Obadiah 1:11-12 2/27/2024*

“On the day you stood aloof while strangers carried off his wealth and foreigners entered his gates and cast lots for Jerusalem, you were like one of them. You should not gloat over your brother in the day of his misfortune...”

This  short book is a prophecy against Edom, who stood by as God’s people were ravaged in war. But it speaks to God’s opinion of our callousness.  The church could be accused of this same aloofness today.  We at times self-righteously stand by as our brothers are wrecked and looted by their sin, and God says that makes us just like the ones doing the looting. 

Arrogant self-righteousness is a problem.  It is the antithesis of humility and  gratefulness, so how can our hearts hold both? If we are rightfully overwhelmed by the grace that has been offered to us, how can we not offer that same grace to other people?  Celebrating over the devastation of others is dangerous, even if they deserve it… because we deserve it too. 

Still,  I am tempted to cheer when my enemies suffer ...  I tend to find it satisfying when people whose agendas I oppose are destroyed by their own virtue signaling.  I can be indifferent when people actively embrace sin and receive its outcome.  

But is that a biblical response?  Shouldn’t  I instead hurt for their blindness, and entrapment in sin? … Have I forgotten that I have been commissioned to fight for them, not against them?  I am clearly commanded to love my enemies… actively.  It doesn’t take outward rejoicing at their destruction … just standing aloof as they suffer is enough to anger my Lord. 

When I was lost in sin, Jesus did not celebrate the pain I brought on myself, He didn’t condescendingly say “I told you so” … He died for me… Now He tells me to love in the same way.  New or Old Testament, God doesn’t change, and  He does not expect aloofness from me. I should be running towards the fire to save others, since I was pulled from the fire myself … 

And just like Jesus’ love for me,  my love for sinners should be undeterred by their sin. 

“The only way love can last … is if it's unconditional. … love is not determined by the one being loved but rather by the one choosing to love.” - Stephen Kendrick

Leviticus 5:19 2/20/2024*

 “It is a guilt offering; he was certainly guilty before the Lord.”

This chapter is not what you would call “seeker sensitive”.  It provides no loopholes and allows no excuses when confessing sin.  This last verse emphasizes the theme of the chapter.  If you miss the mark – it is sin, and it is a capital offence as the penalty of sin is death.  

Guilt is not relative.  Post modern Christianity would do well to study this chapter.   Sin is sin… doesn’t matter if you agree… doesn’t matter if you think it’s minor…. doesn’t even matter if you don’t know you did it… You are guilty before the Lord which means you have a choice to make.  

Either stand and argue your innocence or confess your sin and repent. Sin’s definition is static. It is not evolving , it is not relative, and it is not up for debate. There is one Arbitrator, and He will serve as Judge and Jury.  He is aware of your sin, and there is no viable defense.

Paul reinforces this in 1 Corinthians 4:4 “For I am not aware of anything against myself; however, I am not vindicated by this, but the one who examines me is the Lord.”  So, Paul, who God used to write much of the New Testament, realized his awareness of his own transgressions was not comprehensive.  

There is sin in my life that I am aware of, and battling, but I also need to be still and ask God to reveal the sin I have managed to ignore.  You can’t see what you’re not looking for, so stop and evaluate your walk.  God doesn’t grade on a curve so don’t compare yourself to others, but to His perfection.  Schedule a recurring time to examine your heart.   Look for your own sin with the same intensity with which you investigate those who sin against you. 

Recognizing I am tainted by sin will make me “poor in spirit” and provide humility. I am no better than you. We are both broken without Christ.  Our sin made the cross necessary, and His love permitted the Cross to happen. We can never minimize the price He paid, nor entertain the thought that we don’t need it as badly as others.

“For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it.” - James

Zechariah 2:5 & 8-9 2/13/2024 *8*

5 “And I myself will be a wall of fire around it,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will be its glory within.” 

8-9 “…for whoever touches you touches the apple of his eye - I will surely raise my hand against them…“

There is a mentality on some football teams that says, “If you hit one of us, you’re gonna have to fight us all”. That statement reflects the team’s attitude of unity and protection.  But that statement is even more ominous when the Lord of Armies makes it. 

These verses refer to Jerusalem. A city where God’s past and present protection is apparent.  But as born-again believers, we are the New Testament Jerusalem… We are His children, adopted and grafted into the vine and God has placed a protective wall of fire around us. The Great I Am, who never changes, says, “if you mess with my children, you’re going to answer to me”.  

It reminds me of a picture I have on my computer of a huge Polar bear sitting behind her cub in their den. The young cub is clearly seen but momma is in the shadows.  An enemy might assume the cub is an easy target until they catch a glimpse of its protector.  In the same way, I am not intimidating in my own strength, but I am formidable when I stand in the Shadow of my Father.

The New Testament definition of God’s chosen people has little to do with where you live, and everything to do with Who lives within you.  As a child of God my Father is the only audience that matters, and my life must be reflective of my commitment to His Glory. When He lives in my heart, He is the glory within me.  

With the Lord as my protector,  there is no fear or anxiety today. Even in the valley of the shadow of death… I will fear no evil. Anyone who threatens me – has threatened the apple of His eye and will learn that it is hazardous to disturb a cub who sits in the shadow of the Lion of Judah.

You will find it a stronghold in the day of trial to plead your adoption. You have no rights as a subject, you have forfeited them by your treason; but nothing can forfeit a child's right to a father's protection. - Spurgeon

Joshua 6:1-2 2/6/2024*

“Now Jericho was tightly shut because of the sons of Israel; no one went out and no one came in.  But the LORD said to Joshua, “See, I have handed Jericho over to you, with its king and the valiant warriors…”

When the Lord says He has done something – it means it is done. 

When God said Jericho had been handed over to Joshua nothing had changed to the human eye.  It was still a fortified city, locked up and impenetrable… No battle had been won; no prisoners taken; nothing had happened. Yet God talks about the victory in the past tense.

I bet the trips marching around the city every day for a week seemed peculiar.  The fact that there was no plan “B”, and plan “A” made no earthly sense -  must have caused anxiety among the Israelites.  What if they obeyed God for a week and then shouted at the city and nothing happened?  How humiliating would that have been?  Their enemies would have laughed in their faces.

There was no precedent for this type of attack plan, no science to lean on, in fact the shouting clearly wouldn’t move the walls... But perhaps it had something to do with moving God, because It showed complete dependance on Him and a willingness to follow Him unconditionally. 

Am I willing to risk ridicule to obey God, or do I insist on God’s plan making sense on a human level? … In other words, do I only obey if I approve of the strategy? 

What is God calling you to do that doesn’t make sense?  Is scripture pushing you to do things that will result in your ridicule unless God moves?... If so, then you know how Joshua and his friends must have felt. 

As children of God obedience is our calling, and when we obey, God moves.  It is impossible to please God without faith and true faith results in obedience. 

Can I view victories that the Lord has guaranteed, confidently as though the promise has already been fulfilled? Can I joyfully march around in circles if that is what God instructs me to do?

At the end of the day, I either believe God or I don’t, and If I believe Him – I march. 

“To trust God in the light is nothing, but trust him in the dark - that is faith.” -  Charles H. Spurgeon

Galatians 4:9-11 1/30/2024*

“But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles, to which you want to be enslaved all over again? You meticulously observe days and months and seasons and years. I fear for you, that perhaps I have labored over you in vain.”

After being saved by grace, the Galatians were slipping back into the lie of trying to earn their salvation. Why do I find myself living out this passage?  Have I fallen for the enemy’s sleight of hand?  Do I read my bible and go to church so I can earn my place? Paul says to the Galatians (and me) that if that is the case… We’ve missed the target. 

So, what’s the attraction of giving up freedom - in favor of works?  Why is this such a slippery slope? It’s simple. It boils down to pride:

- Working “SO” I will be saved, is about me… 

- Working  “BECAUSE” I have been saved, is about my Father … 

Works promote me. Grace promotes God. Works produces a burden; grace produces freedom.  Discipline is important, but it has nothing to do with my salvation, and nothing to do with how much my Father loves me. That’s all grace. 

Grace gives me the freedom to become a slave.  That sounds strange -  but grace changes me, from the inside… It makes me love and serve others… I can focus on the lost, because all my needs have been met. I’m free to rescue others from drowning because I have been provided an unsinkable life vest. 

Earning my salvation is a moot argument anyway - because if there were any way I could attain righteousness through works, there would have never been a Cross.  There is no way God allows His Son to die for me if all I must do is work harder. To imply we could earn our salvation diminishes the cross as though it was unnecessary.  

My eternity is determined by my faith, in the grace God has given me through the cross. There is no other way to attain it.  Period… Hard Stop.  There are some negotiable subjects in scripture… but this is not one of them. 

“You contribute nothing to your salvation except the sin that made it necessary.” ― Jonathan Edwards

2 Corinthians 2:7-8 1/23/2024*

“… on the other hand, you should rather forgive and comfort him, otherwise such a person might be overwhelmed by excessive sorrow. Therefore, I urge you to reaffirm your love for him.” 

Last week we talked about love. This morning let’s examine a tough characteristic of love - forgiveness. Buckle up because this is “graduate level” love, and it’ll be challenging. 

The person Paul’s probably discussing forgiving in this passage, had committed incestuous sins, publicly known, and referenced in Paul’s first letter.  So, we’re not talking about minor indiscretions, but vile immorality, no doubt wounding others, and giving the church in Corinth a blackeye.  Paul did not ignore his sin, but instead demanded church discipline, which led to repentance, … So, what now?

What do I do when someone repents, and needs my forgiveness? Apparently, I am to not only forgive, but restore them. I am supposed to comfort the one who made me so uncomfortable, joyfully reaffirming my love for them to prevent them from having excessive sorrow. 

That’s a problem. When I forgive, I tend to strut around, puffed up at my own spiritual maturity. I expect the “forgiven” to be amazed at my graciousness. I’m willing to pardon those who hurt me, but I want them to have a scar… I want them to limp, so they will remember my grace toward them. But Paul wants them to run faster than they did before. He insists on restoration and reinstatement. 

That level of forgiveness seems alien to me. That’s a product of the kind of love described in 1 Corinthians 13 that always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres, and never fails.

Come on Boyd, be realistic. Surely God doesn’t expect me to completely forgive others like He forgave me? (Ephesians 4:32).  Surely, I am not expected to forget the pain this person caused me (Hebrews 8:12)… If I forgive and forget, I could get hurt again… 

Yep, sort of like we hurt Christ with our repeated sin.

Limited forgiveness is not forgiveness. So, choose your path. Hold a grudge… or set yourself, and the offender free, with full blown forgiveness. The kind that values them and comforts them as though they were more important to you, than you are…  

It’s hard, but it’s not complicated.

“Forgive, forget. Bear with the faults of others as you would have them bear with yours.” -  Phillips Brooks

1 CORINTHIANS 13:13 1/16/2024*

“But now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.”

The “love chapter” ends with Paul circling back and doubling down on the main point. He acknowledges the “big three”, FAITH, HOPE, AND LOVE - but says the greatest of these is LOVE. Understanding this is essential if you desire to be an effective Christian.  

Faith that moves mountains, but has no love, is nothing. Working miracles is inconsequential if the motivation is wrong. If the source is not love – the work is unauthentic.  Likewise, Hope, without love is futile.  That combination produces self-centered egomaniacs convinced they can manipulate things with their mindset. They are dreamers with positive attitudes that have no foundation. 

Love is the game changer.  Love empowers my “faith and hope” and enables me to glorify God. Since I was created for that purpose, that changes everything. Christ has given me FAITH, and that provides HOPE. But the gift that is eternal, the gift that all others are measured by, is  LOVE.  

So, the question today is, do we have it backwards, are we chasing the wrong things?

Are we pursuing positivity and FAITH - with the HOPE that it will make others LOVE us?  Do we add love to our routine to justify our self-promotion, doing what we want and throwing a little love in to make it palatable? 

Love must be more than that. It must overwhelm us. Not the sappy Hallmark depiction of love, but the powerful, compelling love displayed by Christ on the Cross.  Sacrificial and overpowering, it is the strongest motivation on earth. If love does not consume you, then it isn’t love. 

You can act without love, but you cannot love without action. Don’t just agree with the statement, be changed by it. Love demands action, so do something. Call today and forgive that person who hurt you so deeply… give some money to that family struggling with finances… spend time with your friend who is lonely. Abandon your egocentric plans and chase after the heart of God. God gives many gifts, but “The greatest of these is love”. And the only thing of lasting importance you will do today is to love God so much that it motivates you to love His children. 

“Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love.”
- God (1 John 4:8)

1 CORINTHIANS 9:24 1/9/2024*

“Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win.” 

Paul describes the difference between being a participant and a fan.  We all have things in our lives we’ve invested our heart in… A sport, a hobby, career, politics. Something that easily captures our full attention.

The differences in me watching football and baseball are many.  I am at best a passive observer of baseball, because frankly I don’t know much about the sport. But football is different. I have spent much of my life playing and coaching the game. This “familiarity” produces a passion that draws me into a game at a much deeper level.  A football game can result in me yelling at the television, and stomping around in anger, or jumping in joy... I am passionately motivated because I have deemed the sport valuable and have invested time and energy into it.

That being said, it convicts me that I don’t stand up and yell at the preacher during the Sunday morning services (in my head of course) or leap for joy at a great point in the sermon… Instead, at times I listen to the sermon, sing, and worship as though I was watching a soccer game… It’s nice and all, but I’m not really invested. 

This passage advises me to be so devoted to the gospel that everything else diminishes. It implies that after a 40-minute sermon I should feel like I do after a 4-hour football game… wishing there was one more quarter. I should be so passionate that every day is “training” for me to be a better disciple.

Am I running in the pack, or running to win?  Am I just checking a box with my prayer and Bible studies or am I a committed player, devoted to the mission? 

The difference is night and day, and it is not a minor issue in God’s eyes.  Revelation says it makes God sick for me to nonchalantly participate. The Cross demands passion.  God prefers I be either hot or cold… be a player, not a fan… Run to win, or don’t run at all. 

“If Christ be anything he must be everything. O rest not till love and faith in Jesus be the master passions of your soul!” - Charles Spurgeon

 

Romans 12:1-2 1/2/2024*

"Therefore I urge you, brothers and sisters, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.  And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.”

“THEREFORE”, is often the most neglected word in this passage. We tend to read all the phenomenal theology in Romans prior to this verse, all the breathtakingly powerful thoughts on the love of God, and then just go about our day as though nothing happened. We ignore what the teachings in this passage are “There For”.  We agree with them , we support them, we even repeat them… but they were written to change us.

Atheist have said “Christianity might be a good thing; someone should try it.” That is an accusatory statement directed at the church.  And yet, I cannot argue that sometimes my morning bible study is followed by a day that appears to ignore what I have read. Theology matters, but altered behavior, is the indicator of a changed life. So, as believers, do our lives look like those of a person who has been transformed by the love of our King? Are we living, holy sacrifices acceptable to God?  

As soon as were born into this world it begins the process of killing us… We owe it nothing. Yet we search for fulfillment pursuing its trinkets.  Instead, we should pursue God’s path of life with a mind renewed, obedient, and following His will.  If we did that, we would be living as we were designed to live. But do you?... Do I?  Do we love others?  Do we bless those who persecute us? We say we believe and that’s good, but even demons believe.  

So, the real question is, does our belief change us? Does it result in us obediently following God?  Are we transformed by the renewing of our minds, proving the will of God is good and acceptable and perfect? 

Those are the marching orders. Talk is cheap, so renew your mind this morning and start living out scripture. Because at the end of the day… that’s what it’s “there for.”

“One act of obedience is better than one hundred sermons.”
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer

Philippians 3:13-14 12/26/2023*

“Brothers and sisters, I do not regard myself as having taken hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”

Another Christmas is in the books and now we look to the New Year. Most of us didn’t accomplish everything we wanted this year, and we’ve had some good and some bad outcomes…  So, how do we deal with them?   We don’t, they are behind us.  We press on toward the coming year - a blank canvas that now becomes our focus. 

Getting stuck in my past can hurt me in two ways:  My failures can eliminate my confidence for the future. Or my past successes can cause vanity and open the door to my greatest enemy, pride. 

This passage tells me to abandon self-doubt, self-confidence … and pretty much self-anything that the past generates.   I must forget yesterday and lean into today. Press on and serve God, solely depending on His power not my own.  

We will move quicker and more precisely if we drop the baggage from the past. Time moves forward, so should you. This morning didn’t just happen, God created it and has a plan… I will rejoice and be glad. I will dive into today, and keep my head on a swivel, so I won’t miss the opportunities God has arranged for me.  I’m not fearful because what God has given me to do - He qualifies me to do. I am a new creation whose past is inconsequential because God has prepared me for what’s next.

Our New Year’s resolutions should just be one thing, “Chase what matters” … That was the phrase my buddy Bruce Hayes used to inspire his students, and it should inspire me as well. God’s plan for today is what matters. So, let’s forget what happened yesterday, focus on today, and keep “self” out of the way of God’s plan for this New Year. 

The joy of the Lord is our strength. Drop the weightiness of the past and use the lessons learned to run full speed towards a productive today… Serving Him is what matters.

“What the new year brings to you will depend a great deal on what you bring to the new year.” —Vern McLellan