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