Is the Bible valid?

For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes—the Jew first and also the Gentile. This Good News tells us how God makes us right in his sight. This is accomplished from start to finish by faith. As the Scriptures say, “It is through faith that a righteous person has life.” (Romans 1:16-17)

Sometimes we encounter those who really don't believe the truth of the gospel. It could be that we sometimes struggle with it ourselves, questioning the validity of what God has said or promised to us. Those who doubt the truth today might even say it is just kind of 'old-fashioned' and outdated - like it belonged to our parent's generation, not ours. What is worse is that some actually believe they are able to do life on their own, that they don't need this 'God thing' we talk about. Faith isn't 'old-fashioned', outdated, or 'invalid'. It never grows old.

I think some may balk a little at the words found within the pages of our bibles because they see them as 'man's ideas'. In other words, they see them as written by some scholarly men back in the day, but who is to say they are the 'real deal'? They have no idea that God used men, through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, to record those words. They forget that God wrote the first words on stone, but we lost those a long time ago when they were shattered on the ground at the sight of the false gods people had erected to worship. 

God's word is a powerful thing to those who will accept it, put their trust in what it says, and live according to the principles taught within those pages. If man doubts the validity or value of such truth, they only need to put it into practice to see it stands the test of time and has a value far greater than one might imagine. It has a transformative power unlike any other 'truth' circulated throughout time. If we will listen to its wisdom, embracing it as truth, we will begin to experience that transformation within our lives that is only possible when we allow our hearts to be open to his touch.

Through faith in Christ, we are welcomed into God's family. That faith grows as we embrace not only the person of truth (Christ), but the words of truth (the scriptures). Just sayin!

Is obedience an irritant?

When obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment God will endow us with power. (Ezra Taft Benson)

We cannot expect to ignore God's instruction forever and not see some form of chaos in our world. God gives grace, time to turn to him, but he won't be mocked. We cannot live like we want, then expect all of God's blessings to be in our lives. Theodore Roosevelt reminded us, "Obedience of the law is demanded; not asked as a favor." 

Take hold of my instructions; don’t let them go. Guard them, for they are the key to life. (Proverbs 4:13)

We lack so much power in our lives all because we seek to do things our own way. We find our greatest strength and power when we apply God's instructions to our lives. If we ignore those instructions for way too long, the path we have committed ourselves to will be filled with chaos, angst, and quite unfulfilling endeavors. 

Take hold of his instructions - this doesn't imply that someone else is to tell you what God says. It indicates we are to find the time and give the energies of our life toward finding those truths for ourselves. We have become a culture that believes what we see or hear without really testing it to see if it is true, therefore giving ourselves over to all manner of deception. Deception really isn't all that hard to combat when we know the truth!

If someone were to give you the keys to their house, telling you that you could use it at any time, enjoy all that is within those walls, and never have to leave that sanctuary, would you just pocket the keys and forget about all that had been provided? So many do just that when they turn away from the truth God has revealed within scripture. He has given us the keys to overcome all manner of temptation and deception, but unless we actually take the keys out of our pocket and use them, what benefit will those instructions provide? Just askin....

Closed or Open?

As we have been studying 'seeds' throughout scripture, we cannot neglect the parable of the sower and the seeds. The seed in this parable is clearly defined by Jesus as the Word of God. The importance of receiving and nurturing the seed is emphasized, but also the condition of the 'soil' or heart of the one who receives the 'seed'. 

This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word. The seeds that fell on the footpath represent those who hear the message, only to have the devil come and take it away from their hearts and prevent them from believing and being saved. The seeds on the rocky soil represent those who hear the message and receive it with joy. But since they don’t have deep roots, they believe for a while, then they fall away when they face temptation. The seeds that fell among the thorns represent those who hear the message, but all too quickly the message is crowded out by the cares and riches and pleasures of this life. And so they never grow into maturity. And the seeds that fell on the good soil represent honest, good-hearted people who hear God’s word, cling to it, and patiently produce a huge harvest. (Luke 8:11-15)

Receptiveness is a key component in determining if the seed sown will actually come to fruition. A closed heart indicates a closed mind. The more we close ourselves off from receiving God's Word (in all its truth), the more we will squelch growth, being open to all manner of deception. An open heart embraces God's word, not always easily, but willingly.

The more we are 'in' God's word, the more we are likely to be challenged to 'correct' or 'embrace' something. Perhaps this is why so many don't take the time to discover what is within his word - they don't want to change, and they fear what they might be asked to embrace. Our enemy, the devil, works overtime to keep us out of God's word and if he cannot do that, he works overtime to steal away any hope of transformation we may have after reading it.

When we embrace God's word, we are welcoming change. That may frighten some, but truth cannot abide untruth, so God will 'weed out' any lies of the devil we have embraced, replacing them with his truth. Unyielding, unprepared soil might just require a bit more 'tilling' than we'd like. When God sets his sights on the soil of our hearts, what will he find? Just askin...

Can it pass the test?

Have you ever been told something, only to find out it wasn't true at all? I think we have all bought one of those 'miracle', 'wonder', 'amazing', or 'as seen on...' products at some time in our lives. I remember mom getting all this stuff from one of the 'clearing houses' that really wasn't all that good, but if she bought it, she felt it increased her chances of becoming a millionaire. We all 'buy into' an outright untruth at one time or another, don't we? The bigger the lie, the harder it is to 'sell', but so many seem to 'buy into' various lies of the enemy of their souls without giving it a second thought. The biggest lie we can buy into is that God has turned his back on a lost and hurting world. God never turns his back, always has a way of escape for those who will look toward him and will always be the ultimate authority no matter what other authority attempts to set themselves up above him.

For the word of the Lord holds true, and we can trust everything he does. He loves whatever is just and good; the unfailing love of the Lord fills the earth. (Psalm 33:4-5)

God's word holds true - we cannot escape the truth within his word. We cannot add to it, take away from it, or 'make it say what we want it to say'. It is unalterable! God will always stand for what is just and good. He will never compromise that truth. It is good for us to remember that God doesn't have to 'sell' his 'agenda' to anyone. He reveals his grace, love, and peace - then we are free to embrace it or leave it alone. God hasn't turned his back on his people, even when it appears that all is amiss in our world at the moment, we cannot ever believe the lie that God has abandoned us. His power still reigns supreme. His purposes are still to bring hurting people into his presence, embracing them in his love, and regenerating their hearts and minds so they can enjoy the peace and freedom of grace.

Test all you hear. Some may have turned their backs on 'fact checking' the things they see and hear today, but we need to be 'fact checkers' in all we hear, see, are asked to embrace. We cannot blatantly just adopt a stance that if 'he or she said it', it must be true. We need to take what we hear and see to the Word of God and see what God says about it. Remember this - all lies are wrapped in some element of truth. Even the 'wonder', 'amazing', 'miracle', and 'as seen on...' stuff we 'buy into' has some element of truth to it. It just doesn't live up to all the hype! Just sayin!

What's in your 'mind wallet'?

The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts: therefore, guard accordingly, and take care that you entertain no notions unsuitable to virtue and reasonable nature. 

(Marcus Aurelius)

I recall all you have done, O Lord; I remember your wonderful deeds of long ago. They are constantly in my thoughts. I cannot stop thinking about your mighty works. (Psalm 77:11-12)

Whatever it is we choose to think upon the most will eventually manifest itself in our words and actions down the road. We may not consider the influence of those thoughts until we find ourselves acting in some way contrary to the way we should have acted, but when we truthfully consider what led to the 'not so great actions', we cannot neglect to see how our thought life influenced them. The 'recollection' of memories is not always a bad thing, nor is the consideration of certain truths and wise counsel, but when we dwell too long upon stuff God tells us to avoid, we are going to see negative actions emerge.

The quality of our thoughts matters probably much more than the quantity of things we put in our minds right now. Our present day's mantra isn't to get 'quality' knowledge as much as it is to just 'get knowledge'. The many ways we 'feed' our minds these days is astronomical compared to how we obtained knowledge a hundred years ago, or even fifty years ago. We have 'X', Facebook, all manner of news media online, and sites like 'Wikipedia' that can produce what some find as 'instant information' right at their fingertips. Back in the day, we had to go to the library, drag out the encyclopedias and actually 'hunt down' information. The 'quantity' of information we allow into our brains today without even realizing we are being influenced by it might just blow your mind if you were to truly consider what you 'take in' over the course of a day.

Get God's Word in first, prayerfully considering all that he gives you in those 'bite size chunks' of his truth and then test all the other 'stuff' you hear, read, or see. Chances are the 'truth' you think might be true that we find in all these other sources is just a bit 'tainted' by whatever entity puts it forth. Recall God's deeds, his goodness, the guidance he assures us we will have in him and ask him to help you reject all 'truth' that really isn't wise to ponder or dwell upon. Our minds aren't meant to be clogged up with all manner of 'negative' thoughts. They are meant to help us contemplate the greatness and goodness of our God. Just sayin!

Deal with the untruth

“If you stick with this, living out what I tell you, you are my disciples for sure. Then you will experience for yourselves the truth, and the truth will free you.” (John 8:31-32)

A disciple is a follower, for sure, but with the intent of learning from the master. I read lots of woodworking articles, observe how things are made, and yet I am not a disciple of any particular 'woodworking master'. I just do it for a hobby. Christianity is more than a hobby - it is us committing to serve the master (Jesus), sit under his tutelage, and take what we have learned to others so they can learn it, as well. Too many may view it as a mere 'hobby' - calling themselves 'Christian', but lacking any real life change, spiritual power, or deep knowledge of how God responds. 

Peter Marshall reminds us, "God will not permit any troubles to come upon us, unless He has a specific plan by which great blessing can come out of the difficulty." Discipleship doesn't assure us of any 'easy ride' in this lifetime. In fact, it may mean just the opposite, for this 'dying to oneself and living for Christ' is kind of difficult at times. It takes constant focus, unwavering attention to life's details, and a willingness to respond appropriately when the challenge to revert back to an old way of living exerts unending pressure upon us. Great blessing may just be all about the journey and not so much the moment. It may just be made up of a whole bunch of little moments where the disciple responded in faith to what he knew to be true.

Truth is a very freeing thing. Don't believe me? Try it! There is likely some 'half-truth' we have all believed somewhere along the way, only to come into greater knowledge at some point, having our minds blown for having believed the untruth so easily. Truth may be harder to grasp than untruth because it brings conviction. As long as we hold onto the untruth even a little bit, we will never be totally free to embrace truth entirely. The disciple commits to truth - whatever form it takes - no matter how hard it is to embrace. When he does, he is assured of life - deep, meaningful, purposeful life. Just sayin!

Personal Scripture

My dear children, I write this letter to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone sins, we have Jesus Christ to help us. He always did what was right, so he is able to defend us before God the Father. Jesus is the way our sins are taken away. And he is the way all people can have their sins taken away too. If we obey what God has told us to do, then we are sure that we know him. If we say we know God but do not obey his commands, we are lying. The truth is not in us. But when we obey God’s teaching, his love is truly working in us. This is how we know that we are living in him. (I John 2:1-5)

A long time ago, I had a pastor who told us it was okay to substitute our own names into scripture. For example, I could read this passage as, "My dear Lauretta, I write this letter to you...", making it come alive to me personally. When I began to realize scripture was written for ME, I began to find it both comforting and a little convicting. At times, it opened up doors for my healing and peace. At others, it brought me to my knees in repentance. Either way, scripture did its work IN me because it was written FOR me. It is written for all of us - you included!

Written that I may not sin - when I see it as a personal letter to me, I begin to appreciate how much care God takes to help ME live right. It isn't just the early church that received this letter to live in such a way that they didn't sin, but it was for each of us personally. The message is clear - God wants us to stop accepting sin in our lives as 'normal' or 'expected'. He wants us to forsake the selfishness of sin and settle into the selflessness of living for and with Christ. In turn, he gives us the means by which to do exactly that!

Sin doesn't need to hold us back - it can be taken away and we can find a new purpose in life - obedience to God. We might find it a little intimidating to hear some of these passages put in the personal tense, but if we truly want to be free of our sin, we need a 'personal God' who meets us right where we are. If anyone sins - it is pretty much a 'given' that we ALL fit that bill. We have Jesus to help us with being free of that sin - not just forgiven, but free from it. Too many times we fail to equate forgiveness with freedom. Jesus replaces that sin with his righteousness. We replace the desires to sin by getting truth INTO our lives.

Jesus deals with our sin, but we learn to deal with the temptation to 'sin again' by getting God's truth into us. The scripture doesn't have to be hard for us to understand, especially when we allow it to become 'personal' to us. Just sayin!

Tested and True?

In the past there were false prophets among God’s people. It is the same now. You will have some false teachers in your group. They will teach things that are wrong—ideas that will cause people to be lost. And they will teach in a way that will be hard for you to see that they are wrong. They will even refuse to follow the Master who bought their freedom. And so they will quickly destroy themselves. Many people will follow them in the morally wrong things they do. And because of them, others will say bad things about the way of truth we follow. These false teachers only want your money. So they will use you by telling you things that are not true. But the judgment against these false teachers has been ready for a long time. And they will not escape God who will destroy them. (2 Peter 2:1-3)

We are living in a time when believers are bombarded on all sides by one teaching after another - in media of all forms, in personal contact, and even from our public 'pulpits'. We must know how to evaluate the teaching of those we choose to listen to as wise students of the Word. We must learn to filter out the truth from the lie - God gives us the ability to do so, but so many choose just to 'blindly believe' all they hear and see. Understanding in the spiritual sense is never from a man's own understanding - it has come because God has granted that individual the wisdom to understand. We need God's protection over our lives in order to avoid falling prey to any manner of 'false teaching'.

Ideas that will cause people to be lost - those words really say it all. We would not believe an outright lie, would we? We might believe it if it was 'sandwiched' deep inside some truth from God's Word, though. That is how the false prophet works - he brings the 'untruth' with just enough truth that we imagine it must be true, as well. Eventually, that untruth will take us down paths God says we were to avoid entirely, but we were 'duped' into believing it was okay to travel them anyway. One thing about those who bring false teaching is pretty apparent - they 'use you by telling you things that are not true'. If we were to evaluate their teaching against truth in God's Word, we might find little bits and pieces of 'untruth' has been mixed in - muddying the teaching of God in small ways at first and then in bigger ways later on.

This is why it is so important for us to discover God's Word for ourselves. We must allow it to get into our hearts and spirits so we can recognize any untruth when it is cleverly masked within truth. God also gave us his Holy Spirit who will bear witness to truth but will also give us an uneasy feeling toward any untruth that we may encounter. When that uneasiness comes, we can either reject it and continue to just go along with the false teaching, or we can heed it, rejecting the teaching as unwise, unhealthy, and untrue. The Bereans were commended as those who took every teaching and compared it to the scriptures. They 'tested' the teaching they heard to see if it was true. We'd do well to do the same! Just sayin!

The truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth

What you heard me teach is an example of what you should teach. Follow that model of right teaching with the faith and love we have in Christ Jesus. This teaching is a treasure that you have been trusted with. Protect it with the help of the Holy Spirit, who lives inside us. (2 Timothy 1:13-14)

Teaching or instruction abounds, but knowing which one should be impacting your life is best left to the best tutor one could ever have - the Holy Spirit. When we ask the Holy Spirit to 'control' what comes into our minds, hearts, and emotions, we are trusting him to 'weed out' any instruction that isn't 'spot on' and 'zero in on' that which is truth. Any 'almost truth' isn't worth our time or effort!

What you hear me teach - God gives us so many positive examples, but is it wise to just 'accept without question' whatever it is they are teaching? No, absolutely not. We need to test every teaching against the Word of God and then rely upon the Holy Spirit to bring a confirmation of that truth deep within our spirit. If it doesn't ring true on ALL accounts, we aren't to buy into it. When I say, 'all accounts', I mean it lines up with the Word of God, is in keeping with the way God acts, and is born up by a confirmation from the Holy Spirit.

If we don't spend time getting to know the voice of God, we might just accept half-truths, or total untruths all together. One of the things we hear so much about these days is 'fact-checking' our political candidates. Maybe it is time we ask the Holy Spirit to 'fact-check' some of the things we have been believing as 'gospel' in our lives! Trust me on this one - the Holy Spirit is kind of like God's "Snopes" when it comes to 'sniffing out truth'!

God's teaching is something we are entrusted with - so we want to get it right. We don't want 'mixed messages' that are a bit 'muddied' by opinion, subtle untruth, or selfish ambition, do we? We want the truth, nothing but the truth, and the whole truth. To that end, we need the wisdom that comes from getting to know God's Word. We must protect the treasure of truth with the help of the Holy Spirit. Then we must share truth (and nothing but the truth), so others may know it, too. Just sayin!

In short order

Do what God’s teaching says; don’t just listen and do nothing. When you only sit and listen, you are fooling yourselves. Hearing God’s teaching and doing nothing is like looking at your face in the mirror and doing nothing about what you saw. You go away and immediately forget how bad you looked. But when you look into God’s perfect law that sets people free, pay attention to it. If you do what it says, you will have God’s blessing. Never just listen to his teaching and forget what you heard. (James 1:22-25)

I share often about 'hearing', but 'doing' nothing with what we 'hear'. Why? The importance of being a 'doer of the Word' cannot be outlived, outsourced, or outdone! We need to incorporate the Word of God into our daily lives - making the teachings therein the source of our instructions on how to live with one another. Ever look at yourself in the mirror and be so dissatisfied with what you are seeing that you just turned away and tried to forget what you saw? You likely wanted a 'different picture' reflected back, but we don't get a 'different picture' until Christ makes a difference in our hearts.

When we look into the Word of God, the 'picture' we see reflected back to us can either be quite concerning, or perhaps it is quite satisfying. The difference is determined in how much the Word of God has become more than just 'good words' to us. When the Word of God is allowed to ruminate deep within our spirit, we find there will be a change of heart that affects our minds and eventually begins to affect our 'appearance'. I am not sure how God does all that work within us to make us 'new', but I am confident he has begun it in each of us. We may not see the reflection today that we expected to see, or even hoped was possible, but we can trust that when we are taking in the Word and allowing it to work within us, the reflection is changing.

Many believe the Word of God is outdated, but truth is never outdated or outdone. Truth remains when all else fades away. We might have been believing something that is 'close to truth' in our lives, but it actually is not truth at all. If we allow all manner of 'untruth' to come into our lives, we might just find ourselves getting a little confused as to what is really true. If we want answers, we look to the Word of God, not some show on TV or self-help guru. We find truth in Christ and him alone. Our 'reality' is sometimes clouded by what we have 'added to' truth within our lives. Ask God to ferret out any untruth we have believed, and he will go about this work in rather short order. Just sayin!

BC / AC

Most people would say that God's commands are a set of rules we need to keep in mind as we go throughout our lives. They are a set of 'guidelines' we are to 'adhere to' the best we can in order to somehow 'make our way to God'. There is 'no making one's way to God' - he already made his way to us! We 'keep' the commands of God not because we 'have to', but because they are what actually gives us a new way of living.

I will never forget your commands, because through them you gave me new life. (Proverbs 119:93)

Let's look at it this way - BC (Before Christ) we likely 'colored outside the lines' a bit with our lives. Then AC (After Christ) was given control of our lives, we have likely observed some change in our priorities, actions, and even our attitude. Yes, his presence begins this work, but it is more than we just keep his commands. We actually delight in keeping them - we see them as a way of making better choices. We don't resist them any longer, trying to color outside the lines, but trust the 'lines' are there because they will shape us into loving and caring individuals.

The commands of God aren't burdensome to a believer because they are actually shaping our lives anew. We don't keep them because we have to, but because we delight in the 'freedom' of spirit, soul, and mind that comes when we do. Most outside of a relationship with Jesus would think that an odd statement to make because they cannot see any set of rules as giving us 'freedom'. Our freedom is 'bought' by keeping the commands of God, but reinforced when we move from just knowing the commands into the place of allowing them to affect the way we live.

Some might believe that this scripture implies the keeping of his commands as the way to new life, but this isn't what is meant when God tells us we are given new life through them. We are given new life when we take hold of Christ, allow him to be the central part of our lives, and then trust him to show us how his commands create a circle of protection over our lives. The more we ask God to show us his truths, coupled with the prayer to help us incorporate those truths into our daily actions, the more we will delight in those commands. Just sayin!

Stir it up

I need to know your commands. Don’t keep them hidden from me. I constantly feel a hunger to understand your laws. (Psalm 119:19-20)

The psalmist has just said he feels a bit like a stranger on this earth - something we might have felt ourselves from time to time. When things get a little too wonky for our taste, or the tides of change are just more than we can endure, we might actually tell God things are a 'little foreign' to us. The very thing our psalmist does is what we likely should do, as well - he asks God to help him understand - to really 'know' his commands. Why? There is a hunger for truth that God 'plants' within each of us that drives this 'urge to know' truth.

This hunger doesn't come naturally - it is God 'planted' within our spirits. Our mind might seek to understand truth, but the hunger for it comes from deep within our spirit. It is within our spirit that we commune with God - where his presence dwells. We might not realize it when we pray for wisdom, but we are really asking God to keep us on course. If you have ever been enticed off-course for even a short while, you know that something inside of you is urging your return to truth. Why? Your spirit is one with God's now and his Spirit cannot abide in sin, so you are convicted and urged to turn away from that course.

How constant is your hunger for truth? If it isn't pretty gnawing at times, you might just need to ask God to 'stir up' those seeds of truth he has planted within you and let him draw you back into truth's pathway. The more we get his truth inside our minds, the more our spirit will desire even more of truth's evidence to be revealed within our lives. It is like we cannot live without it - like it is the very 'life source' we need in order to survive in a crazy, mixed-up world that does nothing more than create chaos in our minds, emotions, and souls. 

We may think God is hiding his truths from us, but it is likely that we haven't taken time to discover it as we should. His truth abides within, but sometimes we need to have it stirred up a bit in order to realize it is at work inside of us. Just sayin!

Following the right voice?

God is very powerful, but he does not hate people. He is very powerful, but he is also very wise.
He will not let evil people live. He brings justice to the poor. He watches over those who live right.
He lets them rule in high places. (Job 36:5-7)

There are times when we stand back in wonder, pondering how it is that evil can get such an advantage in this world. We might not see God's forces at work because the evil just seems to 'outdo' what we see God doing, but we can rest assured what we don't see is the legions God has moving to overtake evil! God is wise and we need to trust his timing. Sometimes evil abounds, but he still protects those who serve him and love him with their whole hearts.

God doesn't hate people, but people respond to evil's pull and influence sometimes more rapidly than they do God's beckoning call to abandon sin. It is easy to get caught up with the movement of the crowds and neglect to see there are some faithful servants of Christ standing back, pulling away, and standing strong against the current. They don't do that in their own power, but because the Lord God is within them. The ones following the crowds aren't listening for his voice, but they are hearing what they want to believe.

What we can count on is God's justice. He won't let evil prevail or go unpunished. In fact, he gives time for repentance, but he isn't going to resist the evil desires of one's own heart. Evil abounds because the people follow their own desires, form their beliefs on what some charismatic person says, and then the move ahead blindly. God's wisdom dictates we don't listen to any other voice than his - allowing his Word and his Spirit to be the things that form our beliefs.

God watches over those who live right. How do we make right choices? We learn to discern the voice of this world system from that of our Lord and Savior. We assess every word and action of those who ask us to follow them against the Word of God. We see if the life testimony aligns with the Word of God - if not, we reject the message. There will always be evil until Jesus comes again - so we must learn to identify its influence, stop listening to its voices, and trust his power to help us resist the urge to follow the wrong voices. Just sayin!

Hey, is that really true?

Don’t stop the work of the Holy Spirit. Don’t treat prophecy like something that is not important. But test everything. Keep what is good, and stay away from everything that is evil. (I Thessalonians 5:20-22)

Don't stop the work of the Holy Spirit - just how might we do that in our own lives or the lives of others around us? We might not listen when he is giving us guidance, choosing our own plans or path. We could discount something he has shown another, making them question if they are really hearing from God at all. We might find ourselves disagreeing with truth simply because it doesn't 'fit' our present lifestyle or choices. Whenever we 'stop the work of the Holy Spirit', we might find ourselves walking away from truth and toward deception quicker than we think!

Test everything - does God really mean 'everything' when he says this? Yes, he does! Test what you hear before you put your full belief into it! I always tell someone if something doesn't quite line up with scripture, we have to rely upon the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives to give us that final 'nudge' toward it, or that final 'tug' away from it. Many simply believe what they hear, failing to get into the scripture to see for themselves what it reveals about what is being taught. This is a dangerous way to live our lives because it sets us up for deception. Keep what is good - stay away from everything else!

The saying to 'chew up the meat and spit out the bones' holds true here. We are not going to swallow everything we hear - it might introduce things into our lives that will do us great harm. Why do you think God sent the Holy Spirit to indwell believers? It was for our safety - so we would have a 'filter' in our lives through which all teaching, instruction, and 'beliefs' could be 'tested'. It isn't that we aren't smart people - it is that we can be deceived easier than we might recognize. The work of God's Spirit within us is to bring confirmation, as well as to show us where there is a 'misalignment' between what we are forming beliefs around and God's truth. 

The closer we get to Jesus, the more our enemy wants to 'dissuade' us from that relationship. His tactic has been deception from the beginning of time, and he is too set in his ways to change that now! We need the protection of God's Spirit within to help us 'ferret out' any belief that is misaligned in ANY way with what God says to be true, upright, and holy. Just sayin!

Grace Words

"Did I offer peace today? Did I bring a smile to someone's face? Did I say words of healing? Did I let go of my anger and resentment? Did I forgive? Did I love? These are the real questions. I must trust that the little bit of love that I sow now will bear many fruits, here in this world and the life to come." (Henri Nouwen)

A gentle answer makes anger disappear, but a rough answer makes it grow. (Proverbs 15:1)

My words make a difference - all our words do! We cannot 'make words' and then expect they will just 'hang out there' indefinitely. At some point, our words will either build up or tear down. Our words will help someone navigate life's challenges wisely, or they will turn them in a direction that causes them to veer off course. Words have an impact - good, bad, or simply confusing - they all matter.

We might not think we have much to say, but when we speak, do our words come across in a loving manner? Do they encourage one who is holding back on something God is asking them to do? Are they able to sift through the meaningless to find the deeper meaning? Words spoken from the heart of God are always on target. God doesn't mess around with words. Even when Jesus used a parable to tell people about God's love and care, he did it because the 'story' made it easier to grasp the truth.

Words may have been spoken to you throughout your lifetime that you have come to believe as 'truth', but they are simply words that brought much confusion, distrust, and angst into your life. There are just times when God has to 'retell' the truth in your life in order to undo the things that weren't actually 'correct'. Whenever we hold onto any untruth about ourselves, God is going to 'retell' the story. Why? He loves us too much for us to believe any lie!

God's Word is truth. The words he speaks into our lives through those deeply in love with him reflect truth. The more we surround ourselves with truth, the less likely we are to believe 'rough answers' in our live. We will gravitate toward those that are gentle, reflecting the grace of God instead. May your home be filled with tons of 'grace words', my friends. They matter! Just sayin!

Shore up those gaps

Building upon a strong foundation is important. The materials we acquire for the building must be put to use. I have a home improvement store (one of those huge ones) about one mile from the house. I love to take time to go up and down the aisles exploring the various things they have there. If I could have my "run of the store" without worrying about paying for the stuff, it would be like "heaven on earth"! From the little fasteners which seemingly disappear as they are put into the wood, or the drill bit adapter which creates that perfect angle by which you get that screw in at a perfect 45-degree angle, I could create and create and create! As long as those tools and materials remain at the local home improvement store, they are just materials. Unless we actually take into our possession what God gives us for building up our lives and put them to use in our lives, they are simply dreams we hold. We have been given great resources, but if we don't put into practice the Word of God, it is like a great pile of resources which goes untapped. Untapped resources might mean the difference between being able to withstand the storms of life and 'going under' when they come.

“Whoever hears these teachings of mine and obeys them is like a wise man who built his house on rock. It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. But it did not fall because it was built on rock. “Whoever hears these teachings of mine and does not obey them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. It rained hard, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house. And it fell with a loud crash.” When Jesus finished speaking, the people were amazed at his teaching. He did not teach like their teachers of the law. He taught like someone who has authority. (Matthew 7:23-29)

The storms will come, but we don't have to be obsessed with them. I don't make a living staring at those radar screens like the meteorologists do at our local TV stations. Their mission in life is to give us as much "early warning" of inclement weather as possible so we stay safe and are prepared for what will come. If I spent all my life watching the horizon for what may come next, I would miss out on what is right in front of me today. The wise builder doesn't build "in the moment", reinforcing the structure for whatever "weather" is predicted for the day. He prepares for what will come by building for all manner of weather. He doesn't build in a flood area because he knows waters might come with such force so as to wash away his hard work. He doesn't forget to nail down the shingles because he knows the winds will come and leave his home exposed if he does. He doesn't neglect sealing the cracks and crevices because he knows the heat and cold will seek a way inside, making life hard to bear. He prepares in advance of what is sure to come. 

I think we can take a lesson here - not to be so concerned about what will come, but to allow the right attention to the details of what gets "worked into" our lives up front so that we are prepared when the issues arise which might come against us like gale force winds and raging currents. If they do, we are well-prepared and on a strongly anchored foundation. Get God's Word into you and you will be amazed at how strong that foundation becomes. Let his Word change the way you respond to life's events, and you will likely 'shore up' places where you once were weak and your resistance to the storms was quite ineffective. Just sayin!

Thanks for the advice

Some people like to do things their own way, and they get upset when people give them advice. Fools don’t want to learn from others. They only want to tell their own ideas. (Proverbs 18:1-2)

Some people just cannot see any other solution to their issue than what they can manage to come up with in their own minds or through their own power. To suggest something outside of that imagined solution somehow makes you the "crazy one" in the equation! There is much danger in being so determined to just do things our own way, though. In many circumstances, the way we determine to be the "best" or "right" may just be the easiest and present the least resistance. I know I have chosen this option more than a few times, only to find out that the easiest "up front" isn't always the easiest on the "back end". My pride kept me from finding out if there was an "easier" or "better" way other than what my mind could muster on its own.

Sometimes pride determines the course we take whenever we are faced with something a bit "over our heads". We might think we have a solution, but pride keeps us from asking if we are even on the right track! Pride is one of the most limiting things we can face - probably more limiting than just about any other issue in our lives. Why? Pride limits our ability to see any other solution to life's issue than our own - it is our way, or the highway. We don't even look for another solution because we have our minds and hearts so wrapped around what we believe to be best that we almost shut out any other possibilities. Pride escalates one's ideas and beliefs to the place of superiority and shuts down any other idea or belief not completely like one's own. 

There is a tell-tale sign one is experiencing some issue with pride in their life. When you are presented with another solution to what is front of you, do you immediately reject it as "wrong" or "unworthy" of your time or attention? Do you even stop to consider any other way than your own? There are times when we want this immediate rejection of ideas - like when they are totally wrong or violate God's commands. For example, if someone says the way to get to work sooner is to just be a ding-dong of a driver on the road and weave furiously in and out of traffic until you nearly run every driver off the road, you might want to reject that one! On the other hand, if someone tells you to set your alarm 15 minutes earlier and avoid hitting the snooze button five times, you might want to give that one some consideration. 

Some of what we imagine is "right" or "good" may not be "bad" - it just may not be what is best in the moment. We need to first weigh what we are about to do against God's commands - if it is okay there, it is likely okay for us to pursue. Then if the scripture doesn't give us any real clear advice on the matter, we have to rely upon conscience - something a little less reliable. When another comes alongside to give us advice, we weigh it against scripture and our conscience. If it doesn't violate either, we might do well to give it consideration. We may never know when that "teachable moment" may occur which actually helps us move beyond something we've been struggling with for a while! Just sayin!

Not for show

He saw that Jesus gave good answers to their questions. So he asked him, “Which of the commands is the most important?” Jesus answered, “The most important command is this: ‘People of Israel, listen! The Lord our God is the only Lord. Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength.’ The second most important command is this: ‘Love your neighbor the same as you love yourself.’ These two commands are the most important.” (Mark 12:28-31)

Jesus taught anyone who would listen - even the Pharisees and Sadducees - the religious leaders and zealots of the day who were most likely the ones who would challenge everything he would say. They weren't really all that "open" to his teachings; it was more that they wanted to find some way to trip Jesus up in his teaching and discredit him publicly. They were quite jealous of the attention he was getting - after all, they had been the primary "religious" teachers of the day and now they had a little "competition". Our pride is a dangerous thing whenever it puts what we have accomplished, think we know, or even actually do know above the potential of learning truth or seeing truth in a fresh way. The "teacher of the law" saw that Jesus was pretty good at accurately being able to answer the questions and challenges of the group. He asked what he thinks might be the hardest of questions to answer: "Which of the commands is the most important?" Could this have been a 'challenge' to see if Jesus would say something that 'tripped him up' and let the crowds see him as a 'false teacher'? Jesus wasn't stumped by this line of questioning but came back quickly with not only the most important, but the second most important! It is just like Jesus to not only give us what we want, but what we also need!

The answer the teacher wanted was the "most important" command. He didn't expect Jesus to throw in the second most important which actually revealed to the crowds that he had a greater hold on truth than the religious crowd believed he did. Jesus works this way time after time, giving us not only what we ask for, but what we don't even know we have need of. These religious leaders were working hard to discredit him - challenging him with tough questions it had taken them years of study to sort of understand. Baffled by his "brilliance" in answering each and every one of them, they want him to identify what would actually support all the other teachings he had elaborated on up to that point. You see, these religious leaders hadn't treated him, nor those they lived with on a regular basis, with the kindness and dignity God expected. Their religious works were for show, but deep down inside their inner man, their pride got in the way of them really connecting themselves as "equal" with the sinners all around them. In essence, they might have wanted to know what Jesus considered the most important truth, but they needed to understand how they treated others mattered! We can understand truth and still treat others 'differently' or with less kindness than we should. Just sayin!

Walk in it

And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us. Those who obey God’s commandments remain in fellowship with him, and he with them. And we know he lives in us because the Spirit he gave us lives in us. (I John 3:23-24)

We must believe - there is no other way into a restored relationship with God the Father than through Jesus Christ, his Son. This truth sometimes gets a little tweaked in religious circles - wanting to add some manner of 'works' to the simple belief God requires of us. No amount of us 'doing' will ever measure up to what Christ has already done. Simply believe that Jesus is the Son of God, died on the cross to make us free from the guilt and shame of our sin, and stop adding to the simplicity of grace. Grace is given, never earned. It is based on a finished work - that of Jesus and not on what we will ever be able to do in 'addition' to what has already been done.

Love one another - another very pointed command involves us living at peace with each other, giving of ourselves to one another, and removing the 'obligation' to love us in return. Those who do not have this deep, growing relationship with Jesus have a great deal of difficulty loving in such a manner. Why? There are strings attached to their love. They want something in return. Love as though you have received everything you need in Christ Jesus because you have! We cannot receive more than we have already been given - all we need is found in Christ Jesus. When we love one another, we are just sharing bits and pieces of his grace, goodness, and kindness that has been extended to us.

Remain in fellowship with him - engaging in an ongoing, continually growing relationship with him. As we do, we find loving one another is a 'natural offshoot' of having experienced his tremendous love. Relationship is always a two-way street. We don't just talk to God; we listen to him. We don't just receive from God; we share what we have received. We don't just get to keep; we receive to give out until other lives are overflowing with his grace and love just like ours. Those who 'remain' in fellowship have a special privilege - the Spirit of God lives within them. We no longer 'walk out' our salvation alone because we have God's Spirit to guide our choices and influence our actions. Believe, love, remain - three very specific actions on our part. God's grace and love backs each of these very specific actions. All we do is walk in that grace and love. Just sayin!

Driven toward truth

As pressure and stress bear down on me, I find joy in your commands. (Psalm 119:143) 

The late Walt Disney said, "It is kind of fun to do the impossible." With God, much of what we see as impossible is really not, but that doesn't minimize the fact that the impossible comes with its own stress and pressure. There is a certain 'stress' within faith - trust requires stepping outside of our comfort zone from time to time. When we do, the pressure that can bear down on us can almost overwhelm us. This is why we must press into our relationship with Jesus even harder during these times. 

Someone once told me to enjoy that stress and feel that pressure. Why? It meant I was going to see God work within my life in ways I had never experienced before. So, I took that advice and actually took a different attitude toward all that pressure as the 'impossible' closed in around me. Do you know what happened? Before long, the 'attitude' I had assumed actually began to change my focus away from the mounting pressures and stress toward God's goodness, protection, and provision. I saw things within the Word of God that I hadn't seen before - things that helped me navigate unfamiliar territory. I enjoyed my quiet time with Jesus just a bit more because I could find renewed peace and settled emotions in those times.

Pressures and stressors abound - especially when we are faced with the 'impossible'. Some have tried to tell me we experience stress because we aren't trusting God deep enough. I have to challenge this because if that were the case, we'd never be out from under great stress and tremendous pressure! We can always trust God more, go a little deeper in our relationship with him, and have our eyes opened to truth in new ways. As our psalmist reminds us, pressure and stress should always drive us toward truth - to a firm foundation upon which we can stand strong when the winds of change are coming at us like a gale force wind. 

Truth has a way of dispelling myth and misplaced trust. When we want security and peace more than we want pressure and stress, we might just be drifting into a bit of complacency in our walk with Jesus. To experience growth requires pressure and stress. We might not know how powerful time in his Word can be until we begin to feel the pressure drive us into it just a bit deeper. We might not know how peace-filled our lives can be in the midst of trials galore until we begin to worship and lift our hearts in praise to him. When we least feel like getting truth is likely when we need it the most. Just sayin!