John 6:61-64 10/15/2024

“Aware that his disciples were grumbling about this, Jesus said to them, “Does this offend you?  Then what if you see the Son of Man ascend to where he was before!  The Spirit gives life; the flesh counts for nothing”. 

The dilemma for the American church is that when Jesus spoke it often offended people.… and we are some of the most easily offended people on the planet.  Our default response to correction is victimhood.  This predicament interferes with us “recruiting” members for our church. 

Our focus on increasing membership makes us unwilling to lovingly address unpopular topics that are clearly defined by God’s Word.  Any honest reading of scripture reveals God’s definition of marriage, sexuality, morality, the value of the unborn, greed, and a host of other topics that have been deemed “off-limits” by our culture … Jesus addressed difficult subjects, and never once changed truth to pacify His audience. 

It is not our goal to offend but some will see truth as offensive. If you call truth hate, you will hate truth. But like a good doctor we cannot be overly concerned with how medicine tastes to the patient - only that it heals them. I must lovingly give the correct dose, no matter how it impacts the patient’s opinion of me. 

If the truth offends my audience,  the remedy is to remind them that truth does not originate from man; man came from truth.  You can’t look through the lens of deception, and self-will, and expect to see the truth of God.

If you desire to change scripture and only follow what suits you … it is because you have forgotten who wrote it.  It isn’t a rough draft for you to edit.  It is a document written by the omnipotent Creator of the universe. Its purpose is to light your path, and without it you’re walking in the dark. 

“Christian” is not something you comfortably add to your resume.  You die to yourself, and Christ lives in you.  You become “unoffendable” by anything written in scripture and simply dedicate your life to following it. 

 If the Bible offends you… It is not scripture that needs to be adjusted…. You have options for responding to The Word of God, but being offended by it, and demanding it be changed isn’t one of them.

"An offended heart is the breeding ground of deception." - John Bevere

John 1:45-46 10/8/2024

“Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses wrote in the Law, and the prophets also wrote: Jesus the son of Joseph, from Nazareth!”  Nathanael said to him, “Can anything good be from Nazareth?” Philip said to him, “Come and see.” 

Philip found the Messiah and ran to let Nathanael know…  He realized who Jesus was …He said “We found the promised one”… Philip had met the Son of God, and he recognized Him because they had been looking for Him for Centuries.  His knowing  “who  and what” he had found was the key…. and it still is today.  

Jesus is not a surprise. His first appearance in the manger was prophesied for thousands of years, and His return has been foretold by historically documented predictions. He is one of the most recorded figures in history.   His life has been verified by both church and secular historians, so the question of His existence is not the question…  Knowing “who and what” He is – is what changes everything.

When Philip realized this, he did the only logical thing he could do… He ran to tell his friend.  That is the only rational response we can have as well. If you realize that He is the foretold lamb of God which takes away the sins of the world, and you don’t tell the people you love… How can you say you love those people? 

The problem is that they may not be interested in your discovery.  So, we can also learn from Philip’s confident approach to witnessing… When Nathanael mocked him,  Philip didn’t retaliate, he simply said “come and see”… Those three words carry a wealth of theological implications and are incredibly powerful. 

You and I need to put away our argumentative rebuttals to naysayers and simply say “come and see” …  Our intellectual opinions are not as powerful as saying, “look at the changes Jesus has made in my life”, and then living in such a way that they can “come and see” Christ in us. 

The power of the gospel is that you have been made a new creation, and our job is let others know that God offers new life to all who come to Him.

“Live as a credible witness. If our actions don’t line up with the message we’re proclaiming, we risk losing our credibility.” — David Jeremiah

 

1 CORINTHIANS 10: 6-11

“Nor are we to commit sexual immorality, as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in one day.  Nor are we to put the Lord to the test, as some of them did, and were killed by the snakes.  Nor grumble, as some of them did, and were killed by the destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction, …”

Read the last sentence again… This message applies to us individually and collectively.  It states that debauchery carries severe consequences.  God has made that historically clear. Yet somehow today, we not only tolerate these evils… we celebrate them.  

You argue that you stand against sin…  but what about “Grumbling”.  Are you lovingly pulling others out of the gutter, or just grumbling against those who are in it?  Do you love the word of God,  or do you resent His commandments? In this passage the result of self-centered grumbling was death, just like the other sins on the list. 

God is not vague about the purpose of this passage.  It says, “these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction…”.  That is not hard to interpret. In the original Greek, It means, “these things happened to them as an example, and they were written for our instruction…”.  

Do we suppose God’s opinion has changed about worshiping money, pursuing pleasure, or normalizing sexual perversion? Do we think it is acceptable now to grumble about the obligations of serving God?

This passage states that it is unwise to test God.  Yet here we are, dancing close to the flames. There is a precedent in this passage which we are unwisely ignoring. 

God’s word is not a buffet, you cannot choose which commands you follow. Cherry-picking scripture is pursuing YOUR will, not God’s. 

Christianity is an “all-or-none” proposition… You either surrender to God, or you don’t.  The Lord has outlined expectations on conduct, marriage, sexuality, treatment of others, and even attitude… They are not suggestions, nor are they subject to cultural standards, and ignoring them carries consequences. 

Jesus proved His love for us by dying to save us while we were still sinning…  So, we don’t avoid sin to make Him love us … We avoid sin because we love Him. 

“If you love me, you will keep my commandments...”  - Jesus (John 14:15) 

1 CORINTHIANS 8:1-3 9/24/2024

“Now concerning food sacrificed to idols, we know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge makes one conceited, but love edifies people.”

1 Corinthians was written in response to questions from the church.  Apparently, believers had correctly deduced that an idol is just a lifeless object.  So, if meat killed in front of it is cheaper, why not eat it? 

However, some new believers were disturbed by this activity… They were hurt by the freedom practiced by these “mature” believers … So, apparently the mature believers wrote Paul, requesting approval for this practice. 

It’s not a difficult theological question… those eating the meat were right…  It makes no difference whether an animal is slaughtered in a barn, or in front of an inanimate idol... But Paul responds to the problem the question reveals… not the question itself.  

He is perhaps repeating the statement “We all possess knowledge.” …and then criticizes the underlying reason for it.  He, not too gently, points out that knowledge puffs you up… but love builds others up. 

If I say, ”my humility makes me better than you” – You know there’s a problem with that statement. Paul is pointing out an issue to the Corinthians in the same way. If you say you know about love, yet your knowledge leads you to run roughshod over your neighbor’s feelings, then you don’t know about love. 

Paul is saying that they have a heart problem.  He is explaining to them that being correct doesn’t always make you right. Paul could have properly said, “eat what you want”, as Luke said in Acts 10:15.  But in this case Paul doesn’t want to discuss the law, he wants to address their hearts toward their younger brothers and sisters in the faith. Your knowledge of the law is flawed if you use it to only promote yourself. 

When is the last time you gave up your freedom for fellow believers?  Have you ever passed on an argument you could have won because you cared more about others than yourself?  Later in this letter, Paul basically says, “if eating my favorite food causes my brother to stumble, then it’s off the menu”… Is that your approach to your friends at church – or does your “knowledge of your rights” make you the most important person in the pew?

“A man wrapped up in himself makes a very small bundle.”
- Benjamin Franklin

Romans 8:18-19

“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