Enslaved!

Romans 6: 6             ESV

⁶ We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing,

so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin.

Yesterday I had a lengthy meeting in one of our County judicial offices.

When I arrived for the meeting, I could hardly find a place to park.

Once the meeting came to a close, I had a hard time even getting out into the hallway.

There had to be at least 70 people waiting for their personal court date.

I asked the lady whom I went to visit with, if this was normal.

She said...”Every day there’s court in secession, that pretty par for the course.” REALLY??

I have to say, that experience was a bit culture shock for me.

Up until yesterday, I hadn’t even been in that judicial building.

It just hit me, at how many people are still enslaved to sin.

Maybe those folks wouldn’t need attorney’s or court dates, if they were brought to nothing.

The only time I’ve ever been in a court room, is when the system made it official that our Grandson became a member of our family.

Actually, he had already became a part of our hearts. That court date was just a mere formality.

I for one am so blessed that my old self has died, and that I have been released from my own bondage.

It was a stark reminder though, of just how many people still need help with that...

The Best News!

1 John 2: 2               ESV

² He is the propitiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.

                                                   

It’s the best news you and I will ever hear, especially when hearing good news these days, isn’t at a premium.

Can I ask you something? When’s the last time you shared this great news with anyone?

·         You don’t need any special security clearance to share the Good News...

·         People can hack into your e-mail server anytime they want to learn about His love...

·         This good news isn’t just for hackers...it’s for slackers too...

·         Sharing it won’t endanger national security...

·         You don’t have to lie about it...because it’s the truth...

·         I’ll bet your Pastor won’t report you to the FBI if you do...

·         And the best part of all, God hits the delete button on all sin, to all who call on His name...

And yet 61% of regular church goers have never shared anything about Jesus with anyone.

Maybe it’s because we’re not interested in sharing the information we’ve been given.

58% of regular church goers have never invited anyone to church...ever.

But the Gospel of Jesus is still very good news.

This message is so great, that it should just bubble right out of us.

God reconciles His enemies, through the love of His Son.

Our willingness to share about God’s love, says a lot about how much we genuinely love Him...

What's your measurement?

Titus 1: 13

¹³ This testimony is true. Therefore rebuke them sharply, that they may be sound in the faith...

One of the characteristics of a person who has been walking with God for a number of years, is that they should be sound in their faith.

I wonder if soundness in faith, comes in part from listening to a few harder to hear sermons?

More than not, feelings get hurt by harder to hear sermons.

Someone sent me this quote just the other day:

“If being hurt by the church causes you to lose faith in God, then your faith was in people...not God.”

I have a friend who visited a different church over the weekend.

What was striking to them, was that almost no one carried their own Bible.

I remember going to a men’s conference one time, led by Pastor Voddie Baucham.

He asked the men to take their Bibles, and when he saw that most didn’t carry one, he said this:

“Man, I could tell you anything, and you wouldn’t even be able to prove me wrong...”

I wonder if the general church just doesn’t tolerate people who are Bible toting freaks anymore?

I’m amazed at the number of people who don’t even open their Bibles on Sunday mornings.

So, have we become complacent and satisfied with average? I think we need to reflect on what Jesus said about average.

So would you say you’re sound in faith...or are you satisfied with average?

If so, then what’s your measurement?  

Giving an Account!

1 Peter 4: 5              ESV

⁵ but they will give account to him who is ready to judge the living and the dead.

Steadfast followers of Jesus, truly do stand out in the crowd.

These are folks who will take the liberty to stand against those who oppose the truth of God’s Word.

A billboard was rejected in Cleveland, Ohio...that advertised the movie, “God’s Not Dead, 2 “

The reason it was found to be so offensive, were these words...

“I’d rather stand with God and be judged by the world, than stand with the world and be judged by God “

Yet in the same neighborhood, a billboard can be seen that promotes atheists, and the LBGT community.

Make no mistake about it, those who love the world and it’s passions, will be judged by God one day, for sure.

The only thing that can change in this scenario being played out in our world, is the heart.

Does your heart need to change? Does your heart represent all that is good and Godly?

I wonder if God is still the person we worship on Sunday’s?

And yet we’d be a darn fool if we didn’t think we’ve already replaced Him with something “better”, on the weekends.

I’m not in a race to get there, but one day at the end of my life, I will give an account.

I can decide today, if I’m going to be a part of the living group, or the dead group.

I can know today if my heart needs to change, and I can make that change.

There is coming a time though, when that won’t be possible...

Trustworthy

Psalm 111: 7

⁷ The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy...

In 1976, Gallup says that about 45 percent of Americans trusted the Bible as the literal word for word, Word of God.

In 2015, that number fell to 28 percent. So that’s less than one third (1/3^rd) of all Americans.

It would appear we have a trust problem in our current culture.

Do people trust more in God, when His Word doesn’t bring about conviction?

I asked my wife last night if she felt I was...“trustworthy”.

After a few seconds of thoughtful consideration, she assured me with answering... “Yes!”

Both U.S. Presidential candidates seem to have trustworthiness issues.

Only 8% of Congressional lawmakers are trusted. At least God has a higher trustworthy rating than Congress does.

Actually, pharmacists are now trusted more than a person’s Pastor.

I wonder if that’s because we can get almost any drug of choice now days, with a prescription?

Maybe Pastor’s would be trusted more, if they handed out medications?

I heard someone recently say... “The church is consumed with behavior, and not Jesus.” Is that the reason people don’t trust churches?

I wonder if Jesus was consumed with behavior, or holiness when He met the adulterous woman?

Weren’t His parting words to her... “Go, and sin no more.” Did Jesus want a behavioral change, or a heart change...or both? Didn’t He want her to trust Him?

Could it be that we’re trusting in things/people, that aren’t very trustworthy?

Maybe we need to trust in the works of His hands, and not the works of man’s hands. By the way...you can trust Him... 

Wise to be Wise!

Proverbs 13: 20      ESV

Whoever walks with the wise becomes wise...

I have a number of men in my life, who are great, spiritual gems.

I spent a great deal of time with one of them on Monday, and with another special brother yesterday.

Most would know that they could ask me any of these questions.

Is your heart pure? How much do you study the Bible? How much are you praying? How well are you loving your wife?

This is just a sampling of questions that should actually be fair game.

All men should be able to answer those questions without any fear of condemnation, and with a straight face.

Actually, the more I hang with guys like that, the wiser I become.

Who do you walk with on a regular basis?

Who are you rubbing spiritual shoulders with?

I just choose to be with men who make me a better follower of Christ.

I choose to receive any wisdom they are willing to impart. Actually, in that area, I need all the wise help I can get.

Men and ladies alike need people in their lives, who will lovingly hold their feet to the fire.

Seriously, if we watched less of Dr. Phil, Dr. Oz and Oprah...and spent more time with wise, spiritual people...the better off this whole world would be...

Are you Welcoming?

Romans 15: 7          ESV

⁷ Therefore welcome one another as Christ has welcomed you, for the glory of God.

Do you ever remember being a new visitor at church?

Deb and I came to a new Bible study when we were new converts many years ago.

We didn’t know anything about the Bible at all.

When we asked the question... “By the way, whose Mark?”, a man in the Bible study said... “You know Mark...Mark of the Bible!!”

I can still see the look on that guys face like it was yesterday. Deb and I wanted to crawl into any hole possible, but we didn’t find one.

Talk about a daaaa moment!! For obvious or not so obvious reasons, we didn’t feel welcomed, and we didn’t return.

How do you welcome someone new in your home church?

Do you go out of your way to make them feel comfortable?

Many in the church today have turned a bit inward.

Maybe we should have a teaching in church, for how to treat newcomers?

Think on this!

Proverbs 11: 14

¹⁴ For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.

Probably one of the things I do most in ministry, is offer Biblical counsel to people struggling with various situations.

There are times when I get tired of giving the same advice over and over.

The other thing that I find crazy, is that people don’t often seek advice anymore from Pastors/Preachers/Ministers.

When I need wise counsel about anything, I go to people who not only know the Word well, but who put the literal Word into practice.

This will probably get me into some trouble, but I don’t know an EAP program anywhere, that got people the long term spiritual help they really needed.

Who do you get spiritual advice from?

My grandfather owned a tavern many years ago, and through the years, various people went to him for general advice.

People who frequent bars, are good for giving advice...but not so good for giving good advice.

My Dad used to say... “Those people can solve all the problems of the world, except their own.” How true.

I’m pretty selective in who I get advice from, and who I ask.

I’m not certain that the first person I’d go to get help from regarding my marriage, would be from someone whose been married multiple times.

Although we can learn greatly from our mistakes, I think I’d want to learn from an expert in the field.

Maybe people don’t come to me for spiritual advice, because they know I’ll always tell the truth. Do you always give truthful advice?

Isn’t it the...TRUTH that will set us free? I believe I need to think on that one for a while...

Back to Roost?

Numbers 32: 23

²³ But if you do not do so, then take note, you have sinned against the Lord; and be sure your sin will find you out.

When my family and I lived in Pickett, I loved raising chickens and giving away farm fresh eggs to everyone.

My chickens were mostly confined, but they were also free range, raised birds.

At night time they would almost always return to the roost. (Except for the time one roosted in the backseat of my neighbors car)

And when it comes to sin, those things also come back to roost...don’t they? That reminds me of a story.

I met a man once who told me things about God that no one had ever taken the time to teach or tell me.

I felt excited and anticipation grew in my heart. I thought that our entire church would benefit from this information.

That actually didn’t go over as well as I thought.

A remnant of those people who were disenfranchised, invited a local, vocal, preacher to a “private” meeting to pile on.

And more recently, that local preachers ministry has suffered deeply, but what’s funny...is that almost no one seems to be talking about that?

My sins will find me out, and when I sin I don’t fail my fellow man...I fail God.

Maybe before we start pointing fingers, we should be reminded that there are four (4) more finger pointing back at us.

I’m willing to bet that most people aren’t as spiritual as they think they are.

There are a number of things that you’ll never see in Heaven, and un-confessed sin is one of them.

Sins always carries a hefty price tag, but it does not have to be that way.

Before things come back to roost, it might be best if we admitted, confessed and repented of our prideful sin. We could save ourselves a lot of pain that way.

Middle Road?

Revelation 3: 15 - 16                    ESV

¹⁵ “‘I know your works: you are neither cold nor hot. Would that you were either cold or hot!

¹⁶ So, because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of my mouth.

One of the more convicting books I have ever read, was “Crazy Love”, written by Francis Chan.

This quote sort of stopped me in my tracks:

“The core problem isn’t the fact that we’re lukewarm, halfhearted, or stagnant Christians. The crux of it all is why we are this way, and it is because we have an inaccurate view of God.

We see Him as a benevolent Being who is satisfied when people manage to fit Him into their lives in some small way. We forget that God never had an identity crisis.

He knows that He’s great and deserves to be the center of our lives.”

Seriously, I have to wonder if God is truly at the center of my life?

And yet how does the church measure whether or not someone is sold out to God?

I go to church every Sunday...I read my Bible every day...I pray in earnest every day...I faithfully tithe.

So it seems the church uses those components to justify and even rationalize its faith.

Could I have all those spiritual things going for me, and still be luke warm?

I mean, forget the person whose ice cold...right? We know according to the Bible what happens to them.

Actually, it sounds like God prefers that we’re not making believe, as it has to do with our faith.

Is it just me, or does it sound like God doesn’t like luke-warmness, or middle of the road people?

Maybe while we have time, this is an area of our spiritual lives that we should address?

There may be some folks I need to lovingly confront, who think their red hot, when in fact, they’re somewhere in the middle...

High value

Psalm 147: 4 - 5     ESV

⁴ He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names.
⁵ Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure.

ZALES: “The Diamond Store”

KAY: “Every Kiss Begins with Kay”

Diamonds are forever?

Diamonds are a girl’s best friend?

The Cullinan diamond is the largest diamond ever found in the world in 1905. It’s size...3,106 carats.

What most people don’t know, is that the Hubbell Telescope found a diamond that dwarfs the Cullinan diamond.

This cooled, compressed star, hung in the sky by God, and named by God, was actually found to be a diamond.

It’s size? Ten-Billion trillion, trillion carats.

Actually, maybe God is forever? Maybe God is our best friend?

Maybe God Himself is beyond measure?

What represents cubic zirconium in your spiritual life?

What do you allow to come into your life, that takes the place of a great and powerful God?

Maybe we need to place a higher value on God than we currently do?