Just sharing.

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Whatever Happened To Integrity?



What’s happened to the subject of integrity? Isn’t it still important?
Integrity
If we look at the definition of integrity, we can see the importance of such a virtue in society. To have integrity is to be trusted by others. After time, they know from experience that the person can be trusted, based upon their past. Integrity is the practice or habit of being an honest person before others; saying what you mean and meaning what you say; and doing that which was promised but in an honest manner. Having integrity is having a consistent and uncompromising adherence to ethical and moral principles. All of this is based upon honesty and truthfulness, and a person who has integrity is a person that is both honest and truthful in all their dealings with others, no matter how small or large the matter is. Several biblical characters displayed integrity, including Joseph and Daniel, so why is the subject of integrity rarely used these days in Bible studies or in the secular media? Has it now become acceptable since there is widespread corruption? Have we accepted the unacceptable as the norm?

.The Dishonest CFO
Several years ago, there was a job opening for a Chief Financial Officer for a very large company. The interview went well, and after having met with the Board of Directors, they were unanimous in their endorsement of the man. He was offered the CFO position and accepted it. Now it was time to celebrate, but instead of having a dinner at a fine restaurant, the CEO thought it would be appropriate if they all ate in the company cafeteria. They let the CFO go first in line, and while they were moving down the buffet line, the CEO, standing next in line, noticed that he slid two 10 cent patties of butter under his napkin.

After lunch, the CEO talked with the board members about it, and they were unanimous again, only this time they agreed that the company should withdraw the offer. For a measly 20 cents worth of butter, a man lost a job paying over a quarter million dollars, however, if this man wasn’t going to be honest with very little, how could he be trusted with a lot more? Maybe the CEO had thought of Jesus’ teaching: “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much” (Luke 16:10). This particular teaching of Jesus fit this scenario perfectly!

The Dishonest Manager
Someone who is faithful is someone who has the quality of being honest and having strong moral principles; a moral uprightness, so a lack of faithfulness can get someone fired. That’s what happened in the account where Jesus taught in the Parable of the Dishonest Manager (Luke 16:1-8). The manager dealt shrewdly with others because he knew he’d be out of a job and in need of some friends, so that’s why Jesus’ concluded this lesson by telling his disciples to “make friends for yourselves by means of unrighteous wealth, so that when it fails they may receive you into the eternal dwellings” (Luke 16:9). The word used for “wealth” is “mammon,” and doesn’t only refer to money, but to possessions, so Jesus’ council is to use your possessions (money, resources, and time) to share Christ, so that when you enter the kingdom, those “friends” will welcome you. That’s because you’re part of the reason they are there! That’s where the “eternal dwellings” are at…not here below.

Faithful in Little
The job the man had for less than a day, wasn’t even faithful even in the smallest of things. They knew that if he was not going to be honest with such small amounts, there’s no way they could be sure he would be faithful in much more. Jesus’ teaching is perfectly set for this in Luke 16: 10-12, where our Lord says, “One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much, and one who is dishonest in a very little is also dishonest in much. If then you have not been faithful in the unrighteous wealth, who will entrust to you the true riches? And if you have not been faithful in that which is another’s, who will give you that which is your own?” Can you blame the CEO for not hiring this man? If we do not have integrity, even in the smallest of things in life, we cannot be trusted in the big things. How can we think God will allow us to have more responsibility in the kingdom, when we’re not being responsible with the little we have today?

As Unto Christ
Jesus not only gave the Great Commission (Matt 28:18-20), but He also showed what it looks like to serve others. In serving others, they are actually serving Christ. Jesus said, “I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me” (Matt 25:35-36), but apparently they were not keeping track of their works. They answered Jesus, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you” (Matt 25:37-39).

Jesus answered them with the answer of the ages: “Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me” (Matt 25:40). This is why Jesus told them in the beginning, “Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matt 25:34). Their responsibilities and rewards were relative to what they’d done for Christ while in the body. Do you not eagerly desire to hear Jesus say, “Well done, good servant! Because you have been faithful in a very little, you shall have authority over ten cities” (Luke 19:17)? If He can trust you with 20 cents, He can surely trust you with more in the kingdom.

Nothings Hidden
If you read Scripture, it becomes apparent that walking in integrity secures your footing. Proverbs 10:9 says, “Whoever walks in integrity walks securely, but he who makes his ways crooked will be found out,” sounding very much like Numbers 32:23 which says that if “you have sinned against the Lord…be sure your sin will find you out” (Num 32:23). God so values integrity that He says, “Better is a poor man who walks in his integrity than a rich man who is crooked in his ways” (Prov 28:6), and again, “Better is a poor person who walks in his integrity than one who is crooked in speech and is a fool” (Prov 19:1). The sum of all it all is, “The integrity of the upright guides them, but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them” (Prov 11:3). Notice that walking in integrity secures the path, but the wicked will be found out…much like the almost-CFO, so “nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17). Maybe not today…but in time, you can be sure.

Conclusion
Walking in integrity today will have its advantages today, but also into eternity, but how you fare on the day of His appearance will largely depend upon how you are living today. The Apostle John writes, “And now, little children, abide in him, so that when he appears we may have confidence and not shrink from him in shame at his coming” (1 John 2:28). We can walk in integrity and not be ashamed at His appearing, but rejoice at it…but those who refuse to walk in integrity, know for certain; “nothing is hidden that will not be made manifest, nor is anything secret that will not be known and come to light” (Luke 8:17), so “be sure your sin will find you out” (Num 32:23b).

 

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Looking Unto Jesus! Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Titus 2:13 KJV _______________ Christ is the head of the church, his body, of which he is the Savior. Ephesians 5:23 NIV _______________ And say ye, Save us, O God of our salvation, and gather us together, and deliver us from the heathen, that we may give thanks to thy holy name, and glory in thy praise. 1 Chronicles 16:35 KJV _______________ Do not forsake me, O LORD! O my God, be not far from me! Make haste to help me, O Lord, my salvation! Psalms 38:21,22 RSV _______________ For I am the LORD your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I have given Egypt as your ransom, Cush and Seba in your place. Isaiah 43:3 NASB _______________ God, Whose grace is all sufficient, be glorified! 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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“A man greatly beloved.”

Daniel 10:11

Child of God, do you hesitate to appropriate this title? Ah! has your unbelief made you forget that you are greatly beloved too? Must you not have been greatly beloved, to have been bought with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot? When God smote his only begotten Son for you, what was this but being greatly beloved? You lived in sin, and rioted in it, must you not have been greatly beloved for God to have borne so patiently with you? You were called by grace and led to a Savior, and made a child of God and an heir of heaven. All this proves, does it not, a very great and superabounding love?

Since that time, whether your path has been rough with troubles, or smooth with mercies, it has been full of proofs that you are a man greatly beloved. If the Lord has chastened you, yet not in anger; if he has made you poor, yet in grace you have been rich. The more unworthy you feel yourself to be, the more evidence have you that nothing but unspeakable love could have led the Lord Jesus to save such a soul as yours. The more demerit you feel, the clearer is the display of the abounding love of God in having chosen you, and called you, and made you an heir of bliss.

Now, if there be such love between God and us let us live in the influence and sweetness of it, and use the privilege of our position. Do not let us approach our Lord as though we were strangers, or as though he were unwilling to hear us—for we are greatly beloved by our loving Father. “He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things?” Come boldly, O believer, for despite the whisperings of Satan and the doubtings of thine own heart, thou art greatly beloved. Meditate on the exceeding greatness and faithfulness of divine love this evening, and so go to thy bed in peace.

 

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The Cross: Where Judgment And Mercy Meet



Jesus’ sinless life and death on the cross are where judgment and mercy meet.
The Judgment
“God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess 15:9).

The Apostle Paul writes about those who are practicing evil deeds which is only serving to store up more wrath against the Day of Judgment (Rom 2:5), so there will be a day when 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; but for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury” (Rom 2:6-8). For those who have been brought to repentance and faith in Christ, they can rejoice because it is “Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come” (1 Thess 1:10). This means that “God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ” (1 Thess 15:9).

Notice that God has not appointed us who trust in Christ to His wrath; a wrath that will come upon all who reject the truth that Jesus is Lord and Savior and they are sinners in need of saving. It is only those who are self-seeking and not seeking after Jesus Christ and His righteousness (Matt 6:33) that will receive what they have sown in this life. The judgment of God will only be stopped by the work of Christ on the cross, but you must humble yourself and confess your sins before God and put your trust in Christ. That is the point when the wrath of God will “pass over” you, but as the Scriptures teach, “for those who are self-seeking and do not obey the truth, but obey unrighteousness, there will be wrath and fury” (Rom 2:6-8).

Mercy
The thief on the cross trusted in Jesus very late in his life. He never had a chance to go to attend synagogue, do any good deeds, or have anything to offer to God. Even so, Jesus promised him that that he would be with Him in Paradise (Luke 23:43), but in all honesty, all of us are the thief on the cross. We might have trusted in Christ years ago, but we were all just as in need of God’s mercy as the thief was. The Apostle Paul levels the playing field in that we’re all cut off from God and fallen infinitely short of His glory (Rom 3:23). The foot of the cross is level ground where every single person stands at the same level. God makes no distinction between us (Acts 15:7-9) because of Christ, but also makes no distinction between those who naturally sin less and those who naturally (or desire to) sin more. We’ve all earned the wages of death, but thank God through our Lord Jesus Christ, that He also offers eternal life (Rom 6:23), so it takes only one sin to condemn us, but only One to set us free (John 8:36).

Dying for Enemies
The Apostle Paul writes in Romans 5:6-8 that “while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person— (like the Thief on the Cross) though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die (like Abraham or Moses)— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” What greater mercy is there than to have a Holy God (Jesus) die for wicked sinners? Jesus told the disciples, “Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). Even as those who crucified Him watched, He prayed, “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (Luke 23:43).

I remember where Jesus taught us, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:27-28). He also testified, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep” (John 10:11). It is abundantly clear from Scripture that “God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life” (John 3:16). That’s where God’s judgment on sin landed; Jesus Christ, but that’s also where God’s mercy was revealed, “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for man” (Mark 10:45). No one took it from Him…He willingly laid it down (John 10:18).

Compassion
Jude writes about witnessing in two different ways. We should “have mercy on those who doubt” (Jude 1:22), and many do doubt. Some doubt that God could possibly save them. They think they’ve done too much, and can’t come as they are. They often wait until they can clean their lives up, but that will never happen until they come to Christ. It’s not trying to get holy and then come to Jesus, but it’s coming to Jesus and being accounted as holy before God (2 Cor 5:21). Then Jude tells us to “save others by snatching them out of the fire; to others show mercy with fear, hating even the garment stained by the flesh” (Jude 1:23). Listen to the caring compassion that Jesus has. It says, “When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd” (Matt 9:36). Do we have such a heart for the lost?

Are we willing to leave the 99 and seek the one that is lost? If not us, then who? Paul may have put it best by telling us to “be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God” (Eph 5:1-2). This life gives us opportunity to show the world who Jesus’ disciples are (John 13:34-35). We don’t retaliate or “get even,” but rather, as Jesus said, “Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who abuse you” (Luke 6:27-28). These verses were worth repeating!

Conclusion
Humans may have many definitions of love, but the Bible tells us what love really is, and it is a verb…it is what you do, and for us who believe, it is what Jesus did. Love is not a greeting card, a love letter, or a big kiss. Those are byproducts of love, but they are not love in themselves. Love is displayed in action. Jesus lived a sinless life, gave His life as a sacrifice for us to receive eternal life, then offered the free gift of eternal life (Eph 2:8-9). And even though we were dead in our sins (Eph 2:1-7), being ungodly, wicked enemies of God, Jesus died for us (Rom 5:6-10)! Believers have grasped where the judgment of God stopped and the mercy of God started, and it was at the cross. There is no greater love possible than for Jesus Himself to die for unworthy sinners. Here’s why grace is such an amazing thing. He did not give us what we deserved (His wrath); He gave us what we needed (His mercy).

 

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Looking Unto Jesus: Our God and Saviour! Looking unto Jesus! Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ; Titus 2:13 KJV _______________ And because of his words many more became believers. They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world." John 4:41,42 NIV _______________ I will mention the lovingkindnesses of the LORD, and the praises of the LORD, according to all that the LORD hath bestowed on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according to his mercies, and according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses. For he said, Surely they are my people, children that will not lie: so he was their Saviour. Isaiah 63:8 KJV _______________ But our commonwealth is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power which enables him even to subject all things to himself. Philippians 3:20,21 RSV _______________ God, Whose grace is all sufficient, be glorified! 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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“He himself hath suffered being tempted.”

Hebrews 2:18

It is a common-place thought, and yet it tastes like nectar to the weary heart — Jesus was tempted as I am. You have heard that truth many times: have you grasped it? He was tempted to the very same sins into which we fall. Do not dissociate Jesus from our common manhood. It is a dark room which you are going through, but Jesus went through it before. It is a sharp fight which you are waging, but Jesus has stood foot to foot with the same enemy. Let us be of good cheer, Christ has borne the load before us, and the blood-stained footsteps of the King of glory may be seen along the road which we traverse at this hour.

There is something sweeter yet — Jesus was tempted, but Jesus never sinned. Then, my soul, it is not needful for thee to sin, for Jesus was a man, and if one man endured these temptations and sinned not, then in his power his members may also cease from sin. Some beginners in the divine life think that they cannot be tempted without sinning, but they mistake; there is no sin in being tempted, but there is sin in yielding to temptation. Herein is comfort for the sorely tempted ones.

There is still more to encourage them if they reflect that the Lord Jesus, though tempted, gloriously triumphed, and as he overcame, so surely shall his followers also, for Jesus is the representative man for his people; the Head has triumphed, and the members share in the victory. Fears are needless, for Christ is with us, armed for our defence. Our place of safety is the bosom of the Saviour. Perhaps we are tempted just now, in order to drive us nearer to him. Blessed be any wind that blows us into the port of our Saviour's love! Happy wounds, which make us seek the beloved Physician. Ye tempted ones, come to your tempted Saviour, for he can be touched with a feeling of your infirmities, and will succour every tried and tempted one.

 

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A Cry for Mercy





In Hosea 6:6, God tells Israel through the prophet Hosea that he desires mercy, not sacrifice. This raises a very important question: what, exactly, is mercy? In the following I will argue that the popular definition of mercy falls well short of its biblical meaning. When properly understood and practiced, mercy is arguably the defining ethic of God, his kingdom, and his people.

A Definition that Falls Short

I’m sure that many of you have heard, and perhaps used, the following definition of mercy. I know I have. Mercy is popularly defined as “not receiving what you deserve.” Thus, when you are guilty of something but don’t have to endure the punishment, you have received mercy.
This definition of mercy is often used in conjunction with a popular definition of grace. While mercy means you don’t receive something you do deserve, grace is when you do received something you don’t deserve.

By these definitions, if a convicted criminal cries out for mercy and the judge pardons him despite his guilt, he has received mercy. If the judge goes further and gives the criminal some sort of additional blessing, he has received grace.
While I think there is some truth to these definitions, I also think they fall far short of the full meaning of either term. A rich understanding of the Bible requires us to adopt much more complete definitions.
A Surprising Translation

I first became aware of the significance of mercy when I began to read the Greek translation of the Old Testament, popularly known as the Septuagint (abbreviated LXX).

In the Hebrew version of Hosea 6:6, God says that he desires hesed and not sacrifice.
I’ve seen hesed defined and translated various ways. For example, the NRSV and the ESV translate it “steadfast love.” My Hebrew lexicon offers words like “goodness, kindness, loving kindness.” Based on these definitions, I would have assumed that the Greek translators would have used the popular NT word, agape.
To my surprise, they did not. They chose eleos, “mercy.” Using my Bible software, I did a quick search of the Hebrew and Greek versions. What I found was a strong preference for “mercy” as the translation for hesed.
A Richer Definition

My Greek lexicon defines eleos, “mercy” as “kindness or concern for someone in serious need.” In a sense, this stands in sharp contrast to the popular definition. Rather than understanding mercy as the withholding of a negative consequence, the Bible understands mercy as the active provision of a positive benefit.

Perhaps the best example of mercy in action is story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. Jesus used the story to explain what love for one’s neighbor looks like. We are all familiar with the story. A man was attacked, robbed, and left for dead. Two different religious leaders passed by and didn’t help the man. Finally, a Samaritan stopped and helped, saving the man’s life.
The critical line comes when Jesus asks, “Which of the three was a neighbor to the man?” The response was, “The one who showed him mercy.” That is, the one who saw that the man was in serious need and showed him kindness and concern. The Samaritan’s concern for the man led him to action, to act in kindness. He drew from the abundance of his resources to provide the assistance the man needed.
Israel’s Lack of Mercy

God’s words in Hosea 6:6 must be understood against the backdrop of God’s broader indictments against sinful Israel. Among their many transgressions, Israel’s wealthy and powerful elite had failed to show mercy to their countrymen. There were many poor in Israel, people in serious need. The rich should have used their abundant resources to help these people. Instead, they leverage their wealth, power, and connections to take away what little the poor had.

Torah is replete with commands that demonstrate God’s heart for his people. He wanted Israel to be characterized by a radical generosity based on love and concern for those in serious need. Israel’s covenant unfaithfulness to God manifested itself in their lack of concern for their brothers and sisters. Rather than give them aid in their time of need, the wealthy exploited and oppressed them.

Mercy is the Chief Characteristic of God’s Kingdom

To appropriate the words of the apostle Paul, “These things happened as examples for us.” We need to learn from Israel’s history. The church is God’s kingdom. We need to be the people God has intended from the beginning. He wants us to be characterized by a radical concern for one another’s need and generosity to help with those needs.
In Matt. 5:7, Jesus teaches us, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” It’s a basic sowing and reaping message. If we see people in serious need and intervene, using whatever resources we have to help, we will receive that when we are in serious need. Since this kind of need will always be present, we need to practice generosity (Deut. 15:11). This is how you end up with communities where there’s no one in need.

We see the church put this in action in Acts 2:43-47 and 4:32-37. Believers didn’t hoard their resources. Rather, they saw the resources as God’s provision so that they could help their needy brothers and sisters.
James questions whether a person has saving faith when he or she claims to have faith but doesn’t help a brother or sister in need (James 2:14-26). This is because he understood the teaching of Torah, the Prophets, and Jesus himself. Likewise, in 1 John 3:17-18, we read, “How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” The NT writers understood that mercy was God’s highest priority.


Finding and Giving Mercy

My friends and I often joke that people register like rocks and trees to me. They tend to blend into the landscape. I’ve often been out for a run and had friends pass me unnoticed because I’m so deeply immersed into my own thoughts that the outside world barely registers. Unfortunately, this tendency undermines the practice of mercy.
I constantly pray that God would help me to be observant of my brothers and sisters in Christ. First, we must see their need. We must actively observe and listen so that we can identify need.

Second, we must treat our abundance as a God given resource to help our brothers and sisters in their time of need. This requires us to adopt an abundance mentality. Our basic needs are food, clothing, and shelter. Anything beyond this is abundance. Rather than hoarding our abundance for our own gratification and security, we must see it as a resource for helping our brothers and sisters in their time of need.

Third, we must not think strictly in terms of money. Many of us have an abundance of talents and skills that we can use to help our needy brothers and sisters. We can provide them free services that they can’t afford to pay for. Even our time is a resource we might be tempted to hoard, rather than freely give. It’s easy to look at our time as something we don’t have enough of. I tend to fall into this category. We need to see our skills and our time as part of our abundance. They are resources for serving others, not ourselves and our own pleasure.

A Lifestyle of Mercy

Far too many Christian think they’ve fulfilled their obligation to give by dropping money into the offering plate. I encourage you to do give this way. However, this will mean little if we are not equally as generous to our fellow Christians.
Our witness to the world is our kindness and concern for our brothers and sisters in serious need. If the world does not see us practicing this, then we need to take a hard look at ourselves. We need to ask if we are living up to our calling to be the people of God. Even more so, if we’re not, will God discipline us in order to help us learn (Rev. 3:14-22)?

On a final note, I’ve heard many pastors use 1 Corinthians 8-9 to urge people to be generous in their tithes and offerings. In fact, Paul is urging the Corinthians to be generous in a collection Paul is gathering to help Christians who are suffering during a famine. I encourage you to re-read these passages in this light and challenge yourself to look for opportunities to use your abundance to help your brothers and sisters in their time of need: money, time, and skills.

 

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If God is for us, who shall stand against us? Whoever listens to me will live in safety and be at ease, without fear of harm. Proverbs 1:33 NIV ________________ They will no longer be a prey to the nations, and the beasts of the earth will not devour them; but they will live securely, and no one will make them afraid. I will establish for them a renowned planting place, and they will not again be victims of famine in the land, and they will not endure the insults of the nations anymore. Then they will know that I, the LORD their God, am with them, and that they, the house of Israel, are My people, declares the Lord GOD. Ezekiel 34:28-30 NASB ________________ The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When the wicked, even mine enemies and my foes, came upon me to eat up my flesh, they stumbled and fell. Though an host should encamp against me, my heart shall not fear: though war should rise against me, in this will I be confident. Psalm 27:1-3 KJV ________________ Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable 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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“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.”

Mark 16:16

Mr. MacDonald asked the inhabitants of the island of St. Kilda how a man must be saved. An old man replied, “We shall be saved if we repent, and forsake our sins, and turn to God.” “Yes,” said a middle-aged female, “and with a true heart too.” “Aye,” rejoined a third, “and with prayer”; and, added a fourth, “It must be the prayer of the heart.” “And we must be diligent too,” said a fifth, “in keeping the commandments.” Thus, each having contributed his mite, feeling that a very decent creed had been made up, they all looked and listened for the preacher's approbation, but they had aroused his deepest pity.

The carnal mind always maps out for itself a way in which self can work and become great, but the Lord's way is quite the reverse. Believing and being baptized are no matters of merit to be gloried in — they are so simple that boasting is excluded, and free grace bears the palm. It may be that the reader is unsaved — what is the reason? Do you think the way of salvation as laid down in the text to be dubious? How can that be when God has pledged his own word for its certainty? Do you think it too easy? Why, then, do you not attend to it? Its ease leaves those without excuse who neglect it.

To believe is simply to trust, to depend, to rely upon Christ Jesus. To be baptized is to submit to the ordinance which our Lord fulfilled at Jordan, to which the converted ones submitted at Pentecost, to which the jailer yielded obedience the very night of his conversion. The outward sign saves not, but it sets forth to us our death, burial, and resurrection with Jesus, and, like the Lord's Supper, is not to be neglected. Reader, do you believe in Jesus? Then, dear friend, dismiss your fears, you shall be saved. Are you still an unbeliever, then remember there is but one door, and if you will not enter by it you will perish in your sins.

 

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The Bible: Getting Rich Quick & Stinginess Are a Formula for Poverty




Proverbs 28:22
“A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty will come upon him. “
The man described in this proverb has two overlapping issues: he is stingy and he hastens after wealth. Although he is racing toward poverty, he is oblivious to it.

Issue One: He is stingy, a word synonymous with selfishness and self-centeredness. We have all done business with this man: even when he gives you service, the odor of artificiality permeates the transaction. He is overly sweet until he doesn’t get his way, at which time he sours into contentiousness. This is a man you will not give repeat business to.
Issue Two: He hastens after wealth. He wants this wealth and wants it now, so he will take shortcuts to get it. In his rush for money, he will not only take advantage of others but will also be prey to “get rich quick” schemes. His haste will be his ruin.

Is Financial Advice Enough?
We Financial advisors and educators in the world of personal finance are quick to give pragmatic solutions, and indeed we should help others with practical ideas. But we should never forget that personal finance is indeed personal; the character of the person will often dictate his behavior. This man, who is so driven to gain wealth that he thinks of nothing else and no one else, needs more than a formula.
Financial advice alone will not be enough.


Is There Hope For This Man?
Of course. In God’s economy, there is always hope. This proverb is intended as a warning, not an absolute judgment. The man has a character flaw so he needs a character transplant. “How?” you ask. By taking on the character traits of Jesus Christ. Jesus, the polar opposite of this man, will impart his own character traits of selflessness and generosity into him.
And when this happens, he is destined to live a very rich life.

 

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He gives us a new heart! ________________ For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land. Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you. A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them. Ezekiel 36:24-27 KJV ________________ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:17,18 NIV ________________ Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace. Romans 6:12-14 NASB ________________ Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable 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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“He had married an Ethiopian woman.”

Numbers 12:1

Strange choice of Moses, but how much more strange the choice of him who is a prophet like unto Moses, and greater than he! Our Lord, who is fair as the lily, has entered into marriage union with one who confesses herself to be black, because the sun has looked upon her. It is the wonder of angels that the love of Jesus should be set upon poor, lost, guilty men. Each believer must, when filled with a sense of Jesus’ love, be also overwhelmed with astonishment that such love should be lavished on an object so utterly unworthy of it. Knowing as we do our secret guiltiness, unfaithfulness, and black-heartedness, we are dissolved in grateful admiration of the matchless freeness and sovereignty of grace.

Jesus must have found the cause of his love in his own heart, he could not have found it in us, for it is not there. Even since our conversion we have been black, though grace has made us comely. Holy Rutherford said of himself what we must each subscribe to — “His relation to me is, that I am sick, and he is the Physician of whom I stand in need. Alas! how often I play fast and loose with Christ! He bindeth, I loose; he buildeth, I cast down; I quarrel with Christ, and he agreeth with me twenty times a day!”

Most tender and faithful Husband of our souls, pursue thy gracious work of conforming us to thine image, till thou shalt present even us poor Ethiopians unto thyself, without spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing. Moses met with opposition because of his marriage, and both himself and his spouse were the subjects of an evil eye. Can we wonder if this vain world opposes Jesus and his spouse, and especially when great sinners are converted? for this is ever the Pharisee's ground of objection, “This man receiveth sinners.” Still is the old cause of quarrel revived, “Because he had married an Ethiopian woman.”

 

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Giving Sabbath


Anytime I’ve heard someone preach or teach on Sabbath, the main point has focused on the need to take a Sabbath. However, what I find striking is how the Bible emphasizes the importance of giving Sabbath. In today’s blog, I want to investigate this further. What we’ll see is that the Sabbath principle reflects God’s love and concern for all of his creation, not just people. By extension, those who are truly God’s people are characterized by the same love and concern. God’s people are not merely those who observe the Sabbath by taking Sabbath. They are also those who observe Sabbath by giving Sabbath.

Sabbath Instructions

Among God’s instructions to Israel in Torah, we find the Big 10 (not the NCAA conference). We call them the Ten Commandments. These instructions were so important that they were recorded twice, first in Ex. 20:1-17 and then in Deut. 5:1-21.
Number 3 on the list is the command to observe the Sabbath and keep it holy. This command is grounded in God’s own Sabbath practice, found in Gen. 2:2-3. God himself established a pattern of working for six days and then ceasing from his work on the seventh, last day of the week.
Every Sabbath, the Israelites were to abstain from doing any work. This command extended to their children, their slaves, and even their animals. In fact, according to Ex. 23:10, once every seven years even the land was to enjoy a Sabbath rest.

Sabbath was so important to God that, according to Ex. 35:2-3, violation of the Sabbath was a capital offense, punishable by death.
So why was Sabbath so important that it made it into the Big 10? Why was violation of Sabbath so offensive that it should warrant the death sentence?

Sabbath Unpacked

To understand Sabbath, we must first understand God’s priorities. God loves his creation. He wants his creation to experience blessedness and to flourish. People who believe that God is harsh, severe, and angry aren’t reading the Bible very closely. The God I encounter in the pages of scripture is a God whose default stance toward his creation is love. His anger is aroused when his good creation is corrupted at the hands of wicked people.

Second, I believe we find a clue to Sabbath’s design in the version of the commandment found in Deuteronomy. In Deut. 5:15, God reminds the Israelites that they were slaves in the land of Egypt. In the ancient world, slaves were generally considered living tools. They were nothing more than a resource to be exploited. Slaves were worked beyond the point of breaking. If a slave died from work, it didn’t matter. There were plenty more to take his or her place.

It is noteworthy, then, that the Sabbath principle was not limited to free Israelites. God specifically tells them that even their slaves are to get a day off. Now I understand that some readers will immediately find fault with the fact that Israelites owned slaves at all. Those who do will fail to grasp how unprecedented and, frankly, progressive this command was in its ancient context.

God wanted Israel to be characterized by love and concern for all of his creation. Unlike the exploitive practices of their neighbors, Israel was to practice mercy. As I wrote in a previous blog, the biblical definition of mercy is “kindness or concern for someone in serious need.” God reminded Israel that, while they were slaves in Egypt, their taskmasters showed them no mercy. No one showed them any kindness or concern. They were worked to death.
Giving Sabbath

God wanted Israel to practice an unprecedented concern for all of his creation. All Israelites and non-Israelites living in their land were to be given rest, irrespective of status. Their sense of love and compassion was to extend to their animals and even the land. God wanted them to shun the exploitive attitudes and practices that characterized the rest of the world. People, animals, and the land were not resources to be used up until nothing was left. God wanted Israel to be known as a merciful people.

As a health and fitness enthusiast, I’ve learned about the importance of rest. When we work or exercise, our muscles break down. When we rest, our bodies rebuild our muscles. In fact, we get stronger when we rest. Without rest, there is no renewal. You can’t make gains in strength without recovery.
By giving Sabbath, Israel not only showed mercy, that is, kindness and concern. It also showed its wisdom. When people, animals, and the land enjoy regular cycles of work and rest, they are able to experience recovery and renewal. They are able to maintain their strength, live fruitfully, and flourish.
Sabbath as Witness

In Deut. 4:6, God says to Israel that if they observe his statutes and ordinances, it will show their wisdom and discernment to the nations. Thus, wise and discerning people practice Sabbath. In so doing, Sabbath becomes a key component to our witness.
By not merely taking Sabbath, but also giving Sabbath, we show that we are a merciful, loving people. It shows that we love all of God’s creation. We don’t merely love ourselves, by taking Sabbath, but we also love others (people, animals, the land) by giving Sabbath.

Later in Israel’s history they came under God’s judgment for violating their covenant with God. Among the many indictments brought against them was profaning the Sabbath (Ezek. 22:8, 22:26, 23:38; see also Amos 8:4-6; Isa. 56:1-8, 58:13-14; Jer. 17:19-27). I believe that we can reasonably conclude that this was not merely a matter of individuals failing to take a day off. Israel was not giving Sabbath either. They weren’t showing kindness and concern for people, animals, or the land. They were exploiting them, working them to the point that they had nothing left to give.


Not only is this merciless, it’s foolish. Israel’s function as a witness to the nations was compromised. They had become just like the nations. Rather than showing wisdom and discernment, they fell into the same foolishness and merciless exploitation of their neighbors. They stopped showing God’s love. Without rest, recovery, and renewal, their people, animals, and land were put a path of diminishing returns. Fruitfulness and flourishing would cease.
Giving Sabbath in the 21st Century

Since most of us are not farmers, we may struggle to find ways to practice giving Sabbath. I would suggest that one major takeaway is to reorient our attitude toward the people and resources in our lives. We give Sabbath every time we act with mercy so that someone or something can experience refreshing and renewal. Thinking Sabbatically means renouncing exploitation (dare I say, consumerism). Look for ways to become an agent that helps others renew their strength rather than take it away. In so doing you will be a Sabbath giver.
Best of all, you will be the witness God wants us to be. You will show wisdom and discernment to the people around you.

 

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Redemption in Him: Christ Has Set Us Free! But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:5,6 NIV _________________ Grace be to you and peace from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father: To whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Galatians 1:3-5 KJV _________________ He Himself bore our sins in His body on the cross, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness; for by His wounds you were healed. For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls. 1 Peter 2:24,25 NASB _________________ How's the memorization project coming? "Thy word have I hid in my heart, that I might not sin against Thee." Be an overcomer! Memorize Romans 6. _________________ Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable 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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“Praying in the Holy Ghost.”

Jude 20

Mark the grand characteristic of true prayer — “In the Holy Ghost.” The seed of acceptable devotion must come from heaven's storehouse. Only the prayer which comes from God can go to God. We must shoot the Lord's arrows back to him. That desire which he writes upon our heart will move his heart and bring down a blessing, but the desires of the flesh have no power with him.

Praying in the Holy Ghost is praying in fervency. Cold prayers ask the Lord not to hear them. Those who do not plead with fervency, plead not at all. As well speak of lukewarm fire as of lukewarm prayer — it is essential that it be red hot. It is praying perseveringly. The true suppliant gathers force as he proceeds, and grows more fervent when God delays to answer. The longer the gate is closed, the more vehemently does he use the knocker, and the longer the angel lingers the more resolved is he that he will never let him go without the blessing. Beautiful in God's sight is tearful, agonizing, unconquerable importunity.

It means praying humbly, for the Holy Spirit never puffs us up with pride. It is his office to convince of sin, and so to bow us down in contrition and brokenness of spirit. We shall never sing Gloria in excelsis except we pray to God De profundis: out of the depths must we cry, or we shall never behold glory in the highest. It is loving prayer. Prayer should be perfumed with love, saturated with love—love to our fellow saints, and love to Christ. Moreover, it must be a prayer full of faith. A man prevails only as he believes. The Holy Spirit is the author of faith, and strengthens it, so that we pray believing God's promise. O that this blessed combination of excellent graces, priceless and sweet as the spices of the merchant, might be fragrant within us because the Holy Ghost is in our hearts! Most blessed Comforter, exert thy mighty power within us, helping our infirmities in prayer.

 

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A Cry for Mercy


In Hosea 6:6, God tells Israel through the prophet Hosea that he desires mercy, not sacrifice. This raises a very important question: what, exactly, is mercy? In the following I will argue that the popular definition of mercy falls well short of its biblical meaning. When properly understood and practiced, mercy is arguably the defining ethic of God, his kingdom, and his people.

A Definition that Falls Short

I’m sure that many of you have heard, and perhaps used, the following definition of mercy. I know I have. Mercy is popularly defined as “not receiving what you deserve.” Thus, when you are guilty of something but don’t have to endure the punishment, you have received mercy.
This definition of mercy is often used in conjunction with a popular definition of grace. While mercy means you don’t receive something you do deserve, grace is when you do received something you don’t deserve.

By these definitions, if a convicted criminal cries out for mercy and the judge pardons him despite his guilt, he has received mercy. If the judge goes further and gives the criminal some sort of additional blessing, he has received grace.
While I think there is some truth to these definitions, I also think they fall far short of the full meaning of either term. A rich understanding of the Bible requires us to adopt much more complete definitions.

A Surprising Translation

I first became aware of the significance of mercy when I began to read the Greek translation of the Old Testament, popularly known as the Septuagint (abbreviated LXX).

In the Hebrew version of Hosea 6:6, God says that he desires hesed and not sacrifice.
I’ve seen hesed defined and translated various ways. For example, the NRSV and the ESV translate it “steadfast love.” My Hebrew lexicon offers words like “goodness, kindness, loving kindness.” Based on these definitions, I would have assumed that the Greek translators would have used the popular NT word, agape.
To my surprise, they did not. They chose eleos, “mercy.” Using my Bible software, I did a quick search of the Hebrew and Greek versions. What I found was a strong preference for “mercy” as the translation for hesed.
A Richer Definition

My Greek lexicon defines eleos, “mercy” as “kindness or concern for someone in serious need.” In a sense, this stands in sharp contrast to the popular definition. Rather than understanding mercy as the withholding of a negative consequence, the Bible understands mercy as the active provision of a positive benefit.

Perhaps the best example of mercy in action is story of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37. Jesus used the story to explain what love for one’s neighbor looks like. We are all familiar with the story. A man was attacked, robbed, and left for dead. Two different religious leaders passed by and didn’t help the man. Finally, a Samaritan stopped and helped, saving the man’s life.
The critical line comes when Jesus asks, “Which of the three was a neighbor to the man?” The response was, “The one who showed him mercy.” That is, the one who saw that the man was in serious need and showed him kindness and concern. The Samaritan’s concern for the man led him to action, to act in kindness. He drew from the abundance of his resources to provide the assistance the man needed.
Israel’s Lack of Mercy

God’s words in Hosea 6:6 must be understood against the backdrop of God’s broader indictments against sinful Israel. Among their many transgressions, Israel’s wealthy and powerful elite had failed to show mercy to their countrymen. There were many poor in Israel, people in serious need. The rich should have used their abundant resources to help these people. Instead, they leverage their wealth, power, and connections to take away what little the poor had.

Torah is replete with commands that demonstrate God’s heart for his people. He wanted Israel to be characterized by a radical generosity based on love and concern for those in serious need. Israel’s covenant unfaithfulness to God manifested itself in their lack of concern for their brothers and sisters. Rather than give them aid in their time of need, the wealthy exploited and oppressed them.

Mercy is the Chief Characteristic of God’s Kingdom

To appropriate the words of the apostle Paul, “These things happened as examples for us.” We need to learn from Israel’s history. The church is God’s kingdom. We need to be the people God has intended from the beginning. He wants us to be characterized by a radical concern for one another’s need and generosity to help with those needs.
In Matt. 5:7, Jesus teaches us, “Blessed are the merciful, for they will receive mercy.” It’s a basic sowing and reaping message. If we see people in serious need and intervene, using whatever resources we have to help, we will receive that when we are in serious need. Since this kind of need will always be present, we need to practice generosity (Deut. 15:11). This is how you end up with communities where there’s no one in need.

We see the church put this in action in Acts 2:43-47 and 4:32-37. Believers didn’t hoard their resources. Rather, they saw the resources as God’s provision so that they could help their needy brothers and sisters.
James questions whether a person has saving faith when he or she claims to have faith but doesn’t help a brother or sister in need (James 2:14-26). This is because he understood the teaching of Torah, the Prophets, and Jesus himself. Likewise, in 1 John 3:17-18, we read, “How does God’s love abide in anyone who has the world’s goods and sees a brother or sister in need and yet refuses help? Little children, let us love, not in word or speech, but in truth and action.” The NT writers understood that mercy was God’s highest priority.


Finding and Giving Mercy

My friends and I often joke that people register like rocks and trees to me. They tend to blend into the landscape. I’ve often been out for a run and had friends pass me unnoticed because I’m so deeply immersed into my own thoughts that the outside world barely registers. Unfortunately, this tendency undermines the practice of mercy.
I constantly pray that God would help me to be observant of my brothers and sisters in Christ. First, we must see their need. We must actively observe and listen so that we can identify need.
Second, we must treat our abundance as a God given resource to help our brothers and sisters in their time of need. This requires us to adopt an abundance mentality. Our basic needs are food, clothing, and shelter. Anything beyond this is abundance. Rather than hoarding our abundance for our own gratification and security, we must see it as a resource for helping our brothers and sisters in their time of need.

Third, we must not think strictly in terms of money. Many of us have an abundance of talents and skills that we can use to help our needy brothers and sisters. We can provide them free services that they can’t afford to pay for. Even our time is a resource we might be tempted to hoard, rather than freely give. It’s easy to look at our time as something we don’t have enough of. I tend to fall into this category. We need to see our skills and our time as part of our abundance. They are resources for serving others, not ourselves and our own pleasure.

A Lifestyle of Mercy

Far too many Christian think they’ve fulfilled their obligation to give by dropping money into the offering plate. I encourage you to do give this way. However, this will mean little if we are not equally as generous to our fellow Christians.
Our witness to the world is our kindness and concern for our brothers and sisters in serious need. If the world does not see us practicing this, then we need to take a hard look at ourselves. We need to ask if we are living up to our calling to be the people of God. Even more so, if we’re not, will God discipline us in order to help us learn (Rev. 3:14-22)?

On a final note, I’ve heard many pastors use 1 Corinthians 8-9 to urge people to be generous in their tithes and offerings. In fact, Paul is urging the Corinthians to be generous in a collection Paul is gathering to help Christians who are suffering during a famine. I encourage you to re-read these passages in this light and challenge yourself to look for opportunities to use your abundance to help your brothers and sisters in their time of need: money, time, and skills.

 

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No longer slaves to sin. For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin -- because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Romans 6:6,7 NIV _________________ My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous: And he is the propitiation for our sins: and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments. 1 John 2:1-3 KJV _________________ This is the One who has been appointed by God as Judge of the living and the dead. Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.'' Acts 10:42,43 NASB _________________ In Christ, we are more than conquerors... Try memorizing Romans 6 - the whole chapter and ask the Lord to help you overcome sin on a daily basis! _________________ Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable 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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“Now on whom dost thou trust?”

Isaiah 36:5

Reader, this is an important question. Listen to the Christian's answer, and see if it is yours. “On whom dost thou trust?” “I trust,” says the Christian, “in a triune God. I trust the Father, believing that he has chosen me from before the foundations of the world; I trust him to provide for me in providence, to teach me, to guide me, to correct me if need be, and to bring me home to his own house where the many mansions are.

I trust the Son. Very God of very God is he — the man Christ Jesus. I trust in him to take away all my sins by his own sacrifice, and to adorn me with his perfect righteousness. I trust him to be my Intercessor, to present my prayers and desires before his Father's throne, and I trust him to be my Advocate at the last great day, to plead my cause, and to justify me. I trust him for what he is, for what he has done, and for what he has promised yet to do.

And I trust the Holy Spirit — he has begun to save me from my inbred sins; I trust him to drive them all out; I trust him to curb my temper, to subdue my will, to enlighten my understanding, to check my passions, to comfort my despondency, to help my weakness, to illuminate my darkness; I trust him to dwell in me as my life, to reign in me as my King, to sanctify me wholly, spirit, soul, and body, and then to take me up to dwell with the saints in light for ever.”

Oh, blessed trust! To trust him whose power will never be exhausted, whose love will never wane, whose kindness will never change, whose faithfulness will never fail, whose wisdom will never be nonplussed, and whose perfect goodness can never know a diminution! Happy art thou, reader, if this trust is thine! So trusting, thou shalt enjoy sweet peace now, and glory hereafter, and the foundation of thy trust shall never be removed.

 

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It’s a Jungle Out There! – Don’t Bring The Jungle Home.



Domestic Violence! I know it’s a grim subject, but a subject we all need to know about. It’s a Jungle Out There! – Don’t Bring The Jungle Home Dude! Chances are, you know someone who is abused or you may even suspect a relationship, even your own, may be vulnerable to domestic violence.

That’s why we need to know how to steer away from it. It’s been said that without a plan, success is accidental. That’s why we need to have a plan to keep Abuse from showing its ugly head in your relationships. Please share this with friends and family. Their lives may be altered by what they read here.
Symptom Finder
Sorrow!
Afflicted!
Troubled!
Hatred!
Strife!
Disappointed!

These are all synonyms for stress and tension. They represent those times when the string gets too tight and then it snaps! It’s like a guitar string that can snap if it is too tight. Or like a balloon seems fine, it looks like it can take a little more air, then boom! In this same way, some families are like a volcano. It seems so nice on the outside but beneath the surface there is fire!
Turn on the TV and you hear about Terrorist attacks, that the economy is getting worse, and that life gets more and more expensive, so the list goes on and on. These are stressful times in which we live. And almost everyday you hear about another home where the string has snapped. We used to say it’s a jungle out there. Now we have to say, it’s a jungle in here! So what’s a man to do about all this stress? Here is the second thing I recommend.

Cultivate Contentment!
Imagine the following scenario;

A man is driving down a neighborhood street. He pulls up to a little frame house in an old car. His kids run to meet him and are full of excitement to see daddy. He enters the house and the house is filled with the aroma of fried chicken and okra. There is no tablecloth, just place-mats. There is no china, just mismatched dishes and some are chipped. The table is set with stainless steel silverware and paper napkins. After dad sits down at the table, dad reaches out and they all hold hands, he thanks God for their love and the food. And then they dig in! They don’t eat in a formal dining room, they eat in the kitchen, but it rings with laughter as they tell about their day: Eddie made the soccer team! But the dog chewed one of his favorite toys.

Now imagine this other scenario;

A man is driving down a neighborhood street. He pulls up to a mansion with white columns out front. This dad pulls up in a BMW and as he gets out of the car, he kicks the cat out of the way. No one comes out to meet him, they’re all in their rooms watching their private TV’s, playing on their X-Box or Nintendo. When it’s time to eat they gather in this long formal dining room. The table is decked up with the best china, crystal glasses, and a tablecloth. The servants bring out hors d oeuvre’s, appetizers, soup du jour, salad, smoking roast. Dad eats as fast as he can, he is preoccupied, he is thinking about work. Mom has a face like a hatchet, she just knows he’s messin’ around with that secretary. All the while their surly, rebellious teenagers say nothing unless it’s sarcastic and cutting.

Choose your jungle
Which of these homes would you like to have?
The first one, of course! Well I agree!
If you want to have a happy home, you have to cultivate contentment. You need to live within your means or the financial stress will kill the spirit of your home and you don’t need that.
God’s word tells us that “Better is a dinner of herbs…”
I want to encourage you not to get on the treadmill of materialism, it doesn’t take you anywhere! (if only we had a bigger, nicer house or a newer car! If you’re not happy with what you’ve got now, you won’t be happy when you have more stuff either).

Phil. 4:11
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.

Thankful
My family and I are blessed with a nice house, and some nice things! Our house is modest, but nice. but you know, we’re no happier than we were in that small one bedroom apartment, driving that little VW GOLF with 180,000 miles on it! Now each of our cars are upgraded. We’re thankful for what we now have, but we know it doesn’t bring happiness!

In Luke 12:15, Jesus said:
Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth.
I Tim. 6
6 But godliness with contentment is great gain. 7 For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. 8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. 9 But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition.

Cultivate contentment!
I know many people today have to work 2 jobs, and many hours, just to make ends meet and that’s ok, I’m not talking about making a living, and providing the basics. I’m talking about the tyranny of things, that prompts some people to go out seeking more money to buy more things, or to pay off what they already bought on credit, when they should be out in the yard teaching that little boy to throw a baseball, or reading that book to that little girl.

But many have to keep up with the Joneses’. So we end up buy things we don’t need, with money we don’t have, to impress people that we don’t like! STOP the madness. Like I said before, It’s a Jungle Out There! – Don’t Bring The Jungle Home Dude!
So, learn to laugh and cultivate contentment. This will help keep you from the jaws of death that Domestic Abuse has on so many families. Try it, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain!

 

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Freedom from sin... walking in the light Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. The one who sows to please his sinful nature, from that nature will reap destruction; the one who sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:7-9 NIV _________________ (Speaking to the woman caught in the act of adultery) And Jesus said, "I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more." Then Jesus again spoke to them, saying, "I am the Light of the world; he who follows Me will not walk in the darkness, but will have the Light of life." John 8:11,12 NASB _________________ For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth. Ephesians 5:8,9 KJV _________________ Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift: Jesus Christ, the only begotten Son of God is the object of our faith; the only faith that saves is faith in Him.