in the Lord, and do good;
    dwell in the land and befriend faithfulness.
4 Delight yourself in the Lord,
    and he will give you the desires of your heart.

5 Commit your way to the Lord;
    trust in him, and he will act.”

Trusting in The Lord, befriending faithfulness, and delighting yourself in the Lord present a picture of contentedness and faithfulness. This is not an image of a person who wants what she doesn’t have a person who wants her neighbor’s donkey and her sister’s car. It is a picture of a person who trusts God and is satisfied in Him, who longs to please Him and takes joy in Him.

Do you get how much your Father in Heaven loves you? His love is immense, it is bigger and better than our words can describe. It brings us to our knees in grateful worship and humility. We don’t deserve that kind of love but He loves us with a pure and unadulterated love. Even though our love toward Him is often selfish, sullied, and ungrateful. Even though sometimes we only give Him five seconds in the morning to say good morning and help me have a good day, His love for us doesn’t change. Our love is reactionary, His love is perfect huge, and steadfast. Ephesians 3:14-21 reads,

“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, 15 from whom every family[c] in heaven and on earth is named, 16 that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, 17 so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, 18 may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, 19 and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.

20 Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, 21 to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.”

A Father that loves us so much wants the best for us. And the best is that we mature to the image of Christ, perfect loving, awesome Jesus. We cannot achieve that on our own. God guides us and shapes us. He gives us what we can’t get alone. He forgives our flaws and reshapes us. He teaches us to walk in Jesus’ footsteps. But He doesn’t force us. If we would rather pursue money, worldly love, or our neighbor’s lifestyle, He says “go for it, good luck with that.” All the while He waits for us to come to Him. He waits for us to realize no amount of caviar and champagne can ever be equal to life in Him. He knows who He has made us to be. He sees us as the image of Christ and who we can be is worth so much more than any worldly pursuit or possession. If having a husband and children will keep me from my full potential in Christ, then I do not want them. If having the ability to travel around the world will keep me from pursing the Kingdom of God, I do not want it. Verses 6-10

“But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.”

He does not make it hard for us to make Him first. He is so awesome. And when He is first, everything else falls into place. (Matthew 6:33).  Jesus said, the greatest commandment is “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.” Then He said, “And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (Matthew 22:36-40). Loving your neighbor, treating him like you would like to be treated, making him just as important as you is like loving the Lord with your entire being. That is deep! The way we show our love for God, the way we testify to the world about our love for God is to love our neighbors, the people we share the planet with. Jesus clarified these two great commandments with a more simply stated but great and powerful command in John 15:12,

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.”

Loving one another and loving the people of the earth is a reflection of our love for God and our love for God is a mere shadow of His intense and bright love for us. When we let covetousness sully that love we squelch the Holy Spirit of God in us and instead of glorifying Christ, we glorify our flesh. We end up saying hurtful things about each other, highlighting faults in others, and breaking down rather than edifying the church. Verses 11-12 say,

“Do not speak evil against one another, brothers. The one who speaks against a brother or judges his brother, speaks evil against the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge. 12 There is only one lawgiver and judge, he who is able to save and to destroy. But who are you to judge your neighbor?”

Believers, we cannot let our yearnings come between us. Our mission is to make disciples for Christ. Our tool, weapon, and armor is Love. We walk in humility not hubris. We walk like Jesus filled with His Holy Spirit. In John chapter 15 when Jesus gave us the commandment to love another He also said more, He called us His friends. That is Jesus! Creator of the Universe, King of kings, and God who said that! John 15:12-17 reads,

“This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.”

We are united with the fellowship of brothers, we are united with God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. We have the same goal. We have immense joy and we want for nothing. Don’t let longings for the temporary things of the earth come between us. Don’t let personal goals come before God’s goals. Don’t let personal planes take the place of god’s plans. Verses 13-17 read,

“Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil. 17 So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”

We are supposed to be glorifying Jesus, not ourselves. What do you want most in this world?

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James 3 Taming the Tongue

8/22/2015

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But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:17-18 on photo of Unusual Cloud by Donna Campbell
But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace. James 3:17-18 on photo of Unusual Cloud by Donna Campbell
James Chapter 3

Maurice Switzer said, “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to speak and to remove all doubt.” That phrase echoes Proverb 17:28.

“Even a fool who keeps silent is considered wise;
    when he closes his lips, he is deemed intelligent.”

I cannot tell you how many times my yap has not only proven me to be foolish, but mean, jealous, petty, and bitter. If only I would control my tongue, I would stop showing the world the worst of me. Now that I blog and through this blog teach people, and now that I mentor some, it is more important than ever that I use the filter God gave me called a brain and exercise the spiritual fruit of love called self-control.

In the third chapter of James, James addressed the same issue.  Verses 1-2 read,

“Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. 2 For we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, he is a perfect man, able also to bridle his whole body.”

Believer, whether you set out to teach others or not, you do teach. You follow Christ and the world watches, and they judge. They judge you harshly because you claim Christ, they judge the pastors, the teachers, and church leaders even more severely. As a Christian every negative act you perform, and every negative word you speak is amplified by them so they can justify their non-belief. You and I have a responsibility to speak and act wisely so that what we do and say will not cause others to stumble or reject Jesus.

The tongue is small but powerful. Our words can build or destroy. Our words can encourage, inspire, augment, and increase. But they can more easily discourage, hurt, cut, and diminish. I have been on the receiving end of words that influenced me not to try, or hurt me deeply. I have been the speaker of those terrible words as well. James described the power of words with a few metaphors. He compared the ability to control our tongues to the bit of a horse. When a bit is placed in a horse’s mouth, the rider controls the entire animal. He also likened it to a ship’s rudder, the whole vessel is steered by the small part. We use the tongue to decide which direction we will take a conversation, a lesson, a day, and even a life.

James also compared the control of the tongue to a forest fire.  In 2012 wildfires burned 9,326,238 acres, killed 11 people, and cost millions of dollars in damage. Many wildfires are started with something as small as a dropped cigarette. (CNN, 2014). That is immense damage from one little spark. Our words are that formidable. I can tell you stories of what negative words have done to me. I can share stories of kids being teased so ruthlessly that they committed suicide. I watched a program about a woman driven to such depths of depression from a co-worker’s relentless mocking that she got a gun and shot up a grocery store killing the man who joked with her every day. (Poole, 2015). Words are potent. More potent than we who are careless with them want to think.

Verses 6-8 read,

“And the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life, and set on fire by hell. 7 For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, 8 but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, full of deadly poison.”

No human being can tame the evil poison tongue. Does that mean we don’t bother? We just say whatever comes to mind whenever we think it? Absolutely not. No human can tame it. But we do not rely on our human nature for our behavior, we rely on the Holy Spirit. He is conforming us to the image of Christ and the consequence of that transformation is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. The fruit of our human nature is sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, envy, drunkenness, and debauchery. (Galatians 5:16-26). When we follow our flesh we sin, we speak without love and self-control, we let bitterness take root and grow and sprout out of our mouths causing the terrible damage it will. But with the Holy Spirit our mouth should spring out the fruit consistent with His love. Verses 9-12 read,

“With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people who are made in the likeness of God.10 From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers, these things ought not to be so. 11 Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? 12 Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.”

The old saying goes, “What’s down in the well, comes up in the bucket.” And it is true. Your mouth speaks what is in your heart and spirit. If the Spirit is there, unquenched and working, then we will glorify the Lord. If we have quenched Him, then our human nature will speak. In Matthew 12:34-36 Jesus said,

“You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

I cannot tell you how many careless words I have spoken. The amount of damage I have done with my vile tongue is incalculable. We must be vigilant to exercise love and self-control over the weapon of our mouths. We have to be conscientious and choose not to exercise the fruit of the flesh. We have to choose to glorify Christ. Verses 13-18 read,

“Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct let him show his works in the meekness of wisdom. 14 But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth.15 This is not the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, demonic. 16 For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. 17 But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, open to reason, full of mercy and good fruits, impartial and sincere. 18 And a harvest of righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.”

Self-control is just as important to the command to love another as any other fruit of the Spirit. It is the characteristic that lords over how we choose to behave. It is the one I too often hear excuses against and sometimes out of my own mouth. “You know how I am!” or likewise. The world may know how you are, but do they know how God is? Do they see Him when they interact with you? They should. We are supposed to exemplify Christ, for the world and for one another. I challenge you to exercise the self-control given to you by the Spirit, and choose to use your words to build, teach, encourage, inspire, and in other ways, love.

Works Cited CNN. (2014, May 16). Wildfire Facts. Retrieved from CNN: http://www.cnn.com/2013/06/21/us/wildfires-fast-facts/

Poole, T. (2015). Unravled: Supermarket Slaughter. Retrieved from IMDB: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt4341554/?ref_=tt_eps_cu_n

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