Malachi 3:16 3/29/2022*

“Then those who feared the Lord spoke to one another, and the Lord listened attentively and heard it, and a book of remembrance was written before Him for those who fear the Lord and esteem His name.” 

Read that again…It says the Lord listened attentively when they “spoke to one another”.  

I sound pious when I am praying directly to God…and I usually choose my words carefully when I am speaking publicly.  But do I realize that God listens when I talk to others?  

How eager are you for God to hear how you speak to your family?  

Are you okay with God listening attentively when you talk to people at work?  What about when you speak to people you disagree with politically? 

Philippians 4:5 says “Let your gentle spirit be known to all people. The Lord is near.” How often do I forget that “The Lord is near” … and would anyone say I have a gentle spirit?

Do I assume that since I don’t see Him, God is not listening to every word that comes out of my mouth?  How would the content of my conversations change if I focused on the fact that He is interested in what I say? 

As humans we modify our language and content based on who is listening …A person’s rank, power, and prestige can have a significant impact on our communication style, content, and delivery.  How much more should the most powerful Being in the universe impact what we say and how we say it? 

Why have I not realized that God hears more than just my prayers. Nothing I do, say, or even think about today will go unnoticed. He is listening attentively. 

The end of the passage makes it clear that God distinguishes “between the righteous and the wicked”, in some degree based on what we say.  Those who love Him are His treasured possessions and it shows in how we communicate.

The tongue is our spiritual thermometer. It can tell us if our heart is sick.  Make sure you are heart healthy today remembering that nothing you say is private, and nothing you say - no matter who you say it to - is unimportant. 

“The true test of a man’s spirituality is not his ability to speak, as we are apt to think, but rather his ability to bridle his tongue.” 
- R. Kent Hughes

Jude 1:24-25 3/22/2022*

“Now to Him who is able to protect you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory, blameless with great joy, to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion, and authority before all time and now and forever. Amen.”

This short letter from Jesus’ half-brother has an ominous tone…It is full of warnings and admonitions.  Jude states there will be false teachers and blasphemers and warns us to closely follow scripture. He instructs us to vigilantly protect the truth from those who would corrupt it. 

This one-chapter letter is an uncompromising call to action, not a comforting memo…. Yet in this last verse, as Jude wraps up his message – He makes it clear that fear and worry are not part of the program. 

He states that Jesus is able to protect us, keep us from stumbling, make us blameless and give us joy…God’s majesty, dominion and authority are unshakable, and our destiny is to be in His presence forever.

The bible is incredibly clear on this point - yet for some reason today our society is fixated on fear. It has become like a drug to us.  We pursue it, incessantly clicking on things that will cause anxiety and we are unable to stop ourselves from obsessing over what might happen next. 

This verse says that’s a colossal waste of time. 

It states that we have a proficient protector and that our future is to stand in His glory, joyfully blameless.  

No war, virus, political party, or economic collapse can alter that. Christ is not pacing the floor…He is on His throne. Nothing has happened, nor will happen, outside of His permissive will. He possesses all authority, and nothing is trivial to Him…. Not a single sparrow will fall today without His knowledge. (Matthew 10:29)

Jesus loves you and has stated that you are “worth more than many sparrows” …Rest in that truth…You have God’s heart - so trust Him.  Take a break from anxiety and rest in the peace of God.  Nothing can separate you from the love of Christ so, stop feeding your addiction to fear and instead relax in the power of your protector. 

“You do not know the gospel, dear friends, if you have not obtained peace through it; peace is the juice, the essence, the soul of the gospel.”  – Charles Spurgeon

Luke 23:42 3/15/2022*

“Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom.”

That request comes from arguably the greatest theologian of all time. He was not a pastor or professor - but if we examine what he said and the circumstances surrounding his comments, his depth and comprehension is undeniable. 

The thief that hung on the cross next to Christ is the one who spoke those words … 

Having just reprimanded the other condemned man who was mocking Jesus - he revealed well-grounded doctrine and his recognition of Jesus as Lord.

 “Don’t you fear God,” he said, “since you are under the same sentence?  We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”  

With that statement this “theologian” shows remarkable insight. 

He recognizes that he and Jesus are different. He identifies the Messiah’s holiness and acknowledges his own depravity. He is awestruck by Christ’s glory and humbles himself before him as King.  

This thief comes to Jesus with no ulterior motives.  He didn’t turn to Christ after seeing a miracle – the thief is not looking for personal gain. Instead, as he and Jesus were dying - he acknowledges who Christ is and only asks to be remembered in His Kingdom. The thief’s confession comes from being overwhelmed by the majesty of Jesus not the pursuit of personal advancement.

That is a heart ready for salvation. Confessing guilt, acknowledging that only Christ can redeem, and following Him because He is King – not in hopes of personal gain.

How does your theology stack up to this condemned criminal’s?  Do you realize your wickedness and God’s perfection? Do you acknowledge Jesus as King or just Savior?  Are you a man after God’s own heart, or just pursuing free grace?

These are all questions you must answer for yourself, but we all need to answer them.

Christ alone is the way, the truth, and the life…have we grasped that?  Are we as astute as the thief on the cross?  Do we see our corruption and His Purity? Do we realize our need for Amazing Grace, and rely solely on Jesus for Salvation?  I hope so because those are the requirements for redemption. 

 "It should not be possible for Christians to be disillusioned. We should have no illusions in the first place. Our faith is in Jesus Christ alone." - Gene Edward Veith

Genesis 9:24-25 3/8/2022*

 “When Noah awoke from his wine, he knew what his youngest son had done to him.  So, he said, “Cursed be Canaan; A servant of servants He shall be to his brothers.” 

After the flood receded, Noah got drunk and fell asleep exposed in his tent. One of his sons, saw him and told his brothers.  Apparently, he intended to embarrass, not protect his dad, and that incurred a curse.

This is confusing because it seems like there is plenty of blame to go around in this story … But it does highlight an important truth.

God is serious about the 5^th commandment, which says to honor your parents…and our culture has increasingly ignored it. 

Today, aging parents are seen as burdens. More and more people seem annoyed at having to take care of those who took care of them. This passage would indicate that path leads to a curse. 

“Honor your parents” is the first commandment with a promise and God is very serious about it being followed. It is not a “suggestion” and God has tied long-term effects to it.

There are many undeserving parents, but like all of God’s commands - the benefit of obedience goes to the “obeyer”. 

On the surface, it appears to only be advantageous to the parents, but in reality, it is even more beneficial to the children who honor them.

I have watched people be self-centered and unkind to their aging parents only to find out later that their own children were watching, and soon follow their example.

You reap what you sow, and long-term problems occur when we don’t follow God’s command and honor our parents even when they are not worthy of it.

If your parents are undeserving, you have an opportunity to break some generational chains. You have the chance to change your family legacy and build a better future for your children and grandchildren.

If you have been blessed with loving parents, the obligation is even more obvious….

Either way - It is not our job to determine our parents’ worthiness of honor, we are simply instructed to grant it to them.

Choose to honor your parents while they are here. Do it because God said to… and it will be credited as obedience, securing peaceful memories and blessings when they are gone.

 “Honor your parents and the Lord will honor you.”
- Woodrow Kroll

 

MATTHEW 28:19-20 3/1/2022*

"Go, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you".

The early church referred to this as the “Great Commission”. Webster defines a “COMMISSION” as “an authorization or command to act in a prescribed manner or to perform prescribed acts:  a CHARGE”.

Many of Today’s Christians seem to think of it as less of a commission and more of a suggestion. Our goal seems to have changed into isolating ourselves from the crowd and hunkering down in “holy huddles”, so we don’t get soiled by the sinners. 

Even when we are “evangelical”, we are much more about “come” to our church, than we are about “go” out to foreigners and strangers. I am not sure how this new goal got started but it seems to have little to do with the original mandate. 

When they asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was, He said, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” and He added “love your neighbor as yourself”. 

So, the commandment dovetails perfectly with the commission. It is natural to tell the neighbor you love; about the God you love. In other words, if you believe the greatest commandment, you will fulfill the great commission. 

All of God’s commands work this way…They make sense and work together. It is when we choose to follow only the ones we agree with, that our life becomes fragmented and confusing. 

“Go” …and make disciples everywhere. Love people enough to tell them about your Heavenly Father. Tell them about the amazing grace that saved you and changed you…. 

This will require getting out of your easy chair and leaving your comfort zone, but it is not called the great “suggestion”, so let’s get moving.  You can spread the gospel without loving, but you cannot love without spreading the gospel. 

It is hard work, but it is not complicated.  Nothing in this world compares to the value of leading just one soul to salvation.  So, you decide, will today be another useless waste of time chasing temporary adornments – or will you tell someone the truth and lead them to a knowledge that will change their eternal destiny?

“Untold millions are still untold.”

― John Wesley