Blog Archives

carried by the angels

11/15/2017

Carried by the Angels
And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; (Luke 16:22)

Angels are not described in the Bible as having wings but most of the art work shows them with wings. However, cherubim have wings and the two may be the same thing. This article is not about angels, per se, but about angels carrying saints home. We do not know if angels escort every saint home, but Luke 16:22 tells how it very well may happen for many. Do you ever wonder how it’s going to be for you when God calls you home? I do.

We notice there was more than one angel. It doesn’t say how many. It says the beggar was carried by the angels. The reminds us that we are three parts: body, soul, and spirit. Many Bible scholars believe that our soul and spirit are another type of body that dwells inside our physical body.

The inner body does not die and is as definite as our physical body. The inner body can think, see, hear, and move about even as our physical body. We learn some of this from the testimonies of many people who have left their bodies, flat-lined, in the hospital and returned to their bodies. While they were out of their bodies they could see and hear and move from one place to another. This has happened so many times and there are so many stories that I have never had any problem with believing the stories.

This is important in considering that the angels “carried” the beggar after he died. They didn’t just accompany him. They carried him. Jesus’ resurrected body passed through His grave clothes, through the stone in the front of the opening of his tomb, and through the door or wall of the room where the disciples were gathered together. The body of the beggar who died would have been thrown into the garbage dump of Jerusalem. But his inner body of soul and spirit was carried by the angels. His inner body was NOT a resurrected body. We all have an inner body of soul and spirit. The soul is self-conscious and our spirit is God-conscious.

McGee writes: “Our Lord comes right to the door of death and passes through it as if it were nothing unusual. When the beggar died, there was no funeral. They just took his body out and threw it into the Valley of Gehenna where refuse was thrown and burned; this is the place where they threw the bodies of the poor in that day. The minute the beggar stepped through the doorway of death, angels became his pall-bearers and he was carried by them into Abraham's Bosom.” (McGee)

The Bible says: Precious in the sight of the LORD is the death of his saints. (Psalm 116:15) I’m sure, very sure, that each saint gets a royal welcome when they graduate from earth’s duties. Not only do we have strong statements from the Word of God, but we have many, many testimonies of dying saints in the closing hour of their earthly journey. I once had a book of a hundred or, so pages of short victory stories published by Moody Press back in the 1950’s. They were well-documented. I regret that I loaned it and it never found its way home.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary tells us: "In the course of time both men died. Lazarus went to Abraham’s side while the rich man… was buried and was in hell, a place of conscious torment (Luk_16:24, Luk_16:28). Hadēs, the Greek word often translated “hell,” is used 11 times in the New Testament. The Septuagint used hadēs to translate the Hebrew še’ôl (the place of the dead) on 61 occasions. Here hadēs refers to the abode of the unsaved dead prior to the great white throne judgment (Rev_20:11-15). “Abraham’s side” apparently refers to a place of paradise for Old Testament believers at the time of death (cf. Luk_23:43; 2Co_12:4).

One story in the Moody book I remember especially that stuck with me. A man was waiting to die, waiting for an angel to come and get him. His family was gathered around his bed and he was telling them what he was seeing. Suddenly, he raised up off his pillow and said: “They’ve come for me!” And then he fell back on his pillow and said, disappointedly, “They’re taking Jim ahead of me.” Someone in the room made note of the time this happened
.
In a few minutes his eyes brightened, and he raised up again. “They’ve come for me!” But again, he was disappointed, and fell back onto his pillow. He said, “They’ve taken Bill ahead of me.” In a few more minutes he raised up again with an excited countenance and said: “They’ve come for me!” This time, when he fell back onto his pillow his eyes were open and staring but his breath and spirit were gone.

The family was stunned at what they had just witnessed. They discussed among themselves who these people were that their father had mentioned. The one with the watch had made note of each occurrence. His inquiry to the families of these two men revealed that they both died the same night as their father. Not only so, but the time of Jim and Bill’s death corresponded to the time that the first man raised up and called their names and said they were taken before him.

(I don’t remember the names of the men in the book. I added them here to complete the story.) Be assured that God hovers over us when we die and oversees our homecoming. If He sends an angel or two angels or no angels, it will be exactly according to God’s plan. Ω

Read Through the Bible in a Year
NOVEMBER 16, 2017 - THURSDAY
A.M. Ezekiel 13-15    P.M. Hebrews 11:20-40
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

Good Verse to Memorize:
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Song for Today:
My Sun Is Sinking Fast/Angel Band (5:23) (Vestal Goodman & George Jones)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXtq6Utx1Nk

The words to this song were written by Jefferson Hascall in 1860, just as the Civil War was beginning. The music was written by William Bradbury in 1862. The song has been published in 21 hymnals. The message of the song was natural for the time of the Civil War (1860-65) when thousands of men were dying and thousands more lay on beds wondering if they were going to die.

The phrase: “My latest sun is sinking fast; my race is nearly run” must have occupied the thoughts of thousands of wounded men. It is a slow-moving song with a heavy message. It is timeless, like Amazing Grace. To this day it is a powerful, moving song. The words and music are bonded well. I don’t appreciate the way some groups have twisted the music to make it unique for their group. After searching long, this imperfect version is the best I could find. Brother Roloff sang it best, but I can’t find it.
You may have to adjust the volume and delete Ad.

4 Comments

mingled among the heathen

11/14/2017

0 Comments

Mingled Among the Heathen

They did not destroy the nations, concerning whom the LORD commanded them: But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. And they served their idols: which were a snare unto them. Yea, they sacrificed their sons and their daughters unto devils, And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they sacrificed unto the idols of Canaan: and the land was polluted with blood. Thus were they defiled with their own works, and went a whoring with their own inventions. Therefore was the wrath of the LORD kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance. (Psalm 106:34-40)

On Facebook, we are blessed with Bible portions posted by several people. The above passage was posted last week by a lady who came here from Germany. As I read the post, the sentence captured me: …mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. We might do well to name today’s article: “The Curse of Broadmindedness.”

Upfront, we need to ask: “And what does God think about America’s murdering 60 million of its babies in the womb?" We may think we are in charge, but we’re not. God will have the last word.

It is a powerful temptation to be like everybody else; to wear what they wear; to embrace their education their entertainment. Eventually it leads to embracing their beliefs that dominate the life. Your children may be more influenced by friends than by you.

Our American culture has become a culture of “Political Correctness” that is intolerant toward Jews and Christians. Not a good thing. Who decides what is “politically correct?” Bible-believing Christians decided centuries ago that the Bible is sufficient for faith and practice. That creates a problem because the world does not believe the Bible is sufficient for faith and practice. The world has no room for God to be in charge.

God made the heavens and the earth and all the living things on the earth. He owns it all. He also gave us a book to explain things we need to know about where we came from, what we are doing here, and where we are going. He chose to establish a nation, Israel, to be the caretaker of His Word and to be the womb of a Savior who would come in the fullness of time.

Israel became populated with people who proved to be a challenge to the Almighty. Theirs was the greatest heritage in the world and had the greatest mission of any nation. To accomplish His plan for Israel, they had to be developed into a cohesive culture that would reflect the design God had for them. Through Israel, all the world would be blessed.

It was a slow go. The people of Israel would promise God they would “do it!” But within one generation they would fail. Their own hearts were part of the problem, but another thing plagued them: they wanted to be like their neighboring nations. Psalm 106 is a kind of wrap-up of that problem. They disobeyed God repeatedly and mingled with the heathen (the other nations) and learned to copy them.

The Moabites are only one of the neighboring nations that snared them, but it is a good example. The Moabites were pagan to the core and burned their young children as sacrifices to Chemosh. Israel learned to sacrifice Israeli children in the valley of Hinnom, or Gehenna. just outside the wall of Jerusalem. (Gehenna from the Hebrew Gehinnom is a small valley in Jerusalem. In the Hebrew Bible, Gehenna was initially where some of the kings of Judah sacrificed their children by fire. Thereafter it was deemed to be cursed. Wikipedia)

America was established as Christian nation; not a nation-sized church, but a nation of laws that were based on the Bible (1892 – “a Christian nation”) (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Holy_Trinity_v._United_ )

By the time I studied American History in high school (1951) the God-related portion of American history had been purged from our text book. It wasn’t any better in college. But in a Christian college the teacher was able to counter some of the propaganda in the textbook. It was after college that I was forced to study the Christian elements of American History in preparation for sitting on the witness stand in a court case pertaining to religious liberty in our Christian schools. It helped to be working with a Constitutional Attorney who knew a lot about American History.

After World War 1, under President Woodrow Wilson, we embraced the League of Nations which soon became the United Nations. We had World War 2, which some historians are now calling the second half of World War 1. We found ourselves as the leader of the free Western world. In that role, we have been the world policeman for 72 years.

World leaders have been wondering why we have to fight bloody wars. Why not prevent wars? That’s a wonderful idea! To form a world alliance, we must abandon our Christianity, so we will not offend other nations. That’s not a good idea. That is the plan: a one-world government. Doesn’t the Bible tell us about the anti-Christ who will have power over ten nations in the end-times? Yes, indeed! We have been walking into the shadow of the one-world government that will be ruled for seven years by the anti-Christ. No need to fight it. It’s coming.

Well, this has gone further than Israel’s problem of mingling among the heathen. We are progressively mingling among the heathen while we have become increasingly heathen in our own country. Fasten your seat belts, hold on to your Bible, make some calluses on your knees, and face the future as one who knows what’s coming.

We are looking for the coming of our King who will come for us as a thief in the night. Then we are going to have the Marriage Feast of the Lamb. After that, we are coming with Him to the earth and serve Him as He rules and reigns on earth for a thousand years. Then comes a new Heaven and a new earth “wherein dwelleth righteousness.” Nevertheless we, according to his promise, look for new heavens and a new earth, wherein dwelleth righteousness. (2Peter 3:13) Are you ready? Ω

Read Through the Bible in a Year
NOVEMBER 15, 2017 - WEDNESDAY
A.M. Ezekiel 10-12 P.M. Hebrews 11:1-19
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

Good Verse to Memorize:
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Song for Today:
Search Me O God (4:36) (Cathedrals)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Kuo3lg-LBU
You may have to adjust the volume and delete Ad.

0 Comments

on praying for america

11/13/2017

0 Comments

On Praying for America

And the LORD said unto him, Go through the midst of the city, through the midst of Jerusalem, and set a mark upon the foreheads of the men that sigh and that cry for all the abominations that be done in the midst thereof. (Ezekiel 9:4)

It is awkward to use this passage in connection with an appeal to pray for America except for this: we are not yet where the people of Jerusalem were when Ezekiel wrote this. In the above case, prayer time was over. An awesome slaughter was about to take place but before the judgment began the angel of death was to mark some to be sparred. Those who were to be spared were those who had taken sides with God and had sighed and cried over the wickedness of their nation.

So, where are we under the hand of God in America? Make no mistake about it, we have become an exceedingly wicked nation and as has been said all my life by many preachers, “If God does not severely judge America, He will have to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrah for burning down their cities.” In Ezekiel 9:4 above, the death angel was to begin executing people at the Jerusalem Temple.

Peter takes up this principle in his writings: For the time is come that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if it first begin at us, what shall the end be of them that obey not the gospel of God? (1Peter 4:17) God was allowing great persecution of Jerusalem and the Jewish people in that day but warned that it was nothing compared to what is going to come upon the rest of the world.

In Leviticus 20 God goes into detail about what Israel was to do to avoid losing their nation and concludes with this warning: And ye shall not walk in the manners of the nation, which I cast out before you: for they committed all these things, and therefore I abhorred them. (Lev 20:23) There is not room here to reproduce the text of Leviticus 20, so please follow the red link in this sentence and read it.

May I please suggest that if you are not already praying daily for America that you spend at least 5 minutes a day without-fail in praying for America. Discipline yourself to do it. Regular prayer creates an appetite for prayer, so the five minutes may grow into a longer time of prayer. Do it for the rest of your life. Be as those in our text today: sigh and cry over the abominations of our nation.

Thank God for what remains good in our nation. Pray for our president and all of those in the House and Senate who make laws and for our court system. Pray for the thousands of policemen in many roles of patrolling our streets and highways and who put their lives on the line every day. Policemen die every day in America. Pray for our soldiers. Pray for the pastors God has called to preach and for the churches they serve.

I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men; For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour; Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth. (1Timothy 2:1-4) Ω

THIS ARICLE IS EDITED and reprinted from an article by the same title, published July 10, 2015

Read Through the Bible in a Year
NOVEMBER 14, 2017 - TUESDAY
A.M. Ezekiel 7-9 P.M. Hebrews 10:24-39
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

Good Verse to Memorize:
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. (Proverbs 3:5-6)

Song for Today:
When I Survey the Wondrous Cross (3:28) (Calvary Mem. Choir)
https://www.facebook.com/100009410046480/videos/2032918803698435/
You may have to adjust the volume and delete Ad.

0 Comments

Bible shadows

11/13/2017

1 Comment

Bible Shadows…
Keep me as the apple of the eye, hide me under the shadow of thy wings, (Psalm 17:8) How excellent is thy lovingkindness, O God! therefore the children of men put their trust under the shadow of thy wings. (Psalm 36:7) Because thou hast been my help, therefore in the shadow of thy wings will I rejoice. (Psalm 63:7)

The Bible is a treasure house of things old and new, waiting for the diligent search of dedicated diggers. I have been reading for 70+ years and I’m not going to get it done. If we would get the most from the Bible, diligent searching of the Scriptures helps us and by standing upon the shoulders of those before us. The Bible, itself, unfolds in that manner because God did not reveal everything at once with Moses who wrote the first five books of the Bible.

New Testament writers stood upon the shoulders of Old Testament writers and quoted them. "The New Testament is in the Old, contained. The Old Testament is in the New explained." (St. Augustine)

“Shadow” occurs in the King James Bible 72 times and is used to comfort and to prophesy. Repeating: many of those occurrences are used in a prophetic way; that is, referring to future things. Some of the occurrences speak of the presence of God and are used to comfort and encourage His people.

He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust. (Psalm 91:1-2) (One of my favorite verses.) Our three text verses at the top of this article are comfort verses that fortify the “inner man” of the saints.

JESUS IS THE PROFOUND BIBLE TEACHER and He quoted the prophets before Him. He quoted Deuteronomy more than any other book. One of the great mysteries of my life are the Christians I’ve met who spend their whole lives reading only the New Testament and have no interest in the Old Testament. It strikes me as being a form of blindness. That is strong, but I have no other answer for this strange thing.

We cannot understand Leviticus without Hebrews, or Daniel without Revelation, or the Passover and Isaiah 53 without the Gospel account of the Crucifixion. How would we understand Jesus being judged on the Cross apart from Moses’ and the “Brazen Serpent” that he put on a pole for the people to look at and to be healed from snake bite? (John 3:14-15)

"No preacher or Bible Teacher is competent to preach the doctrines (teachings) of the New Testament who is not acquainted with the “Typology” (shadows and types) of the Old Testament. What do we mean by “Types and Shadows”” The Apostle Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 10:1-11. Now all these things happened unto them for ensamples: and they are written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the world are come. (1Cor 10:11)" (Larkin)

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. (Colossians 2:16-17)

The several practices of the Mosaic Law were commanded of the people in the Day of Moses as a teaching tool. These practices were a shadow of things to come; they spoke of Christ who was to come. (All shadows are caused by an object that is greater than the shadow.) Therefore, the effect of the teaching tool of the Law of Moses was not only for their benefit but in a much greater way pointed to their Savior and Messiah who was to come in the fullness of time. (Gal.4:4)

Our picture for today says it well. The cross casts a shadow upon the Menorah that stood in the Holy Place of the Tabernacle and Temple. Its seven lamps, fueled with Olive oil, was the only source of light in the first room. Jesus came preaching that He was the light of the world, and He was the bread upon the table in that room. On the third element, the altar of incense, the priests burned sweet-smelling incense every morning and evening. Incense pictures prayers to God: Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense; and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. (Psalm 141:2)

And when he had taken the book, the four beasts and four and twenty elders fell down before the Lamb, having every one of them harps, and golden vials full of odours, which are the prayers of saints. (Revelation 5:8) When one prays in the name of God’s priest (the Lord Jesus) it is a pleasing aroma to God.Ω

Read Through the Bible in a Year
NOVEMBER 13, 2017 - MONDAY
A.M. Ezekiel 4-6 P.M. Hebrews 10:1-23
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

Good Verse to Memorize:
Blessed is the nation whose God is the LORD; and the people whom He hath chosen for his own inheritance. (Psalm 33:12)

Song for Today:
Christmas Medley (6:23) U.S. Air Force Band/ Chorus – FLASH MOB)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gu53onuBOXw
You may have to adjust the volume and delete Ad.

1 Comment

who is on the lord's side?

11/9/2017

0 Comments

Who is On the Lord’s Side?

Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD'S side? let him come unto me. And all the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him. (Exodus 32:26)

For four thousand years, “Who is on the Lord’s side?” has remained a relevant question. People who are on the Lord’s side are in good shape with the question. Others would like for the discussion not to be so blunt and intimidating.

Moses asked this of the Jews, fresh out of Egypt. They had messed up big-time while Moses was up on the mountain talking with the Lord. When Moses asked the question, the sons of Levi stepped toward Moses, indicating they were on the Lord’s side. Their job was to kill those who were not. About three thousand men were buried that day. He is the same God today, but His game plan is different for us under the New Covenant Jesus made with His blood. Today, those who are on the Lord’s side are not favored by the masses but despised. That started a long time ago.

The ruins of the Roman Coliseum remain today as a ghostly reminder of the price some of the first Christians paid to be on the Lord’s side. They would not “give licit” to Caesar. (“licit” is the root word from which we get our word: “license.”) It was a lordship issue. Waving a smoking censor before a Roman magistrate acknowledged the submission of the individual to the Roman government as lord.

Early Christians knew that Christ was Lord. They treasured something that many Christians today have never thought about. Caesar countered that they could say Christ is Lord if they admitted that Caesar gave them permission to say Christ is Lord. Remember that Jesus was crucified with a sign above His head in three languages: “King of the Jews.” And a superscription also was written over him in letters of Greek, and Latin, and Hebrew, THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS. (Luke 23:38) Is Jesus King of your life?

Pilate’s public excuse for putting Jesus to death was a trumped-up charge of insurrection. (At the same time, he found no fault with the man except the charges being made by the Temple hierarchy.)

The early Christians would not agree they needed to get permission from Caesar to say that Jesus is Lord. Because of this, hungry lions were turned loose on them in front of thousands of blood-thirsty spectators. Though the persecution of Christians took place throughout the Empire in smaller theatres, it is the huge Roman Theatre that remains as the primary symbol. (The book: Christ and the Caesars and internet sources. I found the book in the library of Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. That was 35 years ago and I’m quoting from memory.)

Back in Jerusalem: Peter and John went into the Temple at the hour of prayer (Acts 3,4). In the Temple they encountered a lame man begging for coins. Peter told him: …Silver and gold have I none; but such as I have give I thee: In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk. (Act 3:6) The healed man exploded with joy and praise to God and the noise of it brought people running from every direction to see what was going on. Peter took charge of the scene and from Solomon’s Porch (portico) began to expound on what had happened. He had healed the man in the name of Jesus. Then he explained to the crowd:
Neither is there salvation in any other: for there is none other name under heaven given among men, whereby we must be saved. (Acts 4:12) An interesting thing about the red-underlined portion of this verse is its possible background. Not far in their distant past, one of the Roman emperors had declared on a special day of celebration: “I am Caesar, and by me all men shall be saved and without me, no man shall be saved.” (Approx.) (This story is from a cassette tape coming from another man’s research. It does not come up on Google. However, quotes from the Roman Empire are massive.)

It was known throughout the Empire that Caesar had made the statement, including Peter in Jerusalem. Some believe that when Peter made the statement, he was raising the lordship issue and publicly announcing that Jesus Christ was the Savior of mankind, not Caesar. Such a statement in the Roman Empire would amount to sedition, treason. It would have carried a death sentence.

Peter did not go around looking for trouble and a way to spill his own blood, but he wanted the Jews in Jerusalem to know that he was on the Lord’s side. But, if Peter was indeed casting his statement into the teeth of Caesar, he was taking his life into his own hands. As you know, Peter was later crucified upside-down, that being his request. He was not worthy, he said, to be crucified upright as was his Lord.

When Paul and Silas went to Thessalonica and preached, the irate Jews who could not answer them stirred up a hornet’s nest. They had Jason, a local friend of Paul’s, arrested. They said of Paul: These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also; (Acts 17:6)

Paul and Silas had made their mark. They were firm in their testimony.
Part of the effectiveness of these first Christians, was that they were strongly on the Lord’s side and not just “sort-of.” I believe there are several advantages to declaring we are on the Lord’s side, but primarily, it helps your own heart to get that settled. Your basic mindset everywhere you go is: “I’m on the Lord’s side.” You don’t have to go around saying that to yourself all the time. But it needs to be so deeply settled that it’s there all the time. Somehow, people around you will know it because attitude communicates itself.

Isaiah had this message to people of his day: For thus saith the Lord GOD, the Holy One of Israel; In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. (Isaiah 30:15) I believe I got this from Dr. Clyde Narramore about sixty years ago.

There’s a lot of horsepower in “quietness and confidence.” We can have that if we are dug in, on the Lord’s side. If we have that sure-enough connection with the Lord and no unfinished business between us and Him, the result is “quietness and confidence.” I know, I know,…Randy Grider is wired to run up and down the aisle and shout when the Lord pushes his buttons. But, his buttons are round, and my buttons are square. My strength is definitely “in quietness and confidence.”

The Lord didn’t get much of a bargain when He got me, but He knows that I’m on His side. I got that settled one night in the bean market in October 1943. That’s one of the big reasons I believe so much in daddies and mamas and Sunday school teachers who have boys and girls before them day after day. Ω

Read Through the Bible in a Year
NOVEMBER 10, 2017 - FRIDAY
A.M. Lamentations 1-2 P.M. Hebrews 7
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

Good Verse to Memorize:
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91:1)

Song for Today:
Who Is on the Lord’s Side? (3:55) (Benjamin Everson)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ChecKmxBpLs

Please Note: This is a multiple-recording of Benjamin Everson that results in an acapella male chorus. Very unusual. Wait 28 seconds for everything to get put in place and music to start. I reviewed a dozen groups of Who Is on the Lord’s Side? And this is the best one.
You may have to adjust the volume.

0 Comments

Judge and don't judge

11/8/2017

0 Comments

Judge and Don’t Judge…
Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. (John 7:24)Judge not, that ye be not judged. (Matthew 7:1)

The Bible says to judge. The Bible says don’t judge.
There is no conflict between judge and don’t judge.

The “judge not” verse (Matthew 7:1) is one of the most quoted verses in the Bible, and one of the most misunderstood verses in the Bible. For some, it’s the only Bible verse they know and they couldn’t find it if their life depended on it.

It’s like the much-loved verse: “… use a little wine for thy stomach's sake…. (1Timothy 5:23) I was filled in on that verse when I was preaching in rescue missions. Several times a man staggered up to me in the Mission and displayed his knowledge of the Bible to me. He knew the main part of that verse, but he didn’t know where to find it.

Well, I shouldn’t be too hard on the champions of these two verses. There are a lot of verses in the Bible that I have to look up to find and many verses that I have yet to study in depth. That’s why I have to keep reading and studying the Bible and there’s always something to learn.

When I was a teenager I began to hear preachers say: “You can prove anything by the Bible if you remove the verse from its context and define it to suit yourself.” The short verse on “judge not” is one of those verses. I hope you are open to looking at other verses on “judge not” and some serious reading by men who are qualified to make scholarly comments on: “Judge and Don’t Judge.” Better yet, how about opening your Bible to these verses and mark them in your Bible?

THE MacARTHUR STUDY BIBLE comments on this verse: Judge not. As the context reveals, this direction does not prohibit all types of judging (Mat_7:16). We are supposed to exercise a righteous kind of judgment with careful discernment (John_7:24). Censorious, hypocritical, self-righteous, or other kinds of unfair judgments are forbidden; but in order to fulfill the commandments that follow, it is necessary to discern dogs and swine (Mat_7:6) from one's own brethren (Mat_7:3-5).

THE BIBLE KNOWLEDGE COMMENTARY (Dallas Seminary) Comments:
(Luke_6:41-42) A final illustration of Pharisaic practices pertains to judging. The Pharisees were then judging Christ and finding Him to be inadequate. He was not offering the kind of kingdom they anticipated or asking for the kind of righteousness they were exhibiting. So they rejected Him. Jesus therefore warned them against hypocritical judging.
This passage does not teach that judgments should never be made; Mat_7:5 does speak of removing the speck from your brother’s eye. The Lord’s point was that a person should not be habitually critical or condemnatory of a speck of sawdust in someone else’s eye when he has a plank — a strong hyperbole for effect — in his own eye. Such action is hypocritical (You hypocrite, Mat_7:5; cf. “hypocrites” in Mat_6:2, Mat_6:5, Mat_6:16).

Though judgment is sometimes needed, those making the distinctions (krinō, judge, means “to distinguish” and thus “to decide”) must first be certain of their own lives.
Furthermore when seeking to help another, one must exercise care to do what would be appreciated and beneficial. One should never entrust holy things (what is sacred) to unholy people (dogs; cf. “dogs” in Php_3:2) or throw… pearls to pigs. Dogs and pigs were despised in those days.

McGEE HAS THIS TO SAY: These verses have really been misunderstood. To judge can mean "to decide, to distinguish, to condemn, to avenge," and it actually can mean "to damn." These verses do not mean that a child of God is forbidden to judge others, but it does mean that we are not to judge the inward motives of others in the sense of condemning them.
We do not know or understand why a brother in Christ does a certain thing. We see only outward acts. God doesn't forbid our judging wrong and evil actions, as we will see. The point is that if you are harsh in your judgments of others, you will be known as the type of person who is severe in his considerations of others. I know this type of person, and I am sure you do, also. Perhaps somebody has said to you, "Don't pay any attention to what he says; he never has a good word to say." You see, he is being judged by the way he judges. This is what our Lord is saying in these verses.

THE CHURCH AT CORINTH HAD CHRISTIANS GOING INTO ROMAN COURTS, suing one another. Paul addressed that problem like this: Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints? Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters? Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life? If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church. (1Corinthians 6:1-4)

So, it is NOT the “Christian” thing to never have an opinion or never to make a judgment about other people in this world. If you have a daughter who is having a date with a young man, you had better judge if your daughter is safe with him. If someone knocks on your door at night and wants to use your phone to call somebody to fix his car, you had better be willing to judge that person and maybe with a gun in your hand. On and on it goes through the complicated maize of everyday living. It is impossible for Christians to avoid making judgments about people.

But, there is a way to do it without being judgmental. If all you want to do is to criticize everybody around you, may the Lord deliver me from you. I don’t want anything to do with that kind of person. Being judgmental and gossiping are no-no’s.

It is important that we study the Bible enough to know what it says about judging and not judging. It is also important that we pray to God to know how to make righteous judgments when it is our duty (yes, our duty) to judge someone. Ω

Read Through the Bible in a Year
NOVEMBER 9, 2017 - THURSDAY
A.M. Jeremiah 51-52 P.M. Hebrews 6
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

Good Verse to Memorize:
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91:1)

Song for Today:
The Holy Hills Are Calling Me (5:49) (Gaither Group)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXrL-Z44KHc&index=27&list=RDSXUHW3WHIeE
You may have to adjust the volume.

0 Comments

i forgive you!

11/7/2017

0 Comments

I Forgive You!

And be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you. (Ephesians 4:32)

The mass murders of the last few days at Las Vegas, New York, and Sutherland Springs, Texas have stunned us all. What shall family and friends do with their lingering hurt? There will be empty beds and empty places at dining tables. No doubt, the hardest of all will be the absence of the babies and children. The burials will help with closure but not completely. Eventually intense grief may convert into a quest for revenge. It doesn’t have to, but it could.

The killers in Las Vegas and Sutherland Springs lacked the courtesy of hanging around to be executed. But, how many times do you have to execute someone to satisfy their robbing you of your loved ones? If you could kill them twelve times, would that satisfy revenge? I have read the testimony of people who attended the executions of the murderers of family members. Few testify that witnessing the execution satisfied the emptiness and rage of their hearts.

We may forget that God also hurts when our loved ones are murdered. Our verse today was given to the Christians at Ephesus. They needed instructions on how to handle their hurt feelings when they had been violated. God’s solution was to forgive “one another.” We could respond by saying, “But, Lord, you don’t understand what they did to me!” Oh, but He does understand. God forgives us of our sins toward Him for Christ’s sake. He went to the cross to pay for our sins, even the worst of our sins.

For some, it may come as a surprise that God’s command to us to forgive is not necessarily to make us into super saints. Rather, it’s for our own benefit that we unload the grudge and bitterness that we may hold against someone, even for the great sin of murder.
Grudges and bitterness are some of the greatest destroyers of human happiness and physical health. Anger and bitterness have long been known to be a major factor in causing heart attacks and cancer. Anger and bitterness are the worst acid to the soul and it has a physical counterpart in its toll upon our health.

Jesus warned that if we will not forgive, neither would our Heavenly Father forgive us. He told us in the model prayer, that forgiving others is part of our praying. But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:15)

This may be the most expensive thing in the Bible. We would hope that such a forgiveness could be a two-way street and that reconciliation could take place. But, grudges and bitterness can linger long after the offending person is dead, and reconciliation cannot take place. But, forgiveness can take place, even toward a dead person.

If God would not forgive us until reconciliation took place, then God’s forgiveness would be tied to how someone acted toward us. That’s a no-no. That’s not the way God’s forgiveness works. He doesn’t get somebody else’s permission for Him to forgive us. But, if we will let it go, if we will forgive as He commanded us to do, then He will forgive us regardless of how the other person responds to us.

The hurt, the pain from some sins against us may be so great that it is impossible for us to forgive with one uttered sentence: “I forgive you.” It may not be that simple. I went through that several years ago. I was convicted to forgive a man who had wronged me. So, one morning in my private devotion I said, “Lord, I forgive the man who has wronged me (I called his name). But quickly, I had to tell the Lord: “Father I’ve said the words, but you know I didn”t mean a word of it.”

The next morning, the same thing. This went on every morning for almost a month. One day, during that month, the Lord impressed me hard to pray that God would bless the man and his family. Again, I prayed and had to say that I didn’t really mean it. But I kept praying, day after day. One day, I noticed that it was easy to pray for God to bless the man and his family. It was then that I realized I had truly forgiven him.

This was an old wound, and I never thought about it. But one day it was God’s time for me to dig it up and deal with it. I never saw the man because he was then in a rest home with Alzheimer’s and some said he didn’t even know his own wife. This is one reason I know that forgiveness and reconciliation may not be tied together. It should be, but may not be. The last part of this story is to say this: forgiving someone may be so hard that it cannot be an instant happening, but rather, a process. I had to forgive that man every day for over a month. Forgiving him was a process. Do you need to forgive someone?

Across America, there are many women whose fathers raped them when they were little girls. If this is you, I recommend that you talk with the Lord about it and start forgiving that person. There are many men who were raped by a family member or friend of the family when they were little boys. There are other brutal, crippling scars that people are carrying that was inflicted on them when they were children. Does someone reading this need to talk to the Lord and begin forgiving that person who wounded you? Ω

Read Through the Bible in a Year
NOVEMBER 8, 2017 - WEDNESDAY
A.M. Jeremiah 49-50 P.M. Hebrews 5
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

Good Verse to Memorize:
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91:1)

Song for Today:
There Is a Fountain (4:29) (Gaither Group)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PasK3ZFAOPE
You may have to adjust the volume.

0 Comments

does jesus care?

11/6/2017

0 Comments

Does Jesus Care?
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: Casting all your care upon him; for He careth for you. (1Pete 5:6-7)

The recent shootings in Las Vegas and Sutherland, Texas have wounded the nation and made us all uneasy. We are moved with an indescribable grief and at the same time our own sense of well-being is threatened. Is that the end of this kind of shooting? Deep in our hearts we know that it’s “not over.” No, all the shootings are not over. Between shootings we have an attack with a Home Depot rental truck that killed innocent people walking and riding bicycles.

What is our response to this kind of mental disease that has broken out among us? I dare say that it is the same kind of question that I have witnessed so often at the grave side: DOES JESUS CARE? The song by that title has been one of the most requested songs at funerals. Death has the last word. There is no argument with death.

The larger question is: “Why is there death?” A second question is: “Why is death so early with some?” We are human, and we try to make sense of things that happen to us, including death. Did it have to happen? It is important that we go through this process.

We all have noticed that in funeral homes, the death of an elderly person seems to be a natural thing and the conversation is louder. The death is more easily accepted. But, if a wreck has snuffed out the life of a teenager, the room is a hushed quiet. Something is out of place, unexpected, and overwhelming. It is hard to accept.

Yesterday’s mass shooting at the church in Sutherland, Texas with the death of at least 26 people and the wounding of that many more, brings an even harder question: why did God allow mass murder to take place where God’s people were gathered to worship Him? This is the same question Christians have had to face in other countries where their enemies have locked the church doors and burned the building and the people in it. Africa and eastern countries have experienced mass annihilation of Christian people. Why does God allow these things to happen?

We remember the words Jesus spoke through John in Revelation: Fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer: behold, the devil shall cast some of you into prison, that ye may be tried; and ye shall have tribulation ten days: be thou faithful unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life. (Revelation 2:10)

One big problem we have is, this is the only life we know. Since it’s the only life we know, we feel like it’s the only life there is. If we lose this life, we have nothing left. God made us that way, so that we protect ourselves from harm and death. But, God tells us that this is not the only life there is. This is a very short life and God never intended it to be long. It is the dressing room for eternity.

The real life is out there, through the door into Heaven. Life is short. I can remember my age of three, when my Grandpa Carr held me in his lap. His tomb stone shows that I was three when that happened. And now, I’m 83. Life is short, very short.

We cannot bring departed loved ones and friends back from death. But, those who have died in faith of the One who died for us on the cross, we will see again and live with them forever in the presence of the Lamb.

If we are troubled at the arrogance of death, maybe it will help to remember that Jesus’ disciples had this same problem. They were in the little boat with Him when a storm suddenly was upon them and Jesus was asleep in the back of the boat.

And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full. And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish? And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. And he said unto them, Why are ye so fearful? how is it that ye have no faith? (Mark 4:37-40)

That’s the answer to all of us who have a troubled heart over unexpected death and tragedy. We must have faith to believe He is in charge and nothing can happen to us that His watchful eye does not allow. We are not at the mercy of disturbed or evil gunmen.

Some of it He takes care of. Some of it we must take care of. Jesus told His disciples: Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one. (Luke 22:36) Today’s equivalent to their sword (dagger) would be a hand gun.

I think it’s time that churches, even the small, country churches, think through a security plan to protect their congregations from those who might plan to harm them. We should pray, and we should also listen to Jesus about our security. Ω

Read Through the Bible in a Year
NOVEMBER 7, 2017 - TUESDAY
A.M. Jeremiah 46-48 P.M. Hebrews 4
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

Good Verse to Memorize:
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91:1)

Song for Today:
Steal Away to Jesus (Calvary Mem. Quartet)
https://www.facebook.com/100009410046480/videos/2026839874306328/
You may have to adjust the volume.

0 Comments

break up your fallow ground

11/5/2017

2 Comments

Break Up Your Fallow Ground
For thus saith the LORD to the men of Judah and Jerusalem, Break up your fallow ground, and sow not among thorns. (Jeremiah 4:3) Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the LORD, till he come and rain righteousness upon you. (Hosea 10:12)

Jeremiah and Hosea both preached that God’s people should break up their fallow ground. Fallow ground is: “plowed and left unseeded for a season or more; uncultivated.” (Dictionary.com) Israel was instructed by the Lord to let their land go unplowed and unplanted every seventh year. But in the seventh year shall be a sabbath of rest unto the land, a sabbath for the LORD: thou shalt neither sow thy field, nor prune thy vineyard. (Leviticus 25:4)

Jeremiah and Hosea have borrowed a metaphor from Israel’s farm life to illustrate a spiritual need in the lives of the people. The message is to God’s people who at one time were in touch with Him and need to plow their souls again. This message is strictly to God’s people. It is not about plowing new ground that has never grown crops before. That’s why He specifically called it: fallow ground. God did not harden the hearts of His people. They did that themselves. But, He used the fallow ground as an object lesson for them.

Land that has never been plowed or had crops to grow on it before is not fallow ground. Many pictures like the one above on the right are portrayed online as fallow ground but it is not fallow ground. This appears to be the dried bottom of a lake that has a high content of clay. That’s why it cracked open. Nothing has been growing on this land and most likely, farm crops would not easily grow on it.

The message is not to lost people who have never had the seed of the Word of God planted in them. He wants lost people to be saved, but that is not dealt with in this message. God’s people need times of refreshing so that the seed of the Word of God can take root and grow fruit.

McGee comments: “This is a principle that runs throughout the Bible. It is exactly what Paul wrote to the believers in Galatia: "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting" (Galatians 6:7-8). Hosea is saying that if they would sow in righteousness, they would reap in mercy. It is always true that we cannot live by the Devil's standards and then expect to reap a reward from God!

This doesn’t need a lot of explaining to those who have done any farming or gardening. A small amount of clay is desirable in the growing soil, but only a small amount. The roots of plants breath oxygen that is in the loose soil. If too much clay is in the soil, the oxygen level will be low, and the plants will suffocate for lack of root oxygen. It’s the same if it rains too long and the plants begin to turn yellow because they are starved for oxygen at the root level. Air and breath are words that remind us of the Holy Spirit. Fallow ground shuts out air, shuts out the Holy Spirit.

I watched my Grandpa Richards plow between the rows of corn or garden plants, even when there were few weeds. I wondered why he did that. He didn’t know why, except his father taught him to do it. He was breaking up the crust that had formed on top of the ground after a rain and the crust hindered the input of oxygen into the soil. So, breaking up the soil is a constant need, especially when the plants are small, and the root system is not fully developed.

If soil “lays out” for a year, the rains pack the soil and the packed soil hinders the plants just like too much clay in the soil. So, the soil must be broken up.

JESUS DISPLAYED A SIMILAR PRINCIPLE when He washed the disciples’ feet and Peter didn’t want Jesus to wash his feet. Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all.(Judas needed a complete bath and was not clean at all.) (John 13:8-10)

JOHN WROTE ABOUT OUR NEED OF CLEANSING, which corresponds to the breaking up of fallow ground. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. (1John 1:8-10)

PETER WROTE ABOUT THE NEED TO BE STIRRED UP. This second epistle, beloved, I now write unto you; in both which I stir up your pure minds by way of remembrance: That ye may be mindful of the words which were spoken before by the holy prophets, and of the commandment of us the apostles of the Lord and Saviour: (2Peter 3:1-2)

MOSES WROTE OF THE LAMPSTAND and its need to be trimmed of its ashes. And the tongs thereof, and the snuffdishes thereof, shall be of pure gold. Of a talent of pure gold (about 75 pounds of gold) shall he make it, with all these vessels. (Exodus 25:38-39)

Barnes comments: Exodus 25:38 “The tongs - Used to trim and adjust the wicks. (Compare Isa_6:6.) The snuff-dishes - These were shallow vessels used to receive the burnt fragments of wick removed by the tongs. The same Hebrew word is translated, in accordance with its connection, “fire pans,” Exo_27:3; Exo_38:3; and “censers,” Num_4:14; Num_16:6.” (Barnes)

The tongs and basin for the ashes and wick trimmings were made of gold and weighed at least 75 pounds. The gold is a symbol of deity.

TRIMMING THE WICKS AND THE SNUFFERS IN THE TEMPLE. They became corrupted because of their God-appointed use and not because of rebellion and sin.

LIKEWISE, God told His people to let the ground lay out and in that obedience, the ground compacted and needed to be broken up. Nevertheless, Jeremiah and Hosea used fallow ground to illustrate what ought to be done in the lives of His people. As we serve God, in the line of our appointed duty, we become polluted and hardened in our hearts and need to break up the hardened condition that has come upon us. We need the fresh dew of Heaven upon us.

In our appointed duty, our feet become soiled in a fallen world and we need to wash our feet. After we have spent ourselves and we are reduced to ashes, we need to cast ourselves in our burned-out condition into the presence of God. In our service for God we grow weary and need to be stirred up and refreshed again.

When Elijah called down fire from Heaven upon the sacrifice and altar on Mount Carmel, he ran ahead of Ahab’s chariot to get ahead of the rain that was coming. But, he spent himself outrunning the horses and the words of Jezebel discouraged him. He went into the wilderness and lay down, wishing to die. The angel of the Lord came and gave him food and he slept again. Then, and only then could he go on and finish his God-appointed work and turn it over to Elisha.

Have you grown tired? In the service of God, are you spent? Do you need to break up the fallow ground so the seed of the Word of God can once again grow in you and prosper your journey in serving the Lord?

Today’s song is: Break Up Your Fallow Ground, by Kathy Owens and Tammy Thomas.

Chorus - Break up my fallow ground; give a heart just like Your own; where Your word will find sweet soil everywhere that it is sown. Break up my fallow ground; rid my heart of sinful stone; break up my fallow ground, my heart Your throne.

Verse 1 - Lord, you saved me with Your Blood You shed on Calvary, and sweet blessings You have given every day; but my stubborn heart has often not been yielded to Your plan You had for me, Your perfect way.

Verse. 2 - Every day I am so easily distracted from the glory and the joy of serving Thee. Wicked pride and bitterness are there to strangle; sinful habits keep me from the victory.

Read Through the Bible in a Year
NOVEMBER 6, 2017 - MONDAY
A.M. Jeremiah 43-45 P.M. Hebrews 3
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

Good Verse to Memorize:
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. (Psalm 91:1)

Song for Today:
Break Up Your Shallow Ground (Tammy Thomas & Kathy Owens)
https://www.facebook.com/100009410046480/videos/2015636695426646/
You may have to adjust the volume or delete an ad.

2 Comments

brand names

11/2/2017

0 Comments

Brand Names…
A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:34-35)

This morning, as I sat in the car, waiting to get some new windshield wiper blades installed, I noticed a prominent sign on top of a little stack of tires. It said: “Goodyear Tires are the Best-Selling Tires in America.” Every time I looked up, there was the sign. When I left, I had new wiper blades on the windshield, and the words of an ad in my head. (We have a good set of Michelin tires on our car.) But, somehow the idea of brand names went with me all day. Brand names have great power. Good Year, Good Rich and Firestone were the three competing names I saw as soon as I could read. Other names have been added. Recently we had to buy a new refrigerator and we bought a familiar brand name.

Out of curiosity I went to Google Images and wrote: “brand names.” I scanned and scanned and studied the great display of brand names of all kinds of products. Big money is spent on promoting brand name products. It’s because that’s the way the human mind works. One of the best pieces of advertising is the Good Year blimp. They began building them for the military during WW1 and then for themselves. Actually, there’s a fleet of Goodyear Blimps. They’re as American as apple pie and part of America. The blimp may be one of the reasons Good Year sells so many tires.

CHRISTIANS HAVE A BRAND NAME: “They Love One Another.” It’s not the brand name of your denomination even if you say your brand name is “non-denominational.” It’s not if you live in a cave as a holy man on a mountain. Jesus said that Christian’s love for one another would be the way all men would know that we are His disciples. It would be easier if He had said that men would know we belong to Jesus if we wore a sign; Or maybe a bumper sticker on the car that says: “Honk if you love Jesus.” I’m not knocking it. But, you’d better drive right and live right if someone pulls out in front of you or gets your parking space. Maybe the bumper sticker is not the best way to tell everyone that you are Jesus’ disciple.

Wearing a gold necklace with a cross on it has been a favorite way of witnessing to others for a long time. Again, it’s a shortcut that doesn’t take the place of loving like Jesus loved.

It’s hard to love someone who smells bad or acts like they have a devil in them. I have preached enough in rescue missions and jails to know that everybody doesn’t smell good. Some people talk bad. It’s hard to love sinners that you might have to shoot to protect yourself. Yes, I have carried a 38 pistol in my pocket many a day. (I started doing that after an attempt was made on us on a stretch of Interstate highway.) Jesus told His disciples: …he that hath no sword (dagger), let him sell his garment, and buy one. (Luke 22:36)

They walked hundreds of miles and slept in the open. Jesus ordained that they should protect themselves with a dagger. Today that would be equal to a small firearm. There’s a place to love people and there’s no conflict between that and protecting your own life and your family.

BUT, OUR TEXT TODAY DOES NOT ADDRESS LOVING THESE PEOPLE. It talks about Christians loving other Christians. Our family and our church are the gymnasium where we practice being decent to one another. It’s not a good idea to have a word fight on the way to church on Sunday morning. It’s not a good idea to call the preacher aside and jump him about somebody’s ungodly behavior right before he gets up to preach. (Please!)

Finally, be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another, love as brethren, be pitiful, be courteous: Not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing: but contrariwise blessing; knowing that ye are thereunto called, that ye should inherit a blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: (deception) Let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace, and ensue (pursue) it. (1Peter 3:8-11)

If someone asks me if I’m called to preach, I would have to say “yes.” But I might also say that long before I was called to preach, I was called to keep my mouth shut if all I have to say is something ugly. That’s what the text above says. “Ye are thereunto called.” In the passage above, I am called to not get in a word fight (railing for railing). If I would see good days, I must refrain my tongue from evil and avoid talking out of both sides of my mouth (speak no guile). One of the problems of running our mouth wide open is that God is witness to everything we say and makes a note of it.

If we are going to be good Christians, we are going to have to manage our tongues. In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin: but he that refraineth his lips is wise. (Proverbs 10:19) For a long time I have believed that more relationships are destroyed from misuse of the tongue than from drunkenness and drugs. But, what about the love theme? I’m on the love theme. We don’t love people until our tongue loves people.

We hear frustrated people burst out sometimes and say: “I’m going to give him/her a piece of my mind.” Not a good idea. Words are like feathers in the wind. It’s impossible to get them back after they’ve left your mouth. “But, you might as well say it as to think it.” Not so. A lot of people are in an early grave for something they said. But no one is in an early grave for something they thought.

OK, I need to be more loving toward others. How do I do that? …the love of God is shed abroad in our hearts by the Holy Ghost which is given unto us. (Romans 5:5) Another part of our loving others is how we manage our inward urges. We learn to love people by remembering what Jesus said: And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. (Luke 9:23)

Everybody who heard Jesus preach, no doubt, had seen someone hanging on a cross in agony and gasping for breath. He did not indulge Himself in saying empty words. He meant what He said. Many times, in this life we are called by God to deny ourselves and to lay ourselves on the instrument of death. We call it “dying to self.”

When we are tempted to let go with unmeasured words, it’s time to nail the tongue to the cross. It has to be done. It will do you great harm if you don’t. In different words, that’s what Jesus said to do…take up our cross daily. Put self to death on the cross. We are to deny ourselves and take up our instrument of death to self. This will change your life.

Our brand name is: I love you! I will deny myself for you if need be. That’s how people will know we belong to Jesus. Ω

Read Through the Bible in a Year
NOVEMBER 3, 2017 – FRIDAY
A.M. Jeremiah 36-37 P.M. Philemon 1
(Bible Gateway will read this to you if you like. Look for the speaker icon.)

Good Verse to Memorize:
For whatsoever is not of faith is sin. Romans 14:23b

Song for Today:
He Giveth More Grace (3:07) (Gaither Group)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YN9-Ri6qjZY
You may have to adjust the volume or delete an ad.

0 Comments

<<Previous

Forward>>

carried by the angels

mingled among the heathen

on praying for america

Bible shadows

who is on the lord's side?

Judge and don't judge

i forgive you!

does jesus care?

break up your fallow ground

brand names

Author

Archives

Categories