Just sharing.

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“I drew them with cords of a man, with bands of love.”

Hosea 11:4

Our heavenly Father often draws us with the cords of love; but ah! how backward we are to run towards him! How slowly do we respond to his gentle impulses! He draws us to exercise a more simple faith in him; but we have not yet attained to Abraham's confidence; we do not leave our worldly cares with God, but, like Martha, we cumber ourselves with much serving. Our meagre faith brings leanness into our souls; we do not open our mouths wide, though God has promised to fill them.

Does he not this evening draw us to trust him? Can we not hear him say, “Come, my child, and trust me. The veil is rent; enter into my presence, and approach boldly to the throne of my grace. I am worthy of thy fullest confidence, cast thy cares on me. Shake thyself from the dust of thy cares, and put on thy beautiful garments of joy.” But, alas! though called with tones of love to the blessed exercise of this comforting grace, we will not come.

At another time he draws us to closer communion with himself. We have been sitting on the doorstep of God's house, and he bids us advance into the banqueting hall and sup with him, but we decline the honour. There are secret rooms not yet opened to us; Jesus invites us to enter them, but we hold back. Shame on our cold hearts! We are but poor lovers of our sweet Lord Jesus, not fit to be his servants, much less to be his brides, and yet he hath exalted us to be bone of his bone and flesh of his flesh, married to him by a glorious marriage-covenant.

Herein is love! But it is love which takes no denial. If we obey not the gentle drawings of his love, he will send affliction to drive us into closer intimacy with himself. Have us nearer he will. What foolish children we are to refuse those bands of love, and so bring upon our backs that scourge of small cords, which Jesus knows how to use!

 

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The Bible is the central document of the Christian faith. It is, we believe, more than just another ancient text. It is more than a human record of the past. It is also less than perfectly clear. This isn’t some kind of well written set of propositions to guide life. But it is centered on God’s revelation of his work in the world. Several years ago I read an interesting little book by John Polkinghorne, theoretical physicist turned priest, Testing Scripture: A Scientist Explores the Bible. In chapter 4 he explores the ambiguity he finds in the bible. It is worth looking at again.

The tapestry of life is not coloured in simple black and white, representing an unambiguous choice between the unequivocally bad and the unequivocally good. The ambiguity of human deeds and desires means that life includes many shades of grey. What is true of life in general is true also of the bible in particular. An honest reading of scripture will acknowledge the presence in its pages of various kinds of ambiguity. (p. 33)

In many ways ambiguity simply means real life, the incidents and characters in scripture are multidimensional. Even the best of humans are not all good and fail at times, sometimes quite spectacularly. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David are good examples here. They lie, they steal, they swindle, they murder and they benefit from their deceit. The bible whitewashes none of this.

The violence and the outworking of justice in the Old Testament provide other examples of ambiguity. Achan died for his theft and deceit, and his family died with him despite the fact that he confessed when confronted (Joshua 7). David suffered no such fate for violating God’s commandments (2 Sam 11-12). Jesus, Matthew tells us, is descended from Solomon, son of David by Uriah’s wife. (Luke has the descent of Jesus run though Nathan to David, avoiding Solomon … another kind of ambiguity to consider).


Do you see ambiguity in scripture? If so, where?

There are other aspects to the ambiguity in scripture, aspects that deal with God and the character of God. Dr. Polkinghorne begins with Genesis 22 where God tested Abraham telling him to sacrifice Isaac on an altar at Mount Moriah. This story seems pointless and unnecessarily severe. Perhaps this story was intended to teach Israel that the child sacrifice practiced by neighboring nations was not God’s will. Perhaps we should read it Christologically. The story of Abraham and Isaac is a type (a symbolically anticipatory event) of the death of Christ on the cross. But there is ambiguity in the event and in its purpose.

Dr. Polkinghorne sees ambiguity as well in some of the NT stories of the life of Jesus.

The miracle at the wedding at Cana seems out of place. Is this a matter of fact report of a miracle at the beginning of the ministry of Jesus? The placement in John just before the cleansing of the Temple must have a symbolic purpose. Is the transformation of water to wine a real event? Or could it be a symbolic narrative incorporated as if enacted to make a point about Jesus? Of course it could be both – an enacted symbolic event.

The interaction between Jesus and the Canaanite woman in Matthew 15:21-28 is another incident Dr. Polkinghorne finds ambiguous. He suggests that Jesus in his humanity was unsure what to do in this instance. Jesus was persuaded to action by the woman’s bold stance.

Judas Iscariot is an ambiguous character. He was chosen by Jesus and yet he betrayed Jesus.

Much Christian thinking has seen Judas as wholly evil from the start, as if he were a kind of devil incarnate. I do not think this is credible in the light of his having been chosen by Jesus. I find helpful the interpretation of Judas offered by Dorothy Sayers in her play-cycle about Jesus, The Man Born to be King. She suggests that Judas, like Peter, found it difficult to accept that Jesus was not going to be a militant Messiah who would destroy the forces of the Roman occupying power, but that he was to be a crucified Messiah, accepting the way of the suffering (Mark 8:31-33). (p. 39)

Perhaps Judas tried to force the matter and when it led to crucifixion he was overcome by remorse and driven to suicide. (Mt 27:1-5)

The ambiguity doesn’t end with the gospels. Dr. Polkinghorne also sees ambiguity in the writings of Paul. Paul wrestles around many different issues, at times his deep humanity and his struggles show through, at other times he writes with deep theological insight.

The presence of ambiguity in the text of scripture should shape our approach to scripture. The bible is not an answer book for all of life’s problems and questions, but a window on God’s interactions with is people and their reaction, good bad, and indifferent with shades of grey.

 

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God always leads us in triumph God always leads us in triumph __________________ But thanks be to God, who always leads us in triumph in Christ, and manifests through us the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. For we are a fragrance of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing; 2 Corinthians 2:14,15 NASB __________________ An altar of earth you shall make for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen. In every place where I record My name I will come to you, and I will bless you. Exodus 20:24 NKJV __________________ Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! "Who has known the mind of the Lord? Or who has been his counselor?" Romans 11:33,34 NIV __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“There is corn in Egypt.”

Genesis 42:2

Famine pinched all the nations, and it seemed inevitable that Jacob and his family should suffer great want; but the God of providence, who never forgets the objects of electing love, had stored a granary for his people by giving the Egyptians warning of the scarcity, and leading them to treasure up the grain of the years of plenty. Little did Jacob expect deliverance from Egypt, but there was the corn in store for him. Believer, though all things are apparently against thee, rest assured that God has made a reservation on thy behalf; in the roll of thy griefs there is a saving clause. Somehow he will deliver thee, and somewhere he will provide for thee.

The quarter from which thy rescue shall arise may be a very unexpected one, but help will assuredly come in thine extremity, and thou shalt magnify the name of the Lord. If men do not feed thee, ravens shall; and if earth yield not wheat, heaven shall drop with manna. Therefore be of good courage, and rest quietly in the Lord. God can make the sun rise in the west if he pleases, and make the source of distress the channel of delight. The corn in Egypt was all in the hands of the beloved Joseph; he opened or closed the granaries at will.

And so the riches of providence are all in the absolute power of our Lord Jesus, who will dispense them liberally to his people. Joseph was abundantly ready to succour his own family; and Jesus is unceasing in his faithful care for his brethren. Our business is to go after the help which is provided for us: we must not sit still in despondency, but bestir ourselves. Prayer will bear us soon into the presence of our royal Brother: once before his throne we have only to ask and have: his stores are not exhausted; there is corn still: his heart is not hard, he will give the corn to us. Lord, forgive our unbelief, and this evening constrain us to draw largely from thy fulness and receive grace for grace.

 

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What The Bible Says About Caring For Animals



If you love animals, I hope you’ll read what God thinks about animals and the care they should receive.
Laws for Animal Care
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen 1:1), but later, “God created the great sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarm, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good” (Gen 1:21). Since what God created was declared good, we should treat God’s creation in a good way, including the fact that we should “Know well the condition of your flocks, and give attention to your herds” (Prov 27:23). Scripture says a lot about loving God and loving our neighbor as ourselves, but we’re also commanded to show loving care to God’s creatures, and especially those who are under our care. Scripture declares that “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel” (Prov 12:10). The Old Testament laws provided for humane care for animals.

Laws like, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it is treading out the grain” (Deut 25:4), and “You shall not see your brother’s ox or his sheep going astray and ignore them. You shall take them back to your brother” (Duet 22:1). God even provided a Sabbath rest for man and animal, as it says in Exodus 23:12, “Six days you shall do your work, but on the seventh day you shall rest; that your ox and your donkey may have rest, and the son of your servant woman, and the alien, may be refreshed.” After being criticized for healing someone on the Sabbath, Jesus referred to the Old Testament laws that showed mercy and compassion toward animals, even on the Sabbath, so why not mankind as well. Jesus “said to them, Which of you, having a son or an ox that has fallen into a well on a Sabbath day, will not immediately pull him out” (Luke 14:5)? Probably none of them could answer that honestly.

God’s Compassion
God is concerned even with the minutest of creatures in nature. Deuteronomy 22:6-7 says that “If you come across a bird’s nest in any tree or on the ground, with young ones or eggs and the mother sitting on the young or on the eggs, you shall not take the mother with the young. You shall let the mother go, but the young you may take for yourself, that it may go well with you, and that you may live long.” The humane care of animals is so important that God commands, “If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him” (Ex 23:5). It doesn’t matter if it’s your enemy or not…you cannot treat an animal cruelly, regardless of who owns it. The creatures of the earth are under our stewardship since the Scriptures say that “every beast of the forest is mine, the cattle on a thousand hills. I know all the birds of the hills, and all that moves in the field is mine. “If I were hungry, I would not tell you, for the world and its fullness are mine” (Psalm 50:10-12). The point is when God commands, “You shall not muzzle an ox when it treads out the grain” (Duet 25:4; 1 Tim 5:18), He shows His care and compassion for His creatures and He expects us to show the same kind of care, just as my wife shows stay cats wh0’ve been abandoned.

God Provides
Clearly, God cares for His creatures, both great and small. Jesus said, “Consider the ravens: they neither sow nor reap, they have neither storehouse nor barn, and yet God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds” (Luke 12:24). Of course, God values us more since we’re created in the image of God (Gen 1:26-27), but this doesn’t mean He neglects the tiniest of creatures, like sparrows. The psalmist writes, “He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry” (Psalm 147:9). Not even a tine sparrow “will fall to the ground apart from your Father” (Matt 10:29b) knowing it. Jesus may have looked upward at the sky while He said, “Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they” (Matt 6:26)? Over and over again, we see God’s concern for His creation. We read that “The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing” (Psalm 145:15-16), and when “The young lions roar for their prey, seeking their food from God” (Psalm 104:21), He provides for them, and God causes “the grass to grow for the livestock and plants for man to cultivate, that he may bring forth food from the earth” (Psalm 104:14).

Change in Nature

Someday, perhaps soon, the nature of the creation will be changed. Not only will there be no more tears, sorrow, pain, or death (Rev 21:4), but even the nature of animals will be changed. Isaiah 65:25 prophesied that “The wolf and the lamb shall graze together; the lion shall eat straw like the ox, and dust shall be the serpent’s food. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain,” says the Lord.” In the coming kingdom, “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder’s den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea” (Isaiah 11:6-9).

Conclusion
God does not miss anything, like “five sparrows sold for two pennies? And not one of them is forgotten before God” (Luke 12:6). If God keeps an account of even the sparrows, you know He doesn’t miss how we treat our animals. The way we treat animals reveals a lot about us, and it is undoubtedly true that “Whoever is righteous has regard for the life of his beast, but the mercy of the wicked is cruel” (Prov 12:10).

 

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Love in action and with truth If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him? Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth. 1 John 3:17,18 NIV __________________ But my enemies are vigorous and strong, And many are those who hate me wrongfully. And those who repay evil for good, They oppose me, because I follow what is good. Do not forsake me, O LORD; O my God, do not be far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation! Psalm 38:19-22 NASB __________________ The bloodthirsty hate the blameless, But the upright seek his well-being. A fool vents all his feelings, But a wise man holds them back. Proverbs 29:10,11 NKJV __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“Behold, thou art fair, my Beloved.”

Song of Solomon 1:16

From every point our Well-beloved is most fair. Our various experiences are meant by our heavenly Father to furnish fresh standpoints from which we may view the loveliness of Jesus; how amiable are our trials when they carry us aloft where we may gain clearer views of Jesus than ordinary life could afford us! We have seen him from the top of Amana, from the top of Shenir and Hermon, and he has shone upon us as the sun in his strength; but we have seen him also “from the lions’ dens, from the mountains of the leopards,” and he has lost none of his loveliness. From the languishing of a sick bed, from the borders of the grave, have we turned our eyes to our soul's spouse, and he has never been otherwise than “all fair.”

Many of his saints have looked upon him from the gloom of dungeons, and from the red flames of the stake, yet have they never uttered an ill word of him, but have died extolling his surpassing charms. Oh, noble and pleasant employment to be for ever gazing at our sweet Lord Jesus! Is it not unspeakably delightful to view the Saviour in all his offices, and to perceive him matchless in each?—to shift the kaleidoscope, as it were, and to find fresh combinations of peerless graces? In the manger and in eternity, on the cross and on his throne, in the garden and in his kingdom, among thieves or in the midst of cherubim, he is everywhere “altogether lovely.”

Examine carefully every little act of his life, and every trait of his character, and he is as lovely in the minute as in the majestic. Judge him as you will, you cannot censure; weigh him as you please, and he will not be found wanting. Eternity shall not discover the shadow of a spot in our Beloved, but rather, as ages revolve, his hidden glories shall shine forth with yet more inconceivable splendour, and his unutterable loveliness shall more and more ravish all celestial minds.

 

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Abundance Redefined



Humans are made for abundance. But the question is “an abundance of what?” Life’s greatest challenge is discovering the truest source of abundance. We are promised it from all sorts of angles. Consumer products, religion, intellect, money, power, fame. We are searching for more and more and more. Our hearts are hardwired for an abundant life.
We tend to get it wrong along the way. Material abundance can lead us astray. What we seek to possess ends up possessing us. Our fear of loss can rob us of the kind of joy that only comes on the other side of risk. Sensual pleasures can become unhealthy addictions.


Conversely, all these things can lead to greater impact as we seek to serve. Through service, we are awakened to abundance. Our materials become a blessing to share. Taking pleasure in the right things can lead to a life filled with thanksgiving. And social abundance can provide the opportunity to be a great example.

Perspective
It is well documented that human beings are never satisfied. We chase after more and never seem to find it.
One of the reasons for this is that we view abundance as a finish line rather than a resource. We think abundance means the absence of pain, the end of suffering and confusion. Perhaps it is most true to say that we are not suffering from a lack of abundance but a lack of awareness. We don’t see the abundance in front of us and so, having not recognized it, we continue to search, demanding it manifest according to our own definitions rather than according to the truth.


Our circumstances are not perfect. Abundance is an opportunity not a finish line. It is not a pile of money at the end of the rainbow. It is a never-ending supply of choices. Opportunity after opportunity to express who we are, discover the depths of truth, and participate in our vision.

Grace
Grace is the truest source of abundance. When we seek and live under the grace of God, we are equipped with the abundance for every good deed. Not just some good deeds. Every good deed.
God promises that if we share our material abundance His favor will more than fill up whatever we need to do every good deed. If we share our pleasures, and our social abundance, God will fill up whatever tank we empty. When we seek God’s way, he promises there will never be a lack of fuel to do every good deed. It is an amazing promise. It is an amazing grace.

 

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Pray at all times With all prayer and petition pray at all times in the Spirit, and with this in view, be on the alert with all perseverance and petition for all the saints, Ephesians 6:18 NASB __________________ Likewise the Spirit also helps in our weaknesses. For we do not know what we should pray for as we ought, but the Spirit Himself makes intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. Romans 8:26 NKJV __________________ And foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD, and to worship him, all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and who hold fast to my covenant- These I will bring to my holy mountain and give them joy in my house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on my altar; for my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations." Isaiah 56:6-7 NIV __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money.”

Isaiah 43:24

Worshippers at the temple were wont to bring presents of sweet perfumes to be burned upon the altar of God: but Israel, in the time of her backsliding, became ungenerous, and made but few votive offerings to her Lord: this was an evidence of coldness of heart towards God and his house. Reader, does this never occur with you? Might not the complaint of the text be occasionally, if not frequently, brought against you?

Those who are poor in pocket, if rich in faith, will be accepted none the less because their gifts are small; but, poor reader, do you give in fair proportion to the Lord, or is the widow's mite kept back from the sacred treasury? The rich believer should be thankful for the talent entrusted to him, but should not forget his large responsibility, for where much is given much will be required; but, rich reader, are you mindful of your obligations, and rendering to the Lord according to the benefit received?

Jesus gave his blood for us, what shall we give to him? We are his, and all that we have, for he has purchased us unto himself — can we act as if we were our own? O for more consecration! and to this end, O for more love! Blessed Jesus, how good it is of thee to accept our sweet cane bought with money! nothing is too costly as a tribute to thine unrivalled love, and yet thou dost receive with favour the smallest sincere token of affection! Thou dost receive our poor forget-me-nots and love-tokens as though they were intrinsically precious, though indeed they are but as the bunch of wild flowers which the child brings to its mother.

Never may we grow niggardly towards thee, and from this hour never may we hear thee complain of us again for withholding the gifts of our love. We will give thee the first fruits of our increase, and pay thee tithes of all, and then we will confess “of thine own have we given thee.”

 

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Corporate Prayer During Transition



When Jesus prayed the Lord’s Prayer that many of us have memorized, He used terms like “our Father,” “we,” and “us.” He prayed a corporate prayer.
I’m going to share a particular part of a sermon with you and how the sermon developed. It was during a time of transition in our church, and it seems like the Lord prepared me for it in advance. So I thought it would be interesting to share.

i. Prayerful preparation before transition
A week and a half ago, Pastor asked me to preach. I didn’t know anything else. I started preparing, hoping to get everything done early so I could enjoy some turkey and hangout (this was originally preached after Thanksgiving weekend).[1]
God began dealing with me along these lines that I’ll be sharing with you. It was one of those situations when I didn’t know why. I spent quite a bit of time in prayer over this, wrestling with God, and asking “Why am I going to be ministering along these lines?” I didn’t quite get an answer, but I felt His peace.

Corporate Prayer During Transition
There were two specific occasions. A week ago Friday when I just crawled into one of these rooms and just prayed for awhile. I didn’t know everything that was going on.
Then I was led to prayer again on Wednesday morning. Pastor McIntire can attest that I show up to the office at 9 o’clock and it takes a good cup of coffee and an hour to wake up still, even after that. I’m just not normally a morning person, but God woke me up just like it was the middle of the day. At 5:30 in the the morning on that Wednesday, God again called me to prayer about these things.

I didn’t know everything. Nothing was really in focus, but I felt like God had laid out a word for you. I want to say I’m honored and I’m humbled to be the person to speak. We may not understand everything, but I know that God may help us focus through what we’ll share.

ii. Corporate prayer during transition
On Sunday night, November 2nd I preached on Prayer: Walking with God. I gleaned from the story of Enoch and how he walks with God daily. Since that time, I felt very strongly that was to be my topic in every situation. That week alone, I preached on Sunday night on prayer. I preached on Wednesday morning at Prunedale Christian Academy on prayer, and again that night to the youth group.

We’ve been taking the youth group through some studies on prayer. Two weeks ago, we dealt with the Lord’s Prayer. One of the things I pointed out to the youth group was that when Jesus prays the Lord’s Prayer (which many of us have memorized) He uses terms like “our Father,” “we,” and “us.” He prays a corporate prayer.
Dietrich Bonhoeffer, a German Evangelical Theologian last century, reflects on the Lord’s Prayer and how there’s power in praying together. He says that Jesus is teaching the Disciples. “The disciples call upon the heavenly Father as a corporate body, they call upon a Father who already knows his children’s needs. The call of Jesus binds them into a brotherhood.”[2]

There is a bond of fellowship that starts to happen when we begin to pray together, when we’re walking together with God.
Acts 1 is a familiar passage, with a couple verses that may not receive as much attention as other verses in this chapter or the next. These verses are in reference to the Disciples after Jesus had departed.
And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James.

These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren. Acts 1.13-14, KJV
Heavenly Father, as we come before You, we ask You to direct our thoughts. Draw us into a focus. Lord, through Your Word bring healing and direction for the days ahead. Jesus be with us in these moments. We pray that Your Word will be spoken and your anointing would be present, both on me to speak, and on our hearts to receive, in Jesus’ precious name. Amen

iii. Corporate prayer preceding grand-scale transformation
We can look throughout the New Testament Scriptures and find examples of corporate prayer. What I mean by that is joining together in prayer as a church body, as part of the Kingdom of God. The book of Acts is full of story after story of the Church praying together, and God answering mightily.
When we look at Acts 1, it shows us how the Disciples pray before Pentecost.

What if we discovered how to pray together to invite the Holy Spirit to have His way?
What if we were able to pray together to invite the Holy Spirit to transform our church and our city?
That’s exactly what the Disciples are doing.

 

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May your love abound more & more And this is my prayer: that your love may abound more and more in knowledge and depth of insight, so that you may be able to discern what is best and may be pure and blameless until the day of Christ, filled with the fruit of righteous - ness that comes through Jesus Christ--to the glory and praise of God. Philippians 1:9-11 NIV __________________ And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; and to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; and to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 2 Peter 1:5-8 KJV __________________ But the path of the righteous is like the light of dawn, That shines brighter and brighter until the full day. Proverbs 4:18 NASB __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“Only let your conversation be as it becometh the gospel of Christ.”

Philippians 1:27

The word “conversation” does not merely mean our talk and converse with one another, but the whole course of our life and behaviour in the world. The Greek word signifies the actions and the privileges of citizenship: and thus we are commanded to let our actions, as citizens of the New Jerusalem, be such as becometh the gospel of Christ. What sort of conversation is this?

In the first place, the gospel is very simple. So Christians should be simple and plain in their habits. There should be about our manner, our speech, our dress, our whole behaviour, that simplicity which is the very soul of beauty. The gospel is pre-eminently true, it is gold without dross; and the Christian's life will be lustreless and valueless without the jewel of truth. The gospel is a very fearless gospel, it boldly proclaims the truth, whether men like it or not: we must be equally faithful and unflinching.

But the gospel is also very gentle. Mark this spirit in its Founder: “a bruised reed he will not break.” Some professors are sharper than a thorn-hedge; such men are not like Jesus. Let us seek to win others by the gentleness of our words and acts. The gospel is very loving. It is the message of the God of love to a lost and fallen race. Christ's last command to his disciples was, “Love one another.”

O for more real, hearty union and love to all the saints; for more tender compassion towards the souls of the worst and vilest of men! We must not forget that the gospel of Christ is holy. It never excuses sin: it pardons it, but only through an atonement. If our life is to resemble the gospel, we must shun, not merely the grosser vices, but everything that would hinder our perfect conformity to Christ. For his sake, for our own sakes, and for the sakes of others, we must strive day by day to let our conversation be more in accordance with his gospel.

 

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How To Develop Godly Patience



Sometimes, patience is the last thing you have in this fast-paced, frantic world, so here’s how you can remain patient when everyone else seems to be losing theirs.
What is Patience?
The dictionary defines patience as: the ability or capacity to remain patient; the state of endurance under difficult circumstances; and/or persevering in the face of delay or provocation without acting upon it. That sounds a lot like Job. In the context of being persecuted for being Christ’s witness, Jesus said, “Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matt 5:29).

This doesn’t mean we don’t lock our doors at night or don’t take precautions, but we do not respond in kind. This was not talking about physical violence but about being insulted for His name’s sake. We are to turn the other cheek in the sense of not retaliating when we are insulted for our faith. That is the context of verses 38-42 because Jesus went on to say that “if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you.” Clearly this is a command to go the extra mile for someone and not give “An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth” (Matt 5:38). A person who is being persecuted for living a godly life shouldn’t be surprised by persecution (1 Pet 4:12-19; 1 John 3:13)…the surprise would be that a professing Christian is never persecuted for their faith.

“I choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly” (Psalm 75:2).

Drop the Gavel
In the 12th chapter of Romans, the Apostle Paul was writing to a heavily persecuted church in Rome, but he still tells them, “never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord” (Rom12:19). There are certain things we must leave up to the judgment God. The Psalmist understood that it was God Who would “choose the appointed time; it is I who judge uprightly” (Psalm 75:2). We do not overcome evil by getting even but we “overcome evil with good” (Rom 12:21b). Clearly, this means we “Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all” (Rom 12:17), with the understanding that God “will render to each one according to his works: to those who by patience in well-doing seek for glory and honor and immortality, he will give eternal life” (Rom 2:6-7).

Biblical Patience
Patience is a powerful thing during tumultuous times. Solomon wrote that it is “With patience a ruler may be persuaded, and a soft tongue will break a bone” (Prov 25:15), and not by hard words spoken in anger, which only stirs up more wrath. Part of the difficulty with Christians today is that we are sometimes not very patient with one another, even though we are told to “encourage the fainthearted, help the weak [and] be patient with them all” (1 Thess 5:14), so may “the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God” (Rom 5:5-7). The only one I run out of patience for is the one who looks back at me in the mirror. He’s a handful in itself!

Jumping to Conclusions
When you’re waiting for someone or someone breaks a promise, we can sometimes jump to conclusions, and not always the best ones. For example, if someone didn’t make it in time to pick us up, we might think their being late is their own fault, but that’s not always the case, is it? A person that’s patient and loving will tend to believe the best in a person before assuming the worst.

They know that “Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” (1 Cor 13:7). Love gives people the benefit of the doubt and does not think the worst in people. All too often I assumed that someone did something with evil intent or motives, only to find out later that this was not the case. I’ve repented of that and strive to avoid doing that now, but I know I am told to “Be patient, therefore, brothers, until the coming of the Lord. See how the farmer waits for the precious fruit of the earth, being patient about it, until it receives the early and the late rains. You also, be patient.

Establish your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is at hand. Do not grumble against one another, brothers, so that you may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing at the door. As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast. You have heard of the steadfastness of Job, and you have seen the purpose of the Lord, how the Lord is compassionate and merciful” (James 5:7-11).

Fruit of the Spirit
The fruits of the Spirit are “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control…”
Patience is not a gift of the Spirit but a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Gal 5:22), and a fruit that’s interwoven through the other fruits, like “love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another” (Gal 5:22-25).

Jesus said you will recognize a tree by its fruit, and the fruit shows us where its root is, since “every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits” (Matt 7:17-20). Naturally, only a good tree produces good fruit and a bad tree, bad fruit. Jesus warned that “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Matt 7:21). Time will tell if it’s godly fruit or wax fruit which will melt under the heat of persecution (Matt 13:20-21).

Conclusion
I’ve tried to focus on myself rather than others. That way I can be more patient with others. I realize that I cannot change people. Only God can do that (Prov 21:1), but I can change myself, and so I must be patient with others as the Bible commands, but I must also be patient with myself because our harshest judge is usually us! If I focus on being more patient with others, then others may be more patient with me.

One thing that’s humbling is to know that before we trusted in Christ, “such were some of you. But you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor 6:11). This means we are no better than anyone…just better off in our standing before God. Pray that those who are not yet justified through Christ that are reading this, might repent and come to saving faith in Jesus Christ today. In the meantime, be patient with them as the Lord was with us before we were saved.

 

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Seek first his kingdom So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own. Matthew 6:31-34 NIV __________________ He hath made his wonderful works to be remembered: the LORD is gracious and full of compassion. He hath given meat unto them that fear him: he will ever be mindful of his covenant. He hath shewed his people the power of his works, that he may give them the heritage of the heathen. Psalm 111:4-6 KJV __________________ "You will have plenty to eat and be satisfied And praise the name of the LORD your God, Who has dealt wondrously with you; Then My people will never be put to shame. Thus you will know that I am in the midst of Israel, And that I am the LORD your God, And there is no other; And My people will never be put to shame." Joel 2:26,27 NASB __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“And they rose up the same hour, and returned Jerusalem ... and they told what things were done in the way, and how he was known of them.”

Luke 24:33,35

When the two disciples had reached Emmaus, and were refreshing themselves at the evening meal, the mysterious stranger who had so enchanted them upon the road, took bread and brake it, made himself known to them, and then vanished out of their sight. They had constrained him to abide with them, because the day was far spent; but now, although it was much later, their love was a lamp to their feet, yea, wings also; they forgot the darkness, their weariness was all gone, and forthwith they journeyed back the threescore furlongs to tell the gladsome news of a risen Lord, who had appeared to them by the way.

They reached the Christians in Jerusalem, and were received by a burst of joyful news before they could tell their own tale. These early Christians were all on fire to speak of Christ's resurrection, and to proclaim what they knew of the Lord; they made common property of their experiences. This evening let their example impress us deeply. We too must bear our witness concerning Jesus. John's account of the sepulchre needed to be supplemented by Peter; and Mary could speak of something further still; combined, we have a full testimony from which nothing can be spared.

We have each of us peculiar gifts and special manifestations; but the one object God has in view is the perfecting of the whole body of Christ. We must, therefore, bring our spiritual possessions and lay them at the apostle's feet, and make distribution unto all of what God has given to us. Keep back no part of the precious truth, but speak what you know, and testify what you have seen. Let not the toil or darkness, or possible unbelief of your friends, weigh one moment in the scale. Up, and be marching to the place of duty, and there tell what great things God has shown to your soul.

 

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Fighting Lust With Scripture



The Word of God has power, but we need to tap that power in order to fight lust, so here are Bible verses that can help you defeat it when you meet it.
Wicked Hearts
The Bible teaches that the human heart is wicked, and even after the Spirit comes to live in the believer, there is still a tendency to sin (Rom 7), so even though they still sin, over time, they do sin less thanks to the work of the Spirit of God. At least they should, but the idea that the human heart has any redeeming value of itself is destroyed by Jeremiah the Prophet who wrote a rhetorical statement: “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it” (Jer 17:9)?

We might think we fully understand our own heart, but God says, “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds” (Jer 17:10), but lusting is not so much a physical act as it is an act of the mind. In other words, we can sin by lusting in our minds. Jesus said “that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matt 5:48), so sexual immorality is not just a physical act but can be committed in the mind. Of course, the physical act is worse as Paul said “that he who is joined to a prostitute becomes one body with her? For, as it is written, “The two will become one flesh” (1 Cor 6:16), but we can just as easily lust in our hearts if we don’t flee temptation. Believers must realize that our “bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never” (2 Cor 6:15)!

Will of God
People don’t have to search very far to find out God’s will for their life. It’s spelled out very clearly in Scripture. For example, the Apostle Paul says that “this is the will of God, your sanctification: that you abstain from sexual immorality; that each one of you know how to control his own body in holiness and honor” (1 Thess 4:3-4). That’s not a difficult theological issue to struggle over. It’s very obvious. Paul says to Timothy (and to all), “flee youthful passions and pursue righteousness, faith, love, and peace, along with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart” (2 Tim 2:22), so it’s God’s will to flee passions of the flesh, “For all that is in the world—the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride in possessions—is not from the Father but is from the world” (1 John 2:16).

Fleeing, or getting away from passions and sexual immorality takes an act of the will. The Spirit of God will tell us to flee, but we must be the ones to move our feet, therefore, Paul says, “Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body” (1 Cor 6:18). This is all the more reason we must “Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col 3:5).

The Word
Scripture teaches us that the Word of God is living and active (Heb 4:12-13), and the Word works in the hearts of believers, but also in those who do not yet believe, but will. The Spirit quickens us to new life in Christ (Eph 2:1-5), but the Spirit of God and the Word of God make a potent defense against temptation and sin. For example, many men and women who have battled pornography have learned that by memorizing Scripture, they can pull out a resource for when they’re tempted to sin. Perhaps one of their favorites is Job’s statement, “I have made a covenant with my eyes; how then could I gaze at a virgin” (Job 31:1)?

King David understood that the Word of God can help us avoid sin. He wrote, “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Psalm 119:11). It’s almost as if he’s saying, “I have stored up your word in my heart so that I might not sin against you.” The Apostle Peter reminds us “as sojourners and exiles to abstain from the passions of the flesh, which wage war against your soul” (1 Pet 2:11), so there’s a war going on. It’s a battle of the mind….a battle with the pulls of the world, the desires of the flesh, and demonic influence.

Pulling Scriptures from memory can help, like Proverbs 6:25-26 where Solomon wisely wrote, “Do not desire her beauty in your heart, and do not let her capture you with her eyelashes; for the price of a prostitute is only a loaf of bread, but a married woman hunts down a precious life.” Millions of lives…and millions of families have been irreparably damaged by sexual immorality. That’s why the Bible teaches that it’s so serious, and all the more reason we need to fight lust when we’re tempted. And we’re not alone in this battle because “each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death” (James 1:14-15). This means we can’t pass the buck and say my friends (or the Devil) made me do it. In the end, we’re responsible for our own actions.

Conclusion
If believers will hide or memorize God’s Word in their heart, and flee temptation when it comes, they’ll have a better chance of avoiding sexual immorality, but that’s getting harder and harder to do in this day and age. The glut of media makes it nearly impossible to avoid sexually explicit images, but by memorizing Scripture, and yielding to the Spirit’s voice, it can motivate our feet to run…or, “Flee from sexual immorality,” and that’s the whole idea. We can commit adultery by lusting in our hearts…but this may be a deadly precursor to the real thing…sexual immorality, which we clearly know is not the will of God. In fact, Paul says that “orgies, and things like these” are done by those who “will not inherit the kingdom of God” (Gal 5:21).

 

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A Sure Hope: Eternal Life Faith and knowledge resting on the hope of eternal life, which God, who does not lie, promised before the beginning of time Titus 1:2 NIV __________________ Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. My Father, which gave them me, is greater than all; and no man is able to pluck them out of my Father's hand." John 10:27-29 KJV __________________ To those who by perseverance in doing good seek for glory and honor and immortality, eternal life; but to those who are selfishly ambitious and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, wrath and indignation. There will be tribulation and distress for every soul of man who does evil, of the Jew first and also of the Greek, but glory and honor and peace to everyone who does good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For there is no partiality with God. Romans 2:7-11 NASB __________________ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. John 3:16 KJV __________________ Thanks be unto God for His wonderful gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.

 

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“Continue in the faith.”

Acts 14:22

Perseverance is the badge of true saints. The Christian life is not a beginning only in the ways of God, but also a continuance in the same as long as life lasts. It is with a Christian as it was with the great Napoleon: he said, “Conquest has made me what I am, and conquest must maintain me.” So, under God, dear brother in the Lord, conquest has made you what you are, and conquest must sustain you. Your motto must be, “Excelsior.” He only is a true conqueror, and shall be crowned at the last, who continueth till war's trumpet is blown no more.

Perseverance is, therefore, the target of all our spiritual enemies. The world does not object to your being a Christian for a time, if she can but tempt you to cease your pilgrimage, and settle down to buy and sell with her in Vanity Fair. The flesh will seek to ensnare you, and to prevent your pressing on to glory. “It is weary work being a pilgrim; come, give it up. Am I always to be mortified? Am I never to be indulged? Give me at least a furlough from this constant warfare.”

Satan will make many a fierce attack on your perseverance; it will be the mark for all his arrows. He will strive to hinder you in service: he will insinuate that you are doing no good; and that you want rest. He will endeavour to make you weary of suffering, he will whisper, “Curse God, and die.” Or he will attack your steadfastness: “What is the good of being so zealous? Be quiet like the rest; sleep as do others, and let your lamp go out as the other virgins do.” Or he will assail your doctrinal sentiments: “Why do you hold to these denominational creeds? Sensible men are getting more liberal; they are removing the old landmarks: fall in with the times.” Wear your shield, Christian, therefore, close upon your armour, and cry mightily unto God, that by his Spirit you may endure to the end.

 

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The Secret to True Greatness



Everybody wants to be great. We want lives of importance. Lives that matter and impact others around us. Lives that both satisfy our longings and affect the world around us.

In our pursuit of greatness, we have ruined ourselves. In the name of greatness, we are greedy, willing to lie and deceive, full of animosity and antagonism.

More and more people are seeing through the façade of superficial success into the heart of true greatness. Simple observation shows us that fame, money, and political power do not make a person great. They, like just about everything else, are neutral positions that can be used for evil just as much as good, if not more.
So, what does true greatness look like? The compulsion for importance still lingers in our souls. And despite our false starts and our pessimism, it really is available. Pursuing greatness means leaving the false perceptions behind and being willing to step into the strange and paradoxical truths about what it means to be a person of purpose.

Self-Restraint
One of the strangest truths about pursuing greatness is that a little bit of self-denial is actually good. We tend to think that since we want to be great, we have to pound the pavement of our own grandness all the time. Our greatness, though, is hiding behind a bush. It is elusive.

The secret to true greatness is that it requires humility. This certainly seems like a contradiction. But we become great by restraining ourselves. This is because greatness is bigger than we are. In order to discover it, we have to be willing to shut down the parts of us that are not in alignment with greatness. In order to participate in true freedom, we need boundaries. In order to be healthy, we need to refuse things that taste good. Self-restraint is a positive attribute throughout the structure of the human experience.

If we hold tightly to the current version of ourselves, we will never change. Never progress. Never grow or learn. Greatness is a process that requires boundaries. It requires a Transcendent Vision to stretch us past ourselves. We grow into greatness by discovering where we need to press forward and where we need to hold back.

Truth
Greatness is the degree to which we participate in truth. We waste so much time trying to redefine greatness to fit the mold we are currently operating in rather than finding the reality of what it is.
Greatness, like truth itself, thrives in community. It is WE There. Each of us is at our best in a context. When we become siloed and narcissistic, we disqualify ourselves from the truth.


Disciplines in all walks of life – spiritual to physical, mental to social – help invite us into a fuller understanding of the reality of life around us. Greatness is nothing more than understanding the world we live in and operating in response to the truths we’ve found. It is not about being worshipped. People resent those in charge who oppress and ignore them. It is about loving and serving. What makes us great is the ability to see ourselves as a beautiful part of a beautiful whole. This is why wisdom, vulnerability, discernment and compassion are the true marks of greatness.

Humility is hard work. We’d much rather give into our instincts and base desires. And then throw a tantrum until both we and others believe the lies we are operating out of. But these pursuits are a house of cards destined to crumble. True and lasting greatness is found in love alone.