Romans 8:18-19 9/17/2024

“For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.   For the eagerly awaiting creation waits for the revealing of the sons and daughters of God.” 

Peace of mind comes from our perspective.  We each choose our mindset based on what we know to be true.  Our culture continuously spews agitating lies to unsettle us and move us in the direction the puppet masters want us to go, but at the end of the day, the choice is ours. 

I had an uncle who lived in Palestine, Texas that I called Uncle Jack. I loved him dearly and he taught me much about life.  Uncle Jack was a postman and farmed about 20 acres of land as well. He was a godly, country gentleman, who quietly served his family, community, and church until the day they found his body sitting by a tree where he had been working his land. 

This morning’s passage begins with the phrase “I consider”, which the commentators say should be translated “I reckon”…  and that is what reminded me of Uncle Jack. That is something he would say, and something he lived out.  He “reckoned” any trouble on this side of heaven wasn’t really worth mentioning, considering what his Savior had done for him.  Uncle Jack didn’t waste much time complaining.  He chose each day instead to get up, do his job, come home, farm his land, and find joy in loving others … and looking back, I find great wisdom in that. Uncle Jack controlled what he could control, and trusted God with the rest. 

Paul says I should do the same.  If I believe what I say I believe, my troubles today fade in light of what I have been promised for tomorrow. And it’s not just me… the entire creation has been waiting for Christ’s return, and that is what we must focus on.  The Gospel doesn’t just set me free; it makes the world right again. 

I need to focus on this eternal truth and not spend so much time obsessing over my day-to-day struggles.  Uncle Jack would’ve said, “I reckon today’s problems are in bigger hands than mine”…  and based on this verse, I reckon I agree with him. 

“Sorrow looks back, Worry looks around, Faith looks up” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

John 2:16-17 9/10/2024

“And to those who were selling the doves He said, “Take these things away from here; stop making My Father’s house a place of business!” His disciples remembered that it was written: “Zeal for Your house will consume me.” 

This passage describes when Jesus walked into the Temple and found it being dishonored, used as a place for personal advancement instead of  worship.  He found people pursuing profit not purity, using God’s house to fleece God’s children.  His zealous reaction didn’t surprise  the disciples as it had been prophesied in Psalms nearly a thousand years earlier. 

The Temple was a beautiful building. Its purpose was to allow people to receive communication from the Lord.  It was sacred ground and the abuse of it deeply angered Christ. 

I heartily applaud His actions when it is directed at the moneychangers …but am less enthusiastic about what should happen when I am the one abusing the temple.  Scripture says my body houses the Holy Spirit.  Is there any doubt of God’s response when I pollute it with hypocrisy, lust, anger, or self-centeredness?  How can I applaud the turning over of the moneychanger’s tables, and then be surprised at God’s anger when in the name of “religion”, I act just like them.  The next verses refer to Jesus body as the Temple, so the application is undeniable.  

This highlights a crucial fact.  We don’t take our bodies TO church….our bodies ARE the church. We are the Temple of the Holy Spirit. How can we fill our hearts with perversion, drugs, drunkenness, and self-righteousness, and expect God’s Spirit to reside there?

To pollute our “Temples”  and then show up on Sunday for hypocritical self-advancement, looks a lot like the activity that angered Christ in this passage.  God does not change, so we should expect His reaction to be similar.   

He made a whip, scattered the money, and turned over the tables…  You can argue if you want to, but it is clear that God resides in your heart and expects you  to sanctify it and keep it holy… God is still zealous about His Temple, and that necessitates that you walk in purity. It stirs His wrath when you claim to be His child, while you defile His house. 

“The temple in which the Lord Jesus delights most, is a broken and contrite heart, renewed by the Holy Spirit.” - J. C. Ryle

Philippians 4:6-7 9/3/2024

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

Anxiety is our new epidemic.  Technology has re-wired our brains, and  Instant gratification is our expectation… If we don’t get immediate fulfilment and/or relief our default response is anxiety. 

This passage contains a remedy for this.  It was written 2000 years before the “Anxiety & Depression Association of America” discovered the same thing and called it  “Habit Reversal Training”. The ADAA’s description of  HRT is “ the use of a competing response, which is an action that is incompatible with the habit you are trying to break”.  They recommend gratitude for breaking anxiety, since they are incompatible in the brain together.

So, it only took psychologists 2000 years to partially catch up with the truth scripture teaches here. The full truth of course is that you can find rest in an all-powerful Heavenly Father who loves you. But this verse specifies that if you prayerfully thank God for His blessings, unexplainable peace will guard your heart and mind. 

Scripture does not imply this is easy. But Paul confirms what the ADAA has finally figured out - that God has created you in a way that causes thanking Him and praising Him to bring you peace.

Ephesians describes a battle where faith is a shield that extinguishes the flaming arrows of the evil one. Anxiety is an arrow that burns hotter than most. God says faith can put it out, and gratitude can bring healing to your heart and mind. 

This is a war… but God promises we are more than conquerors.  Do what you can to alleviate your anxiety. Talk to your doctor, talk to your friends, eat well, get rest… But most importantly talk to God and meditate on scripture, not circumstance… Faith is your shield, and scripture is your sword so fight back.  

Refuse to dwell on your past or dread your future… Reach out to others for help, you are not alone.  Thank God for His blessings. Then prayerfully open your Bible and win todays battle… trusting that His blood has covered yesterday, and His loving power will control tomorrow.

“We cannot always trace God's hand, but we can always trust God's heart.”
- Spurgeon

1 John 4:20 8/27/2024

“Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar.“

This passage is ignored by “good Christians” every day.  But before rebuking them let’s look in the mirror.  Do I preach the gospel yet spew venom about my opposition. Do I attack evil, or the people it controls?  We need to understand that God is not saying that if you claim to love Him, and hate your brother,  you are confused... He is saying you’re  a liar.  If I told you I love you, but hate your kids, you’d say the same to me.

So, since we can’t argue.  We minimize who qualifies as a brother or sister… We are not the first to use this strategy. In Luke 10:29 a question was asked about whom we must love, which prompted Jesus to tell the parable of the Good Samaritan. In this parable Jesus “flipped the script” and instead of someone needing to qualify as  my neighbor, He put the onus on me.  I am responsible for being someone’s neighbor, not determining if they qualify, to be mine. 

There are other places in scripture where it clearly states -  that loving your brothers, your neighbors, and even your enemies is a necessity when loving God.

There is a need for deep theology, and it is crucial that we understand God’s law and plan for salvation.  But no matter how educated you are, you have nothing of significance to share about God if you hate His children.  If you don’t love your brother, then you don’t love their Father, and you are an imposter at family gatherings… They will know us by our love. 

So don’t waste people’s time by preaching at them if  you don’t love them.  Your words will be gutted of power, and you will become “a clanging cymbal”.  This verse means you must love other cultures, denominations, and ethnicities… and (brace yourself) those with other political opinions. You don’t have to agree with them, but you can’t hate them.   

We need to stop pretending we don’t understand this verse and make a choice.   Start really loving others and start thinking of them as more important than ourselves… or quit talking. Because if we say we love God without loving them – we’re just liars. 

“Don't Tell Them Jesus Loves Them, until you're ready to love them too.”
- Steve Camp

Acts 13:3-4 8/20/2024

 “So, after they had fasted and prayed, they placed their hands on them and sent them off.”

Barnabas and Saul are sent on a missionary journey.   They end up in Paphos where God strikes a sorcerer blind for opposing their message.  If my ministry got to the point that opponents were struck blind because of their opposition, I would probably set up shop and wait for the financial support to pour in.  But these guys kept moving to the next town.  What kept them advancing?  Maybe moving forward was a byproduct of their habit of being still?  

This passage says that  “AFTER fasting and praying they were sent…” Apparently fasting and praying were prerequisites for action.  Ironically, you can’t “fast” quickly – It requires time which allowed them to meditate on what God had to say. 

How much of that do we do?  How often do you fast and pray?  What do you choose to abstain from so you can focus more on God?  

Try skipping a meal and see if it doesn’t sharpen your concentration on The Lord.  Refuse to look at social media for an entire day and see if it doesn’t change your mindset.  Fasting involves temporarily denying yourself of something and using that hunger or habit to drive you to connect with God. 

So, what do you need to “fast” from today?  Food, phone, television? …none of these are bad things, but all need to be secondary to your walk with God… and your walk requires undivided concentration.

Our dopamine driven brains frantically avoid “stillness”.  Next time you find yourself waiting… look around and see how many people impulsively grab their phones for distraction. This is by design. The enemy looks for ways to provide stimuli that will make you feel better - without making you better... 

What decoys distract you from stillness with God?  Whatever they are, like everything satan offers, they are temporary and counterfeit, and will eventually result in anxiety,  and dissatisfaction.

Make the decision to Fast and Pray. Schedule time with God.  This is why you were created.  If you will discipline yourself to temporarily give up comforts in order to seek clarity with God … Your stillness will provide clear direction the next time God tells you to move.

"By fasting, the body learns to obey the soul; by praying the soul learns to command the body."  - William Secker

Jeremiah 6:10,15 8/13/2024

“10 …The word of the Lord is offensive to them; they find no pleasure in it.”

“15 Are they ashamed of their detestable conduct? No, they have no shame at all; they do not even know how to blush…”.

These verses were written thousands of years ago, but there is no denying that they are applicable today… We have become easily offended, and impossible to embarrass. This is the wrong direction for both emotions. 

Our culture is offended by The Word of God … In fact, we are offended by anyone’s word if it contradicts our own.  We have declared ourselves to be our own little gods, and if anyone disputes our view, they receive instant aggression and cancellation.  Ironically the opinion that is not tolerated, is not tolerating others’ opinions. 

Clearly this is illogical, yet we deem it necessary to preserve our personal sovereignty.  Our national mantra is  “ I alone, will decide my truth”… That sounds cerebral, but the problem is there is only one truth, and you don’t own, or determine it. Truth is established by the Word of God and your opinion is irrelevant in determining its validity.  

Nevertheless, we continue to sin, give it a made-up unoffensive name, and mock those who call it what it is…  We gather leaders who say what our itching ears want to hear, and disregard those who point to inconvenient truth.  “Science” is championed when it suits us, and ignored when it doesn’t.  We have lost the ability to feel shame  – and shame is a safeguard that pulls us back from the insanity of wholesale immorality. 

There is a right way and a wrong way to live.  God has offered to be your Lord and Savior, but those titles are inseparable. You can’t claim His love while you ignore His law (John 14:15) . God has clearly written the truth in His word. Embracing that truth will set you free. Rejecting it will put you in bondage, so the choice is yours.  

Quit struggling in the quicksand of your own arrogance and give your life completely to Christ. Hand the reigns to your Creator and purge your life of the world’s lies. In your heart, you know the truth. Pursue it today…  tomorrow is not guaranteed.   

Truth is like the sun. You can shut it out for a time, but it ain't goin' away.
- Elvis Presley

Hebrews 13:1-3 8/6/2024

“Let love of the brothers and sisters continue.  Do not neglect hospitality to strangers, for by this some have entertained angels without knowing it.  Remember the prisoners, as though in prison with them, and those who are badly treated, since you yourselves also are in the body.”

If you read this verse in the original language …it means exactly what it says in English…. In this passage God is “cutting to the chase” and telling us precisely how we must live.  It sounds a lot like Jesus’ answer about the greatest commandment of all….  Love God and love your neighbor.  If you do that, the rest of the law will fall into place. 

There is extra punch added when you read that some of us have entertained angels.  We have interacted with beings who reside in the presence of God.  How differently would we greet strangers and meet their needs if we kept that in mind? 

What about the rest of the passage? ... How do I treat prisoners? How do I treat the downtrodden? … How many times have I unknowingly ignored the needs of  angels causing Heaven to hear a first-person account of my calloused arrogance? 

The difficulty in applying these verses is that the things demanded are merely symptoms.  They only occur when love has invaded your heart.  You cannot offer what you don’t have. So, to fulfill this passage God will have to fill your heart with His love.  Then you will treat others with kindness and hospitality because what is in your heart is what splashes out on others when you get jostled.

If you want to be frustrated, keep pretending you care about others in order to advance yourself… But if you want to live as God intended, put others first and love with reckless abandon.  Rest in the fact that God has met all of your needs.  That will give you freedom … 

So, let’s set some goals -  encourage three people before lunch today.  Greet strangers as though they may have just left the presence of God. Start each morning with prayer and scripture… Then you will naturally fulfill this passage by treating others in a way that will make even celestial beings feel right at home. 

“Every time you smile at someone, it is an action of love, a gift to that person, a beautiful thing.”  - Mother Teresa

Job 38:1-3 7/30/2024

“Then the Lord spoke to Job out of the storm. He said:  “Who is this that obscures my plans with words without knowledge?  Brace yourself like a man; I will question you, and you shall answer me.”

This is a hard book.  Job endures unimaginable trials compounded by judgmentalism and lack of support from friends and family. But after thirty-seven chapters of God’s majesty being judged … The Creator has heard enough.  The Lord speaks out of the storm and begins with a  question that basically asks “Who do you think you’re talking to?”… Followed by questions that suggest Job should do more listening and less evaluating.  

What about us. How much of our prayer life is spent seeking God’s will, and how much is spent telling God what we think He should do?

The Cross allows us to approach God as his beloved children, but we should not forget whom we are approaching. We don’t evaluate God’s plan; we seek to understand it. Jesus tells parables which promote constantly praying and even “bugging” God for answers. But we can never forget who He is.  

Following this verse, God list some of His qualifications for being God. When these are brought to his attention, Job responds:  “Surely, I spoke of things I did not understand, things too wonderful for me to know.” Being reminded who we pray to, should solicit the same response from us. 

Too many churches  represent God as a feeble deity begging for our approval… Our world condescendingly mocks its Creator … but this passage indicates we have dangerously misjudged Him. This book contains a severe reprimand.  He is not a genie that we evaluate …He is the omnipotent Creator who will question us, and we will answer to Him.

Make no mistake, He loves you, weeps with you, and your pain is so precious to Him, He holds your tears in a bottle… but as you struggle, God is not pacing the floor.  He is in complete control. 

We must learn to stop trusting the outcome and start trusting the God who determines it.  And when we can’t see the way, we must trust His heart … In the eye of the storm, know that God loves you, He has a plan, and the anchor will hold. 

"It's not great faith you need; it is faith in a great God." - N. T. Wright

James 3:14-16 7/23/2024

“But if you have bitter envy and self-seeking in your hearts, do not boast and lie against the truth. This wisdom does not descend from above, but is earthly, sensual, demonic. For where envy and self-seeking exist, confusion and every evil thing are there.”

Last week we discussed how anxiety and gratitude cannot exist together in the brain.  This makes  gratitude the silver bullet in our battle against anxiety.  So, let’s examine what inhibits gratitude … This verse says the culprit is self-centered envy which throws our life into confusion. 

The internet is the perfect breeding ground for this problem.  Most people publish the perfect online image with little concern for accuracy.  But somehow, we miss the obvious fact that everyone else is doing the same thing.  Everyone is publishing fictional “profiles” with heavily edited photos to back up the facade.  This spurs our “Friends” to exaggerate even more until we all deceive ourselves into “virtual nirvana” where everyone is envious of everyone else’s fabricated lives… No wonder there is anxiety. 

What you don’t see is that all your “perfect friends” have struggles.  Even as they post pictures of their incredible adventures, many are dealing with rollercoaster relationships, health struggles, and financial problems.  So, as we privately struggle with our real-life problems, and look online and see our friends sailing through life untouched,  it causes us to crash. Here’s the thing… it’s not true.  

When we compare our reality with someone else’s made up life, it confuses us. This opens the door to anger, self-pity, envy, jealousy, and resentment.  The instigating circumstances are fake – but the resulting emotions are real.  And these emotions destroy our lives. 

Do you have bitterness and envy?... Did you allow it into your life by believing you’re the only imperfect person in your circle? Have you exhausted yourself trying to keep up the façade?

Just stop and take a breath … Don’t compare your life to others, you’re not seeing the whole picture. Though it may feel like it, you’re not alone… We are all broken people. Share your struggles with a friend, and then together, count your blessings.  We all have difficulties at times; you are not the only one. Trust the Father’s love and know you never face the struggle alone.

“Envy is the art of counting the other fellow's blessings instead of your own.” - Harold Coffin

Exodus 13:3 7/16/2024

“And Moses said to the people, “Remember this day in which you departed from Egypt, from the house of slavery; for by a powerful hand the Lord brought you out from this place…”

From the beginning God has told us to remember the mighty things He has done.  

We are instructed to have faith - not a blind faith -  but a proven faith… based on past deliverance. God has repeatedly proven His trustworthiness and instructs us to build monuments or celebrate certain days to remind us that He is faithful. 

We don’t need to be taught self-pity, that comes naturally.  But we do need to practice gratitude. Gratitude and anxiety cannot exist in the brain at the same time. Gratefulness reduces the level of cortisol, otherwise known as the stress hormone.  So, if your anxious, start counting  your blessings … The breath you just took can be the first one on your list.

Our memories are short when we are blessed - and long when we are hurt – that should be reversed. We should purposefully ingrain the victories in our minds so we will have confidence at the next challenge.

We need altars and ceremonies to turn our gaze from ourselves to God. Our strength is only found in His strength.  Our worth is only found in His worth.  We emphasize the fact that He loves us -  but more precisely we should focus on “why” He loves us…. We didn’t earn it… It is not because of our good works. He loves us because we are His. He has chosen us to be His cherished children and paid the adoption fee with His blood. While we were rejecting Him, He died to save us. That is why we are more than conquerors, that is why we are thankful….  Gratefulness is the spontaneous response to this grace.  

Put that message on a sign above  your bathroom mirror, place a note in your car, put a cross on your desk... but do something that constantly reminds you of the fact that He created you, He loves you, and in spite of your failures, you are the apple of His eye.

Gratitude is the only rational response to His blessings. It will change your life if you will just be still long enough to remember all He has done. 

“Gratitude is the healthiest of all human emotions.” – Zig Ziglar