"Ye have heard that it hath been said, thou shalt love thy neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you;" Matthew 5:44
I remember preaching this in a new start-up church in Redland Florida. It was their first Sunday as they had just split off from another church in Princeton Florida. I was not taking sides, but their newly formed church board had chosen two candidates to be their new pastor and I was one of them. As you can imagine, this is quite an honor and I was selected to preach the first sermon of their first service. I talked to God about this as I was searching through the scriptures attempting in my mind to try to find something conciliatory and comforting to bless this newly formed group of believers. I perused through some of my previous sermon material, thinking that maybe there would be something that fit the day. But God would not let me get away from this very verse. I really thought that this verse was inappropriate because of the recent church split, again of which I was not involved. And furthermore, everyone likes to hear these words of God's true way for man to live at peace with one another, but few follow these ego crushing words spoken by Jesus to the whole world at the sermon on the mount.
I wrestled with this verse, because I knew deep down inside that it was so much the heart of God to teach His people how to live with one another in harmony and peace and how to live with the world at large even though the world at large was not going to play by the same rules. What could this verse possibly benefit a newly formed group of seasoned believers? I did preach the sermon and it wasn't received well. I guess I will never know why this was so important, and by the way, they chose the other pastor to lead their flock. But I can tell you now that Jesus knows what works and these words were written to embed your soul with the heart of God and this is the heart of God.
Unfortunately, even your Christian brothers and sisters are capable of doing frightful things to their fellow church members or anyone for that matter. Hear the heart of God on the matter. He has instructed you to do a few things that go against your human propensities.
Love your enemies
Bless them that curse you
Do good to them that hate you
Pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you
You will have to read these over and over again until your inner man believes it is true. This is an uphill battle and if you are not serious about following Christ, you will not win it. It goes against our very nature, that nature that we were born with that looks out for number one. But Jesus spoke it and that makes it true. Why is it important to believe and practice these strange commands? It is important to God and God made us to be like Jesus and nothing else will do.
Friday, December 9, 2016
Wednesday, December 7, 2016
Daily Devotional December 7 - You Reap What You Sow
""Save me, O God, by Thy name, and judge me by Thy strength. Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth. For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah." Psalm 54:1-3
Strangers and oppressors shall come against you. I hope you are not currently experiencing the angst that goes with having people want something from you that is not theirs. Maybe you have fallen prey to those who can't stand you because you are in love with Jesus. Or maybe you have acquired enemies for no reason at all except they just want to do you harm or make your life miserable. They are out there in great number. And I am very sorry to admit that many of the oppressors and those who would attempt to overthrow our peace, are Christians. I won't stay with this very long, but it hurts worse than anything when a so-called brother or sister becomes a turncoat and sets out to destroy what you have worked for or are currently working for. The worst scenario is that it is sometimes a supposed good friend.
If you read through Psalms it reveals two sides of God's heart about these marauders who use their time on this earth to cause others pain and suffering. They are cavalier about it and sometimes proud of their accomplishment as if they were doing God favor handing out their form of justice and equity.
The first move of God toward these marauders disguised as Christians is to have them come to their senses through rebuke or exhortation or through finding out how blatantly ungodly their behavior is and asking forgiveness for their crimes against God and man. This is the preferred method. It serves the purpose of having man work out their offenses one with another. But don't think that God will not intervene on behalf of the one who has been wronged.
The second move of God is for God to intervene and stand against the oppressor or the offender, as a just God against an unjust action. God is not just lolly-gagging around heaven handing out lollypops to the kids and sitting around telling stories to the adults about the good old days. God is Sovereign and will have the last word and will intervene and bring to pass His will. It is not God's will that those who wrong others get their just reward, (else all of us would not have the opportunity to be converted and have our sins forgiven) but it is the will of God that you reap what you sow. And for those who continue to cause trouble, as they continue to claim Christ, will find trouble of their own, multiplied by their lack of commitment to the things of God; consolation and peace of mind will be hard for them to find.
Rest assured if you are troubled by others who want what you have or they just trouble you because that is who they are, or they trouble you because they are vindictive, God is in charge and God always does the right thing. "For we know Him that said, vengeance belongeth unto Me, I will recompense, saith the LORD. And again, the LORD shall judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:30-31
Strangers and oppressors shall come against you. I hope you are not currently experiencing the angst that goes with having people want something from you that is not theirs. Maybe you have fallen prey to those who can't stand you because you are in love with Jesus. Or maybe you have acquired enemies for no reason at all except they just want to do you harm or make your life miserable. They are out there in great number. And I am very sorry to admit that many of the oppressors and those who would attempt to overthrow our peace, are Christians. I won't stay with this very long, but it hurts worse than anything when a so-called brother or sister becomes a turncoat and sets out to destroy what you have worked for or are currently working for. The worst scenario is that it is sometimes a supposed good friend.
If you read through Psalms it reveals two sides of God's heart about these marauders who use their time on this earth to cause others pain and suffering. They are cavalier about it and sometimes proud of their accomplishment as if they were doing God favor handing out their form of justice and equity.
The first move of God toward these marauders disguised as Christians is to have them come to their senses through rebuke or exhortation or through finding out how blatantly ungodly their behavior is and asking forgiveness for their crimes against God and man. This is the preferred method. It serves the purpose of having man work out their offenses one with another. But don't think that God will not intervene on behalf of the one who has been wronged.
The second move of God is for God to intervene and stand against the oppressor or the offender, as a just God against an unjust action. God is not just lolly-gagging around heaven handing out lollypops to the kids and sitting around telling stories to the adults about the good old days. God is Sovereign and will have the last word and will intervene and bring to pass His will. It is not God's will that those who wrong others get their just reward, (else all of us would not have the opportunity to be converted and have our sins forgiven) but it is the will of God that you reap what you sow. And for those who continue to cause trouble, as they continue to claim Christ, will find trouble of their own, multiplied by their lack of commitment to the things of God; consolation and peace of mind will be hard for them to find.
Rest assured if you are troubled by others who want what you have or they just trouble you because that is who they are, or they trouble you because they are vindictive, God is in charge and God always does the right thing. "For we know Him that said, vengeance belongeth unto Me, I will recompense, saith the LORD. And again, the LORD shall judge His people. It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God." Hebrews 10:30-31
Tuesday, December 6, 2016
Daily Devotional December 6 - Learn To Trust God's Ways
"Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths." Proverbs 3:5
I believe what God says. Every word in this verse is true. But , you may be thinking, that hasn't been my experience. That's the problem with interpreting scripture. This verse is true, but there are many other truths also. Sometimes we base the results of an experience on the way that we perceived the end. We thought that if God was involved it would end differently than it did. So when we don't receive the desired end that we thought should be the end, we think that there must be something wrong with the way that God does things. Why does God let us go through so many things that are unfair or worse?
Read this carefully:
God lets us go through things because, in order for us to receive the full blessing that comes with salvation we must exercise our freewill and suffer at the hands of those who exercise their free will. It is this free will that makes us like God and exercising our freewill to choose the things of God is what makes us godly. It is in your choosing, not in the outcome of your choosing, where God is found.
We live in a fallen world and as long as we are in the flesh, we are subject to its parameters. One of the parameters is that others are exercising their freewill as we are exercising our own. Sometimes there is conflict, because not everyone is following God and not everyone seeks the will of God. The results of this dichotomy is that sometimes you will be the one that disrupts the plan of God by your behavior and sometimes someone else disrupts the plan of God by their behavior.
You haven't always been living a godly life. Now that you are doesn't preclude the rights of those who are not, to continue to exercise their free will against the will of God. As long as free will exists, there will be crime and terrorism, foolishness and sin, pain and suffering, unfairness, liable and fraud. That's the results of free will.
But this same free will that allows for those who stand against the things of God to cause havoc also allows for those who choose to follow God to cause good things to come to pass. It is in the choosing to do the will of God that godliness is found, not in the final results of our work. You may set out to do some great thing and have it thwarted by others with a different plan, but it is in the choosing to set out to do some great thing that your trust is rewarded, not in the outcome of that venture. The path that God sets before you is the direction that you are in, not the results of the day. The path is pure, the road is full of corruption, but it is in choosing the path and taking it that your faith is proven, not in what happens to you along the way.
It will never be that when you find God and you become saved, sanctified, and filled with the Spirit, that your roads will all be cleared and each day will end in peace and serenity. You are following a holy God in an unholy world. That's why God doesn't want us traversing the road in our own understanding. First we will misunderstand God and make false presumptions about God and second we will start to think that our own path is really safer and better.
The truth is:
It is in exercising our free will to follow God that we are found in God, not in the outcome of each event of the day
Learn to trust the 'follow' and not the 'outcome' and you will see much more of God than ever before.
I believe what God says. Every word in this verse is true. But , you may be thinking, that hasn't been my experience. That's the problem with interpreting scripture. This verse is true, but there are many other truths also. Sometimes we base the results of an experience on the way that we perceived the end. We thought that if God was involved it would end differently than it did. So when we don't receive the desired end that we thought should be the end, we think that there must be something wrong with the way that God does things. Why does God let us go through so many things that are unfair or worse?
Read this carefully:
God lets us go through things because, in order for us to receive the full blessing that comes with salvation we must exercise our freewill and suffer at the hands of those who exercise their free will. It is this free will that makes us like God and exercising our freewill to choose the things of God is what makes us godly. It is in your choosing, not in the outcome of your choosing, where God is found.
We live in a fallen world and as long as we are in the flesh, we are subject to its parameters. One of the parameters is that others are exercising their freewill as we are exercising our own. Sometimes there is conflict, because not everyone is following God and not everyone seeks the will of God. The results of this dichotomy is that sometimes you will be the one that disrupts the plan of God by your behavior and sometimes someone else disrupts the plan of God by their behavior.
You haven't always been living a godly life. Now that you are doesn't preclude the rights of those who are not, to continue to exercise their free will against the will of God. As long as free will exists, there will be crime and terrorism, foolishness and sin, pain and suffering, unfairness, liable and fraud. That's the results of free will.
But this same free will that allows for those who stand against the things of God to cause havoc also allows for those who choose to follow God to cause good things to come to pass. It is in the choosing to do the will of God that godliness is found, not in the final results of our work. You may set out to do some great thing and have it thwarted by others with a different plan, but it is in the choosing to set out to do some great thing that your trust is rewarded, not in the outcome of that venture. The path that God sets before you is the direction that you are in, not the results of the day. The path is pure, the road is full of corruption, but it is in choosing the path and taking it that your faith is proven, not in what happens to you along the way.
It will never be that when you find God and you become saved, sanctified, and filled with the Spirit, that your roads will all be cleared and each day will end in peace and serenity. You are following a holy God in an unholy world. That's why God doesn't want us traversing the road in our own understanding. First we will misunderstand God and make false presumptions about God and second we will start to think that our own path is really safer and better.
The truth is:
- God is true to us and every word in the scriptures is to assist us on our journey
- God is on the journey with us
- God intervenes in the journey within the parameters of prayer just as He says He does
- The outcome of things isn't always what we see with our eyes
- The closer you get to God the more you get to see how we are co-creating with God all the time
It is in exercising our free will to follow God that we are found in God, not in the outcome of each event of the day
Learn to trust the 'follow' and not the 'outcome' and you will see much more of God than ever before.
Daily Devotional December 5 - You Already Have The Power, Use It
"Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." Galatians 5:1
You have been given the authority by God to live your life free of bondages. This freedom from bondage comes when you are born again. You are endowed with the power to overcome. The Holy Spirit dwells within you and you can decide to deny the flesh or the mind certain vices and it will come to pass. For some it might be as easy as drawing a line in the sand and for others a process, but either way you have the power to overcome anything that is not godly.
All of us have different weaknesses. No one is exempt from the rudimentary and mundane things that perpetuate sinful behavior, but don't let anyone convince you that you don't have the power to break free, because you do. It is a gift from God. You can if you think you can. You can say no to anything and keep it at bay. You can overcome anything that is not of God. Here's the tiff. First of all you have to believe you can. There is so much watered down preaching to new converts its possible to be lead to the Lord in one breath and told that you will struggle indefinitely in another.
When Paul says stand fast, he means stand so firm that you are like a rock, immovable and impenetrable. The Word of God is powerful and sometimes you just need a little kindling faith to get you on your way with victory. Sometimes we just need somebody to believe in us. Sometimes we need someone to give us some tough love. Unfortunately there are some people so stubborn that it takes calamity to bring them around. But if you are born again you can overcome.
I don't want to put a timeline on your particular issue, but if you have been fighting against some vice or bent for more than five years, you really don't want to overcome. You aren't trying to get out, you just want people to feel sorry for you. You play the Christian card, but only because it is convenient and you know what saps the Christians are for reaching out and helping someone. You use people under the pretense of trying to get out, but you haven't even wanted to get out. You have been playing people and playing with people's lives. You are a user, a fool and a fake.
There are probably spouses, children or parents that you have hurt and are continuing to hurt over and over again, friends and family that you have abused or betrayed or used, more than once. You keep making promises, but you can't overcome because you don't want to. You have been called out. Your future is bleak and your life a waste, not because it has to be, but because you want it to be. And yet within you you have the power to turn around and make good. That shows you the power of the devil. He will hold onto anything you let him have and rub your face in it forever. Just give him one little ungodly vice and you can ruin many lives, even as a Christian. I know you don't want to hear this, but the liberty we have and the power to overcome must be activated and used or else it lay dormant. God works in us and through us, by us, not in spite of us.
You have got to lend your heart and mind to God and believe God and let your faith rule in your life if you are going to operate in the liberty wherewith you were set free. It doesn't just happen by chance. You don't just automatically do and say the right thing. You have to get to know God to emulate Him. But being born again gives you the power. Don't through away such a precious gift.
You have been given the authority by God to live your life free of bondages. This freedom from bondage comes when you are born again. You are endowed with the power to overcome. The Holy Spirit dwells within you and you can decide to deny the flesh or the mind certain vices and it will come to pass. For some it might be as easy as drawing a line in the sand and for others a process, but either way you have the power to overcome anything that is not godly.
All of us have different weaknesses. No one is exempt from the rudimentary and mundane things that perpetuate sinful behavior, but don't let anyone convince you that you don't have the power to break free, because you do. It is a gift from God. You can if you think you can. You can say no to anything and keep it at bay. You can overcome anything that is not of God. Here's the tiff. First of all you have to believe you can. There is so much watered down preaching to new converts its possible to be lead to the Lord in one breath and told that you will struggle indefinitely in another.
When Paul says stand fast, he means stand so firm that you are like a rock, immovable and impenetrable. The Word of God is powerful and sometimes you just need a little kindling faith to get you on your way with victory. Sometimes we just need somebody to believe in us. Sometimes we need someone to give us some tough love. Unfortunately there are some people so stubborn that it takes calamity to bring them around. But if you are born again you can overcome.
I don't want to put a timeline on your particular issue, but if you have been fighting against some vice or bent for more than five years, you really don't want to overcome. You aren't trying to get out, you just want people to feel sorry for you. You play the Christian card, but only because it is convenient and you know what saps the Christians are for reaching out and helping someone. You use people under the pretense of trying to get out, but you haven't even wanted to get out. You have been playing people and playing with people's lives. You are a user, a fool and a fake.
There are probably spouses, children or parents that you have hurt and are continuing to hurt over and over again, friends and family that you have abused or betrayed or used, more than once. You keep making promises, but you can't overcome because you don't want to. You have been called out. Your future is bleak and your life a waste, not because it has to be, but because you want it to be. And yet within you you have the power to turn around and make good. That shows you the power of the devil. He will hold onto anything you let him have and rub your face in it forever. Just give him one little ungodly vice and you can ruin many lives, even as a Christian. I know you don't want to hear this, but the liberty we have and the power to overcome must be activated and used or else it lay dormant. God works in us and through us, by us, not in spite of us.
You have got to lend your heart and mind to God and believe God and let your faith rule in your life if you are going to operate in the liberty wherewith you were set free. It doesn't just happen by chance. You don't just automatically do and say the right thing. You have to get to know God to emulate Him. But being born again gives you the power. Don't through away such a precious gift.
Daily Devotional December 4- Faith Is Proof Enough
"So Jesus came again into Cana of Galilee, where He made the water wine. And there was a certain nobleman, whose son was sick at Capernaum. When he heard that Jesus had come out unto Galilee, he went unto him that He would come down, and heal his son: for he was at the point of death. Then said Jesus unto him, except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe." John 4:46-48
You almost can't blame the man looking to Jesus for a miracle. His son was dying and he was desperate. He did have the faith within himself to know that Jesus could perform the miracle and Jesus did perform the miracle. Jesus didn't even go, He just spoke the word and the man's son was healed.
The statement that Jesus made, "except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe," was a statement about the condition of the people in Israel (God's chosen people) and the people outside Israel as well; a statement about what they had become over time. They had become a people of 'show me and I'll believe.' They had become a works based society. Their leaders, the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees who were overseeing/handling the faith of the nation has turned from God's ways and made a new set of rules for themselves.
Over time they dismissed the miracles of the 'freedom from slavery of Egypt' generation and the 'crossing of the Red Sea' generation and the 'wandering in the wilderness' generation, and the 'fed with manna' generation. They had killed off the prophets and they were bent on having an Israel with a worldly leader, someone magnificent and full of splendor, someone who would destroy the Romans and bring glory to Israel like never before. They missed the coming of the Saviour and now they had a reputation to uphold, proud, strong men, men who needed a sign or personally witness a miracle or else they would hold to what is sure, their place in the temple. They had become so enamoured with the temple, they forgot the God who once inhabited it. They were bent on creating for themselves a place of acceptance by the Romans. They had become slaves again, but this time of their own doing.
The Saviour of the world had come among them and they were either rushing toward Jesus like a kid watching a parade, hoping to get a piece of candy thrown their way or they were ignoring His presence altogether as that of a charlatan. Jesus' message was not enough for the hardened of heart. Many of them had already made up their mind that even if this was the Saviour, they would kill him, because he threatened their current religious system. But more than that the hardened of heart had reduced Jesus to a man who practiced legerdemain. Jesus knew their hearts and that is why He could say, "except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe."
Is it really that different today? Tens of thousands of people go to single stadium events just to see someone perform a miracle. Except they see it with their own eyes they will not believe. And even if they see it with their own eyes they still are only giving mental assent that what they saw was true or real. While godly men and women are talking to atheists or agnostics about faith, they say that they will believe if God was to come down and strike them dead or something like that. I've heard it too many times. Just show me a sign and I will believe. But I don't think so.
Even in the story of Lazarus and the rich man Jesus confirms Abraham's words, "If they will not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the unbelieving world is under a strong delusion. It is very likely that they would not admit that Jesus is Lord even if they personally witnessed ten miracles in a row. They already deny the miracle of life and they already deny the miracle of creation and they especially stand against the miracle of faith.
Don't be discouraged if you have never seen a miracle of witnessed some wonder performed by Michael or Gabriel. It is your faith that has saved you and healed you and brought you this far and it is your faith that will take you all the way home. Jesus make it pretty clear how it really works. "Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." John 20:29b
Faith enters through the mind and resides in the inner man. Faith comes when you hear God calling you and you answer yes. Faith is the visible proof of an invisible work. You need not that God ever prove Himself if you have even the tiniest faith. But without faith, mountains could be moved out of your way, riches spilled throughout your house, talents lavished on you without reserve, love at your side, a healed body over and over again, life's best at your fingertips and you can't see any of it, because blindness due to faithlessness is total blindness and there is no cure except faith.
You almost can't blame the man looking to Jesus for a miracle. His son was dying and he was desperate. He did have the faith within himself to know that Jesus could perform the miracle and Jesus did perform the miracle. Jesus didn't even go, He just spoke the word and the man's son was healed.
The statement that Jesus made, "except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe," was a statement about the condition of the people in Israel (God's chosen people) and the people outside Israel as well; a statement about what they had become over time. They had become a people of 'show me and I'll believe.' They had become a works based society. Their leaders, the Sanhedrin and the Pharisees who were overseeing/handling the faith of the nation has turned from God's ways and made a new set of rules for themselves.
Over time they dismissed the miracles of the 'freedom from slavery of Egypt' generation and the 'crossing of the Red Sea' generation and the 'wandering in the wilderness' generation, and the 'fed with manna' generation. They had killed off the prophets and they were bent on having an Israel with a worldly leader, someone magnificent and full of splendor, someone who would destroy the Romans and bring glory to Israel like never before. They missed the coming of the Saviour and now they had a reputation to uphold, proud, strong men, men who needed a sign or personally witness a miracle or else they would hold to what is sure, their place in the temple. They had become so enamoured with the temple, they forgot the God who once inhabited it. They were bent on creating for themselves a place of acceptance by the Romans. They had become slaves again, but this time of their own doing.
The Saviour of the world had come among them and they were either rushing toward Jesus like a kid watching a parade, hoping to get a piece of candy thrown their way or they were ignoring His presence altogether as that of a charlatan. Jesus' message was not enough for the hardened of heart. Many of them had already made up their mind that even if this was the Saviour, they would kill him, because he threatened their current religious system. But more than that the hardened of heart had reduced Jesus to a man who practiced legerdemain. Jesus knew their hearts and that is why He could say, "except ye see signs and wonders, ye will not believe."
Is it really that different today? Tens of thousands of people go to single stadium events just to see someone perform a miracle. Except they see it with their own eyes they will not believe. And even if they see it with their own eyes they still are only giving mental assent that what they saw was true or real. While godly men and women are talking to atheists or agnostics about faith, they say that they will believe if God was to come down and strike them dead or something like that. I've heard it too many times. Just show me a sign and I will believe. But I don't think so.
Even in the story of Lazarus and the rich man Jesus confirms Abraham's words, "If they will not hear Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead." I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the unbelieving world is under a strong delusion. It is very likely that they would not admit that Jesus is Lord even if they personally witnessed ten miracles in a row. They already deny the miracle of life and they already deny the miracle of creation and they especially stand against the miracle of faith.
Don't be discouraged if you have never seen a miracle of witnessed some wonder performed by Michael or Gabriel. It is your faith that has saved you and healed you and brought you this far and it is your faith that will take you all the way home. Jesus make it pretty clear how it really works. "Thomas, because thou hast seen Me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed." John 20:29b
Faith enters through the mind and resides in the inner man. Faith comes when you hear God calling you and you answer yes. Faith is the visible proof of an invisible work. You need not that God ever prove Himself if you have even the tiniest faith. But without faith, mountains could be moved out of your way, riches spilled throughout your house, talents lavished on you without reserve, love at your side, a healed body over and over again, life's best at your fingertips and you can't see any of it, because blindness due to faithlessness is total blindness and there is no cure except faith.
Daily Devotional December 2 - Mockers Of Reality
"This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: that ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: Knowing this first, that there shall come in the last days scoffers, walking after their own lusts, and saying, where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation." 2 Peter 3:1-4
There are scoffers today alright. I was watching a program produced by an atheist. It was anti-religious and anti-Christ. The commentator interviewed Christians and Jews and then ran selected sound bites attempting to reveal how utterly incompetent believers are. He misquoted almost everyone, made fun of the older women, ministry leaders and priests and it was obvious his intent was to belittle and ultimately dismiss men and women of faith as complete and utter idiots.
I know that it is the times we are in and I know that the unbelieving world hates us and loathes the thought that those with faith might just know what they are talking about. What I don't understand is why the unbelieving world is so bent on making those who do have faith look so bad? What is it that causes them to say such awful things about people they don't know? Why do they denounce people of faith? I'll tell you why.
The unbelieving world are meddlers. They have no faith and no hope of their own, so they demean others to stoke their own ego. They have no vision and most of them believe that there is no purpose for their existence except to fill themselves up and then die. They meddle for something to do. I would say that that is not a very productive lifestyle. Why bother passing on tradition or cultural excellence if when you die it is the end? Why bother establishing stability for future generations? There's just no incentive to provide for others now or in the future if you only believe in yourself.
The unbelieving world are superficial. They are always talking big like they are in the know when they don't have a clue about the most important part of life as a whole, the spiritual component. They claim to trust science, but when science reveals something that the Bible has said was true all along, they conveniently deny those facts; They trust in the scientific community as long as the science doesn't agree with scripture; a sort of pick and choose science.
The unbelieving world is hateful They are always trying to find ways to disgrace someone or make fun of them or to uncover their shortcomings. It makes them feel important, knowledgeable and or course right. But building your own self up on the backs of others is hardly noteworthy, nor is it admirable. They scoff at the simple words of faith while they promote lies and untruths about: Biblical facts, our founding fathers and their faith, who Jesus is, the power of faith in medicine and healing, the power of faith in world history. They say awful things about good people and try to pass laws expelling any reference to Jesus simply because they are hateful.
The unbelieving world is desperate. They have no hope, no Saviour, no inner peace, no eternity vision. Their hope is in their own mind, limited and profoundly self-aggrandizing. They find peace in nothing so they have to be vigilant to hurt others feelings. They take delight in passing laws that strip people of faith their rights, while they promote their own rights to do so. Hypocrites at best, liars and mean-spirited lovers of themselves. They are desperate because they have no hope for the future or a willingness to learn something new because they are satisfied with the inferiority that comes with ignorance and reduced responsibility.
The unbelieving world is lost. They are spiritually dead. They trust in themselves and beyond that they get their kicks form others who identify with them. Serious unbelievers have made a religion for themselves. They preach, they follow, they teach, they train, they promote and they advertise.
The unbelieving world has been around since the beginning. So have men and women of faith. We are called to be compassionate to those who hate us and to be tolerant of those who believe differently or in the case of atheist, believe in atheism. We are to love those who despitefully use us and stand against us and to lend them a cheek to smack if necessary. We are to pray for them and do what we can to bless them. That's right to bless them that curse us is a Christian attribute. Despite what they do to us, we are to do to them what Christ has done for us, to forgive them.
This blog was inspired by Bill Maher in his childish ploy to discredit Christianity in his movie/docudrama, Religulous.
There are scoffers today alright. I was watching a program produced by an atheist. It was anti-religious and anti-Christ. The commentator interviewed Christians and Jews and then ran selected sound bites attempting to reveal how utterly incompetent believers are. He misquoted almost everyone, made fun of the older women, ministry leaders and priests and it was obvious his intent was to belittle and ultimately dismiss men and women of faith as complete and utter idiots.
I know that it is the times we are in and I know that the unbelieving world hates us and loathes the thought that those with faith might just know what they are talking about. What I don't understand is why the unbelieving world is so bent on making those who do have faith look so bad? What is it that causes them to say such awful things about people they don't know? Why do they denounce people of faith? I'll tell you why.
The unbelieving world are meddlers. They have no faith and no hope of their own, so they demean others to stoke their own ego. They have no vision and most of them believe that there is no purpose for their existence except to fill themselves up and then die. They meddle for something to do. I would say that that is not a very productive lifestyle. Why bother passing on tradition or cultural excellence if when you die it is the end? Why bother establishing stability for future generations? There's just no incentive to provide for others now or in the future if you only believe in yourself.
The unbelieving world are superficial. They are always talking big like they are in the know when they don't have a clue about the most important part of life as a whole, the spiritual component. They claim to trust science, but when science reveals something that the Bible has said was true all along, they conveniently deny those facts; They trust in the scientific community as long as the science doesn't agree with scripture; a sort of pick and choose science.
The unbelieving world is hateful They are always trying to find ways to disgrace someone or make fun of them or to uncover their shortcomings. It makes them feel important, knowledgeable and or course right. But building your own self up on the backs of others is hardly noteworthy, nor is it admirable. They scoff at the simple words of faith while they promote lies and untruths about: Biblical facts, our founding fathers and their faith, who Jesus is, the power of faith in medicine and healing, the power of faith in world history. They say awful things about good people and try to pass laws expelling any reference to Jesus simply because they are hateful.
The unbelieving world is desperate. They have no hope, no Saviour, no inner peace, no eternity vision. Their hope is in their own mind, limited and profoundly self-aggrandizing. They find peace in nothing so they have to be vigilant to hurt others feelings. They take delight in passing laws that strip people of faith their rights, while they promote their own rights to do so. Hypocrites at best, liars and mean-spirited lovers of themselves. They are desperate because they have no hope for the future or a willingness to learn something new because they are satisfied with the inferiority that comes with ignorance and reduced responsibility.
The unbelieving world is lost. They are spiritually dead. They trust in themselves and beyond that they get their kicks form others who identify with them. Serious unbelievers have made a religion for themselves. They preach, they follow, they teach, they train, they promote and they advertise.
The unbelieving world has been around since the beginning. So have men and women of faith. We are called to be compassionate to those who hate us and to be tolerant of those who believe differently or in the case of atheist, believe in atheism. We are to love those who despitefully use us and stand against us and to lend them a cheek to smack if necessary. We are to pray for them and do what we can to bless them. That's right to bless them that curse us is a Christian attribute. Despite what they do to us, we are to do to them what Christ has done for us, to forgive them.
This blog was inspired by Bill Maher in his childish ploy to discredit Christianity in his movie/docudrama, Religulous.
Saturday, December 3, 2016
Daily Devotional December 3 - Denial Doesn't Diminish Truth
""And when Herod saw Jesus, he was exceeding glad: for he was desirous to see him of a long season, because he had heard many things of Him; and he hoped to have seen some miracle done by Him." Luke 23:8
This Herod is from a line of Herods that had reputations of being unrelenting, calculating and wicked. This Herod beheaded John the Baptist. But Herod was a learned man and he, like his father, knew about the prophesy of Jesus. This Herod's father was the one that had all the children under two years of age killed at Bethlehem. And this Herod was over the Jews at Jerusalem as the keeper of peace between the Romans and the Jews. This Herod wanted to see Jesus do a miracle like an enthusiast would pay to see a magician. This Herod like the Herod before him had no real interest in Jesus, but this Herod did want to seek some magic.
It's the same today. There are many people that really want a magical genie god; one that will kindly get back in the bottle and mind his own business after performing a great feat for their master. Jesus doesn't do magic and God doesn't need Herod's approval. The fact that Jesus spurned Herod is simply more proof of the fact that Jesus was true to Himself and true to His mission. Herod, in his indiscreet and conspicuous fashion wanted Jesus to do a miracle to show off to his underlings.
Jesus didn't meet Herod's expectations and Jesus doesn't meet the expectations of many people today either. I have heard it from many, "If Jesus was to do a miracle, I would believe in Him." "If Jesus was real He would do this or that." The list is long of all the things that the unfaithful would like to see Jesus do.
But on the other hand there are those who have learned to trust Jesus even though they have never seen a miracle. They believe in Jesus having never seen, but by faith, accepting the work of Jesus on their behalf. Those saved by faith alone, no miracles, no gifts, no special agreement, just simple faith. There are those who believe all that Jesus has said even while in their own experience things aren't looking that good, because faith transcends the physical world and outlives the temporal.
For the naysayers out there, we don't believe in Jesus because we have seen Him walk on water and we don't love Jesus because He did some miracle for us, and we don't follow Jesus because He will come back and set up His kingdom, nor because of all that Jesus has done for us. We believe, love and follow Jesus because He called us and we answered yes. Our proof has already taken place and the truly faithful need no more proof. Jesus has already proven Himself, to Herod and to you and to me. Herod's denial of the truth and anyone else's denial of the truth for that matter has not changed a thing. Jesus and His children and the angelic hosts have changed everything.
This Herod is from a line of Herods that had reputations of being unrelenting, calculating and wicked. This Herod beheaded John the Baptist. But Herod was a learned man and he, like his father, knew about the prophesy of Jesus. This Herod's father was the one that had all the children under two years of age killed at Bethlehem. And this Herod was over the Jews at Jerusalem as the keeper of peace between the Romans and the Jews. This Herod wanted to see Jesus do a miracle like an enthusiast would pay to see a magician. This Herod like the Herod before him had no real interest in Jesus, but this Herod did want to seek some magic.
It's the same today. There are many people that really want a magical genie god; one that will kindly get back in the bottle and mind his own business after performing a great feat for their master. Jesus doesn't do magic and God doesn't need Herod's approval. The fact that Jesus spurned Herod is simply more proof of the fact that Jesus was true to Himself and true to His mission. Herod, in his indiscreet and conspicuous fashion wanted Jesus to do a miracle to show off to his underlings.
Jesus didn't meet Herod's expectations and Jesus doesn't meet the expectations of many people today either. I have heard it from many, "If Jesus was to do a miracle, I would believe in Him." "If Jesus was real He would do this or that." The list is long of all the things that the unfaithful would like to see Jesus do.
But on the other hand there are those who have learned to trust Jesus even though they have never seen a miracle. They believe in Jesus having never seen, but by faith, accepting the work of Jesus on their behalf. Those saved by faith alone, no miracles, no gifts, no special agreement, just simple faith. There are those who believe all that Jesus has said even while in their own experience things aren't looking that good, because faith transcends the physical world and outlives the temporal.
For the naysayers out there, we don't believe in Jesus because we have seen Him walk on water and we don't love Jesus because He did some miracle for us, and we don't follow Jesus because He will come back and set up His kingdom, nor because of all that Jesus has done for us. We believe, love and follow Jesus because He called us and we answered yes. Our proof has already taken place and the truly faithful need no more proof. Jesus has already proven Himself, to Herod and to you and to me. Herod's denial of the truth and anyone else's denial of the truth for that matter has not changed a thing. Jesus and His children and the angelic hosts have changed everything.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)