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Kingdom Culture

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Promoting the Kingdom of God on Earth

I remember as a retail manager how culture was important. I had to develop the kind of work environment that made people attracted to work while salaries were generally lower. “Making work fun” was indeed an ominous task and it was hard to manage the complainers, and “bucket dippers” as I called them, to prevent negativity from ruling the roust. Negative people would often “dip” out of the positivity of others and breed negativity. It’s not much different in the community of the church.

Kingdom Culture– kingdom mindedness. Christ’s Kingdom has been established and those who are His are subject to it. Do we live as subjects of the King? Are our attitudes and actions reflective of Christ-likeness? Kingdom Culture represents a community that shares the attitude that seeks the other person’s best interest and highest good. It grants forgiveness, promotes apologies, seeks reconciliation, makes for peace, restores, repents, encourages, uplifts, and edifies.

On this day and days to follow, I want to consider the aspects of a “Kingdom Culture.” We’ve adopted this motto at our school so that we can keep what is part of the community of Christ on the forefront of our thinking. Our lessons will be surrounding how we, as subjects of Christ’s Kingdom, can serve Him for others’ good and His glory. We will put to practice the attitudes and actions that seek the other person’s best interest and highest good. Our prayer is that this emphasis will translate into a greater abundance of spiritual fruit and increase in the produce of the Kingdom of God. Our place as Warriors and Princesses of a type will help generate an identity that considers what that title means and how we can best honor the Lord who bestowed it on us.

Main, Mission, Strategy

The Galilean Accent

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Take no fear in being recognized as a disciple of Christ

The Galilean Accent (adapted from a sermon first delivered by Ed Bousman, 1978)

TEXT: Matthew 26:73—“A little later, the bystanders came up and said to Peter, ‘Surely you too are one of them, for even the way you talk gives you away.’”

Peter is recognized as a Galilean by his accent, and as such was identified as a follower of Jesus. Three times he denied that he was a disciple and at least one of the times with a curse. He put on a great performance, because he evidently convinced the enemies of Jesus that he didn’t even know him. They probably thought: no friend of Jesus would talk like this.

May it be that we develop a Galilean accent and that people will identify us as followers of the Nazarene. I am not talking about mere appearance. There’s enough CINOs out there now—Christians in Name Only. When Scripture says that narrow is the way and few that find the Kingdom of God, I think that many are in for a rude awakening on Judgment Day. I travel frequently and meet a lot of people. I come across many people with crosses and fish on their cars quite frequently. It might lend one to have the opinion that there are a lot of people of faith on the highways and byways of life and it’s tempting to believe that the narrow road that Scripture talks about may be wider than I first imagined. I have friends who have had crosses and fish tattooed on their bodies as if to say that if if anything recognizable be found on their bodies, it would be the last visible sign their mortician would see at their death. Again, it might lead many to believe that the world is full of faithful Christians. This, however, might be a false hope.

We are called to be “imitators of God as beloved children” (Eph. 5:1), not advertisers. The modern term is “Posers.” Advertisers are slogans, jingles, images, and sales pitches. There are a lot of churches involved in the business of advertising, but not delivering. People who are imitators often develop a routine exactly after the pattern of the person whose character they represent. When I was young, I used to imitate my father. I saw in him all the qualities I admired as a man and I adopted his habits to try to make them routine in me. Let us in our speech and attitude try to imitate the habits and the language of the writers of the New Testament so that those who hear us will also say like the servant girl did, “This man also was with Jesus the Nazarene.”

Let me try my Galilean accent. Let’s see if I can talk like the apostle Peter. The speech of a Galilean distinguished him from the Jews in Jerusalem and Judah, particularly because of their difficulty in enunciating the gutterals which are important in the Hebrew and Aramaic. Someone has said that the Galilean accent was rather obnoxious to people who were not used to it and it may be that you will find my speech a little obnoxious, but if so it is because I, too, have a Galilean accent. Let’s try the Galilean accent on Peter’s words:

Acts 2:38

“Repent, and each of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins; and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

Did I get it right? Some would say, you got it right and it surely was obnoxious. The reason it sounds obnoxious is because I have a Galilean accent. You see, Peter did not say that salvation came before baptism. He said it comes at a time when the person is baptized and at the same time that he is baptized he receives the forgiveness of sin and the gift of the Holy Spirit. The verses that say, “You shall not murder,” or “You shall not commit adultery” are not any more difficult to understand. Acts 22:16: “And now, why do you wait? Arise and be baptized and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.” You see, “calling on His name” is the prophetic appeal by Joel for those prompted to receive God’s salvation (Joel 2:32). Those who are saved first call and then the ones who “call” commit to the conditions of the covenant to be saved. God could not have made it any more plainer. Human language could not be more specific. Yet to some this is an obnoxious teaching. I am not going to deny it with a curse, I am going to affirm it with an AMEN.

Now let’s try the Galilean accent on . . .

Acts 4:12

“And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.”

Did I get it right? Some would say yes, you got it right and it surely does sound obnoxious. Well, the reason it sounds obnoxious is because I have a Galilean accent. According to this verse there is no salvation apart from Jesus Christ. Now this includes all non-Christian religions. Without Christ, there is no hope. Without a redeemer, there is no redemption. Heaven belongs to Jesus and if you want to go there, you will have to do things His way or not at all. Jesus himself has said (John 14:6), “No one comes to the Father but through me.” Is this intolerant? God has always made the basis of His covenant conditional on His requirements. The conditions for the New Covenant are calling on His name in faith, repentance, confession and baptism. Jesus says in Mark 16, “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved.” Even in the Old Testament, in Psalm 147:19, 20, we see how God’s Word and ordinances and statutes were for His covenant people and these were not known by other nations. It is by his Word, Psalm 147 says, that all things are sustained and only through his Word that all things are, in the words of Milton, re-gained. In Milton’s poem, “Paradise Regained” who else but Christ was sent forth:

Winning by conquest what the first man lost 
By fallacy surprised. But first I mean 
To exercise him in the Wilderness; 
There he shall first lay down the rudiments 
Of his great warfare, ere I send him forth 
To conquer Sin and Death, the two grand foes. 

The Son of God, with Godlike force endued 
Against the attempter of thy Father’s throne 
And thief of Paradise! Him long of old 
Thou didst rebel, and down from Heaven cast 
With all his army; now thou hast avenged 
Supplanted Adam, and, by vanquishing 
Temptation, hast regained lost Paradise, 
And frustrated the conquest fraudulent. 

No, there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved. God is not going to ask by what religion or by what law we choose to be judged. He will judge you whether you like it or not. But not only does this verse put out the light of hope for non-Christian religions, it is also for those who reject the Bible WAY whereby a person gets into Christ. It certainly does not make us feel good to think that they are going to hell, but it ought to do something for our zeal in reaching the lost. It’s time to stop beating around the bush under the guise of political correctness and tell it like it is. Remember, you have a God to answer to on that great day and He is going to make an accounting of your words.

Perhaps some would say, that is the most obnoxious teaching I ever heard! The reason it is obnoxious is because I have a Galilean accent and I am not going to deny it with a curse, I am going to affirm it with an AMEN!

Now let’s try the Galilean accent on:

2 Peter 1:20, 21

“But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one’s own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God.”

Did I get it right? Some would say, “Yes, you got it right and it surely was obnoxious.” The reason it sounds obnoxious is because I have a Galilean accent.

Now, here is the way it is. No scripture is of private interpretation. This indicates that no denomination can formulate a doctrine for any individual. No church can tell you, this is what you must believe or you are not a Christian. The Bible says in Acts that the Berean Church, “Searched the scriptures daily whether these things (Paul and Silas said) were so.” If they checked on the Apostle Paul, how much more should preachers and priests and pastors be checked on today. It is not what your preacher says nor what your denomination believes. It is WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY. Don’t take my word for the contents of Acts 2:38, read it for yourself and see. Don’t take my word for teaching that divorce and remarriage is a sin, turn to Mark 10:11-12 and Romans 7:2-3 and see for yourself. After reading for yourself, you can admit as the Samaritans did in John 4—they believed, not because of the testimony of the woman at the well, but because of the living WORD.

I know that to some this may be obnoxious teaching, but I am not going to deny it with a curse, I am going to affirm it with an AMEN!

Now let’s try the Galilean accent on:

2 Peter 2:20

“For if, after they have escaped the defilements of the world by the knowledge of the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in them and are overcome, the last state has become worse for them than the first.”

Did I get it right? Some would say, “Yes, you got it right and it surely was obnoxious.” the reason it sounds obnoxious is because I have a Galilean accent.

A person can be lost after he has once been saved. Don’t let some preacher juggle scripture and tell you anything to the contrary. Once in grace, always in grace is Baptist doctrine. Church of Christ people would never admit that they believe it, but they surely do practice it. Once a person is baptized, to most people that’s all there is to it—he’s home free.

There exists a question that is asked by many that we’ve probably had: “What would be easier: to die for the cause of Christ or truly live for Him?” Honestly, and a preacher friend of mine who must be in his 90’s now, Knofel Staton, used to use this illustration: The best thing that could have happened to some people was for them to drown in the baptistry. It would have been better if at their baptism the preacher said while holding them under the water, “I . . . baptize you . . . in the name . . . of the Father . . . and God the Son . . . and God the Holy Spirit . . . If ever there was a justified mercy killing, it would be at baptism. The crown of victory is not easily won. But to some, as long as their name is in the roll book of the church, they’re eternally secured. As a minister, you never know the extent of a church’s membership until you get calls to do funerals for people you have never met who are supposedly members. I remember sitting down with a widow trying to get information on her departed husband who was a “member” of the church but had not attended in 14 years. During the interview I was trying to find some redeeming quality that I could use in my eulogy, but it was the wife who stated bluntly to me, “Preacher, don’t work too hard to make my husband sound good. My husband died and went to hell.”

We need to face up to the fact that hell will be full of church members whose eyes on earth sparkled with dreams of glory.

To some this is a very obnoxious saying, but I am not going to deny it with a curse, I am going to affirm it with an AMEN!

Now let’s try the Galilean accent on:

Acts 11:15

“And as I began to speak, the Holy Spirit fell upon them just as he did upon us at the beginning.”

Did I get it right? Some would say, “Yes, you got it right, but it surely is obnoxious.” The reason it sounds obnoxious is because I have a Galilean accent.

In Acts, the previous chapter, Peter had been amazed when the household of Cornelius had received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Peter’s amazement was more than the fact that they were Gentiles, because here it says it happened even as in the beginning. Peter seems to say, “I haven’t seen anything like this in at least seven years.” The baptism of the Holy Spirit took place only on the Apostles at Pentecost and on the household of Cornelius, who is described as “a centurion, a righteous and God-fearing man well spoken of by the entire nation of the Jews” (Acts 10:22). All of the 3000 on the day of Pentecost received the gift of the Holy Spirit but this in no way indicates they all could speak in tongues or work miracles. Paul would say to the Corinthians, “Are all apostles?” The obvious answer is NO. Are all prophets? NO. Are all workers of miracles? NO. Do all speak in tongues? The obvious answer is, NO. All Christians had the gift of the Holy Spirit as promised on the day of Pentecost but this in no way means they all had the miraculous gifts of the apostles.

This may seem very obnoxious to some, but I am not going to deny it with a curse, I am gong to affirm it with an AMEN!

Now let’s try the Galilean accent on:

1 Peter 4:16

“but if anyone of you suffers as a Christian, he is not to be ashamed, but is to glorify God in this name.”

We’ve all been asked the question, “What denomination do you belong to?” I always tell them I belong to no denomination at all. I am a CHRISTIAN. I am nothing MORE than a Christian and want to be named nothing less. I don’t need any other name with it, before it, over it, behind it, or in place of it to identify me as a follower of Jesus Christ. When I say I AM A CHRISTIAN, that says it all. The name of Christ is big enough and powerful enough and important enough to stand up all by itself. I need no other and I want no other and I will accept none other.

This of course to some is a very obnoxious teaching, but I am not going to deny it with a curse, I am going to affirm it with an AMEN!

I could go on and on, but for the sake of time, I think the point has been made. I appeal to you, the church, that in these last days, as Paul counseled Timothy in 2 Timothy 3:1-7:

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come.

For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy,

unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good,

treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God,

holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these.

For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses,

always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Our mission should imitate the Great Commission given by Christ in Matthew 28:19-20:

“Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

Fatherhood, Main, Mission, Strategy, Work

Habits of Holiness

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Habits of Holiness

Not a trite phrase to be written off as strictly cliché, but a very urgent sense of responsibility each of us should possess.

What is a habit? A habit can be good or bad. Habits can become so routine that we do them without thinking—both good and bad ones. Habits are a pattern of behavior acquired through repetition.

What do we do to make sure we have a good visit to the dentist’s office? Be in the habit of teeth brushing as part of our daily routine. How can we assure ourselves a better chance of overcoming temptations when they come before us? Be in the habit of reading God’s Word and following His commands.

Some of us have our favorite sports figures perhaps. We might have a person who to us is the pinnacle of success. Did you ever wonder how they got to be so successful? Through the habit of practicing or working many hours a day to be more proficient and more competitive. They developed a talent that sets them apart from others.

Habits are built into our lifestyle. We exit a room, we turn off the lights. We buckle up our seat belts upon entering a vehicle without even thinking about it.

I have had a multitude of occupations during my life. I have been a mechanic and a truck driver. I remember how as a driver, I trained so much that every time I got into a vehicle to drive it, a check list was automatically completed without giving it any thought. Whenever I was on call, I knew by reflex what needed needed to happen, what needed to be packed, and what each team member had to do.

Did you ever think about how much money is spent analyzing our buying habits? Our eating and drinking habits? Our personal hygiene habits? Our driving habits? Even our recreational and worship habits? It’s called “market analyzing.” People are paid to research buying habits. They look at packaging and merchandising and how things are sold. Some employers study work habits to improve your efficiency. I have heard that delivery companies count the steps of employees to determine if their movement can be more efficient and save less time handling packages.

When a company wants to move into a town to start a production business, it analyzes the population to determine the hiring pool, aptitude, demographics, and economy of the area to be sure there will be a good return on their investment. If there is no future for the company because of the area being a poor investment, the company not only misses out, but the future prosperity of the community loses out. So it is with any who have poor habits. Habits of poverty exists among people as displayed in their work and school productivity. Many settle for the least.

Now, Christian, don’t think the Devil isn’t into knowing our habits because he IS. He doesn’t want us to see our full potential, but rather maintain habits in keeping with laziness, greed, and pride. We haven’t been paying attention to our market strategy in distributing the Word of God. Can we “sell” others on the benefit of God’s salvation? In word or deed?

Now, let’s talk about TIME MANAGEMENT. How much time do we waste in the exercise of poor habits? What benefit could be gained by exercising good habits? What health benefits would be gained in exercising healthy habits, like getting to bed early enough to get 7-8 hours of sleep and waking up with enough time to be fully prepared for the opportunities of a new day? Wouldn’t that lower our anxiety? This change might take the elimination of trivial activities.

In my life, I’ve learned that changing habits involves substitute, sharpen, sustain, and success. It takes some time, but given that strategy, you’ll find success. Bad habits, like walking away from a mess you made on the floor. Substitute that by keeping things tidy to prevent accidents and things being lost. The sharpening of a new habit can make it efficient. Cleaning as you go saves from cleaning a bigger mess at the end of the week. The sustaining of a good habit ensures success by making the area safe and your items accounted for and cleaned.

I was thinking of something the other day and brought this up to my wife Julie. What if we focused more on the habits of success and less on the goals of success. In my own life, I’ve tried to set goals that time after time I failed to achieve. It’s hard to set a goal and make it SMART—specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and timely. It’s hard to map out something like that with directions on finding the best way to the end. Finding the END usually involves overcoming the obstacles of your weaknesses. It is my feeling that if we build the habits FOR success, the obstacles preventing us from reaching our goals will be naturally eliminated.

A city in Kufa, Iraq, was the scene of mob violence for months. An observer was called in to analyze the pattern of behavior. After watching videos of each violent occurrence, he noticed a pattern. People would fill the square around a certain mosque and when the crowds began to swell, shwarma and kebab vendors would come, hoping to capitalize on the crowds by selling kebabs and shwarmas. By late afternoon, someone would enevitably throw a rock, or other item at police, and the angry mob turned violent.

The observer then made an odd request: going forward, don’t allow food vendors into the square. SO, the police decided to deny the protesters their food. Sure enough, the next day, crowds began to build in the square outside the mosque, loud protests against the police were heard, angry slogans rang out and soon the crowds were restless, AND hungry. Looking for food and finding no vendors who were selling it, the crowds dispersed. Just a change of habit.

So much of our lives is based on habits. We might find it in our habit to frequent the company of a particular group of friends. Among that group of friends we might find the temptation to be in the habit of doing something bad. Not all of our friends care about our best interests. It doesn’t mean that we are going to contribute to mob violence, but the consequences can be the same.

I remember a time in the city of Irbid, Jordan, when a group of men were running through the market area. It looked like something major was happening so I went out into the street to see what the all the commotion was. Pulling the young man towards me, I asked him to slow down, “Shway, shway.” And then I asked, “Shoo hartha, shoo hartha?” “Madha yahduth?” which means, what’s happening? The young man paused and thought for a second and said, “I don’t know. I saw everybody running and so I started running.” We can be pulled into a situation with little to no knowledge of what is going on by the habit of blind compliance.

I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of the distractions that take me away from what is truly worth our time. I used to have some really bad habits. There was a time when first and last thing I did every day is smoke a cigarette. Presently, I’m trying to force myself from looking at my phone the first thing every morning and before bed because it is taking me away from time with my family and time with God. The Devil wants only to distract us from these important things. In fact, we sin when we are in the wrong place at weak time. Imagine if people we love who are on their phones or computers constantly would turn off the power of such devices and plug into us? It would be wonderful! Imagine what God would think if we were to unplug ourselves from the world to focus on His Word? That would be exceedingly wonderful!

1) Jesus was in the habit of prayer. We know this from the references in the Bible that says He was in the habit of prayer. From his youth to adult, he often retreated to a quiet place to pray.

2) Jesus was in the habit of being in the Lord’s house on the Lord’s day. Not much is known about Jesus as a young man, but the verses we do have in Scripture mention Jesus being in the Temple on the Sabbath (Luke chapter 2:42ff). Verse 49 says the Jesus had to be in His Father’s house. Later in Luke 4:16, while in Nazareth, Jesus was in the synagogue on the Sabbath, “as was His custom.”

3) He was in the habit of obedience. John 6:38 says that Jesus came from heaven not to do His own will, but the will of the Father’s. Looking again at Luke chapter 2, verse 51 it says Jesus was in the habit of being obedient to His parents. Of course that was right after his family had discovered he was left behind finding him in the Temple. Jesus further said, “If you love me you will keep my commandments.” We are not to follow the pattern, or habits, of the world.

4) Jesus was in the habit of loving others. Many times we are told that Jesus was moved with compassion. When little children visited Jesus, the disciples were of the habit of turning them away. When Martha was in the habit of hospitality, Jesus needed to commend Mary for doing something that wasn’t routinely done and was the feet of Jesus and dry them with her hair. Peter was in the habit of sitting at the head of the table and Paul gently corrected his behavior.

These simple habits of Jesus led to opportunity. Opportunity acted upon leads to God’s work being fulfilled. Isn’t that a fine goal to have without setting a goal, but having the habits that get you to the finish?

Try adopting this habit: when someone asked you to help them with something, be in the habit of saying, “Yes, I’d be happy to help you.” When considering going to church, it should be our habit to do so. And lets make prayer NOT a last resort or a reactive occurrence, but a frequent practice so that our minds might be focused always on the will of God in our lives and His sovereignty and grace. If we try these habits of holiness, our lives will conform more to the likeness of Christ. And THAT is our supreme goal and most honoring to God.

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Where There Is Hope

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Don’t lose hope

Is our faith lived in the future? Well, it should be. There is danger in living for the moment; for the now. When we pray for God’s will in our lives, how much do we prepare? Do you believe God has something great in mind? Well, prepare for it. Do we believe that God ordains world governments? It says so in Romans 13:1-8 and 1 Peter 2:18ff. Why don’t we talk politics in church? Is it not on the basis of faith in line with God’s will that we pray? Let’s prepare by contributing to a process that secures the best interest of all. We pray for God’s will all the time. Why can’t we be contributory to it? We pray for change, let our conduct be for the affect of change. Faith without works is . . .?

Pray according to God’s will, and He hears us. Revelation 8:1-6 are the prayers of the saints under the altar which brought the hand of God to move. James 5:13-18 mentions the fact the fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much. The example of Elijah and his prayer concerning rain is used. We are reminded that Elijah prayed and the rain stopped. He prayed again and the rain resumed. Jesus said that there are demons which can only be cast out through prayer and fasting (Matthew 17:21; Mark 9:28, 29).

The people of Israel, during the days of Gideon, complained, murmured, grumbles, and rebelled against the LORD because they were living in the PRESENT. The satisfaction of their immediate needs was in the front of their thinking. All the Hebrews needed to do was walk—in faith.

Jesus called us to a future, not a reconditioned past. “Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come!” it says in 2 Corinthians 5:17. Revelation 21:5, “And He Who sits on the throne said, ‘Behold, I am making all things NEW.’”

Now, think about this. Can we affect the life of another? Yes. Can we contribute to the sanctification of another? YES. Did you ever think about how a husband and wife can preserve each other in their matrimony? The Bible is clear. It is important to understand that faithful marriage secures the benefit and blessing of both spouses and their children, to facilitate the blessings of God. 1 Corinthians 7:14ff,

“For the unbelieving husband is sanctified through his wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified through her believing husband; for otherwise your children are unclean, but now they are holy. 15 Yet if the unbelieving one leaves, let him leave; the brother or the sister is not under bondage in such cases, but God has called us to peace. 16 For how do you know, O wife, whether you will save your husband? Or how do you know, O husband, whether you will save your wife?”

Now consider 1 Peter 3:1-2, “In the same way, you wives, be submissive to your own husbands so that even if any of them are disobedient to the word, they may be won without a word by the behavior of their wives, as they observe your chaste and respectful behavior.”

How would living for the needs of the future change our way of thinking? I think our time would be managed a lot more efficiently.

Proverbs 24:13-14, “My son, eat honey, for it is good, Yes, the honey from the comb is sweet to your taste; Know that wisdom is thus for your soul; If you find it, then there will be a future, And your hope will not be cut off.” It’s plain. To secure our hope, we must find the good and the sweetness in wisdom.

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Giving Yourself Permission

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From a Holocaust survivor comes the psychology involved in choosing evil–it happens when humans give themselves permission to do so by an authority that persuaded them it was okay to do so. A greater Authority exists to Whom we should yield to fulfill all righteousness.

Proverbs 29:18

“Where there is no vision, the people cast off restraint; but best is he who keeps the law.”

Looking at this verse, my assumption is that the concept of vision is in keeping the Law. Or, at least, having no vision is equal to lawlessness. We as human beings have what’s called a “free will.” We can choose restraint or we can choose lawlessness. As far as each of us is concerned, there are two things over which we have control—our beliefs and our behavior. I have also heard it said, our “attitudes and actions.” To quote the famous pirate, Captain Jack Sparrow, he says, “Our problem is not the problem. The problem is our attitude about the problem.” Teaching fifth graders has its challenges AND opportunities. Many of them have the attitude that they can’t do something when they haven’t tried to see if their assumption is correct. Or, some have tried another task similar and failed, so going forward with the task will only prove to mean disappointment, failure, and a destructive blow to their self-esteem.

I chose this topic today in response to a story I had followed about a Holocaust survivor and her opinion on how regular/normal people can be brought to killing wihtout conscience. The summary of what the older lady said was that man can be reduced to an animal when he is given pemission to do so by a majority of other, or by authority. Choosing evil is bowing to a choice of authority in either case. The motivation to the kinds of riotouss behavior we’ve seen in the news lately results from listening conforming to a group identity outside of themselves. You wouldn’t think educated young people with a bright future ahead of them would risk it all, but they do. There is no thought of who they hurt. It is like that with any sin. But sin has a precursor. Scripture tells us that preceding our choice to sin is the temptation TO sin. James 1:4 says, “but each man is tempted, when he is drawn away by his own lust, and enticed.” Don’t get me wrong by thinking the Devil made me do it, or the government brought me to it. We surrend our authority to the influence of another and that is a choice. We sell ourselves into the salvery of sin and only Jesus can redeem us out of that condition.

As Bob Dylan sang, “You gotta serve somebody.” If you’re not a slave of Christ, then you’re a slave of the devil and sin. Christ is a loving, caring Master, who never abuses His slaves. Giving authority to His usefulness is surrendering to the ultimate care in love for us. The devil is a conniving, self-serving tyrant, who has no concern for his slaves. It is far better to be Christ’s slave than to be enslaved to Satan and to sin. Look at all the parables having to do with servants and slaves. It’s all about what we do with what the Master asks. Failure is a result of selfish ambition.

You’d be surprised at the things we can do when we give ourselves permission to do it, both good AND bad. It is sobering to look back in history and survey the evidence of the catastrophic loss that occurred simply by persons or governments choosing to conduct themselves without restraint. In fact, this Thursday we will remember the 157,000 allied troops that landed on the beaches of Northern France to repel a leader who chose to terminate millions of lives with extreme prejudice. Sadly, we are just as capable of this kind of evil today if we are convinced it’s right. In the face of choices, where does our conviction lie?

You may have joked around, as I have, about the advice that gets handed to people, “Don’t volunteer to do anything.” Let me tell you something, my greatest spiritual growth has occorred when I replied, “Yes, I’d be happy to help with that” when challenged to help. Say, “YES!” more often and see how God can equip.

Sometimes we limit God when we refuse an opportunity to exercise our talents and expand our faith. How else can we learn trust and confidence in God unless we put our faith to practice and God’s Word to use? But we like to keep some authority to ourselves don’t we? There may be even times when we give ourselves permission to put away love and compassion when an opportunity to show both is before us. When compassion and love are lost, it’s then that our heart is betrayed and impulses are likely to turn into hurtful acts against another. The difference between humans is animals is very apparent. Animals attack when they are scared, or if you are their prey. Human beings hurt when their compassion ends and they give themselves permission to do it and that is evil in the greatest sense of the word.

We must not lose the vision of our created purpose—to love and have fellowship with God and love one another. That is possible only through Jesus Christ. We are called to be Christ-like. Give yourself permission to love and show compassion. Follow the laws of hospitality. Bear the fruit of the Spirit. Grow in love. Do not let others, or yourself, give you permission to hate, insult, or destroy. Do not surrender authority of your emotions to another. Christian, do not give real estate in your heart to anyone but the Holy Spirit—it is His temple in which to dwell.

Flee immorality. Every other sin that a man commits is outside the body, but the immoral man sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is atemple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. (1 Corinthians 6:18-20)

Let your vision be pure and just and righteous. Not losing our vision will prompt us to continue growing in hope and knowledge so that we do not forget the authority of the Word of God. Scripture is full of evidence that condemns those who forsook the Word of God. In Hosea 4:6 God condemns His priests by saying, “My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge.” The verse continues to say how they also forgot about the law of God. Here again we see the complement of the Word of God and vision. The more of God’s Word we know, the less tempted we will be by the worlds enticements.

1 Peter 2:9 says that we are a “Royal Priesthood.” We are charged with proclaiming the excellencies of God. Let us grow in the knowledge and wisdom of God. We already know where the world’s wisdom leads and where the destiny of the wicked ends. We have the encouragement of the faithful who came before us. We can read Hebrews 11 and find it. Reading Hebrews 12 is the imperative.

Let me close with Romans 12:2, “And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.”

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Old Versus New

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Love letter from God- A vow unbroken

Once upon a time, God created the earth, around which He wrapped the universe as a blanket. On the earth He created a Garden in which He placed a companion, the Ish. He created the Ish from the earth and when God breathed life into his nostrils the spirit of life, he became a living soul and it was good—for a time.

It was soon discovered that the Ish himself needed a companion and from the Ish God formed Ishah, because she was taken OUT of the Ish– man AND woman. God considered what He had done and He and man were satisfied—for a time.

The separation began when both man and woman were tempted to break fellowship with the God Who gave them life and all good things. Under the temptation of a lesser creature, they began to esteem themselves more than their Creator and God knew that His love for them would be the only means to bring humankind back to Himself.

God tried to the uttermost to intercede as best He could. Things got so bad that man was only doing evil, continually. After finding only eight righteous who were saved through the water, God called down a great flood decimating the progeny of humanity and the wickedness that if allowed to remain would have kindled a wrath so great that the hope of men would have been utterly snuffed out.

It wasn’t too long after that, even after God left tokens of His esteem in the rainbow, in stones, and by His word, that humanity turned towards itself again. Assembling on the Plains of Babel, they erected a tower to proclaim their greatness. Men began to esteem themselves better than their Creator Who not only gave them life but preserved them through calamity.

The Creator went to greater lengths to secure a long life for man and to bless him. Man’s destruction would be certain if left to doing that which was right in his own eyes and he would have little chance to know the God who loves him. God attempted to prove Himself through the covenants of blood that were cut between Him and those who would agree to His terms. Yes, the consequences were grave, but the conditions not only represented the gravity of sin’s effects on man but also the capacity of God to love him.

Still, God’s love expanded to greater horizons as mankind began to esteem himself better than the one who gave him life by breathing into his nostrils the spirit of life. God in an almost last attempt would call a people unto himself; a people whom He loved, desiring only to be esteemed as their Creator and esteem themselves as His creation. His Word was sealed through miracles, blessings, and curses. God would be betrothed to His people, promising them that He would be faithful for life. He brought heroes, healers, prophets, and kings. To demonstrate His power, the Creator showed that He Himself was greater than any power on earth, any graven image, or any strength in men. Yet still, God’s betrothed was an unfaithful and adulterous bride. Man esteemed himself greater than the One who gave him life.

Any other husband whose wife played the harlot would have cast her off. Not God—He loved her. This kind of covenant could not last. The bride was making a mockery of the NAME her Husband gave her. To preserve His holy name and a remnant to carry it forward, He came to terms with the unthinkable. It was the only means a marriage could be dissolved. One party had to die. The blood of man was not worthy to satisfy such a significant role. It had to be God himself. The ritual of shedding the blood of animals ceased. Only the Word of God, Who created the heavens and the earth and all the dwell in them, could be the Testator to die and bring about a New Covenant in His blood (to be cont’d)

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The Price of the Bride

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The last time I shared in a communion meditation, we covered how it was necessary for God to “cut” a new covenant based on what Israel had committing in profaning the name of God. Even though it was in fact Israel who was unfaithful as a Bride to God, it would be the act of God to preserve a Bride for Himself from a remnant. For a covenant like marriage, the only dissolution is by the death of one of the parties involved. Only through death is there an opportunity for the NEW.

No “bride price” can ever be adequate from the creation of God to meet the demands needed for the pledge to be fulfilled. God had to BE His own “bride price” by giving what was the most valuable thing He could ever give—His own Son. The “bride price” not only symbolizes the seriousness of the intent of the Groom as a pledge to his obligation as a husband but it is also a pledge beyond the fullness of His life committed to the heritage that will follow. This new arrangement of things is better and more glorious. Even Paul in Ephesians 3 calls the new arrangement a New Administration, better understood by the Greek meaning, new “house rules”– a new family arrangement.

There were some terrific points in Steve’s message last week; a major one is that God is light and His kingdom is light and its light is like none ever seen and the darkness can not comprehend it.

Steve read from John chapter 2 last week, but let me draw your attention to Luke 1 and 2. There are two verses in Luke chapter one I want to look at, beginning with verse 78. There is a translation (paraphrased) called The Passion Translation that reads, “The splendor-light of heaven’s glorious sunrise is about to break upon us in holy visitation, all because the merciful heart of our God is so very tender. The word from heaven will come to us with dazzling light to shine upon those who live in darkness, near death’s dark shadow.

And he will illuminate the path that leads to the way of peace.” These verses come after the announcement that John would be the forerunner of Christ in proclaiming visit of the New Kingdom.

Moving to Luke chapter 2 we find the story of Simeon whose life was preserved until the time he could see the Christ and witness the consolation of Israel. Luke 2:32 proclaims the coming of Christ will bring a “Light of revelation to the Gentiles and glory to Israel.”

Do a search on your own and discover how symbolic a sunrise is in Scripture. Like we often view sunrises, they are filled with hope, expectation, and newness. A sunrise could bring satisfaction to our faith following the dread of a dark night.

Egypt—West symbolized death. Israel traveled through the Red Sea all night until the dawning of the next day until at daybreak pharaoh and his armies would be consumed by the Red Sea crashing on them. The sunrise symbolized life and newness and the water of separation symbolizes baptism.

How much more does Isaiah 9:2 mean when the prophet said, “The people walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of deep darkness a light has dawned.”

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On the Sanctity of Human Life

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In the book “The Science of Evil” written by Simon Baron Cohen, empathy and compassion are lost when we lose and show contempt for the sanctity of human life. This applies to both Christians and non-Christians. From that exchange begins hatred, cruelty, and suffering.

It is far too common that our pre-meditated thoughts are bent on the termination of another human life when it comes into a violation of our personal beliefs and/or standards. We think of a violent response when a person intrudes on our domicile, place of work or worship. Is this the proper perspective as it compares to Scripture relative to that response? If an act is perpetrated at our workplace, is a premeditation to murder equal to vigilantism? How far does the vigilantism go? Will we take our judgment to the point of a proactive response and terminate a life based on perceived intent? These are questions we must answer.

Typically, the Beatitudes have been something that Scripturally apply to an individual’s action and interaction with another, even one who is our enemy. Civically , institutions of law enforcement are in place to address criminal activity at large. Nationally, a military and militia are in place to ensure a righteous response by a government to preserve and protect its citizens. “Does the government bear the sword for nothing?” (Romans 13:4)

We are to encourage the kind of conduct one should expect from a government installed by God. 1 Peter 2:13ff. says, 13 Submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every human authority: whether to the emperor, as the supreme authority, 14 or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. 15 For it is God’s will that by doing good you should silence the ignorant talk of foolish people. 16 Live as free people, but do not use your freedom as a cover-up for evil; live as God’s slaves. 17 Show proper respect to everyone, love the family of believers, fear God, honor the emperor.” (NIV)

The accountability to God of our actions will weigh on a proper discernment of our expectations as a Christian.