Leviticus 19:32 6/26/2018*

“Stand up in the presence of the elderly, and show respect for the aged…”

Unfortunately, our society has drifted away from this instruction.

We mistakenly believe we are honoring our elders by struggling to make them live longer, when they would really prefer to live better.

Having confused honor with preservation, we work solely on longevity, and then blame them for their resilience. We fight to keep them alive but fail to remind them how valuable they truly are to us.

Perhaps we have forgotten that no sum of money can purchase wisdom, and no amount of intelligence can replace experience. In life, the elderly are the experts and the rest of us are novices. We must not forget the importance of that fact.

No rookie, no matter how gifted, can outplay a seasoned veteran because they don’t fully understand the complexity of the game yet…. the same applies in the game of life. Senior citizens know the game, and their proven wisdom can provide depth and direction to our existence.

Let’s get back to “standing in their presence”.  Commit to spending time with the elderly God has placed in your life.  Be the rookie that listens when the veterans make recommendations. 

Pay attention and you will find that it helps both of you.

The bottom line is, God is not making a suggestion in this verse, He is issuing a command. He is demanding we value and respect the elderly in our lives.

Be intentional in this… we reap what we sow, and the next generation is watching.

Youth is the gift of nature, but age is a work of art.
- Stanislaw Jerzy Lec

Proverbs 12:22 6/19/2018*

The LORD detests lying lips, but he delights in people who are trustworthy.

Sports, politics, relationships, business… lying has become an accepted, and expected practice. It is tolerated and, in some arenas, even sought after.

Yet scripture is clear that the Lord “detest” lying lips.

So why does God hate something that doesn’t really impact Him?  God never has been, nor ever will be deceived… so why is He so offended by untruths? He hates lying because it interferes with our ability to love each other. 

At times, we can be selfish, and rude to each other, and of course that will damage a relationship. But lying goes a step further.  When you lie to someone, you not only hurt the relationship, you also damage the only tool you have to repair it.  

Friendships are restored when we sit down and talk to each other… but if what we say cannot be trusted, it interferes with the healing process. Therefore, God detests it… because it extends the pain of His children.

Deceitfulness never removes the pain from a difficult situation… it only postpones it…and when it arrives it is then magnified by the lie.

What would happen if we took God at His word and decided that telling the truth was our only option?  In this world, where absolutes are harder and harder to come by, let’s make this one non-negotiable.

Speak the truth. Decide to be trustworthy.  Wounds from deception fester and become infected…but hurt that comes honestly will heal.

The only way to truly love others is to be honest with them.

“Never lie, never cheat, never steal.” -  John Wooden

1 John 3:1 6/12/2018*

“Behold what manner of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God. And that is what we are!”

Have you done that today? Have you considered the incredible Love God has bestowed on you?

The word “behold” means to look at it, think about it, contemplate it.

Of course, that takes time. And if you’re like me, you are too busy to “be still”, put down your phone, and think about the fact that God loves you.

But you should… because He loves you so much He arranged the most expensive adoption in all of history. He paid the ultimate price, so you could call Him Daddy. And He did it while you were rejecting Him.

What manner of Love is this?...  It’s not a rhetorical question. How and why would God deem you worthy of that kind of love? The enemy’s main objective is to keep you from considering that.

Because the answer to that question will change you.  It will define you. You will no longer strive for acceptance. Your self-worth will be established, and your value will be indisputable.

Ironically, all of that will become irrelevant. Because your attention will turn to others as you become complete. If you will contemplate this love it will become your foundation and it will literally set you free.

When you realize that God not only “loved the world” but specifically loves you, the chains will fall away.

What manner of love is this? … Set aside time today to consider that question. It is really the only question that matters.  It establishes who you are, and what you do…everything else is just details.

“Sociologists have a theory: you become what the most important person in your life thinks you are… How would I change if I believed the Bible’s words about God’s love for me, if I looked in the mirror and saw what God sees?”
-  Philip Yancey

Romans 8:11 6/5/2018*

"And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you."

Christians rightly focus on the unearned grace given by our Lord and Savior. But in our desire to be sure we never preach “works salvation”, do we water down the strength we have been given to walk with God?

This verse says that the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead is living inside you and gives life to your body.

That being said, do you really believe you can’t conquer the sin that continually causes you to stumble? 

Do you think your anger, or your unforgiveness, or that habit you keep surrendering to… is stronger than the Spirt that raised Christ from the dead?

You carry inside you the most powerful force in all of creation…if you have been living in bondage to sin, you don’t have to any longer. 

In the next verses Paul instructs his readers to put off the old sin nature and put on new nature God provides. That is an intentional act of your will.

Once saved, you aren’t sinless, but you are different.  You have power you didn’t have before.  You have a choice. 

If a bird doesn’t want to walk anymore all he has to do is spread his wings. Perhaps it’s time to spread yours.  Stop being satisfied with a lukewarm existence.  Intentionally put off the old and put on the new and experience the joy of walking in peace and freedom. 

Today can be the day you break free from what has held you down.  Choose to forgive, decide to hold your tongue, don't allow fear to live in your mind any longer.

The enemy is lying to you…. You are not a slave, you are child of God.  Don’t settle for a life bound in the chains of sin.

The cage is open…walk out.

"Sin and the child of God are incompatible. They may occasionally meet; they cannot live together in harmony" -- John R. W. Stott