Who Is Watching You?

Recently I had the privilege of traveling up to New England for a family wedding. While up there, I had the privilege of seeing a beautiful New England Fall, as well as taking a ride on a four mast schooner off the New England coast. However, what I enjoyed even more than that was being able to spend time with family.

There are some people in our lives who “recharge our spiritual batteries” when we spend time with them, and my family up there are such people. My uncle and aunt are like a second set of parents to me, and my cousins are like 7 additional siblings. All of my cousins in that family are now married, and between the 5 older couples, there are 20 kids who are like nieces and nephews to me.

When I arrived, there were children coming from every direction to get a hug from “Uncle Chris”. I was pulled in many directions as I heard: “Uncle Chris! Come look at this!” and “Uncle Chris! Let me show you something!” These children are being raised in godly homes, by parents who deeply desire to raise their children up in the fear and admonition of The Lord…and it shows.

The more time I spent with the kids during my time there, I was struck by just how much they look up to me. I even saw out of the corner of my eye, one of my 6 year old second cousins straighten up her slouching posture as she watched me straighten up mine!

There are people in each one of our lives who are watching us, looking up to us, and even imitating us….and we don’t even realize it much of the time! If 5 years from now, these children hear that “Uncle Chris” is making bad decisions, and is no longer walking with God, it will have a profound effect on them! The same is true for each one of us! The choices we make in life not only affect us, but many more lives whether we realize it or not.

In 1Tim 4:1-6, Paul is challenging Timothy, a young man whom he has discipled and worked with, to be a faithful example. Even though Paul was writing to Timothy who was a young pastor at the time, the principles in this passage apply to each one of us as believers. Paul writes:

1 Timothy 4:6-12 “6 In pointing out these things to the brethren, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus, constantly nourished on the words of the faith and of the sound doctrine which you have been following. 7 But have nothing to do with worldly fables fit only for old women. On the other hand, discipline yourself for the purpose of godliness; 8 for bodily discipline is only of little profit, but godliness is profitable for all things, since it holds promise for the present life and also for the life to come. 9 It is a trustworthy statement deserving full acceptance. 10 For it is for this we labor and strive, because we have fixed our hope on the living God, who is the Savior of all men, especially of believers. 11 Prescribe and teach these things. 12 Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith and purity, show yourself an example of those who believe.”

Wow! there sure is a lot in that passage! let me try to simplify and break it down into a few key points. We are to be:

1. Growing in Doctrine v6-7

a. Put on sound doctrine v6

This is where it starts. We will not be able to live out an effective example for others to observe and follow unless we are grounded in sound doctrine i.e. what we believe. Notice verse 6…Paul tells Timothy to be nourished in sound doctrine! to be nourished in something means that we are feeding on it daily. In other words we have to be constantly be feeding on God’s Word if we are going to be nourished in sound doctrine.

b. Put off false doctrine v7

Right after telling Timothy to be nourished in sound doctrine, he charges him to have nothing to do with false doctrine, which he calls “worldly fables fit only for old women”. If we follow after false doctrine, we will no only lead ourselves astray, but we will lead others astray as well.

2. Growing in godliness v7-10

a. It’s a discipline v7

Verse 7 describes growing in godliness as a discipline. Just like an athlete disciplines and trains himself both physically and mentally by giving up whatever might hinder his development, as well as working his body beyond its limit, we to are to strive to grow in godliness

        b. It’s Profitable v8

Verse 8 points out that bodily exercise is only profitable in this life because it only affects the physical, yet disciplining ourselves in godliness is profitable all around, because it affects us spiritually…thus in this life and in the next.

c. The end goal v9-10

Verse 10 reminds us that we have our gaze fixed on God…in other words; Christ is the end goal of why we discipline ourselves in godliness. Eph 413 reminds us, Christ is the measure of a mature man, and it is to his stature that we are trying to grow up to. As we become more like Christ, we then are an even better example for others to follow.

3. Be an Example in these areas: (verse 12)

a. Speech: Eph 4:29

b. Conduct: 1Pete 2:12

c. Love: 1Cor 13:4-8

d. Faith: Heb 10:23, Prov 3:3

e. Purity: 1Peter 2:11, 1Cor 6:18, Ps 119:9

Being constantly nourished in sound doctrine helps us to be better disciplined in godliness. As we discipline ourselves in godliness, The Lord helps us to grow in the areas listed in verse 12, therefore helping us to be a good example which others can follow.

People are always watching us whether we realize it of not…the question is, what type of example will you be?

Feel free to leave a comment sharing about someone who has been a good example in your life!

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Is There a “Proverbs 31” Passage for Men?

We have all read through Proverbs 31. Prov 31:11-31 is known as “the virtuous woman” passage. Parents use it as a “guideline” for character qualities to cultivate within their daughters. Young Women use this passage as guidelines for character qualities to grow within their own lives. Young men use this passage as a guideline for qualities for which to look for in a wife.

But with so much emphasis on Proverbs 31, is there a companion passage for men? a passage that parents can go to and look for a list of qualities to cultivate within their sons? or where we men can look to find a list of qualities to grow in? or a passage for a young lady to see what qualities she should look for in a husband?

The answer to that question is an emphatic YES! in fact, there are two such passages which complement each other as it relates to character development in men.

The two passages of which I am speaking are 1 Timothy 3:1-7 and Titus 1:5-9. 1Tim 3:1-2a says: “It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then must be...” “Wait a minute!” you might say…”I thought you said a passage about character in men! this passage is talking about qualifications for Pastors!

You are right! While these two passages are listing the qualifications that MUST BE present within the life of a Pastor, these are also qualities that ALL of us as men should be cultivating within our lives. There are 25 individual character qualities listed in this passage, not to mention the ones that overlap! WOW! that’s a lot! the passages are as follows (with the qualities numbered):

1 Timothy 3:1-7 It is a trustworthy statement: if any man aspires to the office of overseer, it is a fine work he desires to do. An overseer, then, must be (1)above reproach, the (2) husband of one wife, (3)temperate, (4)prudent, (5)respectable, (6)hospitable, (7)able to teach, (8)not addicted to wine or (9)pugnacious, but (10)gentle, (11)peaceable, (12)free from the love of money. He must be one who (13)manages his own household well, keeping his children under control with all dignity but if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how will he take care of the church of God?, and (14)not a new convert, so that he will not become conceited and fall into the condemnation incurred by the devil. And he must have a (15)good

reputation with those outside the church, so that he will not fall into reproach and the snare of the devil. “

Titus 1:5-9 For this reason I left you in Crete, that you would set in order what remains and appoint elders in every city as I directed you, namely, if any man is (1)above reproach, (2)the husband of one wife, having children who believe, not accused of (16)dissipation or (17)rebellion. For the overseer must be above reproach as God’s steward, (18)not self-willed, (19)not quick-tempered, not (8)addicted to wine, (9)not pugnacious, (12)not fond of sordid gain, but (6)hospitable, (20)loving what is good, (21)sensible, (22)just, (23)devout, (24)self-controlled, (25)holding fast the faithful word which is in accordance with the teaching, so that he will be able both to exhort in sound doctrine and to refute those who contradict

1. Above Reproach

2. Husband of one wife (a one woman man)

3. Temperate

4. Prudent

5. Respectable

6. Hospitable

7. Able to teach

8. Not addicted to wine

9. Not Pugnacious (Belligerent, combative, quarrelsome)

10. Gentle

11. Peaceable

12. Free from the love of money

13. Manages his own household well

14. Not a new convert

15. Good reputation with those from outside the church

16. Not accused of dissipation

17. Not accused of rebellion

18. Not Self-willed (arrogant)

19. Not Quick Tempered

20. Loving that which is good

21. Sensible

22. Just

23. Devout

24. Self Controlled

25. Holding fast to the faithful Word

Wow! that’s a very tall order for we men to live up to! In fact, it is impossible! the ONLY way that we are able to become a Tim3Titus1 man is by the Holy Spirit at work in us. we Must yield to His control in order to be able to become men like the ones described here.

You may ask: “what about the single man? how can he be the “husband of one wife” if he is not even married? or how can he “rule his family well” if he does not yet have a family of his own?” The answer is simple. Is he a one woman man? is he taking a different girl out on dates every other week, or playing the field? or is he looking for a committed relationship with the potential of leading to marriage? He may not have a family now, but how well is he doing in the areas of leadership he has now?

Remember, These qualities are not going to be perfectly present in every young man, but they should be there in “seed form”. We as men need to be striving for maturity in these areas, asking God to help us daily in our own journeys of sanctification and maturity.

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Why I Want To Be An “Uncle Tom”

What does it mean to be an “Uncle Tom”? This is a phrase which has been around for many years and has no shortage of contoversy attached to it. Many consider it to be almost as severe as the “N-word” when used in speaking of a black person. Here are some of the various implications meant when this term is used to describe someone else in this day and age:

1. Urbandictionary.com says: “Uncle Tom is a term used by black people to try to convince other black people that working, education, living well, and setting a good example for their children is selling out.”
2. Wikipedia says: “The phrase “Uncle Tom” has also become an epithet for a person who is slavish and excessively subservient to perceived authority figures, particularly ablack person who behaves in a subservient manner to white people; or any person perceived to be a participant in the oppression of their own group”
3. Webster’s dictionary says: “a black who is overeager to win the approval of whites (as by obsequious behavior or uncritical acceptance of white values and goals)”
4. Al Sharpton says: “An Uncle Tom is one that in a deliberate way, seeks personal favor or acceptance at the expense of his race and at the expense of what he or she knows to be right.”

But who was the real Uncle Tom? Tom was the main charactor in the classic novel “Uncle Tom’s Cabin” By Harriet Beecher Stowe, published in 1852. Stowe was an abolishonist who was moved into action by the pre-civil war atrocities of slavory which she both witnessed, as well as heard about from others. Stowe wrote the novel for the purpose of trying to expose the evils of slavery to a public who was either apathetic or ignorant to the slaves’ plight.

So who was “Uncle Tom” as Stowe presents him? He was a man who was born in Kentucky, and grew up on the plantation of a very kind master. On the Shelby Plantation, Tom, his wife, their children, and all of the other slaves had a very good life compared to most slaves of their time. They all were like family to the Shelbys, who were Christians, and taught every member of their household (both slave and free) about their Savior, Jesus Christ.

However, the Shelbys got in debt and had to sell two of the slaves in order to save the whole plantation. Tom was one of the slaves who had to get sold. Tom was a pious, God-fearing man of the highest integrity, and for this, he fetched a good price.

The trader took Tom along with the rest of the slaves downriver to sell them in New Orleans. It was on this river boat that Tom’s own eyes began to be opened to some of the realities of slavery. Infants ripped from the arms of their mothers and wives seperated from there husband were just a few of the many atrocities which Tom witnessed. Even through all of this, Tom prayed that Haley, the brutal slave trader would come to know Christ as his Savior.

One day A man by the name of Augustine St. Clare with his 5 year old little girl named Eva boarded the vessel. Eva took a liking to Tom and convinced her father to buy him, and off they went to their New Orleans plantation. St. Clare, although not a Christian, was a kind man, who treated his slaves with the utmost dignity. In fact, they were all like family to him. Everyone around town knew that all of the slaves on the St. Clare plantation were spoiled rotton. Augustine’s wife Maria was quite the opposite of her husband. She was a hypochondriac who cared for absolutly nobody but herself.

After a year or two at the St. Clare plantation, After the death of little Eva, Augustine promised Tom his freedom. Upon hearing this Tom told St. Clare that he would stay as long as St. Clare needed him. When St. Clare asked him when that would be, Tom Replied that he would stay until St. Clare became a Christian! What an incredible man of God!

Well, just a few days later, while breaking up a bar fight, Augustine St. Clare was fatally stabbed. Augustine was brough back to his house where he lay dying. Before he slipped into eternity, Tom had the Privilege of leading him to Christ. Sadly, upon the death of Augustine St. Clair, his heartless, self absorbed wife Maria, sold Tom as well as several other of the slaves.

Down at the auction house Tom was purchaced by a man by the name of Simon Legree. Legree was a vile wicked man who had no regard whatsoever for the lives of his slaves. Two of Legree’s slaves, Sambo and Quimbo, Legree had made to be overseers of the others. These two were almost as vicious as their master and they took pleasure in whipping their fellow slaves into submission.

Legree had purchaced Tom with the intent to make another overseer out of him. When Lagree told Tom to whip another slave who had not gathered the minimum quota of what Legree had set for the day, Tom refused to do so. When Lagree heard this he angrally hissed at Tom “Boy! do you know I own you, body and soul?!?”  to this Tom replied: “No! no! no! my soul aint yours mas’r, you haven’t bought it! you can’t buy it! It’s been bought and paid for by the one who is able to keep it! no matter, no matter, you can’t harm me!”

To this, Legree set Sambo and Quimbo to beating Tom so savagely that he didn’t get over it for several weeks. Such events were quite common place at the Legree plantation.

One day two slaves ran away from the plantation. Legree was convinced that Tom knew something about it. Upon asking him. Tom told Legree that he knew, but he could not tell him where they were. To this, Legree set Sambo and Quimbo to whipping Tom to death if he did not devulge the desired information. After savagly beating almost all of the life out of Tom, he barely opened his eyes, looked at Legree and said: “You poor miserable creature! there aint no more i can do for you. I for give you! with all my soul I forgive you!” and then he fainted. Legree, believeing that Tom was dead, left the room

Upon Legree’s leaving, Tom opened his eyes yet again. Sambo and Quimbo, touched to the core of their souls by Tom’s patience, faith and lack of hatred, ernestly entreated Tom to forgive them. Tom replied faintly “I forgive you with all my heart!” They then asked Tom to tell them more about the Jesus who he was always talking about. Sam then proceeded to lead these two men to a saving knowledge of Chist in the last few days of his life.

So now that you have met the actual man behind the slur, you must ask, is Tom really a sellout to his race simply because he did not harbor hatred to the ones who oppressed him? NO! if anyone is a sellout, it’s Sambo and Quimbo. Tom on the other hand, is by far the most God-fearing man of the story. Take a look at 1 Peter 2:21-23

“For you have been called for this purpose, since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps, who committed no sin, nor was any deceit found in His mouth; and while being reviled, He did not revile in return; while suffering, He uttered no threats, but kept entrusting Himself to Him who judges righteously;”

The example left by Christ is one which Tom followed unto his death. Just like Christ, when Tom was reviled, he did not revile in return. When Tom also never uttered threats against any of the evil men who wronged him. Tom entrusted himself to the only one who judges righteously.

Philippians 2:3-4 says: “Do nothing from selfishness or empty conceit, but with humility of mind regard one another as more important than yourselves; do not merely look out for your own personal interests, but also for the interests of others.”

Tom regarded St. Clare’s spiritual freedom, his slavation more important that his own physical freedom. Tom is an absolutly incredible example of Christ likeness. When I read about him I feel like a spiritual dwarf…Tom is the type of man we should all strive to be like...this is why I want to be an “Uncle Tom”.

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Can You Blame Your Parents?

A few weeks ago I read a news story entitled: “Homeless man sues parents for not loving him enough” The 32 year old in question is Bernard Anderson Bey. Bey claims that his parents “didn’t love him enough” when he was a boy, and that is why he is homeless now. Bey also claimed that his parents were physically and verbally abusive to him, which is why he ran away from home when he was 12 years old.

Bey’s parents say that He is chasing a pipe dream of becoming a rapper, and spending his time and energy focussing on that, rather than trying to find a real job…which they claim to be the real cause for his homelessness.

So who is responsible for Bernard’s situation? is it him or his parents? so often in life we find it all too easy to blame others for the mistakes that we have made, instead of owning them ourselves.

But what if Bernard’s parents really were abusive to him? what if they really didn’t show him the love and affection that he needed growing up. Can he really use it as an excuse for his current homeless, jobless situation?

To answer this, let me tell you about a king in the Bible.

Have you ever heard of Asa, King of Judah? well, you can read all about him in 2 Chronicles 14-16 as well as 1 Kings 15. Maybe you don’t recognize the name Asa, but perhaps you will recognize his great great grandfather King David? or what about his great grandfather, King Solomon? Well before I tell you about Asa, lets look at his Grandfather and his Father.

Asa’s grandfather was King Solomon’s son, Rehoboem. So, what does the Bible say about him? 2 Chronicles 12:14 tells us that: “He did evil because he did not set his heart to seek the Lord.” Hmmm, not off to a very good start. What about his son King Abijah, Asa’s Father? God’s Word tells us in 1 Kings 15:3 that “He walked in all the sins of his father which he had committed before him; and his heart was not wholly devoted to the Lord his God, like the heart of his father David.”

Wow, this doesn’t bode too well for Asa. based upon the track record of his father and grandfather, one might guess that Asa would forsake The Lord as well. So did he? Let’s take a look at what the Bible has to say about King Asa:

2 Chronicles 14:2-5 “Asa did good and right in the sight of the Lord his God, for he removed the foreign altars and high places, tore down the sacred pillars, cut down the Asherim, and commanded Judah to seek the Lord God of their fathers and to observe the law and the commandment. He also removed the high places and the incense altars from all the cities of Judah. And the kingdom was undisturbed under him. “

Asa could have reacted to the situation he grew up in like Bernard and blamed his parents, using their failures as an excuse to turn from God…but he didn’t! unlike Bey, Asa rose above the failures of his parents and followed God wholeheartedly, and encouraged the whole nation to do so as well!

So, are you going to use your parents, social status, education level, or anything else as an excuse to sin? are you going to blame your own mistakes on others? we all have the tendency to do this if we are not careful. However, we must be like Asa! we are not destined for failure because of family background, race, social standing, education level, nationality or anything else! Whether we follow God or not is our own choice, not anyone else’s. Let us choose Him today above all else.

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How To Divide a Nation…

What is it that causes nations to divide? in the 1850’s the issue of slavery and the various rights of individual states caused a major split and ensuing civil war in America. In the 1950s differing political regimes (one communistic and one capitalistic) sparked a war which left the peninsula of Korea divided to this day. In 2011, South Sudan peacefully seceded from its Northern Islamic counterpart and formed the newest African Nation because the south is predominantly Christian.

Even today in America, there is talk of secession by those of a more conservative political persuasion due to the vastly differing political views of those in Washington, and many of “we the people”…an ideological gap which seems to be ever widening.

While the examples heretofore mentioned may be what readily comes to mind when you think of a divided nation, the ancient nation of Israel had one such division of her own.

Let us take a journey back in time to 9th Century BC at the conclusion of King Solomon’s reign. King Solomon was David’s son who succeeded him as King of the nation when he died. Solomon was known as whe wisest man who ever lived. When he died, his son Rehoboem reigned in his place.

Rehoboem was in his early 40s when he began to reign. at the beginning of his reign, the people petitioned him saying: 2 Chronicles 10:4 “Your father made our yoke hard; now therefore lighten the hard service of your father and his heavy yoke which he put on us, and we will serve you.” Rehoboem’s response is found in the next verse when he tells the people that he would answer them in 3 days.

Rehoboem had a huge decision to make…How do I govern the people? do I govern them harshly or kindly? Rehoboem then set out to seek advice from 2 different groups of people: 1. those older and wiser than him and 2. his own peers. Here is the advice from both:

1. His Elders

2 Chronicles 10:6-7 Then King Rehoboam consulted with the elders who had served his father Solomon while he was still alive, saying, “How do you counsel me to answer this people?” They spoke to him, saying, “If you will be kind to this people and please them and speak good words to them, then they will be your servants forever.”

2. His Peers

2 Chronicles 10:8-10 But he forsook the counsel of the elders which they had given him, and consulted with the young men who grew up with him and served him. So he said to them, “What counsel do you give that we may answer this people, who have spoken to me, saying, ‘Lighten the yoke which your father put on us’?” The young men who grew up with him spoke to him, saying, “Thus you shall say to the people who spoke to you, saying, ‘Your father made our yoke heavy, but you make it lighter for us.’ Thus you shall say to them, ‘My little finger is thicker than my father’s loins!

Rehoboem did not listen to the wise councel of his father’s advisors! rather, he forsook their good advice for the foolish counsel of his peers.

The result of forsaking wise counsel let to Jeroboem, his Father’s former master of the forced labor (who was in exile because of his rebellion) led the entire 10 northern tribes of Israel to seceed from the country. From that point forward, many wars between the nation of Israel to the north and the nation of Judah to the south ensured that the two nations would remain separated for centuries.

Listen to the Words of Rehoboem’s father Solomon in Proverbs 3:1-2 when he says: “My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments; For length of days and years of life And peace they will add to you.” The “son” who Solomon was refering to very well might have been Rehoboem! If only he had listened to the advisors of his Father!

While we can certainly gain wisdom from our peers, there is often even more to be gained from the wisdom built by the years of life experience and the years of spiritual walk of those who are older and wiser than we. Let us not forsake the teaching of our fathers, and those who are older and wiser!

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There’s a Lion in the Yard!!

I might be an Island boy, but I’ve lived in the Southern United States long enough to appreciate many aspects of southern culture. One such aspect is that of an old comedian by the Name of Jerry Clower. Clower has entertained Millions over the years with his stories of growing up on Rt 4, Liberty, Mississippi with his Uncle Versy and Aunt Pat Ledbetter along with all their youngins: Ardel, Burnel, Raynel, W.L., Lanel, Odel, Marcel!! Claude, Newgene, and Clovis. One of his stories is as follows…

 

“Now my cousin Newgene was one of the meanest youngins this side of the Mississippi! and he was one of the biggest liars arround as well. One day Uncle Versy sent Newgene outside to go on and do his chores.

 

(Now our neighbor down the road had a big ole callie-dawg. And every year he would take a set of sheep sheerers and shave that callie-dawg down and leave nothin but a ring of hair round his neck, and a lil tuft of hair round the end of his tail.)

 

Now when Newgene went outside to do his chores he saw that ole callie-dawg in our yard and ran back in the house and comenced ta hoopin and hollerin “Lion in tha yard!! LION!!! he’s gon get us! LION in tha yard!!” just then Uncle Versy looked out the winder and saw it was just that ole callie-dawg.

 

He turned to Newgene and said “Boy! what I tell you bout lian?? I done beat ya an I done wopped ya! Na you get on up-stars and talk ta God fir 30 minutes, and if you feel as if God has sufficiently forgiven you after that, I wont whop ya!”

 

Bout 30 minutes later Newgene come on back down and Uncle Versy asked him “do you feel as if God has sufficiently forgiven you?” and Newgene said “uhuh, in fact God talked to me!” Uncle Versy said “He talked to ya!? What’d He say?” Newgene said “God said when he first saw that dawg, he thought it was a lion too!!”

  

Ephesians 5:15-17 says: “Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise, making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is.”

 

Verse 16 gives us a challenge that we all struggle to live up to. Paul tells us that bart of walking in wisdom redeeming the time. If we are honest with ourselves, this is hard. I mean very hard. We like to use our time to do what WE what to do, regardless whether it is productive or not. Just like Newgene, we find it all to easy to make excuses which keep us from making the best use of the time…which is often hard work.

 

One of the big things that keeps us from redeeming the time is slothfulness. Proverbs has much to say about this.

 

<>Illustrations of slothfulness Proverbs 26:14-16

>>As a door turns on its hinges, so does a sluggard on his bed.

>>The sluggard buries his hand in the dish; it wears him out to bring it back to his mouth.

>>The sluggard is wiser in his own eyes than seven men who can answer sensibly.

 

 

<>The Sluggard makes excuses

>>Proverbs 20:4 The sluggard does not plow in the autumn (because of the cold); he will seek at harvest and have nothing

>>Proverbs 22:13 The sluggard says, “There is a lion outside!I shall be killed in the streets!”

 

<>What Laziness leads to

>>Proverbs 24:30-34 “I passed by the field of a sluggard,by the vineyard of a man lacking sense, and behold, it was all overgrown with thorns;the ground was covered with nettles,and its stone wall was broken down. Then I saw and considered it;I looked and received instruction. A little sleep, a little slumber,a little folding of the hands to rest, and poverty will come upon you like a robber,and want like an armed man.”

 

So, we must put off laziness which keeps us from doing what we ought to. But next? where do we begin when it comes to redeeming the time? Paul tells us in Ephesians 5:17 which says: “Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is”

 

So what is the will of The Lord? Before we stress out over the age old question “What’s God’s will for my life?” perhaps we should begin with what scripture states is clearly God’s will for each one of us.

 

<>Your Sanctification 1 Thessalonians 4:3

 

<> Flee sexual immorality 1 Thessalonians 4:3-8

 

<> Give thanks in everything 1 Thessalonians 5:18

 

<> Living lives above reproach 1 Peter 2:15

 

<> Suffer for doing good, rather than evil 1 Peter 3:17

 

While these things are not an exhaustive, all encompassing list of all that God’s moral will for our lives entails, they do provide a good starting place, seeing as each one is preceeded by an unmistakably clear “This is God’s will for you”. Let us put off slothfullness, stop making excuses and begin redeeming the time. Let’s go!

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Get Rid of Your Cockroaches

Do you like cockroaches? I didn’t think so. I can’t stand them either. They are probably the most hated insect around. Do you know why? It’s because they are absolutely disgusting creatures. The live in the grossest places like dumpsters, sewers and garbage dumps, where they feed on trash, and reproduce offspring. They get themselves covered in the filth of germs and disease, then make their way into our homes, where they bring their germs and infect the place.

 

Then one night you wake up in the middle of the night thirsty. you stumble out of bed and feel your way through the dark house to the kitchen. For a few seconds you fumble your hand along the wall until you finally feel the light switch. You turn it on and to your utter disgust, you see 10-15 roaches around your kitchen. When the light comes on, they rev up their six legs and scatter.

 

Ephesians 5:3-4 says: “But immorality or any impurity or greed must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints; and there must be no filthiness and silly talk, orcoarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.”

 

1. Recognize the Roaches

These sexual sins are like cockroaches. They are filthy, covered in disease, and if we allow them into our lives, they will infect every other area. These sins are so opposed to that which is holy, that Paul says that they should not even be names among us! it is not fitting as Christians to even entertain such things. This includes what we watch, what we listen to, and the conversations that we have.

 

So why does Paul list greed, or covetousness among these sexual sins? because it is the root of many of them. Greed is the desire to have more and more, not being satisfied with what we have. We are not satisfied with the spouse we have, so we commit adultery. We are not satisfied with the state of singleness which God has us, so we look for that satisfaction in premarital sex, or an impure thought life.

 

2. Turn on the Light

Paul reminds us in Ephesians 5:8 “for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light” Paul then goes on to say in Ephesians 5:11” Do not participate in the unfruitful deeds of darkness, but instead even expose them;”

 

Just like turning on the kitchen light exposes the cockroaches, thus causing them to scatter, to walking in the light exposes the unfruitful works of darkness within us and within others, exposing them as the dark deeds that they are.

 

3. Spray the Raid!

Back in verses 3-4 of Eph 5, right after Paul told us to put off all of those sexual sins, he then tells us to replace it with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving?!? how does that help us keep away from sexual sins (or any other for that matter?) well, if they are birthed out of greed, our lack of contentment with what we have, than cultivating an attitude of thankfulness will help us appreciate what we do have. Thanksgiving is the “Raid” that we spray to get rid of those “cockroaches” of sexual sins wich shouldnt even be named among us.

 

So we are told to expose the unfruitful works of darkness. This goes beyond exposing those within ourselves, but as the passage indicates exposing those within the world. but what does this look like? verbally proclaiming the shameful acts of others? NO! that is gossip. rather it looks like what we see in Philippians 2:14-15 which says: “Do all things without grumbling or disputing; so that you will prove yourselves to be blameless and innocent, children of God above reproach in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you appear as lights in the world,”

 

If we cultivate an attitude of thankfulness rather than one of grumbling (like the world does) they will have no reason for them to find fault with us, and therefore we will appear as lights in the world! Let us begin to make thanksgiving a daily habit in our lives rather than merely a day in November dedicated to turkey, family and football.

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Can You Find It In Your Heart to Forgive?

Have you ever heard these words from someone after they are hurt by something you have said or done: “I’ll try to find it in my heart to forgive you”. Perhaps you have said the very same thing to someone who has hurt you.

 

But what exactly is forgiveness? some say it means to forget the wrong that someone has done you. Sometimes we think of it as trying to “stop being angry” about the hurt someone has caused. However, if this is how we view forgiveness, we will find ourselves continually having to “find it in our heart to forgive” long after the deed has been done.

 

The Bible paints forgiveness as something much deeper than words. Ephesians 4:31-5:2 says:

 

“Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore 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.”

 

In Ephesians Chapter 4, Paul lists several put offs and put ons. We are to remove the put offs from our lives and replace them with the put ons. In this passage we can see the following:

 

• Put of

1. Bitternes
2. Wrath
3. Anger
4. Clamor
5. Slander
6. Malice

 

• Put on

1. Kindness
2. Tenderheartedness
3. Forgiveness

 

Out of all the things mentioned, the only one that Paul elaborates on is forgiveness. Why? because we cannot truly put off all those attitudes mentioned in verse 31, nor can we genuinely be kind or tenderhearted towards others unless with REALLY forgive them.

 

But how do we forgive others? Paul tells us here in this passage! he says: “forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children.” So we are to forgive others in the exact same ways as God in Christ forgave us. We are to imitate God in this way.

 

So what on earth does this look like? Well, in order for God to forgive us, He had to become a man, and take our sins upon himself. After he took our sins upon himself, He forgave us. And He did so unconditionally! God didn’t say: “if your repeat this catechism Ill forgive you” or “if your good deeds outweigh your bad deeds, I’ll forgive you.” No! He took our sins upon himself, and forgave us unconditionally!

 

Therefore, if we are to be imitators God, we must forgive others like he forgave us. We must, in our minds, take the sin of the person who hurt us on ourselves. We must view their sins against us as being transferred to our account.

 

You might say “But wait! we are not strong enough to bear the weight of our own sins, much less the sins of them who hurt us!” Thats right! Christ already paid for their sins too! therefore we also allow Christ to take the weight of their sins off of our shoulders.

 

You might be thinking “But they haven’t apologized for how they have wronged me yet!” Well, how did God forgive us? Romans 5:10 says:

 

“For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life.”

 

So it doesn’t matter whether they apologize first or not, God forgave us while we were still his enemies.

 

When we view forgive in this way, it is much easier to put off bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamor, and slander alongside all malice. Forgiving people in this way also helps us to truly be kind to one another, as well as have tender hearts toward them.

 

Let’s 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.

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God speaking…Through A Genealogy??

2 Tim 3:16-17 says: “All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; so that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.”

We know this to be true, but to be honest, there are some parts of scripture that we might consider to be a tad bit, shall we say…boring or tedious. whether it be Leviticus, Numbers, or the various genealogies set forth in scripture, when we come to these portions of God’s Word, we tend to skim over them, or skip them entirely, as if they are not as profitable as other portions of God’s Word.

However, when we take time to study these tedious portions of scripture, they prove to be far more interesting than when skimmed over.

One such portions of scripture are the genealogies. Perhaps your mind immediately goes to those found in Matthew 1 and Luke 3. These are very important ones as we celebrate the Christmas season thus remembering the birth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. The genealogy found in Matthew Traces Jesus’ royal lineage through Joseph, and the one recorded in Luke is that of Mary, which goes all the way back to Adam, highlighting Jesus’ humanity.

My favorite genealogy however has got to be the one found in Genesis 5. This one highlights the godly line of Adam’s son Seth, all the way to Noah. Why do I find this one so fascinating? While the long lives of these Patriarchs as well as their walks with God (Especially Enoch, who did not taste death because God raptured him) are truly interesting, here is what I find most intriguing…

A few years ago, one of my Bible college professors highlighted this in his class, and I recently researched this myself using a Strong’s concordance. If you look at the meanings of these Hebrew names, you get the following:

• Adam=Man
• Seth=Appointed
• Enosh=Mortal
• Kenan=Lament or sorrow
• Mahalalel=Praise of God/ The Blessed God
• Jared=Decent/a decent
• Enoch=Intended
• Methuselah=When he is dead it shall be sent
• Lamech=For lowering/ for humiliation/
• Noah=Rest

Interesting! still not seeing it? if you string the meanings of the names in this genealogy from Adam to Seth, it can read like this: Man is appointed to mortal sorrow, but the Blessed God shall descend, intending that when he is dead (or through his death) it shall be sent, for (or through) humiliation, rest.

Wow! in a genealogy at the very beginning of the Bible, we find a picture of the gospel! While this isn’t something that we should build doctrine upon, it certainly is fascinating to study.

Whether it is showing us the godly line of Seth (through whom “the seed of the woman” spoken of in Gen 3:15 is preserved) or showing that Jesus is indeed of the royal household of David as seen in Matt1, or proving Jesus’ humanity in Luke 3, these portions of scripture are in there for a reason. Don’t breeze over them, rather study them, because 2 Timothy 3:16-17 applies to these scriptures just as it does the rest.

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Don’t Waste Your Tragedy!

It starts out like any normal day. You go through your routines as normal, and you have no reason to believe that this day will be unlike any other day that you have been through thus far in life. No reason that is, until you get a phone call.

The voice on the other end delivers some news that you were not expecting to hear. A death in the family; a cancer diagnosis; parents deciding to end their marriage after so many seemingly wonderful years; a relationship ending; a tragic car accident leaving a loved one in critical condition, and the list goes on.

While the details of each situation vary, we have all been on the recieving end of such a phone call and lets face it…it is no fun at all. When tragedy strikes, it can feel like your world is crashing in on you.

I, like you, am no stranger to tragedy. 6 1/2 years ago I recieved one such phone call that my father had passed away suddenly. That was incredibly painful. Since then I have found myself going through different, yet no less painful life situations.

Most of the time these tragedies occur with little or no warning, and are circumstances which seem utterly out of our control. But while we cannot control these difficult situations, we can control how we deal with them.

That is why I want to challenge you…don’t waste your tragedy! God wants to use these difficult circumstances in your life for good! No, it doesn’t feel good when tragedy strikes, but God can and will use it for your good, to strengthen your faith…if you let Him. Here are a few things to keep in mind which can help us to not waste our tragedies, but rather deal with them rightly.

1. It’s ok to grieve

Whenever tragedy strikes, it is only normal that we go through a grieving process. God designed us with emotions, and while we must not let them drive our decision making, we shouldn’t ignore them either. Even Jesus was grieved, and he showed it. One of several such examples can be found in Matt 23:37 where Jesus is grieved over Jerusalem’s rejection of him as Messiah.

2.. Don’t let bitterness creep in

While it is ok to grieve durring a tragedy, it is important that we do not allow that grief to turn into bitterness. We should not allow ourselves to become bitter towards God, nor should we allow ourselves to become bitter against others either. Heb 12:15 says: “See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no “root of bitterness” springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;” Bitterness will not help you deal with the pain, rather it will only eat you up inside, and cause you to be defiled.

3. You dont have to understand it

When tragedy strikes, it is not uncommon that it comes about totally unexpectedly. We feel blindsided, going about our daily business one moment, reeling in shock the next. Sometimes it takes a while for the shcock to wear off because it seems so out of the blue. Our natural reaction is to try and figure it out. However, I’ve learned that its ok to not understand it. We don’t have to know why. In many ways it is comforting to rest in the fact that while I don’t know why, my God is still in control, and this didn’t catch Him off guard.

4. Remember the BIG picture

When we are going through trials, it is easy to get tunnel vision and think that our situation is all that matters in life. This can then lead us to become very self focussed, which can then lead to bitterness because things aren’t going “my way”. This is why it is so important to take a step back and remember the big picture. We all know the story of Job, He suffured deeper tragedy than any one of us, yet he never got angry at God. He did however get a little restless and demand that God explain why. It was at this point where the last 5 chapters of Job are God reminding him of the big picture of everything that God has made…showing the unsearchable riches of God. Also in Habakkuk, he is blown away that God is planing to use the Chaldeans to judge Judah. Just as in these cases, God is using our tragedies, working behind the scenes in mighty ways which we simply cannot see right now.

5. Walk by faith, not sight

It is when we cannot understand what God is doing, when we take a look at the big picture we have to follow 2 Cor 5:7 which says: “for we walk by faith, not by sight.”

6. Let God use it to make you more like Him

Rom 8:28-29 says: “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers.” Thats right! God even takes the most difficult circumstances and uses them to conform you to the image of his son.

7. Surround yourself with godly influences

When going through s difficult time, it is so important to surround yourself with people who can help you through it. Be careful however, not everyone who you know is going to give you sound biblical words of comfort and counsel. Hebrews 3:12-13 says: “Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God. But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” Sin is deceitful! and so is our hearts. That is why it is vital that we make sure that we place those arround us who will speak biblical truth in our lives, and help redirect our thinking to that which is biblical.

8. Look for what God is teaching you through it

God is always teaching us lessons through trials. While we won’t be able to see everything that God is teaching us right away, There are always a few lessons that we can learn right off the bat.

9. Make a list of how you can do things different in the future

As God teaches you different things through it, make a list of areas in which you need to grow, and ask God to help you grow in those areas. This will help you not to repeat many of the mistakes that have already been made.

10. Be thankful to The Lord regardless of your circumstances

Finally…be thankful. Yes! even durring your tragedy! Habakkuk had a good grasp on this as He wrote the following in Hab 3:17-19: “Though the fig tree should not blossom, nor fruit be on the vines, the produce of the olive fail and the fields yield no food, the flock be cut off from the fold and there be no herd in the stalls, yet I will rejoice in the Lord ; I will take joy in the God of my salvation. God , the Lord, is my strength; he makes my feet like the deer’s; he makes me tread on my high places. To the choirmaster: with stringed instruments.”

These are reasons why I encourage you not to waste your tragedy. You can choose to either get bitter towards God and or other people, and thus become feeble in your faith, or you can choose to allow God to use your tragedy in your life for incredible good. The choice is up to you!

What are some ways in which you have been able to “not waste your tragedy?

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