Month: September 2023

Our current news cycle is following several major strikes by unions against their respective employers. A common theme of these contract negotiations is protecting the worker as technology rapidly changes their respective industries. Artificial intelligence. Electrification of the automobile. These are important issues and need to be addressed with updated language and provisions that protect both employer and employee. 

What about our relationship with God? In the last few years, the Church has been barraged with accusations of racism, bigotry, and misogyny. Some denominations and independent churches have given in to pressure from their own congregations and the general public and changed their message, even adopting different Bibles that have translations with more inclusive language. Is this the solution for the Church to move forward?

Not that we are sufficient in ourselves to claim anything as coming from us, but our sufficiency is from God…

2 Corinthians 3:5 (ESV)

In stark contrast to the negotiations between employers and unions, the Church does not need to adopt new language to clarify its position. It needs to return to its original language. Only by returning to its core beliefs will the Church be able to move forward. Author John Frame writes, “Scripture is clear enough to make us responsible for carrying out our present responsibilities to God.” The Bible is sufficient because Christ is sufficient. 

Amen!

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

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She said goodbye to everyone in her family. To those whom she could not speak to in person, she left a voicemail or a text message. She traveled often so many who received her message were bewildered since it was only for a short trip away from home. In less than twenty-four hours, she was dead, a victim of a freak plane crash. Friends and family reflected on her behavior after she departed. “It was like she had a premonition of what was about to happen.”

I was watching a documentary about a well-known musician whose wife was killed in a tragic plane crash. It was not the first time I heard such a story about people experiencing premonitions of what was about to happen. Whenever I do, I always wonder if such premonitions are true. Of course, we usually only hear of the ones that came true; we do not know the total number of people who receive premonitions, just the ones that are publicly shared. 

Although it may appear that some saints of the Bible received premonitions from God, these need to be distinguished from prophecy. A premonition is a feeling that something is about to happen. A prophecy is a direct revelation from God with specific messages for God’s people at that moment in time. It was not a feeling, but God’s revealed will. How should a Christian deal with the idea of premonitions?

God has united you with Christ Jesus. For our benefit God made him to be wisdom itself. Christ made us right with God; he made us pure and holy, and he freed us from sin. 

1 Corinthians 1:30 (NLT)

All of us, Christian and non-believers, have experienced premonitions. Occasionally, they may even be correct. However, this does not mean these are given to us by God. God does not ask us to trust our feelings. He asks us to trust in Him. Only faith in the source of all wisdom, Jesus Christ, can correctly guide us in our actions and decisions. 

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

A popular relationship counselor was discussing some of the reasons couples, that have been married a long time, end up separating or getting a divorce. Aside from the usual stressors such as finances, addictions, or affairs, she put forth a very practical suggestion. She bluntly observed, “One of my favorite suggestions is that you can either be right, or you can be in a relationship.”

As numerous pundits and married couples can attest, marriage is hard work. However, any relationship is complicated and requires compromise. What about our spiritual relationship with God? Do we ever argue with God, thinking He must be wrong and we are right? 

I will proclaim the name of the LORD; how glorious is our God! He is the Rock; his deeds are perfect. Everything he does is just and fair. He is a faithful God who does no wrong; how just and upright he is! 

Deuteronomy 32:3-4 (NLT)

Regrettably, I still need to learn much about relationships, whether with my spouse or more importantly with God. Do I argue with God? Yes, more often than I would like to admit. Why do I do this? Do I think that somehow God will see my point and give in to my demands?  Unlike with my spouse, it is not about compromise. God is unchanging and always right! He does not have to meet me halfway and compromise Himself. God authored the book of relationships. He is always right and I need to learn this.

How desperately I need my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Only by confessing my sinful pride and repenting of my sins will I learn to be in the right relationship with God.

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

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“Gentlemen.”

Our teacher motioned toward the door leading to his classroom where a young woman was standing. She was a visiting teacher from another country, here to observe American high schools. In my high school, our teacher strictly enforced the rule that all boys would stand at attention when a woman entered the classroom. In today’s gender-fluid society, there are a few who would still stand at attention when a woman enters a room. It is unfortunate. There are many instances when standing at attention is appropriate and proper; it is showing respect to an individual or institution. Soldiers stand at attention in the presence of a superior officer. When the national anthem is played, there is an expectation to stand at attention for the duration. However, there is one institution where I believe it should be done more often. Recently, I was pleased to experience it.

“For those who are able, let’s stand and read the Word of God.”

The majority of the church congregation rose in unison as the pastor opened his Bible and read the passage on which his sermon was based. It was something that is not done in many contemporary churches and I appreciated it. It demonstrated respect for God’s Word, respect that should always be at the forefront of everyone’s mind and heart when they meet to worship God. Thousands of years ago, it was common for God’s people to stand when His Word was read aloud.

Ezra opened the book in the sight of all the people for he was standing above all the people; and when he opened it, all the people stood up. Then Ezra blessed the LORD the great God. And all the people answered, “Amen, Amen!” while lifting up their hands; then they bowed low and worshiped the LORD with their faces to the ground. 

Nehemiah 8:5-6 (NASB)

Standing at attention honors the institution or individual. If we do it for a guest or for our country, we should certainly do it for Almighty God, the creator of the universe and the author of our salvation.

Amen.

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

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All of us have viewed live performances. There is excitement, spontaneity, and an energy that may not occur with filmed performances. Yet, there is also a risk that the actors can break character. This is when a character breaks the illusion that they are the character they supposedly portray. We have all seen examples of this, usually on live television or in performances. However, it is interesting when it occurs in a movie or filmed television show since the director decided to leave the scene as it happened. Here are examples of classic sequences, all non-live shows. 

Top 20 Scenes Where Actors Couldn’t Keep a Straight Face – YouTube

When actors break character, it can be viewed as a sign of inexperience or genuine humanness. Either way, it is unexpected and usually amusing. Whether as an actor or in real life, there are expectations on how we should act and the roles we are expected to play. When we do not, it is unexpected but not always amusing. 

I am always astounded by how God gives us so many intimate details about His great saints. If I was writing the Bible, I would want to present the very best portrait of each character. Yet, God includes many unexpected and not always amusing examples of behavior. There is Noah getting drunk after the Flood. There is King David’s adulterous affair with Bathsheba. Even the Apostle Paul had a very out-of-character exchange, recorded by the Holy Spirit, in the Book of Acts. 

After some time Paul said to Barnabas, “Let’s go back and visit each city where we previously preached the word of the Lord, to see how the new believers are doing.” Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark. But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work. Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus. Paul chose Silas, and as he left, the believers entrusted him to the Lord’s gracious care. Then he traveled throughout Syria and Cilicia, strengthening the churches there. 

Acts 15:36-41 (NLT)

That was unexpected and not amusing. God’s chosen missionary to the Gentiles had a heated argument with his fellow missionary, Barnabas. Paul did not want to take fellow missionary, John Mark, with them since he had deserted them on the prior missionary journey. The Bible does not give us the details but one can imagine the tone and high emotions of a disagreement so sharp, it forced Paul to separate from Barnabas. 

God deliberately left these examples in the Bible. He exposes all of our sins and faults, not so we may denigrate others, but to be grateful for His grace and mercy to accept us, even when we break out of character. 

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

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Audie Murphy. Alvin York. Robert Howard.

These revered names are American soldiers and heroes who were each awarded the Medal of Honor. Each is a legendary example of bravery under fire and extraordinary circumstances. All of their accolades and honors are more than well deserved. Yet for every well-known hero, there are dozens, even hundreds of other unsung heroes who either supported them and have gone unacknowledged, overlooked, or forgotten in the chaos and tragedy of war. We may never know their names but the heroes who were publicly honored know who they are. 

In our spiritual battles with Satan, God uses many of His saints to assist us. Do we always recognize when and how they helped us in our spiritual battles? The Apostle Paul is acknowledged to be one of the greatest missionaries of the early Church. He justifiably deserves the accolades he received. Yet, Paul always acknowledged those who supported him, enabling him to do God’s work.

I commend to you our sister Phoebe, who is a deacon in the church in Cenchrea. Welcome her in the Lord as one who is worthy of honor among God’s people. Help her in whatever she needs, for she has been helpful to many, and especially to me. Give my greetings to Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in the ministry of Christ Jesus. In fact, they once risked their lives for me. I am thankful to them, and so are all the Gentile churches. 

Romans 16:1-4 (NLT)

At the end of his letter to the Romans, Paul thanks numerous individuals who helped him. Many of these names are never mentioned anywhere else in the Bible. While Paul gives some details on how he was assisted, they are largely unsung heroes, even though some even risked their lives for him.

Someday, in Heaven, in the presence of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, we will be reunited with the many saints and heroes that God used to help us in our lives. We will learn their names and they will be honored by God, not with a medal of honor, but with the Crown of Righteousness, given to all faithful saints of Jesus Christ.

Amen!

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

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I sifted through the mail and spied the letter from my phone carrier. Junk mail for sure, I thought, but something was different about this letter so reluctantly, I opened it. My instincts were correct. It was another notification of a privacy breach. Hackers had accessed the company’s servers, potentially accessing thousands of user’s sensitive private information, including bank accounts, credit cards, and social security numbers. It was the third notification letter in the past month I had received from various vendors.

Any privacy breach is a serious violation of our privacy and security. However, the real fear is the uncertainty in knowing whether and when this information will ever be used against us. We will not know unless we are the victim of identity fraud and even if that happens, there is no way of knowing the source of the privacy breach.

Uncertainty haunts us. Ever since Adam and Eve, sin has injected uncertainty into our lives. We do not know when some secret or event from our past will come to light and embarrass or humiliate us. We are wary of sharing intimate information about ourselves with others since we do not know if it will ever be used against us. We are even uncertain about our relationship with God. Does God really cause all things to work together for good? Is He really in control of a world that is riddled with privacy breaches?

The LORD says, “I will rescue those who love me. I will protect those who trust in my name. When they call on me, I will answer; I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them. I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.” 

Psalms 91:14-16 (NLT)

God has the solution for our uncertainty. He will rescue and protect those who trust and love Him and accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. God reassures us that He does not change. He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. There is never uncertainty when we place our trust in Him.

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

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“My children are grown and making a difference in the world today in their professions. They are servant leaders and my wife and I could not be more proud.”

I was reading the farewell letter written by the athletic director for a major university. Rather than boasting about his accomplishments, he highlighted the contributions of others who helped the entire program achieve success. He acknowledged his family whom he thanked for their unwavering support for the previous seven years. As he honored his own children, his statement crystallized the definition of a servant leader. 

The great Bible teacher, Warren Wiersebe, wrote, “It has been said that leaders are people who accept more of the blame and less of the credit, but they are also people who quietly sacrifice so that others might have more.” Christian author and missionary, J. Oswald Sanders, eloquently summarized the role of the servant leader. “A cross stands in the way of spiritual leadership a cross upon which the leader must consent to be impaled.”

So Jesus called them together and said, “You know that the rulers in this world lord it over their people, and officials flaunt their authority over those under them. But among you it will be different. Whoever wants to be a leader among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first among you must be the slave of everyone else. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.” 

Mark 10:42-45 (NLT)

There are many honorable leaders to emulate but Jesus Christ is our supreme example of a servant leader. He sacrificed everything, being impaled on the Cross, so that others may have more. Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior; we follow because He first did. He was obedient to God, the Father, never wavering from His mission to restore the relationship that sin ruptured between God and man. 

Praise God!

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

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The United States Marine Corps defines leadership as, “The sum of those qualities of intellect, human understanding, and moral character that enables a person to inspire and control a group of people successfully. This is a beautiful and succinct definition. Everyone either is a leader or follows one. These same qualities are present in spiritual leadership. D. L. Moody said, “A holy life will produce the deepest impression. Lighthouses blow no horns; they only shine.” 

The Bible is replete with many examples of great leaders. Abraham. Moses. King David. The Apostle Paul. All of them exhibited the qualities of great leadership, inspiring and shining. However, in the absence of strong leadership is the dark truth that many will grasp at anything. The Israelites vividly illustrated this. Moses was on Mt. Sinai for forty days while God was giving him the laws and commandments to guide and instruct His people. 

When the people saw how long it was taking Moses to come back down the mountain, they gathered around Aaron. “Come on,” they said, “make us some gods who can lead us. We don’t know what happened to this fellow Moses, who brought us here from the land of Egypt.”

So Aaron said, “Take the gold rings from the ears of your wives and sons and daughters, and bring them to me.” All the people took the gold rings from their ears and brought them to Aaron. Then Aaron took the gold, melted it down, and molded it into the shape of a calf. When the people saw it, they exclaimed, “O Israel, these are the gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt!” 

Exodus 32:1-4 (NLT)

It was only forty days that Moses left his people alone. With God’s power, he miraculously led them out of slavery in Egypt. Yet, in this briefest of time intervals, when they perceived they did not have a leader, the people turned away from God, willing to follow anything that could provide spiritual leadership, even a golden calf. While it may be easy to criticize the Israelites, the history of the world is littered with people blindly following leaders who step up to fill a power vacuum. Napoleon. Hitler. Mao Tse-Tung. 

Our lives do not have to follow this tragic course. Even if it appears that God is no longer leading us, He is always there. We can trust Him because He is not a man or an inanimate object, powerless to save us. This is His promise to us and God cannot lie. 

This is what the LORD says: “Cursed are those who put their trust in mere humans, who rely on human strength and turn their hearts away from the LORD. They are like stunted shrubs in the desert, with no hope for the future. They will live in the barren wilderness, in an uninhabited salty land. 

Jeremiah 17:5-6 (NLT)

We do not follow men. We follow the Living God, Jesus Christ.

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

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He was joined by two of his friends, who feasted at a buffet of their favorite foods. They dined al fresco, basking in the sun’s rays on a beautiful summer day, the air crisp and freshened by a recent rain.  

Ah, the good life!

I was not at a restaurant. I was observing a group of rabbits who meet in my backyard every day. Such a good life, I thought! However, are their lives as carefree and idyllic as it appeared to me? Rabbits live only about 10 years. They are continually preyed upon by numerous predators. They are often exposed to the elements. Perhaps it is not as good a life as it appears?

Asaph wrote twelve of the Psalms in the Bible. He was a Levite, a priest of the Jews. He had an exalted position in King David’s court as a worship leader. He most definitely had a good life! In spite of all this, he had a confession. He envied others who seemingly had a good life, better than his. 

But as for me, I almost lost my footing. My feet were slipping, and I was almost gone. For I envied the proud when I saw them prosper despite their wickedness. They seem to live such painless lives; their bodies are so healthy and strong. They don’t have troubles like other people; they’re not plagued with problems like everyone else. They wear pride like a jeweled necklace and clothe themselves with cruelty. These fat cats have everything their hearts could ever wish for! 

Psalms 73:2-7 (NLT)

Asaph wrote this Psalm thousands of years ago, yet, it is clear that some things never change. Asaph knew these were wicked people yet they seemingly prospered. How could God allow this to happen? Where is the justice?

Then I realized that my heart was bitter, and I was all torn up inside. I was so foolish and ignorant—I must have seemed like a senseless animal to you. Yet I still belong to you; you hold my right hand. You guide me with your counsel, leading me to a glorious destiny. Whom have I in heaven but you? I desire you more than anything on earth. My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; he is mine forever. 

Psalms 73:21-26 (NLT)

A few verses later, Asaph understood the Truth. He was asking the wrong question. “Whom have in heaven but you?” He was mistaking material blessings for spiritual blessings. He was looking at other people’s lives when he should have been looking at God. 

Ah, the good life!

We only live it when we understand that we belong to God and He will never let us go!

Love and trust in the Lord; seek His will in your life.

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