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

Matthew 19: 25-26 5/29/2018*13*

"When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, “Who then can be saved?” Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Jesus had just finished telling the disciples that it was harder for a wealthy man to be saved than for a camel to go through the eye of a needle. Astonished, they asked the logical question…” who then can be saved?”

Jesus simply tells them that they are looking at the wrong transformative power in the equation.  It is not man’s ability that matters here. It is God’s.

The power of God is not restricted by the laws of the world He created. There are no limits on the love of a limitless God, and His ability to save us is based on His power not ours.

We tend to do the same thing as the disciples.  We think we need to be at a certain level before God can “help” us clear the hurdle to salvation. The enemy will use this to convince you that you are the one person God can’t change … that you have been so sinful that God won’t help you.

                                               

You are right…He won’t help you…He won’t make you better…but He will make you new.  His love will allow you to start over. His grace will allow you to be born again.

Stop listening to the lies of the enemy…. Stop believing that God can redeem others, but not you.

Your realization that you are not good enough, is a huge step toward your salvation. 

Take Him at His word… Drop to your knees and ask God to change the unchangeable, to forgive the unforgivable, and to make new that which was broken beyond repair. 

The fact that all of this is impossible, means that when it happens you will know God did it, and you will never again doubt the power of His amazing grace.

The invitation is open, your new life can start now… get out of the way of your own salvation and let God make you a new creation. 

“Since no man is excluded from calling upon God the gate of salvation is open to all. There is nothing else to hinder us from entering, but our own unbelief.” - John Calvin

2 Samuel 12: 5 -7 &13 5/22/2018*

"David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, 'As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.' Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man!"
.... Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

How do you respond when your sin is exposed?

These verses record the meeting between Nathan the Prophet, and David when he was confronted with his sin of adultery with Bathsheba.

David could have responded in anger at the accusation. As King, he had the power to have Nathan executed.

David also could have deflected the blame. He had a tough history.  He had been the youngest child, neglected and bullied. Later he had been pursued for no reason and tormented by Saul his king and mentor…he could have said his actions were a result of his environment.

But David did not respond in anger or self-pity.  He took the blame. He accepted the fact that his choices caused the pain in his life and acknowledged his sin.

David’s response was confession, remorse, and repentance.

How about you? How did you respond the last time you were confronted?

David makes lots of mistakes, but the title of “man after God’s own heart” is connected to one trait. David’s life is not self-centered, it is God-centered and when he fails God, it breaks David’s heart and leads him to repentance.  Does that describe you? 

Examine your life today…are there things you need to own?  Have you been dodging blame, and making excuses?

Sin grows when it is in the dark…drag it into the light….Confess it and accept responsibility and let God heal your soul.  Make His joy the most important thing in your life. That will put you on the path to becoming a man after God’s own heart.  

“A man can fail many times, but he doesn't become a failure until he begins to blame somebody else.”  John Burroughs

Romans 7: 24-25 5/15/2018*

“Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord!”

Christianity is not a “self-help” program. It is not a “help” program at all.  It is a reconstruction project.  

God is not taking what is good in us and improving upon it.  He is replacing our depravity with His holiness.

The only answer to our sin is Jesus.  If someone is preaching about self-help, they have missed the point. You cannot repair yourself.  The sin you were born in has produced an unsalvageable body of death. Therefor you must be “reborn” a new creation in Christ.

Our society has tried to “market” Christianity by minimizing the offensiveness of our sin. You don’t find many church web sites today that refer to your wretchedness and need of redemption.

But our “wretchedness” is the only reason for the Cross… and that is central point of the gospel. It is our death and rebirth through the cross that sets us free.

It is misguided to think you can find a way to be good enough to be saved.  The opposite is true.  You are bad enough to need saving.

When you accept Christ’s death and resurrection as your own, you can rest in the fact that the old is passed away and you have been reborn in the righteousness of Jesus.

Rejoice in your new life of freedom and offer others the same redeeming love and forgiveness you have been freely given.

“The greatest enemy to human souls is the self-righteous spirit which makes men look to themselves for salvation.” - Charles Spurgeon

Jeremiah 17:7-8 5/8/2018*8*

“But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in Him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

What is the basis of your confidence? Does your source of assurance have the ability to endure difficult seasons?

This passage doesn’t say that trusting God eliminates problems. It says it provides sustenance to get through them. Storms will come, it will get hot, and there will difficult periods of drought.  

The location of your roots will not only determine your survival, but according to this verse, will determine the level of fear, and anxiety you experience.

There are bodies of water that appear with the rain but disappear in the heat of summer.  Those who depend on these temporary superficial sources of hope will struggle with fear and worry and will eventually perish.

But if you place your confidence in God.  If you plant yourselves next to His flowing stream of love and value, you will never lack the life-giving nourishment of His holiness.

Examine your source of confidence today. 

Make sure it not a shallow momentary source that will dry up when things get difficult.  Sink your roots next to God’s eternal spring of hope which will endure all seasons. It alone, can provide you with peace and assurance, and ensure that you produce the fruit you were created to produce.

“I abound not because I have a good store of money in the bank, nor because I have skill and wit with which to win my bread, but because the Lord is my shepherd.”
– Charles Spurgeon

Proverbs 16:24 5/1/2018*21*

“Pleasant words are a honeycomb, Sweet to the soul and healing to the bones”

Pleasant words are rare in this day of rudeness and sarcasm.

Our culture views being abrupt and impolite as intelligent and self-assured, when in truth it is the opposite. Rudeness is usually a defense mechanism used by those who cannot intellectually defend their position.

Like children at recess, an argument seldom remains about the topic and usually morphs into an attempt to build yourself up by tearing down your opponent.

What if we refused to do that? What if we believed this proverb and set out to build others up with our words?

I want to challenge you to speak three compliments at work, and three with friends and family today.  Put some thought into what you are saying and make them accurate and meaningful. Not just superficial statements but appreciative encouragements tailored to the person receiving them.

Don’t tell anyone what you are doing and watch the impact these words have on others.  My hope is you will see the healing power of this and decide it is a habit worth intentionally continuing.

The world is full of people willing to reprimand and correct, but there is a shortage in the “building up” department. Fill that vacancy today and watch the truth of this proverb be demonstrated in those around you.

 “It is in your power to increase the world's happiness by giving a few words of sincere appreciation to someone who is lonely or discouraged. Perhaps you will forget tomorrow the kind words you say today, but the recipient may cherish them for a lifetime.”
- Dale Carnegie

Philippians 4:8 4/24/2018*10*

“Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.”

The word “Brainwashing” is a negative term that means the opposite of what it seems. It actually means the polluting of your brain with untruths in an effort to confuse you…  And that is what the world does on a minute by minute basis.

You cannot turn on the television, listen to the radio, or read the news without pollution being inserted into your conciseness by those who have an agenda.

There is an ongoing assault on your mind in an effort to drag you into untruth, and mental sickness. This verse gives you the antidote for that disease.

If you want to be physically healthy, you monitor what goes into your mouth. If you want to be spiritually and mentally healthy you monitor what goes into your mind.

If you live long enough in this fallen world, your brain will need washing.  Like changing an oil filter on your car, you must find a way to remove the filth that contaminates your life. 

This verse says you must choose to meditate on the opposite of what the world constantly pushes on you. Think about the things of God… goodness, purity, truth, excellence.

That is the filter.  Overcoming evil with good.  Put so many cleansing truths and purifying thoughts into your mind that they overpower the garbage of this world. 

You cannot overestimate how import it is to watch your mental diet …” think on these things”.  It’s a choice … and it produces results.

“The soul becomes dyed with the color of its thoughts.”
― Marcus Aurelius