Salt & Light Blog

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12 Please God More and More

7/21/2016

And it is my prayer that your love may abound more and more, with knowledge and all discernment Philippians 1:9

1 Thessalonians 4:1-12
What is a life pleasing to God? As followers of Christ for? We desire to please God, but what is it that pleases Him? Today’s devotional answers that question. I’ve got good news, it is not a difficult thing to please God, who loves you so much. And wat God wants is not a secret. Verses 1-2 read,
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. 2 For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

What is it that God wants? He wants us to walk in His commandments. Leviticus 26:3-4 reads,
If you walk in my statutes and observe my commandments and do them, 4 then I will give you your rains in their season, and the land shall yield its increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit.
This passage goes on to talk about all the great things God will do for us if we would only walk in His commandments. Before Jesus ascended to Heaven, He left the apostles and disciples instructions for what He wanted from them and from us, He gave us what we call the Great Commission. A commission is an assignment, an official job or directive to be carried out. Our commission is recorded in Matthew 28:18-20.
“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.”

This is the job we have been given. Some of us do this, some of us don’t. Most of us leave this job to a few of us. Maybe we don’t feel qualified to go make disciples, maybe we don’t know what or how to teach them because we don’t know what Jesus commanded us to do. So let’s look at some of what Jesus commanded and taught us. Clearly we can’t cover everything in a morning devotional. But I trust you read your Bible every day and you will continue to read Jesus instructions for your life. The gospel of John is a great place to begin and Matthew chapters 5-7 are a great place to study. This is what we call the Sermon on the Mount and it can teach you things that will knock your world upside down. So this morning I will look at just a few of Jesus’ commandments for us. First we will read what Jesus said was the greatest commandment. He said there were actually two commandments to be obeyed because they are like one another, meaning that obeying one means we need to obey both. Matthew 22:37-40
And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
He said that all the law and prophets, the entirety of Scripture was dependent on these two commandments. If we keep these two commandments we are pleasing God and we are walking in God’s commandments. I know though there are people who can get hung up on loving your neighbor. Who is your neighbor? (He answered this question in the parable of the Good Samaritan) They get caught up on the loving yourself part and elevate that above everything else the commandment says. Jesus know people would do that too. So He simplified the command for us. He took out he question of who our neighbor is, He took out the question of what it means to love. In John 15:12-17 Jesus said,
“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.”
Some of the other commandments Jesus gave us that help us to be disciples and teach others to be disciples are to take the Lord’s Supper (Luke 22:18-20). Pray (Matthew 21:13). Wait for His return (Matthew 24:42-44). And take care of the church, and the poor and those in need (John 21:15-16, Matthew 21:31-40). But above all of these commandments we are commanded to love as Jesus loves.
Following these commandments does more than we can imagine. They are key to making disciples of others but they also further our walk with God and please Him in a way that goes beyond our obedience. Verses 3-8 read,
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.

It is God’s will for us to be sanctified. That means we become more and more righteous like Jesus, holy and noticeably different from the world. To not become more like Jesus, to stay where we are is to transgress, that is do wrong against our brothers and sisters. And who in the world will care to be like someone who is no different than they are?
How are we sanctified? How do we know if we are progressing forward in our walk with Jesus? How is your self-control? Is it better than it was yesterday? Can you leave that chocolate, cigarette, sex, or whatever your vice is, alone? Can you say no to it and mean it? Your self-control and ability not to give in to your passions and stomach are a thermometer of your maturity (sanctification) in Christ. We should always be moving forward. Verse one said we ought to be doing so more and more. Another thermometer of our sanctification is how we are keeping Jesus commandment to love one another. Verses 9-10 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,

Paul urges us to love one another more and more. Remember love is not just a mushy gushy feeling. You can tell me you love me all you want but unless there is some tangible evidence, unless there is some action on your part, your “love” means nothing to me. So are we loving more and more? Are we laying down our lives more and more? Are we giving, providing, bearing one another’s burdens, and supporting one another more and more? James 2:14-17 describes it this way,
What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? 17 So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.

Our tangible love, our ever-increasing sanctification, our faith is exhibited in the lives we lead. People shouldn’t look at our lives and think we are the same as they are Partying in the world or that we concerned with filling or lusts, desperate to fill our stomachs, or worried about anything. They should look at us and see quiet goodness, people who love another so that we have no unmet needs, people who are rejoicing in the Lord. Verses 11-12 read,
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.

This is what pleases God. Are we becoming more and more like Jesus every day? Are we loving one another more and more every day? Are we living quiet respectful lives which give people in the world nothing to accuse us of? If not, then right now, right here is the perfect time and place to start becoming more and more.

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Romans 13 The Law and the Christian

5/18/2016

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Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law. Romans 13:10

Romans 13
There is more than one kind of law. There is the law of nature, God’s Law, Mosaic Law, and governmental law to name a few. The Christian has a unique relationship with each of these laws because of her unique relationship with The LORD God who made them all. For instance a Christian may not agree with the political view of her government but she knows God is Sovereign and so she respects the government and follows the laws put in place by them. She obeys the laws of her country, state, and city because obeying those laws reflects her submission to God and shows her humility to the world and gives them a chance to see God’s love at work. Paul told the Roman Christians who lived under a government who did not always have their best interest in heart to remember who put those in control in power. Verses 1-2 read,
Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

All authority comes from God. So obeying the laws put in place by the country is obedience to God. When a policeman stops us for speeding, it does us no favor to be belligerent or even defensive. If we had not been breaking the speed limit, would he have stopped us? And if we were not speeding, if we were not breaking any laws then we have no reason for hostility, no reason to be defensive or fearful because we didn’t do anything wrong. Sure the policeman could still give us a citation, even if we think he’s is in the wrong. But will our antagonism stop him? Will our opposition show him the love of Jesus? Verses 3-7 read,
For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, 4 for he is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.5 Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's wrath but also for the sake of conscience. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing.7 Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

The deference we show earthly authorities is a picture of our acquiescence to The Lord. It is an opportunity to love people in a way that most of the world cannot practice. The illustration of our relationship with God also extends to punishment and reward. If we are fulfilling governmental laws, we have nothing to fear from governmental authority. If we are fulfilling God’s law or know Jesus has fulfilled it for us) we have nothing to fear from God. When a policeman knocks at the door and we have done nothing illegal, we don’t have to worry. We are free to respect authority because we know that we have not earned the penalties of breaking the law.
I know that our governments are not perfect. There are people who are condemned even though they are innocent. There are people in prison for crimes they did not commit, even some who have been put to death. But we are still free to give authority the respect they are owed, because we trust God above them. We know that somehow even in a fallen and flawed world, God has us and He will use all of it for good for those who love Him and are called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).
We are not subject to Mosaic Law because Jesus, the Lamb of God fulfilled the Law by sacrificing Himself on the cross and defeating death and sin in the Resurrection. We are no longer slaves to sin. We are free as slaves to righteousness (Romans 6:18). That may sound confusing but what it means is this: At one time we lived to please ourselves and everything we did was sin because we were living outside God’s will, outside of a relationship with Him. We lived for pleasure, pride, and profligacy. But when we were set free from sin, we offered ourselves to Jesus and became free to love Him, free to love people, and free to express His love in righteousness. We offer our lives to the Lord as living examples of who He is and that means offering ourselves to loving people as Jesus loves them.
Jesus fulfilled Mosaic Law and we are no longer under a list of dos and don’ts. We are now under the Law of Love. Paul describes it in verses 8-10.
Owe no one anything, except to love each other, for the one who loves another has fulfilled the law. 9 For the commandments, “You shall not commit adultery, You shall not murder, You shall not steal, You shall not covet,” and any other commandment, are summed up in this word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.

Truly, love fulfills every aspect of the law. If we are expressing God’s love to someone would we commit adultery, murder, steal, or even be envious of them? No, there is not an iota of love in those acts. Love cannot sin. It’s time to stop concentrating on the Law of Moses and start focusing on loving people with the ferocity of God Almighty. Let’s love people, be just as concerned for their welfare, feelings, and future as our own. Let’s be slaves of righteousness who focus on what we can do to love as Jesus loves instead of slaves of sin who focus on how not to sin and what is sin and what is not.
Believer, you have been set free! Stop putting on those shackles of sin and instead live and walk in the freedom you’ve been given. You are free to live and walk in the Spirit of God who has indwelled you. Stop concentrating on laws and sins and put your eyes on Jesus. We are free from the Law, why continue to live under it? We cannot live in between law and Jesus. There is no middle road, no tension between law and antinomianism (that is complete disregard of any sort of authority including God). Both are ways that Satan keeps people enslaved and away from the true grace of Jesus Christ our Salvation. Both are slavery to law, sin, and death. 1 Corinthians 10:21-24 reads,
You cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You cannot partake of the table of the Lord and the table of demons. 22 Shall we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
23 “All things are lawful,” but not all things are helpful. “All things are lawful,” but not all things build up. 24 Let no one seek his own good, but the good of his neighbor.

The only sin for the Christian is to know what good she ought to do and then not do it. James 4:17 tells us,
So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.

Instead of keeping our eyes on the list of what we should not do, lets follow Jesus, imitate Him, live out the expression of the Holy Spirit and do what we know is right. What do we know is right? It is to love one another as Jesus loved us. Time is short, people are dying without knowing Jesus. They need us to show them who He is, not tell them what they should not do. Lists of sin do not save, Jesus does. Verses 11-14 read,
Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. 12 The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. 13 Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. 14 But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Wasting our time focusing on sin and sins only leads toward temptation and giving in to sin. Let’s walk in the light of Christ, wearing the full armor of Christ, exuding the fruit of the Spirit. Let us focus on the living the Law of Love rather than following the laws like the Pharisees did.

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Deuteronomy 23:15-25 Jesus is Revealed Through Love

3/26/2016

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Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 1 John 4:8

Deuteronomy 23:15-25
Our love for one another and our love for our fellow man is what should set us apart from the world. God called us to be holy. Holy does not mean pious, self-righteous, or super good. It means distinctively set apart for a sacred purpose. Our love is what makes it obvious to the world that we are different. 1 John 4:7-15 says it this way,
Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. 8 Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. 9 In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. 10 In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. 11 Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.12 No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world.

The passage we are reading today, reminded Israel what loving your neighbor looked like. Verses 15-16 read,
You shall not give up to his master a slave who has escaped from his master to you. 16 He shall dwell with you, in your midst, in the place that he shall choose within one of your towns, wherever it suits him. You shall not wrong him.
Regardless of a person’s socio-economic status be it servant or master, he is imbued with certain rights as a human being. But Satan steals those rights. Only Christ can give them back. Love, showing the same concern for someone else that we show to ourselves gives us compassion for our fellow man. If a servant escaped his master, there had to be some reason. If it were simply because he didn’t like his job, even if he were a bond-servant there were avenues other than escape which would serve him better. To escape meant that he was being mistreated. He could find refuge in Israel. He could find liberty from tyranny. He could find security.
Imagine today, when slavery means more than bond-servant, maid, or employee. It means a person held against her will, forced to work without payment or hope of freedom. There are countless slaves in the world today. Slavery is rampant, even in the U.S. Picture the woman who escapes that kind of slavery and makes it to your church or your home. You would, I hope offer her asylum, get her to safety, feed her, clothe her, and ensure she is safe.
Now change the picture in your head to understand that all those people out there who do not know Jesus as Christ are bound in chains to Satan. They are slaves and don’t know it. They obey their stomachs, their deepest desires and think they are free. All the while they are being led blindly to their eternal destruction. We have the hope they need! We can offer them the sanctuary of Christ, the freedom of Truth, and the hope of eternal life.
We certainly do not place people back into slavery to the prince of the world, the father of lies. And we do not allow evil, money or other benefit from evil to sully the Body of Christ. There is no love if we allow someone to voluntarily step into slavery and take the money for the church. If we do then we work hand in hand with Satan to further the abhorrent practices of wickedness. Verses 17-18 put it this way,
None of the daughters of Israel shall be a cult prostitute, and none of the sons of Israel shall be a cult prostitute. 18 You shall not bring the fee of a prostitute or the wages of a dog into the house of the Lord your God in payment for any vow, for both of these are an abomination to the Lord your God.

The world serves money, we do not. You cannot serve both money and God. If you serve money, you are not devoted to God. If you love God you know you have no need to bow down to money. Even if you think only a small part of you chases after money so that you can meet your needs, it is your entire being that is affected. Chasing your own provision, seeking wealth, or loving money means you do not trust The Lord God to be God. In Matthew 6:19-24 Jesus said,
“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.”
A few verses later in Matthew 6:33 Jesus told us if we seek the Kingdom of God above all else, everything else, all our needs would fall into place. We can trust God completely.
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

What does chasing money have to do with loving your neighbor? How does not being concerned with provision translate into loving one another? Verses 19-20 read,
You shall not charge interest on loans to your brother, interest on money, interest on food, interest on anything that is lent for interest.20 You may charge a foreigner interest, but you may not charge your brother interest, that the Lord your God may bless you in all that you undertake in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.

We do not help one another for personal gain. We help one another out of love, out of modeling the love of God and being who He made us to be. Imagine if accepting Jesus as Savior required we pay. The entire sacrifice would be futile. Jesus paid our debt of death for us. He doesn’t make us pay Him for it. It is free. So our loans to one another should also be free.
Verses 21-23 read,
If you make a vow to the Lord your God, you shall not delay fulfilling it, for the Lord your God will surely require it of you, and you will be guilty of sin. 22 But if you refrain from vowing, you will not be guilty of sin. 23 You shall be careful to do what has passed your lips, for you have voluntarily vowed to the Lord your God what you have promised with your mouth.

I think people tend to take oaths, vows, and promises pretty lightly. We say it in assurance to one another. We say them to comfort. But The Lord takes vows very seriously. When god makes a promise, we can know with absolute faith that it is done. We on the other hand are not God, we cannot be so confident in our own ability to keep a vow. We do not have the certainty of tomorrow, how can we promise anything?
God always keeps His word. His word is powerful, He speaks, it is. His word is the manifestation of His will. So since He has made us holy like He is holy, if we make a vow, we are under contract to keep our word. If we break it, we not being like Him, we show the world someone other than Jesus and lead them to faithlessness. Loving our neighbor requires we keep every promise we make. But Jesus said it is better not to make a vow, to let yes be yes and no be no. There is no need to add, “I promise,” I swear,” or anything else to it (Matthew 5:33-37).

Loving one another requires concern for one another. We trust God enough to know we can be freely generous with one another and we have enough respect for each other that we do not take what isn’t ours. Verses 24-25 read,
If you go into your neighbor's vineyard, you may eat your fill of grapes, as many as you wish, but you shall not put any in your bag. 25 If you go into your neighbor's standing grain, you may pluck the ears with your hand, but you shall not put a sickle to your neighbor's standing grain.

I picture this scenario. If I visit my brother or sister in Christ, I know we love each other, we are family. I can open his refrigerator and get a glass of water, even make a sandwich and know that he will not be offended or hurt. But, I am not going to take his money and go to the grocery store to fill up my pantry and refrigerator. I am not going to open his freezer to stock mine! There is mutual generosity between us and then there is flat out disrespectful freeloading.
Loving our neighbor as ourselves is like loving God with our entire being (Matthew 22:37-40). Our love reveals Jesus to people and makes us more like Him. Our love for one another separates us from the world, it makes us stand out and says, “This person follows Jesus!” Jesus said,
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (John 13:34-35).

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Deuteronomy 22:1-12 All the Laws of God are Fulfilled by Love

3/23/2016

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And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:37-40

a drawing of a home in ancient Israel with parapets on the roof

Deuteronomy 22:1-12
God cares about how you treat your fellow man. How you treat others reflects your attitude toward God. Jesus said that loving your neighbor the way you love yourself was like the great commandment to love the Lord with your entire being (Matthew 22:37-40). Many laws that Moses gave to Israel were about how loving others played out in behavior. Verses 1-4 read,
You shall not see your brother's ox or his sheep going astray and ignore them. You shall take them back to your brother. 2 And if he does not live near you and you do not know who he is, you shall bring it home to your house, and it shall stay with you until your brother seeks it. Then you shall restore it to him. 3 And you shall do the same with his donkey or with his garment, or with any lost thing of your brother's, which he loses and you find; you may not ignore it. 4 You shall not see your brother's donkey or his ox fallen down by the way and ignore them. You shall help him to lift them up again.
Have you ever lost something? Maybe your donkey didn’t wander off through a broken fence, but you left your wallet or your cell phone somewhere or you can’t find that ring that is so precious to you. I know when that happens to me, I pray that the person who found it was an honest person. I retrace my steps and search for it. The relief I feel when I find it is wonderful. The disappointment at losing it and not finding it can be big too.
When you are the one who finds it, what do you do? I’ll tell you that for me, the temptation to keep what I find is pretty difficult to overcome sometimes. I found a purse once on the side of the road. I was a home care nurse at the time. I was broke. I was hungry. The purse had an I.D. two credit cards, and some money. I looked up the phone number for the name on the driver’s license and left a message. I carried that purse with me all day as I went from home to home doing my job. On my way home that evening I got a call from the owner of the purse, she came to my home and was so relieved and grateful to get her purse back intact, that she was in tears.
I left the message right away so that I would not have to deal with the temptation through the day, I resisted the devil and fled the temptation. If I had not called, I would have had to deal with the thought of spending the money on lunch for myself on a day, I had no money for food. If I had done that, I would not have the same consideration for my neighbor as I had for myself. I would have shown that Jesus was not the Lord of my life, I was. I would not have had the opportunity to love my neighbor and reflect the image of Christ to her.
Loving your neighbor as yourself, means giving the respect you hope will be shown to you. It means loving the way God loves them, seeing them through His eyes. Don’t you hope people will look at you with mercy and love instead of judgement and selfishness? That respect can be shown in others ways too. Verse 5 reads,
A woman shall not wear a man's garment, nor shall a man put on a woman's cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the Lord your God.
The Lord made you the gender you are. He made you as a wonderful gift, a blessing to people around you for a purpose. To wear the clothes or take on the attributes of someone else is an abomination to the Lord. It shows Him you have no regard or love for Him or yourself. It causes others to be tempted into sin. I’m not saying every little girl has to play with dolls and can’t enjoy playing with cars or vice-versa. I’m saying that there are some roles specific to gender and we are not supposed to take the roles of the other. Wives submit to the husband to reflect the churches submission to Christ. Husbands love the wives to reflect Christ’s love for the church. When these roles are reversed, or not lived up to, the marriage is perverted, it looks like the world’s marriages. Men beat their wives. Wives nag and henpeck husbands. Children rebel. Marriages break. Christian marriages, where the husbands and wives agree with the roles God gave them are a beautiful reflection of Christ and the church, a partnership where submission is easy and love flourishes.
Women have a special role, only they can fill, just as men have a special role only they can fill. Only a man can fertilize an egg. Only a woman can carry the baby, give birth, and feed her child. So there are laws about hunting animals and motherhood as well. Verses 6-7 read
If you come across a bird's nest in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. 7 You shall let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long.
Killing the mother or taking the mother means that she and her young die. It depletes the population and could result in food shortages in the future. God knows what is best. It may not affect things now, but it will affect the future. He cares about our future. He provides for us now and He supplies for us then.
Verse 8 is an interesting law, that at first I could not understand.
When you build a new house, you shall make a parapet for your roof, that you may not bring the guilt of blood upon your house, if anyone should fall from it.

A parapet is an extension of the wall that protects the roof and allows people to use the roof as a terrace or a place for defense.

Why would the Lord command the homes to have these? They have several purposes. They allow for defending the home from invaders. But here the reason The Lord commanded it was for safety. In Israel at this time the roofs of homes were used as another part of the home. Guests slept on the roof. People slept there in the summer. The way we use our patios or porches, Israel used their roofs. It was a protection against allowing people to be hurt. It was home insurance, a pool gate, or some other design to keep people from getting hurt and creating discord. It showed respect and concern for others.
It also reflects God’s concern for us in the hedges He puts in place for our protection. Job 1:10 describes the protection God gave to Job from Satan. Satan is aware of these protections and will not breach them, unless God removes them. Job 1:8-10 reads,
And the Lord said to Satan, “Have you considered my servant Job, that there is none like him on the earth, a blameless and upright man, who fears God and turns away from evil?” 9 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Does Job fear God for no reason? 10 Have you not put a hedge around him and his house and all that he has, on every side? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. 11 But stretch out your hand and touch all that he has, and he will curse you to your face.” 12 And the Lord said to Satan, “Behold, all that he has is in your hand. Only against him do not stretch out your hand.” So Satan went out from the presence of the Lord.

The Lord is our Hedge. Psalm 34:7-8 describes Him in this way.
The angel of the Lord encamps
around those who fear him, and delivers them.
8 Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good!
Blessed is the man who takes refuge in him!

The Lord has also given us laws about farming. I could do an entire study on this passage, and I might. I will try and keep it brief in this one. Verses 9-11 read,
“You shall not sow your vineyard with two kinds of seed, lest the whole yield be forfeited, the crop that you have sown and the yield of the vineyard. 10 You shall not plow with an ox and a donkey together. 11 You shall not wear cloth of wool and linen mixed together.

Mixing crops is often done today, but it requires specialized techniques to endure the entire crop succeeds. God commanded not to mix crops, livestock, and even materials. Why? Because the farmers had to live and work together if one had wheat and another oats. They were united as neighbors. Oxen have a different diet than donkeys, they require different care. Wool is not made the same way linen is.
But another reason is the spiritual truths these laws teach us. You either sow fruit of righteousness or fruit of disobedience. Imagine the outsider looking at your life. He sees you on one hand going to church every Sunday, being a pious church member, and wearing your saintly church clothes. You look like a Stepford. But he also sees you drunk at the club every Saturday, yelling obscenities and cursing the people around you. He sees your clothes meant to entice people to sin. You look like a whore. Whatever fruit you could have reaped by the Sunday you is lost to the Saturday you. The Sunday you is not real. You can’t produce different fruits from the same tree. You can’t plant different seeds and expect the same crop to grow. Jesus said it this way in Matthew 7:15-20,
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”

Verse 12 reads,
You shall make yourself tassels on the four corners of the garment with which you cover yourself.
How do these tassels remind us to love our neighbors as ourselves? They reminded the Israelites of their covenant with God to keep His commandments and be holy (Numbers 15:37-41). They were an outward symbol to others that they were God’s chosen. It was this fringe on Jesus’ clothing that the bleeding woman touched and was healed (Luke 8:42-48). We wear our obedience to God, we wear our love for one another so that people will see the light of Jesus and know we are His and He is Lord (Matthew 5:13-16). Jesus said it this way in John 13:34-35,
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

Believer, every law god gave to Moses has its purpose in revealing Him. It is fulfilled in loving the Lord and loving others. God is revealed to the world in your love. No we don’t build parapets on our roofs today or wear tassels on our cloaks. But we do care about the welfare of others and love them the way Jesus loves us.

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Is Ministry an Idol?

12/2/2015

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I have noticed in Christianese culture, including myself a tendency to take care of everyone else and forgo caring for one’s self. I’ve seen people run themselves ragged doing things for others, serving others, and giving to others. They often forfeit their family time, their spousal time, their “me” time, and worst of all their God time to “minister” to people. They have replaced a relationship with God with the ritual and work of serving. The Bible does not support saying yes to every request. It does not support sacrificing taking care of yourself or your family to care for others.
Jesus understood the importance spending time with God outside of service to others and of taking time to Himself for rest. (Luke 5:15-16). He understood the importance of taking time with his very closest friends. (Luke 9:28). And He understood the importance of taking time with his circle of friends. (Matthew 26:36-38). Hosea 6:6, twice quoted by Jesus in The Bible[i] reads,
“For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice,
    the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings.”
God wants a relationship with us above everything else. Does He want us to actively love people? Yes! But not in lieu of a relationship with Him. All that ministry is ritualistically sucking time from God and sapping our spirits.
Let’s look first at Jesus commitment to time alone with The Father. Before He began His ministry He spent 40 days alone with God, fasting and praying. He was then tempted by Satan to end His fast, to skip His purpose and be the king of the world instead of the King of kings. But after the temptations, before He left the wilderness He spent time recuperating and letting angels minister to Him, He rested. (Matthew 4:1-11). Matthew 4:11 reads,
“Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.”
Jesus spent a lot of time truly doing good for others. He healed the sick, exorcised demons, taught God’s word and will, and spoke with people everywhere, but He never neglected to spend time with God and in doing so, He took care of His own spirit as well. Luke 5:15-16 says it this way,
“But now even more the report about him went abroad, and great crowds gathered to hear him and to be healed of their infirmities. 16 But he would withdraw to desolate places and pray.”
Do we really think we are so much better than God that we do not need to spend time with Him, that we do not have to take time for Him and ourselves sometimes? Not all of Jesus’ time alone was spent in prayer. He took rest where and when He could. When He and His friends were on a boat, He left the boating to the professionals and slept. He knew if they needed Him, they could wake him. (Mark 4:35-41). That wasn’t very Christianese of Him? Shouldn’t He have spent that time being an example, looking good, and doing some sort of busy work? We can sleep, we can rest, God gave us the gift of rest. He tells us to rest. And we can trust that just because we sleep, doesn’t mean He isn’t being God. We can sleep in the midst of trouble, in fact we need to have enough faith to rest. Psalm 3:4-6 reads,
“I cried aloud to the Lord,
    and he answered me from his holy hill. Selah
5 I lay down and slept;
    I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
6 I will not be afraid of many thousands of people
    who have set themselves against me all around.”
Are we tired? Are we dragging ourselves through the day, with not enough sleep and rest? God doesn’t want that for us. He gives us sleep. He gives us rest. He refreshes us. Jeremiah 31:24-26 reads,
“And Judah and all its cities shall dwell there together, and the farmers and those who wander with their flocks. 25 For I will satisfy the weary soul, and every languishing soul I will replenish.”
26 At this I awoke and looked, and my sleep was pleasant to me.”
It is not our skipping sleep to mow our neighbor’s lawn which satisfies our weary soul, it is The Lord God! It is not our missing prayer time to make dinner for someone which replenishes our souls, it is God. If our neighbor is a widow, then it is probably a good service to mow her lawn for her or make her dinner for her, but not in place of time with God. Not all service is for God and His glory. And it doesn’t glorify God for us to be so tired we can’t even pray. Busyness doesn’t glorify God.
When Jesus visited the home of siblings Lazarus, Martha, and Mary who would become three of His dearest friends, it was an instant party. Martha was busy cleaning, cooking and serving. But Mary sat down at Jesus’ feet and spent time Him. She chose not to serve the crowd in her home, she served herself by spending time with God. And He commended Mary’s choice, not Martha’s. (Luke 10:38-42). In Luke 10:41-42 Jesus said,
“Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.”
Martha’s busyness looked better and it met unnecessary short-term goals, which could have been met by the people she was serving. If someone wanted to eat or drink, they could get themselves a drink or ask. Mary’s choice would benefit her for eternity. How often do we meet needs for people that they could have met themselves or asked God to meet? How often do we take away a chance for a person to see the greatness of God, because we practice Christianese culture and will not say no? Sometimes we are supposed to help, but what are we forgoing to do the services we are doing? Are we losing a chance to rely on God, are we stripping someone else of that privilege? Are we sacrificing time with our spouse or child? Are we giving up time with the Lord? Are we depriving ourselves of rest, peace, or health?
Serving others, should never come before God and it should never replace God. I’ve seen service and ministry become idols. Ministry should not take time from your spouse or children. Paul explained how a husband and wife belong to one another. They do not have sole authority over their bodies or time, they share that with each other. Even sex comes before ministry and abstaining must be mutually agreed upon and brief. He was single and so He could devote more of His time and energy to ministry, but the married have to put each other before others. 1 Corinthians 7:1-7 reads,
“Now concerning the matters about which you wrote: “It is good for a man not to have sexual relations with a woman.” 2 But because of the temptation to sexual immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband. 3 The husband should give to his wife her conjugal rights, and likewise the wife to her husband. 4 For the wife does not have authority over her own body, but the husband does. Likewise the husband does not have authority over his own body, but the wife does. 5 Do not deprive one another, except perhaps by agreement for a limited time, that you may devote yourselves to prayer; but then come together again, so that Satan may not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.
6 Now as a concession, not a command, I say this. 7 I wish that all were as I myself am. But each has his own gift from God, one of one kind and one of another.”
We cannot love others well if we do not love ourselves well. This is not about self-esteem, “love yourself, you’re super.” It is about concern for one’s welfare and health. Leviticus lists many of the rules The LORD gave Israel for beneficence. Leviticus 19:9-10 reads,
“When you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap your field right up to its edge, neither shall you gather the gleanings after your harvest. 10 And you shall not strip your vineyard bare, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the sojourner: I am the Lord your God.”
Does it say “give your entire harvest to the poor?” Does it read, “Ignore your field and harvest your neighbors for him?” No! It says, “when you reap,” when you collect the benefits of your work leave a little and let the poor and the sojourner come in an gather the extra God gave you for themselves. We love ourselves and we gather for God first and ourselves second. We give to others after that. Leviticus 9:15-18 continues to explain what it means to do good for others.
“You shall do no injustice in court. You shall not be partial to the poor or defer to the great, but in righteousness shall you judge your neighbor. 16 You shall not go around as a slanderer among your people, and you shall not stand up against the life of your neighbor: I am the Lord.
17 “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him. 18 You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.”
Loving our neighbor as we love ourselves means being concerned with justice for them just like for ourselves, with not wanting them hurt just as we do not want ourselves hurt, and with letting God be God for them just as He is God to us.
There is nothing noble or Christian about working ourselves to the bone and neglecting ourselves to be busy with ministry. That may be Christianese but it is not biblical. Jesus, God With Us, took time to be alone, pray, and rest. We are not better than He is. If He rested, then we need to as well. If He purposely made time to be with God alone, then we have to as well.
Believer, I have to repent from replacing God with serving. I hope that if you recognize this in you too, that you will also repent and spend time with God and let Him refresh your spirit and soul, revitalize your body.

[i] Matthew 9:13 and Matthew 12:7

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#Love God, Your Neighbor, Your Brother, and Your Enemy.

11/29/2015

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And he answered, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.” Luke 10:27

How are we supposed to love? We have different commands regarding love depending on the receiver of that love. Our first command regarding love, our priority, and the love that makes all the other loves align is recorded several places in the Bible, Luke 10:27 says,
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind,”
This is to love God with our entire being, our passion, our will, our spirits, our actions, and our intelligence. It encompasses every part of who we are and what we do. There is nothing passive about this love. Everything we do, desire, seek to understand, and how we respond to situations is done in love and because of love for God. It involves fellowship with Him through prayer, getting to know Him through studying and prayer, and wanting His will the way we used to want our own because our will is His will. The first four of the Ten Commandments tell us how to love God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind. Exodus 20:1-11 list them.
“And God spoke all these words, saying,
2 “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
3 “You shall have no other gods before me.
4 “You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the Lord your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
7 “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain.
8 “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. 9 Six days you shall labor, and do all your work, 10 but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the Lord your God. On it you shall not do any work, you, or your son, or your daughter, your male servant, or your female servant, or your livestock, or the sojourner who is within your gates. 11 For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.”
Another way that we love God with our entire being is to make Him, Who He is, His will, and His Kingdom our priority. In Matthew 6:30-34 Jesus said,
“But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all.33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
34 “Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.”
In other words, don’t act like the lost who have to run around like chickens with their heads cut off trying to meet their needs, and love themselves with all their heart, soul, strength, and mind. Have faith, love God, pursue more and more of Him in every aspect of life and let Him be God for you and to you.
The next kind of love goes hand in hand with loving God. Let’s return to what Jesus said, were the two commandments that contain all the law and the prophets. The rest of Luke 10:27 reads,
“You shall love…your neighbor as yourself”
This is not about self-esteem, it is about our worth as people. It is not about “loving” ourselves. We are to care about and be as concerned with our neighbors’ well-being just as much as we are concerned with our own. We do not want to go hungry or naked, we don’t want to be injured, so we don’t want that for other people either. But who is our neighbor? The Greek word πλησίον or plésion means any other person that we come across in life or have the chance to come across in life. When the lawyer in Luke 10 asked Jesus “Who is my neighbor” as a way to justify himself because he believed that a neighbor was a fellow Jew and did not include gentiles or anyone else, Jesus told him the parable of The Good Samaritan recorded in Luke 10:30-37.
“Jesus replied, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead. 31 Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side. 32 So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion. 34 He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, ‘Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.’ 36 Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?” 37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
Samaritans did not have a good reputation, they were hated by the Jewish people and considered “less than.” Even that person you want to hate for whatever reason, because of their sin, their race, their beliefs, or religion, is your neighbor. We are to do good for our neighbors and we are not to harm them. Exodus 20:12-17 are the portion of the Ten Commandments which tell us how to love our neighbors as ourselves.
“Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long in the land that the Lord your God is giving you.
13 “You shall not murder.
14 “You shall not commit adultery.
15 “You shall not steal.
16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor's house; you shall not covet your neighbor's wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor's.”
I have seen this love exhibited time and again. Yesterday, two of my fellow Christ followers and I were out on the streets and we prayed with several people. One person we prayed for appreciated the pray as “nice.” But then my brother, who does not have extra money to throw away, obeyed The Holy Spirit and gave this man a gift card with $45.00 on it. This tangible and active blessing moved this man. He immediately had us meet his wife, he shared their tragic story, and gave us testimony of miracles God has done for him, even though neither he nor his wife have yet given their hearts to Christ. But I know that God’s love manifested by my brother’s obedience will lead to that commitment because The Holy Spirit told me.
We are also supposed to love one another on a deeper level than we love the world. We love the people of the world by giving them as much concern as we do ourselves. But we love our fellow Believers, our brothers and sisters in Christ the way Jesus loves us. In John 13:34-35, on the night before His arrest, after Jesus did the job of the lowest of slaves and washed the disciples’ filthy feet, He said,
“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Just like our love for God, this exceptional sacrificial and serving love for one another makes us stand out from the world. How did Jesus love us? What is this greatest love of all? Jesus explained it like this in John 15:12-17 as He prepared the disciples for His impending death,
“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.”
Our love for another is so deep it makes our love for our neighbors pale in comparison. Our love for our neighbors is so deep it is indistinguishable from our love for ourselves. The Lord described the difference in Malachi 1:2-5.
“I have loved you,” says the Lord. But you say, “How have you loved us?” “Is not Esau Jacob's brother?” declares the Lord. “Yet I have loved Jacob 3 but Esau I have hated. I have laid waste his hill country and left his heritage to jackals of the desert.” 4 If Edom says, “We are shattered but we will rebuild the ruins,” the Lord of hosts says, “They may build, but I will tear down, and they will be called ‘the wicked country,’ and ‘the people with whom the Lord is angry forever.’” 5 Your own eyes shall see this, and you shall say, “Great is the Lord beyond the border of Israel!”
God didn’t actually hate Esau, the way we think of hate. He didn’t have a special relationship with Esau, He didn’t choose Esau. He chose Jacob. Edom didn’t receive the blessings and provision that a relationsip with God gave Israel. Love is active, it is tangible. When it does not yield the blessings, it is passive and passive love is tantamount to hate. No one is exempt from the command to love. Even our enemies are included. In Matthew 5:43-48 Jesus said,
“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? 47 And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? 48 You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”
Our love of God with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind compels us to love the way He loves. He doesn’t leave anyone out of it. He loves the person who hates you. He loves the person who persecutes you. He loves the leaders of Planned Parenthood, Isis, and Westboro Baptist Church. The terrorists who hate, he loves. And because He loves them, so do we. We do not condone the evil they perpetrate. We do not fight hate with hate or terrorism with terrorism like Robert Lewis Dear who shot up the Planned Parenthood building in Colorado Springs. All he did was make people think Christians are extremist haters rather than revolutionary and radical lovers.
So Believer, love. Love God, love the people you encounter, love each other, and love your enemies. Be different from the world. Be like Jesus, the utmost of revolutionary and radical lovers.

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Love L.OV.E The Way God Intends

10/15/2015

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The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you, not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance 2 Peter 3:9

from guest blogger Lani Campbell:

Love. One of my favorite words. Four letters, L-O-V-E, one syllable. Easy to say and easy to do. At least it should be easy to do. But most people have a hard giving love and a harder time receiving love.
I have always thought of myself as a "lover". I have claimed to love everyone, even those I did not know, and hate no one. I thought I was obeying God's command when he said, "love your neighbor". Then one day I paid attention to the entire verse. "Love your neighbor as yourself" (Mark 12:31). Love myself? Of course I love myself, don't I? Well, let's think about this. When you love someone, you want what is best for them. You build them up. You keep them safe. You want them to succeed and encourage their endeavors. You would never purposely harm them. You want them to feel good about themselves. So if I love myself, I should treat myself this way. I know for myself, I don't always do what is best for me. I have done harmful things to myself and kept myself from succeeding. I tell myself terrible things and usually believe me. And I rarely feel good about myself. So if I am not showing love to myself, am I really loving my neighbor?

What does the Bible say about love? 1 Corinthians 13:1-8 says,
"If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away."

Love never fails? True love- God - never fails. Every quality listed in 1 Corinthians 13 is a description of Jesus and although none of us are Jesus, He is who we should all strive to be. His life of love is the example of how we should be living.
Mark 12:28-31 reads,
"And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

God loves us and He expects us to pour all of our love back into loving Him. He commanded us to love Him. And why should be we love God with our entire being? He created us. We would have nothing without Him. Even when we turn our backs on Him, He shows us love. He doesn't have, He wants to. The Creator gave us life and loves us fiercely! That just blows my mind! I don't deserve it, yet He gives it freely.

John 3:16-17 tells us,
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved through him.”

Did you get that? God loves us so much that He wouldn't let sin get in the way of a relationship. He doesn't want us hurting and dying. He made a way to forgive us of sin and He gave us His only Son to save us. We did nothing to deserve that kind of love. Jesus walked this world telling the truth and sharing His love knowing that He would die. He was willing to be killed in order to save us. That is the greatest love.

1 John 4:19-21 reads,
"We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother”

We love because He first loved us! We were made to love. He loves us, we love Him, we love others. There you have it.

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1 Kings 15:16-33 God Works Good from the Bad. We Can Too.

10/7/2015

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Romans 8:28-29 on Red Tree and Old Fence

And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good,[a] for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. Romans 8:28-29

1 Kings 15:16-33
The Lord often uses people we wouldn’t think He would, to bring about what He chooses. He uses people who belong to the enemy to discipline His chosen. Consider Habakkuk 1:5-11 where God uses wicked and depraved Babylon. The Lord will bring good out of bad for those who love and follow Him. (Romans 8:28-29). And remember, we are sealed with and indwelled with the Holy Spirit, we are Children of The LORD, and we are coheirs with Christ. We can take the bad situations and use them for good too. Let’s read about Asa and Baasha.
While Asa, a king who followed the Lord and cleansed the land of idolatry ruled in Judah, another kind of king ruled over Israel. First was Nadab, he did evil in the sight of The Lord and reigned only 2 years. He had such a short reign because Baasha from the house of Issachar, conspired against him while Israel under Nadab’s rule was laying siege to Gibbethon of Philistia. During the battle Baasha killed the king to take Israel’s throne for himself. Verses 29-30 speak of his first act as Israel’s king.
“And as soon as he was king, he killed all the house of Jeroboam. He left to the house of Jeroboam not one that breathed, until he had destroyed it, according to the word of the Lord that he spoke by his servant Ahijah the Shilonite. 30 It was for the sins of Jeroboam that he sinned and that he made Israel to sin, and because of the anger to which he provoked the Lord, the God of Israel.”
This evil man fulfilled the prophecy of The Lord about Jeroboam’s line because of the immensity of that king’s evil. (1 Kings 14:11-16). This was a revolting act propagated by a malicious man, yet he did what The Lord had prophesied.
Baasha and Asa were constantly at war with each other. Baasha decided to build Ramah to stop people from being able to go in or out of Judah. This meant people couldn’t travel to The Temple in Jerusalem to worship The Lord in truth. Asa love the Lord and so he cared about the people of Judah. People needed to be able to come in and out of the nation freely. But he also cared about the people of Israel who still needed to worship The Lord. So Asa had a plan. Verses 18-21 read,
“Then Asa took all the silver and the gold that were left in the treasures of the house of the Lord and the treasures of the king's house and gave them into the hands of his servants. And King Asa sent them to Ben-hadad the son of Tabrimmon, the son of Hezion, king of Syria, who lived in Damascus, saying, 19 “Let there be a covenant between me and you, as there was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending to you a present of silver and gold. Go, break your covenant with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.” 20 And Ben-hadad listened to King Asa and sent the commanders of his armies against the cities of Israel and conquered Ijon, Dan, Abel-beth-maacah, and allChinneroth, with all the land of Naphtali. 21 And when Baasha heard of it, he stopped building Ramah, and he lived in Tirzah.”
Baasha thought he had a friend in Syria, but Ben-hadad the king of Syria could be bought. And Asa made a covenant with him and paid him a nice price for the treaty. Syria turned on Baasha and Baasha could no longer build Ramah. Then Asa declared that every citizen had to gather the building materials left behind. Verse 22 reads,
“Then King Asa made a proclamation to all Judah, none was exempt, and they carried away the stones of Ramah and its timber, with which Baasha had been building, and with them King Asa built Geba of Benjamin and Mizpah.”
Asa destroyed an evil deed and made it something good. Baasha was not concerned with anything but himself. Asa cared about God’s people. When we put the Lord first, it follows naturally that we will love people because He does. That is why Jesus connected two great commandments and said that in those two all the laws and the prophets are fulfilled. He said it this way in Matthew 22:37-40,
“And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. 38 This is the great and first commandment. 39 And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. 40 On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”
The second, the command to love your neighbor as yourself is like the command to love the Lord with all your heart, soul, strength, and mind. (Mark 12:30 and Luke 10:27 both include the word strength.) Loving your neighbor, other people is like loving The Lord! That is profound. But John goes on to tell us if we do not love others, we cannot claim to love God. We’re liars is we say we love God yet don’t love others. 1 John 4:12-21 reads,
“No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us.
13 By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit. 14 And we have seen and testify that the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of the world. 15 Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God. 16 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.19 We love because he first loved us. 20 If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. 21 And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.
We have The Spirit of God within us, perfecting us making us more and more like Christ every day that we allow Him to. He uses the suffering we experience, be they consequences of our sins or persecution for championing Christ to bring us closer to perfection.
We don’t have to freak out about the bad stuff. We can actually rejoice in suffering, pain, and all the bad stuff. God uses it for our good. We have God within us, we can use it for good too. We can encourage, comfort, and bring about good for others. Jesus has compassion for us, He understands what we suffer. (Hebrews 2:17-18, Hebrews 4:14-16). Jesus had compassion and He did something about the pain, weakness, and illness people faced. Matthew 9:35-38 reads,
“And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”
We are called to do something about it as well. People suffer. We suffer. But The Lord comforts and heals. We can bring people into God’s Kingdom and work good out of the bad.

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James 2:1-13 Partiality is not Christ-like

8/20/2015

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The Royal Laws Matthew 22:37-40 on photo of Pansies by Donna Campell

James 2:1-13

I was going to do all of James 2 but, my passion got me on a soapbox and I stayed there for a while.

It is natural to have biases. We are born into families and cultures and as we grow up we learn from our families, our cultures, and our society to be biased in some way or another. But we do not have to keep those biases. We have to become aware of them, we have to repent of them along with our other sins and take on the Spirit of God who has no partialities. (Deuteronomy 10:17). Prejudice is not Christ-like. It opposes the Love of Jesus Christ to hate a person or to judge a person on appearances. There is nothing loving about prejudice. Do you want someone to make demeaning comments about you, your race, your religion, or your culture? Of course not! Love your neighbor as yourself means not hurting someone because you wouldn’t want to be hurt.

Before you declare you have no prejudices, carefully consider that everyone has biases. It’s natural. But it is supernatural not to have biases. We are not perfect, Jesus is. We strive to be like Him. In that pursuit we follow His great commandment, “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you.” (John 15:12). He loves everyone, perfectly and without partiality. We have to make an effort to be that loving. James described it this way in verses 1-7,

“My brothers, show no partiality as you hold the faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory. 2 For if a man wearing a gold ring and fine clothing comes into your assembly, and a poor man in shabby clothing also comes in, 3 and if you pay attention to the one who wears the fine clothing and say, “You sit here in a good place,” while you say to the poor man, “You stand over there,” or, “Sit down at my feet,”4 have you not then made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? 5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Are not the rich the ones who oppress you, and the ones who drag you into court? 7 Are they not the ones who blaspheme the honorable name by which you were called?”

When we entertain any sort of partiality, racism, preference, or even those little jokes or comments you think everyone appreciates, you are blaspheming Jesus Christ. He said, love and there is no love in hurting someone. I can tell you, those little jokes made, those kidding words that slur my culture, hurt me. Those gests made to insult another culture hurt me. Aren’t we brothers and sisters? Aren’t we created by God in His image? (Genesis 1:27). When you insult any person, you insult his Creator, my Savior.

The entire law is covered by two commandments, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind, and you shall love your neighbor as yourself.”(Matthew:34-40). People who choose not to follow Christ still say they follow the second commandment, but they do it selfishly, half-heartedly, and they decide who their neighbor is. They leave the first commandment out of their scope entirely. Go ahead and ask a person who is not a Christian about the golden rule, they will probably tell you love your neighbor but they won’t know anything about love the Lord. They’re trying to be good without Jesus. That is not possible. We can’t be perfect but we can try. We should try to be like Jesus. Verses 8-12 read,

“If you really fulfill the royal law according to the Scripture, “You shall love your neighbor as yourself,” you are doing well. 9 But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors. 10 For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become accountable for all of it. 11 For he who said, “Do not commit adultery,” also said, “Do not murder.” If you do not commit adultery but do murder, you have become a transgressor of the law. 12 So speak and so act as those who are to be judged under the law of liberty. 13 For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment.”

We call Jesus, Lord and He calls us by His name. We do not try to keep the law, we try to be like Jesus. Jesus is merciful and so we should be too. It isn’t merciful to hate someone based on the color of their skin, the place they were born, or the amount of money in their bank account.

Nobody thinks they’re racist. Nobody believes they are prejudiced. Nobody thinks they’re the ones with the problem. Right? You know why that group of people is bad. Right? Everyone knows Jewish people are cheap and greedy! Everyone knows Muslims are terrorists! Everyone knows Asians are anal. You’re not alone in thinking that. So, that doesn’t make you racist does it? You have a reason to be so hateful. Ad really telling that joke isn’t hateful. If someone was hurt, well they’re just too sensitive.

Ask yourself some questions, it is okay to answer them honestly. God knows your heart and He is merciful and loving. You need to be honest so you will find out where you lack mercy and love so that you can repent and be more like Jesus.

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Psalm 41 Jesus said, Love Your Neighbor, One Another, and Your Enemies

7/1/2015

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Psalm 41

The love of Christ is not like the love of the world. It is different. It isn’t concerned with self. It trusts itself to God and sees the needs of others first. Jesus commanded us to love in two different ways. First He quoted an Old Covenant command that along with “Love the Lord with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” sums up the entire law, “love your neighbor as you love yourself.” (Mark 12:30-31). This command was given to everyone, followers or not. How do we love ourselves? Our needs are our priority. Our concerns are known to us and those are the ones we meet. So to love someone else that way is to give their needs the same urgency as our own. But later when Jesus spoke to His disciples He gave them a new command, something that would only be possible because of faith, because of what Jesus would do for us. He laid down His life to forgive sin, He gave us the Holy Spirit to transform us to His image. In John 13:34-35 He said,

“A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. 35 By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

How did Jesus love us? He put our needs above His own. He was willing to sacrifice Himself for us. He listened to the disciples, cared about them, taught them, and led them. He was empathetic. The only people He spoke ‘judgmental’ words to were the religious people who thought they were perfect. He saw us as the destitute people we were, gave us His righteousness and His name and made us royalty.

Because we have the Holy Spirit, we can love like that. And when we do, the world takes notice. They see the difference in us. They recognize their sin within them, so they are either drawn to Christ or they hate us passionately for Him. And so it was with David. He was a man after God’s own heart. He was righteous, not because he was perfect, but because he loved the Lord with all his heart and because he viewed the world through God’s heart. Verses 1-3 read,

“Blessed is the one who considers the poor!
    In the day of trouble the Lord delivers him;
2 the Lord protects him and keeps him alive;
    he is called blessed in the land;
    you do not give him up to the will of his enemies.
3 The Lord sustains him on his sickbed;
    in his illness you restore him to full health.”

David was very sick when he wrote this psalm. He trusted the Lord to sustain him and carry him through it. He was the the powerful and wealthy King. But even in his suffering he was concerned for the poor. He knew they depended on him as he depended on God. But David had many enemies who wished to usurp his throne and abuse his power. They would be thrilled if he stayed sick and even died. Verses 4-10 read,

“As for me, I said, “O Lord, be gracious to me;
    heal me, for I have sinned against you!”
5 My enemies say of me in malice,
    “When will he die, and his name perish?”
6 And when one comes to see me, he utters empty words,
    while his heart gathers iniquity;
    when he goes out, he tells it abroad.
7 All who hate me whisper together about me;
    they imagine the worst for me.

8 They say, “A deadly thing is poured out on him;
    he will not rise again from where he lies.”
9 Even my close friend in whom I trusted,
    who ate my bread, has lifted his heel against me.
10 But you, O Lord, be gracious to me,
    and raise me up, that I may repay them!”

Just like our love for others distinguishes us, so does the world’s hate for us. Jesus told us the world would hate us. John 15:18-19 says,

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.”

Does that mean we have license to hate them back? No, that is a flesh response. Later in the same chapter John 15:26-27 Jesus told the disciples about The Holy Spirit.

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me.27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning.”

Far from responding in kind, Jesus commanded that we are to love our enemies and pray for them. Matthew 5:43-45 reads,

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ 44 But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, 45 so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.”

Love is not a feeling, it is an action. It is borne by our kindness, gentleness, compassion, patience, and self-control. It is possible because we know God. We keep in mind what He has done for us. We remember who we were before Jesus was our Lord. We have God’s Holy Spirit within us. And we trust God to keep us and we know vengeance is His, not ours. David ended this psalm with verses 11-13.

“By this I know that you delight in me:
    my enemy will not shout in triumph over me.
12 But you have upheld me because of my integrity,
    and set me in your presence forever.

13 Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel,
    from everlasting to everlasting!
Amen and Amen.”

Do you trust God enough to tangibly love your enemies? Jesus loves them. He commanded that we love them too. When you trust in God completely, when you love Him with your entire being, the difficult task of loving those who hate you becomes easier. God will not ever let you go. Your hope is Jesus Christ and the eternal life He gave you. God is within you, just as you are within Him. You can love with His heart because He gave you His Holy Spirit.

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Donna Campbell

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