Acts 11:18 5/27/2025

“When they heard this, they quieted down and glorified God, saying, “Well then, God has also granted to the Gentiles the repentance that leads to life.”

This is seldom the reaction to change in religious denominations today.  These Jewish Christians faced a massive challenge to their church tradition.  But instead of quarrelling, they listened… and upon hearing Peter quote Jesus, and testify to what God had done,  they had no further objections and praised God.  

This wasn’t just changing the brand of coffee served, or the color of the carpet in the church… This was a major doctrinal clarification regarding who could be a child of God, elevating Gentile Christians to equality with Jewish Christians.  In other words, lessoning the exclusivity of the Jewish believers.  Even so, the membership listened … and embraced the truth. And then just continued doing what Christians were created to do – Praising God. 

In too many churches today, if a group of members is losing status they divide into teams and start assassinating the character of the opposition.  Or, in other cases, just take their families and go find a church that won’t challenge the status quo…. But this group, when reminded of Jesus’ words, humbly “quieted down and glorified God”.  

What would happen today if we were  humble enough to change our long-held opinion and follow accurately applied scripture.  What if our knee jerk reaction to being corrected wasn’t to immediately grab our keyboards and start spewing anger… How would the reputation of the church change, if we stopped letting pride mix with self-centered passion and instead of trying to win the argument, started trying to understand God’s perspective.  

When it was explained to the early church, that scripture clearly pointed to Christ, and that He died on the Cross for all mankind… they embraced it… They didn’t ignore God’s word to maintain their position. They held tightly to scripture, changing their opinions to fit God, instead of changing God to fit their opinions. 

We cannot water down our passion, but the target of that passion must be God’s will, not our rituals.  Make sure you pursue The Lord, not your own desires. Be unmovable on scriptural truth but hold loosely to tradition.  Too often, we do the opposite.... especially when the change elevates someone other than ourselves.

“They worship me in vain; their teachings are merely human rules.”
– Jesus  (Matthew 15:9).

 

Proverbs 14:30 5/202/2025

“A tranquil heart is life to the body, But jealousy is rottenness to the bones.”

It has been said that jealousy kills love under the pretense of keeping it alive. Both in friendships and romantic relationships, jealousy is deadly, yet we don’t seem to try to avoid it. The Bible says that Love is patient, kind, not envious, not boastful, nor proud. So, jealousy is not a component of  biblical love.

Since that is the case,  why do we tolerate it? Why do we dismissively say, “oh, he (or she) is just a little jealous”… as though it is a  minor condition with no consequences?  It is not minor it is dangerous and is capable of injuring both parties.  Envy is not a byproduct of loving others, it comes from an inordinate amount of self-love and it can destroy its target as well as the vessel that carries it. 

If you love someone you should be their biggest fan… But if you feel resentment at their success or popularity it is not because you love them, it is because you love you… and have allowed your affection to become controlling and self-centered. This verse says jealousy is a lethal condition that causes my bones to rot… That is a graphic description which in the original Hebrew, means “it ain’t good for me”.

Maybe it’s time to re-evaluate and make sure you have not allowed this “Trojan Horse” with all its poison, into your heart. If you have, get rid of it.  

God is love. The only way you can love others is to fill your heart with Jesus and let His love splash out on those around you … If your value is found in The Lord, if Christ meets all your needs… then you can love others without resentment.  Nothing should bless you more than the success of those you love. Since you are deeply cherished by the Creator of all things – how can you possibly be jealous of anyone or anything?  

If you grasp this concept, you will bring life and light into any room you enter… Miss it, and you will suck the energy out of any space you occupy. Jealousy and Love can’t live together – they share no trait, and there is not room for both in your heart.

“The jealous are troublesome to others, but a torment to themselves.”
- William Penn

Proverbs 28:6 5/13/2025

“Better the poor whose walk is blameless than the rich whose ways are perverse.” 

Most of us would say we believe this proverb, but how many of us live like we do? 

We all agree this is a wonderful truth for Sunday morning…  but what about the business meeting you have this afternoon?  Do you really think integrity is better than profit?  How “transparent” will you be regarding situations that can cost you money? 

What about the discussion you will have with your significant other this evening? Are you truthful with those you love when it’s inconvenient?  Or have you convinced yourself that sometimes it’s better for them, if they don’t know the truth?

How valuable is your integrity to you?  Today you may be tempted to be dishonest by not saying a word… and some of you will be tempted to outright lie … what will you do? How much would it cost for you to sell your honor?  If you have a price in mind, then you don’t have honor to sell. 

Integrity is static and nonnegotiable. You either value it enough to cling to it or you don’t.  You can’t be “sort of” honest and there is no such thing as “half-truths”. Truth and deceit are mutually exclusive. Which one you choose will be determined by whom you serve.  Self-centeredness produces deceitfulness… God-centeredness produces integrity. 

If you tell me you’re going to “TRY” to be truthful today, I will tell you not to bother… you won’t be.  That’s like telling me you are going to “TRY” to run a marathon… you will never finish if you have given yourself the option to quit.  Integrity works the same way.  You must either fully commit to it– or abandon the concept.

Our culture has polluted honesty to the point that it is unrecognizable.  We offer “versions” of truth, twisting them to fit our situation.   We call them white lies, exaggerations, embellishments, and other nice words but this verse calls that perverse. 

You decide… but being “more” honest is not an option… you are either honest or you’re not… You and God will know the hard truth. Make sure your actions allow you to look in the mirror and know you did the right thing, and that regardless of the outcome, you acted with honor. 

"Integrity is always making the decision you can best shave with…"
- Anonymous

John 3:16 5/6/2025

 “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life.”

The danger of living in the bible belt is that we hear verses like this so often we become callused to them.  Familiarity breeds resistance to the remarkable concept of an Omnipotent Deity loving us and adopting us as children. We are told that we have been redeemed from deserved destruction and given eternal life, yet we are uninspired. 

Unfortunately, the church has contributed to this phenomenon. We have created a watered-down version of the  gospel preaching about God’s sacrifice- but never discussing our sin, or His holiness-  which made the sacrifice necessary. We have created a “self-help” version of Christianity, even though the basis of Christianity is that we are unable to help ourselves. 

We have heard John 3:16 since we were children, but when was the last time it knocked you to your knees and produced remorse and repentance?  How long has it been since the price paid for your sin took your breath away?

I wish we could read that verse for the first time again.  But instead, we have been "vaccinated" against the powerful truth it contains by a small, ineffective dose of religion. This numbs us to God’s  life changing power, and we lose the jolt and astonishment we should experience when we hear the gospel. 

The most staggering news you will ever hear is that God has offered you freedom from sin and death. His love paid the price of your transgressions, and He has made a way for you to have eternal life with Him.

If you can read John 3:16 and not be shocked, then you don’t understand it.  If it doesn’t stun you that Jesus chose to die for you, while you were still sinning against Him, you’re missing the point… Be Still and consider the substance of this verse… Read it as though you have never seen it before.  

God loves You. Let that sink in… let the price He paid for your salvation shake you to your core. Live today in freedom as a new creation, perfected in His love, and amazed by the transformation His mercy has provided.

"Here's the paradox. We can fully embrace God's love only when we recognize how completely unworthy of it we are.” ― Ann Tatlock

Acts 5:21 4/29/2025

“At daybreak they entered the temple courts, as they had been told, and began to teach the people.”

The High Priest had arrested the apostles and ordered them to stop preaching about Jesus.  That night, an Angel busted them out of jail and told them to go back to the temple and keep preaching.

So, the apostles found themselves facing a dilemma that you and I face daily… the world pressuring us to do one thing… and God commanding us to do another. Just like you and me, they needed to decide what to do – knowing there would be a price to pay for their decision. 

Obedience is better than sacrifice, and delayed obedience is disobedience. I am well aware of this, yet in this situation, I may have been tempted to delay… perhaps waiting to see what the reaction was to the jail break.  Maybe rationalized that technically the angel didn’t say go right now, so I’ll prepare, and go later.  I might have tried to find a verse that justified this so I could disobey self-righteously.

This “hesitating” is my specialty.  I speak forcefully on bold obedience, and will certainly encourage you to act quickly and decisively when God commands you to move… But I tend to want to discuss it and negotiate when it is my turn to act.  I can attempt to justify this, but it is simply hypocritical rebellion. 

That’s not what the disciples did, they obeyed at daybreak. I need to have that same form of obedience. Their bold actions flustered the Sanhedrin and put the disciples in a position of power they would not have been in had they delayed. 

What’s your default response when God tells you to do something controversial? Do you obey when instructions are clear, or do you “pray about it”… and try to negotiate a less costly course of action?  Our most common struggle is not trying to know the will of God… it is deciding whether or not we are going to follow it.  As soon as we learn that immediate obedience to God is the best path, our ministry will take on new power. Decide today whom you will follow… the world, or God… then obey and don’t look back.

“Prayer is good: but when used as a substitute for obedience, it is naught but a blatant hypocrisy, a despicable Pharisaism.” - Charles Studd

Luke 23:34 4/22/2025

“Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.”

Sunday, we celebrated the most important day in human history.  Easter is the cornerstone of the Christian faith and without it we would be eternally lost. Every year, sermons are preached about the crucifixion and resurrection of Jesus, focusing on the horrific physical abuse and humiliation He endured.  

But this verse is often overlooked even though Jesus made the statement while being crucified, and it carries an enormous amount of theology.  This one little sentence sheds light on perhaps the most heartbreaking aspect of the crucifixion… and that is that Jesus deeply loved the people who were executing Him. 

Jesus was interceding for those who were driving the nails into His hands and feet… He loved them as they abused Him. It is one thing to die for someone, it is quite another to pray for them as they kill you. And here’s the hardest part of this verse…  He was praying for you and me. We were the ones driving the nails.  Our sin put Him on the Cross, and His love for us held Him there.  We seldom contemplate this because we don’t understand that level of love and forgiveness.

Instead, we view our granting forgiveness to others as if it were an unheard-of act of spiritual heroism… expecting applause for our compassion. Allowing offenders to  earn surface level forgiveness but never forgetting their crime. That’s not how Jesus forgives.  He doesn’t see those crucifying Him as enemies–  He loves them, and prays for them… The dilemma we face is that we are instructed to forgive in the same way.

This is a command I struggle with, and It is impossible to justify my double standard  when Jesus purchased my redemption while I was sinning. … I can never take credit for my salvation because I was still holding the hammer and nails when He Saved me.  

Easter isn’t about God ignoring my sin… it is about Him acknowledging it, taking it on Himself, and paying for it. I didn’t earn His love… I was actively doing the opposite.  Yet God’s stubborn love forgave me, did the work of restoration for me, and instructed me to do the same for others.

“It's a good thing God chose me before I was born, because he surely would not have afterwards. - Charles Spurgeon

1 Timothy 5 4/15/2025

“But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

Paul is cutting through the religious rhetoric, and telling us not to preach about God’s love, while ignoring the needs of our family.  It’s a harsh statement that cuts to the core of our faith.  Christianity is not about going to church; it’s about BEING the church…  And that means worshiping God and serving those He places in your life.  

Dying to yourself is not always about being a martyr… it is more often about being an unnoticed servant. Considering others as more important than yourself is the target, and we don’t hit the target often… probably because we seldom aim at it.  

Our culture teaches us to discount people that don’t benefit us.  Some adult children seem to think it’s selfish of their parents not to die on time.  They feel inconvenienced when asked  to care for those who have cared for them.  Our society has become so self-centered that it is commonplace for the  life of a baby to be spoken of in terms of convenience.  

People are created in the image of God, yet we gauge their importance by what they have done for us lately. This leads to the devaluation of the old, disabled, disadvantaged,  and the unborn.  Its basis is (as always) selfishness with the question being “how does this life improve mine?”  If it does, they are valuable – if they are a burden, they are to be discarded.  It is a disgustingly egotistical mindset that apparently God views as being worse than an unbeliever. 

So, what will you do about this verse?  How about re-evaluating your ministry?…  It’s sometimes easier to serve those who don’t know us … and we are called to spread the Word to the ends of the earth. But how are we treating those that God has placed right in front of us?  Would the ones who know you best say they feel loved and protected by you? God may call some of us to the wilds of Africa to deliver His message, but He first calls all of us to go home and make our family our most important mission field.

"What can you do to promote world peace? Go home and love your family." - Mother Teresa

Exodus 16:1-2 4/8/2025

“They set out from Elim, and all the congregation of the people of Israel came to the wilderness of Sin, which is between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after they had departed from the land of Egypt.  And the whole congregation of the people of Israel grumbled against Moses and Aaron ...”

The “Wilderness of Sin” is a place I am familiar with… it is a place of selfishness in the midst of blessings … it is identified by grumbling about what I want, instead of being grateful for what I have.  

The Israelites have been miraculously delivered from slavery by the parting of the Red Sea, and are being given food and drink by the Creator of the universe…  yet, they are grumbling against the men that have led the way. 

Contentiousness comes naturally for man even when there is no reason for it.  We are seldom satisfied with the blessings we receive, usually needing just a little more.  In this case, God’s children just walked through an ocean on dry land, and they are grumbling about the lunch menu. 

The angels must shake their heads at our foolishness … We have been chosen and blessed. Heaven went to war to rescue us from eternal death. God gave His only begotten Son to redeem us …and instead of falling on our faces in humble adoration, we complain. 

We are worse than the Israelites because we have something they didn’t have… The Spirit of God living inside us.  ALL our needs are met in Christ, and we are offered freedom.  

But in our culture cynicism and condescension are prevalent.  We think it’s intellectual to be derisive and negative… It’s not.  It’s simply an attribute of the “wilderness of sin”. Our separation from God has permitted our self-centeredness to dominate us and make us egotistical and small.  Let’s leave the wilderness and head back towards the garden.  When we are reunited with our Heavenly Father, our gratitude will make us salt and light, instead of bitter and dark… 

Be grateful today and live out your joy and redemption for everyone to see. It’s your call… choose to be bitter or choose to be grateful… There are plenty of reasons to do either - but you can’t do both.   

“Be grateful and you won't grumble. Grumble and you won't be grateful.” - Billy Graham

 

Judges 5:1-2 4/1/2025

"On that day Deborah and Barak son of Abinoam sang this song: “When the princes in Israel take the lead,  when the people willingly offer themselves — praise the Lord!

Read chapter 5 of Judges, and you’ll see it is a song of praise, glorifying God for what He did in chapter 4. It is full of substance, and highlights God’s omnipotence. 

My Dad enjoyed songs like that… hymns that were full of theology. He referred to the songs that are popular today as “Seven – Eleven Songs” ….“You sing the same 7 words, 11 times and sit down”.  Instead, Dad liked songs with substance.

I have been trying to keep songs and thoughts like that in my head… Looking for ways to remain cognizant of God’s power. I have built monuments… memorized scripture… filtered what I see and listen to… and focused on gratitude in my prayers.

All of these are intentional acts intended to train my brain to look back gratefully - instead of looking forward anxiously.  It changes the complexion of my day and allows me to be productive instead of wasting time in negativity and anxiety.   Scripture says the joy of the Lord is my strength and a happy heart works like medicine. Songs, journals, and monuments are all ingredients that shape the soundtrack of my life and remind my heart that God is the provider of productivity, and joy.

What “songs” are stuck in your head today?  What information are you allowing to live rent free in your brain? Whatever it is, it will dictate your mood.  Have you allowed your mind to be oppressed by fear and negativity?  Have you invited social media to divide you from friends, waste your time, and ruin your day? How’s that working for you?... Those are choices you make… and they matter.

The soundtrack you choose will have a profound impact on your life… Choose the truth and let God’s love sing in your subconscious mind all day long.  Ditch the pessimistic, snarky attitude… and make songs of praise the background music of your life.  Get off the hamster wheel of grumbling and stop wasting your days … this is the day He has made… Rejoice and be glad in it.

You must take your own thoughts captive… not the other way around.

“Make sure your worst enemy doesn’t live between your own two ears.”
- Laird Hamilton

Acts 3:14,15 & 19 3/25/2025

“You disowned the Holy and Righteous One and asked that a murderer be released to you. You killed the author of life…”

“Repent, then, and turn to God, so that your sins may be wiped out, that times of refreshing may come from the Lord,”

Peter’s first sermon certainly isn’t “seeker” sensitive.  He’s launching the Christian church, and any good PR advisor would’ve told him to first fill the pews, then start preaching doctrine. But apparently God wanted a preacher, not a marketing consultant.  

Peter looked them in the eye and said, “you killed the Author of Life.”…  If you can read that and not be cut to the bone by it - then you don’t understand it.  If I present that fact in an unoffensive manner, then I have not presented that fact. 

Perhaps churches today have confused making disciples with recruiting members. Maybe we should worry less about hurting feelings and be more concerned about hurting futures. Eternity is in the balance, and God will judge sin, even sin our culture has deemed acceptable. Our goal is not popularity, it’s accuracy. We must speak the truth in love, but we can’t change the truth to make it sound more loving. 

The church must stop sticking its finger in the air testing the wind for which direction to go… we must follow God’s word whether it is deemed offensive or not. God commands, He does not negotiate. The law was given as a mirror to show what we look like. If you’re offended by what you see… the mirror isn’t the problem.

The “Gospel” is not that “I’m OK, and your OK”… Neither of us are even close to “OK”.  If we were, or could do something to make ourselves acceptable, then our salvation wouldn’t have required the death of God’s Son.

The Mirror is accurate… we are guilty. We killed the Son of God, and we must own that. But Jesus ‘sacrifice wiped away our sin, and we have been refreshed and redeemed. Our response cannot be to normalize sin, but to repent of it, and be restored in the joy of His mercy … Anything less than that is not the gospel. 

“Repentance is a holy horror and hatred of sin, a deep sorrow for it, a contrite acknowledgment of it before God, and a complete heart forsaking of it.” - I.C. Herendeen